Everything is Permitted

This world is marked by division—that of the land and the sky, of humans and animals, of love and hate. For one thing, to exist, another will also live in tandem. However, it is a little-known fact of how laughing and free will came to the world. You see, the world is vibrant and full of joy. So much so that, at times, the stars laugh so hard they fall from the sky to Earth. That is how laughing came to humans if the humans were lucky enough to find these fallen stars. That is where we meet the story of Enzo, a young boy in the mountains of Montana who taught humans free will. A lesser-known fact of Montana is that the line between humans and animals is blurred, giving humans a great chance to learn from the animals without issue.

So our dear Enzo, named after a hero of the years passed, was frolicking through his life. The humans were dreary then; only a few had caught a fallen star to understand what laughing was. There were a few, but they were rare and, according to others, were living higher up in the mountains. The mountains were hard to live in; snow covered all surfaces almost every day of the year. The animals had coats to match the soft, powered snow and were hard to catch. Humans were resilient and refused to leave their ancestral homes. Therefore they made it through the months, hunting and traveling down the mountain to farm the warmer lands.

Enzo knew of the legend of those who could laugh, though he had not seen them in his short life. He was determined to find them and find how to bring the other humans laughter. He listened to the birds sing and the wolves howl to the moon and knew there was more to human life than just getting by. It was then Enzo looked to his mother and promised her that he would be the one to prove the legend true. His mother was not convinced this tale was just the animal's way of getting a free lunch, but she knew better than to stop her son. So, he packed him a bag and sent him to the top of the mountain.

Enzo's journey was slow, but he enjoyed every moment of it. He followed the lines the birds flew and the tracks of the deer. He trekked up the mountain, where a spirit met him. The Spirit spoke to him gravely, "You know not what you are doing, return home, Enzo; the world is not ready to have laughter; I see the world as it is; listen to me." Enzo looked at the Spirit and realized how beautiful this Spirit was; not wanting to be disappointing, Enzo said, "I can not allow you to tell me what to do, nor would I expect you to do what I say. Please, Spirit, let me pass." The Spirit was convinced by Enzo's free will and determination and disappeared.

Enzo looked for more animals as the path became harder to follow, even calling out to a nearby bobcat, "Please, I just need to make it to the edge of the sky; I need to catch a star." The bobcat regarded Enzo with a sense of uncertainty, though the bobcat was happy to see a human so fearless decided to lead him further along. Enzo finally made his way to the top of the mountain; he saw many animals accompanying him on this journey and the original Spirit who tried to stop him. They all looked at Enzo expectantly. He turned to the last ridge and walked ahead, leaving the others at the threshold. The animals knew he was the first human to make it this far, the only one with the will to determine the fate of the rest of humanity.

As Enzo crested the mountain, he was amazed by the sun setting on the bend; the land was so vast, and there he stood, two feet on the ground and one hand towards the sky. As he was admiring the connection of land and sky, another Spirit came to him; this Spirit looked much like a star and was as bright as the sun. The Spirit spoke, "We are what we chose to be, and you have shown much resolve in the name of humanity. You are the first human to transverse this land and make friends with the animals. You who showed self-expression is a vital part of life, and living it to the fullest. I will give you all of that and more." The Spirit laughed, and a star fell towards Enzo. Enzo cupped his hand, and the star fell into them, melting into what looked like water. The water was iridescent and warm, pooled in his hands; Enzo looked to the Spirit for guidance. "Drink Enzo, and hold onto your free mind that can grasp the chaotic beauty in this world." Enzo sipped the liquid and felt himself warming from the inside, and finally, he looked to the Earth again and saw the vast expanse of beauty. Enzo laughed, and another star fell towards Earth.

The Spirit spoke once more, "It was you, Enzo, who created this legend, as you were the only human with the free will to attempt this journey, and because of you, humans have gained free will and the ability to laugh until the last star falls from the sky."