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Hi?
Posted On 08/08/2008 03:33:53 by CaltoSoul

Even though i spent ages writing that Olympics blog...I edited it to THIS!

Yes well, no one seems to be as active anymore D=

Where'd everyone go? x-x

Ok, moving on, i suggest you read this part onwards IF YOU ARE SERIOUSLY BORED AND HAVE SOMEWHAT, NOTHING ELSE TO DO AT ALL.

xD Thats a warning; this part onwards is LONG

Ok, i just wanted to type out the blurb of one of my favourite books. Jacobs Ladder by Brian Keaney, its sad how short the story is x-x I seriously wanted to read MORRREEEEE

x3 I love that story to deeeaattthhhhh~

So, heres the blurb, then an extract from Chapter 1. Cant find any other extracts...And i handed the book back to the library after reading it 3+++ times =P Mum said if she saw me reading that AGAIN, she would take it to the library and tell them i cant go anywhere near it >.>

Though i still plan on taking it out to read again =D

There are a million ways to find yourself at the bottom of Jacob’s Ladder but only one way to reach the top.


A boy wakes up to find himself lying on the ground in the middle of an enormous field. There is cropped grass beneath him, dotted here and there with tiny white flowers which seem to glow in the twilight. Ahead of him, in the distance, he can see a line of trees. Nothing is moving in any direction.

He tries to recall how he got here and why he has been lying on the ground fast asleep but he can remember almost nothing. Only one thing remains in his memory: his name is Jacob.

This is the story of a nightmare that will not go away and a journey through fear towards hope. It's a choice between a past you cannot remember and a future you cannot predict. Do you have the strength to take that journey and the courage to make that choice?

MMKKK

Nevermind about the extract...Its waaaaaaaaaay to long xP

So, ill paste in half of it =D

Jacob's eyes twitched open and he became aware that he was lying on the ground with his face pressed against the earth. Rather stiffly, he sat up and looked around. He was in the middle of an enormous field. There was cropped grass beneath him, dotted here and there with tiny white flowers which seemed almost to glow in the twilight. Ahead of him, in the distance, he could see a line of trees. Nothing was moving in any direction.

What was he doing here?

He tried to remember how he had got there and why he had been lying on the ground, fast asleep, but for some reason there seemed to be nothing in his mind, absolutely nothing, as if he had opened the cupboard of his memory and found it entirely empty.

Anxiously, he looked all round, hoping that he would see something that would remind him of what he had been doing before he had fallen asleep but there was nothing to see, just grass on three sides, the line of trees ahead of him and, above, a huge expanse of sky the colour of bruised flesh. He didn't like the look of that sky. It seemed to be full of a dull menace.

Fear began stealing over him, like ice cold water seeping through his veins. He must be able to remember something, he told himself. He sat very still and concentrated. Think! How did you get here?

But it was no good.

He stood up, feeling the need to do something that might stem the rising tide of panic threatening to overwhelm him. He made his hands into fists and held them out in front of him, squeezing them hard, as if physical force would make him calm down. It'll be all right in a minute, he told himself. Just be patient. It'll come back to you. Let's see, what do you know?

His name was Jacob. Okay. What next?

Nothing.

That was it. That was the only thing he could remember. His name was Jacob. He put his hands on his head and tugged at his hair. This wasn't possible. He had to be able to remember something. If he could just summon up the smallest scrap, he was certain that everything else would come tumbling back. If he could just make a start.

He looked down at his clothes. He was wearing blue trousers, a green tee-shirt and white shoes. Both the trousers and the tee-shirt had irregular brown patches on them. He felt certain that they were his clothes but they did not provoke any memories in him.

Then something did stir, very deep in his mind, so deep that it was like the faintest whisper in an enormous cavern. What was it? What could he remember? His will stretched out to grasp it, like a blind man reaching for a candle and suddenly he had it. He knew what it was; but with a dreadful sense of disappointment, he realised that it was no more that a feeling, not a concrete fact. It was just a conviction that he had lost something. Not just his memory. Something different. Before he had lost his memory, he felt certain that he had lost something else. But he had no idea what it was. He sighed. This was no good at all.

What was he going to do? He had to get some help, that was obvious. He needed to find someone who knew where he was, someone who could tell him what he ought to do next. Wait a minute! What about his…? What were they called? The man and woman who looked after him? What did you call them? There was a word for it. He felt like stamping his foot in frustration.

He found this inability to even remember the word for the people who looked after him deeply distressing. He tried to picture them in his mind but he couldn't. Would he even recognise them if he saw them again? If he met them right now? This was terrible. How could he possibly have got into this condition?

Well, it was no good staying here in the field and waiting for it to get dark, or for a storm to come, which by the look of things might not be all that long. He had to do something. He needed to get out of here. But which way should he go? He turned slowly in a complete circle, feeling hopelessly indecisive, but as he came round to face the front again, he thought he noticed something moving in the distance. He looked more carefully and now he was certain that a man had stepped out of the trees and was walking towards him. He felt an immense surge of relief. Someone was coming to help him. Immediately he set off to meet him.

The man had clearly seen Jacob and was walking rapidly in his direction, so it was not long before the two of them drew near. Now Jacob could see him more clearly, he noticed that the man was wearing some sort of uniform, a grey tunic and grey trousers, and he found this reassuring. This was obviously someone in authority. He would know what to do.

The stranger stopped when he was still some distance away and waited for Jacob. He was tall and thin with short dark hair and an unsmiling face. He gave a slight nod when Jacob reached him. "I've come to collect you," he said.

"Thank you," Jacob said and he meant it. He really did feel grateful that someone had come to collect him. The burden of understanding would now be taken away from him. The man in the grey uniform would be able to explain what was happening.

"Where am I?" Jacob asked.

"In the field," the man replied.

"How did I get here?"

"Don't bother about that now. Just come with me."

"But I can’t remember anything," Jacob explained.

"Don't worry," the man assured him. "It's perfectly normal."

"What do you mean, normal?"

"No one ever remembers anything when they wake up in the field."

"Why not?"

"That's just the way it is. There's no point in making a fuss. Just come with me." With that, the man turned on his heel and began walking back in the direction he had come.

Jacob hesitated. He was beginning to have his doubts about this man. The answers he had given were not at all satisfactory but Jacob couldn't just let him walk away, so he ran after him. "Where are we going?" he asked.

"To the river," the man replied.

"What river?"

"The river on the other side of those trees."

"Why are we going there?"

"You'll see."

"But can't you tell me now?"

The man shook his head. "It isn't far," he said. "Just be patient." He didn't look at Jacob when he spoke. Instead he kept his eyes firmly fixed on the line of trees ahead.

Jacob studied him more closely as they walked along, trying to decide what sort of a person he was. Was he good? Or bad? Was it wise to trust him? He simply didn't know. The man's face was lined and there was a sternness about his features, as if he was more used to giving orders than answering questions. But he seemed to know what he was doing. And besides, what else could Jacob do? If he didn't follow this man, he would be left in the field on his own and he couldn't bear the thought of that.

As he was thinking this, Jacob noticed a badge or symbol on the man's tunic. It seemed to be a head with two faces, each one pointing in a different direction. It didn't hold any meaning for him and he was tempted to ask what it stood for, but there were so many other questions filling his mind that he soon dismissed it.

They had reached the line of trees by now and, without checking his pace, the man stepped into the wood with Jacob close behind. The trees grew very tall and straight, with smooth, slender trunks like pillars. Far above Jacob's head the leafy canopy cut out what little light there was, so that it was almost as dark as night in here and noticeably colder.

"You haven't told me your name," Jacob pointed out.

"Virgil," the man replied. He spoke almost too quietly for Jacob to hear, as if it pained him to release so much information.

"How did you know I was going to be in the field?"

"It's my job to know."

"What is your job, exactly?"

"Right now it's collecting you."

"Yes but when you're not doing that, what do you do then?"

"None of your business."

He spoke curtly, as if Jacob's enquiry had offended him. But surely that couldn't be right? Surely Jacob was only asking a reasonable question? The trouble was, he couldn't be sure what was reasonable because he couldn't remember anything. "Look I'm sorry," he said. "I'm not trying to be nosey. I just don't understand. I'm trying to make sense out of things."

"I've already told you. Just be patient," Virgil replied.

But Jacob couldn't be patient. "You said it was normal for me not to remember anything," he went on.

"That's right."

"So that must mean I'm not the only one you've found in the field."

A faint smile flickered over Virgil's lips. Then it was gone again. "That's true," he agreed. "You're not the first. Won't be the last, either, I shouldn't think."

"So how do people get there in the first place?"

"I can't answer that."

Omg D=

Im sorry Youssef, if i like, used up a quarter of the sites space with this one blog O.O

Lol...

Eyhh..

*Runs*

~Calto

Tags: CaltoSoul



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Viewing 1 - 2 out of 2 Comments

08/13/2008 21:46:49

Wow interesting book, maybe I might read it one day. =P



08/08/2008 11:19:00

lol, just saw the opening ceremonies, in chinese, thank you TVANTS





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