The Miracle of Flicker Town
Flicker Town was one of those villagers that couldn't quite shake off the blanket of anonymity it was born in. Rugged mountains and deep valleys encased it, their shadows masking the town from the view of the otherwise busy world.
Every house shared the resemblance of a cottage out of a fairy-tale book, whatever these residents lacked in wealth was compensated by the gift of love. Their lives revolved around sunrise to sunset, in sync with the rhythm of nature. But as quaint and retrospective as it was, Flicker Town had a story, a legend that passed down from generation to generation.
The town was said to be guarded by a creature named 'Arion', a being that was rumoured to be as old as the mountains themselves. An entity created from the Earth, existing in the form of a bronze stag, Arion was believed to protect Flicker Town from misfortunes and nightmares of the outside world.
As charming as this mythical creature sounded, not everyone held faith in its existence. A lad of fourteen years, Will was one such sceptic. The son of the town blacksmith, he was taught to trust the hammer, anvil, and the certainty of iron. Against this hard reality, the tale of a magical stag seemed like fanciful nonsense.
One summer, tragedy struck Flicker Town in the form of drought. An arid dryness swept over the town making it harder to cultivate their meagre crops. The villagers turned to the legend of Arion to lift their spirits and their hopes. But as days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, faith waned. Everyone except Will’s grandmother held on to the traditional belief.
Grandma would often tell Will - 'Faith is like a tiny flicker in the dark, Will. It seems insignificant until it's all you've got.' Yet, the pragmatic young lad found it hard to accept.
One night, his grandmother handed him a polished stone. It was bronze, almost resembling a miniature Arion. 'Take this, ride out, and pray', she urged. Will struggled between his logic and the faith reflected in his grandmother's eyes. That night, he rode out of the town.
Guided only by the moonlight, he happened upon a small glade. Sitting beneath an enormous tree, he held the bronzed stone tightly, closed his eyes and prayed. Lost in concentration, he failed to notice the glow that slowly enveloped his stone.
When he opened his eyes, he felt an overwhelming presence. Before him stood a majestic bronze stag, radiating an otherworldly glow. Arion, in all its glory, had answered to the flicker of faith in a young lad's heart. The stunned young boy who once lost faith in the ethereal, found himself standing before the very embodiment of it.
He relayed the plight of his fellow villagers to Arion, who, in response, bowed its head. A teardrop fell from its eyes, sinking into the parched earth. On his journey back home, Will could already hear the distant rumble of thunder. That night, a gentle rain washed over Flicker Town, nurturing the dying crops back to life.
Although still enveloped in its tranquil anonymity, the people of Flicker Town began to shine with a shared faith. Will, who matured overnight, carried the tale of Arion with newfound belief, handing down the legacy of a creature that only answered to faith, humility and perseverance. And so, the legacy lived on, the miracle of the town, blessing it with an unspoken magic that was both its cover and its badge.