Page 96 of Baking and Angels

He has no other way of understanding it.

There are thousands of them, concentrated balls of darkness. He understands that there is a single being inside each. They are writhing in their own… hells.

Like heonce did.

A new understanding washes through him, one that shocks him. It even sends out small waves of energy, like a pebble dropped into a still pool.

Thiswas Hell.

What he thought of as hell was this. And it was of his own making.

He wants to reject that idea. He even backs away fromthe field.

Honey tries to assure him, to keep him from leaving.

Safe.

Youare safe.

The concept comes across to him, and he now understands he is not being put back, nor is he going to become… stuck like this again.

Something has changed within him. Something has healed.

More light pours into his being, light that has always been there, always waiting to embrace him. He had kept it out, for fear of it consuming him.

But why?

He wants to ask, but there is no way to. Instead, the question is just understood.

And the answer returns. The others, the countless others here are also afraid. They steal energy from each other, in order to maintain this darkness, for fear of the light dissipating it. There is safety there.

He pities them.

He pities himself.

Honey moves amongst them and he follows. He does not wish to touch any of the dark orbs. She understands and agrees.

The darkness isn’t dangerous. It is only the absenceof light.

But those inside do not understand. So they lash out. The light holds them here and waits, peeling away at their defenses layer by layer. Hoping to get in eventually.

That which is of the light cannot be separated by the light. Only perceivedto be so.

Honey comes to a stop before one of the orbs of darkness. Rafferty perceives no difference from this one than the others, but Honey touches it tenderly. It hurts her back; he can see it consuming her light. Alarmed, he surges forward to protect her, but she accepts his embrace, and her light is restored just as quickly as it is lost.

She conveys they mustgo inside.

He is confused. The darkness didher harm?

She indicates the orb. This time he perceives how thin the darkness seems, even though such a concept isn’t right.

He struggles to understand.

He does.

The light will soon break through. Honey has waited for this orb to open. Wishes for it to open. Will continue to wait if she must, but she believes he can help. It is so close. He can reach the being inside.

Heis afraid.

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