Portfolio Guide

Welcome to a few of my favorite stories, retold and expressed in a different light.  Hope you enjoy!

(Cupid and Psyche's Statue.  Wikipedia Commons.)  

(Hut in the Woods.  Pixabay.)

 

THE FORBIDDEN LOVE:

For the first story I chose, it is not quite a favorite.  It isn't one of them, because of the challenge I didn't meet when writing the story.  Maybe this will help fulfill the challenge in the recreation of this beautiful story.

A love story that was promising in the beginning, yet ended in turmoil, one that shouldn't be spoken of.

THE POWER OF FOUR:

There once was a cottage in the woods where a witch, Serena, raised her four children, Alder, Baker, Ginjer and Blake.  Two sons and two daughters, a set of twins each.  Being a single mother and her children still in training, she told her children a story of a scary creature lurking in the night.  She wanted them to be careful and cautious of who to answer the door for, especially when she's gone running errands... 

(Moonlit ocean.  Flickr.)

WISHFUL CONSEQUENCES:

Dive deep into a story of an unhappy man who wishes for nothing more than to live a simple and easy life, but gets what he deserves when life teaches him a lesson. 

Storytelling, Week 6: Wishful Consequences

(Wishing Fountain.  Flickr.)

In a small village in Laos, there lived a man by the name of Cain, whom most call Ai Cain with 'Ai' meaning big brother, because he was the oldest of all those that worked as a bull and cattle herder.  Laos is considered to have tropical weather year-round and winter considered as monsoon season.  Because of the tropical weather, it can get quite hot in the summer, to the point of scorching hot.

Ai Cain was okay with his position, but hated the heat very much.  He hated it so much that he wished he could be a cow, because they live so leisurely and travel with whomever takes them.  They also don’t seem so bothered by the heat.  Ai Cain spoke of this to a worker of his and he happened to know someone who could fulfill his wish.  This person was the village’s lady shaman that lived in a hut-like home.

Ai Cain had gone to visit her beyond the village travelling by foot in the scorching hot weather and was even surer of wanting this transformation.  Nearing her home, he sees a short, little lady standing by the open door.  She had been waiting for him to arrive.  He asked her to change him into a cow for he wanted to live a simple life.  She scrunched her brows, looking concerned; she mentioned that there would be consequences.  He didn’t care for such as he didn’t believe in karma or fate.

Without hesitation, she brought him to her backyard and there she built a fire.  Ai Cain, as curious as he was, wondered why she created a fire when it was already hot.  She pressed her index finger to her lips, while closing her eyes.  She then pressed her hands together in the form of prayer hands, standing tall and still.  She reaches to her back pocket where she kept some herbs, knowing she would perform the ritual and grabs a handful dousing it into the fire and begins her chant.  Letting the fire burnout on its own in order for the transition to take place, Ai Cain passes out. 

He awakens the next day in the village next to his cart. He stands, confused, looking down and behind him; he sees hooves rather than hands and feet as well as a furry back and a tail.  He wants to scream for joy, but can’t and instead he snorts a few snorts of glee. 

Ai Cain notices that he is attached to his cart, not free to move.  His worker that helped him find the shaman has also taken his place in leading the herd.  They begin to move and herd the cattle and bulls.  As this occurs, Ai Cain’s worker whips him to move faster.  Though furious, there is nothing he can do.  They arrive at a stop and his worker feeds him some grass and water, not knowing that he is Ai Cain himself.  Ai Cain, hurt from the whippings, is still hot from the sun as well but after drinking his water, he realizes that this was his consequence.  Rather than living as a cow for the rest of his life, he decides that he wants to become the ocean.  He prays to be the ocean and hopes the shaman heads his prayer. 

Sensing his prayer, the shaman knew he would regret being a cow and helps him in his transition to become the ocean.  She walks out to her yard and does the same ritual as before. The transformation is a process and so he must endure the rest of his day as a cow.  Arriving in a town near his village, unsure whether his wish was granted he falls asleep waiting for the next day.

It arrives and as he awakens, he feels a cool breeze and his body moving as a current beneath the sun.  He is the ocean!  Feeling blessed, he feels as if there will be nothing wrong from hereon.  

Enjoying the breeze he begins to feel the fish swimming within him and he notices a boat riding the waves.  He then feels sharp pains as the people try to fish with their sharp rods.  With the unpleasantness of this, he wishes no more to be the ocean.  As night falls, he sees the moon in all its bright, serenity.  He wishes to be the moon and hopes the shaman heads his prayer.

The shaman, growing weary of his wants, she gives him one last chance.  Unbeknownst to him, she changes him with the same ritual, but this time rather than letting the fire burnout, at the end of the ritual, she pours water into the fire to end his cycle.

With all of the turmoil, Ai Cain’s day has ended as the ocean and his soul is immediately transferred to the moon.  Cast out in the night sky, looking down on everyone, he smiles with pure joy that he no longer has to suffer the heat of the day and the torture of those around him.

‘Lo and behold the next day arrives, the sun is out and so is he.  Hiding in the sky, he opens his eyes, feeling a burning sensation.  He looks above him, not very far off the horizon, the sun is still beaming on him.  He can’t escape the sun!  Upset, he prays for the shaman to help him.  As the shaman walks out of her home, looking up she tells him she can no longer help and explains why. 

From then on he must suffer the heat of the sun in the day and lonesome nights above.

Author's Note:  I chose this story of The Man in the Moon, because it resonated with me.  Not only being a story from my parent's country, but just one that teaches all of us that you must suffer the consequences given to you.  The original story is about a man who was a blacksmith and he changed into various forms, because he hated the heat from working as a blacksmith.  In the end he becomes the moon and cannot change back, because he has changed too much.  I tried a different writing style this time around with no dialogue.  I felt this could be better off as a narrative, though it is long and may be a tough read, but I hope it offers a story-telling experience!

Bibliography:  Laos Folk-Lore: The Man in the Moon by Katherine Neville Fleeson.

Storytelling Week 5: The Power of Four

There once was a cottage in the woods of Germany where a witch, Heather, raised her four children, Alder, Baker, Ginjer and Blake.  Two sons and two daughters, a set of twins each.  Being a single mother and her children still in training, she told her children a story of a scary creature lurking in the night.  She wanted them to be cautious of answering the door, especially when she was gone running errands.

"Alright, kids, I'm on my way to fetch us something to eat. Be sure to keep the doors locked and answer to no one." The kids nodded towards her as she gave them each a kiss on the forehead.  "On second thought, I will mark the door with a seal and if you hear my knock to the chimes of a song, break the seal to let me in."

Alder, the oldest, asked, "How will we know it truly is you?  Anyone can knock with a song."

"If you are uncertain, ask me a question about old Clementine.  I should know the answer and you will hear my voice." They then agreed and she went about her way to the shops in town.

All the while, the creature was crawling near, listening to their conversation.

(In the Woods.  Flickr. )

Hungry and curious about how these kids would taste, the creature decided to go to a witch in order to transform into a human.  Unbeknownst to him, the mother and both twins were a family of warlocks and witches...

Crawling towards the witch's home he stood in front of the door.  "Witch!  I have a request to make!" 

The witch opened the door. “Oh?  Look what we have here.  What might that request be?” she asked him.

“I want to change my appearance to become human, but not my hunger for humans,” the creature demanded.  The witch then requested, “In return, you will give me your soul.”  And the 

creature had no choice but to accept if he truly wanted the children.

The witch changed him into a human.  He then went to search for Heather.  Not so used to being human, the creature struggled with his senses.  Unable to scout the mother with just a sniff, he kept looking. 

An hour passed and he finally found her in a market picking vegetables and fruits.  He had the idea to seduce her in order to trap them in their home, once he got close to her.

He picked up a ripe apple, paid the vendor upfront and took a bite.  “Mmm…these apples are quite delicious.”  He breathed in through his nose while chewing and smiled at Heather, who was standing next to him.  

She glanced back at him, smiling. “Yes, they are.  If you like their apples, you should try their strawberries.  They're just as sweet.”

They conversed as she was still shopping, walking side by side.  Smitten, she invited him back home to have dinner with her family.  Of course he agreed instantly.

~~~

As the sun was setting, they arrived back at the house.  Heather knocked on the door with the melody and Alder asked the question about old Clementine.  She shouted a German word only they would understand.

Alder opened the door and they ran, hugging their mother.  “You’re finally home!” Baker shouted gleefully.  

“Yeah!  We’ve been waiting forever!” Ginjer snapped at her.  

“Alright, alright.  I’m home now.” She gestured them to settle down.  “Well, I want y’all to meet…I never got your name,” she pointed to the creature.  

“Ah…just call me Taylor,” he nervously replied.

She smiled and said, “Say hello to Mr. Taylor everyone.  Be nice.”  She headed to the kitchen and began prepping for dinner.  Ginjer and Blake helped her while Alder and Baker entertained ‘Mr. Taylor.’

Taylor, growing impatient, finally grabbed Alder and Baker and bolted out of the house.  Heather realized what happened and chased after them with Ginjer and Blake. 

“Stop right there!” Heather sent a jolt of magic to stun Taylor.  Feeling uneasy, she shouted a revealing spell and turned him back into the creature.  “I knew it!”  The creature got back up and bolted toward Heather, jumping and biting her. 

Terrified, the children screamed and as they did, an aura formed around all of them.  Their powers were coming into light.  Though the youngest of them all, Blake reached her hand toward the creature and sent an electric shock stunning him even more; she was the first to reveal her ability to emit and control electricity.  Ginjer then lifted the creature without a touch, revealing her ability to levitate objects, throwing him against a tree.  Baker walked to the creature and with one touch, he killed him with the ability to emit pain, however and whenever he wanted.  Alder, although the oldest, was the most confused as to why he couldn't control anything. 

Crying, Alder walked up to his mother, picked her up and held her dearly.  With just a hug, she awakened.  Surprised, Heather looked up at him smiling weakly. “Of course you would have the power to heal with love.”

They trod home.  Though disheartened by what had happened, the children had finally become strong and didn’t need their mother to protect them anymore.

Author's Note:  I wrote my story based on the original The Wolf and the Goat, about a goat mother and her four goat children.  The mother was leaving to run errands and told the kids not to open the door unless they saw her red hoof, but the wolf heard the entire conversation.  He painted his paw red and tricked the children to open the door for him, which they did.  He took three, while the fourth hid.  Once the mother came back, the fourth kid told what happened and she went on a search.  Upon meeting the wolf, she demands a fight and as they prep for battle, she decides to trick him into drinking water prior to the fight.  He falls for the trick and falls into the stream of which they drink, leaving the goats free of harm and from being eaten.
My version of the story shows a more mystical side.  Not quite a lesson learned, but overcoming fear, working together, and fighting out of love can triumph in the end.  Being a single mom is hard.  I may not be one, but I know that they are smart and raise strong children that can grow to become better and return the favor in treating their mothers with the respect and love they deserve.

Bibliography:  Persian Tales: The Wolf and the Goat translated by D.L.R. and E.O. Lorimer.  Link.

Week 2 Storytelling: The 'Forbidden' Love

“Ah..the day has come, for me to wed thee,” Psyche says to her future husband, Leo, as they wake up from their warm slumber.  She is facing him, lying on his chest.  

“Ha ha!  You’re such a sucker for old-school love stories,” Leo laughs playfully.

“Well, you know how much I love Shakespeare.  That’s how we bonded, remember?  Young and innocent children, working in a play for school.  Shakespeare’s famous Romeo and Juliet!” She jumps out of bed, twirling and reaching for near and far.

(The famous Romeo and Juliet!  Wikipedia Commons.)

“Hmm…yeah…those were the good ol’ days..” He reminisces, watching his fiancee twirling around.  As she is about to turn his way and reach for him, he jumps up and grabs her right hand, pulling her in close to him.  

Their faces meet inches away…he kisses her forehead.  “Now, my love, we shall prepare for the celebration tonight!”

She touches Leo’s chest, nearly pushing him away, “Wait..have you heard from Aro?”

He looks at her with his head cocked to the side in confusion. “You know what?  No.  I’m sure he’ll be at the reception.  Now quick, we don’t have much time!”

It is already 8 o’clock, so they get dressed and head out to the church and the venue to prep for the afternoon ceremony and evening reception.  

It is now 11 o’clock and Psyche is preparing for the ceremony in one of the dressing rooms in the church.  She is accompanied by her mother, Pamela, her two sisters, Prim and Piper, and her grandmother, Penelope.  Piper finishes up Psyche's hair and make-up, in slight tears. “My goodness...you make such a beautiful bride...”

(Wedding Preparation, Bride's ring.  Flickr.)

“Oh stop!  You just did my make-up.  Don’t make me cry!” Psyche cries to Piper as she pushes her left shoulder playfully.  

Pamela comes up to Psyche, brushing her left cheek lightly. “You really are beautiful…how proud I am of you.” They are all crying tears of joy, fanning their faces trying not to let their make-up run.  Pamela then helps her put on her dress and as she is tightening the back seams...

THE DOORS SLAM OPEN…”Where is Psyche?!?” a man with a mask yells.  Four other men accompany him with weapons.

“Ahhh!” The women scream in horror.  The man that spoke sees Psyche, goes and grabs her right forearm.  “Noo!” Her mother screams as she tries to pull her back from him.  The other men come by and yank her off of Psyche and stand in front of each woman, preventing them from saving her.  

The weapons were only used as threats.

“Let’s go!” the man yells at his comrades.  They disappear into the night…

~~~

Psyche cries and screams, “LEOOOOOOOO!  LEOOOOOOO!!!” They finally muffle her with a napkin dabbed with a sleeping chemical.  She passes out.

~~~

In horror, her mother runs up to Leo, "Psyche's been kidnapped!!!  Leo, please find her!!"

Leo runs out of the dressing room and out to the parking lot of the church.  He's searching and screaming. “PSYCHEEEE! Where have you gone?!?!”  He begins to run, not thinking about driving or anything.  He just runs and runs, screaming out her name.

Wherever Psyche may be, she is still screaming and crying out for Leo as well.

As they do this, one mysterious passer-by, near Leo, is pointing a gun towards him and he shoots him!  

***

Psyche jolts up from her bed and looks to her left…it is still Leo; it was just a dream or nightmare.  Alive and well, she realizes that the man who kidnapped and ‘killed’ Leo was none other than Aro, their best friend.  Without a sound, she bolts out of the house to visit Penelope.

“Grandma!  I have something to tell and ask of you!”  She runs towards the front door.

“What is it, my dear?” Penelope comes out, with arms wide open.  They hug and she leads Psyche to the couch.  As Penelope sits, Psyche falls to her knees in tears. 

She explains the dream to Penelope, "What should I do now?"

Penelope tells her that it is only a nightmare.  “Though the kidnapping occurred, nightmares are usually the opposite in real life.  Something worse is usually something better in real life.  So don’t fret, my child.  It was just a nightmare.”

***

Two years have passed and Psyche is now with child. She could no longer bear the torment of her nightmare of Leo dying, over and over again.  She left him for someone else.

Leaving her past behind, she is now faced with some troublesome issues, to please her mother-in-law, Venus.  Psyche has upset Venus quite well and doesn't know what to do.  Because of this, she heads to the church and prays with all of her might!

She begins her prayer, “Dear Gods and Goddesses of this world, please hear my prayer in hopes that I can please my mother-in-law.  She is beautiful and can be kind, filled with bountiful spirit!  I am with child and do not want to upset her further.  I don't know what to do.  Please help me…I will do anything to earn her praise.”  Two angels, Ceres and  Juno, appear as she prays her prayer.  They hear her prayer and can only tell her, “It is up to Venus to forgive.  You must let fate take its course.  We can only watch over your child to see it well.”  They come to touch her belly and pray for them both.

“You will have troubled times and good times.  With this new life it is only but a challenge that you must accept.”

Author's Note:  I chose to write about Apuleius's Cupid & Psyche: Her Dream & Psyche's Prayer.  'Her Dream' referenced a woman's dream of her being kidnapped, but rather than just being kidnapped and crying out for her lover, she dreamt of him being stoned to death by a stranger.  She tried to tell a lady of the dream because she was afraid of it.  The lady then told her of the story of Psyche and gave her advice on what dreams and nightmares mean.  In the end, she comforts her in her distress.  As for 'Psyche's Prayer,'  she is trying to avoid Venus, Cupid's mother; Venus isn't very happy with her, but because Psyche is pregnant and already married to Cupid, she asks Ceres and Juno for help and advice as they are Goddesses that know Venus well.  Though she asks them, they cannot help her after all.
The style of writing I chose is my usual narrative and dialogue.  I feel that dialogue is important to showcase the actions and emotions of these characters.  I chose these two to intermingle, because life sometimes gives us all challenges, and no matter how much we pray or cry out, we will still be tested and tried.  All we can do is overcome these challenges, with the help of our loved ones and just those who support us most.  It was quite difficult to write since I am fairly new to creative writing and what this class offers as well as the limitations I have in wording, it makes for a brief story.  I wanted more depth with a still meaningful plot between the two shorts, so I hope it is conveyed.

Bibliography:  Apuleius's Cupid & Psyche translated by Tony Kline, link to reading.