On my approach to the city I arrived at the Garden of Painted Stones. Each stone was a different color, studding a vast field with pastels that jutted into the sky. It is said the artist wished to remain anonymous, so the viewer’s attention was directed solely to the work itself.
The garden had a reputation as a place of contemplation--of adjustment and calm for those who left the city.
I decided to spend the night among the stones, each of which was said to represent a single musical tone.The sun-light falling on the various combinations of colors results in an array of chords that can be heard in the mind.
As the sun swept over the garden at the approach of twilight, I heard music rise from the stones to the stars. I thought of the genius behind such an idea and was grateful for the artist who had brought this concept to life.
As I slept that night, I dreamed of a pond. It's water was as clear as glass. There were red brick walkways just below the surface. At their edge, the water was thick with fish.
They were perfectly transparent, yet I could see their mouths opening and closing at the surface. There were so many of them I couldn't tell the life of the fish from the life of the water. Then I noticed a hovering stillness in the air. It was so profound it bordered on music. I walked to the center on the serpentine red path.
There was a fountain of pure water there.
I took a drink.
As I left The Garden of Painted Stones the next morning, The sun lit the field with burnished hues. My mind still swells with the thought of that song. I took it with me for much of the day.
That afternoon as I closed in on the city, I walked quietly past the Lake of Lost Souls. Not long after that, I heard something new. The music I had heard in the Garden began to be drowned out by the sound of engines.
That evening I reached the City of Sorrow, so named because it was alone--the only city left in the world. I had been surviving on hardtack and handouts for many weeks, so I decided to eat a proper meal . The noise of the traffic was painful to my ears, but I was fascinated with the cars and the frenetic, jagged motion. The bright colored lights and deepening shadows.