Post by IRE ! on Mar 2, 2011 20:55:34 GMT -5
tell yourself...
...you're not alone at all.
The day-to-day activity, the routine, had been disrupted. The unbearable feeling that she needed to go somewhere, and not just anywhere - to the island, of course - had caused her daily headaches, distraction, and eventually, resulted in her departure from her home. The goodbye had not been tearful; her parents glad to see her making up her mind about something at last, and here she was. There was already mud on her jeans - it must have rained recently here - from a fall she had taken a little earlier, but she did not mind that so much as the fact that she didn't know where she was.
Jeren had never had a sense of direction, but she seemed to know...no! This was not the time for speculation. The pull, the drive, had grown stronger with each passing minute she had spent on this island, as if it - what was "it"? - was growing excited by her arrival, like a young puppy greeting its master at the door. It wanted her to move, and now.
So she did, picking up her walk once again, her sneakers sinking slightly into the damp ground beneath her as she did so.
Eventually, as if by coincidence - this all seemed a little cliche to her... -, Jeren's walk brought her to a cave. High above, she could hear the distant, haunting call of some strange creature - a bird perhaps? - that she had never heard before. Odd enough. She hoped her own foolishness hadn't led her to the lair of some carnivorous beast - oh yes, Jeren had heard the tales of those that went to the island - that would just as soon eat her as look at her.
Huffing, Jeren turned her head to look over her shoulder, shuddered, then moved forward, as if her feet had suddenly taken on a mind of their own, taking her straight into the mouth of the cave. It was not dark inside, as she might have guessed it to be, but seemed dimly lit somehow in a way that was not entirely unpleasant.
"Is...there anyone in here?" A ridiculous question, but one that fell from her lips anyway, as her pace carried her still further into the cave's depths. In addition to the soft light, it was also...warm? Maybe there were underground sulfur springs further back? That would certainly explain it...But, as Jeren rounded a smooth corner, she was driven to a complete halt. Before her, nestled snugly over a pile of beautiful eggs, was a...
"A Phoenix?!" The exclamation rang off the cavern walls, making Jeren jump slightly, startling her. There was no mistaking the graceful, beautiful creature before her; too many times had she read descriptions of it in mythology, stories, and tales. Blinking in a rather stupid fashion, the young woman stared for a few more silent moments. This was not happening. And yet, it was. Eyes falling to the pile of glittering eggs beneath the hen - the females were called hens, right? -, they widened slightly. Memories of things she had read about Phoenixes came flooding back to her; impress the hen, gain one of her brood. A Phoenix egg of her own? The thought was more appealing than Jeren wanted to admit, and so fueled were her next words:
"I...hello...I'm Jeren," She paused, looking around nervously. How did you even speak to a Phoenix? "I'm sorry to act so startled, I just...didn't know you even existed. I've only ever heard of you in stories." She finished lamely, her words sounding strange even to her own ears.
However, an idea slowly fomented itself in her mind.
"Would you...would you like to hear my favorite story about Phoenixes? I could tell it to you, if you like." That was better, now she was in familiar territory, though she was still frightened.
"Well, it begins with a very young girl, about seven years of age..." And so Jeren told the story, accenting it with appropriate hand motions, the memory of the entire tale seeming to come naturally to her. How, she didn't know, but she wouldn't question such a blessing at a time when she needed reassurance.
"...So with the Phoenix's precious gift still clutched in her hand, the girl closed her eyes for the last time. The end." The story was finished, and Jeren did not know how much time had passed - had it been a long story? She couldn't remember. Peering at the Phoenix mother uncertainly, she fidgeted in her spot, having remained standing the entire time she had woven her tale. Was she supposed to say something else? Was she supposed to leave?