Ayu's Short Stories

                Beneath the deep, bright hills covered in a perfectly uneven rug of green giants where birds gaily chirped and dipped their heads in song, nodding their tails at passing wanderers, we arrived at a barren land. It suddenly feltlike the fairytale was over. The mere passing of two trees struck us with a sudden, fierce bash of reality. The trees formed a gateway from dark to light. From it, we crossed from the shade of the woods out into the open, the clear, the bright… yet somehow gloomy. A gleam of grey whooshed past us and seemed to clear the joy of the entire land.             We were awestruck by the scenery before us. The entire land seemed dead and dispirited, as if one could only expect calamities from such fields. Just as sudden as the crossing of the gateway into this queer light, the green grass was no more. Our feet, which shortly enjoyed the landing on a soft turf, now stiffened on nature’s yellowed carcass. As my companions stepped behind me, its sound reminded me of childhood days of stepping on autumn leaves, though it was muffled and discouraging manner that brutally killed any childish joys. The pleasant, yet unrhythmic choir of friendly bystanders chirping across tree branches stopped at once in an eerie echo. Silence overcame us. Dead silence. No sound greeted our ears than that of our hastened breaths and the rare breath of a spectral breeze. It was foreboding and, though not particularly cold, it was enough to make hairs stand in an everlasting shiver that crawled through every limb and member of our bodies. Our heels held us back and a weight fell upon us. At the approach of such a lifeless scenery, something inside us, maybe our intuition, seemed to be telling us to flee, to save our lives whilst we still could. Perhaps, for once, we should have listened to our cowardice – all other beings appeared to have done so. There were no lifeforms to be seen – no creatures, no trees, no seedlings – no organisms at all, well at least not any live ones. No living beings. It was as if all of nature’s children knew not to cross these trees and wander into such lands. Neither I nor my companions uttered any words, though our paralysis and our gasps said it all. We wanted to leave, and we would have keenly done so had we no business in these sinister grounds.             Below us, the land was pale and flat. Further ahead, a couple dozen of bungalows lined up where the land met the sea. Perhaps humans were not quite as intuitive as all other beings, for who in their right minds would settle whence all other beings fled? Or perhaps, though it seemed impossible, these grounds once held life and were not quite as eerie and barren. Nonetheless, they formed a humble village whose homes gave out no suspicion of richness or greed. Being so close to the sea- I felt so incredibly cold merely looking down at them, and I could not imagine surviving winter in such ill-prepared homes. The wooden structures appeared to have been arduously built, though it was a pity to think that the unforgiving sea could effortlessly consume them all in one single blow. For some reason, such a thought brought a sort of grief to my heart and I sympathized with the inhabitants of the huts though I could not see them. However, it felt like at the mere sight of their homes I knew them. I knew their mournful eyes, their grieving hearts, and I knew their callused hands – hands that labored for survival, that strained and toiled for neighboring hands that struggled just as much, knowing that all they had was each other. No people were in sight, though at an instance I could tell – just as anyone could – that they bore beautiful, unselfish and ungreedy souls. My friend seemed to think the same, for at a glance of her face, I saw a glittering drip trickling down her rosened cheek. My other companion, the most daring of us all -though I did not like to admit it – grew impatient. Her audacious nature drew her forward and she seemed keen to discover what dangers lie in such lands, thirsty for adventure and excitement. She was the first to move, and we cautiously followed. For a moment I felt like I had to hold back my reckless companion, for it seemed like one wrong move could drag us all into grave danger, like the sea would punish us in a disturbed fit – and who knew what it would do to the humble village before us. However, she soon slowed down, and we soon accompanied her pace. We walked in dragging, lingering strides that crackled and brushed the withered remains of nature that had unwillingly fallen upon this grave and were left to die.             No sound or movement emerged from the bungalows other than the soft yet eerie whooshing of the wind-brought current brushing against the thatches. Dead silence accompanied the cold stillness of this lifeless scenery. Desolation filled the pale grey air. There was no doubting that something was not right in this queer, forsaken desert. We all felt it, even the foolhardy nut that led the way, for we collectively paused. For a brief moment, our bodies turned as if on their own for a last glance at the fresh, green woodlands in want. Our bodies, our hearts, our whole entirety was telling us to flee while we still had the chance. Still, we had duties to fulfill, and we all knew it. So, with clutched fists and wavering conviction, we faced the village once more, taking one more step forward.