Short Stories: Seagulls and Tea

[TheCapybara 1803]

Short Stories by Fersen

 

“March of the Seagulls” by Sven Foresburg 

Written by Christine Beatrix Fersen

The 13th of Msitza ag Dargund of 503 E.S.

On a cold, harsh, frigid day, One small child, a frail girl with golden hair and hazel eyes wandered the shores of her quiet town which had been covered in a blanket of the purest snow. While the town was silent, the seagulls flew high above those who shivered in their homes as the snow landed on the roofs of the common folk. The snow suffocating the joys and hopes of the people who lived within the village, suffering from the horrid winds of winter which breathed upon them all. Though one held hope, the same golden-haired child who wandered the snow-covered shores of the ghost town. The young girl continued to wander the empty shores. That was until a seagull from above fell from the clouded sky and onto the soft snow. The seagull fell so elegantly from up above, like the flakes of snow.

 

The seagull fell, and when it landed on a soft and thick bed of snow. The hazel-eyed girl of the quaint town approached the fallen seagull, the plain bird lying on the bed of snow. Its body twitched as it appeared to be paralyzed by the harsh cold that embraced the land. This girl decided to take mercy on the helpless bird, picking up the paralyzed seagull with her gloved hands. She embraced the bird with her arms, giving the bird warmth like a penguin would hide its chick under layers of feathers. As the girl walked out from the shores, she wandered through a natural path of packed snow up to the village, where puffs of gray smoke ascended to the sky through the fires that kept the villagers warm within their four-walled homes. At last, the girl approached the door of her home, where she entered. The house was cozy with blankets being scattered everywhere while an old woman sat on her rocking chair, knitting a blanket. Then, the old woman turned her head to the girl and asked if she was bringing such a plain bird into the warmth of their home. The girl wisely answered that even if the world is blanketed by a harsh winter, that their hearts must stay warm and golden.

 

The old woman would then take the ailing seagull into her arms and sit down on the chair. She would begin to pour a gentle portion of tea into the beak of the seagull, Which revived the seagull from its paralyzation. Finally, the plain bird had become more alive, flying around the small wooden cabin. It squawked in joy in its newfound freedom. Minutes later, the seagull would open the one window next to the door and escape. The old woman and hazel-eyed girl looked on, wondering what was the cause of the bird’s strange behavior. After a moment, not even given a chance for the pair to close the window, more winged friends flew through the window! The taste of tea and the warmth of their cabin. The pair give into the bird’s demands, caring for these frozen and suffering birds? The winged creatures suffered like their human neighbors. Hours had passed since these seagulls had entered the wooden cabin, in their search for tea. Though, as fast as they entered the pair’s home, they left the warmth and safety of the cabin just as fast.

 

Once again, the plain birds left the child and old woman confused, but then: the snow suddenly stopped. The sun showed its bright face to the people of the quaint port town for the first time since they could remember as the heavens above cleared the darkened clouds to allow a bright blue sky to reveal itself. Cloudless was this new sky with only the warm embrace of the sun. One seagull from the bright skies flew down to the open window, twisting its head, nodding for the pair to exit from their home. The old woman and the young girl obeyed the wish of the seagull and left their wooden cabin. Finally their faces had warmth from the warm coastal air embraced their bodies once again. The golden-haired girl let her hair flow through the warm wind, her eyes closing. She remembered the pain of before which came from the harsh winter, now free from that pain. The flora around them became lush and alive as she reminisced within her mind. The plant life quickly sprouted out from the dense soil as the snow melted away by the heat of the new sun. At last, did the quaint town have warmth once more, at last, was the little golden-haired girl able to walk among the sunflowers, and the town escaped harsh winter.

Spoiler

Thank you @zuziee for the editorial support!

 

[zuziee 3222]

Ludvika Ludovar pinned her personal copy of the story to her wall, smiling brightly! 

[erictafoya 2309]

The Master of the Arts smiled brightly upon the story, penning a letter to its author an offer that she cannot refuse.