There is a secret in this world.

A secret so well
kept that when I tell it, it will be nothing but a story, a folly, to most who read it. To some, however, it may ring true. To begin this tale, I must go back to a time long ago, when the universe was just being formed. . .

Sun-kissed

Six days it had taken to form the moon, the

sun, the stars, and the earth with all it s inhabitants, and the !ne who had created it all admired "is work. There was beauty in every thing "e had made, from the behemoths to the microscopic beings. "e looked at every thing and pondered its beauty# beauty which caused it to shine blindingly. "e knew that when man came, their eyes would not withstand the brightness about them, so "e masked the beauty. The beauty was still there, but man would never see it in its true form. As "e hid the beauty of "is

own creations, he stopped at the sun, its beauty glaring before "im. "e knew, in "is infinite wisdom, that looking at the sun would be forbidden among man, so "e placed a kiss upon the sun. The kiss left the sun with its former beauty, and it shone, lighting up the world. And just as the sun was kissed, the sun does, in turn, kiss a few of those who behold it. $ow, this is where our story must jump ahead many centuries, to a young boy named %amien Setter. . .

%amien Setter was almost an ordinary boy of

eight. "e got into mischief, he do&ed off in the school room, and even teased the occasional girl. There was one thing that set him apart, however, and it was the way he seen things. 'ost boys, you see, have a grotes(ue appreciation for all things appalling to others. They see no beauty in anything if it cannot

disgust or be used against a target of their displeasure. %amien was different. "e had had the insight, at a very young age, to firmly absolve to see beauty in everything. After years of practice, this talent, which is a rare one indeed, came easily to %amien, and he seldom needed to put effort into seeing beauty. In fact, it had almost become a religious practice for %amien to stare in this way at everything he passed on his way to school. There was one thing he could not look at, however, and it was the one thing which he thought must be the most beautiful. It was the sun, of course. !ne day, as he walked to school, dutifully ga&ing around himself, %amien stumbled upon the thought that anything in life worth having must come at a cost. This thought applied to any situation that %amien tried it to. )ith this in mind, he threw his mothers cautioning to the wind and ga&ed boldly up at the sun. It was painful indeed, and his eyes fought to close against his will. %amien forced them to stay opened, however, for what

he was seeing was by far the most beautiful thing that any human had ever laid eyes on. As he ga&ed, he became transfixed. The pain was gone and he perceived nothing but bright, white, light as a voice resounded in his mind. *+ou have strove to see beauty in everything, and your pains do not go unrewarded. The sun has kissed you, letting you see everything in its natural beauty. +our eyes are made stronger, to withstand the brightness. Tell no one of this gift, lest it be misused., %amien awoke in his own room, with a damp cloth over his eyes. "e removed the cloth and gasped. Anything he had ever seen beauty in -which was pretty well everything. was shining now with the glory of the sun. "e went to the window and ga&ed out, tears of wonder and joy cascading down his cheeks. "e had to close his eyes to stop the euphoria. %amien s mother entered his room and saw him crying. She held him close close, saying wretchedly, *I m so sorry %amien, I m so sorry.,

A confused and muffled *)hat/, was all that %amien could manage while being smothered by his mother. *+ou had an awful fever for a few days,, she sniffed, *and when you started coming back around, the doctor said you were blind0, %amien smiled as he consoled his mother, privately thinking that it was the perfect excuse.

So now you know. The secret is out. 1ut I must

warn you against a trap that many other fools have fallen into. %o not presume that you can simply stare at the sun and have your eyes opened. Indeed, you will go blind this way for only those rare persons that strive to see beauty in everything can have their eyes opened for the effort. I am also obliged to inform you that not every blind person has been sun2kissed. It is only a common way to keep their secret.