<< #9
Good day, Cloudheads! I hope this greeting finds you with bright skies above. Recently, I've been on the receiving end of a whale downvote lashing. I sincerely hope that you didn't suffer the same fate. It's not like I've been making tons of money anyway. I get that it's an initiative to spread the wealth around, but since I'm not part of where the wealth has been spread in the first place, I'm not quite sure why I became a target of that. All of the proceeds for A Day in the Clouds and SILVER LINING go directly to my differently abled nephew and to charities involving mental health. If people want to lessen the money that goes towards helping other people live a better life, then that's on them. Fortunately, I've already written this post before the flagging. I had wanted to protest by putting up a blank post, but I owe it to however small readership I have to maintain the quality of my posts. Anyway, enough of that, I'm just grateful however measly amount Chapter 10 earned and, of course, the continued support of my readers. You guys are the best, I hope you know that. With that in mind, I'm going to keep this installment short.
I don't know if you've been noticing, but the different shades of the sky in the cover photos for SILVER LINING have been mapped not only to the time of day, but to Ledd's current state as well. As you might've noticed in the previous installment, the background traced the ground for the first time. It's because, well, Ledd's feeling a bit down health-wise as well. I spent a lot of time picking the images I put here, giving special emphasis to the amount of clouds, etc, so I hope you'd think twice the next time you look at the cover photo :D
This chapter dealt with the real fallout from his capture. While his body temperature was at a high, Ledd had missed as tensions were at a fever pitch. He had awoken just in time to witness that everything has already boiled over. (See what I did there?) I've been really having a blast telling stories without writing them. I find it fascinating that a lot can be said by not even putting them into words. So much so that I'm considering writing a story series on Steemit without any content.
It's so nice returning to a state of innocence once in a while. Everything looks so wonderful, and mundane objects turn into fascinating devices. If you're caught up with the hustle and bustle of your everyday grind, I advise you to take even 5 minutes to clear your mind of everything. Not in a meditative way (though that works as well), but in a way where you're wiping your whole slate clean. View computer monitors as windows to different dimensions, electric fans as a vent that bursts strong gusts of wind. For Ledd, I had him go up against a digital thermometer.
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When I was a kid, I remember my mother having such a tough time measuring my body temperature. For some reason, I just couldn't sit still. I asked her about it and she recounted that I kept expanding my arm, dislodging the thermometer from my armpit. She's a OB-GYN who has years of experience in measuring patients' body temperatures, so I guess it's just a formality. The other obstacle that she encountered was when it was time for her to administer medicine. I kept coughing up the huge pills and I kept spitting out the syrup. There were tons of times when she had to deliver the medicine as a suppository. After that brief stroll down memory lane, she bade me good luck for when I eventually have a child of my own, and wished that my kid won't take after me.
This chapter became a real turning point for little Ledd. Instead of attempting another escape, he's now determined to destroy the giant from the inside. Initially, I had wanted to write this as the ninth chapter, but having him experience the fever dream slowly became a necessity. I want to give him new motivations for every third of the novel. Think of it as different story arcs or acts in a play. It's hard inserting isolating arcs in a serialization, so I'm just making do with the pieces I have.
What were your experiences when you're recovering from a disease when you were a child? How do you take care of your own child when he/she has an ailment? Share your thoughts below in the comments section. I answer each and every comment, so don't be shy!
Thanks for reading! Follow me, @jedau, if you want to live.
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