Fireside Dance - Oz soundtrack

Midterms already?! No wonder I already feel like being whisked away.
I'm not even halfway through the story yet! Close, but not quite. Actually... scratch that, not even close.

I'm still staying a part ahead, but just barely. These last few weeks have been fairly busy.

Oh look, a new character.

The Promised Land: (Part 6) The Final Solution

Caden’s eyes narrowed to dark slits when he heard the question. “What are you?” she asked, as if he and Shiloh were objects of contempt or creatures to be feared. The same response any Pure would have. Caden didn’t realize he expected her to have a different reaction until he found himself disappointed and slightly irritated. “Just like everyone else,” he thought.

“Untouchable,” he said aloud, absently staring out at the dry fields.

“Excuse me?” Eden asked in a timid voice.

Caden sighed and turned to her again. “We’re different. Shiloh and I are Infected, but we’re more than that. Some of those who survive the disease live with certain…”

“Consequences?” Eden finished for him.

“Side effects.”

“So… being diseased gives you super powers?” Eden mulled over the thought. That had to be the gift Shiloh told her about.

“That’s one way of looking at it,” Caden said in a somber tone as he turned back to watch the scenery. “As I said before, Jericho is still a good distance away. Please don’t feel obligated to talk the entire time.”

“But what if I-”

“Don’t. Please.”

Eden pouted as she huddled inside Caden’s large coat. She considered digging through the backpack next to her, just to see what was in it, but decided against the notion. Being shot by an angry fifteen year old wasn’t exactly something she wanted to check off her bucket list. Being bossed around by the kid was bad enough. “Still,” she thought, “I need to try NOT irritating the guy with the gun.”

An hour passed without a word on either side. Eden was just about to fall asleep again when she heard Caden whisper, “Trouble.”

Eden bolted upright and looked around. In the distance, Eden could see several dark vehicles approaching. Caden exhaled and ran a hand through his dark hair. “Pull over.”

“What’s going on?” Eden’s wide blue eyes darted back and forth between the vehicles and Caden. Shiloh turned the jeep off the road and parked. Meanwhile, Caden turned around in his seat and rummaged through the backpack in the backseat. He pulled out a pair of headphones and tossed them into Eden’s lap.

“What’s this for?”

“Just put them around your neck for now. Listen, I need you to do something for me.” He pulled a flat, square parcel out of his pocket and placed it into her hands. “I need you to keep this safe for me. Put it in your pocket.”

“What is it?”

“That doesn’t matter. If something happens to us, I need you take it to Jericho and find Ezra. She’ll know what to do.”

“If something happens? Who is she? What is this?” Eden couldn’t help but sound panicked. “What’s going on? I don’t understand!”

Caden took out various ammunition rounds from the bag next to Eden and stuffed them into his smaller bag. He checked the ammunition in several handguns and shoved them into his sack as well. Caden took his windbreaker off, slung the bag over his shoulder, and replaced his jacket. He glanced at the oncoming vehicles and turned his attention back to Eden. “Please listen to me. This is very important. Whatever happens, don’t say anything. Just do as I say and it will all be ok.”

Eden’s stomach flipped with anxiety as she looked back at the dark vehicles. “Promise?”

For the first time, Eden witnessed Caden smile. In the same manner Shiloh had done, Caden held up his right index finger to his lips then covered his left fist with his right palm. Before Eden could say a word, Caden’s smile disappeared as he nodded to his brother. Shiloh pulled his grey hood over his silver hair. Eden stuffed the paper-wrapped package into her jean pocket. It bulged a bit, but was easily concealed by Caden’s large coat.  

The vehicles turned out to be four black humvees with black and white flags on the front. Much to the trio’s dismay, the vehicles stopped on the road alongside the jeep and two soldiers from each vehicle got out.

For a few tense seconds, the three waited. The eight camo-clad figures aimed assault rifles at the jeep as a man wearing a dark blue military uniform and glasses stepped out of the first humvee.

 He walked to the jeep and inspected the passengers. He took off his hat, ran a hat through his dirty blonde hair, and put the hat back on.

“Well, well, well,” he said as he stepped up to Shiloh’s side of the jeep. “A bunch of delinquents taking a joy ride. You know, it’s illegal for children to drive a stolen vehicle.”

“It’s not stolen,” Caden piped up.

“Is that so? I have trouble believing that.” The man turned directly to Shiloh, but the boy kept his head down. “What business do you have in Jericho?”

Caden replied, “Just visiting.”

“I didn’t ask you,” the man shot back at Caden, but continued to question Shiloh. “Well? It’s rude to ignore people. Answer me!”

“He doesn’t talk,” Caden interjected.

“A mute?” The man tilted his head for a moment. “Must be a deaf mute. Look at me when I’m talking to you.” The man yanked the grey hood back and stood in stunned silence when he saw Shiloh’s silvery hair. “Oh.” He backed away and rubbed his gloved hand against his uniform. “Well that explains it. He’s a Diseased, ” he said with ease. “Out of the jeep.”

“But we were only-”

“OUT! NOW!” the man commanded.

The three scrambled out of the vehicle and lined up between the man and the jeep. In the clouded daylight, Eden noted that he only looked to be older than her by a few years. There was a silver star embedded in his hat and star shaped buttons on his uniform. As the commander walked down the line, Caden’s irises turned deep red.

“You’re a Diseased as well,” he said as he kept walking. He stopped in front of Eden and leaned in quizzically. Eden didn’t realize he was wearing glasses until his hazel eyes were staring at her through half rimmed spectacles. “And what about you?”

“Would you risk it?” Caden interrupted.

“Perhaps not.” The man stood back and looked over the motley crew. “Well, that’s a shame. We ran into your kind back in Jericho. It’s truly remarkable how much pain your people can stand. I couldn’t find it within my heart to leave them in such pitiful condition.”

He pulled out a pistol and stared at it as he continued. “It was in their best interest to relieve their misery. Perhaps I should do the same for you.” The man pointed the gun at Caden’s head.

Caden stood his ground, unflinching. For far too many agonizingly long moments, Eden feared they would all be shot and left for dead on the side of the road.

What felt like an eternity later, the man lowered the gun and chuckled. “Such nerve. You still have time before the sickness takes control. Enjoy that time while you have it. Meanwhile, I’ll be taking that vehicle of yours.”

He put the gun away and motioned to his subordinates. Shiloh dove into the jeep and retreated with his black case just as two soldiers pushed their way through to commandeer the vehicle. The man and the rest of the soldiers returned to their humvees and drove off with the jeep right behind them.

The trio watched the dark shapes grow smaller in the distance.

Eden, thankful the episode was over, shivered. “That creep just stole our jeep.”

Caden nodded. “Joke’s on him. It’s running on empty.”

~*~*~*~

By the way, happy Pi day. 

Imaginary - Vitamin String Quartet cover

Hello ho ho! 

Apologies, apologies. School. Work. Homework. Life. The usual.
I'm trying and set it so you can see some of my complete works without having to go look them up.

Hey, I'm still staying ahead by 1 part. That's exciting. ^_^

Here ye go. 

The Promised Land: (Part 5) Imaginary

Eden’s dreams were filled with dark visions. In her nightmare, soldiers with red eyes and white hair surrounded her and tried to take something from her. Eden wasn’t sure what she was holding on to, but the soldiers had taken hold of it and wouldn’t let go. The more they pulled it away, the harder she clutched to the item for dear life. Eden woke up and realized Caden was trying to yank his coat from her iron grip.

Frightened, the girl let go and looked around. She was still in the room she fell asleep in, still in the same world. “I… I don’t understand,” she said quietly.

“You stole my coat in your sleep, simple as that. I’ll make sure to lock the door next time.” Caden’s face was wrinkled into a frown as he briskly put the coat on and zipped it up to his chin. “Get up. An Atari scout found us, but I took care of him. We need to go.”

Eden remained curled up on the poor excuse for a bed, staring off into the distance. “I fell asleep… but I didn’t wake up in my world. I thought… I thought I could… go back,” she said aloud to herself.

A shadow of pity reduced Caden’s irritation. 

He grabbed her arm and pulled Eden up. “We need to go. NOW,” he stated firmly. Still holding on to Eden’s arm, he pulled her out of the room, down the hall, and into the living room. Shiloh was guarding the door with an assault rifle.

“Take her,” Caden muttered as he let go of Eden’s arm and grabbed the backpacks instead. He went outside, presumably to make sure there were no more soldiers lurking about. Shiloh smiled at Eden and, with his left hand, touched his mouth with his index finger and covered his right fist with his palm. Eden blinked in confusion. She jumped when someone knocked on the door two times. Shiloh took Eden’s hand and pulled her outside. Eden was hit with a wave of chills as soon as she stepped outside. The wind was howling. The grey/green sky and broken buildings gave her an eerie feeling.

Eden couldn’t stop her teeth from chattering. “So c-c-cold. What t-time is it?”

“Almost four,” Caden said as he took the lead. The small group wandered behind and between several houses until they came to a rusted military jeep. In the dim light, Eden could tell the brown seats were torn and tattered. What little paint could be seen suggested that the jeep had been a dark green color at one point. Eden wondered if the rust bucket would run at all. Caden threw the large bag into the backseat and started sifting through the bag’s contents. Shiloh hopped into driver’s seat and started the jeep.

“Why does he get to drive?”

“Because he knows where to go.”

Eden was about to climb into the front passenger seat when Caden spoke again.

“Can you use a gun?” he asked as he unzipped his heavy green coat and pulled on a black windbreaker.

Eden shook her head.

“Don’t call shotgun if you can’t shoot.” 

Caden handed her the big green coat and climbed into the seat next to his brother. As soon as Eden got in beside the backpack, the jeep took off. Where they were going, Eden didn’t know. Nor did she care. She wanted to be as far away from the demolished center as possible. Many of the roads had large potholes and looked as though something had plowed through them. Eden assumed it was for this reason that Shiloh stayed off the roads. Caden kept his rifle, the same one Shiloh had earlier, ready to fire at any moment. He was tense for a full hour into the drive. Once he thought they were a good distance from the wreckage of Freedom, he relaxed enough to turn around and talk to Eden.

“Jericho is about two hours away. We’ll-”

“Jericho?” a fully awake Eden interrupted. “That already doesn’t sound good.”

“As I was saying,” Caden continued, “You won’t survive out here on your own, but you should be able to figure something out in Jericho. It’s not a star city, so it will be easier for you to blend in.”

“What’s a star city?”

“A city approved by Z as pure.” Caden put air quotes around the last word.

“Z? Pure? From what?”

“This is going to be a long drive,” Caden sighed. Eden’s ignorance annoyed him, but if there was any truth to her story, she needed to know how to stay alive this new world. “Z is the dictator. After the war, he took control of what was left of America. Now he has his own army that he uses to enforce his laws.”

“The Atari?”

“Right. You’re not such a blockhead after all.” Caden smirked.

Eden stuck out her tongue, but he continued speaking. “The dictator divided people into two groups: the Pure and the Diseased. The war was mostly chemical. It left a lot of… sickness. The Pure are the ones who weren’t infected by the chemicals, like you. Those who were infected reacted differently. Most died immediately. The rest of the Infected were either stuck with a disease that would eventually kill them or… mutated.” 

Caden’s dark eyes drifted until he was staring behind Eden as his voice grew quiet. “I suppose now there are really three groups: the living… the dying… and us.”

In his own mind, Caden was reflecting on the different responses he and his brother got when people found out they were “Diseased.” 

In the blink of an eye, Caden was no longer in the present, but picturing a scene from his last visit to a star city.   

~*~

The black and white flag in the center of the city glided gently in the wind. It looked far more peaceful at the top of the flagpole than it did at the bottom. Far below, the ashen faces of the citizens blocked out whatever cheerful color could be found in the city. “Any color would do,” Caden thought to himself behind his dark sunglasses. “Even a blue would be welcome at this point.” He had never seen so many grays in one location. Sometimes he saw a green or two, no orange, no red. This wasn’t a colorful town. Except for the two people walking ahead of him. Shiloh, with his hood drawn over a dark ball cap, was always some mix of the two colors. Jade, however, reflected yellow almost consistently. The trio moved into the segregated part of town, the “Infected Zone.” 

Caden saw more color here. Green, to be exact. No matter where he went, the infected could always be discerned from the pure. Not just by the symbol they bore on their clothes and above their houses, but by their fear. Caden wondered if a cure for the diseased could ever be strong enough to heal a people broken by fear and prejudice. It wasn’t just from the pure citizens that Caden and Shiloh hid their identity. Most of the infected were just as on edge as the pure when they found out the truth. There were a few who accepted them with open arms and they weren’t to be found in star cities. Caden didn’t like being labeled and treated differently, sometimes even treated like dirt. He had to continually remind himself how lucky he and Shiloh really were. They were diseased, yes, but not in agony and waiting for life to expire. Caden wasn’t sick, like so many of his friends…

Caden’s trip down memory lane was interrupted when Eden spoke up.

“What are you?”

Tiptoe - Imagine Dragons

School's been great. It's going to be a struggle not to get swamped with a bunch of things, as usual. I'm going to be crazy busy in a couple weeks so I wanted to get some writing done before then. So far, I've been ahead by 1 part the last few times I posted. 

Hopefully, I can keep that up. 

Enjoy.

~ Always Hope! ~ 

The Promised Land: (Part 4) Tiptoe

Caden, Shiloh, and Eden walked into a small, grey house. It looked as though the previous owners left right before a tornado hit. Most of the walls and rooms were intact, which is more than could be said for many other buildings in the area. Caden went ahead and checked all the rooms to make sure they were empty.

“It’s all clear,” he said as he ushered the others in. “We can sleep here tonight.”

Caden took the backpack from Eden and detached a roll, which turned out to be two sleeping bags tucked together. “Two of the rooms have beds. You can see which one you’re least disgusted with.”

“What about you two?”

“Shiloh and I are going to stay in here. There’s a couch one of us can sleep on while the other one takes watch.” Caden looked at his brother. “Flip you for it.”

Shiloh dug into his pocket and pulled out a flattened bottle cap.

Eden sat on a ragged patch of carpet with her legs crossed. “Don’t they have coins in the future?”

“Of course we do,” Caden answered as he watched Shiloh toss the metal cap. “We just… don’t have any. We don’t exactly run on money, you know. Not out here anyway.” The cap landed with the printed side up. “… I win.”

Caden pulled a handgun from his own backpack and handed it to Shiloh. After unrolling the sleeping bags and throwing one over the couch, Caden dropped his bag next to his feet and stretched. He took off his coat and dropped it next to his sack. Shiloh sat facing the door with his back against the couch. He laid the gun aside and started to unzip his black case.

“I’m not sure now’s a good time for that,” Caden said as he settled into the couch and pulled the other sleeping bag over. “We don’t know how close those goons are. Or how many are still out there.”

After a moment of thought, Shiloh nodded and zipped the case up. Eden’s stomach growled, but only she took notice of it. Seeing Caden pull the sleeping bag up to his chin, she asked, “What about dinner?”

“We already had dinner,” he muttered with his eyes closed.

“…I didn’t.”

The dejected tone in Eden’s voice was hard to ignore. Shiloh was about to get up and get something for her to eat, but his brother moved first. Caden threw off the sleeping bag, crawled off the couch, and over to their stash. He pulled out a chunk of bread and handed it to Eden with a sour look on his face. Without waiting for a response, he crawled back onto the couch and threw the sleeping bag over his head.

“Thank you,” a pleased Eden said before biting into her meal. Caden grumbled in response.

Eden decided it would be best not to bother him again. She wondered if his agitation was something sleep could fix or if he was just always that disagreeable. Eden finished her sparse meal not long after she received it. Although she was thirsty, she wasn’t going to risk waking up Caden. Eden stretched out her legs so they wouldn’t fall asleep and shoved her hands into her jean pockets. Feeling solid plastic, she pulled out her forgotten phone. The screen lit up as it searched fruitlessly for a signal. 

Eden was about to put it away when she had a sudden thought. Sliding the keyboard out, she glanced at Shiloh before typing a message. She gently tapped Shiloh and handed him the phone. She figured she already knew what the answer would be, but she wanted to be sure. Shiloh handed the phone back just a few seconds later. Eden found that typing messages and passing the phone back and forth proved to be an adequate way to communicate in silence. Had she known sign language, she probably would have used that instead. Eden read through the messages so far.

“Can you talk?”

“Yes”

“Then why don’t you?”

“I don’t like hurting people.”

“You can’t think of anything nice to say?”

“I can think of lots of nice things to say, but to say them out loud would do more harm than good.”

Not sure exactly how to take that, Eden decided not to press the question. “Why do Caden’s eyes turn red?”

“That’s his gift. He can change the way he sees the world. He can see things others can’t.”

“Do your eyes get all creepy too?”

“No. It’s just him.”

“He said those soldiers were after you. Why?”

Shiloh paused on this question and stared straight ahead. Eden couldn’t tell if he heard something or if he was trying to avoid the question. Eden strained to hear anything unusual. “It would be ironic if the soldiers happened to find us just as we were talking about them,” she thought.

Shiloh handed the phone back. “It’s a long story. You should get some rest. We’ll make sure you get to the next town safely.”

Eden frowned. “He’s just trying to get rid of me,” she thought. “They’re probably going to get up in the middle of the night and leave me here for soldier bait.”

She typed out another message with a determined expression. She held up the phone so he could read it. Eden wanted to watch his expressions for any hint of deceit. “Promise?”

Shiloh read the message, looked Eden in the eye, and gave a solemn nod. Eden put the phone away and stood up. “Seemed serious enough,” she thought. Shiloh grinned and waved at Eden as she left the room. “Nope, he’s trying to get rid of me.”

Eden checked both bedrooms. Both beds looked pretty bad. The frames were broken. The mattresses were torn and burned. Not to mention the significant lack of bed sheets and pillows. Eden wondered if her thin jacket would be enough to keep her warm. She crept back into the living room. Shiloh was still at his post and Caden was fast asleep. When Shiloh saw her, Eden rubbed her arms and whispered, “Cold.”

Shiloh reached around, grabbed Caden’s green coat, and tossed it to Eden with a smile. Eden glanced at the sleeping lump on the couch and mouthed a “thank you” to Shiloh before heading back to the bedrooms. 

“Not sure how happy Cay’s going to be when he finds out I have his coat,” she muttered to herself. She snickered when she imagined a look of fiery indignation on his face. Eden inspected both beds again and chose, in her mind at least, the lesser of two evils. Caden’s coat was surprisingly large and quite warm. 

Snuggling into a ball on the rotting bed, Eden wondered if she would wake up in her own world. She wouldn’t say that she enjoyed her time in this new world, but she did find the twins rather amusing. She hoped she would see them again in another dream, a less malevolent dream. Eden closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Livin' on a Prayer - Bon Jovi

I'm at a payphone trying to call home... or rather I'm sitting in an airport trying to get wifi.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my stay at home. It was over far too quickly. I felt like I was just getting settled before it was time to go. I think this next semester is going to be fairly hectic, but I'm looking forward to summer break. This summer, my family is coming to the states, so I won't get to go home until December. Sort of a weird feeling, ye know?

Oh yeah, Happy New Year! I probably would have posted something earlier, but my laptop was having a week long argument with our internet back home. Now I'm sitting here, waiting to fly out. Ah well, even the sun sets in paradise.

See you on the other side.



Here's another part for you.
It doesn't end here, if you were wondering.

The Promised Land: (Part 3) Disconnected

Black let out a long, exhausted sigh. “Look, you’re obviously not from around here.” He jerked a thumb in the direction of the ruins. “This was a medical facility before it was hit. It might have been a school before then, but who knows. It’s been abandoned for a while now and probably raided a few times. You’re likely to see a lot of spots like this. Many places were hit during the war. Few have recovered.”

“War?” Eden’s mind was fuzzy as she tried desperately to grasp how the pieces of her shattered life fit back together. Or if they ever would.

“It’s a long story. I’m Caden.” Black motioned to Silver with a nod. “He’s Shiloh.”

Silver, apparently named Shiloh, inclined his head in return. To be honest, Shiloh had been so quiet that Eden entirely forgot she was sitting next to him.

Shiloh handed the mug, now empty, back to Caden. Eden wondered why Shiloh hadn’t said anything up to this point, but Caden interrupted her thoughts.

“Now, do you mind telling us what a healthy drifter is doing in these parts? You a gypsy or a maverick or something?”

“Maverick? Gypsy?” Eden was almost insulted. “You don’t get it!” she blurted out, cheeks already heating with frustration. “Last night, I went to sleep in my dorm room and today I wake up to smoke and gunfire! I’m not supposed to be here! I don’t know where I am or how I got here. I don’t even know what day it is!” She ended by folding her arms in a huff and glaring at the ground. Eden tried her best not to start crying. She was quite flustered with the turn of events, dream or no dream.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Shiloh ever so carefully tapped her shoulder and handed Eden a scrap of paper. Scribbled in pencil was the date.

“Saturday. October 25, 2102… that’s today?” she asked.

Shaggy silver hair fell into Shiloh’s eyes as he nodded. Tears finally overflowed their banks and rolled down Eden’s cheeks. Shiloh’s green eyes widened and he looked back at Caden, unsure of what to do. Caden, who also had no idea how to handle the situation, simply shrugged.

“It was 2012 when I fell asleep!” Eden’s body shook as she started sobbing. “That’s 90 years!”

Shiloh ever so slowly reached over and awkwardly patted Eden on the back, hoping to console her. Caden simply started packing the guns and other various items into his bag.

When Eden’s sobs diminished to mere sniffling and an occasional hiccup, Caden ventured to speak. “If it makes you feel any better, you don’t look 90 years old.”

“I’m 21, you dork!” Eden snapped. She wiped the tears from her puffy eyes, but was unable to squelch the hiccups.

“I was only trying to help,” Caden muttered to himself, taken aback by Eden’s hostility. He stood up and tossed a round object into the fire. Eden squeaked when the fire exploded in white dust and tendrils of smoke. Whatever the object was, it put out the fire, as well as Eden’s hiccups.

Caden pulled on a dark green coat and picked up his small black backpack. “Time to go,” he said as he slung the bag over his left shoulder. Shiloh also stood up, brushed off his grey and white camo pants, and zipped up his light grey hoodie.

“Wait, where are you going?” Eden asked as she watched Shiloh pick up a large backpack and the long black case. “You’re not leaving me here, are you?”

“That was the plan,” Caden muttered as he and Shiloh began walking away.

“Wait! You can’t leave!” Eden panicked. After all, she was now 90 years into an unknown future with no food, shelter, or any foreseeable way back to her own time period. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, these two were all she had.

“We’ve wasted enough time as it is.” Caden said without turning or stopping. “If it’s any consolation, those soldiers were probably after us, not you. They’ll send more.”

“More?” Eden caught up to the two and walked alongside. It was then that she noticed the height difference. Caden and Shiloh were the same height, but she was taller than both. Eden wondered at herself for placing so much stock into these two. They were just kids, but already they had more experience in surviving this world than she did.

“Who were they?” Eden asked as she walked along.

“Who? The soldiers? They’re Atari troops.”

“Atari, like the video games?”

“No, like the soldiers who tried to blow a hole through your head.” Caden sounded annoyed. “If you’re so determined to come with us then you might as well make yourself useful.” He yanked the big backpack away from Shiloh. Shiloh was caught off guard by the action and nearly fell backwards. Caden then shoved the bag into Eden’s arms, much to her distaste.

“But this is the heaviest one!” she protested.

Caden stopped and turned to glare at her. “Do YOU want to try taking out those soldiers next time they come by?”

When Eden didn’t answer, he turned around and kept walking. “Didn’t think so.”

Eden exhaled loudly, but weaved her arms through the straps anyway. At this point, Eden felt she had enough excitement for one day. Time traveling, almost getting shot at, and being rudely treated by two punk teens was quite enough. Her emotions were drained and her mind was fried. Reality could set in later. Right now, Eden just wanted a cold soda, a soft pillow, and a warm blanket. If getting any of those meant putting up with this sort of treatment, it had better be well worth it.

“I want to get back to my own time period,” Eden said after a sigh.

“Believe me, so do I,” grumbled Caden.

“Will you help me?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Do I look like a time traveler to you?”

“You look like a short kid with a big mouth,” Eden said plainly. 

She could hear Caden mutter unintelligibly. They walked along in heavy silence as Eden waited for an audible answer of some kind. They had already walked out of the field and behind some small structures, probably once houses. The sky had turned from reddish green to greenish grey. It was a sickly color, ever growing darker. The wind, which before had only kicked in every now and then, grew to a steady stream of cold air. Eden hugged her arms and wondered where she could get a decent coat in this forsaken country. While her jean jacket provided shield from the wind, it wasn’t suited for cold weather.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“For now, we’re going to find shelter.”

“After that?”

“After that, we’ll take the jeep and take you to the next town.”

“Can you drive?”

“Yup.”

“Is that legal?”

“You sure do ask a lot of questions.”

“Are you two brothers?”

“Twins.”

“Twins?!” Eden’s voice suddenly hit three octaves higher than normal. “That’s so CUTE!” she squealed.

Both Shiloh and Caden stopped short and stared at each other. They both turned to glare at Eden.

“What?” she asked innocently.

“It’s not cute,” Caden grumbled. The brothers turned and kept walking, seemingly at a faster pace.

“It’s adorable,” Eden whispered under her breath.

“Are all girls like this?” Caden whispered to Shiloh, who only shrugged.

“Where’s the jeep?”

“Do you ever stop talking?”

“Not if I can help it.” Eden smirked. 

Christmas At Ground Zero - Weird Al Yankovic

Merry Christmas!

Of course, because of various circumstances and poor timing of particular events, we’re putting off Christmas until Thursday.

Trust me, we can use the extra time.

All that aside, I thought I’d continue the ‘end of the world’ theme and give you more of my post-apocalyptic story. 

Enjoy.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Promised Land: (Part 2) The Outsider

Eden grasped her throat as she wheezed and stared at the soldiers with big, fearful blue eyes. One of the soldiers shouted something, but his gas mask muffled whatever it was he said. Eden tried screaming, but her throat burned too much. When she didn’t answer, the soldier raised his rifle and the others followed suit. Eden fell to her knees in fear, trying desperately to say something. Anything. In a split second, she heard three gunshots and the man in front of her crumpled to the ground. The other soldiers started looking around frantically and shooting at something in the air. Eden saw a flash of silver as she was jerked to her feet. Something grabbed hold of her wrist and she was forced to run just to keep from falling. Rata-tata-tat. Tap, tap, tap. Rata-tata-tat. Tap, tap, tap. Eden looked back to watch the soldiers fall to the ground one by one. The force pulling her along slowed and suddenly let go. Eden found herself on the ground staring at an overcast sky.  The clouds were a sickly green color, with the sun fighting to shine through. A dark shape with red eyes appeared in her view just as her vision darkened. Eden felt something cover her nose and mouth before she passed out.

~*~*~*~

When Eden came to, she opened her eyes and stared at a greenish-red overcast sky. She sat up and looked straight ahead. Eden was sitting in a grassy field, but the grass was brown and dead, just like the sight across the tattered road ahead of her. The site looked as though it used to be a college campus at some point in time. With murky comprehension, Eden realized she was staring at her own beloved school. The buildings she often went to class in were falling apart. Whatever walls were still standing were filled with gaping holes. The red and brown bricks were now black and grey. Rubble filled the sidewalks. All the flowers were gone. The trees were splintered and dead. The overcast sky above the campus had a deep red tint to them as the sun faded in the distance. Tears came to Eden’s eyes as she took in the scene. It was as if someone had dropped a bomb on her life while she slept… Or on her school. Or perhaps the apocalypse happened in her sleep. Or maybe time sped up and sent her into a horrible future. Or maybe she was in an alternate world altogether. Eden’s mind raced with these possibilities as she continually failed to grasp why her life was in shambles before her.

Eden covered her mouth and inhaled a shaky breath.

A snap from behind caused Eden to jump and turn around. A fire was roaring behind her. Sitting on either side of the fire were two young men. The scene was a mirrored painting. On the right side of the fire sat a boy with silver hair, clad in grey and white. On the left side sat a boy with black hair, clad in green and black. Maybe it was the way the fading sunlight struck them. Maybe it was how well the two mirrored each other. Either way, Eden felt she was looking at the personified dichotomy of good and evil. Light and dark.

Eden was so enthralled in the scene that she did not stop to see the smaller details. She never noticed the large camo backpack or the black, oblong case sitting beside Silver (as she subconsciously named him)... Or the small bag sitting in Black’s lap… Or the guns at his feet.

Black looked up from the fire and stared. To Eden’s horror, his irises turned deep red. She involuntarily shrank back and was wondering whether or not to make a run for the hills when he spoke.

“You don’t have to be afraid.” His voice was calm and steady, with a trace of annoyance. “We’re not going to hurt you. If anything, we just saved your life.” His eyes stopped glowing and turned to a dark color as he stared back at the fire. Eden realized now his light-haired companion was staring at her.

Silver offered a wide grin and friendly wave. She half raised her hand in response, still wondering whether or not reality had abandoned her. Silver motioned for her to come over and sit with them. A chill ran up Eden’s spine as the wind picked up. Weighing her options, the warmth of a roaring fire seemed worth whatever risk was involved.

“If it is a dream,” she thought, “I might as well go along with it.”

Assuming her best bet was not to join the dark side, she sat by Silver. Eden raised her shaky hands to the fire and looked from one guy to the other. Being closer to the light of the fire, Eden realized that the two males looked younger than she at first guessed. 15? 16? Probably somewhere between 15 and 17, she decided.

Sniffling a little, Eden asked, “Who are you? Where am I?” The last question was asked in hopes that she didn’t really wake up in the same world she fell asleep in.

“You’re in Freedom. Or what’s left of it,” Black answered. He glanced at the debris and drank from a steaming metallic mug.

“Freedom?” Eden echoed, as she struggled to remember ever hearing of such a place. “What happened here? Where is everybody? And you still haven’t told me who you are yet!”

Black lowered his mug. “You give us your name, missy, and I’ll decide if you get ours.” Seeing Eden’s offended expression, he added, “Hey, you were in the one surrounded by soldiers.” He took another swig of his hot drink.

Eden folded her arms in aggravation. “My name is Eden. Eden Teknia. I’m from Tennessee. I go to school here. At least, I did before I woke up this morning”

“Nice story,” Black muttered as he stood up and handed the mug to Silver. “Where are you really from?”

“I just told you!” Eden’s anger vanished into fear as Black’s eyes turned red again. He stared at her for a minute before they turned back. He sat down as if nothing happened and prodded the fire with a stick. His thick dark eyebrows pressed together in thought. “You… you really don’t know, do you?”

A Great Destiny - Jonathan Maiocco

I'm a nerd. Deal.

It’s been a while since I posted anything story-wise. I figured I would let you guys see a bit of my newest work (they’re multiplying, I know). Hopefully, I can get a good portion (if not all) of it done over break. Here’s hoping.

This is the beginning. I seem to start out with some really annoying main characters (in my opinion). Hopefully, most of them turn out semi-decent by the end. *shrugs *

Anyhow, on with the story.

You can listen to this while you read, if you like epic instrumental background music. If not, that’s ok too. At the end is a song that is sort of the theme for this story. Sort of. Some lyrics fit more than others, but you’ll get the gist of it.

Happy reading. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Promised Land

“Is this worth dying for?”

Eden stared at the brown parcel in her hands. Visions of her journey thus far plagued her mind as she searched for an answer. How much had she lost just for her to end up here? Had she gained anything at all? Here in the midst of the enemy’s clutch, she was defenseless. Yet something nagged at her, eating through her very core. Something that screamed, “It doesn’t end here.”

Eden continued to stare as tears filled her eyes. “I’m not giving up.”

The Promised Land: War of Change (Part 1)

“There’s nothing to eat.” Eden Teknia poked at the food on her plate: mashed potatoes and some sort of meat masquerading as chicken. It was lunchtime and the university cafeteria was full of noisy students, just like it is at noon every day. Eden wasn’t tuned in to the conversation of her friends, having lost interest a while ago. With a sigh, she shoved the plate away, stood up, and walked to the grill, looking for a burger.

She impatiently picked bits of fluff off her brown long-sleeved sweater while waiting. It was mid-October, but this week had been the first time Tennessee weather decided to agree with the calendar. Eden wouldn’t normally have minded the weather change, but she was still getting over a cold and the low temperatures weren’t helping any. When she finally received her burger, she was disgusted to find the meat patty charred. As if it weren’t bad enough that she had a headache and wasn’t feeling well now the school expected her to eat charcoal?

“What is this?” Eden demanded of the cook. She continued before the man could answer. “This is completely burned! I’m not paying $20,000 a year for burned food! Why do you even work here? Never mind, I’m getting something else.” With a sharp motion she set the plate on the counter and stormed back to her table.

Eden tapped her friend Mary on the shoulder. “Hey, I want to go to Taco Bell. Can you drive?”

“Sure,” Mary replied in a somewhat hesitant voice. Eden pulled on her jean jacket, grabbed her backpack, and headed out the door. Fifteen minutes later, Eden and Mary sat in the lobby of the girls’ residence hall, munching on delicious tacos and quesadillas.

“How did you do on your psych quiz this morning?” Mary asked between bites.

Eden crumpled a taco wrapper into a ball. “Bombed, like always. The teacher has no idea what he’s doing. He makes the quizzes overly complicated.”

“Have you settled on a major yet?”

“Nope. I thought about Education, but I don’t think I can handle being in a room with a bunch of snotty brats every day. ”

“That’s a little harsh.” Mary refrained from mentioning that she was an Elementary Education major. “What about a lawyer?”

“Like my dad? Nah, too much paperwork.” Eden took a sip of Mountain Dew before continuing. “I like the idea of being a doctor, but that requires a lot of science classes.”

“Whatever you decide to do will require a lot of classes.” Mary checked her watch to keep track of time. “I have a 1:30, so I better get going.” Grabbing her backpack, Mary waved as she headed out.

Eden collected the trash and threw it away. She slung her backpack onto a shoulder and walked back to her room, her headache having decided to abate for the time being. On her way to the second floor, her phone rang.

“Hey,” she answered.

“Do you want to try explaining the two Ds first or should we skip straight to the F?”

“Why don’t we go over the two As instead?”

“Don’t be smart with me.”

“Love you too, mom,” Eden muttered as her headache returned. She stayed silent as her mother ranted about responsibility. Eden took her time getting to her door at the end of the hall. Her mother was about finished when Eden unlocked the door and stepped inside the empty room. She let her bag slide off her shoulder and onto the floor with a loud thud.

“Listen, mom,” Eden said at last, trying to get off the phone. “It’s only midterms, I have plenty of time to bring up my grades before finals. My afternoon class today cancelled and I have a headache, so I’m going to take a nap now. OK?”

There was a long pause as Eden heard her mom sigh on the other end. “Honey, I just want you to do well.”

“I know.”

“I’m sorry you’re not feeling good.”

“It’s ok.”

“Are you coming home for Thanksgiving break?”

“Yes, mom.” It was hard for Eden not to sound annoyed, but she was glad her mother wasn’t angry any more. “Can I take a nap now?”

“Oh, right. I’m sorry, honey. I’ll let you go. I love you.”

“Love you too, mom. Bye.”

Eden hung up and flopped onto the bed. Though it wasn’t quite as soft as her bed back home, it was welcome reprieve from a stressful day. Eden didn’t bother taking off her shoes or jacket. She didn’t even bother setting the alarm. She curled up with her soft plush turtle, pulled a comforter over her head, and fell asleep.

~*~*~*~

It was dark when Eden woke up. It wasn’t a sound that woke her, but a smell. It started out as the faint smell of wood burning, like a campfire, but then it grew stronger. So strong that she woke up choking on smoke.

Eden rolled off the bed with a painful thump and crawled to the door in panic. Tears stung her eyes as she tried to see through the smoke. The door was already open and Eden heard a lot of noise in the hall. 

Unable to stop coughing, Eden stood up and ran to the nearest exit, down the stairs, and outside. She collapsed to her knees as she continued to cough. The air smelled worse outside than it did inside. It was a foul odor, similar to the smell in Eden’s biology classroom. The same stench her classmates jokingly referred to as the smell of death. It burned her nostrils and clogged her lungs. The noise Eden heard in the hall was also louder outside. All Eden could make out was garbled shouting and an uneven tapping sound. 

Rata-tata-tata-tat. Shouting. Tap, tap, tap.  More shouting. Rata-tata-tata-tat. Eden’s cough dwindled to a wheeze as she struggled to breathe. She stood up and tried to keep walking. She stopped when five figures dressed in camo surrounded her. Every one of them wore a gasmask and each one held a gun pointed directly at her. 

~*~*~*~

Here's the theme song, as promised. Like I said, this will give you a basic gist of the story. 

~ Never Alone ~

Pretty Pink Tractor - Tim Hawkins

Yes. I went there.

A parody of a country song is as close as I'm willing to get to "country".

You'll find out why if you keep reading.

This week was crazy. Fun, but crazy.

We spent most of the week fixing up a facility that will be used for radio transmission to the Pacific.

We were working on top of a mountain and the wind was wonderful. Not as strong as in Hawaii, but just as refreshing (and the wind/sun comb was not as deceptive). We started working at 7:30 every morning, had an hour lunch break at noon, and continued working until sundown (about 5:15-5:30). We usually had a devotional after dinner as well.

The people we were working with recently built a new building for the radio facility so it had to be insulated and a bunch of other stuff. We took down a steel fence (i.e. tying wood for stability, cutting it apart, and moving it with a tractor). 

Pretty Pink Tractor was stuck in my head the whole time I drove the tractor. By the end of the week, I was known as the city girl turned country. Believe me, I still much rather prefer to do mental labor inside four walls than physical labor in the wide open. But if the opportunity to drive a tractor comes up again... I'm probably going to jump at it. 

By the way, Tim Hawkins is a comedian who also does pretty good song parodies. I saw him live in September. It was awesome. ^_^

We painted some of the studio rooms too. We didn’t get to much of the actual radio work, but we did a lot of the prep work involved in such a project. The closest we got to the radio stuff was on the last day when we recorded a few radio tags (i.e. “You’re listening to Pacific Broadcast Network…”).

The week I learned a bunch of stuff:

- How to insulate a building (with evil false cotton candy of death)

- How to cut through rusted chicken wire (gloves are optional, so is pain)

- How to lash wooden planks to steel poles (with rusted chicken wire)

- How to drive a tractor (Favorite part of the week ^_^ )

- Tubular steel fences are heavy (and hard to pull up from the ground, even with a tractor)

- Solid steel bars are heavy (especially when attached to a steel fence)

- Physical labor means moving stuff from over here to over there (wood, rocks, fences) 

- Meeting new people can be fun (Missionaries are awesome)

- Physical work makes you too exhausted for any mental work (or any mental function in general)

- Recording tags for a radio station is pretty cool (just don’t think about all the people listening)

- Poking people is entertaining (especially when everyone is tired)

- A "landing" actually refers to a place for boats, not planes (who knew?)

- Good friends are a gift (James 1:17)

- There is always hope (always)

Here’s a cool quote from an 8-year-old girl (taken entirely out of context).

“I need to learn how to use these wings before they go to waste.”

It’s always kind of amusing when I get back early and campus is still empty. I came back and I didn’t see a single soul in my whole dorm until a few hours after I arrived. 

Here's what went on in my mind when I got back:

5:30 - Oh, doesn’t look like anyone’s here yet. I should start unpacking

6:00 - Done. Wait, no one’s here… I can turn up the music and sing. ^_^

6:30 - Wow, I’m actually alone. I can sing as loud and as long as I want! :D

7:00 - *goes downstairs to do laundry* You know, this would be an excellent location for a zombie apocalypse. (OO) *hurries back to room*

7:30 - *turns down music, locks doors, and contemplates how long I can survive in my room with my current provisions*

8:00 - *hears shuffling and doors being opened/closed. Carefully peeks into the hall. Realizes that it’s a person and not a zombie. Closes door, locks it, and resumes normal function*

8:30 - *creeps downstairs to change out laundry* *Mentally prepares self in case a zombie suddenly emerging from the shadows… squeaks in terror at a roach*

Hehe... *ahem* Moving on.

This song came on the radio as we were driving back to TN and I thought it was fitting. This week was a good way to get away from school. I was stressed out right before the trip, down to the night before we left. Now that all that is out of the way and I’ve had a week off (without any chance to think about school and the stresses thereof), I’m ready for these last few weeks. 

I’m ready to go home, but I’m also ready to finish out this semester first.

~ Never Alone ~