A Fairy Tale of Homecoming and Tragedy

There was a wise and loving king over an enchanted land. He gave the inhabitants of his land a code to live by while he was gone to visit his father. It included rules to live by in relation to other people, as well as in regards to himself. And he gave them a history book of people of the past who had the code and had attempted to live in the way. While there were many in the book who had failed miserably, there were others whose actions were pleasing in his sight. The subjects were instructed to study the book and try to emulate those who loved the king. And they were to find any who were interested in being his subjects and come along side them and help them to understand what faithfulness looks like... and to encourage them to obedience.

The king also warned his subjects of a mysterious sleep that was appointed to every person in the enchanted land, due to a potion consumed by the patriarch and matriarch of the land, regardless of their ancestors' faithfulness.

But they were not to worry themselves with it. He had the antidote for the appointed time. Surely they would miss those who succumb to it, but they had a hope in the knowledge and mysterious power of the king, according to his promise, to awaken all and grant eternal life to those who were pleasing to him, but to destroy the others, according to the custom, as well as a promise that he had made before his coronation.

The king's loyal subjects did as they were told. And there was a small band of loyalist. But a group claiming loyalty to the king arose with another message. And as people succumbed to the perplexing condition, they said, “They are not asleep at all. They are more alive than ever. The loyal subjects are actually with the king already, but the others— the rebellious lot who had fallen into this mysterious state— were in a torture chamber that the king had created as their eternal abode.” According to them, his anger would never abate against these folks. They told prospects for the kingdom about both places and invited everyone to come under the authority of the "loving" king who didn’t want any to end up with the rebels. It seems that the people of the land lost interest in the king’s return. He really didn't seem so loving. So they looked for another local leader and hooked into many good casues but never really grasped hold of eternal life and the king's intent. It all seemed so far-fetched. Only the loyalist were looking for him to return.