The Thought Abyss

A glowing sphere suspended with no support. At least not any currently visible. The thrumming glow felt out of place in this vastness of silence. It wasn't just dark but one of the pitch black kind. The single throb of constant glow wasn't enough for this darkness to satiate. The light particles from the sphere could be seen flickering their probable last as they came out of their protective shell to be consumed by the nothingness. A very specific few though could be seen shooting out suddenly following unknown paths. They sped so quickly with each beat of the rhythmic throb that only one could be concentrated upon at a time.

Following the complex path of one for what seemed like eternity though happening in a flash, through the complete darkness. A faint throb is heard, which intensifies as if, getting closer. Till the running glow gets consumed by a new sphere of light. Sparks signifying the consumption just like the separation. It throbbed for a bit, as if pondering? Then out it spewed more than a few in different directions. Were they thrown out in randomness? There was one which seemed to have taken the old path back.

Now, following another of the tiny ones, a twisting winding path was followed. Another throb could be heard getting nearer as this tiny light sped through the unknown. Within the nearest reaches of another illuminated sphere, the tiny one gave out, and fizzled to nothingness. The ever-looming darkness had its prey. This newer illumination, not knowing about the fate of the tiny one, throbbed for a bit and sent out newer tiny beings which too sped into the darkness unbeknownst of their fate.

Yet another tiny existence which was reaching up to a newer sphere on its merry path got suddenly pulled over by a bigger sphere. A packet of light meant not for the brute of a sphere was now consumed by it to process. Sparks flying around as it consumed and spewed out the tiny beings. This time though, the tiny lights seemed kind of different. They seemed to be packed with some.. lightning? Their journey a treacherous zigzag of hell itself.

A calmer big burning sphere, came into the picture. A zooming sparkly light flew past the nothingness as it seeped itself into the serene giant. A violent throb pulsating between the two lights went on for a bit before the serene giant was now the frenetic one. Consumed by the sparkly light, it was now one of them. It too processed and sent out newer sparkly lights ahead.

Due to the sparkle though, the threads of fate that tied the distant spheres together could be faintly perceived. Those are what made them hang in suspension. Some of the sparks flying too were though nothing but measly snacks for the darkness.

Zooming out from one sphere until a few were visible distantly, it was imminent that all of the ones nearby were slowly converting into the frenetic kind giving up on their serenity entirely. This electric display was a marvel of this universe. It was gradually yet exponentially increasing in number. Even in the vast unknown darkness now, the spheres could be seen sparking endlessly, their threads of fate too emitting a thundering glow. This interconnected network of spheres sending and receiving electrical signals to convey and to process were now in sync. All conveying one single thing in this dark abyss.

Zooming out further and further, the magnificence and the grandiosity of this network was stunning. Though, the more further flying away from it, the edge of the darkness seemed to have been hit. Pulling right out of it, through the blackness of thick strands, the view was of a bright scenery.

For a moment, there was an abrupt silence as the zooming slowed down to focus on the human it came out from. An emotion of anger erupted as lightning from this human......... the sparks inside flying in joy of the unknown darkness they were a part of.

The_Thought_Abyss

© Aditya Subramanian, 2020

The Bewitching Yellow

From above looking at the deep blue ocean. The water flow reflecting the glitter of the bright stars and the luminescent round of the moon. The ripples and irregular flow of the water caused by the wind and the creatures below. The flying fish looking at its imminent plunge back into this water caught an unnatural glimpse. A faint but faraway light shone not as part of the reflection but instead from the depths of this ever-flowing mass. That light now its full focus seemed calling to it. Not caring about the aftermath of this inevitable meet, it took the dive.

The splash into the barrier of water felt heavy like shattering through a glass... causing a large ripple. For a moment, it remembered its size. It was an unusually big fish, having a bloated confidence of reaching further than most, in its species, when flying in the air. Though, now it was in its natural element. The comfort of which was an unknown to some, and craved by few.

Its speed increased with a jolt as it swam to the minute glow. The darkness that always existed around it not bothering it. It was a part that it gave in to considering living in the heart of it all. It couldn't even be kept hidden as here it was out in the vast open. Just by swimming, it emanated the darkness by giving it motion, to this lumbering unseen vastness.

The blue hue to the darkness for now, invited smaller schools to roam around. These were the panicky ones which seek the darkness but were too afraid to dwell too deep into it. They roam around out and about their jobs. Passing through, as the blueish around dimmed slightly, it comes across the shells that swim. Stopping for a moment, forgetting about the yellow in the depths. They seemed like just hung in stasis for a long period before giving a hint of movement. The subtlety in the movement felt, kind of, soothing to watch.

Coming out of the short engrossed time, it shifted its gaze back to the depths. Like a magnet pulling something with force, it got pulled, as if being consumed, by the faraway glow. Seemed like it had sped in the sway of its swim. Not aware of its surrounding, it got passed through a deadly intent. That too huge in size in comparison to itself. Unnatural yet in their natural habitat. Time felt still when it happened, as the humongous megalodon's body rushed past. In awe at this creature of the deep, it halted on its tracks. Though, as quickly as the fangs of death had come out of the darkness around, it had vanished again.

Feeling a sudden tinge of the flow around, it snapped back to its motive. The glow in the deep seemed to have grown brighter and bigger than the dimness it was exuding before. A school of fishes just passed through it. Weird though, considering they shouldn't be roaming around here just as it itself was in this unwelcome darkness. Giving little heed to them, it delved deeper, even speeding through the same school with much fervor which seemed to have startled them.

Its dive still ongoing, it could feel the nothingness around. Or was it stuck in the never-ending darkness with the amber glow its only guide. With its hope within the depths, it kept going. Was it just consumed by the need to be close to the glow? Why was it trying to reach such a distant thing? Were it death that it longed for? Wait, why such an unnerving thought passed, it couldn't pinpoint. Giving up on the thoughts, it just let it flow and continued onward through this much calm yet black surroundings.

Further ahead, maybe? Maybe not? Not that there was any indication of its movement deeper except for the light. Though, suddenly it came to its second halt. All around it, there were blue glows, moving around, or jumping around? It felt as if they skipped and hopped in the water. These were the

translucent beings it had heard of in stories. The electrifying blue covering the darkness with some big and some small. This was but a magnificent spectacle which was more of a myth to the community far above. Its as if chaos was running amok in this pitch darkness. The yellow sparks flying around putting its ability of flight to shame in a different way.

Yet again, the amazement was cut short by two things for it. One was the school it had left above, they passed through the jellyfishes playing around with themselves and scurrying to the depths ahead. The other was a silhouette of the megalodon in the darkness also diving into the deep. It pondered for a bit, the why of their fall into this part of the ocean.

What made them fall? Still deep in thought, its gaze reverted to the now clear enough yellow much further. As if a jellyfish had struck it with lightning, its already wide eyeballs opened wider, if they could that is. With a sudden spurt of decision, its fervor came back as it sped through the jolting blues. It wouldn't let others reach the yellow it craved for!!

This was a race in which it was far behind now, though not giving up. As the calm dive deeper kept ongoing, its mind had only the yellow left to ponder upon. There was no room for anything else. Its as if, it was already consumed by the attraction.

The amber became brighter and larger by the second. The destination was near. Its thoughts, now, pulling it further along with its own fall. The journey was nearing its end. A sudden water bubble flew up and burst in front of it, thereby halting it yet again, for the last time. Clearing up and focusing below, it was dumbstruck. This dim faraway yellow was no more dim neither far nor tiny. It was more than humongous or gigantic, its glow blinding the eyes for a long period. Its as if, the yellow had entered its eyes and that was the only thing left to see. Nothing else mattered as it gradually got pulled towards it.

It wasn't even moving by itself, the pull of the amber was much too great to go against. It let go of any resistance. Its mind flashed with scenes of its feverish race a bit ago and pondered on the megalodon and the school wondering where they were considering they'd gone ahead. Its pondering was cut short by this large pool of red forming right below it, beside the yellow. It felt fear for the first and probably its last time, as the "humongous stare" of this deadly creature came to fall upon this miniscule being. In one fell swoop, the blinding yellow became all red as the flow of its life ebbed out.

With its wish to reach the yellow fulfilled, its mind pondered on the electrifying blue from before, before the abrupt blackness....... It had truly reached further than most.

The_Bewitching_Yellow

© Aditya Subramanian, 2020

The Downward Spiral

The clean white slate of the canvas. This was kept on top of the dark walnut colored wooden table. Zooming out a little, the whole room came into the picture. A pristine dusty room with the smell of saw dust overflowing the mind. Zoning back into the white slate, the perception cleared further and some golden saw dust pores visible in the whiteness. As if the dust was settling in on that clean sheet..... gradually increasing in number.

A mini-verse of saw dust stars glowing over the whiteness. Concentrating on the one off-centered speck of golden. The speck stretching till it seeped out darkness. Slowly and steadily, it overpowered the whiteness encircling the stars around. T'was as of, pulling the stars from their high ground to the depths. In the beginning, it was a very slow pull to the off-centered space where the first speck once existed. The other stars frenetic on their inevitable gravity of the situation.The horror of the abyss frightening the golden specks as they twinkled probably their last?

The canvas, at this point, was almost half-filled with the tendril like blackness which was expanding slowly from the original speck that once was. Some tendrils lashing out at the nearby golden specks ensnaring the little specks and pulling them to their mysterious end? The possible cries of the ones closer to the epicenter already echoing the silence of the pristine old room.

Some of the specks tried their best to run away from their apparent death. In the end, their push was weaker than the abyss's pull as they circled to their centered deaths? More and more of them kept revolting but closing in still to the dead zone. The swirl forming from the constant push and pull. The golden streaks of the swirl in the blackness which now had almost encompassed the white sheet. The tendrils of this abyssal creature. It wanted everything to just be encompassed and merged into itself than anything else. The desperation made the tendrils, now, to lash out at the thin air. Coming out of the canvas, it caught more of the golden saw dust hanging in the air to consume for its wrathful appetite. Now, the blackness started to cover the very air around the table. It had already crept up the majority of the table in search for the specks hiding under the shadows. The lashing and snatching behavior of this tentacled abomination was increasing in intensity uncontrollably.

Gradually, the tables, chairs, cupboards, art essentials, everything around, was encroached upon and consumed. It ultimately filled up the whole room, closed in the space with a hunger so great, there was nothing seemingly left to consume. While also, the ones being consumed were still constantly trying to spiral out of its control but couldn't. The golden streaks with the multitude of particles crying for their lives.

The consumption of the souls of those particles was never-ending but it wanted more than it received. It seemed like this abyssal creature itself was in pain of hunger and its shriek resounded the silence. The spiral of the golden specks' souls increased and increased and increased till it just couldn't handle the excess it was suddenly receiving.

In the calmness, a loud pop was heard as the creature felt its life straining from the excess as it gradually shortened in size till it was nothing more than a speck. The spiral swirl from the multitude of golden specks now no more falling downward to it.

The_Downward_Spiral

© Aditya Subramanian, 2020

The Mesmerizing Beauty

A variety of colors painted the scene. The girl in the picture sitting on a chair comfortably and conversing with the other person sitting beside. Their deep discussion ongoing with no sense of time.

The second person, he, merely listening to the girl's side of the story at present.

While discussing it felt to him that time did slow, or it was probably his imagination. His listening stopped short as his observation senses heightened. The words coming from those lips seemed slow enough for him to understand or it was as if the communication channel slowed it down for him. Its as if it let him observe her.

He shifted his gaze focusing on her lips to maybe look for the words flowing out of her mouth. The lips stopped once in a while to convey the pause in her talking. It felt to him they still spoke, as if the closed mouth was just a blur from the actually open mouth passing along more words in the air. This left him confused. Was his gaze blurring or is it how it looked when trying to focus on someone speaking. His gaze moved upwards and now looking at the soothing slightly chubby cheeks. In his imagination, they seemed soft to touch.. he felt like caressing her cheeks!

Snapping out, the girl seemed to have moved on to another topic. Why was he not listening!! This was a conversation that they wanted to have.. or had he listened to the previous topic already? He just wasn't sure anymore of the time that had passed. He did not intend to see the clock.. worried if it broke him (or her even, if she felt the same way during this conversation) from this state.

His eyes moved upwards further and rested on her eyes. Her gaze piercing through his observation. He couldn't not look at those dark beautiful eyes. They rolled, and the eyes of the onlooker followed it. They shone when the topic being talked about made her ecstatic. This made him feel in good spirits. They saddened and this saddened him. It was as if it entranced the onlooker. These eyes seem to communicate just by movement. They were silent yet talkative. They had complete hold on him, he felt.

He furiously shifted his gaze away.

Shifting to a walking scenario as the painting morphed to it. His eyes seemed to observe her gait. Why was he observing it? He hadn't the faintest of ideas. This girl was bewitching to him. He thought of the times he.. thought about her. To his pondering walk, came another piercing gaze by the girl. It brought him back to the present. Her silent smile along with those talkative eyes brought tears for him in the inside.

The angle shifted and it was shown that the painter was looking at the single moving painting which was morphing to his amazement showing the different journeys.

This girl had truly enraptured him. Though, he may never say it to her. Or would he? Whatever it was.. it was.. painted.. time to move on? Nay, does he want to be stuck in this loop forever?.. To be forever lost in these scenes?... he pondered. While moving around in the painting, losing track of the girl till she vanished away from the scene... and.... being now stuck in his painting.

This painting was a cage for himself, from which he may never come out?

And.. This girl was truly a mesmerizing beauty.....

© Aditya Subramanian, 2020

The Breathless Branch

A forest lay populated densely dead ahead and inside this denseness stood a huge tree like any other. The speciality was visible only upon it being observed. It had a strong large bark and had two major branches supported by the bark. One branch was thin and sturdy while the other being large and sensitive. The two branched out from the bark but also rejoined higher up. Their rejoining was marked with newer younger branches.

These younger branches had creepers connecting them so as to maintain their nearness to each other.

All types of weather loomed around the forest and this loosened the grip of the two elders. Each held onto few of their child branches which still were creeper protected. The sturdy and the sensitive still lived their satisfied lives. Many years passed and everything grew elder. All the younger branches grew stronger but the two main branches still remained stronger than their children and held to all of them firmly.

There came one day like a passage of life a thunderous raincloud. It was vast in size and loomed above. Eventually the downpour started. Numerous amounts of trees fell from their roots and some were left branchless but it was our particular tree that contained the torrent to it. It soaked all the waters and waited for the rain to stop. The raincloud passed.

The water held onto the thin and sturdy branch like an essential life form. Due to its thinness it had grown very weary by the downpour and because of the water clogged inside it felt jolts of drowning attacks. It felt like it was a filling bob which got filled with the oscillating water.

The breathlessness caught up with it and continuously it longed for fresh air. The air remained polluted and it became difficult for the branch.

Its natural glow started to fade and the water clog was so strong that it burst holes through the branch but instead of water the tree blood oozed out. The thin branch was self-aware and so knew its end was near and also it tried to swing and join all the younger branches with the creepers help additionally.

It persistently tried for a stretch of days and that paid off as its sturdy strength helped it to cling to the big sensitive branch. The creepers transferred the younger branches to the big branch and also held the thin branch.

The younger branches themselves crept like creepers and tried to keep the thin branch as peaceful as could be. Many other branches too from side trees came to give hope and strength but the thin branch had other plans. It was now totally satisfied to see everyone and let loose its sturdiness and let the thinness take its toll.

Just before all its strength went out the sun, which had come out of its hiding, shone brightly on it with unseen freshness. The thin breathless branch passed away and slowly the freshness emanating diminished….

[Written on 10th Feb 2013 - adding it here so it doesn't get lost!!]

© Aditya Subramanian, 2020