Started a garden.
Monday, 27. April 2009, 00:35:16
Well, my garden is officially planted. It's got tomatoes and bell peppers and carrots and marigolds and Swiss chard and radishes.
Also, new story in the works. And I have other stories if anyone wants to read them. They aren't done, but leave a comment if you want me to post part of it.
And now, without further stalling for time, here is the first chapter of Once in a Lullaby.
Marius looked up from his spot on the lone green hill near the city. Dorothy, one of his best friends from school, walked to him and sat down. “You’re deciding to skip too?” he asked after lying his head back down.
“It’s just English. They’re having us read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in depth.” She tossed one of the two copies she had to Marius. “It’s one of those old kid stories. You could finish it in a couple minutes if you wanted.”
“No thanks. I remember it all from kindergarten. Girl gets sucked up in a tornado, kills wicked witch, travels to wizard, meets scarecrow, tin man, and lion, and goes back home after kill the other witch. It’s simple.” He put the book under her head and used it as a pillow.
“I’ve never actually read it. I wish it was a harder read, though. This stuff is too simple.” Dorothy opened her copy and started reading. “You should probably go through it again, Marius. You’ll seem quite the scarecrow if you don’t know anything in class.”
“I’ll go through it later,” he replied. The sun shone against the mirrors of steel that were the city behind the pair. “Have you gotten to the Emerald City, Dorothy?”
“No. I’m still on the Yellow Brick Road.” She looked up to the cloud of smog pervading the air above the city. “It’s too bad the river is as bad as this air.”
“We could always go swimming if it weren’t so murky.” He tugged at his fishing pole. “I’m not getting any bites today. School might be more entertaining than this.”
Dorothy stood up and brushed the grass from her skirt. “I’m surprised nobody knows about this spot yet. You’d think the green would be obvious surrounded by so much brown.” She picked up a rock and skipped it across the river. It landed in the sand on the other side.
“It’s because nobody wants to see emeralds anymore. They’ve fallen for towers of steel and concrete. They have no need for gems when they can make their own.” Marius sighed and looked at his watch. “We are creatures ruled by time, Dorothy. English is about to end. Will you be heading to Government with me?”
“I suppose I should.” She smiled and pulled Marius up before walking back towards school.
Dorothy skipped into her music class. It was a free day, so the students could do as they wished. She was going to practice on the piano in the back of the room for most of the period.
Marius sat in the corner by Dorothy as she played. “Do you know Raindrops?” he asked after she had warmed up.
“Chopin? It’s been a while since I’ve played it.” She tapped a few keys before breaking into a sad melody. The other musicians looked up at the melody, distracted from their games. A few moved outside to avoid the music, but most stayed in and turned up their own music players.
“It’s good,” said Marius after Dorothy finished. “I wonder how long it’s been since we’ve had a good rain in this city.”
“I blame the pollution for this acid rain we get. But we can’t do much about it.” She continued to play, switching from Chopin to Beethoven, but staying with calm, slow songs. After most of the other teens had left the room she started some more lively music, switching between Bach and Chopin’s happier pieces.
The bell rang to end the school day, so Marius picked up his books. “Ready to go home?”
“I guess I can play at home. Just let me get my things.” She covered the piano and picked up her bag before following Marius out.
The two lived on the same street, so they walked home together most days. Since Marius skipped English and Biology consistently, the pair usually talked about whichever class he missed that day. Because Dorothy had skipped class with him, they decided to talk about The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Dorothy had been reading as she played, so she managed to get through most of the book.
“Do you believe in other worlds, Marius?”
“Look up in the middle of the night and you can see them,” he replied. “There are seven besides our own circling the sun, plus many million around other stars, not to mention the uncountable asteroids, comets, and other objects travelling in space that could be called worlds.”
Dorothy sighed. “Not quite what I meant. Do you believe in magical worlds?”
“There is no Oz, if that’s what you’re asking me. There are emerald cities and flying machines, and I suppose somewhere there could be creatures that can control their energy and seem to be witches, but I draw the line at animate scarecrows. Oz is fantasy, nothing more.” He turned and walked up the steps to his home. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Dorothy.”
“See you.”
Also, new story in the works. And I have other stories if anyone wants to read them. They aren't done, but leave a comment if you want me to post part of it.
And now, without further stalling for time, here is the first chapter of Once in a Lullaby.
Marius looked up from his spot on the lone green hill near the city. Dorothy, one of his best friends from school, walked to him and sat down. “You’re deciding to skip too?” he asked after lying his head back down.
“It’s just English. They’re having us read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in depth.” She tossed one of the two copies she had to Marius. “It’s one of those old kid stories. You could finish it in a couple minutes if you wanted.”
“No thanks. I remember it all from kindergarten. Girl gets sucked up in a tornado, kills wicked witch, travels to wizard, meets scarecrow, tin man, and lion, and goes back home after kill the other witch. It’s simple.” He put the book under her head and used it as a pillow.
“I’ve never actually read it. I wish it was a harder read, though. This stuff is too simple.” Dorothy opened her copy and started reading. “You should probably go through it again, Marius. You’ll seem quite the scarecrow if you don’t know anything in class.”
“I’ll go through it later,” he replied. The sun shone against the mirrors of steel that were the city behind the pair. “Have you gotten to the Emerald City, Dorothy?”
“No. I’m still on the Yellow Brick Road.” She looked up to the cloud of smog pervading the air above the city. “It’s too bad the river is as bad as this air.”
“We could always go swimming if it weren’t so murky.” He tugged at his fishing pole. “I’m not getting any bites today. School might be more entertaining than this.”
Dorothy stood up and brushed the grass from her skirt. “I’m surprised nobody knows about this spot yet. You’d think the green would be obvious surrounded by so much brown.” She picked up a rock and skipped it across the river. It landed in the sand on the other side.
“It’s because nobody wants to see emeralds anymore. They’ve fallen for towers of steel and concrete. They have no need for gems when they can make their own.” Marius sighed and looked at his watch. “We are creatures ruled by time, Dorothy. English is about to end. Will you be heading to Government with me?”
“I suppose I should.” She smiled and pulled Marius up before walking back towards school.
Dorothy skipped into her music class. It was a free day, so the students could do as they wished. She was going to practice on the piano in the back of the room for most of the period.
Marius sat in the corner by Dorothy as she played. “Do you know Raindrops?” he asked after she had warmed up.
“Chopin? It’s been a while since I’ve played it.” She tapped a few keys before breaking into a sad melody. The other musicians looked up at the melody, distracted from their games. A few moved outside to avoid the music, but most stayed in and turned up their own music players.
“It’s good,” said Marius after Dorothy finished. “I wonder how long it’s been since we’ve had a good rain in this city.”
“I blame the pollution for this acid rain we get. But we can’t do much about it.” She continued to play, switching from Chopin to Beethoven, but staying with calm, slow songs. After most of the other teens had left the room she started some more lively music, switching between Bach and Chopin’s happier pieces.
The bell rang to end the school day, so Marius picked up his books. “Ready to go home?”
“I guess I can play at home. Just let me get my things.” She covered the piano and picked up her bag before following Marius out.
The two lived on the same street, so they walked home together most days. Since Marius skipped English and Biology consistently, the pair usually talked about whichever class he missed that day. Because Dorothy had skipped class with him, they decided to talk about The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Dorothy had been reading as she played, so she managed to get through most of the book.
“Do you believe in other worlds, Marius?”
“Look up in the middle of the night and you can see them,” he replied. “There are seven besides our own circling the sun, plus many million around other stars, not to mention the uncountable asteroids, comets, and other objects travelling in space that could be called worlds.”
Dorothy sighed. “Not quite what I meant. Do you believe in magical worlds?”
“There is no Oz, if that’s what you’re asking me. There are emerald cities and flying machines, and I suppose somewhere there could be creatures that can control their energy and seem to be witches, but I draw the line at animate scarecrows. Oz is fantasy, nothing more.” He turned and walked up the steps to his home. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Dorothy.”
“See you.”
WIDGETIZE