Igrad (legion)

A story of understanding and acceptance

There was a hedgehog that travelled the world alone. He had been by himself ever since he could remember and he was always fine by himself as he never known better, or worse. One day he met a group of hedgehog cuddling together. He was astonished with the fact that other hedgehog beside himself. So he slowly, hesitantly approached the group. When he was very near with them, he felt warmth like never before. It was so pleasant. He felt like he was part of the group, as if he belonged to them. An ecstasy overwhelmed him and he creep closer and closer to the centre of the group. Then a thought crossed his mind, an imagination that if all of them could stand side by side, shoulders to shoulder, shrugging their skin, nose to nose. Then he approached a hedgehog in a leap of faith. The spine began to brush his skin. He could felt the pain as the spine penetrate his skin. But his determination, his longing for a long lost dream, like a forgotten memory that become too blurry and too noisy that you could only remember the smell, was very strong and vivid, it tranquilized his pain. His spine then pierced the other hedgehog; he could see the fresh wound began to bleed. He could scent the vermillion blood dripping from the shivering body. He translated that timid tremble as chilling coldness – not every soul dare to dream. He began to hasten his little step, with their thorn penetrating deeper into each other. Breaking the silence, the hedgehog screamed, a trembling sound so painful and so similar to his own that it infested fear in his heart. This kind of fear is a unique and weird feeling that he never felt, as if he could feel what other are feeling. That was his first and bitter taste to empathy, like the first bottle of beer or the first gulp of pipe. He ran away from the crowd as fast as the crowd ran away from him. Then he was alone, again. But now he felt empty and lost. He walks and walked tries and tried to find another hedgehog but he found none. ..

Once upon a time like any other time (anti-fetish), a princess was born in a winter-land far south (Igrad). The weather was very harsh. Blizzards would come one after another like weekends and holidays. Sometime during mid-winter, the sun would forget to rise. But the princess never knew how hard is it to grow a crop when the soil is covered with snow; fish when the lake is covered with ice. What she understood was that snow is good for skiing and frozen lake for skating. As she grew, she became accustomed and acquainted with the weather that everyone hated. Nevertheless, she grew like any other girl. She was happy and gay, excited by the most trivial occurrence, like waiting every second for the hundredth and one snowfall of the year and watch vapour from her mouth for hours and hours. She could find herself amusement in monotony and enjoyment in solitude. Indeed, this is a blessing for her country. The King and the Queen could then be busy to keep everybody happy that they have no time for her, but they never realized that she is alone most of her time, she was always fine with herself. The maids of the castle were also busy with the princess’s clothes and dishes, rooms and their own lovely romantic life that they have no time to play with her, to entertain her or to praise her; to tell her that she is beautiful and lovely (self-validation). She did not bother about her looks, there were no mirrors in the castle, and nobody in the castle has the time to groom.

One day like any other day, she was walking in the garden, in a middle of a blizzard like any other blizzard, but nobody knew. She could look after herself, so no one has to look after her anymore ever since she walked and spoke and so nobody did. She found this little hedgehog. She picked it up and put it in the warmth of her coat, carried it into the castle.

One day like any other day she found a little hedgehog in her garden. She also befriended a hedgehog (her inner self) and they grow liking towards each other (she accept and love herself the way she are). Whenever the hedgehog cuddled on her lap, he would be at peace and relaxed and his spine so she could caress him back without hurting her (she is at peace with herself). As a matter of fact, he was her only friend (self-content). Yet the princess and the hedgehog were never lonely, as long as they have each other, the world is enough.

One day like any other day (anti-fetish), a marriage was arranged for her and a prince from a neighbouring kingdom, and she was overjoyed. So she headed for a one way trip, leaving everything she was familiar with behind, her little hedgehog, her parents, her maids, her castle and all the things she has ever knew. She was very excited as she never ever travels in her entire life.