Excerpt: The Sun's Other Shore

And now I think I believe that the most beautiful story is the one that is never fully told. I saw you standing at the crown of that tall hill behind the old country church barefoot and empty-handed, a sun-dress sentinel at the fading of the day. The late-date breezes had whipped your loose hair into a auburn corona that caught and reflected the sun's fiery light. You raised your arms to embrace the setting sun, and in that moment I knew you held some secret knowledge that I could never comprehend; some fey union between beauty and the sun. By the next dawn I knew I was lost, had fallen hopelessly for the sun-maiden I had seen you become.

It has been a year since that day. I see the sun-maiden yet, but only in flickers and starts like a candle in a drafty place. There are secrets behind your eyes—I see them—but you blind yourself to any mirrored moment. I wonder now if your raised arms were not an adoration to the sun but a desperate prayer to be set ablaze, and ushered into the midnight bleakness of the sun's other shore. It has been a year since that day, and every dawn breaks a small portion of my heart and my breath quickens at every sunset.

This dream brought to you by Marvel and La Alianza de Liberación

Another curious dream last night.

Deep in a hidden valley in the Colombian Andes, a fenced compound houses the few-dozen members of La Alianza de Liberación (The Liberation Alliance), a revolutionary group attempting to overthrow the Colombian drug lords and restore liberty and order to their country. They are like David trying to take on a mighty Goliath, and so they have not acted yet, but between secret shipments of supplies from the U.S. government and the support of Ironman, they are growing more bold.

Not all is well, however. The drug lords have begun to notice that Ironman has been uncommonly active in their country, and are trying to find out what's going on. It's only a matter of time before La Alianza's hideout is discovered.

One day, after Ironman has left the compound after meeting with La Alianza's leaders, some strangers arrive at the compound. Two young men in a beat-up old pickup truck arrive at the gates, asking for work. The leader, suspicious, says that they may paint the gate in return for some food, but can only paint the outside and may not come inside the compound. They apparently do such a good job that the leader asks if they can come back and paint the compound's other gate as well. Then the following exchange takes place.

((This is not a direct transcript of the conversation between the leader and the painters. With the exception of Ironman, every character spoke Spanish, which is weird and cool because I studied it for a while but I'm not anywhere close to fluent. I could follow the conversations with a little trouble, but I couldn't recite or translate them verbatim. Also, it was a dream.))

"You did a very good job!"
"Thank you. We have been looking for work for a long time, but no one will hire us."
"Would you like to come back next week and paint the other gate?"
The two painters talk between themselves for a moment. "We don't know. We thought we saw Ironman as we were driving around. Is that true?"
"...Yes, Ironman has been here."
"We do not feel safe. What if he attacks us?"
"I will keep him on the opposite side of the compound!"
"We still won't do it. We have seen how he can shoot from his hands. It could even break through the fence."
"If you must, you can return at a time he is not here."

The painters, after a moment's deliberation, agree to this and go on their way. The leader returns to the compound to examine the most recent air-drop from the United States. Automatic weapons, ammunition, and rations. Little does he know that the painters were actually cartel spies, who now not only know where the La Alianza's compound is, but that Ironman is their ally, and that he is not there.

Possible NaNoWriMo intro - Before the Storms Began

This morning, I saw a woman with red hair wearing a flannel shirt. She looked worried and preoccupied, like she was late to something, and the humid weather caused her wild hair to frame her face like a glowing nimbus in the morning sunlight. I saw a woman with red hair wearing a flannel shirt and the only thought I had was, "at least it's not her." That in and of itself was a virtue beyond measure...and the only reason I didn't try to smile and strike up a conversation. By the time I got to work, dark clouds had covered the sun and the still air was heavy with the thought of storms.

Another Sutfield quote

"The darker was the past, the brighter must we shine as beacons, in hope that no one else will ever find themselves lost upon those bleak paths."

- -Ian Beckett Sutfield

One of my favorite snarks of all time =)

Alan: "Burn like lightning - charged, bright, and beyond comprehension."

Brian: "Burn like lightning: swift, skinny, and all-too-predictably seduced by the wink of a cute lightning rod."

Between Friends - dialogue sketch

Isabelle pouted playfully, looking up at Will over her glasses. "Why do you always make fun of me like that? Is it because you don't like me?"

Will dropped the goofy grin he'd been sporting. "Actually, it's because I'm completely, one-hundred percent infatuated with you."

"See? That's what I'm talking about - you're doing it again!"

"No, I'm serious. I never planned to tell you but I guess I just boned that up pretty bad... 'Cause, well, y'know, you're in a relationship, and I have a strict policy about being a homewrecker. 'Don't do it,' actually. That's my policy."

"Oh, wow. I had no idea."

"Really? I'm kind of surprised. Subtlety ain't exactly my string suit."

"I know, I know. I guess I didn't notice because of all my stress from school and practice and no sleep. But, wow...you really like me?"

"Mmhmm. I mean, I wasn't going to tell you or anything." Will pointed toward his eyes, and then his glasses. "I may be mostly blind, but I've got four eyes and sometimes even I catch on about stuff. Like how it's a generally bad idea to hit on someone who's already in a relationship. Besides, there's already a waiting list."

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do..." Isabelle threw her arms around Will, hugging him fiercely. "I'm so sorry, darlin'. I wish this situation was different."

"I dunno. If it was different, you might be having this conversation with me instead of the other way around. And I don't think I would wish that on you. And you've got enough going on."

"Meh."

They both stood in silence for a few moments.

"Well...it's late. I need to be going. I have work in the morning. I can walk you back before I go, if you want. Unless you're going over to his place. Then it probably wouldn't be a great idea. Could be funny, though." A wry smile touched his lips.

"Yeah, no... probably not. I'll see you soon, though?"

"Not sure. I don't have another day off until Sunday. Call me if you need anything, though. And good luck with stuff. I hope you get some sleep."

Dreams from last night

I can't remember the whole thing any more, but here are the highlights:

- killing gremlin/smurf/ewok thingies to prove that violence is not, in fact, the answer.
- she asked, "have you ever made out to Rodgers & Hammerstein?" and then put on CCR's Up Around the Bend.
- walking into a crowded theater with a girl balanced on my shoulders and looking around for a seat "tall enough for two". The autoharp player who was performing just looked at us and nodded in approval.
- stealing empty water bottles from the same crowded theater the next day in order to save a golden duck (no autoharp this time).