Sheliandra was, most certainly, neither the youngest or the oldest of her kind; but she was, without doubt, the very last of her people who remained within the woods. She did not fault those who had taken The Hidden Ways to refuge elsewhere. She had remained behind because she could not bear the thought of living in a world without the Younger Races.
She recalled a time when they had lived in harmony with those impossibly large creatures; a simpler time when what were now legends had been real. Though the humans no longer honored her kind, though they were poisoning her home beyond belief, still she stayed, hoping they would remember those simpler times and return to them before it was too late for them all.
A charming little story! Dropping in from FSF.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful and so sad. I'm actually tearing up here. It just crushes me how disrespectful humans are to other life forms. This is a lovely piece of writing.
ReplyDeleteI like the magical feel of the realistic points of life in this piece. You tie both attributes very nicely and make it a melancholic, honest story. Awesome job!
ReplyDeleteThere is a real-life lesson that shines through in your piece.
ReplyDeleteGreat writing!
Deep message. Excellent writing.
ReplyDeleteUnique take on the prompt, incorporating a bit about human's effect on the environment.
ReplyDeleteStrong, allegorical work. Nicely done, Jeff.
ReplyDeleteThis is very touching. I liked it a lot :)
ReplyDeleteA truly poignant story. Beautifully done!!!
ReplyDeleteSheliandra makes for a really potent character, and I can easily imagine this turning into something longer. The vague idea of the "Hidden Ways," is great, giving us a clear idea of what's happened, while still leaving the mystery there.
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