Wek 10 Storytelling: Aaron Discovers the World

Aaron had been staring at the spot above his bed for what felt like an eternity when the robotic voice boomed through the loudspeakers in the hallway. "Report to the dining quad in five minutes for first meal," the voice rang out, as it had done every morning as far back as Aaron could remember. He sat up in his bed and gave a slight jump when his feet touched the cold concrete floor. Aaron lived in Barrack 4, one of the five barracks in the city of Carcera. There was a great war that wiped out millions of people. Survivors created Carcera as the last remaining city, and the people built a large dome to protect the inhabitants. The Mind of the Six, the self-appointed city leaders, ruled with an iron fist. They controlled every aspect of life inside the dome. The Mind of the Six forced the citizens of Carcera to work long hours, and they harshly punished all dissenters. They created fiercely loyal robots to enforce their harsh laws, while they watched from the comfort of their private tower. The Mind of Six claimed that the world outside of the dome was poisonous and could not support life. The inhabitants of Carcera struggled to survive, while the Mind of the Six reaped the benefits of their hard work.
Aaron believed that the Mind of the Six were hiding something, and they were abusing their power to keep it a secret. He could remember his parents' stories of life before the war. They described the outside world as having beautiful greenery, glistening bodies of water and enormous mountains. Aaron's parents disappeared when he was young, presumably taken by the Mind of the Six. He was determined to overthrow the Mind of the Six and release the inhabitants of Carcera from their oppressive grip.
As he made his way to the dining quad, Aaron noticed a guard robot interrogating someone about their missing ID badge. He took the opportunity to disappear down the utility hallway that he had discovered a week prior. As he explored, he found an underground path that led to the outermost wall of the dome. Aaron followed the path of the wall around the city and found an old door. He opened the door and let out a loud gasp. He had found a path to the outside world.
It was beautiful. He stepped outside and inhaled deeply, halfway expecting to perish immediately. Nothing happened. He exhaled and took another breath. Again, nothing happened. This confirmed everything he thought he knew about Carcera and the Mind of the Six. Aaron could not believe it. He pinched his arm to make sure it was not a dream. Overcome with excitement, he began to run. Aaron ran at a dead sprint as long as he could, and when his lungs started burning he slowed to a stop. He turned and gazed at the walls of the dome city from outside. His happy expression turned into one of despair. "This isn't right," Aaron thought. "Someone has to... I have to do something about this." He thought about the people suffering inside the city, and he decided to bring down the Mind of the Six and set free the people of Carcera.
Aaron made his way back to the door. Before stepping back inside, he turned and gave one last awe-inspired look at the beautiful world he had just discovered. As he retraced his steps, he began devising a plan to reveal the truth about the world to the inhabitants of Carcera and bring down the Mind of the Six.
To be continued...


Photo: End of the World Prison by Louis Argerich, found on Wikimedia, here.
I chose this photo to represent the cold barrack in which our protagonist, Aaron lives.

Author's Note:  This story is greatly inspired by the tale How the Summer Came, in the American Indian Fairy Tales Unit. In How the Summer Came, all the world is cursed to live in perpetual wintertime until the hero, O-jeeg, journeys to find the way to end the perpetual winter and breaks through the sky barrier, bringing warmth and beauty back into the world. Hopefully I do not give too much away, but O-jeeg sacrifices himself to provide a beautiful world for everyone else. In this first part of my story, we follow Aaron, representative of O-jeeg, as he journeys to discover the beautiful world outside of the dome, which represents the sky O-jeeg breaks through in How the Summer Came. One of my favorite books is George Orwell's 1984, and that is where I found inspiration for describing a different type of cold world in which our characters live. If you have not read 1984, I highly recommend it! It is a great book about bravery, love and tragedy, and it is set in a dystopian future (relative to the year that Orwell wrote the book). There is so much more that I want to write that I could not possibly fit into this week's story, so stay tuned!

Bibliography: Story based off of readings from American Indian Fairy Tales, found here. Specifically, How the Summer Came, found here.

Week 10 Reading Notes: American Indian Fairy Tales Part B

Immediately I notice that these fairy tales give names and personalities to inanimate objects, and I am inspired to write a story in the same fashion. I will give everyday items like staplers and refrigerators names and personalities. Perhaps some items will be essential in helping the protagonist conquer the antagonist, who could also be an object. Like in the story How the Summer Came, I would like to put my character in a cold, lifeless environment to begin the story. He longs for something better, and he remembers how good things used to be. I like dystopian settings in stories, so maybe our antagonist is kept in a cold, emotionless oligarchical society. He is finally able to either escape or overturn the existing regime and free all of the oppressed people. I like the idea of the protagonist having to crash through a barrier or two-way mirror, like O-jeeg had to break through the sky in How the Summer Came. I also like the idea of the protagonist dying as a self-sacrifice for the good of a loved one, just like O-jeeg in How the Summer Came. Perhaps the protagonist will be a daydreamer, much like Neen-i-zu in The Fairy Bride story. That would help explain how he communicates with inanimate objects. Or he could be a magician of sorts, like O-jeeg. I really like how strong-willed Neen-i-zu is despite her mother's desire for her to be normal and marry a hunter. She followed her dreams and eventually did what made her happy. All of these stories inspire my writing for the week. I am considering a strong-willed protagonist in a cold, dystopian environment who daydreams and talks to objects or animals. He knows about the beautiful world outside of the monotone walls that are said to protect the citizens. He finds a way to save everyone and take them back to the beautiful outside world, but he loses his life in the process. Perhaps where he dies a magical tree of life will sprout.


Photo of the wall at the US-Mexico border, taken by Wonderlane and found on Flickr, here.
I chose this photo to represent the wall keeping our protagonist separated from nature in the story I am going to write. It represents oppression and unnatural disharmony.

Bibliography: Stories from American Indian Fairy Tales Unit B, found here.

Week 10 Reading Notes: American Indian Fairy Tales Part A

It is quite obvious that the north wind was disliked by Native Americans because of its tendency to hinder nature's ability to provide for people. The cold winter wind causes plants to die and animals to flee. This forced Native Americans to migrate south in order to survive. The wise storyteller Iagoo encourages children not to fear the wind because it is no match for a strong fire. In the story of Shin-ge-bis Fools the North Wind, Shin-ge-bis is not afraid of the North Wind because he is prepared and confident. I think it is a good story that teaches children not to fear nature, but to respect that there is a balance in nature.
I really enjoy the colorful description of nature and the animals. The environment is described vividly to set the tone. I think it is neat to tell a story in which all of the animals and humans are kind to each other and live in harmony. In the story of the Little Boy and Girl in the Clouds, the coyote is eager to help the humans. He also gives wise advice in looking for a solution, instead of asking how a problem came to be. The coyote is unable to retrieve the lost children, and none of the other animals are successful in that endeavor either. This story then becomes one of not judging a book by its cover and even the smallest animals can be helpful. The wee little worm is the unsuspecting hero of the story, and he returns the children home safely. Perhaps I will write a story about an unexpected hero that does not get the credit he deserves at first.
The story of the Child of the Evening Star just warms my soul in many ways. I love that the youngest, fairest daughter chooses to marry Osseo despite his appearance, but because he is pure of heart. Then he turns out to be the son of the Evening Star! Though his good fortune becomes his wife's dismay, all ends well when her beauty is restored, and they go to live among the stars. The continuing theme seems to be that good things will happen to people who are pure and good. I'd like to write about that.


The Historian by E. Irving Couse. I chose this photo to represent the importance of storytellers in Native American culture. Found on Wikimedia, here.

Bibliography: American Indian Fairy Tales by W.T. Larned, unit A, found here.