The Queen

 

She’d done it... she had created an apple that would remove her enemy from the world and now, Snow White, would face her doom for daring to be more beautiful than her. She knew that this was right and just, for she had given everything to gain control of the kingdom and her beauty had kept her in power. Enemies surrounded her and by ending Snow White she knew she would solidify her reign over her people and strike fear into those who sought to bring about her downfall.

Her first attempt had failed, and Snow had been saved by those wretched little men, but mark my word, her end was near. The queen’s hatred bubbled like lava inside her flesh. She would not be stopped, and she would ensure her power was unchallengeable and known through every kingdom.

Once, she had been foolish enough to love the girl as a daughter. Yet, with every year, her beauty had remained the same while Snow's had grown more and more beautiful, which was unfitting for a queen to witness. This apple would rid her of the obstacle in her life and remove it from the world forever. All she needed to do was to get it to her.

She tore through the pages of her spell book knowing the spell she needed was hidden in its depths. How was she going to make it to the cottage in that form was the last thing on her mind?
A gasp as she looked at the page she was hoping to find and busied herself collecting what she needed to make the second spell. The energy required would be huge, but worth it. She chanted the incantation and felt her body morph: her back curving and her flesh crinkling like paper.

Finally, she cackled to herself. She grabbed the basket and placed the beautiful cursed apple on the top.

She began the long and arduous walk to the cottage of Snow White, where she found the 'ugly peasant girl' cleaning once more. In the light she looked more angelic and beautiful than ever and the Queen's rage grew more powerful. She walked forward and offered the girl an apple from her basket claiming it was a wishing apple.

Snow knew it could be a trick but hated to upset an old lady with a weak heart and so raised the apple to her mouth and took one bite of the red layered skin.

Suddenly, the old lady fell to the floor screaming as she transformed back into the Queen. It was working, she saw that now. The person who had brought her doom, was herself for allowing hatred and jealousy to reign.

As she screamed, she felt a hand touch hers. The warm tears fell from her stepdaughter and instantly the pain vanished from her and the screaming ceased.

She looked up into the eyes of the person she had hated for so long and saw the truth. True beauty lies inside as well as out.

The Maze of life.

 A Mindful Story.

In my teenage years, I got lost in the biggest maze I’d ever known. Every time, I thought I would get out, I ended up lost again and it caused me so much worry and strife.

One day, I deliberately got lost, through random choices, in directions and chances taken to find a new path. I was lost, I knew it but I was not afraid. I had found myself here and I would escape to safety.

I embraced the condition and situation. I’m still lost in the maze of my life but I will find my way.

A message for the lost!

 

A message for the lost!

 

A long time ago, I found myself lost and alone. The sky filled with clouds and my heart sang a mournful tune.  The more time that passed the more lost I became. Every new scene brought new feelings of woe and loneliness.

Nothing familiar could be seen and confusion threatened to swallow me up like a monster from a fairy tale world. My world passed by and each time it did I felt alone and more lost than ever before.

I searched everywhere for something familiar, but nothing appeared.

That is when I stopped! I calmed myself down and controlled my breathing.

I became aware of where I was, who I was and my presence in both. I realised the time that had passed was not retrievable but my eyes now open could see the path ahead. I was not alone and was where I was always meant to be surrounded by those I love, who tried to find me but seemed unable.

When I looked around, I saw my friends, my family and they were all staring at me with tears streaming down their cheeks.

I blinked, they reacted instantly, smiling and as one in perfect unison stated, “You’ve come back to us!”

Though this feeling overcame me many more times, it could never settle long because those I love found it easier to find me and guide me home.

Those feelings reoccur but I know I am a mountain and know life throws storms to weather me, I will not wither away. I will never be lost for all can see. I will last!

Elara

Elara was an elephant – grand, imposing, beautiful yet she had a problem… she was so forgetful. The other elephants feared to let her out of their sights. 

The elephant’s memory is legendary they will demonstrate this by returning each year to the place their ancestors died. Bones laid testament to their everlasting memories, but Elara was different.

She would forget things in the short- term memory everything since the traumatic escape from the poachers.

She had hidden those feeling (PST) deep down because she couldn’t cope with the onslaught of emotions, they created inside her. She had locked them so deep that it appeared she’d forgotten but it had scarred her inside. She now forgot everything she did.

Her family consisted of Elena her mother, Elliot her father and Ellard her brother and they constantly lived in fear that she would disappear or get lost again and something terrible would happen due to this problem. 

This feat was manageable for many years as the family roamed the African desert not stopping and rarely leaving each-others sight.

One day, Elara went for a walk and slipped down a hole into a cavern black and dark. Fear began to take root and when she heard the screech and the flutter of a wing before I touched her flesh, she fled towards the light barely visible in the distance. 

She stumbled and tripped but would not be stopped. But nearing the hole she fell and slid out the cavern plummeting to the river below screaming for help. Her last sight was of her family staring over the edge of the cliff way above her head.

When she woke, she was once again in a cage locked inside a van that belonged to poachers. This sent her into frenzy as she began to remember what had happened before. A sound of absolute terror escaped her, and the world went silent. Suddenly, the van was barged and tilted on its side. 

Elara fell and screamed but immediately got up as her brother ripped the door of the cage. The poachers had been barged into the river and had been swept by its current.

Elara looked at her family and said, “Thank you, I am home.” With that they returned to their wandering. One unit…one family…one restored elephant amongst them.

When Granny wasn't knitting!

When granny wasn't knitting, she worked as a spy! I know, I know I have a bit of a hard time believing it to. What you don’t know is that she is the number one spy for MI6. I mean who would believe a nutty, frail, old lady could be an undercover operative of such prowess.

She has stopped Baroness Europa from trying to assassinate Barton John and Charles Windpipe from stealing the throne. She is the number one spy in the world, and I am lucky enough to call her Granny. Though, I have to say, the day I found out what she was, not her best moment!

We travelled to London as my parents were away, she had won us tickets for our favourite band at a famous concert hall. We were staying at famous hotel chain in Park Lane, and it was stunning.

On arrival she started arguing with the concierge about his rough handling of her bags and that if she wanted the hotel to see her drawers, she’d be parading herself around in them. Then while getting her keys she began to comment on some of the jewellery.

“Well, that’s clearly a fake!” She said loudly looking at a woman showing off her jewellery, “you can see its chipped! That one there with the big gold signet ring is overcompensating for something.” She chuckled to herself as the man stared daggers at her. “I hope the room is on the top floor so I can get a better view of the nutters in the Serpentine”.

Most of the people in the foyer were laughing quite violently except for the manager who she commented, “Looked like a sour prune!” And of course, the overcompensating man.

I adore and love my Granny but at this point I moved her to the lift and set us on our journey to the seclusion of the lift as laughter sang like a church chorus though the ground floor.

“I wonder why they’re laughing?” Granny winked at me.

When we got to the lift, the lift operator asked for the floor and pressed the button and the doors closed and we started to rise.

“Well, that was fun! I bet the manger could cook eggs on his forehead after that show.”

The three of them burst into rolls of laughter and Granny tipped the lift operator handsomely as they left.

Cursed by love!

In Germany, 1885, the first automobile was created. It was a mechanical marvel and it was credited to Karl Benz, a genius and intellectual god some say. There is some truth I suppose, the car was created by an intellectual god but it was bestowed to the human as a gift, but with many stories about god’s giving gifts, one should err on the side of caution.

The idea came to him in dreams, after seeing plans created by the inventor Leonardo Di Vinci the Italian designer. His designs revolutionised travel many years later, but they were to be a curse for humanity created through jealousy and hate.

Karl was a poor child, but he was incredibly determined to make something of his life and having wit and genius he strove for something more. From the moment he was born he drew the attention of one god for his mechanical mind and so he was gifted the stimuli to engineer fantastic inventions.

He grew up and went to University, later creating the finest vehicle known to man, a wonder of the modern world. It would have been wonderful if Hephaestus had not discovered what had brought Benz into the world.

You see Aphrodite had one of her many affairs with a mortal and it led to the birth of a child who Aphrodite absolutely loved. After birthing him she switched him with a mortal who died tragically in an explosion. Aphrodite feigned mourning knowing that her husband had caused the explosion to rid the world of another one of her illegitimate children.

He marveled in knowing he had hurt her as shed hurt him and she had left the boy alone to give him a chance bestowing gifts that she hoped Hephaestus would covet and protect. In secret they both showered the boy with love as he grew and bestowed gifts only gods could grant.

Unfortunately, a mother can never give up her child fully and when she told the truth Hephaestus flew into a rage. He could not switch his love for the boy of and wanted to continue to be his benefactor, but he had to do something to the human world that once again caused him pain.

The curse was made, the boy would be successful, and his invention would hold a place in time, but it would cause death, pain, disease and poison the world that accepted it as a gift. The boy would be loved in his own time, but he would be a victim of his mother’s cheating ways and in the future his name would be a blemish on human history.

Rome

I’m haunted every night by him. My brother and I grew up protected by Lupa, she cared deeply for us and wished us well in life and now she plagues my dreams too.

Father is happy, as he basks in violence, but I fear I have left a legacy of murder that will build an empire only to see it fall.

I am sorry for what I did to my brother and I know now that I will be punished in the next Life. I only hope that my brother can forgive me and maybe that will grant me peace.

As my eyes close, I once more am reminded of what I have lost. Its starts with the howl of mother’s grief, she knows what has happen what I will do as she looks at the child forms of my brother and I. She knows and yet she loves me still though it saddens her and as her eyes fall on me a lone tear cascades down her cheek and hide my head in shame.

Meanwhile father laugh on his throne of bones and their next to him is my brother gagged and bound due to his weakness. “You must free your brother,” I hear Lupa whisper as I scream waking from my slumber.