The Paradigm Demured: Part V- Vertigo

       

            Wide-eyed and frozen with revulsion, Natalie slowly looked up at the man, only to see that it was hardly a man at all.  What she saw would never leave her memory.  An inhuman face stared back at her, causing Natalie to lose any semblance of rational thought.  An uncharacteristically loud shriek slipped from Natalie’s mouth, which hung wide open.  In a frenzy of consternation, the rest of the clothes she was carrying exploded from her arms, spiraling haphazardly all over the floor.  The creature did not even flinch from the display.  The natural reflex would have been to automatically shield its eyes from contracting any unnecessary harm in a sudden outburst such as this one; but the long arms just remained suspended lifelessly, making no motion to shield its face. 

            The clothes landed around the inhuman form, creating a chaotic pile against the wall behind it.  Further stunned, Natalie grabbed Carol’s arm without thinking, and pulled her away from the ethereal creature.  Carol, bewildered by Natalie’s outburst, ran along with her in a state of panic.

I live!

Happy New Year to everyone!  It's been a while, but I assure this site and the project to bring you the continuing adventures of Natalie Ricci (are they really just her adventures?) is not dead.  As long as there is a story to tell, this site continues.  Look forward to more observations and essays in the year to come as well.  Thank you for all your support and readership.  This site is for you, so lend me your feedback so that I may make it serve you better.  Until then, watch for the part V.

The Paradigm Demurred: Part IV- "I love you. I always have, and I thought..you should know."

Brandon Cho’s family had held a traditional Korean funeral service for him north of King County, just outside of the city. His parents had never been fond of their relationship, being extremely locked into their ancient conventions, and learning only enough English to get by.  Nevertheless, Brandon had disobeyed them, and started seeing Natalie, much to their dismay.

The Unexpected Date

 Here's another play I wrote to keep you sated until the next installment of The Paradigm Demurred.  Life's been getting in the way lately, but the next two episodes are coming soon, so keep an eye out.

Characters:

Claire-  A gorgeous 20 year old college student.  Used to being the most beautiful in the room.  Slightly stuck-up, she tends to ignore things that aren’t about her.

Ashley-  Claire’s best friend.  Ashley and Claire party together almost every weekend.  Ashley has more of an outgoing personality than Claire, and is considered by many to be more fun. 

Tobey-  Ashley’s much older brother, he had been something of a legend when Ashley and Claire were in high-school.  Overweight, academically slow, and a clinger, most people tend to avoid being trapped in a conversation with him.

I have way too much fun at my job...

...that's all I'm saying.

Just sketching

I'm testing out my art skills, which have been out of service for years.  Surprisingly, they don't disappear, just get out of shape.  Here's a quick sketch I did of my favorite Dragonball Z character, Trunks.  Need more shades to make it look better, but I'm still satisfied with the result.  Also, damn ink smearing!  Maybe there's something to this digital art...

The Paradigm Demurred: Part III- “Then I too will share in this disobedience.”

The universe is extremely complex, and seeps into many different dimensions, several of which are incompatible with one another.  Sometimes, the energy frequencies of two divergent dimensions begin to overlap, thus eradicating each.  To ensure the continued survival of all living things, the Vorae were created.  The Vorae exist as spiral points of energy, effectively separating our plane of existence with those lying pendulously over it.  Fueled by the energy of emotion, the energy of life itself, these perpetually sustained, spinning vortices are the only thing keeping the physical and nonphysical realms from slamming together in a cosmic cataclysm. 

Since before the evolution of the consciousness of man, it was realized that there would be those who would try and disrupt the natural balance, bringing universal chaos to all living things.  There arose a need for stability, and thus, the Savem were born out of this desire.  Beings sworn to ensure the natural order, they defend these universal pillars, sacrificing their own aspirations for the good of all that is.  They exist in both the physical and nonphysical planes, each set carrying out their own mission.    

I'm a Piece of Shit: Confidence Through Cognitive Dissonance

Here's a short, (very) personal essay I wrote not that long ago.  From the deepest depths of despair, a new light will begin to shine, and lead you down a road you never expected.  Be open to all things- this is the essence of the Plastic Experience.

Recently I discovered a power so great, I wondered why it is not being readily taught in public schools.  I may go so far as to say it is the power of kings.  Oh, it’s available to you, if you want it badly enough, and it’s not even really that difficult to attain once you know what to do.  So what is this power of which I speak?  To sum it up in one word:  confidence. 

            It is a common mistake to assume the world operates as you operate.  To put one’s values and expectations on another, and then stand in bewilderment as that person does something completely unexpected.  In my instance, I believed everyone really wanted to be a nice person, and do the right thing.  In this naïve state, I considered the needs of everyone around me, and did my best not to offend.  For some reason, this would attract the attention of those that would try to dominate and humiliate me.  Why?  What I was doing was thinking of them, and yet they punished me for this?  As it turns out, the message I was sending out was “everyone else is more important than I am”, though it would not be until years later that I came to this conclusion.

The Paradigm Demurred: Part II- "Brandon Cho, I've come for your life."

           

 “Brandon Cho, I’ve come for your life.”

            Those words echoed inside Brandon’s skull, foreign intent overriding his own will.  He couldn’t accept what was happening and his mind had all but shut down.  Though he tried to fight it, his body seemed to be in compliance with what the being desired.  He couldn’t move, scream, or even communicate with this shadowy figure. 

            “A demon?”

            Having no idea what this thing was that had gotten into his apartment, he thought back to the stories of demons that his parents had told him about to scare him as a child.  In Korean folklore, they were usually tricksters that would occasionally take the form of humans, by wearing their skin, to plague the living.  His parents had called them “Agma”, the Korean term for demons.  There had been several instances in Korean mythology recording these demons speaking without moving their mouths.  The very same form of communication as the being standing before him.  So the stories were true, and the Agma had finally come for him. 

Rude Service

I wrote this story during the time in my life when I worked at a fairly prominent resort hotel.  Most of the things that happen in here are true, with the names being changed to protect the (not so) innocent.  Sometimes ignorance is bliss, and when it comes to food service, that's pretty much a given.  So without further adieu, I present  a short one-act play based on my experiences in the food and beverage industry entitled "Rude Service".  Enjoy.

   

Setting:  Room service department of a major hotel.   

Characters

Troy:  An incorrigible young man who hasn’t got a clue.  Somehow, no matter how dimwitted his actions, he almost always remains unscathed.  The same cannot be said for those in his immediate vicinity, however.

Dane:  A bit of a square, Dane is always looking out for his friends.  Dane is a hard worker, and believes in people.  It is common to find his naiveté landing him in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Paul:  A strange guy, with few friends.  Paul always seems to make comments that annoy others, but he seems oblivious.  Often comes off as “holier than thou”.

Yolanda:  The manager on duty, she is rather lazy, and commands little respect.  Flirting with employees further depreciates her, as she demonstrates her low self-esteem.  Has a crush on Dane, though it is not returned.

Story time, and what's the point of this blog?

Welcome back!  When I started this blog, I had no real idea of the direction I wanted to take it.  However, after some thought, I've decided that I will focus on life-lessons, interesting experiences, and that sort of thing.  In addition to this, I will begin posting an ongoing series that will run at least two times a month, consisting of a story that I feel befitting of my readers.  I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do writing it.  Feedback and opinions are welcome, and encouraged.

The Paradigm Demurred: Part I- "These people think you're crazy. Are you crazy, Brandon?"

Every day was the same mundane routine for Brandon Cho:  He would wake up at precisely 6:30 AM, hit the alarm on its third beep, and begin getting ready for another monotonous day of bean-counting busy-work at the Roosevelt & Barnes Financial Group of Seattle.  An easy existence that suited one such as himself.  But, today was different.  As he splashed through the damp streets, he could feel a presence drawing closer, gaining strength- it was a manifestation of pure darkness, and it was suffocating.

Hungry Eyes: The Power of Dominance

Let me ask you a question:  what do you do when you're being stared at?

I was at the mall the other day with the girl I'm seeing, and I noticed something peculiar.  People seemed to be staring at us, and it was getting annoying to the point that she commented on it.  I laughed, because what can you do about something like that, and we were having a good time, so we tried to ignore it.  Though in reality, it was still in the back of my mind, and I couldn't let go...  So, I made the decision to stare back, and that's when something quite amazing dawned on me.  It was a dominance thing.

Getting that girl is possible, but just a reminder if you lose your shit.

I'm not the only one who noticed this, apparently.  Credit goes to motifake.com for the pic.