Written for MLMM Monday Wordle #462 and
for Sadje’s WDYS – What Do You See #326.
Here’s where the image & prompt words took me.
hand, ruby, drum, banquet, lady, box,
food, trouble, dress, cheek, instance, and two
The lady in the ruby dress ascended the stone steps, her hand trembling against the wooden rail. Behind her, the banquet hall echoed with the rhythmic beat of a ceremonial drum.
She’d stolen the box …. that was the trouble. Inside lay two ancient scrolls, forbidden texts the guardians had hidden for decades upon decades. Now, tears streaked her cheek as she approached the temple overlooking the waterfall, seeking sanctuary.
“For instance,” the temple peacekeeper had warned, “those who take that which is not theirs will find no peace here.”
But she had no choice. Her village needed the knowledge within …. the recipes for food that could heal, the prayers that could save them. She placed the box at the ancient temple’s base, bowing deeply.
The drum grew silent. The waterfall roared its judgment. And in that moment, she understood: the power of the treasured scrolls could never be taken; it could only be given.
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This is “The Ballad of Jeremiah Peacekeeper” by Poets of the Fall
All text and graphics are copyright for Nancy Richy and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.
The Elephant's Trunk 