The Crimson Hand on Halloween part 2

            Rumford and Samantha Gould had reached the hidden crypt of Joroth the Undying. The man who had died so many times that the only thing keeping him together is a powerful artifact. Rumford is kept bound to his skeleton through Samantha’s magic and Samantha is a mortal who can die but also doesn’t seem to age.

Three false immortals facing off in a crypt on Halloween night.

            Joroth wasted no time in charging forward, holding his jagged axe in his hands as he did. The bandit lord was decorated in his armor, his purple bandana was tied around his chest piece, his leather pants had mostly rotted away along with any muscle or skin. The bandit slashed his axe downward. Samantha and Rumford quickly dodged as the axe buried itself into the stone flooring. Rumford changed into his specter form, taking on the appearance of a shadow as he floated through the air. He lunged at Joroth, skeleton arms emerging from Rumford’s shadow cloak. The skeleton arms grabbed a hold of the axe and tried to wrestle it free from Joroth’s grasp.

            Samantha moved in while Joroth was distracted and punched with her crimson hand, the glowing crimson glyphs on her hand pulsed with energy, delivering searing pain with each punch. Joroth could still feel pain and shouted and recoiled from the supernatural burns. Rumford grabbed the axe out of the bandit’s hand and floated above him with it. Rumford swung the giant axe, slashing Joroth across the back. Samantha attempted to rip Joroth’s soul from his body, hoping to bypass the undying magic of the relic. Samantha reached into the bandit leader’s body and grabbed a hold of his spirit but when she pulled back his spirit wouldn’t budge. The bandit screamed in pain but was able to muster enough strength to grab Samantha’s arm. The glyphs on her arm burned Joroth as he touched them but he did not relent. Joroth squeezed Samantha’s arm with all of his might. Samantha felt the bones in her arm break. She screamed and jumped backward.

            Joroth stood up and charged at Samantha while she was cradling her broken arm. He slammed his weight into her, sending her flying into the wall of the cave. Rumford flew forward and slashed with Joroth’s axe. the axe spun in circles slashing multiple times as it went. Joroth was covered in broken pieces of armor, necklaces and trinkets, so Rumford didn’t know which small, mundane looking object was the source of his power so he continued to slash wildly.

            Samantha pulled a sword from her belt. It was her sword that Joroth used to kill Rumford. Not only was it her sword that was used but if Samantha didn’t try to be heroic and save the town, Rumford wouldn’t have been killed. Samantha run at Joroth, rage building in her eyes and pain searing from her broken arm. Rumford moved like a shadow, slashing Joroth at any opportunity he could. Joroth was distracted for the moment and didn’t see Samantha’s approach.

            Samantha ran past Joroth and stabbed her sword at Rumford. The specter was immortal but reflexes kicked in and he blocked with Joroth’s axe. Samantha’s sword pierced the head of Joroth’s axe. the jagged weapon cracked, Joroth looked in disbelief. The weapon then broke, releasing stored magic into the air. The mighty bandit lord scrambled to pick up the axe fragments but it was too late. Joroth’s hands began to crumble, then his body and his head. The undying axe was destroyed and its wielder went with it. Samantha realized that the axe was his most prized possession and a simple minded creature like Joroth would proudly display his power instead of hiding its source.

            The enemy had been defeated, Samantha and Rumford had their revenge and now stood with smiles as their long quest finally came to an end. “I think I know the answer, but what do we do next?” Rumford asked. “We find a way to restore you, or a way for us both to pass on to the next life peacefully and together” Samantha replied, the determination still bright in her eyes. Rumford let out an echoed laugh. “I like that plan, but I meant how do we get out of here”

            There was a door to the crypt but it was sealed and meant to keep Joroth locked in. After several hours of attacks from Rumford’s super natural powers and Samantha’s searing Crimson Hand, the door finally gave way. The two broke through a small piece of door and ventured above ground. The night air kissed their skin as the bright full moon illuminated the land. Clouds drifted over head and fog lingered along the ground. They stood in a graveyard, which was strangely beautiful that night. Once Joroth was finally dead, Samantha felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders and she began to see beauty in the world.

            A half a land away, Hallows end celebrated Halloween long into the night. Drinks filled mugs, fireworks filled the sky and Jack-O-lanterns laughed into the night. Samantha and Rumford rested among the tombstones. They cuddled and held each other as they did when Rumford was alive. “I’m sorry I was so distant for all these years” Samantha said. Rumford ran his skeletal hand across her face “I understand that looking at me reminds you of what you lost. I know I am technically trapped in my own body and bound to serve you through dark magic, but even if you freed me right now and set my soul free, I would still follow you like nothing changed. I want to haunt you forever” Rumford said, trying his best to be romantic but then realized that his words could be considered creepy. Samantha laughed “You always followed me around like a stray pup, I expect it will always be like that. If we are like this for another hundred years, I will feel blessed to have another hundred years with my adorable skeleton pup” Samantha said sweetly as she ran her delicate fingers along Rumford’s shoulder bone.

            The adventures of the crimson hand were not over but this chapter of revenge is finished. Happy Halloween.

The Crimson Hand on Halloween part 1 of 2

 

“Travels beware, if you visit Hallows End on Halloween, don’t journey any deeper into the Haunted forest. If you go any deeper into the forest you will find only Death” – Wisdom from the Autumn Forest residence.

            The clock struck midnight and Halloween had arrived. The entrance to the Haunted Forest would be revealed and any who dared travel the path would find Hallows End. Samantha and Rumford stood in front of the forest as flickers of light began to dance at the edge of the forest. Blue wisps danced and spun around the large, dead husks of trees. The air trembled, the moon shone down brighter and the trees began to move. The husks uprooted themselves and crawled backward with unnatural motion. A path was made, stretching on into the darkness. Samantha and Rumford had seen the Haunted woods path open many times.

            The moment stood in time, drawn and framed like an art show of memories. The hundredth time that Samantha and Rumford watched the Haunted Forest open on Halloween night, one hundred Halloweens together. Ninety of those Halloweens we spent looking for revenge, but the ten good years they had together were the best years they had in the entirety of their unnaturally long lifespan.

            The couple entered the Haunted Forest, the full moon hung over head and as Samantha entered the forest for the hundredth time she looked up and saw the moon had a large grinning face. This unpleasant smile was only visible for a second before the pair entered the forest. The forest was thick with tangled husk like branches, which blocked out the sky and obscured the sight of any smiling moon. Samantha decided to not read into this as an ill omen and continued walking. Blue spirit wisps danced around the trees lighting the way to Hallows End. If Samantha didn’t know better she might be fooled into thinking the wisps were friendly or happy. The truth was the spirits of the forest wanted to seem friendly on Halloween so visitors would leave the path. The only safety assured was on the path, leaving the path for any reason was almost certain death.

            As Rumford walked along he pulled his cloak tightly around his chest. He didn’t like being reminded that the green flame in his chest was just his wisp bound to his body and without Samantha’s crimson hand, Rumford would have been a dancing wisp like the ones in the forest. Samantha tucked herself under Rumford’s arm, showing a strange level of affection that she had not shown in almost eighty years. “I love you Rumford” Samantha cooed. Rumford stopped walking. He might have been a literal heartless monster but his soul could still feel and her sudden warmth made him pause. “I love you too, Samantha” He muttered back, then quickly added “This isn’t the end for us, you know that right?” Samantha smiled “I know. We will get revenge. I just realized that I’ve been on such a tireless hunt for your killer that I forgot to appreciate that I still have you around in some capacity” Samantha replied, her voice filled with sorrow. “I know what you mean. When you don’t age its easy to let decades fly by without even holding hands. I’m not even a person anymore” Rumford replied. Samantha looked sad and held Rumford tighter and the two continued to walk.

            The darkness of the path gave way to warm flickering lights in the distance. Hallows End was just ahead and set to accept visitors. The town of monsters was a sight to behold, creatures of different sizes lived and worked in harmony, the houses were built by the residence and made to fit the needs of the occupant. Some homes were one giant room and made of fire resistant wood, some looked like more traditional multi-room, average sized homes and some were small with hundreds of rooms. Mouse sized creatures lived in apartments in one of the first ever apartment buildings. There was a tavern near the center of town that was shaped like a giant pumpkin and painted orange, adorned with colorful lights and streamers for the upcoming festival. The entrance of town had a giant wooden sign that read “Welcome to Hallows End” the letters were written in red paint but the color could be confused for blood. The monsters in the town painted the buildings with orange, red, purple, lime green and black paint and some of the fancier buildings had designs of black roses, bones, or haunted trees. The home of Yarkov the giant had a picture of a dog on it, Yarkov loved dogs but never found one so deep in the forest.

           

            Samantha and Rumford had been to the town many times in the past hundred years and every year the town added a new structure, it could have been a new house, a shop, a bench, a statue or even planted some new trees. The town was ever changing, which was part of its charm. This year Samantha and Rumford arrived with a mission, it wasn’t a year of festivals, study or vacation, it was a year of revenge. Samantha marched toward the center of town with purpose and navigated the town with the familiarity of a resident of Hallows End. At the center of town was a giant Jack-O-Lantern with a smiling face, sharp features and a flame burning brightly inside it. The pumpkin was a real pumpkin but it never wilted or died, the flame was real but it never burned out. The Hallows End pumpkin grew from a seed dropped by a necromancer and when the pumpkin grew it absorbed all the magic of the surrounding area. This magical Jack-O-Lantern had been a source of magic, protection, light and pride for the inhabitants of Hallows End.

            Samantha reached into her back and pulled out the ancient stone pumpkin that she bought of the ship captain in Mist Harbor. The air shifted and the wind began to pick up. Fallen leaves rustled against the dark gray stone of the towns square and the residence all felt a change. Samantha hadn’t done anything yet but the town was already reacting to the stones power. The stone began to glow and would get brighter the closer it was to the Hallows End pumpkin.

            Rumford and Samantha looked at each other one final time before touching the stone against the pumpkin. The stone reacted to the stored magic of Hallows End and was lifted out of Samantha’s hand. The stone slammed down into the ground and melted into the black and gray stone floor beneath them. Samantha started to see the face of Rumford’s murderer flash in her eyes. Then it was all she could think about, soon it was all she could see with her eyes. The world spun, the night sky sank into the ocean, the Haunted Forest trees melted away and soon all was dark. Emptiness replaced reality as Samantha drifted off into the endless void.

            It was ninety years ago when Rumford lost his life. Samantha and Rumford had been married for nine years, they enjoyed traveling, going to Hallows End for parties, Rumford enjoyed studying monsters and Samantha started to see the appeal of it as well. The two didn’t own a house and they never settled into a single town. Rumford was used to traveling as a scholar and Samantha made up her mind many years ago that she wanted to travel the world.

            One day in the village of New Leaf, Samantha and Rumford were having lunch under a tall maple tree. They had been visiting the outer lands, places that experienced all four seasons throughout the year instead of just one. It was Fall in these lands and the colors of the turning maple made Samantha feel at home.

As the two ate they started hearing screams coming from the other side of the village. Samantha stood up but Rumford grabbed her arm “Honey, what could we possibly do to help?” Rumford asked. From his viewpoint, he was an outsider and lacked any special ability to help anyone. He also was terrified at the mere thought of Samantha being harmed in any way.

            “Coward, we have to help!” Samantha chided as she pulled her arm away, then ran off to help the villagers. Rumford hung his head as he got up to run after his wife. Rumford was cowardly when it came to fighting and any kind of serious danger and wished that Samantha was a little smarter about the dangers of the land.

           

            When the two arrived they saw that bandits had begun to raid the town. These men and women were dressed in skulls and wore purple bandanas. They were the most organized and aggressive group of bandits that Samantha had ever seen. The bandit lord, who went by the name Joroth, was the meanest of the group, he wore a helmet made of broken bones and carried a large two handed axe with jagged and bloodied edges. The bandits called themselves the “Sweeping Death” and weren’t interested in survivors.

            Samantha wasn’t a warrior but she knew how to use a sword and a bow. She snuck through the village with Rumford behind her. The two easily evaded the mob of bandits and found Joroth.  The bandit king was drinking wine straight out of the cask. His two massive hands wrapped around the barrel like gorilla mitts as he lifted the cask and drank. Wine poured out of an axe shaped hole in the top.

            Samantha drew her bow, her delicate red hair blew in the breeze, her long hair would give her an indication of the winds direction allowing for a better shot. Samantha fired the arrow and it found its mark straight into the bandit leaders chest. Joroth dropped his wine and stumbled backward but stayed on his feet. “Find the lil’shits that did this” He uttered. The bandits swarmed the area, it wouldn’t be long before Samantha was caught. Thinking fast she grabbed Rumford’s hand and the two of them ran, heading for the edge of town. Just as the two were about to reach the edge of town they ran into one of the bandits.

            Without hesitation Samantha drew her sword and lunged, stabbing the bandit through the lungs before he could call for help. “ok lets leave, please” Rumford pleaded. Before they could get away a giant axe came twirling past them and hit a tree, splitting the tree in half. “I’m not letting a single soul escape” Yelled the bandit leader. Joroth had caught up with them and was now charging forward. Samantha readied her sword and lunged just as Joroth was close. The experienced bandit leader sidestepped the sword attack, grabbed Samantha’s hand and cuffed her across the face. Samantha was sent backwards from the force of the attack.

            Rumford found his courage at this moment, he took off his baggy cloak and grabbed the sword Samantha dropped. The scholar charged with his sword, stabbing the bandit leader in the side. This did not kill Joroth, who seemed to have supernatural strength. Joroth roared and punched Rumford. He grabbed the sword that Rumford dropped and walked towards the fallen scholar. “No survivors” The bandit muttered insanely. Instead of running away, which is what he wanted to do, Rumford stayed to fight. He couldn’t risk Samantha being killed because he was a coward. Rumford reached into his bag and pulled out a flame crystal. This magical artifact was so rare that scholars refused to use them, in case the crystal was ever damaged.

            Rumford decided that protecting his wife was more important than any rare artifact. He lifted the crystal and hurled the fire gem at the Bandit leader. The crystal exploded and engulfed the bandit in flames. The explosion was bigger than Rumford anticipated and was also swallowed by the flames. The burned and half dead bandit continued to charge forward and stabbed Rumford through the heart. The bandit collapsed to the ground as did Rumford.

            Though Joroth appeared very dead, he was not. He held a mystical artifact that always kept him on the verge of death but could never die.

            Samantha opened her eyes in present day. The Hallows End Magic had worked. The Crimson Hand and her undead lover had finally found the crypt of Joroth the undying.

            The two stood underground in the crypt made to house the most vicious man in the land. Lights flickered on and the ground rumbled. Joroth the undying rose from his giant coffin like a lumbering beast. His skin was missing in pieces and the skin he did have was still blacked from Rumford’s fire bomb. The time had arrived, time to kill Joroth the Undying.

((Side note, The details explaining how Rumford was brought back to life and Samantha’s Crimson hand will be explained in Crimson hand Origin 2. for now, I want to finish this Halloween themed story before finishing back story))

Crimson Hand Origin

Rain fell from the sky, beating the ground like fingers tapping on a drum. Samantha and Rumford Gould had left Mist Harbor but the rain followed them. “No one enjoys our company as much as the rain” Rumford joked.

A chilled breeze blew through and rustled their cloaks. Samantha wore her cloak with her hood up and her black leather gloves. She wore a sleeveless tunic and black pants. She wasn’t bothered by the chill in the air but had to keep her appearance and her hand covered at all times. Rumford looked like he was preparing for a blizzard with all of his layers of clothes. He wore enough clothes to cover any trace of bone or hint of green glow from the flame in his chest. The only spots visible were his eyes and the skin around the eyes. Rumford didn’t feel hot or cold, he didn’t get tired or need to eat or drink, so he carried all the extra clothes, watched over Samantha when she slept and remained covered as often as possible.

The two approached the Autumn Forest, the forest of autumn colors, honey, apples and maple. The air was always cooler there but it never snowed. Leaves fell from the trees and blew in the breeze but the trees were never bare. The Autumn Forest was a beautiful sight for most but not for Samantha.

Samantha was born in the small village of Honeydew, her life was quiet, peaceful and boring. Every day was greeted with beautiful fall colors and a cool breeze to temper the midday sun.

            When Samantha turned nineteen, she decided to leave her village in search of adventure. Her journey started on a clear and sunny day when the sky was a bright blue and the air was crisp. She was a spunky youth with a sharp tongue, a warming smile and plans for adventure. She knew how to plant and harvest crops and orchards, she could chop wood, hunt and ride horses. Samantha was prepared for the long road ahead and understood that life wouldn’t always be fair or kind outside of her village.

            The sunlight danced through the swaying leave of the forest and speckled the ground in golden rays. Samantha’s horse trotted along the well-treaded path from the Autumn Forest to Bright Harbor. Samantha spotted a dark haired traveler on the path. He had olive skin, black hair, brown eyes and wore layers of robes. Samantha rode up next to the man as he walked along the dirt road, his robes kicking up dust as he went. “I rarely see travelers on these roads” Samantha called to the man. The robed man flinched in surprise as he turned quickly. “H-hello. Yes, I’m traveling” The man said nervously. Samantha gave a suspicious look at the nervous man. “Is everything alright?” Samantha asked as she slowed down. The man’s face started to relax “Yes, thank you. I just need to get to Hallows End before the Halloween festival is over.

            “You are going the wrong way for that. If you want, I can take you” Samantha said. She planned on going to Bright Harbor but a spooky town of monsters all celebrating at once could be fun as well. “My name is Samantha, whats your name?” Samantha asked as she helped the man onto the horse. “Rumford” Replied the man with a big smile.

            Hallows End was a town deep in the Haunted Forest, a forest so dangerous that no one had ever returned from the forest once they entered it. Once a year the forest would magically open into a straight path leading to Hallows End. The bravest residence of the Autumn Forest and some tourists would go to Hallows End every year to celebrate Halloween. While the Haunted Forest was extremely dangerous, the town of Hallows End was one of the safest places in the world. Large monsters kept the peace and the town was founded on peace with all who enter as friends.

            Samantha knew where the path would open and knew when it would open. She road her horse to the entrance of the Haunted forest on the night before Halloween. The two arrived at the edge of the forest and set up a small camp. There was a visible line where the curse of the Haunted forest ended and the start of the healthy Autumn Forest began. there was no noticeable entrance of any kind but Rumford was an outsider and had to trust Samantha knew what she was doing.

            Rumford was slow to open up, he huddled into his robes like a turtle in his shell but as the night went on he loosened up. Samantha turned on her charms, she was witty and sarcastic and this connected with Rumford’s dry sense of humor and love of sarcasm. The difference was Samantha seemed fearless and Rumford was more timid.

            The cool night air blew through the Autumn Forest and swept over Samantha’s camp. The wind made the flames dance. The fire danced to the song of the wind, spreading light and heat out into the cold dark night, the flames spat little embers up into the air like a dancer throwing confetti. The embers popped and sizzled before burning out and drifting down to the earth as harmless ash. Rumford shyly laughed and smiled as Samantha told stories about the Autumn Forest and her small adventures she had so far. Rumford couldn’t take his eyes off the red haired woman from the Autumn forest. He stared at her pale face through the crackling flames, her green eyes were fierce and pushed back the darkness of night just as much as the roaring flames did. He saw a heroic woman who just started her journey, a conqueror of lands and a force to be reckoned with.

            Samantha tried her best to tell her boring stories to pass the time, she looked at her new traveling companion and realized that there was a cute and funny guy hidden in that pile of hair and robes. Samantha didn’t think her stories were very interesting but Rumford hung on her every word. Stories of scaring bears away from the fish she just caught, or shooting an arrow at a bandit who tried to run off with and old ladies money. These weren’t big battles between wizards and demons but a shut in like Rumford was enthralled.

            “So enough about my stories, what about you?” Samantha asked, as the light from the campfire glinted in her eyes.  “I study monsters, supernatural events and magic. I wanted to study Hallows end for the longest time but had to wait till the right time when the path opened. I also had to wait till the head scholar approved of my journey” Rumford explained. “So…” Samantha muttered but trailed off as she chose her next words. “what you are saying is, while everyone is partying on Halloween you are using it as a chance to study?” Samantha asked with a sly smile. “Yes” Rumford replied innocently. “NERD!” Samantha shouted then burst into laughter. She playfully threw her pillow at him and continued to laugh. This kind of remark would usually annoy Rumford but somehow when the words came from Samantha he didn’t mind at all. He smiled and felt embarrassed but also happy that something he did made her laugh.

            The two met on that day, the night before Halloween, one hundred years ago. Present day, Samantha and Rumford Gould, husband and wife, Crimson hand and Ghoulish bodyguard, road to the entrance of the Haunted forest. Rumford turned to his wife as the approached “Remember when we first met? All I wanted to do was study monsters” Rumford joked. “NERD!” Samantha shouted with a big smile then punched Rumford’s arm. She heard the sound of his shoulder bone crack as the joint popped out of place. The air went dead and the two were silent. “Its fine, I’ll fix it later. Ya know, I used to love monsters and now I AM one” Rumford tried to joke. Samantha winced and looked like she was going to cry. “You will never be a monster to me” Samantha said, looking Rumford in the eyes. Rumford had a flash back to that first night they met. The dark of night, the cold wind, Samantha’s pale beautiful face and her tender look, it was all just like that night, so much so that he could imagine the flames crackling and he could see the flaming glint in her eyes.

            “We will get revenge” Samantha said. Her whispered voice floated away like a hushed wind.

Halloween Comes for Ignitous

In the spirit world there were four major lands, each based on a season experienced on earth. Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall all had lands with their own climate, forests and other terrain. In the land of summer on the eastern edge of the searing desert was the summer forest. The summer forest was a brisk ninety to a hundred degrees, then going outward toward the desert the temperature went up until finally reaching the volcano lands, where the air was hot enough to burn human hair.

            The spirits and warm weather animals played and enjoyed their warm days while Autumn arrived for the people on Earth. The warm weather was slowly cooling in the summer forest, causing the inhabitants to panic. A dark shadow swooped over the land like a hawk looking for prey. These disturbances alerted the attention of July, the ruler of Summer land. She was a large woman who loved parties, attention and summer heat. She was popular among her own people but had a tendency for sticking around on earth longer than many humans would like. Her overstaying her welcome would cut into the Fall season. This year she behaved herself and was in the summer lands with her people.

            The large shadow was joined by smaller shadows and the cold air began to pour in from above. The sky darkened as glowing white ghosts and wisps descended into the forest. Maniacal laughter echoed through the trees and pumpkin headed plant creatures sprang up from the ground. Spirits of Halloween had arrived in the summer lands and were searching for someone. Floating Jack-o-lanterns with glowing eyes scanned through the now darkened forest as bats and hawks flew above the treetops. The summer forest was in a panic.

            The spirits of Autumn and Halloween had come for Ignitious the flame spirit, who, with his brother Glacious, attacked the Autumn Forest and severely injured the leader Patches. Joseph Stephens and Jaye Williams chased to two brothers out of the Autumn forest but the spirits of Halloween wanted revenge on the brothers for their disrespect for the natural order of the seasons.

            Ignitious was mostly recovered from his injuries thanks to the heat of the Summer Lands. The Halloween spirits had already spotted before he figured out that he was the target of this attack. The bright flames that made up Ignitious’ body was easy to spot in the now darkened sky and before he could escape he was set upon by bats and pumpkin monsters. The flame spirit sent out a wave of flames, sweeping up the bats in the flames and making the monsters run for cover. The trees of the Summer Forest were heat and flame proof, so any fire that hit the green leafy trees quickly went out. Ignitious wasn’t a spirit of the summer lands and didn’t really care about the forest, so even if the trees weren’t fire proof he still would have used his fire powers without restraint.

            Ignitious took off flying like a fireball, he was headed for the volcano where his powers would be strongest. He shot through the forest with ease and entered the searing desert. The large shadow from the sky descended down and landed in front of Ignitious before the spirit could go any further. Ignitious collided with the shadow causing a fiery explosion. When the flames died down the shadow still stood. Bats fluttered away and shadow creatures melted off the figure and escaped into the ground, revealing Patches, the spirit of Autumn and the leader of the Autumn Lands. “Did you really think you could surprise attack me like a coward, attack my lands, claim my forest for yourself and I wouldn’t do anything about it? Just because Joseph and Jaye kicked you out of my forest doesn’t mean there wont be consequences!” Patches’ voice boomed as flames erupted out of his pumpkin head and dark magic jumped from his body like electrical sparks from a power line.

            “I beat you once before, do you really think you can take me this time?” Ignitious said with a fiery smile. “You had your brother to help you and you attacked me when my back was turned. In a fair fight you wouldn’t last a minute. I am the king of Autumn and Halloween, you are rogue elemental spirit” Patches shouted as he walked towards Ignitious. Patches was tall and thin with a body made of hay, roots and flames with a large pumpkin head on his shoulders and a carved face that moved like a human face. While the two spirits prepared to fight the invading spirits of Halloween and Autumn made a circle around the two, so that Ignitious couldn’t run away from this. Cold air blew through the desert as the night sky and full moon loomed over head for the first time ever in this land.

            Ignitious spun around bringing flames up from the ground and carrying them with him as he charged towards Patches. The King of Fall didn’t flinch at the flames and easily side stepped the attack. Patches was quicker than he looked and was determined to show this menace why he shouldn’t mess with the Autumn Lands. Patches melted into the ground like a shadow and shot forward with lighting speed, then before Ignitious could realize that Patches was gone, the shadow of Patches sprang up from the ground in the form of a giant shadowy wolf head with blazing red eyes. The shadow wolf head chomped down on Ignitious and shook the spirit like a dog shaking a piece of meat. Ignitious sent flame bursts out from his body in an attempt to break the shadow wolf’s grip but the flames had no effect. When Patches decided he was done he slammed Ignitious into the ground, then the shadow wolf head formed back into the pumpkin headed spirit.

            Ignitious charged condensed flames into his hand, making a fireball hotter and stronger than his normal steel melting flames. The flame spirit launched his powerful ball of flames. Patches, who didn’t have bones or a spine, bent himself in half to avoid the fireball. Flames shot across his back as he narrowly dodged the attack. While Patches was still bent in half he charged forward, his pumpkin head growing larger and his mouth growing wider the closer he got to Ignitious. Shadows rose up from the ground and whooshed forward like wind, wrapping around Ignitious. Patches came within inches of the flame spirit then contracted his pumpkin head and ‘breathed’ out dark magic flames from his mouth. Dark flames engulfed the flame spirit, damaging the fire elemental while remaining harmless to any of the Halloween spirits caught in the blast.

            Ignitious dropped to the ground as purple mist streamed from his head like steam. The group of Halloween spirits parted on two sides, on the right side a group of Autumn spirits dragged a large wooden crate into the fighting circle and on the left the ruler of the Summer Lands, July emerged onto the scene.

            “What is going on here?!” July shouted. “Ignitious and his brother attacked me, beat me almost to death and tried to claim my forest as their own. This is my payback” Patches explained. The Halloween spirits all called out and shouted in agreement. July stared at Patched with a furious look but switched her heated gaze down to Ignitious. “You said you needed to rest in my lands because you were injured from a fight, you never told me you tried to upset the balance of the seasons and attacked a king! What happens when you recover? Were you going to attack him again? What about attack me and claim my Summer Forest? Or were you going to go pick on the Spring bunny?” July shouted in outrage.

            “I’m not your subject you old crone! I don’t owe any of you anything! When I recover I am going to gather my gang of flame spirits, some dragons and anyone else who will follow me and make you all pay!” Ignitious spat. “OH no you wont!” July shouted grabbing Ignitious by the neck with a powerful grip and slamming him to the ground. She then threw all her weight down onto the flame elemental, sitting on him so he couldn’t escape. The Halloween spirits sniggered at the sight of the feared flame elemental being sat on by the mighty Summer Spirit.

            “I figured the brothers would try to attack again, so I made these crates to transport the two of them. I will keep them somewhere safe until they agree to not attack anyone. Ignitious will be riding in a crate made of summer wood and Glacious…” Patches trailed off as he gestured to a second box being dragged up. The second crate was made of a pale wood and was covered in frost. The autumn spirit dragging the crate opened it revealing Glacious trapped inside. “I found him in the Winter forest and figured the trees of Winter could hold him as well as anything” Patches added.

            July used her firm grip to pull Ignitious out from under her and threw him into the large box made of summer wood. “I am glad to see you taking care of things, but next time you should tell me ahead of time before you invade my forest” July said sternly.

            Patches apologized to July and explained that he didn’t know ahead of time if she was in on the attack or not. The two crates were then hauled off by Halloween creatures, Patches apologized again, bowed like a gentleman then opened a portal made of autumn leaves and swirling wind. The group of autumn spirits, Halloween spirits and Patches all left the Summer lands. Then the moment the portal closed the night sky turned to a bright summer day, the air warmed up and environment quickly returned to normal.

            Ignitious and Glacious learned a lesson that most spirits already knew, don’t disrupt the natural balance of weather and seasons and sure as hell don’t mess with the King of Halloween.

Joseph and Jaye save Autumn part 4 of 4

When Joseph Stephens and Jaye Williams arrived to the source of the heat they found Ignitious laying on a beach chair and a giant fire ball, which he conjured, was floating in the sky above the trees acting like a second sun. “I was expecting a forest on fire, not a flame elemental enjoying an extended summer” Jaye joked. “Both are equally bad. This isn’t the summer land, this is the Autumn land” Joseph said with a low growl. “Ok big guy, lets ease off on the demon juice. We just gotta whack this guy a couple of times with the ol’claw hammer and we can go back to drinking coffee in the cold breeze like a couple of weirdos” Jaye said as he patted Josephs arm. Joseph turned to Jaye with a sad but sincere smile “Yeah, I am just getting a little worked up. It will be ok” Joseph said, nodding several times as if to try and convince himself.

            Ignitious spotted the two friends walking up. Jaye had his pumpkin sword drawn and Joseph had his magic staff ready. The humanoid fire spirit let out a quick laugh at the sight of the two. Tiny flames spit out from his mouth when he laughed. Ignitious’ laugh caused Joseph’s anger to burn hotter. “This isn’t a laughing matter. You are about to be destroyed. We spared your brother, you wont be spared, not after we saw what you two did to Patches” Joseph shouted with his teeth gritted. Before Ignitious could reply a ten foot tall whirlwind was launched from Joseph’s staff. The whirlwind tore a path through the ground and struck the flame elemental before he could get out of his beach chair.

            The whirlwind shook in the place where Ignitious previously sat. Flames erupted from the whirlwind in every direction until the whirlwind was dispelled, leaving a very angry flame spirit in its place. Ignitious had flames raging all over his body, with his core form made from a searing magma substance. “I was just going to make this into a second summer forest because I felt bad for old Patches but since you attacked me so rudely, I am going to burn this forest down to ASH!” Ignitious shouted then shot straight at Joseph with incredible speed and force. Jaye saw Ignitious lunge across the battlefield and barely had enough time to summon his golden leaf. The leaf created a wind barrier just a split second before the giant fireball that was Ignitious hit Joseph. The flame spirit was repelled by the windshield and sent backward but the force of his attack shut down the shield and made Jaye stumble backward slightly. All of the magical items they had, took their energy to use and Jaye was already feeling tired from repelling such a large attack.

            The two friends prepared to attack but Ignitious was relentless and went into another attack. Jaye spotted a large hollowed out log, it was large, sturdy and looked like it had been there for a hundred years. “Follow me!” Jaye shouted as he ran for cover. Joseph ran right behind Jaye. Ignitious was fast and was quickly gaining on the two. The flame spirit turned into a fireball and launched himself forward. The two friends jumped into the hollow log just in time. Ignitious sped by the log and hit a tree ten feet away. “Your luck will not last!” Shouted the angry spirit. “This log is pretty great! Maybe we could just camp here until Ignitious leaves” Jaye joked. Joseph half smiled.

            Ignitious was tired of his enemy surviving his attacks and decided to go all out. “You dared to bring out my wrath, now try and survive it” Ignitious shouted. He stretched his arms up into the air and summoned flames. Fire floated in the air above Ignitious, the collection of fire was bigger than Ignitious himself. “Your father was a matchstick!” Shouted Jaye, who was poking his head out of the log. “and your mother was an easy bake oven” Joseph shouted, still in the log.

            “Enough!” Ignitious shouted as he shot all of his summoned flames at the two. The intense fire it the ancient log, fire burst out in every direction upon contact with the log. The surrounding area was burned and turned to ash but somehow the log stood, old, stubborn and sturdy. “The log protected us!” Joseph said in amazement. “The log provides!” Jaye cheered. The giant log was blackened and smoking but it protected the friends.

            Ignitious was furious but couldn’t summon another attack right away without injuring himself. “Hey, he’s outta juice!” Jaye cheered. “Right! Then lets smoke this turkey!” Joseph said with a determined expression. Jaye pulled his claw hammer from his jacket, used his magic pumpkin to cover him in armor and then charged out from the safety of the log. Joseph took a swig from the warm liquid in the water flask, because it tasted good, then charged out holding his magic staff.

            Ignitious saw the two charging and tried to throw a few flame attacks. The half hearted attacks were easily dodged and the friends were left unhindered. “I’ve been waiting for this! Clawww Hammar!” Jaye brought his hammer down and struck the fire elemental in the chest, knocking him back. Joseph followed behind then summoned earth tremors and whirlwinds from his staff. Joseph’s anger still boiled inside of him and he was determined to bring down Ignitious down, even if it meant killing him.

            The ground shook around Ignitious, the whirlwind pulled loose rocks from the ground as it went and the multiple whirlwinds filled with rocks and stones hit Ignitious. Ignitious was wounded but still standing. He charged up a fireball and threw it at Joseph.

            Joseph hadn’t let up his attack at this point and continued to charge forward casting magic. Jaye jumped and knocked Joseph out of the way of the incoming fireball. “You aren’t suddenly fire proof are you?” Jaye asked with a smile “No” Joseph replied shortly then stood up and began charging his energy into his magic staff. Joseph was determined but also blinded by his singular goal to defeat Ignitious.

            Joseph’s anger had been building for a long time, every time July the fat spirit of summer, Old Man Winter or any other troublesome spirit tried to disrupt the Fall. Joseph didn’t try to invade summer land to make the season shorter, he didn’t go out of his way to fight Winter so Autumn lasted longer. Joseph was peaceful and waited all year for his favorite season and yet someone had to try and stop him from enjoying it. He suffered through summer, getting heat stroke, heat sickness, headaches, dizziness, sweating through his shirts, and yet he suffered through it without trying to conquer anything. Ignitious treated Patches worse than anyone yet and the attack from the Fire and Ice brothers was the final straw.

            Joseph had been charging magic into his staff then unleashed it on Ignitious. A giant wall of stone rose up from the ground then rushed forward like a tidal wave, whirlwinds flew at Ignitious, each whirlwind was bigger than usual and streaked with lighting. Electricity flashed and sparked through the air. The rock tidal wave, the electrical mega whirlwinds and just pure bolts of lighting blasted forward at super speeds. Ignitious was fast but he couldn’t manage to escape this onslaught in time. All of the magic attacks struck Ignitious. The flame elemental shook and convulsed in place, the flames that made up his outer body pulsed and flared out in every direction at random intervals. When the attacks died down Ignitious was left with only his core magma form and was more vulnerable now, like Glacious in his cracked solid ice form.

            Joseph had spent most of his energy with those attacks and now gasped to catch his breath. Ignitious was defeated and fell to his knees “Alright, I give up. I won’t bother Patches or his land again” Ignitious said, his voice was weak and hollow. “No forgiveness, he wont get mercy” Joseph said between breaths. Jaye winced “We’ll spare him like we spared Glacious. Let me handle this” Jaye said to a barely standing Joseph.

            “We spared your brother and we will spare you. Whatever grudge or debt you think you have between patches, is over. Enough fighting, try to do something useful for a change” Jaye told Ignitious then shook his claw hammer menacingly at the wounded flame spirit.

            Ignitious vanished in a ball of flame leaving a small scorch mark on the grass where he knelt. Jaye turned to Joseph “Glad that is settled. Now you need to relax with all of that ‘no mercy’ crap. Lets drink some tea or something and calm down. We should probably check on Patches as well” Jaye shrugged then walked over to collect his injured friend.

            The two friends saved Autumn land and thus had saved the season itself. When they reached Patches hut they found the Autumn spirit sleeping soundly with a small sprout budding from his torso. This sprout would grow into a new pumpkin head, returning Patches to his former glory. Joseph was starting to calm down now that autumn was saved. The friends didn’t get a reward for their help but they did get to keep their new weapons, at least until Patches remembered that they were missing.

            The real reward was a new autumn day on the horizon, the exciting frights of Halloween, the chilly Fall mornings, the harvest of food and the time to reflect.

            Joseph and Jaye never made it home though, before they could reach the portal to home, they were whisked away onto another adventure. But that is another story for another time.    

Arix and the tomh of Mul'din

 

There once was an ancient tomb, a tomb darker than night and so abandoned that no human eye has seen it centuries. Arix the young adventurer pushed over a stone slab from outside the tomb. The slab fell inward creating a booming noise that echoed through the ancient tomb. Tomb had not been disturbed, felt sound or sunlight in centuries and Arix the adventuring youth introduced light and sound to the tomb in one motion. Light beamed in from the bright midday sun, banishing the darkness and causing small, nocturnal creatures to scurry away in fright.

 

            This was the lost tomb of Mul’din, a great and fierce king of old. Mul’din was kind to his people and brutal to the rest of the world. His armies were vast and he would dominate and destroy all who did not join his Kingdom. The Kingdom of Mul’din stretched over a quarter of the world and his riches stretched on as far as the eye could see. Mul’din didn’t just acquire treasure from conquering, he also sent out bands of pirates and raiders to loot and pillage in his name. Mul’din’s raiders would regularly harass and land that couldn’t be conquered and through his looting and conquering he had a treasury stuffed with rare items from around the world and more gold than anyone could count.

 

            Arix had spent years trying to find this lost tomb. While he explored other ruins and new lands he always kept an ear open for anything that related to Mul’din. Arix even spent a fair amount of the treasure he found in other tombs just for info about Mul’din’s tomb. Finding this tomb would give Arix recognition, opportunity to join the explorer’s guild and befriend famous adventurers and Arix also had the possibility of finding Mul’din’s treasure and being incredibly wealthy.

 

            Arix crept carefully through the tomb holding a blue gem that let out a soft light. The light was faint enough so that Arix wouldn’t be immediately spotted by predators but bright enough to see inside the pitch black tomb, the gem also sent light out further than a torch would. The gem was the size of a small apple and glowed through Arix’s hand. The sunlight from outside illuminated the first room, but the darkness won out as Arix walked deeper inside.

 

            The tomb was silent and every light step that Arix took sounded like heavy boots stomping on the stone. As Arix walked he heard a faint voice calling from deep within the tomb, the voice was followed by a purple fog that reflected the light of the blue gem. The fog floated through the tomb, in and out of only certain rooms. The fog started looking like a trail and Arix wanted to find its source. Arix’ curiosity got him into trouble more times than he could count and he knew that the strange voice and purple fog could be luring him into a trap. It was possible that Mul’din’s ghost was trying to tempt a greedy treasure hunter and lure him into an ambush. Arix had experience with the undead and was overly confident with his ability to get out of bad situations.

 

            The fog led Arix to a large room that was full of bottles, tables and small trinkets. As Arix entered the room torches lit themselves and the voice calling out grew louder. “Help please!” cried the voice. “Where are you?” asked Arix “I am trapped in this bottle, please open it!” The voice called out. Arix now knew the voice belonged to a mystical creature, as a mortal could not survive being trapped in a bottle and sealed in a tomb for centuries and would have to be shrunken down to even fit in a bottle in the first place.

 

            Arix followed the voice and looked through a table full of dusty bottle of different sizes. Finally Arix touched the right bottle and the small glass bottle glowed with purple light. “Please release me!” Cried the voice. “I want to know where Mul’din’s treasure is first, then I promise to release you” Arix said. The voice was silent for a few seconds then finally spoke. “Mul’din acquired mountains of gold but when he died he did not keep any of it. He loved his subjects so much that he told his royal advisor to give everything to the people of his kingdom. He did not see the point of storing it or burying it. He gave the largest portion to his sons but he told them to use his riches to make their own riches. He was a wise man. This tomb was built in his honor and while many of his prized possessions were buried with him, none of those possessions were gold or jewels” Explained the voice.

 

            Arix was disappointed but didn’t completely believe the voice. “How did you end up here? And how do I know you aren’t lying to me?” Asked Arix. “I wouldn’t lie and risk my first chance to be free in centuries. I am a djinn, a wish granting spirit who has been trapped in this bottle by the king. I do not care about the king and if he had gold I’d help you find it. This is my punishment for not being able to bring back his dead wife” Explained the Djinn.

 

            Arix figured that gaining the favor of a wish granting spirit might be even better than gold and so he opened the bottle. The bottle had a cork, which was covered in a cloth, and the cloth had ancient writing all over it. Arix twisted the cork and pulled open the bottle.

 

            Purple fog sprang forth from the bottle. It flooded out and filled the large room, then in a second it all was pulled toward a single point in front of Arix. The fog swirled around and the Djinn appeared before Arix. “Thank you so much, kind master” Said the Djinn. The Djinn was dark purple, had yellow eyes with no pupils, had a torso and head but his arms were partly transparent and his legs were missing, he was completely made up of purple fog from the waist down.

 

            “So I am your master now?”  Asked Arix. “Yes, you are. But before you start trying to make wishes, let me make a deal with you. If you do not like my deal, you can wish for any one thing” Said the Djinn. Arix was intrigued and figured it wouldn’t hurt to listen to the spirit. “What is your deal? I was hoping for a mountain of gold in this tomb, so your deal better be worth the time and money it took to find this place” Arix explained.

 

            “The deal is, you bring the bottle outside of this tomb and use your one wish to free me. Once I am free I will be able to join the wind and cloud spirits in the sky. I will never bother a single mortal and after being stuck under ground for so long I will probably never even want to leave the clouds again. In exchange for my freedom, I will leave all of my magic in the bottle in the form of a potion. This magic potion will cure any disease, ease all pain, emotional and physical and it will give you energy like a night of restful sleep” The Djinn explained.

 

            Arix liked the sound of this magic potion but was still cautious. “What is the downside, there is always a downside” Said Arix. The Djinn grinned “Well of course. I see you are no fool. All magic comes with a price. Even those who wield magic must suffer a burden of it. The potion will do just as I say it will but if you use it too much or become too reliant on the magic, then you will suffer from it. Mortals cannot handle magic in large amounts or consumed too frequently” Explained the Djinn.

 

            Arix figured that he was as careful as anyone and would only use the potion in dire situations. So Arix agreed and the Djinn led Arix out of the tomb. They talked as they walked through the dusty ruins and Arix felt more confident that the Djinn was telling the truth about all he said.

 

            Once they reached the exit, Arix took a step out into the fresh air and held the bottle open as he said “I wish you were free from this bottle and live peacefully in the clouds away from mortals” Arix wished for a very specific thing just in case the Djinn wasn’t as friendly as he seemed. Arix hoped that the phrasing would bind the Djinn to his word and force him to be peaceful. Arix didn’t want to be responsible for unleashing a terror on all humanity.

 

            “Thank you human!” Said the Djinn as he started to turn into purple fog. A thin blue chain appeared. The chain led from inside the bottle and was wrapped around the purple fog that struggled to break free. Finally the blue chain shattered into a thousand pieces and each piece puffed up into the air in a ball of smoke. The Djinn was finally free and shot up into the air as fast as he could “Remember my warning human!” called the voice of the Djinn as he disappeared from sight.

 

            Arix knew he would heed the Djinn’s warning and put the purple glass bottle into his adventuring bag. Arix might not have been rich and famous from the trip into Mul’din’s tomb, but he did gain a magic healing potion, which in his line of work was priceless.

 

            Arix also decided to not tell anyone that he found the tomb, not only was there no gold to share but owing a magical cure all potion and telling people about it would drastically decrease his life span.

 

            Arix began the long trek home, his head swimming with tales of ancient kings and a long lost time. Arix put the potion out of his thoughts and did not think about it again until the day he desperately needed it. But that is another story for another day.

Joseph Stephens and the lonely road

It was dusk, light was quickly escaping from the sky. Joseph trudged through the mire as he watched the sun slowly setting beyond the horizon. His sword hung loosely from his hand, his clothes were covered in mud, his face was covered in sweat and his sword was covered in blood. "Its been a long day without you, my friend" Joseph said out loud with a sigh. This world was hard and unforgiving but it didn't always seem that way. Joseph thought about the days when the road was less hard and journey was filled with laughter. That was before Joseph lost his way and had to travel alone.

Joseph wanted to go to sleep but there wasn't any dry land to sleep on for miles, so on he walked. it was one of those days that he wished would just end, but seemed to drag on without thought or consideration of Joseph's feelings. The water in the mire began to ripple all around Joseph. the tall grass shook and the earth rumbled. a giant human shaped creature emerged from the swamp waters. It was over eight feet tall and easily five hundred pounds, it was so large that it must have been sleeping in the mud under the water. the water from the mire wasn't over a foot high.

Joseph let out a hard and tired sigh and drew his blade, bringing it up in front of him. He assumed his battle stance in front of the swamp giant. Its skin was muddy, yellow brown and looked hard as stone, its hair looked like it was made of swamp plants and covered most of its face and head. Bright red eyes shone out from under the tangle mess of plant hair on the creatures head. the beast roared and lifted its over sized hands, clenching them into fists.

Joseph brought his sword down low and charged forward, in the corner of his eye he could almost see his friend the wizard floating over the muck and mire, grinning at his dirt covered friend. Joseph sloshed through the mud and sliced the giant's leg as he ran passed the creature. The swamp giant slammed his fists down, splashing dirty water everywhere and missing Joseph completely. Jaye the wizard would have been blasting this create with every lighting spell he knew if he were actually here fighting. Joseph smiled at his friends overzealous nature and continued to move quickly through the murky water, slashing the swamp giant across the legs and arms and dodging the beasts giant fists as they slammed down around Joseph. if the swamp giant landed even one hit, the strike would be so strong that it would shatter bones. Joseph had to keep moving, despite the muddy water being hard to run through and the fact that the swamp giant's skin was almost as hard as stone.

After every time Joseph slashed the giant, he would have to immediately have to dodge the next on coming attack. Each time the swamp giant swung his fist it grew closer and closer to actually hitting Joseph. "I can't do this alone" Joseph muttered. He imagined his friend fighting there with him. the giant's fists never found their mark because two quick moving humans were too hard to hit. Jaye would send out blinding light and burn the beast with fire and electricity. the battle would be won and it would be added to the vault of memories that they both shared, but Jaye wasn't there and Joseph had to survive long enough so that he could see his friend again some day.

the swamp giant's fist struck right next to Joseph and the force sent him flying. Joseph always imagined his death would be a last stand against an overwhelming army or at least dying in a blaze of glory while possibly also being on fire, but dying to a swamp giant ranked pretty low on ways to leave the world. "What are you some kind of chump? Gonna die to a big dumb giant like a big sad baby?" echoed Jaye's voice. Joseph almost laughed out loud when he heard these words. Jaye hadn't shown up to save the day, but his memory did. "Lets waste this fool" Joseph said with a smile. "you're dumb" Jaye replied also smiling.
Joseph charged up all of his energy into one strike. His body began to glow and his sword's blade bursts into flames. . "X Strike!" Joseph shouted as he ran forward, the heat of each step sizzled the surrounding water. Joseph ran so fast that flaming sword sliced through the air and his feet parted the water. The memory Jaye the wizard charged with electricity and charged forward with equal speed and force, both friends charged through the swamp giant with the force of a tornado or an earthquake. the attack pattern looked like the letter X with the swamp giant in the middle. Jaye flew through the Giant  releasing huge amounts of electricity into the creature. At that exact moment Joseph was slashing his fire sword through the beasts chest. they both ended with their backs to the monster. The swamp giant let out one last roar before collapsing back into the mud. Joseph coughed and felt woozy from exhaustion but kept the smile on his face. Jaye's memory smiled back at Joseph.

Joseph was able to defeat the swamp giant on his own, but it took the memory of his friend to encourage him and bring out his inner strength. Sometimes the road gets hard and sometimes it gets lonely, but if you can find a friend you can enjoy the time together and look forward to that time when you are apart. When you find a real friend they never leave you and no matter what has happened they always will have your back.

The World through the Magic lens

            I don’t know how everyone else sees the world, but I don’t think many people see it the way I do, the way I used to. I see things with vibrant colors, a person’s personality shines brightly from their eyes and some even have an aura around them that is as wondrous as fireworks or stars. Every tree has hidden secrets, the more unique in shape or size something is the more life I see in it. Once I saw large tree standing taller than all the other trees in the forest and my mind came alive, I saw the tree built into a giant tree house, then suddenly wooden planks and pathways spread out to the other trees and soon there was a whole town built up into the treetops. Or I might see it as a mystical tree, the guardian of the forest, a great elder tree with a face that is connected to everything in the forest and protects it from harm.

            I see something with my eyes and my mind puts a layer of imagination, possibility and emotions over that image. When a person genuinely smiles, when they experience a moment that catches them off guard and makes them feel that happiness, if I see that moment I am filled with my own happiness and so my emotions mix with the moment. I see a person smile and my mind shows me the light of the human soul. Even if its just for a brief moment and even if the light is dim, I see and experience something real for that second.

            I don’t think other people see the world like this, because if they did then smiles, rain, sunshine, trees and coffee and little things like that would be valued so much more than celebrity gossip, sex or money. I have nothing against sex and money but if offered the chance to either have infinite days of sex and money or infinite days of tranquil rain, tall trees, coffee, peace and stories, I think I would choose the latter.

            I see the colors of a person’s personality, I see the light of a soul, the possibilities of a large tree the bliss of the falling rain, except for when I don’t. I live off of imagination and creativity and it makes me whole. The day I do not see the rain as magical is the day I do not want to live anymore.

            My problem is pain, I have said it once and I will say it again. I am so familiar and intimate with the experience of pain that we should probably get married less we get struck down for living in sin. When my intestines aren’t being twisted like a pretzel then I have back pain, and if not back pain then joint pain. There is always pain. I can’t speak for the whole human race but I can say most Americans don’t live with the level of pain that I live with and certainly not at such a young age. When I talk about pain I am not complaining about a headache or a tummy ache, I am talking about the feeling of glass grinding in my bones and a knife twisting in my guts. The kind of pain that makes you not want to be alive or get out of bed. Luckily not every day is like that and I get to enjoy my coffee and rain and be content. The is also the double edge sword of pain medicine.

            Pain meds are these magical pills that wash over you and wipe away the pain, they make you feel good and the world seems right. That feeling does not last, but the numbness does. The pills numb the brain so you don’t feel the pain, but it also makes it hard to feel everything else. Taking my pain meds makes me loose my filter, my magical lens that I get to see the world in. Without the pills my pain slows me down and sometimes I lose whole days of my life to the pain, but without taking meds I can see the world in a more magical way. I get to see the world through my own imagination lens. Everything in the world seems more wondrous and the good start to outweigh the bad. Sure I am in pain but look how beautiful the sky looks after it rains! Its like the heavens opened up and you can see a glimpse of the afterlife.

            When I take the pills it keeps the pain at bay, the rabid dog that is pain gets put on a leash and told to behave. The rabid dog is still there but its calmed now. Then I start to see the world as I suspect others see it. A tree is a tree, rain is water that falls from the sky, it makes traffic more dangerous, coffee is only for waking up in the morning and when people smile its their happiness, not mine.

            I am always the same person but without the magical lens the world seems like a darker place. I am a better version of myself whenever I can manage to go a few days without my medication.

            Sometimes it rains while I am on my pain meds and I look outside and see only rain, I don’t feel the serenity or the calm that rain brings. I look outside and I remember how much joy rain used to bring me and I know there is a magical world of peace and tranquility right outside my window at that moment, but it is slightly out of reach and I just can’t see it yet.

            When it rains I see water fall from the sky, but one day the rain will take me back to that magical place. The place were water, wind and fog swirl through the air and the cool breeze refreshes the spirit, a place where anything could be waiting over the horizon. The best stories start on a dark and stormy night and the best adventures happen on a cool foggy afternoon.

Magic in the rain

The rain beats down behind me, my body is soothed by the sweet sound of rain pattering on the leaves outside. Many don’t understand the feeling, they don’t see the magic in the rain. But I’ve lived long enough to know there is something special there, that rain is indeed magic.

            Any weather can change the scenery so dramatically and with every weather type it can trigger a new emotion. When it rains I feel a mix of happiness and sadness, a sort of nostalgia. If you have fond memories from when it rains, then those memories are all linked together by the rain. The rain brings them out of you feeling almost as fresh and new as the first time. Like unpacking Christmas decorations. You have memories so deeply connected to those simple objects you can remember every good and bad moment when you look at them.

            The world is a little more peaceful when it rains, and you notice this more when you go out into the rain. No people and almost no cars on the road, just the rain, you and your thoughts. The skies take on a light gray color, causing any and all surrounded lights to shine even more brilliantly.  A single lamppost might go unnoticed normally, but when it rains the light from that lamp shines so beautifully. The contrast of the bright light as it peers out into the darkness and fog. This might be why I love lighthouses so much, especially on a rainy day. There is something comforting about a bright light or beacon shining out from the darkness, guiding everyone to shore. The darkness of night and the gray skies of a rainstorm can’t shut off the light.

            I think of all of this and sigh happily. I am sure there is a scientific reason to explain away why I feel how I feel about the rain, but I do not care. For me, rain is magic and as long as I live I will continue to believe so.

            The rain is slowly dying away and with it, so goes my inspiration. I hope you enjoyed my rambling fellow traveler and I hope you find your magic in the rain.