Zachariah Wahrer's Blog, page 10

Harbingers Release Date (And Other Big News)

Hello dear readers! I have some big news for you. Harbingers of the Dawn is set to release on 1/9/17, both as an eBook and paperback! Woohoo! The eBook price will be the same as Breakers ($2.99). The paperback version will be a dollar more than Breakers ($10.99), due to the fact it is almost 50 pages longer and costs more to print. But hey, more content!

So, about that delay... I know, I know: I said it was going to be available the last quarter of 2016, but I have good reasons for delaying a few weeks! One is that I want it to be as good as possible. The final draft is done, the formatting for paperback is done—BUT—I want to review a few more times and make sure there are no mistakes. That takes time, especially getting proof copies of the paperback from the printer. The print and digital versions will be available 1/9/17, I promise, but Patrons (see below) will get access as soon as I finish (which will likely be a week or two sooner).

The next big announcement is that I've almost finished setting up a new subscription/patron page on Patreon. I'm still finalizing details, but if you'd like to know more about Patreon in general, you can read more here or watch this video. I will be offering some really awesome rewards for my monthly subscribers, such as: commissioned short stories, poems, and digital art; a patron's only feed, Q&A videos and chats, exclusive short stories and poems, as well as the ability to suggest story and blog topics. All this is in addition to patron levels that include digital and autographed paperback copies of my novels.

In an increasingly dispersed digital landscape, I want a closer connection to my fans. I feel Patreon offers this kind of environment. Don't worry, if you can't commit to a monthly contribution, Harbingers will still be available through the standard channels.

Harbingers Release Date (And Other Big News)

Hello dear readers! I have some big news for you. Harbingers of the Dawn is set to release on 1/9/17, both as an eBook and paperback! Woohoo! The eBook price will be the same as Breakers ($2.99). The paperback version will be a dollar more than Breakers ($10.99), due to the fact it is almost 50 pages longer and costs more to print. But hey, more content!

So, about that delay… I know, I know: I said it was going to be available the last quarter of 2016, but I have good reasons for delaying a few weeks! One is that I want it to be as good as possible. The final draft is done, the formatting for paperback is done—BUT—I want to review a few more times and make sure there are no mistakes. That takes time, especially getting proof copies of the paperback from the printer. The print and digital versions will be available 1/9/17, I promise, but Patrons (see below) will get access as soon as I finish (which will likely be a week or two sooner).

The next big announcement is that I’ve almost finished setting up a new subscription/patron page on Patreon. I’m still finalizing details, but if you’d like to know more about Patreon in general, you can read more here or watch this video. I will be offering some really awesome rewards for my monthly subscribers, such as: commissioned short stories, poems, and digital art; a patron’s only feed, Q&A videos and chats, exclusive short stories and poems, as well as the ability to suggest story and blog topics. All this is in addition to patron levels that include digital and autographed paperback copies of my novels.

In an increasingly dispersed digital landscape, I want a closer connection to my fans. I feel Patreon offers this kind of environment. Don’t worry, if you can’t commit to a monthly contribution, Harbingers will still be available through the standard channels.

The Edge of Light (100WordStory)

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Momma always said to stay within the light, not to set foot in the darkness beyond the illumination of our dwelling. It left me such a small space in which to play. I listened to her commandment for so many years, wondering: “How bad could it really be?” But then I let my curiosity overwhelm me, and I stepped through that gossamer boundary. Why didn’t I stay within the village? The horrible yarns people spun were true. Why didn’t I believe? Now I know the truth and I can’t go back. It's far worse than I ever could have imagined.

The Edge of Light (100WordStory)

Momma always said to stay within the light, not to set foot in the darkness beyond the illumination of our dwelling. It left me such a small space in which to play. I listened to her commandment for so many years, wondering: “How bad could it really be?” But then I let my curiosity overwhelm me, and I stepped through that gossamer boundary. Why didn’t I stay within the village? The horrible yarns people spun were true. Why didn’t I believe? Now I know the truth and I can’t go back. It’s far worse than I ever could have imagined.

The Hunter

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I’m not lost, Ben kept telling himself.He thrashed his way through the thickundergrowth, the rifleslung across his back constantly getting tangled in the brush. Calm down. The GPS will get you back to the trail and your quad.Breathing heavily, Ben decided to stop and rest for a moment. He’d shot an elk earlier, but his aim had been off and the animal was only wounded. After tracking for a half hour, the drops and spatters of blood he’d been following disappeared. Benwidened his search, spiraling out from the last known location of the wounded bull, yethe’d still found nothing. No animal, no blood, not even any tracks. Where’dhe go?Ben decided he had to give up. He needed to leave himself time to hike out before dark. The forecast called for low tempsthat night and he didn’t have bivy gear. He feltguilty for wounding such a big bull and failing to utilize its meat. Guess a bear will probably scavenge it, Ben mused, or maybe wolves will find it first. Thinking of bears made Ben touch his canister of bear spray reflexively. It was still there, thankfully.With his breath finally under control, he set off once again. Taking out his GPS unit, Ben hit the button to turn thescreen on. Nothing. He pushed the button harder. Still nothing. What the… I just put new batteries in before I left. Taking the batteries out and putting them back changed nothing. Dread flooded Ben, and his stomach dropped. All his earlier worries about not getting back to his ATV and the trail crashed in on him.“You can do this,” he said, taking a deep breath. He wished he had broughthis phone with him. There was no service out here, but the map app would have beenhelpful. That’s what the stupid GPS was for.Scouring his mind, Ben tried to recreate the last imagehe’d seen on the device’s screen. It seemed like he needed to head northwest, but in all the excitement of the chase, his sense of direction was off. He hadn’t taken mental notes, or even paid attention to where he was going. Now you’re screwed and you only have two hours before the sun goes down. He checked his headlamp. At least it still worked. Too bad it doesn’t have the same batteries as the GPS.Ben began walking in the direction he thought was northwest. If he could manage to stay on course, he believed he mightreach the trail in about a half hour. His ATV was another thirty minutes down that path, where it joined with a much larger, multi-use trail. “You can do this,” he repeated, once again thrashingthrough tough bushes.Time passed, and Ben lost himself in the process of trying to stay on course. Every thirty seconds or so, he would clap loudly, hoping it would alert any nearby bears to his presence. Eventually, he noticed his hands beginning to sting. It made him wonder how many times he’d performed the act.Anytime now, Benthought, feeling he had to be close to the foot trail. He checked his watch, and uttered a surprised expletive when he saw an hour had gone by since he’d abandoned the hunt for the elk. I should be back to the trail by now. Ben checked the sun, feeling his panic rise higher as it neared the horizon.“This has to be the right way,” he uttered, picking up his pace. You still have time. Just get to the trail and then you’ll get to the quad and it has a nice bright headlight and you know the way out so just go right now. His thoughts accelerated, matching his pace.More time passed, continuing to escalate Ben’s panic, until finally, he popped out on the trail. “Thank god,” he sighed. But something wasn’t right. Itwas different. The pathhe wanted was dirt single track, a foot trail. This one was wider, two faint ruts in long grass. It obviously wasn’t used very often. I don’t remember seeing this on any map or GPS… It didn’t run the right direction either. Thepath he needed wentroughly east to west, while this one ran north south. Well, at least this will take me towards my trail. It will be easier traveling at any rate. Ben’s nerves calmed, and his stride became easy. Trails go somewhere, he thought, happy to be out of trackless terrain.A few minutes passed, the path continuing to lead north. Ahead, Ben spotted a dark stain in the tall grass. Once he neared, he realized it was blood, and a lot of it. Maybe my elk is near! All the hope of a successful day buoyed Ben’s mood. He would dress his bull, load it up on the ATV, and be out before dark. He’d have quite a story to tell all his friends.When he finally reached the stain, he realized there was far too much blood to be from a simple bullet wound. Somethingwas gutted here.The grass was bent over along the path ahead, looking like an ATV had come, turned around, and left. Another hunter. It was slightly disappointing, but if someone was nearby, perhaps they could help him find his way out. Checking the sun again, Ben saw it was just a finger or two off the horizon. He forced thoughts of an unpleasant night out of his mind and pushed on, starting to jog.Just as the sun began touching the horizon, a clearing opened up before Ben. The ground rose, creating a mound that prevented Ben from seeing further into the space. The ATV tracksheaded up the small rise, so he continued on.Striding up the mound, a white object caught Ben’s attention. A skull. He ignored it and continued. More bones caught his attention, skeletons of what appeared to be several elk. They were picked clean, bleached white. Why would someone leave multiple years of carcasses in one place?Cresting the rise, Ben saw a lone figure standing at the bottom. Several ATVs were parked on the far side of the open space, including one that was the same make, model, and color as his own.“Hey,” he yelled out, excited to finally see someone after his long day alone. The figure turned slowly, giving Ben a chance to take in more of the area. Around the solitary person were bloody heaps of flesh, as well as more bleach whitebones. His first impression was that there were at least ten elk carcasses. He then noticed the person was small and shirtless, withlong black hair.“Hello,” the woman responded, facing him. Ben didn’t know where to look. She had pants on, but her entire chest was on display.“Um, hi,” he replied lamely. The whole situation had thrown him off guard. He felt like anintruder, interrupting something he didn’t understand.Bentried to keep his eyes on her face, but it, along with her chest, was stained with blood. It had dried and was flaking off to reveal pale white skin underneath.“Do—do you know the way back to the trail head? I was chasing a wounded bull elk and my GPS died, so I’m a bit disoriented,” he finished in a rush, feeling stupid.“Yes,” she replied, a small smile on her face, “I can show you. I even have an extra quad if you want to borrow it.” Her voice was smooth and calm, and it made him feel more at ease.As she mentioned the ATVs, Ben looked in that direction, seeing the one that was so similar to his own. He squinted. It was far away, but it appeared to havea crack in the fender and a bent cargo rack. That’s my quad! How did it get here?When he looked back at the woman, more details stood out. A few of the skeletons and skulls around her he’d originally taken for elk were small. Much toosmall. And the shapes weren’t right for elkcalves either. Are those humans? A pot sat over a smallfire, adark liquid bubbling away inside.“Just come over and I’ll show you the way,” she continued, beckoning. Ben didn’t know what to do. The situation was surreal. There’s no way this is what it looks like, though. No way there is a bare chested woman out here killing people and skinning them. And why would she have stolen my quad? A second, nagging voice in his mind protested, wondering how it could be anything other than what it looked like. Maybe it’s some kind of Halloween prank or something. That thought comforted him. It’s too far away for you to see the ATV very well anyway, plusthe light is getting bad.“What are you doing out here?” Ben asked, making his way down the gentle slope to her.“Oh, just enjoying some fall festivities.” The response made him feel uneasy for some reason.“Thanks for your help by the way. My name’s Ben. What’s yours? ”“That’s not important.”Ben didn’t know how to reply.Out of habit, he checked the position of the sun. It was almost completely set, a thin sliver hangingabove the horizon. A flicker of movement caught his attention, and when he turned to look, the bare chested woman was charging him. She clenched a large knife in one fist. Her blood matted hair streamed behind her, making the woman look like a character from one of those haunted Halloween hay rides. She moved silently, bare feet making no sound in the long grass.Instinctively, Ben drew his bear spray, pulled off the safety, and released a thick red cloud into the woman’s path. She ran through it for a moment before veering off, coughing and gagging uncontrollably. Ben yelled an expletive, not knowingwhat to do next. “What the hell are you doing?”“It’s all—part—of—Halloween,” the woman sputtered between coughs. She hunched over, retching.“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” Ben said, dropping the can of spray and running over to her.“I—thought you—were—here for it.”“Sorry. I just freaked out andreacted.” When he reached her, Ben didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t help her, and was fighting hard not to gag himself. Bear spray is strong shit. “Is there anything I can do for you?”“Yes,” she answered, her voice quiet and horse. Ben moved in closer. He felt awkward being that near to a bloody, bare chested woman, even if it all was just part of a production. “What is it?”Her next words wereindecipherable, so he leaned in closer still. Finally, she spoke again: “I—need—your—pain.” With that, the woman rose up and drove her long knife into his stomach. It happened so fast Ben couldn’t react. A sneer etched the woman’s tear streaked face. Her eyes were red and bloodshot, hatred emanating from them. Mucous ran from her nose.Then, the pain exploded in Ben’s stomach, a searing deluge that threatened to overwhelm him. He took a step back, then another. His mind told him to get away, to run from this evil apparition. But his legs were weak, and after another step, Ben fell onto his back. “What? Why?” he stammered.“They—chose—you,” the woman coughed out, “take—comfort—in that.” She towered over him and pulled the knife out, sending a new cascade of pain through Ben. He tried to roll over, to crawl, anything to get away, but she stabbed him, this time in thethigh. “Whyyyyyy?” he screamed. The knife came out and stabbed again, and again, each time in a new place.“Have you ever wondered what your dying elk felt?” the woman questioned off handedly, continuing her work. “Did it suffer the same wayyou are?”Ben’s head felt light, and he could barely move. Darkness pushed in at the edges of his vision. I’m going to die out here, he thought, even as shock waves of pain coursed through him.“After you, I have justa single sacrifice left. The Dark Oneswill be satiatedfor another year. Earth, our country, ourfamilies, will once again be safe from them.”With that, the blacknessswallowed Ben, and he knew no more.

The Hunter

I’m not lost, Ben kept telling himself. He thrashed his way through the thick undergrowth, the rifle slung across his back constantly getting tangled in the brush. Calm down. The GPS will get you back to the trail and your quad.

Breathing heavily, Ben decided to stop and rest for a moment. He’d shot an elk earlier, but his aim had been off and the animal was only wounded. After tracking for a half hour, the drops and spatters of blood he’d been following disappeared. Ben widened his search, spiraling out from the last known location of the wounded bull, yet he’d still found nothing. No animal, no blood, not even any tracks. Where’d he go?

Ben decided he had to give up. He needed to leave himself time to hike out before dark. The forecast called for low temps that night and he didn’t have bivy gear. He felt guilty for wounding such a big bull and failing to utilize its meat. Guess a bear will probably scavenge it, Ben mused, or maybe wolves will find it first. Thinking of bears made Ben touch his canister of bear spray reflexively. It was still there, thankfully.

With his breath finally under control, he set off once again. Taking out his GPS unit, Ben hit the button to turn the screen on. Nothing. He pushed the button harder. Still nothing. What the… I just put new batteries in before I left. Taking the batteries out and putting them back changed nothing. Dread flooded Ben, and his stomach dropped. All his earlier worries about not getting back to his ATV and the trail crashed in on him.

“You can do this,” he said, taking a deep breath. He wished he had brought his phone with him. There was no service out here, but the map app would have been helpful. That’s what the stupid GPS was for.

Scouring his mind, Ben tried to recreate the last image he’d seen on the device’s screen. It seemed like he needed to head northwest, but in all the excitement of the chase, his sense of direction was off. He hadn’t taken mental notes, or even paid attention to where he was going. Now you’re screwed and you only have two hours before the sun goes down. He checked his headlamp. At least it still worked. Too bad it doesn’t have the same batteries as the GPS.

Ben began walking in the direction he thought was northwest. If he could manage to stay on course, he believed he might reach the trail in about a half hour. His ATV was another thirty minutes down that path, where it joined with a much larger, multi-use trail. “You can do this,” he repeated, once again thrashing through tough bushes.

Time passed, and Ben lost himself in the process of trying to stay on course. Every thirty seconds or so, he would clap loudly, hoping it would alert any nearby bears to his presence. Eventually, he noticed his hands beginning to sting. It made him wonder how many times he’d performed the act.

Anytime now, Ben thought, feeling he had to be close to the foot trail. He checked his watch, and uttered a surprised expletive when he saw an hour had gone by since he’d abandoned the hunt for the elk. I should be back to the trail by now. Ben checked the sun, feeling his panic rise higher as it neared the horizon.

“This has to be the right way,” he uttered, picking up his pace. You still have time. Just get to the trail and then you’ll get to the quad and it has a nice bright headlight and you know the way out so just go right now. His thoughts accelerated, matching his pace.

More time passed, continuing to escalate Ben’s panic, until finally, he popped out on the trail. “Thank god,” he sighed. But something wasn’t right. It was different. The path he wanted was dirt single track, a foot trail. This one was wider, two faint ruts in long grass. It obviously wasn’t used very often. I don’t remember seeing this on any map or GPS… It didn’t run the right direction either. The path he needed went roughly east to west, while this one ran north south. Well, at least this will take me towards my trail. It will be easier traveling at any rate. Ben’s nerves calmed, and his stride became easy. Trails go somewhere, he thought, happy to be out of trackless terrain.

A few minutes passed, the path continuing to lead north. Ahead, Ben spotted a dark stain in the tall grass. Once he neared, he realized it was blood, and a lot of it. Maybe my elk is near! All the hope of a successful day buoyed Ben’s mood. He would dress his bull, load it up on the ATV, and be out before dark. He’d have quite a story to tell all his friends.

When he finally reached the stain, he realized there was far too much blood to be from a simple bullet wound. Something was gutted here. The grass was bent over along the path ahead, looking like an ATV had come, turned around, and left. Another hunter. It was slightly disappointing, but if someone was nearby, perhaps they could help him find his way out. Checking the sun again, Ben saw it was just a finger or two off the horizon. He forced thoughts of an unpleasant night out of his mind and pushed on, starting to jog.

Just as the sun began touching the horizon, a clearing opened up before Ben. The ground rose, creating a mound that prevented Ben from seeing further into the space. The ATV tracks headed up the small rise, so he continued on.

Striding up the mound, a white object caught Ben’s attention. A skull. He ignored it and continued. More bones caught his attention, skeletons of what appeared to be several elk. They were picked clean, bleached white. Why would someone leave multiple years of carcasses in one place?

Cresting the rise, Ben saw a lone figure standing at the bottom. Several ATVs were parked on the far side of the open space, including one that was the same make, model, and color as his own.

“Hey,” he yelled out, excited to finally see someone after his long day alone. The figure turned slowly, giving Ben a chance to take in more of the area. Around the solitary person were bloody heaps of flesh, as well as more bleach white bones. His first impression was that there were at least ten elk carcasses. He then noticed the person was small and shirtless, with long black hair.

“Hello,” the woman responded, facing him. Ben didn’t know where to look. She had pants on, but her entire chest was on display.

“Um, hi,” he replied lamely. The whole situation had thrown him off guard. He felt like an intruder, interrupting something he didn’t understand. Ben tried to keep his eyes on her face, but it, along with her chest, was stained with blood. It had dried and was flaking off to reveal pale white skin underneath. “Do—do you know the way back to the trail head? I was chasing a wounded bull elk and my GPS died, so I’m a bit disoriented,” he finished in a rush, feeling stupid.

“Yes,” she replied, a small smile on her face, “I can show you. I even have an extra quad if you want to borrow it.” Her voice was smooth and calm, and it made him feel more at ease.

As she mentioned the ATVs, Ben looked in that direction, seeing the one that was so similar to his own. He squinted. It was far away, but it appeared to have a crack in the fender and a bent cargo rack. That’s my quad! How did it get here?

When he looked back at the woman, more details stood out. A few of the skeletons and skulls around her he’d originally taken for elk were small. Much too small. And the shapes weren’t right for elk calves either. Are those humans? A pot sat over a small fire, a dark liquid bubbling away inside.

“Just come over and I’ll show you the way,” she continued, beckoning. Ben didn’t know what to do. The situation was surreal. There’s no way this is what it looks like, though. No way there is a bare chested woman out here killing people and skinning them. And why would she have stolen my quad? A second, nagging voice in his mind protested, wondering how it could be anything other than what it looked like. Maybe it’s some kind of Halloween prank or something. That thought comforted him. It’s too far away for you to see the ATV very well anyway, plus the light is getting bad.

“What are you doing out here?” Ben asked, making his way down the gentle slope to her.

“Oh, just enjoying some fall festivities.” The response made him feel uneasy for some reason.

“Thanks for your help by the way. My name’s Ben. What’s yours? ”

“That’s not important.”

Ben didn’t know how to reply. Out of habit, he checked the position of the sun. It was almost completely set, a thin sliver hanging above the horizon. A flicker of movement caught his attention, and when he turned to look, the bare chested woman was charging him. She clenched a large knife in one fist. Her blood matted hair streamed behind her, making the woman look like a character from one of those haunted Halloween hay rides. She moved silently, bare feet making no sound in the long grass.

Instinctively, Ben drew his bear spray, pulled off the safety, and released a thick red cloud into the woman’s path. She ran through it for a moment before veering off, coughing and gagging uncontrollably. Ben yelled an expletive, not knowing what to do next. “What the hell are you doing?”

“It’s all—part—of—Halloween,” the woman sputtered between coughs. She hunched over, retching.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” Ben said, dropping the can of spray and running over to her.

“I—thought you—were—here for it.”

“Sorry. I just freaked out and reacted.” When he reached her, Ben didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t help her, and was fighting hard not to gag himself. Bear spray is strong shit. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Yes,” she answered, her voice quiet and horse. Ben moved in closer. He felt awkward being that near to a bloody, bare chested woman, even if it all was just part of a production.

“What is it?”

Her next words were indecipherable, so he leaned in closer still.

Finally, she spoke again: “I—need—your—pain.” With that, the woman rose up and drove her long knife into his stomach. It happened so fast Ben couldn’t react. A sneer etched the woman’s tear streaked face. Her eyes were red and bloodshot, hatred emanating from them. Mucous ran from her nose.

Then, the pain exploded in Ben’s stomach, a searing deluge that threatened to overwhelm him. He took a step back, then another. His mind told him to get away, to run from this evil apparition. But his legs were weak, and after another step, Ben fell onto his back. “What? Why?” he stammered.

“They—chose—you,” the woman coughed out, “take—comfort—in that.” She towered over him and pulled the knife out, sending a new cascade of pain through Ben. He tried to roll over, to crawl, anything to get away, but she stabbed him, this time in the thigh. “Whyyyyyy?” he screamed. The knife came out and stabbed again, and again, each time in a new place.

“Have you ever wondered what your dying elk felt?” the woman questioned off handedly, continuing her work. “Did it suffer the same way you are?”

Ben’s head felt light, and he could barely move. Darkness pushed in at the edges of his vision. I’m going to die out here, he thought, even as shock waves of pain coursed through him.

“After you, I have just a single sacrifice left. The Dark Ones will be satiated for another year. Earth, our country, our families, will once again be safe from them.”

With that, the blackness swallowed Ben, and he knew no more.

Fight For Your Rights

"The Bomb"
(WARNING: Minor political commentary ahead.)

"You've got your rights. Don't mean its right, ethical or sane." 
- MxPx (Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo)

The issue of individual rights has been looming large in our collective human consciousness lately, and has to varying degrees throughout recorded history. As an offshoot of last weeks post, I'd like to take a closer look at this topic.

Alright. So without consulting a dictionary, I'll just say my definition of a "right" is protection for someone with less power against someone with more. Look back in time: When people had less rights, their king/dictator/government was able to take their land, possessions, and even lives with little to no repercussion.

Now, at least in most of the first world, we don't have to worry about that sort of tyranny. Sometimes, however, as is the case with police shooting unarmed people here in the US, there are still obvious rights abuses. We need more reform, we need to keep fighting.

Gender Equality is one that leaves me scratching my head. How did things get so lopsided in the first place? We are still paying women less than men for doing the same jobs. There is rape culture, sexual harassment, and numerous other abuses men perpetrate against women. Even chivalry (opening doors, paying for the first date, etc.) is condescending. Why not open doors for everyone, not just women? Do you believe their arms are incapable of doing it themselves? Wouldn't it be nice if we just treated everyone with courtesy? I've been trying to listen to my wife and female friends about how our culture makes them feel, and it's opened my eyes. The world looks so much different, and sometimes scary, from a woman's eyes.

Race. It's another biggie, one we've been struggling with for thousands of years. Now, with knowledge of DNA and genetics, how can people still think less of others because of skin color? Still, most of us have subconscious racial bias. Evolution has left us with baggage. That doesn't mean we just get to say "Oh well." We have to push ourselves to be as unbiased and rational as possible, despite our initial inclinations.

Sexual Orientation Equality is slowly happening, but there are still people and places within the first world that are stuck in the backwards thinking that says you have less rights just because of who you love.

Wealth vs. Poverty is unfortunate and suppresses the welfare of those in need. The middle class is shrinking. We have wealthy people, like Donald Trump, operating both inside and outside the law to avoid paying their fair share. I believe all people have a right to clean water, food, clothing, shelter, and health care. We, as a species, have reached a point where we can supply these things to those less fortunate. Why aren't we doing it? Does the 1% really need billions and billions of dollars while almost half the world lives on less than $2.50 a day?

Gun Control. Another contentious issue, at least here in the US. Guns are a problem. I'm not going to go into it deeply, but is the right of an individual to own a gun worth tolerating mass shootings and the over 13,000 firearm deaths that occurred last year in the US? Sure, guns don't kill people in the same way that hammers don't drive nails. It's a tool, and people use it. I get the need for personal protection, but if there wasn't such easy and prevalent access to firearms, perhaps we wouldn't need quite so much (or so lethal) ways to protect ourselves.

This leads me to my final statements: We, as humans, have to fight for our rights, both for ourselves and for those less able. Rights, and the protections they convey, aren't given, they are fought for. Those in control very rarely, if ever, give up their power. We've gotten the rights we have now with revolutions, protests, votes, and heart to heart conversations. Humans have come a long way, but I think it's safe to say the 80/20 rule applies (The last 20% of the work will require 80% of the total effort).

I'm grateful that in the time and location I live, we don't have to spill blood to change things. Gay people aren't stoned or burned to death. I don't have to be religious. I'm a white male, so I don't experience the same things as a woman or ethnic minority, but I can empathize and fight to change the culture that has suppressed them for hundreds (or thousands) of years. Just because your rights aren't being violated, doesn't mean you should relax. We all have a collective responsibility to work for positive change, even if that just means being educated about the issues facing other humans.

United We Stand, Divided We Are

"Set"
(Note: This mainly applies to my readers in the US, but I feel there is a message here for for everyone. Please read on, no matter what country [or planet] you call home. :-)

I told myself I wasn't going to get involved. I told myself I would stay out of the swirling political mess that's consuming the United States. I told myself I would stay aloof, keep my emotions calm, follow the path of positive pragmatism. Yet, I'm getting sucked in.

It's so easy to become negative, so easy to pick a side and deride those opposed. Yes, there is reality and facts. We need to stay informed and try to see through all the spin. But honestly, it's exhausting.

I'm not going talk about candidates, parties, scandals, or what is being tossed around on social media. I feel like we've probably all had enough of that. If you don't know who or what you are going to vote for, by all means, continue to swim in the toxicity. Just remember to come up for air once in awhile.

The US, and the world in general (environmental, political, and social), is extremely fractured at the moment, and this is what I would like to focus on. Much as mindfulness teaches us to see past our stream of consciousness, I think we all need to take a step back and look past our global, collective consciousness.

Obviously, there are huge issues facing humanity: climate change, terrorism, equal rights, etc. The list could go on and on, but let's not spiral out. I've been feeling overwhelmed lately, as I bet a lot of you are. It's not just the political rhetoric, but all the issues we are facing as humans. It adds up. Pick whatever scale you want (personal, family, community, city, state, nation, world), and I bet you can find conflict in all aspects of your life. If any of it was easy, you'd have solved it by now.

So here we are, nearing the end of 2016, and we are fractured. Things seem pretty bad, and honestly, they probably are. But here is where we have to separate from the stream of incessant input and take an outside look at humanity. I honestly think things are better now than they ever have been before. There, I said it.

Yes, we are fighting over who will lead the US next, and we may end up with a terrible president, but we've had bad presidents before and we've survived. Whoever gets elected, I think we can make it. And if we don't, the world will go on. Germany survived Hitler (and learned a lot in the process). We have checks and balances in the US, and hopefully those will prevent us from going in that direction, if needed.

I know, terrorists are killing people, but humans have been fighting and killing each other for good and bad causes for millennia. It's not just going to stop immediately, even if some of us have entered an "information age". I'm not saying what they are doing is OK, but what I am saying is that if you look past the obvious drama and pain of it, I think there is far less violence now than there was in the world 1000 years ago. We have bigger weapons, but we also have more restraint in using them. This may not always prove to be the case, but so far, we are improving.

Yes, not everyone in the world is treated equally. I can't speak for other first world nations, but in the US, we are moving in the right direction. It is a fight. There are lots of backward attitudes and "old human" ways of thought. You know what? There are tons of people who aren't going to change their minds. Nothing we can say or do will help them move forward. They will never believe homosexuality is OK or feel a human is equal to them if they have a vagina or non-white skin color. But here is the thing: Humans don't live forever. Those ideas will die out, replaced with more progressive ones and people who have compassion and empathy. Change takes time, and if you look back, we are much closer to equality than we ever have been. For some sad perspective, 100 years ago, women in the US weren't allowed to vote. It hasn't been an easy journey and we have much more to do.

Global climate change is a huge hurdle to jump, but we can only do the best we can. Humans can't turn back time (at least not yet! :-), but we can all try to be part of the change. Even if the worst climate estimates come true, humanity will (probably) survive. There will likely be far fewer of us, and we may be stuck underground or in space, but I think we will find a way. We made it through the last ice age after all. With all our technology and information, we can handle what happens next. The world is definitely changing—and we are a huge cause of that—but it was going to change anyway. It was evolving long before we came along to observe it. That's not to say we should be cavalier about our future actions—far from it. We have to accept what we've done, change what we can, and make the best of the results.

I know we still have a lot growing, changing, and progressing to do, but we've made such huge strides. Progress isn't guaranteed, so we have to keep fighting, but don't lose sight of how far we've come. 

What I'm advocating here is thinking outside yourself. Try to see the bigger picture, both in your own life and that of your species. Try to look at life from someone else's point of view. You don't have to agree with them, but maybe it will help you have love, compassion, and empathy. And maybe that person is horrible, and you'll realize your anger is justified. Either way, you'll learn something.

Despite all of the problems you face, realize your life is probably better than any of your ancestors' were. Love what you've been given and earned. You're made out of material that was produced in stars. Let that sink in. You're part of the Universe and always will be. No matter what happens, you've had your time on this planet. Cherish it and use what time you have left to bring good into the world and those around you.

Trapped (100WordStory)

Trapped. Abducted. Encased in some disgusting, putrid substance. This isn't even a room, more like a coffin. How can it be so dark? Feel the walls... No gaps, no doors, no escape. Don't think about how it feels—organic. Somehow breathing, alive. So cold here... Who did this to me? Why am I here? Last thing I remember? Hiking. Then the light. “Who are you people? Let me out! I have rights!” Listen. Something coming. Oh no, oh shit!  I shouldn't have— What the hell is that?! “No! No! Stay away! Noooooo!”

Art Collection Page

Just a quick note to let you all know I set up a page with a large collection of my digital art. Let me know what you think. Enjoy!