Writer's Block: Borrowed Time

'Scuse me sir, 'scuse me sir,
Mind sparing a pinch of Time?

Of course not, you haven't given back
That chockful you borrowed last week.

Oh, that! I think Mr. Homework has it
I recall him saying he was running short.

But didn't that happen last month?
That was quite a handful I loaned you.

That was no fault of mine, no it wasn't,
Miss Friends came and demanded for it.

She couldn't have taken it all, surely!
There was more than your share.

Yes there was, but have you forgotten?
That Lil' Sleep came begging for scraps.

And you gave him more than he needed?
I couldn't say no to those tear-stained eyes...

Sigh...will you ever learn? What about
that gift-wrapped box I gave you on New Year's?

It would still be here, had they not come knockin',
Aunt Leisure and Uncle Laidbackness.

Those two, never up to any good,
What did they say to ask for it?

They needed to feed their hungry children
TV Junior, Compudear, all the rest.

That ladle, filled to the brim, while the holidays?
Oops! Left it in Grandma Family's home.

How about that cartful on Sunday?
Ack! Stashed it in Pastor Church's coat.

And that one glass I passed you over the fence?
Hmm...don't know, don't know where it went.

Truth be told, I think you got it all wrong
They told me there was a prowling thief
He might've sneaked your Time off
Oh well...here's a last pinch I can spare.

Why, thank you, kind sir!
I'll manage this one the best I can.

Ghostopia, Chapter 40: You Get What You Give

He tried to nudge Kat, but she was too occupied to take note of him. "My superior is downstairs. I'm whisk him up here to explain the situation to you guys."
Darren watched in horror as the other two Spooks noticed the small crowd and swooped over. He whispered through gritted teeth, "Kat...the real Spooks are here. We have to go."
She looked where he was looking and a lump stuck itself in her throat. What in the world were they doing here? She wouldn't know what to say if they revealed themselves also to be Spooks guarding the fourth floor. "W...we'll be back up in a few minutes."
She hurried down the stairs, two steps a time, not even bothering to make sure if Darren was behind. He was, of course.
"Idiot," Kat muttered to Darren. "You didn't know Spooks have no gender?"
He shook his head sheepishly.
"Well, keep that in mind next time. For now, I think we have to get Mortie and leave at once."
Before they could even make it to past the tenth step, a slight commotion played itself out upstairs. It didn't take too long for the Spooks to figure out something was terribly amiss with the two 'Spooks' they'd just seen and give chase.
"Shoot, they're coming after us."
They sprinted down the last flight of stairs, straight to the third floor in search of Mortie.
"Those two had better be done with the records." Kat muttered again - Darren wasn't sure to herself or to him.
A terrifying march of footsteps rang out above them. For such seemingly lumbering beings, the Spooks could move frighteningly fast.
"Here! Stop!" Kat took his hand and dashed through a crevice between two yellowed walls, so small an untrained eye would have passed on it. It led them to a claustrophobic shaft with an array of doors.
"ARGH! The map never mentioned so many doors! How am I supposed to know which one they're in?"
She seemed on the verge of pulling her hair out. Darren, feeling a little headache creeping in, didn't know what to do.
Meanwhile, the low ceiling quivered with a distant rumble of footsteps.

Ghostopia, Chapter 39: Here Come The Spooks

Darren braced himself, following Kat's lead. He wasn't sure what to expect.
Mortie's words came back to him. "Those Spooks will see you as Spooks - and Spooks are always in control. Never betray that fact."
"So what's the problem here?"
Darren gulped. Two intimidating Spooks, both four heads taller than him, stepped up to him. So close he could hear their scratchy breaths.
"There...well, there was..."
"A problem," Kat deepened her voice as much as she could. "With the security wiring."
"Which section?"
"Section Four." she replied without even stopping to think.
"Section Four? Don't they name them by colours?"
"Oh, you guys are still going by the old system, I see. Well, I'm not too familiar with that one. Let me take you there instead."
She started walking off, Darren tailing cluelessly behind. The Spooks went with them, probably already a bit suspicious. He had to resist the urge to glance backwards to see whether they really were. A couple of minutes later, Kat pointed out a circuit board on the wall to them. "Here's the faulty one."
The first Spook took a closer look. Its empty face turned a darker shade of red. "Did I hear you wrongly?"
Was that a brief look of uncertainty on Kat's face? This wouldn't be a good time for their cover to be blown away.
"I said, this is the faulty electrical wiring."
"If there's anything faulty here, it's you." The other Spook snapped. "This isn't part of the central security wiring, it's a peripheral circuit. Is this some kind of joke?"
"No, it is not," Kat retorted. "The Office doesn't use central wirings anymore, they switched to parallels last month. You guys must be new here."
"That's a mightily rude way to be talking to a senior Spook, pal. Whose division are you in?"
Darren knew he had to save Kat. "Forgive her, sir. She's new."
For reasons unknown, Kat glared daggers at him, eyeballs bulging wide.
"HER? Since when did Spooks become female?"
"You two are acting way too weird. I'm going to have to report you to Mr. Lester."
"Wait," Kat said in a thinly-veiled fuming voice. "You two stay here. I'll go to the floor below to check things out."
"Check things out? Isn't this the floor with things to check out?"
Darren was about to say something when his jaw fell open in horror. At precisely the worst moment possible, the two actual Spooks who were guarding the floor appeared from the distance.

Writer's Block: A Final Cendol Story

The sky was cloudy, maybe even to the verge of a late afternoon downpour. My car rattled down the starkly empty road in Sri Petaling back home, me and Friend putting up a great fight to stay awake. For my part, at least. Nothing, and truly nothing, would stop me from getting home and curl up in bed ASAP, I told myself.
Already the strangest time and place for A Final Cendol Story to take place.
And yet it did.

Before I even realised it, my car had parked itself by the road, right before the Cendol Stall of lore. It was by no means a calculated decision - I was still deadset on giving in to my sleepiness at the traffic lights five seconds ago. Something about the lonely white Cendol truck framed by waving trees, gloomy clouds, and everything but people just struck me. The same manner run-down houses rumoured to be haunted always made you look twice, and sometimes even go in.

Only a middle-aged Indian lady stood there, tending to both the rojak and Cendol. I couldn't recall seeing her there before, there usually were some Indian men in funny black and white costumes.
"Dia adik saya."
Oh. She was the elder sister to one of them, in case you didn't get that.

Without me even noticing, she was already filling two bowls of shaved ice with brown sugar solution and coconut milk. The ladle hit the bottom of the big pot, echoing a half-hearted thunk, thunk. Two scoops of beans for me, two scoops for Friend.
I sipped long and hard. It was, as the woman had earlier asked me, nearing six. Soon cars of tired people longing to forget the day they'd been through would throng the streets. Yellow and black buses ferrying yapping kids home where they stopped yapping. Even the Indian man in black and white, who appeared from nowhere, was folding up the tables and packing the stall umbrellas. A big curtain drew itself down on the whole day. It felt like something big was about to happen, something everyone was preparing for. The night? The rain? Their homes?

The last of the plastic chairs stacked up. We had apparently been their last customers for the day.

"Well, that was...neccessary." Friend said to me as we drove away, the Cendol stall fading in the distance.
I winked back. "Told ya."

Ghostopia, Chapter 38: Nelson And Kat

Four years? Nelson had been dead for more than four years?
"But why would he want to lie about that?"
"Not sure. But I know that he was in some way related to the Ezisa - a long time ago, even before Mortie joined us."
Darren listened in silence, very much shocked. He had always wondered if there was more to Nelson than the good-natured peddler who died young like him. And sure enough, if Kat was to be believed, there was a whole lot that Nelson had kept from him.
"Did you know him before you met me?"
"Of course," she smirked. "Weren't you listening?"
"No, I mean personally."
"Can't say we're friends," she said. "Or even acquaintances, for that matter. I knew about him through my minor affiliations with the Ezisa some years back. As for him, he probably heard about me after I gained fame for conning gullible newcomers."
"Gullible newcomers like me, huh?" Darren cracked.
They laughed.
"Wait, wait, we're steering a little off course here," Darren said. "Wasn't I asking you about your former life?"
"Umm..yeah, I believe you were."
"So?"
"So," Kat bit her lip. "Heheh. It's a long story, really."
"Well, we've got lots of time."
"Actually, we're supposed to be on our toes for the Spooks to arrive."
"And they're not here yet."
She looked at him, half-grinning. "Sheesh, don't you ever give up. All right, I was in high school when I died. Six days short of my sixteenth birthday, in fact. Good enough?"
"Hm. Hardly. What did you die of?"
To his surprise, her face turned downcast at once. "It's not something I want to talk about."
Whoops. He somehow had a knack for spoiling fine conversations. "Why of course, who likes to reminiscence about their own death. I hate the way I left too."
She forced her lips into a smile. "Well, you never told me about that."
"It was...oh, really unexpected. I still don't know what happened. And you know the worst thing? It took place right durin-"
Suddenly Kat raised a hand to interrupt him. "Shh...listen."
It was the sound of steady, thudding footsteps, growing louder at a rapid pace.
"The Spooks are coming."

Ghostopia, Chapter 37: Kat Talks

"Hey, you got all that?" Darren turned to Kat as they strode up the gradually steeping staircase. "I mean, the plan."
"Uh-huh," she looked back. "You didn't?"
"Nah, just asking."
They went up another flight of stairs, ignoring any Spooks they came across. It was intimidating to have their massive bodies glare your way for a few seconds before coming to the strange conclusion that you were one of them. Faithful to Mortie's advice, Darren and Kat just returned passing glances and went on their way.
"Okie-dokie, here we are," Kat said at the end of a remarkably difficult flight of stairs. "Now we just wait for the Spooks Mortie send to show up.
"Right." He nodded, wanting to add something but unable to.
She clasped her hands together.
Was he supposed to say something?
Darren tried to listen out for any sounds from the lower floors, but only a holed-up silence echoed. He stared at Kat again. Now her eyes were shut, as if trying to recall something.
Oh well, Darren sighed to himself. He was being silly again. Nothing to it, you idiot. Just start a freaking conversation.
"Kat?"
"Mm?"
"How was your life like? When you were alive."
She laughed. It sounded a little nervous. "It was okay. Died young, not much of a story. Bleh."
"You know, you're sometimes very hard to understand Kat," He was surprised he actually said that. "You have such strong viewpoints about Ghostopia, about life, about just anything, but I have no idea what shaped these viewpoints."
She couldn't help raising an eyebrow.
"Uhh, I'm sorry if I was rude," he said. "I've been wondering, that's all."
She laughed again, louder this time. "Didn't Nelson tell you about my past?"
"Nelson? He told me about your exploits as a consperson, but I figure that's all he knows."
"Liar. He knows a whole lot about me."
"Why would you say that?"
"I bet he told you that he hasn't been here for long too."
"Hmm...about a year."
"A year? Crap!" She faked a laugh. "He came in before me. And I've been dead for four years."

Ghostopia, Chapter 36: We're Going In!

"That's what those guys in Unprotected Ghostopia thought too," snorted Mortie. "Listen, you, these guys aren't like any of those amateur lawbreakers you've seen. Eleven Spooks in that other Office, and not a single one saw them."
Lester cocked an eyebrow. "Eleven Spooks?"
"Eleven Spooks."
"Where the heck did they get eleven Spooks?"
"That, Mr. Lester, is beside the point." Mortie said with a mildly irritated tone. "We're running out of time here. In less than half an hour, the records will be gone if you don't let us in."
Lester puffed his cheeks and checked his watch. "I'm gonna need some identification here. Your GIC Cards, please."
Darren and the rest looked at each other unsurely.
"You heard the man, guys," Mortie calmly told them. "Your GIC Cards, please."
Oh well, Darren shrugged. Mortie knows best. He duly dug out his six-pointed card and handed it to him. The others followed suit.
"There you go," Mortie dumped all the cards on his desk, then gestured to the stairs. "May we?"
Lester, furiously studying their cards, grunted something inaudible.

"Third floor, third floor, let's get moving," Mortie motioned them to follow him. "Curses, that guy took up too much of our time. We've only got less than 30 minutes before the stuff we drank stops working."
"What do we do if we come across any Spooks?" Kat asked.
"Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me," he suddenly stopped, bringing the entire group to a halt. "Guys, let's split into groups of twos and threes - the Spooks will grow suspicious if they see too many of us at once. Kat, you go with Darren; Fletcher, Scarlet, and Todd, you three together. I'll go with Amelia."
"You two," he pointed at Kat and Darren. "Go to the fourth floor. The other three - second floor. Amelia and I will come up a minute later to the third floor, and we'll tell the Spooks that the fourth floor and second floor need their help. Once they come, I leave it to you to keep them there as long as you can while Amelia and I handle the records. Got it?"
Everyone nodded their heads firmly. Darren got the plan in bits and parts, but he figured Kat should be able to cover up for him.
"Just a reminder - stay cool, stay steady. Those Spooks will see you as Spooks - and Spooks are always in control. Never betray that fact."

Writer's Block Presents...I Interviews Myself

To commemorate the recent 100th Chapter posted on Twisted Tales, we had our ever-eager journalist I sit down for a talk over some buttered bread and tea with esteemed Twisted Tales founder, Myself. Some textbook formalities and complimentary chitter-chatter later, here we are:

I: First off, Mr. Myself, what do you think makes Twisted Tales different from the multitude of blogs we have out there?

M: Different? Of course my blog is different! You dont' see any other blog where the blogger talks to himself via a fictional interview, do you? (chuckles to self) But seriously though, I wouldn't call my blog totally one-of-a-kind. True, you don't see many other guys posting continued stories as 90% of their blog's content, but this sort of thing has certainly been done before in other formats. To answer your question then, I'd say my blog is more marketable than regular blogs. Marketable not in the sense of ripping off cash, but it's less personal and more accessible to both people who know me and those who don't.

I: Umm...you're not earning any money from this, are you?

M: On good months, I can get up to fifteen thousand bucks, but June was pretty poor - less than six thousand. OF COURSE I'M NOT EARNING ANYTHING, BOZO.

I: Where did you get the idea to start Twisted Tales from?

M: Now that's tough to say. I became aware of the blogging culture only a few months before my blog started, mostly from friends who pestered me to visit theirs. Few months later, and I was half-torn between starting one myself, but I quote a collegemate: "Oh no, you're starting one too? I swear, 80 percent of the blogs of our friends are all about 'Stress/ Exams/ Backstabbing'. That's when I knew I had to do something different. Couple that with my recently-surfaced intention to start writing stories again, and you had this "slog" (story log) thing coming up. As for the "random stories with characters that appear out of nowhere, with everyone adding in their two cents' worth" element, I credit that to my friend Tommy who related much about his D&D (Dungeons and Dragons, a pencil and paper role-playing game) endeavours to me.

I: How much time do you spend on your blog? It does seem like you spend most of your online time blogging.

M: Can't deny that, I do spend a lot of my online time blogging. Maybe it's unfair to say most, but a lot is true. A good Chapter usually takes at least 45 minutes, depending on inspiration and how much effort I'm willing to put in. However, sometimes I get away with less than 20 minutes for dialogue-heavy Chapters - which are much easier to write and fill up the "Space Quota" faster. On the other hand, some writings stretch out over a period of days - for example the recent "Tammy And The Mirror". Just between you and me, those darned reCAPPENINGS are becoming quite a nuisance too.

I: Wow! 45 minutes for a Chapter? How do you go about writing it anyway?

M: Hohoho, I bet you're thinking I plan it out nicely on paper, do bits of research from books and the Internet, write it once, then tidy up a draft. Neh-heh! That's what professional writers do, and yours truly's not even sure how to spell "professional" correctly. I take so long because I have a terribly short attention span, what with MSN, checking mail, surfing, homework, and the phone. I know, I know, I should lock myself in a room and get into "the zone" if I'm serious about writing, but we can't all be that disciplined. I do, however, run through my drafts at least once before posting them.

I: A reader recently asked where you get your ideas from, and you said the bathroom. Do elaborate.

M: Wasn't it clear enough already? You can't do much but think while you're bathing, can you? Singing's not really my thing, unless there's no one at home.

I: Maybe I should change the question to "Where do you get your ideas from?".

M: (clicks tongue) A predicatable question like that deserves a predictable answer: Ideas aren't things which pop into your mind when you snap your fingers, they require a step-by-step thought process, coupled with a clear intention to get ideas in the first place from stuff you read and see. This process is what many people just refuse to call creativity. The more often you engage in this mindset, the more creative you become. In my humble opinion, of course.

I: Interesting. Now, what's this about you thinking Ghostopia has flopped? You're not going to just ditch the whole story, are you?

M: Good gosh, no, I never said anything like that. Maybe I did imply in some Writer's Blocks that some parts of Ghostopia were flawed or lacked something, but in no ways it has flopped. It still, I'm sure, will turn out the strongest story I've written yet. It's just that we're now at the middle part of the story where the novelty is lost, and the end is nowhere to be seen yet. It's kind of like Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers, it ain't too good or too bad, but you just need it to pull through. If there's one mistake I've made with Ghostopia, it's making the story too big for it's own good. Not enough character development to go round for everyone.

I: It has been observed that the language used in your stories is excruciatingly "clean". What say you about this?

M: Just shows how creative I am for using clean words to do dirty jobs, huh?

I: All right, we're gonna have to do a last question here. You're not going to stop writing so soon, are you? Where do you hope to go with Twisted Tales?

M: That's two questions, isn't it? You lousy interviewer. I can't make lofty claims of running Twisted Tales forever, seeing that there's nothing at the moment preventing me from stopping. I mean, I could just end Ghostopia in the next Chapter, leave the site idle, spend the rest of my life playing online games, and there wouldn't be much of a squeak.
There was this recent article in The Star on famous blogs, and surely there's this hollow in my heart that wishes I get featured in one of those someday. But nahh...if you do it for fame, then you're not passionate. And if you're not passionate, you don't deserve to earn fame. Hmm..I'm talking in circles again, am I not?
Perhaps Twisted Tales is to me what a sketchbook is for an artist - he sketches pictures of beautiful things he comes across, then brings it home to refine on canvas. The stories on Twisted Tales are mightily ripe for improvement, seeing how the format of a Chapter per few paragraphs isn't at all conducive to continuous writing. So yah, sometime in the future those 43 Chapters of Blogspot and 25 Chapters of The Secret Room might end up being refined into an actual story. Who knows?

I: So you mean Twisted Tales might not make it big, but the ideas that result from it could?

M: In a springboard sort of way, yes. My, my, amazing what talking to me has done for your intelligence. You should hang out with people like me more often.

I: Will try to, Mr.Myself. Well, thanks lots for your time, I'll get this written and posted up in no time. Now let's do the Handshake Of Mutual Respect thing they always do after interviews.

M: Beh, get lost. No way I'm shaking hands with myself.

===============================================
Isn't it sad what happens when you run out of ideas for your blog?

reCAPPENING: Ghostopia, Chapters 31-35

(Whoa...the longest reCAPPENING yet, I'm sure of it. Good, shows that the story is gaining more flesh.)

After the night's performances end, Darren finally spots Kat. She is curiously more dressed up than usually, with the reason given "A sign of celebration". The meeting starts soon, and Nelson refuses to join them even after being persuaded by Darren.
Fast forward to the meeting, where Mortie informs them that the team in Unprotected Ghostopia was successful in destroying their Lower Level Office's records - the cause of the "celebration". To the shock of everyone in the room, he then proposes that they go for their Lower Level Office that very night.
According to his research, the Office - located in Level 94 - is carrying out some rearranging work for the night, making it their best chance of going about unnoticed. The rest disagree with Mortie's plan, saying that the eight Spooks on guard there might be too dangerous for them.
It is then Darren finds out that all Spooks are selected from Ghosts who have committed suicide in their past life. Each Spook possesses a power - called a Supernatural - that comes from how they killed themselves.
Mortie continues presenting his findings - the weaknesses of a Spook. Firstly, it becomes less wary when around its own kind. Secondly, it can see all things only as a Spook or a Ghost - nothing in between. He then produces some vials containing liquid which he claims will turn their bodily structures into Spooks for an hour.
After Darren and the rest drink it, they make their way to the Lower Level Office. Mortie claims to the guard that they're there as extra security for the records which are about to be stolen. However, the guard still has a hard time buying it, stating that the Spooks on duty are enough, leading us into Chapter 36.

Ghostopia, Chapter 35: Deception

Madness! Madness! Madness! Madness! Madness!
Here they were, seven of them in total, standing in front of the Level 94 Office. The lights inside were still on and voices could be heard. Every now and then the scrapy creak of furniture being dragged rang out loud, evidence of the rearranging Mortie said was going on.
"Now, remember," Mortie lowered his voice. "Those Ghosts in there can see that we're Ghosts just like them, but we'll have to play smart - everyone follow my lead. As for the Spooks, they'll think we're Spooks as well. The trick here is not let both the Spooks and Ghosts catch us at the same time. Understood?"
Heads nodded.
"Showtime."

"Extra security? I don't think we called for any of that. We already have enough Spooks here." The Ghost in charge, a burly moustached guy, eyed them charily.
"No sir, you did not call for us. We were sent by the Level 121 Office." Mortie replied with a poker face.
"Level 121? Which one is that?"
"Um, I'd rather that remain confidential."
"Then that's too bad, pal. No way I'm letting you in without knowing who you are, or where you're from."
Mortie frowned and looked down, arms folded, as though making a difficult decision.
"All right, I'll tell you, but make sure not a single soul hears about this. If my boss finds out I'm leaking such information, I'm dead."
"Heh. You got my word."
"You heard about what happened to the Lower Level Office in Unprotected Ghostopia?" His tone grew deadly serious.
"The break-in?"
"Uh-huh. And we have a lead that says this place could be next."
"Here? Why?"
"You do have a copy of the newcomer entry records here, don't you?"
"Um, yes."
"That's the same thing they broke into the other Office for. Someone wants to get their hands on all the records."
"I see," the Ghost scratched his chin smugly. "No worries, that guy's gonna get his with our Spooks guarding the place."
"You're wrong, Mister..."
"Lester."
"Mr. Lester. Those guys, whoever they are, can't be handled by Spooks alone. They've got some sort of weapon that makes Spooks unable to detect them."
"Rubbish. Sixteen years here, and I've never seen any common criminal a good Spook can't handle."

Writer's Block

OMIGOSH~!
Three whole weeks without a proper Writer's Block detailing the progress of the story! How did you make it through, ppl?!
An apology to kickstart things, for updating noticably much less in the past weeks. Yeah, face facts, all you dudes and dudettes, I'm BEEZEE! Woohoo! BEEZEE! Which makes me unable to blog twice a day! BEEZEE~!
But you sure as anything didn't come here to be entertained by THIS~!, so let's talk about Ghostopia:
It sends a shiver down my spine, the thought that this story is possibly going downhill fast. Sure, updating less regularly tends to make the story more stale and plodding, but I believe the lack of planning is starting to show. Sometimes it seems like we're drifting towards something memorable, but other times I just feel like I'm stuck with a messy bunch of characters held together in contrived situations.
You might say it boils down to the lack of an "Arc", a "Theme", a giant umbrella unifying all the characters and the story as a whole. Or maybe I'm really trying to do too much with too little a space. Let's face it - a few paragraphs per chapter, 30+ Chapters, you're not gonna get much more length than 3 or 4 Chapters of an actual novel. But yet, I'm compressing everything to make it look as though we're into Chpater 8-10 of said actual novel.
So, lack of planning and lack of space is ruining my story. What's new?!
But all hope ain't lost yet, we still might salvage something from the remaining bits. The break-in to the Lower Level Office we're getting next could somesort be Darren's "point of no return". Him and the Ezisa. Meaning: we're moving out of the secret underground meetings to a full-fledged "strike against the authorities". It was nowhere in my plans to make this happen so fast, but we're seriously stuck in a rut here, and I'm so not taking my trump cards with me to the grave.
Nelson and Kat are also gonna have to be more 3-dimensional than the sparse "Darren's friend" and "mysterious, rebellious girl" roles they're currently having. Of course, with all this development, someone might get pushed to the background. Either Mortie or Fletcher, I'm guessing. Wink, wink - don't say you weren't warned.
Of course, the big finale is a long way off still, and manymany roads have to be straightened before we get there. Admitedly, I'm pretty much adjusting them as I go with the stories - not a good thing, not a bad thing either. And I'm telling you, we WILL get to 100 Chapters. We most certainly could.
Not the best way to wrap things up, but I'm having a thing for Martina McBride! And JEM And The Holograms songs! (Though I'm betting nobody has a clue what the latter is)

Till we meet again, Music Is Magic! ;^)

Ghostopia, Chapter 34: To Overcome A Spook,...

Very interesting indeed. Darren seemed to be discovering a new quirk of this world every turn he took.
"I say we forget those Spooks," Fletcher said. "Amelia said there're only two of them on each floor at one time. We've got quite a number of us ourselves, no reason to feel outnumbered."
"Excuse me, have you been caught by a Spook before?" Kat retorted mockingly.
Fletcher glared back at her.
"Well, I have," she said in a low voice. "I'll spare you the details, but it wasn't a pleasing experience. At all."
Did she mean the time they tailed her to the back alley? That wasn't such a traumatising experience - even the prison cell had been fairly comfortable. Either she was lying, or it wasn't her first time getting caught by Spooks.
"Listen, listen," said Mortie with the tone of a wearied father. "I never said anything about fighting those Spooks headon. We're breaking in under false pretense."
"Meaning?"
"Again, doing your homework counts," Mortie grinned, pointing to his head. "To overcome an enemy, you must first discover the enemy's weaknesses."
"And a Spook's first weakness is that it becomes less suspicious of other Spooks. So simple enough, we enter as Spooks."
Huh? Enter as what?
"Well, Mr. Mortie," Kat seemed a little taken aback by his idea. "How the heck are we going to become Spooks?"
"You should've let me continue. The Spook's second weakness - it can see all beings only as a Ghost or a Spook. So if we stop being Ghosts for those few minutes, they'll think we're Spooks."
This was getting even more mind-boggling than high school chemistry to Darren. However, he chose to shut up and let Mortie finish his piece.
"I won't waste everyone's time detailing how I got these," he continued, reaching for a wooden box at his feet. "But this'll turn our bodily structures into Spooks for an hour."
He flipped open the lid, revealing a row of vials filled with some bubbling liquid.
"Drink this, all of you."
Everyone grabbed a vial each, uncorked it, and downed the liquid without blinking an eye. Everyone but Darren. He wasn't so sure if this was the right thing to do.
He peered around to check the others. Everything stayed the same - no green skin, no overgrown heads, no screams of agony. They could've well been drinking Coke.
"C'mon, Darren, get it over with quick." Mortie urged him.
Oh well, he thought. He was already dead. Gulp, gulp, gulp. It tasted like plain water with a sourish aftertaste.
Of course, nothing happened.

Ghostopia, Chapter 33: Spooks, Spooks, Spooks

A collective You Can't Be Serious rose around the room. Even Kat had both eyebrows raised.
"Right after this meeting, I hear you ask?" Mortie said, a sly smile creeping up his face. "Exactly."
Everyone listened intently. "Go on."
"I've done my homework, you see, and I know for a fact that our Lower Level Office is at Level 94. I've also found out that they're rearranging the place tonight for some weekend conference. Tonight's our best chance - those fools are asking for it, with the mess that place is in."
Fletcher flicked his coloured fingernails, frowning. "Don't you have a floorplan or something?"
"Like I said," Mortie coolly fished out a tattered piece of paper. "I've done my homework. Pass it round for all to see."
It was a blueprint sketch of the office. There were four floors in total, and the records were kept in the third. It looked pretty unremarkale for a place that was supposed to be holding one of the only four things that would prevent them from escaping.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Amelia said. "I've worked there before. Though they don't have any built-in security features, they've Spooks guarding the place."
"Spooks, eh? How many?"
"Two on each floor - eight, usually. But there could always be more, if they're rearranging like you said."
"Or less."
"I'm not sure if we want to do this right away, if there're as many as eight Spooks there."
A short pause lingered.
"Question, please," Darren suddenly raised his hand, surprising the rest. "How powerful are those Spooks?"
Kat squinted. "Is that a trick question?"
"No, seriously. What's so scary about those Spooks?"
"So you have yet to feel the wrath of a Spook," Mortie smiled in a way that made Darren feel uncomfortable. "Spooks, apart from being the henchmen of the authorities, are in fact all Ghosts who came here through suicide. Each year, a hundred Ghosts from Unprotected Ghostopia are drafted to become Spooks, irregardless of age, gender, health, or anything else."
"These new Spooks are then given a Supernatural - powers that enables them to kill others the way they killed themselves. For instance, a Spook who poisoned himself to death would have the ability to poison others."

Ghostopia, Chapter 32: Tonight

"Come on, Nelson! What do you have to lose?"
"Let's see...my beauty sleep?" he chuckled. "Nah, seriously pal, I'm not getting myself into this.
"But why? It's too dangerous?"
"You could say that. Or maybe I'm just skeptical."
"Skeptical," Darren repeated to himself. "You think we're gonna fail?"
"Ah, don't you worry so much what people like me say. I'll see you tomorrow at the stall again, bye."
Darren eyed Nelson all the way out. Now he was starting to get mysterious. Though it could very well be a baseless intuition, Darren couldn't shake off the feeling that Nelson had more lnowledge of the Ezisa than he'd shared.
But that would have to wait till tomorrow morning. Seeing the cafe nearing emptiness, he trodded quickly to the meeting room.

Though poorly-lit as always, an air of festivity hung over the little room tonight. The others came dressed in un-sombre colours unlike those he'd grown used to in Ghostopia. Even some of the furniture was draped in some lavish-looking fabric. And were those balloons hidden in a dark corner?
"There you are, Darren!" Mortie showed him a chair. "Just in time for my grand announcement!"
Kat and the rest shifted nervously.
"Most of you should have heard that our Ezisa team in Unprotected Ghostopia was, I'm glad to say, very successful. Their Lower Level Office records have already been taken care of."
Everyone clapped and cheered mildly, telegraphing the fact that Darren was the only one not in the know. So that explained the celebratory tones.
"Which brings us to the obvious question," he continued. "When do we get to action ourselves? What do you think?"
Everyone looked around in an unsure manner. "Question, Mortie," Kat raised her hand. "Do we have all the information we need about our Lower Level Office?"
"Of course."
"Then why not tomorrow night?"
Mortie's eyes glinted in the red light. "Why not tonight?"

Ghostopia, Chapter 31: Shall We Meet?

As before, there was no sight of Kat all night long. It didn't matter though, as Darren found himself for once enjoying the music being performed. Phew. Another dreary night of oldies would've plain killed him.
But amidst the ever-changing lights and messy hair, Darren couldn't seem to keep his mind on the performances. He was carefully charting out questions for the meeting later, even envisioning how it might turn out. Maybe Mortie would have to postpone their plan, assuming that the other team failed. Or what if they were successful? Would they be breaking into high-tech offices a la Mission Impossible under this very moonlight?
A couple more hours of head-banging songs wore on. Darren tried his best to keep up with the ecstatic crowd, but eventually gave up midway through I Hate Myself And Want To Die.
A thunderous drumroll, bada-bing, bada-bang, followed by an applause of the like snapped him back to his senses. "Thank you!" The breathless Ghost onstage yelled out, then brought down his guitar on the floor, smashing it to pieces. Huh. The performances were over, apparently. And he didn't even quite notice.
Yes, thought Darren with a mixture of nervousness and relief. Now here comes the main event.
"Well, well, well," Nelson exclaimed as the cafe began to grow empty. "Guess there's gonna be a meeting tonight after all."
Darren whirled around and it was Kat, sporting a tight pink jacket and matching heels, curiously breaking away from her usual black ensemble.
"Hi," he blurted curtly. "There you are."
"Aren't you going to ask me about the outfit?" she giggled in a way quite unlike her.
"Uhh...okay. What about the outfit?"
"It's a sign of celebration, actually," Kat puffed up her chest. "I'm proud to announce that the second team is...wait, wait."
She narrowed her eyes at the aloof Nelson. "I bet he told you about our meeting."
"Yup, sure did."
"And you do know that our group is highly secretive."
"Yeah. So?"
"I'm not saying a word more unless I see you in the meeting room. Darren, meeting starts in five minutes. See you there."

reCAPPENING: Ghostopia, Chapters 26-30

In the meeting, Fletcher, one of the attendees, goes on to reveal that nobody grows older in Ghostopia - all because of the age freeze policy enforced by the bickering authorities.
Mortie then states their plan of escape: get rid of the four newcomer records that are kept by the authorities - two in Protected Ghostopia and two in Unprotected Ghostopia. He hopes to receive a report from the Ezisa team in Unprotected Ghostopia in time for their Friday meeting.
The meeting then ends, and we fast forward to the next morning where Darren is telling Nelson about the Ezisa. Nelson cautions him, saying that some Ghosts have previously managed to escape Ghostopia, but failed to enter the living world. They ended up being Exorcised - totally removed from existence.
After some pondering and realisation that the Ghosts were a depressed lot since the age freeze policy came about, Friday night comes at last for Darren. He eagerly goes to The Haunt with Nelson and keeps a look out for the Ezisa members, leading us into Chapter 31.

Writer's Block: Tammy And The Mirror

(Why, hey! This must be the first forcefully-rhymed "story poem" I've written in years - methinks that genre wasn't touched after 'The Boy Who Was Too Smart'. The beauty of such writings is that everyone secretly prefers them over "deep" stuff, and you needn't read the same line three times to understand what it means ;^). Ladies and gentlemen, I give you 'Tammy And The Mirror'.)

Mirror, mirror, oh so new,
How I wish I could see you.
What are you like? Who's inside?
Oh do come down, sit beside.

To the fields went little Tammy,
She skipped and played with little Dee.
Along came Scott, they laughed in glee,
Running as far as their eyes could see.

Mirror, mirror, hanging tall,
How I wish I could see more.
Show someone else, it's always me!
How about us? Tee hee hee.

To high school went older Tammy,
Studying next class to Scott and Dee.
The three were best friends still,
Sitting together for breaks and meals.

Soon Scott and Dee became a pair,
Everyone assumed it was fair.
Dee seemed to like it a lot,
But otherwise Scott thought.

He called Tammy, spilling it out,
Suppressed feelings, all said loud.
She tried hard to make him feel better,
Counsellor, comforter, listener.

Mirror, mirror, all asmear,
How I wish you were more clear.
Why is there so much out of sight,
When the reflection looks just right?

It had to happen sooner or later,
The calls started becoming regular.
No one had a clue, not even Dee,
They fell for each other gradually.

Months passed - the prom was near,
Dee still had no idea.
The secret was kept safe still,
Though a few already knew.

Tammy urged Scott to let Dee know,
She wanted no more of this show.
He too wanted to do what was right,
The three would meet up that very night.

Eight o' clock, their favourite cafe,
Tammy came first, unsure what to say.
Dee came hand in hand with Scott,
Would she take it well or not?

"Dee," went Tammy. "It's so hard to say,
But something must be settled today.
Scott and I are in love secretly,
It just happened - please understand me."

Dee stared at the floor, lips pursed tight.
She didn't cry, scream, scowl, nor fight.
"It's okay. It's okay. It's okay.
If you're happy, there's nothing I'll say."

Tammy and Scott were both delighted,
At how easily she'd accepted.
Everything cleared - no more charade,
The two of them could publicly date.

Mirror, mirror, shimmering bright,
How I love your colours and sights.
All's perfect looking into you,
Turning lovelier with every view.

Get a job did adult Tammy,
Scott and her kept in touch with Dee.
They hung out still, but things had changed,
Being with her, Tammy felt strange.

Whenever they asked, Dee wouldn't tell,
If this was making her go through hell.
She smiled and shrugged it all away,
"I feel fine, we're best friends anyway."

Soon they both were getting engaged,
Tammy feared Dee might be enraged.
But no, the same reaction stuck.
She simply beamed and wished them luck.

Mirror, mirror, now hazy,
How I wish I'm just crazy.
You seem so smooth and so all right,
But is there a crack deep inside?

Tammy wanted them three to meet,
And get to the bottom of it.
Eight o' clock, same cafe as always,
It sure felt a lot like the old days.

"Dee," she said. "I've been worried sick,
You always act like it's nothing big.
Surely it hurt you in some manner,
When Scott and I got together."

As always, she kept quiet only,
A few moments passed quite awkwardly.
"Come on, Dee, don't be so mysterious,
You know you can be honest with us."

Dee did not reply, she shook her head,
Tammy then felt her patience fade.
"You're lying to me - I can see it!
Stop it, you actor...you fraud...you cheat!"

Still no answer, she sipped her drink,
Calm, collected, not even a blink.
"Settle down, Tammy," chided Scott.
"Let's not be so nosy with her thoughts."

Suddenly a wild thought struck Tammy,
Why was her boyfriend siding with Dee?
She stared at them, heart beating fast,
They were a couple in the past.

The movies they'd been to together,
Popcorn they'd shared with one another.
Those sweet nothings he always told her,
Dee probably heard them much earlier.

"YOU!" Tammy was losing control,
"So you think I really don't know?
How you made me think you were my friend,
Backstabbing me and stealing my man!"

Dee stood up, shaking her head,
"You've lost it," was all she said.
Scott was saying sorry to Dee,
That was the last straw for Tammy.

Fists clenched tightly, she got up to her feet,
"I've lost it, huh? YOU THINK I'VE LOST IT?"
She reached out for Dee's throat, choking her,
Harder still, till her face changed colour.

Blinded by rage, her fingers tightened,
The other diners became frightened.
Scott rushed forward to pull them apart,
But she pushed him aside really hard.

Dee's face turned pale, she gasped for air,
Thrashing wildly to grab Tammy's hair.
Tammy's grip tightened still further,
Till Scott at last could restrain her.

Everything next happened so quickly,
No one knew what came over Tammy.
She was found guilty, for the record,
Though Dee did not want to go to court.

Twenty years for attempted murder,
Tammy broke down - too much for her.
Day by day, engulfed by self-pity,
She lost her own mind, her sanity.

Mirror, mirror, there you are,
Now you don't seem so far.
You're all I have, my life, my world,
In you I see...a boy and two girls.

Ghostopia, Chapter 30: Friday Night

A familiar guitar riff tuned up as Darren stepped through the doors of The Haunt. But unlike those from the previous nights, this one didn't fill him with a sense of dread. For lack of a better phrase, it rocked the joint to the walls!

Load up on guns
Bring your friends
It's fun to lose
And to pretend
She's overboard
Myself assured
I know I know
A dirty word

"Yo!" Darren yelled to Nelson, trying to make himself heard over the blaring speakers. "I didn't know you boring ol' Ghosts were into Nirvana!"
"Oh, you'll be surprised!" Nelson cupped his hands over his mouth. "Even the old dudes love this sort of stuff."
Darren strained his eyes, trying to make out faces through the swarm of wannabe throbbing heads. Nope. Nope. Nope. None of the Ezisa members registered.

With the lights out
It's less dangerous
Here we are now
Entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now
Entertain us
A mulatto
An albino
A mosquito
My libido
Yea

The crowd promptly went wild as the guitar riff sounded again, playing over and over. An infectious tune lingered in the air like a sweet siren calling out to her intoxicated listeners. Wild, thought Darren. It was like his one of his college binge parties all over again, though he usually skipped those unless there was no other choice.
"Here!" Nelson waved at him, having found an empty table. "At last!"
Oh well, no sight yet of Kat and the rest. Darren sat down and ordered a drink.

Ghostopia, Chapter 29: Questions About Ghostopia

Darren didn't see Kat or visit The Haunt for the next two days. He kept himself occupied helping Nelson out and venturing around Ghostopia whenever he had the chance to. Most of the extremely low Levels (1 to 20) were unspectacular, to say the least, housing administrative buildings and offices. Meanwhile, Levels 21 onwards to the 50s range were slums and villages dwelled by poor folk - save for Level 21 where the marketplace was, of course. It appeared that the higher levels meant a higher standard of living, but Darren couldn't be sure till he explored more.
One thing that struck him was how devoid of smiles the entire Ghostopia was. Everyone seemed oblivious to other Ghosts around them, tending only to their own businesses. Not that it was very much different from the city he'd once lived in, but there was a very heavy vibe of just-getting-through-the-day.
Could it be because of the age freeze policy? No, said Nelson. "Ghosts have always been like this. The age freeze was simply a physical implementation of what was already in our minds. To most Ghosts, this idea of not growing, of each day not making a difference, exists from Day One of your death."
"But you seem fine to me," Darren retorted.
"It hits the longer-staying ones like Kat harder. You and me, we haven't felt so drained out by the daily grind yet. I must admit though, already it's getting to me a little - partly why I'm not interested in doing more than peddling wares in the marketplace."
As much as he denied the thought, Darren knew that he too would someday end up hopeless like the rest. How does one fulfill oneself for eternity? More so in a world where you not only foresaw eternity, but became stuck literally in it. And none of the Ghosts were willing to make a change. Who was truly behing Ghostopia? Who were these Angels and Demons Mortie spoke of?
Not even Nelson could answer his questions.

Friday night - the end of a long weekend for some, but a night of getting his queries replied for Darren. And he couldn't be more excited about it.

Ghostopia, Chapter 28: Exorcism

"Ezisa, huh? Nope, no bells ringing."
It was the morning after the meeting, and Darren was relating to Nelson what transpired last night. Even after everyone went home and he lay staring at the ceiling, there was this sense of incredulity at the daring scheme. It was something he simply couldn't keep to himself.
"Oh well, just a shot in the dark. They did mention they were underground."
"I see. And Kat and Mortie's in it too?"
"Uh huh."
"Let me tell you something, kid," Nelson half-sighed, straightening the cloth on the display rack. "When I first came, there also was some hoo-hah about a bunch of Ghosts trying to enter the living world. Of course, they didn't take into account that it's not only a matter of leaving this world - you've got to enter the other world as well. So...you know how it ends for them. Bad."
"Uh...the authorities caught them?"
"If you're talking the Ghostopia authorities, that's not it. See, they did escape from Ghostopia but they got stuck somewhat in between. How should I put it...too ghostly for the human world, and too human for the Ghostopia world? In the end nearly all of them got Exorcised by humans."
"Exorcised?" That didn't sound good for Darren.
"That means they were simply destroyed; removed from existence forever. Not in the living world nor the afterlife."
Darren gulped as Nelson went on. "It's hardly new, this idea of escaping Ghostopia. I could name you a hundred and one reasons everyone wants to return to life, more so young ones like us, and the age freeze policy makes being a Ghost even worse. I just have to warn you of the dangers, both from being Exorcised and getting caught by the Ghostopia authorities. They're becoming extremely cautious over this, after last year's escape."
"What happens if you get caught?"
"For us Protected Ghosts, it usually means being transferred to Unprotected Ghostopia."
"That's it?" Darren expected him to continue. "How bad can it be?"
"Hohoho, you have no idea," A throaty laugh replied. "I once got sent there a day for involving myself in a fight, and till this day I've stayed clean. Which is pretty remarkable, if you know how I was."
Suddenly Darren didn't feel so excited about the whole idea. Did going back matter so much that he was willing to take this insane risk? Was he actually interested in going back, or merely the idea of belonging to a clique in this unfamiliar world? But then how could well-versed people like Mortie and Kat become a part of Ezisa if it was going to be so dangerous? Surely there was more to their plan than just stealing the records and leaving.

Writer's Block

Bleh...believe it or not, Chapter 27 took me a full three days to write. Not so much that I'm much busier these days, but perhaps I'm just too afraid of spoiling the good part of the story that I'm taking it slooowly.
Alas, I'm not in the mood for a well-structured post, so let's just dig in to the recesses of my mind and see what pops out to say hello:

- Yay, point forms are good. They make the disorganised seem organised.

- In the past week, I find myself having to do more than "think in the bathroom" for ways to further my story. This translates into (boy, am I ashamed to admit this) actually sitting down and making a list of where the plot and characters are now at, and where I hope to bring them to. Can't say that it all cleared up after this exercise (conveniently carried out in front of the idiot box), but at least now we'll have some memorabilia to auction off after I'm ...I'm...you know. ;^)

- If you really must ask: the more headache-arousing issues are Kat's background and the entire direction of this Ezisa thing. It's difficult when what you originally plan just won't fit in, and you end up trying to modify everything else so that that fits in. Then you think, "Wait, that's wrong. I can't be so deadset on one single idea that everything else loses continuity." B-b-but...that idea is just so darned cool! Hey, let's throw in an irrelevant analogy for good measure: you're a master pianist, but because of an ancient family curse, you are only allowed to play the guitar in public. (questionmarkquestionmarkquestionmark???)

- Yesterday in the Graduation Campaign class, a survey was done to see how many students were interested to pursue a course in Copywriting and Storytelling after graduating. And all I could say was: Whoa. Copywriting I understand, but Storytelling? I never imagined there was such a high level of interest in that in my college, and apparently, most of the responses were positive. I think. Oh, yummy. It would be good to finally be able to see what real professionals have to say about this - though I suspect it'll be catered more for Digital Animation purposes, as opposed to the Twisted Tales variety.

- Should I rechange my template to the old one? I still haven't figured out how to include comments with this new one, and it does include one scroll bar too many. But...wait! If I change my template again, it'll show that I'm indecisive! And weak! NOOOO~!

- Honey Stars. DO NOT BUY THEM. You'll be munching and chomping at them the whole night till your teeth hurt. Like I was yesterday.

- Resorting to talking about artificially flavoured cereals, that's a sure sign my time's up. Before I leave you to fulfill your quota for Days Left In Bodily Existence, here's a thought to munch on:
"How is it possible to love someone the most all your life?"

Ghostopia, Chapter 27: The Plan, First Revealed

"What do you mean nobody grows older? I'm gonna stay twenty for the rest of my life?" A horrified Darren exclaimed.
"At least till the authorities put a stop to this policy." Mortie explained.
Fletcher banged his fist against the chair. "Or we do."
"Can't the Ghosts protest or something? Surely there're others who object to this." said Darren.
"Phooey,"Fletcher barely tried to hide his disdain. "What makes you think high-up people like them want to have anything to do with crap like us?"
"Puh-lease, Fletcher," Kat sneered at him. "Spare us the act. We've heard that tripe enough times before."
He stared back daggers at her. Uh-oh, Darren thought. Fletcher was the token self-proclaimed 'smarter than the rest' sort Kat disliked. This was subtly degenerating into a clash.
"I've got enough on my hands already without you two bickering," Mortie played the peacemaker. "Shall we proceed to more pressing matters?"
Fletcher and Kat gave each other a mild scowl. "Let's,"
"Thank you. First of all, Darren, let me educate you on the basics of our plan."
"Now, the reason we can't 'waltz out of the gates' is because the authorities have a record of all new entries. You might've heard that Ghostopia is divided into a Protected and Unprotected side - sort of like the idea of heaven and hell the living world has. Protected Ghostopia, which we're now in, is governed by a body of Angels; likewise, a body of Demons for Unprotected Ghostopia."
"In each of the two realms, two copies of the records are kept - one in the Main Office, another in a Lower Level Office. It goes without saying that we have to destroy all four copies before we can escape. Currently, another Ezisa team in Unprotected Ghostopia is making an attempt on their Lower Level Office - I hope to recieve their report by Friday."
Everyone nodded in deep thought. "So when are we starting our side of the plan?" Kat asked.
"If all goes well on their side, I'll brief you all in Friday's meeting and there we go. If not, which I pray doesn't happen, we'll have to assemble a second team there."
Heart racing fast, Darren just couldn't believe what he had stumbled upon. Here, in this dingy room at the back of a cafe, the seeds of a rebellion were being planted.

Ghostopia, Chapter 26: Living Out Eternity

"You mean...this is all illegal?"
"Illegal is such an ugly word. I prefer to call ourselves underground."
"That aside, Darren," Kat interrupted. "I think we all want to know your motivations for joining a cause like this."
"Yup," added Mortie. "And if you're uninterested, no point in you being here."
Darren pondered for a while. Was he interested? These Ghosts were offering him a chance to no longer be dead - to start again from graduation day, go on being friends with Emily, and carry out all those great plans he'd had for the future. All that in exchange for the small con of being on the wrong side of the law - not that he held any regard for the Ghostopia law anyway.
"I...should. I will. I'll join your group."
"Wonderful news! A round of applause, everyone!"
They started clapping for him, making him feel all the more awkward.
"Let me ask," Mortie smiled at him. "Are you satisfied at the way your life ended?"
"Heck, I don't even know how I died!"
"Whoa!" The Ghost called Scarlet gasped. "How is that possible?"
"That's why it's even harder to accept. I was happily at my graduation ceremony, and suddenly I died. Just like that."
"That's not all bad," Kat said. "You could never imagine the agony most of us went through before our deaths."
"Hey, that's strange. Nelson told me the same thing too."
"Makes you wonder, doesn't it?"
Darren couldn't help thinking if she was murdered, like Nelson was. He dared not pop the question, however.
"I'm not concerned with my death, but my present existence," Todd, another so far anonymous Ghost, spoke up. "This whole idea of Ghostopia is a travesty, it's utterly WRONG! We're all being trapped in a bubble, and they'll trap us till they figure out where this blasted place is supposed to be headed!"
"W-what do you mean by that?" Darren asked, stunned.
"You're still new here," he replied. "You haven't experienced the hopelessness that comes from living with nothing to look forward to."
Kat leaned towards Darren. "There's a lot of politicking going on amongst the authorities. Everyone's having their own opinions on how this world should run - issues on second Deaths, suicides, aging...too many to mention."
"So about last year, the authorities decided to freeze all our ages until they've sorted it all out." added Fletcher.
"You mean..."
"Nobody in Ghostopia grows older by the day. We're all just living out eternity."

reCAPPENING: Ghostopia, Chapters 21-25

Darren persuades Nelson to go to The Haunt again, where the girl from yesterday delivers another breathtaking performance. Unfortunately, the rest of the John Denver-themed night bores Darren to tears.
Fast forward to the end of the night, and as they are about to leave, Kat appears from the other end of the cafe where she'd been all night. She invites Darren to join her for a mysterious meeting being held at the back of the cafe, but Nelson insists on going home. At last Darren decides to not stay with him for the night and follows Kat to the meeting.
Inside the meeting room he finds Kat, four other Ghosts, and surprisingly, Mortie the gatekeeper. Mortie then reveals the agenda of their secret group called the Ezisa - to bring all of them back to the world of the living. As a baffled Darren listens on, Mortie explains that they're not on good terms with the Ghostopia authorities, leading us to Chapter 26.

Ghostopia, Chapter 25: Ezisa

"Who amongst you wants to live again?"
Every face in the room lit up as the other Ghosts affirmed with much excitement. Darren didn't know how to react.
Seeing his uncertainty, Mortie pointed at him. "You...David, right?"
"Darren."
"Beg your pardon, Darren. Now, as I was asking the room, do you not want to live again?"
"I-I don't quite get what you mean."
"Sheesh, it's amazing how young people these days know how to speak but not listen," Mortie clicked his tongue. "Wasn't my question straightforward enough - do you want to live again?"
Hmm. Wasn't this the same guy who told him that he would remain dead "till the skies part"? Surely he didn't mean "live again" in the literal sense.
"Ha ha, he probably thinks you're selling him some beauty product." Kat cracked.
As if on cue everyone burst out laughing. Darren played along sheepishly.
"All right - let me totally, absolutely, utterly clue you in," Mortie wiped away some tears. "Our group here, which I assume you're now part of, is called-"
"Hey, what-"
"Shhh," Kat hushed Darren. "Let him finish."
"We call ourselves the Ezisa, a low-profile group made up of Ghosts with a single mission: to get a second chance at life."
"WHAT? You mean all of you are going to bring yourselves back to life?"
"Now you're talking my language."
"But how? You said to me yourself it would be impossible."
"Why...have you forgotten that I guard the gates of Ghostopia?"
"So we're just going to waltz through the gates, back into the world of the living?"
"That," Mortie pursed his lips. "Would be the ultimate objective. But before that happens, we've got a heck lot of corners to bend."
"Really? Explain." Darren found himself drawn in.
"Good. You're interested. But you have to understand that we cannot give away too much to everyone who walks through that door. We are, after all, not exactly in the good books."

Writer's Block Presents...Loopholes

It's scary what a sleepless mind can do to you...finally decided to take time to read through all the previous chapters of Ghostopia. Sure hope it isn't a case of the Extra Fondness In Your Own Work Syndrome (refer to previous Writer's Block), but the story does seem interesting so far.
However, you aren't spending your precious time to read about me praising my own stories, so let's happy-ise ourselves with a little...

LOOPHOLES IN THE STORY WHICH I MADE A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO FIND

1) The first time Darren meets Kat, she tries to trick him out of his papers. In fact, she makes a living out of cheating people of their things - presumably to sell them off for cash. However, in Chapter 12: The Haunt, Nelson tells Darren that everything in Ghostopia is paid for - you only need to pay the bill right before your second Death. Maybe Kat just likes the smell of fresh bank notes?

2) Big boo-boo here: if you notice, Darren tells Nelson how he died twice - first in Chapter 9: Meeting Nelson ( "Uhh...I was at this graduation, when suddenly everyone started screaming and running away from me. I felt this terrible pain all over me, and next time I knew, I was here." ), then another time in Chapter 13: Bygones ( "At your very own graduation? No way!" "Yeah, and you know the worst part? I still don't know what I died of!" ). Maybe Nelson wanted to be extra sure?

3) In Chapter 24: The Meeting Starts, when Darren knocks on the door, a "gruff voice" answers him. But it is Kat who answers the door, and the other Ghosts inside appear timid even when greeting Darren. Maybe the magical door answered itself?

4) In Chapter 20: Time Passes, Darren hears the bell signalling time in Ghostopia while talking to Kat. He then curiously wonders why there are fourteen chimes, making it obvious that it is his first time hearing the bell. Later on, at, 6 o' clock, he hears the bell again at Nelson's stall. If so, why didn't he hear the bell at 6 o' clock on the first day, when he was most likely at Nelson's stall as well? Maybe I'm just being a jerk?

That's all I could muster with a supposedly conscious effort...let's see if you can make me look dumber! Anyways, going through the whole story has reminded me of several "spare plot devices" I'd cleverly (self-praise IS praise!) planted at the start. And you know what? The best thing about these spare plot devices is that nobody's gonna notice if you don't use them. =^p
Expect a teeny-weeny break as I try to fashion all the swirling bits into something cool. I can truly sense that we're on the verge of it here, let's pray I don't turn it into "Suddenly, Darren wakes up from a dream".
Speaking of which, I could use a piece of sleep myself.
Zzzzzzz.

Writer's Block

Before we proceed with today's very-appealing edition of Writer's Block, I must first direct your attention to this Flash file which I've been crazy over the past few days. I know I'm always recommending Flash files, lol, but this one's just super man...awe-inspiring (not to mention troop-inspiring) track, witty lyrics, and as an added bonus for all you cow-lovers (*coughcoughJillcoughcough*) ...
COWS WITH GUNS!

And now.
The story. That's what we came here for, didn't we?
Yeah, so...the story.
It doesn't take a genius to see that Chapter 24 is gonna be the start of the point where we "go somewhere". Remember all that hoo-hah I made earlier in the story about suicides and mercy killings? That was actually done in foresight, and hopefully it'll give me a useful plot device now. Stir in a generous helping of Kat's mist-te-rioos past, more on Nelson's, and Darren's yet-to-be-mentioned cause of death, and you've got one heck of a thing coming.
Last week I was telling O Liang (not his real name) that I've now totally immersed myself into being the writer, and not the reader. This leads to the threat of me focusing too much on the details that I'm unable to get a grasp on the big picture. Sort of like how an artist always finds his work different when he looks at it from far. Plus, there's this syndrome which nobody has coined a term for yet - the Extra Fondness In Your Own Work Syndrome. The artist analogy for this would be Mr. Artist finding his masterpiece the most beautiful thing to grace God's green earth, while an onlooker says, "Oh, okay. Not bad." (cue artist saying through gritted teeth, "That's it?")
So that's why I need you guys to regularly critique me from where you're standing, and I'm not! Remember, YOU can make a difference. And remember, if I say it enough times, you might start buying it.
Not sure if I've griped about this previously, but 24 Chapters to reach the break-out premise does make for a terribly slow story. Though it was done in the name of character development, I still wish I'd slotted in more ideas from the start along with all that melodrama. Well, here's hoping everything turns out well, and that the hands justify the chins. Or something like that. Btw, this puts me in a bit of a spot, as I can't possibly spend 24 Chapters on "Getting To The Premise", then 30 Chapters on "The Premise Itself". 100 Chapters is so staring me in the face.
Anyone keen to talk about Mortie's return? Somehow, I sense that I'm entertaining myself - hey, it is my blog anyway. Eh-nee-hoo, casting Mortie as the "leader of the cause" came only at the point of writing. I had envisioned a charismatic yet ultimately tragicised (?) guy for the role, with Mortie as a Spook authority. To cut a long story short, I didn't want to buy a new pair of socks while another pair were lying to waste - so there you have it - Mortie, Ghostopia Gatekeeper by day, Leader Of The Cause by night.


Well hey, you know I'm out of material when a strange two-line break pops out. So have a tolerable week ahead, live each day as though you're not a Ghost, and don't do anything I wouldn't do!

Ghostopia, Chapter 24: The Meeting Starts

Curious, Darren wandered to where Kat and the others had went. There didn't seem to be any voices or sounds.
He knocked twice, timidly, on the wooden door.
"Yes?" A gruff voice barked from inside.
"Uhh...Kat asked me to come here."
A few seconds later the door swung open. "Cliched as it may sound," Kat grinned. "I knew you would come."
She led him into a tiny room bathed in red. Four other Ghosts, all apparently workers of the cafe, sat in a circle.
"Hi?" Darren waved nervously upon seeing every pair of eyes trained on him.
"Oh, loosen up," Kat said. "Everyone, meet Darren. Darren, this is Todd, Amelia, Scarlet, and Fletcher."
"Okay. Cool." He nodded repeatedly. Not to mention idiotically.
The others just waved and smiled back meekly.
Suddenly two hard knocks pounded against the door. "Ah, that must be him!" Kat beamed. "Hang on guys, we're starting real soon!"
She opened the door, welcoming in a short plus-sized man. "Sorry I'm late, had some stuff to sort out with the Commissioner." He hung his coat and proceeded to their small circle.
"Hey, it's you!" Darren cried out when the lone light shone on the man's face.
"Yes...it's me - have we met before?"
It was Mortie, the gatekeeper of Ghostopia! Darren hadn't expected to meet him again so soon, more so here of all places.
"Yup, I believe you're the one who entered me into Ghostopia when I first came."
"Heh, I've entered tons of you dudes, I can't recall all of them. But you do ring a bell...yesterday, cause of death unknown?"
"Bingo! That's me!"
"Should've known, you were slightly difficult," he chuckled. "Al'right now, people, let's get on with today's agenda, shall we?"
"Let's!"
"Pst," Darren whispered to Kat. "You haven't told me what's going on yet."
"Don't worry, he'll be getting to that."
"And now, for the benefit of the new ones," Mortie stood up, nostrils flaring. "Who amongst you, I ask - who amongst you wants to live again?"

Ghostopia, Chapter 23: To Meet, Or Not To Meet

"Kat!" Darren jumped. "And when did you get here?"
"Haha, now that's what I call answering a question with a question," she laughed. "I was here all night - maybe you missed me, what with the flashing lights and all."
"Uh-huh...yeah, guess I did." he shrugged.
She shrugged back.
"Oh hey, there you are," Nelson came over, then glanced at Kat. "You too."
She uttered a barely audible "hi" to him. "So, you guys headed home?"
"Y...eah," Darren looked at Nelson. "It's...uh, getting late."
"Okay. Bye."
Nelson turned to leave, visibly tired. Darren trudged reluctantly behind him, but there just was a niggling feeling inside, as if Kat was witholding from him the answer to some riddle.
"Hey, er..."
She looked at him. "Yeah?"
"Where're you going?"
"The meeting."
"Huh? What meeting?"
"Come join me if you wanna find out."
She walked off hurriedly to the back of the cafe, followed by three of the waiters. What meeting did she mean? Was it one for the cafe workers? But if so, why did she ask him to come along as well? Somehow, she always found a way to pique his curiousity every time they met.
"Dude, you coming or not?" Nelson called out from the entrance.
"Wait," he said. "They're having some sort of meeting back there, and she invited me to come along."
"Oh, man...you can't be serious. It's probably for the workers or something."
"But then why would she invite me?"
"I don't know! Listen...I'm really beat now, either you follow me home with me now, or I'll see you tomorrow at the stall."
"Uhh..."
He knew it would be plain foolish to risk sleeping on the streets just for finding out what the meeting was about. But yet, he wasn't in any way sleepy - maybe due to him having half-slept through all the performances - and, and...and something.
"All right then, I'll see you at the stall tomorrow."
"Cool. Good night."
Seeing Nelson vanish down the street, Darren couldn't help wondering if he'd made a dumb choice.

Ghostopia, Chapter 22: So Went The Night

Breathtaking, even more so than the night before. Every single note, each word, the mood, all was perfect. Not a Ghost was seen seated or not joining in the raptous applause.
She clutched her mic tightly, seemingly overwhelmed by the crowd. "Thank you, all of you. Enjoy your meal."
"Great, isn't she?" Nelson said to a fazed Darren.
"Yeah."
Darren plonked himself back on his seat, taking a bite out of the Salad du Occulte which he hadn't even notice arriving at their table. The more he saw her, the more this girl reminded him of Emily. They both had such charming vibes which one could easily fall for without words or overly noticable mannerisms. However, Darren thought, he wasn't one to fall in love at first sight.
"Hoa yeah," Nelson grinned broadly. "Here comes another one."
A goofy-faced bloke dressed up cowboy-style took to the stage, guitar in hand. "Howdy, y'all," he drawled in a very fake accent. "Y'all ready for more?"
The cafe rang loud with hoots and cheers. Darren groaned, albeit to himself.
"Lets'all riiiiide down the ol' country road! Yee-haw!"
Amidst a cheesy track of desert-themed sounds playing softly in the background, he started belting out John Denver's Take Me Home, Country Roads. It wasn't particularly great or bad, just ho-hum, dum-dee-dum.
As Darren had feared, it was only the first of a thoroughly uninspiring night. There were only so many country tunes he could take before being on the verge of throwing up. And yet nobody else seemed to feel the same way he did. Not even Nelson.
"This one's called...Take Me To Tomorrow." said the umpteenth John Denver wannabe. Darren stifled a yawn. He'd never even heard of that song before.
Another sleep-inducing few hours passed before the show finally ended. Chattering excitedly amongst themselves, the Ghosts started filing out of the cafe. It was every bit as packed as when Darren and Nelson came in earlier.
"Well, I did ask you twice about coming here," Nelson smirked at seeing Darren's bored face.
"Oh, it's all right. Come, let's go."
Just when Darren was feeling mightily disappointed for being subjected to a tepid night and not seeing Kat, it happened. It had to happen. Kat came out of nowhere and slapped him on the back.
"Hey, what's up! Now, when did you two get here?"

Ghostopia, Chapter 21: The Haunt, Again

"Um, well," Darren half-pondered. "I dunno, why not the same place as last night?"
"You mean The Haunt?"
"The Haunt? Yeah, yeah! That's the place."
"Hmm...sure you don't wanna check out somewhere new?"
"Some other time, maybe? Kat said she would be there."
"Really."
"Haha, yeah, she seems like a girl of many tales."
Nelson gave him a weird look. "Ohh-kay."

The two made their way across a row of tables, squinting to see where Kat was. It was difficult to make out faces in the ghostly lighting The Haunt chose to go with tonight.
"Sure is crowded here tonight, isn't it?" Darren quipped.
"Yeah. Must be something special going on."
Nudging past the crowd, they finally managed to spot an empty table at an extended corner. "Where's that Kat? I sure hope she didn't stand you up again." Nelson smirked.
Hmm. She did say she would be here most nights, didn't she? "Ehh...don't worry. She's probably somewhere around."
"But of course, it's no big deal if she doesn't show up." He quickly added.
"Point taken, dude."
Then just as they were preparing to order, the stage lit up in a flash of colours. The same girl from yesterday stepped out, adorned in similar flowing robes and inch-thick makeup.

If I were taken away
This very time and day
None beside
Alone for the ride
I'll just go
Where fate takes me to
Life and death, all the same

If he asked me once more
I still would have said no
Faces I knew
Matter not still
There I'll be
Sleeping souls beside me
Warmth and cold, all the same

Taken away
Down the road of eternity
Past the tunnels
Slowly I lose my sanity
It's all taken away
From me

reCAPENNING: Ghostopia, Chapters 16-20

After hearing Darren and Kat bicker about each other's 'crimes' (Kat stealing Darren's papers, Darren tailing Kat), the Spooks arrest them both, along with Nelson, and imprison them for the night.
Inside the prison cell, Kat snaps at them both for judging her the way everyone else does: a conniving consperson. Though Darren and Nelson soften their stance after hearing that she has nowhere to stay, she rejects their sympathy. Nelson tells Darren that the circumstances surrounding her death might relate to her bitter attitude.
The next morning, after they get released, Darren invites her to stay with them once again. Following another cold refusal, he tells her off, calling her 'self-pitying'. This strikes a chord, opening her up more to him. However, she still turns down the offer of staying at their place, apparently not telling the truth about being homeless. Before walking off, she invites him to drop by The Haunt at nights, where she rents a room to live in.
Darren then tags along with Nelson to work at the marketplace. Following an uneventful day, Nelson again decides to take Darren out to the city, leading us into Chapter 21.

Writer's Block

What? We're due for a Recappening AGAIN? Sheesh, somebody seems to be blogging too regularly again...
Anyway, let's leave that summarising exercise for tomorrow, nobody reads it anyway. A lookback at where this tale of Ghostopia is at now, Chapter 20, brought to you in comparative perspective.
At the Chapter 20 stage of my first story, "Blogspot", we're already through with Toby/Melly, Moby/Telly, Archiver, The Most Confusing Fight Scene Of All Time, and nearing the end of the fight scene with U.
And as for "The Secret Room", hahahahaha. By Chapter 20, we have Will, Jimmy, and Jan excited about the Secret Room, a whole lot of (mis)adventures with Mrs. Banks, Stella, Stella's past, Stella disappearing, and Jimmy disappearing.
How does Ghostopia fare at the same stage, then? Let's see...Darren's dead, he meets Mortie, then Kat, gets conned by Kat, meets Nelson, stays with Nelson, goes to The Haunt, re-runs into Kat, goes after her, encounters the Spooks, gets imprisoned, talks with Kat, blah blah, and here we are on the verge of Day 2, Nightime.
Huh. I was thinking Ghostopia would be the draggy long-winded one, especially seeing how dialogue-centric the past few Chapters have been. But surprise, surprise, it's coming out pretty tight. Held up against the previous two stories, I prefer the "blending of scenes" here more - and that, IMHO, is due to a clearer grasp on the overall story. Roughly translated as REFRAIN, lol.

Some random points in ya face:
What, you can't read them?
Boo hoo hoo.

• I kid you not, this story could go up to 70 Chapters if we go by the masterplan I have. As mentioned in a previous Writer's Block, we're starting on establishing The Haunt as a meeting place of some sort.
• I was actually thinking of not making Kat all buddy-buddy with Darren yet, but then we just wouldn't have anything left for Day Two. And there would be difficulty bringing her up again. Some dishes are best served hot, no?
• Oh lookie, poor Nelson is back to the bottom of the "character development" chart. Hope he doesn't turn into some wise-cracking sidekick a la Disney. Nah. Don't worry, I've great things planned for him.
• Where's that Emily girl? Funny I keep mentioning Emily, seeing that see only got in a grand total of ONE (1) line. She'll figure in the later parts of the story in a BIG way - shhh!
• I'm still complaining that I haven't splashed more colour/details on the world of Ghostopia. Instead, the characters are getting it all. Well, whaddaya expect from Mr. Form 5 Essay? Ohoho.
• When should I drop the bomb on Kat's death? I don't know, you tell me.
• Haha, just kidding. I do know.
• Moving away from the story: I was engrossed with this site for most of Wednesday afternoon, and last night: xombified.com . It's basically a series of Flash animations done in storyline format by this "normal" guy, now up to Chapter 5 (b). Though my worst fears that everyone in the Flash world has already heard of it have been confrimed, do check it out if you haven't done so. Simply the story I wish I'd thought of.
• Last But Not Lea...whoops, I mean, In A Nutshel...sorry, In Conclusi...agh, no escaping them darned cliches. Anyway, signing off with this: today happens to be Friday, May the 13th. Sincerely hope you understand the significance of it other than Bad Luck Day.
• That was all, In A Nutshell.

Ghostopia, Chapter 20: Time Passes

"Okay."
"You're not disappointed, are you?" Kat laughed.
"Nah," Darren quickly tried to sound as normal as he could. "Well...guess I'll be seeing you around."
"Stop it, you're cracking me up with the dramatics," she sniggered. "If you've got nothing going on, come meet me up at The Haunt. I'm there most nights."
"Sure, sure."
A bell went off with a resounding dong, startling Darren. Another dong, followed by another, then more. He was sure of counting fourteen chimes at least.
"Would you just look at the time!" Kat cried. "Fourteen hours of the day left, and I'm here still loafing around with you!"
"Oh," Darren thought to himself, understanding now. He mentally calculated the time to be 10 o' clock.
"Well," Kat extended her hand to shake his. "Goodbye!"
"Goodbye."
Seeing her walk off, he had a feeling she would turn around and smile or wave back at him. But she did nothing of that sort.

The rest of the day passed very uneventfully for a second day of afterlife. Darren followed Nelson to the marketplace which appeared every bit the same as it did yesterday. Most times he was polishing silverware, or smiling forcefully at stuck-up customers. The two didn't talk much, apart from a twenty minute lunch break. And even that was spent mostly on trivial stuff about Nelson's stall.
"Thank you; do come again, madam," Nelson said for the umpteenth time today at another customer who wasn't interested in "cheap metals".
"Cheap metals? Look who's talking." Darren whispered to Nelson, annoyed.
"Heh, just grin and bear with it, pal."
Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong!
"It's...um, six o' clock?"
"Yup, that's what they called it when we were alive. Time to pack up - market's closed!"
Wiping his hands dry, Darren stuffed some brass teapots into a crate. He couldn't help yawning a little.
"That tiring, huh?" Nelson grinned and put an arm round his shoulder.
He almost shot back, "More like boring", but held his tongue just in time. "Nah, I'm okay."
"Care to dine out again tonight? My treat."
"Sure. What do you have in mind?"

Ghostopia, Chapter 19: Kat's Reply

"You know what, Kat? I guess you're right." Darren shrugged his shoulders. "I'm probably doing this so that I can make you feel sorry sorry yourself, though you don't seem to need help with that. After all, my death was a joyride compared to yours."
Having said that, he walked away from her. "Bye, Kat. Have fun."
She stood still.
"You're not the first person to have called me that."
He turned around. "Called you what?"
"Self-pitying."
"Well, are you self-pitying?"
"Am I? I have every right to be."
"Kat, I know many bad things must've happened to you in the past, both while you were living and after that. But if you keep at the way you are now, the bad will make way for even more bad."
She laughed sneeringly. "You sure are one for motivational talk. Though I didn't buy an inch of that crap you just spewed, but...yeah, thanks."
For no reason Darren found his ears growing hot. "Uh...well, welcome."
She flicked back a loose hair and continued smiling.
"So, ah...where were we?"
"You were about to invite me to stay at your place, I believe."
"Uh, yeah. I mean, no, it's not actually my place. Though I think Nelson did seem okay with it last night. Did he? He did, right?"
Kat's eyes narrowed. "Come again?"
"I mean," he swallowed. "You can come over. If you want to, that is."
"If I want to...if I want to..."
"Yup. If you want to."
Darren coughed, a little somewhat nervously.
"You know what," At last she replied. "I was just exaggerating when I said I lived out in the streets. Most nights, I rent a little room inside that cafe you saw me in last night."
"You mean you work there?"
"Can't say I'm working there - more like leaching off them for a little something in return."
"So...guess that means a 'no' to staying with us?"
"Right. That's a no."

Ghostopia, Chapter 18: Second Day

"So you mean she's probably bitter about the way she died?"
"Heck, most of us younger ones are. Just seems weird that she hasn't gotten over it after so long."
"Exactly how long has she been in Ghostopia?"
"I don't know, she was here even before I set up my stall."
"And how long have you been here?"
"Um," Nelson scratched his chin. "It's hard to tell, I don't keep track of time here. But it can't be less than a year."
"So she's been at it at this while - this consperson thing?"
"Yeap. Each and every day."
Suddenly an intoxicating humming sound filled the cell. "Huh," yawned Nelson. "That sound. It's so..."
"Sleepy..." Darren's head drooped. "Sleepeee..."
Without even realising it, they both dozed off.

"Up, up, all three of you!" A loud voice barked, jolting them awake.
Darren stirred first, followed by the other two. Already rays of morning sunlight were casting shadows on the wall.
"Who's that?" mumbled Kat dreamily.
"I SAID UP!" The voice repeated itself, raised this time. "Go home - you, you, and you!"
They staggered to their feet, still unsure of what was going on. Unlocking their cell door was, as anyone could guess, a Spook.
"So...no charges?" Darren grinned.
The Spook only grunted.
"Heh...I'll take that as a no."
Quietly they filed out, grabbed their belongings from the counter in front, and stepped out of the station. It was a bright breezy morning, not unlike when Darren first found himself in Ghostopia.
"Man, it's getting late. Let's go home and wash up, then I'm off to the marketplace." quipped Nelson.
"Sure."
Kat didn't say a word. She just walked off, hands in pockets.
"Where's she headed to?"
"How would I know?"
"Hey!" Darren caught up with her. "Why don't you come stay with us till you find somewhere better?"
Kat turned around with that "leave me alone, pal" look on her. "You're still at it, aren't you? What are you trying to get out of me, Darren? What exactly do you want, huh?"

Writer's Block: The Funeral

Your feet are cold
the heart is still
Your lids are shut
the face is pale

She's in a better place, they say
but still tears flow
The sombre procession march
Nothing said, nothing told
Glances of sorrow
One glance
Another
Till the last look

Serenely she lies
The woman they love
and care for
The woman they loved
and cared for

The ignorant call it blind hope
Something said to heal hurts
But we too, look forward
to the day
We walked the face of this earth

(Dedicated to Auntie Angela, who passed away at the dawn of Sunday. This comes after a week of many deaths, including Krishen Jit whom I never got to meet. Rather death-heavy writings we've been getting these past months - which goes to show how real death is)

Writer's Block

5 Chapters and 1 Recappening, and we're back to refresh ourselves at another Writer's Block!
I've finally pinpointed the root cause of the "cliffhanger at every end of chapter" problem...it's because of how I go about updating my story.
Step One, start off with a few lines.
Step Two, continue with more lines till I almost max out the page (before a scroll bar appears)
Step Three, press Enter till the scroll bar becomes roughly half the length of the box where I write my stuff.
Step Four, estimate how many lines I have left to write before the post of the day is of passable length, then FILL IT UP.
Shame on you, Step Four! And shame on myself as well, for giving life to Step Four. That is so not the way to write, looking forward to constantly wrap things up by hitting word-count milestones. It usually ends up with me either plodding on with meaningless dialogue just to complete a post, or rushing through an entire scene with just a few lines of dialogue. Take for example, that scene where the three get arrested by the Spooks. It had sounded quite...um, crisp when I wrote it, but reading back now it seems like it could've used more meat.
Another drawback of such short chapters - they make me short-sighted to the "big picture". Yeah, storyline arcs, whatever. If this is going to be a long-drawn story, methinks the dialogues, descriptions and everything-under-the-sun CANNOT always be confined to the length of a single chapter. Like you can see in Chapter 17, I'm experimenting with dialogue which spans across chapters. Of course, such long-drawn-ness could lead to a potentially boring read where two guys talk for 3 chapters. Or, you know, we gotta wait till Chapter 50 before something happens. Let's see how it works.
And I still haven't touched on anything about the plot yet? Mannn...let's get this over and done with.
You smarter ones will probably pick up that the Spooks aren't a one-time attraction; they'll basically end up as your not-so-nice authority figures whom our protagonists will battle. More will have to be added to their characters later on, lest they become mixed up with those yucky Dementors from Harry Potter. Yeah, sue me!
Wasn't expecting to pull the trigger on Kat's background so soon, but it could happen in the next few chapters, or it may not. Again, I'm getting afraid that this story could turn out too lengthy. I mean, it's already Chapter 17, and we've barely skimmed the introductions. Lately I've been having recurring nightmares of The Bold And The Beautiful. Eew. Anyway, gonna love coming up with Kat's "cause of death" and background!
And Nelson's background!
And Darren!
And Emily!
WHEE~!
Nitey nitey! =)

Ghostopia, Chapter 17: Cause Of Death

Once more she shot them 'the look'. "Oh, so now you're gonna take pity on me just because I asked you to?"
"Uh, hey-"
"Well, you can just take it and shove it! I've never lived by the pity of others, never needed it; and if you think you're so special, you've got another thing coming, buster!"
"Look here, little girl," Darren gritted his teeth. "I haven't had the best day of my life so far, and you sure didn't make it better by betraying my trust and running off with my stuff. So if you'd just put a lid on that me-me-me act there, I'm sure the world would be a much better place."
"Guys, guys-"
"Oh, and I suppose I'm having the time of my life stuck with you two nimrods?" Kat cut off Nelson's vain attempt at quelling the arguement. "Hey, actually I am having a swinging time! This so totally beats wandering out on the streets figuring out who to cheat the next morning so that I can stay alive!"
"Whoa, you actually don't have a place to stay?" asked Nelson in shock.
Darren tried to come up with a snide reply, but saw that it was pointless. "That's...um, sad. What happened?"
"None of your business." she scowled.
"Hey, come on," Darren sighed. "Who knows, maybe we can help. I'm sure Nelson here has got some extra rooms in his house."
She pretended to be asleep.
"Leave her alone," Nelson said. "We should be getting some sleep too."
"Okay," he shrugged. "Any idea what her problem is?"
"We've been guessing for some time. Most likely related to her cause of death, they say."
"Why? What do you mean?"
"Every Ghost feels differently when they find themselves here. Some die with no regrets, some die bitterly, some tragically. Since your death is the last experience you had in the previous world, the emotions usually carry on to shape your personality in Ghostopia."

Ghostopia, Chapter 16: Doing Time

"Spooks?"
"Yeah, Spooks. They're the enforcers of authority in Ghostopia, always going round at night to weed out troublemakers. Trust me, you don't want to run into them without a terribly valid excuse."
"You, hiding there! I hear you!"
To their horror one of the Spooks just whizzed itself beside them and grabbed a collar in each hand. In a blink it whizzed them back to the other Spooks before Darren could even catch his breath.
"Explain yourself, eavesdropper." The Spook standing nearest to them snarled.
Kat's mouth fell open. "You! I thought I lost you!"
Then cunningly she turned to the Spooks. "Sirs, these two were the ones following me! I want them arrested at once."
"How dare you!" Darren spat back. "She conned me and stole my papers this morning! I want her arrested as well!"
"I've never seen this guy in my life ever! He's mad! Arrest him!"
"Oh, would you believe it! Now she's tricking you Spooks as well! Arrest her!"

"It's all your stupid fault."
"Shut up, moron."
Darren, Nelson, and Kat found themselves in - surprise, surprise - a dingy prison cell. They would most likely be detained for the night till supposed "investigations" were completed.
An unbearable stillness hung in the air before Nelson decide to play peacemaker.
"So, Kat, how and when did you come to Ghostopia? You've made quite a name for yourself, you know."
She stared daggers at Nelson. "Oh, I've made a name, huh? Kat The Consperson? Is that it?"
"Er-"
"You know, everyone thinks I'm evil," she said. "They look at me and think how much I like cheating newcomers out of their possessions. But no one ever cares about the rest of me!"
For a lengthy period no one said a word. Then Darren spoke up.
"Okay, lady, we're hearing you now. What about the rest of you?"

reCAPPENING: Ghostopia, Chapters 11-15

After showing Darren his house, Nelson takes him to the city for some sightseeing and dinner. They end up in a cafe called "The Haunt", where Darren learns another quirk of Ghostopia - you need not pay for any expenses till right before your second death!
In an ensuing conversation, Nelson reveals that he was murdered in a gang fight in the previous world. Before they can continue, a girl comes onstage to sing as part of the joint's entertainment. Her song "Bygones" wows the crowd and Darren as well. However, the other performances make the night pass dully for him.
Out of the blue, he spots Kat on the other side of the room. After alerting Nelson, they decide to go after her. Kat notices them as well and leads the two on a chase down the busy streets. Eventually they manage to catch up with her, after she thinks they aren't on her heels anymore.
Then three huge outlined forms show up to intimidate Kat, though she counters smartly by saying she was just using this route home to escape from some stalkers. From their hiding place, Nelson silently reveals to Darren that those beings are called Spooks, leading us into Chapter 16.

Ghostopia, Chapter 15: Something Spook-y

The two found themselves tailing Kat down the street, constantly making sure she didn't notice them. It was a good thing the streets were still filled, making her lose sight of them soon enough. "Think she knows we're still following her?" Darren asked Nelson as they hid themselves behind an unused Shifter.
"Guess not, she doesn't seem in a hurry."
"Good. So when do you reckon we catch up with her?"
"There's a stretch upfront with many bends. Once she goes in there, we can catch up with her without her knowing."
They shadowed her for a couple more minutes before arriving at the said bend. Though Kat didn't notice them on her heels, she continued at a steady pace without making any stops. As soon as she disappeared behind the wall Nelson motioned to Darren to speed up.
The street became dimmer and narrower, eventually resembling more a back alley. They kept track of Kat's distance by following her more and more frantic-sounding footsteps, also at the same time trying hard to not give themselves away.
Suddenly, the footsteps stopped. Had she realised that they were there? Darren and Nelson held their breaths and halted, knowing she might be listening for clues.
Then some voices boomed from where Kat likely was, perking their curiousity.
"Ain't it past your bedtime yet, missy?"
"You're one of those rascals from the other side, aren't you?"
"I believe there's a picture of you up somewhere in the chief's office."
Darren quietly inched his head above the wall to see what was going on. Three hulking forms with only outlines for bodies surrounded Kat, who was trying her best to look unperturbed.
"You got it all wrong, sirs. Some suspicious-looking guys were following me back home just now, and I had to use this shortcut to shake them off."
"Suspicious-looking men? How did they look like?"
"Umm..let's see. There were two of them. One had this pair of nerdy spectacles on, and the other was pretty buffed up."
"Hey, she's describing us!" Darren whispered to Nelson who was listening intently behind the wall. "But who are those people anyway?"
"They're big, and have no bodies?"
"Uh-huh."
"Shoot," Nelson wiped his brow. "This can't be good. They're Spooks."