the way to wonderland - post eight

bit by bit, the earth shifted out of her way. she clawed her path, picking out grubs, slicing worms in two, and scratching away decay. there. the soil was looser at her left hand now. a few steps further and there would be a root and then real work could begin. her pinky nail scraped the outer edge. she moved the right hand back directly under her shoulder and pressed the earth to make a solid floor. the left fingers climbed over the side and top and maneuvered to wrap her entire hand around it. the position was set. one deep breath. inhale, exhale, inhale. PULL. as she yanked the root up, the air in her lungs fired quickly. seven hot breaths then she relaxed. one more time. inhale, exhale, inhale. PULL. this time only five puffs and she was on her side, right arm still balancing and anchoring the effort. the root was large, nearly the size of the cat. whoever was coming had a large need to take care of, but she would be prepared as she always was.

the long lady pulled herself out of the ground, wiped the front of her jumper and went back into the kitchen. the water had boiled down to three inches. the cat waited.

well?

sssshe doesn’t look like sssshe’ll need all that.

she?

yessss. sssshe.

interesting. i don’t believe we’ve ever had a she.

no. sssshould be very interessssting.

she pulled the cleaver off the wall, letting the scraping metal echo. a smirk crossed her mouth, and with peaked eyebrows she slammed the blade through the root. the halves rocked back and forth and back and forth. the right side’s center was a dense black that appeared as a horse. the left seemed like the outline of a country, but not one she had ever seen.

interesting.

very.

how long, do you think?

within the hour.

time enough.

yessss.

the water hissed at the addition of the roots. the long lady climbed the stairs to change her clothes. it was going to be a special night.

My goal right now is to make Monday's post the next installment of Wonderland. Next week, I think may be a big edit day, but we'll see. Posts: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six & Seven

the way to wonderland - post seven

out in the yard, her long legs stepped over the gate meant for children and dogs and made their way into the depths of the garden. she needed roots and herbs. mama cat stretched awake in the sun and looked at her for instructions. go see what’s coming. a quick sniff into the eastern then the western air and she headed off in the latter direction. the long lady watched the patchwork fur slink out of sight. a dog would have merely run headlong into whatever it was. that’s why children were always the dogs’ assignment. she turned back to her work, stretched out her fingers, and dug deep into the soft garden earth. maneuvering her fingers through the dirt, twisting and pushing and angling her arms, she buried herself up to the shoulder. she began looking. the fingers and nails moved now in a spiral. the labor was unnervingly slow and her muscles began to ache within minutes. the mind must be calm. she silenced her thoughts and pushed her conscience self into the very ends of her fingertips.

bit by bit, the earth shifted out of her way. she clawed her path, picking out grubs, slicing worms in two, and scratching away decay. there. the soil was looser at her left hand now. a few steps further and there would be a root. a minute or so more and the real work could begin.

Look at that. I had time to do some work on Wonderland this past weekend. Posts I, II, III, IV, V, & VI

way to wonderland - post six

Ten paces and twenty were accomplished. Could she make it further? I want to walk to town. The bands left her legs, and she tried to walk left and was stopped, the bands back in place. She moved slightly right, and the bands vanished. Town was to the right. At least the bands had some functional use. Her legs moved at an oddly regular pace, on the edge of her control. The joy at accomplishing something larger than a few paces at the time dampened the panic she normally would have known. Body working outside of Mind, there was nothing more frightening. The crest of hill from where the tripod men had appeared waxed and waned under her feet, and the horses pondered the thought that had led her away in such a strange and rhythmic manner. Dipping toward the earth, the sun began to stretch the shadows. She walked.

~~~
a summer's morning splashed myriad colors on the stone floor, and lazy notes floated off of the violin and mingled with the scent of cake. the garden strained to look vibrant, knowing it should love the sun, but it longed for rain and grew green at the children racing to shrinking lake. a kitten nearly snatched a mouse. she ran away at her own prowess. the long lady huffed in amusement before dribbling tea on her chin. she wiped her chin and looked left. someone was coming. twelve or thirteen hours away. it would be close, but she could be ready. a cultish girl, older than most. the kitten bounced into her lap for its kisses, and the long lady complied before wrapping it up in her arms and gliding back into the house. the clock would not wait. a quick eye into the oven. four minutes longer. she rinsed out her cup and placed it on top of the breakfast plate in the sink. dishes fell to the end of today’s list. from the pantry cabinet she pulled the large stock pot, and filled it half full with water and dropped in three leaves from the creeping vine that had overcome the kitchen window. this she placed on the stove on high flame and left it to boil.

out in the yard, her long legs stepped over the gate meant for children and dogs and made their way into the depths of the garden. she needed roots and herbs.

Here is post six! What is the lady making? Is it good or bad or neither? Is she even a good cook?! These are things I think the long lady must answer herself. Posts: One, Two, Three, Four, & Five

something comes

a summer's day splashed myriad colors on the stone floor, and lazy notes floated off of the violin and mingled with the scent of cake. the garden strained to look vibrant, knowing it should love the sun, but it longed for rain and grew green at the children racing to waning lake. a kitten nearly snatched a mouse. she ran away at her own prowess. the long lady huffed in amusement before dribbling tea on her chin. she wiped her chin and looked left. someone was coming. twelve or thirteen hours away. it would be close, but she could be ready. a cultish girl, older than most. the kitten bounced into her lap for its kisses, and the long lady complied before wrapping it up in her arms and gliding back into the house. the clock would not wait.

I just started with a description. I was thinking about stained glass. This will probably be in the Wonderland story. I'm not sure how at the moment, but the story is figuring it out.

the way to wonderland - post five

She had stopped listening and was trying to find the right mental phrases to accomplish a ten-step trip down the dirt road. A shiny pebble a few paces down would work. Her thoughts ran quickly through a few phrases. I want to pick up the pebble. I want to stand next to the pebble. I want to walk to the pebble. Success. The bands left her legs until she stood next to the pebble. Her armbands vanished at that point, and she picked it up. Step by tedious step and backwards was how it went. How on earth did those tripod men keep such a pace? You had to have so much information or be able to moment by moment know precisely what you wanted. She wondered if she would be here long enough to learn the tricks and shortcuts that would make life livable. But what about the cult? Her brain was firing and the bands held her still. Focus was what she needed. Another pebble would be helpful. There was one glinting at twenty paces. I want to walk to the pebble. Nothing. Perhaps it wasn’t’ a pebble? I want to walk to the shiny object. Temporary liberation. She must remember: her movements required specificity, but objects could be general.

I did a little bit of work on it last night. I've gotten to the point where I don't know where this story is going anymore. I love that moment, because possibility and creativity can really open up. It does mean that some serious editing is in my future though. Previous posts are here, here, here, and here.

the way to wonderland - post four

Exhausted, the girl made herself into a pile and began to think out all of this information and hoped that her own logic had some shared characteristics with this world’s. The evolution of these people was clearly out of her realm. She couldn’t move easily. She could see her own gravity. It was not subject to her will. There was some strange religion of which she was a part. Perhaps the bands were some sort of ceremonial magic? Her frustration bubbled and built until she couldn’t just remain thinking. More information, more experience. That is what she really needed. How could she really make any real judgments based on three-legged men and her own capacity to move? Up she stood and took a step. Her foot snapped back to its place beside the road. Was she stuck here? No. She tried the other foot. Same result. She tried to kick her one foot, then the other, and then both. Nothing. Crawling? Maybe that was her movement? Crouching down, her hands reached out to the ground but jerked back to her body immediately before touching the ground.

I WANT TO CROSS THE ROAD!!!!!!!!!!

Her voice scared her. The horses looked at her, but she barely noticed because her leg tethers were suddenly gone. It took her a moment to understand this, and she sprinted across the road. Her run would have kept going clear into the pasture, only she fell hard onto the ground once she had completed the crossing, the bonds back in place. Nooooooooo. She cried. Her face and hands hurt from the scrapes and blossoming bruises, but the bitterness in her sobs was from her loss of freedom. She wanted to go home now. She wanted a warm bath and a good dinner and her parents reading to her before she fell asleep.

The horses stirred.
Poor girl. It’s so hard to watch them when they are first born. I hope this one doesn’t take a long time to learn the method.

Can’t we just tell her? I’ve seen this show so many times I’m bored of it.

I just don’t think that would be fair, do you?

Excuse me? She called across to the beasts. You seem to know how to help me. Please help me. I just want to…

Yes? The enthusiasm perked the horses ears.

I don’t know.

Oh. Their faces fell longer and they returned to their grass.

So close.

I know.

Close to what?

If you don’t know, we certainly can’t tell you.

Yes, you can.

Please, argue with us. That will get you what you want.

I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be stuck here forever or even for five more seconds. I want to be free, and you two act like you know how to get free. She would have stamped her foot into the dirt if she could.

That’s a start.

What?

Know what you don’t want. It’s a start.

True. Not the best start we’ve seen, but not the worst.

Certainly not original.

Definitely not.

How did you get free?

The horses cackled, and the sound of it made her skin crawl and her bands shudder. We were never bonded. We’re horses, you silly ass. [ed. Couldn’t help myself]

Please. I …

What happened before you crossed the road?

You can’t help her.

Hush. What happened?

I yelled. Oh! GIVE ME FREEDOM!

I’m done helping if you continue to use that grating pitch and volume.

But

Do you want my help?

Yes, please.

Now think. What happened before you crossed the road?

I yelled… that I wanted to cross the road?

The horse nodded. Did you know why?

To get to the other side?

What?

Nothing. I just wanted to cross the road.

Exactly.

Okay. I want wave at the horses The band evaporated. She waved and casually tried to place her hand on her hip, but the band grabbed hold and moved it back into place. You have got to be kidding me. I have to state every movement I want to make before I make it?

Only if you have a particularly disinterested body.

Can we please move on? There’s no show any longer, and I would like to find greener grass. No offense, chicken, but you are not the most interesting thing in the meadow. This grass has more to offer.

She had stopped listening and was trying to find the right mental phrases to accomplish a ten step trip down the dirt road.

It's back! Previous wonderland posts: one, two, & three

the way to wonderland - post three

The body was a thin body. Thin not in girth, but in density. The landscape was visible through her hands. The feeling was not light; gravity was visible and seemed to have a special task for holding her to the ground. Bands of various thicknesses connected her joints to the earth. Her hands passed through them as through a sunbeam. She took in the green, breezy fields and their inhabitants. She didn’t see anything attached to the horses or cattle, and they were secure to the ground. Perhaps only humans we tethered? It was curious. Footsteps approached at a run or trot, and there were several pairs.

This moment was the only constant from her various travels: should she hide and observe or risk meeting what was coming? This time the pastoral surroundings gave her courage, perhaps from a false sense of safety, but she remained in the full view as a line of jogging men in bright, clownish clothing breached the hilltop. Three legs apiece, the extraneous one seemed in use to be something of a training wheel to keep them from falling to their right as they all leaned ten degrees off the vertical. A total of eight eyes (and these were paired in the usual way) noticed her and quickly looked away with a forced casualness.

She tried to speak but found no voice, even though she was sure she had spoken a few words on arrival. Had that all been in her head? Was this a telepathic planet? She reached out with her mind but found only her own voice. Pardon? Excuse me? Please stop. I need help. Please. Her panic grew and her gestures amplified, but the bands restricted them to the normal range so that the waving of her arms in terror merely looked like the waving of a hand in greeting. The men were nearly to her, so she decided to jump in their path. She didn’t even reach two inches in the air. After they had passed, their whispers entered her ears, and the one distinct word among them was “cult”. They were gone.

Exhausted, the girl made a pile of herself and began to think out all of this information and hoped that her own logic had some shared characteristics with this world’s. The evolution of these people was clearly out of her realm. She couldn’t move easily, but she could see her own gravity. It was not subject to her will. There was some strange religion of which she was a part. Perhaps the bands were some sort of magic? Her frustration bubbled and built until she couldn’t just remain thinking. More information, more experience. That is what she really needed. How could she really make any real judgments based on three-legged men and her own capacity to move? Up she stood and took a step. Her foot snapped back to her place beside the road. Was she stuck here? No. She tried the other foot. Same result. She tried to kick her one foot, then the other, and then both. Nothing. Crawling? Maybe that was her movement? Crouching down, her hands reached out to the ground but jerked back to her body immediately before touching the ground.

I WANT TO CROSS THE ROAD!!!!!!!!!!

Her voice scared her. The horses looked at her, but she barely noticed because her leg tethers were suddenly gone. It took her a moment to understand that they were missing, but she soon sprinted across the road and would have kept going clear into the pasture, but she fell hard onto the ground once she had completed the crossing. The bonds were back in place. No. She cried. Her face and hands hurt from the scrapes and blossoming bruises, but the bitterness in her sobs was from her loss of freedom. She wanted to go home now. She wanted a warm bath and a good dinner and her parents reading to her before she fell asleep.

This post is late because I was at a breakfast with Governor Paterson who is incredibly funny. I'm going to keep working on Wonderland, so look for new posts next week. Previous posts are here: One; Two