| General Fiction posted July 8, 2022 |
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the way things should be
Harmony
by giraffmang
Aaron poled his raft out toward the middle of the lake. The midday sun drew beads of sweat from his brow which he wiped away with a lazy arm. Aaron removed the pole from the water, laying it across the bound floor of the raft. He eased himself to a sitting position and let his bare feet dangle into the cool waters. He lay back and peered into the pristine blue sky.
He’d only been a lad when the event took place and nature had reclaimed what was once only hers. He closed his eyes and let his ears do the heavy lifting. The gentle sloshing of the water as it lapped against the banks, the whispering of the wind through the foliage, the sounds of the birds singing all drifted his way and he smiled.
He wiggled his toes in the water and rejoiced in the coolness on his shins. Just him and nature. I wonder if this is what it was like in the beginning…
~
As the afternoon sun traversed its path across the sky, Aaron enjoyed the solitude. Seven years ago, after the passing of the last of his group, Aaron left their camp and wandered off into the countryside with only the clothes on his back. It was the last time he’d seen another living soul, not that he’d encountered any outside of his group for at least a decade before that. There’d not been many folk left after the initial reckoning and they tended to keep to themselves. Aaron was at peace with everything.
“Hello, there!”
Aaron sat bolt upright, causing the raft to rock, splashing water over its surface. The pole rolled into the lake and began to float away.
He glanced around trying to pinpoint the source of the voice.
An undulation in the thick greenery opposite where he floated drew his attention. The branches parted to reveal a youngish man who wore his hair long to his waist and with a full beard. He was dressed in an ankle-length gown tied at the waist with vines. He smiled at Aaron and spoke again. “Greetings.”
Aaron tried to reply but all he managed was a dusky croak. It had been too long since he’d engaged in conversation.
“Oh, sorry,” the man said, “just a moment.”
The man pushed out from the branches and began walking toward Aaron, across the top of the lake, each footfall grazing the surface without a ripple. He retrieved Aaron’s errant pole on his way.
“H… how?” Aaron managed to scratch out.
Again the man smiled. “Oh, it’s not my first time. It gets easier.” He reached the raft and eased himself down beside Aaron, laying the pole behind him. Reaching out a hand, he laid it on Aaron’s throat.
Aaron was filled with a feeling of enormous wellbeing, and when he tried to speak, the words came with ease and without pain. “Who are you? Where did you come from? I thought I was the last.”
The man shrugged. “You are.” He swept a hand across the horizon. “And not just here. Anywhere.”
“Well, I can’t be. You’re he… oh…”
“Indeed.” He wiggled his feet in the water. “It’s gotten rather nice here again. Not that I remember it first time around, but I’ve been told.”
Aaron found the newcomer engrossing. He’d so many questions but at that moment all he wanted to do was sit and enjoy it. The man didn’t seem to be in any hurry to talk either, so they sat in silence, feet in the water and let the afternoon sun begin to sink.
Eventually, the man spoke once more. “You know, the last time I was here, it was much more… traumatic.” He rubbed his wrists as he spoke.
“I heard the stories,” Aaron murmured.
“All true, I’m afraid, my friend. But you and I should not dwell on the past. We’re both better than that.”
“How so?” asked Aaron.
“I’ve been watching you, these last few years. Not just me either.” The man nudged Aaron with his shoulder. “The way you’ve carried on, the way you’ve embraced the world, and the way you live is really quite impressive. The way it should have been.”
Aaron blushed.
“No need for that, my friend. I’m not the only one who noticed either.”
Aaron glanced around so quick, he almost over-balanced and only the gentle grip of the stranger prevented him from toppling into the waters. “You don’t mean--”
“Yes. So much so, in fact, that He’s willing to give it all another go.”
“With me?”
The newcomer nodded.
“But what if I screw it all up?”
“I'm confident that won’t happen. Look at how you’ve adapted since we took all the others away. And of course, you already have the knowledge of good and evil and devoted yourself to the pursuit of good and harmony.”
Aaron stared off into the distance, trying to absorb all that had transpired that day.
The man rose effortlessly, padded across the water once again and vanished into the treeline.
Aaron sat for a moment or two, a peaceful smile on his face, but then, something niggled at the back of his mind. “Hang on. Haven’t you forgotten something?”
A rustling noise from the spot where the man had disappeared drew Aaron’s attention once more. From out of the foliage stepped a beautiful young woman, smiling in his direction.
“I guess not.” Aaron smiled. “I guess not.”
Aaron poled his raft out toward the middle of the lake. The midday sun drew beads of sweat from his brow which he wiped away with a lazy arm. Aaron removed the pole from the water, laying it across the bound floor of the raft. He eased himself to a sitting position and let his bare feet dangle into the cool waters. He lay back and peered into the pristine blue sky.
He’d only been a lad when the event took place and nature had reclaimed what was once only hers. He closed his eyes and let his ears do the heavy lifting. The gentle sloshing of the water as it lapped against the banks, the whispering of the wind through the foliage, the sounds of the birds singing all drifted his way and he smiled.
He wiggled his toes in the water and rejoiced in the coolness on his shins. Just him and nature. I wonder if this is what it was like in the beginning…
~
“Hello, there!”
Aaron sat bolt upright, causing the raft to rock, splashing water over its surface. The pole rolled into the lake and began to float away.
He glanced around trying to pinpoint the source of the voice.
An undulation in the thick greenery opposite where he floated drew his attention. The branches parted to reveal a youngish man who wore his hair long to his waist and with a full beard. He was dressed in an ankle-length gown tied at the waist with vines. He smiled at Aaron and spoke again. “Greetings.”
Aaron tried to reply but all he managed was a dusky croak. It had been too long since he’d engaged in conversation.
“Oh, sorry,” the man said, “just a moment.”
The man pushed out from the branches and began walking toward Aaron, across the top of the lake, each footfall grazing the surface without a ripple. He retrieved Aaron’s errant pole on his way.
“H… how?” Aaron managed to scratch out.
Again the man smiled. “Oh, it’s not my first time. It gets easier.” He reached the raft and eased himself down beside Aaron, laying the pole behind him. Reaching out a hand, he laid it on Aaron’s throat.
Aaron was filled with a feeling of enormous wellbeing, and when he tried to speak, the words came with ease and without pain. “Who are you? Where did you come from? I thought I was the last.”
The man shrugged. “You are.” He swept a hand across the horizon. “And not just here. Anywhere.”
“Well, I can’t be. You’re he… oh…”
“Indeed.” He wiggled his feet in the water. “It’s gotten rather nice here again. Not that I remember it first time around, but I’ve been told.”
Aaron found the newcomer engrossing. He’d so many questions but at that moment all he wanted to do was sit and enjoy it. The man didn’t seem to be in any hurry to talk either, so they sat in silence, feet in the water and let the afternoon sun begin to sink.
Eventually, the man spoke once more. “You know, the last time I was here, it was much more… traumatic.” He rubbed his wrists as he spoke.
“I heard the stories,” Aaron murmured.
“All true, I’m afraid, my friend. But you and I should not dwell on the past. We’re both better than that.”
“How so?” asked Aaron.
“I’ve been watching you, these last few years. Not just me either.” The man nudged Aaron with his shoulder. “The way you’ve carried on, the way you’ve embraced the world, and the way you live is really quite impressive. The way it should have been.”
Aaron blushed.
“No need for that, my friend. I’m not the only one who noticed either.”
Aaron glanced around so quick, he almost over-balanced and only the gentle grip of the stranger prevented him from toppling into the waters. “You don’t mean--”
“Yes. So much so, in fact, that He’s willing to give it all another go.”
“With me?”
The newcomer nodded.
“But what if I screw it all up?”
“I'm confident that won’t happen. Look at how you’ve adapted since we took all the others away. And of course, you already have the knowledge of good and evil and devoted yourself to the pursuit of good and harmony.”
Aaron stared off into the distance, trying to absorb all that had transpired that day.
The man rose effortlessly, padded across the water once again and vanished into the treeline.
Aaron sat for a moment or two, a peaceful smile on his face, but then, something niggled at the back of his mind. “Hang on. Haven’t you forgotten something?”
A rustling noise from the spot where the man had disappeared drew Aaron’s attention once more. From out of the foliage stepped a beautiful young woman, smiling in his direction.
“I guess not.” Aaron smiled. “I guess not.”
 Recognized |
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