text: More @ r/TheAllKnowingOwl Ch.2 is all about how pointless life is. We work for those who are bigger than us. Rolling up thier leftovers like dung beetles. Ch.3 is about how we depend on others to live but can't escape their control. &#x200B; # Chapter 2 - The droppings of others Eric woke up as a dung beetle. Not just an ordinary beetle that could fly about its merry business. No, a dung beetle. A beetle subject to a life of rolling balls of dung. A humble life it is to those who do not mind the smell of shit. Dung beetles do not complain. They know not more than the smell of shit and the urge to roll it into balls. And thus, was the life of a dung beetle. And thus, were the lives of Eric and Alex, when they reincarnated from goldfish. Neither Eric nor Alex thought more about their current circumstances than one might expect a dung beetle is capable of thinking. Instead, they rolled balls of shit, by instinct if nothing else. And thus, their life continued. There was no cat to taunt, just elephants, zebras, and giraffes that would deliver them their day to day work. One day, when Eric delivered his final ball of dung for the week to their cave, he asked Alex, "Why is it that we must collect the dung of the animals bigger than us?" Alex flicked his feelers in a body language only beetles could interpret. "It is what we must do. We are dung beetles, and so, we must collect dung. It's what must be done." It was a strange concept to grasp, Eric thought to himself one morning when finding a huge pile of elephant droppings. We were born to live off the scraps of the bigger creatures of this land. Alex did not seem to mind. He seemed satisfied by the balls of shit he would roll each day from what was left over from the larger animals. This idea, however, troubled Eric. Why should he have to roll the other animals droppings into balls of shit. Could they not do that themselves? This was what was on Eric's mind as he ran out across an open field, ignoring his duties as a dung beetle. He wanted freedom, a life away from the droppings of others. What he received, however, was the beak of a bird flying overhead. *I should have stuck to gathering dung*, thought Eric as the beak crushed his abdomen. *It was better than getting eaten by a bird*. # Chapter 3 - Anything for you, master Eric was a dog. He knew so by his tail that insisted to wag whenever he grew excited. Also, by the fact that his sense of smell was sharp, and he had a devotion to his owner stronger than any other bond one could expect in a lifetime. His owner was the one that fed him and Alex. Their owner was a god to be worshiped. They would do whatever their owner wanted, even if it meant not tearing shoes or sitting on the sofa. If they were lucky, Eric and Alex would receive treats for good behaviour. Oh, how they loved the treats. More so, the attention from their owners. How they noticed they could listen to their commands. Sit. Oh yes, I will. Anything for you master. And thus, the lives of Eric and Alex continued. Alex was content with doing just as their masters pleased, but Eric sought more. He wanted to know what was outside their home. There was a whole world out there. Alex, however, did not like the idea. He said it was dangerous and it was not worth discovering the world if they had everything provided for them by their masters. Eric could not handle this idea; living a world between four walls not knowing whether he was missing out on what was yet to be discovered. He had to know. This was the one and only thought of Eric's as he strayed from his house and walked across the road. He had to know what was out there. Although, Alex was right. Learning the truth proved dangerous. There were cars that ran you over in a heartbeat. And so, Eric lived a shorter life, in the vain hope he would discover more than he was given. Ironically, the car that ran Eric over was the car of his owner who had just returned from the shops with dogfood. Eric felt a sense of Déjà vu. Each time he tried to make his own way in life, but as soon as he did, he was swept into a path he did not anticipate. It did not matter what creature he was. He was subject to those who were bigger than him.