A Silent Garden

## Part 1

*In a long-forgotten garden, in a place now almost completely shielded from the light by a thick canopy of low-slung trees, all is still.*

*Until now.*

It crept through the once silent foliage. It leaked through the gates and snaked round the tall piles of rocks.

It pulsed.

It glowed.

It… spoke.

It was not alive, as to say. Quite the opposite, in fact - it was an embodiment of death. If it were to have a mind, it would be a diseased one. If it were to have a soul, it would be a torn one. If it were to have a heart, it would be corroded.

And as it slinked through the silence, it approached a tall, rocky figure. In its past, it was very image of beauty, elegant and streamlined as it was. Perhaps once it was clean and smooth, the centrepiece of this serene garden. But no longer. Now it was rough to the touch, each and every test of time available to any searching limb. These cracks were not empty, oh no. They were filled with limp plants, clutching loose soils in their roots. Some were dead, serving as food for the new, younger plants.

It sought, it found, and it conquered.

The rock crumbled slightly. Nothing too remarkable in other circumstances, but here, it was the first movement for a very long time indeed; other than that of the… thing, that is. Did it even matter? Nobody was there to notice it.

Another few pieces crumbled off. The left leg moved ever so slightly upwards, closer to the single beam of pale sunlight that leaked down from above.

Something was definitely happening. Something strange.

Then, the figure began to hum.

*Arummmmmmmm*

It went on for some time, gradually becoming louder. It began to pulsate, soil breaking off and bringing the weeds down with it. Weak purple light shone through the cracks of the rocks and rubble began to crumble more frequently and, it seemed, to leap from the statue rather than fall, as if each individual piece would really rather not be here when whatever was happening happened.

And then…

And then the statue opened its eyes.

Its face remained of the same neutral, tame look, but now with wide eyes.

Its head turned up to stare into light.

It reached its arm even further upwards. It was trying to catch the light.

*Who are you?*

The statue ceased movement.

*You are not me.*

It remained still.

*Why are you here?*

It did not move.

*You are not me.*

## Part 2

*Leave.*

Despite its unwavering stillness, the statue had a cognitive air about it. Whatever had entered it had countered a new wonder: the gift of cognition.

*You are not me.*

[MINE.]

The statue remained still for a brief moment, before a crack shot violenty up through its half, seemingly with no outer force applied. Further fractures lurched from the gaping crevice, smaller but, nonetheless, heavily damaging the statue. The rubble sprung with much more sharply, with more speed and in the form of much larger, much more jagged, and, on the whole, much more dangerous bursts.

*No.*

[YES.]

*NO!*

The cuts continued to make their way through the stone, reaching further and further with every second that past, expelling rocky detritus at alarming rates and displacing entire small bushes.

[WHO?]

*Who am I?*

Suddenly, the figure ceased its vibrating and the ever-expanding ruptures came to a halt. A single chunk of the rough rock fell off, the soil and crown of floral growths following it.

[NO. I.]

*An intruder.*

[NO!]

*YES!*

## Part 3

And, as the statue continues its rumbling, we leave, following the offending purple lines to their source, a town that is really putting itself on the map with its recent addition.

Throngs of animals shove and shout at each other. The air is turned into a warm haze by steam, rising from hot food stands set up by eager merchants of a most oppurtunistic nature. The area is riddled with thieves that have smelt the smell of naivety; they were almost managing to steal as much off of the unsuspecting tourists as the merchants.

As we watch, we see a massive, bulky shape having particular success making their way through the crowds. They weren't necessarily using much brute force; the crowd seemed to split down the middle for them, making a path without realising. *Nobody* wants to get in the way of the big dude with the dark eyes and tense shoulders.

The effect was only accentuated by the sharp claws that adorned the large paws, and, perhaps most of all, the massive... weapon, as it was best described, slung over their back and glinting maliciously in the naked sunlight.

Oh, and, of course, you couldn't forget the... mask. It was dark with a bright visor and occasionally let out puffs of some kind of mysterious gas, presumably unfit for inhalation by any other animal.

On their back, near the weapon, another figure desperately clung to the long, shining fur of the beast's mane. This creature was not exactly small, rather skinny. Long limbed and with a scraggly, greasy pelt, they were, on the whole, a lot less impressive looking. Their two long incisors protruded and they wore massive goggles that covered much of their face. And, just to elevate the lanky look that they seemed to be going for, they had two extremely long ears, that they held flat. They seemed to be trying to hide in the fur, but it wasn't really working. Not that anyone cared much. They were just another - if not remarkable - face in the crowd.

The motley pair continued their steady journey until they reached the pit. The skinny one jumped off and began to speak in a raspy voice, somehow still acheiving a few squeaks.

'Aye! Look at this thing! Are you seeing this, erm.....' they prompted.

'Yes.' Said the larger one, in their thick, deep voice with a monotonous tone.

The lanky thing hesitated for a moment.

'Yes?' They squeaked.

*'Yes?'* Replied the larger one, a bit more expression in their voice his time.

'I mean erm... I mean.... Yes what??' Said the small one, letting out a nervous chuckle and a small spray of spittle.

'Yes. I see the hole.'

'But.... your name?'

'...'

'Anyway! Anyway... anyway!!!'

'For what?'

But the skinny thing had already hopped away, beginning to set up some complex-looking gear. The beastly creature nodded knowingly, then began to stare deep into the hole. As always, they seemed deep in thought.

## Credits

* Written by ObscurumStar from 12/18/2023 to TBA (ongoing).