Chris--Rooted Reality

Sweat began to drip from my forehead as I laid still on the hard, weathered oak boards. The sounds of chains and shackles rung throughout my ears, not once ceasing. Screaming – screaming persisted, as if it had the intent to penetrate the deepest extremities of my soul. Only then, was I able to open my eyes. “Where am I? How did I get here? Who are all these people?” I questioned myself. The sweat continued, profusely, and my attention was quickly diverted to a violent burning sensation on my back side. I reached for the area, and squirmed as my finger tips made contact with my skin. I looked at my hand, and froze in awe at the spectacle – blood. My confusion was extinguished when the man revealed himself. He descended from his dwellings above us; his ivory complexion radiated and his tongue produced a sound so unfamiliar. At this point I only feared that I would have to endure a life like those featured in the tales of the new land. The man signaled for all of us to approach him. He conducted a hasty examination to each body that passed, enforcing his leather whip with even the slightest acts on noncompliance. He took his time with me however. I waited in front of him as he stared at me. Minutes later, I found myself struggling to stand up as I absorbed round after round of the ox’s hide. This was the last of my personal account. What followed was blackness, eternal blackness. I awoke and found myself in a different setting. The wood was replaced by asphalt, and the noises by hand gun projectiles. The sweat again dripped from my forehead and the burning sensation returned as I rested on the ground. In the distance, I saw a man – the same man I had seen before, now decorated in uniform. He drew a weapon from his side and aimed it at me. At the sound of the explosion, my eyes fell shut and the blackness reappeared. Seventeen years ago, I awoke for the final time. My third attempt at life would prove to serve as less of a challenge; at least this is what I had hoped. I, like most of my fellows, have been directly affected by acts of racism and prejudice right in the community I thought I could call my home. What troubles me more however, is knowing that I will never be adequate or even good enough to compete with my white counterpart. Being born as a black male has made me subject to lower wages, increased encounters with law enforcement, and a heighten likelihood of being killed. My reality has been defined by the fact that I don't resemble the man who oppressed me; my dark complexion is institutionally and implicitly regarded as inferior to his ivory complexion. This truth remains far less than a threat to me though. I know that while the man may rob me of my societal power, he may never strip me of the greater power that resides in my mind and soul.

Justin--"Cliff's Revelation"

”I want to go on a nice peaceful walk” he said but he did not fully comprehend what would happen as a consequence of his actions. You see Cliff was always a happy-go-lucky kind of a guy. He was not perfect mind you but he knew how to have a good time. While Cliff went on a walk outside of his suburban home he found himself at a busy intersection. When the signal said to walk, he walked but then suddenly an SUV went roaring down the intersection nearly hitting him. Besides his freighting near death experience Cliff realized something at this moment. There were at least 40 cars in this intersection and this was but one intersection and there are millions of intersections like this one all across the world. He was but one person in this large world. He thought to himself “How many other people have gone on this exact same walk as I and nearly got hit by a car?” He figured it had at least been a dozen for he lived in a lively city. It was then he realized how insignificant he really was in the grand scheme of things and how pointless his life was for he was just doing what everyone else had been doing. It was then Cliff decided to be a superhero. However he quickly realized this would be impossible because superheroes nor radioactive induced superpowers were possible in the world he lived in. He needed to find a way to fill the void in his heart of insignificance. He could temporarily feel better by eating some chocolate cake or watching a good anime but the feeling always returned back to him. Cliff then decided to take ballet classes but no matter how hard he tried, no matter how hard he practiced he realized he would never make it into ballet performer agency. This was of course because Cliff did not have the correct figure for that trade and thus had to seek meaning in his life elsewhere. It was then he discovered a universal truth of the universe. “All the cool things in life aren’t as cool as you might think” he said with unabashed pride. Cliff then set upon a quest to find something worthy of his attention. Cliff was rethinking his entire life and what he had done with it. He realized all of the good times he had did have significance, he had not totally wasted his time because he enjoyed himself and that was enough for him. It was then Cliff discovered another universal truth of the universe. “As long as you’re having fun you can’t go wrong.” So he followed his heart to find himself a worthy goal. He found himself on another walk for Cliff enjoyed walking. This is where Cliff happened upon his local ice cream shop he just had to go in for Cliff loved ice cream. It was then where he found his calling in life, what he was put on this world to do. It was to scoop ice cream for all of the little kids to enjoy. But it was then reality hit Cliff, and it was that he could not survive off of an ice cream scooper kind of a wage. It was getting late and Cliff had become saddened by the prospect that he could not become a professional ice cream scooper. But before Cliff left the Ice cream shop he asked one of the professional ice cream scoopers “What makes a good Ice Cream a great Ice Cream?” The ice cream scooper was shocked at the question but then laughed and said “Why boy that is of course for you to decide, an ice cream is only as great as you make it.” Cliff was astounded at the response and said “What if my ice cream isn’t worthy of greatness in your eyes?” The Ice Cream scooper looked surprised and then said “Boy for as long as you enjoy the ice cream and find it great why should anything else matter?” Cliff hugged the man and wrote him a note before quickly leaving the ice cream shop with a new determination. Cliff’s ginormous void of insignificance had suddenly been filled he knew how he should live now. He went rushing back to his home and began to cross the same intersection as before. The same SUV came screaming across the intersection but this time it did not miss Cliff, for Cliff did not look both ways. Poor Cliff who had just filled the void of his heart of its insignificance, had died. His friends and family had come to his funeral and so did the ice cream scooper man. When the ice cream scooper man presented the note Cliff had wrote to him to the family they were astounded and then read Cliff’s words aloud. “The true folly of feeling insignificant is that it just doesn’t exist, we decide ourselves what we value and how we spend our lives. As long as you are true to your heart and are having a good time you are significant and what others are doing or what you are potentially missing out on shouldn’t matter. I understand now what makes a good ice cream a great ice cream.” The crowd seemed surprised but the the ice cream man knew what he meant by these words.

Creeah--Bare no Malice on Winters past

It was that rainy night in the dark December about one year and a month or so ago, when I was as usual alone in a place where reality meets insanity. It was a grimace December that year not one of Christmas carolers knocking at my chamber door but one that made me sad and dreary how I missed you mom how this thought left me ever sore. I was remembering the days when we would go to Nana’s house and bake tables full of cookies, laugh, and be merry but my heart broken soul knew it was never more. It was the third Saturday in December when we would normally carry out our Christmas tradition of cookies and cheer but the sad truth was you weren’t here. I woke up expecting you to call me downstairs to begin the journey to Nana’s but no call… then as I began to get frustrated that you weren’t awake, I remembered you were here no more. I began to cry so hard my eyes hit a fog because only god knows what I would give to say “Yes mom I’m coming ” just one more time. To this day I wonder why I woke up expecting to see you there. I asked god to give me a sign symbolizing that you were okay. I went through the next year wondering… I slipped into a depression that carried through seamlessly from season to season thinking about how might I melt away that bitter winter frost. Time continued life went on and about a month ago Dad and I went to the east coast for winter break. We traveled through Maine Laughing and feeling as though we’d never been happy before. I found a pure purple shell unlike any other it held me in comfort and gave me peace at every move. The shell meant more to me than life itself for it symbolized all the wisdom you, mom, had passed onto me it was in very moment I was able to forgive winters past.

Neida--What is mercy?

One may ask does mercy even exist We live in a world where the last thing we even think when we see all the distress, all the pain in the world, Is mercy.The saying goes..."those who are merciful will be shown mercy." If it was that easy, wouldn't we have world peace? The secret to achieve a world of peace, a world of joy, depends on you. We were born with the ability to choose to do good or to do evil. That's just already destined in our books since we were born, but many times we think that going the “good route” is just too difficult rather than easy. No one ever said that being a Saint is possible with a mere snap of the fingers. The truth is we have to strive to do good, and in doing good we receive great things. See, the decision to be a merciful person goes hand and hand with being on the good route, the good path of life. Although it is difficult, in the end it serves a greater purpose, what we do in life is a model to others. Like a a game of Dominoes, one simple action can inspire others to do the same, in hope of a positive reaction. We as humans, we get hurt easily and depending on the circumstance, the hardest thing to do is to forgive those who have hurt us, or has hurt our loved ones. Learning to overcome the hatred or the pain towards the person is the first step in being a merciful person. Huge events such as The San Bernardino shooting which took place earlier this month is a perfect example in how one can show mercy. As we all know, early in December, December second to be precise, a calm busy city, stood silent for one day. Through fear and pain, in waiting for news of who survived or to understand what really happened in that facility, being quite was the only thing the citizens of San Bernardino could do. It wasn’t too long ago, and the memory of the shooting will be forever in our memories. We will remember what we were doing the moment we found out what happened, some of us feeling the sense of relief that our family members were away from that danger or that they reported they were okay. It wasn’t until the second day, that second day, the third day of December was the hardest. Those who were in shock realized what happened. The news came out, we found out about the shooters, we learned about the Victims and their families. It was towards the end of the day, I had an event at church, and I sat down at the pews in the church, the lights went dim and one light illuminated the altar. Pictures were displayed on the screen, unfamiliar faces were displayed until I recognized one. I never had the privilege to meet this man but I knew his wife. His name was Damien Meins, his wife, Trina Meins, was the principal of the Sacred Heart Parish school. As our the pastor of our parish announced the tragedy, he shared a couple of things that impacted me the most. He told us that Trina sent her appreciation to us, as we prayed for her and her family, but she also asked us to pray for those lost souls who committed this crime. Those simple words, are the strongest most powerful words a person can do to be merciful. Putting myself in Trina’s shoes, I could imagine myself filled with pain and hatred towards that couple who killed my husband, the man whom I loved, leaving me alone with two daughters. I don't know how she and her family is at the moment, how they will spend their Christmas. Nevertheless, she is truly an example to us all, her courage is an inspiration. She may or may not be able to truly forgive them at this moment in time but to ask for prayers for them is a start. Mercy, a simple but difficult task, depending on the situation. In Trina’s case, forgiveness is an important step in walking in the righteous path of good. There may be darkness in the world, but one person, the person who chooses to do good can truly make a difference, and with that difference it is a small but huge step in piecing back the disorder of this world. In this upcoming year of 2016, in order for us to build a successful and peaceful future, we are called to be merciful. Religious or not, we are all highly capable of giving a helping hand to others, feeding the needy, being peaceful to your neighbor, and simply showing love to others. You make a difference, and sometimes we all need to be reminded that simple acts, lead to greater things.

Brittany--The very best Bhristmas of all

Now don't get me wrong, I'm no scrooge or anything, I actually really like Christmas. There's just one little mishap that the universe must've goofed up on. My birthday is on Christmas! Yes, ladies and gents I was born on the same day everyone looks forward to all year. The same day people expect a giant "jolly" man with a white beard and questionable fashion sense to somehow fit in a minuscule chimney and deliver presents. Let's remember people, those poor little boys in Europe during the 1700s couldn't even fit in the chimneys, much less survive from ash that clouded their lungs. I'm sorry, I'm scrooging again. It's just that people hype up Christmas birthdays. All my friends think it's so cool, but little do they know. For example, say I want to plan a party. I either have to plan the party in November or just settle for "the birthday song" during the family Christmas dinner. Even when I used to plan my parties in November attendance was still low. "Sorry were going on vacation", my friends would say. "Sorry, my family is over and I can't leave", they also said. But really let us never forget the greatest misfortune of them all. *Cue drumroll*, the combined birthday and Christmas gift, currently known as the Bhristmas present. "Sweetie, here's a gift card for your birthday present but, guess what! It doubles as a Christmas present too"! Memories of all the excuses rushed through my head. I can definitely say my best friend Jas is the only one who understands me. I mean she says I need to be more grateful and be less of a realist, but other than that she's the only one who separates my b-day gift from my Christmas gift. She will always be appreciated for that. Anyways, speaking of Jas, I'm about to meet up with her. She said she has a unique surprise waiting for me and that I will cherish it forever. I just hope it's not those homemade coconut brownies she made for me last year, because I can definitely tell you my stomach and buttock did not cherish those at all. So, Jas arrives at my house with a brightly wrapped box and says hop in her car. She starts driving to the outskirts of town but, I have no idea why. The houses look rundown and there are plenty of rugged trailers. I'm trying not to question her because she's my best friend and I trust her. We arrive at a very tattered looking trailer. Jas and I get out the car and she starts knocking on the door. She tells me to hold my present. I'm confused because, I could've left my present in the car. A frail young woman and her two children come to the door and immediately start crying. In this moment, like a reflex, I handed them my birthday present. Jas hugs me right after and then began to talk to the family. I just stand there watching their faces glow with illuminant expression. This was by far the very best Bhristmas gift of all.

Michael--Press ENTER to try again

So, this is it? The world around me moved as if in slow motion. A small face of disbelief with wide open eyes and mouth glanced at me. My girlfriend who I just pushed was looking at me, mouthing words at me as the world was muted. I looked to my right and looked at the bright lights coming my way as everything felt so surreal. It wasn't the kind of light at the end of the tunnel when someone passes. It was the kind of light from a 16 wheel semi truck speeding on the road heading straight for you. Before I knew it the world around me looked black; there was no light only silence. Out of nowhere the world that was once black, radiated something white in the distance. The letters approached and stopped in front of me and read "GAME OVER" in big white letters. I was speechless, “what in the world is this?” I thought to myself. Suddenly smaller white letters started to appear in the form of a list. I couldn't read what it said until the list slowly moved closer. It read CELL# 40754029000 followed by moving text that read "LIES: 24,836.” I had no idea what this random text meant until the whole list starting moving down slowly with random labels. It was only in the middle of the block of text I realized these were things I had done in my 17 years of living. The list showed how many words I spoke, how many steps I have taken, how many friends I have made and lost. I stared at the moving block of text for what felt like hours until it came near the end. What was this and why was it happening, was life some game where everyone is just a number? The final statistic that was labeled on the list was “LIVES SAVED: 1.” I then remembered what got me into this whole mess and felt like crying. Was I stuck in this dark void forever, only to be accompanied by bright text that floated in air? Out of the blackness more text along with a medium sized black and white button appeared in front of my face. The text read “Press ENTER to try again” and on the button was the word “ENTER” in the same white lettering from before. Did this mean I would be born again in the same world with the same life? Would I be born into a different life? Would I be able to retain my memories from before? A multitude of questions rushed through my head and I was completely lost on what to do. After contemplating the many possible outcomes, I realized the only thing I could do was press the button. I took a moment to gather my thoughts and took a deep breath and slowly pressed the button then waited. Nothing happened at first but out of nowhere a quick tunnel of light approached me and the black world around me started to fade away.

October Writers!!!!!

Our Blog has been updated. Check out the twelve October Featured Writers. We have a variety this month with five Flash Fiction, four Abstract, and one each of the Personal Narrative, the How To and the Book Review. There is some great reading for this month, so please, enjoy the selections. I also want to apologize for some of the formatting problems. Some pieces may be hard to read for there were a few problems with margins and paragraph breaks. I am sorry for this and I will try to rectify the pieces if I can. Your assignment: Read ALL twelve pieces. Choose at least five to leave comments. Make an effort to leave comments for each of the genres. Remember, you can always leave comments for ALL pieces if you wish, but you don't have to do so. My October Writers: Keep checking the blog and watch the comments show up for your piece. You, twelve, can choose your three favorite pieces and leave comments for those only. Remember to write helpful feedback for the writers. Tell them what you LOVE, ENJOY or find INTERESTING about their piece and give a reason. Say why you feel that way. ALL comments are due next Monday, November 2. I'm giving you plenty of time to complete this month's assignment. Now, Go Read!!!!!