I Hit 10,000

Yes

With the screeching of rusty tires the bus came to a stop on the long, dusty back country road. A pair of ratty old Converse walked down the isle, one with the shoelaces untied, and the other with a tear down the length of it.
A short hop and Sam hit the ground, letting up a puff of sand. The big yellow bus pulled away as he started walking down the forlorn road. He never understood why the bus didn’t just drop him off at his house? Why the middle of nowhere down a road half a mile away? Not that he wanted to be at his house anyways, not with the way things were now. With his parents constantly fighting he wished he could spend less time there.
Now that he thought about it he relished this time, the half a mile walk down the long path to nowhere. Either side of him was just plain out flatlands and fields. He rarely saw any cars go past and there weren’t any other people for miles in either direction. It was just him and the sound of the lonely wind passing over the stalks of grain populating the fields. He relished the silence.
It was over too soon, he reached his house and reluctantly walked down the gravel driveway, an old dodge pickup parked in the driveway. Sam’s dad was home. As he reached the door he could already hear the yelling. Pulling it open the yelling got taken a level higher. It was his mother and father fighting again. This time it sounded like something about his father being out to late getting drunk and he retaliated in calling his mother a bitch. After that some profanity was thrown back and forth. Sam wasn’t going to stay and hear the rest so he retreated off to his room.
He reached the top step of the stairway and pulled open his door. This was his sanctuary. He quietly shut the door, it wouldn’t matter, the arguing had gotten so loud he didn’t even think they knew he was home. He walked over to his dresser and picked up his old ipod. It was a pitiful looking thing. All scratched up and the hold button was missing but it was his second most prized possession.
It had taken him almost two years to be able to afford it. Working odd jobs for two summers he had just been able to scrounge up enough money to get it. Luckily his mother still had her computer and he was able to get songs off Limewire to fill his ipod with.
Besides his ipod was his most prized possession, his guitar. It was old; like his ipod and the strings were ready to break in two but to him it was the best thing on earth. He picked it up and ran his hand along the edge. His chest almost burst with affection.
He picked up his small amp and brought that and the guitar over to his window. He opened the window and out onto the roof of the porch. It was a wonderful view from up there, you could see for miles in every direction. The plains looked like the ocean as the waves of the wind sailed across the stalks of grain only to break upon the blue silhouettes of mountains in the distance. Sam liked to sit up here the nights the fighting of his parents kept him up.
He pulled out his guitar and amp and placed them on the roof. Crawling back in he plugged the amp into a socket and pulled his window as shut as it could go. He put the headphones on his head, plugged in his guitar, and turned on the music.
The sound of Punk-Rock filled his ears. A magical sensation rushed through his entire body. He started strumming, never missing a note. The grain in the field below swayed to and fro, his audience. The porch below his feet, a stage. The rush of the wind, his applause. As the song ended he let out a breath of confirmation. At that exact moment he was hit with a feeling unlike any he had ever had before. At that exact moment he knew his destiny, his fate. He was going to play in a band, he was going to get away from this life, he was going to be a rock star.
With this feeling running through him like ice-water he climbed back into his room and emptied his book bag on the floor and loaded it with his clothes and all the money he had. He put his loaded book bag out the window on the roof of the porch along with his amp and guitar.
He sat down at his desk with a pen and paper. With tears in his eyes he started to write.
Dear Mom and Dad,
To start off I want to say I love you both with all my heart. I just can’t stand the fighting anymore. I’ve decided I’m going to get out of your hair, since it’s me you fight over the most anyways. Please don’t be mad. I love you both so much. I want to do something with my life and I can’t do that with you two fighting. Please don’t come looking for me. I can’t express my love for you enough. Please stop fighting.
I LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART
SAM
He left the paper where he wrote it and walked to his window. With a look back, it was all he could do not to cry. His childhood, all his memories were in this room. For a second he almost changed his mind, but with some hidden determination he continued out his window, the sound of fighting in the background.
With his amp’s power cord wrapped around his guitar case he lowered it to the ground. He then proceeded to toss off his book bag, lowering down his amp, and lastly jumping off himself. It was a short drop to the ground and he doubt that anyone heard or saw him.
He ran to the barn and grabbed his bike and rode it out front. He slung his book bag over his shoulders and, tying his amp firmly to his guitar case with a piece of rope, pulled that over his book bag.
A small push sent him forward and he started pedaling. About fifty feet away he turned and looked back at the old farm house. It’s peeling white paint, sun bleached roof, and rickety old porch all sacred to him. His eyes welled up and he started to cry. And as he rode away from all he knew, down that old and dusty rode, he swore himself a better life.

I Heart Music

I Thought It Was A Cool Picture

Paradoyx Poem

I’m big and tall
Yet very small
My mind is like an olympic torch
I have an original
Yet I have a backup
It’s stored in digital
On my Computer is where it’d be
It’s where I store all my memories
And now you know a little
About my life
That’s really all I can write
Because this project I would really love
To smite

Flute Practice

Flute Practice

A large brown house sat on the corner of Elm and Select street. Inside that house lived one of the most amazing musicians left on the Planet. I walked down Select street, my flute case in hand, while staring up at the Sky. Nothing different, the same yellow-orange cloud cover that never dissipates still there, the Sun a weak red orb barely shining through. I had heard that the Sky was blue and the Sun a large yellow splotch in it. But those were only old tales that Chester Winston, my flute teacher, told me.
I pulled my jacket closer to my body, because even though it was the middle of summer, it was incredibly cold. A snap of a twig and I, startled, looked around me, no one there. Nothing but black, dead leafless trees. My mother had offered me a ride but I refused. Being twelve, I told her I was a big girl and could walk by myself. Hesitantly she said I was right and let me walk to Mr. Winston’s unaided.
I changed my view from the ugly sky to the ugly grass below. It was a bloody red color and always prickly. I looked at my old black shoes now getting smudged by the dirty red grass. Like the sting of a bee I instantly felt a tiny pain in my right arm, then another and another. I quickly glanced at the sky and to my biggest fear, there it was, Acid Rain. As fast as my feet would carry me I took off for Mr. Winston’s house.
I reached Mr. Winston’s house just in time. I grabbed the door handle, swung it open, and flung myself in. Mr. Winston, startled, ran towards me. There was a boom of thunder and the rain started to come down in a torrent. Being caught in that would have burned me alive. Mr. Winston helped me up and helped me take off my respirator. The fresh air flooded my lungs and it was the most amazing feeling in the world. I gulped lungful after lungful of fresh air.
“Are you okay?” he asked
“Yes, Yes, I’m fine” I replied
“You’re lucky you know you just made it.”
“Yes” I said “I know, can you teach me more now.”
“Of course I can, here take a seat.” He said offering me a spot on his bench.
I took a seat and he followed suit. With the clasp of the locks my Flute case opened up and I pulled out my flute.
“Can I show you what I came up with?”
“Of course you can.” He said as he pulled over his Harp.
I started playing a soft tune and he followed with a peaceful melody off the Harp. As the artificial air machine hummed and the thunder outside clapped, along with the soft melodies of Mr. Winston and I, we created a symphony of music all our own.
A.Blye

Music Poem

Music Poem

Rat A Tat Tat
And A Rum A Tum Tum
There Goes Aron Blye
Beatin’ On His Drums
Every Day Is The Same Song
Just A Different Verse
Addicted To Music
This Is My Curse
Drumsticks Spin In The Air
As The Guitarist Plugs In
On The Count Of Three
Were Ready To Begin
The Music Is So Loud
The Amps All Pop
A Sharp Knocking At My Door
I Guess The Neighbors Called The Cops.

The Cherry Blossom

THE CHERRY BLOSSOM

So there I sat, under the tall cherry blossom playing my newly strung lute. A small breeze ruffled my hair as I played gracefully over the strings, each note filling the air with peaceful harmony. Some of the men just glanced but others stared intrigued by my beautiful skill on the instrument. I plucked out my last note and let silence fill the air. Everything stopped, the birds, the soldiers, time itself seemed to stop in the moment. It was the first time since I was captured there wasn’t any yelling or fighting.
It was one week to the day. The day had been cold for summer and mother had wanted me to run to the stream to gather a bucket of water. I obliged, and with my lute over my back, set out for the stream. It wasn’t long before I reached the stream and started filling up my bucket, that’s when I heard it. There was a shuffling in the brush across the stream from me. I set down the bucket and started to make my way to the other side of the stream across a small path of stepping stones. I was careful to pick my steps because the last night’s rain had turned the usually calm stream into a rushing torrent. Halfway there the shuffling got louder and out the bushes came a solider dressed in red armor. In his hands was a long yew bow. He looked at me and I stared back. With lighting speed he pulled an arrow out of its quiver and drew it back. The man let out a shrill whistle still keeping the arrow trained on me. Too scared to move I stood their puzzling as to why he whistled. I need not be puzzled for long because another man in red armor appeared out of the trees on the opposite side of the stream, an arrow drawn in his bow as well. “You know the drill! The chief wants us to be ghosts, no witnesses!” I knew what was coming and hurled myself into the stream as the Whoosh of an arrow went over my head.
I could hear yelling but my head was a dizzying rush of water and fear. I was like a rag doll, being swept to-and-fro by the rage of the current. I felt my side slam into something hard, probably a branch or rock, and signals of pain shot to my brain. My lute was smashed to a million pieces but that was the least of my worries as I was flung around the stream. Up was down, down was up I couldn’t tell where I was going; all I knew was that I wanted out of this horrible rage of a current. I tried to grab onto anything that came within the reach of my hand but everything evaded my grasp.
By now my whole body burned like fire from all of the bludgeons it had taken. As I started losing all hope and will to get myself out of the hellish stream a glimmer of light shined on me in the form of an overhanging tree branch a little way downriver from me. I managed to pull myself up enough to get my head above water and with a lifesaving grasp I caught hold of the branch. My achievement was short lived because a second after I grabbed hold there was a swift SNAP and I was flung back into the river. I was flung underwater and there was a bright white light as my head smashed into an oncoming rock. I blacked out instantly and from there on out is nothing but blackness.
The next thing I remember was the sight of a light blue sky with floating puffballs of clouds. I laid there for what felt like days just staring up at the clouds as they softly glided past. Nothing mattered; it was just me and the clouds and silence. There was a sort of buzzing in my ears but I ignored it, all I needed was my light blue sky and my nice puffy clouds. I even could have cared less as a strong red armored hand picked me up and slung me over their shoulder carrying me away because I had the perfect view of the clouds and sky through the trees as we went.
I woke fully later in the dark to a voice asking if I wanted some water. A sudden urge of primal fear rushed through me and I leapt to my feet and tried to run only to find myself face down a few seconds later, the shackles around my legs making a loud clinking noise. A pair of kind hands helped me to my feet and I brushed myself off.
“Where am I asked?” completely puzzled to where I was or what was going on.
“I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you’re chained to a tree with the prisoners of Genghis Khan’s army.” Came the voice off to my right.
My heart jumped up into my throat as I turned to the voice and asked “Genghis Khan’s army? How did I get here?”
“The guards brought you a few hours ago.” Came the faceless voice.
By now my head was spinning and I felt sick. I laid down on the cold ground and fell into a deep sleep.
I woke the next to the face of a boy about my age standing over me.
“You ready to go.” He said offering a hand, more of a command than a question. I grabbed his hand and he pulled me up.
The guards came over to us and unbuckled our chains. They gave a crust of bread each and since I hadn’t eaten for about two days I gobbled it down as fast as I could. The other handful of prisoners slowly ate theirs savoring every bite. Before everyone was finished the guards, armed with swords and spears, ordered us to march and everyone did without protest. And that’s what we did we marched, day and night sun and rain we marched. Over the course of marching I befriended the prisoners and even got a spare lute from one of the other prisoners to replace the one I had lost in the river.
So that’s how I’m here sitting under this cherry blossom playing my beautiful instrument. The silence didn’t last long and everyone got back to their work of cleaning and polishing their weapons and armor.
One of my fellow slaves came up to me a pile of armor in his hands. He laid it at my feet and quickly made a small half moon with his hands. This was it that was the signal. Tonight was the night we were going to make our escape. I grabbed a breastplate and a rag and started to polish the armor.

My heart beat fast as the guards chained us up to a tall tree. We all looked at each other knowing that in a few hours we would all be free.
The darkness felt like it took forever in engulfing the sky. But as soon as it we all got to work. One of the prisoners pulled a small key out of hid garments and slipped it into the lock on his chains. With a small click the shackle broke into halves and fell off. My heart was in my throat as I thought of finally being free.
As soon as we were all free we started picking our way slowly towards the tree cover. The only problem was that we had to cross pass a small outer camp to get to it. The camp was in sight and we slowly went past it. Most of the guards there were passed out drunk but better not to take chances.
We were almost all passed when one of the slaves whispered “I have a small score to settle with these guards.” And started moving towards the middle of the camp. He slowly slid a sword out of its sheath and slit the neck of the guard with his own sword. Just then another guard walked out of one of the tents. For a moment he was surprise but the next he had his sword drawn and was calling for help at the top of his lungs. The prisoner charged him but none of us stayed to see who won the fight, we scattered in all directions.
Soldiers poured out from everywhere and so did their arrows. A slave to my left got hit with three arrows and went down hard. I ran for my life the Whoosh of arrows all around. The fear inside me was almost primal and nothing mattered but getting away.
There it was, in the first lights of dawn, the cherry blossom, and beyond that a vast expanse of forest. If I could only make it there I would be safe and could hind. I put an extra burst of speed in my run and that’s when it hit. An arrow sped across the field and buried itself in my lower leg. I fell straight to the ground, but not for long. In the next second I was up and limping towards the cherry blossom. Almost there! Almost there! I thought to myself. I was right under the cherry blossom when there was a Whoosh and a brilliant white light and then everything went black.
-A Blye