Legend of The Eleven

A story I wrote a while back. Please feel free to post your thoughts

“My parents died when I was young so I don’t remember much about them. I do know that we lived near a beach and that there was constantly a storm brewing just outside my window. To keep me from getting too frightened of the thunderous noise outside, they would tell me the Legend of the Eleven. I think they made up the name but it’s a good story anyhow...” May’s voice echoes inside my head, and I fall asleep to the rhythmic sound of the story that I have heard so many times that I have it practically memorized.

“Since the beginning of time, there have always been eleven fundamental elements that make up all dimensional planes: rock, life, air, fire, psyche, metal, wood, darkness, light, water, and the most dangerous, time. They are everywhere, in the all the things we touch or create to our bodies. There was a time when these elements were in excess, and it wasn’t uncommon to see the air around you shimmering, explosions of color right next to you or the ground shake every day for the extra weight it had to bear.  Everyone soon grew tired of the constant grumble of the ground and the stuffy, colorful air.  They wanted change but no one had enough courage to face the Creator, a beast who, it was said, made the elements with his own hands. One young woman overheard everyone’s complaints. She had no personal problem with how things were, but was very angry that no one would do anything. She yelled at them her words making the air that much more condensed but she couldn’t change their minds. Her overconfident twin brother had been watching the events with great interest, and feeling bad for his sister, he decided to help her. The only problem with their plan was that they didn’t know how to contact the Creator. Looking through the Old Archives, the only evidence they found of the Creator coming down to earth was when he dropped the elements off on a piece of barren space. The brother pointed out that the barren space probably turned into the Cliff of Traveler’s. The Cliff of Traveler’s having gotten its’ name because if you go to the top you can see for miles in all four directions. If a traveler happens to be lost, he goes there for solace.

The very next dawn, the two gathered at the top of the Cliff of Traveler’s holding hands and demanding that the Creator come down to hear their wishes. The Creator had been watching all of this from above and was very amused. The amusement was mostly caused by the fact that, since he had no real job anymore, he became extremely bored. He came down his eyes penetrating through the siblings, exhilarating the brother and terrifying the sister. The brother arrogantly spoke first. ‘Oh great one, our people have sent us up here to send you our complaints. The Eleven are overwhelming us. They are too much, we don’t have the power to do anything but we know you do. Will you help us? Why wouldn’t you?’  The sister gapes up at the Creator, thinking ‘I think I may know why they didn't want to confront him. He's so intimidating.’  

Back then twins were sacred and seemingly magical, but really they just had good intuition. Sensing his sister's uncomfortable feelings, the boy squeezed her hand, and she felt a tiny bit better.

The Creator feeling offended replies, ‘Complaints?! What could there possibly be to complain about? I did this wonderful thing for you, I created your land for you to feed and live off of, and you have the nerve to COMPLAIN to me?!’

The brother not bothered in the slightest says ‘Of course there are complaints even you can’t get something like creating a whole dimensional plane perfect on your first try. You see there are too many Eleven particles, it makes the ground rumble like an empty stomach and the even the air is overwhelming us.’

‘EXCUSE ME?!’ The Creator yells outraged, ‘WHO DO YOU THINK YOU’RE SPEAKING TOO? DON’T YOU KNOW ANY RESPECT?’

‘But I am being respectful; I was being polite and everything! Calling you ‘oh great one’ and saying….how great you were!’ The brother says trying to cover his behind.

Snapping out of her stupor, the sister realizing too late the damage her brother has done,  tries to make up for it before he can get even more mad. ‘Sir, we are terribly sorry, it’s just that it’s so hard doing normal everyday things when the ground’s shaking, or to take in big gulps of air after a nice run when the air itself seems threatening.’ She tries to smile and slowly takes her hand away from her brother’s. After all, I have kids, a husband and a life to protect. It’s his entire fault really. She thinks trying to comfort herself with her act of betrayal.

The Creator gazes coldly at the sister’s hand. ‘You two….I thought twins were made to be great, two heads being greater than one, but maybe I am wrong. After all, as your brother said, I’m not perfect. As for your complaints, I’m sorry but I can’t grant the people’s wish, I created the Eleven, but they have been out of my control for a long time. Just one person, even one as great as myself, can’t control all eleven elements.’ 

The brother, too nervous to notice that his hand is empty, stupidly says ‘Well if you’re going to get so mad at us for just trying to talk to you, maybe it would be better if we could do what you refuse to. Control the Eleven.’ His eyes widen when the impact of what he has said finally reaches him, the effects of the Creator’s gaze having finally worn off. The Creator’s eyes narrow and it looks like a cat that just got thrown into a bath.

‘As punishment for not sticking with your brother, through thick and thin…’ He says to the sister, the brother finally noticing his empty hand looks extremely hurt, and then to the brother,  ‘And, for disrespecting ME, the Creator, eleven of either of your descendants will have to bear the weight of a fundamental element. This is the curse I put on your family for your actions, there is no tangible antidote or reverse curse. If anyone of your descendants goes looking for a reverse to this curse, they have to come to this cliff and I will judge them like I have judged you. If they pass, the curse will be lifted and put back on to me….If they don’t….well, it will never end. Your family will always bear the vengeful spirits of the Eleven, allowing the earth to be in peace and harmony.’ The Creator smiles smugly while nodding a job well done. The solemn twins go down the mountain never to speak to each other again, each blaming the other for the curse. After that, the earth was pleasant to live in, the ground stopped shaking and the air was less condensed. The only bad thing to have come out of that exchange was the family’s curse, and from then on they were quietly ostracized from society.”

The part of the Legend of the Eleven that no one knows

The Creator watches the ungrateful messengers until they have left the Cliff becoming nothing more than tiny specks, insignificant in the grand scheme of things. The Eleven just starting to cling to their auras. What they don’t know is that the curse he has just given them is a double edged sword. As the Creator always liked to say “by themselves they are just parts of a whole, nothing special, but when coming together they are the most amazing thing there can be.”  The Creator smirks wondering what will be in store for this family over the years. Will the story of him be passed on? He hoped so, he could enjoy giving a few harsh words to those he believed deserved it, but enjoyed it even more when they redeemed themselves. In the space of a blink the Creator slowly disappears into the air bringing the Cliff of Travelers’ with him. Leaving no trace that he or the Cliff was ever there, except for these parting words. “If you ever really want redemption, you’ll have to find it first.” Eleven pure forms of the Eleven appear on the eleven dimensional planes.  Eleven, eleven, eleven, the sacred number thrice.

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