Photo credit: Goroyboy
The day the Lightbringer walked into town felt like the best day in everyone’s lives. She was good, pure, and right. Everyone wanted to know about her and she asked the townspeople to gather in the square at noon.
“I am the Lightbringer,” she began as every man, woman, and child were held by her gaze. “I show what is light inside you, what is good, what is pure, but I also reveal the darkness. What you think is light is the darkness and what you think is darkness is the light. I will show you true light that you may purge the darkness. I am the light, you must be like me. There is no other way to the light.”
The townspeople became confused because they had been a peaceful and wholesome folk for so long, and now the Lightbringer had revealed that their wholesomeness was really the darkness. They desired to be the light, but while the Lightbringer seemed so good, should they surrender themselves to her just because she came into their town?
I wrote this for the FFfAW Challenge for the Week of January 30, 2018 hosted by Priceless Joy. The idea is to use the image above as the inspiration for creating a piece of flash fiction between 100 and 175 words long. My word count is 175.
I’m currently reading Margaret Atwood’s award-winning novel “A Handmaid’s Tale” which has spawned a film and a currently popular television show on Hulu. It depicts a dystopian future where a conservative, religious society has enslaved women, turning the fertile females into breeders and waging war against other countries that hold different belief systems. I’ll subsequently write a review after finishing the book and completing my research on Atwood’s perspectives that led to the novel’s creation.
This morning I also read an article on the ACLU’s website called Let’s Stop Sexual Harassment and Violence Before They Begin With Comprehensive Sex Ed written by Melissa Goodman, Director of the LGBTQ, Gender and Reproductive Justice Project , ACLU of Southern California. She authored the missive in support of a law in the State of California which dramatically changes sex education in the public school system starting at the kindergarten level. What I think she may have missed is what the parents of these students have to say about what their children are taught.
Regardless of how you interpreted my wee tale above, my point is that ANY political or social system taken to an extreme will become a totalitarian regime where the rights and freedoms of the citizens will be subordinate to the will of the State; a State which almost always is controlled by an elite few who are exempt from their own laws.
What I’m suggesting is that no matter how nice, sweet, cool, and beautiful someone’s “line” is and how they promise to do only good things for you if you let them rule over you, it is vitally important that you check in with your own mind, emotions, and exercise your free will. The minute you turn that over to anyone, no matter how much they say they’re a “lightbringer,” you will very likely find yourself dragged into the darkness.
To read other stories based on the prompt, visit InLinkz.com.
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Your last explanatory paragraph speaks volumes James. I am thinking of a particular franchise which concentrated on a person’s self doubt and insecurity to make a profit.
Some are content with their lives and surroundings, yet may be tempted by someone like your ‘Lightbringer’ to believe they are missing out, when they have everything they need, want, or desire, just presented differently.
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One of the points I probably should have added is that we all possess a particular political and social (and sometimes religious) “orientation” or bias. Bias isn’t bad and after all, no one lives a completely neutral and “opinionless” life. However, most folks tend to believe that if their specific bias was ruling the world, everything would be perfect. As I’ve attempted to illustrate, it doesn’t really matter what system is used as the template for a totalitarian regime since regardless of the direction they come from, they’d all arrive at the same destination. That’s why it is so important to have a co-existence of different political and social bodies to act as a balance. The true common denominator in extremism is human nature, not the ideology to which you happen to subscribe.
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The Lightbringer seems a sinister character to me, I’m glad you put the explanation in at the end. Hopefully the townsfolk won’t be fooled.
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Anyone who attempts to control a population by subverting their will is certainly sinister, Iain. This is a bit of a cautionary tale warning people not to check their brain at the door just because someone comes along promising to give you everything you think you want.
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A very poignant message, James. Thanks for such a thought-provoking story!
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You’re welcome, Spaceman. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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Too much of anything eh… you are absolutely spot on!
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Thanks, Lavanya.
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Wonderfully structured James. The post script speaks volumes as well. Yes as we are well aware, puritans or derelicts are wolves in Sheeps clothing in fables of old. As the saying goes, standing in church doesn’t make you a Christian and more than standing in a garage makes you a car.
Peace
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Thanks. I agree but my wee missive isn’t meant to address just religious abuses but a wider spectrum of political and social movements as well. Obviously I’m not suggesting people not have preferences in religious, political, and social affiliations. It’s just that no one of them should have exclusive rule over people’s lives.
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Totally agree. Including ones parents or relatives. As a parent tough pill to swallow at times..
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Depending on the age of the child, it’s sometimes hard to adjust just how much to intervene. My granddaughter is 2 1/2 and she always says, “I want to do it myself.” That works for somethings but obviously not for others.
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That last paragraph in your explanation says it all. It is our duty to ourselves to ensure that we do not blindly worship or follow any holy cows. For example, in India, we had been taught to follow our great freedom fighter leaders blindly, almost worshipping some of them as Gods. But now, especially through Twitter, we’ve come to know about so many chinks in their armor, be it their racism, or casteism, or regressive ideologies.
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OH my gosh! That’s what the Germans thought of Hitler (in a roundabout way). Look what happened with him. Great story, James!
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Thanks, Priceless. You’re right. Hitler had enormous charisma and appeal. Women were said to have swooned during his highly dramatic speeches (I don’t know how true that is).
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You’re probably right about the women because he was almost viewed as a God (so sad!!).
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This was a introspective read for me. Taking the allegory from your tale – it is not possible for the light to be there unless there is darkness. Reminds me of the quote, ‘However fast light may travel it finds darkness waiting for it’.
A wonderful write for this prompt.
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You make a good point, yarnspinner and I agree. However there are plenty out there who say they only contain light and that you must say, do, and be like them if you want to be light. Otherwise you’re darkness.
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No dearth of such people …. they strive on strife.
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Interesting that they thought themselves wholesome. I like that word. I hope they continue to choose that middle ground between the light and the darkness. That would be my choice anywayz.
Ellespeth
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Thanks, Ellespeth. It’s good to have options but in the end, we have to choose our own path.
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