I dreamt that I was standing in a field again. But this time there were people coming from all around, dragging their sleeping feet to the green where something was expected of us. And there was a feeling of terror – if I didn’t obey something would happen. And the weirdest thing about the dream was this voice whispering in my ear, the same voice from the other nights. It said “Pentheus” over and over. “Remember Pentheus.”
I walked to work with my mask on because of the pollution. I had to pass the fertility center, the ones the government set up. The population had gotten so low that the government was giving rewards to people who had children. But as I passed the computer centers and the internet shops I laughed a little to myself. Didn’t they see? The problem was right here in front of us. Who would bring children into this world, the way things are? I’m just as selfish as the rest of them, I don’t want kids. Not with this economy – the food shortages, the gas shortages, and definitely not with my internet obligations. Who had the time anymore? Who even went on a date anymore? And where would you send a kid to school? Most of the old schools were empty warehouses now. I could fill up a phone book with the reasons not to have them.
Work was okay but everyone was talking about something over in Gates Park that was supposed to happen. I heard some talk in the lunch room, but I said I had an online conference I was supposed to do at home. Rich told me I had to go, it was kind of a mandatory thing. Since he was my boss, and he had this crazy look on his face, I said I’d do it. I hate going along with all his after-work get-togethers. But one weird thing I saw was that all the women in the office were looking a little…I guess “wild” is the word. Lustful, maybe. I’m ashamed I have to search for the right word to describe it. That’s the world we live in though. It’s the digital age. The computer age. Desire is something you read about in history books.
After work I was walking to the park with Peter from the IT department. What a wet blanket. He was complaining the whole way, said he had to be home for an internet thing. I told him, “Hey – maybe something fun will happen. What’s this all about anyway?”
“Some jerk-off is having a big party in the park.”
“Well, that couldn’t hurt, right?”
He looked at me with this nervous fear I’ll never forget. It was a look of dread.
“It’s mandatory.”
“What the hell do you mean, mandatory?”
He got up close to me and whispered.
“Just do what this guy says, or…you’ll end up with some problems.”
“What problems? Who is this guy?”
“He says he’s from the Lydian something…he’s a psychopath. He’ll mess you up if you don’t obey. Trust me.”
And then the weirdest thing – I noticed a goat was following us. Walking along right behind us. Like it was listening to us. Pretty soon we got to the park and the goat was gone. I thought I was hallucinating. And then I looked at the field and stopped dead in my tracks. I could not believe what I was seeing. There were hundreds of women dancing in circles, in this insane ecstatic celebration. And they were ripping their clothes off.
“I just want to get out of here,” Peter said next to me. “Well, come on, let’s go.”
“Where are you going?”
“To the front, to pour the wine. Just listen to him, and don’t make any problems.”
I followed him up beyond the women to a stage where giant casks were set up. Wine poured forth into wine glasses, and men were set up in lines to pass the wine to the dancing women. Drums were playing somewhere, loud and tribal. A voice boomed from everywhere.
“Him,” it said. The women rushed over to Peter and grabbed him, screaming, and dragged him to a pit where they threw him in with some other men and women, along with a bunch of cops. Wine was streaming down the faces of the dancing women. I saw Marilyn from accounting. She had an animal look in her eyes and purple stained lips.
“Start pouring,” someone said, and nudged me. I got in line and got up to the front, where I was handed a huge goblet. I grabbed the lever on the cask and poured a big cup. The other guys were giving their cups to the women, who started gathering around the pit.
After they were done with the people in the pit I had to drink a lot of wine to quench the horror. The wine mingled with the blood in the pit, and the women were washing off their blood in fountains. Then he arose onstage, a towering figure with a demonic smile.
“They thought they could disobey me.” His voice was so loud, it was almost coming from inside my head.
A cheer came from the hordes of naked women.
“I have returned. You must drink of my wine. And you must dance your joyous ritual. And we will destroy those who mock us. Now go to your places.”
It was turning into an orgy. I drank, because I had to. He knew who disobeyed him. Couples were pairing off and going into the woods around Gates field. I ended up with some woman I didn’t recognize and it was all like a state of hypnosis. I was being moved by something more powerful. I left the park at three in the morning, with the sight of that man in my head – the sight of him laughing with joy. My feet were numb from dancing and my head was dizzy with wine.
Something ancient had returned. Something terrifying and beautiful.
