ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
African American male. Accepted Christ as savior as I have been born again since August 1st of 2002. I have been writing on and off for about 10 years though I'm pretty determined to keep at it this time. [August 2012]
AUTHOR'S OTHER TITLES (24) Alone With My Sin (A Collection) (Poetry) This is a collection of poems wherein I express the stinging loneliness that sin has caused in my life as a Christian and the fallout of those transgressions. There is also a long poem expressing what... [2,477 words] [Spiritual] Attack From The Beyond (Short Stories) A guardian race recruits human beings in the defense of the Earth in the face of the Aelkighted. The fourth tale in what I'm calling "The Adrian and Lucalan Saga." The first story is called "The Riv... [11,647 words] [Science Fiction] Chronicles Of Zefaria: The Plight Of The Free Peoples (Novels) These are dark times for the people of Zefaria. Lord Osmadaan's provinces are causing havoc throughout the land. Tonomoli Foster embarks on a quest to attract help from some of the bigger countries ... [33,846 words] [Fantasy] Chronicles Of Zefaria: The Realm Of The Ancients (Novels) Here follows the first four chapters of the continuation of my Chronicles of Zefaria series with a bit of chapter five thrown in for good measure. This installment of the series follows the exploits ... [8,455 words] [Fantasy] Evil's Fingers (Short Stories) After a young boy by the name of Timmy Hutchinson falls into a pit and is rescued, circumstances arise in Blackberry Village that none are prepared for. Read and you will not be disappointed. [7,440 words] [Fantasy] Here And Thereafter (Novels) A young, dirt poor African American couple struggle to make ends meet. The husband places all of his beliefs in his unfinished fantasy novel, while the wife struggles with the everyday realities of t... [12,076 words] [Drama] Journey To The Planet Merridion (Short Stories) This is my third tale in what I'm calling "The Adrian and Lucalan Saga," unless someone can come up with something better. It follows the short stories "The Rivals" and its sequel, "The Arrivals." ... [8,445 words] [Science Fiction] Octavia's Obsession (Short Stories) This story is about... Octavia's obsession... [2,237 words] [Drama] Star Saga (Screenplays) The year is 2120 and colonization of space is well underway. Thanks to the unlocking of the human genome during the 21st Century, humanity is experiencing a time like no other. No intelligent life h... [11,766 words] [Science Fiction] Star Saga: A Clash Of Empires (Screenplays) Sequel to my sci fi scipt "Star Saga: Swarm of the Bulgata," which came after the script "Star Saga." Two months have passed since the conflict on the colony of Dorridion ended, and now the Earth Emp... [22,716 words] [Science Fiction] Star Saga: Swarm Of The Bulgata (Screenplays) Sequel to my sci fi script "Star Saga." The Bulgata have been beaten back on the alien planet of Unisee, and the Earth Empire watches over the people. However, a new conflict soon surfaces on the co... [17,954 words] [Science Fiction] Tales Of The Horror Inducing Kind (Short Stories) Three short stories documented by a horror enthusiast whose attempting to collect supposedly true stories, and told from the perspective of those who saw them. "The Centipedes" - A story about a man'... [12,838 words] [Horror] The Arrivals (Short Stories) **********WARNING*********** Do not read further without first reading my short story, The Rivals, unless you want to be spoiled**************Adrian Belfast is suffering through events that took place... [10,381 words] [Science Fiction] The Caged Introvert (Short Stories) A shy, unattached man's journey for love... [3,644 words] [Drama] The Deluded Youth (Short Stories) A boy and his dreams... [3,699 words] [Drama] The Exploits Of Tal'on Kepp (Short Stories) This is a short story set in my Chronicles of Zefaria series. I hope that all enjoy. [2,542 words] [Fantasy] The House That Bernard Wellingsworth Built (Short Stories) Eli Wellingsworth travels from upstate New York to Manchester, England, to take control of the estate of his deceased and demented uncle, but he could hardly be expected to be prepared for what he is ... [5,645 words] [Horror] The Menace Of That Most Demented Order (Short Stories) Eli Wellingsworth finally comes face to face with the horror perpetrated by his demented Uncle Bernard. The third tale in a series that I am calling "The Perils of Eli Wellingsworth." The first one ... [12,529 words] [Horror] The Path That Eli Wellingsworth Took (Short Stories) Sequel to my short story, "The House That Bernard Wellingsworth Built." Eli Wellingsworth travels from Manchester, England, to New York after resigning defeat in garnering the attention of anyone who... [9,402 words] [Horror] The Rivals (Short Stories) Adrian Belfast, a young and aspiring author, chances upon the works of one Lucas Slaughter, a person whom he considers his rival. Sequel forthcoming. [5,415 words] [Humor] The Struggle Within: Sestina Number One (Poetry) A sestina is a poem where you interchange six words at the end of each line in six stanzas. This is my first. [258 words] [Horror] The Suffering Christian (A Collection) (Poetry) These are my very first Blank Verse poems, Heroic Couplets, and a Stanza in Heterometric form. The Blank Verse poem possesses some rhyme, and is about being Christian and a selfish sufferer (wanting C... [528 words] [Spiritual] War Of The Writers (Short Stories) This is my first fantasy themed short story. I welcome any and all comments. Thanks in advance! [1,955 words] [Fantasy] We Storymaniacs Should Be The Best (Essays) An essay dealing with why I believe many of us Internet writers will one day be a cut above the rest, and what it will take to get there. [1,101 words] [Motivational]
The Man Who Walked Unseen Michael Harris
Bartleby Thomas was twenty-one years old when he discovered he was one of the unseen. For others it might have set the staging grounds to commit a slew of heinous crimes--like larceny--or to engage in the sexually immoral activity of a peeping tom, but for Bartleby it was different. He detested being unseen because it caused him sorrow, mountains of sorrow. Thus were the fruits of his condition: sadness and loneliness slept with him at night, and grief greeted him in the morning. "Out of all the Bartlebys in the world, why me?", he thought. "Why must I walk unseen?" His gripe was legitimate. He had walked unseen for nearly two months now, and this was--he felt sure--not some phase he was going through, it was to be indefinite. Indefinite! His heart sunk so low at this morbid, foreboding thought that it met with his intestinal juices. Indefinite indeed.
He lived in a rather shabby apartment complex, alone of course (he was--after all--unbeknownst to the human eye). His apartment was populated with the prerequisites: a couch, a recliner, a television, microwave, and a stove oven. He had scarcely used the latter two in the past two weeks, on account of the extremity of his situation, and even receiving images from the television was becoming a thing of past activities. Mostly, he would lie on the couch or sit back in his recliner (which is what he was doing at this very instant), or walk the empty hallways of the apartment complex, always with his head bent toward the ground in miserable reflection. He had not known good, wholesome sleep in almost three weeks. Many times he would just lie in the bed with his eyes closed, tossing and turning--trying to fall asleep--but never quite being able to. Three hours of sleep a night is what he normally managed. This was a most perplexing situation indeed.
He worked of course, there was--after all--rent to be paid. Whereas one might find problems with this arrangement, considering his condition, he managed his work quite easily: he was the maintenance man of the apartment. Whenever something was reported broken, he would show up to fix it at times when the tenets weren't there, so as to avoid complications. He did, after all, possess a copy of the master key. No one ever complained about how he did his work either. This was, in his own estimation, the only way he could live on without causing mass hysteria. He was--to be sure--very sensitive to the nature of his condition, the fact which being if anyone discovered it he would most likely be wheeled off somewhere in a science laboratory. This, too, is linked with his decision to ban talking completely. He did not want to frighten anyone, least of all little children. And he was never really one for talking in the first place, so this didn't upset him in the slightest.
He had family: a mother, a father, no siblings. The thought had come earlier on that perhaps his parents would know what to do, but he later rejected it on the basis that they would most likely try to have him committed, not that they would be able to find him of course, but still. Living in anonymity for however much longer (if need be for the rest of his life) is what he chose to put up with, rather than risk an episode of remarkable strangeness in revealing his condition to his parents. He had not thought much on how he was going to avoid them for the rest of his days though. He could always relocate across country, but there was the problem of his being imperceptible. He would have to somehow come up with a way to work around that. Then, too, he could have very easily sent word that he was joining the military. His father was himself retired from the marines and always wanted Bartleby to succeed him. That scenario would, in the very least, buy him some much needed time, not that he was committing wholeheartedly to it, but he liked to have options. Regardless of whatever it turned out to be, it didn't concern him overly at this point. As time went on, he was sure he'd think of something competent. And as for friends, well, he could scarcely tell you what a friend was, because he had none. Not of his own volition of course, but rather of forces he could not contort.
At the present he lay in his recliner, thinking--as always--on his condition. "How did I become like this", he thought. Truth be told, he didn't know. He had not wandered into any science labs and in the process exposed himself to experimental agents, that was for sure. But as for the root cause of his condition, he could not see it. It was blind to him, as blind as he was to everybody else. It is perhaps important to note at this time that Bartleby's condition was such that he could see himself, but others couldn't see him. This he was wholly convinced of. The problem lie not with himself, but with others. He performed several experiments to justify this hypothesis (these experiments were conducted at times when he was just discovering what had become of him). Once, while walking, he spotted a fairly attractive young women approaching him, and decided to use her as a test subject. He glanced up at the woman, hesitantly at first, then he stared blankly at her and she did not return the gaze. Not even a hint of the acknowledgement of his existence was given. Then, after browsing through a local library, he stood in the checkout lane for a good five minutes while the librarian was busy chatting it up with an old acquaintance of hers who stood in front of him. Impatient as he was that day, he decided to just return the book where he had found it and go about his way. This incident gave him the indication that whatever he held must also not register with the human eye, for no one addressed the odd occurrence of a book floating past them down aisle ways.
So he lay there in his recliner, staring up at the ceiling, wondering if there was an end to this madness. When the thought came to watch some television, he dismissed it almost immediately. There would be nothing on that would keep his interest, not while he was like this. "But I am hungry", he thought. I think I'll try to eat something today." Presently he stood, and headed for the refrigerator. When he opened it he let loose a sigh. He was in a troubling predicament. Apart from his condition, he was out of food. "I'll have to walk to the grocery store", he thought. So, throwing on his coat, he headed for the door.
There wasn't a soul to be seen in the hallway, and so he made his way out of the complex without having to feel the sting of being unseen by his fellow tenets. It was chilly outside, typical of mid-Decemeber weather, and a strong wind blew to help enforce it. Bartleby had not thought much on how he was going to pay for his items. He had previously left the money at an unmanned station and simply went about his way. That scenario seemed like the wisest course of action this time around, and he would follow through with it without an inkling of concern. When he arrived at the grocery store the doors automatically opened before him. "At least machines recognize my existence", he thought. There was a great many people there, typical of grocery stores at almost any given time. Bartleby headed straight for the frozen section (he was very fond of the frozen food). He picked out what he wanted and headed for the exit. Just as he had done previously, he made his way to an unmanned station, took out some money, and left it on the conveyer belt. He felt very proud of himself. Despite his condition, he was still living with a conscience. As he was making his way through the door, a security guard approached him, and bade him return.
Bartleby was so overjoyed that he didn't care whether or not he was being charged for shoplifting. He hollered and danced and shouted and carried about with such energy that people were concerned for their safety. There were whisperings of course, but none knew like he knew: he was unseen, but now he could be seen. Thus ends an account on the behalf of one Bartleby Thomas, who--by no means of his own powers--lived his life in ostracism.
READER'S REVIEWS (19) DISCLAIMER: STORYMANIA DOES NOT PROVIDE AND IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR REVIEWS. ALL REVIEWS ARE PROVIDED BY NON-ASSOCIATED VISITORS, REGARDLESS OF THE WAY THEY CALL THEMSELVES.
"Well written 'Invisible Man' style story. Shame about the ending. I felt it needed a reason for him being invisible, however trivial." -- Jack Brown.
"Hey, thanks for the review! Sorry about the ending I guess. But I felt that his insanity was reason enough...Oh well." -- Michael.
"Here's an idea: Bartleby continues living until he is so distraut that he commits suicide. Then the doctors and police guys find the body and the reader realises that he was only invisible because he was ignored. Sorry to put such an idea across but I think that this twist could really help it." -- Jack Brown.
"I agree with Jack Brown about this being an 'invisible man' style story. But the invisible man wasn't into frozen food. I don't think anyway." -- Steven T.
"I agree that the man's invisibility needs an explanation. His insanity might be a good enough reason, but you never mention it in the story. Have you read "Neverwhere" by Neil Gaiman? It might give you a few good ideas. Best wishes!" -- Ivana.
"...But there was an explanation, he wasn't really invisible. He's been ostracized his entire life and because of that he suffers from insanity. And I didn't mention that he was insane in the story because I wanted the reader to get it. I guess I didn't convey it good enough. Thanks for the review, Ivana. And would this chance to be Ivana Milokevic? " -- Michael.
"Milakovic." -- JA St. George.
"The problem is that he doesn't look insane, just a bit lost, and we all feel lost and invisible sometimes. Well, at least most of us do. And yes, it's me. To St. George: thanks for the correction. :)" -- Ivana.
"Good story you've got started here Michael. I'd love a chance to critique it on the BBS forum, because I can do an even better looking job of critiquing there than I did for the Caged Introvert. Hi, I was just checking in on you to see how well you've been doing. And being the curious fellow that I am I was also wondering if you had ever gotten a chance to monitor the Writing From a Faith Perspective forum, or if we might've scared you off before you had a chance to see what that forum offered. Anyways which you the best in writing, and all else Michael." -- JA St. George.
"Oops, that should be "wish you the best..." Remember if there's anything I can do for you, or you need something made clear, or you just want to "lurk" on the site, and take it all in, then don't hesitate to ask. I'm here, and I'm ready, willing, and able to help. If you respond and I fail to see it within a few days, then feel free to contact me directly at jerryageorge@earthlink.net. I believe in your writing Michael, and I do want to see it flourish. " -- JA St. George.
"Hey, thanks for the review, JA! And it's nice to hear that you believe in my writing. I think I'll post this story on the bbs forum to see what they think of it. In terms of me visiting the faith based forum, I actually haven't got around to it. But after I post this story, I'll check it out. Thanks again." -- Michael Harris, Detroit.
"I'd suggest placing this story in the Writing From a Faith Perspective Forum rather than the Fiction Forum, because that way it would be more specifically tailored to the audience you wish to reach, as well as receive reviews from. Of course you are not restricted from posting in any forum where the story could fit, I just wouldn't want you to be disappointed by those who might be disinterested and who may skip over your work. I can at least guarantee you you one critique of this piece if you place it in the Faith Forum. Once again, you can skip there directly via http://www.writersbbs.com/bbs3/forum.cgi?forum=religious_h I'll even introduce you to the other members if you'd like." -- JA St. George.
"Hi there Michael, just came from the BBS. I saw you already had posted in the Fiction Critique Forum, so I wish you the best of luck. I also saw you had posted in the Religion/Philosophy Forum, and although by all means you can post wherever you want, I had been referring to the Writing From a Faith Perspective Forum which is much lower on the Main Menu screen. It's okay, no harm has been done, I just felt WFAF Perspective Forum might be more to your liking, and I understand how some of the forums may seem a little redundant. You "can" post work in the Writing From a Faith Perspective, but just be sure not to post work in the Religion/Philosophy Forum, because I haven't gotten any permission for that. Just follow the link above to make sure you get into the right forum for posting work. Best of fortune. " -- JA St. George.
"Well done... Brilliant. I don’t know what all these other reviews are talking about. And I’m thoroughly please that you spent all that time reading/reviewing my stories. "It was blind to him, as blind as he was to everybody else." --Very nice, clever line. I did pick up the insanity and noticed the dynamic character changing as well. Very well done." -- ryan severud.
"Hey, thanks a mil Ryan! Your comments were greatly appreciated. Take care." -- Michael, Detroit.
"Fantastic, subtle piece. I loved the way you integrated the history of the man's condition in an interesting and quirky way. Excellent. By the way thanks for your help with editing my work." -- La Longue Carabine.
"Hey, thanks for the review, buddy. It was most appreciated." -- Michael , Detroit.
"Hi !!! Today has bought mangosteen and has understood that knowingly in Asia, the mangosteen fruit is known as the " Queen of Fruits. " It is really tasty fruit which possesses set useful qualities. Mangosteen Fruit and Juice - scientific research and info about the anti-inflamatory anti-oxidant power of Xanthone-rich mangosteen fruit. I recommend all! Who wishes to buy or learn more address in mangosteen shop!" -- AlexMenT, Boston, 60, USA.
"Mr. Harris, Are you aware that at least three of your stories have been plagiarized by David Boyer/David Byron? You are one of many victims of this man. I'd appreciate it if you'd drop me a note. My email address is b.thoughtful at gmail.com" -- B.
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