Woodworker

Naime paused at the jamb of her cabin door. The early morning sun dappled through the brilliant canopy. A lung full of air confirmed that today was going to be a magnificent day.

Shouldering her rucksack, she drew the door closed behind her, allowing herself a loving stroke of the battered wood. She followed the faint path at a steady, comfortable pace, barely conscious of following the faint calling that tickled her senses.

Birds and insects trilled to each other across the gently rising land, the trees creaked and rustled in counterpoint. The sound of a small trickle of water was welcome. She paused and filled her water bottles in the stream. Back on her path, Petal-drifters and Blue-wings, followed her progress through the undergrowth.

When she reached the small, shaded clearing, Naime knew she had reached her destination for the day. A delicate Golden Wood Tree had fallen across the path. The smell of crushed White Flower bushes brushed her nostrils.

She knelt alongside the tree, and placed her brown hands on the pale, smooth trunk. Drawing air deep into her lungs, she began to hum, the long sweet note filled the air. The sound gained in volume, and rose in key and, opened in her mouth to an ecstatic ‘ah’.

Naime’s hands and head buzzed with energy. She continued her toning, focusing her attention on the tree beneath her fingers. Time ceased, the forest sounds blurred and faded. The energy shifted, and there was a large crack, as the trunk split in two, its entire length.

Nestled in the core of the tree were two, beautifully fashioned staffs. One male, one female. She lifted them reverently, and wrapped them in the special bag from her rucksack.

Her heart thrilled. She had her admittance fee to the Woodworkers’School.

300 Word StoriesãKim Magennis 2016