There have been many theories about what could’ve been the cause of the ONEs coming here, but none have had as much lasting power as this. This is an early story, possibly the first story that arose when the ONEs came across the scene, in an attempt to explain what was happening to young children.
There’s a hole in our history, and while I can dimly recall there being a holiday, I can’t seem to pinpoint the details, let alone specifics. There’s a noticeable absence, and a general feeling of disassociation of loss of something important, yet I don’t feel any great difference.
There was an Old Man who had a personal vendetta against a certain group of people. If pressed for details, it would be hard to explain just what it was that these people had done to create such ire. But they must have been a wicked people, for the Old Man insisted on punishing them at every turn.
What really irked him was that despite his wishes, these people continued to celebrate a certain holiday every year. All attempts to outlaw or ban this holiday had resulted in failure. No matter what he did, the people continued to defy his wishes, celebrating their joys behind his back.
So faced with this dilemma, the Old Man did the only thing he could think of, having tried everything else. And on the night before the holiday, he summoned the Black Man. In his circles, the Black Man was something of a fixer. If there was a problem, he was the one to take care of it, but only as a last resort, for his fees were notoriously high. The Old Man didn’t care about the price, just as long as the annoyance was resolved.
“They spend too much time celebrating their foolish holiday dedicating glowing praise to dead nobodies who died years ago, when they should be celebrating me! ME! Me who gave their sad pathetic lives purpose! Me, who is still around to appreciate their lowly affections. I’ve had nothing but consternation and scorn passed my way, and I’ve grown sick and tired of it. I want you to remove this holiday from existence for all time. And I want it done by...”
The Black Man listened intently, his facial expressions revealing nothing, then only spoke once the conditions had been clarified.
“I definitely could obliminate the holiday in 50 years’ time. 10 years? Tricky but doable. But to destroy the holiday by tomorrow night? Impossible. There are limits to my power, you know.”
“Fine, so I’ll offer twice your current offer.”
“You don’t understand. It’s not a matter of price, it’s a matter of logistics. The materials needed to meet the request you’re asking is unattainable within the time frame. You could offer me all the souls on your planet, and it still wouldn’t be enough. The infrastructure for dismantling simply isn’t there.”
“Okay, so if you’re not willing to try, reference me to someone else who can handle the job.”
“I do know of someone who could handle the requirements you ask for, but - ”
“Great! Gimme gimme gimme!”
“I very strongly urge you to reconsider this. Trust me - the kind of beings who could do what you’re asking are not the kind you’d want to associate with in the first place.”
“That sounds like the words of a quitter. I don’t like quitters who won’t even try. You’re still bound within the terms of the summoning. Just give me their contact information at least.”
“Alright. Here’s a list of the necessary ingredients needed to complete the ritual. Someone of your nefarious means should have no problem acquiring the necessary components. I recommend using this summoning symbol, known for completing the summoner’s requests with ruthless efficiency, but just remember, I warned you.”
You can probably guess what happened after that. Though, if the Black Man simply wanted to, he could’ve given the Old Man the wrong information in the first place.
There’s a blank hole in our history where the holiday used to be. No one knows what it was, let alone what rituals were used or celebrations for, but every year, a candle is lit in commemoration for a week. I shouldn’t feel so emotional over the loss of a stupid holiday I don’t even remember, but it affects me for reasons I can’t explain.
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