a story about me
One day not that long ago and not that far away, a boy found a seed. That seed was a part of him and it longed to grow into something larger and more beautiful. To stay the same and never change would be to deny the seed a part of itself. Seeds are meant to grow and this seed knew it had a destiny.
In a nearby forest this same boy spent several weeks searching for something unspoken, yet truer than anything he had ever searched for. He had not found it, but could sense that it was there only a little further ahead, maybe just past the next tree. As he continued on he felt as if he was being watched almost as if there were eyes all around him. But, as hard as he tried he could never find them.
It wasn't long until he realized that in fact he was being watched and the Watcher was just steps ahead of him. He moved quicker catching sight of a tail and a leg. His pace sped and as he leaped over the dead tree ahead of him and there he saw the Creature.
In the excitement of the chase he failed to notice the size of this Beast. It was easily five times larger than him and its face terrified him, but drew him in at the same time. His fear told him to run, but somehow he knew this Beast, he loved this Beast, and realized that it loved him with a love that he had only dreamed about. It's eyes were fierce and passionate at the same time. It walked around him with purpose not speaking a word, but communicating its love for the boy with each step.
The Beast stopped inches from the boys face, the only noise was the breath of the Beast. The boy held his breath and looked deep into the Beasts eyes. "Why are you here boy?" asked the Beast. "Why are you in my forest searching for me?"
The boy couldn't help think that somehow the Beast already knew the answers. "I brought this seed with me and we are here to find the Truth, to find our way, to discover our future, our destiny."
"This journey isn't easy boy," said the Beast pushing closer to the boys face. "To go with me I ask for everything, every part of you, it should be as though we are one. I will take you places unseen, places you would not dare go on your own. I can show you what you are searching for, what I ask is return is that I come before all others. I ask that you follow my plan, my path, my way. All I do will be for your sake. I love you boy and I want your love in return. My love will bring you life. To begin our journey you must simply ask."
The boy was afraid, but knew that the Beast told the truth. He knew that the love the Beast spoke of was the Truth he had been seeking. "Will you show me? I love you though I have just met you. I will be yours if you will have me."
The Beast smiled, turned, and simply said, "Follow me!"
So it went for the longest time. The Beast led the boy and the seed through mountains and valleys, darkness and light, on and on. The boy knew that each step led him closer to that which he sought after and couldn't wait to see the next part of the journey.
One day while resting, the boy saw an unusual sight. He saw a creature much like himself there on the path walking toward them. The boy sat up excited to see this new creature. The Beast welcomed the girl much as he had the boy, but the boy noticed that the eyes of the beast seemed somehow sad.
The boy welcomed the girl and asked her to stay. The boy remembered the seed that he had brought on the journey and realized that it began to sprout a shoot of green. The more they talked the larger the seed grew. Eventually the boy had to set the seed down because it grew to large to hold. Soon its roots began to take hold and it implanted itself into the ground. This new event excited the boy and he now noticed that the girl too had a seed of her own and the two seeds began to grow up next to each other.
The boy grew fond of this girl and as the days went on the two of them sat there talking, watching their seeds grow. The Beast stayed there with these two and every now and then would wonder off. The boy, in his excitement over the girl failed to notice the Beast's absence and found himself falling in love with the girl much the same way he had for the Beast.
One day the Beast came to the boy and said, "It's time for us to leave this place. Follow me!" The boy looked at the Beast and back at the girl, then back at the Beast. The boy was torn. The boy asked, "Couldn't I stay here with the girl and come visit you every day? I love you, but I love her too. I can love you both can't I?"
The Beast nodded and said, "You may. The decision to stay is yours to make. You must know that this path will not be an easy one. You promised me that I would come first and it will be difficult to keep this promise if you stay."
The boy smiled and danced with excitement as if no hearing the words the Beast spoke. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I think I have found what I have been looking for. Thank you Beast. You have brought me here and I am happier than I have ever been."
Many days passed and each morning the boy and the girl would wonder off with the Beast and then return to their seeds at night, which by now had become one and grown into a large tree. The boy and girl would stay up all night watching the stars and talking and growing closer to one another. In those times, the boy would often forget the Beast and focus all his thoughts upon the girl.
One morning the Beast came for the boy and girl only to find them missing. Noticing their foot prints leaving the tree he knew that they had taken off on their journey alone. The Beast hung his head and walked away. His loves were alone, without his guidance. He weeped as he walked away because he knew that path would lead to heartache.
Each morning the Beast would come visit and each morning the boy and girl would already be gone, off exploring alone. Some days the Beast would leave a lock of its hair, a foot print, or a beautiful flower in their place to remind them that he was there. The boy and girl would see these and remember, but over time it became easier to forget.
Soon, the boy and girl would rise and the morning and take different paths through the wilderness. They would cross at times, but some days they wouldn't see each other for hours. Eventually, the boy and the girl would come back to their tree and sit in silence as strangers do, unsure of what to say. It was during one such meeting that the girl told the boy she would be leaving. Not just for the day, but for good. She had found a new path to explore and did not plan to return.
This confused the boy. He knew that something needed fixed, but didn't know what to do. "Our seeds are one, they are a giant tree with years of growth. We cannot just break them apart", he said. It was then that he remembered the Beast and the words it had spoken. "Let's find the Beast! It will help us! It can fix us. Why did we ever forget? How could we have forgotten?"
The girl could not be persuaded and the next morning she rose without a word and left on her own journey away from the boy.
The boy woke the next morning feeling as he had never felt before. Emptiness lay in his belly and his chest ached. Words were useless this feeling had no name, no description. The boy sat by the tree for days hoping that the girl would return. Each day the tree withered more and lost its leaves. One dreary night the boy realized that the tree was dead and burned it to the ground out of despair. All that was left of the seed he once cherished now lay smoking in a black pile of ashes.
The morning felt different as the boy woke. He looked at the tree, placed his head in his hands and sobbed. Slowly the boy began to notice a familiar feeling. He could not help but think of those days when he was young searching the forest. He could feel eyes watching him. There in the brush he saw them. Charcoal eyes holding his gaze and speaking to him. He could not look away and couldn't help but fall in love with those eyes. He had known these eyes once. He had loved these eyes once.
Without a word the Beast stepped into the light and walked slowly to the boy. Once again the forest fell silent and the only sound was the Beast. As the Beast approached the boy threw his arms around its neck and cried there for hours. The Beast never spoke and let the boy hold on as long as he wanted.
Eventually the boy was able to speak without tears and told the Beast all that had happened. He apologized for forgetting and for messing up. The boy was confused, but knew that the Beast had never been wrong, had never hurt him, and he remembered now that the Beast had never left him. He had left the Beast.
The boy and the Beast spent days talking, laughing, crying, and remembering the past. From time to time the boy would remember the girl, look at the spot where the tree once stood, and once again feel the emptiness. The Beast knew the boy ached, but assured him that his journey had only just begun. The Beast was sad the boy and girl parted ways, but it loved them both none the less.
It wasn't long until the boy and the Beast began to explore the forest again. They always returned to that spot each evening. The boy was not ready to leave that place as he still didn't fully understand all that had happened. One evening the Beast said to the boy in a low voice, "Boy, tomorrow we must leave this place. It is time to move on. I have more in store for you. I know you are wounded, but I can heal you. I will heal you. Our journey starts tomorrow."
The boy hung his head in sadness, but knew the Beast spoke the truth. He knew that it was time. One thing was bothering him though. "Beast", he said. "What about my seed? It's gone and this pile of ash is all that I have left of it. I can't bear to leave it behind, even if it is charred and dead."
The Beast was already moving toward the black hole in the ground. "Come here boy. Stick your hand in the ashes and reach in as far as you can." The boy did as instructed and was surprised that these ashes were still warm. The further he reached the warmer it was. At last just as he could no longer stand the heat he felt it. A small round lump. It was familiar, but not quite as he had remembered it. He pulled out his hand and looked at the treasure he had just unearthed. There in the palm of his hand was a small black seed. It burned his hand, the flesh that the seed touched raised and turned deep red.
The Beast stepped closer and placed its paw into the boy's hand. He looked at the boy and said, "today you have reclaimed your seed. It is scarred and black, but there beneath the surface your seed is alive and well. Someday you will give this seed to another, but this hand will always bear the mark of this seed as a reminder of all that has happened in this place."
The next morning the Beast and the boy set out on a journey. It was different now. The boy stayed close to the Beast and never left his side. They traveled high and low talking all along the way. The boy was learning more each day and the emptiness slowly left him.
One day the Beast and the boy stopped at a stream for some water. The Beast looked at the boy and said, "today we will have a visitor. This girl will have a similar mark on her arm and a seed that looks like yours."
The boy was scared. He had almost forgotten about the old place and the pain that lived there. Were it not for the mark on his hand he might have forgotten all together. The idea of a new girl coming to visit was not something he had expected and certainly not this soon. "What are we to do when this new girl arrives?", he nervously asked. "Trust me boy. I have invited her here", the Beast said with a smile.
It wasn't long until they heard footsteps approaching the stream. As the girl stepped into the clearing the boy stepped closer to the Beast. The girl only looked at the Beast as she approached, though most of the time she looked at the ground.
The Beast looked at them both and said, "Boy this is the one I told you was coming and girl this is the one I told you about. Do not be afraid."
The two looked at each other and strangely both felt safe in the gaze of the other. As they stood there looking the Beast stepped slowly away to the edge of the clearing where he lay down. The boy shook as he stood there as all of his pain swept back into his chest. The girl saw this and she too began to remember all the darkness of her past. This went on for days. The two of them just looking into the eyes of the other. Never speaking, just looking.
Finally, one morning the boy, remembering that the Beast brought the girl to him, asked her, "Why are you so sad?" The girl was startled to hear his voice and noticed that its sound comforted her. She said, "I'm sad because I have this seed that I have carried around my whole life and it used to beautiful." She opened her hand towards him revealing a blackened seed much like his own. "I'm sad because I don't think this seed will ever be beautiful again", she continued. "I'm sad because looking at this seed reminds me of all the pain that I have encountered on my path."
The boy took a step forward and opened his hand. "I have a seed much like yours", he said. "I too am sad because my seed is no longer beautiful and it reminds me of my pain."
The two moved closer and sat by the edge of the stream. Soon they were laughing and crying and sharing all their adventures. They were surprised to find that their paths, though they went different directions, had been very similar. It wasn't long until the boy noticed that he began to feel love for this girl. There was something different about this girl, something exciting and beautiful. Each day the two fell more in love, but in the back of their minds both were still ashamed because they no longer had seeds worthy of the love that they had found.
One evening the Beast came to the water's edge and said to the boy and girl, "tomorrow we are leaving this place." The boy looked at the mark on his hand and remembered that staying wasn't an option. He had done that before and it led to darkness. The boy looked into the Beast's eyes. "I will leave with you tomorrow", he said, "but I would like it if the girl could come with us."
The Beast smiled. "She can come, but it is her choice. We cannot make her come with us. All we can do is ask." Before they could the girl asked, "when do we leave?".
The next morning the boy woke up excited, but noticed the girl sitting by the water with tears rolling down her eyes. "What is it?", he asked. "Why are you so sad?"
She looked deep into his eyes and opened her hand. In it was her seed, lifeless and black. He looked at her seed and opened his own hand to reveal a similar corpse. She didn't need to say it. He knew why she was crying. A tear rolled down his cheek. This girl was a part of him, the best part of him and all he had to offer her was a used up piece of charcoal. They sat there by the water crying and holding each other.
The Beast saw what had happened and approached the two of them. His voice soothed their aching. "Do not despair my children. I have brought you to this place for a reason. Your seeds are not dead. Just beneath the surface they are alive with beauty. Trade seeds and you will see."
The boy and girl swapped seeds and looked closely. The boy thought he saw something, but couldn't be sure so he dipped his hand in the stream and began to rub the seed. To their amazement the seed began to change. The black faded and there just below the surface was the greenest seed either had ever seen. Greener than their seeds had ever been before. The girl quickly did the same to the seed that was in her hand with the same results. Both were excited, but confused. They looked at the Beast puzzled.
The Beast stood in front of them and smiled the largest smile they had ever seen before. "Do not wonder at what you have just seen. I can make all things new. I created your seeds to be beautiful. Their beauty is within. Though they have been tarnished they cannot die. Your seeds are a reminder of my love and my love will never go away. Others have tried to damage your seeds, but the life within those seeds can never be destroyed. Your seeds are now more beautiful than ever and they will stay that way if you trust me, if you allow me to show you the way, if you will give me your seeds."
The boy and the girl looked back at their seeds and to their surprise the seeds had begun to bloom. Without thinking the boy and girl handed their seeds to the Beast. The seeds jumped around on the Beasts paw as if dancing until they could no longer tell one from the other. The seeds combined and grew into a white flower. This flower was like no other they had ever seen. It was stunning. "It's your flower", the Beast whispered. "It is like no other flower that exists or has ever existed."
The boy and girl smiled and couldn't help but grab hands. They knew that this time their seeds would grow on for all time. The Beast would show them how. They were about to set out on a new journey. One unlike any other, one that would last a lifetime. The past brought them to this place, but it would no longer hold them, no longer invade the present. The present was beautiful and the Beast was there to show them their future.
The Beast smiled at them, turned, and said, "Follow me!"
In a nearby forest this same boy spent several weeks searching for something unspoken, yet truer than anything he had ever searched for. He had not found it, but could sense that it was there only a little further ahead, maybe just past the next tree. As he continued on he felt as if he was being watched almost as if there were eyes all around him. But, as hard as he tried he could never find them.
It wasn't long until he realized that in fact he was being watched and the Watcher was just steps ahead of him. He moved quicker catching sight of a tail and a leg. His pace sped and as he leaped over the dead tree ahead of him and there he saw the Creature.
In the excitement of the chase he failed to notice the size of this Beast. It was easily five times larger than him and its face terrified him, but drew him in at the same time. His fear told him to run, but somehow he knew this Beast, he loved this Beast, and realized that it loved him with a love that he had only dreamed about. It's eyes were fierce and passionate at the same time. It walked around him with purpose not speaking a word, but communicating its love for the boy with each step.
The Beast stopped inches from the boys face, the only noise was the breath of the Beast. The boy held his breath and looked deep into the Beasts eyes. "Why are you here boy?" asked the Beast. "Why are you in my forest searching for me?"
The boy couldn't help think that somehow the Beast already knew the answers. "I brought this seed with me and we are here to find the Truth, to find our way, to discover our future, our destiny."
"This journey isn't easy boy," said the Beast pushing closer to the boys face. "To go with me I ask for everything, every part of you, it should be as though we are one. I will take you places unseen, places you would not dare go on your own. I can show you what you are searching for, what I ask is return is that I come before all others. I ask that you follow my plan, my path, my way. All I do will be for your sake. I love you boy and I want your love in return. My love will bring you life. To begin our journey you must simply ask."
The boy was afraid, but knew that the Beast told the truth. He knew that the love the Beast spoke of was the Truth he had been seeking. "Will you show me? I love you though I have just met you. I will be yours if you will have me."
The Beast smiled, turned, and simply said, "Follow me!"
So it went for the longest time. The Beast led the boy and the seed through mountains and valleys, darkness and light, on and on. The boy knew that each step led him closer to that which he sought after and couldn't wait to see the next part of the journey.
One day while resting, the boy saw an unusual sight. He saw a creature much like himself there on the path walking toward them. The boy sat up excited to see this new creature. The Beast welcomed the girl much as he had the boy, but the boy noticed that the eyes of the beast seemed somehow sad.
The boy welcomed the girl and asked her to stay. The boy remembered the seed that he had brought on the journey and realized that it began to sprout a shoot of green. The more they talked the larger the seed grew. Eventually the boy had to set the seed down because it grew to large to hold. Soon its roots began to take hold and it implanted itself into the ground. This new event excited the boy and he now noticed that the girl too had a seed of her own and the two seeds began to grow up next to each other.
The boy grew fond of this girl and as the days went on the two of them sat there talking, watching their seeds grow. The Beast stayed there with these two and every now and then would wonder off. The boy, in his excitement over the girl failed to notice the Beast's absence and found himself falling in love with the girl much the same way he had for the Beast.
One day the Beast came to the boy and said, "It's time for us to leave this place. Follow me!" The boy looked at the Beast and back at the girl, then back at the Beast. The boy was torn. The boy asked, "Couldn't I stay here with the girl and come visit you every day? I love you, but I love her too. I can love you both can't I?"
The Beast nodded and said, "You may. The decision to stay is yours to make. You must know that this path will not be an easy one. You promised me that I would come first and it will be difficult to keep this promise if you stay."
The boy smiled and danced with excitement as if no hearing the words the Beast spoke. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I think I have found what I have been looking for. Thank you Beast. You have brought me here and I am happier than I have ever been."
Many days passed and each morning the boy and the girl would wonder off with the Beast and then return to their seeds at night, which by now had become one and grown into a large tree. The boy and girl would stay up all night watching the stars and talking and growing closer to one another. In those times, the boy would often forget the Beast and focus all his thoughts upon the girl.
One morning the Beast came for the boy and girl only to find them missing. Noticing their foot prints leaving the tree he knew that they had taken off on their journey alone. The Beast hung his head and walked away. His loves were alone, without his guidance. He weeped as he walked away because he knew that path would lead to heartache.
Each morning the Beast would come visit and each morning the boy and girl would already be gone, off exploring alone. Some days the Beast would leave a lock of its hair, a foot print, or a beautiful flower in their place to remind them that he was there. The boy and girl would see these and remember, but over time it became easier to forget.
Soon, the boy and girl would rise and the morning and take different paths through the wilderness. They would cross at times, but some days they wouldn't see each other for hours. Eventually, the boy and the girl would come back to their tree and sit in silence as strangers do, unsure of what to say. It was during one such meeting that the girl told the boy she would be leaving. Not just for the day, but for good. She had found a new path to explore and did not plan to return.
This confused the boy. He knew that something needed fixed, but didn't know what to do. "Our seeds are one, they are a giant tree with years of growth. We cannot just break them apart", he said. It was then that he remembered the Beast and the words it had spoken. "Let's find the Beast! It will help us! It can fix us. Why did we ever forget? How could we have forgotten?"
The girl could not be persuaded and the next morning she rose without a word and left on her own journey away from the boy.
The boy woke the next morning feeling as he had never felt before. Emptiness lay in his belly and his chest ached. Words were useless this feeling had no name, no description. The boy sat by the tree for days hoping that the girl would return. Each day the tree withered more and lost its leaves. One dreary night the boy realized that the tree was dead and burned it to the ground out of despair. All that was left of the seed he once cherished now lay smoking in a black pile of ashes.
The morning felt different as the boy woke. He looked at the tree, placed his head in his hands and sobbed. Slowly the boy began to notice a familiar feeling. He could not help but think of those days when he was young searching the forest. He could feel eyes watching him. There in the brush he saw them. Charcoal eyes holding his gaze and speaking to him. He could not look away and couldn't help but fall in love with those eyes. He had known these eyes once. He had loved these eyes once.
Without a word the Beast stepped into the light and walked slowly to the boy. Once again the forest fell silent and the only sound was the Beast. As the Beast approached the boy threw his arms around its neck and cried there for hours. The Beast never spoke and let the boy hold on as long as he wanted.
Eventually the boy was able to speak without tears and told the Beast all that had happened. He apologized for forgetting and for messing up. The boy was confused, but knew that the Beast had never been wrong, had never hurt him, and he remembered now that the Beast had never left him. He had left the Beast.
The boy and the Beast spent days talking, laughing, crying, and remembering the past. From time to time the boy would remember the girl, look at the spot where the tree once stood, and once again feel the emptiness. The Beast knew the boy ached, but assured him that his journey had only just begun. The Beast was sad the boy and girl parted ways, but it loved them both none the less.
It wasn't long until the boy and the Beast began to explore the forest again. They always returned to that spot each evening. The boy was not ready to leave that place as he still didn't fully understand all that had happened. One evening the Beast said to the boy in a low voice, "Boy, tomorrow we must leave this place. It is time to move on. I have more in store for you. I know you are wounded, but I can heal you. I will heal you. Our journey starts tomorrow."
The boy hung his head in sadness, but knew the Beast spoke the truth. He knew that it was time. One thing was bothering him though. "Beast", he said. "What about my seed? It's gone and this pile of ash is all that I have left of it. I can't bear to leave it behind, even if it is charred and dead."
The Beast was already moving toward the black hole in the ground. "Come here boy. Stick your hand in the ashes and reach in as far as you can." The boy did as instructed and was surprised that these ashes were still warm. The further he reached the warmer it was. At last just as he could no longer stand the heat he felt it. A small round lump. It was familiar, but not quite as he had remembered it. He pulled out his hand and looked at the treasure he had just unearthed. There in the palm of his hand was a small black seed. It burned his hand, the flesh that the seed touched raised and turned deep red.
The Beast stepped closer and placed its paw into the boy's hand. He looked at the boy and said, "today you have reclaimed your seed. It is scarred and black, but there beneath the surface your seed is alive and well. Someday you will give this seed to another, but this hand will always bear the mark of this seed as a reminder of all that has happened in this place."
The next morning the Beast and the boy set out on a journey. It was different now. The boy stayed close to the Beast and never left his side. They traveled high and low talking all along the way. The boy was learning more each day and the emptiness slowly left him.
One day the Beast and the boy stopped at a stream for some water. The Beast looked at the boy and said, "today we will have a visitor. This girl will have a similar mark on her arm and a seed that looks like yours."
The boy was scared. He had almost forgotten about the old place and the pain that lived there. Were it not for the mark on his hand he might have forgotten all together. The idea of a new girl coming to visit was not something he had expected and certainly not this soon. "What are we to do when this new girl arrives?", he nervously asked. "Trust me boy. I have invited her here", the Beast said with a smile.
It wasn't long until they heard footsteps approaching the stream. As the girl stepped into the clearing the boy stepped closer to the Beast. The girl only looked at the Beast as she approached, though most of the time she looked at the ground.
The Beast looked at them both and said, "Boy this is the one I told you was coming and girl this is the one I told you about. Do not be afraid."
The two looked at each other and strangely both felt safe in the gaze of the other. As they stood there looking the Beast stepped slowly away to the edge of the clearing where he lay down. The boy shook as he stood there as all of his pain swept back into his chest. The girl saw this and she too began to remember all the darkness of her past. This went on for days. The two of them just looking into the eyes of the other. Never speaking, just looking.
Finally, one morning the boy, remembering that the Beast brought the girl to him, asked her, "Why are you so sad?" The girl was startled to hear his voice and noticed that its sound comforted her. She said, "I'm sad because I have this seed that I have carried around my whole life and it used to beautiful." She opened her hand towards him revealing a blackened seed much like his own. "I'm sad because I don't think this seed will ever be beautiful again", she continued. "I'm sad because looking at this seed reminds me of all the pain that I have encountered on my path."
The boy took a step forward and opened his hand. "I have a seed much like yours", he said. "I too am sad because my seed is no longer beautiful and it reminds me of my pain."
The two moved closer and sat by the edge of the stream. Soon they were laughing and crying and sharing all their adventures. They were surprised to find that their paths, though they went different directions, had been very similar. It wasn't long until the boy noticed that he began to feel love for this girl. There was something different about this girl, something exciting and beautiful. Each day the two fell more in love, but in the back of their minds both were still ashamed because they no longer had seeds worthy of the love that they had found.
One evening the Beast came to the water's edge and said to the boy and girl, "tomorrow we are leaving this place." The boy looked at the mark on his hand and remembered that staying wasn't an option. He had done that before and it led to darkness. The boy looked into the Beast's eyes. "I will leave with you tomorrow", he said, "but I would like it if the girl could come with us."
The Beast smiled. "She can come, but it is her choice. We cannot make her come with us. All we can do is ask." Before they could the girl asked, "when do we leave?".
The next morning the boy woke up excited, but noticed the girl sitting by the water with tears rolling down her eyes. "What is it?", he asked. "Why are you so sad?"
She looked deep into his eyes and opened her hand. In it was her seed, lifeless and black. He looked at her seed and opened his own hand to reveal a similar corpse. She didn't need to say it. He knew why she was crying. A tear rolled down his cheek. This girl was a part of him, the best part of him and all he had to offer her was a used up piece of charcoal. They sat there by the water crying and holding each other.
The Beast saw what had happened and approached the two of them. His voice soothed their aching. "Do not despair my children. I have brought you to this place for a reason. Your seeds are not dead. Just beneath the surface they are alive with beauty. Trade seeds and you will see."
The boy and girl swapped seeds and looked closely. The boy thought he saw something, but couldn't be sure so he dipped his hand in the stream and began to rub the seed. To their amazement the seed began to change. The black faded and there just below the surface was the greenest seed either had ever seen. Greener than their seeds had ever been before. The girl quickly did the same to the seed that was in her hand with the same results. Both were excited, but confused. They looked at the Beast puzzled.
The Beast stood in front of them and smiled the largest smile they had ever seen before. "Do not wonder at what you have just seen. I can make all things new. I created your seeds to be beautiful. Their beauty is within. Though they have been tarnished they cannot die. Your seeds are a reminder of my love and my love will never go away. Others have tried to damage your seeds, but the life within those seeds can never be destroyed. Your seeds are now more beautiful than ever and they will stay that way if you trust me, if you allow me to show you the way, if you will give me your seeds."
The boy and the girl looked back at their seeds and to their surprise the seeds had begun to bloom. Without thinking the boy and girl handed their seeds to the Beast. The seeds jumped around on the Beasts paw as if dancing until they could no longer tell one from the other. The seeds combined and grew into a white flower. This flower was like no other they had ever seen. It was stunning. "It's your flower", the Beast whispered. "It is like no other flower that exists or has ever existed."
The boy and girl smiled and couldn't help but grab hands. They knew that this time their seeds would grow on for all time. The Beast would show them how. They were about to set out on a new journey. One unlike any other, one that would last a lifetime. The past brought them to this place, but it would no longer hold them, no longer invade the present. The present was beautiful and the Beast was there to show them their future.
The Beast smiled at them, turned, and said, "Follow me!"
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