Fryza
06-18-2007, 01:30 PM
No idea where to put this, I've seen book-related topics here, so I guess I'll put it here. This is a little piece I started, need to update and continue a bit. Constructive Criticism is highly welcomed...
A catalyst, the world can go round or stop by the pure intervention of one of these. A catalyst: one that precipitates a process or event, especially without being involved in or changed by the consequences. It can be a person, an object- it could be an act of God...
Gerald Weaver was just an ordinary bum living on the streets of New York. Weaver was in his mid-thirties, under-educated, and scrounging by with whatever he could. The perfect archetype of the homeless man, a long brown coat covered his body, while his gray, unwashed hair was covered by a torn stocking cap. Normally these long winter nights would be filled with searching for someplace warm, but tonight was different.
But tonight, like most of the people in New York, Mr. Weaver couldn't help himself but stand outside and watch the sky. Traffic had been stopped miles back, as people got out of their cars in both fear and awe. Some people prayed to their deity, some people used the confusion to commit crimes, and some just stared into the distance.
And what they stared at was the possibility for Armageddon. Up above the atmosphere, a giant meteor had begun its descent to the Earth, heading right for the Atlantic Ocean. It was too large to harmlessly fall to pieces, and the people could see it.
The giant hunk of rock hurled itself closer to the water, too close to shoot down, and too big to do any real damage to be done to it at the time. All around the world, television and radios spat off nothing but predications of the end, as the rock drew closer with each second.
Weaver watched his life flash before his eyes. What would happen once the meteor hit? The wave should be big enough to level parts of the city. Maybe the whole city! Fear overcame Gerald Weaver, who had suddenly grown fond of living, even this miserable life style. And then it happened.
Within feet of the water, the meteor let out a brilliant glow, before releasing itself in an explosion. The water surged around the giant rock, funneling itself into the sky. The streets felt the shockwave, the seawater sprinkling down over-head. However, no matter how large the explosion was, the water never waved over.
The world watched as the most potentially dangerous situation was rained away...
Heaven's Sinn
Chapter One: The Catalyst
Two Weeks Later
"And scientists are still investigating the meteor explosion from a few weeks ago, even the pooled intellect of various nations has failed to discover anything."
The reporter on the television continued speaking of the near disastrous event just a few weeks prior. Benjamin Sinn sat on the couch, watching the event flipping through the channels. "C'mon Ben, can't we have a day not hearing about that damn meteor?"
"Hush Jen, they may have found something new." His wife, Jennifer Sinn, was a stay-at-home mother, while he worked for a local insurance company. They have two boys, seventeen year-old Eric and fourteen year-old Jeremy.
Since the incident with the meteor, now referred to as 'Armageddon Passed', Benjamin had indulged himself with the effects of the rock. The unnatural explosion had caught the eye of the planet's top scientists and the government, studying the crash zone, or what little of a zone they could. No evidence had arrived.
It was a normal Sunday in the Sinn household, a typical New Yorker low-middle-class family structure. Even with Benjamin's good job, caring for two boys in high school was not an easy task. Eric was a junior and Jeremy was now a freshman. On top of that, Benjamin was the only one with an income.
And that night was a typical Sinn night. Before supper was even ready, Benjamin had drowned all of his worries away in a case of Miller Lite, and was over the legal limit of alcohol. His sons sat on the other side of the table, not liking their father's actions when drunk.
Jennifer put the food on the table, meatloaf made from scratch. Benjamin scoffed at the food as his wife sat down. "This shit again, Jen? Didn't I tell you to start making food?"
"I'm sorry Ben, but we don't have enough to make meals like you'd like." Jennifer was used to these tirades of Ben's, but was still anxious over them. Ben's attention, his scowl, turned to his oldest son Eric.
"What? What're you looking at you faggot?"
Eric winced, "Nothing sir."
"You're damn right nothing, and if you ever think about looking for a shot to make yourself famous, I'll knock your little head off. I would have stopped at you if I didn't want a boy." Benjamin downed another beer, grabbing the knife to cut the food up. He cut the largest chunk for himself and slid the food across the table. Eric reached over to slide the dish to his mother, but was suddenly gripped with his father's hand across their short table.
Eric hit the floor, his face bouncing off the back of the chair. Both Jennifer and Jeremy jumped from their chairs and backed up. "What the Hell do you think you are doing, you fucking faggot? Did I tell you to touch the food?"
"No, I was just..."
"I don't fucking care what you were doing. I'm your father, and I didn't tell you to touch a fucking thing. And you need to learn some discipline, you stupid fairy." Eric began to get up, rubbing his face. "No, stay down, learn some humility. If you think you're big enough to defy someone superior to you, then you can handle the consequences."
Benjamin signaled for his wife and younger son to sit and eat, signaling they could take some of the food. Eric remained on the floor, trying to fight the tears of both emotional and physical pain. After a good half an-hour had passed, Jennifer and Jeremy left the table. Benjamin ordered for the food to be taken outside of the stairs. Jennifer reluctantly agreed. He waved his hand for Eric to sit back up.
"Listen, you better learn some discipline. I hate to have to keep treating my next of kin like a dog, but until you grow a set, you're not better than a dog that speaks English. I regret having you sometimes, you know that?" Benjamin took another pull from his beer and crushed the can, dropping it on the floor.
Eric continued to hold back tears, to which his father noticed. He raised an eyebrow in his drunken stupor. "What's that? The little girl is going to cry?" Benjamin leaned forward and slapped his son in the face. "Grow up you fucking prat. How are you going to be anything in this world if all you can do is cry? Blowing off people isn't going to get you through life like it does high school. Fucking faggot."
Ben lifted himself up from the table and cracked his neck. "It's eight o'clock. Go to bed, and get up for school. If you're late again, I swear to God above I'll break your leg." Eric could only nod and duck away to his room, shutting his door. He wandered to the window and began to sob, letting out his frustration quietly. He stared into the sky, wishing for a world he could live without fear, without all this pain. He shook his head and laughed at his cliché thoughts and went to bed, hoping to sleep off the day's problems.
Eric's alarm clock finally went off at a quarter 'til six, prompting the junior to get out of his bed and start the day. His father would have already left for work- Ben normally left around five to avoid traffic- Eric didn't complain about this, it tended to make him happy at the least.
It didn't take Eric long to get ready. Brushing his teeth, brushing his hair, changing, and deodorant, all following a quick shower, and Eric was ready to go. He normally was ready to leave before Jeremy had awakened. In those instances, Eric would sit down and read his small stash of comic books over. He knew them all by heart, since he couldn't afford to get new ones often. He kept them hidden from his father, who disapproved of them.
Eric's comic title of choice was the X-Men. Something always stood out to Eric about a team of racial hatred heroes, who never could get the long end of the stick. He loved the titles he had, and loved wandering to the comic shop every now and then.
When Jeremy was finally ready, they'd head off for school. They lived two blocks away from West Oakland High School, a school built for the poorer or more delinquent kids. Though not a bad school, West Oakland had a reputation for being less desirable. None the less, the Sinn brothers walked to school each morning, and would eat breakfast there.
This morning was not unusual for a December morning near the waterfront. The wind was ice cold, and the snow came to just below their ankles. Neither boy liked the weather much, but there wasn't much they could do about it. Come Hell or high water- or snow- they would attend their classes.
Being a freshman, Jeremy stayed out of his way for other students. However, Eric had always been in the spotlight, in a negative way. He had been a prime target for bullies since grade school, one of the reasons his father was so displeased with him. Eric never had stood up for himself, and in turn, always got beaten up.
However, Eric displayed an aptitude for learning, and was a very good student. This didn't seem important to his father, but it was one thing Eric excelled at. The two brothers normally marched in silence to their school, neither boy was really outgoing. Though they were close, they didn't speak all too often. "Hey, Eric?"
Eric looked at Jeremy in shock, the silence broken snapped him out of a trance. "Yeah? What is it Jeremy?"
"How's your face doing? I mean, after last night."
They both paused and Eric rubbed his right cheek. It was swollen, and his eye was black on the right side. He had a gash on his side that he didn't let on to, and bandaged up that morning after he dried up. "It's fine, just a little sore."
"I'm sorry dad does that to you..."
"Don't sweat it, as long as he keeps it from you and mom, I'm okay." Eric had gotten used to the beatings over the years, but it hurts worse when his father would hit Jeremy or his mother. Eric felt a sort of pride being the whipping boy, if he kept those he cared about safe.
But not Jeremy. He felt guilty for his father's constant abuse on his brother. The two were very close, and Jeremy looked to Eric for his intelligence and wisdom. However, he tried to hide to from their father, which was another reason he felt ashamed. The two continued their march to school, in silence once more.
West Oakland was a three-story school just for freshman through seniors. It housed about a thousand students, mixing between whites and blacks, with a few Asians and Mexicans. Eric tended to steer clear of the other colored kids, not out of hate for that 'race', but out of fear for the gangs.
West Oakland was known for its strong gangs, generally ranging within the racial minorities. Some whites did too, but they stuck out like a sore thumb. Paying only a few dollars, both Sinn brothers got small bowls of cereal and little cartons of milk. They sat in one of the round tables in the back, generally alone.
"Why you two always so gloomy?" Eric looked up to notice Derrick Keillor, a kid who he'd gone to school with most of his life. Derrick was an easygoing kid, a social butterfly. He'd migrate around the cafeteria before school and during lunch, speaking with each group of kids. He was seemingly hated by no one, and was also a member of the West Oakland basketball team.
"Keeps people away, and silence is golden." Eric answered, smiling. Him and Derrick had always gotten along pretty well, even with Derrick's 'jock' status. Keillor sat down and examined the Sinn boys, a look of concern on his face.
"Hey, Eric, what's up with your eye?"
"Oh, I just fell last night and landed wrong."
"How'd you get the shiner from landing wrong? What'd'ya do? Right hook yourself, sheesh." Derrick shook his head, chuckling. Eric and Jeremy kept their family problems to themselves, though they were sure everyone knew.
"Why are you boys always sitting alone?" All three boys turned their heads to see the lady who spoke it. Her name was Joanne Farmer; most people just called her Jo. She sat down at the table next to Eric and looked over his eye. "Eric, oh my God, what happened?"
"He Ali'd himself in the face falling out of bed." Keillor said, chuckling again. Eric slowly put his hand over his eye, rubbing it.
"Derrick, that is not funny!" Jo moved here a few years ago, and took to the little ragtag group of kids. She became very protective of Eric, since he had always been so quiet.
"Sheesh, calm down Joey, just trying to lighten the mood. Remember guys, I'd never do anything to harm yous physically or mentally. I mean, I'm dolphin friendly!" Keillor held out his hands and got a laugh from Jeremy, but a scowl from Jo. Eric stared at the table, wondering if his eye was that obvious. He sighed and continued eating his cereal.
Eric lifted up his spoon to take another bite from his cornflakes; he placed the spoon in his mouth and bit down and pulled out. He looked down in time to see a drop of milk fall back down into the bowl. But it was moving slowly. He watched in confusion as the drop was almost suspended in the air. He looked up to see if anyone else noticed, and his eyes grew wide.
The entire lunchroom was moving just as slowly as the milk drop. Eric shook his head, trying to get his senses straight. His eyes opened up to find everyone moving at normal speed, and no one noticing Eric's examining. Jeremy did though. "Eric, you okay?"
Jo and Derrick now turned their attention to Eric, making him duck his head. "Yeah, just had some eye troubles that's all." Eric gave the rest of his cereal to Jeremy, for some reason Eric lost his appetite. The bell rang for first period to begin, but Eric couldn't get the image of the slowed lunchroom out of his mind all day.
That day after school, Eric told his brother to go ahead without him, he was going to sit at the park for a while. Reluctantly, Jeremy agreed and left Eric to sit by himself, sweeping snow off the bench and staring into the sky. He sighed openly, letting his frustrations from the day and the day before out. He felt the bench shake for a moment, and turned to see Jo sitting next to him, smiling. "Hey, why're you always sitting alone?"
"Helps me think." He replied, doing his best not to look her dead in the eyes.
"About what?" Eric didn't want to answer that, he didn't know how. However, he changed the subject to something that had crossed his mind.
(Continued)
A catalyst, the world can go round or stop by the pure intervention of one of these. A catalyst: one that precipitates a process or event, especially without being involved in or changed by the consequences. It can be a person, an object- it could be an act of God...
Gerald Weaver was just an ordinary bum living on the streets of New York. Weaver was in his mid-thirties, under-educated, and scrounging by with whatever he could. The perfect archetype of the homeless man, a long brown coat covered his body, while his gray, unwashed hair was covered by a torn stocking cap. Normally these long winter nights would be filled with searching for someplace warm, but tonight was different.
But tonight, like most of the people in New York, Mr. Weaver couldn't help himself but stand outside and watch the sky. Traffic had been stopped miles back, as people got out of their cars in both fear and awe. Some people prayed to their deity, some people used the confusion to commit crimes, and some just stared into the distance.
And what they stared at was the possibility for Armageddon. Up above the atmosphere, a giant meteor had begun its descent to the Earth, heading right for the Atlantic Ocean. It was too large to harmlessly fall to pieces, and the people could see it.
The giant hunk of rock hurled itself closer to the water, too close to shoot down, and too big to do any real damage to be done to it at the time. All around the world, television and radios spat off nothing but predications of the end, as the rock drew closer with each second.
Weaver watched his life flash before his eyes. What would happen once the meteor hit? The wave should be big enough to level parts of the city. Maybe the whole city! Fear overcame Gerald Weaver, who had suddenly grown fond of living, even this miserable life style. And then it happened.
Within feet of the water, the meteor let out a brilliant glow, before releasing itself in an explosion. The water surged around the giant rock, funneling itself into the sky. The streets felt the shockwave, the seawater sprinkling down over-head. However, no matter how large the explosion was, the water never waved over.
The world watched as the most potentially dangerous situation was rained away...
Heaven's Sinn
Chapter One: The Catalyst
Two Weeks Later
"And scientists are still investigating the meteor explosion from a few weeks ago, even the pooled intellect of various nations has failed to discover anything."
The reporter on the television continued speaking of the near disastrous event just a few weeks prior. Benjamin Sinn sat on the couch, watching the event flipping through the channels. "C'mon Ben, can't we have a day not hearing about that damn meteor?"
"Hush Jen, they may have found something new." His wife, Jennifer Sinn, was a stay-at-home mother, while he worked for a local insurance company. They have two boys, seventeen year-old Eric and fourteen year-old Jeremy.
Since the incident with the meteor, now referred to as 'Armageddon Passed', Benjamin had indulged himself with the effects of the rock. The unnatural explosion had caught the eye of the planet's top scientists and the government, studying the crash zone, or what little of a zone they could. No evidence had arrived.
It was a normal Sunday in the Sinn household, a typical New Yorker low-middle-class family structure. Even with Benjamin's good job, caring for two boys in high school was not an easy task. Eric was a junior and Jeremy was now a freshman. On top of that, Benjamin was the only one with an income.
And that night was a typical Sinn night. Before supper was even ready, Benjamin had drowned all of his worries away in a case of Miller Lite, and was over the legal limit of alcohol. His sons sat on the other side of the table, not liking their father's actions when drunk.
Jennifer put the food on the table, meatloaf made from scratch. Benjamin scoffed at the food as his wife sat down. "This shit again, Jen? Didn't I tell you to start making food?"
"I'm sorry Ben, but we don't have enough to make meals like you'd like." Jennifer was used to these tirades of Ben's, but was still anxious over them. Ben's attention, his scowl, turned to his oldest son Eric.
"What? What're you looking at you faggot?"
Eric winced, "Nothing sir."
"You're damn right nothing, and if you ever think about looking for a shot to make yourself famous, I'll knock your little head off. I would have stopped at you if I didn't want a boy." Benjamin downed another beer, grabbing the knife to cut the food up. He cut the largest chunk for himself and slid the food across the table. Eric reached over to slide the dish to his mother, but was suddenly gripped with his father's hand across their short table.
Eric hit the floor, his face bouncing off the back of the chair. Both Jennifer and Jeremy jumped from their chairs and backed up. "What the Hell do you think you are doing, you fucking faggot? Did I tell you to touch the food?"
"No, I was just..."
"I don't fucking care what you were doing. I'm your father, and I didn't tell you to touch a fucking thing. And you need to learn some discipline, you stupid fairy." Eric began to get up, rubbing his face. "No, stay down, learn some humility. If you think you're big enough to defy someone superior to you, then you can handle the consequences."
Benjamin signaled for his wife and younger son to sit and eat, signaling they could take some of the food. Eric remained on the floor, trying to fight the tears of both emotional and physical pain. After a good half an-hour had passed, Jennifer and Jeremy left the table. Benjamin ordered for the food to be taken outside of the stairs. Jennifer reluctantly agreed. He waved his hand for Eric to sit back up.
"Listen, you better learn some discipline. I hate to have to keep treating my next of kin like a dog, but until you grow a set, you're not better than a dog that speaks English. I regret having you sometimes, you know that?" Benjamin took another pull from his beer and crushed the can, dropping it on the floor.
Eric continued to hold back tears, to which his father noticed. He raised an eyebrow in his drunken stupor. "What's that? The little girl is going to cry?" Benjamin leaned forward and slapped his son in the face. "Grow up you fucking prat. How are you going to be anything in this world if all you can do is cry? Blowing off people isn't going to get you through life like it does high school. Fucking faggot."
Ben lifted himself up from the table and cracked his neck. "It's eight o'clock. Go to bed, and get up for school. If you're late again, I swear to God above I'll break your leg." Eric could only nod and duck away to his room, shutting his door. He wandered to the window and began to sob, letting out his frustration quietly. He stared into the sky, wishing for a world he could live without fear, without all this pain. He shook his head and laughed at his cliché thoughts and went to bed, hoping to sleep off the day's problems.
Eric's alarm clock finally went off at a quarter 'til six, prompting the junior to get out of his bed and start the day. His father would have already left for work- Ben normally left around five to avoid traffic- Eric didn't complain about this, it tended to make him happy at the least.
It didn't take Eric long to get ready. Brushing his teeth, brushing his hair, changing, and deodorant, all following a quick shower, and Eric was ready to go. He normally was ready to leave before Jeremy had awakened. In those instances, Eric would sit down and read his small stash of comic books over. He knew them all by heart, since he couldn't afford to get new ones often. He kept them hidden from his father, who disapproved of them.
Eric's comic title of choice was the X-Men. Something always stood out to Eric about a team of racial hatred heroes, who never could get the long end of the stick. He loved the titles he had, and loved wandering to the comic shop every now and then.
When Jeremy was finally ready, they'd head off for school. They lived two blocks away from West Oakland High School, a school built for the poorer or more delinquent kids. Though not a bad school, West Oakland had a reputation for being less desirable. None the less, the Sinn brothers walked to school each morning, and would eat breakfast there.
This morning was not unusual for a December morning near the waterfront. The wind was ice cold, and the snow came to just below their ankles. Neither boy liked the weather much, but there wasn't much they could do about it. Come Hell or high water- or snow- they would attend their classes.
Being a freshman, Jeremy stayed out of his way for other students. However, Eric had always been in the spotlight, in a negative way. He had been a prime target for bullies since grade school, one of the reasons his father was so displeased with him. Eric never had stood up for himself, and in turn, always got beaten up.
However, Eric displayed an aptitude for learning, and was a very good student. This didn't seem important to his father, but it was one thing Eric excelled at. The two brothers normally marched in silence to their school, neither boy was really outgoing. Though they were close, they didn't speak all too often. "Hey, Eric?"
Eric looked at Jeremy in shock, the silence broken snapped him out of a trance. "Yeah? What is it Jeremy?"
"How's your face doing? I mean, after last night."
They both paused and Eric rubbed his right cheek. It was swollen, and his eye was black on the right side. He had a gash on his side that he didn't let on to, and bandaged up that morning after he dried up. "It's fine, just a little sore."
"I'm sorry dad does that to you..."
"Don't sweat it, as long as he keeps it from you and mom, I'm okay." Eric had gotten used to the beatings over the years, but it hurts worse when his father would hit Jeremy or his mother. Eric felt a sort of pride being the whipping boy, if he kept those he cared about safe.
But not Jeremy. He felt guilty for his father's constant abuse on his brother. The two were very close, and Jeremy looked to Eric for his intelligence and wisdom. However, he tried to hide to from their father, which was another reason he felt ashamed. The two continued their march to school, in silence once more.
West Oakland was a three-story school just for freshman through seniors. It housed about a thousand students, mixing between whites and blacks, with a few Asians and Mexicans. Eric tended to steer clear of the other colored kids, not out of hate for that 'race', but out of fear for the gangs.
West Oakland was known for its strong gangs, generally ranging within the racial minorities. Some whites did too, but they stuck out like a sore thumb. Paying only a few dollars, both Sinn brothers got small bowls of cereal and little cartons of milk. They sat in one of the round tables in the back, generally alone.
"Why you two always so gloomy?" Eric looked up to notice Derrick Keillor, a kid who he'd gone to school with most of his life. Derrick was an easygoing kid, a social butterfly. He'd migrate around the cafeteria before school and during lunch, speaking with each group of kids. He was seemingly hated by no one, and was also a member of the West Oakland basketball team.
"Keeps people away, and silence is golden." Eric answered, smiling. Him and Derrick had always gotten along pretty well, even with Derrick's 'jock' status. Keillor sat down and examined the Sinn boys, a look of concern on his face.
"Hey, Eric, what's up with your eye?"
"Oh, I just fell last night and landed wrong."
"How'd you get the shiner from landing wrong? What'd'ya do? Right hook yourself, sheesh." Derrick shook his head, chuckling. Eric and Jeremy kept their family problems to themselves, though they were sure everyone knew.
"Why are you boys always sitting alone?" All three boys turned their heads to see the lady who spoke it. Her name was Joanne Farmer; most people just called her Jo. She sat down at the table next to Eric and looked over his eye. "Eric, oh my God, what happened?"
"He Ali'd himself in the face falling out of bed." Keillor said, chuckling again. Eric slowly put his hand over his eye, rubbing it.
"Derrick, that is not funny!" Jo moved here a few years ago, and took to the little ragtag group of kids. She became very protective of Eric, since he had always been so quiet.
"Sheesh, calm down Joey, just trying to lighten the mood. Remember guys, I'd never do anything to harm yous physically or mentally. I mean, I'm dolphin friendly!" Keillor held out his hands and got a laugh from Jeremy, but a scowl from Jo. Eric stared at the table, wondering if his eye was that obvious. He sighed and continued eating his cereal.
Eric lifted up his spoon to take another bite from his cornflakes; he placed the spoon in his mouth and bit down and pulled out. He looked down in time to see a drop of milk fall back down into the bowl. But it was moving slowly. He watched in confusion as the drop was almost suspended in the air. He looked up to see if anyone else noticed, and his eyes grew wide.
The entire lunchroom was moving just as slowly as the milk drop. Eric shook his head, trying to get his senses straight. His eyes opened up to find everyone moving at normal speed, and no one noticing Eric's examining. Jeremy did though. "Eric, you okay?"
Jo and Derrick now turned their attention to Eric, making him duck his head. "Yeah, just had some eye troubles that's all." Eric gave the rest of his cereal to Jeremy, for some reason Eric lost his appetite. The bell rang for first period to begin, but Eric couldn't get the image of the slowed lunchroom out of his mind all day.
That day after school, Eric told his brother to go ahead without him, he was going to sit at the park for a while. Reluctantly, Jeremy agreed and left Eric to sit by himself, sweeping snow off the bench and staring into the sky. He sighed openly, letting his frustrations from the day and the day before out. He felt the bench shake for a moment, and turned to see Jo sitting next to him, smiling. "Hey, why're you always sitting alone?"
"Helps me think." He replied, doing his best not to look her dead in the eyes.
"About what?" Eric didn't want to answer that, he didn't know how. However, he changed the subject to something that had crossed his mind.
(Continued)