Tree of Wishes

Cognitive Virus Report: A Dexter Perspective

My name is Dexter Tautvydas. I'm a researcher at the Institute of Health and Sciences in Gradmid. Now Gradmid is an unorthodox location. It's approximately 250 square miles with a population of 2.5 million people, yet it doesn't officially reside in any country. Yes, it is located in North America, and therefore could be consider part of the United States, but it is not considered a state nor is it inside one. Its relation to the country is closer to Puerto Rico or Guam. Despite this, the institute I work at is provided with generous funding from 'the government'. Which one exactly? I honestly could not tell you.

In any case, this is not the main topic for today. No, instead the main topic will be on the city's most peculiar enigma known as Lagdrygis. It's a tree that has been described as having magical properties, and not even the best of scientists could decipher the secrets behind its abilities. I decided I would investigate it by using myself as a test subject in the hopes of learning something. I did this by visiting the tree with the intent of performing the 'ritual' that causes a molecular change in the person's body. It was dangerous, but I couldn't turn away from what could be the discovery of a lifetime.

When I arrived, I was greeted by a polite man who was willing to answer any and all questions I had about the tree. How it worked, what I needed to do, and the permanent effects of the ritual were all confirmed for me. As for what I chosen for my offering, it was a microscope I had kept with me since middle school. I had worked hard doing chores around the house to save up for it, and when I did purchase it, I was eager to examine anything and everything I could get under the lens. I drew dozens of sketches to recreate what I saw, and with its assistance, I even won first prize at the science fair for my project comparing bacteria on toilets to those on computers. I'm sure it was due to the shock of how disgusting computers can get if not cleaned often, especially when people were able to view it for themselves under my microscope.

Such a sentimental object was ideal to ensure that the ritual worked, so I followed the instructions as I was told and prepared myself for the final step. With my eyes closed and my hands pressed together, I told the tree my name and confirmed with it that this microscope would be my offering. Some would call it a prayer, but I would consider it more to be a formality or a command. If the tree was sentient enough to comprehend human language, then it needed a discriminative stimulus that signaled when it should and shouldn't form its 'magic', hence the preparation involved.

How it knew whether or not the object held any meaning was an entirely different issue. Perhaps it relied the owner's voice and body language, since sentimentality would make one hesitate. Even I had trouble letting go, the pleasant memories of my childhood still floating in the back of my mind up until this moment. These memories seemed to increase in intensity once the ritual began, the microscope being broken down into pure energy before inserting itself into my body.

I had removed myself from the prayer pose with my eyes open at this point so I could observe the process, but this may have been a mistake. My eyes were burning behind my glasses as my entire body glowed with a blinding light, and the fear of going blind made it tempting to simply shut my eyes and let the process happen, yet the scientist in me refused to ignore the opportunity to observe this unique perspective. I knew I was changing. It was as if I was being torn and restructured down to my very DNA, and this energy centered itself around my brain where it was stroking at the parts of my limbic system to force me into a highly emotional state. I felt love, joy, fear, and melancholy all at once as my vision began to blur around me, but instead of it worsening, it seemed as if my vision was improving. I began to see tiny, little specks hovering around me, and I immediately knew that if I concentrated enough, I could see them for what they truly were. I recognized them because I had seen them countless times before.

Once the light vanished, I was able to regain my senses and return to a relaxed state. However, the microorganisms surrounding the area were still visible to me, and I had to focus one last time for my vision to shift back to a normal perspective. I gazed down at my wrist and saw an engraving had appeared on it, proving that I had taken part in the ritual. I read it as 'Microscopic Vision' for the polite man so he could record the results, then began to make my way to the exit. Nearby were a horned man and a dog who had been observing the entire event. The horned man told me with a snarky attitude that it was 'stupid as hell' to break free from the ritual pose because it could have killed me, but I ignored him. Part one of my research had been complete, and that was all I cared about.