Beginning Anew By Chamomile: A Short Story

It’s slowly becoming spring, and this story felt fitting for the beginning of the season. I hope you enjoy this next installment of short stories based on my illustrations.

All that Mel could see was green. 

The vast valley stretched across the horizon, reaching the distant mountains. The tall grass rose to her knees as she walked toward her destination. Budding flora covered the land. Mel could see thistles, violets, and dogwood flowers dancing amidst the patches of grass, making the ground resemble an abstract or impressionist painting. The flowers danced in a literal sense, too, as the breeze made its presence felt here and there. 

"It should be around here somewhere," Mel thought, searching the vast space for a specific structure sticking out. She was looking for an old building that her family mentioned might hold a time capsule containing a few items from her ancestors. It could be her parents creating a good story or telling the truth. Mel wouldn’t know until she finds it. 

Populations today are centered around crowded cities. There are no more houses, only apartments stacked one on top of another, reaching toward the sky. No one remembers why this happened; it has been centuries, and the stories have been distorted. Mel’s family always spoke about their old family home in the countryside. According to them, the house was surrounded by a vast valley, part of which was used for farmland while the rest remained untouched as a refuge for the wildlife around the property. The house was described as massive in the stories, but any house seems enormous compared to the small apartment she is stuck in. 

She walked for a while until she noticed the destroyed wall slowly rising on the horizon. As she approached, she finally found it. The home was no longer a home; it was merely the remnants of a single room. Only a corner remained. Bits and pieces of wood and foundation littered the ground or leaned against the remaining walls. The wallpaper had lost its color, muddied and torn in some places. The window structure stood tall, but the painted windows were cracked or had fallen apart. 

“Ok, where is it?” 

Mel searched thoroughly through the ruins. She figured it would either be visible above the ground where the floor had been or perhaps hidden beneath the rubble. After some time, she arrived at the perfect bench before the window. It had some scratches and signs of aging, but otherwise, it was still in decent condition compared to the rest of the house. She examined it for any signs of a latch or handle. 

She noticed the little latch protruding from the wall underneath the bench. Pressing it toward her, the entire bench creaked. After some elbow grease, she lifted the heavy bench. Dust puffing outward caused Mel to wave her hand to disperse it and cough slightly. When the dust settled, she discovered a box. 

“THERE! It’s real!” 

She opened the box and discovered old photos, a journal, a toy- everything you would expect to find in a time capsule. She smiled widely; her task was complete. Sitting down, she began to look through the contents. She didn’t recognize anyone in the photos and would need to show them to her family to see if they did. The journal was still in decent condition, but she kept it closed until she could open it in a clean room–it appeared to be hundreds of years old. Finally, the toy was a small teddy bear with a little red bow, still in good shape, with just a couple of holes where some stuffing poked out. 

She closed the box and placed it beside her. Mel took a breath and looked around the area. Looking much closer now, she noticed the pattern of the stained-glass window. They were shaped like flowers. It could be a daisy or chamomile. Given the simple design, it could be either. They glowed in the light, casting some of their color onto Mel’s skin. They also illuminated the ground, highlighting the chamomile covering the entire grass expanse surrounding the last standing room. The flowers were bright, with their off-white, almost bright yellow petals. The saturated yellow centers were rich with pollen as well. 

“I wonder if these flowers surrounded the house when it stood, hence why these windows were designed like that…” She thought momentarily, “Or maybe it’s just the world taking inspiration from these windows to replace what once stood here.”

The thought kept her sitting on the bench longer than she expected. Mel believed she would grab the box and head back to civilization. However, she remained in place, captivated by the life in this deserted valley. Was it because she was so tired from traveling? Or was it because she was enjoying the tranquility this valley offered? Home is so loud; the congestion from the city keeps anyone awake if they are not accustomed to it. But here, no one was around for miles. It was just peaceful. 

“What if I just stayed here for a little longer? Would that be so bad?” 

Mel crossed her legs and began to take in the scenery, enjoying what was in front of her for the first time–appreciating her adventure's quiet. As she sat there for thirty minutes, an hour, and then two hours, her mind began to wander into the possibilities of things she could do. One was how she might build a new home here without disrupting what had been growing while her family was away. 

“Maybe it won’t hurt to find out.”

A quick work after you read

I’m starting to get more confident in what I write. Truthfully, I was one of those kids who didn’t excel in English class and writing back at school. It was the worst time for me! But these little blurbs of stories have been helping me write more, and it’s been fun to take a break and jot down a quick story. I hope you’ve been enjoying these as much as I have.