Sunday, November 17, 2013

8Bit

The pixelated rain fell outside the digital castle window as the 8bit princess sat gazing out.

She let out a digitized sigh and thought of how exciting it would be to live in one of those other castles that were always seized by some big bad boss monster and she held captive until a handsomely rendered 8bit hero came to rescue her.

Instead of living here in her dull life with her father and mother, whom were only the rulers of a secondary level realm and so their grey toned castle was only ever passed by while some other hero went on their way to rescue some other princess that had be captured.

She turned one hundred and eighty degrees to face her minimally decorated room. Gliding to the blue-hued mirror she looked at her pixelled face and acquired a hair brush from the brown desk to her left.

She moved the brush in an up and down motion against her blonde hair as she gazed absently at her reflection.

She would most likely have to marry some boring duke or boring earl from one of the other boring kingdoms to whom her mother always introduces her to at one of her boring balls with boring digi orchestra music.

They would live boring lives where nothing ever happened except more boring balls.

And they would inherit her father's boring castle and continue to be part of the far off background as heroes pass by on their more exciting adventures in their more exciting lives.

She turned back to the window as the rain stopped falling, heaving another sampled sigh.

In the distance she could see a boxy shape moving steadily towards the castle in leaps and bounds.

For a moment she felt her heart flutter in its programming as a square-jawed hero stopped in front of their drawbridge to speak to a passing peasant.

Her hopes then sank as the peasant pointed to the warp portal to the right of the castle that led to the next realm; leading to a more exciting princess in other castle; leading away from her.


Oh well, she though with another deep sigh, perhaps she will go play that old paddle and ball game.

Monday, October 14, 2013

O Night

Come, O Night,
Come; enwrap me in your shadows,
Come; hide me away from the light.

Leave me, Light,
Leave me be in the dark,
Leave me to myself in the night.

Away I have run,
Away you have driven me,
Away, out of mind and out of sight.

Return, O Love,
Return to me, my Heart,
Return and never again take flight.

Here, you have come,
Here, you have fought back the night,

Here, you have brought back my heart into the Light!

Tell Me a Story

"Tell me a story, Uncle Jimmy!" Young Will asked excitedly as his Uncle Jimmy helped him into bed.

The boy got under the covers and sat up, wide eyed and awake, smiling as his Uncle Jimmy smirked and handed him his favourite stuffed bear.

"Maybe one." Uncle Jimmy said with a chuckle. "Which do you want?"

He reached over to the shelf beside the small bed that was filled with all sorts of children's books; all of which Will had heard him read a dozen times before.

"'The Kittens Lose Their Mittens'? 'Frank and Bean Visit the Gas Factory'? 'Hank the Crabby Tyrannosaurus'?" Uncle Jimmy named off some of the boy's favourites.

"No, no, Uncle Jimmy!" Young Will protested playfully. "Tell me a new story, one of YOUR stories!"

Uncle Jimmy gave a tired sigh and shook his head.

"You don't want to hear my story, Willy." Uncle Jimmy smiled knowingly. "I really only have one good one and I'm sure you wouldn't like it. Now, let's see, what about 'Snootles Loses Her Noodles'?"

Will pouted and crossed his arms in a huff. "No, Uncle Jimmy! I wanna hear YOUR story! Please tell it to me! Please!"

Uncle Jimmy put on a frown and shook his head sternly. "No Will. You really do not want to hear my story."

"I'll hold my breath unless you tell it to me!" Will stated whinily and puffed out his cheeks while holding his breath in protest.

"Will, don't be a suck." Uncle Jimmy said annoyed. "I won't tell you ANY story if you don't stop that right now."

Young Will kept right on holding his breath; arms crossed stubbornly.

Uncle Jimmy gave an exasperated sigh and put up his hands in surrender.

"Fine, Willy. Fine." Uncle Jimmy ceded. "You want to hear it, I will tell you."

Will let out his held breath and giggled as he clapped his hands excitedly.

"But only if you REALLY want me to." Uncle Jimmy warned with a finger held up to point at Will.

Will nodded his head fiercely in agreement. "Yes! Oh, boy! I bet it's a good one!"

"Ok then. If you are really sure." Uncle Jimmy asked one last time.

"Yes, I'm sure! Tell me!" Will rocked back and forth with anticipation.

"Alright," Uncle Jimmy ran his hand though his thick hair. "I wasn't going to tell it to you until you were a little older, but if you insist."

He leaned in closer to Will and beckoned for him to do the same.

The night lamp on the bedside table cast their long shadows on the wall beside them as they huddled in.

"You see, the thing is," Uncle Jimmy started almost at a whisper. "The thing is; you don't really have an Uncle Jimmy."

The glee on Will's face was replaced by puzzlement as jIMmY's smirk returned.

Slowly, JiMMy motioned with his pointed finger for Will to look over to the far wall's mirrored closet doors.

The puzzlement was then replaced with sheer terror as Will looked at the reflection he saw in the mirror.

An ear-splitting scream fell out of Will's gapping mouth for a moment and went silent.


When his mother and father rushed into the room, they found Will, alone, leaned back in bed, wide eyed and stiff.  Dead from the fright of seeing whatever he had pointed to in the mirror's reflection.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

The Chase

Finally, I had caught up with them. The one I had chased across the vast seas, the deep jungles, the arid deserts, the frigid ice fields; the entirety of the globe.

The one that had always been a step ahead of me; just gone as I thought I had at last tracked them down.

It had been so long since I had set out on my quest to catch my quarry, I had long ago forgotten the reason. The reason was no longer important; only the chase and the goal of meeting my adversary mattered.

Now, that chase was coming to an end.

Finally cornered in this study in the tower in this remote old castle, my quarry sits, facing away from me in a high-backed desk chair.

I take no notice of the debris that litters the stone floor as I move toward them slowly; I only focus on the one that sits, waiting for me.

"It has been so long, my old friend." I say aloud in a voice that cracks with disuse, "Yes, old friend. For what else are we; we who have played this game for so long. You are all I have left in my life."

I move closer to my silent companion as they sit unmoving. I reach out to take hold of the corner of the seatback.

"Now, let us meet at last!"

I turn the chair around with a horrified gasp.

Seated in the chair, staring lifelessly up at me with a sickening lipless grin, is a withered and dead corpse; wearing my clothes.

I stumble in shock and lose my footing on the loose debris scattered upon the ground and fall back still staring into the dead eyes of my doppelganger.

As I try to find a clear area of the floor, I finally look at what litters the cobblestones.

Skeletons; all at different stages of decay; all wearing my own clothes.

I scramble back up to my feet and back away from the piles of bones, bumping back into the chair where my once-adversary sits, knocking the rotting caucus onto the ground with the rest of them.

Heavily, I drop down into the chair and stare in disbelief.

For what may be hours I sit in shock, surrounded by the skeletons of other me's.

Then, a thought comes to me.

Had I been so focused on chasing this 'other', always looking ahead; had I not noticed what may have been behind?

Slowly, I rotate in the chair to peer out of the room's only window; the sun setting in the west casting an ominous light upon the rolling hills of the green landscape.

As the shadows grow, so too does my mood grow darker.

Oh, I will wait. I will sit and wait right here for the one who has chased after me.

I will wait for as long as it takes, to face my unmet pursuer.




Friday, June 21, 2013

Jewel of Life

There is a story that is told, that once there was a great Alchemist who created a powerful crystal jewel with the power to imbue life upon lifeless objects.

To test the jewel, he placed it within a small wooden bird he had fashioned. Once the jewel was in place within the bird's breast, it sprang to life and flew about the Alchemist's study.

The Alchemist tried in vain to catch the flitting thing before it flew out the window of the tall tower where he resided. Unfortunately, when he lunged to grab at the bird as it darted out the open window, he missed and fell to his death.

The bird on the other hand, flew higher and higher into the sky.

Not needing air to breath, water to drink, or food to eat, the little wooden bird continued to rise until it rose clear out into space.

Amongst the stars it floated, out passed planets and suns most bright. It floated through galaxies; forever travelling away from its home world left so far behind.

Until at last, the heavy gravity of a giant passing planet caught the bird in its pull.

As it fell down through the planet's atmosphere, the little wooden bird that travelled so long and so far, burnt up in flames, leaving only the crystal jewel to fall like a shooting star from the sky and land in the vast mountains of the planet's snowy north.

"And it is here that we are going, my sisters!" Ursula said as she pointed to the holographic display of the topography map being projected above the com-station.

Inside the dimly lit communications room of the compact space craft, the four women stood watching their commander with admiration and excitement; for they had finally arrived at the fabled planet Ronin, where the Jewel of Life was legend to rest.

Commander Ursula had told the fantastical story of the wooden bird many times before and they had always been rapt by its imagery. Even though they knew that it was only a children's story, now that they were closer to the actual planet, it filled them with a giddy energy.

Despite herself, Ursula could not hide a grin as well. Soon, they would have the prize that had eluded so many Hunters before. A prize worth so much, they could all retire and live comfortably the rest of their lives.

As their ship hovered silently above the planet's curving horizon the members of the intergalactic treasure hunting team, The Sapphires, put on their terra-gear and got ready to make the high-altitude jump down to the blue and white world below.

As she made ready the air-lock drop-door chamber, Ursula could not help thinking of the legend of the little wooden bird's fiery transformation as it made its decent. And for the first time, she turned to her crew before hitting the drop button and said with a hint of real caution, "Good luck out their, Sapphires!"

Then, she pushed the button.


Sunday, April 7, 2013

Cavern of Ice


Once, there was a cavern of ice, where a princess made of snow and cold wished to feel the warmth of love’s embrace.
Alas, her father had locked her away in the loneliness of the cavern, to hide and protect her away from the harsh world outside.
Yet, she did not see it as a father’s protection, rather a prison to hold her away from the beauty and joy of the world outside; forever alone and unloved.
Once, there was a brave young prince who had heard tell of a beautiful princess of the snow and cold, locked away in a cavern of ice.
He journeyed across hash lands and had many trials before he came to the cavern where she dwelt.
Finding the cavern in the heart of the icy mountains, he broke through the solid gates that held her within and entered the prison she had made her home.
Such a rare and pure beauty was she, that one look upon her snow white face and his heart was filled with love for her alone.
So handsome and brave was he, that one look upon his strong face and the princess’ heart was filled with a glowing love that she had never known.
Warmth so intense that it began to melt her from the inside out, and before the prince could run to her to hold her in his arms, she melted completely away.
The princess’ father, the Icy King of the North, came to look in upon his daughter, only to find the sobbing prince, kneeling down in a puddle of shimmering water.
So enraged was he, that the king froze the prince where he knelt; forever locked in a prison of ice.
Now, the prince kneels there still; waiting for love’s warm embrace to set him free of the cavern of ice.

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Opera Cat


Once there was a cat who that he could sing opera.
He had grown up on the streets and in the alleyways of the city, and once when he was young his mother had led him and the rest of her litter by the back stage of the opera house. On that particular night the air was sticky with humidity so the stagehands were at the door having at cigarette and letting in what little fresh air there was to the stifling backstage area.
What they were letting out was the beautiful sounds of the opera.
The melody called to the young cat like a siren song and he lagged behind his family to get a better listen. Nearing the door, he could hear the raising of the chorus voices filling the auditorium with gorgeous sound that wafted out into the alley like a sweet cooling breeze.
He edged closer, unable to help himself and one of the stagehands caught sight of him, and thinking he was trying to get into the back door, they kicked at him to scare him off.
The little cat scrambled to get away and caught back up with his mother and siblings, but it was too late, he was hooked. From then on he would sneak away whenever he could to come back to the opera house to try and get a listen to more of the glorious music of the masters; Puccini, Verdi, and his favourite, Wagner.
In his mind he pictured himself singing the great solos and sometimes when he got carried away he would begin to meow along with the songs being sung inside only to incur a beer can or cigarette butt being thrown at him to drive him off.
But that never deterred him from coming back time and again.
When he had grown and left the security of his mother’s watchful eye, he made his home in the alleyway behind the opera house and almost each night, sat and listened in the shadows.
Until one day the stage hands left the door propped open and unattended as they were pulled away for some set malfunction emergency, giving the foolhardy young cat his opportunity to leap down to quickly dart inside.
The backstage area was dark and full of random set pieces and props. Luckily cats have very well developed night vision and he was able to navigate unseen to the curtains off to the side of the stage easily enough.
There he sat and watched in awe as out on the stage the prima donna sang an aria that had the entire audience rapt. The melody built until the tenor was to come in to join her song but the whole occurrence was too much for the cat and he leapt out on stage to begin meowing in response to the opera singer’s song.
The entire house gaped in shock as the cat meowed loudly and the prima donna stared stunned at what she was witnessing; a little alley cat standing center stage, meowing along to the music, proudly and loudly as though its sounds were more than just regular cat throat calls; almost as if it was trying to sing.
Realizing she was still on stage, the opera singer did what she would have done if her partner’s singing was up to par; she sang loud enough to mask their imperfections.
From off stage the tenor stood with his mouth dropped wide watching his duet be sung by a cat.
When the audience erupted in applause at the end of the song, it was as much for the skills and professionalism of the prima donna as it was for the brave little cat, but he stood proudly as though he was the star of the show.
The prima donna turned to her unlikely partner and gracefully curtsied, holding out her arms to offer her ample bosom and the cat leapt into her arms and they took their bows together.
From then on, everyone there would tell the story about the cat who thought he could sing opera.
And he could.

Monday, February 11, 2013

Running to the Sea


The wolves descended upon us like darkness and we ran into the night.
We ran away from the bright lights of the city and into shadows of the forest.
I could hear their barks and howls close behind, and though I did not look back, I knew I would see their red, glowing eyes amongst the trees; their breath streaming out of their gapping jaws as their sped toward us.
You held my hand tight enough for it to hurt, but I wanted you to hold on tighter still, so to never let go until we were free and safe. My lungs began to burn with fire, but we kept on; to stop would be to let the darkness of the wolves take us.
Yet in the end I knew we could never keep up the pace together. So I let go your grip to fall behind; to not slow your escape.
You looked so brave, a fierce flame shining bright in your eyes as you looked back for me.
I smiled as the wolves over took me and closed my eyes to the darkness.
I could feel them all around; the heat of their breath on my skin; their furry bodies brushing up against my own. I was no longer running from them, but with them. The darkness I had thought would come gave way to the bright light of my new eyes as I opened them.
I looked to my side and saw my brother and sister wolves with me as we ran on; looked forward and I saw you running from us; afraid of the darkness that I had once been.
I howled to you to come to us but you ran faster still; so brave and so frightened, running blindly into the wood.
Breaking from the pack I raced to you, and as you turned and lost your footing, I overtook you.
Together we ran out of the forest and came to the cliffs that over look the sea; the sun’s first light breaking over the horizon, its orange glow warming the cold air of the night.
We stop and all together sit and watch peacefully as the sun raises high in the morning sky above the crashing waters below.
Now we are safe; now we run free. Now we are the wolves.