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The Journey
Tall grasses dance within the warm spring breeze. It whistles across the prairie in a song of a foreboding future. Dust circles in the wind and floats gently up to the cloudless sky. Among the deep blue, the sun blazes, bright but not menacing, spreading its warmth and light through the land as it sinks from its position above.
The settlers follow the sun as they walk through the waist-high grass. The brush is thick, yet they walk through with ease on their journey to the east and the backward sunset. They don't know what lies at their destination, or even where their destination lies, yet they continue on, pulled by the unknown force.
They're all here for different reason, yet for a common purpose. Some push carts ahead of them, full of remnants of their old lives, even though they know those items will soon be obsolete. Others hold the hands of children whose eagerness keeps them pulling ahead. One woman carries a baby, wrapped in old but soft blankets. She holds it close to her chest, knowing it is what makes this journey possible for her.
The baby does not weep, as if, unlike the other pilgrims, he knows the destination and the journey. And maybe he does. People say babies can't talk because they still remember their time in heaven. Maybe he learned something there that made him understand this journey.
The woman stops erratically to peer inside the blanket and glimpse her child's face. He's still so new and she still marvels at his presence.
Her companions push her along and she appreciates the encouragement. They all know the importance of this journey, although the purpose still remains a mystery.
The travelers walk fast as the sun sinks lower, anxious and excited to reach their destination in the east, under the setting sun. Their legs grow weary from long hours of walking, yet the sun seems to draw them by some mystical power, as if a single light ray has attached itself to each person and was now retracting, pulling that person along with it.
Yet these settlers never become tired. Though physically they may grow weak, their minds remain alert and their hearts beat strong. This journey is not meant to be physical.
They continue to walk, legs thrashing freely and easily through the tall grass that should have hindered them. As they walk, they only look forward, never back, because the past no longer matters -- it never did. The sun sets more slowly with each step they take. A cliff appears in the distance and all of them smile because they know this is it. What they've been traveling so long to reach. The final test before they reach their destination.
They reach the bottom of the cliff, where the tall grasses are now decorated with flowers. Several people stop to smell the bright petals before they begin the inevitable climb up the grassy ledge.
Fewer people comprise the group now than when they started out. And even fewer feel they can face the challenge of the climb. Those who won't climb sit down among the flowers with their carts full of their belongings. They will come when they are ready. Those who fell behind and lost the group during the walk will also catch up with their faith is refired and they are ready to continue.
But for the others, whose faith and will are strong, they must not stop, not when they are so close.
They abandon their carts, taking nothing. Those with children who are small enough secure their children to their backs or chests so their arms are free for the climb. Some of the children are not ready to go, however, and they choose to stay behind despite their parents' pleas.
But they must keep going. They begin the climb with strength, going as quickly as possible without being reckless. As they continue, the cliff seems to grow taller and their muscles grow weak. The woman with the baby secured to her chest falls behind the other excited and weary travelers. She does not know if she can reach the top. The baby continues to grow heavier and her arms are already weak from carrying him the whole way. He begins to cry now too. She feels she won't make it. She sees the others, reaching the top and disappearing over the ledge, and she longs to be there with them, to discover what they have already discovered, what this journey is all about.
She feels a presence near her heels and looks down to see her baby's father. She smiles with joy as she looks into his loving eyes. He had dropped out of the journey near the beginning, but had realized she would need him and had quickly caught up. Just seeing him, knowing he has found the strength to continue the journey because of her, sends a new surge of energy through her body.
He climbs to her height and touches her shoulder gently, smiling. Her arms grow stronger. She smiles at her baby and whispers soft words to him, knowing this hardship will soon be over. She grasps the side of the cliff and climbs, anxious to find her destination.
The top becomes closer and closer, and as they near the top, the grass on the side of the cliff becomes easier to grasp, almost turning into ropes. Finally, the top is within reach.
The man gives the woman one last push and finally she scrambles over the top. As she reaches the flat surface, she cannot stand because of the weakness in her legs and the sights around her. Even on her hands and knees, her knees tremble and her breath catches in her chest. She kisses her baby as she blinks her eyes and wonders at the scene surrounding her.
The meadow stretches beyond the horizon, filled with green grass, a huge contrast to the dried out grass they had journeyed through, and it is spotted by heavy clusters of pink, purple and yellow flowers. The ground looks as if it is carpeted with a mystical colored carpet out of a fairy tale. A soft breeze blows and tender notes of music float in the air. Above, the sky blazes golden and blue, radiating warmth and light over the whole place.
The travelers look to one another, knowing this is their destination, knowing the force that led them here will now let them find their own way. The hardest part of the journey is over. Now they must find their own way, let their hearts lead them to the heights this place can reach.
They all look to one another and smile, light from the illuminated sky blazing in their eyes.
