The Lonely Immortal . (book excerpt)

The Lonely Immortal (Book Excerpt)

“Are you okay?”

“The souls of the dead see my light. They believe it is their opportunity to reenter our world. It happens every time I enter a cemetery.”

“You can feel them?”

“They pass through me like light through a prism.”

Spirits swirled inside Amani in a whirlpool of ancient scents, tastes, joys, and tears. The haunting pain of unfulfilled dreams from their previous lives pinched his heart.

Angelo came to a sudden realization. “This is the closest an immortal can come to feeling death.”

Amani inhaled deeply, longing to breathe in their hopes of a new life, the passions of lovers past, the cold inevitability of death.

“How do you feel having souls of the dead inside of you?”

“Alive.”


Cursed to live forever, Amani befriends Angelo, a cranky Vietnam veteran who searches for his long lost love. Sharing the story of his 5,000 year journey searching for his perpetually reincarnating twin flame, Amani the immortal, learns the true meaning of life from his dying friend.

This manuscript, my notes. and outline, have been registered and are protected by the U.S. Copyright Office (within the Library of Congress). 

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Fragments Of Me

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This is an old post for my newer blogging friends to get to know me.  It posted three years ago.

Fragments of Me

When we were young our lives consisted of questions.

The questions we needed answered. The hundreds of questions our parents and teachers asked.

But a ten year old was never meant to have all the answers.

My classmates attended the big party. Stupid me promised to dance with every girl. Boys stood on one side, girls on the other.

My friends taunted me. “Go dance.”

With wobbly knees and sweaty forehead, I tried to look cool.

Then I spotted Lisa Big Boobies Barelli. Oh my, she could fill up a B-cup like no other girl in school.

Ever since kindergarten when she first smiled at me, I knew the other girls didn’t compare. Lisa had all her teeth.

From across the room I admired her.

Who cares if she had rounder cheeks than the other girls?

Lisa had something the skinny girls didn’t have.

She had curves.

Deep breath…..I broke the ice approaching the circle of “cool girls” as they giggled like hyenas.

Unable to speak, I did something that became my signature move. Never inviting her to dance, I took Lisa’s hand and led her to the dance floor.

Everyone watched us dance as I impressed her with witty banter.

She said, “Nice party.”

I replied, “Uh-huh.”

“Are you wearing perfume?”

“Yeah.”

Even at that early age I knew women preferred a good smelling man. So, I wore my mother’s Chanel #5.

My friends mocked me for dancing with Lisa. I maneuvered us around so she wouldn’t see their hurtful antics.

The boys never understood. Why dance with other girls if I was already dancing with the prettiest one?

“Andrew, there’s so many beautiful girls here with lovely dresses and their hair in pretty curls. You could’ve danced with any of them.”

Then, Lisa asked the terrifying question.  “Why me?”

I felt the universe collapsing on me. Boys laughed. Girls gave me dirty looks. Now, I had to answer this….

How much pressure could one ten year old take?

Searching for infinite wisdom, I gazed into her big blue eyes and whispered. “Why not?”

The lights dimmed.

A love song came on.

Lisa gave me a bear hug and kissed my cheek.

Thankfully, the darkness cloaked my confusion.

That ten year old boy learned so much that night.

He learned about having the courage to be the first.

He learned to go after the girl he wanted, no matter what anyone else thought.

And dancing cheek to cheek…

He learned some questions are meant to be answered by asking another question.

Photo of myself taken by friend of the family.

Serial (100 Words)

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Serial  (100 Words)

Detective Jake Monroe examined the bloody crime scene. All the expected signs were there; the slashed throat, the look of terror in her eyes, and missing shoes.

The Riverside Killer struck again.

“Number five is a blonde?”

He turned to look at his partner Max who entered the hotel room.

“Do we know her name?”

“Let me see,” Jake scooped up her purse to search for her ID.

“You must be relieved.”

Jake sighed. “Was that necessary?”

Max shrugged. “Hey, at least this time there’s no evidence tying her to you.”

Opening her purse, Jake found a photo of himself.

Aftermath (100 Words)

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Aftermath  (100 Words)

 

Faith thought about adding the word “less” to her name.

She had no idea who started the war. It didn’t matter. Nothing remained; just wreckage and ashes.

Days since she saw another living human, she shaded her eyes from the dust clouds.

What kind of God would allow this to happen? The same sadistic, bastard who let her survive.

Giggling.

Faith frowned. Entering an overturned subway, she pushed a corpse with her boot and found a baby.

“Hey, how will I know your name baby girl?”

Someone had pinned a folded note to the baby’s blouse.

She read it.

“Hope.”

 

Photo taken from Pinterest.

 

The Experiment (100 Words)

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The Experiment (100 Words)

Jackson walked through the lonely streets.

Wanting to learn more about his past, he volunteered for the dangerous experiment.

Scientists advised him of everything that could go wrong. They never suspected everything would go right.

Total recall, perfect memory; some said it couldn’t be accomplished.

Yet, long lost memories rushed through him like light through a prism.

Lost loves, toddler falls, even prenatal sensations.

He lived trapped in an eternal state of nostalgia.

They told him he would recall every memory.

No one warned him he would relive every pain.

Jackson finally understood some things are meant to be forgotten.

 

Photo taken from Google Images

Pluto

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Pluto

Astronaut Jack Archer stared through the cracked window. The sun appeared like a bright yellow pin prick in the universe.

The ship’s lights flickered.

After the damaged suffered on the rough landing, power may last days or hours.

Archer knew the risks when he volunteered for this mission. He didn’t care.

Life on Pluto couldn’t be any colder or more desolate than living on Earth without his late wife.

He clipped her photo to the dashboard. He would be happy to die admiring her face.

She would bring him eternal peace.

Power suddenly shutoff.

Infinite darkness invaded the tiny vessel.
.

 

The Firefly Who Wanted To Be A Star

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The Firefly Who Wanted To Be A Star

Once there was a tiny
firefly who wanted to
glow upon this world.
A task impossible for
one lonesome bulb.

Every night she shined
so bright yet she never
became a star. Until all
her little friends joined in
 to illuminate the dark.

One firefly alone could
never change a world,
but thousands working
together can create a
universe here on Earth.

My wife found this image in Google and asked me to write a poem about the Firefly who wanted to be a star.

Don Luccini’s Daughter (100 Words)

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Don Luccini’s Daughter

A man in control of his universe, Don Gino Luccini’s accent caressed every syllable, “Why are you here?”

Ray Gamba admired Sofia Luccini’s portrait. “To bring this killer to justice.”

“Forget justice.” The angry Mafioso smirked. “Bring him to me.”

Gamba squirmed. The alluring young lady in the painting appears to look back at him.

“I will pay you handsomely for delivering Sofia’s killer.”

“Forget your dirty money,” he cursed. Luccini would never understand I loved his daughter.

“Detective, you have no idea how I feel.”

Gamba sighed, if you only knew how I feel after accidentally shooting your daughter.

 

Photo taken from Google Images.

The Mirror (100 Words)

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The Mirror

Henry watched his wife stand before the magic mirror he purchased at the antique shop. The shopkeeper assured him she would love it.

Glowing, Samantha admired her youthful reflection minus every wrinkle and twenty pounds. Platinum blond replaced thinning white hairs. Her leathery skin worn by time, appeared soft and radiant.

“If only I still looked this way.” Samantha passed her withered hand across her aged face, “I was flawless.”

He smiled.

“Look at my reflection. See how beautiful I was twenty years ago.”

“I don’t need the mirror,” Henry replied. “I can see how beautiful you are from here.”

The Time Keeper (100 Words)

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The  Time Keeper

“I wish this night didn’t have to end,” Maggie sighed.

Thomas the silver haired clock maker unlocked the door to his shop.

“Why did you bring me here?”

“Picasso said it takes a long time to become young.” He led her to a grand clock and reached for her withered hand.

Opening the glass case, he spun the clock’s hand backwards.

Her hand slowly transformed; unsightly veins and wrinkles disappeared.

She looked up at the young man before her. “Thomas?”

He held up a mirror.

Maggie gasped at the reflection.

Smiling, Thomas reassured her, “This night never has to end?”