The Call

                                                            The Call                                                                                                                       by Felicity Boepple

            A dark forest stretches before me. My clothes are tattered and my arms are bruised and bloody. A few tears trickle down my face, my legs wobble under my weight. I’m exhausted, but I keep walking. I’m too afraid to stop walking; I’m afraid that my past will catch up with me. And so I keep moving toward the unforeseen darkness.  The shadows of my past failures haunting me.

            “Your alone and unloved!” They scream. “Why would anyone care for you? Your nothing more then a piece of garbage, a worthless piece of trash, if anyone knew the real you they would run screaming from the sight of you!” The shadows taunt and jeer. These shadows are all I hear anymore. I once thought that I had them under control. That I could handle them on my own, but now with each step in to this forest they grow louder and louder till they are screaming in my ears, drowning out any sound of hope I have left.

            “STOP!” I finally scream. “I know I’m worthless! Now can you just give me one moment of rest!” I cry out as I sink to my knees sobbing. “Please!” I sob, but the shadows voices just get louder; calling me. Reminding me just how worthless I am. I cover my ears with my hands. Somehow I manage to get to my feet and stumble forward. Tears are streaming down my dirty face. I just want the voices to stop. And then, suddenly, silence rings out around me. I think it’s just a trap from the voices. I slowly look around and relies that there is someone else with me on this road.

            “I knew it was to good to be true.” I say, my voice filled with fear. It’s so dark I cant see his face, but I know he’s there.

            “Who are you?” I ask voice trembling “Are you here to tell me I’m worthless? If you are you can just go back where you came from cause I already know that I am.” There is no answer so I ask again. “Who are you?”

            “I Am.” The stranger finally answers.

            “What?” I ask confused.

            “I Am.” The stranger states again. “I am The Morning Light, The Seeker of All, The Beginning and The End.  I am your Creator.”

            “My creator?” I scoff. “Well then you screwed up big time when you made me.

            The stranger sighs and says. “No my dear, you are perfect. I made you to be perfect; you just are not there yet. You have been listing to the Liar for to long.”

            I let out a harsh scratchy laugh, “Perfect!? Me!? Listen I don’t know who you are but look at me. I am far from perfect. I’m worthless trash. I’m no buddy.” I shake my head and say. “I’m not even sure why I keep going. I just end it right now.”

            “Your life is not yours to take.” The voice says.

            “Who are you to tell me what I can and can’t do?!” I shout at him

            “I AM!” The voice booms out. “I have been with you since the day you were born and I will be there the day you take your last breath; and only I will decide when that day is.” Suddenly I felt afraid.

            “Where are you?” I asked in a shaky voice. “Are you real? Or a ghost?”

            “I am HERE!”  Boomed the voice from right behind me. I jumped and spun around to try and see where the voice had come from, but when I looked behind me I saw nothing.

            “I am here.” Cam a wispy voice that sounded like a breezes through the leaves above my head.

            “I am here.” Said a voice that sounded like a laughing brook that was right beside me. I was almost tempted to stoop down to see if there was a brook there. I closed my eyes to resets the urge to look.

            “I… Am... Here…” Said a steady, rich, deep voice that came from right in front of me. I felt a warm breath on my cheek. “Am I real, little one?” The voice asked.

            “Y… YE… Yes.” I stammered out. “Who are you really?” I asked.

            “Open your eyes brave heart. I have been calling you, but you are not listing for me. All you hear are the voices in your head that are lying to you. They are not sent from me. They were sent by the evil one. You must not listen to them anymore, little one. You must learn to listen for my voice and my voice alone. You must learn to head my words and do what I say. Little one, you have strayed far from the path I have desired for you; but I can lead you back to it. All you need do is ask. You can’t do this alone, but I will not force you to go back. Will you let me help you child?” The voice asked.

            “Yes.” I say, “Please help me.”

            “Then come…” The voice simply says. I feel a steady grip on my hand as he leads me off the path that I was on and through the trees. Deeper and deeper we, I can’t see anything but I try to trust him. Suddenly the floor drops out from under me and I am in a deep strong currant. I scream and try to keep my head above the water.

            “What was I thinking!” I think. “I can’t trust anyone but me. No one loves me, so I can not trust anyone!”  I somehow manage to find a floating branch in the water and I grab on to it.

            “Little one, let go of the branch and grab on to me.” Says the voice “Trust in me. I will not let anything happen to you, I will take care of you, nothing can touch you if you simply trust in me. Give me control child.” I see a hand stretch out to me. I start to reach for it.

            “NO!” Suddenly the voices in my head scream. “Just let go! Then this can all be over and you will be free!” They hiss. I feel the weight of them bearing down on me. My vision blurs and all I can see is my past. All the failures and hurts come flooding back to me. 

“All you need to do is let go,” The voices hiss again. “They have already forgotten you. Just let it be over.” I sputter and gasp, but I let go.

“I trust you.” I whisper. Then two strong arms pull me from the water. The voices in my head scream out in pain for a moment then all is silent. Then without worning I am sitting on a path blinking in the light of the sun,

“What’s happening?” I ask.

“Because you have trusted me and given me your life I have put you back on your right path.” Says the voice. I look around and see that some how my clothes have become new again. My cuts and bruises have been healed, I feel like a new person.

“Little one.” The voice speaks again. “I have saved you, you are my special and peculiar treasure. You, with your limited vision, can’t see what I see; but I know that you are beautiful beyond all compare. You are worth more to me then gold and silver. You must learn to hear my voice and call upon me when the voices start to overwhelm you. Child, you have many special gifts and talents, there is no one like you in the entire world, and to me you are worth it all. The lies that they have been telling you are just that lies.” I nod my head and feel the tears coming on.

“Little heart, there is a path that I have chosen for you, one that will give you many trials and troubles, but if you remember that I am with you then you can do anything. You are weaker alone, but with me you are stronger than any enemy. You need me to make it through this quest, but I will be with you always, all you need to do is call me.”

            “Yes.” I answer as he picks me up and sets mw back on my path. The voices are still there, I have not yet vanquished them altogether yet, I know I still need him; but I know he can do it. For it is not through my strength that this will come to be, but through his power and might; for he will make the weak strong and the poor rich. As I turn to start down my path I turn back to wave at him but there is no one there. I smile and wave toward the voice of my savior. Then I hear it, a very still small voice, it calls to me. It says,

                                                                                “I AM HERE.”