Eon pulls at the thread and the universe alters. Time skips ahead in a blink of an eye. All living things who bear witness to the shift fail notice that for a brief moment — time speeds up. A portion of their lives fast-forwarded. Eon is bored with this new era and pulls at the thread again. Time once more progresses, landing on another uneventful period. No war, no famine, no disasters. The entirety of the Universe is at peace, all civilizations and realms are in harmony. Discord does not exist during this era.
Oh, how Eon groans at the lull. All this balance is intolerable. Strife, sadness, and hate are what keeps time sated. Time maintains a steady pace in his hands when the Universe is depressed. A slow continuous speed — tic, tic, tic. Eon observes all suffering and despair with amusement. Those are the eras that he wish lasted forever for it made the living beings more satisfying.
The living show their true nature when they are distressed or depressed. They release their inner monsters, showing true faces to the creators of the cosmos. With each face revealed, their vulnerability is relished. Exposure yields energy, which is rich and delectable during the harrowing seasons. The essence of life is consumed by the Gods, enabling their immortal existence. The thread that binds life lays slack in Eon’s fingers during these eras.
Time must flow slowly so that the Reapers can collect every last bit of despondent energy. As the keeper of time, Eon must maintain the harvest period. He remains in control if the Gods’ hunger is sated. Famine grows from balance, for that enables the living to hoard their energies. They become selfish little beings, clinging on to their vitality as fuel for their happiness; not sharing life with the Gods that created them. The ignorance and self-serving drives Eon to anger. He punishes them by pulling on the thread, speeding up their time, only stopping when the Fates play a hand in favor of the Gods.
Another pull lands the Universe in the pit of war. Worlds versus worlds; battles taken to the stars. Eon smiles, his existence is secure. He watches them all, the puppet master of their lifespan. The lives of many are intertwined, driven by one single thread of time.
– If you have enjoyed this piece, be sure to check out my Flash Fiction Library. –
This week’s Prompt: The lives of many are intertwined.
Click here to see Chris Musgrave’s Horror-off FF Challenge post, Weaver. You can also follow us both at The Sarcastic Muse
If you would like to join in on the Horror-Off Flash Fiction Challenge, be warned – there are rules:
- You don’t talk about Horror-Off
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Stories must be flash fiction (1K words or less)
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Stories must have conflict, character, and resolution
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Stories should be in the horror/fantasy/sci-fi/spec fic genre
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Prompts are to be posted on the Flash Fiction blog post (post or link to your FF submission in the comment section below )
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This is just for fun and scares, so don’t expect any prizes.
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You don’t talk about Horror-Off… except when you talk about it
Follow these rules and write a wicked FF piece. That will deter Fifi from appearing at your house, threatening you to write. Trust me, you don’t want that happening. Especially if you don’t have cookies…