20 comments

Fiction

My vision became vividly colored of the white blue skies outside. The whole of the world passing by through the window of the school bus on my way home somehow managed to fit inside my small pupils. The hill top the bus cruised on showed a view of the wonderous, wide, and wonderful blue restless oceans of the East side. “You see the waves were waving at me”, the driver stuttered. He repeated himself over, and over again like a broken record. The bus came to a screeching halt, hurling us forward from our seats, and the bus doors swung open. A salty breeze swooshed in. The driver got off his seat looking as mad as a hatter,and left since we reached our destination. He warned us of a storm coming. 



It had already been the worst day of my life. There was thick red blood running down my face and I covered it up with my hands so no one would ask me why. The food on my plate was left cold until my mother walked into the living room. She told me, “son you gotta tell me what you did.” I broke a sweat trying to remember the details reliving the events. 


I had waited all year for a base ball signed by my hero to be auctioned off at the pawn shop. It was up for sale to purchase, and i had been one of the first ones there right when the doors opened. I had spent every last saved up penny on, not just a ball, but a symbol of what meant the world to me. A sign of luck, and a ticket to my superstitious belief in victory. 


The base ball put down the  philosophy of life through the leather. It was a reflection of the perception of how there was a whole world of things to discover, and the best part about it all, was that they were all illusions that were all as validly as real as each other in one shape or form.  Finding them out to be real, then connecting it with ones inner feelings  to see how it all fit together, among one big universal web of knowledge and application, created a competitive game. It came to show how endlessly abundant the world was, how much there was for mankind to experience,  and to find beauty in. 


Baseballs were otherwise ordinary. Even the appreciation, and action of accepting all that was for what was, seemed to be the greatest gift, and the currency of love known as Gratefulness. The small white ball with red stripes represented  transcendence of consciousness, of appreciating the illusion of the world. The athletes who passed by bases like days did, and the past did. They represented the endless potential of the imagination, due to their life less spherical shape. Giving purpose to an inanimate object showed there is fulfillment being okay with not having to do anything in life, yet taking the time to do something anyway, for the fun and enjoyment of itself. 


Being apart of a team was a retrospective of life being a very spacy, warm, and loving affair from ones own experiences. As well as losses that symbolized the failed high expectations a person can have, and the struggles someone could have about them. One  could think of it as a man moving on from his past problems to find sunnier skies knowing that life has so much more to offer. Like exploration, adventure, the Imgaination, Higher Love, or passion. 


Then, there was an endless amount of ways to self-actualize, and philosophize. A person could spend the rest of their life doing any of those things, and wouldn't even begin to reach the end, like the never ending circular shape of a base ball, because that's how infinitely large minds, feelings, and the world was. However, in the big mystery, one could still win the game of life by solving their own problems, yet immersing in the observation of the grand scheme of things, such as capturing vivid ideas for example. Even, by believing in things people considered absolutely crazy to think were true, like how much a game could mean. 


I had finally attained the ball, but as I was practicing base ball before my next tournament with my friend, the ball had gone over the fence, and landed between the grave stones of the cemetery. I skipped towards it when in the darkness of the light lethal liabilities has emerged. My stomach dropped, and face went pale with a glimpse of the hounds that stood there in the darkness of the light, growling at me. As I stood there in paralyzing fear, a bark from a pretty ugly wild dog reverberated as the rest of the pack heeded its battle call. They were unleased with the locks of their cages broken off by the ferocity of their depraved souls. 


The vicious, beastly dogs came towards me baring their dagger like sharp teeth to feed on my sweaty flesh. My chest pounded, and my mind ran. They appeared to be starved, just for the kill. I tried to storm out the cemetery wondering to myself “where is the end?” The sound of my beating heart drowned out the sounds of my screams. I fell face down and busted my nose, and hadnt found my base ball. 


Thankfully, as i recalled the events, my mom informed me my friend had found the base ball, and  had handed it to her while i wasn’t home. It was our only shot of winning the next game, since it was a base ball signed by the top professional athlete with fifty wins in a row. It was touched by his hands. 


I shifted out of my day dream as a loud panicky voice filled with fear disrupted my inner state! “Evacuate the area now! The storm is coming”, my mother screamed. Without a second thought, i ditched everything and headed out to the back yard.  The muddy ground pulling my foot in were making my steps slower and heavier. I spotted the base ball at the far end. 


The violent skies lit up with lightning, frying the flying fire flies. They disintegrated in the air as i tried to keep running. A strong suction swooped me in, as well as everything that remained in sight. I couldn’t escape it. I closed my eyes, as the air pressure dropped l, and no oxygen remained for me to breathe in the vertex of the tornado. 


There was deafening silence, and the dust settled. Everything once there,  in a thousand disintegrated pieces of destruction. The ones not attached to materialistic objects, were safe and free. 

November 30, 2021 05:58

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20 comments

Anzli Daullamp
03:11 Jan 01, 2022

Hi Liz, I really loved the language in this story. At the very end, I was confused as to perhaps the narrator was male. I admire it.

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06:13 Dec 09, 2021

I’m moved by reading “Perception” by Liz. Cant wait to read your next story. You certainly very carefully used good selection of words, As I was reading it, I was literally lost in the story. Eager to continue reading more and more! Great story, I rarely come across something like this. Very nice.

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Julie Mayers
05:51 Dec 09, 2021

Hi Liz, This is a ‘Story hangover’. I can’t stop thinking about your creative writing, wow!!

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Lori Anderson
05:37 Dec 09, 2021

The best part of the story Perception is the “end part “. I could not predict the end, it completely surprised me by reading unexpected end of the story!! Every other stories I read are kind of boring since once i start reding , I pretty much guess the end. This is one of the best stories I’ve ever read!!

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Irma Akmal
05:04 Dec 09, 2021

Perception by Liz is absolutely unputdownable! I wish to read more stories like this, amazing story! Definitely a “page turner”I’m Looking forward to read more stories written by the same author. Very nice Liz !! Keep it up

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Mick Tang
06:04 Dec 08, 2021

I think this woman captured her own voice and the words of wisdom behind the meaning of life. This was probably the best short story I have ever read, and reads like a poem.

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Sidra Antonio
05:42 Dec 08, 2021

This is the most beautiful thing ive laid my eyes on🥺

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Eddison Powers
05:46 Dec 08, 2021

Agreed

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Jack Rosa
05:32 Dec 08, 2021

Hi Liz, Thanks for writing this nice story. Good choice of words and how they are arranged and relayed to the readers.

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Liz W
05:36 Dec 08, 2021

Im glad you liked it :))

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Jessie Sucks
05:24 Dec 08, 2021

Liz, this is amazing. Keep up the good work, youre brilliant

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Liz W
05:36 Dec 08, 2021

Thank you😇

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Sony Brawn
05:21 Dec 08, 2021

Fascinating. I loved this.

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Baylor Student
05:17 Dec 08, 2021

I read the story twice, it certainly is an interesting read some of it is too very poetic for my tastes. I found myself wanting the boy to survive.

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Bieber Beaver
05:14 Dec 08, 2021

This gets pretty raw at the end where the storm happens, i really liked this though.

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Jaafir Sad
05:11 Dec 08, 2021

This is very intelligently written, lyrical, and has an intense amount of feeling. Beautifully written i couldnt put it down.

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Old Ladie
05:05 Dec 08, 2021

This is a piece of art.

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Tony Khan
05:05 Dec 08, 2021

Nice story. The 2nd last paragraph I like and makes me feel the emotions of the characters.

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Samantha Cooper
04:53 Dec 08, 2021

This story was exhilarating to read. I got chills while reading it through. Very well articulated!

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06:15 Dec 06, 2021

Hi Liz, I love the details about the baseball and it's meaning. I think this could be a way stronger story with just that part. The main character loses the ball, reflects on its importance, and then gets it back. You could completely omit the storm, fix some of the long sentences and have a pretty great story. Hopefully I haven't offended you, I always give feedback hoping to help,

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