Indian Epics

Promila felt as if her heart had shattered into a million cold, glass shards. The glass pierced her body and spread through her veins. She cried out in agony, "My love. My whole life has been torn from me!" She looked upon her precious Indrajit, laid upon the funeral pyre. She wished to join him in his burial fire-- to be his wife in the afterlife. She craved to be eternally beside her beloved with her entire soul. A small whisper in her mind told her no. "You must avenge his death. Blood has betrayed blood. Now blood must be spilt," the voice whispered. Promila knew her task. She approached the wrapped body of Indrajit. She softly took her hand from her mouth and placed it on Indrajit's forehead. A symbolic kiss of parting. "Go in peace, my love. I will restore your glory and find you in the heavens." Indrajit's sword rested at his feet. She lifted the famed weapon and brandished it in front of the mourning crowd. "Bibhisan will pay ...

In a great and splendid palace, belonging to mighty king, there lived two palace dogs. They were the king’s beloved companions. In the presence of their master, they were loving and obedient. When the master was not around, their character reversed and they became mischievous, pestilent things.  One night, a thunderstorm broke across the sky. The bright flashes of lightning and loud cracks of thunder filled the palace dogs with a wild passion. They broke from their collars and leashes and ran into the night. They ran throughout the royal gardens, taking special care to roll and stomp in the largest mud puddles. They bit off roses from their bush and muddied all of the fountains. In their furious frolic, they arrived at the idea to storm the throne room. The dogs ran teeth gnashing, paws muddied, and mind frenzied through the palace into the majestic court room of the king. They rolled on the rugs, tore down the tapestries, and chewed on the arm of the throne. When the room was p...

For this week's story lab, I created a twine. The purpose of the Twine is to answer buzzfeed-esque questions to determine what kind of Fall soup you are. Obviously, the answers are really sarcastic. I though Twine was not that user friendly and it wouldn't let me save the file. However, it was still fun to create. Twine: Find Out What Fall Soup You Are Fall Soup

Imagine an office. This office is just like all other offices. It has dull gray carpet, dozens of neatly aligned cubicles, and yellow fluorescent overhead lights. In one of the cubicles, sits Ms. Alecia Turtle. She is a middle aged woman who seems to always walk with a permanent hunch. She wears dark olive green glasses. Ms. Turtle leans over her computer, hurriedly typing away. Her tongue pokes out of the corner of her mouth as she concentrates. Cindy! You would not believe what I just heard!  Her nails are painted green. The movements of her fingers are dramatically exaggerated as she clacks away at her keyboard. Jim heard that Britney said that Ron and his wife are getting divorced. Can you believe it!? She smugly sends the IM to her coworker. A ding sounds across the office. There is quietly audible typing. Ms. Turtle's computer flashes: New Message -- From Cindy Squirrel.  Ms. Turtle hungrily opened the message. Poor Ron. I know Mr. Goose is really cracking down ...

For this week's story lab I explored the blog, Advice to Writers. The homepage opens to a quote from TS Eliot. Immediately intrigued, I know I am going to like this blog. The quote is actually a joke and I'm left feeling disappointed. I decide to jump to an quote entitled, "Writing is Hard Work, Not Magic." This quote is attributed to Suze Orman and is about defining the motivation behind why you are writing. I like that. Someday I want to be an author. Before I write my novel, whatever it will be about, I need to decide the message and meaning behind the intent of the book. Neil Postman poses the question, "What Could Be Stranger than Writing?" Anthropologists call literary works a conversation that is both simultaneously held with no one and with everyone. I think that that is very poetic. "Words Are to Be Taken Seriously," declares a quote in large red type. Toni Cade Bambara explains that words set things in motion and conjure images and ...

If you asked Yudi, the night was still young. Rhythmic, thumping music filled the room around him. It was carried along with the hushed and hurried voices of the other players. He sat at a grandiose oak table covered in a rich green velvet. At his table were six other men dressed in their best suits and ties. A few puffed on cigars; others swirled their glasses of scotch. All of them eyed Yudi. "I'll meet that bet." Yudi sneered as he met each of the other players' gazes. "And I'll raise you $1000." The table erupted. Three of the players slammed down their hands and yelled at Yudi. "You're bluffing. You have to be kidding." A chorus of disbelief broke out. Finally, a slender and haughty young man raised his scotch glass and simply declared, "Enough." The table fell silent once more. This man was Dura and he was the fiercest poker player that had every set foot in the lounge. Dura and Yudi glared at each other across the ta...

Urvashi, Urva for short, knew that she was beautiful. She was made to be! She was a divine creation, born of the sea and crafted by the gods. Her skin was that of the softest clouds. Her hair sparkled like sun rays. She had eyes that rivaled the beauty of lotus flowers. Her beauty was unparalleled to any woman on earth... ... but in Swarga, Indra's celestial city, she looked exactly like the hundreds of other aspara women mass produced in the Heavenly Brides Inc. factory. Asparas were Swarga's number one export. They were practically the entire basis for the thriving economy of the city. Heroes, gods, and gandharvas from across the heavens made their way to Swarga to claim their faultless brides. Urva's model was the latest and most desired. Urva spent her days prancing around the city, flaunting her looks and trying to attract the attention of potential suitors. She was quite good at pursing her lips and widening her eyes to fain interest as her prospective husbands r...

Sita looked into the eyes of the beloved Rama of her younger years. Her twin sons joined their father as she faced him.  She opened her mouth to speak, "First I was afraid. I was petrified. Kept thinking I could never live without you by  my side.  But then I spent so many nights thinking how you did me wrong.  And I grew strong 1 ." Rama moved  forward to defend his case.  Sita held up her hand and glared at him.  " I would go through all this pain. Take a bullet straight through my brain. Yes I would die for you, baby. But you won't do the same 2 ." Rama dismissed Sita.  "Sita, I could not risk my subjects not respecting me for keeping you as my wife." "R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Find out what it means to me 3 ." With an indignant glare and a roll of her hips, she threw her hands into the air and called to Mother Nature, "Mama, life had just begun. But now I've gone and thrown it all away. Mama! Oooooo 4 !"   Sita fell...

Sita peered through the trees of the jungle. She heard a rustle that made both curious and scared all at once. She took a careful step forward and looked through the brush. Amidst the trees she saw a beautiful animal. It was a deer. Its fur was golden and its eyes sparkled with a ferocity that envied the sun. Silver spots speckled its back and its antlers were great and tall like the trees in which it hid. Sita's heart desired the animal. Its beauty was unparalleled. She wished to feel its soft fur and rest against its calming presence. Sita approached Rama. "I have beheld a glorious deer in the glen. I wish to have it in companionship." Rama felt uneasy at his wife's request. He had heard of devious rakshasas who took the form of deer in order to trick unexacting travelers. He refused his wife's request, but Sita pleaded. Reluctantly, Rama gave in to his wife's wishes. He pulled his brother, Lakshmana, aside and asked, "Brother, keep an eye on Sita...

There once was a great king of monkeys who so feared that his power would be usurped by one of his sons that he killed each one of them in their infancy. He had a wife that fell pregnant. Scared of her husband's ruthlessness, she took refuge among the elephants. The elephants are known for their strength and wit. She gave birth, and as her son grew, the elephants taught him the secret to their strength and smarts. This monkey-son became the strongest among the elephants. At this time he asked his mother, "Mother-monkey, who is my father?" His mother answered, "He is a ruthless king. Sure to kill you as soon as he realizes your strength and power." "Never mind that," replied the monkey-son, "I will go to my father and I will know how to defeat him when I see him." His reply broke his mother's heart, but she agreed to show him his father's home. When the monkey-son arrived to the palace of his father and announced his birthright, ...