Life Goes On

Swimming through the currents of various rivers, stumbling over barren lands, and finally flittering from tree to tree through forests filled with eerie auras of darkened despair, the woman in the black robes continued along her annual journey; always she gazed down at the ground near to her bare feet and not once did she attempt to peer around her surroundings or even consider making eye contact with any of the creatures that crossed her path.

Though her head remained steadfastly bowed as she travelled, if one were to pass her by they would not fail to glimpse the small smirk that danced about her lips, a small smug sneer that spoke of a knowledge that only she would ever know, nor would they fail to notice her hand perpetually placed about a small crystal delicately strung around her neck, lightly gleaming even through the bitter darkness that enshrouded the surrounding trees and vegetation.

The beasts of the forest stalked her as she made her way through the copious undergrowth; their gleaming and hungry eyes their only evident feature as they silently followed the woman’s every step, as they chose to ignore the innumerable rodents and woodland critters in favour of this bipedal bounty.

Danger lurked all about her and yet the woman remained unconcerned. This was her journey, her pilgrimage, and she would be damned if some forest beast were to take her down.

Her smirk widened as the glowing crystal that she clutched softly began to emanate a harmonic tune, light vibrations thumping beneath her hand’s flesh, and she knew that she had almost reached the most sacred of destinations. After several weeks of continuous strides, of ignoring the blisters forming upon her feet, of successfully navigating inhospitable terrain, and evading those creatures that desired to feast upon her… her journey was almost at an end, and the cycle would once more be set in motion for the upcoming year. The cycle that would end only were she to end, the cycle that she had sworn with her once dying breath she would continue no matter the cost, the cycle that allowed life to flourish no matter the circumstance.

Though of mortal flesh, she was eternal, a necessary evil within this world that desired only decay and destruction. She would not allow it; life would go on.

The crystal sang louder and louder as she progressed through the overgrown forest path, the pained yelps and hurried crashes of the retreating beasts barely audible over the ear-piercingly shrill tune, her glinting teeth now evident as her smile reached its peak… it was time.

She came to an abrupt halt, her black robes flowing about her bizarrely with a life of their own. But for the singing crystal, the forest was silent; the scurrying creatures, the stalking beasts, the songs of the various insects, the gentle whistle of the wind… all had vanished.

For the first time, the woman released her hand that encased the crystal, the delicate string that had strung the mineral about her neck suddenly snapping as her disappearing touch set the mysterious object free. Her environs seemed entrapped in a slowed motion as the crystal unhurriedly fell from about her neck and made its way to the forest floor, glistening within its own glow as it spun about in deliberate circles before at last it made contact with the ground, its soft light vanishing instantly.

All was deathly silent for the briefest of moments and the forest lay in complete darkness before at last the crystal shattered, almost as an afterthought, a sudden flare of purest light shooting up through the forest trees into the sky and down through the earth simultaneously.

The woman at last raised her head and closed her eyes, the renewed air flowed about her and caressed her face, gently drying the solitary tear that had absentmindedly fallen upon her cheek. The small but important rite had at last been completed; all would continue for at least one more cycle.

Is there more? Cause I kind of want to know what the fug sort of epic just happened.

a reply to: geezlouise


There's no more... but... there could be. *shifty eyes*

a reply to: kaelci

Very nice! Full of unexplained mystery.

Wow kaelci your writing really is exceptional. I wanna know more and read more!

Is there a second half? Is this the intro to a new series youre working on? Its really good and intriguing. Sounds like the making of a really excellent new series of stories.

a reply to: Nothin
Thank you I tried to allow some questions to arise and remain unanswered. (That and I don't know the answers yet; will need to consider them because I like this little starter story!)



a reply to: BASSPLYR

It could beeee! I like it! I can imagine little bits and pieces already that could flesh it out and turn it into a proper story. Maybe not series. But individual story, yes. Butttt I still need to focus on my other story really... that's my precious..

Hmm.

a reply to: kaelci

I give You Your 9th Flag and 10th Star! Very well done, as are ALL Your writings. But this begs for more!!!
What is the result of this here? " a sudden flare of purest light shooting up through the forest trees into the sky and down through the earth simultaneously." Please consider some closure on this Tale!!?

Syx

a reply to: SyxPak

Glad you liked it!!

I have a bad habit of writing prologues, every "short story" that I write seems like a prologue. But at least that means it can be worked with, and I do really like this particular short story and feel as though I would like to work with it one day.

The light shooting up into the sky and down through the earth was how the world would linger on for another cycle, fancy magical magics enabling the continuation of all life, lest everything just shrivel up, die, and be no more. Very important haha!

a reply to: kaelci

Well do work on it more perhaps in the near future?!! What is there now is Great! Something like this needs to be expanded. for US!!!