axExp
The Chosen One
ression
By Lara Taylor
Staff Writer
"There is another world, called Nether,
that runs parallel to this one. In Nether,
where 1 am from, we have wise men called
Scribes. They’ve got the robes, shaved
head, tattoos, the whole nine yards— any
way, they discovered, about 75 years ago,
how to open a sort of black hole in time. I
don’t know all the ins and outs. I’m not a
Scribe. I just know it’s a very complicated
thing, to manipulate time like that.
So at first they sent out a large group
of people to investigate. They never came
back. Some say they loved it here, where
the customs are not as strict as in Nether,
and decided to stay. Others say that the
paranoia associated with being different in
this world led to the discovery and demise
of our Explorers. Several years later, it was
decided that another, smaller group would
go, dressed more in the garb of this world.
Only time travels quickly here, and where it
was 1953 when the first group came
through, it was already 1961 when the sec
ond group arrived.
At any rate, this new group of Explor
ers began noticing that some of your
people had what seemed to be a super
charged aura about them. Only nobody
here seemed to notice. And they were all
children. It was a mystery. Were they the
children of previous Explorers, where our
body chemistry functioned differently here?
Or was it that they were Nether half-breeds;
half human, half Netherian? Or did they just
use a part of their human brains that others
couldn’t access? We still don’t know for
sure. It seems though, after years of tests
on willing half-breeds, that the strongest
auras came from them. Others with visible,
but weaker auras, are usually full humans
who were more ‘aware.’
You are a half-breed,” Gwen stated mat-
ter-of-factly.
“What?” gasped Cory. “You mean to
tell me that one of my parents was not of
this Earth?”
“That is exactly what I am saying,” she
said, continuing as if Corinne were actively
listening instead of lost in her own world.
“It was soon discovered that the humans’
paranoia and, alternately, its curiosity, in
cluded its own kind. Kids were disappear
ing as soon as they showed signs of any
isychic powers. Many thought they were
being taken to be tested, others thought it
was not the government, but private inter
ests groups...” Here Gwen trailed off, her
brows drawn down in a frown as she
thought. “It’s all so complicated,” she
sighed, and then shook her head. “Any
way, the reason I’m here is to protect you
from others and from yourself”
Corinne looked up, startled. “I’m a
threat to myself?” she asked.
Gwen stood and swung her leg up and
over the chair back as if dismounting a from
a horse. “You could be,” she acknowledged.
“We don’t know what your powers are,
precisely. You are still young. You won’t
come into your fijll powers until you are 21
human years of age. Have you had any
thing weird happen to you in the past
couple of years? Thoughts or wishes com
ing true in the heat of the moment? Things
levitating or flying across the room? Dreams
coming true the day after you have them?
Losing time?”
“Losing time?” Cory interrupted.
“What do you mean by that?” she asked
casually.
“I mean self-hypnosis, where you last
remember doing something cahn, or sitting
in class, and suddenly you start, as if you’d
been asleep, and you realize that hours or
minutes or sometimes even days, have
gone by, and you don’t remember
anything...does this sound familiar? Gwen
asked, narrowing her eyes and watching
Corinne closely.
“Well no, I mean, of course not!” Cory
stammered. “Why would that sound famil
iar to me? Anyway, this whole thing
sounds ludicrous! Other worlds and Gates
and supernatural powers. I mean, sure I read
about It, but it’s not real!” she exclaimed. “I
mean, come on, what do you take me for?
A Trekkie?”
“Trekkie? What is that? A troll of some
kind?” Gwen asked. She had her left arm
under her breasts and her right elbow
propped up on it, her chin in her right hand,
and looking quite puzzled.
“Oh great! Now you’re going to tell me
you have trolls in Nether, right?” Corinne
asked sarcastically.
“Yes,” said Gwen, nodding in confu
sion, “but I have only had a few cursory
glances at this world, so I’m not altogether
sure what this Earth has in store for me. We
don’t know everything just yet!”
Students and faculty may submit poetry, prose, and
artwork for the MC Expression section. Work may be
edited by Monarch Messenger for brevity but not for
grammar, spelling, or content. Send your submissions via
campus mail to Student Media, Monarch Messenger
Art student expresses himself by sculpting.
Pholo by Mary Hill
CREATIVE CORNER
Anticipation of New Life
What willyou be like?
Who win you look like?
What winyou do withyour life?
i wait for you.
ifeeiyour movements.
Strong, powerful, constant.
Winyou be a boy ora giri?
I wait for you.
My body changes.
You are growing.
\Xi^Hyou be healthy?
i wait for you.
The time is here.
Something is wrong.
I am afraid.,
i wait for you.
Oxygen mask, an iV, a spinal.
Hurry! Hurry!
The doctor takesyou out of me.
I wait for you.
It 's a boy!
Ten ffngers, ten toes.
Everything is fine.
I hold you.
—Cindy S. Bridges