The Silent Whisper🔊

Once upon a time, in the quiet town of Hollis Quay, lived a lonesome, silent fellow named Patrick. Patrick was no ordinary man, for he had the power to hear things others could not. He lived each day in solitude, not wanting to draw attention to his trademark ability, hearing the unending whispers of the wind.

Every day, Patrick would visit the river near his old country house, sitting quietly with his eyes closed, listening to the wind. He had always heard tales from the wind - the giggles of children playing in the meadows, the rustling leaves in the autumn, and the gentle whistles of the night birds. However, what he cherished most were the whispers of the ancients. Old songs and ancient stories, tales of love and woe, wisdom and folly, that had been incorporated into the wildest gusts of wind, swept through every corner of Hollis Quay.

One day, the wind began to whisper a story that Patrick had never heard before - the legend of the ‘Eternal Flame,’ a mythical fire, which, when lit, was supposed to bring everlasting peace and prosperity to the land. The conditions for igniting the Eternal Flame were particular - it would only ignite on the stroke of midnight on the day of the new moon, and needed to be lit by someone who harbored genuine love for the town in his heart. Intrigued by the tale, Patrick decided to unravel the truth of this legend.

Using his ability, he followed the whisper of the wind to a mountain cave on the outskirts of Hollis Quay. True to the tale, there was a pedestal inside the dimly-lit cave – a pedestal meant to hold the torch that would ignite the Eternal Flame.

Patrick spent the remaining days gathering the necessary items as instructed by the whispering winds - a Special Torch made from the timbers of the Great Oak, and a Flame-Cloth woven from the feathers of the Golden Sparrow. The day arrived when the new moon was to take over the night sky. As the clock struck midnight, Patrick ignited the Special Torch from the hearth of his own house, a symbol of his love for Hollis Quay, and carefully wrapped it with the Flame-Cloth.

The wind held its breath as he gingerly placed the torch on the pedestal. Miraculously, it ignited into a brilliant, ethereal fire. The cave lit up with the glow of the Eternal Flame, its whisper joining the symphony of the wind. Instantly, a soothing calm suffused Hollis Quay. The crops thrived, the river sparkled more brightly, and the townsfolk began to smile more, their hearts filled with an inexplicable peace.

Patrick continued to live with his unique gift, not as a silent observer but as a cherished member of his community. He learned that his gift was not a curse but a blessing that had led him to fulfill a prophecy, bringing everlasting prosperity to his beloved town.

From that day, Hollis Quay bloomed into a prosperous, peaceful town - all thanks to the lonesome, silent fellow named Patrick, who listened to the wind and dared to follow the whisper of a legend.