a Brief Existance - Again

A BRIEF EXISTANCE - AGAIN1

Words have power. Whoever said:
‘Sticks and stones may break my bones,
but words will never hurt me,’ was either illiterate or deaf or stupid or any combination of the above.
Words have power and a narrative has it in abundance. It can cause laughter, tears, fear, revulsion, love, hate, patriotism and many more emotions. It can inspire, encourage destroy and repress in fact it can do most things. One gets into the mind of a character, one celebrates the success of the hero or heroine or the final meeting of lovers and one cheers at the demise of the villain and the failure of their evil schemes.
For every hero, heroine or main character in a tale there are many minor parts, personalities who appear just for a few lines. They have no past, no future and often not even a name. This is for them.2

He became aware of his existence; he just was that is all.
“Aaaaaahhh! Crumbs! Who am I? Oh! Come on concentrate, here we go again, right, get a grip, relax. (Deep breaths) Now, lets take stock I am what? Male, that’s okay and I am wearing … Oh! No … armour. Do I have a name … No. This does not bode well. I have a large spear, studded leather armour and I am by a gate into somewhere and … oh! Great – it’s hissing down and its pitch black I cannot see much at all and my companion is asleep, brilliant - I don’t think.3

You know once in a while I would like to have a family or a home or even just a partner to cuddle up to but alas none of that yet again. It is only chapter four so that makes my life expectancy about half a dozen pages if I am lucky. Still I’ve already done better than last time, then it was just one paragraph then I had my throat cut. Mind you that is not so bad about ten stories ago I was bitten by a plague ridden wererat then and died in agony before rising from the dead only to be stabbed with a silver dagger and then being burnt before I was dead again, blimey that hurt. One hundred and forty-seven tales I have been in, in one form or another and always met a grisly end.4

Hay! Just for once I would like to get on a number 45 bus and exit stage right without getting done in.5

We are born in the narrative stream and fished out, then we are placed in the keep net of a tale for a few lines where we are ritually slaughtered and tossed back into the stream. Legend has it that if we survive until the end of a tale then we pass on to the Great Library where all find peace and where we can gently fade away and when the last memory of us passes from the mind of man then so to do we.6

What was that? A twig snapping? Oh! right and I’m ignoring it. Come on author, I’ve been a guard more times than you can possibly know, I wouldn’t ignore it. What do you know? I’ve ignored it and look at this lump beside me, still sound asleep leaning on his spear. He is just a cut out, a lump, there will not even be anyone drawn from the narrative to bring him to life. Lucky sod! Oo! I’ve actually seen something and I am going to speak, that’s unusual ^HALT, WHO GOES THERE? ADVANCE AND BE RECOGNISED^ ... Is that it? How corny can you get? Hello, things are looking up it’s a woman, she’s smiling at me, I see now, this is the diversion so I can be sneaked up on. This author is a saddo just look at her; a large chest, skimpy impractical tight leather armour and bare arms and legs and in this weather too, honestly I ask you - What’s this? She’s undoing the laces at the front of her armour. This writer hasn’t got a clue. If her armour can be shrugged off as quickly as that looks like it can you would be better off in a whalebone corset and a starched blouse. She’s undoing it very slowly, please let me see before the bloke behind me runs me through or garrottes me or whatever. Nearly done, please … please … please … Oh! Yes. Fantastic! You can see where this writers mind is, superb. He certainly can write a nice pair of ouch! What is that? Bugger, a sword sticking out of my chest, which really hurts. What did you say? Well there’s no need to call me that! You don’t even know me. Ouch, no don’t twist it that will be so painful arrrgh! You git you twisted it. Now please let me go quickly. Blood bubbling up the throat, what a sadist the author is. Ah! Here comes the blackness, thank goodness for that. Back to the stream again, lets hope it’s better luck next time.

A contest entry

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Comments

1 - 18 of 18

  • XxSceneTristanxX
    October 17

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    ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones,
    but words will never hurt me,’ was either illiterate or deaf or stupid or any combination of the above.


    rofl..loved that sentence. This really made me laugh and it was a good read!!
    Good luck!


    ~tristan xoxo


  • HopefulSoul
    October 13
    Edit | Reply
    Awesome background — only cause I love bright colors! Anyway — awesome story you've got here, definitely caught my attention! Not only because of the color background, but the title sentence! Great work and keep it up!

    Thankyou and Good luck!

    kokofuto


  • lesbian-in-love
    September 3
    Edit | Reply
    This was good at first I wasnt sure where this was going but I liked it once I understood. Thanks for entering and good luck!


  • Elvenfairy
    February 26

    Edit | Reply
    sorry this is too long, and I can't make exceptions for you as I didn't for anyone else. Thanks for entering my contest though.


  • Lois.Stone
    February 6
    Edit | Reply
    I like it! Cute, and really funny. Well done!
    Loisx


  • Andy Stephenson gold member
    November 5, 2008
    Edit | Reply

    Hi.

    I've read and commented on this story before. I like it. It's a cute approach, the view from a minor character.

    Thanks for entering For Serious About Reviews Group Only

    Andy


  • Taylor Renee
    August 14, 2008
    Edit | Reply


    This is so original!

    Haha, the voice of the character we all love to just kill off.

    I have to admit, after reading this, I feel a bit guilty! Haha. Who knew I could feel bad for that character?

    Bloody brilliant, this is! Superb. Hilarious

    Thank you so much for entering my contest, and I wish you the best of luck

    xoxo
    -♥-
    Tay

    • Tomereader
      August 14, 2008
      Edit | Reply
      Thank you for your comments. I am glad you enjoyed it and felt it was worth giving feedback.


  • Darkhearted
    July 23, 2008

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    *laughs but off* I am wowed extremely. the piont of veiw for this tail is wondeful. It makes me sad but is also farely funny.... great read.

    good luck,
    chey-bear


  • IrishYndina Greeters member
    July 2, 2008
    Edit | Reply
    *laughs quite a lot* I couldn't really tell from your introductory paragraph where you were going with this story, but the tale quickly become incredibly engaging and a whole lot of fun to read. I love the narrators cynical attitude towards writers - it made me laugh quite a lot. Very well done, I say.


  • tallblondie gold member
    July 2, 2008

    Edit | Reply
    I can just imagine a stack of these characters just before a huge battle scene, shaking their heads and consoling each other. A great look at a side of the tale we all forget about - the bit characters that populate the literary world. I'm guessing the ones that die would be quite jealous of the bit characters that form part of the 'background' or 'scenery' - but don't die.

    Nice dose of humour. Good luck in the contest.


  • SageSyren Greeters member
    July 1, 2008

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    This was so unusual, I loved it. I love the consept (sp?) of the secondary and third character is a big pot or 'stream' as you put it and used again and again.

    Thanks for entering and good luck in the contest.
    Brooke
    greeter


  • Violet Moodswing Greeters member
    July 1, 2008

    Edit | Reply
    I loved this. The personification of "the main character" or should I say the main character creation. LoL, would make an interesting movie.

    Best of luck in the contest.


  • Elisabeth gold member
    June 28, 2008

    Edit | Reply
    This is quite a fun read. Unusual and witty.

    Is there a reason that the title is Brief Existance and not Brief Existence?

    I enjoyed reading it.

    Good luck in the contest

    beginning: 5, language: 5, plot: 5, ending: 5, characters: 5.

    • Tomereader
      June 28, 2008
      Edit | Reply

      Reason for existance

      I missed it on the spellchecker 'cos I'm not brillient in that dept. - sorry ... no wait a minute, could I get away with saying it's artistic license and thus cover my own density?


  • Glowstarcharmer
    June 22, 2008

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    Hehe, I really liked this. It put me in mide slightly of the hench men of Dr Evil in 'Austin Powers', where they have the little asides when one of them dies to show that they are in fact people. This was good though, I always wonder about the incidental characters in books and I like to imagine their lives and stuff.

    Just one question though, what happenes to the extras who dont get killed of? For example the portly inn keep pollishing a puter mug with a dirty rag who gives the companions directions as they set off on their adventure? He is not killed although the characters never return to his inn and he is never heard of again. Would he simply slip back into the stream quietly and painlessly as the battered door swings shut on its creaky hinges? (Hehe, or am I not supposed to point those characters out?)

    X Amber X

  • Andy Stephenson gold member
    June 21, 2008

    Edit | Reply

    I like this.

    All those incidental characters that we authors use and throw away with little or no concern, how little we care about them. We overlook their families, their thoughts, and their emotions. This is a humorous view from such a character's point of view. Sacrificed just as he was about to become a major character, so sad.

    Thanks for entering the new members contest. Welcome to Storywrite.

    Andy

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