The Sound of Silence {Rhys}

- 3629 Rhys -

Shattered glass erupted from the impact site of what had once been a homely mug of coffee. They rained down on the boards of the restaurant’s patio, some slipping through the small cracks to add further disturbance to the resident esk hidden beneath the mayhem. They had tried to ignore the shrill, shrieking voice of the enraged human, who had snuck from their place among the garden plants to the quieter underside of the patio, but the boards weren’t enough to block out the customer’s rage. Rhys hadn’t overheard what caused the scene, but they heard the commotion it had set in place now. Gone was the peace of a blissfully slow day at the restaurant.

Though a warm breeze caressed their fur and rustled through the leaves of the garden plants, dark clouds had lingered overhead since before dawn. No rain had come, yet, but there were signs that it soon would. The swallows swooped lower to the ground than normal, the leaves on the trees had flipped upside down, and the air felt heavy with the promise of a storm. Rhys had thought it would bring a rain storm, not a storm of rage from a seemingly average customer. They were tempted to try to remedy the situation themself, the scene only adding to their distaste of the species, but something kept them curled snuggly under the patio, wishing for the screaming to end, the peace of earlier in the day to return, for the storm they had expected to be the one that they received. Could nothing be predictable anymore?

Thunder rolled across the sky, blocking the shrill voice from Rhys’s ears temporarily. They closed their eyes.

Give me peace, they thought.

The wind stilled.

The noise ceased to exist.

Rhys opened their eyes to see an impossible sky that matched their colors. Though their peppers were not there, the setting sun mimicked their face, the surrounding clouds their body and tail. Beyond the sky, a welcomed barrier could be seen if you knew to look for it. This wasn’t the overwhelmed esk’s first trip to the conservatory, though, and it hardly took a breath for them to realize they’d returned.

At last - quiet.

Rising to their feet, Rhys shook off the lingering tension from the scene at the restaurant. They did not recognize the biome they had appeared in, but the hush that resided within it was welcomed. The moss beneath their feet illuminated and let out soft waves of pleasant tinkling sounds with each step they took. They turned their head to look behind them, watching in awe as the illuminated steps faded after they’d moved on, dissipating into what could only be compared to stardust. It was magical.

Watching the last of their steps become stars, Rhys turned forward and ventured deeper into the forest they’d appeared in. They had never seen anything so old and so alive at the same time. The trees seemed to morph before their eyes, ever undecided on which type of tree they wanted to be, what they wanted to look like, which fruits they wished to bear. An enormous redwood became a noble pine tree. A wise oak became a vibrant white birch tree, and then it became a crystalline structure that resembled a tree, that shifted in the breeze like one, but was impossibly made of crystal at the same time. The longer they walked, the more unsettling the forest became, and the calmer they grew.

So absorbed in the everchanging forest were they that Rhys nearly walked into the side of the ancient temple without seeing it was there.

Like the trellises in their boundary, vines creeped up and covered the walls. Ivy told stories of where esk and other creatures had attempted to climb the stone walls and slipped, taking the creeping plants with them. It was beautiful. Had they been in the real world, Rhys would have retreated in fear of the structure that challenged the heavens for the right to be most noticed. It was enormous, but managed to look as though it were part of the forest itself. There were stories and emotions locked within the earth around it, within the very walls of the temple, and they were begging for Rhys to offer their own to it.

Their feet moved without permission, tracking around the edge of the temple until they came to a door. It was ominous and welcoming, beckoning them to enter and rest. Rhys took a hesitant step forward. A wave of calm and peace washed over them so suddenly that they retreated several steps in fear. Dissipating footsteps were the only proof that they had ventured so close to the mysterious place.

Chest heaving, eyes darting around, Rhys was tempted to flee. It had to be a trap. A breeze blew over them, whispering soft reassurances, though, and encouraged them to enter and relish in the quiet silence of the temple. They whispered of the peace they might find and stillness they could embrace.

There would be no oncoming storms to fear within the walls of the temple.

Enter, the winds encouraged. Enter and find peace.

Against their better judgment, Rhys entered.