tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86229072011-04-21T11:25:08.474-07:00You would want answers too if you had washed ashore on a strange island inhabited by old friends and acquaintances as well as strange new creatures never seen before. This is where I find myself, on a journey through a new and different life experience, full of surprises and mind-blowing revelations.EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comBlogger451100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1098915427187214252005-12-31T23:00:00.000-08:002005-05-09T12:59:44.780-07:00

THE ISLE OF SEVEN AGESwritten and illustrated by Evan M. Parrisa word from the author.OCEANA: From the Shoreline to Montediopoint of entry. belonging. comprehension. omiem. judgment.the processing centre. conception. phocus and chimera. the uphill journey. conjecture. ebrahmn and maricur. montport.VENGI: The Age of Time and Self-Loathingcardinal points. the zero hour. catastrophe.VERDUN: The Age

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1098790900515611592005-12-31T21:59:00.000-08:002005-05-09T13:48:17.260-07:00

You would want answers too if you had washed ashore on a strange island inhabited by old friends and acquaintances as well as strange new creatures never seen before. This is where I find myself, on a journey through a new and different life experience, full of surprises and mind-blowing revelations.November 1-30, 2004 marks this year's National Novel Writing Month, or "NaNoWriMo." To mark this

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1101831869580344312005-12-31T08:24:00.000-08:002005-05-09T13:00:15.906-07:00

nanowrimo winner

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1117240863972510522005-05-27T17:35:00.000-07:002005-05-27T17:41:03.983-07:00

I remember precisely when Saturn returned to me. It happened for me like it happened for many other people. Some call it the “Quarter-Life Crisis,” or the “Pre-Thirty Jitters.” In actuality, it’s just a time period of doubt and fear for many individuals when they make that final transition from youth to adulthood. It’s a time when familiar aspects of life come to an end, and it’s

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1117240783398645262005-05-27T17:34:00.000-07:002005-05-27T17:39:43.410-07:00

So reality is a psychological construct. I see it, but do I believe it? Existence around me crumbled as sure as the life I remember from before this whole scenario began. It’s not what I thought it to be – this I know. And now...now I find myself on this plane, a desolate landscape before me, light enveloping me. I don’t seem to get anywhere no matter how far I walk, but these thoughts I

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1117240298785152842005-05-27T17:24:00.000-07:002005-05-27T17:31:54.686-07:00

The growing crowd surrounded the ground where Luci’s smoldering body had come to its rest. Etand and I had to look away. Neither one of us wanted to face what was happening. Myself in particular, I was nervous and confused at how a once joyous celebration had turned into this. Soren came back from viewing Luci, coughing on his own sick will. “I’m sorry, guys. I just

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1117240238647513742005-05-27T17:23:00.000-07:002005-05-27T17:32:03.266-07:00

Evening came quickly, or something that seemed like evening. The sky so bizarrely grew darker so fast that I wasn’t sure if it was really that swift of a dimming, or if the drugs I had consumed earlier made it appear so. Regardless, the others didn’t seem to care. If anything, it only made them more exuberant and feral. Several of the revelers sprung to their feet and

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1117240197642822502005-05-27T17:22:00.000-07:002005-05-27T17:31:45.433-07:00

As I made my way from one set of giant Bendo figures to the next, I paused each time to look outward – beyond the area where everyone was gathering. There was nothing. All I saw were people arriving from the distance to join the bizarre celebration. No one was leaving. In fact, aside from those individuals dotting the landscape, it was basically bare. The dry and cracked ground

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1117240062135686092005-05-27T17:21:00.000-07:002005-05-27T17:27:50.413-07:00

“Hey, wake up buddy.” “Huh?” I groaned. The guy hovering over me chuckled. “You’re not going to spend the entire festival sleeping, are you?” he asked. Festival? I didn’t know what he was talking about. All I knew is that I felt like I woke up from a long night of drinking, and this stranger was keeping the harsh daylight out of my face.

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1115815205102704212005-05-11T05:32:00.000-07:002005-05-11T05:47:39.190-07:00

(NOTE: This is the Themetic translation. Click here to read the English version.) All of the Cha’doe:Yo iz curgeon yo forjorn a aven forte, yo psydor nega fero.Ominus forme e resone a yo, yo abdecardon pro.Jorn iz longen, nefiniten, paso iz motolongen.Yo afashon provo yo e sotho yo. Cardon do yo motocardon.To nomen aven yo releve ominus forme iz novon.Tranza iza forten-psydore daza

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1115669006772401182005-05-09T12:41:00.000-07:002005-05-11T05:54:27.440-07:00

(NOTE: This is the English translation. Click here to read the Themetic version.) All of the Cha’doe: Bravery as you embark on the road ahead, for you shall know no fear.Everything old and familiar to you, you’ve abandoned here.The journey is long and without end, and the passage is even longer.Your willingness proves you and comforts you. Your strength has made you stronger.Along this path

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1101999708420934882004-12-02T06:34:00.000-08:002004-12-02T07:02:29.616-08:00

I looked back up at the Palaza as I treaded water to keep me afloat. From the top on down, flakes of its façade began falling off. Soon, the tips started crumbling downward toward me, so I swam away from it as fast as I could. However, I could still feel the whole thing break apart behind me. I looked back one last time to see large chunks splashing into the lake. The forceful

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1101999695092913892004-12-02T06:33:00.000-08:002004-12-02T07:02:50.853-08:00

I rushed over to the man and helped him onto the level floor. He was still incredibly weak, so my efforts to get him to stand or even sit up were wasted. I remembered the disgusting food over on the table and thought he might be up for trying it. Although I didn’t enjoy a single bite of it, he looked like he would eat just about anything at that point. I grabbed a few small

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1101999657470950042004-12-02T06:32:00.000-08:002004-12-02T07:02:53.733-08:00

I walked around to the front of the man, still pink in color. His eyes were open, but he appeared to be staring into empty space. He was clearly alive though. “Sir? SIR?!” I said, to which I got no response. The light I saw from the previous room came from two torches positioned on either side of where I was. Together, they illuminated a long, tall staircase leading even

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1101999631630801842004-12-02T06:31:00.000-08:002004-12-02T07:03:09.426-08:00

The first thing I noticed about this room was the smell: moldy and stale, probably a result of all the mildew and cracks along the walls. I figured I could tolerate it for a little while though. It was also a lot darker than the “treizuro.” The door I entered through remained open just to shed a little ambient light into the place. It was completely empty, and there was nothing

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1101999609024788202004-12-02T06:30:00.000-08:002004-12-02T07:03:07.470-08:00

The room was piled floor to ceiling with silver, gold, platinum and other precious metals, not to mention stunning jewels and regal-looking furniture. The contents of the room were so shiny, in fact, that it seemed to be generating its own glow. I felt as if I had just stumbled upon the tomb of an Egyptian pharaoh or something, but there was more stuff here than one person could

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1101999579269071662004-12-02T06:28:00.000-08:002004-12-02T07:03:18.790-08:00

I walked out of the fog to a misty, flat landscape. The area was surrounded by countless pools of still water, but there was neither a breeze nor any sign of life to be found. I approached each body of water I came to with equal amounts of caution and curiosity. Looking into them was like staring back at myself in a mirror. The ground was level, but hard and dry with the

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1101656705045987842004-11-28T07:43:00.000-08:002005-05-27T17:35:52.346-07:00

Another door opened. The elevator let me out into the lobby of the dorms at the Kansas City Art Institute. I was meeting a big group of friends for an evening of fine food and art, and it was all starting here. Many in our group would be mutual connections; in other words, friends of friends of friends and so on. A lot of students here were planning an evening like this. After

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1101656545618453132004-11-28T07:39:00.000-08:002004-11-29T05:41:46.800-08:00

“Did you say ‘no, this can't happen to me,’ and did you rush to the phone to call? Was there a voice unkind in the back of your mind saying maybe… you didn't know him at all; you didn't know him at all? Oh, you didn't know. Well, the bells out in the church tower chime burning clues into this heart of mine, thinking so hard on her soft eyes and the memories offer signs that it's over...

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1101655124660838632004-11-28T07:12:00.000-08:002004-12-02T06:50:24.690-08:00

“This is our last goodbye. I hate to feel the love between us die, but it's over. Just hear this and then I'll go. You gave me more to live for; More than you'll ever know… This is our last embrace. Must I dream and always see your face? Why can't we overcome this wall? Baby, maybe it's just because I didn't know you at all… Kiss me, please kiss me. But kiss me out of desire, babe, and

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1101221390754032042004-11-23T06:02:00.000-08:002004-12-02T06:48:01.756-08:00

A single blink of the eyelids was all it took for me to return to the V.I.P. lounge where this all started. Staring forward at an empty screen, I had all the inspiration I needed to begin crafting my story again. I opened the word processor and prepared to type the first few lines, but I got nothing. Writer’s block was stifling me. My ideas had all dammed themselves up at the

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1101221355292500672004-11-23T06:01:00.003-08:002004-11-23T06:50:52.826-08:00

I looked around for any sign of Kelly, but there was no one here. I was alone this time. The area around where I stood looked different too. Sand had blown in and collected in corners and around some of the rocks – an odd thing to happen since the beach was far below me. I stepped up to the edge of the cliff and looked back down to the shore. The flourishing forest of my memory

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1101221324296903492004-11-23T06:01:00.002-08:002004-11-23T06:50:35.993-08:00

I had just walked in the door of my job at the casino, and quickly found out that I was working in the V.I.P. room for the day. This was an easy task. Many of their high rollers like to come there to just kick back, read a newspaper, smoke a cigarette and have a drink or two. It was still early in the day, so there were only a handful of customers inside. I set my stuff down on

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1101221291932595902004-11-23T06:01:00.001-08:002004-11-23T06:49:55.713-08:00

Evan left the casino later and a bit more frazzled than usual that night. The graveyard shift just seemed to drag on and on, so what was ten more minutes? He lazily shuffled out to his car in the middle of a cloudy, but mild night. The man was tired, and all he could think about was just making it home. The drive was fine, as most of the major roads and highways were

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1101221261817607762004-11-23T06:01:00.000-08:002004-11-23T06:49:53.790-08:00

“Your journey’s not over,” I heard a voice tell me. I turned around to see a woman follow me out of the casino. However, when she looked up at me, she didn’t appear to be any ordinary woman…or Human for that matter. “What do you mean?” I asked of her. She removed her head scarf to reveal alien features: a flat face without an obvious mouth, tendrils extending from the back of her head and

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1100780501699638292004-11-18T04:20:00.000-08:002004-11-18T04:21:50.213-08:00

“Is this your first visit to our casino?” I asked. “Uh, yeah,” said the man. “Okay,” I replied, “I just need to see a photo I.D., and I’ll have a new card printed out for you in a couple of minutes.” Cliff Brooks from California…that name rang a bell. Was he the same guy I read about online? Yeah, that was him in the picture all right.

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1100780419669284462004-11-18T04:19:00.000-08:002004-11-18T04:20:30.466-08:00

“This would be a great way to get to town and back,” I thought. After all, the house did need groceries and a few other supplies. I wasted no time climbing into the cab of the truck, and it started right away. As I drove out of the garage, I exhaled a deep breath of confidence in myself. I felt really good about where I was. On my way to the main road, I stopped the truck at the end of the

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1100780322179477762004-11-18T04:17:00.000-08:002004-11-18T04:18:58.336-08:00

The cottage was a small dwelling. As I got down there from the house, the first thing I noticed was a hand-scribbled note on the door written entirely in a language I didn’t understand. “Lorem, Ipsum, Dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1100780182632523802004-11-18T04:14:00.000-08:002004-11-18T04:16:43.230-08:00

The back door was open. I poked my head inside to check it out. From my vantage point, I could see that the kitchen was a mess. Dirty dishes were stacked precariously in the oversized sink while houseflies were abuzz everywhere. “Hello? Is anyone home?” I said, hoping to find a familiar face. I asked again, to which I still got no response. Vigilantly, I walked the

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1100780046357809232004-11-18T04:09:00.000-08:002004-11-18T04:16:52.356-08:00

The air was broiling. My eyelids had become adjusted to a comfortable squint that allowed me to absorb the ultra-bright, penetrating light of day. The heat was practically unbearable. Nonetheless, I kept marching through the tall, blue-green grass of gently rolling hills that would eventually lead me back to the road. The music of cicada-like insects echoed throughout the valley.

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1100633643991713852004-11-16T11:25:00.002-08:002004-11-16T11:35:21.746-08:00

I couldn’t believe it! My whole suggestion that the abrupt onset of Vengi’s temporal non-linearity was something to be forgotten and put in the past didn’t seem to matter now. The memory of time had a permanent place here with the discovery of the sundial. I’m sure Eo realized that as well, and that’s what caused him to have such a astonished reaction. Why would I have been wrong about that?

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1100633499073158972004-11-16T11:25:00.001-08:002004-11-16T11:35:18.313-08:00

He brought me some warm tea. I think it was chamomile. Whatever it was, it hit the spot and warmed me up. It was nice after the chilly dark gray weather outside. Eo’s house was a modest dwelling, full of clocks and other timepieces that he apparently collected. Time, or the measurement of it, must have been very important to the people of this town – especially Eo.

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1100633406185497072004-11-16T11:25:00.000-08:002004-11-16T11:35:13.493-08:00

The stone was cold against my head, which was still reeling from what felt like the hangover to beat all hangovers. I cautiously stood up and gazed at my surroundings. Through the foggy, misty atmosphere I could see the remnants of a settlement, like an old ghost town from a Wild West movie. It was dark, but not like it would be at night. This was more like a heavy overcast hue

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1100317902808267802004-11-12T19:48:00.000-08:002004-11-12T19:53:49.170-08:00

From the distant darkness, I could sense something approaching. The sudden cold to warm change in the chamber’s temperature sent a chill down my spine. That, combined with the overwhelming sense of nervousness gave way to a fear like I had not felt since that morning I awoke on the beach. The whole thought that maybe – yeah, this was a dream – came back to me swiftly, and I wanted

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1100217554664204232004-11-11T15:57:00.000-08:002004-11-11T15:59:26.503-08:00

My eyes gradually adjusted to a world without light. Eventually, I could make out the interior walls of the Tzoid. It was cold, solid. From what I could tell, there were no cracks or fissures where light and heat might penetrate. I made my way into another chamber and down a flight of stairs as I descended deeper within the structure. Suddenly, I heard someone

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1100198463849332892004-11-11T11:37:00.000-08:002004-11-11T10:41:21.090-08:00

It was the first thing I stared at after I woke up the next morning. It was mammoth. The picture on my postcard didn’t do it justice. The Tzoid was this enormous complex of a four-walled pyramid missing its topmost point, and it was surrounded on all corners by even taller obelisks that also had flat surfaces on top. There was a niche carved into the side of this mountain where it

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1100192913655296942004-11-11T09:04:00.000-08:002004-11-11T09:09:00.416-08:00

We spent about eighty percent of our cash on the car Phocus had built for us. We all recognized that funds were tight. We weren’t even sure how long they would last, or even how long we would last. The only goal everyone pretty much agreed upon was to get to the Tzoid, and that was mainly for me because of the postcard’s directive. However, we didn’t get very far

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1100138113801344162004-11-10T17:53:00.000-08:002004-11-10T17:58:37.656-08:00

“So where is this guy?” I asked. “They haven’t seen him either,” Etand replied. Suddenly, we all heard a metallic clicking noise along the far wall. Luci got a little frightened and hid behind Etand. “What is it, Evan?” he asked. I looked intensely through the darkness to see the shape of an animal watching us from a distance. “It

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1100129393591192682004-11-10T15:26:00.000-08:002004-11-10T15:30:22.950-08:00

“Do you suppose the forest thing was some kind of prison experiment?” asked Etand. “And now we’re being released?” “I don’t know,” I replied. I felt released though. Suddenly, it was like the barrier of this world, this place – whatever it was, opened up wide to welcome us. The daylight coursed through our irises as soon as the metal curtain-like door of the processing centre retracted.

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1100013009306199912004-11-09T06:47:00.000-08:002004-11-10T15:29:55.980-08:00

It was an unusual transition, moving from a “holding unit” in a forest inhabited by Centaurs to another environment that seemed… well, fairly standard by all accounts. Immediately upon entering this ordinary building, I gave up on any preconceived ideas I might have had about what was going to happen next. This, more than anything else I remember felt real, and were it not for the

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1099843160755372952004-11-07T07:57:00.000-08:002004-11-10T12:08:18.316-08:00

The intense knocking wouldn’t stop. At first, I thought it was just some residual throbbing in my head from the walk I took the day before, but then I realized – no, there was somebody knocking at the door of the cabin. I yawned and rolled over. In the bed directly across from me, Soren stared back with the sheet pulled tightly over his head. He ad this “deer in the headlights”

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1099843014884015782004-11-07T07:53:00.000-08:002004-11-07T07:57:07.113-08:00

At first, I wandered along obvious paths, careful to know where I was in relation to where I left. I made sure I stayed within sight of the cabin, but an overwhelming desire to escape this madness pushed me beyond the tree line and into the saturated green canopy beyond. It struck me as odd that such a lush area seemed so lacking in life of other kinds. There no

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1099395500712018022004-11-02T03:37:00.000-08:002004-11-07T07:56:58.800-08:00

After lunch, Soren went straight over to his bed for a nap, and Luci mostly kept to herself. I don’t think she was much in the mood for association and casual conversation, so Etand and I adjourned to the front porch so we could share our thought and analyses of this mutual experience. Clouds were setting in, and it looked as if daylight would fade soon. Without a clock around,

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1099395441045702572004-11-02T03:36:00.000-08:002004-11-02T03:48:27.826-08:00

The relentless chirping seemed to come from a mix of tropical and domestic birds. Their songs echoed through the trees just beyond the window of this small, wooded cabin. I rolled over and realized what had happened, but it didn’t make me feel any more at ease. “Apparently,” I thought, “after passing out in the clearing, I was taken to this place.” However, this place felt more

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622907.post-1099395383658828992004-11-02T03:17:00.000-08:002004-11-02T03:46:11.280-08:00

The low tide lapped gently at my ankles. With each break, waves pulled the fine sand from around my battered body and back out to sea. My head was throbbing, my pores tingled and my lips were sealed by a bitter saltwater crust. Gradually, the water poured out of my ear canals as well. I had barely enough strength in my muscles, but it was enough to push my saturated naked skin

EchoMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07663988265273083191noreply@blogger.com