WELCOME TO…
Would you like to play..?
[ Yes! ]
“ As an unreliable narrator, I will start off every piece of dialogue in a typical fashion: with as much passion and enthusiasm as a student powering through an 8 hour school day with little to no sleep. Unfortunately for you, the poor viewer, we could only afford to put one choice at the start of the game (and why would we put a “No” option, let’s be real here). You might as well buckle in, or not, I really don’t care, for the Ultimate Dream Simulator TM.
Speaking of students with eye-bags deeper than the alternate dimension, meet the main character: “
[ Cindy! ]
(For legal reasons, we could not use her actual picture.)
The kitsune, a sly trickster of fox, spreads chaos to others through their magical shapeshifting abilities. In the shadows, a second shapeshifter appears, almost hesitant in their actions to step forward. A shift of face; a shift away from action; a shift of doubt replaced by a flicker of happiness; the shapeshifter disappears back into the shadows of their former life.
Going… going… gone.
Where would you like to go?
[ Into the forest! ]
” Yikes… are you sure? Well, I guess you have no choice in the matter. Have fun exploring the forest. I’m taking a nap. Tell me if you find Cindy anywhere. She’s a terrible main character, always disappearing like that.“
You breathed in pine and breathed out a sense of freshness that swept across the forest surrounding you. In a dreamlike haze, the trees curve around you as if the centre of your earth laid buried in the hands of the player itself. The world moved in slow-motion, as did you, with every step across sunken tree roots to something you weren’t sure of (yet remained certain all the same). The forest was nothing but a simulation, you were certainly aware, but waking up seemed less and less appealing the more the forest opened up its layers for you – just for you. The earth’s core was as bright and molten as the sun. You wanted to reach out, to grasp, yet the searing burn never slipped past your fingers. It was a simulation, a dream that awakened all of your dulled senses.
You pause. A shuffling in the bushes alerts your senses; your eyes focusing sharply on the swaying bushy tail of a kitsune.
Follow them.
[ Alright… ]
The kitsune leapt across the forest as if they belonged, a fleeting thought that brushed against your mind like the gentlest stroke of a leaf against the canopy of filtered light. A dream accepts a kitsune with open arms, the shapeshifter of the mind, body, and soul; as the real world around them is unable to cope with the shift of uncertainty that graces their features with every fleeting step towards open light. Certainty is reality. The kitsune falters, glancing swiftly back at you, the viewer, with piercing eyes that remain noticeably empty yet blossom with stories and untold truths. The foliage encircles around the kitsune, into open light that was past the realm you belonged in. The dream had an escape.
Are you willing to risk it?
[ I have no choice… don’t I? What type of free roam game is this? ]
Your feet settle onto soft sand that dip into crevices. The gentle dip of waves brush against your skin akin to a gentle touch. You falter, as does the kitsune, until they finally settle onto the golden hue of the beach itself. Stretching its limber, pearly limbs out, the kitsune lies down onto the hiss of the wet land. The forest had accepted them, surely, yet the ocean was where the kitsune belonged. Water, the healing and gentle nature, lapped against the kitsune’s fur in simpleminded pulses. The kitsune was at peace. You watched, slowly, in awe or fascination; you weren’t sure which was which.
Kitsunes were mischievous, a fiery spirit that stole the breath out of those around them. A kitsune demanded to be seen, to draw attention towards as if it was a bee searching through every flower petal for an essence of nectar. Yet keeping up appearances was tiring, a mundane task that sucked the life force out of a kitsune that prospered under the shadows of its predecessors. A kitsune that didn’t want to be seen, it hides in the gentle waves that envelop them in an aquatic kiss.
For a battle against the elements of fire and water, the water dampens the flames.
” Like all good dreams, they must come to an end. I hope you liked this simulator; except you didn’t really do much, no offence. Maybe try harder next time. It’s always the player’s fault, not the game’s. “
Until next time , the kitsune trails behind you as your screen fades into darkness, her black hair flying around messily in the calming winds. She smiles at you – a regard of her gratitude. She fades away into the shadows once again, yet lives with the acknowledgement that her history won’t go untold.
Going… going… gone.
┌─── · 。ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───┐
game over / the beach / the forest / kitsune
Dear Cindy,
I found your piece intriguing and extremely creative- using a short story to get across your ‘About Me’ was effective and engaging to the reader. Through using vivid descriptions of the Kitsune as representation of who you are as a person captured my attention because it is like a spirit animal with a twist. These descriptions are found in lines like, “kitsune demanded to be seen, to draw attention towards as if it was a bee searching through every flower petal for an essence of nectar” or “Kitsunes were mischievous, a fiery spirit that stole the breath out of those around them”. Without directly mentioning yourself as the explicit main character, you gave the reader a unique in depth insight into your style as an author through vivid imagery and strong story telling.
While I was scrolling through your page, I noticed that your About Me has three pages- a past, present and future. As this is your third About Me, it would be informative to the reader to read about your progression as an author- How have you changed as writer in the past three years? If this is your last year in Creative Writing, what is any advice you want to leave on this blog as a legacy of all your hard work.
Nonetheless, I was so impressed by your writing and the idea of a dream simulator. I also noticed how you tied in dreams for the future aspect because we dream about what could be in the future- I thought this was extremely clever. Furthermore, do you think that dreams play an important role in an individual’s perception? What made you want to lean towards having your short story set in a dream?
Sincerely,
Ibadat
Ibadat,
Thank you for your comment! I really appreciate your kind words and inquiries about my About Me writing piece. I’m grateful for the point-of-view you had about my writing. Honestly, I didn’t even realize how I tied the future and dream aspect together until you mentioned it. Thank you for that, it made me sound way too clever.
As for your questions, I’ll answer the following in a super short and brief format:
1. I’ve noticed that my writing has become more longer as the years have progressed. I try to use a variety of grammar as much as possible. I tend to write super long paragraphs, get drained, and abandon the piece altogether. My genre of writing went from romance, to horror, to whatever I decide to pursue this year – I’m still deciding.
2. This is my last year in Creative Writing! My advice would be to broaden your writing genres and styles. Writing the same thing consistently can be repetitive. I find it interesting to try out new prompts and ideas that I usually wouldn’t touch upon.
3. I do think dreams play a role in an individual’s perception. Dreams are very influential on the mindset. I’m not sure how to explain it.
4. I thought it would be clever since my URL is “dear dream”.
Thank you, once again, for your comment! I’m excited to see your writing as the semester progresses :D.
Sincerely,
Cindy