Center of the Storm

One last chapter to close out this part of Joel's story. We'll pick up Part 2 (Book 2?) in a few weeks, perhaps - if anyone's interested.

Thanks to everyone who participated - you've all made this a ton of fun. It's been far, far weirder - and much more interesting, as a result - than I ever expected, and that's completely the result of your great additions.

For those who've missed our long, strange BIF journey, feel free to catch up:

Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3


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Chapter 4



In the sky, they saw a huge black cloud, moving with a speed and agility that Joel would never have thought possible.

It was heading straight for them.

"More Vole treachery," Slade declared, taking a step back.

"No," Joel whispered. "I don't think so." The cloud seemed somehow familiar.

Just then, the sunlight struck the dark mass and it burst into bright, unbelievable color. Reds, yellows, greens, blues - they all reflected back onto Joel and his friends, bathing them in a kaleidoscopic rainbow of moving lights.

Joel held up his hand and watched the chaos of colors shimmer across it, like something alive. Something alive....

He looked closer and realized that the cloud was no cloud at all - it was a huge flock of butterfly - millions of them.

As the flock reached the hill, it began circling overhead, chanting in unison in a language he didn't understand.

Still mesmerized by the ethereal hues of the glimmering spotlight that the butterfly flock now cast directly upon him and his companions, Joel didn't understand at first when Slade pulled at his arm and pointed into the valley.

"What?"

Slade simply kept pointing, and staring.

Slowly, Joel began to realize that the floor of the valley was moving - a slow, steady, undulation of the long grass. Brilliant red flowers bobbed and weaved on the green waves for as far as he could see, receding off into the distance.

Except it wasn't grass. What he was seeing - these plants with their deep green leaves and crimson blooms - packed so tightly across the valley and the hillside beyond that he'd easily mistaken them for simple ground cover - these were Roses. Human-sized Roses. And they were coming toward him.

The Yeti howled; the Cats bared their teeth and growled; even Slade seemed uncertain what to do. They could certainly outrun them - the Roses, anyway - but where would they go? Back to the Vole, probably waiting in ambush at the last bridge? They all knew that wasn't an option.

Only Joel seemed calm. He stepped forward to meet the lead Rose - a proud, tall plant with a pink head, carrying a large stick.

"I am Gallica, Queen of the Roses," she announced, and as she lowered her head to bow before him, the entire valley bowed behind her. She placed the stick gingerly at his feet. "My army has awaited this day these long years, this chance to restore our honor. We failed the first shepherd - it will not happen again. Take up your father's staff, and we shall defend you to the very end of time."

As Joel kneeled to touch the staff, long-forgotten childhood memories flooded his mind. Painful memories, mostly - ones best left forgotten.

As he shook his head and started to pull away, he heard a small, familiar voice. Looking up from the staff, a much smaller plant stepped out from beneath the tangle of the Roses' roots.

It was Zahn, his childhood friend - the dandelion his father had saved from the Vole so many years ago.

"I was afraid you were...." It was all Joel could manage.

"Please," Zahn pleaded, approaching the staff. "Please help us. We can't do this without you. And the world can't go on the way it is."

But Joel wasn't convinced. To fight the Vole - to stand against their lies, their greed, their power, with nothing but truth, and honor, and nature on his side - he'd be destroyed, just like his father.

When he was a boy, his father would whisper it in Joel's ear, every night as he tucked him into bed: "Truth will out, and beauty above all."

But Joel didn't believe that any more. Not for a second.

Even as his hand slowly closed around the staff, only one single thought was spinning crazily, fearfully through his mind -

Flowers are not the answer.





End of Part 1



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Yes, I know this is way too long. If anyone actually reads the whole thing. please leave a comment to let me know. :-)