(Note: This story is purposely in lowercase.)
[ ii. the high priestess. ]
( you cannot escape your fate. )
i. a mind full of terror
she learns in her youth that she is different. she realizes that not everyone receives visions from the future-- the ones that allow dread to seep into her mind, the ones that fill her every being with anxiety. the ability to see the future is no blessing, no gift. she knows this all too well.
she knows the good that will happen. she knows the tragedies that will take and take and take. she knows who death will visit; she knows one’s last breath.
the seeress knows of pain and sorrow. no matter how unbearable it may be, her lips remain sealed because the burden is not one to be shared.
fate has already set its course. she cannot change that.
( seeress, you do not seek the future out.
it seeks you. )
ii. you never asked to be atlas
she grows wary of encounters.
the visions are haphazard; sometimes, they frighten slumber away in the late hours and keep her awake and pondering. sometimes, they come the moment her eyes make contact with another. she knows keeping distance is a smart choice, but loneliness is a dangerous hunter that she refuses to fall prey to.
so she lives the best she can. she laughs with others. she cries with others. she cherishes the memories and happiness because one day, they will disappear.
she does everything to distract herself from the horrors that reside in a frightened mind.
( your shoulders hang low with every burden. )
iii. fate takes hold of everyone
the visions visit and all that is seen is destruction.
war is coming. war will be the storm that ravages the town and leaves nothing but ruin.
it isn’t comprehended at first. shock overwhelms her and all she can do is stare blankly at the mirror before her. the reflection shows an angry sadness and bitterness because she wonders why this happened. why did they choose her to carry this weight?
fate taunted her. fate laughed in her face and cruelly taught her that no one could ever get in its way. it gave her a life of suffering and weakening endurance-- one that could never be changed.
even the gods know that fate should be left alone.
( you of all people should know this, seeress.
how many times did you try to run away from your power? )
iv. end of all
time passes quickly. her lips stay shut, even when they tremble in the presence of the ones that will die in the war. the conflict will come soon and there is nothing she can do about it. no warnings, no preparation, only acceptance.
a heavy heart aches terribly whenever she sees the happiness that fills the town. everything will be lost and only tragedy will greet them. everything she’s learned to love will slip through her fingers and there is nothing to be done.
no fighting, no resisting. just waiting and waiting.
she’ll move on, find temporary happiness, and then she’ll lose everyone again.
the cycle will continue on and on and the suffering will never stop.
( may you find peace where there is none. )
The High Priestess. Source.
Author's Note: The original story is titled "The One-Eyed Doe". It revolves around a dear who lost sight in one eye and is being tracked by hunters. Afraid, she continuously manages to avoid them because she knows they will lead to her death. However, they end up killing her. Her last words are "You cannot escape your fate", which inspired the story. I thought of this because I had an idea about how people constantly try to change their fate and some people believe fate is set in stone. I tied this in with the high priestess arcana because she is able to sense the unknown and she does not intervene with what is supposed to happen. I thought using a seeress would be interesting since they are able to see the future, so I thought it would be a good idea to write about a seeress who is suffering but is powerless to fate.
I also write in lowercase because I feel like it is more personal. It's a little hard to describe, but I feel like it's a bit easier to get into the story without all the formalities.
Bibliography. "The One-Eyed Doe"" from Aesop's Fables by Joseph Jacobs. Web Source.
I also write in lowercase because I feel like it is more personal. It's a little hard to describe, but I feel like it's a bit easier to get into the story without all the formalities.
Bibliography. "The One-Eyed Doe"" from Aesop's Fables by Joseph Jacobs. Web Source.
The stylistic approach of writing all in lowercase contributes to the minimalist nature of the story as a whole, I think. “The One-Eyed Doe” pulled at my heartstrings even though it was short, and I think the way you came at this story—short, vague, but narratively very close and emotional—shows how you reacted to the original story, too.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite section is ii: “keeping distance is a smart choice, but loneliness is a dangerous hunter that she refuses to fall prey to.”
The priestess character reminds me of the prophetess Cassandra, in that both of them are kind of cursed.
At first I was surprised and questioning to why you chose to use lower case letter, however while reading it made sense. I enjoyed the contrast you portrayed by saying “she laughs with others. she cries with others” It truly portrayed how she tries to deviate from the horrors in her mind. The ending had a lot of emotion and made me think especially the closing line “may you find peace where there is none.”. Well written and a joy to read!
ReplyDeleteSuch an interesting story! It's so different than all the others I've read. You have such a poetic way of writing, I could definitely see you writing poetry. Your story was definitely heart-wretching, and I felt myself feeling a deep sympathy for the seeress. It is tragic how she sees the fate of everyone, but can do nothing about it. I was surprised by how different your writing is, but I really loved it and I want to read more about your seeress.
ReplyDeleteKaylen,
ReplyDeleteSo I read your week 3 story first and after reading this one, I think NI like your writing even more. The connection between weeks is really cool and I think that it demonstrates your creativity and skill at writing and keeping a viable blog going. Also I think I like that you have to really read the author’s not to understand the connection because it’s almost like an extension of the story. Thanks!
Mackenzie
I like how you wrote knowing the future is a curse rather than a blessing like it is usually portrayed. I think that her shoulders should hang; hanging implies there is not a weight pushing her down. The descriptions you provided to open the story are very heavy issues and pertain a weight to them. I think it would be more appropriate if it was a weight pushing her down because you make references of ‘carrying’ this burden.
ReplyDeleteI think you did well playing with the idea of the High Priestess Arcana. I also want to note that I realized you never put any descriptions of the setting of the story. I couldn’t tell if it was in a period or modern setting, but I assumed a more period piece. Awesome job!