Dark 28: Barely breathing

“Jimmy, my dear boy. Are you learning seated there or prefer the far corner at the back?” I heard my teacher giving me a statement from the front of the class. I was paying attention but not to her. I was taking glimpses of the girlie magazine hidden in my desk. It was not entirely hidden, for I had the cover open and the cover of the magazine could be seen. It was to be my handmaid attendee with the clock ticking away ten minutes before the bell will sound as if we were to dash for safety from sadistic teachers and offending school prefects; they were referred to as informants. Incidentally, I was one with the badge of the prefect but I was the ally to the miscreants and troubled possessed puberty then. I lived my school days fed with free meals.

“No, ma’am.” Yes, I was well versed with my manner courtesy of the number of books I had read then. There was Georgette Heyer of the Merlin Chronicles, Annette Toole of the M&B (I skipped Barbara Cartland for almost every girl in the line up of five read it twice or thrice then. I sort of hung around the private library near the school, and the girl all went there. I was too but my real reading was on the shelf at the rear, shadowed by another shelf from inquiring eyes. There were the adult’s novels; the 50’s and 60’s dime paperbacks. The novelty of those sections was on one side were these paperbacks and if you turned your back, you end up perusing Western and WWII paperbacks. I had to do several of John Travolta’s turns on my heels than when someone stepped in there. Most times, it was the Librarian Assistant; a nasty lady who appears there with the duster but her intention was as clear like the morning sun in your eyes. If anyone asked me how does she look like; she was an imprint of Mr Kaplan from the Blacklist series. Pardon me, Mr Kaplan, I can assure you to hold a better look.

And back to the girls which were my diligent trips to the library, the girls could recite the crucial passages by the words. As for me, I speed read mine in seconds. It was the essence that counts. and Black Beauty by Anna Sewell (that was introduced by Laurel; lovely dark from my third year in my neighbourhood. I would have sworn if I was into horse riding, I would have …. Excuse me, we shall be decent here.)

“Yes…. No, ma’am. I meant no, ma’am.” I stammer my reply.

“And you should be affirmative in your reply, Jimmy.” I nodded at my teacher who knew my grades were affirmative to her liking. I was her best and darn, I wished then I was more affirmative with other grades.

“Perhaps, it’s the time for lunch which is making you distracted.” I was a relief. I was hungry then; the last meal was a peanut butter laced in between the pieces of bread. And it was a small dish; the idiot had gulped down the fruit drink and the apple. God, I wondered how he managed to digest that in one meal.

“Yes, ma’am. I am hungry.” The classroom of twenty-five peers burst into laughter. That called for retribution later. I am the head honcho in my class. I knew every laughter and they will pay the price soon. I could make Torquemada cringed in the corner on my method. My teacher looked at me and smiled. She was amused at me calling her ma’am while the others addressed her as Ms Dee or Teacher Dee.

“You will have your lunch soon.” I was hungry then and more so, hungrier for the lady standing before me. She stood there with her pose then could be described as imposing on my puberty. Let me describe the lady here.

Ms Sandra Dee was a blonde, reaching the dizzy heights of five half feet in her flat heels. Her legs encased in the body shade stockings within the orange flock buttoned to the bosom measured two-third of her frame. She wore a soft fabric blouse inside her flock. She was slim in the looks like the others in my class except maybe Simone Deere whom I swear if she ever has the urge to topple me, all she needed was do a body slams into me, and I would have suffocated. She was huge, and honestly, a let down when I was comparing sizes from the magazines and my mind went strayed.

“Jimmy, if you are still with us. We can …” Ms Dee raised her book towards her bosom.

“Jimmy is having….” I heard Billy first, and reacted with mu infamous ‘swap the rat in the fly’. I slapped my foot-long wooden ruler with a thickness of several millimetres. It went across like a jet fighter clinging near the surface, and then the missiles were released. The impact was hard and Billy muffled expression expressed the damage it was done.

“Are you okay, Billy?” Ms Dee asked then, and I gloriously rode into the scene.

“I think Billy hurt his right toe.” We all knew Billy have corn there. “My chair must have kicked him …. No, I meant to hit him on the toe.”

Of course, I knew the toe and where I hit was more than a corn. More like a kernel of it.

“Well, I ….. “ Ms Dee was or rather I was by the bell. It rang but my hard press matter was still hard on target. I was offered lunch with Ms Dee.

We had steak pie and masher, or rather I did. Ms Dee had a salad and decaffeinated coffee.

“Jimmy, you look like your dad.” I believed it was then the piece of steak did not go down my throat. I knew I should have paid attention during the health study classes; ‘Munched your food before swallowing’.

“You knew my dad?” I disliked the song played behind me on the jukebox. It was “Look at Me, I am Sandra Dee’ by Stockard Channing, 2004 in the movie ‘Grease’. What can’t they play Bon Jovi or NKOTB?

“Well, let me give a history lesson. I was with your dad before your mum married him. We were close for a short time, and then we went apart. I left him to complete my studies. He married my best friend, Dolly Shane. She is your mother.”

Shane was my mother’s maiden name.

“Uh, when was this?” I asked her. I had then moved my plate aside. The beef then tasted bland to my taste bud.

“It was the Woodstock 1999.” I heard my dad mentioned about Woodstock. He told me attended one back in 1999 and was memorable.

“We barely made it out alive. It was wild and disorganized but we were at peace then. I and your dad were a pair and we toured Europe from Rome. We went loaded to broke but we had no care. We were just into each other. I was no older than you by a few years. Soon after we parted ways at the London airport when your grandparents came to escort him home. I have not seen him since then until I came to teach here. I recognise your mother but she was unable to recognise me. I have changed my name and hairdo plus some other enhancements.”

I would swear to upheld myself decently but when she moved her hands to cup her breasts (I meant it was one of the pointers of my fantasy.) the piece of meat dislodged from my throat.

“Do you want to see Dad?” I saw the hesitation in her eyes but she shook her head.

“Jimmy, like you, will do soon from High School this semester, your dad and I had graduated when we part in London. I have lived my life well. I have not married but I have seen the world on my own. And I got my teaching degree and here I am. What surprised me was to teach you. For the last six months, I have watched the ….. son I was never to have. I would have loved to have you but I am not your mother. However, watching you reminded me of your dad. You are a chip off the block.”

“You have your father’s butt.” That embarrassed me. “And your … That may not be far from the apple tree.”

I crossed my legs and kept my hands on my thighs. Our conversation then moved from my dad to me on my future. It ended that day when she told me she was leaving school. She told me to graduate and move onto a good career.

“Above, all be true to the lady you loved.”

On my graduation, I received two gifts from her.

One was her picture from the school days. I had that picture in my room next to the poster of Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft (Well, Anne’s legs only) from the movie, The Graduate.

The second was a card with the poem to my dad.

We were young and lively than

We had visions of a longer lifetime

You and me taking the journey together

Watching the stars and building our home

Love and fresh air won’t work in life

We were told of that by many and heard none by us.

Till the hunger and tears came daily

Realisation that despite our love, we need a real life

We had to part to live the reality of our life

We parted from sight but our hearts went on

Unfortunately, despite our promise to be together

We knew in our mind that promises are meant to be broken.

We broke it eventually to move forward with our real life

If only we had listened earlier then we won’t have to graduate apart.

Dark 27: Graduate

“Jimmy, my dear boy. Are you learning seated there or prefer the far corner at the back?” I heard my teacher giving me a statement from the front of the class. I was paying attention but not to her. I was taking glimpses of the girlie magazine hidden in my desk. It was not entirely hidden, for I had the cover open and the cover of the magazine could be seen. It was to be my handmaid attendee with the clock ticking away ten minutes before the bell will sound as if we were to dash for safety from sadistic teachers and offending school prefects; they were referred to as informants. Incidentally, I was one with the badge of the prefect but I was the ally to the miscreants and troubled possessed puberty then. I lived my school days fed with free meals.

“No, ma’am.” Yes, I was well versed with my manner courtesy of the number of books I had read then. There was Georgette Heyer of the Merlin Chronicles, Annette Toole of the M&B (I skipped Barbara Cartland for almost every girl in the line up of five read it twice or thrice then. I sort of hung around the private library near the school, and the girl all went there. I was too but my real reading was on the shelf at the rear, shadowed by another shelf from inquiring eyes. There were the adult’s novels; the 50’s and 60’s dime paperbacks. The novelty of those sections was on one side were these paperbacks and if you turned your back, you end up perusing Western and WWII paperbacks. I had to do several of John Travolta’s turns on my heels than when someone stepped in there. Most times, it was the Librarian Assistant; a nasty lady who appears there with the duster but her intention was as clear like the morning sun in your eyes. If anyone asked me how does she look like; she was an imprint of Mr Kaplan from the Blacklist series. Pardon me, Mr Kaplan, I can assure you to hold a better look.

And back to the girls which were my diligent trips to the library, the girls could recite the crucial passages by the words. As for me, I speed read mine in seconds. It was the essence that counts. and Black Beauty by Anna Sewell (that was introduced by Laurel; lovely dark from my third year in my neighbourhood. I would have sworn if I was into horse riding, I would have …. Excuse me, we shall be decent here.)

“Yes…. No, ma’am. I meant no, ma’am.” I stammer my reply.
“And you should be affirmative in your reply, Jimmy.” I nodded at my teacher who knew my grades were affirmative to her liking. I was her best and darn, I wished then I was more affirmative with other grades.

“Perhaps, it’s the time for lunch which is making you distracted.” I was a relief. I was hungry then; the last meal was a peanut butter laced in between the pieces of bread. And it was a small dish; the idiot had gulped down the fruit drink and the apple. God, I wondered how he managed to digest that in one meal.

“Yes, ma’am. I am hungry.” The classroom of twenty-five peers burst into laughter. That called for retribution later. I am the head honcho in my class. I knew every laughter and they will pay the price soon. I could make Torquemada cringed in the corner on my method. My teacher looked at me and smiled. She was amused at me calling her ma’am while the others addressed her as Ms Dee or Teacher Dee.

“You will have your lunch soon.” I was hungry then and more so, hungrier for the lady standing before me. She stood there with her pose then could be described as imposing on my puberty. Let me describe the lady here.

Ms Sandra Dee was a blonde, reaching the dizzy heights of five half feet in her flat heels. Her legs encased in the body shade stockings within the orange flock buttoned to the bosom measured two-third of her frame. She wore a soft fabric blouse inside her flock. She was slim in the looks like the others in my class except maybe Simone Deere whom I swear if she ever has the urge to topple me, all she needed was do a body slams into me, and I would have suffocated. She was huge, and honestly, a let down when I was comparing sizes from the magazines and my mind went strayed.

“Jimmy, if you are still with us. We can …” Ms Dee raised her book towards her bosom.

“Jimmy is having….” I heard Billy first, and reacted with mu infamous ‘swap the rat in the fly’. I slapped my foot-long wooden ruler with a thickness of several millimetres. It went across like a jet fighter clinging near the surface, and then the missiles were released. The impact was hard and Billy muffled expression expressed the damage it was done.

“Are you okay, Billy?” Ms Dee asked then, and I gloriously rode into the scene.

“I think Billy hurt his right toe.” We all knew Billy have corn there. “My chair must have kicked him …. No, I meant to hit him on the toe.”

Of course, I knew the toe and where I hit was more than a corn. More like a kernel of it.

“Well, I ….. “ Ms Dee was or rather I was by the bell. It rang but my hard press matter was still hard on target. I was offered lunch with Ms Dee.

We had steak pie and masher, or rather I did. Ms Dee had a salad and decaffeinated coffee.

“Jimmy, you look like your dad.” I believed it was then the piece of steak did not go down my throat. I knew I should have paid attention during the health study classes; ‘Munched your food before swallowing’.

“You knew my dad?” I disliked the song played behind me on the jukebox. It was “Look at Me, I am Sandra Dee’ by Stockard Channing, 2004 in the movie ‘Grease’. What can’t they play Bon Jovi or NKOTB?

“Well, let me give a history lesson. I was with your dad before your mum married him. We were close for a short time, and then we went apart. I left him to complete my studies. He married my best friend, Dolly Shane. She is your mother.”

Shane was my mother’s maiden name.

“Uh, when was this?” I asked her. I had then moved my plate aside. The beef then tasted bland to my taste bud.

“It was the Woodstock 1999.” I heard my dad mentioned about Woodstock. He told me attended one back in 1999 and was memorable.

“We barely made it out alive. It was wild and disorganized but we were at peace then. I and your dad were a pair and we toured Europe from Rome. We went loaded to broke but we had no care. We were just into each other. I was no older than you by a few years. Soon after we parted ways at the London airport when your grandparents came to escort him home. I have not seen him since then until I came to teach here. I recognise your mother but she was unable to recognise me. I have changed my name and hairdo plus some other enhancements.”

I would swear to upheld myself decently but when she moved her hands to cup her breasts (I meant it was one of the pointers of my fantasy.) the piece of meat dislodged from my throat.

“Do you want to see Dad?” I saw the hesitation in her eyes but she shook her head.

“Jimmy, like you, will do soon from High School this semester, your dad and I had graduated when we part in London. I have lived my life well. I have not married but I had seen the world on my own. And I got my teaching degree and here I am. What surprised me was to teach you. For the last six months, I have watched the ….. son I was never to have. I would have loved to have you but I am not your mother. However, watching you reminded me of your dad. You are a chip off the block.”

“You have your father’s butt.” That embarrassed me. “And your … That may be not far from the apple tree.”

I crossed my legs and kept my hands on my thighs. Our conversation then moved from my dad to me on my future. It ended that day when she told me she was leaving school. She told me to graduate and move onto a good career.

“Above, all be true to the lady you loved.”

On my graduation, I received two gifts from her.

One was her picture from the school days. I had that picture in my room next to the poster of Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft (Well, Anne’s legs only) from the movie, The Graduate.

The second was a card with the poem to my dad.
We were young and lively than
We had visions of a longer lifetime
You and me taking the journey together
Watching the stars and building our home
Love and fresh air won’t work in life
We were told of that by many and heard none by us.
Till the hunger and tears came daily
Realisation that despite our love, we need a real life
We had to part to live the reality of our life
We parted from sight but our hearts went on
Unfortunately, despite our promise to be together
We knew in our mind that promises are meant to be broken.
We broke it eventually to move forward with our real life
If only we had listened earlier then we won’t have to graduate apart.

Dark 25: Elm Street: Tormented Soul

“Keep your hands off me!” The patient named Kruger called out in anger. “I will not be sedated.”

The nurse in attendance stepped away from the bed. She was unable to act without the doctor’s order, and more than that, the patient held the right to refuse treatment as per the medical centre policy.

“Doctor Harlan?”

“Step away, Nurse Amy. I will speak to him.” The doctor in the polyester medical frock with the white shirt highlighted the poor quality and cost of the attire. The professional medical officer was a scrooge when it comes to personal needs except for the ladies he hired for his personal needs. The elderly man pulled the nurse aside to approach the patient. He does not feel for the patients there but the money was good and that translates to a deep sleep on the release of his stress.

“Mr Kruger, I can’t make you take the ….”

“Doctor, I cannot sleep. I need the medicine that you provided. Double strength now.” The patient called out in from his seated position on the adjustable bed. The bed was also modified with electrical prods to keep him awake. The patient was admitted three weeks ago, with the specific instructions not let him sleep. He was to be kept awake.

“Doctor, his bp is ….”

“Give him the beta-blockers.” The doctor prescribed without looking at the nurse. “Do it.”

The doctor then looked at the patient, standing there without touching the patient. He looked to the four lights over the patient’s bed, all bright and shinning the patient as if he was on stage. It was the instruction by the patient.

“Mr Kruger. We have been keeping you awake for …”

“I have no need for you to inform me of my condition. I need to be awake.”

“Mr Kruger, I can assure you that we are doing our best. The medicine we gave you is not released to the public. It's more powerful than Modafinil.” Modafinil was time-shifting drug to enhances alertness and cognitive powers. It allowed the user to stay alert for 40 hours or more.

“Give me that. I need it.” Kruger called in desperation. “I cannot sleep.”

“Mr Kruger. Please tell me about your ailment. I may not be able to take care of you if I am unaware of your real ailment.”

“I cannot sleep. That means I don’t want to sleep. That’s all you need to know.”

“Then I have another doctor for you.” The doctor turned to step away. It was then Kruger stopped the doctor.

“I will tell you…. I will speak only to you.” Kruger whispered out. 

The tale the doctor heard was short but absurd in the telling. The doctor stepped back to the bed.

“You need to confront your fear, Mr Kruger. Its the wishes of your conscience. That came from your soul. You cannot ignore your soul. It’s the only living part of you after your body succumbs to death. You could delay death but never to cheat your soul.”

“Doctor, I insist on being discharged now,” Kruger told the doctor. “I will find another doctor that will follow my wishes.”

“There are no more doctors for your service, Mr Kruger. You have been sedated ever since you arrived here. We have placed you in an induced coma. What you are seeing or shall I describe as experiencing is the illusion your mind had created with our guidance. You are in my world. If you want to live on without …. any more dreams, you will…”

“Thank you, doctor. I am afraid you are mistaken. I am not in your realm but you are in mine. Please take a seat.” The chair appeared behind the doctor offered by the nurse. “My name is Kruger or Freddy or whatever name that may be desired by you.”

“I don’t understand. I had you contained since you were…”

“A convenient routing was done by my peers. We had invaded your sleep for over a week and laid the siege over it making you believe that a Mr Kruger was going to see you. Since then, we have been directing your actions or perceived actions while your body was snuffed. Ypu died and interned in a morgue. Eventually, they buried you as an unknown in an unmarked grave two days ago.”

“You are lying.” The doctor reacted in anger. “I am alive.”

“Alive? Undoubtedly untrue. You have died. Only your soul is here. Do you know the soul remained in this dimension for a duration of time? It's wandering looking for its exit to the next dimension. Its what you said earlier, the soul is also your conscience. I intend to kill both your body and soul.”

“Ha…Ha…. You can’t reach my soul. You are only in my imagination.” The Doctor replied.

“And you are right.” The doctor looked towards the patient. “Perhaps they could explain.”

A number of figures peel from the wallpapers like Paper Mache creations.

“Meet the Shadows. They are from the dreamscape and invited into yours. You may ….”

“No! They can’t be here.” The Doctor slumped back onto the bed. His body sagged into the chair and his hands drawn up over his face. “I am not here.”

“Hello, Doctor Hanrlan.” The newly arrived greeted the doctor. “I am the Shadow of …”

“The Shadow of Change. They are your brethren, the Shadow of War and Destruction, the Shadow of Beauty, the Shadow of Darkness, the Shadow of Deception, the Shadow of Love and Peace.” The Doctor mumbled their names. “I know all of you. You surfaced in the dreamscape to torment soul and the then the demise of the soul. Now leave me.”

“I don’t think they can. They have an obligation to meet you. You have insulted them when you used their dreamscape to do those killings. Unlike me, I was their servant.” Kruger looked towards the doctor. “You were a bad wizard but with your wife, you and her, with the shortest time have mastered the art on the shift of dimension. Do you know that even the best or the greatest of them all; Merlin avoided that spell? But not you, Doctor. You had to cross that boundary. It was not enough for you and you murder your wife. Then you become the most elusive murderer of the natural and unnatural history. How many souls did you kill in the timeline of ten years? A hundred or a few hundred. You killed not for pleasure or material gain but to be ranked above the others in the field.”

“You can’t do this to me. They will….” The Doctor looked at Kruger.

“Take their vengeance on you. You were the one that avoided them all these years. You stayed awake to avoid sleep which was their realm. You killed those by failing those victims into the coma condition. You used the spell to move into their dreamscape and then slowly murder their soul. Once that was done, the body had no more access to the soul and eventually collapse into death. It’s an unnatural death.”

“They were already dying, Kruger.” The Doctor defended himself. “I merely…”

“Added their misery when they were near death. You are the most despicable murderer.” Kruger cut in. “I had to plan this elaborate scheme to avoid your suspicion. I even advised the Shadows to stay away until now.”

“They will ….” The doctor looked at the line up of the seven Shadows.

“In seven different ways. I know. And you will die six times before you really die.” Kruger smiled before he looked to the Seven Shadows. “Which is you will go first? And which one last?”

Kruger started laughing then before he looked back to the doctor.

“There is one thing I deplore, Doctor. And that is to be relegated to the second spot by you. Your crimes rivalled mine. You should have let them end their life with dignity but you derive pleasure to see them die with more misery. When I knew that, I felt the need to end it all.”

“Maybe I am getting complacent or maybe righteous in my madness to kill.” Kruger smiled at the doctor. “You knew that I am dying, I have cancer inside me that is chewing my brain. I will die soon but I want to die peacefully knowing I regain my top spot. Was that too much to ask from you?”

“Mr Kruger, you are dying. And yes, I kill those who will die by killing their soul too. It was my mode of operation ….. but I cannot die with the Shadows doing things to my soul. I will die my way.” The Doctor called on the one spell which he kept hidden for that moment.

“No, Doctor. That spell won’t work for you. It will only do if you still have a physical body. Yours are ashes now. Welcome to your realm. Die painfully. Thank you, Doctor. You may now die ….” Kruger looked to the line up of Shadows. “He is all yours, Shadows. Just leave my soul alone.”

Dark 24: Atlantean Return Part 2

2.

“Ensign Ta’ian, report your status.” Ensign Ta’ian heard the call once more. She had proceeded by foot on the surface with her personal suit sensors taking the reading of the elements around her. The planet was a habitable one; classified as Suitable for Living Cells. The environment included adequate breathable air including oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen. The elements on the surface were of carbon content and traces of fossils were detected.

‘It could be the lifeform that was inexistent before its demise of the planet.” Ensign Ta’ian thoughts went out to the extinct inhabitants of the planet. She looked to the skyline with her evolved antenna on the side of her head picking up readings of it. Her antennas were an addon for the role as Explorer Category which allowed her to receive non-elements readings.

‘What is that?’ Ensign Ta’ian antennas peaked out while her mind registered unusual readings on above her. The huge mother ship that brought Ensign Ta’ian linked to her mind also registered the same readings.

“Move to Wide Spectrum Scan now.” The shuttlecraft ‘Nemo’ on the command by the mothership overrode Ensign Ta’ian scanner and initiated the scan. Ensign Ta’ian felt the whirling sensation of the scanner while it worked through hers’.

“The scanning has a match”. The scan soon revealed certain images that were transmitted to Ensign Ta’ian optical retina; another addon for her role as Explorer.

“Retina adjustment for spectral imaging.” Ensign Ta’ian felt the adjustment on her bodysuit while it relayed new routines through her body link to the antennas.

“Contact established.” Ensign Ta’ian then saw then the images of floating figures before her above the surface. The number of floating figures were in the thousands and of humanoid design. They held no physical form but the vague spectral image.

“Why did our scanners not pick that up earlier?” The vidscreen on the mother ship had linked to the antennas and the voice of the Commander sounded on the link communication on Ensign Ta’ian unit. The Ensign ignored the communication chaos on the mothership and focused on her task. She reached out her arms and then adjusted her communication speech to match the spectral link. It took some seconds before she was able to communicate with the floating forms.

“I am Ensign Ta’ian of the Atlantean…”

“We know. We recognised the sign on the craft that brought you here. I am Kieran of Atlantis Earth or ……”

“Pardon me. You acknowledged yourself as from Atlantis. Should it not be Outpost Zetian Four?”

“Ensign, the protocol of yours may stand with you but for us, we were stranded here for thousands of years. In that time, we have recognised Atlantis as our home. We are Atlanteans of this planet. We will explain that in the due process which was the reason for the visit.”

“Sorry,” Ensign Ta’ian took on the diplomacy approach. “I was brief that the Atlantis was destroyed millions of years ago. Our race had not abandoned the Outpost but we were taken to focus on new frontiers. We returned now for your …. Outpost now.”  

“Yes, you are here. And you expect an update. The Atlantean’s abandoned the city when it was malfunctioning ….”

“Malfunction? That’s absurd. The Atlantean technology is so advanced….”

“Yes, the city malfunctioned because we were not prepared for one outcome.” The spectral unit responded. “Self-determination. “

“Self-determination?”

“Yes, the revised mandate allowed us to interact with the local inhabitants. We were few in numbers but managed to influence many. Just as well we did to them, they did to us. And soon self-determination prevailed among us. It was one of the instinct or characteristics of the humanoids that also created many mayhems to them. It eventually plagues us. We took on the creation of factions and battled even among ourselves. The city of Atlantis was neglected and eventually malfunction in many parts but we did not foresee the retribution of the planet. It initiated a huge flood that swept most of the planet, killing most living beings like the previous meteor.”

“The planet….” Ensign Ta’ian was stunned by the statement made but the other continued on.

“The force of the planet disaster was so great that it further damaged the city. And the call for self-destruction of the city was initiated. The survivals of the city soon emerged on the surface and some among the marine to rebuild the planet with the planet’s survival ones. The Atlanteans also lost their items in the destruction but they persevered to live with the local inhabitants. The inhabitants were then primitive in their thoughts, the Atlanteans took on to guide them with small changes while they learned. In order to speed up the events, the Atlanteans with their own self-interest then spread out in singular or pairs to cover the planet.”

“And factions of yours corroded in their ideals and were never united.” Ensign Ta’ian assumed then.

“Yes, it was how the events unfolded. The civilisation was formed with our guidance and soon the civilisation took to battle the weaker neighbours. We could not stop it then for the local inhabitants have overtaken us in their learning.”

“And which you moved into the next stage of evolution of becoming spectral?” Ensign Ta’ian added on.

“Yes, we did. It was a normal progression of the Atlantean to do so upon the expiry of their physical journey. We did this to await the next resurrection like now.”

Ensign Ta’ian knew that was the next process of the Atlantean to discard their physical entity and embrace was there spectral form; the soul. The souls could be retrieved and re-initiated into another physical being.

“But… there are so many of you. More than what was on Atlantis?”

“It’s true. Most of them are not Atlantean by birth but descendants of ours. I have here with me, twenty-five generations of my descendants. Unlike the offspring of mine could not live to over a few thousand Earth years. It’s in their genetic setup and with the Atlantean tools lost, we could not extend their lives. However, they have similar makeup like us. They held a soul which will depart their physical body and share the other dimension with us. Many of them even not of our descent roam the same dimension as us.”

“Until their resurrection?” Ensign Ta’ian asked.

“Yes, but the world they lived in had been subjected to a dramatic end, not of the planet’s doing but the self-destruction of mankind. What you see before you are a desolate surface withy no marine lives. Their sustainable element was the composition of oxygen and hydrogen which they named as water had dried from the intense heat caused by the direct sunlight and man created the horror of dangerous substance that wiped out life on contact. It was not the planet that rebelled but the star that we had or it was called the sun, it had collapsed and a neutron star is forming. It will eventually implode and the system will be destroyed by it.”

“Was that why you came, Atlantean?” The spectral form asked.

“Yes, we had the readings of the collapsed star. We came to ….”

“To find us; the last survivors of Atlantis. Well, you did. But we are not leaving. We are no more Atlantean now. We are Earthlings although we possess some of the Atlantean characteristics. We prefer to perish with our world. Leave us alone.”

“But why?” Ensign Ta’ian asked.

“Self-determination. It's our will to live it our way. We will not be dictated by the will of the Council. We are free of the bond as Atlanteans. We had been for a long time. If you resolved to implement your mandate upon us, we will rebel and eventually corrupted the very core of the Atlanteans.”

“I am afraid you are wrong. I have every intention to use the mandate on you but it’s not the same one you knew. We have a new one. It’s the call not to interfere with the existing civilisation that is there on the planet. I bid you farewell. Live on and be true.”

“Before you go, Ensign. I have a gift for you. Take this specimen with you.” Ensign Ta’ian was motioned to the surface. Her scanner picked up traces of single living cells. There were pockets of them.

“Take them with you. Leave them on a habitable planet like this. And let them evolve. One day a new Earth will come around.”

“One question before I leave. Tell me if it's true that this planet is alive.” Ensign Ta’ian asked then.

“Yes, Gaia is the name given by us. We noticed that during the workings of Zetian Four. We were in communication to work with it but the inhabitants on it were not having the same view. It caused the planet great pain with the exploration into the core and the heavy structure that pinned into its surface. It was why the great disasters occurred; a message to leave it alone but have the inhabitants listened, it would have survived longer. And the star would have not collapsed.”

“I don’t understand…” Ensign Ta’ian was confused.

“The Milky Way is a living universe with all the planets in link to their stars. Everything on the system; the planets to the moons are alike; living beings. That’s why they created the differing environment for the different species to thrive on. This planet was to be the forefront on that but we have failed to show them the path to the right journey. There were no more living species on the other planets. We did not destroy not only this planet and our right on it. we destroy the planets desire to sustain life. That’s why I give you the living cells. Untainted in its evolution. Give it a new home where it will co-exist with the planet and the universe.”

“And lastly, do not partake in their evolution. Let it be natural. The Atlanteans role as the universe guardian is over. Live on and be true.”

Soon at a few light-years, Ta’ian watched the collapse of the star as it imploded, taking with it the thirteen planets in the system. She had kept the specimen given to her.

“Ensign Ta’ian, are you sure of your choice? This is a new star and we may not come here after this trip.” The Commander looked at the young Ensign.

“Yes, Commander. It’s my intention. Please release my shuttle for my flight.”

“Shuttle approved for release. Goodbye, Ensign.”  

Dark 23: Atlantean Return Part 1

1

“Ensign Ta’ian, report your status.” The figure stood there on the boulder with her arm spread out had just stepped onto the hard surface. She looked to the ground layout before her. She was dressed in the tight bodysuit with a silvery corset over her chest, and the hip cut to cover over her navel. She had on her arms the silvery vambrace with the built-in link to the mothership servers on the left and the arm phaser on the right. She wore a pair of knee-high silvery boots that gives her flight ability.

“Ensign Ta’ian, report your status. I repeat.” The voice on the communication link resonated with the impatient voice of the Commander. “I …”

“I read you loud and clear, Commander. I am scanning the surface for the elements that were captured by our sensors.” Ensign Timo Ta’ian responded. “I will send the updates to the server.”

Ensign Ta’ian took her first step on the surface with her mind recalling the brief that she was given on this planet. The mothership was hovering over form covering a huge area with its gigantic sphere design. Ensign Ta’ian took the shuttlecraft to reach the surface. The shuttlecraft was designated NE-23 was a four-person craft designed to explore both surface and marine environment. It was also designed to protect the Ensign from any hostile movements on her. She had named the shuttle ‘her protector Nemo’.

“The planet is in the Milky Way Galaxy and it’s the third planet from the star there. There are thirteen planets in orbit around what was a star. The star was a result of a nova that gave birth to this system. As it was a transient astronomical event by our readings then, we established an outpost there named Zetian Three on the third planet from the star. We studied the planet evolution from its infancy era to the later named Proterozoic Era. We were amazed that the planet took on its own trail of evolution but it lacked on core element; living beings.”

“The Council of Discovery then introduced the first form of a living cell that we named amoeboid; a single living cell. The planet was suitable for the evolution of the single cell, and with our research. We assimilated the cells to form into dynamic forms with the inherent characteristics of the single cell. The assimilation was successful for two factors; the environment of the planet on the surface and below it in the liquid form. And the other was the stat was providing salvation in the form of nutrients to the growing cells. We left the evolution of the cells to expand by itself, and exponentially, it soon grew what we were term as the inhabitants on the planet. The inhabitants evolved in the different era of the planet age from the earliest Proterozoic Era to the Neoproterozoic and then the Mesozoic Era when the inhabitants took on their own identity with the huge growths in the frames. That was a mistake we made then.”

“The Mesozoic Era was allowed to evolve without the monitoring of the assembled at Zetian Three. Their lack of protocol to monitor the evolution caused mayhem when huge inhabitants took dominance over the weaker inhabitants. It was the era of survival when the strong fed on the weak. When we discovered the mayhem, we investigated the cause. It took some efforts to identify the cause. The assimilation of the cells held some savage characters that overtook the evolution. We tried to correct the process but it was inherent into the cells of the inhabitants. We were given new mandate in our works. We were to continue monitoring and studied the results.”

“It was during the Mesozoic Era that we discovered the planet took on its own course of eradication of the inhabitants. It was thus named the Permian-Triassic extinction where almost all the marine species and the two-thirds of the terrestrial vertebrate species succumb to natural extinction. The planet took on its own destructive path with thermal quakes causing the untenable conditions. It took over two million years before the planet secured itself.”

“Are you saying the planet is alive?” Ensign Ta’ian recalled the question raised then by another at the Commander.

“We do not know, Ensign Kier. Zetian Three was destroyed and we lost many data accumulated then. However, we reconstruct Zetian Four which was later renamed Atlantis.”

“Atlantis was submerged into the sea to monitor the marine life resurgence from its near extinction. While we focused our works there the planet took on the form of a crude civilisation with the huge superior homo-sapiens beings that dominated the surface alongside the huge inhabitants.”

“Was it not the meteor that annihilated the huge inhabitants?” Another Ensign raced the briefing events

“It’s obvious, that most of you have studied the brief of the planet we are going to explore once more.” The Commander was upset that his briefing was to shorten then. “Yes, for the benefit of those who did not read the brief beforehand.”

“The meteor was identified by our sub-space station and Zetian Four was alerted. We were told not to intercept but observe. The meteor impact was great and impacted on the surface and realigned the axis of the planet. It also caused a blanket of dark matter to cover over half the planet. Many inhabitants then perished by its impact or soon after it. The shift pf superiority son shifted to the homo-sapiens.”

“What of outpost Zetian Four?” Ensign Ta’ian raised the question.

“Zetian Four was damaged by the meteor and an evacuation order was given. We left the planet for some millions of years. We did return later and discovered the inhabitants have evolved further and the homo sapiens were seen to be superior in the thinking methodology. It puzzled us and we remain to study them. Zetian Four was raise to the surface and re-built. Atlantis existed with the new civilisation then, and our mandate changed. We were no more observers.”

Dark 22: Justification to the end

“My! Was it dramatic for the whole Assembly to be present today? All I did was obliterate them.” Admiral X0876GH stood before the Assembly in the Great Hall of Justice.

The Admiral dressed in his formal attire of the Mao’ designed collar red tunic and dark pants. The pips on the shoulder flap were four stars which denote his ranking of Admiral. He had served the Kingdom of Unity for over three decades rising from the rank of Lieutenant to his current rank which he held for three years. He was in charge of the 3rd Fleet at the Troy System; a newly discovered galaxy with over thirty-five planets. Since the discovery of the system, they have encountered over twenty intelligent species.

“Admiral X0876GH, you will address this Assembly with the accord that it deserved and not your own manner of sarcasm here.” The Chairperson of the Assembly, Madame High Council Torres Belka retorted the Admiral. She was smaller in the frame but the heavy robe she wore as the Chairperson lends credence to her image as the lead alongside the crimson red robe with the cone designed headgear adorned with the phoenix flume. She was seated with eight others who were similarly dressed but they held no phoenix flume on their headgear.

“Yes, Madame High Council” Admiral X0876GH smiled at the lady who was chairing the Assembly. The Assembly was a formidable gathering of the selected Council Members to address issues of great inconvenience to the Kingdom of Unity. They held the authority to summon any officers of the Great Kingdom of Unity from charges of treasons to mass slaughters of the species under the patronage of the Great Kingdom of Unity.

“Admiral, you are to be told of the charges by the Prosecutor now.” The Chairperson announced in the Assembly which was a closed-door session with only a few selected audiences seated on the left side of the Hall, while the huge screen was on the right with the members of the Prosecution and Defence. On that day there were a dozen members of the Councillors and Fleet Officers present.

“There is no such necessity, Madame High Council.” Admiral X0876GHvoiced out. “I will present the charges and my defence for it.”

“You are aware that you are acting on your own, and whatever you may say could perjury you.” Madame High Council cautioned the Admiral.

“My! Are you concerned for me, Madame High Council? I am after all only your son with my unknown father.” Admiral X0876GHreplied. “I am …”

“You will remain silent on that matter I …” Madame High Council replied sternly but the Admiral cut in.

“Hold your anger, Mother. I know my rights and when to silence my disclosure.” The Admiral replied. “However, I shall shift our focus to the charges in which I am to present now.”

“I, Admiral X0876GH is accused of the mass slaughter of nine species among the inhabitants at the Troy System. I stand not guilty of that. In my defence, they asked for it. They are … in the words of the old great leaders; different from us and they cannot be classified as species to be included into our Kingdom of Unity. It’s a mockery of our values here.”

The audiences in the Hall sighed at the words that the Admiral had stated. The principle of the Kingdom of Unity was to unite all the species or civilisation without interference to their culture and development of their kind. The Kingdom of Unity has within themselves over ten species from twelve systems. Their strength was diversity in their governance. They have survived for over four hundred years with that directive.

“We united with these ten species on one common attribute. Their physical attributes are similar to ourselves. They have four limbs like us, and a head with the brain. Their outlooks may be different but they looked like humanoids. In our view, they are humanoids. We need to assimilate with those that resembled ourselves. We cannot assimilate with the ones that are different.”

A level of the silence was in the Hall. Of the eight Council Members, five were from different species but they could remain seated on the same chairs with their peers. They are what may be termed as we stand equal at the head level but our feet may rest on different levels below us.

“Correct me if I am wrong, Madame High Council. The ten species and some sat here with you, are they not what I had described. These species do they not have facials like you and me, limbs that resembled arms and legs, and they do think like us. Or they won’t be seated here.”

“How many have we obliterated in the cleansing process to retain our ‘humanity’? Ironically, we were all the same before. I, yourself, and even some of us then; we were all the same. Born from the wombs of our mother and raised from young to the age of adult. We were different by the frame we were to grow in but we had some inherent qualities. We had colours from our pigments. We had different bone structures. But above it all, we were all humanoids.”

“In the call of humanity or was its good breeding? New conception came into meanings then. Crude terms were formed; racism, or superior breed. We battled those that were different by the physical looks. We killed them as they did with us. We euthanised those we are not permitted to kill so that they will perish in time. Our ancient annals told us such actions as the Holocaust and the ethnic cleansing. They were killed for the pigment of their skin or their ancestry.”

“My! Eventually, we won. Ironically soon after, we upheld the concept of unity. Are we really united or inversed with our mind? Probably we were for we were all of the same kind. Two hundred years ago we spread our influence to the other systems. We explored and interact with the species that resembled us. We assisted them in removing the others.”

“Enough, Admiral. That was our principle of the Kingdom of Unity was …... to be with our own species.” Madame High Council replied. “We cannot go against that principle. You, however, obliterated nine species there. They were…”

“Humanoids in the outlook? I did what you said. I removed them for they were doing what we had done. Our influence had infected them. We are …. programmed … to see ourselves in everything or they are nothing to us. We are getting arrogant about our kind. We have become monsters in our mind.”

“Admiral, do you like your current form? Your growth there? You rise to the rank where you hold the command of thousands.” The Madame High Council asked of him.

“I do Madame High Council. I paid for it with two-third of my frame attached with metal contraptions, and yet they are hidden behind layers of cloth so that I can look like a human. They even camouflage my contraption to look at the same colours to my skin.”

“Why can’t I am in a square or round design or encased in some gaseous container.” The Admiral sighed and then spoke out. “My! That will make me a non-humanoid entity. I will be revoked of my existence by the command of your kind. Am I not correct, Madame High Council?”

“Yes, Admiral. You are now judged to be unfit for a humanoid. You will…”

“My! Such harsh and speedy judgement. You have no intention to hear me out. As you have birthed me, you left me to the care of others. You have not shown love to me at all. Who cares? I am just another number to make up the needed inhabitants so that our kind will not perish. Let me conclude it for you today on this date of my submission.”

“The Kingdom of Unity is going to end soon along with your selfish way. When I was in Troy System, I encountered the others and having lived with them for over three years, I was given a new insight into what is a real civilisation. I learned to live with others and we assimilated on many levels.”

A series of hush sounded from the audiences.

“I have taken refuge with them. What you see standing before you are the creation of mine with their assistances. I will take my leave now. But just before I go, I want to inform you that there is a new threat to the Kingdom of Unity. The invaders with more powerful technology are from another system. They have united under a common banner and will be assimilating you into them. They are called My!”

Dark 21: I m me

This is a poetic approach. I picture myself in a lighted chamber attached to a machine by my brain and eyes. I do not need to rest or eat but I am alive. Its a parody of being a computer server working non stop and yet it's constantly fed by the users for information. Until someone pulls the plug. And it slips into the shadows of non-functioning. If the server could speak, it will reply; I am fucked.

I can’t sleep.

I shall not succumb to it.

Yes, they won’t get me while I am awake.

No dreams, no nightmares. It won’t happen.

No shadows too.

They can’t hide there.

I have my hideout well lighted.

Not a tint of shadow, only bright lights all around me.

You can’t catch me.

I won’t hear you.

I can’t see you.

I will be alert.

My eyelids are drawn back.

My body being injected with drugs.

My mind constantly stimulated.

I don’t need food or drinks

I am fed by neutrons

I am alive.

Yes, I defeated all of you.

No shadows shall take my dreams.

Wait! What are you doing?

Why the lights went off?

Its total darkness here.

Wait! What is happening?

Why are the powers shut down?

No! You can’t do this.

I am having visions, not of my own.

No! You can invade me that way.

You cheated me of my dream

I am detached from yours

Yet you choose to attach mine

I don’t want beauty

I am beautiful with only my brain intact

I don’t want to change

I am fine being me

I don’t want war or peace

I have no need of either

I don’t need love.

I am loved by myself.

What is destruction to me?

I have only my living brain

I don’t want any part from you.

What is wrong to be alive

In a lighted chamber with no dark shadows

No need to rest or sleep like you

How I am fed does not matter to you?

Just let me be for I am alive here.

In the shadow of my own world.

Just let me be.

Don’t shut me down…..please.

Dark 20 Dreams and Reality

"Come, children. Please be seated.” The man motioned to the seven children dressed in the bedtime attire. “It won’t take long. I have some tales to tell you.”

“Who are you?” The child in the middle of the line up asked. She was dressed in her nightdress and held in her arms the doll that looked lifelike with the dark orbs staring at the man.

“Ah, the lady spoke. Well, Miss Bernice. I am the Guardian of your dreams. I am here today to show you your dreams. Not all that you will see maybe nice but it’s the truth which you were denied.” The man in the dark suit and top hat replied. “I was advised that all of you have difficulty sleeping, and when you do, you wake up with frights. My task is to settle your sleep with you understanding your dreams.”

“Where is this place, Mister?” Another child of the different gender asked. He was dressed in his nightclothes with the character of the hero ‘Superman’ on the chest.

“Yes, Supes has a question.” The man with the top hat looked at the boy who raised the question. “You are in the dreamscape. It's not a place but a … place perhaps to you where you go when you dream. I reside here and it's my responsibility to know what dreams are being thought of in sleep.”

“If I am dreaming, then I am still asleep?” Another boy asked but he was dressed in the simple frock with the nightcap on. “Then why are we here. I want to go back to sleep.”

“Tom, dreams are what we can’t have when awake but dreams represent your inner desires. Your unfulfilled tasks.”

“And what may that be?” The third boy asked. “I do not need the dream. I have not a life worth living. I am unwanted by all, and need not be wanted.”

“And Oliver spoke. My child, no one of your age should be without a dream.” The man replied. “Bear with me…”

“Can I leave? I do not want to be here.” The fourth child asked.
“Why can’t you … You are a bad person.”

“Brian, there is no need to rush back. You have a few more hours to sleep. Stay with me. The rest of you, please stay with me.” The man calmed others. “We are all dreaming. You are all in my world. Am I correct, Miles and Timothy?”

The other two started bawling at the top of their voices. They have identical looks and wore the same nightwear design with the emblem of their rich parent’s family crest. It started the chain of events to the others with Brian and Tom venting their fear by crying. It was Bernice who consoled the twins.

“Children, please. I am not your….” The man with the top hat found his soothing voice ignored and then raised it towards the children. “Stop your crying or I will unleash your nightmares towards you.”

The children stopped then and looked towards the man.

“Shall we begin?” The man looked at the children. “Now I am going to appoint you like Guardians of the Dreamscape. Your designation will be called the Shadow. You will be given a specific role and you will carry it out as per your role.”

“What are we to do?” Supes asked.

“You have the ability to determine their dreams that the others will have during their sleep.” The man replied. “Do you agree?”

The children nodded and they became the Shadows of Dreams.
It was not for another twenty-five years when they sat down before the man with the top hat once more. The children were no more then but matured adults. They had taken on their roles and had assumed designation in their ranks.

“Bernice, or shall I call you Shadow of Beauty. How did you fare?” The man with the top still dressed in the same dark suit looked towards the lady who stood there. The child had grown to a beauty that many others desired, seductive and appealing with her looks. She could morph the dreamer into whatever they may choose to be.

“How many frogs have you morphed into handsome princes? Or street urchins to Kings?” The man asked.

“I have done a few and more with the Kings, and even the plain ladies to awesome beauties,” Bernice replied.

“And you, Supes. Or is it now Shadow of Destruction?”

“I have done aplenty, with the world at chaos, and the weak trampled. I have aspired dictators and leaders in their dreams.”

“Me? I am the Shadow of War.” One of the twins called out. “Miles snapped out. “Timothy, he is the Shadow of Deception and with me, we created more destruction. Supes tailed not far behind.”

“I do not,” Supes replied. “I ….”

“Shadows, please behave.” The man with the top cut in. “Now, tell me of yourself.”

“I am the Shadow of Peace,” Brian replied. “I gave the oppressed dreams of peace. It's their solace with me when they sleep, I showed them peace.”

“So, do me. I am the Shadow of Love.” Oliver spoke up. “I work with Brian. We offered peace and love.”

“And what about you, Tom? You are the Shadow of Change.”

“I am. I can change their dreams but little did I reached out to. I did change mine.” Tom had indeed changed. He was no longer the growing boy but a feminine figure was seen there. “I changed my dream of being a boy to become a woman. I felt being the other was a nightmare to myself when I was struggling to find my own identity. I decided to wield my dream into reality.”

“Whoever Bernice made them dream of beauty, Supes of his destruction, and the twins of their war, and deception, Brian of peace, and Oliver of Love. They are all dreams. How many of us remembered our dreams when we are awake? It's all a dream they are told. Their reality is never the same. They faced it daily with memories of it. They may still be ugly, defenceless, being conned, and devoid of love. All of you gave them false hope. I, however, let reality shaped their dream. They are their destiny and not handed some unreal dreams. Am I right, Mr. Reality?”

“Twenty-five years should have shaped all seven of you but the only one did. The others are all living in dreams. Like what …. She said, stop dreaming and live reality to the fullest. Make your change here.” The man with the top then raised his hat. “You may all leave now and live in the realm of shadows. Tom will take on my role as the new Mr. Reality. Let us face the fact; life is a journey of reality and not for dreamers.”

Dark 19: The war is over

"If they wait it out it will be the end of the war.” Feldwebel Brandt heard the officer who was stuck with him on the No-Man’s Land. That day was November 1918 and the Great War was coming to an end by noon.

"We will not wait for the date. We will proceed to do one more battle on the British. They won’t respect it either” The Oberst was adamant that the British will not adhere to the Armistice call by noon knowing that the Germans are losing the war.

“We are officers and will not give up without a real fight. We will do our work as if there is a war on.” The platoon left on that day at dawn and crawled for an hour before they took shelter in the bomb crater. The officer was observing the enemy line with his binoculars. It was then the Sergeant spoke out his view.

“No, Feldwebel. I won’t rest until I have the Iron Cross pinned on my jacket.” The Oberst looked through the viewer and saw the other side was without sentries. It was an hour to noon. It will be over soon.  

“Feldwebel, must we fight? I have lost my brother and cousin to the war.” The Feldwebel heard the private next to him whispered into his ear. They were at the start from the Battle of Somme to the Russian Front and back. Their losses were only numbers counted in the casualties list.

“I am not fighting no more.” The private turned away towards his own line.

“Halt that man.” The Oberst saw the other crawling back. He raised his Luger pistol to shoot. It was then the bayonet stabbed into the back of the Oberst’s neck.

“The war is over, men.” Feldwebel Brandt spoke out.

“Amen.”

Dark 18: Charming and his loves

1.

“Prince Charming indeed.” The lady seated at the bar counter ranted out loudly. She dressed like a demure librarian with her hair tied up in a bun to the rear, and rounded spectacles gave her look the studious expression which incidentally was her nature. Her name was Belle, and she held those bells on her bosom that even the Bells of Canterbury could not compare in dimensions. “The only that may be charming of him was he currently named himself Charming.”

“Belle, darling. You must not be upset for you are not in love with one. Your lover is a beast.” The second lady laundered in her reply like the clean sheets she insisted on the bed daily. Her name was Cinderella with her retinue of servants that worked on every command of her to keep the place clean. It was so clean that if there was any need for urgent surgery, it could be done at her kitchen floor.

“Pooh to all of you. If only mine was not charming but beastly, I won’t be fingering myself to sleep daily.” Princess Aurora aka Sleeping Beauty moaned in her say of the matter. She had been having issues sleeping with her long sleep beforehand had kept her mind alert day or night.

“And to that, I am to ask for the return of my ‘Don’t be dwarf by your Sensual.” The fourth lady dressed in the off-shoulder gipsy blouse and flared skirt called out. She had her hair pinned back to resemble the shape of the Roman headpiece while her shoulders slouched forward. It was her bosom which weighed her down with the litter of small ones. She was blessed with the family of seven ravenous kids. She could not help it for she was always turned on by the kiss on the lips; down under was more desirable.

“Girls…. Perhaps I should say, Ladies. Please present yourself more …. Ladylike.” The stern voice of the fifth lady manning the counter could be heard then. “I am sure Charming is ….. charming.”

“Oh God, God Mother.” All four ladies replied in unison. “He is a prick.”

“Improper use of wordings, ladies. Charming is a prick. And we are….” The Lady referred to as the God Mother snapped back at the ladies.

“We are all cunts to him. We know.” The other four ladies replied.

“Let me start first.” Cinderella pushed her glass of sherry aside and then began her view on the matter.

“I was charmed by the man who came to my home; after swooning me on the dance hall. I can assure all of you his hands were all over me while I struggled to keep my dress over my bosom.” Cinderella leaned over on the counter. “I don’t have the bosom that will rival any of you but its alike perky blinder.”

“I have never seen that before.” Belle cut in.

“Well, darling book reader.” Snow White cut in. “Yours is like a book. Once you flipped the cover, the pages flared out from cover. It was true for Belle had her bosom restraint by the tight bodice so that it does not appear too obvious to the patrons of the library when she stamped the books on loan or returned at the desk. She was conscious of her magnificent gifts but she preferred to release them on her beastly lover. He does paw hard over her and the claws marking appeared like tiger stripes on it.

“I am ….” Belle was embarrassed by the remark.

“Belle, darling. We have taken the bath together and with yours, the soap suds could not form a colony on the surface. It may be more like the double twin peaks over the sea.” Snow White laughed out loud. “Oh, Belle. We knew of the Beast before he swooned you.”

“Gaston came to me in the forest, pleading for me to intervene. He told me Charming had donned the Halloween costume he had since the Dracula was taken by the original. He did parade to me with the costume; hoofs and dark furs with the oversized headgear. It was to be our annually ‘beastly night’ but I was too tired from the feedings. I told him to get off himself. I am sure you felt that.”

Belle’s expression was embarrassment with the crimson red on the cheeks to the lips but she docked her expression with the tongue lashing out.

“I am sure your book spine bindings went ….pooing….pooing.” Princess Aurora demonstrated with the snapping of her fingers. “Oh, I can imagine the bodice strings unleashed. I know how that feels. My mice are good at it. Sorry, was I interrupting?”

“Anyway, Gaston told me Charming was ‘rescuing’ his love from him. He told in his words; Es nevaru salīdzināt ar viņu.” Snow White explained. “I told him I don’t speak Latvian. So, he translated for me.”

“You mean he cannot compare to Charming.” Belle used simple words to tell others. “He…”

“Thank you, Belle, for the academic lessons but Gaston was more …. Explicit.” Snow White hid her embarrassment. 

“Oh, you mean he showed you. I have not seen his before.” Belle, in turn, became red on her cheeks. “I could see the outlined in his pants but like they say in my library, don’t judge the book by its cover.” 

“Snow White, how did you ever meet Gaston? I had made sure all of you were not in any contact in the realm… until now.” God Mother cut in. “Charming…”

“Fuck Charming!” Cinderella snapped out. “I meant we did.”

Cinderella stared at the others who were looking downcast then. She stopped at Belle and then back to Snow White.

“Do continue on your tale, Snow White. I am curious.” 

“Gaston was …. Not impressive. I meant he was charming but that ended there. He may stand out on the beach but he won’t make it to the rostrum.” Snow White continued on. “But he came to me for help. And I am kind and willing.” 

“Oh, please spare me the thought. You fucked him too.” Cinderella cut in.

“Well, I had … was bitten by my apples…. I meant he tripped then and landed on my lap. And his lips …” Snow White expression was the red apple. 

“Spare me, Snow White. You could not keep yourself together then. So was he good?” God Mother asked. “I had to know for I keep records of everyone here.” 

“He was …. beastly.” Snow White let out a snigger. “I have …” 

“Please spare me the thought. You have done it you know with who’s who…” Belle asked. “And I thought bestiality was only in the books.”

“Oh, no. I did not you know with the who’s who, but Charming was away most times. And I got lonely at times. Don’t forget I lived in the forest with seven dwarfs and he comes over once a full moon.” Snow White defended her loneliness. “There was the woodcutter, the hunter in the wolf skin, and there was also the green ogre. He was always clumsy but he ate me out.”

“Spare me the thought, please. I have a household…” Cinderella stopped there. “We were talking about Gaston.”

“Oh, yes. Anyway, I sent Gaston on his quest to hunt the beast. What did you see in the Beast, Belle?”

“Well. the Beast was kind …. Well, at least then. He gave me access to the castle, and the beautiful clothes, and books.” Belle smiled. “I read them.”

“You mean you found his personal collection?” Cinderella called in despair. “Oh…..Yes. I did too.”
“What personal collection?” Snow White asked. 

“Yeah, what personal ….. Oh, those. I tried to read them and ended up staying awake with some tired wrist muscles. He once made me do it while reading 1001 Arabian Nights. God, I had wished I taken the icy snow bath then.” 

“Did you read them?” Cinderella asked again.

“Yes, I did. I was a village girl before. I mean I am not that naïve. We have the farms …. You know what I meant.” Belle explained. “We have bees and birds too.” 

“Never seen them bees and birds do it. I have however seen the cook and the maids or was it the baker’s boy.” Cinderella searched her memories of it. “Belle, please do continue.”

“I knew more. I also know he peeks at me from behind the walls.” 

“Did he? I may not know. I knew he was a voyeur but I thought that was on the servants only. They perform for him in the hall. When he thinks I am asleep in bed? You all know, I can’t sleep.” Princess Aurora cut in. “He will get the dress in the toga and sat on the chair. I think he calls himself Nero.”

“Nero! That was his favourite nickname. He will play the violin while I read.” Belle smiled. “I can’t help it. He watched me touch myself.” 

“More sheep…I meant sherry. Or may I suggest Vodka.” Godmother handled out the next round of drinks. “Tally Ho, Belle. I must be getting intoxicated.”

“Well, the Beast was a gentle lover. He was accommodating with me.” Belle smiled. 

“I think I had a hand there. He came to me with the measurements and I made the adjustments.” God Mother explained. “I am his God Mother after all.” 

“Ladies, please. All of you are in love with Charming. So, take solace in it. He is a good lover and above all, he is a Prince and maybe the King one day.”

“Godmother, we need to correct you there. The reason we are seated here was not to discuss our love of Charming but our love without him. We are getting married. All four of us and to heck with the prick. We got ours now and they are harder.” All four ladies raised their skirts to display their strap-on. “Tell Charming he can sit on these.”

“Ladies…”

“No, Godmother. If there was the few things’ we learned from Charming it came from his personal collection. So, here’s to Woman Satisfaction.”

It was then I woke up to find myself rolled off my bedding. And landing face down was painful. That was one fantasy of me being Charming; the other version and someone intervened in my dream. Shucks, I need to pee now. 

How do you right a bent pipe? Just pulled it right.

Dark 17: We are the lads

The shell landed nearby into the muddy crater that was created by its predecessor, but the impact threw up the sodden ground and whatever that was in there. A mangled limb dropped on my tin hat and then down my spine to the muddy trenches. I kicked at it towards the muddy area where the others will step over it in the next few hours, and eventually, it gets buried. No 0ne care to asked whose limbs it was anyway. There are others more in the place we called home far from London.  Ironically, someone named it Park Lane for we have the privilege to be the nearest to the krauts at about five hundred feet away. We are so close that we could call out each name across the divide or sang songs that will irk either side. That was the place the officers called the trench at Somme.

The trench was my home for the last few months. Unlike the officers who had the comfort of a sheltered dugout with the tea served at late afternoon, I had to lean over my weary bones on the dugout there, sleeping while seated and my knees hunched close to my chest while bombs rained on us like the torrents of rain or be splattered by the mud. I had on my tin hat regardless of the time or weather; it may be my only protection from an exploding bomb or the sniper bullet that reached me across the no-man’s land. I prayed for the direct hit by the bomb; I have seen the aftermath, you are part of the mud and if they do find any part of you, they will probably tag it with the wrong names. I had done it many times when asked to identify the remains. I can’t remember all the blokes that could had been there; everyone ran for cover in the bombardment so I put on my stern expression and quote a name. That name will be conveyed to the next of kin and be blessed you ain’t register as missing in action to kill in action.

“Sarge, Frank got it in the face.” I heard the conscript call. Darn, Frank was one of my pals in this war, from the training school to this land they had named the Somme somewhere in France. I cared not for the place for where I was raised from, the sun was hardly seen with most of my family and friends spending time in the coal mines at Newcastle. Frank was my rival with me on the local girl, Wendy but she spurned us for a London blighter. That moment made me and Frank best of pals and then joined the Army to fight the krauts.

And he is now dead.

I have no time to mourn Frank’s death. He was my pal but my platoon was also mine. I have twelve lads with me and of the five were new from the conscripts. I had to learn their name fast from the mad Cockney to the unbelievable Cornish who still thinks the krauts are Romans that needed to stop in their invasion. The faster I remember their names was to know whom I will call on for sentry or worse the nightly patrols into the No-Man’s land. We normally do it with five men; three veterans and two freshies crawling into the crater designed land, looking for mines or grabbed a prisoner. Trust me, the second was tougher for no one wanted to on their chest hugging the land when the alert goes out. The first salvo will be the machine guns that sprayed in the general direction by the gunners and then the tossing of grenades. Most times, you may survive the guns and then lose a limb on the grenades. Of course, we fight back with our line returning fire towards the krauts. That made it worse for we could not retreat without being shot front or back. The whispered words were then; if you see the krauts, you crawled away. It’s a rule we all adhered to. Officers or conscripts.

Back to my twelve lads. They were the surviving numbers with me in the trench; I lost count of the dead and those sent back to Blighty. I did say I remember names but once they are dead or send home to Blighty, I tend to forget them. That way I won’t get remorse on the lads I sent to their death.

Darn, Army to be in then.

“Sarge, Frank…” I looked over at the South Londoner’s lad named Barney. He was with me for two months then. He was a British terrier in the fights; running with the back bent lowered when we climb over the top to do our endless charge across the barbed wires and craters that lined up the no-man’s land. Barney was one of those lucky ones; never a nick in the fight, and when the bulge call for the retreat, he was scampering just as fast to come back. I wondered if he ever fired a shot or as in his words, ‘I want to be near to use my bayonet to kill’.

“I hear you, Barney. Set him down and called the bearers. They will give him a decent burial at the rear.” I replied to the Londoner. I could tell the others were all staring at me on my inhuman approach. I chose to ignore them and turned my sight to the no-man’s land which was under heavy bombardment by the artilleries. It meant only one other thing.

We are going over the top again.

The strategy outlined here by the top brass based on the set rules of war tactics were to bomb them
krauts out and then send the infantry which was my platoon to snatch the victory. It would had worked in the briefing chamber where the officers were discussing the battle plan while sipping tea, we were the actual lads doing the fighting. I had no concern of it for I had then went over the top more than ten times, and retreated with my limbs intact. I did get shot twice but the wounds were good for the field dressing and will give me a rouse talks at the pubs when the war do end.

“Sarge, we are doing it again. Get the men up and ready.” I heard the Lieutenant Carlson. He could had been a fine officer if he had taken the front row in the fight but he was always three lines behind with the flankers blowing hard on his whistle to get us moving. I preferred the whistle was alike to the football game and we all stopped on the sound of it. We were not when the whistle blown.

“I wished he had fought hard like us instead of blowing that whistle on every call.” I looked at Barney and then my thoughts went back my lads. They had died on taking orders from these officers.

“Barney, you will do as you are told. No one …. Disobey an order in my platoon.” We climbed up the steps on the trench sides and then ran into the hail of bullets to step over the blown limbs or the occasional lad that did make it over the wires, and gave us the stepping board to jump. We will charge while hollering bloody murder or whatever that we think the krauts will take offence and leave. That was the foolish thought for the krauts will stayed behind their guns or their gunners will be serving us the bullets at us. For those of us who made it to the enemy trench, we probably holler hoarse then and we levelled the rifle with the bayonet at the krauts. We done it many times during training poking the long bag of sands but out here, our sand bags are real enemy with the same intention as ourselves.

I made it to the other trench and shoved my bayonet into the kraut’s face. It was ugly but that was only the beginning of another day of murderous rampage. I pulled out the bayonet and turned the rifle around to club the next kraut who was charging at me with the shovel in the right hand. My blow broke the charge and I followed through with the bayonet. I took a breather to catch my lads who had survived the charge and had joined me in the gruesome battle. They were battling the krauts as their life depended on it. I saw two of the conscripts went down in the hail of bullets but the mad Cornish had return fire on the shooter. It was chaos and we were winning.

Then the evitable happened.

The whistle blower was doing it again.

It was calling for the retreat.

I searched for the Lieutenant and saw the skunk was running back to the line. He was not at the
trench where we were fighting but he heard the withdrawal call and reinforced it with his own whistling.

“Sarge, how come we are retreating?” Barney asked.

“I don’t know. But we are going back. We follow orders.” With that call, I was soon retreating with
the lads and saw the Lieutenant struggling with his pants caught in the barbed wire in the No-Man’s land. I strode over and check on the officer.

“It’s the wire.” Lieutenant Carlson was frantic with his words. “Can you cut it?”

I reached for the wire cutter and was to do the task when the krauts artillery returned fire. I paused at my effort and took to run.

“Sergeant, you can’t …” I heard the officer despite the dropping bombs. I turned to look and then did the unforgivable act. I levelled my rifle and shot the Lieutenant in the face.

“Sorry, Sir. It was the lads who made me do it. You are not the officer they wanted. ” I took off on the run towards the trench and barely made it. I found myself leaning on the muddy wall with the lads. Barney turned to me and said.

“Sorry about the Lieutenant. I saw you tried to help but there was little you do then.” I nodded at Barney. It was then the Captain stepped up towards me.

“I think Lieutenant deserved a commendation. He was brave to be the last to return.” The Captain looked at me. “Do you agree?”

I nodded. After all, the Lieutenant was with the others now. I will be thanked by the lads when I go over the next round and the next. We do look out for each other. I just sent them an officer when I could. We need the officers to know what it feels to lose their own too. That’s why I remained the Non-commissioned officer despite the battles I was in.