Chapter 0ne
Charlie crouched low on the wall, shrouded in darkness. The alleyway was completely deserted except for the deranged man steadily getting closer to the entrance. "Come on out, Sweetie, I'm not going to hurt you." The man inched closer to Charlie's hiding spot, Charlie could see the gun in the man's right hand: safety off, loaded, and ready to fire. She inhaled, dizzy with fear. The man heard her and tilted his head slightly to the right, "There you are." He lifted up the gun, his finger on the trigger, and fired. The sudden pressure was intense, and soon she couldn't hear anything besides dead silence. Everything moved in slow motion, the world spun and blurred. The man picked the bullet up off of the ground where it had landed after it ricocheted off the bricks. Then he pulled a white rag from his pocket and placed it over Charlie's face. Her body went limp and he pulled her into his arms, repeatedly whispering sorry.
When Charlie woke she was laying in the backseat of a Lexus. She stiffened, remembering last night. "Please, sit up and look out the window." a gravelly voice from the front seat whispered. Charlie cautiously pushed herself up into a sitting position and gasped. Her hand shot out, grabbed the door's handle and she pulled and then pushed. No good, she was trapped in the car with this monster. "That's not going to help you, Charlie, you're stuck here with me, which is much better than with them." He muttered. Tears streamed down Charlie's face, splattering the floor of the SUV. She studied her house, committing every detail to memory; the mismatched bricks, the black shutters, blue front door, smoke curling up from the chimney, the motley assortment of flowers hugging the sidewalk and the hand-painted numbers on the mail box. A blue police car was parked in the driveway along with her mother's Acura and her father's Ford. She was certain that they were inside the house discussing her disappearance. "Let's get you out of here and to your new home. You'll like it much better there." Her captor said as they drove away.
Chapter Two
Pulchritudinous sat at his desk, shocked. He had failed at his job miserably, Charlie had been kidnapped and it was his fault, he had followed the slogan too carefully, "Angels must stand back, bringing the darkness and the dawn." He should have sent her the locket. The locket! Where was it? He was sure that it was in his desk drawer. Oh Man! If he lost that then the Archangel, M. Operandi, would have him kicked out of Guardian Central. He frantically leaped up out of his chair and rushed to the office tunnels, where he could fly up to his room without getting in trouble. As he neared the edge of the fourth floor he leaped out of the window and spread his wings, literally. Pulchritudinous absolutely loved being a Guardian Angel, he got tons of perks, invisibility, wings, but sometimes work could wreck havoc on his emotional stability. Once he got to his room, he saw the pure gold heart-shaped locket on his coffee table. He grabbed it and put it into the pocket of his jeans. He rushed back to his work station. "Just to let you know, Pulchritudinous, your weekend hours have been increased due to your absence just now." The Archangel herself, sat in his office, grim faced. "Your case is of upmost importance to the agency now. I will be assisting you in Recovery, Resignation and Recuperation. First, we will recover Charlie from this man, keeping in mind that we cannot reveal ourselves. Then, we will let Charlie decide for herself if she wants to be saved and during this point in the process it is crucial that we not do anything to interfere with her rescue. Finally, we will assist in helping her to recover from the shock of the kidnapping."She directed him harshly. "Are we clear in this matter?" "Y-yes." He stammered. She stood up briskly and left. She knows the Code of Angels by heart and I will never live the day to see her stray from the rules. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the locket. He turned it over and over in his hands, examining the Guardian Central insignia. Then he got up and using the high-tech transportation device, he sent the locket to Charlie's room in the kidnapper's current home.
Chapter Three
"Welcome home, Charlie." The man said, all smiles. Charlie glared at him then looked pointedly at the handcuffs which connected her to him. "Oh, right, sorry 'bout that. By the way, my name is Alan." Her captor sheepishly said, looking at her sideways. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a minuscule silver key, fitted it into the lock and twisted it. The handcuffs came right off. Charlie looked around the house, there were no windows or any other doors but locks on everything that she could see. "You cannot keep me here Alan!" She shrieked. "I'm not, your room is down the hallway and to the left. Why would you think I would make you sleep in the kitchen?" He seemed genuinely puzzled but added, "You need to stay here with me, forever. Someone as amazing as you shouldn't have to endure the hardships that regular people do." She suppressed her feelings of rage and calmly walked to the room. When she walked in, she was expecting a dull, bare, prison cell, not lilac painted walls, a plush bed or a stereo system, "Do you like it?" Alan inquired as he walked in, nervously wringing his hands together. "Did you see your closet? I hacked into your computer and looked through your history to see what clothes you liked and what size you were." "You have been stalking me too?" Charlie cried out. Alan flushed red, "Well, you see I figured that since we were going to be spending lots of time together we should start off on the right foot. What better way than to know your likes and dislikes?" "Please, will you get out of this room so I can have some time to myself." Charlie pleaded. Alan walked away calling over his shoulder, "Dinner will be ready at 7:30 sharp."
That night Charlie skipped out on dinner, too afraid to eat anything that Alan would feed her. Who knows, maybe he would drug her again. As Charlie lay in the bed, she tried to think of ways to escape. She stretched out on the bed, and her hand hit something cold and metallic. Picking it up she saw an outline of a locket in the darkness, she tried to open up the locket, but it wouldn't budge. She flipped on the lights and read the engraving, "Angels must stand back, bringing the darkness and the dawn." Where is my angel? She thought as she lay awake.
Chapter Four
"Good," thought Pulchritudinous, she has the locket. But she will only be able to open it if she has hope and her need is great enough. He had done some digging earlier on this Alan fellow, he didn't seem like he was quite dangerous at first, but after reading his profile, Pulchritudinous deduced that he used violence to solve his problems. He also was crazy about punctuality and some manners. Charlie was in danger even if she didn't know it. It was up to him to save her and that was exactly what he was going to do. He strolled to his living quarters, trying not to look as though he was about to break one of the biggest rules in the Code of Angels. When he got to his room he looked into the mirror. His face was reflected back to him; high cheekbones, a single dimple, skin that looked like it was glowing from within, smoldering green eyes and silky, dark brown curls. "I look human enough, right?" He thought to himself. He packed his meager belongings into a collapsible duffel and started his journey to Earth.
Chapter Five
Charlie woke up with a start. Someone was banging on the door. She almost shouted "Go away Mom!" Then, she remembered the last couple of confusing days. Alan barged into the room, walked right up to the bed and grabbed her roughly by the hair. He pulled her into a sitting position. "You have missed both last night's dinner and this morning's breakfast." He snarled, looking more like the crazed man that had shot at her than the timid man from yesterday. "I wasn't aware I was required to eat." She said. His hand moved too fast for her to even register what was going on. All of a sudden a numbing pain spread all over the side of her face. She moaned and couldn't think straight. He hit her again on the arm, and again on the other side of her face. "It is not good manners to ignore some one's generous hospitality. You do not deserve this room or my company. But I will give you one last chance to show your worth. Be punctual for lunch at 12:45, clean yourself up and change your clothes." Charlie nodded, half-conscious.
Alan left the room and she heard some distant clanging from the kitchen. She dragged herself to the closet and picked out some dark skinny jeans, a pastel blue open-stitch sweater and a white tank top. Charlie still thought it was disturbing that this man knew what size clothes she wore. She made her way to the bathroom, head throbbing. She set her new clothes on the counter and looked in the cabinets, "Of course, all my favorite products and new ones I've been dying to try." She took her shower, dried, did her makeup and hair. Then finally, got dressed, she glanced at the clock, 12:40, I had better get to the kitchen she thought. Alan was waiting for her, looking at his watch, "Made it in the nick of time!" he laughed. She cautiously pulled up a chair and sat down, so did Alan, the dinner looked delicious and like it or not, she was starving. She put a steaming spoonful of mashed potatoes onto her plate and some salad. Alan was studying her every move. "You look nice, Charlie." "Thanks, so do you." She replied. Just then the door bell rang, Alan's eyes flashed and he quickly pulled out his gun. Charlie rubbed the locket she had put on. For some reason she felt as if the locket wasn't from Alan.
He motioned impatiently for her to get up and she did. He had the barrel of the gun pressed up against her head as he looked through the peephole. "Who's there?" He barked. "I have a delivery for a mister Alan Hutchinson." A vaguely familiar voice replied. "Just leave it on the door-step." "No can do, sir, I'm going to be needing your signature." "Fine, come on in." Alan had removed the gun from its unwanted position beside her head, moved Charlie behind him and was training the gun's sights on the guy who was about to walk in through the door. The door moved open an inch or two, then Charlie screamed. The man outside barged inside and Alan open fired on the magnificent glowing stranger who appeared to be bulletproof. The man plucked the gun out of Alan's hands and crushed it like a tin can. Alan's face went white as the man shot fire out of his fingertips that engulfed Alan. The stranger took Charlie's hand and led her out the door and up into the heavens.
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Tuesday, 23 October 2012
A Burning Soul
I stand alone
by the blue ocean,
with eyes full of tears,
facing the crystal clear
blue water.
Majestic rippling waves
dances miles and miles,
so carefree.
As the ocean breeze
blows by,
tickling my skin
and fanning my hair.
I stand still
by the blue ocean,
dissolved in my thoughts,
so much carefree,
as those
dancing rippling waves.
It seemed like,
the crystal clear
blue water
carried away,
all my pains and sorrows
along with its
dancing rippling waves,
leaving behind, a new me,
dancing merrily
just like those
dancing rippling waves,
crystal clear,
and so carefree.
I stand alone
by the blue ocean,
with eyes full of tears,
facing the crystal clear
blue water.
Every morning, when you wished me 'good morning', in your forever charming voice, I felt like the most happiest girl in this wide world. All day long, I used to be very happy, because I knew that, a jolly klatsh with you is waiting for me, after a tough days work and sips of coffee in the garden under the open sky, in the open air. And at night, when you kissed me, 'good night', my happiness knew no bounds, I dreamed, we were the happiest couple in the whole world, everybody loved us so much, and appreciated our chemistry.
While a little kid, I read about princesses like, Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and many more, and dreamed, one day, a handsome prince would come, and take me along with him, to his kingdom. You have been the prince of my life, who made my secret desire and my childhood dream come true.
Happiness never lasts for long, a wisdom from the elders is very much true. I had been foolish, as I have not paid any head to their words. I thought you loved me so much, I became blind, and did not notice, that you have been prevaricating.
But today, I am no more weak for you, you have no effect on me anymore, cause there is a thick invisible boundary between us, which you will never dare to cross. Even if you rectify yourself, because it is too late.
Just gonna stand there and watch me burn/Well, that's alright, because I like the way it hurts/Just gonna stand there and hear me cry/Well, that's because I love the way you lie/I love the way you lie.
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by the blue ocean,
with eyes full of tears,
facing the crystal clear
blue water.
Majestic rippling waves
dances miles and miles,
so carefree.
As the ocean breeze
blows by,
tickling my skin
and fanning my hair.
I stand still
by the blue ocean,
dissolved in my thoughts,
so much carefree,
as those
dancing rippling waves.
It seemed like,
the crystal clear
blue water
carried away,
all my pains and sorrows
along with its
dancing rippling waves,
leaving behind, a new me,
dancing merrily
just like those
dancing rippling waves,
crystal clear,
and so carefree.
I stand alone
by the blue ocean,
with eyes full of tears,
facing the crystal clear
blue water.
Every morning, when you wished me 'good morning', in your forever charming voice, I felt like the most happiest girl in this wide world. All day long, I used to be very happy, because I knew that, a jolly klatsh with you is waiting for me, after a tough days work and sips of coffee in the garden under the open sky, in the open air. And at night, when you kissed me, 'good night', my happiness knew no bounds, I dreamed, we were the happiest couple in the whole world, everybody loved us so much, and appreciated our chemistry.
While a little kid, I read about princesses like, Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and many more, and dreamed, one day, a handsome prince would come, and take me along with him, to his kingdom. You have been the prince of my life, who made my secret desire and my childhood dream come true.
Happiness never lasts for long, a wisdom from the elders is very much true. I had been foolish, as I have not paid any head to their words. I thought you loved me so much, I became blind, and did not notice, that you have been prevaricating.
But today, I am no more weak for you, you have no effect on me anymore, cause there is a thick invisible boundary between us, which you will never dare to cross. Even if you rectify yourself, because it is too late.
Just gonna stand there and watch me burn/Well, that's alright, because I like the way it hurts/Just gonna stand there and hear me cry/Well, that's because I love the way you lie/I love the way you lie.
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Are Fairy Tales Really of a Different Time?
No one tells stories, people always say. We watch the TV, we go the cinema, we scour the internet. One of the things we don't do is tell stories.
Let's look back on the works of the Brothers Grimm, the castles, the palaces, the peasants, nothing to do with people today. Wallowing in nostalgia, you could say, the nostalgia of a different age.
But if you look more closely at Grimm's Fairy Tales, you see there are connections with stories we do tell now. Take the Lying Tale, which is a short story made completely of outrageous lies such as "I saw a roast hen flying". The Fisherman and his wife resembles the Four Yorkshire man sketch done by Monty Python in the fact that the wife just wants more and more. Everything she is given she rebuffs it and wants something grander.
There are puzzles here too-a girl is transformed into a flower but can spend one night with her boyfriend. The next day comes and she returns to being a flower. The boy is told that they will be reunited if he locates which flower she has become. He is shown three flowers. He chooses the right one. Why?
Answer: Because she has been with the boyfriend all night, she as a flower is not have the morning dew.
There is also slapstick violence- someone gets killed by a large stone and the teller comments "He must have been a bad man, then," and people's heads fall off with reason. Rather at odds with the pleasant nonentity Snow White.
But now the brothers are stuck in a world with Princesses and Fairy Godmothers (actually their version of Cinderella left this part out) where people can sleep for a hundred years and dwarfs are real. Walt Disney could be partly to blame on this shift in meaning, although there are some dark parts in his fairy tale films. Note that his Sleeping Beauty contains a dragon, which though we nowadays don't connect with fairy tales, appear many times in their stories.
Maybe the problem with Grimm is we associate it too much for childhood, this 'Once Upon A Time' idea when all the Grimm brothers were doing were trying to put together an archive, the nearest thing they could get to a spoken archive in a time before recording equipment, of tales people told. If they were doing it now, they would look at sayings, rhymes, jokes and maybe half remembered references. Stories might have evolved to films and tv programmes, but the tellers live on.
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Let's look back on the works of the Brothers Grimm, the castles, the palaces, the peasants, nothing to do with people today. Wallowing in nostalgia, you could say, the nostalgia of a different age.
But if you look more closely at Grimm's Fairy Tales, you see there are connections with stories we do tell now. Take the Lying Tale, which is a short story made completely of outrageous lies such as "I saw a roast hen flying". The Fisherman and his wife resembles the Four Yorkshire man sketch done by Monty Python in the fact that the wife just wants more and more. Everything she is given she rebuffs it and wants something grander.
There are puzzles here too-a girl is transformed into a flower but can spend one night with her boyfriend. The next day comes and she returns to being a flower. The boy is told that they will be reunited if he locates which flower she has become. He is shown three flowers. He chooses the right one. Why?
Answer: Because she has been with the boyfriend all night, she as a flower is not have the morning dew.
There is also slapstick violence- someone gets killed by a large stone and the teller comments "He must have been a bad man, then," and people's heads fall off with reason. Rather at odds with the pleasant nonentity Snow White.
But now the brothers are stuck in a world with Princesses and Fairy Godmothers (actually their version of Cinderella left this part out) where people can sleep for a hundred years and dwarfs are real. Walt Disney could be partly to blame on this shift in meaning, although there are some dark parts in his fairy tale films. Note that his Sleeping Beauty contains a dragon, which though we nowadays don't connect with fairy tales, appear many times in their stories.
Maybe the problem with Grimm is we associate it too much for childhood, this 'Once Upon A Time' idea when all the Grimm brothers were doing were trying to put together an archive, the nearest thing they could get to a spoken archive in a time before recording equipment, of tales people told. If they were doing it now, they would look at sayings, rhymes, jokes and maybe half remembered references. Stories might have evolved to films and tv programmes, but the tellers live on.
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Tuesday, 16 October 2012
Bridge of Love
Perhaps I should have been more interested in the pending Geography lesson, but the kid who slipped into the seat next to mine tugged at my curiosity more than the teacher could.
Opening my notebook to a blank page-and on the third day of school, I did not have to dig very far to find it-I instinctively retrieved a pencil from desk as the freckled, curly-haired boy next to me did the same.
"I didn't see you the first two days," I said, laying the first girder of the invisible bridge that began to arch from my desk to his.
Shaking his head, he laid the second with his own words. "No," he said, as he sharpened his pencil, "we just moved here last night, so I had to miss 'em."
Watching him write his name on his notebook, I attempted to silently form the words with my lips, but the sounds somehow escaped through them.
"Jason Crough," I said. "Rhymes with 'cough.' I had one of those at the end of the summer."
"No," he corrected. "It's a little weird. Everyone thinks it sounds like 'cough,' but it's really pronounced 'crow,' like 'go.'"
Raising my eyebrows at the oddity, I tried to ask him where he had previously attended school, but was flooded by an audible "Shhh" from the teacher.
"All right, class," she pronounced, as she began her sermon, "we should all be on page six of our Geography books."
Drowned by the running water as I sat at the kitchen table in my friend's house that evening, I once again said, "We only did part of this geography chapter today."
Yet the release of his staccato cough forced me to repeat it.
"Are you sure you're all right?" I asked him at length.
"Yes," answered his mother, as she massaged a still-wet dish, tuning into the conversation as if she received it on some wavelength I had not been aware of. "He's getting better, and I appreciate you're helping him with what he missed today."
Nodding, I scribbled the name of the new student on the paper. "This is what you missed," I said, after his mother had retreated to the sink.
Coughing yet again, he said, "Jason Crough. Who's this?"
"Just a new kid who just moved here and just started school today," I answered. "But it's not pronounced 'Crough,' like 'off.' It's pronounced 'crow,' like 'so.'"
Disagreeing, he spat, "No, it isn't! It's 'Crough,' like 'cough.'" Looking toward the sink, he yelled, "Mama, look at this name," and then lifted the paper as she approached him, forging that invisible, yet almost euphoric link with her.
"How do you pronounce this?" he asked.
Contemplating it for a few seconds, she responded, "Why 'Crough,' like 'cough.'"
Craning his neck toward me and beaming triumphantly, he said, "You see!"
What I "saw" was that this was his mother-a person who had raised, nurtured, and loved him from inception and whom he therefore viewed as someone equal to God Himself-and that that was far stronger and more important than the pronunciation of any name.
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Opening my notebook to a blank page-and on the third day of school, I did not have to dig very far to find it-I instinctively retrieved a pencil from desk as the freckled, curly-haired boy next to me did the same.
"I didn't see you the first two days," I said, laying the first girder of the invisible bridge that began to arch from my desk to his.
Shaking his head, he laid the second with his own words. "No," he said, as he sharpened his pencil, "we just moved here last night, so I had to miss 'em."
Watching him write his name on his notebook, I attempted to silently form the words with my lips, but the sounds somehow escaped through them.
"Jason Crough," I said. "Rhymes with 'cough.' I had one of those at the end of the summer."
"No," he corrected. "It's a little weird. Everyone thinks it sounds like 'cough,' but it's really pronounced 'crow,' like 'go.'"
Raising my eyebrows at the oddity, I tried to ask him where he had previously attended school, but was flooded by an audible "Shhh" from the teacher.
"All right, class," she pronounced, as she began her sermon, "we should all be on page six of our Geography books."
Drowned by the running water as I sat at the kitchen table in my friend's house that evening, I once again said, "We only did part of this geography chapter today."
Yet the release of his staccato cough forced me to repeat it.
"Are you sure you're all right?" I asked him at length.
"Yes," answered his mother, as she massaged a still-wet dish, tuning into the conversation as if she received it on some wavelength I had not been aware of. "He's getting better, and I appreciate you're helping him with what he missed today."
Nodding, I scribbled the name of the new student on the paper. "This is what you missed," I said, after his mother had retreated to the sink.
Coughing yet again, he said, "Jason Crough. Who's this?"
"Just a new kid who just moved here and just started school today," I answered. "But it's not pronounced 'Crough,' like 'off.' It's pronounced 'crow,' like 'so.'"
Disagreeing, he spat, "No, it isn't! It's 'Crough,' like 'cough.'" Looking toward the sink, he yelled, "Mama, look at this name," and then lifted the paper as she approached him, forging that invisible, yet almost euphoric link with her.
"How do you pronounce this?" he asked.
Contemplating it for a few seconds, she responded, "Why 'Crough,' like 'cough.'"
Craning his neck toward me and beaming triumphantly, he said, "You see!"
What I "saw" was that this was his mother-a person who had raised, nurtured, and loved him from inception and whom he therefore viewed as someone equal to God Himself-and that that was far stronger and more important than the pronunciation of any name.
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Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down
It's a beautiful day to die. I look up at the azure sky to observe Old Earth's Sun gazing happily back at me. The Sun's feeling rather joyful today. Perhaps it's the promise of an entertaining day. I can feel the warm breeze toss my hair about playfully, and I enjoy the fleeting sensation that perhaps all will turn out all right. But the moment passes, and the cold truth weighs heavy on my heart. The faint strains of an eerie song reach my ears from a distant playground:
Ring around the Rosies,
Pocket Full of Posies,
Ashes, Ashes,
We all Fall Down!
Ironic. On today of all days. But they know not what they sing of. The origin of the song has been long forgotten. A tale of a terrible plague that killed almost half of Europe's population, and now it's a child's song. It's fitting that I should hear this song today. The children don't know what's coming. They don't know...
I stare at the beautiful sky and pray for a miracle. There is none forthcoming. I didn't really expect one anyway. Almost mockingly, the object of so much talk and speculation, fear and hatred comes into view. It too is beautiful. It is bright, reflecting the rays of sunlight, sparkling magnificently. I stare up at that which will kill me, that which will kill us all. I stare up at that which will consume the Earth completely. Ironic that the harbinger of death is so beautiful.
The meteor hurtles towards the Earth at 159,947 miles per hour. At least that's what the scientists said. But they're long gone, gone on one of the first ships to leave the planet. Bound for New Earth. Apparently it's the journey of a lifetime. I'm sure it is. But I'll never find out.
One hundred years ago, scientists discovered this meteor. After much study, they determined that it would collide with the Earth on November 5, 11239 C.E. It turns out they were right. Today is November 5. Any guesses on what year it is?
One would think that one hundred years would be sufficient time to evacuate every person on Earth. There was enough time. Someone actually calculated it. It would take approximately 52.53 years to evacuate Earth completely. There was more than enough time. Science had saved the day, and no one would die when the meteor finally crashed in a century's time.
But science is logical. Science is rational. People aren't. The need for worldwide evacuation created a new demand for spaceships and shuttles. Everything seemed to be doing well. The economy was booming. People were getting rich. But with the realization that everyone, every single person on the planet needed to leave, corporations realized that they could raise their prices indefinitely. There were no regulations on this new interplanetary transportation. If everyone needed to leave, then everyone would have to pay for a ticket to New Earth if they were to survive. Genius, really. A new marketing technique was devised. I call it the "Pay or Die" advertising.
"Buy your ticket now if you want to live! We're running out of seats on the U.S.S. Zephyr and you don't want to be left behind!" The message was always the same. Pay now for your right to live. Naturally, ticket sales went through the roof. Ticket booths were swarmed by the rich and the famous, the politicians and the businessmen. They were afraid, and rightfully so. After about twenty years of this, the Astronauts of Earth Supercorporation was running better business on New Earth than on Old Earth. The profits were even higher there, and the interplanetary travel was barely in the black anymore. The Board voted to minimize shuttles to and from Old Earth in order to free up shuttles for use on New Earth. This tripled their profits, and the CEO and shareholders sat fat and happy in their majestic mansions on the marvelously modern New Earth.
There were still eighty years left, and everyone believed that there was still ample time to evacuate the remaining population. But eighty years became seventy, and seventy became sixty, and still only three billion people had colonized New Earth. The stream of settlers had slowed to a mere trickle. By the time the New U.S. Congress decided to draft a bill to lower the prices for evacuation and force the A of E (Astronauts of Earth) to run more transports to and from Earth, there were only thirty-one years left before the End of the World. The New public applauded the bill for its humanitarian stance and hoped fervently for it to succeed. However, it was bogged down in the New Senate for two years, pending review by seven members who were rumored to be in the A of E's pocket. By this point, there were only twenty-nine years left. Time was running out.
The bill passed on July 4, 11210. Three days later, on July 7, Harold Don Lankard, a representative of the A of E, challenged the New Earth Relations Act. The lawsuit went all the way to the New Supreme Court. On the fateful day of November 5, 11210, the New Supreme Court ruled the New Earth Relations Act unconstitutional on the grounds that although New Congress could regulate interstate commerce, it could not regulate interplanetary commerce.
Years passed, and soon there was only one year left. The people of New Earth clamored for the evacuation of the rest of humanity still on Old Earth. By this time, five billion people were settled on New Earth. But there was nothing they could do. The uproar here on Old Earth was much greater. But there were no authorities left to hear us. We had no way to leave Old Earth. We had been abandoned to our fates. We have been abandoned to our deaths. I didn't have enough money to pay for passage to New Earth. None of us did.
Today is November 5, 11239 C.E. Today is the day I die. Today is the day we all die. Today, the Earth dies. I wonder how we'll be remembered on New Earth. Perhaps we'll be martyrs. Perhaps our deaths can help reform the governments of New Earth, weed out the corruption. Martyrs. All fifty-three billion of us. Martyrs.
I look up at the sky. My death is fast approaching. I am afraid. I don't want to die. But it's not my choice. It's never been my choice. I feel a tear drip off my cheek. I am powerless. Powerless to save myself. Powerless to save anyone. We cannot run and hide. The Earth dies today.
Amazingly, two children are still dancing around each other, oblivious to their fate. Though I have shut my eyes I can see their innocent faces laughing and smiling. Their voices echo chillingly in the silence before we die.
Ring around the Rosies,
Pocket Full of Posies,
Ashes, Ashes,
We all Fall...
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Ring around the Rosies,
Pocket Full of Posies,
Ashes, Ashes,
We all Fall Down!
Ironic. On today of all days. But they know not what they sing of. The origin of the song has been long forgotten. A tale of a terrible plague that killed almost half of Europe's population, and now it's a child's song. It's fitting that I should hear this song today. The children don't know what's coming. They don't know...
I stare at the beautiful sky and pray for a miracle. There is none forthcoming. I didn't really expect one anyway. Almost mockingly, the object of so much talk and speculation, fear and hatred comes into view. It too is beautiful. It is bright, reflecting the rays of sunlight, sparkling magnificently. I stare up at that which will kill me, that which will kill us all. I stare up at that which will consume the Earth completely. Ironic that the harbinger of death is so beautiful.
The meteor hurtles towards the Earth at 159,947 miles per hour. At least that's what the scientists said. But they're long gone, gone on one of the first ships to leave the planet. Bound for New Earth. Apparently it's the journey of a lifetime. I'm sure it is. But I'll never find out.
One hundred years ago, scientists discovered this meteor. After much study, they determined that it would collide with the Earth on November 5, 11239 C.E. It turns out they were right. Today is November 5. Any guesses on what year it is?
One would think that one hundred years would be sufficient time to evacuate every person on Earth. There was enough time. Someone actually calculated it. It would take approximately 52.53 years to evacuate Earth completely. There was more than enough time. Science had saved the day, and no one would die when the meteor finally crashed in a century's time.
But science is logical. Science is rational. People aren't. The need for worldwide evacuation created a new demand for spaceships and shuttles. Everything seemed to be doing well. The economy was booming. People were getting rich. But with the realization that everyone, every single person on the planet needed to leave, corporations realized that they could raise their prices indefinitely. There were no regulations on this new interplanetary transportation. If everyone needed to leave, then everyone would have to pay for a ticket to New Earth if they were to survive. Genius, really. A new marketing technique was devised. I call it the "Pay or Die" advertising.
"Buy your ticket now if you want to live! We're running out of seats on the U.S.S. Zephyr and you don't want to be left behind!" The message was always the same. Pay now for your right to live. Naturally, ticket sales went through the roof. Ticket booths were swarmed by the rich and the famous, the politicians and the businessmen. They were afraid, and rightfully so. After about twenty years of this, the Astronauts of Earth Supercorporation was running better business on New Earth than on Old Earth. The profits were even higher there, and the interplanetary travel was barely in the black anymore. The Board voted to minimize shuttles to and from Old Earth in order to free up shuttles for use on New Earth. This tripled their profits, and the CEO and shareholders sat fat and happy in their majestic mansions on the marvelously modern New Earth.
There were still eighty years left, and everyone believed that there was still ample time to evacuate the remaining population. But eighty years became seventy, and seventy became sixty, and still only three billion people had colonized New Earth. The stream of settlers had slowed to a mere trickle. By the time the New U.S. Congress decided to draft a bill to lower the prices for evacuation and force the A of E (Astronauts of Earth) to run more transports to and from Earth, there were only thirty-one years left before the End of the World. The New public applauded the bill for its humanitarian stance and hoped fervently for it to succeed. However, it was bogged down in the New Senate for two years, pending review by seven members who were rumored to be in the A of E's pocket. By this point, there were only twenty-nine years left. Time was running out.
The bill passed on July 4, 11210. Three days later, on July 7, Harold Don Lankard, a representative of the A of E, challenged the New Earth Relations Act. The lawsuit went all the way to the New Supreme Court. On the fateful day of November 5, 11210, the New Supreme Court ruled the New Earth Relations Act unconstitutional on the grounds that although New Congress could regulate interstate commerce, it could not regulate interplanetary commerce.
Years passed, and soon there was only one year left. The people of New Earth clamored for the evacuation of the rest of humanity still on Old Earth. By this time, five billion people were settled on New Earth. But there was nothing they could do. The uproar here on Old Earth was much greater. But there were no authorities left to hear us. We had no way to leave Old Earth. We had been abandoned to our fates. We have been abandoned to our deaths. I didn't have enough money to pay for passage to New Earth. None of us did.
Today is November 5, 11239 C.E. Today is the day I die. Today is the day we all die. Today, the Earth dies. I wonder how we'll be remembered on New Earth. Perhaps we'll be martyrs. Perhaps our deaths can help reform the governments of New Earth, weed out the corruption. Martyrs. All fifty-three billion of us. Martyrs.
I look up at the sky. My death is fast approaching. I am afraid. I don't want to die. But it's not my choice. It's never been my choice. I feel a tear drip off my cheek. I am powerless. Powerless to save myself. Powerless to save anyone. We cannot run and hide. The Earth dies today.
Amazingly, two children are still dancing around each other, oblivious to their fate. Though I have shut my eyes I can see their innocent faces laughing and smiling. Their voices echo chillingly in the silence before we die.
Ring around the Rosies,
Pocket Full of Posies,
Ashes, Ashes,
We all Fall...
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Fragmented Desires
((Babenhausen Caserne, 1977) (Part two of three to; "Nightmare in Erie"))
He cared for her-for her best self that is: love, well, perhaps it was damp love, not the kind that molds two into a marriage, or ever creates a bond between one and the other, not a real romance, it never had time to develop, it was damp before they met, and when they met, they both were in need of a lifeboat, if not a life preserver.
He learned her way as if she was a book though, opened at a certain page, one read and reread. And knew somewhere inside her there always would be that other person she was-that person that steps away from the soul for the soul's sake. And that is what he was thinking about this morning walking to the woods...
in essence, it was not a healthy marriage, from the start, and to be frank he never felt so unsure of himself as now.
-And it's not over yet, he told himself, time and again.
He loitered about among the indistinguishable foliage: it was summer, 1977. He lived outside the world of desires and their fulfillments. That is to say, inept and uncertain.
He turned away-they were in the woods, behind the Babenhausen, Military Housing Compound, also referred to as Caserne. He was with his wife and twin boys, now five years old, they were waiting for a ride on his shoulders and back, Cody was first, and he got on his hands and knees and moved about like a bear, as Shawn tried to pull him off. Then Shawn got his turn, mostly on his shoulders, as Cody tried to jump up at Shawn's feet and pull him off his father, whom was bent slightly.
It was a fine feeling playing with the boys, he had told them, also telling them that there were wild boars in the woods, thus, they looked here and there every time they heard a noise, and to be honest, it was a true statement.
Chick Evens longed for such weekends, playing with the boys, flying their kites, and so on, but the Army was demanding, and therefore, such occasions were far and in-between. But he enjoyed the moment, even his own fatigue, feeling the delight of the boys.
Regretfully that morning would soon come to an end; it turned windy, and then came forenoon thunder.
As he walked back to his apartment, knowing good and well the marriage was not going to last, that he could have had a good share of the pretty women of his time, just for the asking, but he also felt, why start now, especially with frustration and fragmented desires.
#934 (6-23-2012)
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He cared for her-for her best self that is: love, well, perhaps it was damp love, not the kind that molds two into a marriage, or ever creates a bond between one and the other, not a real romance, it never had time to develop, it was damp before they met, and when they met, they both were in need of a lifeboat, if not a life preserver.
He learned her way as if she was a book though, opened at a certain page, one read and reread. And knew somewhere inside her there always would be that other person she was-that person that steps away from the soul for the soul's sake. And that is what he was thinking about this morning walking to the woods...
in essence, it was not a healthy marriage, from the start, and to be frank he never felt so unsure of himself as now.
-And it's not over yet, he told himself, time and again.
He loitered about among the indistinguishable foliage: it was summer, 1977. He lived outside the world of desires and their fulfillments. That is to say, inept and uncertain.
He turned away-they were in the woods, behind the Babenhausen, Military Housing Compound, also referred to as Caserne. He was with his wife and twin boys, now five years old, they were waiting for a ride on his shoulders and back, Cody was first, and he got on his hands and knees and moved about like a bear, as Shawn tried to pull him off. Then Shawn got his turn, mostly on his shoulders, as Cody tried to jump up at Shawn's feet and pull him off his father, whom was bent slightly.
It was a fine feeling playing with the boys, he had told them, also telling them that there were wild boars in the woods, thus, they looked here and there every time they heard a noise, and to be honest, it was a true statement.
Chick Evens longed for such weekends, playing with the boys, flying their kites, and so on, but the Army was demanding, and therefore, such occasions were far and in-between. But he enjoyed the moment, even his own fatigue, feeling the delight of the boys.
Regretfully that morning would soon come to an end; it turned windy, and then came forenoon thunder.
As he walked back to his apartment, knowing good and well the marriage was not going to last, that he could have had a good share of the pretty women of his time, just for the asking, but he also felt, why start now, especially with frustration and fragmented desires.
#934 (6-23-2012)
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Monday, 15 October 2012
My Torrid Affair With Irene
In this instant, exaggerating world we live in, everything is magnified and blown out of perspective.
Many airplane phobias grow out of the media's spectacular coverage of an airline crash with pictures and graphic descriptions of maimed bodies and terrible destruction.
Stories are repeated over and over to satisfy the hungry, peeping Tom public and fill the newspapers, TVs, computers and radio.
Eddie Murphy once mimicked the assassination attempt of Presidaent Reagan by doing a comic rendition of, "Buckweat has been shot!" He repeated it in various angles, slow motion and normal. It was hysterical burlesque in that it demonstrated the media's handling of current events.
Weather reporting becomes more than just a prediction of what may be. There are graphs and radar and beautiful models and handsome men reporting it. They have Geraldo Rivera standing in a hurricane, his hair blowing in the wind. Cars chasing tornadoes and volcano's and tsunamis and plain old thunder storms.
People rush to buy food and batteries and snow shovels. The mayors and governors use the emergencies to enhance their political presence.
And we all wait in anticipation of the titillating diversion from our daily routines.
The news and weather have become an entertaining medium and an opportunity to advertise products. It is also an opportunity for the various experts to show how erudite they are. I have always been fascinated by the expression, "There will be a thirty five per cent chance of rain" What does that mean? Does it mean there will be a sixty five percent chance it will not rain? That's like saying it will be a nice day if it does not rain.
I wrote the following as an observation of this phenomenon and its impact on our modern day lives.
So here's my response. Hope you find it amusing.
My Torrid Affair With Irene
I can't say I was not warned... "Beware of this one! she is dangerous! She will blow into your life and leave you rung out and in the dark. But she will also bring you danger and exotic excitement."
"Baloney", I thought. She will be an exaggeration like the rest
So I waited with anticipation... nervously looking out the window awaiting her arrival.
Wow! She poured out her heart and her soul and sang with the wind. And indeed I was apprehensive as the darkness enfolded me. The TV was no longer pertinent nor was my trusty computer. Just Irene and me.. It was truly sensual and thrilling.
And then she was gone on her frivolous way. To D' electrify others. To tear into their lives and leave them as she left me..alone and battered...
"Good night Irene... Good night Irene... I'll see you in my dreams... ".
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Many airplane phobias grow out of the media's spectacular coverage of an airline crash with pictures and graphic descriptions of maimed bodies and terrible destruction.
Stories are repeated over and over to satisfy the hungry, peeping Tom public and fill the newspapers, TVs, computers and radio.
Eddie Murphy once mimicked the assassination attempt of Presidaent Reagan by doing a comic rendition of, "Buckweat has been shot!" He repeated it in various angles, slow motion and normal. It was hysterical burlesque in that it demonstrated the media's handling of current events.
Weather reporting becomes more than just a prediction of what may be. There are graphs and radar and beautiful models and handsome men reporting it. They have Geraldo Rivera standing in a hurricane, his hair blowing in the wind. Cars chasing tornadoes and volcano's and tsunamis and plain old thunder storms.
People rush to buy food and batteries and snow shovels. The mayors and governors use the emergencies to enhance their political presence.
And we all wait in anticipation of the titillating diversion from our daily routines.
The news and weather have become an entertaining medium and an opportunity to advertise products. It is also an opportunity for the various experts to show how erudite they are. I have always been fascinated by the expression, "There will be a thirty five per cent chance of rain" What does that mean? Does it mean there will be a sixty five percent chance it will not rain? That's like saying it will be a nice day if it does not rain.
I wrote the following as an observation of this phenomenon and its impact on our modern day lives.
So here's my response. Hope you find it amusing.
My Torrid Affair With Irene
I can't say I was not warned... "Beware of this one! she is dangerous! She will blow into your life and leave you rung out and in the dark. But she will also bring you danger and exotic excitement."
"Baloney", I thought. She will be an exaggeration like the rest
So I waited with anticipation... nervously looking out the window awaiting her arrival.
Wow! She poured out her heart and her soul and sang with the wind. And indeed I was apprehensive as the darkness enfolded me. The TV was no longer pertinent nor was my trusty computer. Just Irene and me.. It was truly sensual and thrilling.
And then she was gone on her frivolous way. To D' electrify others. To tear into their lives and leave them as she left me..alone and battered...
"Good night Irene... Good night Irene... I'll see you in my dreams... ".
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Sunday, 14 October 2012
Moonlit Night And Unforgettable Memories
The expansive water surface of the Arabian Sea, resembling like a sheet of glass, has its own beauty and charm. The awesome full moon's reflection in the calm sea was, indeed, most enchanting and romantic too. The passing steamers were occasionally disturbing the serenity in the environments. The screw was creating ripples and conveying many untold messages to the people in love. The black smoke from the funnel was making a serpent like a trail towards heavens. It is unequivocally establishing the eternity of unfathomable love between two unknown persons, who were sincerely involved with each other.
The dark cloud represents Sameer's sincerity of love and purity of thoughts. His feelings towards Diana still mesmerize many youngsters. His matchless love beautifully expressing his immortal feelings that can be best expressed in Mirza Ghalib's couplet from Urdu language poetry. (Mirza Ghalib was the most famous outstanding grand masters of Urdu poetry of yester years). It goes like this:
"When the candle is extinguished, then the black smoke rises from it,
The flame of love had wrapped up in the dark after my death."
Sameer has reasons to remember Diana at every moment beyond his life. She was the combination of beauty and the brain. Her moments and conduct can best be described as poetry in motion. She possessed a unique personality and down to earth simplicity of nature. She was kind hearted and sincere. Sameer's nostalgic feelings reverberating many memorable days they spend together. The unforgettable days, when they met for the first time, has a story of many innumerable passions. The silent words expressed through their eyes between them have narrated their stories of sincerity of passion and purity of affection.
Diana was very simple and elegant in spite of being rich and famous. The upscale society and aristocratic family background speak volumes of her dignity and sophistication. However, she possessed a heart which has preserved a picture of Sameer in her subconscious thoughts.
His humble background has out-smarted many rich and famous lads of wealthy and aristocratic society. He possessed a gift of gap and a perfect sense of humour. He was intelligent and knew the art of stealing the heart of many feminine genders. What was transpired and inspired between Sameer and Diana has its sanctity and purity of love?
It was September, and the birthday lad was on his own and lonely, strolling down in the park. The evening twilight was continually exploring his feelings and simplicity. It was making his personality most attractive and enchanting. He went inside the café and fetched a coffee and sat down in the cosy corner. He was totally engrossed in his thoughts, when a soft yet a melodious voice interrupted him. A charming young girl stood in front of him and politely asked his permission to share the same table. At that moment, Sameer has become dumb founded and speechless. He recovered quickly, and with a broader smile stood and bowed before her. It indicated his permission and magnitude of mannerism.
The moment appeared lasting and unending. The time encompassed the two strangers and their sincere love into its magnanimity. They looked deep into each other's eyes, and their passion of love transformed them into sublimity. They were totally unaware of their attraction and attachment to each other. They remained mute for reasonably longer time until the steward broke the silence and enquired into their requirements. Sameer asked her if she liked to share a cake. She nodded in affirmative, and the steward departed to fulfil the order.
Diana and Sameer exchanged their basic information and suddenly laughed in unison. Diana complemented without exaggeration about his dreamy and intoxicating eyes. It appeared to her that his eyes have read all about her personality. Sameer thanked and reciprocated her compliment in expressing her overall personality like Rebecca's statue.
The waiter placed their order on the table and wished him happy birthday. Diana felt a pleasant surprise and enquired; how did the steward know about it?
Sameer replied, "He always celebrates his birthday alone and in the same restaurant."
They shared the cake and after sometime they left the place and decided to walk down the carriageway towards the park.
Diana expressed her love and wanted to spend her holidays in Venice. She formally invited him to join her on her trip to Venice. She requested him to prepare to leave by the following weekend.
Sameer smiled and expressed his unfathomable love through his eyes, which has enveloped her in totality.
The seven days of the week were appeared, most memorable not only to Sameer and Diana but also to the entire neighbourhood. Everybody appreciated and admired the couple. They spend most of the time together exchanging their thoughts, feelings and subtle sense of humor. Diana informed him that she will be visiting her grandma along with her parents, and they will return in a few days. They departed to their respective homes and promise to meet on the eve of departure to Venice.
Sameer was off to the neighboring town to fulfil his unfinished task. He returned in a couple of days and settled down in his home. On the appointed day Sameer was proceeding towards Diana's residence and noticed something very unusual. Everybody was giving a strange look at him. It appeared that they wanted to tell something but refrained from doing so for some unknown reasons. Finally, he reached her home and noticed a tragic scene. The coffin was resting on the hearse and everybody, including Diana's family members were in black robes barring Diana. Her absence made him frightened and confused. He was in a dilemma, whether to enquire about Diana or wait and watch?
He remained silent for some time and decided to approach her parents. Her mother came running and hugged Sameer and broke down hysterical. Other family people took charge and tried to pacify her. Sameer was shivering with fear of an unknown danger. Diana's father took Sameer in the corner and informed him that Diana has died in her sleep. Her sudden demise has shocked everybody with same magnitude. Sameer broke down and could not control his tears. He touched the coffin and kissed.
After the funeral ceremony was over and everybody departed to their respective destination. Sameer walked down the path to the café in a melancholy state and sat in the corner. The waiter approached him and with all sympathy expressed his condolence and remembered the departed soul in very high steam. Sameer looked at him and expressed her absence by reciting an Urdu poetry couplet:
"The memories of the past are tormented oh! Lord,
Snatch my memories from me."
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The dark cloud represents Sameer's sincerity of love and purity of thoughts. His feelings towards Diana still mesmerize many youngsters. His matchless love beautifully expressing his immortal feelings that can be best expressed in Mirza Ghalib's couplet from Urdu language poetry. (Mirza Ghalib was the most famous outstanding grand masters of Urdu poetry of yester years). It goes like this:
"When the candle is extinguished, then the black smoke rises from it,
The flame of love had wrapped up in the dark after my death."
Sameer has reasons to remember Diana at every moment beyond his life. She was the combination of beauty and the brain. Her moments and conduct can best be described as poetry in motion. She possessed a unique personality and down to earth simplicity of nature. She was kind hearted and sincere. Sameer's nostalgic feelings reverberating many memorable days they spend together. The unforgettable days, when they met for the first time, has a story of many innumerable passions. The silent words expressed through their eyes between them have narrated their stories of sincerity of passion and purity of affection.
Diana was very simple and elegant in spite of being rich and famous. The upscale society and aristocratic family background speak volumes of her dignity and sophistication. However, she possessed a heart which has preserved a picture of Sameer in her subconscious thoughts.
His humble background has out-smarted many rich and famous lads of wealthy and aristocratic society. He possessed a gift of gap and a perfect sense of humour. He was intelligent and knew the art of stealing the heart of many feminine genders. What was transpired and inspired between Sameer and Diana has its sanctity and purity of love?
It was September, and the birthday lad was on his own and lonely, strolling down in the park. The evening twilight was continually exploring his feelings and simplicity. It was making his personality most attractive and enchanting. He went inside the café and fetched a coffee and sat down in the cosy corner. He was totally engrossed in his thoughts, when a soft yet a melodious voice interrupted him. A charming young girl stood in front of him and politely asked his permission to share the same table. At that moment, Sameer has become dumb founded and speechless. He recovered quickly, and with a broader smile stood and bowed before her. It indicated his permission and magnitude of mannerism.
The moment appeared lasting and unending. The time encompassed the two strangers and their sincere love into its magnanimity. They looked deep into each other's eyes, and their passion of love transformed them into sublimity. They were totally unaware of their attraction and attachment to each other. They remained mute for reasonably longer time until the steward broke the silence and enquired into their requirements. Sameer asked her if she liked to share a cake. She nodded in affirmative, and the steward departed to fulfil the order.
Diana and Sameer exchanged their basic information and suddenly laughed in unison. Diana complemented without exaggeration about his dreamy and intoxicating eyes. It appeared to her that his eyes have read all about her personality. Sameer thanked and reciprocated her compliment in expressing her overall personality like Rebecca's statue.
The waiter placed their order on the table and wished him happy birthday. Diana felt a pleasant surprise and enquired; how did the steward know about it?
Sameer replied, "He always celebrates his birthday alone and in the same restaurant."
They shared the cake and after sometime they left the place and decided to walk down the carriageway towards the park.
Diana expressed her love and wanted to spend her holidays in Venice. She formally invited him to join her on her trip to Venice. She requested him to prepare to leave by the following weekend.
Sameer smiled and expressed his unfathomable love through his eyes, which has enveloped her in totality.
The seven days of the week were appeared, most memorable not only to Sameer and Diana but also to the entire neighbourhood. Everybody appreciated and admired the couple. They spend most of the time together exchanging their thoughts, feelings and subtle sense of humor. Diana informed him that she will be visiting her grandma along with her parents, and they will return in a few days. They departed to their respective homes and promise to meet on the eve of departure to Venice.
Sameer was off to the neighboring town to fulfil his unfinished task. He returned in a couple of days and settled down in his home. On the appointed day Sameer was proceeding towards Diana's residence and noticed something very unusual. Everybody was giving a strange look at him. It appeared that they wanted to tell something but refrained from doing so for some unknown reasons. Finally, he reached her home and noticed a tragic scene. The coffin was resting on the hearse and everybody, including Diana's family members were in black robes barring Diana. Her absence made him frightened and confused. He was in a dilemma, whether to enquire about Diana or wait and watch?
He remained silent for some time and decided to approach her parents. Her mother came running and hugged Sameer and broke down hysterical. Other family people took charge and tried to pacify her. Sameer was shivering with fear of an unknown danger. Diana's father took Sameer in the corner and informed him that Diana has died in her sleep. Her sudden demise has shocked everybody with same magnitude. Sameer broke down and could not control his tears. He touched the coffin and kissed.
After the funeral ceremony was over and everybody departed to their respective destination. Sameer walked down the path to the café in a melancholy state and sat in the corner. The waiter approached him and with all sympathy expressed his condolence and remembered the departed soul in very high steam. Sameer looked at him and expressed her absence by reciting an Urdu poetry couplet:
"The memories of the past are tormented oh! Lord,
Snatch my memories from me."
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Left on the Ground
The time is nigh to reach for the sky
. The words rotate in my mind the way the minute hand unwinds on my clock. But still I dose... Oh, I hope my tie's on straight... You have it already... Yes, my degree... I'm sure I can learn that job, Mr. Sir...
The token slips into the slot as I slip through the turn style, but immediately circle back to where I started to retrieve the briefcase I leave on the ground.
Shattering the silence, the alarm positions my heart at the end of a tuning fork, but it fails to play the right tune-at least today.
Doused by the shower head-emitted stream, I drown in the water's irony. Of course it would have to rain-on all days, this one-just to make me late.
Dawn, ordinarily opening day's curtains to the light, only succeeds in shading the charcoal strata to smoky gray, as I creep, inch-deep, among the already employed, assaulted by the beams of light staring at me like laser eyes from the other side of the road-until the jackknifed trailer slices into my day.
Redirected to the other side, I become one of them-not in employment, but in direction-only a single exit from my goal, forcing me to bypass it-the exit, that is, and not the goal-I hope! The way my heart now pounds, it will soon need a bypass of its own.
You'll never make it now, but keep going, anyway! Imagine me-leader and led. I wouldn't particularly want one of those jobs, much less both. Ah, but the job...
Shaking from autumn's chill, my car penetrates the gray blur, needled by pins falling from the sky.
Ahead, ahead, but you've fallen behind
. There it is-or was- the metallic bullet accepting its last passenger as I futilely run toward the fence, caught by the hot, carbon-laced jet blast spewed by its engines, which wrench open my briefcase and spit its contents into the whirling, moisture-laden air.
Booming skyward, the aircraft is immediately swallowed by the sulfur sky, only to leave me with the realization that I'm left on the ground. As I snag the spilled copy of my resume with my foot to stop the wind from carrying it-and my dreams-away, I also realize that it is still covered with my slipper. And my pajama leg hangs over it.
Slipping back into my car, it feels strangely like my bed.
Now the alarm really goes off...
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. The words rotate in my mind the way the minute hand unwinds on my clock. But still I dose... Oh, I hope my tie's on straight... You have it already... Yes, my degree... I'm sure I can learn that job, Mr. Sir...
The token slips into the slot as I slip through the turn style, but immediately circle back to where I started to retrieve the briefcase I leave on the ground.
Shattering the silence, the alarm positions my heart at the end of a tuning fork, but it fails to play the right tune-at least today.
Doused by the shower head-emitted stream, I drown in the water's irony. Of course it would have to rain-on all days, this one-just to make me late.
Dawn, ordinarily opening day's curtains to the light, only succeeds in shading the charcoal strata to smoky gray, as I creep, inch-deep, among the already employed, assaulted by the beams of light staring at me like laser eyes from the other side of the road-until the jackknifed trailer slices into my day.
Redirected to the other side, I become one of them-not in employment, but in direction-only a single exit from my goal, forcing me to bypass it-the exit, that is, and not the goal-I hope! The way my heart now pounds, it will soon need a bypass of its own.
You'll never make it now, but keep going, anyway! Imagine me-leader and led. I wouldn't particularly want one of those jobs, much less both. Ah, but the job...
Shaking from autumn's chill, my car penetrates the gray blur, needled by pins falling from the sky.
Ahead, ahead, but you've fallen behind
. There it is-or was- the metallic bullet accepting its last passenger as I futilely run toward the fence, caught by the hot, carbon-laced jet blast spewed by its engines, which wrench open my briefcase and spit its contents into the whirling, moisture-laden air.
Booming skyward, the aircraft is immediately swallowed by the sulfur sky, only to leave me with the realization that I'm left on the ground. As I snag the spilled copy of my resume with my foot to stop the wind from carrying it-and my dreams-away, I also realize that it is still covered with my slipper. And my pajama leg hangs over it.
Slipping back into my car, it feels strangely like my bed.
Now the alarm really goes off...
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Wednesday, 29 August 2012
Why Are Short Stories Not Popular With Readers?
There is a current belief from many people, that short stories are not popular. While that's only partly true, it's worth trying to discover why this is. This article will go over some of the main misconceptions of this, and why it's changing for the better.
But before we start, it's interesting to note that it's usually authors of short stories that think this. They write a few thousand words, put up a nice cover on it, and place it on Amazon wondering why they aren't making thousands of dollars a month from their work.
When you ask readers, they actually say they love reading short stories. So what's going on?
It really comes down to what readers want, and the method they are used to receiving it.
Let's look at Amazon. Most readers have always gone there to buy books - full length books. They are not used to seeing short works on there yet. Of course that is slowly changing, but nonetheless, with the rise of independent publishing it's confusing to many readers now, to understand just what they are buying.
Traditionally, works of short length were sold to magazines, and the consumer got to read them after purchasing the magazine. They therefore thought that they were reading the story for 'free' even though it was really factored into the price of the magazine as a whole. So the idea of paying for JUST the story is quite new to them.
This is also the case when many websites have hundreds of works by writers all for free, such as the popular website WattPad. A reader can simply create an account and read as much or as little as they want for no cost.
It also doesn't help when how much a book costs has such a huge range on many online stores. Some authors are pricing their full novels for less than a dollar, and other authors are writing shorter fiction and pricing it over three dollars. Works in different genres are priced differently, and even writers of differing levels of experience have vastly different prices.
That's the reason why smaller works on places on Amazon are not as popular as full length novels. Customers are not used to buying them this way yet.
Statistics show that this is slowly changing, but it still could be quite some time before short stories become more popular and mainstream, and authors start to make a good living from their work.
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But before we start, it's interesting to note that it's usually authors of short stories that think this. They write a few thousand words, put up a nice cover on it, and place it on Amazon wondering why they aren't making thousands of dollars a month from their work.
When you ask readers, they actually say they love reading short stories. So what's going on?
It really comes down to what readers want, and the method they are used to receiving it.
Let's look at Amazon. Most readers have always gone there to buy books - full length books. They are not used to seeing short works on there yet. Of course that is slowly changing, but nonetheless, with the rise of independent publishing it's confusing to many readers now, to understand just what they are buying.
Traditionally, works of short length were sold to magazines, and the consumer got to read them after purchasing the magazine. They therefore thought that they were reading the story for 'free' even though it was really factored into the price of the magazine as a whole. So the idea of paying for JUST the story is quite new to them.
This is also the case when many websites have hundreds of works by writers all for free, such as the popular website WattPad. A reader can simply create an account and read as much or as little as they want for no cost.
It also doesn't help when how much a book costs has such a huge range on many online stores. Some authors are pricing their full novels for less than a dollar, and other authors are writing shorter fiction and pricing it over three dollars. Works in different genres are priced differently, and even writers of differing levels of experience have vastly different prices.
That's the reason why smaller works on places on Amazon are not as popular as full length novels. Customers are not used to buying them this way yet.
Statistics show that this is slowly changing, but it still could be quite some time before short stories become more popular and mainstream, and authors start to make a good living from their work.
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X-Treme Xperience
X-Treme
He was cradled in the loving arms of unconsciousness, safe, secure, floating in a dark limitless oblivion, soundless, far away from the world of pain. Inert, but his pulsing brain would not let him rest, would not let him surrender to the sweet siren call of warm endless sleep. Signals were sent to all parts of his body, feint calls to each nerve end demanding a response - wake up! wake Up! Limply, his senses slowly answered. Electric probes of pins and needles washed down his body. Fingers and toes clenched and unclenched. His nose drawing in overwhelming wafts of pine, sharp pungent, natural smelling salts that stung him into awareness.
He opened his eyes to obsidian blackness, no light, total darkness. His legs and arms moved sideways and were immediately blocked. He head jerked upwards, his forehead smashing, thumping into wood drawing blood. His lungs started to pound, stale air gulped down in desperate mouthfuls. He screamed as the dreadful realisation dawned. In a mindless frenzy his fingernails clawed the wood, nails digging pine, then falling by his side snapped, broken, bloody.
Silence.
At first he heard a scattering of pebbles fall from above, followed by incessant spadefuls falling with a deafening weight reverberating in waves through his solid pine box. His fists smashed upwards in defiance. "I'm alive alive!" he cried, but no one was listening.
Silence once again. He was totally paralysed with fear.
What good would shouting do? Should he accept the inevitable or go down fighting? Then something strange happened. He felt the air in the chamber move around him, cool fresh air pumped from above began to chill his toes. His left foot found an opening to a pipe cut into the wood. Seconds later his blackness was suddenly lit by an intense pinprick of red light as a fibre optic cable and camera snaked into his nightmare. They knew he was awake. They knew he was being driven out of his mind. They knew, but they weren't finished with him yet.
A plump grey-brown body, four legs and whiskers, razor-sharp teeth and eyes that could see in the dark fell through the pipe. Then another, and another until the scratching, nuzzling rats began to lick and tear at his flesh, wriggling and jerking, intoxicated by human blood. The sound of water dripping then flowing freely down the pipe distracted them only momentarily from their gory feasting. The water rose inch by unstoppable inch. He felt the slimy snaking bodies of freshwater eels brush his face. He didn't react. He was too long gone for that. He'd retreated into a protective womb of peace. He'd given up. He just lay there waiting for the end, preparing to meet his maker.
They say you see a bright light in near-death experiences. The light at the gate of heaven. His eyes stung as the searing white beam burned deep into his eyes, blinding and stinging. Then an uproar of voices a tumultuous cacophony. The side of the coffin fell outwards on greased hinges, a microphone thrust into his face. "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Winner of X-Treme Reality "
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He was cradled in the loving arms of unconsciousness, safe, secure, floating in a dark limitless oblivion, soundless, far away from the world of pain. Inert, but his pulsing brain would not let him rest, would not let him surrender to the sweet siren call of warm endless sleep. Signals were sent to all parts of his body, feint calls to each nerve end demanding a response - wake up! wake Up! Limply, his senses slowly answered. Electric probes of pins and needles washed down his body. Fingers and toes clenched and unclenched. His nose drawing in overwhelming wafts of pine, sharp pungent, natural smelling salts that stung him into awareness.
He opened his eyes to obsidian blackness, no light, total darkness. His legs and arms moved sideways and were immediately blocked. He head jerked upwards, his forehead smashing, thumping into wood drawing blood. His lungs started to pound, stale air gulped down in desperate mouthfuls. He screamed as the dreadful realisation dawned. In a mindless frenzy his fingernails clawed the wood, nails digging pine, then falling by his side snapped, broken, bloody.
Silence.
At first he heard a scattering of pebbles fall from above, followed by incessant spadefuls falling with a deafening weight reverberating in waves through his solid pine box. His fists smashed upwards in defiance. "I'm alive alive!" he cried, but no one was listening.
Silence once again. He was totally paralysed with fear.
What good would shouting do? Should he accept the inevitable or go down fighting? Then something strange happened. He felt the air in the chamber move around him, cool fresh air pumped from above began to chill his toes. His left foot found an opening to a pipe cut into the wood. Seconds later his blackness was suddenly lit by an intense pinprick of red light as a fibre optic cable and camera snaked into his nightmare. They knew he was awake. They knew he was being driven out of his mind. They knew, but they weren't finished with him yet.
A plump grey-brown body, four legs and whiskers, razor-sharp teeth and eyes that could see in the dark fell through the pipe. Then another, and another until the scratching, nuzzling rats began to lick and tear at his flesh, wriggling and jerking, intoxicated by human blood. The sound of water dripping then flowing freely down the pipe distracted them only momentarily from their gory feasting. The water rose inch by unstoppable inch. He felt the slimy snaking bodies of freshwater eels brush his face. He didn't react. He was too long gone for that. He'd retreated into a protective womb of peace. He'd given up. He just lay there waiting for the end, preparing to meet his maker.
They say you see a bright light in near-death experiences. The light at the gate of heaven. His eyes stung as the searing white beam burned deep into his eyes, blinding and stinging. Then an uproar of voices a tumultuous cacophony. The side of the coffin fell outwards on greased hinges, a microphone thrust into his face. "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Winner of X-Treme Reality "
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Vacation Crumbles With Car Trouble
First Vacation in Five Years
My life has been completely up ended, dumped, scrambled, and any other life altering adjective you can think that describes total change. In the last 2 years, I have had 2 car accidents which totaled both cars, lost my job which I held for 24 years, fallen in love with my very best friend of 20 years then found him cheating on me with a 22 year old co-worker, heartbroken.
Newly single and heart broken, I have decided that it is time for some ME TIME. My best friend from college calls me one day and offers a free trip to South Padre Island. Only needing spending money and financially strapped from becoming a one income home suddenly, I jumped at the chance for this much needed vacation.
Preparations for Vacation
Seven months have passed since the last of the traumatic experiences of the last two years. Although still heart broken, I have started to date again. A 'blast from the past' reconnected with me via Face Book. We have been entertaining a possible relationship and getting to know each other again after so many years. Coincidentally, he just happens to live half way between Houston where I live and Austin where my friend and I would depart for South Padre Island. Throughout the getting re-acquainted phase of our relationship, we have seen each other on three occasions. The fact that we are long distance and both workaholics have made it difficult for us to assess if there is any chemistry between us to build upon. I requested a couple of extra days off on each end of my vacation time to see him and explore the possibilities.
My plan was to finish my work week on a Tuesday night around 10pm. Go home to shower, pack last minute toiletries, load the car and drive halfway to Austin. I would spend Tuesday evening, ( or what would be left of it) and all day and night Wednesday trying to assess how much if any chemistry I may have with this old friend. On a whim, I arranged to get off work at 4pm instead of 10pm. I thought that it would be a great surprise to begin our time much earlier and arrive while he was still awake. I also felt strange letting myself into his home in the wee hours of the morning, crashing on the couch till morning. We do live in Texas after all and I didn't want to become a statistic of the 2nd amendment. I called my sister to let her know of my plans, but purposely left my gentleman friend out of the loop for the surprise factor.
Finally, everything was ready. Maybe this is the point of the story that I should mention that in the week before, I had fairly extensive car repairs (to the tune of $450.00) on the car that was getting me from point A to B. Remember, my last car had recently been totaled in an accident. Ever diligent, I had coolant; extra quarts of oil, basically all fluids needed as back up in my trunk and had checked every fluid level before departing. Bonn Voyage toward my vacation.
Breakdown Number One
It takes about 30 minutes to drive through my northern suburb and downtown Houston. I was just in the 'not so great part' of town when I saw it. Again, ever diligent, I checked all of the internal gauges every 5-10 seconds as I drove, not really trusting the reliability of my car. The temperature gauge of my car went from normal to OH MY GOSH HOT before my eyes.
I will never be able to capture on these pages the hundreds of thoughts running through my mind. First and foremost, I knew that I needed to pull over and turn off the engine. I was in the fast lane at the end of rush hour traffic. By the grace of God I was able to quickly make my way to the far right lane of traffic. There was an exit off of the freeway in 500 yards. Nope, I could not do it. By this time, the temperature gauge was pegged on HOT. I pulled onto the grassy shoulder as far off of the freeway as I could and killed the ignition of the car. Steam rose from the hood. I popped the hood to allow as much air circulation as possible and waited. I quickly realized that with traffic speeding past me and the lack of adequate space to pull over, I could not safely exit the car on the driver's side. So I waited. My coolant reservoir was not separate from the pressurized radiator cap so, I knew that it was just a waiting game until the engine was cool enough to open and fill with coolant. I waited. After about 30 minutes, I again started my hunk of junk car, slowly made my way to the exit just 500 yards away and into a parking lot of a 'no tell motel' just after the exit. With adequate lighting. (Oh yes, it is now starting to get dark in a bad part of town and I was stranded) As I expected, somehow, my coolant was bone dry. I refilled the reservoir with the gallon I had packed in my trunk and located the nearest Auto Zone.3 miles away. Hind sight is 20/20 but at this moment in time, I was convinced that I had done everything right and had saved my engine from certain doom. The car did not overheat on the.3 miles to the auto parts store. I begged the salesman in the Auto Zone to come assess the damages. Before I knew it there were several men all offering their opinion about the reliability of my 'ride'. And the winner was... 'You're good to go young lady!'
Music to my ears!!! My surprise was now about two hours later than planned but still six hours before expected... I called my sister, updated her on my progress and Bonn Voyage.
Breakdown Number Two
The Final Breakdown and End of My Vacation Dreams
One eye glued to the temperature gauge and the other one to the road ahead of me, I began my journey once again. Any guesses how many miles down the road before breakdown number two? I know that the suspense is killing you so I will not make you wait. TEN MILES! Difference in surroundings was monumental.
This time around, the car did not over heat. This time the car just quit. The gas pedal did not accelerate, there was no power steering, and there were no power brakes, the car just quit. The nearest exit was immediate which I managed to exit. The exit was downhill so I was able to pick up enough speed to coast into a strip shopping center and park almost perfectly in a parking space. The biggest difference in my surroundings for this second breakdown was the complete absence of people. Darkness as far as I could see. Not a human in sight.
I had no desire to try to start the car again; I had no desire to do anything but cry in this empty parking lot for about 2.2 minutes. I had to pull it together. I had to figure out a way home, a way to tow the car to my mechanic, a way off of the frontage road to Interstate 45.
I had to fess up to my surprise and called my gentleman friend first. Answering machine. My second call was to my mechanic, who incidentally is my gentleman friend's big brother. (it is now 10pm) Big Brother, Brian answered and although it took him 45 minutes to drive to where I was, he came to my rescue. On the side of the road and in the dark, a diagnostic of my engine problems was not possible. Meanwhile, my friend Eric had gotten my message and although still in the dark about my location, (he thought I was just getting off of work and on my way home to finish packing) was concerned and brainstorming possible alternatives which would allow me to still enjoy my vacation. Big brother, Brian, got me and my entire luggage back home by midnight.
The honest to goodness truth, I had already thrown in the towel. The only thing that was going through my mind at this point in time was how many shifts could I pick up at work to make me forget about my almost vacation. But, how was I going to get to work? I could not allow myself to think about that.
Knight in Shining Armor
My gentleman friend, Eric, had promised to call me after enough time had passed for me to get back home. I had become very accustomed to being able to trust him to always be true to his word... when he said he would do something, he always did. I had just said goodbye to Brian after finalizing plans to have my hunk of junk towed to his shop first thing in the morning. That is as far in the future as my mind could fathom. I began to regale my story to my puppy/house sitter when my phone rang. It was Eric.
His first questions were about what his brother had said about the situation. Then he said to me 'Amy, what is your plan B?' I answered, 'I have no Plan B'
Here is where Eric became my Knight in Shining Armor! Eric, as I mentioned near the beginning was as much a workaholic as I, but had taken the whole day off to spend with me. He then said to me, 'Amy, this is Plan B. I have the day off tomorrow and I will drive to Houston, pick you up, and drive you to Austin so that you can have this vacation that you really need and want.' True to his word, that is exactly what he did. All of our plans to test for chemistry between us, all of the time that we had set aside to spend with each other were gone. Eric became the one that put all of that behind him unselfishly to save my vacation.
He even went one step further by hauling a trailer to pick up my car in the lonely shopping center and take it to his brother's shop so that I could get some rest before beginning my beach vacation.
The Best Vacation EVER
Total Relaxation
I chose to ignore any and all things that could cause stress while on beautiful South Padre Island. I basked in the sun, took long walks on the beach each and every evening, danced to live music each night, and soaked in the hot tub before bed.
Although my vacation dreams crumbled after car trouble, girls, don't ever forget that there are still great men in the world that will step in to become a Knight in Shining Armor and save the day.
Eric and I did get one whole day to spend together on my return trip to Houston. I can report that there is chemistry but am willing to take things slow to allow romance to blossom if it is meant to be.
By the way, the head gaskets were blown and the heads cracked in my hunk of junk car. The positive side is that it does have LOTS of new parts and Brian is going to part it out piece by piece and I may actually make a little money back. He has also giving me a loaner car to drive while I look for a great car that will not only be a point A to point B automobile. This duo of brothers is the kindest, true Southern Gentlemen I have encountered since I left my small southern home town.
I hope you enjoyed my tale.
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My life has been completely up ended, dumped, scrambled, and any other life altering adjective you can think that describes total change. In the last 2 years, I have had 2 car accidents which totaled both cars, lost my job which I held for 24 years, fallen in love with my very best friend of 20 years then found him cheating on me with a 22 year old co-worker, heartbroken.
Newly single and heart broken, I have decided that it is time for some ME TIME. My best friend from college calls me one day and offers a free trip to South Padre Island. Only needing spending money and financially strapped from becoming a one income home suddenly, I jumped at the chance for this much needed vacation.
Preparations for Vacation
Seven months have passed since the last of the traumatic experiences of the last two years. Although still heart broken, I have started to date again. A 'blast from the past' reconnected with me via Face Book. We have been entertaining a possible relationship and getting to know each other again after so many years. Coincidentally, he just happens to live half way between Houston where I live and Austin where my friend and I would depart for South Padre Island. Throughout the getting re-acquainted phase of our relationship, we have seen each other on three occasions. The fact that we are long distance and both workaholics have made it difficult for us to assess if there is any chemistry between us to build upon. I requested a couple of extra days off on each end of my vacation time to see him and explore the possibilities.
My plan was to finish my work week on a Tuesday night around 10pm. Go home to shower, pack last minute toiletries, load the car and drive halfway to Austin. I would spend Tuesday evening, ( or what would be left of it) and all day and night Wednesday trying to assess how much if any chemistry I may have with this old friend. On a whim, I arranged to get off work at 4pm instead of 10pm. I thought that it would be a great surprise to begin our time much earlier and arrive while he was still awake. I also felt strange letting myself into his home in the wee hours of the morning, crashing on the couch till morning. We do live in Texas after all and I didn't want to become a statistic of the 2nd amendment. I called my sister to let her know of my plans, but purposely left my gentleman friend out of the loop for the surprise factor.
Finally, everything was ready. Maybe this is the point of the story that I should mention that in the week before, I had fairly extensive car repairs (to the tune of $450.00) on the car that was getting me from point A to B. Remember, my last car had recently been totaled in an accident. Ever diligent, I had coolant; extra quarts of oil, basically all fluids needed as back up in my trunk and had checked every fluid level before departing. Bonn Voyage toward my vacation.
Breakdown Number One
It takes about 30 minutes to drive through my northern suburb and downtown Houston. I was just in the 'not so great part' of town when I saw it. Again, ever diligent, I checked all of the internal gauges every 5-10 seconds as I drove, not really trusting the reliability of my car. The temperature gauge of my car went from normal to OH MY GOSH HOT before my eyes.
I will never be able to capture on these pages the hundreds of thoughts running through my mind. First and foremost, I knew that I needed to pull over and turn off the engine. I was in the fast lane at the end of rush hour traffic. By the grace of God I was able to quickly make my way to the far right lane of traffic. There was an exit off of the freeway in 500 yards. Nope, I could not do it. By this time, the temperature gauge was pegged on HOT. I pulled onto the grassy shoulder as far off of the freeway as I could and killed the ignition of the car. Steam rose from the hood. I popped the hood to allow as much air circulation as possible and waited. I quickly realized that with traffic speeding past me and the lack of adequate space to pull over, I could not safely exit the car on the driver's side. So I waited. My coolant reservoir was not separate from the pressurized radiator cap so, I knew that it was just a waiting game until the engine was cool enough to open and fill with coolant. I waited. After about 30 minutes, I again started my hunk of junk car, slowly made my way to the exit just 500 yards away and into a parking lot of a 'no tell motel' just after the exit. With adequate lighting. (Oh yes, it is now starting to get dark in a bad part of town and I was stranded) As I expected, somehow, my coolant was bone dry. I refilled the reservoir with the gallon I had packed in my trunk and located the nearest Auto Zone.3 miles away. Hind sight is 20/20 but at this moment in time, I was convinced that I had done everything right and had saved my engine from certain doom. The car did not overheat on the.3 miles to the auto parts store. I begged the salesman in the Auto Zone to come assess the damages. Before I knew it there were several men all offering their opinion about the reliability of my 'ride'. And the winner was... 'You're good to go young lady!'
Music to my ears!!! My surprise was now about two hours later than planned but still six hours before expected... I called my sister, updated her on my progress and Bonn Voyage.
Breakdown Number Two
The Final Breakdown and End of My Vacation Dreams
One eye glued to the temperature gauge and the other one to the road ahead of me, I began my journey once again. Any guesses how many miles down the road before breakdown number two? I know that the suspense is killing you so I will not make you wait. TEN MILES! Difference in surroundings was monumental.
This time around, the car did not over heat. This time the car just quit. The gas pedal did not accelerate, there was no power steering, and there were no power brakes, the car just quit. The nearest exit was immediate which I managed to exit. The exit was downhill so I was able to pick up enough speed to coast into a strip shopping center and park almost perfectly in a parking space. The biggest difference in my surroundings for this second breakdown was the complete absence of people. Darkness as far as I could see. Not a human in sight.
I had no desire to try to start the car again; I had no desire to do anything but cry in this empty parking lot for about 2.2 minutes. I had to pull it together. I had to figure out a way home, a way to tow the car to my mechanic, a way off of the frontage road to Interstate 45.
I had to fess up to my surprise and called my gentleman friend first. Answering machine. My second call was to my mechanic, who incidentally is my gentleman friend's big brother. (it is now 10pm) Big Brother, Brian answered and although it took him 45 minutes to drive to where I was, he came to my rescue. On the side of the road and in the dark, a diagnostic of my engine problems was not possible. Meanwhile, my friend Eric had gotten my message and although still in the dark about my location, (he thought I was just getting off of work and on my way home to finish packing) was concerned and brainstorming possible alternatives which would allow me to still enjoy my vacation. Big brother, Brian, got me and my entire luggage back home by midnight.
The honest to goodness truth, I had already thrown in the towel. The only thing that was going through my mind at this point in time was how many shifts could I pick up at work to make me forget about my almost vacation. But, how was I going to get to work? I could not allow myself to think about that.
Knight in Shining Armor
My gentleman friend, Eric, had promised to call me after enough time had passed for me to get back home. I had become very accustomed to being able to trust him to always be true to his word... when he said he would do something, he always did. I had just said goodbye to Brian after finalizing plans to have my hunk of junk towed to his shop first thing in the morning. That is as far in the future as my mind could fathom. I began to regale my story to my puppy/house sitter when my phone rang. It was Eric.
His first questions were about what his brother had said about the situation. Then he said to me 'Amy, what is your plan B?' I answered, 'I have no Plan B'
Here is where Eric became my Knight in Shining Armor! Eric, as I mentioned near the beginning was as much a workaholic as I, but had taken the whole day off to spend with me. He then said to me, 'Amy, this is Plan B. I have the day off tomorrow and I will drive to Houston, pick you up, and drive you to Austin so that you can have this vacation that you really need and want.' True to his word, that is exactly what he did. All of our plans to test for chemistry between us, all of the time that we had set aside to spend with each other were gone. Eric became the one that put all of that behind him unselfishly to save my vacation.
He even went one step further by hauling a trailer to pick up my car in the lonely shopping center and take it to his brother's shop so that I could get some rest before beginning my beach vacation.
The Best Vacation EVER
Total Relaxation
I chose to ignore any and all things that could cause stress while on beautiful South Padre Island. I basked in the sun, took long walks on the beach each and every evening, danced to live music each night, and soaked in the hot tub before bed.
Although my vacation dreams crumbled after car trouble, girls, don't ever forget that there are still great men in the world that will step in to become a Knight in Shining Armor and save the day.
Eric and I did get one whole day to spend together on my return trip to Houston. I can report that there is chemistry but am willing to take things slow to allow romance to blossom if it is meant to be.
By the way, the head gaskets were blown and the heads cracked in my hunk of junk car. The positive side is that it does have LOTS of new parts and Brian is going to part it out piece by piece and I may actually make a little money back. He has also giving me a loaner car to drive while I look for a great car that will not only be a point A to point B automobile. This duo of brothers is the kindest, true Southern Gentlemen I have encountered since I left my small southern home town.
I hope you enjoyed my tale.
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Tuesday, 28 August 2012
The Vehicle Transporter and the Mountainside Village
Benjamin stood at the top of the mountain, looking down at the stark valley. The vehicle transportation device in his pocket would hopefully come in handy in the near future, but right now, he didn't have a car to transport. He wondered if other large objects could be transported using the device, but he didn't dare try it just yet. He could always test the process on something of little worth, like a large boulder, but he was afraid of damaging the device. He'd seen his father use it before. His father, who had worked for several different vehicle transportation companies, had shown him how to set it up. It looked somewhat like a carport, except it was virtually weightless. You drove a car into it, pushed the little button, and stood back. Presto! You could park the car in your pocket and drive it when needed.
On a day like today, though, Benjamin had no practical need to transport a car. He looked up and saw a menacing bird circling. He decided it was time to move on. He followed the narrow gravel path to the base of the foothill. There was a lighthouse and a small village off in the distance. He saw a road extending to the south, and he wondered where that went. If he were on the clock, providing vehicle transport services, he would most likely take the road to the south, he thought. But since he was on foot and he needed to walk by the lighthouse anyway, he decided to stop and knock on the door.
The conversation with the man at the lighthouse led Benjamin to realize that taking the south road would not be the best plan after all. The south road, the man had explained, was lined by bandits who could spot a vehicle transport a mile away. They would kidnap him, hoping to use him to spot a vehicle transport train. He decided to head to the small village instead. There was one cabin with a door hanging open, and he could see an elderly gentleman sitting inside. The man waved to him, inviting him in. Benjamin decided to enter, not knowing what was going to happen next. He really needed to get back to the city.
When Benjamin displayed his credentials as a vehicle transport service provider, the man's eyes lit up with the fire of a newly awakened soul whose purpose has just become clear. "Let me tell you some stories," the man said, "about my days in the vehicle transport business. I could tell you stories that would make your young skin crawl. Do you know what it's like to drive a car carrier up a mountain when you can't even see the road underneath you? Do you want to hear some classic vehicle shipping quotes?" The man poured himself another drink.
Benjamin noticed a trap door underneath the man's chair, and he couldn't help but wonder what was down there in that cellar. "So as I was sayin'," said the man in the chair as his speech became increasingly slurred, "I got some stories 'bout vehicle shipping. I used to work back in the days when all we shipped was ox carts, you know that? You young kids don't know nothin'!" Moments later, the man was asleep, and he tumbled onto the floor. Benjamin waited a moment until he could hear the man beginning to snore, after which he gingerly lifted up the trap door. There was a ladder leading down into the dark, and Benjamin couldn't resist delving into the mystery.
When Benjamin's feet touched the creaking wooden floor, he saw a doorway with white light peeking out of the edges. He reached out to open it-but it was locked.
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On a day like today, though, Benjamin had no practical need to transport a car. He looked up and saw a menacing bird circling. He decided it was time to move on. He followed the narrow gravel path to the base of the foothill. There was a lighthouse and a small village off in the distance. He saw a road extending to the south, and he wondered where that went. If he were on the clock, providing vehicle transport services, he would most likely take the road to the south, he thought. But since he was on foot and he needed to walk by the lighthouse anyway, he decided to stop and knock on the door.
The conversation with the man at the lighthouse led Benjamin to realize that taking the south road would not be the best plan after all. The south road, the man had explained, was lined by bandits who could spot a vehicle transport a mile away. They would kidnap him, hoping to use him to spot a vehicle transport train. He decided to head to the small village instead. There was one cabin with a door hanging open, and he could see an elderly gentleman sitting inside. The man waved to him, inviting him in. Benjamin decided to enter, not knowing what was going to happen next. He really needed to get back to the city.
When Benjamin displayed his credentials as a vehicle transport service provider, the man's eyes lit up with the fire of a newly awakened soul whose purpose has just become clear. "Let me tell you some stories," the man said, "about my days in the vehicle transport business. I could tell you stories that would make your young skin crawl. Do you know what it's like to drive a car carrier up a mountain when you can't even see the road underneath you? Do you want to hear some classic vehicle shipping quotes?" The man poured himself another drink.
Benjamin noticed a trap door underneath the man's chair, and he couldn't help but wonder what was down there in that cellar. "So as I was sayin'," said the man in the chair as his speech became increasingly slurred, "I got some stories 'bout vehicle shipping. I used to work back in the days when all we shipped was ox carts, you know that? You young kids don't know nothin'!" Moments later, the man was asleep, and he tumbled onto the floor. Benjamin waited a moment until he could hear the man beginning to snore, after which he gingerly lifted up the trap door. There was a ladder leading down into the dark, and Benjamin couldn't resist delving into the mystery.
When Benjamin's feet touched the creaking wooden floor, he saw a doorway with white light peeking out of the edges. He reached out to open it-but it was locked.
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