The world was a desert of swirling grey ash. There was no sunlight, no water, only a slow-moving sludge where once had been rivers, and jagged mounds of slag where once had been forests and mountains. There was noone left to remember how it had happened, whether it had been a terrible war or a natural disaster.
The small group of survivors stumbled through the choking grey desert carrying the few children still alive, and struggling with each labored breath. There was no hope...Hope had died with the world, and now their children were nearly gone.
Someone pointed. Far ahead of them there had appeared a strange greenish glow. Closer it came and closer still until they were able to make out the figure of a man within the glow, dressed in the green of new growth, shining with health and moving within a bubble. He extended the bubble to include the travelers and they suddenly found they were able to breathe easily. He carried a pipe, and on it he played a song that filled them with strength and compelled them to follow .
The Piper led them through withered black stumps that had once been forest and over ribbons of grey sludge that long ago had been free flowing rivers of clean water. He led them through the darkness and ash of the world until they reached the wall.
He piped a stronger melody, and led them up the wall of the world. Higher and higher they climbed, slipping in the fine ash, and scrambling over pieces of melted slag.. At last they reached a narrow ledge, crumpling exhausted to their knees.
The Piper piped another tune and there appeared an opening in the wall of the world. The people struggled to their feet and fell into a Red Darkness. The door closed, sealing them away from their dying world forever and they slept deeply.
The people woke to breathe clean air in the Red Darkness. The Piper gave them real food and real water and they rested awhile. Out of the silence came a sound to frighten them; the Piper smiled and reassured them...it was only the heartbeat of the world. He led them down into the Red Darkness until the sound was very faint, and only felt. They stepped out of the tunnel and into endless night. The Piper played a song of rest and the people sat in ebony silence.
He played a song of light and the notes spun out into the black like sparks from a fire. Faster and faster they spun until they became the light of day and the people could see a barren, endless cavern all around them. It had been so long since they had seen such brightness that they covered their eyes with their hands and cried out in fear. The Piper played a song of joy and the notes spread a carpet of green grass across the cave; as he continued to play they became flowers and trees and bushes, and a lake of sparkling clean water.
He played a song of love and birds of bright colors appeared, each with his own song to sing as they flew merrily into their new world. Furry animals danced off into the brightness of the day. He played a song of laughter and the notes skipped out over the lake to become silvery fish to feed the people.
The day grew weary and faded into darkness. The Piper played a gentler song of light and the notes spun faster and faster until they split into the two moons of the belly of the world and they sang the people to sleep.
When the day returned, the Piper played a song of awakening for the people. He fed them with a strengthening song and led them to a field near the lake. There he played a song of life and the people watched the notes dance away and burrow into the earth. A song of growth made corn grow, and beans and berries and apples. Then he played a song of renewal, so seeds would fall and more would grow. And because all things need balance, he played a song of sorrow so the sky would weep and renew the green grass. He played a song of death, because all that lives must also die; those notes sank into the earth to await their time.
He played a special song for the children and they grew strong enough to run and laugh and play as children aught. And the day grew weary and the two moons sang the people to sleep. When the day returned, the Piper played a new song and the notes spun into the TEACHERS, a young man and a young woman with hair and eyes as golden as their own.
The girl sang a song to the forest and the branches of the trees wove themselves into homes for the people. She sang to a field of strange white flowers and they spun themselves into weavers cloth so the people could fashion clothing. Then she smiled at her partner.
He sang in a deeper voice, all the songs of healing and the songs of good work. When they were done, they looked to the Piper. He told the people the Teachers would stay awhile to teach them the laws of this world. He sent a song of protection out over the world so the people would be safe, and left them to their lives.
The day grew weary and the people went into their homes to sleep. Over the next few months, the people learned from the Teachers about First season, the season of growth, Second Season...season of the harvest, and Third Season, when the earth slept for a time. The women were taught the song of the white flowers so they would always have cloth and the men were taught the song of the fire so they could cook the fish and be warm. To a few special people were taught the songs of Healing to help all. The Teachers showed the people how to catch and cook the fish and how to care for all the other life in their self-contained world. They were forbidden to kill and eat anything but the fish.
Then they told the people that when they reached the age of thirty-five, they must leave to follow the Red Darkness and Walk with the Piper. Only this way would there be enough food for all. When they were finished, the Teachers took the Old Ones and left, never to return. The exit was marked and the people could now live their lives as they wished.
The leave-taking of those who must Walk With the Piper became a ceremony and a celebration. The young were taught to accept, without question, all they were told. So passed five hundred generations. The people prospered and grew strong. Their arrival in the belly of the world became legend and the world outside was forgotten. They worshipped the Piper who had given them their home.
...................Maybe forever was too much to ask.
And check out 
