Epic Worlds

If you've spent any time with Japanese media, you've likely encountered the story of a character being pursued by multiple members of the opposite gender. This is the hallmark of the harem genre, which has become both popular and somewhat controversial over the years (Ayers). While the concept may seem familiar, especially with its historical roots, the harem genre in Japanese media is quite different from its Western associations.

In the West, the term “harem” typically suggests the image of a group of women collected for the pleasure of nobility, sometimes linked with the idea of a brothel (“Harem”). However, in Japanese culture, the meaning is less about possession or sexual fantasy and more aligned with feelings of affection and romantic interest. The harem genre is considered a form of moé (萌え), a term used to describe the strong emotional attachment or affection felt towards characters in anime, manga, video games, and other media directed at the otaku community. Moé can refer to affection for any subject, but in the context of the harem genre, it captures the romantic attention the protagonist receives (“Moe (slang)”).

In the Japanese context, a harem typically involves three or more characters of the opposite gender who are romantically or affectionately interested in the protagonist. While most harem stories feature a male protagonist surrounded by female pursuers, there are also examples where the roles are reversed or where the characters are of the same gender (“Tropes”). This emotional and romantic dynamic, rather than a purely sexual one, is what defines the harem genre in Japan, making it distinct from the traditional Western view.

Classical Literature and Early Influences and Early influence on the Genre

The idea of romantic entanglements and relationships involving multiple love interests isn't new to Japanese storytelling. Long before the modern harem genre became popular in anime and manga, these themes were explored in classical Japanese literature. One of the best-known examples is The Tale of Genji, written by Murasaki Shikibu in the 11th century. Often called the world’s first novel, The Tale of Genji revolves around the life of Hikaru Genji, a nobleman known for his numerous romantic relationships. Genji’s love life is complex, as he juggles affection for several women, each with her own distinct role in his story. While the tone is serious and deeply emotional, these entangled relationships are early examples of the kind of romantic complexity we now see in the harem genre.(“The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica”)

The Tale of Genji digs deep into the emotions and societal rules surrounding love and desire. Genji’s relationships aren’t just casual affairs, they involve a lot of emotional and social intricacies. For example, his secret love for his stepmother and his encounters with women from various social classes bring out themes of jealousy, obligation, and heartache. These themes where the protagonist is surrounded by multiple romantic interests, leading to complicated situations—are very similar to what we see in modern harem stories. Even though The Tale of Genji doesn’t have the lighthearted or comedic tone typical of today’s harem genre, it laid some of the groundwork for exploring relationships in this way. Besides The Tale of Genji, other early Japanese works also played with the idea of love triangles or multiple lovers. For instance, stories like the Ise Monogatari and Tosa Nikki tell tales of protagonists caught up in romantic relationships with more than one partner. These stories, like Genji’s, dealt with the emotional complexity and social consequences of such relationships, something that’s still present in modern harem narratives, though often with a more humorous or exaggerated twist.

When we compare these classical works to today’s harem genre, we can see a big difference in tone. The older stories were more about emotional depth and navigating social expectations, while modern harem anime and manga tend to lean more into comedy, fantasy, or even fanservice. Still, the basic concept of a central character being pursued by multiple romantic interests has remained a constant theme throughout the ages.

Post-War Era and the Rise of Manga/Anime

The modern harem genre really began to take shape in post-war Japan, especially through manga and anime. After World War II, Japan underwent a lot of cultural shifts, including changes in how stories were told in popular media. Manga and anime became huge platforms for exploring all kinds of new themes, including romance. As Japanese society began to rebuild, there was a shift in cultural norms and expectations when it came to pursuit of a marriage partner. (von Feigenblatt 643) Japanese culture at the time focused on stability with family building instead of any love or attraction between the partners but with the introduction of western ideals, young men and women who survived the war began to prioritize compatibility over what was previously expected. (von Feigenblatt 644)

One of the most influential early examples of the harem genre in manga and anime is Urusei Yatsura (1978-1987) by Rumiko Takahashi. The story follows a young man, Ataru Moroboshi, who finds himself caught in a chaotic love triangle with an alien princess, Lum, and several other women. What makes Urusei Yatsura so important is how it introduced comedy and the unexpected circumstance into the genre. Ataru’s constant misunderstandings and the attention he receives from multiple women—each with unique quirks—became a blueprint for future harem stories. The combination of humor, romantic tension, and a bit of chaos made the series wildly popular and set the tone for how the harem genre would evolve.

As we moved into the 1990s, interactive media like visual novels and dating sims became a big part of the harem genre’s development. These games allowed players to step into the role of a central character who could interact with multiple love interests, choosing different paths and outcomes. Dating sims let players experience the fantasy of being pursued by various romantic partners, each with their own storyline. This interactive element deepened audience engagement, as fans could shape the romantic narrative themselves. These types of games made the harem dynamic even more popular, and they helped solidify the genre’s place in Japanese pop culture.

The Modern Harem Genre and Its Popularization

By the 1990s and early 2000s, the harem genre experienced a major boom, solidifying its place in Japanese pop culture. During this period, key works like Love Hina (1998-2001) and Tenchi Muyo! (1992) set the foundation for what would become the standard tropes of the genre. Love Hina is often credited with popularizing the idea of a male protagonist surrounded by several female love interests, each with distinct personalities and backgrounds. The story follows Keitaro, a clumsy, well-meaning guy who becomes the manager of an all-girls dormitory. As expected, romantic tension, misunderstandings, and comedic situations arise as the female characters develop feelings for him. Similarly, Tenchi Muyo! follows Tenchi Masaki, who finds himself in a similar situation when a group of alien women move into his home, creating chaos and romantic tension.

Both series helped to cement the harem genre’s defining characteristics. At the heart of these stories is the dynamic between a central, often average male protagonist and multiple women who are romantically interested in him. The genre typically blends romantic tension with lighthearted comedy, often through misunderstandings, awkward situations, and, at times, suggestive or ecchi elements. This combination of humor and romance is key to the genre's appeal, allowing it to reach a broad audience. The formula often creates a sense of escapism, where viewers can enjoy the fantasy of being the center of attention in an otherwise impossible romantic situation.

As the genre grew in popularity, subgenres and variations began to emerge. One of the most notable offshoots is the reverse harem, where the roles are flipped, and a female protagonist is surrounded by multiple male love interests. Examples like Fushigi Yûgi, Fruits Basket and Ouran High School Host Club brought the genre to women. In these stories, the female protagonist faces a similar dynamic—navigating romantic attention from multiple male characters while dealing with comedic and dramatic situations.

It did not take long for authors and mangaka to begin blending this moe with other popular styles like taking the seinen action stories and blending them to create action harem. This is where the romantic plot is interwoven with high-stakes battles and supernatural elements. High School DxD light novels and following anime are a prominent example of this subgenre as is believed to be one that popularized this type.

Conclusion

The harem genre has evolved significantly from its early roots in classical Japanese literature to become a defining element of modern manga, anime, and visual media. What began with stories like The Tale of Genji, which explored complex romantic entanglements, has transformed into a genre that offers both humor and escapism, reflecting deeper cultural ideals about love, relationships, and societal roles. From the post-war emergence of manga and anime, with pioneering works like Urusei Yatsura, to the rise of interactive visual novels in the 1990s, the genre has continually adapted to meet the changing tastes of its audience.

Harem stories have left a lasting impact on contemporary media, not just in Japan but worldwide. The genre’s appeal, particularly in the way it creates fantasies of choice and agency in relationships, has resonated across cultural boundaries. It has also inspired variations like the reverse harem and action-oriented harems, ensuring its broad reach and lasting popularity.

References

• Ayers, Nelson. “Demystifying the Enduring Popularity of the Harem Genre.” 33rd Square, Urban Walkabout Ltd, 4 Nov. 2023, www.33rdsquare.com/demystifying-the-enduring-popularity-of-the-harem-genre/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.
• The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “The Tale of Genji | History, Summary, and Importance.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Aug. 2024, www.britannica.com/topic/The-Tale-of-Genji
• Tropes, Contributors to Tv. “Harem Genre.” TV Tropes, 30 Sept. 2024, tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HaremGenre. Accessed 22 Oct. 2024
• von Feigenblatt, Otto Federico. “A socio-cultural analysis of romantic love in Japanese harem animation: A Buddhist monk, a Japanese knight, and a samurai.” Journal of Asia Pacific Studies 1.3 (2010): 636-646.
• Wikipedia contributors. “Harem.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 22 Oct. 2024. Web. 24 Oct. 2024.
• Wikipedia contributors. “Moe (slang).” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 10 Oct. 2024. Web. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024

© Jonathan Snyder. All Rights Reserved.

Episode 2: War on Treats

Tags: #pemberton #comedy #shortstory

The work was never done at Pemberton Mall.

Alex Taylor sighed heavily, leaning back in his creaky office chair as he finished signing the last of the paperwork. His office in the Pemberton Mall was a tiny, cluttered space, more reminiscent of a storage closet than a managerial hub. Today’s visitor had been Hana Mizuki, a petite young woman dressed like a character from a Japanese magical girl anime. Her bright pink wig, space girl outfit, and magical star topped wand seemed hilariously out of place against the drab backdrop of his office.

“Thank you so much, Taylor-san!” Hana beamed, bouncing slightly in her chair. “The mini convention is going to be great! So many people are excited to come!”

Alex forced a smile, trying to match her enthusiasm. “Glad to hear it, Hana. I’ll make sure the empty store front is ready for your event.”

Hana’s expression shifted from joy to concern as she leaned in conspiratorially. “By the way, I heard that Lucia-Chan and Omar-san are at it again. Something about an insult to their foods?”

Alex groaned inwardly. Lucia Martinez, the eccentric owner of a gourmet cupcake shop, and Omar Aziz, the passionate proprietor of the wannabe trendy smoothie bar, had a long-standing feud that often erupted into ridiculous pranks. It seemed they had found new reasons to escalate their antics.

“Great,” Alex muttered, rubbing his temples. “Thanks for the heads up.”

As Hana skipped out of his office, her wand trailing glitter in her wake which seemed like a surprisingly authentic prop, Alex shook himself. He steeled himself for the impending chaos. He took a deep breath and headed towards the main corridor, already dreading the confrontation.

The mall, a run-down relic shaped like a double H, was home to some of the strangest store owners Alex had ever encountered. Lucia’s cupcake shop, “Cupcake Dreams,” was directly across from Omar’s smoothie bar, “Smoothie Bliss.” Their proximity only seemed to fuel their rivalry. There shop names weren't clever so why did they get into fights like this?

As Alex approached, he noticed a suspiciously placed “Free Sample” table set up between the two stores. Lucia and Omar were nowhere in sight, but the table was laden with brightly colored cupcakes. Warily, Alex reached for one of the cupcakes, a neon green monstrosity labeled “Mystery Flavor.”

*‘Well, she does like putting out free samples. Maybe we're safe.’*

The moment his fingers touched the cupcake, a hidden mechanism activated, and a cloud of glitter exploded in his face. Coughing and blinking through the sparkling haze, Alex stumbled backwards, only to trip over a strategically placed smoothie cup, splattering its contents all over his shoes.

Lucia appeared from behind her counter, giggling uncontrollably. “How do you like my glitter bomb cupcake you smooth drinking—-Oh. Mister Alex.”

Alex tried to sweep the glitter off his face and knew that he was failing at it.

Omar emerged from his smoothie bar, arms crossed and a smug smile on his face. “I can’t believe you’d think I’d fall for something so obvious as that one.”

Alex, now covered in glitter and frosting, glared at the two instigators. “Really? Can’t you two just talk things out like normal people?”

Lucia pouted, crossing her arms defensively. “He started it! He said my new avocado-lime cupcake was ‘an affront to desserts everywhere.’”

Omar rolled his eyes. “Only because you called my super kale smoothie ‘a liquid insult to taste buds.’”

Alex held up his hands, trying to placate them. “Enough! We can’t have exploding cupcakes in the middle of the mall…even if it is just glitter.”

Lucia’s eyes narrowed, and she stepped closer to Omar. “Oh, come on, Alex. He deserves it for the insults he’s given me. Oh! You should try my new bacon-maple-olive cupcake while you’re here. It’s revolutionary.”

Omar snorted. “Revolutionary? More like revolting. What you need is a ‘Harmony Smoothie’ to cleanse your palate after that disaster.”Lucia bristled. “Oh, really? Maybe I’ll cleanse your palate with my ‘Wasabi Surprise’ cupcake!”

Alex’s patience snapped. “Both of you. If I have to clean up one more mess, I’m shutting down both your stores for a week.”

Lucia and Omar fell silent, exchanging venomous glances. Alex sighed, feeling a twinge of guilt for his outburst. “Look, I get that you’re both passionate about your creations. But these pranks are getting out of hand. Can’t you find a way to coexist peacefully?”

Lucia bit her lip, her eyes still fixed on Omar. “I suppose we could try a truce. For now.”

Omar nodded, though he looked less convinced. “Fine. A truce. But if she so much as looks at my blenders wrong, all bets are off.”

Alex rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. “Just… keep it civil, okay? And clean up this mess.”

As he turned to leave, Lucia called after him. “Wait, Alex! You forgot to take a cupcake!”

Alex groaned, but he couldn’t help but smile at her persistence. “Fine, give me one of the least experimental ones.”

Lucia handed him a cupcake with a flourish. “Here you go. Vanilla bean with a hint of lavender and cayenne pepper!”

Omar offered him a smoothie in return. “And here’s a ‘Stress Buster’ smoothie. You look like you could use it.”

“What’s in it?” Alex asked suspiciously.

“It’s a new secret recipe.”

Alex accepted both offers with unease. Maybe, just maybe, he could survive another day at Pemberton Mall.

© Jonathan Snyder. All Rights Reserved.

Episode 3: The Basement

Tags: #pemberton #comedy #shortstory

The Pembrooke Mall was an odd place. Its reputation, nestled in the middle of nowhere and shaped like a double H, had become legendary among the few who dared to enter. It was home to a motley crew of store owners, each weirder than the last. And, as the new manager, Alex Taylor’s days were a peculiar blend of bureaucracy and bizarre encounters. Today, his mission was to locate the elusive supply closet in the basement, as dictated by the faded notes left by his predecessor. It was supposed to be a well-lit room stocked with the mall’s most expensive supplies, a sanctuary of sorts for the beleaguered manager. The problem was the notes also mentioned the basement was a labyrinthine maze that he never really explored.

It was one of the few things that he had not had a chance to do yet. The old manager had told him that this mall had been built on a failed project. An underground parking garage of all things and that the first two basement floors were used by the mall. The manager was also clear that they were only to use the first-floor basement and avoid the second floor as much as possible. She never did explain why.

Alex, armed with his flashlight, descended the cement stairs to the first-floor basement. The air was cool and a lot nicer than he had anticipated. The floors were cement, but they were well kept and clean. It almost felt like an office space with the rooms down each corridor. One would have thought he was in a skyscraper if it hadn’t been descending into the bowels of the Earth. The fluorescent lights flickered intermittently though, casting eerie shadows that danced along the walls.

‘I don’t want to spend too much time here,’ Alex thought to himself as he pocketed his flashlight. There was enough light down here.

As Alex reached the bottom of the stairs, he sighed and chose a hallway to go down. There were a lot of rooms and there weren’t any instructions on which held the expensive fluorescent lights he needed. He fumbled with his keys, trying each one, and was met with varying degrees of success. Some doors opened to reveal nothing more than forgotten inventory – old boxes of vinyl records, discarded mannequins, and a collection of broken shopping carts. Others, however, yielded more peculiar sights: a room full of vintage bowling trophies, another with a collection of porcelain cats, and one particularly unsettling space filled with nothing but taxidermied animals dressed in tiny, ill-fitting clothing.

“Why does this place have so many weird rooms?” Alex muttered to himself, his eyes skimming over a particular rabbit in a bowler hat. The silence was deafening, broken only by the distant hum of the basement lights. Every step he took seemed to echo through the hollow basement. It was just plain weird down here.

A flicker of movement caught Alex's eye. He froze, his heart pounding. Why had the basement gone to feeling creepy and that someone was out to get him? It was bright down here but the entire place had taken on an eerie feeling.

‘Why did I ever agree to this job? I should have taken that desk job at the insurance company.’ He thought to himself.

It was at the end of the corridor Alex noticed that the lights were not working and out of it a figure emerged. Alex squinted, his breath catching in his throat. The figure stepped into the light; its identity became clear. Relief washed over Alex, but it was quickly replaced by bewilderment. What on earth is Jean-Luc doing down here?

Jean-Luc Dubois was known for his outlandish taste in fashion – the kind that made him look like he had raided a circus wardrobe and then vomited on a thrift store. Today was no exception. Neon green blazer, check. Polka dot trousers, check. Mismatched socks – one orange, the other purple – double check. His ensemble was a visual assault that made Alex's eyes hurt just to look at.

‘Seriously, does he dress in the dark?’

“Jean-Luc?” Alex managed to get out. “What are you doing down here?”

Jean-Luc smiled at Alex, his face breaking into a wide grin. “Ah, mon cher Alex! What a delightful surprise to see you down here in the bowels of Pembrooke Mall!”

‘Great, even in the basement, he can't dial down the drama.’

“I... I could ask you the same thing,” Alex replied, trying to steady his voice and regain some semblance of composure. “Why are you here?”

Jean-Luc chuckled, a high-pitched sound that echoed eerily off the basement walls. Of course he laughs like a supervillain. If anyone else didn’t know who he was, they would have thought he was an escaped serial killer. Jean-Luc was the sweetest man anyone could have met in this life.

“Ah, my dear Alex, the basement is a treasure trove of forgotten wonders! I come here to seek out the peculiar and the bizarre, the things that others have abandoned but which still hold a certain... charm.”

Alex's mind was still reeling from the sight of Jean-Luc's outfit, but he couldn't deny a growing curiosity about what other oddities this basement might hold. “I see. Well, I'm looking for the supply closet. The one with the expensive stuff. Have you seen it?”

Jean-Luc’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Ah, the elusive supply closet! But, my dear Alex, you must tread carefully down here. There are rules, you know. Very important rules.”

Alex raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. “Rules? What kind of rules?”

Jean-Luc leaned in, lowering his voice to a dramatic whisper. The neon green of his blazer still blinding. “First, always bring a flashlight. The darkness down there can be quite deceptive.”

“Down there. You mean the second-floor basement,” Alex asked. “The one the previous manager told me to avoid at all costs?”

“Oh! You heard of it! Excellent!”

That was not comforting.

“Second,” Jean-Luc continued, his eyes wide with exaggerated seriousness, “never speak above a whisper. The echoes down here have a way of attracting... unwanted attention.”

“What are you—-” Alex replied with a raised eyebrow. For the first time, Alex was reconsidering Jean-Luc of being harmless. Maybe it was good he had the flashlight.

“And finally,” Jean-Luc’s voice dropped to a conspiratorial murmur, “ignore the female voice asking you questions.”

Who knew what this guy was smoking in his store that was only open Tuesday and Thursday at weird times.

“Just trust me, Alex. It’s best not to engage. The basement has its quirks, and some are best left undisturbed.”

“Right. I guess I’ll take your word for it.”

Yeah. Jean-Luc also missed the sarcasm.

“Good, good!” Jean-Luc said, clapping his hands together. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some fashion reconstructions to complete.”

With that, Jean-Luc strutted off down a corridor, his mismatched outfit a beacon of bizarre fashion. Alex watched him go, still trying to process the surreal encounter. Alex watched him go and make the turn for the stairs and then glanced back down at the paper in his hand.

He did need these expensive neon bulbs to fix up one of the arcade store lights the blew up. He wouldn’t have done it, if Hana Mizuki and Aiko Tanaka, the local magical girl cosplayers, hadn’t batted their pretty eyes at him.

‘You’re a sucker for a pretty face, Alex Taylor.’

He decided to explore the second level, despite the warnings. With a final glance down the hallway to make sure Jean-Luc wasn’t sneaking up on him for a prank, Alex searched for the door to the second level basement.

The building manager found it and it was not welcoming. It was an old, rusted steel door that looked like it had been installed haphazardly and there was a large padlock on it. It took him a few minutes to find which key opened it on the keyring.

Descending to the second basement, the air grew noticeably colder as he went further into the depths of the mall basement.

The second basement was a different beast altogether. The lights here were dimmer, casting long shadows that seemed to move of their own accord. Alex’s flashlight flickered, and he tightened his grip, feeling the weight of the darkness pressing in on him. The first thing he noticed was a door, its frame adorned with cobwebs and dust. It was slightly ajar, and a faint light spilled from within, a tantalizing glimpse of what lay beyond.

Swallowing his fear, Alex pushed the door open and stepped inside. The room was small, with a single light bulb swinging from the ceiling. Shelves lined the walls, stacked with supplies – expensive paper, top-of-the-line cleaning products, and even a few high-end snacks, their packaging pristine. Alex’s eyes widened in relief. He had found the supply closet quite easily.

Just as he was about to relax, a chilling breeze swept through the room, and the light bulb above him flickered violently. The silence was suddenly broken by a soft, echoing voice, like a whisper carried on the wind.

“Who’s there?” it giggled.

Alex froze. He spun around looking for the voice but could not pin it down. Was Jean-luc messing with him again? It didn’t quite sound like the fashion designer.

“Uh…just me. Getting supplies.”

“Whose me?”

“Um…”

What the hell was going on? He shifted on his feet and slowly turned around completely but saw nobody. There was no place in this walk-in closet to hide.

“I’m Alex.”

The voice responded, softer this time, the humor still in its voice. It sounded closer.

“Why are you here, Alex? What do you seek in the darkness?”

Alex’s skin crawled. He had to fight the urge to run.

“Our supplies. Like I said. And if this is you Jean-Luc, I’m going to have a long talk with you.”

“Oh, I’m not him. I’m someone else entirely.”

“Who?” Alex demanded, the anger overriding his fear.

There was no answer. The light bulb above him flickered one last time before it popped, plunging the room into darkness. Alex stood there, his flashlight beam the only source of light in the encroaching gloom. He quickly gathered the supplies he needed, his mind racing with the eerie encounter.

As he made his way back to the stairs, the basement seemed even stranger as if the shadows were slowly reaching out to him. He hurried up, every step on the stairs echoing in the stillness. When he finally reached the main floor, he felt a sense of relief wash over him. Alex’s first thought was to wait for Jean-Luc to come up so he could beat him for giving him a scare like that. After a few minutes when the strange man did not show up, the manager gave up and made his way back to his office.

Back in his office, Alex sat down, his heart still pounding. He took a deep breath, trying to shake off the unsettling experience. He had the lights he needed to replace and he also survived what was down there.

Wait. Didn’t he break the rules about talking? The manager shook his head. It didn’t matter since it was Jean-Luc messing with him. Right?

Yeah. He was going to have an extra beer tonight.

© Jonathan Snyder. All Rights Reserved.

Tags: #horror

The moment Kira stumbled upon the cave; she knew something was incredibly wrong. It took the blond-haired woman a few moments to realize that the forest had gone silent and the birds that were once singing hid among the branches. The way the wind seemed to die the moment she stepped near the jagged rock entrance sent chills up her spine. For some strange reason, the cave her eyes peered into felt ancient and unnerving, humming beneath the earth.

She had been hiking alone, a last-minute decision to clear her mind after a stressful week at work. The fact her boss hinted that she would be fired after the three day weekend did not help her mood.

“How the hell am I supposed to keep the numbers up if they keep raising the amount,” she grumbled to the trees around her.

Her friends often teased her about going off the beaten path, but Kira relished the isolation. Working at a call center, talking all the time made her want to avoid people. Solitude was a balm, a way to reconnect with herself after all the cynical noise from her customers. She hadn’t planned to stray this far. Kira was certain she had followed the trail, but when the trees thinned and the rocky outcropping appeared, the woman realized she was in a part of the forest she had never seen.

“Where am I?” Kira said looking around at the clearing she had stumbled into.

The cave beckoned her with its gaping mouth, a jagged crack in the earth that seemed to sink deeper than the eye could follow. The air spilling from it was cool, carrying a dampness that clung to her skin. Despite the growing unease crawling up her spine, Kira’s curiosity won over.

She had no flashlight, just her phone, but the battery was low. Still, the light was enough to make out the path ahead as she carefully picked her way into the cave, each step echoing in the suffocating silence. The deeper she went, the more the air changed. The crisp, natural scent of earth and moss gave way to something pungent, like stagnant water.

Kira knew she was being stupid, but something was drawing her in. An insatiable curiosity about what was at the end of the tunnel.

After what felt like an eternity of walking, she reached an expansive chamber. The walls glittered with moisture, and in the center had her frozen to the spot. A lagoon lay nestled in the middle of the cavern, its surface glowing with an ethereal, blue light. The water shimmered, casting soft reflections across the ceiling like dancing spirits. Kira stood at the edge, mesmerized. The glow seemed to pulse gently, as if the lagoon had a heartbeat of its own.

For a moment, the unease she had felt dissipated. It was beautiful—unnatural, yes, but undeniably captivating. Kira knelt, her hand hovering over the surface of the water. She wanted to touch it, to break the mirror surface but her hand did not move. Something about the way it shimmered seemed… wrong. The glow, though soft and inviting, felt like something grinning and trying not to show its teeth.

A sudden splash echoed through the cavern, sending ripples across the lagoon. Kira’s heart jumped, her gaze darting to the far side of the water. She saw nothing, just the stillness of the glowing lagoon and the jagged walls beyond. The water was undisturbed, but she had heard something hit it. The quiet wasn’t comforting anymore. An oppressive, weight wrapped around her lungs like thick fog trying to force her to the ground. She could not see it, but she knew.

Something was watching her.

Kira stood up quickly, backing away from the water’s edge. The light from her phone flickered, and she cursed under her breath. She needed to leave. Now. Desperately turning to find the path back, something in the water stirred again—this time closer.

She froze, her breath caught in her throat. Slowly, she turned her head back toward the lagoon, dread pooling in her stomach. Did she have time to run? Was it close to her? Was she about to die?

The glowing water began to churn, and from its depths, a dark shape started to rise. At first, it was nothing more than a vague shadow beneath the surface, but as it neared the top, Kira could make out more details. The figure was massive, its form serpentine, with limbs too long, too thin, stretching out like twisted branches. The glow of the water cast sickly reflections on its slimy, dark skin.

It had eyes—pale, milky orbs that seemed to bulge from its skull, locking onto her with an intensity that made her mind freeze in place. Its mouth, if that’s what it was, stretched open into a grotesque smile, filled with needle-like teeth that shimmered in the blue light.

Panic surged through Kira, every instinct screaming at her to run. She turned and bolted toward the tunnel she came through, but as her feet hit the rocky ground, the creature let out a sound—a low, giggling laugh like that of a child that echoed in the cavern, reverberating off the walls like a living thing. It was followed by a splash, and she knew without looking that it was following her.

Her phone’s light flickered again, the battery draining faster now as if the very air was sucking the life from it. The woman stumbled, her foot catching on a loose stone. She hit the ground hard, the wind knocked from her lungs. For a terrifying moment, she lay there, gasping for breath, her lungs refusing to pull in the air that she desperately craved. The sound of water sloshing and something wet dragging across the stone floor was audible now. It was slow but certain.

Legs finally started cooperating and Kira pushed herself up. She ignored the pain in her ankle and the tremble in her legs. She had to get out. She had to get out now! The tunnel felt longer than what it had been when she came in. The scared customer service agent ran, her breath ragged and her chest tight with fear. Behind her, the sounds grew louder, the wet dragging noise now accompanied by something else—something like a giggling whisper.

“Kira…Where are you, Kira?” Her name was drug out in a long sentence.

The voice was low, wet, but the tenor of a child. It slithered into her ears, making her skin crawl. The woman glanced back, just for a second, and saw the creature’s pale eyes gleaming in the darkness, peering around a turn in the tunnel, it’s one eye visible and half of a toothy smile staring at her with glee.

Terror gripped her. She pushed herself harder, her legs burning as she raced toward the cave’s entrance. The blue light of the lagoon still reflected in the tunnel behind her, casting eerie shadows on the walls. Somehow feeling as if they were reaching for her itself. Kira could feel the creature’s breath—cold and damp—on the back of her neck as it closed.

Then, just as the darkness around her seemed ready to swallow her whole, Kira saw a faint glimmer of daylight ahead. Sprinting the last few yards, she threw herself out, rolled and faced the entrance terror filling her wondering if it had leapt out after her.

The entrance was dark and still, the lagoon and the creature hidden dep within the earth. But she knew it was still there, lurking, watching. The whisper echoed in her mind again.

“Kira…”

“Screw you,” she hissed back.

She sat on the forest floor, trembling, her breath still shallow. Her pulse pounded in her ears, and the sunlight shone on top of her. It was still daylight and she had time to get back to the car.

She couldn’t stay there, that was for sure. Gritting her teeth, Kira pulled herself to her feet, wincing as her weight shifted onto her injured leg. She needed to get far away from the cave. No more curiosity. No more exploring. Just survival.

As she limped through the forest, the trees around her seemed ominously still, as if the very world was holding its breath. She kept glancing back over her shoulder, half expecting to see those pale, bulging eyes staring at her from the shadows between the trees. But nothing followed her.

After a few minutes, Kira finally reached the familiar trailhead that marked the beginning of the hiking path. Relief washed over her. She knew her car was just a few more minutes awake but her ankle was screaming louder every step of the way.

Kira’s phone was nearly dead now, but she tapped the screen to check for a signal. Nothing. No bars.

“Shit,” She cursed under her breath, scanning the forest for any sign of other hikers, but she was alone. The growing dusk stretched the shadows longer, the daylight fading fast.

“Just keep moving,” she muttered to herself. “You’ll be fine once you get back to the car.”

As she hobbled along the path, a gnawing thought surfaced in her mind. The whisper. That thing in the cave had said her name. It knew who she was. How? A chill rippled down her spine as her mind raced through the possibilities. Maybe she had imagined it. Maybe her terror had twisted the sounds into something she could comprehend. But no matter how much she tried to reason with herself, the whisper had felt real. Too real.

The sun dipped below the horizon as she reached the edge of the parking lot. Her car sat where she had left it, the only vehicle in sight. She fumbled with her keys, her hands shaking as she unlocked the door and collapsed into the driver’s seat. Shutting the door with a slam, she exhaled a shaky breath, locking all the doors before slumping back against the headrest.

For a moment, Kira sat in the stillness of the car, her mind racing, replaying the events in the cave over and over. The creature, the glowing water, that voice—none of it made sense. It felt like a nightmare, but she knew it had been real. Her ankle’s sharp pain was proof enough.

With trembling fingers, she started the car. The engine’s rumble was a comforting reminder of normalcy, something familiar during everything she couldn’t explain. She put the car into gear, ready to speed down the narrow forest road and never look back.

As the tires crunched over gravel and dirt, Kira glanced into her rear view mirror. The entrance to the hiking trail slowly disappeared, swallowed by the thickening night.

Home. All she wanted to do was go home. She glanced in the rear view mirror and something caught her eye. Just barely visible in the dim twilight, she saw a faint glow. A soft, blue light shining through the trees. Her breath hitched, and she forced herself to focus on the road ahead. It was just her imagination. She was exhausted, shaken, her mind playing tricks on her. The highway was only a mile more.

The further she drove, the more her panic began to settle. The radio buzzed faintly as she turned it on, hoping the music would drown out her thoughts. But the signal was weak, crackling with static. She twisted the dial, trying to find a clear station, but all she got was more hissing and buzzing.

“Kira…Where are you going? I want to play with you.”

She jerked the wheel, her heart slamming against her ribs as the whisper sounded by her ear. She looked in the mirror and saw no one in the back seat. The car swerved slightly before she regained control, her eyes wide and her hands gripping the steering wheel tight.

“No, no, no, no!” Kira whimpered.

The road stretched out before her, endless and dark, the trees pressing in from either side. She pressed her foot harder on the gas, the car speeding up as the headlights carved a narrow path through the night. Her heart pounded in her ears, drowning out every rational thought. She had to get out of there—get as far away from the forest, from the cave, from “It”.

But as the car sped down the winding road, the blue glow appeared again, flickering in the distance through the trees. It was following her. No matter how fast she went, no matter how far she tried to drive, the light was always there, faint but persistent.

“Come on, Kira. Let me play. I want to feel your sinew strain as we dance to Sarnithis’ song. Listen to the song your voice makes as we dig into your nerves.”

The whispers were coming from every direction now. It seeped into her mind, cold and wet, wrapping around her thoughts like the touch of something long buried in the depths. She slammed her hands over her ears, trying to block it out, but the voice only grew louder.

It was only in that instant before the crash that Kira realized that she had taken her hands off the wheel. The vehicle careened off the road and into the gully. The crunch of the brush and thud of hitting a stump silencing everything.

Dazed, she tried to force the door open and after a few pushes it popped open. Kira fell to her face and tried to force herself to stand. It was only now that she realized the blue light was around her that reality came rushing back. She had left the safety of the car!

Kira could not run, wet, sticky incredibly long fingers slid over her scalp from behind and she let out a cry as the sharp claws dug into her forehead to hold her. The woman felt herself being lifted off the ground so that her legs were dangling a good two feet from the forest floor. The searing pain swept through Kira’s lower back as the impossibly sharp claw pushed through her skin and nicked her spinal column causing her legs to go limp and useless.

“There, there, Kira,” it giggled in her ear, its breath smelling like rotting fish and earth. “Don’t fight it. I look forward to giving you the privilege of being twisted into perfection for Sarnithis. He enjoys such beauties as you.”

She did not know if it was the pain or something about the creature who was dragging her to a torturous fate, but she could see in her mind, the following morning where the wardens would find her car miraculously back to where it had been, undamaged and the keys sitting on the cushion. They would look for her. For two weeks nobody would find her. They would even search around the cave but never see it, but it did not matter, she would have had her limbs and bones snapped and re-arranged into something beautiful for ‘it who breaks the veil’.

One thing was for certain. No one would see Kira again.

(C) 2024 by Jonathan Snyder. All Rights Reserved.

© Jonathan Snyder. All Rights Reserved.

Tags: #politics #essay

Fury. It's that ice cold feeling in the pit of your stomach that elicits no emotion and just simmers there? Yeah, that's how I have been for the last few days and the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court has made it even worse. Spoiler warning, I have nothing hopeful to say in this post. This authoritarian roller coaster is just getting started and there's no getting off. So, what has the response been since the courts decided to set us up for a dictator and a king?

Since the United States Supreme Court has declared Presidents are immune to official acts (and only lower courts can decide what is or is not an official act. They provided zero criteria), there have been steps to try to fix this but it is only theater and desk pounding that's going on.

Rep. Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) says he's going to introduce a Constitutional amendment¹. It's dead on arrival. You need 75% of the states to ratify an amendment which means you can't lose more than 13 states. There are 21 solid red states per 2022 election³. Even if they do pass it, who says the Supreme Court can't just declare the amendment unconstitutional? Rules? They're not following them now. Why would they later?

AOC says she's going to submit Articles of Impeachment² on the justices. That's also dead on arrival because the Dems don't have the stomach to do it cause “it'll look political” and with the tenuous hold on the Senate with a chance of losing it, it ain't going to go anywhere. They want to pretend it's still the 90s where everyone was still pretending to have integrity.

I have had friends ask me when I think that it all truly began to go down hill (as we have flirted with authoritarianism and fascism for years. Think back to McCarthyism and the backlash to the 60s Civil Rights movement).

It really started to go down hill with 9/11 and when the Patriot Act was passed. It was the first glimpse of the direction we were going. The Patriot Act was sold as a temporary thing that was supposed to help us stop terrorists from striking at us again but has continually been renewed for twenty-three years. It was sold as a patriotic law but had stripped freedoms from Americans⁵. For example:

1. Roving Wiretaps: Allows surveillance on individuals without specifying the device or location being tapped, meaning a single warrant can cover multiple devices and locations.

2. Sneak & Peek Warrants: The Act allows law enforcement to conduct searches without immediately informing the target of the search. These “sneak and peek” warrants mean individuals may not know their property has been searched until much later, potentially compromising their ability to contest the search.

3. Mandatory Detention: Non-citizens can be detained without charge for extended periods if they are deemed a threat to national security.

From there, we have slowly descended into a government that goes behind our backs to get information and uses mega-corps to do their bidding.

It was 2016 when the facade fell off and the christo-fascist regime attacked our capital and attempted to stop the peaceful transfer of power believing that their lie that the 2020 election was stolen would cover them.

Many of them were found guilty of crimes around January 6th insurrection and even their leader Donald Trump was found guilty for Campaign Finance violations.

But they already had a plan for that. They had the scum bag McConnel block the appointment of an Obama supreme court judge by saying: “The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.”⁶ and even Lindsey Graham went and said: “I want you to use my words against me. If there’s a Republican president in 2016 and a vacancy occurs in the last year of the first term, you can say Lindsey Graham said let’s let the next president, whoever it might be, make that nomination.”⁶

What happened when there were two seats come open in Donald Trump's term. Both senators pushed through two extremely conservative (and questionable) candidates in the last year of Trump's presidency. Building a conservative court to do their bidding. When challenged on it McConnel's response was “In the last midterm election before Justice Scalia’s death in 2016, Americans elected a Republican Senate majority because we pledged to check and balance the last days of a lame-duck president’s second term, We kept our promise. Since the 1880s, no Senate has confirmed an opposite-party president’s Supreme Court nominee in a presidential election year.”⁷

In short...it's important to have the public choose when you're not the party in power but if you're the party in power, it's okay to continue and appoint someone without the public having a say.

Since the court has swung hard right they have.

• Raised the bar so that the Justice Department can't use Obstruction charges against the insurrectionists ⁸

• Declare Presidential immunity for President official acts which now throw his conviction in state court into contention⁴

And I'm not even getting into Justice Thomas' wife being an insurrectionist who helped plan out some parts of the insurrection.

I have heard many say that we are at a crossroads this election but they are wrong. That crossroad was 2016 and we are now well along our way towards a faux democracy run by christian fascists who think their beliefs in God outweigh any other sort of consideration and we need to bow to them for guidance.

I have no hope to share right now. I've studied history long enough to see where this is going and like a train wreck, there's no stopping it. Even if Biden is elected president, each and every election cycle will be Christian fascists trying to take win so that they can force their beliefs down our throat.

If anything, I think Justice Jackson phrased it the best in her dissent to the majority opinion. She said: “The majority of my colleagues seems to have put their trust in our Court’s ability to prevent Presidents from becoming Kings through case-by-case application of the indeterminate standards of their new Presidential accountability paradigm. I fear that they are wrong. But, for all our sakes, I hope that they are right.”³

References

1 Nazzaro, M. (2024, July 2). New York DEM will introduce amendment to reverse Supreme Court immunity ruling. The Hill. https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4750735-joe-morelle-amendment-supreme-court-immunity-ruling/mlite/?nxs-test=mlite

2 Lillis, M. (2024, July 2). Ocasio-Cortez vows to file impeachment articles against Supreme Court justices. The Hill. https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4750034-ocasio-cortez-impeachment-articles-supreme-court-justices-trump-immunity/?nxs-test=mobile

3 Wikimedia Foundation. (2004, November 4). Red States and Blue States. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_states_and_blue_states Last edit was 18 June 2024

4 Trump v. United States, 23-939, slip op. at 118-119 (Supreme Court of the United States). Retrieved from https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/23-939_e2pg.pdf

5 Johnson, C. (2011, October 26). As it turns 10, patriot act remains controversial. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2011/10/26/141699537/as-it-turns-10-patriot-act-remains-controversial

6 Silverstein, J. (2020, September 19). Here’s what Mitch McConnell said about not filing a Supreme Court vacancy in an election year. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mitch-mcconnell-supreme-court-vacancy-election-year-senate/

7 Louis Jacobson, K. S., & Jacobson, L. (2020, September 22). Flip-O-meter: McConnell’s reversal on Supreme Court nominees. @politifact. https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/sep/22/mitch-mcconnell/mitch-mcconnell-flip-flops-considering-supreme-cou/

8 Kruzel, J. (2024, June 29). US Supreme Court raises bar for obstruction charge against Trump, Jan. 6 rioters | reuters. Reueters. https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-supreme-court-boosts-jan-6-rioters-bid-challenge-obstruction-charge-2024-06-28/

9 Davies, D. (2022, January 27). How Ginni Thomas, wife of justice Clarence Thomas, influences the Supreme Court. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2022/01/27/1076097533/how-ginni-thomas-wife-of-justice-clarence-thomas-influences-the-supreme-court

© Jonathan Snyder. All Rights Reserved.