Me Me Monday: Effort and Results

Quartz: Well, here were are. I’m pleased to say we now exist in the imagination of a more positive scribbler.

Christopher: We’ll have to remember how important Julia Cameron, Natalie Goldberg, and exercise are to her.

Quartz: Not to mention eating right and making sure she gets her daily intake of creativity.

Christopher: And making sure she writes. Not just Morning Pages and blogs, but other things.

Quartz: Got to keep her moving forward. Otherwise, she gets into a slump, taking us with her.

Christopher: What did you inspire her to do?

Quartz: Heh, have a gander at this…

“Everyone loved it down underground. Everyone except me.” Nimmie Not shivered.

For the first time, he looked fragile. A tiny poppet of a sprite, thrown among giang walls of crystal. “How can you like all this silent stone?”

“Stone isn’t silent.” I fumbled to put into words something I sensed every time I laid my hand against the cool smoothness of my namesake. “It speaks. It sings. Warm, living beings are so loud, even when we breathe, making it hard to hear them. You have to let yourself be still and listen in order to heart quartz’s voice.”

Christopher: Thoughtful words.

Quartz: Lad, I am thoughtful when it comes to my namestone. What have you got, huh?

Christopher: This…

He opened his eyes, felt his body leaned against the floor, the warmth of the youth holding him.

If only it had been Christopher, but it wasn’t. Leiwell cradled him in his arms while Christopher leaned over him.

“Welcome back.” Violet blue eyes glistened with silver tears, no, this wasn’t Christopher either. Tayel gazed at his face, an enigmatic smile tugging at his tiny, rosebud mouth. “This is your rebirth, Damian.”

An exact likeness of Tayel, ah, this had to be Danyel, didn’t it? stretched out a small, pale hand to him, so like Christopher’s.

Only it wasn’t. Christopher wasn’t here. He was lost somewhere in the Shadow Forest.

“No, he’s not.” Leiwell murmured into his ear. “He’s here around us in these walls.”

“It’s hard, isn’t it?” Danyel’s lower lip trembled. “To be reborn, only to have the one who gave this  new life to you disappear.”

“He hasn’t.” Tayel shook his head. “You just have to look closer to find him.”

Quartz: Heh, I sense a similar theme in our stories.

Christopher: Well, we were both trying to inspire our scribbler at the same time.

Quartz: Being engimatic, aren’t you? Letting Leiwell and his little brothers speak for you.

Christopher (a tiny smile similar to Tayel’s playing on his lips) Perhaps.

Quartz: Just how angry are you at Damian for disappearing?

Christoper: (lays a finger against his mouth and shakes his head)

Quartz: (mutters) Tease.

Christopher: Always.

Thank you, Quartz and Christopher, for helping me to fight my funk. It’s true, a little more exercise, losing a little weight, and forcing myself to get going helped a lot. And yes, a very special thanks to Natalie Goldberg and Julia Cameron! That exercise I did, modeled on suggestions you made, really helped lift my spirits. Once they were lifted, it was easier to get started on other things. I really appreciate the advice!