YELLOWSTONE The setting Sun's rays shed speckled light on the man standing under the bright sky's

changing colors and cloud formations. Just this morning, he had stopped at several train stations while on his journey to this special place. The end of the line, where, in any case, he would cease to exist in a matter of days. It was, after all, the end time and, in many ways, he had been preparing himself for these last moments all his life, through all the trials and torments, just for this last journey, his last trip. Now he had finally arrived, and. as the sun took its final dip below the horizon, he recounted his life in his mind. He went over the many good times that he could find buried amongst the overpowering bad times. He had visited many places and exprienced many climes, but none held more satisfaction and meaning than this current setting. And, if he were to be betting, he would never see any other place. This plot of land, this hallowed ground, was the end of the race. And, even for all his faults, he felt a moment of grace here at the end of all things good or bad. It did not seem to make him particuarly sad, in fact, given his recent pain and suffering, he was actually glad that the end had arrived. This ending at this place at this time he had contrived with great effort and, yes, a little bit of luck. He lit up his long, curved pipe and took a deep puff. The nearby pond revealed geese and even a duck under the Sun's last fair gleaming. The water began steaming as the coolness of the evening set in. His luggage he had dropped off at a nearby inn and he had slowly walked these familiar steps to this place, this place that held meaning down into the depths of his being. Now that darkness was affecting his seeing, he sat down, he and his pipe, and waited for it. And it came. Slowly, like the sneaking up of a feral cat. He took one last breath and rolled over one last time to lay on this ground. A tear trailing down his now cooling cheek was his last act. To die in such a place was truly a blessing he thought... The Yellowstone ashes covered him in molten glory and the end of the man was forever outlined in volcanic stone that none would ever find, as none were left, here near the vaporized pond. It was a new world now, a world for new life to take hold and to grow, to know strife

and glory, and to start a new story that would have ups and downs and that would be full of special places worthy of taking familiar steps to. The cycle was unrelenting and the world turned on it axis as it sped through space on its race to the stars. ------------------------------mindbringer, 12/12/12