Man In The Mountain
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“I’m not sure I can do this,” said the man in the mountain. “It’s just too much.” He was standing at a window, looking out over the city of New York and its surrounding suburbs. It had been an hour since he’d first arrived here—an eternity for him to be away from his home.
But it wasn’t as if there were any other options; no one else would help him find what he needed or even listen to his story. Not that anyone could hear him anyway, but still…
He looked down into the street below where people walked by without paying attention to anything except their own concerns. They didn’t see each other; they only saw themselves. And all around them, buildings rose up like mountains on top of hills.
Some were tall and proud while others seemed small and insignificant. All of them were covered with windows, which reflected back the light of day so brightly you couldn’t tell whether night or day was actually falling outside.
The man in the mountain felt lost among these towering structures. He knew nothing about how things worked here, nor did he understand why everything had to be so big. Everything was bigger than life itself! His world was smaller and more intimate: a place where everyone knew each other intimately because they lived close together.
There weren’t many places left like that anymore, especially after the war. People moved farther apart and became strangers instead of neighbors.
But now he stood in the middle of this huge metropolis surrounded by millions upon millions of people who never spoke to each other. How could such a thing exist? Why should it have happened when the old ways were better?
Wasn’t it possible to live in harmony with nature again? Couldn’t we return to our roots? Or was that impossible to imagine nowadays?
And yet he found himself unable to leave. This was his last chance to save something important before it was gone forever. If he failed, then everything would end. Nothing would ever be the same.
A woman dressed in black came walking toward him through the crowded streets. She carried a large suitcase and wore sunglasses despite the fact that she was indoors. When she reached the man in the mountain, she set her bag down next to him and sat beside him on the ledge.
Then she removed her glasses and smiled at him. Her smile was warm and inviting, although it made the man feel uncomfortable.
“You’re new here,” she said. “So let me give you some advice.”
She took off her jacket and draped it across his shoulders.
“That will keep you warmer until someone comes along to take care of you properly. You’ll need to get used to wearing clothes, though. That’s the way things are done here.”
Then she turned to face the city once more.
“This is your world now. It’s time to start living in it.”
***
In the beginning, there was only darkness. A great void filled the universe, and nothing existed beyond it. No matter how hard the Creator tried, he couldn’t create anything within the emptiness. So he created the sun and moon to shine on the earth.
He also gave birth to plants and animals, giving them consciousness.
One day, the Creator decided to visit the world he had made. He wanted to see what kind of creatures inhabited the land and sea. As he stepped onto the shoreline, he noticed two men fighting over a fish. One of the fighters held a spear, while the other wielded an ax.
Both men were trying to kill each other with their weapons, but neither succeeded.
“Why don’t you stop fighting?” asked the Creator.
They both stopped immediately and stared at him in surprise.
“What do you mean?” asked the man holding the spear.
“We’ve been killing each other for thousands of years, and it hasn’t accomplished anything. We haven’t learned anything either. What good does it serve us to fight?”
Both men thought about this for a moment. Finally, the man carrying the ax replied.
“Maybe we shouldn’t kill each other,” he suggested. “Perhaps we should learn to work together instead.”
His companion nodded in agreement.
“Yes, that makes sense. Maybe we should try to make peace between ourselves.”
“Let’s go inside and talk about it,” said the man with the ax. “There must be a reason for all this bloodshed.”
Together, the two friends went back to their homes and began discussing the idea. Soon enough, they realized that violence wouldn’t solve anything. Instead, they agreed to form a council to discuss matters of importance. Everyone joined in the discussion, including the Creator.
The first meeting lasted several days, during which they discussed every aspect of life: food, shelter, clothing, and even lovemaking. Afterward, they formed a group called the Council of Elders. Each elder represented one of the elements—earth, air, fire, water, and spirit.
Although the Creator wasn’t part of the council, he still participated in its discussions. In time, the elders created laws to govern the behavior of the people. These rules protected the rights of all citizens and helped maintain order throughout the land.
They also established a system of government based on the principle of equality.
As the years passed, the population grew larger and larger. More and more people settled in the area around the Great Lake. At first, most of them lived in small villages scattered across the countryside.
But as time progressed, the villagers built houses near the lake and started growing crops in the fertile soil. Eventually, they developed into towns and cities. By the year 2200 B.C., the entire region had become known as the Land of the Two Rivers.
The inhabitants of the land prospered under the guidance of the wise leaders of the Council of Elders. However, the world continued to change. For example, the climate became colder and drier. Some people believed that the Creator was angry because of the evil deeds committed by humans.
Others blamed the changing weather patterns on the actions of the gods. Still, others claimed that the Creator had abandoned them.
These beliefs caused many problems among the people and eventually led to a civil war. The conflict escalated rapidly, spreading from village to town to city. Many lives were lost before the fighting finally ended.
During the battle, the Council of Elders fell apart. Only the Creator remained to lead the people.
After the war, the survivors rebuilt the nation. They chose a new leader who promised to bring peace and prosperity to the land. His name was Abraham.
Abraham’s reign brought much-needed stability to the country. He introduced reforms designed to improve the quality of life for everyone. He encouraged farmers to plant more crops, so they could feed themselves without relying on trade or foreign aid.
He also instituted a tax system that provided funds for public works projects such as roads, bridges, and canals. This allowed merchants to travel safely through the territory, bringing goods from faraway lands.
During this period, the people began calling the land the United States of America.
However, the new king didn’t last long. Just five years after taking the throne, he died suddenly. When his successor ascended to power, the people rejoiced. Yet again, however, tragedy struck when the ruler was assassinated.
A few months later, another monarch took the throne. Like his predecessors, he tried to restore order to the troubled kingdom. Unfortunately, he failed. Within a short time, the country descended into chaos once again.
This pattern repeated itself over and over until the end of the twentieth century. Every time a new leader came to power, he struggled to keep the nation united. Despite these efforts, the people soon turned against him. Fearing for their safety, some fled to neighboring countries.
Others stayed behind and fought to regain control of the government. As a result, the country split into two separate nations. One side controlled the capital; the other held sway in the western territories. Both sides claimed to represent the true voice of the people.
Neither recognized the legitimacy of the opposing faction. In fact, the two groups waged an ongoing war against each other.
In the early twenty-first century, the situation deteriorated further. The eastern half of the country declared independence. It was now known as Russia, while the west retained the name America.
Although the two factions share a common language and culture, they couldn’t agree on how best to run their affairs. The Russians wanted to preserve traditional values, whereas the Americans favored modern ideas. To resolve the dispute, the Russian president proposed a series of talks.
The American delegation refused to attend unless certain conditions were met. These included the release of political prisoners, the withdrawal of troops from disputed areas, and the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two governments. The U.S. refused to meet any of the demands.
Eventually, both sides agreed to hold a referendum on whether or not to continue the hostilities. If enough voters supported the continuation of war, then the fighting would resume immediately. On the other hand, if the majority voted to stop the fighting, then the delegates from the east and west would negotiate a peaceful settlement.
On June 12th, 2038, the day of the vote, millions of citizens cast their ballots. Most of them said no to continuing the war. However, there were still thousands of votes left to be counted. The results wouldn’t be announced until the following morning.
That night, President John Smith received a phone call from the Russian ambassador. “Mr. President,” he asked, “how do you intend to respond to the outcome of the election?”
“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You have to understand, Mr. President. We’ve been waiting for your response ever since the polls closed at midnight. You must make up your mind quickly. Otherwise, we’ll take action of our own.”
Smith was surprised by the question. Why hadn’t anyone informed him? “What kind of action are you referring to?”
“We may decide to launch a preemptive strike against the United States. Our military has already begun preparing for the operation. By tomorrow, it will be too late for us to back out.”
“Wait just one minute!” Smith shouted. “Why should I care what happens to my country? After all, I wasn’t elected to serve as its dictator! And why shouldn’t I attack if the people want me to?”
The Russian diplomat laughed. “Don’t worry, sir. Your people won’t get hurt. That is unless you refuse to comply with our request. Then, of course, things might turn ugly.”
“Very well, Ambassador. Tell your men to stand down. But only if you promise to withdraw your forces within thirty minutes.”
“Done. Now please tell me where to send the check.”
***
When the final tally was released, the news media reported that seventy percent of the population had voted to end the conflict. The next day, the Russian army withdrew from the disputed regions.
The End