One day a boy looked into a mirror and found that he had a black eye. When he saw it he wondered how it had got there. Perhaps someone had hit him somehow? But he was sure that he would've remembered.
He put it to the back of his mind. He wasn't really worried. Where he was from, having a black eye was a good thing. The pretty discolouration, the deep shining purple mark surrounding the eye, was seen as a sign of maturity.
He expected it to disappear though, and the more time that passed without this happening the more he wanted it to go. More and more, he would go to his mirror to check for any changes. Every time he was disappointed. His black eye would not simply fade away.
So, he tried to ignore it. And he still found himself going back to his reflection. But it kept changing, and each time he looked the black eye had grown. Its swollen purpleness spreading over his face until eventually he couldn't recognise himself anymore.
He smashed the mirror and smashed every mirror he saw. It still wasn't enough for him. Every face reminded him of his own misfortune and sadness. He stopped being able to see the light of the sun or hear the singing of birds. He couldn't even see how the girl he loved could love him back when he looked the way he did.
Nothing could end the boy’s sadness, so he left his love and his home. He went looking for something or someone that he hoped could reveal the truth about his black eye.
He travelled alone with no reminders of his past but no thoughts of his face before it gained its mark. Then, as he walked along an otherwise empty road, he saw something in the distance. He went towards it and saw it was a man sitting by the side of the road. This man was a travelling fool and, as he looked up and began to talk to him, the boy saw that he had a black eye too.
The fool told the boy about a man named Esoterica Gomez, who had lost his life not long before. Gomez had spoken to him about the Temple of Truth named Paradiso and how it was very far away at the end of the world. The fool explained how he and Gomez had joined together to search for this place. Even though neither of them had felt any real need to seek the truth, they both felt like they needed to make the long and dangerous journey. As the fool told him this, the boy began to feel the same thing. And so, it wasn't long before the boy and the fool set off to find Paradiso together.
The fool hadn't been wrong when he described the journey as long and dangerous. They had to travel through deserts and snow, grass and jungles, enduring every type of weather imaginable. Despite this, the boy’s thoughts kept drifting back to the blackness of his eye, the sadness in his heart and the love he'd left behind.
On they went, with the boy happy to let the fool lead the way, through the fire and ice, the darkness and the blinding light. With every step, the boy felt more and more tired but the idea of turning back never occurred to him.
He and the fool were both at the point of exhaustion when they finally saw a vast pyramid shining gold in the sunlight. They had found the Temple of Truth but that could not save the travelling fool. As he entered Paradiso he collapsed. He had nothing left and the temple was his final resting place.
It was only in his final moments that the fool gained some wisdom. He understood that he had wasted his life through his foolishness. He spoke and revealed the truth the boy couldn't discover within himself. The fool realised that holding on too tightly to the thing that makes you most sad is the greatest of all foolishness. As he finished saying this, the travelling fool took his final breath and the boy watched his friend’s black eye fade away.
The boy didn't stay in the temple for long. He wasn't going to waste any more time than he had to. So, leaving his friend to his peaceful, permanent slumber he began the journey back to his home and to the love he'd left behind. His own black eye remained. A small reminder of the foolishness of believing that a life can be lived without faults. And he lived happily with it for the rest of his days.
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About James Eddy
A writer of multiple genres, James Eddy began writing film and television scripts before moving into Short Stories, Novels and Novellas. Two New Fairytales is his third release of 2012 and more are set to follow, please visit youngbloodbooks.webplus.net for more information.
ABOUT YOUNGBLOOD BOOKS
Founded in 2012, Youngblood Books is owned and operated by James Eddy. We publish a diverse range of genres, including Comedy, Drama, Children's Stories, Romance, Fantasy, Literary Fiction and Comics. Visit us at youngbloodbooks.webplus.net to keep up to date with all our new releases.
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