Blog Post #8:Still The Same Story

Continuation of Blog Post #7

Alaina/James walked over to her door and reached for his keys. "Hey, James!" the other guard yelled "What in the world are you doing?" Alaina got nervous and had James collapse into unconsciousness. She then followed the cord to the other man, she was ready this time and slid unhampered into his mind. She had him reach down and take the keys from James and unlock her door. She had him lay down then he was unconscious too. Alaina pushed open her door and walked down the damp hallway. She came to a stair case leading up. Up was probably the best option so she started walking. Suddenly there was a voice in her head. Alaina! Are yo- The voice suddenly cut off as she threw up blocks over her mind thread. But wait, she knew that voice! Boy is that you? she slowly let down her walls Oh, Alaina, you scared me! You have been learning haven't you? He sounded scared Alaina I have to go but what ever you do, don't ever go to far, you know what I mean. And then he was gone.

His last words sent chills through her. She had already scared herself with how easily she could impose her will over others, it was not natural, but she knew that she must save every one then she would never use it again. ever. She reached the top of the stairs and fell to her knees. She grabbed her head. There was someone in there! He was snooping around sifting through her very essence the Burglar King! So that is how you steal names! You take the person's very being, but where would you put it? Alaina futilely put up walls around her mind that the Burglar King tore down mercilessly. She screamed in pain as he started to rip her essence from her mind. Fight! Fight Alaina! A voice screamed in her mind and stalled the Burglar King for a moment. In that moment Alaina launched her own attack on her assaulter. She raced along the thread to his mind, imagining calvary and footmen racing into his mind. While back in her body she followed where her mind told her the physical body of the king was. She burst into the throne room just as she reached his mind, and then she was lost.

Alaina tumbled through his chaos of a mind. It was a fractured, sick and tortured thing. The weight of all the people completely crushing his mind except the hunger for more. Alaina could feel herself losing herself, she was being dissolved in the mix of madness. She felt a hand grab hers and looked to see the Boy of the Forest. "Boy what are you doing here?!" Alaina yelled. Now they would both be lost! "I can help you!" He said, "Let me try!" "No! You are one of the last people alive that I care a bout! I can not lose you!" She screamed and pushed him away from her, back to his own mind. But he fought her and came right back. "You think I don't care about you to? I have been alone all these years, except for you! I can not lose you!" He then pushed her back to her mind. She fought back and pushed him, and he pushed back. They sat there suspended by their strength and their passion. Then at the same moment the both let go and came together and Boy pushed his lips to Alaina's and the world went white.

Blog Post #7: Second to Last Chapter, I hope!

Continuation of Blog Post #6

As soon as the door was closed she was thrust into gloominess again. The heat behind her eyes gave her warning of the betrayal that her eyes were about to commit, and soon enough her eyes brimmed and tears made their trek across her face. Stop it! She told her self, He needs your help! She remembered the stories that her Grandmother told her when she was young and all was right with the world, "You will do great things one day," her Grandmother had told her "Just remember it's you who decides to give up or figure out how to solve the problem" With her Grandmother's words anew in her mind she looked around the cell with courage. Its gloom would not drag her down now. She sat and thought of her next move, her objective was to, primarily, get the Boy of the Forest free and get his name back. Maybe she could get his people's names back too! Oh, she could be the heroine of this story! Then her spirits fell. What did she have to use? All of the heroes in the stories had some kind of special power or help of some kind! But wait, she did have a special power! She had a mind link with the Boy of the Forest, and although she couldn't seem to reach him now there had to be another way to use this gift!

Alaina closed her eyes and concentrated on the part of her mind that she used to communicate with the Boy of the Forest. She could feel something there, almost like a thread, she followed it and she came upon millions of other threads, their numbers were overwhelming! It took her a moment to realize that they were links to other peoples minds! She could see them! And some how she knew that she could follow them into the minds of others. Suddenly she drew back into her own consciousness. The thought of entering another's mind repulsed and scared her. Who was she to invade upon someones most private and intimate space? Come now Alaina! She said to herself, How else to you expect to get out of here, and save the Boy of the Forest? She realized she had no other choice and ventured out of her mind again. Alaina followed the threads that she realized were the guards' minds out side her door. She paused at the threshold, not fully committed, took a deep breath and entered the mind of her first guard.

The information was overwhelming! His name was James Pats, he didn't want to be a guard for the burglar, but was terrified of having his name stolen. Thousands of thoughts filled Alaina's head. James's past, his family, all of the Pats' names had been stolen, his likes, his dislikes, his fears, his joys. All of it, crashing on to her so that she felt that she was drowning! She was losing herself, she could feel it. She tried to imagine a solid rock wall at least a meter thick blocking all of the information, and it stopped. She was free of the constant torrent of thoughts! She could now hear his present thoughts and was relieved to find that he had no idea that she was there. Now, to get herself free!

Blog Post #6: 4th Word

Continuation of Blog Post #5

"Why are we locked in your dungeon?" Alaina asked him. "Well, its quite a long story," he said. "I've really got no where else to go." She answered. "Alright, it all started with the thief. When I was just a small child he would come in the night and would steal things, you must understand in my kingdom no one steals we are a very peaceful race so it was quite alarming that some one would steal from the royal family." "What did he steal?" Alaina asked " Quite a number of things, jewels, the crown, silverware. But steadily he would grow more confidante when he realized that we had no way of catching him. He began to steal more valuable things. Light, magic, and the most horrid of all, names." He said gravely.

"Names! How is it possible to steal a person's name? And what harm would it do?" She asked gasping in horror. "It is no easy feat to steal a person's name, but he was a seasoned burglar. You see, a person's name is who they are, if you were to steal it slowly that person would fade, for without a name, you are quite easily forgotten by others, and soon you forget your self and become nothing more than a shell with no name that is easily controlled by the burglar. The burglar would come at night and steal the name of those who were sleeping. At first it was just servants and lower class that lived in the castle, then soon he worked his way up the hierarchy and stole the names of all of the royal family. Including my own." He said looking sad as he remember all of his friend and family. Alaina was confused, "If he took your name, then why aren't you a nameless shell?" "Because I got a new name, the Boy of the Forest." He said smiling at her. "You mean, I gave you your new name?" She said in amazement. "Yes, my parents, once they realized what had happened sent out the communication sand. I was saved because you did not know my name yet you did not forget me, you called my by a new name. When I first contacted you I had almost given in to the Burglar King's power, but you saved my life, and now I plan to save yours."

Alaina was about to ask him how, when she heard heavy foot steps coming down the hall. "I fear we have run out of time, I must tell you something before we are split up. The sand that you received was only a introductory connection to set up mental link, I kept using it to not scare you as you come from an almost magic-less world, but now, I can talk to you from where ever and you may talk to me. Alaina jumped, she had heard him speak the last part, but his lips had not continued to move. Think of me and imagine sending a letter to me, but with your mind, I will sense you and will try to answer if I am able. She heard his voice again, but again his lips did not move. Just as she was about to try to communicate back to him in his absurd way, the door to the cell was thrust open and a light cast on to the two of them. The large man who had knocked her down at the edge of the forest loomed over them. He tore the Boy of the Forest away from her, and shacked his wrists behind his back. "No! Stop!" She yelled. Alaina, it is all right. She heard his calming voice in her head. I will be with you. She looked at him and finally sent him back her own message as he was yanked out the door. I trust you. And then the door slammed shut and she was left alone.

Blog Post #4: Same Four Words, Not So Short Story ;)

Continuation of Blog Post #3

"It is very important that you do not tell anyone!" said the boy. "Why of course! Where would be the fun in telling everyone?" She answered. They continued to talk through out the night. In the morning, when the house had woken up, Mother went to check on the envelope. When she saw that it was no longer there she started to yell. When she and Grandmother had come to see what all the racket was about, Mother had sunk to the floor in despair. "Oh no! She cried "Not again, it can't happen again!" While Grandmother helped Mother upstairs, She hurried to grab the envelope from her room. She stared at her name on the front"Alaina" It was the nicest handwriting she had ever seen. She quickly climbed up to where the envelope was supposed to reside and placed it there, now empty, and climbed back down just before Grandmother walked into the room. "Whats wrong with Mother?" She asked "You're Mother has just had a good scare that's all" Her Grandmother replied, while covertly trying to look at the envelope. When she had caught sight of it she visibly relaxed. "Let's go outside today. We may even catch sight of you're Father, he is supposed to be arriving home soon."

They spent all day outside. Alaina would try to slip into the forest to see if she could find The Boy of the Forest, but every time she would draw near to the edge Grandmother would snap at her "Child! We do not go into the forest" She would then draw back and wait until Grandmother's attention seemed to waver then she would try again, but she would always get caught.

Her Father did not come that day, or the next, or the next. Three whole months went by and he did not return. The whole time Alaina would comfort herself with her new friend, and the wonderful secret they shared. She would talk to him every night, by talking to the sand in her bedside desk. Tell him everything about her life, how her Father was so very late coming home, and how her Mother was growing sicker each day. She would ask him every night what she could do to help him, and every night his answer was the same, "Come and find me. As soon as you can I need you to come into the forest and find me." Of course he understood her predicament with her Father being so late and her Mother so sick and was content to wait and listen to her. But they both knew he could not wait forever.

The next year her Mother and her newborn child died in the winter, and Alaina had given up hope on her Father ever returning. She was completely alone except for Grandmother and The Boy of the Forest, but as she grew, she and Grandmother grew farther and farther apart, and she sunk deeper and deeper into despair. Her one glimmer of hope was her unseen friend in her bedside desk. Her Grandmother began to worry about her and would invite young men and women from town to visit. She was always polite but distant, and quiet, and the others seemed to sense her desire to be ignored and would only include her if her Grandmother was in the room. Alaina would endure these visits only with thoughts of The Boy of the Forest, and after would always lock herself in her room for hours to talk to him.

One day her Grandmother had had enough of all her moodiness and poppycock. "Alaina" she approached her "What in the world is the matter child? I am aware that you have lost both your parents, but that was years ago! You must move on with your life!"

" Grandmother I can't, I just can't" Alaina replied

"Nonsense! You were so full of life and excitement for living when you were young, and that can't all just be gone!" Her Grandmother was getting frustrated now "It's because you talk to your desk at night isn't it? Oh yes I know about that!" she said in response to Alaina's look of shock. "I figured since you were grieving you had made a friend for yourself, but it must stop! You're fifteen for Heaven's sake! Tonight is you're last night in you're room, we are moving tomorrow. I am sorry that I did not tell you earlier."

Alaina stood frozen with shock for a moment. Those words she had never expected to fall from her Grandmother's mouth. She couldn't leave! The Boy of the Forest needed her! And what of her farfetched hope of Father returning? Without a word she ran from the room and into her bedroom. "Oh! Oh, Boy of the Forest!" she said gasping on her tears

"What? What has happened Alaina?" came his voice from her desk.

"Grandmother is making me move! I will have to leave the forest! And what if Father were to return? I just can't do it, but there is no convincing her!"

After a while his voice came again from her desk. " Alright, I think I know what to do." he said "I have hated to ask you this since so much tragedy has befallen you, but I think it is what must be done to end both of our plights. You must come to me Alaina."

"C-Come to you?" she stuttered through tears

"Yes, pack everything you can and meet me at the forest's edge at midnight. It is time we finally see each other face to face don't you think? I am sure you are a beautiful as your voice is. Will you come?"

"Of course! Will I then know your name?" Alaina asked

"Yes, yes. You will then finally know my name." he said "I must go now. Be brave. I will see you at midnight."

I will finish it for real next time promise!! :D

Blog Post #3: Four Words, One Short Story

I am going to write a short story based on these four words: Burglar, forest, envelope, and desk. Here we go!

Her eyes searched the impenetrable black of night. He would come, she knew he would. He was the only thing that she could hope for now. She had lived on the edge of this forest for her whole life. Raised for fifteen years in the same house, at the edge of town, at the edge of the woods. She had never seen him, ever. but because of the incident (as her Grandmother called it, she refused to think of it as an "incident"), she would talk to him every night. He had become her closest friend, and, she hoped, maybe something more. She never knew why the things that happened to her did, only that people were getting scared, including herself.

The "incident" started when she was only 7 years old. She had been living with her Mother, Father, and Grandmother. Her Mother was heavy with child and could not do much, and her father was always away, so it was left to her and Grandmother. She enjoyed her time with Grandmother, they would make dolls and play with them, she would run around outside while Grandmother watched, and at night they would curl up together and Grandmother would tell her stories of faraway places and magical things. She loved Grandmother's stories most of all. She would lie in bed awake thinking of dragons, princes, magic curses and true love that could break all curses.

One day while she was running around out side, a letter came to their home. No one knew who it was from, but it had her name on it and nothing else. None of the servants had seen it before, and the post didn't come 'til tomorrow. Ah! Finally, it was her chance for mystery and adventure! but as young as she was she did not understand that the adults feared the envelope, for it would be the beginning of something they had hoped would never happen. The envelope and its unknown contents were taken away and she was not allowed to open it. Much later that night, she snuck down to where she knew they had hidden it. Once she had found it, she let the excitement control her imagination. It could be an invitation to a ball! Or a cry for help from a city under siege! Or a threat from a powerful magician! The possibilities were endless, and so she tore open the envelope and poured its contents into her hand. It was sand. Sand? Why in the would would someone send her sand? And what was she supposed to do with it? She put it in her desk drawer and went to bed thoroughly disappointed.

As she slept, she heard a voice in her dreams. The voice was one of a boy, a voice she had never heard before. "Hello?" said the voice "Hello? Are you there?" She sat up with a gasp. Was someone in her room? "Hi," she answered "who are you?" "Aha! Finally! I was beginning to think that you had thrown the sand away." said the voice. She now noticed that the voice was coming from her desk drawer where she had put the sand. "I am the boy of the forest" the voice said with bravado.

"Is that your name?" she asked

"Of course not!" he said "You asked who I was not my name silly!"

"Well then what is your name?" she asked him

" I can't tell you!" he said back

"Why not?"

"Because I am under a spell! I need your help! I am trapped in the forest, never to come out. I have been watching you and how you love adventure and I hoped that you would help me." He was pleading now. "Of course I'll help you!" she said brimming with excitement "Just tell me what I must do!"

Sorry this turned out longer than I thought. I'll finish it next week.

Blog Post #2: A Poison Tree

500 word post.

I read a poem today in theatre that caught my attention. It was called A Poison Tree by William Blake. This poem was about revenge, and the way he portrayed it really caught my attention. The poem went like this

I was angry with my friend

I told my wrath, my wrath did end

I was angry with my foe

I told it not, my wrath did grow

I water'd it in fears

Night and morning with my tears

and sunned it with smiles

and with soft deceitful wiles

And it grew both day and night

'Till it bore and apple bright

And my foe beheld it shine

And he knew that it was mine

And into my garden stole

When the night had veiled the pole

In the mourning, glad, I see

My foe outstretched beneath the tree

I was intrigued because of the first stanza. He said that he was mad at his friend and he told his friend what happened and it was all good. But when he didn't tell his foe that he was angry with him, I mean who wants to tell their foe that they made you mad? It just gives them the satisfaction. but by not telling him he let it fester and grow inside of him. I think that revenge can be very dangerous. It usually hurts you more than the person you're trying to get revenge against.

I have some of experience with revenge, living with 2 sisters and all. We insult, hurt and are all out monsters to each other all the time. When one sister does one thing to another she usually feels that it is her responsibility to get her back in the worst way possible. This is all fine when done in the light of laugher, but under the clouds of contention it can get very ugly, very fast. My sister has kicked a hole in my wall to get me back for something I can't even remember! Revenge can be dangerous, and it makes for a not happy house. And it doesn't cause problems just at my house, at school girls will go without talking to each other for weeks to get back at the other. I hate being trapped in the middle of these fights, especially when we could be having so much fun otherwise!

It surprised me though how William Blake did not seem at all concerned by his killing of his foe. I know that it is only metaphorically, but it seems that you should at least have a little remorse for what you have done. I don't know, it might just be me, but I know that I usually feel foolish after I lash out at someone. I usually don't realize how petty it was until it's too late. I guess that if the insult was steep enough that you could get revenge and have no remorse and feel accomplished. there are a lot of stories about getting revenge, but most of the time they realize that the problem is within themselves not the perpetrator.

Revenge is a tricky business that I try my hardest to stay out of. Don't get me wrong, I still want and have gotten plenty of it, but life seems to have less drama the less I let things bother me. If you don't let things bother you, you will be happier and you will make the people around you happier too. I'm kind of up on my soap box now, but I think we could solve a lot of problems by being more understanding of others mistakes and our mistakes. It's a hard thing to not try to get revenge but it will count for something in the long run.

Blog Post #1

Hello World!