The Bright Ones

In the beginning, before all things, there existed only darkness in the void. Then suddenly, as if a gift from the Gods, there was light. The light was just a flicker, no more than a candle flame. It pulsed like a beating heartbeat. For a millennium, the flame burned bright, keeping the darkness at bay, and all was well. Tranquility could not last forever, for there must be balance. The darkness fought back with a deafening silence. A cataclysmic event between the light and dark forces changed everything. 

BOOM!

The peaceful transcendence exploded into a supernova. The massive energy force expanded inward and then outward with a wave that spread across the surrounding darkness. This wave gave birth to what we call the universe. It created all life, planets, and mysteries yet to be discovered.

For billions of years, the wave continued to expand. Near the end of its journey, what little remained of that little flicker of light was no more the size of a small rock. It fell to a nearby planet that would later be called Earth.

From this dying light, The Bright Ones were born. 

These mystical beings were Aspiration, Ambition, Confidence, Faith, Consolation, Compassion, Fear, Wisdom, Serenity, and Hope. They cannot be seen by the naked eye and remain an omniscient force of nature. From the beginning of our time, the Bright Ones have steadily forced our evolution. With their gifts fulfilled to mankind, the Bright Ones fell into a deep slumber…

******

Centuries have past giving mankind yet another gift - free will. Slowly, humans succumbed to temptation and greed. Evil found a new home in the black hearts of men and women. Common decency became a novelty. Friendships grew into transactional begrudgery, and love was just a passing phrase. 

The universe shuddered, and the Earth rumbled.

The Bright Ones have awoken from their eternal slumber. 

The beings of light gathered into a circle of unity.

Serenity was the first to speak. “Why have we awakened?”

Looking at the others, Wisdom replied with a dash of caution, “Something is wrong...our light is fading.” 

Fear cut in, “I feel much fright in the souls of mankind, so very delicious!”

“Mind your tongue, fear! Something is amiss here!” snapped Confidence.

The others were silent in their confusion. 

Hope floated into the center of the circle. “I think we need to observe what mankind has been up to, for there must be a reason for our awakening.” 

The Bright Ones looked at each other and nodded their translucent heads in a rare agreement. They decided to set off together as one on a journey of discovery. The world of man was ignorant, and the humans would not be able to see the Bright Ones or sense their presence. Wasting little time, the Bright Ones traveled at the speed of light and quickly arrived at their first location... 

In South America, a mighty jaguar stared down a spider monkey swinging from limb to limb in the tall evergreen trees. The air was warm and humid as the jaguar licked its lips in anticipation for the meal to come. Prowling low, the jaguar waited for the right moment to pounce. Landing on the ground to eat some leafy greens, the spider monkey was utterly unaware of its impending doom.

Smoke filled the surrounding air as loud crackling noises echoed through the forest. Mankind arrived with their machines and mulled over the mighty evergreens. Fires raged out of control, leaving a wake of destruction behind them. Running away from the chaos, the spider monkey and jaguar ran for their lives. They soon caught up with the other animals huddled together against the backdrop of a misty mountain. There was no escape. United in their doom, the animals looked at each other while the flames crept ever closer…

“How far they have fallen!” shouted Compassion. 

“Let us leave from this heinous act of evil. I cannot bear to watch,” uttered Wisdom.

Serenity’s everlasting light flickered, and the others began to understand.

A soft tear gently fell from Faith’s glowing face. “Let us pray for those helpless animals.”

“Enough!” fired Consolation, “we must go, quickly!” 

“Yes, I agree. I am determined to shield my gaze from this horror,” snapped Ambition. 

In Africa, a tiny little girl lies in the dirt snuggled close to her mother. A thin blue blanket covered her body to keep the flies away. Her pale black skin is stretched tightly across her malnourished bones. Her mother wept in isolation because they had no food to eat. “Mama, I’m hungry….” Each year over three million children needlessly starve to death.

“What has happened here?” cried Compassion.

Aspiration grumbled, “Mankind has become selfish and only care for themselves!”

The others were forlorn as Wisdom’s everlasting light started to flicker.

“Let us try somewhere else...quickly!” commanded Confidence. 

In a flash of sparkling light, the Bright Ones arrived at their next location... 

In Iraq, war-torn children lived in terror from thunderous booms that echoed around their villages. The men were forced to fight for a cause they did not believe in, and the women ran for freedom. Eighty-nine percent of civilian casualties were from the remnants of explosive devices. Human life was expendable here.

“My light grows dim. I can’t watch this carnage anymore,” Serenity cried. 

Fear’s everlasting light violently flashed. “Though I relish this divine trepidation, this terrifies me!”

Faith interjected and moaned, “This is an unholy act.”

“We must be vigilant and carry on!” Consolation yelled.

Confidence’s light grew dim. “We must be brave and continue our journey. There must be some good in this world!” 

In America, killing was as easy as breathing. Gang wars flourished in urban neighborhoods. Domestic abuse was common practice, and bullies reigned supreme. Psychopathic killers hid in plain sight and thought murder was fun. Women found themselves in constant verbal assaults from desperate men hoping to score big. Children were preyed upon by sexual predators for sport, and endless lies echoed throughout every spoken statement. Indeed, unseen evil was abundant here. 

“I think I now understand why we have awakened,” Wisdom uttered.

“Our gifts to mankind have been squandered and washed away….”

Fear faded to black like a lost shadow in the sun. “There is nothing left for us to do. We must return to the void and sleep.”

Consolation criticized, “We cannot give up on them.”

“Yes, we can… Humans have lost their way!” shouted Serenity, who was now fading. 

Hope floated forward and ranted, “While you have looked on with judgmental eyes, my brothers and sisters, you have failed to see what I have!” 

Perplexed, Faith said, “What have you seen beyond this madness? Do tell us, for even I am lost.”

Hope smiled and explained, “While there is much evil to be seen, there is also good in this world. If you look deeper, you will see that the gift of life is always a joyous experience. A person who works hard to finally achieve their dreams is a success that should be shouted to the Heavens. Millions embrace their inner courage and rise from the ashes to overcome hardship. Underdogs who have nothing left somehow find the strength to keep carrying on. People who try to change this world with one act of kindness at a time. Soulmates who find each other and share a lifetime of love. I have seen it with my own eyes, and I will not give up on them!” 

Wisdom spoke in a solemn voice, “While you bring up some good points, it is not enough for us to stay.”

Faith floated over and patted Hope on the shoulder. “We have no choice but to return to the void. Wisdom is right in his ways.”

“Mankind is now and forever on their own! We must abandon them.” Fear shouted. 

Consolation added, “Even I cannot repair the damage done here. Humans are lost to their own damnations.”

“I agree! Time moves fast when they wonder, and nothing lasts forever...I, too, will leave,” complained Serenity.

The Bright Ones gathered around Hope and spoke in unison:

How long can they keep falling?

How long can we keep falling? 

We cannot save them. They are on their own now.

In a flash of light, the Bright Ones returned to their eternal slumber. Their light faded to darkness as Hope remained. A lonely expectation of something humans could hold onto. His everlasting grace burned ever brighter and enveloped the world in a blanket of warmth. A slow and steady rain poured down washing away past sins allowing Earth to heal. As Hope stood in the deluge, he knew he made the right decision.

There is always Hope...

Daniel R. Hayes