1

Everyone I had ever known had always carried with them a backpack full of their stuff. Many had leg packs and arm packs, chest packs and head packs. Every pack full to the brim of books, phones, clothes, newspapers, empty water bottles, mismatched shoes, socks of all different styles, dolls, toys, buttons, and all sorts of knick knacks. I had many this and I would never give it up. My family left me years ago. When my packs were full and I couldn’t hold a small little button that they found. They called me useless and left me behind. I vowed that I would find them again and allowed them to have anything that I had. As I grew older, I had determined that the people that I had called my family were not that at all. Because everyone just wondered around all hefting their stuff. All hurt wondering around. No homes except what we toted around with us.

2

As I was wondering around, constantly looking for more stuff to continue to fill my packs, I came across a different scenery. Instead of the brown clouds hanging in the air, I saw blue skies. Instead of the dirty trash of discarded items that held no value to their previous owners, there was clean green grass that looked soft to the touch. And about twenty feet in stood a tree that was rich with small red orbs that looked as if they could be traded for the packs of any one. And there at the edge of the grass stood a creature that I had never seen before. It had a head two small skinny legs and two small arms and stood upright. It wore no packs on him. I looked toward the new area with a certain awe. I had never seen an area look so inviting.

3

Before I could get to the area of green and blue, there was a large gap that was about six feet wide. I guess I had been looking at the area for a bit too long because the creature that had been standing on the edge looked toward me. Hello he said. A simple greeting. I kinda grunted in reply. He asked if I would like something to eat. I said that I had something and picked through the trash on the ground and found the dirt below the trash, grabbed a handful and stuffed it inside my mouth. The creature grinched at the sight of my dinner, on rare occasions I would find a juicy worm that provided a difference in texture in the meal. It always tasted the same no matter how big or small the handful. Terrible.

4

Would you like something better than that? A question that seemed to come from across the way and over the crunching of dirt. The creature held in its hand a small red orb and began to toss it in the air to himself. Up Down Up Down. i watched it mesmerized by the motion. I had never seen anything so clean and pure. I reached out for it but the gap between us was too great. If you come over here you can have as much as you want. I looked at him the orb the gap and my packs.

5

He offered his hand toward mine the gap seemed to be closer now and my packs seemed to be pulling me back away from the gap. I stared at the orb wanting it. My backpack had tug at my shoulders the hardest weighing me down. I looked behind me and there were others of my kind grabbing my packs hauling me back trying to steal my stuff. I let out a manic roar. I tried to fight off the people that were taking my stuff. My books my toys my clothes my phones even the packs themselves. They dragged me away from the green the whole time i kicked and screamed i fought an unwinnable fight.

6

They dragged me for what seemed like hours. The time i fought and kicked til someone clocked me across my temple and I lay still. I laid there for i do not know how long I laid there. When I did come to I was alone naked and far away from where I was. Someone was standing on my leg and someone else was pulling at my arm trying to remove what felt like the flesh from the bone. I looked over at my arm and there was a child clawing to tear off my wrist pack. I sat up unbuckled it and gave it to the child. And there broken and bruised I sat in the filth.

7

Crowds encircled me stepped on me kicked and kept going with their lives. I stood up and by some inexplicable means I thought of the area of green. My first step I doubled over in pain. I tripped over a small rock among the trash. I tried to crawl in what I assume is the correct direction. I crawl towards what I can only is better than crawling in the trash beneath the feet of those who did me harm.

8

I tried standing when I appeared in a clearer area and as if someone was watching my actions my crawling through trash and muck getting more dirty and more filthy the longer I stay crawling. I get knocked over once again my hope dashed of getting there quickly. I cried out in anguish. And someone once again knocked me out.

9

The next time I woke I was being dragged. The air was close there were lots of bodies near and around me. The light was almost non existence. It felt that there more than four hands on my legs. I cried out and began to kick and thrash and fight with any strength that I had left. They were not bothered by my rant. We began to climb a hill. I ran out of energy as they began the climb. They climbed carrying me never relenting in their grasp. I began to sob as these people carried me up the dark mountain. I looked at the mountains dirt a good that I now longed for. An unusual shape was passed round in shape and loose as if it was not part of the ground.

10

We stop for a few moments and in that time I reached out with my skinny arm to look at the shape. And as stared at it it stared right back it sunken eyes reflected the the same fear that I felt looking at it. I screamed and mustering what energy I had I kicked and thrashed. Begging to be free I tried to fight against whatever it was that had a hold of me. I said that I would do whatever they asked of me to let me go. The grasp felt as if it had changed. It was more boney and no longer more than four but rather just one.

11

I looked at my captor and his eyes burned red. His look made me shake and quiver wanting to get away. I flipped myself over and began to claw away to run away grasping at the misshapen heads that I had been dragged across. The arm was still holding on like a steel vice but it seemed to be allowing me to go. I feared for my life and in my fear a desperation took over and my arms and legs bones that they were propelled me forward and back down the mountain.

12

I crawled down the mountain down the pile of corpses down the dirt which I now realized was work infested bodies. I would have vomited at the thought if I had anything to vomit. As I crawled I felt the bony claw dig deeper and deeper into my leg. But I kept on looking for the place that had seem so peaceful so perfect the shadow and memory are the only things that spurred me on. At the bottom of the large mountain the claw still grasped me but I was still too afraid to see if the raging red eyes were still looking at me. I kept going no matter what.

13

Hours after hours my stomach growled whining for that I was to afraid to touch. But I was forced to being that I was still crawling. I crashed. Out of energy and time I lay still waiting to die. I reflected back on my life and realized that the only time I had felt any sort of real hope was there standing on that abyss looking at that red orb.

14

I decided that I was not done yet. Out of my thoughts I struggled out of my head a wormed I drew breath long and deep. I breathe and focus upon doing just that I pushed myself up. I stood there in the dark a broken image of what I once was. I looked over my body. I was beaten and bruised I was standing though. I might as well have died but I did not. And that gave me hope to push on. So I went and muscled my way forward. And in my mind I saw that red orb my goal my purpose.

15

I had come back to the people to the crowds to hordes. Thousands upon thousands men women and children. All wearing packs all covered in their belongings all being weighed down by their weight of packs. I stood there and stared for a while resting my shattered body resting the leg that still being gripped the claw of a hand. I still refused to look at the creature that had attached itself to me and I felt that if I tried to wrench myself free that I would go back to trying to get away again.

16

My stomach whined for something to eat. I placed my hand on the whining thing and looked down at it. As I looked passed it my eyes focused on the dirt. The thing that had given me nutrition for all of my life. And I saw in my mind the eyes of the skull piercing my soul. And it seemed that the eyes were really there more than two it seemed that there were now many eyes covering the ground all glowing red all sunken all piecing my soul. I stopped looking down stopped looking into the abyss that I walked on. I looked back to the crowd and their motives all seemed to be ignoring the abyss below them.

17

These people walked on the dead walked upon the ones that they were destined to become. The faces that were trod upon looked on with fear. Then at that point I realized that it was not their fear but rather the fear that they held for everyone that trod upon them. Fear that they saw of the future fear of being eaten by those that trod on them fear of what they used to be. Their eyes that pierced my soul were convicting me not to end up as they were. Broken dead people that saw their descendents eating them without knowledge that they were doing so.

18

I looked through the crowd walked through it tried to keep my attention off of the dead beneath me and the claw on my leg. To keep my mind on my objective the red orb in the green area. The object that had been offered freely to me the item that kept me moving over the death below me. I could see it clearly in my mind and that strange creature that had first offered it. And upon seeing the creature I realized that I looked alot like it now a skinny half starved creature with no packs. The only difference was that I carried a claw on my leg and it appeared to not be grasped by anything. I want to be like that and as I thought that the claw increased its grip on my leg.

19

The pain that the gripping claw produced was debilitating. Crushing my leg in its grip making me cry out in pain forcing me to the ground. The pain was so great that without thinking I tried to get its grip off of my leg and I tried and failed to get it off. I laid there in the middle of the crowd being ignored by everyone around me. As I tried to grab the attention of those that passed me by they felt it adequate to kick me and run away. Leaving me to suffer alone without their understanding.

20

I felt the hand begin to spread from my leg. The gripping sensation moved up my leg to my other leg around my waist across my shoulders around my arms around my neck across my chest and in top of my head. As I looked at my body I saw the empty bags that engulfed my body. Packs begging to be loaded packs grasping at every stretch of my limbs. The feeling was familiar the thought was terrifying. The packs that had gripped me all my life were responsible for my suffering these packs were the items that held me down and would eventually drag me down into the trash just to be another soul lost below staring at the future trying to warn them.

21

I walked on not filling my packs doing whatever I could do to ignore them. These packs that enveloped my whole body I marched on looking for the red orb that glowed in my mind’s eye my purpose for walking. And it then in the distance I saw a clear blue sky.

22

I ran with whatever I had left. I felt the bags weigh heavily on me pulling me back towards the dark. I did not want to go back I would go forward. As I went I felt something pushing my back urging me forward. My body felt light my arms and legs moved free. My packs fell off my limbs. I came to the gap the deepening hole the gap that separated the green from the trash I did not hesitate I leapt toward the green toward the red orb.

23

It was not long before my body left the ground that I started to fall. That my empty packs pulled me down into the gap. The green above me was a far flung idea a thought that decimated my very being my reason for living my goal and purpose. As I fell my eyes closed and tears that I never knew I had empty as my sadness from not crossing the gap came over me. And there in my last conscious I felt someone grab my wrist as I fell below.

24

I breathed in air waking up. Deep and long a breath that was not tinged with filth the air was clean and pure. I had not felt my chest feel so light ever. I felt my packs on my arms and legs being removed not harshly like last time but with a more gentle touch. Each limb softly handled. Each pack unbuckled and removed and a gentle wetness against my skin. My body was being cleaned for the first time. My cleansing was heavenly I felt light and free for the first time since I have been alive. I opened my eyes and saw the same creature that had offered me that red orb from before and saw that he was cleansing me with the utmost care. And tears ran down my face

25

Are you alright? A question that seemed bizarre to hear. All my life I had fought and stole to live I had never heard anyone ask about my condition nor did I care to ask anyone how they were. I’m doing better than I was I said. This was a first for me as the last time I had spoke since I screamed going up the mountain and since that thing had latched onto my leg. I glanced down at my leg and saw that the boney hand was still there. Yes it’s still there and will likely remain there your entire life. The creature said. Tears started to run down my face once again this time they were tears of sorrow tears that had run down my faces many times before.

26

I can take it off permanently if you follow me after I take it. I looked at him and almost felt something that I had not ever felt a sort of happiness but not one that would dissipate after a while. I offered my leg to him. I have to warn you it will hurt as I take it. I almost hesitated in giving my leg the thought of more pain was disheartening. But if I take it now you will be filled with joy unending. I offered my leg again and I felt the hand tighten its grip on me once again. I could almost feel the packs enclose upon me again. Please take it off of me save me from this grip I said through gritted teeth. He went to the boney hand and at a simple touch from this creature the boney hand relented on its grip and before it let go completely it scratched my leg leaving a four shallow gashes across my leg.

27

Those gashes are shallow they will bleed but they will heal eventually. What will happen to the hand? I asked. The hand always needs something to hold and it tightens its hold when it feels threaten. So I have removed it from your leg and placed it on my arm. And he showed me his arm and there I saw not only the bones that had gripped me but thousands of others absorbed into his skin they gripped his bones. They all grip me and I feel their weight all the time but that is the burden that I chose to bear. Why? The question left my lips before I could think about. I do it for you he pointed to me And for the rest of them out beyond the gap he waved his arms over the crowd. For you are all suffering lives that you were not meant to live. You were created to live lives that hold my Father in the greatest of respect. And who is your Father?

28

My Father is the one that created everything and in his creation he felt great joy. For his greatest creation is man that is what we are men. But man being the greatest creation got full of himself and disobeyed the Father. So the Father banished man away from Himself and a curse of man’s own doing was laid upon themselves so that they spend all of their years filling up useless baggage in hopes that they can grow to be as big as the Father but they ultimately fail because they can not make only collect. But those that accept the offer that I give accept the fruit and do away with your collecting of useless stuff. I will take that which burdens you for as long as you follow me.

29

And in your following you will know joys unending and the fruit from any of these trees will be yours for the taking and you will not know pain or sorrow as long as you follow close beside me. Down this narrow path following the fruit trees we will go until we reach my Father’s house and there out actual life can begin. And we will live and work with my Father to bring the world to back to Him to live with all that have abandon themselves and follow me.

30

But for now we will rest and eat and listen and teach. He picked to fruits off of the tree and sitting down in the grass next to me he have me one and as I bit into it I felt the sweet juices flow across my tongue and down my throat and as it hit my stomach my eyes watered and I felt joy. And I told him my story and he listened and I felt good for telling him and we ate some more and when I felt better and my leg didn’t hurt so much we left following the fruit trees down the path to the Father’s house.

End