Hi there.
Sometimes it hurts to think.
I'm driving around in my hometown
I saw this old park that me and my friends would run and laugh and play at all the time.
We played cops and robbers
Lava Monster
Freeze tag
We acted like knights in strong armor and princesses with glittery dresses and we all slayed the dragons
Well now here I am staring at this old swing set that no one swings on anymore.
I used to think that I could touch the clouds with my feet if I swung high enough.
There is something so lively about a group of kids laughing and playing on a playground.
There is something so eerie about an old empty playground where no one goes.
That playground used to be so alive.
Now the swing creaks as it sways in the slight breeze.
You can almost hear faint whispers of the kids laughing from years before.
Now all those kids are adults with lives and responsibilities that are much more important than slaying a dragon.
The wood has splinters that get stuck in your fingers.
It is not shiny and fun anymore.
It used to be new
But I have found that everything changes eventually.
I wish people didn't leave so unexpectedly.
Anyways I am just rambling
but next time you see a playground
just try to look away.
it hurts to think too long
Bye.

In Japan, there was an ice cold assassin, that rose through the ranks of the Lin Kuei Clan.   Mid snow flurry, he could avoid every flake, and seize the brittle crystal without breaking it.  He could walk on snow without sinking in, japan's cold winter, is when he was unopposed and most ruthless--slaying debtee and their family.  His ice cold ego, came into contact with a shaolin warrior, who was trained to feel the cold, and never run away from it, nor get used to it, but feel the chill everytime without hardening his self.  Sub-Zero was defeated but not killed, and scorned to the Gods during a snowstorm, " I am the better, and was defeated by a lessor, I appeal to the powerful, give me the power of ice, so that no one shall adapt to my soul's chill, give me the power and my clan shall be in service to you."

Then a snow crystal fell, bigger than most, and he clutched it, and looked in his palm, the crystal was in the form of a pentagram.  The wind whispered, " The most cold and still realm of hell will be in your veins, if you partaketh of this crystal."  And the power of ice, that no man could withstand was at his disposal, and he was locked in a contract, that was unbreakable.

He rose to leader of the clan, and changed the color of the assasin uniform to the color of the cold region of hell, and he could not find the shaolin warrior who defeated him, and so slayed his mentor.
One hot day, his soldiers came back defeated, by a pearl diver, who refused to pay tribute to their mafia.  Sub-zero impaled the clan's soldiers who had their uniform in tatters--by raising jagged ice spears from hell.  The ice never thawed, and the men never fully died, but looked up at the high cieling from their bespearment to a mosaic of an icy and lonely realm-- a message to anyone who fails the clan--that you shall be pierced and preserved.  Sub-zero took the rest to pay a visit to the pearl diver who had stained the Clan's uniform with the blood color of disgrace.

The pearl diver, was in the bay diving down to the bottom for pearls.  He felt the water suddenly get cold, and swam upward to the surface, where he came in contact with the surface of the water, frozen over, and he saw the boots walking over the ice.  They were holding heads that leaked onto the clear ice underfoot and as the pearl diver struggled for air underneath, he saw the heads of his family dropped onto the ice.
Then Sub-zero kneeled down, holding his wife's head to the drowning pearl diver, and placed it on the ice, so he shall see the horrid picture as he drowned underneath.  The Clan took leave, from the bay.

The pearl diver did not fear death, but went mad, as he sank downward into oblivion, staring upward, rage took over his once good heart, and he turned away to look into the depths, shouting " Let me born again, so I shall live a life of fire, so that anyone who dares come close, shall be scolded, GOD OF REVENGE, LET ME BE BORN AGAIN."
The pearl diver breathed in the water unblinking, and his heart stopped, but still he lived as he sank reaching the bottom and there was a scorpion at his feet, and the depths spoke, " Let this scorpion sting both your eyes, and command the fire of hell, and be born again, to melt the ice."
He took the scorpion--who glowed hot in the dark depths-- and stung his eyes, his pupils went from his eyes, leaving milk swirls as his ovals of revenge.  " Now let it snip your lips and chin, so that you may breath the painfull sting of fire upon your enemies without singing your own flesh."

The scorpion greedily ate his lips, tongue and chin, giving him a mouth guard of skull.  " Now you are born again Scorpion, arise, and REVENGE."

Scorpion, screamed, no longer a human voice, but demonic, and grabbed the chain from his boat anchor, and climbed. Upon reaching the ice barrier, he touched his hands to it, and burned a hole and emerged forth.  He pulled up the chain with ease into the air from the depths, the metal barb on the end that served as an anchor, was now for impaling hearts and not the sea bottom.  He snapped his arm and the chain coiled around his arm, ready to sail out to impale and bring his enemies up to his eyes, so they can feel the painfull sting of fire up close, and see Scorpions eyes.
He walked to shore, his feet singing and melting Sub-zero's ice as he walked.
His walk was illusive, as a flickering flame, Scorpion could not be percieved directly without mesmerizing, as a fire in total darkness.

He reached shore, and found a Clan member, he harpooned him with his chain and barb, and brought him close to his face with his chained anchor, and melted the henchman's face with his hot breath.
He stripped him naked with his curved pearl knife, and donned the uniform of the Lin Kuei, ice blue, then the uniform turned yellow from his hot blood underneath, turning the uniform yellow as if it was boiled alive in a ***.  Scorpions' veins serpentined on his forearms, his muscles always a'sweat and full of blood .  The color of his revenge was yellow, mocking the blue Lin Kuei's uniform with the color of cowardice.

He tracked down Sub-Zero to his Clan hall that resembled the cold layer of hell with victims adorning his walls and floors that were pierced by ice sculpture and still a 'quarter alive staring at the cieling.  Sub-Zero felt the slight thaw of his ice, and knew the presence of Scorpion.  

Scorpion flickered from the torches that bedecked the walls, and burnt the guards throats with his hands so they crawled around uselessly.  When a clan member espied the demonic ninja, Scorpion was behind him, breathing on his neck, and the guard fell to the ground in three pieces.

Sub-Zero's throne room, had no torch, no fire, and Scorpion could only enter without his flame illusion through the front tall doors.  
" You have fought your way into my layer, just to realize it is a glacial tomb assassin," saithe Sub-Zero.

" Scorpions demonic voice echoed to him, " YOU HAVE MURDERED DOWN THE PATH OF LIFE, BUT THE PATH WAS THE THROAT OF A DRAGON, AND I AM ITS BELLY, YOUR TOMB OF STINGING ACID."

Scorpion took Sub-Zero's eye from him with his harpoon chain, and beat him mercilessly with kick and punch.  Sub-Zero's summoned ice but it only melted near Scorpions hatred.  But the water from the melt, slowed Scorpion--so it was hand to hand by their opposite powers, negating their satanicly endowed powers.  

But Sub-Zero was the creator of Scorpion, and so had the advantage.  Being beaten, and his face smashed, his nose flattened to his face, exposed rib slats, and his testicles smashed, Sub-Zero feigned mortal injury and non-defence as Scorpion walked up with his milky eyes to do his finishing move.

Sub-Zero's forearm protruded in injury from Scorpions kick before, and formed a sharp dagger, and this dagger sunk in Scorpions brain from beneath his chin.  Sub-Zero won with the treachery he knew best.  But Scorpion's body turned to hell's flames, and melted the layer completely drowning the wounded Sub-Zero, killing him, as Scorpion himself died the second death being extinguished in cold water of the clan layer.



They were sent back to hell, and forced to stand side by side of eachother, as Satan's servants of fire and ice--still donned in the Lin Kuei assassin robe,belt, and face-guard.
All of the magmatic, scolding statalactites dripped behind Scorpion who stood before the entrance to the fiery region of hell.  He stared forward with his scolding white phosphorus eyes.

Behind Sub-Zero, was the still and frozen layer.  He stood next to Scorpion, to the entrance of his own realm, with pupils bordered by ice frozen rivulets.  The proximity to eachother was their hell, and Satan was their master.  Scorpions pyscho hatred heat always attacking Sub-Zero's callous cruel cold, and vice versa, so as they never became adapted to the terms of hell and eternity.

The heroes of legend
So great and powerful
Their stories will live
Well beyond their years
But what about the unsung one
The companion to the great hero
Does he not deserve praise
Destiny may not have chosen him
Fate must have overlooked him
But he still fought the great evil
Slayed the vile demon
And most importantly
He protected the hero
Nothing can be done alone
Too often is this forgotten
The focus is put on one
Who did not chose
But was chosen
What about the other
The one that did chose
He chose to risk everything
There was nothing great at work
Forcing him to chose
It was a simple
Yet immense decision
The stories of the companions are great
While the hero was scared
The companion was there to comfort
When the hero had doubt
The companion was there to inspire
When the hero fell
The companion was there to prop him up
Sometimes the greater hero isn’t the destined one
It is the one that stood by the hero
The choice they made
Never regretting it
Only pushing forward to another’s goal
Never again look over the companion
For something important will be missed
That may be lost forever

"we slayed,
where sleep
could not
be found
in the
eyelids
of a
cheaper
than dirt
glock 19:
the peace-
maker."
|| shoo.shu ||

The Fairy Tale of the Warrior Prince

Once upon a time, long, long ago, far, far away there lived a Warrior Prince at the edge of the Magic Forest. The Warrior Prince once rescued the fair maiden Shelby and the fair lady Di, Shelby’s grams, from the Evil Mystical Wizard who lived on the far side of the magic forest. After settling the fair maiden and the fair lady into his castle where they would remain safe until his return, he set out to do his one and only job; guard and protect the magic forest.
He liked guarding the forest during the day because it was quiet and peaceful. But in the dark night, the great magic came to life and even his trusty horse became on edge. The bushes and trees took on eerie shapes that seemed to move. The night noises were loud and frightening. It was not like the beautiful forest noises of the day. At night the trees became witches and the bushes became trolls and animals. They would claw and scratch at his legs as he rode his horse through the forest.
It was at night when the largest magical creature appeared. It wanted to take over the magic forest. That creature’s whole purpose was to steal all the magic from the Magic Forest. The creature had been made that way by the Evil Mystical Wizard who wanted all the magic in the land for himself. That is why he kidnapped the fair maiden Shelby and the fair lady Di in the first place. He knew of their magical powers. The fair lady Di had the magic of touch. She could feel if she knew a person from another time and if they were good or evil by the touch of their hand or by looking into their eyes. She could see if love had ever found a home in their heart. The fair maiden Shelby had the greatest magic of all; the magic of sight. She could see into a person, see their life and what was to come. These magical powers coupled with the powers of the forest would make the Evil Mystical Wizard unstoppable.
The warrior prince had no magical powers of his own but was highly respected by the magical world because of his willingness and ability to protect them. He thought of them as family and would fight to the death for them. The love in his heart was a pure light of goodness. He knew if the Evil Mystical Wizard took over all the good magic in the world, everyone he loved would suffer greatly to the end of days. He pledged to fight for them to the end because of his love for them. It was his greatest power.
One night as he rode his beautiful horse through the magical forest, he heard the fair lady Di cry out in grief. Riding toward the sounds of her cries, his heart sank with the visions that flooded his mind. The fair lady Di had been restless and not able to sleep so, as many nights like this before, she went for a walk in the magic forest. The forest had always been a place of calm for her. It was a place where the hurts of the world would quiet and fade away. She could feel the love of the magical world around her. She could still the fears in her heart.
On this night as she walked along the forest floor she came upon a beautiful unicorn. It was waiting to bless her with his own magic of love. As they stood and stared at each other, she could feel the magic of his love flow into her heart and settle deep into her soul. She knew he was giving her his magic of love but didn’t understand why. When the transfer ended, she stood in awe as he bowed his head and told her, “You are the keeper of love. You always have been and always will be. My time is ending and my magic needs to live on. It will live in you and you will do great things with it.” Fair lady Di started to ask, “Why me?”… when the wind started to blow.
The clouds moved across the moon and lightning struck a tree somewhere deep in the forest. Just as the moon peaked around a cloud the thunder crashed and the creature was standing in front of them. The fair maiden Shelby was in her bed and could only sit up in fear as she watched the sight play out before her eyes. She saw the creature inch closer to her grams saying the words “Love must die.”
The fair maiden Shelby could only do one thing. She sent her sight to the magic of the forest hoping the forest would see that if love died, the world died too. As she watched, she saw two small magical creatures of the forest pull her grams back and away from the fight that played out before her. The creature moved forward and the fair lady Di thought her night would end. She closed her eyes and felt the wind blow through her. She let go ready to float away to a world without pain. As the crashing noises grew louder and the wind blew harder, she felt unknown hands pull her to safety.
The fair lady Di opened her eyes and watched as the unicorn fought with everything he had to save her from the terrible creature of magic who only sought to end love, to end her. The fight was long and hard but in the end, the beautiful unicorn stood no chance against the powers and strength of the terrible creature of magic. As the unicorn fell to the ground and his breathing slowed, the fair lady Di ran to him. All the creatures of the forest tried to stop her but she pushed them away. She had so much love for him and needed him to only feel love as he floated away to that world where there was no pain.
As she reached him she laid her body across his and poured out every ounce of love. Through her grief and pain, she gave love as his last breath left him. She cried. The wind blew, lightning flashed across the sky and the thunder crashed high in the heavens. Just then, the Warrior Prince came through the forest walls into the small opening of the forest center. He pulled his horse to a sudden stop at the sight in front of him. His blood began to boil. There was the Magic Dragon with a cruel evil grin on his face. He stood over the fair lady Di with her face buried in the mane of the lifeless unicorn. She was crying and pouring all the love she could into him.
The fair maiden Shelby watched with her inner sight and knew what she must do to save them all. She emptied her sight to the whole magical world and focused it into the center of the Warrior Prince. She showed him all the good he had ever done for the ones he called family and those he loved so dearly. Through the magical world he touched in so many ways, she showed him their respect for him, their gratitude for all that he had done for them and their unconditional love for him. Through her sight, he found the strength to fight the greatest fight of his life: The fight against the Magic Dragon who was there to destroy them all.
The Warrior Prince wasted no time as he pulled out his sword of courage and truth. He fought long and hard but, even close to death himself, he would not give up. With each swing of his sword the evil he so feared died a little more. Swing after swing until he pierced the heart of the great beast. Upon the death of the beast, the magic of the world returned the magic of the fair maiden Shelby to her. The magical world knew only one willing to give up her powers to save those she loved could be trusted with such power.
Very battered and bleeding, The Warrior Prince walked over to the fair lady Di, held her close and let her pour her grief and pain into his heart and soul. When she calmed, he lifted her onto his horse and brought her back to the castle where the fair maiden Shelby waited for their return.
When the Warrior Prince slayed the Magic Dragon and ended the magic that had been instilled within him, it also weakened the Evil Mystical Wizard. For the wizard had given all his power into the dragon and was confident the dragon would succeed in taking over all magic in the world. By the Warrior Prince destroying the dragon, it also ended all and any magic the Evil Mystical Wizard had or ever would have again. The Magic Forest, The Magic of The World, The Magic of The Fair Maiden Shelby and The Magic of The Fair Lady Di was finally safe. The Warrior Prince, he also learned he had a little magic of his own and had only needed to look inside himself to find it.

Writing Copyright © All Rights Reserved
2017 Brianna Love/SA/DBMA

Death was not unfamilar to me. I'd killed my share of things classified as monsters. I wasn't complaining really, my job kept the humans safe. I just felt guilty, I was practically a monster myself. They call us Warriors of the night, we're not Vampires, we are born with extra strenght and a long life span. I was born a long time ago, I was raised to **** monsters that terrorize the human race. Since I was six, I'd been trained to ****. I was a killing machine, best of my kind. Yet somehow, even though what I do is considered an honor, I don't feel proud. I've been doing my job much to long, and lately I'd began getting sloppy with my work. God knows Rowan would be one ****** of boss if he heard about me letting the group of baby Werewolves. I wasn't a complete heartless ******* to **** a bunch of babies.
    I might've been two years ago, before the whole incident happened. I layed my head in my hands, I couldn't go there, not now. I needed a clear head. My small apartment in Master Singu's house was getting messy. I hadn't had time to clean lately with all of the monster attacks that had been popping up lately. Ghouls, Goblins, Oni, Ogre, you name it and it's been attacking. Wasn't much we could do with the Banshee, they were more of a signifier then a monster. A signifier of death, and usually they gave me a heads up if the person who's house it's been surrounding, is gonna die. Banshee were cruel looking creatures, never gotten to close to one, they make **** sure of that. Not sure I ever want to. They were ruled by the one and only, Death. And i will gladly stay as far from death as possible. Haven't heard too many good things about him. Death is one of the Four horsemen. Scariest ******* in the underworld, and I would gladly never meet any of deaths brothers or sisters, what ever the gender their welcome to stay away. There was a soft knock on my door, io glanced at the clock on the wall, it was already three. Warriors worked night shift basically, since thats the time most monsters like to come out.
    The victorian styled door was a black cherry carved wood, with a ancient symbols carved in so no evil spirit couls cross into my apartment, so I wasnt worried any monster was at my door. But I was suprised to see Cameron when I opened the door. Cameron and I used to work the nights together until he'd gone off and gotten married to Sylvia, who was a vampire. Vampires were only considered monsters when they didnt follow the rules. No feeding off of unwilling people, only donors, and they couldnt go around killing people. Their biggest rule though was not to tell any human what they were, Warriors like me had a lot of people to execute.
   "Cameron, never thought I'd see you around here anymore," just as I was talking to him I realized, Cameron looked scared and desperate. Unlike someone who spent his life killing evil monsters that were twice the size of him. " What's wrong Cameron?" He shook his head and walked past me, through the door and into the living room. "It's Sylvia, Theon please help me," Camerons voice was going all thick and his eye's all watery. This was deffinetly something bad. " Tell me, what has happened with Sylvia?" I needed Cameron in his most focused form to help me out, but as I looked at the shaking man I knew he was beyond that. " You remember the king vampire we took down to save Sylvia?" Cameron said quitely, but I knew instantly what vampire he was talking about. That vampire had killed Abelia. I quickly swept that from my mind and focused back on Cameron. " Yes I remember, "  I had no idea where Cameron was going with this. " You remember his brother than, the one that got away, he said that we would both pay. He, ah, made you pay that day. I never thought that he would carry out with his threat. He kidnapped Sylvia, and Sylvia is pregnant, " Cameron almost lost it right there.
    I never thought that, pip squeak of a vampire had it in him, but he was smart and possesed powers we hadn't known about until we had come across them. Their king that we had slayed, had been capturing girls of all species and abusing them in such barbaric ways.
We had to put an end to his affairs, and we did but his brother wasn't too happy about it. He'd done one of his tricks and manifested behind Abelia and snapped her neck. Everything for me had stopped, all I could hear was the blood in my veins. I didn't breath, I could still remember the deafining roar I had unleashed as my monster had gripped me, took the reins and killed all of the mans servants.
Blood had bathed the walls that night, not even the crickets dared to sing. The sun rose late that morning, and I sat inside this very apartment, on that very couch, and cried. For the very first time, I had cried until my eye's swelled shut, until my throat could bare no more. Until I passed out.
    "We'll get them back Cameron, don't worry. For now get some rest, we'll start investigating later tonight, I have meeting to attend," I was going to **** that ******* when I found him. He had taken my only love from me, and he would pay this time, I would make that absoultely certain. Cameron nodded and headed for the door. It was a long way back to his house, and he crossed quite a few bridges. I didn't want him making any bad decisions, " Cameron you can crash here, I have a guest room your welcome here man," I say casually so he doesn't get all prideful. He stops and looks at me for a moment then nods " Yeah, thanks man, and also thank you for agreeing to help me on this I know it's a bit of a touchy subject for you, just know i appreciate it." He made his way down the hall, I listened for the soft click of the door shuting before i went to leave.
    I grabbed my coat, and the keys to my Ducatti and ducked out the door. The hallway was long and at the end of it was two flights of srairs, I lived on the third floor. My motorcycle was parked right were I left it, it was a beauty. Black and red sleek metal and nice leather seats. I loved the bike so much I had named her Racer. I loved to drive fast, and so did she. I tore off out of the parking lot and listened to the purr of her engine on the way to Rowan's , my boss, office. It wasnt to far, but I wasn't in a rush either so i took the long road just to stall. I knew Rowan planned on giving me a partner. Probably some ****** that didnt know his way around a swiss army blade, let alone a sword. Warriors didnt use guns unless absoultely necessary. I loved the feel of my sword slicing through the air. I didn't, however, enjoy the noisy bang of a gun. A sword was like another limb, you have to trust it to take you were you need to go.
    Rowan's office light was on, and I could make out the form of three bodies. Great, I knew it, Rowan was going to assign me a partner.
I hated partners, the only one I'd ever slightly enjoyed had been Cameron. I got off my bike, patted the seat for good luck, and made my way into Rowans office. When I pulled open the door I was ready to yell at Rowan for even thinking of giving me a partner, instead i dropped my hand off the doorknob. " *******," was all I coluld say. I was stunned to silence.

it's a lot harder than you think.

you have to be from the South, like me
or the North, like I want to be
or somewhere entirely more interesting than Dallas
and you have to have the ginger gene
(because there's no way I'm having
blonde children)
and you have to like aquariums
specifically the seahorses

don't wear too much cologne or
pastels and don't ever smell like
frat parties, barbecue, or beer
and DON'T ever say that ballet is stupid.

you have to ask before we choose
the restaurant because I don't eat Italian
or Thai or Greek or Subway
and you have to hold the door open for me
even if we're in my own room.

listen to my monologues for class
and rattled-off to-do lists
as you lazily push the basket
and I grab it from you because you're going too slow
and mockingly call you a princess

know that I am busy, VERY busy
in fact so busy that I may not see you
because I am an independent woman
and there are stories to be built, dragons to be slayed,
and there are things my hands must finish
before I can start on holding yours

make fun of my Crocs
and the way I hiccup out of nowhere
and the days that I don't have time to eat breakfast
so I bring a Fuzzy's cup to class
full of off-brand Cap'n Crunch
shoving handfuls into my mouth between
snide remarks about Morrison
while you laugh inside your eyes
about what a cynic I pretend to be

hate me when I tell you
that I don't need a hug
and that I'd rather be dating Hemingway
or that I have rehearsal
painting cities, building histories

ignore my comments about you needing to shave
or on how I think I'd rather I'd never get married
and live the rest of my days writing stories
with organic vegetables and rainy days and
walks in the Carolinas

call me a ***** when I'm being one
(because I know I am about 97% of the time)
and tell me you would help me
if I would ever let you
whether it be Christmas lights or
physics lab or the gnawing pain
of lonely lonely lonely

let me read my books, propped up on
my pillows and nestled into a glaze
and let me have my expectations
of Rochesters and Darcys
even though I say I don't
and when I have to sew a blanket for class
and I say the stitching looks awful
tell me no, it doesn't
because I desperately want you
to know that my favorite color is lavender
and I love watermelon and stationery and
online shopping at 2 am
and I desperately want to know
your elementary school, your favorite song,
your middle name
even though I pretend I don't

and sometimes when I say I'm right
and you know that I know I'm wrong
just pick up your spirals and turn to leave,
then stop and say
"my favorite book is Gatsby, too."

and smile and call me crazy.

it's a lot easier than you think.