Imagine

Are you ready

To fly?

Like the boy

Who escaped time

Like the man

With the hook

Like the fairy

Chiming

Above their heads?

Are you ready

To sing?

Like the girl

Captured by

The beast

Under a spell

Like the pots and pans

Dancing

Through the castle?

Are you ready

To wish?

Like the boy

With the lamp

And the genie

laughing gaily

Like the magic carpet

Soaring

To whole new worlds?

Are you ready?

I'm On My Way

I'm on my way

I'm trying harder

I'll make it some day

I'll show them how

Cause you're on my mind

But I'm running out of time

I'm fighting the good fight

I'm pushing it farther

I've got you in my sights

I've given this my all

Cause you're on my mind

But I'm running out of time

I'm confident and sure

I'm holding my head high

I'm quiet and demure

I'm taking this time for you

Cause you're on my mind

But I'm running out of time

I'm running out of time

I'm taking far too long

I've got you on my mind

I've got to find a way

Cause you're on my mind

But I'm running out of time

The Shadow's Shadow

While Jaz Hawk sat in her fancy apartment, I ran out into the night. I was kind of laughing at Jaz's face, but a big part of me was really disappointed. I thought her better than that; I thought her memory acute and above average.

I thought she would have remembered me.

It hasn't been that long since I last saw her. Not really. I have changed a lot, but, you see, we were both recruited by the government about four years ago. That would have made Jaz only seventeen; I was nineteen. We both lived in the same town, but we went to different schools, and before we were recruited we had never seen each other.

When the agents first came to me, I would have to say I was scared witless. I thought for sure they were going to lock me up--for reasons unknown to me--but they just wanted to talk. To a teenage college student, though, 'just talk' means 'get you in trouble.' I freaked and ran.

Needless to say, they caught me within a couple minutes. I mean, you can only sneak out the bathroom window and run off if your window is NOT fifty feet off the ground with nothing to break your fall except the ground. So yeah, they got me. I don't know why they still wanted me after that ridiculous stunt...I was such an idiot at that age. Still kind of am, I suppose.

They 'talked' to me, though. They actually talked. They recruited me, and within a day I was on my way to their headquarters in Nowhere, I-can't-tell-you-where. There, I met Jaz, who was in the same situation I was. We were both treated very well, and given the best training anyone could ask for.

Within three years, we became some of the top operatives our age. We also became like brother and sister in those three years. But then Jaz turned twenty.

That's when Jaz decided she wanted to follow a different path. That's when the agency literally went down in flames, and that's when we found out that only someone on the inside could kill someone on the inside.

That's when I was left holding my dead boss while Jaz ran away from the sunset, seeking something more.

Authority

They say

Follow

But we turn

And walk away

They say

Conform

But we change

And walk away

They say

Submit

But we rebel

And walk away

They say

Give

But we take

And walk away

They say

Quiet

But we shout

And walk away

They say

Sit

But we stand

And walk away

They say

Honor

But we laugh

And walk away

He says

Respect

But we spit

And walk away

He says

Love

But we scorn

And walk away

He says

Take

But we refuse

And walk away

He gives

Life

But we choose

To walk away

Outside

You are the only thing I never knew I wanted

And I'm thinking that it's just not right

But you can change my mind; I leave it open

My heart on my sleeve, my head in my hands

They're there for you, if you seek them

Just search a little harder, little deeper

You're aiming for something on the surface that isn't there

It's not open to you, not yet; try harder

That's what they always tell me; run faster

But I'm shooting for the stars, and honestly

I think you're settling for the moon

You can do better than this, better than me

Just look a little farther, pray a little more

I know you're on your knees tonight

You're looking from the outside, like I used to

But now we've switched sides and I'm inside

I can see you looking at me, and I know

But I can't bring myself to let you know

So tell me, will you speak your mind

I want to know if you're going to keep running,

Keep searching, keep going and going

I want to know if I can change anything here

So even though my head says yes yes yes

My heart says no, no, I can't do this

And I knew I didn't need this, so why do you think

That it's what is right here, what is right to you

Why do we have differing views

On the same important things

So Together

When I see

You two

Sitting there, so together

I can't help

But be

Jealous

How does it feel

When he holds you?

When he

Wraps his arms

Around you

And kisses you like that?

How does it feel

When he touches you?

When he

Strokes your cheek

And kisses

Your neck so softly?

When I see

The way

You laugh, so together

I can't help

But be

Sad

How does it feel

When he tells that joke?

When he

Makes your sides split

With that

Wonderful smile?

How does it feel

When he gazes at you?

When he

Stares right at you

And makes

You laugh so hard?

When I see

That light

Between you, so together

I can't help

But be

Lonely

The Shadow's Target

Tom Symcox was anything but ordinary, as his first name suggested. On the contrary; he was rather complex. His friends were as crazy as he was, and they all got along quite well. He had met and joined a great group at Yale. As a double major, he hadn't had a lot of time in school to hang out, but after he graduated, his friends become almost as important as his work for the Fortune 500 company. Some of his friends wondered how he had managed to get a business job when he had majored in psych and philosophy; he credited the name of his college. Although he didn't specialize in anything business-y, he definitely knew enough about it to work in that area.

As an athlete, Tom had played every sport there was to play. His favorite was rugby, but basketball was a close second. At Yale, he had joined the basketball team and pulled them through an entire championship his senior year. As much as he loved sports, though, he was more serious about his career, and so opted to get a 'real' job rather than try to join an NBA team. Though he was good at ball, he wasn't that good, and he didn't mind giving up a kindergarten dream to pursue a more realistic future in the neck-and-neck, dog-eat-dog business world.

That was one of the reasons he owed money to the Falcon. Tom's family wasn't well off, and his parent's couldn't afford to rent an apartment for him near Yale. He had met the right people freshman year, taken a couple trips to New York, gotten in a little deep, and continued digging. They had introduced him to the world of lenders, and after he had graduated (with the Falcon's aid, of course), he had moved to New York City itself. There he rented a flat and started applying for jobs. He had spent nearly a year unemployed, all the while borrowing money from the Falcon to keep his ritzy apartment.

After a long year, Tom was offered a job--a good one, too. He had accepted it on the spot, started a week later, and within a few months had enough money to support himself again. Within another year, he had enough money to pay the Falcon back and keep himself well above the poverty line. He moved out of his apartment and into an even bigger, nicer flat.

But he never paid the Falcon back.

This was how Tom's mind worked: Either they will forget, or I will take them on. I can pay them back, but I would rather not, and outsmarting these people is more fun than I've had in years.

Then one of Tom's best friends died.

Correction: one of Tom's best friends was murdered.

Tom had gone to school with Richard Vann. He had taken half of his classes with Vann; they were both philosophy majors. Vann's sudden murder was a shock to everyone who knew him. He was found in an alley, face forward, a bullet in his brain. Whoever had killed him had been clean and quick. Most thought that it was petty theft that had left Vann dead in the street. Tom knew better.

Vann had borrowed from the Falcon as well. Like most college students, Vann had struggled to find enough financial aid to get through college. He had been with Tom when they visited New York years before. He had met the proprietor of the Falcon; he had walked away with enough money to keep him in ramen for years, just as Tom had.

The Falcon had sent someone after Vann.This confirmed Tom's fears; someone was, indeed, following him. Though he hadn't been back to the Falcon since the day he borrowed money, he walked past the up-town club every week. He saw the people walking in and out of the building.

Most importantly, he had seen the girl with the briefcase. The same night that Vann was murdered, he had seen the sunglass-clad girl leave the club, and he had followed her. He had seen the man sneak out of her apartment, and he knew that she was important.

He knew that she was dangerous.

Passion

The more I learn, the less I know

I think I'm soaring, but I'm sitting low

I shoot for the stars, but land on the moon

I wanted to go far, but I landed too soon

The more I learn, the less I know

I'm running upstream, against the flow

I'm cursing the wind, I'm fighting my fate

I'm falling too hard, I'm not going to wait

The more I learn, the less I know

I'm pushing too hard, but I'm going too slow

I'm trying to hard, but I always fail

I'm tasting life, but it always seems stale

The more I learn, the less I know

I understand nothing, and answers forgo

I search for answers, I dance with fire

I turn the world upside down, and I never tire

Bad Day Lyrics

Call me weird, but I think this song is so great. I don't know what it is; the sound and the somewhat cryptic lyrics all blend together to make a sadly happy song. When I AM having a bad day, this song always come to mind. Hope you guys enjoy it...

Where is the moment we needed the most
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost
They tell me your blue skies fade to gray
They tell me your passion's gone away
And I don't need no carryin' on

You stand in the line just to hit a new low
You're faking a smile with the coffee you go
You tell me your life's been way off line
You're falling to pieces every time
And I don't need no carryin' on

Because you had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
The camera don't lie
You're coming back down and you really don't mind
You had a bad day
You had a bad day

Will you need a blue sky holiday?
The point is they laugh at what you say
And I don't need no carryin' on

You had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
The camera don't lie
You're coming back down and you really don't mind
You had a bad day

Sometimes the system goes on the blink
And the whole thing turns out wrong
You might not make it back and you know
That you could be well oh that strong
And I'm not wrong

So where is the passion when you need it the most
Oh you and I
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost

Cause you had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
You've seen what you like
And how does it feel for one more time
You had a bad day
You had a bad day

What a Day...

I trip

HELLO!

The ground is a bit hard this morning.

As per usual.

I climb to my feet

Now I'm sore.

This is going to be a good day.

Off to a great start.

I take another step

Stubbed toe.

That's fun. For some.

Keep moving.

The person in front of me stops

I crash

"Beware of careless...walking."

Books everywhere.

I rush to get everything together

WIND!

Oh no...this is going to take forever.

Goodbye, homework...

I bend to pick up my assignments

CONK.

Ow. Head. Hurting.

Hey, random guy.

He helps gather my books

"Hey."

I'm blushing. That's weird.

"Ehh...huh....hi."

I'm such a dork

I can't talk.

I look so dumb and klutzy.

A smile.

I'm beet red now

"Coffee, later?"

Ohmygosh. Did he just--?

Yes. Please.

Is this my white knight

Right here?

I halfway expect a horse.

Not so much.

I smile back, happier

"Sure thing!"

There, I can talk again!

Skip away.

I'm whispering his name

Happily.

I didn't realize before...

Now I know, eh?

Shadows Future

Jaz was left stunned. The man had come from nowhere, and left as quickly as if he were a shadow. She couldn’t remember what he looked like; there had been nothing truly special about him, nothing shocking or interesting. He had been plain-looking, ordinary. A pavement artist in every way. Who was he?

Jaz had only met one person like him before. She couldn’t remember the other man’s name, couldn’t remember why she knew of him, only remembered being introduced, shaking his hand, and then later watching him closely. He intrigued her; he had a natural genius to him that she struggled to understand. Who was he? Was this man like the man she had met, so long ago that she could barely remember it?

And why had he talked to her?

Most of all, how did he know her last name? She had gone to great lengths to keep her last name hidden. It was only known to her boss. Even he didn’t know her full name.

Jaz kicked herself. The man had seen the money, the gun, and her apartment! She ran into the hall and looked up and down. The elevator was silent, there were no echoes from the stairwell, and not a thing moved. There wasn’t even a breeze left, as there usually is when someone rushes out of someplace.

The man had disappeared as easily as Jaz did at the club. He had been unnoticed, and when people don’t notice something they don’t ask questions. Jaz knew it would be futile to ask the manager and the doorman if they had seen him. No one would see him, unless he wanted them to. So why had he wanted to Jaz to see him?

Too much to digest. Time for a little light reading.

Jaz walked back into the room slowly and locked the door behind her. She walked over to the couch where she had thrown her stuff and picked up the folder the boss had handed her.

“Tom Symcox. Interesting…” she browsed through the information in front of her, marveling at the man’s ability to elude the business’s two best operatives. “Guess that makes me the best now, huh…” Jaz mumbled to herself.

“6’3, brown hair, blue eyes, ooh! Cute face. Of course. I get to take care of the cute ones. Hmm. Athletic. Duh. Graduated from Yale—damn! Double major. Psychology and philosophy. Really? Chess team. Weird…athletic and nerdy. Well, sheesh. This oughta be fun. I hope this guy puts up more of a chase than that wimpy Vann guy did. What a loser…”

Jaz’s eyes jumped over the pages of info, appraising the man, his lifestyle, and his every move. “Works for…a Fortune 500 company. Who’d a thunk. Makes a butt-load of money. Why does this guy owe us? He makes bank…ohhh. Living a little beyond his means. Or did…it looks like he has enough to pay boss back now. Why doesn’t he? Probably enjoys the thrill of the run as much as I like the chase.” Her eyes sparkled menacingly when she thought of how enjoyable this task would be; cat and mouse was her forte, but bird of prey was her absolute favorite. Swooping on unsuspecting victims was such an adrenaline rush.

But then, that came with the name. She was a Hawk, after all.

Shadows Present

The briefcase was unusually heavy today. Jaz knew without opening it that there was something in the case that was completely unrelated to money. She knew it wasn't dangerous; her sixth sense was sniffing out danger from half a mile away. Besides, bombs and the like were usually lighter. She knew this from experience.

When she got back to her three-room New York flat, she threw her keys and shades on the couch and sat in a soft leather armchair. She turned the dials on the case, unlocking it, and threw the top open. Inside lay neat rows of bills; almost half the dead man's debt. Each of the bills was crisp, and the money was tied into $100 bundles.

A smile tickled the corners of Jaz's mouth and she set the case down on the coffee table before her. She rooted carefully through the bills, counting them while looking for the source of the weight. When she found it, Jaz grew dangerously close to laughing.

It was a gun.

Not just any gun. This was a special gun, a gun Jaz thought she had lost almost three years ago. Her smile turned quickly into a frown, however, and she stood up quickly, the gun sitting comfortably in her hands, aiming at the man behind her.

"Whoa!" the man cried.

"What do you want? Who are you?" Jaz tossed her head, throwing hair into her eyes to cover them from the stranger.

"Um, sorry, didn't mean to intrude..." The man's eyes were shifting all across the room, taking in the keys on the couch, the heavy shades, and the briefcase. His curiosity was not lost on Jaz and she waved him towards the door with the gun point.

"Get going!"

The man moved slowly, suddenly intent on Jaz's face and not at all concerned with the gun pointed at his head.

"Maintenance," he said calmly. "Do I know you?"

Jaz stared straight at him for a moment, then laughed flatly. "Doubt it. You know many people with a gun license that actually talk to 'maintenance men'?" Her voice was harsh.

"My bad!" The man shrugged, holding back a laugh, and turned to leave.

Jaz lowered her gun slowly, shaking. How had the man gotten in without her noticing? Had he been here the whole time?

Suddenly the man whipped around. "Oh, by the way, Hawk. Might want to go to a different bank this time. The old one's getting suspicious."

"How do you--"

"Shh. I wasn't here." The man winked, and just like that, he was gone.

Skeleton Trees

Branches

Scratching the sky

Like claws

Searching for a grip

The wind tosses them

And they laugh at the futility

Roots firm, unmoving

Solid

Dark, dark against the sky

In profile with the sunset

They are the guardians

Of the sky and ground alike

Never moving

Unshakable fathers

Of the world

Of the air

They stand

Witness

To you and me

No life

To the naked eye

But look

Closer

They reach their jagged fingers

To the sky

And it responds

Sending rain

And with rain

Life

Aching

The days are long

Nights, cruel

Thoughts are harsh

Memories, worse

Faces blend together

Names, disappearing

Pictures mean nothing

Words, even less

The horror piles up

Stories, overwhelming

Blood soaks through

Sweat, pouring

Harder you push

Faster, farther

Slower you go

Weakened, now

Time crawls on

Knees, aching

Muscles crying

Loud, painful

But still waiting

Forever, never

Holding back

Tears, agony

Pulling yourself

Open, exposed

Flesh tearing

Raw, unnerved

Waiting for the end

Somehow, grasping

A ledge of hope

Hanging, gasping

Is this enough now

Here, holding

The future uncertain

Shaky, rocky

Reach out

Above, light

Hands stretched

Heavenward, praying

Life From the Passenger Side

Staring out the windows,

I watch the world pass.

This road is my life, and

I'm not driving myself.

I watch the fields and

The forests fall away;

Rolling hills lifting,

Valleys hindering me.

Every new scene is

Bright and beautiful,

But there's something

In every shadow.

I'm scared to death

That I'll never see

What's hiding there,

But I can't bear to know.

As the days zip past

My rear view mirror,

I think I can see Him--

The driver of my car.

He is watching me

As He watches the road;

Fully alert and in love

With what He sees.

He sees my fear and

He comforts me, and

I fall asleep safe here

In His warm caress.

He eyes the shadows

And they retreat,

Scared to death of

Death Himself here.

He reaches His hand

And I grasp it, now

Completely sure that

My road is straight.

Though narrow,

The way is right.

The light shines

And I am alive.