3 Stepbrothers

The Kingdom Has Fallen

Shawn's POV

It was the chirping birds and fighting squirrels that set off my mood. Just the way that some of the leaves danced in the wind like they were partners, set me off. Spring time really was beautiful, with the flowers and animals. Buzzing bees that would move from flowers, to dandelions, then back to the hive. Caterpillars crawling around, soon to be butterflies. The day was beautiful...only making me plummet deeper into the dark abyss of sadness.

It's funny how life works really. We're born, we grow up, we grow old, we die. Every animal, every species has methods of survival. We just want to reproduce and flourish. With humans at the top of the food chain, we don't fear a lot. What's there to fear anyways? The only thing we should truly be scared of is each other. Our lives can be so...pointless at times. If you really think about it, most of us go to school for more than half of our lives. We all want to be something or we have to be something. It's the only way we'd all live a good life.

Money was like the center of the universe to us. We're probably the only species that relies on paper to help our lives. Birds find their mates, make kids, then do it over. Herds of animals such as zebras, wildebeest, even fish. They stick together like a giant family. Packs of wolves or lions, their main goal is to eat, sleep, reproduce. So what makes us so different? Why must we always dawn on deaths or disabilities? We are so absorbed in living longer, in flourishing longer. It's this era of our nature.

In a herd, if you're sick you're left behind. If you're injured in a pack, you're kicked out like an outcast. If you die, you're left to rot and become part of the earth. Not for us. For us it's different. If we're sick, we're treated. If we're injured we're not abandoned. If we die, we're put into a casket. Or burned to ashes. Why is it that we care so much? Why can't we move on like all the other animals? What makes us so different?

My eyes stayed planted on the grass as I folded my hands in front of me. "We're all gathered here today to not mourn about the death of this young lady, but to praise the wonderful life she had."

Death was something that is part of us. We can't live forever yet we try to figure knew methods to live longer. Why? Once we're in our sixties or seventies what use do we have? We're just wasting air on the earth, space for others. Our world is slowly dying and it's our fault. We are not meant to live so long, it hurts everything around us and we're blinded by the fact. Sure, I want to live for a long time, but it's true. Once I retire will I really be able to do things I've dreamed of? 

This is different though. This was a young girl that had a lot to live for. A good family with people that love her. Friends that are caring and understanding. A young man who is madly in love with her. She didn't have a chance to enjoy life. Once you're sixty or seventy all you have to give is wisdom from everything you learned in your youth. But she didn't have the chance to experience any of that.

Life can sometimes be hard. It makes you fight and never backs down easily. Everyone has something to live for. Maybe it's a dream of becoming famous or something as wild as falling in love. So life can be pointless at times but once you get on the right track it's worth living for. Maybe that's why we want to flourish. Because we dream, love, and hope.

The Adam's apple in my throat bobbed while I tried not to cry. Like the man had said, we will not mourn but praise. "Do you ever wonder what life really is?" I looked to my side where I saw FooFoo. His head was bowed down and his rainbow mane was shaded in blue to match his mood.

"Life is misery. But it's worth it in the end..." I answered with a sigh, my hand started petting his head just around his horn where he likes it. Everyone was attending the Princess' funeral. Sir LanceVicTovan was here with his guards. Even his Majesty was sad of the death of the Princess. Duke Hollischolar was attending the funeral as well. He is the brightest scholar in all the lands, making everyone feel dumb in his presence. It was strange though because everyone thought he was dumb until he answered the riddle to one of the witches. He luckily was not turned into a fish.