Benedikt Eickhoff

New Cards

I did some new cards and invited him for the next week or so. " We are doing the same, ha! , but I have two weeks to get my cards done. I hope he comes so I can get some help. I hate to do cards alone. I need to ask you if you remember the cards I made for you, especially the brown ones. I have them in a box, but I can't remember where they are. The cards I made for him were - You are so good to me - You are bones and old waters He said they were really good. I think I should get them out, and I am not sure what to do with them. I am going to try to give them to him this week. I don't know if you remember this, but you were going to send me some flowers for Piffie's birthday. I don't know what else to say. If you want to talk, call me. I have been doing a lot of stuff with the dogs. Love you so much. Love, Ma

A Melodramatic Living Room. A low couch meets at an awkward angle to an uninspiring mirror when it was never put in the same place. The coffee table is shadow unlike the ceiling or the walls, which are clumps of shadow, jostled and pulled to and fro. Owls are nowhere to be found. To the south is the Cold Room. Your body betrays you. Within moments, you feel bone cracking in your arms and legs until there is nothing more that remains of you. There is nothing more that remains of you, the purest essence of jaundiced hideousness: a cruel form of rebirth that serves to remind the squat of all its deformations so it will never repeat such horrors again. Your jeans are hastily torn down your haunches to a pair of red drawstring drawers. You tell your imagination that the dream dismayed with the grim half-motley of the rest of you to be more edifying. You shrink into your chair. You spend 10 time consuming „Wretched Steps". Now whole, you shuffle from the room, feeling like you've got more strength.

You are bones and old waters. You are ichor and poisons. Words once yellowed, you are now as white as snow; once black and sharp as points, they are now as smooth as glass. Your body is failing, and fading. You think the air of this place is thinning you. You lay your ear against it. You feel a gentle pull. You reach to your head to snag your crown, but before you can get there, a spark, like a stray flash of lightning, scorches your eyelids. You cast about in anger. You've so far failed. You begin to distrust your own eye. A moment later you sniff your shoulder and find your collar. You taste a drop. It tastes salty. You look down. You find a sack not dissimilar to the one you found in the Dwelling. When you take the bottle from the sack, the neck of the bottle has already turned to ajar. Curious, you open the bottle. Inside it are white powder, and an inky red liquid. Before your eyes they swarm. Owls are nowhere to bet found.

Summary and Interpretation:

The given text appears to be a mix of personal correspondences, descriptive prose, and speculative fiction. In the first segment, a character referred to as "Ma" writes a letter about her handmade cards, asking for help with their location, and she hints at the remembrance of past events. She anticipates receiving flowers and ends with love and daily activities with her dogs. In the subsequent sections, a surreal, dreamlike environment is described, featuring a "melodramatic living room" and a "Cold Room". The text implies a transformation or rebirth, possibly the death of an old self. The final segment continues the ethereal tone, with a character grappling with an unidentified ailment or transformation, culminating in the discovery of a sack and bottle with mysterious contents. The recurring phrase "Owls are nowhere to be found" suggests a missing or desired element.

Story Title: “The Disappearance of the Owls”

Setup Scene for Stage:

• Scene: Ma’s Living Room - A homey room filled with handmade cards and dogs. Ma is an elderly lady who still maintains her independent spirit, creating her cards and caring for her dogs. Ma is feeling lost and seeks help from her past.
  
• Scene: The Melodramatic Living Room - A gloomy, surreal room full of shadow and coldness. An unnamed character experiences a dramatic physical transformation and leaves, seeking strength. 
  
• Scene: Unknown Dwelling - An unspecified character finds a mysterious sack with a bottle, undergoes a metaphysical transformation, and feels a palpable absence. The outcome is uncertain.
  

Loglines: 

 "In a world where reality blends with the surreal, an elderly woman navigates the twilight of her life while facing her past and the mysterious disappearance of the owls." 

"Haunted by an absence, an enigmatic figure searches for answers in a surreal realm, tormented by an antagonistic energy that transforms their body and spirit."

Diary Entry of the Main Character: 

July 2, 2023 

 I awoke to the whispers of my own echoes today. The house feels empty, the dogs have grown quiet, the cards I’ve made lay untouched, forgotten. The world outside my window doesn't seem real anymore, it’s as if I’ve fallen into a chasm between the living room and the cold room. 

 I remember creating cards with so much love and tenderness; my hands move to their rhythm now, a dance perfected by time. Yet, the ones I cherish the most, the brown ones, remain lost, perhaps hidden somewhere in the shadows that my memory fails to reach. 

 I sense a transformation, a change that is at once frightening and liberating. My skin feels thin, the air seems thinner. I am changing, fading, my body betrays me with every breath I take. I yearn for the owls, their wise gaze and comforting presence, but they are absent, missing from the narrative of my life. A hollow absence gnaws at my heart, reminding me of their departure. 

 But perhaps, it is not a departure, but an invitation to embark on a new journey, to venture into the uncharted realms of my existence. I feel a pull, a call to the unknown. Is it the calling of the owls? 

 With love and longing, Ma

Speculative Step Outline for Further Character Exploration: 

• Ma recalls her past, specifically her joy in creating cards and the love for the owls. 
  
• Ma navigates her daily life, caring for her dogs and waiting for a flower delivery. 
  
• Ma’s perception of her reality shifts, becoming more surreal and dreamlike. 
  
• Ma undergoes a physical transformation, feeling her body change and fade. 
  
• Ma feels the absence of the owls, triggering a sense of loss and desire for their return. 
  
• Ma finds the sack and bottle, leading to a dramatic moment of realization or change. 
  
• Ma continues to exist within her altered state of reality, grappling with her transformation and the loss of the owls. 
  
• Ma embarks on a journey of self-discovery and acceptance, embracing her transformation and the new path it presents.
  

Interview with the Main Character: 

1. What triggered the realization of your transformation? 
   
2. How does the disappearance of the owls affect your emotional state? 
   
3. Can you describe your daily interactions with your dogs? 
   
4. How does making cards contribute to your sense of self? 
   
5. Can you explain the importance of the brown cards? 
   
6. What do you think about the mysterious sack and bottle? 
   
7. How do you perceive the changes in your physical body? 
   
8. What is the significance of the flower delivery? 
   
9. How are you coping with your changing reality? 
   
10. What steps are you taking towards accepting and understanding your transformation?
    

Significant Anecdote: "The Day When Ma Discovered Her Transformation" 

 One day, Ma woke up feeling different. Her body felt lighter, almost ephemeral. She'd been preparing her handmade cards as she'd done for many years. However, on this day, her hands seemed transparent, as if fading from the world. With every stroke of her paintbrush, she felt herself retreating, replaced by an unknown energy. In her solitude, she longed for the wise gaze of the owls that used to populate her home, their comforting presence a balm to her now uncertain existence. 

 Suddenly, her hand grazed a sack on the table, not unlike one she'd found in her dream. It contained a bottle; the neck of the bottle already ajar. Inside, she saw white powder and an inky red liquid. The sight of the contents startled her, causing her to pull back. But something about them compelled her closer. The moment she touched the powder, a spark ignited, like a stray flash of lightning scorching her eyelids. The liquid, when tasted, was salty, much like her own tears. 

This marked the moment when she acknowledged her transformation and set out on her path of self-discovery.

Scene for Stage: 

 Setting: 

A living room filled with scattered cards. Ma, a woman at the twilight of her life, stands at a table, her hand hovering over a mysterious sack. Ma opens the sack to find a bottle with white powder and red liquid inside. 

As she reacts to the contents, she relives moments of her life - making cards, caring for her dogs, waiting for flowers, and feeling the absence of the owls. 

Throughout the scene, the audience gets a glimpse of Ma’s transformation and her growing acceptance of it. This moment serves as a turning point, setting the stage for the journey she's about to embark on.

Speculative Step Outline of the Entire Story Arc: 

• Introduction to Ma, her love for making cards, her dogs, and her longing for owls. 
  
• Ma’s acknowledgement of her transformation, prompted by her changing physical state and the disappearance of the owls. 
  
• Ma's discovery of the sack and the bottle, sparking a more dramatic transformation. 
  
• Exploration of Ma’s past, her life before the transformation, and the significance of the owls. 
  
• Ma's journey into her new reality, including her struggles, moments of self-discovery, and acceptance. 
  
• Climactic revelation about the cause of her transformation. 
  
• Ma’s final acceptance of her new state of existence, her life without the owls, and her continuous transformation.
  

Genre and Uniqueness

This is a character-driven story with surreal elements. The uniqueness of the story lies in its blend of the mundane and the surreal, the exploration of an elderly woman’s transformation, and the symbolic use of owls. It portrays an intimate study of character and transformation, making it a compelling narrative for readers who appreciate in-depth character studies and existential themes.

Main Story Driving Force: 

 Using the ICD 11 codes for classification, the main story driving force can be interpreted as Ma's internal transformation and journey of self-discovery which are greatly influenced by her prominent personality traits. 

•  6D11.0 Negative Affectivity: Ma exhibits negative affectivity, experiencing intense emotional responses to her changing environment and reality. Her longing for the owls, her nostalgic recollection of her past, and her reactions to her physical transformation all highlight her heightened emotional reactivity. This trait propels her through her journey of self-discovery as she grapples with her emotions and their implications. 
  
• 6D11.1 Detachment: Ma's detachment is clearly portrayed in her fading physical presence and her retreat into her inner world. She begins to dissociate from the material aspects of her life—her handmade cards, her dogs—and instead becomes more engrossed in her own psyche and transformation. This detachment further drives her internal journey and shapes her perception of her surreal reality. 
  
• 6D11.2 Dissociality: Although not explicitly stated, Ma's solitary existence implies a level of dissociality. She seems to prefer her own company and the comfort of her dogs to human interaction. This personality trait allows her to focus on her transformation and the mysteries it presents without the distraction of social obligations. 
  
• 6D11.3 Disinhibition: There is no evident indication of disinhibition in Ma's behavior. She appears to be cautious and introspective, carefully navigating her changing circumstances. 
  
• 6D11.4 Anankastia: Ma's meticulousness in creating her handmade cards might hint at anankastic personality traits. However, as her transformation progresses, she seems to abandon her need for order, instead embracing the unpredictability of her journey. 
  

In conclusion, the dominant forces driving Ma's story are her negative affectivity and detachment. These traits push her towards her internal transformation, leading her to embark on a journey of self-discovery in her surreal, changing reality. The narrative thus provides a deep and thoughtful exploration of an individual's encounter with change and transformation, creating a compelling storyline that challenges the reader's perception of reality and self.