My story, And they Lived After the Manner of Happiness

Once upon a time there were a people on the planet of Nob who had with them a leader who taught them the way they should live to be happy. The leader taught them how to be kind to each other and serve one another. The leader taught the people to work hard and share with one another that which they worked for. Many other good things did the leader teach the people. Then the leader called his truest followers and spoke of his going away. He told the followers all his teachings and told them to continue to teach the people that their land would be filled with joy and understanding of the happy ways. He charged those he had chosen that if they departed from the happy way they would know misery so to be sure to continue to teach the people the happy way.
At first the people were sad because they missed their leader. Those the leader had called were called the Guides for they guided the people in the way of happiness. The people were instructed by the great leader before he left that they would meet each week together at a certain time and then the guides would teach them. As time transpired the people grew weary of meeting at the appointed time. They longed to meet when they wanted to. They asked the guides to meet at a different time. The guides refused stating they would continue to do as the leader had instructed. Desiring to be taught the people continued to go so they could continue in the way of happiness but it was begrudgingly.

One day a being from another land came to the planet of Nob. He could transform into any shape, but his true form was a shadow of darkness. He expanded when those who followed him became his servants. He had visited many lands and had gathered many followers and his shadow had grown greatly. When he went to deceive those who would be his next followers he would shrink all the darkness of his shadow into the form of what he thought would deceive. His only power lay in deception and destruction. For he had forsaken the way of happiness long ago. Now it happened that the being called himself light for this was his greatest deception of all.
This being came to the land of Nob in a day that the people were complaining one day in the market how they did not want to go at the appointed time to hear the guides. They lamented how they wish there was a way to learn the things of happiness without going at such an inconvenient time. This is when the being who called himself light said I am a guide of another place who has also heard the great leader and will teach you at anytime you wish. The people were overjoyed and declared the evening to be the best time as the guides had always had them come in the morning. The being called light smiled and told them of a place they could come and meet and he would give them the knowledge they sought.

That night the streets were crowed with droves of people all traveling by foot to the place appointed by the being called light. When they arrived they saw it was a building much like the one they would go to when they gathered to here the chosen guides. They felt sure that the leader would think it no bad thing if they were to go to another guide if he taught the same types of things the chosen guides did. The meeting was very familiar and words only slightly different but mostly the same as those of the chosen guides. They had felt funny at first going to someplace different than had been instructed but soon they no longer thought it much of a problem because they rationalized this was a guide as well and he told them things that sounded familiar. And so it continued week after week that the majority of the people gathered to hear the new guide who was the being who called himself light. As time transpired the being who called himself light gained the favor and love of the people for he began to work miracles in their lives and teach them an easier way than the way of happiness they had learned.

One day he revealed his powers of transformation and took on the form of cooked eggs. He then took of himself and fed the entire crowd which at that time had began to meet in a closed tent that was much like the circus tents of our people. The crowd was so pleased at this new guild who showed them an easier way and fed them from himself that they began to esteem him above all other things. There was one among the people who from the beginning was a curious person who had come to the meeting out of curiosity. She was pacified in the beginning for the words were similar to those of the chose guides and began to worry as the words changed. They seemed strange to her but every time she thought to come no more she would consider on the magic of the being who called himself light and return with the others. She rationalized she did not believe the saying yet there was no harm in seeing the wondrous things the being who called himself light could do.

One day there was whispered among the people that there would be a glorious meeting with the being who called himself light and he would do wondrous things. The girl went curious as in times before. When she arrived she saw the being of light changing the clothing of the people one by one into strange costumes. Such a love for this being had grown that none of the people even questioned his intentions. The girl thought this strange though and backed away when it came her time to be changed. The followers of the being of light passed her by and began to cloth the next person in the strange attire. The girl looked nervously at the door of the tent and heard in her mind as if the great leader had himself returned and was speaking to her face to face “get out now it is almost too late”. At that moment the girl saw her folly and ran to the tent opening. The door was barley ajar and as she pushed to force it open all the way she felt the pressure of someone on the other side trying to close it. She called upon the ancient leader to help her for she felt him near though should could not see him. Then she felt herself gain strength so that she forced the door open and ran not looking back. She ran until she came to her own house.

The next day a young child came crying to her home not having anywhere to go. She gathered the child in her arms and asked what the matter was. The child took considerable time to comfort and after a considerable time and days the child finally spoke. “ I was in the building learning from the strange guild who is called light. He came to me and tried to change my clothes but I ran and hid under a bench feeling scared by his touch. From under the bench I saw the guide called light change the rest of the people’s clothes into strange clothes that resembled wild animals. Then he stood back and said to the people now that you are my followers and have known how much I have loved you do as I say. Put your heads back and declare with me “nothing good comes from the great leader. The being called light has all things good and he shall make us truly happy. Do not give to others but keep what you have, do not work for the being called light will give all. Now take from each other and devour your pray and all will be yours” after that there was a loud cry and the people rose up off their seats and stove with each other seeking the fine things of their friends until they all fell dead and there were none left that I saw accept the being who called himself light. Then I saw that being become a dark shadow and grew and grew laughing as he did. Then he cried now I have more power and the great leader has once again lost his people.

Then I heard a voice as if from the air speak to the being who called himself light “You may feel like you have won but your power is emptiness and your kingdom is vacant. You power of destruction shall never bring happiness. Be gone from my people though servant of darkness” Then the dark shadow wailed and mourned for his awful state and went though the walls and left the empty room of dead ones. I was so scared and stayed under that bench for a long time until I knew the being who called himself light would not come back then I got up and left the tent and found many children and moms and dads outside who had also just escaped. We were all so scared that we did not speak to each other and went running all different ways. I ran until I came to your house and remembering you to be a friend of my Mothers I knocked. The girl listened as the child told the story of the awful horror she had narrowly escaped from. Then the girl knew in her heart that the only one to follow were those who truly followed the ways of the great leader and she swore in her heart she would never let a being or person deceive her again. She mourned for the loss of her people and her friends a great deal and for many days. Then came the day the great leader returned and called her to him. She through her arms around him and cried. He held her and promised that because she had shown her devotion to him in his time of absence that she could come with him the next time he left and she would never have to leave his side again. She rejoiced and found that the ways of happiness was finally hers forever and she would indeed now live happily ever after. As for the rest of the people of Nob who did not follow the being who called himself light they too went with the great leader and enjoyed a life of happily ever after.