Mini Myths: Mini Myths, #1

By Will Vaughan

This book is an anthology of sixty succinct stories, of various genres.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Will Vaughan
• Release date: Dec 20, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201883263

Book preview

Mini Myths

Mini Myths, Volume 1

Will Vaughan

Published by Will Vaughan, 2021.

This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

MINI MYTHS

First edition. December 20, 2021.

Copyright © 2021 Will Vaughan.

ISBN: 979-8201883263

Written by Will Vaughan.

This book is dedicated to my ancestors, for starting this whole mess.

THE ABDUCTION

1981, North Korea, Kim Jong-il practices his heavy-handed command, while awaiting his rule. His leadership style is like that of a spoiled, rich kid, who enjoys bossing people around to make himself feel bigger. And everyone listens, because they have to.

In N. Korea's largest prison, Cho Soo-ju, a famous South Korean film director, is locked up. He was taken from S. Korea and brought here. After three years, he's given up on trying to entertain himself. He's culturally starving. Yet, he coasts through his bland prison routine, on autopilot.

One day, a high-ranking prison guard stands outside of his cell. The guard reads an official decree to set Cho free. Yet, Cho is so dulled, he hardly even reacts to the news. In any event, Cho is released from prison. So, now, he's semi-free.

Cho is transported to the capital of Pyong-yang, where he's reunited with Ora, his actress wife, after 4 years apart. They hold each other for a long time. And Cho's emotions begin to flood out, finally. Cho cleans up and rests. Then, the couple spend a few decent days together.

Kim Jong-il's father dies. So, in a ceremony fit for a North Korean dictator, Kim takes over control of the country. He gets into his administrative work, the following day. He calls in Cho and Ora and instructs them to make N. Korean films. Doing so will gain global recognition for their film industry. Ora looks to Cho, before they reluctantly agree. What choice do they have?

N. Korea is a strange sort of pretend utopia, where everyone plays a part. Of course, Ora's a natural. So, she gives Cho lessons on how to fit into N. Korean high-society.

Cho and Ora are invited to a big political event. It's a chance to practice what Cho's learned. At the event, everyone is incredibly stiff, putting on airs. Cho and Ora, at one point, get cornered into an extremely-boring conversation with a high-ranking general. After a few painful moments, they're saved by a woman, pretending to be their old friends. They go along with it, of course. After she pulls Cho and Ora away, Amy introduces herself as a big fan. Then, Amy leads them to a more interesting group of creatives.

Cho and Ora spend the next few years making films for Kim. But, they're over-produced and of poor quality. It's a long, difficult road for Cho to navigate the layers of intense over-sight over every choice he makes. Still, the two are somewhat happy to be back in their elements, again.

Ora becomes quite a star, around Pyong-yang. She's recognized often, though her fans always contain their excitement.

Kim calls Cho into his office and informs him that he's planning a film premier in Vienna. Kim frames it as a great opportunity to solidify their film presence on the global stage. And Cho does his best to act honored by the sentiment.

So, Cho and Ora fly to Vienna. The night they arrive, they go straight to their room. They say that they're tired. In truth, they stay up late into the night, planning their next day.

Cho and Ora arrive, to great fanfare, at their film premier. It's a star-studded spectacle and they play their parts, perfectly. Yet, when the film begins, they each excuse themselves to use the restroom. Then, they sneak out the back of the theater.

Ora takes off her heals and jogs, with Cho, all the way to the US embassy. And, there, they are given safe harbor. A few days later, Cho and Ora are transported back to their home in S. Korea, after eight years. The entire time, their faces are ripe with emotion.

Cho and Ora do what they want, from then on. But, it's not long before, Cho picks up a camcorder and films his beautiful wife, around their beautiful home.

THE ANGEL

Silver Sky is a nightmarish version of a modern-day New York City. A huge building, in the center of the city, towers high above the skyline. Above it, Mephistopheles, a colossal black figure, looms, casting a dark shadow over everything. Day breaks. Though, it remains dark.

Angel, a beautiful, teenage-girl, awakens in a dumpster. She wears a filthy, yet exquisite white dress, with gold embroidery. She's weak and extremely disoriented. After a few moments, she hoists herself up and peaks over the dumpster's edge. There's no one around. She pulls herself out of the dumpster and into the alleyway.

She tries to walk, but can't. It's as if this is the first time she's ever used her legs. She leans against a wall and tries again. She makes it a few steps. Until, she trips over the bones of a long-dead, deformed man. The tattered coat, that the bones were holding up against the wall, falls off and begins to move in the wind.

The tattered coat swirls around in the wind and flies, as if worn by someone running. It lands on top of a beat-up trashcan. Angel crawls to, overturns, and digs through the trashcan. At the bottom of it, she finds a tiny flashlight.

Soon, a terrifying garbage truck storms down the alleyway, towards her. It's bright lights blind her. So, Angel pulls herself out of the alleyway and onto a main street. The machine makes her ears ring and its exhaust stings her nostrils, as it plows by.

Angel is in public, now. Many strange-looking people rush by, weighted down by heavy clothes. They are extremely ugly, dirty and hostile. They go about their dreadful lives in the smog-filled darkness, as if it were broad daylight. Cars rush by like jet engines, honking, through the dim smoke, with fog-horns.

Angel looks around for a moment, getting a hold of herself. A massive sign next to her points a large red arrow toward the center of town. So, she follows it. She uses her tiny flashlight, to see a small area in front of her, as she goes.

About a block down the street, Angel begins to walk on her own, though not very well. She bumps into a grotesque, bulking man, wearing a mud-covered, heavily-weighted, three-piece suit. She apologizes to him and asks him for directions. It's like they are speaking far different languages. The man gets greatly confused. Then, he gets upset and chases her. Angel runs for her life, before jumping into an open manhole. The man dives in, headfirst, after her and breaks his neck on the ground.

Angel makes her way along the cavernous railway. She reaches a metro station, where people wallow in puddles of drugs and junk food. Angel sneaks passed them, as a rickety-old, metro train comes whaling in. Angel jumps aboard. The ride is like a break-neck roller-coaster. A few people are even thrown from the train's open doors. Angel holds onto the handrail, for dear life. When, she gets to the next station, she dives off.

Angel emerges from the metro station, in the city center. Between the towering building and herself, filled with dense smog, rests a quarter-mile-wide street. She can barely see the cars that come flying by, at hundreds of miles an hour. It's like a deadly game of Frogger. She gets nicked and knocked down, a few times.

At last, Angel makes it across the street, bruised and broken. The building doors are rusted shut. So, she has to pry them open. She steps inside the building's dilapidated lobby, like a ghost town. The elevator doors are open. Yet, the elevator shaft is empty. She takes the stairs.

Hours later, Angel gets to the top of the building. She throws the doors to the roof open and is met by the giant head of Mephistopheles. It's the definition of an unfair fight. Though, Angel holds her ground and her tiny flashlight. Mephistopheles reaches down, knocking Angel aside, and grabs the flashlight. He throws it off the roof and he laughs, like thunder.

Angel falls to the ground, sobbing. Then, she closes her eyes and begins to breathe, deeply. Mephistopheles keeps laughing. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning shoots through Angel. Mephistopheles recoils as piercing light shoots from her eyes, nose and mouth. Angel's eyes beam towards him, cutting him to shreds. And he falls from the sky and splatters like thick oil, all over the streets below.

Angel ascends into the heavens, as heavy rains pour down, washing the people and flooding the oil and grime away. Angel becomes the new light for the world. The heavy fog clears and her light changes the people as they walk out into it. And they become beautiful again.

THE ANIMAL PARK

The US state of Florida has very relaxed animal ownership laws. In 2010, Cynthia Bannister, a neurotic animals-rights activist, has way too much time on her hands. She treats her animals like her infant children, which is creepy.

Most Floridians don't care much about animals or the environment. Instead, they're, mostly, hypocritical drug-addicts who throw beer cans into the waterways and shoot at alligators for fun.

Nearby, Robert [Bob] Watkins lives outside of town and has no real friends, except for his few exotic pets. On his way through the back country, he sees a large vacant lot for sale. He pulls to a  stop, for a moment, and imagines it full of life.

When Bob gets home, he talks to his animals about wanting a better place for them to live. He asks his pets what they think, though they can't respond. Just then, an exotic parrot lands on Bob's windowsill and repeats the phrase just do it, over and over again.

So, Bob secures a loan to buy the land. He has a house built and a few large animal enclosures. He finds some big cats for sale. The man selling them is Ernest Matters, who has been forced into it due to financial troubles.

Ernest likes Bob and they talk for a long time about cats. Ernest is very knowledgeable. So, Bob offers him a job, looking after the cats at his ranch. During the next, perilous weeks, Ernest teaches Bob how to properly care for big cats. They're dangerous lessons. Handling tigers is like handling dynamite.

In any event, soon Bob is broke. He hadn't anticipated all of the costs associated with having so many big animals. So, just as fast as Ernest was hired, Bob has to let him go. Bob needs to make some money, too. So, he sits down and develops a business plan for an exotic animal park. And he works with the cats often, including Milo, a male Siberian tiger.

Bob opens Tiger Town, a month later. He's nervous to put on his first show, in front of an extremely small crowd. When he asks Milo to get onto a platform, Milo doesn't move. Bob asks him a few more times, until Milo actually does what he asks. The people clap and Bob is relieved.

It's a rag-tag affair from the get-go and Bob struggles to keep the business afloat. During one of the shows, his leg is bitten. From then on, it's hard for him to walk without a cane. Sometimes, Ernest comes by and helps him out for free.

Meanwhile, Cynthia does all she can to shut down Tiger Town. She slanders him to the press, saying he kills sick animals. She starts a animal rights podcast, constantly calling out and threatening Bob and Tiger Town.

One of the tigers gets sick and Bob pays for its treatment. Though, it dies anyway. So, Bob and Ernest hold a small funeral service.

One of Tiger Town's employees reaches into the cage while feeding a tiger and has their hand bitten off. Bob breaks down, convinced that it means the end of his dream. Yet, the employee doesn't press charges. It was her fault, not the tigers, she says. So, Bob dodges a bullet.

Cynthia calls in a favor with someone she knows at the FBI. And they come to investigate the park for animal cruelty. They speak with Bob, look around, and find some incriminating evidence, which Cynthia planted. Then, they shut the park down, until they can investigate further.

The next night, Bob visits Cynthia. He bares his soul to her, animal lover to animal lover. He proposes that, instead of fighting, they join forces for the animals. Cynthia is skeptical, until one of her dogs gets very friendly with Bob. Cynthia says that she'll think about it. So, Bob goes home.

The next day, Cynthia shows up at the park. She agrees that they should work together. Cynthia looks around the park and gives feedback. And Bob uses what little money he has to make the changes. Bob, Ernest and Cynthia, all pitch in and get their hands dirty.

A month later, the park reopens, better than ever. It's like a small zoo. The animals have bigger, greener spaces and eat well. Many more people show up and Cynthia gives guided tours. She gives him a thumbs up, as he sits on the grass, Milo snuggling up to him.

THE BEAR

It's early spring, in the rocky mountains. Inside a crevice within a deep, dark cave, rests a venomous Snake, with glowing, yellow eyes. The snake drips poison, steadily, into the ear of a giant, hibernating male bear. Then, the Big Bear awakens with a great roar, which seems to shake the entire mountain.

A good distance away, in another cave, a baby bear yawns awake. The Little Bear tries to drink milk from its Mama, but she's gone dry. Without food, for months, she can't produce any more milk. She's been getting hungrier. And, now, they both are. Mama Bear dreams about all the fish in the great lake. Little Bear asks her what fish and lakes are. And she tries to explain.

The sun's rays warm the mouth of the cave. A red bird lands on the ground and the sun lights it up, like it's on fire. The bird sings a little song. Then, Little Bear chases it off.

The next day, Mama Bear leaves the den. While, Little Bear, as hungry as he's ever been, has no choice but to follow. The two trudge over the snow-covered mountains. Little Bear has trouble keeping up. Yet, Mama Bear waits for him. That night they cuddle together.

The next day, as they're walking along, an avalanche rumbles down the mountain. It sweeps the two bears away and covers everything. As the snow settles, chaos sets in. Little Bear is OK, but Mama Bear is nowhere to be found. He looks for her for hours. A Crow, on a tree nearby, watches him. Little Bear finally collapses, exhausted and all cried-out. She's gone.

The Crow flies down, lands near Little Bear, and hops over to him. Nature gives and nature takes away, Crow squawks. But, Little Bear doesn't want to hear Crow's wisdom, right now. He just wants to curl up and sleep, under a pine bough.

Later, Little Bear's hunger awakens him. To stay alive, he has to move. So, he finds himself, alone and scared, in an unfamiliar world. Crow lands on Little Bear's shoulder and tells him all about the mountains. Crow shows Little Bear some things to eat and some things not to. He teaches Little Bear survival skills. The first rule of survival is: the best way to avoid trouble is to get away from it.  

Right on queue, Big Bear saunters over a nearby ridge and spots Little Bear. Big Bear is berserk, as he chases after Little Bear. Little Bear's tiny paws run, lightly, along the top of the snow. While, Big Bear plows through the deep snow. So, despite their incredible size difference, they both maintain a fairly similar pace. Though, Big Bear is gaining. Until, Little Bear tumbles into a hidden cavern.

Inside the cavern, there's very little light. What light does make it in, in singular beams, illuminates an exquisite, crystal-white rock formation, like a huge chandelier. Little Bear can't get out the hole he fell in through, so he ventures off to explore. And, very soon, Little Bear is lost. Yet, he's not alone.

Something small dashes around the dark cave, as Little Bear cowers in a corner. Yet, the creature shows itself to be a young Rabbit. Being in similar situations, Rabbit and Little Bear, quickly, become friends. And Rabbit shows Little Bear how to get out of the cavern's maze-like, tunnel system.

Little Bear and Rabbit head into the forest. The two friends must travel a long, perilous path, navigating through dense thickets, over massive boulders, and down steep valleys.  

Until, they find themselves in front of a giant cave. Rabbit hides, while Little Bear goes inside. Despite Crow's advice to run, something inside is telling him to push forward. Once in the cave, Little Bear begins to hear a soft, mesmerizing voice, like a mythical siren. Snake hypnotizes Little Bear as he walks further and further into the dark. Yet, Snake, mistakenly, mentions Little Bear's mother. As Little Bear's emotions hit him like a locomotive, he snaps right out of his trance. Snake tries to recover his song, but only sputters, nervously. Snake tries to slither to get away from Little Bear. He heads out of the cave, into the light, but Big Bear is there. Snake tries to speak, sweetly, but Big Bear stomps on him.

Little Bear is, now, trapped in the cave. He stands up, proudly, but the spell on Big Bear is broken. So, Big Bear thanks Little Bear, instead of eating him. They both find Rabbit cowering in the bushes. Then, Big Bear escorts the two friends across the mountain, following roaring rapids to the top of a great waterfall. They all look out, in complete awe, over the turquoise great lake, sparkling like a jewel.

Big Bear sits by on a rock, while Little Bear plays in the water, chasing schools of fish. Rabbit bounces around, everywhere, gorging himself on the lush green grass. Then, they all cuddle together, on the bank, and take a nap.

BELLA

Fear