Flittering, twittering, flapping its wings
Whistling, bristling, gaily it sings
Clicking and beeping my camera pings
Sending my subject away on its wings
I got a few photos of a bird. I only had a couple seconds for each shot, so I wasn’t able to get a good crisp shot with the focus set properly. Looking forward to improving and catching good shots of birds in the future.
I pulled my elbows in closer to my belly, trying to steady my hands. As I exhaled, I got ready and put the camera in focus. Then, I took the shot. The shutter clicked as fast as lightning and I sat back to take a look at the result. It was perfect. Nadia’s face and her cup were out of focus in the background, while strands of her hair and part of her hand were in perfect detail, with the sunlight reflecting off of them. It took me a few shots, but I finally found just the right balance between the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. As I looked at the photo, I felt such a rush. I had achieved the intended effect.
Less than twenty-four hours earlier, I had no idea of what all these settings did. I didn’t know how anything on a camera works, other than pressing the button on auto mode. To be frank, I could never understand the allure of photography. Perhaps it was because so many people my age seem to be into it simply because it’s popular, so I considered it a cliche. Or maybe it was because I felt intimidated. It seemed so complicated – all the different settings and techniques that you need to know. Hearing someone talk about photography always made me feel overwhelmed because I didn’t understand any of the jargon. This Christmas, however, all of that changed.
It started with an unexpected gift. We were seated in the living room. Nadia was right next to me and her family was gathered all around. As I unwrapped my gift, I closed my eyes, so as to not see what it was until I fully unwrapped it. Once I was ready, I opened my eyes and threw off the wrapping paper. I couldn’t help but let out an “Ooo.” It was a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one – a Nikon D3200 camera. It came with two different lenses and a bag.
Since I’ve never been particularly interested in photography, I can’t say that I was overjoyed with my gift. But, I was happy to receive it and excited to try it out. Being a complete novice, I had Nadia and her father show me the basics. They taught me how to switch out lenses, and what the various buttons and dials on the body are for.
At first, I took a few shots in ‘auto mode.’ Then, Nadia showed me a few of the other settings and I made shots in ‘portrait mode’ and ‘macro mode.’ My interest began to build as I played with the different settings and learned more of how the camera works. After taking about fifty shots, I decided that I needed to learn more. I watched a YouTube video that explained the basics – all of the different modes, as well as ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. After this, I began to take shots with ‘program mode.’ The next morning, I was already taking all of my shots in ‘manual mode.’ I quickly came to realize that photography is not complicated at all. It is just complex. And it just so happens that I love complexity. So, after one evening and several hundred shots, I was hooked.
So, this is the story of how I have recently picked up a new hobby. I am excited to learn more and grow in my skills; and, I am excited to share my progress with you! Here are a few shots that I have made over the past couple of days:
Hello there!
Though I do not have that many views, I would like to share a little update for the sake of consistency. First, let me address the “special something” that I mentioned in a post last week – my plans have been offset by some unexpected circumstances. I do not know whether I will decide to continue the project I was working on so things are up in the air, as far as that goes.
As for my activity on the blog as a whole, I have slowed down for the holidays. This is a very important time for my family, and we are spending it together. Until next week, I will continue having an irregular posting rate. I might make one or two posts, but there will be no daily posting. After New Years, however, I plan to resume with more vigor than before.
Once I begin working on the blog again, I plan to introduce a little more variety and create more consistency. I will continue to work on the “Absence” series, though I may rename it to something more suitable. I will also share one-off stories, poems, photographs, and perhaps even songs. I love to create; and, I want this blog to be a place where I can share the fruits of that creativity with you.
Though the day has passed, I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas!
…and a Happy New Year!
I carefully brushed the comb through my hair, trying to get it just right. I had been going in and out of the washroom to check my hair and attire. My friend was sitting in the kitchen, eating lunch. I walked back down there and asked him how I looked, and how my hair was. He remarked, with a laugh “Dude, you’re so jittery.”
“I wonder why.” I was joking. We both knew exactly why. I was about to go on my first date with his cousin.
“Relax man, you look great.”
“Thanks.” I wasn’t satisfied. I wore blue jeans and a burgundy dress shirt with a crimson sweater over it, a brown belt, brown dress shoes, and a wristwatch with a brown band. I had gotten a haircut a couple days earlier, and I wore my favorite cologne. Looking back, I would probably say that I looked rather dashing. But at the time I was anxious about every aspect of my appearance. In fact, I was anxious about every aspect of the entire evening.
I was going to pick her up from her home in Bellingham, and the plan was to go to a sushi restaurant in the city center. I needed to be in Bellingham by four, and I also needed to stop by the store to pick up flowers. I had some coffee, chatted a little more with my friend, and headed out. I stopped at a Safeway on the way and picked up some flowers. Two dozen white Roses for Nadia, and some smaller flowers for her mother. I was nervous about being on time, so I was in quite a rush. The drive up north seemed to fly by as though it was just around the corner. Soon I was exiting the freeway through exit 254 to Bellingham. That’s when my anxiety peaked.
I was wondering what she was going to be like and how she was going to act and behave. Would she wait for me to open the door for her or barge through herself? Would she let me take her jacket off or do it herself? Would she be courteous and gentle, or rude and coarse? Would our conversations be as easy flowing in person as they were when we were texting? I wondered all of this and more, and I also wondered and was worried about what her parents were going to be like. Were they going to be strict, formal and cold? Were they going to be awkward and anti-social? Was I even going to meet them when I pick her up? I was terrified…
When I drove up to their house, I turned my car around (so as to not do that with Nadia in the car), spit out my gum in the trash, grabbed the flowers for Nadia’s mom, said a quick prayer and walked up to the door. After I knocked, I heard some commotion and then one of Nadia’s younger sisters opened the door. We exchanged greetings and Nadia walked over from the kitchen.
She was beautiful. She wore a black and blue turtleneck sweater and a pair of jeans. As she came closer, I smelled her sweet perfume. I was absolutely enamored with her, and it was hard not to stare. Somehow, I managed to mumble a few words of greeting and mention that the bouquet in my hands was for her mother, who just so happened to be walking up to us. I presented the flowers to her with a smile, and she received them gladly. After that I saw a large shape moving across the hall from the kitchen, and a booming voice ringing out. This was the moment that I had dreaded the most – meeting Nadia’s father. I did not know much about him, and didn’t really interact with him the week before, when I met their family. All I knew was that he was big and strong, and loved his daughter very much.
I was afraid that he might not like something about me, be extra critical or even unaccepting. But all of my fears faded away as soon as I heard his voice. He bellowed with excitement and appeared genuinely happy to see me. I was preparing for a formal handshake when I saw his right hand go up in the air. We clasped hands and he pulled me in for a one-armed hug. He had a big smile on his face and welcomed me into his home.
After I had met everyone for a second time, we all gathered in a circle as Nadia’s father prayed over us and blessed us for the evening. He invited me to come in for tea with their family after our date, and then they sent us off on our way. I opened the door for Nadia, led her down the stairs of their front porch, took her to my car, opened the passenger side door and brought out a bouquet of white roses for her. My plan had worked. Bringing in flowers for her mother made Nadia think that I hadn’t brought any for her. When she saw these roses she was caught off guard and looked pleasantly surprised. Seeing the smile on her face made me feel a joy that, perhaps, I had never felt before. I helped her take her seat, walked back around the car and took my place in the driver’s seat. We prayed and then, with my heart full of excitement, my stomach churning, and my head spinning, our first date began…
I can fight a great war, and lose every battle
Ride a mighty steed, and fall off of my saddle
Sail across the ocean just to watch my boat sink
Pilot an airplane just to crash it in one blink
Build a reaching tower that crumbles in one day
Plant a fragrant flower that withers and turns gray
Lose all my money, all my fortune and my fame
Attain no achievement and deserve no acclaim
Become shriveled and withered, crushed, broken, and lame
If all of this happens and you love me the same
Then my life is not worthless and hope will remain
– Nikolay Terekhin
I was beginning to feel a little woozy, and there was a sensation of dry emptiness in my throat. The kind of feelings you experience when you are hungry and tired. I parked my van in an Applebee’s parking lot, grabbed my lunchbox from the floor, and began my meal. I cannot recall what it was that I had for lunch that day, but I know that I didn’t pay much attention to the food or how it tasted. I plowed through my lunch and guzzled down a bottle of water. All the while, my thoughts were elsewhere. My mind kept circling around the next day, and the day following that.
It was a Friday afternoon, and I was taking my lunch break. The next day, Saturday, I was going to visit my friend and his wife for a sleepover and some quality time together. We haven’t had an opportunity to spend time together for a while, and I was excited to see them. The day after that, I was going to leave their apartment to drive two hours north. I was going to go on a date.
It didn’t take long before I asked Nadia out on a date. We began texting back and forth the day after we met. And then the day after that, and the day after that. We had some engaging conversations, and I was able to see a glimpse of what she was like – her character and personality; and, I liked what I was seeing. I didn’t see a point to just texting for long or “being friends first.” After all, we lived two and a half hours away from each other. So on the fourth day I asked her out on a date. After asking for her parents’ permission (which made me like her even more), she agreed. And so on Sunday, a week after we met, we were going to have our first date.
My plan was to take her out to a sushi place in downtown Bellingham (the city where she lived with her parents) and then go for a walk. My mind was racing with thoughts about Nadia and about the monumental day to come. I was nervous about whether she’d like me, and worried about whether I’d like her. I thought about all our past conversations over text, and about what kind of person she was. I thought about how to act and speak, and what not to do. And, despite my attempts to not do so, I daydreamed of where this could take us both.
As I finished my lunch, I wiped off my hands and mouth, and ignited the engine. Switching the gear to “drive,” I kept thinking about Nadia. She was such a mystery to me. I lifted my foot off of the brake pedal. I remembered the way she smiled at me on the day we met. I began turning the steering wheel to turn out of my parking spot onto the road. I wondered whether she felt something inside her, the way I did. There was a loud bumping and scraping noise outside. I thought that I shouldn’t let my emotions take hold, and that I needed to keep my head cool when deciding how to proceed with Nadia. I couldn’t let this girl go to my head and make me lose my focus. Someone honked their car horn behind me.
Hearing the horn pulled me back into the moment, and I realized that something must have happened outside. “Did someone bump into someone else back there?” I thought. I stopped the van and stepped out, my curiosity getting the best of me. Walking back past the rear of the van I saw that someone did, in fact, cause an incident. The bumper of a Mercedes convertible that was parked next to where my van had been was taken clean off. No other car was to be seen, except for a truck parked a couple spots away, with a man sitting in it and looking at me. That’s when I realized what had happened. I walked up closer to the man in his truck.
“Was that me?”
“Yes,” he replied.
“Perfect.”
I realized that while I was distracted I didn’t notice that there was a car parked next to me, and began turning out of my spot too early. I clipped its bumper with the side of my van and took it right off without even noticing. After a quick prayer, I walked inside the restaurant to look for the damaged vehicle’s owner.
Long story short, I walked out of the incident without any issues. My employer’s insurance would cover the loss for the lady who owned the Mercedes. After everything was settled, I was sent back to the dispatch center to turn in my van and was dismissed for the day with a warning.
On my way back home, my mind continued racing. I realized that I was falling for this girl, and we hadn’t even known each other for a week. I was worried and excited. My heart was filled with relief about the day’s incident, and hope for the days to come…
I haven’t been active on this blog for upwards of five months. Life found a way to rip me away from this endeavor and engross me in an extraordinary adventure. I found myself in the center of an event which carried implications for the future of my life, and the lives of future generations. An event of epic proportions, with irrevocable consequences that will echo throughout the lives of my children and grandchildren. One of the greatest adventures of history. A most noteworthy and prominent occurrence. In short… I met a woman.
What followed was a series of events I’ve decided I cannot leave undocumented. Firstly, because it will be a good way to rebuild consistency on this blog and get things going again. Secondly, because it is an opportunity for me to relive those events and to pass on the memory to whoever may someday care to know. Thirdly, and I suppose most importantly, it’s just a damn good story.
It all started on September 27th, 2020. I was at one of my closest friends’ wedding anniversary. He and his wife had been married for two years and his mother decided to put together a surprise party for them. She invited his friends over and prepared dinner. We all arrived a little early and parked across the street, so as to not spoil the surprise. It was great to see the joy on their faces when they walked in to the sound of us all yelling “Surprise!” We had a great time, and the party was a success. But that is all besides the point. The point is – I was there.
A few hours into the evening, my friend’s mother casually mentioned something about their relatives from a city two hours away stopping by soon. They were in town for the day, so they wanted to at least drop in and say “hello.” Sure enough, fifteen minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Somebody opened the door, and in poured a big family of seven people. Three of them were young girls, and one of them looked to be about my age. I only saw her out of the corner of my eye, so I didn’t really get a good look.
A couple moments later, I finished my conversation and stood up to go talk with another person. As I began chatting with one of my buddies, she walked up to us. That was when I really saw her for the first time; and, the first thought that ran across my mind was “if she’s that beautiful, there’s got to be something wrong with her.” My second thought was “She lives in Bellingham (the city two hours away), it’s too far.” The third thought was “I don’t need this right now, I’ve got other things to focus on…” You get the picture.
I was telling myself “no” the entire evening and trying to convince myself that I wasn’t attracted to her more than anyone in my entire life. All the while playing party games and casually flirting with her despite myself. Several hours passed like seconds, and we were saying goodbye. I shook her hand whilst internally reminding myself of all the reasons not to let this go any further. And that was that. I walked to my car, turned on the engine, waited a few minutes for it to heat up and drove off.
This could easily be the end of the story. Just another evening. A standard party, one of thousands, nothing special about it. But it wasn’t over… I can’t quite explain what happened. As I drove home, my thoughts kept circling around her and the evening until something just clicked inside me. I picked up my phone and texted my friend, asking him whether he would be comfortable with me texting his cousin. He was thrilled with the idea. When I got home, I found her on Instagram and followed her. “Well,” I thought, “that’s probably about as far as this will go,” and went to sleep…
Part 4 of the series will be coming this week! I need to work certain things out. I am currently looking for an illustrator, to bring my stories to life. But the story is coming along! I am excited to share part 4 soon.
“By the time the rider reached Bordil, it was too late.” Captain Smoll spoke with an expression of grim formality. For all his experience, the man was clearly uneasy. He did not wake up in the morning expecting to stand before the king. Though he was of higher rank than Andre, he was unaccustomed to anything other than his daily routine. He had been stationed in Bordil, a small village on the north end of The Lake, for thirty years. Andre, on the other hand, was a member of the Capitol Guard. Every week was full of new challenges. And he had been around the king before. Besides, he had more on his mind than the king.
“We never should have sent the navy away up there.” The Grand Financier, Lord Rotheford, looked annoyed, and frustrated.
“We needed to deal with the smugglers.” The king was calm and collected.
“Your majesty, with all due respect, I am certain that Captain Smoll and his men could have handled that situation themselves. The coastal villages deal with smugglers rings all the time.”
“Sir,” the captain chimed in, “I. We. They were.” He was clearly trying his hardest to speak with respect to a man he detested. And the stress did not help. The king stepped in to calm the man.
“Speak freely.”
Captain Smoll turned to the king and spoke directly to him, ignoring Lord Rotheford.
“I only have a handful of recruits stationed with me. And some of the villagers were in on the scam. I needed help. I included everything in my report, I am sure you’ve read it and are aware of the situation, your majesty. Since you sent the help.”
“You were right to ask for help, and we were right to send it. But regardless of all that, the past does not matter. What matters is what we need to do right now. It is good that the admiral is in pursuit of the traitor’s vessel. But you say he will not be able to catch them?”
“Those are the admiral’s words, your majesty. He recommended sending a rider to the Midlands. It is possible that the local knights can overtake the ship on its’ way north. But..” He trailed off.
“Yes?” The king asked quietly. Andre was baffled by his patience. His chest was hot, his heart was still pounding, and his head was spinning. He felt as though a cloud was over his head. The image of Bart lying in a pool of blood on the street kept creeping into Andre’s mind. His head was full of questions. Why did Lord Devoue run? What had he done? Where was he going? Nobody deemed it necessary to inform a rank and file guardsman of all the details. But he wanted to know. He wanted to get to the bottom of this. He wanted to know exactly what it was that his friend gave his life for. The thought of that reminded him of the reasons he was where he was.. Aside from reporting to the king, he wanted to request a release from duty. Then he remembered that there was a conversation going on. The dim voices in the background faded back in. And Andre shook his head slightly to focus.
The king was speaking. “We need to try everything we can. If he reaches the wilds in the north, we are likely to never find him again.”
“I will send a man right away, your majesty” said Commander Reik. The Commander of the Capitol Guard.
“Why don’t you send Andre? Who better for the job than him?”
“Yes, you’re right-“
“I’m sorry,” Andre cut in. “Your Majesty, Commander, I wanted to request a release from duty for some time. I want to go after Lord Devoue. This is personal for me.” The King and the Commander both shared a look. They looked confused.
“I don’t see why you can’t do both in an official capacity” said the commander. Then Andre realized his mistake. ‘Oh. They were talking about sending a rider to the Midlands. To cut off Devoue’s escape.’
“I’m sorry, I..” He didn’t want to admit that he was not paying attention. “I must have confused myself a little. Yes sir, I will take the assignment. Please disregard my request.”
“Good man. I will issue an official pass for you. I know you and Bart were close. But if you, by some miracle do manage to capture that bastard, I want him alive. Is that clear?”
“Yes sir.”
“Not a scratch. Understood?”
“Yes sir.”
“Alright.” The Commander held his stern gaze for a moment, then turned to the king. “We will get to it right away, your majesty.”
“Good. In the meantime, Captain Smoll, you may return to your station. Thank you for your report. And guardsman,” he turned to Andre, and Andre straightened himself, standing at attention.
“Yes your majesty?”
“Don’t blame yourself for what happened. You did not know that Bartholomew hit his head, and you were in pursuit of a criminal. You both knew what you signed up for when you joined the Guard. He gave his life in service to the kingdom. A noble death for a man who lived a noble life.”
“Thank you, your majesty.” Andre spoke as sincerely as he could. But the truth was that he never blamed himself. When he came back to find Bart dead in the street and realized what had happened, all he could think was ‘you stupid idiot. Why did you grab that cape?’ Later, after all the commotion died down and he was on his way to the royal keep, he was filled with rage. Lord Devoue was one of his favorite people to work with. He had once been stationed in the Second Court, where criminals were put on trial, as a guard. He always thought that Lord Devoue conducted himself with more courtesy and grace than any other nobleman. They spoke a few times, and the man treated Andre as an equal, rather than a subservient underling. Andre respected Lord Devoue. He respected him, and then he went and killed his friend. Now all that Andre could feel was anger and a sour taste in the mouth.
When they left the king’s chancery, Commander Reik took Andre aside. He looked serious. More serious than his usual self. It was clear that he was not fully comfortable with what he was about to say. It was unusual for Andre to see the man in such a light. The Commander had always been an epitome of confidence and rigidness. But now, he spoke softly and carefully. At the edge of hearing.
“The Midland Knights cannot be trusted. Some of them would rather take the traitor north than south, if he is captured. And we don’t know if any of them might even be in on his treachery. Perhaps even Lord Casper is involved.”
‘Of course, he’s involved!’ Andre, thought. Everyone knew that the lord of South Ghrod was greedy and corrupt. There were suspicions amongst the king’s court that he was preparing a rebellion against King Eustace. Grain dues had been withheld by his lands, and he ignored the king’s requests to deal with a land dispute in the Midlands. Left unchecked, the dispute grew into a devastating conflict. The Midlands turned into a frenzied free-for-all between petty lords and free villages. Bandits were able to flourish, and now the Midlands were up in flames. Someone had to be stoking that fire.
“Don’t trust anyone you meet in the Midlands. Take Lord Devoue back here; and, at any cost, you must not allow him to be taken north.” The Commander tilted his head forward and raised his eyebrows. “You understand?”
“Yes sir. I will bring him back to the capitol.”
“Good man.” The Commander slapped his hand on Andre’s shoulder. “I will organize a party of three or four for you to lead. It would be more, but with refugees pouring in, we’re already stretched thin as it is. You know this yourself. But, if there is any man you believe would be useful on this journey, tell me.”
“No sir. The man I would pick is being buried this evening.”
The Commander nodded solemnly. “Be prepared after the burial. You leave tonight.”
“Yes sir.”
With that, the Commander turned and walked away, his blue cape fluttering behind him.
Richard was drifting, as though a spirit, over a vast forest. The sky was clear and open above him. Below him, a sea of green. The forest continued as far as the eye could see to the west. In the east, at the edge of visibility, a mighty mountain range stretched across the horizon. Beneath him, Rich could see a river cutting across the forest. It flowed from the foot of a lone mountain rising from the sea of green straight ahead, in the north. This was where Rich was headed, in spite of his will.
The mountain wasn’t as tall as others, but it dominated the scene. Perhaps because of how relatively flat the rest of the landscape was. Unlike most mountains, this one had no trees growing on its’ surface. The stone-like greyness of the base gave way to a dark blue hue. The peak was covered in snow, giving the mountain a glowing white crown.
A warm breeze came from the south, riffling through Rich’s hair and brushing against the back of his neck. He heard the singing of birds and the rushing of water from below the trees. The sun shined brightly overhead, warm and soothing. As the breeze began to pick up, it made the trees sing a song of their own. Their leaves rustled in the wind, as though the entire forest was letting out a big sigh. Rich closed his eyes and let out a sigh himself.
The breeze grew stronger. It blew away the sun’s warmth, and silenced the birds. Soon, it made the trees begin to groan and creak. It continued to increase, until it was a wild and untameable wind. Up ahead, the crown of the mountain erupted, giving way to a giant plume of ash and smoke. As it soared across the sky, the pillar began to grow outward. Dark fingers stretching out in all directions, even against the wind, covering the earth until no sign of the sun or the sky was left. Yet, a light remained. Not the warm and pleasant light of the sun, but a bleak and dead light that seemed to come from nowhere.
By this point, Rich had reached the mountain. He saw that it was entirely covered in ash, which was now falling from the sky like snow. Bolts of lightning began to shoot down from the sky, cracking like whips. The thunder resounded in Rich’s ears, until all he heard was a high pitched ringing. Wherever the lightning struck, it started a fire. Soon, the entire forest was in flames.
Rich was carried up and settled down on the top of the mountain. The snow-capped peak was completely gone. In its’ place was a large crater, filled with blood. Its’ stench filled Rich’s nose. Along with the smell of smoke and brimstone. He turned away from it, and looked to the north.
On the north side of the mountain, the river (which looped around it on both sides) was split in two. The two rivers encircled a large open plain, which was lifeless and baren. Far in the north-east, the mountain range looped around and cut across the entire horizon on the north end. From those mountains, in the far north, a sea began to flow. It came, as though from within the mountains, and rushed across the plain. It crashed through the forest and uprooted trees. It roared and splashed in powerful waves, hundreds of feet high. As it came near, Rich came to realize that it was not made of water. It was a sea of blood.
The waves crashed into the base of the mountain, and flowed all around it. The blood continued to flow, never slowing down or running out, until it filled the earth from north to south and from east to west. Nothing remained but the lone mountain, and the mountains on the horizon. Then, slowly, the blood began to rise higher and higher.
As the blood came closer, Rich almost stumbled and fell. He was at the edge of the crater, with only a foot or so of ground to stand on. The blood rushed up and flowed over his feet. It quickly filled up the crater, and continued rising rapidly. Rich had to start swimming. It was hard to keep his head above the blood. It was rising as fast as boiling water in a kettle. Soon, Rich found himself submerged completely in blood.
He felt something large and hard smash against him on its’ way up, and he grabbed hold of it. It was a log. It carried him to the top, and he could finally breathe in a large gulp of air. But as he was catching his breath, he slipped and fell back into the blood. It rushed into his mouth and into his eyes, stinging them with a fierce heat. His mouth was full of blood. But it did not taste like blood. In fact, it tasted like nothing. As though he had just taken in a large gulp of water. When Rich came back out, he couldn’t withstand his curiosity. He carefully took a sip of the blood, to try it again. This time, it tasted like warm milk mixed with honey.
Unbidden, Rich’s mouth opened wide and the stuff, whatever it was, rushed in. Then, when he was submerged and was drinking the substance, it turned to blood again in his mouth. He tried desparately to close his mouth and swim back to the surface, but his arms and legs turned numb, his jaw would not shut, and his eyes were opened. Blood was all he saw and felt. It was in his eyes, in his ears, in his nose, and in his mouth. He choked on it and gagged, but could do nothing. Then, suddenly, as though he had consumed all of the blood, he found himself on the edge of the crater once more. There was no more blood around, only in the crater, filling it to the brim. The forest was gone, and the river too. All that remained was dirt. The world had turned into an empty, lifeless void.
The smoke was gone, and the sky was clear again. The sun shined in Rich’s eyes, blinding him. It burned with a fierce summer heat. Rich looked into the crater and realized that it was no longer filled with blood, but with a rich red wine.
Rich could see right through the wine. He examined the floor of the crater. For a moment he could not believe what he saw. Then he remembered everything he had seen before, and this sight seemed almost natural in comparison. Nothing out of the ordinary for this strange world.
What Rich saw was gold. Not a small cache somewhere in the corner of the crater, or a few slabs laying about. The entire floor of the crater was covered in gold. It shined through the wine, as though a second sun. And it called to Rich.
He never had a distinct love for money or wine, though, of course, he enjoyed them both as all are prone to do. But this time was different. This time, it was as though all Rich had ever wanted in the world was in that crater; and, he needed only to reach out and claim it. His mind was clouded, as though he was already drunk on the wine, and his body felt numb. Powerless to do anything other than what he felt compelled to do. Filled with an unrelenting desire.
Rich jumped, entering the wine with a splash. He opened his mouth wide, and drank. It was rich and sweet. Though he was not breathing, he did not feel as though he was losing breath or drowning. He let his entire body go limp, sinking towards the bottom, and basked in the wine.
It was odd how fast he was sinking, rather than floating at the top as one usually would. He tried to float up, but his legs wouldn’t move. He looked down to see a pair of golden legs. His legs. The gold spread quickly up his torso, like a cold shiver. Terror filled his mind. He tried to scream, but could not. He tried to swim up, but half his body was already solid gold. He saw his arms turn to gold before him. Then it finally spread to his head, and he was covered in gold. A solid statue.
Suddenly, the wine disappeared and Rich was falling towards the ground. He smashed into the rock, splinters of gold flying in every direction. Then he awoke. He felt a dull pain in his temple, where he hit the floorboards. His blanket was wrapped around one of his legs, the rest of it hanging off the edge of the bed. A jar of wine rolled across the floor. Thunder, waves, and the shouting of pannicked men could be heard outside. The cabin moved, heaving to and fro. Rich struggled to rise, and stumbled towards the chest at the foot of his bed. He quickly put on a pair of pants, and ran out the door.
What he saw on deck was a scene of pure chaos. Sailors scurried back and forth like busied ants. The captain and the first mate were both barking orders. Rain came down as though someone had upended a bucket over the ship.
A crewmate bumped into him and grabbed hold of his shoulders. He was a young deckhand. Blonde with blue eyes, yet unwithered by the life of a sailor. His clothes were completely soaked, and his hair came down to his eyes, like a mop over his head.
“You’d best get inside, Lord Devoue!” He yelled over the hubbub. “We’re caught in a storm.”
Richard broke free of the young sailor’s grasp and stumbled back inside the captain’s cabin. He picked up the jar of wine and sat down on the bed, popping out the corck with his mouth. A shiver ran up his chest and over his arms. He wasn’t sure whether he was trembling from the dream or from the fear of what he saw on deck; or, from the fact that he was half soaked in water. He took a swig of wine, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, closed the jar, steadied himself against the headboard with one foot on the bed and another on the floor, and closed his eyes.
Vostak 