"The battle of the me so wafer thin..."

"...the line between the devil's teeth and that which cannot be repeat..." PETER MURPHY/DEEP

Let us begin from a point of clarity. Never have I imagined that the barrier separating me from my darker self was made of stone. No brick bulwark built between. At best I pictured it as a glass wall on a darkened room. Slick, cold, solid, impenetrable glass - giving only a reflection of my sane self if I chose to stare. Only a reflection - as long as the room it protected remained darkened.

I can't exactly recall when the lighting conditions began to change. I can remember flashes from the other side. Camera bulbs - instant, bright, blinding that seemed to reveal a space larger than the one my sane me occupies. Sometimes the slow, yellow hiss of a match strike glinting off the teeth of a cock-eyed grin. Regardless of when it began, as time passed the flashes increased in frequency, brilliance and duration. Staring became irresistible.

During the next few days, as we fall towards Halloween and the harvest's bounty gives way to the withering chill of frost, I'll try to share a few of the stories I've glimpsed when the light revealed my darkened insanity.

I hope we'll enjoy them.
PLAY IT LOUD! GARY NUMAN/COMPLEX