Suit of Armor

He was walking down the road, secure in his suit of armor, panting. He wanted to stop but knew he must go on, although he didn't know why. He looked behind him to once again see the steep hill he just climbed. He smiled with the knowledge that he was able to make it, that he didn't give up. There were of course times that he wanted to take the armor off, times he thought he was going to collapse underneath the weight of it all, but he didn't, he couldn't. He was safe underneath the polished steel, if he took it off, he knew he would get hurt. There were all sorts of cruel people roaming these roads, just looking for some vulnerable fool, he wasn't about to be one of them. There had been times when he removed portions of the armor, only to confirm his fears. He would get scratched by some nasty bush, some over-hanging tree, and occasionally would be viciously attacked by some hidden villain. Once these attacks took place he would quickly replace the removed piece, making himself secure once again. These attacks never did much damage, they only served to strengthen his resolve to leave the armor on.

He's been walking this road for years, most of his life really, all the while being protected by this armor. But he is getting tired, it is a struggle to put one foot in front of the other. He often dreams of a place where he would be safe, where he could remove his armor, where he could rest. It is probably just some silly dream, but whenever he looks ahead he pictures a place just beyond the horizon......But he's got to live in the here and now, and he knows that he must go on, that he must stay safe. He looks up and sees another hill. He doesn't know how he'll be able to conquer this one, maybe he won't, maybe just beyond it lies a sanctuary. He presses on, praying for some kind of relief, praying for a secure place, praying that the armor would crush him where he stands.