Random Ramblings

So this little story (and the next one) came to me in dreams.

I have always had vivid dreams and one day I decided, why not just jolt them down and see where they go. It made for weird waking times as I would wake at 3 or 4am, half asleep, to jolt down what I can remember of the dream. It's also hard to get back to sleep after. Makes me groggy and grumpy for work the next day.

In my first dream I saw a lonely and sad boy under a tree who was trying his best to stop crying but couldn't. A girl comes up to him to comfort him. As they sit there in companionable silence after he was done pouring his heart out to her about being alone, the girl starts doodling an umbrella. She breaks the silence and explains to the boy why umbrellas are so magical and special, and that no one has to feel lonely under the umbrella.

I took the story and ran with it. I added my own twists. I also wanted to weave in a little about strength and breaking some of the traditional modes of thinking.

I also wanted to share that abuse can take place under everyone's nose. Abuse has no divide nor preferences. It's also a vicious cycle. A lot of abusers were once the abused or are still being abused. It takes loads of bravery and will power to manage to break out of the cycle. Not everyone can break out of it without help. Unfortunately RaRa's mother was a victim as much as RaRa was. RaRa's mother tried her best but lost the fight.

If you suspect abuse - child abuse, spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend abuse, elderly and animal abuse, please, please call your country's help line to report it. Abuse comes in many shapes and forms. If someone you know look like they need suport, do reach a supportive, helping hand out. Please don't turn a blind eye, or pretend nothing's happening, or worse, to just convince yourself it's not abuse or that someone doesn't need help. You can and you will save a life.

This is my first finished short story in forever. I used to enjoy writing short fictional essays quite a fair bit in secondary school. They were always for school though and with given themes. I haven't written anything long on my own nor from scratch since I graduated.

I was inspired by the book "The Art of Creative Thinking" by Rod Judkins to not be so shy about my ideas. I mean what's the worst that could happen right? At most you would just laugh at my story, not finish it and ignore it (Well I do hope to avoid nasty comments though. Haha.).

I was also largely inspired to actually start writing a story instead of just thinking of maybe I could write a story by that book. I may not be very good at it. But at least I started and tried. There was this liner within the book. "No matter how strong the idea, if you sit on it, it gets cold."

It definitely wasn't easy to start and much less finish this. I took many pauses in between. Some days I can hit two or two pages, while on other days I can barely complete two sentences. Ultimately I did have loads of fun writing it. From figuring out the plot and the story, to building Gillean, Leora and her mother's back stories. So I guess that's a win for me, in a way, since I largely wrote it for myself. To show myself I can write something.

Thank you for spending your precious time on this little story. I hope some of what Leora says to Gillean inspires you at least a little. And I also hope to see you again for the next story which will be more fun and light hearted (I hope. I won't know yet as I am still finding my style and voice).

Leora may have left, but Gillean still has loads of adventure waiting ahead for him. You will definitely see more of him. That is if I can move my sorry lazy rear end to finish the plot and build the characters.

Procrastination is real.

=======================

Why I chose these names for the characters

Names have great meaning to me. I google searched like mad to find the right ones that fit the characters and theme.

Raiden

associated with the god of thunder; part of the water theme

Gillean

name means servant of St John the Apostle, son of thunder (I am super pleased with how I picked everyone’s names. Gillean suits him so much better than his original name of Atlas (he who carries the weight of the world on his back).)

Leora

name means light

=======================

Why I chose some landmarks (sorta)

Like the names, I chose certain ideas to fit the situation and theme.

Trembusu trees

They represent resilience and are the unofficial national trees of my native Singapore. Fun fact: Almost all trees planted by the Singapore Government have tags and it’s a crime to injure these trees as they are government property (haha! True though!). The tree I mentioned is a heritage tree in our Singapore Botanic Gardens (which is also a UNESCO World Heritage site!) https://www.nparks.gov.sg/gardens-parks-and-nature/heritage-trees/ht-2001-26

Gargoyle

Water spouts shaped in the form of monsters. They are not that common in Singapore, but I am sure there are some… somewhere.

=======================

Interesting facts I learned while writing this short story What the police say when arresting someone

I was about to add in the little bit about “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.” when I googled and found out that… Oops! That liner is only used in the United States. Where I am from, Singapore, things work differently. My stories are set in Singapore. So I am applying the Singapore law:

https://singaporelegaladvice.com/law-articles/right-to-remain-silent-police-singapore/

https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act/CPC2010#pr22-

(Of course please take all information with a pinch of salt. Not that I hope you get into legal trouble, but please seek proper legal advice from a trusted lawyer from your home country if you need the help.) When authors say that some characters have a mind of their own, they really ain’t joking

I outlined the story a while back, but many things changed. First was the main character’s name. I thought to name Gillean, Atlas, at first, in view that he was carrying the heavy weight of the grief of RaRa’s passing. But he was having none of it. He decided that Gillean was a better fit for himself. So Gillean his name was.

Secondly, I wanted to create a female interest for Gillean in this story and the next. In fact I started with that. But again, he wasn’t having it and that was just not him. So despite him later growing up to be a casanova with a trove of male and female lovers, Gillean gravitated towards and chose Johannes to be his soul mate. Heh.

So please look out for the next adventure which will be longer. Also because of the orientation Gill identified with more, will be a BL (Boy’s Love). It will be filled with loads of supernatural adventure and will hopefully be a fun read.

The new story should roll out in a few months time!

Till then, see you and YOLO.