I have walked away from Omelas. I didn't want to do it. But I had to, for his sake. He had to know just how important he was to their whole system. It was the only way that it could collapse. Now that he knows the truth, everything will be over and we can return to time once again.
Ten years ago, when I was only fourteen, my father brought me to what they called "The Den". In The Den there was a boy. The boy stood upon a giant pile of fecal matter in a crouching position. He looked so afraid of us. I could see it in his eyes.
Before then, I had never known what fear was. I had never known what sorrow was. I wondered what was wrong with the child. Everyone in the city was happy, so why was he not?
My father explained to me that he was the only one in the entire city that could not be happy no matter what. Because it was his sorrow that fueled the happiness of our people. Then he told me the story of how this came to be. It was not a pretty story and I don't really want to share it, but I will, later.
Immediately after leaving, I knew that I had to bring that child justice. Even if it was the last thing I did. Unfortunately at fourteen there was not much justice that I could bring. Everyone in the city had already accepted that way of life and anyone that didn't was forced to walk away. What could I do? None of them would listen to an adult, let alone a teenage boy.
So I hatched a plan. Once I was old enough to enter The Den, I would, and I would bring with me a letter explaining to the child just how important he was. Then he would know kindness and everything would fall.
Last night was my twenty fourth birthday. As soon as the clock struck midnight, I traveled to The Den and requested access from them. They didn't want to give it to me. So I pulled out my gun and shot them. I hit one of them in the knee, but the other one... the other one got away. I know I'll have to take care of him later.
Walking into the den, I found the boy sitting there. As soon as I walked in he screamed and ran to the corner. I expected this. I didn't have to give it to him personally, so I just left it there. A letter and a small rose. Then I left.
The letter explained everything. This is what it said:
Two hundred years ago, we discovered a way to speak with the gods. Of course we used it. We were foolish for doing so.
They were not all good though. One of them came down from the heavens and offered us a deal. A deal for eternal happiness and life in a perfect new world where there would be no sorrow, no pain, no fear. It sounded perfect.
We knew it could not be. The god asked for something in return. Something valuable, something powerful. This god fed off of the pain of others. So all he asked for in return was one child. One child to be kept away from the happiness. To pull all of the bad things in and never let them out. Like a sponge for bad things. The god said that if the child felt one happy thing in his entire life then our new world would die, and any left in it would die as well.
We knew what would happen. We knew the costs. We made the deal anyways.
The others try to keep the truth from you. The others want you to be in the dark to feel sorry for yourself. But the only person you should feel sorry for is them. They are no longer human, they no longer have the power of empathy. For that, they should be the most pitied things in the world.
You are special Noah. Remember that.
Before then, I had never known what fear was. I had never known what sorrow was. I wondered what was wrong with the child. Everyone in the city was happy, so why was he not?
My father explained to me that he was the only one in the entire city that could not be happy no matter what. Because it was his sorrow that fueled the happiness of our people. Then he told me the story of how this came to be. It was not a pretty story and I don't really want to share it, but I will, later.
Immediately after leaving, I knew that I had to bring that child justice. Even if it was the last thing I did. Unfortunately at fourteen there was not much justice that I could bring. Everyone in the city had already accepted that way of life and anyone that didn't was forced to walk away. What could I do? None of them would listen to an adult, let alone a teenage boy.
So I hatched a plan. Once I was old enough to enter The Den, I would, and I would bring with me a letter explaining to the child just how important he was. Then he would know kindness and everything would fall.
Last night was my twenty fourth birthday. As soon as the clock struck midnight, I traveled to The Den and requested access from them. They didn't want to give it to me. So I pulled out my gun and shot them. I hit one of them in the knee, but the other one... the other one got away. I know I'll have to take care of him later.
Walking into the den, I found the boy sitting there. As soon as I walked in he screamed and ran to the corner. I expected this. I didn't have to give it to him personally, so I just left it there. A letter and a small rose. Then I left.
The letter explained everything. This is what it said:
Two hundred years ago, we discovered a way to speak with the gods. Of course we used it. We were foolish for doing so.
They were not all good though. One of them came down from the heavens and offered us a deal. A deal for eternal happiness and life in a perfect new world where there would be no sorrow, no pain, no fear. It sounded perfect.
We knew it could not be. The god asked for something in return. Something valuable, something powerful. This god fed off of the pain of others. So all he asked for in return was one child. One child to be kept away from the happiness. To pull all of the bad things in and never let them out. Like a sponge for bad things. The god said that if the child felt one happy thing in his entire life then our new world would die, and any left in it would die as well.
We knew what would happen. We knew the costs. We made the deal anyways.
The others try to keep the truth from you. The others want you to be in the dark to feel sorry for yourself. But the only person you should feel sorry for is them. They are no longer human, they no longer have the power of empathy. For that, they should be the most pitied things in the world.
You are special Noah. Remember that.