ولا شجرٌ يَلُذُ بِهِ حَمامي

She sat among the graves, fog curling around her, crows gathered nearby, watching her in silence—as if her presence was something different, something undefined, something that didn’t quite make sense. She lit the candles around her and lifted her head to the sky closed her eyes.

She could almost see herself from outside of herself, what most people would call “visualizing”. She knew that she looked like a total goth queen. She could be on a Sisters of Mercy album cover, if they still put out albums. But the important thing was the spell she cast:

“tan lei lir'ot et atzmi drach ini ha'olam, tan lehem leha'id al mi ani, vetan lei lir'ot.” Let me see myself through the eyes of the world, Let them witness who I am, and let me see.

After casting the spell, I could now see through the eyes of everyone in the world, in exchange for all of them being able to see me. I went hysterical as my mind broke down. I saw everything, from the trauma of the poor to the evils of the rich. And they're all coming for me.

But the thing that shocked me the most about it was the sheer number of people who needed a better prescription for their glasses. Seeing through others’ eyes isn't all it’s cracked up to be I suppose. Now I have the song “Hungry Eyes” by Eric Carmen permanently stuck in my head.