2000 School Magazine

original works

"Sire, it's nineteen nineteh' nine. Th'last year befor'the change o' millennium. " The archaic man stroked his beard thoughtful Iy and nodded curtly to the beggar. The man continued walking further into the town, stopping only to glance sadly at the litter strewn everywhere across the ground. He entered the heart of the city nonchalantly, but when a car passed, He gagged and starting coughing. "What kind of air is this?" He thought to himself, regaining His breath and starting to cross the street. A car horn blared at Him, but He simply turned and raised His hand towards it. It suddenly stopped, leaving the driver stunned with his foot hard on the accelerator as He crossed the road "Some kind of vicious horse that does not stop for people to pass, " He muttered to Himself and entered a hotel. He walked to reception and inquired politely"Knowest thou the clear way to the castle where the fair Gwenhyfyr resides?" The teenager behind the counter said, "Sorry, man, aye canna hear ye, " and sat listening to his music, completely ignoring the man standing forlornly at the counter. The man turned and sadly walked away, out of the hotel and back to the street. He looked around, awed by the size of the skyscrapers that crowded around him and threatened to block off all view of the sky. He felt small and insignificant in this town, and it was only really a village, on the east coast of Ireland He strode away from the hotel, away from the tall buildings and weird horses that polluted the air with their filth, into a dark alley. "Well, well. Nice costume. " A group of tough looking teenage gang members walked into view, each of them holding a weapon, but the leader holding a gun. "Hand over all o'yere money!" The man turned and walked back to the street. A shot rang out behind Him, but He turned as fast as lightning and caught the bullet that was speeding towards His chest. He examined it for a moment, and then crushed it in front of the terrified gangsters, letting the dust fall from His hand. Then he walked slowly away, away from the alley, away from the hotel, and away from the city until he was once again at the beach. Tears stained his face as he watched the small boat come for Him, and He knew now what had happened to His world. The other two figures removed their hoods, their beautiful faces outlined by the golden hair, and their beautiful blue and green eyes regarded Him with hope. He shook His head sadly, and their faces fell. He stepped into the boat and it once again moved back out to the island that was now shimmering like mist on a sunny day. "No one now knoweth the name of King Arthur the Great, nor did they recognise their king when they sighted him. This world is too cruel, too harsh, to need saving. Chivalry is dead, and all respect is gone. Danger threatens the innocent. If anything, the only thing that the people need saving from is themselves. Never again shall Avalon come to this realm - I fear that it will be polluted by this foul thing they call civilization. Therefore, shall we always remain in limbo, in that beautiful paradise that we call home, " declared King Arthur, and then with regret and sadness in His eyes, He watched the mainland slowly disappear for the last time as He was engulfed in the mystical mists of Avalon.

RETURN OF AVALON

A soft breeze whispered through the branches of trees that were hundreds of years old, yet new. Waves lapped gently against a sparkling beach that had not been there a moment before, but had been there for all of eternity and the mountainous ridges, covered in shimmering snow, told of aeons of existence, but also of the future. The whole island glowed with an internal light, and was barely visible through a thin wall of mist. Swirling like mercury, the silver mist slowly drew away from the island as if it had a mind of its own. Far out in a bay of sparkling sapphire water the beautiful paradise shimmered and sparkled as if it was half way between this world and the next. A small wooden rowboat slowly rippled the water as it moved, seemingly unpowered towards the shore and a modern port. The boat contained three hooded, silent figures. When the boat gently bumped against the shore, one figure stood and stepped over the side. His foot did not plunge beneath the surface of the brown-blue water, but was placed solidly on top of the shifting mass as if it were steel. He discarded his robe, showing a handsome face with a short brown beard, startling green eyes and tanned skin. The eyes scanned the small beach where they had landed, and they filled with surprise and sadness to see pieces of rubbish strewn across the smallexpanse. He walked to the crest of a sand dune and looked out over the city. Factories spewed foul black smoke into the crisp autumn air, cars beeped and screeched like wild animals and sirens blared across the distance, rising and falling eerily. The man turned, to see the boat drifting silently once again across the waters of the bay towards the now nearly transparent island. He raised his hand in a gesture of farewell and of hope, then lowered his arm, rattling his ancient chainmail, and walked towards the town. When He reached the city outskirts, He stopped near a beggar who sat tired Iy on the ground. "Knowest thou what year it be?"The homeless man looked up in as the man's voice seemed to echo, although not in a physical sense, more like it rebounded inside your head until it seemed loud enough to shake the very mountains themselves.

Leonne Taylor 10 Bean!ond Second Prize in The Shortstory section DimeViMotherson MemonolPr!ze

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