This story came from a really long while ago, in the distant land of Moonlight, where the elders there loved telling stories to their children and the younger ones around them.
Although no story was ever told twice, this one had to be repeated. The elders wanted to make sure that all their descendants heard the story, and learnt from it.
(Don't worry, they didn't forget you. They are probably your ancestors too, which is why they sent me to you. 😉)
This particular legend has it that
There was a man who did flawless magic.
His magic was so good that the blind watched in awe, and the dumb screamed in excitement.
He always put up amazing shows, and people always looked forward to his magic.
He had that track record of awesomeness, and had earned a great reputation for himself. Magic made him famous.
I couldn't remember his name, so I gave him the name MYSTERIO.
In those times, Mysterio challenged the whole country
"I will break out of any prison cell. Put me in and see, all I need is one hour."
It was some form of challenge to the public, and he rang the bells from time to time. People knew he was so good at it, so they thought it was pointless to accept his challenge.
For a long time, nobody accepted his challenge, but that didn't stop Mysterio from boasting.
Because of his reputation,
He couldn't give up on his challenge, so he went on and on boasting of how good he was, and how he had broken out of numerous jail cells.
Well, this went on for a while until...
A correctional facility decided to take on the challenge. I mean, a prison accepted Mysterio's challenge!
There has never been a breakout at their station, and they were so sure Mysterio couldn't destroy that record.
Perhaps, they had a secret lock that no one could break.
They probably said to themselves: "Who does this man think himself to be? How dare he say he will break out of any jail cell?"
"How about we accept his challenge? This guy needs some embarrassment to sober up", someone must have hinted.
And so, they did. They accepted his challenge and brought him in.
***
On the day of the challenge, people gathered outside the prison. Everyone was eager, and wanted to know what was going on.
Silence was not at the scene, but others like Chanting, Shouting, Cheering, and their other relatives were there. Some people even brought their pets to the scene.
"All I need is one hour! Just 60 minutes, and I'd be out like I never even went in," Mysterio cheered on the audience as he arrived at the facility.
The warden in charge of the facility took Mysterio around himself, and showed him to the cell.
Mysterio walked into the cell, paced around for about 46 seconds, then faced the warden with a sly smile on his face.
"You can lock it up. Lock it as tightly as you can."
And the warden,
with an indifferent look, shut the gates.
Mysterio was really tall, and he would easily pass as a giant. He was dressed in black all through. He removed his black coat first, then he rolled up the sleeves of his black shirt.
He brought out the tools he was supposed to work with, and jammed his large palms together, and made a loud noise.
Mysterio was so excited about this challenge.
He started his work with so much confidence, and was ready to add another challenge to his portfolio.
45 minutes gone, and Mysterio was still at it. He was already sweating profusely, but he remained confident.
"These people made their locks much harder. It's probably my hardest lock yet.
"What are challenges if they are not harder?" he thought to himself.
15 minutes later...
1 hour gone, and Mysterio hadn't uncaged himself. His confidence pulled down immediately. He was distraught, and was desperate.
The warden and the other officers began to mock him.
"He thinks he can boast like that, and set himself free so easily?"
"I hope he rots in there. 😌"
"See how desperate he looks. 🤣"
The audience outside was ready to cheer him. And Some others saw an opportunity to mock him.
There were mixed reactions outside. Mysterio's reps definitely dropped because people began to lose confidence in him.
With everything going on, Mysterio still kept up with the struggle. Perhaps, a few minutes extra was forgivable.
2 hours gone,
and Mysterio was still locked in. He had lost all hope. He was frustrated, and tired.
He dropped to the floor in frustration, and leaned his back on the cell gates. Mysterio gave up. He was already considering calling the Warden to accept defeat, because he had learnt a lot in the 2 hours he spent in the cell.
But that wasn't all.
While he juggled his thoughts, exploring options and consequences, his back fell to the ground.
Did he sleep off? Was he dreaming? What happened? His thoughts wandered miles further.
He wanted to make sense of what had just happened. He stood up to inspect.
Apparently, the gates that held Mysterio captive flung open.
Mysterio wasn't sure what had happened. He was still inspecting.
Why did the gates only open when Mysterio was resting? Why only when he gave up?
Did someone open it from behind?
Why did it open when he leaned his back on the gates?
Or perhaps, the gates were never locked from the beginning. They were only locked in Mysterio's mind.
What do you think?
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Thanks! 😇