A folk's tale

*A folk’s tale*

*I'm not sure when it was, but at some point I found myself undertaking a pilgrimage just like everyone else. At first, we were all together. A weary sight we made. I don't think anyone really knew where we were going, but everyone was saying that it would be better there. There would be more food, and water, and we would all be happy.*

*Eventually, however, we dispersed. I saw less and less people and finally reached complete solitude. For this, I walked for an unknown amount of time, almost in a dream-like state. Then I met Fae. At first, I had no intention to interact with her, but later I grew accustomed to her strange ways. She would commonly dance around, marvelling at every facet of the landscape, at every boulder and flower, no matter how mundane it's existence. And so, we walked together for a while.*

*Then we met Gallis. He was also quite strange, but Fae did not hesitate to welcome him into our group. Gallis was quite similar to Fae, and yet quite different. He hated talking and found it irritating, instead he preferred to walk in silence, smiling at the vast expanses around us, at the earth beneath our feet, and at the sky above our heads while Fae cartwheeled and careened around the prairies. He was the type of man who was easy to read, and in time we came to accept each other as close friends. And so, we all walked together for a while.*

*But as time went on, I began to fall behind. They seemed to be very robust and never faltered in their strides. However, try as I might, I could not keep going. My legs and chest ached, and I eventually gave out at the foot of a hill they had already mounted with ease. They turned to see where I was and I heard Fae cry out "Are you okay?".*

*"I'll be fine, just keep going!" I called back. They talked for a moment, then Gallis walked back down the hill towards me. At this point, my arms gave out as well and I nearly passed out.*

*Then I was alone in a void. Lucid enough, I waited to wake up. To wake up and see my friends. I didn't. I waited and waited, but I didn't wake up. There was no-one to talk to, no-one to walk with, no-one to see. I wept, wondering if I had died and this was my eternal fate. Then, fortunately, God appeared and laughed at me.*

*"You are a sorry sight," said God*

*"You have no friends. On the plus side, I guess all your enemies are gone as well."*

*At this point I wondered what God was doing talking to me.*

*"What should I do?" I asked.*

*God thought for a moment, before answering:*

*"That's your problem."*

*This was not, overall, very helpful. I thought for a moment before asking again.*

*"Who are you? You appear to be God, but are you truly?"*

*God thought for a while, before replying:*

*"As far as I remember, you're the first person I know who's called me that."*

*This was still unhelpful. I thought once more and asked my last question:*

*"Can you tell me anything helpful at all?"*

*God didn't wait for even a moment before telling me, as though this was the question he had been waiting for:*

*"I know why you couldn't keep up with them. You're only human, after all."*

*And then I was awake, struggling in the ocean with no land in sight.*

*While I flailed about in the surf, panicked as I was, I swore I heard the breeze speak.*

*"We'll meet again, assuming you survive. If you want to put this second chance to good use, I suggest that you get swimming."*

*I really had no choice. I began to swim. I tried to maintain a steady direction to the horizon, but in all honesty I must have been thrown off course several times by the waves. That didn't really matter, though. My only goal was to keep swimming, to the edge of the earth if needed.*

*How far did I go? Far away from everything I could have ever known? Certainly. The place wasn't barren, though. It had just the bare minimum required for a new start. A new life. And that's exactly what I needed.*

*That was nice.*