Greater Invisibility

This is the story.

Once, a man with long hair and a long beard and a long skinny face lived in a small town. But he dreamed! Oh, how he dreamed of the stories he was told - the men who rose, who ascended into greatness, into better things! And so he, in preparation for this, decided to go to the university, that he might be educated, and able to rise into the heavens, along with his beard.

But when the time came, he found he was admitted to many colleges. Many, many colleges! They hooted and clamoured, demanding his attendance. He mused and pondered, stroking his ten-foot beard. Which college should he go to, he wondered? Which?

Then came the word. In the grim darkness of the night-time, there would be a gathering of like-minded fellows, that they might be educated about the colleges to which they might go, and make the correct decision; for along with this long-bearded boy there were many others with the same dream, their thoughts and aspirations as alike as to be stamped out by a machine. So together they went to the gathering, and they named it the Party.

The party was fairly cool; chilled and dark. Many people were about, and hooting and cheering abounded, turning the atmosphere loud and boisterous. The long-bearded boy was pleased, for he learned many things. But then he became alarmed - for there appeared an old man, who did accost and harass our hero, standing closer than those boundaries which the society does decree, and the long-bearded boy was aroused to terror and flight.

Elsewhere, his fear abated, and he observed his surroundings, and did note the presence of Women about, which did soothe him, as though he were a small child or animal, soothed by rythmic cooing. And so he did stay, and learn, until the end of the Party, at which time he got a T-Shirt, which was cool, upon his departure.

The night was dark outside, and cold, and the long-bearded boy was frightened. The tolling of a bell rang through the streets, smoke rose into the sky and fire lit the horizon. And along the street came the clopping of hooves, as Ras the Destroyer, once Ras the Exhorter (but no longer) arrived. He was clad in Ethiopian dress, with a lion-skin cloak, leather shield and long spear, and he did charge at the long-bearded boy, who was greatly afraid. But the boy did raise up his leather briefcase, which he carried with him always, and held all of his past, and he did block the spear, and both were lodged together and ruined. And the boy did flee.

And it was good.

(Because of the t-shirt.)