Gemini

One body, two souls
Chasing after separate goals
Different motives all around
Build it up or burn it down
I’m a battlefield that’s been deserted
My young mind has been perverted
I was used from dusk to dawn
Useless now cuz they’re all gone
Good and evil, black and white
Used my body for their fight
Now they’re dead but I’m still here
Sanity is far from near
Stuck between I’ve seen it all
The instrument used for their brawl
Told to do so many things
I’ve lost my personality
I’m Gemini and here’s the truth
There’s two inside, I’m living proof
That for all the good there is within
There’s just as much that’s pushing for sin
I’m a battlefield that’s been deserted
Battered and broken I’m all alone
My young mind has been perverted
Far from good, to evil I’m prone
I was used from dusk to dawn
From morning to night, no end to their fight
Useless now cuz they’re all gone
Twisted perception, I see the truth
Stuck between I’ve seen it all
Death, destruction, loss, and pain
The instrument used for their brawl
And in the end I’ve nothing to gain
Told to do so many things
Owned by both, a puppet on strings
I’ve lost my personality
Empty and hallow, will my soul ever sing
The masters are gone, the beast is free
The question is now: Who will save me?

5 Ways I Make Myself Happy (That You Can Do, Too!)

Aahh, you gotta love those days where you wanna tear an arm off of your coworker and beat them to death with it. Those days when even hearing a baby's laughter can make you cry. Being depressed makes the sun turn off and the birds go mute. So here are some actions I have found that lift my spirits and make me love thy neighbors once more.

5. Smile
You might think it’s the happy that comes before the smile, but you are mistaken, my friend (kinda). I want you to smile. Right now. Feel anything? Keep doing it. Chances are, if you can maintain that smile, you will feel happier. Why? It’s probably some subconscious thing that does something with the chemicals in our brain. Or it could just be that the smile comes before the happy. Either way, your day will be a tad bit brighter if you start and end the day with a smile. The whole world just seems funnier and happier when you are smiling like a fool. So smile. Now doesn’t that just make you feel a little better?

4. Hug Something
So you’re having a rough day. The customers are extra-special, your boss is extra-boss like, or you just have a case of the frowns. Either way, nothing beats a good hug when you’re feeling blue. That feeling that you’re not alone. That feeling that somebody is there for you no matter what goes down. It just can’t be beat. But what if you don’t have anyone to hug, or the people around you are anti-hug? Well, just go find the closest inanimate object to hug. Objects never object to hugs. And remember, the softer the better! All the babies are doing it, so why can’t you?

3. Daydream
Stay with me on this one. A horrible day is basically created because reality sucks. No one is arguing that. The best way to combat reality is to ignore it. Go find some place you can just space out and commence the perfect situation. While this won’t actually help your predicament, it can give you a slight boost, and allow you to cool off a bit. Cause it’s hard to be angry when anything you want is at your fingertips, and all those people that brought you down can be punished in any way your sick little mind can conceive. You want the perfect job? Done. You want to be a rock star putting on the best damn concert ever? Go for it. You want super powers? Have fun, just don’t try to fly when you snap back to reality.

2. Sing and Dance
While it’s true you might be more inclined to do this when you’re already happy, that doesn’t mean it won’t help you become happy. Go ahead and try to be angry while dancing around the room to your favorite music. It’s a lot tougher than you think. And if you don’t listen to music that can be danced to, then go find some that you can deal with. Listen to it enough, and soon you’ll love it just as much as your screamo-death metal. Dancing around gets your body moving, and takes your mind off of whatever it is that depressed you in the first place. Singing along to the music also helps if you are somewhere like a car and can’t get up and dance. Just listening to music is another option, but if you want the full effect, you will have to at least tap your foot or finger drum. Air guitars are optional but totally encouraged.

1. Laugh at Someone
As horrible as this sounds, I have never laughed at someone and found myself not in a better mood. It’s just human nature, hence why comedy has been popular since the first caveman tripped and fell on his face in front of his buddies. Nowadays, you don’t even need to sit outside waiting for some idiot to come along (although seeing it in person does add some value). The internet can deliver prime stupidity within seconds, and quicker laughs equals quicker happiness. So go ahead, laugh your ass off at someone else’s expense, because I guarantee you they will be doing it to make themselves feel better. Just make sure you can laugh at yourself, because at some point everyone else will be. Laughing at people is a vicious cycle, but it’s one that brings loads of laughs to brighten your day.

Forgot my Pen

Just had a wonderful thought but I forgot my pen
I’ll use my blood to write out what needs to be said
Would you like to hear the words of my life?
The words carved out of my bloodline?
Nobody likes the truth and there it stands
For all to see but none believe
So easy to hide in the lies
So easy to live in disguise
It’s not like me to disagree
But there’s the truth for you to see
I’m looking for the cure for monotony
Do you have it?
Can you give it?
The answer’s simple yet hard to say
Put it off until the problem goes away
Following a trend that compasses all
Dying like the blinded fools we are
Nobody likes the truth and there it stands
For all to see and some to believe
So easy to hide in the lies
So easy to live in disguise
It’s not like me to disagree
But there’s the truth and you should see
So make your mistakes and think you’re right
While some can’t sleep on through the night
Not sure where human ends and monster begins
But you’re playing a game that nobody wins
Nobody likes the truth and here it stands
For all to see and all to believe
So easy to hide in the lies
So easy to live in disguise
It’s not like me to disagree
But here’s the truth and you need to see

Riddle Time #2: What Am I?

There is a limited amount of me
But I can make an unlimited amount of products
I tell you everything
But never speak a word
I am known across the world
And I have a few relatives
Yet whenever people see me
They only see my products
My very existence depends
On those who use and understand me
You might think I am a word or a language
But you only recognize them because of me
What am I?

9 Blood-Boiling Actions People Do at the Drive-Thru

Fast Food Drive-Thru. It's something we all experience in life. And there should probably be a course on it in high school, especially since there seem to be so many people who don't know what the hell they are doing once they get there.

9. Not Knowing What You Want
Fast Food restaurants are not that complicated. It’s pretty much split up into a certain food theme, with very few over-lapping. If you go to McDonalds, you get a burger or chicken sandwich/fingers. KFC is chicken. Wendy’s is crap burgers. Burger King is…ok yeah you get it. So seriously, you have to have some idea of what you want, right? Is this your first time here? We know it’s not since we’ve seen you before. So then why does it take you 5 minutes to decide what you want? Did you know what you wanted, but that big bad menu board killed your confidence and now you have to look over the whole thing, just to decide on exactly what you wanted in the first place? If you don’t know what you want, here’s an idea: how about you park your car, and then walk your fat ass inside to gawk at the menu board. The drive-thru is for fast service, which doesn’t quite work when everyone ‘needs a minute’ to decide what they want.

8. Waiting until You get to the Window to Order More Food
What, you didn’t order enough? In that wave of ordering the food for the small army you have waiting at home, you forgot what you wanted, because you need something smaller/healthier than the food you’re feeding them? Did you forget a diet drink to go with that artery-clogging fried double meat-cheese-bacon-hold-the-healthy-stuff sandwich? Fine, we can do that (it won’t be with a smile), but it’s just slowing things down more, which always leads to more bitching. Just don’t let the bitching come from you.

7. Not Pulling Up Close Enough to the Window
This isn’t so much angering as it is annoying. It’s one thing to pull too close (that’s a little creepy), but if the cashier needs someone to hold their feet while they lean out the window to get your money because you parked 5 feet away, you might need some practice driving. So please, if you can’t pull your car close enough to the window to give the cashier your money without them falling out the window to get it, park in the lot (a space would be asking too much) and come inside.

6. Pulling Away from the Speaker Box Without Your Total
Ok, now you’re just being a dick. It’s our job to take your order and give you the total, because it makes it so much easier to collect the money if you know what it is and have it ready (see below for more on that). So if you pull ahead without hearing you’re total, we take it as you already know it, so we expect you to have the money ready. I mean, if that’s not true, then I will be happy to believe you do not care about money, and are willing to pay any amount of money for this food, with me adding a bit for being such a great order taker.

5. Not Having Your Money Ready When You Get to the Window
So let’s say you stayed at the speaker box to hear your total, and pulled close enough to the window to save the cashier stretch marks. Congrats! You passed level one. Now the real test. Do you have your money ready? No? Well, why the hell not? You heard your total at the speaker box. You didn’t have enough time you say? Well, if you had to wait for the person in front of you, that’s bull shit and you know it. But fine, we’ll say there was no one in front of you. You knew you were coming to a fast food drive-thru right? Shouldn’t it have clicked that eventually you would need to pay? At some point in the ordering, it’s not an impossible feat to pull your wallet out and be ready for the inevitable. Not having your money ready just slows us down, which slows you down, which you then bitch about, even though it was your fault to begin with.

4. Controlling the Volume of Your Voice
You’re not 2 years old. You have been living long enough to know how to use a basic function of life, your voice. And you know that using said voice requires you to adjust its volume every once in a while. You’re not in church anymore, old lady, you can speak above a whisper. And you, mister I-can’t-hear-anything-since-I’m-too-old, just because you can’t hear doesn’t mean you need to scream into the box. Please, I would like to maintain whatever hearing I have left, and going from having to strain to hear one order to holding the head set away from my ears for the next is slowly making me deaf.

3. Ordering from the Passenger Seat
Speaking of voice volumes, I would love to hear the reasoning behind this little phenomenon. Is the driver a mute? Or is he (I say he because it’s usually the woman ordering from the passenger seat with the man driving) to stupid to know how to do anything but drive? Why in God’s name would you think we can hear you from the passenger seat, when half the time we can’t hear you from the driver seat? I’m sure the explanation will make me want to put a gun to my head, so don’t answer. Instead, how about next time just tell the driver what you want? Or how about you drive, since apparently you have control issues if you can’t let someone order for you. One last thing, if you do this, and we can’t hear you, it’s not our fault. So if you’re the driver in this situation, please don’t yell as loud as you can into the box after the third “what?”, thinking we are the idiots.

2. Talking on Your Cell Phone
This should be a no brainer, right? I mean, you drove hear just to talk to us to get food. What happened, did you get lonely on the way here, and now you’re in such a heated debate about the meaning of life that you cannot possibly tear yourself away from your conversation for 2 minutes while you order food (you know, the whole reason you came here in the first place)? Talking on your phone causes so much confusion. Are you talking to us? Are you talking to them? Are you talking to us for them? Are you ignoring everyone and talking to yourself? And oh, here’s the icing on the cake. You pull up, and we answer you, just waiting to take your order, since taking orders is the reason for our being for 5 hours a day. And what happens? You tell us to…wait for it…Hold. On. !@&$ You son of a-

1. Not Telling Us You Have a Coupon
This is the ultimate attack the customers have against us poor fast food grunts. Let’s get one thing straight: there are a million coupons out there that you could have. There is no possible way for us to know exactly what coupon you have. So just ordering from the coupon, without telling us you have the coupon, is the most dumbshit thing you can possibly do. Well no, that’s a lie. The most dumbshit thing you can do is not tell us, then proceed to get mad when we didn’t know you had a coupon. Trust me, I would love to be able to read your mind (that’s another lie, because I’ve known dogs who are smarter than most people), but truth be told if I could do that I wouldn’t be slaving away working in the fast food business. I’d be saving the world, most likely from idiots like you.

Failure

This is not a story. At least, not in the typical sense. In a way it is a story, in the way that you would acknowledge a happening you heard from a co-worker as a story. There doesn’t seem to be any plot, nor any climax or direction. And the only purpose evident is to try to make someone understand, besides for him. You see, many people go through life not understanding much of anything at all, and yet that seems to be a perfectly fine way of living nowadays. More people are obtaining more education, yet less seem to understand any of it. Perhaps this is not so. However, it would be hard to say otherwise.
Some may say it is not a good habit to dwell on the past, while others say we must learn from our mistakes in order to prevent future disasters. Both have proven to fail when put against human nature. The past, in life, is the only thing concrete and undeniable. What has happened has happened, and nothing will change that, and to not think of the past is impossible, and to learn from it is even harder. Some learn, which is why we are where we are, which supposedly is a good thing. But no matter how much we learn, there are still aspects to life which evade our understanding, regardless if you are an understanding person or not. It is these aspects that he thinks about the most.
He is a keeper, a thinker, but you can call him what you will. His name is not important, nor is it important what he is. What is important, however, is what he does, or in many cases what he fails to do. Life has a funny way of making some failures more important than most successes. Success, once achieved, can be repeated again and again, but failure is a chaotic and haphazard element to life, and is rarely duplicated. It is in these failures that he thrives, so much so that one can say he does not allow himself to succeed in anything, for fear that upon success, he will lose what makes him, him.
Now, as for what he does, it is not easily explained. As said before, he is a keeper; of incidents, of personalities, of all the little details that truly make a person who they are. Nobody is perfect, and it is in these flaws that he finds beauty and perfection. It is in these flaws that he seeks out what he feels is missing from his life. He is lost in every applicable meaning of the word. Blindly searching through the souls of those around him, he looks for that thing that will make him stop thinking, and start existing.
He is a thinker as well, and he does this quite well. Too well, in some opinions, but that is all a matter of perspective. Very little can happened that he has not already thought of happening, and very little brings the excitement of surprise to his spiraling mind. Of people he thinks most, and when he has found someone interesting enough, he observes and thinks, making a detailed report of who that person is. From the abandoned lover to the floating soul, he has seen all the personalities a person wishes to see in his lifetime. He has embraced them all, from the beautiful to the repulsive, and has torn them apart, piece by piece, to see how they are who they are.
He has done this for everyone he has met, including himself, and has yet to find what it is he is missing. Perhaps it is because he cannot fully analyze himself. Perhaps his file is sitting on a shelf, covered in dust, half finished and waiting for someone who can analyze and understand people the way he does to come along and finish his own report. Perhaps this person will find what he is missing, and be able to set him on his path. Or perhaps, even more likely, he is not missing anything at all. It could be, through all the dissecting of everything around him, he has lost the meaning of what it means to truly live. Being so focused on what’s around him, it could be he has forgotten who he is, and it is this revelation that will set him free. But, for now, he will have to wait. He is busy with his failures, and just like this story, he has no plot to follow, no climax to rush the emotions, and no direction through life. And his only purpose evident is to try to make someone know what it’s like to truly understand.

Forever

Isn’t it a shame how life moves us along
Never stopping and waiting to see who belongs
People come and go in the blink of an eye
Forever isn’t just impossible, it’s a lie
Please don’t say forever girl, forever’s much too far away
Let’s just hold on tight and get through tonight
I don’t wanna lie and say I’ll never leave
So don’t ask me stay and we’ll be alright
Too many lying to get what they see
Empty promises are filling the streets
I don’t want to hurt you or see you go
But don’t you want the truth? So…
Please don’t say forever girl, forever’s much too far away
Let’s just hold on tight and get through tonight
I don’t wanna lie and say I’ll never leave
So don’t ask me stay and we’ll be alright
I love you means much more than what people say
And truthfully told I want to be with you one more day
But nobody knows what the future will be
Don’t say forever girl, forever means nothing to me

Blood Brothers

It was nighttime by the time Mike finally arrived home from an extremely long day at work. His family had gone shopping for the night, and he was ready for a nice, relaxing evening by himself. Walking up to his door, he heard a rustle in the bushes near his house. He stopped in his tracks, and his heart skipped a beat. He had never been mugged before, and his heart began to race with the thought of being robbed at his doorstep. He heard another rustled, this time it sounded much closer. He slowly turned his head towards the sound, and saw a shadowy figure approaching him. Fear paralyzed him, and he just stared at the figure as it closed in on him. As the figure moved into the porch light, Mike could clearly see his attacker. He did not recognize him, but at the same time he saw there was no look of aggression in his intruder’s face. The man was just smiling. He stopped short of where Mike was frozen and, seeing the fear in his expression, quickly introduced himself. Mike was shocked when the stranger revealed himself as his childhood friend, Larry.
Mike had not seen Larry in thirty years, and was overcome with joy at this unexpected visit. The two men shook hands and laughed, Mike being slightly embarrassed by his earlier fear. Larry apologized for the scare, and stated that he had recovered his address through many friends and acquaintances. He apologized for not calling, but Mike hushed him quickly and invited him in. Larry quickly accepted the offer, and followed Mike into his house. Mike was not rich, but was much better off than most of his neighbors. The two men walked into the kitchen, and sat down to catch up on thirty years of life. The friends had been inseparable during elementary and junior high school, but were separated when Larry’s father committed murder and was thrown in jail. Larry believed whole-heartedly that his father was innocent, even though there was overwhelming evidence of his guilt. Larry was sent to live with his mother, who lived across the country. The friends were thus separated, and had tried to maintain contact through the years, but that soon died off.
Larry conveyed to Mike that upon reaching his mother’s house, he saw she was poorer than dirt, and frequently turned to prostitution to earn enough money to pay the rent of her dingy little shack. Never having enough food, Larry’s already hardened soul soon grew even colder, and was put in jail multiple times for many different crimes. Larry had, for these thirty years, been moving from job to job, from state to state, just trying to survive in this harsh world. Finally reaching this state, Larry remembered his good friend Mike, and desperately tried to get in contact with him. After months of searching, Larry finally obtained his address, which is how he ended up where he was presently.
Mike could only show sympathy for Larry. After high school, Mike had gone to a good college and studied hard, earning his degree and his high-paying career. He had not partied nearly as much as he wanted, but in the end it all paid off. He first met his future wife, Jenny, in college and, upon graduation, they were wed. Mike had always wanted to see the world, but he never had the chance to, since soon after marriage Jenny became pregnant with their first child. But not fulfilling his childhood dreams did not disturb Mike at all. He had a lovely wife, three beautiful children, and a life that any man would envy.
Just as Mike could only show sympathy towards Larry’s story, Larry could only show envy towards Mike’s glamorous life. Mike had everything Larry wanted in his life. Mike saw this change in his friend’s mood, and sought to change the subject. He went to get his bottle of rum, which he only drank during special situations. When he offered some to Larry, he just sat there looking at the ground. Larry then recalled an account that happened when the two were very young. As young children often do, they believed they would never be separated. One day while playing, Larry tripped and cut his finger. As his finger began to bleed, Larry began to cry. Wanting to console his friend, Mike grabbed a stick and cut his finger, just like Larry’s. The two boys laughed when they compared cuts, and Mike put their fingers together. “There, now we are blood brothers,” Mike said, “What’s yours is mine, and what’s mine is yours. We are one and the same, together forever!”
Mike remembered this event, downed his drink, and poured himself another one. Mike said he wanted to help Larry out, and would talk to his boss about getting him a job. Larry looked up at Mike, and a malicious grin crossed his lips. “What’s yours is mine,” he said as he got up and moved towards Mike. Mike quickly stood up, but was only half the size of Larry. Larry lunged at Mike who, thinking quickly, tried to use his bottle as a weapon. However, Larry was too quick for him, and the last thing Mike saw was his best friend standing over him, grinning and laughing.
It was hours later that Jenny returned home. As she and the kids entered the house, she called for Mike to help her with the groceries. She heard no reply, but heard the water running upstairs. Leaving the kids in charge of the groceries, she went upstairs to let Mike know they were home. She continued to call his name, and continued to receive no reply. The bathroom door was closed, but she could hear water splashing onto the tiled floor. Fear set in with each unanswered call, and the closer she stepped towards the door, the more anxiety took over. She touched the door handle, expecting it to be cold, but found it warm and wet. In the darkened hallway she could not see what was on her hand, but quickly opened the bathroom door. Words cannot describe the horror she felt when she looked upon the stranger sitting in the bathtub, with his entire body dripping in blood. His grin exposed his blood red teeth, and in his hands was a human arm. And there, leaning up against the side of the tub, lay what was left of her husband.
“We are one and the same, together forever!”

Some Cinderella Story

Cheri was a slave. There was nothing glamorous about her life. She had been a slave since birth, and when her mother’s owners got tired of caring for a whining useless baby, they sold her for the highest bid. She was purchased by a plantation owner who had an unusually high amount of sympathy than the other white people of the south. She was raised by the plantation owner’s wife until she was 16 years old. However, tragedy struck when the plantation owner was killed by a neighboring plantation’s runaway slave. Cheri’s home was sold off, and she was purchased this time by a rich woman with two daughters her same age. Upon arriving at her new home, Cheri saw before her a giant mansion, painted purely in white. When the mistress saw Cheri eyeing up the mansion, she grabbed her arm and quickly jolted her around to the back of the house. There Cheri saw a little run-down shack, with holes in the ceiling and walls. With downcast eyes, Cheri knew this was her new home.
Any hopes that Cheri had about befriending the two daughters were quickly shattered. You see, by this time in her life, Cheri had grown into a pretty young girl. She had long, flowing dark hair and big green eyes. For being a slave for her entire life, she had no physical signs of abuse or mistreatment. The daughters, on the other hand, were not as easy on the eyes. They were rich of money, not beauty, and it quickly came to be that the daughters were very jealous of Cheri’s beauty. Adding to their jealousy was Cheri’s charming personality and intellect. The girls, full of hatred of not being as gifted as a slave girl, quickly took to physically beating Cheri, in hopes of destroying her beauty and charm. Month after month, the sisters abused and tormented Cheri. Being the only slave on the property, she was completely alone, and took the full front of the sister’s ferocity. For two years, the abuse went on and slowly but surely, Cheri’s beauty and charm were worn down and nearly erased.
During the summertime two years after Cheri first arrived at that horrid mansion, a nearby family of considerable nobility was holding a ball, in which the prince of the family was hoping to find a suitable bride. The daughters were anxious to attend and impress the prince, as rich young girls in their prime will often do. Cheri, overhearing their conversations, wanted very badly to join as well. Just hearing about the handsome, rich prince ignited a fire in her that she thought the sisters had extinguished. So, the night of the ball, after the sisters and the mistress had departed, Cheri stole a dress and headed for the castle. Upon reaching the castle, Cheri snuck inside and, getting her first glimpse of the handsome prince, fell instantly in love. Wasting no time, she ran up to him and requested a dance. The prince, not wanting to hurt the young girl’s heart, agreed, and the dancing commenced. Her heart aflutter, the dance was stopped by the voices of the two sisters. She turned around, and saw them pointing and laughing, mocking every bit of her persona. The entire crowd joined in, and the prince, who wanted to keep his appearance and status, backed away from Cheri laughing, stating he was only doing a public service. Horrified and embarrassed, Cheri ran out of the castle and into the woods sobbing.
Coming across a clearing, Cheri sat on the ground and cried until she could not force any more tears. All of a sudden, a breeze blew around her, and the forest was lit up with supernatural light. Cheri looked around fearfully but could not muster the strength to run anymore. Out of the light, a shape took form, and a woman stood before Cheri, wearing a wonderfully beautiful gown. The woman, however, was repulsive, with warts covering her face, and patches of hair missing from her head. The woman began cackling, and introduced herself as Cheri’s guardian spirit. She stated she was here to help Cheri find happiness and freedom, and would restore her beauty if Cheri promised to take revenge on the mistress and the horrid sisters. Her sorrow turning to hate, Cheri happily agreed, and the woman raised her arms into the air. The unnatural light swirled around Cheri, and she felt as if her body was on fire. She screamed out in agony, than collapsed on the ground.
When Cheri awoke, the forest was quiet, and the only light was pouring down from the moon. She rose to her feet, and walked to the nearby stream. When glancing into the water, she was shocked to find her beauty restored. Remembering her promise to the woman in the forest, Cheri quickly headed back to the mansion, planning her vengeance along the way. The hatred in her heart was only matched by her renewed vigor and insight; she knew exactly what needed to be done to repay the woman for the miraculous gift. Upon reaching the mansion, all was quiet, and Cheri found the mistress in her room, accompanied by the carriage driver, both fast asleep in her bed. Acting quickly, Cheri went to the first sister’s room and, taking a razor from the sister’s vanity mirror, covered her mouth and slit the sister’s throat. Her dark blood ran down her neck, and began soaking the snow white sheets. Lifting the corpse out of the bed, Cheri carried her to the mistress’s chamber.
With the sister’s body slumped over her shoulder, Cheri walked over to the mistress’s side of the bed and laid the body down. Next she moved to the carriage driver and slit his throat as easily as the sisters. Being as quiet as she could, she stooped down, and covered her hands in the blood. A pool began to form as the blood ran off the bed, and Cheri stepped both feet into it. She walked out of the room, leaving blood-stained footsteps, and stopped at the door. With her blood soaked hands, she closed the big wooden doors, and wrote her name in the driver’s blood.
Her mind full of hate and her madness at the peak, Cheri ran to the furnace in the basement of the house and grabbed a shovel-full of red-hot coals. Carefully carrying them up to the remaining sister’s chamber, Cheri swiftly executed the last part of her plan for revenge. Placing the hot coals in string baskets, she hung them directly over the last sister, just barely above her face. The stage was set, with all the parts in place. Now was the time for her vengeance. Making her way back into the mistress’s chamber, the mansion was filled with silence. Cheri stood just outside the mistress’s chamber, and let out a deathly wail.
Her scream ripped through the mansion, piercing the souls of the sinners within. The sister awoke with a fright and, just as Cheri expected, sat right up, planting her face into the smoldering hot coals above her. The mistress, a sound sleeper, had only stirred with the first scream, but was now fully awake with the second. She turned to the driver and tried to wake him. When she put her hand on his chest, she felt the warm liquid. Hastily she jumped off the bed, only to trip over a mass at the side of her bed. Just then, Cheri threw open the door, throwing the light from lamps in the hallway into the room. The mistress screamed, looking first at the body of her daughter covered in blood, then at the dark figure standing in her doorway.
Cheri’s eyes glowed with a supernatural presence, and she began cackling hysterically. Her laugh chilled the heart of the mistress, who backed up against the window of her room. Cheri stepped out of the room, closing the doors and locking them from the outside. The mistress ran to the doors, pounding and trying to open them. Cheri walked down the hallway, and found the other sister lying dead on the floor of her room, the smell of burning flesh still lingering in the air. As she walked past the mistress’ chamber for the last time, she could hear the sobbing from behind the door. Cheri let out a horrid laugh, which was the last thing anyone ever heard from her. She left the mansion and escaped into the woods just as the sun was coming up.

My dreams are safe once more.

For the past couple days, I have been tormented by a memory that I could not fully remember. You know that feeling when you catch a glimpse of an old childhood book or ritual, but you can not remember what it was called, or exactly what it was about? Well one day at work a picture from a childhood book flashed in my mind, yet I could not remember what it was called. All I could remember was it was some lion-like creature, and it was a stuffed animal of a young boy. When something threatened the young boy, the animal would become a ferocious beast and defend the boy. With that being all I could remember, I set off to find this missing piece of childhood.
First, let me explain that I love doing this. Searching through the internet on a quest to find some missing information is a hobby of mine, so I set off on this particular journey with enthusiasm. After two hours of searching, however, I still had nothing. So I turned to my mom, who surprised me to no end when she remembered the name of the character I sought out: Bah Koo. Of course at that time we had no idea how to spell it, and it took me another half hour to find the proper spelling.
What I found was amazing, since it appeared there are only two pictures of this book on the internet (according to Google). With my desire to be one of the few reignited, I ran to my basement, and after digging through countless stuffed toys I found the holy grail of the week: my very own Bah Koo stuffed animal. See, with the book came the stuffed animal from the book. Unfortunately, I have yet to locate the book, "Bah Koo - Chaser of Bad Dreams: The Bedtime Story", which I believe is at my grandparents house, if anywhere. But for now I am content with knowing the plot, which went something like this. Bah Koo belonged to a little boy, and would protect his dreams. One night, when the boy had an unusually powerful nightmare, Bah Koo jumped to his rescue, transforming into a ferocious creature, and ate the bad dream. Now that I have found my Bah Koo doll, I can rest easy, knowing my dreams are safe once more.

Bah Koo is based off of the Japanese folklore of the Baku, the dream eaters.

Hero of the Day

Victor was lying down on the grass, looking up at the sky. Curled next to him is his girlfriend, who has tears in her eyes and her arms wrapped around his body. The year is 2012, and it is only five minutes to midnight on New Years Eve. Even though it is late, the sky is lit up with bright lights from every house. Nobody fell asleep early tonight, as there will be enough sleep in the following years. Years ago the scientist predicted the world would end on the 21st of December, 2012. They were wrong. The world will end tonight.
Every attempt to stop the meteor had failed. Nothing could shift its course, and with no hope left, the government issued its last message: “Prepare for the end, it is all over.” That was this afternoon. Within 30 seconds, Victor’s phone was ringing. People began gathering around his apartment building, shouting and screaming his name. “Help us!” they cried. “Save us please!” With a broken heart he looked out from his window, but could do nothing else. At least not anymore; not after what they did to him.
Two years ago, the world looked upon what would be its first, and last, super-powered individual. With his abilities, which the origins are still unknown, he exposed himself to the public in order to help the people during the Second Great Depression. Victor, although at the time he was going by some ridiculous superhero name, could generate and manipulate electrical pulses, both visible and subatomic. He could pull lightning from the sky, or shake the very fabric of time and space. With his unlimited power, the possibilities were endless. Electric cars, free energy, technological advances, all were open to humans now that he had gone public. However, unlimited power comes with a horrible price, for however many people adore you, twice as many fear you.
The governments were skeptical of a being that could destroy a country in a matter of weeks. They spread their skepticism and fear into the media, which in turn passed it onto the very people Victor wanted to help. Religious leaders turned him into the anti-Christ, while government officials blamed him for the strange and destructive weather patterns. No matter how many people he saved, or what technology he helped create, the world he wanted only to save slowly turned against him.
After months of hate being fed into their very hearts and souls, the people of the world cried out for his blood. No more would they stand for this abomination to go around freely using his abilities, for any purpose. The governments demanded an immediate surrender. Not wanting to start a war he feared would destroy the planet, Victor surrendered willingly. At first the officials tried to just hide him away, and continue using his abilities for technological advances. But after only months of this, his fate was leaked to the press, and the public cried out for a greater punishment. They wanted his powers gone.
With mounting pressure from the public, the government had no choice. They devised the means to remove his powers by using the technology he gave them. Not aware of the government’s plans to de-power him, Victor was easily tricked, and betrayed by the very men he had grown to trust. The machine worked perfectly, and Victor was successfully de-powered, with the footage shown world-wide to satisfy the public’s thirst. Victor, who was shocked and still not sure what had happened, was allowed to return home and live out his life as a normal human being. All he wanted was to help. But all they wanted was another person to blame for their mistakes. That was six months ago.
Ten seconds until midnight, and the world looks up to the heavens to watch the ball drop. Victor and his girlfriend had fled to a nearby hilltop, the highest in the area, to watch the end in peace. As she lies there huddled in his arms, he grabs onto her and pulls her tightly against him. Tears begin to stream down their cheeks as they look up towards the sky. He looks at her, and together they whisper their final words. The end of the human race has come, and the only thing capable of stopping it was taken away out of fear and hatred. The people had been granted their savior, and had turned their heads in disgust. They laid the foundations for their very destruction, and built their own tombs with their ignorance and corruption.

Top Ten Most Badass Villains in Marvel Comics

I have always been impressed by a villain that went above and beyond the average 'beat em up, then get beat up and lose' formula. I love the villains that, even though they lose, they leave a deep scar on the good guys that have consequences in the future. I love a good badass villain. So here is my list of the Top Ten Most Badass Villains in Marvel Comics!

Number 10 – Red Skull
Arch Nemesis – Captain America
Badassery – The Red Skull helped kill Captain America. Just let that sink in. He killed the man who embodied the American Spirit, the American courage and power, the man who wore the red, white and blue. And he did it by brainwashing Cap’s girlfriend into shooting him in the gut without her even knowing she was doing it, and then returned those memories to her after Cap was pronounced dead. If that doesn’t earn him a spot on this list, I’m not sure what does.


Number 9 – Galactus
Arch Nemesis – Fantastic Four
Badassery – Galactus eats planets. He doesn’t just travel to them, kill everyone, and then leaves. He travels there, kills everyone, then turns the planet into energy and eats it. Plus, he is the sole survivor of the universe that came before ours, putting him on a power level equal to the Phoenix. You know, the Phoenix Force that can alter reality with a thought. Yeah, he’s equal to that. Did I mention he eats planets as well?


Number 8 – Loki
Arch Nemesis – Thor
Badassery – Norse lore states that one day, the Norse heaven called Asgard will be plunged into chaos and war, resulting in the obliteration of all that we know. This is called Ragnarok. Loki was successful in bringing about Ragnarok. He is also responsible for creating the Avengers. He has tested Thor, his half-brother, countless times, both physically and mentally. He is also now in the body of a woman. Loki is the god of mischief and trickery, and he is very good at what he does.


Number 7 – Venom
Arch Nemesis – Spider-Man
Badassery – Venom is a badass because he doesn’t see himself as a villain. He is, in his eyes, a protector of the pure and innocent. It just so happens that he doesn’t see many pure and innocent people around. Oh, but that was when Eddie Brock was Venom. Now that the former villain Scorpion is the new Venom, Venom goes around eating people. Plus he was, for a time, posing as Spider-Man. While eating people. That makes him badass at heart, and he looks cool doing it.


Number 6 – Juggernaut
Arch Nemesis – anyone who ticks him off
Badassery – The Juggernaut cannot be stopped. No, like seriously. He once fought this guy, who incinerated everything but Juggernaut’s bones and helmet, and Jugs still kicked his ass. He really cannot be stopped. Oh sure, sometimes it looks like Jugs was stopped, but in reality the comic writers had to put in those times to make it look like the heroes won. The Juggernaut always comes back, because nothing, not even the writers, can stop the Juggernaut.


Number 5 – Apocalypse
Arch Nemesis – The X-Men
Badassery – There is a whole universe where Apocalypse enslaved the Earth. It’s called Age of Apocalypse. He is immortal, crazy powerful, has fought Dracula, and can shape-shift and give himself nearly any power. I really have a hard time believing it when the X-men beat him, but hey, they heroes have to win, I guess. Apocalypse comes complete with his four horsemen, War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death, and he commonly enslaves members of the X-Men to fulfill these roles, turning them on their former friends. His motto is Survival of the Fittest, which is pretty cool, but when backed by your name being Apocalypse, you’re pretty badass.


Number 4 – Magneto
Arch Nemesis – Professor Xavier
Badassery – Magneto has a love/hate relationship with the X-Men. He has been both their most persistent foe and leader in the past. In a sense, he really isn’t a villain, and all he wants is for the human race to submit to mutantkind, and allow them to take their rightful place as the next evolutionary step. Heck, he’ll even settle for getting his own island, which he did, right before it was annihilated by Sentinels. His whole badassery comes from the fact that you never really know what he is planning next. He might be your ally one moment, then your greatest enemy the next. All that and he wears a cape.


Number 3 – Thanos
Arch Nemesis – Death
Badassery – You have probably never heard of Thanos, so basically all you need to know is that he is in love with Death. Not the act of killing, but the physical embodiment of Death. Apparently he saw Death embodied as a beautiful woman, and ever since then has been trying to win her affection. In order to do that, he used an extremely powerful artifact to kill half of all the living things in the universe, at one time. He also captured and killed the Silver Surfer, then offered him as a gift to Death. Oh, but wouldn’t you know it? He revived the Surfer in front of Death just to spite her since she didn’t love him. So she made him immortal, and now he can never feel her embrace. Wait a minute. He killed HALF OF ALL LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE, in one moment. But at least he did it in the name of love.


Number 2 – Dr. Doom
Arch Nemesis – Mr. Fantastic
Badassery – Dr. Doom is one of the most powerful characters in the entire marvel universe. He is one of the top sorcerers, one of the top geniuses, and one of the top inventors. But his badassery comes from what he does to the Fantastic Four. For instance, Doom loves to use the FF’s children against them, whether as conduits for attacks, or traumatizing them. For all he has done, Doom was cast into Hell recently. But you think that would keep him down? Hell no. Doom hitched a ride on Thor’s mighty hammer Mjolnir and made it back to the world of the living. He has defeated the FF many times, is the Monarch of Latveria for life, and was almost chosen to be Sorcerer Supreme of the universe. That’s a full plate of badass accomplishments!


Number 1 – Green Goblin
Arch Nemesis – Spider-Man
Badassery – If being a badass means messing with your arch nemesis’s head, screwing with his life as much as possible, and loving every second of it, then nobody beats the Green Goblin. Let’s recap. Peter (Spider-Man’s actual name) is dating Gwen Stacy. Norman (Goblin’s actual name) seduces her, impregnates her, she gives birth to twins in France so Peter doesn’t know, then the Goblin throws her off a bridge, killing her in front of Spider-Man. Years later, the twins (brainwashed by Norman) torment Peter physically and mentally because they believe he killed their mother. Next, Norman messes with Harry, his son and Peter’s best friend, turning Harry into the second Green Goblin, who tortures and battles Spider-Man when Norman is thought to be dead. Then, out of a ridiculous set of events, Norman becomes the most powerful, influential, and important man on the planet, and begins to use his unlimited resources to hunt down Spider-Man, as well as all the other heroes. And those are just some of the wonderful moments that the Green Goblin has given Spider-Man over the years. Such an evil, diabolical, and, dare I say it, badass villain.

Unwritten Laws of a Fast Food Restaurant

So I was thinking the other day, aren't there things that happen at work that always happen? Kinda like the underlying mechanics behind the place. Without these things, the workplace would just run too smoothly, and everyone knows we can't have that. These are not complaints. These are observations from working in fast food for a long time. Anyway, here is a list of little things that you can pretty much count on happening.

1. If there is enough of a product, nobody wants it. If we don't have something, everyone wants it.
2. The fryers only break on days we really need them.
3. If it is dead and people go home early, it will get busy.
4. The tongs are never where you need them.
5. There are never enough towels.
6. You will only be put as order taker on the days you are sick/unshaven/angry.
7. It's never busy on a certain day. Until you work that day.
8. The coupon is never in programmed in the register. When it finally is, it's expired.
9. The menu is constantly changing, therefore only those who work 8 days a week can memorize it.
10. The sink eats scoops.
11. New day, new broken appliance.
12. By the time you remember we have a special, we don't have it anymore.
13. You touch something and it burns you. Two seconds later someone else touches it, it's cold.
14. Arrive on time, there are no customers for an hour. Arrive 5 minutes late, the place is packed.
15. It might not be windy outside, but open up the drive-thru window and get hit by a tornado.
16. Within 15 minutes after the top of every hour we will get customers.
17. If it is the last of something, you are bound to drop it.
18. If you turn up the volume to hear a quiet customer, the next customer will yell into the speaker.
19. Whether you stand around before or after close, the time we get out will always be the same.
20. For every one good customer that you like, there will be five that don't speak English.
21. Without a doubt, someone will pay you in all change when you have the least amount of time or nerves to count it.
22. The inconvenience of a product has a positive relationship to its popularity.
23. The more you like someone outside of work, the more you can't stand them in work.

Admirer from Above

“He sees her, walking through the busy streets below. With her midnight-colored hair streaming down her back, she is the picture of perfect beauty. Her face is illuminated by the contrast of her pale skin and dark eyes. She moves with graceful, flowing movements, as if her entire journey was predestined for her, and she is just going through the motions. He gazes out his window as she moves through the crowds, unaware of her loyal watcher. He has watched her, every day, for weeks now, moving in the same manner, in the same direction, at the same pace, at the same time. She appears from around the corner of 5th street, walks down the street below his apartment window, and disappears around the corner of 6th street. At his window, he watches her pass by, dreaming, wishing he could walk next to her as she disappears into oblivion. She is never accompanied by another, and there is never any interaction between her and the shadows surrounding her. His eyes never leave her, as he fears he will miss a second of her presence. As she appears from the edge of his world, all else fades and blackens in comparison to her beauty. “What fools these men be,” he thinks to himself, “to pass by such beauty and not by stricken by awe.” For no matter what happens in the street, no man, woman, or child turn to face her. She moves through the crowd as if she was nothing more than a warm summer’s breeze. The only one to acknowledge her existence is the lone watcher from above.
Her admirer sits above, in his sanctuary, unwilling to face the outside world while it still teems with life. He travels only at night, fearing the light of the sun and the crowds of the day, and only finding comfort in the sunless night, and even then never leaving the safety of his street. For him, the world is too dangerous of a place for someone with his illness. Long ago, some time after he first moved into his apartment, which is too long ago for him to remember exactly when, he developed a philosophy that no beauty could ever come from a world so cold. Yet, many weeks ago, this dark-haired goddess appeared from beyond his world, and captured his attention like nothing else ever has before. For those few brief minutes that his human eyes look upon her, he drinks in every bit of detail. When those minutes have passed, he leaves his window and takes to his bed, where he satisfies his ravenous appetite through fictitious encounters with his unrequited love. When he travels out of his home at night, he follows her trail, getting lost in his lust to be by her side. There are some nights, when his imagination cannot fully satisfy him, and his mind is intoxicated by her picture, where he sees her walking down her path. It is at these moments, when he feels he is right next to her, when he feels his heart stop, and it is as if death itself is standing with him, watching the beauty pass by.
Today it is raining, yet the watcher sits at his open window, waiting for his minutes of passion. The clock strikes noon, and the woman appears, walking through the crowd as they run past to escape the storm. She continues on her trail, despite the weather, wearing no raincoat and carrying no umbrella. As she walks by the closest point to the window, the watcher sees her as clearly as ever. He sees her face, dry and soft, and her hair, glistening as if she were standing in the gleaming sun. Not a drop of rain has dared touch her, for fear of unthinkable torture by the hands of God for defiling such a personification of beauty. He stares, as he always does, but for the first time not due to her beauty, but to the inhumanness of her existence. A creature of such beauty could not possible have been given life in a world as dark and corrupt as this one. For the first time he notices details of more than just her beauty. Her notices that the dress she wears is never different, and always black in color. Her hair, her makeup, and her movements are always the same, repeated over and over, never changing. She is constant, just as she is in his mind, just as she was the first time he saw her. He stares, not because he believes in her beauty, but because he doubts in her existence. And for the first time, before she disappears from his view, she turns and smiles at him.
One smile is all that was needed to dislodge any disbelief in his perfect love. She has acknowledged his existence, in that one simple act, and erased the doubt from his mind. For the next twenty-four hours, her smile never leaves his mind, and he never leaves his window. The sun welcomes the next day. The watcher turns his head to the proper view, and waits. The clock strikes noon, yet she does not appear. He slowly rises from his seat, and calmly walks out the door down to the street below. For the first time in years, he steps out into the sunlight, into the crowded street below his window. He slowly moves towards her path as the people move past him. No one pays any attention to him, no one interacts with him. He turns to wait for her appearance, only to find himself standing face to face with his dream lover. She is smiling the same smile he saw yesterday for the first time, and is wearing the same dress that he first saw her in, painted the color of night. Her beauty is untainted, unchanged, since he first noticed her traveling under his window many weeks ago, as if she stepped out of his memory and into his reality. “You are waiting for me,” she says to him. Her voice echoes around him, like a sound in a cave. Her voice paralyzes his body, yet he feels his muscles relax and go numb. “I have always been waiting for you,” he replies to the shadow. “Then come with me,” she whispers, “and never wait again.” With these words, she walks past him. He turns and follows, walking aside of his love, as they disappear around the corner. No longer is she the unrequited dream. No more would he have to sit at his window, cursed only to gaze upon her beauty. He was hers now and forever.”

Hero

“I guess we should begin with a little history lesson, just too clear things up. My father was a hero. And I’m not just saying that because I’m his son, and I look up to him. I mean he was a real hero. He saved lives. He defeated the bad guys, and he saved the day more times than he could count. But it wasn’t all just fame and fortune. In fact, no one in the general public even knows what he did for them. No one knows what he sacrificed. No one knows how many times he stopped people from dying. He always says its better this way. There’s no publicity and cameras. He can go about his life like a normal person now. Even if he still has his powers. He says he got everything out of life he could want so far. He has a family, the government pays for everything, and he has the satisfaction of knowing he helped change the world. If only I could have been more like him. If only I could have just been content with controlling my powers, and not so impatient. I only wanted to be like him. I only wanted to be a hero.”
“I have powers, but they are different than my father. We aren’t really sure what went wrong, since my sister’s powers seem more in line with his, but instead of fire, I use energy. You wouldn’t think it’s too big of a deal, since what’s the difference between a fireball and an energy blast, right? Well that would be the case, but I don’t create the energy, I absorb it. I take the energy from around me, pull it all in, and then I can use it. And there are so many technicalities. Too little energy, I can’t do anything. Too much energy and my cells will either burst or burn. We haven’t figured out which yet, and I’m ok with that. Either way, it takes time and concentration to absorb the energy. It’s as if nature knew giving me too much power right off the bat would be disastrous, so instead I have to earn it. Not like that changes anything about how I acted. In fact, none of this really matters, so I’ll just cut to the important part.”
“It was ten when my powers first manifested. I was 16 when it happened. That’s six years of training with them. You would think in six years I would have learned something from my father’s stories instead of just enjoying them and daydreaming about saving the world. But I didn’t and I made a terrible mistake. I thought I had a good handle on my powers. I thought I could do something other than just train with them. I thought I could be a hero, just like my father. But I was wrong. It happened in a city, and you can forget about asking which one, cuz there is no way I’m giving details. It was in a city, and I was jumping from rooftop to rooftop, just like in the comics I read. Looking back I am so embarrassed by how I acted, but I can’t change the past. It was on one particular rooftop, looking over a certain alley, that I heard the scream.”
“I will never forget the place. I will never forget the cold night air on my face, and the sounds of the city. The way my heart froze at that woman’s scream. I should have just left. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but everything would have been better off if I had just left that woman to her fate. I should have just walked away. But of course, that’s not what my father would have done. And that’s not how the superheroes from the comics and movies would have acted. They would have plunged headfirst into the alley, instinctively knew what was what, beat the bad guys, and saved that woman. That’s what would have happened in a movie. God I just wish this would have been a movie. That’s how I acted though, just like those fictional heroes. I brought a mask, cuz that’s what all the made up heroes wore. Not my father. He didn’t wear a mask, cuz he had nothing to hide. But on went my mask, and that’s where my life ended.”
“Headfirst into the fray I went. I can remember the scene perfectly. He had her up against the wall, about to help himself to her. The only light was coming from a streetlamp outside the alley. It was so dark; I couldn’t make out a face, or any details for that matter. If I could have, I might have seen the knife he had at her throat. I don’t know if that would have mattered to me at the moment. All I was concerned with was punishing him for hurting her. I’m not sure if I even said anything. I couldn’t make up my mind on a catch-phrase. Hell, I didn’t even have a costume. It was just my street clothes and a plain black face mask. Like the ones kids wear at Halloween. Yet there I was, jumping to the rescue of a woman I didn’t know, about to beat up a criminal, just like the comics. Too bad in the comics, the good guy always wins.”
“So without thinking, I ran straight into the assailant. ‘Without thinking’ could pretty much sum up the entire night, even though I spent months planning this. It’s amazing how much planning and decision making you can do, without putting a single thought into the whole thing. Anyway, I tackled the man, which knocked him off her and into a dumpster. He got back up and I, once again without thinking, used my powers and blasted him with energy. This was a horrible mistake, one of many, since he flew out of the alley into the city street. Even in this busy city, a man flying out of an alley attracts some attention. But I wasn’t concerned with him anymore. I had defeated the bad guy and saved the day. Turning around I said something like, “You’re safe now, ma’am” or something stupid like that. That’s when I saw what I really did. That’s when I saw she was dead.”
“Remember that knife I mentioned earlier? The one I didn’t take notice to? The one that was held to her throat? So close to her throat, in fact, that when I ran into the man, his hand slipped. Instead of the knife falling to the ground, as would have happened in every freaking movie and comic in the world, the knife slipped into her throat. It was such a clean cut; you wouldn’t even have known it was by accident. But this wasn’t by accident. This was a mistake made by me, because I was too impatient to just wait until I was ready for something like this. So there I was, standing over the body of this woman, who was dead because of me. True, she was about to be raped, and he could have very well killed her anyway, but it wasn’t his fault. He had the knife to her throat, but I moved his hand.”
“I freaked. I didn’t know what to do. I started to cry, and it was at this point that the crowd, drawn from the man flying form the alley because of me began to come into the alley. The cops arrived at this point, and I just ran. Such a hero-like maneuver. I ran like a scared little boy because that’s what I was. I had just caused a murder to take place. No. I just committed a murder. And instead of standing there and explaining myself, I ran away. A couple blocks away, I jumped into a dumpster. I’m not sure how long I was there, but it was the first of many nights were I cried myself to sleep. I cried cuz I killed that woman. I cried cuz I failed at being a hero. I can never be like my father now. Not after what happened that night. I knew right then and there I can never be a real hero.”
“When I woke up, I went back to the alley. Who knows why, but I needed to see what happened. I guess it was to make sure I didn’t dream it up. Maybe it was to punish me more. I don’t know why, but when I got there the place was taped off. The police told me that a woman was killed last night by a burglar while he was trying to rape her. So that was the story. No one even knew I was there. You would think that would have helped. But it didn’t, and it still doesn’t. You don’t know how much I just wanted to grab that cop and shout “I did it! I killed her!” But I just walked away. Just like I did the night before. I left and came home; something that woman will never get to do anymore. I never even got her name. I couldn’t find it on the internet. I searched for hours, but I couldn’t find it. As if it didn’t happen. But it did, and her blood will forever be on my hands. The next day I burned all my comics. I have never watched another superhero movie since without feeling ashamed. And I started training even harder with my abilities. Night and day, and I’m still training. I will never use them again until I have complete control. I will never allow myself to be foolish enough to think I can save a person’s life without there being consequences. I will never play hero again.”

The End

“The End is nigh” A homeless man held up a sign with this statement on it. He had a disgusting appearance, his face black with dirt and grease. He had a long, brown beard, which was littered with little fragments of garbage and crumbs. His hair was long and greasy, and in some parts matted down from the grim he slept in. His clothes were tattered and torn, just as dirty as his body was, and his toes popped out of his shoes. The flies that covered his clothes were his only companions, besides the intangible forms that lay heavily on his heart. He lived by a dumpster outside of a gritty little pizza shop in the shadow of the great city. At night he slept, and during the day he slumped against the dumpster holding his sign.
Very few people saw his sign and those that did just passed him by, shaking their heads or mocking him under their breath. He had very little recognition of the meaning of his message, other than the obvious end it signified. He could not even remember the reason he communicated his message, but he had an uncomfortable feeling that he did because that is what he wished for most of all. He cursed the people who walked before him, and denounced his god for causing him this misery.
How this man fell to this level is uncertain, even to his own mind. Perhaps it was his own greed, or maybe the corruption of the company he worked for. Regardless of the reason, this man, who was regarded as successful by his peers, fell into this spiral of despair and poverty, which continues today, even after seven long years. He had lost everything he had, but it was not his house, or his TV, or his money that he longed for most. What this grotesque creature wanted most was what he had taken for granted long ago. He wanted love. He wanted happiness. He wanted to feel the warm water of a shower over his aching body. He wanted a bed to sleep in. He wanted more than just scraps to eat. But even as he thought of this, his thoughts quickly turned from innocent grief to hungry greed. Even at this level, the modern human still contains greed and corruption in his heart. If a man this low in life can not be relieved of the darkness of the human soul, than what hope have we?
Today is just like every other day. The same people pass him, and the same customers enter the pizza shop. The same routines are followed, day in and day out. Which such freedom in their lives, he thought, why do they conform to the monotonous schedule that they do? He, who had nothing, had no choice but repeat his hell every day. He had resolved long ago that, if by some miracle, he would find a way out of this hole; he would lead a life renewed. But promises made with no hope attached to them are as hollow as the empty dumpster which he leaned on.
However, something was different about today. Instead of sitting against the cold metal box, he walked out of his familiar, and stood at the sidewalk’s edge. He held his sign high, still not sure of its meaning. As he looked around at his new surroundings, he made notice to things he could not have ever noticed from the dumpster’s shade. He noticed the clear blue sky. He saw the clouds float on down, undisturbed by the smoke he was so accustomed to seeing. He felt the sun beat down on his dirty skin, and felt it’s warm for the first time in a long time. He looked around, unsure of what he saw. He had only seen a small view of this world for such a long time, but now he saw with his eyes what he had only heard with his ears. The vivid colors of the signs and cars assaulted his eyes, and he heard the laughter of the people. But this laughter was not the same he had heard from his tormenters. This laughter was of joy and happiness. He saw the women smiling, he saw the children giggling. The buzzing of the flies, which had been left with the dumpster and grim, was now replaced with the fluttering of the wings of birds. A myriad of new smells flew to his nose, and delighted the wretched man.
All these new sights and sounds, these new feelings and smells, they reminded him of his past memories. The memories of happiness, of his time with his long lost friends and lovers, overwhelmed his senses. The ecstasy of his pleasant memories brought tears to his eyes. He looked at his sign, his beloved possession that had given him the comfort he needed during the cold nights and rainy days, and for the first time saw clearly the gospel he was preaching. He lowered his sign, and it slowly slipped from his grasp, falling to the ground. No longer was he going the play the doomsday prophet. No longer would he curse his fellow man. He looked towards the heavens, and praised his lord, giving thanks for the joyous memories he still possesses, and the chance for a new life. Hope filled his darkened and empty heart, and he no longer wished for his last day. The end was never here, nor was it ever coming. This was only a test, and a chance to see the world in a new light. The homeless man saw this clearly now, for he saw the world not with just his mind, but with his heart as well. The man stepped out of his familiar darkness, into uncertainty, and found what his heart desired most.
Isn’t about time we did the same?