In the year of our Board 2016, the son of man will
appear to teach the worthy how to kickflip. And he will be shunned and cast out
and none but the wisest may understand his true virtue. Read this gospel all ye
faithful and rejoice for the most righteous skater loves you all.
In the yard of a house that has long stood empty, an apple tree watches over an old grave. Weathering the heat of summer, the tree stands resolute for its dear friend, buried near its roots. But the winds change and memories are forgotten. The apple tree of the empty lot may not survive without a friendly hand.
Why do you run out of your basement at night. Why do you hesitate before walking into a dark room. Why do you sometimes feel you're being watched when you know you're alone. Is it possible that something is watching you from the shadows? Investigate at your own peril.
Merle has had a dream that he will soon meet his end. Because he is a wise man, he knows not to trifle with the fates. He knows that his dark end will find him whether he runs from it or not, but by accepting his fate so quickly, might he be ushering it in?
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This project has been my attempt to write four very different kinds of stories all based in a similar setting. Each takes place outside of the context of its original myth and in an average suburban neighborhood. At first I had hoped they might all appear to take place in the same neighborhood but I don't believe that message came across very well. What I hope did come across, however, is the idea that stories, regardless of how preposterous they seem, are, in fact, actually very close to us. We create stories to learn more about ourselves and I think that bringing them out of fantasy land and closer to ourselves might even help us to understand them better. I have written here a comedy based on a well known Christian story, a bittersweet allegory based on a lesser known story from the same faith, a horror story based on elements a South African myth, and a story somewhere between comedy and tragedy from the ancient British tale of Merlin.
I don't know what any readers have taken away from these stories. At the very least, I hope each provoked some emotion in people. If, however, I wrote for no other purpose than to please myself and flex my writing skills, I can be happy with the state of this project.
