The peaks and slopes of the Hinterlands looked deceivingly inviting. Crisp, cool air blew through the trees, making the pine needles dance vigorously. The screech of various birds-of-prey could be heard in the distance. Gojo couldn’t help but feel a little exposed in this environment, but he trusted the words of the Shaman. After all, Cho’ruk wouldn’t have any reason to lie to him, especially since Gojo was the only descendant left who could help. Despite his overwhelming mental discomfort, Gojo put one nimble foot in front of the other and continued gradually upwards towards what would, no doubt, be a life-changing trial.
Still working on…
…getting ideas put together for some new content. I’ve got some rough concepts, but I’m trying to iron out whether I’d like to create longer passages, or just continue some of the shorts I’ve already posted.
I’ve been away…
I’ve been away for a while, and haven’t added any new content (duh). I’m going to try and make an honest effort to get some more shorts up soon.
Confusion Ensues…
Confusion Ensues…
By S.R. Hazen
At close to midnight, I walked up the stairs of my apartment building, exhausted and confused. I barely pushed the door open when Romeo, my basset hound, leaped at my feet, panting and excited to see me. After tripping over him and swearing lightly, I sat down on the couch as he jumped up into my lap, giving me sweet kisses. He’s an attention hog and a total pain in the arse sometimes, but Romeo had a way of making you feel loved. At least I don’t come home to an empty house anymore, I thought sadly. How I’ve hated coming home after a long day to no one but myself. So, thank God for my Romeo.
I gently shoved him aside as I headed to my bedroom and found something more comfortable to wear. After deciding on a tank top and some old boxers (they might have been from a previous boyfriend, I couldn’t remember), Romeo followed me into the kitchen for a late night snack. Craving something sweet, I opened a container of Ben and Jerry’s Brownie Batter ice cream and dove right into it. Now normally, I’m a health nut and wouldn’t indulge in this sinful delight, but I had a container stored in the back of the freezer for my off days- and today was a totally confusing off day that deserved some ice cream.
I sat on the couch and savored its chocolaty goodness, hoping it would distract me from racing thoughts. Didn’t really help, though. I then threw a CD into my stereo, hoping some good music would distract me. It turns out that I had accidently put in one of Trent’s mixes that he made for me. We liked a lot of the same music, so he continually made me mixed CDs, with songs of sweet love, sad heartache, and whatever sounded good. For some time, I avoided listening to those CDs, since hearing those songs reminded me of him and caused me to cry uncontrollably. Tonight, though, hearing the songs just made me smile as I thought about my first love, and all the things we had gone through. At times like these, I loved to reminisce on the good things- prom, his cousin’s wedding, the summer after my high school graduation, the days we spent just hanging with each other, the nights we stayed up texting rather than sleeping. It made me want to forget the other things- the things and circumstances that drew us apart.
Back Again
A short story by: S. R. Hazen
A Surprise At Work…
Love has a funny way of sneaking up on you when you least expect it. You could be in a grocery store aisle and find someone who likes Double Stuft Oreos over regular ones- just like you. You could be in a fast-food restaurant parking lot, and run into that special someone as they are finishing their shift. Or maybe you could be sending a complaint to an office, and meet a charming lady in Customer Service who makes you forget why you were mad in the first place. Either way, love is that amazing, unexpected feeling that takes us by surprise, and latches on so strongly and passionately, no matter when or where it takes place.
For me, it came on a pretty busy day. With Natural Love Art Gallery’s grand opening only a week away, I was in a rushed and frantic state of mind. Around me, there were still cans of paint and bare white walls needing to be painted, light fixtures that hung darkly because the electrician still hadn’t made it out (after promising to for 2 weeks now), and various paintings that lay covered on the floor, when they should have been in their places on the painted walls by now. With each passing day, less and less was getting done, making me more and more nervous.
I walked across the vast space from my office to the nearest wall, taking the cover off one of the pieces. On it was a pale woman, her body covered in a deep purple sheet and an intricate bright blue design spanning her arm like veins. My first piece, I reminisced to myself, remembering the days when I was realizing my dreams of becoming an artist and owning my own gallery. We’ve come a long way from painting on Mom’s living room floor, huh? So close to making the dream come true… if we can get this place fixed up by then.
I looked at the walls once more, and had finally had enough of their blank existence in my world of creativity and color. If you want something done right, sometimes you’ve gotta do it yourself, I determined as I rolled up my sleeves and kicked my stilettos across the room. I turned on some music to get me motivated, and then headed towards my next project. I picked up a leftover roller from the workers’ half-finished job earlier and splashed the corn silk blue paint carelessly across the wall. I continued doing this for what seemed like hours, covering every white space with personality and true appeal. The phone rang several times while I worked, but I couldn’t stop painting- with each stroke, I became more immersed in my work and lost all sense of reality.
The Shoes…
The bus hummed, drowning out the idle conversation of those around him. He sat alone in his seat, only slightly aware of his surroundings. He knew he was going to Fourth and Lincoln, and then on to the towering, glass encrusted building which contained a cubicle. HIS cubicle. Now, however, he was only concerned with one thing: the new shiny, leather shoes on his feet.
Leonard had purchased new shoes at the Buster Brown outlet yesterday and he’d been thinking about how good it was to be wearing a new pair for a change. Being 42, Leonard didn’t get excited about too many things. Sure, every once and a while, his right eyebrow would raise in triumph when he found his favorite can of pork and beans on sale at the Safeway, or his foot would tap melodically to the Muzak version of ”California Girls” by the Beach Boys while he was looking at the headlines of all the major newspapers at the convenience store, but he was otherwise a very stolid person.
The bus came to a halt three blocks from his intended intersection and, on a whim, he decided to exit onto the sidewalk. “Why not?” he thought to himself. “Why don’t I just break in these shoes a bit?”
So, he did.
The Facility…
A single bead of sweat rolled down his forehead and into his left eye. That sting, however, couldn’t compare to the fear he was feeling. He was almost sick to his stomach, and he summoned every ounce of courage he had just to put one foot in front of the other.
As he stared down the sight and into the pool of white his flashlight made on the opposite wall, he kept thinking, “Am I going to die tonight? Will this be the last feeling I have?”
He slowly moved down each pitch-black corridor, only the single beam of light breaking the inky darkness. He had been taught well. His instincts were superb, and his calculated movements would have made his instructors proud. But tonight, they weren’t here. As the matter of fact, no one else was. They were all dead. Whatever hellish creature had been found three days earlier had escaped. It had escaped and now he was the only one left.
“This is an easy assignment,” he had been told when he was given his papers. “It’s going to be a vacation resort for you!” they had said.
Solstice
Despite his best efforts, Adlai couldn’t help but be melancholy. After all, he wouldn’t see her for quite some time. As he looked out over the barren and broken landscape, he could still see remnants of her footprints on the hard, dried ground. The wind-whipped environment seemingly screamed for moisture, for salvation.
“Watch after the others,” she had said as she stood in the doorway, a single tear running down her face. “You’re the only protection they’ve got until I return.”
Adlai had nodded his head and had given her a single kiss on her ample lips. He watched solemnly as she stepped off the front portico and disappeared over the horizon. He knew she had to make this journey. The group had finally agreed that finding others, either friend or foe, would determine their future. Then, and only then, would they be able to move forward.
“Will she come back?” a little voice inquired from behind him. “What if there are others? What if they’re like the bad monsters?” Joseph whined concernedly.
Adlai did his best to stifle his own tears and act like the adult he was forced to be. He, too, was scared beyond belief but he knew his example was what would keep the group together. “Yes, she’s going to be fine. You know Sol as well as I do. She always comes through.”
“I know.” Joseph said, although he sounded quite dejected. “I miss her already.”
“I do too, little brother. I do too.” Adlai replied as his gaze once again fell upon her quickly-fading footsteps…
The Beginning…
Staring out at the barren wastes, he couldn’t help but feel a glimmer of hope. Because today was the day. The day that reshaped him to the core. The day that he would no longer be a cog in the machine but would, instead, become the creator of machines…
