Thorn

Thorn
By Hannah Peters

A long time ago, an evil came upon the earth. All feared it. It swept its dark cloak over the earth and left no happiness. The people of the earth were enslaved and made to work for the Evil.
         Eventually, the people of Earth forgot how to laugh. They forgot what happiness was. They forgot sympathy and forgiveness. They left only enough room for greediness, hatred, and fear. Even the Christmas spirit was defeated, and could not come back until there was love in the world.
         The great Evil was pleased with his work, but on Christmas a newborn child came into the world. He was called C because he was the third child, and his parents didn't care to think of a name. When he was born, he looked around him and knew this was not the way the world should be.
         Because his parents were scared and angry all the time, he smiled and giggled trying and wash away their fears and hatred.          Eventually, his family began to fear that if the Evil saw C's laughter he would be angry with them and destroy them all. You see, even though the people had no kindness or love, they still had a fear of death and a want for survival.
         On the 13th of March, they took the three-month-old child to a great cliff, and threw him over the edge never checking to make sure he'd hit the bottom. He had, in fact, been saved by a small thorn-branch that caught on the edge of his cotton shirt. He was found by a man named Blue-Eye. Blue-Eye knew that a man with a child was more valuable to the Evil than a man without a child because the more slaves the Evil had the better. Blue-Eye took C into his hut and gave him to his wife. C's name was changed to Thorn because he'd been found on a Thorn branch.          He decided not to smile unless no one was looking. He made an oath to himself that someday he would destroy the Evil.
         On Thorn's tenth birthday the Evil came to his house. His stepmother, Alley, who was named after the place she was born, opened the door and instantly fell to her knees. The Evil, not caring that her knees were numb with cold, left her kneeling as he talked.
         "I have sensed that a boy in this house has reached the appropriate age to begin working, and yet no one in this household came to the workers ground."
         "That is Thorn," Alley said shivering. "I forgot the day."
         "Forgot the day?" the Evil said. "For that you will be punished. Where is the child."          Alley called Thorn to her. He walked into the room. He looked at the woman who, though she had not loved him, had taken care of him.
         "How could you?" he said to the Evil. "Can't you see she's cold and uncomfortable?" The Evil looked at Thorn.
         "Do you mock me?" he asked. "Do you know who I am?"
         "Yes!" Thorn shouted. "You are the great          Evil who enslaved us and stole our love, and on this day, Christmas, you ask a young boy to work. Well, I don't fear you, I feel sorry for you!" The Evil raised his eyebrows. With a wave of his hand he intended to kill Thorn, but Thorn was quick. He took all his happiness, love and joy and called on the Christmas spirit. The Christmas spirit came and swooped down on the Evil shattering him into tiny pieces. Every piece went into a person, but as all the joy that had been held back by the Evil was returned, the Evil could not break free. If ever the Evil tries to come back, the Christmas spirit will overcome and vanquish him.
         Now the Evil must live, tortured by the hopes and dreams of all mankind.

The End