Chapter 107: Chapter 105: The shine of the meek

It lives amongst us, the monster with too many faces. It is grotesque and twisted and takes on as many shapes as it has eyes, teeth, and mouths — all in overabundance. Its body seems to contract inwardly and outwardly as it shambles; its meat is dense and supple, rippling as the many marrow-filled bones beneath it move in ambling coordination.

Each of its thousand faces contorts and shifts into expressions that can only be called a mockery of God as it smiles and snarls, cries, howls, and sings all at once in a never ending chorus of abundant befoulment. It has more tongues than there are snakes in the world, with feet that stamp out the lights of dull candles, shining meekly in the darkness.

It lives within our homes and our cities. It finds itself sitting at the tables with us, dining with merry laughter. It plays with our children in the parks of the city, and it squares off with the men at the rallying ground, readying themselves for combat. It climbs, slithering into the highest thrones and it slinks its way, reaching and groping as it makes its way into cold beds, promising to fill them with warmth, most abundant, as a smile comes over the presented face of the ten-thousand more behind it.

Beware, traveler; if you find yourself staring in a mirror at night, not knowing who it is that you’re looking at, then understand that you are the monster with too many faces.

You must find one and stick with it.

And all of those others, you must bury in the darkness and never let them be seen again.

This is how you become an actualized person, confident, strong, and loved.