The Whispering Poppies🔊

In the small, picturesque town of Watershed, known for its scenic beauty and charming little houses, lived a girl named Elodie. The town was wrapped by tumbling hills and filled with flush, beautiful flowers at every turn. A sense of peace ruled the town with a gentle fist. Elodie, a 16-year-old with sparkling eyes revealed a curious spirit, living with her mother, a local botanist in a tiny house by the creek.

Elodie's father, a soldier, had passed away even before she could make any memories with him. He had been an enigma to her, kept alive through the heartfelt stories shared by her mother. Out of all things that he'd left behind, Elodie loved a tiny poppy seed the most. It was a gift her father had intended for her first birthday but he never returned.

With the years passing, Elodie blossomed into a compassionate soul, her love for the flora and fauna of her town endless. On her 16th birthday, she planted the poppy seed her father had left behind. It was as if she was pouring all her father's love into that small pit dug in the soil. She nurtured it like a precious secret, hoping to see it sprout and bloom.

Days passed into weeks, and weeks into months, but the poppy seed showed no sign of life. Elodie, however, didn't give up. She tended the seed day and night. Then one chilly morning, a tiny green sprout pushed through the soil. Elodie’s heart fluttered with joy like a hummingbird. Every morning after, she would rush to her window to check on the little promise which was now a growing plant.

One day, as Elodie was watering the plant, she heard a soft whisper. She quickly whipped around but saw no one. Again the whisper, it was coming from the poppy bloom. Shocked and fascinated, she leaned in, the antics of her curious heart overpowering her common sense. The whispering poppy, endearing as it sounded, told her stories of her father from a far off land, tales of bravery, love, and kindness.

Each day, Elodie would rush to her whispering poppy, eager to listen, her heart full of amazement. With every passing moment, she seemed to unravel the enigma that was her father. There were stories of his mighty strength in the battlefield, his kind gestures to the locals, his deep love for her mother and his longing to see his little princess. Elodie felt an overwhelming emotion, her melancholy weaving a comforting blanket around her.

News spread across the town about Elodie’s whispering poppy. At first, it was met with disbelief, but those who stopped to listen, left with awe-filled eyes and a heart full of emotions. The poppy not only told tales of Elodie's father but brought alive their deceased loved ones as well. The town soon started calling it the 'Oracle Poppy', a medium that spoke words from the afterlife.

Elodie's humble yard soon turned into a place of sanctity, a beacon of hope, healing, and of love. People left with teary eyes and heavy hearts, their pain eased by the stories of the poppy. The whispering poppy became an epitome of magic and hope, a symbol of resilient spirit and love that transcended even death.

Years later, the tale of the whispering poppy became a legend, a beautiful saga passed down to each generation. As for Elodie, she became a revered figure, a woman who gave her people a gift no one could, a sense of solace, and a belief in love that goes beyond the constraints of time and life.

And the graveyard, once a domain of sorrow and loneliness, became filled with poppies, a field of whispering miracles. People visiting Watershed to pay homage to their departed loved ones wouldn't leave without planting a seed of hope, a seed of a poppy. The poppies whispered, and the circle of life continued, sprinkled with love from a world beyond ours.