Here is chapter 3 of the song. Enjoy!
Chapter 3: Cleansing Fire
Elias stood at the edge of the transformed dump, the implications of his actions swirling in his mind. The Song of the Turning wasn't just a parlor trick; it was a force of nature, a way to rewind time itself. And if it could erase a dump, what else could it erase?
A dangerous idea began to form in his mind, an idea both audacious and terrifying: what if he used the song to clean up the pollution that scarred the world?
He thought of the countless landfills overflowing with trash, the rivers choked with industrial waste, the forests scarred by acid rain. He imagined a world cleansed, restored to its pristine beauty. The vision was intoxicating, a utopian dream fueled by the power of the ancient song.
But the memory of the vanished metal can gave him pause. The song didn't just… transform things. It erased them. It turned them back to a time before they existed. What were the limits of its power? What unintended consequences might there be?
He decided to start small, to experiment cautiously. He would focus on Maine, the state he knew, a place of both stunning natural beauty and hidden pockets of pollution. He would target the most egregious examples of waste, the places where the land cried out for healing.
His first target was a small, illegal dumping site he knew of, a place where people had abandoned old tires, broken appliances, and bags of household trash in a secluded corner of the woods. He found it easily enough; even in the altered world, the scars of pollution were stark and unmistakable.
He made sure the area was deserted, then took a deep breath and sang the Song of the Turning. He sang it loudly, focusing his intention on the scattered debris. As he sang, the trash shimmered, then vanished, replaced by a patch of ferns and wildflowers.
The success emboldened him. He moved on to larger targets: abandoned cars, construction debris, even a small, long-forgotten junkyard. Each time, he sang the song, and each time, the waste disappeared, leaving behind a small oasis of rejuvenated nature.
He traveled across Maine, a one-man crusade against pollution, his voice echoing through the silent forests and empty fields. He felt like a force of nature himself, a cleansing fire sweeping across the land, purging it of its impurities.
But the song demanded a price. It was exhausting, draining him both physically and emotionally. And the altered world remained a constant reminder of his isolation. He missed his old life, his friends, his music. He missed the simple comfort of a hot shower and a warm meal.
Then, the accident happened.
He was working on a particularly large dump, a sprawling wasteland of rotting garbage and discarded industrial waste near an old, abandoned factory. The stench was overwhelming, even in the altered world, and the task seemed almost insurmountable.
He sang for hours, his voice hoarse, his body aching. He was so focused on the task, so determined to erase the blight, that he didn't notice the two figures scavenging in the distance until it was too late.
They were near the edge of the dump, their forms indistinct in the haze of dust and decay. He saw them just as he reached the crescendo of the song, the ancient words vibrating with their full power.
There was a shimmer in the air, a distortion of reality, and then… they were gone.
Elias stopped singing, his heart pounding in his chest. He stumbled forward, his eyes searching the area where the two figures had been. There was nothing there, only a patch of newly sprouted grass.
He sank to his knees, a wave of nausea washing over him. He had killed them. He hadn't meant to, but he had erased them from existence as surely as if he'd never been born.
The horror of what he had done crashed down on him, shattering his sense of purpose. He wasn't a cleansing fire; he was a destroyer. The song wasn't a gift; it was a weapon.
He fled the dump, running blindly through the altered landscape, the screams of the vanished scavengers echoing in his ears. He didn't stop running until he collapsed, exhausted and terrified, in a secluded grove of ancient trees.
He spent the next few days in a state of shock, haunted by the memory of the two lost souls. He couldn't bring himself to sing the song again. The utopian vision had been replaced by a grim reality: the song was too powerful, too indiscriminate. He couldn't control it, and he couldn't bear the thought of causing any more harm.
But the world had changed. The disappearance of the dump, and now, he realized with growing horror, the disappearance of two people, was not going unnoticed.
In the altered world, there were no cell phones, no internet, no way for news to travel quickly. But word still spread, carried by the wind, whispered among the creatures of the forest.
Strange things were happening, the animals seemed to say. Places were vanishing, replaced by… nothing. And some of the two-legged creatures that sometimes appeared were also disappearing, leaving behind only a void.
The animals, of course, didn't have a concept of "people" or "dumps." But the absence of familiar landmarks and the sudden cessation of certain smells and sounds was deeply unsettling.
Back in the human world, the disappearances were causing a stir. The media picked up the story, initially treating it as a bizarre local mystery. "Maine Dump Vanishes!" one headline screamed. "Where Did Miller's Landfill Go?"
The disappearance of the two people, however, added a sinister dimension to the story. They were initially reported as missing persons, their families frantic with worry. But as the days turned into weeks, and no trace of them was found, the rumors began to spread.
Some whispered of a government conspiracy, a secret experiment gone wrong. Others spoke of supernatural forces, of ancient curses and vengeful spirits. A few, those who remembered Nana Maeve's eccentric stories, even dared to suggest the possibility of time travel.
The local authorities were baffled. They had no leads, no evidence, no explanation for the disappearances. The lack of a body at the dump was particularly perplexing. It was as if the victims had simply… ceased to exist.
The story quickly spread beyond Maine, capturing the attention of the national media. News crews descended on the state, eager to cover the strange phenomenon. Experts were consulted, theories were proposed, but no one could offer a satisfactory explanation.
The disappearances sparked a wave of fear and paranoia. People began to avoid areas near dumps and other sites of pollution, afraid of becoming the next victims. The once-familiar landscape of Maine, with its hidden corners and forgotten places, now seemed menacing and unpredictable.
Elias, hiding in the altered world, watched the events unfold with a growing sense of dread. He had wanted to help, to heal the world, but he had only unleashed chaos and destruction. The song, his grandmother's legacy, had become a curse. He knew he couldn't stay hidden forever. He had to find a way to undo the damage he had caused, to restore the world to its proper order. But how? He was just one man, armed with a song he didn't understand, facing a mystery that defied all logic.
The weight of his actions pressed down on him, crushing him with guilt and despair. He was alone, lost in time, and burdened with a power he felt he was never meant to possess.
Hope you like it! Chapter 4 will be next week. You can also read the entire book here.
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