A wealthy king visits a remote village, called Carnaliton, just outside of his kingdom. As he spends his time there, he develops a liking toward the people. The Carnalitons give him food and drink and shelter. The king promises a shepherd that he would return soon with riches for everyone. The king departs. The shepherd spreads the word.
A few days pass and the people begin to get anxious. They wait attentively for the return of the king, but are already becoming impatient.
The shepherd stayed strong and had hope.
A few weeks pass and people begin questioning if the king would ever return. They suggest he might have forgotten them. Restlessness occupies their hearts. Doubt occupies their minds. They begin to grow tired of waiting.
The shepherd stayed strong and had hope.
A few months go by when more and more people begin to doubt. They wonder if there ever really was a king. They feel it might’ve been just a concocted story and that they’d been tricked. Some other Carnalitons fervently assert their account of seeing the king, but grow weary, not able to provide tangible evidence. Conflict brews between the two sides and belief dwindles.
The shepherd stayed strong and had hope.
More months go by and individuals said to have been sent by the king arrive. They declare that the king shall return. They are quickly ejected from the city, never heard from again.
The shepherd stayed strong and had hope.
A year goes by and anyone who believes there was a king is outcast or violently dealt with. Any claim of a king at all is punishable. The Carnalitons have no king. They rule themselves.
The shepherd stayed strong and had hope.
There was war. There was famine. There was drought. There was disease. Fires raged throughout the village.
The shepherd stayed strong and had hope.
Three years have gone by when a large caravan comes into the village. The travelers claim to be from the king’s royal guard, led by his son, the prince. The prince had come on word that the village his father once knew had become very different and that there was chaos. The prince brought a royal decree and wished to implement new laws to restore order in the village. The Carnalitons rejected this. They said the prince was not a prince and did not rule over them.
They killed him.
The shepherd stayed strong and had hope.
***
“King” won second place in Terror House’s Easter Submission Contest. To read all of the winning stories, click here.
DJ AuditTheFed literally just wants to audit the Fed.
