The Necromancer



The Necromancer
i The Introduction 

I struggle to my feet, and idling above me is the specter. 

He watches me rise with a solemn look upon his face. 

Although I have never seen such a being before, 

I feel as if I’ve known him as a childhood friend long,   lost in past. 

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">Upon closer inspection which feels like an hour, <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">He appears to have a face unlike any I have ever seen. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">The skin upon his skull contorts slightly at uneven intervals with a slow and sluggish movement. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">However, this slightest of movement is as if like a caterpillar moving in a field of green grass. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"> After shaking off this blend of shock and awe, <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">I finally muster the courage to open my mouth and speak. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">On closer inspection, I realize that I am not uttering a word. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">As panic fills my body, I hear a faint voice in my head. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">A voice so quiet and distorted, it phased in and out of my mind. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">Thinking how and where this voice is coming from, <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">I simply raise my head…and look at the being in front of me. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">His expression doesn’t change yet, I can tell that he is attempting to communicate with me. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">I muster up my strength and courage to imagine the words “hello”. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">The vague voice responds with mutterings unknown to any language that I have heard of. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">The voice then shifts into what seems as two separate voices instead of one, <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"> Making the situation twice as unbearable as it needs to. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"> I start to feel a sudden sharp pain on the right side of my forehead. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">I instinctively clench my forehead with agony as I fall to the floor inaudibly crying out. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">The pain then subsides the same way as if stubbing your toe on an object. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">I open my eyes <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">to find something quite terrifying. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">The result of opening my eyes <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">result focusing on a vast terrain of… <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">emptiness. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">I combine sense of dread, fear, and panic <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"> instantly rush through my helpless body. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">Questions pop into my mind <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"> “Where am I?!” <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"> “What’s going on?!” <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"> “How did I end up here?!” <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">After hours of self-questioning and panic, <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"> I rise to my feet wondering <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"> how this is even possible. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">Just as I am about to have another list of query’s, <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"> the voice reappears. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">I turn quickly at the specter <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"> with its face misshaped into a grotesque frown <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"> of which I have never seen before on a human face. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">It is obviously annoyed or distraught <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">at my current reactions to its whereabouts. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">I step back slowly feeling <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"> a tenses atmosphere around us. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">As soon as I step back <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"> the voice returns louder <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"> than ever speaking in distinct English: “STOP”. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">I listened <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"> knowing better than to test the specter’s anger. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">Now that I think about it… <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">it didn’t really speak to me… <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">More like it transferred its thoughts <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"> into my mind and I could understand it. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">I cannot explain this phenomena <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"> for it was an event that my human mind cannot understand. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">Sometimes when I sleep <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">I can feel my subconscious speaking to me in the same matter <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">…toying with me… <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">After re-gaining my wits <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"> I looked upon the specter that glared above me. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">He stood above me as <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">a giant among the tallest men. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">Even as my vision was returned to normal, <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"> the specter felt as if the shadows were at any moment, <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"> strike us down into the darkest and <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"> hellish places known to any man. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">I could not see his face for <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"> it was covered by a shroud of dark mist <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"> that appeared to spawn from the very depths of his skin. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">His presence made me cringe… <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">I will say that I have never felt so much fear <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"> in one moment than <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"> of all of the fear in my life. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">The next few moments to come with my time spent <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"> with the Necromancer <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"> will never ever be forgotten <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">in my time on this earth <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">and of the afterlife. <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">The next few moments are of my conversation <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"> with the Necromancer… <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">all of which are still a mystery to me <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"> and a bridge towards the breaking point <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">

<p align="center" style="text-align:center;background-position:initialinitial;background-repeat:initialinitial;"><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;"> of my sanity… <span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;">