RE: 'Not Quite Pleasantville' - Steemit Story Chain #18 Where You Write the Story and 100 Whaleshares for the Winner
Part 2
We are a town founded by the outcasts of society. Our ancestors believe we all carry abilities, “special senses” as we like to think of it. For some, the ability is as simple as bones aching when rain is sensed in the foreseeable future. Others are believed to see the future in their dreams. We lived on the borders of the wild, shunned by the town folks. Eventually, we were forgotten by the world. We didn’t mind. Simple folks, we liked to call ourselves.
Generations ago, Crow Mother Melda, had a vision. The story was passed from generation to generation, to not ever be forgotten. “Clarissa, is her name”, Crow Mother Melda forecasted. "You will know her by the golden sunshine glittering in her hair. You will know her by her fair skin and eyes the color of the depthless ocean. She will stop here one day. How you treat her, how you welcome her, your actions will unravel the events to come.” Pausing, she looked at every face around the camp fire and whispered.
"Someone will come looking for Clarissa one day. Someone powerful. It is your encounter with Clarissa that will decide the fate of this town. Be warned my child. Be warned that ill-will does not occur.”
Part 3, following @beeyou
Oh blessed and cursed Crow Mother Melda. How we have argued over her prediction and what course of action we should take, now that Clarissa finally came...
Since the prophecy was made years and years ago, nobody knew what it meant and how we were supposed to "treat her". Normally, if strangers pass by, we try to get rid of them as soon as possible on the one hand and without acting suspicious on the other. We are not bad people, we just know how society would treat us, if they ever found out about our abilities... We didn't want to end up as "freakshow".
It was five days ago that we had our regular town meeting and Clarissa appeared. The knock on the door of our city hall echoed through it and everybody turned their head. No one was missing, so who could be knocking?
A girl stood in the door and indeed, she looked like spring had kissed her into life.
Nobody was thinking of the old forecast, before she opened her mouth and said: "Uhm... excuse me, I couldn't find anyone until I came here. My name is Clarissa and..."
The rest of her introduction was lost. Drowned by a cry from the mayor's wife. "It's her! It can't be..."
She was easily upset and always doomsaying, but this time it seemed most of the town was uneasy as well. "What should we do?" another man asked, Terry the baker.
"What did the prophecy say? Something about the fate of Macklefield, wasn't it?"
"Maybe we have to kill her?" a boy said a few rows in front of me. That could only be Chris, he played a lot of violent games at home...
The girl was still standing in the door, but looked definitely unsettled now, too.
My memory wasn't very good at town-history, but I thought I remembered that we were supposed to welcome her, so I got up from my seat - gave Chris an annoyed glare - and turned towards her. "That was a stupid joke, of course..." I laughed with a nervous tone in my voice. "Hi, Clarissa and welcome to Macklefield!"
Her eyes locked with mine and she continued what she had wanted to say before.
"Please," she said. "I need your help!"
(thank you for another fun story to participate in. Have a great day, everyone)