Dante VII Canto XXXI Scene II

 Canto XXXII

The Earthly Paradise; Dreams and Nightmares

Scene I

“No!” The Queen screamed.

When the apple was bitten, the tree which bears it turned to wither, and soon it was completely barren, stripped of all leaves or flowers.

“The first tree ---- ” Dante approached the tree. He saw the barren branches there. It was as described in Dante’s poems. “Oh my God, it’s the tree of knowledge.”

“Thus, should be the seed of every righteous man preserved.” The griffin spoke for the first time, using Dante’s poem words with a twist.

“Yes, I --- No, he was enticed by Eve, who was seduced by the serpent.” Dante looked to the griffin. “It was never the fault of us but the Devil in disguise. As ---”

Dante looked towards the Queen.

“As it was here. The wisdom of Hell and Heaven was to induct in discipline into us but we are his greatest creation and also his failure.” Dante confronted the Queen. “You had listened to me but you did not hear.”

“No! You are not to ---”

Darkness covered Dante.

Dante woke up and found himself no more in the Garden. He was immersed in some liquid. He was not drowning when he looked to his mouth; there was a mouthpiece fitted there. He felt some hard item in his throat. He struggled to move and found his frame was suspended there. He was unable to move.

“Do not move, Virgil. We are trying to get you out of the realm.” Dante heard the voice. “He is awake. I am raising him now.”

Dante found himself lifted out of the liquid. He looked down where he was, and saw it was a narrow chamber filled with liquid. His frame was hoisted up by his armpits with some cables. It hurt there where the cables were attached around there. He was also nude.

“Bring him to the table. He needs to be revived.” Dante heard the unknown one speak. He was moved and then lowered to the flooring. A gurney was moved below him and he was placed on it. The gurney was moved to the metal desk and he felt moved there. His mouthpiece was removed with discomfort.

“Arghh---” Dante struggled to breathe; it was painful than with each pull of air.

“Let me help.” A breathing aid was placed over his nose and mouth. Dante pulled in the pure oxygen and felt his body being revived. His sight was there but it was blurred. He closed his eyes, and let whoever it was there working on his body. He felt them sticking in something into him.

Then he felt no pain.

Only the blessing of sleep.

And rest.

It was not all restful for the ones who saw him dissipate into nothing.

The Queen alighted from the chariot with her anger displayed in her brilliant green eyes. Her eyes seem full of emerald fires as they gaze serenely upon the griffin which had trod off on its path, and to the others who were running in random directions to find the one soul, she had trapped there.

“Where is he?” The Queen screamed out. “He can’t just --- vanished.,”

The replies towards her were not to her liking and screamed what she did on her loss.

“I don’t care. Where is Fabricius?”

“He is gone too.” The Queen got her reply. Her anger was seen in the fierce expression on the griffin with snorts of the flames flaring.

“Find them or all of you are going to Hell.”

Back to Dante who was given a gown to cover his nudity and drips attached to his arms. He looked from the needle to the saline bags. It was then he saw the person attending to him.

It was Beatrice.

His own Beatrice.

“It can’t be----” Dante shook his head. He felt the hands on his face.

“It’s me, Virgil. Me in the real flesh. You are no more in the virtual realm. We save you.” Beatrice was standing there before him; dressed in the white coat over the dark overall with the front exposed to the cleavage level. She had on round-rimmed glasses perched on the bridge of her nose, and the hair --- the red hair all held into a bun at the rear of her head.

“You looked ---" Dante as usual was lost for words.

“You are as usual; the words locked in your persona as a developer. Your keyboard worked better to express you. It’s ---” Beatrice smiled when she spoke to him before Dante interjected.

“I ---I met you there ----“Dante could not shake his image of the Queen.

“You met was an image of my soul. My other soul. I was ----disturbed when younger and I got help. I had split personalities. I ---You knew then.”

“I know.” Dante nodded. “We grew together then. When you went ---- I sat by you, and waited for you.”

“Diverse? You knew that my real self, I had my skills in programming. It was one way to get into myself. I worked hard at it, and when I --- am not, I became the others --- I was twisted.” Beatrice sighed. “I got you to wed the Casella for she was ---perfect for you. I was not.”

“No, I mean we ---” Dante was still baffled. “You were there.”

“That Beatrice is not me. She was an image embedded in to confuse you.” Beatrice told Dante. “I am here. Sleep on. We will talk more later.”

Dante slept.

He was with Beatrice.

The real Beatrice.