Here is a poem I wrote last year.

"Mother Nature's Song"

Mother nature sings her song
But no one is there to listen
She calls far and wide
But still no one will listen

She cries out for someone
But no one will listen
Her creatures are dying
But still no one will listen

She shouts out for peace
But no one will listen
Her patience is running thin
She will make them listen

She sends out diseases
Some start to listen
The floods are unleashed
More start to listen

The winds are her fingers
The water, her weapon
The fire is her fury
The people, her victims

Her fury has peaked
She is being told to listen
She sends herself forth
She is not listening

She lashes out with fire
People are listening
She throws at them storms
The people are listening

Now her anger has past
The people are listening
She shows what she demands
The people are listening

The world has changed
Because they all listened
Now they are in tune
When Mother Nature starts to sing

By Ringwraith1

Tell me what you think.

Here is my contribution to the Storybook Collab

"The Wanderer" (title subject to change)

John awoke with a start, his finger on the trigger. Sleep did not come easy, especially in these times, let alone finding somewhere to sleep. With a groan, John pushed himself up from the ground. He had slept in an old shack, with two sides missing. It had been the only choice for him, as all the homes were either boarded up, completely destroyed, or had other "visitors" in them. As he walked in to the morning sunlight, he surveyed his surroundings. Directly in front of him was a house, or what was left of it. He had checked it out earlier, but had found it infested with rats and cockroaches. He turned to his right and there was...nothing. The asphalt leading down the broken street stopped, and after that there was nothing but dirt and a few scraps of wood, probably the remnants of the houses destroyed by a bomb. He turned to his left and saw the street lead away into the distance, with the odd house on either side. Away from the street and houses, there was nothing but small craters and dirt.
John was a simply built man. He was not overly muscular, and he was about six feet tall, the average in this world. He had black hair, medium in length, and bright blue eyes, which were rare to see in these times. For clothing, he wore jeans and a t-shirt, with a heavy jacket on top. On his head he wore a toque covered by a military helmet he had found on the ground. On his feet were tall hiking boots, which had seen better days. There was a hunting rifle slung over his shoulder that he had found in an abandoned house, and a pistol at his side. He had a backpack, which had his necessary supplies; food, ammo, blanket, knife, an extra set of clothing, some matches, and a fist aid kit. Everything that was necessary for survival in these trying times.
He began to walk away from the shack and onto the street, when a noise caught his attention. He drew his rifle slowly, preparing for the worst. He slowly crept along the side of the house, not making a sound. As he got to the corner of the house, he stopped. He slowly peered around the corner and looked down the street. A short way down, there was a dog. It was moving in his direction, with its head down, sniffing the ground. John relaxed. The last time he had heard a noise, it was almost the end of him. He moved silently away from the house and onto the street, so he could get a better look at the dog.
The dog seemed to be following a clear trail, and did not even look up when John walked out into the street. John waited, wanting to see how close the dog would get before it noticed him. The dog stopped. As it lifted its head, John felt hi hairs rise on his neck. The dog's eyes were completely red, and his mouth was half open, revealing the large teeth gleaming in the sunlight. It started growling, and as it did so, started to move forward. John drew his rifle level to his eye, wanting to be prepared for anything. The dog was getting closer, and he could see right through its eyes. They looked...evil. Then the dog jumped. Before the dog had cleared half the distance between them, John fired. I whine came from the dog as it flopped to the ground at John's feet, dead. He felt sorry for it. He knew what the dog must have gone through to become like this, as the same thing was happening to himself. He was caught off guard when a memory of that fateful day reappeared in his mind.
The alarm clock began buzzing, quietly, as to not disturb anyone except John. It was seven o'clock in the in the morning. Time for work. He slowly lifted his wife's arm away from his side, and slipped out from under the covers. He went into the washroom, and turned the shower on. After shutting the door silently, he slipped into the shower. Ten minutes later, he stepped out, feeling very much refreshed. He dried himself, and then dressed. Standing in front of the mirror, he inspected his face. Today, his beard would be gone. He shaved his beard away, and then combed his hair. Feeling like a new person, he walked out of the washroom and into the bedroom. His wife was still sleeping. He walked over and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. Slipping silently from the room, he walked down the hallway of his house, and stopped in front of his children's door. He opened it without a sound, and peered in. His two young daughters were sound asleep. He smiled, looking forward to when he came home, so he could see their bright smiling faces. He closed the door and left the house. He got into his car, started it, and drove away.

John worked at a steel factory, and received a surprisingly high wage for that line of work. Being a forklift driver, he moved the finished steel products into waiting trucks, or into the storage warehouse. He was satisfied with his job. It put the food on the table, and the benefits took care of any medical issues that might come up.

John was on his way home from work, looking forward to seeing his family again after such a long day. His wife would be cooking supper right now, and his two young daughters would be helping her. He smiled as he pictured this. As he rounded the corner to his neighbourhood, he saw something that was not right. As he neared the house, he noticed that the front door was open, and there were strange cars in front of his house. He slowed down as he pulled in behind one of the cars. He put the car in park, and got out. As he neared the door, he could hear noises in the house. He picked out the crying first, and then the screaming. He started to run, and as he was just about to burst through the doorway, he came to an abrupt halt. He stepped to the side and peered into his house. He saw his wife and kids, all with tears streaming down their faces. He heard the sound of men, saying something to them from a distance. They started crying harder. He was just about to step into the house as the sound of a gun firing stopped him. He cringed, not wanting to open his eyes and look in. After a moment he opened his eyes and peered in again. His wife was on the ground, with blood pouring from her side. At that moment, he burst into the house, yelling and cursing all the way to his wife. As he got to her side he looked around and saw the gunmen. There were four of them, all wearing some sort of black uniform. His two daughters were screaming and crying now, after seeing their mother killed, and now with their father in the line of fire. John spoke to the man who looked like he was in charge, "What is going on here, and why did you kill my wife?"
The man said, "Can you not see, a revolution is occurring, and the inferior must be dealt with."
"What are you talking about, what revolution, and why my family?" John spoke angrily.
"It is the revolution occurring all over the world. People are speaking up, and issues are being uncovered of the horrible deeds that their governments have been doing. We are here to remove, by any means necessary, everyone seen as supporting this revolution. We are the Velcore. You and your family are supporters, and therefore you must die."
John spoke quickly, "No we aren't, we haven't done or said anything."
"Exactly" replied the man. And with the pull of the trigger, John fell to the ground.

John opened his eyes. Everything was a blur, and immense pain was coming from his side. He closed his eyes again, not wanting to see what had happened. After a few minutes, he opened them again. He looked to his right. There was his wife on the ground. He made a small cry, knowing she was dead. He quickly moved his head to his left so he wouldn't have to see her, but what he was looking at made him cry aloud. There were his two daughters on the ground, side by side. Blood was coating their cloths and faces, and he knew they were dead as well. He closed his eyes again, with a deep sense of loss and pain in his heart, knowing he would never see them smile or laugh again. He fell back into the darkness, not thinking he would wake up again.

John looked at the dog again, shaking his head as he wiped a tear from his eye. He slung his rifle over onto his back, stepped around the dog, and continued down the street. He kept all of his senses open and alert, as one would never know what could step out of the shadows. Breathing in the crisp morning air, he decided he would go into town today. It had its risks, but he was short on supplies. He continued down the street, not looking forward to what awaited him in the town.

As he stepped into the outer limits of the town, he slowed down his pace and kept to the side. He had been here before and knew what happened if you were caught out in the open. He made his way through the town, avoiding the noises that he heard, and sneaking past obstacles that he could not avoid. Within an hour of reaching the city, he was in front of the supplies store. It had been created using an old grocery store, while improvements to the structure improved its defences and allowed defenders to take shelter when they were attacked. This was about the only place in the area where you could get supplies, at a price. He still had some money left over from when he started out, and he had found some in abandoned houses. As he neared the store, five armed men came out with guns drawn and surrounded him.
"What is your name, and state your purpose here," said one of the men.
John replied in an even tone, "My name is John and I seek supplies, in both food and equipment."
"Please remove all of your weapons and give them to Bill over there" as the man motioned to one of the five men to step forward. John complied, knowing that should he refuse, he would be no more. Once he was stripped of his weaponry, he was escorted inside.
"You may have your weapons back when you leave" the man called out as John walked into the store.
John came for ammo, food, and equipment. He walked up and down the isles and found what he needed and went to the front desk to pay. The man at the desk rang up his total and John paid him. As John was looking around, he noticed a bullet proof vest on the rack behind the counter.
"How much for the vest" John asked the man.
"125 dollars or an equal amount in trade" said the man to John
I only have 200 bucks left...
"Would you take $110 for it?" John asked
"$115 and you have yourself a deal" returned the man
"I'll take it" John replied. He noted that the vest was also knife proof, as it said on the tag. John gave him the money and exited the store. The man whom he had given his weapons to returned them to him, and motioned for him to leave. As he left, he looked over his shoulder, and saw the men watching him as he left.

As John made his way out of town, he decided he would move on, to a new destination. Maybe there he could find something useful to do. On the outskirts of town, he noticed a young girl sitting against a corner of a building. Her head was down, and it seemed like she was sleeping. She was wearing ragged clothing, and she had red hair. Intrigued, he walked over to the child, to see if he could do anything for her. When he was about five feet from her, she raised her head. It looked like she had been crying, and there were tear marks on her cheeks, and her eyes were red. She opened her mouth to as if to speak, but said nothing. Wanting to help the little girl, he asked her, "What is your name?"
After a short while, she responded, saying "My name is Susie, and why do you want to know?"
"It seems as though you were crying, and I was wondering if I could help you in some way" Replied John.
"I don't need your help, or anyone's. I am perfectly fine on my own "stated Susie.
Taken aback by her response, he said, "Oh is that right? I am sure a young woman like you is perfectly capable of looking after herself"
"That's right, I am. Now leave me alone..."replied Susie, drifting away into her thoughts.
"Well, if you need anything, anything at all, you just need to ask."
Just as John was beginning to walk away, she spoke quickly, "Wait! I... do need help. Both my parents are dead, and I am all alone. I have an uncle living in Nelcon, and I would really like someone to help me get there."
"Well now, wasn't that easy. I said all you had to do was ask. And you're in luck! I was planning on moving on, and Nelcon sounds like a perfect place to go to. Come on, you can come with me." John replied, content that she asked for help. He would have a travelling companion! The two set out, not knowing what might happen on the way.

The sun was setting, and the air beginning to have a bite to it. John looked down at the girl, and saw that she was shivering. He just realized that all she was wearing were rags, and that she couldn't keep going for much longer without some heat. "Here, take this, it will keep you warm" John said as he offered her the blanket from his backpack. She accepted it gratefully. John would have to find shelter soon. No one wanted to be out during the night, as one would never know what might be lurking out there in the darkness.

As he scanned the surroundings, John spotted something. It appeared to be a destroyed house, one that was on a farm. He decided that the house would be his best choice of finding somewhere to sleep. As he neared the house, he noticed that it wasn't as destroyed as it had initially seemed. There were sections of the building still intact, and possibly a room where they could stay. As they rounded the back of the house, John spotted what he was hoping to see, an underground bomb shelter. It wasn't a spectacular one, but it was a shelter, and that was all that mattered. He went over to the big wooden hatches and lifted one open. It was dark inside, and he couldn't hear anything. He gave Susie his pistol, and told Susie to wait outside, while he went in to the shelter. He took the matches out from his bag and lit one. The stairway going down was illuminated, and he walked down the steps. When he reached the bottom, he looked for a light switch, which he found, and turned on. The room that he was in was exposed to a bright light. When his eyes adjusted, he looked around. The first thing he noticed was the bodies in the corner. They were long dead, only skeletal remains. To the right of them was a door, which had been smashed, seemingly by an animal or creature. He continued into the room, and as he looked around, he saw all of the bodies. The walls were littered with them. Some were old, and some were rather fresh, the skin still intact. Then there were the very fresh ones, dried blood still visible from their wounds. Most had chunks missing from them, as if something or someone has taken bites out of them. By now, he was near the smashed door. The hairs on his neck stood up, and he heard the faint sound of footsteps behind him. He turned around, and saw the hideous creature who must have done all this.

It was not a human, and was not a normal animal. It stood up on two legs, and each foot had six toes with massive nails off each one, ones that could make a nasty gash into their target. His body was thin, the ribcage could be seen. There were long arms going out from its body, with large hands and even bigger claws coming out of each of the six fingers. It had a long neck and a head shaped like one from a wolf, but with no fur on it, and with enormous fangs coming out from its mouth. It had tall, thin ears extruding from the top of its head, which were hairless as well. Before he could draw his rifle, the creature lunged, making an incredibly loud screech as it flew across the room. It landed on him with a thud and it began hacking at him. He was managing to block most of the swings with his arms, but they could only last for so long before being slashed beyond use. He was getting desperate, as he could think of nothing to do to stop this thing. Just when he had given up hope, he heard the sound of a pistol firing, his pistol, and blood was shooting out of the creature's body all over John. The shots just kept coming, and the creature turned around, away from John, looking as though the shots were annoying rather than painful. The creature moved forward, but before he could make more than two steps, John tripped it with his foot. The creature fell down, and as it slowly rose, John took the opportunity to grab his rifle. The shots were starting to affect the creature, and then the shots stopped, and the click of an empty cartridge could be heard. Before the creature could take advantage of the person, John aimed at the creature with his rifle, and blew its head off with one shot. As the body fell, he could see Susie on the other side, shaking with fear at what had just happened.

He rose slowly, immense pain shooting through his body. He walked over to Susie and held her tight. She was still shaking, and he knew that this was the first time she had shot or killed something. He continued to hold her, and her shaking eventually calmed down to a slight shiver. He spoke to her, saying "Why did you come down here?"
After a moment, she spoke, her voice shaky, "It was dark outside, and I was scared. I saw lights turn on inside, and I figured you had looked around." She continued telling him about what had happened, from her perspective, with many pauses and tears. She told him how when she was halfway down the stairs, she heard the screech. She moved quickly to the bottom and saw him on the ground being attacked, and did the only thing she could do. She drew pistol and began shooting at it, with surprisingly good accuracy. When the creature turned around, and she saw its face, she closed her eyes and when she pulled the trigger, nothing happened. That was when John shot and killed the creature. John expressed his gratitude, and she gave him back his pistol, not wanting to hold something that could kill.

He blocked her view of the bodies, and of the creature, and told her to go outside with him. As they exited, John closed the hatch and locked it. Noticing his wounds, the pain quickly overwhelmed him. He fell to his knees, unable to stand. After a few minutes, the pain subsided slightly, and he looked at his wounds closely. There was a gash in both arms, right above the elbow, and his left leg had been torn open. His chest was saved by the bullet and knife proof vest he had been wearing. Feeling the pain to begin to intensify, he told the girl to quickly get inside the house. He managed to drag himself to the back door, which Susie held open, and he crawled inside. Shutting the door behind her, she walked farther into the house, and shouted out that there was a bedroom with a bed in it. He began dragging himself over to where her voice had come from. There was a touch on his arm, and he looked up to see Susie helping him along. When they reached the room, he pulled himself up onto the bed. He told Susie to fetch his backpack. As he waited for her to return, he contemplated his choice in front of him. He would have to stitch himself up here, or he would bleed to death. But what came after, he could not decide. He could wait here for a few days while his wounds start to heal, or he could try and move on, taking the risk of breaking the stitches and having to stitch himself up again. When she came back, he asked for her to grab his first aid kit from his backpack. He took it from her and opened it. When he took the needle and thread from the kit, he took out the hydrogen peroxide out as well. Taking a deep breath, he asked Susie to take the peroxide and put it on his wounds, as he knew once he started, he would not be able to continue on his own. John said, "Whatever happens, don't stop putting that stuff on until everything has been covered." She nodded in reply. He took a deep breath, and motioned for her to begin.

The initial feeling was a slight sting, but within seconds, pain was surging through his right arm, a kind of pain that made him unable to move. He let out a short yell of pain as she put it on his leg, as that was the deepest wound. When she was finished, he could not move. He lay there for a long time, eyes closed, recovering from the immense pain. He wiped away some of the fresh blood with his extra shirt, which Susie had passed to him on request. Once the blood was wiped up, he took up the needle and thread again, and just as he was about to start, he told Susie that she may want to wait outside of the room, as what was about to happen would not be pretty. She shook her head, saying "You will need me here."

John started with his arm, as it was the least serious. He paused frequently, allowing the pain to subside. When he got to his leg, he asked Susie kindly "Would you please stitch my leg up while I hold the wound shut?"
Susie replied, unsure, "I don't know how to stitch, but I can try."
"It is very simple. Just stick the needle in on this side of the gash, and then pull it out farther down and pull it out, then stick it into the other side and pull up. Just go back and forth until you get to the top, then tie a knot" John instructed her.
"Ok, I will try." Susie responded, feeling more confident with herself. It took her much longer than he had hoped, but she did the job well. When all of the stitching was done, he thanked her. He told her to get some rest, and decided to do the same. It was already halfway into the night, and the bed he was on was large enough for both of them. He pulled of the bloody covers and threw them in the corner. He asked Susie to check in the closet on the other side of the room for more blankets. She opened the door and jumped back, as a large fluffy blanket fell out onto the floor. She carried it over to the bed and then walked back. There were three more blankets, which she brought over to the bed as well. She asked him to stand up while she made the bed. When she was finished, she walked back to the closet and pulled out two pillows. She placed them on the bed, and told John that it was ready. They both climbed in under the blankets, and were quickly sound asleep. They both slept through the night, and well into the morning.

When John awoke, the tingling pain throughout his body started again. He shut his eyes tight, as he was immersed in the pain. When he opened his eyes again, Susie was not in the bed. He sat up and panicked for a moment, but was relieved when she walked into the room. She was carrying two bowls, with refried beans in them. "I found a can of beans in the kitchen, but there was nothing to cook with, so they are cold. It may not taste good, but its food." Susie said to him.
"Thanks," John accepted the food, replying, "and where did you get those cloths?"
"I found them in another room. They are a bit big, but they will do" Susie said. She was wearing a plain brown jacket, and a large pair of cargo pants.
"I found a few shirts and a pair of pants that might fit you, and a few pairs of socks." Susie said to him.
"Thank you. I owe you my life, and more." John told her. He inspected his stitching, and hers. The stitches were holding, and there was no new blood. Exactly what he was hoping for.
"I think you need to wait here for a few days" Susie said decisively.
"But we-"
"No buts about it. I don't want you falling over dead out there." Susie declared.
"Well, I see there is no arguing with you, so be it. But if we are going to wait around, we might as well do something useful. Here, I will show you how to do some things that you will find useful in the future"

Over the next three days, John showed her how to handle, clean, fire, and load his pistol and rifle. He also instructed her on how to perform basic first aid, and how to a knife can be used in unthought-of ways. He also showed her how to splint an arm or leg, because with time to kill, he needed to teach her all the necessary things to survive in this world. After the third night, he told Susie that they had to move on. She tried to say otherwise, but he would hear none of it. The longer they waited here, the bigger chance of someone stumbling upon them.

They left the house with some extra clothing and blankets, and a few cans of food that were still edible. After a full day of walking, they spotted Nelcon on the horizon. Another hour or so and they would be there. As they neared the city, he noted the walls surrounded the city. The main entrance was visible, and that was where they headed. The were ordered to halt in front of the large gate, A voice from on top of the wall asked, "What is your business here?"
"I am seeking this child's Uncle who resides here, and shelter."
"What is her Uncle's name?" the voice asked.
John asked Susie for his same, and John replied to the man, "His name is Bill Felcknor."
"Oh...uh...please come in!" the voice replied hastily. The gate opened enough for them to step inside, and they entered the city. The city was in surprisingly good shape. The buildings that had been damaged had been repaired with scrap metal and wood, and the people inside seemed normal enough. He found out later that the waterworks still worked, and there was power from solar panels on the roofs of all the houses, and large ones in open areas. The man who had spoken to him descended the stairs that led up to the wall. He stopped in front of them and spoke. "My name is Karl, and I run the security in this city. Bill Felcknor is the man in charge of running this place, and he lives in that red building" Karl pointed to, "He will be glad to see you young lady. I will send word to him of your arrival. Just go over to that building and tell them who you are."
John nodded his thanks, and walked towards the red building where her uncle resided. When they approached the front door, they were stopped by a man in armour. He said "Halt. State your names and your business here."
"My name is John, and this is Susie, Bill's niece. I-"
"In that case, come right in, he is expecting you" the man said abruptly.
They walked in, and standing in the room in front of them must be the man name Bill Felcknor. Susie rushed forward and jumped up, throwing her arms around him, "Uncle! Oh how wonderful it is to see you."
"Likewise Susie, I could hardly believe it that you were here. Who is that man there?" Bill questioned.
"His name is John, and he escorted me here" Susie responded proudly.
"Well then, John, you are welcome to stay in my house for as long as you like. There is a room upstairs that is empty and it is yours for as long as you are here" Bill spoke with gratitude towards John.
"Thank you Mr. Felcknor. I will let the two of you catch up, and we can talk later. I will see you all later." John said.
"Alright, but I insist you let my physicians look at your wounds. Go down the hall to your right, and the first door on the left is the doctor. Once you are done in there, you can go to your room, where someone will be there to clean you up, as you are in no condition for a bath." Bill commanded.
"Yes Mr. Felcknor"
"Call me Bill, please"
"Alright Bill, I will see you later" John replied. He went to the doctor, which inspected his wounds. He said that the stitching was well done, but it needed to be cleaned and re-stitched with proper thread, and then bandaged properly. John told him to get it over with now, and when he was finished, the doctor gave him some medication for the pain, and told him to sleep. John went to his new room, and when he walked in, a woman took his bags and placed them in a corner. She told him to sit down, and she would clean him up properly. He graciously accepted, and when she was finished, he crawled into the bed. What a few days it had been, he reflected. He could not resist the sleep that was waiting for him, and was soon into a deep and peaceful sleep.

End (for now)
© Ringwraith1 (you never know)
Tell me what you guys think. I want it critiqued, but please be constructive. I think this story is one of my best works. Point out some errors, or where things could sound better. Any artist in the collab interested in doing the artwork for this story, please PM me. Thanks for reading it!

For all of you out there who have been waiting for 4 years, it is finally here. Go see it if you haven't . Fallen Angel Episode One Part 1 . Also, the 2nd part is out aswell, so check check that out too. I must say, it is the best flash film I have ever seen. The animation is on a level superior to all others. You must see it to believe it! GO WATCH IT NOW!!!

If anyone is looking for a good tutorial site this is one of the best. I have read alot of them and they are very helpful.

Go to this site to find out about this book, and maybe you can find it somewhere. It is also in an ebook format aswell.