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Tanny's Tale
There once was a man born of war...not just a soldier, but a brutal taker of souls. Once the war was over, he suddenly found himself part of a world he could not understand. He hated the city life, the congestion... the petty people with their painted plastic smiles. Try as he might, he could never be a part of that. Didn't even believe smiles could be real, so he ran.
He ran back to the woods, where life after life he had felled in the war. Somewhat proud of his accomplishments, he never understood the stares he got for sharing them with others. The woods were quiet now, though, and they whispered softly to him things he never before even dreamed. It's there he came to appreciate life, after time spent there noticing things such as the first sprouts of green grass breaking soil... the blooms on the trees, and all the wildlife, birds and insects that gathered to partake. He came to love those woods, for they brought true solace to a heart and a mind humanity had betrayed. He knew he would never go back.
Then one day it came, the sickness that would claim his life. He knew he would die in a matter of months minus the medicines of man, and even resolved to do it in his anger at the situation, but then he saw her. Was just a flitting image he might not have even believed real at first, but then he heard her voice as well... a voice more lovely than anything he had ever heard, and his heart was instantly hers. He stood there dumbstruck, and within a few brief seconds she was gone, literally flying away while he never even moved. He wasn't sure she had even seen him at all. He would have to find her, but first he would have to betray his own soul returning to the death that was the world of concrete.
He knew how man operated too, a fact he will never forgive himself for, for he gathered the worldly riches he knew the forest held... metals in the water, thinking to use them for his healing, and indeed, man's eyes lit up when he brought them into view. Man was so unusually friendly that day, rushing him to the medicines he needed to survive, and taking all the treasure he brought. Once they had all of it though, they informed him he would have to come back monthly for more. He was petrified. His hesitation showed and man soon was, instead of treating him kindly, demanding he take them to where he found the treasure cause they were no longer trusting of his return. He tried to leave, and one man put arms on him to try to hold him, simply to try to further persuade him, but his years of peace in the forest were instantly gone... he was an assassin again and in a matter of seconds there were three bodies at his feet.
Once more, he ran. He ran swift and hard and saw no followers so thought he'd made good on his escape back into the forest. If only. They came though. They came with bows, and they came in droves. Always looking for him, he thought, and always damaging the land in their quest to find him. They chopped down the trees, and burned the wood. They hunted the creatures of the forest, and sometimes took the meats, but usually just the pelts. Man was a sickening lot, and he had invited them. He saw her again then, not flitting this time. She was wading softly through the air, singing a mournful hymn that he did not need understand the words to to know the meaning of. Her love, the beauty of the forest, was dying... and it was his doing. He hid from her this time, could not bring himself to face her now, thinking long and hard how he'd remedy the situation.
After a sneak visit into the world of man once more, this time only to obtain all the medicine he could for himself, he returned to the forest one last time with plans to go far deeper than man would ever dare. They would have to leave then, if they couldn't follow him, and it would be over soon. Upon his return though, the world as he knew it ended. He heard a scream, and recognized the voice instantly, only this time it wasn't singing.
He ran to where the ruckus was and saw the love of his life lying on the forest floor, wings spread beneath her, and an arrow through her chest. He looked at her and their eyes met, and his heart melted as, even in the torment she was in, she cast him a smile. The men who shot her were running up to claim there prize...He gave it to them, bringing them as much slow pain as he could in the process.
When done, he fell to his knees at her side, and she spoke, but only in soft whispers. She was trying to tell him what she needed maybe, but he did not understand. He was too busy slipping into self-loathing for retrieving every bit of his own medicine obtainable in man's word, and never even thinking he might need something for someone else. She was a creature of majick he knew, but there was nothing that would save her from this. Man had killed her and all for the sake of their greed. Life meant nothing in their hands.
He held her close, cradling her in his arms and swearing to her he would save her, but she hushed him with a kiss, and when was done left her finger over his lips. He picked her up, and ran with her as hard as he could, dropping his medicines in the process, deep into the never been touched realms of the forest. He hoped there would be more of her kind there, but there wasn't. She was a unique creation...her like never been seen before and never would be again. He looked down at her, and she up at him with *knowing eyes, and he finally embraced the truth. He was too late. He bent down to kiss her and saw her lips open to return the kiss, but when their lips met hers didn't move...she was no longer there.
His wail was heard across the lands.
After a time, he cleansed her body in the pure waters of the deep forest, removing the piercing. He thought of burning but somehow knew the wrongness of it even though that's what they did in the war. No, she would be returned back to the earth. So with his bare hands he dug, clawed and scraped into the grass and soils of the earth he had come to cherish, and swore he'd never harm, somehow knowing *this to be acceptable... and then he laid her down, tears streaming down his face, with the most hollow feeling imaginable in his chest. He could not save her, so now he must bury the most beautiful vision that ever graced his eyes, the voice so lovely his ears could still clearly hear... and the touch upon his soul he could never explain, yet still could feel.
He slept on her grave that night, not really sure when he'd stopped crying and had fallen asleep. Only knowing she wasn't just in his dream. She was his dream. He sat up and noticed flowers all around him. Waist high vines... beautiful white roses, blending perfectly with the red love lies bleeding all around him. Her majick had replenished the earth. He'd swore he'd have his revenge that night before falling asleep, but now knew he would never return to the world of man again.
He ate of the fruits and the fish the forest offered, and nightly returned to his love to share in *their dream. Always he felt as if the flowers were brushing his tears upon waking, and was comforted in that, even as day by day his body grew sicker without the medicines he'd forfeited. One night, with the ache upon him so dreadful he barely made it back to her on hands and knees, he laid down upon her bed of loveliness, and closed his eyes with the truest smile on his face. Oh yes, not all smiles were faked he finally understood, as well as the understanding of what she was telling him when he first found her wounded... "forever". He smiled cause he knew now their soul were linked. He felt her as solid and true as he did that first night so so long ago, and he knew they would be together forever.
*the end
Published 17th Oct 2015
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17th Oct 2015 4:27pm
This was an interesting story and I could not help this was symbolic of something. However, I was moved in and out from straight narrative to parable of some sort. I thought the part of the medicine was going to go in another direction, but it ended up being about love in its most exalted form. I enjoyed the read, even if it seemed sad through it all. Although he was able to smile in the end, I wonder if he died happy.
11th Nov 2015 6:20am
Hey DPW, forgive the tardy responses...been working non stop some 3+ weeks with maddening hours and a long drive to and from. As I am sure you got from the title this was for Tanya. Though we have always felt this amazing draw towards one another, it seems real life issues always have a way of keeping us from reaching our happy ending. She asked me to tell her a story one night in texts and this was the result of about thirty minutes shooting from the hip. Every little thing in it means something to her and I... and though we love each other dearly, sometimes it feels like *this life will only hold tragedy for us. This was my way of telling her I believe our souls to be linked and that no matter how much things hurt right now, I still smile because I somehow know there is more to the story than will be revealed on this plane.
Anyhow, I thank you for taking the time to read and comment to this. Don't know if he died happy... but was more just happy to die. :)
Michael
Anyhow, I thank you for taking the time to read and comment to this. Don't know if he died happy... but was more just happy to die. :)
Michael
