He walked through the fields once more; he’d never been able to resist. It was truly a paradise, unrivalled by anything religion could conjure. The long grass brushed softly past his hands and legs…he felt the pain of a thousand pricks as he passed through a patch of thistles…he smelled the sweet aroma of flowers as he entered a glade of spring blossoms. Each experience presented a new trial: each time, he fought against the temptation to stop moving. He had to keep on moving – for if he stopped, he would fail the test and would never be allowed here again.
Nobody knew his pain, for it was his alone to bear. It was his decision to enter this paradise each day, and so he had to bear the pain came with it. Only he knew the secret of paradise: that it carries a cost, and that no one may enter unless the price is paid.
