Madame Pele is said to make Kilauea Iki her home.
So when you walk this terrain, know that you are trespassing upon sacred land.
All may seem quiet, but just beneath the surface she rumbles and groans her displeasure at being contained.
Hawaiians know better than to disregard Pele’s ferocity.
Her anger can quickly explode into fiery bursts of magma which kills all in its path.
If you let it, the stillness will lull you into daydreaming.
Beware.
The goddess of fire surrounds you.
You trespass at your own risk.
I’ve been there.
There I remain.
One with my ancestors.
Love the ominous feel to the story and the underlying moral to leave nature undisturbed or pay the price! Great piece of writing HM:-)
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You nailed it! An ominous feeling…and leaving nature undisturbed. Nature, in the form of the volcano, and its guardian, Madame Pele, warning us to tread lightly…or else.
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:-)Glad i got it HM
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Me too! 😆
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🙂
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back atcha! 🙂
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I”ve never visited Hawaii but I’ve always wanted to. I’ve read about it and seen TV programs about it. My brother, much older than me, was in the U.S. Navy during WWII, and at Pearl Harbor for a time. Fortunately, not when it was bombed.
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I think I know as many people who have not visited Hawaii, as those who have. Airfare is not cheap, and going to there for less than a week is inadequate. A couple of weeks is ideal. Hope you get there someday. You won’t be sorry. We would love to own a small condo there when my husband retires. Real estate is not cheap in the islands, so it’ll probably remain a pipe dream unless we sell our house here. We don’t want to move there…lock, stock, and barrel…if our daughter lives on the mainland. We wouldn’t get to see her as often as we would like. A catch-22, for sure.
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Very poetic.
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I’m not known for my poetry, so thank you for the kind compliment.
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Great tone of mysticism and power rumbling through this story
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Madame Pele embodies power in many forms. Legend has it that she has been seen as a beautiful maiden wandering the roads in and around the park in which the volcano lies. I’ve not seen her, and would prefer we never met.
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I have visited both Yellowstone and Iceland.. and the closeness to the volcanoes is magic.. Old Faithful and Strockur are both spectucular.. Hawaii sounds amazing… so fare away for me though..
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I wish you could be magically whisked away to hover over Kilauea Iki, Hawaii’s active volcano. You would be as captivated as you were by Yellowstone and Iceland. I’d like to think Madame Pele’s home would be even more spectacular for you. I’m prejudiced you see. 🙂
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“she rumbles and groans her displeasure at being contained” i love the idea of the bottled-up wrath from within. you did a wonderful job in setting the mood.
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Thanks, KZ. And congrats on your publication. Doesn’t surprise me since you’re a very talented writer.
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Beautifully written
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Just two words, but they made my day. Hugs for that and hope yours is spectacular!
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I could imagine hearing this as a voice-over in a documentary or a movie. I especially loved the ending!
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You mean I could write the script for the likes of Morgan Freeman…George Clooney? I could do that to earn a little money while doing what I love best…writing. hugs…
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Dear Millie,
I’ll consider myself forewarned if I should ever get to visit Hawaii. I enjoyed your story.
Aloha,
Rochelle
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I hope you do get to visit Hawaii. The Big Island, also known as Hawaii, is rife with native folklore…having been the seat of King Kamehameha’s monarchy. The times I have visited the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. Being native Hawaiian I am prone to give credence to the superstitions of my ancestors. As a Catholic I try very hard to turn a deaf “ear” to the sirens. That doesn’t mean, however, that I don’t think they exist. I just don’t “go there.”
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You really need to read the fine print in the tourist books – they warn about this sort of thing. A great piece to read.
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Native Hawaiians are very superstitious people. The Big Island, also known as Hawaii, was where King Kamehameha held court. There’s a bay on the Kona side of the island where he resided with his entourage. Human sacrifice was performed on a nearby stone altar. When I visited, a few years ago, I must admit to being spooked. It’s probably because one of my mom’s sisters, Big Aunty, was a kahuna…a Hawaiian witch doctor. Because of her our family had a lot of secrets. Being the youngest of 9, I only knew what filtered down from my older siblings. I can never just relax like a tourist when I visit that island.
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Your description of the area reminds me a bit of some of the areas in Yellowstone, where the thermal activity kills many things. Good use of the prompt.
janet
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I’d love to visit Yellowstone when my husband retires. We can then go when there are fewer tourists and really enjoy poking around and taking our time.
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Good story and well written. I enjoyed the references to Madame Pele.
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Do you know of Madame Pele? Have you visited the Big Island, also known as Hawaii?
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Very atmospheric. Well done.
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I like that…atmospheric. That’s a good way to describe the petrified lava flows, with sulphuric acid ascending freely into the atmosphere from vents that dot the landscape.
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I love your story. Silent
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…a silent aloha…with hugs…
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I’m in trouble if I ever make it to Hawaii… I daydream all the time. No stillness required.
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ha, ha. Madame Pele would love to get her fiery hands on you.
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Love the touch of mysticism and the subtle dark tone. Loved your last line.
Good to see you again
Dee
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Always great to see you too, Dee. I went to that mythical place as soon as I saw the photo. It really does remind me of the volcano in Hawaii, and the seeming stillness…to the point of eerie…in the surrounding landscape. Lots of dead trees, stripped down to the bark. Lava rocks as far as the eye can see. When my family and I have visited, we rarely came across another living soul. Very spooky…to the point of chilling.
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