Perpetual Boy

Over the centuries mankind has searched relentlessly for the key to perpetual motion.

I found that long looked for key today along the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. It materialized in the form of a four year old boy.

Blond haired, brown eyed, with stubby legs that refused to remain still, the young boy chased each and every crashing wave back into the sea. Between surges of seawater, the boy raced to attempt to capture any and all seagulls attempting to land within a fifty yard radius. If there were no seagulls drifting in for a landing, the boy moved his assorted sand toys from one side of his father's chair to the other.

So it went all afternoon. Chase a receding wave, run down a seagull, chase a wave, run after a bird, chase a wave, move the orange and blue buckets, chase a wave, run down a seagull....

It turns out perpetual motion is not without cost to humanity. The boy's ability to motor around endlessly obviously came with a price to those nearby. Somehow the boy was draining the life force of those around him in order to maintain his own momentum. I can attest to this mysterious borrowing of energy myself. I found myself exhausted just watching the boy.

And I understood why the boys parents did stir from their chairs. Being nearest the boy, their energy had been siphoned off long before mine.