Once, long ago, the tree had remembered everything about
the world. This was its task. Its purpose.
This is wrong, whispered the tree in the voice of wind
through the leaves. This is not how it was supposed to be.
...The plan has failed.
Look at my Memory
The creature wore a human shape, or maybe a human in a creatures guise?
Making meaning of the distinction had long since become difficult,
a disparity with clearer artifice the further back one stood.
But the form, the functions, learned by observation or instinct were easy enough to mimic.
The environments decay, degradation of what might have been all, rendered solitude untenable.
Only community, a distasteful symbiosis, would sustain the creature now.
Difficult times had left the humans cautious, prone to distance, at least at first.
This suited the creature quite well, its facade only kept at arms length
Only so much would be shared without trust however, and the worlds turmoil only grew.
Soon there would not be enough for all, and the untrusted first to become unwelcome.
The creature had spoken with some humans, found them to be more...kindly than expected.
Not the like of the last callous, vindictive, reflexively cruel lot the creature had fled.
Perhaps the creature could be understood by them, accepted even.
It did not hate the humans, and saw no utility in greed or avarice.
To willingly reveal itself, its misshapen nature, ask forgiveness for necessary deceptions, risky.
Would they forgive, still provide and commune, or lash out despite the gesture.
The creature would never know.
Indecision led to hesitation, and time had become the enemy of all.
In unguarded familiarity the creature was uncovered, its corroded skin and broken eyes clear to all.
The humans met it with shock and terror, the creatures pleading came far too late.
The humans struck down the creature.
It died in despair, but it could not call it betrayal, and it was soon forgotten.
But i am just the web of memories, many pasts i will not let fade, but not for me to judge.
Should the creature have revealed itself, or shrunken back to solitude?
I hope to see your answer in the main thread.
