The Castle Walls
As I stand here underneath this ancient tree, looking out over a wide expanse of dark water, I wonder at the lives once lived in this Castle. What secrets does it still hold.
I wonder about the wandering spirits that surely abide there, still, wandering, about the Castle walls, not really aware that their time is long past. I wondered too, how they felt or if they felt lost and alone or did they still live in that long ago past. Are they in anyway aware that time passes, and other lives are lived as they once did.
I also wonder what loss or trauma has kept them wandering on this earthly plane of existence as spirits. Are they angry at some betrayal or did their grief over some earthly matter take them by surprise. I wish I could spare them their anguish.
I remain standing, alone, under this ancient tree, yet, I do not see the color of its leaves, or feel the breeze through my hair, or the brightness of the sun. I don’t hear the chirping sound of birds, or the flow of water on the nearby spring that flows through the forest.
My world is now shades of gray, for I am also a wandering spirit. How I came to be standing under this ancient tree, I do not know. So many memories are lost to me. How long have I been gone and how long must I remain in this lonely state of being? I do not know. I can only hope that my life was spent in good deeds to others or did I commit some terrible deed that I must repay in some way.
Only time will tell.
I like this, particularly how the shift comes in the fourth paragraph!
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Hi Liz, thank you, I am so glad you like it. Also, please feel free, as a professor to mention anything you see that is grammatically wrong. I just reread this and a found a spelling error and it could have been much better. (I wrote it very quickly – so busy researching astronomy for my book 2 and Book 3 of Delphi Altair -The Star Map and Delphi Altair – The Ghost Planet (for middle graders) and waiting for my formatted manuscript, The Captain’s Witch (for adult readers who like historical paranormal books).
I am glad you like the shift. I do like surprise endings as I am sure you have noticed from my previous writing, Karen 🙂
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It poses some haunting questions. Well done!
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Lea, well, it does do that and I love your word term, “haunting questions”. Karen 🙂
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Karen, thank you. I didn’t choose those words. They took over and put themselves out there. I believe you know how that works. Lea 🙂
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Lea, yes, I certainly know that for sure…it happens to me all the time and it leaves me wondering….”where did that come from?”
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Karen, I re-read some old poems I had written and posted a number of years ago, yesterday and it was like, who wrote this stuff? Does this ever sound familiar?
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How sad, that we must forget our lives after we die. The bad stuff, yes, but I would like to remember the good times…
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Hi Jenanita, Please don’t worry about that. I do think that some traumatized people before death, as in life, do go through a period of PTSD. I believe that most people do recall their loved ones and their previous life. Karen 🙂
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A sad and haunting tale, Karen…beautifuly written.
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Sue, oh my gosh, thank you so very much, I am awed by your beautiful comment about my short short story. I have found that my writing has improved beyond what I thought I could do, due to your #writeprompt photo assessments. Karen 🙂
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I’m lad, Karen 🙂
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A beautiful image from Sue, and you did it justice, Karen. I love the wistful tone of this piece and the reveal of the narrator as a spirit as well. Lovely writing.
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Diana, Thank you! I am so thrilled that you liked it and I wrote it for that very same reason, as well as to give the story impact; a little mystery at the end. Karen 🙂
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Excellent, Karen! You took this to a different level, and left readers pondering at the end. 🙂
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Jennie, thank you! I like the mystery and letting people decide what happened and why. 🙂
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It worked so well! 🙂
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