Seven spirits lived in the great beyond. Several times,
they would overhear other spirits telling them how good their life had
been on earth. The seven spirits eagerly looked forward to when they
would get the chance to live on earth.
When the spirits found out that they were all next to
receive their bodies, they all agreed to meet after their lives to
discuss how great life on earth was.
The first spirit was born as a mouse. He started his
life happily in a human home, munching on the random cornflake and
climbing throughout the walls. One day, a luscious smell entered his
nose. He followed the scent of cheese to a hole in the wall leading to
the kitchen. He tugged on the cheese when *SNAP!!* A mousetrap that had
been laid for him broke his neck, killing him.
The second spirit was born a kitten. She sat in a box
with her siblings with a "free to a good home" sign. A man with a
strange scent chose her from the litter. He carried her to a fenced
yard, where she heard loud, angry barking. The man dangled her over the
fence by her scruff. To her horror, she saw three enraged pit bulls,
jumping to reach her. The man threw her in the air above the dogs, where
she landed in one's mouth and was ripped apart between the three.
The third spirit was born a puppy. He found himself
living on the streets, struggling to find food. A woman found him and
took him to a shelter, where cats and dogs barked for homes. He was
placed in a cage, and there he stayed. He watched as dogs and cats came
and went. He paced in his cage for days, hoping that someone would take
him home. One day, a man opened his cage. He jumped for joy as he
realized that someone wanted to adopt him. He was taken to another room
and placed on a cold, metal table. He was held down, shivering and
shaking, when he felt a small sting. He found himself breathing slower,
and getting weaker, as the euthanasia kicked in.
The fourth spirit was born a rabbit. She was shipped to
a cold, white laboratory, where she was kept in a small cage. She could
feel the fear and sadness of the other rabbits. She was taken one day to
a table where she was strapped down. A scientist shoved a tube down her
throat, gagging her. Fluids entered her stomach. Hours went on, and more
fluid was fed to her. She wanted to vomit, but the tubes prevented her.
Around her, others were dying. Her body trembled with sickness and fear
until she, too, succumbed to what humans call medicine.
The fifth spirit was born a calf. He was taken straight
away from his mother. He cried out for her, but the men just simply
threw him in a wooden create. He could not stand, nor turn around, and
he was fed such awful food. He yearned to be with his mother cow, but
all he could nuzzle was the rough wooden planks of his prison. At last,
he was freed from his crate. He found himself being dragged to another
part of the dark room, where he was bound. His neck was sliced with a
blade, and his life slowly slipped away.
The sixth spirit was born a fox. She pranced around the
forest happily each day, full of life. One day, she ran through the
trees as she normally did until she found herself being thrown. When she
came too, she found a trap on her leg. The steel teeth had broken her
paw, causing her excruciating pain. Blood poured onto the forest floor,
and she whined and pulled. Nothing could break the strength of the trap.
Hours went by, and she grew weaker with blood loss. In the distance, she
saw a man approach her. She could barely lift her head as he came up. He
stepped on her neck hard, choking her. She coughed and gasped as he
crushed her to death.
The seventh spirit was born a fawn. He lived in a forest
as well, and nibbled on the delicious grass. One day, he heard a noise
afar. He broke into a run, dodging trees and shrubs. Loud bangs came
from behind him, and he ran ever faster. Suddenly, he fell to the ground
in pain. He had been shot in the shoulder, and the hunters ran up to
find him. As he lay bleeding, one of the hunters kicked him harshly.
"This one's no good. It's got no antlers. Leave it here." And they left
him to die.
The spirits reunited after their lives. Each told their
story of the nightmare they had for lives. They wept at the short,
tragic lives they had lived. They all agreed that life on earth might be
great for some lives, but as they had seen, many lives were cut short
needlessly. Their one life had been vanquished, and they would never
live again. They all spent eternity mourning for lives that could have
been.
Go on to To Be
Peaceful
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