Conclusion
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This very night, as I lay asleep in bed, the images of my siblings reentered my thoughts. I relived, in my dreams, many situations I had hoped to forget forever. As I tossed and turned in bed, Surpanakha reentered this world, slipped into the castle, and entered my chambers. Quietly she approached me, and pulled an old trick from our early days. She pinched my nose shut, startling me awake from my dreams. This was a very unexpected visit, and it took me a moment to regain myself. Like stepping out of the past, my sister stood next to me with a grin of amusement on her face. I rose from the bed, slightly defensive, not knowing what was to come as she spoke, "You look old, brother."
"You look like you haven't aged a day," I responded. To my surprise this visit wasn't out of revenge, but came with a feeling of reconnection. With a few casual remarks, we hugged each other and spoke for a great length of time about our separate adventures. After she fled so many years back, she relocated to the underworld where she finally found someone to share her life. She spoke of having children, and spending time with Ravana and Kumbkharna in their otherworldly forms. She informed me that all three siblings had released their evil ways in an attempt to redeem a misguided life they all had led. They had been observing me for many years, with great pride and happiness. They were proud of how I turned our once evil empire into one of peace. She also spoke of my returning to be one with the family.
~
The throne room was slowly brightening, as the sun peeked up over the horizon for another day. The King sat on his throne, engaging the soldier in the great story of Lanka history. The soldier sat taking in every word the king had spoken, his head resting on his right fist. The story had come to an end, as the king concluded with a small speech.
"You see, great soldier, I asked you to come in here late last night, which is now early morning, because I need a successor to my kingdom. I'm not looking for a tyrant, but a man who shares the same ideals I have embraced. Just like Rama found me fit to create the legacy here on this island, I need you to carry on a successful society, united with the great mainland. I need a leader who will take care of this land and its inhabitants. With immortality, I've been given the luxury to decide when my time on earth is over. It is my time to step down. When my family seeks my return with open arms, I must leave. With my exit, I choose you to carry on the tradition and history I've bestowed on you tonight. All I need is for you to say yes."
The soldier stood up with amazement, and a little taken back at what had just happened. After listening all night, he thought he was just in for a good story. Now he was being handed a kingdom. He felt something though. Something inside that burst rapidly filling his whole body. Somewhere inside he knew this day was foretold, it just never spoken until now. With great admiration, he knelt before the King, took his hand, looked him straight in the eyes and said, "Yes."
This very night, as I lay asleep in bed, the images of my siblings reentered my thoughts. I relived, in my dreams, many situations I had hoped to forget forever. As I tossed and turned in bed, Surpanakha reentered this world, slipped into the castle, and entered my chambers. Quietly she approached me, and pulled an old trick from our early days. She pinched my nose shut, startling me awake from my dreams. This was a very unexpected visit, and it took me a moment to regain myself. Like stepping out of the past, my sister stood next to me with a grin of amusement on her face. I rose from the bed, slightly defensive, not knowing what was to come as she spoke, "You look old, brother."
"You look like you haven't aged a day," I responded. To my surprise this visit wasn't out of revenge, but came with a feeling of reconnection. With a few casual remarks, we hugged each other and spoke for a great length of time about our separate adventures. After she fled so many years back, she relocated to the underworld where she finally found someone to share her life. She spoke of having children, and spending time with Ravana and Kumbkharna in their otherworldly forms. She informed me that all three siblings had released their evil ways in an attempt to redeem a misguided life they all had led. They had been observing me for many years, with great pride and happiness. They were proud of how I turned our once evil empire into one of peace. She also spoke of my returning to be one with the family.
~
The throne room was slowly brightening, as the sun peeked up over the horizon for another day. The King sat on his throne, engaging the soldier in the great story of Lanka history. The soldier sat taking in every word the king had spoken, his head resting on his right fist. The story had come to an end, as the king concluded with a small speech.
"You see, great soldier, I asked you to come in here late last night, which is now early morning, because I need a successor to my kingdom. I'm not looking for a tyrant, but a man who shares the same ideals I have embraced. Just like Rama found me fit to create the legacy here on this island, I need you to carry on a successful society, united with the great mainland. I need a leader who will take care of this land and its inhabitants. With immortality, I've been given the luxury to decide when my time on earth is over. It is my time to step down. When my family seeks my return with open arms, I must leave. With my exit, I choose you to carry on the tradition and history I've bestowed on you tonight. All I need is for you to say yes."
The soldier stood up with amazement, and a little taken back at what had just happened. After listening all night, he thought he was just in for a good story. Now he was being handed a kingdom. He felt something though. Something inside that burst rapidly filling his whole body. Somewhere inside he knew this day was foretold, it just never spoken until now. With great admiration, he knelt before the King, took his hand, looked him straight in the eyes and said, "Yes."
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Author's Note: This concludes my storybook project. With all the build-up and ominous pictures, it ends on a light note with a happy ending. I attempted to explain how the mystical figures from the epic handed over the future to the humans. I tried to connect the history with the present. I have to be honest and say this wasn't my intent from the beginning, but the story directed itself. I chose the topic of demons to write a scary story and ended up with a moral piece. Maybe the righteousness of the narrator steered the story to this ending. That could explain it. This project has been a real interesting way of diving into the text, critically analyzing the information, and creatively displaying the results. No wonder the story Ramayana is so long. I believe it gets its epic characteristics by the scope of which it tries to tell a story. With so many possible avenues, it makes one wonder how the story can be contained in the numerous volumes it is written in. I would like to thank you for reading up to this point, and hope it was as entertaining to read as it was to write. I would also like to say a special thank you to Cyril Helnwein who allowed me to use his beautiful photography to accompany most of my pages. Please take a moment to look through many of his other works at the link below.
Bibliography
Ramayana by William Buck (1976).
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Author's Note: This concludes my storybook project. With all the build-up and ominous pictures, it ends on a light note with a happy ending. I attempted to explain how the mystical figures from the epic handed over the future to the humans. I tried to connect the history with the present. I have to be honest and say this wasn't my intent from the beginning, but the story directed itself. I chose the topic of demons to write a scary story and ended up with a moral piece. Maybe the righteousness of the narrator steered the story to this ending. That could explain it. This project has been a real interesting way of diving into the text, critically analyzing the information, and creatively displaying the results. No wonder the story Ramayana is so long. I believe it gets its epic characteristics by the scope of which it tries to tell a story. With so many possible avenues, it makes one wonder how the story can be contained in the numerous volumes it is written in. I would like to thank you for reading up to this point, and hope it was as entertaining to read as it was to write. I would also like to say a special thank you to Cyril Helnwein who allowed me to use his beautiful photography to accompany most of my pages. Please take a moment to look through many of his other works at the link below.
Bibliography
Ramayana by William Buck (1976).
Image Copyright by Cyril Helnwein
"Castle at Dawn"
Websource: Cyril Helnwein
Websource: Cyril Helnwein
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