Empty Burdens

Empty Burdens is a surreal and poetic journey through the five stages
of grief, told through the eyes of a soul searching for peace in a world
built from sorrow. Desperate to reach the House of Coping and drink
from the elusive Elixir of Closure, the narrator is instead swept into a
theatrical maze of emotional detours—a performance staged by the
Empty Burdens themselves.
From the Empty Burdens Plaza, “Happily Never After” Bar to the
shadowy corners of the Bargaining Basement, and “Bye Bye Butterfly”
Fountain. Each chapter reveals a new facet of grief—both haunting
and strangely beautiful. The story blurs the lines between reality and
metaphor, offering readers a mirror to their own losses and the quiet
strength it takes to carry them.
By the end, the narrator comes to understand that grief doesn’t vanish—it
becomes part of the landscape of memory. Letting go isn’t about forgetting;
it’s about accepting the echo and choosing to move forward anyway.