The Builders of Peculiar Places

A Builder of Peculiar Places

The grassland stretched a great deal, as it seemingly echoed, for hill after hill repeated. Could go on as far as the eye could see, which I reckon is much too short for how much of the vast planet there is to explore, but so little time to do as such. Wandering it without a map of where to go would be foolish, for you'd most simply never find your way there, as the many pathways were littered almost infinitely. Almost. To a lucky few who were graced with knowing the area well, or were particularly lucky at keeping their head on straight to navigate their way around, these lands were simple, but to the unfortunate plenty of others, these were complex and confusing paths that were a cruel device to any who came across them. Dooming to any who seek a light adventure, rich to those who'd like a lifelong journey.

~

I know this place quite well, possibly too well, because I made it myself. I am a builder of places best suited to those who I think should live in them. If they decide to leave the place I put them, that is perfectly fine, although they must prove worthy enough to face the challenges of each place they so choose to travel. I do not interfere, it is all up to them. The place I just described to you is Pleasant Place, one of my very favorite creations, however, as I also depicted, it is very easy to be lost in, even if you did so happen to have further vision of what the human eye can naturally see. Most people find their brain clouded and the pathways must surely change, however I myself assure you that they most certainly do not. Once my creation is complete, that is that, I touch nothing. In fact, nothing is the only thing I do touch. It is the canvas for what is to be, for what I create. I touch nothing, and make it something. Once it is something, I am no longer a part of it, and it is on its own. There are others like me that build places, but they do not follow the rules. It has come to a select few of us who are still properly using our job we've come to exist for to prevent the cruel corrupted from wreaking havoc upon the order.

I do not have contact with these others. Every couple hundred years I may see one of us graze by, but we exchange nothing more than a mental assurance to one another that we are of the proper few. We are rarer to come by these days, as the many corrupted are exterminated. Some of us don't even accept our responsibilities, and become average civilians.

I've considered retiring before, but it would be a betrayal to us proper few, and I would not like to see us lose in any numbers against the corrupted, who do not rest. I continued to do my job as per usual, until the thing that never happens, happened.

~

A meeting was called to order. We don't know who the others are. There was never an official hierarchy of us, but desperate times have called for more desperate measures.

We were barely given information.

Builders of Peculiar Places, assemble immediately. This invitation will burn after you ACCEPT or DECLINE.

I gently hover my finger over the word, accept. I grab my nicest pen, and begin to circle the word, but as I do, a fog surrounds my face and sparks jolt on either side of me. Within an instant, I'm in a large conference room with about twelve others. While I barely have time to collect my thoughts and look around, about nine others poof into their meeting chairs.

"There should be but a few more," a low voice chatters, "and that should do it." He speaks each word in between each builder's poof into the room.

"I know this is extremely irregular, in fact, in builder history it is the very first meeting. We, many years ago agreed to never meet, but alas, times have changed...and here we are."

The voice got higher and nerdier sounding. It was a stalky man in a white button up and mint green tie. He pushed up his glasses and cleared his throat before he began to read off of a paper, clearly given to him by some sort of supervisor.

"We run as a business or something now, and you all must report to the big boss, who couldn't be here right now." He nervously giggled and gripped the paper a bit more tightly. A loud groan and colony of offended "what's" were thrown about the room. "Please don't shoot the messenger," he again giggled, "We must create an order to the world, so no more silly creations, supplies are hard to come by these days, and we've got a boat load of corrupted builders to stop."

The room's energy shifted, and there was a grieving tension. Nobody wanted to deal with the corrupted. They were dangerous people without ethics, and would use any means necessary to not get caught. They lacked compassion and were evil for the fun of it.

"How are we supposed to report to some sort of boss if we don't even know who they are?" A builder spoke up.

"Excellent question. You see, the boss will send you or the group the same type of messages that you received when you got the invitation."

"Should have declined it." Someone in the crowd grumbled.

"Most of those who declined were...well, exterminated."

There was an outburst of fury.

"I hear you, I see you, I acknowledge you, but it was the boss, not me. Nothing I can do about it. I'm sorry."

The room quieted back down, but there was still a lurking discomfort amongst the group.

"Listen, your first orders will be given to you all shortly. For now, you may all return to your designated places. Any questions?"

Several people began to speak but with the wave of his hand, everyone sparked right back to where they started, from before they ever got the invitation for their life to turn upside down.

When I returned, I sat on a tall hill of Pleasant Place, and simply admired the distant miles of people who lived there and belonged there, wandering the paths, unknowing of the stress the rest of us above them held.

At this point I knew I could no longer retire, even if I so desired. I'm a part of the numbers now, and I'm on the radar of someone who's decided they are now the boss of all of the rest of us, and it seems for now, there's not much that can be done about it except go along for the ride.