A Fable of Love

Photo by: Alastair Forbes

Hate is not just a concept, it’s a tangible thing. Despite it’s apparent ethereal nature, it has a measurable affect on living things. If science had only worked out the mathematics of it, they might understand the life-cycle of the Hannumaruti.

A Hannumaruti ship left Earth orbit after depositing eggs. The hard outer-covering of the eggs burned up on reentry before they landed in soil in Detroit, the most dangerous city in America.

The eggs germinated quickly and flowers, very similar to rose buds, sprouted overnight. The flowers, actually Hannumaruti nymphs, blossomed into the perfect form for collecting the energy of hate. There was so much hate in Detroit that the flowers grew far faster than on the Hannumaruti homeworld. Petals fell away and crab-like creatures remained, collecting energetic hate and growing fast.

In the midst of this, Hank and Jenny found each other, and fell in love. It wasn’t lust or co-dependence or puppy love, it was true love. In the days when magic was alive and strong, true love could literally move mountains. No one realizes that the Himalayan Mountains used to bisect the Northern and Southern regions of India. A couple in true love went on walkabout and moved the mountains to India’s Northern border.

Hank and Jenny roamed the streets staring into each other’s eyes, blissfully unaware of the turmoil raging around them. They didn’t notice irrelevant things like traffic lights. Three times cabs nearly killed them. Ever after the cabbies in question didn’t understand how they missed the couple. True love was just as tangible as hate.

Meanwhile the Hannumaruti nymphs morphed into their adult form, a vile and powerful mix of scorpion and squid. They roamed through the streets of downtown, fifty-foot long bodies smashing buildings and trouncing cars. Police were dispatched with heavier and heavier weapons yet failed to produce any effect. The terrible creatures were armored by Detroit’s hate.

And then, walking hand in hand and unaware they walked into a combat zone, Hank and Jenny sauntered into the middle of a vicious firefight. One hundred guns firing at once failed to hit the couple, but suddenly the armor of the Hannumaruti collapsed. The creatures curled up and withered under the pounding gunfire.

Police Chief Hammerley, veteran of many riots, realized at once how the couple changed the battle. Still kissing, Hank and Jenny were gently guided into a police van and trucked to the next battle. Each time, they guaranteed a human victory. It took two days before all twenty-two Hannumaruti were destroyed.

In the months that followed, Hank and Jenny continued to wander the city. The police escort stopped when police realized nothing could harm them anyway. Gardens bloomed wherever they walked. Rundown houses became new again. People began returning to Detroit. People were happy once more.

The Hannumaruti ship arrived over Detroit to collect the adult spawn. The crew suddenly became ill as the love of Detroit washed over them. The ship crashed leaving most of it’s technology intact. Though it was the power of science that reverse-engineered the spaceships and sent humanity into the stars, it was the power of love that started it all.
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Written for Alastair Forbes’ Sunday Photo Fiction. Look here to see what other folks wrote: https://sundayphotofictioner.wordpress.com/2015/09/20/sunday-photo-fiction-september-20th-2015/

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