Mid-Week Flash Challenge - Week 72

This photo was taken by Flemming Beier, a Danish Photographer. He won't say where exactly this was taken, just that it was in Denmark. He has lots of interesting photos on his page at 500px.

This ended up a shorter tale than I expected. And one that wrote itself. I like it when that happens.

The General Guidelines can be found here.

How to create a clickable link in Blogger comments can be found on lasts week's post here.

There is also a Facebook group for Mid-Week Flash, if you fancy getting the prompt there.

Derelict

I watched them come. Having been left to decay, the surrounding woods had encroached leaving the lake boggy. They pushed their way through it, intent on their mission. It had been a long time since I’d received a visitor.

Once they had pulled up in front of the door, they clambered into the hallway, their heavy boots shaking the dust out of the remaining floors above. It was strange hearing voices again. It had been too long since this house had heard more than the whistle of the wind or the creak of the trees, or even the insects skittering in the woodwork. I had missed how it bounced off the walls, bringing life to the building, returning memories of a happier time.

I wanted them to find me. I wanted them to know I was here. That I had been here for a long time, trying to hold on to the only thing of value. I had held on alright, but literally to my death, and now it was all corroding and turning into rubble.

I could hear them debating how to reach me, trying to work out whether it would be safe to come up to the second level. There were holes, lots of them, but there was some flooring left. I’m not sure it would hold though, and neither were they.

They brought in ropes and climbing hooks. I waited.

The first head peeped over the floor and was joined by another on the other side of the room. They gasped. I was found, along with the chest I had been protecting, my bones never letting it go.

Their hands came and took it out of my grasp; their gentle respect as they placed me to one side, touching.

They carefully opened the chest. They looked inside, and they ruffled through the pages. They saw what no one had, the only thing I had to offer the world. There was laughter and delight. It would set them straight, it would help them rebuild. All the answers were there for humanity to begin again.

I could rest now.