āthe old gods are deadā says a man, bitter pride and mockery in his voice āif they were even alive at allā
the next time he oversleeps and hurries to work, he cannot find his keys - he had a habit of forgetting where he put them, but they would suddenly turn up somewhere. this time, theyāre nowhere to be found.
heās one coin short for the parking meter - and this time he doesnāt find any on the ground, even though usually he was lucky enough to find exactly what he needed.
he buys flowers for his wife and they wither and wilt before he manages to get home, dried petals and dead leaves in his hand.
the neighbourās dog stopped wagging his tail at him, the cat doesnāt let him pet her. theyāre unsure, wary.
when he lies awake at night, fighting his thoughts, the sleep doesnāt want to come. and when he sleeps, he doesnāt dream anymore.
when he sits alone in the dark, the night is not comforting anymore, not calming. the darkness is empty and lonely - threatening even.
there is no fire in his soul when he hears his favourite song, no will or need to dance. food doesnāt bring him joy anymore, nor drink. the passion is gone.
when he goes into the forest, the path slithers and knots, and he canāt find his way. the trees, his old friends, are suddenly indifferent. heās lost in the woods for the first time in his life.
āfor the second timeā he hears a voice āyou were six then, a lost crying boy. we were there to comfort you. not asleep, not dead. and not blind or deafā the gods whisper. āare you so sure that weāre gone now?ā
the man apologizes, struggling to fight his tears. he truly is sorry, and the gods listen. theyāre old, after all, and know all the human vices and weaknesses - and know how to forgive when they so desire.
