The
Second Chance
The
city streets were cold, harsh, and unforgiving. Such was the way of nature and
the nature of human kind seemed to be just as merciless. The wind whistling,
false promises can be heard along the way but just how many were actually lies.
Distracted and filled with angst, the man continues to tread this path. His
shoulders tired of bearing the pain of his “loved ones” as well as the memories
of the damage done. What’s done is done and with that he must continue to bear
this weight alone. Absentminded he walks forward, a flash of light. It was
fast, too fast for anyone to have predicted. The ground was cold, everything
faded and nothing could be seen but darkness. The wind shifted, a single flame
danced in the distance…it was foreboding yet inviting at the same time. Toward
the light he marched, it was so cold. “Greetings traveler, I have been
expecting you.” A figure appeared from behind the flame, his face was hidden
but his voice cut through the air around them.
The man shivers and attempts to speak, “I don’t see
how that could be possible, I don’t even know where I am.”
“The where is not important, it is the who that I am
more interested in. You find your life to be exhausting yes?”
“Well you could put it that way, just tired of
walking what seems to be a meaningless existence.”
“You are foolish young one; I can see you have not
yet unleashed your potential.”
The figure extends one long finger and touches it to
the man’s chest. The man couldn’t help but shiver; his entire body ran cold
blood and all. He exhaled releasing breath that resembled that of a smokestack.
The man closed his eyes for a moment, his thoughts were gathered and he
listened. He listened to the sounds of crows being mischievous, lying to every
mortal that crossed their path. He listened to the sounds of the winds that
blew through his hair. He opened his eyes, the figure was gone.
“Hello?”
“This way,” a bell chimed in the distance, the man
had no other choice but to follow the mysterious figure.
“Where are we going?”
“You must see.”
“See what?”
“Your vision is blurred, broken. We will repair it,
and then you will get your answers.”
“I don’t understand, what must I see?”
The figure remained silent. The bell continued to
chime in the distance, each chime further than the last. Rain drops began to
fall; Mother Nature was mysterious in her ways. Just as the flow of time had
its own understanding so did the cyclical nature of life itself.
“Here” the figure pointed.
The man couldn’t help but freeze almost instantly at
the sight. “How can this be?”
“Is this not what you wanted?”
“No, quite the opposite actually…I can’t”
“What can’t you do?”
“I can’t understand”
“You can’t understand? Or you don’t want to
understand?”
“Stop it, what is this some kind of game to you?”
“Quite the contrary actually.”
“I won’t be a part of this,” the man stands and
starts running in the other direction, back into the darkness. Back where
everything was silent and filled with nothing.
“You do not understand, you already are a part of
this. Of all things you wished for this was the last thing you hoped for.”
“Yeah…that’s right, how did you know that?”
“There are many things I know, many things that I
know about you.”
“But I know nothing about you.”
“This is true, this is the natural course of
things.”
The figure held out his hand, the man reluctantly
accepted his offer. They once again appeared at the end and the man found
himself once again filled with regret.
“I’m sorry…”
“You are not part of this world, not anymore.”
“I’m sorry…”
“You lost this precious gift, once.”
“I want it back.”
“Why?”
“I need to fix this. It isn’t right…”
“Would you hope to seek enlightenment?”
“I would use my gift, instead of squandering it.”
“There is only one thing that every mortal is
promised at birth…that one promise is death. You must make the life you were
given a good one. That is the only thing every mortal is asked.”
“I was supposed to help those around me, instead I
hurt them.”
“Now you understand.” The figure pointed in the
distance and a door appeared. The man looked and stood in confusion.
“What is that?”
“Your second chance.”
“I have a second chance?”
“Make this life a bit more entertaining would you? I
would like to see what a mortal like you can make from nothing.”
The man approached the door; he could feel a
powerful aura resonating from it. He looked back and the figure waited; this
was his second chance. The man cautiously opened the door and released a ray of
light, the man walked through it. The man could still hear the whispers of the
figure.
“How do you
feel?”
“Better.”
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