Crowning Fables 4: A collection of one short stories

The flower bloom twice

In a quiet village nestled between dense forests and rolling hills, an eerie legend held the villagers in its grip. They whispered of a chilling tale that sent shivers down spines and cast a shadow over the quaint community. The tale was known as "The Flower Blooms Twice."

The story spoke of a young woman named Elara who had lived in the village centuries ago. Elara was known for her unearthly beauty and her peculiar connection to the woods. She had a unique gift for growing flowers, creating vibrant and mesmerizing blooms that were unlike anything anyone had ever seen.

But Elara's gifts came at a price. The villagers believed that she had made a pact with dark forces, trading her soul for the ability to make flowers bloom twice – once in the light of day, and again under the eerie glow of the moon.

As the legend went, Elara's blooms were said to be a harbinger of doom. Whenever her flowers bloomed for the second time, strange occurrences would plague the village – unexplained disappearances, chilling whispers in the night, and unsettling shadows that seemed to dance at the edge of sight.

Years passed, and the village became a place of fear and suspicion. The tale of Elara's cursed blooms was handed down through generations, and though some dismissed it as mere superstition, others felt a lingering unease whenever they passed the overgrown meadow where Elara's garden had once thrived.

One fateful evening, as the moon cast an eerie pallor over the village, a group of curious young villagers ventured into the meadow. Determined to unravel the truth behind the legend, they stumbled upon a patch of soil that seemed untouched by time.

Intrigued, they planted a single seed, their excitement overcoming any reservations they may have had. Days turned into weeks, and the seedling grew into a beautiful, otherworldly flower with petals that glowed under the moon's haunting light.

As the flower bloomed for the second time, a sense of dread settled over the village. Whispers grew louder, shadows seemed to stretch and contort into menacing shapes, and a chill pervaded the air, freezing hearts in their chests.

Strange occurrences began to unfold – objects moved on their own, distant wails echoed through the night, and villagers reported feeling an oppressive presence watching them from the darkness. Panic spread like wildfire, and the villagers realized they had awakened forces beyond their understanding.

Desperation drove them to seek the help of an old wise woman who had heard the tale of Elara and her cursed blooms. With a heavy heart, she revealed a solution – to uproot the flower before its second bloom, severing the connection to the otherworldly forces that had been awoken.

Armed with this knowledge, a brave group of villagers journeyed into the meadow once again, their lanterns casting flickering shadows as they approached the glowing flower. With a collective breath, they plucked the flower from the soil, its unearthly light fading as it was removed from its roots.

The moment the flower was uprooted, an eerie silence descended upon the meadow. The shadows seemed to retreat, and a sense of calm returned to the village. The legend of "The Flower Blooms Twice" had been appeased, but the memory of its haunting presence lingered in the minds of the villagers, a chilling reminder of the darkness that could be awakened by the curiosity of the bold and the unknowable forces that lurked in the shadows.