Weapons were drawn, cocked, ready. With tactical ease, the men cautiously entered, three in font and two in the back. The heat rose tenfold, almost too much to bear. Heads went light, for oxygen was scarce. What little there was set their lungs ablaze and filled their throats with desert sand. Retreat was futile, for this was what they were created for, why they had spent years training. Despite hash conditions, they moved deeper into the void, into the demon’s den. Keen eyes scanned for mines, tripwires, and enemies perhaps. The soft crushing of the sand beneath their feet echoed softly around them. The farther they went, the tighter the squeeze. Sharp rocks on the cave’s ceiling and walls drew nearer, tugging at their uniforms and occasionally tearing into their flesh. Darkness was closing in on all sides. Held back only by the dim light bubble cast by their flashlights they ventured forth, following the jagged tunnel ever deeper into enemy territory.

The temperature was at its peak here. Entering a cavern, they were greeted with more heat and darkness. It was what appeared to be a large spherical room, carved out hundred of years ago by ancient refugees. Upon entering the room, one from the party simply collapsed to the ground. On all fours he heaved and threw up a vile and noisome liquid. Two others went to help him while the other two went on. They were on full alert now, for if any hostiles were here, this is where they’d be. The room had a damp and humid taste to it. Their faces were tight with revulsion as they took large breaths to keep from suffocating. With their flashlights they searched the grotto, finding outdated equipment and boxes of munitions. A large daunting object was located in the center of the room. Draped in a black and coarse sheepskin blanket. The hairs on the backs of the soldier’s necks stood on end, for all was not right. With a cautious hand, a soldier pulled down the cover.

Their worst fear had come true.

            Set in a future era where humans have only just been established as new organisms within the complex workings of a political galaxy, the player is bound to be engrossed. The galaxy that BioWare creates is fully realized in all the games aspects. From the varied locations to the cultured people the player meets, the experience is well worth buying. Honestly, what other game allows you to travel the capital of the galaxy and talk with all of the otherworldly ambassadors?

            Right from the get go, the player is allowed nearly infinite resources to create the character they wish to play with throughout the game. The character creation featured in Mass Effect is a true expansion to the core game, allowing for customization so minute that mere replicas of oneself can be created. A variety of character classes are additionally presented; soldiers, adepts (who use a gravitational technology called Mass Effect for combat), engineers, and several hybrids of the three main types are all free for the player to choose. An in-depth skill tree is also built-in to each character, adding a RPG element to the mainly shooter based game-play. With talents that go hand in hand with the type of character you choose, it would be a shame not to try out each class.

            Also introduced is a revolutionary squad based aspect. As a spatial commander, you are given control over two computer controlled allies. Each of these allies has a skill tree similar to the players own and will level up accordingly. These characters can be picked up during different key points of the main storyline and each brings a different style of partnership into the game. Characters can be found at different times and depending which two you have at once, the cinematics and conversations will carry out differently.   

            Given the title of ‘Specter’, a government contractor for the intergalactic council, you’re sent on a wild goose chase throughout the star-system in search for a rouge Specter who plans on unleashing an ancient force upon the universe. Under his control are the Geff, an artificial race of heartless machines that the Specter uses to his will. The player will be fighting these androids for the bulk of the main storyline and while this might seem repetitive, there are plenty of different Geff models that one will encounter. The intricate storyline, carried along by cinematics with angle-work worthy of an A-movie title immerse the player even farther into the galaxy that BioWare created.

            Apart from the main campaign, which is at least 25 hours, the insane amount of side quests can add another 15 hours of solid entertainment. The galactic map located on the main ship can only be appreciated while completing these auxiliary quests. From this map, the player is free to order ship to numerous planet systems which then branch into over 90 different planets. Although these planets don’t offer half as much of the complexity as the few featured in the main quest, they do showcase some of the strange species found in the universe. While not necessary to complete, only in these quests can the player hope to get the best weapons and experience the full space of Mass Effect.

            The sheer amount of detail that is so subtly woven into the game is a marvel in itself. The realistic yet stylized graphics work excellently in portraying the vast and varied planets, adding texture and shade to even regularly bland things. Audio is also a huge part of the experience. A mixture of heart racing techno and orchestral melody has never sounded so good. The voice acting is also top-notch. Each species has its own set of voice actors, so many it seems that you’ll never once realize that one person sounds like the next. Amazing sounds are a commonality throughout the game. Skin raising ambience, pulsing mass relays, and the loud scream of a blaster pistol are brilliantly achieved through special effects.

            While not taking away from the game-play, there are a series of glitches and frame rate problems. Playing with either a P.C or an Xbox 360, players are bound to experience a weird occurrence where detail and rendering is added mid-cinematic. There are also some wall-clinging glitches where you may get stuck to walls and have to resort to your last saved game, which brings me to the next downfall. Mass Effect has a weak auto-save feature, saving once every three or four missions. Simply put, if you die, you will most likely have to repeat the whole mission to get back to where you were. There is a manual save, but it quickly becomes tedious when activating the save every other half-hour.

            More than just a game, BioWare’s Mass Effect proves that movies and games can be combined into one amazing experience. This game is a must play for any fan of a shooter, RPG, or even a casual gamer who enjoys action or science fiction. Despite the few technical flaws, which have mostly been fixed up by this time via updates, Mass Effect is your moneys worth and more. Expansion pack enabled, it allows players to download new content from Xbox live right into the game, adding even more replayablility. One of the best games of the decade, Mass Effect is a hallmark of a science fiction game and its no wonder that BioWare has already agreed to make the title a trilogy.

         This chapter can be placed anywhere during the time between Bail Channis’ and Han Pritcher’s journey to Rossem, (the planet of which they had thought was the home-base of the second Foundation) and the Mule’s landing there. This segment, as well as the supporting character Kendo Daren and his analogous drug, have been completely fabricated, linked to the text only by obscure references where the Mule refers back to having killed many people with his mind and having a strange journey on his way to Rossem.

A Man and The Mule

Kendo Daren was a moon-crystal addict; he was also a spy of the second Foundation. Now, he sat alone as a flight mechanic upon the Mule’s ship, his weighty build pulling taut the rough material of his uniform as he hunched over his knees. Heavy beads of sweat were dripping from his middle-aged brow as mind raced for a plan of action.

Daren knew very well that he was not meant to be on this ship. It was never foreseen to be his fate and no higher authority had told him to be here. It was all an arbitrary (and quite foolish) line of careless events that landed him in this deadlock position. A long time ago, maybe thirty or thirty-five years ago, he had been recruited by the second Foundation as an observer, an undemanding sentinel, or so he was told. Many of these observers had and were being placed throughout the galaxy to keep a close eye on what was happening throughout the far reaches of the spatial abyss. Daren was barely even considered an actual member of the second Foundation, for he had neither seen nor been there. The only connection he had with this authority was with the second Foundation clerks who, on an annual basis, contacted him through thought to observe if he had discovered anything worth suspicion.

As the tedious years had passed, Daren, as many observers have, grew bored of his pointless task and succumbed to the enticing spatial drugs. That was where Moon-Crystal came in.

Moon-Crystal, commonly called M.C, was a highly addictive powder from the planet Atlantis of the Poseidon system. It was commonly contained in an infamous neon pink capsule and was considered cheap, effective, and found on nearly every human inhabited planet. It, in a non-scientific logic, had the power to scramble ones mind. In Daren’s case, M.C was extremely beneficial. It had, in a way, saved him from being detected by the Mule; taking into account the Mule had the uncanny power of controlling the emotions in people and thus reading their minds accordingly.

It was not Daren’s similar yet amateur ability of the mind but more so the strange effects of M.C that was able to block the Mule, or any other mind-reader for that matter, from reading his thoughts and emotions. Because of these factors, Kendo Daren was allowed to work on the same ship as the Mule, the now ruler of the galaxy and the greatest threat to the Seldon Plan that ever existed.

Being only an observer, Kendo lacked the full potential of his mind abilities and couldn’t possibly telepathically reach anyone of higher rank to communicate with, leaving himself to decide his own destiny. Kendo knew well the intention of the Mule and how, while he himself sat there puzzled, the Mule was making his way towards the second Foundation’s domain. 

2.

         No hint of bliss could be discovered within the Mule’s face or mind as he sat on his marble throne, lost deep in intricate thought. Though he had done much in his first months of conquest, and was nearly upon the second Foundation, the next and last force to be his, he still felt a strange feeling of anxiety and doubt within his stomach.

He was quite frail for a man of his title, the sole reason that he kept his short and sinewy limbs well covered by elegant and baggy cloths. He knew that his appearance didn’t matter, how no one in their right mind would even think of questioning his power or stature. Yet, in some odd way, it did matter to him. His ego yearned for the physique of the people around him, with power and stamina, oh! How much did he wish for those…

 But that was not what mattered, he was given the power of the mind and he had made the most of it, but how jaded he was! The power to do what he desired when he pleased was not in the very least fun. He wanted to hunt; he wanted a real challenge, an opponent with a mind and intellect as strong as his, maybe even stronger. Glad he was that the second Foundation existed because it gave him something to do. It had hidden amongst the galaxy since the beginning of the Seldon Plan, completely unnoticed by all, and he now hoped that it had power to combat his own, give him a real fight. What a bore his existence would be when the battle was over!

Life was but a game for him, a simple test of his patience. But only recently, when his two servants landed upon the second Foundation did the feeling of anticipation grip him in its warm embrace. He enjoyed it. The Mule hadn’t felt much positive emotion since the beginning of his expansion. Nevertheless, the feeling did not last long, replaced only by the minor thought that they would actually beat him. And he couldn’t be beaten.

Letting out a weak sigh of boredom he looked around at the bleak interior of his custom ship, given to him as a white flag gift of the Foundation as they were defeated. The dimly lit chamber of metal was indeed striking yet depressing. The vast majority of the space, constructed by polished steel, added a sharp and clean feel to the colossal area. The floor was made of a synthetic black marble, allowing for the many reflections of the particle lamps on the high ceiling to be reproduced on the ground. Almost no electronic devices within the room were necessary; the ship was designed to have the large motors and generators kept at a separate level.

Even the two guards, who were of no use to him but were stationed there regardless, looked miserable. He knew not of either of them, personally that is, for he had scanned the minds of everyone on board to make sure that nobody had the slightest consideration of impeding his journey.

3.

         Kendo Daren was not quite so sure about the decision he had just made, but it was an action, and he felt as though it was his responsibility as a second Foundationer to do something. Down the long and narrow halls he sauntered, making sure to not arouse any suspicion. Daren had made up his mind, he, Kendo Daren, was going to kill the Mule… or try to. His self doubt almost forced him into a state of unconsciousness as he turned the next corner, his heart rate hastening.

         Being the technical engineer, he was given access to every normally inaccessible door of the ship and because of that was he able to enter the arms room and stealthily sneak out a small blaster pistol. Simply grasping the cold tungsten handle of the gun almost made him turn back, but he knew he had past the point of no return. Pulling out the gun from its rack had sent a signal to the nearby armory director, who would, as soon as he saw the indicator, put the ship on lockdown.

Keeping this in mind, Kendo made for the Mule’s chamber with speed, stopping only to gobble down three more M.C tablets before swiping his admittance card against the small scanner. 

4.

The large metallic door slid open with a quiet thunk as Daren appeared with blaster in hand. The two stationed guards, caught in such surprise that they failed to even raise their rifles, were instantly reduced to ash.

The Mule did not need to get from his seat. For that matter, he didn’t even move a single muscle, he simply didn’t need to. The Mule knew well that whenever he wished, he could fill the man’s mind with pity or happiness and force him to immediately discontinue, but there was something wrong with this man’s brain, something was missing!

Three energy rounds punched the personal shield of the Mule with force, sending a ripple effect of bright and magnificent light around the sitting man’s contour. Daren, for a hushed second, looked at the Mule in awe as though he had somehow reached a stale-mate.

A large smile formed upon the Mule’s face as he slowly got from his throne, his feeble arms shaking with effort as he pushed against the arm rests. “A rather convenient device isn’t it?” he said as he flashed the force-field-projecting band on his arm, “Foundation technology has gone a long way.”

The Mule walked down the three steps that elevated his throne from the ground. “State your name,” he said, now standing only a few feet away from the blank faced Daren. Silence. The Mule looked unimpressed, “Well then, let us begin with me,” he put a weak hand to his chest, “I am The Mule” (he said this with arrogance and authority) “The present ruler of the galaxy and thus the strongest living being! Again, if I may ask so kindly, considering you have killed both of my guards and attempted to kill me, of your name?”

“…”

The Mule was annoyed. Within the second he entered the stunned Kendo Daren’s mind, only to encounter choppy visual and audible memories in no sequential order, nothing of the depth that he wished to uncover. He frowned. “I am pleased that you have come readily prepared, but honestly…” a smile with bared teeth reached his lips. “Did you think that you could stop me?”

Daren felt himself mechanically swallow the large glop of saliva that had accumulated in his gaping mouth. The drug was reaching its climax. He could barely see the Mule even though they stood just a few feet apart. The blurry outline of the Mule pulsed forward and back, spinning this way and that. Having been used to the effects, Kendo Daren had the outstanding ability to even stand during such an event. Further struggle was useless, for he could barely focus his mind around what he was there for. His mission was over.

It didn’t take long for the Mule to realize he was standing before a junkie. Daren wasn’t even looking at him anymore. Instead, the full grown man was gazing merrily at the single large window, transfixed by the stars. The Mule was angry, frustrated with the fact that the man (obviously with no mental prowess) was withholding his valuable information from him. The Mule knew he could beat the drug, nothing could stop him. With gritted teeth he reentered the poor man’s mind, scanning madly through the complicated pile of memories in hopes of finding who the assassin was. As of now, Daren could be a second Foundationer.

As he tore at Kendo Daren’s innermost tissues of the mind, the victim grasped his head in agony. Daren fell to the ground, his body twitching and shaking. Never was the power of telepathy meant to exceed the actual brain power of the subject, but the ruler of the galaxy would not quit until he had what he needed. It was not programmed into the Mule’s system that he could possibly lose to such an inferior being!

Quite suddenly, a loud beacon went off as the soldiers finally realized that someone had made off with an unauthorized weapon. The large chamber was instantly bathed in a dark red light, sending a deathly vibe throughout the room. Daren screamed out in agony as he shifted one last time upon the floor. His eyes had completely rolled back into his head and his arms were askew. His thoughts in the Mule’s mind were reduced to nothingness. Kendo Daren was dead.

From the prologue, this movie boasts it gorgeous artwork, introducing the watcher to the inventive world that Miyazaki creates. In this alternate universe of feudal Japan where the Gods roam the forests as giant beasts, the technologically-advancing humans are beginning to make there first harsh impacts on nature. Ashitaka, the sword wielding protagonist (dubbed by Billy Credup) serves as the mediator of a raging feud between human kind and the forest. It is his job to make sure that neither the humans nor the forces of nature have a distinct advantage on one another. Leading the humans into this blood grudge is Lady Eboshi (dubbed by Minnie Driver), who feels the need to destroy what is left of nature in order to further the progression of mankind. Fighting against her is San/Princess Mononoke (dubbed by Claire Danes) who lives alongside the forces of nature and does whatever she can to protect it.

From making you wonder how they made a scene to the real-life significance of this movie; the intricate plot never fails to engage the viewer in thought. The film possesses a creative storyline with plenty of interesting characters and well choreographed fight scenes to make it all the more superior. The dialogue, though tedious at times, is very well written to say the least.  

The sheer amount of allegories presented in Princess Mononoke is another of the movies strong points. Nearly every character, if thoroughly analyzed, can symbolize a deep aspect of our world. Take Koroku for example, this B-rate character may just seem like a chance for the director to input some humor into the movie, yet under inspection, Koroku characterizes man’s ignorance of natures values. The symbolism works well in the man vs. nature setting, allowing for some deep thoughts after the movie has ended.

One negative, which most dubbed movies have, is the consistency of talking. I know… I know, the film is originally dubbed in Japanese, and it’s quite obvious why there are problems in the translation, but watching as the mouths of the characters go berserk while they say something as simple as a ‘hello’ can be frustrating to some. The cast that did the English voices are all accomplished actors and it shows for the most part, though Danes does show through as the weak link, sounding very odd for her part.

Hayao Miyazaki has created a huge collection of movies, all which are excellent in their own ways. From Nausicaa: of the Valley of the Wind, to Spirited Away, Miyazaki’s movies have captivated all those who wish to experience anime in a compelling movie form. In comparison to his other works, I find Princess Mononoke to be his finest. The level of complexity he adds into the story makes this movie particularly relevant in our world today.

As Sean Axmaker wrote on his own professional site, “Miyazaki paints his figures in moral shades of gray, a yin and yang within both man and nature.” Axmaker couldn’t be more right, for both sides of the struggle have their own reasons for power. While there may be hints that Miyazaki is bias against Lady Eboshi and the humans, he does manage to explain why humans need to cut down the forest for their own survival.

An Enthralling masterpiece. Princess Mononoke stands its ground as the best animated film I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen enough animated films to have voice in the matter. Questioning our own innocence as righteous protectors of the environment, this film will hopefully change the ways of some eco-enemies. I deeply wish that people who don’t usually watch anime movies will give this one a try; in addition, it’s a damn good movie to start the genre with.

“Would I lie to you?” I said, avoiding the potent billows of his pipe, “Come on, you know me better than that!”

            “I wish I did Hare, but you have quite a history with this kind of stuff.” His pudgy face formed a broad smile, “It sounds like you’re still a sore loser to me. I’m not sure if I’m even willing to bother with your story. Anyway, we all know what happened; how you fell asleep mid race,” he chuckled again, “I still don’t understand how you can be so cocky, boy, especially in the championship!”

             “I’ve been trying to tell you officer, I ain’t that cocky! Especially in the championship! Now I hold true to my original statement, Tortoise poisoned my drink and that’s what made me pass out. And as much as I do lie from time to time, I’m telling the absolute truth.” And I really was.

            The police-animal sighed, “alright Hare, I’ll give you one chance to prove your claim over Tortoise. If you’re right, I’ll place Mr. Tortoise under arrest. And if you’re wrong, which I truly believe at this point, I’m placing you under arrest for bothering me. Deal?”

            “Deal.” I leaned back and laid my long muscular legs onto the table. “So, I guess all of the county knows what happened in the race, except for the little moment beforehand where Tortoise and I were all alone…”

It was about six o’clock in the morning, Tortoise and I were back in the locker-hole, you know, stretching out and stuff, usual procedure. Well, this is where it gets interesting. I remember turning around at one point, I don’t know why, but there I saw Tortoise slipping in some weird liquid into my Carrot Juice!

So I go up to him, you know, I’m not really expecting this animal to beat me even if he does cheat, and I ask him what he was doing with my drink. I remember he looked pretty nervous and said he just wanted to try out some of my race formula. I honestly had nothing against Tortoise at the time, you know, he was a nice kid too. So I was like, all right!

But right after taking a couple sips from my drink, I definitely remember feeling a bit queasy, and my stomach hurt a lot! When the race started, I felt all right, and I had huge lead on Tortoise too, I remember being almost a 100 yards from that animal at one point. That’s when the poison kicked in.

My stomach began to ache really badly. I knew I was far enough ahead of Tortoise to ease up a little regain my breath. But after staying still for a few seconds, I got tired, and, next thing I know, I wake up and Tortoise is crossing the finish line!

“Well Hare, sounds like it could have happened, but we really don’t have enough evidence to prove it! I’ll tell you what though; I’ll investigate this further and you go see Dr. Owl about that stomach. Sound good?”

            “I guess,” I said angrily, getting up from my chair. But in the corner of my eye I saw a small bottle on his shelf, strangely similar to the one I saw Tortoise put in my drink. After thinking to myself, I connected the dots. I turned to face Badger. “How much money did you make betting against me anyway?” The animal before me smiled broadly.

            “If you don’t tell anyone, I promise to give you half the robust earnings.”

            A smirk reached my lips, “Deal!”

Gaal Dornick was a novice of psychohistory,

Hari Seldon’s mathematical art of predicting future history.

With it Dornick learned of Seldon’s master scheme,

To establish a galactic encyclopedia supreme.

And with this Encyclopedia Foundation,

Hari Seldon and followers created a new nation.

One free from the crumbling galactic empire,

Which has been falling apart, in times so dire.

Salvor Hardin had understood Seldon’s great plan,

To protect the Foundation in what way he can.

For that single planet held the information of lost technology,

That would in time reestablish the II Empire’s economy.

But there would be many obstacles to defeat,

Like the evil Wienis, who wanted to rule the galaxy with his fleet.

Salvor Hardin knew he could not use force,

So he used clever thinking to undermine the fleet from its source.

The galactic Traders wished only for wealth,

They discarded their morals and cared not for their health.

Working for the Foundation was their sole occupation,

They gave half of their profits for the Foundation’s salvation.

Hober Mallow was a Master trader,

He was also a skilled conflict evader.

And with those skills he made connections with his beneficiaries.

Which he would use against them if they became adversaries.

Such trickery had ensued Commdor Asper, the neighboring planets prince,

He had treasured Mallow’s white flag contributions, yet desired even more ever since.

And with his high ranked position, he declared war on the Foundation,

And with the though of domination, he couldn’t resist the temptation.

But when he finally sent forth an army and used aggression,

Asper’s whole economy went into a depression.

For all of his corporations were controlled by the Master Trader,

Who had simply shut down the attacking country and put an end to the invader.

Hober Mallow was deemed the second savior of the Foundation,

And that put his rivals into a fit of frustration.

They tried to vitiate him with tricks of their own,

But Mallow was smarter and let the whole Foundation know.

Foundation and Empire

General Bel Roise was an ambitious young man,

Who planned on destroying the Foundation to prove that he just can.

And even with Hari Seldon’s prophesy against him,

He enjoyed the thought of going out on a whim.

Lathan Devers and Ducem Barr were two that Roise kept along,

Against their will they were kept, and remained captive for very long.

Roise tried to make the two help him destroy the Foundation,

But the two men weren’t prepared for their planets annihilation.   

Using their wits they were able to escape from their complex,

And ran away to the Empire without a scratch on their necks.

To the Empire they went and the Imperial Emperor they requested,

And after telling him what happened, it was General Roise who was arrested.

The infamous Mule was a mutant with incredible power,

He sought to conquer everything his army could devour.

Toran and Bayta, a newly wed couple, were to first to take action,

So they stole the Mule’s entertainer in hopes of arousing a reaction.

Back on the Foundation, Ebling Mis had recreated psychohistory,

Hari Seldon’s art which had been lost throughout the entire galaxy.

Mis knew that they must stop the Mule at all costs,

Because if the Foundation were to fight against the Mule, it would end in a loss.

But in no time at all, the Mule had reached the Foundation,

And with his massive space fleet, there could be no retaliation.

Only a few could escape the planet in time,

Like Mis, Bayta, and Toran, who were lucky to have made it out in a dime.

They moved from planet to planet, the few not yet controlled by the Mule,                                

But with their departures, the planets ended up under the mutant’s rule.

On the run they still were, keeping with them the Mule’s musician,

They made their way to Trantor, where they knew they could minimize their opposition.

They finally realized that this Foundation could not rebound,

But they did not give up hope because another Foundation could be found.

For during the beginning of Seldon’s great plan,

He created a second secret Foundation while the first began.

Second Foundation

The Mule had thought that if his army conquered all the planets they could acquire,

He could achieve Hari Seldon’s prophesy of a united empire.

But one last force remained untouched by his control,

And that was the second Foundation, and making it his was his new goal.

While quite frail in physical strength and agility,

The Mule made up for it with his mental ability.

With his psyche he could control the minds of others without hesitation,

And so he made Han Pritcher and Bail Channis leave to find the second Foundation.

The second Foundation however, had known about the Mule’s intent,

So they made sure to cover up their location with a clever false scent.

Using their mind tricks they made the Mule think he had prevailed,

But instead he found a false planet and failed. 

Arcadia Darell was a clever girl of fourteen,

Who knew how to keep her personal goals serene.

One random day a stranger broke into her house without detection,

His name was Palleas Anthor, and he had important news for the Foundations protection.

Arcadia’s father was a man of great mental faculty,

And with it he studied the complex art of electroencephalography.

He and his friends had composed a diverse team,

To stop the second Foundation from getting away with an evil scheme.

Palleas Anthor had discovered the other Foundation’s intention,

And if they didn’t act now, then they’d have a distasteful contravention.

And so they sent Homir Munn to gather information in the recently dead Mule’s old world,

But they didn’t expect Arkaday to secretly board the ship, waiting for her destiny to unfurl.

Lord Stettin was the new king of he Mule’s abode,

And the name ‘Conquer of the Foundation’ was what he wanted to be bestowed.

And with the wit of the ingenious Arcadia Darell,

She intelligently spoke the king into a war with the Foundation.

But after the second Foundation had saved the first from the Mule,

The high moral of the first Foundation powered itself in battle like a fuel.

And when Arcadia came back she alone knew of the real enemy’s location,

For the position of the second Foundation, was… within the first Foundation.

Foundation’s Edge

Though the Foundation has lasted for over 500 years,

Councilman Golan Trevize has struggled to spill his fears to his peers.

He alone knows that the second Foundation still exists,

And because of this he was exiled into the spatial abyss.

The Mayor, Mrs. Branno, knew that Trevize was correct,

But she had to reject him because of the possibilities of his affect.

She banished him to space with old Janov Pelorat,

And they were not to return, and that was that.

Pelorat the historian thought the trip was an expedition,

To find the planet of origin, Earth, with the young politician.

But Trevize again knew the real reason of the mission,

To get Pelorat to unknowingly find the second Foundation’s position.

Given to them was a ship of extraordinary technology, 

But at that time they were sensed by the second Foundation’s psychology.

Both the First and second Foundations knew Trevize was a threat,

So they each called upon investigators to follow him like a silhouette.

The first of the Foundations forced Councilman Munn Li Compor to do the chore,

An old friend of Trevize, but was not anymore.

The second Foundation used a smart young apprentice,

Stor Gendibal was his name, and he knew his task was portentous.

The two Foundation exiles were both liking there cruise,

Though tedious it was, it gave them time to discuss their views.

Trevize tried to explain the ways of a hyperspatial leap,

While Pelorat clarified the information that discovering Earth would reap.

But back at Trantor, the once great Empire,

Stor Gendibal had troubles of his own, and a lot to aspire.

While he needed to track down the fast moving exile,

He knew he was being watched by a force of which he couldn’t defile.

This brought to his attention another authority like that of his second Foundation,

Who watched over both Foundations with mind powers of an even greater concentration.

He tried to warn his fellow Speakers of this force,

But the divine Speakers, even their leader, did not believe in this source.

Speaker Delarmi, a powerful member, was quick to go against him,

Her experience and verbose made his chances undeniably slim.

But as she hadn’t planned, Gendibal was quicker with the squabble,

Making a fool of his opponent and leaving her in a wobble.

Accompanying him to find the exile was Sura Novi, the provincial,

Who had not the mind skills of a second Foundationer, but was nevertheless beneficial.

The unlikely duo had met under rather odd condition,

And Gendibal was quite sure that she did not find him under her own volition.

Trevize and Pelorat hoped to find answers on planet Sayshell,

To gather information was their aim and they hoped of doing well.

But without warning they bumped into the sneaky Councilman Compor,

Who against the Foundation’s orders, wanted to settle the score.

He knew that Trevize didn’t like him, but he told them the whole truth,

How he was sent to follow them and act as the Foundation’s sleuth.

But as he left he told them, what he knew of Earth’s terrible radiation,

And with a parting bye he flew away, as a secret agent of the Second Foundation.

Yes, Compor was a triple player, who posed as an associate on all the sides,

And the second Foundation was the only influence that he truly confides.

He spoke often to Speaker Gendibal, who used Compor as a spy too,

But what the Councilman said about Earth to the exiles was indeed very true.

Trevize had recently been noticing the power of his intuition,

With it he could mold together inefficient evidence and make accurate propositions.

Using this talent he understood their entire predicament;

The Foundations’ schemes, Earth’s location, and even Compor’s backstabbing intent.

The second Foundation had too learned of Trevize’s gift,

They did not understand it, but knew that they couldn’t let their influence shift.

Finding Trevize and Earth was of their greatest concern,

For after Hari Seldon’s plan was complete by their guidance, galactic control they would earn.

What the two exiles had thought was Earth was actually the planet Gaia,

A planet so mysterious that it was deemed sacrosanct by a Sayshellian messiah.

And though both men were angry they had not found their objective,

There was something strange about the planet that they knew was being protected.

An interest in Gaia had spread fast to all parties and each was duly preparing,

Like Mayor Branno of the Foundation, who took warship and crew since the task was daring.

Speaker Gendibal and his partner had boarded Compor’s ship,

So now there were three units who were unknowingly inside Gaia’s powerful grip.

Gaia allowed the exiles to land upon their planet with open arms,

And this started the two because they expected much harm.

But the Gaians were strange and spoke of being one unified force,

The planet, the trees, even themselves, acted as Gaia’s mental power source.

In no time at all were the other two factions landed upon the sacred humankind,

But were surprised when the Gaians revealed that they had planned this four-way entwine. 

The Gaians knew well of Trevize’s intuition’s precision,

So they purposely brought all the different points of view before Trevize so he could make the ultimate decision.

Trevize had to choose what authority was best for mankind,

Whether to be controlled by either Foundation or the Gaians’ were the options, and of them there was only one that he had in mind.

Whatever the choice, each party knew he would be right,

And so he then chose Gaia to watch over the galaxy, and he felt no contrite… at the time.

Foundation and Earth

Trevize did not know why he made that choice,

He found it strange that he was given the answer by his inner voice.

And to make sure that he had made the right conclusion,

He decided that Earth would have the solution to his confusion.

Having returned to his ship and now ready for takeoff,

Trevize didn’t expect Pelorat to show up at the grand sendoff.

But Pelorat wasn’t there to watch, oh no, he was there to go,

And with him he brought his new love, Bliss, who Gaia had prearranged for him quid pro quo.

But the young councilman Trevize was wary of this mysterious beauty,

He was sure she was sent to watch over the two men; her planetary duty.

Yet old Pelorat the historian begged to disagree,

For he was sure she was useful and not some horrid banshee.

Just beginning their journey did Bliss tell of her/Gaia’s unified views,

How she was part of everything there, which was a hard concept to construe.

And not long after that did Trevize know where to go,

To the world of Comporellon they would travel, and at the speed opposite to slow.

Trevize knew well that Earth would not be there,

However, he knew that pioneers lived nearby and might know where.             

On arrival the three were stopped by the planetary guard,

And because Bliss had no passport they could not land, and it was meant for their regard.

Set in Post-Revolution Spain, Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) and her pregnant mother Carmen (Ariadna Gil) are sent to a military outpost in the wilderness to stay with Ofelia’s step-father, Captain Vidal (Sergi López) of the spanish army. Upon arriving, Ofelia encounters magnificent beings and is given tasks that will prove whether she is indeed the long-lost princess that the creatures think she is. This aspect of the movie is where Del Toro shines, putting forth his entire creativity to produce bizarre creatures and scenarios. Also at hand is an uncomfortable relationship between Ofelia’s mother and the captain, who never fails to be disliked by everyone. All the while, Spanish guerillas continue to engage the fascist camp, adding another quarrel to the already chaotic fairy-tale. Though one might think there is too much going on, Del Toro integrates these conflicts masterfully, creating a non-stop minute-by-minute experience.

Each actor brings something different to the table. The mother, housemaid, doctor, and all other secondary characters do their parts well, nonetheless, while bringing emotion and realism into the movie, there’s nothing special. That’s where Sergi López and Doug Jones come in, both of them bring their powerful presence to their scenes, staying in our heads long after the movies end. The weakest performance, by Ivana Barquero, isn’t really bad at all, though her inexperience does show and she seems awkward when CGI is incorporated. The script is well constructed, dialogue is clean and there are no loose ends. Progression through the movie is smooth; transitions, camera angles, and consistency are also well thought out. By the end, we really get to know the characters and what they’ve been through.

A character all by itself, the grim Spanish terrain featured in Pan’s labyrinth is a key element in the creation of this fictional tale. The set design is done flawlessly; with each transition from location to location, one can sense the mood without the need of character interaction. It is clear that Del Toro is a fan of animatronics and make-up, using CGI only when necessary. With that said, he creates the most amazingly realistic creatures with barely any special effects. Javier Navarrete’s Oscar nominated score is indeed worthy, ranging from chilling lullabies to intense action compositions. The sound effects and voices are authentic, the ragged voice of the fawn being a personal favorite of mine. The nearly flawless environment is perfect for the mood and character development.

Incorporating elements of dark fantasy and dire realism, Pan’s Labyrinth is certainly a must-see for any fan of the genre. The film thrives because of its unique combination of efforts and Guillermo Del Toro’s awesome vision. While this film may be the best from Del Toro, I’ll wait until the Hobbit comes out before I hold my ground on that statement.

               The house looked grim. With a sigh, the heavyset policeman parked and exited his police car, slamming the door with such unintentional force that it teetered for a prolonged second. Standing beside the vehicle, he pulled out a nearly empty pack of smokes from his worn trench coat and wedged a cigarette between his cracked lips. Turning from side to side he observed the barren hills, his bushy eyebrows shifting as he scanned the vintage scenery. It was a bad day to work, having been drenched by constant showers; the European mountainside was covered in a cold fog. Large gray clouds loomed above and darkened the landscape, messing with the natural clock of the local populace.

              ‘Circa 1735’ read the Polish sign on the makeshift mailbox, it being the only adornment in the front yard besides a large cherry tree whose branches poked and scratched the roof of the small house. The residence itself was a typical Euro-farmhouse, shaped like a large block with a single gable above it. A dirty coat of white paint enclosed it, most of it peeling away and revealing the rotting wood beneath. The policeman scoffed, despising the old style of architecture before him.

             “This piece of shit should’ve been destroyed years ago,” he mumbled to himself, the still unlit cigarette bobbing up and down as he spoke. Resting his elbows on the car, he leaned his head back on his shoulder blades. The suspension of the 1920’ Buick cringed under the man’s heavy weight, letting out an audible squeal. Taking a quick glance at his wristwatch he again exhaled, rolling the cigarette between his teeth.

              Ten minutes later, the sound of crunching gravel awoke the policeman from his daydream. He readjusted his stance, trying to make out the driver of the approaching car. When he realized that his ‘partner’ had arrived, he put the cigarette in the interstice of his ear and made his way up to the parking vehicle.

             “It’s about damn time you got here!” howled the policeman in broken Polish to the quivering figure in the car. “What took you so bloody long anyways?” The cop watched as a frail looking priest clumsily exited the car, the look of fear absolute on his face. He wore the black robe, complete with one of the white collars. In his lanky arms was a large, leather bound Bible, which wobbled violently with each shaky step the young man took.

             “He- Hello Mr… Mr?”

             “Eckart,” said the policeman furiously, with an obvious look of irritation about him, “you can call me Eckart. Or officer if that suits your fancy.” He already loathed his new accomplice, assuming the priest to be of no help to him in his investigation. The man of God was only a boy, no more than 25 years of age. His face was pale, a clear sign that he was inexperienced.

             “Yes. Yes, um… I’m very sorry that I’m late, um… my name’s Joseph,” said the priest as he shook Eckart’s massive hand. The priest spoke in heavy Polish, almost incomprehensible to the German policeman. “I um… got kind of… a- lost on my-”

            “This is your first job isn’t it?” said the policeman bluntly, a disgusted look on his face. He tried to make an imposing impression by sucking in his belly and crossing his arms.

            “Y- ya…”

            “Shit,” Eckart said to himself, yet loud enough so the timid man could hear. “I’m going be frank here kid. I never had a partner. I never wanted one, and I still don’t now.” The cop turned and began to walk towards the house. He sighed loudly, “but… I guess that’s how you guys do it here, huh, in old farm country. Pairing a policeman with a priest?” he shook his head slowly from side to side, “that just doesn’t make any sense.” They had just reached the front steps of the house, a slight trickle of rain beginning to fall. Eckart again confronted the shivering priest, “now, if this relationship is going to work. I advise that you stay out of this and let someone experienced do the work. You understand?”

            “Yes sir,” replied Joseph, keeping his head down to avoid making eye contact. “Well sir, I- I just want you to know that I… never wanted to be here either sir. The church made me come… The people here are very religious sir.”

             The policeman nodded, turning to walk up the rotting wooden stairs. With two firm whacks, the door swung open, revealing an unnerved mother with a young boy in her arms. 

            “Mrs. Isabela, yes?” asked Eckart, giving her a greeting nod as he spoke.

            “I was watching you from the window there.” Her tone was melancholic. She gazed blankly through him as she spoke, as if addressing the cars in the driveway.  She looked as pale as the young priest, defined red rings around both her droopy eyes and a deeply depressed expression on her fragile face. It was evident that she had been crying heavily, for she took in quick stuttering breaths and exhaled profoundly. “Took you both so long… I thought you might a never came in.” She cleared her clogged sinuses with a loud snort, wiping her wet face with her linen sleeve. “Well,” she sighed with a welcoming sway of the arm, “I suppose you both want oa investigate or what ever you do.” Eckart nodded his head with a dour expression on his face. “Well then, if you’d please follow me now.” She turned and walked down the narrow hallway, the small child in her arms shooting a cold glance at them from over his mother’s shoulder.

             The two stood at the doorway for a long second. With a shaky stance, Joseph leaned close to Eckart, muffling his whisper with a cupped hand.

“It reeks of evil here…”

—- † —-

The two entered the house with nothing else said between them. They slowly sauntered down the tight hallway, dodging the wooden toys scattered on the warped floor. There was a noisome smell about the air, like the decaying flesh of some wild beast. Mrs. Isabela stopped at the end of the hallway, turning her back to the room on her left and pointing a shaking finger at it.

“In- in there…” she squealed before again bursting into a violent fit of sobs. The large cop gave her a soft pat on the back before squeezing by her into the dark room. Joseph soon followed, saying a quick prayer before entering himself.

It stank of death and wickedness. Both men were forced to cover their noses, faces tight with repugnance. The rain outside fell heavily upon the house’s roof. As Eckart looked about the dim space, a drop of liquid fell on his fedora hat, making a loud patter as it hit. He looked up at the ceiling but couldn’t make out what was above him, for the window was covered with a heavy curtain.

“Do you have a leak in here ma’am?” he asked, utterly confused with the random event.

“The curtain!” she shrieked, “open the curtain!” The confused man paused a second before reaching over and drawing back the stiff fabric. Instantly the room was illuminated with a faint light.

“Bloody hell!” screamed the cop, taken aback by the hideous bloodshed before him. He rubbed the palm of his hand on his mouth, sifting his index finger through his graying mustache. Looking to his right, he saw that Joseph was motionless.

Putting a hand to his mouth, the priest vomited, the chunky mixture seeping through the slits of his fingers and onto the floor. Who in God’s name would do such a horrible deed?” he said, wiping the warm vile from his chin.

“Some god damn psychopath, that’s who,” Eckart extracted the cigarette from behind his ear and lit it with a wooden match. He exhaled a thick cloud of smoke while averting his eyes from the mangled corpse bolted to the wall.

Adorned above the stone fireplace was the body of a young boy, maybe 12 years of age. He was stripped nude, with both his clothes and skin absent. The boy’s head hung low, casting a sinister shadow over his face. Both of his hands were nailed to the dark wood beside him. His small feet dangled over the mantelpiece, dripping blood from his toes. The room was covered with the red liquid. The walls, the floor, even the ceiling trickled the horrid substance. The rain from outside crashed against the window, directing millions of small moving shadows upon the scene. Joseph bent down on a knee, opening up his Bible and began to recite a verse.

“My God, I- I adore thee and I love thee with all my heart… Watch over me while I take my rest and deliver me from danger. May Thy grace-”

“What the hell are you doing?” asked Eckart angrily, putting a hand over the priest’s Bible to block the words from Joseph’s sight.

“I- I’m protecting myself.”

“With what? God? Ha!” Eckart pointed a stiff finger at the boy. “It seems like God helped him, Huh? You folk and your gods… what you need is proper equipment.” He maneuvered his coat to reveal a revolver. “Blast the bastard next time he pulls this shit.” The priest was taken aback by the angry cop, feeling deeply insulted.

“You don’t live around here do you Mr. Eckart?” acknowledged the priest, with little hint of a question.

“No.” Eckart irritably looked to the floor, “I’ve been reassigned from Germany.”

“For what? If- If I may ask.” The policeman turned with a serious air about him, face to face with the priest.

“For killing someone…”

II: The unseen foe.

The two men walked out of the room, walking down the hall and entering the dining room where the mother and child sat, untouched bowls of soup before them. The room was a lot brighter than the last, a small chandelier of candles dangling from the wooden ceiling.

“Excuse me… miss?” asked the cop, pulling up a seat to the chestnut table, “sorry to disturb you from your meal, but I would like a minute of your time…”

“His name was Gustaw,” Mrs. Isabela replied, her face expressionless.

“Well… ma’am… I need to ask a couple of questions regarding the incident.” Eckart pulled a notebook and pen from his coat. Pulling his finished cigarette from his mouth, he licked his lips and cleared his throat, shifting his weight in the chair to achieve some comfort. “When did this happen?”

“In the mornin’.”

“Were there any witnesses? A passing neighbor perhaps?”

“There aren’t no neighbors here. There was no one… wit influence that is.”

“Meaning what?” asked Eckart, his eyebrows scrunching together as the mother turned to her child.

“He was there. But I’ve questioned him already, he speaks only nonsense!” She gave the boy a stern look, forcing the boy’s gaze down to the bowl of soup.

“He’s real ma, I promise.” Tears began to form in the small child’s eyes.

“Hold on,” the cop intruded, “You were there? Wait a second… Ma’am, the child cannot be more than five years? Why was he alone with his brother, who too isn’t yet old enough to go without supervision?”

“Gustaw was a good boy!” she screamed angry, as if defending her son’s good will, “it was me fault I left ‘em alone…” She exhaled loudly, “When me husband-” she paused for a brief second, “When me husband died, I was forced to travel to the village wit my children to buy food. When bringin’ ‘em got too hard, I began leaving ‘em at home while I went out. Yee’sterday, when I came home…” she looked at the table sadly. The policeman readjusted his hat, turning then to the boy.

“Child, may I-”

“Me name’s Jacob,” answered the boy to Eckart, giving him a wild look.

“Jacob… did you see what happened to your brother, what the man looked like?” The boy seemed to tremble, a name stuck behind his tongue.

“It was Timmy!” he screamed suddenly, “Timmy did it! I promise!”

“Jacob,” the policeman said with a fatherly tone, leaning in close from across the table, “Who’s Timmy?” Instantly the boy jumped from his chair and ran from the room. The unwillingness in the boy startled the cop. He looked at Mrs. Isabela, who shook her head angrily, then to Joseph, who sat passively in the corner, and then pulled away from the table.

“Jacob?” he called as he made his way through the house, scanning each room for the young boy. “I need to know who Timmy is… O.K? That’s all, you’re not in trouble. You’ve done nothing wrong!” Eckart stopped short of the last room, hearing a slight whimper from within. Taking a deep breath, he entered, finding Jacob curled up under a blanket. “Jacob? It’s alright, son. Please, tell me what happened to your brother, so I can put an end to this.” With a cautious hand he reached out and slowly pulled away the blanket.

Jacob was curled in the fetal position, his knees covering his crying face.

“It’s alright boy… you’ve done nothing wrong.” Eckart pulled up a small stool. “Just tell me what you saw.”

Slowly, the child sat up on the bed, wiping the tears from his eyes. Eckart could more easily see the youth in the child, noticing the boy’s faint complexion and slim build.

“I- I, was in me house yesterday.”

“Yes Jacob, go on,” whispered Eckart, putting the pen to his notebook.

“I was in me house. My… ma had just left from the house. I watched her go as always… from the window by da door. Then I played wit Timmy, like I usually do when my ma’s gone.” The cop looked to the boy, who was staring straight at the ground. “But, when Gus’ came into my room and bothered me and Timmy, I got pretty mad… Gus’ was a good brother, but he often bothered me and Timmy. When I got mad, Timmy did too. Timmy told me what he wanted to do, but I said ‘No Timmy, I like Gus’ and I don’t want you to do that.” Jacob’s small hands grabbed a pillow and began to pull squeeze it viciously. “And then Timmy told me he would do it! I told Timmy again to stop…. but Timmy… Timmy never listens to what me says!” Jacob’s voice became louder and angrier. Eckart again looked up from his pad as the boy violently tore at the pillow in fury. “When I got angrier, so did Timmy!” The boy seemed possessed. There was a look of pure hate upon his face, small blue eyes glistening with the leftovers of tears. “And then Timmy left my room, I crawled after him, beggin’ him to stop. But he told me he was fed up wit Gus’, that he had enough of Gus’s sinnin’!” Tears reemerged from the boy’s frail face. “I- I didn’t watch… I only- only saw Timmy walk into Gus’s room. Then I heard Gus’ scream. Then I heard nothin’…”

“Son,” the policeman was now very serious, disgusted with this ‘Timmy’ character. “I want you to tell me where Timmy is right now…” Jacob looked at the policeman with a timid expression, raising a shaking finger at the large wardrobe behind Eckart.

“There…”

III. Hidden threats.

The policeman quickly turned, pulling his weapon free and aiming it at the hulking piece of furniture. The large oak wardrobe was the perfect size for a man. But why would the killer stay?Eckart thought to himself as he pulled back the hammer to his gun. He could feel the warm sweat begin to flow as he moved towards the closet. From the corner of his eyes he could see Jacob leap from the bed and run from the room.

            Eckart’s heart beat heavily. With his right eye looking down the barrel of the gun, he shuffled to the side of the wardrobe so he couldn’t be attacked if Timmy were to jump out. The policeman reached out with a hand, slowly wrapping his fingers around the metal arch of the handle. He took in a slow deep breath, realizing that the psychopath must know he was there. Preparing for the worst, Eckart swung open the door, stepping back with his gun ready.

The door opened with a loud creak, revealing an empty wardrobe. Eckart’s breath was quick, eyes wide. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, his body glistening with sweat. Taking a big gulp of stale saliva, the policeman slowly relaxed his stance, holstered his gun and looked again into the empty space…

 —- † —-

“Your child’s insane!” said Eckart angrily as he loudly walked back into the dining room. The priest looked oddly at the man, pausing his conversation with the young boy who stood clenching his mother for protection. “Was that a joke?” Eckart screamed to the child heatedly, “You scared me half to death!”

“Please don’t yell at ‘im!” howled Mrs. Isabela, catching Eckart off guard. “I’m sorry ‘bout me child, but he’s been acting rather odd for the last few days… Perhaps it’s the emotional stress?”

“Your child speaks of invisible men. How else am I to react?”

“How didn’t you see him?” cried the boy, “Timmy was right there!”

“The child speaks of demons, sir,” intruded the priest, a sense of authority in his voice. “His mother told me what Jacob told her… and I too felt the presence of something similar as we entered-”

“So you’re a loony too huh?”

“Can’t you sense it Mr. Eckart? Its presence is profound!”

“Jesus fucking Christ!” screamed the policeman, slamming his fists on the table as he stood, his chair falling to the ground behind him. “All of this religious bullshit isn’t real! How can’t you see? We’ve got a damn murder on our hands!” Jacob let out a screeching wail from behind his mother.

“There’s no use trying to argue with you, sir,” said Joseph calmly, “Go… find your ‘killer’, but I’ll remain here.” The large cop pointed a threatening finger at Joseph, insults on the tip of his tongue. With a loud exhale he instead turned to exit the room, nothing more to be said.

Eckart slammed a fist on the wall as he walked down the hall, shaking the house with uncomfortable force.  He knew he had never wanted to do the job with a partner, but for some odd reason, he was very angry that the priest quit on him. Trying to forget what had just happened, he made his way back to the crime-scene. Frustrated and confused, he pulled the last of his cigarettes from his coat and began scanning the room for evidence. He came upon a fallen table. The contents were scattered about the blood swathed floor.

Seeing a stack of folded paper on the ground, the policeman picked it up.

IV: A crumpled stack of parchment was stained red with blood…

My brother has gone insane. read the first words of the page. Hastily, Eckart sifted through the pages, realizing that Gustaw had documented the strange behavior of his little brother before his grisly demise. The large man shifted uneasily in his stance. There was something wicked about these papers. The thought of some class of demon within the house gave Eckart an uneasy feeling, but he shunned the idea with a shake of the head. 

            My brother is going insane. It has been a whole day since he began locking himself in that bloody room. When mother leaves us at home it begins, his friend ‘Timmy’ comes out to play… I almost believed it once… I thought it was one of his new friends from the nursery. But I was indeed mistaken… I came into his room today, when Jacob was blabbering to his ‘friend’ about god knows what. I was actually surprised to see that no one was there, only Jacob, talking to the bloody wall. I was joking with him this afternoon about getting some real friends, and now he can’t stand me! An odd kid that Jacob is… I need to watch him constantly, to make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.

“Jesus Christ, that little boy is mental,” Eckart rubbed the back of his aching neck as he tried to take in the bizarre information. A huge section of the page was drenched in large circles of blood, blocking out a large portion of text witch made its way down to the bottom of the page. The man discarded the page, sad to see that the next page too had large sections of writing covered by the fluid. Again he flipped the page, content to see that it was unscathed.

My brother has gone insane. It has been three whole days since he and ‘Timmy’ have meet. Jacob continues to aggravate me. He now openly talks to ‘Timmy’ in front of my mother, bringing his imaginary friend into every portion of his sad life. I try to help my brother daily, offering to take him to the park to meet some friends, but he only wants ‘Timmy’. I don’t understand why it gets me so upset, but the fact that my brother has no friends gets on my nerves! I’ve been mocked at school, being called the ‘brother of a nutty’, and I find myself getting mad at Jacob all the time. I hope I don’t do anything stupid…

My brother is insane, and I think I am too. I finally mustered the courage to give in to his child’s play. I walked into his room this morning and pretended to play with him. I asked him if ‘Timmy’ was here with us and he said yes. I was frustrated with the realism Jacob has treated his imaginary friend with, so I planned on destroying his fun. “Jacob,” I remember asking him, “Can Timmy play dolls with us?” I remember him looking at the closet for a prolonged time, and then he answered, “Only if you promise not to make fun of him.” I played along and said I wouldn’t, not knowing that what I would see would make me question my sanity. For in that moment, the wooden doll on the floor began to move on its own…

Eckart’s eyes widened with curiosity, gripping the page with such force that it creased.

It seemed as if some invisible hand had grabbed the doll by the torso, the doll’s arms and legs freely dangling about in the air. “Do you believe me now?” my brother asked me, but I don’t remember what I replied. What I do remember was getting up from the floor, shouting some nasty thing at Jacob before fleeing here, back into my room. I’m still telling myself that it was a fake, but there was such realism to it that it makes me shiver…

The policeman turned to the next page, dying to know the rest. But what he saw made him cringe, for the last page was completely stained red. It made him think of the strange story that Jacob had told him. Slowly looking at the corpse on the wall, his mouth formed an angry grimace.

“The damned thing…”

               The presence of the structure before her seemed to push her back with some invisible force. The looming mass had so much pure volume that she felt as if she had shrunk to miniscule size. Susan noticed that only a limited number of windows adorned the massive block of brick, as if there were barely two to a level. Through the windows she could see a faint green light peering through the drapes. The building had a strange vibe to it. Susan felt an uncanny sensation as she closed the distance between her and the structure. Despite her internal warnings she carried on, in pursuit of her cat. As she scanned the perimeter for Mordecai, a cliché bolt of lighting struck the lighting rod of the building, causing Susan to fall to the ground and release a high pitched squeal. She cursed and picked her slim build off of a puddle of rainwater and dirt, looking into the sky and watching the rain begin to fall upon her and the building.

She broke her stare at the forlorn looking building and approached it. The crumbling concrete steps were more solid than they looked, and Mordecai was perched serenely at the top of them, perilous inches from the door that led inside. One of the double doors swung loosely open, inviting the cat inside. As Susan crept slowly up the stairs, she whispered, “Mordecai… Morty… come here, Morty,” and the cat took a step, then two, toward her, before turning, looking back over its shoulder (almost smiling) and entering the building. “Mordecai!” Susan shouted in frustration. She ran up the stairs to the door and peered inside from the threshold. What she saw stunned her. The inside of the building was even more terrifying than the outside.

It was black, yet she could vaguely get a sense for the size of the room. It was massive, seeming nearly 20 feet across and 15 feet high. Speculating whether she would trip on an abandoned object, she considered waiting for Mordecai on the doorsteps, but her cat was worth it. Taking a step over the threshold of the doorway, another lightning bolt struck the building. Her legs gave out from under her and if not for the doorway to lean on, she would have fallen to the ground once again. The bright lights of the asylum spontaneously turned on with a loud echoing thud as she got up. What she saw confused her, for the white halls of the asylum seemed nearly spotless, as if they had been recently painted. Loose equipment was scattered throughout the hall, ranging from wooden medical beds, stretchers, and wheelchairs. The air smelt of rubbing alcohol and air fresheners, similar to that of a doctor’s office. Assuming that the lightning had somehow powered the building and activated the lights, Susan ignored the bizarre event and took advantage of it, walking down the hall with haste. The stone chambers that the patients once inhabited seemed to slowly close in on her from both sides. And she could have sworn she heard voices coming from some of the rooms.

Continuing onward, she found a duffle bag marked with the first aid symbol. Not knowing if she would need it, she picked out a flashlight, making sure that the batteries still worked. She also found a set of scissors used for cutting bandages. She didn’t feel so safe in here. Looking around as if someone were to catch her, she stealthily palmed the scissors and put it into her back pocket. As she turned the corner to follow the sounds of her disobedient cat, lightning struck yet again. The building shook violently, the medical stretchers in the hall went berserk, rattling with such force that some tipped and shattered on the ground. The lights went out instantly, leaving Susan in pure darkness. A cold chill made its way down her neck, she wished she had never entered the building, wished she had left her cat to wander by itself. But she was already deep into the core of the asylum, and didn’t even know if she knew the way back. She could hear the subtle scratching sound of her cat from above, forcing her into a room marked with the staircase logo.

She climbed the marble staircase. Halfway up, she put her right hand on the long dusty banister for balance, and it collapsed, teetering slowly, then splintering and breaking into two halves, which shattered on the hard foyer floor. Susan pressed herself against the opposite wall and continued upstairs. “Mordecai, Mordecai…come out, come out wherever you are…” Susan thought to herself about buying a dog next time. They were so much more loyal, and even were trainable, so they didn’t go running off into abandoned mental hospitals and getting their owners killed by God-knows- what. At the second floor landing, Susan looked down a long hallway. Moonlight streamed through a few windows, enough to barely illuminate the dirty cracked white tiles that lined the floor and walls of the hallway, enough to illuminate the featureless solid wooden doors of the patients’ rooms, enough to show Susan that no cat was worth this. As she was about to turn around, a car’s headlights flashed into the building as the car made a right turn outside and continued down the street toward Susan’s house. In the brief time that the headlights shone in through the dilapidated windows, Susan caught a glimpse of the sign bolted to the first door on her left. It read “Shock Treatment”. It was the only open door in the hallway. Against her better judgment, she pushed the door open. Mordecai was atop a gurney, straddling the shrouded chest of a figure covered by a single sheet of white bed linen turned a dusty grayish-yellow with age. A single fluttering flickering bulb (who paid the electric bill on this old place?) cast a spastic light over the room. All types and colors of wires led from a hideous looking machine to the gurney, where they disappeared under the sheet. “Morty, come here, Morty, be a good kitty,” Susan whispered. The cat moved toward Susan, and leapt down from the figure, but as it did so, its claws caught on the sheet and pulled it off the shrouded figure. Susan was transfixed by what she saw, too terrified to even move, let alone run.

                 A large heap of decayed meat lay upon operating table. It had the shape of a large man, yet she was not sure it was so, for its body was deformed and mutilated. With the look of utter disgust, she leaned in for a closer look. What seemed to be the head of the person was charred black, burnt to the extreme with large sections of skull showing through. The figure donned a large black coat, reassuring her that this thing was a human after all. A dark noisome liquid that she presumed to be blood covered the persons face, coming from the nose, mouth, and even the eyes. Susan had to cover her nose to keep from vomiting. As she backed away from the table the man’s hand reached up and grabbed the lapel of her shirt, slowly pulling her towards him. With a horrified scream she pulled the scissors from her jeans, stabbing it deep into the man’s chest. The hand sprung open, allowing Susan to back away and catch her breath.

And now the figure on the table began to rustle and stir. It rose up from its prone position like a soldier doing a slow military style sit-up, then swung its rotten legs from the padded gurney onto the cold slick floor. Alligator clips and wires snapped off the cadaver, pulling pieces of dead flesh with them. For the first time Susan noticed that there was a nametag hanging from the shredded and burnt lab coat the corpse wore. Barely legible on the melted plastic name badge was the name Dr. Alexander T. Leventhal. The doctor whose tortures had turned this place into a house of horrors had been here all these years. He must have snuck back into this place and hooked himself up to his own shock treatment machine! Had he committed suicide after the disgrace of having his name slandered in all the papers? Did the loss of his ability to practice medicine cause him to lose all hope–to commit himself to die by the same method he used to treat his insane patients? The doctor emitted an exhalation of stale air, and the room began to stink like the inside of a tomb. Mordecai hissed and the hackles on his back jumped to life as he spat at the reanimated corpse on the gurney. He was then bounding by Susan, taking the marble steps three at a time, and out the door of this God-forsaken place. Encouraged by her cat, Susan now found the strength to run, though every fiber of her intelligence said this was an impossibility, that she wasn’t even here, that the dead do not rise, that the thing on the table was not now gaining an unsteady footing, not now coming toward her with outstretched arms and rank breath that stank of sewers and decomposing flesh.

As Susan left the room she paused, her muscles rendered incapable of moving. She felt faint, waiting to wake up and find that this was all a dream. But she knew that was out of the question, for the ramshackle humanoid stumbled towards her with chilling realism, nothing a dream could ever imitate. Taking a big gulp, Susan finally mustered up the energy to move again, paradoxically tripping over some of the loose wires on the ground. She turned on her back, staring wide-eyed at the creature before her, who had lost a significant amount of flesh since his departure from the gurney. With closed eyes, what was left of Alexander T. Leventhal sauntered up to her, standing only a few feet away.

This must be how it ends thought Susan, closing her eyes, waiting for the creature to bludgeon her with a fist or sink its teeth into her neck. But during her moment of utter fear, the decrepit corpse burst into a loud fit of laughter. “I got you good didn’t I?” The man collapsed to the floor, his laugh almost hysterical. With a hand on his abdomen, he slowly got back to his feet. The ragged person regained his composure for a second before once again speaking. “Oh you should have seen your face! You looked like I was going to bite you or something!”

Susan didn’t understand what was going on, she felt as if she were to have a heart attack any second now. Her breathing was deep, and she was covered in a cold sweat. Her head felt light, unable to comprehend that this was all a cruel joke. “I’m so sorry really. But when I saw you trespass into my grounds, I just had to get you back!” The man reached to his face, pulling off a gooey layer of fake skin and blood, revealing a happy-faced old man. With a large smile on his face he apologized again. Seeming very happy in scaring the life out of an innocent girl.

“But… but, what about the scissors, I… I stabbed you in self defense!” Susan said with a hint of confusion and fear.

With a rather bewildered expression, the doctor looked to his chest.

“Oh dear…” he said, looking at her one more time before collapsing to the ground. Dead.