Tabula Rasa

Although somewhat ominous, I felt the energy surge through my system the exact moment the words left her lips. The kinetic fizz that crackled along my surfaces with each step beyond the threshold grew and I could feel myself recharge. Admittedly, I hadn’t been back in years, but every particle was familiar, every sight and sound a nostalgic chorus. I fell back into my old rhythm immediately, dipping into former haunts and favourite spaces. At the end of the day, my soul replenished, I turned around and went home. - “Welcome back.” This time there was an undeniably sinister tone to the delivery. It promised something darker, something more sour than just a pleasant experience. Passing the threshold today, nothing crackled on my skin, there was barely a spark. Somebody had turned down the saturation, or the lights, and the usual amicable warmth had dipped to a marginally uncomfortable chill. I heard the echo of a footstep behind me and as I turned around, she stopped in her tracks. “Enjoying your visit?” She had never asked this before. “No.” Best to be honest, I figured. “Shame.” Bodies leapt from the shadows and I was thrust into darkness. I never came back.