Disney's Mufasa - The Lion King Concise Review

When I first heard of this prequel to Disney’s The Lion King (originally an animated movie turned live-action), I was not too optimistic about the potential success of it. I mean, what would become of a movie about Simba’s father who, in the original movie, was killed off? And after watching both the animated and live-action movies of the same story, why would I want to watch another live-action one about lions?

Well, as it turned out, I did watch it. Not because I was ecstatic over it but more of a family outing instead during this holiday season (bravo, Disney, you released this movie during one of the most strategic times!). And so, I entered the cinema with low expectations (after checking out the Rotten Tomatoes' rating in advance, which was rotten at 55% at the time of writing).

I expected the CGI to be spectacular, and Mufasa did not disappoint. This is as good as it gets with photorealistic animals. I am no expert in this field, but the animals moved and looked so real I could not distinguish if they were 100% CGI or the real deal. It was this good. There is nothing much to comment on acting because there were no real actors on-screen, but the voice acting is what you can come to expect from Disney— superb.

This is the story of Mufasa, a future king that got separated from his parents in a flood but saved by Taka, the would-be king of another pride of lions. This is the story of their destiny. It did not matter if you had watched the original The Lion King or not because the story is your standard fare of brotherhood turned sour. Do not expect any twists or surprises. Instead, just go to the cinema and watch it for what it is — a spectacular visual feast with animals (yay, no humans!) that Disney hoped will be enough to carry the movie until the end.

If you are looking for a movie with depth, you might be disappointed. However, if you are looking for some holiday entertainment and family fun time, especially if you are bringing your little ones, Mufasa will satisfy.

Quick Take On Children of Time Series

Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Children of Time series (or trilogy? Not sure if there is any indication that it’s meant to be a trilogy considering the open-ended conclusion in the third book so I am just going to call it a series. The following are thoughts based on the first three published books) is no lean meat but a massive dystopia science fiction that sees humans leaving a devastated Earth in search of life elsewhere through terraforming. Completing all three books will take a significant amount of time but I am proud to say I have done it!

The first book can be read as a standalone, whilst the second and third have references to the previous books.

The first, Children of Time, where the series got its namesake, is a refreshing take on terraforming where humans share the same limelight and play protagonists together with arachnids.

The second book, Children of Ruin, pretty much reminds us of the first but this time with octopuses. Things do spice up and there is a touch of horror in the second half when another entity appears…

Children of Memory, wrapping up the series for now, however, starts off just fine but the storytelling style that moves forward (now) and backwards (recently) in the timeline makes it (although intentional) confusing. While the first two books feel epic, the third instalment reminds me of an episode of Star Trek. It did not feel quite like a saga. I would refer to it as more of a novella or a 2.5 of the second book instead of being a third book except that it is a super duper novel by itself.

The Children of Time series makes a good read especially the first two books. Keeping up the momentum is no mean feat. Although the third book does not measure up to its siblings, it still makes for a good read, especially if you want to complete the series.

Growing a Tree

Photo by Pascal Debrunner on Unsplash

"George, be careful," the father said. "Don't swallow the seeds, all right?"

"Why, Dad?" George asked. He was eating an apple.

"It will cause indigestion. You will feel sick. And," the father replied. He moved closer, a sinister look on his face, "a tree will grow out of your head."

"I'm not a baby anymore, Dad! I'm already six! You can’t trick me!”

"Just go ahead and try it, boy. Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” the father said with a wink.

For a brief moment, George saw a shadow pass through his father’s eyes. It happened so quickly George thought he must have imagined it. His father strolled out of the kitchen, humming a tune. Alone, George looked at the half-eaten apple in his hand. Doubt flashed through his mind but pride prevailed so he chomped down and swallowed the rest of the fruit - skin, flesh, core and seeds. The stem was the only part left.

******

The family were asleep, in fact, the whole world was. George, however, was having a fitful one. He felt movement on the top of his head. Subconsciously, reached up to give it a scratch and fell back to sleep. The top of his head started to throb, as though something was pushing his scalp from the inside.

A nightmare began to form. He was in class and his teacher had put him in a spot.

“Spell ‘agriculture’,” she said, glaring at him, “or else...”

George was perspiring. Sweat poured from the top of his head, trickling down the back of his neck. That was the source of the itch. He reached up and scratched. There was no way he knew how to spell it. He had just started school!

Then, his fingers felt something sharp protruding out of his head. A shoot had pierced through his scalp. He looked at his fingers and stood frozen. There was blood.

“What’s happening to me!?”

The twig grew. He looked at his teacher, who stared back without emotion. Slowly, her lips twisted into an eerie smile.

“You swallowed the seeds, didn’t you?”

His teacher laughed and his classmates joined in. Soon, the combined laughter echoed beyond the class, so loud it could drown out the sound of thunder.

George woke with a start, soaked in cold perspiration. He realised he was in his bed, in the dark. His father’s snoring in the other room gave a strange assurance that it was all just a nightmare.

But the pain remained. He reached up and felt it. The twig had grown thicker, almost like... a young plant.

He felt something else. It felt like folds under his scalp — he realised they were the roots. The roots reached deeper, compressing his skull. He thought he heard a crack, a sound he associated with Humpty Dumpty. His goosebumps rose as he stood up and grabbed the plant by its trunk.

He tried to yank it out of his head but the pain was unbearable. And then, he lost sensations in his legs. He fell. The bed frame kept him sitting upright on the floor. In a matter of seconds, he could not feel his hands, too. He no longer had control of his body.

His voice rose to his throat. He wanted to scream but no sound came out. The roots were feeding off his brain. Instead of flashing before him, his memories faded away as his brain matter became fertiliser. He started to lose consciousness. His world faded away like sand being blown away in a storm as he was transported into a grassland. The plant grew and became a tree. The tree began the conquest of its host, to become one with it, to stay rooted to the ground and immobile, swaying only with the wind in a slow dance.

In a matter of minutes, the human host in a room had disappeared and in its place, a lone tree in a vast grassland.

End

If you are looking for a happy ending, continue here...

A fluorescent blue bird with a patch of yellow perched on George the Tree. It built a nest and generations lived there. One day, a young descendant started pecking on the trunk, no doubt looking for food.

Peck, peck, peck...

And it slowly turns to tap, tap, tap...

"Wake up, George!"

His mother was tapping him on the shoulder.

"You're late for school!"

End

A Prelude to Rabbit’s Year

A weary Tiger feels the weight of a year of triumph. He is eager to pass the torch to his tame little friend, Rabbit. After several hours of searching, he stumbles upon his trail. Tiny, brown spherical litter. A natural hunter, Tiger follows Rabbit’s poo. He snickers at his friend’s consistent bowel movement.

Too much fibre from eating all those, Tiger winces, vegetation. 

Tiger smiles in anticipation of meeting Rabbit again. It has been twelve years since they met. A big hug is at the top of his mind. But as he picks up the scent of his cuddly friend, dark, violent thoughts start to invade his mind. The sweet, delicious meat under the cover of those soft fur makes his stomach growl. Unconsciously, Tiger starts to drool.

The friendly smile turns into a snarl. Tiger bares his rows of sharp teeth. He quickens his pace.

Should I start with the head? Tiger ponders which part to devour first. No. It’s got to be the ears. I hate those pointy things. Yes, yesss. Those will have to go first. No, no, no, I will just eat that fellow whole!

Tiger’s eyes turn crimson. A fire born of hunger burns in those eyes. His muscles tense and he sprints forward. It has been a while since he last flexed his muscles. He was so busy the past year parading in events, being a good vegetarian tiger (it is bad publicity to have a tiger gnawing at flesh during his year, you know) he longs for fresh meat.

Rabbit did not notice Tiger because he is hopping around a patch of carrots. A ritual he likes to perform before he burrows down and frees the juicy vegetables from the ground. He finds his ideal spot. He shakes his bum a couple of times and starts to dig. 

Lunch awaits! Rabbit says to himself.

Meanwhile, just tenths of metres away, Tiger sprints. His striped golden and black fur ripples through the air. He is so fast that his fur is charged from friction with the air. He bursts into a brilliant fireball, a hurrying carnivore on fire. A million demons possess him as he leaps into the air.

Oblivious to his impending doom, Rabbit continues to burrow. His furry round tail wriggles as if taunting Tiger.

Tiger lets out a loud roar as he opens his mouth wide. Razor-sharp teeth wet with dripping saliva glisten in the sun.

Only inches away from his prey, time slows down. A quick thought passes through Tiger, Why must things move in slow motion during these critical moments? Growl!

Just as the moment comes, mouth wide ready to swallow his prey in a single gulp, a plume of Rabbit’s fart envelops Tiger.

He takes a deep breath, ready to release a final roar of victory before his anger escapes him. He gags and freezes in the air before falling flat a few feet from Rabbit. Tiger manages a soft yelp. The evil that has taken over him dissipates with the flame. The violent, voracious Tiger morphs into a cute kitty-like form.

By the time he gets up, he is a tame and loving tiger, just as cuddly as Rabbit who is hopping towards him.

“Tiger! So good to see you! Hope you’re not hurt,” Rabbit says with an embarrassed look complete with batting eyelashes. “I, uh, well, you know, too much vegetables give you gas.”

“I’m fine, buddy!” Tiger smiles. “Just here to wish you a great bunny year!”

Their paws touch and the passing of the torch is complete.

Have a great Year of the Rabbit, folks!

Medium

I have been blogging for ages since creating Ionbuck’s Blog in January 2007 up until the more recent Random Shuffles in July 2018. IonBuck’s Blog is inspired by all the news aggregating sites out there. Random Shuffles exists because of my passion to write, especially stories, and to fulfil my dream to achieve financial independence as a writer.

Unfortunately, a decade and a half later, I have yet to achieve any of my blogging goals. The news that I shared and the short stories that I wrote hardly earned more than a few cents. Demotivated, my posts suffered but I soldiered on. And then, someone created Medium, an online publishing platform that allows writers to focus on creating content. If the content is popular and monetised, the money gushes in. Or so, I read. Needless to say, I tried it.

I am not having much success with Medium either but at least it generates enough income for a cup of coffee every year. You read it correctly. On average, I managed a few cents a month. Hahaha, but I’m still trying. I have managed to join a few publications for my short fiction so let’s see how it goes from there.

As a result, I have been reducing my content in Random Shuffles. Besides that, I have not been writing content for IonBuck’s Blog for years now other than the occasional post). At this moment, I am focused to publish my fiction on Medium. Given a choice, I would post my stories here, too, but due to the terms and conditions, I am not supposed to publish elsewhere.

The following are my latest short stories (in publishing order) on Medium. Do feel free to visit!

1. I’m Who’s Boss? 

It mocks the higher echelons on how they bully their subordinates but still have to submit to their customers. My original title was “Who’s Boss?” but somehow, when The Creative Cafe published it, they’ve changed it to the above. Doesn’t sound right but still, it was my first story posted via a Medium publisher. 

2. Yellow, Yellow 
A self-centred guy tries to impress his girlfriend but in the process, drags his friends along.

3. Danger in the Woods
A family goes back to nature but the city kids are not too keen until they discover what lies within the forest.

4. Rotten Baker
A baker drives away a hungry boy and gets what he deserves.

5. Breakfast for Granted
A kid takes his parents for granted his whole life until they decided to teach him a lesson.

6. Magic Seed
A lonely child visits his grandparents and brings back an unusual seed with magic that goes beyond his wildest dreams.

More to come. Stay tuned!

Thoughts: Your Name

Ever since watching Weathering with You a couple of years ago in the cinema, I've been trying to look for the movie that it was linked to, Your Name. It received massive success during its time, three years ago in 2016 before Weathering with You. Alas, I finally found it through streaming service Netflix.

I've not been able to find time to watch it until three hours ago. The anime movie starts off simple enough in a complicated way. The beginning reveals it was built on the body swapping storyline that most of us have come across time and again. It does not attempt to hide the fact that it will eventually build up to a climatic romance but it is interesting to learn that the movie has a really unexpected twist to it.

The animation is top notch Japanese anime and it has great visuals incorporating a suburban town and an apocalyptic event that involves a comet. It is a great two hours spent on watching this movie that is magical in its own way.

#Onward, My #Soul

I rarely miss any Pixar movies but the pandemic left me little choice. Cinemas are closed most of the time, what more with a recent resurgence of the COVID-19 virus with new variants. I have missed Onward, Soul and the recent Luca (for some reason, I have also skipped Inside Out and hope to watch it soon). Fortunately, Disney+ has just become available in my part of the world in the form of Disney+ Hotstar. Since then, I have managed to play catch-up with Onward which stars the voices of Marvel superheroes Tom Holland and Chris Pratt; and Soul voiced by Jamie Fox.

Set in a fantasy world of elves, wizards, manticore, and other mystical sentient beings, Onward explores the tale of two elven brothers’ misadventures in their quest to correct a spell gone wrong so that they can spend the day (or what is left of it) with their deceased father. This world has lost its magic in the name of development and modernisation, something we can all relate to. This is a neat premise that I would love to explore if I ever become a writer.

The younger sibling, Ian (Holland) is obsessed to meet his father because he was too little when his dad passed away. Unfortunately, while casting a spell to bring him back, something went awry - only the legs appeared, so Ian sets off to find a way to bring his father back as a whole. Inadvertently, his bumbling brother, Barley (Pratt) joins the party. Initially more trouble than help, you can expect Barley to play a significant role in the movie.

Meanwhile, Soul brings us back to Earth where a struggling music teacher, Joe (Foxx), lands a gig of a lifetime to play opposite his jazz idol, only to, literally, fall dead moments later. He becomes a spirit who refuses to accept his fate and vows to return to his body. In the afterlife, he impersonates a mentor tasked to prep a soul for life on Earth. The fun part is, this is a pessimistic soul filled with so much negativity about being human that it has overstayed its due. So the two makes a deal - when the soul is ready, it is supposed to switch places with Joe so that he can return to Earth while the soul remains.

So it is going to be a win-win situation right? Of course not. As with everything that happens in our lives, some things go wrong and some things turn out fine. This is the premise of the movie.

Told in true Pixar fashion, both movies make great family entertainment with important life lessons weaved into the storylines. The animation is always top-notch with fabulous palettes and gentle doses of cuteness. On top of that, the voice talents bring the characters to life and then some. Although I have lots of great things to say about these movies, they do tend to fall into typical and predictable territories. Despite that, the movies have enough elements in them to keep the audience rooted in their seats. Highly recommended for the whole family. The adults will find it just as appealing as the kids.

Winter Lights - A Short Story

A follow up to the short story “Watching Fireflies” that is just as readable as a standalone short to spice up your festive spirits. :)

“No, Elfie!”

“But Dad! It’s Christmas Eve! It’s a season of joy!”

“There’s no joy for you until you’ve done all your homework! You’ve been procrastinating all week,” Elfred gave his son the ultimatum.

While Elfie went into his room to finish his homework, Elfred and his wife, Elna, packed their things and strolled hand-in-hand to the city square. Rooftops, treetops and everything else with tops were covered in snow. A gentle breeze blew past the couple. In a cloudless blue sky, the morning light glistened off ice crystals to form millions of tiny suns.

Elfred and Elna set off early to make sure all the props were in order and the tree lights functioned. The square was going to be the night’s centre of attraction. Town folks will queue to take photos with the trio. Those that still believed would tell Santa their wishes. It was going to be another promising Christmas Eve. Elfred felt it in his bones. He had been the town’s Santa for a decade. For the past two years, he was joined by his wife, the one and only Santarina, and their son played the role of Santa’s greatest helper, the elf.

The night will culminate into a climax of fireworks, cheers and dances as the clock struck midnight. Everyone would party until the wee hours of the morning. Those thoughts excited Elfred and his family. There was no reason they would not make it a successful family hat trick tonight.

When they approached the town square, they were impressed by the perfect Christmas tree that stood against the test of time. Six centuries old, it never needed any trimming. It had been through many hardships with generations of townsfolk. It was the town’s pillar of strength during the Wizards’ War - the tree was the source of energy for the wizards to draw from at the final moment to fight back the darkness. It became a symbol of nature when people desecrated the earth to make way for the industrial revolution. When the forest was bare except for this tree, the town was hit by extreme weather - storms and prolonged dry spells - for decades. The tree eventually transferred its energy to the earth and regenerated the forest. Unfortunately, all was forgotten when modernisation turned magic into nothing more than tricks and entertainment. Only a special few like Elfie secretly studied real magic.

“I’m going to turn on the lights just to make sure they are fine,” Elfred said and went into a shack built next to the tree to house the incoming electric supply. It will also serve as the backdrop for Santa to greet his guests later in the night.

The lights did not turn on when Elfred flipped the switch. He desperately tried to fix it. Racing against time, he ran to the source of the power and discovered that it was shorted out. The roof sprung a leak and melted snow dripped into the power socket. Part of the cable was burnt. There was nothing that Elfred could do. He tried calling the electrician but none had their phones on. This year the village will have to celebrate Christmas without a beautifully lighted tree.

******

The sun set and dusk settled. Without the attraction of the Christmas tree lights that people had come to expect, the town square was cast in shadows. Elfred was dressed in his Santa costume and doing the jingles. Elna stood by her husband in her Santarina costume while, Elfie, dressed as Santa’s little elf, stood on the other side of his father. They tried to keep their smiles and cheers on but no one bothered.

“Ho! Ho! Ho!”

The villagers walked past as if he did not exist. Some managed to acknowledge the family’s presence and forced a smile. But everyone looked at them with accusing eyes of their failure to light up the tree and spoiled Christmas. As dusk made way to night, Elfred and family sat hunched on the bench with a heavy burden of guilt weighing them down.

“We should call it a night, my dear Elna and Elfie. I’ve spoilt Christmas for everyone.”

“Give me a few minutes, dad. I will be right back,” Elfie replied and ran off.

True to his words, he was back in less than ten minutes. He was lugging a few boxes behind him. As he got closer, Elfred’s eyes widened.

“Fireflies! Why of course!” Both parents exclaimed and stood up to help their son.

Gently, the three of them slid the top covers off the boxes. Fireflies drifted lazily out of their warm and cosy home, bathing the family in a warm glow. The insects settled on the tree and produced random points of lights. Their hope was short-lived when, from a distance, no one else noticed the dim glow of the fireflies.

“I’m sorry, Mom and Dad, I don’t have enough fireflies to make a difference and I’ve not learnt any light spells to brighten the tree,” Elfie said, tears flooding his eyes.

“Its all right, dear. We know you’ve tried your best,” Elna said. “Anyway, it’s not the end of the world.”

The family hugged. And then, as though given a supercharge, the fireflies magically brightened up. In an instant, the shadows disappeared and the Christmas tree dazzled in grandeur. The tree saved the day! It radiated its energy through the fireflies and enhanced their chemical reactions so that they glowed many times brighter.

The townsfolk gasped in astonishment as they gathered around the square. The fireflies’ slow but random movements turned the tree alive, something that no electric lights could do. The fireflies that were floating around looked like dancing stars that came down from the heavens. A truly unique experience. Words of mouth, passed from one to another, reached the farthest folk within minutes. They flooded in to witness nature’s magical powers.

“Ho! Ho! Ho! Come and make your wish!” Elfred’s voice boomed amidst the chatter of thousands of voices.

A queue began to form as the townsfolk waited for their turn to meet Santa and his sidekicks. Before all that was well ended well, another hurdle presented itself. It began to rain. The iced cold rain threatened to force everyone away. Cheerful faces became anxious ones.

Elfie had another idea.

But, but, but...

Being an apprentice, Elfie was not sure if he could pull it off, but he would need to try. Nothing could be worse than not trying. He stared up into the heavens and concentrated. Elfie felt a surge of power flowing through his body. The tree was once again lending its energy. With the amplification, Elfie’s magic reached out to every raindrop. Like fireworks, each drop burst into snowflakes that drifted down on the folks. The snow enhanced the mood of the people. Laughter and happy chatter returned as the queue to meet Santa continued to grow.

Elfie thought he heard the tree whispered “Merry Christmas” but he could not be sure.

End.

Invasion - A Short Story

Also published in Reedsy Prompts.

*****

Rapid footsteps interrupted the sound of a peaceful jungle with calls of the wild. A boy, drenched in sweat, was running for his life, away from the new king of the jungle and his minions. By his side was a lion cub, the heir to the old throne.

A rival pride had attacked the lion kingdom and imprisoned the old guards. Years of betrayal and losses had moulded the lion at the head of this new pride into a cold and heartless beast. There was nothing left in his life but to conquer and destroy all things living. In the midst of the chaos, the boy managed to wriggle his way through the bushes and escape with the lion cub. They hardly ran a few kilometres before hyenas and snakes blocked their path. Soon, they were surrounded. The only direction they could go was down a steep cliff. Beneath the cliff was rocky terrain created by the sea with waves so strong that each splash sounded like a thunderclap. It was instant death in the hands of the evil creatures or take a leap of faith. The boy hugged the lion cub, and they both jumped.

~~~~~

The sound of laughter was welcoming. The boy was at the beach, splashing water at his sister on one side and his father on the other. The fun was all about splashing water at each other.

“Ha, ha, ha! You ain’t getting away, Tib!”

“I’m not trying to!” Tiberius replied.

An elephant blared from the rear. It filled its trunk with water and sprayed at the trio. In the distant, the sound of a roar pierced through the day. The king of the jungle announced his arrival. A lion emerged from the bushes with his cub. When they reached the water, he encouraged the cub with his muzzle to join his friends.

"Go on, Lionel, your friends are calling you. It will be fun."

But the timid little cub clung on to his father. The lion picked Lionel up with his teeth and dipped him in the water. Within moments, Lionel and his human friends were splashing water at each other. Through generations of friendship, Tiberius’ royal family had become close allies with the animal kingdom, both protecting each other’s domain.

Suddenly, a giant wave appeared right in front of Tib. The sky turned dark as the wave blocked out the sun and came crashing down on to Tib, his family and friends.

SPLASH!

Wave after wave of water crashed down on them. Tiberius was pushed underwater. He choked and gasped for air. No matter how hard he tried to swim to the surface, the pressure was so strong that it pushed him back under. He was drowning. In one last attempt, he gathered all his strength and thrust upward with his hands and legs. The surface, only an arm's length away, still seemed too far. His lungs were on fire and about to burst-

~~~~~

Tib woke with a start. He was not on a familiar beach with his family and friends. He was being washed ashore in a strange place. He scrambled to look for Lionel. He found the cub further up the beach, its body appeared devoid of life. The boy knelt beside it, not willing to touch it because he was afraid to confirm his suspicions that Lionel drowned. He wept but opened his teary eyes when he heard Lionel coughing out water. Overwhelmed with joy, the boy hugged his little friend.

"We have to get out of here and look for help," Tiberius said to Lionel. They scoured the place but soon discovered that they were lost on an island. Accepting their fate, they worked together to survive. To Lionel's disgust, his friend's diet became mostly of fruits and fish. Eventually, out of hunger, Lionel became the first lion to live off fruits and fish as his staple.

Curiosity got the better of the island's natural inhabitants. When they were convinced the boy and lion were harmless, they approached them. They sent their messenger, a blue parakeet, to test the water.

"Ahoy there! State your names and purpose for invading our island!" it squawked.

"We... we mean you no harm. We... we're lost," Lionel stuttered and eventually told it their story.

After the parakeet returned into the jungle and relayed the story word for word, the island's origins left the protection of the foliage and revealed themselves. The earth shook as a tribe of men and women, elephants, giraffes, horses and flocks of birds made their way forward.

"We came here centuries ago when our ark crashed into this island. Half perished, but our ancestors of this island pulled the rest of us out of the wreckage and saved our lives," a giraffe said. "This was initially a paradise island for giraffes but ever since the incident, this is a peaceful island for all."

"We sympathise with you. You are welcome to stay as long as you are willing to live among us in peace," a squirrel said, climbing on to the head of the lead giraffe.

Tiberius felt a little awkward because all eyes were on him. Shouldn't they be more concern about a lion instead?

"Especially humans," a tall, angular tribe member said. "It took years to correct a terrible mistake one of us made. In the name of progress, he tricked all of us and nearly destroyed the environment."

"Do not be alarmed. From where we came from, we lived in harmony with the rest of our jungle folks. That was until-"

"We do not wish to interfere with the outside world," the giraffe interrupted.

~~~~~

And so years passed. Tiberius and Lionel lived among the tribes and animals. The passage of time slowly dulled the pain and sorrowful memories of their families. Lionel grew to become a handsome lion that ate vegetables and fruits with the occasional supplement of fish.

Unfortunately, their past caught up with them. It was a mild afternoon. The inhabitants of the island were sunbathing on the beach when the evil lions and their minions landed. They had used their human and animal slaves to build them a ship to find new lands to conquer.

The tame and complacent islanders were no match for the invaders. Before dusk, the minions had captured most of the animals. Tiberius and Lionel managed to evade capture. The boy, drenched in sweat, was running for his life, away from his old, ruthless emissary and his underlings. Next to Tib was the grown Lionel, the heir to the old throne. Their nightmare was beginning all over again.

End

The Creature - A Short Story

Also published in the Reedsy Prompts contest.

Late in the chilly night, the lone spiralling mountain road laid dormant. One side protected by the mountain, the opposite side was bare to a steep and sharp drop down the forest below. Anyone worth his or her salt knew better than to go up or down such a treacherous mountain in the dark except for the unusual daredevil such as the single truck speeding down the winding road. No doubt the driver had someplace else he wanted to be. No doubt he was cursing why the government did not just bore a tunnel through the terrain instead of making him go up and down mountains just to transport some chickens. Yes, he could be drinking with his mates and talk about the wonderful things that they could do in life. Instead, he was ferrying farm animals across the country.

As he was about to negotiate a turn, he thought his headlights caught a lump of ice lying in the middle of the road.

Ice in the beginning of autumn? The weather is screwed. It had something to do with global warming. Wait. What? Globe is warming and I’m thinking of ice? It had got to be something else!

By the time he got back to the present, he tried to step on the brakes but was too late. The truck went over the shiny mass with a thud and the driver lost control. The truck skidded and plunged into the dark ravine below. The driver cursed himself for his reckless driving. He cursed the lump of mass in the middle of the road. He cursed his sorry, unsuccessful life. Before he could curse anymore, his truck crashed into a huge tree and he was knocked out. The blackness was a welcome relief.

When the driver regained consciousness, he realised that the front of the truck was completely ripped off. He had a clear view of a running stream down below illuminated by the pale moonlight. It was going to be a fatal fall had it not been his seatbelt holding him to his seat. His whole body was dangling unhindered. 

Once the cobwebs had cleared from his mind, his body started to ache all over. He realised he was still attached to the rear of the truck which was suspended on thick branches. He could hear the clucking of his truckload of chickens. The driver tried to heave and move to no avail. Finally feeling hopeless, he turned to the divine and started to pray for a quick rescue when suddenly something seemed to be frightening the chickens.

Before long, he felt a presence directly behind him that sent chills down his spine. It slithered past him from his left shoulder and turned to face him. It was cold like steel. There were no eyes, nose, mouth or limbs. The dim twilight reflected off its glistening, silver surface. It looked like a floating pool of liquid metal. The creature felt cold to the touch and was, in fact, the ‘lump of ice’ that the driver was trying to avoid earlier. A mysterious creation of nature yet to be discovered, it was returning to the forest below when the truck chanced upon it.

The driver thought his eyes were playing tricks on him as a part of the featureless creature morphed into a familiar human face - a shiny silver version of the driver. Its soulless eyes stared back at the driver.

The creature extended a tentacled arm and reached out for the seat belt release button. The clueless driver watched as the seat belt clicked and he plunged into the river without warning. He closed his eyes and screamed and screamed, wondering what took so long for the final impact that did not happen. He was still dangling from the truck with the creature wrapped around his torso. Slowly, the creature carried the driver upwards passing the chickens and on to the road above. 

The driver heaved a sigh of relief and wanted to thank the creature but it had disappeared back into the truck to save the rest of the chickens. When all the cages were up, the creature cut open the locks and released them into the wild. It was at this moment that a car passed by and accidentally squashed one of the free-ranging chickens that strayed onto the road.

A silver tentacle burst out of the creature’s body and grabbed hold of the car. Effortlessly, it tore the car into two, separating the front and back. Before the front of the car crashed into the mountainside, the creature wrapped its liquid metal tentacle on the driver and lifted him out of the car. Holding the car driver by the front of his shirt, the creature stared at him. The creature suddenly burst into fiery flames, its intensity starting to scorch the car driver.

“No, no, no! Don’t do it!” the truck driver, who froze during the whole episode waved his arms, trying to stop the creature.

“Why did you kill it?” the creature spoke for the first time in a deep, terrifying voice. 

“It... it was an accident. I... I... I didn’t see it until it was too late,” replied the terror-stricken car driver.

The creature growled but eventually dropped the driver onto the asphalt. It turned away from the two humans and slid towards the dead chicken. With every step, the creature slowly morphed into a silver sentient figure. By the time it reached the carcass, it was able to bend down and pick up the chicken much like how a human would do.

Both drivers stared in puzzlement as the creature cradled the chicken. Liquid metal from the creature wrapped around the dead chicken until a silvery cocoon was formed. It held the cocoon around its arm and ushered the rest of the chickens to follow it to the roadside, away from the hazards of any oncoming vehicles. 

The chickens followed the creature like how chicks trail their mother hen. They moved along the galvanised road railings until they found a way down to the forest below. Just before they disappeared from view, the two drivers saw the cocoon crack open like a hatching egg and out popped the head of the dead chicken, very much alive.

-End-

Rise of Anthologies

Do The Twilight Zone, Amazing Stories and Alfred Hitchcock Presents ring any bells? These are some of the anthologies that I can remember watching on television. While compilations of short stories are not uncommon in literature, these collections are rather rare when it comes to television compared to the billions of series out there. I wouldn’t have thought any more of them had it not been for Netflix. I’ve spent half of my recent Netflix moments watching Black Mirror. Just a week ago, I’ve discovered another anthology of (mostly) animated shorts called Love, Death + Robots.

Both Black Mirror and Love, Death + Robots tell stories that are just as unique and artistic as the older anthologies. However, as society becomes more open in this Information Age, the contents are much more mature. The stories can be controversial and taboo in more conservative countries. Even the following trailer for Love, Death + Robots comes with a mature content warning!

For better or worse, new unrelated stories and new actors come with each episode. Sometimes they are great, sometimes mediocre and sometimes downright terrible. Every person’s mileage varies because it comes down to personal preferences but I'm sure everyone will welcome a breath of fresh air from long-running serials that will leave you suffocating with a cliffhanger at the end of a season.

I’ve completed the first series (3 episodes) and the first episode of the fifth series (also 3 episodes) of Black Mirror (you can find the list of the episodes on Wikipedia. The anthology uses mature themes to emphasise the consequences of (misusing) technology. Hence, the title Black Mirror which actually means the blank TV/monitor screen when it’s turned off.

For example, the first episode tells the tale of humanity’s focus on television. The British Prime Minister was to perform sexual intercourse on a pig on live television in exchange for the release of a kidnapped princess. She was already released before the PM was due to start broadcasting but nobody noticed because they were all glued to the television.

Meanwhile, other worthwhile anthologies that are currently on TV are The Twilight Zone reboot which is on CBS All Access and Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories is on Apple TV+ streaming service. Enjoy!

Watching Fireflies - A Fantasy Short Story

In an unprecedented worldwide pandemic, most of us are now staying at home, some already for a few weeks while others have just started. It is not a holiday with our bosses reminding us to keep working albeit from home. It is easy to put off our duties when the environment is as comfortable as home. This gave me an idea to write a fantasy short story about procrastination and here it is. Enjoy.

Alternative covers that I’ve worked on can be found in IonBuck’s Blog.


Watching Fireflies

Elfie dreaded going to the magic school but today was a good day for him indeed. The class was canceled for the rest of the week after his professor had fallen ill due to mysterious circumstances (but that is another story for another time). The kids were joyful to have so many days off but alas, not without some thick stacks of theoretical and practical magic homework. The work should not take more than an hour a day if spread out evenly for the whole week.

“Why isn’t there any magic that can finish my homework for me?” he muttered under his breath when the work was handed over to him.

On the way home, Elfie resolved that he will finish all his homework so that he could spend the rest of his free days to do what he pleased.

“I’m going to complete my work in two days and have five days of freedom!” he said aloud in his excited state. “YES!”

He hurried home, made himself some sandwiches and brought them together with a glass of water to his room. He was trying to be efficient so that he can just stuff the sandwiches into his mouth and gulp them down while he was hard at work. He locked himself in the room and tossed his work on the desk.

“Let’s get started.”

Elfie sat down and opened his first assignment, a thick leather-bound book of history to study. That will require a lot of brain muscles.

All right, I will just take a bite before I start so that I have all the energy that I need, Elfie thought and took one bite of his sandwich.

The lettuce was fresh and crunchy. He raised the sandwich to admire the ingredients squashed between the bread. As he stared at the lettuce and tomato slices, he started to think about planting his own crops tomorrow morning.

Day two. Gardening is good exercise before continuing with my homework. Yes, I’ll do just that.

Elfie realised that it was getting dark, way earlier than usual. Looking out at the skies he saw dark storm clouds loomed above. He took out a box from under his bed and attached it to a series of glass tubes fastened to the parameter walls of the room. A few gentle knocks on the box later, the fireflies inside stirred and began to fly into the tubes. As if a switch was flipped, one of the fireflies began to produce a luminescent glow in its lower abdomen, followed by another, and another.

Gradually, Elfie’s room was bathed in glimmering incandescent light. Probably for the hundredth time, he was mesmerised by the tiny moving globes of light in the tubes.

It’s hard to resist looking at these miracles of nature, he thought. It is disrespectful not to admire the fireflies for awhile. It will just be for a few minutes, then I will get right back to work.

The glowing insects floated effortlessly. The effect was hypnotic. Elfie was fascinated by the chaotic but slow movements of the insects. He reached out and unscrewed one of the tubes so that the fireflies floated unrestricted into the room.

"Magical, simply magical," Elfie whispered in awe.

With great difficulty, he tore his eyes from the scene and flipped through his collection of water spells. Bubbles. Enhance the bonds between the water molecules so that they form perfect spherical shapes. Elfie focused his thoughts and let the magic flow through him into the glass of water.

At first, tiny bubbles floated up and glint in the light. Elfie focused more and the bubbles grew in size but popped just after leaving the glass. He stood up, closed his eyes, took in a deep breath, and channeled all his strength to make a bubble the size of an orange. It floated up and swallowed up some of the fireflies that flew out of the tube. The bubble glimmered as the fireflies bounced off the sphere. It looked like a mini planetary system with glowing stars floating around.

One day, I’m going to make a bubble big enough to engulf all these fireflies, he thought before passing out from exhaustion. Without the flow of energy, the bubble burst and the fireflies floated freely again.

*****

“Elfie, it’s dinner time!” his mother called out.

Elfie sat up and blinked. He was in a daze so he fell back on his bed and admired the fireflies floating all over the room. As the fog cleared he remembered that he had just wasted a day procrastinating, again.

“But there is always tomorrow,” he rolled off his bed and left his room for dinner.

- End -

Review: Children of the Whales

Starring: Tony Azzolino, Brian Beacock, Johnny Yong Bosch (English)
Director: Various
Maturity Rating: 16+ (Netflix: Violence, nudity)
Studio: J. C. Staff, Bandai Visual
Release: 2017
Runtime: 12 episodes, 20+ minutes each

This is a twelve-episode Japanese anime set in a unique dystopian world where islands float as ships in seas of sand instead of water. The story centres on one such island called the Mud Whale. It is not clear what happened or what caused this and if it is set in the Earth we know or a totally unique universe by itself.

The inhabitants of Mud Whale consist of two castes - one with (Star Wars) Force-like abilities called Thymia and one without. Those able to wield Thymia are called the Marked which will become evident almost immediately because of strange markings that appear on their bodies when they call upon these magical powers. Unfortunately, they have short lifespans. Why? You will have to watch the series to find out. With obvious reasons, the Mud Whale is governed by the Unmarked, the caste without Thymia.

To survive, the people of Mud Whale count on rain, farming, and harvest other islands that they encounter throughout their journey. As strange as the world itself, they have never come across any other islands with people in it. As the story unravels, they will eventually find an island with its first inhabitant. While roaming the island, protagonist Chakuro encounters a girl whom by the label of her clothes she is named Lykos. She appears to be the sole survivor of some battle. She is weak and, as a result, she passes out and is brought to the Mud Whale.

Strange things begin happening and it is revealed later that Lykos’ people label the inhabitants of Mud Whale as criminals and are all out to terminate them. The rest of the story is all about the challenges faced by the Mud Whale and how they try to resolve the conflicts. Each episode is slightly more than twenty minutes. Although short, I did not find it boring. In fact, more often than not, I had to resist from binge-watching the series... and believe it or not, this is my first ever Japanese anime series.

There is not much world-building here but new characters are introduced every now and then. The pace of the story is sometimes uneven and towards the end, it seems a bit hushed - especially the last two episodes. Suddenly, new characters in a new location appear but without much introduction and information.

When I started the series, I expected it will have a clear cut ending (twelve episodes is a good length for a beginner). Although there is a major resolution, the series ended in some sort of an open-ended way. After some sleuthing through the web, it seems the manga which the series is based on still has ways to go. So we can anticipate a second season although, and sadly, as of now, there is no news of one in the near future. For fans of this anime, we will just have to wait.

1Q84 Omnibus - All the way through

I reached midway after a month plus of reading this really thick collection of all three novels by Haruki Murakami. You can read my thoughts here. The story revolves around two main characters, Aomame and Tengo. The plot is set in the midst of mystical Little People and a cult. Somehow, it all happens in a world with two moons. Murakami never fails to remind his readers of this and many other details. On the plus side, it’s impossible to forget all the important parts so there is no need to backtrack (I love this because I’m always forgetful of who does what). On the other hand, the book gets swelled up to more than one thousand three hundred pages. I can’t be sure which is thicker, this omnibus or a brick.

Halfway through, the readers are exposed to a romance that spans decades and there is a possible resolution but everyone worth his/her salt would know this is going to drag on till the end.

As the story progresses, Murakami introduces what appears to be an antagonist in the form of an investigator in book two and then increased his presence to the alternating chapters between Aomame and Tengo in book three. As he brings the excitement up a notch at the end of book two, Murakami does his repetitive, mundane thing again to slow the pace.

Despite all these, 1Q84 is a unique story where Murakami’s characters weave mystical plots out of thin air (pun intended). The world is strange but at the same time, projects the kind of realism that we could relate to.

I also love how Murakami adds a subplot about a desperate and irritating NHK fee collector. He manages to inject some humour into this at the beginning of the final book in a rather smart way... and then turned the whole thing into something creepy. A nice touch.

At the end of the day, it takes quite a bit of perseverance to appreciate this book. If you are looking for something unusual with some romance, mystery, and mysticism all mixed in, this could be the book for you... provided you have the time and patience to go through a thousand and three hundred plus pages.

Caution! Not for those looking for fast-paced action and kids should stay away because of some intimate scenes.

1Q84 Omnibus - Half way there

This book by Haruki Murakami is an omnibus of all three novels. Its thickness was overwhelming but the challenge is on! I shall finish this book no matter what. It had been over a month now and I am only halfway through. That’s 645 pages.

The chapters alternate between the story’s two protagonists, Aomame and Tengo. It took almost the whole of the first book to introduce them and set up the plot. Aomame is a gym instructor that maroons as a dark justice-type of assassin who kills despicable men while Tengo is a teacher-cum-maths prodigy trying to make a break as a fiction writer. The first half peeks into their lives and weaves a plot where they get mixed up in a world with two moons, mysterious Little People and a religious cult at the heart of it.

Things only started to pick up after some chapters into the second book. Haruki Murakami’s writing is full of superfluous details and repetitions. Sometimes I get tired of it and doze off. There were a couple of times when I fell asleep and dropped the book, waking up the whole household. Fortunately, at midway, things started to get interesting. It was also at midway that I breathed a sigh of relief knowing I had managed this far and now that it is getting exciting, I have reasons to march on to complete the rest of the book.

All the mysterious built up in the early chapters are starting to unravel such as a mysterious teenage girl that seemed to run away from the cult, the elusive Little People that were mentioned every so often and how Aomame and Tengo are related and what part do they really play in this strange story. So far, the author is taking his time but the revelations are slowly building up to a crescendo… hopefully.

Short Story Posted On Medium - A Joyful Morning

Just posted a short story for the holiday season titled "A Joyful Morning" on Medium. It's about a boy sitting alone in the playground on Christmas morning. Something is bothering him because he is crying. Even a visit from Santa does not appear to cheer him up.

The Wizard and His Magic Flask - A Fantasy Short Story

“Seriously, dad?” a nine-year old boy said, pulling at his father’s sleeve.

“Have a little faith, son,” the father said but his quivering voice betrayed his lack of confidence. He better know what he’s doing. He’s our only hope!

In the distance, the boy wizard, not a day older than the nine-year old boy, stood with a straight posture. He was facing the throng of villagers, his back to the raging forest fire. His expressionless face did not give any reassurance to the gathered villagers.

~~~~~

The forest fire had burnt for days and nights. No one knew how it started but silently, the villagers pointed poison fingers at each other. Separated by a stream, the village had remained unscathed but the safety net was evaporating quickly. A thick layer of haze enveloped the village. The villagers were choking on smoke. It would not be too long before the fire spread across.

Everyone was in a panic frenzy but no one was doing anything useful. Putting his hope on a legend told by his great grandfather, the village’s medicine man clambered up the mountain to seek help from the wise.

When the medicine man reached the only cave on the peak, he was bemused to find a little boy perched on top of a rock. Legs crossed, eyes closed, he appeared to be deep in meditation. Aside from the age of the figure in front of him, the medicine man was rather impressed by the display of profundity, until he heard the boy snoring. The boy’s snore reverberated across the cave, shattering the man’s hope into a million pieces. The medicine man shook his head in despair and turned to leave.

“I know why you’re here,” the boy’s quiet, soft spoken voice echoed. “Do not be influenced by what you see… or hear. Come, we have a village to save.”

~~~~~

Embers floated across the stream to extend the reach of the fire, to widen its path of destruction. The boy wizard raised his hands to silence the villagers and turned to face the fire. He reached into his robe and pulled out a glass flask. He uncorked it and chanted a string of unintelligible words.

The flow of embers changed direction and shifted toward the boy wizard. In a spectacular display of swirling lights, the embers spiralled inwards into the flask, followed by smog and, finally, the fire from across. The flask glowed in tones of yellow, orange and red. Within minutes, the boy had defeated the fire. In its wake were charred remains of a once grand and ancient forest.

The wizard held the flask to his mouth and drank the fiery liquid. His body started to light up as if he was on fire. He held out his hands and pushed his body forward. A gust of wind followed by streams of energy discharged from his fingertips. Tentacles of energy weaved and intertwined with blackened trunks and twigs. Instantly, young leaves appeared and flowers began to blossom from the dead trees.

The wizard turned, smiled at the villagers, and walked towards the mountain. He was long gone before the stunned villagers recovered. They wanted to applaud but the moment was already over.

- End -

Review: Weathering with You

Weathering with You is set in Japan during a very unusual rainy season. The movie starts with Hina by her dying mother’s bed in a hospital when she sees a ray of sunlight in the distance. She leaves the hospital to investigate. When she reaches an abandoned building, she finds the light illuminating a shrine. After she prays, she is blessed with the power to alter the weather, particularly the capability to bring sunshine into the otherwise gloomy and rainy weather.

Hodaka is a runaway underaged teenager setting out to explore Tokyo. He tries to fit in but fails. Along the way, he briefly stumbled upon Hina and was touched by her generosity to provide him with food. He managed to find work with a magazine on urban legends. Not long after, he meets Hina again and eventually teamed up to start a business providing sunshine to people.

Hodaka’s status as a runaway catches up with him as the police start to look for him after his parents filed a missing person’s report. Meanwhile, both Hina (who lives with her younger brother) and her brother are about to be placed under social services. Left with little choice, the trio decides to run away. Amid all these, the weather worsens while the romance between the main protagonists blossoms. By now, most will be able to predict what’s coming next. There are little surprises here. However, accompanied by an excellent soundtrack, the movie managed to keep my attention on the screen with its beautifully done animation and artwork.

At the core of it all “Weathering with You” is a love story that feels tepid at best because there was not much avenue for the main characters to build their relationship. Besides that, the plot about weather control appears flawed. Fortunately, when combined, the movie, with its stunning visual and soundtrack, manages to build to an emotional climax that does not disappoint.

A Small Worlds Short Story - Love Blocks

Light weaved pass hundreds of suspended worlds in the shape of cubes. In the early stages of his experiments, he created simple shapes for his small worlds and their inhabitants. On one of them lived Alexis and Steven. Each was made out of a combination of three-dimensional blocks. The head was the shape of a single cube attached to a bigger cuboid body. The limbs were more segments of cuboids of varying sizes.

On the very first day of existence, they found each other at the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea. After some awkward moments, they came to appreciate each other. They held hands and stood for a long time, staring out into the open sea. In the distance, the setting sun hovered just above a valley between two great mountains. Its ray cast a beautiful golden glow on everything. They spent many seasons together and started a family.

On one mid-autumn season, as the temperature started to drop and leaves turned to shades of red and yellow, Alexis thought of baking something special for her family to celebrate their harvest. She wanted to reward them for their hard work. While Steven and the children were out, Alexis looked for inspiration. As evening gave way to night, she stared up into the sky and saw a full blocky moon rising. She smiled and moulded the dough in the shape of the moon. She had always loved the moon - simple and easy on the eyes - a total contrast from the sun.

“Surprise!” Alexis chanted as her family made their way to the dining table.

“Smells great!” Steven said.

“Mom, it looks like the moon!” their daughter exclaimed.

“Can I name it? Can I? Can I?” their son asked enthusiastically. “Let’s call it a mooncake!”

The cake tasted so delicious that it became a tradition. Every year when the air started to cool, Alexis would bake mooncakes to usher in the mid-autumn harvest. Over the years she had improved the plain cake to one with patterns on the outside and fillings on the inside. The family was content with their lives and they lived happily ever after… until Darkness passed by the cubic world and noticed the blossoming love in it. He decided it was time to intervene…

Before the sunset, Alexis washed in a lake. After she was done, she looked at her own reflection in the water. Over the years, she had acquired lines on her forehead and the corners of her eyes. Her golden blonde hair that she was so proud of had darkened over time and started to lose its lustre. She let out a sigh and was about to get out of the lake when her blocky reflection morphed into a beautiful figure with smooth outlines. She reached out to touch it but her fingers triggered an eddy of water. Her heart sunk as her image disappeared in the ripples.

“You can look as beautiful as what you’ve just seen,” Darkness’ deep, booming voice startled Alexis. “All you need to do is to wish it. Do you?”

“Yes!” she replied without hesitation.

“And so be it.”


Water swirled around Alexis, slowly enveloping her within. Storm clouds loomed above. A column of spinning wind formed a tornado that reached down to merge with the vortex of water. Intermittent flashes of lightning revealed Alexis’ shadow within the cyclone. Coldness coursed through her skin. Every edge and corner of her body transformed into gentle curves. She was no longer confined by the constraints of her blocky figure. Her body became a new definition of flexibility she never thought possible.

When the transformation was completed, the sky cleared. The cyclone receded. Floating above the lake with a full moon behind was the most beautiful woman that future humankind would come to love. Alexis looked down and saw her family staring up at her. The commotion had no doubt attracted their attention.

“Alexis, is that you? You looked... you looked...” Steven was lost for words. He could not find any way to describe his wife. He was still not entirely sure if she was, indeed his wife. The woman that slowly descended in front of him bears little resemblance.

Alexis reached out to touch her husband, “Steven, you still looked... the same.”

“Ouch!” Alexis cut her palm as she ran it across Steven’s blocky face. “I’m sorry. We can no longer be together. You are no longer… perfect,” Alexis said.

She turned to look at the night sky and flew away towards the moon. “Yes, a perfect place for a perfect person,” she whispered to herself.

As she got nearer, the moon morphed into a sphere, a ball of light. Slowly, Alexis’ new form merged with the moon. She was not prepared for the pain of a thousand needles as her skin cracked and hardened into moon rocks. Her immortalised form became encrusted to the moon as mountains and hills. Her proudness of her new found beauty made way for pain and regret. Her eyes crumbled into hollow caves as her soul ceased to exist. The new terrain that was once Alexis cast shadows on the surface of the moon that served to remind Steven and the children she had existed.

Steven brought his sleeve up and wiped a block of tears from his eye. Every time there was a full moon, Steven and the children stared longingly at the image of Alexis. Eventually, the children had come to accept that their mother would never return. They went on with their lives and left their father to grieve alone.

Light was intrigued by Steven’s persistence. Despite the hurt he felt, he was not willing to let the memory of Alexis go.

“I can never understand these humans. I wonder...” Light snapped his fingers.

Steven felt a presence behind him but he did not care. It was probably one of his children. A hand reached out and gently touched his shoulder.

“Don’t be sad, Steven,” a female voice said. “It’s not the end of the world.”

Steven turned his head and saw her. She was a complete contrast to Alexis. Her hair was dark but she had deep blue eyes. While Alexis had fair skin, hers was bronze. Most importantly, she did not possess Alexis’ curves. She was all blocks, just like Steven. He felt his heart thumping. He had not felt that way since he first held Alexis’s hand. Finally, Steven was willing to let go of the past, a past that was as distant as the moon.
- End -

A Small Worlds Short Story - Haze Nation

“Let there be light!”

A swirl of gas formed the sun. Its light illuminated half of a small globe to reveal splashes of green and blue.

“Another one of your trials?” Darkness asked. “Why don’t you just make a big planet with billions of people already? That would be fun.”

“I need to find out what a perfect world with the perfect people are before I can make a bigger world. I need to be very sure,” Light replied.

“You’ll never succeed, brother. This is your what, millionth trial? Yawn!” Darkness drifted off, passing by Light’s many other experimental planets.

Light ignored his brother and returned to his experiment. With a snap, he created a couple - a man and a woman. He found this by far the most optimal combination.

The couple looked around, wondering what they should do. They began to observe their surroundings. Within days, they had crafted some equipment and started to clear an area for their farm. This was always how they began. Light would always help them by providing the best weather and environmental conditions. The crops flourished and the couple had wonderful lives.

Next came the family. They were blessed with twins - a boy and a girl. Light accelerated the children’s growth. Within days, they were teenagers and started to help their parents at the farm. As always, the harvest was bountiful. The parents were always happy. Unfortunately, the teenagers did not share their positive attitude. They dreaded the work they had to do the next day.

Tomorrow, the family had to labour to clear the old crops so that they could replant. The teenagers loved the harvesting because they got to reap the benefits. Sadly, they hated the clearing because they got nothing out of it other than hard work. They were not able to think beyond the current situation.

The teenagers woke early and went to a nearby clearing in the forest. Away from their parents, the spot was ideal to discuss how they can avoid the laborious task. There did not appear to be any solution. A storm cloud loomed above them, further dampening their mood. The cloud blocked out the sun’s light. At that instant, Darkness let loose a lightning bolt. It struck a nearby log. It burnt instantly with such great intensity that the twins had to back away.

They stared at each other happily. The fire made their face glow. A plan began to take shape. Farther in space, Darkness smiled, too. He had successfully implanted the idea into the twins.

As the cloud cleared, the twins set about to put their plan into action. The boy surrounded the crops with hay while the girl went to look for flint. They met again after one hour.

“Are you ready?” the girl asked eagerly. “I’ve got some extra flint. You can start the fire at the other end of the farm -“

“- so that it burns faster! That’s a good suggestion, sis,” the boy cut in. “Ready as you are.”

The girl bent low and started the fire as her brother raced across the farm. Within moments, dark smoke rose from both ends of the farm. The fire, aided by wind that Darkness conjured, spread quickly. Its hunger further fed by hay. By the time the parents came out of the house, the fire had became uncontrollable. The flames had engulfed the farm and were spreading outwards into the forest.

Trees burned. Smoke darkened the afternoon sky. The fire was strong enough to consume everything in its path. For days the small world burnt. The fire died only when there was nothing else to burn. By then, the sun was completely blocked out. The family of four had perished together with almost all the animals and foliage in the world.

Light held the world in his palms. He was disappointed that this one ended so abruptly. He squeezed his hands together and the world disappeared in a blinding flash. A loud, deep explosion echoed into eternity.

“In the next world, I will do better,” Light said.

Darkness smiled.

- The End -