Others: Do the thing just for this list of curated people in this private setting.
Me: Okay.
Thing: Done.
Others: Do the thing again for the same group of people as before.
Them: Don’t do the thing.
Me: Sorry, can’t do the thing.
Others: Can you do this other thing with the same people as before?
Them: …
Me: Maybe. But if I have to stop without notice, that is my prerogative.
Others: Okay.
Me: Okay, I’m here and in near trance and ready to do the other thing.
Others: While you’re in a susceptible state, do the thing instead and we’re gonna let in all these other people that we didn’t tell you about but sold tickets for attendance.
Me: I’m going to sit here and have a shaking fit because I’m in Their grip and no longer have voluntary control over my body. In other words, no.
Others: Do the thing!
Them: Don’t do the thing.
Ritual mask: -falls off-
Me: Hey, the trance is broken. Fuck this shit, I’m out.
Others: You owe us service! You promised us the other thing!
Me: -forgets caveat- Oh yea. -puts on ritual mask again- Gets started doing the other thing.
Them: They don’t deserve even that. Don’t do a damn thing. Leave.
Me: 2deep2be
Them: Do we have to break shit? Fine. We’ll break shit.
Ritual mask: -breaks in two and falls loudly to the floor-
Sleep mask in the waking world: -the bands snap and the sleep mask falls off-
Me: -wakes up violently at the sound of the snapping beside my ear-
Them: When we tell you not to do the thing, do not do the thing.
Me: Okay.
And there was no sleep had for the rest of the night.