(sxc.hu)

Genesis Rex by CARMINA LU

A short reimagining of a creation myth.

In the beginning there was nothing and God lounged peacefully in his eternal void, but at some point, on a whim, God created light and time, in a daydream he created force and matter. Having done this, and seeing that it was good he took his passions and created wind and sea. He used his purity and laid out desert and sky. All that he created had his very essence in it, like a potter who molds himself into the clay. And as any artist who was proud of his work, he wanted someone to admire his efforts. So, god placed a single man on earth and planted a seed of knowledge in his mind.

The first man was clever and quick. His teeth were sharp so that he may eat his fill, his body was hairy so as to survive the winter months. And with these natural tools, the first man traveled great distances, taking in the beauty of earth's bounty. He had the acumen of a hunter and killed great beasts. His cunning hands built shelters and made fire. All this, the first man did on his own, and he had many great achievements.

As the first man grew older and more accomplished in his way of life, he began to take the time to think about who he was and why he was the only one of his kind. After a great deal of pondering, the first man came to the conclusion that this land must belong to him. All his life he had mastered mountains and beasts, with no other man to oppose him or to take what is his. Therefore, all this must belong to him, be for him. The thought of this made man very pleased, for truly his possessions were vast and wondrous. And man named himself Rex and became very proud.

When God saw man raising armies of apes and monkeys, enslaving the lesser creatures for his will, God was displeased and he came to take back what was his. God came to Rex in the form of the wind and told him to humble himself, that he should submit to a modest life as an observer and disciple of the land. But for Rex, this idea was preposterous. And when God saw this, his anger grew and he came to Rex in the form of the sea and swept away his servants and houses, God came to him in the form of frost and stripped him of his hair.

Naked and alone, Rex sought refuge in the forests and so too did his anger grow. He refused to be defeated by the elements, to let them take what he had built and what was rightfully his. And as his nimble hands became ridged with cold, he enacted his last step of defiance.

If he could not have it, he would burn it and consume the world and destroy what could not be his. He spread his fire from forest to plains, blackening himself with soot and smoke. God was horrified by this destruction and was determined to put an end to it. He shook the earth and a little boulder skipped from the sky, crushing Rex beneath it.

Thus God's first attempt on man was terminated and these are the three lessons he learned:
1. Man cannot be too intelligent
2. Man cannot be alone
3. Man must know God