Reach

"You're not going to help me with this at all, are you?" I asked Bad. He sat back in his chair, looking up and down his bookshelf.

"Why should I?" He grumbled. "Isn't this all your problem to sort out?"

"But Anger is with you!" I shouted, making him jump.

"Look." He explained, turning to me. "There's a part of me that wants to go do something about this, because there is some unholy and unnatural thing about Anger being in control. But there's this other part of me that really enjoys seeing you like this. And you know what? That part wins."

"Can you at least tell me who can help me?"

"None of mine." He pursed his lips. "Maybe go talk to Love and see what she has to say."

I got up and left his house, without giving him a second glance. I walked until I hit the pink house, and Love was sitting on her porch, nursing her still unhealed wounds.

"Let me guess," she started without looking up at me, "Bad won't help you in any way, shape, or form so you're coming to me for help?"

"You're so good at this..." I sighed.

"What makes you think I can help you?" She glared, motioning at her wounds.

"Could you at least point me in a direction to go?" I begged. "Because I have no idea where to start with this."

"This seems like it's going to be something you're going to have to deal with on your own." She said, looking down the street. "You're going to have to go up to the monastery and deal with it yourself."

"I don't think I can do it by myself."

"Well it seems like every time you have the wild hair up your ass to do something, someone else gets sucked into everything!" She snapped, whipping back to look at me. "So I think it would be in everyone's best interest if you did it on your own!"

She was right. But I could see a fire burning in her eyes. Maybe Anger is up to something again? I thought. I walked down her driveway and back down the street, leaving her to her own accord. I looked past the town and up the mountain. The summit was still covered in a thick layer of clouds. I sighed, and began my trek up the mountain.

*   *   *   *   *

The clouds fogged my vision, I couldn't see the monastery until I nearly walked into the wooden door. I hesitated before pushing it open. The handle was warm, and a faint rumbling could be heard from inside. I pushed the door open. A dark, ruby orb was hovering above the throne at the far end of the main hall, emitting the subdued rumbling. The left entryway to Anger's domain had been blocked by snow white gate with golden ornaments. The right entryway now had a door, with the same light shining through its opening. Good sat on the throne. His eyes were closed. His suit had been torn and shredded, and it was stained red in spots. I began to walk down the hallway, but Good's eyes shot open, and he began to float above his seat.

"You are not welcome here!" He screamed, the orb glowing brighter and getting louder. His eyes were glazed over. He wasn't himself. I could hear Anger cackling from beyond his gate. I turned and ran towards Monk's door, and slammed it shut behind me. The rumbling faded instantly.

Monk sat cross-legged in front of his fire. There was a rose to his left, and a knife to his right. In front of him was metal bowl that held three, smoking incense sticks. 

"I was beginning to wonder how long it would take you to come here." He announced without turning his attention.

"It took me a while to realize what I needed to do."

"And what is that?"

"Come up here and fix the problem?" I stuttered. He tilted his head, and then rose to his feet.

"To find the solution to the problem," he began, walking over to his cot, "you must first find the root of the problem."

"Anger is now in charge." I told him. "And I need to fix it."

"And why is Anger in charge?" He pursued. "Why is he doing what he is to Good?"

"I don't know." I pursed.

"Good's mind has been shrouded by a cloud that originates from Anger." He explained, resting at the foot of his cot. "What I mean to ask, is why this cloud is here?"

I stopped short of answering. The fire still cracked to my left, and the rumbling persisted from behind me. 

"You are letting Anger take control of your thinking." He asserted. "In every aspect of your life, you are letting him take control."

"So how do I fix it?"

"Make sure he isn't in control." I could hear him smile.

"I don't know how to do that."

"With every problem that occurs in your life, there are a multitude of ways to solve them." He continued. "The way in which you solve problems is with him. If you change the way in which you solve problems, you will change the way you walk through life. And this means that he will no longer be the one in control."

I drew in a breath, but stopped as he motioned to the fire. He led me to where he was meditating, and held out his hand for me to sit down.

"While there are many ways in which to solve a problem, there are only two before you." He stated, walking back to his cot. "Pick one."

"Pick one what?" I pleaded, turning back to face him. 

"One solution." He replied as he laid down. He openly held his hands to his sides. I looked down, and the rose and the knife still sat there. I moved them in front of me, one on each side of the metal bowl. I began to grab for the knife, but I hesitated.

"I understand your trepidation." He answered from his bed. "It takes a lot for one to reach into their own soul, and change the way in which we live."

I hesitated once more, my eyes darting back and forth between the bright red rose, and the gold hilted knife. The rose still had beads of water on the outside of its petals. The knife had Chinese lettering, etched into the length of the blade.

"What do I do when I make a decision?" I asked aloud.

"You leave this room and face your problem." He announced, still laying down on his bed.

I grabbed the stem of the rose, and rolled it in my hands. Its thorns receded into itself, and it bloomed further. The stem grew and wrapped itself around my arm, sprouting full blooms as it went. I got up and reached for the door, my arm covered in scarlet blossoms.

"Excellent decision." He breathed, getting back up to continue his meditation in front of the fire. "I do believe that you should come up here more often."

I smiled as I rested my hand on the handle, and nodded. I pushed the door open, and closed it behind me.

Good woke up once more, and glared at me as he rose out of his chair.

"I thought you had left." He smirked.

"This isn't who you are." I declared, walking at a steady pace up to him. "You are listening to the words of Anger."

"These words are my own!" He screamed, slamming his fists down on the throne, rattling the entire building. 

"I'm here to strip you of your power."

"You will do no such thing!" Anger screamed from behind his gate. I turned and held my hand up to the gate, and the gate collapsed, and the door in front of Monk's room broke down. The lights in the building roared to life, even illuminating the dark quarters of Angers home. I turned back to Good, and held out the first rose to him. He floated back down to the ground, and grabbed it with his index finger and thumb. A wind tore outside the monastery, blowing the clouds off into the distance. Good's eyes returned to normal, and he walked out the main door to make his way down the mountain. The red orb shook violently, and then shattered as Anger screamed in despair.

Monk stood in the entryway of his quarters, and Anger kneeled down in his. I stood before the marble throne and peered at the two of them, as they glanced at each other. Anger pulled himself up to his feet, and shuffled back into his room, defeated. Monk turned to me and nodded. I began to walk out of the monastery, a bright white light peering through the door's edges.

"I expect you back here in the near future." He beamed, taking his incense up to the throne. I smiled with my eyes closed, and pushed the door open.