There was a shuffling in the middle of the crowd. The unseasonal weather had unsettled everyone. This was the time of the warming, the time when the young grew strong yet the cold had returned.
“Mumma, I’m cold.”
“Hush, little one, snuggle closer. The warming will return.”
The air grew more chilled as the sky darkness grew. Since the coming of the bright light in the sky, the cold had made its way back defeating the time of warming.
One by one the sounds of the young were gone. Soon the sounds of the grown also faded. All were lost to the cold.
Ross's Writing Blog 
Sparks In Shadow
October 4, 2011 at 19:40
This is so sad! It sounds like the opposite of global warming, a very sad sci-fi tale especially since I thought penguins were made to withstand the cold for the most part. I hope this sort of thing doesn’t happen from anything humans do in the future.
Ross Mannell
October 4, 2011 at 19:49
Thanks for the comment.
I was thinking more in the line of a meteorite strike sending the world into into darkness much like is thought to have happened to the dinosaurs. 🙂
Anna
October 4, 2011 at 20:21
This was so sad Ross. Very atmospheric piece.
Alison Green
October 5, 2011 at 04:53
Lovely use of words in
‘One by one the sounds of the young were gone. Soon the sounds of the grown also faded. All were lost to the cold.’
Very moving.
Ross Mannell
October 8, 2011 at 06:21
Thanks for the comment.
Doing the 100WCGU challenges are great ways to exercise writing. I try to mix sad with happy story lines. 🙂
Dughall McCormick (@dughall)
October 5, 2011 at 07:32
Oh no! I believed Mumma’s reassurance that the warming would return…
Ross Mannell
October 8, 2011 at 06:23
Thanks for the comment.
Parents try their best but aren’t infallible. 🙂
gsussex
October 6, 2011 at 04:22
Very sad . . loved the dialogue and reminded me of myths and legends/the dreamtime . . .
Ross Mannell
October 8, 2011 at 06:24
Thanks for the comment.
🙂 You picked it. This one was written in the form of legend.
Gill Robins
October 8, 2011 at 01:48
Wow! This raised so many questions in my mind. Why had the seasons gone awry? What had happened to Spring? At first, I thought that the bright light was the returning sun, but then I realised that it was a malevolent light.
So thought provoking,
Ross Mannell
October 8, 2011 at 07:24
Thanks for the comment.
This was in the line of a meteorite hit as in the end of the dinosaurs. The bright light was its entry into the atmosphere and the sky darkness was the blotting out of the sun due to the debris. 🙂 My science background came in play here.
jfb57
October 8, 2011 at 02:59
Such a sad piece Ross. It reminded me of the Ice Age films. I’m sure there have been times when this sort of thing has happened & things have gone forever.
Ross Mannell
October 8, 2011 at 07:26
Thanks for the comment.
There was a touch of Ice Age but the time of warming in this case was stopped due to the debris from a meteorite hit as int he end of the dinosaurs. 🙂