Mad Joe

A story about values and emotions. It points out the need to control our minds so they cannot be abused. This story along with other information is located here:

Oh, another year passed and I’m still thankful for what happened to me. It all began when I was cutting down a tree. It was hot, and the waterfall glittered with many beautiful sparks. The scenery in Texas is wonderful. I was standing just below the tree when all of a sudden a great branch hit me to my head. I fell down to the ground. I was unconscious.

Few hours later three of my mates found me and woke me up. They bandaged my head and observed me for some time. I was unable to control my arms. The fingers were moving in a very strange way. After a while the arms were, indeed, listening to my commands. However, after a while they just wouldn’t be moving. Since that time, I was able to do many things like before, but never was able to cut down trees or do any hard work.

That’s not everything at all. I had strange dreams. I used to fall asleep during the day. The dreams were very weird. It was like I remembered everything around me �" the land, the people. Everyone looked red, bloody red. It was like a strange recollection. Few times I saw future things that happened the day after. However, since that time everybody called me Mad Joe.

A year ago a huge tornado came to the town and took lives of many people. It destroyed over thirty houses including my own. Since I’m an orphan and have no family at all, I had nobody to rebuild my house. I didn’t have many friends, and those that lived in the town were busy rebuilding their own houses, or helping somebody they preferred.

I could hardly control my arms. I was desperate. The thought of suicide flashed through my mind. I couldn’t do anything �" at least that’s what I thought. However, I decided not to give up. I started on my own. I purchased over fifty long beams. I started cutting them. But the arms were doing what they wanted to. It looked terrible. I was even more desperate and afraid. I sensed a lot of fear. My body was shaking, and eventually I fell asleep.

In the dream I could see a beautiful house. The red color went through it like a wind. I could see many colors. All of a sudden I sensed fear. The colors were shaking through the picture. I swear I saw a strange-looking creature. It didn’t look like anything I had seen before. I can’t even describe it. The creature, however, was coming closer, and I sensed more and more fear. It said: “Come to me, little fellow, we can join our lives. We’ll be one and do great things. Come with me.” My arms were reaching to the creature. I couldn’t control them. The fear almost took my life. The creature was just a few inches in front of me, and reached for me. At that moment, I yelled: “Go away, I decided to build my house. And I’ll do it!! Go away, you b*****d!” Now I didn’t sense any fear. I showed it my decision. I ripped the fear out of me. The creature stepped away. I yelled at it again. Finally, after few minutes, it disappeared. Now I could see the house again in full color, like it was real. I could swear the house told me: “You’ll make it, son. It needs some hard work, but you’ll make it.” Not even the house, but everything around me told me I could do it. Perhaps I’m right when I say it was God who was talking to me, encouraging me.

After I woke up I didn’t think about anything else but rebuilding my house. I took the saw and began. Nothing could stop me. When the arms didn’t listen I yelled at them to work. When I was falling asleep, I started to work even faster. In a few weeks my work was done. The house was beautiful, unique. Everyone wanted to see it. Since that time I was kind of admired and had more friends to talk to. I could go into the saloon and do no damage. The arms were listening to my every command. I haven’t even had any strange dream since then. I killed the creature inside of me. It can never come again. Now I live in my house and work as a bartender. I love it. I love my life. I got completely healed. And if the creature comes again, I’ll tell it to blow itself to hell.