CHAPTER 2: FIRST ATTEMPT AT ALCHEMY

* After studying the mysterious and strange writings in the journal Damian thought if he's grandfather was mad to have made such experiments and rituals. So Damian decided to try and test some of the alchemical rituals found in his grandfather's journal. Damian could find a formula in his grandfather's journal that hints at the possibility of resurrecting the Dead.

 Driven mad by curiosity went downstairs into the laboratory and started making preparations to consult an alchemy on a dead dog he found in his yard, although when he came to the mansion he saw the dogs dead body but not yet decaying, he buried it. So in other to try if alchemy could bring back the dead dog he had to dig up the same dog he buried. Now the dog has started decaying as it repulsive smell made Damian almost change his mind,"this possibly wouldn't work?, He questioned himself as doubts began to fill his heart. Damian thought of how terrifying it would be if the ritual worked on the dog and it actually came to life, but Damian went on with his preparations as he wanted to see the outcome of tgis ritual.

 The ingredients needed for this ritual according to the journal we're ground lapis lazuli: for it's association with the soul, Mandrake root: meant to guide spirits and lastly a living sacrifice which symbolizes the price for a life. Damian had all these ingredients except a living sacrifice. Drowning in his own thoughts a cockroach crawled over his feet, Damian was startled and then he realized it was a cockroach," oh it's just a cockroach ", he said with a sigh of relief. Then he came up with an idea to catch that cockroach and use it for the ritual as cockroach could live without its head for days.

 * Damian still in fear of the possible out come of this ritual knelt down and draws a complex alchemical circle on the ground using a chalk, salt and metallic dust. The circle contains precise geometric patterns that surrounded by symbols which represents life, death and transformation. There were pentagrams representing the four classical elements, earth, water, fire and air. Damian did all these all in accordance with the instructions given on the journal. He looked the lifeless body of the dog and moved towards the circle which he drew on the floor, the smell from the dog was too unbearable so he dropped it and waited for a moment, thinking on what the out come of the ritual could be,"it might wake up and become a zombie dog" , he said to himself as a smile grind on his face. Damian irritated by the smell from the dog, picked it and threw it on the circle and using his leg kicked it in the right position, it's decaying body spilled maggots and body fluids all over the floor.

Still filled with doubts Damian stared at the lifeless, motionless form, questioning if this is really possible or if he's making a terrible mistake. Damian began chanting words from the journal, ancient, guttural phrases in a long forgotten language.his voice is shaky at first but as the ritual progresses he became more confident. The air in the room begins to change, the room became colder , charged with energy. Damian as if possessed continued the chanting, the circle began to glow as the chanting intensifies the light from the circle changes from white to red and then the red color's became dark as blood. The symbols made around the circle flew into the air and moved about the lab colliding with themselves as spark of light could be seen from their collision. The room began to shift and became faded as the Forces of life and death are being stirred, Damian picked up the half dead cockroach in his hands while still chanting and making these incantations he throws it into the circle where he placed the lifeless body of the dog. Then the light from the circle intensifies and the room trembles slightly a shadowy swrling vortex of energy forms over the dogs body, it hovers there like a dark cloud, flickering with the sparks of light, the energy crackles amd the sounds of whispers fills the room, a faint echo of voices of souls long passed, as if the boundary between tye living and the dead is being torn open.

 * slowly, almost imperceptibly, the dogs chest rises, it's limbs twitching and it's eyes flutter open, it's left eye ball bulged out as it stares at Damian. Damian was filled with joy as he thought he has successfully brought the dead back to life, but the creepy realization that something is off soon follows. The dog didn't bark or wag it's tail, instead it continues to stare blankly, unblinking as though it's body has been possessed by something else.

 As the ritual concludes, the glowing symbols fades ,but Damian feels a sudden wave of weakness and cold washed over him, as if part of his life force has been drained. At this moment Damian realized that part of his life force was used as a sacrifice for the ritual because the cockroach life force wasn't enough, "what was I thinking, how could something so small be enough for a resurrection?", he said to himself. This thought of using his life force for a ritual filled his heart with regret and confusion as he raised his head to take a second look at the abomination which he brought back to life.

 The dogs movement was unnatural, it could barely move as some of its limbs was already rotten, A shadow was clinging to it's form as it sluggishly moved closer to Damian. Damian realizes that a resurrection ritual through alchemy comes with a price or even an irreversible cost. He picked up the journal and reads further, trying to find a way to reverse the out come of the resurrection ritual he had conducted.