Fantasy Short Stories

Sea of Fortune

MoonWolf_16              ... Prompt: Write a story involving an orb, jealousy and time. ... (500 words)

"Moon and stars!" the villagers shouted in a terrified chorus.

They spilled like so many ants from their straw huts as they scrambled to the bamboo grove, which overlooked their crescent shaped cove.

It was a dark, moonless night and yet the cove was lit up almost as brightly as the day. The sea glowed in all the colours of ripe persimmons, tangerines and lemons.

"Is the ocean on fire?" the children whispered to each other in amazement. They clambered between the legs of the adults and crawled as close to the edge of the forest as they dared to watch the eerie spectacle.

"What in the name of the old gods is going on?" the elders asked with alarm while they watched the sea glow and churn as if it were boiling. They clutched each other's hands at the disquieting sight.

A lone figure walked out from the crowd and slowly advanced to the water's edge where the waves repeatedly rolled into each other and crashed haphazardly on the shore. The villagers, the children and the elders all watched on in disbelief as Minna, the village cast-off, waded into the crashing surf up to her knees. They all thought her a fool but none cared enough to call her back.

There was a brilliant flash of white light and an orb, the size of a family hut, broke the surface of the sea. The orb was so bright that the onlookers had to shield their eyes from its dazzling light.

Then, in the blink of an eye, the orb sailed across the surface of the sea and enveloped Minna - drawing her right out of the water and suspending her at its center. A collective gasp went up among the people. They watched partly in horror and partly in fascination as the orb ascended into the air and Minna with it.

The spinning orb moved swiftly to the highest point on an ancient volcanic mountain near the village. It was the site of the old temple where the villagers had once worshiped the old gods. 

Suddenly understanding what this all meant, the village elders hushed the murmuring crowd and spoke together in grave voices. "The time of the gods has come again," they said with certainty.

Distraught, the villagers fell to their knees in abject misery. Every last one of them wished they had been the first one to run out into the sea.

The old tales about the gods all said that when they came they always chose a single vessel among the villagers to be their representative among the people. The villagers burned with jealously knowing this god had chosen Minna.

What did the god want with an outcast, anyway?  Surely this pairing was never going to work. Sadly, the villagers could do nothing but hope. The choice was already made. Minna was now the chosen vessel and the elders and the villagers were powerless.

Oh, how the mighty moan and groan when they have fallen.

(499)