But he was trapped in school, and there would be no escape for three hours. Three hours! The very prospect of this near-eternal torture drove him away from his vivid, wonderful dreams of freedom and into the reality of the classroom.
Somehow, Jonathan managed to survive until the end of the school day. He felt as though he were in a dream as he walked to the buses, which stood out like yellow beacons in the midst of a storm. Still dreaming, he boarded the bus that would take him to freedom, to his home.
But was that freedom? Was it freedom to spend the day in one prison, only to be driven to another? But home wasn�t tortuous. Home was a refuge form the many trials of life he would rather not face. At home, he did not have to confront schoolwork, squabbles with his parents, or even be subjected to the negatively attuned news the media was only too glad to provide. It was the perfect life. Perfect bliss. Perfect torture. Was he not a prisoner in his own home?
He was surprised to find that his mother was not at home when he arrived. Nor was his father, but Jonathan knew that his father worked. It was highly unusual for his mother to not be present. Wait. There was a note on the counter:
Jonathan:
I�ve gone out to get a few groceries. I�ve also got a doctor�s appointment.
See you this afternoon!
Love you, Mom
At least this made more sense. Jonathan reviewed his homework load and calculated that he would have at least two hours of homework tonight. Homework he would fail. He wasn�t a stupid kid. Actually, he was quite intelligent. He was too preoccupied to bother himself with such silly things as school. Or home, for that matter.
Everyone thought him shy and mentally underdeveloped, but that was not true. There was no time in his world to waste it on petty matters such as communication skills. Instead, Jonathan had a battle raging inside his mind that would not relent until one mindset was victorious: absolute or relative truth?
He had always subconsciously believed that some situations were correct and others not. This moved beyond the matter of morals to include such things as physical or theoretical laws. The idea of relative morals but fixed scientific laws was nothing short of hypocrisy in his eyes.
But then, in school, the only outlet from his sheltered home life, he had been intrigued by the idea of relativity. His former doubts of this belief shattered as he saw with his own eyes fellow humans living out these ideas. However, always in his mind, a small voice had called on him to disregard relativity. Jonathan did not heed it. Nor did he silence the voice. He ignored it.
So now, in his home, he walked up to the stairs that led to his room up on the second floor. He walked down. He stopped.
Down? His room was upstairs. Wasn�t it?
No, of course not. His room had always been downstairs in the basement that he�d never had. Had always had.
Jonathan looked around. He was still standing on the staircase, for now. Only the stairs led down to darkness, not the basement. He turned around and saw that he was facing down again. Behind him was down. In front of him was down. Where was up? Up? What was up? Now he was inventing words that had no meaning. Down was all. Nothing else.
He had no choice but to continue forward into the blackness. The darkness was so thick he could feel it. It was not an uncomfortable feeling. It was pleasant. It soothed his mind.
Hello, Jonathan.
What was that? A voice coming from the darkness around him, which he could see he could not escape. The voice was strong and vibrant and full of warmth.
I have come to bring you knowledge.
Knowledge? What do you mean?
I have told you every day what knowledge is. Knowledge is truth.
Don�t listen!
Another voice! Only this one was feeble, and seemed barely able to permeate the void.
Knowledge is not truth. Truth is truth.
Knowledge is truth!
Then what is truth?
Truth is what Jonathan wants it to be.
But how? What do you mean?
Do not heed him! He is lying.
You are the liar! Truth is a conception of yours. The only reality is knowledge. Now the voice was cold and menacing.
Truth is absolute!
NO! Jonathan, this liar would like to imprison you forever in the chains of his �truth.� I have come to offer you freedom from your prisons.
I want to be free.
It is by knowing my truth that you will be free. I will help you. I will show you the truth.
I would like that.
But he would still dominate you! You want freedom from authority. I�ll give it to you. The voice was warm again.
Would you dominate me?
No. You know what is best for you. No one else.
I know what is best for you. I know you. I will show you the path you should take, and I will free you.
I don�t want your help. I will not listen to you.
Will you accept me?,
Yes.
The room spun. The darkness disappeared, but there was no light. There was nothing. He could remember nothing. Then Jonathan heard voices. No. One voice. His mother was calling him. It was not his mother; he did not recognize her. What was a mother? Who was she?
�Are you hurt, Jonathan?�
Jonathan? Who is Jonathan?
�You�re Jonathan. It�s your name, honey.� She looked worried.
Name?
Jonathan?
Truth is what you want it to be. Is �Jonathan� your �name�?
Yes. For now.
