The forest murmured as the wind whistled through the branches of the trees and the leaves that hid the dark hollows of the wood. The shifting air brought with it a chill cold enough to rattle the most stalwart wanderer. A village wasn’t far from the outskirts of the thick wood with huts made of stone and reeds and mud. Families grew as men built and fought off wolves, children played in the fields, and women tended to the things that called. They lived alongside the trees of forest that grew moss and shielded creatures of all kinds. Though they held no bond, the forest spoke amongst itself, quietly.
In the midst of day, the sun shone brightly through the green fractals of the fronds while at night, the depth of a blackness that crept through the forest drove animals to their burrows and men far from the entrances of the woods. The darkness was ancient, and it was awake as it slithered under bushes and through the spaces between the roots and bark of trees. It was thick and viscous as it made its way across the forest floor.
“Hello,” came a tiny greeting from the mossy ground. It was sweet and small like the tinkling of bells on a billowing string. The darkness slowed to a lurching stop and something in the cloud of gloom shifted toward the tinkling sound. It lifted through the air and reached out with its vaporous fingers. It found in its path the bud of a rose, pink peeking through the concealing green leaves.
Hello, said the darkness. What is it?it asked, impatiently. The bud peeked out a little further, shy in itself as the darkness peered across its tender foliage.
“What are you doing?” the rose asked in a meek voice. The darkness paused, retreated a breath away from the rose, and then inched closer than before as he answered. The rose practically quivered as the chill touched the tips of its petals.
I’m reclaiming this space, it asserted in a deep, pulsating voice. The rose came out a little further from its shell and watched the darkness as it shifted through the cold air like a sickly, low-hanging cloud.
“But we live here,” said the rose. “We want fresh air and bright sun and clean water. Can we have that if you’re here?” The darkness laughed a hideous laugh as the smooth waves of its body rippled.
Why, no, it answered. No, and I wouldn’t want you to. I was here long before you and the terrible trees digging into the earth and those hideous creatures who pound away and shriek and cackle. I’m sick of it,it hissed loudly and reared up to the bottom branches of the trees. They twisted and recoiled in response, the darkness’ briny scent curdling their nature.
“Don’t you think we deserve to be here, too?” the rose asked.
You deserve nothing, it snapped.You’ve taken over everything. You’ve taken over the empty expanses, the dank and open air has been poisoned by your breath, and the soil splits open at the slightest touch of light!
“Things change, friend,” the rose said shakily, trying its hardest to be stout and firm and kind. “Things change and there’s room for me and for this tree. There’s room for you among us, at the right times.” The darkness remained quiet in response, shifting just above the grass, ominously. “We don’t need to abandon each other.” The darkness remained silent.
“The earth may have felt like yours when you were all alone,” the little flower continued, “but you’re not now.” The trees pulled in closer from their canopies to listen. “You’re here at night to hear the frogs speak and the birds sing their babies to sleep.” Far away, you could hear the gentle whistling of a villager during his final moments around the campfire.
You think I can be… this, the darkness began saying, solemnly, quietly. It’s voice almost disappeared among the dusk and scent of dewy grass. I can be this, and you be you… The flower nodded with the tiniest of motions as the darkness went on. And we can all… be?Not a moment passed before the chiming of what sounded like fairy wings and the dandelion’s flight twinkled between them as the rose laughed and began to speak.
“We all belong here,” it said, “as long as we allow those around us to.” Its pink petals bloomed just a little further until the lip of just one poked beyond the protective case. “You’d be perfect for cold nights, to protect the grass from frost. During the day, you could… You could…” she paused to think and the soft, breathy voice of the tree she grew under breathed an idea.
Caves, it whispered softly. Caves and caverns, burrows and dens. Darkness has its place among us, within us, around us. The darkness waited again, heavy with thought. It softened, and then the edges began to dissipate. The rose stretched at its root with excitement. I’ll find my place among you, the darkness finally said. Before the rose or the tree or the grass could tell, the darkness shifted back and forth across the ground and disappeared into the air. It left a lovely velvet blanket over the surface of all things and the inky sky sat above them a little bit bluer than before and, on that night, the stars could be seen for the first time.