"Why do you do it?” asked the onlooker.

“Because being creative is the biggest part of who I am,” replied the artist.

“But, do we appreciate such beauty anymore?”

“Beauty For Its Own Sake?” Short Fiction

©2010 Annyash760.

"He said he liked my cooking,” Claire said with a big smile.
“Yeah, people’ll eat anything when they’re hungry,” replied Laurie.

“Feed Me...” Short Fiction 



©2010 Annyash760. 

After her long tirade about the terrible state of things in the world, Carla’s grandpa turned to her and said, “You’re learning that in this life, you have to look the devil in the eye before you can see the path to heaven.”

“The Path To Heaven” Short Fiction


©2010 Annyash760. 

"How much do good manners cost?” she wondered, “because evidently some people think they cannot afford them.”

“Good Manners?” Short Fiction

©2010 Annyash760.

Vresta M’Ogano
Digi-log Entry: 046.01: P and T
Preparation and Training has been a nearly disastrous affair for me so far, with just under two weeks to go. [Note: We are not allowed to disclose information pertaining to our training location to anyone on the outside, although I and a few others have permission to continue our journals and transmit our logs, as long as we keep to general impressions and do not transmit details of our whereabouts. End Note]

We are being given all the information we are allowed to receive up to this point (can’t give details yet) and huge doses of mental prep via accelerated training modules.  I hate those things––reclining in a taglium-glass tube three hours a day for five days, followed by a rigorous physical schedule and study that will go on until we leave for the mountains––can you say torture.  Yes, I can…

Vresta M’Ogano
Digi-log Entry: 048.34: P and T Part 2 - Physical and Mental Fatigue
We’re up at four in the morning, to bed at nine p.m. It’s one hellish, non-stop whirl of study, receiving orders, running, climbing and pushups.  We’re only on day three so far and I’m about ready to give up, or drop, whichever comes first.  I’m exhausted, I can’t taste my food anymore, my legs ache all the time and I can’t shake this feeling of dread that has been following me around ever since I learned that I was chosen for this assignment.

My daily regimen goes something like this:
04.00 a.m. Wake up call (we are sleeping in mixed dormitories)
04.15 a.m. Run
04.45 a.m. Shower and Breakfast
06.00 a.m. Mental Prep (2 hours)
08.00 a.m. Refreshment Break
08.15 a.m. Body Stretching Session
08.45 a.m. Study Sessions
12.30 p.m. Lunch Break (eat, update my logs and a ten minute nap)
14.00 p.m. Physical Training
18.00 p.m. Body Stretching/Meditation Session
18.30 p.m. Shower and Break
19.00 p.m. Mental Prep (1 hour)
20.00 p.m. Break (further update logs)
21.00 p.m. Lights Out

Vresta M’Ogano
Digi-log Entry: 049.02: P and T Part 3 - Day Five
One of the girls on the team (not allowed to give names yet), broke her ankle this afternoon and an instructor wound up with a broken rib.  During climbing practice, the girl, who just happened to be my partner for the session, suddenly got a fit of the the giggles (perhaps she was delirious from a lack of sleep, I don’t know), missed her foot-hold, somehow accidentally loosened her ropes in the process and fell, landing on our instructor who had been standing below us, barking orders like a military drill sergeant.  This incident did not make him happy and put him into an even more foul mood than usual.

The medics fixed them both up and my team mate was back on her feet within an hour, but I’ll never forget the horrendous sound of snapping bones echoing through the training room.  It still sends chills through me…

Vresta M’Ogano
Digi-log Entry: 049.10: P and T Part 3.1 - Day Seven
Since that climbing incident a couple of days ago, our instructor has been making us run a grueling seven miles a day, instead of five. Ugh!

Vresta M’Ogano
Digi-log Entry: 050.26: P and T Part 4 Plus Briefing - Day Nine
We had our first group briefing this morning… The details are still confidential and I’m still nervous, although I have been sleeping much better over the last couple of nights; acceptance of my impending fate perhaps? 

Vresta M’Ogano
Digi-log Entry: 058.32: P and T Part 5 - Day Eleven
I feel stronger… The high protein diet and vitamin shots are starting to take effect, at long last.  I haven’t had any junk food since arriving here.  My skin and hair look better and my muscle tone overall has really improved in a such short space of time.

Vresta M’Ogano
Digi-log Entry: 059.04: P and T Part 6 - Day Twelve
Last day of prep.  We change locations tomorrow. 

~ The Private Digi-logs of Vresta M’Ogano
From Riddle of The V’zanthi
by Annyash B. Arriffe
Copyright ©2010 Annyash760. All Rights Reserved.

Continued from: Episode 2:  “The Invitation”

"Regardless of trying, I still don’t know how to inspire people,” she said, “but I do have a talent for annoying them.”

“No Inspiration” Short Fiction
©2010 Annyash760.

"If I could get those wasted years back, I’d probably live to at least one hundred and three years old,” Jaikob stated.

“You are one hundred and three,” came the reply.

“Oh… darn it!

“Turn Back Time” Short Fiction
©2009 Annyash760.

"Of course, there’s mediocre, there’s good and then there’s being the best,” Charles stated, in an authoritative tone.

“Which are you?” asked his friend, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, my dear boy,” Charles replied, laughing, “You certainly must admit that I represent the mediocre… at it’s absolute best!”

“Mediocrity" Short Fiction
©2009 Annyash760