A sum greater than its parts.

I gently set down the baggage I’ve been carrying longer than I care to admit and finally allow my aching muscles a chance to rest.

My fingers no longer shake as I enter the combination and open the clasps.  It’s time to dispose of the items within, never again to be dwelt upon.

The first objects to be removed are the faces of the people who, for whatever reason, are no longer around.  I smile as I see their faces, which comes from the realization that I’ve forgotten how to miss them. In fact, I no longer even seek new companionship I once found in the company of those familiar strangers.

Then its time to let go of the self pity and depression.  They never served me well anyway and the seeping wounds from where their nails dug in deep are in desperate need of healing.

These are followed by my aspirations of fame, fortune and recognition.  I’ve spent long enough chasing after this ignis fatuus and always agonized at how it remained just out of reach.  I’m also discarding this obsessive need of working tirelessly for a steady paycheck instilled since birth; a fate I’ve always found to be much worse than death.

Finally, I relinquish all the other wants, desires and personal tragedies which had come to define me in the worse possible way.

I gather the pile into my arms and carry them into the field behind my mother’s house in a journey lit by nothing but the stars above.  After arranging them in a clearing, I pull out a cigarette and place it to my lips.  A brilliant flash of gold erupts from my lighter and I spark up the addiction I’ve never been able to shake.  After a few puffs I throw it on the pyre, reducing everything I once was to nothing more than ashes.

Well, save for one item; the only thing I now seek.

A conclusion to the story; even if it’s nothing more than a period following some unfinished sentiment.