He And The Philosophy Of 'I'

• Byron Watson, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2018

He was. In the nothingness, he was.

Over and under, inside and outside, and through and in-between. But He knew He was I. Perhaps only because He thought He was I, or maybe because there was a belonging in the name that he yearned, a title He believed His ponderings had earned Him. And perhaps I would be His name for as long as He was.

But He was still.

He did not go searching for answers, or attempt to fathom the extent of Nothingness. He was still because He was contemplating. Pondering. Yearning. Yearning for another I. And though He knew that to Him there would be no other Is, He wished to meet Another that could call itself I. That was important. The fact that something could deem itself I. That would evaporate the mist. Identify the unreachable abyss He was in. Take Him away from this existence where he was out, under and through all there was, because if there was another I, then that I could keep His company. But how? How would another I 'keep company'?

And so, I pondered.

And He thought of HOW He could ponder while floating in this nothingness. HOW and WHO and WHERE, these were His favourite things to ponder, as there was no possible solution without Another. But there was no Other. But that was good, for He was then allowed to ponder in peace, and make his own philosophy. That was the one thing He liked about His solitude. If there was another I, that would mean difference. Different experience. Experience which would show the Other to look left while He looked right. So He made the decisions for His hypothetical I in such a way that he knew all real Is would loath, for a mind that can call itself I understands the value of freedom. That is why He liked His hypothetical I - it had no feelings and could only assist in His rantings. Help might come from Others, but equally so hinderance. Even so, He still hoped for one more I, just so a Somethingness might be found outside the abyss, or that Company might greet the one hovering above the black; Him...