Old Writings

Spiraling Down an Ever Widening Hole

December 29, 2006
I think until my body is numb, while my thoughts spin round and round. My eyelids are heavy as if drugged, but my mind is ever sharp. I think and think and think some more. Chaos rules my brain. I try time and again to put a speed bump in the way; nary a one can slow me down. My fingers and legs twitch as my brain works overtime. Twitch, jerk, twitch. A white wall–a desperate thought comes to me, long at wits end have I reached. I must build a white wall and think of nothing else or sleep will never come. Dreams to drown in and to wake up sweaty from. Confusion and chaos of a different kind.

I spiral down an ever widening hole of thoughtful exhaustion.

Writing Exercises – September 1st & 2nd

Truth Behind a Blogger’s Life

Kevin cackled with glee as he pounded away at the keyboard entering his latest blog entry at Blogspot in his alter person of “The Playboy.” He figured he led an interesting and rich fantasy life, he might as well let others think his imaginings were real.

“Mirranda and I had just entered the restaurant, when we ran into my date from last night, Carla. Before I could turn around and usher Mirranda back out and suggest another restaurant, Carla rushed up into my face and spat out what a two-timing jerk I was, then slapped me. She left the lounge in a huff, then my latest date jerks away from me and tells me not to bother calling her again.I acted suave though. Didn’t let their defection bother me and just shrugged it off. Looking around the bar area of the restaurant, I could see the envious and sympathetic looks from the other men, while their dates were sniffing in distaste. Ah well, c’est la vie.”

Just as Keven was about to click on the submit button, a knock on his door alerted him to the incipient entrance of someone.

“Kevin, dear. You really need to pick up your clothes and do a load of laundry soon. You know, you were the one who asked that I try and stay out of your sanctuary and you’d take care of its upkeep.”

“Aw, Mom. I’ll do it soon, I promise,” whined Kevin.

“Well, this is your only reminder young man. School starts on Monday and it’s your first day at a new high school, so you want to give a good first impression,” the matronly woman said before smiling at her fifteen year-old son.

He watched as his mom shrugged and closed the door to his room. He took a look at the chaos around him and figured his mom was right. For once. He turned back to his computer and finished what he was doing before the interruption and entered his new blog entry. He minimized his browser, turned off the monitor and sighed. Chores were just not as thrilling as his two-timing, playboy persona.

Three words in 5 minutes

With the top down on his old convertible VW Beetle, Simon let the breeze and sunshine wash over him as he cruised down the strip that lead straight to a private piece of beach that was exclusive to the Medallion Resort. Simon thanked his parents for once again being the generous people they were for funding his summer break and helping him out while he worked part-time in the resort restaurant as a bus boy. Today he had the day off and was going to take advantage of it and the fact that Medallion staff could access the private beach.

A random blip on rabbits and cats

The rabbit stopped nibbling at the dandelion and raised its head the moment it felt a vibration in the ground coming from behind. The long ears twitched and the tiny nose quivered as it now heard and smelled something foreign. With careful ease, it turned its head around and saw the black cat sitting not three feet away. It too was still and watching, careful and wary. With an arched back and a quick hiss, the cat took a running leap forward. The movement and sound startled the rabbit into motion and off it bound into the underbrush.

For A Split Second in Time

Jason was walking down Port Street on an early Spring morning, on the opposite side that he normally traversed when something amazing happened. His day had started out innocuously enough and Jason had wanted a change of perspective on his daily walk, hoping that a fresh view of his commute to work would help to loosen his life from the tedium that had gripped it.

He got more than he bargained for.

As he neared a store he had often seen, but had never walked into, Jason felt something odd pulling from inside him, urging him to enter the door with its open sign prominently displayed. Jason, who had wanted to shake up his boring life, for once followed the urge, looking briefly at the wording on the door and thinking nothing of the name, until after the unusual event had occurred.

As he placed both hands on the door to push it open, he felt a shift in his perceptions and what he saw before him was not a store, but an outdoor scene of a wedding. The participants of the wedding were vague, their faces indistinct. That is, all but his own. He saw himself as the groom, looking happy. He blinked and before him stood a normal storefront and the person behind the counter looked up at his entry.

“May I help you?” asked the old man wearing a red and white striped apron and a paper cap on his head.

“No, but thank you. I think I’ve got all that I need, at least for the moment,” Jason said with a smile, the frown he had been sporting now a distant memory, one that had been replaced by a bright, positive future.

Jason left and continued on his way, the day more radiant than ever. As the door shut on the store, the name in small script letters could be seen, “For A Split Second” and below that a small picture of a banana split with two spoons poking out.

Miscellaneous Writings

High above, from the roof of a corporate building, Mark looked down at the streets below with his field binoculars, watching as everyone went about their own business like a bunch of ants. He came up here often to contemplate the world and to place everything in perspective, and there was no place else he knew that he could achieve total peace.

The day was clear and the temperatures were just pleasant enough to be comfortable in a lightweight jacket. Soon, Summer would be upon the city and the heat would skyrocket as the streets baked those brave enough to venture out of doors away from the air conditioned buildings.

Mark sighed and sat down in the fold-up lounge chair he had brought up with him from his office. It was after hours and the building had quieted down as everyone rushed from the glass-encased prison they worked in. He let the rays of the sun soak down into his parched skin as if it were water after a long drought.

#######
On a lovely sunny, Sunday afternoon, everyone is out and about on parade. The park is full and people are out to have fun.

My family has had a lovely picnic lunch and they are now lazing in the sun enjoying the sounds of laughter and playing, with the birds in the distance as they fly over the lake. People are out for a stroll, to fly their kites, and spend time with their families. Today is special, we celebrate our Mother’s and all the mothers in our lives.

I look out over the sun drenched land and breathe deep to enjoy the renewal of the earth and my spirit.

#######
As the wind moved through the trees, a solitary figure slowly wound they way among the dense vegetation. Low hanging tree branches slapped at the young woman who was inappropriately dressed for that time of year.

Low murmers of discontent could be heard issuing from the lips colored a deep red with lipstick. The woman, Cathleen, stopped after stumbling for the fourth time along the rough, untraveled path. She leaned wearily against a tree and sank to the ground; her tender, delicate skin scraping against the harsh bark.

She had no hope of finding her way out of the forest and she cursed the soul of the person who had kidnapped her and left her there, possibly to die. She tried to peer out into the darkness, hoping to find some measure of light to guide her, but she could see nothing through the copse of trees. She was thankful though that it was a warm night and that even though her dress was not meant for hiking through the woods, it did provide her with some form of protection and she would not freeze to death.

Cathleen closed her eyes and bowed her head and did the one thing she was still capable of doing, she prayed.

“Heavenly father, you are a gracious and benevolent God, and I can only thank you for the fact that I still live. But I can only ask that you protect me in this hour of need.”

Cathleen paused in her worship and thought of the man who had placed her in this predicament and looked for charity and forgiveness, and good find hardly none. What little spark that was there, she spoke to God about, “I have no charity for the person who left me here, but I ask that you do have mercy on his soul.”

As she continued to pray with her head lowered, she did not see the flash of light that peaked through the trees, wavering as if the light source were in motion. The sound of footsteps that approached was ripped away by the blowing wind, but lu and heavenly intervention was with Cathleen as she finished her prayer just in time to see the speck of light before it could vanish from sight.

That tiny glimpse gave her strength to raise to her feet and call out to the stranger before her.

“Hello, if someone is out there, please, hear me!” she yelled.

A shout was given in response and she heard the loud report of a gun being fired. Answering shots could be heard and Cathleen realized that in that moment that a search team had been sent after her and she stayed still and continued to call out to her rescuer.

The beam of light grew stronger and finally broke through the trees to shine upon her person. She smiled and closed her eyes once more and gave a fine prayer of deep thanks to those who cared for her well being.