Deborah Rae Cota's Blog

It���s just the end of 2012 that is upon us, and since the world didn���t end like my ancestors supposedly predicted, it���s time for my yearly wrap up of what I learned from the world around me.  The older things get, sometimes, the more sensitive they become. This goes for the earth, and all the people in it. Throughout my life, I���ve made it a point of not speaking my mind on two subjects because of their personal and extremely volatile nature: Religion, and politics.  Nevertheless, this year, I found I couldn���t help myself. It was an election year after all. It was suited to the situation���but I regret opening my mouth all three times. My beliefs are unlike anyone else and tend to annoy the left, right, and the middle. You would think by now, we would have toughened up as a society and become impervious to the words of others. However, the older this world gets, and the more battle scars we develop; we are surprisingly more fragile and easily hurt. This has unfortunately forced me back in to my wordless public cocoon, save for the strong and obvious opinions I express on the pages of my books. Don���t worry, I���ll be back. Eventually. Learning to say no is a good and necessary tool. Everything in moderation is one of the smartest sayings I���ve ever heard and try to live by. Sometimes, I go overboard. I admit it. Especially if it involves popcorn, coffee and books. Stopping, for some is an absolute impossibility. It involves restrain that they just don���t have and it causes them great pain to even try. Lately, for me, even though I don���t usually have trouble saying it, it���s caused me great pain. For me it���s meant more hours away from accomplishing my goals, eating bad food, not getting the exercise I need, or the rest I need as a consequence and most importantly it���s taken a toll on my health. This year, I will stop. Listen more. Relearn to say no when needed, and remember that I am not good to anyone if I am not good to myself. Sometimes, you just have to let things go, and walk on. Sometimes we find a great pair of shoes. They look great, they feel great and you walk with confidence in them down the street. Then suddenly, one day something isn���t right. The shoes age slightly in a certain spot, then another and another. Now, those shoes just don���t fit as well, look as good, and that confident walk is long gone. You try and look beyond the blisters and calluses they cause, not to mention the pain in your neck and back from the different way you are being forced to walk. Then one day it hits you���it���s time to find new shoes. That good, old pair has lived its life. They were a great fit once, but now it���s time to find new shoes. Let the old ones go, and walk on. Family is still the best thing in the world, even though sometimes you want to strangle them. I will be the first one to admit, that I am a selfish, self-centered brat that drives my family crazy. I also know that they love me just the same. With that in mind, it's safe to say, that they are the same way for me sometimes. Not to say that they are selfish, self-centered or bratty,but sometimes they do things, say things, and act in ways that annoy me, butonly because I want the best for them and can clearly see what they are doingis not good. It happens in every family alive. You can���t help it. You want the bestfor each other. When I was writing Book III of The Dante Chronicles, The Traveler,I depicted this very behavior in the team because it was happening in my familyat that time. It was one of those moments where art imitates life and it reallyhelped me to see things clearer, and learn to better accept those moments whereI wanted to string them up by their toes���which is my weird way of saying Ireally want to reach out, hug them tightly, and just tell them how much I lovethem. Close friends will not be forgotten, even when they are far, far away. I have four really close friends, and our schedules are all crazy, so seeing each other is not easily done on a regular basis, not to mention two live really far away. Even though we don���t travel in the same tight circles we used to, we still make an effort to stay in touch by phone, text, email and the almighty Facebook or Twitter. So, I say to you Mark Helzer, Eren Loza, Eric Raleigh and adoptive little sister/BFF, Margo ���The Margaret��� Donohue���I love you all, and miss you terribly! Happy New Year, my Kindred! A four-legged companion is the greatest gift to you. This year, my family learned of a two-year old Chihuahua-mix, whose family had fallen on hard times and barely had enough to feed her, let alone care for her. We had been looking for a dog at local shelters, but hadn���t found one that suited our size needs, or wasn���t already snatched up by the time we went to meet them, plus I was having trouble finding one that fit the hole in my heart left from the loss of my special little fur-baby, Xena. When my sister called, and told me about the dog, my initial response was ���A Chihuahua? I don���t like Chihuahuas!��� I was thinking only of my Aunt���s chihuahua that bit me when I was a kid during a visit to her house. Then when my sister told me her circumstances, my head and my heart had a brief, single sentence conversation, ���She needs us.��� My life hasn���t been the same since that night when we picked up the little four-legged bundle of energy with Yoda-ears and a wrinkled brow���and I love the little bug we named Lulu, more and more every day.    Happy New Year to all!   Cheerz!  

Three months ago, I dropped a bomb on Lily (Twitter name @MiamiTrue)���I suggested writing another short story with me that would run on Halloween��� Well, we didn���t make the proposed deadline, but we did come up with a pretty good little tale here, and the driving force behind it all is Lily. All I did was send her seventy-five words, and she was off to the finish line. This work, I am proud and honored to say, is all Lily. Playing straight man to such a formidable writer is amazing. To sit back and watch and see the talents reveal themselves can leave you breathless at times, but with a talent like that of Lily, you are driven to be better and give the very finest you have.  I like to think I served as a trampoline of sorts for her; sending a hundred or so words here and there to catapult her writing further.  Thank you, Lily, for taking this challenge and allowing me to be a witness to the endless depths of your creative mind first hand.   Cheerz! Please visit http://www.fanfiction.net/~miamitrue for more of her fascinating work!   The Promise.pdf (PDF — 161 KB) 

 This is a short story born out of an old favorite writing exercise I post to a reading and writing group I started on Facebook called ���The Erudite.��� Big thanks to Danielle Goddard, Sam Reeves, Anita Bernard, Lynn Martin, Maureen Indelicato, Jeanie Smith, and Marilyn Baptiste for their talents and hard work.    As usual, he sat alone at the table in the back with a cup of cold, black coffee and a nearly burned up cigarette dangling precariously from his fingers.
He was lost in thought and unaware of who just strolled through the door.
It was a woman, whispering, chanting, "I don't know him."...
 The squat, disheveled man wearing a colorful ensemble reminiscent of a 1940���s clown suit walked divisively up to Jerard���s table.
He looked up and smiled that crooked smile of his and knew he was going to have a good day from this point on.
Although he nearly burned his fingers, he stared intently at an eerie shadow to his left.
  Familiar yet unknown at the same time, the shadow vexed him to his core.
Suddenly, a curious green light appeared to the right side of the shadow, quietly and piercing. The clown learned down, his eyes sparkling with anticipation, whispered to Jerard, then stood up, laughed and walked away.
 The building shook a moment before the sound wave shuddered through the neighborhood, clouds of debris reined down outside the storefront windows.
People were coming out of their houses to try and determine what had just taken place on this unusually quiet street.
As the clouds of mysterious matter cleared, the sudden pulsating groaning was apparent to those in the neighborhood.
 "Get out"' someone shouted, as the groaning sound grew louder as buildings, as if in slow motion, began to lean and melt into the street.
They started to come out of the crumbling building as the sound increased.
Almost deafening to the human ears, this noise could be heard for miles.
Jerard stepped through the crooked door kicking bricks, shards of glass, his eyes searching the destruction, as the wailing sirens of rescue vehicles grew louder and louder.
 Jerard knew it was only a matter of time before its full wrath would be upon them.
 With his heart pounding and gasping for breaths of clean air he made his way to another building where he thought he would find assistance.
The glass edifice seemed undisturbed as he stepped into the large atrium entrance.
 Ashe stepped gingerly, he could hear the crackling of glass all around him and knew his next step could very well be is last. He gasped at the sight of an image made of glass, walking slow and steady toward him.
As the glistening image came closer, he realized it was her.
Still dazed and confused himself, he had a million questions for her. Ashe realized who it was, he dropped to the ground in disbelief, trembling.
 She tossed her long red hair, "What the bloody hell are you doing?"
 She walked toward him, slowly and carefully, and kneeled down beside him and whispered, "My purpose for being here will be revealed soon." Jerard still in a state of amazement and confusion, could only utter, "Why me?" She smiled and said, "guess you're just lucky." As he was coming to, Jerard noticed something very interesting lying on the floor next to him and he was trying to remember who it was that clobbered him over the head. Two large men in white uniforms picked him up and slammed him onto a gurney and quickly wheeled him to an unmarked van. What those two monsters didn't realize was before they could pick him up he grabbed the key that was on the floor. He fought as they tried to strap him down, slipping the key into his shoe he relaxed and let them strap him in as the gurney rolled around the back of the van. So many questions needed to be answered, but the two most important things Jerard to know were the identity of these men and why did they want him. Jerard thought, "What on earth would they want with a member of the State Senate out here?" More questions kept plaguing Jerard's mind as he laid there waiting; but waiting on what? Special Agent Dietricks looked at his notes, nobody seemed to know exactly what happened. S.A. Dietricks may not have known what really happened but there wasno way he was going to let Jerard know that. Special agent Dietricks walked intothe room where Jerard was being held knowing full well he will have aridiculous amount of questions to answer. As the door opened a smile on Jerards face spread from a twinkle in his eyes to his teeth showing; "royal screw-up Deets."His laughter echoed out the open door reverberating against the walls, his injured side ached, the laughter continued. Jerards eyes opened slowly, gunky and blurred vision as he slowly focused on the painting across from him, smiling he closed his eyes; he was home in his bed dreaming, freaky, mind-blowing dreams. 

While I am still busy getting my manuscript ready for print, my best friend, a/k/a Brooklyn Fit-Chick, has graced my pages with her presence...Here is her guest blog entry for the new year. For all of you fellow writers (and readers), pay close attention...these tips will help to keep you writing and reading for a long, long time!!  I, for one, already practice the Meatless Mondays and it makes a world of difference. (Thanks, BFC!! You are the best!)   Hello there! I am so pleased to guest blog for The DanteChronicles. My name is Margo and the name of my Blog is ���Brooklyn Fit Chick��� (http://brooklynfitchick.typepad.com/brooklyn-fit-chick/ ) I write about health, fitness, and the media plus offer my ideas for workout playlists. Today I want to talk about the importance for finding time to workout in the winter which I realize is not the funnest topic but we all know that the part of the post-holiday blues includes weight gain. Most people between Thanksgiving and New Year���s put on about one pound to their frame and unfortunately they rarely take it off so the weight gradually creeps up over time. Happy New Year! One ofthe biggest reasons for weight gain is lack of activity and being seated most of the day. 20 years ago, the thought of sitting in front of a computer for a living would have seemed ludicrous���but today it is the norm. Being seated causes the electrical levels in your muscles to drop leading to muscle loss, fatty deposits in the abdominal area and is said to be a future leading causeof death in this country. (Heart attacks, Type 2 diabetes, etc.) So how can you start the New Year with a ���get healthier��� mission? Let me offer my own personal tips (you���re welcome!)  Try to stand as often as possible at your desk: I know this could look silly but sitting all day is ruining your posture and causing weight gain. Many offices today are starting to offer ���standing desks��� to their employees (I am a recent convert) but if this is not possible for you try taking your phone calls while standing at your desk. Schedule regular breaks to stretch your legs even if it only means being upright for afew minutes. Just do it! Try Workout DVDs: I know this seems pretty obvious but so many people still do not take advantage of the convenience of working out at home. You can wear your sweatpants and look like a fright but still get a good workout. Check out Amazon.com for the best reviewed DVDs to get the program that works best for you.  Park father away from your office, school, shopping,etc.: Exercise is a cumulative thing so every little bit counts. Those extra 10-15 minutes you add every day will pay off in the long run. Just bundle up and do it! Meatless Mondays: I certainly do not advocate becoming a vegan (I like bacon way too much for that!) but one day per week abstaining from meat will help you cut down calories big time plus all ofus could use more fiber in our diets by filling up on veggies. Trust me���this one can change your life for the better immediately.  Schedule Your Exercise Each Week: Write it down in your calendar, plug it into your smart phone, post it on your fridge���whatever it takes to help you to remember. By making it part ofyour ���to do��� list you are more likely to make it happen. Make this your Sunday afternoon task and just do it! Create a Facebook or Twitter personae and join the online weight loss community: There is plenty of new research on current social media outlets and weight loss. Folks who use the Internet to reach out to others and make themselves accountable to an invisible (yet supportive) community have a much easier time losing weight and keeping it off. Check out my Twitter follows to get ideas on whom to connect with online. You have friends out there ready to help you! That���s all I have today folks. Please let me know your own tips for staying healthy. I want to hear from you! Have a wonderful 2012. Let���s all meet our goals this year! Ox Ox, BFC Brooklyn Fit ChickFollow me on Twitter:���BrooklynFitChik��� (note the spelling!)Friend me on Facebook: ���BrooklynFitChick

I love writing with
Anthony Slawson.
 He has a poetic verve
that invades my core and inspires me beyond all belief. I have tried in the
past to encourage him to pursue his writing further, and maybe still one day he
will. Today, I am just happy to be the writer he chose to work with now.

Did I mention I love
writing with Anthony Slawson?

This short story is a
continuation of Malachi Thorne and Dara���not everything has a happy ending.
Sometimes���its better.


Best Served Cold (PDF — 154 KB)

Finally! Yes, finally, I can say I have collaborated with the great Sam Reeves. And not just ONE story...TWO! Very proud of both of these and look forward to more in the future (hint! hint!)  Who is Sam Reeves you ask?    When anyone asks Sam Reeves, “Have you ever been published?” he typically answers, “Of course I have! What kind of question would you ask me if I were a proctologist?”  He then smiles and mumbles something about an e-zine article that probably still exists somewhere in the cyberwild in some archive in some warehouse basement on a server covered in mold that has begun to develop rudimentary language skills.  At that point the listener usually crosses Sam’s name off their Christmas card list. He was born in Smithville, MO in 1971, the era his son refers to as “before technology.”  In 1974, his family moved from Kansas City to the Ozarks of southern Missouri, where next to the Mark Twain National Forest Sam lived on a 100-acre farm full of maples, strawberries, and snakes.  He also frequently might have been seen carrying his pet chicken under his arm because, “All chickens like tricycle rides.”  When he was15, his family moved to a small mining town in Oklahoma.  He has lived in the general area since. Sam met his wife at Wal-Mart, where she told him that his watch was ugly, and he proposed to her a week later.  They recently celebrated their 12 anniversary.  Together they have an  8-year od boy, who Sam is convinced is a genius – but it would be nice if he used his powers for the forces of good.   After college, Sam worked 6 years for a Native American casino as both their IT manager and director of marketing. Currently, he is a computer programmer/systems analyst for a community college.  His hobbies include creating Photoshop paintings that bear a striking resemblance to the scrawls of a howler monkey that has just discovered a set of markers and a large bottle of extra strength Xanax.  He also enjoys reading and complaining.   Oh, and he writes horror and fantasy occasionally, assuming there are no distractions nearby, such as paper, writing utensils, or publishable ideas.  You can find the great Sam Reeves here: Writer blog:  “Scene Clearly” - http://scene-clearly.blogspot.com/Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/sam.reeves.750Twitter:  samrvsGoogle+:  https://plus.google.com/106912807043872834659/posts   Enjoy these two presentations from me and my buddy, Sam!   Tchiakovsky for Zombies, Opus One  THIRTY-EIGHT CENTS

      Last week I was browsing Facebook and was moved to tears after I read a poem called, "Even for the Tears," by Poppy Silver. I don't know if it was just my poor timing or the fact that we are in two completely different time zones, but I had never been privileged to read any of Poppy's poetry before that day.  But once I had, I went back and searched for more. What I found was a need to feature her on my blog and share her talents with more people. Who is Poppy Silver you ask...?   Poppy Silver is a writer who is also vocalist to the UK alternative band Orbitally Re-Arranged Monatomic Elements and has a love for photography and spirituality. Her book “Soon to Melt” is available through Lulu.Com and her spoken word poetry album "Welcome To Dajjal" is available through Amazon MP3, ITUNES and Reverbnation on CD.    Poppy has been gracious enough to share three of her favorite pieces. Please, read, enjoy, and  share, share, share.Hollow WombAtaraxia CallsThrough Flame Soul is Purged Links for Poppy Silver  Poppy at FB – https://www.facebook.com/pages/PoppySilver/283644488324268?fref=ts  Poppy’s Website - http://poppysilver.weebly.com/  Poppy’s Book “Soon to Melt” - http://www.lulu.com/shop/poppy-ruth-silver/soon-to-melt/paperback/product-21049605.html  Orbitally Re-Arranged Monatomic Elements at FB -  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Orbita... 

As I write, I envision certain actors in the parts to give voice to the dialogues. Zacharias or Zach, is a very special case because he is part fantasy character and part real life heavy metal hero.  As a single woman in the dating world, I must say…it’s fugly out there. We live in a disposable society where it is very easy to become cynical about romance, but on the written page, and in the hands of a fantasy writer, love and all its benefits becomes a dream come true. Zach Neason is in all honesty, my dream man. He is a romantic, a musician, a caring individual who jumps at the chance of helping people. He is damaged, but he has learned to channel that damage into his passions. He loves with reckless abandon, good natured, funny, and he sees the good in everyone. Able to admit when he’s wrong, this family oriented young man is grounded and stable. Sure, he has secrets…but hey, who doesn’t? As far as looks go, I could have gone in several directions since there are so many different aspects of a man’s appearance that I appreciate, but bottom line the one person who came to mind first and never left…was Jason Newsted, former bassist for Metallica.  Introducing Zach in The Kindred, I recalled two images of Newsted that were the most revealing to me. One, was the first time I saw him in concert at a Day on the Green at the Oakland Coliseum. The band was playing “Seek and Destroy” and Newsted was “in the moment” with the song, and started flinging his hair in time with the rhythm line. Under the stage lights, his reddish-brown hair looked like flames shooting from his head to the sky. I was transfixed and couldn’t take my eyes off of him, even when my then boyfriend said, “I’m bored. Let’s go.” Well, I didn’t go. I stayed. Boyfriend hit the road on BART (local rapid transit) and kept going. I’d already been a fan of Metallica, but this just made me like them even more.  The second image was the last time the band performed together publicly on television. They were part of an MTV show and Newsted appeared more somber and subdued; quietly playing, still enthusiastic but more controlled. He was dressed all in black with a knitted cap. I knew from the performance that something was wrong. It wasn’t until a few days later that I learned he was leaving the band. While Newsted helped me to create Zach, this blog is about casting and imagery. While those images gave me the fodder to move forward, as the character was fleshed out, I needed more to work with…that’s when I remembered a young Canadian actor named Kyle Schmid. I first found Schmid in a Canadian television show called “Blood Ties” from The Blood Books novels by Tanya Huff (great series, fun reads). He played Henry Fitzroy, Vampire, descendant of Henry the eighth and now a graphic novelist. Seems campy, but Schmid made him fun by keeping the Royal air about him without being snobby and loving every bit of being a Vampire. One trait that makes me pick him for Zach…when he is eating up a scene with his fellow actors, which he does a lot, he gets a twinkle in his eye. You must trust when I say that this is not lost on me!  I am certain that you, the reader, saw someone else when you first read Zach…I encourage you to share your “vision” here and why. I am always interested to hear what images my writing brings to mind in my readers.   

It’s just the end of 2012 that is upon us, and since the world didn’t end like my ancestors supposedly predicted, it’s time for my yearly wrap up of what I learned from the world around me.  The older things get, sometimes, the more sensitive they become. This goes for the earth, and all the people in it. Throughout my life, I’ve made it a point of not speaking my mind on two subjects because of their personal and extremely volatile nature: Religion, and politics.  Nevertheless, this year, I found I couldn’t help myself. It was an election year after all. It was suited to the situation…but I regret opening my mouth all three times. My beliefs are unlike anyone else and tend to annoy the left, right, and the middle. You would think by now, we would have toughened up as a society and become impervious to the words of others. However, the older this world gets, and the more battle scars we develop; we are surprisingly more fragile and easily hurt. This has unfortunately forced me back in to my wordless public cocoon, save for the strong and obvious opinions I express on the pages of my books. Don’t worry, I’ll be back. Eventually. Learning to say no is a good and necessary tool. Everything in moderation is one of the smartest sayings I’ve ever heard and try to live by. Sometimes, I go overboard. I admit it. Especially if it involves popcorn, coffee and books. Stopping, for some is an absolute impossibility. It involves restrain that they just don’t have and it causes them great pain to even try. Lately, for me, even though I don’t usually have trouble saying it, it’s caused me great pain. For me it’s meant more hours away from accomplishing my goals, eating bad food, not getting the exercise I need, or the rest I need as a consequence and most importantly it’s taken a toll on my health. This year, I will stop. Listen more. Relearn to say no when needed, and remember that I am not good to anyone if I am not good to myself. Sometimes, you just have to let things go, and walk on. Sometimes we find a great pair of shoes. They look great, they feel great and you walk with confidence in them down the street. Then suddenly, one day something isn’t right. The shoes age slightly in a certain spot, then another and another. Now, those shoes just don’t fit as well, look as good, and that confident walk is long gone. You try and look beyond the blisters and calluses they cause, not to mention the pain in your neck and back from the different way you are being forced to walk. Then one day it hits you…it’s time to find new shoes. That good, old pair has lived its life. They were a great fit once, but now it’s time to find new shoes. Let the old ones go, and walk on. Family is still the best thing in the world, even though sometimes you want to strangle them. I will be the first one to admit, that I am a selfish, self-centered brat that drives my family crazy. I also know that they love me just the same. With that in mind, it's safe to say, that they are the same way for me sometimes. Not to say that they are selfish, self-centered or bratty,but sometimes they do things, say things, and act in ways that annoy me, butonly because I want the best for them and can clearly see what they are doingis not good. It happens in every family alive. You can’t help it. You want the bestfor each other. When I was writing Book III of The Dante Chronicles, The Traveler,I depicted this very behavior in the team because it was happening in my familyat that time. It was one of those moments where art imitates life and it reallyhelped me to see things clearer, and learn to better accept those moments whereI wanted to string them up by their toes…which is my weird way of saying Ireally want to reach out, hug them tightly, and just tell them how much I lovethem. Close friends will not be forgotten, even when they are far, far away. I have four really close friends, and our schedules are all crazy, so seeing each other is not easily done on a regular basis, not to mention two live really far away. Even though we don’t travel in the same tight circles we used to, we still make an effort to stay in touch by phone, text, email and the almighty Facebook or Twitter. So, I say to you Mark Helzer, Eren Loza, Eric Raleigh and adoptive little sister/BFF, Margo “The Margaret” Donohue…I love you all, and miss you terribly! Happy New Year, my Kindred! A four-legged companion is the greatest gift to you. This year, my family learned of a two-year old Chihuahua-mix, whose family had fallen on hard times and barely had enough to feed her, let alone care for her. We had been looking for a dog at local shelters, but hadn’t found one that suited our size needs, or wasn’t already snatched up by the time we went to meet them, plus I was having trouble finding one that fit the hole in my heart left from the loss of my special little fur-baby, Xena. When my sister called, and told me about the dog, my initial response was “A Chihuahua? I don’t like Chihuahuas!” I was thinking only of my Aunt’s chihuahua that bit me when I was a kid during a visit to her house. Then when my sister told me her circumstances, my head and my heart had a brief, single sentence conversation, “She needs us.” My life hasn’t been the same since that night when we picked up the little four-legged bundle of energy with Yoda-ears and a wrinkled brow…and I love the little bug we named Lulu, more and more every day.    Happy New Year to all!   Cheerz!  

Once again, I've been given the opportunity to work with a favorite writer. Red Lily Pixie (@MiamiTrue on Twitter) is a formidable collaborator and one of the brightest minds I know. She came up with a great idea and challenged me to create a one-of-a-kind world and family with each and every email.  Thank you, Lily! This was a great, fantastical roller coaster ride!! Can't wait for the next one! Please enjoy...    Beautiful      The night sky appeared as velvet nicked by the tridents of the Legions so the sun, in all her glory, could shine through; glittering and beguiling. He sat beneath it on the ground, marveling at the vast, mysterious world above him.  "Beautiful," he whispered. His words, although spoken in privacy, fell upon the ears of two sisters: not of this world, not of any world he had ever known. Melantha’s eyes widened as she heard the word “beautiful” come from the handsome, young man gazing up at the heavens.  Her cold, dark heart opened just enough to let in the praise she knew was directed at her.  Licking her bottom lip slowly, she looked down upon him with lust in her eyes.  It had been long since she had taken a human, as they were usually not worthy of her attention, but this man struck something deep within her.  She was intrigued by the look of him and the instantaneous desire to bed him. Hardly ever able to tear herself away from her own reflection, the youthful Callista had to admit that the human was quite possibly the most intoxicating creature she had ever seen. The word that graced his full mouth fell upon her delicate ears, and she was vexed. Needing to be near him, to touch him, feel his body close to hers...taste him...she made her way across the sky to the forest aside where he sat. Bravely setting foot outside the safety of the giant spruce, she sees someone all too familiar not far from her.  "What are you doing here, Melantha? Go home. It's not safe here for one as old as you." “Callista, dear sister, take heed and listen closely.”  Melantha was not in the mood to deal with her sisters insults this day, she wanted, no, she needed to make the human hers. “As your older and much more desirable sister I lay claim to this human, now go home to your hall of mirrors where you are most happiest and do not attempt to interfere again.” If the words did not make her point her tone should have.  Melantha was not one to be taken lightly. “Ah, yes…my hall of mirrors. Did I forget to thank you for that, my darling? Really, you were too kind, especially the time it took to include the amusing one that makes me look like a bridge troll. Nice touch. So…you!” Callista replied, watching intently as her sister marveled at the handsome rogue still entranced by the stars above. “You’re not serious, are you, Melantha? I was only planning on having some fun. Maybe flirt with the human…or…” Callista sees something different in her sister’s eyes. Something she had only seen once before, and with it, a chance to play upon the true nature of her older sister and one true rival. Something she dearly loved to do, and never shied away from. “You know it is forbidden!Father will be furious…remember what happened the last time you…?” Melantha’s glare stopped Callista mid-sentence and the icy cold tone chilled her to the bone.  “We...will...not...talk…about...that...again, do I make myself clear sister?  That outcome rests solely on your shoulders, had you not interfered…”.  Melantha shook her head to clear awaythose memories, his soft blue eyes, his strong hands; she shakes her head harder and turns her menacing glare back to Callista.  Slowly Melantha’s lips form into a smirk, little sister wants to play games again.   “Callista, my darling, I have made my intentions clear, this human is mine, run along and find another…now.” Turning her back, Melantha slowly begins walking towards the enticing human, who was now lying back in the grass still blissfully unaware of the sister’s presence or his impending inevitable misadventure. “Run along, you say? Run, along? Yes, my dear, sweet sister. I’ll run,”Callista said as she removed her cloak and gown, “And so will you.” Going deep into the primeval Glenn, Callista called up the elements, and asked the earth to allow her to become the one thing her sister feared the most. The earth allowed it, but warned her of the consequences of the debt owed in return. Callista accepted, and then ran to follow Melantha; waiting for her moment to make her presence known.  Melantha approached the human quietly, she did not wish to frighten him.  As he lifted his head and beheld her she could see the appreciation for her in his eyes.  His audible intake of breath told her that he found her as tempting as she found him, with her emerald green eyes, dark auburn hair that hung past her waistline, soft rounded breasts that accented an hour glass figure that beguiled even the purist of men.  “Hello,” Melantha whispered.  “Hello” he replied looking awestruck and disbelieving. “You have lured me down from the heavens; I believe you called to me when you spoke the word ‘beautiful’. Am I right in thinking you willed me to come to you?”  Melantha spoke with a soothing voice as she slowly reached out a hand to touch the lovely man still sitting on the ground.  The man reached out, accepted her hand, and stood to face her. “I never believed anything could be more beautiful than that sky above…but here you are. Perhaps I did call to you. Perhaps, I…” Melantha gently touched his face with her hand; felt its warmth. The man reached around her waist and pulled her to him; the longing in his eyes was more than either could stand. Fully ready to give herself to him, she leaned in to kiss him, but suddenly felt something in her hair. Thinking it was just his curious fingers, she continued on her journey to his lips. Locked in a passionate embrace, Melantha continued to feel something in her hair; twisting and playfully pulling. She laughed.  The man smiled, “What’s funny?” “You’re playing with my hair…it’s so innocent, and yet…” “My hands are about your waist, I’m not…” Melantha, puzzled and slightly alarmed, touched her auburn waves and felt a spindly leg that immediately scurried away at her touch.  Melantha looked down. On the ground surrounding them both were thousands of spiders. She felt her would be lover stiffen in her arms with panic.   She pulled him close to her and whispered in his ear,  “Trust me, I will allow no harm to come of you this day”.   With that assurance she catapulted him into the nearby river to save him from the deadly spiders she knew her sister had summoned. “Callista!” shaking with rage, Melantha turned to look for her sister and exact revenge. Giggling with glee, Callista returned to her former being, and made her way to the river side, where the young man sat, stunned and shaken. She rubbed wet earth on her cheek and naked body, forced tears from her eyes as she had learned to do as a young child and then stumbled to the shore towards the man.  “Please? Help me! My sister, she’s gone mad! Please, sir? I don’t know what to do? I heard you from the heavens above, as did my sister. I came to save you from her wicked ways, but she attacked me. Tried to…to…Oh! Sir, it’s horrible. You are not safe here. I must try to get you to safety.” The good-hearted man removed his jacket and cloaked the lithe body of Callista. She looked deep into his eyes; saw his radiant soul and a fire quickly burning there for her. She reached up, and pulled his lips to hers. Melantha watched her sister’s little act from a distance, she was well aware of her dramatics; she had been privy to them since they were both little girls. As she saw Callista draw the human closer and place her lips on his, Melantha felt the powers within her boil over. Little sister would not ruin her fun, this time.  Calling upon the dark evils, Melantha willed the earth to begin shaking, mirroring her rage.  The tremors broke the couple apart, throwing them both to the ground.  As the earth began to split open and lift, the young man began to tumble down the incline towards Melantha’s outstretched arms, while Callista was sent plummeting into the river.  Melantha summoned forth the mighty Aboleth that lived in the river and beseeched it to take Callista into the depths and allow Melantha time to abscond with the human, now tightly encased in her arms. “Let go of me!” the man cried. “We need to save your sister!” he yelled, as he started to trudge the now rocky terrain back to the river. But the river bed was dry. Arid as if a thousand suns had burned it clean. The man, angry and scared, turned to Melantha, “I don’t understand? What happened? Where did she go? Where is the river? What have you done?” “What have I done?” Melantha was outraged.   Callista should be at the depths of the river, yet she had managed to disappear along with the river.  Was there someone helping her again, why isit that no one wanted Melantha to be contented? All she ever desired was to find a little happiness, an escape from the heavens and the endless games played there.  Melantha wasn’t always evil, but having every pleasure taken from her had turned her cold, darkened her heart and left her with only feelings of lust and desire. She would never allow herself to love; loving someone distorted everything, took your energies and made you weak.  Melantha would never be weak again.  In the distance her name was being called.  “Melantha?” The voice was familiar, but she couldn’t see where it came from. She felt a hand on her arm, but the man was standing too far away from her for it to be him.  “Melantha?” “Do you hear that?” she said to the man,“where is that coming from?” “Melantha?” “Father?” “Mel, honey, wake up…it’s almost time.”  “Oh, Mel! You mussed your hair and makeup! Come on, sit up…let me fix it!” Callista said, taking her hand and standing her up to walk her to the mirror. Startled, Melanthra saw her reflection. She was in a wedding dress.  “No, no, no, this is not happening, Callista stop this now!” Melantha shouted as she ripped the wedding dress from her body. Melantha was well aware of the mind tricks her sister could play; she needed to focus on the river, needed to return to the river.  It was the river that was her last real memory; it was her pull back into reality.  Melantha could feel the charade falling away; she could feel her sister still tightly in the clutches of the Aboleth at the bottom of the river.  Coming to her senses she casts her glance at the terrified, yet still hauntingly beautiful man at the center of this competition. Reaching out a hand in a show of empathy Melantha spoke the words in a mere whisper, “please, come with me, you will be safe as long as we are together, my sister only wishes to keep us apart….don’t you see it is only a game to her….you and I belong together….trust me….I came to earth for you.”  Melantha held back her smirk as the human stumbled forward and grasped her hand tightly. “Why?” the man asked, “Why does she want us apart? Why should I believe you? I believed her when she said you had gone mad. Give me a reason to believe what you say is true.” “My darling, do you not believe you wished me down from the heavens?” Melantha kept her voice to the low enticing whisper she could see had an effect on the handsome man. “Tell me your name, I am Melantha, but please call me Mellie.”  Melanthacontinued to distract him using a bright smile and looking deep into his eyes. “I, um, Mellie, that’s nice, I am Sebastian” he said as he was pulled into her arms willingly. “Sebastian, let us away from here.”Melantha said just before crushing her lips to his. “Mmmellie…um…where is ‘here’?” the man asked earnestly. “Where am I exactly? How did I get here? One minute I am at work, and the next I am here looking up at this beautiful night sky. And now you’re here…and then your sister…I…what the hell is going on? And if I come away with you, where will we go?” Melantha had seen this look of fear before. Humans were so predictable; anything they couldn’t fathom or wrap their minds around instantly caused them to become afraid.  She was tired now, this was supposed to just be a little game, Callista had taken all the fun out of this conquest. “Sebastian, you must trust me, if you want to be with me you will need to come with me.”  Melantha looked at the delectable human with wide eyes and waited for his reply. The man laughed wickedly, “Your father said you were persistent. I don’t think he knew just how competitive you are...either of you. Isn’t that right , Callista?” The man glanced over the shoulder of Melantha to see a soaking wet, and shivering Callista stumbling from the dry river bed. “ I’ll have to note this in my report to him.” The man snatched a notebook from the air, and scribbled something down, “So, which one of you will it be? As promised by your father, in payment for this test, one of you will come to the Underworld to be the bride of my Lord; the other will return and continue with their Goddess duties, plus the duties of the other.” The man laughed, “I don’t know what you two did to piss off your father so terribly that he felt a need to present so grand a test…but from what I’ve seen this evening…I’m not surprised. Now, choose!” Melantha started to retreat, taking small steps backwards.  “Callista?” she managed to choke the word from her shocked lips, blindly reaching behind her in hopes of catching her sister’s hand in hers. As soon as she felt her sister’s wet hand safely encased in hers Melantha pulled Callista to her side and then down with her to their knee’s.   Melantha looked up at the heavens and pleaded, “Father, please, we have learned our lesson, please don’t tear us apart.  Callista and I promise we will behave, any other punishment, Father, please. Just don’t make us marry, don’t banish us to the Underworld, Father, please, I beseech you, Father, I will do anything, anything else, Father…..?” Melantha shuddered as the heavens began to rumble, the skies turned pitch black and the earth shook from the impact of Thanatos, their Father, as his voice boomed down from above.  “Enough Melantha, you have failed this test.  Your begging now will not save you, this was my last effort to see if you two could change, as you had promised, I am disappointed, however not surprised that you disregarded my command.  Now, as Sebastian said, one of you will be married, I am not so cruel as to choose which of my wicked daughters that will be.  You two can decide that amongst yourselves, but one of you will go with Sebastian, now decide quickly!” "This cannot be. Cannot be...," Calllista mumbled. "Father has been angry before, but never with such...I, I was only playing. I-I-I only wanted your attention.I...." Callista's mind was reeling, and her face flushed with anger. She looked at Melantha, touched the side of her face, smiled and then stood proudly and spoke to the heavens. "Father, I volunteer and take yourpunishment...but I would like a proper goodbye. Please? Present yourself. I wish to embrace my father before leaving his side forever." "Calli, what are you doing?" Melantha asked, but Callista quieted her with a warm embrace. "We have had our differences over time, Mellie, I know...but I have never stopped loving you. You are my sister. My own. And no man is going to take you from me. No man will decide your fate, just as no man will ever tell me what to do. Please? Trust me?" The ground quaked, uprooting the trees of the forest, the wind whipped and cried, lifting leaves and branches into a giant pillar of earthly richness. The greenery became engulfed in flame and burned to ash, falling away to reveal their father's tremendous form. He started to speak, but the forest and earth had taken his chance from him, entangling him in roots and branches until he became one with them...a giant redwood: sturdy, strong and formidable. The earth was silent once again. Sebastian was anxious, "What have you done? I cannot return without a bride for my Lord...but without your father, this contract is void. You have left me a prisoner here!"  Callista walked to the giant Redwood and embraced it, "Goodbye, Father. I owed the elements a favor...a sacrifice. In all your fury and flamboyant machinations, you have saved me. Saved us. You will not take my sister from me. You will not take me from myself." Callista walked back to her sister'sside, "Dear sister, what shall you do with your prisoner?" Melantha quickly recovered hercomposure, her sister was far more clever and cunning then she had ever givenher credit for.  She understood thatvictory lay in Callista’s hands and therefore the rivalry was finished.  She would bow to her sister’s quick wit and accept that they were now equals. “Callista, I must admit you have not only bested me this day but certainly saved me from a life in the Underworld.  In doing so I let go of the past and from now on nothing will ever come between us.  We will be the kind of sisters that Father would be proud of.”  Melantha bowed low, showing her sister the respect she rightly deserved. Looking over her shoulder, Melantha said “I think Sebastian is your prize in this game, dear sister, however, if you are willing to share…?” Both sisters began to laugh in glee as Sebastian’s eye grew wide with the implications. “Thank you, Mellie. You honor me…but one of us needs to go home, tell our woeful story to Council and make sure that you and your human are…not disturbed,”Callista says, embracing her sister. She kisses Melantha on the cheek and whispers in her ear, “Bed him well, Mellie. No eyes will watch you. I’ll makesure of it.” Callista took one last look at her sister, breathed deeply, and was gone in a sigh. Melantha looked at Sebastian with new eyes, this beautiful man had attempted to trick her and she should be very angry.  But he was so enticing, so wonderfully perfect. “Sebastian” Melantha taunted him, “you have a choice here, you can come with me or not.” Sebastian knew the implications of Melantha’s offer, he might have been a part of the plan to lure one of the sisters to the Underworld but he was really just the messenger ,and a man. Sebastian strode purposefully towards Melantha and took her in his arms. “Melantha, I choose you,” he said before crashing his lips to hers. Melantha let herself get lost in his kisses, she needed to be desired, cherished and loved.  She was so lonely, always trying to prove herself among the other goddesses, to her parents, to Callista. Freeing her mind she put all those thoughts aside and concentrated on Sebastian. It didn’t matter if he was just using her, she needed a release and whom better than this perfect male specimen to give that to her. Sebastian’s hands tightened around Melantha pulling her close to him, all the while still kissing her passionately.  Melantha worked her hands into his hair and pulled him even closer to deepen the kisses. She moaned as his tongue worked its magic in her mouth. Stroking her tongue with his and swirling them together.  Sebastian caressed his way up her torso until his hands were on her shoulders; he pushed his hands under thestraps of her sleeveless gown.  As he slowly began to tug the fabric off her shoulders he pulled his mouth from hers and looked her deep in the eyes. “Melantha?” he asked her with a deep rumble in his voice. Melantha simply said yes with a nod ofher head. In one swift movement her gown was on the ground and she stood before him in all her naked glory.  Sebastian beheld the goddess in front of him with awe.  All previous thoughts escaped him as he could not believe his good fortune. This flawless creature was offering herself to him and he was going to enjoy every minute with her.  He resumed kissing her, sucking and licking at her soft skin as he pulled her perfect body down to the ground and began to show her how grateful he was to be with her. Far beyond, in the heavens above, Callista presented her story to Council. “It is done then?” “Yes,” she replied to the booming voice. “Will Melantha agree?” “Yes,” Callista answered, “I have no doubt in my mind.” “How can you be so certain?” “Because she trusts me now, and she knows I am on her side.” “But you two have been known for your tirades and games…what if she…?” “My sister and I have grown. We know each other well. Melantha will make a grand Queen. One you can be proud of, and fear. She is smarter than the likes of you, which is without doubt. And with me at her side, she will be a force to reckon with. Do not doubt my sister. She will be demanding, yet fair; stern, yet kind. And above all else…Beautiful.