My Story

    Hi, my name's Rec, Rec Reation that is. I was asked four years ago to develop a park along the river for the town of Rockville. The town suggested I include several attractions such as rides, games, food and anything else that I thought was appropriate for such a park. I thought it was a good idea, I felt the town could use such a facility. People were typically quite bored you see, Rockville is a very small town. People won't leave because either they can't stand the city or because they live on land that's been in their family for generations it would practically be a sacrilege to sell it and move. So they stay, and they stay bored.
    Four years ago, however, a rich, elderly resident named Virginia Rose passed away. She had no living relatives so she left several acres of land by the river and her entire fortune to the town which was close enough to family for her. With this large sum of money and new property, the town officials declared it was time to develop a place where residents of Rockville could go to have fun and fellowship. That's where I came in. I had just returned home from a trip where I had been building a park similar to the one that the town was envisioning. When they told me that they wanted me to do the job, I decided that I should go and check out the land.
    When I got there I found a rectangular field of several low rolling hills with trees on three sides. Just past one tree boundary was a trickling river. I had taken no more than two or three steps when I saw the most peculiar sight. There was a man; he wore nothing but sticks vines, and leaves, and he had thick white eyebrows to match his ash colored beard. The skin on his face was dirty and the dirt filled in it's cracks making his age evident. This filth, I noticed now covered his entire body and gave it a slightly discolored, almost bruised look.
    He began waving his arms, apparently at me, and talking in a frantic whisper which squeaked now and then. "Don't bring them here" he said; and I noticed the frightened look on his face. "They aren't supposed to be here, can't you see, I can't let it happen again, they tried once, never again, next time they won't leave!" And with that, he darted into the woods, quite awkwardly I might add. I saw him dash around a large oak tree, and just when I expected him to emerge from the other side, he didn't. The only word I could think of was "odd." However, I had work to do, so I disregarded the whole incident, and moved on.
    As I walked across the field, I thought I heard a sobbing sound. I stopped, looked around, but saw nothing. I looked down and noticed the fragments of used-to-be shrubs and trees which blanketed then entire hill. The words of the strange old man found their way back into my mind, I couldn't make sense of them.
    I walked towards the river and as I pondered over my thoughts for a moment I lost my balance and fell backwards, hitting my head on a rock. Everything seemed to blur together; sight, sound, pain taste, fear, smell and confusion, into one large mass of dizziness. I heard the old man once again, somehow, inside my head this time. I smelled the water, felt it cry, I heard the dirt in the old man's face. I tasted his frenziedness, and I was afraid, I didn't know what to do. The trickling stream poured though my head and eroded it's insides while also depositing it's debris and tangled clutter. I awoke not even realizing I had been knocked unconscious, and was shocked at the world which I saw. It was not the same world which I had left only a moment ago. It was beautiful, horribly intricate and delicate in the worst way. Together it seemed like a large tree, one tree, a cypress or sequoia, and I had been trying to be an ax. I was horrified by myself. I had to go...
    I went back to the town officials the next day and told them my new plan. I said that if they wanted an amusement park they'd have to find some one else, I was out of that business. They questioned me about my a sudden decision, and asked what they should do. That's when I told them my new plan. I shared their vision of a social gathering spot, but I had in mind a little less industrial place of fellowship. I told them that my idea involved a little less alteration of the land and better use of Virginia Rose's money. I told them of a park with lots of activities like skating, boating, swimming, baseball, basketball, bird watching, hiking, picnicking and mountain biking. I showed them the plans I had drafted up and they seemed very interested.
    Not long after, my plans began to come into effect. The funds were accessed, the materials were bought, the park was built. It was a huge success! The town loves it, everyone spends much of their time there and has lots of fun. And the best part was that the land where the park was built underwent next to no changes other than small, semi permanent structures to help with organization. The town gave me an award for doing such a good job. And to this day, I'll always remember and always be thankful for the words of that strange old man.