Just Ask

This story had to be in three parts. It is the same story, written three different times, from three different points of view.

Just Ask

Fred

                        “Just go ask her, please.” Fred said. They were sitting outside the college cafeteria having a quiet argument.

                        “Why don’t you ask her yourself?” George asked. “Why do I have to go see if she likes you?”

                        “Because,” Fred explained “I can’t just walk up to a girl and ask her something like that!”

                        “Oh, but I can? How will it be less weird if I ask?” George exclaimed.

            Fred tried to make him understand but he could tell that his friend had stopped listening. George was looking up into the clear blue sky. Fred followed his eyes and saw a pigeon glide to the ground, right next to Emma. She threw some bread to the pigeon and walked inside with her friend.

                        “Oh forget it! It’s too late now.” Fred sighed, obviously annoyed.

Emma

                                “Emma? Emma! Hey, look at me!” Alice said “Man, what is wrong with you?”

                                “Hmm? Oh, sorry.” Emma apologized, now embarrassed. She hastily looked away from the two boys, who were obviously arguing in hushed tones.

                                “Why don’t you just go ask him out?” Alice chided her, “I heard that he likes you.” She whispered suspiciously.

                                “Yeah, but you know that I don’t like doing that, I’m waiting for him to make the first move.” Emma explained, “Maybe today he will ask. Did you notice that they keep looking over here?”

                                “Yeah, I noticed, but it doesn’t matter. If he was planning on it he waited too long. Come on, we have to get to class.” Alice reminded her.

                Just then a pigeon landed next to Emma and looked up expectantly, wanting something to eat. Emma sighed , threw the remnants of her sandwich to the pigeon, and left with Alice.

               

The Bird

                   “Hungry. So hungry. I hope I can find some food. Oh, look, it’s lunchtime at college! I can usually get some good food there. There are two boys, maybe they will give me something. Ugh, they are too busy arguing. All they have left are cheetos anyway, I hate those things. Clog my throat. Ooo, that girl looks like she is done. Yes! Bread! My favorite! Goodbye nice girl!

Rest

Short poem about nobody in particular.

Rest

Hair as crimson as a rose,

Skin as white as snow,

The girl was lying quite alone,

Neatly in repose.

The Choice



This poem needs a little back-story. At my church there was a patch of trees where we used to be able to play capture the flag and waste a lot of time during church picnics. Recently, the forest was hollowed out and all that is left is a perimeter. During Literature a few weeks ago, we went on a walk around the church property and it was the first time I saw what had happened.

The Choice

As I come upon the knoll,

I cannot help but wonder,

If, perhaps a part of my soul,

Has gone away to wander.
As I look upon the trees,

I hear the bird’s retreation.
The woods are on their knees,

The trees bowed in submission.

The loved forest has fled,

And left a clearing in its wake.

Its leaves have formed a bed,

Enticing you to take,

A doze among their midst.

But no! I must not!

No matter how you persist,

 I must vacate this spot!

As I gather up the courage

It will take to walk away,

Please don’t be discouraged,

I’ll be back again… someday.

The Invisible Men

This was a fun one. Let me know if the ending surprises you.

“The Invisible Men”

            Alexander and Eli had been friends since elementary. Their friendship however, wasn’t necessarily a good thing.  What had drawn them together at a young age had been their mutual knack for thievery. Both prided themselves on never getting caught while taking something that did not belong to them. The whole school knew it was them; they just never had any proof. They soon graduated from petty thieving to shoplifting. They started out slowly, only taking a snack or two from the local gas station, but were soon going on sprees at the department stores. They even worked out a system. The day before their heist, they would scope out the security. The day of, they would wear baseball caps in an attempt to hide their faces. Eli would inconspicuously stand in front of the cameras while Alexander stuffed his pockets. All this happened while they were still teenagers. It wasn’t until their adulthood that they really stepped up their crime.

            Eli and Alexander had become infamous. Bank heist, jewelry thefts and home break-ins became their specialty. They had mastered the elements of surprise and disguise. Nobody could ever identify them. They learned to disable security systems and then restore them to the point that shop owners never knew about the break-in. It wasn’t until inventory was checked that they knew of a problem. Alexander and Eli were known as “The Invisible Men” It was at the top that they began to fall.

            Originally, the two “Invisible Men” swore to never harm anyone they stole from. After years of crime though, they had become cruel and bloodthirsty. Anybody unfortunate enough to witness one of their crimes ended up missing their next birthday. So far, the body count included three startled shopkeepers and an unlucky homeless man. They had also grown more hostile toward each other. Not a day went by where they didn’t argue and threaten one another. Both had become paranoid, convinced that the other was going to turn on him. But it was required of them to put their differences aside one more time. They were in the midst of planning their biggest heist yet.

            Alexander and Eli had plans to rob a jewelry store. They had heard about a massive diamond shipment coming to one of the jewelers in town. They made their plans and disabled the security. They had started carrying side-arms, just in case. It was then that the arguing started up again. It grew so intense that Alexander couldn’t take it anymore. He stopped talking to Eli and turned around. Alexander had made up his mind; he was going to end this friendship, permanently. He stealthily drew his weapon and turned to face his childhood friend. He was surprised to see the barrel of a gun pointed back at him.

                        “Drop it Eli!” snarled Alexander.

                        “Don’t count on it old friend. What made you finally get the guts to gun me down in cold blood?” Eli questioned sarcastically.

                        “I’m sick of your whining! Your voice grates on my ears! I can’t stand it anymore!! Every time you open your mouth, another part of my soul screams and dies in agony!!!” shouted Alexander.

                        “I’ll be happy to put you out of your misery.” Eli spat.

            Both muzzles flashed, momentarily illuminating the outline of two bodies falling to the ground. Crimson began to spread profusely from Eli’s chest. He wheezed one shuddering breath and moved no more. Across the room lay the body of Alexander. At first glance, he too appeared to be dead, but then the moving of his chest as he struggled for breath became more obvious. A subtle twitch of his fingers and he opened his eyes. He sat up groaning.

                        “Well, the vest may stop the bullet, but it sure doesn’t stop you feeling it.” He winced as he spoke. Already, there was a massive bruise spreading across his chest. At least he was alive. He finished gathering the jewels, took Eli’s share, and walked off without a second glance at his former partner.

                        “Hmm. Maybe now I’ll be known as the ‘Invisible MAN’ ” he chuckled and left the shop behind.

The Hated Hero

Here is another long one.

The Hated Hero

      I was recruited in my junior year of college by an unknown Government agency. Merely mentioning the name was considered treason, so, obviously, I can’t divulge it. If I had known then the tragedy that would befall me, I would have been more hesitant to join.

      “You will be doing your country a great service if you join, Mr. Fields.” My recruiter said smoothly. He was a tall, older fellow. His hair was a silvery grey, speckled with bits of stubborn black. This, instead of making him seem old and useless, gave him a wizened look. He had an air about him that made you want to obey.

      “What exactly does this entail sir?” I questioned cautiously.

      “Besides a sizable seven figure salary?” He said as he smiled his winning smile. “We need someone to track down and infiltrate a suspected terrorist group located here in America. You will have access to any asset you need: passports, private air transport, all of the latest tech and weapons, and the best training this country can offer.

      I was still apprehensive so I inquired one more thing.

      “But why do you want me sir? I’m just a nobody.”

      “Exactly.” He mysteriously replied. “You are no one; you would be the last person someone would think was a spy. Also, you’re good kid.

      “Good sir?” I said questioningly.

      “Yeah, good, moral. You “walk the straight and narrow.”We don’t have many people like you in this business. It would be refreshing. So, what do you say?”

      “Well...”I said slowly. “I accept. When do I start sir?”

      “Next week. You will meet your trainer here (he handed me a small black card embroidered with golden type) next Monday at five A.M. Goodbye Nathaniel” With that he began to walk away.

      “But sir! You haven’t given me your name!”

      “It’s ‘Smith’ kid, but you probably could have guessed that.”And he strolled off leaving me utterly perplexed.

      Fast-forward a few years and I have never stopped being confused. I never saw this ‘Mr. Smith’ again. My training lasted three cruel years, years spent becoming a hardened Government agent capable of taking down almost any foe. As soon as my training was complete I was assigned the mission that was the reason I joined.

      The U.S. government believed that there was a steadily rising terrorist threat in our country. They had intercepted information that alluded to nuclear weapons being placed all over America. If the information was correct, all of America was in danger of extinction. It took me two years to find this terrorist sanction, and another year to gain their trust. After living with them for six months, I learned the locations of each of the explosives. The list was frightening! There were no less than thirty nuclear weapons placed at strategic U. S. cities!

      I still had time however; I learned that they were still waiting a year and a half before detonation. I knew what I had to do. I had to go deeper into the inner sanctum than ever before. There were consequences to this though. I had to cut off all communication with my government handlers and abandon my friends and family. I knew what they would think of me. My family would feel as though I had disowned them and the United States Government would think that I had gone rouge. They had no idea how much I was sacrificing for them. Neither did I.

      For the next year and a half I went deeper and deeper trying to learn where the launch codes were. I was running out of time! The launch day was growing nearer and nearer and I was beginning to become frantic! Finally, with two days until Judgment Day (as they were calling it), I found it. I was able to take out all terrorist threats and seal myself in the room with the codes inside. It was then that I realized an ominous ticking noise. The codes had already been emplaced and the missiles were set to launch in less than 48 hours! I ran to the computer terminal and began putting my computer hacking skills to work. I knew that with over thirty missiles in place I didn’t have much time. Hour after hour I worked while the timer mocked me. With ten hours to go I only had eight more missiles to disarm. Six hours: five to go. Three hours: only two more! Two hours: twenty-nine down, one left. An hour, half hour, twenty minutes, only ten minutes left until launch! Five, four, three two, NOOOOOOOO!!!!

      I had failed, one nuclear weapon had still launched. I learned afterward that it that it struck ground along the San Andreas Fault, causing a massive earthquake that broke the hold that California had on the U.S. It was so devastating that all of California sank to a watery grave, killing millions of people. The fallout and radiation continued to spread until the West Coast was blanketed in deadly toxins.

      I don’t know when the United States Government broke into the launching room and captured me. I was too devastated. I didn’t even protest and try to let them know that I was one of them.

      Two days later I awoke to darkness, a sharp pain in my wrists and shoulders. All I knew of my surroundings was what I could hear and smell. There was a steady dripping somewhere to my left. The room smelled damp and moldy. Suddenly, a door opened in front of me and I was blinded by bright light. I received a sharp blow to my head and once again conceded to unconsciousness.

      I awoke once again, this time after a bucket of ice water was dumped on my head. I was then forced to endure beating after relentless beating. My captors only paused to question why I had done it.

      “I’m sorry!” I gasped again and again. “I couldn’t stop it! I tried so hard!”

      They never believed me. Finally, I was shot, pointblank and never spoke again.

      It wasn’t until after they killed me that they realized how wrong they were. In their defense, they found me passed out from exhaustion and grief over the launch controls. All evidence pointed to me being the guilty party. After my death, they discovered the truth about the true gravity of what could have happened and they were immediately humbled. The damage to my reputation, however, had already been done. The story of my traitorous ways had gone out, and I was now more despised than Adolf Hitler. It was difficult to get the truth out. Even after my corpse was awarded the Medal of Honor and laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery, people still thought I was behind the attack. Once tarnished, my name was never again clean. This is what it takes to be a hero. I died to save the lives of billions of people. I’m satisfied with that. Now I rest eternally in God’s arm. I am the Hated Hero.

Test. Test. Testing new mobile blogging

The Pull

The Pull

The future pulls me ever closer,

As the past waves me by.

I realize I’m a liar,

Just trying to deny.

The truth is I’m not ready.

I wish for more time.

The future is unsteady,

But I’ve had my playtime.

The future pulls me closer.

I must embrace it now.

My fears must become dimmer.

God will show me how.

The Unknown

This assignment required us to "discover" something in it. It isn't one of my favorites but it's okay. It's written as journal entries.

The Unknown

                The year is 2024, the date is November 18^th. I am thirty-one years old and have retired from my company Perfect Fit Denim, a very wealthy man. I own a spacious villa located on a mountain in Colorado. It contains ten bedrooms and five bathrooms. Located on the highest point of my estate, is my personal observatory. It has become my hobby to study the night-time sky. My telescope is second only to NASA (and it’s a close call) and it has an unobstructed 360° view of the sky. Every time I study the star I write in a journal. This small, leather-bound book is full of my personal star charts and thoughts. It was on this cool, clear, November night that I made an important discovery.

                       

            11/18/24         “It is a clear November night tonight. I came down to the observatory about 10:00 P.M.. Decided to let Lex stay up a bit late so he could watch the stars with me. He fell asleep about 11:30 and I carried him back to the house and his bed. Once I returned I decided to have a peek at the non-planet Pluto. While adjusting the lenses and settings, I noticed something red. I stopped. I had never taken a look at a Red Giant before. I soon realized that what I was looking at was not a star. It didn’t “twinkle” or “flash” and it looked a lot more solid than a star. As excited as I was at this new “unknown”, it had become difficult to keep my eyes open. It was well past midnight. I have recorded its position in the sky, and will return tomorrow.”

            11/19/24         “Came down as soon as it was dark enough to see the stars. Immediately imput the coordinates for my “unknown” and gazed into the telescope. There it was!! Still unblinking, still not a star. I have come to the conclusion that I have discovered a new planet!! I will continue to study it before I alert the world.”

            And so, my entries were much of the same for the next two weeks. I continued to study this new planet. I decided to name it Lorrad. The name came from “Lord”, who hung it in the sky, and “Red”, for its color. After two and a half weeks, I revealed my findings to NASA. They were ecstatic! My name was used on one of their shuttles to the moon! Even better, NASA now offered me free trips to the moon resort whenever I asked. I had become famous over night. The funny thing is it was all by accident. I was looking for a non-planet, and ended up discovering a new planet!

Oops

I guess I'm an idiot. It was recently brought to my attention that I cannot spell fifty percent of the time. Look at the title of my blog. It is spelled correctly. Look at the web address. It is not. So, apparently you are going to have to remember to spell "thoughts" like this "thougts". I'm sorry for the inconvenience. There is no way for me to fix it without having to start a new blog.

My Fear

In Liturature a few weeks ago, we were told to write a list of at least five things that we are afraid of. When we finished we were then instructed to write a poem consisting of only four lines. This is mine.

                                                                                      My Fear
                                                                           The Future is what I fear,
                                                                               I look into the void,
                                                                             It almost brings a tear,
                                                                            For which I am annoyed.

The Sinner Redeemed

Ok, this is the first story I wrote for Literature. It was a continuation of Leo Tolstoy's "God Sees the Truth, but Waits." The story that I continued can be found here http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.online-literature.com%2Ftolstoy%2F2061%2F&h=42cb9



A continuation to the story “God sees the truth but waits” by Leo Tolstoy, how I feel the story would have continued.

Written August 25-27, 2010

Requirements: Tell the untold story of what happened to Makar Semyonich, use foreshadowing and, tell where your foreshadowing occurred.



The Sinner Redeemed

                        “God will forgive you!” said Aksionov. “Maybe I am a hundred times worse than you.”

                Makar Semyonich’s heart fell at these words, for he had seen a light go out in this poor man’s eyes. How could he have been so cruel? He had taken everything from this man and laughed at his misfortune. Makar knew what he must do. He had made up his mind. First thing tomorrow morning he would confess everything to his guards. Perhaps his last act could be freeing this innocent soul. Makar went back to his bed and attempted to sleep away his guilt. No matter what he tried, Makar could not rest. Instead of sleeping, He spent the night confessing his sins and begging for forgiveness from a god he did believe in. He arose the next morning unrested and with blood-shot eyes. Ignoring the breakfast line, he headed straight to the nearest guard.

                                “Please sir, it is urgent that I meet with the Governor!” Makar pleaded

                                “If you are wanting to petition for you release, forget it. The Governor has said he will hear no more petitions until the culprit behind the tunnel is found.” the guard replied gruffly.

                                “But sir, that is the very matter I wish to speak to him about! I know who dug that tunnel!” said Makar

                                “If you know, then tell me. I will pass the news on to the Governor.” said the guard

                                “I’m sorry sir, but I will only tell the Governor.” Makar stated simply.

Angry now, the guard said very forcefully:

                                “Do you realize that I could have you flogged for your disobedience!?! Tell me now, or suffer a terrible beating!”

                                “That is something I would gladly welcome, for I am more than worthy. Nevertheless, I still will speak only to the Governor.” Makar said resolutely.

                The guard, very agree indeed, realized that Makar would not budge. Therefore, he resigned himself to speak with the Governor.

                                “Come with me, Scum!” the guard spat. Makar obediently followed.

                The Governor of the prison, Abram Agaphya, was finishing up some paperwork before breakfast. A prisoner had recently died and he needed to complete these forms.

                                “What was his name? Afanas? Afanasi?” Abram pondered aloud. “Oh well, it’s not like anyone cared anyway.” he thought dismissively. Whatever-his-name-was’s body had been unceremoniously deposited in an unmarked beggars grave. Abram wrote the last touches to his notes with a flourish, and then let his mind wander. His stomach rumbled as he thought of the warm gruel he would soon be enjoying. Abram was startled out of his daydream by a knock on his door.

                                “Enter” he said as he composed himself. In stepped one of his guards looking nervous.

                                “Your name is Anotoly, is it not? (Abram made a point of memorizing all of his guard’s names. He felt it helped him gain their respect.)   

                                “Yes sir, it is sir. I am sorry to bother you, but I have come because, this scum (he pulled Makar roughly into the room) says he knows who dug that escape tunnel.”

                                “So, why have you brought him to me? Could you not ask him yourself? Instead you choose to waste my time?” Abram questioned.

                                “I did ask sir, but he refused to tell anyone but you sir.” the guard replied.

                                “Very well, you may go now, Anotoly.”

                                “Yes sir.” The guard said as he bowed out of the room.

                                “Well? What do you need to tell me?” Abram asked Makar once the guard had left.

                                “Sir, I wish to confess. It was I who dug that tunnel. I attempted to escape but failed.” said Makar.

                                “I see.” Abram said “I sense that is not all you wish to confess. Please continue.” Abram calmly stated.

                                “You are correct sir. It was also I, not Ivan Dmitrich, who killed that merchant twenty-six years ago.” And with that, Makar Semyonich told the Governor the entire story. When he was finished Abram was stunned into silence. He asked Makar why, after all these years, he had finally confessed. Makar simply stated that, after having received compassion and forgiveness from the very man whose life he had ruined, he could no longer bear the guilt.

                                “Well Makar, you have just signed your life away with this confession. From now until you die you will be forced into slave labor.” stated the Governor.

                                “As long as Ivan Dmitrich Aksionov is set free, I will gladly accept any task set before me.”

                                “I am going to move you to the high security section of this prison. I can honestly say, I do not envy you for what you will suffer there. But you will pay for the pain you caused Aksionov.” stated the Governor. As he spoke, he began writing a form for the immediate release of Aksionov. When he was finished he put shackles on Makar’s hands and feet.

                                “You will come with me to deliver the news to Aksionov. You will then move to your new high security cell.” explained Abram. Makar did not speak, only nodded his head. When they arrived at Aksionov’s bed they saw that he was laying down facing the wall. Thinking he is asleep, Makar attempted to rouse him by shaking him and calling out:

                                “Aksionov! Aksionov! I told the Governor everything, you are being released! Wake up!” As Makar shook him he noticed an unnatural coldness on Aksionov’s skin.

                                “He won’t wake.” Makar said shakily.

                                “Move” grunted the Governor. Abram checked Aksionov’s pulse, and then peeled back his eyelids. Nothing. Ivan Dmitrich Aksionov was dead.

                                “He’s been dead for nearly an hour by the looks of it. Pity too, he was a good man.” Abram said sadly.

                                “He has something in his hand.” As he said this, Makar reached over and pulled a folded piece of paper out of the lifeless hands. Struggling with his shackled hands, he managed to unfold the paper. Another smaller piece fell out as he did so. The top of the page read “Last Wishes” in small bunched handwriting. The letter read as follows”

Last Wishes

I now know the identity of the man who caused me to lose twenty-six years of my life. Surprisingly, I am at peace. After the initial anger and hatred passed, I realized that God would want me to forgive this man. I have. I hold nothing against Makar Semyonich. In fact, my one last request is meant to benefit this man. It is my wish that the Governor will change the name on the release from he has undoubtedly written. Instead of my name, in its place should be Makar. I do not wish that he serve his sentence, for I have already served it for him. This is all I ask. May God be with you all.

                                                                                                Ivan Dmitrich Aksionov

Makar’s eyes had filled with tears as he read. When finished he handed it to the Governor. I was then that he saw the piece of paper that had fallen as he opened the letter. It had his name on it. While Abram was busy reading, he quickly put the paper in his pocket. Abram looked up and said:

                                “Well, I guess this is good news for you Makar. Because this was his last wish, I feel honor-bound to follow through with his request. You will be free by the end of the day.” With that he began to unshackle Makar.

                                “Thank you sir, thank you!” Makar exclaimed.

                                “Don’t thank me, thank this poor soul” Abram said, pointing at the body of Aksionov. Then the Governor left and Makar pulled the piece of paper out of his pocket. Unfolding it, he saw a very short note written in the same writing as the letter. It had an address and one sentence on it. Then sentence said, “Go here, explain what happened.” Makar didn’t know the meaning of it. All he knew was that he WOULD do what it said. Makar was released and immediately headed towards the address Aksionov had left him. The journey was long. About mid-day on the third day he finally arrived at a decently sized house. Makar knocked and a woman in her mid-thirties came to the door.

                                “Can I help you?” she enquired warily.

                                “Yes, I am here on the business of Ivan Dmitrich Aksionov. Does that name mean anything to you?” Makar asked.

                                “Yes! Yes it does! That was my father’s name! You know him? Is he well? Where is he?” she asked excitedly

                                “I’m afraid I have bad news. If you allow me to come in, I can explain everything.” Makar responded.

                                “Of course, come in.” she said quickly

                Makar explained to her everything, the murder, his escape and Aksionov’s capture. He told her of his arrest and his escape attempt. He ended his tale with the compassion of the woman’s father and the release of Makar. All the while the woman had sat silently listening, tears in her eyes.

                                “As you see,” Makar said, “I will be more than willing to place my life in your hands. Do with me as you see fit. I will not struggle.”

                                “Very well, Makar Semyonich, you,” (Makar braced himself) “may go free.” Makar didn’t understand.

                                “What?” he questioned

                                “You are forgiven. Thankyou for your honesty, you may go unharmed.” And she smiled as she said this. Shocked, Makar finally spoke.

                                “First your father, now you? How can you so easily forgive me for robbing you of your lives?” Aksionov’s daughter then explained about Christ and how Christians were not meant to hold grudges. She told how God gave them the ability to accept and forgive. She then led Makar Semyonich to the Lord and he left her home with joy in his heart. He had confessed his sins. More importantly, God HAD forgiven him.

My foreshadowing was in the title and when Aksionov told him he would be forgiven. Also, the “Lights going out” in Aksionov’s eyes indicated he would die.

Getting started

Well hello, how are you? As my info says, I am mainly going to use this blog to post my Literature assignments. It won't be every day and I won't be posting every story and poem. I will do it as often as I can and I will only post the stories that I enjoyed. I will however post them in order so that you will be able to see if I progress at all. Comments are definitely appreciated, but, please be kind :-)