4 Things to do with a Ripe Tomato and the Nine Circles of Hell

   So, what ARE four things one can do with a ripe tomato (besides eating it, of course)?
Well...

1. Serenade the Tomato

 

2. Live in the Tomato

3. Go to Prom with the Tomato.

4. BE THE TOMATO.

Spirit of Fire - KPM Music

Days of Reckoning

   I haven't posted in quite a while it seems... alright, maybe a two days. I haven't the time nor the heart to write a long story about my "lovely" life... So, I just wanted to mark a few points for this "story" thing. I have no clue what it is exactly yet. I am just going to take the idea and run with it for now... Here are some tidbits of what you can expect and background on what exactly this... story is about.

Title: "When Rome is Burning" or "While Rome is Burning"

Key Points for those who may actually care--or not... :

• This story includes history about Rome, Pax Romana, Caesar Agustus (Julius Caesar), the class system, their language, beliefs, etc. BUT, this story is moreover fiction to historical fiction. Some points will be true, while the majority of others will not. Don't believe everything you read. It won't always be fact.
• The characters within my story are able to speak Latin. Latin was the language of the Romans and is still widely used today (i. e. root words, phrases, college mottos). I will always provide accurate translation at the end of a segment/chapter--unless it is vital that you not find out until later on what that word or phrase means.
• I still haven't came up with character names. Yeah, I am writing a story and barely even know the plot line. Like I said, this isn't exactly a story. I am just seeing how it works out and running with what creativity I have at the moment. Bear with me here.
• I DO get the majority of my creativity from things that happen in my daily life, art work, and music. So if you know of any interesting outlets, pieces, whatever, link it to me. I would be greatly appreciate it.
• I will elaborate on what exactly the prologue I posted means... eventually. But right now I am working on the next "chapter". I will try to have it up soon, but I am not promising anything...

   This site is moreover for myself and my works I've come to realize... I don't think it matters what I post anymore. No one will ever see it--or would probably even want to. So from here on, I will keep posting daily (or at least try) about anything I can muster up that day.

   My life isn't interesting in the least. You won't catch me blogging a romantic Valentine's Day, my enormous popularity status, all of my ambitions coming true, the perfect day, or changing lives. You will catch me blogging about another holiday spent alone, my obsolete status of popularity, my attempts, failures, and rare success of my ambitions, terrible days filled with enough embarrassment and  nonsense to make a sitcom look downright serious, and attempting to change lives.

   There are many things I wish to understand right now... to discuss... to think about... to ponder... to hope for... to wonder... and to maybe even pray about... but as for talking? I wish not to do so. My reasons are my own and we shall leave it at that. If you are reading this, you are probably thinking, "I thought you said this blog was for you to express yourself? Go on. Express. Tell us everything."

   Of course this blog is about expressing and talking about my life. But even I wish to escape some of the things that happen..

   Anyways, I need to work on a powerpoint that, of course, was thrown on me by my group (despite what they would protest. Hey, if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself anymore...). I won't be sleeping tonight so I will list the tracks I am listening to currently that are helping to keep me sane.

Music:
-Rome is Burning- Immediate
-Spirit of Fire- KPM Music
-Gloriana- KPM Music
-Wrath of God- PostHaste
-The Sorcerer Remix- X-Ray Dog
-Glorious Victory- Shockwave Sound
-Darkest Empire Remix- X-Ray Dog
-End of it All- Epic Score
-Charmand's Empire- Position Music
-Summoning Heroes- Immediate
-Heaven & Earth- Two Steps From Hell
-Darkness on the Edge of Power- Immediate
-Break to Pieces- Epic Score
-Dark Energy- Brickwall Audio

Prologue

   It has been nearly a century and a half since I have written anything. Okay, maybe not quite that long. But, it's been a while. So yes, this first piece may suck--a lot. I pretty much just made an extensively long playlist, started from the beginning, and began typing to see where it would take me. Well, hope whoever reads it enjoys it. Feedback is appreciated muchly :3!

                                                                --Bethany

I ran as fast I could down the stairs, my satchel hitting the banister with every step I took. Pens, paper wads, and other loose articles began to freely flop out of the compartments.

“Stop her! Now! Mind the stairs, but just stop her!” the shouts echoed down from above the spiraled stair case. I didn’t bother to turn around and see how close they were. There wasn’t time. The thundering of their heavily-clad boots served as a reminder to keep going.

My breathing came as heavy and rash as ever. The heavy book weighed down my bag a great deal. But I couldn’t lose it. It was my last hope—our last hope. My ears were ringing as the wind whistled past them. I bounded off the last step, losing my footing and hit the floor with a thud. The contents of my satchel spilled across the glittering marble. That’s when I saw them coming. They were here.

 I clattered to retrieve the mess of objects on the floor. Every second was in account. I grabbed the ancient text and my journal, shoved them back inside the worn carrier and ran down the expansive hallway.

“You idiot! Forget the loose paper! We have no value for whatever research she would conduct. She’s just a mere thief! Get the BOOK!” the voice of the leader thundered from the stair well. I kept running. The icy wind burnt in my lungs, chilling me to the bone with every breath I took. I felt weak and tired. I can’t run anymore… I just can’t.

How bad would giving up be? What would be the penalty? Maybe I would get off with a warning… No. The punishment would most certainly in torture, death even. I had to keep going.

“No! She is almost to the door! Stop her! Stop—Aliquem capitis damnare!” he shouted from down the hall. I could feel the room growing colder as ice began to quickly creep its way up the walls, across the floor, condemning everything in its path.

I could hear the screams of his befallen lackeys—now victims—echoing throughout the mansion. They would surely meet their ends in a matter of minutes if not freed from the ice. No. I can’t go down. I can’t let it end this way. I am the last hope. I will not run. I spun on my heels to face the quickly approaching death. I will not give into such evil. I held the book tight to my chest. This was it. If I were to go down, it would at least be with a fight. The ice climbed throughout the room like disease spreading throughout an infirmary.

With my left arm clutching the ancient text and my journal tightly, I outstretched my right hand. Death was certain. I had seen it come to many others before me. But if dying a noble death was all that I have to offer this world, then let it be so…

“I am no thief! Veritas nunquam perit!” I shouted between gritted teeth and ragged breaths. The arctic winds then did not show their mercy. The cold ripped through my skin and filled my legs with a weight to the equality of stone—I fell to my knees clutching the book. The gargoyles and other statues looked on as I began to meet my end.

I could hear the clack of boots hitting the iced-over flooring. Any normal man would have clumsily slipped and fell, but he wasn’t normal. I wasn’t normal. No, we were far from it. The man looked at me in disgust—taking in my ragged clothing and the scrapes my face now adorned. His ice cold, blue eyes met the shallow, amber ones of my own. His face contorted in disgust.

“All of you are nothing but a damned nuisance—traitors, to us. Your kind will never be fit to see the light of day. You and your… people… are nothing more than dirt under our feet, lowly servants. Mistakes of the gods.  The gods choose the strong, the powerful, and the valiant. And you deserve to die. Just like your wretched ancestors.” he spat through obviously seething teeth.

In a quick motion he dived to retrieve the book from my hands. But, something stopped him. Something stopped everything. Time in itself was now standing still, and yet, I wasn’t. The ice and fog had begun to settle on the floor. With trembling hands, I fumbled to hold tight onto the book as I shakily stood up. What on Earth is going on?

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement. I hastily turned. At the entrance way, stood a hooded figure. His robes looked like they had been sewn out of crinkled, used parchment. Symbols I knew nothing of—despite all the studying and research I had collected—seemed to be scorched into the cloak. The figure’s face was hidden in the shadow, and hanging from the indiscernible neck, was a golden hourglass—the sand inside was not moving.

The figure began to move closer. The fog swirled around him with ease. I began to wonder if this unknown being was even walking—he appeared to glide across the room. I stepped back hesitantly as the creature came towering within my proximity. He placed a translucent, almost skeleton-like hand on the book and moved the other to rest on my forehead.

The hand on the book was hot—I could feel the heat generating through the pages. The other on my head was as cold as stone. I could feel the numbness of fear creeping up through my body—causing all of me to shake immeasurably. I looked up into the faceless man.

“Dei tibi elegit.” he hissed from underneath the hood.

I began to feel as though I were tipping back and falling. The world before me disappeared into darkness as I continued tumbling down a never ending pit. I knew no more.

   Behold. The Layout of a Thousand Hours! Yes, it literally took all night to make this. Okay, not really. But when you have a bad case of procrastination, it does. Revel in it. Drink it in. Be Jealous. Or not--that's cool too.

   As my first blog post, I am starting a section called "Currents". In this section, I will update what music I am currently listening to, the anime I am currently watching, or anything else I may be associated with at the time. Okay, let's get on with it.

Currents:

Song: Metamorphosis 5 - KPM Music. This song makes household birds break bad in dance.

Anime: Fruits Basket. Yeah. I am still on episode 2/348223123123j342342, but I have two more days without school. We'll see what I can accomplish.... Don't look at me like that! Ye' of little faith...

Food: Fuji apples and peanut butter sandwiches with natural Skippy peanut butter. It's Jesus' gift to all the kids whose parents are allergic to cooking, in my mindset.

Rant: I am tired of vacuum cleaning set infomercials. Sure, get the oldest, most terrible actress, give her a normal, everyday vacuum and watch the unnecessary "excruciating" pain faces ensue when she has to carry the thing up the stairs. Lady, if your back was hurt that bad, you wouldn't even have stairs to climb. Get your old man to do it.

Worst Christmas Gifts 2010: I am very grateful for the many things I was fortunate TO recieve, but we all get those gifts that make you say, "what the heck?". For me, it was the spandex jeans from my Grandmother, the pink, plaid, size-too-small, push-up bra with a bow from my parents, and the fact that I received three of the same bath and body sets. Hint: Never tell different people what your favorite scent is. You tell them ONE scent to get them off your back and you receive that same, stinky smell from three different people... lovely.

   It is now 7:01 in the morning. I am going to bed. Because that's what normal people do at this hour... or not.

                                                                                       --Bethany