creative writing | Den of Dreams

Friday Fictioneer: Broken Trail

Posted on February 10, 2021 by Serene

A very big thanks to Rochelle, our fairy blog-mother for hosting the Friday Fictioneers.

Broken Trail

Word Count: 99

The traveller stared hopelessly at the broken rails. He walked so long, so deep in the forests, so high up the hills… for this? No, he could not go back to the other said of the rails. His “friends” were waiting. After what he’d said to them… no, that was impossible.

“There must be a way out,” he whispered desperately. A little cobbled path down the side. Could be a ditch or a snake’s den. But it could also be an escape, a trail to somewhere new. Besides, it was a beautiful forest to explore. So, he walked on.

*I made a little drawing of the traveller to go with the story.*

Note: For me, the story is a metaphor for choices we make in life. Sometimes we go on a path to find a dead-end to our goals. We’re scared to turn back in fear of backlash from others. And perhaps, if we look deeper we may find a little outlet that may lead to something bigger.

String On Road: Friday Fictioneer

Posted on December 2, 2020 by Serene

Many thanks to our fairy blog-mother Rochelle for hosting this Challenge.

String On Road

*Copyrights: Den of Dreams. Here’s my drawing of one of the three boys*, Zya. (:

Three boys on abandoned streets, under sun,
Deserted streets, nothing on sight, just a string on road, a string alone.
“Must be the string of fate.” Said one,
“Nay, isn’t red.” Said another one,
“Might be a shoelace.” said another one,
They kept up their pace, and soon they were gone
In the deepest, darkest parts of streets— run,
They wanted to. But as they spun,
A dark shadow blocked them. Then begun
A futile fight. The shadow won.
A trace was left by the previous victim who never returned,
Stringed together by a string on road, a string alone.

Thank you for reading,

Warmest regards,

Dragon Warrior

Crispina’s Creative Challange #103: A Heap of Ruin

Posted on November 2, 2020 by Serene

A big thank you to Crispina for hosting this challenge! ~~I know, I’m a bit on and off at WordPress with online classes and all but I really wanted to participate in your amazing challenge just on verge of Nanowrimo* haha~~ Thank you so much for hosting this!

A Heap of Ruin

On a big heap of “things” where heaps of things lay,

I stopped for a while and picked up a pebble in my way,

“Seems like a ruin,” said my elder brother,

“With something forgotten like this, why do you bother?”

*Copyrights: Dragon Warrior (@den of dreams)*
*I’m doing digital art now 🙂*

But I, like a genius**, shook my head,

To him, I said,

“Sometimes things forgotten most,

Have lots to boast

About the older days.”

So we went all the way,

Exploring the ruins, guessing the past,

And by an adventure we were blessed at last.

*Copyrights: Dragon Warrior @Den of Dreams. I just got into digital art, btw! What do you think of it?*

The narrator in this poem is a young, over-confident, loner boy nicknamed Askari (he took the name from Askari Mirza who was Mughal emperor Humayun’s brother, he’s a history buff haha). He often calls himself “genius”** and loves making tales.

Oh, by the way, speaking of Nanowrimo* are you all going to participate? If yes, what’s your story about? If no, what would your dream book be about?

Warmest regards, and thank you so much for reading!

-Dragon Warrior

FOWC with Fandango

Posted on September 25, 2020 by Serene

A big thank you to Fandango for hosting this challenge.

*So this guy is the ‘you’ in the poem who just gave a nice lecture with his limited knowledge :’)*

“Everyone would leave me,” my worries grow,
What others think is something I shall never know,
A let-down? Burden? Distraction? Worry?
No, I ain’t certain, yet I say ‘sorry’,
Until you come up to me and with a smile,
Say, “Just close your eyes, a little while,
Some things are,
The way they are,
And it hurts that you can’t change ’em,
Things are mess at times ‘n you can’t arrange em,
But if there’s three reasons to give up,
I’m give you hundred reasons to stay,
You’ve come a long, long way
Till now, and you’ve a long, long way to go,
You’ll manage somehow, you’ll outgrow
All your worries to be the you wanna be.”
You look at me
And say, “I needn’t eludicate
That you’re life’s a blank slate,
And what you write comes true:
So stop thinking what others’ thinking,
And just be you!”

This poem is written in the point of view of this boy who calls himself Zya. What do you think of him? And thank you so much for reading.

What Pegman Saw: A Street Without You

Posted on December 21, 2019 by Serene

Thanks to J Hardy Carroll for hosting What Pegman Saw. This time Pegman takes us to Asución, Paraguey.

A Street Without You

In a busy, crowded street,

I didn’t know I’d meet,

The stranger who could change my life.

Yea, I was a gangster, playing with a knife,

Toying with guns, rough with words,

Sharper than swords,

And you were calmer than a mouse,

But invited me in house,

And cared me above the yourself,

You gave me a bookshelf

And a world full of care,

From an urchin of nowhere,

I have risen so high.

Still now, I look at the sky,

And remember everything you did for me,

Like a burning candle,

You’d been caged but made me free,

You’d given your all,

For me, you fall,

And now is a day when you’re gone.

And I still stare at the streets where once I met you,

Where once we walked together but now I’m lone.

This is actually from the point of view of the main character, Yuma, of a story I am writing now. He is a 16 year old former gangster, thrown out of the gang after attempting to kill a mathematics school teacher when he meets a quiet, studious 16 year old student Kenjirou. It’s a story about sacrifices.

Welcome To the Ijin World: Guest Post by Tatsuya

Posted on August 15, 2019August 15, 2019 by Serene

Hello, mates, Prince Tatsuya Tuorin here! My first own journey in the Den Of Dreams actually 🙂 I started this mostly for Crimson Prose, an silvery blogger, to whom I pledge my gratitude. Crimson, I was wondering what you may like until I realised that you like history and culture.

Now, dear mates, you are going to enter deep, deep below the seas, into coral kingdoms, to experience the legendary and magical creatures called Ijins… Hold your breath, there we go…

My first ever water colour painting, dated 25th August 2018.
Copyrights: Dragon Warrior

Ijins are really small creatures, barely 10 cm of height, and represent the 7 colours of the rainbow— Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, Red— and the 7 Special colours— Silver, Brown, Black, Grey, Gold, Turquoise, Pink. Each of the Special colours has a special purpose and own task to do. They travel on jellyfishes and sea horses and use the tiny little sea-shells (well, for them, sea shells aren’t tiny at all) as money. Do you see the coral all around? They are the houses and every building of the Ijin folks.

After every 7 months, there a festival, the main festival held for Ijins. It’s called the Feast and goes on for 7 days in the elegant royal place. Surely it’s fun! Even prisoners are released for enjoying these days. (I have been there once, and it was great fun! Next one is in October this year, you may join in too 🙂 )

Well, mates, today, for this post I’m in charge of comments. Feel free to ask any question! I would be more than happy, for, it is perhaps a once-a-lifetime occasion. 🙂

Have a silvery day ahead!

~Tatsuya Tuorin.

Choose Your Own Adventure: Chapter One

Posted on July 29, 2019 by Serene

Woods Of Wonder

Welcome to the Woods of Wonder!
Get your backpacks on and all of your essentials and get ready to choose your own adventure!

Chap 1: A Voice From The Sky

It was an ordinary cloudy day when you and your friend decided to go for a walk in the nearby woods. (1)
“What’s the name of this place?” you ask your friend. (2 and 3)
“Don’t know, your name. This place is sort of mysterious… Creepy and eerie you can say.” He/she replies with a cheesy grin, “Are you scared?” (4)
You don’t reply but walk on, crippling twigs beneath your foot and admiring the odd shapes and structures of the trees.
“Hey, your friends’ name, this forest is quite interesting, isn’t it? Just look at the purple pebbles… And the scarlet weeds… Aren’t they odd? What do you think? Your friends’ name? Where are you?” you call out suddenly… to realise he/she is not there beside you. (5)
By now, you had come quite deep inside the woods and the sky looked it would rain soon.
You desperately call your friends’ name but it was like he/she had completely disappeared.
“Beware…” a loud voice bellowed from the sky, “You have entered the Woods of Wonder. You have stepped in great danger and your fate will be decided by you alone.”
You gaze at the sky. There was a hole in the clouds, peeping sunlight. Your friend was still not here and the wind was turning hostile… Maybe a storm was near.

Questions for You:

What is your name?
What is your friends’ name and gender?
Would you like your friend to join in your journey?
Were you scared?
What will you do now?
What is in your backpack?
How are you feeling?

Choose Your Own Adventure: An Introduction

Posted on July 29, 2019 by Serene

Dear Readers,

As a child, I have always loved to read “Choose Your Own Adventure” books (and still do right now) and was just wondering… If perhaps I could bring it back to my life?

Well, here I have a crazy idea… Let’s start a Choose Your Adventure in WordPress! 🙂

A Little About This Project

Welcome to the Woods of Wonder!

Nobody knows what exactly resides here or what exactly happens inside this dark, creepy woods. It all depends on you, your imagination and fate. What you choose, and what’s in store for you will set you in the way… So get ready! And choose your own adventure.

How To Start

Everyday or in a brief interval of one or two days, I will write a post of “Choose Your Own Adventure: Woods of Wonder”
Towards the end, there would a question, or a scenario.
You may answer the scenario with a single word, sentence, experience or a post in your blog (and please do give me a link in the comment section if you do because… how can I miss your adventure? 🙂 )
And then… wait for a day or two. Let’s see what happens next 🙂

Dear Reader

I would really love to hear back from you. Let’s make this adventure a memorable one 🙂 Let’s join in each other’s journey! Have fun!

Warm regards,

Dragon warrior.

Snatched Away from Home

Posted on July 24, 2019 by Serene

Thank you so much, Rochelle, for your Friday Fictioneers!

Snatched Away From Town

The train rushed out of the station, dragging me with it. Hands tied, mouth gagged and eyes burning with tears too stubborn to fall.

Outside of the old window, I see my hometown blurring away. The station where I sold newspapers, the roads where I begged and… the cluster of stones where I had awakened the curse.

Another lashing hit my arm.

“How did you do that, scoundrel?”

Master shouted. I kept mum.

Another lash of whip.

“When will that creature come alive, you urchin?”

I faintly smiled for I was the answer. A creature snatched from his homeland.

What Pegman Saw: Leafing through the memories

Posted on July 20, 2019 by Serene

Thank you so much, K Rawson, for your brilliant Pegman’s Challenge! And thank you for choosing Loxton too 🙂

Just outa town, Loxton, Australia | Lee Merchant, Google Maps

Leafing through the memories

For others, Murray was just a river and those odd tracks lining up the shores were just signs of drunkards messing about.

But for me, it had a much, much greater significance. It’s a gesture that Gakal had not forgotten me yet.

Every time I see those large clumps of seaweed, I remember him. Everytime I see those marks slapped by the the tails, I remember him. Oh, Gakal why did you have to go?

They said, “He’s gone for good!”

They said “He’s a monster!”

But to me, he was a savior. Yes, he looked ugly but he had saved my life more than once and on his back, I had travelled all around river Murray, and I have leaped back and forth time.

He shouldn’t have gone.

They said, they have killed him.

I don’t believe it. Dear Gakal, when will you return?

Notes:

Gakal is an aboriginal Australian word meaning “skill”
The character of this story, Gakal, is a Muldjewangk, an aboriginal mythical creature.
The main character is Alex, yes, the one about whom I wrote in last week’s challenge 🙂