FS Party, BYOB by Spiritual Echo
Artwork by helvi2 at FanArtReview.com |
I hear the doorbell, and I know I must answer, not keep my guests waiting, but Captain Jack is just winding up his story and I don't want to miss the punch line. The bell rings again. CJ notices my distress and waves me off.
"I'll post it tomorrow. You won't miss a thing." Relieved, I hurry to the door, knowing how cold it is outside, and feeling a twinge of guilt for keeping people waiting. "Welcome, welcome," I say as I urge the people inside. It's a come-as-you are party and so I am not at all concerned that the group walking into the lobby is dressed in an assortment of costumes ranging from revealing nighties to stained sweat suits. Appearances are not important. In fact the guests themselves are almost invisible to the other members. "Please stop in the first salon and choose an on-line identification. From here on in, your true identity will be hidden. Unless you choose to reveal your real name to another member, you will only be addressed by the moniker you select." The group moves into the richly appointed room. Some mill nervously, looking at the art work, while others are immediately attracted to the manuscripts on display. I hear one of the newbies audibly gasp. I turn to see an older, well dressed woman weaving, apparently ready to faint. I quickly reach out to steady her, and guide her to one of the comfortable chairs. "Are you alright?" I ask. I see she is clutching one of the entries to the erotica contest. "I didn't join Fan Story to be assaulted by such filth." I take the story, gently prying it from her fingers. "Did you not see the warning on the cover?" I ask. She is flustered, visibly shaking. I pass her a glass of water and watch as she nervously gulps the water then begins to fan her face with the introductory package I gave her at the door. "What is this place, some porno site that I've stumbled into by accident?" I make a note to myself to make signs for the more graphic stories bigger. It's obvious this woman's eyesight is compromised, and she missed the warning. "Fan Story is a forum that allows all literary expression. We have very strict rules about identifying submissions with sexual or violent content to protect those people who are offended. But, it is a free speech site, and we find our members weed out the sensationalists rather quickly. I'm sure you'll look at the warnings a little closer next time." "I just want to write my poetry. I don't want to associate with heathens," the woman whimpered. I look around the room, and spot Dallas and Judian James. In the corner I notice Closetjester. She's been visibly missing from our soirees lately. I'm thrilled to see her, but she can be a little raunchy. I avoid our poetic beauty queen for the moment, and ask the other two poets to take the new member under their wings to help her navigate the site. The remaining guests seem to be relaxing, and making tentative steps to join the seasoned members, but there's one burly man still in the lobby. He looks agitated and decidedly uncomfortable. "Are there any questions I can answer for you." "Yeah, where's the bar?" "It's a BYOB party," I say, noticing he smells like he's already had a few. "What, no booze?" "Actually, the amazing part of being at the FS party is that you can just go into your kitchen and make yourself a cocktail, then return, and you won't have missed anything. The site operates on your time." The man seemed to perk up. "You know with all these Bible thumpers in here, for a minute I wondered whether this was some kind of temperance party." "I can assure you that Fan Story has members with a wide variety of interests. We have writers who are deeply religious, some very learned theologians, but we also have philosophers, novelists and writers who specialize in a wide variety of genres. What kind of writing do you do?" I hadn't noticed the man disappear, but when he reappeared with a can of beer, he looked far more relaxed. "I don't think I'm much of a writer. Maybe I shouldn't be here. I've had a hankering, always spinning stories for the kids. Somebody said I should write them down, but I don't know. This bunch all look like they know what they're doing. I'm a greenhorn. What if I make a fool of myself?" I paused before answering. I thought I'd answer diplomatically. I knew that if it turned out to be true, that the man was indeed a fool, someone would tell him. "There are on-line courses on FS. If you need to develop your self-confidence you might consider taking a class. You'll get feedback and guidance." "I'm going for another beer. Do you want one?" I wasn't sure I'd see him again, but he reappeared at my side just as Humpwhistle and Adewpearl were leaving. I waved, knowing that Hump was going on a sabbatical, and blew him a kiss in appreciation of his attending my party. "Who the hell are they?" The man was back with a fresh beer and offering me a goblet. "It's wine. Do you like wine?" He was swatting at the stars, the trail of light the two left behind as they left the party. "What's with all the stars?" I thanked the man for the beverage, but didn't explain the royal culture, and directed him to a monitor. I summoned Tom to finish the introductory tour of the site. There were still a few strays in the lobby. I found Livingwords and asked him to regale the newbies with a few stories. His humour would set them at ease and he had catapulted from obscurity to a top ranked author very quickly. I knew his blend of humour,and his slightly askew slant on life would make our new guests feel welcome. There was one remaining guest in the lobby. Even from a distance I could feel her pain, it filled the room. I approached cautiously. Rather than try to begin conversation, I sat down beside her and took her hand. "You can tell the truth. You don't have to be afraid of anything or anyone any more." "Really," she asked," people won't think my story is disgusting? "Maybe so," I said. "But, you have a right to let it go, put it out in the open." Realist tapped me on the shoulder. "Listen, the members are getting restless. You promised them a glimpse of a famous author." It was time to wrap up my soiree, and so I proceeded to the front of the room. A few people extended blue ribbons as I passed. I smiled in appreciation of their gifts. As I stood facing the crowd, the stillness humbled me. Everyone was looking at me, waiting for me to say something profound and produce the mystery author. I felt the echoes of my own journey on FS ripple through my thoughts, and knew when I spoke I would be speaking to the seasoned, the accomplished, the newbies and the doubtful. "Ladies and Gentlemen," I began. "Behold, above you are the stars, the real ones that cast their glow on each and every one of us, no matter where we are in the world." The members glanced towards the ceiling. It disappeared within the story I was spinning. The universe as far as the naked eye was there for all of us to admire, stretching endlessly beyond human sight. "Now, look around you. See the famous authors, the script writers and the poets that reach for those stars." The crowd stirred, recognizing friends, perhaps seeing in real time, their own ambitions reflected in each others eyes. "Goodnight," I said and left the stage.
|
| ©
Copyright 2024.
Spiritual Echo
All rights reserved. Spiritual Echo has granted FanStory.com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work. |