The whispered whimsy of seashells

Amethyst sat by the seashore staring far into the distance, looking with eyes that saw not the present, but the not so distant past. The long ago past blended with the illusion of time, warping the memories, as if bending time in refracted rays of nostalgia. She held the seashell to her ear and listened to the voices of those beyond the confines of her sentient world. What was out there that lived and thrived, where everything existed without the inevitable connection one to another. Independent beings roamed wild out there, each having a mind of their own.

Amethyst was young, yet old. She had lived other lifetimes, yet they had all been confined here, within this forest world. Now here she was, twelve years old again and fated for she knew not what. She had no intention of being inured to the sameness of the past. She was tired of hearing the voices of the many, even though she could switch them on and off, still they were always there...a heartbeat away, close enough to annoy her.

The call of the forest was always beside her, but the call of the wild was like an incoming storm which she could not keep at bay.

The ocean's waves ebbed and flowed in a slow mesmerizing symphony, the sounds soothing her mind as her soul wandered into the beckoning woods. Amethyst's memories were timeless pearls...Wisdom born of many years of living within this mysterious place where no one aged beyond young adulthood and died only when they wanted to.

Yet she yearned for that which lie far beyond this perfect place. The tales of strange beings which looked like her, but were not of her specie, were written in the Scrolls of Knowledge. Everyone adhered to the rules of never straying beyond the forbidden paths. But not Amethyst, she needed to know, she needed variety and excitement away from the hum drum existence of the forest.

"You cannot venture beyond the boundaries of our world, Amethyst". The Mother Tree called out to her.

"Why not, I feel like a prisoner here"! Echoed back to the All Mother, sounding every bit like youthful rebellion.

The young girl sighed, wishing that these living roots were not entangled throughout the entire forest. They could read your thoughts, ease your worries, watch over your well being, as well as soothe your fears. Yet she longed for that which she did not have...freedom and quietness of mind. She wished not to be always connected to the forest.

The large Shell of Wisdom looked at the tormented child and felt her yearning. He knew too well the joys of exploring the world. He had done so and was now content to just sit at the edge of the forest and guard the oceans and seas. Wisdom decided to assist the child to achieve that for which she pined and sighed.

"Mother Tree"! Wisdom boomed from the depth of the shell.

"What is it you wish, Wisdom"? Mother asked, her voice floating amidst the leaves and vines.

"I believe that we should allow the young one to explore her heart's desire".

"Absolutely not, her parents have forbidden it and I cannot allow such a thing. She is far too young to leave the Hive Mind and be alone"?

"Mother Tree, do you remember when you were just a young sprout, how you rebelled and started to spread your roots, trying to reach out beyond the forest world. You too, wanted to explore the nether world and speak with yon trees beyond the boundaries"!

"Ah, yes. I remember well". She replied, as the memories came in haunting bouts of nostalgia.

Tree mother sighed and became lost in wistful concentration. She looked at the sad child as she stared out beyond where she could not fathom. Amethyst had no idea the dangers that lie out there in the human world. Tree nymphs were unschooled in the practical ways of humanity. They were only taught from knowledge gained over time.

Still, uppermost in the minds of all who dwelled in the forest, was the power locked within this child which she knew not that she possessed.

Tourmaline and Garnet, the parents of Amethyst, drew near. They had heard the discussion as they became attuned to their child's inner thoughts. Mother Tree was present in every tree and in every dweller within the forest, no matter how far away she was. The adult nymphs both bowed to the ever present Mother, and to Wisdom, as Amethyst stood to show reverence to their presence.

"Child, if Shell of Wisdom is willing to accompany you and allow you to travel within one of his precious pearls, and if Mother Tree agrees, then you may have three days of freedom from this place. You may go forth and experience the outer world and its mystery".

Garnet, her father spoke solemnly. He had been persuaded after a long discussion with her mother Tourmaline, even though apprehensive, he had acquiesced reluctantly. Amethyst ran to hug her parents, bow to Mother Tree and turned to face Wisdom. He smiled, produced a large pink-cream pearl and beckoned her forward.

"You have my blessing child". The trees all carried the Mother voice throughout the forest, rejoicing for Amethyst's freedom to go live her dream.

"I shall be honored to accompany your young one on her quest. She will be safe and well cared for". Shell shone bright gold, his way of saying goodbye. He wondered how much the outer world had changed since he last saw it.

The child turned, waved and stepped into the shell. Embraced in the warmth and nourished interior of the magical pearl, Amethyst fell asleep within minutes.

The essence of Wisdom had materialized into another pearl, a strong handsome young man stood waiting for Amethyst as she awakened from her pearlescent sleep.

"Who are you"? She asked, staring in awe at the stranger and feeling frightened.

"Don't be afraid, little one. I am the spirit of the Pearl of Wisdom. I lie dormant until I am needed in human form". Amethyst felt a calm overcome her. She knew now that she could trust the representative of the Mother Forest.

The first thing that greeted her upon the opening of the shell, was the noise of the outer world. Amethyst shuddered and instinctively reached for the hand of Wisdom. He smiled, took her hand and they both stepped into the world of Man.

For the next three days the child experienced the many facets of the human existence. They had been sent to a place called New York City, a place where Mother Tree said you could learn everything in three days. The vastness of the concrete jungle perplexed the eyes and thoughts of the child. Where were the trees and the whispers of quiet thoughts. Where was the camaraderie of the many? Everybody seemed to have a mind of their own. They did not really seem to stop long enough to wonder about the other humans. They were extremely busy and seemed to be coming and going everywhere.

Wisdom seemed to thrive in this place, he had sold pearls for a way to purchase everything that they needed. They stayed in a beautiful thing called an hotel, it smelled wonderful. For the first time she was completely by herself in a quiet room. Normally the voices interrupted her thoughts. Wisdom made her appear as a young adult and she learned the human ways very quickly.

The young child watched as Wisdom gambled and watched sports, all the while allowing Amethyst to watch upon screens where people seemed to be near, but were actually very far away. Yet there was so much violence and strange happenings to see upon this screen.

They ate food cooked completely different from the natural ways of the forest. Amethyst particularly liked the cold sweet offerings of the many shops. She watched and played games, walked crowded, frightening streets and shopped for the strange clothing which people dressed themselves in. No one stopped to greet then, except for the store attendants, as they wandered here and there. They were all engrossed in tiny flat hand-held rectangles in their hands and speaking only to themselves or to the rectangles. Such strange beings, she thought.

The three days passed so very quickly. On the last day someone tried to attack them in the street at the dawning of night. The two men knocked Wisdom down, scaring Amethyst so badly, she started screaming shrilly and uncontrollably. As she screamed, the bewildered men suddenly started growing roots, then tree trunks; followed by limbs, leaves and fearsome prickly flower blooms. The concrete ground cracked loudly, as if offended by the disturbance. People started to converge, the sound of the scream had carried upon the approaching darkness.

The two new trees started bearing the most succulent fruits, the trees started spreading their roots throughout the outside world. Soon they would be connected to trees everywhere.

Wisdom got up, grabbed Amethyst by the arm and wrapped them both in a black pearl which he extracted from his pocket. The pearl rose unseen into the dark skies before anyone got close enough. They returned to the large shell and the sea. The waters quickly conveyed them to the safety of their quiet peaceful forest.

Amethyst had had enough of the outside world. The loudness and indifference to one another had made her fully appreciate the loving nature and constant care of the forest life which was hers to one day govern the wood nymphs. For it was her place to be groomed for the protection of the wooded world. She had seen a tiny glimpse of her power for the first time and knew that she had to be careful, it was possible to hurt others if not properly controlled.

There was a lot that her parents needed to explain. The young child now had a new found appreciation for the forest which gave her life.

........................................