I was not sure what to do with Teresa’s prompt for today. My first thought was to develop yesterday’s fictional post, along a “Sliding Doors” route (you know that film with Gwyneth Paltrow). But when I checked with Teresa, this genre is more about real life historical events, and what might have happened instead – an alternative to real history.
Your challenge today, should you accept it, is to explore the world of what-ifs. Write your take on the Fantasy subgenre of Alternate History and see where it leads…or whatever/wherever the picture takes you.
https://maplesswanderer.wordpress.com/2020/01/14/daily-writing-prompt-14/
When I started to think about history, I became a little bit depressed. There are so many regrettable periods in history that came to mind. How I wish certain historical events had never ever happened. But they did. They stand as warnings, lessons, testimony to how twisted and obscene man’s thinking can become. Anyway…as I was becoming a bit locked in my thoughts, I decided to just start typing and see where my thoughts went. So, this is not so much a made up story, it more a thinking out loud and pondering post.
Some say that it was three million people who fled that night. Men, women children and even sheep, goats and cattle made their escape.
It had come to the point that those who had cruelly dominated them actually begged them to remove themselves. The entire land had been plagued with a series of events that had utterly humiliated the gods they worshipped. Their masters even gave them clothes and articles of gold and silver.
But a few days later, those masters had a change of heart. “Why did we let our slaves go? Let’s go after them and capture them!” The most powerful military force in the world pursued a great crowd of families making their way towards the sea. Their impressive chariots raced along. The hunt was on. They would surely have killed, maimed and captured their pray, hoping to haul back slaves to their famous civilisation.
The escapees would have been terrified to realize that they were being pursued by a furious world ruler who had been utterly humiliated. The mightiest army on earth was closing down on them with great rage. What is more, the crowd of three million were completely trapped. A sheer accent in the landscape to the left and right of them, as the merciless army approached behind them. In front of them – the sea.
The odds were stacked against the escapees. They knew it. They cried out in fear. Can you imagine thinking that the most powerful army on the planet were out to get you? Terrified for your life? On their own, they would suffered terribly. Their former masters would have taught them a lesson. How dare they defy the mightiest ruler on the planet? How dare they ask for the freedom to worship in a way they viewed as acceptable to their Creator?
I remember thinking to myself as a little girl when I first read this account, what if that powerful army had not been so blinded by their own pride and ambition? As a child, I found it hard to understand why some people find it hard to admit they are wrong and to say sorry. What is it that keeps them blind? I remember imagining an alternative history. There have been so many occasions in history when like lambs to the slaughter, individuals and nations have rushed into the most shocking and awful of criminal actions.
When I thought about Teresa’s prompt for today, there were so many awful awful events that I wanted to pick. There are so many unspeakably horrific pages of history that I would love to see erased in many respects. The Crusades. The Holocaust. The slave trade. Massacres and bloody civil wars in country after country after country. There are so many events I would love to pick as the scene of a fantasy alternative history. But the more I thought about it, I decided to steer clear of choosing one of those provoking disgraceful periods of human history.
You see…history has repeated itself so many times. And the truth is, humankind has not yet learnt from the pages of history. It will happen again. I don’t think anyone really doubts that, with so much turbulence on the world scene. But besides what we see on the news, we also know what was forecast to happen in the times we are living in. Yes, we know the final outcome of the proud and mighty. It is history written in advance. No matter what might happen from day to day, nothing is going to change the major event that is ahead of us.
Can you imagine that situation today? Imagine a relatively small group of peaceful, law abiding people, who become the target of the most powerful military forces on the planet today. Can you imagine the rage of the world rulers as they realize there are a group of people who still hold fast to their convictions and refuse to be intimidated by threats of violence? A people who will not lift up weapons, for they have been commanded: “Stand still. You will not need to fight. I will rescue you. I will make myself known before all the nations. Your enemies who are pursuing you, after today, you will never see them again, no never again.”
History is full of surprises and miracles which have resulted in a dramatic twist of events. Back in ancient Egypt, everything pointed to the the three million who were trapped next to the Red Sea being vanquished. But mysterious events would change the course of history.
First came a cloud. Their enemies could not even see them. Then a strong east wind started to blow. Gradually the waters of the Red Sea were parted and held back by some force, allowing the huge crowd to flee over the dry sea bed. It took hours for them all to make the crossing.
In some ways it would have tested the heart condition of that powerful world ruler and his proud and mighty army. When they saw the cloud disappear and the waters being held back by an incredible force, would they not humbly hold themselves back, realizing that they were being protected by the God who was far more powerful than Amun-Ra.
But oh no, they had not yet learned their lesson. History is full of examples of haughty, ambitious rulers who seek great glory and fame for themselves, as well as wealth and power. How the mighty fall! The wheels fell off the chariots. The best chariots in the world, the pride of Egypt, were falling apart. They began to realize how foolish they had been. But it was too late.
Now they were trapped. The sea waters flooded over them. Not one, not one escaped the sea. A page in history so utterly humiliating that nobody would want to record it on carved reliefs or engrave it on stones and clay.
Will the most powerful rulers of the world learn from history? Or will they think that they can launch an attack, using the most powerful military forces on the planet on a peaceful, seemingly defenceless people? It was recorded long ago, that in order to preserve their own authority, their own position of power, they will haughtily try to eliminate a seemingly small amount of peaceable people who are convinced that humans need our Creator to guide mankind.
Thousands of years ago it was written, “He that is touching you, is touching my eyeball.” It’s all there, in writing. But will they heed the lessons from other arrogant rulers? Will they humble themselves and learn from history? Apparently not. But this peaceful, defenceless people know just what to do, “Stand still. You will not need to fight. I will rescue you.”
I used to wonder why world rulers would be so foolish, to actually do what it was written they would do in advance. It is all there in black and white. Why would they do it, when the result is clearly stated? But just as the ancient Egyptians were blinded by that cloud, I guess world rulers today will be blinded by their own agenda. Too bad. They will try to commit a heinous crime. And that will be it, by no human hand, they will be gone. We will never see them again, no never ever again.
So today, I am not going to explore the fantasy of an alternative history. Instead it turns out I am writing about what is soon to be a reality. Our human history will finally be undone. All of the damage restored. The earth and it’s inhabitants happy, healthy, without any fear.
I am looking forward to the future so much. The times when we will look back at the disgraceful pages of human history, times when humans sought their own glory, fame, wealth and power, and ended up wreaking misery on others. I long to see the the horrible events of history undone forever. It’s no fantasy. It will soon be our reality. All creatures on earth will thrive! I long to see the unspeakably cruel and monstrous events that plague human history become a distant memory. I long to see the beautiful people and creatures who have been abused and injured make a full recovery. I long to see them go on to live with gusto and dream without any fear.
I look forward to the time when these awful crimes that nations commit against each other will never ever occur again. When haughty, arrogant rulers will be a relic of ancient history. When we will say never again will we see these things, no, never again!
When Jack and I were flatmates years ago, we both had a habit that many of our friends and colleagues picked up on. Bananas! We collected them. I should probably explain what I mean by the term “collected”…we didn’t actually buy them.
Anyway, we were out on the High Street the other day and we walked past a shop that has a large variety of organic fruit on display near the front door. We picked up some bananas. Too many bananas. He said he would take some home with him, but he didn’t. So I ended up with more bananas than I could possibly eat in my fruit bowl.
Caramel 