The Vale Of Sadness

                                            The Vale of Sadness

The Vale of Sadness lies in a depression far south of the Peaks of Elation, a place one can stumble upon quite unexpectedly and find ones self a new resident.

Accommodation in the vale is scant and newcomers need to build their own abode. If this task is found too daunting, there be many a mossy bed and shady tree but though these seem comfortable at first, after one falls a sleep, they turn out to be all but comfortable and a stiff back is assured.

There is a plantation to the far right of the vale where the dissatisfied can pine for all the things they do not have, such as, a woman. There is a drinking fountain near the plantation but the water there is always bittersweet. To the left of the plantation stands August Augustine, a regal looking statue of a very wealthy man holding sacks of gold. It is said that the face of the statue assumes the face of the beholder, yet as one draws near, the mirage fades.

The Mere of Self-Pity lies within the plantation surrounded by a thicket of weeping willows. Denizens attempt to swim in this pool – normally after the plantation has got them hot and bothered – however it is shallow thus only wallowing is possible.

At The Bars, the Vales penitentiary for those guilty of self enslavement, one can spend ones time locked away willingly continuing to add to ones sentence with a number of things, such as alcohol or work.

The river Denial flows through the vale, a murky strip of water with not a single fish to its credit. Its tributaries number two, they are; Blame and Shirk.

Suicide Peaks, a jagged mountain range at the far left of the vale, is where one will inevitably find oneself when life in the vale becomes all too much. Yet as one finally plucks up the courage and jumps, the seemingly deadly boulder strewn base turns out to be spitefully soft. One must once again, go back to living in the vale albeit painfully bruised.

There is but one route out of the vale, one route to liberty. One must traverse the Pass of Freud, to find oneself at the Hall of Reflection where one must study in the Room of Mirrors until Hall Master Cogitate sees fit. From there one travels the treacherous path to the Hall of Introspection until released by Hall Master Conscience. The ensuing path is the hardest for some and the easiest for others. From there one travels to the Hall of Acceptance to study in the Room of Verity. Once one has triumphed one follows the smooth road through The Pass of Emancipation.