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Chapter 7
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Retrograde Chapter 8
The dawn chorus is the herald of spring. It starts with a lonely, serenading minstrel, usually a blackbird. She is clear and harmonious, as fresh and sweet as the gardens she will later raid. In the neighboring tree, her saucy fanfare dares others to match their salsa song of the canopy. The competition rouses them from their slumber, opening their beaks to the heavens. The avian aria slowly becomes a fugue, bouncing through bough and bower. The lilting majesty of their song cascades into open spaces, through glassy windows, and onto the smiling lips of the dreamers within. Spring is here. What are the triggers for the comforting cannon of tree music? Is the lace of morning fog slowly receding as the months roll by? Is it the gently unfurling flowers, velour soft and receptive to warmth? Is it the baked oven smell of grass as the sun purges it of water? It is this and more. It is the world moving from iron grey to fairyland–green. It is the spools of lambs' wool hanging from straggly
Retrograde Chapter 9
“No, that can't be. It was barely a week ago when I saw my Mom; what happened to her?” Angela Questioned. She had a heart attack. It felt like the world had consumed her; everything crumbled down. For a moment, she thought its some sick prank relating to the call she had received earlier. Then her brother Jack came and took the phone. "How did this happen? Mom was healthy and fine." Jack was crying; It was midnight when she passed away. "How is dad handling it?" "He looks fine." "I wonder if he had something to do with it, that son of a.” Angela paused; what if he heard on the other end? Her brother needed her, and she would stay strong for them both, "how are you holding up? Are those detectives still trailing you?" "Yes, they are still outside," "Jack, you will have to come clean, sooner or later. Have you searched for her?" “Yes, I have; she is nowhere to be found.” "What about up the river?" "We were there also." "Who are we, Jack? Those detectives are watching you l
Retrograde Chapter 10
“What are you saying?” “You heard me loud and clear." The guy holding the knife to Jack's throat said; Jack slowly reached to the back of his leather jacket and pulled out a 9mm pistol, pointing it to the monster's head, as the four guys ran off, dropping their weapons. The Leather jacket he was wearing was the one his sister had gotten him for his birthday; after losing his mother and the girl he had once loved, fear never struck him. He walked in areas, not an average man would walk through; people had been shot and stabbed. Jack was driving through the area on his motorbike when he heard a woman screaming. For a moment, he thought it was Nicole. Jack turned to the side and saw a group of guys mugging a woman. Without hesitation, he drove up to the Alley. Thats when the man let go of the woman and approached him. "You know we charge people for driving through this neighborhood?" The guy had a dagger tattoo on his neck with
Retrograde Chapter 11
"Jack, slow you down far up ahead." They are walking through an umber-brown, ancient forest. It reeked of age. Its woody incense was from centuries of snapping branches crashing to the forest's floor and rotting silently. The composting, organic smell rose in waves like a vapor. Every sprawling tree we passed under reminded me of a watchful guardian, a silent sentinel of the groves. Jack and Rick decided to venture deeper into the tangled heart of this ancient forest. “I hope to find Nicole.” The deeper they went into the woods, the more it revealed its dark secrets to them; the sounds of the unknown creatures surrounding them as it echoed like a surround sound system playing through an open room, hardened leaves cracking like crushed chips in a sealed packet. The further Jack and Rick went, the more mystical and spellbinding it became. Massive roots spread-eagled the ground, twisting like the great backs of sea dinosaurs. The foliage became thick and lush, f
Retrograde Chapter 12
A log cabin lies deep in the woods, in an opening found only through some soul searching. A place made from logs of oak, the wood's natural beauty radiated welcome for the travelers who had learned the forest's ways to make it this far. It is a small, one-room cabin lit up by happiness, the glow of which is visible miles away. Inside, the cabin is cozy, with a fireplace radiating Gratitude's warmth. On one wall is a shelf with a collection of books, each volume in the group representing a stage of life – birth, childhood, teenage years, high school, college, career, etc. There are two sets of the collection, each book with some pages and others waiting to get filled with the traveler's journey through the woods. In the middle of the cabin lies a bed covered in the softest cotton sheets and covers, inviting the travelers that have journeyed for miles to rest in contentment. Jack and Rick have never really stepped into these woods, preferring to stay by the ban
Retrograde Chapter 13
After sunrise, it was a sunny morning in the heart of the Rain Forest.Rick was still tired; he built himself a hammock using a sheet; as he lay down in it, he was sipping from his cup of coffee. Rick had the displeasure of seeing this dangerous creature as it slithered from branch to branch in the tree above him. The deadly serpent was about 6 feet long. It was yellow on the belly and black on the back, and at times, it stuck its forked tongue out and wobbled it in the air. Its movement was as effortless as flowing water pouring itself across the leaves, limbs, and branches. What mechanism of action produced such seamless movement? He did not know what to do, but it was remarkable and striking. Sometimes, it launched on frail limbs that miraculously did not crack under its considerable weight. At other times, it lifted half its body into thin air as it reached for another limb. The snake effortlessly bridged significant gaps that humans with hands and feet would
Retrograde Chapter 14
“Where did you find her?" “She was deep in the forest; we were lucky to find her before someone else got to her," Nicole stood there confused, her eyes having dark circles beneath them. She looked frightened and uncertain of her surrounding; Jack and Rick just hoped she wouldn't get back that memory of what had happened that day. *Memories* Standing on the balcony, Nicole gazed at the darkened and starry sky above. Silence surrounded her as she glanced at the deserted park before her. Memories bombarded her mind. As a young girl, the park was her favorite place to go. One cold winter's night just like tonight, as she looked upon the dark sky, she had decided to go for a walk and wrapped up in her elegant scarlet red winter coat with gleaming black buttons descending the front, keeping away the winter chill. Wearing thick leggings black as coal and leather boots lined with fur kept her feet cozy. It was a beautiful night. It was pe
Retrograde Chapter 15
Waking up, Angela could feel the oak beneath her fingers, the grass beneath her feet, the sun upon her face, and the blazing summer heat. She can smell a storm on the horizon and the moisture in the air. Although she cannot see the clouds, she senses it’s there. She wonders where she is, how she will survive, and look upon her body for tools to stay alive, realizing that she is naked, her skin bare and exposed, alone in the forest; she ponders where are my clothes are and remembers drinking her shots, She saw the path before her and tread in her bare feet, amid the oaks and redwoods, the branches, sticks, and leaves, hearing the sounds of water; the storm was closing fast as the dark cloud folded into a thick foggy cloth around her towering, trees reach to the sky, as lighting flashed brightening up the dark sky. Would lightning strike her down like some wrathful god or crush her beneath a fallen tree in a place where a fairy trod? Where are the nymph
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