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.

Nostalgia is the sweetest drug

The moment struck me like a sword through the chest. The moment when I realized that the past was gone and no amount of effort would bring it back. Nostalgia was like opium, It takes your mind away from your troubles and sends you back to a simple and happy time. People get addicted to it and even rely on it for their source of happiness. The glorious day that Joe scored the winning touch down will always be a fond memory for him, but he also relied on it for validation and comfort. Even when he didn't realize he was doing it. He sucked the life out of his memory like a vampire drains its victims of blood. He played football on the weekend to relieve old glory and told himself it was just for fun.
I never played football but I have my own memories, memories that glow and sparkle in an otherwise dark life of pain and isolation. I try to relieve my old days, I try to set up time with friends and hope that it will feel as good as it used to, but it never does. Memories have their use and Nostalgia can be used in moderation, like alcohol. I use my nostalgia to get a little drunk off the past happiness and it keeps me going through the bad times. I try not to dwell on the past so much that it effects the future. Every day is a new chance to make those good memories. Every day is a rich source of potential nostalgia. Joe won't ever score the winning touch down again, because he is a banker not a pro-football player, but he can teach his son how to throw a ball and that memory will be just as fine. That will be a memory he can add to his "feel good" vault of memories that we call nostalgia. Not only will he have that happy memory, but his son will also. The best happy memories are the ones you share with others, the ones that you can reminisce about when times are tough or someone needs encouragement.

Memory is a tricky thing and often the past seems better than it truly was. Joe might want to relieve his glory days  on his high school football game, but he wouldn't want to relieve that morning when his parents had a huge fight or the day before when he was stuck in math class and couldn't stay awake. You remove the bones, fillet the meat and only consume the sweetest parts of the memory.
Objects have as much power as people assign to them. If your grandfather fought in a war and gave you his prized knife that he took into battle, then you should be honored. You were given a gift of history as well as personal memory. Your grandfather remembers the war and it changed who we was as a person, that knife was proof of his deeds and the events that happened. Now you hold that knife. The knife has more stories behind it than you might have of your own. Having a physicial representation of your memory makes that memory stronger. If Joe got to keep his foot ball from the winning touch down, then he might have it on his shelf, maybe even make a display for it, depending on how shameless he wishes to be with his love for that memory. I find it hard to throw anything away, I keep anything that was given to me by a loved one, even if it was just a scrap of paper that said "Jerkface" on it. Someone that I loved thought of me and wanted to make me laugh by humorously insulting me. Someone thought of me. People don't realize always realize what their actions mean, for better or worse. a silly note might be someone's prized possession, all because of the power we assign to the object.

So when an object holds your fondest memories, when it has experienced some of your best times and knows your best stories, when an object breaks, it is only then that you realize how much power you place in your things, your trophies from the past and how much you rely on nostalgia to get by in life. Old memories can seem like phantoms in your mind, you wonder if they really did happen how you remember them. Did Joe truly score the winning touch down? It was so long ago and ever since he moved he lost touch with anyone who might have also remembered that day. but he has the football, the football is real so the memory must also be real.
When the object that held your stories is destroyed, what happens to your stories? They still exsist inside you, but you do lose a piece of the story, a small piece that makes it just a little harder to remember. On the one hand you don't want to have a room full of trophies from the past, missing out on the present because you are too obessesed with the past. On the other hand your stories make you who you are and remembering good times can keep you going when you feel like giving up. The trick is balance. Balance in all things. I try not to hold objects in higher regards than people, but when a person breaks an object with so many stories a little piece of you breaks with it.

The winds of Zephyr

It was a cool and breezy evening in a little port town. Fishermen were bringing in their haul for the day and taverns were stoking fires and preparing food and drink for a night of regular customers and travelers looking to rest. It was the perfect night to sit outside with a cup of coffee or mug of ale and watch the ocean.

            A little boy named Henry was out on the docks waiting for his father to come home when he spotted a strange ship in the horizon. The ship was as large as a navy battleship but instead of the kingdom seal, the flag was black with a bloody skull image. The dark ship marked the peaceful landscape as it sailed closer to shore. A dark storm was growing and following in the trail of the dreaded black flag ship. Henry knew the men on the ship were pirates and not the fun kind that go on adventures. Henry ran into the house to tell his father and word spread quickly of the approaching pirate ship.

            The pirate ship sailed so quickly toward the town that it looked as if Zephyr, the god of the winds was carrying them to shore. The town prepared what weapons they had and tried to fortify the docks. The town had been at peace for so long that they were not ready for a pirate invasion. The harder the townspeople worked the more they realized how unprepared they truly were. Within an hour the pirates were almost upon them and the dark storm was already overhead. Thunder boomed and the lighting crashed around. Visible bolts struck the water around the pirate ship as it approached. The townspeople were so overwhelmed by the attack and it hadn’t even happened yet. Surly the pirates were closer to demons than they were mortal men. The town would be reduced to ash and no one in the town would ever be heard from again, nor their bodies ever found.

            The dread ship was so close that the pirates could be seen from shore. The pirates weren’t cheering for blood with swords ready, they were fleeing the storm. Terror could be seen in the faces and eyes of all above deck, the storm was chasing them and refused to let up. a bolt of lighting shot down from the sky and struck the ship. A loud crack and bang were heard, sounding like an explosion. The sound of wood being bent and broken followed up next, then the screams of pirates as they fled into the water. Electricity poured from the clouds and crashed into the ship. The townspeople looked on in horror as they saw what they thought was the wrath of god. The electricity spread out along the breaking and splintering wood and resembled a giant hand.

            After ten minutes of lighting pounding the pirate ship and unrelenting strikes on the water, the storm began to calm and the skies cleared up. The storm vanished from the sky and that remained were dead pirates and broken ship pieces. The boy Henry spotted a man washed up on the shore and he was breathing. While the pirates wore black and red and were covered in weapons and tattoos, this man looked more like a sailor or a person that might live in that very town. He was pale and had black hair that came down to his eyes, he had a long navy blue coat that looked weather resistant, sturdy black boots and black workers gloves. The townspeople helped him onto dry land and he was take to the local tavern. It was agreed that he was most likely a prisoner of the pirates and that he could be trusted, but should still be watched.

            The man had twenty feet of chain stashed inside of his long coat, a large sharp hook, two stone jars engraved with mystical runes, various tiny bottles of herbs and exotic ingredients, a flintlock pistol, a pouch of gold coins and a small sailor’s knife.

The townspeople were a little startled by all of the strange items in the man’s coat, but they insisted on making him comfortable while he recovered from his injuries. They had many questions for him and figured that he would be less likely to answer them if he woke up in the local jailhouse.

            The man started to wake up, he found himself in a warm bed, near a crackling fire. The injured man has sparkling blue eyes like the sea after a storm. He tried to stand but felt too weak. The mayor of the village came into the house to greet the injured man. The mayor had a handlebar mustache, brown eyes and gray hair. “Hello, son. Can you speak? My name is mayor Gustav. Who are you?” Asked the Mayor. “My name is Isaac” Said the injured man before passing out.

            The mysterious Isaac survived being held by pirates and lived through a overwhelming storm that killed all the pirates aboard. The townspeople had so many questions and hoped that he had the answers.

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.

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 the Clover brawl part 2

            It was a quiet St. Patrick’s day evening, the grass was green the trees were starting to bloom and everyone was having a good time consuming low level poisons that tasted like bread and happiness. On the outskirts of town was a pub that the locals referred to as “The Clover”. Joseph Stephens and Jaye Williams stood in the demolished bar as a whole group of magical and ‘roided out bros stared them down. Joseph and Jaye glowed with a golden light from the magical Irish stout they drank in the basement of the bar and they were ready to show these jerks not to mess with people who just want to mind their own business. Wizbro smiled from under his amber-crombi brand hood. Joseph ran forward with the fury of a guy who was picked on in high school and now has magical powers. Joseph swung at the Wizbro and midair Joseph’s arm turned to stone. The stone punch connected with Wizbro’s face. The stone fist shattered his good looks and the other bros quickly leaped on him and devoured him to gain his power. The Bros can smell weakness and hate the weakness in themselves as well as others, so they seek to destroy all who are considered ‘less’ than themselves. Also Wizbro was magical so eating his flesh could give people magic.

            RoidBro stepped up in his place, now surging with some small amount of magic stolen from Wizbro and veins filled with illegal drugs he charged at Joseph and punched Joseph so hard he flew backward, destroying a support beam and part of the wall as he went. “No one beats on him but me!” Jaye shouted, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a claw hammer engulfed in flames. “Flaaaame Hammar!” He shouted, hoping his catch phase would catch on. He then threw the hammer with all of his magical strength. it whirled through the air at Roidbro. Before it could hit, Roidbro caught it out of the air and began to laugh. His laughing was interrupted as the flames from the hammer spread out along his arm and then quickly covered his whole body in scorching flames. RoidBro slammed his palms on the ground causing a shockwave which extinguished the flames. RoidBro was too late though and his shockwave was his last act. Roidbro fell over and hit the ground with such force it shattered the floor under him and his body fell into the cellar.

            Several Bros charged Jaye at the same time, unaffected by another fellow council member’s death. “I am starting to think this group is more about picking fights than sticking together” Jaye said as the group rushed at him. Jaye jumped in the air causing wind to start spinning around his body, when he landed the wind was discharged and sent out rushing toward the group. Hurricane winds blasted back the bros and shattered all the windows in the building. Jill was taking cover behind the bar and when the hurricane winds blasted out the windows she went into the basement.

            Every time Joseph or Jaye took out a Bro there always seemed to be more to take their place. Joseph tried to focus his energy, all of his golden energy focused into his hands and he shot it into the air. He used all of his power but was still drunk. Joseph fell over from exhaustion and because he was a lightweight. As soon as he hit the floor a crack of thunder shook the sky. Rain began to pour down and a bolt of lighting shot down through the ceiling and struck a group of bros, blasting them to ashes. The bar caught fire from the lighting strike and the wind from the storm spread the fire over the wooden furniture. Jaye realized how serious it was getting and grabbed his friend. Jaye used the last of his energy to teleport both of them a twenty feet away from the bar and outside. Jaye then remembered Jill the bartender was still in bar. He started to run toward the bar when he saw a group of Bros charging in over the horizon like a vicious army of beasts. Then the redheaded bartended blasted out of the bar, glowing with energy and using wind magic to fly. She drank the rest of the Legendary Irish Stout and now surged with power. The bros were furious as they charged the bar. Jill the bartender charged up a ball of fire and then launched a stream of flames out from her hands. The bar, the army of bros and any grass in the area was consumed by flames as the flying bartended laughed hysterically.

            Time passed, the rains extinguished the flames and Jill, Jaye and Joseph had all sobered up and exhausted their magic. There was nothing left of the bar, just scorched ground and ash. Joseph had regained consciousness and was staring at the spot where the bar used to be. “We did the world a service getting rid of those bros” said Jill. “What will you do now? Asked Joseph. “Maybe the Owner will sell me the land cheap, I could start my own bar. Not a gimmicky bar, just something nice to call my own” Jill replied. “Can we get free drinks?” Jaye asked excitedly. “If you help me build it” Jill replied. “Well that’s a deal!” both Jaye and Joseph said at the same time.

            It was a cold, rainy night, St. Patricks day was almost over. Joseph could think of better ways to spend his day, but having a drunken magic fueled brawl while ridding the world of a dozen or more Bros is still pretty great.

Joseph Stephens and the Clover Brawl part 1

            It was St.Patrick’s day, the day when people with any amount of Irish blood celebrated their heritage and try to feel like part of something larger than themselves while getting blasted drunk. Joseph Stephens and Jaye Williams weren’t normally drinkers but on St. Patrick’s day they decided it would be rude to not help celebrate.

            Joseph Stephens and Jaye Williams walked down the street on their way to “Irish mcpatty’s Irish clover themed pub and bar” Everyone just called it “The Clover” some residence even asked the owner of the bar to change the name to “The clover” but the owner refused. The owner was Italian.

 “So do you have any Irish in you?” Asked Jaye. “Yeah, my great great grandfather came here from Ireland, good old Herbert Ramshackle Stephens” Joseph replied. Out of all of the Stephens family Herbert Stephens was the most memorable, but that is another story for another time.

            “What about you, any luck of the Irish in your veins?” Joseph asked “eh?! No, yeah, well maybe. I was raised by wolves” Jaye replied casually. Joseph knew wolves didn’t raise Jaye, Jaye’s parents attended the large thanksgiving dinner in town. Joseph thought for a moment “His parents looked human, wait…were they wolves in disguise? Can wolves do that? They didn’t look especially Irish, is there even such a thing as Irish wolves? There’s wolves in Ireland, right?” Joseph thought to himself. The whole time Joseph was quiet and continued to walk with a furrowed brow and focused eyes. “You were raised by Irish wolves that can walk and talk like people?!” Joseph finally shouted after ten straight minutes of silence. Jaye didn’t even flinch or react he just casually said “Yeah, that’s right”

            Finally the two friends arrived at “The Clover”. The outside of the bar was brown wood panels with painted green trim and a cobblestone path that led to the door. The two walked into the bar, which was packed full of people wearing green and drinking Irish beer and Irish Whiskey. Some people were drinking green beer, light beer with green food coloring, and they were shunned. Joseph was wearing a forest green spring jacket, a dark green shirt, black pants and brown shoes. Jaye was wearing a weathered old dark green hoodie, under that he had on a bright lime green t-shirt, blue jeans and purple and yellow sneakers.

            The bar was decorated in Celtic Irish patterns, deep green, dark oak and an over all rustic appearance. Joseph and Jaye walked up to the bartender who was a redheaded woman named Jill. “what can I do for you lads?” asked the bartender. “Two dark beers and two shots of Irish whiskey” Said Joseph Stephens. “Yo, dude. You sure you don’t need, like a green milkshake or something? Hey Bartender, I think these two kids snuck in” said a loud douchebro wearing a lime green polo shirt and drinking a green beer.

            Joseph Stephens was a very young looking for a guy in his mid twenties and Jaye didn’t look too much older. Both men were the same age and could only grow a little facial hair. The Bartender just sighed and Jaye patted Joseph’s shoulder “Settle down slaps, its ok” Jaye said. Joseph was noticeably upset but he calmed himself. Joseph got his drinks and did his shot at the bar. Jaye did his shot and then the two walked off to find a table. Celtic music was playing in the background and Joseph really enjoyed Irish alcohol, though he rarely drank. Joseph took a single sip of his dark beer. The flavor was terrific. It was just the right amount of bitter and savory, the aroma made him feel happy and nostalgic all at once. Joseph and Jaye smiled as they both took large sips of their beer. It was a great moment, but the moment quickly ended when Joseph was shoved by the Lime shirt douchebro. “You ignoring me bro?” Asked the Bro. Joseph stumbled and dropped his glass. Time slowed to a crawl as he watched his almost full glass of dark beer tumble to the ground, hit the floor then shatter. Beer splashed everyone around and several people were annoyed. The moment the beer hit the ground Joseph was already mid punch. Joseph decked the Bro in the face as hard as he could. The Bro stumbled backward, enraged that someone stood up to him and touched his face. Furious and with wounded pride the douchebro attacked. Jaye lifted a chair up over his had and smashed it down onto the Bro, which sent him crumpling to the ground. “Chair” Jaye said casually. “Not the same ring to it as Claw hammer” Joseph replied.

            The crowd of drunk customers began to slowly make their way to the exit. Normally fights would excite a crowd but for some reason this crowd seemed worried. “Bro, did you beat our bro?” Asked a man in a black robe. “yeah, but he had it coming. Who are you?” Asked Jaye. “We are the party council, and I am Wizard Bro. If you start beef with one of us, you start it with all of us” Said WizBro. “Are you joking?” Joseph said in disbelief. “Weird stuff just follows you” Jaye whispered. Wizbro began to wave his hands through the air and then brought his hands out, electricity surged through his hands and came out from his palms in a stream of electrical energy. Joseph and Jaye jumped out of the way as the electrical energy turned the tables and chairs to ash. The electricity also consumed DouchBro. “Oh, dude, bro. Sorry about that. Inform his next of bro” Said Wizbro to another jerky looking guy.

            “This is nuts! How are we supposed to fight magic?” Jaye shouted over the sound of the bar being torn up by electricity. “We find the legendary Irish Stout. A dark beer so delicious and legendary that it gives the person who drinks it incredible powers, also makes them drunk” Said Joseph. “That sounds made up” replied Jaye. “you weren’t really raised by wolves” replied Joseph. “Was too!” said Jaye. “Hey, idiots. The cellar of this pub has keg of legendary Irish stout, go get some and stop that jerk from destroying the bar!” The redheaded bartended shouted.

            The two friends nodded and ran behind the bar and the bartended opened a hatch that led to the basement. The two men jumped down into the musty basement. It was dark and filled with different kinds of alcohol bottles, kegs and casks. The bartender closed the hatch and hid behind the bar swearing under her breath as the Bros wrecked the place. “Where did they go?” Shouted one of the Bros.

            Joseph and Jaye burst up through the floor drunk and glowing with energy. “here we are”

When I dream

When I sleep I rarely dream at all,

But when I dream, I dream of Fall.

            February was almost over but the winter hung around like an annoying party guest that won’t go home. The cold was getting to everyone and while some dreamed of spring or summer, I dreamed of fall.

            Soft sunlight shined down through the golden leaves of a tall tree, it warmed my skin and eased my sore muscles. The winter had melted away and gave into Autumn scenery. I was transported back to a place from my memory, an old familiar home, a home where I spent some of my best Autumn days. The air smelled like baked goods and wood smoke and the trees where brightly colored with red, orange and yellow.

            Good times returned to my life, trips to the cider mill, relaxing drives down country roads, quality time with old friends, delicious foods, pizza burps, goofing off and spending more time outside. All of these things were ahead of me, the better parts of life were right around the corner and I couldn’t wait.

            I felt at peace again for the first time in a long time, my mind didn’t even question how it had gone from winter to autumn, I just enjoyed every second that I could.

            I woke up from my Autumn dream and it was still February, the weather was still frigid and a sharp pain stung in the back of my head. I had awoken with a migraine that felt like someone drove a wood screw into the base of my skull, I stood up and felt dizzy, I ran to the bathroom and threw up. February was and will always be the worst time of the year, but the Fall will return and in the meantime, I suppose spring isn’t so bad either.

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Have some coffee or tea and stay warm everyone  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwRBcNReYTw

Red Winter

            The winter dragged on, snow was everywhere, the air was dry and icy and the wind blew so hard it could cut you to the bone. The streets were empty except for one large figure. A man built like a brick wall, covered in scars and ragged clothes marched down the street with a corpse like stiffness. The large man was carrying a bloody heart that was fresh enough to still be dripping blood. The large man lurched and jerked as he moved in a slow and rigid fashion. Large foot prints the size of a human head and drips of blood left a trail behind the walking monstrosity.

             Despite the slow aimless movements and the dumb expression on the man’s face, his eyes were sharp and had purpose, he knew where he was going and knew what unlucky soul he would visit next. the creature walked out in the open in the middle of town, but it was night and the freezing cold had kept everyone inside. The cold didn’t bother the monster but it was starting to freeze the heart that he carried.

            After almost a hour of walking the creature arrived at his destination, a small quiet house at the edge of town, it was secluded, private and no one could hear screams for miles. The creature placed his giant palm on the door and slowly pushed it open, the door creaked as it moved. The monster entered the house holding the half frozen bloody heart. There was a woman humming in the kitchen, music played from a near by radio. Each heavy step the monster took made the floor creak, but he moved slowly and with purpose. The radio drowned out whatever minimal noise the monster made as he snuck into the kitchen.

            The woman turned around and the monster lifted the heart into the air. “Happy Valentines day” The creature muttered shyly. The woman smiled and gave the large man a hug. “you are so sweet!” said the woman, who was also covered in scars and ripped clothes. She had pale green skin and glowing yellow eyes. The happy couple hugged, both closing their eyes and smiling as they enjoyed the moment. Then the woman’s eyes snapped open “wait, did you get frozen? I asked for fresh!”