Taking Flight -- Part 1

Huzzah! I've done it! It's taken me a few months, but damn, TAKING FLIGHT is here. First and foremost, I'd like to thank the Academy for their nomination and -- wait. Sorry, wrong speech. Got a little ahead of myself here...
I digress.
TAKING FLIGHT, like CAGED BIRD, was intended to be written as one story, but to save y'alls poor eyeballs, I've broken it up into parts. (At the moment, there are three.) TAKING FLIGHT is not nearly as long as its predecessor, but it packs a more emotional punch. TF flips back and forth between Abram and Cayde, as you will find out shortly, and has plenty of flashbacks, which you guys will need when you see what's coming!
Well, without further ado, here's part one of the sequel to CAGED BIRD:

Taking Flight

This is for Connecticut

I can't put into words how big of a tragedy this is. The massacre at the Colorado theater is still fresh for many of us, as are the shootings at the mall in Washington and elsewhere. Those events were just as tragic as this one without a single doubt. But for me, this tragedy hit home the hardest, as I teach the age group specifically targeted at today's shootings at the daycare where I work in Austin, TX. If a single one of these children I've grown to love over the past few months were to ever be harmed in any fashion, I'd be almost as traumatized as the parents themselves.

For ten hours a day I teach two year old boys and girls colors, numbers, read to them, play with them, and try not to rip my hair out in the process. For ten hours a day I make arts and crafts with after school kids, building caves out of cardboard and helping them with their homework. For ten hours a day, I interact with a many number of coworkers, all of whom I know very personally and consider family. If I lost any of my family to a tragedy as senseless, cruel, and horrifying as this...I don't think I'd ever be the same person. I couldn't be.

Which is why today I hugged "my" kids a little longer before they left for home. Which is why I asked a few coworkers out for coffee on Sunday. Which is why I decided to write a post for my blog. It sounds cheesy, maybe, but this tragedy more than the rest opened my eyes to what could one day be taken from me and honestly, I was terrified.

I refuse to go into politics or write the name of that horrible gunman in this post, as neither of these things have any precedent over those children and faculty who are dead. Their deaths deserve moments of reflection, and that is simply all I want this post to be about.

For those affected personally by this terrible tragedy, my hearts and prayers go out to you.

Sending love from the heart of Texas,
Lily A.

Don't You (forget about me)

Simple Minds said it best.
And truthfully, I haven't forgotten you fans out there. I'm diligently writing, don't worry. The sequel to Caged Bird, titled Taking Flight, is 2/3 of the way finished. Seriously, the conclusion is all I have left, followed by some much needed edits. Seems simple now, but I know better. =)
CB took me 3-4 months to write. TF is getting close to that number, but at least I'm finishing the story - unlike other stories that I cringe to get reminder emails about!
So, please be patient. I haven't forgotten about you. I'm just trying to deliver a full story instead of waiting months (ahem, years) between installments.
I'll keep you guys posted!
Xo,
LA

Tidbits

Why the classics can still inspire is because their words are timeless.

On Batshit Crazy Muses and Poetry

Occasionally, you find something on Tumblr that makes your Muse go batshit crazy with happiness and gives you fuel to write 10+ pages in two days.

For me, it was one of Pablo Neruda's love poems. So without further ado...

I crave your mouth, your voice, your hair.

Silent and starving, I prowl through the streets.

Bread does not nourish me, dawn disrupts me, all day

I hunt for the liquid measure of your steps.

I hunger for your sleek laugh,

your hands the color of a savage harvest,

hunger for the pale stones of your fingernails,

I want to eat your skin like a whole almond.

I want to eat the sunbeam flaring in your lovely body,

the sovereign nose of your arrogant face,

I want to eat the fleeting shade of your lashes,

and I paced around hungry, sniffing the twilight,

hunting for you, for your hot heart,

like a puma in the barrens of Quitratue.

Pablo Neruda

Translated by Stephen Tapscott

"Caged Bird" Extras and Whatnot

With most stories I write, I usually have extras or "behind-the-scenes" tidbits to help me stay on track with the story and also to put a clear image in my head of my characters, setting, et cetera, et cetera. "Caged Bird" did not deviate from my usual modus operandi, so I have a playlist and a small "behind the name" thingy that I thought you guys might be interested in taking a peek at.
Or not.
Anyway, without further ado...

Caged Bird Playlist

Cayde's playlist

1. Whispers in the Dark by Mumford & Sons

2. Sleeping At the Wheel by Matchbox Twenty  

3. Blank Maps by Cold Specks

4. Into the Grey by Everest

5. Ride This Feeling by Kate Miller-Heidke

6. 5678! by Butterfly Boucher

7. Scream by Usher

8. Let Yourself Go by Green Day 

9. When a Heart Breaks by Ben Rector

10. Diamonds by Rihanna

Abram's playlist

1. Hey Man, Nice Shot by Filter

2. No Reflection by Marilyn Manson

3. Beast of Burden by The Rolling Stones

4. Dazed and Confused by Led Zeppelin

5. Sweet Lady Luck by Whitesnake

6. Fire Woman by The Cult

7. Wish by Nine Inch Nails

8. Come As You Are by Nirvana

9. Deus Culpa + Con clavi con Dio by Ghost (hint: inspiration behind band's imagery FYI)

10. Lie by Black Light Burns

Behind the Name

...of We The Shepherds

It was an interesting picture, to be honest. Here was this random guy dressed in priest’s robes and a duster, surrounded by five other guys dressed as executioners; the sound of what could possibly be a satanic call-to-arms reverberating between the walls of The Offering. And all he does is simply smile at me and raise the microphone to lips smeared with red paint and lead the masses into a familiar but odd prayer. - from "Caged Bird"

 Okay. The key words here are "familiar but odd prayer", just in case the yellow highlighter didn't tip you off. And here is the prayer:

"And Shepherds we shall be

For thee, my Lord, for thee.

Power hath descended forth from Thy hand

Our feet may swiftly carry out Thy commands.

So we shall flow a river forth to Thee

And teeming with souls shall it ever be.

In Nomeni Patri Et Fili Spiritus Sancti." - from "The Boondock Saints"

Twisted guy, twisted music, twisted name. And it all makes sense now, doesn't it?


Anyway, these are just a few extras I had stashed away on my hard drive. I have more, which I'll post once I have them all together.

Have a great weekend everyone!
-LA

P.S.: All songs go straight to YouTube videos which may or may not be available in your country. If *any* of the songs are to your liking PLEASE LEGALLY DOWNLOAD/BUY THEM FROM THE ARTISTS. Can't stress that shit enough. Stop pirating and pay for the tunes, yo.
P.S.S: I'm not responsible for how stupid the music videos can be. Blame the artists and their lack of creative direction. (Whatever works for you, works for me.)

Caged Bird, Pt. 3

Just a reminder, this story was meant to be a standalone and read entirely in one sitting. Because of it's 20K word length, I thought subjecting everyone to read it all on one long blog post would be something akin to torture on the eyeballs. Thus, I broke it down into three parts for easier reading. Like the other two parts, this one follows exactly where the other left off, and as it is the final piece of the story, I hope it meets everyone's expectations.
As always, this is entirely a work of fiction. Any resemblance of people, places, and/or events is entirely coincidental.

Caged Bird