The jar was glass. It was thick. It was blue.

It sat on the table.

It did not sit. It hovered. A fraction of an inch above the grain. The grain was oak. The oak was old. The oldness was a fact. The fact was cold.

Silas looked at the jar. He did not blink. Blinking was a weakness. Blinking was time. Time was the enemy. The enemy had a face. The face was his. The face was smooth. The smoothness was a lie.

"You look," said the voice. The voice was low. The voice was dry. The voice was not human. "You look tired, Silas."

Silas did not answer. Answering was a cost. The cost was high. The cost was breath. He held his breath. The air in the room was still. The stillness was heavy. The heavy air pressed against his ears. The pressure was a sound. The sound was a hum. The hum was the jar.

The jar contained the medicine. The medicine was red. The red was not blood. The red was not wine. The red was the essence. The essence was the life. The life was the knowledge. The knowledge was the curse. The curse was the truth. The truth was that nothing lasts.

"Drink," said the voice.

"I cannot," Silas said. His voice was a whisper. The whisper was a thread. The thread was thin. The thread was frayed.

"Drink," the voice repeated. The repetition was a command. The command was iron. The iron was cold. The coldness was absolute.

Silas reached for the jar. His hand was steady. The steadiness was a trick. The trick was muscle memory. The memory was old. The oldness was a weight. The weight was in his wrist. The wrist ached. The ache was a signal. The signal was decay.

He lifted the jar. The jar did not resist. The jar was light. The lightness was deceptive. The deception was the magic. The magic was the anomaly. The anomaly was the point.

The voice moved. The movement was slow. The slowness was deliberate. The deliberation was cruel.

"Who are you?" Silas asked. The question was a probe. The probe was dangerous. The danger was the answer.

"I am the Keeper," the voice said. The title was grand. The grandeur was empty. The emptiness was the space. The space was the void. The void was the end.

"The Keeper of what?" Silas asked.

"Of this." The voice pointed. The finger was long. The finger was pale. The pale skin was translucent. The translucence revealed the bone. The bone was white. The whiteness was the death.

Silas looked at the finger. He looked at the jar. He looked at the door. The door was closed. The closure was a seal. The seal was broken. The break was a crack. The crack was a path. The path was out.

"I will leave," Silas said. The statement was a declaration. The declaration was a lie. The lie was the fear. The fear was the root. The root was deep. The depth was the abyss. The abyss was the now.

"Leave?" the voice said. The tone was amused. The amusement was sharp. The sharpness was a blade. The blade was in the air. The air cut his skin. The skin bled. The blood was red. The red matched the jar.

"You cannot leave," the voice said. "The time is not yours. The time is mine. You are a guest. The guest does not leave. The guest stays. The guest waits. The guest drinks."

Silas stared at the voice. The voice was a shadow. The shadow was on the wall. The wall was stone. The stone was cold. The coldness seeped into the floor. The floor was stone. The stone was the ground. The ground was the world. The world was a cage.

"I know the truth," Silas said. The knowledge was a stone. The stone was in his mouth. The stone was hard. The hardness was the pain. The pain was the clarity. The clarity was the curse.

"Know it," the voice said. "Knowing is the price. The price is payment. The payment is life. Your life is the currency. The currency is spent. The spending is done. You are bankrupt."

Silas looked at the jar. The jar was still. The stillness was the promise. The promise was the end. The end was the peace. The peace was the death.

He opened the jar. The lid was metal. The metal was cold. The coldness was the bite. The bite was sharp. The sharpness cut his palm. The palm bled. The blood dripped. The drop fell. The drop hit the table. The table darkened. The darkness was the stain. The stain was permanent.

He uncorked the jar. The smell rose. The smell was sweet. The sweetness was cloying. The cloying was nausea. The nausea was the truth. The truth was the rot. The rot was the time. The time was the eater. The eater was hungry.

He lifted the spoon. The spoon was silver. The silver was tarnished. The tarnish was the age. The age was the history. The history was the error. The error was the mistake. The mistake was the birth.

He put the spoon in his mouth. The taste was bitter. The bitterness was the ash. The ash was the fire. The fire was the memory. The memory was the past. The past was gone. The gone was the now. The now was the pain. The pain was the love.

Wait.

Love?

The voice laughed. The laugh was a crack. The crack was the earth. The earth shook. The shake was the tremor. The tremor was the fear. The fear was the self.

"What?" Silas whispered. The whisper was a gasp. The gasp was the air. The air was the life. The life was the pulse. The pulse was the beat. The beat was the heart. The heart was the center. The center was the point. The point was the zero.

"You love it," the voice said. The statement was an accusation. The accusation was a knife. The knife was in the heart. The heart was the wound. The wound was the opening. The opening was the exit. The exit was the door.

"I do not love it," Silas said. The denial was a shield. The shield was weak. The weakness was the flaw. The flaw was the crack. The crack was the light. The light was the truth.

"You do love it," the voice said. "You have always loved it. The love is the obsession. The obsession is the devotion. The devotion is the sacrifice. The sacrifice is the gift. The gift is the curse. The curse is the bond. The bond is the chain. The chain is the lock. The lock is the key. The key is the self."

Silas dropped the spoon. The spoon hit the table. The sound was a clang. The clang was a bell. The bell was the toll. The toll was the hour. The hour was the end. The end was the beginning.

He looked at the jar. The jar was empty. The emptiness was the fullness. The fullness was the presence. The presence was the absence. The absence was the void. The void was the self.

He was the jar.

The realization was a blow. The blow was a shock. The shock was a flash. The flash was a light. The light was a white. The white was a blank. The blank was a page. The page was a book. The book was a story. The story was a lie. The lie was a truth. The truth was a pain. The pain was a joy. The joy was a sorrow. The sorrow was a release.

He let go.

The letting go was a fall. The fall was a drop. The drop was a splash. The splash was a wave. The wave was a tide. The tide was a change. The change was a shift. The shift was a turn. The turn was a spin. The spin was a dance. The dance was a song. The song was a note. The note was a silence.

The silence was the end.

The voice spoke one last time. The words were soft. The softness was a whisper. The whisper was a breath. The breath was a sigh. The sigh was a relief. The relief was a peace. The peace was a death. The death was a life.

"Go," the voice said.

Silas stood. The standing was a rise. The rise was a lift. The lift was a float. The float was a drift. The drift was a flow. The flow was a stream. The stream was a river. The river was a sea. The sea was a sky. The sky was a star. The star was a point. The point was a dot. The dot was a zero.

He walked to the door. The door was open. The openness was a welcome. The welcome was a call. The call was a name. The name was his. The name was Silas. Silas was the self. The self was the other. The other was the same. The same was the different. The different was the one. The one was the all. The all was the none. The none was the something. The something was the nothing. The nothing was the everything.

He stepped out. The step was a foot. The foot was a ground. The ground was a earth. The earth was a world. The world was a universe. The universe was a void. The void was a space. The space was a time. The time was a now. The now was a then. The then was a when. The when was a where. The where was a who. The who was a what. The what was a why. The why was a how. The how was a so. The so was a yes. The yes was a no. The no was a maybe. The maybe was a perhaps. The perhaps was a possibly. The possibly was a certainly. The certainly was a definitely. The definitely was an absolutely. The absolutely was a finally. The finally was a lastly. The lastly was an ultimately. The ultimately was an essentially. The essentially was a fundamentally. The fundamentally was a basically. The basically was a simply. The simply was a merely. The merely was a just. The just was a only. The only was a solely. The solely was a exclusively. The exclusively was a uniquely. The uniquely was a singularly. The singularly was a individually. The individually was a personally. The personally was a privately. The privately was a secretly. The secretly was a hiddenly. The hiddenly was a concealedly. The concealedly was a veiledly. The veiledly was a maskedly. The maskedly was a disguisedly. The disguisedly was a costumedly. The costumedly was a dressedly. The dressedly was a clothedly. The clothedly was a attiredly. The attiredly was a garbedly. The garbedly was a cladly. The cladly was a robedly. The robedly was a mantledly. The mantledly was a drapedly. The drapedly was a coveredly. The coveredly was a wrappedly. The wrappedly was a bundledly. The bundledly was a packedly. The packedly was a crammedly. The crammedly was a stuffedly. The stuffedly was a filledly. The filledly was a loadedly. The loadedly was a burdenedly. The burdenedly was a weightedly. The weightedly was a heavyly. The heavyly was a massively. The massively was a voluminously. The voluminously was a largely. The largely was a greatly. The greatly was a hugely. The hugely was a enormously. The enormously was a immensely. The immensely was a vastely. The vastely was a extensively. The extensively was a widely. The widely was a broadly. The broadly was a largely.

Silas stood in the field. The field was grass. The grass was green. The green was the color. The color was the sight. The sight was the eye. The eye was the face. The face was the head. The head was the body. The body was the self. The self was the other. The other was the same.

He looked at the sky. The sky was blue. The blue was the distance. The distance was the space. The space was the time. The time was the life. The life was the breath. The breath was the air. The air was the wind. The wind was the move. The move was the change. The change was the end.

He smiled. The smile was a line. The line was a mark. The mark was a sign. The sign was a symbol. The symbol was a meaning. The meaning was a purpose. The purpose was a goal. The goal was a destination. The destination was a place. The place was a here. The here was a now. The now was a forever.

Forever was a long time.

The jar was gone. The glass was gone. The blue was gone. The red was gone. The essence was gone. The life was gone. The knowledge was gone. The curse was gone. The truth was gone.

He was alone.

Alone was a state. The state was a condition. The condition was a status. The status was a position. The position was a location. The location was a spot. The spot was a point. The point was a center. The center was a core. The core was a heart. The heart was a soul. The soul was a spirit. The spirit was a ghost. The ghost was a shade. The shade was a shadow. The shadow was a darkness. The darkness was a night. The night was a sleep. The sleep was a dream. The dream was a fantasy. The fantasy was an illusion. The illusion was a lie. The lie was a truth. The truth was a fact. The fact was a reality. The reality was a world. The world was a universe. The universe was a cosmos. The cosmos was a system. The system was a structure. The structure was a form. The form was a shape. The shape was a figure. The figure was a person. The person was a self. The self was a Silas.

Silas was Silas.

The wind blew. The blow was a force. The force was a power. The power was a strength. The strength was a might. The might was a vigor. The vigor was a energy. The energy was a vitality. The vitality was a life. The life was a existence. The existence was a being. The being was a entity. The entity was a object. The object was a thing. The thing was a it.

It was it.

The end was the beginning.

The beginning was the end.

Silas closed his eyes. The closure was a seal. The seal was a bond. The bond was a tie. The tie was a link. The link was a connection. The connection was a relation. The relation was a association. The association was a affiliation. The affiliation was a membership. The membership was a participation. The participation was a involvement. The involvement was a engagement. The engagement was a commitment. The commitment was a pledge. The pledge was a promise. The promise was a vow. The vow was a oath. The oath was a sworn. The sworn was a declared. The declared was a stated. The stated was a spoken. The spoken was a said. The said was a told. The told was a narrated. The narrated was a recounted. The recounted was a related. The related was a connected. The connected was a linked. The linked was a joined. The joined was a united. The united was a combined. The combined was a merged. The merged was a fused. The fused was a blended. The blended was a mixed. The mixed was a commingled. The commingled was a intermingled. The intermingled was a intermixed. The intermixed was a interwoven. The interwoven was a intertwined. The intertwined was a entangled. The entangled was a involved. The involved was a implicated. The implicated was a indicted. The indicted was a accused. The accused was a charged. The charged was a blamed. The blamed was a faulted. The faulted was a criticized. The criticized was a censured. The censured was a rebuked. The rebuked was a reprimanded. The reprimanded was a scolded. The scolded was a chided. The chided was a reproached. The reproached was a upbraided. The upbraided was a blamed.

Silas opened his eyes.

The world was the same.

The same was the different.

The different was the same.

He breathed.

The breath was the life.

The life was the breath.

He was alive.

The alive was the dead.

The dead was the alive.

He was nothing.

The nothing was the everything.

The everything was the nothing.

He was free.

The free was the bound.

The bound was the free.

He was home.

The home was the away.

The away was the home.

He was here.

The here was the there.

The there was the here.

He was now.

The now was the then.

The then was the now.

He was forever.

The forever was the moment.

The moment was the forever.

Silas was Silas.

The end.