Hallowed Lands
Carved in the walls of Fort d'Exilles – Date Unknown

Pierre warned about those lands of Columbus before my voyage departed, before the priests confined him.
He shuddered, “The forests will madden you, certain as sin."
How could I go mad? Our crew's welcome was so warm.
“Your heart's desires hide within our roots. Bleed for us, and you will be reborn,” the wise owl whispered to me. The elks agreed.
They guided me true as north.
Inside their sanctuary, I witnessed the heart of God.
Now, the priests proclaim me murderer, liar, craven.
Trapped within my cell, I ponder if that glorious heart bled for the dead, or me.
About the Creator
Matthew J. Fromm
Full-time nerd, history enthusiast, and proprietor of arcane knowledge.
Here there be dragons, knights, castles, and quests (plus the occasional dose of absurdity).
I can be reached at [email protected]
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes

Comments (10)
Wow. Great work!!
Remarkable. So much dark poetry to this piece, pal. Love it. Love the horror in the uncertainty of it all. Great entry for the challenge.
Love that amazing image, and dark words to at least disturb us
I agree with Veronica! The best ones are the mad ones, lol! Also, I saw that you're working on making this into a short film. All the best for that! I loved this story!
Superb writing, Matthew! The story between the lines holds many questions for me, but I feel the implications strongly. Who knows the truth? I almost want a follow-up... 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Nicely done! I still say the maddest of us are the best!
Great work! Dark and spooky! Loved it!
Quick and dark, love it!
Wow!
Outstanding work!