| An attempt at writing
Hopefully you will find this amusing and not too horrible.
The Perfectionist on Pilgrimage
With apologies to C. S. Lewis & John Bunyan
A good many years ago when I was a very young pilgrim I became aware of a wretched and horrible Creature which seemed to hang on me and which interrupted every good thing which I tried to do. It happened just at that time in my life that the people with whom I was traveling had a particular Skill & Technique for the slaying of just such Creatures as this; which they implored me to make use of, and they said that I should have Relief from this thing and could think very well of myself if I should employ their Technique.
It happened that I did employ their Method, and soon the Creature, which was a very vile Thing and had occasioned much Shame on my part, actually lay dead in my hand. I was pleased, my fellow-Pilgrims were pleased, and I placed the dead Creature in the Pack on my back. I was much in the habit of fetching it out and displaying it to anyone I might find to demonstrate my Skill at the Slaying of such Monsters.
It chanced, so I thought, much later that one day as I went on my way I was accosted by an Angel of surpassing Brightness who carried withal a Mirror of curious Shape and Construction, to wit, it appeared to be in the Shape of two large tablets hinged together and had a marvelous Quality of displaying to the viewer things which otherwise he was unable to see. This Being then asked me if he might deliver me from a Monster which he said was clinging to me and which, in time, would hinder my journey to the Celestial City. I assured him that I had already dealt with this and proceeded to draw forth the dead Monster from my pack and to acquaint him with the fearsome Battle in which I had engaged this Creature, and how I came on the Means of rendering it dead. Whereupon the Angel held up his Mirror and I beheld therein that a dreadful and fearsome Beast of great proportions (which I had supposed to be my Pack) did hang on my back with its Claws gripped about my Throat, which was the reason of the Shortness of Breath which I had noticed on occasion but had always attributed to the Stress of the Journey.
At the Sight of this Monster I was greatly perplexed and wondered that no one had apprised me of it before. I then fell down before the Angel and implored him to Slay this Beast. At this point, he set his curious Mirror aside and asked me to remark the Shape of the Shadow which fell upon the Path. I saw that it was the Shape of a Cross. Whereupon he bid me look to the Source of the Shadow and on doing so I saw again the actual Cross and the Sepulcher as I had seen it many a year ago at the first of my Pilgrimage. I was surprised to find it yet so near, yet even more remarkable than this, at the Sight of it, the Monster on my back gave a fearsome Shriek and loosened its Grip, whereupon I could Breathe with greater comfort.
"œNow," said the Angel, "œyou must carry this Mirror always with you and look in it often; and should you see this Monster again, or some other, (and indeed you will see it again and many more), you must look again at the Cross. You will find that it is visible at any Point on your Journey. The Sight of the Cross will cause these Monsters which trouble you while on Pilgrimage to lose much of their Power over you. And thus must you do until you reach the River and cross to the other side."
I have carried this blessed Mirror to this day and find it efficacious. Indeed, often I am able to catch a Glimpse of the Cross in its Reflection. Indeed, it is as the Angel told me, one can view the Cross whereon the Prince gave His life for us pilgrims at any point on the Way, and the harder it is to see, the farther one is from the Path.
As for the little Creature I killed at first, if indeed it really was dead, I do not know what has become of it, nor would I care to show it to anyone again.
-Meg Thomas
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