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Yam42

Posts: 1,134 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Commentary: Originally, this was going to be my entry for the June 2012 Story Contest (Darkest Secrets). I couldn't get it to work out, so I tweaked it and submitted it to Aeraie's "Emotion Anthology."
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Delusion
A gentle jungle breeze wafted through the mountains, carrying the sweet smells of nectar and flora up from the forests below. In the distance, a few clouds began to form over the lake, signaling the imminent arrival of one of Africa's trademark summer downpours. From somewhere down below, a burst of calls sounded, followed by a swarm of colorful birds scattering from the treetops. Something was hunting in the jungle.
But something was hunting up in the mountains, as well. Unlike whatever unseen predator stalked the emerald canopies, this creature walked on two legs. He strode up the rocky crags, his white clothing caked with dirt and drenched with sweat. Unlike whatever was below, this creature was not hunting another living being. He sought something much different, and to him, much more important. As he ascended ever onward up the path, his mind wandered back to the night in London.
***
“Sir, you must be mad to be going on an expedition alone!” a rotund, older gentleman exclaimed past the fringes of his white handlebar mustache.
“I am *not* insane!” the subject of his criticisms responded indignantly. “Understand this: what I am after is something that could make a man wealthy beyond his wildest dreams. If I take others with me, the expedition will become a bloodbath!”
“Jonathan, what makes you think you will even find this object for which you seek?" The interrogative came from a third, dark-haired man seated at the table.

27-Apr-2012 03:20:24 - Last edited on 14-Jun-2012 21:14:46 by Yam42

Yam42

Posts: 1,134 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

The man under scrutiny, Jonathan Williams, sighed as he surveyed the gathering. To his immediate left sat the older man, Sir Charles Drake, who–in Jonathan's opinion–was much too ancient and pompous to see the point in the expedition. Across the table was the man who had just posed the question, Alexander Baldwin, a Cambridge scholar. Jonathan knew that he would be impossible to convince. In the corner sat Beatrice, Baldwin's missus. She hadn't uttered a word this entire time. Jonathan's oldest friend, Robert Cramer, smoked a cigar as he leaned on the wall beside the portrait of Her Majesty, Queen Victoria.
Jonathan rubbed his eyes before resuming. “Trust me, Alexander, I will find it. It sits at the summit of a lone mountain in Africa. I'm certain I can convince some locals to aid my navigation.”
Alexander simply snorted and shook his head.
“And what do you think, Robert? Am I insane for attempting this feat?” Jonathan turned to question his friend, hoping that the man would be supportive.
“Frankly, my friend, I think you're a fool,” Robert responded as he allowed a few puffs of smoke to escape through his nostrils. He sighed as he saw Jonathan's countenance fall. “Listen, I simply don't want you getting injured, or worse. You and I both know this is pointless."
"But, gentlemen!” Jonathan exclaimed, slamming his fist on the table. “This is a chance for us to finally understand ourselves better. This book I am seeking is alleged to reveal the secrets of the universe!”
Sir Charles rose from his seat. “Sir, you certainly have a death wish!”
“Don't you fools understand?” Jonathan leaped to his feet with a yell, knocking over his cushioned mahogany chair. “This knowledge is enormous! It could change all we've learned from the great philosophers and scientists! Men like Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Aquinas will all look like drooling idiots! Newton? A dolt. Copernicus? A fool. And this knowledge *will* be mine!”

27-Apr-2012 03:22:29 - Last edited on 14-Jun-2012 21:15:47 by Yam42

Yam42

Posts: 1,134 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

“And what, my dear Jonathan, do you plan on doing once you've acquired such knowledge?” Alexander sneered as he, too, rose from his seat and leaned across the table.
“I will publish a series of books that will overturn everything we've ever known!” Jonathan's eyes flared with a crazed passion. “After that, every university in the world will be begging me to join their faculty. I will make a fortune!”
“I agree with Sir Charles,” Alexander began, his eyes boring straight into Jonathan's soul. "You are mad.”
Jonathan strode to the foyer. “Gentlemen, I an through discussing this with you.” His voice was covered with sheets of ice. “I will not be hindered from finding this book. I shall see you in a year when I will triumphantly return as a hero of philosophy and science.” Before anyone could say another word, he gathered overcoat, hat, and cane. With a slight nod of acknowledgment, he stepped out the door.
***
Yes, they said he was insane; this hunter remembered as he ascended the mountain. He knew he would not fail. It had been eight long months of trekking across the continent before he finally located this rocky crag that jutted upward from the jungle. Jonathan sneered as he thought of the gloating that Alexander would surely do if he ever learned that it had taken nearly a year to find this place. He was certain, however, that this *must* be the place.
Jonathan struggled in his ascent as the path steepened to a vertical wall, yet he knew that nothing–not even the forces of the cosmos–could stop him from obtaining his quarry. As the hours ticked endlessly by, he climbed toward the heavens. Slowly, he became heavier. Slowly, it became harder for him to bear his weight.

27-Apr-2012 03:22:49 - Last edited on 14-Jun-2012 21:17:03 by Yam42

Yam42

Posts: 1,134 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

“What are you doing to me?!” Jonathan roared upward toward heaven. “You may try to hinder me, but I will not be stopped!”
Much like the determined Babylonians building their Tower, Jonathan continued ever upward. Unlike them, he did not intend to be denied, revealed as he continued to climb hour after hour. The rocky crags passed by, inch after painful inch. As Jonathan's ascent proceeded, it seemed like the mountain was growing *taller*. Fatigue continued to sting his every muscle as beads of sweat poured off his brow, yet he knew he would succeed.
Jonathan paused his climb to rest for a minute. As he clung to the rocks on the cliff, fatigue and the sudden realization of his own folly struck a fatal blow. As the dark jungle that had cluttered his mind cleared, he lost his grip.
As Jonathan Williams plummeted to his verdant jade coffin below, the patient predator lurking in the jungle claimed another victim.

27-Apr-2012 03:22:57 - Last edited on 14-Jun-2012 21:17:57 by Yam42

Yam42

Posts: 1,134 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Commentary: I am not, by any means, a master of haiku. I am merely writing them because they are quick, simple, and fun.
---
Sunset
The dim orb descends:
Scintillating reds and pinks,
God's dusky canvas.

27-Apr-2012 03:23:04 - Last edited on 19-Jul-2012 02:11:47 by Yam42

Yam42

Posts: 1,134 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Commentary: This is the result of a cloudwatching session one afternoon during the summer of 2012.

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Heavenly Visions

Islands of white, ensconced by an ocean of blue.
I gaze upward in rapt silence, with naught to do.
The islands flutter and laze hither and yon.
In my vision, shapes slowly begin to dawn.

I behold the sun-warmed Lycean plains,
And see stallions gallop with windblown manes.
Now come Eastern traders, arrayed in robe and shroud,
With their puffy white camels wafting high and proud.

Across the plain of the skies, the procession walks;
But now panicked steed and mount begin to balk.
Quickly, they pause. What's that noise? What's all this?
Something is afoot. Something is amiss.

The beasts scatter and billow away,
For something more fierce hurtles their way.
'Tis the Chimeric beast come hither from Acheron,
But behold: now arrives the mighty Bellepheron.

The thrice-headed Tyrant roars, its eyes gleaming cruel.
Bellepheron readies; surely he is no fool.
Mounted on Pegasus, he glides to the east,
Far away from the supercilious beast.

The Chimera wickedly growls in delight,
Eagerly following its nemesis' flight.
The hero is no coward and quickly turns about,
Grievously wounding the fiend and putting it to rout.

White lifeblood ebbs 'cross the again halcyon sky.
Smitten, the Tyrant slowly wafts away to die.
Hence to the Pit goes the beast, its being erased;
And good Bellepheron soars to heaven's embrace.

Again clear is the blue ocean of the skies.
No more visions will arrive to grace my eyes.
Evil forever conquered, another day will dawn,
And the islands can again flutter hither and yon.

27-Apr-2012 03:23:10 - Last edited on 30-May-2013 22:54:50 by Yam42

Yam42

Posts: 1,134 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Commentary: This was my entry into the August 2012 story competition (two rounds). The first paragraph was the first round entry. The piece as a whole placed second overall. I thought I'd delve into some abstract writing without dialogue.
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Dandelions
What is this yellow ball that hurls itself upward to the heavens, scorning the pull of the massive grassy plains below? It is a dandelion; it must be, for only such a thing as that burns with such radiant intensity. Even its stalk seems ablaze as it cascades from the heavens to the ground below, illuminating the area between itself and the grass underneath. Elsewhere out of this green field sprouts more dandelions, some more distant than others, yet all reach down to our resident green field. Each spreads its roots, nourishing itself and in turn, nourishing us.
Yet underneath those tall dandelions grow infinitely smaller green stalks crowned with gold. What are these shorter plants that desperately attempt to thrust themselves higher toward the heavens? They too are dandelions, for nothing else in the green field glows with such myriad beauty. Like the burning flowers high above, the roots of these dandelions also spread across this magnificent green field of ours and interweave. When the sands of time finally strike one down, those around it also feel the loss and pain.
One may ask how these dandelions manage to thrive in such detrimental circumstances. For if one dies, are not the others weaker? Such an assertion is true, yet it neglects the function of their gloriously interwoven roots, which allow the dandelions to nourish each other as well. When the rain comes, these creations share the water and the life that are given to them. Such an action is what makes our green field more verdant, luscious, and perfect, all ablaze with glowing patches of gold.

27-Apr-2012 03:23:17 - Last edited on 19-Oct-2012 23:33:44 by Yam42

Yam42

Posts: 1,134 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

What are these tiny golden lights struggling upward from the cracks in the sidewalk? They are dandelions, for nothing else in all of creation emits such scintillating luminescence. These creations stand alone in life, separated from their brethren in the green field by the angry concrete and circumstances beyond their control. They are oft regarded as worthless weeds. Society attempts to wither them at every opportunity, yet these noble flowers continue to resurface time and again. It is from these majestic things that we can learn some of the most valuable lessons. Who else has seen so much struggle? Who else has faced so many challenges? Who else, then, is more qualified to dispense their wisdom? Were it not for these weeds the shadowy city*cape would be without color and radiance.
What are these haloed things that soar and dwell in heights unseen? They are also dandelions, for nothing in creation is so golden and excellent. They blow about on the wind, gracing those in need with their presence. In such a way do they, too, nourish others with their sweet power.
The balls of fire above, the creations in the field, the dwellers in the concrete, and the denizens of realms unseen; what are all of these things? They are dandelions, for they are imperfect weeds and beautifully glowing flowers. All have their flaws, yet all can nourish the rest. Indeed they have just that and they continue to make our massive, spectacular green field a more wonderful place.
These sublime weeds all sit in a massive universal garden. And the Gardener can see that all of these dandelions are very, very good.

27-Apr-2012 03:24:32 - Last edited on 19-Oct-2012 23:35:12 by Yam42

Yam42

Posts: 1,134 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Commentary: This is my submission to Aeraie's "Phobia Anthology." It is meant to depict the fear of failure. I thought I'd go a little outside of the box on this one.
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Atychiphobia, the Fear of Failure
***
University of the Holy Father
Plaza del Sol
Barcelona, España
El 26 de Octubre en este año de Dios 1549
My dearest Isabella,
I am grieved, my dear, at how thou have spurned me as of late! It is simply crushing how my attempts to lavish my affection upon thee have been crippled!
My star of the skies, what is this that has come upon thee? When we dine, thou act as though I am no longer present. When I ask to have thy time and thoughts, thou refuse me. I recall an age when I was ever-present in thy conversations with thy amigos, yet now thou brush me away when I attempt to speak!
I have heard rumors and reports that thou have been spending more time with that insipid, blithering fellow, Peace. I tell thee, my dear, he is a liar and a deceiver. He masquerades as nobility, yet he is not one of the old-blood caballeros as myself! It shan't be long ere he tries to bathe thee in the radiant beams of holy serenity. Mi amor, he is trying entrap thee in his false love only to abandon thee at the last moment! Do not follow this wicked man of the light. Do not lavish the gifts of thy heart and beauty upon such wretched filth! I exhort thee, chiquita, to put him away from thee and avoid his deception as thou would the accursed plague that descended across our continent two centuries past.

27-Apr-2012 03:24:48 - Last edited on 29-Oct-2012 01:44:57 by Yam42

Yam42

Posts: 1,134 Mithril Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile

Ah, my dear, why must I focus on only the bad? I thank thee greatly for allowing me the times thou have. At night when thy thoughts roam uncontrolled, thou allow me by thy side and I caress the innermost confines of thy mind. I am always in thy thoughts when thou think of familia, amigos, and Dios. Oh, mi amor! That thou think so highly of me to place me with them! I love thee, and that I shall be ever in thy thoughts when thou gaze upon thy sister and the belfries high pleases me to no extent! Thou have no inkling of the joy which thou have caused me!
Amor, how I yearn to sally forth from this darkened castle of mine and occupy thy thoughts once again. I so very deeply possess a desire to again intervene in thy relationships with thy amigos. Have no fear; I shall let no message which may separate us come unto thee. No foul, false caballero shall rend us in twain! And now this talon with which I write twitches in anticipation of being made one again with thy heart and mind.
Ah, dear, do not tarry in returning unto me! Spurn the villainous cur, Peace, and come unto me. My brethren, of the same nature as I, loom ever in the background near me. Indeed, milady, they have already begun to occupy my thoughts as I occupy thine. I often find myself wondering what shall happen if I fail to win thy love. I fear they may depose me if I cannot successfully court thee and secure the dynasty!
Ah, amor! I fear! I fear, and never have I thought that mine own brethren, identical to myself, could assail me! Milady, make haste! Return thou unto me, and we shall be forever united in our nobility!
Te amo,
Atychiphobia,
Conde de los Miedos

27-Apr-2012 03:24:56 - Last edited on 29-Oct-2012 01:43:32 by Yam42

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