Magnus pulled the coins out of his pocket and paid the peddler for the handful of flowers he had selected. He grinned and told the old man, “They’re for Miss Ida.”

The old man smiled bittersweetly. "I remember Miss Ida when she was younger. Happiest creature the world ever saw.“ The man’s face suddenly darkened, "That dang boy has none of her and all of his father in him. She’s better off without him. Ya hear what he just did?”

Magnus felt his blood boil and fearfully asked, “No, what is it this time?”

The man spat on the ground, “He killed a man. They were both drunk and got into a disagreement. Emil lost his temper and next thing you know he’s beating the life out of the other guy. He ran right after he relaized what he did. I have a feeling he’s gone for good this time. At least now Ida doesn’t have to defend him anymore.”

“Yeah good thing,” but Magnus wasn’t really listening anymore. He had to get to Ida. Ida had gone through so much pain and heartbreak. Her first husband had mistreated her until his dying breath leaving her with an out of control kid. He followed in his father’s footsteps and was usually doing something dangerous or illegal. Usually both. But Ida loved that boy. Ida’s life revolved around her troubled son of nineteen years.

Magnus ran to her house on the edge of town. Ida was something of a cloister, and she avoided unnecessary interaction with people in town. They tended to judge her quite harshly for who her son was.

Magnus pounded on the door. The door flew open instantly and Ida was speaking in a panic. “I put togheter some food for a couple days, and I grabbed some money…”

Ida just blinked when it was Magnus who faced her. “Oh.”

Magnus was confused but he still held the flowers firmly in his hand. “I um got these for you.”

Ida smiled feebly instead of her usual blush at Magnus’s attentions. “Thank you. They are lovely. I think you should go now.”

Magnus’s focus snapped back and he questioned Ida’s nervousness. “Why?”

Ida covered hastily, “Oh I’m just expecting an old friend to pay a visit.”

Magnus’s eyes darkned. “Ida no. Don’t let him come here. He went too far this time. There is nothing more you can do for him.”

Ida immediately broke down in sobs, realizing that Magnus was on to her. “I can’t stop. I won’t stop. I will never give up on him.”

Magnus entered the house and led Ida to a chair. He spoke gently but firmly, “Ida, he will give you death, and you will love him for it.”

Ida wiped her face and let out a hysterical laugh. “Yeah? Well my life is his for the taking then. You wouldn’t understand.”

Magus begged Ida with his voice. “Ida, please. I know what it’s like to love someone who is hurting, but some people are past help.”

Ida stared blankly into the fire. “If Emil is lost, then I am lost too.”

“No Ida you’re not. I love you, and I won’t give up on you.”

Ida raised her brows, “Ah so maybe you do understand a little.”

A knock on the door interrupted them. Ida flew to the door. Magnus stayed rooted where he was. He faintly heard Emil crying, “Mom I messed up bad this time. I’m so so sorry. I don’t know how to fix it. I never meant for this to happen.”

Ida embraced her son, “Shh it’ll be okay. Here I put together a few things for you. It’s time for you to get a brand new start. You need to go, they’ll come looking here again soon.”

Emil mumbled an unitelligable piece of speech. Ida answered in turn, “Hey, hey. None of that. I love you now and forever.”

And then he was gone, but never far. Magnus was always there to pick up the pieces doing all he could to make sure the heartbreak Emil caused her was not fatal. Magnus stayed quiet becuase liked Ida said, maybe he couldn’t understand it.

The cold cuts at my exposed face and I pull my coat tighter towards me. The ice seems to be strong, but I still don’t trust the middle. At the edge of the lake I see my stump. Our secret little exchannge post.

Of course our families do not like each other, but he is the best man I have ever had the pleasure of not meeting. We are pen pals through this little stump, and I treasure his letters dearly.

When I reach the stump, there is no customary note. Instead I find a pair of crisp white ice skates. I gasp out loud and turn back towards the ice. A lone figure emerges from the opposite bank. He glides smoothly over with an extended hand.

“Shall we?”

“I don’t know how.”

“We’ll just take it one step at a time.”

“What if I fall?"

“I’m here to catch you, and I don’t plan on going anywhere soon.”

Does it really count as a whisper if I can hear them from across the room? I can feel their glances prick my skin.

“Poor, fragile little Odessa.”

The words stroke my ear. I know my stoic expressions unnerve them. They think I’m breaking on the inside, or maybe that I’m just holding the floodgates back.

Neither are true. I just need to be alone. The servants always have their eyes on me. Pity, pity, and more pity. I hate pity. I grew up in the manor without my parents. My father went down in war, and my mother in childbirth. I had an older brother once. If I think hard enough I can remember his eyes.

But one day he just left. My nursemaid told me it was for a noble cause. Something about taking up the sword my father laid down, but it’s been fifteen years. No one knows if he is alive or dead. To be honest it can stay that way for all I care. He was all I had left in the world, but he couldn’t even be bothered to say goodbye. So to me, he died that day too.

The little lonely lady. That’s what the maids would call me. I was always quiet in emotions and speech. I didn’t have much to say, and I sure didn’t have much to feel.

At least that’s what I thought. My old nursemaid managed the manor until I came of age. She perfered to hire her kind of people, meaning that young children or mothers with children my age were far and few.

But there was one.

His name was Malick. He worked in the stables and lived in the servant’s quarters. I was eleven when we were first introduced. From that day on I visted the horses a lot more often. Sometimes I would help with his chores so that we could play down by the brook. The best days of my youth were spent in that manner. I didn’t love him right away, no matter what he may claim, but over time I loved him best of all.

He understood what it meant to be lonely. He didn’t have anyone else, and without the job at the manor, Malick would have been destatute. He made me want to talk to him, but he never listened. It was much more than listening. He understood what I said and felt it even deeper than I felt it myself. Our souls were so deeply connected that the universe itself could see that together we were complete.

I would have married him. He would have asked. We would have been happy. But life does enjoy her tragic twists.

The doctor said it was quick and painless. Malick was thrown from his horse, and his head struck a stone when he fell. That was on the eve of my twentieth birthday. He had been on his way back from town with a gift for me. It was a small music box which played the sweetest little tune I had ever heard. And inside the box was a dainty diamond ring.

But I am not broken. I am saddned but not destoyed. The fact that this surprises anyone proves that they never understood. Malick is me. His soul never left from mine. They are forever interwoven, and sometimes when I’m alone he visits.

In my room away from the servants’ prying eyes, I gently pull the music box from out of my pocket. I wind the delicate handle, and the music twinkles throughout the room. Then there he is. There he always is.

Malick offers me his hand, and we dance. Sometimes I quesiton if this is real, or if maybe I really am insane, but Malick always whispers in my hear.

“Odessa, my love, I will haunt you for all eternity.”

By the time the music stops, he is always gone. I can still feel him close by, but he is just out of sight. I always sigh and whisper back, “Until tomorrow, Malick. I’ll save you your dance.”

And he never disappoints to appear when the music starts playing it’s tragic little tune.

Some nights I lay silently on the grass and listen to the trees argue.

It is my one freedom in life, but freedom always has a costly price.

It’s only on the darkess nights, when the wind makes the old house creak. I slip out of my bed and place one foot silently in front of the other. I skip the third step becuase it always squeaks under my weight. I stick to the shadows and hold my breath until I’m free. I turn the knob on the door to freedom, one miniscle distance at a time. Bracing it against my shoulder, I nudge it upward to avoid it scraping against the floor.

And then I run. Barefoot down the path I fly. In silence the world passes by. My lungs scream against the pace I force my legs to keep. Still I push even harder. Rocks cut my feet, but still don’t dare to break the silence. And then I can’t go any farther. I collapse in a small clearing of pines.

Finally I can breath. Huge gulps of air that my body craves. I lay on my back and look up to the stars. I can feel my face smile. A real one. This time it’s becasue I want to.

I lay silently on the grass and listen to the trees argue. They creak suddenly and sway towards and away from each other, waiting to strike.

I never thought anything of their arguing specfically. The trees could have talked or whispered, but they always argued. Ususally with their words, but sometimes with their fists. It was a fact of life. How was I to know that other people’s trees sang?

Finally, there he was.

No more games. No more tricks. Just me and him in the final confrontation we all knew was coming.

He may be lord of the skies, but I had the earth on my side. My face was stone, and my veins were steel. My eyes, fire and my heart, ice.

Auraceli looked up at me, and the storm flickered. His thunder softened into a silent rain. He opened his mouth, but no words fell out.

I screamed because of all this destruction, and all this pain. Now to end this back and forth. “AURACELI! LEAVE AND NEVER RETURN! I BANISH YOU FROM THE EARTH!”

The winds swallowed up my words, but I knew they hit their target. His face contorted, and in an instant everything stopped. There was no wind, rain, or lightning. We were in a little bubble in the heart of the viloent storm, an eye of calm.

Within a second, Auraceli was in front of me. His face was more hurt than I had ever seen it before. “Terra, my love. It was all for you, only for you.”

He grabbed my hand with this speech tenderly, but I ripped it out from his grasp. “No, no! You do not get to justify this. Do you know how many innocent people have died from this? The rains and floods went way too far. Stop this before the entire earth is destroyed!”

His eyes ignited with electricity once more as before. “Innocent? You really think they’re innocent? Terra, these humans are killing you more and more each day. I have watched day by day as you get mistreated, and day by day you lose a bit of your life. You’re fading away. They sucked out all your life, and in exchange they aren’t even grateful!”

I kept his gaze and hardened my voice. “ Auraceli listen here. Without me, they are nothing. I give them everything, so maybe I am losing life, but all my life has always been theirs. They are my children. I feed them, shelter them, and clothe their bodies. I will die to save them.”

Auraceli threw his arms up in exasperation. “At this rate, you will. I can’t stand by and watch the only love I’ve ever known throw her life away for ungrateful little parasites!”

The ground beneath us cracked and steam shot out from the earth. “It is not your decison. You are no longer welcome here. Return to the sky, and never return. I curse your name for the sake of my children.”

Auraceli looked defeated. He knew my mind was set, and he gave in. He whispered back, “And for your sake? What do you say of my name?”

I was lost for words. I still loved him, and he was right. He was right about everything. The humans were polluting my life force, but there was something Auraceli could never understand. I loved them too.

“Goodbye, Auraceli.”

Without another word he was gone.

His tears would still fall to the earth sometimes, and Terra would gather them up and let them soak deep into the earth. She would reach up to his realm just to be close, and the people always said these mountains were sacred. He dazzled her every night with millions of stars, and she reflected them back with her oceans. No one has ever seen it, but it is said. That at the horizon they still meet. They embrace once more, but never for long. The earth and the sky can never be one, but they will love eternally.

Duty bound Honor driven Here by choice No freedom given

Lay down my life Line by line A soldier’s calling Notice mine

Never sleeping Always dreaming Fear is leaking Time is ticking

I would do anything for you This in my soul, I hope is true

He looked at her the way a thief looks at an unlocked safe. The way a starving man looks at food being wasted. His angry eyes were reaching into her soul.

The intensity of his attention burned his thoughts. He thought with the desperation of a drowning man craving air.

He kept his obsession to quiet coals on the outside. She never suspected the affliction her beautiful soul set off in his broken and mistreated one. The coals were well fed and tended. They smoldered and physically made him ache. If only he could have been born in her place.

Instead he was born to daily be reminded what the dirt beneath her feet tasted like. To eat the scraps of her table. Inferior in all ways, but the mind.

His mind knew that he had been cheated by the world.

Laughter is the best medicine On the stage 8-9 Cast your cares and sit about I’ll make sure you have a good time

My name was once Melody. That was a long time ago. I was alone and unloved. But I didn’t seem to notice. An old man approached me at the park. He asked where my parents were. To that I had no reply. He inquired if I had a coat or something to stay warm with in the bitter cold. I had nothing of the kind. Everyday I returned to the mysterious man who seemed to be concerned for my well being. He was dressed in black and seemed to be in a constant state of melancholy reflection. He didn’t speak much, but neither did I. Days turned into months, and i grew to love him as my only true friend and companion in the world. Once I asked him for his name and he said, “I’ve had many in the course of my life. And what are names besides what we refer to others? Dear Melody, what do you think I should be called?” I thought about this for some time. “I’d like to call you Grandfather.” The man smiled, but said nothing for a long time. “In that case i will call you Granddaughter.” That last time I went to the park I felt weak. I laid on our bench and waited for Grandfather to visit me, but everthing was dizzy. Finally he came, but I could not even smile. Grandfather appeared to get choked up, “I’m very sorry this life has not been kind to you. You have been neglected enough. Child, it’s your time. For others I would warn, ‘Time is up. Better run!’ but this is not true for you. My sweet, you have been claimed as death’s granddaughter, for that is one of my names. I am Death and you can finally rest with me.” He then gently lifted me up, and cradled me safely near his chest. We went home. I knew I never had a reason to fear Death.

Hell is expierencing heaven and knowing it will never be yours