From the table.
The shadow opened a zipper in the middle of its chest. With one hand in dark mud, he pulled a ball still beating and placed it on the table.
It picked up a couple of books to make sure the markings were right and started lighting candles in the corner of the table.
On the table with white paint, the markings from the books crossed over lines and circles. Positioned that way based on the stars and planets.
From top to bottom the planets made the shape of a skeleton and in the center the beating mass.
The clock struck midnight and all the candles turned off at the same time. At the sound of the last bell, the smoke going up into the air from the candles suddenly started reversing until the candles lit on fire again.
The wood from the table started to change where the skeleton made of planets was drawn.
Like a blister, the wood started to rise with the shape of a body lifting the beating mass with it.
The shadow watched from a safe distance as the process took place. Still reading the books to make sure everything was working as it should.
From where the head was located, on the last planet of the system, a mouth behind the wood started to open. A muted shriek from the painful transformation behind the wood.
Hands to the side of the skeleton started to rise still behind the wood. The creation was making the wooden table like it was chewing gum.
At twelve minutes after twelve, the beating mass was still over the table and sank inside the wood.
The creature bent and contorted as it happened still inside the wood at reaching it going back.
With one look to the side to where the shadow stopped the creature without eyes opened its mouth and shrieked in silence one more time stretching a hand towards the shadow, pleading. And went back to contorting and bending its body.
The shadow watched quietly alarmed that in none of the books it said it would cause this much pain. Confused not knowing if the experiment was going right or wrong.
Putting down a book and picking a second one the shadow was still no closer to finding an answer.
The darkness from the mas started to stain the wood from the table, changing its colour and growing in shape.
The creature started to slow down, not because the pain was calming down but because it seemed like it started to run out of air.
Slowly but still fighting behind the wood. Its movements started to become heavy as the stain grew.
The shadow looked at books turning pages and throwing them away agitated. Then one book, old and dusty, forgotten and never looked after had a chance.
It raised its hand and started to recite the words from the book. A dark smoke started to emerge surrounding the table. It went up in the air and inside the mouth of the creature.
With its hand still extended the said the words louder.
For a second, the table was back to being flat and then, like the creature had been dropped from very high. It floated, stretching wood without moving or lifting the table.
The shadow kept reading.
The creature fell back to the level of the table without moving.
The stain was gone and the middle of the table had the same bit as the mass. The creature opened its mouth and the smoke came out at once and dissipated.
A movement up and down that looked like breathing moved the creature as it lay still over the table.
The shadow got closer and put a hand over the lifting part of the table.
Suddenly the creature turned its head to face the shadow and grabbed the hand with one of its hands stretching the wood.
The shadow didn't move or got scared, it looked at the faceless creature where its eyes should've been and said a word from the book.
The hand came back inside the table as the drawing of the planets. The wide open mouth of the creature without noise made the shadow say the next word that freed the hand of the creature.
It looked at the shadow without moving, as the table moved up and down a bit faster.
The shadow put its hand again over the moving table and said a word. The wood from the table started to peel like scales and go up into the air like ashes.
Under it there was skin. The creature, still with its mouth open, moved around trying to make the process stop.
The peeling scales reached its mouth and small noise, not more than a whisper started to come out.
Over the table was now the body of a man.
The shadow closed its eyes and said a word from the book. Its eyes became smoke and went up into the air.
Covering the space with a piece of cloth from a table close by the shadow said another word and a ringing in its ears went high and then it was gone.
The shadow put a hand over its chest to feel the vibrations and said another word.
After the last word, the shadow collapsed and as it fell to the ground it became smoke and its clothes were all that was left.
As this happened the dark mass inside the man grew and turned into a heart. The change from one to the other lifted the body into the air and dropped it back to the table.
An almost imperceptible amount of smoke came out of his eyes as he opened them.
He looked at his hands that instead of prints had the grain of the wood. Only by extending a hand did the clothes of the shadow go from the ground to his hand without any effort.