Melissa:
Melissa was not praying. She was preparing to leave the village. Physical preparation was unnecessary as she had arrived with very little so there was very little to leave with. Spiritual preparation was also unnecessary, as Melissa had arrived with little faith and was leaving with even less. Mentally, however, she needed time to prepare, to ensure that no one, especially Jacob, was watching. She needed to prepare each of her steps, starting from her cabin door and ending on the other side of the woods that fit snugly round Happy Valley, and back into the world she longed for. She had tried to endure but had failed. She realized now that she had made a mistake. Giving up her family and friends to live in Happy Valley was ludicrous for all involved. Keep your eyes on the prize; the only belief that Melissa and Jacob would perhaps agree on, but the prize had obviously been insufficient for Melissa.
Jacob, however, would never know Melissa’s deepest thoughts; for him, Melissa would be another spiritual casualty.
Melissa stepped outside her cabin and gently closed the door. She glanced to her left and right. No one was stirring. If she had been given free will then she would use it. No one would stop her or could make her change her mind. But she nonetheless did not need any interference from Jacob, perhaps the only member of the village who might actually try to stop her departure. Because he seemed to truly care deeper than any other.
Too late now. She moved forward, taking in the last sights of Happy Valley, a village that seemed to have been named for its beauty alone. Less is truly more, thought Melissa to herself, perhaps the only spiritual token she was taking with her back to the outside world. But then again, the village was nothing more than a grassy prairie and cabins, bordered by woods. The site for the village had been chosen precisely because of its simplicity, which was supposed to inspire spiritual reflection and contemplation. For Melissa, it had inspired boredom, anxiety and pain.
Halfway to the woods which were entrance to, and exit from Happy Valley, Melissa became emboldened, believing that the others would somehow envy her bravery at leaving behind Happy Valley. Did they not all secretly want to leave anyway? But were they afraid? Did some truly believe that hellfire and damnation were on the other side of the woods that she was now approaching, inspired by one of Jacob’s sermons? She laughed out loud to herself in a moment of disdain for it all. It no longer mattered anymore. As Melissa began to walk on the footpath that snaked its way through the woods, her heart beat with anticipation and only then did she realize what she had given up to become part of the village: her life. Decisions such as hers were the kind from which there would be no going back. This caused no fear for Melissa as her mind was now full of joy, as the life she had abandoned for several months was now on her doorstep. Passing through a clearing,
Melissa:Melissa was not praying. She was preparing to leave the village. Physical preparation was unnecessary as she had arrived with very little so there was very little to leave with. Spiritual preparation was also unnecessary, as Melissa had arrived with little faith and was leaving with even less. Mentally, however, she needed time to prepare, to ensure that no one, especially Jacob, was watching. She needed to prepare each of her steps, starting from her cabin door and ending on the other side of the woods that fit snugly round Happy Valley, and back into the world she longed for. She had tried to endure but had failed. She realized now that she had made a mistake. Giving up her family and friends to live in Happy Valley was ludicrous for all involved. Keep your eyes on the prize; the only belief that Melissa and Jacob would perhaps agree on, but the prize had obviously been insufficient for Melissa.Jacob, however, would never know Melissa’s deepest thoughts; for him, Melissa would be another spiritual casualty.Melissa stepped outside her cabin and gently closed the door. She glanced to her left and right. No one was stirring. If she had been given free will then she would use it. No one would stop her or could make her change her mind. But she nonetheless did not need any interference from Jacob, perhaps the only member of the village who might actually try to stop her departure. Because he seemed to truly care deeper than any other.Too late now. She moved forward, taking in the last sights of Happy Valley, a village that seemed to have been named for its beauty alone. Less is truly more, thought Melissa to herself, perhaps the only spiritual token she was taking with her back to the outside world. But then again, the village was nothing more than a grassy prairie and cabins, bordered by woods. The site for the village had been chosen precisely because of its simplicity, which was supposed to inspire spiritual reflection and contemplation. For Melissa, it had inspired boredom, anxiety and pain.Halfway to the woods which were entrance to, and exit from Happy Valley, Melissa became emboldened, believing that the others would somehow envy her bravery at leaving behind Happy Valley. Did they not all secretly want to leave anyway? But were they afraid? Did some truly believe that hellfire and damnation were on the other side of the woods that she was now approaching, inspired by one of Jacob’s sermons? She laughed out loud to herself in a moment of disdain for it all. It no longer mattered anymore. As Melissa began to walk on the footpath that snaked its way through the woods, her heart beat with anticipation and only then did she realize what she had given up to become part of the village: her life. Decisions such as hers were the kind from which there would be no going back. This caused no fear for Melissa as her mind was now full of joy, as the life she had abandoned for several months was now on her doorstep. Passing through a clearing,
การแปล กรุณารอสักครู่..
