URÐ’S WELL, Hell—The Council of Natural Order continued to hear testimony this week at Earth Thing concerning matters related to the mistreatment of water bodies with special attention given to the alarming per capita increase of violent encounters.
One such victim of ocean assault was identified only as a turtle goddess for safety reasons. The diamond-shaped scars on her skin were revealed to be the mark of those who attempted her murder. The goddess’s testimony sent shock waves through the crowd as she described the relentless genocide of ocean fish, crustaceans, and other aquatic creatures. “Entire communities were simply scooped up, never to be seen or heard from again.”
It was also reported that this past summer was the deadliest on record for coral reef communities. Bleached by fatal heat waves, these once dynamic safe havens experienced a spike in homelessness as shelters shriveled up. The lack of secure lodging opened the door for predators to take up residence in the area with deadly consequences. A Polynesian ocean spirit testified about the horrors that unfolded when a school was attacked.
Experts acknowledged that 90% of ocean population centers have been wiped out, but they warn that purposeful genocide is not the only cause of death in the sea. According to the Oceanic Subcommittee of Habitat Inspection and Testing (OSHIT), there has been an uptick in disease-related deaths due to toxic substance run-off. The hazardous materials are washed from the land into into streams and rivers, and then out into the ocean. When asked to name the toxin most responsible for terminal illness, the subcommittee members hesitated. “There’s just no way to sugarcoat it,” one specialist finally said, “the testing shows that we’re up to our eyeballs in shit!”
Finally, damming evidence was added to the record when freshwater spirits and river goddesses were heard. Each witness condemned modern practices of water management such as the construction of massive dams and extensive irrigation channels as “barbaric” and “reckless” due to utter disregard for life and limb, the destruction of river systems and indigenous habitats, and the willful violation of natural laws that have governed water flow since the beginning of time.
The Earth Thing concluded with a feast to honor the witnesses who came forward and shared experiences and evidence. Following the festivities, The Council of Natural Order entered a closed session to deliberate before announcing a final verdict on the State of Earth. If a judgment of disorder to the natural order is found, the Council will deliver a Decree of Corrective actions to all offending parties by the end of the month.
editor’s note…
I hope you enjoyed this special edition of The Wyldwood News. Every year, June 8th is designated World Ocean Day. That inspired me to do a little research to get the facts I needed to write this edition’s fictional news. Thanks for reading!
Did you know The Wyldwood News also serves as the official newspaper of the nine worlds found in Norse Mythology and some of the news directly relates to the Sága’s Fable Mind serial story? To get the full experience, read both! This article is a primer to Episode I of the Sága’s Fable Mind Series Prequel found here.
Take a look!
This is awesome! ;-)