About The Forest
Done by:
Raven and Wolf
Wishes On The Stars
We'll update
as much as
possible
Music of The Stars
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Send ripples from the past to the present
The night was over. Dawn was breaking upon the skies. Falani was disappointed. She watched as the moon's kindly gaze on her faded gently. The sun glared at her, almost mocking her. The land was awake now. Birds chirped and trees swayed. Falani sighed. It was yet another day, another part of her mundane routine. She shut her sleepy lids, heart pounding fast. She wanted some rest, some sleep but she would not be getting any.
It would happen anytime now. Falani knew it by heart. It had always been this way since she was ten, when her father had mysteriously disappeared. With her sharp hearing, she could make out footsteps coming to her door. Abila burst through the door. Falani braced herself for her mother's harsh words and death-glare.
"Really, Falani. You should have been out cooking breakfast an hour ago. Where's the water for bathing? Where's the firewood? You should be sensible enough at your age! The villagers have a bad enough impression of you! Gather yourself together for once!" Abila's sharp voice pierced through the silence of the calm morning.
"Y-yes, mother," Falani stammered, hurrying to her feet.
She always lost her concentration on reality when she moongazed. It was like a drug addiction. Once she had seen the nightsky, she never wanted to sleep at night. The night was her haven but being awake at night cost her a heavy price in the morning.
Falani stumbled across the hall, still weary from her night up. Her vision was hazy as she walked to the back of the house to gather firewood. She lifted the heavy load and scrambled to the fireplace. She relieved herself of the load, almost panting. She gathered up a few buckets and hurried to the well, it was situated near the center of the village. The entire village shared the stone well. As Falani made her way through the throngs of people, she heard the familiar hushed voices of the villagers. She bit hard on her lip. The cold stares and glares on her back were getting to her. Clutching the buckets close to her chest, Falani lengthened her strides. She never wanted to be here, somewhere within her, she knew she never belonged here.
Upon reaching the well, Falani gathered up rope that reached deep into the depths of the well. She poured the water gathered in the pail into her buckets. Falani left the buckets on the ground beside the well and sat on a sun-baked rock to rest. Beads of perspiration had already made their mark on her face. Then, Falani's heart began to pound. This meant trouble. Spinning around, Falani came face to face with the village bully, Viktor. Viktor's eyes gleamed at the sight of Falani. He had always heard of the strange girl who lived in the village but had never seen her face-to-face or rather, shoulder-to-face. Falani hated him on the spot. Her instincts were never wrong. Viktor smirked.
In one swift movement, he grabbed Falani. She gasped as he held her over the well. It was an old well, cracked at the sides at the top. It seemed endless. No one knew where the bottom was. Falani had a phobia of water. She whimpered, dazed by Viktor's sudden movement. Viktor said, "You're certainly an eyesore. There has been so much speculating about you. But I guess your pathetic mother has been protecting her precious baby from all this rough and tuff." "Protecting me?! She abuses me! What does he mean by 'protect' and what's been going on that I don't know about?" Falani thought to herself. "Well, lets see you fly out of this, bird freak!" Viktor released his grasp on Falani. She screamed, her screams echoing as she fell head first into the well. She remembered the cold glare on Viktor's muddy face. "What have I done to deserve this... I wish I could end my life right here...." Falani thought, closing her eyes at the memory, unwilling tears spilled out of them.
Falani felt a sudden rush of relief. There was a familiar warmth seeping out of her back and it filled her body with so much hope. Falani could feel them emerging out of her back. How graceful they were and at the right timing too: ebony wings, darker than the night sky, with soft and subtle feathers. Falani used a brick that was sticking out of the wall of the well as a boost for her flight. Nimbly, she stepped on it and the split second she felt it give way, Falani took off, her wings flapped, stray feathers flying and landing gentlely on the water's surface.
With all her might, she flew out of the well.
Raven and Wolf posted at 8:30 PM
those beautiful stars...