Storytelling Week 14: Deep Slumber

Galaxy Photo found on Wikimedia Commons

"The stars are beautiful tonight, aren't they?" Shane asked, startling Jenny out of her reverie.

She looked over at her friend across the clearing. "Huh? Yeah, yeah, they're gorgeous," she paused before continuing. "Sorry I was just thinking."

Looking back up at the crystal clear sky, Jenny's mind wandered again. The stars were clustered so close together that they seemed to form a shimmering puddle of liquid light across the sky. If she concentrated hard enough, she could feel herself floating through it, her thoughts sliding easily to the farthest reaches of the universe.

She did not notice Shane watching her expectantly until she said, "Well, what are you thinking about?"

Jenny shook her head slightly before turning her head back toward Shane. "I just heard something interesting the other day and it made me think," she started. "You know how, when you're dreaming, everything feels so real. You can never really tell you're dreaming until you wake up?"

Here she stopped, waiting for Shane's answer. When she nodded her head, Jenny continued. "Well, I was just thinking, what if this is just a dream? Or what if this is someone else's dream and we are just characters in it. And when they wake up, we disappear, only to reappear in a different form when they go to sleep again."

Shane's eyes widened before she laughed, eyes crinkling. "You're thinking too much! You have to just appreciate what is happening now because if this is a dream, there's nothing we can do but enjoy the stars and the time we have!"

Jenny paused and looked up at the sky again. She smiled, first at the stars, and then back at Shane. "You're probably right, I'm just overthinking things."

They lapsed into a comfortable silence, both watching the stars so intensely that they noticed them begin to dim. One by one, they went out until finally-

****

Nina groaned, yanking her pillow over her head as her alarm told her it was time to get up. She had to leave for class in a few minutes, but before she left she reached into her nightstand to get her dream journal. She always had the most vivid dreams, and this had been one of the strangest ones yet. 

As she hastily wrote it down, she skimmed through the rest of her dream journal. Maybe one day she would figure it all out, but for now, she was running late.

Author's Notes

This story was inspired by the Pattanaik video and the story on Narayan's sleep cycle as the cycle of the rebirth of the universe. When Narayan is awake, the universe exists, but it stops when he is sleeping. For my story, I decided to switch it up and have the dream state as a universe of it's own. This was just a fun little story that I kind of think about a lot and the video this week reminded me of it. 

Storytelling Post Week 13: Karna

Karna tossed and turned in his sleep, worried about his future and his place in the world. Just as he was drifting into a more peacefull sleep, a cry from the other room woke him completely. He could hear the sounds of his brother crying muffled by the door between them. Tip-toeing to the door, he cracked it slightly and listened.

"Mama, he hit me!" he sobbed. "He hit me and so did his friends and I didn't do anything!"

The floor creaked as his mother quickly crossed the entryway to comfort her youngest son. The cries were once again muffled, but by his mother's shoulder this time.

"My dear, I am so sorry," she murmured. "Who was it? Who did this to you?"

As his younger brother listed the names of the children who beat him up, Karna's anger grew uncontrollably. He yanked on his shoes, grabbed a jacket, and brushed past his mother and brother on his way out the door. 

He stomped through the field towards the place he and his brothers played baseball on the weekends. When he reached the fence, he found the group his brother mentioned.

There were six of them in all. Karna's brother had not been a match for one of them, let alone six of them at once. Three of them darted off when they saw the fury in Karna's eyes, but the other three stayed, squaring up for a fight.

Karna flew at them, fists flailing as he attacked. Even though there were three of them, they were no match for Karna's righteous fury. 

He was not satisfied until each of them had run off, bruised and bleeding. Only then did he return home.

Not long had passed, maybe ten minutes, so his mother and brother were still in the entryway when he returned. A bag of frozen peas had been placed on the younger brother's eye where it was beginning to swell. 

"It's okay, baby brother," Karna said as he placed his hand on his brother's head. "They won't bother you again."

At his words, his mother turned to him with a concerned look in her eye. "What do you mean?" she asked. "Karna, what did you do?"

"I took care of it, mama," he said, walking towards his room. "I cannot allow people to hurt the innocent. Especially if they are my family."

He walked into his room, knowing he would be grounded. His mother would probably punish herself, too, but Karna could not help his actions. His anger at the boys who had attacked his brother could not be staunched. 

In the fairy tales his mother told him as a child, those who did the right thing always came out victorious, but the more Karna learned of the world, the less this seemed true. For now, though, he would do everything in his power to help those he cared for. He could help a little part of the world, and that was enough for now.

Image of Justice Scales found on Wikimedia Commons

Author's Notes

I have been reading Karna: The Unsung Hero of the Mahabharata this week (even though I haven't done a reading diary because it's been kind of hectic) and that's where this story comes from. Karna heard that a group of boys beat up his younger brother and so he goes out and beats the boys who did it. Not much changed in my story, but I wanted to write this one because Karna is such an intriguing character. He is going to be the star of my final "episode" of my storybook, but I do not have the room to include any of his childhood so I wanted to explore that in this story. He does have a temper, but it is usually when someone he cares for has been wronged and he is doing it to defend them. While just reading the Mahabharata, I was not very sympathetic to Karna, but now I definitely am. He wanted to do the right thing, but his loyalty to Duryodhana was his downfall. This is a very interesting take on his character and I would definitely recommend it. 

Storytelling Week 12: Kunti

"Dhatri, what am I going to do?" Kunti asked, pacing back in forth in her bedroom. In her hands was a long, thin, white rectangle. Her eyes never left the screen that confirmed her worst fear. 

Pregnancy Test photo found on Wikimedia Commons

"I can't be pregnant, I can't!" she said, nearly screaming at this point. "It's senior year, I'm not even out of high school yet and I am set to go to the school of my dreams in the fall. This will absolutely ruin me!"

Kunti sat down on the bed next to her best friend. Her eyes were wide with shock but when she spoke, her voice was calm and soothing. "Kunti it's okay, let's just think this through," she advised. "Just breathe and calm down. We can fix this."

Leaning her head on Dhatri's shoulder, she began sobbing. Her parents would never forgive her and if she did not have their support, there was no way she could get through college with a newborn child dependent on her. 

"How? How can we fix this?" Kunti demanded. "You know I'd trust you with my life, but I don't think this situation is fixable."

Dhatri opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say anything, Kunti continued, "You know how traditional my parents are! If they found out, they'd disown me!"

Dhatri's eyes were brimming with tears, but her voice was still calm as she spoke. Placing her chin on the crown of Kunti's head, she confessed, "I know what your parents are like and you're right, they would disown you if they found out."

Kunti leaned back and looked at Dhatri incredulously. "But I would never abandon you," she continued. "I will help you through this, no matter what."

Before Dhatri finished her sentence, Kunti was leaping towards her, hugging her tightly. Dhatri hugged her back fiercely and, as she did, she was already coming up with a plan.

****

"Okay, so let's go over the plan again," Kunti said. 

Dhatri nodded, reading over their plan to make sure she had every detail embedded in her memory. 

"My great aunt had an internship available for two high school graduates. I volunteered us both to work for her over the summer and into the fall semester," Dhatri started. She looked up at her pacing friend who motioned for her to continue. "The work experience will more than make up for starting a semester late and she told us that it will open up many connections and career opportunities for us in the future."

Kunti nodded, thinking. Any holes in their plan, and her parents could find out; her life would be ruined. "Are you sure your grandmother is okay with us staying with her until I have the baby?" she worried. "I don't want to be a burden. I feel so terrible already."

Dhatri stood up and walked over to her friend. "You know how much my family loves you! My grandmother always says you're welcome any time and she's happy to help."

Kunti smiled. "What would I do without you?"

Author's Notes

In the book Karna: The Unsung Hero of the Mahabharata by  Umesh Kotru and Shutosh Zutshi I was really interested in the friendship between Kunti and Dhatri. They shared everything and it was such a strong and caring relationship that I wanted to explore it in a more modern setting. This story is fairly similar to the original, except in the original, Kunti tells her father that she is to live in isolation and fast in order to become successful. It is a way to distance herself so that no one finds out about the pregnancy. In my story, I decided that she would go stay with Dhatri's grandmother and come up with an excuse for her extended absence that would equate to success in more modern times.

Week 11 Storytelling Post: We are Still Family

The sun glinted off the shiny red finish of Danny's new convertible as he pulled up to the curb. His hair was slicked back with enough gel to make his hair almost as shiny as the car and as he slid his designer sunglasses onto his head, his hair did not move an inch. Hopping out of his car, he approached the group of brothers who, until now, had been minding their own business as they packed up their campsite for the day.

"So, if it's not the great Pandavas," he said, leaning against their camper. "I just thought I'd come pay a visit to my favorite cousins! How do you like my new car? It's the latest model."

His cocky smile was infuriating and Benny took a step forward. Before he could do anything, however, his brother, Young, stopped him with an outstretched arm. 

"Ah, Danny, it's great to see you! It has been so long," Young said, smiling at his cousin. "It has been, what? Almost twelve years since we last spoke. Truly too long."

At his cousins words, Danny's smile faltered. He stuttered, "Ye-yes I believe it has been that long."

As his eyes moved over his cousins, though-their tattered clothes, their dirty hair, their old, beat-up trailer- his confidence returned.

"Seems like you guys are having a little bit of a hard time," he mocked. "It's too bad my father had to write you out of his will. Of course, I tried to convince him not to, but you know my father!"

His words made the brothers tense because of course this was not true. Danny, being jealous of the love his father felt for his cousins, had begged his father to kick them out of the house and write them out of his will. Being unable to deny his spoiled son anything, he had done so.

Being the calmest of the brothers, Young spoke yet again. "Of course we do not blame you, Danny. You were as helpless as we were in the situation. And, as you can see, we are quite happy! Thank you for paying us a visit."

This, too, surprised Danny. "Well, I-I was in the neighborhood. Th-thought I'd show you my new car," he stammered, before finding his voice once more. "Besides, I'm busy. I have important things to get done. A meeting. I gotta go!"

And with that, Danny hopped back into his car and took off down the road.

Image of a red Corvette convertible found on Wikimedia Commons

****

The Pandavas piled into their camper and set out along the highway. In the distance, they saw the bright, flashing blue and red lights of a police car. As they approached, they also noticed the bright-red shiny paint of their cousins new car.

The closer they got, the more dire the situation seemed. There were at least three officers out of their vehicles, one had drawn their gun, and the other two were pinning Danny to the ground.

Young pulled the vehicle to the side of the road. "Everyone stay in the camper. I'm going to help Danny," he said as he opened the door.

"Hey, Greg, Darcy, Val," Young said as he approached the group. "What seems to be the problem?"

The police visibly relaxed as Young approached. Greg lowered his weapon and Darcy and Val relaxed their hold on Danny, who remained on the ground in handcuffs. 

"This punk was going 50 over the posted speed limit," Val said. "And when I pulled him over, he refused to show any licence and registration. Then he ran for it and trespassed on private property."

Young glanced at his cousin before he spoke. "I am truly sorry for my cousins behavior. He is not a danger to anyone but himself and if you could release him, my brothers and I would greatly appreciate it."

Val grimaced at Danny before shrugging her shoulders. "You know I'd do anything for the Pandavas," she said, bending down to unlock Danny's cuffs. "Now, don't let us catch you doing anything like that again!"

****

As the police returned to their vehicles, Danny approached Young. "Thanks for getting me out of that," he mumbled, staring at his feet. "I-I appreciate it."

Young placed a hand on his shoulder. "No matter what, we are family."

Author's Notes

This week I wanted to write about the story where Duryodhana goes to show off his power and his wealth while the Pandavas are in exile, but he just ended up humiliating himself by being captured. I thought this was a really interesting story and I loved how Duryodhana ended up having to thank the Pandavas for saving him. In this story, I really wanted to place the setting in a rural, small, American town. Young is Yudishthira, Danny is Duryodhana, and Greg, Darcy, and Val are the Ghandarvas that captured Duryodhana in the original text. The original story from which I created this story is from Narayan's the Mahabharata. 

Week 10 Storytelling: Drona and Drupada

The two boys chased each other through the field, twisting and turning and zigzagging through the grass, laughing all the while. When one boy would get too close, the one in front would put on a burst of speed, usually avoiding his friend, but this time, it wasn't enough. Drona tapped his shoulder, shouting gleefully and immediately turning to run in the other direction.

"I'm going to get you, Drona!" Drupada shouted. "You aren't going to win this time!"

Drona, without slowing or turning back, said, "I wouldn't bet on it! I win every time and you know it!"

The game went on like this, one boy catching up to the other, declaring his prowess at the simple game of tag, and getting tagged yet again, until the sun began to set and the boys' limbs were heavy with exhaustion.

They were laying in the field, watching the final rays of sunlight dance across the sky, waiting for Drona's parents to call him in, for Drupada's nanny to come pick him up.

"Drupada?" Drona asked.

"Yeah, Drona?" he responded.

"We are going to be friends forever, right? No matter what happens, we'll always be friends?" Drona asked.

Drupada turned to face his friend. He smiled widely before he said, "Of course! There is nothing that could tear us apart."

Just then, Drupada's nanny called out from the car, Drona's mother called out from the house in the middle of the field and the boys hugged before parting ways.

****

"Wait, who?" Drupada asked incredulously into his phone. "I don't have time for anyone, I have a meeting in ten minutes and I have to prepare."

Before he could hang up, though, his office doors opened, revealing a strange man. He was well-groomed, but his clothes showed evidence of multiple patches and places that had been previously mended. 

"Drupada," the man said. "My old friend!" 

He walked forward, arms outstretched as though he were going to hug Drupada. Noticing this, Drupada stepped behind his desk to create a barrier between the two.

"I think you must be mistaken, sir," Drupada said, straightening the cuffs on his obviously expensive shirt and smoothing his jacket. "I don't think we run in the, uh, same circles, you could say."

He chuckled a little at the thought of it. 

"Do you not recognize me?" the stranger asked. "It is me! Drona!"

Drupada looked up, for he did recognize the name and held fond memories of him from childhood. Fortune had not been kind to Drona, obviously, but who's fault was that?

"Ah, of course. You can see why I did not recognize you," Drupada said, gesturing towards Drona. "Anyway, why are you here?"

Drona looked down at his feet at this question. Without raising his head he said, "It's my child. We do not have-"

Drupada's eyebrows shot up and he interrupted him before he had a chance to finish. "Ah, so you NEED something do you? Life treats some people differently and I am obviously very successful," he said, gesturing to his office. "Friendship between us now will just not work. Someone like you cannot associate with someone like me. It's just not natural."

At this he pressed a button on his office phone. The secretary picked up and Drupada said, "Please send security. A strange man barged into my office and now he refuses to leave."

Photo of office buildings in Chicago found on Wikimedia Commons

Author's Note

This story in the Mahabharata was very interesting to me. I wanted to experiment with putting it into a more modern business world, but I did not want to change the story much more than that. It definitely explains why Drona wanted to have Drupada's kingdom attacked, because it was such a humiliating way to be treated and I wanted to experiment with that in this version of the story. The original was take from RK Narayan's version of the Mahabharata. 

Week 9 Storytelling: Karna

"My love, I have heard terrible rumors," Surya said. "My eyes and ears have informed me that someone means to trick our son. They are going to use some sort of ritual to strip him of his invulnerability!"

Kunti gasped. While Karna was not her only son, nor her favorite for she had not even raised him, he was still her son. How could someone steal Karna's invulnerability which his father had bestowed upon him as an infant. It was as much a part of him as his head or his heart. She knew of spells that could perhaps achieve this, but it would require consent from the other party. They would need to repeat a phrase that would trigger the event, so the magic knew to whom it should attach itself.

She voiced her concerns, asking, "But, Surya, would not Karna have to consent to such a ritual? He could never knowingly allow someone to strip him of such an integral part of him!"

Surya shook his head. "That's what I believed as well, but my contacts say whoever is doing this has found a spell that only requires eye contact with the person. They must be very powerful to control magic in such a way!"

Upon hearing this, Kunti began formulating a plan. If her son was to survive, she had to make a difficult decision. She could do nothing about the assassin's vision, but she could prevent eye contact between the two.

****

"Karna, it is your mother," Kunti said through the doorway. "I must ask something of you and you are not to question me."

Karna came around the corner, smiling at his mother. Although he only just learned that she was his mother, he already felt very close to her. She obviously cared for him and only sent him away to give him a better life than the one she could provide at the time.

"Of course, mother," he said. "Whatever you need."

Kunti pulled the phial from behind her back, purple liquid sloshing, threatening to spill over. It almost seemed to smoke. "I need you to momentarily remove your invulnerability." She took a deep breath before continuing, "And I need you to drink this."

He blinked, momentarily confused, but he removed his invulnerability and drank without question. All of a sudden, his vision began to blur, streaks of black blocking out the light of the room. Slowly his vision disappeared completely and he was unable to see. 

****

Karna approached the sound of the battle. He heard the clash of steel on steel, felt the vibrations in the air, felt the heat of battle. But he could not see. And it was all his mothers fault. Over the ringing of swords striking armor, he heard the voices of his brothers, the Pandavas, his mother's prizes. 

He would strike them down one by one. There was nothing stopping him. One by one, he slew his brothers on the field of battle until only Arjuna was left. He could hear his mother's voice filtering through the sting of the sounds of men dying, begging for him to spare his last brother, his last enemy.

"Duryodhana took me in, he cared for me!" Karna was shouting, notching an arrow as he approached the sounds of his brothers breath. He could feel his aura seeping out of him. No one could hide from Karna's heightened senses. "Kunti took my sight and you did nothing but mock me!"

He released his arrow and it flew true, striking Arjuna in the heart. "I will stand by the side of those who loved me," he said, turning his back. "Not on those who abandoned me."

Image of Karna found on Wikimedia Commons

Author's Notes

This story is based on the story of Karna found in the comic by Anant Pai. In the story, Karna gives away the armor and earrings that grant him his power and invincibility in exchange for a weapon. In that story, Arjuna is able to kill him because of this. I wondered what would have happened if he were able to keep those things. In my version, he turned on his family because of what his mother did to protect him. His brothers mocked him and Duryodhana supported him through it, similar to when he supported him at the tournament with Arjuna in the original story. In my version, Karna is still invincible and never makes a pact with his mother. The Kauravas are victorious.  Also, instead of one long story, I decided to try a different tactic. It's a short story comprised a small snippets of time. The middle is left to interpretation. 

Storytelling Week 7: Hidimbi and Bhima

"Sister, do you see those brothers living in the forest," Hidimba said, indicating towards the viewfinder. "They are living alone and would be perfect for our research on the human species!"

Hidimbi looked through the telescope, spotting the people her brother referenced almost immediately. There were five brothers grouped around a campfire and they were in the middle of nowhere, the perfect place for an abduction without witnesses.

"Send me down, send me down!" Hidimbi shouted enthusiastically. "It's my turn to do the abducting, you know that's my favorite job."

Hidimba smiled, gesturing to the teleportation pad in the middle of the room. Hidimbi hopped on the teleportation pad and disappeared immediately.

****

She hid in the bushes, watching as four of the brothers left the campfire, presumably to find some food, and left the last brother behind. His back was towards her, perfect for an abduction without incident. With four of them gone, hopefully she could pick them off individually.

As she planned her attack, the last brother turned, revealing his face to her. Her thoughts instantly left her, for she had never seen anything more beautiful in her life. Forgetting her plans, she emerged from the bushes, startling the man. 

"Who-what are you? And what are you doing here?" he demanded.

"I am Hidimbi," she said, squaring her shoulders. "My brother sent me to abduct you for our research on your species, but I cannot. I saw your face and now I could never hurt you! Come with me and I will keep you safe from him."

As Hidimbi spoke, her blue skin faded to a dark brown, her single eye split and grew into two, and her hair grew long and curly. 

The man's eyes grew wide. "I am Bhima, but I could never leave my brothers. I want to be with you, but I cannot leave with you. I cannot leave my family!"

At this, Hidimbi enthusiastically claimed, "Well, they can come with us. We can all go together! But we must go now or my brother will come-"

Before she could finish her sentence, a flash of light appeared behind Bhima. Her brother appeared from the light and, before she could warn him, attacked Bhima. Hidimba was trying to abduct him where his sister had failed, so he had not brought any of their sophisticated weaponry. Bhima bested him almost immediately.

"Hidimba, Bhima stop!" Hidimbi shouted. "Hidimba, I love Bhima and Bhima that is my brother. Please stop fighting each other."

At her words, the two slowly drifted apart, both bruised and bloody. 

"You love him?" Hidimba asked. 

"I do," Hidimbi said. 

"I love her as well," Bhima added. "I would like to marry her, if my mother will approve of it."

"Well, it's settled then," Hidimba said. "I will return to our home planet, and you will stay here. I wish you every happiness."

Alien Abduction found on Wikimedia Commons

Author's Notes

For this story, I kind of wanted to make another sci-fi story so I picked Hidimbi and Bhima's story so I could include aliens. I made Hidimbi an alien instead of a rakshasa, but I also made it where Hidimba was not killed by Bhima. Hidimbi and Hidimba seemed to have a good relationship before all this, so I did not want him to die for some guy she just met. They won't see each other again for a long time, or possibly ever again, but at least he isn't dead. The version of the story that I used was the one from Peter Brook's The Mahabharata. 

Week 6 Storytelling Post

Madoc stooped low in the cave, peering at the glint of metal that lay in the darkness. It was a ring. Curious. And even more curious still, there seemed to be a voice emanating from that ring!

"Do not pick up this ring. If you don this ring without first answering my question, you will not survive."

Squinting, Madoc leaned in closer to inspect the ring. Surely there was no way this could be true! A ring could not speak! And if it could, this was no ordinary ring. But in his situation, being lost in a cave, the only light source emanating from this very ring, he had little choice. He picked up the ring and slipped it on, hoping that it's light would lead him from the cave.

But the ring had spoken true because as soon as the ring settled on his finger, he dropped dead, the ring flying from his finger to rest beside him. 

****

Sometime later, Madoc's brother, Men, arrived in the cave, as he was also lost. He saw the ring glowing in the darkness and, following the same train of thought as his brother, stooped to pick up the ring, hoping it would lead him to his brothers and out of the cave. His hand reached out, but before he could touch the ring, the same voice resonated through the cave.

"Do not pick up this ring. If you don this ring without first answering my question, you will not survive."

At the sound of the voice, Men retracted his hand in surprise, but upon hearing the voice's warning, he scoffed. Rings could not speak. This was obviously a trick or perhaps someone did not want him to escape this cave, for he had many enemies. He reached out again, his hand enclosing itself around the ring. He placed the ring on his finger, and just as it settled, he caught sight of his brother and knew this was no trick. He died immediately, ring falling back into it's original position in the middle of the cave.

****

Finally, Raryn arrived in the chamber in which he had heard his brothers' cries. He saw the ring in the middle of the cavern and stooped to inspect it, just as his brothers had done. He heard the same, ominous voice repeat the same message. 

"Do not pick up this ring. If you don this ring without first answering my question, you will not survive."

Unlike his brothers, he was wary. Squinting into the darkness, he noticed the bodies of his two brothers. 

"Who is it that demands answers," he called into the darkness. "I will provide what answers I can, but I must know who asks this of me and who claimed my brothers' lives." 

Where once there was only a ring, there now stood a wizened old man. He stood tall and proud, strong despite his obvious age. "I am Dharma. Answer my question and I shall give you whatever you wish."

Raryn inspected the figure, trying to decipher his purpose, but he could not find one. "Okay, I accept your offer, Dharma. What is it that you would ask me?"

"What strengthens with age and gives man power over another?' the figure asked.

Raryn thought for a moment and, considering what he knew of Dharma, only one word came to mind. "Wisdom," he replied.

The figure smiled and spread his arms wide and the cavern was illuminated. "That is correct, what would you ask of me?"

"I would ask that my brothers were give life again and," Raryn thought of their enemies and of their banishment before finishing, "And I would ask that we be unrecognizable to those who look upon us."

Dharma nodded, "It is done."

As Raryn watched, his brothers gasped in a breath simultaneously and began struggling to their feet. He turned back to Dharma, but he was gone. 

Ring photo taken by bandita found on Flickr

Author's Notes

I was having a hard time with this storytelling post because the creative juices just weren't flowing, but then I read back over my notes from the readings this week and saw the story of the riddles and immediately thought of the Hobbit. I kind of crossed the two worlds together and put the characters from the Mahabharata into the setting of Middle Earth and changed the pond to a ring that would help them escape the cave. Madoc is meant to be Arjuna, Men is meant to be Bhima, and Raryn is Yudhishthira. I put their names in this Middle-Earth name generator thing so I could come up with creative names to fit the setting. I did not change Dharma's name because I thought it was too important for the story and I wanted to keep the god connotation that accompanies his name. I also had a hard time coming up with a riddle, so I just decided on a very simple question who's answer in this context is wisdom, which seemed fitting. 

Week 5 Storytelling Post: The Problem With Gambling

"Man, you know I can never back away from a bet!" Jackson said to Duncan, sitting down at the table. "Well, go on! Deal!"

He took a drink of his whiskey before picking up his cards. As he was doing this, he noticed that Duncan was not sitting down to play, but another man was taking his place. 

"Hey, man, I thought we were playing cards. We not playing cards?" he slurred, waving his hand around to demonstrate his meaning.

Duncan looked up, smirking, "I'm providing the money, but my friend here is going to actually play."

Shrugging, Jackson took another sip from his whiskey before beginning the game. He placed his bet for the first round and continued upping the stakes. He had a good hand and, he admitted to himself, the drink was getting to him, making him a little less cautious, but that made this all the more fun! He was rich! What was there to lose?

Poker game found on Wikimedia Commons

When he went to reveal his cards however, he noticed Duncan's sly smile, as well as that of the person with whom he was actually playing. Even in his inebriated state, he knew this hand was probably not his. And he was right.

He played it off as a bad round and kept playing, hoping to get some of his money back. He bet his stocks, he bet his money, he bet his watch, his car, his house. Each time he bet more and more, hoping that he would win back everything, but it was no use.

He'd lost all his material possessions before he really started to go downhill. With an entire bottle of whiskey down and another one started, he jokingly bet his brother. And Duncan accepted. It went on like this until all he had left was his wife, Gina. He'd even bet and lost himself.

"I can't," he said, hiccuping. "I have nothing left, only my wife and I could not possibly bet her."

At this, Duncan threw his head back, laughing, "And why not? You have bet others, you have bet yourself, why can you not bet her?"

Finally, he agreed. He had one more chance, just one! One more chance to save everything he had lost. As the cards were dealt, he held his breath, praying to anyone who would listen to save him from this, but as he lifted his cards, he knew it was not to be. There was no way he could win with this hand. 

Not only had he lost everything, but he had caused the ruin of everyone he held dear. It was over.

Author's Notes

This story was inspired by the story of Yudhishthira and Duryodhana  playing dice and Yudhishthira betting and losing everything, including his wife and brothers. I just could not imagine betting other people as though he owned them and could bet them, so I added the alcohol factor to make this more understandable in the more modern context of my story. I also had them playing some type of card game instead of dice. I should have used a dice game because I have no idea how to play poker, which is what they are supposed to be playing. I just had a picture in my head of a poker game in a smoky back room with whiskey and a slowly disintegrating Yudhishthira (Jackson). Duryodhana is represented by Duncan and Gina is Draupadi. I changed their names to fit the more modern context of this story and the setting I chose. This story came from the public domain version of the Mahabharata.

Week 4 Storytelling: I'm Better Than That

Sita felt so light, so free! She twirled through the hallways of the castle, a smile brightening her face. After being held prisoner for so long, kept from her beloved Rama, she had finally returned to him. Thinking back on their first interaction, she paused. 

Before she was allowed to return to him, she had been rigorously questioned to ensure her loyalties had not turned while she was being held captive by the neighboring kingdom. King Ravana was known to play tricks, to turn people against their loved ones and use them as spies to further his own cause and to gain more power. Sita knew Rama was just being sensible, she knew he trusted her!

After pondering such sad events, Sita decided she wanted to go to the garden to cheer herself up.  She wove her way through the halls, saying hello to everyone she saw, but the air felt heavy. The people were not smiling back, if they looked at her at all. Several people avoided her eyes altogether. 

Shaking it off as a side effect of her negative thoughts, she wandered into the garden and sat on her favorite bench. Resting her hand on her swollen belly, Sita sat in silence for several minutes, appreciating the flowers and the wildlife around her.

Her meditation was interrupted, however, when Lakshmana came to the garden to visit her.

"Hello, Sita," Lakshmana said. Sita noticed he was avoiding her eyes as well, but before she could ask what was going on, he continued, "You must come with me at once. We have an urgent trip to make."

"Of course, Lakshmana," she replied. She had no reason to distrust Lakshmana, he had been nothing but kind to her, he was the brother of her beloved.

As they were loaded into the carriage, she knew something was wrong. There was not enough baggage for a long trip and there was no one to see them off. Rama did not even come to bid her goodbye.

When the gates closed behind them, Sita turned to Lakshmana, "Where are we going? And why? Please tell me frankly."

At her words, Lakshmana's face hardened. He turned to her with tears in his eyes, "Rama has ordered you to be banished. His people do not trust that you have not turned against the kingdom and he must put his people first."

"Oh," Sita breathed, a tear rolling down her cheek.

***

After three years, alone in the forest with her two children, Sita had grown comfortable in this life. She knew her life as a queen in the palace would have been easier, but out here she could focus on family. It was just her, her two sons, and the nice man who had taken them in. It was a simple life, a life surrounded by people who cared for her. More importantly, those who believed her.

Sita went outside to call her sons for dinner. As they came crashing through the brush, Sita noticed another person with them. Was that who she thought it was?

"Rama?" she asked, squinting her eyes in confusion.

"It is I, Sita," he said. "I saw these two children, my spitting image, running through the forest and I knew they must be my sons. I've come to give you another chance to prove your loyalty, to rejoin me in our kingdom."

At this, Sita almost laughed. He expected her to prove herself yet again? He'd banished her, without a goodbye and he wanted her to prove her loyalty once more. She loved him once, and she still did, but she deserved more. She deserved someone who trusted her, someone who treated her well, someone who did not reject her. 

"Okay, Rama. If I am loyal, and have always been loyal to you, then may I be lifted high and returned to a kingdom in the sky. A kingdom where I will rule and care for all those women who were wrongfully cast out or mistreated."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Sita was enveloped in a cloud and lifted high into the sky and out of sight. 

Cloud Castle found on Pixabay

Author's Notes

This story was based on the story of Sita being abandoned in the forest by Rama because his people did not accept that she was still pure. In that story, Lakshmana abandoned her in the forest and she lived with Lakshmi and her two twin sons. When Rama found them, he asked Sita to once again prove her purity and she said that if she was pure, that Mother Earth would take her back into her womb. She was taken back and left them all behind. This particular story was also inspired by some of the commentary by the narrators for the Sita Sings the Blues by Nina Paley animated story. They talked about how Sita should not stay with Rama because he did not treat her well, and I kind of agreed. So, I decided to write a story where Sita continues to live her life and to help other women who were perhaps treated unfairly in a kingdom in which she is the ruler. In this story, she recognized the unfairness of the situation and realized that maybe Rama was not the perfect man for her. I gave her a little bit more of a happy ending. This story setting was kind of fairytale-esque, but I tried to keep a similar vibe and I decided to keep the characters' names the same for this one. I also changed it to them being worried that Sita had been turned into a spy for the enemy kingdom as well as sleeping with Ravana. I thought it added an interesting twist to the story. 

Storytelling Week 3: Sibling Rivalry

"Victor, no!" Sebastian shouted as he watched his brother run after the herd of zombies. As his reckless brother disappeared down the abandoned subway tunnel, he just heard him shout, "Wait for me here! Look after the others and I'll be right back!"

Sebastian stood in the light of the setting sun, trying to catch his breath. As the others in his group caught up to him, he turned to explain the situation. "Vic went in after them," he started, the blood still pounding in his ears. "He told us to wait here and that he'd be right back."

At this, the group erupted in quiet whispers, some voices louder than others. Over the past few months, they'd grown used to speaking in lower voices so as not to attract the infected, but some of the members could not hold back their anger.

"Why would he do that?" he demanded, face contorted in worry. "Who's supposed to protect us? Your brother was in the army! He knew what he was doing and now we have no one!"

Some of the older members of the group quieted the young man down before one older women asked, "What exactly did he say?"

Sebastian thought back to the conversation he'd had with his brother before he had run after the retreating herd. "He said he was going to try and wipe them out," he started. "Vic said he was gonna try and lead the herd into a trap, make the town safer for us so we could make a home here. He, uh, he left me in charge," he finished awkwardly. 

Although it was evident that some of the younger members of the group were not happy with this, the elders seemed to accept this fairly quickly. 

While they were waiting for Victor to return, Sebastian and a few other members of the group checked out an abandoned building near the subway entrance. Once they confirmed it was clear, the rest of the group set up camp on the second floor. Sebastian and a few others stood guard outside the subway tunnel.

They waited outside the tunnel for a day and a half before they heard sounds coming from the tunnel. First, it was just a muffled scraping sound. Then, the sounds of the herd returning starting filtering up through the entrance. 

"We have to seal it up!" someone yelled, running to grab whatever they could find off the streets. When Sebastian realized what was happening, he tried to stop it, tried to convince them to leave the tunnel open for Victor to return, but no one listened. 

"Your brother's gone, son," the old woman told him. "We have to board this up to make sure we stay safe. You're gonna have to lead us now."

Realizing what she said was probably true, Sebastian began helping to seal the tunnel.

Sealed Tunnel in Richmond:
Found on Wikimedia Commons

***

After weeks of work, the small group had grown and flourished in the town. They had built walls and sealed all the tunnels, creating a safe haven of several blocks in each direction. Under Sebastian's leadership, the group had grown in numbers and in skill.

There hadn't been an attack during their stay in their new kingdom, but they just assumed it was because of their superior fortifications. 

Exactly one month from Sebastian's loss of his brother, the group held a celebration for their new and improved life. As Sebastian was preparing to toast his brother's memory for his bravery, there was a loud bang followed by a cloud of dust near the fence.

When the dust cleared, Victor stood on the other side of the fence, covered in dirt and blood. His eyes were narrowed in a stare that Sebastian had never seen before, it was a look of absolute rage.

"You!" he shouted, stomping his way over the fence towards their gathering. "Seb, you left me down there to die! I tried to get out and I was trapped!"

His eyes were glazed over with fury, and he let out a laugh before continuing, "Did you think I wouldn't succeed? Did you think I would have gone after them if I didn't think I would win?" Grinning maniacally, he turned to gaze at the rest of the crowd who began to back away slowly. His gaze slowed until it settled back on his brother, whose joy at seeing his brother alive was gradually dimming.

"And here I am, back from the dead and what do I see? My brother's taken my place and there's a celebration! A celebration right next to the tunnel where you doomed me to die, in the dark with those things!"

At this, Sebastian tried to interject, to tell him that he had never wanted this, that it was not his idea and he'd tried to stop it. But as soon as he opened his mouth, Victor snapped and lunged towards him.

"You left me to die!" he said, punching Sebastian in the face. "You wanted to take my place!"

Victor continued his assault, as Sebastian tried to retreat, refusing to hit his brother. Once they were on the other side of the wall, they heard the sounds of infected nearby and Victor's eyes widened with terror, his month spent alone having taken it's toll on his sanity.

"You're going to understand how it felt now," he said walking backwards, leaving his brother on the other side. "You're going to stay out there and if you try to come back, I'll kill you."

The moans were getting closer, the sounds of shuffling feet just around the corner. Sebastian started running, turning to look over his shoulder as his brother raised the wall back up and he lost sight of the town that he helped build.

Author's Note

This story is based off of the story of Sugriva (Sebastian) and Vali (Victor) and the events that took place. In that story, Vali chases after a demon who flees into a tunnel. When he does not come back, the elders urge Sugriva not to go after his brother and to rule in his stead. They seal the tunnel against Sugriva's wishes and when Vali returns, he thinks it was Sugriva's idea. This leads to a rather big and violent fight between the two, as evidenced by my version. The zombies replaced the demon that Vali chased into the tunnel in the mountain. I took quite a bit of creative liberty but I tried to keep as true to the story as I could even though I changed the setting, antagonist, and character names. I really love zombie movies and TV shows, so I thought I would try and use that this week. I also tried to make this more external because last week's story was very internal, so I thought I would change it up. I loved the relationship between these two in the story and I feel like I conveyed it in this version of the story. The story that I used for this one is RK Narayan's version of The Ramayana. 

Bibliography

"Sugreeva's Story" by R.K. Narayan, from The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic (2006)

Week 2 Storytelling: "Across the Way"

Rama shifted his backpack over on his shoulder as yet another person was pushed into him. The streets were packed to the brim with people, all trying to get the most out of the street festival. Before joining the festivities, Rama sent a quick text to his father so he knew that his train had arrived safely. He knew his father worried, so he made sure to keep him updated.

Looking back at his brother, Lakshmana, he pushed his way into the crowd to join in the revelry. Although he had never been here before, the sights and smells seemed familiar. His feet carried him down seemingly random streets, every once in a while stopping to buy something from a street vendor, or stopping to watch a show. 

While checking out the merchandise at a jewelry stand, Rama felt an odd tugging sensation, almost as though his eyes were being drawn up to the sky. He glanced up towards the balconies, each one full of people appreciating the festivities from afar, but one person in particular caught his eye.

A young woman, about his age was laughing, watching a street performer juggle what looked like bows and arrows. As he watched her face, it seemed to shift and change, almost as though there was another face underneath her own. He knew this girl. He'd never seen her face, but he felt as though he had known her for a thousand years.

Almost as though she could feel his eyes on her, she glanced his way. When they made eye contact, he saw his own recognition reflected in her eyes. Could she feel this sensation, too? Did his face shift under her gaze, showing a thousand other faces? Before he could go to her and answer these questions for himself, he was bumped from behind by another tourist and he lost sight of her. 

All day, he couldn't get the stranger out of his head. Rama knew he had to find her. Nothing but fate could have led his feet to that particular spot at that specific time so that he could catch a glimpse of her radiant smile. He fell asleep, dreaming of her eyes meeting his.

***

The next day, Lakshmana and Rama continued their tour of the city. On their way to one of the more historic buildings that had been transformed into a museum, Rama felt a similar tugging sensation to the one he had felt the day before. He looked up and noticed a middle-aged man hunched over, reading a newspaper. What the man did not know, but Rama now did, was that a street performers' trick had malfunctioned, sending a flaming arrow towards the unsuspecting man. Rama was not sure how he knew, but he did. Breaking into a sprint, Rama ran towards the man, tackling him just as the arrow embedded itself in the wall behind him.

As he helped the man to his feet, Rama noticed that he knew this man. Although they had never met, he was an acquaintance of his father.

"Why, young man, you've just saved my life!" the man said after he caught his breath. "I'm Janaka, please, tell me what is your name?"

"I'm Rama," he said, inclining his head. "I believe you know my father, Dasartha?"

At this, Janaka's eyes lit up with recognition. "Of course, my boy! Of course, you must come to dinner," he said, his eyes twinkling. 

***

Later that evening, Rama arrived at Janaka's house for dinner. The area seemed familiar to him, but that feeling had not left him for the entirety of his stay here, so he thought nothing of it. He walked in, greeted his host, and took a seat on the couch. Before he could get comfortable, Janaka returned with, to Rama's surprise, the woman he had seen on the balcony the day before. 

"Rama, I would like you to meet my lovely daughter, Sita," Janaka said, a mischievous smile on his face.

Rama's heart stopped, and then began racing. She was even more lovely up close! He could not believe that, of all the people he could have saved, it was the father of the mysteriously familiar woman on the balcony. It must have been fate, there was no other explanation.

Rama inclined his head toward Sita, smiling slightly at his fortune, "It is very nice to meet you, Sita."

As he looked up, he noticed she was smiling as well. 

An image of Rama and Sita
found on Wikimedia Commons

Author's Notes

For this story, I decided to draw from the story of how Rama and Sita first met and fell in love. I tried to modernize my version, but I also tried to draw on some of the other ideas from the story. I always like the idea of reincarnation and cyclical storytelling, so I decided to draw on those aspects. It's a similar setting in the future, after the same thing has happened before. Not only are they incarnations of Vishnu and Lakshmi, they are also reincarnations of Sita and Rama. This story is kind of 'history repeating itself' in a way. That's why I referenced the flashing, familiar faces that Rama noticed, and presumably Sita also noticed, when they first saw each other. I wanted the story to be more practical in modern times, so I did not have him draw a bow, but rather save her father from a bow and arrow mishap, and they also did not get married right away. I tried to imply that Janaka is trying to get them to marry, but I did not want to push it too hard so that it would be more realistic in this setting. I drew my story from the R.K. Narayan version of The Ramayana. There are details on this version here. 

Bibliography

"The Wedding" by R.K. Narayan, from The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic (2006)