It is the way that it has always been.

All through the day, all through the night, I Run. There is no halting � relentless, I Run. Eyes constantly fixed upon the same goal, feet constantly pounding the worn track beneath me.

There are others, of course. Same destination, same insistent pounding of the track. They are before me, all seeming to mesh into a singular mass. None look back to me; I run alone; I am behind.

But each of us with the same horizon � that destination that we somehow have come to believe we will reach some day. When the day will come is not known...we believe the day will come, and so we run.

There are not only the Runners, of course. There are the Sleepers, and the Climbers, and many, many others, too many for me to name. But they have their Way, and we Runners, we have our Way. Running is the Way that I have always known; it is all that my awareness grasps.

And so I continue my Run, and it continues to be all that I know. With the heaving mass ever before me, and the objective ever on the horizon, I Run.

And it comes to pass that he is on the Run as well...on my run; he is not a part of the mass...he is beside me. And I speak to him, for this is a peculiar occurrence...it is beyond what I have known.

What are you doing?
I am on the Run, I Run with you, Apon.
And from where did you come?
A place far from this. I have been sent to this Run, and to you.
Sent by who?
The Caller.

In my awareness there are the Divers, there are the Flyers, there are the Screamers, there are the Jumpers...but never have I known of a Caller. I become skeptical.

The Caller?
He sends me to Run with you. And so I have come.
Why has he sent you?
It is not the time for you to know.

Eyes still fixed on my sought-after point, I grow quiet. I do not understand this man, and he has brought confusion into my Way and my Run. So I try to put my mind to other things.

We Run on, and I feel an inclination to shift my gaze to the man. After much hesitation I do so, and I gaze upon his humble frame. He is frail, worn. With each strike of a delicate foot upon the path his chest heaves; each breath is a battle. He keeps my pace but it is a struggle. His clothing is ragged; his features are frail and decrepit. But as my eyes pass over his face, I am overwhelmed...

His eyes. They are...beyond all that I know. I look into them and there is an intensity that I cannot begin to describe. I try to grasp at the sum and substance of these radiant orbs, but my knowledge cannot find the words.

The eyes are not concerned with my destination. No, they glide placidly over other things. It is as though this man, on the Run, does not intend to reach that horizon. I am perplexed.

Then his eyes fall upon mine; I am overwhelmed by their essence. I dart my own vision back to that steadfast horizon, that goal that brings me comfort as I fall back into rhythm and purpose. And I speak to him within this position of ease, eyes cast upon my calming horizon in order that I do not become lost in those orbs again.

You do not belong on this Run.
The Caller has brought me here, Apon. It is the way that it must be.
You do not even Run for the destination.
Because the destination will never be.

I am angered; I grow silent and think of the man�s foolishness. But still he speaks. I do not want to listen but I hear.

I do not look to your horizon; I see other things.

I find myself speaking.

Our horizon is there; it will come. Why look to other things?
I have my own horizon. I need not seek it; I look to other things. I experience.
Experience?
Try it. Look around you. Take your eyes from a destination that will never be. You are a Runner, experience your Run.

I glare at these words and fix all of my determination upon my coveted horizon. It will come, I know it will come. I need not listen to him. He is a fool; he tries to change my Run but he will fail.

He is silent and we continue our Run in the hush. The mass before us, the distant destination ahead, we Run.

Oh, we Run. Day and night, day and night and day again we Run on. And it comes to my awareness that a change occurs in the man. For every step taken before, he now takes two; there are stumbles, there are falters, there are slips. I have considered that he is not meant for my Run; now I know it to be true. Daybreak, nightfall: with each he grows in frailty.

Also growing is the unrest of the mass before us. They Run on, of course, but there is a general agitation throughout. They shake their heads; they pound their feet ever harder. All seem to be angered by something that I cannot discern.

And a strange occurrence comes to be...in all of my days I have never seen those in the mass fix their eyes on anything but our horizon. But now, it happens. Heads slowly turn.

A mass of eyes slowly fixes upon the one at my side.

And they glare. Oh, how they glare at the man. Still on the Run, feet still beating, but they cast vicious sneers upon the man.

After a time they turn their heads back around, slowly. And I do not want to look to the man, but my eyes fall upon him once again.

He is faltering. His steps are muddled, his eyes grow weary in their gleam. Still he is putting forth tired steps upon the path, desperately keeping with my Run...

And as my eyes stay with him...

The man falls. Oh, he falls. A final exertion, and his tired frame has plunged to the ground. Only a glint remains in those eyes. And I do as I have never done, as I have never perceived I would do.

I stop. I cease to Run, and I come to this man�s side. This fool, who told me that my horizon would never be...and I stop at his side. The heaving mass pounds on; they Run on without notice. And his hand falls upon my foot, and his eyes struggle to rise to mine.

Experience, Apon. Experience your Way. The Caller brings me to Call you... to Call you to a different horizon.

And the hand falls upon the path, to point. It points behind me; the eyes become alive with all of their luminescence and then...they are shut. I slowly turn around; my eyes follow the Way that he points and I see a new path.

It is a winding path, with twists and turns here and there. And upon looking toward the end of the path I see it � the new horizon. It is beyond all that I have known...it is...beautiful. And it comes into my knowledge; this is my new destination. Then there is a voice that resonates within me, within the very essence of my being.

Come, Entos. Experience my Way. Experience the twists and bumps, experience the joys. Come to me, to this destination. It is a destination that you will reach, a destination that will be. And experience along the Way, keep your eyes set on the things of the Way, not on the horizon � the horizon will not leave you; you need not chase it.

I can see the Way. On the horizon I can see the Caller, and incredibly, I even see that man from the path. They are waiting. And I take a step.

And I take another.

I look around me, on this path, and I see...the world. I see the beauty; it radiates throughout. I experience. And I Smile. And I Laugh.

And I begin to Walk.