beluosus | Bonus story for Hallowe'en (english version under the lj cut)

OBIT MIMA
     Olim erat mima superba. Praeclara erat, et tam pulchra quam perita. Vere dum senescebat, et fama et pulchritudo enim crescebant. Atque superbia cum eis quoque augescebat. Mimae iuniores, haec iuventutis nitore florentes, formae illius invidebant, peritiae aemulabantur. Etsi nemo illam amabat, omnes admirabantur ; viri cum illa conspectari cupiebant, feminae illam simulare. Ita maxima cum gloria natalem quintum quadrigesimum appropinquat.
     Attamen in somnio omen mortis atrocissimae accepit. Haud infelix, sibi ait expergiscens, moriar, quae vitam tam beatam egit ; longius Achilli vixi, sed illi fama aequabo.
     Maxima igitur cum cura hoc vespere ad theatrum sese paravit. Vultum concinne fucavit. Medicamine raro usa'st ut ungues et labra sicut sanguis lucerent. Exotico unguento cutem fricavit ut dulciter oleret. Stolam elegantissimam induit, elegit ornamenta carissima. Numquam pulchrior visa erat.
     Ad theatrum sola venit. Laudes turbae illam trans ianuam sequebatur. Cum scaenam ascendisset, statim cunctae voces siluerunt. Toto corde, tota anima partes Medeae agebatur. Nemo spectavit quin hanc noctem summum illius decus putaret. Nemo adfuit, quin sciret illius famam ad aeternam mansuram.
     Fabula acta post scaenam histriones patronique laetabantur. Minutatim discedebant, opulentas ad popinas vel sumptuosa ad convivia petentes. Pollicita'st mima sodalibus sequi, tamen omnes evitabat ut in fine sola in theatro maneret. Temetum sibimet in calice fudit, deinde aureo in lectulo in media scaena recumbuit ut horam letalem exspectaret.
     Circum mimam umbrae in theatro vacuo coalescere coepit. Nebulosa forma humana tenebris facta ad illam adgressa est. O mortalis, ait, mors tibi venit. Placide responsit mima : O numen, inquit, non fugam, non dimicabo, sed precor dulcem obitum, bella cum specie, amabili cum modo. Amabilisne ? inquit daemon, quid enim amas ? Vero nihil est, inquit mima, toto in mundo quid amem, quid mirar, nisi meo in speculo... Habeas, ait daemon, quid rogas.
     Hoc dicto corpus tenebrosa torqueri et mutari coepit. Formam induit feminae formosae, solidata est, ex umbris colores orti sunt. Mollia et alba bracchia extenta sunt, crines nigri ad umeros creverunt, os pellex et venustus exstitit. Tandem oculos caeruleos aperuit ; coram mima stabat sua gemina. Mima ex imo iugulo columbata'st : O ! eugepae, inquit, mea bella Libitina.
     Accessit numen manubus porrectis, institit coram lectulo, genua flexit. Collum leniter manubus circmdedit, summis digitis albam cervicis cutem palpebat. Momentum quaeso, inquit mima. Venit tua hora, inquit numen, novam diem videre nequis. Veniam non rogo, ait mima, Iugules, dum basies. Mimae imminebat, ut vultus suus visum totum impleret. Illud numen letiferum oculos dein clausit, cum labra sanguinea sua gemina petirent. Contagine horruit mima cum voluptate. Linguae sese tetigerunt, primum dubitanter, mox basiabant velut amatrices inveteratae, alia omne aliae oblectamen scita. Teneri sed et immites digiti adstringebant, collum obruentes. Mima anhelare non potebat, aequo animo aërem in pulmonibus consumi sentiebat. Dolorem paene ignoscebat, eius vestigia superare volens. Invite manus micare coeperunt. Ut eas tenere, dextra genam suae geminae mulcebat, sinistra digitis eae crines prensabat. Dolor in pectore, in faucibus intolerandus factus est, attamen intolerabilius erat spatium inter se et amasiam. Corpus ad se, in sese traxit, ut calore et mollitia carnis desideratae delectaretur. Graviter mammae in suas premebant, coxa in ventrum trudebat, genu inter femora gliscuit. Omnia et nihilum incipiebat sentire, dum tenebrae animum obsidebant. Tandem amorem, sibi inquit, inveni.

Death and the Actress
     Once upon time there lived a prideful actress. She was very famous, and as beautiful as she was talented. Truly, as she aged, both her fame and her beauty increased. And her arrogance grew with them as well. Younger actresses, those blooming in the prime of their youth, envied her beauty, and mimicked her skill. And although no one loved her, she was admired by everyone. Men desired to be seen with her, women to resemble her. Thus at the height of renown she was approaching her 45th birthday.
     But in a dream she received an omen of a most awful death. 'I shall hardly die unhappy,' she said to herself upon waking, 'for I have had a blessed life; I have lived longer than Achilles, but I shall equal him in fame.'
     And so with the greatest of care that evening she prepared herself for the theatre. She made up her face elegantly, used the finest cosmetics so that her nails and lips shone like blood. She rubbed her skin with exotic unguents so that she smelled so sweet. She put on her most exquisite gown, and most expensive jewellery. She had never looked lovelier.
     She went to the theatre alone. The adulations of the crowd followed her through the doorway. When she took the stage, the voices immediately fell silent. She played Medea with her whole heart, her whole soul. All who watched thought this night her greatest achievement. Everyone there knew her fame would last forever.
     After the play was finished the actors and patrons backstage were all rejoicing. Bit by bit they began to go out, to opulent restaurants, to sumptuous parties. The actress promised her associates she would follow, yet she avoided all of them until at last she was alone in the theatre. She poured herself a stiff drink, then reclined on a golden couch at centre stage to await the fatal hour.
     Around the actress the shadows in the theatre began to coalesce. A nebulous human figure made from the darkness approached her. 'O mortal,' it said, 'death has come for you.' The actress answered softly. 'O spirit,' she said, 'I will not fly, will not struggle, but I beg of you, let me have a sweet passage, with a comely form, with a lovely manner.' 'Lovely?' asked the spirit, 'what indeed do you love?' 'Truly there is nothing,' replied the actress, 'nothing in the world that I love, that I admire, save in my mirror...' 'You shall have,' said the spirit, what you request.'
     Having said this its shadowy body began to contort and change. It assumed the form of a shapely woman, became solid, and colours arose out of the shadows. Soft, white arms stretched forth, black curls fell to the shoulder, a charming and seductive mouth appeared. At length it opened its blue eyes; before the actress stood her twin. The actress cooed from the bottom of her throat: 'O! brava, my beautiful Death.'
     The spirit drew near with outstretched hands, stopped before the couch, knelt down. It gently put its hands about her neck, stroked the white skin at the base of her neck with its fingertips. 'Just a moment,' said the actress. 'Your hour has come,' said the spirit, 'you shall not see a new day.' 'I do not ask for release,' said the actress. 'You may strangle me, provided that you kiss me.' It leaned over the actress, so that its face filled her vision. The murderous spirit then closed its eyes, as blood red lips sought their doubles. The actress shivered with pleasure at the contact. Their tongues touched, hesitantly at first, but soon like old lovers, one knowing the delights of the other. Tender yet unyielding fingers tightened their grip, crushing her neck. The actress could not breathe, resignedly felt the air in her lungs being used up. She was almost unaware of the pain, wanting to overcome its traces. Her hands unwillingly began to tremble. To steady them, she stroked her twins cheek with her right, thrust her left into its hair. The pain in her lungs, in her throat, became intolerable, but more intolerable still was the space between her and her lover. She pulled the body towards her, onto her, delighting in the warmth of its flesh. Breasts pressed heavily against her, a hip poked into her stomach, a knee slid between her thighs. She began to feel everything and nothing, as the darkness took hold of her consciousness. 'At last,' she thought to herself, 'I have found love.'