Thursday, July 28, 2011

Jesus Murphy: Blog Story (28)

The Final Chapters
- Chapter 28 -
Choosing Sides


Jesus and Madonna were walking along the hallway about to join the remaining Agents by the main exit. Jesus underestimated his mentor's abilities and soon his mind was overpowered by hers and she had infiltrated herself deep into his memories, tracing back to his conversation with Malcom.

"I knew he came to visit you!" Madonna spat out.

All the Agents turned to face them and Jesus' cheeks turned beet red.

"You violated my mind. You broke the code." Jesus said calmly, remembering just how powerful Madonna was and what she could do if she was tempted.

"You violated my trust, Jesus. We are suppose to work togheter. What did he tell you?"

Jesus could feel the cold eyes that rested upon him. Hundreds of faces turned towards he and Madonna.

"He told me to find myself and then end this." Jesus answered relunctantly, knowing fully well that he had dissapointed his uncle, or to the least, his uncle's doppelganger.

"We can't save this place if you are wavering in your allegiance, Jesus. You have to choose a side. You work with us to save your world or you work with everyone else and destroy it." Madonna looked around the room, in an obvious attempt at gaining sympathy. She rested her gentle eyes upon Jesus and smiled. "You know in your heart what needs to be done. Just follow it."

Jesus sheltered himself in his mind for a few seconds, question of gathering his thoughts togheter. Some part of him told him to follow his gut and face the Adephi. Another part of him wanted to explore the Shadowlands and try to reconnect the energy that binded the Chosen Ones; maybe find a way to close the Shadowlands once and for all. Its what was expected of him anyhow, why wait for the "right moment"?

But then he looked around around the room, particularly at the faces that looked at him with hope. Their eyes were lit with life, he couldn't deny them that.

"I'm going to fight with you. Because we all have the right to live."

The room erupted in cheers and the Agents began a rythmic pounding with their staffs. Madonna walked to the front of the crowd and ordered the doors opened.

"This is it. May The Almighty Source watch over all of your souls."

At those last words the doors to the outside opened and the sun blinded them all.


Tuesday, July 26, 2011

The Halfway Mark: 2011 and a Half

So more then half the year has already passed and a lot has happened already. Every section of the newspaper was buzzing this year. Here's a look back at key moments from the first half of 2011.



1. Nicki Minaj wins me over

File:Nicki Minaj cropped.jpgIf you read my earlier post Music Fave and Fails from 2010, you most likely noticed I had placed Nicki on top of the fail list. Something about her just bothered me the wrong way. They way she raps is kind of odd and her personality is clashing, often making me doubt her authenticity. But then, of course, there had to be a song to prove the contrary. I'm talking about Where Them Girls At , a collaboration with Flo Rida and David Guetta. I actually find her part the best...and so I decided to replace odd with quirky and give her a shot from here on out. Her past songs still suck.



2. Massive Earthquake shakes Japan

File:Shinchi Sta 20110404.jpg
It's weird to think that this devastating tragedy only occured 6 months ago. I had followed the events closely and the aftermaths caused by the 8.9 magnitude quake that litterally erased parts of Japan off the map. The number of casualties has been confirmed at 15, 628. The earthquake caused a massive Tsunami the obliterated the farmlands and further increased the damages. The consequences of this earthquake came later when the country was threatened with a possible nuclear meltdown. It is the largest earthquake to hit Japan and one the five most powerfule earthquakes in the world.



3. Riot erupts after Canucks lose the Stanley Cup

File:Smoke Over Vancouver.jpg
The Canucks had been the favoured team, the likely victors of the playoffs. But after a dissapointing 4-0 loss to the Bruins, the Canucks fans that had gathered in the streets erupted into a violent rampage through the streets of downtown Vancouver. Four people were stabbed and several cars were turned upside down and lit on fire. Nine police officers were injured during the riot as they tried to calm the angry - and obviously drunk - crowd. You have to be drunk - and obviously angry - to want to destroy your own downtown core. Come on, people; Canadians are nice, happy people. So stop acting like a fucking fool!



4. The Last of Harry Potter

File:Deathly-hallows-p2-1.jpgAs much as I was dreading the arrival of the second installment of the Deathly Hallows, I was also welcoming the film adaptation of the final hours that lead up to terrifying confrontation between Voldermort and Harry. I have yet to seen part II because part of me doesn't want this world to close. Although we have Pottermore to look forward too, the visual aspect of the Potterverse is gone. Sadness. I wish I could force J.K. Rowling to write for ever and ever. Yes, that would be great. Or a spin-off! Yes, a spin-off would be enjoyable as well...




5. Stephen Harper wins a majority government

(see picture)
File:FML Logo.svg

With that being said, the next half cannot be worst. What next? I'll like cooked mushrooms and sour cream? I think not!


Candles are out,
Eleven's ink



Monday, July 25, 2011

Jesus Murphy: Blog Story (27)

The Final Chapters
- Chapter 27 -
Doubts


Jesus was trailing behind, trying to catch up to his mentor. Madonna seemed to be walking faster and she did not stagger. Her behaviour indicated that she wanted to avoid Jesus and his questions. He decided he would back off and just try the best he could to fulfill the Agency's desires.

The narrow hallway was buzzing with excitement and Jesus barely noticed the man walking behind him until it was too late. The young soon-to-be-hero was yanked into a sideroom and was shocked to see Malcolm closing the door behind them.

"Uncle Malcolm...what are you doing here," Jesus asked, his expression changing from fear to joy.

"I wanted to talk to you before it all went down. I know I've been vacant most of your life, but I tell you now that it was against my wishes."

Jesus could detect the truth in what his uncle was saying. His palms lit up, indicating healing was needed. They glowed fiercely and Jesus noticed Malcolm examining them.

"There's nothing you can do for me now," Malcolm said, eyeing down the glowing hands of his nephew.

"You're aware of what I can do?" Jesus answered somewhat stunned.

"Yes. And I know what you are suppose to do. And I tell you now, Jesus, you have to listen to me," Malcolm wrapped his arms around Jesus and whispered into his ear: "Find yourself. And end it."

Malcom vanished just as Madonna walked inside the room. She was out of breath and her face lit up when she saw Jesus.

"What are you doing? We are waiting for you!" She said, holding onto the door and gesturing at Jesus to walk out.

As he passed his mentor, Jesus stopped and looked at her with a certain confidence he didn't hold days earlier. "I trust you, you know. I don't know why, but I believe what you say. You have similar abilities to mine, and I don't know why. I can feel people's mind as you can too. I wonder what would happen if I feel my own mind. In another Shadowland, maybe."

Madonna stiffened, something Jesus never saw her do.

"I don't know where you got such an idea, but it was proven to be dangerous. Can we stop talking and get going? Billions of lives depends on us."

Jesus nodded and walked out of the room.

"How was it proven dangerous?" Jesus asked.

Madonna closed the door and turned to face Jesus. With a very serious face she answered him.

"You're uncle Malcom tried. It killed him."

They lingered in silence only for a few seconds before Madonna marched up the hallway and Jesus followed her, confident in what he had to achieve but a certain shadow of doubt floated above him. He wished Martin would be here to guide him. Something about the way she spoke to him made Jesus feel on high alert.

She was hiding something.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Jesus Murphy: Blog Story (26)

The Final Chapters
- Chapter 26 -
The Plan


 
When Jesus joined Madonna in the makeshift operation's room he was greeted by hundreds of Agents. Standing in the middle of the crowd was his uncle Michael and Madonna. While he remained stiff, Madonna smiled when Jesus walked in. She gestured for him to join them.

Jesus felt uncomfortable being gawked at by hundreds of people he had never met. He saluted to some while others insisted on shaking his hand. Every single one of them looked at him with admiration.
The chosen one finally joined Madonna and Michael in the middle of the room. The crowd became silent as Michael cleared his throat.

"We are the last stand. The Sicarii want to annihalate the chosen one while the Sacred Angels, the Adephi as they insist to be called, want to fast forward the prophecy. We know the outcome of that."

Michael, in all his stature, stepped aside to let Madonna speak. She was as elegant and poised as ever, glowing in a purple silk dress and a light orange belt that matched Michael's loose shirt.

"As some of you may know, I have seen the other places, travelled between the Shadowlands. What the Adephi have done is terrible for the balance. It is unatural and they are deaf to our concerns. We have to take action now if we are to ever save the Birthplace and the Shadowlands. We have a right to exist!"

These last words were greeted with a chorus of yells and hoots. The crowd erupted in cheers and it took several minutes for them to calm down. Jesus could only witness the power she had over her people and admire her strenght and nobility. He knew he had to mimic her ability to soothe and comfort people.

"We will not wait for the Sicarii and the Adephi to knock on our doors. We are all going to go out there and proclaim our right to live.

"We will split up once outside. Agents, you will protect Jesus at all costs as he heals the Sicarii of their burden. Once achieved we will only have to focus on the big players. The Boss and I will take care of Anna Simeon."

Madonna looked at Jesus. Where once she looked at him with concern, she now regarded him as an equal. She smiled.

"You are the only one left who could reason with the Adephi. Use what you know to reason with them."

Jesus lowered his voice to a whisper. "I have no clue where to begin"

"Stop wavering in your confidence, Jesus. Show them your soul, the deepest part of your conscience. Show them how alive you are."

Jesus nodded and realised some Agents were staring. He straightened his jacket and stepped back. Madonna resumed.

"If everything goes to plan we may be able to stop this conflict once and for all and live in peace. No harm shall come to those who await us on the outside. Let Jesus care for them. Now get ready, we're leaving in two minutes."

The crowd cheered and howled as they slowly formed a line and began to leave the room. Jesus really wanted a word with Madonna before entering into battle but he couldn't see her. When he finally spotted the gifted Agent in the crowd, he found his way to her and tugged on her dress.

"Madonna, wait, can I have a word."

She didn't look back. "We're done talking, Jesus. It's time to act."

He lost her once again in the crowd and looked down at his glowing palms. It was now or nothing, he told himself. It's time to save the world.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Jesus Murphy: Evolution (Ch. 21 - 25)

The Final Chapters
- Chapter 21 -
Not Okay
 
The water was splashing about as Jesus opened the dingy, rust-covered faucet of the bathtub. He cringed and shut them off when he was surprised by Madonna Riviera.

"Don't you knock?" Jesus asked, shaking the water off of his arms and detouring Madonna out of the bathroom.

"I did, nobody answered. Where's Martin?" Madonna queried, following Jesus into one of the abandonned bedrooms on the second floor. The light that came from outside was muted by the dark, dusty shades that hung in the bedroom windows. Madonna could barely see where Jesus had went. She couldn't see him anywhere.

"Jesus...?" Madonna tip-toed out of the dark room when Jesus shot out of the bedroom behind her and slipped a dirty old pillowcase over her head, blocking out the dim light  and the sound around her. Madonna struggled against Jesus' tight hold and she eventually was able to raise her legs and push herself off a wall, falling over Jesus and both tumbled down the creaking staircase.

Jesus rolled over Madonna and reached the bottom of the stairs, unconscious. There was a giant gash across his forehead and blood dripped out of his left ear. The staircase was starting to groan and sway. The seventh step was loose and cracked and when Madonna reached that step it snapped in half and caused a ripple effect with the other planks. The whole staircase gave way and Madonna dissapeared below the rubble.
The house was quiet as dust filled the entire first floor.


There was a slight distortion in his hearing when Jesus awoke. He was greated with a great buzzing in both ears and his vision was slightly blurred. His normally blue eyes were hidden behind a thick layer of bloodshot veins and cracked skin. His kept hair was dishevelled and the blonde streaks were turning brown. When he tried to get up, pain shot through his ribs.

Jesus looked around and noticed the wrecked staircase protruding from the basement, sticking upwards like a wooden iceberg. He couldn't see Madonna anywhere and the last he remembered, she was falling and tumbling right behind him.

"Madonna!" Jesus tried screaming but it came out more like a whisper. He could barely breath, his lungs would hurt his ribs as they expanded to let the air in. What have I done? Jesus thought. As he shifted around, he found the cause of his pain. His ribs weren't cracked, nor broken. One of the steps had snapped away from the rubble and the nails that kept it in place had found temporary shelter in Jesus' torso.

He exhaled and grabbed the plank with both hands. He cringed as he pulled the nails out of his side. Jesus slid himself towards the wreck and started removing the debris that was covering Madonna. Pain and remorse shot through Jesus, knocking him back. The room spun around him, darkening at the edges, blurring between black and purple until Jesus found himself in total darkness and one woman stood in front of him.

"I told you I would visit you once again. And that it would be my last visit. And that I would finally bring you home." Madonna said, towering high above Jesus.

"You're not Madonna! Where is she?" Jesus screamed, getting back up on his two feet. He didn't feel pain in this place.

"I am her and she is I. I see you still haven't understood what is happening. I wasn't expecting this, Jesus. You have to grow. Or all is doomed."

"What are -"

He was cut off. The blackened room twisted into itself, blending back smoothly with the normal décor of Martin's house, minus the twisted staircase. Jesus was still half-sitting against the living room wall when Madonna walked in.

"What's up, Jesus? Where is Martin?"

Jesus couldn't believe his eyes. Madonna was okay; there was no broken staircase behind her. Madonna must have seen the look on his face at the surprise.

"Jesus, what's the matter?" She asked, a smile forming on her lips. She brushed a few strands of rebel hair behind her ears and extended a helping hand to Jesus.

"Come on, get up!" She said, and walked away towards the kitchen.

Martin had made slight progress. There was at least cabinets now lining the wall. The sink was still spraying rusted water but at least they could cook a decent meal. Madonna rested against the countertops and gave Jesus her usual "what's going on" eyebrow raise.

"What?" Jesus said, arrogantly, looking away from Madonna.

"Don't 'what' me! You look like you've just seen a ghost!"

"And you act like you don't know what's going on!"

"I don't, Jesus. Don't forget who you're talking to, young man!" Madonna shot back. Authority, not anger, resonating in her tone. Something almost maternal had externalized itself.

"Who are you? What do you want from us? From me? I know you're not one of us" Jesus answered, letting his anger guide his words, something he regretted the moment he spoke. Madonna was a very powerful Agent. It was unwise of anyone to anger her.

"And what makes you so positive that you're one of them, as you insist on dividing your people, you selfish little brat. How dare you question my loyalty, my affiliation to the Boss and to your uncle? The man who took you in when you had no one else to turn to? You ungrateful little..."

At that moment, Madonna caught herself. She too had let herself get absorbed by her anger. She straightened her purple blazer and simply walked by Jesus and towards the door. Jesus wasn't going to let her walk away from this one.

"I know Anna is your sister. And I think she has been visiting me lately." Jesus said. It had the desired effect. Madonna stopped short of the door and turned around. Her anger had been replaced by confusion.

"How do you know that? What do you mean she has been visiting you? Jesus, she is a dangerous person." Madonna said, walking back towards the galley kitchen.

"Twice now did I get a visit from someone who looks a lot like you but I know it isn't. Everything turns black and then you appear. The first time, you told me I would heal the world, and I healed a man. This time, you told me to change or else everything was doomed. I see stuff too. Bad stuff."

Madonna's eyebrow cocked a bit. She was taking in what Jesus was telling her, confused about certain aspects.

"Sit down, Jesus. It's time I explain to you who I am, where i'm from and why i'm here. First of all, my real name isn't Madonna Riviera. And this place you call Jerusalem... Well, it isn't the only place like it in the Universe. And some people will stop at nothing to destroy every last place like this one."

"What is your real name?" Jesus asked. He couldn't think straight and it was the only thing he thought of at the moment.

"My real name is Maria Simeon and where I came from, there was a boy -"

They were interupted by a knock on the door. Jesus wasn't expecting anyone and Martin had left for his interview and shouldn't be back until later in the day. They walked out of the kitchen and just as Madonna stepped inside the hallway, the front door blew off it's hinges and bounced off the walls until it made contact with Madonna's face, knocking her out.

"Madonna!"

Jesus knew it was the Sicarii. He grabbed his bag off the counter and ran out the back via the sliding glass doors. How did they locate him?

He had to find Martin.
 
 
The Final Chapters
- Chapter 22 -
The Burning Bush

Jesus jumped over the fence, his long curly hair blowing in the wind behind him. He ran across the neighbours yard, crawled under the chain link fence and repeated the endeavour numerous times until he reached one of the side streets that broke off from the main road.

He stopped only for a second to catch his breath and continued running towards the abandonned sawmill. He knew that's where the Agency hid their Bethlehem branch of activity. He passed by the Burning Bush, the only club in town. For some unknown reason, it beckoned him inside. Jesus stopped to look around, made sure no one was watching him and he darted inside the club.

The place was crowded with locals and kids from neighbouring towns. It was smoky and the music resonated deep within our hero's ribcage. A large man came up to him and asked for identification. Jesus hesitated, unaware of this procedure.

At that moment, a girl with flaming red hair walked up to the bouncer and whispered something inaudible in his ear. She smiled at Jesus and gestured for him to follow her.

The attractive redhead guided him to a private room in the back of the club, next to the oversized DJ booth. When he stepped inside the room his eyes had to adjust to the stark red lights that gave the room a sombre tone. The girl took a seat on the velvet couch and brushed her shining crimson hair behind her back.

"Have a seat, Jesus. I won't bite" She said, smiling.

It was her energy that had drove Jesus to stop running. It was her energy that beckoned him inside. He sat down next to her, his palms sweaty. He was racked with nerves.

"You're so nervous. I'm not use to seeing you like this."

"We've met before?" Jesus asked, shifting in his seat. She was overflowing with joy and it made Jesus uncomfortable. She talked to him with such familiarity. He couldn't stop himself from looking into her piercing green eyes.

"I'm so sorry. You must be confused about this all. I'm Maghdalyna Saint. This may come as a shock..." She looked away from Jesus. He could tell that she was just as nervous as he was. She didn't look much older then him yet wisdom and strenght leaked through her pores. Something about her was familiar. "You may not want to believe me but this world depends on you."

Jesus hadn't expected her to say that. With everything that was happening, her statement felt oddly out of place and, he had to admit, kind of late.

"I don't know recognize you but let me assure you that I am very well aware of what's to come for me. I felt compelled to come in here. Your energy drew me in." Jesus answered.

Maghdalyna smiled, her eyes glowing with happiness. She stretched across the couch and wrapped her arms around Jesus, kissing him in the hollow of his neck. She whispered into his ear: "You being here means it's too late."

Jesus didn't move. He felt cold tears strolling down his skin. He lifted Maghdalyna's head and looked into her eyes. "Who are you?"

She composed herself and arranged her light pink blouse. She rested her hand on top of Jesus' and her eyes creased at the ends as she smiled at him. "You can call me Maggie. I want to tell you so much, Jesus." She struggled with her words and it was apparent she was holding back.

"Then tell me." He begged, pressing his hand into hers.

"I can't. You're not even suppose to be here, Jesus. You're suppose to be training and learning. Where's John and Judeyah? Where's Marty, or Maria? Where am I, Jesus?"

A shiver ran up Jesus' spine. He didn't understand what she was saying yet something about her last sentence chilled him to the bone. Where was she? She was sitting in front of him, her hand in his.

"I've said too much. There isn't much time left. You have to stop them, Jesus. You cannot let them win. The balance is depending on you."

Jesus let go of her hand. She backed away, offended.

"Why does everyone depend on me?"

"Why can't you just accept your role, Jesus? Your defiance is threatening what little good is left."

"How can I defy what I don't even understand?" Jesus shot back, unable to pronounce her name out of fear that speaking it would mean remembering her. Something about this all was just so odd. He felt detached from this, as if he was still running outside towards the sawmill.

Just as he was thinking that, he blinked and found himself standing in front of the Burning Bush. He looked around to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. The front doors were barred with wooden blanks, graffiti covering the dirty display window. The place was abandonned.

What was that? Jesus thought. He was just about to continued his run when he spotted Martin at the end of the alley besides the abandoned club.

"Jesus!" Martin screamed catching up to his nephew. He patted him on the head and hugged him almost to the point of suffocation. "I found the house in shambles, I thought you were..."

"I'm okay. What about Madonna?" Jesus asked, never thinking he would have worried about the woman he had felt so much anger towards.

"She's okay. She managed to take care of several Sicarii members. What are you doing here?"

"I was running towards the sawmill when I got...distracted. Dad, I don't think I'll fulfill the prophecy"

"And why do you say that, cowboy?" Martin asked.

"Because I just talked with Maghdalyna Saint. She told me it was too late. She mentioned John and Judeyah and I think you too. But that's not why I believe her."

Martin looked uneasy. Jesus doubted that Martin didn't expect what was coming next.

"I believe her because when she touched my hand, I felt a connection. She said she knew me and now I remember her."

"And where do you know this woman from?" Martin queried, helping Jesus find the answer that would unlock everything.

"Maggie Saint is my soulmate in this life and all the others like it." Jesus found himself saying against his will. The words had formed themselves on their own.

"I'm proud of you, cowboy. It's time for you to get ready for what's to come."
 
 
The Final Chapters
 - Chapter 23 -
What's To Come

Martin was further up ahead, checking around the corner of the public library. He signaled to Jesus to come over. They we're just in front of the abandonned sawmill. There didn't seem to be anyone in the streets, as if the city had been evacuated somehow.

Jesus followed Martin's orders and began running towards the sawmill. He jumped over the chain linked fence and fell hard on his back. He turned on his side and saw Martin running in his direction. He was just about to jump the fence when a member of the Sicarii came around the corner and fired at Martin.

The world stopped as did Jesus' heart. Everything was silent. Martin grabbed at his chest as blood spilled from his wound. Defeat shadowed his face just as he collapsed face down on the hot pavement.

"Nooo!" Jesus struggled to get air back into his lungs. Sicarii members were swarming towards the sawmill, hundreds of them. Jesus managed to get on his knees when he felt it coming. The edges of his vision began to blur into a swirl of mauves and purples. Everything turned black and he was kneeling in front of the woman who claimed to be Madonna Riviera.


"You have to stop running, Jesus. They are at your front door." She said, not an ounce of sympathy found in her voice.

"I know who you are, Anna Simeon." Jesus said, spitting out her name with disgust.

The woman laughed and walked around Jesus. "You know nothing! That is what will destroy your world, Jesus Murphy. The Sicarii, as you call them, are going to win. This place is already doomed. Rest assured, I am who you call Madonna Riviera. My word is to be trusted and before this war is over, I will bring you home."

The darkness began to fade away and Jesus found himself inside a white bare room, looking up at Madonna.

"Where's Martin? Jesus, where is he?" She asked, and Jesus detected sadness in her voice as if she anticipated the answer he was about to give her.

"They...they shot him." he answered. He felt disconnected from his body, as if he wasn't the one saying those words. It couldn't be true. Nausea overcame him and he leaned sideways to throw up.

"This can't be" Madonna said, pacing around the room, unable to stay still in one place. She looked back at Jesus. "We don't have time to grieve, Jesus, the Sicarii are here. We're trying as hard as we can to hold them back but once Anna arrives, there won't be much time left to act"

"Didn't you hear me? Martin is dead. They shot the only person that was ever there for me. I don't care what happens. This place is doomed, Madonna. You told me so yourself."

An Agent was just about to enter the room but Madonna asked for more time alone with Jesus. She wasn't going to give up on this place without a fight.

"Listen, Jesus, that vision of me isn't me. I don't think the way she does, I see the light at the end of the tunnel. We can stop them. Don't you understand the consequences of them getting at you? The balance will shift and evil will have the upper hand, Jesus. Damn it, get your head out of your ass for a minute and think of the repercussions. If the balance shifts, every single person here dies, Jesus. Get it through that thick skull of yours."

Jesus lowered his head in shame. He was always thinking about himself. Why didn't he understand? Why didn't anyone tell him anything? Why him? He was so busy thinking about himself and his own troubles that he forgot to stop and ask if the world was still turning. He didn't have the luxury to sit at home, make friends, and enjoy life.

"I'm scared, Madonna. I'm confused about everything that is happening. Life doesn't make sense here, there's no time to ponder or appreciate. My whole life was a speeding bullet."

"And it's time for that to stop, Jesus You can stop this."

Madonna placed a gentle hand on Jesus shoulder' just in time to feel the cold splash of his tears. He looked up into her eyes and smiled. He wouldn't let Martin down.

"Tell me what I have to do"

"It's simple" Madonna answered, "You have to heal them of their anger. Heal them and good will triumph."
 
 
The Final Chapters
- Chapter 24 -
A Long Awaited Discussion

Jesus was washing his hands in the makeshift bassin. The sawmill was old and in pretty bad condition. Everything had been removed and gutted leaving a blank canvas the size of a commercial hangar. The Agency had been smart in leaving the main floor as is and set up their camp in the basement.

It was dark and humid below ground but there was only one way in and several feet of solid steel seperating them from the ground above. With Madonna by their side, they had little to fear. That is, until Anna shows up.

Jesus emptied the hollowed bark that was used as a wash bassin and hung it upside down to dry. He was just about to leave the room when he was surprised by Madonna.

Something about her drew him in. Her presence alone beckoned submission. She glowed like a light tower in a purple night sky. She was so youthful yet her grey eyes betrayed her age. Madonna Riviera was the essence of beauty -

"My eyes can make people do what they want. My ears can hear their thoughts. Although i'm flattered by them, I suggest you opress them at once." Madonna said, walking out of the room and gesturing at Jesus to follow her.

Jesus felt his face reddened and swell with embarassment. He lowered his head and quickly stepped out of the room and soon caught up with Madonna who kept a steady pace. They were walking down a long steel corridor and Jesus couldn't help but to think of the story Martin had told him. Anna Simeon had guided Martin down a similar tunnel, this one maybe, and his life changed forever.

"Where are we going?" Jesus asked, slightly apprehensive of following Madonna down a winding tunnel.

"Don't worry, Jesus. The Boss has requested a meeting with you." She answered.

"The Boss?"

"Will you calm your nerves a bit, I can feel them vibrating in my skull." Madonna said stopping in front of a rounded door that had no knob. As far as Jesus could see, it had no mechanism to open the door.

"Were here. Don't be afraid, you'll find he isn't that much of a stranger."

Madonna winked and pressed her right hand on the door. A purple beam of light glided over the door like a scanner and then disapeared. The door slid open and Madonna waved her hand towards the dark room.

"Destiny awaits"

"Right..." Jesus sighed and stepped inside the room.


The door closed before any lights were turned on. Jesus remained still in the dark for quite some time until several small lilac coloured globes descended from the ceiling and lit the small room that housed but a chair with one man sitting on it.

"Uncle Michael...you're The Boss?" Jesus let out, his fears washing right off.

"Hello Jesus." Michael got up from his chair and walked towards his nephew. "You look just like her. Your mother. Mary."

"So this is why you haven't been around all my life?" Jesus threw back, noticing immediately the anger in his tone. He didn't care. Martin had struggled all along and Michael was the mastermind behind everything.

"So much anger inside you, Jesus. You remind me of her. She had a temper -"

"Stop talking about my mother. She didn't hide behind a title. She didn't abandon her family."

"She didn't have to make the choices I made. Anger filled me too once. I'm sad to say you're mother passed before I changed my ways. But I haven't missed a day of your life, Jesus. I have been watching over you for some time."

Jesus rolled his eyes and turned around. He didn't feel like talking with his uncle at all. He didn't care how powerful Michael was.

"When will you understand that this," Michael said, emphasizing on the last word, "this, this place, this country, all of this is but a small fraction in a war that surpasses any concept of time your small, arrogant, ungrateful mind can even process. Snap out of it, Jesus."

At those words, images of a large country home with sheeps suddenly flew by in his mind. It was followed by another picture, this one much older, set in a valley high above a roaring river. Another of a girl with red hair. She's being stoned. One of him as a child with his mother and another as a teen, Mary standing beside him.

"Snap out of it, Jesus"

He's playing ball with Joseph at Malcom's fiftieth birthday. He's marrying Maghdalyna Saint. Over and over again. Madonna laughs and gives Jesus a hug. Everything is so different yet Jesus didn't want the images to stop. He forced his eyes shut.

"Do you see now, Jesus. What you are. What you need to do. Save us, Jesus."

Jesus eyelids shot open exposing two bright white spheres.

"I see them all. I feel them." Jesus said, turning to face his uncle. "I keep seeing the same image. A large bare valley with a river raging by below it. Where is that, Michael?"

"That is the Birthplace, Jesus. Don't forget it again."

Michael, satisfied with the outcome, walked out of the room and it took but a few seconds before Madonna hurried inside to see Jesus. She noticed his white eyes immediately.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Is that what we're fighting for?"

Madonna smiled. "That's exactly what we're fighting for, Jesus.¸"
 
 
The Final Chapters
- Chapter 25 -
Madonna's Training

"Remember what I told you yesterday?" Madonna said, writing the word ANGER on the chalkboard behind her. "You will have to get rid of this to be able to heal them."

She walked over to Jesus' wooden school desk and sat on the edge of it, peering down at Jesus over her lilac glasses. "What makes you angry, Jesus?"

Something sparkled behind her grey eyes and before Jesus knew it, he felt Madonna inside his mind. She was searching through his memories, he could see her inserted in the background. STOP IT.

Madonna fell back and brushed off her skirt. "That was good, Jesus. You felt me, and compelled me to leave. You'll have to try harder." She removed her glasses and jacket and sat across from Jesus. "I'm going to go into your mind, now, Jesus. It's the only way for me to truly test you."

"What do you -"

The room began to shake and books fell off the shelves. Picture frames smashed on the ground below and soon everything was black safe the purple trimming that seemed to line Jesus' vision. Madonna stood in front of him, much like her doppelgänger. But Jesus knew she was the real Madonna, the one he could trust.

"I want you to know I never ventured this far into your mind. The one who has lives in a parrallel universe. She is from the Birthplace, Jesus. You see, long ago there existed but one world and that was the Birthplace. Goodness triumphed and the people lived happy without sin. There was no greed, no pride. There was but joy and freedom.

"One man wanted more then that; the Fallen One. He toyed with physics and manipulated science until he was able to create a portal into other worlds, which have come to be known as the Shadowlands. He wanted to have his own world, his own reign of terror. What he didn't know was that he had opened a ticking time bomb.

"The Shadowlands ressemble the Birthplace in many ways but each realm carries it's own unique environment. People change, events unfold differently. The balance of good and evil is thin in the Shadowlands and when the balance shifts here, it does the same in the Birthplace.

"When the portal was open and the Shadowlands were created, each realm began to evolve gradually and at different pace. One thing remained the same in every place, and that is you Jesus. Every Shadowland can count on you to defend it.

"We are all shadows of ourselves in the Birthplace. They are trying hard to close the portal ever since but our energy has grown throughout the years and the only way for the portal to close is to destroy the Shadowlands by reuniting the energy.

"Prophecy states that a young man born from divinity will close each Shadowland and reunite the energy back into the Birthplace. There is a select number of people who can travel between the Shadowlands and we've made it our personal mission to make sure the prophecy happens in it's natural course.

"The Birthplace however is eager to set the balance straight again and have unleached some of their fiercest warriors to speed up the prophecy. We believe this will only make the balance shift because the young man isn't ready until he is a grown adult. It tricks the prophecy. Do you understand a bit more now Jesus?"

It couldn't be any clearer. What Madonna was telling him registered at the core of his memory as if he lived every single life in every single Shadowland. It must be this place they're in, this black void. His mind, Madonna had said. He couldn't let them destroy him now.

"Only one thing doesn't fit. Are you saying the Sicarii are warriors from the Birthplace? I thought they were fighting for the Fallen One."

"The Sicarii? They are not to be feared. Once we finish this conversation you will heal them of the hatred that eats away at their soul. No, the Sicarii are worthless sheeps that follow the Fallen One. What you must truly fear is the Adephi; People in the Shadowlands call them Angels."

"Angels?!"

"Yes, Angels. The Adephi are a male-female couple who originally populated the Birthplace. They chose to remain neutral in the war between the Fallen One and the Almighty Source until now. They feel the balance is threatened but they have no idea that their interference is making everything worst."

"And somehow I have to stop all of this?"

"Your mother was hand-picked to give birth to you, Jesus. You have direct energy from the Birthplace which makes your powers much more powerful then mine. The white eyes is just the beginning. You have to release the anger. Think of what I just told you, everything I said about the balance of good and evil. I will leave you here to think in this place. Think of everything that is at stakes and then question that anger that lives inside you. I want you out of here in five minutes."

As soon as she was done talking, Madonna vanished out of thin air and left Jesus alone in the nothingness she had created. Jesus was given a task yet he couldn't even begin to think about what he could do to heal this anger. An emotion he wasn't even sure existed in him. He didn't feel angry.

He felt many other emotions stir up inside him though. Not knowing his mother made him sad. The abuse he suffered at the hands of his father made him feel hopeless. Having loved and lost the only person that ever cared for him pained him in a way he couldn't even express. Fighting a war he had no real connection to left him confused and curious.

He never once stopped to think that all these emotions combined made him feel something different towards the world. He wanted to scream out how unfair it was that he never got to hug his mother, never got to feel love from his father, never got to say thank you to Martin, never got the chance to take a stand in the war that was meant on destroying him. That, he finally understood, made him angry.

He tried to think of ways to rid himself of this anger. However, Jesus didn't even know where to begin. He placed his palm on his chest and tried to heal himself as he did with others before. Nothing happened. He didn't feel the burden being lifted from his shoulders. Maybe he couldn't heal it so easily. All of this troubled him and he began to drift to thoughts of Joan.

He hadn't loved someone else as much as he had loved Joan. At the mere memory of her smile, Jesus' palm began to glow and then warmth began flowing through it. He placed it on his chest and closed his eyes.

When he opened them again he was in the basement of the abandonned sawmill, Madonna Riviera staring blankly back at him.

"So, how do you feel?" She said, a slight nervousness seeping through her calm nature.

With bright white eyes and glowing palms, Jesus looked up at Madonna.

"I feel divine."



Wednesday, July 06, 2011

Woofs and Meows: Top 6 Fuzzy Animal Movies

This surely comes at no surprise that I am an avid movie watcher. I love everything from drama to sci-fi and without forgetting horror. But once upon a time, a wee-child version of me admired movies with animals in it. And not The Island of Dr. Moreau, thank you very much.

So it is with nostalgia that I present to y'all my list of Top 6 Animal Movies. Woof woof! I mean here is:



6. Andre

Director: George Miller (Witches of Eastwick, Lorenzo's Oil)
Starring: Tina Majorino, Joshua Jackson, Keith Carradine
About the Movie: Just reading up about the movie brings back great memories. Andre is based on a true story about a family who adopt a sea lion and a bond soon forms between animal and youngest child, played by Tina Majorino. Of course, their are nasty fishermens who hate Andre because he drives the fishes away and is constantly wreaking havoc. This all leads to an over-the-top sappy ending with clips of the real Andre shown in the credits. But seriously, who doesn't like a movie about an animal causing trouble for adults? Plenty of those to come in this list!
Animal Cast: Torey plays Andre the sea lion. Kalika and PJ came on set from time to time to replace Torey. You know, good times.


5. The Never-Ending Story

Director: Wolfgang Petersen (The Perfect Storm, Poseidon)
Starring: Noah Hathaway, Barret Oliver, Tami Stronach
About the Movie: So this one technically doesn't fall into the "Animal Movie" category but when I was younger, I was convinced Falkor was a giant dog, not a luckdragon. And Atreyu (Hathaway) rides a horse. That's enough for me. Anyhow, the story centres around a bullied kid named Bastien (Oliver) who escapes his pain through the story of another young hero, Atreyu. The young warrior must stop The Nothing and the evil wolf Gmork from invading Fantasia and destroying the Childlike Empress. (Ok I offically want to watch the movie tonight like ASAP). Along the way, he encounters off-beat characters and is helped by his horse, Artax, and the talking dragon Falkor. Memory Lane was built for THIS.
Animal Cast: Alan Oppenheimer voices both Gmork, an evil wolf summoned by The Nothing to destroy the warrior Atreyu, and Falkor. Artax is a non-speaking horse in the movie adaptation.


4. Benji the Hunted

Director: Joe Camp (Benji Films)
Starring: Red Steagall, Nancy Francis
About the Movie: This one was a classic in our house. This is the fourth sequel in the Benji Series and the last one made before they rebooted the franchise in the early 2000's. Benji, the loveable mutt who has a knack of solving crimes, is left behind in the forest and must fight off wild animals while trying to reunite cougar cubs with their mother. Yes, prepare a box of kleenex.
Animal Cast: Higgins portrayed the first Benji while his daughter, Benjean (named after the success of the first movie) took over the role of Benji for the remaining sequels, excluding the 2004 reboot: Benji: Off the Leash.


3. Homeward Bound

Director: Duwayne Dunham (Little Giants, Halloweentown)
Starring: Michael J. Fox, Sally Field, Don Ameche (voices)
About the Movie: After being left at a Ranch while the family celebrates a wedding, three loveable animals embark on an adventure of a lifetime to find their masters and go back home. I was in love with this movie as a child. The cat always made me laugh especially the river scene! There are, of course, scenes involving fights with wild animals and the ever-mandatory "we stick togheter whether we are cat or dog". Some people would benefit from this underlying message.
Animal Cast: Ratler as Chance, an American Bulldog (Fox); Ben as Shadow, a Golden Retriever (Ameche); Tiki as Sassy, a Himalayan Cat (Field)


2. Stuart Little

Director: Ron Minkoff
Starring: Hugh Laurie, Geena Davis, Jonathan Lipnicki
About the Movie: This is the only CGI animal-movie in the list. The only reason I included it is, well, the main hero is a mouse. Computer-animated but still an animal. The story starts off with the Little family adopting a mouse named Stuart from an ordinary human orphanage. Thing is they have a cat. Cat vs. Mouse comedy ensues. Oh and doesn't matter how little you are, you can achieve anything!
Animal Cast: Michael J. Fox voices the little creature!!


1. Dr. Doolitle

Director: Betty Thomas
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Ellen DeGeneres
About the Movie: Doctor Dad is way too preoccupied with work and not interested enough in his family. Well, when a childhood "talent" resurfaces years later, Doctor Doolittle is forced to question his responsabilities and priorities. Oh, and who didn't like Eddie Murphy as a child? Oh the Tiger!! This is defo a movie for all ages and should be disregarded by no one. I am watching you!!!
Animal Cast: All-Star cast of voices ranging from Oliver Platt to Ellen Degeneres


Monday, July 04, 2011

Evidence #TOK20110809

"There's no image" A girl's voice said.

"You have to plug in the wire, Tsakyu!" Another girl was heard saying.

"There, I think I have it."

The black screen suddenly became alive with vivid details. The image was shaky at best and barely remained focus on one thing long enough to determine where the location was. The girl that held the camera turned it towards her and spoke softly to the lens.

"My name is Tsakyu Osaki and this is day two since the dead began to walk. We lost several of our friends along the way but we managed to find shelter in an abandonned house. We are trying to find -"

The sound was suddenly cut off and the girl began to slap the camera around and then her voice was heard again.

" - stupid American junk. Where did you find this?" The girl asked keeping the camera on her face.

"Just keep recording" her friend answered, her voice barely audible.

"Right, as if anyone will ever find this, Maksyu." She rolled her eyes. "Maksyu believes her father has answers to whatever is happening in Tokyo -"

"He has answers. He told me", Maksyu said in the background.

"Ok, and what do you...what was that?"

The camera didn't capt any sounds but something had terrified the girls. Tsakyu pointed the camera towards the door and on the left, Maksyu could be seen walking backwards with a large metal bat in her hands.

"Maksyu i'm - AHHH"

The wooden door flew open and Tsakyu dropped the camera to the ground. The image went black but snarling sounds and screams could be heard until the sound finally gave as well.

Sunday, July 03, 2011

Evidence #TOK20110812

The screen was black for several seconds until one single eye came in view. The image cleared up and zoomed out putting in focus the girl that held the digital camcorder. She had straight black hair with a heavy bang that shadowed her eyes. Mascara ran down her right cheek and she had several deep cuts that ran along the leftside of her face.

The camara shook in her hands and she had trouble staying in the frame. Their wasn't much light on her and the background was undistinguishable. Everything was black.

"This is day five, I am in the subway tunnels below Tokyo. They have taken over the city-"

Strange noises could be heard in the distance. The fragile Japanese girl turned around quickly and panic gripped her, evident by the steady shaking of the cam. She brought her attention back to the camera and brushed her hair from her face, revealing another gash across her forehead.

"I don't know how much time I have left before I change but whoever finds this has to know that there is a cure. There is a cure. You have to find - Oh God...no!"

The noises that peppered the darkened tunnels were coming closer and closer. The native girl held the camera firmly in her hands as she began running down the lenghty tunnels. The small light attached to the camcorder created straight luminous lines as it juggled wildly in it's owners panicked hands. She could be heard screaming and shouting for help even as she stumbled to the ground.

The camera fell a few feet away from her, the light shining directly in her terrified eyes. She tried to grab the camera but it was just out of reach.

"Find CharloooOOOO -"

Something grabbed her foot from the darkness and dragged the Japanese girl out of sight but her screams could be heard from the dark and her suffering was recorded until the batteries died and the light went out.

Jesus Murphy: Blog Story (25)

The Final Chapters
- Chapter 25 -
Madonna's Training


"Remember what I told you yesterday?" Madonna said, writing the word ANGER on the chalkboard behind her. "You will have to get rid of this to be able to heal them."

She walked over to Jesus' wooden school desk and sat on the edge of it, peering down at Jesus over her lilac glasses. "What makes you angry, Jesus?"

Something sparkled behind her grey eyes and before Jesus knew it, he felt Madonna inside his mind. She was searching through his memories, he could see her inserted in the background. STOP IT.

Madonna fell back and brushed off her skirt. "That was good, Jesus. You felt me, and compelled me to leave. You'll have to try harder." She removed her glasses and jacket and sat across from Jesus. "I'm going to go into your mind, now, Jesus. It's the only way for me to truly test you."

"What do you -"

The room began to shake and books fell off the shelves. Picture frames smashed on the ground below and soon everything was black safe the purple trimming that seemed to line Jesus' vision. Madonna stood in front of him, much like her doppelgänger. But Jesus knew she was the real Madonna, the one he could trust.

"I want you to know I never ventured this far into your mind. The one who has lives in a parrallel universe. She is from the Birthplace, Jesus. You see, long ago there existed but one world and that was the Birthplace. Goodness triumphed and the people lived happy without sin. There was no greed, no pride. There was but joy and freedom.

"One man wanted more then that; the Fallen One. He toyed with physics and manipulated science until he was able to create a portal into other worlds, which have come to be known as the Shadowlands. He wanted to have his own world, his own reign of terror. What he didn't know was that he had opened a ticking time bomb.

"The Shadowlands ressemble the Birthplace in many ways but each realm carries it's own unique environment. People change, events unfold differently. The balance of good and evil is thin in the Shadowlands and when the balance shifts here, it does the same in the Birthplace.

"When the portal was open and the Shadowlands were created, each realm began to evolve gradually and at different pace. One thing remained the same in every place, and that is you Jesus. Every Shadowland can count on you to defend it.

"We are all shadows of ourselves in the Birthplace. They are trying hard to close the portal ever since but our energy has grown throughout the years and the only way for the portal to close is to destroy the Shadowlands by reuniting the energy.

"Prophecy states that a young man born from divinity will close each Shadowland and reunite the energy back into the Birthplace. There is a select number of people who can travel between the Shadowlands and we've made it our personal mission to make sure the prophecy happens in it's natural course.

"The Birthplace however is eager to set the balance straight again and have unleached some of their fiercest warriors to speed up the prophecy. We believe this will only make the balance shift because the young man isn't ready until he is a grown adult. It tricks the prophecy. Do you understand a bit more now Jesus?"

It couldn't be any clearer. What Madonna was telling him registered at the core of his memory as if he lived every single life in every single Shadowland. It must be this place they're in, this black void. His mind, Madonna had said. He couldn't let them destroy him now.

"Only one thing doesn't fit. Are you saying the Sicarii are warriors from the Birthplace? I thought they were fighting for the Fallen One."

"The Sicarii? They are not to be feared. Once we finish this conversation you will heal them of the hatred that eats away at their soul. No, the Sicarii are worthless sheeps that follow the Fallen One. What you must truly fear is the Adephi; People in the Shadowlands call them Angels."

"Angels?!"

"Yes, Angels. The Adephi are a male-female couple who originally populated the Birthplace. They chose to remain neutral in the war between the Fallen One and the Almighty Source until now. They feel the balance is threatened but they have no idea that their interference is making everything worst."

"And somehow I have to stop all of this?"

"Your mother was hand-picked to give birth to you, Jesus. You have direct energy from the Birthplace which makes your powers much more powerful then mine. The white eyes is just the beginning. You have to release the anger. Think of what I just told you, everything I said about the balance of good and evil. I will leave you here to think in this place. Think of everything that is at stakes and then question that anger that lives inside you. I want you out of here in five minutes."

As soon as she was done talking, Madonna vanished out of thin air and left Jesus alone in the nothingness she had created. Jesus was given a task yet he couldn't even begin to think about what he could do to heal this anger. An emotion he wasn't even sure existed in him. He didn't feel angry.

He felt many other emotions stir up inside him though. Not knowing his mother made him sad. The abuse he suffered at the hands of his father made him feel hopeless. Having loved and lost the only person that ever cared for him pained him in a way he couldn't even express. Fighting a war he had no real connection to left him confused and curious.

He never once stopped to think that all these emotions combined made him feel something different towards the world. He wanted to scream out how unfair it was that he never got to hug his mother, never got to feel love from his father, never got to say thank you to Martin, never got the chance to take a stand in the war that was meant on destroying him. That, he finally understood, made him angry.

He tried to think of ways to rid himself of this anger. However, Jesus didn't even know where to begin. He placed his palm on his chest and tried to heal himself as he did with others before. Nothing happened. He didn't feel the burden being lifted from his shoulders. Maybe he couldn't heal it so easily. All of this troubled him and he began to drift to thoughts of Joan.

He hadn't loved someone else as much as he had loved Joan. At the mere memory of her smile, Jesus' palm began to glow and then warmth began flowing through it. He placed it on his chest and closed his eyes.

When he opened them again he was in the basement of the abandonned sawmill, Madonna Riviera staring blankly back at him.

"So, how do you feel?" She said, a slight nervousness seeping through her calm nature.

With bright white eyes and glowing palms, Jesus looked up at Madonna.

"I feel divine."
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