Ink Volume 4

8/3/2019 Ink Volume 4

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inll Rose-Hulman Institute of TechnologyArt and Literature MagazineVolume 4,2005-06Table of ContentsPage...Front Cover Brennen Bogle - PokerSean

Back Cover Christina Davis - Cloud Gates Feeny - A Night on the Tor'vn (photo)Christina Davis - Terre Haute Stonn (photo)+ Charles Walls - The Little Beggars (photo)Mark Minster - What Went Wrong (poern)5 Bradley Otto - A Qualitative Obsen'ation (poem)e Jeftrey Kennedy - Winter Walker (photo)7 Brennen Bogle - Poker (photo)Levi Rupp - Devil's Torver (photo)g Nicholas D. Slabaugh - Warn Plastic is Warm Cornpany (short story)g Monica DeFazzio - Solitr"rde (photo)Christina Davis - Bonfire (photo)

lO Daniel I. Wiehe - Irishing in the Night (poem)t I Keith McCrorey - A Great Glacier (photo)Mariah tr. Walton - Reaching Out (drar.ving)l9 Scott Srnall - Friends (photo)Andrea Brou'n - I'rn Addicted...It's Just a Crush (poern)l3 Sean F'eeny - Tr,vo Guys, a Girl, and a Graveyard (sl-rort story)t5 Je{frey Kennedy - Snou,-Covered Branches (photo)Katie Bumgardner - Acueducto Segovia (photo)l6 Cliarles Walls - Hidden Vier,v (photo)

John Beety - Juvenile Delinqr.rent (poem)l7 Nathan Long - Irlygiene (A Roommate's Plea) (poern)18 Monca DeFazzio - Ground Vierv (photo)

Jirn Sedoff - Reflection (photo)l9 Carneron Husk - Your Sentence (poern)29 Mark Mitrster - Bedsheets (poem)21 Andrea Brorvn - I'ui Feeling (peorn)

John Beety - Senex (poern)22 Jtnt Secloff - GenkakLrji (photo)Monica DeFazzio - Serenity (photo)23 David Keller - I Become Very Depressed (short story)24 Cameron IIusk - The Transmission (poern)25 Charles Walls - The Shaded Tolr'er (photo)26 Scott Small - The F'ace of the Ner,r, Africa (photo)Jirn Sedoff - Taxi at the Speed of Light (photo)27 Jeflrey Kennedy - Tirne-Lapse Tail Lights (photo)Katie Br.ungardtrer - Gran Sierra Nevada (photo)


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inll Rose - Hulman Institute of TechnologyArt and Literature MagazineVolume 4, 2005-06Page... ss Keith McCrorey - Snolr,in the Su'iss Alps (plioto)

Sean Feeny - The Wheel (photo)gg Richard Hr-rlsrnan - Winter On My Heart (poem)Mark Minster - The l{eart Is A Safb (poern)go Daniel I. Wiehe - Darlin You're Gorgeous (poem)g t John Beety - Stoopgallant (short story)33 Scott Small - Midnight on The Grand Canal (photo)Monica DeFazzio - At the Aqr-rarium (photo)s+ Mariah E. Walton - Rory (drar.ving)Levi Rupp - Grand Teton (photo)35 Scott Small - Leaving Ninety-Nine (photo)John Beety - Nostalgia, the Editor (poem)36 Sean Feeny - All In A Day's A Work (short story)4r Andrea Brorvn - ZZo (photo)4.2 Daniel I. Wiehe - How I Knorv She's the One (poern)as Christina Davis - St. Louis Arch (photo)44 Daniel I. Wiehe - Here's to You on Father's Day (poem)Monica DeFazzio - Contrast (photo)45 Christina Davis - Chicago River (photo)Carneron Hr"rsk - Someday (poem)46 Katie Bumgardner - Avila (photo)Anclrea Brorvn - Here (poern)47 Cameron Husk - Center of the Universe (poern)Jirn Sedoff - Lady of Liberty (photo),!8 John Beety - Driver's Education (poern)Andrea Brou,n - Porch (photo)49 Mariah tr. Walton - Faces Cast In Stor-re - Alamo Huecos (clrarving)5o Keith McCrorey - A Glorious Day in the Su'iss Alps (photo)Jeflrey Kennedy - Cards on A Branch (photo)5l Sean Feeny - Pennsylvania Sunset (photo)Jim Sedoff - Noremburg Park (photo)52 Scott Srnall - Untitled (photo)Keith McCrorey - Ghana (plioto)

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lA t'trght on idio*nli___qean 1e_ery___j

I Terre Haute Storm ii Christina Davis I

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What went wrongMark Minster

They tried to make thingseasy because they'dbeen trying to makethings work so longthey forgot how tomake things beautiful

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A QUALITATIVE OBSERVATIONBradley OttoIf science can show me the soul of the earthI'll swim every channel, I'll climb every treeIf doctors can show me the beauty of birthThen science can chase all the fear out of meI witnessed science burn a home to the groundFlaky carbon was all that remainedScience made a new home in the same townScience smoothed, science smothered the painArchimedes, it's told, built a towering beastMade of mirrors which hamessed the sunHe pointed his ray at the strong Roman fleetThe ships were engulfed, every oneScience says it's a myth, not a weapon of warIt didn't fire a boat burning beamScience is arguing, digging for moreIn one mind, at least, science built the machineScience defies us, we try to defendBut science always finds a new pathIt governs our motion, it disrupts the oceanThe workhorse behind all the mathScience is living and loving the girlScience gives her a kiss in the rainIt formed my right hand, molded my worldDipped my pen, put blood in my veins.

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Winter WalkerJeffrey Kennedy

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Devil's TowerLevi Rupp


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Warm Plastic ls Warm CompanyNicholas D. SlabaughMy heart is being Xeroxed; I couldn't find the originals, and now I'm stuck with grainy reproduction inblack and white. Ten cents more so I can keep making copies, and they keep on rolling out. Ten cents more athe machine is hot under my hands.It's quiet where I stand, on linoleum populated by people who love someone else far away. They're all taway like fishing lures, pulled in their own inscrutable dances. I don't dance, though, never could. I've alway

been too heavy for that line, not well enough tied to stay in one piece. I'm jealous of them, of their little dancI'm not sure they know, but if they do I think it makes them a little bit happy to know that I'm watching themthrough the back of my head and a little bit hating them.The machine has left brown tracks on the floor like drawings of tubes where it has been pushed back anforth just a few inches. I've always wondered at the hideousness of such things - little brown tracks marringa floor swept to a modicum of cleanliness. The floor probably hasn't actually been clean in years... there's nopoint. It's left to wallow in dirt because no one cares enough for it to make a difference, and rightly so - whywaste time scrubbing at a floor that, once clean, will only look worn? I suppose it makes sense, but it's still atragedy somehow.I would clean it, probably. I'd probably get fired for cleaning it, but then that's because their jobs arelines like any other, and I never could dance. I've been told that I never look like I'm doing anything, atwork. I suppose that's partly true - most of the time, when someone sees me, my brain is busy with somethincompletely other than work. I think people can detect that, that inattention to the task at hand.Ten more cents, and my heart copies over and over. I wonder who will find it. That's a statement, not aquestion. I wonder, who will find it? Now, there's a question. Yes, there's a question... it won't make any sensto anyone, not like this, but I think I like it this way. They can struggle to make out the image as they do theirdances, and I can invent fantasies of what they'll see. I can just picture them, twitching back and forth, holdina copy, wondering what the point is. And, really, that's the point.

Ten more cents. I see the pretty cashier behind me. She's twitching; I can see she's pulled, but she hidespretty well behind makeup and a too-tight ponytail that stretches her hair flat against her scalp. She's probabllike me, just a little less willing to let change happen. Her hair makes me decide that I don't like her.Music runs through my head, screaming, "...and you know that it won't last." It's really directed atsomeone else, so it doesn't bother me. "There's no happy endings, no happy endings..." it says, melancholy.That one bothers me; it rings too true.Ten more cents. The machine's drone has become a lullaby and I rock forward, my eyes fluttering. I fadein and out of sleep, standing there. I wonder, then, how long it has been since I've slept. The answer is probanothing so impressive. 12 hours, perhaps. I'm tired, nonetheless. It really has nothing to do with how muchsleep I get, or when. I don't know why I bother even thinking about that.I think of a girl I know... she doesn't dance quite right. There's more of her in her dance than she'd like mto think. The copy machine reminds me of her - wann, but inanimate. Not really there in any meaningful waybut warm to the touch.Ten more cents. The machine rocks back and forth, piling the paper with its black higher and higher. Theare rough lines appearing on the page, now. The printer is running out of toner. I'm out of dimes, anyway, sothink the relationship will end well. It shudders to a halt, and I walk away, out onto the shining wet pavementwith streetlights glaring from it. Industrial as it is, it will soon be as sanguine as Gettysburg. I wonder, what wthey see?

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; Solitude it,,Mo{c3 p_glgV:Jo,i

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11/54

Here I sit hours on end,yet time, it seems, will not bend.Ripples are few, the wind is slighton this pleasant, starry night.I've put on a leechthe way my father did teachin the youthful years of my past.Leaning back in my seatI made a fine cast,and it landed some thirff odd feet.Having rested the pole at a slightly steep angleI'm patiently watching the line as it dangles.I have no anchors, instead I driftamong the currents as they shift.This wonderful time of relaxationconsumes my mind with anticipation.Trees are calm, yet somehow they moveas nocfumal creafures come into their groove.The night is quiet, but mute it is not,and the coolness of air makes the water seem hot.On top of the pond is a blanket of fog,and through it I see the eyes of a frog,With a couple long croaks and a rather deep bellow.It seems to be clear that he's quite a large fellow.Bats are swooping all aroundwith silent wings and sonar sound.When I watch them I often wonder,"How do they not fly into each other?,'They zip through the air so quickly;If I were abatl'dget quite sickly.In space, beyond the skya satellite is seen orbiting by.Keeping its pace and traveling far,appearing to be a slow shooting star.My mind is astrayas the smell of fresh hayfills my nose, though a mile away.Crickets are singing,locusts are ringing,

Fishing in the NightDaniel I. Wiehe

and in the midst of my dreamingI am suddenly alerted,my attention diverted,as my pole leaves the boat with a splash.When heard the great noiseI sprang from my poiseand lunged toward the pole in a dash.Catching my rod, still barely in reach,the only sound heard is a loud gritty screech.It is that of my drag as I let the fish run.Reality sets in, the night's only begun.With the tightening of drag and jerk of the rodthe hook is set, and I pray, "Help me, God.,,The fight is on. I hold on tight.I begin to reel in, thanking God for the bite.The fish fights hard as it pulls and it tugs.The boat starts to move like a fairy as it chugs.Our struggle goes on for hours it seems.We fight as if on opposite teams.The fish is still going,yet I notice he's slowing,and question how I'm to land him.He's too big for my net,which I do not regret.It just causes somewhat of a problem.My only solution is the use of my hands.The pain I'll have to withstand.I bring him in close,reach to his nose,and, as hard as I can, grab him.He bites and he flopsand tears up my skinand its all I can do to handle him.My hands are in pain,blood throbbing my brain,but I don't think anything of it.I just had the night of my life,and man did I sure love it.

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A Great GlacierKeith McCrorey

Reaching OutMariah E. Walton

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I Fnends Ifscott lmall 1

I'm Addicted...lt's Just a CrushAndrea BrownI thought I had you out my system.I thought I was over you.My battle of withdrawal over.I thought I could walk by without the urge.The urge to take a hit.The urge to get that contact.I giggle, I grin.Ooo, Ineedahit.Give me what I need.What I want.My mind's in a tizzy.All disordered, unfocused.And you ain't even here.Man.......I think the Khronic got a hold of me

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Two Guys, a Girl, and a GraveyardSean Feeny

"Come on dude, I dare you!" exclaimed Dave, throwing an excited expression in my direction. The threeof us had a background in supernafural investigations, and none of us gave any authenticity to the variousclaims of demonic possession and spiritualist methods of contacting the departed. Still, the surreal effect of thecemetery had me freaked out."Nah man, that's crazy.""But, I dared you! You have to. What, are you scared or something?""Of course I'm not, but who knows what could happen! You saw all of the wild animals and such crawlingaround those woods earlier.""You two are such losers! Fine, why don't I do it? Isn't like anything is going to happen!" chimed inJessica, the one girl in our group.As glad as I was that I got out of the dare, I was somewhat worried about a chick going into those woodsalone. They're the same woods that the black phantom, Johnny, appeared out of nowhere to two men a whileback. But, those guys could have been drunk for all I know.Jessica started for the woods. "We'll be back here waiting for you, if you make it back that is," Davejokingly called out to her. Ignoring him, she continued her trek into the heart of the woods. Unsure of what

lay ahead of her, she moved quickly with heightened senses thanks to the mix of fear and adrenaline surgingthrough her body. Five minutes had nearly passed and she still had not came upon the babbling brook saidto bisect a grove of eerie sycamore trees that supposedly have cream-colored splotches on their trunks andbranches."Did you see that?" I asked Dave."See what?" he replied."I could swear that there was something over there, to my left!""Billy, how many times do I have to remind you not to let your imagination get the best of you! Chill out, Ididn't see anything."I was pretty bored just sitting there, waiting for Jessica to return. On the other hand, Dave seemed to beenjoying himself, perched atop a large gravestone. I had reminded him that doing so may invite bad karma his

way, but he didn't believe in that type of stuff. Suddenly, a flashlight zoomed in front of me in the air, and with ahigh pitched sound-not unlike one of those spinning fireworks-crashed into the marker that Dave was sitting on."Cut that out man!" he squelched."Dude, I didn't do anything." I calmly explained to him."Well then how'd that light just fly through the air? It didn't just grow legs and jump, now did it?"Craccck! The sound of twigs snapping in the woods under the weight of a person grabbed our attention.Soon appeared Jessica, holding in her hands the bark from a tree. Sure enough, it had a large bleached spot on it."Is this what you were looking for, guys?" she asked, handing me the peeling."Ha ha, you made it! So was it really there?" questioned Dave."Was what there?""The grove, man! How many had those spots?""Oh, just the two mentioned in that Indian lore.""Anything happen when you pulled the stuff off?""Nothing like in those stories, that's for sure! Nah, didn't anything happen except that I heard some wolveshowling in the distance while I was doing it.""That's strange; we didn't hear anything back here!"An enormous gust of wind swiftly came down out of the trees and knocked Dave and me to the ground.Then, just as speedily as it had blown, it dissipated. Jessica just stood there, staring fixedly off into the distance."What the heck? You alright, dude?" I inquired to Dave."Yeah, just fine." We got up and brushed ourselves off. It was then that we noticed that Jessica had notbeen knocked down in the same manner as we had been.

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"What are you staring at?" She seemed to be in some sort of trance-like state, and Dave was unable to gher out of it. "Hey! I'm talking to you!" He paused, wondering what he should do next. "Well, forget you theBilly, go bring the video equipment over here. I want to get a shot of her like this!"As I went to grab the camcorder, Dave ran to the car to get a new roll of film. It was a small handheld tyon a tripod, so it wasn't too much work moving it over for a shot of Jessica. I set it up, turned it on, and flippeout the LCD screen. The preview image wasn't exactly how it should have been. I shifted my hand back andforth in front of the lens, and sure enough it showed up."Stay there for just one minute, ok?" I said out loud, pointing towards Jessica. I then began to walk to thgravel area where we parked the car. "Dave! Come quick, where are you?""Over here, man! Be quiet for a second, will ya? I thought I heard something in this direction.""Nah man, come check this out! Jessica is making like a vampire on film!""Say what?""Yeah, check it out for yourself!" I led him back over to the cemetery."Oh great job, dude, where'd she go?" Jessica was nowhere to be found. I searched around the place andfound her beloved necklace, the one that she wore everyday for good luck, lying on the ground a few feet frowhere she was last seen standing."Ohhh man, this isn't good! Maybe she's just playing a prank on us. Ha, very fuotry, Jessica! You can coout now!" I called out with a tremor to my voice. No reply.

Several days had passed and Jessica still had not shown up. Her parents filed a missing person reportwith the local police department. Dave and I both felt extremely rotten for being the ones responsible for herdisappearance. After all, if we hadn't taken her out there with us she wouldn't have gone missing in the firstplace!"You know what, Billy?" questioned Dave."What?""I looked over my files on the sycamore tree legend again, and it seems like this has happened before.""What do you mean?""Well, one of the legends on the pioneer folk who tried to cut the tree down, but only managed to cut offportion of it, the guy tumed up dead weeks later in the stream near the tree.""And you think that might have happened to Jessica?""Hey, who knows? I don't think the cops have checked that creek yet.""Well let's hope you're wrong!"He wasn't. The next day the police came knocking at our door, demanding to see the footage of that nighWe had looked over it a bunch of times, but every time it seemed like she was in one frame one second and thin the next frame she was gone! After the film came back from their crime lab, they arrested both of us. We wcharged with homicide.They played back the film for us. It was totally unreal; it showed stuff that it didn't when we looked it ovat my house. It showed Jessica talking the whole time, not frozen in space like she was when we last saw her.showed me threatening her, and then going to get Dave. It showed us coming back with not a new roll of filmbut rather a long butcher knife. Then it showed us slowly torturing her, cutting her here and there until she fescreaming and pleading for her life. The curse of the sycamore tree had struck again.

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i sno*-cou.rro-eran.h* lI l.nr.y r.*.ay I

lncueouCto segovi-lI Katie Bumgadner__J


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Hidden ViewCharles Walls

Juvenile DelinquentJohn Beety

I am the broken televisionin the recreation room.For more than a year, no onehas seen anything in me.

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Hygiene (A Roommate's Plea)Nathan Long

Pick up your clothes and wash them please.I've already used five cans ofFebreze.Brush your teeth and comb your hair.And put on some fresh clean underwear.Take a shower to kill the growing mold.I think I need to call animal control.I'm not your maid and you're mommy's not here,To give you a bath and wash behind the ears.Your clothes have amassed into a large smelly tower.It's about time you leamed how to shower.Don't you care that you're smelled before you're seen?A11I'm asking is for a little hygiene.Your bodily odor fills the air.You smell worse than the cows down at the fair.Please wear deodorant each and every day.That will definitely help to keep the flies away.This is quite serious, it isn't a joke.Can somebody please get this man some soap?All I want is fresh air to breathe,And to not have to worry about getting a disease.Wash your clothes and make yourself clean.Please learn the concept ofpersonal hygiene.

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Ground VieMonica DeFa

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your sentenceCameron Husk

you, fair little onehave been sentenced this weakness will draw out your flawto a lifetime afatal weakness, incompletenessof sorrow and heartache and leave you to the mercyfor crimes of the eaters of menyou have yet to commit here, there be lions(but mustl) and no pity for the likes of you(such desperationl)someday this is where your true trial shall beginlong from now at the fringes ofyour soulbut someday and in the center of your hearlyou will commit sins this is where the battle shall be foughtand crimes of passion where your hope and resolvein the name of love are your only defense(glorious love!) against the ravages of those crimes committedand you must pay and that emptiness that drove you to themfor your passions

and long from nowin the heat of the moment when your trial is overyou will misjudge lost or wonand for this you shall find releaseyou stand judged, yourself final release from your prison wallsaccused of humanity with their spiny wiresyou may make no defense you will find that which drove youyour accuser is undeniable through the very pits of Hellyour own nature bears witness or you will be granted

a sweet reprievethere will come a time to the peace of forgotten timewhen you will trade everythingfor a chance to lose that ache but, until thenforever nipping at your heels steel yourself, childas your run headlong to your ends you must eam the right of trialand in this chase through your endless nightsyou will blunder gravely and countless deathsfinding yourself victim to lies you must prepare for the war within youand your own delusions and an eternitybut there is no escaping guilt spent a prisoneryour broken heart condemns you to that hungry void inside you

that may only be filledyou shall be punished at the perilfor believing in nature, love of your soul!(blasphemy!)behind those babe eyes ofyoursthe seeds of dreams lie in waitwaiting for their chance to bloomand draw you into that madnessthat all lovers sufferit is this madness that will drive youto commit your deedsand make your mistakes

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BedsheetsMark MinsterIt isn't only Halloween-bedsheetsare always for ghosts. We just don't see it,blind as we are, busy clawing each other.They crave sweat, the salt that makes them everthirstier. We notice their true form onlywhen we furn them out to wash, exposingstains of the undead, fathoming the ghastly,wishing-well depths of pillowcases.My own sheets are more Marley than Casper,recently-deceased wronged business parbrersI hold close when I see them-the way a tricksterholds his rivals close: think Jacob at the stonepillow of his altar wrestling the godwho smote his thigh; think Odysseus onthe neck of fickle Proteus, whose gamewas to change his way out of all holding.At night my sheets are evanescent asalbumen prints of maidens: if I don'thold them carefully they will fade, their shapessuggested by their absence, but evenif I hold them-carefully or not-they leave,silent as linens heaped on the floor at night.

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lfeel...Andrea Brown

I can't explain what I'm feeling.All I know is that I'm feelingEmpty and incomplete. I'm feelingAlone and isolated. I'm feelingTired and drained. I'm feelingUgly. Just ugly.

SenexJohn Beety

The spectacles before him magnifyThe spectacles beyond his bedroom wallAnd let him see what life could best denyTo this enfeebled man. The darkened hallIs host to trophies and necessities:Nine buckles and a hat from lesser days,A walking-stick of whittled memories,The distant mirror reflecting fading rays,The frame and glass. The ganders through the snowReveal a sweeping spread of paint-pot signsWhich decorate the park. The streetlights glow,Illuminating urban jungle vines.They let his room defy the winter's lawAnd consecrate a scene he never saw.

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SerenityMonica DeFazzio

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I Become Very DepressedDavid KellerI was sittingata table by myself in the cafeteria. My plate was empty. My cup contained Pepsi- I sat thereslowly drinking my Pepsi. There was an attractive girl sitting alone at a nearby table. Her plate was full. Hercup contained water. I watched her eat her lunch. She made no eye contact with me. I continued watching her,paying attention to every detail. She then made eye contact with me. A moment later, she was sitting acrossfrom me at my table."I figured you were leaving" she said."I usually sit in the cafeteria for a long time" I said."Because you have nothing better to do?""Yes. If I leave, I'll just be sitting in my room doing nothing. I don't like my room. I would rather sit in thecafeteria doing nothing.""I always find it awkward sitting by people who look like they are about to leave. Because they probably wantto leave, but they won't once you sit with them because now they feel obligated to talk to you.""I find most cafeteria sifuations very awkward. Like when you see somebody you know sitting alone, do you siwith them? Because if you do, you might be taking a seat that was reserved for their friend. And then they aremad at you, but of course they won't tell you to leave. And then the whole situation is just plain awkward."We sat in silence for a minute as she finished eating her food."You can leave anytime you want" she said."There's really no point for me to leave" I said. "I really have nothing better to do. I like watching people inthe cafeteria. I'll leave when you leave.""But now there might be awkwardness if you finish your drink before I finish mine. Because then you will justbe sitting there watching me finish my drink. We'll have to finish our drinks at the same time to avoid the awk-wardness.""Okay, I'll only take a sip when you take a sip.""But your drink is carbonated. Mine isn't. Mine goes down smoother.""But my drink tastes betteq so I have more incentive to drink quickly.""The situation is going to be awkward anyway since now we're aware that we have to finish our drinks at thesame time.""Then we have to stop talking about it."At that moment I realized just how pointless my entire existence was.

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raising the aerialinto the night's skyand flicking cold switchesbringing my board aglowto humming lifeturning the clicking dialsto frequencies unknowntheir resonances finding homesin the waves through the airthrough the endless bandsof empty statichissing through my headsetmy hands work the controlsseeking meaningthenin the silence of dead airthe corner of neglecta forgotten banda voice called out, soft"is anybody out there?"that voice!so pureunnamed beauty lay hiddenon the quivering wavelengthsof magnetic tranquilityhaving no transmittera soul trapped by wanti could only listen, raptto the outpourings of anothertrapped by other wants

the transmissionCameron Husk

for unknown hours, i listenedunmovingmoved only by the quiet desperationof that singular voicesharing its world with meevery word spokeneach syllable utteredrose and fell within melike the tides of springtaking me alongsidefor a night's travelsand when that nightwhich shall always be in my dreamscame to a close, at endsthat voice of beauty, wonderbid the world farewellsitting in the newborn silencethe quiet pervading alli whispered "farewell"myselfand the tears found meat lasti wept thennot for what i'd lostbut for what we'd all lostand never cared to knowi wept then, for my endofinnocenceand hope

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I the Shaded loweri Charles Walls

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f-------- -*-*-**tiThe Face of the NewAfricaii s"ott Smalli --_**-_*____ -_ _

iTaxi at the Speed of Lightli lim Sedoff iL__*_____-__*__**_ -___* -_-,_ _ !

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Time-Lapse Tail LightsJeffrev Kenned

Gran Sierra NevadaKatie Bumgadner


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jSnow in the Swiss AL--*5lrLY:gPrL

1 the ryh;d-- iI Sean Feeney i

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Winter On My HeartRichard Hulsman

'TWas long ago last shone the glow of spring sun's warm embraceToo long have I been forced to lie imprisoned in this placeA breath I take, each move I make spikes pain down to the boneMy conscience tums, my soul now burns from knowing I'm aloneI stay and ponder, sigh and wonder how this came to pass,whilst every breath reminds me of death and shows upon the glassThe fading sun, its course now run, sinks low unto the earth,whom silence keeps, and barren, sleeps, and gives the orb its berthThe twilight fades as in the shades and shadows all aroundmy bare soul cries, lost spirits rise once more without a soundThe dry air chill, and yet no thrill it brings my numbdd skinI want to fight the dark of night, but in the end, give in

The Heart ls A SafeMark MinsterThe heart is a safe and in the heartis a safe and in that safe is anotherwith a heart in it. And in that innersafed-up heart is a key- which, if youthink about it, is really stupid: keepingkeys inside safes: you have to be insideto get inside, but if you're alreadyinside, you have to get out to get out.It's like an Escher on the inside ofa t-shirt: staircases keep leading upand out of here, only to go farther downand further in. And no, they will neverfind you in there, whoever "they" are.It's the last place they'd think to look.

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Darlin You're GorgeousDaniel I. Wiehe['ve seen God's mountains, plains, and scenic terrains;Admired his countless stars, sunsets, and autumn trees;And witnessed the vibrant life of the sea,But nothing I've seen yet compares to your beauty'The Northern Lights are brilliant and flowers are pretty too,But God gave his all when he created youYes, nothing I've seen yet compares to your beauty'Darlin you're prettier than pretty,A rose among tuliPs,A step above beautiful;Darlin you're gorgeous to me.

while cosmetically engineered celebrities all get perfect 10'sYou're the infinite number that can't be reached, topping all of them.You are God's human angle, it seems to me;Nothing on earth comes close to your beauty'No butterfly's final stage or art from any age,No horse of finest bread or blossom of any seedCould possibly come close to your beauty'Darlin you're Prettier than PrettY,A rose among tuliPs,A step above beautiful;Darlin you're gorgeous to me.It can't be said what exactly it is that twinkles in your eyes'Like a star it's mysterious, like a diamond it deflnes light and color,And like both it sparkles like the sunlight on a ripple of water.All the same it shows others your love thus giving the edge to your beauty'Your mouth speaks from the tongue, simple and unsure;But your eyes speak from the heart, honest and pure'youi looks are real, your love is true and that is the edge to your beauty.Darlin you're prettier than PrettY,A rose among tuliPs,A step above beautiful;Darlin you're gorgeous to me.

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StoopgallantJohn Beety

A moming of interrogation, three knife fights in three different tavems, and one dead daughter later, Paratalwas broken. He slumped down the wall, rumpling his once impeccably neat uniform as his body listed. He cov-ered his old-copper face with his hands; the left side was cold in commiseration with that palm, and the right sideburned, smothered by the prickly wool of his glove. Through open eyes and spread fingers, he stared at the amberpin in his wife's dark brown hair. She was seated at the kitchen table, head bent. Long, thin braids spilled over herarms, limp and exhausted as she.

Paratal waited. He heard no sobs and saw no tears. She had known the news far longer. Perhaps all her cryinghad been private. If he looked in their bedroom, he might find a puddle or one that had dried. Perhaps a world ofsalt had sprung from her anguish. Paratalbraced himself against the oak paneling and stood uneasily. He steppedover a toy and into the hallway.

The officer brushed anthracite strands of hair out of his eyes. He pressed a gloved fist into his forehead, eagerfor something to think about besides his daughter. He found one of the white straps holding his armor in place. Hewas home, so he should take offhis uniform. His chest and back plates came off, the white straps between themno longer indenting his shoulders. He dropped the plates in the middle of the hallway, letting them clank againstone another. Next came his forearms. He let the vambraces slide to his wrists and fall from his fingers after a slighthesitation. More calmly, he undid the simple lacing on his cuisses and tossed them into the pile. He stared at theheap of armor, wondering why he should clean it up at a time like this, but he thought better of it and rearrangedthe cuisses, setting them side by side, in state funeral method. "No!"His wife turned. "What is it?"

P aratal stammered. "Nothing, nothing. "It was his liar's voice he heard. She too had that sort of voice, though it was one Paratal had never heard;everyone had that sort of voice, usually at the beginning of an interrogation. She wandered to the sink and beganwashing one of the good dishes.

Satisfied that his wife was not going to ask questions, Paratal continued his subtle rearrangements. He un-twisted the straps between the major plates and tied them properly. Paratal reached down to his shins. He graspedthe strap to his left greave in his hand. He cinched the strap tightly, letting the white band bite into his calf. Snort-ing with contempt at feeling pain, he let the strap out slowly. He continued to untie the light shin guards, settingthem gently in their proper places. He pulled offhis blue glove and laid it to his left, beneath the vambrace.

Something was missing.Paratal stepped back, put his hand on his hip, and found the offender. He lookeddown and slowly undid his dress belt, letting it hang limply in his hand. He refastened the belt's clasp and knelt toplace it, shifting the pendant plate to be in line with the rest of the arrnor before him. Paratal nodded, stepping tothe left to review from that side.

Paratal took a deep breath and stomped with his heel, punishing the floor between the chest plate and his belt.Nausea choked him and he dropped to one knee, rocking his foot forward and planting it more firmly. Paratal slow-ly eased his stomach into a shaky half-peace. He turned his head and let his eyes follow an imaginary line bisectingthe largest silvery plate, running up to the indentation for his neck. He thought of his own head in the empty space.His imaginary body filled out the armor, consuming his shoe. Paratal sprang back, reaching for the baton he alwaysleft at the station.

He turned to his wife, who must have been watching a while. "I think I need some time alone."She shook her head. Paratal took three steps and stumbled. Shaking his head, he shadow-stepped the first

three moves of the basic officer's dress march before he let himself continue. He tumed to the right and pushedopen the door to his daughter's room. His wife let him disappear, something Paratal could not have anticipated.

Paratal tread lightly in his daughter's room, as if she were there, asleep. Paratal crouched beside her bed,unsure. Apause, and he straightened on his knees. He laid his hand on the pillow gingerly. His hand fell below hisrvaist. Paratalhad a hard time reminding himself of how tiny and fragile his daughter was.

Was...he wanted her to be there, sitting up and waiting for her nightly story or bouncing up to him as hervalked through the entrance. He blinked twice. Paratal stared wearily at the far wall. There, above the toy chest,next to her favorite doll's head, the wall bluned. It popped out into a few motes of light, starkly white. They


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twirled and coalesced into a girl's face, bouncing and bobbing slightly. Tiny comets from the motes congeinto a trailing dress. It shifted with the motions of running knees.paratal stretched his arms, ready for his daughter. His arms closed around empty air; his body shifted toabsorb the momentum of a body which never *ur. H. pitched forward too far. He found himself sprawled on tbed, hands clasped beneath his body. Under his breath, Paratal cursed his lying eyes. He immediately followedwith an outspoken prayer of regret.

The trash was imprisoned now. paratalbegan a fresh round of curses, launched at the man, his parents, hilife, and anything he had ever done. How dare he steal another's daughter? Paratal threw away the last of his cposure and cried. He had no strength to move. This was not what he was supposed to be doing. He was supposlo be relaxing no% smiling and happy, playing with his daughter.paratalshook his head and chided himseif for his selfishness. He did not have a daughter anymore' but hehad a wife who needed him. He pushed himself offhis daughter's bed and turned to the door. How much had sheard? A petite shadow swept across the floor as its mistress stepped slowly into the room. Her green eyes lookhim up and down, noting the tousled blue uniform and his sweat-soaked hair with inappropriate satisfaction' Hwould not walk out the Joor in the morning until every line was straight and every detail perfect.

He had met her at a city dance. severaliunior officers were assigned to the security detail, though they wmore ceremonial than anything and seemed to have been selected for their looks above all else. Soon enough,dance turned into an i-pio-pto fundraiser for the city's orphanage as young ladies and their families paid fordance with an officer. parataf grinned as the lines for the other officers grew; he was a dangerous choice and ifgirls did not know that, their plrents did. Befween musical numbers, he commiserated with Diestal, who suffethe dual curses of low stamina and high charisma. The lead officer signaled subtly. Someone wanted to dancehim?

He tried to look her in the eye, but only managed to stare at the part in her hair before the first notes. Parabegan slowly, perfect as a metronome. Then ,u-. ih. second movement. while the other police complimentedand envied his moves, they never had to dance with him. The girls in line giggled and whispered, wondering hmuch of a disaster this would be.Meanwhile, paratal,s dancer whirled with him, matching every shift in tempo. As their heads snapped inposite directions, their eyes met briefly, and his glove tightened around her hand. His steps turned to leaps' othcouples stopped their dances and moved to the side, unsure of the duo's next move. They watched a hybrid daand duel, with neither side surrendering.At last, the band wound down, forcing a truce. Paratal was left panting, hair disheveled and certain platesaskew. The young woman was also breathirg heavily, but she was not quite as winded. She smiled and laid aon Paratal's shoulder."I think you might be worth another dance."

Paratalhalf-crouched, hands on his knees. "Next time...I win."She waltzed back to the officer who held the orphanage's jar'With her gone, paratal shook his head. "I wonder how well she cooks." He bent his head and found a sm

scrap of cloth on the tip of one plate. He plucked it from the armor and passed it to the young lady' "I think yosomething.

She took the swatch and tucked it in her pocket. She smiled. "The band is starting again. Shall we?"Paratalgrirrned and offered her a gloved hand. "It depends. Are you ready?"She started the dance without him.She took paratal,s hands, the bare left and bare right. He offered no resistance. She slid her right foot acr

the floor and returned it. paratal's gazewas empty. She shifted her foot, dragging it across her husband's' Stildid nothing. She pried her toe beneath his, easing his foot onto hers. She moved with a deliberate step, forcingstep as well. He lowered his eyes to the floor, and he watched her step back. Paratal lifted his foot from his wand made his second move, lining himself up for the third and fourth.

She danced and he followed, star and pianet. Parataldrew closer to his cynosure, intemrpting their danclift her offher feet. They fell on the bed, a soft hug surrounded by a forged embrace. At last, he let go' with oafin as a pillow, he gave in to his exhaustion.

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Midnight on the Grand CanalScott Small

At the AquariumMonica DeFazzio

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f R.ry -lI Mariah Walton

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Leaving Ninety-NineScott Small

Nostalgia, the EditorJohn Beety

Sitting down in a sock-hop diner,Listening to songs from a decade later:The waitress coming around the corneqHer skin the color of the malt in my order.

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All ln A Day's WorkSean Feeney

"I received a call," announced Lennox Ward over the phone, "from a gentleman in Trumbull County."There was a feverish excitement in his voice as he related the details of the case to fellow paranorrnal researcEric Youngston. "He awoke last night to a peculiar smell in the air, and walked outside to check on his crops.What he found was...""Let me guess," intemrpted Eric groggily, "a crop circle?""Even more interesting than that! As he walked outside, he claimed to have seen a 'ball of light,'orangewhite in color, hovering above his corn field. By the time he reached the crops, it was gone. After a quick glaover of his crops, he decided nothing of it and went back inside and retired once again for the night.""Ball lightning?""It would seem like it, except when he went out into the fields the next day he found a large patch of hiscom flattened in a circular pattem.""Have there been any reports of crop circles appearing in that county in the past ten years?""Not that I am aware of, but if you remember the sci-fi network filmed a special about crop circles in Oha year or two ago and a few years back Trumbull County was the scene of a pretty big UFO incident that I ditelevision special on. If you're up for it, I think we should go check it out."

Wasting no time, Eric got dressed and headed out the door to meet up with Lennox at the local McDonafor breakfast."So tell me about this guy. What did you find out from the initial contact?" asked Eric while they stoodline to order the usual sausage biscuit and hash browns that they both ordered whenever leaving this early tocheck out a case."Well his name is Jacob Cropper, and he lives on a small farm in rural Trumbull County, Ohio. He onlyhas a high school diploma, but he has taken a few classes at the local community college in different aspectsagriculture.""That's a new one on me; I didn't know they taught classes on how to milk cows!"

They both laughed. Lennox continued, "Yea, neither did I until this Cropper guy came along! But for rehe doesn't have any cows on his farm, mostly just corn and a few small patches of wheat. As far as pets go, hhas one golden retriever and a cat that sleeps out in the barn.""What details did he give you over the phone before you asked to schedule an interview?""He related his story in full, from the time he woke up to the time he went back to sleep, and then how hcame across the flattened patch of com the next day.""And when did this all supposedly happen?""Two nights ago, so he found the crop circle yesterday.""Did he call it a crop circle?""No, he said that he had never heard of a 'crop circle'until I mentioned the term to him.""You mentioned the term to him?""Yea, it just sort of slipped out."

"Oh well, lets just get up there and sort this out before his memory gets foggy."Rather than take both cars, Eric hopped in the passenger seat of Lennox's dusty black SUV and out theyto interview Mr. Jacob Cropper, the informant and witness of the case.Eric handed his cell phone to Lennox. "Call the witness and let him know we're on our way.""Don't you just hate people driving cars and talking on cell phones at the same time?" Lennox joshed Ewith a grin on his face as he dialed up Cropper on the phone."Hello?" Jacob generically answered the phone."Hey Jacob this is Lennox, we're on the highway right now.""Oh, are you on your way up here?""Y.p, we sure are! Are you going to be home?"

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"Yes I am, but uh, I'11 be out in the fields by the time you get here.""That's okay; we'll honk the horn when we reach your house.""Sounds good to me! See ya."Lennox handed the phone back to Eric."What did he say?" Eric asked."He'll be there." Lennox replied.The trip to Jacob Cropper's farm was interminable and tiresome. After the highway came over an hour of

navigating long, twisting country roads with houses spread out so far apartthat at times you could get lost in between never ending fields of com, wheat, tobacco and every other type of crop that anyone could ever imagine.

Upon reaching Cropper's farmhouse Lennox honked the horn and the two investigators exited the SUV.Due to the black color and the massive size of the vehicle, they gave off a sort of Men in Black feeling as theywalked away from the car and towards the porch. Although they had already decided on which person wouldframe the questions and which one would take note of the environment and emotional reactions of the witness,both noticed the striking appearance of the house. It seemed like it had came right off of one of those black andwhite television sitcoms: it was built of wood with panel siding and was painted a light blue, although not muchof the color showed through because of the extensive weathering that had caused a peeling of the paint, withchips of it falling off as they walked up the porch and knocked on door of the building. There was no answer,and from looking through the broken screen door they could see no one inside. They wondered if they had beenset up.Then the rumble of a tractor engine shutting off was heard and from around the corner of the building camthe elusive Jacob Cropper. They kept their introductions short. Jacob opened the door for them and noticingtheir apparent thirst, offered them each a glass of water and ushered them into the living room. Eric and Lennoxsat on the tattered, yellow couch while Jacob sat down in his wooden rocking chair. The house creaked as henervously rocked back and forth so loudly that it seemed as if the entire structure would collapse. Lennox pulleout his clipboard and began the interrogation."Before we begin, I would like to go over a few things to prevent you from forming unrealistic expecta-tions about why we're here and what will be done with the information you give us," Lennox stated, in analmost robotic, monotone voice. Jacob nodded for him to continue. "First off, I'd like to ask your permission tovideotape this interview. We run a non-profit cable access television show about the paranormal, and would liketo feature your story on it, if everything checks out. If you're uncomfortable behind the video camera, we couldalways use a tape recorder instead, but that is entirely up to you.""The video camera is fine," answered Jacob. Lennox motioned for Eric to set up the equipment and beginrolling."Everything you say here today will be kept strictly confidential except for what you give us permissionfor to be made public. Is there anything that you would not like to be made public?""I don't reckon so. You can use all of it as you see fit.""Alright, next you need to be made aware of the fact that we are only investigators, nothing more. We arenot here to make anything go away; we're just here to research the facts in the hopes of one day finally under-standing it."

"Well, I just want my story to be told and I don't figure I'll be needin' an exorcist!" laughed Jacob."Okay, good, now that we got all that out of the way lets get this thing started!" Lennox shifted in his seatand started the actual questioning part of the interview.

"Please explain for us, in as much detail as possible, what happened.""Just like I said over the phone, I woke up the other night and smelled something strange in the air. I

couldn't quite put my finger on what it was so I decided to get out of bed and go have a look out the windowto see if I could spy what was creating that god awful smell. When I looked out the window, I could see a lightoff in the distance. I couldn't tell if it was a flash light or what because it was down below the crops. I couldn'timagine someone out there going through my fields that late at night, especially this far out from the main roadso I put on my boots and went outside."When I got out onto my front porch, I hollered to see if I could get a response from whoever it was. The

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light just kept on moving, like the person hadn't heard me. So I came off my porch and started towardcrops. Just as I made it a few feet into the field, I could see the light start moving upwards. It didn't stop eIt kept on rising up, and up, and up until I couldn't see it no more. I swear that thing had to go up into orbithe rate it was goin'! So there I was, standing in the middle of my com field at3am in the morning, standinawe of what I had just seen, and realizingthat it wasn't no person that had that light. The light wasn't a flalight, it was way too big. And even if it was a flashlight, there ain't no one I know of that could throw onethat high and not have it come back down!"So anyways, I went on further into the crops to check if anyone was there, and sure enough there waso I went on back inside and crawled back into bed. But it doesn't just end there. The next day, yesterday texact, I went about my day as usual, figuring it wasn't nothing more than swamp gas or whatever ya'll usuexplain those strange things away as, until I got out on my tractor and noticed some of the corn had fell ovtowards where that light was. I jumped off the tractor and walked over to it to see what the damage was anbe damned if that patch of corn wasn't clear fell over in this big ol'round circle! So I ran back inside and cup my neighbor to see if he had noticed anything strange the night before or if anything had happened to hcrops, but of course he hadn't seen anything. I asked him to get on that newfangled net thing that he had ofancy typin'machine of his and look up a good UFO person in the Queen City that might be able to help mwith this, and of course he had a good hee-haw about it but he called me back later that day with your numand here we are."

Going through the notes he had taken, Lennox went back over each detail of the case with the witness"What would you say that the odor smelled like that you woke up to?""I couldn't figure it out at the time, but after thinking about it for a while I would say it smelled like thsulfur chemical that we used back in high school chemistry class.""Could you describe the light in more detail?""I didn't get too good a view of it while it was down low behind the crops, but as it rose up I could sepretty well. It was mainly white in color, but there was definitely a shade or two of orange in there.""How big would you say it was?""At least a good five feet across, slightly smaller up and down.""How'd you come to this estimate?""Well, I counted about 10 stalks of corn from one side of the light to the other, and I plant my corn staabout half a foot from each other.""What shape was the light as you saw it leave the scene?""Ball shaped, but not quite a perfect sphere. It was sort of elongated, like an upside down hamburger b"What kind of movements did it make?""While it was in the field, it seemed to be going from right to left and then back again. It didn't reallyvery far vertically. But then when I started going towards it, that thing shot straight up like a rocket.""How big is the area where the crops are affected?""Much larger than the size of the ball of light, I'd say about 15 feet.""Did you come to this estimate the same way as the last?""Yes I did, by counting how many stalks of corn were flattened.""What was the weather like that night?"

"Clear, chilly. Just a typical April night.""What time was it again that you woke up and then saw the light?""I don't have any roosters so I keep an alarm clock on the nightstand next to my bed. I looked over atwhen I woke up and it was 3:11am. It probably took me no more than three or four minutes to get my bootsand walk outside, and another five before the thing took off on me, and then I was back in bed within the nten minutes following that.""So the entire event took place between 3: i lam and 3:30am?""Give or take a few minutes, yes.""Do you have any exterior lights that were on at the time that you saw it?""I have a porch light, and I tumed it on when I went outside, but I saw the light out in the field through-38-


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window before I even tumed the porch light on.""Had there been any storms in the areathat day?""No, we hadn't seen any rain since Monday, and this all occurred on Thursday.""You wouldn't happen to have any fault lines around here, would you?""Not that I'm aware of.""Are there any sources of water on your property?""There used to be an old well out back that my family used to use to get water, but now we get all our water from the city.""How about buried animals, have you recently found, lets say, a fox or field mouse and plowed over it?""I plow over field mice all the time and they probably get squished and covered over by the soil, but Ihaven't buried any dead animals in I can't remember how long.""lnsects? Have you had any trouble with flying insects lalely?""No, not really. I have a bug zapper out back that takes care of most of them.""You didn't mention your dog this whole time. What was his reaction to the light?""I keep him tied up out back, so I bet he didn't see the light. If he did, I didn't hear him howling or barkinor anything. It was a dead silent out there, which is strange, because there's usually a chorus of crickets and all

sorts of other night sounds.""Why don't we just head on out to the site?" Lennox concluded the interview and decided to go ahead anvisit the area of the sighting. Eric packed up the camera equipment and pulled a smaller handheld video cameraout of his bag. He handed the digital still camera to Lennox.

Jacob led them out the front door, down the porch steps and towards the crops on the left side of the roadleading to the house."'Wow, I never thought I'd actually get to see a crop circle!" Eric exclaimed to Lennox, keeping his voicelow so that Jacob wouldn't hear him. He didn't want to suggest anything to him, especially after the recent rasof crop circle related movies and television specials."It's right up here," Jacob pointed out. Eric and Lennox moved slightly forward of Jacob, hoping to catchtheir first glimpse of it. They could see nothing but more crops, standing up perfectly straight like the rest of thcom in the field."Hmm, that's strange. I could have sworn it was over here!" Jacob confusedly told the two."Maybe you won't get to see one," Lennox said to Eric, halfjokingly. Jacob led them around the field afew times, trying to retrace his steps from the night of the incident. He didn't find what he was looking for.

None of them expected what they would find in its place."Oh man!" Lennox blurted out as they stood staring at what lay before them. Jacob remained motion-less, seemingly frozen. He was silent. Eric leaned down to examine the scene closely. There was no blood, butJacob's dog was on the ground, cleanly chopped to pieces under a blanket of corn stalks. Eric moved the videocamera in close on the com where it was bent."I didn't know com could bend like this," he mentioned, staying off the topic of the dog, hoping not to offend Jacob."It can't," replied Jacob, still not moving from the spot at which he stood. "I've nev'r seen a stalk o' corndo that. It would break long 'fore it would bend even half way like that.""It's not arranged in a circle anymore," contributed Lennox, "it actually looks more like a line, or maybeeven an arrow.""And it's pointing right towards the woods at the edge of your property, Mr. Cropper," added Eric."Now don't come to conclusions too soon, Eric," warned Lennox.

Just at that instant an object moved from one side of the tree line to another, catching the attention of thegroup.

"Whoa, what was that?" blurted out Lennox, a tinge of surprise in his tone."Skkkkkkkksssssss!" a loud hissing noise was heard emanating from the woods."Lucy!" yelled Jacob as he took off towards the sound. Eric and Lennox followed behind at a distance, buall three were stopped dead in their tracks as a lifeless gray-colored animal came flying at them from ten feet in-39-


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the air. It landed at the edge of the woods."Oh Lucy ... what did you get yourself into this time?" cooed Jacob as he scooped his cat up into his aGasping, he dropped the cat and stumbled backwards, allowing Eric to get a good view of the scene."Jesus Christ!" exclaimed Eric as he zoomed the camera in on the carcass. Two round, empty sockets revealed that the cat was missing its eyes. Jacob got up off of the ground with a look of constemation on his fa"I don't know what on God's green earth could have done that but I bet it can't handle a twelve-gauge!The look of constemation had tumed into one of anger as Jacob started heading back towards the farmhousehis shotgun. Eric and Lennox began after him, but Eric paused when they reached the crop circle."{Jmm, do you think what he's doing is such a good idea?" Eric quietly asked Lennox."Do you want to go into those woods without something to protect yourself?""Good point.""This sure is getting weird though isn't it?""Yea,I don't know what to think about these mutilations. I mean no blood? Heck, look at that dog rightthere under the crops. There aren't even any bugs attacking it."The two investigators examined the circle in more detail while Jacob was off getting his gun."Wow, look at the nodes on the flattened crops and then look at the nodes on the undisturbed crops. Dosee what I see?" asked Eric."The nodes are elongated," confirmed Lennox. He got out his infrared thermometer and took readings iside and outside of the circle. "The affected crops are also twenty degrees wanner than the unaffected crops.Jacob retumed with a shotgun propped against his shoulder. "Alright, I'm gon'go head into them therewoods and anyone who wants to come with me is welcome to but it's at your own risk and I can't say whatmight happen to ye'."The three of them headed off into the woods, albeit for different reasons. Jacob was trying to hunt whateit was while Eric and Lennox were trying to document it. The brush was thicker than they anticipated."Man, I wish I wore boots today!" Eric complained, doing his best not to drop the video camera as hestruggled his way along."Yea, me toor" echoed Lennox.Jacob signaled for silence. He loaded his shotgun and started to look to his left, and then to his right. Erkept the camera pointed in the direction he was looking. Jacob saw nothing, but through the 3.5 inch LCD prview screen on the camera Eric could see a luminous figure near some trees in the distance."Check this out over there," Eric said, pointing to the screen. The next thing they knew Jacob's gun wasfloating out of his hands and towards the invisible form."Holy smokes!" blatted out the stunned farmer. It looked as if he wanted to run, but something within hcompelled him to stay."Hey guys," Eric intercalated, o'whatever that thing is, it's coming our way!,'A swishing sound was heard coming through the forest floor. From the direction of the figure a reverbertion of broken tree branches and sizzling bark broke out. An acute stench of singed wood caused the three ofthem to gag."Ball lightning!" exclaimed Eric as he leaned on a tree to steady his shot. Lennox and Jacob scattered toavoid coming into contact with the exotic phenomenon."It's heading towards the crops!" presumed Lennox. "Follow it! Keep rolling!" he ordered Eric as the thof them took off after the sphere of light. It began making irregular movements, not realll-dodging the trees bseemingly repelling off of them. Everyone kept back a good thirty feet to avoid the hear that it rvas giving off"Well look at that!" pondered Lennox. As the light approached the field, the com under it promptly fellover making a clean path for the investigators to follow. They didn't get to follow it for too long when it sud-denly exploded in a flash of brightness over a patch of wheat. Eric caught it all on film.Strangely though, after the flash faded the group found themselves in an all encompassing darkness. Theonly light remaining was from the stars intermittently shining through the clouds above."What time is it?" asked Eric. Jacob looked bewildered."11:30 PM?" Lennox replied awkwardly, staring at his watch.

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"What time did we enter the woods?""About 3:00 PM.""I could have sworn it was light out when we came out of the woods.""It was.""Then where have we been for the past eight and a half hours?"

770Andrea Brown

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How I Know She's The OneDaniel I. Wiehe

And how will I know if she's my wife to be?"She's the sunlight that beams down through a forest in Then, slightly recalling the advice of my father,the morning I gave it to him with what I had to offer.

The other night when out with a friendI was shot with one of those questions again.Why, without the hint of slight hesitationHe suddenly altered our fine conversation.As we spoke of his car and girls he had datedWe were laughing it up when he randomly stated"I've seen it on your face and read it in your actionsYou've apparently reached a sort of new satisfaction.Now, I know it's different for everyone,But how do you know that she's the one?I mean I know you've loved her for quite some timeBut you were always wound up and couldn't unwind.What is she that other girls are not?And don't just say you love her a lot."Then softly smiling I said to him"This is what she is my friend.

And as innocent as the fawn that sleeps in the leaves.She's as spirited as the song birds that wake bright andearlyAnd as mysterious as the owl that glides by at mid-night.She's as serious as the grizzly when it stands itsgroundAnd as gentle as the crocodile when it cares for itsyoung.That's why I love her, that's how I know,And that's why my love for her continues to grow."I will admit that I was slightly confused,As to why he would say that right out of the blue.The question he'd asked had made me concerned.Did I give the answer for which he had yeamed?And, what brought it up anyway?Then my friend proceeded to say,"I'm tired of getting caught up in lustful relations,When you think you're in love but it's infatuation.I think I've experienced it once or twiceBut, it always turned out far short of nice.We never grew, thus drifted apart,And I'm sick of getting a broken heart.What does she have that other girls do not?And don't say your love, I know that thought."Then gently grinning I answered again."This is what she has my friend.

She has a smile that calms thoughts and warmsskin,And eyes so deep in color I lose myself in them.She has class like no one else aroundAnd flaws that melt me to the ground.She's got character otherwise hard to find.And a heart that'll flat out blow your mind.She knows the Lord as do IAnd has been through times that'll make you cryThat's why I love her, that's how I know,And that's why my love for her continues to groHe then asked, "What can I do to find the one fo

"Stop looking. You'll find her when the time is dAnd she'll come along when you least expect heShe'll be the prettiest thing you've ever seen andyou to reality.You'll see her for sincere beauty instead of sexuOnce you've caught your breath you'll come to That she's the one you long to hold."He said he'd understood my passionAnd I finally answered his one last question,"What's so special, what does she do,How is she the one for you?"I said, "When you can make these words your oYou'll know for sure that she's the one.Her golden hair and emerald eyesBring light and color into my life.Her embarrassed giggle makes me cripple,And when she's flattered, I simply crumble.Yes, when she laughs it gives me chills,But when she cries it truly kills.I pray to God I'll never hurt her,Never lie, and never lose her.That's why I love heq that's how I know,And that's why my love for her continues to groGod knows I love her, my feelings true.And he certainly knows the one for you.

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St. Louis ArchChristina Davis

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Here's to You on Father's DayDaniel I. WieheHere's to you on Father's Day,

The one day ofthe yearThat's set aside for you to playWith loved ones that are near.On this day we celebrate

Great fathers just like youTo show that we appreciateAll the things you do.

Although you sometimes talk too long,The advice you give is never wrong.You sometimes get a bit too happy,But all you need is a little nappy.

Listening to the sennon todayI felt the need to sit and pray,To thank God for a spectacular dadThat others only wish they had.

I'm glad to haveTwo fathers who love me;The one aboveAnd the one beside me.

Now this is just a poem,So please don't shed a tear;Even though it's dedicatedTo the best dad of the year.

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Chicago RiverChristina Davis

SomedayCameron Husk

have you ever beento the marvelous land of Someday?the wonderland where everythingcan be found on its golden shoreswhere there is time for everythingand everything has its timewhere the weak are kingsand the strong arejust and goodthis is the land where thingsare as they should bewhere you can build with your handsall the dreams you dared dreamin Someday, we can all be happythis is where all the dark tunnelsfind their lightswhere lost souls find their purposewhere hopeless romantics find the salveto quit their bleeding heartsSomeday is that far-off horizonjust over the next hilljust beyond your strained sightthis is the land that all heartshold onto in their struggles"if i couldjust...""i'll make it, someday..."

Someday is the hope of every foolthinking that the answer alludes him justand that by running another daywill bring him closer to his aimhave you ever beento the marvelous land of Someday?i hear it's just beyond the next stretchor past the next hilljust over the horizon, see it?if one ever sfumbles upon its bordersthen theirs is the worldand all its treasures(but for us, for nowSomeday is our dream)but what of us if this dreamis only ever a dream?where do we run to, then?what if our graves greet us first?lying in wait, arms open wideto welcome us to the eternitywe didn't dream ofwhat then?

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AvilaKatie Bumgardner

HereAndrea Brown

It's so quiet here.Quiet and still here.Still it's peaceful here.Peaceful to be here.Be me, be you here.You feel lost here.Lost in thought here.Thought you'd stay here.Stay content here.Content to rest here.Rest by my side here.Side by side here.But you're not here.Not you when you're here.You're me in here.In there; Where?

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Center of the UniverseCameron Huskthere are somewho would have you believethat the center of the universeis a mountain in chinaperhaps these soulshowever devout in their wayshave never felt the sunshineof their child's warm smileor felt the bearing strengthof their child clutching a fingeror the peace and contentionof a sleeping soul upon their breast

there are somewho know so much betterthe center of all the worldslays not under our feetor in the skies above;it is found in the twinkleof your child's smiling eyes

Lady of LibertyJim Sedoff

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Driver's EducationJohn BeetyOn the film rhey played todayYou were yoked to "Fire and Rain.',I remember you at seventeenWhen maple cloyed your gall.At the second lecfureI saw you in the farthest row,Shrouded by projecror lightBut intent on your bodyAs you nodded your headTo a soft and rhythmic guitar.

PorchAndrea Brown


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Faces Cast ln Stone - Alamo HuecosMariah E Walton

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Ink Volume 4

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Transcript of Ink Volume 4