By Bregdon of White Wind
Prophet
The Black Eyed Beings are fearsome creatures in the world of Fairendale, though many cannot even see them. They are led by the Grim Reaper, and they look like what they are: the walking dead. They have pale, ghostly skin—nearly translucent, it appears, in certain kinds of light. They have deep, bottomless eyes. They are marked with a swirling design—like black veins that have become vines—on the skin around one or the other of their eyes. These designs are as different as the Black Eyed Beings. Some of them are even lovely—starbursts, rolling waves of an ocean, the traces of a flower.
The longer a Black Eyed Being has been a Black Eyed Being, the larger this mark is.
Though many cannot see into the realm of the Grim Reaper and therefore cannot see Black Eyed Beings, should you sense that one is around (the air often grows cold and the light gray; some even say a shiver will crawl down your back), here is a guide to what you should do next.
1. Run.
Black Eyed Beings are not fast on the ground, and they cannot completely leave behind the Grim Reaper (they are limited to, at most, ten leagues—or almost thirty-five miles—from their master’s presence), but they are surprisingly agile and somewhat intelligent. Mostly they are resilient—which will not work in your favor.
Though you may initially outrun a Black Eyed Being, they can run for much longer than a human can. They are, after all, dead, and the dead never grow tired.
The best you can hope for, if you find yourself in the presence of a Black Eyed Being, is that someone else is also near this being and you can outrun this someone (but should you?).
2. Use your magic.
Of course this only works for those who are gifted with magic. It could also be risky for those who have magic, as not every person’s measure of magic is in such great supply that it might win against a Black Eyed Being. Many say that what it really boils down to is luck. Some can use their magic against these beings, and some cannot.
If you happen to be like most of the people in Fairendale—that is, born without the gift of magic—do not lose hope. Sometimes, magic has a mind of its own, and, when a person finds himself or herself in danger, magic decides to intervene. Typically this only happens with those who have lived respectful, honorable, and responsible lives. Magic enjoys rewarding those who do good and think about others and choose kindness in every instance.
3. Let them have you.
This might seem like a ridiculous piece of advice, but hear me out. Some people have been able to escape the Black Eyed Beings when taken by them. It is a very tricky process, and it requires knowing just what will happen in advance. So allow me to educate you:
When a Black Eyed Being touches you and that touch is not broken by your running away, ducking, or escaping in any way, your energy will drain from you. The Black Eyed Being will use this to his or her advantage and lock eyes with you.
The eyes of the beings are the most dangerous part. They are what steal life from your body.
Of course, you can always close your eyes, but once you have locked eyes with a Black Eyed Being, there is no telling what will happen; some have reported that they were not able to move at all, as though their legs had frozen solid and their body was more tree than person.
Some have different responses, however. Some have been able to slip out of a being’s grasp, and some have even traveled all the way to the depths of the underworld and fight their way back out. Some of them have a remaining mark in the corner of their eye, a souvenir of sorts for their travels.
Once a Black Eyed Being takes you to the underworld and you have been there for a certain number of days—no one really knows how many, though the collective opinion is three days—you are in danger of becoming one yourself. If you can fight, you should. If not, perhaps we will see you in your travels around the realm.
It is, of course, best to avoid a Black Eyed Being entirely, but one cannot always do that. So, perhaps the next best thing is to continue living your life with kindness and honor and respect, so that magic will visit you when you most need it.
Becoming one of the Grim Reaper’s soldiers is not a desirable life.
Trust me.
(Photo by David Dibert on Unsplash)