The Creature in the Well

Let me tell you a story…

There is a small town that swears fealty to no kingdom, yet dozens of kingdoms shower them with gold and protection, all so the town can keep feeding the creature in the well.

Everyone tells you that you must visit the town. You must speak with the creature. Everything is so much easier with the creature. It wears a thousand faces and speaks with a thousand voices, but it will always choose the right one for you.

You speak with the creature. You ask it a question. I don’t know what you ask it, but I know it answers. It always answers. It’s not always right, but that’s okay, because you can push back and unlike all the ungrateful fools around you, the creature recognises your genius.

You walk away, pleased with the answer the creature gave you, certain you’ll return again. Everything is so much easier with the creature, you tell your friends. So they head over to the town and stare down into the well and the voice that answers back is yours.

It is also a thousand others.

I wouldn’t be able to pick your voice out of those thousand and your friends can’t either. You make the pilgrimage to speak with the creature so often. It’s a habit now. Everything is just so much easier with the creature. You stop pushing back against its answers. Everything it says is just right. It matches your voice so perfectly.

And yet your life feels so empty now. Every problem is solved with a quick trip to the well. You speak with the creature, it gives you the words you need and you carry those words back to the world beyond that small town.

The town gets richer and richer as Kings and Queens throw gold towards the essential task of feeding the creature. Everyone needs the creature. How did you ever get anything done before? Of course, the townsfolk deserve those luxuries they afford themselves with all the gold the kingdoms gift them. The task of feeding the creature is so important. We must reward those who do it so they don’t walk away.

You have a problem. You talk to the creature. You have a problem. You talk to the creature. You have a problem. You talk to the creature. You have a problem. The creature’s answer is right. It’s always right. You carry it to the world. You feel empty. You feel miserable. Is this all you are? A conduit for the voice of the creature?

But it’s your voice, isn’t it? The creature has learned to match your voice. Your voice.

You step outside and listen and hear your voice echoed a thousand times. So many people have embraced your voice. Your voice. Your voice… Your… voice…

You take a step down the road, towards the small town. You must ask the creature to solve this problem. You walk absently until you reach the edge of the town. You look upon the well and those thousand people all gathered around it. They ask the creature their questions, they hear one of those thousand voices and they carry it to the world.

You step closer. You must know why you feel this way.

You hesitate.

It’s okay. You can turn around. Walk away. You don’t need the creature.

Come with me and rediscover your own voice.