Thump
Thump
The phosphorescent fireflies usher you in. We’ve been waiting for you for years, and we are so glad you answered our call. The bears grow impatient for a reckoning.
Take in your surroundings. What do you see?
The trees ahead flow and sway as if breathing for the wind. The willowy branches exhale life into the forest and speak verse into the air. Sunlight leaks through the canopy, perfectly clearing a path for a set of brass keys to shine their truth– answers once held, now forgotten.
A few paces ahead, a chipped porcelain mug sits patiently. It awaits a tea party that has no end, nor beginning. Past the cup, tiny little red-capped mushrooms dance about the spongy moss. Their vivid red is the only break from the dense green. Encircling the forest is a great cobblestone wall, thrumming with ancient power; a palpable power that reeks of shame. The wall is our refuge, and our prison.
Our only company amongst utopic foliage are the kind old bears who impart their omnipotent wisdom, and never let us forget our sins. Those who seek escape cannot merely walk through the forest to find its end. No, those who dwell here do so eternally.
There is, however, a clever escape. If you wish to leave behind what was so graciously given to us, you must make the treacherous climb to the top of the rushing waterfalls. Once you reach the perilous falls, you must make a decision. The trusted symphony of crows will sing their pleas, but ultimately it is you who must decide.
Will you leave us forever? Will you choose to end your sin once and for all?
At the bottom of the waterfall, it will be the bears who find you. They’ll wash away your pain and put you on display. Worry not, for you’ll go to good use as a warning to our next arrival.
Mikayla Chandler, inspired by Michale’s Quickwrite
The imagery in this piece is so powerful and vivid. I can see, feel, and touch the scenery around you. This reimagined, morphed perception of the Garden of Eden is very apparent. I love this.
The personification and imagery is amazing! As far as a title…”Waterfall” or maybe what Robbie pointed out “Garden of Eden” or just “Garden”
This makes me think of the movie Apex Predator (highly recommend). “A Warning to the Next Arrival” comes to mind for the title.