Stories on Caleb's Personal Writings

Random Fairytale

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Random Fairytale

I have no recollection of why I wrote this or any larger context, but it’s fun enough to post here. Interesting notions going on here.

A solitary peak, a mountain looming alone in the distance, surrounded by nothingness. The land is barren, nothing grows, except the mounds of dirt and rocks that are swept up by the howling winds. In this setting, in this environment, how is anything to grow, how can life exist? Zoom in, and there begins to show signs of color on the mountain. Specks of green emerge from their hiding places, knowing that they alone are the life on the mountain. Go closer, and see the creature on the mountainside. Alone, solitary, he moves on, striving to survive on what he can. What can become of this creature, alone, stranded between a rock and nothingness? He moves on, only to find nothing, again. He returns to his cave, awaiting his fate. He dare not see what lies in the lands beyond, for all he can see is the wasteland of a once beautiful garden. Or was it? He couldn’t remember anymore, it had been so long since he had been in that garden. Perhaps it was only his fantasy he maintained for his own sanity. But it remained so vivid in his mind. He could see the beautiful trees and plants that covered the landscape. That was when Spero ruled the land. But when Tristitia came, he overthrew Spero. All that was good died when Spero died. That was when the creature retreated into the cave, for Tristitia did not want one such as him to be in his land. Any life was to be exterminated just for being in the presence of Tristitia. So the creature hid in his cave afraid of Tristitia, refusing to believe that Spero could still be around. Even if she was, Tristitia was more powerful. Or so he thought. There was always the ancient legend that said Spero could always come back, even if only a single soul were to believe in her. The problem was, this creature could no longer believe anything. He had seen too much carnage and destruction and utter despair to ever believe that Spero could return to the land. He had seen so much that it had left him spiritually, and even to an extent, physically, empty. Everywhere he looked, Tristitia was the only thing he could see. As the days turned into months, and the months into years, Tristitia began to creep up the mountainside. The little life left on the mountain was consumed, and the creature was left to starve in his cave. He then knew he had very little options left, he could either starve to death in his cave, or make a run for it and probably be consumed by Tristitia. He decided to do two things, one, he tried, with all of what he could muster in the emptiness inside of him, to believe in the legend of old. He believed that Spero could return, that she could come into this world and make things brighter again. After all, what harm could it do to believe? The second thing he did was run. He ran with all of his might, as fast as he could, across the barren land, hiding behind the mounds of dirt as he kept going. As he was running, he finally saw the trees. He ran, as fast as he could, for those trees, Tristitia close behind. He made it into the trees, but then stumbled and fell. He looked up just in time to see Tristitia bearing down on him, ready to strike. He closed his eyes, bracing for the icy grip that was sure to come. After a few moments, he opened his eyes and saw that, instead to Tristitia standing over him, Serpo was there, protecting him. He couldn’t believe it! He barely remembered what Serpo looked like, but there she was in all of her glory, as beautiful and breathtaking as ever. She struck down Tristitia with ease, and then turned toward the creature. She smiled at him, a gleam in her eyes, and said, “Thank you, child, for allowing me to come back”. The creature paused, puzzled. “Me?”, he said, “What did I do? You defeated Tristitia, you saved me.” She smiled slightly and said, “No, child, that was all because of you. You believed in me again. You let me back into this place. Your belief has made me more powerful than Tristitia could ever be.” With that, Serpo turned toward the wasteland and the solitary mountain, and, with a swift flick of her wrist, she dropped the entire land into a deep pit. She then covered the pit over with new earth, and from this earth the forest began to rise up once again, and the creature, along with Serpo, were able to live their days in pace. Serpo had, finally, defeated Tristitia. The peace would not last forever, but the creature knew that, as long as he believed, Serpo would always trump Tristitia.

The Cliff

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The Cliff

A story I wrote long ago.

I drive up to the edge of the cliff, wondering if it’s even worth it or if I should just turn around and go home. I get out, walk to the very edge, and peer over. It’s a long way down, maybe 20 feet. It would definitely kill me. I take a breath and lay down with my head not but one inch from the edge. As I lay there, looking up at the great expanse of stars, memories come flooding in from all directions; memories of happiness and sadness, of joy and pain. The images start dancing in front of me, slowly at first, then faster and faster. Soon the sounds, the smells, the emotions come crashing in, creating a whirlwind of beautiful chaos. I close my eyes and the sensation intensifies; fantasies start melding with realities to where they become indistinguishable. I see all that I have ever hoped for come to fruition, and every pain I have ever experienced fades into the background. I know this can’t be real, but everything I see, all that I feel, makes me long to keep these new memories around. Then a flash of lightning comes cutting across this paradise, and I’m left in suffocating darkness, in this screaming silence that has become my life. I feel the rain start to fall lightly on my skin, and I open my eyes to the darkened clouds that have fallen. I sit up, and begin to realise what has to be done, what the only thing left to do is. I walk back to the edge and peer over. Smiling, I close my eyes, and simply release myself to the void, awaiting the new flood of memories to arrive.

The Climb

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

The Climb

The beginnings of a story I wrote a long time ago, no idea where I was planning on going with this

I’ve been going for so long now, I don’t know where the bottom is. Where is it, where is it?? Or do I keep going to the top, to find success, to find a way back? Will I even make it back? Too many questions. Keep climbing. And so I go. I move past things I barely recognize, past creatures I think are normal, except for that red glow, of course. That I still am not used to, but hopefully I do not have to be, not for long, anyway. Focus. Keep climbing. These rocks are slippery, the moss coating it all in a slime that sticks to the fingers. The vines don’t help at all, and this mountain seems to create holds that seem impossible to reach. If you make it to the top, the glow will disappear, or so the legend goes. Ah yes, the legend. What a strange story. So many people going on this journey, only one known to return to our village. She told this fantastical tale of monsters, battles, the climb, and of course, that glow, which haunts her to this day. FOCUS. You haven’t climbed in a while, and the roars are starting again. Right. Keep climbing. Why is that glow above me? I thought it was more of something that chased you, something you had to outrun. Unlike those… things, which I’m not sure I could escape if they ever caught my scent. But what were they? They look a lot like squirrels, but bigger, and somehow more… evil, I guess. Maybe more like dogs? I’m not sure. That’s not a good description, but I don’t possess the words to accurately describe them. They carry the glow with them, that much is obvious. Oh look, the glow is gone from above me! Maybe it wasn’t there at all? Idiot! You have to keep going! Right, sorry. Keep climbing. How do I know what that glow will do? Maybe it doesn’t hurt, maybe I can continue on if it reaches me. I mean, it’s just a glow, how bad could it really be? Those legends are just that, legends. Stories. They aren’t really that true. And she never actually touched the glow, just came close. But those creatures definitely have. They carry that glow with them. I wonder if that glow corrupted them, if they were normal at one point, but then the glow reached them and morphed them into something unrecognizable. Or maybe it wasn’t the glow that did that to them, but rather they created the glow. Maybe the glow makes it easier for them to get me. UPWARDS, MORON! Right. Keep climbing. Why did I have to be chosen? That I still do not understand. Why is it that, of all the people in the village, I had to do this? Ben would have been better at it, and Kiera is a much faster climber. Craig knows how to defend himself better, and Sarah could probably create some kind of plant cocktail to protect herself from the glow. Why did they choose me? There are much more qualified people, and if I fail, who knows what will happen to me? To my family? Maybe I’m just underestimating myself. Probably not though. I’ve been pretty average my whole life, and I’m ok with that. I’ve never really wanted anything more than that. And yet here I am, and now I need to figure out what to do. I could just give up, just let go and let the glow get me and see what it does. I could also just keep going and see what happens. I’m so tired though… There! A ledge! I can rest there for a second. Ah, there we go. It feels like it’s been forever since I’ve been able to rest. The glow looks far away now, and the creatures haven’t been seen in quite some time. Maybe I could stay here a while. Maybe I can wait here and think about my decision. FOOL! The glow draws closer! Right. Keep climbing. I wonder if my parents are somewhere around here. I know they didn’t make it, but maybe I can find where they died, maybe give them a proper burial. Maybe they didn’t make it this far. Maybe I won’t make it as far as they did. I have no way of knowing. This mountain seems to grow the more I climb it, I feel like I have made no progress. I wonder if I am simply seeing how long I can outrun the glow before it envelops me and takes me like the rest of those who had gone before me (except Lucy of course, though she will not say how she managed to escape. My guess is that she was touched by the glow and driven mad by its power.) Maybe there’s a cave somewhere up further where I can stay that the glow cannot reach, that I can hide as it passes by. I doubt it, because I feel like someone else would have found such a cave and also escaped, not just Lucy. CLIMB!! Right, sorry. Keep climbing. And so I go. I wonder how much further it is. Maybe it just goes on forever.