As the plane landed on the island of Traeh, I could see utter beauty. The sun shined ever so bright, as there were no clouds in the sky. Everyone was so happy, so friendly. It was like arriving at Disney World or a fancy hotel. The pace was perfect: not too slow, not too rushed. People helped other people, and I thought to myself: I don’t ever want to leave here. Then, I noticed something. It was a door that had a window covered by a blind. Above it was written, “DO NOT EVER ENTER!!”
I thought that this seemed very strange and out of place. My curiosity got the better of me, so I decided that I at least needed to see through the window to find out why you were not to enter. As I approached it, two guards appeared abruptly, and said, “You’re not going through this door or looking through the window.”
Now, I really wondered what was behind that door. After seeing my perplexed look, the guards explained to me that through the door was a cold, dark, and barren land which only held pain and misery. They said that, once I saw it, I would be scarred for life and would never be the same. Also, I would need an ice pick, because parts of the land were so cold that ice had frozen its pathways.
I asked them what had happened beyond the door. They told me that very bad and evil things had happened and that it’s getting harder and harder to keep this land from growing, and advancing to the rest of the land, that is so joyful. They explained that they had to rebuild the wall every few years because of the growth. Though a wall is intended to keep these things from growing, it only slows it. The guards stated that there is a fear that one day this pain and misery will overtake the entire land of Traeh.
I asked them if there was any way this could be stopped, and if we could retake some of the cold and barren land. They replied that this has never been successfully attempted, and continued, “Legend has it that there is one way to stop the pain, one way to start to heal the land.” I wondered what it could be.
After a pause, they showed me a ripped-up piece of paper which had one word written on it: Forgive!
Short Stories