The Lady

Our intention, with this essay, is sharing.

Sharing what?

A story.

Given that fact, our essay is, in fact, a “story.”

A Night Many Years Ago

Many years ago, I was a little boy.

A little boy who was told a story.

By who?

It was my Mother.

Or, perhaps, my Grandmother?

The memory is hazy.

I was told a story about someone known as “The Lady.”

A spirit. A being. A force.

On a night many, many years ago, a man named “William Aldridge” had a dilemma.

The mathematical problem he was attempting to solve possessed a unique solution.

A unique solution that, despite years of work, continued to elude him.

To remedy this problem, William chose to contact a spirit.

A spirit that his grandfather had shared with him many years ago.

On a slip of paper, William clarified his problem.

The slip of paper was placed within the equipment William was using to solve his chosen problem.

Right after doing the above, William said a peculiar statement many, many times.

And, then, he left the room and closed the door.

William sat on a small chair and looked at the room in front of him.

A period of several minutes passed.

Nothing.

And, then, the spaces between the door began to emanate a light blue hue.

The hue became stronger and stronger.

Eventually, the lightness of this hue turned into something far stronger.

A shade of blue darker than any that can be found in the natural world.

The darkness came.

And, then, it went.

A period of several hours passed. Each hour spent without the dark hue.

William felt safe to walk in as the Sun began to rise.

Upon entering his study, William found that, on his desk, was a notebook.

Right within this notebook, written in language more eloquent than human, was a solution to William’s problem.

No, not “a solution.

The solution.

I remember hearing this story many years ago.

The Lady

Many centuries ago, The Lady was born.

Grown from a sea of forgotten ideas, intangible notions, endless stories; and so on and so forth.

If you would like to contact The Lady, you can do so by writing on a slip of paper.

A slip of paper that contains the problem you need help with.

Right after you produce this slip of paper, you must say a special phrase 108 times.

I will not be sharing this special phrase with you.

You see, upon saying this special phrase, something happens.

The room you are in begins to flood with the presence of The Lady.

You must leave the room immediately, upon saying our very special phrase.

If you are still in there, when “The Lady” arrives, you will pass away.

Pass away. Not “die.”

Come to think of it, “pass away” is not an acceptable term.

You will vanish.

No one knows where one goes when they are in The Lady’s presence.

But, it’s not here.

That is known.

A Night In October

On a cold night in October, I summoned The Lady.

I was facing an issue.

Something that required the assistance I was unable to muster.

I conducted the ritual described earlier.

And, in the end, I received what I desired.

But, there was something else.

My cat, “Sherman,” walked in.

Right within the blue hue.

I do not know how he wandered into my room.

I waited several hours.

Praying that Sherman was still alive.

And, upon wandering in, there was nothing.

No, that is not true; a slip of paper with my solution.

That was present.

I looked around for several moments.

Sherman was not there.

And, then, I saw him.

Sherman was underneath my bed.

Sleeping.

He was fine.

I said “Thank you” to every force in existence.

And, Sherman continued to live and love, just as a cat does.

That was 78 years ago.

Sherman remains alive and well.

I do not know what force The Lady granted Sherman.

But, a part of me knows that, in the end, it is far better not to know.

Conclusion

None of what comprises this story is particularly good.

Or, particularly interesting.

Even so, though, thank you for reading.