To Die For.

So I'm walking down the streets of New York City, right? Just walking, minding my own business. All of a sudden, I notice a man in the crowd. He's running from person to person, urgently, desperately trying to get someone's attention. It seems like no one can see him, they've all fallen into a pattern of ignorance. But I see him. And he notices my glance, as well. Gasping for air, he makes his way toward me. And when he's finally in front of me, he hands me a box.

Normally, I wouldn't accept a box from a complete stranger. A complete stranger, yes, and one who looks like he does. Grungy clothes, dirty face, tired eyes. But I grab hold, for I can see the pleading look in his eyes. He needs someone to take this box. And I feel that it's my job to do so. As he releases, I ask why. What is it?

He begins to tell me a story:
I once knew a girl. She was your age, maybe a bit younger. She was the love of my life. I never got the chance to marry her, for she died when we were only sixteen. She was murdered. The man that murdered her was looking for these. He wanted more from her than she was able to give. More than she was willing to give.

I found her, as she was dying from the stab wounds. With her last few breaths, she told me to take these things. Stow them safe away. She wasn't ready to give them up, she wasn't ready to give him what he wanted, and it cost her life. She said to keep them safe. To show others that these things are important. That they need protection, that they are worth dying for.


And just as he had come, in a whirlwind of fury, the man left me. When I got home, I opened the box. Inside was nothing more than several sheets of paper. Disappointment flooded my face, but I decided to examine them a bit deeper. As I opened each sheet of paper, I realized that the girl was correct. These things were important. Not things to be given at your own discretion, and not things to be flaunted. These were things to die for. On each sheet of yellowed paper, written in beautiful cursive with a loving hand was a different one of these words. Faith. Perseverance. Integrity. Patience. Love. Values. Belief. Honesty. Loyalty.