A huge pod lies in the center of rainy, marshy Dismayed. Visitors arrive in fall. It’s always bleak and dreary, when the flattened brown and yellow grasses lie in a smashed mat of color. Red, yellow, and orange leaves fall in jagged patterns across the pond.
The denizens live in bamboo homes and cross wooden bridges over the marshes to go to school.
They clutch their shoulders and shiver.
Occasionally, the rain stops and the red sun rises.
Everyone looks around and sighs happily at the sudden warmth.
Mist rises from the leaves.
“Did you take photos?” Miss Doe Friend asks, as she missed this adventure with her companion due to unexpected illness. “Did they capture the chill beauty of Dismayed?”
Of course, Miss Emeline Traveler did capture Dismayed. And her photographs are chillingly beautiful.
Tea is served in the garden Insecure within Dismayed. Here plants are carefully trimmed and tended and little foxes live. They are shy, but poke their noses out from behind the hedges. They creep close when one is having tea.
Visitors to Insecure turn into foxes. They jump and spin and flick their long tails skyward. They point their sharp noses up and sniff. They smell delicate floral teas which is poured into delicate, floral-patterned teacups, very hot. The foxes curl up on soft cushions in the tea houses overlooking the rain-pattered pond and wait for the tea to cool enough to drink. Occasionally, they poke their noses out from under the shelter of the tea house to check the weather. Wet drops fall upon their noses and they retreat again under the roof.
"All are welcome here," says the Guide.
"Although everyone seemed hesitant," said Miss Emeline Traveler.
“Did you take photos?” Miss Doe Friend asks, as she missed this adventure with her companion due to unexpected illness. “Did they capture the chill beauty of Dismayed?”
Of course, Miss Emeline Traveler did capture Dismayed. And her photographs are chillingly beautiful.
Tea is served in the garden Insecure within Dismayed. Here plants are carefully trimmed and tended and little foxes live. They are shy, but poke their noses out from behind the hedges. They creep close when one is having tea.
Visitors to Insecure turn into foxes. They jump and spin and flick their long tails skyward. They point their sharp noses up and sniff. They smell delicate floral teas which is poured into delicate, floral-patterned teacups, very hot. The foxes curl up on soft cushions in the tea houses overlooking the rain-pattered pond and wait for the tea to cool enough to drink. Occasionally, they poke their noses out from under the shelter of the tea house to check the weather. Wet drops fall upon their noses and they retreat again under the roof.
"All are welcome here," says the Guide.
"Although everyone seemed hesitant," said Miss Emeline Traveler.
Cool SHORT story("Emotion 365: The Land of Dismayed, the garden Insecure"). I arrived here after reading your wonderful "Watch Out, Red Crusher!" story in the Glass & Gardens anthology - it's great example of how humans will be humans, regardless of situations/circumstances/solar technology/etc. moved me. Thank You!!!
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