Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Warning: Beware of Crossroads

Someday I would like you all to walk with me on Irowasa but before that day comes I have to warn you about crossroads. The crossroads can be dangerous places where souls become trapped if people take too long deciding which branch of road they should travel.

Just the other day I came to a crossroads in one of my many journeys across Irowasa. Four roads branched out in front of me. From the road on the far left a beautiful haunting melody floated to my ears. I saw that the road in that direction slipped smoothly into a patch of woods. I headed down that fork. Hearing the music again I thought it must be made by elves and wondered if I would meet them. A little further on the road became rough.

Still, the music called me, so I stepped around the potholes filled with multicolored stinking slime and continued on my way. Then I came to a place where the road was overgrown with small thorny trees. Here I paused, but only for a moment. The music was stronger than ever and seemed to be coming from the other side of the tangled branches. I pushed my way through the tangled mass and would have continued if a group of fairies hadn't flown up and cried, "Turn back! You are following the call of a winged siren. Turn back before she leads you to your death!"

Just then I noticed a pile of bones and beyond them a feathery mass. I turned and crashed into the thorny mass even as the siren reached for me with her hooked black talons. I tore my way through the brambles which snatched at my clothes and scratched my skin. Once I broke free of the thorns I covered my ears so that the siren's song would no longer enchant me. I ran until I reached the crossroads once more. The time has come to choose a new road to travel. I will be more careful in my choosing from now on but I must not linger too long at a crossroads lest my soul become trapped by my indecision. Such is the dangerous nature of the crossroads.

6 comments:

  1. Hi Beritta,
    I've come to this through the Amazon contest - you kindly commented on and scored Coombe's Wood. Sorry you didn't make it any further in the competition.
    The idea of crossroads, and the danger of lingering too long is an intriguing one. You've got my imagination fired up! I also like your style of interviewing your characters. Must be a great way of solidifying them. I've added your blog.
    Lisa
    slimmingaid.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you Lisa. I enjoyed the chapters I read of 'Coombe's Wood'. It promises to be a very suspensful story. I'm glad you chose to become a follower here and hope you enjoy what you read.

    ReplyDelete
  4. The crossroads idea is pretty neat, RP. I liked how you showed us hints of the danger, the thorns and potholes and so forth of the road itself, and I absolutely loved the circular nature of this story.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks Wren. The whole concept was a metaphor for how I was feeling that day and the struggles we all face in life. I simply expanded on an old fantasy concept to make my point. :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. This tidbit was very interesting and great! Thanks for the warning about the crossroads there - I'll remember that.

    ReplyDelete