Dark Echo

Dark Echo

I cannot feel my breath. It’s strange, I actually find the thought of oblivion soothing. But that evil echo was wrong about oblivion: I cannot step into oblivion at the same time being sentenced to the mythological dread of my wildly outrageous successors. Now, before their stories slay those of the ancients’, I will quickly share my wicked fate. I, the last of my kind, will speak from the brink of oblivion.

It began more than a week ago while I was gathering berries and checking the nets for fish. The amber sunlight filtered through the misty forest as it had every other spring day. And after filling my baskets with fruit, I tied them to my horse. Then on the narrow path to the lake, a great hole ripped through the sky and I fell to my knees in horror. Though it hurt me to look, I could not tear my eyes from the tortured sky.

Trembling amidst the smell of burning pines and screaming winds, I heard an awful voice rambling incoherently. He was screaming sounds that I’d never heard before, and what’s more, the voice seemed to echo around the forest from no particular place. I slowly rose to my feet, shielding my face from the whipping winds.

“Kneel before me, beast! “ boomed from blackening sky.

Within a few panicked breaths, day became night. But there were no stars or moon. I fell back to my knees in perfect darkness.

“I have created you and all that you know, trembling beast. I am the One who feeds and watches over you.”

“Who are you?”

“You care not for names as you've never uttered mine in praise or thanks. You thank the fish, trees, and sun for life while it has always been me! Ungrateful beast!”

“What do you want from me? “

“You regard yourself as a great custodian of Nature, a member and ally of this great Earth. My creation! “

“I do. Wait, your…”

“You are witnessing my awesome and miraculous power. Return to your kind and tell them of their creator. Tell them you've met me and all must praise and make sacrifice to my overwhelming presence, a presence I can make as real and terrible at any place and at any time. Now do as I say! “

Although I still stood in awe, I was no longer horrified in the presence of such a petty being. I grew very angry.

Kneeling in the dark, I replied, “although your miracle of speech and cataclysm is truly awesome, it is no more miraculous than the miracle of seed to plant, egg to bird, or sun to light. And if you are the true Creator, the One, as you say, then what earthly need could you possibly require from your meager creations? In other words, what do we possess that you couldn't amply provide for yourself? This is nonsense. I will not return to the others with any message from you, dark echo.“

“Insolent beast! “ cracked through the blackness. The sky flashed to a vibrant blue and the sunlight flooded the forest once again. My eyes burned from the sudden burst light. Squinting, I looked to the sky and saw dark clouds rushing over my head in formation of a familiar yet odd looking face.

“You filthy animal. You dare to challenge me!”

“In fact, it has been you challenging me all along, dark echo.” I slowly rose to my feet, squinting at the billowing face in the sky. “I simply was gathering food for dinner when you joined me with your ridiculous request.”

“Look to the lake, ungrateful beast.”

I turned, and just before the shore was a conspicuous red boulder resting next to a very exotic tree. These two objects were new to the forest.

“Under one of these objects rests great health and fortune, under the other is a deadly fate, a deadly fate of not just your own, but of your entire kind. You must choose to overturn one object to reveal a fate. “

The surface of the lake began boil and the smell of fetid sulfur filled the forest. I shook my fists to the sky as spires of granite grew from the earth around me, trapping me in a tiny cell with the two fates, the boulder and the tree.

“Choose now, beast. You shall not leave this cell until you choose a fate. “

“What sort of wicked thing are you? I don’t care for any fortune! How dare you threaten me, you wretched echo! I will not choose! “ I screamed, falling to the ground in disgust.

The sky head vanished and I sat sleepless in the cell for countless days, hungry, cold and alone. I stared with contempt at the tree and boulder. I had many waking dreams of my children and beautiful wife.

“I must return to them,” burned through my cracked lips. “Sky head, you heartless dog. Release me!“ I screamed to the sky.

Once again, the clouds circled overhead and sky head returned.

“You show great conviction and strength, weary beast. I shall release you. By lifting the tree, the granite walls will crumble.”

“You mean I could have freed myself days ago! You are truly a wicked spirit.”

Envisioning my family, I used the last of my strength to lift the exotic tree from the ground. Just as its roots ripped free from earth, the granite walls began to crumble. I stumbled backwards, still grasping the exotic tree, and the walls crashed to the ground. Then amidst the clamor of tumbling stones and whirling dust I was pierced by a scream so shrill and wild that any notion of freedom was completely lost. Looking down, into the tree’s root bed, I gazed upon a familiar but odd looking creature, writhing and screaming like a wounded animal.

“You've chosen your fate and that of your kind, insolent beast. Meet your successor, ungrateful one. She will surely praise and sacrifice herself to me!“ boomed from the sky.

“But you said I could go free if I pulled the tree from the earth. “

“I said the granite walls would crumble if you ripped the tree from its rightful place. I also said your fate rested beneath these objects. You chose freely. It was your desires that betrayed you.“

“Trickster villain! Evil sky head! If this earth is truly your creation and dominion, I will be glad to leave it. “

Enraged, I ran to the boulder with one eye to the sky and pushed it over. Under it was another convulsing creature, something the dark echo called “man”.

“Now, ungrateful beast, look at your replacements. These creatures will surely praise me. They will subdue the world you once loved and offer it back to me. They will not thank the animals, the sun, and oceans for their bounty, they will only thank me! Me! The great creator! The greater destroyer! And now, ungrateful beast, you will only be remembered as a mythological joke, a childish and grubby little character of fanciful dreams. Now step into oblivion while a new story is written.”

Now I feel my breath.

The End