You’ve undoubtedly heard of Amelia Earhart, the legendary aviatrix whose final flight ended with her tragic disappearance. That being said this will not be a biography but rather a study of sorts. I’ll call it “ The Life of Amelia Earhart as it Pertains to the Origins of Folklore ”. A long title to be sure but it will make sense in a little while.
It’s tempting to start from the beginning and tell you that Amelia Earhart was born July 24th, 1897, or that she bought her first plane in July of 1921, or that she set an aviation record the summer of the very next year. And while it might seem pertinent to tell you that, in 1932 Amelia Earhart became the first woman, (and second person) to fly solo across the Atlantic, and that Amelia Earhart went on to set many aviation records throughout her tragically short career, I think it best that we start in 1936, at the beginning of the end for Mrs. Earhart.
More specifically the year in which she acquired her Lockheed Electra 10E, her “Flying Laboratory” as she called it. With this new plane she began planning her most ambitious mission yet. Amelia decided she would fly around the world across the equator.
For all intents and purposes Amelia Earhart was a rockstar. Beloved by Americans everywhere. In fact, according to Purdue.edu, the website I got most of these facts from, “Amelia and Albert Einstein spoke at the opening of the New York Museum of Science and Industry. Amelia testified before a Senate sub-committee on air safety, campaigned for the 1936 Democratic Party, and was honored by women geographers that same year.”
To say she was loved would be a severe understatement. Being said, It’s safe to say that most eyes were on her March, 17th 1937, when she took off from Oakland, California to make her trip around the world. Amelia landed in Honolulu to refuel exactly 15 hrs and 47 min later. Another record in a list of many. The plane was moved to Luke Field, where she attempted to take off again. If she were superstitious, this take off may have been seen as a red flag, as it ended with Amelia ground looping the plane, badly damaging it in the process. A ground loop is defined as “a violent, uncontrolled horizontal rotation of an aircraft while landing, taking off, or taxiing.” Basically it’s very bad. So bad that the plane was sent all the way back to
California to be repaired.
Now Amelia wasn’t one to be scared easily. In fact Harry Manning, the navigator on this first attempt, would later call her “bull-headed”, and while this was used as an insult, it’s hard to find fault in that description. Amelia Earhart, while skilled as a pilot, failed to complete many of the competencies required of pilots at the time, she was not well versed in how to use her equipment or radio, and more importantly, she didn’t know Morse code. Bull-headed could very well describe her mindset as she made her way to Miami, Florida for her second attempt.
Harry Manning had been replaced at this point by Fred Noonan, and on June 1, Amelia and Fred departed. Then after another planned departure from Lae, New Guinea, Fred and Amelia were never seen again. According to the National Air and Space Museum website “The government put forth an extraordinary attempt to find Earhart that went on for sixteen days, involved nine vessels, four thousand crewmen, and sixty-six aircraft at a cost of more than $4 million. All of this was to no avail” Amelia, Fred and the Lockheed Electra 10E, were never found.
This is where folklore comes in. Many theories were put forth to explain her disappearance. Some people believe Amelia was taken prisoner by the Japanese, some believe that she was a spy. A rather outlandish theory is that Amelia Earhart actually survived the crash, and moved back to America and lived the rest of her life as a woman named Irene Bolam. The real Irene Bolam was not particularly fond of this theory.
The likely truth is that they couldn’t find the tiny Howland Island they had been looking for, and the combined fact that Amelia was not competent in radio communications, and that the plane was already low on fuel culminated in a crash landing in the Pacific. Who knows how she spent her final moments, but one thing is sure. As deaths go, hers was not one befitting a hero.
But why believe that? There was no body after all. There was no plane. Who’s to say what the truth is, without proof to the contrary. This line of thinking might seem foolish, but don’t we do this all the time. We believe in ghosts that stick around after death, We believe in afterlifes where we will once again see the ones we love. We believe in the impossible because it brings us the comfort we need to go about our day. Maybe we don’t believe in folklore because we are foolish, maybe folklore is how we hold on to the things we just aren’t ready to let go of.
That is how Amealia Earhart pertains to the origins of folklore. She was not just a woman, she was a hero. A martyr, and believing in her for just a little longer might have been just what the people of America needed at the time.
While this story doesn’t quite have a happy ending, I can’t help but admire the tenacity of the famous aviatrix. The bull- headedness if you will. She must have known something might go wrong, but she persisted, and I would be remiss if I didn’t include a quote from the woman herself “Obviously I faced the possibility of not returning when first I considered going. Once faced and settled there really wasn’t any good reason to refer to it.”
Bull-headed indeed. While I admire this quality in a woman of her caliber. Maybe this attitude was necessary to excel in her, male dominated field, unfortunately this attitude is what led to her untimely demise. Or not. I guess it depends on what you believe doesn’t it. After all, legends never die.
Author Archives: Tyrek Showels
Sixteen Days
16 days
Thats all it takes.
One thing the tv shows get wrong about the downfall of civilization , is just how boring it could be at times. Unless you’re some kind of hero, you spend most of your time sitting. Unfortunately for me I had just got home from college when the world decided to end, so I got to spend the apocalypse with my parents. I’m not really sure what triggered the end, but it sure was loud.
We sat watching the news in the living room. Or rather we sat in the living room while the news was on. My mom always liked to have it on. “You never know what’s going to happen” she would say. She’s always been a little paranoid. We sat and talked about something or another, it feels like a forever ago, I hardly remember what it was. I do remember what happened next. There was a loud bang, and then silence.
Absolute silence. The TV went out. The familiar hum of all the appliances went dead. The world outside seemed to stop, and then the gunshots.
A more curious person may have checked it out but my dad was not the curious type. My Dad’s ex- military instincts kicked in and before my mom or I had reacted he was back from the garage with two hammers and a bucket of nails. Yes, a bucket. Anytime he took nails out of something, from bedframes to swing sets. he would put the old nails in a bucket. “In case we need it” he had said. In 15 years we had never needed it, which made us wonder why he still did it. But in this moment, boy were we glad he did . He returned once more with a few wooden boards.
“Start with the windows, the doors will hold for now” he said to the room and that’s how the first few hours of the end were spent. My dad dragging planks of wood from the garage and my mom and I nailing them to the walls.
If I had had my druthers I might have checked the blinds to see what was happening outside but by the time I had even thought about it there were planks covering them.
We sat in candlelight. After boarding up the windows, very little natural light filtered through the wood. We just sat. What else was there to do. We couldn’t talk. What was there to talk about. The mundane things that bothered us before, weren’t worth thinking about anymore, let alone speaking.
That was Day One. Silence. Even the gunshots ceased there barking, and all that remained was silence.
By Day Four we realized that we couldn’t keep going without talking about what happened, so we did.
“We don’t know what has happened, but let’s assume that we will be in this house for a little while, which means we need food” , Dad said, he walked to the kitchen, turning the faucet. Water came out. ” The water works for now, start filling buckets and when there’s no buckets fill the sinks.”
He went to the garage and started grabbing buckets and pans, anything that could hold water. We filled them all the way up almost to the brim. The last thing we wanted was to spill any.
Day Four is also the day my mother began to cry. It was so soft it was barely detectable, but upon seeing her face there was no doubt.
” This war is no place for a little girl”, she had said. She had been referring to me of course, but I was not a little girl. Like I said before, I was in college,nor was there a war as far as I knew, but I didn’t correct her. I just hugged her tight, while she cried silently.
While we filled the buckets with water, Dad worked on getting the planks off the door.
We may have gone a little wild with the nails, but can you blame us, it’s the end of the world. He made sure to put them back in the bucket.
” Just in case”, the words fell almost unconsciously from his lips, “Just in case”.
When he was done , he opened the door, and what I saw was… nothing. Everything looked normal. A few things were torn through with bullets though, and as if spurred by the thought, bullets tore through the air once more, and the door was hurriedly shut and bolted. He didn’t put the planks back though.
” Tomorrow morning I go look for food”, Dad said. He went to say more but the ring of gunshots interrupted him. I wish I knew what they were shooting at.
” The war is no place for a little girl”, my mom said from where she sat, on the couch with her face in her hands.
Day Five was mostly uneventful. It was for me at least. When I woke up, my dad had left. I guess he decided to move under the cover of darkness. We worried for him but after a few hours of that, even that became boring. Instead we sat. My mother cried quietly but I could hear her through the silence. I refused to look at her face anymore. It was too painful. I looked at the ceiling.
A butterfly flapped around and around. The rustle of wings almost perceptible. He flew around the room before coming to land in the armrest of the chair. I decided then that he would be my new companion. I named him Marvin. I stuck out a finger and Marvin crawled onto my hand.
I must have fallen asleep because when I awake, My dad was walking through the door with a shopping cart full of canned goods and 2 cases of bottled water.
His shirt was covered in blood
We didn’t mention it.
On Day Eight, I noticed something weird. None of us ever spoke above a whisper anymore. It was as if silence was fragile, and breaking it could lead to harm. I noticed this because I woke up to what sounded to my ears like yelling. No not yelling, counting. I went to the garage and saw Dad with his hands in the bucket of nails, being careful not to poke himself he counted 1 by 1. I asked him why, and with no thought he replied
“Just in case”
I left him to it and went to go find Marvin. He sat on my desk. Yellow wings twinkling by sunlight. I stuck out my finger and he walked on to me and we went to the living room to sit like we always did. Everyday we sat. It was either that or lay in bed all day. Everyday Mom cried. I couldn’t remember what she looked like before the crying. I could hardly remember her face. But I wouldn’t look. I would never look.
“The war is no place for a little girl” she cried.
She must have looked at me when she said it, but I don’t know.
On Day Nine, I woke to loud banging at the door. I thought someone was knocking, but I quickly realized they were trying to break in. My Dad also came to that realization. Without hesitation he pulled out his gun opened the door and fired. He hit one and the others ran, carrying there wounded friend. I learned two things then. People had begun looting houses. We had discussed the possibility already, but seeing it in action was terrifying. The second thing I learned was, my dad has a gun. I asked him why he had a gun, but you can probably guess his answer.
“Just in case”
My mother cried a little louder after the gunshot. She was still on the couch. I wonder if she ever slept.
Marvin and I went back to the couch and sat. I let him fly around a little bit. He likes it. I watch him twinkle and flutter and then closed my eyes and fell asleep in my chair.
“The war is no place for a little girl”
When my mother was a young girl. She lived with her parents in Vietnam. At a young age she knew the cruelties of war. She had engulfed in it since birth. Her parents sent her away to the countryside. To live with her grandparents.
“The war is no place for a little girl ” they had said, as they bundled her up into the car.
They had spoke Vietnamese of course, but I don’t speak Vietnamese. My mother had smiled. If she had known this was the last time she would ever see her parents, she might not have bothered.
I tell you this so you know that what happened next, was not a malicious act, but the act of a desperate mother. I woke up on Day Ten looking into the crying face of my mom. She muttured as she cried “The war is no place for a little girl”. Even disoriented as I was it didn’t take me long to see the raised kitchen knife above her head.
I threw her off me and ran to my room, shutting and locking the door. She knocked on the door ceaselessly, not bothering to try and break it down. Her voice racked with sobs. “The war is no place for a little girl”
She hit the door with the knife a few times, and surprisingly the knife ate through the door piece by piece until there was a hole big enough to see through. She kept hacking until my dad came around the corner.
My Dad was a soldier, so when she attacked him next, he reacted quickly. Not quite quickly enough though as she slashed his leg he fell down, injured. She had fallen too from a shove , but she was back up now, knife poised to strike, and my father reacted to that too. With a bullet through her head. She fell down, and the crying finally stopped.
Through the hole cut in the door by the knife, Marvin fluttered to the living room to sit, just like we did everyday. Not noticing or caring about the things that had just happened. I joined him in the living room. Helping my dad to his feet before walking by my mother’s lifeless face. That night the crying started up again. It was my dad now.
Day Fifteen was the day I decided I needed to leave. My dad had cried for four days straight, and he was working on a fifth, but what actually bothered me was what I saw in the garage.
My Dad was in there counting the nails, like he normally does. He was no longer careful though. He plunged his hand in as if it were a bucket of water. Blood rolled down his arm and on to the floor. ” Just in case,” he muttered ” Just in case”. He saw me come in and he smiled. I don’t want to make assumptions, for all I know my dad is still alive and well, so all I’ll say is before he could move into the way I say a rope behind him. Tied off into a loop.
” Just in case”, he would say, if I asked, but I didn’t ask. I knew though that me and Marvin had to get out.
Marvin and I got up early on Day Sixteen. I could hear my Dad crying and counting in the garage. I guess he hadn’t slept. I took the shopping cart with me. I left some food and water for him and took the rest.
Outside was beautiful. Marvin flew so so high swooping and sweeping, twinkling and fluttering, feeling free from the confines of the house. We had to keep moving though. I wasn’t sure who had been shooting but I also didn’t want to know.
I found this place that I’m in now, but it’s not the best place to hide from looters. It’s Day 25 and they’ve attempted twice already. Luckily I stole my dad’s gun. It keeps them at bay
At least Marvin is happy. His beautiful yellow wings barely catching the sunlight. A beauty all but lost to the world outside. I hadn’t seen a single animal out there. Let alone a butterfly. You may ask why his name is Marvin. Marvin was the name of my college friend. The college from 25 days ago, that somehow feels like 25 years ago. Marvin was the philosophical type. “What is life?”, and crap like that. It was mostly annoying, but sometimes he asked a really good question.
One such day, we were sitting outside in the yard eating lunch, and out of nowhere he says.
“How long do you think it would take for the world to end?” , he blurts
“What?”, I said nearly choking on the food in my throat.
“Assuming the Earth doesn’t spontaneously explode, how long would it take for the world to end?”
Then I would have said, I don’t know, but now having experienced the end of the world, I could tell you
16 days, Marvin
That’s all it takes
Child of Lights
Prologue
Alaina sits down on the beach, a long journey now behind her. She has reached her destination. She swells with pride and simultaneously fears what has to come next.
Later, she thinks, for now she sits and ponders on how she got here.
“Happy birthday, honey”, Alaina’s mother said. They stood out on the coastline and watched as the sun went down.
” I always knew this day would come but not so soon”
Alaina looks to her mother, sadness drawn across her face. Alaina would miss her home but most of all she would miss her mother. The woman who has raised her all alone. The journey couldn’t wait though. Alaina’s mother held out a gift box to her.
The box was unnecessary, as Alaina already knew its content, but she relished it anyway. She removed the ribbon, feeling the silk twist and turn as the bow unraveled, and she opened the lid to see a necklace. The pendant was square with 6 holes in it.
Alaina took the pendant and held it up to her eyes and peered up at the sky. She centered a star in the first hole but the other stars didn’t align.
They would though, as Alaina says her goodbyes to her mother she set off to find where the stars align.
Chapter 1
The island where Alaina landed was not very far away from where she started. Which was good for her since her arms had gone limp from rowing. With an effort she lifts her pendant up to see the stars and they do not align. That’s ok though, thought Alaina, I need to rest. The sun peeked up above the horizon as Alaina searched for a place to rest, and after a little searching she found a cave to lay down and rest in.
The cave was dark and a little damp, but as Alaina ventured further in she found that it got more dry. Alaina set down her pack for a pillow and layed down to get some much needed rest.
Just then a skittering noise emanated through the cave. Alaina looked up to see a crab. The crab was very large. It was blue, with six long legs and two large claws. Most shocking of all, the Crab glowed.
” Hello, Little one. What brings you to my abode”. The Crab spoke in a soft voice but it was easily audible in the quiet cave.
Alaina spoke, in a voice much older than herself, “ I want to rest, I’ve had a long journey”
As she speaks the crab seems to recognize the pendant around her neck. He gets in closer to see it. “ Ah, the child of lights. So you’ve come for your trial then?” , he says, skittering back to look at her.
In much the same voice as before Alaina announces, “ I have come only to rest, and then I will be gone from here.”
“But you must participate in the trial before you may receive your reward”
“ What reward are you talking about”, Alaina said puzzled
“ In the place where the stars align, you will receive your reward but only if you participate in the trials.”
Alaina hadn’t known there would be trials but since her purpose of setting sail was to find the place where the stars aligned she said ” I accept this trial”
“Good”, the crab said,” That saves an awkward conversation, because the trial started as soon as you walked in”
The ground began to shake and rocks began to fall from the ceiling. Alaina ran to the entrance of the cave only to find her path blocked
Chapter 2
Alaina turned back to see that the crab had vanished and she was left alone in the cave with no way out. Clearly the trial was to find a way out but how? Alaina touched her hand to the stones, feeling for any weaknesses. Maybe she could find a place to push that would knock it all down, but no such luck. The blockade was sturdy.
Alaina stood for a moment, thinking. Maybe I can find a large stick and pry a few rocks loose. There’s got to be something in here. So Alaina went in search of a way out.
Further into the cave, Alaina found something unexpected. A canoe. It wasn’t usable, the humid cave air had done wonders in rotting away the wood over the years but more important to Alaina were the two oars sitting inside.
They had rotted a little as well but this was her best chance and she knew it. Alaina took the oars and hurried back to the mouth of the cave. Studying it one again, she found a crack, jammed one oar in, and pulled.
She pulled as hard as she could, not accounting for the rot setting into the wood. With a crack the oar snapped in half. Alaina stumbled backwards, sighing. Well I have one more, just have to be more careful. She went to pull the end of the oar from the wall so she could try again. It did not budge.
She pulled with all her strength and it would not move. Alaina was frustrated with this new turn of events. Her strategy had apparently reached a dead end. With a hint of anger she gave one last try, she kicked the rod. Then she felt it give. It was only a little but it gave her hope. She kicked again and again and again. The shorter rod, it seemed, was a lot stronger than the oar as a whole and when she finally kicked it free, a few rocks came free with it.
The wall began to shake as the structure blocking her path crumbled to the ground. Alaina stood and reveled in her success. Then, having exhausted all of her strength, she collapsed against the cave wall, with a proud smile.
Chapter 3
Alaina noticed two things upon waking up, the first was the sun peeking over the horizon. She had slept in too long it seemed, and she would have to wait until nightfall in order to leave.
Alaina preferred traveling at night, to avoid the harsh sunlight and in order to follow her star guide. The second thing she noticed was the giant blue crab a few feet away
“You have successfully demonstrated your resourcefulness and adaptability, now you will receive your reward” the crab touched Alaina’s forehead with a massive claw.
Immediately there was a loud roar, Alaina covered her ears and looked around, wondering where the sound had come from.
The crab touched her forehead again “my apologies” he said. And almost instantly the roar faded. “I have enhanced your senses, I’ve adjusted to where it will gradually enhance to give you time to get used to it, I forget how fragile human minds are”
Alaina looked at him in wonder
“Thank you for the reward, and for your consideration” Alaina said, once again in a voice almost unrecognizable as her own. ” If I may ask, How many trials are there?”
“Three”
“Ok, and before we started you said I would get a reward at the place where stars align, but you gave me a reward now”
“Yes, maybe I should have explained a little bit more, you will receive your ultimate reward at the place where the stars align. What I have given you is a resource to help you on your way.”
“That’s very kind of-“
The screech of a seagull interrupts her sentence and pierced her ears. Alaina quickly covered her ears to shield from the noise
“Have you ever tried meditation”, the glowing crab asked. “It might help, here follow my lead” the crab lay down on the sand, and Alaina sat with him.
“Okay now breathe in ” the crab said
Alaina took in a deep breath and let it out.
She sat down on the sand, and felt the grains of sand slip between her fingers. She smelled the ocean, as she heard the waves crashing against the beach. A seagull sang a scratchy song, and joined into the music of the sea.
Alaina opened her eyes. She noticed two things. She felt more in tune with the world around her than she ever had before, and even though she had closed her eyes in the morning, the sun was now well below the horizon.
“I guess it’s time for me to go” , Alaina rose and walked over to where her boat was, and with one last wave to her crab companion, she parted ways and sailed away.
Chapter 4
Sailing alone can get lonely, and Alaina felt this loneliness heavily. Along with loneliness, boredom also followed. Alaina studied her map, she checked the sky, and she ate and drank, and yet the night drew on.
In an effort to relieve her boredom Alaina decided to test out her new abilities. First she saw, and even though her night vision was enhanced, there was not much to see. She saw the water gently rock, she saw schools of fish beneath the surface. None of which was surprising to her. Next she listened. She heard the water lapping the side of the boat, she heard the fish as they swam through the dark waters, and unexpectedly she heard a voice.
“Child of Lights, I see you have come for your second trial.”, The voice said.
The voice was deep and booming. It was also slightly muffled as if coming from far away. It had in fact come from far away. Alaina looked over the side of the boat and with her newly enhanced vision she saw below the water, a blue, glowing, sea horse. It clung tightly to the mast of a ship that looked to be in terrible shape. The ship looked to have been battered
“I suppose I have”, Again the voice was not hers but that didn’t surprise her. “What is my second trial?”
” The second trial is the most simple, all you must do is make it to the next island”
The seahorse swam away, just as Alaina began to hear raindrops falling onto her boat. She felt a few drops land lightly on her skin.
Then chaos. Lightning lit the sky, as the boat shook with the sound of thunder. The waves began to rise high and crash down on Alaina from all sides. Within seconds she was drenched from head to toe, and with her small boat and even smaller frame, the fight against the sea was all but fruitless.
Chapter 5
Alaina continued to row as best she could, but with the sea rocking and the storm raging overhead, she had no way to know if she was making any progress. With no other recourse she decided she had to wait out the storm. If that’s even possible, what if the storm just keeps going until I reach an island? ,Alaina thought, trying her best to shield herself from the onslaught of water. I have no other choice. I have to wait it out Alaina lay down flat on the boat and closed her eyes. She focused on the water that drenched her clothes.She focused on the scent of the storm as it raged. She focused on the thunder as it tore apart the sky with a mighty roar.
She refused to fear it. She reveled in it. She revered it. The storm beat on, but she held steadfast. The waves continued to batter the sides of the boat. If any passage had been made there was no way to tell. Alaina’s eyes shot wide open though when she heard the worst sound she had ever heard. A crack of wood, as the boat beneath her gave way to the murky water.
Chapter 6
The storm had subsided which was the good news. The bad news was that Alaina was now adrift on a few errant pieces of wood. She had enough sense to grab her pack before it went down with the boat, not that it was much help in her current situation. The sun peeked over the horizon as Alaina lay drifting aimlessly in the sea.
Alaina was at a loss for what to do. She could swim, but in what direction. With the sunlight that now enveloped the sky with a pale orange light, she had no way of telling where she was.
The only thing to do is to find my bearing somehow, Alaina thought. She looked around.
She almost gave up on looking when she saw something. Trees. They were trees, and with trees came land.
With new vigor Alaina began to paddle her arms towards the trees in the distance. Her arms grew tired but Alaina persevered, desperate for a stable surface beneath her. She reached the land and with great effort she lurched on to the beach. Weary and triumphant, Alaina fell dormant and rested, under the shade of the forest.
Chapter 7
Night fell over the island as Alaina awoke. She held up her guide, but the stars did not align just yet. She was close though, she could feel it. The only problem was she no longer had a boat.
“Your second task is complete, you have demonstrated great patience and strength and now you will receive your reward”, she couldn’t see the creature but she knew it was the Seahorse that spoke.
A stream of water flew out from the beach, hitting Alaina square in the face.
“Ow!” Alaina exclaimed, more in surprise than in pain.
“Sorry, I can’t go on land, that’s the best I can do from here. You have been given great strength, enough to weather any storm. Your last trial awaits you. You will find what you need on this island. “
Alaina felt the power wash over her body, and though her physical appearance didn’t change she felt the new found strength within her. You will find what you need on this island, Alaina pondered, I don’t know what that’s supposed to mean. For now I need to focus on leaving this island.
With one last look towards the sea, catching a glimpse of driftwood floating in the distance, Alaina walked into the woods.
She had not gone far before she heard a whispering noise. Alaina spun quickly toward the sound but saw nothing. She walked forward only to find her path blocked by a log.
No, not a log. It moved slowly as it circled around her, its scales a glowing, vibrant, blue.
The head of the massive Snake rose in front of her.
She spoke, “Forgive me, Child of Lights, your third and final task awaits. Fight and you shall receive your reward.”
A woosh of air was expelled as the coil tightened around Alaina’s body, trapping her in a prison of blue scales.
Chapter 8
The Snake was strong, but so was Alaina. After a struggle Alaina wriggled free of the Snake’s grasp. The task was straightforward, but even still, Alaina was suspicious.
There wasn’t a lot of time to think about it though. Alaina jumped to the side, just as a massive tail slammed down into the ground where she had stood. Alaina hid behind a tree. She heard the whispering of scales sliding across leaves and other foliage.
You will find what you need on this island, The words came back to her. Alaina searched around and found nothing. Well nothing except the absolutely obvious thing. The trees. She had to use the trees somehow.
Palm to forehead, she searched the trees, and found what she was looking for. High up above her head she saw a heavy looking branch that looked ready to fall.
Alaina jumped into action. Jumping into the waiting arms of the tree, as a massive head barely missed ramming into her. She climbed quickly. She had always been a natural climber and this time was no exception.
The Snake’s tail shook the tree, as she climbed, but thanks to the Seahorse her hold had never been stronger. She reached the branch and pulled.
The branch shook but held fast. The Snake continued to pound the tree, as Alaina pulled, The combination of forces overcoming the branches resistance, and sending it tumbling to the forest floor. Pinned beneath it by the neck , was the Serpent.
She hissed and flung her tail out, but Alaina didn’t engage. Alaina’s suspicions had grown throughout the fight, and she knew what had to be done. “Forgive me,” She had said, and so she did.
“You have fought well, Serpent. Your aggression is forgiven, as it was I who trespassed into your home. We have fought, but I will not harm you.”
Alaina reached for the branch, and with effort lifted it off of the Serpent. The Snake shimmered and then glowed and when the glow abated the Snake was smaller and clung to a tree in front of Alaina.
“Indeed, we have fought, and you have shown mercy. You have demonstrated great reason and compassion, furthermore you have completed your final trial.” The Serpent reached out its head and grazed Alaina’s forehead.
“You have been given great knowledge, do with this knowledge what you will. Your prize awaits you, Child.”
“Thank you for your gift, Great Serpent. I know now what I must do” , Alaina’s voice was old, but she recognized it. It was her own. A voice she hadn’t used in a long time.
Chapter 9
Alaina built a raft. She hadn’t known how before, but now she was confident in her craftsmanship. By the sunset, Alaina left the island and by sunrise she arrived at her destination.
Alaina sits down on the beach, a long journey now behind her. She has reached her destination. She swells with pride and simultaneously fears what has to come next.
Later, she thinks, for now she sits and ponders on how she got here. Alaina closes her eyes and remembers, until falling into a fitful rest.
Chapter 10
Alaina opened her eyes, as the sun went down. The pendant rested heavy against her chest. She knew exactly what it was, It wasn’t the guide, as she assumed. It was the key. Alaina lifted the pendant to the sky and found where the stars aligned. The pendant began to glow, blue, and vibrant and beautiful.
Alaina began to float up into the night. Glowing the same beautiful blue. Alaina said goodbye to her mother. Her mother heard her, Alaina knew this. Alaina knew a great many things now, as she became one with the cosmos.
Alaina gave one last grin. A grin of resilience, a grin of strength, a grin of compassion. A grin of triumph.
“I have been tested, and have been found worthy” She spoke, in a voice she had missed, a voice she had loved.
A voice that sang, as the Child of Lights, rejoined the stars from which she came.
The End
“Daddy, Im Going to Kill You”
“Daddy, I’m going to kill you”
I looked up at my daughter who sat across the table from me. She didn’t usually speak at dinner, so the sound of her voice startled me.
“I’m sorry, what was that” I said, not sure if I heard correctly
“I’m going to kill you, daddy.”
” What are you talking about honey, why do you keep saying that?”, i said in annoyance
“Because I am, the voices in my room taught me how” she said, barely even looking up from her food. She seemed happy to be saying the words. ” What are you going to tell them?”
She must have seen me from the corner of her eye as I reached for my cell phone. “They won’t do anything, the police I mean, I’m only 6, I say all kinds of silly things”, she giggled at that, and ate her food.
I didn’t know what to do. What voices? Could she really kill me? No, that’s silly of course. She says silly things all the time.
“Honey, why do you want to kill me?”, i spoke cautiously
She didn’t respond, she just ate her food in silence. I went back to eating too, putting this odd conversation behind me.
“All your friends hate you, you know. They’re scared you might hurt them. If they could kill you they would, but they can’t. I can though”
“Stop this right now!” I yelled. Anger welled up in my stomach, and my fists clenched on the table. She didn’t flinch though, she smiled.
“ Are you going to hurt me daddy?” she said with a smile, that ungodly smile. “ Are you angry with me”
I didn’t respond. I wasn’t really sure what to say, she usually listens to me.
Angrily, I stood up from the table. “ You are in big trouble, you shouldn’t talk to your father that way, little girl”, I moved to step toward her. I don’t know what I was going to do, but she only smiled. She laughed and giggled and smiled
“ Sit down, daddy. You’re being silly.”
The lights flickered as the chair behind me rammed into my legs as an unseen force pushed me back down into my seat.
“Daddy, you know it’s only right. After what you did to mommy”, she said as she shoveled more food into her mouth.The words were like a punch in the stomach. Tears welled up as i remembered her crumpled form laying at the bottom of the stairs
“Mommy is OK, she just had a bad fall, sweetie. The doctors will take care of her” I said in a whisper. I wanted to believe that’s what happened but we both knew it wasn’t true
“ Mommy wont wake up because of you, you hurt her. You hurt her like you hurt all your friends. They want you to fall too, so they don’t have to be scared anymore, so they don’t end up like Mommy” , She was so nonchalant she could have been talking about what she was eating for dinner
“Look, Amaya, I know I have a drinking problem. I get drunk and-”
“YOU’RE NOT DRUNK, YOU’RE MEAN. YOU’RE MEAN AND YOU HURT PEOPLE AND NO ONE WILL MISS YOU AFTER I’M DONE”, she yelled
The sudden shift in tone startled me. She had never raised her voice at me before. I reached into my pocket and i pulled out my phone, and i hate to admit it but in that moment i was terrified of my daughter
“ Look, I’m calling the police, Amaya. Stop this right now”. I croaked feebly
“GOOD, CALL THEM. CALL EVERYONE. I WANT THE WHOLE WORLD TO KNOW THAT I’M GOING TO KILL YOU, THEY WONT DO ANYTHING. THEY MIGHT EVEN CHEER FOR ME. ALL YOUR FRIENDS WILL LAUGH AT YOU AS YOU DIE, THEY’LL ALL SCREAM “BEAT THE MONSTER LIKE HE BEATS HIS WIFE, LIKE HE BEATS YOU“ AND THEY WILL LOVE ME, BECAUSE THEY HATE YOU. I. HATE. YOU.”, She screamed the final word, her face twisted in an agonizing position, and then she giggled and laughed and howled in laughter.
Without warning she stopped, and she grinned from ear to ear
All the lights downstairs turned off at once and I ran. I ran upstairs as fast as I could. Away from my own daughter. Away from that demented grin. She didn’t flinch at all, she just smiled, and she sat there. Waiting for the right time
I called for help but nobody answered. This is my last resort, if you’re reading this, please help me. I could pay, I have a lot of money, and I’m desperate, please. When I ran away she said one last thing to me, it chilled me to my bones. She sounded so innocent but the words were ice cold
She giggled , “ Hey daddy, don’t you want to know how you’re going to die?”
I don’t, I really don’t.
The Man with the Briefcase
Folklore is a powerful thing. Cautionary tales that, at a glance seem unbelievable, but upon closer inspection the truth of the stories come out plain as day. Every culture has it’s folklore, from the well known stories of werewolves and vampires, to the lesser known superstitions of black dogs and wild huntsmen. All of them though pose a question and answer simultaneously. Why shouldn’t you trust the unknown? Because it’ll kill you.
And of all the stories in the world, my favorite one is the story of The Man with the Briefcase. Nobody can say who this man is, if it is in fact a man. Many have reported seeing a woman, similarly garbed in a black suit and red tie, holding a Briefcase and smiling. Gesturing for them to come over and chat.
As good sense would dictate, most people avoid the man. Walking on the other side of the street, or driving past in their car, mimicking the cautionary tales of hitchhikers on poorly lit roads.
While the identity of the Man is unknown, many names have been put forth. From small town heroes and villains all the way to the devil himself. None of it can be proven of course, and while nobody can agree on the age, race, or sex, of the man there is one thing they can all agree on, and that’s the contents of the Briefcase.
What is in the Briefcase, you ask? The answer is simple. Contracts.
Hundreds and hundreds of contracts. You see, those foolish enough to seek him out all do so with one purpose. To make a deal. He’ll offer you anything you want, money, power, fame, health, at a price.
Like most things, the price depends on what you’re buying, but it’s certainly not money. And it’s definitely not worth it. Because as this story goes,when you deal with the devil, you’re liable to get more than you bargained for.
From the outside looking in John Carlisle looked like an average man. He went to work every morning and came home and hugged his daughter every night. The girl’s mother wasn’t in the picture anymore, but that was no great loss, as she was hardly in the picture to begin with. John would cook dinner for him and his daughter, they would play games, watch TV, and anything she wanted.
Something about this picture just wasnt quite right though, and no it’s not that she was spoiled beyond belief, which, if you believe the stories, she absolutely was. No, you see, Though John loved his daughter more than anything on earth, there was one problem, John’s daughter was dead.
About a month prior, John was out for a walk with his little girl , when tragedy struck. The woman in her car was running a little late, and being a little reckless, but that’s ok she thought. She didn’t notice the little girl slip and fall off the curb and into the street.
John was a wreck understandably. He shut himself off from the world in grief, he barely spoke, he barely ate. He went to work most days. Clearly the company wouldn’t run itself, but even that became infrequent. We are left to assume that he didn’t tell anyone about what happened, although it’s hardly news that can be swept under the rug.
That’s when one of his more superstitious employees brought up the Man with the Briefcase.
“But you don’t want to go there.” He has said when John pushed him to elaborate,”Nothing good lies down that road”
Of course John didnt listen to that warning . While for most folklore represents an answer to our innate fear of the unknown, but to John it represented something else. Hope. Unfortunately more assumptions need to be made at this point, as there is really no information about John meeting The Man with the Breifcase, but if youll allow me Id like to embellish a little and give my own thoughts of how the interaction might have gone
John sees the man from a ways off.. He is standing in an alleyway. It’s unlit but John can see The Man clear as day. The Man smiles. He gestures for John to come meet him, and against every instinct he has, John obliges.
John stares at the man, unsure of what to say. Fortunately for him he doesn’t need to say anything.
The man sets down the briefcase.
“You want your daughter back”
” Yes” John said eagerly
“Alright then, Let’s make a deal”, The man said ” What are you willing to give?”
” Anything”
” Anything? Are you willing to give your life or soul, in order for your daughter to live?”
John was a superstitious man. I believe he would have been cautious about giving up his soul.
John spoke carefully, ” I would like to live with my daughter again”
“And you shall” The man slides over the contract,
John looks at the contract, he mulls it over unsure of what to do, but he decides to sign it.
I like to imagine the ink was red, and when he looked at his he saw a gash across it. While I did steal that from Harry Potter, many cultures have made a connection between magic and human blood. Signing a contract in blood is more than just putting your name down, you’re putting your very life on the page. And breaking a contract signed in blood is said to have dire consequences, and in some places it’s said to be impossible to break altogether.
I see it only fitting that this contract also be signed in blood.
“You have held up your end, and now I will hold up mine. Go home and your daughter will be waiting” The man picks up his briefcase and leaves.
Johns employees report that John was in a significantly better mood on the day in question. John had been in a good mood for 3 months now, and nobody knew why his demeanor suddenly changed.
His friends worried about him.
“Certainly this is a sign of psychosis” they would say amongst themselves. “He’s likely turned to drugs” others would say, but nobody could prove a thing. His friends and family decided on a home visit from a psychiatrist. John of course refused, but they decided to surprise him anyway.
Upon entering his house they were greeted by a deathly smell, and I sight just as terrifying. John was hugging his daughter. Many fathers hug there children, but something about this sight but bile to the throats of onlookers. You see, John’s daughter was dead.
Police were called immediately and John was taken to a hospital for psychiatric care. Johns daughter was laid to rest once more, her grave found to be dug up and headstone destroyed. I’ll admit, this case is perfectly explainable. John goes crazy, digs up his daughters grave, and lives with the corpse for 3 months before being found out. It’s a sad story of losing a child, and losing your sanity.
There’s one more thing though. One hint at the workings of The Man with the Briefcase. When they found John hugging his daughter, some onlookers swear she was hugging him back.
Annabelle
Hey, guys. This story might deviate a little from our usual paranormal/ ghost hunting content a little bit, as it is a bit sad, and also very scary, so if that’s not for you, that’s OK. Something happened while we were at this hotel for an investigation. Something unexplainable. Something that I will tell even though I know you won’t believe that it’s true. I’m not sure where to start this story but I’ll try starting from the time when we walked into the hotel. I won’t give the name of the hotel in this story.
It was just after 9 I think. We had checked in and we were making our way down the hall and one of the guys said
“Did anyone grab the keys”
“I thought you grabbed them”
“Why would I have grabbed them, you checked us in.”
The two of them went back to the counter and I went to follow when there was a tap on my shoulder. I turn around to see a tall woman. She was wearing a long sleek black dress. I don’t know much about dresses so I can’t really describe it more than that. What I can describe though is her smile. When people say ” her smile can light up a room” it really seemed that way. It was bright, happy, and full of life. Blissfully innocent. Or as I would come to learn, Blissfully ignorant.
“Do you know where I can check out? I feel like I’ve been wandering around forever” she said, laughing a little, as if embarrassed to have to ask for help.
“It’s just down this hallway and to the right.” I said pointing in the direction my friends had gone.
“Thank you, so much. It’s good to know there are helpful people around, what’s your name?”
“Isaiah”
“Like the prophet”
“I guess so”
I’ve never really been much of a religious person. I know, ironic, cuz I have a ghost hunting channel, but I’ve always leaned toward the idea that there’s a scientific explanation for paranormal activity. Things that are unexplainable now could be explainable later. All that to say, I don’t know who Isaiah the prophet is.
“What about you, what’s your name?” I countered.
“Annabelle”
“Who are you talking to?”
My friends had come back and were staring at me.
I point in Annabelle’s direction
“There’s nobody there dude.”
I turn to look and she’s gone.
I mentioned before that I’m a tad skeptical when it comes to ghost hunting. So when Annabelle disappeared I was shocked a little but I figured she must have just walked away. Even with all the ghost hunting I do, the idea that you could have a full conversation face to face with a spirit seemed far fetched. So I just said
” She must have walked away”
“Ok dude. Let’s go set up for the investigation”
I won’t get into the whole investigation here. If you want the whole thing you should check out our website. Nothing quite so crazy, but we caught a few things. Including a female voice saying “He’s Coming”. I won’t spoil the rest, go check out the full investigation on our website.
We finished up the investigation and went to sleep. We all slept in separate rooms. We are on the road together all the time so a little privacy is always appreciated. It was about 4 am when we went to bed, and at around 6am I heard a scream. I wake up with a start and am greeted with the face of Annabelle. The beautiful face I had seen earlier that evening now twisted in agony and screeching out the most horrific sound I’ve ever heard as I shot out of bed her eyes followed me. Her pale face barely visible in the dim moonlight. Her face appeared to have black streaks running down. She stopped screaming and looked me in the eye. More streaks forming from, I’m assuming, the top of her head and down her face. With a groan she only spoke two words. Two terrified words.
“He’s Coming”
I had been reaching for the light switch but I stopped. Thinking maybe she was hiding from someone. And whoever it was I didn’t want them in my room
“Who’s coming, Annabelle?”
“My Husband, he’s a rotten man, Isaiah”
“What’s happened?” I asked curiously
“He’s a liar. He made a mistake, he said. His mistake. But he made me pay for it. He wanted her instead of me, so he made me pay. Do you know where Hell is, Isaiah” she said, stepping closer to me. The streaks are on her face now dripping onto the floor. She never broke eye contact with me.
“You should. Because you’re standing in it”
This time when she screamed her eyes went completely white and I quickly turned the light on and she vanished immediately. I didn’t sleep that night. Not after that. There was one thing that scared me more than the disappearing though. When the lights turned for a fraction of a second I could see her in the light. The streaks that looked black in the darkness of the room were actually a deep, dark red.
As the panic sort of subsided. I thought about the incident for a little bit, In the lobby of course. Directly after the incident I had packed my things and sat down in the lobby. I decided to look up Annabelle and the name of the hotel because she didn’t give me a last name. Turns out there was an Anabelle that died in that hotel. There was virtually no media coverage. There was an article though about how a husband, who had been cheating on his wife, took his wife to a hotel, under the guise of a romantic evening.
He would go on to tell her about the other woman, someone I won’t name here. He says. “It wasn’t supposed to go this far, but now she’s pregnant and it’s mine” He says he’s sorry it has to be this way. Upset, she cries. She had only ever loved him after all, she deserved so much better. In the interrogation he never actually says what the last straw was, but he admits that the bedside lamp makes a good improvised club.
I don’t know how Annabelle is so lucid, I’ll admit that I probably don’t know as much about ghosts as i thought i did, but i truly believe that she’s trying to get out. She asked me if I knew where hell was, because she’s in it. Reliving her horrible, tragic, demise , over and over again.
Every time he tells her of the other woman, Every time he tells her of the pregnancy, Every night he bashes her head in with the lamp, and every night she dies knowing that it will happen again tomorrow.
The guy is in jail now, but after what I witnessed I’m not sure if jail is enough for him. As a paranormal investigator it’s easy to forget that monsters can be human. That is the story as I remember it. I’m sorry if it sounds a little scatterbrained, it has been just over a week since that whole experience, and i havent really had much time to write.
That’s all for this blog, if you read it all the way through thank you. This was definitely a life changing experience for me and I hope it was at least educational for you, about domestic violence or abuse of any kind. I hope you have a good rest of your day. Bye.
The Population Machine
By Tyrek Showels
Act I: Creation
Transcription:
I finally did it. I have finally created the first artificial human. It has almost every feature that any other human would. For the sake of science i will now record the feature given to them by me, but keep in mind they are humans and are subject to variations and change according to many factors, including but not limited, Environmental, cultural, and societal stimuli. All humans from population machines will be “born”, if you could call it such, at the biological age of 16. Being that I was tasked to create this for the colonization of far off planets, Ive determined that children will not be necessary. I know it will be pointed out that in some caces, having children around could help with moral, and to that i say that children will only get in the way of a burgeoning society. However in a few years time the citizens of this society will hit “puberty” and will their sex drives will activate, Although sex drives will be low due to lack of need of traditional methods of procreation. Population Machines will create an almost 1:1 ratio of male to female. And while sexuality will stat with male and female due to need of procreation in order for there to be children, sexuality will begin to vary over time, exactly as they would in a normal human society. Most of what i have said so far only applies to the original batch. After first batch, all humans will begin life at age 0 and puberty will begin in there pre-teen to teenage years, Behaviorally, the fist batch are more inclined to work and each different person being good at certain tasks which will help build up a society in a short amount of time. All other people after the first batch will vary according to factors including but not limited, parentage, society, any cultures/religions that may emerge, education level, age ,and/or physical ability. The hope is that the skill-sets are diverse enough that the society will flourish but not so distant that communication between different people becomes complicated. Culture/ religion is encouraged as it gives people a reason to connect with others and will help create communities of people. Also having cultural traditions will add something for people to look forward to and take away from the monotony of daily life, as building a society is a full time job. Humans “born” in first batch, if i haven’t covered this already, will be given the knowledge that we here are already privy to, That way getting into space will be a much easier and quicker task and wont require playing with stone tools. Languages will become diverse due to the fact that we will try to spread out the population a little bit, in order to maximize the uses of the planets resources, but communication will not be impossible as all will be able to speak the common language. Although that really only applies to the first batch. All others will really only know what they are taught, but still i don’t believe communications between people will become a huge issue. If anything it leaves an opportunity for some to become translators in order to bridge any gaps in communication efforts.
While conflict is not entirely possible to avoid without peeling away what makes us human I don’t believe any conflict will grow big enough to mount a credible threat against the formation of this society. The Population Machine will become dormant after it is satisfied with how many have been created and the ratios thereof, and will remain dormant as long as population is above acceptable levels. If population continues to decrease after multiple reboots of the Population Machine, at that point it will go offline and it the planet will be labelled as uninhabitable. The remaining population and that planet will likely die, but there is little to do about that. The reason for dormancy is so the inhabitants of the planets will come to forget that they were created from machines, and since no future humans will be created from machines they can be left to come up with there own theories of where they come from. It is important to note that there are many unseen variables on these far off planets and that the results may vary accordingly. This concludes the final log of Dr. Claudio Winters.
Act II: Discovery
All was good in Caleb’s life. He was 25 and lived in a house just outside of the city of Stavia. He had bought the house with his boyfriend Daniel. They had talked about maybe adopting a child but they decided against raising a child in the city.
“There’s already too many people in the city, We don’t need to bring one more” , Daniel had said, jokingly.
Caleb had worked at a small eatery in town, but when the opportunity to leave arose, he was more than happy to leave it behind. Caleb’s boyfriend Daniel however, was a very important man in the city which meant that Caleb was home all alone today. Caleb spent most days alone. Daniel would come home at night but, he was always tired from his long work day. Caleb was bored now. He liked to draw though, so he grabbed a notebook and went to work drawing. Recently he had a dream about a cylindrical machine. He liked to draw this machine. He would draw the machine flying over cities and wastelands alike and dropping people out of the sky . The machine was small and yet it never seemed to run out of people. The dream always ended the same way though, The fire. All consuming fire. The world engulfed in flames. Dreams are weird like that, huh. Caleb chuckles a little bit. When Daniel returns home Caleb is waiting for him in the kitchen. Caleb is an excellent chef, so when Daniel saw him at the table with two plates of food on the table, he grinned excitedly.
“ Aw, Caleb you didn’t have to.”, Daniel said
“ But, of course i did, I love cooking”, Caleb said.
“I know you do, Do you ever miss your restaurant job”
“ Not at all, plus I’m practicing staying at home, especially with a baby on the way”
Caleb and Daniel had found a mother who was giving her baby for adoption and they had jumped at the opportunity. The mother is about 5 months along the pregnancy at this point and Caleb and Daniel are very excited about it.
“ You definitely need it, I had enough trouble just getting you to sit down, let alone settle down.” Daniel said with a laugh as he sat down at the table. “ So did you get up to anything while you were “practicing”?”
“ Just a bit of drawing, I’ll grab one for you” Caleb said, already up and running down the hall towards the room he had been drawing in. A moment later he was back with a picture of the cylindrical machine flying over cities and dropping people from the sky.
“ I had a dream about this machine. It was amazing. It seemed to just have an endless supply of people in it, and it would just drop them on to the ground.”
Daniels face had gone very pale as he looked at the drawing
“ Are you OK, Daniel”
But Daniel couldn’t hear him. Daniel was remembering
_______________________________________________________________________
Daniel had come home to the most amazing smell, and almost as if in a trance he followed the scent to the kitchen where he saw his boyfriend Caleb. Caleb was his boyfriend and soon to be stay at home Dad, but Daniel was still hesitant about there arrangement. Daniel had grown up with maids and other servants around him, and he didn’t want his boyfriend to become one. Daniel always insisted on doing everything himself, but on this occasion he was just tired enough to let it slide. After an exchange of pleasantries Daniel sat down at the table. Caleb ran to the back in order to get a drawing he had. Daniels boyfriend Caleb liked to draw. It helped him clear his mind. When Caleb returned with picture and showed it the Daniel. Daniels mind started racing. He had saw this machine not even a few hours ago. Daniel did demolition for the city. Sometimes the city wanted room to build more things. The whole concept didn’t make sense to Daniel but he didn’t question it. It was good money in any case, at the executive level at least which is where Daniel was. Daniel had got a call a few hours prior about a building that had no doors or windows or any indications as to who built it. How they built it , and why, and they were hesitant to break it down, Daniel knew the protocol. Just tell them to break it down and they would. If the city wants it down, it goes down. This time however Daniel said “ Hang on a minute, ill be right down there”
Daniel met them close to the edge of the city and he saw what they were referring to. It was about the size of a one story brick house. But the material used to construct it was unknown and how it was constructed was also unknown.
“ So what do you want do sir” The foreman had asked Daniel after they had enough time to look it over.
“ I have no clue what it is, but the city wants it gone” Daniel had said
Daniel and the foreman stood a good distance away as a wrecking ball hit the side of the structure blowing a hole in it. Daniel waved to the operator and the operator gets out and walks over to Daniel
“We’re gonna head inside, I’m really curious about this building”
Daniel had seen the cylindrical machine inside that building. He had also seen about a dozen sets of skeletons. As if the people who built this structure had trapped themselves inside and suffocated or starved to death. Law enforcement had to be called and while everyone noticed the cylindrical object it just didn’t really seem important. Especially surrounded by bodies. But even as Daniel walked away from it he had a feeling like it was very important.
“Are you OK, Daniel?”
Daniel snaps out of his daze and looks to see Caleb standing over him waving his hand over Daniels face.
“Dan, are you OK?, should I call an ambulance”
“No.no. I’m fine. I’m sorry i just remembered something, Ill be back soon I promise” And giving his boyfriend a kiss he runs back out into the night.
Act III: Destruction
“This is Dr. Claudio Winters. I would like to add to the end of this log that if any of the created lifeforms come into contact with the Population Machine an analysis of all life forms will occur, If it is determined that the discovery of the Machine would do more harm than good a mass extinction will occur. That may seem harsh but new life forms can be created immediately and it will be as if it never happened.”
Daniel makes his way back to the demolition site. The site had been locked down due to the discovery of human remains. Daniel didn’t care about the remains anymore though. It was too coincidental, the dream on the same day that he finds the machine. It’s almost as if he was supposed to find the machine. Daniel sneaks in to the demolition site, and up to the cylindrical machine. He starts to examine it. Part of him wants to touch it but without knowing what it is that could be dangerous. So he observes. He walks around it in a circle. Daniel felt the urge to speak to it
“Hello?”
A screen comes to life and a keyboard floats out .
“Hello, What would you like me to do” was written across
“ What are you?”
“ Error. What would you like me to do?”
“ Report”
“ I have completed my 7th reboot. All lifeforms emerged healthy and strong, with minimal defects, Machine not yet discovered”
“What lifeforms”
“ Humans, All humans emerged with minimal defects”
“ What do you mean?”
“Error: Clarify”
“Humans emerged?”
“Yes, Creation process successful: All humans are healthy and strong”
Daniel was having trouble understanding. The origins of life had always been a debated issue, Is it even possible that Daniel was looking at it.
No. No this is some sort of joke or something, Daniel became determined to look into it more, He wanted an explanation.
So Daniel touched the keyboard
“Claudio Winters DNA Detected, Scanning”
Claudio Winters? That wasn’t Daniels name. This was definitely a joke. If this thing had created all life surely it would know Daniels name .
“Result: Detrimental. Commencing Reboot 8. Extinction in progress”
Yea. This is a joke
Daniel laughed
And was silent.
Ancient Evil
Arnold the Brave, he was called. An adventurer unlike any other. It’s said he carved his name in places, even the gods feared to go. But one day he vanished. Nobody knows what happened to him. Except me, so allow me to tell you about the last moments of Arnold the Brave.
Arnold was on the run. Yes, Arnold was brave, but he was no fool. A pack of wolves chased him, ravenously, through the forest. Arnold saw his way out though, Through a cave. Arnold knew running through the forest was hopeless, but maybe in the dark he could lose the creatures. Arnold ran headlong into the cave, encouraged to see nothing but pitch black inside. He ran with a new found vigor, his escape close enough to touch, and ran headfirst into the wall of darkness. With no time to ponder what had just happened, Arnold jumped up sword drawn. The wolves surrounded the mouth of the cave, but would not dare to enter it. The reason why would soon become apparent to Arnold, but for now he took solace in the fact that he was safe. That is until the darkness opened its eye. It was massive. Bigger than Arnold himself, who was not a small man. The darkness began to shift. It stood up on enormous clawed feet, legs bent to keep from brushing its back upon the ceiling. Massive wings partially extended to shake off the dust that had accumulated in its slumber. Arnold’s sword felt inadequate in his hand. An attack could do nothing to stop this massive creature. A rumble emanated from all around. An earth shaking sound. The walls of the cave shook, threatening to give as the creature moved forward. All Arnold could do was watch. The beast was hungry, and Arnold would soon become its first meal. But Arnold was small compared to the creature, and its appetite was not yet satiated. He had shaken the bed of an ancient evil, and the dragon was now awake.
And I intend to feast.
Guilt & Forgiveness
“So, what are you running from?”
I looked up at the older man ahead of me. He was helping me carry my luggage into the lighthouse where I would be living for the next 6 months
” What do you mean?”, I said
“People who take this job are always running from something, so what about you, what are you running from”, he said without turning around, but I could tell he was smiling.
“Oh, um, nothing. I’m not running from anything, I just saw a job opening and I went for it’
The old man laughed, “Let’s hope that’s true, the past tends to catch up to people in this place.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“The isolation really gets to people in this place. It’s best if you forgive yourself before walking in, because this place won’t do it for you” he said this while putting my stuff down,
“This is where you will be staying for the next 6 months, you can decorate if you want, it’s your house”
He points to the other side of the room at a phone on the wall. “You won’t get much cell service out here so if you need to call anyone use that, My number is on there for emergencies. Kyle’s number is on there too. He will be your shopper. If you need anything, within reason, call him and he will get it, and if of course emergency services is on there as well”
I looked at the sign, and saw the name Mr. Abernathy. I assumed that was the old man’s name. I really should have known it at this point, but if he has told me it, I completely forgot it, and it felt wrong to ask.
“Come on, Alisa, I haven’t got all day”, Mr. Abernathy said from outside the room. I quickly followed after him.
“This is the lantern room.” Mr. Abernathy waved his arm across the room. ” It’s where the big light comes from. You really don’t have to do anything in here. Just make sure the light goes on at 6pm sharp. It’s on a timer. Make sure to check it every now and then during the night. I recommend every two hours, but it really doesn’t matter. As long as the light stays on all night.”
He began to walk to the far wall of the room
“If for some reason the light is off when you check on it, hit this button. It kicks on the back up generator and it should last for the rest of the night, Make sure to fill the generator back up in the morning though ”
“What if the button doesn’t work?” I asked
“Call the coast guard and they’ll handle it”
“What will they do?”
“I don’t know, tell people it’s not safe to dock, or something. It’s really not the end of the world, just make sure to call me in the morning so I can fix it.”
“Mr. Abernathy looked around the room, seeming satisfied he said. “That’s all the important stuff, You can figure out the rest. What you do with your time is up to you. As long as the light is on at 6pm”.
I walked Mr. Abernathy to the door in silence.
I watched him get in a boat and head off.
It was going to be a long six months.
_________
The first thing I did was call Kyle.
Kyle: Ms. Walker, how may I help you?
Me: You already know my name?
Kyle: Of course, I try to know every keepers name, Ms. Walker.
Me: You can call me Alisa, I’m just looking to get some general grocery stuff. I’m assuming there’s a kitchen, and a bathroom.
Kyle: There is. He didn’t show you them?
Me: No, he said I could “figure it out”
Kyle laughed
Kyle: That sounds like him.
I gave Kyle a list of things I wanted. and when I was satisfied with the list Kyle said
Kyle: Alright, I’ll go get this stuff, it should get to you tomorrow morning
Me: Thank you
Kyle: You’re welcome, Ms. Walker.
_____________
The first few weeks were uneventful. I walked around the premises a dozen times, and found something new every time. It was weird having no contact with the outside world at first, but Kyle was nice enough to talk to. He would even hang out for a little bit sometimes. He helped me set up the Wi-Fi, and would sometimes stick around to play video games. I wasn’t much of a gamer before, but I’ve picked up a few new things. But then it happened for the first time. The phone rang.
Me: Hello?
Unknown: Hey, baby
Me: Isaiah?
Isaiah: That’s what my license says.
Me: How did you… How did…
Isaiah: How did I get this number, My new position has its benefits.
Me: You can’t call me. You’re…. You’re
Isaiah: What? I’m What, Ali? WHAT AM I? ALISSA!!
A loud roar resounded on his side of the line.
I jumped back, dropping the phone in the process. When I picked it back up, the call had ended.
I sat on the ground in shock. He shouldn’t have been able to call me and yet he had. What was I supposed to do about it? In the end I decided to brush it off. It was just a phone call after all. He can’t hurt me through the phone.
Days went by before I had the next call. Again it was Isaiah and again he was screaming while the roaring surrounding his voice
I tried to respond but he didn’t seem to hear me so I hung up.
After that day the phone calls were a regular occurrence, and eventually I just stopped answering.
__________________
Kyle was running late. It was getting close to noon, and he was yet to show up with my groceries. He is usually very punctual so after an a few hours I decided to give him a call to see where he was at. As I reached for the phone it rang. Instinctively I flinched back and strangely enough the ringing stopped. I reached for it again and the ringing started anew. It was giving me a choice this time. If I wanted groceries I would have to answer eventually. As odd as that was. I wasn’t scared. I was angry. He was somehow holding me hostage through the phone, and I wasn’t having it. I answered the phone, through gritted teeth.
Me: STOP CALLING ME!
There was silence on the other end. Absolute silence. After I a moment of silence I decided it was stupid to listen to nothing so I started to put it back. But then I heard him.
Isaiah: I know what you did, I know what you did, I know what you did.
Me: Wh- What do you mean?
Isaiah: You know, I called you that night.. But your phone was off. Where were you Ali?
Me: I- I was working late, I couldn’t leave.
Isaiah:LIES, I know what you did,Ali. Where were you that night? WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I DIED, ALI! WHERE WERE YOU?
I slammed the phone back onto the receiver, and ran out of the room. The phone rang behind me, but I ignored. I slammed the bathroom door open and frantically splashed water on my face.
“Who’s Alex?”
My head shot up and where my face should have been, I saw Isaiah’s. It was charred, his whole body burnt beyond recognition. As if he could sense my shock, he took a step back and looked himself over.
“Oh, this? Don’t worry about it, it didn’t kill me. It was the smoke that did it. I felt every agonizing second of being burned alive, but enough about me. What about you? Who’s Alex? “
Isaiah reached through the mirror grabbing the sink on either side and pulling himself through as if it were nothing more than an open window.
” I don’t know what you’re – ” I began to say
“Don’t lie to me , Alisa. I know what you did already, there’s no point. Is Alex the reason your phone was off? The door was stuck, Alisa. I couldn’t get out. You knew that already though. The police would have told you that.”
” Please , go away” I muttered weakly, “Go away, you’re not real”
Isaiah has finished pulling himself through the mirror and was now sitting on the sink. His face looked calm, sad even. When he spoke, it was with pain in his voice.
“Who was he? Is Alex the “work” you were doing? Is Alex the reason your phone was off?”
“Go away, you’re not real” still muttering.
“You don’t have to answer, Alisa. I already know what did.”
Isaiah hopped off the sink, and began to walk towards me. With every step forward, I took a step back until my back was against the wall.
“Alex … Alex is a guy from work” I stammered out. I wanted to reach for the door but I couldn’t. My body was completely paralyzed.
“It was a one time thing, I swear. And I didnt know about-“
“The fire” Isaiah said, right in front of me now. “If only you knew about the fire, you wouldn’t have gone with Alex. Is that it? It would have been okay, if only I hadn’t messed it up by dying”
“No , that’s not it. That’s not what I’m saying” I said, my eyes were shut tightly, but I could hear his ragged breath only inches away.
“Then what are you saying, Ali?”
“I don’t- I don’t know. I don’t know what to say! This was never supposed to happen, It was only one time” Frantically I reached towards the door, my eyes still shut. ” I thought it was harmless. No one was supposed to get hurt. It was one time! One time!” I finally felt the doorknob and I pulled it hard. Running out of the bathroom, I ran right into Kyle knocking him over.
“Hey, what’s going on, you alright?”, Kyle said standing back up. I ran into my room, tears springing involuntarily from my eyes.
“He wasn’t supposed to get hurt” I said through tears.
Kyle walked in, and I told him everything. Then we sat in silence, for a long time.
” You know you didn’t kill him right. It was a freak accident. You couldn’t have saved him, even if you did answer the phone.” Kyle said quietly,
“I know” I said weakly
Kyle: You have to forgive yourself, this place won’t do it for you
Property of a Survivor
We’re stuck in this bunker for awhile. Apparently Tom saw a bunch of those “zombies ” walking around and we have to wait until they’re gone. We’re trying to get to the store close by, but the tunnel doesn’t go that way so we have to go above ground and then run back to the bunker. Tom doesn’t like the word, “Zombie”. He says we should call them “diseased”, because they didn’t die before turning. They look dead now though. Well anyway, we’ve been in this bunker for a little while and I’m getting bored so I decided to keep a journal. I only have a few writing supplies, but it’s not like anyone else uses them. Besides, there is probably more in the store. If we get there. If it were up to me we would pass by this one and find a different store. We aren’t low on supplies or anything, actually the bunker is pretty well stocked already ,but Tom’s the boss so we do whatever he says, and he says we shouldn’t pass up an opportunity to get more supplies. That’ll wait until tomorrow though, because he just fell asleep.
I’ve never actually kept a journal before. I’m not entirely sure what to write about. I guess it doesn’t matter. Now that I think about it, the only reason anyone else would be reading this journal is if I’m dead. Even still someone else would have to find the tunnels, which as far as I know are secret. I think they were used for smuggling but it might be a military thing. I have no idea. I guess I could write about what’s going on in the world right now, but if you’re reading this you probably already know. I can write about where I was when it happened.
It was a Sunday morning and I was feeling a bit under the weather. I think I ate something bad the day before, but anyway we were a church going family and so that’s where my family went while I stayed home. When they didn’t come back I knew something was wrong. So I went to the church. I saw the bodies. My only guess is that they got the “disease”. and then they were killed. Military, I think. The military was everywhere back then. That was at least 3 years ago though. It’s hard to keep track of time. I guess that’s my origin story. I didn’t find Tom until 6 months later when I had to run to the store to get food. Tom was in the store, and he offered to help. Tom never offers to help. I didn’t know that at the time though. I think Tom was military too.
The store is also where I met Carla. She was with Tom. Not to compare trauma but her origin story is a little darker than mine. Carla’s a lesbian. That’s not what makes her story dark, it’s just an important part of her backstory. And it’s the only thing I really know about her. Besides the fact that she used to be married. Or maybe she’s still married. I don’t know. She doesn’t talk about it much, but apparently her wife came back from the store and everything seemed normal until she started to become a zombie. Apparently there was a struggle before she killed her own wife. She still struggles with it sometimes, although it’s more of an emotional turmoil. I don’t pray much these days, I guess I blame God for what happened to my family. And why shouldn’t I? It is his fault after all. But I offered to pray for God to give Carla strength. She declined. Carla doesn’t believe in God. Or if she does she doesn’t like him very much. She probably blames him for making her kill her wife. And why shouldn’t she? It is his fault after all.
I guess if there’s a silver lining there it’s the fact that she never changed. She quarantined herself for a little bit, It wasn’t hard because the world was chaotic anyway, and when she didn’t change I guess she left and somehow found Tom. I don’t really know her whole story. She doesn’t talk much. I think she was the first of us to find Tom. There’s 5 of us now. I should sleep otherwise I’ll have to stay behind while they “shop”
We’re back from the store. There was nothing good there. It was to be expected. Most stores were ransacked within the first week. Most of the zombies were gone though. Tom and Carla killed the stragglers. I’ve never killed one. I’ve never killed anything, I don’t think I could. Tom and Carla have no trouble killing though. I think Tom was military and as for Carla, I guess if your first kill was your wife, the rest come easily enough. Maybe I’m just being too sensitive. In the end we’ll probably all have to kill someone to stay alive. I’m not looking forward to it.
I mentioned there were two other people with us. I’ll probably never mention them again. They’re just so annoying, I don’t really like talking about them. The only reason they’re with us is because they were there when we found the tunnel and Tom doesn’t want them to go run their mouths about it. Which was a legitimate concern because they run their mouths about everything. I think it was their house that we found the tunnel in and if that’s the case then they must have had quite a bit of money. Which was well for them because I can’t think of any other reason they could have survived as long as they have. They aren’t very bright. But before I go on, I realize I haven’t actually explained the tunnel or how we got here. I will do that, but give me a minute. Writing while walking is difficult. I’ve already run into two walls.
We found another bunker. This one comes up underneath another street. Most of them do. We haven’t actually been down here for that long. Probably 8 or 9 months. Before the tunnel it was just Tom, Carla and me. We found what we could and stayed in abandoned houses. Tom and Carla kept me safe, and I appreciated it. Although I think it’s worth pointing out that I survived the first 6 months alone. I was 15 then. I’m probably almost 18 now. In the old world I would have been worrying about college right now. No use dwelling on that though. I’m getting off topic. Tom, Carla and I squatted in abandoned houses for almost two years. Always moving. It was Tom’s motto. Always keep moving. Dory would say “Just keep swimming” . When I brought that up he looked at me like I was crazy. I guess he doesn’t know who Dory. Back to the topic. We kept moving and we saw a pretty big house and we thought that for sure there were supplies in it, so we broke in. Most houses are abandoned so we didn’t think it would be too much trouble. We walked through the house gathering supplies and stuff. It’s actually where I got the journal. I got it for Tom to use but he never used it, so now I’m using it. We found the twins huddled in a corner. I guess they hid when they heard us break in. They aren’t actually twins by the way. I don’t even know if they’re related. I think they lived in the house but I could be wrong. I don’t really care though. I don’t like talking to them. We found the bunker underneath a rug and from there we found the tunnel. As far as we can tell it’s basically a series of tunnels and bunkers. I have no idea how far they go, or who made them, or why. I suspect smugglers. Tom says it’s probably the military, but Tom thinks everything is the military. When we found the bunker we had the twins with us so Tom said they should come along. At the time I thought it was nice of him. It wasn’t until later I discovered he was really just scared of their big mouths and lack of survival instincts. That’s how we found the tunnel. Not super interesting, but at least you know where we are now. Today was a pretty quiet day which is good. For us at least. For you reading you probably wanted more excitement. It’s kinda funny. You, reading hoping for something to happen, and me, writing hoping for the exact opposite. If you’re reading this it must get good at some point though, because I’m dead now. Unless I just left it behind, but why would I do that. I hope I didn’t leave anything out of the story. I was half asleep while writing this. I should go fully to sleep now. You never know when excitement might find you.
We met a family today. The tunnel came up inside of their basement. They were confused about where we came from but they were very friendly. I think they were just happy to see other humans alive, even if they came from underground. We weren’t allowed to tell them about the tunnel. The less people the better Tom says. We gave them some of our food though. Most of the bunkers have plenty of food so we will be fine. We sat down for dinner with the family. It was a Mom, a Dad and a kid much younger than me. I wonder how old she was when it started. We kept moving after that. And I started writing. Overall I would say it’s been an exciting day. But good excitement this time. Plus I found more pens in the house and they let me take a few.
It’s been a while since I wrote anything down. Nothing much has happened. We ran into another mass of zombies but we just waited and killed the stragglers just like last time. Repetition is important. Here’s another reason they should be called zombies. Saying we killed a bunch of diseased people sounds way worse than we killed a bunch of zombies. Wait, one sort of exciting thing happened. We saw a tank. I guess the military is still around after all. They haven’t been killing zombies though so I have no idea what they’ve been up to. Not much excitement other than that though. Tom finally snapped at the twins. That was funny. He told them to shut up. They deserved it, they are really loud and annoying. Tom prefers quiet. That’s probably why he loves Carla. He’d never say but I know for sure that he loves Carla. And Carla loves him, though she would never say it either. They both prefer the quiet, and they prefer each other’s company over being alone. It makes sense. Before I came along it was just them.
And from being out there I know that the first few months were the worst. When I refer to the chaos, I’m referring to those first few months. Carla and Tom took the brunt of the chaos together though, and they survived together too. You can’t get much closer than that.
Tom and Carla went to a shopping mall. They’re looking for clean clothes, because the last house we found had people in it so we couldn’t take their clothes. Tom said to stay behind, so I did. I wish he took the twins too. Maybe they would fell down the stairs or something. That’s a bad thought. I don’t pray much these days but I pray that my soul isn’t corrupted by these bad thoughts. Is it wrong that I wish we could leave the twins behind? We don’t like them. We could just throw them at the zombies. They’re a liability to our safety and I know it would be mean but why can’t we just throw them to the wolves. Tom and Carla are too nice. I’m not though. I spent 6 months on my own, during the chaos, I don’t feel any sympathy for them. I know that’s awful, but it’s true. If it were up to me I would leave them behind. They would probably survive anyway. Cockroaches always survive.
Still waiting on Tom and Carla. I’ve been sitting here thinking though. It’s funny how long it takes for optimism to die. Even now I kinda expect for things to get better eventually. I won’t be running through tunnels for the rest of my life right? I guess I got too used to stories. In stories, the hero always saves the day. Things get bad but they always get better. Maybe there is a hero out there working on saving the day. It’s hard to know from underground. In my daydreams of the zombie apocalypse ( that sounds silly now, all things considered) I was always the hero. But I guess in my story Tom is the hero. Maybe there is no hero. Maybe things don’t have to get better. I guess reality doesn’t have to follow the same rules as stories. Things will just keep getting worse and we’ll just “Always keep moving” because that’s what we do.
Tom didn’t make it back. While Carla and Tom were coming back from the mall, they ran into a mass of zombies. Tom sent Carla ahead back to the tunnel and he stayed behind to hold them back. Carla says he’s going to be alright, and when we first met I might have believed her. I was a child then. Now I know better. Tom is dead. He knew they couldn’t both make it to the tunnel without letting in the “diseased” and he would never risk it. It’s possible he’s still alive, but he won’t make it back into the tunnel anytime soon and by the time he does we will be gone. It doesn’t look like we’ll be seeing Tom again. Before the chaos, I read a book called Slaughterhouse Five, and there was a phrase in it that stuck with me and probably applies here. So it goes. A resignation from a man who knows that nothing can be done. Tom is gone, probably forever. So it goes. Carla says we have to move. She’s the hero of the story now. I’ll send up a prayer for Tom just in case. He wouldn’t approve, but if anyone needs a prayer right now, it’s Tom.
It’s been a week since Tom… I don’t know what to say happened to him. I guess we left him. I don’t feel bad about it though. He would have wanted us to leave him. He’s most likely dead though. There were just too many infected. I started using the word infected because it sounds like diseased and sounds like Zombie at the same time. Carla has only made a few changes to our routine. One being that we only take supplies from bunkers and houses. No more stores or malls. She says, from what she saw, there are more infected than ever. I guess I always thought it would die down, but it’s only getting worse. So it goes. I’m using the phrase wrong. He actually only uses it when people die, but I find it fitting anyway. Carla is keeping a brave face. She has been all week. I can tell she’s devastated though. She didn’t want to leave him behind, but she knew it’s what had to be done. Still, Tom was her partner. Not bonded through romance though. Bonded by experience. They were closer than anyone before the chaos could have been. Because they had gone through the closest thing to hell anyone could have gone through, and came out together. I feel for her. I offered to pray for her strength but she refused again. I know she doesn’t need it, she’s strong on her own. I just wanted to show that I understand she’s in pain. I can tell she understands. Plus a little extra strength never hurts. She’s asleep right now. Sometimes she cries in her sleep, and although she wouldn’t approve I pray for her strength anyway. She means a lot to me too. For almost 3 years she has been a mother figure to me. She kept me alive as much as Tom did. She’s also much nicer than Tom. She’s easy to talk to, probably because she doesn’t say much. Maybe I see her as a mother because I lost my own. The twins are still here by the way. I would give updates on them but I don’t pay attention to them. If they even realize Tom is dead, it doesn’t show. It wouldn’t surprise me if they didn’t though. They really aren’t that bright.
Remember when I said, One day we would all have to kill to stay alive? Well my day came. I don’t know how the infection works but from what I gather it might take about 2 weeks for the infection to activate. How I gathered this is that yesterday, Carla changed. I don’t know what got her. Maybe she was bit by something, maybe just touching a wall with a paper cut is all it takes. It doesn’t really matter. There was a struggle. This time not between a woman and her wife, but between a man and a person who he had long since come to think of as a mother figure. God forgive me, I had no choice. I killed my own mother. I survived. It’s what I had to do. No matter how many times I say it’s what I had to do I can’t seem to make myself believe it. I killed her. I might have had a reason but I also had a choice. Carla would have said I was doing the right thing. That brings a little comfort. Tom would say “Always keep moving”, so I did. Without the twins. God forgive me, but I hope they get infected. Why did the two most useless people in our group survive, while the people I loved disappeared.
I’m sure they’ll just find the closest family that’s willing to take care of them, and blab there mouths the whole way there. The tunnel is officially compromised, but that’s ok. I’m leaving the tunnel anyway. At the beginning of this journal I said the only reason you’d be reading this is if I’m dead. That’s not true anymore. I’m leaving the journal behind. Without the tunnel for protection I’ll probably have far less free time. I don’t need any distractions. If it’s Tom who’s reading this and you made it back to the tunnel alive, I left the tunnel. I’m headed north. I don’t know what’s up there but I guess I’ll find out. If you’re infected, stay where you are. A 2 week quarantine is required to make sure. At least it was with Carla. Just know that if you change I’ll have to kill you too. I’m much better at it now. I guess when you’re first kill is your own mother, the rest come easily enough.
Just keep swimming. Suddenly that phrase is taking on a darker meaning. Just keep swimming, while everyone around you is eaten by the shark. There’s nothing you can do. Just move on, or you’ll die too. And as Billy Pilgrim would say, So it goes.
Tyrek's Writing 