The Play

The lights shine upon me as I enter the stage. The audience claps and I bow with a gentle, innocent smile. The land grows silent, but a low rumble lingers beneath the floorboards, its sound only a few can hear. I can feel it with my feet, its energy surges through my entire body. Its hum can no longer be contained and suddenly, the blaring music is finally released to the world and thus starts this frenzy!

           Come! My brothers and sisters let us march onto the stage and defeat this great, evil tyrant poisoning the world. Let us march through this rotting land, its smell intoxicates the young-lings and see through that this evil will be vanquish. See here, the great leaps and dances, capturing all eyes and drawing applause. See here, the great voices, belting out sorrowful hymns and see here, us. We are few. Our clothing, just rags. Our weapons, rusted. Yet under this stage light, we shine. This land we trample upon has fallen into ruin. Follow us through the burned towns, follow us through torn-up valley, and follow us, so that we might conquer this evil.

           Many ask why we fight. Why, we fight for you! I point to the world, the audience gasps. For you, our beloved! Do you not see how the fury of the world consumes in a fearsome, gluttonous mania? It takes a piece of this lavish land, crumb by crumb, and never ceases, for as long as the lovely sun and moon stays entwined in their eternal, eloquent dance. This thievery must be condemned in the hottest flames of hell. The pitiful villagers lean on me. The angelic light’s gentle glow shines down into our tired eyes. You can see the free dust, twirling in the lime light. The music is steady and all seems calm. Children, I feel your fear. My flame flickers with every doubt. The confusion and helplessness many of you may feel, I have also felt. The world may want to punish you, but it forgets about the real judgment to come. Listen here, the audience claps. Together, the applause transforms into a roar heard for miles, but say there is only one, proud applaud, its fury will be no different and echo forever, like a bullet piercing the cold night. I reach up to the light to have a single dove land on my finger. It coos through the auditorium. Watch as the dropping feathers return to hands of our forefathers. The everlasting ink is still vibrant and continues to bleed into the land. Come close, we are still together. Our hands and feet ache, but our heart still holds strong and with the crash of the cymbals, the blare of the brass, the cries of the winds and the screech of the strings, the dove takes flight.

           Follow it! My brothers and sisters let us march into the world! Save your vespers for the tomorrow we fight for. No longer shall you contain us, so hear my voice and hear our cry! Coat yourself in the shining, lined armor made by our gathering allies. Our weapons, sharp tongues and shielded hearts, protect us. Our quest has only begun. We stomp and scream, like a crowd of madmen. The audience bellows haughty laughs; let them laugh. Glaring into the darkness, I stand and let the musical tempest swirl around with a gale of encouragement. The laughter dies, leaving an unsettling silence in the theater. No longer are we stringed puppets for play. Leap out into the audience!

           We spill over the stage, tumbling into the front and climb ferociously up the rows. Stomping noses, spilling drinks and kicking away grabbing hands, we climb to reach the theater doors. A hand grabs me and I begin to sink back into that black, ominous sea we have tried to escape. Helplessly, I struggle to reach the surface, but the pull of the darkness is too much. In the silence, I only hear the drum of my heart keeping me sane. The darkness envelopes me and the last glint of light seems to fade. Outstretched hands plunge the deep waters and I gasp, as I break free from the watery prison. Overgrown children, with eyes filled with jutting hope, carry me to the doors. Yes! Together as one, we will be free.

           The frightened screams and chaos are behind us, as we charge out of the theater doors to battle. Our tempest shall reign through the towns as we gather foes turned friends, but be kind to the sick and weak that cannot join this quest. We cannot win this war through bloodshed and violence, it will only dilute us, and transform us into the very evil we seek to destroy. Instead, let it crumble from the roars and screams of our battle cry. The elements become our raging symphony, with the pained voices of the past echoing their haunted verses to the melody. In our golden chariots, we shall leap over the bottomless canyon with the guide of a peaceful rainbow, as the cackle of the storm thunders with the striking lighting, glinting our armor. The evil will tremble from the rumbling herd charging towards it. No matter how many days or years it takes, our charge will continue forever. Even if I fall and return to the gracious mother Earth, my spirit shall be carried on. Through the souls of the ones that come after and those after, I shall live forever in all of them and together we will win. The twisted tower, wrapped in thorny vines and stained with blood, is upon us and we pay no heed as we slice away the vines and head to penetrate its broken walls. A maniacal laughter erupts from my soul as I point to freedom; I point to the future and beyond. We shall drape ourselves with the red curtains and when the evil sees the red on our back, it will know. It will know that we will never stop and defeat is nigh. Until the evil is gone from this world, until peace returned to the land, only then will we take our final bow.