From: Dtcsm@aol.com Date: Sat Jul 01 16:08:41 2000 Subject: xfc: *NEW* "Shootin' At Santa Claus" 1/1 Source: xfc Title: Shootin' at Santa Claus Author: Brit*Vik Category: V, bit of MSR. Sort of fairytale. Spoilers: None Feedback: 'K, so I know the piece is a bit odd, but please be kind. Archive: Ooooo, yes please, but let me know and keep my name and e-mail address attached. Summary: "Truly this is the only way to escape the fear; by making a bubble of love to surround yourself. But love is as elusive as the second sock in the dryer, and remember -- the fear has razor sharp claws. One day your bubble might pop, and then the fear will surround you and drown you in its gushing waterfall." Disclaimer: If you honestly think I own them, a) you should be receiving treatment, and b) you're not smart enough to sue. Author's Notes: I did this in a weird(ish) style, because… I'm in a weird(ish) mood. But I've been wanting to do something like this for ages, so here it is. "SHOOTIN' AT SANTA CLAUS" Gather around children and I'll tell you a story. It's a bit scary, but it has a happy ending, so don't be afraid. **… fear curls and twists like smoke, bouncing off air particles and moving in random directions. It could get you next, because fear preys on the weak and lonely, and one day it *will* get you, but you'll never know until it already has you and you can't breathe because you're choking on all the smoke. The smoke, the smoke is everywhere…** Once upon a time there was an old man. He had something to offer everyone, and they all took it without knowing who was giving it to them. They did not know what it was that they received, or what would happen if they chose to say no to the gift. So they took it and they kept their eyes closed and they said thank-you. They thought that because they couldn't see anything there must have been nothing there, but they didn't realise that all the time they still had their eyes closed. **… that is the terror of the waiting. Everyone has to be got at at some time or another, but the waiting, that's where the pain is. Once it has you, truly has you, you will feel no more pain. All you will be able to feel is the fear because the fear will encompass you…** The old man, as you might already have guessed, was a bad man. But what he offered was beautiful and dangerous. He ruled his kingdom strictly, and his subjects thought him a good and noble king. They were too afraid to say anything else, even to themselves. This is where the king's evil lay; in convincing the people that what he did was good for them, and then in convincing the people that he did not exist. He fooled them into thinking they were masters of their own destiny. One day, there was born, in a far and deserted corner of the kingdom, a beautiful prince. This corner was old and dusty, and people didn't like to see what was not beautiful, so they hid it away. They all knew it was there, but no-one spoke of it, because then they would have to admit that ugly things lived in their perfect world. -- wingd tears, where do you fly? into the shadows? or out of them? This corner was so well hidden that people began to forget it existed. And because they forgot, the beautiful young prince could grow older and wiser in peace. He soon grew to be powerful and strong, because of what arrived in his dusty corner. **… softly, softly. Like smoke, the fear is quiet and stealthy, and almost invisible. Gently it will reach for you and grab you so tight that you feel your heart might burst…** It was a princess who arrived, as honest and good as the evil king was deceitful. It was she who convinced the prince of what he could do, because she gave him a reason to do it. She was the reason. Together they were stronger than anything they ever could have been alone, which was good because their quest was to challenge the evil king, and make the whole of the kingdom open their eyes. >He had been gone. For an hour, for a day or for twenty years what did it matter? He had still been gone. But now he was back. She entered his chamber and he turned slowly to face her. All she was aware of was her rasping breaths, in and out of her punctured, bleeding, crying lungs; the clicking of her shoes on her the stone floor; the molten honey ocean of his eyes. She walked towards him, but before she could touch him, she fell. She fell to the ground and cracked her head open on the unforgiving stone floor. Bone and skin mashed like papier mch, baptised in a river of blood.< The prince and princess emerged from their corner, and because the people could not see, the prince and princess had to shout. If people could not see, then they must be made to hear. The struggle was long and hard. Some say that in a distant kingdom somewhere, the battle still rages, for the struggle will never be over. There will always be people who want to close their eyes. The prince and princess fight on, and more people begin to see the king, and some of those people even see through him. It is never enough, but it's getting there. The prince and princess knew they couldn't save the kingdom, but at least they could save each other. **… truly this is the only way to escape the fear; by making a bubble of love to surround yourself. But love is as elusive as the second sock in the dryer, and remember -- the fear has razor sharp claws. One day your bubble might pop, and then the fear will surround you and drown you in its gushing waterfall. You might mistake it for something else. Be on the lookout, or it will grab you, and you won't even know. But the fear could not grab these two (likened to two angels descended from heaven whom the gods could not protect) because their bubble was made from age-old lies…** >He had been gone. For an hour, for a day or for twenty years what did it matter? He had still been gone. But now he was back. She entered his chamber and he turned slowly to face her. All she was aware of was her rasping breaths, in and out of her punctured, bleeding, crying lungs; the clicking of her shoes on her the stone floor; the molten honey ocean of his eyes. She walked towards him, but before she could touch him, she fell. And he caught her.< And they all lived happily ever after. **… ever after is as long as a piece of string. Be afraid… ** FIN E-mail: Rapunzelinthetower@talk21.com "Peace be the journey."