Love?

"What does it mean to 'be in love'?" I'd ask first. "Say that he and you were in one of those either/or situations. Both of you stranded on a little bit of rock which is slowly being engulfed by the incoming tide. And while you're standing there watching the water rise, an old man in a canoe or a kayak pulls up and offers to save one of you. Only one, mind you. The other would have to stay out there and drown. Would you gladly and even gratefully watch him being rowed to safety as the water rose to your chest? Would you wave with a bright smile on your face? Or would love demand that both of you would have to refuse the old man's offer so you'd drown out there together with your bodies intertwined..."


"Love? What's complicated about love? You feel happy when you're with the person you love and desolate when you're not. That's all. That's it."


*Not an original Edenia post. Taken from "After Freud" by Mary Elsie Robertson

p/s In short, it's Titanic versus Romeo and Juliet. *chuckles*

Breathless

There was an odd mixture of feelings in the air tonight. She could almost taste the emotions: intricate and bittersweet. She scanned her surroundings with a swift sweep, her eyes covering as much detail as possible. There were people scattered everywhere, scurrying about, minding their own business. She wrinkled her nose as the smell of overpriced coffee and stale muffins fill up her head. What was she doing here again? Her mind kept going back to the same question. Why was she here? All she knew was that she didn't like it here very much.

She was standing in this very spot just a few months ago. Sending her best friend off, to who-knows-where. Her best friend was moving, not into another neighborhood close by, but some place further than the usual ten minutes of walking away. Another continent, in fact. She could feel the moisture well up in her eyes almost immediately as she recalled how much she has missed her since. Quickly, she blinked and forced the tears back to where they belonged.

The generic ding-dong chime sounded, advising travelers to not leave their luggage unattended. The jingle managed to snap her out of her memories and she was instantly reminded to focus only on the task at hand.

Frantically, she searched for a familiar face but found none, only quizzical looks from strangers when her eyes and theirs accidentally met for a split second. She wasted no time on them and continued looking for him. For anyone familiar at all. They had to be here, somewhere.

She checked her watch again and again. Begging for time to slow down, to accommodate her, for just this once.

She was angry, regretful, and perhaps even a little vengeful. The news was all too sudden, him speaking of leaving out of the blue. It came as a shock, a real blow. She scolded herself endlessly for not being attentive enough. How could she jot down the wrong time? How could she be so careless? How could circumstances be so merciless to her today, of all days? She needed a source to blame.

Nothing registered in her head, her mind was a blank. She never was the best under pressure. Thus, she decided to let her intuition guide her, for she had nothing else. Her sixth sense led her to the schedule boards. Putting two and two together, she began running towards the designated dock number.. she ran until her lungs felt like they were on fire.. until her legs felt like they would give in if she took another step.

Breathless, she reached the gate. Please, please, please... don't go.. not yet. She mumbled under her breath as her eyes combed through the crowds, searching for him.

But it was all too late. She was too late.

He's gone.

The ship sailed mere minutes ago. She raced all the way here, to no avail.

He didn't wait for her. Not even for another second.

How could he? How could he just leave like that? Without saying a word? Without a proper goodbye?

She let the salt water stain her face. She didn't try to hide her tears this time.


*Not an original Edenia post. This is Rachelle's work, edited to make it slightly more archaic (ship instead of plane)

Whisper

Shh... Listen. Listen quietly. Strain your ears in the silence.

The night is still. The darkness absolute. There is nothing to hear, yet hear you must.

Can you hear it? The beating of two hearts in the darkness? Separated by time and space eternal, but beating as one.

Can you hear the silent chuckles? The non-existent laughs? The quiet smiles?

There is nothing to hear, yet hear I do.

I hear the storm in the wind. I hear music without sound. I hear laughter without voices. I hear it all and I hear nothing. And suddenly the universe seems so small.

The silence is loud.

Saviour (part 3)

"Not a sound," whispered Asheroth suddenly, cutting me off before I could say another word.

Seth and Asheroth grunted and hummed and exchanged annoying, unintelligible noises.

All of a sudden a bright flash of lightning struck a nearby tree, setting it on fire.

"Now?" asked Seth as he nimbly dodged the collapsing, burning tree.

"Wait," came the reply.

"Mother?" Seth called out with a slight hint of concern.

"I'll be fine," I reassured him.

"Where's he?" said Asheroth.

Another lightning came and this one nearly hit me. I teleported away to a relatively safer place, just in time.

"The south!" I cried out.

"Now?" asked Seth again.

"Wait," answered Asheroth.

What? I thought to myself. Fine, I'll do it.

Immediately, I collected energy and...
Asheroth stopped me. Something different in his eyes. I let my energy dissipate.

"Watch out!"

We leapt aside to dodge another lightning.

"East now, nearer too," I said.

"Now?" asked Seth.

Asheroth merely nodded.

To my utmost surpirse, Seth started to glow, and wings began to sprout from behind him. In a blink of an eye, he spread his wings and flew.

"Husband, why does my son have wings?" I asked Asheroth as I looked at him darkly.

He cleared his throat. "Well... We better get going and leave those boys to settle their business."

"How in the name of the Twelve Skies did he become a Northerner?"

"Uh-huh.. Let's go," he said, his face becoming unreadable.

"That's not really Seth, is it?"

"No."

"Then who was that young man?" I demanded, tears forming in my eyes.

"A Hybrid look-alike."

"A Hybrid?" The emergence of a Hybrid... The Northern Empire must be in great turmoil!

"Shall we leave now? We can talk on the way. Besides, King Gerald would probably want to see you."

I stood motionless. There were sounds of trees and rocks crashing in the distance.

"Those boys have grown up, haven't they? Hmm... Shall we leave now?"

I took Asheroth's hand.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Taking us to King Gerald. We need to get to him, fast. Are you gonna help me?"

"You're nuts. Have you any idea how far away his castle is from here?" he said.

"Yes, to both questions. Now, will you please focus?"

"They'd better listen to us when we get there," mumbled Asheroth. "I can get really scary when I'm tired."

Arcane energy swirled around us as the sounds of explosions and crashing continued ringing through the night air.

Saviour (part 2)

“Where are we going?”

“We’re meeting someone,” the reply came. His movements were silent; his entire self exudes strength, agility, grace and finesse.

“Is it far?”

He spun abruptly and I stood toe to toe with him. I blushed as his green eyes met mine.

I slowly tiptoed – my whole body was tingling, longing to kiss him.

“Seth,” a voice suddenly called out, instantly ending my attempt to lay my lips on his.

The man in front of me, or Seth, cleared his throat and stepped away to greet the stranger with a firm handshake and brisk embrace.

“That’s your name?” I spoke out. “Seth?”

My savior nodded slightly.

“What is yours?” asked the stranger.

I hesitated. Seth reassured me by giving me a quick smile.

Then I answered, “Ara.”

The man nodded. “Well done, son.”

“I would never fail – failure is not an option in our campaign,” replied Seth grimly.

The man sighed. “Too true,” he said. He sighed again. I’m getting too old for this.

“What’s going on?” I asked. Suddenly I was scared. Beads of sweat began forming on my forehead.

“My name is Asheroth,” said the man. “Seth is my son.”

My heart raced. Asheroth? Why does it sound so familiar?

“Your real name is Es-Qara. Mother of Seth the Eternal, Wife of Asheroth the Magician.”

Silence gripped me. My saviour, who has so smitten me, is my son. My heart sank with bittersweetness.

“Of course, you wouldn’t believe me. But we need to do something very important now.”

“Yes. Mother, where is your necklace?” said Seth.

I touched my neck – the necklace wasn’t there. “The pimp, he’s taken it,” I said.

Asheroth threw a dark look at Seth.

Seth reached into his pocket and took out a gold necklace. “Failure is not an option,” he said.

Asheroth smiled apologetically as he took the necklace. “Sorry.”

“What are you going to do with it?” I asked.

“This,” said Asheroth casually. His face turned serious and he mumbled a string of unintelligible words. Suddenly the night air was still, then it was full of energy.

Next thing I remembered was a bright flash and I passed out.

While I was unconscious, I had dreams. Pictures, documents, people, voices, pain, joy, victory, loss, darkness, evil, children, huts, fields, plains, mountains, drychnaths, sailing, flying, screams of terror, clanging of steel against steel, Snow People… A multitude of familiar images and sounds all scrambled together. Giddying... cacophonous myriad of memories…

And suddenly I woke up.

“Did Seal follow you all the way here?” I asked Seth.

“That’s fast,” commented Asheroth. "Somehow she's always business, your mother."

“Hush husband.”

“Welcome back, Lady Es-Qara,” said Seth, bowing slightly.

I rolled my eyes. “Just answer me please.”

“Here we go. Again,” said Asheroth, throwing his arms into the air with mock exasperation.

He flinched as I pinched him.

Beyond and Beyond

They say

The eyes are the window

to the soul

So hold

my gaze longer

Look beyond

Beyond.

Look

Listen

You can read my thoughts

racing

to the beat of my heart

Theythinkshe'spopular

Theythinkshe'ssmart

Theythinkshe'sgoteverything

Agirlcouldeverwant

The loneliness

Sets in

Killing me again

and again.

I break the gaze

And blindly turn to run

Until you come,

pull me closer

And whisper,

"I know."

I know.

-Maia-

Come what may

In the dark I searched
In the light I saw
Even without much
I believed in it all

In the past I hid
In the now I show
Then I knew I did
Now I know what for

Oh, what a vain hope it was!
But now I know it was never lost

You gave me a reason to smile
You just brightened my day
And now I can't wipe
That silly grin from my face

It's been really quite awhile
But now I've reason to say
There's meaning to life
I can see through the haze

Tomorrow's a brand new day
Come what may
Come what may

-Asheroth-

Still he smiles

There was once a man
Who challenged the gods

Questioned he their authority
Freedom he sought from their ideals
He wanted to be his own man
But still he failed in the end

Condemned now he lives
Trapped in an endless cycle
A prisoner

Everyday
His task is the same
A huge big rock to push
The top of the highest mountain his goal

And that done
He would watch
As that wretched stone
Rolled down the other side

Still down he is forced to trudge
For to stop would mean suffering
To the bottom of the mountain he goes
To push that cursed rock
Back up the mountain again

No rest
No stop
No respite
Except the occasional breeze
Cooling his hot breath
And the smell of fresh air
Scented with flowers

Over and over again
With seeming purposelessness he toils
Aware he is
That the endless cycle will go on
Throughout time infinite
Even death is not a factor
For he will live forever

But behold
Still he smiles
And takes a deep breath
Of the fresh, scented air

With an ironic laugh
He goes on
Knowing as he does
That he has won

His laugh rings loud in the silence.

*Adapted from The Myth of Sisyphus by Alfred Camus

Hello?

Hey.

It's me. Only me. Nothing to be afraid of.

I remember staring at you as you lay asleep. So calm, so peaceful. Unafraid. You'd smile unexpectedly, dreaming sweet dreams. And with you at peace, so was I.

What happened to those days? Those days of sweet, peaceful, beautiful sleep? Why do nightmares now haunt us, even beyond our waking dreams? What has changed?

You sleep now in distress. Every night, you toss and turn, muttering softly. Every night, your eyes open suddenly in unconscious fear, a strangled scream on your lips. And even when you're awake, I see the nightmare haunting you. The way you turn suddenly, so easily startled by shadows. The way you stop and pause to listen before turning every corner. The way you constantly scrutinize your surroundings, as if someone was hiding in the shadows. I see it in your fear-filled eyes. I see it in your every action, in every nervous tap of your foot, in every twitch of your fingers. I smell it in the scent of your hair, in your sweet but hastened breath. I feel it when I touch your cold hand, when you grip mine uncertainly. I see the fear.

Can you not tell me what it is? This silent, unseen, but all-pervading fear? Why do you turn away from my questioning eyes? Why do you ignore my concerned questions? Even if I cannot help, I want to share the burden. I want to share the fear, and stand by your side as you face it. Will you not let me do that? Will you ignore my love?

Now my dreams are restless too. Restless with concern, restless with fear. Your nightmares speak to me silently, and I cannot ignore them. But I do not begrudge you my peaceful sleep. I'd give it up willingly to aid your fight against the darkness. And so I have, but to no avail. The darkness remains unnamed.

Wait. WAIT. It's not me, is it? Am I the cause of your fear??? No? NO??? Why did you suddenly shrink away from me??? Why did your face suddenly change? Why did.... No. No! NOOO!!!!

I'msorryI'msorrryI'msorryI'msorry. Forgivemeforgivemeforgivemeforgiveme.

PLEASE!!!!

It's too late.

Too late.

Love, unrealised

He reminisced, sitting alone in the comforting darkness, the cacophony dulling as his memory took him back a few months, weeks, mere days ago.

A faint smile played on his lips as he remembered how she would seemingly walk in and out of other people's lives, touching them and sprinkling drops of refreshing joy with her little acts of kindness. Her distracted gaze, always on the lookout for who knows what. She first captivated him with her inquisitiveness, prodding him to let her into places he'd never let anyone into. Unable to escape her charm for some odd reason, he found himself wondering more and more about her.

He helplessly watched her flit around, social butterfly-esque, unrestrained, untamed; she belonged to no one, and he could not bring himself to claim her. There were times he thought she paid him more attention than what would have been usual, but the very next day, uncertainty would strike again as she passed him by without much notice. Flustered, he took a back seat, and resolved not to make anymore clumsy moves. Secretly, however, he never stopped longing for the day he could comfort her by enveloping her in his embrace, catch her every emotion, feel her pulse beating.

***

She smiled wistfully as she curled up in bed, her thoughts allowed to run all over each other while she watched and listened, as might a casual observer.

Strangely, he always appearing in her thoughts nowadays. She remembered the muted signals he gave out; the hints she tried to ignore. Somehow, though, she could never be sure about how he felt for her. Something inside her was stirring, but she didn't dare understand it. It was inexplicable. What was so different about this one? He intrigued her by his mysterious stoicism. Why didn't he fall for her charm right away, or at least show that he did? Not many could withstand her subtle manipulation. Uncanny.

Then again, she didn't use it on him. She didn't want him to fall for her - she knew that she would have to hurt him. Too many secrets, some a young girl should never have to hold. Too many duties and obligations. Why her?

Why him?

She sighed, hugging her bolster tightly to her chest to calm her rapid heartbeats. And fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

-by Maia-