Awakening: The Girl Who Went Worlds Apart

When Fay Constantine, your average college student in New York is kidnapped 
one cold December night, she wakes up in a frightening, elaborate, medieval dungeon. 
She will do whatever it takes to get back home, even if that means becoming an unlikely heroine in a strange yet enchanting new world of mystifying to nightmarish creatures. 
In doing so, she will discover a sacred gift that has been hidden long within herself
that will uncover her inevitable destiny. 
Along her journey, she will find romance, befriend new companions, and together, 
they will meet the many faces of evil. 
In the end, her cause to finding a way home 
becomes forever changed in an unforgettable way.

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Who AM I? Who I AM

     Who AM I? A question many of us have thought of but few ever truly mull about it. I am Katelynn and that's my name. But, my name does not define who I am. No, I give my name meaning from the person I claim to be. Who is that person? Well, I'll tell you who, from the perspective of myself. Ha, get it? Myself, because this is about who I am. Er -- anyway, I'll drift away from the puns. After all, this is not a joke. This is about me, and I am not a joke, I assure you of that, yes.

     My name is Katelynn, I am an individual. I am a human being. I am me and me alone, and me, alone, is someone who proclaims to be someone I think I am. Who am I? This person that I claim to be is someone I know well of. I am a soul. I am a scientist. I am anyone that I choose to be, and who I choose to be is someone that I claim to be. But, ah, allow me to explain further in who I am. I am (my true self) to be someone who (in my brain) I think I am. I am a thinker. I am a tinker. I am me, a person in this world, just like you.

     My name is Katelynn and who I am is defined by my thoughts. There are many Katelynn's, Kate's, and Katie's in the world, but I am me because of my thoughts, and my thoughts are ever evolving into more than just me now, but, who I want to be, and what I claim I will be, that is who I am now, and will forever be to dream to be, and I am me because I choose to be this person that I claim to be. Confusing? I understand, but this makes perfect sense to me because I am me, and this is me. Do you know me yet? I am me and I am in my own universe entwined in my own thoughts that will forever engulf and encircle my life and soul into shaping the person that I will become and that "becoming" is me now because of the ever-changing and constant thoughts that flutter through my mind.

     Still don't know who I am? I am my thoughts manifested into a corporeal form. Who are these thoughts? These thoughts – I mean me, is someone's and everyone's experience which I've composed into my own existence's experience. I am someone whose thoughts – I mean personality, is that of many elements which I've learned through this brain, and to it, my soul has learned to be more me, but I have been me all along. One cannot expect to understand another unless one were to live in that person's thoughts and see through that person's eyes. I can only express my thoughts and actions into who I want you to know me as, but you won't be able to ever truly understand, unless you were me, and I could never truly understand every aspect of you because we are our own thoughts, and the best thing we can do is try to express them, but the irony of it all is that only ourselves can truly know who we are and that is because we are our thoughts and that makes each of us forever unique, and this, as a fact, that no matter how big or little our pattern in thinking is, we all have differences in thoughts. I am me, a formation of ever-changing thoughts. 

The Song that Resonates Within Me

     One song that truly speaks to me and sings to my soul is an instrumental composition called, “Aphelion” by composer Jesper Kyd. Although there are no “real” words, more so, a lyrical soprano, to this song – I find that all the instruments in this come together to sing a harmonious tune with the melodic voice which in turn speak to me, and what's great about there being no “actual” words, I'm able to convey the song to my own meaning, and that meaning which I have conveyed is epic.

     The heart pounding drums, the dramatically, pulse-rising string instruments, and to top it all off, a soprano who's voice sounds like she's transcending time and space in the observation of the creation of new galaxies; this song is truly epic. Now, what also specifically happens to me when I listen to this, is that I feel my whole body fill with the urge to go on an epic adventure. Whether that would be fighting a medieval fantasy war that has been raging for centuries in another time and place, or traveling the universe fighting space pirates, this song makes me feel like I just want to get up, out of the house, traverse vast forests hiding long-forgotten treasures, sail upon raging seas, and climb mountain tops until I'm high enough to reach the stars. This song makes me feel as if I can do anything, and that I can go beyond the sky's limit in search of anything to my heart content.

     This song is relatively short to most instrumental songs I've listened to, but its beat has been imbued within me, resonating to my soul which will last for a lifetime. To me(and I'm sure I'm not the only one), this song is the epitome of the sense of adventure we all so dare and desire to explore and experience. This masterpiece has especially inspired me many times over in the stories I write; allowing me to write, not only for myself, but the inspiration to take my readers to faraway places where daring escapes from the most seemingly impossible situations lie, to enlightening, mind-blowing discoveries, and then to the heart-throbbing romances that await upon a beautiful view within an enchanted place, all from one's own seat.

     Now, I must say, there a science behind the entirety of the epic feeling that rings through me from this song, and that science is the music itself, attracting and vibrating the atoms and neurons within my cerebrum to affect me in this way. I can't help but to feel the epicness this song shoots into me. Listening to this very song again as I type this, I find that... I... got to... go... now... to... my next...grand... ADVENTURE!

What I've Learned Most: A Geek's Perspective

     Growing up, what I've learned most, and this may sound silly to some, but I've learned to always choose to be a hero. I learned this from playing many video games with stories that surrounded the idea of heroism, and I thank my brother in the first place for introducing me to games, for every character I've played, I've learned their morals and lived virtually through their experiences. Sounds absolutely bonkers, I know. But trust me, if you really think deeply about it, it really isn't so far-fetched to learn ideals from games. Everyone learns from something and depending on the circumstances, if it were a good or bad situation, doesn't necessarily mean you copy someone or something's actions, but rather you learn from experiences and consequences from the choices you make through your avatar.

     Here's a few examples of some of the greatest video games I've played. First one being, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, this truly was a magnificent game which the plot was about a hero who had to face many obstacles in the face of evil. Now, the memories I've had of having the pleasure of being able to play this game as part of my childhood, besides the fact it was such a fun, stress free game, was that the game was so enticing, it pulled me into the hero's shoes, and every heroic choice made in the game was an exhilarating and rewarding feeling of being on the “good side” which made me feel happy to be a hero.  

    

     Another great video game that I remember learning the ideas of heroism is from Super Metroid. A science fiction game about a heroic female bounty hunter who could beat up any foe no matter how big it may be. Through this character's shoes, I've learned to want to be a fierce, independent heroine in any adversity I may come across, especially the feeling, I remember, of the excitement in anticipation when my character had to take on a huge, evil, alien life-form called, “The Motherbrain.” This was a simply heroic battle, and right after its slaying, a timer went off and you had to escape in the nick of time before the area you were in would explode. During this, if you were willing to sacrifice some seconds off the timer, the game throws you the choice of saving a group of animals you came across earlier. Of course, I chose to save the animals and the feeling of being a hero towards the end of the game made me feel more accomplished.

     Lastly, a video game called Fable II was among my very favorites. This game had to do with choosing between good and evil. You started out as a child, and from the very beginning of the game, you were given choices to make that would alter the morality of your character all the way to adulthood and depending on whether you made morally good choices or bad ones, it altered, not only your character's appearance, but the storyline. Now, I recall, when I had first played through the storyline, that I had chose only the morally heroic options presented to me. I loved and enjoyed the outcome of the storyline for my character, but then, once, I had completed it, I decided to try a darker path that I'm not usually inclined to playing in video games; “the bad guy.” I was very curious of the different possible outcomes if I chose to do evil in the game. I replayed the game a second time from the beginning and made my character evil, and in the end, it didn't feel as fulfilling or fun as playing “the good guy.” I didn't feel pulled into the characters shoes as much, nor, did I feel the satisfaction of finally conquering my character's struggles. It just wasn't as “fun” to be bad. So this actually helped me in learning to always choose to be a hero, because it is not only the right thing to do, but it is also more fulfilling to do so.

     So take my learning perspective as you will, and as I stated earlier, if you think deeply about it, it's really not so far-fetched to learn your ideals from video games, and this sure can make a whole lot of sense when you're a geek like me, whose memories have instilled the learning experiences of all of these heroes I've played in video games. After all, from the beginning of time, we've learned of the rewards and consequences of heroes and villains from books. What makes learning the moral tales in video games any different from those we've taken from storybooks? Well, one thing's for sure, I will certainly never forget what I've learned from these stories because of being able to actually play through them. The satisfaction in the choosing to be a hero, has made me think twice in walking by someone who is in need of help in real life, and by helping someone, I could be a hero for that moment, no matter how small or grand a deed may be, so long as it helps to make someone's day.

3 A.M

3 A.M:

Three a.m is the hour.

Outside my window, I see it.

It appeared from the shadows to check my neighbor's mail.

Like a child, it plays on my neighbor's porch.

I fear it will see me and decide to play on my porch instead.

I observe its world through my window just like it's observing mine.

I think it finally notices me, and so it stops, as if caught by a guard.

There it goes back into the shadows, as if it was blown by the wind.

The hour of three a.m has gone.