Next

So, I was thinking of what I would like to be in my next life. I don't really believe in any kind of after-death thing, I just kind of think it's all interesting. Anyway, I'm thinking "next-life" because I really doubt that I could be anything on the list now, since it's become apparent that I can't skate very well, or have the skills/talent/background for all the stuff on this list, for one thing. It's just fun to muse about. Or over? Here's my list:

An Ice Skater: Well, I was watching one of those ice skating competitions yesterday, and ice skating just looks really fun. You get to dance, spin, and slide at the same time. And while skating, all you have to do is push-off, and then you just whoosh through the rink without feeling tired at all. It's like running without having problems breathing.

A Singer: In a band too. Not just a lone singer, because that's not much fun. With a band, you get to spend time with your friends until you get sick of them. Or maybe I wouldn't like the band members and the only reason I was with them was because we made awesome music or something. Singing is fun, obviously. The only difference between singing and being a singer is that people have to actually like what you sing. You also have to be able to stand on a stage and sing in front of hundreds of people. So that just boots my entire potential singing career off my list. I can only hope that I'll be some fearless performer in my next life, because I'm tired of being quiet.

A NASA Computer Somebody: I don't want to be an astronaut. I can't imagine wanting to ever stay in a rocket going that fast off the face of the earth. I do want to try sitting on the moon though. I'd probably be the only one there, other than the other astronauts, so it's the perfect place to think, with the whole world around you. You do get to see space from the moon right? It's not like there are any clouds or atmo-strato-bio-etc. spheres around... Or are there? Anyway, the reason I'd like to be a NASA computer somebody is because it's such a cool job. I would look like I knew what I was doing all the time, and get to meet other NASA computer somebodies.

A Protagonist: Really, they get all the action. If you're a protagonist in a book, it's guaranteed that something interesting will happen to you in your life, and almost guaranteed that everyone will understand you. And satisfying endings are slightly more likely. Not in a horror novel though. Ooh, and if you happen to be put in a movie, songs will just start playing randomly, and life will have amazing lighting if you've got the director that made "The Devil Wears Prada".

A Lingualist - I'm not sure if that's a real word, but I'd love to know maybe, 15 languages and be able to communicate almost anywhere. It doesn't have to be a profession or anything, I'd just like to have the ability to understand that many languages. I imagine that I would know a lot more about everything. Since I'd know Latin as well as a bunch of old languages, I would be an excellent speller. I'd probably be able to mimic all kinds of accents, so I'd sound like I'd lived in New York or Europe or New Zealand all my life. That reminds me-

Maybe A Spy? - Or some undercover CIA person? It sounds fun and dangerous. I would be able to use my lingualist skills very well here. You know, I really don't think I need a very long explanation for this...

A Writer - It's fun, and you'd be able to tell a story and create characters of your own. And then maybe you could manipulate the reader to feel what you want them to feel. Wouldn't it be cool if one day you just walked by someone sitting in a cafe reading a book you wrote? Maybe then they would start sobbing because of some horrible plot twist that you put in the book. Or maybe they'd chuckle at a comical scene in the story. Unfortunately, I just can't seem to string interesting sentences together well enough to make a novel. I also don't have the ability to procure great adjectives and verbs, nor do I have the patience to go to the thesaurus every time I can't think of another word for "said". Oh well.

Actually, after the first few things on the list, I just started making them up as I went. I like them all though. I imagine all this while still being me, so it wouldn't work if I turn out to be a male australian lizard or something. I'd like to try being a bird once too. I just want to try flying. Maybe I can be a party animal sometime too.

Well, go ahead and make your own list! I want to know what you would like to be. There are no limits anyway.

(By the way, I'm listening to Syndicate by The Fray, and you should too, if you haven't already. It's a good song.)

Unfold

Unfold

The morning dust roamed over the clouds as the light set a color of molten orange to the sky. All previous tints of dark peeled away as warmth took over. Small birds flowed into the atmosphere, feathers trailing in golden dust.

One certain grackle was snoring against the pavement. The sudden warmth of the light woke him from his dreams, which often consisted of donuts and sprinkles. After adjusting to the bright light, he brushed off the shiny sparkles that coated his feathers and set off behind the other birds. He had letters to deliver.

He was in charge of love letters to a certain Signor Ryf. Well, he was in charge of all love letters in general, but Signor Ryf was the only one who received any. Every day, a single letter addressed to him was sent, with no return address. He had never met Signor Ryf, and wondered why anyone would be so infatuated with the bird.

Once he arrived at Signor Ryf’s dwelling, he dropped the lone letter into the slot in the tree, listening as it dropped with a satisfying thunk. He flew straight home after that, and watched as all the other birds worked. He felt a little smug at the fact that he had such a small load. Walking outside, he rid his home of the soot that insisted on covering his possessions. He ruffled his feathers and sneezed from the dust that resulted.

And then the light crinkled and the dust disappeared. The grackle, suddenly overcome with drowsiness, fell to the floor and dreamed of donuts and sprinkles.

The next day, the light woke him up. Once again, he found the letter in his possession, and brushed the dust off in preparation for flight. As he watched a flurry of birds fly above, it occurred to him that he should try talking to them. Perhaps then his days wouldn’t be so dull. He noticed that dust was covering his feathers again. The grackle put down his letter to wipe the pesky things off when he noticed something strange. Golden dust poured out from the wrinkled envelope. Curious, he opened the letter, and the sky ripped apart.

And then the grackle watched his world unfold.

- - -

Explanation:

The grackle is Signor Ryf. He lives in a love letter. The golden dust is actually sand. The sand is time. The slot that he puts his letter in is dark inside. Therefore, the light disappears very suddenly. His world rewinds while its dark, so the letter is once again with the grackle, and the light is back. The other birds don’t exist, and are made of sand. Since he wipes the sand off himself before and after the dark appears, he still remembers everything. When the letter rips, the sand falls out, and so does time. So then his world unfolds. And he dreams of donuts because he dreams of what he can’t have(donuts and sprinkles don’t exist in his world). Why is he in a love letter? It’s just the way things are. There's my short story. I think it's the first one I've ever finished. So, how many synonyms of folding can you find? Also, the Ryf in Signor Ryf is actually a bad anagram of fry for cheese fry.