RSanthera

Sometimes
I think and ponder
about
the
legendary island of RSanthera.
A mountain vale
of paradise
surrounded- no,
hidden
by
a crystalline mountain range.
It is said
to
be
wandering
the
southern seas,
appearing
as a hovering, snow-capped, mountain range
seen far off.
ut I have heard
that
the sands
and
boulders
are of such pure crystal
that you must be
within
one yard !or one meter"
to view them.
Rich
currents
circle the island,
enveloping it
in a
#ealous tide,
wary
of all strangers.
anshee winds partner
in
the guard duty.
Should
some reckless soul
dare
to challenge
these
terrifying custodians,
he does battle
with
the soul of RSanthera$
daring it
to find him worthy
of its shores.
I heard tell
of
such a soul
once.
An
Audacious, young troublemaker
who
did not
understand
the end result of such a challenge.
She
battled beneath
blue skies
as
raging winds and waves
tugged and pulled
at her
ship
sending
her
where she did not wish to go,
until
she found
the
narrowest
sliver
of a current
leading directly to the land$
to RSanthera.
%eary from battle, her
legs
support
rubbery arms
and
winded lungs
as eyes are
yanked
slowly
into
wide circles
surveying the scene around her.
A long, steep beach
of
crystalline sands winks
white,
silver
and
iridescent rainbow.
&reat crystal rocks
line
the
edges$ glassy boulders
stacked
atop
each other with
pebbles
and
silvery sand
peeking through the edges.
Spraying around cracks,
a stream
of
li'uid clear crystal
runs
to meet the ocean.
ut the
vast,
crystalline
beach
beckons toward a higher call.
(nsure why, her
tired limbs
refuse to rest.
)er sneakers
slip
and slide
while hands struggle to grasp the
smooth surface.
*rees of eversilver
rise
to meet her,
grass of emerald,
and
dirt more bron+e
than brown.
A forest path appears
and climbs$
the trees
turn midnight blue.
A calico
patchwork
of evergreen trees
that belay
their
silver or blue appearance.
A clearing comes$
She stops
and
wonders what she seeks.
She falters.
,I do not think
I sought
this
thing before. I cant-
what
is it thats happened-.
A wind springs up in answer$
the
freshest
summer bree+e, and
seeps
into her fingers,
toes
and hair.
*he briefest tingle,
and then
the forest walk continues.
*he
trail grows steep,
steep,
then
steeper still.
/nchanted scenery
fails
to seem enchanted as
ordinary
sweat
begins to drop
against
leaden legs.
*he forest ends
and
iridescent, grayish rocks
litter
the continually steep
hillside.
itter wind blows
milky,
crystal sand
across the sparse emerald grass$
a sprig
or two
of silvery floral
appears
and she collapses onto an
iridescent
rock.
&asp and whee+e
before
the
unforgiving
terrain
begins. *hen
scramble,
scrape, and
struggle
over milky sand
and dirt
and silvery
smooth
and sharpened pebbles.
Slip
from boulder
to rock,
to steep hillside.
She
stumbles over
to
a small brook
where
her face
impacts the crystalline stream.
/yes
ga+e
dully
at the steepening,
enchanted wilderness
while
idly
attempting to will
her limbs
to move further across-
no, make that (0
this
arid
wasteland.
,1o I care
about
e2ploring a 3myth
still-.
0rocessing.
0rocessing.
,4kay,
but must I scramble
(0
over rocks to
do so-.
0rocessing

she tumbles to her feet.

itter wind.
iting,
milky sand$
whitened crystal.
Stumble,
strain,
strain$
desperate strain.
1esperation.
,0lease, no5.
,Surely Im almost there..
6resting a hill, stare.
0rocess.
1espair.
1espair5
A monolith
stone
wall
fills the sky.
7nees.
*ears.
8oud weeping.
1espair.
Silence.
Stillness.
Still.
Still.

Scramble, stretch, pull5

Scramble, stretch.
Scramble,
stretch.
Stretch, search.
9rantic search5
1esperation overrules
reason.
Slip, fall.
9A88I:&5
Scrapes,
bruises.
!Sound$ white presence"
Scramble,
stretch, pull, slide.
Stretch,
Slide.
9rustration, anger.
Stretch, pull.
Stretch, pull.
Stretch,
stretch,
pull.
0ause.
Slide, thud.
0ain.
%inged unicorn.
9rustration.
%inged unicorn.
8arge, winged unicorn.
She turns,
6hoosing to ignore$ the massive
wall
fills her mind,
her ambition.
Suddenly,
a burst of fierce
determination
drives her further up
the
silver face.
9urther,
further still.
8ook down.
8ook up.
8ook down.
8ook up.
8ook up.
8ook UP5
1epression.
1i++y.
1espair.
1i++y.
*oo di++y$ concentrate.
6oncentrate.
64:6/:*RA*/5
*he feel of air
surrounding limbs
and fingers
and feet.
*his is
the
end5
*he sound
of
feathered wings,
of hurried,
lifting
hooves.
A swoop, a plunge$
she rests upon his back,
descending slowly.
)e stands
upon
a rock, still
as
a statue$ he
seems
to mirror the monolith wall.
She slips,
half
tumbling off his back
to ga+e unblinking
at
the half-folded wings
on the back of the massive steed.
;ane and tail blowing
gently
are the only moving things
about him.
)is ga+e
rests
'uietly upon her.
Steadily.
She
ga+es at him,
longing,
thinking of her goal.
)e seems so
pure,
unspoiled. And she-
disheveled hair,
some blood,
some bruises$
enchanted soil seems ordinary
upon her clothes.
She looks at him,
then looks
to find the top of the
monolith,
and wonders of the
other side.
She sits, motionless
as he,
stares toward her eyes,
the single, gleaming horn
pointing toward heaven.
Shyly, she
stands
upright$
approaching.
*he stallion remains$
his ga+e
continues.
,;r. (nic-
um
0egasussir-
I really
need
to get to the other side,
ertheres
something really awesome
over
there. 6an
you help me-
0lease-.
)e kneels.
,I was
wondering
when youd ask,.
he seems to say.
She sits
astride
powerful muscles,
tremendous
whiteness all
around her.
A leap$
and
higher,
higher still$
climbing,
striding trough the air,
the
highest point
shed gained
left
far
below.
Soaring.
;a#esty.
She looks below$
ehold5
*he mountain top5
*he monolithic height
achieved$
the vast
shimmering scene
of her
upward
climb
below.
Soaring high over
the top, a
new
scene emerges.
Lurch!
)er heart #umps to
her throat
as
the winged stallion
swoops
low,
diving straight down
for #oy.
S'uinting eyes,
turning stomach,
flying hair,
matching #oy.
A roaring waterfall comes
dimly
into view.
&asp, cringe, shriek$
laugh.
&lorious wetness,
cleansing
dirt and blood$
fingers
run through hair.
8augh
some more.
elow
the sparkling blue trees
slowly
catch her eyes.
6alico
patchwork
emerges once again$
but
shimmering blue and
ordinary
vibrant evergreen introduces
a
green valley
littered
with rainbow color
here
and there.
6urious, her
eyes
wander
the landscape.
*he unicorn slowly
circles
to follow the
cascading
wetness
down the
mountainside.
<uiet
awe follows,
winding
through green underbrush,
around
thick, bony tree trunks,
chasing birds, butterflies and deer$
coming to a
stop
on
the bank of the stream
with
the forest edge a few yards beyond.
Silence.
A snort,
a hoof stomp,
and wings fold.
A meadow whispers= ,6ome5.

Sunlight searches, hunting,

%inding through
deep
green
from above.
(nderbrush, grass, and rich
brown dirt, as
7elly green
beckons
beyond.
She walks out onto the
carpet$
the meadow e2plodes with color.
>iolets,
daisies and forget-me-nots
run wild with
paintbrush and buttercups
up
gentle hills, rolling
by the stream,
and clustering here and there
on the flat stretches.
%ander,
e2plore
and en#oy.
Stooping, she removes
shoes and socks,
rolling
up pantlegs
to
wade in the cool stream.
;eadows
call for bare feet.
1own
the
stream
an orchard lies.
If
you can call it an orchard.
>arious
fruit trees scatter
the
low hills, interspersed with
berry bushes.
0eaches,
raspberries,
blackberries
and apples
melt in her mouth
as their
#uices
run
down
her chin.
6ontentment.
Rela2ing in the shade,
the girl sighs
long
and closes
her
eyes.

*iny paws5
A chipmunk
scampers across her tummy,
startling her awake.
*he chipmunk
Skitters up a tree.
*hunder rumbles
in
the ground$
louder, louder.
*rampling hooves
rush
past
in a flurry of blacks
and browns
and mottled grays,
racing with
chestnuts,
pales and bays,
merging with the
mighty antlers
and
cloven hooves of
elk, doe and deer.
Rabbits
and s'uirrels scamper to
keep from
underfoot.
)er breath
pauses
involuntarily.
And then-
glimpsing wings and a horn
far off, she
rushes
to #oin with glee the
deafening thunder surrounding
her.
0ure #oy5
Slowly,
but
all too soon,
she
falls
behind.
:ow
its the silence
that seems deafening.
Impulsively,
she turns
to see a large wolf pack on
a hill beyond
her.
9or a brief moment,
a score of
wolves
ga+e at her with dignified
stares
of interest.
*he leader howls,
and then
the pack #oins in, owning the moment
before
wheeling to the right
and
dashing away to the distant forest.
0eace
once again.
A bree+e springs up
blowing the scent
of
wildflowers
mi2ed with berries.
*he bubbling of the stream
Reaches
her ears.
*hen
a shrill call erupts from the sky$
a hawk soars by.
Sensing
movement, the
girl
turns
to see an eagle
diving
toward a rabbit.
*he rabbit scampers down a hole.
*he eagle veers off,
awaiting a more opportune time.
Restless,
the girl wanders
aimlessly.
9ootfalls in the grass
0arallel to
her disturb her wanderings.
She looks up,
and
with a low snarl, a lion
with a great, shaggy mane
fills her vision
from peripheral to peripheral.
%ithout warning
he
lets loose
a growl
loud enough to wake the whole meadow.
*he growl continues,
filling
the air,
emphasi+ing
powerful muscles,
teeth,
and sharp claws. )urried galloping approaches
and
with a mighty leap,
rear legs grounded,
a wild scream fills the air
enveloping
the whole island, as
front hooves
paw the air
to the beat of a shaking, white mane.
4utspread wings
dwarf
the lion
as the single
horn
shines in the sun.
*he lion stiffens,
then
bows shaggy mane with straightened forepaws
and
hesitating,
#ogs away
to his pride.
1ropping to his feet,
the winged unicorn
'uietly snorts.
*he wings rest, half-folded.
*he girl
is
about to go
when the stallion snorts,
stamping the ground briefly.
She turns away$
)e snorts and stomps again,
<uietly.
0ause.
She looks him in the eye
and he kneels.
She moves
reluctantly
to take the seat.
All
sound
seems to pause collectively, as
the stallion lifts its wings
again.
Silence.
*he sound of soaring wings.
She ga+es
at the
green,
fertile valley below her.
&reen
fades into
midnight sparkling blue,
the
white and silver
of the peaks beyond.
)e follows
the cascading waterfall
upstream.
*he monolith
Appears once more$ growing,
*hen
slowly shrinking as the
scenery suddenly shines
sparkling silver
and crystal$
the sands winking
white,
silver
and
iridescent rainbow.
)e swoops down
to
weave back and forth among
the
blue
and silver trees.
(ne2pectedly,
he leaps high above the trees,
high,
and higher still,
as if
to show the whole island
as
a #ewel in the sea before
spiraling
down,
viewing regions not visited,
before
the crystal rocks and sands
wink
back
into view.
*he twinkling beach
provides
a landing strip,
and the girl
reaches her arms
far
around his neck
before
sliding off.
She feels
the smooth whiteness as
she goes.
)is eyes seem to twinkle
as she tugs a loose feather
and
a few strands of mane.
She remembers her shoes and socks
as she
wades toward the
lone boat
on the shore.
%hen she reaches it, he whinnys.
She looks up,
startled,
then sees a
#ar
rolling on the boats floor,
its surface dully clear
in
comparison
to RSanthera.
She pauses,
then
moves to collect li'uid crystal
and crystalline sand
before boarding her boat
to
raise
its sails.
%aves move gently, reluctant to leave.
ut then,
a bree+e
blows, full and strong,
catching the sails as
she
turns
to look upon the retreating
island of RSanthera
floating in the distance.
*he unicorn follows.