I adore the ones
who let love in
not everyone has
the capacity within
The ones who do
were made for me
they’re the only ones
who set me free
© 2024 Michelle Cook
Photo credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/couple-wedding-married-marriage-1427863/
Continued from here.
Incantations danced erratically around the dimly lit room as meteors zoomed in the far distance across the dazzling night sky. Abbefore’s gaze was fixed on an orb perched on a pedestal at his feet, and within the orb’s walls, there appeared to be an electric storm brewing. Flecks of lightning erupted in jagged spurts while a fine silvery mist clouded the interior shell. The effect was mesmerizing, and even Abbefore was not immune to its hypnotic effects. But there was a grand mission at hand, one that could not be forgotten or dismissed without a direct, volatile impact on the entire universe. Abbefore had been assigned to this mission, and he knew that if he did not fail, there was immense hope in restoring the current solar system and perhaps even the surrounding ones as well. Everything was dependent on him now. All the other great wizards were either captured or expired, sent into the great unknown. Fortunately, young Darla had made it out, and as far as he could tell, she was still alive. He could always sense her presence no matter where she was or what world she was in; tied together by an invisible thread, not even the Detainers could hide her from his view.
Continued here
© 2024 Michelle Cook
Photo credit: https://afterwards.blog/
Writing challenge: https://afterwards.blog/2024/01/15/afterwards-writing-prompt-2-monday-15th-of-january-creation/
Barely escaping the shrouds of darkness, Darla suddenly found herself in the middle of a vast hangar. A monstrous beast hovered above her, one of many held fast by large steel cables anchored to an invisible ceiling. Standing in sheer awe and bewildered by the presence of this battle-ready fleet, she looked across at the dimly lit caverns she’d just escaped from. Unsure of where to go, she began walking along the indoor tarmac, watching as the looming monstrosities above her were periodically lowered to the ground. Once settled into place, the engines began to whir, and the fully powered beasts were so incredibly loud that the vibrations went straight through Darla, rattling her teeth. She wasn’t sure how long she could remain there before being spotted by a Detainer. After looking around for a hiding place, she noticed a large corridor leading to another hangar. Peeking inside, she realized just how vast this place was. Beyond the corridor she was standing in, there appeared to be countless corridors leading to endless hangars. Each area looked exactly like the one where she was presently standing. As immense as the place was, though, there didn’t seem to be any signs of anyone else like her. Everything appeared to be under the operation of robotics. And the hum of the mechanicals at work was almost a pleasant refrain from the blood-curdling cries she’d witnessed just a few hours before. With the war barely begun, she knew this was just the precipice of what was to come. Fearing she’d never again see the one person who meant the world to her, she waited earnestly for any sign of his presence. Wispy black strands of hair whipped across her ivory skin as more engines roared to life. Forlorn and fearful, her face creased with worry, she shivered at the sight of what her world had become.
Continued here
© 2024 Michelle Cook
Photo credit: https://afterwards.blog
Writing challenge: https://afterwards.blog/2024/01/08/afterwards-writing-prompt-1-monday-8th-of-january-darla-sci-fi/
Beauty lies in exquisite little things
and oh, the joy each one can bring
Tiny buds shooting up from the earth
does anyone notice their undeniable worth
A small hand that reaches out
when time is short and heartaches about
Do we see the love that’s clearly there
or do we sit uninterested without a care
The look from a friend, be it human or pet
compassions eye, causing us not to fret
Do we open our hearts and let the love rush in
as that smiling face tries to warm us from within
A tree that sways from a forest glen
welcoming us back time n time again
Do we notice how it gives a place to rest our feet
offering us a spot for introspection and retreat
The sky filled with glory of the heavenly kind
taking our breath away when we need to rewind
Do we stop and take notice, capturing the delight
or instead, look away, never noticing the light
The gift of a kind gesture, a selfless act from purest love
perhaps the presence of angels sent from above
Maybe we don’t see the treasure that’s always been right there
plagued by hardships and suffering, are we completely unaware?
© 2024 Michelle Cook
Photo credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/spring-flower-wild-flower-4042746/
A fool can’t see
all he holds so near,
yet others do;
it’s often crystal clear.
So then that special gift,
or treasure at hand,
finds its wings,
but he can’t understand.
And that’s the way
love eventually escapes;
the heart loses hope,
and then it breaks.
There is a way, though,
to hold on to the prize,
but it only happens
if we realize.
© 2024 Michelle Cook
Photo credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/flower-rose-petals-plant-bud-6646037/
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