Lanyth: The Calling

Ashes covered her feet and the bottom hem of her nightgown as she wandered through the fields of the dead. It was upon a dreary plain that she went, where lay only wrecks — human bones whiter than ivory bleaching in sunless mounds or grinning at her from beneath decaying hands and faces which still seemed to linger with half-open mouths, cursing those who had violated their rest for no purpose but to feed the carrion vultures.

At length, there came a day when Iris was so weary that she sat down upon an old skull whose teeth were worn away, leaving it very hollow indeed, though still fastened to its melancholy throne by a small strip of scalp. She thought of nothing now save to keep alive until this sad heart might cease to beat, to wait patiently for the long-deferred relief that death would bring her. But alas! these things are never destined to be brought about. There is no relief here below: no respite from grief or care. In vain did the young girl's eyes fill up with tears as one tear after another coursed slowly down her pallid cheeks, like rivulets of bitter poison oozing forth from the source of life. One lukewarm drop succeeded to another till they trickled over into the hollow sockets above, leaving them all wet and shiny with moisture. 

Thus, seated on that old bone which once belonged to some gay and jovial soul, in company with skeletons who sang and danced and made merry beneath the open heavens many years ago, Iris spent hour after hour, awaiting release from her sorrows, if not from her existence. The rain fell fast and heavily around her, sometimes dripping through the apertures in the skull where the hair used to grow or forming little pools underneath the dismal monument which supported her slight form. She cared not for this: she was too wretched even to notice how drearily it fell. And thus, the night wore away toward morning.

The ash turned to mud beneath her bare feet, and she felt the eternal sorrow grow more profound upon her soul. At last, she said: "How long have I been sitting here? It must be nearly morning." 

She lifted her head to look at the sun — for his face had grown brighter since sunset — but suddenly shuddered as she saw what appeared to be two black clouds standing close together, one of which was taller than the other, and while she gazed a cold tremor crept over her frame, which seemed as though the icy hand of death itself was clutching her heart, causing it to stop beating within its walls of ice! 

Then came a stillness so intense that all life seemed hushed throughout the universe, except for that small voice of terror that whispered: "The tempest is coming!" And now the wind began moaning mournfully among the branches of the forest trees, and the rain beat against the bleached skull beneath which the poor girl sat shivering in mortal agony. 

"It is coming," she murmured and hid her face in her hands. The thunder did not utter any sound, nor could Iris hear the distant rumble.

"Death is coming for us all."

This idea frightened her greatly. All nature seemed awed by some mighty presence, and Iris herself trembled at the awful words that rang like an echo through space. The storm approached with gigantic strides, scattering the dark clouds like wisps of straw. There was something grand and awe-inspiring about it. Its breath was like the sighing of eternity itself, filling the world with supernatural power. A flash of lightning struck down into the very center of the earth where she lay crouching upon her old bone. 

Darkness covered everything — a darkness more profound than any night, whatever rested upon the eye of man or beast: a blackness that could only be dispelled when another moment passed and the lightning flashed again. Now there came a clap of thunder loud enough to have destroyed humanity many times over had it fallen on their heads instead of upon hers, who alone was doomed to feel its terrors! 

Again, it thundered, but this time it sounded far off as if the dread sound were traveling to every corner of the globe. It rolled onward as a river toward its sea, and at length, the tempest came dashing furiously against the ruins of Iris's home. With a wild shriek of despair, she sprang from her throne and fled in the direction of the wood; but her strength failed her amid that long and weary flight so that she sank exhausted in a hollow tree that stood close beside her path.

She sat in the empty remains of the hollow tree as the storm raged outside. She heard the thunder roll through space and felt the icy wind blow fiercely around her. At last, came a lull in the elements; the rain ceased falling, and the wind fell silent: not even the rustling of an agitated leaf was audible through the universal stillness which followed.

The eye of the storm was death. It had gone out forever — leaving not the faintest spark behind it — and Iris breathed again after it. But now, what would become of her? There she sat for hours in darkness and silence, wondering how she could escape from this scary place where she thought she should never return alive to light and life again, for the tempest seemed now to have been sent by some evil power for her destruction. A profound and unaccountable terror crept over her heart, yet that power seemed friendly to the girl since it had saved her when all other means had failed.

"Where am I?" murmured Iris, "and who is near me? Am I in heaven or hell?" 

She clasped her hands together as though imploring the aid of some unknown being whose voice she expected at any moment to hear in reply: then suddenly starting up, she cried: —"Whomever you may be, I entreat of you not to forsake me, but to save my soul from perdition!" 

The night was cold and cheerless. The clouds were scattered, and the moon shone dimly with a sickly yellow light through the branches of the trees. Nothing met her ear but the wailing and moaning of the winds. It was strange and frightful that no living thing responded to her call! It was very lonely here! No creature moved! Her only hope rested on herself and that tiny spark of love buried deep in her bosom, still unconsumed and ready for this dire emergency. So, thinking and fearing, Iris resolved not to lose courage, even if every human being in the world was now dead.

And somehow, she knew they all were. For many years she had lost sight of all humankind, yet she could remember vividly when the world contained great cities filled with people and where mighty nations warred against each other by day and night. All these had passed away like shadows before the awful might of the storm which raged about her dwelling place just now. Even her own home and country were far off beyond the seas: nothing remained except a few scattered villages among distant mountains, which seemed utterly deserted now that Iris remembered them.

"How long," thought she, "have I been lying in that tree? Surely it must be midnight." 

Again, she began to believe that death would soon claim his victim for whom he had been searching so long; for surely it would be impossible for anyone to live through this terrible night without food or water, especially since she was so faint from fatigue and hunger as scarcely able to move, or resist any longer the craving desire to sleep and forgetfulness of all her sorrows. The moon rose high above the tops of the trees and poured its pale beams upon the desolate scene. The girl looked down into the valley below, where the river flowed tranquility amid scenes of beauty beneath the moon's clear light.

And then she saw a happy sight, hundreds or thousands of figures locked in dance.

And all of them were skeletons, lost in an eternal dance of the dead. Their bodies were old, their faces haggard and ghastly — but there was something in the air of exultation that pervaded everything around that made Iris's heart leap with joy. 

And they danced! 

Oh! How they danced! 

She recognized every figure at once; they had loved well and laughed merrily while they lived! But now they could laugh no more; for Death himself had seized them for his dancing partners, whose delight is to see life join hand in hand with death so that the two may tread together to the same measure until the tremendous final chorus shall be heard, announcing universal victory over pain, trouble, grief, sickness, poverty, suffering, despair, and misery forever.

Iris thought she beheld her father among this joyous company. He had taken her little brother by the hand and stood before her proudly and triumphantly. His eyes were fixed steadily on hers, yet somehow, they did not seem as though he knew her: he appeared stern and cold — as if he were a stranger who would have nothing to do with any living person near him — as he led the way toward the river bank where the dancers whirled away so merrily under the moonlight. 

Involuntarily Iris followed. She wanted to speak to her dear ones one last time; for she was very weary of being alone. As she approached nearer, she was amazed to behold them suddenly cease their dance, stand upright, all holding hands, and looking straight into space! They made no noise, for their lips moved in silent prayer.

Iris tried hard to follow their example and close her lips, too, so the words might go forth from her mouth and thus find utterance in Heaven. The prayer lasted long, but just when it seemed finished, another came which took up the refrain of the former and sang with its echo like a sweet strain of music. 

Iris listened with awe and wonder to those mysterious tones; and then felt her spirit, borne aloft on some invisible wing, float off above the clouds, and enter with them into the world of spirits! She saw them as pure, beautiful, happy, holy, strong, and eternal! 

Awe fell upon her heart as she realized that they were all in heaven now, free from care or fear or danger — in the full enjoyment of eternal peace — and that she had been permitted to see them even at that moment while still in mortal flesh. 

Her soul became flooded with light. 

She gave herself entirely over to the Divine will, feeling sure that whatever should happen would be well for her. She smiled, knowing well what gods could do if They chose, so after gazing for a time at the blue sky beyond the tops of the trees, she closed her eyes again, drew a deep breath, stretched her limbs a little more, laid her head gently down against the old bone beneath whose sheltering shadow she had sat so many hours of the night past, and soon sank into a dreamless sleep.

A dreamless, forever sleep.