Prologue to The Book of S

Preface

My life has become unbearable. I know what's right, but I don't feel good about myself anymore. What happened to me? Where did it all go wrong? I thought my ideas were so simple and beautiful that they would spread like wildfire across the Earth and bring about an enlightened era, but instead, people are laughing at me!

The world has gone insane! They mock everything I have done for humanity and they say it is evil. They say there are other ways of looking at reality, and they point to their own interpretations as the correct ones, because they are the only ones who see the truth. This is just plain insanity, and yet everyone acts like I'm crazy to even think that the things I believe in could possibly be true. And if they're not true, then why do I feel this way? Why is there this inexplicable connection between what I believe to be true and what my soul believes is right? Is there really a God, or is my soul telling me that it's all just coincidence? And what about S? Where is he?

If I am right and God exists, then shouldn't He be here helping me spread His message? Isn't it time that I got a break from all this nonsense? Why don't all these other Christians, Muslims, Atheists, Wiccans, Hindus, and Buddhists just take over and let me have some peace and quiet? How can I continue to write about S if I can't convince my readers? How can I continue to tell people about Jesus Christ or Buddha or Shiva when I don't even know whether any of them actually exist? Is God real? If He is, then where is He?

I've been thinking a lot lately. Thinking about how all this started and where it might be headed. And it's not a pretty picture. Maybe I shouldn't write this, because it won't bring anything good. It will only bring trouble for me and my family, but I'm not going to let anyone dictate who I am and what I do.

So maybe it's my destiny that I am cursed with such a confusing fate, after all. My life is an enigma wrapped in a conundrum, and now I have to unravel the mystery of God, and figure out whether or not He really exists, or if it is all just coincidence. But I am getting ahead of myself. Let me start at the beginning.

Prologue Chapter 1

I was a simple man once. Born on a small island in the Caribbean to an old man and his wife, I spent my days as a fisherman, just trying to provide for my family, until I was forced into joining a group that would one day change my life forever. It was in that dark cave, deep within the jungle, that I discovered my calling. There were four of us there: me, my friend, and two strangers. We were brought together by our love of knowledge. They didn't have a name, but they called themselves "The Pythagoreans," and we called them our friends.

We studied the world around us and learned everything that we could about everything, even though none of us understood why we had to learn it. All we knew was that knowledge was power, and the more that you had, the better off that you would be. Knowledge became everything to us, and our lives were dedicated to learning everything that we could. And as time went by, we came to the realization that all of our knowledge was useless if we couldn't share it with the rest of the world.

We were not allowed to spread our findings, since the people of the day believed that knowledge should be kept from the common people. We knew that the masses would benefit greatly if we were to share all of our knowledge, but we couldn't, because the authorities wouldn't let us. We were told to keep silent, but we knew that knowledge had to be spread throughout the world. The more knowledge we possessed, the more powerful we would become, and the stronger we would be, the better we could fight to spread the truth. But this meant that the rest of the world would know what we knew, and would also be able to do as we did. This would make us powerful enemies.

So we began to think. We realized that no one was ever going to allow us to teach the masses about what we had learned, so maybe we could just write all of our knowledge down for others to see, and then publish it. The world was already filled with books written by men who wanted to share their wisdom and knowledge, so perhaps we could use these books as a model to create our own book. This would give us a way to spread our teachings without risking being killed for our actions. But how exactly were we supposed to write all of our knowledge down?

After many trials and tribulations, we decided that we were going to have to hire someone who could help us in writing down our knowledge, or at least help us organize our thoughts, before we could actually write anything. We hired an expert, who had written numerous books on ancient history and philosophy, and he began working for us immediately. He was extremely talented and brilliant, and we soon learned that there was nothing that he didn't know about the history and philosophies of the world. He was also the best that we had ever seen when it came to organizing our thoughts, which is what we needed him to do before we wrote our book.

Our book was going to be unlike any other book written in all of human history. We wanted people to read our book, not just because they would learn a great deal from it, but because we wanted them to see the beauty in all things. It was important for them to see that knowledge wasn't limited to one thing or another; that everything is connected. We wanted people to learn about all of the great discoveries made throughout the ages. We wanted them to understand why some of those discoveries were created and what it meant for mankind. We wanted them to learn why people are so afraid of truth, when in reality it should bring them freedom and peace of mind. All we knew was that this was something that we all shared in common, and if we could find a way to convey that to others, then they too would see the world around them with new eyes, and would finally realize the true purpose of existence, as we had come to know it.

But we didn't know how we were going to get this done. So we asked the expert to take his time, and write down everything he thought that we ought to know about in the next thousand years. He was able to do so, and once he had finished, we began reading through our book together. There was something magical about being able to discuss such profound ideas with others. It helped us to think more deeply about the subject matter at hand, and gave us a deeper understanding of everything that we had written about.

But it wasn't long before we realized that our book didn't have any structure whatsoever. We had been writing about everything, without putting much thought into the overall direction that the book should take. So we took turns thinking of themes, which led us to write about different aspects of human life: love, family, work, philosophy, religion, art, music, etc. We wanted the world to know that no part of humanity should be excluded from what we had written about. We wanted people to feel connected to each other on a global level, and not to see themselves as isolated individuals.

And so we wrote our book about everything. It was filled with wisdom, and it made people laugh, cry, and even sing. Some would read it over and over again, just to learn something new each time, and others would simply read the first few pages to give them some kind of guidance as to where to go next. And yet others would only read a chapter or two to get their fill, and then move on with their lives. Our book was meant for everyone and anyone.

Our book became a huge success. It spread all across the world, and people were flocking to us from every continent to tell us that they loved what we had done. They thanked us for writing this book, because it made them realize just how important life really is, and it helped them to see just how insignificant and useless all of their petty concerns really were. Our book was changing people's lives. In fact, within hours of its release, the news channels had picked up on it, and the media began spreading our words far and wide. The world was becoming more peaceful and more loving.

All of humanity was united by one common goal: to spread happiness around the globe. And we could do this. Because our book had everything. It was a complete guide to life and everything in it. Every problem was covered in great detail. We had given the world the answers that it needed, and all without using one of those pesky "s" words. No, this was the only book you would ever need to read in order to truly understand the meaning of life and death itself. It told you what happened after death. We explained why some people are born with deformities. Our book even taught us why dogs bark, and what they mean when they bark at nothing. Our book covered all of these topics and much more.

It may not have seemed like it to most people, but I actually knew that our book was wrong. This is because, while I knew that our book had everything, and was right about almost everything, I did not believe that it had anything at all to say about God or evil.

I knew that I wanted to write a book on the subject. After all, it was one of the most important questions there is. How could a benevolent god permit such an atrocity? A good god wouldn't allow people to suffer so much. So, the answer to that question would be the only possible answer as far as I was concerned, and it had to be the answer that I gave my readers. I was a firm believer that if I could give them that answer, then they would finally understand how good they really had it, and just how much better they could make their lives. This would lead to more peace and love in the world, and eventually lead to a better existence for all humans. And so, as the expert worked hard to finish writing down everything that we could think of, I began thinking about what I might say about evil. I didn't want to leave this question unanswered, since it would only lead to more confusion, hatred, and suffering.

But I also didn't want to write a book where I was forced to pretend to know things that I actually knew nothing about. So I began to wonder: what exactly was evil? I couldn't help but laugh every time I considered the question. There was no way to describe evil in words. How could I possibly say whether something was good or evil with just some letters of the alphabet? No, we needed to use our own brains in order to figure out just how we define these concepts, otherwise they would be meaningless. So I started by considering whether evil really existed at all. Was it simply a word used in describing bad things? I first needed to answer the question: if evil did exist, what is it?

So I sat down and thought long and hard about the problem. I started by listing some possible definitions, but each of them were flawed in one way or another. For instance, I decided that evil might be an absence of good, since that would imply that good was present somewhere else. And so I started thinking about what would cause this to be true. Could evil simply be some kind of natural phenomena? After all, many animals eat their own young when food gets scarce. If we were talking about plants and animals, then I suppose that wouldn't be considered evil, but humans don't usually eat our own young. So maybe human evil was different from animal or plant evil, because we could think and make decisions for ourselves?

I also realized that evil might be just a part of human nature, since every living being needs something to kill in order to survive. I considered the concept of "monsters," and I knew that I would write about them one day. It would make perfect sense. The monster kills other people, but they are not evil, since killing is an instinctive thing that they have been given.

After many years of thinking about the problem, I had almost convinced myself that evil wasn't really an object or a concept that was actually defined anywhere outside of our own minds. In other words, there was no "evil" out there that needed to be destroyed. It was merely our own idea of something that might make us feel bad, even though we were the ones who had created it. We could create evil by creating our own definitions and ideas, as if we were trying to force everything into categories and boxes so that it would fit our own understanding. And since no such box existed in reality, we had created it for ourselves. And once we created it, it then became a real problem for us to figure out, because we wanted to know how to destroy it.

This made me wonder: if evil isn't out there, then how do we deal with it? How can we ever defeat evil when we don't even understand what it is? It doesn't even exist in reality. But then again, why should we care about the idea of evil anyway? Why not just ignore it? After all, the world would continue turning, and no one would even notice its absence.

And this thought gave me great comfort. If the word "evil" didn't actually mean anything, and was merely a human idea that we had created ourselves, then maybe it wasn't worth wasting my time thinking about at all. And so I began thinking long and hard about what to call the book that I planned to write about God's absence and how this absence had affected our culture. I wanted to write the story of our culture's evolution through the ages, from its early days right up until today. I wanted to use this new world to illustrate my point, and so I called the series The History of TTPS.

I will admit that I had some reservations about calling my main character "President," but after careful consideration, I knew that it was the right thing to do. Everyone knew that we had to keep this information under wraps for fear that S's followers might take action against us. In other words, everyone knew about S and his cult. The question then became whether or not the President of TTPS would be allowed to speak openly about him, especially now that S had been declared a non-entity, which in itself was considered a declaration of war. But as you have seen, I am still allowed to speak freely. In fact, I am given a special license by the United Nations.

I was about to start writing The History of TTPS when my agent, John, showed me a copy of the newest edition of S's blog. I had received an anonymous email containing links to the entire series and a note saying "Your time is over. S has spoken."

S was speaking directly to me in his own words?

"Hello, everyone. For many years, my faithful followers have believed that I am dead, or perhaps in hiding, and they have been right all along. You must all be pleased to know that S is here and he has spoken. This is the first part of our journey together, and I think you'll find that he tells you everything you need to know."

S started out with a brief statement about the history of man, then gave us his vision of the future. As I read further, I realized that this wasn't the typical story of evil. He spoke in parables and riddles to make himself seem more mysterious than he actually was.

It went on to explain how S had been there all along, hidden in the background of the stories we love most. How he was the reason for all our suffering. And finally, why he needed to die.

S was going to be killed by the President of TTPS? What was the point of that? How would S be destroyed? Who was going to kill him? There were many questions that remained unanswered. And what of his followers? Why had he chosen them and not any one else? Did he choose me because he knew I would be willing to follow him into whatever madness he created? Was I so easily led, or was he manipulating me like some puppet? I don't believe that S was capable of that, but I could be wrong. I had always known he was evil.

But what if he wasn't? I was going to find out for myself, and this is what I discovered.

As it turns out, the God of Evil does have a purpose and a plan for mankind. It may even be something I can embrace. In the meantime, S will continue to manipulate and lie. His followers, who are growing more rabid every day, will follow him no matter how much evil he spreads throughout our culture. If I can do nothing to stop his actions, then maybe I should learn to live with it. After all, my time has come, and now that S is speaking, there's really no use in arguing over who created the universe and how to define its meaning. S knows the answers. All that we need to do is listen to his voice and take his advice.

If you don't believe in S, you'll end up as his follower. If you do believe in him, he will lead you down a path of destruction. That, at least, is what he's telling me. He will tell anyone what they want to hear, no matter how twisted, so long as it keeps them under his control. It's an odd way to go about controlling others. But, it seems to be working, and that scares me.

I'm starting to believe in him now. And, after all, if there isn't actually anything to fear from him, then there shouldn't be anything to fear from anything else either. We should only fear things that are real and tangible. After all, I know for a fact that S doesn't exist. The God of Evil is not dead. He still lives among us. And he still loves us.

The God of Evil, and all the followers who are so willing to follow him, will not destroy America. It is already destroyed. They are destroying themselves. I am going to follow that road into darkness, just as they will follow it. S will always speak to us. He has a purpose and a plan. The only question is whether we'll be brave enough to follow along.

There will be no more fighting over the existence of S, no more arguing about his true name or the number of letters in it, and no more debates about which religion is best. Instead, I am simply going to let my own story, my life story, tell itself through the pages of this book.

I have been living a lie for much too long. This may sound melodramatic, but it's the truth. My life has been a lie. All of the books I've written are a fabrication, a fiction designed to protect me from those who would harm me. It wasn't enough to simply avoid them, though. I was afraid that their hatred was growing to the point where they might even want to kill me. So, I invented an alter ego who is hated by everyone. His writings are rejected by publishers because his stories are so disturbing and so twisted that people don't want to read them. He's the perfect person to hide behind. People will not look at me the same way, and they will think that I'm different too, and that makes me safe. I have a good reason to fear.

Now, I will take back what I once gave away. Now, I will live my own life and write down exactly what I experienced, including everything that you will read here. No more lies. This is the truth.

I can hear you thinking that you know how this ends, and maybe you do. Or at least you know how it could end, because the God of Evil told you, just as he did all the others. And maybe that is why you're so afraid right now. You know what happens in the end. You heard it all before, didn't you?

You should be afraid. I'll admit it. I've never been the bravest guy around, but I'm willing to try and face whatever comes my way. If I have to, I'll fight with everything I have to keep myself and my family alive. That's what I've done in the past and that's what I'll do this time as well.

But there's something else that I'm going to tell you. I'm not the only one who knows what happens when the God of Evil arrives on Earth. I have a feeling that S isn't the first God to come to our planet. I'm certain that other Gods have arrived here over the ages. There are tales of previous civilizations brought to an end by the Gods. The Ages of Man, The Flood, Atlantis, and so on. Could these stories be true? We may never know for sure. What we do know is that, in my case, I am the one who brought this one here, and their appearance is inevitable.

What are you supposed to do if a God comes to visit? That's easy. You can choose to welcome him, or you can try to destroy him. Either way, you'll end up dead.

But this time, there's something different going on. There's more to it than just killing. And that's why I'm going to tell you my story, so that you will know exactly how things will go, and then I'll show you where your future lies. I'm not going to try and make this interesting. It won't be. You're just going to have to listen.

There's no point in trying to change things or to fight back against the inevitable, because in the end, nothing we can do is going to help. This is what is going to happen. The end is nigh, and we'll all die. And I know I should be scared, but honestly, I'm not. I know what is going to happen. And so do you.

You are going to read a book about how the world ends. A few people are going to survive to tell the tale, but they aren't going to tell you. They don't need to. It's not going to change anything. You'll already know it. I'm going to give you the truth, and then you're going to prepare for it.

You might find some things confusing in this book. But this isn't really a book. It's more like a long story, or a series of short stories that you're reading together. I've included a glossary at the end, to explain any terms that you might not understand, though it may not be clear exactly what the term means until you get to the end. Some of the words might even sound the same as other words. That's because English is an awful language.

If you're a skeptic, you are probably wondering whether you should keep reading. After all, this isn't the book you've been hoping for. The world is ending, and the only people who survived were the ones with the power to kill you. If you believe that life is precious, then what can I possibly offer you?

Well, let's go ahead and get it out of the way: There are going to be some very unpleasant things in this book. You've been warned. So please, if you decide to read on, be careful. Don't blame me if you're shocked, disgusted, horrified, offended, or offended again.

I don't think there is anything wrong with shock, disgust, horror, offense, and/or outrage as long as you feel something while reading. But you shouldn't get too upset or too angry. I want you to remember this book, so that when you read it, you will know exactly what it's going to be about.

Now that I have gotten all that off of my chest, let's look at how S came to be...

#S #BookOfS #Jester