The Mirrors

It was alive. There was no other way to describe it. It was mysterious, intricate, beautiful and alive.

The utter and complete blackness was everywhere surrounding it. And the veins of light pierced through the darkness like gold in the deep mines. There were no shadows, no gray areas. The tendrils of light extended to the outer reaches of the entity, where they led the assault against their invincible enemy. The darkness had always been there, and one wondered if it was in fact the light that was the void.

There seemed to be sources, but they might as well have been the destinations. There was no definitive order, and yet there seemed to be rules. There were shapes set in purpose and boundaries drawn between them. But they were all connected. And there was movement--ceaseless movement with perfect co-ordination. There were grids and there were circles. There were graceful curves and sharp edges. There were short lines and long ones. There was variety and symmetry. And most importantly, there was a blissful harmony that just made sense. It wasn't just alive, it was intelligent.

The electricity fired up and died down repeatedly. The pinpoints of light glimmered in their fundamental color, as if the stars themselves had mirrored their stories in them. The pulses of energy flowed from one end to the other and back again. It was pulsating with life and it was growing. And the energy was its blood.

It was a rough landing, but he was glad he had chosen the last window seat on the plane.

The God of Ants

"Brothers!! Fellow Ants!! There is something that you must hear!" The excitement in the ant's voice was overwhelming. All the other ants paused in their work. They stopped carrying the heavy burdens of food they had brought from distant lands. They stopped constructing the massive structure that they called home. They all stopped in their seemingly endless tracks and gathered round the mound on which stood the ant that had spoken.

"Brothers! I have had the most amazing experience which I must share with you." The ants were listening to him curiously. "A few days ago, I got separated from my tribe of ants, when I wandered into unknown territory searching for food. As it was growing dark, I lost sight of my trail and could not find my way back home." The ants were losing interest. Everyone got separated once in a while. Some turned back to their work.

"I was searching desperately for a trail, but was utterly and completely lost. I did not give up hope, and kept searching." The ant continued, "I eventually found myself at the foothills of the Great Mountains." There was a gasp followed by a loud silence. Only a few ants had ever dared to venture that far. For beyond the Great Mountains lay the Eternal Darkness. "I knew it was futile, but I began climbing the mountains to get my bearings. The road was hard and slippery. The wind blew me down again and again, but I had to reach the top. It was my only chance." They were all listening to him now.

"After a frightening struggle, I finally conquered the mountain. And it was here that I witnessed the most extraordinary thing. I suddenly felt myself lifted above the mountains. I thought it must be the strong wind lifting me, but I was moving in a direction opposite to the wind. It was painful and ecstatic at the same time. I was lifted high high above, and although it was merely a few moments, it felt like an age had passed by in the valleys below. I opened my eyes and saw it-- the Eternal Darkness. It lay before me--terrifying and mesmerizing. It was the birthplace of the wind and was filled with all the water in the world. I was scared."

"And I was completely stunned by what happened next. Suddenly I was looking at two huge orbs of grey ahead of me. The orbs were surrounded by an eerie white luminescence. It was the most hypnotizing spectacle I had seen, I was lost in awe and I lost all sense of time. I do not know how long I looked into those orbs. Then I caught a glimpse of what lay above the orbs. And I could not believe my eyes. There lay a large forest of Antennae above. Dark thick Antennae that moved as one. It was as if they were sensing every event of our world." There was a look of profound emotion in the ant's face.

"And then it was over. Before I realized what was happening, I had been placed at the foothills of the Mountains again. In a dazed and confused state I wandered for hours. When I regained my composure, I realized what I had just seen." The ants were looking at him in undisguised amazement.

"I had witnessed the Great One. I had witnessed God on his throne in the Great Mountains at the edge of the World!"

John stood on the rocks on the beach. He stared into the sea. It was peaceful, and a gentle breeze blew in his hair. As he glanced below, he saw an ant scrambling across on a rock next to him. For no reason at all, he picked it up and brought it close to his face. He peered at it and smiled. "Thank God my life isn't as meaningless as yours!", he thought.

As he set the ant down his smile wavered. Somewhere inside a voice said to him "But what if it is?"