Chapter Two: Devastating Defeat
The Road to Transformatia - A Love Story
Table of Contents
As he thought about it, A.J. decided it was time to put all his effort into one last shot at getting past the monster and completing the journey to the City of Grace, the capital of Transformatia.
“Finally”, he thought, “this would be it.” Even though he did not understand what it was, something inside him kept urging him on.
He could almost taste the sweet air of victory as he envisioned himself walking the pleasant streets in the heart of the City of Grace.
So, one splendid day, when he had built up his courage, he put on his best suit of armor, chose his sharpest sword and sturdiest shield, and set out.
Almost before he knew it, he was well inside the border of Imaginaria, within sight of Transformatia.
On the distant horizon, he caught a glimpse of the towered City of Grace, where it is said that the Gracious King grants special abilities to overcome even the most difficult obstacles and achieve extraordinary feats of noble valor.
As A.J. became caught up in thoughts of victory, he failed to see or even sense the presence of the monster in a small, unnoticed crevasse just outside of his range of vision.
Silently, the monster waited, gauging and calculating the exact moment to strike. He sensed this all-out last effort to reach Transformatia.
He had seen that determined look thousands of times in the eyes of those who had tried before.
“They never learn”, he chuckled to himself.
With no sound of warning, he rushed out and swiftly enveloped A.J. in his powerful grip, violently whipping him around like a rag doll in a dog’s mouth.
Every fearful thought A.J. had ever had flooded his mind with dread. Every bit of his bravado was shaken loose and flung to the far reaches of the battlefield.
And yet, the dragon did not kill him. He continued to toy with him like a cat with a captured bird.
His precious prey.
The fight was over almost before it began. Defeated, bruised, and battered, A. J. dropped his dragon-slaying sword into the dust.
Throwing his hands up in the air, he screamed “I surrender” at the top of his lungs, promising never to venture forth again into the monster's realm.
Anything for relief from the pain of failure and shame.
To his surprise, with a mischievous grin the monster let him go.
All the while he taunted A.J. with an evil laugh and ridiculed him for not putting up more of a sporting fight.
As A. J. retreated, bruised, battle-weary, and completely undone, the monster sneered and roared his foul name:
I am FEAR. All powerful FEAR. Keeper of the gate to Transformatia.
Do you dare to trespass? Do you dare to to think of slaying me with your puny little sword and shield and reaching the riches of Transformatia? Do you think your armor is impenetrable?
No one from Conformity gets through to Transformatia unless I let them in. And I NEVER let them in.
Get back to your miserable little land or next time it will be even worse.
I can kill you at any moment, and you will never know which moment that will be, so don't even try.
This is not the first time A. J. had ventured out and suffered defeat, but it was by far the worst. Each time, he vowed it would be his last.
This time, he meant it.
He was now almost a man of marrying age. His parents and friends urged him to find a wife, start a family, and settle down into the traditions that generations of Average Joe's have kept. Longer than anyone could remember.
Is A.J. doomed to a life of conformity? Will he find a wife, settle down, and repeat what has been done for longer than anyone in Conformity could remember?
Next week, we’ll read about A.J.’s strange encounter as he returned to Conformity.
This is where I am currently at with my memoir. I have been defeated several times already and suspect the defeats aren’t over with still. Good job, Cork.