《Philosophers corner》 Climbing this tower Climbing this tower You never know what you got yourself into, not until you realized your journey hadn¡¯t even begun yet. Not until you took a glimpse at the stone tower rising, breaking apart the mighty storm, even you, will have to weather through life. Not until you have to grit your teeth throwing all aching muscles into just chipping that tower with your well and worn picks not meant for a task so daunting, daring and unknowing to all, dangerous and downright unimaginable. Watching as others before you fall to their doom, because their will gave out! No not us, not the true beings of survival, not Wrath and not Envy not even Sloth will keep us down, the cockroaches meant to live their destiny reaching their apex! Not the ones born from the dust and bones of ancients before them, for they are flesh.. bones.. skin.. soul.. for they are Human. Even though the mighty do fall the ones who serve man rise from ashes unknown; climbing their own towers of stone, slamming every inch of willpower into that stone flailing and grasping for any reprieve that follows this war we wage in our own hearts, in our own minds the war we set upon ourselves with cascading giants of old and storms lighting up the crevices in our heads broken, not by the monsters we have beset on all sides from outlying sources but by the monsters, demons we create, falsified faith bringing our minds together waiting for the right moment, but for many that moment won¡¯t come. Watching more and more and more bodies fall into the void you¡¯ve created, distance you¡¯ll call it, but you¡¯ve already climbed so far and so hard with all the will you¡¯ve shown. The eyes closed while the giants still rage and roar above you, us. For they aren¡¯t just screaming in rage but they are laughing with glee! At you and your futile attempts at climbing this mighty tower for no other mortal has dared gotten to its peak in centuries nay! Millennia, since the dawn these giants have peered from above wishing the ones below would even dare dream of scouring this mighty behemoth that we call Life! This tower is our road, our destiny and the one thing everyone manages to convince themselves of climbing someday, and while the bodies tumble so hard and so fast building piles so large below that which others may grasp the stone, for gods be damned! For the men of faith truly see that the giants themselves have even forsaken our sacred ancestry, yet still we climb because any longer in the Hel they¡¯ve left us in and yet only our Wrath and Envy grow. Stabbing picks into that tower one by one. The mind can clear in the face of adventure and by all means I hope to grin like the madman I know I¡¯ve grown to become. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Church bias Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Speck This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. I see you If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. A dragons path The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. To the crossroads we go! We¡¯ve lost that shot what a waste of space waste of a perfectly fair case. Cavalier Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Ode to Her Gold! O fortuna My lady of luck Fortune favoring goddess The blessed between humbling men and watchful beautiful inspiring ladies. For awhile I¡¯ve felt blessed by some fortune, and others seem to notice! I know In life there are hard times and better times. Regarding to how that is perceived, some might not see their lucky break as a ¡°break¡± at all. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I¡¯ve decided if I¡¯m to pray, it¡¯ll be to mother fate, fortune incarnate and the lady who watches me make a fool of myself. Hopefully graces be lead to an amazing grave with amazing people surrounding me in love. Impressive, says the man of the hold. He who holds much plight above his furrowed eyes, finds the meek impressive. Inspiring says the meek in response, and a grateful thank you. Through trials of fire, blazing flame can we learn some introspection. I¡¯ve narrowed it down to perspective and identification. With her guidance and watchful gaze I¡¯ve beheld enough confidence to squeeze through the cracks and walk casually through the world so far. Even a fools journey might subside to the back of the narrative however. Thinking of you Rot n Roll, I didn¡¯t know you but I know what you were probably going through. It¡¯s never easy asking for comfort. So, when you saw me and my ridiculous shirt, you took that leap of faith, Never be afraid. Did you know, when most people hug it¡¯s only for less than 10 seconds? You were not most people as you held fast, you squeezed like your life depended on it. Honestly, I think it did. It was almost like you never wanted to let go, I was perfectly okay with it, I would¡¯ve held you all night if you asked, I¡¯ll never forget you even though I don¡¯t have your name. What I most remember were the words you said, as if it took all your effort while choking back a sob This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Warehouse Workin’ Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Curiosity Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. My lady bless Her If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Chagrin I wasn''t sure how the night would turn out but something always brought me aroused enough to stand again, wiping the blood from my mouth with a grin, bringing my hand into sight with the vivacious and sickly looking liquid I figured might already be there. I couldn''t bring my mind together until the last moment when I saw huge knuckles crash into my vision throwing me under once more. Times like these remind me of all the fighting rings and underground boxing matches I''ve had the pleasure of participating in after the fall, the time I knocked that first rookie with a haymaker just under five seconds into round one, the very honorable grapple I managed to hold for what might''ve seemed like forever until the referee had to split us with a grip that reminded me of a crowbars prying power. The few scant times somebody got me down were legendary and the one vicarious fight where I was thrown around like a rag doll, all still with the same maniac grin I carried into tonight''s brawl. That''s how the night looked like it was ending with, a good old fashioned brawl, standing up and locating the knuckles that snuck up on me I grabbed the arm, pulled and twisted until I knew the arm wasn''t supposed to be in the direction it was and let the fumbling idiot drop. Grabbing a stool, I threw with a huff at a pair of drunkards grappling each other, leaving the two to themselves for a nightly ending; after this was all over. I couldn''t pin point him until I saw the ridiculous hat bobbing in and out of the largest crowd as if a dog were hopping around in those grain fields you keep seeing videos of but don''t have the capacity or animal to enjoy yourself. Norm wasn''t a normal kid.. gracing reflexes, quick wit and a chipper attitude. As soon as I spotted the hat he so adored I felt a rush of wind as he sped up on me and started his normal gushing. The kid could fucking talk! Talking too much and way too fast for anyone under the pretense of adhd, parental issues and a lot of bugger sugar, the guy loved the stuff telling me this and that about how mellow he felt while induced in his antics and sniveling. Norm wore a hat most would compare to a cowboy hat, but if you ever told him that I''ve come to expect fury and fists unseen, the kid could fight but to me his punches always felt like a fly buzzing around; annoying, dirty, noisy but always around. He''s reliable and that''s what I''ve ever needed in these relationships. ¡°A real shiner if I ever saw one. What heavy hitter left that mark?¡± Chirping with glee and a crack grin suddenly full of shock, as I grab the slim jim around the neck with my arm and scrub his scalp with my hand. ¡°See for yourself.¡± I remarked while I pointed his cranium towards the big motherfucker on the ground snoozing like a mule. ¡°What¡¯d you get him with?¡± Norm asked a little sheepishly; he knew I only gave him that punishment when he was squawking a bit too much. Mimicking grabbing norms arm I did a little twist and bend motion and gently let him go feigningignorance to his horrified eyes. He must¡¯ve done what he was here for because he immersed himself into his ¡°persona¡± straightening up Norm gave me a look only shark like professionals had down pat. ¡°Mickey got us in.¡± holding up a card and shifting it in his fingers revealing a second card and slipping one my way. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Taking the sturdy and stiff piece of board into my hands made my whole body reverberate as I read the letters engraved in what appeared to be literal gold. [The Thunderdome] read in beautiful calligraphy almost giving me a start as I felt jolts and tingles going up my spine all the way to the back of my skull and throbbing of what would indeed be a shiner in the morning. Looking up at Norm I must¡¯ve looked all the more sharklike as I imagined he did every morning getting his persona ready to face the day looking in the mirror, toothbrush in hand. I put my hand out and we celebrated like any two dudes should, slap on the inside for a slap on the outside, followed by two bumps up and down and finally ending with a fist bump down the middle. ¡°When?¡± I grumbled. He followed up with a dip behind me and a hand on my shoulder and muttered, ¡°Now.¡± Guiding me to the set of stairs I¡¯d noticed on my way in and a door at the end of the flight well. Chittering away happy as his rodent counterparts, Norm might as well have flew to the door knocking about 20 times almost to a beat I couldn¡¯t get and stood stock still until an eye slot opened fast with a ~SHUNK. Two beady eyes roamed us, up and down left to right finally lingering on myself for what might¡¯ve been a few extra beats of my slow heart. Norm pulled up his parchment. Seemingly satisfied, the eyes closed the door and opened it wide while motioning his open palm sweeping us along inside. Walking the corridors gave me a stirring feeling that my long dead heart hadn¡¯t felt for a long time. Hearing the jeering taunts and echoing laughter as love and death rode the waves only emotions know how brought my steps almost side by side with Norms, both of us vying for speed headlong towards the commotion. Swinging open the set of doors my eyes open and my blood pumping the hallways opened up to reveal [The Thunderdome] a huge expanse of a brawlers love child. [The Thunderdome] was excitement incarnate along with broken bones, teeth arms and legs. There were stands for food all over the joint, along with seating up high and down low for people who just liked to watch and for others who had a hankering to join in. The middle was just a simple raised platform; four roped off corners and a slew of corpses adjourning the effect. Some sloughed off the edge onto the floor just to be swept up and others in piles barely pushed out of the way of the actual action. I had a One hundred percent premium ticket and a chance to join the utter chaos that people only had nightmares of while I couldn¡¯t contain my grin and a bubbling laugh on the tip of my tongue. I felt a slight pull on my arm and looked around until I saw the ridiculous hat again and stepped after Norm who continued to lead me to where he¡¯d set up shop. He dealt mostly with bet placing and the likes. Only a few scant times did we pull off any tricks when he¡¯d bet just about all he could on me losing did I throw a fight, every other time he¡¯d only bet on me as his race horse. I was built for this he told me always and often, and I really was. Memories flash by of me standing on a hill hem adjourned and spear in hand looking out over mobs of the- shaken aroused of my stupor Norm brought me around to the lists. The lists were always the center of attention for all of us, it dictated who died, what bets were made and if the buffet would have extra chicken out or not. Looking over it all I had to mutter ¡°Death..¡± before getting the knowing look. ¡°Another one, Hmm. ¡®What was your name again?¡¯¡± Looking at the list girl (as we referred to them all as such) I did a flourish of my hand around my face in askance as if saying you don¡¯t recognize it? She shook her head in a negative. ¡°Wrath, my name is Wrath.¡± Followed by her wide eyes as I watched on at the others gathered around looking on with a feral manic grin. Downfall of Men Men are supposed to be the pariah of ¡°it¡¯s okay shove those feelings down, have all this weight on your shoulder, it¡¯ll make you strong¡± personally I¡¯ve only cried a handful of times in front of others, screaming my lungs and throat dead alone and smoked many of my flashbacks and thoughts out. It¡¯s crippling and when we show emotion to the wrong people that can be so much worse, many guys have had situations minor and major that just don¡¯t let them feel any longer. Unbeknownst to us or widely known, we have been breed and raised to think that we should carry the weight of the world, our women, children and family on our shoulders. Hell most of the time I¡¯m not feeling anything at all and the rest of my time is feeling so much I¡¯m overwhelmed. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Flip of the coin Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Today’s happening Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Believer Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Lo’ behold the wizard Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. The wizard This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Momento: Realization [redacted] You told me to write some things down and I¡¯ve been pretty negligent until I got laid off this past Monday. My minds racing with the future and that¡¯s good right? The one dominating worry for my life is just confusing, I¡¯ve spent 3 years at a job that¡¯s slowly pulled my sanity back and left my brain to moisten and bloat in our lovely rain clouds, but I feel as if nothing but good words, less than a pat on my back and a packet with next to useless information has transpired. I met some nice people and some less than friendly folk but if I¡¯m being honest, none of these people will text me or call me without my own effort, and we¡¯ve already talked about that haven¡¯t we? The only accomplishment I¡¯ve had in the last 3 years was literally just staying alive, eating, sleeping, fucking and trying to have as many good laughs as I can while I slowly ebb and weave through the notion and selfish thought process of driving off the highway bridge damn near every drive home (the ride home was too short when I lived in ¡ª¡ª for 2020). Regardless, I think I still want to live. This.. what you keep referring to as my depression is just the nastiest ugliest bitch of a pit of despair I will personally never have the mind to climb out of. I¡¯ve been, what I call surviving since I was 6 and that¡¯s still the only thing that rattles my brain the only reason I get up just to starve myself until about 2-3 in the morning when I¡¯m dizzy and sick from under eating on the worst weeks. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Confessions This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it A story from a friend Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. She’s gone, it’ll be fine. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Anger This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Dollar dollar This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Tight on money while the world around me crumbles. Full of narcissism and hate and waiting for a fight. Hell he¡¯ll faint from the sight of blood, the weak motherfucker with the Dough. The man with the plan might have the ideas but not the muscles or the heightened senses required for the street, for the walk, for the alley or on the clock. Love is I''m touch starved, so at the pot shop I traded a comment about your ankh. You were impressed I hadn''t called it a cool Cross as if the dominant religion in the area is Cristian, which surprisingly; it is. However, I have seen a man pray on his rug in an alley so no judgement in my mind. When our hands grazed passing me the palm blunts and wished me a happy day. Dating sucks. Also, cigarettes in the car ride make you less horny. Two red bulls fill the stomach for work and even with four hours we''ll stay positive when lifting with our backs. God if I don''t love making grown men laugh at stupid witty comebacks. I miss my old supervisor. I should ask for a raise, its been a year; but my younger coworker wants one too I think I''ll let him grab the spotlight, he''s nervous about it though. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Fuck Society Fuck cash The plans in place need a chance before they decide when its best to destroy something and when to rebuild something. All it is; we waste time finding work to do while some other jack asses resembling our ancestors fix a pipe, scan the ground or fill holes etc. etc. etc. yadda yadda These rules and job positions in place are important for the structure to function, the structure of the family man the guy making the big bucks while twisting his pipe wrench, or shimming the counter top. The man who returns home and wants either a beer; a blowjob; or a good cry in the corner. The back bending back breaking mindset our parents and their parents built before us with goals to only further our comfort, in hopes that those in the future do not need to break themselves on menial tasks, labor or bullshit. I love these people, stuck in an ultimatum, to fall swiftly in love with the sirens on the rocky shore or to jump ship and let the waves decide whether they land; bones crunching through the currents and crags right into the the maw of the isle these sirens reside. Homework The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Must be nice The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. See I don’t think you get it Stolen novel; please report. Thoughtful gaze I remember going to bed, drifting to sleep like any other night, tossing and turning and thinking of too much while the dark rings under my eyelids screwed together grew larger and thicker. When I opened my eyes again all I could see were my hands at first, I was kneeling and looking down as if I hadn''t fallen asleep in my bed. Slowly I looked up taking in the sight, just the void kneeling on a platform that had a sheen of glass. The world as I recalled it suspended in the void below while its moon hovered close as a friend should. I looked over my shoulder and noticed the man, my eyes had to refocus on him as he stood there with his hand to his chin in a thoughtful manner, he was old. I mean he was old in the sense that looking at him gave me the feeling that wisdom expelled out of his piercing and determined eyes. Here I was unable to focus enough on his eyes to notice the constant colors shifting in them. Before I knew what was bound to happen I started thinking. This reminded me too much of the already determined - Was I dead? Did I die in my sleep? I looked down at my arms again, first I started to breathe harshly, slowly and then with swift rhythm my shoulders and upper back started to heave up and down. My eyes started to burn, and then the sobs came out of my stress addled mind, then the abrupt hiccup followed by manic laughter. I always cried like this when stresses were relieved, when I felt as if it couldn''t be worse and I could keep moving onward, when I felt happy and my mind unlocked thoughts running through my head something I could grasp onto and understand for once. I sat there long enough, when the tears started drying and my laughter turned into chuckles and soft sobs. I looked up at the man, was he god or something I hadn''t quite gotten the picture of? I looked down again, the tattoos on my arms reminded me of the body I''d had all my life, and the mind that had to come with it and the roads I''d traveled and the ones I hadn''t. ::What''s next:: I caught myself muttering as I got up with shaking knees dusting them out of habit. My fingers ran to my mouth I started to chew on them, the man just looked on. Walking past me, he motioned with his finger, to follow as he chose a spot to stand and stare at the world I''d be born into. He stood stalwart, and even though I know I have the patience in me to do the same I fidgeted, it felt comfortable and normal to me and it helped me sort through thoughts. Did he have a message for me? Was this a test? Should I believe what I''m seeing, is this a dream? Something my mind is conjuring while my eyes are closed at my post? ::What was the point:: I asked him suddenly, this was how I was before as well to the point as if possessed. He looked back at me and with a raised eyebrow started to chuckle. With a dry, grainy mirthful tone he only responded. ::What is the point?:: I only bit back with ::To learn:: This got a grin out of him, and a curt nod before he went back to staring at the earth below. ::So what''s next, can I keep learning?:: The man nodded once, ::In time.. meanwhile you can admire the whole of what you''ve been learning:: Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Lovers plight I love you You spark joy and trepidation in me as if I were walking on a tight rope, you keep the balance I craft uneven and downright adventurous. I wish I could be as truly free as you are but I¡¯ve never felt freedom as I¡¯m sure you do. You smile so meekly but it always bring me happiness, and when you¡¯re eyes lighten with joy I can¡¯t help but think that I couldn¡¯t do anything without your influence any longer. I love you, I forgive you, I do and I want to build something brand new with you every day I see you, hug you and kiss you. I don¡¯t care if you smell or taste of ash because it reminds me of who we are, what we¡¯ve had to break down and what we can build. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. I love you, and I love you¡¯re song; not the song that you¡¯re singing right now but the thrum of your heart, the soul I can always search for in your eyes. I have fears and at moments they seem reasonable and rationally there to keep me on edge, to keep me safe and to keep me normal. But I¡¯ve started realizing that if I hold onto fear I let go of happiness and the love I can¡¯t ever be rid of no matter what is thought about how I feel. I want to create a life with you, a life for you and a life we can both enjoy. [Redacted] I love you and I cherish you; I never want to let you go Be my baby girl and I¡¯ll do my best to show you my world I want to come to know yours Philosophers? Pish-Posh Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Converse Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. I haven’t written anything in a while Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Excerpts from the notebook This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.