Evolutive Flow

Flow

We flow

It's like water

We flow like water

We exist in all water

It is as it should be

 

River

Like river

We are river

We are like river

Adapt, flow, without stop

We drench to make more rivers

 

Evolution behaves like a river

It has a strong flow, it never quivers

Only the strong can survive the swim

For the weak the future is grim

Drink its water

You will be strong

To her currents you will belong

You will never be alone

Ernest's Intermedium

Ernest woke up in the school infirmary. The nurse was lying on the floor, water emerging from her ears and mouth. His eyes widened in terror when he saw the water move. It was trying to get back, trying to enter in her ears. He slowly walked away... and when got out of that room, he ran for his life. The corridors were littered with bodies, all drenched with that watery substance...

While running, he found Mrs. Larousse and Mr. Dologin. They were dead too, water was flowing like blood from their bodies. Mr. Dologin was twisted in horrible shapes, as if his bones were too brittle to keep him standing. Mrs. Larousse had her tongue made a complete mess, it was all bitten and holed... She probably stuck on a syllable, as some papers were in her hands.

Seeing death in every place, Ernest assumed the worst. With pain and tears, he turned to the campus gates... And he saw them... They were lying against a fountain. He hurried to reach them... They were alive. Almost alive.

Eric was suffering from cataracts or something similar, his eyes were all glazed and teary. Belle was very cold, she barely had a pulse. Sarah was in similar conditions, however, she convulsed for some briefs periods at random. Given that neither of them had water flowing from them, Ernest assumed they could make it. Ernest shook them, trying to "wake them up"... He didn't knew they were in a coma. He was desperate, he shook even harder... But nothing happened. They didn't react. They were beyond his abilities.

Ernest was destroyed. He was more broken when he saw with attention. Eric had a tattoo on his chest, Sarah was wearing a choker and Belle had a wristband. That's what they were talking... Out of anger, he crushed the choker and the wristband...

The moment he did... He felt cold and slimy things tangling his legs. He looked around and found himself in a puddle of water. He tried to shake himself free, but he started ripping his pants... The water won't let him go. He then saw a deranged figure standing... He was complete mess, kept together by staples and raw sewing.

"Why you? How could something so inferior survive?! We were perfect!!" Said the abominable teacher. Ernest felt pain in his legs, like drills going through his skin. Before passing out, he noticed his teacher's necklace was broken... Only a few pieces remained in the chain.

Part III

After a hard day of endurance, Ernest collapsed on his bed. The chemistry professor, Elías Dologin, also had a necklace... He was a cranky old man with arthritis problems... Now he was a cold, emotionless old man with lubricated bones. He stretched to get to the top of a shelf, something he should be incapable of doing, according to Eric. He was a close friend of the teacher and found its personality change highly disturbing. And like Belle, Eric was also neglected by Dologin, calling him "a blind mistake."

After waking up, Ernest found Belle, Sarah and Eric talking in the campus. They seemed very stressed and anxious, as if they were up to something and didn't want anybody to find out. When Ernest approached, they changed the topic, saying they wanted to take Ernest out. He was wary but... they were his friends... How he could deny something like that based only on suppositions? His moral sense prevailed over his preservation instinct and he accompanied them.

The four amigos decided to go for some drinks. Given that Ernest wasn't legal yet, they settled for smoothies. Upon arriving at the smoothie store, they were astonished to find the three teachers talking there. Nile, Larousse and Dologin. They were talking about something... Nile seemed the most  interest, his cold eyes shining with inhuman admiration... Too creepy for the customers and the students alike.

After Belle and Sarah brought the drinks, everyone was on a semi cheerful mood. Sarah clumsily knocked her drink, so Ernest went for another.  When he got to the counter, he turned to see his friends... And noticed the three teachers fixated on them. Their gazes were locked on the three students and they only turned away when Eric gave them a very timid and remorseful thumbs-up. Nile's smile was unsettling at best... And downright abominable at worst.

When Ernest returned, Belle was very sad. Maybe her drink wasn't sugar free as she asked... But she hugged him very strongly when he asked if she was okay. Sarah was twice the shy she used to be, diverting her gaze at every opportunity she was given. 

A chill ran through Ernest spine when he saw Eric's eyes. They didn't need glasses anymore. They were a weird mix between grey and blue.

"I'm so sorry" He said, in a lowly drone.

Part II

The classes were going steady. Mr. Nile would never miss a class and would never change his inexpressive face and voice. Ernest was doing his best to keep up, but Nile's methods were very demanding. His first assignment was an essay on the history of any virus. Ernest picked Ebola, and he got a Pass grade. The teacher's reasoning was that Ebola changed very little, and the teacher wanted something that enjoyed changing. The High Distinction grade went to a girl and her essay about the Swine Flu. She covered her face with her notebook, trying to hide from the jealous looks of her classmates.

That day, at lunch, Ernest sat with his newfound friends. Eric, the committee guy with the glasses and Sarah, the girl of the HD grade. Sarah was invited to join them at the suggestion of Eric, who thought that she would make a good tutor for Ernest. He didn't like the idea at first, he was raised to never depend on people, but warmed at the prospect of a new friend.

Sarah never talked during the lunch... She only whispered "Safe" after playing with her soup for a while. After lunch, the three friends had to see Physics. Ernest loved, to a certain degree, numbers so it was piece of cake. Or so he thought....

Dana Larousse, formerly known by her cheery attitude, was now as stoic and cold as her colleague Nile. Her once lovely quirk of forgetting numbers was gone... Also, her stuttering was gone. Not therapy gone, but absolutely gone as if she never had it.

Another two hours of cold punishment, Ernest said to himself., trying to keep answering in the barrage of operations Mrs. Larousse was throwing at him.

At least he got another friend... Isabelle "Belle" Founts. She was Dana's right hand, until now. She was a lovely person... That cursed every moment she was remembered of her diabetes. She and Eric shared a somewhat caustic friendship, but she retreated to him after seeing her best teacher friend dismiss her as "a little sugarless girl."

Ernest: Apex Threat

Ernest was a young man. He came from a family of scarce resources but he managed to save enough to move from his rough neighborhood in Whyalla to the much more forgiving Adelaide. He had hopes of studying and becoming someone important... Farmer business was not his thing.

His hope for progress was born the instant his father read a letter. He was admitted in the University of Adelaide, thanks to a RBE pathway. He studied a lot for his UMAT and earned the 20th place among the 25 that were available. Ernest always dreamed about becoming a doctor, he fantasized about saving people the same way his mom did... He's sure that she is proud, looking down and rooting for him... If it weren't for those darned ticks and their paralysis...

Ernest arrived at North Terrace the day after the letter arrived. He was so excited! The university was very different from what he was used to see, for starting, he didn't see the smallest drop of seawater. That was a bit of a turn off, as Ernest was used to see the sea every day but at least he still got fresh air and a beautiful sky to look up.

The welcome committee was very kind, if a little enthusiastic. They showered Ernest with many welcome gifts and things like "You won't regret this!" and "We are so glad to have a new member!" They were a bit suffocating, but Ernest was too kind to demand being alone... Besides, it was his first  day at college! How he could deny such good treatment?  The male leader of the committee, a guy with prescription glasses, showed Ernest around before assigning him his dormitory.

The first day was very exciting and Ernest got to meet his Biology teacher. He was an imposing man, with  spiky black hair and freezing gray eyes. He wore light clothes, so light, that made him look like he was coming from a gym or something. He also had a little necklace, the pendant was a yin-yang symbol colored uniformly blue instead of black and white. When a curious Ernest asked the teacher about it, he simply said that he didn't like contrasting things.

Although good, Nile was very cold and unemotional. If it weren't for his profession, anybody would mistake him for a sociopath. He made it clear on his first class...

"You better adapt and be successful, or remain static and become extinct."  

Machiavelli's Butterfly

Sometimes is good to ignore

Sometimes you should open the door

But how can you know?

Today luck is not very sure

 

The scales are frail

Its balance in any moment will fail

The equality easily breaks

Even if a butterfly its wing were to shake

 

Count your blessings now

Before the are gone

You can never know how long

Before the butterfly brings it down

Kathy's ending

The next morning, he felt a strange urge... An urge to see his son. He went to his room, which was extremely cold, and found his little kid hidden under his sheets. He gently approached the bed. The little kid, stuttering because of the cold, ordered the "cold monster" to leave him alone. His father let out a low chuckle, which caused his son to sheepishly come out of hiding. Upon seeing his father, the kid threw himself at him in a playful hug. The father hugged him as strongly as he could... For some reason. The kid responded the same way, even shedding a few tears... It was weird... For them.

For breakfast, Kathy made empanadas. It was Joel's favorite, what with him being Venezuelan, so he repaid her with the necklace he found. To his surprise, it changed. It depicted a butterfly's outline in beautiful platinum. Kathy was very touched, so she kissed her husband and made him another empanada. All he could do was play along... And eat.

Given that it was a free day for everyone, Kathy organized a trip for Coney Island. Disney was too extreme, she thought. After a few hours, they made it to their first ride. The Wonder Wheel. Little Timothy never felt that happy... He did a strange dance whenever the wheel was at its highest, moving his arms as if they were tentacles. They didn't mind him, it was funny....

They were having such good time... Kathy's necklace was very scandalous... Everyone commented on its beauty, everyone desired it. Kathy would simply smile and grab the pendant, protecting it from the envy of others. The family enjoyed a few Nathan's hot dogs before moving on.

Their final ride for the day was the Cyclone. It wasn't Joel or Kathy's suggestion, it came from Little Timothy. They felt unsure, based on his reactions back in Orlando, but the little kid insisted so much that they gave it a try. Kathy was supposed to go with Tim, as she didn't eat anything, but she felt a sudden chest pain... It felt like an angina, so she relented from going. Under the assurance of "compensation" tonight if he went to the ride, Joel accompanied Tim in the ride.

After visiting the infirmary, Kathy felt better. In fact, the pain disappeared after she left the ride. She was happy, she prepared her camera in order to catch the moment a dazed Joel would climb down the coaster...

On her way, she found a butterfly, strikingly similar to the one in her necklace. She waved it off as a coincidence and resumed her way. When she got to the Cyclone's area... She dropped her camera. Tears escaped from her eyes. A loud "No!!!" was heard.

The coaster derailed. There weren't any survivors. She could hear someone whisper in her ear... "This one wasn't that unexpected"

Part III

While walking, Joel noticed a butterfly. It wasn't butterfly season... And the insect was chalk white in every part of its body, including the normally black thorax and head. The butterfly was standing on a necklace and flew off when he approached. The necklace's design was very unique.... Rather than being a cut out piece, the pendant was a small square with a hole shaped as a woman outline.

The job seemed to be of a rookie. Maybe he couldn't use the cut figure and decided to use the holed metal slab. Anyway, the silvery necklace was pretty. Joel wiped it clean with his jacket and pocketed it, maybe he was going to give it to Kathy...

Joel continued walking, noticing several dangerously frozen power cables. He called his team in order to clean them before anything tragic happened. He would notice several things... Horrific things... Malfunctioning traffic lights, frozen trees, cracked ice... It seemed that New York was plagued by every disaster possible and only Joel was the only one that could see them.

It was a hard day... After seeing so many possible tragedies averted, Joel was worn out. On his way back home, he saw something. Something disturbing.

The man from the fire. Same burnt pants, same holed hoodie... Same rusted handcuff... and shiny new fetters. He was desperate; he seemed to be looking for something and didn't realize that he was in the middle of the street. Joel screamed at the top of his lungs for the man to get away, but it was too late.

Paramedics came fast, the press also came fast. The crash was caused by Joel's screaming. In the spot where the supposed bounded man was, there was only a steaming pipe.

Joel never saw this happen... He never caused an accident before... Perhaps it was just luck. He arrived home and crashed on his bed. He wanted to forget the whole deal... But since that night, the strange attacks of wrath stopped. Perhaps something changed him?

Part II

Since that day... Tim's heart melted at a slow but steady rate. He would socialize more, he made friends at school and he would love back his new parents. His presence made Kathy and Joel feel closer again... For a moment, they stopped their fight. They let things flow, only for the worries to emerge again every time Joel didn't made in time for dinner. But soon, they subsided, as soon as he entered the door. Being a firefighter entails risks...

One day, after a putting out a fire, Joel fell ill. Not an illness of the body, but of the spirit. A couple perished in the event. A couple that, like  him and Kathy, had to handle things in a rocky way. The man comforted his destroyed wife, telling her that they could always try again. For some reason, that struck Joel hard. He saw trying again as a luxury... A luxury that his job couldn't afford. Why did he choose firefighting? He never knew... He used to say that he job picks you, not the other way around.

After that particular fire, Joel started having soul pains. He would wake up in the middle of the night, complaining of pressure in his chest. Sometimes he would, out of the blue, scream and attack people. And there are times where his pain was so intense, that he locked his door and started screaming and crying. He locked his door, out of fear of harming Kathy and Tim. These symptoms would go for a painfully long time...

Kathy was scared... Kathy was sad... Kathy was angry. Her husband was on the verge of going savage, he could attack her; he could attack Tim... Hell, he could attack anyone. She felt impotent, his husband would keep everything to himself, he would avoid her... He wouldn't let her in. And all that impotence turned into frustration. But she never got to extremes... She silently endured everything; she gave her support whenever he was down... But above all... She still loved her son. She never abandoned him, even if he didn't have her blood.

Every day, after a night full of screams and pleas... Joel would go to work. All Kathy could do was pray... Pray that he doesn't go mad while on duty. She didn't have the strength to tell him that he had a problem... Out of fear of causing pain for Tim. Although he was sociable, he would retreat to his inner peace when he arrived from school. Perhaps he noticed and he was hiding... Perhaps...

Joel the Firefighter

Joel Callaspo was a firefighter. His life was controlled by unpredictability...

He was married to a beautiful girl, Katherine Martinez or as he called her, Kathy. They didn't have a very stable relationship, mainly because of the risks of being a firefighter, but they fought hard to make their love last. They kept this fight going for one year... In the process, they brought along a kid... Tim, their adoptive son. Joel rescued him one day from a forest during a vacation in Canada and after hearing the kid's story, he did everything in his might to bring the child to Manhattan. After months of court hearings and paperwork, Tim was brought to the USA to be Joel and Kathy's child.

Joel was the happiest man in the world... He had a son. After months of trying in vain... But it wasn't his fault... The world works in mysterious ways... Cancer never knocks... But now he had a kid, so his suffering came to an end.

Tim was a hard kid... He was diagnosed with autism. He would lose himself in his little world; he wouldn't let anyone in his little safe haven... All he would do is draw. His drawings were too good for a child of his age; he preferred drawing a little kid in blue whose hands were taken by two adults. Many psychologists took this as nostalgia; he remembered his old parents and had trouble adjusting to the new ones. Joel accepted the hard challenge, raising such kind of child.

Day after day, Tim would draw his old parents. They always held hands with the little blue kid, the three standing in what seemed to be a skating rink. Joel would always try to offer the kid his love... First starting with a ball game, but he hated the noise. Then a trip to Disneyworld, but he was scared of the tall buildings and the snakelike roller coasters. Joel's patience was growing thin but he tried to calm himself, he tried to walk in Tim's shoes. It was November and things started to get cold.

The cool breezes of the winter swept through America. Tim would watch with glazed eyes every snowfall... Until one day, his intrusive father made another attempt at bonding. This time, Kathy decided to participate, she thought that her presence might make a difference. Joel took Tim to a frozen lake in the park. He tried to skate with Tim, or at least make a snowball fight... But Tim was unresponsive. He stared at the lake, as if he was remembering something. Joel was starting to get scared, his child wasn't responding to anything... He was oblivious to the world, words passed by his ears, and violent shakings didn't disturb him.

Kathy, seeing her husband's worries, tried to help. She knelt and grabbed the boy's hands. They were really cold, even though he was wearing mittens, so she grabbed  them really tight and slowly took the boy away from the lake. At her instruction, Joel took one of the boy's hands while Kathy took the other. Together, they walked out of the frozen pool.

It took a moment but Tim responded. He looked around, confused and scared but when he saw... He saw that his parents were holding his hands. Not someone else's. Tim couldn't contain himself... He broke down crying. The boy hugged Kathy and Joel the strongest he could, and they hugged him back. Tim felt the cold drift away... And a soft sob ran through his ears.

In the middle of anything

Now that you have seen the stories of the makers...  I think it is time to show my stories.

I, the Compiler, have been observing how these stories unfold. After they are made, it is my duty to redact them, adding whatever license or fact is need to make it more appealing.

I am in the middle, I must see and write down every effect after the cause has been set. Those memories of beginning had to change... So I chronicle their advance. What paths they take. How they evolve. That's my duty. I must observe.

I am doubtful of the quality of these stories. But, do not worry. My licenses will make them enjoyable. Trust me, you will enjoy them as if they were your very surroundings.

the makers

we are the spark that begins the fire

we are the void to be filled with desire

we are the cause for every effect

we are the ideas you will never reject

 

we are the cold that bring forth the pain

we make it possible for things to start again

we are the beginning but never the end

we are behind everything my friend

 

we are the monster that makes you feel afraid

we are the figure that inspires the faith

we are the ones that thread your fate

we prepare you for the next phase

The Forest Nightwatch and the Fleshless Cleric

He haunts, he stalks

In every place you hear him walk

He haunts, he stalks

You will never escape his watch

 

You are lucky if he tears a few holes

But trust me friend, he can do much more

His presence will leave you as a loon

But what you saw was never a moon

 

There's someone that is close to him

He acts superior, he feels like a king

His gospels are lies

His evangels, stolen lives

 

He has the ultimate Mass

One that forever will last

He got hordes praising him as a god

He is the drinker of humanity's blood

 

They never look at us with disdain

What's more, we are the ones they ordain

You will be somebody's bane

You must now carry their horrific stain

While their search goes again and again

I am waiting for the disaster

Days passed... More victims emerged in the forest. Whatever was attacking, it surely was very furious with the town.

Kate was very scared now. She tried to take refuge with her parents, but her dad had to work... And mom was among the many ones trying to bring down the nonsensical attacks. She wasn't sure of what to do now... She was very afraid and no one was there for her. Responsibility... Such poisonous thing...

One night, while her parents were sleeping, Kate heard a noise. A low chuckle. She saw the dull full moon on her window, just coming out of a leafless and spindly willow. For one moment, she thought that the chuckle was someone calling her. She tried to go back to sleep but a more guttural chuckle awoke her.

Her friend's song was playing on her head over and over. The voice would grow deeper as the seconds passed, turning into throaty growls. Kate started a little prayer... "Angel of All" by Pastor Kane. It was then that the voice stopped. After a few seconds of silence... Someone began banging on the door, trying to enter.

Kate froze in fear... Until she heard... "Kate it’s me!  Open the door! I got a new song for us!" The fear waned and happiness returned. Kate ran to the door and hastily unlocked it, happy to see her friend again. She opened the door...

....

....

When Kate woke up... She found herself in the forest. Literally. She saw someone who looked exactly like her, stranded on the branches of a huge and spindly willow.

"I have plans for you" Said a voice... it sounded very damaged, like if it came through  radio filled with static. While looking around, Sally found a body... It looked extremely familiar... Only difference, he was a trucker, not a priest.

"Don't you miss your friend?" Said the inhumanly tall thing, his branches slowly grasping Kate. For a moment, a piercing scream disrupted the silence... But then, quietness ensued and the forest returned to its usual self.

And you are the master

A horrible new swept the town... There was some maniac attacking the town.... They couldn't make a profile. He attacked at random; however, he always did his job in the forest.

It started with a cheerleader from Kate's dad school. She was found butchered in the forest, her wounds matching a bladed weapon, so it was impossible for an animal to do it.

Next was a man. He was found dangling from a tree. The curious thing is that he was stuck in the branches, so either it was a botched suicide or someone trying to get rid of the body.

Next was Travis. He was found eviscerated in a plastic bag on the branch of a tree.

But what hurt Kate the most... Her dear friend was gone. His house was burned down to the foundation. Burned down until nothing living remained. She was devastated... She was really devastated. Although the police only found the boy's parents, they could never found the boy himself. They say he must have run away... But for some reason... "Don't try to run, that's just part of the fun"

Kate was depressed, she stopped attending church. She continued this way for four Sundays, until Pastor Kane was intrigued enough to go check. He was paying her a visit; when he arrived, he started knocking on the door, but as time passed he was growing impatient, until he started banging on the door like a madman.

Kate was excited, she ran to her door shouting "Wait! I'm going!" When she arrived, she found the pastor and a kitten on his hands. She was sad at first.... "I was expecting someone else" She said. The pastor, using his authoritarian but kind voice... “Remember... Our Lord always has good places... Surely, your little friend must be on one of those." The kitty tried to play with Kate; it seemed desperate to be with her... But it only remembered Kate of Travis, so she turned it down.
 
Concerning the pastor's words, Kate could only hear the boy's song inside her head. The pastor looked puzzled for a second, before resuming his serious persona. Seeing that he wasn't making any progress, the pastor leaved Kate with a warning.

"Never, but never... Let the darkness in, Princess" Said the holy man, taking the kitty with him. The animal would meow constantly... But Kate waved him goodbye before closing her door.

What creates my madness

Kate had many interesting neighbors... But her favorite ones were a little family living a couple of houses after her. Their only son was a good friend on Kate. He made a great companion, he was funny, he had great game ideas and he was as good singer as she was. Unlike Kate however, the little kid would only sing small verses he himself composed and he would sing them in a quiet, nearly hushing tone, like a lullaby. Kate would make a great scandal while singing her church songs, which the little boy didn't seem to like.

Kate never met the boy's parents. He would tell her that they too, were busy. The tone he said that, however, made it clear that the boy was lying. Kate felt bad for him and always tried to keep him company, but he always found a way to go back to his house. But every morning, after Kate's parents were gone, he would always appear at the door, knocking insistently until she opened.

One day, while playing, the kid discovered the forest on the back of Kate's yard. She told him all the stories her parents told her... And the kid's response was chilling... At best. He sung a rhyme that his mother used to sing him...

"When you think you are alone

When you think evil is gone

His work has not been done

He's still around your home

 

His sight is always clear

He enjoys your screams

Don't bother to run

That's just part of the fun"

 

The kid's little rhyme unnerved Kate. His game of standing on tall places and stretching his arms made the song more little creepy. He hopped down from the chair he was standing and was ready to leave, even though Kate's parents haven't arrived yet. He excused himself, saying that his daddy was coming home. Since he rarely mentioned his parents, she found the occasion to be special so she let him go.

That night, the little boy's rhyme stuck in her head. For some reason, she imagined that he was singing in a deep, throaty voice. She tried to forget it, but the more she tried, the more the voice sung in his deep, booming voice.

Somewhere beyond happiness

Kate was a young girl when this happened... It changed her life

She was one of the few people that dared to live in Freetown. However, she thought that the rumors regarding this little town were very over the top, it would be impossible to paint such pretty place as a bad, scary site

Her house was the closest to the Fall River Forest, nicknamed by the locals as the "Forest of the Damned." Her parents forbid her of going there, not because of the supposed "curse" that haunted such place, but because of people never coming out alive. They said that there were bandits, rapists, people who didn't believe in God... Kate would hear awful stories regarding the forest. But that never fizzled her curiosity, it only made it stronger.

Kate's father worked as a teacher and her mother worked as a policewoman. Both were very busy, so they had little time for her. Sally would spend entire days without seeing her parents, her only company being her house cat, Travis. She was allowed to do anything she wanted save, of course, going to the forest. She would occasionally go a few steps into the dense bushes but when she heard the car, she knew she had to go back immediately.

She was a very good girl, a good student and was part of the church's choir. She loved going on Sunday, she loved to show off her voice and get applause and she loved the amazing sermons that Pastor Kane gave. They were amazing! He had such fluency of speech, you were literally entranced by his words.... The only weird thing is that he was the one to open his Bible. He never asked someone to read the necessary books and it seemed more of storytelling than actual book-reading.

Another weird thing about Pastor Kane is that he never did the Prayer of the Faithful. He would skip to the Communion. When asked why he did this, the Pastor only answered

"We don't need such prayer. We don't need to ask... We need to give. Only by giving, with all our of hearts and souls, we will win our Lord's helping hand. Asking for blessings is simply telling him that you are unable to keep on by yourself."

When the forest became very scary, Kate would always remember Pastor Kane's words. Somehow, they eased her worries.

The Ankou

When a tragedy is to come

Fear not, harm won't be done

Instead, pray for the cycle to go on

You will wish it will last long

 

When the cycle is over

He'll be replaced with another

There's no afterlife for him

Only a future that is very grim

That's why he keeps repeating

He realized that life is always fleeting

 

Never deviate from the circle

Lest you want to feel his wrath

Instead, play along the cycle

Never stray from the path 

Because in this moment I feel alive

Kayako was very mad. When Akio tried to explain, she replied that she didn't saw anyone. Akio's tremors returned and every time he tried to clean Kayako, he would mess it... So she got enough and left. At the distance, the man was clapping, enjoying the moment.

Akio was very depressed. Maybe the man was just a figment of his imagination... Maybe the tumor grew larger and somehow, he was delusional... Maybe everything was real and he royally messed it up. Anyway, it didn't matter... Within a couple of days, Akio would be free.

The next morning, Akio remembered the meeting. He wasn't sure if he really wanted to go, but he wasn't ready to disappoint some else. Plus, his boss had put a lot of his faith in Akio... Was Akio coldhearted enough to deny happiness top an old man? He wasn't.

He dressed and picked up his briefcase and headed for the train station. On his way, he met with Kayako. She was extremely sorry for what happened last night. She didn't know he had an illness. Akio, however, completely forgot about her. He coldly told her that he had an important appointment... He left, leaving her crying.

What she didn't know, was that the man was looking. Akio was extremely sorry, he crutched his chest, feeling extreme sorrow... And when she was gone, he started cursing the man. It only looked amused, its sick grin taunting him, and "told" Akio that he was running late again. It even assumed the same posture and began tapping its wrist. Akio could notice that its hourglass pendant was a nearly straight, a few inches from being completely vertical.

So Akio went to the trains station, the man watching closely. He paid for his ticket and went to the boarding platform. Because of his distraction with Kayako,  Akio lost the train, so he boarded the Nozomi.

This time, however, he didn't fell asleep. Although struggling, he stayed awake. We said struggling because he had an extreme fever and all he wanted was to fall unconscious. The pain was extreme... But it ended.

Akio awoke in a white room. There was the man. Its clothes turned into a dark shadow of grey and its eyepatch was gone. The necklace was a perfect standing hourglass.

The man came closer and took off his necklace. He made Akio wear it. Once the necklace was in Akio's neck, the hourglass emitted a clicking sound and it restarted itself, lying on its side. The man smiled and slowly faded away... And Akio woke up.

He found himself in a train wreck. All his clothes were tattered and gashed, his only surviving things being his black pants and his white shirt. And the necklace. When another headache took over, Akio found himself at the train station... Looking at a man about to board the wrong train.

I wish that I could have this moment

Akio wasn't a strong believer of the supernatural... But this qualified as supernatural. But he shrugged it off... Amaterasu has granted him another chance.  He could go and attend his meeting and everything would be fine.

Akio was startled when he arrived to his house. The man was back. His grinning was very unnerving and he was very different... His clothes weren't tattered anymore. He was wearing an eyepatch instead of glasses and he was barefoot.  Also his little hourglass pendant was now tilted towards... the right, the left? It was very hard to describe it.

The man went away, walking with a little limp. Akio was frozen with fear, that weird guy knew were he lived. One last startle, a near infarction... It was cellphone ringing. When he answered, the surprise was very... unexpected. It was Kayako, a coworker, one of the many girls that noticed his glasses. She called  to congratulate him for his success and ask if he was in the mood for a... dinner. 

Now, Akio was at the crossroads. If he went, he would have to be extra-careful and make sure he ended early so he could rest. If he refused, he could make all the preparations he needed at the cost of losing a friend. He knew that one way or another, he would fail, so he gave it a shot.

He dressed up in his best suit. He bough a nice bracelet for Kaya-chan... At exactly, 9:00 pm, he was at the restaurant. While waiting for her, the man appeared again. His necklace was tilted to the left and he was very happy. He tapped his wrist with his finger, as if saying "someone's late." Akio tried to ignore the taunting of the man until his "dinner partner" arrived. Calling her his "date" was very unlucky.

Kayako was dressed beautifully, a nice black dress and her hair tied in a bun.
Akio's natural tremors made giving the boxed gift a bit difficult but Kayako found it very sweet. She loved the bracelet, she was very happy... She embraced her date, who could calm down his tremors. Their food arrived shortly after and after giving thanks, they started eating. They were having a good time... Most of Akio's dates never went this far... And someone took notice.

The man's face became very upset and its hourglass was turning to the right. Akio could see the man's face, it was expecting something to happen and it was disappointed. So it started getting closer with a maniacal grin on his face... Kayako was unaware of the man that was getting behind her.

Fearing for her, Akio suddenly got up. He started shouting at the man... who froze in its tracks. His hourglass suddenly turning to the left, almost becoming straight. Everybody was ignorant of the stranger in black and white... and poor Kayako ended covered in wasabi and wine because of Akio's sudden move.

For life

Akio fell asleep, just waking in time to hear his favorite morning radio show. His brain took a few moments to unfreeze and he realized something... How he went from the Nozomi to his house? And if he left, roughly, at noon, how it became morning so fast? He was very puzzled, but nonetheless, he got up and went to work... He pictured himself trying to explain to his boss why he couldn't attend the meeting in Osaka.

He entered his company's HQ and saw his friends performing a comedic act.
Given that Akio was ashamed and couldn't stand his boss disappointment, he stayed with them. They were failing spectacularly... Their mazai act was a complete and utter mess. So Akio decide to help them. He would be the straight man (tsukkoi) to his friends funny man (boke). Definitely, the act turned out to be more palatable than their original, gaining praise from the staff at the lobby.

In that moment Akio's boss, Takeshi-Sama as he was often called, showed up in the lobby. He saw Akio performing with his colleagues... And he was surprised, to say the least.  He called the man to his office and that's were the laughter dissipated.

While on the elevator, Akio's heart was going to erupt from his chest. He was very sweaty and could barely breath... He wasn't sure how his boss would act at his failure...

"So sonny, I see you enjoy acting as a clown" Said the old man at his employee. "I thought you were more serious"

"Forgive sir, I can explain it" Said Akio, trying not to babble...

"There's nothing to explain, sonny! Good to see you that cheerful!" Replied the boss with a huge smile in his face... "There's a meeting in Osaka tomorrow. A company is looking for new talent for being their new sales administrator... And guess what? They accepted you! Isn't that wonderful?

"Y-yes, it is...." Said the paled man.

"Oh, and another thing... Your doctor called, he says that you must go and pick up your.. new glasses?  When did you get those?

"E-excuse me sir... Can I leave? My head is killing me." Said the obviously scared man.

"Sure, but remember, I want you tomorrow at the train station! I'll be very disappointed if you missed that meeting!

I wish I have this moment

Akio Wakahisa was a humble man... He didn't deserve this... He was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Of course... He'll never forget this...

He was a successful man, he worked as a insurance dealer and got a nice house in Tokyo. He was single, he wasn't very good with the ladies but nearly all of them described him as "cute." He had very good friends... His only trouble being a malignant tumor in his brain, it was very risky to remove it with compromising his health. The doctors told him he would last a few more weeks if he was careful. Well, not a big deal... At least soon, Akio would break his routine.

The tumor wasn't a big deal, Akio was used to the migraines that it gave... The tremors were a bit more hard, but he grew accustomed to them, his impaired vision was remedied with glasses that turned him into a magnet for girls. If he wasn't so clumsy, he could have a nice score... But he kept messing again and again... But at least he didn't mess his job. He got an important reunion in Osaka where, if everything went well, he could ascend into Sales Administrator.

That day, Akio went to work as usual... His friends tried a comedic act that failed spectacularly, Akio didn't mind them, he had to work... However, when he came to see his boss, he started yelling. "You should be on the trains station!!" "The meeting is today!!"

Startled by the news, Akio went to the trains as fast as he could. He wouldn't stop berating himself for being so careless... He lost a hour and a half by going to his office and the train to Osaka took two hours... He won't make it in time. His boss wouldn't forgive him if he lost the meeting...

 As he walked, Akio saw a man. He looked very weird, for starting, he wasn't Japanese, he seemed European, a very androgynous European. It had its hair tied in a ponytail, and had a slim build. Its clothing was its most striking feature, a white shirt with black pants, both tattered and full of moth holes. Its face was also very weird, it wore glasses, one crystal painted in black for its right eye and an empty frame for its left eye. The only "normal" feature this guy had was a necklace, it looked like an hourglass lying on his side.

The stranger was looking at the trains coming and going, pointing them with his finger back and forth, like if he was trying to find a rhythm. He seemed a bit upset, the trains didn't follow a pattern, they rather went and came as they pleased. Akio was creeped by the man, but he didn't pay too much attention as he was running late. The man looked at Akio with a smile and Akio felt goosebumps in every inch of his body, so he rushed to the train, not even checking if it was the correct one.

Once aboard the train, he could relax... The man was outside and Akio was inside. When he asked where he was going, the attendant told him that the Nozomi Train was going for Kyoto. Two hours... lost. From Kyoto to Osaka it would take two additional hours... Plus the waiting time for the train to leave.

Nonetheless, Akio was devastated...

The Son of the Moon

There is the tale of children that see the moon

And to her malignant influence they aren't immune

It is said that they are taken and have never returned

Many people offered them in order to get her boon

 

One such child fell prey one night

A mystery how he has survived

But when he came home

His family was all gone

 

His father loved him dearly

His mother despised him greatly

It's no wonder she could do such thing

When the chains made her husband ill

 

He is still searching for a family

One that can end the cold

Because The Moon has frozen his poor little soul

Sadly, all those encounters wouldn't last long

And the kid will always be forlorn

And aren't you staying?

Marina and Joel finally found Timmy and his companion. A little kid, no older than twelve. A little kid whose skin was all frostbitten and covered in rime. The astonished parents tried to get their son away from such thing...  And then, they stopped seen the creature as a monster. They saw him as a eight year old, whose skin was very pale. And he talked to his "Mama" and his "Papa."

"See mommy, I told you he was real!" Said Timmy, enthusiastically. "Come and play! Whoever gets two cracks together wins!"

Joel started jumping after his son... He was making many cracks, but none of them connected. Marina started crying, confusing the two kids and the man. The little frozen kid couldn't calm her, she kept insisting in that she had to do something... And then, the kid understood.

Before she could do something, she heard a loud splash. There was a huge gap in the lake.

"Darn it! I wanted to win dad!" Said the little kid, a little grumpy over losing. Marina gasped in shock, but the little kid calmed her... "He is cold now." The woman couldn't contain her crying... And slowly, Timmy stopped seeing his brother. He was seeing the horrible monster who pretended to be his brother.

"Mom... I want you to be cold... You stopped being warm since the blizzard back in England..." Said the monster. "You were crying a lot. I don't want you to cry... I want you to sing with me, and play... Come on, Daddy is waiting!"

Timmy tried to join her mother, but the monster stopped him. "I'm sorry...But someone else wants to play with you." Timmy heard a loud splash and the monster's laughter and he was scared, for he saw the monster's real shape. The monster was laughing and... crying. Then, a movement among the trees startled both little kids.

"He thinks He can stop me... He thinks that just because my mom... Never mind, you are on your own" Said the frozen kid, humming a little song while skipping in the ice. He had both hands raised, as if they were taken by someone and Timmy could swear he could hear boots and heels walking in the lake.

When the kid was gone, the cold rush was over. A huge shadow emerged from the trees, with his arms open in a huge embrace. Timothy wasn't afraid... rather, he could hear his real brother calling... He knew who wanted to play... And, it didn't matter, he was very happy about it.

He's gone, gone, and maybe you too

Marina and Joel came back from the store, they stocked a month full of food in order to prepare for winter. They also bought some new clothes and toys for Timmy.... But they noticed he was gone. His room was thrashed, most of his toys were gone... And he left the yard door open.

They panicked, Marina started crying and shouting... How they could be so careless? Joel tried to search in the surrounding areas, soon neighbors joined their cause... When the news arrived in the school, all the kids were awestruck... "Another victim" One girl said. "I hope he doesn't hurt him a lot" Said a boy. The bullies were the most sorry... They didn't know that He attacked the lonely, they just thought He attacked random kids.

Night was coming and there were no news of Timothy. Marina was on the verge of breaking, the same was Joel... They started losing hope, no matter how many posters, news coverings and newspapers said. They gave up and went home, so they could mourn in solitude.

On their way, the found a giant black tree, with sprawling and leafless branches. Stuck in its wood was a note. "Go to the Lake" Was written, with red letters and a strange crossing of the letter "O." Joel and Marina seemed too sad to go, but when they heard the voice of their beloved child... They regained their spirits. Funny thing, they didn't noticed that the neighborhood never had such kind of tree.

Back in the lake, Timmy was playing with his brother. He seemed different... His skin was very hard to the touch and for some reason, he made creaking noises whenever he moved. But Timmy was happy, he was playing with his long lost brother and only friend.

The kid was very silent for most of the time, only humming a song sporadically. Timmy saw he was nervous and he noticed that his brother was looking at the trees, trying to find something. Timmy tried to help him search, but "Kane" told him to keep playing the game or he would lose...

Timmy continued to jump on the cracks in the ice. If got two or more cracks to join, he would win. On the meantime, his brother kept looking at the trees.

Aren't you stopping?

Once the family moved to Vancouver, things started to change... They settled in a nice house with a amazing view of a lake and a forest. Things started going normally... Dad began seeing paychecks, Mom didn't see any bills in the mailbox and Timmy started school. It was here were we could say that the family was happy, that there was nothing to worry about.

Little Timmy started school... Little Timmy was harassed. He was different. His dad was a very pale man with a coal black hair and Timothy inherited his mom's grey eyes, so he technically was a "moonchild". He was teased wherever he went and he was awkward at making friends so he quickly started failing in school.

Timmy's parents were worried, they didn't know what to do. They knew that if Timmy were to see another psychologist, he would go numb again. They started to despair... They never despaired...

That day, when Timmy arrived home, there was no one to welcome him. Only a letter and a flashlight...

"Meet me at the lake" Was written in the paper with blue ink and a shaky pulse. Timmy was excited, only one person could write with that pulse. He grabbed the flashlight and his coat, for it was cold weather, and went to his yard as it connected with forest. Also, he took some toys... Maybe he wanted to play...

It was getting dark, so Timmy turned on the flashlight. He saw the full moon, the frost moon, and knew that there would be rime tomorrow... He saw the clouds and knew it would snow soon.... But he was happy, he didn't know his big brother could board planes without parents. The only thing that really  scared him, were the trees... They seemed so twisted, so humanlike, their branches huge arms ready to pick him...

But he felt a cold rush... Not the ones that freeze your bones rather, the ones that refresh you and make you feel relaxed. He arrived at the lake and in the middle of it... Was his "brother"... He tried to gesture him to come, to play... To get away of the awful trees and their huge branches....

They are running away...

Marina and Joel were  a true happy couple. Unlike our other two, this couple was made for each other. They shared all, they praised each other when one couldn't get things right... And they were blessed with the most beautiful gift a marriage could ask, another boy. He was in elementary school, coursing third grade.

Marina and Joel had to move, from their home England to Canada. They couldn't endure the economic hardships the Iron Mistress was putting in them, Joel was fired wherever he went and... remember when we said another boy? Their original son, Kane, died that year. He became lost in a forest and when they found him... His parent's weren't the only ones thorn apart.

Anyway, a friend of Joel managed for the grieving family to move to Canada. Maybe Joel could try luck with being a logger. Timmy could also use a move... Maybe getting real friends would be good to him. He kept saying that Kane was coming to the house... That he invited him to play... And in one of those play dates, Timmy nearly drowned in a frozen lake.

Timothy was sent to many a psychiatrist, was given every kind of medicine... They were inches away of using electroshock... But with the first visit to the doctor, Kane disappeared. Timmy went numb then, refusing to speak, eat or get out of his room. He wanted his brother back.

The family went to the airport the minute their bags were packed. Little Timothy had to tearfully say goodbye to Kane, if he was still there, while his parents dragged him out of the house. Surprised was Timmy to hear a faint... "Not Goodbye... It's see you soon."

The Morrígan

Beware, beware!

The Phantom Queen is out!

Don't wail, don't wail!

She may hear you now!

 

She relishes the pitiful

She feeds on the sick

She is always hungry

Come and bear her seed

 

She unleashes the bad

She brings out the foul

Neither girl or lad

You'll be one of her ghouls



Are what keeps me satisfied

The young scarlet woman, who looked no older than twenty, was enticing. Her curvy body, that beautiful hair... That gleaming necklace...  Basically, she was there, tempting Sam.

The woman took her outside of the barracks, into the open field. It was dangerous to go out in the night but the lady has erased every worry in Sam's head. Once they have traveled enough distance, The scarlet maiden's voice filled the air...  "Let it out" She said. In a flash of blinding red light, the woman was no more... He was a man.

His whispered words were as entrancing as the woman's voice... And something inside  Sam started beating, something inside started breathing... Something started screaming... Her body began writhing, she cried, she laughed... The rapture was intense.

When the overwhelming ecstasy ceased, Sam woke up. The nurses and soldiers were surrounding her, all looking with disapproval. She looked around and notice something, the man who assaulted her before was dead. He had multiple wounds in his unclad body and Sam also happened to be bare and full of his blood...

They brought the scumbag back a the barracks. Sam's punishment was very severe, even by those years standards. When they were done with her, Sam was all but the beauty that entered the Army. She was left crying in the shower... They didn't care she had a knife with her. They didn't care she was trying to get rid of the shame...

But before Sam could do something, the scarlet woman appeared again. She seemed triumphant, she was very happy.  Her necklace was more shiny than ever, the heart wasn't made of stone now it was a beautiful crystal. The woman happily handed the necklace to Sam and made her put it on.

When she did, Sam felt an immense bliss. She felt free, clean... empty. She noticed that the necklace was carnelian again and that there was a decrepit and old woman lying on the floor.

It didn't matter to her. All she could think was in filling a void... a void in her heart. She was empty... But she wanted to be full... Luckily, there were many people for her to feast on.

Its sick that all these battles

With her man gone... Sam was an open field. Ready for the picking.

One of the soldiers, one very unscrupulous, was lovestruck the moment she showed up. Too bad Charles made it clear that she was his girl... But now, who could stop him? It started as a flirting... Next were the flowers... Later, he gave her his rations... And when she went to his chambers and told him that she didn't want a relationship... He exploded. He closed the door... And she could only scream...

When the others found out... They were rather pleased. That man brough down the animal... He wasn't a Charles... He was a man. And everybody lauded him...

When she went to the infirmary, crying and looking for comfort... she was met with disapproval and harsh criticism. If she wanted to stay away from him, why did she go to his chambers? Even more so, she should have know that this "accident" would happen. What woman in her right senses would volunteer for a all-man squad? She clearly was looking for it...

She tried to deny all those claims... but it was useless. Her reputation was marked. The nurses gossip spread beyond the barracks. Sam's father stopped answering her letters, he stopped telling how proud he was of his little warrior... Instead, her mother would write to her, scolding, criticizing, telling her she was an absolute error... How did little Sammy lose control of everything?

That night... She would have gone to the guns cache... If it weren't for a particular presence.  She saw a woman outside her window,  a pretty woman she was...  her black hair with striking red highlights, sporting a beautiful black dress and a beautiful necklace... A small heart carved out of carnelian, engraved with some letters in a language Sam didn't understand.

תְשׁוּקָה

With violent words

That day... She would remember that day for the rest of her life....

German troops entered the outpost they were defending. The raid was brutal and many fellow soldiers fought bravely, she included... Charles never saw her fight like that and in his dumbstruck stupidity, he left himself open for an attack. Luckily, Sammy could stop the sniper in time and Charles was only shot in his arm, but shame... He was rescued by a woman, six years younger than he...

The German forces couldn't gain access to the outpost and made a retreat. The Allied troops were victorious and a celebration was needed.

Only fourteen men of a troop of fifty-eight were lost and the only badly injured member of the troop... was "Lil' Chuckie." The nurses tried to comfort him, he wast a good soldier... But his girl keep winning everything he wished to accomplish. The last straw came at the celebration for defeating the Germans. With champagne in hand and many of the men raising Sammy in their shoulders, she was proclaimed "main hero of the squad." They tried to get Chuckie to celebrate as well, but his dignity was destroyed... Bested by a woman... Who would have thought?

The next morning, he went to the gun caché... And he was gone. His shame was too much to bear. That day, Sammy was changed... She went berserk when going out in the field.... The men found it enticing, the women saw it abominable... A widow determined to fight? What was happening?

Only one nurse saw Sam, as she preferred to be called, under a positive light. A beautiful redhead that was bored of being home and decided to bring some action into her life...

Sam would act tough around her male peers but every night, she would melt into tears... If she only stayed home... Or rather, if only she wasn't the freak she was. But it was in her blood... And she couldn't deny it.

Because you feed me faith

Samantha would like to forget this story... But she can't... It marks and haunts her now. Its deep scar within her now.

She was eighteen when the war struck the country. Her little town was sweeped by the martial law and many of the men were forced into the military, including her fiance. She couldn't let him go that easily and she made something that for the other women was considered abhorrent: she joined the ranks, not as a medic but, as a soldier. She wouldn't stand there and long for his fiance to be back, she would go right into combat and fight with him.

When she presented herself before the captain in charge of the conscription, everybody laughted at her. A woman? Really? She couldn't make it... or so they thought.

She came armed. Her father's shotgun. She showed them, first a few bottles of beer, later the practice targets... And when that didn't suffice, she wrestled the burliest man she could find. She left her fiance, Charles, looking as a complete idiot, for both wrestling with her and losing to her. That day, little Sammy joined the Army.

The days went by, she waited at the barracks... The few times she was called was to dispatch other sharpshooters or to use her as recognissance, her facade as a innocent woman being most effective.  Of course, she wasn't very happy with that... Although she saw and loved her fiance, she hoped she could go beyond being a mere housewife... Taste the glory, hear the appraise...

Wherever she went, all the other soldiers looked at her with lust independently if she was with Charles or not.  All the women saw her as a freak, trying to live a life that only a man can endure... And everybody saw her as lawbreaker, for reasons that she yet has to understand....

She was very much misunderstood and judged.... She wasn't the weak girl.... or so she thought.

Our Lady of the Divine Deflagration

Oh Great Dame, may your blessing befall on me

I am chained too, the same way you used to be

The pain and the burden were too high

Show me how you survived those nights 

 

When you achieved freedom, someone was left behind

You try to bring him back, no matter the cost

Our Lady is smitten, she can't bear the loss

The cold will never be with you, such passion burns bright

You haven't given up, such fire is our light

 

Please my Lady, I was weak

I couldn't resist it, my faith was too bleak

May your will be done, not mine

Show me your ways, show me your sign

I want the cold to be back outside

 

May you illuminate my path

May your fires strengthen my heart

 If you have picked me it means one thing

My love will help him, I'll free your king

The ruins of their world

The police came as fast as it could. A neighbor called... she was horrified. The screams were bloodcurdling, she could hear the chairs crashing against the wall; she thought that animals had invaded the house... If it wasn't for the fact that there was fire coming out from the windows.

When the firefighters came, they saw it. They were there...   She was in the ground, horrible bruised. He was a few meters away, in the ground too, and he was crying. He tried to move but the burns wouldn't let him... he tried to reach to her. His frail and broken voice, destroyed by the screaming and the smoke, could only say "I Love You". They tried but, she was gone... When they tried to save him, he refused... He wanted to be with his beloved. His chain and lock. He knew he would die in any moment, but he wanted to relish that fleeting moment of true freedom. So the firefighters put him besides Grace... He never  broke free, rather, he embraced his chains.

Ever since he did this very same thing to his beautiful Ariadna.

That day, someone else was also captured.... A firefighter found another couple inside the  house. The man was brought to his knees, his hands handcuffed and his hoodie covered in burns. The woman, her beautiful white dress stained by soot and blood, kneeling and caressing the prisoner's face. He could hear them talk....

"So close" Said the man, sounding defeated, his head bowed down in shame.

"It's hopeless, there's nothing left" Said the woman, kissing the man while crying.

"Time, we always have time" He said while he grabbed his wife's hands. "Someday, you will stop burning, and someday I will be free... We just have to wait"

The firefighter was awestruck at the scene, but his friends snapped him out of it. They said he looked stupid looking at the burning house. The firefighter left the place...he could only think in the burning pain he felt whenever he wore the wedding ring,

Has he seen, hasn't he seen?

It was 3:00 pm and Grace hasn't showed up for lunch. They would always lunch together in a small restaurant near the hospital and the flower shop. They would always exchange stories of their work, happy ones for Grace, not so happy ones for Elijah.

Hungry and tired of waiting, Elijah started to eat its meal. He was very upset, upset that he would be jilted by someone he thought, would never do such thing... But at the same time, a small voice flew around his head. A small, weak voice... a whisper.

"What if she found out?"

Immediately, his blood went cold and a chill ran through his spine... If she knew... If she knew what Elijah had done, she would never forgive him... Or alternatively, and for the worse, she would try to help him and expose herself to the danger. And he didn't want that to happen, even if that meant giving up to the cold... His lily couldn't bear the weight, she could break if she tried...

While he was thinking this, a familiar smell filled the air... His thoughts froze, so he could perceive the smell more clearly... It was incense. Elijah was confused... smoke was not permitted in the building. Looking for its source, he found a man looking through the window.

He looked terrible, wearing a burned hoodie and holed pants. He was very tall and muscular yet his face was very gaunt and emaciated. The smell that was pleasant instantly turned into tobacco as the man appeared inside the restaurant. People started growing anxious, tension filled the air... Elijah was overpowered by the burning tobacco smell and he started coughing... And the mysterious man smiled.

The man raised his hands, handcuffed by chains and a lock. The smell turned into gunpowder... And he screamed and broke the handcuffs. Elijah could swear he blacked out... but he could hear the threats, the screams, the violence... He could feel the punches, the kicks...

"You should break your chains... Let it all loose"

The echoing voice of the man resonated in Elijah's head. His cough worsened as he could feel burning gunpowder in his lungs... but not only in his lungs, in his chest too... He felt red irons wrapped in his chest, impeding his breathing. Soon, his pain turned into desperation. He felt prisoner in the most horrifying jail and he was screaming... he wished to be free.

As he suffered, Elijah could hear the man's coarse and booming laughter. And all of a sudden, all the punching, the kicking and screaming ceased... There was silence. And his vision cleared... He knew what to do.

She takes a life away

Grace was busy,  making a bouquet for a friend. She was due to marry in a few days and Grace wanted to make her feel as special as she felt during her big day. She hoped that her friend's husband were a real man... Lost in thought, Grace never heard the door creaking open.

She was amazingly beautiful. Her sleek and delicate figure clad in a fine white dress... A magnificent raven hair contrasting with a pale skin... However,  her face was the most perfect thing Grace had ever seen... Her eyes were the most captivating, two little embers shining in full yellow glory. In her expressions, the woman came out as coldly calm, but those eyes, they showed pain, anguish, suffering.

The dame didn´t mind Grace. She began looking at the flowers until she found a Crown of Thorns. The plant grew in a distinctive form, all the flowers where trapped in a mass of thorny vines. "Something so beautiful hidden beneath the ugly surface" Said the woman. She then proceeded to pick a few flowers, ignoring the thorns... She got a small bundle of pretty fuchsia flowers... At the cost of hideous gashes in her hands. Grace tried to help her, but noted that the woman endured the pain in silence while Grace would scream at just seeing a thorn.

Just as she was about to get the first aid kit, the lady drew close and raised her hand against Grace's cheek. She could feel warmth, comforting warmth... The woman's eyes weren't sad anymore. She understood Grace. Maybe Grace wasn't bruised on the outside, but she was hurt in the inside. And the woman understood that... And she spoke.

"Working so hard and never receiving a reward. I know how that feels, I know the pain... You make others happy because you can't make yourself be happy, but it doesn't have to be that way..."

The woman wiped Grace's tears. She opened a wound that was not supposed to be there. She set a fire that wasn't supposed to burn...

"You need to show him. Show him that you are as capable as Ariadna. He just waits for that moment..."

Grace's pain churned in her stomach...  she felt huge flames devouring her from within. She realized she has been holding them for a long time and that it was time to set them free. The woman smiled and encouraged her to go.

Grace never saw her charred bouquet, nor that her dress was stained with ashes.

Whenever she is raging

She always remembered this beautiful month. July, she would remember it with a smile...  but she can't... She can't forget about those fateful days...

She was married. Little Gracie was married. So much hoping for that shooting star to pass and her wish was granted. Elijah was a good husband, a proper man. Grace would work in a flower shop, her happiness resided in her flowers and she wanted to share it with the world.

Her husband... he was very selfish. His darkness, his pain... he did not want to share them. He kept it all to himself. His justification? His beautiful lily was too frail to be his support beam. If there is someone that doesn't grasp the concept of "letting go", that is Elijah. One thinks that the words "We are sorry, we tried all but..."  are easy to pronounce, but they are not... especially when you pass from pronouncing them to receiving them... His poor, poor Ariadna...

Our couple met by chance... Grace always went to the graveyard... There, the most beautiful marigolds growed. She was busy, picking her flowers when she saw that daunting figure strolling the graves. He stopped in one and delivered a beautiful bouquet; full of bellflowers, primroses and campanulas... He losed, he loves and he is grateful...

They fell in love a first sight... Perhaps he was desperate to end the cold.... Perhaps she wanted to share on a new level... But anyway, they married...

The nights turned out to be punishments... He was too cold.  He was too distant... Sometimes, he was just tired. But every night was a torture she had to endure. She was all give, but no take... Grace always gave from the depth of her heart, but Elijah never answered in the same way. He was too shallow in expressing.

But behind all that ice, there was warmth. He would let it loose from time to time, but he preferred to remain safe.

Before anything

we salute you observer, you have seen what we have made

I salute you reader, you have found what comprises us.

I salute you hearer, you have have heard our tales...

we are the makers of these stories, we are behind every single tale... be they cautionary, be they romantic, be they tragic... we appear in all of them, our function is to make...

I am the collector of these stories. I compile every story, regardless of quality, lenght or motifs. It's my sworn duty to build this knowledge and expand it. My function is to build...

I am the narrator of these stories. I tell these stories, the audience deserves to know. They must experience all... The fear, the angst, the pain... What we have felt, you will feel it too.  My function is to tell...

we shall be the ones to introduce you to our knowledge... we, the makers, will tell you how all this started, for we have been at the start, the middle and the end...

you will come to embrace these stories as if they were from your own life