I Plan on doing some more work on this, but this is the start.
Seeing is Believing
Yesterday we got news that there would be a big storm today. It was suppose to be the biggest storm of the decade or longer. Now, we have heard similar statements before. Usually it’s just an average storm and not a big deal. Yesterday we just brushed it off, figuring it would be just like the rest. Today is a different story. The storm is upon us and we can all vouch for the simple fact: Seeing is believing.
The Storm’s Trick
Little Willy didn’t know what to do. We had to go out and feed in attempt to save some of the cattle, but we would be risking our own lives. The dilemma though, is that the cattle were our life. Little Willy figured out what to do however. He was going to risk his own life. We all told him he was crazy, I even offered to help. In the end no one could convince him to wait it out or let someone help him. He went out alone.
5 Days
Sarah demanded there be a search party. Little Willy had been gone for five days. Five hours out in the storm seemed like enough to make a man go crazy if not kill him, there’s no telling what would happen after five days. Sarah was a persistent person however; it was hard to ignore her. Even harder due to the fact we all wanted to know what happened to Little Willy. The Mastermind decided for the group that the best thing to do was to drug Sarah so she would sleep for a few days. At least that would give us of outward peace.
Monsters
We all underestimated Mother Nature. She is a ferocious beast when she wants to be. Twelve days of hell was driving us all mad. Wasn’t really a big deal for Phil the Psycho, but the rest of us couldn’t take it. Twelve days without any interaction with anyone besides the five of us, who wouldn’t begin to go mad? Phil the Psycho thought the storm secretly hid monsters; most of us were starting to think he might be right. At least that was a better explanation for why Little Willie had been gone so long. He must be out fighting the monsters to save us all.
Mastermind’s Major Mistake
Sarah woke up from the drugs about four days later. As you could imagine, she wasn’t the happiest cat around. Knowing us all so well, she instantly figured out that Mastermind was the one who drugged her. Mastermind thought we should do it again, but Mr. Jackson, being the subtle man he was, convinced him otherwise. Sarah didn’t really make much fuss about it. She stayed in her room and was oddly quiet, oddly quiet indeed. When Mr. Jackson decided to go console her, she was gone, the only evidence we found was an open window.
Mr. Jackson and the Narrator
Mr. Jackson taught us all some very useful things while we were cooped up. He’s the one who taught me how to write and inspired me to write out these events. Mr. Jackson was a straight forward man though. He didn’t much like the way I spiced things up. His idea of writing out the events was more like a documentary on paper. I, the narrator, thought this was too dull. Who would eat a plain bean burrito when they could eat a spicy bean burrito? Well ok, I can see why one would, but you get the idea.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Nothing's Impossible
“Step back from the ledge Nathan.”
Sam couldn't help but feel as though Nathan's situation was his fault. He always pushed himself to the edge and told Nathan to do the same. He never thought that it would push his best friend into standing inches away from ending his life. One more step is all Nathan had left in him. The only decision he had to make is whether it would be forward or back. Sam was hoping it would be back as they were on the roof of a thirteen story building.
Nathan’s face was completely blank. Sam could see no sign of fear, worry or anger. How Nathan was managed to stay so calm and confident was beyond him. Sam had stood on the edge of many cliffs in preparation to jump but was never able to carry the kind of composure Nathan was now. The main difference for Nathan however was he had no parachute like Sam did during his jumps.
Police arrived downstairs and it appeared to Sam as though they had started their way to the roof. He quickly ran to the door and locked it, knowing he was the only one that would be able to talk Nathan down and getting more people involved would only aggravate him. Sam walked back over to Nathan as calm as he could manage and peered over the edge. Nathan paid no attention to Sam and continued his gaze toward the clouds.
“This isn’t what I had in mind when I said ‘take a leap’,” Sam said directing his words more to himself than to Nathan.
“You’ve inspired me Sam and you will be directly responsible for what happens here today. Don’t worry though; I know what I am doing.”
Sam had never heard anyone speak in such a tone before. Nathan’s words not only carried a sense of complete confidence but also seemed to have complete peace and understanding. The words gave Sam the chills but the way Nathan spoke relaxed him and took all his worries away. Overwhelmed with the urge to sleep Sam couldn’t help but lay down right where he was and drift away. Sam barely managed to hear Nathan say, “This is goodbye,” as he watched his friend take the final step. As much as Sam wanted he could not get up and his fight to stay awake was helpless.
Moments later Sam was awaken by the sound of the Police breaking through the door to the roof. Still groggy he heard the first officer say, “It’s alright, looks as though he came to his senses.” Sam slowly got up and peered over the edge but saw no signs of Nathan. The crowd below cheered when they saw Sam and realized that the jumper was no longer standing on the edge. The Police walked over to Sam and escorted him off the roof but none questioned him as to where Nathan had gone. Sam understood what Nathan’s words meant as he looked toward the sky and took a “Journey Into the Mind” of a man who went beyond the impossible.
Sam couldn't help but feel as though Nathan's situation was his fault. He always pushed himself to the edge and told Nathan to do the same. He never thought that it would push his best friend into standing inches away from ending his life. One more step is all Nathan had left in him. The only decision he had to make is whether it would be forward or back. Sam was hoping it would be back as they were on the roof of a thirteen story building.
Nathan’s face was completely blank. Sam could see no sign of fear, worry or anger. How Nathan was managed to stay so calm and confident was beyond him. Sam had stood on the edge of many cliffs in preparation to jump but was never able to carry the kind of composure Nathan was now. The main difference for Nathan however was he had no parachute like Sam did during his jumps.
Police arrived downstairs and it appeared to Sam as though they had started their way to the roof. He quickly ran to the door and locked it, knowing he was the only one that would be able to talk Nathan down and getting more people involved would only aggravate him. Sam walked back over to Nathan as calm as he could manage and peered over the edge. Nathan paid no attention to Sam and continued his gaze toward the clouds.
“This isn’t what I had in mind when I said ‘take a leap’,” Sam said directing his words more to himself than to Nathan.
“You’ve inspired me Sam and you will be directly responsible for what happens here today. Don’t worry though; I know what I am doing.”
Sam had never heard anyone speak in such a tone before. Nathan’s words not only carried a sense of complete confidence but also seemed to have complete peace and understanding. The words gave Sam the chills but the way Nathan spoke relaxed him and took all his worries away. Overwhelmed with the urge to sleep Sam couldn’t help but lay down right where he was and drift away. Sam barely managed to hear Nathan say, “This is goodbye,” as he watched his friend take the final step. As much as Sam wanted he could not get up and his fight to stay awake was helpless.
Moments later Sam was awaken by the sound of the Police breaking through the door to the roof. Still groggy he heard the first officer say, “It’s alright, looks as though he came to his senses.” Sam slowly got up and peered over the edge but saw no signs of Nathan. The crowd below cheered when they saw Sam and realized that the jumper was no longer standing on the edge. The Police walked over to Sam and escorted him off the roof but none questioned him as to where Nathan had gone. Sam understood what Nathan’s words meant as he looked toward the sky and took a “Journey Into the Mind” of a man who went beyond the impossible.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
4 Past 3
Beyond Space and Time was suppose to the next blog, but many things have occurred and stopped me from writing and my concept for it is gone. This instead is now the next one and is entitled "4 Past 3." Another blog will be coming shortly as well.
4 Past 3
Nothing good ever happens after 2 a.m. but, after 3 a.m., all hell breaks loose. Dustin was wrapped up in a situation he didn’t think he would be able to get out of. Even worse yet, he didn’t know he needed to get out of it. Lisa had him wrapped around her finger and he was completely lost in her eyes. Staying the night at Lisa’s was no big deal and he had done it many times before, but tonight wasn’t a typical night. Dustin thought Lisa had been acting strange all night but just brushed it off, besides it was making her friskier, which he liked.
Dustin and Lisa had went to bed early that night, sometime around 11, and Dustin was usually a heavy sleeper but something had woke him up tonight. Looking over at the clock Dustin saw that it was 3:04 a.m. and chills ran down his spine. His mother had been declared DOA at that exact time 3 years prior and he the time always brought back the bad memories. In attempting to keep his mind off the time Dustin rolled over in hopes of getting a little action from Lisa. Dustin was surprised to find that she was not in the bed however. He could feel that her side of the bed was still warm while he looked around the room for her.
Still not fully aware Dustin decided to get out of bed and look for Lisa, this would at least help keep his mind off the time. On his way to the bathroom he stumbled over something on the floor but couldn’t tell what it was. The room was darker than usual and Dustin noticed the sky was full clouds and some lightning was flashing off in the distance. He thought back to the weather on the news earlier in the night and clearly remembered the meteorologist stating that it would be a clear night. The weather man never seemed to be right these days. Dustin closed the bathroom window and walked over to the mirror. It was too dark to see what he looked like however so he turned on the lights and gave his eyes a moment to adjust.
The mirror revealed more information that Dustin could handle at first and he feel into the bathtub. Dustin gave himself a moment to come back to his senses and got back up to look in the mirror. Studying his face he could see that he had two starches on his face and blood smeared all over it. As Dustin turned on the water he realized his hands were also covered with blood and he quickly scanned his body to see if he was hurt at all. Finding nothing he proceeded to wash up and then walk back into the bedroom. Standing at the doorway he flipped on the light and saw what he had tripped on before.
Lying at the foot of the bed, half draped on the bed, was Lisa. To Dustin’s horror she was completely covered in blood. As he dropped to the floor and held her lifeless body he found a note that had been set on her.
On this night of lost hope, shattered dreams and unwanted consequences
An unexpected respect and relief was born
An unexplainable self realization
An understanding of situations and concepts
A love of what was
A foward look at what isn't seen
A clear look at what is
Realizing you hurt for the right reasons
Realizing that hurt helps
Realizing progress doesn't always look as though its foward at first
Love,
Dustin
As Dustin read the note the horror of the situation set into his mind and he couldn’t help but cry. Moments later cops stormed the room, cuffed him and took him away. Dustin thought only of his note as they took him away. He did not remember writing it and knew that only one thing on the note resembled something he had written. His signature was the unmistakable mark that would condemn him to life in prison. To discover the truth that only Dustin knew would be to take a "Journey Into the Mind" of a condemned man, a truth no one would believe.
4 Past 3
Nothing good ever happens after 2 a.m. but, after 3 a.m., all hell breaks loose. Dustin was wrapped up in a situation he didn’t think he would be able to get out of. Even worse yet, he didn’t know he needed to get out of it. Lisa had him wrapped around her finger and he was completely lost in her eyes. Staying the night at Lisa’s was no big deal and he had done it many times before, but tonight wasn’t a typical night. Dustin thought Lisa had been acting strange all night but just brushed it off, besides it was making her friskier, which he liked.
Dustin and Lisa had went to bed early that night, sometime around 11, and Dustin was usually a heavy sleeper but something had woke him up tonight. Looking over at the clock Dustin saw that it was 3:04 a.m. and chills ran down his spine. His mother had been declared DOA at that exact time 3 years prior and he the time always brought back the bad memories. In attempting to keep his mind off the time Dustin rolled over in hopes of getting a little action from Lisa. Dustin was surprised to find that she was not in the bed however. He could feel that her side of the bed was still warm while he looked around the room for her.
Still not fully aware Dustin decided to get out of bed and look for Lisa, this would at least help keep his mind off the time. On his way to the bathroom he stumbled over something on the floor but couldn’t tell what it was. The room was darker than usual and Dustin noticed the sky was full clouds and some lightning was flashing off in the distance. He thought back to the weather on the news earlier in the night and clearly remembered the meteorologist stating that it would be a clear night. The weather man never seemed to be right these days. Dustin closed the bathroom window and walked over to the mirror. It was too dark to see what he looked like however so he turned on the lights and gave his eyes a moment to adjust.
The mirror revealed more information that Dustin could handle at first and he feel into the bathtub. Dustin gave himself a moment to come back to his senses and got back up to look in the mirror. Studying his face he could see that he had two starches on his face and blood smeared all over it. As Dustin turned on the water he realized his hands were also covered with blood and he quickly scanned his body to see if he was hurt at all. Finding nothing he proceeded to wash up and then walk back into the bedroom. Standing at the doorway he flipped on the light and saw what he had tripped on before.
Lying at the foot of the bed, half draped on the bed, was Lisa. To Dustin’s horror she was completely covered in blood. As he dropped to the floor and held her lifeless body he found a note that had been set on her.
On this night of lost hope, shattered dreams and unwanted consequences
An unexpected respect and relief was born
An unexplainable self realization
An understanding of situations and concepts
A love of what was
A foward look at what isn't seen
A clear look at what is
Realizing you hurt for the right reasons
Realizing that hurt helps
Realizing progress doesn't always look as though its foward at first
Love,
Dustin
As Dustin read the note the horror of the situation set into his mind and he couldn’t help but cry. Moments later cops stormed the room, cuffed him and took him away. Dustin thought only of his note as they took him away. He did not remember writing it and knew that only one thing on the note resembled something he had written. His signature was the unmistakable mark that would condemn him to life in prison. To discover the truth that only Dustin knew would be to take a "Journey Into the Mind" of a condemned man, a truth no one would believe.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
A Love Greater Than Space
This is that latest story that has sidetracked me and is not part of the Journey Into the Mind series. However I felt like since I haven't updated this in awhile I would show why and share this story. Keep in mind I have not edited this yet for errors. I hope you enjoy
“Don’t forget to bring me back a moon flower.”
Lucas couldn’t get those words out of his head. The last words he heard her say before his departure. “For you, I’d bring back the moon itself,” he thought to himself. Nothing is certain here however, one mistake could change everything. The thought of her was the only thing that gave him hope. During takeoff he was more nervous than he had ever been before, but it made Lucas realize that he loved her more than anything else in the world. Earth was a beautiful sight from space and is the only thing that could compare to the beauty of her love in his mind. Being comparable however didn’t make it equal.
Lucas’s daydream was interrupted by Weston’s only words for in the past hour. “So what’s your girl like?” Lucas thought for a moment and gazed at the earth before answering. “Take a look at earth; it is an amazingly beautiful sight that few get to see from space. Few people can see earth in its entirety, but everyone can see the sun. Yet, no one understands the sun or gets as close as we do. Even fewer understand the true size of the sun. My girl is like comparing the beauty of earth to the awe of the sun. One is great, the other is something everyone sees but only one feels.”
Weston could see in Lucas’s eyes that this girl meant something more to him, something nothing could get in the way of. Weston was in love himself, but even he couldn’t match the feelings Lucas was expressing. The love Lucas had for Noreen was something few ever experience, a love that could fill up all of space and beyond. Weston thought back to before takeoff and pictured Lucas and Noreen in their embrace, their silence, with a single tear running down Noreen’s face. That kind of love is one that escapes words and Weston could only wish for.
“I envy you; you get to see things I can’t even imagine.” Lucas wished he could show her, wished he could do justice to the sights of space, the awe that encompasses his job. However he would give it all away, he would throw away all of the sights and forget the awe just to spend every moment with her. Lucas was not one to mope around wishing for things though and decided to get back to work. Day dreaming about Noreen was not going to bring him back to her any sooner. Their assignment on this trip was to gather some moon rock from a place yet to be explored. Each of the six moon landings before explored different parts of the moon and this trip was no different.
Lucas also wanted to bring what Noreen called the Moon Flower. Saying it was a flower is not the correct term but it retains the meaning. On the fifth moon landing an astronaut claimed to have found a few rocks that very similar to a sand dollar. The Moon Flower is oval rock with a flower-like pattern on one side and, much like a snowflake; no rock has quite the same pattern. Lucas was hoping he could find at least one of these rocks to bring back for Noreen. He knew it was the only gift he could give that was as special as their love.
Landing on the moon was much simpler than taking off of earth. Since the moon has no atmosphere the dangers of fire and air resistance do not exist. Once on the moon Lucas was eager to start his search and complete his task. Gathering the moon rocks and exploring the surrounding area of the moon was going to be easy, searching for a Moon Flower was not. Even still Lucas knew it was worth it. One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. Lucas was proud he was one of the few that got to take that step. His first step on the moon only made him long to be with her more, but her love kept him moving forward.
Earth from the window of a spaceship is a sight to behold, but earth from the surface of the moon was something much grander. Lucas’s sense of scale was going crazy. No atmosphere allows the expansiveness of space to really soak in. The only way Lucas could describe the feeling was to compare it to standing on a beach staring off over the ocean and seeing nothing but the seemingly endless water. Replace the colors of the horizon and ocean with endless darkness and emptiness is as close of a description as one can fathom. Even the endless emptiness of space could not make Lucas feel alone.
“As amazing as the sight may be, the sooner we get this done, the sooner will be headed home,” was the first words Lucas heard Weston say. Weston had said something before that but it didn’t matter what it was. The main thing was that Lucas was back to reality and focused. Lucas had only taken three steps away from the spacecraft when he miraculously noticed a Moon Flower. Making the Moon Flower even more special was that fact that instead of being one rock, it was as if two rocks had melted together and formed a pattern of two flowers blending together. Lucas could think of no better symbol for his love and quickly picked up the rock.
Lucas and Weston had to work quickly to gather the moon rocks they were sent after and explore the area. Their time on the moon was limited to how long the light would last where they were. If they were caught in the dark on the moon they would have no way to find their way back and their suits did not carry enough oxygen to last them through a night if they did get caught. Six hours had passed and before they knew it the darkness was creeping up on them. Off in the distance Lucas could actually see the line where the light met the dark and knew it was time to head back.
Their return walk to their spacecraft took them close to an hour but they made with just enough time left for both Lucas and Weston to stop and take one last look off into space before boarding. “If I could only do this justice,” Lucas thought aloud to himself. Weston responded, “You do, every time she looks deep into your eyes you are doing this justice for her.” Lucas gave Weston a thankful look and they both turned and boarded the spacecraft.
“Prepare for re-entry into the atmosphere. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, entry!” Weston recited as their spacecraft was jolted by the sudden air resistance. The entry was not as smooth as it could have been and many of the instruments were no going off inside the spacecraft. “We have multiple problems here, I don’t know if we will be able to make it!” Lucas was in a panic as the spacecraft shook and shifted. “Have faith! As soon as we are close enough we are ejecting!” Weston said just a scared as Lucas. The next few moments felt like lifetime and Lucas’s life flashed before his eyes. The central focus of the flashback was Noreen and ending with the vivid image of her face when he gave her the Moon Flower. “Now! Eject!” Lucas and Weston both ejected without a hesitation.
“They have ejected sir. We are tracking them as we speak. I can’t tell what their chances are right now, they ejected early sir.” Noreen listened intently to the conversation going on in the control room. “They had no choice but to eject early, a few more seconds and the ship would have fallen completely apart.” The words did not give Noreen the reassurance was wanted for Lucas’s safety so she closed her eyes and began to pray. “We have a team ready to retrieve them when they land sir, with any luck they will make it.” The seconds crept by and Noreen jumped and ran out the door as soon as she heard someone say, “They landed! Ground team is rushing them to the hospital.”
Noreen met them at the hospital just as they arrived and saw that both Lucas and Weston were walking under their own power. Nearly bursting into tears she quickly ran over to Lucas and hugged him. Lucas held her in his embrace like he never had before. “I have something for you,” Lucas said after a moment. Slowly Lucas raised his hand and held out the Moon Flower for Noreen. “I would have brought the moon itself but I decided it was best to give someone else the chance to find something there that is as special as what I found.”
“Don’t forget to bring me back a moon flower.”
Lucas couldn’t get those words out of his head. The last words he heard her say before his departure. “For you, I’d bring back the moon itself,” he thought to himself. Nothing is certain here however, one mistake could change everything. The thought of her was the only thing that gave him hope. During takeoff he was more nervous than he had ever been before, but it made Lucas realize that he loved her more than anything else in the world. Earth was a beautiful sight from space and is the only thing that could compare to the beauty of her love in his mind. Being comparable however didn’t make it equal.
Lucas’s daydream was interrupted by Weston’s only words for in the past hour. “So what’s your girl like?” Lucas thought for a moment and gazed at the earth before answering. “Take a look at earth; it is an amazingly beautiful sight that few get to see from space. Few people can see earth in its entirety, but everyone can see the sun. Yet, no one understands the sun or gets as close as we do. Even fewer understand the true size of the sun. My girl is like comparing the beauty of earth to the awe of the sun. One is great, the other is something everyone sees but only one feels.”
Weston could see in Lucas’s eyes that this girl meant something more to him, something nothing could get in the way of. Weston was in love himself, but even he couldn’t match the feelings Lucas was expressing. The love Lucas had for Noreen was something few ever experience, a love that could fill up all of space and beyond. Weston thought back to before takeoff and pictured Lucas and Noreen in their embrace, their silence, with a single tear running down Noreen’s face. That kind of love is one that escapes words and Weston could only wish for.
“I envy you; you get to see things I can’t even imagine.” Lucas wished he could show her, wished he could do justice to the sights of space, the awe that encompasses his job. However he would give it all away, he would throw away all of the sights and forget the awe just to spend every moment with her. Lucas was not one to mope around wishing for things though and decided to get back to work. Day dreaming about Noreen was not going to bring him back to her any sooner. Their assignment on this trip was to gather some moon rock from a place yet to be explored. Each of the six moon landings before explored different parts of the moon and this trip was no different.
Lucas also wanted to bring what Noreen called the Moon Flower. Saying it was a flower is not the correct term but it retains the meaning. On the fifth moon landing an astronaut claimed to have found a few rocks that very similar to a sand dollar. The Moon Flower is oval rock with a flower-like pattern on one side and, much like a snowflake; no rock has quite the same pattern. Lucas was hoping he could find at least one of these rocks to bring back for Noreen. He knew it was the only gift he could give that was as special as their love.
Landing on the moon was much simpler than taking off of earth. Since the moon has no atmosphere the dangers of fire and air resistance do not exist. Once on the moon Lucas was eager to start his search and complete his task. Gathering the moon rocks and exploring the surrounding area of the moon was going to be easy, searching for a Moon Flower was not. Even still Lucas knew it was worth it. One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. Lucas was proud he was one of the few that got to take that step. His first step on the moon only made him long to be with her more, but her love kept him moving forward.
Earth from the window of a spaceship is a sight to behold, but earth from the surface of the moon was something much grander. Lucas’s sense of scale was going crazy. No atmosphere allows the expansiveness of space to really soak in. The only way Lucas could describe the feeling was to compare it to standing on a beach staring off over the ocean and seeing nothing but the seemingly endless water. Replace the colors of the horizon and ocean with endless darkness and emptiness is as close of a description as one can fathom. Even the endless emptiness of space could not make Lucas feel alone.
“As amazing as the sight may be, the sooner we get this done, the sooner will be headed home,” was the first words Lucas heard Weston say. Weston had said something before that but it didn’t matter what it was. The main thing was that Lucas was back to reality and focused. Lucas had only taken three steps away from the spacecraft when he miraculously noticed a Moon Flower. Making the Moon Flower even more special was that fact that instead of being one rock, it was as if two rocks had melted together and formed a pattern of two flowers blending together. Lucas could think of no better symbol for his love and quickly picked up the rock.
Lucas and Weston had to work quickly to gather the moon rocks they were sent after and explore the area. Their time on the moon was limited to how long the light would last where they were. If they were caught in the dark on the moon they would have no way to find their way back and their suits did not carry enough oxygen to last them through a night if they did get caught. Six hours had passed and before they knew it the darkness was creeping up on them. Off in the distance Lucas could actually see the line where the light met the dark and knew it was time to head back.
Their return walk to their spacecraft took them close to an hour but they made with just enough time left for both Lucas and Weston to stop and take one last look off into space before boarding. “If I could only do this justice,” Lucas thought aloud to himself. Weston responded, “You do, every time she looks deep into your eyes you are doing this justice for her.” Lucas gave Weston a thankful look and they both turned and boarded the spacecraft.
“Prepare for re-entry into the atmosphere. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, entry!” Weston recited as their spacecraft was jolted by the sudden air resistance. The entry was not as smooth as it could have been and many of the instruments were no going off inside the spacecraft. “We have multiple problems here, I don’t know if we will be able to make it!” Lucas was in a panic as the spacecraft shook and shifted. “Have faith! As soon as we are close enough we are ejecting!” Weston said just a scared as Lucas. The next few moments felt like lifetime and Lucas’s life flashed before his eyes. The central focus of the flashback was Noreen and ending with the vivid image of her face when he gave her the Moon Flower. “Now! Eject!” Lucas and Weston both ejected without a hesitation.
“They have ejected sir. We are tracking them as we speak. I can’t tell what their chances are right now, they ejected early sir.” Noreen listened intently to the conversation going on in the control room. “They had no choice but to eject early, a few more seconds and the ship would have fallen completely apart.” The words did not give Noreen the reassurance was wanted for Lucas’s safety so she closed her eyes and began to pray. “We have a team ready to retrieve them when they land sir, with any luck they will make it.” The seconds crept by and Noreen jumped and ran out the door as soon as she heard someone say, “They landed! Ground team is rushing them to the hospital.”
Noreen met them at the hospital just as they arrived and saw that both Lucas and Weston were walking under their own power. Nearly bursting into tears she quickly ran over to Lucas and hugged him. Lucas held her in his embrace like he never had before. “I have something for you,” Lucas said after a moment. Slowly Lucas raised his hand and held out the Moon Flower for Noreen. “I would have brought the moon itself but I decided it was best to give someone else the chance to find something there that is as special as what I found.”
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Bonus Item 2
For being late to post my Beyond Space and Time blog here is the second reason why. This is a script adaptation for a previous blog post. I'll let you find out which one.
INT. APARTMENT-DAY
Fade In
The windows shades are drawn and the room is dim, but
minimal light does seep in throw the blinds. The room is
completely silent besides the sound of birds chirping and
the rustle of sheets.
WARREN is tossing and turning around in the bed, awake but
not ready to get up. While rolling over he pulls the covers
up over his head in attempt to block the little sun that is
coming from the blinds.
Giving up the struggle to get comfortable and hide from the
sun Warren lays on his back and stares at the ceiling with a
thinking expression on his face. During this time his
expression changes often as he thinks of things that make
him happy, sad, etc.
Warren's cell phone rings interrupting his day dreaming. He
looks toward it and pauses. After a couple moments he slowly
sits up in bed and grabs his phone. Before answering it he
stares at the number for a few seconds.
As Warren answers the phone his face is overcome by disgust
and confusion as he waits and wonders who will be on the
other side. During his wait Warren's mind flashes images of
the different people he knows.
The call connects and we see excitement on Warren face. He
says nothing but waits. After a few moments he opens his
mouth to say something but notices that the call has been
lost.
A disappointed look overcomes Warren's face as he stares at
his phone. A few moments later he sets his phone and gets
out of bed. Pacing back and forth he continuously checks his
phone to see if a call is coming in. Warrens pacing becomes
faster and faster as he waits. After the pace becomes fast
he suddenly plops down in his chair, rubs his hands through
his hair and bits his finger, all the while staring at his
phone.
A moment later we see Warren's face go blank. He stands up
and walks out of the room.
EXT. SIDEWALK - CONTINUOUS
Warren walks down the street with a blank face. He walks
right by people, some who seem to know him, others that
notice his blank face and seem worried or confused.
Warren walks out into the crosswalk of an intersection while
cars are flying by. He narrowly misses getting hit but
doesn't even seem to notice. Many cars honk there horns and
people on the sidewalk hold their breath.
Warren continuous to walk straight down the sidewalk. The
sidewalk ends but Warren continues to go straight, through a
yard first then out into the desert. Heading straight with
almost no direction.
INT. MENTAL HOSPITAL CAFETERIA - DAY
Warren is shown sitting at a cafeteria table. He has a plate
of food in front of him but it is not touched. People buzz
all around the cafeteria but no one is sitting at the table
with him. Warren has a very similar blank face as in the
previous scene, but now his head is shaved and he has very
viable scars on his forehead.
Guards attempt to control patients but many seem out of
control. Patients are doing things ranging from making a
mess with their to writing into the air with their fingers.
Warren face stays pointed down at his food and never
changes.
People in doctors coats are standing in a window seemingly
studying what is going on inside the cafeteria.
INT. APARTMENT-DAY
Fade In
The windows shades are drawn and the room is dim, but
minimal light does seep in throw the blinds. The room is
completely silent besides the sound of birds chirping and
the rustle of sheets.
WARREN is tossing and turning around in the bed, awake but
not ready to get up. While rolling over he pulls the covers
up over his head in attempt to block the little sun that is
coming from the blinds.
Giving up the struggle to get comfortable and hide from the
sun Warren lays on his back and stares at the ceiling with a
thinking expression on his face. During this time his
expression changes often as he thinks of things that make
him happy, sad, etc.
Warren's cell phone rings interrupting his day dreaming. He
looks toward it and pauses. After a couple moments he slowly
sits up in bed and grabs his phone. Before answering it he
stares at the number for a few seconds.
As Warren answers the phone his face is overcome by disgust
and confusion as he waits and wonders who will be on the
other side. During his wait Warren's mind flashes images of
the different people he knows.
The call connects and we see excitement on Warren face. He
says nothing but waits. After a few moments he opens his
mouth to say something but notices that the call has been
lost.
A disappointed look overcomes Warren's face as he stares at
his phone. A few moments later he sets his phone and gets
out of bed. Pacing back and forth he continuously checks his
phone to see if a call is coming in. Warrens pacing becomes
faster and faster as he waits. After the pace becomes fast
he suddenly plops down in his chair, rubs his hands through
his hair and bits his finger, all the while staring at his
phone.
A moment later we see Warren's face go blank. He stands up
and walks out of the room.
EXT. SIDEWALK - CONTINUOUS
Warren walks down the street with a blank face. He walks
right by people, some who seem to know him, others that
notice his blank face and seem worried or confused.
Warren walks out into the crosswalk of an intersection while
cars are flying by. He narrowly misses getting hit but
doesn't even seem to notice. Many cars honk there horns and
people on the sidewalk hold their breath.
Warren continuous to walk straight down the sidewalk. The
sidewalk ends but Warren continues to go straight, through a
yard first then out into the desert. Heading straight with
almost no direction.
INT. MENTAL HOSPITAL CAFETERIA - DAY
Warren is shown sitting at a cafeteria table. He has a plate
of food in front of him but it is not touched. People buzz
all around the cafeteria but no one is sitting at the table
with him. Warren has a very similar blank face as in the
previous scene, but now his head is shaved and he has very
viable scars on his forehead.
Guards attempt to control patients but many seem out of
control. Patients are doing things ranging from making a
mess with their to writing into the air with their fingers.
Warren face stays pointed down at his food and never
changes.
People in doctors coats are standing in a window seemingly
studying what is going on inside the cafeteria.
Bonus Items
I missed my deadline for Beyond Space and time but here is why. This is a new Script I made. Enjoy!
Pilot Light
INT. PLANE NIGHT
SAM, having just woke up,begins to rub his sore neck and
try to clear the sleep from his eyes. Looking around the
plane he is shocked to find only one passenger remains. The
passenger, a CHILD dressed in a black suit, is standing in
the isle and staring at him.
SAM
Where the hell is everyone?
The CHILD studies him for a moment and then answers in a
calm and confident manor. The child voice portrays no child
like qualities.
CHILD
Do you always address children with
such harsh language?
SAM
That's not important, just tell me
what happened.
CHILD
Everyone has gone their separate
ways.
SAM
What the hell is does that mean?
CHILD
Look around, what does it mean to
you.
SAM
Well obviously it means everyone
has gotten off the plane. Why
didn't anyone wake me?
CHILD
There was no reason to.
SAM
No Reason! I would have liked to
get off the plane with everyone
else, that's a good reason. Move
aside!
SAM gets up and opens the compartment above him to get his
baggage but there is nothing there. He searches through some
of the near by compartments which are all also empty. The
CHILD only observes him.
SAM
Great, someone took my bag. This
airline is not going to hear the
end of this.
CHILD
No one took your bag.
SAM
What! Where is it then.
CHILD
Right where you left it.
SAM
Funny kid, I don't have time for
jokes.
CHILD
I have no reason to joke.
SAM
Screw it I'll deal with that later.
SAM jogs to the front of the plane with a sense of
frustration. He finds the door closed and attempts to open
it but cannot. The child calmly walks to the door.
CHILD
Try reading the directions. They're
printed above the door.
SAM
I shouldn't need directions to open
a damn door!
CHILD
You're right, they wouldn't help
you anyway.
SAM
What is that suppose to mean?
CHILD
Well what would you do if you did
get the door open.
SAM
Get the hell of this plane.
CHILD
Would you?
SAM paueuses and looks at the child. He appears to think for
a second then goes to the nearest window and looks outside.
It is dark outside but it is apparent that the plane is
still flying. SAM seems to be puzzled.
SAM
I thought you said everyone got off
the plane?
CHILD
That's what you said.
SAM
Why doesn't if feel like the plane
is moving?
CHILD
Are you sure you can feel anything?
SAM
(Angry again)
What kind of question is that, of
course I can.
CHILD
Really?
SAM
This doesn't make any sense.
SAM walks to the pilot's cabin and knocks on the door. His
knock opens the door slightly and after a pause he walks in.
The equipment is all operating but there is no one there.
SAM sits down in the pilot's seat and the CHILD seats next
to him.
CHILD
Quite the site isn't it.
SAM
(Off in his own world)
What?
CHILD
Sitting here gives you a different
sense of the sky. As though you
have power, yet there is also so
much uncertainty.
SAM does not respond, only looks out the window as if he is
trying to figure out what is going on.
CHILD
You have control of the plane and
where you are going, but how do you
really know? How can you trust that
all this equipment works as
intended?
SAM
They test it. It wouldn't be on the
market if it failed testing.
CHILD
True... at least you hope. You put
faith in the idea. You believe that
they would.
SAM
What are you trying to say?
The CHILD says nothing and gets up and walks back to SAM's
original seat. Once there he turns around and looks back at
SAM as if waiting for him. SAM takes another look out the
window of the sky and walks back to his seat, sitting down
once there.
SAM
We left during the day but the sun
is just coming up now, this was
only suppose to be a 3 hour flight.
CHILD
The flight you got on was only a
three hours long.
SAM
Why can't I remember getting off
and changing planes then?
CHILD
This flight required no plane
change.
SAM
My boss is going to kill me for
missing my meeting....I knew it was
a bad idea to take a nap on the
plane.
CHILD
Your boss won't concern himself
with that.
SAM
You don't know my boss. I may be
our company's key employee but he
still gives me no lee-way. We had
so much riding on that meeting.
CHILD
The work you have done for your
company will influence the world.
SAM
Not without funding.
The CHILD does not respond but only studies SAM. SAM lays
his head back in the seat and attempts to go to sleep.
SAM
Well, I guess I'm stuck, I may as
well get some more rest.
The CHILD still does not respond. After a moment SAM opens
his eyes and gives up trying to sleep.
SAM
I don't seem to be tired at all.
CHILD
Being tired is something people
feel.
SAM studies the CHILD for a moment and then appears to
appears to come to grips with the truth. In the window
behind him we see the sun just being to rise on the horizon.
CHILD
Don't worry, it takes everyone a
while.
SAM
(After a moment)
I have so many questions.
CHILD
They will all be answered, but for
now just sit back and relax.
SAM sits back in his chair and the child stands next to him.
The CHILD looks straight forward emotionless as SAM turns
his head to look out the window at the rising sun.
END SCENE
Pilot Light
INT. PLANE NIGHT
SAM, having just woke up,begins to rub his sore neck and
try to clear the sleep from his eyes. Looking around the
plane he is shocked to find only one passenger remains. The
passenger, a CHILD dressed in a black suit, is standing in
the isle and staring at him.
SAM
Where the hell is everyone?
The CHILD studies him for a moment and then answers in a
calm and confident manor. The child voice portrays no child
like qualities.
CHILD
Do you always address children with
such harsh language?
SAM
That's not important, just tell me
what happened.
CHILD
Everyone has gone their separate
ways.
SAM
What the hell is does that mean?
CHILD
Look around, what does it mean to
you.
SAM
Well obviously it means everyone
has gotten off the plane. Why
didn't anyone wake me?
CHILD
There was no reason to.
SAM
No Reason! I would have liked to
get off the plane with everyone
else, that's a good reason. Move
aside!
SAM gets up and opens the compartment above him to get his
baggage but there is nothing there. He searches through some
of the near by compartments which are all also empty. The
CHILD only observes him.
SAM
Great, someone took my bag. This
airline is not going to hear the
end of this.
CHILD
No one took your bag.
SAM
What! Where is it then.
CHILD
Right where you left it.
SAM
Funny kid, I don't have time for
jokes.
CHILD
I have no reason to joke.
SAM
Screw it I'll deal with that later.
SAM jogs to the front of the plane with a sense of
frustration. He finds the door closed and attempts to open
it but cannot. The child calmly walks to the door.
CHILD
Try reading the directions. They're
printed above the door.
SAM
I shouldn't need directions to open
a damn door!
CHILD
You're right, they wouldn't help
you anyway.
SAM
What is that suppose to mean?
CHILD
Well what would you do if you did
get the door open.
SAM
Get the hell of this plane.
CHILD
Would you?
SAM paueuses and looks at the child. He appears to think for
a second then goes to the nearest window and looks outside.
It is dark outside but it is apparent that the plane is
still flying. SAM seems to be puzzled.
SAM
I thought you said everyone got off
the plane?
CHILD
That's what you said.
SAM
Why doesn't if feel like the plane
is moving?
CHILD
Are you sure you can feel anything?
SAM
(Angry again)
What kind of question is that, of
course I can.
CHILD
Really?
SAM
This doesn't make any sense.
SAM walks to the pilot's cabin and knocks on the door. His
knock opens the door slightly and after a pause he walks in.
The equipment is all operating but there is no one there.
SAM sits down in the pilot's seat and the CHILD seats next
to him.
CHILD
Quite the site isn't it.
SAM
(Off in his own world)
What?
CHILD
Sitting here gives you a different
sense of the sky. As though you
have power, yet there is also so
much uncertainty.
SAM does not respond, only looks out the window as if he is
trying to figure out what is going on.
CHILD
You have control of the plane and
where you are going, but how do you
really know? How can you trust that
all this equipment works as
intended?
SAM
They test it. It wouldn't be on the
market if it failed testing.
CHILD
True... at least you hope. You put
faith in the idea. You believe that
they would.
SAM
What are you trying to say?
The CHILD says nothing and gets up and walks back to SAM's
original seat. Once there he turns around and looks back at
SAM as if waiting for him. SAM takes another look out the
window of the sky and walks back to his seat, sitting down
once there.
SAM
We left during the day but the sun
is just coming up now, this was
only suppose to be a 3 hour flight.
CHILD
The flight you got on was only a
three hours long.
SAM
Why can't I remember getting off
and changing planes then?
CHILD
This flight required no plane
change.
SAM
My boss is going to kill me for
missing my meeting....I knew it was
a bad idea to take a nap on the
plane.
CHILD
Your boss won't concern himself
with that.
SAM
You don't know my boss. I may be
our company's key employee but he
still gives me no lee-way. We had
so much riding on that meeting.
CHILD
The work you have done for your
company will influence the world.
SAM
Not without funding.
The CHILD does not respond but only studies SAM. SAM lays
his head back in the seat and attempts to go to sleep.
SAM
Well, I guess I'm stuck, I may as
well get some more rest.
The CHILD still does not respond. After a moment SAM opens
his eyes and gives up trying to sleep.
SAM
I don't seem to be tired at all.
CHILD
Being tired is something people
feel.
SAM studies the CHILD for a moment and then appears to
appears to come to grips with the truth. In the window
behind him we see the sun just being to rise on the horizon.
CHILD
Don't worry, it takes everyone a
while.
SAM
(After a moment)
I have so many questions.
CHILD
They will all be answered, but for
now just sit back and relax.
SAM sits back in his chair and the child stands next to him.
The CHILD looks straight forward emotionless as SAM turns
his head to look out the window at the rising sun.
END SCENE
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Depths Of Love
It had been three years since Bill last saw Sarah. Those three years had felt like a lifetime to him but now that he was on his way home he couldn’t believe he was already done. The war seemed like it would never end. Technically it wasn’t over but it had settled down enough that he was allowed to go home. Unlike most of the soldiers who were involved in the war, Bill didn’t see a firefight. Instead he was deployed to a nearby country and was there to train the soldiers before they went in. This was his curse and blessing. He did not have the same risks as many of the soldiers, but instead of staying for half a year or so at a time, he was required to stay for three years.
Three years. Bill couldn’t even imagine the things that must have changed back home. Sure he got the occasional letter but they could never do the differences justice. Everyone who sent the letters were too involved in the changes, they could not see the changes like Bill would be able to. He wondered if Sarah looked any different now, if she was still the girl he loved when he left. He was sure that she was still the love of his life, but he was worried that three years had bored her so much that she moved on, her letters had slowed over the years. Either way he would find out while he was back.
Thirteen hours is a long flight and Bill was not fond of flying. Every time the plane encountered some turbulence his heart dropped into his stomach. Turbulence wasn’t anything to worry about but Bill couldn’t help but imagine the plane going down. It wasn’t as much the thought of dying in a plane crash that scared him, more so it was the fact that he would be helpless to do anything and would not get a chance to see Sarah one last time. He could bare that thought and decided the best thing to do would be to try and get some sleep. Sleeping would at least keep him from noticing most of the turbulence.
Bill woke up in a cold sweat and every memory of his dreams faded, but he knew they were very unpleasant. The things that happened in his dreams were indescribable and he was glad he couldn’t remember them. He couldn’t shake the feeling that they were all real however and could not wait to get off the plane and be safe with the people he loved. Figuring he was out for at least five hours Bill asked the attendant how much longer until they arrived in America. To Bill’s horror the attendant said that they were not headed to America but headed somewhere called Distopia, a placed he had never heard of.
Bill was shocked and did not know how to react. At first he thought that he might still be sleeping but realized he couldn’t be because everyone on the plane was just as they were before he went to sleep, there is no way they would be portrayed that accurately in his dream. Still shocked and not completely aware of what he was doing Bill got up walked toward the cockpit of the plane. The way Bill was staggering forward made many people in the plane very nervous. Near the front of the plane Bill came to some of his senses and quickly went inside the bathroom. After washing his face he decided to sit back down. He guessed that the attendant must have been joking with him to try and lighten the 13 hour flight.
Bill hadn’t sat back down for more than five minutes when the plane started to go through some really bad turbulence. Bill could only brace himself and hope nothing bad was going to happen. The person next to him started laughing when he noticed how tense Bill was and had just opened his mouth when the lights started to flicker inside the plane and the pilot's voice came over the intercom. The pilot said that everything would be ok and that the lights would start working normally once they were out of the turbulence. Bill couldn’t help but notice the nervousness in the pilot voice and wonder what was really happening. A couple minutes later the answer became very apparent. Everyone on the plane noticed that the engine just outside the window was on fire.
Panic is not the correct word for the general atmosphere of the plane but it got even worse when the plane started to drop at an unhealthy speed. Bill could not even hear himself think over all the people screaming and the sound of the engine roaring and popping. Bill guesstimated at the rate they were dropping he did not have much time to live. Knowing this was the end he tried to focus his thoughts on the one thing that had always made him happy but for some reason he couldn’t remember the last time he was with Sarah. It had only been three years he should have some memory of her. He realized he couldn’t even remember getting one letter from her. Bill couldn’t help but cry.
Patty got excited when she saw that Bill was crying. He had been in a coma for the last three years and this was the most she had ever seen happen. She quickly called the Doctor into the room and asked him if Bill crying meant that he may be getting closer to coming out of the coma. The Doctor’s words however weren’t so enthusiastic. He said that there really weren’t any signs of when someone was about to come out of a coma, they just either did or didn’t. He also said that Sarah’s death in the plane crash was the type of trauma a man may never recover from. The only way to know if Bill was about to come out of the coma would be to take a “Journey Into the Mind” of a love beyond one most ever know.
Three years. Bill couldn’t even imagine the things that must have changed back home. Sure he got the occasional letter but they could never do the differences justice. Everyone who sent the letters were too involved in the changes, they could not see the changes like Bill would be able to. He wondered if Sarah looked any different now, if she was still the girl he loved when he left. He was sure that she was still the love of his life, but he was worried that three years had bored her so much that she moved on, her letters had slowed over the years. Either way he would find out while he was back.
Thirteen hours is a long flight and Bill was not fond of flying. Every time the plane encountered some turbulence his heart dropped into his stomach. Turbulence wasn’t anything to worry about but Bill couldn’t help but imagine the plane going down. It wasn’t as much the thought of dying in a plane crash that scared him, more so it was the fact that he would be helpless to do anything and would not get a chance to see Sarah one last time. He could bare that thought and decided the best thing to do would be to try and get some sleep. Sleeping would at least keep him from noticing most of the turbulence.
Bill woke up in a cold sweat and every memory of his dreams faded, but he knew they were very unpleasant. The things that happened in his dreams were indescribable and he was glad he couldn’t remember them. He couldn’t shake the feeling that they were all real however and could not wait to get off the plane and be safe with the people he loved. Figuring he was out for at least five hours Bill asked the attendant how much longer until they arrived in America. To Bill’s horror the attendant said that they were not headed to America but headed somewhere called Distopia, a placed he had never heard of.
Bill was shocked and did not know how to react. At first he thought that he might still be sleeping but realized he couldn’t be because everyone on the plane was just as they were before he went to sleep, there is no way they would be portrayed that accurately in his dream. Still shocked and not completely aware of what he was doing Bill got up walked toward the cockpit of the plane. The way Bill was staggering forward made many people in the plane very nervous. Near the front of the plane Bill came to some of his senses and quickly went inside the bathroom. After washing his face he decided to sit back down. He guessed that the attendant must have been joking with him to try and lighten the 13 hour flight.
Bill hadn’t sat back down for more than five minutes when the plane started to go through some really bad turbulence. Bill could only brace himself and hope nothing bad was going to happen. The person next to him started laughing when he noticed how tense Bill was and had just opened his mouth when the lights started to flicker inside the plane and the pilot's voice came over the intercom. The pilot said that everything would be ok and that the lights would start working normally once they were out of the turbulence. Bill couldn’t help but notice the nervousness in the pilot voice and wonder what was really happening. A couple minutes later the answer became very apparent. Everyone on the plane noticed that the engine just outside the window was on fire.
Panic is not the correct word for the general atmosphere of the plane but it got even worse when the plane started to drop at an unhealthy speed. Bill could not even hear himself think over all the people screaming and the sound of the engine roaring and popping. Bill guesstimated at the rate they were dropping he did not have much time to live. Knowing this was the end he tried to focus his thoughts on the one thing that had always made him happy but for some reason he couldn’t remember the last time he was with Sarah. It had only been three years he should have some memory of her. He realized he couldn’t even remember getting one letter from her. Bill couldn’t help but cry.
Patty got excited when she saw that Bill was crying. He had been in a coma for the last three years and this was the most she had ever seen happen. She quickly called the Doctor into the room and asked him if Bill crying meant that he may be getting closer to coming out of the coma. The Doctor’s words however weren’t so enthusiastic. He said that there really weren’t any signs of when someone was about to come out of a coma, they just either did or didn’t. He also said that Sarah’s death in the plane crash was the type of trauma a man may never recover from. The only way to know if Bill was about to come out of the coma would be to take a “Journey Into the Mind” of a love beyond one most ever know.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Bottomless
They took the same trip to Bear Lake every year. Eight years of consistency that never got old. Daniel, Lily, Paul and Rebecca loved their time away from work and the city. The camping trip had become a ritual and special getaway for the four. This year Paul was more excited than usual. He had just bought a new camper and couldn’t wait to use it. Each prior year they just brought tents along and slept outside. Daniel and Rebecca thought having a camper would ruin the experience. Lily, however, was hoping that this would give her more time alone with Paul. In the end Daniel and Rebecca gave up and decided it couldn’t hurt to try something new. If you never broke tradition you would never have any excitement.
From their city Bear Lake was almost four hours north. It was a very peaceful lake surrounded by forest. Usually the group didn’t see anyone else at the lake, if they did it was most likely only for a day. The lake got the name because of how many bears a person could see around it. Lily was always nervous that a bear would attack them but after eight years they never even came into contact with one. The bears typically stayed on the opposite side of the lake and never seemed to give a second glance at the group.
They usually left for the lake at seven a.m. but today Daniel was late. When he finally showed up he told the others about a new lake he heard of. Everyone was against the idea of trying a new lake. Rebecca thought the camper was already enough of a change, they didn’t need to go to a different lake too. Daniel was very persuasive however and after some convincing he got everyone to agree to at least check the lake out. He told everyone that if they didn’t like the new lake they could just continue on to Bear Lake being that the new lake was on the way.
They arrived at the new, unnamed, and uncharted lake within a couple hours. As soon as they arrived Daniel started to unpack the camper. He figured that if he could get everything out of the camper while the other looked around, they would just give in and stay there, not wanting to repack it all. Lily and Rebecca went straight for the lake, they already had their bathing suits on and were in a hurry to jump in the water and relax. Paul however was still not so sure about staying here. His first thoughts were that since this lake was only a couple hours outside of the city that it should be well known. The fact that he could find neither markings on the map about it nor any signs around the lake made him more than a little nervous. He immediately figured the lake was some sort of waste dumping grounds.
Paul’s search around the lake for any signs of waste came up with nothing. He decided the next best thing was to inspect the water. Noticing that Lily was already in the water he jumped in as well and started toward her. Rebecca and Lily had been swimming out toward the middle and stopped about half way there. Paul thought the water seemed fine so far and plunged under. He was very good and holding his breath and planned on swimming underwater all the way to Lily to scare her. As he got nearer to the two girls he noticed that the bottom of the lake was no longer visible, in fact he couldn’t remember ever seeing the bottom. Abandoning his original plan he came to the surface just a few feet from Lily. Still wondering how deep the lake was it took Paul a few seconds to notice that Lily was talking to him.
Lily was trying to challenge Paul to a race to the bottom of the lake. The first to reach the bottom and come back up with a rock was the winner. Paul had always been the better swimmer and love winning competitions and agreed to it under the condition that the loser would be the one to cook dinner that night. Lily agreed with confidence. Paul was unaware that Lily had been taking swimming lessons and practicing once a week for the past year just so she could one up him. Not being the best swimmer Rebecca decided she would be the judge in case of a close race.
On Rebecca’s mark Lily and Paul dove under, both swimming as fast as they could to reach the bottom. Rebecca waited at the surface guessing it would take both of them about 30 seconds to get to the bottom and back. 30 seconds past, a minute passed, a minute and a half passed. Rebecca knew they were both good swimmers and that this was a deep lake, but was astonished they were not back to the surface already. After two minutes Rebecca’s mind began to think the worst and dove in after them.
Daniel was preoccupied with unpacking but had been listening to the others having fun. In the midst of bringing the grill outside the first thing that caught his attention was silence. He could not hear the others anymore. Curious to what they were doing and figuring he had unpacked enough to convince them to stay he trotted over to the lake to see what the others were doing. When he couldn’t see them he figured they were just out exploring the area, it was a new lake. The lake looked extremely tempting but he resisted his urges to jump in and went back to unpacking.
Once Daniel finished he ran straight for the lake and dove in. He expected to see the others out there and thought he would impress them with a big splash. After regaining his composure he saw that there was no one around, but was more surprised that he has just a few feet off the dock and could not touch the bottom. Hopping back onto the dock Daniel scanned the area but there was no trace of the others. Worried he went back to the camper figuring one of them would have their cell phones with them. When Daniel jumped in the water the camper was just behind but when he turned around in that direction he saw no trace of it. Stranger yet he didn’t even see the road they had drove to get to the lake on. Searching the area the only thing Daniel found where the camper should have been was an Indian arrow head. Scared, he started off into the woods in the direction he thought the city was.
Daniel, Lily, Paul and Rebecca never came back to work the next week. Their parents got together a few days later and search party was organized to find them. The search party searched all around the woods of Bear Lake but never found any trace of the group. No one knew they had decided to try a new lake, but even if they had they would not have been able to find an unnamed and unmarked lake that didn’t exist. To this day no one is sure what happen to the group. To find out would be to take a “Journey Into the Mind” of Inexistence and to do so would not be wise.
From their city Bear Lake was almost four hours north. It was a very peaceful lake surrounded by forest. Usually the group didn’t see anyone else at the lake, if they did it was most likely only for a day. The lake got the name because of how many bears a person could see around it. Lily was always nervous that a bear would attack them but after eight years they never even came into contact with one. The bears typically stayed on the opposite side of the lake and never seemed to give a second glance at the group.
They usually left for the lake at seven a.m. but today Daniel was late. When he finally showed up he told the others about a new lake he heard of. Everyone was against the idea of trying a new lake. Rebecca thought the camper was already enough of a change, they didn’t need to go to a different lake too. Daniel was very persuasive however and after some convincing he got everyone to agree to at least check the lake out. He told everyone that if they didn’t like the new lake they could just continue on to Bear Lake being that the new lake was on the way.
They arrived at the new, unnamed, and uncharted lake within a couple hours. As soon as they arrived Daniel started to unpack the camper. He figured that if he could get everything out of the camper while the other looked around, they would just give in and stay there, not wanting to repack it all. Lily and Rebecca went straight for the lake, they already had their bathing suits on and were in a hurry to jump in the water and relax. Paul however was still not so sure about staying here. His first thoughts were that since this lake was only a couple hours outside of the city that it should be well known. The fact that he could find neither markings on the map about it nor any signs around the lake made him more than a little nervous. He immediately figured the lake was some sort of waste dumping grounds.
Paul’s search around the lake for any signs of waste came up with nothing. He decided the next best thing was to inspect the water. Noticing that Lily was already in the water he jumped in as well and started toward her. Rebecca and Lily had been swimming out toward the middle and stopped about half way there. Paul thought the water seemed fine so far and plunged under. He was very good and holding his breath and planned on swimming underwater all the way to Lily to scare her. As he got nearer to the two girls he noticed that the bottom of the lake was no longer visible, in fact he couldn’t remember ever seeing the bottom. Abandoning his original plan he came to the surface just a few feet from Lily. Still wondering how deep the lake was it took Paul a few seconds to notice that Lily was talking to him.
Lily was trying to challenge Paul to a race to the bottom of the lake. The first to reach the bottom and come back up with a rock was the winner. Paul had always been the better swimmer and love winning competitions and agreed to it under the condition that the loser would be the one to cook dinner that night. Lily agreed with confidence. Paul was unaware that Lily had been taking swimming lessons and practicing once a week for the past year just so she could one up him. Not being the best swimmer Rebecca decided she would be the judge in case of a close race.
On Rebecca’s mark Lily and Paul dove under, both swimming as fast as they could to reach the bottom. Rebecca waited at the surface guessing it would take both of them about 30 seconds to get to the bottom and back. 30 seconds past, a minute passed, a minute and a half passed. Rebecca knew they were both good swimmers and that this was a deep lake, but was astonished they were not back to the surface already. After two minutes Rebecca’s mind began to think the worst and dove in after them.
Daniel was preoccupied with unpacking but had been listening to the others having fun. In the midst of bringing the grill outside the first thing that caught his attention was silence. He could not hear the others anymore. Curious to what they were doing and figuring he had unpacked enough to convince them to stay he trotted over to the lake to see what the others were doing. When he couldn’t see them he figured they were just out exploring the area, it was a new lake. The lake looked extremely tempting but he resisted his urges to jump in and went back to unpacking.
Once Daniel finished he ran straight for the lake and dove in. He expected to see the others out there and thought he would impress them with a big splash. After regaining his composure he saw that there was no one around, but was more surprised that he has just a few feet off the dock and could not touch the bottom. Hopping back onto the dock Daniel scanned the area but there was no trace of the others. Worried he went back to the camper figuring one of them would have their cell phones with them. When Daniel jumped in the water the camper was just behind but when he turned around in that direction he saw no trace of it. Stranger yet he didn’t even see the road they had drove to get to the lake on. Searching the area the only thing Daniel found where the camper should have been was an Indian arrow head. Scared, he started off into the woods in the direction he thought the city was.
Daniel, Lily, Paul and Rebecca never came back to work the next week. Their parents got together a few days later and search party was organized to find them. The search party searched all around the woods of Bear Lake but never found any trace of the group. No one knew they had decided to try a new lake, but even if they had they would not have been able to find an unnamed and unmarked lake that didn’t exist. To this day no one is sure what happen to the group. To find out would be to take a “Journey Into the Mind” of Inexistence and to do so would not be wise.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Unfathomable
His “condition” is something not medically defined. Technically it isn’t even a “condition.” Everyone knows he struggles with his problem, but no one realizes how much of a problem it really is. Warren is all alone in this world. He talks to people and has friends, but none understand. It’s not that they can’t understand, it’s just that they don’t want to. They do not want to put that much effort into it. In reality it is probably a good thing they don’t want to. If they did they too would be stuck with this problem, this “condition.” No one can help without understanding and they can only understand with effort. Once they did understand however, they still would be no help, they would only need help.
Warren coined a term for his condition, “Chronic Over Analysis.” He even made a definition for the term. “The process of analyzing events and objects to the point of near insanity.” Of course this definition wasn’t quite right. Sure, Warren did analyze things to an extreme amount, but he wasn’t insane, or even near insane. Well, at least he didn’t think he was. He joked about it, but knew it wasn’t really true. He wondered too often if other people felt the same. That is the product of his “Chronic Over Analysis.” He thought anything and everything. He would not stop thinking about it until he “knew” it.
Knew isn’t quite the correct word. Satisfied is closer to correct. It wasn’t that he didn’t “know,” even though most times he didn’t. It was more about pleasing himself, becoming satisfied with his answer. Often times it would be near impossible to find a satisfactory answer. Sometimes no matter how hard he tried he could not be satisfied. This did not keep him from trying to come up with an answer though. Warren had the habit of analyzing things for weeks, months or even years. There were even a few things he was still thinking about after ten plus years. Not letting things go meant that there was a lot of build up in his mind. This is why most people don’t understand. They do no know what it is like to think about 1000 or more things at a time for one minute let along ten years. As much as Warren wanted someone to understand, he was glad they didn’t. “Chronic Over Analysis is a burden he didn’t wish on anyone. Sure it wasn’t like cancer. There was no chance of dying from the “condition,” but death isn’t always the worst thing that could happen.
The day started off slow. His class was cancelled for the day so Warren didn’t have anything to do. Recent events had upped his thought process ten fold, but today his mind was near silent. Well, silent for Warren, for anyone else it would still seem like chaos. This small period of near silence gave Warren some time to rest, something he had not been able to do for quite awhile. Like the saying goes “there is no rest for the wicked.” Warren hadn’t rested his mind for more than an hour when he was interrupted by a strange phone call. One of those calls from a pay phone or another country where you have to wait to be connected with the dialing party. An over analytical mind does not enjoy these types of calls. It’s bad enough to hear the phone ring and have to wait until you pull it out of your pocket to see whose calling. Waiting another couple minutes after the ring kills. In a few minutes the mind can think of millions of things. The mind is the world’s faster processor.
Warren’s minds first thought was about all the people he knew and narrowed it down to a smaller number of people who would be likely to call him. After that he narrowed it down to the people who would call him this way. With that list he began to think of reason’s why they would call. This was a longer process than the last two but still finished within a few moments. Warren determined that it was his cousin calling from Europe to tell him about when he planned on coming home. Finally the operator got the two calls connected and Warren heard the voice of a woman, a voice he could not recognize. The voice said, “Hello….Warren?” As he attempted to respond the call was disconnected.
Now Warren’s mind was racing. Who was that girl? Why did she call? Why did the call drop? As he analyzed everything Warren did nothing but stare at his phone, He was waiting for the woman to call back, waiting for answers. He was sure she would call back. She must have wanted something, so why wouldn’t she call back. With each hour that passed Warren’s mind though more and more, each thought becoming more negative than the last. Not only did Warren over analyze things, he was also a pessimist. He was always thinking the worst. Sometimes coming up with situations so horrible they were near unfathomable. If anyone knew half of the horrible thing he thought, they would institutionalize him for sure.
Thought after thought Warren could not get his mind off that phone call. He thought so much that he started to think about every other thing he had been holding in the back of his mind. His recent divorce, the likelihood he would be laid off, his bachelor’s degree turning out to be fake. If it was possible, Warren was thinking it. If it was impossible, he was either still thinking about it or trying to figure out how to make it possible. Warren didn’t even realize it but he got up and walked out of his apartment. His body was walking but his mind was not. His feet were on a path to lead hi somewhere.
As he walked down the street unaware of himself many people stopped to ask him if he needed help. His face was blank and his eyes were empty. They say the eyes are the window to the soul. Anyone that looked into his eyes that day saw something they will never forget. They witnessed a struggle. A civil war between the mind. Warren’s soul was caught in the middle, taking most of the damage. These people witnessed a dying could. Some say they saw the point where it did die, but a soul doesn’t die, it only suffers. It stays in that dying state forever, a pain much worse than death itself.
Warren never uttered a word to the passer-bys of his walk. He only kept on walking. No clear direction, but a definite path. He may still be out there, walking. If you happen to see hi do not attempt to help him, he will give you no response. Whatever you do be sure not to look into his eyes. It would be a “Journey Into the Mind” of a dying should. Something no one should have the misfortune of seeing.
Warren coined a term for his condition, “Chronic Over Analysis.” He even made a definition for the term. “The process of analyzing events and objects to the point of near insanity.” Of course this definition wasn’t quite right. Sure, Warren did analyze things to an extreme amount, but he wasn’t insane, or even near insane. Well, at least he didn’t think he was. He joked about it, but knew it wasn’t really true. He wondered too often if other people felt the same. That is the product of his “Chronic Over Analysis.” He thought anything and everything. He would not stop thinking about it until he “knew” it.
Knew isn’t quite the correct word. Satisfied is closer to correct. It wasn’t that he didn’t “know,” even though most times he didn’t. It was more about pleasing himself, becoming satisfied with his answer. Often times it would be near impossible to find a satisfactory answer. Sometimes no matter how hard he tried he could not be satisfied. This did not keep him from trying to come up with an answer though. Warren had the habit of analyzing things for weeks, months or even years. There were even a few things he was still thinking about after ten plus years. Not letting things go meant that there was a lot of build up in his mind. This is why most people don’t understand. They do no know what it is like to think about 1000 or more things at a time for one minute let along ten years. As much as Warren wanted someone to understand, he was glad they didn’t. “Chronic Over Analysis is a burden he didn’t wish on anyone. Sure it wasn’t like cancer. There was no chance of dying from the “condition,” but death isn’t always the worst thing that could happen.
The day started off slow. His class was cancelled for the day so Warren didn’t have anything to do. Recent events had upped his thought process ten fold, but today his mind was near silent. Well, silent for Warren, for anyone else it would still seem like chaos. This small period of near silence gave Warren some time to rest, something he had not been able to do for quite awhile. Like the saying goes “there is no rest for the wicked.” Warren hadn’t rested his mind for more than an hour when he was interrupted by a strange phone call. One of those calls from a pay phone or another country where you have to wait to be connected with the dialing party. An over analytical mind does not enjoy these types of calls. It’s bad enough to hear the phone ring and have to wait until you pull it out of your pocket to see whose calling. Waiting another couple minutes after the ring kills. In a few minutes the mind can think of millions of things. The mind is the world’s faster processor.
Warren’s minds first thought was about all the people he knew and narrowed it down to a smaller number of people who would be likely to call him. After that he narrowed it down to the people who would call him this way. With that list he began to think of reason’s why they would call. This was a longer process than the last two but still finished within a few moments. Warren determined that it was his cousin calling from Europe to tell him about when he planned on coming home. Finally the operator got the two calls connected and Warren heard the voice of a woman, a voice he could not recognize. The voice said, “Hello….Warren?” As he attempted to respond the call was disconnected.
Now Warren’s mind was racing. Who was that girl? Why did she call? Why did the call drop? As he analyzed everything Warren did nothing but stare at his phone, He was waiting for the woman to call back, waiting for answers. He was sure she would call back. She must have wanted something, so why wouldn’t she call back. With each hour that passed Warren’s mind though more and more, each thought becoming more negative than the last. Not only did Warren over analyze things, he was also a pessimist. He was always thinking the worst. Sometimes coming up with situations so horrible they were near unfathomable. If anyone knew half of the horrible thing he thought, they would institutionalize him for sure.
Thought after thought Warren could not get his mind off that phone call. He thought so much that he started to think about every other thing he had been holding in the back of his mind. His recent divorce, the likelihood he would be laid off, his bachelor’s degree turning out to be fake. If it was possible, Warren was thinking it. If it was impossible, he was either still thinking about it or trying to figure out how to make it possible. Warren didn’t even realize it but he got up and walked out of his apartment. His body was walking but his mind was not. His feet were on a path to lead hi somewhere.
As he walked down the street unaware of himself many people stopped to ask him if he needed help. His face was blank and his eyes were empty. They say the eyes are the window to the soul. Anyone that looked into his eyes that day saw something they will never forget. They witnessed a struggle. A civil war between the mind. Warren’s soul was caught in the middle, taking most of the damage. These people witnessed a dying could. Some say they saw the point where it did die, but a soul doesn’t die, it only suffers. It stays in that dying state forever, a pain much worse than death itself.
Warren never uttered a word to the passer-bys of his walk. He only kept on walking. No clear direction, but a definite path. He may still be out there, walking. If you happen to see hi do not attempt to help him, he will give you no response. Whatever you do be sure not to look into his eyes. It would be a “Journey Into the Mind” of a dying should. Something no one should have the misfortune of seeing.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Lost in the Familiar
This may yet need some editing, but here is what it is so far.
Lost in the Familiar
The date and hour of the event is not important. Those involved wouldn’t remember if you asked them. If they did remember, the people they told would not believe them. No matter the time, what is important in this story is the place. The place is a very well known area, somewhere we have all been. The only problem is that it is impossible to recognize as it never looks the same. No matter how many times we visit, it always seems as though we have never been there before. Even though we do not recognize the place we all share the uncanny ability of being able to navigate this area with ease. We do not wonder whether to go left or right, up or down. We instinctively know neither direction matters and we lead ourselves right to where we wanted to go. We may stray from the path at times, but we always end up where we were headed.
On this day things were different for John Novack. Just as we all have, John unknowingly traveled to this special location. The difference is that John thought everything was too familiar. Instead of everything having a strange familiarity, it all had a complete familiarity. John walked around and knew where everything was. He was in control, accomplishing tasks faster than what is considered safe. To understand why finishing a task too fast is not safe; you must first understand that this location is intended as a place for rest. Doing tasks quickly does not provide the rest needed. This place is not like a place of work. If you finish everything too soon you cannot leave nor can you find more work to do. You are at a loss and trapped in a place of nothing. Life as you know it would freeze.
Two-thirds of the way done with his work, John noticed a change. The place he was, the place he had been to before, the place he should not know but did began to change. The unlikely problem however was that the place was not changing. The colors he saw, the objects around him, the smells of the place, all stayed the same. It was really John’s mind that was changing. John’s mind was slowly losing the familiarity of the place while he was in it. This would not be a problem if it had occurred while John was outside. However, John was inside. His mind could not handle the change. Normally, coming to this area not remembering allows you to wander and learn but when you enter and lose the memory your mind does not accept the change. Your mind goes through the process of filling in details. Where there once was a plant now there is a light, where there once was a wall there now is a door. This can cause some major problems.
Believing he was about to be going through a door, John stuck his hand out for the doorknob. His hand caught nothing but air and confused John tried again. Not satisfied with the result of catching only air again he pressed his hand up along the wall and searched for the knob. John searched for a good ten minutes before finally giving up and moving on. While walking away from what he thought was a door John noticed a staircase. John was still trying to figure out why he could not open the door while he took his first step onto the staircase. The experience of stepping upward and finding out there is nothing there is an indescribable feeling. Unless you have had the misfortune of missing a step before you would not understand John’s amazement when he tripped and fell onto his face. John also still felt as though there was a staircase in front of him so he put out his hands in attempt to catch himself on one of the steps. Missing the step he thought was there, John did not brace himself for the floor. The impact of his head against the ground was enough to knock him out.
John was found many hours later talking to a house plant in the corner of his apartment. No one believe the story he told in attempt to explain the cut on his head and his likely concussion, nor did they believe him when he told them the plant was actually a person and apparently the only one that believed his stories. His stories would have been passed off as due to the concussion if he hadn’t been so consistent and committed to his story. He told everyone that passed by about the place he had gone, about how he felt as though he knew everything about it and it had changed shape. Just as what would happen to anyone else John was placed in a mental institution with little hope of any future recovery. To this day you can still find John in room 307 and he will have quite the story to tell you if you listen. He always creatively starts it off by saying “Come with me on a Journey Into the Mind.”
Lost in the Familiar
The date and hour of the event is not important. Those involved wouldn’t remember if you asked them. If they did remember, the people they told would not believe them. No matter the time, what is important in this story is the place. The place is a very well known area, somewhere we have all been. The only problem is that it is impossible to recognize as it never looks the same. No matter how many times we visit, it always seems as though we have never been there before. Even though we do not recognize the place we all share the uncanny ability of being able to navigate this area with ease. We do not wonder whether to go left or right, up or down. We instinctively know neither direction matters and we lead ourselves right to where we wanted to go. We may stray from the path at times, but we always end up where we were headed.
On this day things were different for John Novack. Just as we all have, John unknowingly traveled to this special location. The difference is that John thought everything was too familiar. Instead of everything having a strange familiarity, it all had a complete familiarity. John walked around and knew where everything was. He was in control, accomplishing tasks faster than what is considered safe. To understand why finishing a task too fast is not safe; you must first understand that this location is intended as a place for rest. Doing tasks quickly does not provide the rest needed. This place is not like a place of work. If you finish everything too soon you cannot leave nor can you find more work to do. You are at a loss and trapped in a place of nothing. Life as you know it would freeze.
Two-thirds of the way done with his work, John noticed a change. The place he was, the place he had been to before, the place he should not know but did began to change. The unlikely problem however was that the place was not changing. The colors he saw, the objects around him, the smells of the place, all stayed the same. It was really John’s mind that was changing. John’s mind was slowly losing the familiarity of the place while he was in it. This would not be a problem if it had occurred while John was outside. However, John was inside. His mind could not handle the change. Normally, coming to this area not remembering allows you to wander and learn but when you enter and lose the memory your mind does not accept the change. Your mind goes through the process of filling in details. Where there once was a plant now there is a light, where there once was a wall there now is a door. This can cause some major problems.
Believing he was about to be going through a door, John stuck his hand out for the doorknob. His hand caught nothing but air and confused John tried again. Not satisfied with the result of catching only air again he pressed his hand up along the wall and searched for the knob. John searched for a good ten minutes before finally giving up and moving on. While walking away from what he thought was a door John noticed a staircase. John was still trying to figure out why he could not open the door while he took his first step onto the staircase. The experience of stepping upward and finding out there is nothing there is an indescribable feeling. Unless you have had the misfortune of missing a step before you would not understand John’s amazement when he tripped and fell onto his face. John also still felt as though there was a staircase in front of him so he put out his hands in attempt to catch himself on one of the steps. Missing the step he thought was there, John did not brace himself for the floor. The impact of his head against the ground was enough to knock him out.
John was found many hours later talking to a house plant in the corner of his apartment. No one believe the story he told in attempt to explain the cut on his head and his likely concussion, nor did they believe him when he told them the plant was actually a person and apparently the only one that believed his stories. His stories would have been passed off as due to the concussion if he hadn’t been so consistent and committed to his story. He told everyone that passed by about the place he had gone, about how he felt as though he knew everything about it and it had changed shape. Just as what would happen to anyone else John was placed in a mental institution with little hope of any future recovery. To this day you can still find John in room 307 and he will have quite the story to tell you if you listen. He always creatively starts it off by saying “Come with me on a Journey Into the Mind.”
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Preparation
Be prepared to embark on an epic journey. One not of body, but of mind. A journey through events of insignificant people, leading insignificant lives, finding themselves caught somewhere in between, somewhere no one travels. The events you will experience have no particular importance to history. Events that will be overlooked by any who were not involved, but will always be in the minds of those to blame. Events that may touch some, may elude some, or may upset some. During our time together you will experience loss, fear, hate, love, joy and sadness. You will see the dark side of man and the light side of life. There is only one requirement for this journey. You must allow yourself to get swept along, to enjoy the experience and embrace the ride. If you feel you are ready, come with me on a Journey Into the Mind.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
