Enlightenment

In darkness, ZooZoo was climbing up the main tunnel wall. He had finally made up his mind to meet the Wise One. It was during the falling of provisions. A few whistling pieces passed near him. He hesitated for a moment and heard them hit the depth. Common sounds at daybreak. The phenomenon always amazed him for the cause and source were unknown. He held fast now—heavy rain would always follow. A few scurrying fellows pushed their way along in brutal hunger; they were heading for the tunnel depth.

The usual questions occupied his mind. The Older Ones believed such questions were dangerous for youngsters and ended them in the corridor of no return. Almost all survivors who had returned including The Wise Ones talked of the outer world in terror. They could not explain it in words and said you must see it for yourself.

Presently, he approached the Wise One’s chamber. He lived in a clean and tidy corridor. Such living quarters were few in numbers—special privilege for the prominent figures in their community. A few paces below these corridors, there were open passageways. His family lived there—among the other noble families. The town below these passageways allocated to lower classes. The passageways, in comparison, had superior advantages to the townhouses. One did not have to hold fast during the ritual of doze-off to prevent falling down the tunnel. Besides, there was no danger of landslide. He recalled an occasion when prowling in the downtown areas. He had failed to reach home in time for doze-off, and had to stay in the public quarters until the ritual was over. He had experienced a terrible time. Everyone pushed over and exchanged mean phrases. He had managed to bend his antennae inward to avoid listening to those awful phrases. Everyone had laughed and mocked him. Worst of all, there were occasional landslides and a few people fell. The incident caused a burst of laughter among the observers…

 

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