If you have no idea from whence we came, you can read Red & Blue Make Green (book one) on amazon, and read Bromides (book two) on medium.
Part I
The Monitors are a set of Bromides who monitor the passing of day to night, night to day. Existing roughly within the Listmaker’s Ranch, each of the Monitors is assigned a transition. Dei is the newly-arrived Monitor and oversees the transition of night into day, while Jei oversees the transition of day into night. On the Listmaker’s Ranch, the light of day is controlled by the Bulb that hangs overhead; literally, a large incandescent light bulb hangs straight down from above the center of the Ranch. A chain exits the fixture, dangles loosely around the bulb itself and lowers through the sky down toward the right of the Listmaker’s house in through the roof of the barn where the Monitors exist.
Part II
It’s a barn. It’s a big red barn, just like the big red barns in the big books you used to read about farms, with all the animals. At least, it looks like a barn from the outside. Upon entering the thing, however, you quickly realize that wherever you are, you are not wherever the barn led you to believe you would be. Sort of like wrestling through a wall molded of gelatin, you must make your way through the long dark corridor until you reach the Circle’s Corner. From there, you must wait. You must wait until you no longer have to wait anymore. At this time, the Swinging Leaves must transport you through to Purple Lake where you can ride a droplet of mist through the light at the Listmaker’s Ranch. At the end of the day, you will do everything in reverse, of course.
And then, when you arrive at the Listmaker’s Ranch, you will see, in the distance, just off to the right of the Listmaker’s house, a large, red, angular building. It’s a barn. It’s a big red barn, just like the big red barns in the big books you used to read about farms, with all the animals. At least, it looks like a barn from the outside. Upon entering the thing, however, you quickly realize that wherever you are, you are not wherever the barn led you to believe you would be. Sort of like wrestling through a wall molded of gelatin, you must make your way through the long dark corridor until you reach the Circle’s Corner. From there, you must wait. You must wait until you no longer have to wait anymore. At this time, the Swinging Leaves must transport you through to Purple Lake where you can ride a droplet of mist through the light at the Listmaker’s Ranch. At the end of the day, you will do everything in reverse, of course. And then, when you arrive at the Listmaker’s Ranch, you will see, in the distance, just off to the right of the Listmaker’s house, a large, red, angular building. It’s a barn. It’s a big red barn, just like the big red barns in the big books you used to read about farms, with all the animals.
At least, it looks like a barn from the outside. Upon entering the thing, however, you quickly realize that wherever you are, you are not wherever the barn led you to believe you would be. Sort of like wrestling through a wall molded of gelatin, you must make your way through the long dark corridor until you reach the Circle’s Corner. From there, you must wait. You must wait until you no longer have to wait anymore. At this time, the Swinging Leaves must transport you through to Purple Lake where you can ride a droplet of mist through the light at the Listmaker’s Ranch. At the end of the day, you will do everything in reverse, of course. And then, when you arrive at the Listmaker’s Ranch, you will see, in the distance, just off to the right of the Listmaker’s house, a large, red, angular building. It’s a barn. It’s a big red barn, just like the big red barns in the big books you used to read about farms, with all the animals.
Part III
Unlike most Monitors who are born of and raised by former Monitors to potentially become Monitors, thrust into the world at the moment of birth, Dei is a Monitor. Discovered in her early toddler-hood manipulating light, Dei, of course, found herself catching the attention of the Bromides. Not knowing who they are or what they are all about, Dei felt them watching her and fled the world of Man before understanding the enormity of her power. Luckily, however, with her powers being so great, by happenstance, she found herself on the Listmaker’s Ranch.
Confused and afraid, she stood trembling at the foot of the first step onto the porch of the Listmaker’s house. Of course, the Listmaker knew of Dei, but of course, the Listmaker did not fill in the gaps for her. Instead, upon seeing her looking frightful just outside the house, the Listmaker promptly delivered her list to her. Cautiously, Dei accepted the slim roll of paper from the Listmaker, despite not knowing who this person (or entity?) was or what this person (or figment?) wanted.
As the roll sat diagonally across the palm of Dei’s hand, she looked up at the Listmaker and asked, “What is this?” Stern and impatient, the Listmaker looked at Dei and said, “It’s a list.” Pensive, she looked back at the roll in her hand, shimmied the thing to her fingertips, and began opening it. “Not here,” the Listmaker demanded, “Over there.” Following the line off the tip of the Listmaker’s outstretched hand, Dei’s eyes swept over the Ranch until she saw a large red barn in the near distance. “There?” she asked. “Jei has been waiting for you,” the Listmaker responded. “Who’s Jee?” she asked. “Not Jee, Jei,” the Listmaker instructed while turning quickly back toward the front door.
The Listmaker walked away and disappeared into the house. Dei shrugged, “Typical.” Fondling the “list” between the tips of all her fingers, she looked out over the Ranch toward the Barn. Figuring there really was nothing else for her to do, Dei opted to head on over to the Barn to find out who this Jei person was.The only thing she knew for sure was that she did not like the Listmaker.
Part IV
The air smells distinctly of shortbread; their favorite—of their mother’s baked goods. And then an infusion of lavender and a diffusion of something they do not recognize, fills their senses and surrounds them. Looking over their left shoulder, back across the green green grass, toward what looks to be a patch of garden, by a large, decrepit house and its wrapping porch, they walk over toward the buzzing garden. ZZiioozzit. They whip their head around at the sound. “Dei!” they hear ever so softly on the air. Turning, they look down at the top of their right shoulder, toward the sound. A tiny ladybug stands waving its arms, trying to get their attention, “Dei!” “Hi,” Dei begins as they lift their left hand—palm up—up to their shoulder, “Would you like to come over here?” The ladybug, “It’s Ladybug,” the ladybug interrupts. “Just Ladybug,” Ladybug corrects. Ladybug quickly scurries onto Dei’s comfortable palm.
Part V
“Well,” Ladybug begins, “it’s not so much that it looks like a barn than it smells like a barn. Or, I don’t really know. You’re maybe asking the wrong thing here. Right? Look at me. What do I know about telling or explaining it all to someone the likes of you. Why do you want to know anyway, all about that barn? Or, what was it, you called it The Barn? So what’s so fancy about the thing? What is peeking that fancy of yours so intensely, eh? Wait, wait, I’ll guess.”
Ladybug sits back on its haunches. “Hey, eh. Who you talking to, yea?”
…
“What do you mean, what am I talking about? You. YOU. You over there narrating or something. Who you talking to?”
…
“I mean no offense. I understand that, uh, people, people gotta work.”
…
“I see. I don’t mind, and I definitely do not want any trouble. Not today.” Ladybug tucks back into a comfortable position, “Yea see. That. I’m not sure I’ll be getting used to that.”
Part VI
Ladybug takes a deep breath, “Where to begin. Where to begin. Let’s see. The Barn, as you call it, is just a barn. It’s big and red and smells like freshly cut hay. You can also feel the squishiness of the lush green green grass as you make your way across the Listmaker’s lawn toward the barn. You’ll taste the fresh, carbonated dew of morning, the salty sunlit warmth of afternoon, and by night, your senses will be overwhelmed by the sweetness of something tasting like flossed sugar. Upon arriving in front of the two large, sliding barn doors, you will smell the decadent aroma of something heavily buttered being baked in an oven. On good days, you’ll taste it too. As the barn’s doors slide wide, the first thing you’ll feel is something akin to gelatin or jello or jelly slap you across the entirety of your front body. The jello will swallow you as you make your way into the barn via this duct. Don’t worry. You won’t smell or taste anything. And I’ve heard that the jelly is quite soothing for some. Deathly terrifying to others, but people, you know?” Taking another slow, deep breath, Ladybug sits down and has one final instruction, “You will get lost. Unless you are a Monitor, you will get lost. In the event that you are lost, try to stay calm and wait. Just wait.”
Part VII
“Well,” Ladybug begins, “if I’m being really honest, that’s one really ephed up question, man. Man? You are a man?”
…
“Oh, sorry."
...
"Okay, great. So, you know what I mean? Right? It’s weird to ask about how someone tastes. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I guess there are some people who are into that sorta shit, but I’m not one of them. I can tell you, though, that Dei, she always smells like something fresh coming out of the oven.” Ladybug moves in closer and looks around as if making sure no one can hear, “Rumor has it that Dei smells like everyone’s memory of their mother. Sad story, I suppose, if you never knew your mother. I mean, everyone has a mother, but maybe some don’t know who theirs are, and that’s alright. That person would still smell Dei in some way, and that smell would be the unfamiliar smell of a mother they never knew. No harm. So, I suppose, if you don’t know what your mother smells like, then getting a whiff of Dei would, theoretically, as theoretical as rumors go, smell like your mother.” Satisfied, Ladybug sits back on its haunches and rids its hands of any responsibility.
*I’ve been mulling and sketching for Book Three since about early 2019, and so, these are some of the very first writings for this Book Three effort that slowly approaches on the horizon. These sketches were written first and posted to my old blog, Lady Polarity, back in early 2019. I am re-posting them here as this is the space from which I am now broadcasting, and since I am eager to begin full-time work on Book Three, I would like these sketches to remind me—in gleeful hope, as I must be in a financial state that allows for me to quit my part-time, hourly-wage labor—that that day is fast approaching. These sketches have been proofread and edited by Yours Truly, before publishing here, today.