The Unleashed Pain

Once upon a time, there was a lonely little girl who lived in the Kingdom of
Pain. In the long distant past, pain monsters had invaded the formerly peaceful
kingdom and they ruled with an iron fist. At birth, children got their training collars
and the Pain Monsters met only their basic needs until they were old enough to
serve. Pain Monsters had the power to inflict terrible emotional and physical pain.
They were clever monsters that trained children to do their bidding and controlled
them with scorn, criticism and harsh punishment. Socializing was not allowed in the
Kingdom of Pain, because the selfish Pain Monsters put their own needs above
needs the children might have. As you might imagine, it was not a good place in
which to grow up, and those that survived lived in fear and loneliness.
You were created to serve ME! said the girls Pain Monster, and the girl had
never questioned her duty it was a matter of survival to care for the Pain Monster.
She tried to be a good girl so that the Pain Monster would not punish her for being
ungrateful or disobedient. She had been well trained, so when the Pain Monster
gave her a command, she quickly complied and did the very best job she could.
Very few people visited the kingdom, because outsiders were not welcome.
When supplies were delivered, a heavy drawbridge was quickly lowered down
across the deep moat, and as soon as the supplies were carried inside it was just as
quickly drawn back up. Those that lived on the outside never suspected what lay
within and those that lived inside had long forgotten what it was like to laugh and
play, to love and be loved
One day the drawbridge was lowered for a delivery and the little girl, who had
been taken off her leash to get a bit of exercise, felt a strong, sudden urge to
escape. She had always wondered what lay beyond the gates of her Kingdom. The
girl followed her urge and bolted across the drawbridge and into the woods beyond.
She did not really know what propelled her to escape it was a reason she could not
yet understand.
Later that day, the girls Pain Monster realized she was gone and followed in
pursuit. She had a head start, though, and soon found herself at a small village.
The girl stopped, out of breath from running, and hid behind a tree in case the
villagers proved to be unfriendly. She stared in amazement.
What is this place? she wondered. There were no walls, moat or
drawbridge. Smiling, friendly people were doing business in a marketplace, and
each person had a small pain monster on a leash. The monsters seemed totally
manageable they were sitting or staying on command, and they eagerly gobbled
up small treats the people tossed them. The people walked freely about, with no
one ordering them around.
The girl hid behind the tree and watched as the people in the village went
about their business. Children were laughing and playing, and their parents were
kind and attentive. The girl felt a sudden rush of sadness and loss, as she had not
experienced close relationships like these. No one had told her such a place existed,

and she could not decide whether to enter the village or go back to her home in the
Pain Kingdom. She had no idea how to live among others in a place with freedom
and caring. How would she survive without her Pain Monster? Who would meet her
basic needs? Who would she serve? After all, a life of service was all she had known.
The girl curled up and went to sleep, exhausted from her travels and
confused by her choices. Awhile later, she was rudely awakened
THERE YOU ARE, YOU BAD GIRL! came a loud, mean voice behind her.
What made you think you could get away from me? Come now, back on your leash
and back to the Kingdom!
It was her Pain Monster, huge, dark and ugly. The monster had sniffed her out
and tracked her to the village, intending to take her back to the Kingdom of Pain.
A wave of hopelessness nearly engulfed the girl, but she summoned up
courage from within and ran from the Pain Monster toward the people in the village.
Help me! she cried. My Pain Monster is strong and powerful I cant fight it
alone. I dont want to go back to the Kingdom. Please give me sanctuary!
The people had heard stories of a Kingdom where Pain Monsters lived off fear
and ruled the land. They thought it was a myth, but now they realized it was true;
and that this girl needed their help.
You dont have to give in or go back, the people told the girl. We will help
you train your Pain Monster, for it is too large and powerful to manage on your own.
The monster will shrink in size once it is leashed and you no longer fear it.
Cant you just kill it? asked the girl. Or lock it up in a dungeon, never again
to see the light of day?
No, they said. We live with our pain monsters and take care of them. They
protect us and warn us of danger. They can get a little demanding when they want
food or attention; but other times we hardly know they are there. Perhaps it is not a
perfect solution, but it works for us.
And so the people captured the girls Pain Monster. They put a collar on it and
taught it the ways of their village. The girl, with the help of the villagers, trained her
Pain Monster. She learned to ignore its loud, rude demands and comments; and it
grew smaller and smaller until she could easily manage it on a leash.
At first, the girl was bitter about all that the Pain Monster had taken from her.
She had lost her innocence and had lived in fear for so long! She expected others
to treat her badly, mistrusted their motives and misjudged their kind intentions. But
the villagers were patient with her; this helped her mourn what she had lost and let
go of feelings that lingered from the memories of her awful childhood.
Soon, the Pain Monster was no longer the center of the girls life, for she was
busy discovering many things about herself and others. One day, as the girl walked
through the marketplace, holding the hand of a young child, she felt strong

gratitude for the villagers that had welcomed her, many of whom she had come to
care about and many that cared deeply for her.
I can live with my Pain Monster, just as they do, she realized. I cant kill it
or hide it away in a dungeon, but I can accept it, manage it and go on with my life.
The girl took back her life with that realization. Pain would remain in her life,
but she would not let it rule her; it is never too late to change, to move on, and to
love and be loved.
THE BOTTOM LINE: LIVE fully with your pain.