Week 14 Storytelling: The Lonely Mermaid

"Grandma said I could start looking for a man when I turn 15," Ariel reminded herself as she counted down the second left until her 15th birthday. "Three, two, o--" Ariel was interrupted by a loud crack of thunder coming from far above her underwater abode. "That was unusually loud. Might my father be scaring off a surface-dwelling traveler again?"

Quickly swimming to peak her head out of the ocean, Ariel heard another loud crash. Only this time, it didn't sound like thunder. With her mermaid tail moving faster and faster, she soon made it to the top of the ocean to find a wooden vessel stranded on a rocky beach in the midst of a storm. "Surely they are seeking shelter," Ariel wondered to herself. She quietly swam closer, continuing to hide from view. She saw a few men carrying supplies ashore at a fast pace. The storm seemed to be picking up.

"Oh, my!" Ariel spotted the most handsome man she had ever encountered. She watched as he commanded his group of men to build an awning-like covering near a small cave. His skin seemed to glow. "He must be a prince!" Suddenly, another burst of lightning tore through the sky. That was Ariel's sign that it would be in her best interest to return to the depths of the ocean.

The next morning, Ariel's curiosity got the best of her. She got up extra early, before any of her sisters, to go take a look at that island. When she reached the outer edge of the rocky beach, she noticed the men still remained even after the storm blew over. It looked as if they intended to take residence on the island rather than simply take shelter. She desperately wanted to call out and make her presence known. She wanted to introduce herself to the man, and maybe he would be the one she marries. But she was too afraid to speak, so she silently watched. Soon, they had several maps flattened on wooden tables, being used in conjunction with sextants and telescopes. "What might they be up to?" Ariel pondered. She decided she would keep track of their work.

For weeks, Ariel would surface the waters early in the morning only to find the men doing the exact same tasks each day.  She felt like all of the work was meaningless. She wanted to know what was so important. But as each day passed, she became more and more disinterested in the men. She decided she would check on them one last time, but come morning, the men and ship had completely vanished. She circumnavigated the island looking for any sign of life. Once she returned to the point where she started, she decided she would never know. However, as she swam away from the island, she spotted something glimmering atop the water.

She quickly made her way to the object, to find a business card with the handsome man's image along with contact details printed with a metallic finish.  Hurrying back home, she looked the man up online. The first search result was for a blog about exploring. "Surely this is it," Ariel spoke to herself. The side of the web page confirmed her suspicions. There was the man -- a prince!

I, Prince Martin, have been out on the ocean for the past few months. As you know, it was prophecized that my soul mate would be a mermaid! I traveled to the only known location of mermaids, and I did the only thing I could do -- I waited! Yet, no mermaid came to me. I guess this is a cruel fate I must come to terms with.

Horrified at her decision to remain silent, Ariel began to post a comment. I was there! I watched you from afar, but I didn't know why you were there. Surely I am the mermaid foretold in your prophecy! she typed. But before she could hit send, she decided it was too late. He was long gone, and what are the odds he would actually believe her? Ariel turned off the computer and went to play with her sisters. She knew he was the man her grandma told her she would fine -- but he was gone.

~ ~ ~

Author's Note: For this retelling of The Little Mermaid, I focused solely on the part where the mermaid, who I name Ariel after the Disney version of the story, sees the man at the surface of the water. I extend the time she watches him to create an apparent timidness in Ariel. In the original story, she eventually meets the prince after trading her voice for human legs, but I decided that I wanted her shyness to represent her lost voice. I use her inability to speak as the way to the tragic ending of loneliness. Since this is a story I will be using for my storybook, I touched on a bit of social media -- a blog in this case -- just as a basis for when I write the full story.

Bibliography: Fairy Tales and Stories, by Hans Christian Andersen

Image:  Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen

Week 11 Storytelling: The Last Bird

. . . 

ONCE I saw a little bird
Come hop, hop, hop;

. . .

For several months, I have waited for you to appear. You are the last one on my list -- the blue jay. I can't wait to meet you. Are you a boy or a girl? My grandma and I have tried to meet every bird that lives in my area, and we have been working on it for as long as I can remember. I am now seven years old, but in just a few weeks I will be eight. My goal is to finish this list before I am eight so that we can start on a new list. I think I want to try butterflies next! Oh, no! This is my chance!

. . .
So I cried, "Little bird,
Will you stop, stop, stop?"

. . .

Please stop! I must meet you. Surely you understand how important this is. I am almost eight! I've met your friend the red robin -- she was really pretty. I wonder if you are friends with that woodpecker. He got on my nerves. I am so glad I do not need to meet him again. Oh, and the hummingbird! I do not understand how something so small can fly. I, too, am small, but sadly I cannot fly. My grandma says this is normal, but I think I could make wings for myself to try. Imagine where I would go. Maybe I could go and meet your grandma. We could have fun parties and be best friends. I must come and meet you!

. . .
And was going to the window,
To say, "How do you do?"

. . .

What do you do every day? Do you have a job? Where do you live? I wish to know these things. My dad is a lawyer. I am not sure what that means, but he does know some really big words. He tells me that I know some big words for my age, so maybe I'll be a lawyer, too. My mom is a school teacher. She does not work at the school I go to, but I think that is for the best. I get into trouble. My teacher tells me to wear my jacket so I don't get wet, but getting soaked from rain is like swimming on land. I bet you do not like the rain because of what it does to your feathers. I bet your home is somewhere that is always dry. Do you have children? What about grandchildren? Would you take them to meet every kind of people? I am almost there so that I can ask you all of these things!

. . .
But he shook his little tail,
And far away he flew.

. . .

Wait! Where are you going?! I had so many questions! And I am almost eight! How will I complete my list? I do not want to wait several months more just to try and see you again! I was almost to the window where you perched. Is something wrong? Did your family call you away? Sometimes I am having fun but my mom calls for me to leave. I do not like to leave, but I guess I have to if she needs me. Well, I hope we soon meet again. I cannot meet the butterflies until I have met you.

 ~ ~ ~ 

Author's Note: I based this story on a nursery rhyme about someone trying to meet a bird that ends up flying away before he or she can. The italicized words are the actual nursery rhyme, taken directly from the source. All of the other text is what I have added. In my case, it was the internal dialogue of a child. For my retelling, I imagined the person meeting the bird to be a young child, about seven years old as indicated in the story. The most important thing I strived to do was to try and recreate the mind of a young child. Children often talk to things that aren't human as if they were, and I wanted to replicate that. I also let the thought of the child go down long tangents because children's minds will run wild. 

Bibliography: Nursery Rhymes: Natural History, Part 1 from The Nursery Rhyme Book by Andrew Lang

Image: Blue Jay with peanut, via Wikimedia Commons

Storytelling Week 10: Stay Afloat

I thought I should probably start chronicling my life. Today, my dog began to speak to me. We were down by the river when it foretold of an oncoming wave that would wash away all people. I didn't believe it, but the dog had the sign. It had a barren neck, and I could see the bones. This is a sign to my people that there is divine intervention. I must take its warning and begin constructing a great raft and save my family.

. . .

I began drafting my plans for the raft. I worry that I will not have enough money to cover the costs. We barely can afford anything. And if the dog is wrong, I will have nothing left for sure. But I must trust the sign. 

. . . 

Today, I went and hired help to acquire lumber. I do not think they would have believed me if I told them the reason behind it all, so I fed them a story about building a great home for my family. I guess I was not lying. I am building the a home -- a future in which they may live. 

. . .

Getting the wood has been very hard lately. I am not resting at night because I am constantly worrying about the waters. When will they come? I do not know. It could be tomorrow. It could be in a month.  And the longer we go, the more tired I grow. Hopefully, we will be done soon.

. . .

We are finally done, and I can begin building the raft. The skies grow dark, so I believe it is almost time. The locals think that the gods will descend from the sky to greet us. But they do not know what will really happen. I am almost there.

. . .

My wife is beginning to question the validity of all of this. I try to make her remember the sign of the gods. But we are barely scraping by, and she grows frustrated at how long this is taking. Even the others are beginning to mock me. They think I have gone insane. Maybe I have.

. . .

I now have but one reason to continue -- to save myself. My wife took the children and left me. She said this was all a scam. I thought about stopping. She would surely return if I stopped. But if the flood were truly on its way, then what good would stopping be? I can only hope that she returns in time.

. . .

I am almost done. I am alone, and I am hungry. But I only have a couple days' work to go. The skies grow evermore darker. The winds have been angry, and I swear I hear low rumbles from the skies. I tried to mend fences with my wife. She is still in doubt. But I see the worry in her face. Hopefully I have not lost her for good.

. . . 

It is done. A heavy drizzle began last night. The rivers are flooding. Most others seem worried, but they are too proud to admit I was right. I now am taking shelter on the raft in case the rain picks up while I sleep. I hope they come back.

. . .

I guess today is not the day. Though there is flooding, it is not yet severe enough to change the mindset of the others. I went out looking for my wife and children. I could not find them, and other have not seen them for a week. I hope she has not killed her self and the children out of fear. I would always take her back.

. . . 

It will be tomorrow. I can feel it. The dog is much more restless. She isn't back. Maybe I should leave the raft so that I won't have to live without her.

. . .

Today is a good day. Well, it is bad, but there is good in it. With a loud crack a lightning, the waters began to rise with urgency. The others retreated to the mountains, but they will surely drown even on the highest peaks. They were warned. My wife and children. On the peaks, even they would drown. But they will not drown for they have returned! I asked my wife where she had been the past week. She had been out collecting food to survive for three weeks of time afloat. I knew she would come back. I knew her doubt would recede just as these waters will, too.

~ ~ ~

Author's Note: I based this story on a Cherokee myth known as The Deluge. In it, a dog warns a man of an impending flood and instructs him to build a raft. The man does not believe the dog at first, but the dog instructs the man to look at its neck. The man see bare skin and bones and believes the dog. So the man builds a raft and is able to live while everything and everyone else drowns. For my story, I decide to chronicle the process of building the raft in a journal entry format. I wanted to dive into the mind of the man and his reactions to everything.

Image: photo by Mike Baird

Week 7 Storytelling: The Castle of the Moon

Once upon a time, there was a young child who was infatuated with the moon. When he wasn't at school, he was either learning about the moon from the local scholar or telling his widowed mother about the moon. At night, he spent hours gazing through the telescope, hoping one day he might visit the spectacle. One night as counted the number of craters he could discern, he noticed a rather odd thing. At the bottom of the wall of a crater, a small tree was blossoming.

Running to his mom, he found her quietly reading a book. Before he could announce his findings, he noticed the book his mom was reading was about the moon. "Mother, have you become as curious as I am about the moon?"

"No, not as quite. I know how bad you would like to visit the moon, and I heard from a soothsayer that it was possible! She handed me this book and told me the way to the moon was inside. I figured I entertain her folly. Maybe you'd like to explore the book yourself?"

"I would love to, mother!" And with that, the child grabbed the book and ran into his room.

For years, he poured over every line of the book, holding on the hope that he might visit the moon. His mother soon had gotten over the childishness of his interest and began to push his to find a wife. Resisting, he would leave the house with the book hidden in his satchel so that his mother would think he was socializing with the women of the town.

One day, he passed a small shop hidden between imposing building. "This must be the soothsayer my mother saw years ago!" Entering the shop, he made his way towards the back where he heard some noise. Passing through a curtain, he found a small chamber where an old woman was studying ancient books and scrolls.

"Hello, I believe my mother visited you years ago about visiting the moon!"

"Why yes, I remember her. Did she ever make it?"

"Well, no. But she was actually inquiring for me. Every since I was tiny, I all ever wanted to do was visit the moon."

"And why haven't you? I told her the way was in the book."

"Well, I wasn't sure what that meant. Regardless, I've recently been pressured by my mother to find a mate, so my attention hasn't been fully on the book in quite a while."

 "If the moon is what you still seek, wait until the next full moon, and gaze upon the cover in an open field."

"But I don't want to disappoint my mother by being alone the rest of my life!"

"If you make it to the moon, build a castle of unparalleled beauty. Then you must wait, and a woman will come to you. She will live in the castle and be yours for as long as you live."

. . .

The full moon had finally arrived. The man now sat alone in the field miles away from home. Gazing at the cover, he soon grew tired. He began to nod off, only to jolt himself awake. Looking around, he was unsure of his location. "Have I been kidnapped," he wondered. Glancing up, he immediately knew where he was. Earth rested above him. He had made it to the moon!

Traversing the surface of the rocky body, he wondered where he was going to build his grandiose castle. He journeyed for a week before deciding he had found the place. Down the side of the crater, he saw the very tree from when he was little. And just like him, it had grown much larger. "What a beautiful tree," he clamored. He then worried that it might rival the appearance of the castle he was ready to build. "I will chop this down immediately so that my wife will come!"

He began building. Years passed, and soon, centuries. As he built, he would rest under the shade of the tree that had been regrowing. At the make of a thousand years, he decided the tree was back to the beauty before he chopped it down. So again, he chopped it down. A further two-hundred years later, the castle was complete. So under the tree, he sat and waited until the day his wife would arrive.

 ~ ~ ~

Author's Note: In the original story of The Lady of the Moon, a prince named Hou was given the herb of immortality, which he hid in his home. Later, his wife ate of the herb, and she floated through the clouds all the way to the moon. Here, she found a castle built by the man in the moon and lived there. I wondered why there was already a man there, and why he built a castle. This story served as a backstory to man and castle on the moon.

Bibliography: The Chinese Fairy Book, ed. by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921) 

Image: Illustration from the book

Week 5 Storytelling: The Name and the Daughter

Ra was known to man by many names, but many more names he did have. Alongside Ra were many other gods, each with their own names. A goddess who lived alongside man, Isis, grew tired of the circumstances of her life. She was no longer wished to subject to the rule of the gods. Instead, she wished to stand as equals, as a fellow ruler.  However, while mingling among the lesser gods such as she, she heard a humor that told of the existence of a particular secretive name of Ra.

"It is said that the name alone could command even Ra himself," whispered one goddess to another.

"Only he knows the name, and surely he knows the power it holds," chimed a third goddess.

Isis, overhearing the private conversation, couldn't help but keep listening. "If only we could trick him into revealing it. Then we could ascend to an equal status of Ra." Isis immediately knew this was her chance to claim what she believed to be hers. Beginning to devise her plan, Isis first wondered how she could possibly get Ra to reveal his name. So day after day, she observed Ra, noting everyone he encountered. It was only but a month's time before she knew who her target was.

Tefnut, daughter of Ra and goddess of rain, was highly revered by the common man. She brought man rain so that they may have bountiful crops. This delighted Ra, as it kept man happy, and in return, they continued to give bountiful offerings. Each day, Tefnut would go at night and bathe in the rivers of Egypt. She would drink of the waters, and just before dawn, she would walk the land, leaving dew in her path. "Surely if Tefnut were to die, man would become enraged and stop their offerings to Ra. And surely Ra, coupled with the rage from the death of his own offspring, would do anything to bring Tefnut back, including revealing his name," reasoned Isis.

Isis began to associate with Tefnut. She joined Tefnut on walks, as well as going with her to bathe in the rivers. Tefnut quickly found a friend in Isis and began entrusting Isis with her secrets. One night, before they both were expected to go bathe, Isis enchanted a river snake. Isis led Tefnut near the location of the snake and asked if they could take their bath there. As Tefnut began to wash her hair, the river snake made its way to her. In a quick bolt, it struck out and bit Tefnut. Tefnut yelled for her father, but he was nowhere near to hear her calls. Isis then moved the now paralyzed Tefnut to a hidden location.

Isis then rushed to find Ra so that she could enact the second part of her plan. "Ra, it is your daughter! She was bitten by a snake, and then kidnapped! I could not stop the kidnapper, but I did manage to find out how to get her back!"

Ra, very attentive, yelled out, "Who dare take my daughter! Surely they know of the power I hold! I will seek out her captive and give him an eternal punishment so bad that he will beg for death!"

"I wish it were possible! But I tried to find them to no avail! But I think I know what we can do."

"And what would that be?" Ra demanded to know.

"If the river snake bit her, then surely I could enchant it to seek out its own venom that resides in her blood."

"Excellent," Ra decided. "Then set forth and find the same snake, and then return with my daughter once you find her."

"I may be an enchantress, but I am not sure I am powerful enough to do such a thing!"

"Then how might you become powerful enough?"

"I have mingled for millennia with many lesser gods and goddesses, among the very men who worship you. There is a rumor out there that, if true, would surely solve our crisis."

"And what might that rumor be?" Ra asked, nervous as if he could anticipate what Isis would say.

"You secret name. The name so powerful that it could command even you! Surely with its power, I could do as you ask!"

"It is true that I have a secret name, hidden from all, but I could never reveal such a thing!"

"Then your daughter is surely gone forever! And then who would bring the rain to your people? Who will provide the sustenance their crops require?"

Aware of the necessity to reveal his name, Ra decided he would investigate the matters by himself first. "Give me three days to ponder."

So three days later, Isis returned to Ra, ready to receive his hidden name. "And your decision?"

"Go forth with my secret name and retrieve my daughter!" Ra then revealed his secret name, and Isis set forth to bring back his daughter. A few days later, and Tefnut found herself in the presence of her father. But Ra seemed rather intrigued.

"How is it that you were able to bring back my daughter when I had not given you my actual secret name?" clamored Ra.

"Whatever could you mean?" Isis asked hesitantly. "I took your name and enchanted the snake. It led me to her holding, and I rescued her."

"But alas you did not! And for tricking me, I banish you to an eternal punishment so great, you will wish for death instead! For you did not know during those three days I pondered whether or not to reveal my name, that I set out and found the snake. And I commanded the snake to reveal why it bit my daughter. And it revealed that you had actually enchanted it!"


And with that, Ra banished Isis to live as far away from the heavens as possible. She was sent to live in the realm of the dead, never able to be an equal to Ra himself.

~ ~ ~

Author's Note: I took the story The Secret Name of Ra and imagined it slightly different. The original story sees Ra become ill due to Isis' actions that were motivated by her desire to know Ra's secret name. Ultimately, Ra revealed the name to Isis and became whole again. For my version, I wondered if Ra would reveal his name if it were instead another god or goddess in great pain. Would he be selfish and keep his name to himself, thus dooming the ill god to death? I decided to utilize his daughter Tefnut since involving family often changes the dynamic of consequences.

Bibliography: The Secret Name of Ra, by Donald Mackenzie

Image: The Egyptian Goddess Isis, via Wikimedia Commons

Week 4 Story Planning: The Healing Name of Ra

Most of my story will follow the original story. I will begin the story by establishing the fact that Ra has more than one name. Then I will introduce the antagonist of the story, Isis. I think I want to expand a bit on her backstory other than wanting to hold power equal to that of Ra's. Older stories sometimes lack character motivation, so I think this would be a great opportunity to add to the story. 

Next, I will want to introduce the character who will become ill due to Isis. I will want to establish a daily routine for this character and show how Isis will interfere with that routine. Do I want to keep a serpent? I could change it up a bit as it doesn't really matter. Maybe I'll choose whatever animal the god I end up using is most associated with. This could help me because that god would then probably trust that animal, and it would provide a reason that god would interact with the animal. This will allow me to change up how the attack plays out and not rely on an invisible creature.

Ra had company at the time of the attack, so I probably want to keep this aspect to provide writer's convenience. From here, I will need to decide who the chosen god will ask for. Ra called upon his children. Maybe I will use one of Ra's children, and then I can have the offspring call upon Ra in my story. This also might give a bit of an emotional tie to provide the motivation to Ra to reveal his name. 

However, as I type this, I question to myself why Ra wouldn't be able to heal his child. So maybe the selected god asks for Ra, but his company is Isis who then takes the god hostage. I could set up some reason Isis is aware and can help (with Ra's name revealed), but write it so that it doesn't seem like Isis is behind everything (though she is).

From here, I would then deal with the struggle of Ra keeping or revealing his name. Maybe he will try lesser things to see if it satisfies the unknown perpetrator. Now I need to decide if he will succeed through a clever idea that doesn't require his hidden name, if he will give up his name to save his child, or if he will forgo revealing his name and let his child perish. I think I should sleep on this decision and see what seems like the best direction after reflection.

~ ~ ~

Author's Note: I took the story The Secret Name of Ra and imagined it slightly different. The original story sees Ra become ill due to Isis' actions that were motivated by her desire to know the secret name. Ultimately, Ra revealed the name to Isis and became whole again. For my version, I wondered if Ra would reveal his name if it were instead another god in great pain. Would he be selfish and keep his name to himself, thus dooming the ill god to death? Or would Ra act out of mercy? I also changed the name of the story to better reflect the power of Ra's name.

Bibliography: The Secret Name of Ra, by Donald Mackenzie

Image: The Egyptian Goddess Isis, via Wikimedia Commons

Week 3 Storytelling: Two Tickets to Paradise

Abel, son of Adam and Eve, awoke one morning to begin his daily duties. After saying his morning prayer, he ran over to a particular wall of the Cave of Treasures that was utilized for keeping up with the date -- a makeshift calendar. It was time! Abel dashed off to find his parents who were with his brother Cain. Cain and Abel always seemed to be scuffling with each other, but it was always ignored under the mantra "boys will be boys." For once in Abel's life, granted he was only four years of age, he wanted to make Cain feel special. So he first gave Cain the special news. 5,500 years had finally passed, and it was time to return to Paradise. Excitement grew quick in the Cave as the family rejoiced. No longer would they be exiled. The continued their day awaiting God.

Breakfast had just ended when two angelic figures appeared before the family. "Behold! God's promise is fulfilled!" the first one proclaimed. The second one then extended out an envelope in hand. As soon as Eve grasped the envelope, the visitors were gone. Many years had passed since Adam and Eve first entered the Cave of Treasures, and the outside world now referred to itself as "2017 A.D." Inside the envelope, Eve found two pieces of parchment, nearly identical in appearance. Unaware of what they were to be used for, they quickly fell to their knees and prayed.

"Dear Lord, the time has come for us to be with you again! We know not what these signs mean, so we pray that you reveal to us your mighty plan." Adam finished up his prayer and awaited an answer. Soon the Lord's Word came upon Adam and Eve, and all was made known. The two pieces of parchment were airline tickets. Using these the family must board an airplane to Paradise. All within a moment, the excitement transformed into concern. Adam and Eve had tickets, but their sons were without. They began packing what little they had within the Cave, finding passports that must have been delivered from God. Surely God would lead them to answer to their conundrum.

As it neared time to leave the Cave of Treasures once and for all, they realized that they must find another way to take Cain and Abel with them. God held onto his promise, only He did so much more strictly than they anticipated. When God made an oath to bring back Adam and Eve, He meant just that. Adam and Eve. No one else was a part of that promise, including offspring. But they knew they must bring their own children with them. And with that, they devised a plan.

Passing through the airport, flashing their passport every few moments, Adam and Eve finally were able to board the plane. They carefully moved down the aisle until they found their seats. Adam took the window seat because he wished to gaze upon the Creation of God. Eve wanted the aisle seat so that she may quickly access the bathroom. Adam and Eve never seemed to have conflicting wants or ideas. Maybe it is because Eve was made from Adam, and this was a sign of mercy from God. Better yet, maybe it was simply because 5,500 together in a cave makes a couple learn the significance of compromise. They both plopped down their carryon bags below their feet and gave a loving gaze to each other.

A loving gaze that was soon interrupted by an elderly woman claiming she had the seat between the two. "Excuse me! Excuse me! I believe I am between you two!" Without a word further, she stepped over Eve's feet and sat down in the middle seat. At first, neither Adam nor Eve knew how to react. Who was this woman? Why was she between them? The only thing Adam could muster up was an offer.

"Why don't you take this window seat so that I may sit next to my wife?" Adam pleaded.

"No thank you, sonny. Looking out the window makes me nauseous," responded the woman.

"Then take my seat! It is quite convenient being able to just get up without having to step over anyone," Eve suggested.

"Last time I sat in the aisle, the flight attendant spilled tea on my new jacket as she had walked by! I just got this blouse, and I will not risk ruining it!" And with that, it was obvious to Adam and Eve that this would be an annoying flight.

All throughout out the flight, the couple endured incredibly probing questions. "When are you having kids?" "How is he in bed?" "How much money do you guys make?" "What are your religious views?" "Did you vote for Hillary?"

Though the elderly woman meant no harm (she was just one to try to make the most of the time when around new people), Adam and Eve had to sheepishly dodge many of the questions. Just as she started to talk about her oddly located moles and black hairs, the plan had landed. Adam and Eve quickly exited the plane with their carry-ons in hand. They exited the airport unsure where to go next, but it was pretty clear once a car with the sign "Holy Uber" rolled up. They got inside the car where they could finally open their bags.

"I could hardly breath! We're never doing this again!" cried Cain. Abel was simply begging for water. The two brothers had been stuffed in their parents' bags to avoid purchasing two more tickets! The Holy Uber came to a stop, and they were there. Paradise. And Cain and Abel never again had to be stuffed in bags.

~ ~ ~

Author's Note: I based this story mostly on The Forgotten Book of Eden. God promises Adam and Eve that he would bring them back into Paradise after 5,500 years. I imagined a scenario where society still reached its current form. Essentially, this serves as a sequel. I took inspiration from the Bible to include Adam and Eve's two most well-known children, Cane and Abel. I found this entire thought to be absurd, so I decided it would probably be best to make the story itself outlandish. I kept Cane and Abel at a young age because I figured it could be the basis of the conflict present in the story.

Bibliography:  
The Forgotten Book of Eden, edited by Rutherford H. Platt, Jr. (1926)
The Bible (KJV)

Image: Boarding Pass, generated using MusicAirport 

Week 2 Story Planning: Two Tickets to Paradise

Adam and Eve have resided in the Cave of Treasures for nearly 5,500 years. They know that God promised to bring them back into Paradise, so they begin to ready themselves for the fulfillment of that promise. But civilization has advanced, and so they must board an airplane to head to Paradise. Adam and Eve have two young kids, Cane and Abel, but their conservative lifestyles in the Cave have led them to refuse to purchase tickets for their kids. Now they must figure out how all four of them will make it to Paradise.

How did each day occur during the wait?

• They awoke each as the sun rose. They pray to God. The Lord provided them with animals for nourishment once a week. They prepare their first meal and consume it after praying again. 
• They clean what needs to be cleaned in the Cave of Treasures.
• Cane and Abel bicker a lot. I wonder what that will lead to...
• Adam makes dad jokes. Eve rolls her eyes.

God sends angel with two tickets to Paradise

• They need 4 total, but God argues that he only ever said he'd bring back Adam and Eve. 
•  Adam and Eve devise a plan to get their sons to Paradise

Packing to leave the Cave of Treasures

•  Abel accidently leaves behind his favorite rock, but will later find a better one in Paradise. The rock will need an endearing name.
• Should I include a scene where they need to find their misplaced passports?
• They figure out how to get Cane and Abel to Paradise. They will just stuff them in their carry-on bags!

At the airport

• Adam gets "randomly" selected for a strip search while at the airport.
• He argues it's against his religion.
•  Eve has the aisle seat, and Adam takes the window seat.
• A random 70-year-old grandma gets placed between them, refusing to switch with Adam or Eve so that they can sit together. 
• She asks incredibly invasive questions not knowing they were invasive questions.
• The plane experiences turbulence
• Adam thinks this is God trying to kill him (again).
• Adam goes to the bathroom to pray for mercy.

Plane lands

• God sends the Holy Uber to pick them up.
•  They arrive at the pearly white gates.
• The family of four get inside Paradise and begin to explore their former home.
• Somehow Abel finds his a new favorite rock. Try to make this part of the story a long-con joke.

~ ~ ~

Author's Note: I based this story mostly on The Forgotten Book of Eden. God promises Adam and Eve that he would bring them back into Paradise after 5,500 years. I imagined a scenario where society still reached its current form. Essentially, this serves as a sequel. What would someone that old who has been ostracized for so long do if he or she were to emerge from a cave? I then took inspiration from the Bible to include Adam and Eve's two most well-known children, Cane and Abel. I found this entire thought to be absurd, so I decided it would probably be best to make the story itself outlandish. I kept Cane and Abel at a young age because I figured it could be the basis of the conflict present in the story. I tried to include aspects of the source material such as Adam believing the turbulence to be God's way of killing him just as he believed many other things to be God killing him in The Forgotten Book of Eden.

Bibliography:  
The Forgotten Book of Eden, edited by Rutherford H. Platt, Jr. (1926)
The Bible (KJV)

Image: Boarding Pass, generated using MusicAirport 

Week 1 Story: A Shadow Away

At the crack of dawn, a small dog, no bigger than a new born human, made its way into the forest that occupied the land west of its equally small dwelling. This male dog sought out what would hopefully end up being its dinner. As the dog neared a creek that ran through the wooded area, it passed another dog. However, this dog was female, and it just so happened that the male dog was at the right age to begin breeding. The two dogs interacted, and the male dog decided to try and impress the female dog.

So off he set again to find food. However, now he was looking to also to feed another mouth. He quickly found the path he followed each day and followed it to where he could expect to find small game. Today, however, he seemed to have worse luck than days before. It was two in the afternoon before he was able to capture anything for dinner. Disappointingly, the rabbit he caught was rather small, and he knew it would not feed both him and the female dog. So he stayed out until nearly five trying to find more. He noticed the sun would soon set, so he started his journey, meat in his mouth, to where he first met the other dog. He decided that he would give her all of the food and hope tomorrow would bring better luck.

As he crossed the river, he looked down and saw, what he thought to be, another dog carrying meat. This dark dog looked rather small, so he decided he would try to ambush him and steal the food. He jumped towards it to snatch the meat away, but in doing so, he dropped his own meat. Unfortunately, what the male dog did not know was he was actually seeing his shadow. As the dog surfaced the water, he watched the dinner swiftly move down the river. With disappointment at hand, the dog scurried home, making sure not to be seen by his could-have-been companion.

~ ~ ~

Author's Note: Aesop's original story follows a dog which was crossing a brook when he notices his shadow. The dog believes his shadow to actually be another dog which also has a piece of meat. So the dog decides he wants to have both pieces of meat, and in trying to do so, loses the only real piece of meat. For my story, I first wondered if there could have been an ulterior motive. What if this dog had another mouth to feed? So in my version, I imagine a scenario where the dog is acting in an arguably less selfish way. However, he still loses his food when he resorts to the selfish act of trying to steal.

Bibliography: The Dog & the Shadow in the Fables of Aesop, retold by Joseph Jacobs. Web source.

Picture: Rabbit taken by Cecil Law. Source: Pixabay