The Small Apprentice

It's not hard to look at life like a movie, just imagine that everything matters and people actual care.

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End product: This was the worst of the bunch by far, I overcooked the legs to a fried consistency, the bourbon carrots were not reduced enough, and the cabbage was horrible. I liked the taste though So fuck yall

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How the Time Flies 12/17/13 11:15pm

                I walk down a winding hallway intersecting with hundreds of other walkways, peering through them I observe the huge scale of dining rooms and banquet halls. A tall man walks beside me, towering over everyone with his masculine stride. “We do three to four banquets a day, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffets.” He raises a hand and points forward to a doorway that strides as a colossus among the rest, “This is our main dining hall.” He gestures to the tables and chairs as he pushes the massive doors forward to an opening position, four or five servers jog past with towels and sheets in their hands. “We can seat up to 600 or 700 people in here, and we do regularly.” He turns and closes the door, in front of him now is a small boy scribbling something in a small notebook dressed in a dirty chef coat. “We have a staff of 20 chefs including sous chefs, executive sous chefs and me, we also employ quite a lot of temporary chefs to help out with prep work. This is a big job apprentice,” He says watching the boy raise his head to meet his powerful gaze, “Are you ready?”

                I grasp the gun’s grip in my hand gently, holding my breath to steady the butt of the gun as it presses against my shoulder. A bullet smashes against the ground next to a target, barely close enough to count as ‘in the general area’. Nixon sighs, “No, no, no, you need to wait until the cross hairs adjust for distance, wind speed, and drop. Just let the gun do the work, stop trying to cowboy everything.” I steady the barrel again and press a button on the attached optics. A series of clicks and buzzes come from the inner workings of the advanced rifle. I draw in a large breath and fire, the head of the plastic mannequin-like target explodes and scatters among the ground. I smile “Good, good, I’m proud of you boy.” Nixon says slapping me on the back.

                An axe slices the air in front of my face and I take a step back only to be swept from my feet and sent to the ground. Once I begin to recover a blade perches itself in front of my face and a large man with a blue painted face smiles at me through deadening experience. “Yer getin sloppy, stand up and try again. I’m going easy on you, the enemy won’t when the time comes.” I reach for his and he pulls me up, as I glide upward into a leveled view an explosion sends me back into a tucked roll and I recover fast. A masked humanoid throws a sword into an expert swing and I sidestep only to be caught in the back by another behind me. Before I can yelp in pain an axe breaks the torso of the masked creatures behind and in front of me, stopping them both in mid execution. A hand tightly grasps my shoulder and pulls me to my feet to shove a sword into my hand.

                “What are you doing apprentice? GO, this isn’t play time. This is real fucking service, I’m not going to baby you.” The lumberjack says with a serious commitment flavoring his words. He swings upward with a mighty slice and instantly drops a large green creature as it lands in front of him ending a short flying journey. When he recovers his stance he reaches for another fire axe on his back, when he draws it, I mimic his actions and roar in harmony while we begin charging into the small crowd of monsters.

                “Adjust our flight pattern, I want us in that meteor field.” A confident man stands upright in front of a commanding chair, when an explosion unsteadies the metal grounding the entire crew stumbles and one even falls to the ground.

                “But sir, it will rip us apar-“ A technician says before being interrupted.

                “Do it.” The stern man says as he looks out the enterprise’s front window screen. “Get off the floor apprentice, this isn’t time to mess around. Speed up and don’t stop working, we’re all working as one person here.” The ship explodes through the barrier of rocks and as they clash against the hull of the ship the bay door opens and a large man steps through brandishing two large bastard like blades.  One flies through the air and he shouts

“Apprentice! You’re with me!” I spin around and snatch the sword out of the air fast enough to continue through to a mid slash, I clash my blade against the shield of a large green creature. The unsteadied orc backs up for a moment and roars before being caught in the neck by another slash. As it falls, two others step forward axes mid swing and try to catch my sword as I recover. The first fails with the result of a gashed face while the other interrupts another counter attack following the execution of his comrade. With the millisecond of reaction time I’m allowed I manage to leave the upward thrust of a battle axe with just a sliced cheek. While stumbling backwards I realized the flaw of my recovery and escape the deadening blow of another thrust with the help of King Arthur and his relentless charge as he flings one orc after another over his back using a human sized shield as a plow.

“Giddy! GIDDY! UP!” The Sundance Kid yells to his horse as he rides alongside a speeding train. I trail behind masked with the red bandana of an outlaw strapped securely to my face. Simultaneously we jump from our horses and clear the gap between horse and train. I draw my revolver and kick the back door open and as it slams against the inside of the cabin I say as calmly and authoritive as possible “Alright everyone, hands in the air, no one move, and if I see one hero try something dangerous there’s going to be one less dumbass in this world.”

I gasp for air and resurface to the side of a large yacht, I slowly place a suction cup on the side of the hull and begin pulling myself upward. I peek over the edge of the deck and notice three men standing guard with heavily modified assault rifles. I pick my timing carefully and roll onto the wooden floor and swiftly stand up and drag a knife over the neck of one man, before he begins to fall I fire two silenced pistols and drop the remaining guards before they realize the new passenger. After dispatching a few other guards on my way toward the back of the ship I swing open the doors of a command deck only to find the floor littered with bodies. As I scan the room a well-dressed man walks out of the shadows, “You’re slow.” James bond says.

A thin blade explodes across the surface of my broad sword sending sparks into my eyes, as I wince the butt of the assaulting sword slams into my stomach and I lean forward in pain. I’m sent into the air with a knee that no doubt breaks my nose and recover only slightly long enough to catch another relentless blade swing. A fluffy ball of red twine dangles in the air as I lean backwards into a dodge and the Chinese sword cuts a piece of my armor off on its way across my chest. When I’m finally able to steady my vision I duck a slice and sweep my legs under a warrior in front of me, as he falls he tucks into a roll and seemingly out of no were two small throwing knives pierce my arm and I yelp in pain. “Better, but more practice.” The samurai says in front of me as he bows and holds out a bandage.

I reach for the bandage but I grasp a rope instead, as I look around I notice I’m scaling the mast of a Spanish warship. The sounds of gunshots litter my hearing and a few lead balls scrape past my head and body. I extend a hand upward and am caught by a strong hand that pulls me without almost any effort onto the flat pole of the top of the ship. Another rope is slammed into my chest and I turn to the woman next to me “Don’t fuck this up, just close your eyes and hope you don’t die.” Cleopatra says as she leaps into the air and begins a long swing onto the deck of an opposing ship, I close my eyes and let my feet slip from the damp wood.

My eyes closed I feel the gentle dripping of rain rattling my body with a tickling sensation, and with the slow coursing of water droplets as they stream down my cheeks I open my eyes to hear a crack of thunder and see a sliver of lightning shoot across the blackened sky. I notice if only for a moment that the rain is more than a calm drizzle, with the numbed feeling of my reddened and almost broken face understand my misconception. I recount on all of the events leading up to this moment, when I finally recall my position I look up into the eyes of a man I once called my chef. He grips a gun and points it aimed at my forehead, his blacked leather coat swaying violently in the rain.

“I TRUSTED YOU APPRENTICE.” He shouts twitching the gun in my direction.

“I’m sor-sorry chef-“ I say trying to hold back the tears already streaming down my face.

“I gave you a chance when no one else would… And you just throw it back into my face like it meant nothing!”

“It does mean som-“

“No. You disappoint me…” He says lowering his voice to a growling tone.

“Chef, I have to go.”

“I know, that’s why I HAVE to do this…. Because I care about you” His grip on the gun tightens and he takes a step forward.

“I like to think we got close to being friends.” I say smiling through the tears as the gun goes off. First three times, then five, the rest of the clip comes next and he roars at the top of his lungs.

                  For a moment I flinch, but the pain doesn’t come, he just drops the gun and stares at me. I look around the ground I lay on and notice the holes in the ground, numerous and defined in an outline of my prone self. The rain keeps flowing downward though, and the holes fill with salty water, I look up again to see him turning from me and walking into a group of others. “I wish you the best of luck and the most out of your journeys apprentice.” As he speaks he looks up to the sky and the rain rebounds off his face.

                When he turns he raises a hand and waves as friendly as he can, an accompanying smile escorting the others next to him. The rain has stopped, and he looks out to a winding horizon. I raise my hand and wave to the group, a streak of teeth piercing my face. I take a step backwards and adjust my backpack as the sun shines on my face, they all look at me as a traitor, with an after tone of longing care. I will forever remember the mixed feelings I have looking on that group. I will never forget the stories I wrote at The Castle, and I will certainly never forget the characters that opened their walls to me. To all those at the Castle…

                “It’s been one hell of a ride.” I whisper, turning to the huge and unforgiveable landscape of the kingdom of Alamar. As I take those few steps, forward in a new journey, I can swear only for a moment, my horizon begins to expand.

[thesmallapprentice-blog-blog]

Nope. 12/12/13 11:29pm

                Ice machine exploded, Casualties reported number into the thousands. Police dispatched, ambulances having trouble navigating terrain. Flood levels rising, women and children are trapped. No one can save us, judgment day is coming.

Then I flip a lever.

And it stops

Holla fuckin Luya

I’m going to sleep.

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Dawn Comes in Silence 12/11/13 10:30pm

                Today was a good relaxing day off, I got some exercise in, started a curing process for duck confit, made some white wheat bread, stocked my refrigerator with new ideas for recipes to study, and attended a volunteer introduction for a neighboring hospital. I had a chance to ask some people at my local market about the curing process and learn about cheese making as well. I did all this in a crisp outfit that strangled me and upset my stomach and gave me a headache, so I had to look good.

                But an army gathers on the horizon…

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Insert Work Here 12/10/13 12:52am

                  Today was just kinda here as a reminder that I will never be fast enough to serve 200 people. No matter how hard I try, I will always throw something and cuss out a brisket. I’ll just have to try harder next time, and maybe approach the brisket with a calmer attitude.

                Note to self: Please go to bed 

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Nanananananananothing to do Here 12/9/13 11:24pm

                As I had thought, Monday was a slow day, maybe a moderately rushy environment if I’m generous. I was entirely on my own today, which lit up my eyes with excitement and pleasure, until that is, I made it out onto the floor. I realized that the action station dish I had prepared was something no one traveling anywhere would eat, it’s something to take note of. There was around 150 people in that dining room and only 6 of them had gotten my hawiian style braised pork with an au jus coffee reduction sauce. Most of the people that came up just wanted to know what the “purple stuff” was next to it (braised red cabbage). Most others just wanted some of my “Barbeque” when reffering to the braised pork, seriously though what the fuck, there was a sign next to my with everything on the floor completely written out.

P.S. SAY IT AGAIN MOTHERFUCKER I DARE YOU, I DOUBLE DOG DARE YOU, CALL MY PRIME RIB ROAST BEEF ONE MORE TIME.

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The Subject is Progressing 12/8/13 11:04pm

                I had a dream this morning, I was cooking a salmon dish in my castle kitchen and another order came in for a pretzel burger. So I left the salmon on the grill to go get a patty, when I got back it was overcooked and charred on the bottom. I covered it up with onion straws and some chives for garnish, when I put it on the window along with the burger I woke up and rolled over to find my phone. Turns out I woke up 20 minutes early and in an instance of total lucid thinking I said “No fuck that, I’m going back to sleep and fixing that order. I’m not that kind of cook.” I then fell back asleep and dreamed about a unicorn or something. Even though I was unsuccessful I’m really proud of myself for telling my subconscious to fuck off, it speaks volumes about my sanity.

                As for work in the castle, it was a relatively easy day for some reason. I did deserts, employee meal, and set up action. The weird thing is, I didn’t prep it, I just set it up. Someone working with me did all the food work and asked me were to put everything, I instructed him to the best of my abilities and in a weird way I kinda think I was leading him. Though I’m only 20, and he was like 30 or something so he’s got some levels on me and stuff, maybe I’m just being stupid.

                Note to self: Be sure smile more at action station, everyone seems weirded out by you and your monotone bullshit.

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Game Over 12/8/13 12:00pm

                  A fireball shatters the metal plating of an orc which in turn sends it barreling into a larger red monster, it quickly swipes the living projectile out of the air and begins an unyielding charge toward a godlike man melting away his enemies a few hundred feet away. Before a blow was struck a large axe imbeds itself into the temple of the large beast and it rolls into a solidified heap moments away from the floating man. Following the resulting kill another five smaller orcs are thrown past the heap by an explosion from the recently recovered explosive expert, her scarf waving in the wind occasionally brushing against her soft young cheeks.

                “ARKK” Screams a defeated monster as a sword wielding boy rolls over its back and lands firmly with one hand balanced on his dark blue jeans. He sweeps up his leather jacket into the air where it flows for a moment before shifting as a thunderous rampage ends in a large stalemate between a twelve foot Viking and a red eyed tough skinned orc. He lets out a strenuous roar and lifts the monster without effort over his shoulder and headfirst into the ground where inevitably its neck breaks. The large man stands from a crouch, steam lifting from his hulking arm muscles, when he turns to face the group the blue face paint originally applied to his face is dotted with green blood.

“Final level, Begin.” Announces a disembodied voice from an undisclosed location. They all stand for a moment looking out among the growing crowds, a realization sweeps over all of them and move closer to one another slowly as the surrounding horde tightens its grip on the group.

                A dot flickers onto a front member of the assaulting group, followed by another which steadies itself onto the forehead of another member. The red dots grow in number, soon accompanying all of the group with strategically aimed marks. The animals become confused by this as one after another turns and acknowledges the others, “Ouk, Auk.” One says to another, pointing to his teammates forehead.

                Miles away on a ridge overlooking the battle a series of beeps pierces the silence of a prone figure dressed in desert like camo . The hammer of a large rifle is pulled back and a resulting “Clank” sound marks the insertion of a loaded shell. A masculine hand adjusts the laser guidance system perched on the middle of a large barrel, He smirks and nods when the black suited man looks to the ridge and finds the source of the refracted markings.

                A bullets slams into the face of an unsuspecting orc and the remains of its face splatters against its comrades, which is followed by a hundred more resulting scenes of bloody violence. The dwindling number of monsters charge into the onslaught as the small group leaps forward into another battery of brawls. Twenty red faced monsters pour onto the sand as a fireball melts their existence, the source of the heat is lifting another entity with a free hand and flinging him skyward where he draws his green splattered axes and dives into a large group which are torn apart in seconds. At another end of the battle three larger monsters are pounded vigorously until green body fluids spray at every side as they fall, the Viking roars and tears from one a large arm and begins beating another giant with it. A petite girl unloads a round or so of bullets into an approaching group but is left reloading as a volley of faraway bullets pierces her enemies. Seeing his team mates fighting with all their hearts the boy sends a fury of strikes into four or five orcs which fall immediately and are refilled. Not taking a breath he lowers his sword and tightens his grip and closes his eyes,

                “Apprentice! There are no carrots on these salads!” The lumberjack yells pointing to a tray

                “I’m sorry, the carrots are in the cooler I’ll-“

                “No, focus on your orders I’ll get the carrots” says a passing Igneal.

                “Okay!” I say moving to the line and jossling a pot of liquid soup.

                “APPRENTICE!” Says Spock adjusting the temperature of a boiling over pot of cream.

                “Sorr-“

                “Apprentice! Where is the sour cream for my order?” Says a passing server

                “The window!” I say stirring the cream and pointing to a metal box toward the end of the line.

                A massive hand slams against mine and pulls me from a pile of bloodied corpses, he flings me to the top of a mountain of dead monsters as a fire erupts behind me and sounds of gun shots occupies the background. A man slams an orc in the face with an axe to the side of me and fire shoots upward from an explosion, a suited man floats to the left of me mowing down the climbing monsters trying to reach the top of the pile of dead. Another person fires rays from a small gun side by side a girl firing in response farther down the pile. I raise my sword and roar, the group ascending the pile roars in response. The sounds of screams intensify and a disembodied speaker echoes in surprising volume: “~Now here we stand with their blood on our hands ~ We fought so hard, now can we understand ~ I'll break the seal of this curse if I possibly can ~ For freedom of every man!~”

                A guitar solo rips to the tempo of explosions and gun shots.

[thesmallapprentice-blog-blog]

Level Two – Continued

A shield is knocked into the air and a green scaly mass is sent plowing through the middle of a huge horde of orcs, at the beginning of the collision a boy stands holding the blunt end of a swords hilt forward. There is only a moment to react before another orc begins a swinging strike with a large cleaver, a sword lands a devastating blow to the torso of the beast and the monster spins for a moment before crashing to the ground. Seeing his comrade fall another orc lunges but is caught with a following strike to his neck which spurts green bodily fluids onto his team mates. A small crowd of arrows puncture the sand where the boy once stood, “Urkkkk” screams a monster far from the outside of the group and a wave of slashes sends five or six orcs colliding violently into one another.

                “Why don’t you help the apprentice with salads?” Says the lumberjack, whilst working at a table littered with cutting boards.

                “ARRRRKKKAAAAA” follows the echo of a large explosion toward the center of the huge horde, the resulting wave of force slams against the battling figures and halts, if only for a moment the murdourus rage of the monsters now involved in slashing the air in front of and behind the boy. A single slash opens a large wave of screams and twenty orcs fall clutching their bloodied bodies. He looks up to the sky and squints to make out the form of a small beautifully petite woman riding a large rocket dressed in hardly anything that give the allure of fearless bravery when dealing with defensive problems.

                “AHAHAHAAAAAHAHA” She laughs insanely as grenades are shot at supersonic speeds from two large launchers hugging her sides. They impact decisively along patterns inside the large horde destroying and maiming almost all of the group, the last of which are cut down immediately by the boy shifting from dimension to dimension throughout the battlefield.

                “Level Two, Begin” says the thunderous faraway voice of an autonomous speaker. A rolling dismount follows the announcement and the girl stands beside the boy holding an assault rifle, they have only a moment to rest before the sands part and out explodes a hundred more green bodies sprinting aggressively forward toward the pair. A flash of silver swings through a local crowd and the boy launches himself into the air and lands crouched in a defensive position, one after another falls from the beginning of his swordsmanship. The boy stands looking over the group around him and lets out a long sigh as he realizes his mistake, he is surrounded.

                A larger figure thunders through the left flank of his position completely destroying the large group impeding his campaign. The skull of a green beast is slammed into the ground as another is held up in the sky by a huge armored hand, “Uckkkur..?” The orc whimpers before being launched into the surrounding crowd which explodes with green bodies flung skyward by the force. A large beastlike man stands bloodied scarred, and adorned with a blue painted face, his long golden mane flowing in the wind. He slams his fist to his armored chest in salute, the boy rebuttals with the same action and vanishes into a flurry of invisible sword slashes. The original horde dwindles and grows with a similar shaped monster, now colored red with various new weapons.

                “Level Three, Begin” sounds the robotic voice as the sands begin to shake against each other. A new, large enemy surfaces from the sand and slams a fist into the grenade wielding girl which is in turn rocketed into the arms of the boy. He absorbs the shock but is knocked back regardless, and with her recovery she fires a volley of explosive rounds in the direction of the new beast. It is only stunned for a moment before it starts a violent rampage toward the pair, knocking its fellow monsters aside without remorse. The boy raises his arm over his body to prepare for a deadly strike, but only a loud scream breaks his concentration.

                “That order isn’t mine, it’s Igneals” I say stopping in a hurried rush.

                “No, no, no, no…” The lumberjack says pausing.

                An axe plunges itself into the giant neck of the beast and a quick jerk sends the towering body into a dead heap on the ground. A man stands on its back wielding two red well sharpened axes. “This is all our battle, you do well to remember that apprentice.” The boy nods his head and is knocked back for a moment at the wave of force coming from an energy pulse towards a new group of large monsters. He pauses in awe as he looks to the center of a group of massive orcs being shot back violently. The force of which come from balls of flaming particles sent from the palms of a well-dressed man, which is floating ten feet off the ground and wearing a black suit with a stern look on his face.

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Through the Fire and the Flames 12/6/13 11:06pm

                The metal prism rattles and shifts as it breaks earth’s atmosphere and enflames on entry. A six foot door bolts itself automatically and for a moment the sound of fear and panic subside into the airtight space of the small pod. Fingers firmly wrap themselves around indented handles hanging from the tight door, a message blinks onto a side screen suspended almost out of sight. : “Entry Stages Initiated”

                The hot breath of a male passenger empties onto the viewing lens of the front exit out of the seven by five foot vessel. The floor rumbles and controlled bursts come from outside, followed by a low tone of escaping flames. The viewing window cracks and immediately slams shut with iron failsafe covers, while another message blinks into view : “Stage five underway, completing final calculations”

                The shock of landing shoots up the black seat and throughout the spine of the male passenger, he flinches for a moment and closes his eyes only for a moment before the final message shows itself on the presented screen : “Drop pod 53-002-PNH opening”

                A rush of blazing air slams against the body of the lightly dressed boy as his seat automatically ejects sending him into the arid and desert like environment of the new planet. He lands firmly without balance or grace, the sands ripple with the force of his leather boots slamming against their seemingly infinite numbers. He stands slowly brushing the condensed cryogenic powder from his jacket, a short field of brown hair flickering back and forth in the raging air. He looks around for a moment, and notices a few specks littering the horizon. A robotic voice echoes from the distance : “Level one, begin”

                He quickly reaches for a sword hung over his back and draws it, the razor-like metal edge cutting its own sheath on the way. The specks begin growing bigger and a sound of hundreds of heavy animals can be heard, the cacophony only growing as they approach. It is soon accompanied by the collective yelling and violent clamping of forged metal. The wind shifts swiftly and a draft swirls the sand grains into a tornado were the boy once stood. A single foot print stamps into the crystallized pebbles every hundred feet closing in on the crowd of large green humanoids.

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Freedom 12/5/13 11:14pm

                                Dearest Sister,

                I am writing to you from the confines of my own prison cell, the walls are already adorned with the tallies of 8 months past. I am not sure how I have made it this far, nor if I can continue. I am writing you at this moment to recount the experiences that have befallen me in this barred space. The tragedies that have scarred my very existence, and threaten the sanctity of my morality. Even through all I have experienced, I have not given up. Perhaps the thought of seeing mother and you again is the drive I cannot feel. Perhaps it is the arms of my lover long stored in the banks of my consciousness that drives me, or maybe it is but the sweet lure of death that keeps my sanity. The only certainty I can feel is the presence outside my cell, through the small hole just out of reach that echoes the cheerful singing of birds and the rustling of trees.

                I am truly sorry that I have subjected myself and my family to this long correctional procedure. When I had held the weapon in my hand I hadn’t grasped the power I wielded, I only understood the implications. Only now do I realize what I have done, the pain I have caused, the people I did not save in contrast to those I did. If I could relive that thirty minutes one more time it would be different, I would be home again with all of you, with my wife, with my children, and with mother in her time of need.

Forgive me my dear sister, I did not mean to leave action station to pee.

Real talk though, I don’t want to do nothing anymore.

[thesmallapprentice-blog-blog]

Home 12/4/13 11:11pm

                “Ahhh! Can you smell that boys?” a man in rugged pants and leather belted armor asks after taking a long deep breath, “It’s a certain smell…” He kneels down against the hot sand and digs his hand into the burning hot grains “A beautiful smell.” He lifts the mini pebbles into a steady stream, “Home.” He stands and lifts the butt of his rifle off the ground and flings it over his shoulder and smiles widely while turning around. “I LOVE THIS WASTELAND!” He shouts loudly to a million men marching behind him, all equally disheveled looking and wearing ragged clothing with patchwork rifles. They all simultaneously raise their guns and cheer wildly. The man turns back forward facing a large desert with a horizon marked by a large dune formed in front of a large business building. “LET’S MAKE OUR HOME PROUD! STORM THE ENEMY STRONGHOLD!”. A million feet trample against the sands over a small hill to the approach of the building, “Don’t get too excited guys. We don’t want to hurt any supplies.” He exclaims proudly as he begins strolling behind his men smiling and taking in the landscapes around him.

                Everything today seemed so familiar, I loved it. I talked to all of my chefs at school that all make a huge contribution to my education, I had time to get some good exercise, I also got a sweat working today at work, and was given the responsibility of closing down. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day.

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He’s out for the Count 12/3/13 10:08pm

                Today was a new low, and it all started when my bread didn’t rise. After its overnight fermentation, I realized that my wild yeast barm hadn’t developed any actual Bacterium S. Exigus. I’m heartbroken because that barm is like my baby in a way (a completely not creepy way I swear) I could swear my barm had at least some cultivation. I guess I’m going to have to scrap both batches and start over. I’ll do it right this time with an actual formula and not just equal parts water and flour.

                I then went to the store and got a whole bunch of random shit like food and what not, but the main focus of my trip was to find fresh growing herbs or seeds. This proved difficult because it’s winter in wherever the fuck I live. Though after tracking some down I drove back to my house giddy as a school girl and set up my herb balcony on the inside of my window, and after some miscellaneous chores I misted and trimmed the new plants to perfection.

                Now we wait…  

[thesmallapprentice-blog-blog]

Here Comes the Hay-maker 12/2/13 11:25pm

                                Today was in essence, a pile of nothing. I was called off from my approach to the castle. When I finally had a second to find out what I would be doing the rest of the day I ended up getting a haircut, refreshing my homemade barms, and starting a new polish dough. Towards the end I reheated some turkey and ate what seemed like an entire baguette, I then sat down and played a video game for an hour or so before reading myself into a stupor and finally coming to my computer to write something. Someone please give me work and some exhausting physical activity, I’m done with this loafing around. I CAN’T TAKE IT.

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Golden Eye 11:10pm 12/1/13

                The shadows whisper and a breeze hits the back of an armed Russian guard which causes him to twitch nervously and turn, this action puts a knife through his neck and his back against the floor. Another guard steps around the corner to see what the noise was, while a blackened blur steps behind him and relieves him of his frontal lobe with a silenced bullet. The footsteps only grow quieter as the shadow creeps along the wall into a large room connected to the outside by slanted windows. A large naval steering wheel is posed in the middle of the room looking over a large assortment of beeping computers and navigation equipment. A uniformed man stands near the out looking window taking a long drag on a white cigarette, when he lifts the fag from his mouth a towel slips quietly against his nose and mouth. A small whimper leaves his body limp and tumbling to the floor, once his head lay motionless a card slips from his back pocket and is swiped through a key code locker on the other end of the room.

The heavy metal door slides open and a folder of documents sparkles in the nighttime florescent lighting. Upon quick examination a particular piece of paper is removed and the key card is placed securely back into the pocket of the uniformed man now lazily propped against the wall. A quick acidic wipe where blood stained the wall takes care of any clues to an intrusion and a splash wakens the quiet sea as a small dingy carrying two lifeless bodies and one living silently paddles wayward of the cruise ship to a dark colored speed boat. The two bodies are thrown aboard and a dark dressed man hops onto the aquatic Ferrari and dusts his tuxedo off.

“Okay, What is the mother sauces for all three of these?”

“Uhh… silenced 9mm?” A seated trainee says at the end of the boat

“You’re close”

“Ohhh.. a bottled 9mm.”

“Yes!” The nicely dressed agent says with shining white teeth. “You’re learning.” The boy stands and brings his hand to a stiff salute

“Thank you agent Bond, for the training.”

[thesmallapprentice-blog-blog]

Lost 11/30/13 10:56pm

                “Oh, haha! I know!” Laughs a voice in response over the other end of the small cellphone. A blonde haired girl reaches for some water at the end of the small coffee table adjacent to the couch, her hand stops for a moment whilst gripping the bottom of the glass and tapping rhythmically with her bright green fingernails. A smile slides across her soft lips, and another laugh sounds on the receiving end of the phone at the end of a small miscellaneous retort by the smirking woman.

                “Wait wait so-“ the door rattles for a second after the bombardment of firm knocking behind her at the front door. The voice at the other end of the phone makes no effort to postpone the conversation, and the girl turns her head swiftly. She can make out a tall prominent male figure standing against the wind of a snowing white November night, she pauses for a moment and scans her memory for possible candidates of the visitor. Eventually she surrenders and stands up straight, fixing her shirt which had slid up her slender figure exposing her slightly mocha skin. “Hey one second I think  Chris is here.” She sets the phone ajar in her hand and strolls to the door opening it un-hesitantly and stares to the left at a small scratch in the door frame, one of which might have been the result of clumsy maneuvering “hmmmmmm” she wonders for a moment to its cause. She then remembers her first goal and looks forward in a glance, when she does all the air from her lungs and blood seem to drain along with the atmosphere in the room as a hole.

                “Hey.” A tall boy says, as he stands immoveable in the temporary gap in space and time. Time slows for a moment when the two lock eyes and a lifetime of memories flood the house and onto the porch of the two story apartment building. He stands holding his hands in his pockets and watches as the phone slips from the girls fingers and onto the snow dusted wooden planks of the floor. He looks up to the stunned bright blue eyes of the beautiful girl in front of him.

                “Hey…uhh…” She begins.

                “I just, well, wanted to talk to you.” He says in a hushed and cautious tone “Do you maybe have a second?”

                The girl pauses and looks to her grounded phone, which had powered off due to the battery being dislodged. “Yeah, I guess.” She turns and walks into the room, after picking her cell phone off the ground. The room seems heavier than before, though she still ventures on taking a seat at a soft lounging chair in the corner and awaits the seating of her guest. As if through memory he finds a place among the soft furniture and looks into the girls direction.

                “How long do you have?” he says

                “enough.” She responds

                “I’m sorry if I caught you at a ba-“

                “You didn’t.”

                He pauses, realizing his position in the conversation. “How is everything? School, and friends I mean.”

                “School is going good, I just got an offer for a full ride through the writing program at Bradford. They liked my grades and community service records”

                “That’s great! I’m so proud of you.” The boy says, breaking into a smile.

                “Friends wise, I still hang out with the gang, but it’s been slimming every month because of graduations and the like.”

                “How’s Chris?”

                She gives this a thought and looks to the window, observing the white coating the landscape. “He’s good, When I see him we hang out for hours and never run out of things to say to each other. He’s in college now, doing really good as a technical designer.”

                He smiles again “I knew he’d find something. What about your boyfriend, Daniel?”

                She looks back and locks eyes in unflinching silence that lasts for a few seconds “We’re good, I had some time last summer to go up to Ireland and spend a couple weeks with him.”

                He pauses “Hotel?”

                “No, his parents let us stay together.” Air seems to leave his lungs in a desperate attempt to quell a demon inside himself.

                “it’s good to know you and him are still going strong.” Another smile rounds its pleasure into his face

                An airy breath leaves her relieved chest “What about you? Where are you headed?”

                His eyes shift to the ground for a couple moments and then back up, “That’s actually what I came here to talk to you about.” He shifts his weight in his damp jacket littered with melted snow dew. “I’m going to be leaving.”

                She stops breathing “What do you mean?”

                “I’m not coming back to ohio.”

                “What?”

                “I booked a one way flight to italy, I got a job offer over there for a full internship. Everything is in writing and I’ll be staying there for 2 years, then moving to new York to extend my experience.”

                The words seem to give a dull echo through the room, which at the moment seemed incredibly small in comparison to its size a moment ago.     “It’s been two years.”

                A word chokes his throat as he responds “I know”

                “You abandoned everyone and everything a long time ago. You left me, ALONE all this time. I needed you and you just fucking left.”

                “I know” he repeats

                “Now you come back just to say you’re leaving again? What the fuck dude.” She says, losing her composure and emotional structure.

                “I wanted to say I’m sorry.”

                “Why? For what?” She gives a have chuckle to emphasize the preposterousness of the notion.

                “For everything.” He says, his eyes misty and slightly pink.

                She stops and looks over her old friend, with a calm voice she says “You were my best friend… for three years.”

                “I… I had to go.” He says, his voice cracking from a dry throat.

                “No you didn’t”

                “Every second we were together, I couldn’t stop looking at you. Every time we were away I was thinking about you, it was getting scary for me. I had never…” He wipes his eyes and nose “Been in love with anyone like I was in love with you.”

                She looks down, “You told me, remember? I knew for a long time.”

                “I know, that made that night all the more confusing.” A strange fog filled the room “I realized what was happening… I was forcing you to give me something, to give me feelings you didn’t have.” The fog begins strangling the little atmosphere left “I couldn’t stop, and I knew I was going to do something I know you and I would regret.” She keeps her head down, absorbing everything into her mind. “One night I looked out my window and thought about you, about where you were going, who was going with you, and where everything was going to end up… If I had stayed…” A smile comes across his face, hiding his tears. “I would have just held you back.”

                “D-“

                “You didn’t need me, no matter what I or you thought.” A tear drops onto his leg, “So I left… and look at everything you’ve done without me” He stands up, the floor creaking under his feet “I was just a crutch, an annoying, useless, crutch.” He looks at his watch.

                “B-“

                “My flight leaves in an hour, I have to go.” He opens the door and a sharp breeze breaks the warmth of the living room. A foot stops outside with a jerk, when the boy opens his eyes through tear drenched cheeks the girls arms are wrapped around his chest and her face digging into his back

                “Don’t go… not again…” she says, muffled by the cotton.

                “A long time ago I told you something.” He turns in her arms and gives her a tight compassionate hug. “What was it?” She remains silent but shakes her head back and forth. “If you love something, you have to let it go.” He rubs her head and gives the top of her hair a kiss. “You’ll be better without me, pretty girl. I promise.”

  -Damn It feels good to be back in the kitchen-

[thesmallapprentice-blog-blog]

You’ll see me Upon the Horizon 11/29/13 10:51pm

                I made up for yesterday by prepping everything I need for my turkey roast tomorrow, while also keeping up with all the bread I needed to bake for the various thanksgivings I’m going to (three). So I lay here feeling quite accomplished of myself, if not a little daunted at the fact nothing happened today. I woke up, did my morning, started fermenting bread, went to the store(s) for my supplies, came back, baked off my bread, prepped my roast, finished a PSN Indie game, read the shit out of my bread baking book, went over my turkey recipe, spit shinned my kitchen, and boom here I am.

                I can’t wait to go back to work, this sitting around patiently shit is getting old really fast.

                P.S. Though I do agree with the flavor of deep frying an entire turkey it seems like a stupid fucking thing to do. All that equipment, danger, and expenses seem to be for just a deeper caramelization, something I feel could be more impressively achieved in a more fundamentally focused recipe. Though then again I don’t know shit about cooking and I’m tired as fuck.