“The mundane affairs of humans must always have boundaries.”
Disapproving my love for adventures, mother always repeated those words as she told the tale of a venturesome princess who disrespected the sacred Tawhay River.
Angered by her recklessness, the gods cursed her to balance eternally on top of a stone pile as a living stone figure.
Mother’s tale did not stop me and my horse, Kusog, from venturing into the woods. It only reinforced my desire to prove its legitimacy.
She simply underestimated my stubbornness and wanderlust.
My stream of thoughts suddenly halted when I began to hear the gushing waters. Alas! I caught sight of Tawhay, with the balanced stack of stones at its center.
I urged Kusog to trot towards the pile for a closer look. Indeed, it was real yet lifeless— contrary to the tale. It was just a still remnant of the lost princess.
“‘Tis but a sham,” I muttered. Perhaps, this was just a nymph’s work. I snorted at the sight of it, excited to prove Inay wrong.
Gathering the reigns, I readied to have Kusog destroy the stack before heading home. At the crack of my whip, he reared and prepared to plunge.
To my disbelief, the stone figure swiftly turned its head in my direction and cackled, “Hah! Meddlesome fool!”
Startled by the voice, Kusog wildly sprung back and forth, throwing me off balance. Down I fell, losing vision as I crashed onto stones, sinking below the shallow waters. F TAFFY ARELLA M. BERNALES
