Thursday, February 10, 2011

The Falcon - The World in Miniature

by Marlene McKay
www.marlenenashmckay.com

The Falcon

The tiny field mouse sensed, rather accurately, that his days were numbered long before his dark, beady eyes found the Peregrine Falcon. He scurried through the long grass, desperate to get away, his only thought: survival. There was nowhere for him to hide from the rapidly approaching raptor and the attack, as it would, killed the small, defenseless rodent instantly.

The powerful, slate grey bird that hunted for the sport of it only, never because it was hungry, threw the mouse aside unceremoniously before flying off to a nearby outpost overhanging the ocean. It surveyed the surrounding through with shiny black eyes, drinking in every detail, until quite sure that there was nothing out of the ordinary in the immediate vicinity.

The Falcon spread its wings seemingly in preparation to take flight again. But the wings continued to rise upwards and outwards, from where they phased into the muscular arms of a man; the rest of the body followed as he regained human form at a remarkable speed. From a leather pouch around his neck, the olive skinned man removed a loin cloth which he carefully tied around his waist. He inhaled deeply, relishing the cold salty ocean air that stung his now expanded lungs. Power, he thought, as he rested his eyes on the waves crashing tumultuously against the cliffs below, can be found in so many different things. Soon this will all be mine; this and every other thing on earth; this and every other thing in the heavens above it.

‘I will overthrow the Master. It is only a matter of time until I regain my name and then,’ he snapped his fingers, ‘power will be mine once again.’

Almost two miles away, from a vantage point high up, the Eagle cocked his head to the side as he drunk in every word and listened to every thought of the Falcon’s. His father had warned him many years ago, that the time would come when the Falcon would remember who he had once been. This will happen, he had said, when knowledge was no longer sacred and man finds it difficult to continue believing in those things he cannot see. The Eagle had sensed for almost one hundred years now, since the outbreak of the First World War to be exact, that the time was nearing although the chain of events did not cease to amaze him. How yet another angel fell for lies and deceit was beyond him. But that was all in the past now. What mattered from here onwards was that the girl had to be protected at all costs, for the name that the Falcon desired was locked within her and would be immediately revealed in the event that her soul was corrupted beyond any saving grace. It was now the only obstacle that remained between the Falcon and the portae inferi, the gates of hell, and the only thing he required in order to release every single twisted, degraded, maimed, cruel and perverted soul contained within. And where would they go once set free? To earth, naturally.

11 comments:

Matthew MacNish said...

I get the feeling this is a part of something bigger, which is fine, because it's awesome, and left me wanting more.

I also cannot get over how much I like the line "rapidly approaching raptor" even though it's simple.

Well done Marlene!

Susan Kaye Quinn said...

I love the imagery here, with the birds of prey and the mouse and the power in crashing waves. Thanks for sharing! :)

Marlene Nash-McKay said...

Thank you so much for the gracious comments.
Matthew: it is indeed part of something bigger :)
Susan: very much like life - powerful forces deciding the faith of the 'little guy' and often each other as well

D.G. Hudson said...

Enjoyed this fiction, Marlene, and would read more of the same. I get enticed by legends and the battle between good & evil. The flow between the changes from bird to human draws me in -- very well done.

I just hope that Dante wasn't right (7 different hells - when one would do)! Who wants zombies & other gnarly folk being released from the nether regions.

Thanks for sharing this with us, Bryan.

Paul Joseph said...

I'm with Susan - very strong imagery throughout the piece. A solid story. Nice work, Marlene. Thank you for sharing.

M.A. Leslie said...

I have to agree, this excellent. I feel like I just sat through a well done movie trailer and if I don't go see the movie in theaters, then I will be the only one in the world who doesn't.

When there is more, I can't wait to read it.
M.

Anonymous said...

M.A Leslie summarized it perfectly!

I feel as if I haven't been reading, but rather seeing the events happen right in front of me.

Congratulations!

Marlene Nash-McKay said...

Thank you again for the comments. It certainly helps to know that one is on the right track especially since writing (as we all know) is very much a solitary journey often undertaken in the dead of night :)

Anonymous said...

I really loved this. Beautiful imagery, and the narrative flow is fine-tuned. Thanks so much for sharing! I would definitely like to read more when there is more!

Jurie Human said...

Excellent Marlene. I know you are putting a lot of hard work and thought into this, the result speaks for itself. I love the different levels of power you depict in this short piece. I can hardly wait to read the rest of it.

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