Shadows: A Collection of Broken Dreams and Heartaches

by Manahan, Aren K.

• ISBN13: 9781475963519
• ISBN10: 1475963513
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-12-17
• Publisher: Author Solutions
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Summary

SHADOWS A Collection of Broken Dreams and HeartachesInspired by William Blake's Illuminations, Shadows, a collection of free-form poetry and short stories by author Aren K. Manahan, fuses text and images to go beyond thought and evoke emotion. The focus of this collection is heartache-not only how it affects people, but also how they choose to deal with it. Manahan peels back all superficial layers to focus on the hurt and pain within each of us. Shadowsfollows various characters as they spiral out of control and try to grasp a sense of reality they once felt. These narratives push you to go beyond the text and feel deeply for these characters-either hatred or pity-as they highlight the hurt that we all feel at times. What becomes apparent is that some are able to cope with the pain, while others are not-and it destroys them. Shadowsreminds us that not everyone is fortunate enough to have a happy ending. We have all had shadows pass through our lives at one point in time, and the time has come to confront them and move on with life.

Excerpts

Drained of all energy, Aurora lies in her fading garden upon a bed adorned with flowers. She is exposed and abandoned; a dark shadow creeps upon her slowly. Looking toward the heavy mist that had hovered over the forest, she sees its hand now stretching toward the once-vibrant garden. Aurora shivers, as she knows what is coming. Breaking her deep gaze from the inevitable ruin, the lost girl turns her delicate body to greet the rising sun. A bold smile is discovered on her pale face. Embracing the sunlight, Aurora delicately rises to her feet. The warmth of the sun's golden rays is felt throughout her body, revitalizing her limbs. The luscious, green grass cushions her steps, and Aurora glides toward the light, a surge of strength pulsing through her. The paleness begins to shy away, allowing the colour to come forward on her youthful face. Standing tall before the sun, her long red locks of hair flow behind her as she feels the last few remnants of the crisp autumn breeze before the arrival of winter. Aurora tightly wraps her pearl white shawl to cover her bare shoulders. At one time, the shawl had shielded her from the pains of the world, but the cruelness became too much to bear, cutting its way through the cloth to her heart. With a smile on her face, Aurora closes her eyes and reminisces of the times of joy she once felt, longing for the company of old to be around once more. Friendships she held so near and dear to her heart slowly drifted out of her life like a cool breeze. Childhood friends promising to be with her until her dying days were nowhere to be found when called upon. Loves that greedily preyed upon her were taken by the night when their thirst was quenched. Bonds that were forged by blood were broken by their conditional love. A woman full of love, a shining beacon of hope, Aurora was passed around, leaving her heart destitute and her body drained. Lost in a world of hate and selfishness, her gift of light was put to the side like a worn-out Christmas gift. Fearful of the solitude she now finds herself in, she lets her thoughts stray to the dark too often. The shadows befriend her and ease the pain since she cannot find solace elsewhere. The further she retreats in her mind, the higher the walls become around her, shielding her radiance from all to see. Blocking the pain from the outside, she does not see how the pain she harbours is harming her. Drops of light rain begin to fall upon her face and trickle down to the earth. Opening her eyes, Aurora looks up to see the clouds, darker and gathered together as if they are mounting an attack. Quickly, the blockade moves towards the sun, decimating the rays of light and covering the sky in darkness. Seeing this change, Aurora cautiously retreats to her fortress, stumbling as she feels something heavy at the pit of her stomach. Her face fills with sadness, for she knows what darkness is about to fall upon her. A black plague she once stumbled across, unknowingly accepting the darkness for company—she did not realize it would eventually consume her. Remaining dormant for so long, it had lingered and waited for the right time to strike, now, no longer willing to be ignored. The presence has grown stronger with each passing day, slowly eating away at her soul.