Week 2 Story: The Man in The Moon
I’ve been the Moon longer than I can remember. I can’t speak, I can’t blink. All I can do is orbit the Earth and stare. I wish I could talk to that wise old man one more time. At this point I wouldn’t even wish to turn back; I would just curse him out and punch him in his old, wrinkled face. But he’s dead so long ago. I saw it. When the time came, I was so happy, but I realized I’d be stuck like this for eternity. The Sun used to be so bright, and so very hot. But I’m used to it now. The constant glare no longer impairs my vision, and the scorching heat is something I have grown used to. Watching life go on without me is a strange sensation, but it has kept me preoccupied for the time being. I’m afraid that might change soon. I’ve seen what the humans are capable of. They fight petty wars and slaughter each other in the thousands. At first it was not too bad, small groups fought each other for food and shelter. But as the years passed and they became smarter and more powerful, things got way worse. I saw the black plague and how it almost wiped out the entire human race… maybe that would have been for the best. But they survived. I saw the industrial revolution. I saw the invention of technology. I saw World War 1 and 2. I saw the millions of people who lost their lives. And I saw the nuclear arms race between many countries. I remember when they landed a man on my surface. That was quite strange but being close to someone for even a short period of time was a little comforting. I felt recognized for once, but after a while they stopped coming, and now I’m alone again. The humans are in trouble and I can see it. Everything they do ends up hurting themselves. If they keep it up, I’m not sure how much longer they’ll be here. I hope they figure it out, I don’t want to be alone in this universe. I hate being the Moon. I hate it. I remember my old life and how I wanted to be something else. Well look at me now. I wish I wasn’t the Moon. I wish I could have told my family I loved them one more time. I wish to be a blacksmith again.
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| The Moon - The Man in The Moon |
Story Source - Laos Folk-Lore by Katherine Neville Fleeson (1899).
Hi Christian, I really liked how you focused on what happened after the blacksmith got turned into the moon. It’s cool to ponder on about the blacksmith is thinking about as all those years go by. Your details about the events in history that the blacksmith witnesses make it very believable that there actually is a man in the moon. Overall, your story is a great addition to what happens after the original story.
ReplyDeleteHi Christian,
ReplyDeleteI love that your story took place after the main story. It adds to the continuity of the original like what happened after the man got turned into the moon. You really captured the emotion the blacksmith felt. It must've been lonely being alone in space for millions of years. I also like your commentary on the human race and large events that happened. The first person point of view lets you capture the emotion the blacksmith felt. Also, the commentary on humanity flows well in the story and doesn't seem out of place in a story about a man on the moon. How does the blacksmith recognize the technology and plague since he was only a blacksmith when he was turned into a moon? Overall, I think your story is so good and creative! The only thing I can critique you on is the author's note. Maybe expanding the author's note with a brief plot of the story can help the readers who are unfamiliar with the main story to connect it with your story.