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The Walk

by Divide

Chapter 1: The Walk


As I open my eyes to perceive another wonderful day of existence with the birds chirping softly in the trees and the creek bubbling with glee I feel a sense that something unusual is or will be occurring shortly. The air is still and without breeze save for the currents made by passing swallows and the temperature is quite nice if a little on the warm side. I think I will take a stroll around the world and contemplate my thoughts in the company of myself and whatever comes my way.

Yes, that is exactly what I will do.

I discard the covers of my oversized bed with a flick of my tail and cause it to fold up into a neat rectangle of fiber only to have to rumple it again because the equilateral folds were quite displeasing. I take a quick look around my abode to make sure nothing is where it should be and because nothing is I am free to leave and explore the wide open world beyond my door.

I open my portage with a gesture to be rewarded with the sight of a pleasantly rolling hill containing a single apple tree situated at the crest that stands tall and honest despite its age and the weight of the ripe and delicious fruit that it bears. I clap my paw and claw together to make a single fruit drop and roll down the incline of the hill causing it to gather bits of grass and dirt that make the apple taste heartier. I pop it into my mouth and chew slowly and with solemnity to revel in its firmness and resoluteness to always be there and ready when it was needed.

The clouds are lazily drifting by or not moving at all as they float serenely and share space with the rainbow permanently etched in the sky. I reach out towards the horizon at the end of the rainbow that is obscured by a distant mountain range and after probing for a bit retrieve a large cauldron filled to the brim with neatly stacked coins alongside gems assorted by colour and density which are in turn resting against magical head ornaments that I cannot wear. I check everything over to ensure that they are indeed where they are and after determining that they are I remove a few gems for later and shake the pot to stir the ingredients then place it back where it belongs at the end of the rainbow so it will continue to brew until I check it again. I applaud the spectrum for loyally safeguarding the contents without judgement or derision and make it slightly brighter to compete with the sun and moon for dominance in the sky which causes it to swell with pride and emit flashes of rainbow lightning.

I begin walking in the direction of the upcoming eventuality with a reverence for the possibilities it might bring and the impossibilities it may eliminate. Small woodland critters along the edge of the woods peer out at me from the bushes and ferns and brassica with cautious acceptance in their eyes for they are by now used to my solitary presence if not wholly comfortable with it. I pick up a leaf of cabbage from the ground that was about to be eaten by a rabbit to reveal a fuzzy yellow caterpillar clinging to the underside. I place a berry picked from a nearby bush beside it and the caterpillar shyly nibbles on the berry before it metamorphoses into a cocoon where it resides for a short only to emerge as a beautiful pink butterfly. The butterfly spreads its wings and lifts off from the leaf to land briefly on the taller of my two horns for a time before circling around my head and fluttering quietly away to show kindness to those that will follow it.

I wave goodbye and continue down the well-worn path that does not exist while humming a noteless tune that tells the world how I am feeling. When I come to a field of unkempt grass with a large undressed boulder in the centre I take the gems I placed in my imaginary pocket earlier and bury them in a patch of fertile soil. I take a passing cloud and squeeze the rain out of it onto the entombed valuables and watch as the water is consumed by the dirt below with an audible sucking sound. After waiting for a short while the ground erupts from the spot with a plant-like tendril of sapphire that sprouts leaves of emerald which are illuminated with an unmatched brightness. A few moments later clusters of ruby flowers appear with a diamond ovule that grows in size until I harvest the fully developed crop and weave them into a hat and a tie and a cloak. I place the articles of clothing in the appropriate places on the boulder and thank them for charitably giving themselves up to be used in the service of others less fortunate before continuing on my way.

The sense of an upcoming miracle is so prevalent that I cannot resist the urge to skip with glee towards a flowing river meandering along the edge of the forest. I swim merrily above the water with a manic grin while I race a branch shaped like a balloon to its destination and allow some of the water vapour emitted from the stream to hitchhike on various parts of my variable pelt. I wipe some off with a finger and lick it to taste the sweetness of a fresh made cupcake made with happiness and laughter. With a start I realize I hear a cascading waterfall up ahead and sprint to catch up to the elusive timber before it tumbles into the abyssal maw of the lake underneath. I thankfully manage to reach it before falling off the falls and grab the balloon wood by its string to slow our descent causing us to land on the shore with a flourish. I release the stick and as it soars above the sky and into the vast unknowable beyond carried by its mysterious inner power I bow deeply and with heartfelt thanks for letting us play together.

I look up at the sun and moon shining down on me and smile having learned the importance of both light and darkness in maintaining the balance of order and chaos. I sense the love that was felt an eternity ago in the hearts and minds of those who once roamed the land. I feel the impervious energy crackling in the air with a surge of purpose that has laid dormant for longer than I care to remember.

I now know the true power of friendship. It has outlasted everything but me and I know that it will outlast me too.

I smile as I finally know my true purpose.

Only chaos can create something when nothing remains.

Yes, that is exactly what I will do.

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