Random...Inspiration

The light shone through the window illuminating the battle blade that rested anxiously against the wall. It longed to have a hand grasp it's hilt. It longed to feel the heat of battle against it's blade. And yet it sat there. Rusted with time and useless to it's owner.

It's owner was a knight now stooped with age and scarred from head to toe with his own battles. It had been years since he had carried his blade. Decades since he had felt the the rush of war. He now looked longingly in the blade's direction.

He took up his staff which was just as crooked and stooped as the old man. Leaning against his staff heavily, he limped outside and to his stable.

Exhausted from a long journey, the young man slept soundly on the bales of hay. This young man, barely out of boyhood, had the same fire in his eyes and blood in his heart as the old man once had. The old man took pity on him and allowed him to take his rest here. But the sun now shone and there was much to do.

The old man gently shook the younger man to his senses. He awoke with a start, his grey eyes blazing.

"Lorcan, the sky is red this morning." His eyes clouded over and he leaned on his staff. "A storm is brewing over the water. I can feel it."

Lorcan muttered something to himself.

"Don't say that, young man. I have a sword for you. The blade may be a bit rusty but it will serve you well as it served me so many times before. You will take this blade to Dubhlainn. He will forge you a blade as fierce as you are. A blade that will prove useful to you as you bring peace to this country."

Ch.10 The Weight of Words

The hologram of Quinn was like a knife being lodged into his chest and then cruelly twisted. Was this some kind of joke? His eyes were riveted to this likeness of her. This is the first time he had seen his sister in five years. And this would be the last. And then the hologram spoke.

Words. Her words leapt out at Travis like a snake, a venomous snake, a cobra, it's neck spread threateningly. And Travis listened to these words allowing this cobra to release it's venom and seep into his veins. He could not fully understand the full definition of these words. He could not fully grasp the weight of this responsibility. But what he did understand was her voice. Her words came out in a frenzied, urgent rush and yet her voice seemed week.

"The watch...counting down...end of the world as we know it...they will find you...trust them...matchbox...light the match and see the vision in red...woman with a scar...don't trust her...she...can destroy you..."

Woman with a scar. This seemed vaguely familiar. He had seen a woman with a scar. He began groping for a memory he couldn't find.

"When you find the matchbox...don't open it...the mistress...the power to use it...I know you can do this...the fate of the world rests in your hands..."

Quinn stopped and drew a shaky breath. She closed her eyes as she gathered strength. Was that a tear in her eye?

"One more thing. You can do this Travis. I believe you can even if you don't. I know I wasn't there for you like I should have been. I don't know when you'll get this. It's been so long. I forgive you, Travis. And I hope you can forgive me too. Close your mouth, Travis."

Travis closed his mouth.

"One last thing. I love you."

With those words, the image faded away. Travis held very still. He didn't dare move. He feared that if he moved, those last words would somehow disappear. Those words would fade away just as quickly as the image had. He replayed them over in his mind. He had forgiven her. He had forgiven her a long time ago. He had just never told her. He had never thought she would forgive him. But now everything had changed. And those last words were bitter sweet in his mouth.

The auburn haired girl seemed to appear out of nowhere and the magic was gone. Quinn was gone.

"You must trust me."

"I don't have much choice, do I?"

At this point, several things happened at once. First, they heard shouting outside. Second, the auburn haired girl pulled out her knife. Third, the door to the apartment burst open with a crack and a bang. Fourth, a woman stood menacingly in the doorway.

And once again, he found his memory. A memory of a woman sitting next to him at the bar. A memory of a calling card tucked neatly away in his pocket. A memory of a woman with a scar on her left cheek...

Ch.9 Face of a Coaster

Travis was embaressed. It wasn't just the fact that he was tied to a chair. And it wasn't just the fact that a girl with auburn hair had tied him to that chair to that chair. Travis was not vain enough to worry about his male pride. Despite himself, he was impressed at her speed and strength. And yet this fact did not help. Travis was embaressed.

The past few days had not been easy on Travis. He had been informed of his sister's death two days ago. Quinn had been dead for two years and he had only known for two days. When the news finally reached him, he did the only thing he could think of. Thus, the Red Nose Tavern had received a rather large tip. And Travis spent the next day sick.

Yet, things did not get any easier. Travis received a package. In this carefully wrapped package was a watch. This was not just any watch. This watch belonged to Quinn. And this watch went backwards.

With all this to think about, Travis felt strangely vulnerable and unprotected. And the last thing Travis wanted was the auburn haired girl to have one more thing to laugh at him for.

"Look at this!" The auburn haired girl did laugh. "This is him! This is the man you want me to bring! Are you sure?"

She seemed to be talking to somebody else but Travis couldn't see anyone else around.

She suddenly turned her words to travis. "Don't look so vulnerable. You're begining to remind me of a lost puppy."

Travis instinctively straightened in the chair.

"I don't know who you are. I don't know why you are here. I don't care. But I want to remind you that you have imprisoned me in this chair in my own home." He said through gritted teeth.

"Well I want to remind you that if you hadn't turned violent I wouldn't have had to imprison you." She began to close all the blinds and curtains and refused to allow any light seep into the room. "I'm delivering a message."

"Couldn't you have just sent me a sing-a-gram or something? It would've been easier."

"This message is from Quinn." She tossed a coaster into his lap.

A coaster has many uses. Most people use coasters to protect sensitive wooden table tops from the damaging effects of a wet glass. Some people hang cork coasters onto their walls and tack important appointments to them. Some people use coasters for decoration. But this coaster was used for none of that. By the time it had landed into Travis' lap, a hologram was already being projected in front of him.

A 3D hologram of Quinn...

We Interrupt This Broadcast...For A Beer?

For those of you who know me, know what kind of weekend this has been. You are probably wondering why I'm beginning this blog with those words and you are probably wondering what kind of horrors I am about to reveal to you. I will squelch any rumors right here. I have not done anything that horrid. I was, however, a happy girl on Saturday morning. Saturday morning, August 7, 2010.

Many people have asked me what my first drink was. I will explain. Friday night, we had a small going away party for James Ward (we'll miss you James) at the Keniston's house. Pam (love you Pam) invited me to spend the night. We stayed awake till midnight. Hmmm...midnight means it's Saturday, right? So, my first drink was Saturday morning (very early) and it was a Corona. 

One person kindly (lol) reminded me that Corona was wimpy. Well, I thoroughly enjoyed my Corona. And the Cosmo I had later on Saturday evening. And I thank you very much for that (you know who you are). 

So, it is now official. I am old. :-)

Ch.8 The Silver Watch Brings Unwanted Guest

The girl with auburn hair looked up at him, puzzled. Than her eyes came to rest on the silver watch in his hand and she shoved past him and into the apartment.

Unwanted guests rarely understand that they are unwanted and even if they do, they choose to ignore that fact as they sit down at your table and pour themselves a nice cup of tea and ask you to please pass the sugar. You pass them the sugar like any good host but unlike a good host you sit there thinking of all the ways you can convince your unwanted guest to leave. If you have ever had an unwanted guest in her house, someone you hadn't wished to see at a time you wished to be alone, than you can understand how Travis felt as this girl shoved past him. Of course, this guest did not sit herself down to tea nor did she want any sugar. But Travis was thinking of ways to convince this new guest to leave.

He had already come to the realization that this auburn haired girl was not Quinn. But she resembled Quinn. And that was enough so Travis did not want to see her.

He pointed to the door which she had left open. He opened his mouth but closed it quickly. The words had frozen on his tongue. She stared at him unblinking. He tried again opening and closing his mouth and still the words would not come.

"You look like a fish." These were the first words the unwanted guest spoke.

I will spare you from reading about Travis' temper. I will spare you the bitter words that boomed from his mouth. I will also spare you from reading about her stubbornness and thus I will spare you from reading her rude response. I will, however, tell you that a certain silver watch with a certain engraving that had started this whole mess, did hit the wall behind the girl with auburn hair. And I will tell you that a glass vase did shatter on the door frame behind Travis.

I will also tell you that this brief, for yes it was a very brief fight, did end with Travis tied to a chair...