Daemon deja-vu by Alliyah Campbell

        Daemon déjà vu

I held the rose tightly in my hands even though the warmth of its love has long since leached into the frozen air. My muscles clenched and my cut lip pressed into a hard line as I gazed beyond the misty panes. No-one knew of this pain, besides me. The pain was almost tangible; the pain was soaring through the air as I looked down upon the floor to see myself. My psychological bond. Daemon.

The abnormal creature lay across the Venetian rug as if it was a possum- emotionless and dead. Its body which belonged to the fierce Lion was now vulnerable.  Its Serpent tail slept, mocking me. The head of the goat now no nobler than old beggars under sacks. Lamentably, my psychological being was the suspect of this crime. My thoughts and feelings and ambitions and downfalls were reflected through Daemon. Similar to déjà vu, but in this case it was reality. All the sadness and hurt I have to relive through my Daemon.

A tear gently cascaded down the hills of my cheeks, I hugged my breaking body.

And he hugged his limping body with both arms- clasping himself, as if he would break.

Despite the unfortunate fate of having to deal with pain twice Daemons are known to be good and benevolent nature spirits and my life with one starts now…

Friday 25^th September 2010

Chimera. The name of my Daemon.

My strides became slower and slower as the thought of me having a Daemon, seemed remotely realistic.  But the hands on the metal handle didn’t hesitate. With relentless, uncaring force, the hands of clocks and the handle in the Master’s Room turned inexorably to the end- I could only watch as it dragged me into a day that I’ve been dreading.

In this moment of sheer panic and fear, Chimera’s lion body stands strong, yet, doubting this strong façade, the serpent tail is subtly concocting a plan to get out of this room. The goat’s horns suddenly awoke from within it dark caves- Chimera was at its strongest. I was at my strongest. We were at our strongest. Fear was no longer an option, as the wind gently brushed my face, it brushed away my fear. Tick tock. Tick tock. The four walls seemed to be pulling towards us. I thought jump. Chimera responded…

We should’ve got up, moved around, and worked the stiffness from our limbs. But instead we lay on the vast meadow amongst glass shards, while the dawn began to lighten the woods.  When the golden ball rose from the east, we rose to our feet.  Almost as if we were babies to a new world, our life seemed surreal. Miraculously, we made it out of that territory that we trespassed in, through the vast mazes of trees intertwined in the forest and our bond stronger than ever. We were astounded and Chimera was a duplicate of my emotion. His mane shone bright, a spectrum of light ricocheting against it, casting beautiful waves of colour. He growled proudly showing the sharp, vicious teeth. The serpent hissed with satisfaction and the goat’s head tilted with authority.

But our emotion adventure was far from over.  .

I knew if I slept at all last night, that my nightmares would engulf me.  I was petrified to shut my eyes, his black hollow eyes, his scarred face and threatening voice would haunt me. The blood on the freshly opened wound was left trickled on my jacket. The gruesome past was not something I thought often about but was secluded in the back of my mind. Chimera knows everything, my thoughts are traitors- traitors that cause pain to others.

  Now I was frightened, I kept seeing him, his face appeared in the trees, the bushes, and the houses and limping beside me. Or was I in the trees? In the bushes? Was I hallucinating and Chimera too? Even though I couldn’t see Chimera, someone was still yelling out and stumbling. The image of his deep black eyes writhing in his face sickened me.

Eventually I managed to gain stability and grasped my death tool- the rose. I held the rose tightly in my hands even though the warmth of its love has long since leached into the frozen air. My muscles clenched and my cut lip pressed into a hard line as I gazed beyond the misty panes. Love, happiness and success were never able to stay within oneself and Chimera felt the same. Most days were bad for me, the disastrous weather the only thing that understood the pain. Now I had been granted with a Daemon, the weather and I would no longer be alone.

Hopefully, Chimera surpasses any of my great expectations and reveals what life can be like when your thoughts are materialised.