The Two Cups

© KSW 31/3/99

CHAPTER TWO

I sat trying to find an explanation as to what the two liquids could possibly be. I looked at the cups now towering above me. The one containing the clear liquid was actually transparent, like glass. I could see the far wall through the cup. The other cup was matt black in colour and was wider .

My tongue longed once again for more of the sweetness. I stood and gathered a double portion of the syrup into my mouth. I climbed on to the handle to reach further into the cup, but in no time I was lightheaded once again and my stomach cramps became much worse than the first time around. I could not get away however and was totally hooked on the taste. My eyes bulged at the amount of syrup to be had in the cup and I laughed aloud in ecstasy.

The door to the room suddenly opened but no one entered. Perhaps it was the wind. I slid off the handle onto the floor. My head was screaming and wanted to depart from my body but I stumbled to the door and out into the street. Now I was floating. This syrup must be intoxicating. I did not recognise the street but people seemed to know me. Some called out my name, some started walking beside me. Others jostled me and others beckoned me to follow them into alleys off the street or into the many doorways. There were people and animals crowding the pavements, some of the people were sleeping either in the doorways or in the gutter beside the road. There were all types of animals. Some of them wild, out of place here in the street, because I associated them as belonging in a jungle. There was an endless stream of traffic on the road. Vehicles of all types passed by, but in one direction only. The road was hedged in by buildings of various styles and sizes. The crowds were milling in any direction and I was simply dragged along by the swell. A fracas broke out suddenly in front of me. It seemed to be over an animal which stood next to a man. The animal was bloated and blood dripped from its mouth. The accuser produced a long slim object and in no time his opponent was on the floor and the animal was lying beside him. Wild animals suddenly convened from all directions and in a quick frenzy tore the flesh off the animal and devoured it. They left the man alone. I was sickened and needed a drink, fast. I turned around to return to the room with the two cups, but I could no longer see it. It should have been a short distance behind me but all I saw was the street. I looked around again and saw on a table a small black goblet. I lunged for it and knew it contained the same syrup. I drank quickly lest anyone should see me and start a commotion. It was a huge relief, but due to the excitement of the street scene I had put the pain to one side of my feelings. On a shelf near the table was a glass goblet containing the strawberry drink but I left that alone.

When I turned, I tripped over the man lying prostrate on the pavement. His body was still but his eyes suggested he was alive, even though they told that he was going through some inner torment. His flesh was putrefying. His wound was infested. I wanted a closer look but someone lifted me clear of him and another dragged him into the gutter to lie there with a lot of others. I searched the gutter for signs of life but many bodies had one of more limbs missing, were shrivelled up, or had bloated stomachs. Some were too decomposed or grotesque to look at. My head swam with a thousand emotions raging through it.

I staggered to a doorway and was immediately pulled inside and a cup of the black syrup was thrust into my hands. This was remarkable. How could they know I needed a drink of this again? I drank the cup until no more of the syrup remained and looked about. In the room was a table upon which lay an animal I couldn’t recognise. About fifteen people stood or sat in the room and at times poked or prodded the animal with instruments of torture. It screamed but the people laughed and carried on with the prodding. I protested at this business and they looked at me dumbfounded and then started after me holding their instruments menacingly. They looked very evil. As one lunged for me, I stretched out my hand, found his neck and squeezed with all my strength. He fell to the floor and did not move. The others laughed at this and they all tried to lunge at me. I bolted out of the door and into the road, into the traffic. I could not see anything. The noise and the wheels and the vehicles roared on by. Nothing stopped or even slowed down. I cannot say how, but I managed to reach the other side of the road without being seriously hit. I had bruises on my arms but I considered myself fortunate because my followers were hit by the vehicles, flung to the ground, ran over countless times, their bodies breaking into pieces.