There was a town that had known wealth, and excess, and growth for as long as anyone could remember. In this town was a man. He was a social, outgoing, kind-hearted giving man. For this he was quite popular, and well-liked. The women, the children, elders, vagrants, politicians alike—loved him!  

This man, along with his business partner and greatest friend, with whom he had grown rich, held frequent celebrations. Massive affairs that would encompass the whole town. Travelers came from the furthest reaches of the globe to attend the festivities. As sure as the town was prosperous, parties were thrown.

One night, during one of their many jubilations, the man’s best friend and partner retired early to his chambers.  The next morning he was discovered passed away in his sleep. The joys and riches they had obtained together no longer made the man happy. The parties continued but left him empty.

The people of the town, unwilling to see his suffering, showered him with even more attention and affection until one night amid one of the extravagant gatherings, he left. Left his home. Left his town. Left all his materials and riches behind. He traveled far; far across deserts and plains and rivers and oceans. He traveled to the farthest corners of the earth, trying eagerly to put distance between himself and who he had been.

 One night, when he lay awake in his makeshift camp, unable to fall asleep--the sky tore open and a blue-green fireball plummeted from space above and crashed to the ground nearby. 

He ventured close, but not too close, to inspect what had fallen. 

Feeling a reassuring and rejuvenating warmth as he neared the crash site, he kept a safe distance still.  Watching the blue and green stone that had fallen from the sky and scattered to pieces upon impact for hours, his mind began to wander to thoughts of his late friend.

“I wish they were here to see this,” he said, low and aloud.

And in that instant, a flash of green light brought his deceased friend back to him.

“What in hell has happened!? Have you died?” his friend exclaimed.

“No. No, it's the other thing...You—you've returned.” said the man.

His business partner inspected himself, patting his body down to make sure he was not but a dream. He was solid, and alive, and returned to an age shortly before his death, when he was in good health.

“How?”

“I simply looked at those rocks that fell from the sky and thought to myself 'I wish he was here to see this with me.”

Without a word exchanged. The mans The mans partner brings back his mom. His mom brings back her sister. His aunt brings back her best friend that had died. She brings back her husband. He brings back his dad. Dad brought back his wife and this cycle continued until many dead loved ones had been returned. They rejoiced and reminisced and resolved to share the gift of the rocks that fell from the sky with the town they all once called home. 

So, the man, his consortia of friends, and family, made their joyous pilgrimage home. And when they crossed the rivers and oceans and plains and deserts and came to the gates of the town they were not greeted or received warmly. The people of the town were afraid at the sight of their celebrated man with his laughing army of friends and family marching behind. They did not embrace their lost. 

“How is it that you have returned alongside the dead?” They shouted to him from defensible positions atop the town gates.

He shouted back. Explaining to them about the rock at the end of the world that brought back the dead. In return, the people of the town cut him down and burned all of their recently returned to ashes. They then declared the rock at the end of the world cursed. from that day they warned to travelers with the tale of a man that he had been driven mad by stones pitched from space. Over time, fewer people came to ask about the man and even less would come to ask about the rock.