Reading: "Altar of Incantation" from COVEAL OF THE HEDONIC (A.Glass 2025)

 

2024

Breathing calmly, Nalina turns to her left, as a gentle breeze is felt through the loft space. “Morning. And a good cleansing sleep,” she says quietly to herself, sitting up. Eyeing the cream colored linen curtain flowing with the zephyr, at the far end of the loft.

After showing and dressing, she checks her pager, for the latest news headlines.
“A Zionist Extremist group called the ‘Messiah Templar’ attempted to blow up Oil storage sites in Texas, in trying to shift Middle Eastern policy to reinstate an American military presence in the Middle East again, after the Iran, Israel war. Their plan was to blame it on Iran.”
Nalina looking down at her handgun which she has dismantled, set down onto a ceremonial looking dark purple cloth. Atop of her granite kitchen bench top, she walks over to a large lounge chair, lifting up her legs and pressing her knees against her chest, sipping her cup of green tea, Nalina holds up the pager once again, scanning a headline which catches her eye, pausing at one, she taps on the link.
“Astronomers are trying to determine the strange Radio Signal which originated from the star system HD110067, within the Coma Berenices constellation, One Hundred and Five light years from Earth. First discovered in Two Thousand and Twenty by the Kepler space probe, with six Neptune type moons which all have an unusual transit around the star HD110067. This radio signal appears to be Gamma Ray based, and maybe unnatural in origin.”
Placing her pager down onto the hand rest of the chair, she looks over a small collection of bottles perched on a stylized brass stand.
“So, the Aliens tested a nuke or blew themselves up. A Thousand plus years ago?…” She eyes the ruby colored bottles of Bourbon Whiskey and Sweet Vermouth. “...Is it too early for a Manhattan cocktail? Would it matter?”
Walking to the kitchen, she continues to eye the bottles. Placing the tea cup into the dishwasher, Nalina thinks briefly of her mother. I released you years ago. Opening a cupboard above where she is standing, in quickening succession she lifts down a coop glass and mixing flask placing them both onto the bench top, swinging open the fridge door, with her right hand lifting out a handful of ice cubes, to which she places them into the metallic flask.
“A dedication…”
Making her way to where the two bottles are perched, she looks up the skyline from the window facing Crosby Street. “…to oblivion.”
Lifting up the Rye Whiskey and a small bottle of Orange bitters with her left hand and the Dolin Vermouth with her right, she walks back to the kitchen bench.
“Might go to Central Park today”
She begins to prepare the cocktail, pouring in half an ounce of the sweet vermouth and then Two ounces of whiskey. With a single splash of orange bitters. Reaching behind, she opens a draw, lifting out an elongated cocktail spoon and strainer. She gently stirs the mixture, stirring the ice cubes whilst in a meditative sense, watching them begin to melt and crack. Placing the strainer atop of the glass, Nalina pours the mixture, admiring its crimson color. With her left thumb and index finger, she lift out of a small container, a single Maraschino cherry by its stem, dropping into the ruby red fluid. Holding he open palm over the glass she closes her eyes.
“Absorb everything, experience everything, release everything. Fuck the ego, into oblivion...” Completing the mantra, lifting the glass, she sips the cocktail. “...Now, this is good…” Enjoying the natural spice flavor of the Rye Whiskey, the wine sweetness of the Vermouth, with a very slight orange bitterness to round it all off. “...A day out from my period, I think. Some meditative sex today?” Nalina ponders, placing the glass down, tying her back into a ponytail. Lifting up her pager again, she checks the ultraviolet radiation count for the day. As on the analogue display, the word “Extreme: 2.5%” is viewed.
Fuck! It’ll be a short day today. No big deal. Nalina thinks to herself, gulping down the rest of the Manhattan cocktail, placing the glass into the dishwasher, she walks towards the bathroom, in readying to go out.

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Reading: "Altar of Incantation" from COVEAL OF THE HEDONIC (A.Glass 2025)