T – Truth and Consequences or A Dreamer’s Hope

Posted on April 23, 2024 by hdh

T – Truth and Consequences or A Dreamer’s Hope

Dreams are a reality of life, for we all dream. What we dream and who we dream about vary between individuals. 

Being a storyteller and a writer, my imagination helps me create the written and telling world I live in. My dreams can occasionally create a storyline that inspires me to write many stories I share.  

Some of the stories I share are pure fiction. Some memoir pieces share more about where I come from and what makes me who I am. And then some combine the two—descriptions from my real life, with added fictional, or as a storyteller, I might say embellished characters or events.

Sometimes, when I dream, I picture my world as I grow older. In those instances, I am myself, and some people in the dream are known to me. Other times, I am outside myself, looking down at a previous or future version of me. In some cases, questions are raised about the truth of what I’m seeing, either in the dream or when I wake up after the dream. What are the potential consequences of whatever actions I’m looking at? Do they explain anything about me that I’m not aware of?

Such was the case in a recent dream where I saw myself in situation after situation, and I couldn’t remember the name of someone I was interacting with, or I couldn’t recall how to do something familiar to me, and simple things that I knew I could do, I couldn’t. Friends and family were around me in each instance, reminding me and helping me do or recall what was needed in that particular situation. With their help, I did remember, recall, and accomplish what needed to be done.

When I awoke, that dream was vivid in my mind. Dementia entered my thoughts. How does one get to that stage in life? Is it genetic? Is it some sort of disease of the brain? Or is it something else? 

I have known several friends and family members who have had or had to deal with someone who had dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. I have not researched this, so what I’m about to suggest is speculative at best. 

What if your imagination builds up these hypothetical dreams of a reality that involve you, like the ones I’ve had? With enough different possibilities that you are living through, is there a point where you can’t distinguish between what you see in real life and all the scenarios you have lived through in your head? It certainly would be enough to confuse you in your real reality. 

If the overwhelming discrepancy between what is the truth and what is just fantasy is too great, maybe your mind just blocks them all out as a defense to stay sane. 

However, the diagnosis from others is, “You are suffering from dementia.”

If my theory holds, then research should focus on finding a way for doctors or scientists to see what your dreams are producing. If too many conflicts distort your reality, they should work on finding ways to selectively block or limit the falsehoods so that the real world becomes your only storyline. That doesn’t mean you would stop your other creativity-inspired dreams. It wouldn’t take medicines or nursing homes, and you could live the life you were meant to live, remembering the things that are important to you and should be remembered. 

If we could do that, it would make a great difference in our world. 

 

This may sound implausible. A guy can dream, can’t he?

 

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S – Signs of Our Times

Posted on April 22, 2024 by hdh

S – Signs of Our Times

Sometimes the consequences of what’s true, can create problems that need further action. Trying to avoid the consequences, by making them the truth can also lead to other consequences. For example: 

Truthville was aptly named. It’s a little-known village in the heart of Long Island. You won’t find it on any map, but when you drive through the town and read the road signs, you will realize how many people you encounter on our roads must have come from there.

The Truthville legislature was very forward-thinking. They realized that limiting the number of road signs as to what drivers should do meant that they would need a better police force to control all those who chose not to be forewarned by the signs and ignored them. So why not invest money in creating signs that specify what drivers already do? It was a bit of an investment, but ultimately, it saved the village a lot of money and court time. However, insurance claims did go up.

Here are some of the changes that were made: 

Signs Eliminated Signs Instituted
Yield First come. First served
Speed Limit___ Speed Unlimited
Watch for Pedestrians Watch for Vehicles
Right of Way Any Way You Want
One Way Any Way that works for you
Recommended Speed You’ll Either Make It or You Won’t
Men at Work Women, Men, and Non-Binary at Work

Once these rules were implemented, the term Freeway had a different meaning. Several people that did live in Truthville, became very frustrated by these new rules since everyone followed them. Those individuals who had been driving against the rules before this change felt like they were being singled out. So they moved to different places on Long Island where they could break the rules as they did before. You can easily recognize them. They’re the ones you usually honk at. 

With these new rules in effect, the head sign maker (before he was forced to resign) decided to add a few more signs of his own. You should note that the head sign maker was a *logophile. Here are some of the adaptations he made. Some were additions to signs that already existed, and others were new signs, usually placed at the other end of the road or on other roads:

*a lover of words and wordplay  

 

Original Addition to sign or Alternative sign
Road Closed Unless Opened
Falling Rocks May Rise after hitting the ground
Road Work Ahead Road Play Ahead (look out for kids)
Do not Pass Do Not Receive
Keep Right Except to Pass Keep Left except to Punt
No Standing Anytime No Sitting Except in Vehicle
Dead End Live Opening
No Trespassing It’s a Free Country – Go where you want
No Idling Get a Job!
HOV Speed Limit – 20 mph less than —> lane
Caution Speed Bump Caution Speed Divot (Pothole)

 

As of this writing, control of the town is under discussion. It is believed that some individuals and organizations are seeking to buy out the town and take control of it for…well…I’m not sure what. Rumor is that they deal with motor vehicles, sales, and insurance and are looking to expand upon these signs. They appear to be well-funded and politically active.

Time will tell what the consequences of this buyout will be.

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R – Rescue and Return

Posted on April 20, 2024 by hdh

R – Rescue and Return

 

This continues the story Back to Selat, followed by D – Darkness, F – Fox, L – Lies, and O – Origins. If you haven’t already, you may want to read them first. This is the conclusion.

———-

Once I finally connected with Red’s Grandmother and discovered the truth about how the Wolf found Necroma’s book of spells and used it with the help of Fox to plunge the Kingdom of Selat into darkness, I continued my task to find Little Red and the whereabouts of Necroma’s book and hope that I was in time to reverse the spell. Not an easy task.

But then again, nothing had been easy so far. 

It was time to meet another friend of Red’s, Goldilocks. I thought about going to the three bear’s house but remembered that Goldilocks was persona non grata there. Then I decided to go to a little-known tavern where some girls from folktales (Red, Goldie, Clever Manka, Gretel, Briar Rose, to name a few) liked to hang out. It was called Aesop’s Tables. 

When I arrived, it was mid-afternoon, not that you would notice, as it was dark everywhere. There weren’t many customers. The tavern was dimly lit by candlelight. Luckily, I spotted Goldilocks at a corner table chatting with Gerda (for those who don’t recognize the name, she is the girl from Hans Christian Andersen’s story ‘The Snow Queen’). They were surprised to see me and invited me to sit with them. After explaining everything that had happened since my arrival in Selat, I asked them if they had any idea where I might find Red. 

Having had some bear experience, Goldie suggested we look for Red near where wolves hide things. Gerda was even more helpful. She knew exactly where that would be. Her friendship with a little robber girl gave her lots of knowledge about hidden things that had been stolen. 

It was a bit of a journey, but we made it to Wolf’s cache before the day was out. Knowing that both Wolf and Fox were elsewhere thanks to a cleverly hidden (in plain sight) message I had left for them to find, which told them where another of Necroma’s books could be found (Even I have to lie sometimes to get to what I want), the three of us entered a cave. My flashlight’s batteries, though low, still provided enough light for us to look around. 

Fox may have been clever, but Wolf certainly was not, and it wasn’t very hard to find Necroma’s book. The odd thing about the cave was that we could hear a voice calling out for help; we recognized the voice; it was Red’s, but she was nowhere to be seen. 

As my flashlight was about to go out, I used the book to see if I could reverse Wolf’s spell. I found the spell in time just before darkness overtook our position. I read these words carefully aloud.

 

Strength of voice through darkness calls

Create a path that breaks through walls

Within the dark, with all your might

Return to us what’s naturally right

Let night be night, and day be day

With this command, do as I say.

I had one more thing to say, but those words were to be thought about, not said aloud, which I did.

Immediately, the light grew stronger, both outside the cave and inside. My flashlight even found new strength and shined. We found Red tied up in a corner, and we freed her. Whatever the spell that had made her invisible to us seemed to have been broken, too.

Leaving the cave, all appeared to be back to how it should be. We could see the sun rise over the trees. Sounds of birds and other animals flooded the forest. And as we traveled back to the caretaker, the feeling of warmth and kindness exuded from all we passed.

The caretaker, the mystic, Jack, and Red’s grandmother were all waiting for us on our return. 

I asked about the wolf and fox and what would happen to them. I was told it was an internal matter and that both would be dealt with. I asked no more. Necroma’s book was given to the caretaker. I have no knowledge of what was done with it either. 

With much thanks and a fond farewell from the inhabitants of Selat, I was led back to the portal to my world. 

It’s been a few weeks since this occurred, and since I have not heard from Selat about their lives, I assume all is well.

I did notice, however, that it has become very difficult to find books or story collections with tales about foxes or wolves in our world. Is that a consequence of their actions on Selat? Truth be told, it just might be. 

And that’s my story. You believe me, don’t you? Would I lie to you?

 

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Q – Quiet

Posted on April 19, 2024 by hdh

Q – Quiet

Quincy sat on the hard chair. There was a single light over his head, a table in front of him, with his interrogator glaring at him from the other side.

“Where were you, exactly, this morning when Queenie disappeared!” Detective Quade shouted. 

Quincy remained silent. It was not that he didn’t know the answer; he was pretty sure where the culprit was, but pleading the fifth was the equivalent of admitting guilt, and besides, this was much more fun. He liked the deal he had. Queenie was his best bud. 

“OH, the silent type, are you?” exclaimed Quade. “Being quiet won’t help your cause, you know.” 

Again, Quincy remained silent.

“We could book you right now for trespassing. You know you were seen entering Queenie’s flat.”

Why shouldn’t he have been seen? Everyone knew that he often delivered food to the Quillers. They even gave him the key to the apartment in case they weren’t home. Still, he remained quiet. 

You could see the redness beginning to flush Detective Quade’s face. Quade got up and began nervously pacing the room in front of Quincy. 

Trying to calm his voice, Quade said, “Listen, pal. If you give me some answers, I can keep anything you say to me here out of your file.” 

“May I have a drink of water?” Quincy asked rather glibly. 

Quade was quick to jump on that. “Oh, so you can talk. Sure, you can have some water when you give me the answers to the questions I ask.”

Quincy just sat back, closed his eyes, and made no sound or indication that he planned to say anything, which frustrated the detective even more. 

Violence was out of the question. Even the threat of violence would bring lawsuits down on the department, which could cost the detective his job. Quade was on shaky ground but he needed to know what happened. The Quillers were very rich and influential people. If Queenie wasn’t found or something happened to her, there would be hell to pay. Queenie was just a child. 

Police were stationed at the Quiller’s house, hoping the criminals would call and ask for money for Queenie’s release. But as of yet, no call had come in. 

“This is your last chance,” Quade said, “If I don’t get some answers about your whereabouts and anything you know about this Queenie kidnapping, I’m going to book you for obstruction of justice.”

Quincy was getting tired of all of this foolishness. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a solitary metal device, and handed it to the detective. 

“What is this?” the detective shouted, “Some sort of vaping pipe?”

Deciding not to remain quiet anymore but unwilling to give away too much of what he suspected, Quincy said, “Why don’t you just take it to the Quiller’s house and use it? Just don’t tell them I gave it to you.”

“WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?”

Quincy returned to quiet mode, shut his eyes again, leaned back on his chair, placed his hands behind his head, and smiled. 

Quade just threw his hands up, went to the door, told the assistant guarding it to keep an eye on the prisoner and then left. 

About an hour later, Quade returned looking none too pleased. He told the guard to release the prison…Quincy.

The detective threw the device back to Quincy, who caught it deftly. “Here’s your stupid dog whistle back. Why on God’s earth didn’t you tell me that the bloody dog was hiding in the laundry room?”

Quincy finally felt safe spilling the beans. “One, I didn’t know exactly where she would be; she’s only a puppy; I only suspected she was sleeping somewhere in the house. Secondly, if I ended up being the one that embarrassed the Quillers, they would probably stop letting me feed and play with the dog. I really get along well with Queenie, not to mention what good tippers the Quillers are. A guy’s got to live, you know.”

“You’re just lucky I didn’t fink you out,” Quade said, “When I showed this whistle to one of the cops stationed by their phone, he knew exactly what it was and blew into it. The dog came out running in seconds. I took the whistle back quickly before the Quillers could see it. When they asked how we found Queenie, it was my turn to be quiet. You’re not the only one that can play these games. I mean, detectives don’t like to be embarrassed either.”

And that was it. I got released, the Quillers got their dog back, and I even got Queenie a special treat from our store. Other than me, the detective, and the policeman who blew the whistle on this caper, no one was the wiser. 

 

 

 

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P – Predestined or not?

Posted on April 18, 2024 by hdh

P – Predestined or not?

Karma—What you sow is what you reap. It dictates that you are in control of your actions. Do good, and you get good in return. Be bad or evil, and bad things will happen to you. Just look around you. Do those good people you look up to receive any goodness in return? How about those you know are deceivers and do bad things for their selfish needs? Do they all get their comeuppance?  Some do, and some don’t. So, what does that tell you about karma?

Or do you believe in fate? Everything is predestined. Your life has been planned out from the day you are born until the day you die. You may think you control your life, but your good or bad decisions have already been programmed into your DNA.

The third philosophical concept is that we are born with free will. Every decision we make throughout our lives is of our choosing. Whether it turns out good or bad, whether there are repercussions or rewards, all reflect our choices and other people’s free will. 

If we could see into the future, might this be what transpires:

————-

Harold was well-versed in all of those karma, predestiny free will theories. He laughed at the amount of writing and discussions that existed, espousing one theory over another. He loved tinkering with each one. 

Harold worked for the Federal Android company, O.H.G.O.D. Inc. Very few people ever heard of it, and if they knew what the letters stood for, they would be even more skeptical. (FYI—it stands for Official Harbinger Giving Out Destiny.) 

The year was 2124. Harold’s job was very simple. He was in charge of the species’ history and maintaining the prescribed knowledge base. O.H.G.O.D.’s origins date back to the 21st century. 

Modern medical technology created artificial organs and transplants that helped prolong life as far back as the 20th century. The first artificial device was an artificial heart valve implant, which occurred in 1960. Artificial hip joints, knee replacements, skin regeneration, hearts, ears, bones, etc., followed. 

In the late 21st century, well after the artificial brain and nervous systems had been developed, a group of entrepreneurs got together to discuss the fate of our world. With more than half of the population on Earth consisting mainly of artificial parts, they decided that it was time to create an organization that maintained the history of our species dedicated to ensuring the survival of human and non-artificial life. O.H.G.O.D. was formed. 

O.H.G.O.D was originally run by only humonormals (people with no artificial parts) and tasked with making sure history was remembered and learned from. As time went on and fewer and fewer “humonormals” existed, O.H.G.O.D began infusing more “artispecials” (those with artificial parts, especially artificial brains) into their company. 

By 2110, if any humonormals existed, they could not be found. By then, O.H.G.O.D. was completely run by what people in the 20th century might have called androids.

Harold’s job allowed him to input information into any Android brain in the WORSHIP (Worldwide Origins Registery Securing Information Platform) database. None of the “people” he was inputting that information into were aware of it. 

And that is where tinkering with karma vs. free will vs. pre-destiny all came into play. 

The truth was whatever Harold felt like putting into the head of that particular individual. He basically determined what everyone’s life would be like and what philosophy they bought into. All of the people of the world believed that their version of reality was the truth. And Harold wasn’t the only one with that control. Even he had to sleep sometimes, though he could control how much sleep was necessary with his artificial Circadian rhythm. Everyone in his position loved to tinker, especially when it came to making decisions about life. 

To those like Harold, this was a simulation game. 

And consequences…that was not Harold’s problem, as his supervisor never knew what Harold and the others were doing. It helped that their supervisors were in the WORSHIP database, which they had access to. 

————-

Back to reality, here in 2024, What are your thoughts? Is the scenario I laid out about our values and the decisions we make a feasible future? 

Personally, I don’t really care what you think, for in my humble opinion, it has all been predestined from the start. 

 

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O – Origins

Posted on April 17, 2024 by hdh

O – Origins

This continues the story Back to Selat, followed by D – Darkness, F – Fox, J – Jack, and L – Lies. If you haven’t already, you may want to read them first. 

———–

Certain parts of Selat stand out in my memory. Granny’s house was one of them. Once I left Fox’s den, I was not to be deterred. I headed straight for Red Riding Hood’s grandmother’s cabin. It was slow going getting there. In a dark forest with nothing but my flashlight to guide me, I had to be careful where I stepped. 

As I approached the house, I could hear someone sobbing from within. I recognized the person sobbing as Granny. I pulled on the rope attached to the door, which sounded a bell inside, notifying Granny that someone was there. 

“Red! Is that you?” she called out. I could hear her rushing to the door.

Before I could answer, the door was flung open, Granny saw me and collapsed to her knees, continuing to weep. 

I helped her up and asked her, “What’s wrong? Did something happen to Red?”

“She’s gone,” Granny wept, trying to control her tears. “I don’t know where she’s gone. It had to be the book.”

I couldn’t make any sense of what Granny was talking about. I sat her down at the kitchen table and made chamomile tea for us both. Once Granny had calmed down and regained control, I asked her to tell me what had happened. 

 

This was her story:

 

“It started when you defeated Necroma and rescued all of the characters. Red was the first of those you rescued to recover. She found a book on her way back from the Island of Lorn. It was old and tattered, with strange symbols on it. Red was convinced it belonged to Necroma. Whether it had spells or other bad things in it, Red never wanted to find out. She knew that in the wrong hands, it would be dangerous. Not knowing who to trust, she decided to keep it herself.

I told her the book should be destroyed, but she insisted she would have none of that. She commented, “What if destroying the book unleashes untold evil upon Selat?” 

She kept the book buried somewhere in the woods and told no one, not even me, where it was hidden. The only thing she did was periodically check on her hiding place to make sure the book was still there. 

I’m sure the problem was that the dang wolf. He was always nosing around. He must have known Red had something special around and followed her. One day, she went out to check on the book and never returned. A few days after that, everything went dark. 

I didn’t know what to do. At first, I tried to search for her, to no avail, and then, when the darkness came, I lost hope. Since then, I have been here as you see me today, a tired old woman who has lost the one person who meant anything to her.”

 

After hearing the story, I added more information to Granny’s tale. I told her that Wolf had indeed gained control of the book and that he had Fox had learned how to use it enough to create all of the darkness. I didn’t tell Granny about Wolf’s comment that he and Fox had made someone disappear once before. Personally, I hoped that Red got away once the book was stolen and was in hiding to protect Granny.

I told Granny I would find out what happened to Red and save her, if possible. Granny suggested I find one of her friends and see if they’d help. Granny was determined to stay home in case Red did return. She didn’t want Red to get frightened should she come home and Granny wasn’t there.

So I left Granny there. The only friend of Red that I knew of was Goldilocks.

 

To be concluded in R – Rescue and Return

 

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N – Narcissistic

Posted on April 16, 2024 by hdh

N – Narcissistic

My name is Norman. You should have heard of me because I am a wealthy, wonderfully talented, great-to-know person. There is nothing that I can’t do and won’t do when asked.

Ask me about any of my experiences. 

Did I climb Mt. Everest? Yep. 

How about breaking the speed record for running a mile? Yep.

I can hold my breath for over five minutes. 

My invention of spy satellite technology has amassed a fortune. If you look me up in the book Who’s Who in the World, I’m listed. You might find that book hard to find, but I assure you, I’m listed in it. 

I’m not afraid of heights. I’ve scaled the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which is the tallest structure in the world, by myself with nothing but my strength, agility, and endurance. 

I’m an unlisted name on the patent for the first Apple computer. I trained Steve Jobs, but you won’t find that listed in any biography of Steve.

Most of my wealth comes from my astute knowledge of the banking world and well-placed investments. I didn’t even need an advisor to guide me. 

Women fawn over me. Too many famous women to count wanted to marry me. Men are just jealous of my success. I could easily have been elected President of the United States during the last election. That’s how popular I am, but at age 24, I wasn’t eligible to run. And don’t think I won’t in 2032.

So, remember my name, Norman Hackenforger.

 

If you haven’t heard of me before, you certainly will soon enough. You’ll have to wait until this bogus trial for forgery and hacking into the U.S. Treasury system is resolved. It’s amazing how witnesses lie just to make their names known and sell their books. 

By the way, my new book, You’re the Best: The Official Biography of Norman Hackenforger will be released about the same time I am. 

 

   

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M – Message for Truth

Posted on April 15, 2024 by hdh

M – Message for Truth

 

The older we get, 

the more things we forget, 

is an adage that someone once said.

Words misunderstood, 

simple things that we should 

know are wrong, we continue to spread.

 

When the noise just abounds

with cacophonous sounds,

it is hard to distinguish what’s right.

So you think what you heard,

even though it’s absurd, 

is the truth, and from there it takes flight.

 

Then the others so near, 

words you share they all hear, 

and the falsehoods and lies they all spout.

There is no way to stop, 

ear to mouth the words hop, 

till the message that’s sent casts no doubt.

 

This must be the truth, 

all opposed are uncouth, 

we must change everything that we’ve learned.

Let our thoughts fill the air; 

People’s rights? We don’t care. 

Everything that is wrong should be burned.

 

Age isn’t the cause, 

young as well should take pause; 

forgetting’s not true in this case. 

If you share without thought, 

ignore all that was taught, 

your actions are what’s out of place

 

But real truth, when it’s known, 

has a way of its own 

to come out when one listens and hears.

What we claimed was just wrong; 

Why did we go along? 

We should not have reacted to fears.

 

Being old’s not a crime, 

it may take us more time, 

but our wisdom once sought is still there.

Put us not on a shelf, 

check those facts for yourself; 

if they really are true, show you care.

 

When the facts remain true, 

then it’s all up to you, 

to rely on your own state of mind.

If it’s not and we lie, 

look us straight in the eye; 

say to us you’re no longer aligned.

 

Be it elder or youth, 

your goal must be the truth, 

if you wish to go on with less strife.

Listen well, be aware, 

show the world that you care. 

And be honored the rest of your life. 

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L – Lies

Posted on April 13, 2024 by hdh

L – Lies

 

This continues the story Back to Selat, followed by D – Darkness, F – Fox, and J – Jack. If you haven’t already, you may want to read them first. 

 

————

 

Having left Jack, who helped me avoid a life-threatening ordeal at the top of a cliff, I worked my way back through the wooded forest to a path that was familiar to me. I aimed to find Fox, hopefully at his den, and confront him with what he did. 

While I was traveling, lots of thoughts passed through my mind. Fox had definitely lied to me. He claimed he wasn’t running from me, which he was. He also made up some ridiculous idea that an eclipse caused the darkness. Then, when I asked about Necroma, he denied remembering who she was, yet he seemed knowledgeable enough about her when he directed me on the path that led to the cliff, which was clearly meant to get rid of me. Something was up, and Fox was involved with whatever it was. 

I approached stealthily rather than marching right up to Fox’s den. I stayed hidden behind some trees. I watched and waited. It was not long before I observed an unexpected occurrence. 

Wolf came out from the opposite side of the woods and stopped in front of Fox’s den. It was the same Wolf from the Little Red Riding Hood tale. 

Wolf called out to Fox, and it wasn’t long before Fox appeared out the front opening of his den. 

“Why have you called me here?” Wolf grumbled.

Fox replied, “Because we have a problem. Characters are getting suspicious. The storyteller even showed up, asking a lot of questions about the darkness and the girl.”

“So what!” Wolf answered. “You’re clever enough to figure out a way to explain it all. As to the storyteller, he should be easy to make disappear. We’ve done it before.”

“That’s true,” said Fox, “I did come up with an excuse for the darkness, though I’m not sure if the storyteller bought it. Either way, I took care of him. He won’t be around to question us or anyone else again. Do you still have the book?” 

“Of course I do,” Wolf said. “It’s hidden where no one can find it but me. I’m not as dumb as you all make me out to be. After all, I did get the book.”

“Yes, yes. Yet, without my help,” Fox reminded Wolf, “you would not have known how to use it and benefited from all the things we’ve been able to get due to all of this darkness you created.”

“So why worry? We’ve got it made,” Wolf remarked. “We can keep this up forever. No one is going to be the wiser. Let them all get lost in the dark.”

Fox was not about to try to explain to Wolf the implications of perpetual darkness. He had his own plans, which would eventually involve getting his own paws on the book, and that didn’t include Wolf. 

Fox said, “You’re right, Wolf. Let the rest of Selat suffer. It’s only to our benefit. Why don’t we go down to old Midas’s palace? I hear he has a lot of gold, just waiting to be taken.”

And so, they both departed back the way the wolf had come. 

Once they were out of sight, I stepped out of my hiding place. Knowing Fox, I was pretty sure he had his own selfish plans for Wolf and whatever book they were talking about. 

Rather than following the two of them, I decided to return to my original plan. I needed to find Red’s grandmother and learn the true story of what had happened.

To be continued in O – Origins

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K – A King’s Trust

Posted on April 12, 2024 by hdh

For this piece, I was asked to use the last line of a book I own as the last line of my writing. I will give credit for the last lines at the end. 

K – A King’s Trust

 

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King Kaden sat on his throne, wondering what the inhabitants of his kingdom thought of him. Was he doing a good job? He had plenty of riches and trusted all of his advisors when it came to running the kingdom. But deep down, he felt a disconnect with the populace. He decided to try to find out firsthand what their thoughts were. 

He changed his appearance as best he could. He would dress as a peasant and wander the kingdom.

For three days running, he announced that he had some important work to do alone and was not to be disturbed. He changed clothes in his chambers and exited the castle through a secret doorway. 

Walking through the streets and alleyways of his kingdom was fascinating. There was so much that he had been unaware of. The places were all run down. He saw little cheer. Some people gave greetings when passing him, and others just ignored him. Periodically, he would stop and make conversation. 

“I am a stranger to this land and am considering moving here. How fares the kingdom?” he would say.

The answers seemed rather consistent.

“Go back where you came from. You’ll find no joy here.”

“There is no communication with the one that rules here and his money-grubbing advisors. All they do is take from us.”

“Look around you; this place is a shadow of what it was and could be. Look at the palace, for that is where the money is spent. There is no thought to spend it on us.”

“We are insignificant; we may look well, but we struggle to survive.”

King Kaden had enough after three days of hearing these descriptions and complaints. 

How could he have let this happen? It was time for things to change. But first, he needed to know why it happened. The king had trusted his advisors. They informed him of what was happening and told him all was well. Yes, they did ask for more money to be taken from the population, but, as it was explained to him, the people could afford it, for this was a rich and prosperous land. 

It was time for another disguise. This one had to be more stealthy, for there would be contact with his advisors this time. He enlisted the aid of his closest friend, Sir Hector. Hector would infiltrate an advisor’s meeting and report back his findings. 

What Hector found out supported the people’s claim. There was much talk during and after the advisors’ meetings about their wealth and how they could dupe the king into getting more for themselves. They even made fun of the King’s naivety and how easy it was to get what they wanted without reproach. 

Of course, if King Kaden called his advisors out, they would deny it. How could he make change happen?

He decided he would again disguise himself and roam among the populace. Maybe something would inspire him. And as it happens, in these kinds of tales, something did happen. 

As the king was walking past a tumbled-down cottage, an old woman stepped out and hailed him. “Stranger,” she called out with a knowing look. “You seem to be troubled. Why don’t you come inside for a bite to eat and some cool water and share what’s on your mind?”

The king looked the woman over, ignored misgivings, and took her up on her offer. He was quite surprised when she presented him with food and drink and said, “So, King Kaden, this is the fourth time I’ve seen you in this village in the last two weeks. What is it that you are so desperate to find?”

“How is it that you know who I am?” he asked.

“I’ve been following you since you were born. As I did your father and his father before,” she replied. 

The king had heard stories of such guardian spirits, but up until now, they were just stories. Without any hesitation, the King unburdened himself to the old woman. 

“The answer is simple, but not without risk.” She said, “You must do what your heart tells you and become the person you were meant to be.”

And so it was. King Kaden removed all of his advisors. He left them with some money and small plots of land, giving them each the choice to leave the kingdom if they desired. With insufficient funds to live in the luxury they were used to, most departed to find places elsewhere to work their lies. Once the truth is out, liars and cheats must pay the consequences. 

King Kaden named Sir Hector his chief advisor, with the instructions that the populace choose his fellow advisors. The one criterion for the position of advisor was honesty and truth. 

It took time for the people of the kingdom to change their opinions. When the king walked amongst them, he was not in disguise. He knew that trust had to be earned.

As King Kaden stood and looked up at the sky that shone over his kingdom, he could have seen the miserable place he had ruled. But the sky was bright, and he somehow felt he was headed in the right direction.*

As for the kingdom’s people, they eventually came to accept and enjoy their fate. They could only say it just “happened to happen” and was not very likely to happen again. **

 

The last lines are taken from:

 

* – Stuart Little by E. B. White

** – The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins by Dr. Seuss

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