Saturday, August 26, 2006

Entry #46

Trahlyta
by Another Government Employee


In the Yahoola, there stands a grave. It is at the crossroads of two trading trails. Many say to place a stone on the grave is to bring good luck on a man’s travels.

On a dark, satiny night I come down the rill. There is a mist rising from the spring to my right. The stacked stones of the grave stand in front. There is a small sign at the grave. “Trahlyta met her fate here with a traveler. Traveler, won’t you remember her?” I ignore the sign and go on, not knowing what was ahead.

A short way further down the rill, the mist thickens and a form is visible ahead. A small voice rises amongst the babble of the water. “Traveler, you forget? It is I who makes safe your way.” And with that, a storm came up. A crack of lightning and everything went dark. I awoke to a stack of stones on my chest and a sign at my feet. “Trahlyta found her revenge. She is at peace.”

11 comments:

Joni said...

ooh, mythical and intriguing. But did he really wake? Makes the mind wander to a lyrical place. Very nice.

anne frasier said...

hi, age!! so glad you entered the contest. :)

i love your descriptions and the way both setting and voice convey such a sense of myth. loved the ending too! :D

Anonymous said...

Good story telling.
Is this like Swift's Gullivers Travel's.

Anonymous said...

nice little story to take to my grave.

bekbek said...

I love the stack of stones on his chest. It's the weight of nightmares, of that feeling that you will not ever wake.

Anonymous said...

Very intriguing. I like the unique concept...

Anonymous said...

Nothing like getting a bit of vengeance off one's chest. ;-)

anne frasier said...

bekbek, i was trying to figure out why the stones had such impact. you really hit on it. and your comment also made me think of the allegory aspect - a man with the weight of the world on him. or this: one minute he's everyman on this journey; the next he's trapped because he didn't kiss ass. i've so been there!

The Wandering Author said...

A lovely, mysterious fantasy.

AngelConradie said...

ooooh- very cool!

Anonymous said...

I appreciate the nod to the traditional ghost story genre!