Silent Whispers

I

Third person POV

Coming out of blackness, a crystal ball moves forward. Two ancient disembodied hands gesture around the ball. Magical images glow within.

It is written among the limitless constellations of the celestial heavens and in the depths of the emerald seas and upon every grain of sand in the vast deserts that the world which we see is an outward and visible dream of an inward and invisible reality.

Shimmering images appear in the ball, mysterious and majestic. The 'camera' moves closer as the ball fills with light.

Once upon a time there was a golden city.

A fabulous city appears. It is the moment before sunrise.

In the center of the golden city atop the tallest minaret were three golden balls.

The city cranes closer as the balls are lit by the first rays of the sun.

The ancients had prophesied that if the three golden balls were ever taken away harmony would yield to discord and the city would fall to destruction and death.

The hands gesture as the ball fills with fire.

But... the mystics had also foretold

the hands withdraw and the smoke clears

that the city might be saved by the simplest soul with the smallest and simplest of things.

We see the city getting closer as sunlight spreads across an empty bazaar.

In the city there dwelt a lowly shoemaker...

We see an old boot sign "Tack the cobbler" as the sun lights it. As we go through the front window of a cobbler's shop. A sunbeam falls on a young man asleep in his work-clothes among his shoes and tools.

...who was known as Tack the Cobbler.

Although the young cobbler is asleep, he is working. He is about 20 years old and has the white face of a clown. His knapsack -like clothes are grey - worn and patched. His toes stick out of his own neglected shoes. In contrast to his appearance, he stitches an intricate golden design on a delicate crimson shoe. It's clear he's an artist.

Also in the city...

we move across the bazaar to a halo of flies hovering above a wall.

existed a Thief...

The Thief's head rises up under the flies. He looks around and zips down.

who shall be nameless.

The flies move along the wall to a saddle shop. The Thief's hand whips out and steals a saddle. He breaks cover and runs behind a fountain. His flies follow.

There is singing and a little old lady, hobbles along dragging a bunch of bananas. The Thief sneaks up behind her and reaches for them. Suddenly a huge arm shoots out of her robes and grabs his wrist. She kung-fu's him, shakes out all his stolen goods and ties him in knots. Returning to her former frail self she hobbles off and he skitters away like a crab.

Inside the cobbler's shop 

Still 'sleep-working' Tack takes some twine from his pants and forms an amazing cats-cradle which he snaps into a beautiful pattern on the shoe. He rolls over and his purse slides out from one of his many pockets.

Flies buzz and the Thief appears in the doorway. He approaches the sleeping Cobbler, his eyes on the hanging purse. He lifts it, snaps it open and a moth flies out.

He turns it inside out. Empty. Some flies land on Tack's nose, making him twitch and he rolls over pinning the Thief to the floor. Still in deep sleep Tack picks up one of the Thief's hands and hammers it on the thumb. The Thief is in silent agony.

To be continued....

Autor's note: I hope you like the first chapter, the second will be coming soon so stay tuned.