Mr. Linden's Library: He had warned her about the book. Now it was too late.

He had warned her about the book. Now it was too late. It was on the very first page. In massive black letters. Beware. Beware. He'd done all he could. She never woke up. Her eyes stayed shut, clamped tightly together under the weight of the spell. She wasn’t going to wake up. Not now, not again. He knew this much. He couldn't help but feel satisfied. Liberated. That was a better word, more descriptive. He almost laughed. If anyone knew about words, it was him. He stood over her bed as the vines and plant-life growing from the book began to engulf her, really engulf her. Even if the idea of her demise was pleasing, he was glad she was in a state of slumber. Nothing was worse than being awake when it happened. He still remembered. He remembered screaming and shouting and seeing no response from his family. They looked right through him. He wasn’t real anymore. They’d be dead now, dead for hundreds of years. He wondered how his mother passed, how old his father lived to, who his sister had married. He’d never know. He didn’t really recall them now. He couldn’t think of their names. They were blurry, surrounded in a perpetual kind of fog in his mind. But he knew once they’d been blood. Even if his existence with them was wiped away. He watched as the girl’s arm slid into the book. A blinding light shown from the vines and flowers. It had started. She still didn’t wake up. But how could she? The book was being merciful. Even it knows that there’s nothing more painful than ceasing to exist. And it’s a different kind of pain. It’s the empty kind, the bleak kind. The kind that throws you into an abyss. He sometimes thinks he recollects what it was like to be tangible, to be a measurable form. He knew it was probably just his imagination, the book playing tricks on him. The book has a sense of humor. You could feel it laughing at you once you were inside. Once it had lured you into its prison. She’d know that laughter soon. He wondered how she’d react. The real curse of the book isn’t the book itself. It’s everyone else. Whoever reads the book is trapped, and the other poor soul is released. So the story never really gets told. It’s sort of just known, a little piece of it ingrained in everyone’s mind. No one really knows how it got there and no one will notice when it vanishes. She won’t even be free to be caged. Maybe he should burn the book. He’d considered it while he was waiting. He fantasized about going to a fireplace and destroying it forever. But what would happened to her? He cocked his head, almost her entire torso was sucked in. Her legs too. He wondered how she’d be described. Would they mention her hair? She had the most beautiful hair. He still knew how the book once described him. It had focused on his eyes. Every five pages, there had to be something about his eyes. But he himself had forgotten what color they really were long ago. Once the girl was gone, he’d cover this room in mirrors. He’d look at his eyes at least five times a day. He’d never forget again. The vines were wrapping around her shoulders. He was so close. He was so close to freedom. He smiled, for the first time in centuries. What would her title be? His was Prince of Water’s End. Children loved him once, he was every little girl’s first love and sparked the first hint of jealously in little boys. When the children got older, they looked back on him and smile. They’d say that they remembered reading him in school, and watching the cartoon adaption of his life on television. But he wasn’t really there. And when he was forgotten, no one would really take notice. The book pulled her closer, her neck contorting as it descended. She wouldn’t even be a memory anymore. She’d be nothing more than a silly fairy-tale. A character. She was still sleeping, he could hear her quite breaths become sharp. She was struggling. His stomach began to sink. Suddenly he wanted to stop it, stop all of this. But then he didn’t want to stop anything, he just wanted it to go faster. Then he wanted to close the book and decimate it and throw the tattered pages into the wind. Her head was gone now, all that remained was one eyes and a cheekbone. He let out a deep sigh. That’s when it happened. The eye opened. She was awake, vibrantly awake. The book had woken her up at the very last minute. He gasped and covered his mouth. That one eye could hold so much emotion. Horror. Confusion. Betrayed. The book lingered on her eyes, waiting a while before finally swallowing her and closing itself. He sank to his knees. That was the book’s way of punishing him. He stayed slumped on the floor for some time. Then he reached up. He wanted to see the title. She deserved that much.  He reached up and pulled the book from the bed. The title wasn’t written in any real language. She’d been written by Charles Perrault. And by The Brothers Grimm. And then later by Walt Disney. It fit her. And the book was laughing. “Sleeping Beauty.” 

Finally Fading Away

Pain can be the only thing to let you know you’re still alive…sometimes I wonder if I was even born at all. I know I had to have been born. I breath, I eat, I even sleep and wake up the next morning. But every now and then I wonder if I really exist. I’ve never felt real. I’ve always felt like an idea, a fleeting little wisp who’s never quite there. People look at me, and it feels as if they don’t quite see me standing right in front of them. They say things and the words vanish. And every now and then I think I disappear. I just dissipate. Better yet, I evaporate, like a puddle of water on hot pavement. But now I feel as if, one day soon, I’ll just cease to exist all together. One morning, a morning that felt like a glitch in a timeline I could never be part of, I floated down to the living room. That’s when I first noticed the changes. I couldn’t see any pictures of me. Not that I’d seen any before, but surely my mother and my father had to have some. I was their child, their reason for living and all that. But I didn’t see anything. A stranger could walk in and have no idea they’d ever even had me. Had it always been that way? When my mother walked into the room, her stance was firm. Gravity and her feet nailed her to the ground. I hated her. I wanted to be able to do that, and not feel like I was falling all the time. I expected some sort of greeting. But I never got it. I called her name. She looked at me, blankly. It was like she was seeing me for the first time. I could almost see the shock, the horror, in her eyes. She didn’t even know me. Then, she blinked and her face was an icy slate. She passed through me, her solid body finding its way over me. She left. She walked out the door. I never saw her come back again. I don’t know if she ever did. I wonder if she remembers me, even the fragment of my presence. I wonder if she can look back and think of a ghost who might have existed once, and might very well have not. I could feel myself becoming extinct. I went through the house, looking for something that could confirm me, and who I was. I went to my room. It didn’t look special. It looked like a regular guest bedroom, nothing to say that I’d ever slept there, or played on the carpet when I was young, or had my first kiss by the window. It was empty, memory was just a word. It held no meaning or structure. It had to have happened. I know it did. I lived once, didn’t I? I turned and looked around. But I couldn’t see anything that spoke to me, calling my name in longing. My name, what was my name? I didn’t know. I had one, didn’t I? Everyone had a name. I looked at my fingers, and saw nothing. I looked at my legs, and saw nothing. I went to the mirror. And saw nothing. The last thing I can remember going through, what I suppose would be my mind, was to wish for pain. To hunger for it. Just so I could know that I used to be something. So when the air passes next to you, look for me, would you? It’s been lonely, and I wouldn’t mind the conversation. 

Spooky Season

1.) I was putting my Halloween costume on when I heard something moving in my closet...my hands froze on the white fabric. I cocked my head and stopped breathing. I felt like one of those stupid people in horror movies, those idiots who just kind of sit and stare into the distance as the murderer dramatically slides up the side of the wall and raises the knife. I could feel my heart catch in my throat. I had to think about what my options were. There was a good 115% chance that I was going to die in the next five seconds. So I had to consider my next move. I knew about the small can of pepper spray in the corner of the closet. My mom had given it to me when I noticed a shifty looking man in the parking lot one day after school. If this psycho was at least slightly human, it could work. But then, let’s be real here, it’s probably a ghost. The best thing I could do would be to distract it. I could run from the closet and bar it, use my bed and nightstand. Then I could take a flying leap out of the ceiling and onto the concrete outside. The fall might kill me, but at least I’d stand a chance. Yes, that’s what I’ll do. I shifted on my feet, preparing. Then, just as I was about to spring into action, I heard a meow. I turned my head, for the first time, and there she was. Rosie. My cat. No Norman Bates, no evil clown, no nothing. I can’t lie, I was a little disappointed.

2.) Describe all the Halloween costumes you have had in past years. – I’ve always had a weird obsession with princesses. Every year, I’ve been some sort of princess. I’ve been Mulan (even if she’s not a ‘real’ princess), Belle, Cinderella, and many others. While I preferred Disney, my father would almost always choose the knockoff brand and I would wind up being the generic, nameless princess in a purple dress. I wasn’t one of those cool, creative kids who think of fantastic, imaginary names for themselves like Princess Whale Blubber. No, I wasn’t that awesome. The only thing I was ever really concerned with was how much candy I could get, and how much I could eat without vomiting an hour later.

3.) Describe how to make a great Halloween costume using mostly supplies you have around the house. - Some of the best costumes can come from around the house. Having trouble finding something to wear this Halloween without breaking the bank? No problem! Now, what is something everybody wants to be? A unicorn, of course. The first thing a person needs are hooves. Now, everyone knows that unicorns have five legs. Humans, generally, only have four. So, a quick fix to this would be to take two rolls of old paper towel roll and tape them together, then glue this to the middle of your shirt. Back to the hooves. What I suggest is to find five empty cans. I personally enjoy cans once used for corn, but each to his own. Put two of these cans on your feet, and two on your hands. Then glue one to the makeshift leg on your stomach. Boom! Instant hooves. The next thing you’ll need are a mane and tale. Any fool could tell you that unicorn mane and tail are often rainbow colored. But we have recently discovered that this is not always the case. Some of the other colors you can consider are magic, butterfly, and invisible sparkle. But, I would choose rainbow myself. To make a mane and tail, get stripes of paper and spray paint them whatever color you wish. Tape them to your head and buttocks. Finally, you need a horn. For this, take five to six donuts and mash them together, shape them into a pointy structure. Super glue the donuts to your forehead. And that’s it! Congratulations. You are now a Five-Legged Unicorn. Now go out and make all your friends jealous.

Dan in Real Life Questions

1.) Dan writes a column on parenting advice but has a lot of trouble parenting. Do you think it’s important to write about what you know? – I do think it is important to write about what you know. If you try to write about love, and you’ve never been in love, it can sound fake and shallow. I’m not saying, of course, that a person has to have been in love to write about it, I just think they should have some knowledge about it, or at least some background information. I feel this way about most things though, if you’re going to be an expert on something, then actually become an expert. I think one of the most dangerous things in the world is people pretending to know about things they don’t.

9.) What makes someone a ‘hottie’ to you? – Everyone has a ‘type’. I don’t know anybody who doesn’t have some sort of preference in what they find attractive. For me, there is nothing more attractive than kindness. A sparkling personality, one that radiates and brings people to them, is something I find to be very attractive. I admire people who are comfortable with themselves and couldn’t really care less what other people think. I admire people who stand up for themselves and what they believe in, and I admire intelligence and class. These things are often too rare in modern society.

15.) What is something most people don’t know about you? – I have these bizarre nightmares most of the time. I don’t really tell people about it, and it isn’t something to bring up in everyday conversation, but I have nightmares almost every night and they are some of the most bizarre experiences of my life. Once, I had a horrible nightmare that my friend took me to a church where they worshiped vampires and everybody was walking on the ceiling, and once I woke up in a blind panic because apparent the ACT had a question about dogs that I didn’t know the answer to and I was kicked out of the county.

21.) Does your family do large gatherings with interesting sleeping arrangements and lots of activities like Dan’s? – I have a fairly large family – mainly gathered in New York, Kentucky, and Colorado. When I go to Kentucky, I always have two choices. Choice One – to sleep in one of the oldest beds in history that happens to be infested with spiders. Or Choice Two – sleeping in the mosquito filled cabin on a dusty (I’m allergic to dust) couch with eight stuffed deer heads staring down at me from the high living room wall. Either way, I never get too much shut eye. Sometimes, if there simply isn’t enough room, I’ll end up on the floor, which isn’t terribly bad considering my other two options.

29 Where would you like to have a vacation of getaway home like the one Dan’s family has? What would the place be like? – I would love to have a getaway home somewhere in the city of Versailles, France. I went there once to view the Palace of Versailles, and I though the little, wealthy city itself was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been too. I’ve always wanted to go back. I would love to have a small place, not too close to the Palace of Versailles. One room could satisfy me, with plush furniture and lavish foods at the ready for me every morning. In fact, I might never want to leave this tiny getaway paradise! 

"Reely" Good Movie Quotes

(The Truman Show)

(Beauty and the Beast)

(American Beauty)

(The Princess Bride)

(Tangled)

"Reel" Life

My favorite movie would have to be Beauty and the Beast. I have always loved this film, it has gotten me through some difficult times and I really can't imagine my life without it. I have found it to be a safe refuge in the stormy times of my life. No matter what seems to change, that movie always stays the same. Usually, I really can't stand romantic comedies. I can't stand their sickly sweet humor and their hopelessly happy endings. They always make me roll my eyes. But I think the real reason I hate them so much is because they don't make me think. If I'm going to watch something, I want it to stimulate my mind somehow. Romantic comedies never do this for me. I find their ridiculous fantasies about love to be flat and silly. However, there are some romantic comedies I can stand, and find myself enjoying (cough cough, The Princess Bride, cough cough). I feel that I watch movies pretty often. One of my favorite things to do is go to the theater with my parents. I love that feeling of being able to escape for a couple of hours. I find myself more relaxed in a theater than anywhere else. When I get home, my father and I often watch some sort of film together. It's a nice way to get to spend some time with him. When I do watch movies at home, I always do it in my living room. Although I really enjoy silence while watching movies, I can stomach some comments throughout. As long as there isn't a constant flow of talking, I'll be fine. I love the most cliche of all movie viewing food, popcorn. I love popcorn, and to have some while watching a movie just seems to add something to the viewing experience. If anyone could play in me a movie about my life, I would have to say Selena Gomez, because I think she looks vaguely similar to me (although she is much prettier). Three things about my life that would have to be included in my movie would be my mother and stepfather divorcing, leaving middle school, and going into high school. I don't really know what kind of ending it would have, hopefully something potent.


Quiz -

It said some interesting things about who I am as a person and what kind of movie-watcher I am.

PLEASURE-SEEKING: 25%

NOSTALGIA: 60%

Your low score on the “pleasure seeking” dimension suggests that you are a not hedonistic movie watcher – this means you do not really enjoy films that give you pleasure and that few movies have a real “feel-good” effect on you.

The “nostalgia” dimension refers to the extent to which you watch movies in order to re-experience the past. Your score on this dimension is average or similar to most people.






CATHARSIS: 60%

AGGRESSION: 15%

The “catharsis” dimension refers to the extent to which you watch movies in order to feel miserable and suffer with the characters of the movie. Your score on this dimension is average or similar to most people.

Your low score on the “aggressive” dimension suggests that you do not enjoy watching violent movies, such as action or war films. Such movies help some people release aggression and tension, but that does not seem to be your case at all, either because you are not aggressive, or you release your aggression otherwise.






ESCAPISM: 40%

SENSATION-SEEKING: 30%

The “escapism” dimension refers to the extent to which you watch movies in order to escape or forget about reality. Your score on this dimension is average or similar to most people.

The “sensation seeking” dimension refers to the extent to which you watch movies on order to experience arousing or adrenalising feelings. Your score on this dimension is average or similar to most people.






ARTISTIC: 65%

INFORMATION-SEEKING: 75%

The “artistic” dimension refers to the extent to which you are interested in aesthetically driven, conceptual, and highly creative films. Your score on this dimension is average or similar to most people.

Your high score on the “information seeking” dimension suggests that you are a curious and intellectual movie watcher – thus you probably enjoy movies that enable you to learn something or increase your knowledge (e.g. factual films, documentaries, or accurate biographical/historical accounts).






BOREDOM-AVOIDANCE: 10%

SOCIALISATION: 5%

Your low score on the “boredom avoidance” dimension suggests that you do not watch films primarily as a means of avoiding boredom. Thus you are probably more interested in what specific movie you choose.

Your low score on the “socialising” dimension suggests that you are more interested in the movie itself than in the company of others; and that you prefer to watch movies alone than with others. Watching movies is definitely not a social experience for you.

http://www.thefagans.org.uk/filmuses/survey.php

 YOUR PERSONALITY

Take a look at how you scored on the Big Five personality dimensions below.
Your scores, compared with the responses of other people, suggest that you may be described as follows:

YOU ARE 8% EXTRAVERTED.
You are introverted, reserved and serious. You prefer to be alone or with a few close friends.

YOU ARE 67% AGREEABLE.
You are generally warm, trusting, and agreeable, but you can sometimes be stubborn and competitive.

YOU ARE 75% CONSCIENTIOUS.
You are dependable and moderately well-organised. You generally have clear goals and are able to set goals aside.

YOU ARE 25% EMOTIONALLY STABLE.
You are sensitive, emotional and prone to experience feelings that are upsetting.

YOU ARE 92% OPEN TO NEW EXPERIENCES.
You are open to new experiences. You have broad interests and are very imaginative. 

Dreaming of a Good Future

From the presentation yesterday, I really liked what he said about critique groups and self-publishing. I'd never really given self-publishing or critique groups any thought, but now I think it might be worth looking at. One question I have would be this - was self-publishing worth it? I wonder if all the work it took was worth it to self-publish. Next year, I'd like to be at college. I'm still looking at which college I'll really go to, but I'm really excited. In five years, I'd like to be nearly finished with my first degree, most likely in psychology. I hope to be living on my own and paying my own way, independently. In ten years, I'd like to be finished with my Ph.D and starting to work at a college. Perhaps I'll be married and very busy (with work and so on) at this point. In fifty years, I'd like to be happily retired or going through the process of becoming retired.