my poems and stories and shit like that!!!!

[Tsuetsami]

I Want a Guy…

I want a guy who’s strong
But not too cruel,
Who isn’t scared to fight, but can
Recognize the times when fighting
Will only make things worse.
I want him to be there for me
During those times when I just
Can’t protect myself; I want to know he’ll
Protect me.

I want a guy who’s confident
In himself as a person, but still
Just a little bit shy, cause that’s cute.
I want a guy who won’t say,
“You look amazing” just to make me
Feel better, but who can give constructive
Criticism and means the nice things
When he does say them.

I want a guy who’ll surprise me
With a hug or a kiss just for the sake of it,
And who isn’t too scared to make the first move.
I want to be able to talk to him about nothing
In particular for a long time and not get bored,
Or laugh about nonsense and have him laugh along,
And to be able to just have quiet moments
Without feeling awkward at all.

I want a guy who’ll see me for who I am, not
For who I pretend to be, and who’ll be
Comfortable letting me see the real him, who
Won’t feel like he has to be fake at all.
I want him to be there for me when
I just need someone to cry to, and who’ll listen to
My ranting if I’ve had an awful day.

I want a guy who’s trustworthy, who will promise
Never to leave me, and who isn’t dumb enough to
Try and promise that he’ll never hurt me, because
He understands that hurting is just another part of love,
But I also want him to have enough faith in us that
We can work through any little fights
Or troubles we might have.

I want a guy who won’t be embarrassed to hold
My hand even if his friends are around, and who won’t
Mind if we just sit and cold each other sometimes.
I want him to love me enough to forgive
My flaws, and trust me enough to know
That I’ll always forgive his.

Most of all, I want a guy who’ll love me,
For all my faults and all my virtues, who
I know I can always count on to be there when I
Get home, and who won’t ever cheat on me or be
Unfaithful in any way. I don’t want him to say,
“You’re hot”, or “you’re sexy”.
I want him to say, “You’re beautiful, and I love you”
And I want him to mean it from the
Bottom of his heart, because he knows that I’ll always
Love him back.

[Tsuetsami]

i didn't write this one. i edited it some, but that's all.

Outpost E-147
It was an unusually cold day on Mars, at the scientific outpost known as E-147. Private Ryn Hunter sat outside in the guardhouse, wishing he could be back inside where he could enjoy a warm meal then collapse on his bed. He looked impatiently at his watch, which told him he only had to sit out in the wasteland for a couple more hours.

The electronic door hissed open and in stepped his patrol partner, and best friend, Kyle Marshal. “Hey killer!” came the shout from across the room, “Come check this out”. Hunter got up slowly. He hated it when they called him that. He walked over to the airlock and answered his friend, “What is it?” Kyle shrugged nonchalantly. “That’s the thing, I don’t know.” Sighing, Hunter reached over and grabbed his combat vest and oxygen tank off the bench. “You think we’ll needing those?” Hunter asked on an afterthought, pointing to the rack of assault rifles lining the eastern wall.
“Nah” Kyle replied, “But you should tell Lowe where we’re going, at least.” Hunter nodded and walked over to the communication screen on the north wall, calling up the marine headquarters at the main complex.

“What’s up?” asked the familiar voice of Sgt. Jim Lowe. Hunter responded, “Kyle thinks he’s found something outside. Permission to check it out?” Lowe gave a thumbs up, saying “Granted. Be back quick.” Hunter walked back to the airlock where Kyle was waiting.
“Well, we got a green light, so let’s go see this mystery thing of yours.” Kyle nodded and opened the airlock, causing Hunter to choke and grasp for his oxygen mask, barely managing to get it on before he suffocated. “What the hell was that for?!” he exclaimed, his voice now tinged with a mechanical buzz. Kyle was clicking the sealing button, an irritated expression on his pale face. “Wasn’t me. The goddamn door’s malfunctioning. It won’t shut.” Hunter looked at him curiously and walked over to the weapons locker, trying the lock. “Strange…this won’t close either”. Kyle was coming to inspect it when their radio crackled suddenly to life.
“Calling all available units, we have a possible situation at HQ. Power outages are being reported in all areas of the complex. All units are to resume your scheduled patrols until further orders are given”. Kyle looked from the radio to Hunter, his eyes anxious. “It’s probably nothing” he said nervously, watching Hunter’s face. Despite his friend’s assurance, he was worried. There was only one other species on this planet, and he had seen what they could do.

Hunter snatched his rifle from the locker, grabbing a few spare clips and loading a grenade into the launcher attached to the barrel of his gun. Kyle watched him quietly for a moment before grabbing his own gear. The two strapped on their combat armour, then headed out of the bunker. “Now, where did you see this thing?” Hunter asked his buddy, walking cautiously forward. Kyle pointed towards the monorail station with his rifle and they began heading in that direction. After a few minutes, Hunter started to think that it might be nothing, just like Kyle had said, until he fell into the large hole next to the wall of the station. Kyle flicked on his flash light and looked down, yelling “Still in one piece?” He reached down to help his partner up, being unable to stifle a laugh. “Shut up...” Hunter muttered as he climbed out.

The two stood there for a few minutes, staring at the gaping pit. Suddenly a cry split the silence, followed by a few distant gunshots. The two looked at each other for a moment and began running toward the sounds, which were coming from a nearby bunker. Kyle looked to his partner yelling, “What the ass was that?” in a voice laced with panic. Hunter didn’t answer. His face was grim.

The two arrived at the now silent bunker a few minutes later, and neither could suppress a gasp at what they saw. The door was lying nearby, shredded, and drenched in black-red blood on one side. They walked past it into the bunker to a worse scene: one marine was strewn against the wall, blood soaking his gut and legs. Another was lying in the middle of the floor, his torso torn in half, a dark pool of blood drenching the floor around him. In the corner of the room was the cause of it all, a large creature resembling a dragonish insect with bony scythes for forelegs, and thin, translucent wings. Its mouth was gaping, bits of flesh and blood dripping from it. Lying over top of it was a third soldier, still grasping the knife stuck in the creatures back, his knuckles white.

By the door Kyle took out his radio and started explaining the situation, while Hunter started examining the bodies. The marine in the middle of the floor was quite dead, his face locked in a look of petrified horror, the pool of blood growing steadily larger. Hunter shook his head and walked towards the fallen marine propped against the wall, leaving a trail of bloody footprints behind him. He bent down, and after a moment of inspection, was amazed to see that the man was still breathing. Hunter tapped the man on the shoulder, and he jumped, screaming. Hunter grabbed him saying “Calm down man, its just me...” His eyes strayed to the broken claw imbedded right below his heart. “What did this?” he demanded, shaking the man, although he was certain he already knew the answer.

The man gradually stopped screaming and looked up at Hunter, stammering “Th-they’re here… th-th-th-those things” he pointed a shaking finger at the dead creature. Hunter stood up, still eyeing the man’s wound. After a moment of consideration, he drew his pistol. The man saw Hunters movement then leaned back, closing his eyes. Hunter pulled back the slide, locking the hammer into single action position. The soldier stayed calm, accepting the only mercy he could now receive. He opened his pale green eyes slightly; staring gratefully into Hunter’s cold, grey ones. The shot rang out through the wasteland, where several of them raised their great, scaled heads, and started towards the noise.

After a few moments of silence Hunter turned to his friend, “What did HQ say?” he asked in a quiet voice, still looking at his former comrade. Kyle replied quickly. “He told us to get to the main complex ASAP.” He swallowed and continued slowly. “Apparently he’s been receiving the same reports, all over the place”. Hunter spun to face him, his eyes showing panic. “Nothing in the complex right?” Kyle smiled at him reassuringly.
“Don’t worry. I’m sure that Kira’s alright.”. Hunter gave his friend a small smile. Oh God, he thought, let him be right.

The two began heading for the door when there was a loud bang on the roof of the bunker. A low, clicking hiss came from the roof, followed by a clanging sound, like rock banging on metal. “What…the hell is that?” Kyle stammered, looking to his friend for answers. Hunter smiled and cocked his rifle. “Looks like we’re in for some fun.”

With an ear splitting noise, the metal ceiling was suddenly wrenched open and one of the creatures scrambled through the hole, screeching with a sound like nails on a chalkboard. Hunter heard similar cries ring out all around the bunker, and knew they were surrounded. He lowered his body to a crouch and called out to it, “You are trespassing on Sintech property. You will leave now or I will open fire!” The creature reared and snapped its jaws; it’s eyes flashing angrily. “Fine,” Hunter replied to this obvious challenge, “Have it your way,” and sent the creature a stream of lead. The creature jerked with the impact of the bullets, its black blood spattering the wall behind it. Hunter heard a shout behind him, and he spun around to see three of the monsters charging Kyle. Hunter swiftly moved his hand up to the secondary trigger and pulled, sending a high explosive shell right in the middle of the attackers. The grenade went off sending bits of flesh everywhere, and taking out the creatures. But it also sent a large piece of bony claw straight into Kyle’s shoulder blade.

Hunter ran over to his injured partner and helped him up, saying, “C’mon, we have to get to HQ”. The two hurried across the wasteland, looking back to see what looked like a sea of the creatures, milling around the bunker, feasting upon the flesh of both the fallen marines and their own slain kin. Kyle kept muttering “Oh my god...Oh my god…” The radio crackled to life. “Calling all units; calling all units; we have a serious situation in HQ; the creatures have-” then the transmission was cut short with a strangled cry. Then there was silence. Hunter cursed under his breath and started running faster.

They arrived at the main doors a few minutes later, panting but relieved to see live marines guarding the door. “Thank God you made it! We were given orders to await the arrival of anyone…are their any others?” Hunter shook his head grimly. “Then follow us.” The marines took off down the hall. Hunter stepped into the building, taking off his oxygen mask and hooking it onto the wall bracket then started after the marines. “Any word from the teleportation wing?” he called, pulling out his radio. The marine looked back and said, “Don’t bother. The radios kicked out a while ago”

A few minutes later, Hunter stopped at the entrance to the teleportation wing and called up, “I’m going in here. I’ll catch up after” The marines stopped, looking at him disapprovingly. “But Lowe ordered us all to the main wing. You don’t want him after you for disobedience do you?” Hunter scowled “I’ve got more important things on my mind. Lowe can kiss my ass.” The marines shook their heads and followed him, saying, “Fine then. Lets go.”

Hunter opened the door pointing his rifle straight ahead, the mounted flashlight illuminating a dreadful sight. It looked as though the entrance way had been turned into a slaughterhouse. There was hacked body parts strewn across the floor, and dark blood dripped down the walls. Hunter walked forward silently, listening. Slowly, he came to the realization of what he was hearing. A soft, quiet, clicking hiss. He turned and shouted at the others “Look out!”
One of the creatures dropped from the ceiling on one of the marines, quickly sawing off his head and splattering the others with blood. One of the marines responded quickly, hitting the creature with a close range shotgun blast, throwing the creature off the dead marine. The other seemed to be in shock, and just stood there, shaking, until another monster came up, screeching behind him. He spun around and started to scream.

Hunter leapt forward with a war cry, slamming the creature then putting four .50 rounds into it’s head. “ GO GO GO!” he shouted at his fellows and started to run. He saw Kyle dodge a swipe from one of the things, only to get impaled on the raised scythe of another, choking and gurgling on his own blood. Hunter cringed and cried out in agony at losing his best friend, but continued running, until he ran right into another creature, dropping his gun.

The creature screeched in rage and Hunter drew his knife, growling. The monster slashed at his head, an attack that Hunter barely dodged. He cried out in rage, bringing his blade up and into the creature’s gut, causing it to squeal in pain. The creature responded with a deadly overhead chop, which Hunter sidestepped, driving his blade down the monsters back, severing its spin. The creature fell, and Hunter drew his handgun, heading for the door at the other side of the room, scooping up a fallen marine’s shotgun.

He smashed through the glass pane into the control room, and was met by a group of the beasts, tearing hungrily at the meat of more fallen soldiers. He growled angrily and pumped another shell into his weapon, gunning down a monster. He screamed as he saw the remaining marines get torn apart across the room. He cried out in a fury and blasted another four creatures until eventually all he heard was click…click. He threw down the empty firearm and drew his pistol, managing to fire off a few more rounds before a creature slashed him from behind. Hunter hit the ground hard, his left arm gouged just below the shoulder.

He picked himself up, rushed to the other end of the room and through the door dropping a grenade behind him. He turned in time to see the doors close, and he stared into the furious eyes of the nearest monster. He smiled grimly when the grenade went off, splattering the glass pane with gore, and he pressed a button in the elevator, rising slowly. The door opened with a chime and Hunter stumbled out, leaving a small blood trail, grunting from the pain of every movement. He managed to take a few, shaky steps, then crumpled against the wall, his head falling onto his shoulder, his face contorted in pain. He looked up and what he saw made him cry out in surprise and agony.

Strewn against the very same wall was a young female, her body drenched in blood, her blonde hair matted with it and her brilliant blue eyes shut. Hunter fell to his knees next to the body, his eyes suddenly filled with tears, and he moved the hand of the figure, exposing a deep cut across her chest. At his touch, the girl gasped in surprise, her eyes shot open and she turned her head to Hunter’s crouched figure. When he heard the gasp Hunters head flicked up in disbelief. After a few moments of silence Hunter sprung into action, pulling out his medical kit and muttering softly, “Don’t worry, it’s okay” tears running down his cheek.

As he worked a hand grasped his, and he looked up into her dimmed eyes, and he realized, she was dead. They all were. Hunter sat there for a moment, overcome by sorrow, crying silently as he watched his love slowly fade away into the darkness. Then, finally, something inside him snapped. He forgot about his grief and he forgot about his sorrow. He rose with a new spark in his eyes; all he felt now was an uncontrollable rage.

He started towards the weapons room at the end of the hallway with only one thought; he had to kill them all. He couldn’t leave even one survivor. He kicked open the locked door and gazed around, until his eyes fell upon a beauty of a sight. Nestled upon a crate of high explosives was a Class-A nuclear device. He couldn’t help but smile when he thought of what that baby would do to a planet this small.

As he picked it up he heard the radio crackle to life. Hunter frowned at the machine then flicked it off; he didn’t need to hear any more screams or prayers. Hunter took the bomb out to the upper wing, resting it next to Kira’s fallen body. He activated it on a one-minute timer. He stood up and looked out the large window, which showed the great expanse of Mars, where he saw a sea of the creatures flooding towards the facility.

He looked towards Kira and couldn’t help but smile as memories of their first meeting, first date and even first kiss came to him. The explosive beeped three times, signalling that he had ten seconds to live. He turned back to the window, overwhelmed by disappointment as he remembered their plans for a dream holiday, which was supposed to happen in only a week. He stared out dimly for a few moments before he realized what he was looking at. Then he gasped a little in disbelief as he saw the federation ship on the horizon. He couldn’t help but smile at the irony of it all as the nuke detonated.

[Tsuetsami]

kay, don't laugh at this one. it was my first time writing a story, so its not very good. it took a few posts to get in the whole thing, cause its sort of long. you dont have to read the whole thing, cause it is really long. but it'd be cool if you would.


The Last Few Notes

The road stretched out before her, a seemingly endless path of scraped asphalt and dirty snow. The sky was gray, and the chilled February breeze was seeping through the openings of people’s coats and mittens. She shivered and pulled her hat down further over her ears. What number was it again? She couldn’t remember. Her mind was still too foggy. She squeezed her eyes shut and thought for a moment. Just look for the blue shutters. That’s all she could come up with.
She glanced at the slightly torn paper clutched in her hand. Only two words were visible right now: after glow. She sighed and clutched it tighter, turning her eyes away. She didn’t need any reminders right now.
She noticed the house a few numbers down, the roof all covered in a blanket of snow but the dark blue shutters standing out sharply. She quickened her pace and breathed a cloud of visible breath into her hands. It was far too cold today. It seemed as if every year the winters here got longer and icier. As she neared the house, she felt an apprehension grow inside of her. Perhaps this wasn’t the best of times to be doing this. But she walked up the sidewalk and rang the doorbell anyways. A sharp barking erupted inside, followed by someone hushing it and opening the door.
She looked up into the face of a middle-aged woman, her raven hair tied back in a messy bun and her glasses slightly askew. She said nothing. The woman saw the look on her face and understood, quietly ushering her inside. She nodded and stepped in, removing her winter clothes and hanging them up carefully on the clothes pegs. She noticed, with a little shock, that his sweater wasn’t there. The woman walked up ahead of her, and she shook her head and followed down the half-familiar hallway into a very tidy living room. She accepted a seat and stared down her clasped hands, red and raw from the cold outside. The little paper, carefully folded and still held tightly, had a small tear, she noticed. She had most probably been clutching it too hard. The woman exited the room through a door that the girl knew to lead to the kitchen. She came back a few moments later with a steaming mug and offered it to the girl. She accepted silently and wrapped her hands around it, warming them.
A few minutes passed in silence, then the woman spoke up. “We gave them to the shelter. His clothes and things, I mean.” The girl looked up at her. The woman’s face seemed a little strained. She said nothing. The woman continued hesitantly. “It’s what he would have wanted.” The girl nodded gently. “You’re right,” she murmured. “It’s what he would’ve done.” The woman looked at her for a few seconds, then looked away and around the living room. The girl turned her eyes towards the mantle over the fireplace, where his picture still rested. He looked a lot like his mother, now that she actually gave it some thought. His older brother looked more like their father though, with lighter hair and eyes. You would never guess they had been family.
The girl shook her head again and placed her mug on the table. The little terrier that had been making the racket came up and hopped onto the couch beside her, laying his head on her lap. She stroked his back for a few moments. She glanced at the paper and sighed. “He gave me something before I left. He said it was for me but…I think you all need it more.” The woman glanced at her with a questioning look. The girl reached forward and handed her the little folded sheet. The woman took it and carefully opened it, reading it over. The girl watched as tears quickly formed in her eyes. She shook her head and handed it back. “Thank you but…if he wanted you to have it then…you should keep…” She choked on her words and covered her face. A few moments passed, and she spoke again with a sob. “I can’t believe…even then, thinking of…everyone else…oh dear lord, he’s really gone…” The girl watched her with shaking hands. She opened her mouth to talk but nothing but a strangled choke came out. She squeezed her eyes tightly closed and felt the hot sting of tears. She had sworn she wouldn’t do this. She had sworn she wouldn’t cry. But there she was, crying just the same.
She heard the woman shift on the chair in front of her and felt her arms come around her, embracing her like a mother. She was shaking and the girl looked up to see her face streaked with tears. She closed her eyes and cried harder, wondering how on earth it had ever come to this.
It was July. The girl sat at the park, straining her eyes in the glare of the sun. She moved her pencil quickly across the paper, and then stopped. She growled in frustration and erased. She’d never get anything done in this heat.
She reached down and poured some water from her bottle into her hand, running it across her sun burnt face. She squinted down at her half-done picture in agitation. There was no way she could concentrate in this humidity. She sighed and twisted in her seat, gazing longingly at the broken water fountain across the playground. Her water had long since warmed. And at high noon, there was no shade to be found. She started flipping through her sketchpad in a vain attempt to distract herself from the heat. She moaned and closed her eyes, laying her head back and carelessly tossing the pad on her lap. I’m going to melt…she thought. I’m going to melt and they’ll have to bring me home in my water bottle…if people can melt…either that or I’m going to be fried to a black crisp…
“Hey, are you alright?” She opened her eyes and looked up. A young man with raven hair and dark eyes was standing above her, looking apologetic. “I’m sorry to bother you. You looked as though you had passed out, and I thought maybe you had gotten sunstroke or something. But I suppose you were just resting, weren’t you?” The girl nodded. The boy smiled and looked down at her sketchpad. He sat down beside her. He was carrying a black case, which he placed next to him on the bench. “Did you draw that?” Nod. “That’s fantastic. I can’t do anything artistic like that. Do you take classes or something?” The girl shook her head. “No. I taught myself.” The boy looked impressed and began to flip through the book, until he reached the page she had been working on. He frowned and squinted down at the paper. “What about this one? It’s not finished, is it?” The girl sighed and shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. I don’t really feel very inspired right about now.” The boy huffed and said that with skills like hers, she couldn’t leave a piece undone. “You have to find inspiration. You can’t expect it to just jump in your face, now can you? You have to make your own.” The girl blinked at him in surprise. She shook her head. “But how would you know anything about it? You said you don’t do artwork.” He laughed. She was a bit taken aback. He had a really nice laugh. He looked at her. “I don’t. I can’t draw. But I still need inspiration for what I do.” She got more water. “And what’s that?” The boy smiled and stood up. He reached down and opened his case, pulling out a silvery instrument. He checked it for a moment, and then played a few quick notes. The girl watched as he continued to play. When he finished she stared. “That was…amazing…” The boy looked away with an embarrassed smile. “See?” he looked back at her. “I write my own songs. So, I need inspiration, just like you. That’s how I ‘know anything about it’, as you said.” The girl blushed and apologized. He laughed it off, saying not to worry about it.
The two of them spoke for a while, until the sun wasn’t quite so high and it wasn’t so humid. After a bit, the boy looked at his watch in alarm and apologetically explained that he would be late home if he didn’t leave. As he got up to go he asked if he could have her phone number. She obliged, quickly scribbling it onto a scrap of paper from her sketchbook, and he offered up his as well. He turned to walk away, but he seemed to remember something and turned back. “I think it would probably be good if I knew your name, don’t you?” She nodded. “I’m Kira.” The boy smiled. “Well, it was wonderful to meet you, Kira. I’m Kadan.”
That night at about seven o’clock, the phone rang. Kira’s mother called her down from her room, saying it was for her. She took phone back upstairs and answered. At first, she didn’t recognize the voice. She asked who it was, and the person on the other end laughed and jokingly sobbed that she had forgotten him so soon. She smiled at the realization of who it was, and they started talking. She found out that he attended Bishop Tonis secondary school, and that he had been giving a music lesson to a young boy that day in a survey near the park. He had decided that it would probably be quicker to take a shortcut through the playground instead of going around. Kira commented that she was sure that boy would become an amazing musician if Kadan taught him, seeing as how he had played so beautifully for her with virtually no notice that afternoon. They spoke until about ten o’clock, when her mother came in and told her she had been on the phone long enough. Before she left, Kadan quickly asked her if it would be okay for him to call her again. She consented without a second thought.
July slowly passed. Every night, at around seven o’clock, he would call her, and they would talk for as long as possible. They also spoke online at every available opportunity. She found out that he had a brother named Marc, who would be entering grade eleven once school started up again. She explained that she had only just graduated from elementary school, and that she’d be attending St. Mary’s secondary in September for grade nine. He commented that he had heard that the school had a good arts course, and that she would probably do well. She also found out that he was already a member of a band that belonged to the Legion. They did concerts for different causes, like at hospitals and sometimes at concert halls for charity.
At around the third week of July, he invited her to go to one of these concerts. “It would make me very happy,” he said, “If you could come and see me play my best.” Kira thought it would be great, and ran straight downstairs to ask permission from her parents. Her mother saw the look on her face and nodded, quickly asking multiple questions about where it would be, when would she be home, whom would she be with, and generally making a fuss the way mothers do. Kadan readily answered these questions, which Kira then relayed to her mother. She gave her consent, and Kira told him that she would see him then.
A week passed, and Kira found herself walking down the road to Kadan’s house, to meet up with him and then walk to the concert. She glanced up at the setting sun and shivered. It was only seven o’clock, so it wasn’t dark yet, but her parents had insisted she wear formal attire, and so she was stuck wearing a dress when it was beginning to get a little cooler outside.
She thought hard about what number his house was. In a survey, which he lived in, it can be difficult to tell the houses apart. His was number 127. Soon enough, she found number 123, and then 125, followed by his home, a large white-gray house with dark blue shutters and roof. She couldn’t help but wonder just how rich he was, and timidly walked up to his door and rang the bell.
Inside, there was the sound of scrambling paws and hyper barking, followed by a woman’s voice hushing the dog and opening the door. A woman Kira assumed must be Kadan’s mother looked down at her, her black hair falling in elegant curls past her shoulders and her eyes dark and pretty behind her thin glasses. She reminded Kira of one of those exotic dancer ladies. She didn’t look any older than twenty. The woman looked her over for a moment and invited her inside. She led her down a pleasantly lit hallway and into a beautifully furnished living room. As she accepted a seat on the couch, Kira couldn’t help but feel a bit ratty, even though she was done up as if she were attending a king’s ball.
The woman spoke to her for a few minutes, explaining that Kadan was getting ready upstairs and would be down momentarily. She was very nice, Kira thought. She was glad Kadan had a nice mother. At least she wouldn’t have to worry about them disliking her. Presently, she heard the sound of someone coming down the stairs, and Kadan’s voice asking if she had arrived yet. He saw her there, and smiled a bit, laughing. “I guess you have, then.”
Kira had been worried that she would look out of place in a dress. But she saw how he was dressed, and was relieved to come to the awareness that she would fit right in. He was dressed in formal, too. He came into the room and looked at her. “Well,” he said, “I have to say I didn’t recognize you for a moment. You look amazing tonight.” The girl blushed and quickly said that he looked nice, too, and that she didn’t really like dresses and how she thought she looked silly in them. He laughed and turned to his mother, telling her that they would have to leave now or else he’d be late. She nodded and hugged him, and he blushed, muttering about how they really needed to go and that she was hurting him.
She let him go and he turned to Kira, helping her up and leading her outside. “The place the concert is being held isn’t very far, so I figured it would be alright if we walked. Is that okay with you?” The girl said that of course it would be all right, and they started walking. For about ten minutes they spoke about general things, and Kira asked him about the concert. “I’m going to be playing one song on my own,” he said, brushing a mosquito away. “I wrote it, and it’s the reason I wanted you to come. I really, really hope that you like it, Kira.” She smiled. “Of course I’ll like it. You’re the most amazing musician I’ve ever met. You’re going to be famous someday, just you wait and see. Then I can honestly say that I know a celebrity! Then I’ll have to make posters for you. Then you’ll have to share some of your riches with me!! Nyaha!!” He laughed and looked away. “If you say so.”
They arrived at the concert hall and Kadan brought her to her seat, and said that he would need to go and get ready. Kira nodded and looked around, noting that a lot of other people were dressed formally as well. He told her that he would come here to get her after the concert was done, and not to wander off because it was easy to get lost in this many people. She told him not to worry, and he smiled and left backstage.
Kira sighed and started gazing around the hall, humming tunelessly to herself. She vaguely wondered how big this band was to have attracted so many people. Or perhaps there were just a lot of people that enjoyed this type of music in the area. Kadan had said at one point that there were some adults in the band as well, and that he was one of the youngest members. The girl was silently impressed, because if he was in the same league as big band adults, then he was better than she thought. Or maybe all the adults were really bad. She’d find out soon enough.
About fifteen minutes later, the lights dimmed a bit and the stage lights snapped on. Kira stopped her humming and looked up expectantly as the whole hall hushed. She looked around the stage and sure enough, there he was, calmly gazing at his song sheet, with his flute ready. She waited. The song started.
The song they played was not something Kira would usually listen to, because orchestra music was something she sort of didn’t like. She found herself really listening though, and soon the song was done. Another started, and one more followed it, but in her mind the ends and beginnings were blurred and the whole thing was just one great song. It really surpassed any of her expectations. Before she knew it, it had stopped, and she looked up to see Kadan standing. He had no song sheet. He caught her gaze and smiled. He took a breath, brought the flute to his lips and played out the most beautiful, spellbinding melody that Kira had ever heard, an she found herself completely absorbed in it. On the edges of her mind, she was aware of the rest of the hall had fallen completely silent. But other than that, her head was filled with his song and nothing else. All too soon, he was done.
Compared to his song, the rest of the concert after that seemed second rate to Kira. It finished quickly for her, and she sat still in the throng of people pushing towards the night air. After a few minutes, Kadan came and helped her up, leading her out. “So,” he asked as they left the hall, “what did you think of it?” She walked down the sidewalk and grinned. “It was beautiful, Kadan. I don’t think any of those other musicians can even dream to be as good as you. It was amazing. Like…god I can’t even describe how great it was!! It was fantastic, it was amazing, it was awesome {she paused to catch her breath}. It was really good.” He laughed. Then he grew quiet and looked away. “I wrote it for someone. I wanted it to be good…no. I wanted it to be the best I’ve ever done.” She looked at him inquisitively. “Who’d you write it for?”
Kadan turned and studied her face for a second, but didn’t answer. He looked away. “Kira, could I ask you something?” The girl nodded, “Okies. What’s up?” Kadan stared at the sidewalk. “You…you really liked my song?” She nodded again. “Yeah. It was really good, Kadan, really good.” His face coloured. “Well, what…what about…me?” Kira blinked. “Come again?” He reddened worse. “You like my song, but…what do you…think of me…?” She felt confused. “What do I think? You’re a nice guy, Kadan, really. You’re amazing.” He continued to look at the ground. “You really think that…?” Nod. He turned even redder. “well…do you think…think that I’m amazing enough for…you to be my….my girlfriend?” Kira made a little sound of surprise and her face turned crimson. He looked at her sideways out of the corner of his eye. She started stammering about how she hadn’t expected this, and why her when there were better girls, and again how unexpected it was, and wow, and again how surprised she was. Eventually, he hushed her. His face was still red. “W-would you?” She blushed again and stared at the ground and quietly murmured that she’d like that. He smiled and breathlessly thanked her, seeming relieved and surprised and still his face was red. He took her hand and they walked the rest of the way home in silence.
Kira had never been happier. The rest of the summer passed in the blink of an eye, and soon school started again. She had thought that would mean her and Kadan would have to talk less, but not so. Still, every night at around seven o’clock, he would call her and they would talk for hours, sometimes about absolutely nothing at all. And always when he had to go, he would say the same thing: ‘wait for me till we talk again tomorrow, okay?’ He came over to her house, because of course as soon as she told her parents she’d agreed to be his girlfriend they’d demanded to meet him for themselves. She also went back to Kadan’s house once, to properly meet his mother. They started meeting more often on the weekends, when he wasn’t busy with rehearsals and she wasn’t busy visiting her other friends or having them visit her.
Around the first week of October, Kadan invited her to come to a barbecue his family was holding. She was glad to consent and spent the rest of her time after that happily daydreaming about it. Kira never told any of her friends about Kadan; knowing them, they would bother and tease her to no end. So she kept her reasons for her happiness a secret, and her friends didn’t bother her about them. Schoolwork began to absorb her, and she was more than willing to find another reason to talk to Kadan. He was smarter and so could help her with the things she didn’t understand. And so he started tutoring her over the phone and Internet when she asked, and if she needed help with something when they met up he was glad to consent.
A few weeks passed, and the weekend of the barbecue came up. Kira apologetically explained to her cousin that she wouldn’t be able to come over that weekend when he asked, and hurried to bed, so the morning would come faster. When it eventually did, she hurried to get dressed and waited for noon, when Kadan had told her he’d come to pick her up. She sat tapping her finger on the table, while her mother told her to be patient. Finally, twelve o’clock came and about ten minutes later, Kadan showed up at her door. He took her hand and they walked to his house, laughing and talking about nothing, and she walked through the kitchen and outside to the backyard, to the over-zealous greetings of his aunts and uncles and cousins. He shooed them away after about ten minutes and brought her over to a chair. “I’ll go get us something to eat. Wait. Are you hungry? {nod}Okay then, be right back.” He walked off and Kira looked around, realizing that his family really must be well off. The sheer size of his back yard, coupled with the huge pool and expensive looking Jacuzzi, among other things, kind of gave that impression.
After a few minutes he came back with some food, and two of his cousins, one of which seemed extremely shy and could only squeeze out a quiet “hi” and turn away quickly. Kadan explained that he was very shy of strangers his own age, although he seemed perfectly comfortable around adults. The other cousin seemed fine, and was quickly in conversation with Kira while Kadan tried to get his cousin to come back and talk. After a few minutes he gave up with a sigh and let him go and make conversation with his parents instead.
Gradually, the afternoon turned to evening, and people started to leave. Eventually, Kadan’s cousin, who had managed to match Kira’s conversation rate word for word, left too, taking his timid brother with him. Only the excitable aunts and uncles were left, and soon they left as well. Kira yawned and Kadan turned to her. “Are you tired? Do you want me to take you home?” Kira shook her head with a laugh and said that she’d like to stay for a little while. By now, the sun had set. It was around eight o’clock.
Kadan sighed and told her he’d have to help his parents tidy up a little. “You don’t mind waiting?” Kira sat down on the ground and stuck her tongue out. “Nope. I’ll wait. Have fun with dishes.” He smirked at her and walked off as his parents called for him. Kira watched him, then lay down on the grass and closed her eyes. Eventually, she felt him sit down next to her. “Why are you on the ground?” She shrugged and opened her eyes. “Meh. I have a better view of the sky from here.” Kadan blinked and looked up. “Hm.” He lay down next to her. “Hm. You’re right.”
They lay in silence for a few moments, and then Kadan pointed up towards the sky. “See that?” Kira blinked. “No. Should I?” Kadan sighed and moved closer, wrapping his arm around her. She rested her head on his shoulder and gazed up. “Maybe not. I was just pointing out that constellation there.” He traced it with his finger. “Ursa Major. See?” She stared for a moment. “Ursa Major? I thought that was called the Big Dipper.” He laughed that nice laugh of his and nodded. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Big Dipper is another name for it, but it was originally called Ursa Major. ‘Big Bear’, in Latin.” She was confused. “Why’d they call it that? It really doesn’t look much like a bear. It looks more like a pot.” Shrug. “Who knows? They were a little weird. Maybe they saw a bear in it somewhere.”
For about an hour, he continued to point out different constellations and planets and stars, explaining their names and other things about them. After a while he fell silent. “Why’d you stop talking? Something wrong?” He shook his head and pulled her in close. “No. There aren’t really any others I know, you see…” His voice trailed off and he was quiet for a long time, apparently lost in his own thoughts. He sighed. She blinked at him. “You sighed, see? Something’s wrong.” He looked at her and shook his head. “Nothings wrong. I’m happy. I’m happy you agreed to be my girlfriend, and I’m happy that you’re here with me right now. I have nothing to be upset about.” Kira looked at him funny. “Okay…”

[Tsuetsami]

He smiled and turned quiet again. After a while he looked back up. “Kira, would you still care for me, even if something was wrong with me?” She was taken aback. “Of course! Why Kadan? What’s the matter?” He didn’t look at her. “It’s nothing big. It’s just…well…my heart and lungs…don’t work quite right…I…marc thought I should tell you …and…I’ve had a failure before” Kira’s breath caught. He hurried on. “Only that was when I was little, and nothing serious has happened since then. It’s pretty much under control. Do you,” he looked at her with worried eyes. “still want to be with me? I’d understand if you didn’t.” She didn’t say anything for a moment, and then shook her head wildly. “Don’t be stupid! Why wouldn’t I? Of course I still want to be your girlfriend! That way if anything happens to you, I can be there to help you through it, can’t I? Jesus…that’s just dumb!! There’s no reason why I wouldn’t want to, silly!!” Kadan blinked at her and smiled. “Yeah. I guess not, huh?” his voice trailed off. “…Thank you…” He gazed at her for a moment, and then he moved closer. Kira felt her heartbeat quicken. He murmured her name quietly, and said he loved her, and for the first time, he kissed her. She felt her face turn red. She kissed him back, and then they stared at the sky again and Kira tried to count the stars, but there were too many, and they were all spinning right now anyways, so she gave up and lay her head back on his shoulder with her eyes shut.
The rest of October passed without event, and Kira started to become frustrated with the amount of schoolwork they were receiving. It seemed no matter what she did in class, she still ended up with a couple of hours of homework each night. She frequently called Kadan to beg for help.
Pretty soon, November came, and with it, Kira’s birthday and people hinting at gifts they had gotten her, but frustratingly never giving away enough for her to guess. Kadan was just the same. All he would offer up was that ‘it was pretty and you could wear it’. Well, there were lots of pretty things that you could wear, she thought. Luckily for her, her birthday wasn’t too far into the month and she didn’t have to wait very long. The day came, and she had her best friend over to her house, and opened the gifts they had gotten her in delight. A few days later, she received her gift from Kadan, which turned out to be a bracelet that was very pretty indeed.
A few times through the month, they met up and talked. They spoke about his music and the progress he was making, which Kira found hard to believe, seeing as how good he already was. But sure enough, when she asked him to play, he sounded even better then he had before.
He asked her a couple times about her artwork and how it was doing, and Kira explained that she had joined an art club and was making great progress, too. A few times, they went back to the park and would just sit there holding hands in silence, but it was never an uncomfortable silence.
December came quickly, and the anticipation of Christmas was soon to follow. Whenever Kira went out, she saw sparkling Christmas lights and big plastic snowmen outside of people’s doors. There was no real snowmen though, and no snow anywhere else either. She started to worry that it wouldn’t snow at all. Thrice through the month, she and Kadan met, with him still calling every night at around seven o’clock. Kira noticed with apprehension that he seemed to lose his breath quicker than he did before, and needed to rest more often when they walked. He never complained though, and said it was tolerable, so she thought nothing of it.
At around the third week, it finally started to snow. With the excitement of Christmas drawing even closer, Kadan and Kira began talking even more than usual, with him always saying the same thing before he left: ‘wait for me till we talk again tomorrow’. And she did. Every day.
“Would you go out somewhere tomorrow?” Kadan asked her one day when they were talking at the park. Kira, sitting on the tire swing and getting the chains hopelessly twisted up, nodded vigorously. “I’d love that! Where should we go?” He shrugged. “I don’t know. Hm…why don’t we go to a movie? We’ll go on the stereotypical date to the movies.” Kira laughed. “Sure. Sounds fun.”
That night, Kira’s best friend called. “Could you come over tomorrow? We’re doing the Christmas decorations and we could use some help.” Kira faltered. “Uh…hm…” she thought. Kadan would understand. They could go to a movie anytime. It was almost Christmas, though, and decorations still needed to be arranged. Christmas was important, after all. He’ll understand, she thought. “Sure, I’ll come over,” she said cheerfully. “What time?”
Two days later, on Wednesday, Kira sat by the phone waiting for Kadan to call. It was already six thirty. Soon, seven o’clock came, and went, followed by eight, and then nine. She sighed and left the living room, walking upstairs and going to bed.
The next day, the same thing happened. Seven came with no phone call, and even though she waited until ten o’clock that night, still he didn’t call. Kira started to get worried that he might be angry about her changing plans. Her mother approached her. “Honey, he’s probably just busy with other things. Get to bed and maybe he’ll call tomorrow.” Kira nodded and went up to her room with a sigh.
The next day, at around five o’clock, the phone rang. She looked at the caller display and saw with delight that it was Kadan’s number. “Hello? Kadan?” But the voice that answered her wasn’t his. “No. It’s Marc. You know, his brother. I…have some bad news.” Kira faltered. “What’s…that?”
That Saturday, Kira found herself running flat-out down a hospital corridor, nearly running into anyone that happened to get in front of her. She found the correct ward, although she had needed to ask for directions about five times, and after speaking to the receptionist, it didn’t take long to find the right room. She walked in and Kadan opened his eyes and smiled. “Hey there, Kira. I was wondering when you would come.” She knelt on the ground next to his bed. “What…what happened? Why’re you here? What’s…going on?” He sighed and explained. Apparently, he had decided to take phys.ed this year, figuring that it would be easier than putting it off until grade eleven. It had been fine; he had actually been doing very well, until they started doing the endurance sports like running. His lungs just weren’t cut out for those types of things, and his heart wasn’t exactly strong either. He had started to have a harder time breathing, and would need to rest much more often whenever he was walking or exerting himself in any way. He didn’t tell anyone though, because he didn’t think it was very serious and he saw no point in worrying everyone over nothing. But it had eventually caught up with him. One day, when they had been running laps in gym class, he had collapsed. His heart had just stopped. Now here he was, because apparently his heart was damaged now, and his lungs had decided that after all the strain he had been putting on them that they didn’t want to work properly on their own.
Kira groaned. This wasn’t right. Kadan didn’t belong here, relying on machines to stay alive. She glanced at the machine that was helping him breathe and scowled. This wasn’t fair. He belonged outside, with the good, living air. Not in here with the stale hospital air. She took his hand and squeezed it. “So when are they expecting you to get out?” He smiled. “Not to long from now. I’m not in any serious trouble, they said. I just need some time to recover then I’ll be good as new.” Kira smiled. “Okay then.”
A week passed, with Kira going to the hospital at every available chance to visit him. It seemed to her that he wasn’t getting any better. He insisted though, saying that he felt stronger already, and that he would probably be out in just a few more days. But Kira noticed the way the nurses looked at him when he didn’t see, a kind of sad, sympathetic look that made Kira sick to her stomach.
Another week went by, and still he kept saying the same thing: just a few more days. I’ll be out in just a few more days. Kira would smile and agree, and they would talk about school, with her telling him about how exams would be soon, and how nervous she was, and how he’d better get well soon or else they’d fail him. To which Kadan would smile and say, “And I think I’d rather stay here forever than have to deal with the wrath of a moody VP.”
The next week came. Kira sat in the hospital room, clutching a sleeping Kadan’s hand. His breathing sounded awfully labored to her. She felt a hot stinging in her eyes and swiped at them furiously. No crying. There was nothing to cry about. He was going to be fine, she kept telling herself. Just fine.
After a little while, Kadan woke up and looked over at her in surprise. “You’re…still here? Shouldn’t you be at home by now?” Kira shook her head and kissed his hand. “Nope. I’m gonna stay here for as long as I can today.” He smiled. “Well, alright then.” There was silence for a few minutes, and then Kira spoke. “Will…will you wait for me?” He looked at her. “Hm? What do you mean?” She looked down at him, all fragile and helpless looking right now. “When I leave tonight, will you wait for me till tomorrow? And then, tomorrow, when I leave, will you wait for me again?” He blinked at her then looked down at the blanket in silence for a few minutes. Then he turned his eyes to the wall with a small, rueful smile. “Kira…I…it hurts…” She looked at him with tears in her eyes. He continued. “Being…here…it really hurts and I…I don’t want to hurt…anymore…” Kira shook her head violently. “No! I know it hurts but Kadan they said you would be all right! The doctors said so!! They said so!!! So you can’t just give up, Kadan, cause you’re going to be just fine!!!” He hushed her. “I…I don’t really think I’m being given a choice, Kira…I’m very tired and hurt and…oh dear…don’t cry…” he brought his hand up and wiped gently at her eyes. She took it and held it tightly.
Kadan was silent for a minute, and then he suddenly looked as if he remembered something and reached over to the table beside his bed, where a folded piece of paper had been placed. He picked it up and handed it to her. “I didn’t write this. It’s a poem. I can’t…write poetry. But still I wanted…you…you to have it…ah…” He closed his eyes and just took deep breaths for a minute, and it sounded as if it were difficult. She stroked his hair until it came easier for him. Then he looked up at her. “I can’t wait for you till tomorrow, Kira. I’m so…I’m so sorry.” She sobbed in spite of herself and shook her head violently. “Yes!! Yes you can!! You can and you will because you have to, Kadan!! You stupid, stupid jerk!!!…You…you have to…” She wiped her eyes. He sighed and gently shook his head. Then he squeezed his eyes shut and gasped and suddenly his hand tightened painfully on hers. “Ow! Kadan…hey? Kadan?!” Kira watched numbly as nurses and doctors rushed in, pulling her away from him and telling her to leave the room. No…no…no…no you stupid, stupid, stupid jerk NO!!! She leaned against the wall outside his room and slid down to the floor. By now, her tears were flowing freely. A nurse came over and tried to help her up but she shoved her away roughly. “You said he’d be okay!! YOU SAID HE’D BE OKAY!!!!” A boy with dusty blonde hair came up and led her away from the startled nurse. Someone was speaking to her gently. She didn’t hear them through the screaming in her head.
Kira stayed there for another hour. The blonde boy had left to go speak to a man and a woman, who Kira now recognized as Kadan’s parents. Someone was crying. His mother. But why would she be crying? The boy looked over at her and sighed. He walked over. “How is he?” was all she could say. Marc opened his mouth to speak, then thought better of it and just shook his head. “He…he’s left, Kira, I’m sorry.” He got up and walked back to his parents. She just sat there as her vision went dark. Then she felt overwhelmingly nauseous. She ran to the bathroom and retched, and his mother came running to make sure she was okay, and she was crying, and she was yelling, but everything was just a blur where she couldn’t decipher one thing from another.
Now, an hour later, she was stumbling down the hallway, bumping into anyone in her way. His mother was leading her along gently. Kira’s eyes were red from crying. According to his mother, Kadan had died because the damage from the attack had been to serious for his heart to continue sustaining him for much longer. It had only been a matter of time. She gazed down at her wrist, where the birthday present from Kadan, the bracelet, was sparkling dimly in the fluorescent hospital lights. This wasn’t fair. Stupid. Why had he been so stupid? Why had he not told someone about it sooner? Then maybe they could have saved him. Maybe. A thousand what ifs flew around her head, befuddling her senses even worse. What ifs make no difference now, a voice in the back of her mind said. It’s too late. You should have paid better attention before this happened. Kira sobbed. This just wasn’t fair.
That night, Kira bled. She expected the little blade to ease the emotional grief, which it did. Somehow, the sight of the scarlet trickle calmed her. So she did it again. And again. Until her arms were completely torn from the elbow down, and she didn’t even feel it anymore. Then the tears came, and they eventually lulled her into a restless sleep.
That cycle continued. Every night, she would come home, cut, bleed, cry, and fall asleep. Her parents never noticed, and she was thankful for that. Twice, she visited the park where they had so often sat and talked, and would sit in the bench where they had sat and would cry again. After a few weeks of this, she finally decided to read the paper Kadan had given to her. She dug it out of the bottom of her dresser where she had hidden it from herself, and unfolded it carefully. It was a poem. It went like this: After Glow/ I’d like the memory of me/ To be a happy one/ I’d like to leave an after glow/ of smiles when life is done/ I’d like to leave an echo/ Whispering softly down the ways/ Of happy times/ And laughing times/ And bright and sunny days/ I’d like the tears of those who grieve/ To dry before the sun/ Of all the happy memories/ That I leave when life is done.
For whatever reason, those words struck something inside of Kira. She read the poem with tears in her eyes, and then looked down at her arms in hatred of herself. This isn’t what he would have wanted her to do. He wouldn’t have wanted her to wear herself down like this. She was, right now, dishonoring his memory. She shook her head. Well no more. She would make him proud, wherever he was, and make herself accept it. That was the best thing to do. Suddenly, she remembered his mother and father and brother, crying as well. Then she glanced down at the poem, and had an idea.
That is how she found herself crying in Kadan’s living room that chilled February afternoon. His mother released her after a while, and they managed to collect themselves and stop crying. After that, they sat and spoke about all the good things they could remember about him, until eventually they were laughing and smiling and Kira was positive that Kadan must have been laughing that nice laugh of his with them somewhere. She stayed with his family for dinner, and then helped them tidy up got ready to leave. Before she did, she walked back into the living room and over to the spot where his ashes rested in a silver urn. She ran her hand across the engraving on the front “Wait for me,” she murmured. “Until I can join you, okay?” She walked to the door and pulled on her jacket and hat. She opened the door and emerged out into the cold February air and started down the sidewalk back home.


there it's done now.

[takano]

in regards to the poem "i want a guy", good luck with that. there aren't any perfect guys.

[rayne]

shut up you

[takano]

oh? you disagree?

[rayne]

no I just really like dat poem

[Tsuetsami]

aw..thanks

[Tsuetsami]

He Is


There’s one person I
Think about
Every night before I sleep
I think about how
Stubborn he is,
How selfish he is,
And how he’s got the habit
Of making me so angry
That I end up in tears

And also how strong he is
And how he can make me so happy
That I’ll be walking
Down the halls
Smiling for no reason at all
And how he’s got this way
Of making everything better
Even if I think that my world’s
Falling apart around me

He’s not that great with words
There are times when
He really doesn’t say much at all
But I know he loves me
Anyways, and that thought alone is
Enough to get me by
During those times when
People just seem to want me miserable

He’s definatly no knight in shining armor
And he’s a long shot from Romeo,
But you know what?
They can shove it.
‘Cause I haven’t even met them
And I know they couldn’t even hope
To hold a candle to him.
If I had the choice,
I’d choose him any day.

Sure, he’s not the type
To bring flowers and take me out
To romantic places
And you know what?
I prefer that.
I wonder what old Romeo would
Think about me talking about my
Favorite poison. Might bring back
Some depressing memories, I think.

And what would that dear knight say
When he saw me playing with
Knives? All his regal, high
Conformity; he might think it a bit
Strange, probably.
And I know they just wouldn’t
Get my sense of humor.
Might actually freak them out
A little, I bet.

See, that’s why I’m so
In love with him.
He just gets me in a way most
People don’t. He’s one of the few
People that I can share my
Weird sense of humor with,
And who I don’t think would think
Less of me if I snapped at someone
Who was pissing me off.

I feel like I can trust him
With absolutely anything and
Not have to worry about
Him looking down on me
For it, whatever it is.
Sure, he can be a bit stubborn sometimes,
And there’s no denying how irritating he can be.
But hell, so can I,
So it works out just fine.
He’s the only one for me
And Romeo can go die.

[~Cookie~^.^]

heh heh i like that one:D

[Tsuetsami]

aw heheee thanks!!

[Legendary]

PART ONE
IT IS an ancient Mariner,
And he stoppeth one of three.
'By thy long grey beard and glittering eye,
Now wherefore stopp'st thou me?

The Bridegroom's doors are opened wide,
And I am next of kin;
The guests are met, the feast is set:
May'st hear the merry din.'

He holds him with his skinny hand,
'There was a ship,' quoth he.
'Hold off! unhand me, grey-beard loon!'
Eftsoons his hand dropt he.

He holds him with his glittering eye--
The Wedding-Guest stood still,
And listens like a three years' child:
The Mariner hath his will.

The Wedding-Guest sat on a stone:
He cannot choose but hear;
And thus spake on that ancient man,
The bright-eyed Mariner.

'The ship was cheered, the harbour cleared,
Merrily did we drop
Below the kirk, below the hill,
Below the lighthouse top.

The Sun came up upon the left,
Out of the sea came he!
And he shone bright, and on the right
Went down into the sea.

Higher and higher every day,
Till over the mast at noon--'
The Wedding-Guest here beat his breast,
For he heard the loud bassoon.

The bride hath paced into the hall,
Red as a rose is she;
Nodding their heads before her goes
The merry minstrelsy.

The Wedding-Guest he beat his breast,
Yet he cannot choose but hear;
And thus spake on that ancient man,
The bright-eyed Mariner.

And now the Storm-blast came, and he
Was tyrannous and strong:
He struck with his o'ertaking wings,
And chased us south along.

With sloping masts and dipping prow,
As who pursued with yell and blow
Still treads the shadow of his foe,
And forward bends his head,
The ship drove fast, loud roared the blast,
And southward aye we fled.

And now there came both mist and snow,
And it grew wondrous cold:
And ice, mast-high, came floating by,
As green as emerald.

And through the drifts the snowy clifts
Did send a dismal sheen:
Nor shapes of men nor beasts we ken--
The ice was all between.

The ice was here, the ice was there,
The ice was all around:
It cracked and growled, and roared and howled,
Like noises in a swound!

At length did cross an Albatross,
Thorough the fog it came;
As if it had been a Christian soul,
We hailed it in God's name.

It ate the food it ne'er had eat,
And round and round it flew.
The ice did split with a thunder-fit;
The helmsman steered us through!

And a good south wind sprung up behind;
The Albatross did follow,
And every day, for food or play,
Came to the mariners' hollo!

In mist or cloud, on mast or shroud,
It perched for vespers nine;
Whiles all the night, through fog-smoke white,
Glimmered the white Moon-shine.'

'God save thee, ancient Mariner!
From the fiends, that plague thee thus!--
Why look'st thou so?'--'With my cross-bow
I shot the Albatross.'

PART TWO

THE Sun now rose upon the right:
Out of the sea came he,
Still hid in mist, and on the left
Went down into the sea.

And the good south wind still blew behind,
But no sweet bird did follow,
Nor any day for food or play
Came to the mariners' hollo!

And I had done a hellish thing,
And it would work 'em woe:
For all averred, I had killed the bird
That made the breeze to blow.
Ah wretch! said they, the bird to slay,
That made the breeze to blow!

Nor dim nor red like God's own head,
The glorious Sun uprist:
Then all averred, I had killed the bird
That brought the fog and mist.
'Twas right, said they, such birds to slay,
That bring the fog and mist.

The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew,
The furrow followed free;
We were the first that ever burst
Into that silent sea.

Down dropt the breeze, the sails dropt down,
'Twas sad as sad could be;
And we did speak only to break
The silence of the sea!

All in a hot and copper sky,
The bloody Sun, at noon,
Right up above the mast did stand,
No bigger than the Moon.

Day after day, day after day,
We stuck, nor breath nor motion;
As idle as a painted ship
Upon a painted ocean.

Water, water, every where,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, every where,
Nor any drop to drink.

The very deep did rot: O Christ!
That ever this should be!
Yea, slimy things did crawl with legs
Upon the slimy sea.

About, about, in reel and rout
The death-fires danced at night;
The water, like a witch's oils,
Burnt green, and blue and white.

And some in dreams assur'ed were
Of the Spirit that plagued us so;
Nine fathom deep he had followed us
From the land of mist and snow.

And every tongue, through utter drought,
Was withered at the root;
We could not speak, no more than if
We had been choked with soot.

Ah! well a-day! what evil looks
Had I from old and young!
Instead of the cross, the Albatross
About my neck was hung.

PART THREE

THERE passed a weary time. Each throat
Was parched, and glazed each eye.
A weary time! a weary time!
How glazed each weary eye,
When looking westward, I beheld
A something in the sky.

At first it seemed a little speck,
And then it seemed a mist;
It moved and moved, and took at last
A certain shape, I wist.

A speck, a mist, a shape, I wist!
And still it neared and neared:
As if it dodged a water-sprite,
It plunged and tacked and veered.

With throats unslaked, with black lips baked,
We could nor laugh nor wail;
Through utter drought all dumb we stood!
I bit my arm, I sucked the blood,
And cried, A sail! a sail!

With throats unslaked, with black lips baked,
Agape they heard me call:
Gramercy! they for joy did grin
And all at once their breath drew in,
As they were drinking all.

See! see! (I cried) she tacks no more!
Hither to work us weal;
Without a breeze, without a tide,
She steadies with upright keel!

The western wave was all a-flame.
The day was well nigh done!
Almost upon the western wave
Rested the broad bright Sun;
When that strange shape drove suddenly
Betwixt us and the Sun.

And straight the Sun was flecked with bars,
(Heaven's Mother send us grace!)
As if through a dungeon-grate he peered
With broad and burning face.

Alas! (thought I, and my heart beat loud)
How fast she nears and nears!
Are those her sails that glance in the Sun,
Like restless gossameres?

Are those her ribs through which the Sun
Did peer, as through a grate?
And is that Woman all her crew?
Is that a DEATH? and are there two?
Is DEATH that woman's mate?

Her lips were red, her looks were free,
Her locks were yellow as gold:
Her skin was as white as leprosy,
The Night-mare Life-in-Death was she,
Who thicks man's blood with cold.

The naked hulk alongside came,
And the twain were casting dice;
'The game is done! I've won! I've won!'
Quoth she, and whistles thrice.

The Sun's rim dips; the stars rush out:
At one stride comes the dark;
With far-heard whisper, o'er the sea,
Off shot the spectre-bark.

We listened and looked sideways up!
Fear at my heart, as at a cup,
My life-blood seemed to sip!
The stars were dim, and thick the night,
The steersman's face by his lamp gleamed white;
From the sails the dew did drip--
Till clomb above the eastern bar
The horn'ed Moon, with one bright star
Within the nether tip.

One after one, by the star-dogged Moon,
Too quick for groan or sigh,
Each turned his face with a ghastly pang,
And cursed me with his eye.

Four times fifty living men,
(And I heard nor sigh nor groan)
With heavy thump, a lifeless lump,
They dropped down one by one.

The souls did from their bodies fly,--
They fled to bliss or woe!
And every soul, it passed me by,
Like the whizz of my cross-bow!

PART FOUR

'I FEAR thee, ancient Mariner!
I fear thy skinny hand!
And thou art long, and lank, and brown,
As is the ribbed sea-sand.

I fear thee and thy glittering eye,
And thy skinny hand, so brown.'--
Fear not, fear not, thou Wedding-Guest!
This body dropt not down.

Alone, alone, all, all alone,
Alone on a wide wide sea!
And never a saint took pity on
My soul in agony.

The many men, so beautiful!
And they all dead did lie:
And a thousand thousand slimy things
Lived on; and so did I.

I looked upon the rotting sea,
And drew my eyes away
I looked upon the rotting deck,
And there the dead men lay

I looked to Heaven, and tried to pray;
But or ever a prayer had gusht,
A wicked whisper came, and made
My heart as dry as dust.

I closed my lids, and kept them close,
And the balls like pulses beat;
For the sky and the sea, and the sea and the sky
Lay like a load on my weary eye,
And the dead were at my feet.

The cold sweat melted from their limbs,
Nor rot nor reek did they:
The look with which they looked on me
Had never passed away.

An orphan's curse would drag to hell
A spirit from on high;
But oh! more horrible than that
Is the curse in a dead man's eye!
Seven days, seven nights saw that curse,
And yet I could not die.

The moving Moon went up the sky,
And no where did abide:
Softly she was going up,
And a star or two beside--

Her beams bemocked the sultry main,
Like April hoar-frost spread;
But where the ship's huge shadow lay,
The charm'ed water burnt alway
A still and awful red.

Beyond the shadow of the ship,
I watched the water-snakes:
They moved in tracks of shining white
And when they reared, the elfish light
Fell off in hoary flakes.

Within the shadow of the ship
I watched their rich attire:
Blue, glossy green, and velvet black,
Then coiled and swam; and every track
Was a flash of golden fire.

O happy living things! no tongue
Their beauty might declare:
A spring of love gushed from my heart,
And I blessed them unaware:
Sure my kind saint took pity on me,
And I blessed them unaware.

The self-same moment I could pray;
And from my neck so free
The Albatross fell off, and sank
Like lead into the sea.

PART FIVE

OH sleep! it is a gentle thing,
Beloved from pole to pole!
To Mary Queen the praise be given!
She sent the gentle sleep from Heaven,
That slid into my soul.

The silly buckets on the deck,
That had so long remained,
I dreamt that they were filled with dew;
And when I awoke, it rained.

My lips were wet, my throat was cold,
My garments all were dank;
Sure I had drunken in my dreams,
And still my body drank.

I moved, and could not feel my limbs:
I was so light--almost
I thought that I had died in sleep,
And was a bless'ed ghost.

And soon I heard a roaring wind:
It did not come anear;
But with its sound it shook the sails,
That were so thin and sere.

The upper air burst into life!
And a hundred fire-flags sheen,
To and fro they were hurried about!
And to and fro, and in and out,
The wan stars danced between.

And the coming wind did roar more loud,
And the sails did sigh like sedge;
And the rain poured down from one black cloud;
The Moon was at its edge.

The thick black cloud was cleft, and still
The Moon was at its side:
Like waters shot from some high crag,
The lightning fell with never a jag,
A river steep and wide.

The loud wind never reached the ship,
Yet now the ship moved on!
Beneath the lightning and the Moon
The dead men gave a groan.

They groaned, they stirred, they all uprose,
Nor spake, nor moved their eyes;
It had been strange, even in a dream,
To have seen those dead men rise.

The helmsman steered, the ship moved on;
Yet never a breeze up-blew;
The mariners all 'gan work the ropes,
Where they were wont to do;
They raised their limbs like lifeless tools--
We were a ghastly crew.

The body of my brother's son
Stood by me, knee to knee:
The body and I pulled at one rope,
But he said nought to me.

'I fear thee, ancient Mariner!'
Be calm, thou Wedding-Guest!
'Twas not those souls that fled in pain,
Which to their corses came again,
But a troop of spirits blest:

For when it dawned--they dropped their arms,
And clustered round the mast;
Sweet sounds rose slowly through their mouths,
And from their bodies passed.

Around, around, flew each sweet sound,
Then darted to the Sun;
Slowly the sounds came back again,
Now mixed, now one by one.

Sometimes a-dropping from the sky
I heard the sky-lark sing;
Sometimes all little birds that are,
How they seemed to fill the sea and air
With their sweet jargoning!

And now 'twas like all instruments,
Now like a lonely flute;
And now it is an angel's song,
That makes the heavens be mute.

It ceased; yet still the sails made on
A pleasant noise till noon,
A noise like of a hidden brook
In the leafy month of June,
That to the sleeping woods all night
Singeth a quiet tune.

Till noon we quietly sailed on,
Yet never a breeze did breathe:
Slowly and smoothly went the Ship,
Moved onward from beneath.

Under the keel nine fathom deep,
From the land of mist and snow,
The spirit slid: and it was he
That made the ship to go.
The sails at noon left off their tune,
And the ship stood still also.

The Sun, right up above the mast,
Had fixed her to the ocean:
But in a minute she 'gan stir,
With a short uneasy motion--
Backwards and forwards half her length
With a short uneasy motion.

Then like a pawing horse let go,
She made a sudden bound:
It flung the blood into my head,
And I fell down in a swound.

How long in that same fit I lay,
I have not to declare;
But ere my living life returned,
I heard and in my soul discerned
Two voices in the air.

'Is it he?' quoth one, 'Is this the man?
By him who died on cross,
With his cruel bow he laid full low
The harmless Albatross.

The spirit who bideth by himself
In the land of mist and snow,
He loved the bird that loved the man
Who shot him with his bow.'

The other was a softer voice,
As soft as honey-dew:
Quoth he, 'The man hath penance done,
And penance more will do.'

PART SIX

First Voice

'BUT tell me, tell me! speak again,
They soft response renewing--
What makes that ship drive on so fast?
What is the ocean doing?'

Second Voice

'Still as a slave before his lord,
The ocean hath no blast;
His great bright eye most silently
Up to the Moon is cast--

If he may know which way to go;
For she guides him smooth or grim.
See, brother, see! how graciously
She looketh down on him.'

First Voice

'But why drives on that ship so fast,
Without or wave or wind?'

Second Voice
'The air is cut away before,
And closes from behind.

Fly, brother, fly! more high, more high!
Or we shall be belated:
For slow and slow that ship will go,
When the Mariner's trance is abated.'

I woke, and we were sailing on
As in a gentle weather:
'Twas night, calm night, the moon was high;
The dead men stood together.

All stood together on the deck,
For a charnel-dungeon fitter:
All fixed on me their stony eyes,
That in the Moon did glitter.

The pang, the curse, with which they died,
Had never passed away:
I could not draw my eyes from theirs,
Nor turn them up to pray.

And now this spell was snapt: once more
I viewed the ocean green,
And looked far forth, yet little saw
Of what had else been seen--

Like one, that on a lonesome road
Doth walk in fear and dread,
And having once turned round walks on,
And turns no more his head;
Because he knows, a frightful fiend
Doth close behind him tread.

But soon there breathed a wind on me,
Nor sound nor motion made:
Its path was not upon the sea,
In ripple or in shade.

It raised my hair, it fanned my cheek
Like a meadow-gale of spring--
It mingled strangely with my fears,
Yet it felt like a welcoming.

Swiftly, swiftly flew the ship,
Yet she sailed softly too:
Sweetly, sweetly blew the breeze--
On me alone it blew.

Oh! dream of joy! is this indeed
The light-house top I see?
Is this the hill? is this the kirk?
Is this mine own countree?

We drifted o'er the harbour-bar,
And I with sobs did pray--
O let me be awake, my God!
Or let me sleep alway.

The harbour-bay was clear as glass,
So smoothly it was strewn!
And on the bay, the moonlight lay,
And the shadow of the Moon.

The rock shone bright, the kirk no less,
That stands above the rock:
The moonlight steeped in silentness
The steady, weathercock.

And the bay was white with silent light,
Till rising from the same,
Full many shapes, that shadows were,
In crimson colours came.

A little distance from the prow
Those crimson shadows were:
I turned my eyes upon the deck--
Oh, Christ! what saw I there!

Each corse lay flat, lifeless and flat,
And, by the holy rood!
A man all light, a seraph-man,
On every corse there stood.

This seraph-band, each waved his hand:
It was a heavenly, sight!
They stood as signals to the land,
Each one a lovely light;

This seraph-band, each waved his hand,
No voice did they impart--
No voice; but oh! the silence sank
Like music on my heart.

But soon I heard the dash of oars,
I heard the Pilot's cheer;
My head was turned perforce away
And I saw a boat appear.

The Pilot and the Pilot's boy,
I heard them coming fast:
Dear Lord in Heaven! it was a joy
The dead men could not blast.

I saw a third-I heard his voice:
It is the Hermit good!
He singeth loud his godly hymns
That he makes in the wood.
He'll shrieve my soul he'll wash away
The Albatross's blood.

PART SEVEN

THIS Hermit good lives in that wood
Which slopes down to the sea.
How loudly his sweet voice he rears!
He loves to talk with marineres
That come from a far countree.

He kneels at morn, and noon, and eve--
He hath a cushion plump:
It is the moss that wholly hides
The rotted old oak-stump.

The skiff-boat neared: I heard them talk,
'Why, this is strange, I trow!
Where are those lights so many and fair,
That signal made but now?'

'Strange, by my faith!' the Hermit said--
'And they answered not our cheer!
The planks looked warped! and see those sails,
How thin they are and sere!
I never saw aught like to them,
Unless perchance it were

Brown skeletons of leaves that lag
My forest-brook along;
When the ivy-tod is heavy with snow,
And the owlet whoops to the wolf below,
That eats the she-wolf's young.'

'Dear Lord! it hath a fiendish look--
(The Pilot made reply)
I am a-feared'--'Push on, push on!'
Said the Hermit cheerily.

The boat came closer to the ship,
But I nor spake nor stirred;
The boat came close beneath the ship,
And straight a sound was heard.

Under the water it rumbled on,
Still louder and more dead:
It reached the ship, it split the bay;
The ship went down like lead.

Stunned by that loud and dreadful sound,
Which sky and ocean smote,
Like one that hath been seven days drowned
My body lay afloat;
But swift as dreams, myself I found
Within the Pilot's boat.

Upon the whirl, where sank the ship,
The boat spun round and round;
And all was still, save that the hill
Was telling of the sound.

I moved my lips--the Pilot shrieked
And fell down in a fit;
The holy Hermit raised his eyes,
And prayed where he did sit.

I took the oars: the Pilot's boy,
Who now doth crazy go,
Laughed loud and long, and all the while
His eyes went to and fro.
'Ha! ha!' quoth he, 'full plain I see,
The Devil knows how to row.'

And now, all in my own countree,
I stood on the firm land!
The Hermit stepped forth from the boat,
And scarcely he could stand.

'O shrieve me, shrieve me, holy man!'
The Hermit crossed his brow.
'Say quick,' quoth he, 'I bid thee say--
What manner of man art thou?

Forthwith this frame of mine was wrenched
With a woful agony,
Which forced me to begin my tale;
And then it left me free.

Since then, at an uncertain hour,
That agony returns:
And till my ghastly tale is told,
This heart within me burns.

I pass, like night, from land to land;
I have strange power of speech;
That moment that his face I see,
I know the man that must hear me:
To him my tale I teach.

What loud uproar bursts from that door!
The wedding-guests are there:
But in the garden-bower the bride
And bride-maids singing are:
And hark the little vesper bell,
Which biddeth me to prayer!

O Wedding-Guest! this soul hath been
Alone on a wide wide sea:
So lonely 'twas, that God himself
Scarce seem'ed there to be.

O sweeter than the marriage-feast,
'Tis sweeter far to me,
To walk together to the kirk
With a goodly company!--

To walk together to the kirk,
And all together pray,
While each to his great Father bends,
Old men, and babes, and loving friends
And youths and maidens gay!

Farewell, farewell! but this I tell
To thee, thou Wedding-Guest!
He prayeth well, who loveth well
Both man and bird and beast.

He prayeth best, who loveth best
All things both great and small;
For the dear God who loveth us,
He made and loveth all.

The Mariner, whose eye is bright,
Whose beard with age is hoar,
Is gone: and now the Wedding-Guest
Turned from the bridegroom's door.

He went like one that hath been stunned,
And is of sense forlorn:
A sadder and a wiser man,
He rose the morrow morn.

[Legendary]

Btw that was the rime of the ancient mariner, and i love thats story about the aliens, good job

[Tsuetsami]

story about the aliens???

[Legendary]

and mars and death and stuff

[Tsuetsami]

oh! right i remember now. that's on my computer still ;D