Shot! :: My Cup of Tea

What do you like in life? There are the winding roads of adventure; and an equal amount of safe, straight paths. Some liked to mix and match, while others loved it to be the same all the way. But I know, not all that we prefer are presented to us the way we want it. Life, is not just made up by the way we our own selves choose but it is also created by what others think too.

The way I imagined my road, is a simple walkway with rows of flowers and unknown boxes. Sure I want a peaceful happy life ahead, but my idea of fun is to be curious along the way. Who knows what will pop up next? Maybe drops of rain to feed the flowers, or a strong sun sucking everything out of it. I tried to be prepared for every possibilities; but hey, I'm human too. Like I said, there is not all that we can choose.

Where shall I go then, if my road of choice has been reconstructed? I like it like that, so why can't I just go on? Such a selfish nature of the human beings! Always thinking of one's ownself, not realising how others are building their preferable roads too. People meet, and people part. When roads cross each other, I don't mind having rows of other things besides flowers. I personally like certain things, but that doesn't mean I hate everything else. How I liked curiousity, remember? Even if things go wrong, I can still alter it so that it's good for everyone.

To put it simple, I like it sweet and strong. Perhaps with a beautiful colour, and a dash of herbal scent. Don't need to know the brand just to add excitement. Ah, that seemed to be the perfect one. I took a sip. My, my...it was too tasteless. I put it back, and added in my own portion of sugar.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: It's been 6 whole days since a "Shot!" entry, that's because I still don't really have any real structure in these stories! I'll be more careful not to sound too poetic, so that it would be 'preferable' to everybody. But I won't promise anything, I just write with the flow of emotions. Hope you enjoyed it this time. The moral of this piece is, it's not always laid out the way you want it to be. But you can always modify so things would go right! What's your cup of tea then? ;)

Dwane VS The Enigma: #1

Ring, ring, ring...

"Pass the ketchup..."

Ring, ring, ring...

"No, not that again...zzz..."

Ring...the phone went dead. The caller had probably given up, or perhaps was ready to try again. It was already 2 a.m. Quite late to be expecting a call. The moon illuminated itself upon an apartment room where the phone had rung. Someone, a man was sleeping on a bed; rolling over occassionally, talking in his sleep. The ringing had somehow made him annoyed, as his blanket was tossed aside rather roughly. Then, the phone rang again. This time, the person woke up. He answered the phone groggily.

"Hello," said the man in a dry manner. His eyes were almost starting to close again, when an excited and loud voice replied over the receiver. This made him startled. He was suddenly wide awake. "Hello! Dwane, Dwane. This is Ray. What were you doing just now, not answering my call?" a male voice boomed. Irritated, Dwane replied sarcastically, "Guess."

Ray however, did not realise Dwane's tone and thought that he was joking. This made Dwane even more irritated. He had a very tiring day at his workplace, and was quite angry that his rest was disturbed. Dwane then said to Ray, "If it's not an emergency, I'll promise you won't have any peaceful sleeps for the rest of your lives." His tone was much clearer this time.

His friend remained silent for a while, before apologizing for disturbing his sleep. "Haha...no need to sound mad. This is important. Did you remember that you asked me to find a place with a beautiful and unique scenery?"

"Yeah," Dwane replied. "I thought you gave up?"

"Tsk, tsk. That was before I stumbled up this ad. It says that there was going to be a four-day trip to an empty island, where the view is guarenteed to be breathtaking. They say that the people there had all migrated elsewhere inthe past because something happened. The place had been in Nature's hand for twenty-five years! Hey, there's a unique view for you. There are not many empty towns you can find these days."

Dwane listened with full attention. He paused for a while, trying to decide. Indeed the description Ray had told himmade him interested, but he was afraid that the ad was bluffing. He had always been passionate in photography ever since college, and Ray had helped him find locations for his love for digital art. Ray was a professional when it comes to pick a spot. Dwane had trusted him ever since their first meeting. This time, he would believe in him as well. "Okay. I'm in. Can you sign me up?" Dwane replied with a grin.

After a few short conversations, Dwane hung up. He was quite elated over the news of the trip. He was feeling wide awake now, and noticed the beautiful glow of the moon. He snatched his camera from a drawer, and snapped the picture.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: To all Dwane's fan, here's his entrance to the story! Hehe...ready for more? Wait okay. Just enjoyyy this release first!!

Zero Degrees: Three

"What is there to whisper,
than the whispering chill?,
Land will be taken,
Land will be bare,
Behold,
Be careful..."

The mysterious person begins to sing the lyrics of the tune, and his voice echoed the vibrating warmth all around the insides of the tower. Dill was only able to capture the alluring voice, quite young and serene. "It's a male," thought Dill to himself. Thanks to this guy, Dill had escaped the threats from Take. He continued to listen.

"Who are you?" repeated Take to the still singing guy. The man was quite tall, having an innocent face and perhaps was quite older than Dill in age. A simple attire was attached to the mysterious intruder; wearing a black coloured jacket, dark jeans and a grey scarf. His eyes were glassy, reflecting a bit of the glowing dim light. The man grinned. "Take the Topaz, Tako the Emerald. I know you, but you don't need to know me. Or maybe you already have heard about me? Want to know what happened to Taku the Sapphire?" The man giggled.

Take eyes grew bigger in shock. "Blaine the Razor!" he roared, and blasted his Blade Chop in an instant. The scene was covered in smoke once again. Dill could see nothing anymore, but he continued to hear more blasts from beneath. "Uh, I wish I could help..." he murmured. But then he realised, he could help if only he managed to get the Script. Since he was no longer in Take's attention, Dill got up and continued to scramble up the stairs as quickly as he could.

The sound from the base of the tower continued to get wilder. Dill finally reached a door at the end of the steps, and opened it without hesitation. The door led him inside a room filled with lots of dusty crates. Cobwebs were everywhere, Dill had to wave his hands all around himself to push them away. Something glimmered from within. Dill focused his view. A treasure chest lay almost hidden behind a small crate; golden and untouched by any specs of dust. "It's in here," he whispered excitedly, drawing closer to the chest.

Dill didn't realise, that a loud creak sounded itself from the ceiling.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Totally late in updating! I was really busy and tired with an exciting graduation, added with some official business to do then. All in all, the third chapter of this title is out! Got to focus. Enjoyyy...!

Dwane VS The Enigma: Prologue

Not everyone liked it there.The environment was always bleak and the air was dusty. However, many photographers had gone for a visit at Vallery's Mansion since the scenery was somehow quite unique. This attracted a whole lot of people wanting to get good shots for their ever growing collection of masterpieces. That is, if their collection ever grows after going to that place.

Since 1990, which was five years after the death of the landowner and the mansion was abandoned, strange things began to happen to those who took a step into the area. Playful children who had their own adventure around the mansion's area or even grown ups who took a shortcut through the mansion's lawn, returned home only to have a high fever the next day. People from the vicinity took no notice of such patterns, only acknowledging the happenings as a normality in life.

Only one doctor around that time noticed. His patients wereincerasing, and most would confess having set their foot around the abandoned mansion. Being curious, the doctor decided to investigate. If the area was dangerous it must be eredicated, that was what the doctor thought. He had always had strong believes over spiritual matters, perhaps because he had an experience of his own.

Thus the doctor went to Vallery's Mansion one cloudy morning, with a camera in his hands. Evidence was crucial for people to believe espeacially some physical evidence. The doctor had walked up and down and even circled the entire mansion, snapping some pictures where he thought was appropiate. The sun began to rose higher and higher.

An aide to the doctor was waiting in a car just outside the the mansion's enormous gates.He had waited for more than three hours listening to the radio. He understood the doctor's nature of work, always being precise and careful, so he understood why the doctor was taking so long. He was following a tune in the radio, when a loud scream startled him. It was the doctor! Panicked, the aide stumbled out of the car and rushed inside the mansion. He shouted out the doctor's name, looking around at every inch of the area. Inside the mansion, around the grove. Nothing. The doctor had vanished!

Until now, any photographer would end up missing when they go to Vallery's Mansion for a photo outing.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yeah, a new title release! This would be one of my 'TESL Production' project, and I've chosen Dwane's part for a starter. I won't add any new titles until late September, so you guys can continue to enjoy "Zero Degrees", "Shot!" and "Dwane VS The Enigma" slowly. Take care readers!!

Shot! :: Teachings of a Homeless

It was already 4 a.m. The journey back home was tiring. The bus was poorly maintained and the roads were crooked. I only managed to doze of for just a brief moment, being wide awake most of the time. Being exhausted, I decided to get home as fast as I could. As always, the shortcut. The dark silent back-alley.

The alleyway was far from normal, as any other usual nights there. The eerie silence seemed to burst my ears, and the waltzing shadows made my heart jumpy. But it is worth the risk. Time, energy; all could be saved. I quickened my pace, someone seemed to be following me. *Pat, pat*... Who could it be on such a night? No more nonesense, time to get home.

Was life during the night as dark as this? All seemed insecure, all seemed lost. I thought I was already used to the dark surroundings, but it seemed to engulf me even deeper and deeper each time I settled down with it. What was incomplete? What was not there? *Pat, pat*... The sound was still there, faster this time. It's chasing me!

Help! My voice was gone. This darkness is suffocating. I thought this was the shortcut I always go to, but why is it taking such a long time. The thing was already behind me, breathing with energy. Am I going to be caught? Then there was a light! Glowing dimly, yet surely. I began to run as fast as I could, forgetting my tiredness.

There under the light, was a man sleeping soundly on the floor. How brave of him, doesn't he know that weird things are happening here? I huffed and halted, the thing behind me was gone. Was it because of the light? My sound and abruptness seemed to awaken the poor man. He looked up to me grogily and said, "Chap, what were you doing in the dark there?"

"I...wanted to get back home through this shortcut," I explained. "And there's something chasing me just now." The man, dressed in ragged clothes, looked up meaningfully. He yawned. "What are you doing? I thought no one in this world would go through the darkness to ease things up. I guess such people do exist. Listen chap, always stay within the light. Eventhough it means sacrificing yourself. Because once you step into the darkness, fear will always come and chase you no matter how strong you are." With that, the man went back on the floor and snored.

I was wrong. No matter how used I am in the dark, it'll always get stronger next time. I smiled. As I made my way towards home, I thanked the man as his figure grew distant and small.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The moral is, don't succumb into the 'dark' ways! Haha...guess I still don't know what I'm rambling here in this story. But I hoped I managed to give a tingle of suspense to you guys. Don't let your fears chase you! If you can't help it, run! Haha...enjoyy.

p/s: Actually, it's not good to run away from your fears. Thank you Dwane for the amazing picture!

Zero Degrees: Two

Dill was only half-way through the tower's stairs when he heard an explosion from down below. He took a gulp, feeling the strong aura emitted from his chasers even though he's quite far away. It was good that he thought to sealed the door and made his way up as quickly as he could. Confronting such strong enemies was useless now. He would be nothing without the Script. "Hope they are still stalling," wished Dill silently, staring cautiously at the flowing dusts below. With a huff, he continued to hop up the stairs as swiftly as he could.

"Not so fast, brat," cried a rough voice from below. Chill ran down Dill's spine. He glanced at the dusty scene below and noticed a glistening ray of a yellow spectrum. An armoured arm was stretched out pointing directly at where Dill was standing. "Dodge," said the voice in a snicker as the hand swayed downwards, making it look like it was cutting air. Dill noticed the killer intent of the cut, and dodged the invisible attack just seconds before impact. Nothing seemed to happen at first, before the few steps in front of him exploded into pieces.

The dust had cleared, and Take stood there at the base of the tower locking his eyes on Dill. "Hehe, I suggest you don't move little kid. I already have you locked on, any move forward and my Blade Chop will hit," the threat sounded shrill, Dill was left motionless. The huge Tako then came into view, and took a look at their trapped escapee. "I guess we got him," said the green guy rather calmly.

"Tako, go and seize him," ordered Take. Tako nodded. He was about to take on the stairs, when a whistling tune made him turn his head towards the entrance. Even Take turned to look. The tune grew louder and louder. It was the tune of the ancients, Whispering Chill. Dill heard this, and tried his best to see what it was. But he was already way up the tower and could see nothing. He only saw that Take was no longer focused on him, but had already turned his way towards the entrance. "Who are you?"

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, it's quite short but I'm satisfied. Hehe...continue to wait for the next episode! Enjoyyy!

Zero Degrees: One

"He is here Tako," cried a yellow armored man.

"I guess so, Take," responded a green one next to the yellow.

Both Take and Tako were in front of Attaqurra Tower. Because of the white snow, both of their attires stood out. Take's yellow armour made of topaz was reflecting the sunlight quite vibrantly, while Tako's huge emerald green armour made him look like a pine tree in the middle of a snowstorm. Their faces could not be seen as their heads were also covered with a unique headpiece, only their human eyes could only be seen. Both of their capes fluttered furiously, following the path of the raging wind.

Tako who was the tallest among the two, took a peek inside through the round windows. He could see nothing in the dim lighted tower base, except for a few tables and the flight of stairs. "I guess he's hiding," Tako alerted Take, who had already circled around the tower once. He too did not see anyone outside the area. "He should already be at the top of the tower," said Take.

"I guess," shrugged the green. He shifted his body in front of the entrance. With his huge hands, he tried to push the door open. But it didn't budge. "Huh?" cried the confused Tako. He pushed the door over and over again, but nothing happened except for a few rattles and creaks. Tako began to get impatient. "Huhhh?"

"It's that brat," said Take calmly. "How dare he defied our orders and escaped from the village when he was supposed to stay put. The officers there couln't even stop a kid, and calls our assistance. We got better errands to do, right Tako?" The green Tako was already rattling the door with both of his hands. "I....GUESSS!"

With a huge roar, Tako unleashed a strong aura from both of his palms and broke the door into pieces. Dust and splinters flew everywhere. Both of the armoured men just stood silently, not bothering to block any peices that were flying towards them. Take then giggled, "Hehe, I wish your personality was as sure as your strength Tako. Lets find that brat." They both then entered into the tower.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Haha, I never really planned in creating these guys so forgive me for the weird and confusing names! But it goes with the storyline, I hope you guys enjoy this new release. So fast right?

Shot! :: Dremless, Colourless

Morning arrived as usual that day, as promised. Not a moment early, not a moment too late. I ponder at the magnificent flow of time; always keeping their track straight in precision. I had nothing to do that day and decided to stroll down the quiet village path on my trusty bike. The clock struck, signalling that it was 7.30 a.m.

It was a soundless, colourless morning. No jolly chirps of the birds, no provocative whispers of the wind, no golden glimmering of the sun. Even the trees looked grey and weak. It might have only been my own imagination; but I realised I had no right to imagine, to dream. What I'm feeling must be real. I pressed on and came to a halt at a pipeline. Some kind of strong urge inside me was telling that I should stay.

Sitting on the pipe, the background grew dimmer. My mind was blank. There was nothing to think about, nothing to do. I'm not much of a big dreamer as I just go with the flow. What was there for me to dream about? My life had been decided, and I never thought of any unrealistic views of the future. What use is there for people to go abroad than what they are capable off. It was foolish, wasn't it?

As I sat there, I saw an old man approaching the pipe. There was a certain shine in the man's face, it glowed with a smile. He stopped in front of me and greeted warmly. "It's such a fine morning. What are you doing here just sitting?" the man aked. Mechanically, I replied, "There's nothing for me to do sir."

"Not even thinking? Dreaming?" the man said rather coolly.

"There is nothing for me to think about sir. It's been decided that I'll be taking over my father's farm, and I accept it. Nothing to think, nothing to dream," I said solemnly.

The man's smile widened. It was so calming. With a pat on my shoulder, the man said, "It's never too late to dream. Dreams are what drives us, dreams are what colours us. With no dreams, our life will be painted colourless. Never lose hope. Humans can actually achieve more than what they are capable off. Oh, and you're lying when you said you were not thinking. Haven't you been thinking about yourself lately?" With this, the man said goobye and left.

He was right. This dullness is the result of being dreamless, colourless. I remembered how colourful it was when I was young, wanting to achieve the things that I want. Eventhough my dreams are gone now, I noticed that the pipe was blue! Time to continue my life with dreams and work hard to achieve it.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I don't know what the hell I wrote about, but I hope the main message is received by you readers! Hehe, I'll improve better on my pictorial stories. "Shot!" will be a part of my writings based on pictures. Right now I'll be borrowing pictures from Dwane's Flickr...so, please Dwane? =P

p/s: Dwane's photos can be viewed at...

[ http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahmad_ridhwan/]

Zero Degrees: Prologue

Crusco Island was freezing as ever that day. The temperature was obviously near 5 degrees Celcius, and snow fluttered around in a sort of twirl. A snowstorm was expected to rage later, thus not a single soul was seen moving about. Near the edge of the beach, almost at the top of a steep cliff stood a magnifecent oak tower. The tall tower glistened under the dim sunlight, radiating a sort of mystical energy.

A violent wind began to blow its way around the cliff. At a distance; a figure began to approach the base of the tower quickly, carefully. The humanly shadow took a glance to its back at almost every second, as if someone was following it. As the figure reached the base of the tower, its physique became more and more prominent despite the fact that the snow was already fluttering wildly. The body was short and quite small, its movement displayed youth and energy. The human wore a simple yet thick white snowcoat, a white snowcap and covered the eyes with a pair of dark goggles. It huffed as it let its gloved hand touch the entrance of the tower.

"It's here. Finally," it was the voice of a young male. The boy then gave its hand a strong push, opening the huge entrance of the tower. He expected the wooden door to be quite heavy and immovable, but he managed to swing it wide open in one push. With a smile of relief, the boy made his way into the tower.

"Well, it's quite warm and comfortable in here," thought the boy to himself as he closed the door behind him. The tower's base was wide and the floor was probably made of some kind of warm stone. A beautiful set marble staircase was located at the edge of the wall, and a few round small windows were arranged all around the tower. The young boy took a quick glance around and shifted his goggles to his forehead, revealing a handsome face with a pair of green eyes.

"Okay Dill, this is it. Lets go look for the Script," the boy mumbled to himself, assuring himself with confidence. Dill then took out a piece of paper from his coat and went through it carefully: 'Attaqurra Tower attic, beware of spiders.'

He stared at the staircase. No spiders were around, and he assumed that it was safe to proceed. As he was about to make his way towards the stairway, Dill heard some voices from outside. He made an annoyed face. "Damn it, they chased me down here."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry for the delay, but my first story for this blog is finally up! This title is under the 'action/fantasy' genre, and those of you who like the scenery of snow would enjoy this piece. I'll try to update this story once a week at most. Do look out for updates at [http://danslinkage.blogspot.com/]! Thank you for reading and enjoyy!!!