Modern Wisdom

It wasn’t exactly a cave on top of a mountain. It was a small shack in a co-op garden in the CBD. But I was reliably informed that the guru there was wise.

When I approached, he barely looked up from his bag.

“You looking for meaning?”

I nodded.

“There are many highs in life. There are many lows. Both are temporary.”

I contemplated.

“So you’re saying I should stop chasing one and worrying about the other, and just-“

“No! Minimise the lows, prolong the highs!” he said as he began to chew on a mushroom and lay back, giggling.

Damzel In Distress

“Minion!”

I quickly ran into my barn, sorry, His Splendidness’ Temporary Throne Chamber. I wasn’t quite prepared for what I saw.

“I have altered how your primitive senses determine my appearance to become the pinnacle of human perfection, whilst appearing in need of help!”

“Uh… Yeah, I can see that.”

“I will now be able to manipulate the heroes of this land into doing my biding! Fetch me one, Peon!

“Uh…”

“What is it, Slave?”

I tried to explain why being a male damsel in distress was too unusual, but gave up and went to look for a female hero.

Unexpected Duet

I’ll cop to only turning up to the ‘Experimental Improvisational Musical Explorations’ on the far side of the campus because of the free food promised on the poster.

But upon arrival, food no longer mattered once my eyes met hers. I never thought I’d have a moment like that in my life, like something out of a movie, let alone with a woman with a buzzcut, and yet…

And then she began to play her cello.

It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever heard, again, movie like.

Although the electric guitar from her boyfriend cutting in ruined the moment.

Highest Demand

He was around eighth in line for the throne. He asked me if a freak wind could appear and sink a ship on demand. I explained that magic was illegal throughout the Kingdom, and thus such a wind would be costly.

We haggled for a bit, but I was insistent on being paid in rubies. He eventually paid up.

A week later, a freak wind appeared and sank the Royal Ship.

The New King’s third new law was that owning rubies was now illegal.

He shouldn’t have given me an hour before sending guards though. The black market works fast…

Just Let Go

‘Just let go’.

I’d always puzzled over the last words of my Grandmother. She wasn’t really looking at anyone in the room at the time, nor had she been speaking to anyone, everyone was busy arguing about the will. I thought maybe she meant that she was giving up, but she was always so particular about her grammar…

Not to say that it dominated my life or anything, but it was always there in the back of my mind, always something to idly think about.

Until I myself lay on my deathbed, and I saw the threads holding me tight…

Resource Management

He was aware the village thought he was insane. But he knew he was doing a good thing for the future.

Every day, after he’d done all his tasks, as the sun began to set, he’d pick up his shovel and head to the top of the large hill overlooking the village. Once at the top, he’d have time to shovel some dirt down into the valley on the other side of the hill once and then he’d have to head back. One day, eventually, there would be more land to farm.

The landslide brought it forward a good deal.

Inormal Segregation Law (for American National Defence) Act

Yeah, in retrospect, society didn’t take the rise of Inormals too well. ‘Superbeings’ as a name didn’t last too long after we lost most of Asia in the Inormal War. There used to be land there, you know, not just the Asia Ocean.

Once that happened, the I.S.L.A.N.D Bill, or local equivalents, passed easily. Inormals had a simple choice, submit to experimentation to try and remove their powers, or die. Sorry, ‘segregation to the Arctic’, they’re all there, trust us, really.

I don’t blame normals, although I hate the hate I get.

Not my fault I got a third option…