The Chapel in the Burnt Woods & Other Stories

The Chapelin the Burnt Woods

The moonstood in silence hung by a thread in a grey dawn that fell upon thedesolate wasteland. A small pale dot watching from above as thefigures moved about in slow moments in the misty dirt below, it castno light acting as a smudge that someone would want to scratch away.Robin Clyde stepped into the empty space and he looked ahead at thestretching trees as they reached outwards into the bleak, theirbranches small fingers trying to find something in the wide. Theystretch further and higher than any of us could. Robin watched as thedead trees were scattered across the distance before him, their thicktrunks large and formidable with their roots breaking outwards andcracking the soft dirt. They reminded Robin of the tiny fingers ofchildren reaching outwards from stubby hands trying to find somethingin the emptiness before them. He gazed downwards and saw as they werebeginning to gather, it was time. Robin didn't want to go, he wantedto turn around and run away, run away from the chapel. The chapelthat had stood as a sentinel in the green oasis that had beenWorsley. Robin pulled his coat around him and he took a deep breath,I have to go down there, if I don't go there it will pain them. Ihave to go there but who can go to a place of life to celebratedeath? Robin recalled the times that had come before, when the summerwas ever lasting, the stream would run rich and deep across themeadows surrounding the chapel and they were clear and you could dipdown and drink from it and it was cold and refreshing. He recalledwhen he would run barefoot across the soft grass that stretched andevery place you stepped was enveloping and warm, the sun would shineeverywhere and the trees held the leaves for the shade. He knelt andhe reached his hands over and he felt the black dirt in his hands,the ash that covered the former greens. The ground is now hard andcoarse but still holds the feel of the soft past. He looked up at thetrees void of the leaves, husks of their former self, most are hollowwithin and it is only moments before they come collapsing. Robinturned as he heard a small crashing sound to his left and saw a burntbranch collapse on the ground and smash into pieces. He lookedupwards as the noise had shattered the silence, this place wasdrenched in silence. A place that had been rich in noises, the streamwith its rushing waters creating a soft melody to mix with thechirping songs of the birds that migrated into the upper levels ofthe chapels bell tower. The voices of the congregation as theygathered in the soft grass to gather the fruits from the trees, thebarks of the dogs as they rushed about either being chased bychildren or chasing children. The life that was the noise of thisplace is now dead in silence. Robin remembered as it had struck andit had shaken the entire reality that they had built around thechapel, he clutched his pendant close to his heart and took a deepbreath. Is grieving for something that has already happened reallynecessary? It is painful and it only brings suffering. After this Iwill forget the past, forget everything that has happened here. Helooked outwards to the towering remains of the bell tower at the topremained the scaffolding where he would climb with his friend. Weweren't allowed up there but yet we still went, we would sneak aroundthe chapel as they were busy giving their prayers and focusing ontheir own self righteousness and we would make our way up thecreaking stairs that were rotting even before the incident. Thestairs that wound up its square tower, the wonder and the mystery asto what could be found at the top, the darkness in that staircasefrom the small stone slits that created an eerie feeling. Robinsmiled as he remembered the first time they made their way up thereand onto the scaffolding at the top, way above the tree line. It feltlike they were above the world and it was all before them. The wonderat the height as they could see everything from up there, is this howGod saw things from heaven he remembered asking. Robin tried to stophimself but he couldn't as he remembered the wonder he had felt upthere, the pain at the recollection. We would go up there and wewould move about in the wonder of the world, we were above them andnone could stop us or tell us what to do, we were the kings of theworld. Robin stuffed the pendant deep down, hidden and out of sight.This doesn't help at all. Stop it, he shook his head and he lookedahead as the last light of the day faded away in the horizon of burnttrees, he walked forward downwards past scorched gravestones with thenames not even recognisable. Onwards towards the front of the chapel,the empty lining where the stained glass once stood. The chapel builtin a way that the sun would hit the stained glass at the right angleand moment that when the entire community was gathered inside forprayer they would be bathed in a mix of colours, golden as the imagesof heaven mixed with the red of life and the blues and greens ofcomfort. It was beautiful to look at how the light all mixed togetheras they gathered together to pray. Now all that remained was justslits and openings, a void of the beauty that had come before. Robinwalked forward and they all looked at him as he made his way forwardtowards the coffin that lay on the ground before the entrance of thechapel. They have been waiting for me, they aren't saying anything,why? Is this is how we are to conduct ourselves? Death is such ascary concept that we dare even speak about it to ourselves. Robinwatched them all drenched in black clothing, as a weight on theirsouls dragging them downwards into the ground. Their faces pulled bythe weighted blackness. The coffin before him laid to beckon him, itsdesign simple, evocative of the scorched events, whether or notintentional Robin didn't know. He knelt down as he ran his handsacross it's smooth surface and he closed his eyes feeling the everfamiliar daggers inside of him. I am sorry that this had to happen toyou, it should have been me. He held back the tears, I can't cry. Iwon't cry, I am better than this. He took a struggled breath feelinghis muscles tense up and his throat constrict. He pulled the handleupwards and he saw as they noticed that he was ready and one of themwalked forward to grab the other side of the coffin. It was Roy, theone that would watch us as we made our way across the chapels,exploring areas we shouldn't have and yet letting us, he would fuelour curiosity by not stopping us. I wonder if he too regrets neverstopping us, they made eye contact and Robin could see the darknessinside of his eyes, he nodded and the two lifted the coffin up andheld it upwards above them. You deserve to be above us, you alwayswanted to be above, it was why you climbed the tower, you wanted tofly away to the a world all your own. We would watch the birdstogether as they would make their migration in autumn, the worldaround us would die as the trees shed their skin and you would dreamwhat it would be like to fly, to see the world from above, horizon tohorizon without obstruction. You'll fly soon enough my friend don'tworry. Robin closed his eyes and he almost burst into tears, soonenough. They lined themselves up as they would have during a funeralprocession and they made their way forward, what was left of thecommunity there for him and his burial. The gathering together of ourcommunity for closure to this horrific incident. They walked inwardsand into the main body of the chapel that now stood open to theworld, the walls but small stubs to their sides, open to the wind andto the unrelenting weather. Past what would have been aisles of wood,carved by hand in expert craftsmanship not replicable as age hadcaught up with the carpenter that had made them. Robin looked behindhim as he saw him walking there, he looked with his half blind eyesat the ash that was moving in the soft wind and he could see himcrying without making a noise. Robin turned away and they made theirway to what would have been the altar, a huge stone slab that hadcost the community more than many would have dared admit. The adventof the altar into the community had sparked outrage and praise,praise for the beauty of it and the exotic nature of it, it wasrumoured to be from Wales. However, the price for such a beautifulaltar was a hot topic for many years, not to speak of the physicalprice, they had to knock out parts of the door just to have it movedin. It was indeed a major endeavour, Robin recalled watching as allthe men of the community would try their best to push it along butfail, it was mighty heavy. Robin and him would laugh at theirattempts and be chased away, but they would always return and peakthrough the windows and Robin remembered one of the priests gettingso upset that he swore, it was impossible for priests to swearaccording to Robin and him, they learned a lot that day. Robin smiledrecalling that moment but as a wave that filled the beach it soonreceded and he was left feeling empty. The altar had been destroyedin a manner that shocked most of the community, what had seemed likea strong slab of stone had been crushed as the chapel collapsedinwards cracking it, all that was left of the beautiful expensivealtar was bits and pieces, rubble and dirt, nothing could besalvaged. Robin looked at what was now in its place, a hole. This iswhere he would be buried and where I will bury me once this is over.They had decided that it would be the best decision for the entirecommunity, his presence and the advent of his actions on themdeserved recognition. Robin recalled hearing the news, the news, thetragedy that had struck. The fire that had burnt their memories andtheir past reality, rushing through unexpected and without warning.Everything and anything caught in its blaze was taken up anddestroyed. He had just been unlucky. Robin felt his strength falteras they reached the hole and were about to set the coffin down, healmost dropped it and cracked it. I need to grieve, the pressure wasbuilding to a proportion beyond capacity within his chest, I need torelease it. He set the coffin down and he stepped backwards and hefelt his face freeze up as he sat down on the ash and couldn't takeit anymore. I am sorry. I am so sorry. He cried as he felt the tidalwave wash over him. I am so sorry. Please, I am sorry. I could havesaved you. I am so sorry. "I am sorry..." He whispered ashe pulled his coat upwards and covered his face. He felt the painpush its way out of him, it hurt as he cried. I am sorry. I couldhave stopped it, I could have told you to stop and not go, just leaveit for today but I didn't. I watched you as you ran towards the blazeadamant to save it. But you didn't, you lost yourself in the process.He pulled the pendant out of his pocket and he looked at it throughwet eyes, the only thing that was left from the fire was this, thissmall remembrance of you. The golden pendant that wasn't even realgold, how this survived the fire but nothing else did puzzled Robin.Where are you? We had made this together, we had decided it would behave something to mark our friendship and who we were, something todistinguish what we meant to ourselves. And it brought pain. Robinthrew the pendant on the ground and he screamed "Why?!" Hefelt his body shake as he cried. Someone he couldn't recognisewrapped their arms around him and pulled him close and hugged him,"Robin, it's ok. Just cry. Please just cry. You need to grieve,it's ok." Robin pulled her closer as he wept on her shoulders,he recognised her voice, why did it have to be her? Why did it haveto be her out of everyone in our community. Morgan had been the onethat had challenged but brought them closer, in a community as smallas this one there wasn't much one could do. They had found themselvesmutually attracted to the same person. And now she's comforting me.Robin wanted to run away, to hide away from everyone and everything.It was embarrassing to be seen like this. I don't want this to affectme but at the same I do, I want to hurt but I don't want to hurt. Ijust want to hide. Robin didn't feel time pass as he wept, the eventwasn't supposed to take long or even be anything, they would comehere, bury him where everyone would remember him and then they wouldleave, gathered for a few moments of silence and then leave to gohome but Robin didn't remember any of it. He didn't remember thesetting of the coffin or the dirt laid on it or the silence. Robinjust remembered being held and crying as he felt the hole inside ofhim grow bigger. I miss you so much. Before time could realise whathad happened Robin saw himself alone as Morgan still held him. "Howmuch time has passed?" Robin asked as he pulled himself togetherlooking at the mound of dirt before his eyes, detaching himself fromher arms. They would have a tombstone made for him, one that theywould make sure would survive the test of time and any incident ever.It would be installed once it was ready. "You have been grievingfor long enough." She said, her voice seemed hollow to him. Helooked upwards and he saw that the pale dot was above them now, Ihave been grieving for too long. He sighed as he stood up he lookeddown at the ground and he saw the pendant before his eyes. He kneltand he picked it up running his fingers across the disfigured shapethat it had been melted into, you can't even tell what it wassupposed to form. We had created our own crest, a symbol of us andwho we were and now it just a mess. He looked at Morgan who alsostood up, "Thank you Morgan. I really needed that," helooked down at the grave, "I am sorry for keeping you up solate, please just go home and get some sleep. I should be fine now."He turned his back to her and he couldn't see her reaction or hermovements, yet he felt a hand raise up and about to touch hisshoulder but it was reluctant and soon enough it was gone and Robinfelt as her feet shuffled her way out of the destroyed chapel. He wasalone now, truly and utterly alone. When before he had lost him, nowhe knew that he wouldn't ever find him. "You'll fly now Owen. Ipromise it. You'll be free to roam the world and you'll see thehorizons touching just like you'd dreamed you would. I promise youthat you will fly forever and one day when I am ready I will join youand we will fly together forever. I promise you this Owen, on mylife." He dropped the pendant on the ground and turned aroundand walked away and he never looked back at the chapel in the burntwoods again.