In The Hour of Saturn, On The Night of Guland, the Moon a Crescent:
For the rest of the lazy afternoon I studied the details of the Grimorium Verum as I pondered the cards and hemmed and hawed about whether or not I should take up Rene's offer to go to the bonfire tonight. Eventually I caved and decided I'd show up. The cards had advised me to follow the path of science and use my knowledge of the nature of things to guide me, and so what kind of scientist isn't willing to get messy and make some mistakes?
Just after sunset, as the details of the day began to blur under heavy shadows across a dark blue star-pocked sky, I drove on the road across Sunderland under-looking the peak of Mount Sugarloaf. Just before crossing the Connecticut river, I turned right into the roads that ran north along the woods and mountains between the towns of Leverett, Shutesbury, and Montague, and found my way to the little place beside the road just before Mount Toby where a series of cars had been parked in single file.
I got out and climbed up the slope of a path at the top of which rang a thumping bass beat that echoed through the trees. The path opened up to a flat meadow atop the hill, and in the distance I saw figures mingling in the field, orbs of light darting above and between them.
The fires spun and circled round, and in their center a group of thinly dressed women and men swayed and thrashed to the speedy EDM beat for a sparse crowd of onlookers, standing a safe distance around. The flicker of the whirring poi sticks was dizzying, and the smell of the smoke and the heat of the flame lulled me into a sleepy, almost disassociated feeling.
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Rene, her colorful tattoos on full display between her crop top and her long skirt, spun around in circles and thrust her body from side to side, casting the trail of flame in dizzying geometric patterns. Her eyes were closed, her thoughts completely lost to the heat of the flame against her body and the rhythm of the track.
Whenever I had thought about picking up poi dancing for a hobby I just couldn't get over the grim fantasy that I'd swing the wrong way and light myself up. It was like that same kind of existential dread that comes with standing atop a tall ledge and thinking of jumping off- the terrible part of it is that there's some small voice in your head that kind of wants to do it.
The drum and bass song came to its end and Rene began to slow in her turns and power down. The sparse crowd that hovered around the dancers clapped and cheered at the performance. Rene held the flaming wicks steady beneath her wrists, and walked towards the spotter who stood around the dancers. The spotter smothered the wicks beneath the flame-retardant blanket, and Rene straightened her spine and let out a deep sigh of relief.
She turned to see me clapping in the crowd around her, and, even without wielding any pyrotechnics, I saw her eyes light up.
"Ahhhh Silvanaaaa!!!! You came!" Rene squealed, lunging at me in a big hug.
"I did! Any sign of Grant?" I asked.
"Nah, I haven't heard anything, yet, but don't worry! You'll know first thing if he shows!"
I sighed. "So what's going on?"
"They're just setting up the bonfire. Let's go find Kurt!"