Restless Lullaby (Isabelle Belet)

Happy Halloween! 

They say there are many secrets to life, and there appear to be even more concerning what comes after. Some become Draugr, the Nord warriors of old, who guard their barrows fiercely. Others are bound to protect and guide family as Ancestor Spirits. Many, it seems, rest comfortably somewhere in the afterlife. And yet a select few appear to be chosen to carry out other purposes- bridging the divide between life and death. Not ghosts, at least in the typical sense, but something else, both long dead and yet in a way full of life. Before me stands one such example, a person I have heard stories of here and there but I was born two hundred years too late to have actually had the pleasure of meeting them…that is, until now. “I’ll tell you anything I know- make up reasons why the trees grow.” The figure says in a slightly ominous sing-song and it seems almost as if the ancient forest trees have somehow grown taller in the otherwise quiet darkness. A whirl of faint blue light conjures images of events that I can’t tell if they are true or imaginary as they dance about before fading into thin air. “Oh, I’ll tell you truth and I'll tell you lies.” I’m gestured to follow along the path until we reach a graveyard off the road from the center of town. In the sky the moons shine bright amidst the stars far above even the tallest of the mountains that loom on the horizon.“I’ll sing of gold and crystal fountains, and I’ll sing you of the mountains.” A spark and a flash of flame causes shadows to dance across the walls of the quiet houses. “Oh I’ll sing you truth and sing you lies.” Said again though this time so faintly I almost wonder if it’s meant to be said to himself. “I’ll make up reasons why the wind blows.”  A gust of wind causes the pile of fallen leaves to swirl before falling again. Suddenly out of nowhere whispered in my left ear I hear “Whisper lighter than a bird's wings.” A second later I hear from the other side “Oh I’ll whisper truths, and I’ll whisper lies.” before he disappears again, only to reappear once more back by the fountain. A ghostly hand is placed on one of the crumbling gravestones from eras long past and along with a whispered plea of  "Please sleep the night.” The figure then looks up to make eye contact with me one final time, and disappears completely just as suddenly as he had originally appeared. What in the world was that? For the life of me I don’t think I’ll ever be able to explain it. Now rather unsettled standing alone in the graveyard in the dead of night I hurriedly find my way to the nearby inn. Falling into a deep sleep, that haunting melody repeats over and over in my mind. Before losing consciousness entirely I find myself mumbling to no one in particular. “Please sleep the night…”