Watching the rain

The rain trickled down like steady beats on a drum. Joe stared out through the window, sipping a cup of coffee. The coffee mug was old, blue and had the words “Bee Gr8 today” on it with a cartoon bee flying by. The tan walls of his apartment were mostly bare save a decorative wall tapestry that he bought from china town last time he was in the city.

            Joe grimaced as he struggled through with a headache, he hoped watching the rain would help him relax. Next to the window was Joe’s work desk, a simple wooden desk with a laptop, a mess of papers and several empty cans of soda and beer. Next to the laptop was a picture of Joe’s girlfriend, Mercy, she had raven black hair, and dark eyes. She was the light of his life but on that day, it was raining.

            Joe hadn’t heard from Mercy in weeks, the anxiety and stress of life was rolled all up into a bundle with the worry he had for Mercy and that bundle nestled itself in the base of his skull in the form of a headache. After all the phone calls were made, email checked and alcohol consumed, the only thing left to do was to watch the rain and hope for the best.

            There weren’t any books with instructions on how to deal with worry and potential loss, Joe never learned anything about his situation from school, his parents never told him how to behave in times of crisis and stress. Joe had to improvise and travel unprepared at the trouble ahead. Like a traveler with no shoes, Joe was exposed and unprepared for a loved one to go missing. The possible outcome and scenarios would play over and over in his head. What if she was dead, lost, kidnapped or what if she just left him for another man and moved to a different city without telling anyone?

            To hear her voice again would be a mercy, a reprieve from the psychological torture that Joe put himself through. Joe would jump when he heard his phone ring and at every noise that sounded like the doorbell. He would see Mercy’s face in the faces of strangers as he walked through town and every time he smelled her perfume he felt a sting in his heart.

            The rain slowed to a stop the sun wasn’t out but the rain had stopped. Joe set his coffee cup down and let out an exhausted sigh. The doorbell rang and Joe’s heart skipped a beat. He looked up to at the door and waited. He had been tricked by the sound of the doorbell before and didn’t want to get his hopes up. The doorbell rang again. Joe wasn’t expecting anyone and while he felt silly for holding out hope, he hoped the person at the door was Mercy returning to him.

            Joe walked quickly to the door, his heart racing. He was so excited to answer the door and see Mercy standing there waiting for him. Then he remembered all the times he answered the door and it wasn’t her and so he tried to temper his excitement.

            Joe gripped the doorknob and turned it. He opened the door. “Mercy!”

March to October

The room is cold with only a small wood furnace to warm the house. Snow drifts down from the sky and collects in white piles on the hard, frozen ground. I sit hunched in my chair, the aches of the day settle over my body and the worries of life settle in my mind. To me, the cold of winter is not enjoyable, yet I love and cherish the chill of Fall and early Spring. Winter is cold air and people huddled around fire, Fall is warm houses and a refreshing breeze.

I stare outside at a tree, bare and snow spattered. The sun shines down on the snow, but the frozen water refuses to melt. The persistence of Winter is equal to an old man refusing to get out of your chair. Old man winter has settled into your seat and no matter how many times you prod him, he wont budge. I do not make a habit of prodding old men in chairs, but if there was only one chair in the world and an old sleeping man was in it, I might prod him.

As I let my eyes stare unfocused at the scenery outside, the world through my window flickered. It was the quickest kind of flicker that I would have missed if I had blinked. Then the world in front of my eyes flickered again, but this time the alternate image stayed. The space outside my window was no longer winter but late Autumn.

The sky was a dusky orange as if time was stuck in permanent twilight, the trees stayed bare but the bark of the tree was darker and the bare branches curved down like grasping hands with long slender fingers. I felt excitement and confusion, I couldn’t tell if my vision or my brain malfunctioned or if the world really had changed from Winter to an eerie version of an October landscape.

I leapt from my seat and ran down the wooden stairs. I threw open my door and stood to behold the world in full October glory. This wasn’t the Autumn landscape printed on travel magazines that some writers write about ad nauseam, this was October and the spooky thrill of Halloween.

I began to walk around the backyard, the stubborn snow was removed, old man winter evicted from his chair and the chill of fall replaced the bitter cold of winter. A local stray cat strutted through my yard as if it were the dominant species. It was a dirty orange tabby with a smug expression, short legs and a small chubby frame. This small potato walked with the confidence of a lion. I called the beast, it looked at me and opened its mouth but instead of a meow, it let out an echoing wolf howl. The cat looked very pleased with itself and then walked away.

I smiled at the strange creature, my expression was that of amusement and bewilderment. I gazed at the land before me and spotted the largest full moon I had ever seen. It was bright and seemed to glow. The yellowed white color of the moon added to the warm colors of the dark orange sky.

I walked out to the road and saw the small houses of my neighbors all brightly lit and decorated for the Fall festivals. The people inside were acting normally and if they saw me might think I was the one who was strange. At this moment I realized I was barefoot and still wearing my indoor clothes. I was so used to the winter cold that being outside on a fall day without a coat didn’t bother me and my excitement kept me from going back inside for shoes.

I walked down the street toward the center of town and as I walked I marveled at the fall decorations, the Jack-o-lanterns and the candles put in almost every windows. The I gazed up at the moon again and for a minute it had a face. The moon had a large grinning mouth with rows of teeth, wide eyes and no nose. I was so startled that I gasped and in response to my gasp the moon winked. A moment later the face vanished and I continued walking, my mind trying to work out how to deal with what I just saw.

Once I arrived at the center of town I spotted a black cat, who wore a witches hat  and stood on two legs, conversing with a skeleton, who didn’t wear clothes but had an elegant mustache. I decided not to interrupt the conversation, as it seemed important from the tone and the way the skeleton kept repeating “No! It’s real! Ok!”.

I was enjoying the sights and sounds of this alternate reality so much that I didn’t much care if I ever returned to my wintery, snow blasted reality. I didn’t know how to return even if I wanted to.

The fun ended when two men wearing black robes approached me. “how did you get here? You don’t belong here” The man on the right said. “He must have slipped in somehow” said the man on the left.

I explained what had happened and how I had no idea how I ended up in this world. If I was indeed in another world, I didn’t so much slip in as I fell in. I didn’t choose to come to this place even if I was enjoying. 

The two robed men thought on this and then moved towards me “We don’t know how to send you back, so we need to take you with us until we can figure something out” said the first man. As much as I would have liked to see a Halloween prison, I didn’t want to be trapped in one, so I turned around and took off running back to my house. The men in robes took off after me, their feet disappeared under their cloaks as they levitated off the ground and flew as they gave chase.

I couldn’t out run flying creatures and I didn’t want to be imprisoned for an indefinite amount of time. My mind raced as fast as my feet as both faculties tried to help me escape. Just as the men wear gaining on me, I heard a wolf howl. I turned to look as a road orange cat flew from the darkness and struck the first man. The potato cat struck the floating man with such force that he careened into the man next to him. The two men tumbled to the ground as they fought with a surprisingly fierce runt of a cat.

I eventually reached my home, I was tired, sweating, out of breath and had dirty aching feet. I ran up my stairs, went into my room and sat down. I looked out the window and saw only a Halloween landscape. I stared as hard as I could hoping for another flicker. The door downstairs began to thud and break as intruders came in after me. I stared at the window and continued hoping to return to my old reality. The intruders came up the stairs and barged into my bedroom. I kept staring at the October landscape, hoping, for the first time in my life, that it would turn into a winter landscape. I felt large arms grab me around my torso and pull me back. I struggled as I stared in desperation at the old window. I was slowly dragged from my bedroom and as I was pulled out I saw a flicker outside. I fought even harder to escape and get to my window.

I was hauled downstairs and outside, I was dragged across the yellowish dried grass of late Fall as my hopes of escape began to dwindle. Then in a flash I was outside in the snow.

I had returned to my own reality. The freezing cold was too much and I was under dressed. I stood up and ran back inside. There I saw a black cat and an orange runt of a cat sleeping peacefully on my bed. The orange cat didn’t howl and the black cat didn’t stand on two legs or wear a witch’s hat, but they did expect me to feed them.

I felt a sudden sting on my arm so I rolled up my sleeve and saw a Jack-o-lantern mark with a face and large grinning mouth like the moon had. The mark stung and looked like it had been burned into my skin.

I was safe and in my old reality and even though I wasn’t able to stay in the Halloween land as long as I would have liked, I did get a few souvenirs to remember my time there.

Drifting to spring

The rain pelts the ground around me as the memories flood back from an older age. Green grass and vibrant trees stretched out in all directions, the sky was light gray and rain poured from the heavens. The cold had been banished and the spring finally arrived. The sights and smells of spring triggered memories of ages passed, pictures, sights and smells from experiences rushed through my head like a flood.

I followed the valley of green to a great rushing river, which opened into a waterfall. Water cascaded down the rocks like laundry being pushed down a flight of stairs. People said water was graceful but sometime it looked like stampeding house cats trying to get out of their own way.

I felt invigorated by the clean, crisp air and the sound of rushing water. It was as if every Spring I had experienced was linked together through my memories. Like punching a hole through the corner of a thousand photographs and running a string through the hole. Each picture would be separated but strung together by such a small thread.

The weather had always been tied to my memories, the smell of damp earth and the feel of chilly air on my skin always brought me back to spring. The visual marvel of green trees and colorful flowers stand out in my mind like a picture held in time.

The rain beat down like a steady drum and I keep returning to that place, I return to the Spring. My eyes drift to the window in my bedroom to see snow and cold and my mind takes me to back to the Spring.

Nature's change

Summer in the hills, green grass flowing as far as the eye could see. Sunlight shimmered off the water of Star Pond. The pond was large, located on the top of the tallest hill in the area and at night you could see the reflection of stars in the water.

Small cottages dotted the landscape, warm and cozy at night, a roaring hearth located in each little home, and cool and breezy during the day. The hill land ended abruptly at a valley where the mounds of earth of every size suddenly dropped off and made way for flat emerald green land. The tall grass of the valley swayed in the wind like waves in the ocean.

The warm days of summer and swimming in lakes gave way to the Fall season. The Fall colored the grass and trees with warm yellow, orange and red. The tall grass dried and looked like a golden wheat field. The best food of the year was harvested, stored and feasted on.

The valley had more cottages and houses clustered together. The terrain was forgiving and ripe for farming. At the edge of the valley was a great and mighty forest. Few forests in the world could be described as ‘mighty’, but the Ancient Wildwood not only covered a large section of land but the deeper into the forest the stronger the trees grew. The tall old trees were as big around as a cottage and the bark was as strong as iron. The people of the Valley would harvest the trees on the edge of the forest but no one ever successfully chopped down a tree in depths of the Ancient Wildwood.

The tall and ancient trees still bowed to nature like all trees do and their leaves we awash with bright orange and red. The Wildwood was so vibrant in the fall it could be seen for miles and looked as if it had caught fire.

The leaves of Autumn fell as the days grew cold. Late Autumn rain, cloudy skies and the bare branches of ancient trees made an eerie yet beautiful sight. A man carrying a lantern walked through the deep Wildwood, his small light bounced with each step. Through the forest and onto the edge of the land was a steep cliff side. The sheer cliff would have been impassible if not for a small winding trail that lead from the forest down to the sand beach below.

The path was steep and one false step could lead to a deadly fall to the shore below. Down the path and onto the windy beach, the rain from the season mixed with the cold of the ocean. Waves crashed against the sand, rain fell from the sky and wind blew in from the furthest reaches of the world.

Autumn drifted away like a falling leaf and winter blew. The rain was replaced with snow and the cold air mixed with the warm exhaling breath. Visible steam like breath puffed from the traveler’s nose and mouth as he stepped aboard a large ship. The ship was leaving this land and off to explore the unknown.

The chill brought in from the ocean heightened the cold of winter. Back in the forest the animals hid inside the great trees for shelter. The Ancient Wildwood might have lost its leaves but it would not bend to even the coldest winds of winter. The Wildwood lasted hundreds of years and stood against hundreds of winters. The people of the land did not worship the Ancient Wildwood but they did treat it with respect and hoped to also be as sturdy and enduring as the forest itself.

The snow had settled in the valley, the wind from the ocean was broken by the cliffside and tall standing forest. Trails of smoke lifted up from a dozen chimneys, the smoke curled and twisted on the breeze as it floated away.

From the Valley to the Hills, the snow had settled everywhere. The hills were so covered in snow that it was hard to tell where the snow stopped and the rock began. Star Pond had frozen over, the ice shimmered like glass and the pond took on an even more mystical aura as if it were a giant mirror hidden away in the hills.

Night in the hills was clear and every star was visible. The cold of winter sent chilling wind blowing over the glassy Star Pond. The people in the Valley often told stories of highest hill and Star Pond. They worried that on winter nights, when the air was cold and the sky appeared larger than normal, it would be possible to fall up into the blackness of space.

Just as night faded to day so did winter melt away. Spring crept in, slow and with caution. The snow turned to puddles, the Pond turned from icy glass back to water and the earth turned damp and muddy. The gray skies, rainy weather and muddy ground was far from the bright bloom of spring that most wished for but the damp weather meant water for plants and the plants did grow and eventually they bloomed. The bright blooming flowers and trees sprung up across the Hills and Valley. The Ancient Wildwood turned emerald green and the ocean by the shore calmed to a more reasonable pace.

            The people of the Hills and Valley were happy, they began their planting of crops, the children played in the muddy valley and swam in the cold water of Star Pond. The land and people grew another year older and observed another year of natures changing beauty.

Spring returned

            The winter dragged on, the clean white snow and the joys of Christmas were long since gone. It had been the kind of winter that cuts through to your bones and freezes your soul. It was the type of winter that made you feel cold and achy even when you were inside your home. The skies were gray and the snow was frozen into dirty piles on the side of the road.

            Slowly the air warmed up, and though I knew it was a natural cycle, I didn’t believe it. I did not trust the warmth for I had been cold for too long. I did not want to be excited for a type of weather that would just let me down in the end. It started with a rain, I love the rain, but this rain was a liar and I did not enjoy it. The rain turned to sleet as I knew it would. But slowly the air grew warmer and warmer still. My neighbors where excited as they put away their winter clothes but I stayed vigilant. I wore my jacket on days that were too warm because I knew there were going to be nights that could chill to the bone.

            I continued to put on my coat every morning while others went to buy their shorts. They embraced the season and trusted the happiness, but I had been too cold for too long and the thought of warmth seemed foolish and greedy. I am happy to say I was proven wrong. The sun shined bright and the warm air came. Warm days in the backyard and cool evenings on the porch. These were the days I dreamed of. The days that I kept telling myself would arrive but denied them when they finally did.

            I have begun to slowly embrace the spring and the happiness it brings. The days were warm and the sun shined bright. I breathed in deeply as my soul embraced the warmth. The next day it rained. This time I knew it would be the cool and relaxing rain of spring, though I could not prove it would suddenly become sleet, I let myself relax and I enjoyed it.

            When the cold lasts too long and the warmth is so far gone, have hope and faith that spring will return.

Joseph Stephens and the Crushing army

            A cloaked figure stood at the edge of a cliff that overlooked a valley. The Valley was covered in soldiers all marching under a red banner with a the gruesome image of a hammer crushing a skull. The cloaked figure smiled from under his crimson red cloak, he stuck out his hand and flames shot out through the air. The Army halted and began to cheer for their leader. The army was made up of human soldiers, orcs, golems, wizards, wolf riding goblins and some of the finest bowmen in the land. Such a mixed bag of creatures and professionals all marched under the same banner of their all-powerful master, The Archemage Williams. The Arch mage pulled out an enchanted relic, a powerful war hammer from an age gone by. “With this we will make the lands of old bow to us! We will conquer the world and reign over it for thousands of years!” Shouted the Archemage as a burst of flames shot up from the ground. the Army cheered loudly, sound of their cheering was a mighty roar that echoed through the land.

           

            In a quiet town on a quiet street a man named Joseph Stephens was cleaning up his house for springtime. His adventures were that off the tame variety, talking with the physical embodiment of Fall, winter, Spring and summer, having a bizarre thanksgiving with his friend and talking to fish who were bad luck. He never dreamed of looming armies and war torn lands. Joseph saw his friend Jaye Williams asleep on the couch and struck Jaye sharply with the end of his broom. “Wake up! You are supposed to be helping” Joseph said with an annoyed tone. “All will fall to my crushing might and vast armies” Jaye said half asleep. Joseph jabbed Jaye with the broom handle again, Jaye woke up fully with a start and tried to blast Joseph with a fireball. “Oh, right” Jaye said looking down at his hands. It was all a dream, No vast armies, no Archmage Williams and no crushing lands of old. “Archemage Williams shouldn’t have to put up with this” Jaye muttered. “What?” Joseph said only half listening. “Do we have any more cookies?” Jaye asked, completely forgetting his dream. “Only those chess cookies that I like” Joseph replied.

            So the Archemage Jaye Williams went into the kitchen and ate a chess cookie, though they weren’t his favorite. The land would be at peace for another day.

Winter Fatigue

Frost melted from the windows of the old house, a man peeked out at the outside world, weary from snow and skeptical of the warm weather. He had been trapped in his small house for months from all of the snow. There was still snow on the ground, but there were also hints of green grass poking through. It was faded green but any color other than white and gray was a wondrous sight.  Birds sang out a happy tune on a near by branch and the man was encouraged further. He opened the door and felt the sun shine on his skin, it was warm and inviting, the smell of melting snow and rain filled his nostrils. He smiled for the first time in months. He was so excited that he ran outside only half dressed.

            Spring had sprung and the man began to dance and run around his yard. The mud and the chilly rain did not bother him, even a cool spring day felt like summer compared to the harsh winters he had experienced. Winter was over and now it was time to celebrate. The man decided to run inside, get dressed and then travel out into the world, somewhere further than the front of his house.

           

            He ran toward his house and right before he reached his door the wind blew hard and pulled it shut. He door slammed right on his face. The wind blew hard again and shook snow off of the tree branches. Slushy, freezing snow plopped down on the old mans head. This soured his mood but he thought “At least winter is behind us”

            That night the whole area had six feet of snow.

Joseph Stephens and Springs farewell

            Joseph Stephens sneezed hard for the seven hundred and fiftieth time that day. Springtail the spring rabbit hopped up to Joseph’s front door and pattered his tiny paws on the door in attempt to knock. Joseph opened his door to go outside and noticed the small timid rabbit had been pawing at his door. “Oh Springtail, I’m sorry I didn’t hear you knock. Were you waiting long?” Asked Joseph as he crouched down to talk with the small bunny. “N-no, not long, maybe an hour at most. It’s fine though. I should have been louder. I just don’t really like loud noises” Said Springtail in a bashful voice. Just as Springtail finished speaking Joseph let out a loud sneeze combined with a cough. Springtail jumped in the air and then ran into Joseph’s house. “I’m sorry!” Joseph called after Springtail. Joseph went inside to find the bunny hiding under Joseph’s couch.

            “Its ok, I just have allergies” Joseph said. “oh…ok. I am sorry I didn’t know. I made all these flowers without even thinking about people with allergies. I j-just wanted people to be happy” Said the rabbit. “No, its fine” Joseph said as he tried to hold back another sneeze.

            A loud laughing interrupted Joseph and Springtail’s conversation. “Bohohohoh” Cackled the voice. Joseph looked outside and saw a large laughing balloon slowly descending. After a few moments of staring Joseph realized it was not a balloon but the daughter of the sun, July. July was a large twenty foot tall woman who could fly and brought summer wherever she went. “Happy summertime everyone!” She called out across the town. A heat wave instantly blew past Joseph’s house. As July floated by she saw storm clouds rolling in. “Shoo! Shoo! No more spring rain. It is summer fun time!” She said as she waved her arm through the air. The rain clouds dissipated and the sun shone brighter than ever. “Bahohoho” She bellowed as she slowly landed on the soft green grass that Springtail has grown.

            “Oh No! Its her!” Springtail said as loud as he could, which was still very quiet. Joseph turned “Ok, you should probably get out of here” Joseph told Springtail. “You are right Mr.Stephens. I should. I will tell the others and we will have to leave this land for now” Replied Springtail. “Others?” Asked Joseph. “oh yes, there are hundreds of Spring rabbits around. I couldn’t do all of the work myself. I am just a small rabbit. I will tell my sisters April and Bloom, my brothers Clover, Oak, Peanut and Jeff. Then they will tell other rabbits they know and by the end of the week we will be gone until next year” Explained Springtail.

            Joseph knew every season had a spirit who brought the season with them but he didn’t realize Spring came in on the backs of hundreds of tiny bunnies. This fact made him smile.  Joseph’s smile quickly faded as he realized Springtail had run off and July was now banging on his door. He already missed the quiet patter of Springtail’s fluffy paws. “Joseph dear! I am back! We can start the celebration honoring my return” July shouted into his house. Joseph answered the door. “Hello July” Joseph said trying to hide a sneer. Heat blew into Joseph’s house and wilted his houseplants.

            “Joseph you rascal I have been gone for a whole year and all you have to say to me is ‘hello’?” Asked July. “Yes” Joseph said then slammed the door in July’s face.

            Summer was here and spring was gone. Happy people flocked to the beaches and parks. They played in the sun. Kids rejoiced as they went on summer break and adults made plans for their vacations. Everyone saw Summer differently. The thing about the seasons is, they look different to different people. Joseph could recount the tales of his time with each season when they visited his house but someone else who experienced the same seasons might have a totally different kind of story to tell about them. Joseph didn’t know what July looked like to other people, he just knew that to him, summer was loud, obnoxious, chased away adorable rabbit friends and stayed around way too long.

            The heat of summer started to set in and while some might be soaking in the rays, Joseph was indoors reading and listening to the hum of his air conditioner.

Joseph Stephens and Winter's fury

            Joseph Stephens sat in his house shivering. It seemed like an eternity since his good friend Pumpkin Patches left and winter came along.

Old man winter was an unpredictable fellow, coming on strong and inviting himself in and lazily lingering into months that didn’t even belong to him. He was a jolly fellow in the holiday season but by January he was more like the drunk uncle that wont leave your house after a Christmas party. Joseph Stephens knew all too well, both the drunk uncle AND the persistence of Old man winter. “Isn’t it time for spring? It is march after all” Joseph said as he shivered. Winter was asleep in the rocking chair using his blue robe and slippers. His long white hair ran down to the floor and tangled into the rocker as it went back and forth. “Oh yes, I should be going. Just another five minutes” Said Old Winter.

            Outside of Joseph’s house was a timid little bunny. “E-excuse me. I think Easter is approaching and I-it should be nice and green for the spring.” Said the little furry brown bunny. Spring tail the rabbit was basically a talking rabbit that made flowers grow, but every time he tried to revive the flowers Old Man Winter’s cold air breath would make the flowers retreat back into the ground. As winter slept cold air would escape from his mouth as he exhaled. Spring would never arrive if the silly old king of winter stayed.

            “Ok, Winter wake up!” Joseph said jostling the old King of the snow and ice. “Who DARES?!” Shouted Old man winter. He stood up quickly and cold air blew in every direction. Cold air followed Old man Winter, when he slept it was chilly, when he was awake it snowed, when he was angry it made blizzards. Snow began falling inside and outside of Joseph’s already drafty home. “I will go where I please and when I please!” Said Winter as his voice became that of the howling wind. His appearance changed from that of a sleepy old man to an enraged Wizard who had power of the elements. Springtail the Bunny retreated into a hole under Joseph’s house. If Spring wasn’t going to stand up to winter, Joseph would have to. “That’s ENOUGH!” Joseph said and he pushed Winter with all of his might. Old man winter stumbled backward and hit his back against the wall. This jolt brought him back to his senses. “Oh…I am sorry Joey. I didn’t mean to lose my temper again. It is good of you to let me stay at your house. I-I should leave” Winter said sounding ashamed and a little dazed. “tell Spring I said goodbye and I’m sorry” Winter added as he collected his things and put on his fuzzy blue winter hat. A knitted hat that said “Winter #1” on it.

            “I will, goodbye and sorry for shoving you” Joseph said, though he wasn’t really sorry. It was just better to stay on friendly terms with the seasons because they come back every year.

            A rush of wind blew through the house and then went out the window, taking Old Man Winter and all of the snow with it. “You can come out now” Joseph said. Spring Bunny poked his head out cautiously. “R-really? Thank you Mr.Stephens” Said Springtail. “Don’t mention it. go do your thing and spread the Spring season. And maybe try to be a little braver around Winter” Joseph replied. Springtail nodded and smiled. Then hopped off. Green grass and flowers sprung up behind the magical little rabbit, then a warm breeze blew through the town. The smell of freshly grown flowers and rain floated through the air. Joseph smiled, took off his sweater and went inside. It was finally spring, he would enjoy the pleasant rain, the cool breeze and the sunshine while he waited for his chance to see Pumpkin Patch again in the Fall.

Fall Pysche

The winter has affected my psyche. I sit in my chair with my back to the window, I know its cold and snowing outside but I refuse to acknowledge it. Like a severed head on your floor, you don’t want to look at it, but you know its there. No matter how much you lie to yourself you will still have a severed head on your floor.

            While many hope for the warm days of spring, I wish for the cool rainy days of spring. The cool crisp air that makes me feel alive. There are two seasons with such weather, early spring and the middle of autumn. Even though autumn is my favorite season I try not to think about it during the winter. In the months of January and February, Autumn is more finished than it is arriving. To think of autumn now would be wishing for a huge chunk of my life to be whisked away, simply to enjoy the shortest season of the year and then be forced to endure winter all over again.

            I know not to wish my life away, but occasionally I will hear a song or smell a fragrance that reminds me of autumn. Something deep in my subconscious will light up and I will be stunned by my memories of the season. I have heard that people always remember the best parts of their past and some things should be left in the past. Nothing can live up to your expectation of that one moment you had all those years ago. I would say this is true, I will keep my memories as they are, just memories. The Fall season is the exception. Every year it is just as wonderful as I remembered it. The feel of the air, the sights, the smells, it all takes me back to a simple time and life seems joyous. Never in my life would I even think to use a word such as joyous, except in the Fall.

             Autumn is almost magical, the trees seem to explode with color. Bright vibrant colors of red, orange and yellow. Autumn is like a bright burning flame or fireworks in the sky, quick, beautiful and memorable. The season that takes the lush green of the world and explodes with colors most places on earth don’t get to ever see. Then just like that, it is over. The cool crisp air is gone and replaced by a bitter wind. The world seems much darker and you just want the light back.

            So for the sake of my short human existence I force myself to see the light in each season. Spring is a solid companion, it never disappoints. It is friendly and inviting, and is a nice change of scenery after a long winter. Spring might give way to summer too easily, but spring is still a friend of mine. Summer and Winter are more like unwanted house guests, Strong and fat, they throw their weight around, bullying the transitional seasons. Despite their arrogance, I try to enjoy their company too.

            Here I sit, writing my stories and dreaming of autumn. I listen to music that reminds of the fall and try to ignore the bloody head of February weather.

Maybe if I try really hard I can convince myself it is a more pleasant season………………………..

Happy Halloween everyone!

Rain Eternal

The pouring rain, I can hear it. I stare off at a freshly plowed road, snow continues to fall in defiance of the humans who attempt to remove the frozen nuisance from their path. Dirty snow sits in clumps and mounds at the edge of every road and walkway. Winter has dragged on long enough, like a pest that refuses to leave the house or an ex who refuses to stop calling your phone, the winter wears out its welcome.

            The gentle fall of snow is deceptive, it looks like something delicate and pure. The sight of it should calm any who look upon it, but the snow slows travel and accumulates in such mass that its removal causes more hardship on the lives that are already dealing with such of pain. Delicate but consuming, it comes around every year and stays till there is nothing left of you. The cold is bitter, it pains my bones and tenses my muscles. The gray sky depresses and the winter drags on.

            I can hear the rain, I hear it approaching. I close my eyes and I can almost hear the sound of raindrops on my roof. I can still remember the fresh smell of the air after the rain and the cool refreshing breeze of spring. My spirit is tired and worn from years of cold air touching my skin. Some may say the rain is depressing, but I say it is not. Rain is life. It is Water from the heavens pouring down on the people, nourishing the land and warming out spirits.

            The rain will come, when I do not know. But when it does I will leave this land of strife. I will walk outside, into the rain and disappear. To be transported to a place of warm air and rain eternal. This is my dream.

Jack and the Darkclaw

Bar stools smashed against the wall, bottles shattered and people were being thrown through the air. Jack ducked just in time to avoid a punch, then countered with an uppercut, shattering the man’s jaw. The drunken brawler went down and didn’t get back up. Jack used this opportunity to sneak out of the bar. He wrapped his forest green cloak around his body and quietly walked toward the door as chaos raged on around him.

            Jack left the whole messy business behind him as he left the building and quickly began to walk away. “Well crisis averted!” Jack smiled. “a crisis that YOU started!” Ack spoke up. Jack was a thief on the run from a corrupt kingdom trying to throw him in jail, he wore a gray loosely fit shirt, black pants, brown leather boots, leather fingerless gloves and a hooded green cloak. He carried a sword at his side and a knife in his boot. Ack, who Jack named, was a voice in Jack’s head. At first Jack just thought he was crazy, but more time he spent having Ack in his head the more he wondered if Ack was more of a spirit that shared Jack’s body. Only Jack could hear Ack’s words, but anytime Jack’s life was in danger he would gain supernatural powers on loan from Ack. Regardless of if Ack were real or not, he was someone to talk when traveling alone.

            “I didn’t start the fight, the guy was clearly drunk and the situation got out of hand” Jack protested. “Well your lucky you weren’t drunk as well, then we wouldn’t be able to communicate and you wouldn’t hear my warning when that guy tried to smash a chair over your head” Ack replied. “I was just trying to relax after days of being lost in Noril kingdom” Jack argued back. Originally from Koreth, Jack got lost on his journey through the vast grassland of Noril. During his travels to avoid capture from the Doomars, he got slightly turned around and ended up in a tavern in a small town, removed from any major city or landmark.

            Jack argued with his companion in his head as he walked. So caught up in the conversation he didn’t realize he had walked out of the town. Once outside the town border he was immediately confronted with a group of heavily armed men. “Halt traveler, are you Jack the bandit?” asked a man wearing leather armor and a spiked helmet, carrying a large axe. “No, sorry. I think I saw him back in that tavern over there” Jack replied pointing back into town. The man laughed, “We are the Darkclaw Mercenaries. I am the leader, Agox. These are my men, Sorm, Sepper and Harr. We are here bring you to the Doomars king, dead or alive. We were just trying to give you a chance to surrender. I know its you, I got your picture here” he said, holding up a sketch of Jack, green cloak, long brown hair, it was definitely him. “Wow, that’s really good. Who drew that?” Jack joked. The leader of the group replied by swinging his axe at Jack.

            Having quick reflexes and the agility of a monkey, Jack’s whole body swayed sideways, dodging the axe chop. There were four mercenaries in this group. The leader, Agox with a spiked helmet and axe, Sorm used a two handed sword, Sepper had a spear and Harr used duel hammer.

            Jack drew his sword and slashed at the axe man, slicing the Agox’s arm. The leader growled in pain. It would be a little tougher swinging his large axe now. In reaction to the exchange of strikes, the other four members ran at Jack.

Sepper thrust his spear at Jack, grazing his arm as he barely dodged the strike in time. Immediately following Sorm and Harr brought their weapons down at Jack from both sides. Jack blocked the large sword slice with his own sword, but was struck in the back by Harr’s hammers and dropped to his knees from the impact. “This isn’t good…” Jack muttered. “oh come on Jack, you’re a big boy, take care of these fools and lets get some lunch” Ack said carefree. “sure, I’ll get right on that” Jack grunted in reply. Sepper stabbed down at Jack’s exposed back. Reacting quickly, he rolled out of the way, across the ground and kicked up dust. Jack jumped to his feet, then whirled his sword sideways at Harr while he was distracted by the dust in his eyes. Jack’s sword sliced into Harr’s shoulder making him drop one of his hammers, Harr tried to swing his second hammer to counter, but Jack kicked him in the chest, sending him to the ground.

            Sorm swung his sword again, Jack ducked, reached into his boot to grab his knife then threw it at Sepper, stabbing the spear man right in the chest. Sepper gurgled blood as the blade pierced his leather armor and his lungs. Sepper fell to the ground dead. Enraged Agox swung his axe with massive force, Jack sidestepped the attack, moved in forward and struck Agox in the face with the hilt of his sword. The leader stumbled clutching his face. “Lets end this Jack, im bored” Ack sighed. Jack grumbled, but before he could reply dark energy surged through his body. Jack’s movements became a blur and a dark aura surrounded him. His eyes glowed red and his voice echoed as if two people spoke at once. “Darkclaw mercenaries, I suggest you run” Jack said, showing a wicked smile.

            Blinded by pride and rage from being injured by a thief, Agox charged again. Jack dropped his sword to the ground and waited with arms out. The second before Agox struck Jack with his axe, Jack moved with a flash of speed. Harr and Sorm who were too scared to fight anymore watched, one second their leader ran at the thief, the next Jack had Agox lifted into the air by his throat. “Tell others of this, tell them only death awaits” Jack said. When he spoke he looked at Harr and Sorm, no longer paying attention to the large man suspended by his throat. Then within a blink Agox let out a scream and was torn in half. Jack threw each half of Agox at the remaining mercenaries and walked off. Harr and Sorm were too scared to move as they looked at their leaders remains on the ground at their feet.

            “Should have killed them all” Ack said. Jack had his head lowered “I didn’t even want to kill Sepper or Agox. I would rather they be afraid then keep hounding me” Jack replied. His dark power fading and eyes returning to normal. “That dark power helps me survive, but I don’t like how blood thirsty I get” Jack said sadly. “But it’s a rush, isn’t it?” Ack laughed. Jack said silent and continued on his journey. The hunting wouldn’t stop and neither would the fighting, but still Jack is on the move, hoping to avoid capture and maybe one day will find a peaceful life.

Fallen Star

Wind whipped through the night sky, the sound of the ocean could be heard from across the town. William looked out his window and sighed, there would be a storm again. His father promised they would go fishing tomorrow, but if the weather didn’t get any better they would have to cancel their plans. As he looked out the window he saw a sparkling light shine through the clouds and fall into the water. It was the most brilliant light he had ever seen, even at a distance. Something urged him to go out and investigate. The storm was approaching and the waters would turn treacherous. If he wanted to find the source of the light, he would need to hurry.

William put on his boots and hurried out of his house to the docks, which were close. William was 17 and lived with his father, he had no siblings and his mother died from disease. He had gone fishing many times with his father, so he knew how to sail a boat and navigate on the ocean. Once at the docks he untied a little boat and paddled his way out into the open water. He was in a landing boat or a lifeboat, so he was careful not to go too far out. He decided to be careful, but if he was truly cautious he wouldn’t even be out in the water, at night, with a storm approaching in the first place.

He paddled out to where he saw the light drop and hoped it didn’t sink to the bottom of the ocean. With luck, he saw a faint glow and brought his boat closer to it. Whatever made the light was close to the surface of the water. William reached his hand into the water and tried to scoop up the object. He felt something and pulled it out of the water. It was a ball of light. Warm in his hand, solid enough to hold onto, yet at times it felt as if he wasn’t holding anything at all. As if it were light in solid form, but it couldn’t decide if it wanted to stay solid. Once out of the water, the ball of light started growing brighter.

Holding onto the ball of light the best he could, he made his way to shore. The whole time wondering what he had found and what he should do with it. Once on the beach he held the light up to get a better look at it, grasping it with his thumb and first finger, it was the size of a large coin and almost didn’t seem to weigh anything at all.

Suddenly images flashed into his mind, images of far off places and distant worlds. It was like his mind was taken over by a dream. He saw the night sky, but all around, surrounding giant floating structures. The word ‘space’ flashed into his mind. He was a simple son of a fisherman and the most advanced technology his town had access to was a fishing boat. Single shot guns were a new thing in this world, so William was having trouble grasping the concept of space, planets and spaceships. The metal structure was important for some reason, it had humans of all kinds living in it. As William stared at it through his vision, the space ship, or large structure exploded. He heard the cries of a hundreds of people all at once, then the next minute they were gone. This light flew from the blast and crashed to his world, into the water.

William snapped out of it and realized he saw all of this by looking into the light. The problem was he didn’t know what any of this meant, what the light was, or what he was supposed to do with it. Maybe nothing, maybe he wasn’t supposed to be meddling with things beyond his grasp. He wanted to keep it safe as it seemed important, but didn’t know how or even what he would keep it safe from. “what am I to do? I am only a fisherman!” William asked the ball of light, frustrated and emotional from seeing such grand sights and all the death from his vision. The light pulsed and the image of a tree appeared in his mind. “A tree?” he asked. Then thought instead of looking at the light as a star or something used as a light source, what if it was just a seed. He didn’t know what it would grow into, but he was determined to help.

William ran home and got a shovel. Then tried to think of a spot this little light seed wouldn’t be disturbed. He got an idea, then ran off into the fields. There was a grassy hill that overlooked the town, it was empty and people rarely went up there. It was perfect. He ran up the grassy hill, the night breeze blowing in his face, cooling the sweat on his forehead as he ran. He stopped to catch his breath, and then started digging. As he worked he heard the storm growing closer. Thunder cracked and lightly rippled through the clouds. He finally finished digging and planted the seed, then covered it with dirt. The rain started just as he was done. The rain came down hard and soaked the earth. William laughed with satisfaction at a job well done. Now the cold rain cooled him down from all the work he did for this little seed. He thought about how lucky it was that the light found him that it landed near someone that could help it. He wondered what would have happened if no one took it out of the water. Would it have washed up to shore or simply sank to the bottom of the ocean?

His mind ran wild with thoughts of what might happen next and could have happened if things had been different. The storm was getting worse though and William had to get home. He had a hard time sleeping that night and the next morning ran up the hill to check on the little seed. There was no change, so William went about his day. He had a hard time sleeping that night too and again checked on the seed the next morning. He knew seeds didn’t sprout up overnight, but this wasn’t a normal seed and his excitement kept getting the better of him. For a week he had a hard time sleeping as he was so excited and every morning he would check on the seed. This became part of his morning routine everyday. Though he luckily was able to sleep fine after a week or so.

Williams life went on, the average simple life of a fisherman’s son became the average life of a fisherman. He grew older, got married and had kids and every morning went up to the top of the hill to check on the seed. But the seed never sprouted and no one ever knew why William went to the hill each morning. As William got older, he told his children the story of the glowing seed from the sky, and told them that when they grew up to keep an eye on the hill if they ever got the chance. Time passed still and he told his grandkids the same story. The town grew and the story slowly spread. The story became a local legend and had some that believed the story and others that just thought it was a silly story told to children. Soon other parents told their children this story, but just told as a fairy tale, not told the way William told it, which was more like a set of instructions.

One day, William slowly made his way up the hill. He had gotten old and tired and didn’t know how many more times he would be able to visit his magical seed. He laid out on the grass and looked at the spot where he planted the seed all those years ago. He sometimes wondered if it was all a dream, but hoped more than anything that it wasn’t. He felt so tired, so tired from life and so tired from walking up that hill and began to close his eyes. Before he did, he saw a little sparkle in the grass. A glowing sprout sprang from the earth and shined as bright as a star. William at the age of eighty-five closed his eyes and smiled. The seed was growing and the town legend would live. To see the seed sprout was the only thing left he wanted to do before he died and now he could finally sleep at last. William closed his eyes and dreamed.

The sprout stayed a sprout for years more, but even such a little plant created great excitement in the town. It glowed night and day and the villagers finally had proof that Williams story was real. The town protected the little plant and put up a memorial for William on the same hill. It became William’s hill, home of the starlight plant. Which soon became the Starlight tree…but that’s another story altogether.

Birds

Recently, while driving I saw seagulls and crows in a parking lot. Both are scavengers and seem to hang out in parking lots or just anywhere they can find food. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen them together though. Most people might just say “oh” and continue on their way. Its nothing special I suppose, but here is what I saw, this is where my mind took me.

It was a cloudy day, light rain, cold and sleepy. A single beam of sunlight broke through the clouds. The sky seem more dramatic, it was beautiful and peaceful. Circling the parking lot were birds, seagulls. They floated gracefully through the air and the sight of them brought my mind to images of the ocean and the peaceful sound of the waves. The seagull landed and quickly found a piece of food, it attempted to retrieve the food but was stopped by a crow. The intimidating black bird was a contrast to the peaceful day. The sight of the crow brought my mind to images of death and graveyards. Crows seem so ominous and sometimes threatening. The two birds fought and so began a war in my mind. Light and darkness, the peaceful ocean breeze vs. the sadness of death. The weather was warm, yet the wind was cold and it had been raining. The sky was cloudy, yet sunlight shone through brightly. Opposing forces clashed trying to take back the day, one fought for the peacefulness of a spring day, the other trying to bring a storm of thunder and lighting. The birds fought as if fighting over the end of the world. More crows and seagulls circled overhead, crying out and cheering on their comrade.

The drama of the scene ended abruptly as a car drove by scaring away all the birds. My mind was forced back into reality. The weather was a little strange, but it was just the change from winter to spring. The sunlight breaking through the clouds was just from the clouds shifting and letting sunlight through and the battle of light versus darkness was nothing more than two scavenger birds fighting over bread crumbs. All of this played out in my head in seconds, I reached my turn, took a right and as I drove away the parking lot and the imaginary battle disappeared from sight. It was another normal cloudy day, but for a second the world seemed a whole lot more exciting.