Haiku Friday – Flare & Steam

Happy Friday, everyone! Welcome!

I hope you are all doing well. It’s a beautiful day here in south Florida, although it’s still a bit chilly and by chilly I mean 70º F––yep, definitely sock weather. 😉

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I’m sharing a section from Chapter 16 from my novel, The Fall of Lilith today. The angel Fornues was a follower of Lilith and Satan and he too was cast out of heaven (Floraison). Fornues was one of the largest and strongest angels yet was easily led by the others, especially Lilith. When he fell to Earth he was transformed and could no longer speak but he had the ability to communicate with his mind. This is his account of his fall from grace.

Oh, one more thing. The language in which I wrote this book is a combination of early modern and contemporary English. If you’ve read any of Shakespeare’s works, seen movies like The Gladiator or The Other Boleyn Girl, then you may perceive what I did. 

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Chapter 16

FORNUES’ CURSE

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I have learned much from Satan’s account of his fall,” Lilith said. “Perhaps we should all tell our stories. It may prove enlightening.”

“That is a great idea.” Samael puffed himself up to tell his story next.

Gadreel glared at him, still hurt by his display of jealousy earlier. “It is a wonderful idea. Dagon, perhaps you should give your account next. I am certain we are all curious to learn how you came to be transformed into a merman.”

Samael muttered under his breath.

Dagon smiled at her. “I think it may be more interesting if Fornues told his story first.”

Samael frowned and huffed.

“Indeed, I am rather curious about how Fornues entered this world and how he came to be as he is,” Lilith said.

“How can the monster tell his story when he cannot break words?” Samael said in a sarcastic tone.

“He is not a monster!” Gadreel frowned and her hands squeezed into fists. “He is our friend and he can communicate to us in our minds as he has done since we came together.” She rolled her eyes at him and turned to Dagon again, touching her hair.

“Shall we move closer to shore, Satan?” Lilith asked.

Fornues interjected, “There is no need, for I can hear all your words clearly—even yours, Samael.” He dropped the last three words to a grumble.

“Apologies, Fornues, I meant no harm.” Samael shrugged.

“Go on, Fornues, reveal your story in our minds,” Satan said.

“I looked down from the edge of Floraison and saw the dark, icy waters of a vast frozen sea,” Fornues began. “Every fiber of my body trembled in fear of the unknown. As I plunged toward Earth, I thought of only doom. I was void of hope. If there was a future to be had at all, I saw only blackness.” Fornues became more and more emotional as he unintentionally transferred the feelings and experiences he described to the other angels. They suffered the despair and physical agony he communicated. “I crashed through solid ice into freezing waters. The pain that swathed me was indescribable. I did not believe I could survive. I suffered a million sharp spears stabbing me simultaneously over my entire body, again and again. I wailed in despair, for who could hear me?”

So real was his description in their minds that the others howled in pain, as though their bodies were crashing through the congealed surface of the frigid sea. Gadreel’s limp body lay sprawled on the ground, as if damaged and immersed in freezing water. Dagon hollered as the excruciating pain of freezing body tissues gripped him.

“I struggled as ice water filled my lungs paralyzing them,” Fornues continued. “I flapped my wings, flailed my arms, and thrashed my legs. It seemed the more I struggled, the faster I sank. I experienced crushing pressure, blows to my abdomen, and small explosions in my eyes. I longed for the light above me whose distance grew further out of my reach.”

Lilith screamed and writhed in agony as her body underwent cold, piercing jabs. Satan tried to assist her, but he, too, suffered the physical torments Fornues described. Samael convulsed as he experienced drowning in the frozen waters.

“I began to undergo a massive transformation, which began with my wings growing heavy. They began to tingle and blister as the freezing water destroyed underlying tissues. My wings congealed and became as ice. They became so painful I wanted to rip them off. My body grew and expanded in every direction. All the while, I shrieked and groaned, believing my body was being torn apart.”

Satan howled, clutching and tugging at his wings, for the pain they yielded was unbearable.

Fornues stopped communicating. His friends moaned, contorted, and juddered on the ground. “What is happening?” he asked.

“You have drawn us into your rendering, and we have suffered all you have described thus far,” Lilith said, breathless and wincing.

Fornues realized for the first time that he had the ability to project his feelings and physical torments onto others if he did not control his emotions. “Apologies. I was not aware I had such capacity. Perhaps I should not render my account.”

“Nonsense!” Dagon winced as he rubbed his chest and arms. “Simply control your projected feelings. We have all been through much suffering, but this is in our past. Tell us what happened to you, knowing in your heart that you have already overcome all you described and are the better for it.”

Samael threw his hands in the air. “He shall be the death of us all.”

Dagon and Gadreel glowered at him.

“What say you, my prince?” Lilith directed her sight on Satan.

“Pay no mind to Samael and continue your story, but heed Dagon’s counsel and project your feelings inward and not at us,” Satan said.

Samael clenched his jaw and lowered his head.

Fornues continued his story. “I no longer possessed the form of an angel, but had become the monster you see now. My wings were gone. I do not know why, but I mourn my wings the most. I realized I could no longer break words. When I opened my mouth to cry out for help, the sound I produced was a terrible shrill. I continued uttering the jarring sounds as I struggled in the frozen waters, hoping one of my friends would hear my call and somehow recognize it was I. My metamorphosis caused me intense pain, and I was afraid.”

Dagon hung his head.

“I was aware I was all alone and cursed,” Fornues continued. “I struggled against the changes, but only caused myself more pain and suffering. Still, I panicked and lamented, ‘Please, someone help me! I am all alone and in so much trouble.’ I hoped against hope that one of my allies would hear me and come to my rescue.”

“That was uncharacteristically optimistic of you, Fornues,” Lilith said, mocking him.

“His optimism served him and us well since we were able to find each other because of his hopeful cries,” Gadreel said. “Dagon, please tell us your story. I am certain––”

“What of Beelzebub?” Lilith glanced at Gadreel with a sneering smirk. “Does anyone know what became of him?”

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Fornues

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Pitiful angel

Led astray by one of pause

to suffer and burn

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In a dark world without laws

Here was no peace––no escape

(Flare – Burn) & (Steam – Led astray)

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Flare and Steam are this week’s prompt words chosen by Ronovan Hester of Ronovan Writes.

Ron hosts a challenge that anyone could participate in called Ronovan Writes Weekly Haiku Poetry Prompt Challenge every Monday, and you have until Sunday to create a post featuring your haiku poem. He is an author and poet and also does author interviews and much more on his blog. Be sure to check it out. Read Ron’s Haiku Prompt Challenge Guidelines for more information.

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