The Magic Gateway part 4.

I left the Isle of Glass in secret, you could say without permission and headed for the only gateway that was still open. It was the same one through which the Lady led me through all those years ago.

There was several things that struck me when I walked through the gateway, the first was the smell. It was a smell of decay and staleness, the land too looked faded, as if the colours had drained away in comparison to the vibrant world of the Isles. As I looked around the ancient woodland where the gateway stood I could see it was dying and the signs of disease were everywhere.
I knelt and place my hand flat onto the ground and sent out my consciousness to search the land to see why the woodland was dying. The first thing I noticed was the absence of wildlife in the woods, no foxes or badgers, rabbit or birds still lived within the woods. The animals had either died or fled and then I sensed the poisons that had seeped into the soils.
I searched further down going into the bedrock from where the poisons had come. Bedrock holds memories of millions of years, of the life that had died and made it and this rock had been changed, poisons pumped in, explosions and the stealing of it’s trapped gasses. The poisons had spread through the rock and entered the trapped water that formed the water table. For some reason I didn’t yet understand humanity had foolishly poisoned their own land and water.

Coming back to myself I stood up with a heavy heart and started heading for the village where I used to live. While I doubted anyone I knew would still be alive I needed to see something I recognised while I gathered my thoughts and begin to make my plans for saving mankind. The sight of the ancient woodland had left me on the edge of despair already and I had to force myself not to return to the Isle of Glass.

The village that I once called home had grown a great deal with many new houses and shops, not the old village shops I remembered but large shops that sold everything you could think of yet probably didn’t need. It seemed to me people gathered many things that they didn’t need and cluttered up their lives this way.
The one constant I found was the church and I headed into the churchyard and sat down on one of the benches. Here there was peace and a sense of serenity as I gazed across the old gravestones and saw signs of wildlife so missing from the woods. Squirrels ran between the stone and large doves swooped between the trees, I was so busy watching this I didn’t notice the woman as she approached.
“Are you waiting for the shelter to open?” She asked making me jump a little.
I looked up to where she was standing just down the path and noticed the priests collar around her neck.
“I’m sorry, the shelter?” I asked not understanding.
“I’m sorry for presuming, it’s just that I don’t recognise you and thought you were waiting for the homeless shelter to open.” She said, indicating with her hand if she could sit on the bench beside me.
“I’m just passing through and felt the need for a bit of peace, the village is a little too busy for me.” I replied moving over slightly for her to sit.
“It’s not often our village is called busy, well apart from the traffic that passes through with those new fracking sites they set up.” The woman said, showing her disapproval for the traffic and fracking sites as she sat down.
“Are you the vicar of the church here?” I asked.
“Yes, Reverend Karen, and you?” She asked holding out her hand.
“George, I’m just passing through on my way to Glastonbury.” I replied taking her hand and giving it a shake.
“Well George, I was just heading back to the vicarage for some lunch. If you’ve not eaten you’re welcome to join me.” Reverend Karen said with a smile.

To be continued.

(This story I am making up and writing as I go along, each part is being written the night before I post it as I sit with a few glasses of whisky. As yet I have as much idea where it is going as the readers of it.)

Part 1: https://steemit.com/fiction/@alienbutt/the-magic-gateway
Part 2: https://steemit.com/fiction/@alienbutt/the-magic-gatway-part-2
Part 3: https://steemit.com/story/@alienbutt/the-magic-gateway-part-3