Chapter 7

One gnome down, many more to go. The joy of returning to the home kingdom intertwining

with bittersweet goodbyes and see you soons. The caves getting empty one by one, the

songs becoming one voice lesser, one more seat empty in the headquarters.

But feeling such heartache about leaving means that the time here was spent wonderfully,

right? All the adventures, journeys, joyful moments together, it’s worth it, all the experience

and connections gained is worth this sorrow. So many thoughts shared and so many

creatures met, creating a shimmering spiderweb of links between souls.

Some moments captured in visual representations on a piece of paper, some carved deep

into the valleys of hippocampus residing inside thy head. The gnomes might eventually

forget what exactly was on the table outside their residence where they sat for hours giggling

and crying, but they will not forget the feeling of peace and togetherness that came with it.

They might also forget that France lost to Latvia in ice hockey, but they won’t forget the

cheers of a scored goal, the headache of the lost one and, most importantly, the butterfly

dude. Hours spent in the office, the car, the park, the bar, all seemingly small in the moment

of occurrence, but huge when reviewed.

If keeping these incredible memories of the time spent in the castle and khachapuriland

together with the most wonderful of gnomes means that the sadness of it all being over will

follow me for eternity, I do not have a single seed of doubt about whether to keep them or

scatter to the winds. I will lock these memories in the biggest possible jewelry box guarded

by not a ballerina, but a beautifully dressed figure with long dark braids, her movements

accompanied by gandagana.

Maybe apart for long periods of time, but together in spirit, the gnomes lived happily ever

after.

The end…

Or is it?

Comments

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CHAPTER 1

Once upon a time there lived five gnomes. They each lived a different life in a different place for a different amount of time. However, the thing they had in common was an unexplainable urge to add a new plot to their autobiographies, to put their for-centuries-collected skills and knowledge to a good use and go to a land far far away. They packed their biggest tiny backpacks, said farewell to their gnome families and forest fairy friends, each jumped on the back of a seagull and flew into an unfamiliar direction. This is where their stories intertwine. Turns out all the seagulls were going the same way; they dropped all the gnomes at the same place – a magical castle surrounded by forests and hills. The castle was home for many, no matter big or small, young or old, beginner or advanced, from this planet or another. All the residents of the castle warmly welcomed the gnomes with open arms and open hearts. The castle was a place where a helpful hand was given first and questions ask...

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