Noah Bylon
Listen outside my friend, to the wind, throwing grains of sands at our tent. Thwap, thwip. It reminds me of rain. Thwip, thwap. Well. We’ve known each other for a while, haven’t we? We met, where? The dune-mountains of Onesabarra? And, whatfor? Ah, yes. The festival on the night of the Two Faced Moon. Spitter, spitter. Hm, the wind’s changed. But, you’ve proven a good friend, you’ve had my back, even when it was heavy, and even when that mad Sasaren tried to take me away. Spatter, spatter. Yes. Spitter, spatter. Very well. I will teach you. Yes, I will. Teach you how to use the power. Hear it out there? Swashh. No, not the wind, the power. It’s a secret only I hold. Is it dangerous? Harumph. Of course! Swishh.
Dangerous. The power is what you want. You want danger, you have it. Hm. Swishh, swashh. But for people like us… can you close that flap? Zip. Yes. For the little people like us, the very little people, the power is a great blessing. Zerp. This is a dangerous and destitute land. We can survive, no, thrive with it. Have you ever been face to face with a Sneggling Worlapper? Zerrp. Or arm to claw with a Wirklingklimmer? Zerrrp. How about foot to tooth with a pack of five Sorfip Pik Lommars? Zerrrrp. I thought not, since I made one of those up. Which one? I don’t remember. The Worlapper? No- that’s the one that took my arm. No, the other arm. Zerr-rip! Ah, that damn flap’s torn open again. Sawhoosh! That wind. Let’s just go outside, it’s best to not hang in falling trees. No, I’ve never seen a tree.
The trick to using the power is belief. Belief! You must distract yourself, fool yourself, into believing the impossible. We all use the power, but we are not aware. We use it for the mundane, when it’s meant for miracles. Tell me. Why does the lantern light when you burn the wick with the match? Snap, washoom. Fire? Oil? Chemical reactions? Hah! Don’t be silly. It’s because you believe the lamp will light. You, yes, you form the reality. Dumb? Hey, that’s not dumb. Don’t believe me? I’ll show you. Watch this. Snap, washoom. Lamp lit. Sizzle. Lamp dark. Snap, washoom. Lamp lit. Sizzle. Lamp dark. And now, watch this. Let me concentrate. Let me focus. No match, no fire, no oil, and fwoom! Lamp lit. See? It’s the power. I believed the lamp would light, and it did.
Magic trick? No my friend, hear and try yourself. From my pocket- shuffle, shuffle. Here’s a coin. Take it. No, I’ll need it back after. But take it in your palm. Squeeze it. Squeeze. Focus on anything else besides that one coin. Listen, to the wind. Waswoosh. Such awful wind today. Think about it. Concentrate on the wind. Sawoosh. Hear it howl. What a terrible day to be holding onto two coins. Yes, I said two. What? There’s always been two. Right? Yes, of course you agree. Doesn’t it feel like two coins, instead of one? Squeeze. Do you feel it now? And open. Ah! See, two coins! See, it’s the power. An act of God? I think that’s a stretch. Did I use the power, or did you? Well, that’s not really important. What is important is that we can afford lunch at the bazaar now. But what about the power? My friend, you need to keep your head on the ground and your daydreams in the wind.