Greetings.
I come to you today to present my new story.
I know this comes as no surprise to you; you scavenge the pages of this site looking for stories. However, I hope, that in someway, this story will be different than the others.
To give you an idea of this story, I'd like for you to picture a cemetery, with all the grave markers strewn across the field. You'll notice some families buried together; yet some bodies are just placed beside those they never knew. I'd argue that this assortment of the dead says something about the living as well, but that is for another time.
Now. Focus your mind on a single tombstone. You'll notice some things. While they vary greatly, some things are constant. You will see a name. Date of Birth. A dash. A date of death.
The name is important, it tells how people know them. The name is who they are, their character, their hopes and fears; the name summarizes all these.
The dates are important too. They tell us the world they lived in, and give us a few hints as to how they lived their life.
Most importantly, and most overlooked is the dash. If it weren't for the dash, nothing else would matter. The dash is their life. All their accomplishments, their failures, all the times they laughed, the times they cried, the times they loved and were loved; these are all contained in that single dash.
That will be the story, the dash.
I don't claim this story as just my own, but something that was inspired by a number of sources.
First of all music.
The first act of this story is set to the song, Angels on the Moon, by Thriving Ivory, the older version. A link is available here: YouTube . com/watch?v=hLWlD4QRYJU This was the song that actually gave me the idea for the story.
The second act of this story is set to the song Anthem of the Angels by Breaking Benjamin. A link is available here: YouTube . com/watch?v=QB3pxBDZvf4
Beyond that though, many authors have touched me through their tear-jerking writing. This will be reflected in the story, both directly and indirectly. Stories that I know have influenced this the most include The Martin Triplets, In this Memory, I'm Right Here, but those are far from the only ones. They are the masters of the emotions, and I can only hope that my story will stand in the shadow of theirs.
Last but not least is the show itself. Suite Life has shown me characters that I love, and a foundation for my creative endeavors .
I also want to thank the-lovely-anomaly for being my beta-reader and helping me with the plot for this. I also thank her for allowing me to borrow Dr. Maps for this story. She truly is a brilliant writer, and this story wouldn't have been nearly as good without her.
Now, turn the page and see why, "Life is a series of moments, consisting of the times we laugh, the times we cry, and the angels who guide us along the way."