Sep 145 min read

RAINBOW - short story

April 25th, 2020

story from the book: NOT EVERYTHING IS LIKE IT SEEMS Life-written Fairy Tales for Adults

by Katarzyna Nowocin-Kowalczyk

Four, dressed in black, riders stood on a high mountain and looked at the world, as if admiring their work. Masses of dark, heavy clouds were swirling over their heads. Darkness reigned all around. Like four winds, the riders came silently from the four corners of the world, leaving behind clouds of dark dust. Faces covered with black masks, and in empty eyes without expression, it would be difficult to find any feelings. Each hand was dressed in a leather glove. Long black capes hung from the shoulders, which waved like bat wings while riding. They looked like four terrible beasts.

"It went easily," said the rider on the white horse in a hollow, as if soundless voice.

"Yes," the rider on the red horse confirmed, and his voice was even more colorless. "They always react the same.”

"An illusion was enough,” added the third rider on a black horse.

"Yes," said the fourth rider riding a dead-pale horse, as if reflecting. – The illusion of an invisible war with an invisible enemy for invisible goods. People hungry for what they can't find in themselves. Fear and Pride have always been my greatest allies.”

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind swept above their heads. The four capes began to flutter, making the beasts look even scarier. The horses moved, shuffling their hooves, as if feeling that something was coming. The wind began to chase away the dark clouds. Suddenly, the earth was illuminated by a blinding ray of sun. The riders looked up, and when they looked back, there was a fifth rider standing in front of them. His outfit was white and his horse with a long mane was also white. Head and face uncovered. Shoulder-length hair moved gently in the now light wind.

And so, they stood opposite each other—Darkness and Light. United Forces of Darkness against the only force of Light. Pestilence, War, Famine and Death opposite Love.

"You have raised your hand again against my people," said the rider in white with power in his voice, albeit calmly.

“We only do what we are called to do. " The fourth rider on the pale horse replied.

"I'm not the one killing. It's Fear and Pride. I'm just reaping my toll.”

"Little faith, much Fear in your people," said the black rider on the white horse. "We gave them only what they want and what they are chasing. We gave them the Illusion,” added the rider on the black horse.

“We have fed their Pride. This time the War brought them together, though it separated them, and Fear united,” said the rider on the red horse.

"You underestimate my people. The unawakened are already waking up. And one awakened awakens a hundred others. You have taken only those who have chosen the Illusion and do not want to wake up.”

Saying that, the white rider looked to the right. The black riders followed his gaze. And behold, they saw an endless crowd of people heading towards them, with calmness and a smile on their faces. Women, men, young, old, children. And each of them held a small torch in his hand, like a lit match.

The crowd stopped on the right of the white rider.

“Are you not afraid of Disease?” The black rider on the white horse asked.

"Try to approach me," a young woman hugging a baby in her arms said in a calm voice. The black rider spurred his horse trying to ride up to her, but his horse only spun in circles as if unable to move forward. As if there was an invisible wall between him and the woman.

"Evil will not come to me if I do not open the door to it,” said a young man standing next to the woman. “Are you not afraid of War?” asked the rider on the red horse.

“Goodness does not fight. It doesn't have to. Goodness wins with Goodness. If Goodness began to fight, it would no longer be Good. Goodness itself is victory,” said an elderly man from the crowd.

“Are you not afraid of Famine?” The black horse rider asked.

"You can't take something from me that's not in me. And everything I need I have in me. And I get everything I ask for,” answered a middle-aged woman with a gentle smile.

“Are you not afraid of Death?” The fourth rider on the dead-pale horse asked at the end.

“And why should I be afraid of you?” asked a man of mature age.“ I died many times before I learned to live and understood that you are only an Illusion. All of us who are walking here have died to be born again and to live. Death is an Illusion.

The four black horse riders bowed their heads, as knights who lost in battle do. After a while, however, the fourth rider once again looked at the people and asked.

“Where is your strength from?”

Then an elderly old woman stepped out in front of the crowd and looking the Beast straight into the eyes, said calmly and quietly, although in her voice Power was enormous:

‘Love conquers everything.” Then, pointing with her hand at the white rider, she said, "He has conquered the world. He is the way, the truth and the life. We trusted Him, and He taught us how to live. He showed that Love is the Way and the heart is the Signpost. And where there is Love, there is no Fear, War, Hunger and Disease. He who grabs the sword perishes by the sword. I don't have an iron sword like you do, and yet you are the one who is afraid to approach me. My shield is Love. My strength is Love. It is all of us,” she pointed to the crowd behind her, “who are the salt of the earth and the light of light. We are One.”

The fourth rider lowered his head, defeated.

Without moving, the White Rider looked into the eyes of each of the four black ones and said four times, "I love you. I am setting you free." And when he barely finished saying it, the Wind of Renewal flew in. And he carried away the Beasts of Darkness, lifting them in the form of red clouds, upwards, to the Source. The black knights threw off their masks. And behold, they appeared on horseback, in the form of beautiful white Angels. And each of them carried a different message. The Plague became Health, War became Peace, Hunger became Abundance, and Death became Life.

“Done!” said Love.

In the blue sky a huge colorful rainbow appeared which entwined the whole world.

*****