My uncle warned me of the hallucinatory effect of smouldering henbane, but it is the essence of my initiation. Surrounded by the maze of megaliths, my body floats. I round up the shrill cacophony of chanting voices, which buck around my head like wild horses at a rodeo, and corral them in a corner of my mind.
My head is clear and I am ready; the only sound I hear is the sweet voice of a nightingale singing.
The message is within me and I am the message.
To this modern world
which ransacks Gaia’s riches
I bring her revenge.
Image credit: Joshua Hicks, Unsplash
Written in response to two challenges:
– Di of Pensitivity101‘s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge – MODERN, SING, SURROUNDED
– Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge‘s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt – RODEO
I have also set myself the additional challenges of confining my piece to 100 words exactly and writing this, now ongoing story, in the haibun form. Just for fun!
luna's on line 
Yikes so all that litter, mine, hunt and dig up the Earth. Vengeance for Earth is coming! I’m glad I respect Earth and its wonderful creatures.
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Maybe you’ll be spared then 😉
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I hope so. I’ll happily join the vengenence squad!
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Taking your name… 😉
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Thanks!
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WOW, Powerful!
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Thanks, Avia!
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Most welcome, Chris 🙂
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well done and powerful
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Thank you!
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Great story! I especially love this line: “I round up the shrill cacophony of chanting voices, which buck around my head like wild horses at a rodeo, and corral them in a corner of my mind.”
You’re missing out by not having heard Gilda Radner in her sketch. Here is a link to her as Roseanne. Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k59d-xMvooA
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Thanks so much, Joyce! and thanks for the introduction. Great fun 😀
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I love your use of alliteration, Chris. It carries the pace effortlessly, allowing the sentences to melt into each other. Look forward to the next installment!
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Thanks so much, Denise 🙂 Looking forward to next week…
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“The message is within me and I’m the message”. Powerful lines, power packed story, Chris. 🙂
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Thanks so much, Aishwarya 🙂
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You are welcome, Chris. 🙂
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I like the sentence describing one having the message within and also being the message.
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Thanks, Frank 🙂 I was aiming for something suitably prophetic after all that chanting and hallucinatory henbane!
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Excellent Six!*
*what makes it excellent? Very good question! One of the things that makes for an excellent Six is not only when there is an intriguing idea (or element of the narrative) that sends me off to the google.
… as it was with ‘henbane’
fun ‘side trip’
thanks
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Thanks, Clark! Always good to pop down a rabbit hole for a bit 🙂
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It was good to see another installment in the “uncle” series! Something of great import is about to happen . . .
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So pleased you enjoyed it, Liz 🙂 You’re right… big build up…
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I look forward to the next installment!
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I’m looking forward to seeing how the ‘revenge’ takes place. With the spritual awareness now achieved, it might be swift and brutal, or gentle and loving.
Love, love, love how the sound of a nightingale was heard.
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Thank you so much 🙂 I’m so pleased I seem to have you hooked…
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You have. It’s an engaging serial you’re making, and I love the subject matter. Keep up the good work 🙂
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That is truly awesome.
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Glad you like it, Gary! Thank you 🙂
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My belief is now and has been that the Creator’s first request was that we care for the garden, and we’ve done a lousy job of it. That’s why i am so supportive of measures to correct that.
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This is the Message!
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Woah, I’ve been thinking about Gaia too.
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She’s all around… 😉
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What lovely prose.
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Thank you, Lisa! 🙂
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Henbane was a poison I was considering using for my last piece of fiction. Wish I had now – that would have tied in nicely with this!
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Oh yes, strychnine Emma! So many poisons at our disposal…
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