If you read my introductory post you'll have seen that I am a part of YWW (The Young Writer's Workshop), and they gave me prompts that I had to use in a story. This is the first short story I made for YWW. The prompts were, octopus and spoon.
As you will see, this is in fact, a dream I had one morning although the octopus and spoon parts were my additions. It does have elements of fantasy in it. I hope this story encourages you to trust that God answers prayer and that He is God alone.
Only God Answers Prayer
*This is a Dream. Some things in the story I’ve seen and heard before mostly from Star Wars (the Force was renamed the Current). Dreamt around 5:00a.m. 8/17/22
I knelt in the shrine of Lodi with my hands firmly planted on the floor. The place was steeped in the Current and I let it flow comfortingly in and out of me waiting for Lodi to answer my prayer. I knew Lodi was dead. She had been a long time, but so many came here seeking her that I had to see for myself if she could answer me. The red gems embedded in the walls of the shrine pulsed and swirled like flowing blood, like breathing life.
Lodi did not answer.
No one can speak when they are dead. I knew that. Then what was I looking for? Who made the Current? Who gave meaning to life? Who deserved my praises and prayers? Who could answer them? Those of us in the Current were not so far away from the truth that we did not know who made it all, yet we decided to send our prayers to lesser beings. They understood us better, right? They had been human once. But the more shrines I tried the more I realized, that only God answers prayer. He is the only one that is still alive after all these ages. “Answer me, God,” I prayed. “Show me that You are the only omnipotent one. Prove what I have noticed to be the truth.”
I got my answer.
As part of our schooling, my sister Snali and I got to go to the Museum of the Current. It was a trip we’d been looking forward to for our whole schooled lives. We rode a hover bus with the rest of our class. Our eccentric teacher Master Jason ran us through Current drills on the way. In the middle of a bright singing forest filled with the Current, we stopped at a docking station and transferred to a flashy yellow rail Spoon. The rail Spoon was shaped just like a spoon with the pilot’s seat in the front along with a couple of rows of seats. Along the length of the ‘handle’ were single seats that had a beautiful view of the vibrant forest. I chose one of those.
The museum was fascinating and huge. Many cultures, races, and wise Current users were represented there as towering sculptures, tattered cloths, ancient runes, and crumbling stones. I followed along in the tour, mouth almost hanging in my awe and wonderment. When I dared touch a display or two, I almost yanked my hand away at the power that exploded around me. This trip was meant to make us see how integral the Current was to our lives and stories. It was working. After the tour was over, we were allowed to go back and look at the things we liked best for a time. Snali wanted to see the shrine of Mevla. She hadn’t come to the same conclusion that I had made. I followed Snali absentmindedly until I realized that on the tour, we had learned that Mevla was still alive. Now, I was interested to know what would happen if I did not pray to her in her shrine. I simply stood in the room and stared at the pulsing red crystals on the wall as Snali channeled the Current. They glowed red like spilled blood, like fleeing life, and I realized my conviction was changed. I believed that only God answers prayer and even if Mevla could do something because she was alive, God was more powerful.
At that thought, Snali glanced up, fear in her eyes. I knew what was happening. Mevla was coming. She didn’t like my decision. “She’s coming for both of us because of you,” Snali said it almost like an accusation. “We need to run,” I said urgently. “But she can find us anywhere!” Snali was looking a little panicked. “Isn’t she known for her love of octopi?” Snali’s eyes were wide. She nodded. “We can get her to go past Master Jason. Come on!”
Miraculously, we evaded Mevla. Somehow, we managed to get her into an argument with Jason about a nine-tentacled octopus he’d seen. Then, I took Snali’s hand and we whizzed through the air over the Spoon rail track. Then, we exploded downward into the ground. We stopped at a deep cave dark and wet. A rocky alcove seemed like a good place to sit. “She’ll still find us,” Snali said. I said nothing. I was praying for help. In a quiet moment when all I could hear was our breathing, a small voice said to me, “Snali must know the truth.”
“Snali, will you pray to God for me?” “What?” “Just pray, God, we need you to rescue us from Mevla. You are the only one who can.” She repeated what I said robotically. “Do you believe what you’re saying?” I asked. “We’re about to be killed!” she exclaimed loudly. Her voice echoed down the tunnel and another echoed back. “I hear you little tasties. Come and let me consume you.” Mevla had come. “Who is more powerful than Mevla?” “God,” she said automatically. “Then ask Him again!” She prayed eyes shut tight. I couldn’t see Mevla in the blackness, but I felt her near, and as Snali finished, Mevla shrieked. Through the Current, I knew she had been hurled away and was running from us in fear. “He is real!” Snali said, breathless. She knew the truth. “You have answered me!” I cried to God. “There is no other omnipotent one than you!”
