I have no idea of when conscious thoughts first came to me.  All I perceived was a vast sea of blue surrounding me with no end to it.  My surroundings gave me no concept of the passage of time, just the damnable blue around me.  I could start to hate it except that I seem to recall a person that I know is associated with this color.  A wise young being and the thought that he/she/it... no not it, never it... was associated with an ancient enemy or friend.  Or was that enemies and friends?  Yes, the plural seems/feels more appropriate.  Who is he really?  He! Yes the wise little one is a he.  And who are the ones associated with him?  But then, who or what, am I?

   “ Uh, honey?  What did you get yourself into now? ” the stray thought hit me.  I know it's connected with someone close to me but not.  I know it should be male and gruff.  I know he should have white hair and eyes far older than he looks.  But that is all.  I can feel my emotions in turmoil, anger, sorrow, frustration, joy, happiness, love, and hate.  It seems the more the emotions build up the less coherent my thoughts become.  I lash out about me.  I feel power flowing from me into the vast blue around me.  And with it, my rational thoughts.  The more I expend, the harder it is to think.  I must be going insane. Maybe I always was.

   “ Yeah, that’s it.  Remove anything or anyone who annoys you.  Typical. ”   The thought has a female quality to it.  “ Only in this case, it's you, your destroying yourself.  Come on, put your vast intellect to good use and think instead of reacting. ”
  “ That’s easier said then done, my dear, ”  I replied to the voice.
  “ Come on.  Get Zen.  Meditate.  Collect your thoughts and tell me a story about yourself.  You used to tell me wonderful stories when I was in the hospital. ”

  “Ah come on, honey, tell us a story! ”  That annoying male voice again.

  Why bother, you're both just part of my madness.....

  “ Well, if you won’t tell us then tell him, ” the female voice said in exasperation.  I thought I heard a baby's  " ooh! "  from just outside the blue.  It was followed by  that baby's joyous expression of discovery.

   Where do I begin?

  “ Like a book.  At the beginning.  Duh. ”   If could see her I know I would have smiled at that.

   “ Come here, baby, the funny guy is gonna tell us a story. ”  A shimmering line flowed in the blue vastness as I gathered my thoughts.  Slowly images formed before me of a cottage bedroom.
   The woman on the bed was badly scarred from burns, my heart ached at the beauty that  had once been hers, now destroyed.  I was placed in her arms by an odd old man with a kindly face.
   “ What shall we name him, love? ” the old man asked.
   “ Percival ”
   “ Hmm. Percival Lunaris. I like that. ”

         (to be continued)