Amanda

Current Location: United States, Texas, Copperas Cove
Current Mood: amused
Current Music: Stairway to Heaven-Led Zeppelin

    Once upon a time there was a prince that never smiled. He had everything a prince could ever want but he still never smiled. Everyone could tell he was happy, but no smile they saw. One day, his mother, Queen Tanya, decided to ask why.  She found him in his princely bedroom reading one of his princely books.  "My dear son," she said, "why do you never smile?" The prince looked up from his book and said, "Oh mother, why does the sun not shine when it rains?" The queen was confused when he said this. "Because the clouds cover the sun, of course," she answered. The prince nodded. "Precisely," he said, and went back to his book. The queen, even more confused than before, turned and left the room, closing the door to that princely room behind her. Later that evening when the King, King Merton III, was done with his kingly duties, Queen Tanya told him about her son's strange reply. King Merton III was just as confused as she was. "I am not sure of what he means," he said. "I think I shall ask him again tomorrow why he never smiles before I must attend to my duties." The queen smiled. "Yes, I am sure he will answer you."
    The next morning, before the king had to attend to his kingly duties, he went to his son's princely room and saw the prince painting with his princely paint on a princely canvas and said, "Good morning, my son." The Prince placed his princely paint brush on his princely desk and turned to face his father. "Good morning, father." The king asked him, "Why do you never smile, my son?"  The prince was silent for a moment before answering, "Why does steam not escape a boiling pot in the kitchens, father?" The king was confused when he said this. "Because the cook covers the pot, of course," he answered. The prince nodded. "Precisely," he said, and went back to his princely painting. The king, even more confused than before, turned and left the princely room, closing the door to the princely room behind him.
When the king went to attend to his kingly duties, he told his adviser, Sir Parham, of his son's strange reply. Sir Parham was just as confused as he was. "I am not sure of what he means," he said. "I think I shall ask him this evening why he never smiles. King Merton III smiled. "Yes, I am sure he will answer you," he said.
    That evening Sir Parham went to the prince's princely room and found him sitting in his princely chair, staring out his princely window. "My prince," he said, "Why do you never smile?"  The prince looked away from his princely window and turned toward Sir Parham and said, "Sir Parham, why can one not see a masterpiece with a sheet over it?" Sir Parham was confused when he said this. "Because the sheet covers the masterpiece, of course," he answered. The prince nodded. "Precisely," he said, and went back to his princely window. Sir Parham, even more confused than before, turned and left the princely room, closing the door to the princely room behind him. The next morning, Sir Parham told his neice, Laraine, of the prince's strange reply. Laraine was just ans confused as he was. "I'm not sure of what he means," she said. "I think I shall ask him this afternoon why he never smiles after I have played my harp for the queen." Sir Parham smiled. "Yes, I am sure he will answer you," he said.
   The next afternoon, after Laraine had played her harp for the queen, she went to the prince's princely room and found him at his princely desk, writing on his princely paper. "My prince," she said, "Why do you never smile?" The prince looked up from his princely paper on his princely desk and turned to face her and had opened his mouth to speak but quickly closed it. Laraine stared at him in confusion. "My prince?" she asked. He blinked then once again opened his mouth to answer. "Why does one not see another's beauty?" he asked. His answer confused her even more. "I'm not sure, my prince," she answered. He smiled. "Because one must have covered it up," he answered. Laraine stared at him, shocked, for he had never smiled before. The prince stood up from his princely desk and took her hand and pressed it to his lips. "Just as you have not covered your beauty for me, I shall not cover my smile for you," he said. She smiled at him.
    A month later, Queen Tanya, King Merton III, and Sir Parham were all amazed to see the prince smiling at his princely wedding as he held hands with his princely wife, Laraine.


Author's Note: Just something that came to me while I was roasting marshmellows tonight. The end is a little rough, but I like it.

Current Location: United States, Texas, Copperas Cove
Current Mood: amused
Current Music: Daughters-John Meyer

It was ten o’clock at night, and our basement was flooding. It had been raining for hours and hours, and I knew the basement was going to flood. I warned my parents, but they just ignored me as usual. Sometimes I wish I could just hold my hand in their direction so they would start choking, or have them shipped as far away as possible, like to Pluto.

I rushed downstairs to get the laptop my dad left on the couch so it wouldn’t get ruined, because I would probably get blamed and he would go all polar bear on me and rip my head off, then get out his motorcycle and go for a ride to cool down. There was a bunch of my mom’s lipsticks on the floor down there, too. I wondered vaguely how they had gotten there as I picked them up knowing I would get in trouble for those as well.

Back up stairs I put dad’s computer on the counter then dumped mom’s lipsticks in the bathroom sink. I went down the hallway and knocked on their door, preparing to tell them about the flooding basement. I heard my mom call “come in” so I went in. My dad was passed out in his recliner and my mom was re-creating a Van Gogh painting, Starry Starry Night. “Why are you still awake?” she asked, “And why are your pants all wet?”

“Well, um, the basement is flooding,” I said. She just stared at me for a second. “What do you mean the basement is flooding?”

I rolled my eyes. “I mean the basement is flooding.”

Her eyes narrowed at me. “There’s no need to have an attitude with me, young lady.”

I threw my arms up. “Hello! The basement is flooding!”

She rolled her eyes back at me. “I’ll fix it in the morning. Now go to bed. I need to finish my painting.”

My parents really get on my nerves sometimes. I was thinking about throwing a fit but I figured it wasn’t worth the effort, so I just left the room and went to the linens closet to get some towels to put by the windows downstairs. I went back down and began stuffing towels anywhere water could possibly enter then mopped up the floor as best I could. I admired my handy work for a moment then went back upstairs to my room, hoping more rain wouldn’t leak in.

Current Location: United States, Texas, Copperas Cove
Current Mood: content
Current Music: Brick By Boring Brick-Paramore

       Alina drew the dark hood closer around her face as she hurried through the dark streets, trying to blend in with the shadows. She knew the pendant she clasped in her hand would protect her from any harm but she’d rather not have to use it. She came to a corner and paused, glancing around. When she was sure there was nothing waiting for her she darted around the corner and down the next street. Avoiding detection was crucial for survival. 

       As she hurried back to the safe house, she looked around and observed the ruins of this once great city sadly. The majestic buildings with their great spires were crumbling and covered in scorch marks and the cobblestone street had grass and weeds sprouting up through the cracks. She briefly closed her eyes and saw a vision of blooming trees, sparkling stain-glass windows, and laughing, happy people going about their business, but when she opened them again, all she saw was decay and despair. She shook her head to rid herself of such thoughts then turned down the alley that led to the safe house.

       The safe house was expertly hidden and none but the most trained eye could spot it. Even some of those who knew where it was had trouble finding it again if they went out. It looked like nothing of importance from the outside; a sheet of metal lying on the ground. There was a small hole in the surface of the metal that in which one could insert a key. When unlocked, one could open the metal like a door and be admitted into an underground tunnel. The sunlight was almost gone when Alina arrived at the door. She pulled a small key on a chain from around her neck and was in the process of inserting it into the hole when she heard a distant shriek. She glanced skyward then quickly opened the door and disappeared into the dark tunnel.