Backstage

Come, lay down behind the curtain of my eyelids and dream with me. No, not that side of the stage. I want you to live this nightmare from the inside. You have a part in it, you see. And sitting in the audience doesn't really do living justice.

Welcome to the cavern of truth. Oh, by the way, be careful of the floor. The foundation is a little shaky, you see. It sits on the backs of withered slaves and tired grandmas and you don't want to slip through the cracks. Also, I wouldn't go around cleaning up any old cobwebs. Some of these spiders are centuries old, and unless you're the Terminator, I'd say you don't have much of a chance.

Let me show you the dining hall. I present the proverbial fat cows, but don't smile so big. Not yet. Come closer and look. Their bellies are swollen with worms. Amazing what happens when you swallow lies mixed in with a single grain of truth. Well don't look so repulsed! It certainly isn't the cows' fault and you would haven't known any better off if you were still sitting in the crowd. 

Oh you're shivering. Cold? Follow me. I'll show you the den and you can stand close to the fire. There we go. That's better, right? I just hope you don't mind that smell. When we ran out of wood, we started burning bodies. It's amazing how much the bones look like logs if you don't look too close. Don't try to wipe the soot off your skin now. It's way too late. You enjoyed the fire; that's an experience you can't erase. Well, don't get mad at me for not telling you earlier! You didn't ask. 

Come on. I'll show you the garden. Aren't the flowers beautiful? Oh, wait! I wouldn't smell them if I were you. Nothing would grow here so we had to paint them. Of course it's all organic. Every morning we coat them with the fresh blood of the unwanted. Well, don't look at me like that! Everyone here has a purpose and we are all proud to do our part. Look, if you don't like the flowers, then stop staring at them. 

Come over here and rest by the fountain. Beautiful, isn't it? Shhhh. Listen closely. This water is made of only the finest souls. Young dreams are the purest so we harvest them early. No, no, no you have it all wrong. Don't think of it as stealing. It's more like a wishing well, really. I think you're perspective is just uneducated, but you're welcome to your opinion.

Come back in and I'll show you the baths. See how the walls glisten with steam? We used only the finest ivory to make these murals. Where did we get the ivory? Well, you're starting to ask a lot of questions, aren't you? Go ahead and touch them if you want. They won't bite. Any more. 

A mirror you say? Well, we try not to show our guests that part of the house. Oh, you insist? Very well. But I don't think you're going to like what you see. Remember how I told you that you had a part in this nightmare? Well the truth hurts. Go ahead and look. Few have true vision and, as the saying goes, we needed a fresh pair of eyes. Now, now, don't cry. You'll streak. Each of us had to build this with our sweat and blood, no pun intended. 

Well I'm on my way out, it was nice chatting. What's that? Sure, I have time for one last question. What did I sacrifice for its construction? That should have been your first question. See this hole here in my chest, behind my rib cage? Believe it or not, I used to have a heart.