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11. The Painter
The Painter
was falling too. But as he fell, he brushed a stroke
of paint onto the next step down of a stairway that
seemed to go forever up and forever down. With a
perfect even stroke the Painter brushed step after
step.
"Work,
work, work" he hummed.
"Excuse
me," Mika finally said as he watched the Painter.
"Why are you painting those stairs?"
"Must
keep busy now," the Painter said without even pausing
in his work. "Can't think about falling, now can
we? Soon we'll reach the end, and then we won't
be falling anymore. We'll be free. Right!" He continued
his singing.
"But
sir, what if there is no end? What if we fall forever!"
The
Painter missed a few steps. "Now look, see what
you've done. Of course there is an end, silly. There
was a beginning, wasn't there. Now go away. I've
got work to do!"
Mika
shook his head and watched the Painter brushing
stroke after stroke. He let himself drift slowly
away.
Mika
continued to fall for he knew not how long. Finally,
he through he could see a light in the distance.
He hoped it wasn't the Painter again, and began
swimming towards it. He swam and he swam until he
fell onto a soft dirt floor with a thud.
 
Table
of Contents
story
& illustrations © 1981-2013 Robert Alan Silverstein
pforpeace@aol.com
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