Visual prompt

The Journey
By Jill Terry

As nightfall descends, she leaves the bank of propriety, on a quest to forbidden shores, ignoring the flames as they dance in the breeze and extinguish one by one. A free spirit and old soul, listening to the voice of her heart, she is guided by the light of desperation and desire that will lead her to the place where her twin soul awaits. Or does he…

Separated by distance and time, she wonders if he still holds memories of the magic created, when their hearts and minds were synchronized to a rhythm all their own. Not a flight-of-fancy, found in fairy tales and superstition, but a result of their combined energy that existed at all times and could be harnessed and used at will.

Endless hours spent. Discussing ideals, dreams and plans for a future that centered on the virtue of worth, advantage and beneficial qualities of creativity, in relation to being true to oneself. Or does that person no longer exist…

Like the warrior in battle, forced to distance himself from the realities of his actions in order to forge ahead and complete the tasks that must be done. He gathers memories and remains, locking them away in a place so far from the surface of his true self that the threat of them being lost forever is despairing, yet necessary for his survival. Or does her light still guide him…

In moments of silence when he’s alone inside his mind, does he feel her spirit lingering and the enduring longing to hold it within his grasp? Still lucky, does he feel, to have been taken into her private world; to be guided by her light, to have felt the warmth of the fire that burns within her soul and the emotional comfort that her soft caress and touch did bring?

Or has the truth of her that he knew so well, been tainted by time, regret and lies? Was the deceit and betrayal, more than his soul could bear? Has he cast aside all they shared, vowing to never again let the thought of her enter his mind? Submitting to the pretense of what time has created, though self-confessed, is not enough to sustain him.

And if during her quest, an untimely demise is met, would he cast aside all doubt and feel pain for the loss? Would he remember her with a smile, as he sits alone, along the rocky shore of life, close his eyes and picture her there? Remembering her words and the truth they held; and in his moments of quiet revelation, accept the profoundness of their experience and reemerge with a changed preconceived notion of reality and of himself.

Only time will tell the answers she seeks, in the journey that lies ahead.



© Copyright 2006 by Jill Terry. All Rights Reserved.