Monday, December 20, 2010

Awaiting Giants

Long ago, a lonely giant roamed the fresh lands of the world. His head high up in the dewy white clouds, while his bare feet plodded along the soft land below.

He was lonely for, even though there were the animals; the birds, the deers, the dragons, and the unicorns to keep him company, there was no other giants like him. No one to talk to or wrestle with, or even fall in with.

After searching the whole of the world and not finding another of his kind, the giant sat down upon a grassy hillside and decided to wait. He would wait until another giant came along and found him.

He waited and waited and waited. Years upon years passed by. The land grew up around the waiting giant and he became apart of the hillside.

Humans came and built their homes around the giant, eventually growing into a great city. All the while never knowing that they lived upon the ever waiting giant.

He had never bothered to move, for what he waited for had never come. Alone he sat, waiting for another giant.

And alone he still sits, forever lonely; forever awaiting giants.

Monday, December 6, 2010

The Children of Zurn

Do you hear? Singing their low chant, each in turn. They have come. Come to cleanse the world, bathing it in their Dark Light. The Children; Children of Zurn.

They come by the thousands and grow each day by a thousand more. At first it was out of fear, that people began to join. But now, to the world's dismay, it truly is their Father Zurn, that the hordes of believers faithfully adore.

And those that do not join them and their Dark Lord, shall be destroyed. The fanatical Children, pulverizing them into the Void.

What shall we do, how can we overcome; this Cult of Darkness that threatens the Light? We must find a way, before all the world becomes night.

They say there once was one that stood against Evil's might. When the world was threatened to be plunged into a sickening, Amber Light.

A warrior had come, traveling with a fierce panther, sleek and black. Together they fought their way across the accursed land. And together they beat the enveloping Amber Light back.

Come, o warrior of legends been told. Come, with your feline companion. Be brave; be bold.

Save us, before each and every village does burn, in the dark flames set, by the Children; Children of Zurn.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

The Phoenix Princess

Once, when the world was young and new, a powerful wizard fell in love with a beautiful princess. He wooed her with gifts of jewels, priceless treasures, and promises of great power over the peoples of the land. But she did not return his love, for she could see that he was corrupt with evil in his heart.

Even when the wizard threatened to use his magic to cast the world into darkness forever, she would not relinquish her love to him.

Enraged, the wizard called upon his powers to plunge the world into an eternal blackness.

The princess then begged and pleaded with the wizard to take it back, she promised to be his bride, if only he would bring the light back. But the effort that it took him to shroud the world in its black veil, had been too great, and the wizard died with a twisted smile upon his lips.

Overwrought with guilt, the princess ran to the highest mountain top, and leapt into the eternal night sky.

As she ascended, her heart burst; burst into a fiery phoenix, soaring on high, illuminating the darkness.

The phoenix stayed aloft for as long as it could, bringing light back to the world for an entire day. And when it could no longer burn bright enough, it dived down into the horizon to rest; slumbering with a warm, pale glow that softened the pitch of dark.

Once it had rest, the phoenix arose, once more ablaze with light for the dawn.

Thus it was, that the world had been immersed into darkness by anger and greed, and saved from its dark fate each morning by the broken heart of the Phoenix Princess.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Swanlight

As the daylight dims, where evening and night meet, strange shadows cast by the streetlamps, create pockets of darkness in the doorways and alcoves of the city street.

In the friscalating dusk light, dangers that hide in the bright of day, come out from the recesses of the mind, to play tricks in the unfamiliar night.

Greasy, amber light flickers in places we know to be safe; filling them with imagined mysteries we know not to be. But ones we cannot help but see.

Beckoning us in, it welcomes us with open arms. The shadows entice us with their dark charms.

We enter in; slip breathlessly into the night. And we pass forever, out of sight.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

It had not been a hallucination, Theodore thought fiercely.

It had not been a figment of his imagination. He had seen the giant tortoise by the park. Hadn't he?

He had seen the big domed shape on the green grass that edged the marshy stream running on the border of the big city park. Out of the corner of his eye as he had run passed on one of his daily jogs.

At first he had thought it was just a clump of grass and dirt, but he could have sworn he had seen it move.

He regretted not stopping at the time and going back to check, because now the question haunted him. Did he see a giant tortoise in the middle of the city, lounging on the grassy green lawn of the park?

When he made the claim that he had to his friends and family, they just laughed and thought he was just telling one of his fancy stories.

And maybe it was.

He had gone back to the spot maybe times, sometimes armed with a camera, and sometimes just altering his jogging route to check periodically for the big turtle. But it was never there.

It was maddening.

He had almost come to believe it had been just his imagination, until one fall evening Theodore was on a quick run, not even realizing he was running passed the fabled patch of grass, when there it was.

The big tortoise. Just sitting there, almost awaiting his arrival.

Theodore stopped, almost jumping with excitement. He had to cover his mouth with his hand from laughing out loud with joy. He did not want to spook the animal away. Though how fast a giant tortoise could flee did not enter his mind; it was racing with exhilaration.

He stood and stared at the big animal for a long while, as it simply regarded him with kind old eyes; eyes that seemed to smile back at the jubilant Theodore.

Slowly he began to move toward the kindly old tortoise and as he neared, its head bobbed up and down as if it were approving of Theodore's approach.

The dimming autumn sunlight began to reverse and brighten into a spring morning as Theodore reached out his hand to the moss-patched dome of the tortoise's shell.

Its head still bobbing with approval, Theodore placed his hand on the textured surface of the shell. His smile broke into laughter as he felt a warmth pour over him as the daylight shinned on their private patch of grass.

Knowing that it was the right thing to do, Theodore sidled the massive turtle and mounted its shelled back.

Sitting atop the tortoise, Theodore threw back his head as he laughed as he had when he had been young; full of pure delight.

Slowly the tortoise plodded around the soft grass lawn as Theodore smiled and laughed, the summer sun warming his face.

For what might have been moments, or a lifetime, he rode around on the tortoise's shell, all the while laughing until tears welled in his eyes.

At last, they rode into the light that bordered their grassy field and both he and his turtle friend were enveloped by the white light.

When Theodore opened his eyes he was standing on the sidewalk beside the park. Shadows were growing within the threes and the autumn air was becoming quickly chilled as the light drained from the evening sky.

Theodore looked around for the tortoise but it was no where in sight. Had it been there?

The memory of riding around on the turtle's back began to fade like a dream as he stood panting from his jog. He shook his head and continued his run home; the question still in his mind. Had he seen the tortoise or just imagined it?

By the time he arrived back at home he had decided that he would keep the memory to himself. Not a story or hallucination.

A memory of riding the tortoise in the bright summer sun.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Sand Storm

In the deep desert, the sands whipped, cutting through the air likes sharpened knives.

So thick was the sand cloud that it blotted out the sky, leaving no trace of horizon to the west. But in the center of the swirling mass of sands, a darker figure appeared.

Moving through with ease, the figure came closer to the edge of the storm. Cloaked, the figure came to the boarder of the storm and stood, as if no winds whip at all, just inside the curtain of sand; which ceased moving as the figure stopped.

From under their darkly veiled hood, staring of the storm as it raged about, the figure remained un-phased by its cutting sands.

Purposely, the figure moved out from the sands' curtain, into the clear air before it.

After watching and waiting for a time, the figure then raised their arms up and the storm sands grew into the sky even higher. Then with a quick motion, the figure dropped their arms down, and the sandstorm died out in unison.

From the dispersing sands, surrounding the cloaked figure by the thousands, emerged an great army. All clad in sandy coloured cloth, tightly wrapped around their bodies, the legions all swayed in the deadly silence of the brightly lit morning.

Their leader, still staring into the distance, pulled back the hood that hid them from sight. The bright blue hue of the man's eyes matched the azure of the sky. They pierced through the distance as he stared eastward.

A leather cloth still masked his mouth and nose from the arid desert air, but his eyes chowed the snarl upon his hidden lips.

Hatred seethed within the bright blue of his gaze, firmly set on the shimmering city that lay on the far horizon.

Silver towers reaching up to the sky, crowded by smaller buildings, all silver as well, stood out in the desert landscape like a shinning crown.

And the leader of the massive desert horde glared at it with all the furies of the sands, blowing within his eyes.

With a sudden flourish of his cloaked arms, he lifted them high above his darkly-haired head. The calm sands swirled up around the soldiers and they all disappeared within the storm once more.

As the curtain of sands grew to block out the western sky again, their leader pulled the dark hood back on; shrouding the bright blue of his eyes in shadow.

And when he was ready, the storm moved upon him, swallowed him whole, and covered everything in darkness.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Dark Reflection

His dark reflection in the window changed. He could see the features of his face move from shadow to light as the train moved through the tunnels.

At one moment it was the bright, friendly, familiar visage he saw day in, day out. But the next, it was distorted and strange; a frightening doppelganger of himself, staring back from the other side of the glass.

And as the reflection stared, an evil smile spread across its face; a grin that sent a chill down his spine.

For as the smile broadened and darkened, he recognized whom he was facing. It was the dark part of himself that he hid away. Every secret, lie, or malicious thought that he had buried deep within was staring back at him; staring with burning, black eyes. Terror filled him and he began to scream.

As his screams filled the subway car and I turned up the music in my headphones, I thought with a sigh; I knew I shouldn't have sat down next to this guy.

Oh well, only two more stops to go.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Ashes of War

“Come, oh ancient warrior once brave and bold,

dust off the gray ashes of war.

Arise to do battle once more,

for Evil has crept in and turned the world cold.”


Upon the high parapet of the black castle wall, a darkly cloaked figure stands looking over the devastation that lays on the fields below.

The broken bodies of thousands of soldiers that had crashed upon the black castle walls, like pounding ocean waves in vain, littering the scorched land in heaps. A cold wind whips over the dead, covering all in the dust and ash of the burnt forests that had surrounded the once lush landscape.

He looks upon the destruction and an evil smile comes to his bearded lips. His black crowned head tilts back as a chuckle spreads into a maleficent laugh that is carried across the battle field on the harsh wind.

Down on the ground, his mocking laugh echos as movement begins underneath the sea of dead. Slowly, an unnoticed hand rises from below and claws itself free. Gripping onto the arms and legs of the fallen, another hand emerges as they begin to pull their owner free.

Climbing out of the pile, seemingly awakened by the evil king's laughter, a lone warrior crawls to his knees and then stands atop the bodies that he had moments ago been buried beneath.

His hair matted and caked with dirt, sweat, and blood, the warrior stands and stares defiantly up at the lonely figure on the castle wall. The wind blows the ashes from his battered armor as his tattered red cloak flutters out beside him.

Catching sight of the small figure standing amongst his fallen enemies, the darkly crowned king cuts his cruel laughter and glares down at the fool that dares to still defy his mighty wrath.

The two stare at one another as the wind whips the flags that decorate the high walls that surround the castle's onyx keep; dark clouds move in to cover the evening skies.

Even though his own armies had been exhausted defeating the many peoples that had come to stand against him, the evil king felt secure in his fortress against this one, lone warrior whom had risen from the ashes. What was one more after all? He began to laugh once again, full with brash arrogance.

The warrior grips the hilt of his sword, sheathed at his waist; the leather creaking under his clenching hand.

“Come, fool!” the evil king calls down to him. “Come and I shall defeat you myself, so that you may join your pathetic comrades!” His teeth in bright contrast to his darkly bearded face as he throws his head back in laughter wildly once more.

Lightning streaks across the dark sky behind the dark-crowned king as his laughter taunts the warrior.

The warrior; cracking his own knowing smile as the black gates of the castle boom open to let him in. Into the lair of his enemy to do battle, one final time.

He smiles and thinks of the vengeance that would now be his. Thunder rumbles in the darkening sky as he begins to stride to the dark castle; to at last set the land free.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Future/Past

I wonder, if you could go back; back in time, and you meet your younger self and tell them everything you have learnt over the years; through lessons life has taught you; would it then cancel them all out?

For, if you had known how to avoid the troubles and tribulations that led you to learning those life lessons, would you know them to impart them, in the future, to your past self?

And if you did not know them and you could not impart them to yourself, then would you not fall prey to those bumps and bruises laying in wait along life's path once again?

Thus learning all those important lessons once more?

And knowing now what you had not known in then, would you go back and tell yourself all over again?

Monday, October 11, 2010

Hill Stones

In a lush, green, and rolling pasture a lone cow watched as it chewed lackadaisically.

The cow had never had much interest in the affairs of humans; besides the force behind the prod of a farm hand, or the hand temperature of the milk maid.

But as it watched, it grew mildly inquisitive.

For struggling mighty, two strapping men lumbered up the opposite slopes of two hills that rolled into one another. Both men pushing massive boulders, larger than themselves, away from each other.

Grunting and sweating, the two made slow progress up the hill sides, making only brief stops to rest against their respective stones.

Almost the entire morning it took them to labour up the hillsides. Usually the cow would have moved along to the fields on the other side of the hill to the west, to spend the rest of the day grazing in the warm afternoon sun. But it had decided to stay, eating and watching these two interesting humans in their odd tasks.

By noonday they had both reached the top of their hills and had steadied the boulders atop the level plateaus. They each slumped and sat against their boulders, huffing and puffing from their exertions.

After a moments rest, the man on the north hill stood and waved to his counterpart on the opposite hilltop, whom stood, waved back, and yelled something in response.

They then went around to the back of the heavy boulders, positioned their broad shoulders against the curve of the rocks, and yelled to each other loudly.

The cow, its cud chewing forgotten for the moment, stood and watched what happened next.

The two men, their arm and leg muscles straining underneath their simple leather hide outfits, pushed the great stones back down the hillsides they had spend the entire morning pushing them up.

Finally sending them off with great pushes, the men both fell to their knees with the force of their efforts, and watched with excited grins as the two boulders bounced and picked up speed as they careened down the hills towards each other.

All three spectators watched with anticipation as the massive round stones rolled ever faster down. Until, with a shattering crash, they smashed into each other in an explosion of stone chips and dust.

Shouting and cheering came from each of the men on the hilltops as they jumped up and danced jigs in celebration of their job well done. While the cow, only cocked its big head to the side inquisitively.

The pile of rubble from the collision lay scattered in small valley at the foot of the hills as the cow looked from the debris to the hooting and hollering men and back again.

Its cud chewing recommenced after sometime and it began to make its way towards the west side pastures. The bell fastened to the leather strap around its thick neck jiggling rhythmically as it sauntered along the cool grass.

the metal clanging pounded in its large head which was throbbing with a headache. A little from the effort of trying to figure out what the purpose of all that had just happened was; but mostly from the annoyance of having stayed to witness it.

How the human race had gotten the upper hand, the cow would never know.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Cavern of Light

For so long he had searched; a unending quest to win the heart of the whom he loved. And now, at long last, he stood within the Cavern of Light.

All about him, the walls lined with crystal jewels; each one more precious and beautiful than the last. Each one reflecting the small fraction of light that seeped through the darkness of the tunnels and multiplying it tenfold, illuminating the cavern deep within the earth with dazzling brilliance.

Surely, any one of these gems would win the love of the one he desired.

Moving carefully across the cavern floor, he scanned the walls for just the right one. He came to a large teardrop shaped crystal that glimmered in his eye. A smile spread across his face and he moved closer to inspect the treasure.

Within the heart of the perfectly shaped crystal, he could see her; his beloved. Her long, flowing hair falling about her playfully as she danced and laughed in the ever changing angles of the gem; beckoning for him to join.

His smile broadened and his heart filled with joy as he reached out to the crystal image of his love, touching its smooth surface as if he were caressing the soft skin of her very cheek.

In his ears he heard her laughter, felt her arms around him as they danced together within the glittering light of the crystal's prisms.

Dancing eternally, deep within the Cavern of Light, its high domed walls filled with thousands of different shaped crystals; each one containing the smiling and laughing images of their prisoners.

All trapped forever, within their own desire.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Mastermind

The Earth rotates peacefully, hanging in its orbit in the infinite of space. The sun's distant rays fall upon the slowly spinning globe, casting warm light on blue waters of the oceans and the green-brown continents.

Watching, a solitary figure floats quietly, a tiny speck against the backdrop of stars. The man watches with little curiosity as his limbs dangle about his body in serene calmness. He wears no protective suit, but seems unaffected by the lack of air and subzero temperature of space.

He only hovers calmly between the pale moon and the brightly coloured earth, his black cape gathering around behind him.

As he watches, the rotation of the world, barely noticeable at first, begins to slow down. His eyes squint ever so slightly as the earth slows more and more, until it at last comes to a soft halt.

Little objects start to float up from the still planet. Airplanes, automobiles, trains, oil rigs, and ships begin to enter the atmosphere as the junk and debris of humanity breaks away from the once heavy gravitational grip.

Billions of figures begin to join their creations out in the building junk piles around the stilled planet. Their faces frozen in silent screams of terror at realization of their fate.

All the while the lone figure watches with languid curiosity.

And when what little interest for the former occupants of the small blue planet fades, he slowly moves along, across the dying planet as its blues and green-browns turned to pale, becoming as lifeless as its tiny moon.

Perhaps he would find something of interest in the next galaxy, he thought as he moved through the frozen graveyard, but most likely not.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Elemental Man

The sun shimmers golden upon the ripples as they move across the surface of the water. The calm of the lake water begins to dissipate as the ripples grow more frequent; radiating from the center of the medium-sized lake.

The green trees that surround the lake rustle noisily as the wind picks up.

Back in the middle of the water the ripples become waves, moving swiftly toward the sandy shores.

At the epicenter of the disturbance, the water bubbles and splashes up as something can be seen underneath the surface; rising up.

Up and out of the dark blue water a bare-skinned man rises.

His eyes closed, droplets of water slide off his muscled body as the figure continues to rise from the surface of the lake into the air.

Up into the bright, blue sky he rises, until he hangs high in sunlight above the lake.

Far off, halfway around the world, the sandy dunes of an arid desert begin to rumble and ripple as the water had done; sand flowing down into a sink hole that grows larger and larger.

And at yet another point high above the slowly spinning globe, a cloud formation swirls in the otherwise clear evening sky, and the dark outline of a figure can be seen in the amassing cloud.

Finally, on the high peak of a massive mountain top, lightning arcs from the dark night sky and strikes the rocky surface of a plateau. A fire sparks from the strike and the sparse grass and shrubs catch fire.

The flames build with unnatural quickness and are soon dancing high up against the night sky backdrop. And from out of the flames steps a man, the same man who had risen from the sunny lake.

As his bare feet step onto the mountain's rocky surface, the fires die down and he soon stands silently in the smoldering ashes.

A wind blows and clears the smoke as the man looks with closed eyes to the star-filled sky.

From three different directions, three silhouetted figures move across the sky toward the mountain top. As they approach they appear to be the same three men; eyes closed, moving steadily toward their fourth counterpart on the plateau.

The three move down to him as he moves to the edge and turns his back to them. They continue to converge until they each move into one another, joining the fourth to become one.

The wind dies down as the single man turns around to face the openness of the night sky above, and as he looks down, he opens his eyes to see to the world stretched out before him. Eyes that flash with the life that burns, blows, shimmers, and grows within.

Monday, August 2, 2010

The Night

“Take off your mask.” her soft voice asked in a whisper. She put her hand up to his covered face and he backed away.

The two stood staring at one another in the dark street.

“Why do you hide from me?” Her pale face tilted as the light of the streetlamp shone shone behind her, outlining her slender figure.

She reached again for the masked figure that stood outside of the light. Her hand finding only the widening space between them.

“Do you not trust me? Do you not love me?” she questioned.

The eyes behind the mask stared intensely through the dark and melted the icy anger that had begun to grow in her.

“Please.” she begged once more as she took a step towards him, out of the boundary of the light.

The darkness seemed to lurch out for her, but the masked figure leapt back, keeping the dark at bay behind him.

“You mustn't.” He whispered in a rasping voice that was thick with the night.

The young woman stopped and clenched her fingers in futility.

“I do trust you.” The masked man spoke in his dark whisper. “And I do love you.”

The light around her swelled and her eyes glowed at his voice.

He moved his gloved hand up to his masked face. She put her hand to her mouth in anticipation as he began to lift off the mask that had hidden him away from her.

“I hide myself away from you,” his whisper grew softer, “only, because I do not trust myself.” He removed the mask in a swift motion and his form vanished into the darkness; only his eyes lingered for a fraction before disappearing as well.

The young woman, her breath taken away, stumbled forward; away from her lamp light.

As she did, its light was swept out, and she was enveloped by the darkness.

Her breath trembled in the pitch night, and a voice whispered in her ear, “For I am the night.”

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Gentleman Cat

The gust of wind from the subway train as it came speeding into the station ruffled his fur and caused him to hold onto his little top hat.

Standing, waiting for the train to come to a stop, in his best suit and top hat, the gentleman cat looked small among the crowds of people.

The train slowed and came to a halt and he made his way on with the rest of the commuters. Some of them stared and pointed while whispering to one another and giggling.

But the gentleman cat paid them no mind, he simple found an open seat and hopped up onto it. He sat up tall and proud as he brushed a few hairs from his neatly pressed suit pants.

At the next station, more commuters boarded and a pregnant woman came on. Seeing that there were no available seats, the well-dressed cat hopped down, and offered his own seat to the tired woman, whom thanked him gratefully and sat down heavily.

The gentleman cat stood holding onto the bottom of the silver pole in the middle of the train car to maintain his balance as it rocked along.

The next time the doors opened, some passengers departed, and more boarded. Along with them entered a handsomely dressed dog; a black bowler hat atop his well-groomed head.

Immediately, the two spied each other as the dog took a spot opposite the cat.

Nowhere on their distinguished faces showed the animosity that boiled within the two gentlemen, but the tension filled the entire train car.

For a moment the din of the crowded car fell silent as all watched out the corner of their eyes; no one looking directly at the two figures standing in their suits.

Both regarded each other for what seemed an eternity, and then, casually, the gentleman cat touched the brim of his felt top hat and nodded a greeting to the dog, who in turn nodded politely.

The tension broken, the crowd went back to their conversations and at the next stop the cat straightened his bow tie and exited the car with another touch of his hat to the dog.

As the train pulled away and the cat walked proudly along the platform, the dog stood up on a seat and watched out the window.

The cat, not looking as the dog passed by inside the train, smiled a sharp-toothed grin as he took out his pocket watch to see that he was right on time.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Rain City

Sometimes she missed the sun. The blue skies; a dry breeze blowing through her hair. But all those were distant memories from her youth. Memories her mind would drift to as she stood waiting for the train on the high-rising platform.

The drops of rain splattering down on the roof top of the platform shelter above her head; rhythmically plinking their ever-present tune.

She looked out across the city, the gray clouds hanging in the sky; constantly heavy with moisture, which rained down up on the vast cityscape.

The many drain ways and devices that lined the rooftops throughout the city, catching the unending flow and using its natural potential energy to fuel the entire city's power needs.

A marvel of ingenuity and resourcefulness. Every brightly lit building; every vehicle; every piece of modern technology, powered by harnessing the rains that had blanketed the world so long ago.

The entire planet had put aside their warring and bickering when the clouds converged, blocking out the clear skies of the day forever, and the had developed a new, world. Using their natural plight to their advantage.

It was a golden age is some ways.

But at night, when the clouds inexplicably cleared, and the stars in the black sky above, twinkled and reflected on the watery surface, far below the high-raising buildings; built atop those of the ruined and flooded cities of the past, she would stand out and try to picture the blue skies of her youth.

And now, standing on the platform as her hover train approaches, she looks up at the cloud-covered sky and imagines the sunny skies that lay just beyond the gray rain clouds. And despite all the advancements humans have made since the rains, she still misses the sun, sometimes.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Naiad

Up from the babbling brook sprang a golden vision. Long, flowing hair that shimmered with the light reflected off the pure flowing waters.

Her long slender arms were full with golden bracelets that chinked musically together as she moved her arms sinuously about her head.

The white gauzy cloth of her dress clung to her body as the water soaked through to her soft skin. Golden belts wrapped around her curving hips, and her bare feet splashed about in the cool waters.

She was a water nymph, a Naiad, who had come to bask in the fresh waters of her playful brook which ran through the sunny forest.

And she was the most beautiful creature Henry had ever laid eyes upon.

She had not taken any notice of burly man until the loud splashing of a steady stream over took the sound of the brook.

She looked with curiosity about her for the source of the noise and when she did, her lovely face was distorted with a look of disgust.

Henry stood beside the stream with his woolen pants pulled down, relieving himself into the stream.

The sound faded as he finished and smiled awkwardly at the beauty.

“Sorry for peeing in your river.” he said sheepishly after a long silence. He then slowly pulled up his pants and gingerly did them back up, tucking his plaid shirt as he did.

The Naiad looked down at the yellowing stain in the water that was coming steadily toward her and she turned screaming; running lightly across the rocks that littered the brook.

Henry could only watch in embarrassed silence as she disappeared into the sunny forest.

Familiar Roads

Racing along, the wind whipped his hair back crazily, the sun warmed his skinned, and the clear blue sky made him smile broadly as Derek peddled his bike through the busy streets. Nothing gave him the same rush of zooming down a hill at top speed, passing all the cars in their gridlock.

Nearing the bottom of the hill, Derek could see that there was a traffic light at the intersection, but with luck it was about to turn green. He kept his course, speeding toward the intersection.

The light did indeed turn green, but out of the corner of his eye, Derek saw that a straggling car was making a dash to get across perpendicular lane. His heart jumped in his chest as he mashed the brakes, but at his speed, they were not going to be enough.

He swerved and skidded his tires sidelong, weaving around the car's bumper and running wildly onto an off-shooting lane way.

The action had happened too quickly for him to process, but somehow he had made it through; impossibly. And now he was peddling along an unfamiliar side street. His heart still race as he caught his breath; the sound of the car horns still echoing in his ears.

Close one, he thought to himself. He smirked cockily and continued on his way.

As he leisurely peddled along, the sun must have been covered by clouds, for it became suddenly shaded and the temperature dropped to give his sweat covered skin a chill. Tall trees further shaded the street as he casually examined the unfamiliar buildings and cross streets.

He read the street sign of the intersecting street he was passing and noticed it was the name of a town that neighbored his own boyhood hometown. He chuckled to himself, what are the odds, he thought. For it was not a very common name.

He peddled on, thinking he was going in the right direction. He passed by another street that had the name of an old dog he had had as a child. That was weird.

His thoughts were still on his long gone dog as he passed by a half built library, its brick frame hollow inside, but the engraved sign on the front of it caught he attention. It was the same name as the university he had gone to. But this library could not have anything to do with the school, for it had been across the country on the west coast.

A strange feeling came over him, that this strange street felt not so unfamiliar at all. Although he had certainly never ridden down it before.

He glanced around, staining to see if he could recognize any of the bigger buildings that were on the other side of the ones on this street. But only trees could be seen behind; almost like there was nothing else.

Derek decided to get off the street and turned up the next cross street with yet another name from his past. He peddled hard, trying to put distance between him and the strange street. Panting, he came to the next street and turned up it.

Again he tried to get his barrings, and saw another half built building with his mother's maiden name across its edifice. Frantically he looked around and saw that he was back on the same street.

But how? He had gone in the totally other direction away from it. But here he was, seeing more and more familiar names on street sighs, buildings, and billboards. Where was he?

The sky darkened and the winds picked up as he struggled to peddle. The wind whipped so harsh that it stung his eyes when he tried to see where he was going. He put his head down and pumped his legs until they burned with strain.

Suddenly, he hit into the curb with a tremendously jarring force that caused him to and fly, headlong over the handlebars of his bike and land, skidding along a grassy lawn.

Shaking off the daze, Derek got to his feet; grass stains all down the front of his shirt and shorts, warm blood welling up from the cuts on his knees. But nothing seemed to hurt, so he brushed himself off as he looked around.

Surrounding him, all in perfect alignment, were rows of tombstones. He had crash landed in a cemetery. A terrified chill shot through his chest and he turned to get his bike and get away. But there was no bike, only more, ever-stretching rows of tombstones.

His mind raced as he started to run along the path between the big stone slabs. He could not have flew that far from his bike. And where was the street? All he could see were rows of the stone markers, gray like the clouds moving in the sky above.

Looking back as he ran, Derek tripped on one of the tombstone bases and fell on his face once more. As he pushed himself up onto his knees, he looked at the grave he was in front of, and the tombstone's engraved words sent shakes through out his body.

On the grave stone, his name was written. His date of birth was followed by today's date. And underneath, it said that he had died tragically in a bicycle accident.

Derek's chest tightened and his breathing labored as his ears were filled with the piercing sound of car horns blaring.

He lay on the hard ash fault. He could see his mangled bike wedged underneath the car in front of him. His body hot with pain as he tried to look up at the people surrounding him from above, their voices faint. A familiar feeling fell over him as the light around them dimmed and the darkness crept over him.

The horns faded out as did the last of the light.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Wings

As she walked dreamily down the forest path, the sunlight flitted through the green leaves of the canopied trees; the sun coming down in the early evening sky.

Her bare feet padded along the soft, beaten dirt path as she rounded the bend and came into a secret glen where the pollen from the spring flowers danced in the air and the sun broke through the thicket of trees to shine brightly upon her young face.

The scene was so full with beauty that she stopped to lean by the trunk of an ancient tree to admire, as she had done so many years ago; lifetimes ago.

Her pretty, young face smiled as her tired eyes watched the little puffs of pollen play within the sun's golden light.

“You have returned.” a deep, rumbling voice spoke behind her, surrounding her.

She tilted her head coyly and smirked, “As you said I would.”

A dark shadow loomed up behind her as she stood facing the sun. The smell of hot, fiery brimstone radiated with heat around her. But she continued to look forward at the slowly setting sun.

“Yes.” she sighed tiredly. “I have grown tired and old inside this young body, as you knew I would. But oh what wonderful things I have seen.”

She shut her eyes, fatigued with the years, and breathed out as her body sagged slightly.

The sound of massive, leathery wings unfurling behind her made her rest her cheek softly upon her slender shoulder; a long forgotten sound she had once shuttered from, now felt like welcome sigh from a long lost lover.

“But you have come back to me.” the booming voice grew as did the presence behind it, raising behind the beautiful young girl, dwarfing her with its size. “Come back to fulfill your promise, all those years ago. So long have I waited.”

She felt the massive wings move around her, quivering with anticipation.

“Yes.” she whispered as the sun's light faded and the glow of dusk crept into the green glen. “I have returned as I had promised. To be with you again. Forever.”

The warmth of the wings wrapped around her as they closed in; enveloping her; embracing her in darkness.

High up in the night sky, in the pale light of the full moon as it hovers silently, two shadows fly side by side, flapping their ancient wings in unison. The red glow of their hearts, beating fiercely through their scaly armor.

Once again together. Once again alive with fire.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Bird of Prey

Standing high atop a mountain, looking out upon the land, a hooded figure waits.

The dawn has broke and the sun's rays slowly cascade over the sleepy land. Lush trees, winding rivers, and little villages populate the countryside below the looming mountain, where the hooded figure watches intently.

His dark eyes scan the land and sky from under the dark shadow of his hood, then narrow into slits as he spies a speck of movement against the brighting sky. The dot of black moves ever closer, becoming larger and more defined in shape.

The hooded figure smirks as he watches the distant object become the soring shape of a majestic bird. Its massive wings beating periodically; slowly, just enough to find another up draft to carry itself upon.

As the dark brown bird approaches the mountain top, the hooded figure raises his arms aloft and in a booming voice, calls out to the bird.

“Come, oh bird of prey!” His voice commands thunderously. “Come to me and aid me in my quest!”

In answer, the bird screeches out and swoops down from on high to where the man stands on the mountain.

“Come, my friend.” the hooded man greets the bird gently as it flutters to a landing on his outstretched forearm. “Once again you come to my aid in a time of need.”

He strokes the bird's proud head of soft feathers, and the two look into each others' deep brown eyes; eyes that are the same. In silence they commune with each other, high up on the mountain top. Until at last the bird and man nod their mutual understanding, and the bird lifts off with a beating of its great wings.

As it takes flight it calls back in a screech and the man pulls back his hood, revealing his fresh, young face and fair, brown locks.

“Go my brother.” he says quietly in the morning air. “Go forth and bring back to me what I have lost.”

He holds his arms up towards the rising sun.

“Bring me my sandwich!”

His voice echoes out, while down below, on a ledge not far from the bottom of the tremendous mountain, a fallen sandwich lays in wait.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Heart of Bees

Once there was a wizard whom did not want his feelings and emotions to distract him from his art. So he took out his heart and replaced it with a satchel filled with a swarm of bees.

And, ever buzzing within, then wizard was able to focus on his magic to become a most powerful sorcerer.

Unfettered by his emotions, he led a long and productive life; using his magic he helped the world become a far better place. He healed those that were ill, solved the age old problems of energy and food shortage, and even quelled the warring nations of the world with his wisdom.

The world became peaceful because he had found a way to avoid the distractions of the heart.

And then one day, an old friend came to him with a question; she asked if he had been happy with his decision to live without his heart?

He replied logically by saying that had he not, the world would have been much worst off if he had. Having only a satchel of bees, he was neither happy nor sad about things, but he knew in his mind that it had been a good thing and that people were happy, and that is all that should matter.

But she said that she had not been happy. For she had loved him ever since they were young, and that it had weighed heavily upon her own heart all these years.

On this the old wizard thought for a long time; had he missed out on a happiness of his own?

Coming to a decision he then said to her that because the world was now at peace, he could return his heart back to its proper place and be happy once again.

So they went down to his cellar, where in a small oak box he had hidden his heart away in secret these many years. Through magic he had preserved is and when he unlocked the box there was his still beating heart, strong and healthy.

His friend smiled and looked on while he carefully opened his up chest to replace the bees with his heart.

But over the years, the swarm had become angry at being kept captive within a satchel within his chest. And when the wizard finally set them free, they turned against him and his old love, stinging them unmercifully until they lay dead on the dark cellar floor.

They then grew in numbers, gathering their strength until their buzzing swarm darkened the skies of the world.

With no magical magician to protect them, the people of the world were helpless against the swirling hordes. Within a matter of days, the world that had at last found peace was no more.

And at the heart of it all, as with most things, was a swarm of angry bees.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Princess' Heart

Lighting cracked the darkness of the night sky. Thunder boomed as the bolt of electricity struck a iron rod atop a high tower of a massive castle.

The flash illuminated the dark for an instant and revealed, high on another spire, a shadow-
veiled figure perched silently.

Un-phased by either the lightning or its thunderous sound, the figure peered down upon the empty court yards below. None were out on this stormy night; none but the black-clad figure on their dangerous task.

The second after the next flash of lightning, the figure leapt deftly off the high ledge and fell quietly through the thick air. A rope trailed loosely behind as the shadow of the figure plummeted down and then went taught as it reached the end, which was tied securely to an old stone gargoyle; its horrid face watching passively as the figure swung back towards the tower.

As the thunder rumble in the sky, the intruder slipped into an arched window, leaving the harsh outside and entering the castle without a sound; a phantom in the night.

Inside, the figure rolled to a stop within the shadows of a small chamber; the only room of the highest spire of all the sky-scraping towers of the castle. A chamber that housed the treasure the thief had come to steal away.

Across the land, the fabled Princess' Heart was a gem that was said to have given the light of life to the once inhospitable desert that was now a lush and verdant kingdom; the capital of all the world.

The thief knew that such things were just romanticized mysticism told to add to the grander and illusion of the fat and bloated men that had used the riches and resources of weaker nations to further fill their stores.

But if the Heart could be stolen away, then perhaps the world would see that its capital was not as all-powerful as it would seem.

Perhaps, but whatever. The thief only cared about the fame of stealing the most coveted treasure in the world would bring!

Across the room, atop a glass pedestal, it shone.

Outside the chamber there were no doubt guards stood ready, but inside, the chamber was empty except for the brightly shining gem the size of a grown man's fist.

Careful not to make a sound, the shadowy thief made their way across the chamber floor into the gem's glow.

The light the massive, clear jewel shed was brilliant but not at all harsh. So as they approached the thief needed not squint or shield their eyes from its beauty. Reaching the pedestal the thief stood in awe of the gem's purity, and fumbled with the black wrap that hid their face.

Pulling aside the gauzy material she revealed her beautiful, flushed-cheeked face. Her jade eyes danced with the light that pulsated from within the gem. Her tongue licked her ruby red lips as she cautiously reached out for the Princess' Heart.

She lifted it up from its cradle and was surprised at how light it was. The light within it pulsated faster, matching the beating of her own excited heart.

A flood of warmth came over her, as if she was being embraced by invisible but familiar arms that made her feel safe and at home.

“Thank you.” a small voice came from behind her.

The thief turned quickly to see another young woman coming out of the shadows, unseen until now.

“Who are you?” the thief questioned as she guarded her newly acquired treasure.

The young woman was wearing a flowing gown, that of a noble or princess. And her pale cheeks became warm as she smiled and approached.

“I was once drawn here as your have been.” she said dreamily. “to steal away the gem that my father the King had locked away up here. I thought such beauty should be shared and seen by all the world, not locked in a lonely tower chamber. But I became a prisoner myself.”

The princess drew closer to the thief, who pulled the gem away instinctively.

“But now you have come to set me free.” the princess whispered happily. “Thank you.”

She leaned in and kissed the young thief's now pale cheek, then turned to walk back into the shadows.

“Wait, what do you mean, prisoner?” the thief asked confused. “I didn't come here to rescue you, I only want the Princess' Heart.”

The princess turned as her image began to fade into the darkness.

“Oh but you can never leave.” the princess' voice was sweetness, but underneath was a tone of malevolence. “For you now hold in your hands the Thief's Heart. And now you and it are one and the same.”

She smiled slightly as she disappeared from sight, leaving the thief alone in the empty chamber, her treasure; the gem of her heart, beating brightly in her hands.