#commentary [ Prompt: something pretty about the night ] I don't know if it's exactly about the night, but ends up being more about the moon. Still, I hope it's pretty enough.

and yeah, it's part 1. there will be another parts, scheduled for tomorrow.

I'm a bit occupied with this and that, though, so I didn't have enough to spare to rewrite/edit the draft properly.

My brother's story that night made me think.

I saw my mother working in the kitchen next day, and I remembered how, whenever our father had to go on a long business trip, she would sometime stare at his photograph, caressing the picture.

So that night, before I went to sleep, I drew a picture of the sun. I cut it out, and hung it by the window.

And when I slept, I dreamt.

I dreamt that I was in a vast nothingness. And before me, stood a tall woman barely distinguishable from the darkness all around. When she spoke, the spoke with a voice so deep and booming, but at the same time quiet. It was like when I tried to scream while closing my ears.

"Did you... drew this for me?"

Upon that question, I realized then I was holding the picture of sun I drew in my hand. I nodded, and handed the picture to the woman.

She accepted it; and for once, I thought I could see a bit of her face. "Ah... how thoughtful of you. Thank you for your kind gift, my child."

She stared at the picture for a while. I saw a gleam of tear pooling on her eyes, and when the woman blinked, the tears jumped out and became stars that filled the darkness around us.

After the woman lowered the picture she looked at me. "You remind me of my beloved too. So warm and bright."

It looked as though she wanted to touch me then, but she hesitated. Instead, she said, "I hope I haven't been scaring you."

I wasn't sure what to say at first. But after a moment, I decided. "I was scared at first. But now after my brother told me about you, and I met you and talked with you, I think I'm scared of you less."

The woman gave me a small smile; her face was dark and cold, but that smile was soft and warm.

#märchen #draft 2/3

The next morning, I woke up feeling fuzzy. For the first time ever, that day, I was eager for the night to come. And when I saw the moon with a sliver of light, I was happy; I thought I had managed to cheer up the Moon.

Since then, whenever I got scared of the darkness of new moon, I would draw some drawing of sun and hung it on the window, or write a letter and put it on my nightstand.

Every now and then, I still dreamt of the woman in my sleep; sometimes with a face, sometimes without. Sometimes she wept, and the universe would be filled with stars. We would talk about a lot of things, and I would get scared of her less and less.

Nowadays, I don't dream of her anymore. But I always look back to that memory of my childhood with fondness. And every new moon, I would light a candle and put it in the windowsill; with a prayer for a friend, hoping they would not get lost in their own darkness.

#märchen #draft 3/3

Been a while since I do a cross promo. This one is a new-ish channel of a "junior" of mine... or at least they feel somewhat like a junior to me XD

The channel is: https://www.tg-me.com/fictionallllll

I imagine the posts would catch the interest especially of teenage and young adults (makes me think of Nikita Gill—just because I lack other references though). At the moment, they post quite regularly too, almost everyday, I think.

If that interest you, go check it out, and see if you like the vibe of their writing :3

no writing post tonight. the next piece will also be a mini series, and its emotion kinda heavy for me, so it might take a little bit until posted

Also, sorry for putting another ad without much content nowadays. Just letting y'all know that I'm doing editing / proofreading / beta-reading gig.

Here are the pros and cons —the cons first though, just to be fair/transparent with y'all:

- I work slow because I'm easily stressed. Under normal circumstances, I think I can work on 10k word script in a week

- I'm only accepting manuscript in English. But I'm not native-English speaker. It just so happens to be the language I'm most comfortable with. (So said, I'd do my research too when I'm in doubt, so there's that.)

Now, for some of the pros:

- I'm (relatively) cheap. like, the US average rate is... around 50 USD for 1k word script. but I can accept 50 USD for 5k word script. If your local rate is cheaper than that, I'm willing to negotiate the price too (you should be able to use paypal or ko-fi to pay me though)

- I'm happier if I can talk/discuss about your writing with you (and I thought writers love to talk about their writing, right?). It helps me to decide how to approach editing your script. I'm even willing to do a little brainstorming with you if you need ideas for your writing.

- I'm thorough. Or I try to be, as best as I can. It's also why I work slow.

So, if you have a draft/script that you think can use some polishing, and you think I can help... you can DM me on @storyhunter28 👀

This was the story of a youth, in a world that was falling apart, that even such youth would grow a heavy heart like the elderly of the past.

This one was a match that burnt bright when they were even younger. Thus, their elders thought, this one did not need much guidance to know how to shine. But they were wrong. Now the youth, the burnt-out match, watched as their peer was able to burn and shine steadily - while they alone stayed on the side; sitting on the pile of promises proven as lies and crushed by the thought of future.

This one, feeling that the world was a bleak place for them, one night decided to close their eyes and turned inward. Towards the lands of dream they went, where they hoped they could live with colors - colors that in their waking had been drained out of them.

#draft #märchen 1/6

#commentary [ prompt: self-doubt, career, frustration ]

it is three prompts, but seeing that they look somewhat related, I turn it into one series. and...

well, I don't know how accurate or on-point the writing will be, to the given topic; I don't know whether what I've written will be like what you expected upon hearing/suggesting the prompt. I don't know either what you have wished for me to write regarding it.

so in the end, I just chose to tell you my own experience regarding the topic. and yeah, it's not in a straightforward way, but rather in a kind of... trippy-dream kind of story.

I feel like this topic is... ultimately, I think it's about finding your place in the world? in society? but it's not only about finding a place in the ever-chaotic external world, it's also about... feeling comfortable with yourself.

and yeah, I said this is going to be heavy, at least for me. after all, i've been a NEET for... how many years now... four? yeah.

In their dream, the youth did what they did not have the courage to do in their waking. They left.

They left everyone; those that they had caused great worry; those that they had burdened. They left; not caring whether they would find salvation, or whether they would meet an end.

In a way, that would be a salvation too.

So they left.

#draft #märchen 2/6

In their dream, after they left everyone and everything, the youth walked... and walked... and walked. With numb mind they trudged through, until their feet could not take it anymore.

Then they came across a quiet pond with clear water; like by invitation, they approached it and sat down by its side to rest.

"I wonder if there will ever be a time when my steps don't feel heavy."

"I wonder if there will be a time when I feel comfortable in my own skin, when I can sit alone without anxious thoughts."

"I wonder if there will ever be a time when I wake up and feel grateful for the morning sun."

"I wonder if there will be a time my heart is alight on wings rather than dredged in mud and mire."

All these, the youth asked their reflection; only to be answered by a silent, tired and bleak face on the water surface.

At one point, the sight of their clouded face felt like a mockery against the clear water. So the youth got up and left, once again walking to numb their mind.

#draft #märchen 3/6

As the youth walked on, they eventually came upon fields watched over by a tall scarecrow. Except, as the youth walked closer, they realized; the scarecrow was a jester, staked upon the cross.

Bloody and raggedy, the jester still wore a grin on their face.

The youth asked, "How are you able to smile, while you are pinned on sacrificial stake, and left alone to be picked by the birds? How are you able to smile, doing what people made you do? How are you able to smile, being turned into what you are?"

But the jester on the stake did not answer them. The jester simply lifted their sight, and gave the youth a hollow gaze and hollow grin.

Suddenly, the youth felt scared. So they left without waiting for the jester's answer.

And yet, as they fled the fields, the youth could hear the jester's words in their head:

"I know what you saw in me."

The youth ran.

#draft #märchen 4/6

The youth ran, and ran, and ran. Down the hill, across the plains and rivers, into the cave. Down the spiraling of their mind, the youth went.

Down the spiral: round and round, deeper and deeper, tighter and tighter they wound into themself...

Until they were stuck in a space so narrow and so cramped that they began to suffocate, and their tears which they thought had been drained were starting to pour and drown them.

And yet still deeper and deeper, tighter and tighter - they imploded into themself...

Until silence came.

#draft #märchen 5/6

Whether it came gradually, or came abruptly, the youth did not remember. Like one waking up after a small death, the youth only became aware of the silence when it was all over. They were surprised that they still woke up at all after all that.

The next thing the youth came to be aware of, was a presence. They turned their head and found a snake coiled nearby, watching.

"What are you?" the youth asked it with a dead voice.

The snake answered, "I am the one that came upon hearing your cry."

"Do you have answer, for my doubts, for my fear?"

"No. But if it doesn't make any difference to you, I would like to stay by your side."

"... why?"

"... Because."

And the youth thought: indeed, it did not make any difference. Now that they had experienced one death, what difference did it make to have a snake that watch over them? So the youth let it stay around.

For the long hours in which the youth simply laid awake and empty, the snake coiled nearby.

At the time the youth finally moved to find sustenance, like an undead, the snake followed.

At the time the youth became tired once again, the snake also coiled near by them just like before.

The snake was not warm. The snake was not jolly. But oddly enough, the snake's presence gave them something... almost akin to consolation.

At one point, the snake did tell the youth:

"Your pain, your fear, your frustration, your one of many deaths; I'll witness them. It may not make them lighter. It may not make them hurt less. It may not give them meaning. But I'll witness them; I'll stay by your side as you go through them."

And the youth thought: it was as much as they could ask for at the moment.



#draft #märchen 6/6

Nagging; almost an itch, subtle craving, shapeless thirst.

Unconsolable skin, wanting hands, grinding teeth.

If only there could be a light
in the darkness, amidst this confusing fog;

a store of desires—to tell me what I'm missing, what I'm craving

with these rotten fangs of mine,
this old dog, me.

#random #verse

#commentary not prompt. I still got one set of prompt to go, and I probably won't make too much out of it (kinda out of ideas yanno) but I'm still going to take my time

#commentary [ prompt: grief, loss, heartache ]

This is the last set of prompt I promised to write about, but I have ran out of idea what to write about it. So this is my honest answer to the prompt.

It feels unfair.

You tell me to let go,
tell me to embrace death
and be reborn.

What you don't tell me
is that I'll have to bury the past me;
and it's just unfair.

She is the one who has been carrying me this far;
She is the one who dreamt, and suffered;

and you tell me I have to kill her.
You tell me there's no place for her
in the new, optimistic narrative
you promise me.
You tell me to kill her
without consolation,
without a soft ending,
without mercy.

You tell me to kill her.

#verse (1/2)

If you tell me I've got not option
but to kill her in cold blood—

then I would rather rise,
with her, undying.

#verse (2/2) #lotw [ birth of an undead ]

And of course,
this narrowing of life
is suffocating.

But I'm so afraid,
that every hand
reaching out to me

would just break my bones
as they try to pull me out.

So I stay as I am,
curled tighter and tighter
in a hole that grows smaller
and smaller.

And I start to fear
that one day, I would forget
how to wish
for vastness and wide-spread wings.

#random #verse