The Child and Wonder

 

It feels like there always existed a child who lived on some hilltop.

His name was everyone’s name and everyone knew him and he knew everyone because he was the child who was waiting for the morning.

 Every morning this child would run to the place known only by him, where he would meet Wonder, his best friend whom Beauty always brought.

 Wonder was lovely, but also mysterious, she had no body and she wouldn’t speak, the child did not spend more than a moment with her, but it was enough for him.

 One morning, when the child had run to the place known only by him, he ran into Morgana, a beautiful girl, but sad and lonely girl, and because he dared to look into her eyes, his heart hardened and fear enveloped it.

 Having his heart that way, the child arrived at the place known only by him and waited for Beauty to bring his friend Wonder, but he waited in vain, because Beauty was nowhere to be found and Wonder didn’t come alone either.

 The child’s heart was enveloped even more and he went back to the hilltop, where he lived, in disappointment. 

 The next day, the child woke up and ran to the place known only by him with the hope that Beauty will appear and bring Wonder. His heart was broken after the other day and his fears came true because Beauty did not appear and Wonder didn’t come alone either.

 Days passed and mornings became a burden for the child because his friend Wonder stopped coming and the child’s heart was heavier and heavier.

 One morning he decided not to go to the place known only by him and sat down on a log at the foot of the hill and he started to cry. Morgana, who happened to be passing by, saw him and asked him: “Why are you crying, child?”

“My heart is broken.” said the child. “Wonder, my friend, isn’t coming to the place only known to me, I believe that Beauty doesn’t want to show up and bring her anymore.”

 Morgana thought for a moment and then said: “Child, you have to look for Good, he is the one that knows where Beauty is.”

“How do you know?” asked the child.

“If you don’t believe me, ask Truth.” answered Morgana. “He will confirm it to you.”

The child’s curiosity was piqued, and after thinking for a while, he asked: “Where could I find Good and Truth?”

“Well, for that you have to give me something in return.” said Morgana.

“What? What do you want in exchange?” asked the child almost choking with enthusiasm.

“I want your childhood.” Morgana replied. “I, my child, am always sad because I am alone and childhood would be a good companion.” continued Morgana.

The child didn't even blink and said: “Fine. I’ll give you my childhood, just tell me how I can get to Good and Truth.”

“You must go down into the swampy forest where Dark Valley stands. She will show you the way to Truth and Good, but I warn you, watch out for her husband because he will hunt your heart. His name is Opposite.”

“Okay, and how do I give you my childhood?” asked the child.

“Don't worry, when you leave here, with every step you take towards the swampy forest, your childhood will be given to me.”

 The child started walking away and when he took his first step, he felt something inside of him break and when he took his second step, another part of him broke, but he continued bravely. As he got closer to the exit of the village, he glanced behind and saw Morgana holding a child-like shadow by the hand and when he was ready to leave the village, he took one last look behind and noticed that the shadow was becoming more real. Then the child understood that this was the only way he could go on and with the thought of Wonder he headed towards the swampy forest. The child lost himself into the depths of the forest looking for the path to Dark Valley’s house.

 This forest was full of animals he had never seen before, crawling and swarming everywhere. The child was terrified, but the hope of seeing Wonder again gave him courage. At one time, as he struggled to step over a snake, he felt a hand lifting him up as if he was a feather, then a fierce face looked into his soul and with a throaty voice said:

“What are you looking for in my forest? Why are you bothering my sons and daughters, Man? Don’t you know that this is my kingdom and no human should be here?”

 The child looked into the ugly creature’s eyes and saw himself in them, then he understood that this was Opposite, Dark Valley’s husband, that Morgana told him to watch out for because he would want his heart.

“I seek the way to the house of Good and Truth.” said the child.

“But what is your bargain with them?” asked Opposite.

 The child thought for a moment and said: “I want my childhood back.”

“Childhood?! But how did you lose your childhood to them?” screamed Opposite questioningly.

“Morgana took it.” answered the child.

 Opposite thought for a moment and said: “Man, come with me to my wife, she can show you the way, but you’ll have to give me something in exchange.”

 The child didn’t get to say anything because Opposite threw him over his shoulder and headed to the house where he was living with his wife.

 At one point, Opposite stopped and dropped the child to the ground. From there, the child saw a huge tree with a trunk whose thickness he could not grasp with his eyes and whose bulky roots dug deep into the muddy ground. Under one of the roots, he saw a door, from which a woman came out, with the face of a child but with a huge mouth showing teeth like a dragon’s, pointing in every direction you could look and they were sharp as a needle.

 In a soft voice, the woman spoke: “What did you bring me husband? Food for our sons and daughters or food for us?”

 Hearing the woman's words, the child jumped to his feet and said before Opposite got the chance to even open his mouth: “ I came to seek Dark Valley to show me the way where Good and Truth are living.”

“Really? And what is your bargain with them, Man?” asked Dark Valley.

“I want my childhood back. Morgana took it from me.” answered the child.

“Okay, wait here.” said the Dark Valley and left for the house under the tree’s roots with her husband.

 Some fearful noises were heard from there, and the child thought of running away, but he kept his fear in control and encouraged himself thinking of Wonder. Evening came and the darkness covered the forest and the child began to tremble and cry thinking that he wouldn’t get out of there alive, and then he remembered that Morgana had told him that Opposite wanted his heart and started to wonder why he didn’t take it already. While he was thinking, he realized that his heart was invisible to the eyes of Opposite because it was frozen. The child encouraged himself to become even more afraid to make sure that his heart would not be taken from him, and the more he allowed himself to be afraid, the stronger he became.

 The child was so frightened that he became the fear itself, but miraculously he didn’t lose himself in it, and suddenly a light entered the forest and a soft voice said to him: “This is the way, Man, you kindled it yourself.”

 The child immediately ran down the path of light, and although the forest was full of creeping things and all kinds of animals, the child was not afraid, on the contrary, his heart was warmed by the hope, and at that point that throaty voice of Opposite screamed: “The heeeart, the heeeart, that was our bargain.”

 The child understood then that Opposite had seen his heart and wanted it, but the gentle voice said: “Stay in the light of the path you have kindled it yourself!”

 The child climbed and scratched himself and struggled with all the obstacles he has encountered in the path of its light, but he wouldn’t step out of its ray. From time to time, Opposite’s hands would reach into the light and try to grab him, but his hands would immediately withdraw because the light was burning them.

 For three nights and three days the child ran through the swampy forest, for three nights and three days the child struggled with the encumbrance of the forest, for three nights and three days the child shielded from the hands of Opposite, until at the end of the third day, he collapsed exhausted at the edge of the forest and fell into a deep sleep.

 Early in the morning the sun caressed his flesh torn by the branches of the trees from the swampy forest, and when the child woke up he realized that he has escaped and a good feeling entwined him. The child said to himself: “This must be the one that I’m looking for, this must be Good.”

“You thought correctly.” said a voice.

 The child looked up and saw a being with three faces and recognized one of them. It was Beauty.

 Wonder implode within his heart and the three-faced being carried him across the swampy forest back to the foot of his hill and the closer they got, the more the child’s childhood returned to him. 

 The being with three faces left the child’s body on the log, where his search began, and the child and his friend lived in a continuous embrace until the end of their times.

P.S. Please excuse my English, I'm not a native English speaker, but I wrote a story and I wanted to share it with you.