1 comment

General

The wildernesses was pitch black according to the time of night; The way by which to go could no man find, and a light that could them was no where in sight. This is the circumstance in which I, Josh, found myself in as i awoke to the dreadful atmosphere of the hostile wasteland which had no name, and filled to the brim with man-eating entities was unto us a trial of survival of the fittest, or so it did seem initially. Yet, by a reason outside of me was I caused to remember an item which I possessed in my pocket, which by feel, was flimsy like a peach of parchmen, the content of which I knew not, yet did something tell me, “By this you shall live, By this you shall overcome darkness”. The words rang about in my head, over and over, as my unknown companions and I ventured for a place of refuge in which we could dwell safely; Yet the task was without reward and all seemed lost.


As we stumbled blindly upon a trail which was situated near a river which was black in its appearance, and by a tall tree of Myrtle, from which hang a fruit, black and rotten in appearance, we heard approaching unto us a shriek which caused our bones to shiver and our hearts to melt. Frantically we panicked amongst ourselves, fearful for our very lives, dreading the ominous terror of the desolate entities which stalked us, on all sides, day and night; When by the suggestion of that outside voice, was I once again caused to remember the parchment which I had in my pocket, to grip it gently yet with the firmness of hope, that by the means of this parchment, the means by which we would live and overcome darkness, we could all be delivered from trouble and suffering and terror, and dwell in peace.


As I gripped the parchment and the entities howling and shrieking drew near, I the, took it out of my pocket and for the first time looked and read at what it said: “ According to your eyes do not presume, and according to your ears do not understand, But by discernment see, your vision is impaired and your hearing is augmented. Turned upside down are your senses”. As I read this, I was puzzled and confused by what it said, for how can one not presume upon that which he sees? Or not understand, that which his ears have heard? For this Is the Basis by which all things are observed; what then? Shall we trust in the pain in our stomachs and the shivering of our bone?


As I stood, paralyzed by confusion and abundance of ignorance, did one of the fellows who was near unto me behind my back, whose name was strangely Eph, remarked with a voice of surprise and befuddlement, at the words which were written. I asked; What is the cause of your commotion? Why has your face been lit up like one who has hope? Since we are all but doomed in our current situation? He looked at me curiously and said, “Can you not plainly see instruction before your face”? ”Behold, our senses are perverse and corrupt and by the dimness of our own minds can we not see the true nature of that which Is around us”. I said, “what is around us? For I cannot tell, as I am struck with darkness of the mind, yet somehow it seems you can”.


Then, suddenly, the man named Eph said, “follow me quickly and go where I go, the others are scattered and driven into a frenzy of fear, yet you are near, so follow and do not hesitate”. Then, Astonishingly Eph ran expediently toward the river which was blackened by its appearance, and without a single cause for hesitation, jumped in and submerged himself in the river of blackness, and even drank the water thereof, which to my sight was exceedingly dreadful and caused me to become afraid for Eph, and fear that he had been permanently lost to me, that I should be all alone in this dreadful place. Yet like a mad man did he hop of the water filled with joy and amazement, and astonishment and shout loudly saying, “In darkness had I come to know what was common, in ignorance did I dwell in fear, but now I have seen, and know, that the tree which was filled with rotten fruit blackened in appearance, Is actually The color Green, and the River in which I was submerged, a beautiful Blue; Thus now I know, The tree is the key to defeating the entities of darkness“.


This entire discourse was unto me as a mentally disturbed individual harping about delusions, covered in blackness of filth. I said, “Sadness! You have become like the enemies who seek our lives. Now how shall I escape this dreadful place”. Thus, did I run in fear, and opposition to the man called Eph, fleeing from him as a deer flees from a bear, wailing and cursing my existence, for all had seemed unto me lost, and the parchment which was suppose to give life and the ability to overcome darkness, had become the demise of Eph, in whom I put my hope. “Sadness!” and “Sorrow!” I said, ”all has become lost, now will I make my home among the dead whom are terrorized by the ghoulish entities without cease”. Yet, to my horror, the man called Eph, chased after me, having quickly and decisively also eaten of The Myrtle Tree and it’s rotten food, with even more expediency and with even more urgency.


”Away!” I said, “You seek my life!”, I cried. Yet by reason of the river from which he drank and the fruit of the tree which he did eat, was he much faster and stronger than I; Therefore, was I captured, like a rabbit is snared by a fox, so was I taken against all my might. unspeakable terror seized me, and anguish entered into my bowels as I saw, to my great and total dismay, Eph whom I had trusted with my life, dragged me near unto the River whose water was filled with Blackness. I struggled, and I cried, I screamed, and I cursed, yet all was to no avail, for it had come, test without my consent, I would be hurled, like a piece of wood into the fire, I, into the river which had destroyed he whom I leaned on,


He gripped tight, He gained momentum, and he let loose my body into the river which was to be my demise; into it I was submerge, it’s waters entered into my body, and I felt fear for the last time.


I leaped up, I gasped, I looked around and I cried. Then I understood the cause by which Eph was taken with joy, I experienced for myself the light which had fell upon him; I too, then cried, “Oh my fearful heart and my Polluted mind, which had caused me to see as black that which was Pure Blue; Yet now I can see, even clearly, Color for the first time”. i looked and beheld, the desolate wilderness which in ignorance had I woken up in, was like a choice garden whose flowers were radiant and it’s grass and scrubs perfectly molded. I even saw the Tree, which gave forth rotten fruit and saw how it was Green like the grass upon which the Tree sat. Then I desired greatly to eat of the tree; for I had observed that Eph, had neither concern nor fear of the ghoulish entities which had haunted us perpetually, yet with a gaze of satisfaction gazed upon them.


Thus did I hasten, with purpose did I leap up and grab from the Tree one of it’s green fruit which it had bare, and I ate it, with the appetite of an ignorant one who seeks enlightenmen; Thus did I eat, and thus did I behold. How foolish we were, how ignorant we had been, we who through fear, fled from creatures which were while pleasant and beautiful and of many types, our inferiors by reason of the Mind we posses, or rather now possess, have truly seen that which is. Mere Animals; An enigma was it unto me. A deer I did know of, yet could not observe when I was blind by ignorance; A rabbit I had knowledge of yet knew not it’s form while all I saw was darkness. Even the bear the fearsome predator of whom my instincts, pre light, told me fear, was like a playful doe which was filled with happiness and had no desire to harm anything


I looked with amazement, I behold in Awe, and I said, unto Eph, “where are we”?He replied, “This, is my garden which I have made, for you to enjoy and dwell safely in; For before you were conscious, and when you did not even know darkness, I placed in you the parchment to hold, and spoke unto you concerning its promise“. I looked around, I saw, Paradise. I asked, “what of the others”? He said, “Now that is your undertaking, to gather them and bring them to Light which leads to Life, that they too may enjoy and dwell safely herein”. Astonished I looked, Mesmerized I beheld, Beauty in its fullness, Life with peace and abundance where no fear dwells. “Perfection truly, Perfection”.




December 01, 2019 04:31

You must sign up or log in to submit a comment.

1 comment

Joe Dozier
02:34 Dec 12, 2019

Very interesting. I would like to read more.

Reply

Show 0 replies
RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

Bring your short stories to life

Fuse character, story, and conflict with tools in Reedsy Studio. 100% free.