The Never-Ending Solitude -- A Story by Mr. Brad Michaels
Updated: Feb 19
(Disclaimer: The guest posts do not necessarily align with Philosocom's manager, Mr. Tomasio Rubinshtein's beliefs, thoughts, or feelings. The point of guest posts is to allow a wide range of narratives from a wide range of people. To apply for a guest post of your own, please send your request to mrtomasio@philosocom.com)
(Mr. Michaels' note: This is a story about the hypothetical scenario of there being only one human on the entire planet, but they are immortal and exist forever.)
(Mr. Rubinshtein's note: The text is heavy with obscure terminology used to describe simple concepts. That is to symbolize how solitary is this immortal outsider to this world, compared to the rest of the creatures that come and go)
********************************
I am an essence that has existed here for a long time. I walk this world without any guides. I do
not remember being born, only that I have existed for many, many natural cycles. I see the natural
cycles come and go. Sometimes I become friends with the creatures here, for a time. They eventually leave me. It is a very strange thing. After enough natural cycles have passed, they go to sleep and never wake up.
The glowing ball is high in the air today. My friend, a creature low to the ground which uses
double the appendages to walk that I do, is trotting ahead of me. She needs to make something go to sleep and consume it. It has been many cycles since she last did it.
I have no need of doing this, but I have observed that if my friends don’t consume other creatures at certain times, they return to the ground much earlier than usual. I see her running ahead of me, with the appendage on her back oscillating quickly. This is a sign that she has detected something to consume.
I am happy for her. I feel empty when my friends leave me, especially when they must do it
early. She is traveling faster now, and I see another creature ahead of her. It is a type of creature that has a long protrusion out of the front of it. It has billowy appendages on either side.
Sometimes, creatures similar to this one use these appendages to enter the air. However, this particular type cannot use them to do this. I do not know why this is the case, but my friend quickly advanced on the creature, and soon she was consuming it.
I created a floating light on the ground as the ball in the sky began to sink. I found out I could
make a floating light on the ground very similar in appearance to the ball in the sky, if I rubbed two
pieces of debris together until they became bright. I discovered this a long time ago, and I don’t
remember how I came up with the idea. The reason I started doing it was because my friend seemed to enjoy the floating light.
Another natural cycle has been completed as the ball in the sky disappears, and the pale ball
comes out. It has been many natural cycles since anything was comprehensible and I became really awake. I don’t need to sleep like the other creatures, but I will look out for my friend while she does.
My friend is awake. I go to greet her by stroking the soft textured material that covers her body.
I have this material on the top of me, but little everywhere else. She is in a good mood today, but
already in need of consuming another creature.
We get up and go into the densely packed array of fibrous stalks. These stalks are long and
sinewy, emerging up out of the soil. They give a home to many creatures. Home is something I have not really had a concept for, but I recently decided to imitate the other creatures by building one for myself and my friend.
We took debris from the ground and made it up into large piles. She helped me by retrieving
debris and adding it to the piles I made. It gave me a purpose, and it made me fulfilled to see my friend happy. By the time the ball in the sky had gone away, we were finished with our home.
We snuggle in together, in the home we have built. I don’t feel the usual emptiness tonight. Something is different and has changed. I feel a warmth I have not known in my long existence. I think I could see myself being happy in this place for a long time with my friend.
