More words tonight. Sebastian is still walking. No worries. He will meet people soon. This third section continues two previous posts, an experiment in writing in the round. If interested, you can find section 1 and section 2.

***

The world of muscle and sinew was a bitter struggle. The enormous effort of simply walking, exhausting, punishing. And the effort of mental discipline to keep himself focused. The world was noise and confusion, an anarchy of living things working at cross purpose, heedless, infuriating.

Sebastian walked in the committed direction, unable to tell where he was or how close to the city he was getting. He walked for hours and seemed to be getting no where. How limiting the lives of creatures who lived on the surface of this sphere. Forever trudging in other direction or another, always forward, backward to one side or the other. From time to time, Sebastian lifted his eyes up to glimpse the sky, black and empty though perforated with stars.

He did not look up long. It was a lonely feeling to see the expanse to which he had once belonged, where he had flown so easily, now remote and cold, closed off to him. How quickly the thrill of meeting Lana had cooled. In the place where she inspired exhilaration, there was now a hard, bright fear, which was a feeling entirely unfamiliar. He was not a creature made for regret. He looked to the sky and wondered if his family and friends were looking down at him even now, lamenting his impulsive choice. Or if they were curious to see him succeed, silently rooting for him to succeed, for him to capture everything that was so elusive to them in their high, perfect perch.

He could not look up there for long. The sky was just empty. He filled his heart with thoughts of Lana. How happy she would be when he appeared at her door, frail and vulnerable but filled with wonder and ready to explore the curious new world with her.

Sebastian looked at his feet. He kept tripping on rocks, sticks, the curbside of the road. His own feet conspired to tangle together like two ungainly puppets unable to keep out of the way of the other. His feet were new and tender. They ached from the exertion. They had not been made for this kind of effort.

Sebastian kept walking, his discomfort and pain would be the first offering he would give his beloved.