Elisa suddenly sat on a rock in the middle of the leafy green woods, unable to remember the way she came in. It was starting to get darker and she was too far away from Sasha's house to even try to turn back now. "Why didn't I take something to find my way back with?" She sighed, exhausted at walking around the natural maze. Faster than she could realize there was movement across the way in a grouping of trees slightly closer together. Lightly panicking she slowly got up off the rock, backing away before tripping on a branch and falling to the ground. Elisa started noticing a thick fog roll in and was getting closer to her as if it had a mind of it's own. Crawling backwards frantically, she observed a tall, pale figure near the tight grouping of trees. "Where did he come from? I've been watching that area the whole time!" Her mind raced frantically and she felt a wave of terror as the seemingly faceless creature turned to stare her down. Swallowing hard she made one fast move to get up and run away but as she ran she noticed the fog catching up with her and the trees started all looking the same. Making turns here and there Elisa looked like a scared quarterback zigzagging through the never ending grouping of trees. Right as she was about to give in she saw the trees end and the field where she travels across to her house. Rejoicing she pumped her legs faster, hoping to reach the field before the creature reached her. Then faster than she realized her leg was caught in a searing pain, fearing the worse she debated whether to look back, crawling as fast as her young bones would allow. Needing to assess the damage she looked back, hearing no pursuit of her now, and saw her tibia bone poking out of her skin. Feeling sick to her stomach she looked around to see where the faceless man had gone. Feeling relief at not seeing him she hoisted herself up the best she can and started hobbling home. Looking across the forest once more she spotted the man from afar. Panicking extremely, she looked down at her leg, in an instant the man was less than a foot from her. She tried to scream but nothing came out, then the darkness consumed her. Silently.

Sweet joy, where did I see you first?

Was it the flutter of a butterfly's wings, so fragile and soft;

Or perhaps the love in the eyes of a mother?

The wind blows, tousling my hair about, traveling to another corner of the world.

I feel Autumn like the color of the changing leaves and that far too familiar nostalgia of the days of past.

My mind dances with the smell of cinnamon, the singing of someone life no longer knows,

Such fleeting days stay only in my mind, forever able to be visited like a prize photo of time's marks on my soul.

We drift farther just as the leaves on the wind; red, orange and yellow memories.

Beauty is everywhere because nobody sees anything as a flaw,

Babies are never aborted, rape doesn't happen, there are no wars and the elderly are respected always. Children don't have to worry about being abducted. There are no sicknesses, & no grief. Funerals are a joyful ritual to send someone on their way to the next life instead of mourning their loss. People are humane to others and to animals. We live with the animals because they understand us and we understand them. People communicate great, everyone helps everyone else and people are not vindictive. There is always music playing, people dancing and singing, and love everywhere you look. There is no famine and no debt because people share and expect nothing in return. The weather is nice everywhere and everyone is treated equal.

Sucking on the tit of life, cuts me like a fucking knife,

Heart attacks and stress a-plenty, years of fucking naught but empty,

Same old shit day after day, someone make it go away,

Life in hi-def resolution, ain't no fucking revolution,

Yes I'm angry, yes I'm mad, any other way is sad,

Fifteen years on MOD, sure it made a man of me,

Set me loose on civvy street, hero bullshit sure sounds neat,

Truth is no-one gives a shit, save for those who've been through it,

Watch your movies, shop at ASDA, only 'cos I fucking have to,

Give me liberty or death, are we really free, yet?

Mr. Watterson was swimming in an ocean of Cascadian rainforest, beams of sun pouring through the canopy. He and his best friends, Orange and Mercury, kept journeying deeper into this vast, vibrant ocean of green, until suddenly, they all experienced the same, beautiful vision.

There in front of the three adventurers was the most exotic and enthralling plant upon which they'd stumbled thus far throughout the trek. The plant humbly, gracefully boasted flowers of a distinct violent hue, subtly glowing - radiating and emanating an aura of hidden treasure. The three approached this plant and then, just as suddenly, they all experienced the same thing yet again - but this time, the shared object of experience was psychic - not physical, and yet still physically induced.

The nature of this experience was of direct communion with Nature Herself, through this exotic and enthralling, violet and glowing plant. Mr. Watterson was filled with the most intense, real, and pure feeling of wonder and magic that he had ever felt - as were Orange and Mercury. He knew - perceived and experienced in that very moment - that this plant was far more alive than he'd ever realized. The plant was conscious, sentient, aware. It sensed the three adventurers' presence.

Evidence of such sensation was nonphysical, psychic - yes - but it was also ever so subtly but nonetheless noticeably physical. Mr. Watterson, after detecting the plant's physical reaction, slowly and gently moved his hand closer toward one of the branches and its flowers. The organism reacted with its movement. There was no wind that could have initiated such physical movement. The plant had moved.

A flash of image subsequently entered Mr. Watterson's mind - of the Tree-Ents from Tolkien's Middle Earth, of Nature's being depicted far more intelligently and humanly than what mainstream culture instills in its members to accept cognitively. He experienced chills and goosebumps after seeing this image and its liaison to the communion - and communication - with Nature that he was sharing with Orange and Mercury in that blessed moment.

"The Earth is ALIVE!" he exclaimed. "Feel its heartbeat! Feel this plant's heartbeat! It's all alive! - so much more alive than we were taught to appreciate!!!"

Like a light mountain breeze you blow through my mind. A thought of you in your night gown toys with my sanity as I am split between being here and there.

It is not refuge I seek but flames.

Shades of red, orange, and yellow flicker and flare engulfing my tender flesh in heat, a passionate sweat. How luscious your lips, how deep your eyes. How bright your smile, how smooth your thighs.

The nectar of your love I long to taste. Until that day arrives I will survive on memories that shall not waste.

In 1986 I was the king of Metal. I had all the women, I had all the booze, I had all the music. I had everything I ever wanted and more, and I ate it all up, buffet style—a fat kid at a birthday party. My big block ’72 Nova dripped horsepower, and together we muscled and bullied my small town streets one burn-out at a time, terrorizing the locals. The little kids would see me at a stop sign and give me the burn-out signal and I would light ’em up. Smoke billowing thick and mean into the air, Tom Araya screaming vocals to pierce my ears as the double bass drumming of Dave Lombardo punched like Tyson through the Bondo and rust quarter panels in sync with my bored out V8. The kids would scream and run away. Neighbors would come out of their houses, fists raised, and threaten to call the cops. I was a spike studded urban legend rolled up in denim and leather, a long haired Hessian with nothing to lose and a fuck-the world attitude: and Slayer was blasting the soundtrack to my real life Peckinpah style movie and I was the fucking star, no one fucked with me, I was invincible, I was the King of Metal. The world was truly at my feet that year until the phone rang.