The Vice

Tristan felt his body loosen. He could see clearly finally. Tristan tried to stand with all his might. He knew he had to break it free from the binding that held him there for so long. He could finally feel the fresh air again. As Tristan realized his newly found freedom, he looked around. The grass under him was soft and lush, the sky above him light and blue. The field Tristan found himself in was full of lovely flowers.

There in front of Tristan’s feet was his captor. It was a beautiful light blue flower with long flat petals and a vibrant yellow interior. The flowers in the field had a certain effect on those who gazed upon them. If one gazed for enough time to simply take in the beauty then the flower had no effect, however, if one chose to stare for too long, and thus become enraptured by the flower, then they would freeze right where they stood. Those who simply gazed and moved on were left with a sweet memory of the flower and the joy it gave them. While those who stared were trapped, some to never move again.

Tristan stood up and looked around. There were so many flowers to look at. There were many other people who were also in the field. Many standing perfectly still, like statues. The ones standing still had a solemn look on their faces. They had found their small beauty and became entrapped by it. Always staring, never looking away. They were forever trapped by their own personal flower. Some, however, danced and spun about going from one flower to the other. The people who were moving looked overjoyed and happy. Not only could they enjoy the beauty of each individual flower, but they could also enjoy the beauty of the whole field. Not just one part of it.

Tristan stared at what lay before him. He had never seen anything like it. As a little boy, Tristan had found his light blue flower and simply stared at it. He had been trapped there for many years, entranced by the beauty of this simple flower. Now he began to see the beauty of the rest of the world around him.

Tristan noted the mountains surrounding the field were capped in lovely white snow. The sun shone through the beautiful white clouds that were spaced around the dome of the blue sky. To his right, there was a small stream bubbling with laughter and glistening in the afternoon light. The flowers were strewn throughout the landscape adding a captivating beauty to the already gorgeous landscape.

Tristan saw the ones who could gaze upon each flower and move on. This kind of willpower and self-control was astounding to him. The thought that someone could enjoy a single moment and move on was almost inconceivable. He wanted to be able to do that. He wanted to stay in this grand open space where he had the freedom to move about and notice the people around him.

Tristan once again looked down for one last glance at his blue-colored captor. The flower stared back at him. Tristan tried to pull away but he couldn't. No matter what he tried he still could not move his feet. There he stood once more for a very long time. All of the world kept moving about him. The sun rose and set, the wind formed waves in the tall grass, and the stream flowed. All of this happened without even a glance from Tristan. He was trapped by the beauty of that light blue flower with long petals and a bright yellow interior.