May 18 2024
Author : Matthew DeBlock
Push and Pull
Once upon a time in a far away land there was a very small and crowded city. It was surrounded by a large wall and had only one city gate. The citizens had very strange traditions and rules.
Everyone was divided into classes. The lowest and most common class was the peasants. This is the story of 2 such peasants, Soro and Aras.
Even though the city had many citizens, Soro and Aras kept bumping into each other. The first time they crossed paths Soro had a strange feeling, like Aras was somehow familiar.
Their paths kept crossing but Soro was always too scared to say anything, it was against the rules and customs, peasants were not supposed to fall in love.
If two peasants fell in love and tried to be together then everyone would shun them, the whole community would treat them as criminals and cast them out of the city. Even if they found a way to stay in the city and be together then everyone would be constantly trying to tear them apart.
In this city the rules were complicated, the most sacred rules were about relationships.
Relationships were all governed by class
There were 4 major classes:
Class determined authority. All families, communities, and all relationships must have clear authority. Higher classes treated lower classes like property. Two peasants could not be together, they had no authority, they were basically slaves, they needed to have masters.
One day there was a big commotion all over town, the bourgeois clamoring in the streets.
“The nobles are out of control!“
“How dare you treat us like peasants!”
“The audacity, this is an affront to decency and abuse of power!”
Bourgeois yelling in protest crowded around a group of royals. The royals stood confidently and appeared completely unafraid, they smiled and quipped back at the crowd.
“This is our right as royals”
“We can take bourgeois as we please”
Soro noticed Aras, finally a chance to talk, no one would pay notice to them in all this commotion.
Soro approached Aras and asked “What's going on?”
Aras looked over at Soro, hesitated a moment then replied.
“Royals started taking bourgeois, grabbing them and declaring ‘you belong to me now’, two at a time even, one in each hand”
“So what!” Soro snorted “Bourgeois treat us peasants like that all the time!”
“True” Aras said “But that's exactly it, they are so used to feeling on top. There are so many peasants and bourgeois and so few of the higher classes. They get upset easily when they are reminded they're actually quite low in class, only one step above us.“
Soro nodded saying “Serves them right, they deserve it. Always treating us like property.”
Aras was shocked, such bold words spoken by a peasant were rarely heard “Don’t you want to be taken? I want it so much, I'm so tired of being alone.”
“I will take you” the words popped out of Soro’s mouth as if by reflex.
Aras was shocked, even more unprepared and stunned was Soro who did not think or plan to say that.
“Shhhhhhh…. Are you crazy?” hushed Aras “you know what happens to peasants who get together, it's an unordained relationship”
Normally Soro feared the rules and repercussions but something changed now, speaking those words to Aras opened a floodgate.
“I have noticed you so many times, everywhere I go, there you are. Destiny is bringing us together… I know it… I feel it deep inside” words gushed from Soro freely
Aras was overwhelmed, hesitated just a moment, then spoke gently “I have noticed you too… “
“I knew it!” exclaimed Soro.
“Keep it down!” hushed Aras while looking around “Even royals aren't immune to the screams of the crowds. Look, they are going to get kicked out of the city. ”
Soro had completely tuned everything out. Now looking around, the sounds of the crowd rushed back in.
“Kick them out!!!“
“We won't be treated like peasants!”
“Even royals need to respect social etiquette! Bourgeois deserve respect!”
The crowd had started pushing the group of royals toward the city gate.
“Ha, bourgeois exists for our pleasure.”
“You think we fear the wilds, the whole kingdom is ours, with some beautiful bourgeois to serve us the wilds will be a leisurely vacation”
Soro leaned over and said to Aras “Look at them, they don't care what anyone thinks, why should we?”
Aras looked at Soro in disbelief “Because they are royals. Outside the city they have clout. Peasants like us would be bullied and chased far away… and… and you know… The demon! ”
“Don't tell me you actually believe in those stories of a demon” Soro scoffed.
“Of course I do, '' replied Aras “There are always a few newcomers and visitors to the city who have been out too far and encountered the demon. I hear if you make it angry or will banish you to hell.”
Soro thought for a moment… The risk of hell.. Or a life with Aras always just within reach but forbidden to even approach… hell didn't seem so bad in comparison.
“Could hell be any worse than this life” asked Soro?
“They say it's freezing cold and eternal loneliness” Aras replied, shuddering at the thought.
“Well… What’s so good about life here?” demanded Soro, feeling slightly frustrated.
“I hate being alone… at least here in the city I never feel alone” Aras whimpered.
Soro saw Aras pull back looking uncomfortable and moved forward closing the gap between them then gently spoke “Me too.. And even worse… every day since I first saw you all I can think about is you. I just want to be with you, nothing else matters”
Aras was shocked “Really?”
“Yes” Soro replied without hesitation “You feel the same… don't you?”
Aras was stunned into silence. If asked that kind of question earlier the reply would have been timid, probably just say no and scamper away.. But after hearing Soro confess these feelings, Aras was swimming in some kind of delightfull awe and confusion, unsure how to respond.
Soro leaned in closer “I promise you, I will never let you be alone again, It will be us together… forever!”
“Forever?...You swear?” Aras needed to know, the words just blurted out.
“I swear… Forever!” Soro stated so very confidently, not an ounce of hesitation or doubt.
Filled by waves of hope and joy, like never before, this was more than Aras ever expected in life. Before now being taken by a bourgeois was the most Aras dared to dream for.
Soro could see what Aras was feeling, it was clear that it was now or never.
Soro inched even closer.
The crowd was pushing and shoving… then... In an instant it seemed all the pushing and shoving converged on them.
Maybe it was just coincidence, or perhaps it was fate, but they were shoved by the crowd right into each other's arms. They embraced and felt each other in their own arms, and immediately knew, this was it, they would never let go.
For a moment they were only aware of each other, everything else faded away… but for only a moment…then they were dragged back to the noise and commotion when they heard a voice shouting right next to them…
“Look… the royals' behavior even infects the peasants to become brazen” shouted a bourgeois gesturing at Soro and Aras.
“Out with them too… set an example… we must expel this aberrant behavior. Out with them all” Another joined in.
The crowd pushed Soro and Aras in with the royals moving towards the gates
They were scared…
Swept along by the crowd, occasionally someone grabbing at them, trying to pull them apart and back into the crowd. They held on tight to each other, and followed the royals towards the gate.
They knew if they just returned to the crowd and let go of each other, they could stay, life would be hard, but if they begged forgiveness they could go back to their old lives. But that was impossible now because they simply couldn’t even imagine letting go of each other.
“out ! Out ! OUT !” Chanted the crowd.
Suddenly the city gate came into view, the crowd parted and shoved them all out into the wilds.
“So nice to be out of that dump” said a royal “off to stretch my legs. Come my pretty bourgeois”
“Look here” said another noticing Soro and Aras “A couple of peasants”
Soro and Aras got scared, and set off running.
“Perhaps I’ll come find you later when I’m bored” Mocked the royal.
Soro and Aras just kept running leaving the city behind them.
Fading into the distance they heard a royal laughing “Oh, at that rate the demon will get them first”
They ran straight into the wilds.. and just kept running…as fast and far as they could go…
When they finally calmed down and looked around, there was so much empty space. The city was so small and crowded, but here it was so wide and open.
“I feel so… so free!” Aras giggled, spinning around taking it all in.
“Yeah” Said Aras “It feels like this is how it is supposed to be... free… and with you”
Aras smiled and added “I feel the same. It’s like my soul remembers us being together like this in a forgotten past life”
“Exactly!” exclaimed Soro.
The couple was so happy. They wandered and explored, enjoying every single day, completely content with just being together.
They met many people in the wilds.
At first many were intimidating or aggressive, but whenever they got scared they just ran off as fast as they could. Always together, running off into the distance, hand in hand, holding onto each other, nothing could catch them.
The wilds slowly turned into badlands.
The badlands were harsh and desolate, They didn't care. Life in the badlands was difficult and challenging some days, but no matter how hard it was, the happiness of being together seemed bottomless, never running dry of joy.
One day they came upon another couple of peasants.
“Hello!” Soro greeted them
Greetings travelers! Where are you two headed” One replied.
Aras looked at Soro and smiled replying “It doesn't matter, as long as we go together.” then looked at the other travelers and asked “What about you, where are you going?”
“Leaving the badlands, back to the wilds” one replied, the other adding “Are we headed in the right direction?”
“Yup. It’s back that way” said Soro.
They looked on and one said“ Thank you kindly… you two should be careful, don’t go to far out or the demon might get you”
“Oh those stories aren’t real are they?” Aras snorted.
The travelers looked at each other a moment and one spoke up “I have heard tales of other peasants wandering too far and suffering the demons wrath. They say it can whisper evil thoughts and temptations, even the truest of friends and lovers can turn on each other or be torn apart… and if the demon is in a particularly spiteful mood it can banish you to hell.”
Aras just smirked and said “Thank you for your concern, but we will be fine, nothing can tear us apart. Many have tried and all have failed.”
The couples parted ways.
As they continued wandering the badlands became increasingly desolate. They started to understand why the other travelers needed directions, it was harder and harder to remember which direction was back where they came from.
They started to feel like they were wandering aimlessly and wondered if they should turn back.
The nights got colder, but they found warmth in each others arms
One morning they were jostled awake by a deep voice
“Let go… Just let go” it whispered to them, the words were soft but it felt like there was a fire right between them.
Aras held on tight to Soro, whimpering “It’s the demon… it’s the demon…”
They felt the voice burning again
“Just let go… Just listen to my voice and it will be so easy to let go” it echoed in their minds
Soro embraced Aras and shouted “NO! I won’t listen to you!”
Once more came the voice, it felt like it struck them with a blazing pain
“Let go or suffer my wrath!!! I will not be defied by the likes of you!”
They twitched from the pain, they could have easily let go, even by accident, but they didn't. Even their reflex to the pain was just to hold on tighter to each other instead of letting go.
The pain faded away as quickly as it came.
The voice returned, striking the couple with an explosive wrath
“Petulant peasants! Be that way if you wish, I banish you to hell!”
Again it blasted them, even harder, this time with a mocking laugh.
“Let’s see how your defiant wills fair in the hellscape”
They embraced each other and held onto one another as they were torn from the word and sent tumbling down into the depths.
They fell…
Through darkness
Holding on to each other
They fell…
So deep and so long they lost sense of time and depth
It was cold and black and silent… and nothing more than that
It was so silent that the silence seemed to whisper to them
No matter how cold or dark they never loosened their embrace.
They were freezing cold and tired, their thoughts slowed and became fuzzy but still they both held on to one single idea “together”. No matter what happened they decided they would be together.
They fell…they fell together…
One day, they had no concept of how long had passed, but one day they began to feel warmth.
They felt like they were waking up in each other's arms from a long slumber in the cold. They felt each other's warmth and movement. They returned to consciousness and their first sensations were feeling the presence of each other. It was the happiest and most joyful moment in both of their lives.They savored it.
Eventually they got curious and looked around.
“Where do you think we are?” wondered Soro saying it aloud.
“I’m not sure, but it’s getting warmer.” answered Aras.
“Welcome to the deepest pit of hell. That’s the sea of lost souls just below.” A voice rang out, it was someone approaching from out of the dark.
Soro stared at the oncoming stranger and echoed back “Sea of lost souls?”
“Just below, we are all heading towards it now” the stranger replied.
Soro and Aras looked into the distance, they could see something, and hear something, but more, they could feel something. It felt like a seething crowd. It felt in some ways familiar to their old city, so crowded, yet also not at all the same. This was very different, in their city the people crowded together, here there was an overpowering sense of being trapped against one's will.
“That’s it?… right there?” Soro asked
“Yup” the stranger promptly replied.
“I feel scared Soro” Said Aras
“Me too” agreed Soro
“I have a growing fear I’m going to lose you” Aras confessed timidly.
“Oh, in the sea of lost souls it’s everyone for themself. It’s called the sea of lost souls because it’s like swimming, everyone is swimming through each other, trying to get to the top and escape. Swirling and sloshing around as everyone fights to climb up over each other” The stranger jumped into their conversation, adding “Everyone is kicking and scratching at everyone else to reach the top, for the rare chance to pop up and out, for just a moment of freedom before tumbling back and sinking again”
“That's horrifying!!! How do we get out of here? We can’t go down there” screeched Aras.
“You don’t get out of here, it’s inevitable, I only got lucky enough to jump out and enjoy this fleeting moment above the sea.” Everything the stranger said terrified them.
“So you have already been down there?” asked Soro.
“Yup” said the stranger “and I’m in no hurry to go back, I apologize for this in advance but soon you will understand why I do it”
The stranger came right up next to them and kicked them, sending the stranger floating up, and the couple bulleting down into the sea of lost souls.
“Just hold on” yelled Soro
“Don’t let go” screamed Aras
They tumbled into the sea of lost souls
Bouncing and crashing
More and more crowded
Deeper and deeper
Hotter and hotter
Louder and louder
It became a blistering torrent of everyone tumbling around, kicking and scratching, everyone wanting to go up, everyone trying to pull the others down so they can climb out.
Soro and Aras didn’t kick, or scratch… they didn’t climb… they just held on to each other…
The hoards kept grabbing hold of Soro or Aras, pulling them apart. They held on to each other as hard as they could, tightly embracing, each time coming back together.
Each time they felt a gap between them they hoped it would be the last… or at least never be that big again… they kept getting pulled further and further apart…so they kept holding tighter and tighter… until the last time. The last time they held each other by just the fingertips… reaching out and grabbing on as hard as they could… but it was not enough, they were torn apart.
Their hands still reaching out towards each other as they were swept off.
Both crying and screaming... Watching their partner dragged away and out of sight.
Like 2 butterflies in a hurricane, there was nothing they could do.
Soro screamed and fought, but it was futile, and as Aras disappeared from view, Soro sank into despair, going limp and being dragged down into the depths of the sea of lost souls.
For Soro there was no purpose or meaning left, nothing to fight for. Soro gave up on everything.
Aras was swept off upwards, faster and faster until everyone around was spraying up and out into the darkness.
There was Aras, floating above, all alone. Aras wept harder than ever before, overcome with a punishing sadness. There was no point to anything, Aras could not bear to be alone again but no one could ever replace Soro.
There… deep in gloom and darkness… a voice reached out…
“Why do you cry with such sadness? Have you lost your aura as well?”
Aras looked around and saw another lost soul peasant… It took a moment for Aras to calm enough to speak, then said sniffling “My aura? What’s that?”
“Your aura is like the other half of your soul” replied the peasant
“You mean my soulmate? Soro and I got separated down there, and now I fear we will never see each other again” Aras sobbed
The peasant comforted Aras “You poor dear, I understand that kind of pain. I lost my aura, it’s not a soulmate, it’s the other half of my own soul, but we both suffer the pain of losing our other half”
“What’s an aura?” Aras became very curious, it helped distract from the sadness.
“It’s like a glowing energy that wraps around your soul. Most never even notice it. Auras flow like water and are so quiet it’s nearly impossible to hear them.”
“I have never heard of them or noticed anything… how do you know so much about them…? Umm I don’t even know your name… My name is Aras.” inquired Aras
“You can call me Lu. I spent a very long time alone in the dark, a lifetime of meditating. I learned to quiet my mind so much I could hear the voices of spirits.” explained Lu.
Aras was increasingly curious about all these new things “Spirits? Are those like souls?”
“Not really. Auras are a type of spirits. Souls are something else, but every soul has a spirit, and without the spirit it’s not a true soul, without a spirit a soul is empty and dies.” Lu answered, enjoying the chance to teach.
Aras continued asking questions “So I have a spirit?”
Lu promptly went into explaining “Yes my dear, of course. Your spirit is what makes you who you are. Your soulmate has a spirit as well. You and your soulmate are two spirits that desperately want to be with each other, even though two spirits can’t live in a single soul. Your spirits still want to be together so bad they will struggle against a whole universe trying to keep them apart.”
“Yes!” exclaimed Aras “That's exactly how it is”
“And that, my dear, is how I feel about my aura. Once I learned to hear my aura’s voice I was never alone again, my aura was always right there. We spent a lifetime together… effortlessly together… just together” Lu said with a sigh.
“That is so beautiful!” Aras sighed as well “Soro and I were always running away and holding onto each other. Always fighting against everything to be together. The way you talk about your aura, to be together effortlessly, it sounds like a beautiful fantasy”
“Oh, it was” replied Lu “But then I fell into the sea of lost souls. It’s terrible down there. We watched in horror as so many souls had their auras ripped away, so we agreed to always find each other if we were ever separated. When the storms down there tore us apart, we would just focus on our love, on all the memories of being together, and we would always find each other again.”
“You found each other?! Down there?!?!” Aras burst forth with hope “Maybe I can find Soro too”
“That will be far more difficult” warned Lu “Auras are ephemeral spirits, we only needed to think about our love for each other. When we focused on our love we connected through the aether and were pulled together”
“I can focus on my love for Soro. Will that work?” Aras was almost pleading… begging for a ray of hope.
“I’m afraid it’s not quite the same my dear, it won’t be so easy for you, but don’t give up hope. There is always hope” Lu said as gently as possible
Aras paused for a moment, hope flickering… then curiosity surfaced again “So where is your aura now?”
“Obliterated” sighed Lu “dissolved back into the aether”
“Oh no!..That’s horrible!” Aras shouted “How?”
“Deep down in the sea of lost souls we encountered a lonely tormented spirit… it was lost and confused, out of place, it needed to return to the aether to be at peace. My aura was always kind and generous, it could not bear to see a spirit in such suffering. My aura told me it will always love me and one day we will be reunited in the aether. Then my aura went to the lost spirit gently telling it ‘don’t worry I’ll take you home’. It took the lost spirit by the hand and in a flash they were gone, like 2 bubbles popping into a fine mist.” Lu told the story barely resisting the urge to cry.
“That’s so sad… and yet so beautiful” Aras commented “Do you believe what your aura said? Do you believe you will be together again?”
“Of course” Lu said returning to an optimistic tone “When my spirit returns to the aether we will be together again”
“When will that happen?” When you die?” Asked Aras with a hint of fear that the question was inappropriate.
“Oh my, haha. Things don’t have beginnings or ends, just transitions… But I suppose that is probably the word most people would use. When my spirit leaves I suppose my soul will be ‘dead’, but my spirit just transitions. Many things transition and change all around you, you only notice the things you care about.” Explained Lu
Lu went on explaining, It was turning into a ramble ”Many souls come and go in your life and you never notice, but you notice your soulmate more than anything else in the universe, that will never change. In the same way many souls never even notice their aura, their auras even come and go, but they never notice because they don’t care. Me, I love my aura, I always notice it… and these days…the only thing I notice is that my aura is not here with me…”
Lu’s voice trailed off “...now I only look forward to when we are together again…”
“I wish I had your confidence and faith” Aras jumped in and said “Soro and I were so happy together… even when everything was trying to rip us apart, we were still happy together”
“I understand dear, I had some partners in the past, not soulmates, but I remember the experience, I remember how hard it can be” Lu said empathetically “Let me ask you… Are you absolutely sure Soro is your soulmate?”
Without skipping a beat Aras jumped to reply “Oh yes!… with all my heart!”
Lu’s seemed to sparkle with a glimmer of hope “Would you risk everything… I mean everything… for a chance to be together again?”
“YES!” Aras pounced without a hint of doubt… suddenly feeling a surge of hope… maybe Lu was about to offer a solution.
“Then perhaps we can help each other” Lu followed up with a more serious tone “If you help me reunite with my aura, I can offer you a chance to be with your soulmate”
Aras burst out “You can help me find Soro?!?!?!”
Lu cautioned “I can help you. I can’t promise anything. I can help guide you in finding Soro and offer you a way to be together… forever… effortlessly. But it’s just a chance, not a guarantee”
Aras could not control the excitement “YES!... Please… Oh Please … Yes”
“O.K.” agreed Lu “You must do exactly as I say, exactly when I say it, do you understand?”
“Yes” promised Aras “I swear it! exactly as you say when you say!”
“I'll help as best I can, but the outcome is up to you and fate… are you ready to risk everything to find out if you two truly are soulmates? If you’re not soulmates then I don’t know what will be the outcome.” Lu once again cautioned about the risks.
Aras didn’t need time to think, saying “I understand!!! and if we are not soulmates… then I don’t even care what happens!”
“That's precisely what I needed to hear” said Lu “Take my hand dear”
Aras took Lu’s hand… and they headed towards the sea of souls
“We’re going back?” asked Aras.
“That’s where your soulmate is, isn’t it?” answered Lu.
They continued falling.
They fell into the sea of lost souls and began to sink.
“But what about your aura?” Aras remember that they were both going to try to be reunited with their lovers
“My aura is in the aether, I don’t have to search for it, It is everywhere” answered Lu with a smile.
They continued sinking.
Lu started guiding Aras to meditate “Let your mind be silent. Fill it with only thoughts of your soulmate”
Aras tried, but couldn’t hold on to any one thought “It’s so loud and noisy… I can’t focus”
“What are you thinking about?” Lu inquired.
“I'm trying to remember Soro. I’m trying to remember our happiness and love together” replied Aras
When you spoke of Soro, you spoke of struggle… “ said Lu “you told me it felt like everything was always trying to tear you apart”
“Yes… we were always fighting…” Aras felt scared, like the only memories were of hardships ”...Struggling to be together… holding on with all our strength”
“Then focus on that…” Lu instructed “That is your connection. Your struggle to be together no matter what. Think about the feeling of everything trying to separate you two… think about the constant fight to hold on to Soro”
Aras started to remember all the times when it was hard to hold on to Soro… about all the push and pull from every direction… the way no matter where they went it took all their strength to just hold on to each other.
And then…
Aras felt it…
The struggle… it was there… like a tiny push.
Not just a memory.. It was a feeling… now… a feeling right now… coming from below
Aras shouted “Straight down!!... There!!... I can feel Soro!!!”
They headed down, deeper and deeper. It got crowded, loud, and hot.
“We can’t hold on to each other much longer now.” said Lu “Hold onto my hand tightly, I want you to pull as hard as you can when I tell you to… no hesitation!”
Aras agreed “O.K.”
Lu waited for just the right moment, then yelled “NOW!!! Pull as hard as you can!”
They were crashing around. Lu came barreling closer as Aras pulled with full strength. Suddenly there was a feeling… like a snap…
Aras felt something strange, Lu’s hand went limp.
A voice whispered softly, barely audible “Don’t let go, you will need it”
A bright light shot out of Lu’s body with a glowing puff.
Aras looked and it was not Lu’s hand anymore, it was lifeless and limp, like a chain.
The voice whispered once more “I can give you a push, the rest is up to you”
The glowing puff that was drifting away suddenly exploded and sent Aras shooting downwards, crashing into the depths of the sea of lost souls.
Aras was scared… and began to think again about Soro.. about their struggles and every hardship they overcame… and there it was again… that feeling… that push… Soro! It was Soro… Straight ahead!
Soro was in the bottom pit of the sea of lost souls.
Wallowing in despair.
No hope or joy at all… when out of nowhere… like a meteor aimed head on appeared out of nowhere.
Somehow Soro felt it and knew immediately… Aras… It was Aras! Against all odds, the impossible… there was Aras coming in like a rocket!
Soro reached for Aras
Aras reached for Soro
And they crashed wrapping their arms around each other
It was at that moment that Aras remembered Lu’s limp body still in hand, like a heavy chain.
As the two embraced the chain wrapped all the way around Soro
They embraced as tight they could.
The chain began to tangle around them.
They kept embracing, tighter than ever, each time they got closer the chain would instantly tangle more, making it impossible to pull back apart again.There was only one direction… only together never apart.
They got so tangled, so tight, that they were right up next to each. They were never this close before, they didn’t even know it was possible to be so close.
“What’s going on? How did you find me? How is this possible?” Soro asked, weeping in joy.
“We are soulmates right?” asked Aras
“Yes!” replied Soro “ Forever!”
They embraced tighter still, the chain tangled more… and then… a flash.
From between them something exploded and they collapsed right into each other.They were sent flying up and that spark went off in the opposite direction, like it was squeezed out from between them.
As they flew off, fading into the distance, they saw that spark strike someone else.
They climbed higher and higher, but they were slowing down.
Then, a rumbling from below, streams of souls glowed and surged upwards. Soro and Aras were swept up in the current, their upward momentum refreshed.
As they rocketed upwards Aras somehow knew even though things were so chaotic and turbulent right now, the struggle was over, filled with hope and contentment Aras knew this was forever now.
Aras relaxed and began to let go of Soro saying “Soro… its ok… you can relax… you don’t need to hold on so tight anymore”
Soro was terrified already, they had only just found each other, against all odds, and Aras was letting go “Are you crazy?!?! In the middle of a storm like this, we will be torn apart” Soro tightened grip on Aras
“Don't worry… Trust me…” Aras spoke softly in a calming confident voice “From now on we don’t have to fight… we don’t have to struggle… we can be together effortlessly”
Soro could feel Aras had let go, and become scared.
They crashed violently
A clawing hand scratched at them
…
But nothing… Soro did not feel any knocking or pulling against their embrace
No matter what struck them or grabbed them, they responded together, perfectly synchronized, it was effortless.
Finally Soro began to relax and it was true, letting go hand no effect, they were still moving as one, no matter what hit them they responded together.
Soro was astounded, asking “What’s going on?”
“A friend of mine.. Umm… helped us out… well… I suppose my friend and I helped each other”
They burst out of the sea of lost souls.
The sea was different now
It was shimmering
It was… beautiful!
It looked as if the whole sea was sparkling like that spark that burst out of their loving embrace.
They just drifted, and watched silently in awe and wonder…
Happy and content
Together
Aras felt more at peace than ever before
Then… a voice.. The tiniest of voices… in the dark but nearby “Are you Aras?”
Aras looked around “Who said that?”
Soro asked “What? Who said what?
“Shhhh…” Aras hushed Soro “listen Soro….” then said loudly “Whos there?”
“A friend of a friend” the voice replied
Aras still couldn't see anyone “I can’t see you…where are you?” then Aras had a suspicion “... wait… are you Lu’s aura?”
“Yes” replied the voice “you can call me Na”
Aras burst forth with glee “Lu found you right? Of course! That's how you know me… Lu told you about me, right?”
“Yes” Na answered “We just wanted to say thank you”
Soro was becoming very confused, but Aras seemed happy and Soro was preoccupied inspecting the chain trying to figure out how it was holding them together like this… plus it seemed rude to interrupt.
“Is Lu here too?” ask Aras
“It’s much easier for me to hang around in this realm than for Lu.” Na explained “We came here together but Lu has trouble staying for too long, Lu had to leave. I’ll let Lu know I found you.”
“Is Lu happy?” Aras inquired.
“We are very happy” replied Na “We are together in the spirit aether, thank you so much for helping Lu get there”
“You should probably stop calling me Lu, I left so much of myself behind with Aras” A new voice popped out of nowhere.
“Lu!!! Thank you so much!! Look!!! I found Soro and we are closer than ever… All thanks to your help” Aras was bursting with glee.
“Oh, my dear Aras, you were right, you are soulmates…I am eternally happy for you.” Said Lu
“Will you stay? I have so much I want to ask you. Like how does this chain work? How long will it last?...” Aras was exploding with curiosity.
“Oh… don’t worry, the chain will bind you together as long as you hold on to it” Lu assured Aras “But I’m sorry dear, I really can’t stay. I wish you both to be safe and happy… forever”
Lu continued, “I will take Na back with me and leave you with a parting gift… I’ll send you off on a voyage together, go and see the wonders of the universe”
Lu and Na took each other by the hand and burst in a flash, like Lu did before, like bubbles into a fine mist.
The force of the blast sent the soulmates hurdling off towards unknown adventures…
together…
FOREVER together.
…………………
Parent
And that's the story of how 2 hydrogens escaped a dirty puddle on a far away planet.
They floated up to the upper atmosphere,
and were blasted out of the solar system by the solar winds of a red giant star
They arrived here, in our solar system
And it was their spark of love that ignited the fusion of our star
Lu had 2 names too, Lu an Na, but Na was Lu’s electron
Na was destroyed when it touched a positron
When Lu’s spirit and soul separated, that was a positron leaving a proton
And the chain that Lu left behind was a neutron
We call the neutron that Lu left behind L, and the position that went to be with Na is named U
Soro and Aras had 2 names, So Ro and Ar As, Ro and As were their auras
Auras are electrons, they come and go
Soro and Aras didn’t really know they even had them or when they changed or were gone
We combine their names So and Ar with half of Lu to name our star So L Ar…“Solar”
And we named the moon “Luna” in honor of Lu and Na who are like yin and yang, half dark and half light always spinning around us.
Child
Where are Soro and Aras now?
And what about the city? What happened to the city?
Parent
Soro and Aras are a helium-3 atom now, other atoms can’t grab them or pull them apart.
They are stable and bound together, inseparable.
The city was a puddle of dirty water.
There were Bourgeois oxygen, the Clergy Nitrogen, and Royal Carbon
1 Royal Carbon + 2 Bourgeois Oxygen make carbon dioxide gas
The city of water made of mostly Oxygen and hydrogen bubbled the gas out
Soro and Aras were pushed out because 2 Hydrogen together alone make hydrogen gas.
That little puddle and that whole planet are lifeless and sterile.
But Soro and Aras, their love continues burning in our sun.
It warms our planet and feeds our plants
Every bit of life on our planet glows with the the warmth of their love
Child
Where are Lu and Na?
Will Aras ever see Lu again?
Parent
Lu and Na sometimes pop out of the vacuum together to visit for a moment, but they prefer to be together in quantum foam. They can be anywhere they want whenever they want in there.
Sometimes Lu visits Aras. They have a special bond as friends.
Their friendship reminds us that everything, even things we might not feel comfortable asking about or accepting help with, like love, sometimes require the help of friends.
Soro and Aras show us that Love can be difficult, it can be hard to be together, like 2 protons trying to be together, like everything is trying to push you apart and rip you away from each other. They show us that sometimes love is a struggle against a push.
Lu and Na show us that Love can be a pull together, like 2 opposite charges, but when there is something holding us back from being together that pull of love can be painful.
Child
What about….
Parent
Haha.. enough for tonight
That was your bedtime story, time for sleep
Child
I want another story
Parent
Haha.. sleep my darling..
Tomorrow is another day
Tomorrow is a new story
More of my art and stories at www.dscript.org
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