The Dream Catcher

Nestled under the foothills of the towering Aclestobss range, lies Black Forest, the largest forest on Silicon planet. The dark brown foliage punctuated by wild white flowers add a vibrant contrast to the purple mountains hovering over them like Big Daddies. The chief of the foliage was the huge Rosella trees and once in every summer their leaves turned red, crowning the Black Forest with an adorable gleaming crown for a warm home.

 Yes!Home it is, to a large number of families. Deep in the woods, away from the scorching Sun lived the Diirg family - a close knit group of pigs. Just like the other pig families across the planet, the Diirgs believed their unflinching faith in Filth would take them across the Great Divide. The fact that their home was besides the shallow stream RumBrum did nothing to alter that faith. While the Elders prided in their good upbringing, the youngsters reveled in the art of mud slinging. All but One. 

Paunchy Porkchops was not a normal Diirg; atleast that's what the other kids whispered behind her neatly braided pig tail. Now none of the Diirgs braided their tails. In fact one of the first commandments that they had been taught as kids was, "Thou shalt not uncurl your tail, your mind and your spirit". But then nobody can teach Paunchy anything unless she wanted to learn. Big Momma and Bigger Pappa felt she was just being pigheaded and this too shall pass. 

 While her cousins and friends did what was expected of them, Paunchy spent all her morning by the shores of RumBrum doing the unspeakable. She took a dip in RumBrum. Now who has ever heard of pigs taking bath?? But Paunchy, like we already know, never liked to do what was expected of her. She played with the mud but not in the conventional way; she moulded funny shapes out of them instead of smearing herself with it. Every little piece had her mark - the two-toed stamp of her right foot. The Diirgs could not make sense of the shapes. Neither could Paunchy Porkchops. But they couldn't destroy it. They were too beautiful to throw away. Big Momma sighed and hoped against hope RumBrum would wash away her daughter's mistakes. 

 One morning as Paunchy Porkchops made her way to the stream she was in for a surprise. There by the stream, silently peering over her work was a strange creature. Short and as brown as the local Rosella. Paunchy Porkchops stared shamelessly as the creature glided to her and spoke, "Hi, I am Dodo Dumplings. I come from the world beyond Aclestobss." Paunchy couldn't believe her ears. Nobody ever thought about Aclestobss much less about what lay beyond it. And here was...was ..er Dodo telling her of a paradise within reach. From that day onwards, Paunchy and Dodo spent all their time by the shores of RumBrum. Dodo filled her days with stories and her nights with dreams; Dreams of an unbridled ocean, of a sky as canvas and of truckloads of mud to shape for eternity. Her shapes were no longer nameless masses of mud. She named them, with the help of Dodo and there was treasure everywhere, waiting to be found. And when her tired mind needed rest, Dodo would sing ever so softly and send her to her dream world. For more inspiration. For Paunchy, it didn't matter if she never crossed the Aclestobss. She had found her paradise. Dodo Dumplings. But the Elders didn't think so. 

The Council summoned Paunchy Porkchops. "I want to go and see what lies beyond Aclestobss", squeaked a timid yet confident Paunchy. Bigger Pappa grunted and shook his head. How did she plan to cross the RumBrum? "I'll fly with Dodo" , came the reply. An unearthly silence filled the forest. Not much of a surprise since we are on Silicon Planet. Big Momma sighed, "Sweetheart, pigs don't fly". "And neither do dodos", chimed in Bigger Pappa. A crestfallen Paunchy made her way to Dodo. He didn't need her to say anything. Her misty round eyes conveyed all that he needed to know and much more. He took her stubby feet in his wings and whispered, "Believe in me Paunchy. We can fly across the Aclestobss. Just close your eyes and let yourself go. Jump". Paunchy closed her eyes but she couldn't see her paradise. She saw the sad eyes of The Diirgs longing for her. Sometimes all it takes to break a mountain is a feather. Maybe Paunchy would have sprouted wings, maybe the wind would have carried them both, maybe RumBrum would have swallowed them whole and transported them across. But now she'll never know. 

That night, Paunchy dreamt nothing. When dawn arrived, The Diirgs knew Black Forest was not the same. Nor was their darling Paunchy. There was no sign of Dodo Dumplings by the shores of RumBrum. No footprints to follow. Not even a trail of fallen feathers. And along with Dodo all her sculptures had also disappeared. The Diirgs watched silently as Paunchy Porkchops sat in her mud hole, her little pink tail uncurled. Just like the Diirg family wanted it. No more dips in the RumBrum. No funny sculptures. Just plain mud slinging. And suddenly nobody knew if that's what they wanted. Paunchy Porkchops dreamt no more. She was a Diirg, from snout to tail. And yes, Bigger Pappa was right, Pigs don't fly. Not without their dreams to lift them.