Zen & Now

In the dim glow of his room, Mark sat cross-legged, eyes closed, focusing on his breath. He’d heard meditation could free the mind, quiet the chaos. But tonight, something else unleashed. As he sank deeper, silence turned to whispers. Soft at first, like faint breaths in the dark. They grew louder, voices twisting through his thoughts, calling his name in tones that sounded like distant screams.

Suddenly, his mind was flooded with faces. Shadowy, ancient, with eyes like voids. They watched him, grinning, as if amused by his vulnerability. He tried to pull himself back, open his eyes, escape the depths. But he couldn’t. His mind was bound to them now, a prisoner. And as he sat there, trembling, he realized his reality had shifted. A doorway opened to a darkness that would never let him go.