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- *Gnome Village*
- Once upon a time, in a land far away, there lived a small creature called, Lightning Gnome, or ‘The Lightning Gnome’ (TLG hereafter). A descriptive title bestowed upon him by his contemporaries on account of his disposition which I will elaborate on shortly.
- He lived on the outskirts of Gnome Village in a small cave. He stood about one foot high (not including his hat) and had large sallow green eyes and a long greyish white beard. He wore green linen clothing including a tunic and britches that where held up by a belt with a large shiny silver buckle. On his feet, he wore big brown boots made of leather and on his head a scarlet red hat. In fact he looked much like one would expect a Gnome to look but for one very curious feature which brings us to his disposition; being:
- As long as he can remember he has been followed around by a small Storm cloud about eight inches round and six inches tall that hovered about six inches above his head from which an unsteady stream of lightning bolts continuously arced between him and the cloud. As if he were some very desirable lightning rod to this cloud.
- Most of the time the lightning is more like little sparks than bolts, so TLG gets used to it along with his contemporaries.
- It is considered rare to be hit by lightning. To be hit by lightning more than once in ones life time, is considered to be either miraculous or curse-ed which ever way you look at it.
- As you can imagine, this was rather annoying to the other Gnomes in his village although he was tolerated on account of his magical presence.
- TLG and the other Gnomes in the village went about their daily business as usual. Most days were spent cultivating and reaping grain to make bread and beer of which most nights were spent consuming it.
- *Nimrod*
- TLG had a very good friend called Nimrod. Nimrod lived in a hole in a log that lay not far from TLG’s cave. TLG and Nimrod would spend many hours arguing and philosophising while they drank beer and ate bread around TLG’s supper table. Although sometimes TLG could not concentrate for too long before being zapped by his lightning, he could still hold a good conversation. In fact it was often a source of amusement when TLG would muddle thoughts and concepts sometimes creating bizarre but delightful thought permutation.
- But it would also drive TLG to despair. TLG just wished he could find an escape from his relentless cloud. It was also one of the most popular topics were the incumbent cloud TLG carried with him and the stormy weather that dampened and lightened TLG’s existence.
- What purpose did it hide?
- But no matter what crazy ideas they came up with, nothing seemed to explain the strange adornment and its lightning.
- TLG was also convinced there was something wrong with himself and creatures that inhabited Gnome village. TLG had ideas and concepts for which he could not explain. He knew of children, but he cannot remember ever seeing them, or ever being one himself. He was constantly overwhelmed by a sense that he was broken somehow. Not by his melancholy but more by his unreasonable lightning cloud. Being a creature of much discipline of thought and reason, he could not reasonably explain this phenomenon. It seemed impossible.
- *The Vision*
- One stormy night when TLG was sitting alone in his cave after Nimrod had retired to his log, TLG noticed that his storm cloud appeared to be more vigorous than usual. This was strange to TLG because usually a flask of beer with his friend Nimrod tended to calm the cloud of lightning.
- TLG did not pay too much mind to this. Maybe it was to do with the terrible weather outside. It had been raining for days and the wind and rain sometimes exasperated his own little storm. He just sat their on in his chair and marvelled at the dancing light reflected on the wall of his cave, emitted from his lightning. As he watched with glazed eyes he started to notice forms and shapes in the shadows on the walls. TLG was amused by the patterns and forms at first but as he watched more intently he felt this sudden sense of urgency. The broken shapes in the shadows seemed to be attempting to gather, and form as if desperately try to be something. As if the shadows themselves were struggling into existence.
- Finally it was revealed to TLG as an apparition in the strobing flickering light that his lightning cast against the walls of his cave. It was the shattered image of a tiny frail Gnome. As he sat there, watching the image darting in and out of existence like a long lost memory attempting to surface but falling back into déjà vu. He felt a deep and profound sense of loss and dispossession. He could not explain this feeling as it seemed to come out of nowhere. It was as if the apparition was the memory of a long lost friend that he could no longer remember.
- Was something trying to communicate with him?
- He had never felt anything like this in his life. As he just sat there transfixed to this incarnation, the sound of distant thunder and rain made him feel disembodied and he suddenly longed to flying with the rain and blowing on the wind and free falling with the elements. Along with this he felt a strange sense of power and invulnerability. As if he were impervious to nature itself. As if he could tumble and fall into the elements without any consequence to his mortality, but only to invigorate him.
- TLG emerged from his trance as the images faded into broken thoughts, and he wondered if he had been dreaming. But he knew this was nothing like any dream he had before. The inspirational notions of freedom that had haunted him during this episode persisted so strongly that he was compelled to make a fateful decision.
- *The Fever*
- TLG ran to Nimrods log and banged on his door hard with his fist.
- ‘NIMROD, LET ME IN, I MUST SPEAK WITH YOU!’ he shouted from outside Nimrod’s door.
- Nimrod opens the door and ushers TLG into his log. ‘What is up my friend’ Nimrod asks with a concerned look on his face’.
- ‘I must find him!’ TLG gasps incoherently. ‘I saw him on the wall of my cave. He was cast in the shadow of my lightning and I need to find him.’ TLG pants.
- ‘Calm down my friend, here have a cup of tea’ Nimrod says trying to eek sense from his friend. ‘What are you saying? Find who?’
- ‘Odelin!’
- ‘Who is Odelin?’
- ‘Odelin, do not you remember? He was our friend, many years ago. At least I think he was.’
- ‘Come on TLG, I have known you all my life. I have never known of an “Odelin”. Are you going barmy?’
- TLG pauses for a minute as he tries to picture Odelin, all those years ago. ‘I can see him in my mind’ TLG mutters finally. ‘But I do not know how he got there’ TLG looks puzzled but then regains his conviction.
- ‘What is he TLG?’
- ‘He a little Gnome.’
- ‘What? A baby Gnome?’
- ‘No!’ TLG gasps, ‘He’s a small Gnome about three inches tall. And anyway. How do you know what a baby is if you have never seen one! I know there is something wrong with you too.’
- ‘You are speaking nonsense TLG. What is wrong? What are you talking about?’
- TLG sighs and hang his head. ‘I need to find him. He knows of a land far from this one where we would all be free of my storm, and I could lose my little cloud for good.’
- Nimrod was starting to imagine TLG had finally succumbed to the lighting strikes to his brain and he was in fact mad. ‘You’re not making sense I'm afraid. We have talked about this for years and we have never mentioned and small Gnome called Odelin. I do not even believe such a creature could exist, my friend. Your little rain cloud is part of you and you were destined to bear it.
- Everything has a reason and a cause. You cannot change that which has been set in motion. So you should remove this notion from your head at once and we will be the better for it.’
- TLG hesitates for a moment and then retorts.
- ‘But what if it is my destiny to find this place of peace. Why would I suffer this vision otherwise!?’
- Nimrod’s face softens to calm TLG.
- ‘Are you sure you did not just dream this?’ He asks in a slightly patronising fashion.
- TLG considers what his friend is saying. He understands, Nimrod’s scepticism but his heart knows Odelin was real. Everything in his perception screams it. It was as if he was experiencing an alternate existence, as though his past had suddenly been erased from history and replaced with another. His experience is so persistent that he could not imagine ever not knowing Odelin.
- ‘The light was just playing tricks on you TLG. There is no Odelin. You can go a bit barmy with your lightning sometimes. You know this. You must sleep here tonight, I will make you a nice bed and you will forget this in the morning.’
- ‘I cannot expect you to understand. I know it sounds crazy, and maybe I am going mad, but I need to tell you something.’
- ‘What is it?’ Nimrod enquires cautiously as if knowing he was not going to like the message. Nimrod just looks at TLG and waits for his announcement. Nimrod can see is the odd silhouette of a Gnome shrouded with a halo of white fire and where the smell of argon permeates the air in his log hut. TLG’s lightning always gets worse when he is exasperated.
- ‘I do not think very well with all this lightning I know, I do not even remember why I am as I am, but somewhere in the back of my mind, I know that we are all in grave danger. From what, I do not know, but I'm sure I remember Odelin and his place of freedom and happiness, free from this curs-ed Lightning and weather bane’ TLG cleared his throat as a series of little sparks arc from his little cloud to his head.
- ‘I shall go forth to find the little Gnome called Odelin. I do not really know what I will do when I find him or even If I will find him at all, but I know I have to go.’
- TLG retires to the bed that Nimrod laid for him in front of the fire. He pulls up his blanket and closes his eyes.
- ‘Just wait until the morning my friend. You may feel differently then.’
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