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Samad found himself in a cramped, dark room. He could no longer feel his body from the waist down. He seemed to have no legs or feet, but he could sense his breathing. He was alive, but contained in a vessel of some sort. Of course!! The Lamp!! He was imprisoned inside the old, dusty lamp! Panic set in and he started to hyperventilate. How was this possible? Was he to be captured here for the rest of his life? Or worse still, was he here for an eternity? The unfairness of his situation suddenly struck him. He had saved the villagers of Damardan and his beloved son! Did he deserve to be doomed inside this prison? No!! Normally an even tempered man who did not allow the pressures of his extremely difficult existence to better him, Samad felt the anger boiling to the surface. It was as if a valve had opened in his mind, allowing all the frustrations and vitriol that he surely had kept hidden and indeed had refused to acknowledge for years to rise to the top of his consciousness and spill out in a rush. He shouted to the God outside.
“Oh, thou filthy whoreson of a false God!! What have you done? I do not deserve to be treated thusly! Release me, oh thy poor excuse for omnipotence. I have saved many good lives in Damardan so that they may continue to bow to you and venerate you, and for that I am imprisoned? Release me now, I demand it!”
The answer reverberated through the lamp like an earthquake ripping through the village. The God’s voice was deep and full of rage. Its force made Samad back into a corner, his ethereal hands over his non-existent ears. He had no way of escaping the pain of the oppressive voice.
“How dare you!! You DARE to speak that way with me? How dare you call ME a fool!! You are an insignificant piece of offal!! You are a blight on the ass of the human race. How dare you question me!! The village of Damardan is MINE to destroy or not as I please. The people of the village are MINE to destroy or not as I please. Many times have I watched the entire village die and many times have I brought them back to life. I do it because it pleases me to do so. It is MY will!! And YOU!! Do you think that YOU have the right to question ME?”
Silence permeated the lamp. Samad remained at the back of the lamp, shaking with fear and a mixture of emotions that flashed fleetingly through his being.
“Oh, my Lord,” he said in a small voice, “’Tis I who am the fool. I did not think that it could be anything other than a natural well poisoning that was killing the villagers. Had I known it was you.....”
“Shut up, you miserable excuse for a human! I have put you into this lamp to teach you humility, and learn it you shall. It is too easy to just kill you outright and the death of your beloved wife taught you nothing. I have banished you from this earth for a period of four thousand harvestings. You will remain as you are in this lamp, at the beck and call of whosoever finds it. The simple act of reading the incantation I have place on the bottom of the lamp will bring you forth, and he who has done so will be your master. You will be bound to do his bidding exactly as demanded of you. You will be given the power to grant his wishes if they please me. Perhaps one wish perhaps a lifetimes worth, but remember each of your owners shall be your master only for as long as the wishes are granted. Once they request that which does not please me you shall return once again to wait for a new master. And do not believe yourself powerful, as all your power comes from me and no matter how many masters you may serve, I will always own you! Do you understand my instructions, dung beetle?”
Samad was overwrought. Four thousand harvests!? It may as well be an eternity. The sudden shaking of his miniaturized world brought him back.
“Y-Y-Yes, My Lord. I understand.”
“Then obey me well and perhaps you will be released upon the completion of your sentence.”
“Yes, My Lord. I will obey.”
“Good. Then come out and look at me, for I have one more thing to do before I abandon you to the fates.”
Samad felt the vibrations inside his prison as the God lifted his lamp.
“Come forth, my little Master Of The Lamp. Come forth and see me in my glory,” cackled the deity.
Samad felt himself being forced out of the small spout of the oil lamp. Even though he was composed, it seemed, of a type of coagulated mist, he felt the pain of his journey. His head and shoulders had emerged and the twisted smoke of his legs was still anchored within. At first he faced the desert, but he
slowly turned himself around to gaze at the angry god who had just spoken to him. He was totally unprepared for what he saw.
There in front of him was the fearful countenance of the God Of Damardan. The face that regarded him now was one of complete madness and total rage. Dirty, stringy hair that was an ugly mixture of red, black, white and green waved in the air as if it had a life of its own. Indeed, perhaps it did! Below the short forehead eyebrows of a dark colour also moved like thousands of brown maggots writhing within a gaping wound. The eyebrows angled sharply down to a large, misshaped nose. The evil mouth was twisted into a horrific sneer that split his ugly face and showed the rotting teeth holding their places in his mouth. His breath was sickeningly fetid with pieces of rotten meat stuck between what was left of his teeth. THIS was the all-powerful God Of Damardan!! This was the face of anger and maliciousness. It was only one of four that the god could turn to the world at any time. Or, did the God, perhaps, have no control over which face would appear? Samad did not know nor did he particularly care at that point. All he truly knew was his terror of what would happen next.
The God Of Damardan’s voice rang out again.
“Do not think that you are finished with me, yet, mortal. I have one more thing to show you before I banish you to the fates of the lamp!”
“My Lord”, sputtered Samad,”I will do whatever it is that you demand of me in repentance.”
“Of course you will, idiot! But I have a couple of things yet to do. You and your new home will be placed inside a small stone sarcophagus until you are found. I have written instructions on a tablet to inform anyone who discovers your miserable hiding place how to call you forth and exactly what you are required to do. You WILL learn humility by serving whosoever finds you and brings you forth. You will learn not to spit in the faces of your God as well.”
“Oh, my Lord,” Samad stuttered out, hands help together if front of him in supplication,” I have learned my lesson.”
“You have learned nothing yet, you miserable piece of camel shit.” An evil smile broke the God’s extremely ugly face, baring once again his rotting teeth.
“But you will learn. Behold what I have for you to take with you for the rest of your life!”
The God waved his hand and a lone figure approached over the sand. Quickly, Samad recognized who it was. It was his son Azhar walking slowly toward them, as if in a trance. At first Samad was worried about his son seeing him as he was now. Then he felt fear coursing through his body, setting his teeth on edge and his heart to pound heavily. The fact that his son, who Samad had just rescued from certain death was here at this time did not bode well. He was suddenly very afraid of what was to happen next. He tried to warn Azhar away, but he was powerless to do anything.
“No, No. My Lord, please do not harm my littel Azhar. He is innocent. Punish me yes, but please let my son live his life.”
Azhar had stopped in front of them and stood looking up at the God with a calm smile on his beautiful young face.
“Oh, yes,” hissed the God Of Damardan, “Your precious little boy was supposed to die with the other villagers. But YOU interfered in my work and saved him. I am merely claiming back the life that was mine to take.”
With that, the boy was suddenly lifted into the air. The God made squeezing motions with his huge hands and Azhar started to struggle while he was suspended there. His face turned deep red as he started to choke, gasping for the breath that was not to come. His tongue hung out of his quivering mouth and his eyes bulged from their sockets.
“NOOOOO!!” Samad screamed as he heard his son’s neck bones audibly crack under the relentless pressure.
The God threw the lifeless body of Azhar to the desert sand without another thought and turned to the devastated Samad.
“Now, get back into your hovel, mortal, until you are called forth again.”
As Samad felt himself being sucked back into the lamp, he screamed out, “I vow revenge!! The world will regret releasing me from my prison!! I will avenge my son’s death, and when I am finished, I will look for you and exact my revenge upon your filthy body!!” The God’s evil laughter reverberated through his mind as the stopper was placed on the lamp’s spout, and darkness enveloped him
“Oh, thou filthy whoreson of a false God!! What have you done? I do not deserve to be treated thusly! Release me, oh thy poor excuse for omnipotence. I have saved many good lives in Damardan so that they may continue to bow to you and venerate you, and for that I am imprisoned? Release me now, I demand it!”
The answer reverberated through the lamp like an earthquake ripping through the village. The God’s voice was deep and full of rage. Its force made Samad back into a corner, his ethereal hands over his non-existent ears. He had no way of escaping the pain of the oppressive voice.
“How dare you!! You DARE to speak that way with me? How dare you call ME a fool!! You are an insignificant piece of offal!! You are a blight on the ass of the human race. How dare you question me!! The village of Damardan is MINE to destroy or not as I please. The people of the village are MINE to destroy or not as I please. Many times have I watched the entire village die and many times have I brought them back to life. I do it because it pleases me to do so. It is MY will!! And YOU!! Do you think that YOU have the right to question ME?”
Silence permeated the lamp. Samad remained at the back of the lamp, shaking with fear and a mixture of emotions that flashed fleetingly through his being.
“Oh, my Lord,” he said in a small voice, “’Tis I who am the fool. I did not think that it could be anything other than a natural well poisoning that was killing the villagers. Had I known it was you.....”
“Shut up, you miserable excuse for a human! I have put you into this lamp to teach you humility, and learn it you shall. It is too easy to just kill you outright and the death of your beloved wife taught you nothing. I have banished you from this earth for a period of four thousand harvestings. You will remain as you are in this lamp, at the beck and call of whosoever finds it. The simple act of reading the incantation I have place on the bottom of the lamp will bring you forth, and he who has done so will be your master. You will be bound to do his bidding exactly as demanded of you. You will be given the power to grant his wishes if they please me. Perhaps one wish perhaps a lifetimes worth, but remember each of your owners shall be your master only for as long as the wishes are granted. Once they request that which does not please me you shall return once again to wait for a new master. And do not believe yourself powerful, as all your power comes from me and no matter how many masters you may serve, I will always own you! Do you understand my instructions, dung beetle?”
Samad was overwrought. Four thousand harvests!? It may as well be an eternity. The sudden shaking of his miniaturized world brought him back.
“Y-Y-Yes, My Lord. I understand.”
“Then obey me well and perhaps you will be released upon the completion of your sentence.”
“Yes, My Lord. I will obey.”
“Good. Then come out and look at me, for I have one more thing to do before I abandon you to the fates.”
Samad felt the vibrations inside his prison as the God lifted his lamp.
“Come forth, my little Master Of The Lamp. Come forth and see me in my glory,” cackled the deity.
Samad felt himself being forced out of the small spout of the oil lamp. Even though he was composed, it seemed, of a type of coagulated mist, he felt the pain of his journey. His head and shoulders had emerged and the twisted smoke of his legs was still anchored within. At first he faced the desert, but he
slowly turned himself around to gaze at the angry god who had just spoken to him. He was totally unprepared for what he saw.
There in front of him was the fearful countenance of the God Of Damardan. The face that regarded him now was one of complete madness and total rage. Dirty, stringy hair that was an ugly mixture of red, black, white and green waved in the air as if it had a life of its own. Indeed, perhaps it did! Below the short forehead eyebrows of a dark colour also moved like thousands of brown maggots writhing within a gaping wound. The eyebrows angled sharply down to a large, misshaped nose. The evil mouth was twisted into a horrific sneer that split his ugly face and showed the rotting teeth holding their places in his mouth. His breath was sickeningly fetid with pieces of rotten meat stuck between what was left of his teeth. THIS was the all-powerful God Of Damardan!! This was the face of anger and maliciousness. It was only one of four that the god could turn to the world at any time. Or, did the God, perhaps, have no control over which face would appear? Samad did not know nor did he particularly care at that point. All he truly knew was his terror of what would happen next.
The God Of Damardan’s voice rang out again.
“Do not think that you are finished with me, yet, mortal. I have one more thing to show you before I banish you to the fates of the lamp!”
“My Lord”, sputtered Samad,”I will do whatever it is that you demand of me in repentance.”
“Of course you will, idiot! But I have a couple of things yet to do. You and your new home will be placed inside a small stone sarcophagus until you are found. I have written instructions on a tablet to inform anyone who discovers your miserable hiding place how to call you forth and exactly what you are required to do. You WILL learn humility by serving whosoever finds you and brings you forth. You will learn not to spit in the faces of your God as well.”
“Oh, my Lord,” Samad stuttered out, hands help together if front of him in supplication,” I have learned my lesson.”
“You have learned nothing yet, you miserable piece of camel shit.” An evil smile broke the God’s extremely ugly face, baring once again his rotting teeth.
“But you will learn. Behold what I have for you to take with you for the rest of your life!”
The God waved his hand and a lone figure approached over the sand. Quickly, Samad recognized who it was. It was his son Azhar walking slowly toward them, as if in a trance. At first Samad was worried about his son seeing him as he was now. Then he felt fear coursing through his body, setting his teeth on edge and his heart to pound heavily. The fact that his son, who Samad had just rescued from certain death was here at this time did not bode well. He was suddenly very afraid of what was to happen next. He tried to warn Azhar away, but he was powerless to do anything.
“No, No. My Lord, please do not harm my littel Azhar. He is innocent. Punish me yes, but please let my son live his life.”
Azhar had stopped in front of them and stood looking up at the God with a calm smile on his beautiful young face.
“Oh, yes,” hissed the God Of Damardan, “Your precious little boy was supposed to die with the other villagers. But YOU interfered in my work and saved him. I am merely claiming back the life that was mine to take.”
With that, the boy was suddenly lifted into the air. The God made squeezing motions with his huge hands and Azhar started to struggle while he was suspended there. His face turned deep red as he started to choke, gasping for the breath that was not to come. His tongue hung out of his quivering mouth and his eyes bulged from their sockets.
“NOOOOO!!” Samad screamed as he heard his son’s neck bones audibly crack under the relentless pressure.
The God threw the lifeless body of Azhar to the desert sand without another thought and turned to the devastated Samad.
“Now, get back into your hovel, mortal, until you are called forth again.”
As Samad felt himself being sucked back into the lamp, he screamed out, “I vow revenge!! The world will regret releasing me from my prison!! I will avenge my son’s death, and when I am finished, I will look for you and exact my revenge upon your filthy body!!” The God’s evil laughter reverberated through his mind as the stopper was placed on the lamp’s spout, and darkness enveloped him
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