I arrived this morning. It's hard to believe I am finally here, and still hard to believe this place exists. I spent years gathering information to find it. I poured over obscure texts, comparing maps, drawings, and descriptions. At times I doubted, but the search has been the only thing that has kept me going since my life ended... That is not a story for today, however. That is a story of pain, sorrow, and darkness. Today is a day of fulfillment.
I found the small cove I expected on the east coast of this island. It has been referenced as the Still Waters, but perhaps a better translation would be Waters of Peace. The water is crystal clear, and gently laps against the shore. The air is crisp and clean, I can almost taste a sweetness to it.
To the north, lush meadows stretch for miles. To the south lies a large mountain range. But westward is the object of my search. In my research, I came across several accounts of a special place, and while all accounts described a different location, I believe them to be one and the same. For some it was a place of healing. For others, a convergence of energies providing revitalization. And for others still, it was simply a place where everything seemed right. I believe this to be a special place, where one can find answers.
And so I set off westward, slowly climbing. The grass underfoot appeared untouched, and sprung readily back into place. Looking behind, I could not locate my own tracks, and some have said I could track a snake across a stone quarry. But that is a fitting description for this island... untouched.
By noon, I crested a rise and saw it for the first time. The Garden. Hidden in a natural bowl in the land, the ground fell away gently from where I stood. Flowering bushes lay to either side of a path, with blossoming trees watching over the smaller bushes. The path led toward the center of the Garden, where a ring of trees stretched toward each other to create a dome of leaves. Everything was as I pictured it, yet endlessly more serene and beautiful. And in that ring of trees, I knew I would find the Stone.
As I sit here and look down on the Garden, I begin to think about the journey I took to get here. Thoughts of despair begin to creep into my mind... I'm alone in this world, and will be forever...
I wasn't expecting to have these thoughts here... but then I realize I am only on the edge of understanding, the edge of paradise. I need to kneel at the Stone to find answers. I clear my mind for what I expect is to come.
I... I don't know what to think. I never expected this. I went to the Stone, where I found a book. It was not supposed to be this way. It was supposed to be unspoiled. I lost the peace in my mind, heart, and soul, and knew I would be unable to find the answers I needed at that time. So I have returned to my vantage point to study this book.
It is made of old parchment, and bound with rough, hand-made string. Many of the words are faded, and hard to make out, but it appears to be a journal, similar to what I am writing. Could this be the story of someone who came here before me? There is only one way to find out. I begin to read:
I woke up on a beach this morning, the cool ocean waves lapping over my feet, the fresh air tussling my hair, and the already warm morning sun beating down on my body.
I lay for a time, trying to remember last night...
Trying to remember yesterday..
Trying to remember...
I can't... I can't remember how I got here, nor who I am. I am writing this, hoping to stir some hidden memory, hoping to find myself. The anxiety of an unknown past grips my heart, and the fear of an uncertain future clouds my mind.
But I digress, I must hold to the task at hand. I have to survive. I have to find out who I am. I have to find my way home...
... home
This is interesting. Every story of this place I have ever found was by someone who searched, and sacrificed, to get here. It doesn't seem *right* that one of these diligent souls would be punished by not understanding where they were when they arrived... but then again, this journal doesn't seem right either. I hesitate to read further... I know I should burn it... no, no fire here, but I could bury it, throw it into the sea. I should get back to the Stone, but maybe the Stone left this here for me? I have no choice but to continue:
The sun is nearing the horizon now, over half the day gone since I tried to put things down on paper, tried to stir some memory. It is only now, as the sun sets, that I feel... something...
The glow reminds me of...
...
No matter. I will keep writing until I remember. I don't even know where this book came from. It was near me when I found myself on the beach, with a charcoal pencil. I know what these things are, so obviously not all is lost. Not yet.
I scouted around this morning. The water on the beach drops off sharply about twenty yards out. It starts as crystal clear, but quickly turns to deep blue, and then almost inky black. There is something about that water, something ominous. There are no fish either... I daren't even taste the water.
I felt uneasy and left the beach. There is a lone hill west, with flat grasslands all around. In the distance are craggy mountains, west, north, and south, like a wall. Closing in...
But I hope to find a passing ship for rescue, so I can't stray far from that water... that strange water.
Atop the hill is a stone, almost like an altar, amidst a lone grove of trees. This is where I now sit, watching the setting sun through the swaying branches.
I have no food, and am parched, but feel strangely at peace here. I can almost hear music in the distance, like a slow, serene waltz...
... a handshake... why do I remember a handshake?
I will think of these things no more tonight. I need to rest, to let my mind and body cleanse and heal.
How could this stranger feel anything other than peace and joy? This is the most beautiful place I have ever seen, ever imagined. The serenity flows upon the wind, like the unheard song of a Siren, coaxing one to his doom.
Doom?
I've never had thoughts like these... until I got here. It's almost as if these thoughts aren't my own, like the thoughts this stranger is interrupted by. But, I am not he, even though I feel that we are similar. Brothers on a quest. The quest should not be forgotten, or put aside. I will prepare myself to return to the Stone.
NO. I can't stand yet another "Oh no I can't remember anything and I just woke up" story! DO SOMETHING ORIGINAL! STOP USING THE SAME STARTER AS EVERYONE ELSE!
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
SPAAAAAAAAAAAACE!
"Look at me still talking when there's science to do. When I look out there it makes me glad I'm not you."
NO. I can't stand yet another "Oh no I can't remember anything and I just woke up" story! DO SOMETHING ORIGINAL! STOP USING THE SAME STARTER AS EVERYONE ELSE!
Its ot UnOrigional in some sense... It keeps the same basic ... umm... "plot" of minecraf.
NO. I can't stand yet another "Oh no I can't remember anything and I just woke up" story! DO SOMETHING ORIGINAL! STOP USING THE SAME STARTER AS EVERYONE ELSE!
If you pay attention, or actually read my post, you will notice that this story isn't actually about a person with amnesia. With a little patience, you'll learn more too.
I had originally planned to present the story of the journal first, then link it to the story of the character. However, partially to avoid :VV:, I will integrate the stories from the beginning. I want this story to seem predictable, but not be. I imagine most people who read it will know what the outcome is going to be, only to find that it is actually something much different, much more real, and much more personal than... well... what they thought.
I thought it was really well written, actually. I would love to see more.
Thanks for the complements. Knowing there is interest helps me stay motivated :smile.gif:
I've been working when I can on integrating what I had written so far, and I decided on a couple changes as to how the story will progress. I'm hoping when I get to the ending people will think 'Whoa... big plot twist', followed by 'wow, that's really true'.
Another note, I'm not just going to be adding to the story. As I go along, I'll be fledging out the parts I have already written, so things might change along the way. Sorry if you get confused, but I'd rather show it as I work on it than wait until it's finished.
I had a very troubling moment working on this tonight. I had put in over an hour re-writing the character's story for the changes I decided to make, and to put them as the introduction to the story, rather than using the journal as the introduction. I wrote this in my blog, and saved to draft. When I went to work on it again, the draft had reverted to its original state.
After raging (i refrained from breaking my netbook), I finally found a way to dump the browser memory into a GIGANTIC text file. Took my netbook over 20 minutes to open the text file, then it crashed my netbook, etc... but I was eventually able to recover the story.
TL;DR = Ended up taking me 2 hours to get back what I wrote in the first hour. :tongue.gif:
Back on topic: The descriptions in the journal need to be updated now, and then I can continue with the story.
EDIT: I also worked on the formatting and created a parchment for the quotes on my blog, however I can't transfer them onto the forum.
Thanks for sharing! Actually, I focus attention on the content. If the content is worthy reading, I don't mind where it come from
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Kim wowed the crowds at JFK airport with those vibrant blue skinny jeans teemed with a pair of gorgeous Christian Louboutin platforms studded leather boots
I arrived this morning. It's hard to believe I am finally here, and still hard to believe this place exists. I spent years gathering information to find it. I poured over obscure texts, comparing maps, drawings, and descriptions. At times I doubted, but the search has been the only thing that has kept me going since my life ended... That is not a story for today, however. That is a story of pain, sorrow, and darkness. Today is a day of fulfillment.
I found the small cove I expected on the east coast of this island. It has been referenced as the Still Waters, but perhaps a better translation would be Waters of Peace. The water is crystal clear, and gently laps against the shore. The air is crisp and clean, I can almost taste a sweetness to it.
To the north, lush meadows stretch for miles. To the south lies a large mountain range. But westward is the object of my search. In my research, I came across several accounts of a special place, and while all accounts described a different location, I believe them to be one and the same. For some it was a place of healing. For others, a convergence of energies providing revitalization. And for others still, it was simply a place where everything seemed right. I believe this to be a special place, where one can find answers.
And so I set off westward, slowly climbing. The grass underfoot appeared untouched, and sprung readily back into place. Looking behind, I could not locate my own tracks, and some have said I could track a snake across a stone quarry. But that is a fitting description for this island... untouched.
By noon, I crested a rise and saw it for the first time. The Garden. Hidden in a natural bowl in the land, the ground fell away gently from where I stood. Flowering bushes lay to either side of a path, with blossoming trees watching over the smaller bushes. The path led toward the center of the Garden, where a ring of trees stretched toward each other to create a dome of leaves. Everything was as I pictured it, yet endlessly more serene and beautiful. And in that ring of trees, I knew I would find the Stone.
As I sit here and look down on the Garden, I begin to think about the journey I took to get here. Thoughts of despair begin to creep into my mind... I'm alone in this world, and will be forever...
I wasn't expecting to have these thoughts here... but then I realize I am only on the edge of understanding, the edge of paradise. I need to kneel at the Stone to find answers. I clear my mind for what I expect is to come.
I... I don't know what to think. I never expected this. I went to the Stone, where I found a book. It was not supposed to be this way. It was supposed to be unspoiled. I lost the peace in my mind, heart, and soul, and knew I would be unable to find the answers I needed at that time. So I have returned to my vantage point to study this book.
It is made of old parchment, and bound with rough, hand-made string. Many of the words are faded, and hard to make out, but it appears to be a journal, similar to what I am writing. Could this be the story of someone who came here before me? There is only one way to find out. I begin to read:
This is interesting. Every story of this place I have ever found was by someone who searched, and sacrificed, to get here. It doesn't seem *right* that one of these diligent souls would be punished by not understanding where they were when they arrived... but then again, this journal doesn't seem right either. I hesitate to read further... I know I should burn it... no, no fire here, but I could bury it, throw it into the sea. I should get back to the Stone, but maybe the Stone left this here for me? I have no choice but to continue:
How could this stranger feel anything other than peace and joy? This is the most beautiful place I have ever seen, ever imagined. The serenity flows upon the wind, like the unheard song of a Siren, coaxing one to his doom.
Doom?
I've never had thoughts like these... until I got here. It's almost as if these thoughts aren't my own, like the thoughts this stranger is interrupted by. But, I am not he, even though I feel that we are similar. Brothers on a quest. The quest should not be forgotten, or put aside. I will prepare myself to return to the Stone.
"Look at me still talking when there's science to do. When I look out there it makes me glad I'm not you."
Its ot UnOrigional in some sense... It keeps the same basic ... umm... "plot" of minecraf.
If you pay attention, or actually read my post, you will notice that this story isn't actually about a person with amnesia. With a little patience, you'll learn more too.
Thanks for your *constructive* criticism.
Thanks for the complements. Knowing there is interest helps me stay motivated :smile.gif:
I've been working when I can on integrating what I had written so far, and I decided on a couple changes as to how the story will progress. I'm hoping when I get to the ending people will think 'Whoa... big plot twist', followed by 'wow, that's really true'.
Another note, I'm not just going to be adding to the story. As I go along, I'll be fledging out the parts I have already written, so things might change along the way. Sorry if you get confused, but I'd rather show it as I work on it than wait until it's finished.
Are you saing just about Notch or every person in this forums?
Continue the series, I'm interested in every single way
I had a very troubling moment working on this tonight. I had put in over an hour re-writing the character's story for the changes I decided to make, and to put them as the introduction to the story, rather than using the journal as the introduction. I wrote this in my blog, and saved to draft. When I went to work on it again, the draft had reverted to its original state.
After raging (i refrained from breaking my netbook), I finally found a way to dump the browser memory into a GIGANTIC text file. Took my netbook over 20 minutes to open the text file, then it crashed my netbook, etc... but I was eventually able to recover the story.
TL;DR = Ended up taking me 2 hours to get back what I wrote in the first hour. :tongue.gif:
Back on topic: The descriptions in the journal need to be updated now, and then I can continue with the story.
EDIT: I also worked on the formatting and created a parchment for the quotes on my blog, however I can't transfer them onto the forum.
Well, hopefully my content is good enough for you :smile.gif:
I consider this my first draft, but I am ready to start on the first night now that I have finished the day.