People of Interest: Abrams and Spielberg (2011-2012 TV SPECIAL)

I am a crazy huge fan of tv shows that have a lot of hype. Many would disagree, but I find television challenging and thought-provoking. Given a good dialogue, great actors and even better producers, it can result in a show that makes us think, act, reflect.

But then there are big-budget, dino-chomping, time-travelling, amazon-exploring, adventure series that are there simply to entertain us. Sure, sometimes the storyline will falter (LOST) or characters will become unimportant and they drag the story along (HEROES) or they go too deep into the narrative and then get inexplicably cancelled (THE 4400). But for all of those, we get something rare like The Event, which I just found out may be picked up by Syfy. *crosses fingers*

This upcoming tv season will be no different. Only thing is, the major shows that are being showcased are produced or co-created by two people. These two Mega-Gods have created some of the best drama on television and on the big screen!

In one corner, we have light weight champion J.J. Abrams, who created hit television series Felicity, Alias, Lost, Fringer, and the short-lived yet tasteful Undercovers. He was at the helm of Mission:Impossible III, the Star Trek reboot, and Cloverfield (a favourite of mine).

In the other corner, we have heavy weight champion Steven Spieleberg who is so great, he doesn't even need an introduction. Dude, Jaws. Hello.

Here is what these two Deity's have to offer us in the Fall of 2011.

J.J. ABRAMS

Mr. Abrams is the man when it comes to creating dramas with punch. He is the mastermind behind some of television's hottest shows and is the driving force behind two shows of Fall 2011's most anticipated lineup ever. And thankfully, he decided to work with the two actors that stood out the most in LOST, a show he also co-created. Of course, I am talking about THE Michael Emerson and Jorge Garcia.



Michael Emerson

Jorge Garcia

                                              

Person of Interest (CBS, Tuesdays @ 9|8 central)

Michael Emerson, who portrayed the sinister and devious Benjamin Linus on LOST is returning to TV land after a year off, which to fans is like an eternity. He will be joining an all-star cast, that includes Jim Caviezel (Unknown, Angel Eyes) and the great Taraji P. Henson (Hustle & Flow, Curious Case of Benjamin Button). The show is based on a screenplay by J.J. Abrams and he is slated to be the executive producer of the show. And according to the network, it received the highest praise for a pilot in 15 years.

The story revolves around Emerson's character, a billionaire who develloped a computer program similar to the pre-cogs in Spielberg's Minority Report. This program can detect future crimes before they ever happen. Soon, Emerson's character hires a CIA agent, played by Caviezel, with a shady past to help him locate the crimes and stop them. So think Minority Report meets CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.



Alcatraz (FOX, Mondays @ 9|8 central. Midseason)

The always loveable Jorge Garcia is joining forces with J.J. Abrams and Elizabeth Sarnoff, who was a writer for LOST, to bring us a show that seems recycled but has plenty of potential. Rounding off the cast is fairly newcomer Sarah Jones (The Wedding Bells), Sam Neill (Major Movie Star), Parminder Nagra (E.R., Bend it Like Beckham), and Santiago Cabrera (Heroes, Che).

The premise is similar to that of The 4400. 302 wardens and prisoners dissapeared from Alcatraz fifty years ago, and now they suddenly reappear in present times. Sarah Jones plays a police officer to Garcia's "hippy geek". Jorge Garcia's character is the world's number one fan of Alcatraz and knows everything and anything about the abandonned prison island.

Hopefully the show will last and not be cancelled because everything about this screams HOMERUN! I mean: Nagra, Garcia, Neill, and Cabrera in the same show...produced by Abrams...written by Sarnoff. JIZZ IN MY PANTS!



STEVEN SPIELBERG

So it isn't anything new to see a big name producer/director attached to a certain TV project, as did Mr. Berg a few years ago with Taken. What is new though, is how involved Spielberg is and how many shows he is working on. I may be incorrect but I have a list of three shows that is in the works with one airing as early as June. Can't wait!

Falling Skies (Premieres Sunday, June 19th on TNT)

Yes, another alien invasion show. This one though is set after the aliens have actually invaded us and it focuses on a band of survivors who call themselves the 2nd Mass. It sounds familiar to "V" so I'm a little skeptical about starting a show that I know did not fare well on the major networks (The Event, V, Dark Skies). Alien shows rarely get picked up for a second season.

But then again this is Steven Spielberg were talking about who knows how to master a good alien storyline. Not only that, but the cast is wicked ranging from Noah Wyle (ER, The Librarian Trilogy), Moon Bloodgood (Terminator: Salvation, Journeyman), and Will Paton (24, Numb3rs).

Noah Wyle searches for his son across a destroyed Earth with the help of survivors all the while they are trying to twart the uprising and destroy the Aliens. It's very Walking Dead. But with Aliens.

Nine Lives (No info as of yet)

So this show is either going to be shelved or they are keeping the details top secret. I can find barely anything about it except that Spielberg is presenting the show (in the same fashion as Taken), that it's a 12 hour miniseries and that it's about nine people who communicated with loved ones who have passed through near-death experience. If you find any info on the net, lemme know :)

Terra Nova (FOX, Mondays @ 10|9 central)

So this show has been talked about since last year, it was even suppose to be a midseason replacement in the winter of 2011 but it never happened. Well, the show has been pushed back and will now air in the fall of this year.

It's very much a return to Jurassic Park for Spielberg as this world deals with Dinosaurs and how deadly they can be. You see, the series follows a family that travels back in time, 85 million years to be precise, so they can re-colonize Earth and not make the same mistake again (movies and shows have grasped the concept that we have killed our planet, when will the population wake the eff up?).

Confusing part is, how can they repopulate the planet and not make the same mistakes in Jurassic Time when an asteroid is going to kill everything later on? They don't show this in the tv trailer, nor do they speculate about asteroids, but we know what happened to dinosaurs...so what's up with that?

Anyways, the cast is flawless once again and boasts the acting talents of Jason O'Mara (Life on Mars), Stephen Lang (The asshole from Avatar), Shelley Conn (Transit), Landon Liboiron (Degrassi:The Next Generation), Naomi Scott (Life Bites), and Allison Miller (Kings).

The preview is KICK-ASS and if you think it looks like a movie, it's cause it was filmed on a $150 million budget. I can get into the whole World Famine VS. $150 million tv show but I won't. Enjoy the trailer!! :) :)

So there it folks. This is what Abrams and Spielberg has to offer us for next year in television. Now, Abrams and Spielberg have to get togheter and create Lost Alcatraz of 4400 Heroes.

Candles are out,

Eleven's Ink

Top 10 Science Fiction Movies that Will NOT Make your Headspin

I was discussing favourite movies with a colleague of mine and it came to me, fairly quickly may I add, that most of the movies I was listing off were science-fiction movies. Not all of them were hard science, but most of them I found confused the people I was talking to. And it had me pondering, "are science-fiction movies that confusing?" and then I thought of Inception and said to myself: yup, I need to set the record straight and make a top ten list of science fiction movies that are NOT mind-shaterring.

I include The Matrix even though I was confused until only a few years ago lol.

Enjoy!


10. The Matrix (1999)

Director: Larry and Andy Wachowski
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Laurence Fishburne, and Hugo Weaving (!!!)
What's it about: This is much about man's fight against the machine in a time where there isn't much "man" left in the world. A ragtag group of rebels plug themselves into an alternate world, known as The Matrix, to wake people up from the "machine" and bring them back to the real world where they can fight off whatever it is that is destroying their world.
Bottom line: People are sleeping in tubes, people are awaken from tubes. People fight big bad.

 

9. Back to the Future (1985)

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Christopher Lloyd, Michael J. Fox, Lea Thompson, and Crispin Glover (!!!)
What's it about: A teenage boy with teenage boy problems meets a loony-bin scientist with a bad habit of being clumsy in horrible times. They become chummy-chummy and soon they go forward to the past and Back to the Future! This movie establishes certain rules of time-travelling without being all Hawkings about it.
Bottom line: Don't touch anything or you may never be born at all. Oh and flying skateboards!

 

8. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Any version!)

Remake Galore:There has been so many versions of this movie, like this one, this one, this one, and this one that I hardly know where to begin. If you choose to venture into the world of creepy avatars, then I would suggest the 1978 version with Donald Sutherland because, well, it's Donald fucking Sutherland.
What's it about: Humans are on the verge of annihalation without even knowing. Pods have fallen from the sky and soon what is inside them invades our planet. They infiltrate our body and while we sleep, a new one is produced that looks exactly like us. You cannot hide. You cannot run. They are everywhere. (um..creepyyy)
Bottom line: Once you see this movie, it kinda gets stuck inside your head. No pun intended.

 

7. Alien (1979)

Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Sigourney Weaver. Not naming the rest of the cast cause The Weaver surpasses them all.
What's it about: This one is definitaly hard-science as their is a lot of lingo that even I don't understand, although I consider myself, now, a sci-fi guy. A crew aboard a very nifty spaceship respond to what they believe is an SOS signal and land on a deserted planet to see if they can help. Yeah, no, RUUUUUN!!!
Bottom line: Scary as hell, and great at initiating the anti-syfy's to spaceships, aliens, and Ripley. Oh, Ripley.

The Original Mother Monster



6. Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)

Director: The great honourable James Cameron
Starring: Linda Hamilton (!!!), Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick, and Arnold S -(going back to other screen to see spelling of name, right!!) - CH(oops mistake already) - ARZENNEGER. there.
What's it about: Judgement day is looming, it will happen any day now. A future John Connor has programmed a terminator to help him and his mom in the past so that humans can avoid Judgement Day and destroy the machines. Togheter, they must set aside their differences to stop one hell of a mother-fucking melting machine that creeped me out as a child!! Robert Patrick to me IS the T-1000.
Bottom line: Our favourite heroine ever (besides Ripley, don't make me lazer your eye out!) must team up with the terminator that was sent back from the future to murder her in the first installment, to track down and destroy the terminator that is back from the future to murder her son. Wait a minute...



5. Star Trek (2009)

Director: J.J. Abrams
Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Eric Bana, and Zoe Saldana (!!!)
What's it about: A young, straight-out-of-school team of Starfleet cadets are thrusted into a on-going war between the Vulcans and an old nemesis known as Nero. This is not your parent's Star Trek!!It is slightly confusing until the matter is explained near the super-awesome ending. This movie is worth the watch for two reasons: J.J Abrams and Simon Pegg as "Beam me up, Scottie!"
Bottom line: Explains fairly well the certain rules of Space-Time Travelling and Black Holes. Great storytelling and modern enough to entice any sy-fy haters to join the trekkies!

 

4. Donnie Darko (2001)

Director: Richard Kelly
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Patrick Swayze, Drew Barrymore, Maggie Gyllenhall, and Noah Wyle
What's it about: A disturbed teenage boy (Jake Gyllenhaal in one of his first movies) has visions of a very scary-looking rabbit that tells him the world is about to end. This movie was produced by Drew Barrymore who saw this film as a modern-age "joan of arc". She said it, not I!
Bottom line: Sheer genius! This is defo the sy-fy movie you want to watch if you're thinking you might suffer from syfyllium, the rare disease that causes the victim to become hugely engrossed in syfy movies. And watch for Jena Malone who tries so desperatly to shy away from her "that bitch from stepmom" role.

(also look for a young Daveigh Chase - Samara from The Ring - who has a small, teeny-tiny role as Samantha Darko. She comes back eight years later to reprise her role in S.Darko, the sequel)



3. Avatar (2009)

Director: The glorious James Cameron
Starring: Blue people and bad humans
What's it about: Greedy Americans have found a new planet to destroy. Technology is not what we know and soon the humans can - is it explained in the movie? (idk, I can't remember) - move their souls from the human host to the Na'ri hosts, hence the title Avatar. Some of the American Evils want to exploit the natural ressources of Pandora and will stop at nothing to obtain Unobtainium.
Bottom line: This whole movie is jizz-in-my-pants worthy. It was MADE for the syfy community and thankfully, the world embraced it as well and helped it become the #1 grossing movie of all time. Just sayin'.

 

2. Twelve Monkeys (1995)

Director: The great Terry Gilliam
Starring: Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt, and Madeleine Stowe (where have you been Madeleine??)
What's it about: A man is sent to the past in an insane asylum to discover what killed off most of Earth's population. Haven't seen this movie in forever so I don't remember much but it was creepy, and it was good. And I watched this with a young mind, so anyone can understand this even though it is considered hard science.
Bottom line: Bruce Willis and Madeleine Stowe "disturbia"-ing through a mental hospital is quite the adventure! Great way to start your Syfy obession. »Do it! Also look for a younger Chris Meloni, for all you Law & Order:SVU / Oz fans out there!!

 

1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Director: Michael Gondry
Starring: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood, Tom Wilkinson, and Kirsten Dunst
What's it about: Jim Carrey meets a very beautiful woman, played by Kate Winslet. They fall madly in love but soon discover the truths of a commited relationship. This one isn't hard-science at all so it's the best way to ease into the syfy world. It's a science fiction movie hidden beneath a love story. Targeted Memory Eradication doesn't exist yet. But if you want to know the consequences and beauty of it, check out this flick!

Bottom line: Remember to watch the movie about Memory Loss. REMEMBER!!



Jesus Murphy: Blog Story (20)

- Chapter 20 -

Revelations

The sun was shining when Jesus woke up from a well needed rest. The rain had finally stopped and it would pave the way for a week of complete sunshine and warm temperatures. There was only a few weeks left before school started and Jesus was taking full advantage of it.

He didn't linger in his room for long, he felt compelled to apologize to Martin for his bratty behaviour the night before. He knew the feeling of entitlement was wrong and wanted to express this to his guardian.

The house smelled of fried eggs and bacon and the aroma flirted with Jesus' hunger. He hurried down the stairs and into the galley kitchen when he noticed Martin wasn't alone.

His guardian was in a heated discussion with Madonna Riviera. They hadn't notice Jesus. He spun backwards and hid from view, listening in on their conversation.

"...and Elizabeth. They didn't want him to be part of this, Martin. I did what I had to to secure the players in the prophecy. That was long ago, you know I have changed since then. My loyalties lay with Jesus and with you." Madonna said. Jesus found it odd to hear this woman defend herself. He remembered her being more stern and tenacious.

"We need to fix this. I can't let my friends live like this; that is their son, Madonna!" Martin answered, his voice firing up with anger. Ironic that they could express such emotions but they so desperatly wanted Jesus to oppress it.

"I can't change it, Martin. What is done is done. You have to accept that, there's nothing I can do. If we change it now, if we bring Jonathan back to his parents, he will never meet Jesus."

"And what would be so bad about that?"

"Jonathan will enlighten Jesus, share his wisdom of peace. His message alone is what will shape Jesus to become the man he needs to be."

Their was silence in the room. Jesus tried not to stir too much.

"He will be downstairs any second now. It would be best if we continue this talk some other time, Madonna."

This was his cue. Jesus ran his hand through his thick curly blond hair and walked inside the kitchen. He acted surprised when Madonna smiled at him. She was always so dressed up, Jesus noticed. Her shining fair hair was pinned up and she had a lilac headband keeping it in place. She wore a summer dress that seemed white at first but when Madonna got up from her chair to leave, purple hues could be seen in the creases.

Madonna kissed Martin on the cheek and patted Jesus on the shoulder as she passed by him and towards the entrance. Jesus waited for Madonna to be out of the house before adressing his uncle.

He took a seat at the table just as Martin slid a plate full of food in front of him. There was a scent of cologne that came from his uncle. Jesus noticed Martin was dressed up in a black suit and tie. His naturally frizzy and wild hair was slicked back, giving Martin a very corporate stature. His apology speech was placed on the back burner.

"What's with the get-up?" Jesus asked, curbing his desire to laugh.

"I have an interview for a job today" Martin answered, sitting down across from Jesus.

"Cool. What are you going to be this time? A clerk, a mechanic?" Jesus queried. During their years on the run, Martin had held many different jobs and excelled at all of them.

"Actually, It's a job at the Agency"

That didn't really surprise Jesus at all. He expected Martin to settle down once they were in Bethlehem. Once he saw Madonna inside their house, he quickly understood what would happen next. Martin would have to join the Agency. They would protect Jesus until he reached maturity and then they would unleash him to the great country of Jerusalem to spread the good news of hope, love, and respect.

"It's time I tell you about my history with the Agency, Jesus."


"Their was a time," Martin started, sliding his plate to the side, "when the Agency and the Sicarii were known to the public. It was a time of war. Your grand-parents died defending our home and their children. The same night they died, we were divided. Uncle Malcom and your mom were too young to join the Agency so they were taken away to live with Agents."

"Your uncle Michael and I travelled through Jerusalem in various training camps. I rebelled, of course, as would any teenage kid with anger," at these words he paused and smiled at Jesus. "I met a very beautiful young girl who challenged my views and eventually my loyalty to the Agency. She was very deceiving and manipulative and managed to pull me into her circle. All along though, she was an Agent and she was testing me."

"For some reason unknown, she kept a promise she had made to me before she revealed her true colours. She let me leave the Agency without them ever knowing I was part of it. Years later, I learned she had switched sides and pled allegiance to the Sicarii alongside her colleage, Jenna Crown."

"Times had changed though. The Agency had went underground when the citizens demanded a more stable organization to run the country. When the Mayor took power of Jerusalem, the Sicarii went into hiding as well and became even more dangerous then ever.

"When news of this broke, Michael was now a high-ranked Agent and he mounted an attack on Jenna's estate to retrieve her adopted daughter."

Jesus didn't need for Martin to say it. The realisation had struck him the moment he paused. Jenna Crown was the Agent who had adopted his mother. Michael didn't want his sister to be tainted by the manipulations of the Sicarii, Jesus thought to himself. He didn't know much about his uncle but he didn't picture him as being guided by emotions.

"What happened next?" Jesus was curious to know, anxious even. He always loved hearing stories about his mother, and this one topped all of them.

"Michael took her away. Jenna was out for the evening and the nanny didn't hesitate at the site of a squad of Agents. Soon we were all reunited and eventually relocated here in Bethlehem. Michael continued his work for the Agency. Your mother settled down with Joseph and Malcom continued...well, being Malcom."

Jesus chuckled. He had only seen his uncle Malcom once when he was younger. He remembered his odd style and quirky habits.

"When your mother died I was approached by Madonna who wanted me to watch over you and guide you through life. I never trusted the Agency. I prefer them to the Sicarii, but organized societies often have very corrupt centers. Anyhow, I accept the role with some hesitation, I won't lie. I didn't want to get involved with the Agency again."

"It leads me to this, Jesus. I want you to trust me when I tell you that I will stop at nothing to protect you from those who seek to harm you. I don't want you to doubt what I am doing, even though sometimes I myself may seem uncertain. I want you to be a teenager, Jesus. Don't worry about what we are doing, okay."

Jesus nodded. This was a lot of information to absorb. He wondered if the Agent who had toyed with him was the prophetess that mapped out Jesus' life.

"Who was that Agent woman? The one who turned bad? You mentioned something she did that only one other person can do; Madonna."

Martin sighed. He was getting Jesus tangled in webs he didn't belong in. Martin cleared the table and took a moment for himself, to also clear his thoughts.

"Her name is Anna Simeon. She's Madonna's sister."



Jesus Murphy: Blog Story (19)

 - Chapter 19 -
Bedroom Confession

The rain hadn't ceased since they arrived back at 45 Willow Road. It was molesting the bay window in Jesus' bedroom and distorted the view of the woods that surrounded the yard. Jesus was looking out but wasn't focused on anything in particular.

He was still trying to make sense of it all; His future, his past, his present. What waited for him before the death that was predicted? Did he cause every event that happened before him, simply so he could be born into this world as destiny wanted? And most importantly, as he lingered in his humid bedroom with all lights shut off, Jesus pondered what would happen now, in the moment?

Thoughts of Joan Archer were running by when a gentle knock came at the door and when Jesus spun around, Martin was slouched in the door frame.

"Want pizza for supper, cowboy?" Martin queried.

Jesus just shrugged and kept his eyes on the blurry image that was created by the downpour outside.

"What's up? You've been gloomy for the past week. Anxious to start school?"

"I guess. I've been thinking alot about what Madonna said to me." Jesus started. He turned around and let his legs dangle off the edge of the windowseat, "I mean, maybe I am angry about what happened to mom, to dad. He wasn't the best father but...he was all I had."

Martin kind of half smiled and went to sit by his nephew. He wrapped his arm around his shoulder and looked into his eyes.

"Joseph was a marvelous man. Your mother loved him. Sometimes when bad things happen, it can really destroy someone. I think he would be proud to see you overcome your anger, Jesus. Give yourself some time."

Jesus shifted in his seat then got up and walked aimlessly around his room.

"Where do my abilities come from?" Jesus asked, finally gaining enough confidence to ask the question that had lingered for too long inside his mind. He needed - no, deserved - answers.

"That, I don't know Jesus. All I can say is that you were blessed. You are going to change the world, cowboy." Martin answered, staying seated by the bay window.

"You guys keep telling me that. All I know is that I am going to die so that people can live, how is that even fair?"

Martin could hear the start of a tremble in his nephew's voice. He didn't like it when Jesus would doubt the mission, the prophecy. It just made it harder for everyone.

"I made the mistake of letting you in on that tidbit of information. I promised I would tell you everything and I will. But you have to get rid of that anger inside you. It's growing, Jesus, and anger eventually leads to hatred. We can't...lose you to that, Jesus."

Jesus rolled his eyes and sighed. He dropped himself on his bed and turned away from the man he now called father. He often wished that his parents hadn't died and in moments like these, he wished even harder. He was glad that his back was turned. He hid the tears that pearled down in his cheeks and didn't bother to wipe them away.

"I wish we could communicate better, Jesus" Martin finally said, after a few minutes of silence. Dissapointment and sadness took over his voice.

"How can we communicate when I feel like i'm talking to myself?" Jesus turned around and sat up on his bed. That emotion that polluted his soul, anger as Madonna had put it, was painted all over his face. "You never answer my questions! You don't tell me anything of what we are about to do and why! I don't know if you trust or don't trust Madonna! You don't communicate with me, dad. You don't. How am I suppose to open up to you when I...I..."

Jesus looked away.

Martin didn't quite understand what he was feeling inside but it tore away at his heart. He hadn't notice how secretive he had been with Jesus. What was it that he wanted to say?

"What is it, Jesus? Say it, don't be afraid."

"I don't trust you."

Both men stood in the silent bedroom, looking away from each other. Martin walked closer and wrapped his arms around Jesus.

"I'm so sorry."



Top 5 Child Stars that Couldn't Seem to Get Over the 90's

Please note that I have only included those who seem to have wavered out of the spotlight. You will not see the likes of Christina Ricci, Elijah Wood, Kirsten Dunst, etc... as they have transitioned from the Child Star phase to full-blown "Actorrrrs".

Would you like ot join me down memory lane?



5. Mara Wilson

Most of you are probably scratching your heads, asking yourselves: Who is Mara Wilson? Does anybody remember the little girl in Mrs. Doubtfire? No?

Do you remember the child in Miracle on 34th street? Neither??

Hmmm....Oh I know! Mathilda? You must remember Mathilda!!

Mara Wilson was a very popular child actress in the 1990's and shot to fame as the wise-cracking, unafraid, and adventurous Mathilda; the ragtag child from Roald Dahl's famous children novel. After the success of these movies I have mentioned, she went on to star in A Simple Wish with Martin Short which I still vividly remember as being undeniably lame and boring. She followed that up with her last appearance in a movie with Thomas and The Magic Railroad. And no it's not about Harriet Tubman and some magic mushrooms!

Mara Wilson has decided to step away from the limelight while still pursuing dramatic arts at New York's Tisch School of Arts and expressed interest in doing smaller, more independent projects.

Mara - now 25

4. Tina Majorino

This child star was my favourite growing up. I enjoyed almost all of her movies and something about her was so real. Child stars nowadays could learn a thing or two from Tina. The first movie I saw with her was Corrina, Corrina equally starring Whoopie Goldberg, another favourite of mine and a staples of the 1990's. After that, came a string of high-profile roles such as that of Enola in the flop Waterworld and Toni in Andre, a family-oriented movie about a girl who befriends a seal.

In 1999, after starring in the titular role in Alice in Wonderland, Majorino decided to take a break from acting and focus on her personal life. She was contacted by Rob Thomas who has written a role specifically for her, that of Mac in Veronica Mars. That same year she landed her most notorious role: Deb in Napoleon Dynamite.

I was not a fan of the movie but oddly, I am anticipating the new animated version that Fox has picked up for their 2012 line-up. Here's a sneak peak.

Tina Majorino, now 26

3. Jonathan Lipnicki

Who doesn't remember the cute little kid from Jerry Maguire who practically stole the movie right out of Tom Cruise's hands. You could tell that his awkwardness would only land him roles for the next five years but he managed to solidify his box office success with the likes of Stuart Little, The Little Vampire, and Like Mike.

After the success of Jerry Maguire, Lipnicki landed the role of Jeff Foxworthy's son in the show that shared the name of it's major comedian. Although not a ratings-whore, the show managed to shed some light on the young actor who is unrecognizable nowadays.

I could have written more about him, but let's face it, the glasses was what really attracted us, not the talent.

Jonathan Lipnicki - now 20

2. Anna Chlumsky

So what inspired me, in part, to write today's entry was the movie My Girl, which was playing on television yesterday night on E!. I remember as a kid, the best part of the weekend was friday night's at the movie store, trying to find movies we HADN'T seen. It seems everything was simpler back then, movies for kids made sense for kids.

One actress that stood out amongst the others ( I have a knack for odd facial traits and Anna is full of them) is the cute little girl who portrayed Vada Sultenfuss in the hit movie My Girl and it's terrible sequel that was way too girlie for it's own good.

She went on to become a regular in children/teen movies with such classics as Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain , Trading Mom, and A Child's Wish; a story about a child battling cancer that was shown to us in school and it stayed in my memory forever!!

And now with all this research i'm glad to say Anna is returning to TV with Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Veep, a north-american take on The Thick Of It, coming to HBO in 2012!! Hurray!!

Anna Chlumsky, now 30

1. Macaulay Culkin

I think this one was pretty obvious since most people my age associate the 90's with Culkin movies. He acted in almost every movie that that geared towards kids and impressed the likes of us in classics such as The Pagemaster, Uncle Buck, Getting Even with Dad, and yes, even the horrible Richie Rich.

What is so interesting about Culkin, is that he made the news as much for his movies as for his perfonal life. His family turmoils have been all over the news and his strange relationship with the late king of pop, Michael Jackson, had been questioned in federal court.

After an impressive turn in instant hits like Home Alone, The Good Son, and My Girl, Culkin took a break from acting to tend to his personal life which was suffering dramatically.

He did an impressive return in Party Monster about a gay, drug-addicted party promoter who garnered some critical praise. He performed smaller roles in Saved! and Foster Hall and seemed to have made a comeback in the NBC series Kings in 2007 but the show failed to attract viewers and it was later cancelled, sending our dear friend Culkin back into darkness.

Macaulay Culkin, now 30

What are your favourite child stars that grew up along with you?


Candles are out,
Elevens Ink

The Infected: Blog Story (Preview)

BLOG STORY

Three Families. Three Countries. One Infection. They are all connected.

Kline

Olsen

Shiziku

Wanna be part of the solution?

Wanna be part of the destruction?

Choose your side, choose your destiny

Interactive story where you decide the fate of your character.

Simply let me know if you wanna be part of the story and decide whether your character is good, bad, or infected at any time!!

Jeanette Olsen was waiting impatiently for her husband to arrive from his business trip to Tokyo. The sun was setting in the valley and the street was quiet. She was swaying back and forth on her outdoor rocking chair, sipping on her usual cup of orange pekoe. The wind was comforting, softly caressing Jeanette's grey locks. She smiled to herself, something she did often. The night was slowly taking over the landscape and the patio light turned on automatically. The patient wife checked her watch and noticed that her husband was late. She grabbed her phone from the hand-carved wooden table by her side and dialed the airport's information line.

There was no answer. Jeanette found that to be odd. She slipped on her floral glasses and got up from her chair. She had a limp in her walk caused by a boating accident many years ago and it took her longer to get to things. She reached for the screen door when the light next door went on and the door flew open.

The neighbours were always fighting so it came to no surprise to Jeanette that such a thing was happening. She shrugged and opened the door. She was just about to step inside when the elderly woman heard the strangest noise coming from the neighbours front lawn.

It had gotten darker and Jeanette could spot someone walking up the laneway.

"Is that you, Stephanie?" Jeanette asked, her vision blurred from her glasses. She removed them and confirmed that the youngest Holloway child was at the edge of her lawn.

She was bent over on the grass, vomitting blood in large quantity.

"Oh my lord" Jeanette gasped, her hand reaching for her mouth as if she could catch the whimper that had escaped. She edged closer towards the wooden steps of her veranda when something happened.

Stephanie's head snapped up, exposing a pair of bright yellow eyes with bloodshot stains. The veins around her eyes we're black and creeping like vines, clearly visible through the little girl's unnaturally pale complexion. She snarled and her upper lip was busted open and white puss oozed out of it. Her normally kept hair was dishevelled and clotted with dried blood. She snapped again.

"What in God's name..." Jeanette paused at the upper step, disturbed yet hypnotized by the the unravelling of Stephanie Holloway. She made to turn around and run but couldn't. "Stephanie...What hap-"

The small girl jumped to her feet in one swift motion and began running wildly towards her elderly neighbour who could do nothing but remain transfixed with fear.

****

Join the Horror

August 2011

Jesus Murphy: Anna & Martin (Ch.12-17)

- Chapter 12 -

Little Sister

It was hot and humid in Bethlehem the day Michael Christ Sr. and his wife brought home their fourth child. Mr. Christ laughed and tears streamed down his rosy cheeks and fell like waterfalls onto his burly belly. Evangeline Christ craddled her daughter proudly in her arms, rocking her gently as her two eldest boys came running up the hall, smiling and laughing as the nanny chased their tales, .

"I wanna see her!" Michael said, pushing in front of his younger brothers to catch a peek at the new baby.

"What's her name, mom?" Martin asked, tugging at his mother's skirt. He barely reached her waist and stood on his tippy-toes to get a glimpse of his sister.

"Give your mother some room to breathe, boys," Mr. Christ said amidst burst of laughter, unable to catch his breathe himself. Later, Evangeline had told her kids that she had never seen her husband laugh so much in her life.

Michael and Martin ran to the lavish living room in the west wing, the one reserved for special occasions. Only the oldest child remembered his parents hosting an event in this room - Mr. Christ was a wealthy politician in the big city of Jerusalem - Martin was too young and Malcom was barely a year old.

The two brothers were sitting still when their parents finally joined them by the fire. Martin thought, with the glow of the fire reflecting off her, that his mother ressembled an angel. Yes, she had fair hair and skin white as snow but what really stood out to Martin was her smile and the joy that radiated from that smile. A smile that could warm any childs heart.

Evangeline caught him admiring her and blew him a kiss. She sat on the rocking chair and began to bounce her feet just ever so slightly, rocking gently back and forth. "Her name is Mary" she said, kissing the top of her baby's soft head.

"I love that name, mom!" Martin said, jumping off his chair and running to his mother. She giggled and gently lowered the blanket to show her new daughter to her admiring son.


Mr. Christ was resting against the massive oak mantle piece above the fireplace in his most expensive suit. It was custom to search the closet for the one and only three-piece suit and dust it off before joining your wife at the hospital. His eldest, Michael Jr., was immitating his father. He tried to seem taller by craning his neck and stepping on the tip of his toes.

As much as Martin enjoyed his sister and her arrival, Michael was more excited about having his father around the house again. While Martin was capable of taking care of himself, even at the tender age of six, Michael was unaware of how things worked around the house. He was two years older, yet had little to no knowledge of responisbility and care of one's self. He shadowed his father everywhere he went.

Mr. Christ was just about ready to bring the match to the tip of his cigar when the first of many explosions sounded off in the distance. The kids jolted and their nanny came rushing into the living room with the other baby, Malcom.

"It is the Sicarii, sir. They have opened fire against the Agency" Mabel screamed as she came into the family room, Malcom dangling a little too loosely off her hip. Evangeline gently handed over Mary to her husband and grabbed both the boys by the hands. They cried as she guided them towards the backyard.

"Come on, cowboys, to the backyard" Evangeline half-whispered. Michael seemed calm enough but Martin detected the panic in her tone.

The Christ family was fortunate enough to be born into money and never had to worry about bomb shelters and survival kits. They had everything they needed in their backyard bunker. Michael Jr. was never really aware of the real problems that affected the people outside the walls of Christ Manor. Martin, however, was very much aware of the present danger that lingered in the city streets.

When they reached the back door, the city sirens were blaring loud pulses, warning the citizens of Bethlehem to seek shelter immediately. The Sicarii was a very powerful organization with ties to the Fallen Angel. The Jerusalem War was looming overhead and the arial strike tonight began it all. Nothing would be able to stop the War now. Once begun, it would never cease.

Evangeline finally made it to the bunker. She struggled with the heavy door but was finally sucessful in her attempts to pry the damn thing open. She shooed her two boys in and just then Mabel stepped out with Mary and Malcom.

"Where's Michael?" Evangeline gasped, when she noticed her husband wasn't besides the plump nanny.

"He took up arms in the front lawn. Says he will fight back" Mabel answered, in her usual broken english. She handed over the infant Malcom and baby girl Mary over to their mother. Evangeline placed them down gently in the makeshift cribs and looked severly at her two eldest children.

"Stay here. Don't make a sound. And make sure nothing happens to Mary." She warned them. Fear had now found and nestled itself in the bottom of Martin's stomach. His mother seldom talked with such a shaky voice. She was going to find their father. And something in her tone foreshadowed her fate. Evangeline Christ was leaving them in the bunker to find her husband, and she didn't think she was coming back.

She turned around to mask the tears that were rolling down her cheeks and gave out her last order to Mabel before shutting them all up in the bunker and sealing the door off to the rest of the world. She placed two fingers to her lips and then glided them over the solid metal door.

"Goodbye my loves" She said to herself in the midst of the explosions and the ear-splitting sounds that eminated from the bombs. She spun around and ran through the house to join her husband.

- Chapter 13 -

New Quarters

They told him he had a choice. Gave him options as to what he could do next. Grieving of course, wasn't one of them. He could go to the oprhanage with his younger sister and brother. Get adopted, live a nice life. They offered him another option, one Michael took gladly. He could join a elite group of people that wanted to change the world. The Agency.

Martin accepted the offer, preferring by far to spend the next several years with his older brother. He was still young and, forgive him but, he was traumatized from the death of his parents. He had little time to think and didn't realize that he would no longer see his younger siblings anymore and forever. To his youthful mind, he was simply leaving for the summer with his older brother to a training camp.

That his why no tears were shed when Mary and Malcom were taken from the home and dissapeared in the back of a stretch limousine. The War was over and the good guys had won. Mother and father have passed. Mary and Malcom have left.

Martin turned towards his brother to seek comfort but only found anger and chagrin. Some of the men that were searching the home were now exiting from the front door and into their respective cars. They scared Martin; in they way they moved, how they didn't communicate but knew what to do as if hypnotized. One of them grabbed Michael then another grabbed Martin and they left the house, leaving behind his stuffed camel.

******

All Martin can see is darkness. He is surrounded by nothing. The room he was being held in was cold and the floor was rough.  It has been like this for the past three days. He missed his fourteenth birthday. He had been punished before for disobeying orders but never as severly as this time. Never had they locked him up in a bare room with nothing to eat and little water, and subzero temperature atop all of that.

Martin was crouched in the middle of the room. His knees were tucked under his chin and his arms were wrapped around his shaking knees. He was lost in thought. DIsoriented. Hungry. He didn't budge when the door finally swung open and light creeped in.

"You can go back to your quarters" the big burly guard shouted as if speaking to no one in particular.

Martin lifted his head with immense effort, his energy drained. The beam of light that sparkled in from the crack in the door partially blinded him. He squinted and his eyes adjusted to the stark contrats of the light. He slowly got up from his crouched position, hiding his genitals with his hands. There wasn't a form of punishment more embarassing them being left stark naked in a frigid and dark room.

He walked passed the big-bellied guard and could swear he was checking him out. Martin's face reddened as he marched on forward towards his room. He could barely call it a room, it ressembled much more a prisoner's cell then a trainee's room.

The embarassment did not stop at the enclosed, darkened room. Martin had to pass by all the other trainees, all of whom would stop their activities to stare, point, laugh. If Martin hadn't made the decision of joining the Agency back when he was still a kid, this treatment would surely have made him think twice.

When he finally reached the confines of his small, tapestry-heavy bedroom, he noticed a new tenant had taken up place. Martin hadn't had a roommate in several months. He was pleased though to find that this new roomie was female. Hot female.

"Please, do make yourself comfortable" Martin suggested, deciding just then to stop hiding his family jewels.

The girl took one long look at Martin then sighed. A small arc formed itself in the right corner of her lips. She seemed amused. "Don't flatter yourself, Martin Christ. I know all about your charming ways" She answered, her voice smooth as silk.

She grabbed what looked like swimming trunks and threw them at Martin. He catched them mid-air and looked at her with bewilderment. "What are there for?"

"Were going swimming, silly." She answered, removing the dress that was the only thing covering her body. She peeked over her shoulder and caught Martin looking at her with eyes that could only be compared with those of a horny lion. "Turn around, please. I thought they still teached manners here" She told him, this time no smile appeared on face.

Martin turned around, smiling to himself. This would be an interesting summer. If only he could refrain from being caught and punished. He slipped on his trunks just as the girl walked passed him. She looked at him as she walked by and smiled. "My name is Anna by the way. Anna Simeon"

- Chapter 14 -

Anna Starts a Chain of Events

"So you never did tell me why you chose the Agency" Anna said.

They were in Babylon Lake yet somehow they avoided the entire point of going to the lake. You could barely qualify their padding around as swimming. Martin and Anna were unable to stop chatting.

" My older brother didn't hesitate when they asked him so I didn't either" Martin answered, matter-of-factly. He could hide his emotions in the mid afternoon sun; his brow was low and his eyes squinted into slits. The events that unfolded several years ago still pained him.

He had never opened up about how he felt that day to anyone in the Agency. None of his closest friends in there would compare to a friend on the outside. They were all robots, formed and molded into a soldier that would serve but one purpose; obey the Boss. Martin was considered a rebel of sorts as he often arrived after curfew, skipped meals, and would start fights with some of the other trainees.

Anna was different. Martin sensed a more human side to her, as if she hadn't let them infiltrate her mind just as he did. She had an amazing aura around her; a light purple glow when the sun lit her just right.

"Do you wonder what happened to your younger siblings?" Anna asked, slicking back her wet blonde hair, water dripping from the ends onto her shoulder. She caught Martin looking at her and it genuinely made her smile.

"Sometimes," he didn't really want to discuss that part of his past. Leaving them behind tore him apart. "I barely remember them" Martin continued.

"I know how you feel. I lost my little sister too. Similar story to yours," Anna said, " Parents fought secretly for the Agency for years. They never hid it from me; they encouraged me to do the same." She sighed, and Martin could feel her pain. Her pain of having to fight, of having to deal, to cope. Children aren't suppose to deal and cope.

"Where did you go afterwards? I mean, where were you before you came here?" Martin asked, soaking his dark shaggy hair in the lake.

"I did a lot of different training camps around Jerusalem. I don't really fit in" She added, with no remorse. She looked uncomfortble with the subject at hand.

Martin agreed. He had switched camps twice already but it didn't help. He didn't feel like he belonged here. It felt like a sentence more then an opportunity. If anyone would here them talking like this, they would most likely be sentenced to prison for treason to the Agency.

The sun was about to set and a sudden chill accompanied the wind. Martin suggested they get out of the lake and take a walk through the woods and back towards the training grounds.

"Sure, it is getting chilly" Anna said, following Martin out of the lake.

They dried off quickly and slipped into their trainee suits; a grey tracksuit with blue stripes running vertically up the sides. They had their names stitched in the front and the back. Christ and Simeon.

"I have a question for you, I mean, since you're so blunt about disliking the Agency." Martin hesitated. He wanted to be careful not to be overheard. He whispered: "Why do you think Jerusalem is unaware of the Sicarii if they're such a big threat?"

Anna stopped walking, confusion splattered across her face. "That's your secret question?" She looked at him funny, then brushed her fair hair behind her pointy ears. Martin had just noticed how very different she looked. Her expresions alone were bizarre. But her features were very peculiar as well. He had never seen anything like it in all of Jerusalem. He was about to question her heritage when Anna grabbed him by the hand and began walking towards the cliff that overlooked the Ocean.

"What are you getting at, Anna?" Martin asked, going along with whatever she had in mind.

"I have a question that is worth answering." She replied, walking straight towards the edge of the land. "It might answer yours as well in time."

They got to the cliff overlooking the Ocean. It was beautiful as the sun set in the horizon. Different shades of purples and blues reflected off the endless sheet of water.

"How far do you think that body of water stretches?" Anna asked.

"It seems endless. Why are you asking that?"

"Because, Martin, have you ever wondered what was outside this city, this country? What lived beyond Hopecity, beyond Jerusalem?"

Martin started. Something about that question was just unimaginable. There was nothing outside of the country of Jerusalem. How can somebody even suggest, let alone imagine such a ghostly idea.

"No, I haven't. Where did you even get such an idea?" Martin asked, almost ashamed of being involved in this discussion. He suddenly felt disconnected from Anna.

"I haven't been exactly honest with you about my past" She said, looking away from Martin, "My parents weren't from Jerusalem. In fact, they aren't from this body of land at all."

"Where are they from?" He asked, oddly curious. He felt connected again. Theories and secret societies was his favourite subject. He knew she looked different somehow.

"Across the Ocean." She said looking back at Martin. "And they're not dead. I'm telling you this because I see potential in you, Martin. You will impact the life of the Chosen One."

Martin suddenly felt shaky in the knees. The edge of the cliff looked too close for comfort and it made him nauseaus. He knelt and then sat down on the solid rock.

"How did you get in here? How did you become a trainee?" Martin asked.

"I am not a trainee, Martin. I have unique abilities that help me guide my way around certain obstacles. But there is one in particular that I can't seem to overcome. That is where you come in play." She said, sitting down beside Martin. "Well, you don't really do anything. A future family member of yours will."

"A future family member?"

"I can't say anymore, Martin. But I can start the process. We found Mary and Malcom."

Martin's brow twitched. All the rage and the anger he felt inside all these years for leaving them behind finally came to the surface and he began to cry.

"If you want, we can walk right out of here and nobody will ever remember you being part of the Agency?"

"I want to see them," was all Martin could say.

"Consider your past erased." Anna said, smiling.

- Chapter 15 -

Erased

Martin felt as if he was in a movie. He was walking just behind Anna Simeon down a very long and narrow corridor lined with rounded doors on either side. Her walk was rapid, and to the point. She didn't look back nor talked to Martin until they reached the final door on the left.

Anna, who had changed back into her own normal wear, a lilac-coloured fitted dress, stood on the opposite side of the door and gestured at Martin to enter the room. "Mary and Malcom are in there. They want to see you too."

He hesitated. Martin stood still in front of Anna, not knowing whether he should go back to the past or move forward. Anna had promised that either way, he was free to leave the Agency. She had made sure of that. Nobody had ever made him question the meaning of life like this. He had spent most of his life barricated inside training compounds for what? He had never received any form of gratitude for the dedication he showed to the Boss.

He also was hesitant about trusting Anna. Obviously this underground facility had to be controlled and operated by a few hundre people. Who was she working for? Sweat started beading down Martin's forehead as the realisation that maybe this wasn't a family reunion. He noticed Anna becoming uneasy. Something wasn't right.

"What's going on, Anna?" Martin asked, looking over his shoulder. He didn't feel safe anymore and his heart began to thump in his chest. The overbearing sensation of terror had invaded him.

"What do you mean? Just...go visit your family." She didn't look at Martin when she spoke to him. She held the door with one hand and tugged sporadically at the hem of her short dress with the other. She kept her focus on the floor at all times.

"They're not there, are they?" Martin asked. "ARE THEY?!"

Anna skipped when he raised his voice. She looked at Martin, tears forming a river in her bottom lids until they could hold no more and cascaded down her pearly-white face. Her lips quivered.

"No they're not. I'm so sorry it had to be this way"

Martin didn't truly understand the meaning of her words until he felt a shocking sensation vibrating through his neck. His muscles tightened and he collapsed to the floor. But before his vision faded, he noticed Anna blowing him a kiss.

*****

When he woke up he found himself in a hospital room. He tried to move but it quickly became apparent that he had been sedated. His muscles throbbed with pain, a pounding headache was threatening to shatter his skull, and his stomach rumbled with sinful lust for food.

The first thing he noticed was that his long dark hair had been trimmed to nothing but an inch long. He looked around his room. There was an I.D tag by the bed. Martin Christ, 16 years old, 5'9... Wherever he was, at least he knew that he was officially out of the Agency. They wouldn't dare have his real name printed anywhere where Jerusalem officials could find them.

He was just about ready to pass out when the nurse came in to check up on him. She checked his stats and then looked at Martin.

"Are you the son of Michael Christ Sr. and Evangeline?" The nurse asked.

"Yes," Martin answered. There was no point denying it now. His stats were available to everyone now. Things were different.

The nurse fumbled in her pockets and took what look like a picture out and handed it to Martin. It was a photgraph of a girl, about eight years old. She looked just like mom, he thought.

"Who is this girl?"

"Isn't it odd that you show up here, in Babylon, out of nowhere, and you just happen to be the brother of my adopted daughter? Now be honest, Martin Christ, who sent you here?"

He didn't notice at first, what with being sedated and all, but the nurse's voice stirred up forgotten memories of the night his family was destroyed. She was there. Her name was Jenna Crown. Whatever Anna did it worked. She didn't seem to remember Martin joining the Agency.

"I was visiting the statues as part of my school project." Martin forced himself to say. He didn't mean to lie, but he couldn't go back to the Agency. Although he didn't trust Anna anymore, he didn't feel right exposing her. That would only open doors to other questions.

The nurse seemed to accept his answer as being the truth. She promised that as soon as he was recovered, she would organize a reunion with Mary. She closed the lights on his bedside and told him to rest.

Martin couldn't move to his side and had no choice but to stare up at the ceiling. He wondered why Anna has sent him here, at the southern tip of Jerusalem? He knew it was her, there was no doubt about that. Was it to be reunited with Mary or was there something more to it?, he wondered. He closed his eyes and prayed that his troubles would be over.

 - Chapter 16 -

The Reason Behind it All

The hospital room was pitch black when Martin woke up. He couldn't see anything around him and could barely tell when his eyes were open. The place was eerily silent and he felt that something had gone terribly wrong.

He removed the tubes that were neatly inserted into his veins. The last one he pulled out pained him tremendously, leaving red welts on his wrist. He forced his legs over the bed and was shocked to finf them useless, like broken flower stems. His ankles twisted inwards as if he hadn't used his legs in a while. How long have I been here, Martin thought?

He noticed the wheelchair by the door, and with the help of the extended table lamp beside him, he moved it closer to his bed until he could finally hop in it and wheel himself out of his darkened dormatory.

The white-walled corridors were just as vacant and silent as his room. He was about to make his way towards the small cafeteria of this three story hospital when he spotted Anna by the double doors that led to the maternity wing. She had a sour look about her, her cropped blonde hair blowing in the breeze of a strange draft.

"This isn't real, is it?" Martin asked, finally making the connection. This place wasn't a hospital. This place wasn't even real at all. He started to recognize the manipulations in the threads. Anna was toying with him. Giving him what he desired most - information on his family - only to rip it away from under him. What was she getting at?

"What are you doing, Anna?" Martin asked, walking towards her.

She raised her head, a few short strands of hair falling into her eyes. "Do you begin to understand what the Agency is capable of, Mr. Christ?"

"What was the point of all this? Dragging me on for months, only to tell me you aren't an Agent. And then promise me a life rich in prospects, drag me to some unknown facility across the country with the hopes of reuniting with my family. I'm zapped out, wake up here, find out here isn't real and that you are an agent."

Anna tried to follow along with his retelling. She always laughed when her students did this. Confusing them was the first step in controlling them. None of her pupils ever trusted her again. And this is what was needed for a good Agent to suceed. Trust nobody.

"It's our latest technique in discipline. We see how far we can convince the students that the Agency truly is an evil operation. Students don't usually figure this part out so quickly. I'm proud of you." She said, finally locking eyes with Martin.

He looked away instantly. "I don't want your approval. I don't want anything to do with you, Anna Simeon. I know your real name; what you look like. Do you think for a second I wasn't prepared for this eventuality? You were right about one thing, Anna, and one thing only."

She smiled, and pushed herself off the wall where she was resting lazily. She brushed her hair behind her ears and flashed another smile at Martin. "Oh yeah, and what was that, Mr. Christ?"

"Don't trust anyone."

Martin ran against the wall, seemingly walking on it, and jumped off, kicking Anna square in the jaw. She fell back and the world she created, the hollowed hospital, began to shrink around her, the black edges blurred with tints of purple until she was back in reality, her own world.

Anna walked out of the simulation room and headed down the same corridor that she and Martin walked down a few weeks ago. She was furious and it was apparent in her fast and agressive step. She didn't look up nor talked to anyone she came by. Anna arrived at the last door and didn't knock before entering.

The room was silent. The person she wanted to talk to was writing something on her desk. The woman's blonde hair flowed gracefully behind her back. Anna had no manners.

"You told me the simulation would work. That it was up to par with our ressources." Anna said, sitting down across from Jenna Crown, the person in charge of operations.

The other woman stopped writing and put her pencil down. She removed her thick, horn-rimmed glasses and looked at Anna. "It's still experimental and I warned you. Where's Mr. Christ, now?"

"Hopefully he believed your story and is out looking for Mary. How could he control the simulation like that? He didn't come out the same way I did, back here. How is that?" Anna asked, quite confused, something that didn't happen much here.

"I'm not sure how he did that yet but he cannott escape, Anna, you know the consequences."

"Yes, I know. If we don't catch him, the messiah will never be born"

"Good. so you understand the stakes at hand. Now find the bastard and bring him back" Jenna Crown barked, returning to her writing. She told Martin the truth in the simulation, or at least her avatar did. She had indeed adopted Mary. She was nowhere near Babylon though.

If Martin wanted to find and rescue Mary, an idea they planted in his mind, he would have to go to the one place he doesn't want to; back to the agency.

- Chapter 17 -

Against the Agency

Martin had been wandering around downtown Babel for several weeks now. He managed to get enough to eat by scraping out the garbage bins that lined the alley behind the restaurants. The city streets were busy and the cars were loud and agressive. Martin wasn't used to this, what with being raised in northern Bethlehem where the population spiked at a thousand and farms were the only buildings that surrounded the area.

He could have made his way back towards the only place he remembered as home. But what would have happened then? Nobody was waiting for him. His parents had died years ago; his eldest brother was a puppet for the Agency; worst of all, Martin had no idea what had become of his younger siblings.

He had been trained extensively at the Agency's main base where he had met Anna Simeon. She had forced him to believe that she was an ally, that she could be trusted like no other. Martin blindly followed in her footsteps for months and even accepted to leave the compound, which is forbidden by law, so he could be reunited with his younger sister Mary, and his younger brother Malcom.

Upon arriving at this undisclosed location, Martin was knocked out of his mind and awoke in a hospital several hundred miles away from the base. He was greeted by Jenna Crown who informed him that Mary was under her care. A couple of days later, Martin came to the realisation that the hospital was just a figment of Anna's imagination.

The Agency had acquired technology several years back that wasn't compatible with Jerusalem science. Nobody had ever been able to materialize, build a world, create something around another being's mind. All of these events were zooming by in Martin's mind like a film stuck on fast forward. There was no way of stopping it or slowing it down. The only way for him to get over this was to confront it. He had to go back to the Agency. He had to confront Anna and find his siblings.

It didn't take that long for him to find a starting point. Just then, Anna materialized in front of him. She was resting lazily against the brick wall of Babel Eats, a famous restaurant. She bore her traditional smile and her short blonde hair was blowing wildly in the wind. She didn't seem to care. Her piercing blue eyes remained focus on Martin.

"You wanted to see me, Martin?" She asked, laughing to herself. She knew what he must be thinking. Martin was most likely wondering how she got here so fast.

"How, what...I want answers, Anna. I deserve to know the truth!" He spoke harshly and then felt bad, almost wishing he had contained his anger. This wasn't the right path to follow.

"You deserve prison, Martin, for treason to the Agency, the last known combatant entity against the Sicarii. How dare you mock us with your visions of grandeur. You are a brat, Martin Christ, and have learned nothing from us since your arrival."

"I have learned to never trust the ones who call themselves good, for there is only one good force," Martin said, pointing to his chest, "and it's inside all of us."

Anna smirked. His statement seemed to amuse her. She didn't like his defiance, although she partly put the blame on herself. She had manipulated his thoughts so well that he truly believed that the Agency was plotting against him. Whatever intent she had was twisted into something else. Martin would never believe her again.

"How dare you use the words I spoke to you against me, Martin Christ? Against the Agency that fostered you when no human being wanted to see the sight of you -"

Anna stopped. She knew she had gotten carried away with her anger, something she still hadn't mastered. Martin noticed her hesitation, how she tried to catch the words that had slipped her mouth and shove them back in. Something about the way she said human being didn't sound right. For once, Martin noticed just how fragile Anna really was. It wasn't easy to hide behind a tough exterior.

"I have a feeling you slipped, Anna. I knew something was wrong with you. With them. I am going to find my siblings and when I do, you better be miles away. And give the Agency a message from me: I'm not your puppet."

Martin turned and walked away from Anna, from his past, from the agency. He didn't know whether it was the right thing to do or not, but he trusted his instincts. They seldom proved wrong.

As he walked away, Anna muttered to herself morosely. For once since joining the Agency she was starting to wonder just how badly they wanted to obtain their objective. With all their restrictions and such, Anna felt trapped within moral obligations. She would have to find another way to get her hands on Martin Christ. Afterall, he was destined to save this place from extinction. Martin had a very prominent role in the Prophecy and if Anna wanted to go back home, he had to suceed in his mission.

She knew just what to do to get her plans in motion. Just as Martin wanted to look for his family, so would she. It was time she went looking for her sister... It was time for them to intervene in the human's lack of ability to control destiny. If this place was destroyed...countless others would perish as well. There was no more time to sit back and watch them slowly annihalate something that took millions of years to perfect. Anna had to act now, whatever the consequences were.

She took one last look at Martin and then vanished into thin air.

Jesus Murphy: Blog Story (18)

 - Chapter 18 -

Back to Bethlehem

PRESENT DAY

The landscape that surrounded them was familiar, even welcoming. Jesus remembered this place so vividly, memories of his childhood flooded his mind. He hadn't been here in eight years, ever since they went on the run from the Sicarii.

Jesus had been with Martin for less then a year when their protector, Madonna Riviera, up and vanished from the small fishing town of Bethlehem, leaving them unprotected and vulnerable. Jesus was young, not yet an adolescent, when he healed an old man's injury. He was unaware of this special ability until that day and news quickly followed of a boy who could heal wounds. 

Threatening situations soon followed and Martin decided best to run while they still had the chance. His nephew was too immature and uneducated in the matter to truly grasp the reality of the threats. His abilities, however great they were, could be used for darker, more sinister deeds. Martin explained this to Jesus and promised to elaborate more when the latter would turn sixteen.

A promise Jesus intended for Martin to keep.

They arrived exactly where Jesus expected; Martin's house. It had changed through the years. The past owner's must have disliked the country feel of it and updated the features. The red tin roof was gone, replaced with the usual black, sparkling shingles. The stucco had been painted a dark blue, giving the house a sombre shade.

"I don't like what they've done with the place" Jesus remarked as they pulled into the driveway.

"I'm glad we're on the same page. I'll need some help getting this place back to shape" Martin answered, bringing the car to a stop.

It was silent in the car. Martin gave a friendly punch on Jesus' shoulder making the latter one laugh. "Welcome home, cowboy."


The moment Jesus stepped inside the house, he was overwhelmed by the smell that rushed at him. The placed looked like a wreck. Everything was gutted, including the walls. Jesus sighed and stepped to the side to let Martin thru.

"She didn't mention the whole gutting..." Martin said.

"I didn't think it would bother you, Martin Christ." Madonna answered, walking out of one of the bedrooms on the right.

She was just as Jesus remembered; tall blonde with the expression of a snarling bulldog.

"You left us when we needed you the most!" Jesus lashed out unable to control the anger that boiled inside his pit.

"You haven't told him, Martin? How are we suppose to suceed without trust?" Madonna said, looking directly at Martin.

Jesus could sense the dissapointment in her voice. Something stirred in his gut. Regret.

"I want to talk to Jesus alone" She continued.

Martin nodded in approval and stepped outside, leaving Jesus alone with the Agent. Madonna removed her lavender jacket and made her way towards the kitchen. Jesus followed her into what probably used to be a kitchen but was now just another empty space.

"You probably feel a lot of anger towards me Jesus and I understand. I'm shocked that Martin hasn't explained to you the importance of my departure. Had I stayed, this world as we know it wouldn't be. You have to trust me, Jesus."

Jesus listened to every word she was saying even though he didn't want to hear anything she had to say. He knew she was using her own abilities to make him focus on her words.

"I'm back now and that's all that matters. I am not going anywhere and I promise that. Nobody remembers what you did and I personally made sure of that. The Agency has placed a protective barrier around the city. We shouldn't be having any problems for a while."

Something about her had changed. She wasn't as stern as he remembered nor as stuck-up. Jesus felt comforted by her words, reassured even. As if the past nine years of running, hiding, and fearing capture had never occured. He would never forget Joan, he wouldn't let that memory fly away.

"So what happens now, then. We just live a normal life?" Jesus asked, shifting uncomfortably.

"Not exactly. Normal doesn't apply to people like us, Jesus. I want to show you something"

Madonna walked into the space that would normally be reserved for the dining room. There was an antique oak table in front of the patio doors, a laptop resting on its freshly polished surface. A photo of a boy took up half the screen. He was surely Jesus' age and looked very average. Short brown hair, fairly straight features safe his curved upper lip.

"His name is Goliath Zane. I think you should befriend him at school, get to know him a little." Madonna suggested, smiling at Jesus.

"You sure don't skip a beat. What's the reason?"

"I just think you guys can learn something about each other. You see, you're going to heal him."

"Really?" Jesus remarked, somewhat arrogantly.

"Yes, really. Don't be smug." She said, frowning at him. "In a way, he'll heal you too. What you need to attend to in his case you need to work on yourself first." She said, closing the laptop and walking out of the room. Before Jesus could even ask what that was, Madonna answered his question.

"Anger, Jesus. Work on it."

Jesus couldn't see her face as she stepped outside but he knew she was smiling.