Flight of Fancy

As he was nearing the end of his build, there was a deep sense of accomplishment in his heart. He would finish something without having to fall back on anyone else’s knowledge or expertise.

It had been slow and methodical work, sometimes feeling the need to double or even triple check if all the connections were sound, in place and no mistakes had been made. It was an exercise in patience and fine craftsmanship as much as anything else. It reminded him of those Buddhist sand mandalas, though he hoped his creation wouldn’t be destroyed upon completion. Unlike the monks, there was a sense of pride within him that he couldn’t get rid of. He knew it was wrong and he should let go of ego, but it was a case of easier said than done.

Sitting here in front of it, the realisation dawned that the device was actually quite larger than in his wildest imagination. This jumble of crystals, semi-precious stones, metal, electronics and the occasional plastic bit was about three feet high and two feet wide and deep. Due to all the parts in it, it was now to heavy to lift, at least for one person.

It will take a forklift or some other engine to move it. For the time being, it will have to remain here.

There were only a few bits left to connect, then it would be time to test it. There was just one thing playing in the back of his mind, though. There was no distinct on or off switch in the manual. As the jumble of electronics appeared too complicated to him, he had no concept of how to do it, how to connect it all. In a way he almost sensed, or even knew that it wouldn’t work, yet couldn’t stop until it was finished.

The wood had been prepared for that day, so his mind was focused on the one and only task at hand. He wanted to finish it today for some reason. There was an unexplainable sense of urgency coming from within.

Funny.

He’d never felt anything like it before. It must have been what animal instinct felt like, like an unquenchable thirst that had to be satisfied.

Daylight was slowly slipping away. It was so close. It had to be done. About an hour before sunset, he took a look at his creation in all its glory.

Boy, call me crazy or is that an ugly piece of work!

He wasn’t sure if this was down to his handiwork, or if it was meant to be like this. There was just nothing aesthetically pleasing about it. All the pieces seem to be there at random, no colours matched and the materials were all on top of one another in what looked like a huge mess.

But that’s how it was in the manual!

It was still a moment to be proud of, a moment to savour. He relished every second of it and remembered all the days of assembling, all the blisters, cuts scrapes and bruises. Whatever happened, he was proud of himself and the accomplishment. If nothing else, it would make a nice addition to the forest – a sculpture of some sort.

He drew in a deep breath and made the final connection. He waited for the world to explode in a rainbow of colours, for a moment of magic. He waited. Nothing happened. He decided he would settle for any little flash or spark.

Still nothing.

Any little bleep or sound would do. But there would be none of that. It completely deflated him and made him feel empty and dizzy, as if he’d just lost several pints of blood. He had been expecting it, but now the time had come, coming to terms with the reality of the situation was more difficult than could ever be imagined.

He closed his eyes and meditated, trying to send energy to the device he thought he had created, hoping against all hope that it would accomplish something. Once opened, the eyes perceived no visible changes on the strange shrine.

He waited… Then waited some more.

The sun was setting and even the birds were becoming quiet in his family’s little forest. The sculpture stood there in the gloom of the fading light, mocking him in what appeared to him as a reminder of his failure, not only in this project but perhaps his entire life.

He had made a promise to himself not to get his hopes up and not to chastise himself, as the chances of success were slim at best, yet it couldn’t be helped.

So much time and effort wasted!

He supposed it was all a matter of perspective. The Buddhist monks didn’t cry over the mandalas they had spent so long toiling on, only to see destroyed the instance they were completed. It was an exercise in being humble, letting go of pride and ego.

It must be a Western thing.

He couldn’t help it. That was the way people were brought up here, to keep their possessions close, to love material goods sometimes more than people. He was trying to get over this, but it was a slow process. It was something people had to get over and most of humanity was still very much in its infancy phase, including him it seemed. He consoled himself that it was a good lesson in humility and a growing curve.

He picked up his tools, loaded the firewood onto the trailer attached to his car and didn’t even bother covering up the strange sculpture, standing in the forest like a bizarre robot a child had been attempting to glue together, using any parts he could find.

If it is done, there’s no harm in people seeing it.

He climbed into the car and drove back home.

*********

Upon returning home, he was even quieter than usually when eating dinner and his wife’s prodding only produced the reply that he was feeling tired. She didn’t appear convinced, as is often the case with women and their intuition, however decided not to pursue the matter any further.

As his head hit the pillow that night, there was still a sense of failure lingering in his mind, though it appeared to have diminished ever so slightly. His dreams, however, elevated his anxieties again.

It was the dream where he was flying, again in open space and protected from the elements. A sense of dread replaced the usual feeling of elation, though, as another presence could be felt. Any way he turned, he could not see it. He could only feel a looming shadow fall on his being.

************

After night had fallen, the device suddenly made a little whining noise. Even if you were standing right next to it, you might think it was something else making that noise, it was just that slight.

Just when you might have thought that was it, a few minutes after the initial sound, a light yellow glimmer began to emanate from the device. It seemed like it would end with this rather sad whimper of sight and sound, but all of a sudden the lights became brighter and brighter, until they were as bright as the headlights of a car. The “lightshow” lasted for only a few seconds, then died down to only a glimmer yet again.

The forest was dead silent around the device, as if awaiting something malicious and terrible to be unleashed from it. For the time being, it merely stood there, looking ominous to anyone who dared to pass by.