Under the Mango Tree: 101 Tales (4)

HEALING

Challenge No.68 - Write Like Studio Ghibli.

Write a scene or story based on one of these premises inspired by

Studio Ghibli*

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Life of a modern-day Caribbean National is fast and stressful; Barbara was evidence of that. A graduate of the University de Federaçion, her corporate life had finally become overpowering. When the panic attacks started to happen, she knew she needed a lifestyle change.

Her solution had been to go off-grid. That had been two years ago. Her friends thought the reaction was drastic, but she knew what she needed. Her parents were dead and her working life had left no space for romance. So will no one to consider, she'd wrapped up her affairs and gone up the mountain.

She chose a spot near a river, far enough to be safe from swells but close enough for her needs. She'd never realized that green could be represented in such a spectrum. She built a cabin and called the place home.

Her neighbours were the manicuo and the tet chien*, the Malfini* and the Jacquot*, zergee* and kwibish*. She had no pets with her. In her past life, she had no time for one and in this life, she had no need.

She enjoyed sunny days, nights with full moons and spectacular sunsets. She ate what she grew and hunted only what she needed. This night, she lay in a hammock strung up between two trees. The fire pit with wood from trees she had harvested that were already dead, gave off a warm, hazy, orange glow.

The night, was like any other - soothing, there would soon be a full moon. Still, there was a celestial glow that let one see forever, it was warm and there was no rain.

Barbara looked up at the blanket of stars. They really did look like diamonds, twinkling in the sky. Her gaze deepened as she got lost in the splendour. Something moved across - an artificial satellite. She smiled.

A log slipped and sparks flew into the air.

Barbara's gaze shifted from the sky to the land. A rat scurried past, bats darted about, frogs whistled and crickets chirped. She heard 'eek' and knew that a snake had got itself a snack.

She placed another log on the fire then returned to the hammock. Fireflies flit around. When was the last time anyone in Castries City had seen a firefly?

In the forest, off the grid, up the mountainside, the silence was not silent, the dark of the night was alive with the night shift and Barbara felt whole.

© 7 May 2022

Tet chien (Boa constrictor)

Malfini (Chicken Hawk)

Jacquot (Saint Lucian Parrot)

Zergee (Eel)

Kwibish (Crawfish)

* Studio Ghibli, is a Japanese animation studio.

Wikipedia states that... Common themes include the risks posed by progress to tradition, environmentalism and the natural world, independent female protagonists, the cost of war, and youth. They tend to use intricate watercolor and acrylic 2D animation with vivid colors (particularly greens), and have a "whimsical and joyful aesthetic".

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