Paul Davis’ Story

The pain and anger I felt at those words, hit me so hard for a while I could only see red. I wanted to hunt down the man or men responsible for the explosions and kill them. I have never felt hate and rage so strong at anything, it was overwhelming. My wife and child were both murdered.

The nurse looked at me sadly and then left the room. I let out a savage yell that was so loud two other nurses came running in to see what was wrong.

I recovered, but it took me a couple months. I did the only thing I could think to do: return to work. In my absence things changed. Both of our interns had left and a new one, Alexis took their place. Jake looked like he put on a couple of years and hugged me when he saw me, telling me that I was missed and he’s glad I’m fine. I decided to give the radio station a new direction and proposed it to the Boss.

“Hey, Boss, I’ve got an idea. Jenna inspired me to do it actually, and I would like your permission to do through with it.”

The Boss tilted his head curiously. “Yeah? What is it?”

I coughed. “Well, for most of my life with her, she was a pillar of hope for me. She’s the one that pulled me through all the troubled times I’ve had and she kept telling me to ‘never give up’ and I thought, maybe I could continue that using the radio station. There may not be much hope left for the United States, but there’s still hope that we can be united and have law. I’m not about to let some murdering organization keep that dream from happening. I want to keep the hope for our future alive.”

The Boss smiled. “You got it, Paul. Go for it. If anyone can do this it’s you. Just don’t embarrass me OK?”

I nodded. “Got it.”

When I made it to the mics, Jake shook my hand. “It’s good to have you back, Paul, I’m sorry about what happened.”

I smiled sadly. “It’s not your fault, Jake. You ready to begin this show?”

He looked at me incredulously and all those years faded away. “Ready? I was born ready.”

I laughed. “Good lets do this.”

“And we’re on the air. Hello folks, this is Jake here and can we have a welcome back cheer for Paul Davis?” Jake waited a few moments. “I can’t hear you.”

“Jake, of course you can’t hear them.”

Jake hushed me. “Alright folks, it’s time for the Paul Davis Show!”

I smiled and lightly punched Jake’s shoulder. “Yeah, you heard right folks, I’m back, and boy do I have something for you…”

That’s how I began my campaign for order and unity. My campaign for hope. I didn’t experience any more explosions or shootings. I didn’t find another girl. I didn’t fight in any wars. I did, however, give the people the hope they needed to survive this and create a new and better order.

Paul Davis’ Story

I was on my way to work when suddenly there was a roaring sound and my car flipped over. For a moment I thought I was dreaming still, but reality hit me when the car hit the ground. Pain spiked across my chest and neck as whiplash twisted my neck in ways it shouldn’t and the seat belt tightened against me. I lost my breath and began to see spots. Only one phrase went through my head: what happened? It took me several minutes to gather myself, but I noticed that my left side felt a lot hotter than my right, and I turned my head to face that side only to see the remains of a building and several flaming cars. Sirens, I could hear sirens in the distance. My seat belt pinched uncomfortably against my chest and I fumbled to free myself from its grasp. Bad choice. Pain surged anew when I landed on my back on the ceiling of my car. I spent the next several minute laying there analyzing the situation I was in.

“What on earth happened?” I said aloud, not that I expected to get an answer right away.

There was no way that the Knights could have extended their reach this far. No way. Some sirens got closer and others got farther away. Did this happen in other places? A splash of water hit me as firefighters began to do their jobs. Soon, I was extracted from the remains of my car and rolled into an ambulance.

“Sir, can you tell me your name?” A concerned female voice asked. I couldn’t see who it was because my neck wouldn’t move, because of the brace they put it in.

“Paul Davis,” my voice sounded a little hoarse.

I was then bombarded with a bunch of questions dealing with my address, phone number, and some medical questions. I answered them all by the time that I arrived in the hospital. Again the question. “What happened?” It felt like somebody else was speaking using my mouth, but I knew I was the one asking the question.

“Sir, you were in an explosion.” An explosion? That’s what happened?

My brain sluggishly put two and two together and by the time I made it to the room I was supposed to be in I figured it out. Then other questions haunted me. How many people died? Were there other explosions or was the one I was in the only one? How did they get here? Why? The explosion seemed completely random, almost as if there were no purpose. Why Meredith, New Hampshire of all the places to bomb? It’s only a tourist town.

The doctors put me through some tests and came to the conclusion that I had a minor concussion and a few dozen contusions all over my body and major whiplash. They decided to put me under watch just in case the injuries I sustained were worse than believed. From what I heard only three other people survived the same explosion and one of them wasn’t going to make it through the night. I called into work and told Vic, our other intern, to tell the Boss I was in the explosion today and would not be able to show up to work. After that, I turned on the television to the news.

“And recently today, in Meredith, Concord, Plymouth, and other towns and cities there have been dozens of bombings all over. From reports we’ve received from the police and other emergency response personnel, the explosions probably originated from the Knights of Discord. Casualties are very high and damage is reaching the millions-” I turned it off. Dozens of explosions. Deaths and damage. Right here, in my home and my state. There’s nowhere in the United States that’s safe from the Knights. When I get out of here, I’m taking Jenna and we’re leaving the country. I don’t know where, but I want to live someplace safe with my wife and child.

“Mr. Davis?” A nurse peeked into my room from the entrance.

“Yes?”

She timidly entered the room. “Sir, we tried calling the number you gave us, but the line was dead. Um, and we checked the address, and that’s one of, um, the locations that were bombed. When the ambulances arrived, um, they found your wife, but she, uh, she was dead.”

Anything else she had to say was lost to me. After those last three words came out of her mouth, my pain and emotions exploded and everything around me became insignificant. The pain was so powerful, I could only stare with ungodly disbelief at the ceiling as if that could reverse time and undo everything that just happened. There was nothing more I wanted to do than go back in time and back to home and save her.

Vane and Havoc

After I told her that her father had been killed, Leah went into a bit of a catatonic state. I knew the feeling, my own father had been murdered, but fortunately she was spared the sight of it unlike myself. We left Freeport and traveled north a ways before turning west towards Lourghn. I made sure our tracks were covered, but if the assassins had magic at their hands they might be able to find us anyways. If they have magic they’d have hunted us down already and you’d be fighting them every night all night. True.

I wanted to tell her that everything would be alright, but she has an uncanny ability to tell if somebody is lying to her, probably part of her ability as a Weaver, because it’s harder to lie to most of them. Yes, and you know why. I know that it’s because of the natural power and knowledge of magic that they contain. That wisdom is given to them at an early age, but their true power doesn’t manifest until puberty hits them, and she’s maybe a couple years away. If that. I promised I’d protect her, my heir, and that I will do. Yes, I know and while I don’t agree with you on that promise, I will support it.

Whenever I spoke with her the next few days she didn’t respond. The poor girl had lost so much so soon; she didn’t even get a chance to finish her painting. I wanted to tell her about her power. I wanted to tell her that she will eventually become on of the most powerful people in these realms. Weavers are magic, they contain it and live and breath it. Weavers have the knowledge of a specific type of magic and the power to use it to perfection, with some training. A disciplined Weaver is a force to be reckoned with, not even I have the power to defeat one with just my own skill. Yes, but with me you’re even more powerful. Shut up. You can’t deny the responsibility you gained when you earned my power, you know that some day you will have to use it again. Not today, not until the Apocalypse is freed, or when the Balance needs resetting.

We arrived at Lourghn, my first home, the great city that it now is was only a small town when I was born in it. In the center of it stands the statue of Aridios “Ironblade” Airstrider, my best friend, may he rest in peace. He’s honored as the greatest human hero to have been born ever, and he was even if they embellished his history a bit. If it wasn’t for his bravery and kindness and his ability to unite people under a belief, most of the places that exist now would never have existed.

“Vane, you’re crying,” these were the first words I had heard come out of Leah’s mouth since we left Freeport. You’re getting nostalgic.

I smiled. “These are good tears. Tears of remembrance and homecoming.”

She looked around the city’s grounds. “This is your home?”

“I was born here. My best friend lived and died for this town.”

Leah looked me in the eye. “Will we be safe here?”

I bowed my head. “Only for a couple days, then we need to move on. You remember the rules I told you right?”

She nodded. “Don’t talk to strangers. Don’t tell anyone where I’m from. If I have to talk to someone only let them know my first name. And keep in sight of you.”

“Good memory.”

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

Kingdoms of Amalur is a fantasy role playing game published by EA and developed by 38 Studios and Big Huge Games. Perhaps one of the best games released by EA this year. The people involved with its development are well-known for their works of story-writing and game development, names such as R. A. Salvatore, and Ken Rolston. This is one of the best games I’ve played this year, but it still has its problems too.

First, I’ll give you the good news. The story of this game is well written. Your character can be built from 4 playable races, 3 class trees that you can pick and choose from, and various “destinies” that you can unlock as you progress. At the start you are introduced to a world at war and the contenders are mortals on one side and the winter fae on the other. Your character starts out dead, and you are revived via a thing called “The Well of Souls”. However, because you have been brought back to life, you have broken free of your fate and now can manifest and change fate through your actions.

The game gives the player an excellent tutorial starting with movement and picking things up. Then it moves into the various parts of combat: melee, ranged, sneak attacks, and magic. The tutorial ends with you learning one last mechanic on a boss type creature, finishers. You get easily readable messages on the screen telling you which button does what, and that makes it very easy to quickly learn the game’s controls.

The game’s visually very appealing. Characters look good. The environment looks good. Your armor changes as you get new stuff, but certain combinations while they may be the best you have doesn’t always look good together. I have a Wizard that has a light grey-blue robe with green gloves, golden boots, and dark grey pants, but they’re the best pieces of equipment he has, but hey at least his staff looks cool. You also can have the option to hide your character’s helm or head-piece because not everyone likes how they look.

The voice acting for NPCs (non-player characters) is done very well. Voices for each character fits very well, and you can even pick up some feeling in the voice. Sadly, your character remains silent throughout the entirety of the game. Which brings me to the first bad point of the game. After playing several role playing games where your character responds through talking it felt somewhat foreign and intrusive having a character that has conversation choices in-game without actually speaking.

Combat is the majority of the game, so in that case it’s not much different from Dungeon Siege. However, the combat system is very smooth with no noticeable bugs, and enemies have resistances and weaknesses that make sense. There is a dark side to this too, except for bosses and sometimes not even then, combat is easy even if you’re playing the game on “Hard”. My wizard can one or two-shot most everything at his level and getting hit is no problem. I tried a rogue and fighter style of characters and even then combat was a cake walk.

Overall, I do recommend trying this game because it is fun and the story is interesting to follow. I also give it a 7.5/10.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

Marilyn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom Dancing and Charm School

It’s not that often that I take a trip down the drama aisle in the movie section, but I saw a preview for this movie and absolutely had to watch it. Mostly because it had two of my favorite actors in it: Robert Carlyle and John Goodman. Also in part because I felt a connection with the main character in the preview. This is definitely a hidden gem of 2005 that did not get the recognition it deserved. The man who directed and wrote it was Randall Miller.

This film is a story about Frank Keane (Carlyle) and Steve Mills (Goodman). They each have their own tale in this beautifully woven story. Keane is a widowed man who moved from Great Britain to the United States bringing his family’s baking business with him. His story is one of recovery from his depression through a dancing school called Marilyn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom Dancing and Charm School. Mills’ tale is a sad one, he made a promise 40 years ago to the only woman he loved, that promise was: to not matter what, whether they were married, or had kids, or anything, that they would meet at Marilyn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom Dancing and Charm School and from there see what happened. However, because of an accident that happens early on in the film introducing both of our main characters, Mills cannot go and asks Keane to go for him. Mills then proceeds to tell Keane, at Keane’s request, about how he met his love. These two stories intertwine very well and create a fantastic story about the two men.

There are a wide variety of characters, each of them are well made with the perfect actors and actresses playing them. There is light-hearted and witty humor, as well as powerful emotional moments as Keane goes through his healing process. The first time I saw it, this film became one of my favorites, and I hope you find it to be a grand movie as well.

Marilyn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom Dancing & Charm School

Paul Davis’ Story

After his announcement, news stations all over began to talk about how the government declared Vincent DeMoore as their most wanted criminal and a threat to society as a whole. Shortly after that declaration, rumors of fights between Knights of Discord all over the states and government establishments spread all over. For all I know, the world might as well have blown up then and there. I tried to preach safety and order, but the more I did so, the more things seemed to go crazy. I was struggling against some overwhelming force and I wasn’t going to give up anytime soon.

Within a month I spoke about how the Knights of Discord gained the Dakotas as territories and the US Military was being forced back. The worst part was the reports of troops firing upon innocent civilians not knowing the difference between them and the Knights. Naturally, the government and military got all the blame, and I couldn’t help but agree that they should have been more careful, but I also had no idea what was happening over there despite all the reports I was receiving and talking about. Many of our listeners had varying opinions on the Knights still, some loved them, others feared, and many still had no idea what to think. I knew I was in the third crowd.

One day, after work my wife and I decided to take a walk in our favorite park.

I started our conversation there with. “I read a letter from a woman who lost her sister and husband to the military. I wanted to talk about it, but I couldn’t find a good way to begin. The letter was so powerful, sad, and angry. I hope she finds some peace somehow.”

Jenna gripped my hand tightly. “She will. It seems like the world has gone crazy, but it just hasn’t hit us yet. We still have children playing in the playground over there, and kids in the skateboard arena having fun. Life here hasn’t changed much, but I can’t help but feel that is going to change.” She put her free hand on her stomach. “I hope things don’t change so badly that it ruins this one’s future.”

I squeezed her hand. “I’ll do everything I can to make sure our child has a perfect life. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure nothing bad happens here.”

We kissed a long and beautiful kiss. Every emotion I had, positive and negative, rose into my heart. I felt angry at the Knights for their timing and their destructive means. I was angry at the government for not serving the people like it should have, therefor preventing the Knights from existing in the first place. I wanted a safe place for my wife and child to live, and it began to feel like the world was turning hostile against us. I would do anything to make sure that would happen, even move out of the states.

The Truth About Elevators’ Buttons

Caught Speeding

**************************

Woman: Is there a problem, Officer? 

Officer: Ma’am, you were speeding.

Woman: Oh, I see.

Officer: Can I see your license please?

Woman: I’d give it to you but I don’t have one. 

Officer: Don’t have one?

Woman: Lost it 4 times for drunk driving.

Officer: I see…Can I see your vehicle registration papers please.

Woman: I can’t do that.

Officer: Why not?

Woman: I stole this car.

Officer: Stole it?

Woman: Yes, and I killed and hacked up the owner. 

Officer: You what?

Woman: His body parts are in plastic bags in the trunk if you want to see. The Officer looks at the woman, slowly backs away to his car, and calls for back up. 

Within minutes 5 police cars circle the car. A senior officer slowly approaches the car, clasping his half drawn gun.

Officer 2: Ma’am, could you step out of your vehicle please! The woman steps out of her vehicle.

Woman: Is there a problem sir? 

Officer 2: One of my officers told me that you have stolen this car and murdered the owner.

Woman: Murdered the owner? 

Officer 2: Yes, could you please open the trunk of your car, please.

The woman opens the trunk, revealing nothing but an empty trunk. 

Officer 2: Is this your car, ma’am?

Woman: Yes, here are the registration papers. 

The first officer is stunned.

Officer 2: One of my officers claims that you do not have a driving license. The woman digs into her handbag and pulls out a clutch purse and hands it to the officer.

The officer snaps open the clutch purse and examines the license. He looks quite puzzled.

Officer 2: Thank you ma’am, one of my officers told me you didn’t have a license, that you stole this car, and that you murdered and hacked up the owner.

Woman: Betcha the lying bastard told you I was speeding too.

Vane and Havoc

Another person dead by my hand. Sometimes I wish that I hadn’t earned this curse. You know better than to think that. This other personality - Havoc! - haunts me, controls me even. Makes me live longer than any human should. It’s a gift, one that you earned. One I sometimes wish I didn’t. Death hounds me. You are death, in a way. Silence, you do not comfort me. I’m not here to comfort you, only to be a guide as you serve the Balance. Yes, power for service, father always did tell me that power needs responsibility to be wisely used.

I sheathed the black crystalline long sword that is the second Apocalypse Crystal and closed the eyes of the dead assassin before me. “May Saint Shadow accept you into his cold embrace bold assassin.”

I then looked at the two guards that had watched me slay the contracted assassin. Such a shame that skilled men such as this assassin have to sign blood contracts to accept a job. Shut up. “Clean up the body, and the blood. Leah can not be allowed into this room until that is done. Do you understand?”

The guards nodded and began to gather others to assist in the disposal of the assassin’s body and cleaning of the room. I left the room and began the short search for Leah, the little girl that I was hired to guard until her father returned to protect her himself. I still don’t understand why you wish to keep her safe, she’s unimportant to the Balance. She’s the last in my bloodline and she will be a very powerful Weaver, why do you think I want to protect her? I know that, I still don’t understand the point, if you wish to create a new bloodline you can. That’s right, Havoc, you can’t understand.

When I found Leah, she was in her other play room curled up in a corner, crying. As I approached her, she sobbed. “Why do people want to hurt me? What do the evil people want from me?” Evil is relative, sweetheart. Shut up.

“Leah, I wish I could tell you why, but your father told me not to, but I will ask him to tell you when he gets back.”

“But I want to know now.” Tell her, you’re wasting your time and her life if she doesn’t know. So now you’re offering advice on this? Make up your mind, you support my choice to protect her or you don’t. If you’re not going to change your mind on this then I suppose I have no choice to support you. There’s always a choice, but I appreciate your decision.

I smiled. “Let me make you a promise. If your father doesn’t tell you when he gets back, then I will come back in one year to tell you everything you need to know. You’ll be fourteen by then, and old enough to know.”

She wiped her face off and nodded. “OK.”

You intend to keep that promise? My word is my bond, you know this. A foolish bond. “Let me get you that painting you were working on.”

She grabbed my hand. “No, stay. I can paint later. You remind me of Daddy and I feel safe with him around.”

I smiled. “OK.”

There was a knocking at the door and I turned to see a courier standing there with a letter in his hand. “Come in,” I gestured to myself.

He scurried in. “Message for you, sir,” he then turned around and left quickly.

Something about this is off. I opened the envelope and pulled out a letter.

Dear Vane,

I will not be able to return home, ever. I had learned that the guild that hired an assassin to kill my daughter, also sent an assassin after me. I managed to kill him, but not after I was poisoned by him. I can feel myself fading as I write this. Tell Leah I’m sorry, and keep her safe. Do not tell her of her ability until she begins to manifest it. There will be other assassins coming after her, so the best thing for you to do is take her with you on your travels. You will have access to all the funds of this family as payment, there is my broach in the envelope, with it you will be able to access the currency. Please accept this last job from me and once she turns sixteen you may be free of this job.

Thank you.

This is not what I expected. Finally, something we can agree on. “Leah… I have something to tell you. You need to listen to me, and do as I tell you afterwards.”

Oh No! I Dropped it all!