Clair de Lune on the River

made this quickly; I like the story, but prose could use TLC. inspired by MacDeMarco song

         As it had before, the Sun set, her glare kissing the folk of the land—and the world itself—goodbye before descending into the Oceans West once again. The Moon sprouted from the Oceans East—a fool moon tonight. The farmers, the shepherds, the carpenters, the masons all laid their tools for rest before retiring to their homes, as they had before.
 When at night, without the warmth of the sun, shadows descend on land, and the world grows unsure of itself—a sort of haze—and it is in this haze, where the constellation’s beasts thrive—The Hydra would dive into the river and swim and slither in its current, The Flying Fish would plunge between river sky and river land, and The Pegasus would march in the air to glory itself. Most all the world is usually asleep come the Heavens’ time on Earth, but the drifters and dreamers, the drabbers and drunkards, are the lucky few that bear witness to the moonlight's folly. And heaven knows they’re the ones who need it most.

 As it had not before, the Sun did not rise. It stayed set. People—believing they hadn’t slept long enough—went back to rest. Those more confident in their constitution, however, began to worry, and by the end of the second day of night, a crowd began to form around the town's church.
 “Where has the Sun gone?!” said a farmer.
         “My sheep dare not graze at night! Where’s the Sun?!” a shepherd whined.
         “My children miss the daytime, when they could play in the warmth of the sun! The night is far too cold!” a mother cried.
         “BRING BACK THE SUN!” yelled a randomer.
         Collectively, the townsfolk yelled, “YEAH!” and chanted, “BRING BACK THE SUN! BRING BACK THE SUN!”
         “My Brothers! My Sisters! Listen to me!” shouted the priest, struggling over the voices of the crowd. He paused… he had not thought through a response.
         “Well, Father?” said someone.
         “The Sun has… needs to rest! This summer’s days have been long this year! I am sure the Sun has not forgotten her children here in this town.”
         “Well how long will it be?!” Cried the shepherd.
         “Uh… I- I- I’m not quite sure but–”
         “HE’S LYING!” yelled a mason, and the town began to erupt in protest.
         Through the roaring crowd “Why don’t we just find the sun? It has to be somewhere, right?”

         The crowd’s protest fizzled out, turning to see where such a silly comment could come from, and then grew an uproarious laughter when they realised it had come from little ol’ Camille! The Village Idiot. The priest looked disappointed, partly in the village, but more so in Camille.
         A day- er, ‘night’ later, The village had convinced Camille to go on with his idea, to ‘find’ the ‘Sun,’ really, they just wanted to see him make even more of a fool of himself.
         He was in his home, packing his bags for his journey, when the priest's shadow washed into the room:
         “It’s me, Father Nepenth.”
         “You may come in.”
         “Camille… I wanted to say, I admire your humbleness and your eschewment of materialism. Admittedly, it's something that I need to work on.”
         “...Thank you?” Camille said, a little confused where this had come from.
         “Camille, please do not go on this journey… you know they only want you to for their own pleasure. It would be hard for me to watch you leave… It'll be harder to watch those distant plains everyday, waiting to see your eyes again, but to no avail! Please, Camille, don’t do it.”
         Camille’s drawer ran empty of clothes to pack, forcing him to think about the priest's words for a moment. Though he, Nepenth—a man of the cloth—was still a man nonetheless. Camille grabbed a flask from atop his dresser.
         “I’m sorry, Nepenth, but…” Camille turned towards Father Nepenth, with the flask in his hand “I need this journey.”
         “I know,” Father Nepenth sighed reluctantly. “Camille, remember; home is Moonlight on the River.”
 Tears started to well in Camille’s eyes, but he didn’t let them escape. Father Nepenth left… he didn’t even say goodbye. He didn’t want to, or else that would permit the world to swallow Camille whole.
 Camille would’ve left on a horse, sailing through the vast ocean of grasses but, Nepenth’s words stuck with him—Home is Moonlight on the River. It rung in his head over and over again—and so, he borrowed a boat from the dock, and decided to ride through the vast steppe of river water. He looked towards the Gazebo, one last time.

 Swishing, swirling swaths of water rushed with his oar, as he went down the river. The wind was gentle and cool tonight, it made the row for Camille easier. Camille took this moment in, sure to be mindful, focusing on the drops on the water when he lifted the oar for the next stroke.
 He heard a low stirring from below. It wasn’t a rumble, though it shook his boat, more so a swishing, as though something large was swimming beneath his stern. He leaned over the back of his boat searching in the dark water, but nothing! He sat back in his boat, confused.
         “A human so fars out from homes,” whispers a voice from behind Camille.
         “What business does he haves on the Steps?” whispers another on his port side.
         “Perhapsss we should askss him,” came from the starboard.
 Camille turned to see 3 sets of snakey-eyes on him. Their shadows envelope Camille.
 “You’re the Hydra, aren’t you?” Camille asked.
 “Whys, yesss, wes are!”
         “If yous don’t minds us asking, what’s your odysssey for?”
         Camille was hesitant to say he was looking for the Sun. “I’d rather not tell you, honestly.”
         “Shuckss, whys not? Is it sssinful?”
         “Viciousss?”
         “Villianousss?”
         “No no, nothing like that!” Camille paused. “It just sounds ridiculous. That is all.”
         “Stressss not! Wes don’ts judge.”
         “No! Of courssse not.”
         “You promise?”
         “Promissse.”
         “Since the Sun hasn’t risen in so long, I'm looking for the Sun to bring it back.”
         “Thatssss not ssso ridiculousss. Alphard heres ssuggested worssse.”

         It comforted Camille that the hydra didn’t laugh his idea off.
         “Can I tell you something, Hydra?”
         “Hmmm?”
         “I’m not sure what I’m doing. I’m not even sure where the sun could even be… I mostly took this journey to get away from them. I’m just a joke to them. Do you, Hydra, know where it is?”
         There was a brief pause in the wind, when everything stood still, as if the world thought with the Hydra.
         “Wes believes that yous may finds the Sun ahead. Let uss help yous by givings yous a push.”
         The Hydra rose its long slender body just out of the water so that Camille’s boat rested on it. Their many wings lifted and all at once flapped down, with the Hydra rocketing on the rivers plain. It was surreal! The wind rushed against Camille, on his skin, through his hair, making his eyes tear. It felt… nostalgic. It had the same kind of wonder as childhood. He made sure to take in this moment, for as long as he could. Next to the river, the Pegasus galloped, racing with the Hydra. They both inched past each other over and over again.
         “Theys don’t call uss the fish kingss fors no reassonss! Hey, watch this!” The Hydra whistled and the Flying Fish dove from the sky into the river, and using their wings, lifted the Hydra out of the water into the cool night air. The Hydra spanned all of its wings, gliding on the air, and slithered, their sharp tail cutting through the night air. The Flying Fish dove back into the the river below. “Thanks yous, our ssubjectss!”
         Finally, the Hydra landed, and sat Camille and his boat on the river.
         “We’res ssorry wes couldn’t takes yous further! Wes donts want to gets to far from homes! Wes wish you lucks.”
         “Yesss yess. So longs!”
         “I hope you find home safe! So long, and thank you very much, Hydra!” said Camille, not forgetting his manners.

 Camille watched his shadow dance, as it moved with the ship and river. He had grown tired of rowing, and was now moving only by the current’s way. A swish and sizzle! And another! And then 50 more! Camille looked toward the sky and saw a thousand shooting stars in the night sky. Camille watched them with awe and wonder.
         He noticed one of them was flying low, and was growing closer and closer and closer, until it made a big splash. Camille leaned over the side of his boat, nearly falling into the water himself, and saw the star struggling and spatter.
 “Wait up! Help! Help me! Don’t leave me here! Help!”
 He grabbed the fallen star out of the water. The star was surprisingly light.
         “Thank you for pulling me out of the water, Sir! I didn’t even see you there!”
         “Of course, but your family! They're moving away so fast.”
         “Yes! I just need a little push, could you throw me in the air again?”
         Camille stood from the back of his boat, and counted to 3; 1, 2, 3! He ran to the front, tripped on the bough, and tossed the star far into the air. Camille rose from the water. The star circled above Camille.
         “Thank you thank you kind Sir!” exclaimed the Star excited “I’ll be sure to tell the Moon King of your good deeds!”
         “Of course! Thank you so much!” yelled up Camille, not forgetting his manners.

         Camille found himself watching his reflection again when he grew fatigued from rowing.
         “Oh Camille,” he sighed “What are you going to do?”
         “I’d like to know that myself!”” His reflection had a devious smile.
         “Did you just talk? My own reflection talking to myself?”
         “Well you’re my reflection too. I’m from… another world, so to speak.”
         “Are we both on the same journey then?”
         “You could say that in a sort of way, sure. You’re on more of a journey than I… You need to stop rejecting me.”
         “Rejecting you? This is the first I’ve spoken to you..?”
          “Sure, literally, but… how about this. Why are you on this journey?”
         “Well the Sun’s gone. No one else was going to find it, so I am! For the good of the town.”
         “Ahhh I see. So you hate the town folk.”
“What?!”
         “No, it's ok, it’s ok! I do too. It’s ok to hate them, they’re awfully rude, aren’t they?”
         “I mean… they can be a bit brash sometimes, sure… but hate? Hate isn’t a need in this world. We should always help-”
         “-out one another regardless. Yes I’ve heard this too. I don’t believe it. Listen, you shouldn’t give the time of day to people who don’t help you or care for you, and you certainly should not help someone who taunts you. You have no one but yourself in this world, Camille… don’t forget it. You need to start valuing yourself over others!”
         “Over others?”
         “Yes! Everyone else does that too. It's a little thing called the pleasure principle. Those who aren’t seeking it consistently, are only in for a life of pain.”
         Camille splashed the water getting rid of his reflection, and sat back into the boat. His reflection disgusted him, and was the very antithesis of what he desired to be… but his shadow’s words stuck with him… maybe this journey wasn’t for the Sun after all. Nepenth’s words rung again “you know they only want you to for their own pleasure.” Pleasure Principle… whatever, he’s going to rest.

         When Camille awoke, all the land around the river disappeared. He looked back, and saw the land growing more and more distant. He looked forward, and saw the Moon growing larger and larger.
         “Where am I?” he said to no one.
         Suddenly, as if triggered by Camille speaking, it began to rain. Each rain drop that landed on the water grew into a flower: Rose-a-rubies, Madronas, Green Carnations, Red Catchflies, and Gardenias—flowers in a bouquet given to Camille by him that day… at the gazebo. The rain turned into a sparse snow, and each snowflake that did land, sprouted into a gazebo, that gazebo, and all the flowers wilted in the gazebos' shadows. It brought Camille back memories… memories he didn’t care for… those that had grown dusty and creaky. He wondered for a moment—just a moment—if he had taken that bouquet—or even just given him a response—how different would things have been? His boat bumped into the Moon, throwing off his thoughts. Camille stared at the moon for a moment, then wondered aloud, “Is this where the Hydra meant for me to go?”
 After a rather short deliberation, he decided yes and tried to climb onto the Moon, but he didn't have enough strength to pull himself up. He then jumped onto the face of the moon, hoping it would give him the push to be able to cling on. He fell flat on his face, knocking the wind out of him. After a moment he got up and dusted himself off. He realised he wasn’t standing on the boat anymore, then looked behind him, and saw the boat perpendicular to him. He looked down and saw the moonrock below his feet. It was all so surreal.
 Climbing over a crater, he could see, in the distance, a tall and grand palace! Camille ran towards the palace, jumping all the way, riding the low-gravity waves.
 He finally arrived at the palace and let himself in. At night, the haze made the mind feel just as hazy, like the mind was in a dream along with the world. However, when Camille crossed the threshold of the Palace, that haze disappeared… the world felt real again. Standing at the end of the hall was a man, 5 times taller than Camille. He wore a rocky crown, seemingly made of raw gold.
 “Hello?” called out Camille.
         The tall king turned around. He had big bushy brows, and a long beard of feathers, “Ahh! You must be Camille.”
 “Yes, I am!”
         “My good friend Canopus here was just telling me of your good deed in helping him, and now that you’re here, I can tell, your soul is innocent.”
         The king knelt down, and rested on his knees and elbows to get on eye level with Camille. Camille looked into his pupils, and saw the stars in his big black ink. “I’d like to give you one wish. Tell me, what you feel, what you think.”
         Camille thought… and thought, and eventually said, “I’m not sure what I want… I don’t think I want anything, but I want everything too.”
         The Moon King looked at him, and said “I know there are 2 things you want: Peace of Heart and Peace of Mind”
         “I do? But- what are they?”
         “Peace of Heart is that desire for the love and acceptance of others. Peace of mind is that desire for the love and acceptance of yourself."
         Camille nodded.
         The Moon King laid a hand out for Camille to step on, and lifted him up to a mirror. It showed the village where Camille was from.
         “You could win the love of the other, by wishing back the Sun…” The mirror then transformed into an image of Camille smiling with others, an image rare for Camille. “...or you could win the love of yourself, by wishing for a new home, in a much kinder place than there.”
         Camille dwelled on the King's words “a much kinder place than there.” So even the king hated the folk of the village…
         “Are the village folk…” Camille paused, “really that bad? Should I really hate them?”
         “Of course not! They’re still humans, with their own struggles that one day, hopefully, they'll overcome. Hatred is for monsters unable to change. However, you still have to look out for yourself still.”
         “Because of the Pleasure Principle?”
         “Because you are human too. You don’t deserve their vices; you shouldn’t suffer for their personal hatred.”
         Camille sat in the Moon King's hand, processing those words for a moment.
         “So, Camille. Do you have a wish?”
         Camille nodded his head and said to the King his wish. The King chuckled, and said something, then told Camille “Close your eyes.”

         Camille opened his eyes, and was suddenly in bed. He felt well-rested. He got out of bed and made his way to the door, and looked to his left.
         The sun was peeking over the mountain, the same old mountain, near the same old town, casting a shadow upon the same old world. His house, the same old house, was always the first to get sunlight. He began to grab his bag and pack again, he had a long journey ahead.
         Camille reached the edge of town. Before leaving, he turned around to face the town, and closed his eyes, and remembered his wish:

         “Thank you for the wish” he said to the Moon King, not forgetting his manners
         “A town where everyone loves me sounds wonderful, but I must decline. I think…” he paused “I think I want to find that for myself. It wouldn’t feel like my home if I didn’t. And for my original home, let the sun rise over it again. Not for my sake, but theirs. Consider it a parting gift”
         The Moon King gently laughed, “You really do deserve this wish. Your soul is beautiful, Camille”

         Camille, looked at that gazebo, and then started for the Great Meadow South.

         Father Nepenth opened his eyes, the Sun dancing in the trees outside of the church window. He had slept on one of the pews, strewn about it like a spiderweb. He realised the Sun had risen! He ran outside and immediately towards the docks. The boat Camille took was back! He ran to Camille’s home, only to find it empty, “Oh, camille,” he whispered. He took off his preacher's hat and retired to the gazebo, that gazebo. When he got there in the centre, 2 flowers bloomed, a Yellow Rose and a sunflower intertwined, their bulbs next to one another, completely doused in sunlight. He looked towards the Sun, shading his eyes with his hand.
         Nepenth smile, for the first time in a long time. “You’ve gone and become the Sun, haven’t you Camille?” Now, Camille was always with him.

         Camille never was an Idiot… he was just in the wrong kind of town, with the wrong kind of moonlight, on the wrong kind of River.