The Urgent Need

It was one of those days that one who loves a storm would call beautiful... Dark and ominous clouds heavy in the sky. Hovering close to the ground giving the illusion that one lives in a world of perfection. Thunder booming and lightening dancing in the sky... An offering to The Creator. A praise of life and all it has to offer. I want to tell you of a man... A simple man, who lives on an island of his choosing. In his home he has all he ever wanted. We will call him, Marcus. Marcus is strong of build and light of heart. He tries to be a man. A good man. He spends his days seeing to his life. Making sure all the animals are trended and fed, that the wood is chopped and ready for the coming night. He tends his fields, turning the soil and seeding it. The time of sowing is here. The things he plants will feed him and the animals all winter. He weaves his baskets, the mats for his bed and even the rugs under his feet. At night he tells himself stories, smokes the tobacco he grows... He reads of the world and wonders what the fuss is all about. He paints pictures of his perfect island, never deviating from what he sees. A simple man by all accounts. An honest man, who doesn’t realize he’s missing something.......

One day while Marcus is working in the fields, he senses something. Stopping his labor, he turns his face sky ward. The sun spilling down from above, warming his face. Marcus silences his mind and soul, searching for the feeling that had alerted him. Stretching his senses as far as he could he finally picks up on..... something. It is very far away and just tickles his mind. Something familiar about it, almost as if it were more a memory then something happening now. Shrugging his shoulders and turning back to his work, trying to ignore the feeling. But as the days grew, the feeling became stronger. It distracted him from his work, kept him up a night and invaded his every thought. The more he thought about it, the more he felt it. A warmth that wrapped itself around his mind, caressed his soul and beckoned to him.

All through the spring it beckoned to him, calling him.... where? He did not know and was finding it harder to resist. One morning he awoke and could no longer resist the call, so he packed what he needed and freed the animals to the open fields. Stilling once again and focusing on a direction... East, it was calling him east. So east he went, traveling days and resting nights. The closer he got the stronger the pull. For weeks he traveled, wondering all the time why he had not reached the ocean yet. He knew he lived on an island, a small island. So why was getting there taking so long, for he knew what he was looking for is on the coast. After weeks of traveling, Marcus came to his destination. A white beach, with sand so fine the softest breeze would stir it. The sun was setting and Marcus realized he would not be finding anything tonight.

After setting up camp in a cave near by, Marcus walks the length of the little beach he has come to. The soft spray on his face and the warm water on his feet. Truly a beautiful place. The call is almost primal here and it sings in his body. A sorrow filled song of pain and loss. Yet there is promise, a quiet hope. Marcus sits on the beach all night till the sun begins to streak the sky with brilliant colors. A peace has settled over him, a peace so profound that he longs to stay here, to never move for this very spot. But the call has come again and he must answer it or no peace, true peace will he find. Standing, Marcus suddenly feels the urgent need to continue, to seek the end of this journey. Walking back along the beach, letting his senses guide him he comes to a door, one that had not been there the night before. It is strange in texture and look. I free stands in the middle of the sand. He could walk all the way around it and still not see what would keep it up right. Finally, with a courage never before felt, he raised his hand to the door, knocking softly. The door opens without a sound but what he sees on the other side leaves him breathless and cold. Quickly he slams the door and starts to walk away.... runs away. A coward, too scared to look at what really is. But it will not let him leave, it calls.

“Come.” It whispers..... “Come”

Marcus rails at the world.... “Why have you brought me here? Why show me such things? Such horrors? I didn‘t chose this.... LEAVE ME BE!!!” But the world remains quiet till Marcus stills... then it calls again...

“Come.... Marcus, come. We have need of you here, we have an urgent need that only you can fill..... Come.”

Marcus lays quiet for hours, listening to the call, fighting the call. But in the end he answers the call. Slowly Marcus rises to his feet and makes his way to the Door once again he raises his hand and knocks but this time as the Door opens he is met by a woman. She is smiling softly and holding out her hand, “Come Marcus, it is time for you to rejoin the world, you have wandered in solitude long enough.” Her eyes trusting and kind, hesitantly he lifts his hand and places it in hers. Stepping through the Door, Marcus finds he is in a place of light and love, unlike the things he saw before. He is in and of the world again, his family and friends have gathered to welcome him home. A great celebration is planned for him. Slowly Marcus’ memories return to him, things he didn’t even know were missing..... a life left by the way because of a long dead pain.

“You see, Marcus was never on an island but trapped in his own mind.... eternally so. Till a loved one called for him and would not stop....”

*Smiling softly*

“Can you here me calling?”




RavenWolf



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