The Alchemist

The ship’s brig was bleak and ominous. An inhuman essence filled the air, accompanied by dead shadows. Kaya and Toshi stood in silence, their silhouettes illuminated with a haunting glow. Akemi sat in a corner, frozen, with fear shinning in his black eyes.1

“ He is coming!” Said Kaya, her harsh whisper dripped with panic. 2

Many years ago I had studied the “ other realm”, a realm of spirits and demons. There I sat, from sunrise to moon set, pondering over the ancient documents now yellow with time. Their script was mainly Latin and they spoke of a powerful stone called The Homunculus’s Heart. This very stone was now in my possession. My laboratory was dank and sullied with mad intentions and toxic memories. I had one desire now, to summon an otherworldly being. Whether it was an angel or a demon, I didn’t care at the time. Such carelessness would soon breach the very foundations of life!3

Kaya was a sweet girl. She had long raven hair and eyes of onyx. Her twin sister, Toshi, was a mirror image of her. I was staying with them, and their father Akemi, in Tokyo, Japan.4

It was not an easy trek to travel to Tokyo from America in the eighteenth century. It was especially difficult for a young woman striving to become a world-renowned alchemist. I had grand dreams of summoning some unearthly creature and exploiting it for fame. My dreams were of creating horrible mutations and discovering eternal youth, dreams of enslaving hellish beasts and forcing them to do my bidding. So, there I was, a young woman in an underground laboratory in Japan; mixing and pouring and stirring, trying to make my innocent dreams come true. 5

“ Konnichiwa Cecilia, Ogenki desu ka? How are you?” Akemi asked as I entered the dining room.6

“ I am well Tanaka-san, thank you.”7

“ And your project? Any progress?” 8

“ I’m afraid not, sir.” 9

The Tanaka house was a small palace of jade and gold pillars; each one bore the head of some mythical creature. Akemi Tanaka sat at the head of the low table, and behind him were some ukiyo-e style prints by many well-known artists such as Tomonobu and Terushige. The thin screen walls, decorated with lotus blossoms and Japanese characters I could not yet read, had a warm glow about them from nearby candles. Suddenly, Kaya came in with a tray of tea.10

” Just what are you working on now Cecilia?” she asked.11

“ It is a secret, for now. But my work may change the world as we know it!” 12

Toshi glanced uneasily toward the floor door that led to my laboratory in the cellar. In a small and irritated voice she said,13

“ Just tell us what you working on! After all we are you hosts, we need to know what you do down there.” Toshi did not speak English as well as the others so she spoke slowly and with great pain. I found it hard understand her choppy sentences at times.14

For a moment we sat in silence, I was pondering whether or not to tell them about my latest work’s purpose. I fumbled my chopsticks a few times until I managed to hold them correctly.15

“ I am…” I began, hesitant to tell them, and I stuffed a large piece of squid into my mouth, “ trying to summon…” in went another piece of squid more foul than the last, “a demon.” There, it was finally out in the open. They were silent with disbelief. Toshi’s cold black eyes gazed at me blankly.16

“ Gomenasai, I must return to my work.” I rose quickly from my seat and went down into the Cellar.17

“ There, just a bit more…” The laboratory was filled with the reek of oil and sulfur. I had little light to work by, except the haunting glow of the Homunculus’s Heart. Its dark rings spiraled outward into its center, which was a collage of fantastically colored gems. Multicolored beams danced upon the mildew-laden walls. Slowly I lowered the stone into the vat of chemicals I had been pouring and mixing just minuets ago. I watched in awe as the stone began to morph and warp. The ground quaked and a mist of black fog filled the chamber in which I stood. I hacked and coughed, my eyes burned from with in. My skin cracked and sizzled. I heard a ghastly howling, as if some wretched beast was in great anguish. After awhile, through the thick smoke, I saw a hideous creature. It was bent and quivering as if it were fighting to salvage some life from the claws of death. I looked more closely and realized with great woe that I was looking down upon myself!18

Terrified, I frantically lashed out at myself, desperately trying to become one whole being again! But something held me back; it held onto my limbs and was dragging me back into oblivion! I turned my head and saw a mass of pitch shadow, and two flaming eyes, crimson eyes deeply set with in an amorphous skull.19

“ Good God…what have I done?” As soon as I said this the eyes faded, the smog dispersed, and as suddenly as it happened it was over. The shadow was gone and I sat upon the cold stone floor bewildered and shocked. My eyes no longer burned and my skin was no longer cracked.20

Shakily, I rose to my feet and walked up the long stairway; every step was a year off my life. When I reached the top, a shrill, mad laugh rose into the air. I heard screams, distant but clear, coming from the harbor. Weakly I began to run with all my strength in that direction.21

“ Kaya! Toshi! Akemi! Were are you?” I screamed as I felt my way aboard the ship.22

“ Down here!” I heard Kaya yell, and I threw open the brig door.23

“ Forgive me! Forgive me please! I’m such a fool for tampering with such powers! Please forgive me! I’ve killed us all!” Remorseful tears cascaded from my eyes as I fell helplessly to my knees.24

“ He is coming.” Said Kaya, and indeed he was, the shadow, the eyes, and the sense of pure fear. Pure fear that stops hearts and breaks souls. It was all such a blur, kaya and Toshi levitating, their screams of terror! I ran with all my strength, their despairing cries ringing after me in the dust of time. The bleak, light-less brig was obscured through my guilty tears. The repugnant sent of rot, salt and decay filled my senses and my head whirrling in a vile vertigo. I ran into a small room filled with aqua light. From with in that very room I write this tale, a declaration of foolish greed and one fool’s folly, hoping for redemption for my sins and…25

Akemi has just breathlessly opened the door. He says Kaya and Toshi are gone! Oh, close the door Akemi! Close it! The Creature is out there! I hear it now, draining Akemi of life! His screams, the screams! I hear its ravenous snarls as it devours Akemi’s soul and body! The shadow is coming for me next! The door is opening! Forgive me! Forgive me! I did not wish for this! Please go away! Please go away! Please go away…!      26

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