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The Collective <3

Just the way you are

@flashfictionfridayofficial​ Do you know the tail Tale tail tale of old  Of the wild and free impetuous, glittering  Sylkie so bold?  No one knows from whence she came or where she was going to go Some say a falling star crack’d open Some say an Arabian night vessel was broken  And a maiden from which was washed by waves Taken  taken  taken to moss-green dark depths forsaken Cloying algae-ridden waters Emerald wasteland of sailors’ and ships’ skeletons Sparkling in places tempting her to the wastes wastes  wastes wastes of sea-lovers souls by way of scattered gold and pieces of eight. The maiden Sylkie; a woman, spirit wild, and free tempestuous, turbulent, as the turquoise deep Blazing astral fire in dark, witch-hazel eyes roaring heart of snow-pure, marble lions  fighting and delighting In crashing seas and oceans lover of adventures  as yet, innocent to dangers until dragged far down down  down down by the icy blue wrapped ‘round the trailing ripping and fading foot of her flowing, ivory gown.  True sylkies are born in the sea  of her they whispered  “She was a witch, cast out and tied to rough, craggy rocks for sins that weighed of cursed intentions Not to breathe nor float as decreed by God and oceans” No gills on her olive-skin neck were seen and she did not, underwater, breathe merely held air from each surfacing breeze  The sea sometimes a friend a kind current to rise it would lend but in the cold kelp forests  lived Cruelty, a crocodile-tearstained, scaled monster Believed himself judge, jury and executioner commander and tamer of the abysmal aqua and chained all spirits she carried, his prisoners. Maiden became Sylkie over time Salt crystals made her garments glow silver, and shine around her feet, kelp and tattered dress did wind forming an iridescent tail of a kind with a bejewelled, bronze bracelet clapped over. Rows of pearls and ice wrapped and choked her Hope in a warm heart yet still told her “Win them with kindness I will find freedom from my binds yet” Unaware that Cruelty owned her. She earnt a surface dwelling the necklace of opalescence loosening from her throat, and each night she was arisen by whispering, wilful currents with aquamarine’s blessing. Found a place to gaze above, dreaming of starlit heavens upon stone-cold thunder grey knives knives knives knives Watching sail-ships passing by Millennia passed and fate forever sunken brought on a new soulful rebellion Concealed til Great Star’s break Sailors and Sylkies lives she did try to save Alas! Cruelty tightened his chains her sister Sylkies’ skins cruel folk did take and wives of them did they make Each will, time after time, they did doom and break break break break like stony white cliffs by ocean’s waves. Marine’s icy nature did permeate and flow through her fear was a heavy, black-sheep’s wool cloak No longer fighting to swim, rising soaked to the core of her soul  in the kelp-mould scum of Cruelty Who whipped her and kicked her threw her  and bruised her olive tones now pain’s grey and blue Losing her own will, sinking to her doom. The hushed strokes and whispers of seaweeds sharp darts from grinning jaws twisting her mentally  Cruelty’s growls that shook her spirit  Poisoning her, leaving her dead coral, in fearful paralysis. Her salt-tears mingled with salt-sea blues “Oh my daughter, Cruelty cries too” Sylkie had no reply, but slept in ocean’s soothes her shushing shoals, whispering winter waves carving her out secret crystal caves caves  caves caves Below surface break So her Sylkie may hide, if not swim away Sylkie’s one salvation Was a carcass craft on the rocky, mossy seabed, sunken.  Sunken Sunken long ago and its souls drunken by Cruelty and other sea-phantoms. An explorer’s ship, mast dismembered sail and carriage in tatters but oh! With such wealth of treasure! One freedom granted to her rows and rows of chestnut, floral carved, bookcases By miracle and mercy intact were each world’s pages pages pages pages scribbled over with world’s knowledge and stories through the ages She would stay and learn, books in now-webbed hands With no gills still, lungs learnt long ago to withstand the crushing weight of the depths at Cruelty’s command Solace, love, worlds above, found in her treasure library Suddenly the wasteland was brighter, glittering, emeraldine  She explored and swam again, with hope, through the sea. Oppression  education a bravesoul firing on Are all that’s needed to re-spark rebellion Slipping out of grasp of oceans learning to pick her chains open She used her feet the first time in millennium  Shimmering silver-scaled skirts dragging dragging dragging dragging As she felt soft shore sand on her skin, walking. Hiding, she watched life passing by Her stories from inky depths  Did bloom and burst in her chest entranced and enticed by life on land But here, Cruelty took another form Gliding through sleeping sapphire sea once more She ventured under night’s shadows to shore curiously finding herself caught by woven strands of straw wrapped in a net, a safety of sorts? Of sorts of sorts of sorts But the fisher’s boy who found her Was no kind lover for he was a son of a Sylkie skin stealer and wife-r He expected submission But fought, tore through ropes and back to mother ocean ocean ocean ocean Who welcomed her back, waves parted open Her current carried her as Sylkie cried Sea foam sighed “If you wish, Cruelty shall fix it and make you his bride” But heartbroken, Sylkie refused and dived. And Cruelty grinned, sharp canines gleamed as he rumbled, “Never forget, my dear, she is mine.” Banished solely to soul-crushing abyss Chains re-fastened, now pierced through bone and skin. One privilege remained, 2 breaths a day taken Breath in Great Star-down stolen as a silver coin is arisen sea softly tied and trailed by moonlight ribbons under sky’s ultramarine and violet ink  With celestial beauties far off twinkling twinkling twinkling twinkling And again at Great-Star dawn, sky rosebud pink Clouds of roses blooming And here her last will was given The only thing left, necklace untied enough for her voice to ring She did not sing as other Sylkies did to tempt sailors to murky, gargling fates within Cold grey sea and tempests, never again to see kin She cried and yelled and screamed In hopes fools would hear her pleas  to save themselves from deaths ill-fated fated fated fated  what Cruelty and seas dictated But one shipwreck survivor drifted on splinters And upon listening to her burning ice anger her crystal tears and cries found beauty in her voice of wind chimes Her words weighed heavy and weary but her voice? Her sad song of her tail and drowning life? Enchanted the lonely soul who lost all Lost all fighting his own life’s Cruel. She spoke fondly of her now ancient library below In the emeraldine depths that did glow He begged every dusk and dawn to go go  go go She adored him with all her beating heart and soul But feared for his safety  She hid him, wrapped in kelp greatly Waiting for mother’s calm Clasping him by the palm Taking him down  down down down hoping against hope that he would not drown. But Cruelty’s design said “no, she is mine” From her, he would unwind the depths too great for the man Body not built to withstand  Crushing weight of poisonous waters of the wasteland He caught a glimpse, not of the dark-turquoise grotto library But of her captor, stony, slimy, freezing and scaly Horrified, bursting back to the surface  surface surface surface In no small part from sea’s wails, harsh currents but still mercy He pleaded for her to break free He pleaded to slay Cruelty With clear teardrops pouring down her face always She choked out sadly attempting as she did  to loosen the pearl necklace tightening “The chain is him and it is embedded in me I slay him I become him, and anguish the seas You slay him, break the clasps and I wilt I have been poisoned forever by his choking guilt I would not tie you to me, to this chain, for anything Please, leave, I give you up despite everything Leave with life, soul and faith intact, for once let me win.” With a final gasp, she sank below again Opal stone rope strangling poison guilt killing her hopes with her, sinking Every thought of love, drowning.

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