An Excerpt From "The Lady"

Hello Everyone! Boy it's been a long time since I posted, but I can assure you that I've been keeping busy. And guess what?
I just published my first story!
It's an allegory called The Lady and it's about a topic very near and dear to my heart, but I can't tell you what it is or it would ruin the story. I know, kind of a stupid corner to back myself up into, but what I can say is that it is about proper government and deals with sort of Utopian themes. Once you realize what it's about I think it opens up a new understanding of the idea it is based around, so I really hope lots of people read it.
I published it using Kindle Direct Publishing, which is very easy to use and allows you to publish short stories and books straight to the Kindle. I of course realize not everyone has a Kindle, but the neat thing is you don't even need one to read my story! Amazon offers a free kindle app for computers and other things here, so almost anyone can read my story!
It's only for a dollar, and everything I make from selling it is going straight to my education, so please buy it and spread the word! Also, writing a review would be super nice too!
And now I have a special treat for those who follow my blog: an excerpt from the beginning of the story (about two pages worth)! I hope you like it!

The Lady

By Joshua Christianson

            In a far away valley, nestled behind grassy hills, there is a beautiful land that few ever discover and where even fewer stay. If a traveler can find it and see it for what it is then they have found paradise, but if they fail to understand the true nature of the place then they leave and may never return.  At the center of this place sits a humble city, and in the center of this city stands a grand house where the leader of the land lives: the young, beautiful and mysterious Lady.

            On the first day of spring the Lady, as was her habit, paced intently along her wrap-around porch waiting to welcome those travelers who found their way to her door step. She had done this since before even the oldest of her friends could remember. She wore a plain, green dress and had long, brown hair, and as she walked her gaze shifted between the four roads that stretched out from her home: one to the North, one to the South, one to the East and one to the West. She was ever vigilant for searching souls.

            That morning she spotted a young and pompous man traveling down the East road towards her.

            “Good morning sir, how do you do?” She called out, but his eyes remained fixed on the ground. When he arrived at her doorstep he stopped, but did not look up. He wore a puzzled look on his face. “Would you like to come in and rest?” said the Lady, “I’m sure your journey has been long and tiresome. A nice bed, some good food and a pleasant stay are all yours, if you so wish.”

            The man said nothing and refused to look her in the eye, much like a guilty child returning to his mother. Then he shook his head and walked around the house.

            “This can’t be right. This can’t be right. They said it would be like…. No, this isn’t it…. Well maybe… no…” he mumbled. “Not this way…. Not like that. I’ve looked for so long I know what it’s supposed to look like.”

            “What is your name sir?” said the Lady. At this he finally addressed her, though his eyes stayed fixed on the ground.

            “My name is Professor Theodor Ristar. I am a great scholar from a far off land.”

            “And what is it you seek, Mr. Ristar?”

            “I search only for a land of peace, prosperity, love and goodness. Is that so much to ask? Well, apparently it is. I have searched for a very long time, looked down many different paths, and I have finally been led to this place but-”

            “Sir, you will be happy to know that you have reached such a place!” said the Lady, smiling. “I govern this land, and my people are peaceful, live in prosperity, and are filled with goodness and love. Let me but show you in and I will explain.”

            “No, madam. This cannot be it. I see evidence of work and toil,” he said, looking away from the house towards several fields and farms where some people were working.

            “A society cannot function well without hard work and effort, sir,” said the Lady. “Labor is the price of my hospitality. What you see there are my people working to grow food for-”

            “Heavy responsibility can be felt here like nowhere else,” he said, without listening. “It is almost palpable. People who live here can only be cut of a certain cloth, I am sure. No, I look for a land for the Anyman. You have one only for the best.” At this the Lady tried to speak, but the man, still refusing to look at her and circling the house, spoke over her. “Now, I know what you would say. You would say that a man can change and choose to live such a life. That he could mold himself to be better. Well, I am afraid that is just not the case. The people of my land have scientifically shown that all personalities are determined by environment and are subject to fate. It is ridiculous to think someone might change himself.  Nope. No, madam. This can’t be— Ah-Ha!”

             He had stumbled on the northern road, and immediately marched away without so much as a word of goodbye. She sighed as she watched him go. A man so set in his ways would never find what he sought, for he could not properly see at all.