|| -------- -- -----  A E R I E   O B L I V I A N A . singular book of text wandertainment by Frank Edward Nora ------------------- ----------- WEAVER--CUP 3--"RESIST" <-------  ||  Severe Repair  ||  Weaver  ||  -------> (Cup SRwv003, Created v2 (6/7/99), Copyright 1999) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Today I began to resist Red Archer Booze's advances. In the past three or four days, Booze has insinuated herself into my relationship with Treyess--she made it clear that she wanted to be part of it--and she did become part of it. But I could tell, even from the beginning, that she liked Treyess better. So now I guess I'm doing it--I'm letting her have Treyess. What the hell has become of my life? Ever since we crashed here, I've begun to question my life from before. Could I really have been a Prince? Could I really have travelled to all those wonderful alien Earths, had all those adventures? I don't know. I guess at some level I know that all of it IS true--maybe I'm just grasping for a way to deal with the loss of it. Red Archer Booze is a dangerous being. She was imprisoned inside Treyess' cloak by a demigod thousands of years ago--only to be released when the cloak was totally removed from its original reality. I guess the curse that kept her there no longer made any sense. She is pure indulgence. She loves her bottle of intoxicating, delightful drink, and she loves sex. I have to admit I was drawn into it, but somehow I've managed to begin to break free. My feelings are so confused. Do I love Booze? Do I love Treyess? Yes and no to both. I think this Booze person has been manipulating my emotions. But I still have these feelings, however they were created. But my rational mind tells me to beware. And it also told me to take advantage of Booze's apparent preference of Treyess for company. That is, let her be preoccupied with Treyess while I try to come up with some way out of this mess. Does that make Treyess the sacrificial lamb? Maybe it does, but I don't care. I just walk naked around the island, totally free from burdens. I eat and drink fresh water and delicious, satisfying fruit. I breathe the wonderful air here. I just am. I am free from everything, and especially from Red Archer Booze. It's funny. She had such a look in her eyes when I was able to resist her bottle. It was a look of supreme unbelief, but beneath it--barely detectable--was a look of respect. "Very well then, Prince." she had said, emphasizing the last word. "Perhaps another time." "Perhaps." I had said. "But perhaps not." When I said this, Red Archer Booze smiled, but said nothing as she left. Clearly, I had won. So now I'm sitting up here on the rocks, watching Treyess and Booze frolick in the surf. It's like they don't care--don't care that we're lost in an unknown place. They just care about their fun. I don't know. I think I'm getting bored with things. I would have liked to have more life experience to mull over in this situation. As it is, I'm just getting restless. I think of my family--maybe out there somewhere, maybe not. The Royal Family. They made me so mad. They said that all young Royals rebel against their status, but eventually come around. I hated that because it rang true; it reduced my heartfelt rebellion to just a childish phase. Their conventions were like that ocean liner being towed down the river--huge and unstoppable, but hurtling forth, ever closer to its ultimate demise. Yeah--they thought it was a phase. Guess I showed them it was more than that with my disappearance. Guess I showed them I was serious. Big deal. So maybe this is depression. I do feel kind of dead, kind of unmoved by the world around me. But as long as it can keep me away from Booze and her bottle, I'll embrace it. Booze is so into fun--but how much fun can you have on a deserted island? I guess sex is the most obvious answer. Maybe talking to each other, debating mammoth issues of philosophy and religion, maybe that would be better. But Booze isn't on that wavelength, and Treyess isn't really either. Okay. So I'm staring out over this alien ocean. My girlfriend (is she my girlfriend anymore?) laughing and splashing as Booze embraces and tickles her. There's a little breeze. And I do feel dead. The only thing holding me together is my royalty. Somewhere deep within me is the strength of heroes. Barely keeping me afloat. But I'm hanging on. -------> ------------------- ----------- -------- -- -----