Nature contains very few perfect shapes. Organic growth is irregular. Symmetry is something the human eye imposes. Beauty, such as it is, does not exist without the unnatural.
The Eye was something unnatural. It wasn’t precisely that the illusion of its completion was disconcerting- that came from the stillness of the water. The Eye only existed when there was no life or wind to disturb it.
It was only inevitable that eventually, the Eye would seek to change that.
As I reached the top of the hill, I examined the sides of the formation first. They looked like natural rock, and felt like it, too. The locals blamed every fairy and ghost for the sight that they could imagine, their superstitions leading them astray. Most likely, the structure was the result of a long-dead river, water that once had flown through here and since been redirected. They had showered me with gifts when I told them my destination. While they were content to hide down below, I, the intrepid adventurer, braved the mountains.
It was a nice reputation to build up, so I didn’t stop the rumors. I knelt in the sand for a closer look at the sculpted rock. It was too perfect to be natural. Looking through it gave me a sense of vertigo, like I was peering into another world. I noted my thoughts and observations in my journal as I looked through. I wrote, until my eyes began to feel tired and my hand cramped. I was able to tear my eyes away from the hole at long last, placing down my pen.
My throat tickled with thirst. Surprised, I reached for my water bottle. Gone. I looked to my journal. It was still recognizable as paper, but it was well-worn with time. As I picked up the pen, scribbling on the moldy, fragile paper. As it tore, the pen left no mark.
I called out, but there was no one to hear me on the mountain. Clutching the notebook, the pen, and the last shreds of my sanity, I began the long trek back.
Prompt: Weekly Writing Prompt #104: | FAIRY | SAND | HIDE | JOURNAL | RIVER |
“Do you think they’re confused about the lights?”
“What?”
“When they’re migrating, do you think the lights trip them up?”
“It’s based on the weather. They use the change in the temperature to decide when to take flight.”
“We should turn them off.”
“We’re not turning off the lights for some birds, Levi.”
“Can we do it for us? Lighting messes up human sleep patterns, even if it doesn’t affect birds.”
“Lots of things mess with human sleep patterns. Should we throw out all our coffee while we’re at it?”
“Don’t you think it’s better to be in tune with nature?”
“Nope.”
“What?”
“If humans were living naturally, we’d die of tooth infections by thirty.”
“Don’t you ever just want to unplug?
Tina?”
“Who was it?”
“I’m sorry. Daisy mentioned it, and I thought it couldn’t hurt to just suggest it.”
“Tell her not to come around here again.”
“I can’t do that! Don’t you think that’s a little harsh? You could try it once.”
“I’m not a toy, Levi. If you need to know what it’s like that much, just use my memory banks.”
“It’s not the same that way and you know it.”
“I’m sorry I’m depriving you of an essential human experience. If you want it that badly, you can just rip your eyes out.”
“I wanted us to try something together. If you’re going to be this much of a bitch about it, we won’t.”
“Let’s just watch the sun set.”
“Okay. Love you.”
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