F - FIRE
The fire grew amongst the wildfire. It spread across the forest and it climbed the trees until it kissed the sky. And while the forest lit up and glowed brighter than the sun, there was no smoke. It still acted like a normal fire, in that its flames flickered and sparked, it spread from limb to limb, and it consumed the homes of every animal. But that vile, choking black, that poisonous disease of destruction was nowhere to be seen in the violet sky. By morning, the forest was gone and the sun shone down on the plains, which was soon overtaken, hours later, by a hard rain. The lightning crackled and spat across the storm's canvas as the water painted a battlefield. When the regiments went home, the defeated sun returned to survey the damage and found only seeds and mud. But oh! did those seeds find a home amongst the muck. Despite being surrounded by sludge, the seeds germinated and began taking root before, one perfectly sprightly day, the white threads of life poked towards their life-bringer. The plains began to resemble a brand-new baby's head and, before long, the long, luscious locks burst forth. It wasn't long before insects found new food where there had been none and birds and mammals found homes in the new lofts and dens. When the forest was destroyed next, however, the fire was nowhere to be found, but it was smoke that now permeated the air.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Sarsaparilla Alphabet #5
E - ELEPHANT
The man rode atop the elephant, in a fancy, wooden box that resembled a castle tower. Rapunzel let down her golden ladder and he climbed out of his box and into the castle window. They talked about elephants and castles and the like, so much so, that whenever he came to her room, he was filled with the warmest glow that made his face shine brighter than the sun. Eventually, the sunlight made his heart grow flowers, which he picked and gave to Rapunzel whenever they were in full bloom. They made love, but the man had never experienced anything so intense, so wild. Her hair seemed more brilliant each day.
A number of months later, however, he noticed that her once-brilliant locks were dulling. When they made love, all of those feelings returned and her hair once again shone, illuminating the entire castle. But Rapunzel was concerned with how far apart their worlds were – her in her castle, and the man on top of his elephant. The man was bewildered. She was just a short climb away, this was nonsense! But Rapunzel truly did love him, so she continued to let down her hair, but told him that each day, it would be just a little bit shorter.
The man continued to enjoy each day that he was her as if he was the richest man in the world, but he was still aware of what was to come. When her hair was just out of reach, he would jump from his box, despite the fact that he couldn't jump very high at all. One day, however, he climbed into Rapunzel's room to find another man, who didn't own an elephant. In fact, he merely walked on the ground and Rapunzel hair had, in fact, been getting longer each day. The man stared in disbelief. Rapunzel's hair shined brighter than the sun. The man's garden had not been tended to and a final, devastating thundercloud appeared in his chest.
Rapunzel offered to continue talking to him, but the man would have to yell at her while she stood by the castle's window. Many times, he considered destroying, burning, and throwing the castle off of the elephant's back, but the sun was always behind the thundercloud, just waiting for its chance to seize control of the sky. The man decided that this chance was one worth taking and continued talking to Rapunzel as he rode his elephant across the desert.
The man rode atop the elephant, in a fancy, wooden box that resembled a castle tower. Rapunzel let down her golden ladder and he climbed out of his box and into the castle window. They talked about elephants and castles and the like, so much so, that whenever he came to her room, he was filled with the warmest glow that made his face shine brighter than the sun. Eventually, the sunlight made his heart grow flowers, which he picked and gave to Rapunzel whenever they were in full bloom. They made love, but the man had never experienced anything so intense, so wild. Her hair seemed more brilliant each day.
A number of months later, however, he noticed that her once-brilliant locks were dulling. When they made love, all of those feelings returned and her hair once again shone, illuminating the entire castle. But Rapunzel was concerned with how far apart their worlds were – her in her castle, and the man on top of his elephant. The man was bewildered. She was just a short climb away, this was nonsense! But Rapunzel truly did love him, so she continued to let down her hair, but told him that each day, it would be just a little bit shorter.
The man continued to enjoy each day that he was her as if he was the richest man in the world, but he was still aware of what was to come. When her hair was just out of reach, he would jump from his box, despite the fact that he couldn't jump very high at all. One day, however, he climbed into Rapunzel's room to find another man, who didn't own an elephant. In fact, he merely walked on the ground and Rapunzel hair had, in fact, been getting longer each day. The man stared in disbelief. Rapunzel's hair shined brighter than the sun. The man's garden had not been tended to and a final, devastating thundercloud appeared in his chest.
Rapunzel offered to continue talking to him, but the man would have to yell at her while she stood by the castle's window. Many times, he considered destroying, burning, and throwing the castle off of the elephant's back, but the sun was always behind the thundercloud, just waiting for its chance to seize control of the sky. The man decided that this chance was one worth taking and continued talking to Rapunzel as he rode his elephant across the desert.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Sarsaparilla Alphabet #4
D - DRUNK
It was Clay and Sienna's first time. No, they weren't close like that, but they had grown up together in the same neighborhood – three doors down, across the street, to be exact. On the coffee table sat a bottle of Rainbeau Melt.
"Hmph," said Clay, begrudgingly. "Let's just do it."
"The whole thing? Isn't that dangerous?"
"We won't know until we try it."
Clay uncorked the bottle and, with a loud SCWHOP!, it was open and emitting a light blue mist. He poured it into the first two glasses that he found, which were etched with the names of two different restaurants. "Bottoms up," Clay said, and they clinked their glasses together. They drank deep. It was sweet. They drank another glass. The taste was even sweeter. "Pretty good, huh?" asked Clay. Sienna shrieked. "Clay! Your tongue! It's... got every color on it!"
It was true, or at to her eyes. Almost like stripes on a rugby shirt, his tongue had been painted with vertical lines of white, red, black, yellow, orange, blue, green, and purple, from left to right. Clay saw everything only in the colors of the most beautiful sunset ever. Sienna was a brilliant vermilion.
The colors began to become more intense, as if their tint dials on their eyes were turned to their maximum. Clay's eyes filled with color in his eyes, still nicely organized, until they gushed out of his sockets. The paint flooded the room, until it seemed impossible that any more could fit. Then, everything went white.
A splot of red. Bright blue slightly to the right of it. Green dripped. Slowly. Then, a torrential downpour of every color that one could think of (there might have been some sort of ultraviolet color in there, as well) drenched the white world until it tilted, and the colors slid down the slope.
Toucan Sam started singing in a rainforest filled with tall trees with orange leaves. Blue orangutans swung amongst them. Thousands of ants streamed out of a series of mountains, each one a different color, before being eaten by three hungry anteaters.
The paint fell out of the sterile, white room and drenched the rainforest. The anteaters sported polka dots. The blue orangutans were orange. Toucan Sam tripled the number of colors on his beak. The paint rain got heavier, until the sky was black.
Sienna woke up first, and she shook Clay awake. He had been dreaming of soldiers storming Omaha Beach, but instead of bullets, their guns shot globs of color. Once they had realized that they couldn't kill each other with color, the soldiers painted faces on each other and drew vast landscapes in the sand.
Clay and Sienna both stood up, grabbed the bottle, and put it back in the cabinet that they found it in. Sitting down at the kitchen table, they stared at the off-white wall, trying to make sense of what they had just dreamed.
It was Clay and Sienna's first time. No, they weren't close like that, but they had grown up together in the same neighborhood – three doors down, across the street, to be exact. On the coffee table sat a bottle of Rainbeau Melt.
"Hmph," said Clay, begrudgingly. "Let's just do it."
"The whole thing? Isn't that dangerous?"
"We won't know until we try it."
Clay uncorked the bottle and, with a loud SCWHOP!, it was open and emitting a light blue mist. He poured it into the first two glasses that he found, which were etched with the names of two different restaurants. "Bottoms up," Clay said, and they clinked their glasses together. They drank deep. It was sweet. They drank another glass. The taste was even sweeter. "Pretty good, huh?" asked Clay. Sienna shrieked. "Clay! Your tongue! It's... got every color on it!"
It was true, or at to her eyes. Almost like stripes on a rugby shirt, his tongue had been painted with vertical lines of white, red, black, yellow, orange, blue, green, and purple, from left to right. Clay saw everything only in the colors of the most beautiful sunset ever. Sienna was a brilliant vermilion.
The colors began to become more intense, as if their tint dials on their eyes were turned to their maximum. Clay's eyes filled with color in his eyes, still nicely organized, until they gushed out of his sockets. The paint flooded the room, until it seemed impossible that any more could fit. Then, everything went white.
A splot of red. Bright blue slightly to the right of it. Green dripped. Slowly. Then, a torrential downpour of every color that one could think of (there might have been some sort of ultraviolet color in there, as well) drenched the white world until it tilted, and the colors slid down the slope.
Toucan Sam started singing in a rainforest filled with tall trees with orange leaves. Blue orangutans swung amongst them. Thousands of ants streamed out of a series of mountains, each one a different color, before being eaten by three hungry anteaters.
The paint fell out of the sterile, white room and drenched the rainforest. The anteaters sported polka dots. The blue orangutans were orange. Toucan Sam tripled the number of colors on his beak. The paint rain got heavier, until the sky was black.
Sienna woke up first, and she shook Clay awake. He had been dreaming of soldiers storming Omaha Beach, but instead of bullets, their guns shot globs of color. Once they had realized that they couldn't kill each other with color, the soldiers painted faces on each other and drew vast landscapes in the sand.
Clay and Sienna both stood up, grabbed the bottle, and put it back in the cabinet that they found it in. Sitting down at the kitchen table, they stared at the off-white wall, trying to make sense of what they had just dreamed.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Sarsaparilla Alphabet #3
C - CHINCHILLA
Rocky crawled out of his cage and into Karen's hands. His platinum fur was especially fluffy today – that hard work was worth something! Her hand ran over the chinchilla's back, and he responded with a chirp, which was followed by her cell phone's ring. She set Rocky down on the floor and answered it.
Aww... hey, what's that? He wandered over and nibbled. Mmm. Leftover carrot. Sweet. Is that more? Rocky shuffled past the door and came upon the air vent, which Karen had taken off to clean. What's that delicious smell? It's coming from down here...
And Rocky tumbled down the air vent. Thankfully, he managed to fall straight down instead of bumping into the sides. He must have been one lucky chinchilla, as he landed in a big pile of clean laundry. Crawling out, he heard a voice shout to him. Peering out of an undershirt's collar, he spotted a gray mouse. "Hi there," the chinchilla chirped.
"You must be Rocky," the mouse said, scratching his stomach. "We hear a lot about you down here, y'know... mostly about how 'fluffy wuffy' you are. It must be nice."
"Oh, you have no idea. I get awesome food and all the water I want, but the best part is the petting and scratches. It's like all of your troubles go away and you kind of fall asleep." Rocky thought about it and giggled.
"C'mere, lemme show you around the place." Rocky obliged and met the mouse on eye-level, who introduced himself as Takk. "Right through this hole is the place where everybody chills after a day with her."
"Her?"
"The neighborhood cat, Vera. What, do you not know that cats eat guys like us?"
"They do what? Eat us? Like... eating a carrot?"
"Do your carrots bleed and cry for their mother as their limbs are ripped off?"
"Oh god. No, that's... oh god. Horrifying. No. That's... oh god."
"Hey hey hey, buddy. Calm down, come get a drink."
The two rodents walked over to where the refrigerator had leaked into the basement. Rocky opened his mouth and let some of the yellow liquid drip into his mouth due to Takk's insistence. A tear came down Rocky's face. "It's... beautiful... it almost tastes like... morning dew on the fresh grass on the side of a mountain." It felt like a hundred Karens were petting his entire body at once.
Takk, however, thought that the stuff tasted like urine, but it at least got his mind off of the cat and let him focus on his new friend. He also briefly forgot the 46 kids that were either currently with his wife or off scavenging for food in the kitchen. He forgot about Suð, who was the dumbest mouse in all of existence. Takk couldn't understand how he was still alive. He forgot almost everything else. But he also got an idea.
"Hey Rocky. Do you like it down here?"
"Yeah... I love it! It's so... different. So real. So wonderful. Everyone seems to know everyone, too."
"What if... you and I... switched places? You know, you can stay down here for a while and meet everyone and really get the whole mouse experience and I go up and see what the easy life is like. It wouldn't be forever. I'd find a way to make it back at some point."
"Oh, but Karen could easy tell us apart! Let's see. First, let's fluff you all up." Takk did this, and Rocky tilted his head to the left. "Mm. Not perfect, but it should be close enough. Now hurry back into the laundry! Karen's probably looking for me and she might have realized that the air duct cover was off."
Takk climbed into the pile of clothes, after Rocky reminded him to look "extra helpless." And five minutes later, Karen threw open the basement door and ran about the room, searching every nook and cranny. She stopped when she heard something moving and chirping, and she chirped, herself. "Rocky! Oh, I'm so sorry, I was on the phone! I should have never let you run around. Come on, let's go sit down and you can eat a big bag of carrots. I bet you're all worked up, too."
As Karen picked up the laundry basket, Takk shuffled to the side. He saw Rocky standing at the hole in the wall, and he waved. "Thanks for everything!" Rocky smiled and waved back. "No, thank you."
Rocky crawled out of his cage and into Karen's hands. His platinum fur was especially fluffy today – that hard work was worth something! Her hand ran over the chinchilla's back, and he responded with a chirp, which was followed by her cell phone's ring. She set Rocky down on the floor and answered it.
Aww... hey, what's that? He wandered over and nibbled. Mmm. Leftover carrot. Sweet. Is that more? Rocky shuffled past the door and came upon the air vent, which Karen had taken off to clean. What's that delicious smell? It's coming from down here...
And Rocky tumbled down the air vent. Thankfully, he managed to fall straight down instead of bumping into the sides. He must have been one lucky chinchilla, as he landed in a big pile of clean laundry. Crawling out, he heard a voice shout to him. Peering out of an undershirt's collar, he spotted a gray mouse. "Hi there," the chinchilla chirped.
"You must be Rocky," the mouse said, scratching his stomach. "We hear a lot about you down here, y'know... mostly about how 'fluffy wuffy' you are. It must be nice."
"Oh, you have no idea. I get awesome food and all the water I want, but the best part is the petting and scratches. It's like all of your troubles go away and you kind of fall asleep." Rocky thought about it and giggled.
"C'mere, lemme show you around the place." Rocky obliged and met the mouse on eye-level, who introduced himself as Takk. "Right through this hole is the place where everybody chills after a day with her."
"Her?"
"The neighborhood cat, Vera. What, do you not know that cats eat guys like us?"
"They do what? Eat us? Like... eating a carrot?"
"Do your carrots bleed and cry for their mother as their limbs are ripped off?"
"Oh god. No, that's... oh god. Horrifying. No. That's... oh god."
"Hey hey hey, buddy. Calm down, come get a drink."
The two rodents walked over to where the refrigerator had leaked into the basement. Rocky opened his mouth and let some of the yellow liquid drip into his mouth due to Takk's insistence. A tear came down Rocky's face. "It's... beautiful... it almost tastes like... morning dew on the fresh grass on the side of a mountain." It felt like a hundred Karens were petting his entire body at once.
Takk, however, thought that the stuff tasted like urine, but it at least got his mind off of the cat and let him focus on his new friend. He also briefly forgot the 46 kids that were either currently with his wife or off scavenging for food in the kitchen. He forgot about Suð, who was the dumbest mouse in all of existence. Takk couldn't understand how he was still alive. He forgot almost everything else. But he also got an idea.
"Hey Rocky. Do you like it down here?"
"Yeah... I love it! It's so... different. So real. So wonderful. Everyone seems to know everyone, too."
"What if... you and I... switched places? You know, you can stay down here for a while and meet everyone and really get the whole mouse experience and I go up and see what the easy life is like. It wouldn't be forever. I'd find a way to make it back at some point."
"Oh, but Karen could easy tell us apart! Let's see. First, let's fluff you all up." Takk did this, and Rocky tilted his head to the left. "Mm. Not perfect, but it should be close enough. Now hurry back into the laundry! Karen's probably looking for me and she might have realized that the air duct cover was off."
Takk climbed into the pile of clothes, after Rocky reminded him to look "extra helpless." And five minutes later, Karen threw open the basement door and ran about the room, searching every nook and cranny. She stopped when she heard something moving and chirping, and she chirped, herself. "Rocky! Oh, I'm so sorry, I was on the phone! I should have never let you run around. Come on, let's go sit down and you can eat a big bag of carrots. I bet you're all worked up, too."
As Karen picked up the laundry basket, Takk shuffled to the side. He saw Rocky standing at the hole in the wall, and he waved. "Thanks for everything!" Rocky smiled and waved back. "No, thank you."
Friday, December 12, 2008
Sarsaparilla Alphabet #2
B - BUTTER
On a glass plate on a long dinner table draped with a crimson table cloth sits a block of butter. Taking a seat, Edward wraps his head around the chair's arms, which are carved with snarling griffins. The butter sits 25 feet away, and Edward stares at it. He leans down onto the table, twists his head to the side, and stares at it, as if at any moment, it will show signs of life. He grabs a butter knife, holding it like a machete. He stands up slowly, careful to not arouse suspicion. He freezes. The butter's watching. Ducking behind the black curtains, Edward peeks out the side for his chance. No good, it seems to have eyes on all five sides. He has one last chance.
In two solid motions, he cocks his arm backs and heaves his mighty weapon at the beast's heart. Just nicked him, he snarled. But at least he's wounded. This may be my chance!
Edward ran like a madman, howling a war cry with both his hands in the air. He leaped onto the table and grabbed the butter with both his hands and wrestled with the foul beast. Gaining the upper hand, he smashed it into a slice of bread, vanquishing the malevolent being.
Edward carried his spoils back to his large chair with the griffins engraved into the arms and sat and placed it next to the five forks, two knives, three spoons, and a cloth napkin, folded in a way that resembled a swan. Unfolding the napkin into his lap, he sank his teeth into the bread, spotting his luxurious mustache with yellow entrails. There was a knock on the door, and a man in a crimson suit (adorned with a brilliant yellow ascot) emerged from the other side of the tall, heavy, wooden doors.
"Prime Minister? I come to discuss a possible treaty for peace."
On a glass plate on a long dinner table draped with a crimson table cloth sits a block of butter. Taking a seat, Edward wraps his head around the chair's arms, which are carved with snarling griffins. The butter sits 25 feet away, and Edward stares at it. He leans down onto the table, twists his head to the side, and stares at it, as if at any moment, it will show signs of life. He grabs a butter knife, holding it like a machete. He stands up slowly, careful to not arouse suspicion. He freezes. The butter's watching. Ducking behind the black curtains, Edward peeks out the side for his chance. No good, it seems to have eyes on all five sides. He has one last chance.
In two solid motions, he cocks his arm backs and heaves his mighty weapon at the beast's heart. Just nicked him, he snarled. But at least he's wounded. This may be my chance!
Edward ran like a madman, howling a war cry with both his hands in the air. He leaped onto the table and grabbed the butter with both his hands and wrestled with the foul beast. Gaining the upper hand, he smashed it into a slice of bread, vanquishing the malevolent being.
Edward carried his spoils back to his large chair with the griffins engraved into the arms and sat and placed it next to the five forks, two knives, three spoons, and a cloth napkin, folded in a way that resembled a swan. Unfolding the napkin into his lap, he sank his teeth into the bread, spotting his luxurious mustache with yellow entrails. There was a knock on the door, and a man in a crimson suit (adorned with a brilliant yellow ascot) emerged from the other side of the tall, heavy, wooden doors.
"Prime Minister? I come to discuss a possible treaty for peace."
Monday, December 8, 2008
Sarsaparilla Alphabet #1
Essentially, you get a word, one for each letter, and write a story. Words were randomly chosen by Ryan. See the first one ever here.
A - ASPIRIN
One more, Brian thought to himself. This was the worst headache he'd ever had, and he'd had a migraine before. It feels like my brain is trying to escape. I wish I could open my skull and let it air out.
Closing the medicine cabinet, Brian looked up at the mirror, staring into his blood-shot eyes. The pain had been there for six days and he was on his third bottle of aspirin. The thought of going to the doctor hadn't seemed necessary, but he was beginning to change his mind. His eyes moved to his forehead and then to his hair, which was thinned out. Dad didn't go bald until his 40s, he complained. But then Brian noticed that his hair wasn't thinning out. It was spread out.
He stepped back. His head must have been twice the size it normally should be. Brian clutched at his head and he felt like a conehead. He called for his wife, but his pained shout was drowned out by a shrill shriek. The pain was unbearable. The ceiling crashed around him. He felt something grab into his shoulders and he was now in the air. His legs flailed. He went higher. His house was now smaller than his head, even when it was normal-sized. He managed to look up, despite the pain in his head and the daggers in his shoulders. Brian screamed.
Brian finally landed in a nest, one at least the size of a football field, except that it was perfectly round, like a cereal bowl. The milk came next – some sort of purple, mucous-like substance filled the bowl and Brian fell under and he choked for air. The pain was gone. Brian stood up. The sky was a brilliant blue, not a cloud in the sky. He was naked.
His hair was all gone or, rather, his head was so massive that it didn't matter how much hair he had. His head was perfectly ovular, but he didn't care. He couldn't feel it, nor could he feel what was gestating inside. A great, big thing landed on his head, but Brian didn't care. The sky was blue. He was going up there. He was going to be the only cloud.
A - ASPIRIN
One more, Brian thought to himself. This was the worst headache he'd ever had, and he'd had a migraine before. It feels like my brain is trying to escape. I wish I could open my skull and let it air out.
Closing the medicine cabinet, Brian looked up at the mirror, staring into his blood-shot eyes. The pain had been there for six days and he was on his third bottle of aspirin. The thought of going to the doctor hadn't seemed necessary, but he was beginning to change his mind. His eyes moved to his forehead and then to his hair, which was thinned out. Dad didn't go bald until his 40s, he complained. But then Brian noticed that his hair wasn't thinning out. It was spread out.
He stepped back. His head must have been twice the size it normally should be. Brian clutched at his head and he felt like a conehead. He called for his wife, but his pained shout was drowned out by a shrill shriek. The pain was unbearable. The ceiling crashed around him. He felt something grab into his shoulders and he was now in the air. His legs flailed. He went higher. His house was now smaller than his head, even when it was normal-sized. He managed to look up, despite the pain in his head and the daggers in his shoulders. Brian screamed.
Brian finally landed in a nest, one at least the size of a football field, except that it was perfectly round, like a cereal bowl. The milk came next – some sort of purple, mucous-like substance filled the bowl and Brian fell under and he choked for air. The pain was gone. Brian stood up. The sky was a brilliant blue, not a cloud in the sky. He was naked.
His hair was all gone or, rather, his head was so massive that it didn't matter how much hair he had. His head was perfectly ovular, but he didn't care. He couldn't feel it, nor could he feel what was gestating inside. A great, big thing landed on his head, but Brian didn't care. The sky was blue. He was going up there. He was going to be the only cloud.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Animal People: The Movie
...at least, it's the best movie that one can make in approximately twenty minutes. A few students from our Photojournalism class assembled some sound slides about our stories. Essentially, it's a narrated, 200-word story set to about 12 photos of the subject and his/her/its environment. You can view them all here (click on each of our names) and check mine out at this link.
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