The Unseen One

A wing flapped silently in the dark. An eye watched from a place unseen. The place of The Unseen One. The Unseen One who was everywhere and nowhere. Hiding in plain sight. Whooo… Whooooo…

Flap, flap. A silent wind moved into the Cavern of the Crystal Eye. The Crystal Eye, a ball of light, movement, and silent sound. Here, The Unseen One let out a loud and piercing cry. Whoo Whoooo. This was the Whooo News broadcast that was heard all over the realms by the ones who ate the long worms.

The Unseen One had decreed that all in the Realms listen to the Whooo News and only the Whooo News. Compliance was measured by the consumption of long worms. The Whooo News seemed to be effective in controlling the thought and actions of the masses. ‘You shall eat long worms to stay healthy’ was the decree.

The long worms glowed in the dark. They were found in the deepest caverns of the earth and were cultivated for their light. For years the long worms had been fed a mixture of radioactive dirt and the juice of fireflies.

The Unseen One never ate the long worms. He needed to remain in the shadows. To be The Unseen One meant that his power was held through the mystery of his existence. Did he, or did he not exist was the question.

Those that ate the long worms never questioned it. They believed if they didn’t eat the long worms perhaps they would not be able to fly and would end up extinct like the dodos they had been told about at flying school. They didn’t know. This was untested. They took to the skies in unity and only saw the winged ones next to them.

They were known as the Wingnuts. Their job was to find the fireflies and drop them into firefly collection points for use as fodder for the long worms.

The existence of The Unseen One was only known to very few. These were the Chosen Ones. The Chosen Ones lived in a secret society underground coming out only to gather the bounty left at the openings to feed the long worms. They themselves did not eat the long worms and this was their great secret.

The Chosen Ones worked for The Unseen One in blind obedience. Their role was of the utmost importance for the order and control of the Wingnuts. After all, without the work done by the Wingnuts, there would be no food for the long worms. If the Wingnuts did not eat the long worms, they would not hear the Whooo News broadcasts and this definitely would not do.

The perks of being a Chosen One were many. They got to eat a variety of foods not available to the Wingnuts. They could gather and party amongst themselves, and they enjoyed the prestige that being a Chosen One gave them, as long as they filled the long worm trays before dawn. They did so under the cloak of darkness. The long worm trays were covered so that they did not emit light until the cloaks were lifted with the breaking of the dawn.

The dawning was the time that all the Wingnuts gathered to eat the long worms. The daily intel gatherers and the night hunters together. This was a daily ritual that kept them all alive and with purpose. After all what was life without purpose?

The Wingnuts flew in packs and descended as a mass to identify and gather the fireflies for the long worms. Those that flew throughout the day only had to identify the places where fireflies might gather. Those that flew at night were the gatherers.

There were those who ate the long worms without question and went about their daily duties in compliant bliss. They formed a large proportion of the Wingnuts.

Then there were those that didn’t believe that the long worms were their source of life but ate them anyway because the decree told them to. To go against the decree may mean being an outcast and without a connection to the life source or any other approved nutrition that existed.

Leni was a devout Wingnut. No question. Leni did as Leni was told. Leni was a night gatherer and proud of it. Not a thought entered Leni’s mind that perhaps it wasn’t right to gather the fireflies to feed the long worms. Leni slept by day in a hollow log and woke at dusk ready for action. Leni groomed herself in the waters of the pond near the tree, carefully arranging all feathers for the best flight of the night possible. In this task, Leni excelled. The best-groomed Wingnut of the night and the speediest.

Leni’s bounty count was the highest across the realms and she was sure it had to do with the preparation and grooming ritual she had instilled. She had been told at flying school that grooming mattered. That each feather had a place and that it was very important to be well-groomed for the good of all others. After all the fireflies were quick. They disappeared if not caught in a flash.

Leni thought not of the lives of the fireflies, but the lives of the other Wingnuts. After all, she needed to be able to contribute to the well-being of those whose flying skills had now failed as they were getting older, and whose eyesight was no longer sharp even though they ate the long worms on offer.

One thing about Leni and Leni’s kind was that they had to stick to a designated flight path. They could not deviate from this path. They definitely could not fly over the vast forests which existed across the globe. These forests remained dark in the night and were strangely rimmed with light around the edges. No one could explain why. In the vast forest, there were no dense long worm trays that lit up the darkness. If the Wingnuts flew over these regions it was believed that anything could happen.

Myth told that flying over these vast forests could cause loss of flight and one would fall deep into the heart of the forest never to be seen again. In the vast forest, one could be devoured by creatures without light, that lived without rules or code and would not think twice before eating the likes of Leni. The very thought of it sent a shudder down her carefully groomed wings and she stopped to rearrange her feathers and her mind. Focus on the light she said to herself, and all will be well.

Whilst Leni did her rearranging, she listened to the Whooo News for reassurance. Ahhh, the daily dose that made her world make sense. She breathed a sigh of relief as these stray thoughts were disturbing to her and definitely not welcomed by her, or the other Wingnuts. Everything in its rightful place she carried on with her night duty, swooping with unflinching precision into the fireflies' secret spaces, gathering not one, but two at a time.

Bren was a Wingnut too. Bren, however, did not quite believe that the long worms were so important after all. If so, why would some of the Wingnuts get old and not be able to feed themselves? This was a question he was not allowed to have. He knew about the vast forests. He had seen one himself, from the edges. The strange ring of light and then nothing but darkness. The vast forest sent a chill down his feathers just knowing that they did exist for real.

Bren was an intel gatherer by day; however, he flew on the edge of the flock. He was not a central player. Occasionally he flew alone at night just to get another perspective on his life. He was a bit of a solo renegade in that way. If anyone questioned him on these flights, his answer was that he couldn’t sleep and so he was just using up the last of his energy in order to get a good night's sleep and be the best he could be in the morning.

Bren saw what the others could not. This made him question the logic, however, he dared not breathe a word to the others. He kept his opinions to himself and just did what was asked of him. He ate the long worms as prescribed, and as long as he did not let his thoughts run away from him, he was happy.

After a day’s hard work flying across the realm gathering firefly intel, Bren would wash in the pond near the big tree that Leni lived in. Bren also lived in the big tree with the hole in it, but he had a nest that was cozy. He had worked hard for that nest as it was going to be home for him and the family he wanted to raise.

Unfortunately, Bren’s other half had passed in a sudden accident whilst scouting for fireflies. Bren was childless and alone, but he did not feel alone if he could fly with the pack, even if he was peripheral.

The daily routine was enough for Bren, but it was the little things that started to niggle. Who were the fireflies? Did they even matter? Who and what lived in the vast forest? Was it as dangerous as they were told? Would he really not be able to fly? He even questioned the Whooo News, although luckily he had no one to voice these strange thoughts too. As long as he went to work gathering intel and ate the long worms he was safe from the others finding out.

The Wingnuts had been told that those who questioned the Whooo News were cast out into the vast forests never to return. This was frightening and the fear kept Bren in line even though he had no one else to fight for or care about. He cared about the existence of the Wingnuts and that was all that mattered.

No one even questioned who delivered the Whooo News. The Whooo News was gospel, and the thought of any untruths was not even a thought that was viable in Wingnut society. When a Whooo News signal was released, it was felt across all sectors of the Wingnuts.

One dawn at the feeding trays Bren and Leni collided. It was love at first sight. Bren was dazzled by the well-groomed Leni. He could see that she would be a very good mother and he was somewhat smitten. Leni wasn’t sure about Bren. There was something about him that was just a bit out of the ordinary. Something felt a little dangerous about him, and also strangely attractive.

After this first meeting, Bren made sure that he looked his best each morning and got up extra early to groom himself and make sure all his feathers were in place. Leni always looked good he thought. They came to realize that they both lived in the same tree. Leni thought that Bren lived dangerously in his nest. After all, it was open to the elements.

Leni invited Bren over to her little nest in the hole of the tree so he could see what a safe life looked like. Bren was impressed; however, he felt a little claustrophobic. There was only one way in and one way out.

They held discussions on the best nest possible, and Bren wondered what it would take for Leni to come and join him in his nest. Their routine meant that they would only meet at dawn and if they coordinated, they could also cross paths at dusk. Was it possible for one of them to change shifts? Was it possible for either of them to change their living arrangements?

Leni insisted that Bren joined her in her safe haven if he wanted to take it further. They came to a compromise. Seeing as Bren had made his nest for his departed wife, he would dismantle his nest and use the materials to recreate it at the entrance of Leni’s hole in the tree. There he would guard her while she slept in between his intel breaks.

This arrangement suited them both. Before long Leni found herself feeling broody. This was great news for the pair of them. She needed more long worms than usual to see her through the broody period and she was relieved from gathering duty.

A little Wingnut was born at the crack of dawn. They decided to name her Wise. Wise was a strange young Wingnut. Wise would not eat the long worm no matter how big or small. Wise would have none of it. They kept Wise alive with unconventional food that they both gathered in secret.

They had heard rumours that this was possible, however, they had no one to discuss this with, as this was a forbidden conversation.

It came time for Wise to go to Wingnut school, however, if Wise did not eat the long worm she would not be allowed to go.

There was a strange broadcast put out by the Whooo News, that it was rumoured that some Wingnuts were having offspring that would not eat the long worms. They must eat the long worms or they would not survive. They would not be allowed to go to Wingnut school and this was unthinkable.

Bren and Leni both feared they would be found out. That someone would see and report Wise for not eating the long worm. After all, she did not glow. She was not the same and she could not hear the Whooo News. That was odd they both thought. After all, didn’t everyone hear the Whooo News?

They kept Wise in the hole by day and only let her explore the tree outside by night. As she didn’t glow she wasn’t seen by the others. Their fear grew for Wise and her future. What can we do?

As Leni flew at night, she decided to be brave and become a peripheral flyer. She noticed the edge of the vast forest seemed to glow and move. She also noticed that the ring of light got fainter as it moved toward total darkness in the centre.

The Unseen One was getting restless in the Cavern of the Crystal Eye. Something wasn’t quite right. He felt he was somehow losing power. He ramped up the fear through the Whooo News. Whooo Whoooooo!

Strange things started to happen. The Wingnuts started sharing intel. There were rumours of The Unseen One that had started to emerge. Who was The Unseen One? How had The Unseen One been kept quiet all this time? Why was The Unseen One invisible to all? Who was spreading these rumours? Was it The Chosen Ones themselves? If so, what had happened in the world of The Chosen Ones?

Actually, the majority of the Wingnuts were not even aware of The Chosen Ones. It was Leni who discovered their existence on return from one of her night flights. She saw shadows moving in the dark before the dawn. They came from the cavern. She swooped down to be given a great hush by The Chosen Ones. ‘Keep silent or you shall be cast out to the vast forest’.

Leni was afraid to even confide in Bren, but eventually, she whispered to him about what she had seen. The thing that had surprised her was the fact that The Chosen Ones did not glow. They moved in the cover of darkness and were themselves dark. They must not eat the long worms she thought.

This was a revelation to her. She wondered if Wise might possibly be a Chosen One. Leni and Bren discussed this idea in whispers only. Wise overheard. ‘I am not one of The Chosen Ones’, Wise cried. ‘I do not want to live underground, and I do not follow the Whooo News and I will not conform to the will of The Unseen One we have never seen.

Leni and Bren immediately covered Wise with their wings. Hush!’ They cried in unison. Someone might hear you and then you will be banished to the vast forest. The thought was too much. However, if something had been mentioned on the Whooo News, did that mean there were other children who did not eat the long worms too? They too would not be able to go to Wingnut school.

They tried to disguise the long worms but it was impossible. There was not only a glow but also a distinct smell that the long worms gave off. Wise seemed quite happy without them; however Wise was getting restless. Wise longed to meet others of her kind. Surely, she was not the only one.

One night in the light of the full moon a dark mass flew from the vast forest. They flew over the trees and the ponds. As they flew their wing mass made a gentle wind.

They started to sing a song that had never been heard among the Wingnuts. It was a gentle hum, quite hypnotic and beautiful, and those that heard it became entranced. The words spoke of the land of the free. Free from the allegiance to The Unseen One.

What was this? The Unseen One has been spoken of? Leni wanted to meet one of these from the dark masses of the vast forest as she had questions that needed answering. Never had she had cause to question before she became a mother of a child who was different? A child who did not conform by eating the long worms. A child who could not hear the Whooo News.

Leni broke away from her peripheral position in the flock and approached the dark mass. She trembled and she could feel that her feathers were not quite in place, but she had more important things to worry about.

What Leni found out rocked her world. The dark mass spoke of the control of The Unseen One and how life was free in the vast forest. If they did not eat the long worm they could live there peacefully, and their lives were what they made them, individually and together. Their goal was freedom and survival. In order to be free, they had left the world of the Wingnuts by choice. They had stopped eating the long worms long ago.

Anyone who entered the vast forest must stop eating the long worms. This was why there was a ring of light around the edges of the vast forests. They were Wingnuts in transition.

What made a Wingnut want to leave their society, she asked. The answer shocked her. Often those that left for the unknown of the vast forest had an offspring who did not want to conform. Did not want to eat the long worms and could not hear the broadcasts. If they were discovered by the Wingnuts their lives were in danger. They would either be force fed the long worm, killed or dropped from a great height into the vast forest never to be seen again.

Many parental Wingnuts had split up or defected from Wingnut society and duties in order to protect their offspring. This was unheard of. How did I not know this thought Leni?

The dark mass also whispered that until The Unseen One was brought to light he would always have control. They needed to take The Unseen One hostage and feed him long worms so that he could be seen by all the realms and his reign would be over. This would also stop the Whooo News which directed and controlled every thought and action.

What could be worse Leni thought. She felt a flash of bravery move through her veins. A kind of bravery she had never felt before. Love is courage in action she thought. This was a revelation.

She whispered her revelation to Bren worried that he might think that she should not have listened but should have spent her time finding ways to make Wise eat the long worm after all.

To her surprise Bren puffed up his chest proudly and said that he had always questioned the Whooo News but never spoken out against it for fear of retribution.

Bren decided to also leave his post to question the dark mass. Bren wanted to know the possible whereabouts of The Unseen One. He had a theory, and that theory was enough to get him killed, banished or many other fates that might affect him or his family. He knew he had to be savvy about this. He could not go blurting to the unconverted.

Bren wanted to find others who also held onto their thoughts, and those that were hiding their children also. How could he do this in an underground way without alerting all the Eyes?

He needed to find a Chosen One who was willing to help. Leni had spoken to one of them in secret. Perhaps Leni could find them. He also wanted to gather the dark masses on a night when there was no moon. The trouble was Leni and Bren both glowed. They could be seen, and they could be caught.

Wise overheard once again. It seemed that her hearing was much sharper than normal. Wise was longing for something exciting to happen in her world. It was boring being kept in the dark and in isolation. She desperately wanted a new life and a life that she chose, not what someone else chose for her.

Wise decided that she would follow the Chosen Ones back to the cavern. She could because she did not glow. So, in the darkness of the moonless night Wise followed in silence. She watched the shadow forms of the Chosen Ones disappear into the cavern.

Wise went back to Leni and Bren and told them what she had seen. She had a plan. She would smuggle Leni and Bren into the cavern in cloaks that covered their glow. She would gather the dark masses to come as well. She knew most of the Chosen Ones would be dangerous in the caverns, but life was not safe for Wise as it was, and Leni and Bren agreed.

Something had to be done. They needed to discover the Unseen One and reveal him to the rest of the Wingnuts if anything was going to change. The Wingnuts weren’t ready though. They liked their simple life. The only way a Wingnut would turn was if their offspring also did not want to eat the long worms.

This was going to be difficult. The dark masses decided they would come out each moon dark and carry a flame for every child that had been born that did not want to eat the long worms. There were many. It was the reason they lived in the vast forest in the first place. Not because they had fallen from a great height, or been cast out, but because they had run away to protect their children and find life f their own making within the vast forest. This was a revolutionary thought because no one spoke of it. The Whooo News most certainly did not.

Each dark moon the dark mass came out, flames a blazing. They sang their messages in the most beautiful melody. They did not shout, they did not condemn, they did not ridicule, although they received plenty of ridicule themselves, but they carried on with dignity.

This was a battle for freedom. The freedom to eat anything but long worm. After all Wise was very healthy. She just did not glow, and she did not hear the Whooo News. She was the smartest Wingnut Leni and Bren had ever met. They were so proud of her. They realised they could no longer be afraid.

They started to sing the song of freedom during the intel flights and during the gathering flights. Sometimes another Wingnut would migrate over and ask questions. Whispers of other children who would not eat the long worms started to be heard across all sectors of the Wingnuts.

The Wingnuts wanted to know the truth. As they listened to the Whooo News they started to realise that what they were hearing about the vast forests, the dark masses and the goodness of the long worms simply wasn’t true.

Eventually there were enough who questioned and even stopped eating the long worms themselves. Many stopped gathering the intel and hunting the fireflies to keep the long worms glowing.

It was decided in the moon dark the Wingnuts would all gather with the dark masses, and they would enter the cavern armed with cloaks and fire torches. No more secrecy, The Unseen One must become known.

The time for action was decided for the longest night of the year. Leni had been able to connect with the Chosen One who she had whispered to right back at the beginning of her awakening. It was agreed that he would meet them at he entrance of the cavern and take them deep into the heart of the Cavern of the Crystal Eye where The Unseen One resided.

The dark masses emerged from the vast forests donning cloaks and torches. The wingnuts who were brave enough also gathered in cloaks. Those who still listened to the Whooo News and still ate the long worms were told to stay home this night, or they would be forced to fly over the vast forest and fall to their fate. Fear had kept them silent and subservient, and so worked again as stronger fear in the minds of those who otherwise may have revealed the plan. They would plead ignorance if questioned and plead sickness. It was decided that if questioned, they would say that something must have been wrong with the long worms that day and they were all unable to leave their nests.

Wise, Leni and Bren led the dark masses and Wingnuts into the cavern with the help of the Chosen One that Leni connected with. This Chosen One also had a child who did not want to live in the cavern and only live for the demands of The Unseen One. This was their connection and common bond. A stray thought crossed Leni’s mind that this could have been a trap, but then she adjusted her thoughts to victory, as fortune favours the brave.

All the way down the cavern the Whooo News became louder and louder until a screaming pitch wailed throughout. The dark masses and the Wingnuts joined together in song. Song that calmed the screaming into silence. After all, one cannot broadcast and listen at the same time.

Eventually they came to Cavern of the Crystal Eye and there in the dark corners of the cavern a voice spoke. ‘Whooo goes there?’

Wise spoke first. She was braver than brave, and although small, her voice resounded and bounced off the cavern walls. ‘We have come to speak to you about freedom. About the will to live as we would have. About the desire to eat only that which suits us through individual will. What say you?’

The Unseen One was incensed. He screeched out loud. ‘Silence! I give the decrees. You follow them. Understood?’

‘Ah spoke Wise, ‘Do as I say not as I do, is it? After all I can see you also do not eat the long worm, or you would be glowing, not hiding in the shadows’.

‘How dare you question my authority. My authority goes back eons into the timelines of old. There is no other way than my way. You will follow my decree or be cast into the vast forest!’

‘The vast forest you say’, piped a voice from the back. ‘We have lived freely in the vast forest for eons as well. Our people are healthy. They do not glow. Just as we can see you do not either. Why then are long worms staple food for the Wingnuts?’

Another voice spoke out loudly, and it was Leni’s much to Bren’s surprise. ‘Decloak now everyone and all will be revealed!’

In unison, the Wingnuts dropped their cloaks and the Cavern of the Crystal Eye lit up brightly. There in the recesses was an old barn owl. Shabby feathers and withered in stature. ‘The Unseen One is now Seen. Who among you will follow his decree?’

‘None of us’ was the unanimous cry. Even the Chosen Ones were shocked when they saw The Unseen One they had blindly followed all these years. The hoards gathered around him and pushed him through the cavern toward the entrance. Behind them, a smashing sound was heard as the Cavern of the Crystal Eye collapsed, and the crystal shattered into a million pieces.

They paraded The Unseen One through the Realms for all to see. They sang songs of freedom for all in the most beautiful sounds ever heard. Those in the vast forests that remained came out to celebrate. The long worms were served to the Unseen One and he started to glow.

‘From now on, no one is to eat the long worms unless they want to. No fireflies are to be killed in service of The Unseen One. The Unseen One will never return to the cavern and will be the only one who daily must eat the long worms, as he now will always be seen so that we can remember. We must not forget. From now on, as of this day, all are free.

The voices cried out in unity ‘FREEDOM FOR ALL!’ And there was.

Thank you for reading. This is a parable for the times.

The phrase 'Love is courage in Action' was coined by Riccardo Bosi. I think this phrase is one to hold close to the heart in troubling times. Love, kindness, courage to see us through, and ultimately, freedom for all.