From Ink to Skin (4)

Part/Chapter four
DFF Encounter
As we drove I tuned int he seat to face Ecneitap, who was driving.
"So... Um, May I inquire as to what species you are?" I asked hesitantly. I was human, but there were many different kinds of people; Other than humans. Ecneitap took a turn onto a back road that I had failed to notice in the past/
"Oh. I'm three quarters elf, and one quarter troll. Most of my looks come form the elven in my blood and my temper comes from the troll." She said speeding up the car to 76mph.
"Cool. So, how old would that make you? Whoa, wait. Aren't you going a little fast?" I asked freaking out a little. Ecneitap just laughed.
"I'm forty. I'll be forty-one in a few days. And this road has no speed limit. One of the reasons I like it. How old are you?" She asked. I didn't answer at first. She was FORTY?! She looked like she was nineteen or twenty. But then I recovered.
"I'm eighteen. But my birthday isn't for a few more months. I said, still a little taken back on how young Ecneitap looked for her age. Ecneitap slowed down, took a right and drove into the parking lot of the main DFF factory.
"That was fast." I said getting out of the car.
"It usually takes me twenty-five minutes by taxi." Ecneitap stepped out.
"Another reason I like the back roads. It's much faster." Ecneitap shut the car door behind her. The factory loomed over us as we walked towards it.
"It got bigger.." Ecneitap said opening the door for me.
"They all do. Thanks." I said As I walked through the glass door. The inside of the factory was cold and Ecneitap's boots echoed on the metal floor. About every fifteen steps or so there would be a big glass window on either side of the hallway. Ecneitap stopped in front of the fifth window on the left.
"What is it?" I asked looking into the room behind the glass. There was a empty room except for the metal table in the middle. I could just make out a little bit of red on the table.
"This is where Aclen...." She didn't finish. She didn't have to. Ecneitap shook her head.
"C'mon." She said continuing to walk down the hallway. After a few minutes, Ecneitap and I finally found a DFF agent.
"Excuse me sir, but could you please take my friend and I to the Director's office?" I asked. The agent smiled broadly.
"But of course. This way." He said. The way he said this creeped me out a little. But we followed him. After a long walk of left and right turns we came to the Director's office. Ecneitap came in after me. The Director turned in his chiar when we came in. He had been looking at some paper work.
"Ah, Miss Lanita how are you today?" He asked. Acting a little too friendly. Then he noticed Ecneitap.
"Hmm? Who might this be?" He asked again before I could answer his earlier question. Ecneitep stepped up.
"It's just me Mr. Director, Ecneitap Tontret. Don't you remember me?" Ecneitap asked him. I could see the triumph in her face as the Director's face went white.
"M-my, Miss T-Tontret! How nice to s-see you again." He stumbled over the words. I had to restrain myself from laughing. Ecneitap sat down with a smile on her face.

--~oO0Oo~--

After an hour or two we got the Director to accept my resignation.
"Is there anything you would like to take from the vault before you leave?" He asked me. I stood.
"Yes I would. Could you please take us there?" I asked as Ecneitap and the Director also stood.
"Of course. This way." He said and lead us out of his office and to the vault. Once we arrived at the vault the Director opened it for me. Ecneitap was about to follow when the Director addressed her.
"Um, Miss Tontret, would you stay out here with me for a little chat?" He asked.
"Sure." Ecneitap said and winked at me. I listened in on their chat as I looked for my books I had given DFF to look at.
"So what brings you back to DFF Miss Tontret?" I heard the Director say as I found one of my books.
"Oh, nothing really. I'm just here to help Lanita out. She was a little shaky about the whole shabang." Ecneitap said.
"Is that all?" I heard the Director respond with a little resentment in his voice.
"Well.... I thought that if she was going to quit DFF I might as well try to get her to become my apprentice. I am qualified to be a Master Ink Summoner." She said, raising her voice, and seemed to be addressing me more than the Director. The Director didn't say anything. Then I found my other two books and started to walk out when I saw a beautiful quill and ink pot set. I took them and walked out.
"Mr.Director, may I take these with me?" I asked him showing him the quill and the ink pot.
"Yes.. You may." He said and showed us out.

From Ink to Skin (3)

Part/Chapter three
Some Light Shed
Ecneitap And I Talked for hours about DFF and Ink summoning. By the time we stopped to look at the clock it was a little after midnight.
"I think I should go home." I said standing. Ecneitap laughed.
"Yes, and I to bed." She stood and we shook hands.
"So... I'll be seeing to tomorrow then?" Ecneitap asked showing me to the door.
"You bet Ennie." I said as I walked out the door. Ecneitap waved good-bye and I started to walk home. While I walked home I took out Aclen's book and looked at it. Ecneitap had let me take it with me for now. As I looked through the book, I thought over what Ecneitap and I had talked about. She had told me her way of summoning a drawing correctly and told me how to do so in the simplest way she could manage. She also offered to go with me when I decided I wanted to quit working for DFF. So Ecneitap was going to meet me tomorrow morning at the tavern and she was going to drive me there. I was nervous about the whole thing, but Ecneitap assured me it would be fine. I tuned the corner and found myself in front of my simple single story house. I walked up to the door, unlocked it, and went inside. I went to my room, changed into my PJs and went to bed. Tomorrow was going to be a big day.

--~oO0Oo~--

My alarm clock went off. I slumped out of bed and tuned it off.
"Ugh, nine thirty. Wished we hadn't stayed up so late..." I grumbled as I started my morning routine. I brushed my teeth, took a shower, got dressed, put my book and Aclen's in a bog and headed out the door. About a block from my house there was a little coffee shop and fortunately it was also on the way to the tavern. So I stopped by there and got myself a caffeinated mocha on the way. By the time I reached the tavern the caffeine had kicked in a little and I felt a bit more awake. I took the last sip of my mocha as I entered the tavern. Ecnietap was siting at the table with a mug of some strong smelling coffee.
"Morning darling." She said as I sat beside her.
"Mornin' Ennie." I reached in my bag for Aclen's book.
"How'd you sleep?" She asked.
"Meh, As good as I could have. You?" I gave Aclen's book to her.
"Oh, I slept wonderfully. Thanks." She took the book form me and put in her bag.
"So, you ready?" Ecneitap asked, finishing her coffee.
"I guess..."
"Good. Lets go." Ecneitap took me out to her car and we set off.

From Ink to Skin (2)

Part/Chapter two
Some light shed
I walked into the tavern hall where the meeting had taken place last night. It was five till ten. I looked around, the lighting was better now and I could see the table in the middle of the room. Not to far from it, maybe ten feet, there was a bar. I had wondered where everyone had gotten their drinks. Behind the bar there stood a tall slender figure. She had short pixie cut hair that was an array of browns with some streaks of green here and there. Her ears were slightly pointed and as she turned to face me I saw that her eyes were like molten amber with flecks of turquoise.
"Um, I'm Lanita Krane. Are you Ecneitap Tontret?" I asked, unsure. The woman smiled.
"That'd be me. Nice to meet you miss Krane." She nodded to me. I blushed slightly, I always did when someone called me by my last name.
"Please, just call me Lanita." I said smiling back at her. Ecneitap giggled slightly and poured herself a glass of champagne.
"Then you can call me Ennie. Please sit with me." She picked up a bag by her feet and went over to the table with her drink. I sat beside her. Before I could think of anything to say, much less say something, Ecneitap spoke.
"Now I bet you'd like to know why I snapped at you about DFF last night?" She asked sipping at her champagne.
"Yes please. If you would be so kind." I said.
"Well then make yourself comfortable. This will take a while to tell." She said, her cheery face dimming and she leaned back into her chair. I situated myself and Ecneitap started her story.
company. But getting to the good stuff. I was taking a tour of the main factory when I saw a young boy, 'bout your age, summoning. Back then I was new to it all so I stopped to watch. The man showing me around told me that the drawing the boy was summoning was his own and that the boy's name was "Well, when I was about your age, DFF hired me. Mind you, this was twenty years ago. Back then it was a new-ishAclen. I watched, enchanted as he brought forth a beautiful angel. But just as the drawing was almost taken from the pages of the book, it grabbed hold of Aclen and pulled him back into his own book. I was terrified. DFF told me that it was a mistake, a leftover hex form a previous test. I was gullible back then and believed them. As the men took Aclen's book off the table I saw his name written in an emerald green on the cover. Three years I subjected myself to their experiments, three years Aclen's death hunted me, three years, three wasted years. One day, I was walking down a corridor and I over heard a meeting going on. It was because of what I heard in the meeting that I quit. I over heard them saying that Aclen's death was on purpose, that he didn't live up to DFF's expectations and had to be disposed of. I also heard that they were going to do the same thing to me. So I went to the vault, took all my books and was about to leave when a glint of green caught my eye. It was Aclen's book. I picked it up and went to the first DFF agent I could find and told him That I had quit. With that I left and have never heard form them 'till now." Ecneitap took a breath.
"Thats it." She said looking at me. I muddled over what she had said. Ecneitap let me think in silence, not something everyone did for me. After about five minutes of matching up the facts and such I nodded.
"Your right. DFF might be fake. But how do I know what you said about Aclen is true?" I inquired. Ecneitap smiled and reached into her bag. As I watched she pulled out a slick, almost new looking, book. Ecneitap put the book on the table and I saw that on the cover, in an emerald green, the word "Aclen" was written.
"I thought you might not believe me. So I brought this to back my case." Ecneitap said as she opened the book. On every page intricate drawings had been sketched. The last page with a drawing was in the middle of the book. In the drawing a beautiful angel encircled her wings around a boy with sharp green eyes. The page was splattered with blood.
"That is Aclen." Ecneitap said pointing to the boy.
"This is what DFF wanted to do to me, because I wasn't good enough for them." she said letting me take the book to examine the picture closer. As I looked I saw the boy blink!
"What!? How!?" I exclaimed. But Ecneitap stayed calm.
"He's still alive." Was all that she said.

From Ink to Skin (1)

Part/Chapter one
The Meeting
A book slammed fiercely on the table. Everyone in the dim lit room went silent and looked in the direction of the sound. Just beforehand I had been talking about a company called Drawings For the Future corp., or as they also called them selfs DFF corp. Obviously what I had said about them angered this person at the top of the table. The figure slowly stood, I could tell that it was a tall sender woman, but given the bad lighting, thats all I could see.
"Do you really believe all that crap that they tell you?! Do you really think that you could do that when you can even summon a drawing correctly now?!" The woman hissed at me in a very deep, demanding voice. Even though I could not see here eyes, I could feel them burning into mine.
"Yes I do believe them, why should I not? And, what makes you say that a cannot summon a drawing correctly?" I asked, sounding much braver than I felt. The people around the table turned their heads away from me and looked at the woman in the shadows.
"For why you should not believe them, do they have any real proof that what they say might, or will work? Have they ever had a near-success in the past? And do you, yourself believe that you can bring forth another's drawing?!" She spat the words at me. The woman took a breath and continued.
"And as for my thinking you can't summon correctly, do your summoned drawings do anything? Are they like real, living, breathing people, or are they limp, lifeless dolls? Do they only, every once in a while, have something special about them?" she asked, her voice loser only a fragment of its sting. I took a deep breath and answered her questions. I was also careful not to lower my eyes, I was taught never to lower my eyes to and opponent, be the fight with fists or words.
"No, DFF has not given me any 'proof' that they tried this in the past and did not succeed, they also told me that they are quite new and are just starting to try this out. And yes, my drawings are almost always lifeless, and yes only sometimes do they have something more. But what does any of that have to do with DFF and my trying to bring someone else's drawing into this world?" I spoke, this time my voice was slightly broken, but I did not let that bother me. The woman sighed and sat down.
"Forgive me. I did not mean to burst out so. But, DDF is not a new corporation. They are quite old and they tell lies to get new people to work for them. Here." She threw me a folded up piece of paper. Surprisingly I caught it. Still standing I read the note to myself, not letting a sound escape my lips. This is was it read:

"As I said before, forgive my outburst. My name is Ecneitap Tontret. Yes this is very last minute, and to put it shortly: Would you meet me here, tomorrow night at 10:00pm for a new start? Oh and please don't tell anybody about what this note has said, we don't want anybody bursting in on our own little meeting. Nod if you agree and shake your head if you don't. Hope to talk to you ^.~"

I looked up from the note, nodded, and sat down. I could tell that she was pleased. Many people asked me what was one the note, but I told no one. As people started to leave I caught a glimpse of Ecneitap's book. On the cover, painted in silver, the words "P.leading E.lite A.ngel" were written.
"P.E.A." I whispered to myself. The art that DFF showed me, the art that they wanted me to bring forth, it was all singed with P.E.A. Had she worked for DFF in the past? I guessed that the next night I would learn. So I took my book and left the hall.

From Ink to Skin (Prolougue)

Prologue
This story that I will now tell you, is the story of my years as an Ink Summoner. I shall tell you of the loves, the lies, the battles, and the fights. This story is almost like an account of my life. Please read and keep reading for I have quite a tale to tell.

-Lanita Krane

Co-Op Homwork

The Symbol of Spanish Sailors
By: Patience R. Winterton
Book: The Scarlet Letter, By: Nathaniel Hawthorne

Introduction.
In this essay I will be exploring the reasons why the Spanish sailors are in the Scarlet letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and what they could or could not symbolize. The sailors are introduced at the very end of the story, and never mentioned before hand. Why? This is what I shall talk about.

The Sailors as symbols.
There are many things that have come to my mind on what the Spanish sailors symbolize. They could be a symbol for escape or freedom; both are things Hester and Dimmesdale wanted for so long. They could show a way out, a way from one "sphere" to another, new life. They are also described as different, so different that if a man were to wear what the sailors did he would hide his face in shame "A landsman could hardly have worn this garb and shown his face, and worn and shown them both with such a galliard air..." (21, pg. 280) . This could show that the sailors are, in a way, like Hester. Hawthorne could be using the sailors to show us that Hester was not all alone, that they were other people as different and as strange as herself.

Why are they present in the story?
The Spanish sailors don't even come into the story until chapters 21 The New England Holiday, and 22 The Procession, they are last minute differences to get our minds saying "Why?". Maybe they are not in the story for any reason; maybe Hawthorne could of just been putting something there for us to linger on. They could also be there to give hope to the reader that everything will turn out alright, just like they gave hope to Hester. They could also be there so that Hester had a way out, for in the story, Hester and Pearl did leave with the sailors to someplace new. But, as I have assumed, the sailors are also how Hester returns to her home in the end of the story "Near this latter spot, one afternoon, some children were at play, when they beheld a tall woman, in a gray robe, approach the cottage door." (Conclusion, pg. 313).

Conclusion.
In this essay I have spoke of what the Spanish sailors might mean and why they are in the story of The Scarlet Letter. I have given you many ideas and conclusions, except for one: How would the story be different without the Spanish sailors? How would the story change? I believe that if the sailors had never been put into the story, Pearl would have never become a "woman", Hester would still be burdened with guilt and shame, and Dimmesdale would have died knowing that Hester and his little Pearl had no way of finding freedom. Without the Spanish sailors, the story would end without even a little bit of happily-ever-after. To wrap everything up, I will say that without the sailors, whatever Hawthorne wanted them to be, the story would have stopped at a dead end and not be as interesting and enchanting.