Everything We Believe In Is Dust (Part 2)

We shouldn’t have let him go

  Not like that

He can’t just fade away . . .

   He deserved better, didn’t he?

. . . I think he did

    He was you, wasn’t he?

. . . I see

   Well, people change

I guess that’s true

   I just don’t understand why we had to do this now, though?

. . . Well, alright then

   I figured we could just take him with us?

. . . Dead weight is a little harsh . . .

   I don’t recognize you without him

You are so calm, but I know that you have something buried down deep

   That flame

The fire

    The ego

It’s still in there 

  An anger

   I bet it’s rattling between your ears somewhere 

That spark in your eyes is gone

   And . . . I am not sure what it is that is in those eyes of yours now

. . . It’s okay

. . . It’ll probably be fine

We’ll be alright 

   We’ll survive, I bet . . .

Can we still climb this damn mountain without him?

    We still have a long way to go . . .

. . . Just one step?

  Eh, I’ve heard that before

   ‘One step out of a thousand’

‘One little step out of hundred thousand’

  ‘One step out of a million’

But, man, he had all of that energy, didn’t he??

   He had all of that spunk

What do we have but our sore feet?

. . . I think you overestimate the capabilities of my mind.

I still think we could’ve taken him with us

   We didn’t have to watch him drown back there

Not like that

  He deserved a better goodbye . . .

He was the only one of us that deserves to see that damn view at the top!!

   I can’t breathe . . .

Is the air getting thinner??

 Is the mountain getting steeper??

Is it getting taller??

  My damn foot hurts, man!

This is bloody pointless now!!

   Everything we believe in is dust!

Damn dust!!

   We’ve already passed that tree . . .

We are lost, aren’t we??

  Circles, man! Bloody circles!!

    We’re lost in this maze of a mountain!!

Everything we’ve ever believed is damn dust in the wind, and we’re lost???

   Bloody hell, mate

This is a real pickle now.

-CH 3/19/25