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Sad Fiction

Regretful or rue,

The latter of two

Had hauled much resentment to scrape,

And mildly but sure

His pleadings endure

A loath much more drastic to drape.

He’s cradled in taverns

Of ancients and caverns,

A name concurred shrill

Of old buck’ man Bill.

In the diurnal life of creatures, they grow content with the dependence amongst themselves, their self-preservation assiduously overcomes their reverent instincts. A mature hare protects her leverets from their inability to do so. Human nature the same abides to distinct laws, reviving forward ways from developing of postern antiquities. Densely situated in the rumors of the where once dwelled a forest, resigned a shrewd man and his work. He domiciled into the craters of the mountains, welding water from streams that followed the branches of civilizations. Its branches unfolded farther than any lineage of man and spoke in dialects no man knows. It applies itself as shelter for animals who do know it and acquaints itself even with those who don’t. Festered into the tendrils of wallflowers, lived one, Buck’man Bill.

The renouncing of such a name strikes as odd to most. He was abbreviated with such animalism after gouging the eye of a bull, his futility slaughtered the animal and devoured the viands. He no longer lived in the same region where he did so either. No, he encompassed the entire world at his hands and lived farther than most lifetimes could reach.

The uniqueness of this story is characterized from the finite properties a story holds: A beginning, a middle, an end and a plot, none of which is difficult to follow as it has reputed seemingly simple for one to summarize the assets of a life, judging whether a detail is worth mentioning, if regarded as ‘tension’ to entice the story.

Buck’man Bill didn’t address the pattern of a story to his life, he didn’t have a trail of upbringings to explain his actions and acted mostly on instinct, a rambunctious figure with stout shoulders, bantered lips and a lenient back for his age. He delved into carpentry when young, embellishing a woodwork career when older. On frequent occasions he would approach the riverbank of yet the same river he lives by now, for it was the same all around the world and ever-growing. It approached his arms, earnestly pleading to enter the riotous depths it led to. He observed its manner until a day came that he argued,

“Oh river hear me! Why doth though livid waves allure me, whence does your gory nature go to repent!”.

The river, renown for its cunning conduct, tallied a while longer until spoke,

“ You court my abundance to you as a plead. I, as the many magnanimous toils you know, have pitied your kind. I wish to enrich in you the powers I bear and advance your life to what I see it be.”

Bill was stagnant for a moment, having befallen a curious attempt in asking what is seen for his life to be. He disregarded it and enquired, “ What powers do you bestow that you wish to evade to me?”.

A moment’s while longer and it again spoke, “ You will have three wishes, all which benefit just as well and all that can cause you no harm if chosen. You must know that none of what happens can be the cause of the wish, simply of your actions alone”. He was profoundly shocked, hastened to again beseech the river to put forth his options and hurriedly began asking, “ Rive put forth your wishes to my own countenance!”.

So it began, “ The first is a life void from poverty, a relinquished and endless provision to bare, your hands will forthwith be able to turn any body of matter into a lustrous, gilding glisten of gold”. The first option already of much appeal, made it of much difficulty for Bill to restrain.

“ The second, you will find eternal love from an unexpected maiden in a land unknown yet to you”. He was pervious to befall such an occasion, for he had long been a suitor for a life with another.

“ The last, you may command me to perform any task you wish, be it the manslaughter of a city or hindrance to feed a droughted village”. The tempt to all options was immense, courting them all of high service to him.

Bill was a kindred man, unwilling to perish his devotion to the world of trade, as he suspected he would delve into, if he chose the first. He was beguiled by the second, seeing no reason to disregard it, except perhaps that of what creature the maiden may be, or the ferocity of the land she comes from. The third was daunting, he knew his allegiance to his land would be drastic if he had much power. In dismay of the first and the final, he chose the option applicable.

“ I have chosen, I choose the second”, he announced, his eyes glinted their brightest speck of soot, imploring his furthest pursuit to unite with her. The bounty of wood he arrived in lay distorted on the ground, the neat mound of oak was presumably dwindling in his hands, being always on the verge of toppling over. In not a moments haste, the viscosity of the river lifted.

Torrents of dew crawled along the tufts of grass, approaching the river with a softened pace and dripping into larger masses. It began to attain a bodily shape, a height average of a human and a vail that silted into glistened foils of fabric. The maiden elapsed onto the ground, yet didn’t obtain the water but that of which the water condensed into. Her skin, be it skin, lanterned aglow and her illusion was seen much vaguely than that of living creatures. She walked with eloquence and appointed clemency, her first was spoken without the adherence of her mouth and fragments of her motion could be seen even after done.

So she spoke, “ My love, you have chosen me amongst the many desires of the world, I am eternally blessed to have you”. Her fluency was above his, making him more allured. “ I wish to travel the world with you, my aspect of the world is unknown, I find you willing to do the same for we shall never part!”, her vibrance extended as they henceforth endured their journeys into the world.

Though, she was fragile, her soul unable to bare the faults of people. The first day of travel they met an accomplice of Bill. When he conversed with her, she was startled, repeating, “ I know you, I know what happened to you, why must have you done it…”. She was tearful, as she began to realize that she knew everyone, everyone that strode past them.

It foreshadowed her immense sickness, she saw no fragrance in the world, no longer abiding to her love. He entered to bade her every day, having to contain her in the solace of his home.

Then again, Buck’man Bill was one of many who thought they were deserving of her, for in secret, she knew of his past, of such a simple man.

And so, she grieved upon her throne,

She flawed each seeker’s trail of stone.

Of pure of heart and mind it still

Foresaw the tales of Buck’man Bill. 

December 04, 2020 11:33

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2 comments

Such a lovely story Emma! So amazing with such nice description and much more things! Simply awesome job!

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Rayhan Hidayat
11:59 Dec 14, 2020

What a curious story. It’s as if a fairytale, an 11th century epic poem, and a thesaurus had a threesome and this popped out nine months later. Or maybe I’m just too uncultured to appreciate this style of writing. Still, this is so unique and I’m glad I found it. Kudos, and thanks for sharing 😙

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