Multidimensional rifts.
See, no one had ever thought as a
balancing agent, that life itself could heal it’s own being, using the three
above equations’.
Many would rather pin this on the
‘imaginational quirks’ of a quandary mind, which is why only small children in
a stressful situations seem to be the only ones who seem to experience these
‘fairies’.
But
fairies by a made form can connect to life through the child’s undeveloped mind
that is reaching forever outward in time and space for an answer to their
situation. It most times comes as an illusion to the child, in entering a
confused mind most times just ‘talking’ randomly to them over trivial things
while around the child, the fairy seems to allow harmful future events to go
array leaving the child disconnected from the harm they were to befall. In the
fairy's magic, protection of this human species is good among the true god. He
created us within his own image. We are protected by unseen forces. Fairies
being only one of these ‘safety switches’… Oh, and yes, there are other’s.
I’d
just rested on this one, well… because it’s personal.
I’d always wondered why (of all
things) I’d always looked up lore about fairies. Studied them, separated fact
from fiction (((99% is fiction being written out there about this subject.
Photos are all fake too.)))
It’s not just the science of the orbit,
gravity, light, wind, rain, nor any of
‘the experts excuses to why ‘this’ had happen to a child can be honestly
explained. They make it up to fit the story given, they really don’t know.
Now, I'm talking about somehow destiny
has re-routed one from a deadly harm only to find... the child standing alone.
For instance,
A
child states she was four blocks from her house at 2 am. (child should have
well been asleep) as a plane crashes into his bedroom. The child’s statement…
“A fairy wanted to be pushed on the swing
set… And suddenly we were there... Then I heard the boom, and somehow I knew it
was my house… I just knew it. Then, I said bye to the fairy and hurried home…
Mommy and daddy were crying on the front lawn when I got there… The house was
on fire too, with a plane sticking out of it!”
There are MANY thing’s like this that
actually happen everyday. It seems that there is no certain time of day, no
special tide or moon phase no special ‘lay lines’ or magical enchantments
involved. And the scariest part is that these ‘children’ will actually play no
special role in the history of their future. None seem to grow up to ‘invent’
or ‘create’ or ‘change’ anything.
This just ‘happens’ to them… The one
thing I can tell you is that, they all seem to have in common one thing… that
EACH CHILD had a physically formed ‘fairy’ of some nature in their possession.
Some actually said that the fairies would talk ‘with’ them in full
conversation. Very few actually seen this ‘fairy’, but everyone of them ‘knew’
when the fairy was around and realized when something around them had been
‘changed’ by the fairy.
I know what you’re thinking… They are
ANGLES..
OH, I like to believe they’re angles too,
and maybe there are (I haven’t even begun to look into that… But no, these were
fairies… described as ‘tinker bells’ of the forest… not big, white, with bird
like wings and a halo.
I know… a child vision.. anyway,
that’s kind of the reason I’ve gone through the trouble of telling you all this. This particular ‘story’,
if you will, is a little special to me. Actually, I had forgotten it actually
happened, until I ran across a small fairy statue at a garage sale about a week
ago, and in the instant I saw it, it all came flooding back. SEE, I once had
owned a fairy… just like this one.. The story… is my own fairy encounter…
TOO many years it’s been. Almost 60
years old, a family raised and gone into the world.. Funny, I’m a writer now. But, that time in my
life, god… I remember so many things I had buried so deeply. And now, mere
hours after picking up that same fairy… I’m about to tell you of ‘my fairy
story’.
Choose which way you will, I’m just an
old man writing a story, and I’ve fore gone my dinner as it takes two hands to
tap out this, to me…time better spent, as I have no idea how long I will retain
these lost memories…
First, let me explain the first thing
I realized of all this, …The peace that a fairy brings to a child.
“A fairy can fix everything wrong in
your world.”
Mark had problems. To him, like a
lot of kids, he had much to bare. He wasn't thriving.. Everything going wrong
was to be blamed on him. Everyone to blame him. He was starting to dislike
himself, as he himself was starting to do wrong thing out of accident. He was
getting frustrated! And yelling back to defend himself wasn't solving anything.
It just got everybody else angrier, at him no less.
His house had a dark un-seeable
cloud in it, like walking through a fog that dimmed the outside worlds light.
This ‘fog’, it seem to cause hate to grow within the actions and words of his
own family's temperament. Two older sisters, two older brothers, and the fact
he was a 'small fry' left him well out of reach in any game of keep-a-way. Everything
stunk!
They one day, heading off to school,
dad walked into the trailer, he listened just long enough to hear that dad’s
job just went 'belly-up'. Without
speaking a word, trying quietly to just get past him without being noticed, he
left, grabbing his backpack and heading to the school bus stop on the next
block over. An heated argument had begun to erupt in his trailer. But, he had
bigger problems. Their was Billy. A mean boy. But Billy really hated him. And
as well, Mark well feared him!
Walking up on the small crowd of
kid's, he realized that Billy was in an extra mean nature today. Six of the
kid's had grouped together, defending each other with verbal assaults towards
him.
It was then, he'd spotted Mark. Like
a shark smelling the scent of blood.
"Lord.. not today.." Mark mumbled under
his breath, as Billy seemed to approach even quicker.
Mark never expected what happened next. In a whirlwind move, Billy had
zipped around him, grabbing ahold of his backpack, and yanking it down so hard
she fell backwards on her butt.
"Ow!! Oh crap.. Billy!! That hurt! You
Bully!" Mark shouted, trying to get up and defend himself. Now Mark was
fired up as he realized, this boy just wasn't right. Of it though, Mark
realized that this was going to be nothing more than another bad day…
Mark used to get straight A's on his
report card. He, two years ago, walked to this bus stop with his brother!
Smiling! And as she remembered back, life had been good. Now, her brother,
transferred to junior high, he had to fend for himself. Living so far away from
the school, he never saw any of his classmates, as it seemed everyday he would
somehow lose another friend at school.
And at home, friends around the
trailer park and neighborhood were constantly trying to bully him into there
ways of playing games. It wasn't right for them all to try and be the boss of
him though.
Mark most times would walk in the
house, straight to his room, do his homework, then go outside and play alone in
the dirt pile in his back yard, making roads and scenery. Mark had gotten good
at making plants grow around his small make believe town. He'd even gave them
names and talked to them everyday, making sure that any of the grass creeping
in wouldn't choke the life out of his little towns plants. He tried to be
happy, as the sound of her mother screeching out his name, making him realize
that again, he had somehow gotten into trouble… again.
"Yeah mom?" He entered the house,
trying to eye his mother’s annoyance at him.
"Got into a fight at the bus stop..
Didn't you. The boy's mother just informed the school.. Now, you got suspended..
Yet another mess, up Mark. Why do you do this to me?" She screamed like a
angry demon. He knew better at this point than to try and explain. It would
have fell on deaf ears anyway. But, he had to try,
“I..” Mark wanted to stated, but knowing it
was best to keep the words short and sweet.
"…Your father’s now out of work. The
bills are all getting behind. I thought at least you’d behave.. But Nooo! You
have to add another rock in my road!
“It wasn’t my fault…” Mark tried to explain.
“Right! Get to your room! You’re grounded!”
His mother screamed.
The punishment when dad got home was
to take over his older brothers job. The garbage! For a month! Though this
extra chore would allow something new in his life, and he knew it wasn’t going
to be an easy task.
He tugged and heaved to big garbage
bag all the way out to the big bin, though, as he lifted it up over the rim,
the plastic bag ripped open allowing half the nasty garbage to plop to the
ground. It was a small thing, but it was his own personal breaking point. Mark
collapsed and began to weep. His life wasn't worth the time.. he now hated
everything. The weep grew into a cry as a strange old lady with silver hair,
stepped up next to him, and began to pick up the rest of the mess. About the
second or third hand full, Mark subsided his tears and with a blank face, began
to help the woman who was helping him.
"No need to cry, it's only spilled
garbage." The woman smiled at him, trying to get a response.
"Just like my whole life.. all spilled
garbage!" Mark stated, almost in a grumble.
"Your whole life, garbage? Child, you
haven't lived long enough to call it all garbage?" The woman half smiled
as she explained.
"I have no friend's. My brothers and
sisters pick on me and beat me up, there are only bully's at my school. Heck,
even the kid's around here pick on me." He huffed, his tears, still not
dry.
"Oh my.. sounds like you desperately
need a friend."
"Why, they'd only turn on me."
Mark shrugged his shoulders at the old lady, still looking at the ground for
more garbage.
"Then, you're going to need a very
special friend." She smiled even brighter at Mark.
"You sure aren’t going to find anyone
like that around here," Mark quickly admitted.
"…and I think I know exactly the kind
of friend you need…." The woman said seeming to have weighed this all out
in her mind. Pleased with it's effect it would have.
"Mom and dad won't allow us to have a
pet, especially me!" Mark said, figuring that this was the route the old
woman was heading.
"Oh no, no, no. This isn't a puppy. It
a 'spirit'." The woman said, her smile growing enough to startle Mark. Was
this woman crazy?
Mark went back to scooping up the
rest of the garbage, pretty sure this woman was off her rocker. They didn't
talk, and Mark really didn't want to hear about some 'ghost'. Finishing up, he
tried to smile at the woman and thanked her for her help. He had better get
back home, before he got in trouble for taking so long…
"Thank-you.. But I don't think I 'll
need your spirit.. I got to go before I get into more trouble." Mark
stated.
"I see you playing in the back there...
“Hun?”
“..you live in trailer 34, don't you?"
The old woman asked him.
"Yeah.. But don't talk to my parents.
You'll only get me into more trouble." Mark quickly announced.
“Got your own little town going on there…”
She said, which kind of disturbed him a bit.
“Please, don’t go and get me into more
trouble… Please.” Mark said.
"Honey. I'm not trying to get you in
trouble. I'm just going to put my fairy friend in your little town. Maybe, you
two can become friends." The old lady smiled at him
“.. Fairy friend?” Mark asked, realizing it
was growing later by the second.
“They'll never know I gave her to you...
But, she only out on loan!”
"On loan? That don't make sense, I
thought you were going to give her to me?"
“You can't own a spirit. Because you have
one already.” The woman said.
“I've got to go now.” Mark said, leaving the
woman at the trash bin. When he went to look back, the woman had vanished from
sight. Mark scanned the entire area, not understanding how the old woman could
of disappeared that quickly.
Mark had gotten suspended for three
day for fighting. It was not going to be a good week as it felt his family was
slamming on him all the more.
Finally, getting some free time the
next day, he slipped out into his little town. This was his only escape, and he'd
come to depend on his town to keep him from going insane.
As he plopped down, shovel and pail
in hand, he noticed a small figurine placed just behind a stout set of mini
tree’s he had planted a month earlier, and they had been struggling all spring.
It was the tree’s that first caught his attention, they looked healthy! No..
they were perfectly healthy! Then, he’d spotted it.
Mark instantly recognized this was
probably what the old lady was talking about, as he moved back the plant's
small leaves to get a better look at it.
“Well hi there. So your my fairy… Well, I
hope you have better luck with my life than I am..”
It was a fairy statue, a pretty one,
and it seemed to be blowing something off it's hand. Mark smiled at it. He was
about to pull it out from it's hiding spot, when one of his sister's came up
from behind her,
"Hey! Mucus. Did you get into my pencil
case?" The older girl scolded him with a very angry voice.
"No." Mark stated, quietly
avoiding the fairy and choosing to play with a scoop of dirt.
"Then where is it?" She stomped her
foot, towering over Mark as if wanting to kick him.
Something had changed.. It was as if
Mark had suddenly knew where her sisters case was... He had never have seen the
thing but 'knew' exactly where it was, and who had it…
“Jason's got it..” Mark offered the new
found information.
“Bull poop...”
"Go find out for yourself, just don't
bother me any more!" Mark defended himself.
"OHH! If I find different, I'll pound
you into the ground!" The older girl stomped off.
He was again alone. Moving back the
small tree’s branches, he again peered at the smiling statue.
“If that was you, thanks…” Mark whispered to
it.
It wasn't ten second's that she
heard the commotion between her older brother and sister. He did have it! Mom
was getting involved now. It sounded like it was going to be a huge blow out. He
just smiled at the fairy,
"That's the first time that's ever
happened! Again, thanks." Mark said to the little fairy, though it seemed
to stay lifeless.
He began humming to himself not
seeing a huge dog, it’s long broken tether dangling beside it as it strolled
along, as it spotted Mark. In a very malcontent mood, it began heading his way.
“It seemed to be thinking
“Ah, a play toy… Wonder how it tastes?”
Playing in the dirt, unaware of it,
it's growl had startled him as in surprise as he’d turned around to confront
it.
Eye to eye, he realized this was a
very mean vicious dog. He was all alone as it got even closer raising it's
lip's to show him all of it's teeth!
As
suddenly Mark realized, there was no escape! Mark was afraid to cry out!
Knowing this dog was going to rip him up like a rag doll, if he did and maybe
even if he didn’t… Marks eyes darted for any escape route way from this mad
dog... he was pinned!
It was less then six inches away
from his face, as he could smell the foul odor of it's ghoulish breath. It's
teeth looked three inches long, as he realized it was just about ready to maul
him to death.
Now, so scared, Mark couldn't even whimper..
He was frozen in fear.. And the dog knew it.
Backing into his little town, his
eye had caught ahold of the fairy and it’s smile. This may be the last thing he
ever saw…And then, something off the wall took place,
A large yellow fur ball had landed
directly on the dog's back, and dug in with it's claws!
It's
arched back and hair standing on end only added to it's cater walling cry of
what seemed ‘revenge’!
The dog, unsure of just what had
just attacked him, reared around, forgetting Mark altogether. The cat had
stayed glued to it's back as the dog, had now a new and better threat to deal
with. He watched as the dog got angry and angrier at the cat who refused to let
go of his back in swinging circles. Then again, just as suddenly, the cat
jumped off the dog's back, darted across the lawn at a speed that required the
dog to quickly peruse or lose it.
In seconds, they were both out of
sight, as Mark suddenly realized he’d come out of this whole thing unhurt. His
heart thumped in his chest. And his lips were numb. Stupidly, he began to cry.
This was something he’d never forget!
Wiping his eyes, making sure the big
dog was gone, he sudden she jumped up. Not knowing weather to run for the house
or just stay frozen there. In the house would be safer, he darted for the door
on the other side of the trailer.
It was funny, but entering the
house, it had seemed that nobody noticed had him. It was like he was invisible
to them all as he walked by trying to control his breathing as he headed to his
room. And that was something else that hadn’t ever happened before… No one
noticed him!
Mark had decided to test the fact
that nobody had seen his quick entrance into the trailer. The real surprise
came as he literally walked into the kitchen and created himself a sandwich…You
only ate at meal time!
Mark had put everything back and began
walking back through the house, no one spoke a word to him. Mom was watching
T.V. Dad was heading out the door, and his older brother and sister were still
fighting over art supplies as he had to slide past them in the narrow hallway,
carrying the open sandwich as he passed. Neither of them seemed to care that he
had food in his hands. This was spooky...
Mark slide open the bedroom door and
softly closed it behind himself. No one entered! Mark waited two minutes before
taking a bite, knowing that it should have been plucked from his mitts ‘way’
before now. He ate, watching the door, almost waiting for his name to be
bellowed.
It
was strange as not even five foot away from the door, her older brother opened
the door. He was about to scream his name, spotting him munching on the
sandwich only a few feet away.
"Oh there you are, Mom's been looking
for you." He said, almost relieved that he didn't have to yell for him…
But yet again, nothing about the ill gotten food in his hand.
"Uh, okay?" Mark played dumb. His
mom ‘must have’ seen him walk right past her, didn't she?
Walking back out of the room, the
sandwich all but gone, he stated coming into the living room,
"Yeah mom?"
"I'm wondering why you beat that boy up
at the bus stop?" His mom seemed to ask in honest.
"Because he ran up to me and pulled me
down to the ground by my backpack and spit in my face as he had me pinned on
the ground. Mom, he was beating ME up!"
"He!? Beating you up?" His mother
asked, actually concerned.
“Mom, he’s three times my size! What do you
think? Think about it…” Mark stated.
This had to be a trick! His mother
had never acted like this towards him. Had she actually heard him? Mark shut
up, just shaking his head, that that's what took place. For the first time in a
very long while, his mother had seemed to actually seemed to listen to him!
Mark watched as his mother had drew
out her personal telephone book and began to flip pages. And finding the right
number, she headed straight for the phone.
“Mom? What are you doing?” Mark asked,
unsure what was happening here.
"I'm going to set them straight, then,
we're going back down to that school!" She said.
At first, Mark didn't know if she
meant 'tomorrow' or after the three days of suspension, but it was quite
obvious as she picked up the phone. This was a joke to her… Mark himself knew
the phone had been cut off almost a week ago, yet, mom began to push numbers..
Mark just looked at her mothers actions in complete disbelief.
"Hello. Yes, I wish to see the guidance
councilor. Why? My son suspension! My sons name is Mark. Mark Welch When was
he…? Yesterday! Look lady, I’ll be there a half an hour before school starts
tomorrow.., I told you my sons name My son’s name is Mark Welsh!" His mom
stated into the phone. For some reason, this made Mark smile, even if her
mother was talking to nobody… It reminded him of the way her mother use to care
about him. He watched as his mother seemed to carry on the mythical
conversation,
"Yes. That will be fine. Reason? Yeah, tell him.. He suspended the wrong child!
We'll be there tomorrow! …Yes! He suspended the wrong child… No I'm not
kidding!" She stated and slammed down the phone. Mark, now, was almost
smiling ear to ear. He had to say ‘something’…
"Mom… The phones been off for almost two
weeks... Remember?" Mark smiled at her. As the realization sunk home, as
his mother got a puzzled look on her face. She picked up the phone and then
held it away from her after listening for a dial tone that never came. She
acted confused just looking at he dead phone.
“Uh.. yeah.. Right.” Mom stated, trying to
understand just what had happened.
“But thank-you anyway, for believing in me.”
Mark smile beamed.
“No.. Now I know...” Mom said, as Mark couldn't
read his mother's emotions. “I just talked to the school...”
“Mom, they don't turn the phone on for you
to make one call.” Mark stated, knowing better than that. Their phone had been
cut off twice in the last year. Three times including this one.
"I! But? I know I just talked to the
school!" Mom confirmed that she had just talked to someone on the other
end of this thing.
"What?" Mark’s sister and brother
said in unison as they entered the living room hearing mom getting loud,
"Oh, That's just baloney!" His
older brother stated to mom.
"Mom I think your losing it..."
His sister stated.
His brother picked up the phone.. ,
"Mom.. you couldn't have.., See, ‘No’
dial tone." He stated, almost laughing at her, setting the receiver back
on the cradle.
"I know what just happened." Mom
stated, making them understand she wasn't crazy.
Then, it startled everyone, the
phone rang…. Everybody jumped in fear as they all just looked at it, a second
ring emitted from it…
"Mom! The phone was cut off?" Her
brother now stated the fact as a third ring bellowed from it.
"It was...” She acknowledged, “Maybe…
dad paid the bill?" Mom said, picking up the receiver and answered it,
"Hello?"
"Hey honey.. I got great news… I had to
call." Her husbands voice roared out of the receiver.
"You turned the phone on?” Mom asked
‘knowing’ as of yesterday, they had no money for that.
"Uh... No?... Hey! The phones working?
Oh Wow!” He said, stupidly acknowledging it.
“Okay? You didn’t do it?” Mom talked into
the phone as everyone realized who it was.
"No. I haven’t made a payment? But…
it’s my job.. they told me they had made a mistake, when I came in for my last
pay. Seems I wasn't the one they wanted to let go! I was never fired!" He
stated, realizing that he was actually connected to his home phone, "Honey..
you there?"
"Yeah..?" She listened, still in
shock.
"Did the phone man come to the
door?" He asked, thinking it went dead.
"No… no one did! I thought you did
this?" Mom countered as the kid's tried to figure out how this had
happened.
"No?" He wondered.
"That's strange…" Mom said.
"Oh well, got to get back. Talk to you
when you get home." His voice seem to boom through the phones ear piece.
"Honey.. honey. I'm going back up to
that school first thing..." Mom said.
"Why?" He wondered, caught by her
statement.
"Mark was just defending himself. He's
got proof, the boy had been picking on two other kid's that morning..."
"Go get em..." He said, as the
phone seemed to go dead in his hand, "Hello? Babe?.. Hum."
Mom answered, realizing something in
the connection had changed too,
"I'll get to the bottom.. Hello? You
there?.. Hello?" Mom stated, pulling the phone away from her ear. It was
dead again. She clicked the receiver button a few times, but the line remained
silent and cold.
"He hung up.., and now the phones dead
again?" Mom finally placed the phone on the cradle.
Mark watched his older brother
picked up the phone, and normally both his brother and sister would start
fighting over the dead phone..., but they didn't. His brother simply confirmed
it was dead. His older sister had seemed to have something better to do and
just left the room in a wisp.
"That is weird!" Mark’s brother
said, as he placed the phone back on the cradle.
Mark watched, as the situation
around him seemed 'too normal'! He didn't want to spoil it by stating what had
just happened to him outside. But it was strange, with the angry dog about to
bite his face off and that strange cat flying out of nowhere… It had saved his
life.. and now this!
Suddenly his brother was looking at
him, as he realized she was being targeted.
"I'm going back out to my play
area." Mark announced, opening the door before his brother got a chance to
do.. whatever his mind was formulating.
"Dinner's in an hour." Mom stated,
as he closed the door on them both. He figured his brother would be grabbing
the door, snatching it back open any second, as he walked away. It never
opened. He could have sworn he'd of followed out after him.
Mark walked around the trailer,
keeping a eye out for that crazy dog, now, thinking he'd rather put up with the
mean antic's of his brother then run back into that dog. Eyeing the whole area,
seemed that the place was calm and void of any dog's or cat's. He looked,
realized the spot where the dog had backed him into the freshly graded area of
his town. He expected to see many ruined plants and torn up tree’s and roads…
yet, they all where as if untouched! Even where his butt cheeks had dragged
over the town! It was as if it had never happened!
Then he spotted the fairy, it seemed to be
smiling in such away, he felt a presents of a clam feeling wash over him. He
knelt before her in the small town he’d
created, and whispered to it,
"I don't know if you can hear me.. And
I don't know if its really you that’s doing all this.. But thanks."
As he toiled in the dirt, for the
first time in his whole life, he’d begun to hum a song of beauty for this
fairy. He smiled that the small tree’s seemed to like it too. This was so
crazy! Had it all really happened? He couldn’t shake it off, as he looked at
the small little fairy a dozen times.
It wasn’t a week as things actually
changed dramatically for him and his family. He was back in school and had
actually made friends with one of the other kid’s that was picked on. His name
was Jack and he to liked to play with cars and truck’s too, funny thing was, he
lived in the same trailer park as Mark. The boy that had beat him up had done
something really bad. Talk was, he had assaulted the guidance councilor and got
arrested and sent to the kids jail, juvenile. And was no longer allowed at the
school. Mark somehow was seen as a hero, and now had many friends at school.
Then one day, playing alone after
Jack had to go home for dinner, that little old lady was suddenly right behind
him.
“Oh, hi there. Kind of snuck up on me.” Mark
said, stopping his playing.
“So. I see you must have gotten along well
with my spirit friend there?” She asked with almost a grin.
“You’re here to take him back, aren’t you?”
Mark asked.
“Actually, it’s a she… but whatever.” The
old woman surmised.
“Is there any chance I can keep.. her?”
Mark had to ask, fearing the troubles would again reappear after it left.
“Spirits aren’t meant to be kept, like a
pet.. No, I’m sorry.” She stated, seeing Mark’s face frown.
“But… I need her. Please. What if the
trouble come back?” Mark almost pleaded with her.
“If she did her job right, things now will
only get better..” She seemed to smile about it all.
Mark realized he’d have to return it
to her. He didn’t want to, looking at it behind the little tree’s. In a
reluctant move, he removed the small fairy and stated,
“Thank you.. fairy spirit..”
In handing it back to her as if a
fragile egg, she smiled at him. For some reason, he had begun to cry, and in a
wipe of his eyes, the strange old lady had instantly vanished from sight.
Blinking and again wiping his eyes, he’d realized that little savior would
never return…
Getting up to search for her, he ran
into his older brother. Without his fairy, he didn’t know what to expect.
“Hey, you want to go to the movies with me…
that new ‘Cars’ movie just came out and dad and mom thought it would be a
deserving reward to make up for not believing you…”
“Really?” Mark stated, confused this was
actually happening to him.
“Sure, got the money right here. Dad will
drop us off and pick us up afterwards… But he said he might be an hour late, so
he gave us some extra money to spend at the arcade afterwards… So, you in?”
“Heck yeah!” Mark exclaimed.
It wasn’t but a week after, Mark had
forgot the fairy and all the things that had happened those few days. But, then
one night, almost fast asleep, he heard a small whisper,
“Enjoy your life, your welcome.”
The End