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Inside a cave, the overwhelming grey was a bleak, bland nothingness—the typical granite grandeur with debris and rampant clutter everywhere. Unused winding tunnels yet to be explored stretched far into the mountain as an unimportant feature. Only a small portion of this vast wildness could be claimed as well-documented, the foyer the only necessary space.
A tiny creature stood in this space, hunched over while lost to its amusements and ploys. Its features consisted of a bulbous nose not entirely centered on its face; this off-kilter distinction in the character development perfectly exemplified the scenario. With a pointed top hat full of life resting atop his head, a rouge form of fabric brilliantly dulled in the dark space. Meanwhile, the transition from inky tethers to ash claimed the beard, consuming most of his face. All that was left to describe was the shiny shoes whose shine was left to mourn over their inability to fully gleam.
His joy was palatable.
A row of rocks claimed his attention. They were simple, everyday minerals found across every corner of everywhere, sitting in a neat row like the strictest form of OCD. Benefiting and befitting the latest and greatest trends, those mighty powers hold sway over the population. Neither distinctly colored nor interesting shapes garnered this attention; the undeserving sense of attentiveness sprang from a cultural pressure attached to social circles and cliques, infused into the very nature of society like a gravitational pull. The madness society deems necessary, the above nonsense-consuming nonworking hours.
Laser focus was a testament to its affection, careful sentiments cooed to the adamant objects. This lullaby doubled as a flimsy ode, the rampant lines of lies and soft preludes into nonsense. The general preamble to the grand spectacle of foolishness set to rule the scene.
But all good things being what they are, this perfect moment couldn’t last. A jarring halt came in the form of a simple sheet of paper cascading down, casually arriving to shatter every plan.
The crinkle of a signal instantly sent shock waves of distress across his face. The cold, icy wind blew across his features and froze them into place. A stark landscape of frigid distinctions, its hallowed and haunted countenance a graveyard of shadows.
He inched closer, tentative movements skirting around the border of caution. He plucked the paper from the ground with trembling. His eyes rolled across the words without meaning, their depths sinking in on the second round with dismal effects. Dissatisfaction and curiosity fought like siblings, a bloody descent into chaos without clarity. His frown deepened into hard lines.
The loose grip of reluctance rolled away with a flimsy shake, shifting into blind acceptance. Nothing was to be found as a clean slate was laid out: perfect blue skies after stormy weather. All too happy to contend with the authoritative slip, the vague lines of absolute dominance set the stage as he turned.
Disdain dominated his eyes, filling them with the utmost bile. The vile doctrine was directed toward his former interests, and his once beloved items were tainted as their popularity tanked. He trudged toward these unwanted pieces aggressively as negativity swarmed around his thoughts. An ungracious toss, unburdened by feeling, exercised the rocks from the cave. An afterthought betraying the previous fun and fancy, any sentiments following behind.
Once the pristine palace of garbage and debris was returned and all that ugliness was forgotten, he giddily marched forward. Straight into the bright light of midday, cascading over a forest to find the currency of the moment. The coveted items sought after were frequent occupants known in almost every part of the world. Pinecones strewn about the forest floor like stumbling across gold, fervent devotion the order of the moment.