The Scorpion And The Bird

Notwithstanding, the girl felt her gaze and the taunting laughter of the house dwelling on her, as she ran away. Unaware, of the imidiate future that lay ahead of her. The house kept on watching, and a little part of it, guided her towards her sin. Into a godforsaken future. To keep a phantasma alive.

And after some time had past, the girl had already shrunk so little, that it was hard to make her out on the horizon, Zulema followed in her wake. Together, interviened as the guilty and the innocent, they would pilgramage to one more destination before their last battle.

The scorpion,
so much is known, had once been an reputeable criminal. Not so much different from everyone else who walked this earth and yet it had tried to change the way of the world, her own that is, until she realized that that is not possible. That it‘s just another superstition of mankind. And even though that made the scorpion feel like it was dispenseble, it was by no means that.

Because in the end, every little thing counts. Every little dust particle can change the curse of time. Think about the dessert and it‘s million year old sand. You move one grain of sand and you’ve moved history.

Now, the scorpion is merely an idea. One that had been created to show truths to her lover. Because her time walking on earth had run out sooner than aticipated.
She now is, as metioned before, the knowledge inside the house, and the wasteland. An animal but no animal at all. Everything, yet nothing. A mere ghost of itself. An oxymoron within this lonesome world.

A contradiction, that the rest of the world did not approve of. And being as a ghost, for her felt as if someone had cut out her tongue. But that was not exacly the case. The Gods had offered her another chance at life, to revenge her death but also to reunite with her one true love. Them being the melicious creatures they are, had decided to take away her ability to talk. A list, as in her life time she had only used her words to get what she desired. The Gods thought, without her voice, she had to finally show affection. Talk by touch or with her eyes anything to else but lurring words. Onl too late, and blinded by her greed for a life in freedom, she had realized, that this promising chance had been nothing more but a fraud. The loss of that had ultimetely forced the scorpion to walk among the dead, the vermin and everything else inhumane crawling this ground. And in search for a chance to communicate with her lover, The one she let go so conscientious, she had taken in the form of a scorpion. Because she knew that in ancient Egypt, the scorpion symbolized protection but also life and death. The beginning and the end.

Together they walked. Apart. Until Zulema had catched up to her. Yet again, in the form of the scorpion. Untouchable, by anything as she was nothing but an idea.

In the distance far away in front of them, lay something on the dry earth.

It was the by now mumified dead body of Zulema. It knew where they were going and so the scorpion could see herself, or rather what was lleft of her. Laying there on the ground abandoned in the ever same wasteland she had started wandering upon.

Once the blond womans eyes had found the figure on the ground she began to run. As fast as her feet were able to carry her. With a steady gaze, she run towards the stiff body. The nearer she go the harder her lungs started to burn with the effort it took. She breathed heavy, tripping over her feet time and time again until finally she had reached her destiantion. With a thud she fell down to her knees.

Right infront of her now the remains. Charred from the sun it lay there. Still, lost, forgotten by everything and the fair haired woman... Whos eyes roamed the body, unbeknownst to her who it was. Just like so many before her, she too, had lost the memories of the scorpions physical appearance to, vanished from her mind. The woman looked at it. In search for anything that could possibly tell her the bodys secret. Anything that would reveal it´s identity.

It was not until the sun shone down onto the dead body that the light revealed a straight black line beneath one of her hollow eyesockets. That Macas memories where triggered. Realization hit her with full force, she was face to face with her very own Tantalus again.

So the woman bend over and put her hands to her face. Took a few deep breathes then threw her head back. It arched and she let loose such a gutteral loud scream, so desperate, it seemed as if suddenly all the hurt and anger, all the frust she had been carrying within, for so long, was enclosed in this scream. And the scream eventually became a melody. Echoing through the wasteland.

The scorpion which had been watching from the sideline, but now as he saw what it had inflicted on Macarena, its tiny legs worked their way over to the woman and her hard charred body. The woman following its movements with its eyes. Sensing the gaze on it the scorpion stopped and the music fell silent.

They looked at each other for a split second, the scorpions pincers hovering over the dead body. Neither one dared to make a move and so she continued. Conjuring the melody anew, this time it had a sorrowful tone to it.

Its little legs made its way over the charred body its movements becoming more hectic and louder with each step. And the melody that arose from the of the scorpions legs on the dry deserted floor was the only sound evident in that very moment.

The woman had paused.

She let one knee rise, so that she was now half kneeling infront of the body. Reached out for it with her arms and carefully picked up it up easily, it was lighter than expected.

And like she walked. Carrying her with valour through the wasteland.

In her wake the scorpion followed accompining them with the melody of that surrowful lullaby.

It followed and to the desert it seemed, like it was a funeral march. As if they they were pilgrims worshipping yet at the same time mourning a loss.

And they walked some more...

until they came upon an river.

There the fair haired woman began to sing again.

Yallah yallah habibi yallah...

while she lowered her lover into the stream. And the stream took her. Washed her away. Letting her slip away. She ought be free now if she ever wanted to.

Crestfallen the woman turned her head around and walked away from the troubled waters. Looking back over her shoulder being afraid that her companion might have drowned herself, that she had jumped in the river after her body but no. It stood there on the rivers shore. Bemourning itself for a while.

And the woman, flooded with relief, walked back to pick it up. She hold her hand out to the scorpion who glady accepted the invite. It walked on it. Then the woman raised her hand up to her shoulder where it calmly settled down.

A reassureing thouth crept through the scorpions mind.

Whie her body was at rest now, the ghost of her was not. The scorpion had decided to stay. At least for a little while longer.

And they kept on walking. El Hotel El Oasis their destination.

And as they walked like that a lonely bird spread its wings above them, its shadow sheltering them from the blazeing sun. Keen it threw his head back and let out such an ear-piercing scream that the woman feared she´d loose her hearing.

However, the woman had no reason at all, to be afraid as by letting her body go Zulema was now able to inhabit all kinds of different shells.

Maca looked at the scorpion and it winked. Maca understood. The scorpion was the bird and the bird was her. She was all.

And like that they walked on. Among the wasteland, flushed with a new hope, on their way to their last destination. Hotel El Oasis.The woman was certain, she would find her way now. The scorpion would guide her. And the bird would keep her safe.

As if Zulema had read her mind the bird high up in the sky screechd again. Both of their heads turned upward and admired the glistening plumage that seemed to be flareing like fire in the setting sun.