Prodigal (or A Short Story About The Long Way Back)

After a two month-long hiatus, I have returned to Steemit with a fresh perspective and re-adjusted approach. I don't really want to make a big deal out of it, most people wouldn't have even noticed that I was gone, and that's perfectly okay. So, in honor of that, what better way to celebrate it by doing what I love most of all — telling a story.

Thanks to my former boss @lukestokes for talking some sense to me, I really appreciate it! Thanks also to @anarcho-andrei for urging me to keep going with Steemit.

This is a combination of @complexring's #descriptionsonthespot and @quantumanomaly's StoryTrax. Photo credits to @thebluepanda's photo challenge entry, check out all her amazing photos. Music that inspired the story is Mumford & Sons' I Will Wait. Enjoy!

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Footprints trailed him, as his feet pounded against the decrepit cobblestone street. Reus brushed his hair backwards, as his silken robe fluttered along with the breeze. Slightly bothered by an indistinguishable stench that hung in the air, he rubbed his nose, then proceeded to make his way to the center of the town.

"What happened here?" he asked a sickly man that was crouched against a rusted lamppost.

"W-Who ... What?," the sickly man grumbled, trying to muster a reply.

"What happened to the city that I helped build?" he asked again, proudly. Reus reached inside his satchel, pulled out a fistful of gold coins, and placed them beside the frail man. "Worry not, for I have returned!"

He stomped the ground and propelled himself up in the air. From up there, he had a clear view of most of the city. He didn't need to see it all, he just needed to find the source of the rot. With a grin on his face, he outstretched both of his arms as he made his quick descent toward his target.

"Hmm aha!" he exclaimed, as he fell from the sky. It seemed like he was in the middle of a longer diatribe, but he was interrupted by coughing. Nearing the ground, he blinked hurriedly, scrunched up his nose and flipped his body forward. His left foot landed askew, causing his body to be hurled across the pavement. The impact caused several of his bones to crack, but he was too proud to even let out a tiny "ow."

Reus laid in the ground for a bit, as he tried to compose himself. The blistering sun that shown down from above didn't at all help with his injury. They have never been really good friends, so he wasn't at all surprised about the lack of assistance. He tried to hold down his cough, opting to swallow it back into his system.

The city was deserted, no one could've possibly seen my bungle, he thought. If anyone did see it, they would've been to preoccupied with their own misery to pay it any mind, he continued. He didn't dare try to sit up to confirm. For him, it was just something witnessed by the sun and him, and nobody else. Nobody else.

"What are you looking at?" he angrily shouted at the sun. His adversary stood indifferent, as if quietly mocking his failure. Reus sighed and grumbled as he slowly sat up. "Tss ... Good for nothing."

His eyes widened as soon as he realized that he was in the middle of a circle of people. The gathered crowd stood around and stared at him, carefully maintaining their distance. Hushed tones quickly turned to loud chatter.

Reus stood up and brushed the dust off his robe. He fixed his eyes to the floor and tried to avoid any eye contact. The embarassed man gritted his teeth and though about heaving himself away from the city.

Suddenly, a decrepit hand patted his right shoulder. He was startled and turned hurriedly towards it. It was the frail man from before. Reus wondered how the man caught up to him so quickly. Even if he ran, he couldn't have covered enough ground by foot.

The indigent man stared at him, emotionless. Before Reus could mutter a single thing, the sickly man opened his mouth and let out an ungodly wail. A shriek so loud that it made the world break up into tiny pieces.

Reus coughed and was shook awake, his head resting against the glass window. Beads of sweat trickled down his face and his back. He squinted his eyes slowly adjusted to the light. Gritting his teeth, he scrunched up his nose and sighed. He waited for the train to come to complete halt before he stood, all the while trying to recall the events that unfolded in his dream, to no avail.

He alighted a station before his intended destination because he didn't want anyone to see him arrive. It had always been his strategy: never get caught off-guard. He was borderline paranoid, but he was too proud to admit it. There was 42 miles between the two stations, and he was happy to walk every step if it meant that he wouldn't be seen as he arrived.

Trudging towards his destination, he felt heavier with every step he took. His heart pounded asynchronously with his feet. Reus' hair was oily and disheveled, and his shabby clothes swayed poorly against the dry desert wind. The merciless sun that stood high above him offered no help with his journey.

The horizon blurred, and he was forced to his knees. He landed on a granite surface, indicating that he was halfway to his destination. Reus tore off a piece of his clothing and used it to wipe the sweat off his face. He stared at the distance for a bit, thinking of absolutely nothing, and then stood up and continued with his voyage.

He tried to empty his mind to minimize his anxiety. His head was almost always swirling with thoughts. A clear mind was a rare commodity. He never imagined he would make this journey ever again, but here he was. Reus had been to many parts of the world, but he always felt like he had unfinished business. He never felt satisfied, and every expedition felt like he was entitled to some greater experience which he never received.

Every step felt like he was walking on broken pieces of glass. Breathing soon became a labor. His collar felt like a noose that was slowly wrangling his neck. The ringing in his ear became louder as the sun scorched his skin. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and tried to empty his mind.

Beep! Beep! A car horn interrupted his train of non-thought, which was the result of his blocking of the car's path. He sidestepped out of the way, as the car whizzed past. It was almost sundown and he had arrived in the outskirts of the city. He made a beeline toward a local dive, and he headed straight for the comfort room.

He always found comfort rooms strange. The walls were claustrophobic, the stench was almost always awful and one only ever hears wails in there. He found no comfort in them whatsoever.

Reus took off his clothes, opened the faucet, and took a bath, making sure his body had no trace of dust. He conjured a leather bag and pulled out fresh garments for him to wear.

"You can do this," he reassured himself, as he strolled out of the dive and headed toward the city.

The city looked vibrant and was bustling with activity. It looked totally different the last time he saw it, and he had mixed emotions about what he saw. What used to be tiny hole-in-the-wall joints were now large establishments, and there were a lot more people than when he left.

He saw a familiar face as soon as he turned a corner. Excited, he smiled and waved. "Archen! Hey!"

"Oh, uh, hey," Archen replied, seemingly puzzled. "How's it going?"

"Everything's great! It's been a long time, man. How are things?"

"It's good, it's good. Business is booming."

"That's great to hear! Out of all the people I could run into, I'm so glad it was you."

Archen smiled politely, slowly walking away. "Yeah, nice to see you too."

"Hey, want to grab a—"

"Oh, man, I have a prior engagement, so," Archen excused. "Rain check?"

"Sure, man," muttered Reus, slightly disappointed. "No problem at all."

Reus walked away as Archen faded from view. They always used to have long conversations, mostly about Archen's work. Reus always hoped Archen would succeed, and it seemed that he was doing just that. It was a bittersweet feeling, but Reus felt relieved.

He walked to where his old spot used to be, only to discover that it was already taken by someone else. Letting out a sigh, he bit his lip and look for a vacant spot elsewhere. It can't be helped, it was his decision to leave and he knew someone else would take his place. He looked at every corner he had been, but found no trace of him ever being there was left. It's as if he hadn't been to the city at all. In his mind, he had done a lot of memorable things and left an indelible legacy. It seemed that his memory served him wrong.

As luck would have it, he happened upon a small vacant spot. He conjured his wares, pitched up a small kiosk, and sat back against a wall. They were much improved from before, and he expected them to sell for twice the price. Reus was exhausted, but he didn't want anyone to notice. He made sure to smile at everyone that passed. Seconds, minutes, then hours went by, with only a handful of people taking the time to view his offerings. He was wrong to think that the city was any different because it was like he never left. Out of every hundred people that passed, only one or two stopped for a bit to look at his shop. He became frustrated.

It was nighttime now, and the city was bustling more than ever. Reus had made one or two sales, but that didn't seem to justify his arduous journey. He gritted his teeth, clenched his fist, and shouted at the passerbys, hoping it would get their attention. It didn't, and he became even more frustrated. He packed up his things and stormed out of the city.

Huffing and puffing, he angrily entered the dive and ordered their cheapest libation. He gripped the mug tightly but was careful not to break it, as he didn't have enough money to pay for potential damages. Breathing heavily, he tried to calm himself as he downed mug after mug. He took a break and buried his head on the bar counter.

From across the room, he caught a glimpse of yet another familiar face. Still reeling from his earlier encounter, he didn't want to greet another person who potentially didn't remember him. He paid for his tab, and went on his way.

With nowhere to go, he sat against a meter-high rock just outside the dive. He looked at starless night sky and questioned his reasons why he even bothered to come back. The city never gave him any breaks, and he didn't know why he felt that this time would be any different. With all the progress that the city has made, it was even harder to get noticed now than before.

He stood up and noticed a gathered crowd dissipating. At its center stood Stokk, the familiar face he neglected to greet. He mustered up enough courage to walk towards him.

"Hey, Stokk," Reus greeted.

"Hello," replied Stokk.

Reus smirked and he went back inside the dive. He sat at the counter, but had no money to order anything. Tapping lightly on the table, he waited a while before he headed out. He decided to leave come sunrise and, this time, never return. There was something oddly cathartic about making a decision to leave. In the past, he had always resolved to do so when he felt like he had expired his value.

He got up and left the dive, opting to spend the night under the sky. Just as he was about to head out the door, he bumped into Stokk once again.

Stokk felt uneasy around him, but eventually recalled who he was. "Reus, is that you?, he asked"

Reus was surprised. He wasn't used to people remembering him, and he felt delighted whenever someone did. "I thought you forgot who I was," he replied.

The two sat on a booth and conversed. It had been a long time since the pair had spoken, Stokk didn't even know that Reus took residence in the city for quite some time. In turn, Reus related his tale and his reasons for leaving. Stokk disagreed to his viewpoint, and argued a contrasting perspective.

"You should've reached out earlier," Stokk exclaimed. "I didn't know our friendship meant that little to you."

"I-It's not that," Reus stammered. He felt embarassed, and shook his head in disagreement.

They continued to discuss their differing perspectives, as minutes turned to hours. Reus kept arguing in circles, unwilling to accept the fault in his reasoning. Stokk felt disappointed, but eventually drove his point home. Reus sat back silently and tried to take it all in.

"Everything is a gift," proclaimed Stokk. "Whether it's a gold bar or a bronze coin, anything is better than nothing."

Reus nodded in agreement. He couldn't believe it. Four words. Four words that would've prevented him from leaving the first time. He was quite the impulsive man, but he couldn't accept that four word would've contradicted everything he had done.

"It's a matter of how you look at it," Stokk continued. "If you equate your effort to a value that only few can match, then you'll be chasing impossible expectations for the rest of your life."

His eyes began to water. It was a simple truth that Stokk mentioned. Reus had always admired Stokk's wisdom, and he regretted not consulting him earlier. He felt exhausted, he had given away a lot of himself expecting an equal amount in return. The world didn't work the way he wanted, and he felt bitter about it.

Stokk had traded his wares expecting nothing in return. He sold and showed off his offerings because he wanted to share it with the world. Now, his wares were the talk of a large part of the populace. He had accumulated a following that he didn't even expect, and one that Reus envied.

Reus started out with the same pure intention, but his motivations became muddled along the way. He didn't know if it were tarnished to begin with, but there was no use dwelling in the past.

Stokk stood up, patted Reus in the shoulder and wished him well.

Reus followed him outside soon after, but he was blinded by the sun as soon as he stepped outside. He surveyed the surrounding, but Stokk was out of sight. The conversation lasted longer than he intended, but he didn't feel at all tired. In fact, he felt rested. He scratched his head and wondered if he got any sleep at all, or if the whole conversation was just a dream.

He traversed a small rockface that was located a stone's throw from the dive. From there, he had a clear vantage point of the city. He pursed his lips as he took in one last glimpse.

He slid down carefully, and closed his eyes as soon as he landed on the flat ground. Reus sighed and smiled, as he decided to let his feet decide where his next destination would be. He whistled a tune from his youth, and put a spring in his step. The city noise faded into the background, as his humble clothing fluttered in the wind.

Without warning, he stopped, just as his feet commanded. Reus opened his eyes and sat down on the cold concrete. He snapped his wrist back and conjured his wares. Not knowing where he was in the city, he pitched his kiosk and began declamating to the passerbys. A huge weight had been lifted from him, and while he hasn't fully accepted Stokk's perspective, he decided to give the fresh outlook a try.

A passerby dropped a bronze coin in front of him, and Reus smiled. Nothing was ever too late, what matters was that he kept going. What matters is that he kept trying. Everything is indeed a gift, and that's how he would choose to see everything.

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Whew! That was longer than I originally intended. If you reached this point, no matter if this post earned your upvote, I thank you for taking the time to read. I can't believe I reached the 100-follower milestone in my time away! It feels like I've gained more followers while I was away than when I was active. I'll try to increase the people I follow. I mostly follow people who interact, so feel free to comment on this post. If you do leave a comment, feel free to share a link of a post you want to promote as well.

Follow me if you like reading fiction stories, I'll be mostly writing those kinds of posts. I'll be posting semi-regularly once again, and will resume supporting other original artists here. I'm a strong believer that Steemit could be a source to highlight original work, be it literature, art, photography, etc. I hope one day I would be able to see that dream come to fruition.

EDIT:
It seems that I've just been verified (yay!) Will be making a signature to integrate this badge, but for now, I'll enjoy it's raw form.