Submitted by not_quite_graceful t3_z1j31i in WritingPrompts
Dvorkam t1_ixc229k wrote
You remember Richard, a bully at an elementary school, one day he pushed you so hard, you fell and broke your arm. He laughed. With tear filled eyes, you wished he didn't, you wished he stopped bullying everyone, but nothing happened no matter how much you wished it. At first.
He continued to bully other children, and you kept wishing he would stop, and day by day, you could see a change. His demeanor changed, he slowly grew subdued, tired, bags under his eyes grew and colored and one day he just stopped. He set in his chair, face in his hands on the verge of crying. He was tired for reasons he didn't understand, but knew it was due to his bullying.
You knew all this, and felt the change in him. One day, when he again sat sullen behind his desk, you approached him. He told you to leave, but you knew, he desperately didn't want you to. You hugged him. The feeling of your cast on his chest broke him. He cried, he apologized, he promised to do better, and while at the depths of despair, you hugged him harder. You could feel the relief that flooded into him, relief you, as you now know, allowed him to have. He never bullied anyone again.
15 more years passed, knowing you were different, not understanding why. People who visited you, always left happier. Conflicts rarely started around you, and always ended strengthening the bonds between participants. Even as the world grew darker with plagues and looming danger of war, you stood in the center of island of stability, happiness, in the center of peace. It was on the day the war started in neighboring country, that threatened to engulf the world, when your mother finally appeared to you.
Hestia, the first born child of the Titan rulers Cronus and Rhea. Older than even Zeus, Poseidon and Hades. Many thought her a goddess of being a housewife, despite never being married and yet, both Apollo and Poseidon sought her hand and respected her refusal. Zeus too made no effort to change her mind, instead respected her decision to never know other man. Be it god or mortal, they knew, that the power over the hearth is nothing to be trifled with.
Her time has passed, she no longer was permitted to directly meddle in the affairs' of men. But knowing her influence was still needed, she took steps for you to come into being. You, you are a manifestation of humanity's desire for peace and your mother's wish for the same.
'You must be careful,' she told you. 'you are still a mortal, feebler than most, fragile, just like peace, but your power over hearth is as strong as mine. Bring happiness to the houses of those deserving peace.' She kissed you on your forehead, and smiled as she said it. Then she frowned and the world grew terrible for a moment as she added. 'And show them who flaunt it, the power of peace withdrawn.'
Aketor t1_ixcopfd wrote
Loveliest little thing ❤️
Dvorkam t1_ixcurhy wrote
Thank you :) glad you liked it
RCDC87 t1_ixcoggo wrote
Ooh, I like this one - you can feel the tension.. well done!
Dvorkam t1_ixcupg2 wrote
Thank you :) glad you liked it. It started quite a bit darker, but in the end I wanted hope to be the theme, so it became this.
not_particulary t1_ixep6x1 wrote
> the power of peace withdrawn.
What a haunting line.
spbla t1_ixcvx30 wrote
Lovely, we’ll done.
VibesInTheSubstrate t1_ixfpwr3 wrote
Now that's how you write a closing line!
Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments