Saturday, April 21, 2007
Friday, February 9, 2007
Truth.
The light faded, and he was gone.
She looked around her. The door was closed, and so were all the windows. She was alone.
“Jeezuz.” She collapsed on the couch and sat there in deep thought for a while.
“What the fuck?” She muttered and picked up the globe and stared at the border he made. There was a burn mark on the map where his fingers had traced. It was quite large, extending form the south-western corner of Britain, in a thin strip of land, before enlarging into a massive stretch of land that extended down the south of the Atlantic almost up to the equator. “The God of Fire.” She whispered and traced the burn mark on the map. Seeing that burn mark reminded her of her half-burned lab-coat. “Oh God.” She said again as she saw how badly it was burnt. She quickly took it off to inspect her arm for any injuries. There weren’t any.
She inspected Zohl’Noush’s continent on the globe again.
“Ardalis.” She whispered. “Atlantis. Hmm.”
“Theres nothing there.” He was back, and he was standing behind her. She didn’t get a start this time. She just turned around and looked at him calmly.
He was staring at her like he was going mad. His hair was dripping wet, and he just stood there like a lost boy with no toys. “Theres nothing there.” His voice was as thick as a widow’s. “nothing.” He said again.
He collapsed to the floor. “Oh, Gods. My Elta. Elta.” Elise knelt down next to him. “Do you know Elta?” he looked at her suddenly like he insanely hoped she might know something.
“No, Zohl’Noush, I don’t know Elta.”
“Oh, Gods! Elta!” He was crying now. “Elta.” He said the word like he could taste it, and he didn’t want to stop tasting it because it was fading away quickly.
He was sobbing for a while, and Elise didn’t know what to do. She just sat there with her arm awkwardly strung over his back as he knelt there with his face and arms in the floor, crying like a nothing that had lost everything. A God of Fire that cries. She tried not to look at the humor in the situation.
He looked up at her eventually. “How long has it been gone?”
“Ardalis? Your island in the Atlantic? Um..” She hesitated again. “Zohl’Noush, it was never there. Well, not in our recorded history, anyway. If it was there, it was gone long before we started recording history.”
“You mean you weren’t even civilized yet when we were lost?”
“uhh..” She didn’t know what to say. “Listen, Zohl’Noush. There is this one legend about a city called Atlantis. I don’t know if it’s a city or continent, or what. But there is a really old legend about this place called Atlantis that was somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean thousands of years ago. They say the gods weren’t happy with the people that lived there, so they destroyed it by sinking it into the oceans.”
“Atlantis.” He said.
“Well, I figure it sounds pretty similar to Ardalis.” She replied. “Atlantis. Ardalis. You know. Names can distort over thousands of years. Go figure.”
He sat silently for a while.
She looked around her. The door was closed, and so were all the windows. She was alone.
“Jeezuz.” She collapsed on the couch and sat there in deep thought for a while.
“What the fuck?” She muttered and picked up the globe and stared at the border he made. There was a burn mark on the map where his fingers had traced. It was quite large, extending form the south-western corner of Britain, in a thin strip of land, before enlarging into a massive stretch of land that extended down the south of the Atlantic almost up to the equator. “The God of Fire.” She whispered and traced the burn mark on the map. Seeing that burn mark reminded her of her half-burned lab-coat. “Oh God.” She said again as she saw how badly it was burnt. She quickly took it off to inspect her arm for any injuries. There weren’t any.
She inspected Zohl’Noush’s continent on the globe again.
“Ardalis.” She whispered. “Atlantis. Hmm.”
“Theres nothing there.” He was back, and he was standing behind her. She didn’t get a start this time. She just turned around and looked at him calmly.
He was staring at her like he was going mad. His hair was dripping wet, and he just stood there like a lost boy with no toys. “Theres nothing there.” His voice was as thick as a widow’s. “nothing.” He said again.
He collapsed to the floor. “Oh, Gods. My Elta. Elta.” Elise knelt down next to him. “Do you know Elta?” he looked at her suddenly like he insanely hoped she might know something.
“No, Zohl’Noush, I don’t know Elta.”
“Oh, Gods! Elta!” He was crying now. “Elta.” He said the word like he could taste it, and he didn’t want to stop tasting it because it was fading away quickly.
He was sobbing for a while, and Elise didn’t know what to do. She just sat there with her arm awkwardly strung over his back as he knelt there with his face and arms in the floor, crying like a nothing that had lost everything. A God of Fire that cries. She tried not to look at the humor in the situation.
He looked up at her eventually. “How long has it been gone?”
“Ardalis? Your island in the Atlantic? Um..” She hesitated again. “Zohl’Noush, it was never there. Well, not in our recorded history, anyway. If it was there, it was gone long before we started recording history.”
“You mean you weren’t even civilized yet when we were lost?”
“uhh..” She didn’t know what to say. “Listen, Zohl’Noush. There is this one legend about a city called Atlantis. I don’t know if it’s a city or continent, or what. But there is a really old legend about this place called Atlantis that was somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean thousands of years ago. They say the gods weren’t happy with the people that lived there, so they destroyed it by sinking it into the oceans.”
“Atlantis.” He said.
“Well, I figure it sounds pretty similar to Ardalis.” She replied. “Atlantis. Ardalis. You know. Names can distort over thousands of years. Go figure.”
He sat silently for a while.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Forgotten
“huh.” He said with some interest. “You people have advanced so amazingly. I supposed this area is what you call Africa, then.”
“Yes.” She actually smiled.
“Interesting.” He paused. “Anyway,” he turned the globe towards the Atlantic Ocean. “This is where I live.” He stopped at the Atlantic Ocean. “What? This is wrong.”
“What?” She looked at him.
“No, this cant..” He swallowed and squinted his eyes. “Ardalis. Ardalis is right here.” He outlined a large border in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. “Why doesn’t this stupid model show Ardalis?” He looked at her with panicked eyes.
“That’s the Atlantic Ocean, Zohl’Noush.” She said to him. “Theres nothing there.”
“No, no, there is. Ardalis. Your map is missing a whole continent. It shows only six of them. How can they forget Ardalis? Give me another map.”
“Zohl’Noush, theres nothing in the Atlantic Ocean. Its just an ocean.”
“Show me another map!” he was roaring again, and his eyes blazed a green fire.
She stared at his eyes in shock for a while.
“Show me!”
She scrambled for her atlas and showed him.
The man slumped forward. “What in Hel?” his voice was thick. “Why is it…? Oh Gods! Is it me?”
“What do you mean?”
Everything suddenly flashed to white, and Elise screamed. She stumbled back blindely and crashed into her TV unit which buckled from the force and almost toppled over. She squinted through the blindling light. “ZOhl’Noush?” She screamed “What the hell are you doing?”
The light faded, and he was gone.
She looked around her. The door was closed, and so were all the windows. She was alone.
“Yes.” She actually smiled.
“Interesting.” He paused. “Anyway,” he turned the globe towards the Atlantic Ocean. “This is where I live.” He stopped at the Atlantic Ocean. “What? This is wrong.”
“What?” She looked at him.
“No, this cant..” He swallowed and squinted his eyes. “Ardalis. Ardalis is right here.” He outlined a large border in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. “Why doesn’t this stupid model show Ardalis?” He looked at her with panicked eyes.
“That’s the Atlantic Ocean, Zohl’Noush.” She said to him. “Theres nothing there.”
“No, no, there is. Ardalis. Your map is missing a whole continent. It shows only six of them. How can they forget Ardalis? Give me another map.”
“Zohl’Noush, theres nothing in the Atlantic Ocean. Its just an ocean.”
“Show me another map!” he was roaring again, and his eyes blazed a green fire.
She stared at his eyes in shock for a while.
“Show me!”
She scrambled for her atlas and showed him.
The man slumped forward. “What in Hel?” his voice was thick. “Why is it…? Oh Gods! Is it me?”
“What do you mean?”
Everything suddenly flashed to white, and Elise screamed. She stumbled back blindely and crashed into her TV unit which buckled from the force and almost toppled over. She squinted through the blindling light. “ZOhl’Noush?” She screamed “What the hell are you doing?”
The light faded, and he was gone.
She looked around her. The door was closed, and so were all the windows. She was alone.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Identity
“I need to go home.” She said.
“Can you show me what I need to know from there?”
“No…” She hesitated. “I just…please, I just need to go home.”
“Elise.”
“Leave me alone!” She shouted at him, and his eyes glowed a slight green.
“You will show me what I need to know. Whether you show me from your home, or whether you show me in the stars, you will show me what I need to know.”
“Fine, just..” She shook her head. “oh God! Just leave me alone!”
“I know you don’t want me to.” He said. “Why do you say thing that you don’t mean?”
“What?”
“I can feel your thinking.” He said. “You’re fascinated by me. Why do you lie to me and to yourself so easily. Your being overcome by emotion like this is…unbecoming. Then again…” He turned his head down. “Who am I to disapprove?”
She took a deep breath and looked at him.
“I don’t think I can drive anymore.” She announced. “I need some time to catch my breathe.” Adapt. Adapt. Control. Its not so bad. You’ve got the situation covered. Just adapt. She could take him to the police station, but she wouldn’t know what this man could do. God of Fire. God of Fire. How do you call yourself that? Who knows what he’d burn, and how many people he’d kill if he knew she was going to abandon him at the police station. Dammit. “Can you wait for me to catch my breathe?”
“Yes.”
“Will you leave me alone after I help you?”
“Of course.”
“just where we are?”
“No. I need to know where we are, when we are, where is Ardalis, and why haven’t you heard of it.”
Too much. Okay, whatever. She’ll get this done. This was a situation of a lifetime. This man could control fire. Holy God, he could control Fire!
“Okay, whatever. I’ll help you.”
It took her a while to catch her breathe, and the whole time he just stood there, watching the road and the cars whizzing past with the drivers deliberately not looking at them as usual. This was a big city. Nobody cared about anybody.
Eventually, they started the drive back home. “I just live by those buildings up ahead.” She wondered why she said it the minute the words came out.
“Good.” He said it like he cared.
The walk from her car up to her apartment door seemed to last half a second. She was coming to terms with the fact that she had some kind of super-hero comic book character crazy thing walking with her, and before long her tall-seeming door loomed over her with its brown, half-splintered wood.
“Okay, this is it.” She opened the door. “Come in.” She was way beyond thinking of the consequences of letting some strange man into her home. A part of her was terrified of him and his angry eyes, yet another part knew that this was a science-fiction story that she was living, and it was an event of history that might be remembered forever.
“If you can sit down there,” She pointed at the half-ripped couch in her living room. “I’ll just get my globe.”
“Your globe?” He asked as he sat down.
“My globe.” She repeated as she came back in with a globe-model of the earth. It was about a foot in diameter, and it was held in a rotating axis.
“I know this.” Zohl’Noush said as he took the globe from her without asking. “This is earth.” He smiled like he finally saw something familiar. He brushed his hand over Asia, Africa and Europe. “These are the Eastern Lands and…”
“this is where we are.” Elise interrupted him as she stopped the rotation of the globe and put her finger on South Africa.”
“huh.” He said with some interest. “You people have advanced so amazingly. I supposed this area is what you call Africa, then.”
“Can you show me what I need to know from there?”
“No…” She hesitated. “I just…please, I just need to go home.”
“Elise.”
“Leave me alone!” She shouted at him, and his eyes glowed a slight green.
“You will show me what I need to know. Whether you show me from your home, or whether you show me in the stars, you will show me what I need to know.”
“Fine, just..” She shook her head. “oh God! Just leave me alone!”
“I know you don’t want me to.” He said. “Why do you say thing that you don’t mean?”
“What?”
“I can feel your thinking.” He said. “You’re fascinated by me. Why do you lie to me and to yourself so easily. Your being overcome by emotion like this is…unbecoming. Then again…” He turned his head down. “Who am I to disapprove?”
She took a deep breath and looked at him.
“I don’t think I can drive anymore.” She announced. “I need some time to catch my breathe.” Adapt. Adapt. Control. Its not so bad. You’ve got the situation covered. Just adapt. She could take him to the police station, but she wouldn’t know what this man could do. God of Fire. God of Fire. How do you call yourself that? Who knows what he’d burn, and how many people he’d kill if he knew she was going to abandon him at the police station. Dammit. “Can you wait for me to catch my breathe?”
“Yes.”
“Will you leave me alone after I help you?”
“Of course.”
“just where we are?”
“No. I need to know where we are, when we are, where is Ardalis, and why haven’t you heard of it.”
Too much. Okay, whatever. She’ll get this done. This was a situation of a lifetime. This man could control fire. Holy God, he could control Fire!
“Okay, whatever. I’ll help you.”
It took her a while to catch her breathe, and the whole time he just stood there, watching the road and the cars whizzing past with the drivers deliberately not looking at them as usual. This was a big city. Nobody cared about anybody.
Eventually, they started the drive back home. “I just live by those buildings up ahead.” She wondered why she said it the minute the words came out.
“Good.” He said it like he cared.
The walk from her car up to her apartment door seemed to last half a second. She was coming to terms with the fact that she had some kind of super-hero comic book character crazy thing walking with her, and before long her tall-seeming door loomed over her with its brown, half-splintered wood.
“Okay, this is it.” She opened the door. “Come in.” She was way beyond thinking of the consequences of letting some strange man into her home. A part of her was terrified of him and his angry eyes, yet another part knew that this was a science-fiction story that she was living, and it was an event of history that might be remembered forever.
“If you can sit down there,” She pointed at the half-ripped couch in her living room. “I’ll just get my globe.”
“Your globe?” He asked as he sat down.
“My globe.” She repeated as she came back in with a globe-model of the earth. It was about a foot in diameter, and it was held in a rotating axis.
“I know this.” Zohl’Noush said as he took the globe from her without asking. “This is earth.” He smiled like he finally saw something familiar. He brushed his hand over Asia, Africa and Europe. “These are the Eastern Lands and…”
“this is where we are.” Elise interrupted him as she stopped the rotation of the globe and put her finger on South Africa.”
“huh.” He said with some interest. “You people have advanced so amazingly. I supposed this area is what you call Africa, then.”
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Hysterics
“Who are you?”
He looked at her. “I am the God of Fire.”
“What?”
He just looked at her.
“The God of Fire.” She repeated in a mocking voice.
He didn’t look amused. “Don’t mock me.” Her right sleeve suddenly burst into flame.
She jumped and her head cracked against the window. She was screaming like a hysterical Beatles-fan, and just like that, the fire was gone.
“I wont ask again, little sister.” He said calmly.
She touched her burned sleeve like it was a dream, but the steaming fiber burnt her still-untouched skin, and she screamed again. “OH my God!!” She screamed. “What the fuck is this??”
“Calm down.” He said.
“Oh my fucking God!” She screamed. “What the fuck are you?”
He looked at her like she knew the answer.
“Where the fuck are you from? You just appeared there, and you don’t know shit! And now you’re starting fires and shit! What the fuck?” She struggled with the car’s door handle and burst out of the car. “Oh my God!”
Cars whizzed passed them like it was a perfectly normal day, and she paced back and forth like she needed to go to the toilet. Eventually she leaned against the car and drew her face heavenward again. “okay. Alright.” She took a deep breathe. “Calm down, Elise. Calm down.” She took out her cellphone and held it to her ear expectantly after dialing a number.
“Hello, mom?”
She hung up before she could get a reply. “Oh God, what the fuck am I supposed to say?”
“Elise, you neednt be worried.” He was behind her.
She screamed and jumped to the side. “How the fuck did you get there?”
He looked at her calmly. “Elise. I am the God of Fire. I am Zohl’Noush. You obviously haven’t seen anything like me or my kind. But I am the God of Fire, and I’m not from here. I’m lost, Elise, and I need help to get back home. All I need you to do for me is show me where or when I am, and I can find my own way back.”
They stared at each other for a while, and all she could think of was why she wasn’t still hysterical.
“I need to go home.” She said.
“Can you show me what I need to know from there?”
“No…” She hesitated. “I just…please, I just need to go home.”
“Elise.”
“Leave me alone!” She shouted at him, and his eyes glowed a slight green.
He looked at her. “I am the God of Fire.”
“What?”
He just looked at her.
“The God of Fire.” She repeated in a mocking voice.
He didn’t look amused. “Don’t mock me.” Her right sleeve suddenly burst into flame.
She jumped and her head cracked against the window. She was screaming like a hysterical Beatles-fan, and just like that, the fire was gone.
“I wont ask again, little sister.” He said calmly.
She touched her burned sleeve like it was a dream, but the steaming fiber burnt her still-untouched skin, and she screamed again. “OH my God!!” She screamed. “What the fuck is this??”
“Calm down.” He said.
“Oh my fucking God!” She screamed. “What the fuck are you?”
He looked at her like she knew the answer.
“Where the fuck are you from? You just appeared there, and you don’t know shit! And now you’re starting fires and shit! What the fuck?” She struggled with the car’s door handle and burst out of the car. “Oh my God!”
Cars whizzed passed them like it was a perfectly normal day, and she paced back and forth like she needed to go to the toilet. Eventually she leaned against the car and drew her face heavenward again. “okay. Alright.” She took a deep breathe. “Calm down, Elise. Calm down.” She took out her cellphone and held it to her ear expectantly after dialing a number.
“Hello, mom?”
She hung up before she could get a reply. “Oh God, what the fuck am I supposed to say?”
“Elise, you neednt be worried.” He was behind her.
She screamed and jumped to the side. “How the fuck did you get there?”
He looked at her calmly. “Elise. I am the God of Fire. I am Zohl’Noush. You obviously haven’t seen anything like me or my kind. But I am the God of Fire, and I’m not from here. I’m lost, Elise, and I need help to get back home. All I need you to do for me is show me where or when I am, and I can find my own way back.”
They stared at each other for a while, and all she could think of was why she wasn’t still hysterical.
“I need to go home.” She said.
“Can you show me what I need to know from there?”
“No…” She hesitated. “I just…please, I just need to go home.”
“Elise.”
“Leave me alone!” She shouted at him, and his eyes glowed a slight green.
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Part Five: The God of Fire
“I said what is this?”
“uh..this is a car. Where are you from?”
“Ardalis. A place I cannot believe you’ve never heard of.”
“Whatever. Are you going to sit down?”
He sat down and she had to close the door for him. He didn’t change his expression much, when she started the car but she could tell he had no idea what this thing was that he was in from the way his head darted about nervously. “What does this car do?”
“It travels around.”
She reversed the car.
“Ah. A carriage. Interesting.” He smiled.
She was going to drive him through a few key spots in town and then she was thinking of driving him to the police station.
They were silent for the first few minutes of the drive.
“You just appeared in that theatre.” She said eventually.
“I transported, yes.”
She looked at him in disbelief, darting her eyes back to the road every few seconds. “Like, you didn’t come through the door. You just appeared there out of thin air.”
He looked at her with an irritated expression. “Whats your point?”
She stopped the car in a corner and took a deep breathe.
“Why have we stopped?” he looked at her.
“Oh God.” Her eyes were closed, and she faced heavenward. “Oh God.” She said again.
He didn’t say anything. “Elta” He whispered, and she ignored him.
“You…appeared.” She said it half to herself. “Who are you?”
He looked at her. “I am the God of Fire.”
“What?”
He just looked at her.
“The God of Fire.” She repeated in a mocking voice.
He didn’t look amused. “Don’t mock me.” He said, and her right arm sleeve suddenly burst into flame.
“uh..this is a car. Where are you from?”
“Ardalis. A place I cannot believe you’ve never heard of.”
“Whatever. Are you going to sit down?”
He sat down and she had to close the door for him. He didn’t change his expression much, when she started the car but she could tell he had no idea what this thing was that he was in from the way his head darted about nervously. “What does this car do?”
“It travels around.”
She reversed the car.
“Ah. A carriage. Interesting.” He smiled.
She was going to drive him through a few key spots in town and then she was thinking of driving him to the police station.
They were silent for the first few minutes of the drive.
“You just appeared in that theatre.” She said eventually.
“I transported, yes.”
She looked at him in disbelief, darting her eyes back to the road every few seconds. “Like, you didn’t come through the door. You just appeared there out of thin air.”
He looked at her with an irritated expression. “Whats your point?”
She stopped the car in a corner and took a deep breathe.
“Why have we stopped?” he looked at her.
“Oh God.” Her eyes were closed, and she faced heavenward. “Oh God.” She said again.
He didn’t say anything. “Elta” He whispered, and she ignored him.
“You…appeared.” She said it half to herself. “Who are you?”
He looked at her. “I am the God of Fire.”
“What?”
He just looked at her.
“The God of Fire.” She repeated in a mocking voice.
He didn’t look amused. “Don’t mock me.” He said, and her right arm sleeve suddenly burst into flame.
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