Dem or Republican?

Here's an educational opportunity for all of the 'wisdom seekers', if interested... a "compare/contrast" assignment:
http://www.democrats.org/a/party/platform.html
http://platform.gop.com/2008Platform.pdf

A story by me, written for Gina.

Teeny Weeny Beany Pinks Up

By V.Dare

1. Beany watched the watery fireworks and smiled a rare smile. Everyone was there! There were crowds of fishy families and groups of fishy kids together in the park, all having a wonderful time. It was the Fourth of July! Teeny Weeny Beany looked around in amazement at all the blue faces in the crowd. They were all wearing their best blue smiles, which for everyone else, matched everything else, head to tail. Even their hair was blue! The old ones that had turned darker blue were the most beautiful of all, thought Teeny Weeny. Everyone said so. The old ones had the Scent, too. Something that would only happen to blue fish, everyone knew. Would she never have that, either? Why, oh why was she this way? She looked down at her bright pink hands and felt sad… her blue cheeks didn't match the rest of her at all. Her Aunty still told her she was pretty, no matter what everyone else said, but Beany knew better. Teeny-Weeny Beany, you see, was different. She'd been different her whole life. Her Aunty had explained that all fishies started out multi-colored, like Teeny, but eventually turned entirely blue by the time they were one year old. She told her that for some reason, Teeny didn't turn blue like she was supposed to…in fact, by the time she was one year old, only a light blue tinge on her tummy had developed. The horrid colors in her tail; greens and purples and oranges and yellows… remained. And to make things worse…it didn't take long for the teasing to start. She had no friends…no one who accepted her as she was. Her Aunty was worried about her, but she did her best to hide her concern and to build Teeny's self-esteem. Aunty had tried all the doctors. Nothing helped. By the time she was in middle school, Teeny Weeny had started to accept the fact that she was not only small, but was also not blue… and probably never would be. She would always be ugly, she decided…and covered herself up as best she could, and avoided going out much. She was pleased to find that her cheeks were indeed turning a bit more blue as she got older… that was at least something. She learned to keep her hideous tail carefully tucked into the blue fabric cover-up that her Aunty had sewn for her. It made her swimming clumsy, but that was better than being teased.

2. One day, Teeny Weeny was on her way to town, and as was her lonely habit, was collecting white shells along the way. She picked them up off the ocean floor and held them close to her green eyes to check for broken edges… then placed them carefully in her net. She could trade them for story-books. She looked forward to her trip to the library every Saturday, by herself. There, she could hide in the stories of old and forget about her sadness. She could forget about the stares and name-calling and the fact that she had no friends… and that she was so "not blue". This particular day, Teeny had pulled an old book off a high shelf that contained a very peculiar story. She read it from cover to cover, right then and there… and when finished, closed the book very slowly, staring at her pink hands. She couldn't believe what she had just seen. There, in the back of the book was a picture of a fishy… but not a blue fishy at all… he was multi-colored like her, with black hair…and his tail wasn't even covered up… and underneath the picture it said, "King of Mermaids". Teeny stared at the book in her hands for a long time. Then she placed it back on the shelf, left her bag of white shells right there on the table, and swam quickly out the library door. She stopped and looked up at the darkness above, hope rising in her heart… could it be, she thought?

3. She had never wandered beyond the town limits before… but her curiosity was stronger than her fear at this moment. She untied the blue cotton bag from around her waist and unfurled her strange multi-colored tail. It was ugly, she knew, but it was surprisingly strong. Teeny looked around and saw that others on the street were beginning to turn and stare at her… but she didn't care. She turned her eyes to the murky blackness above her, tightened her fists with determination, and headed straight into it. As her tail swished powerfully out of sight, the blue faces on the crowds of town fish below were twisted in horror. Poor thing, they thought… she's out of her mind…that strange one is a goner. Teeny swam on… the water turned darker and darker till finally it was like swimming through ink. She couldn't see at all. She closed her eyes, then, and kept pushing upward as best she could. She was surprised at how strong she was… it had been a long time since she'd used her whole tail. It was eerily quiet as she swam. Quiet and black, so different from the familiar hustle bustle and blueness of her world below.

There was a strange screeching sound far below her, too far away to worry…and she opened her eyes and looked down for just a second, her soft hair falling around her face in the downward rush of blackened water. She could see flashes of light in the darkness below her… must be lights from the town, she decided. Looking up again, she noticed an increasing coldness on her face and arms…and the temperature seemed to be dropping very quickly. As she started to shiver, she pulled her blue sweater tighter and tucked her freezing hands into the folds. She hadn't prepared for cold… in fact, she hadn't prepared for any of this, but she swam on. She didn't know where she would end up, but she did know with every fiber of her being that she had to find out if this story was true… oh…if it was only true…

4. Her teeth began to chatter uncontrollably and she fought against the fear that crept into her heart. What was she trying to prove? This was stupid… go back to your blue home where you belong, where its safe, said her fear. But Teeny wondered now, where exactly did she belong? She didn't fit in. Was her blue world really all there was?

Her questions wouldn't leave her alone… and with pink tears running down and freezing on her face now, she pushed on faster than ever… up, up, up into the terrible blackness.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, there was a loud, frightful cracking sound as Teeny smacked head first into solid ice. She reeled backwards at the blow to her forehead and choked as she inhaled the cold bitter water. This was something they all were taught as tiny children, to avoid at all costs…never, ever breath. You must keep your lungs closed at all times… or you would surely die. Teeny knew it would soon all be over now…the pain from the blow shot through her head and her lungs screamed to be freed of the inky invader. Grasping her throat, she felt like a curtain was closing over her. She remembered thinking that the story was just a fantasy after all… and she would die here, alone in the darkness, for nothing. She thought briefly of her Aunty before she blacked out altogether.

5.The Divers chased after her, battling the sea-monsters that had been tailing her, waiting for their chance to strike. They were accustomed to these silly mermaids eventually making some dumb decision or irrational move that would allow the sea-monster to step in and take over the situation. As long as these mermaids remained convinced that they were just "fish", they were easy prey. Freezing the surface and cutting them off from oxygen had been a great idea…convincing them they didn't NEED oxygen generations ago had been brilliant. Keeping it that way, though, had been an ongoing problem. There were always a few of these blue weaklings who were far too curious for their own good. Keeping order required that the sea-monsters take orders and obey more often than they wanted to. They didn't like taking orders from anyone, especially from their so-called leader, so usually the sea-monsters had just made a hilarious game of it, messing around with these simpletons however they pleased…at least it was entertaining. These monster games helped alleviate their immense boredom. The fights with the Divers were serious business, though. The monster leader was always furious when they lost, and losing was becoming more common. Unknown to Teeny, during her entire flight straight up, Monsters and Divers had clashed and slashed below her in a mad battle of wits and strength, sparks shooting between them as their weapons of both thought and deed made terrible contact. One of them would escape the fray and shoot upward after Teeny, and another would give chase, stopping him in his tracks. The battle was fierce and bloody… hungry sharks watched and waited in the wings. The Divers were far better fighters… and the sharks always delighted in their monster meal, served in bits and pieces along the way up.

6. Teeny, unconscious and near death, began slowly sinking downward, her flowing hair and tail and arms turning lifelessly in the black water. The largest Diver could see her tiny shape far above and signaled his partners. They dealt their final blow and headed with all their might for Teeny. With his soldiers encircling them and watching for invasions, the mighty Diver, Michael, scooped Teeny into his arms and headed for the Opening. "We're on our way" he shouted into his radio. "Be ready…she inhaled". The gentle radio reply strengthened him… the King himself spoke calmly to his primary Diver in His firm, deep voice, "Good work, Michael. Everything is under control". Michael swam forcibly forward just under the surface of the ice sheet. His specialized eyes could see right through this poisonous stuff and he knew exactly where he was going. His troops kept up admirably, guarding him and his fragile passenger from further attack. As he approached the Opening, he smiled with relief as the cold and dark began to dissipate.

7. As Teeny awoke, her tired green eyes fluttered open cautiously. The scene that greeted her was surely a dream. There, before her, stood the most amazing apparition she had ever seen. He reminded her of… no, he WAS the picture in the book. Smiling warmly before her was the very same King of Mermaids. The first thing he said to her, the thing she never forgot for the rest of her life… was the word, "breathe". It wasn't a suggestion, it was more of a command… and what happened next changed her life forever. Teeny sat up in the soft, dry bed and looked in surprise at her surroundings… she was not in her familiar water-world anymore… she was dry, and warm, clothed in soft white robes. Her red hair curled softly around her blue face and pink shoulders. She panicked. She tried to unravel herself from the blankets and escape, but without water, only fell to the floor with a thump. The King and his friends ran to her and turned her quickly on her side. Teeny coughed and choked, and her stomach heaved…then a sudden flow of black water began pouring out from her mouth. Her throat and nose burned and filled with the disgusting taste and smell of the stuff as it gushed out of her lungs. The King said it again, "breathe Teeny, breathe"… she didn't understand, she closed her mouth tight and shook her head, no… she would die if she breathed, what was he asking of her?! His eyes looked straight into hers and she fought him with the little strength she had left… and then, she suddenly knew she had to let go and let him hold her. She slowly closed her eyes, relaxed her tightened jaw and opened her mouth. Nothing… "Breathe", he said gently, one more time. In it came, like a rushing wind, fresh sweet oxygen filled her lungs with a great gasp. Life quickly permeated her, pushing the weakness away like dust. She took in her second deep breath and watched as sparkling color started popping into each and every scale of her large, ugly tail from the bottom up. Teeny sat up on the floor staring and started breathing faster and faster. She held her hands in front of her and watched in amazement as she visibly flushed with every color of the spectrum, sparkling with iridescence. She started to giggle, then laugh out loud! A sound she had never heard before… but had read about in the library… The library! It was all coming back to her now…the blueness… the teasing… the sadness… and the book! It was true! It was true! She looked up at the strangely beautiful face, battered as it was, of the King, who had placed his strong fatherly arm around her shoulders. He kissed her forehead where her icy bruise had been just moments before, and whispered "Welcome to the Kingdom, Teeny" , then, "you are safe here". He then stood, lifted her effortlessly and placed her carefully back onto the warm bed. The black watery puddle at his feet was evaporating into a grey mist and disappearing. "Take care of her, dear friends, and answer all of her questions…she'll need some time to Pink Up." … then, looking back at her, said, " I'll be back to visit you, soon, Teeny-Weeny Beany, my beautiful child."

8. The King turned, then, and strode on two legs through the golden door. That was when Teeny was most confused of all…beautiful child? Was he talking to her? And his two legs…in the book, he'd had a tail, like hers. And when she looked at the others, she realized she was the only fishy… no…mermaid… in the room. The King's friends tended to Teeny, they fed her- another incredible experience- and brushed her dry hair till it shown like copper. She peppered these gentle creatures with questions that came so fast her new words kept getting all mixed up. The friends tried to calm her and "shushed" her to try to slow down, but Teeny was so excited, so happy, so filled with a life-force she'd never felt before… she finally collapsed in sleep right in the middle of one of her questions. The friends watched her with eyes of kindness as she relaxed into her pillows and actually began to snore. Teeny's bright blue cheeks were fading some… to softer shades of blueishness. They knew the "Pinking" would happen in its own time… there was no rush for this little one. Teeny snored loudly and the friends chuckled softly. That happened a lot with these beloved ones of the King. The group then closed their own shining eyes as well and began to sing, very softly… a sweet song, called "Prayer". Sparkling tears began to stream down their colorful faces as they held hands in a circle around the bed and bowed their heads, overcome with joy once again.

9. Deep, deep on the ocean floor… Aunty wanted so much to weep, but could only shudder and she desperately tried to control the convulsing. She'd tried her best to keep Teeny safe, but now she was gone. Teeny was dead, she knew it. No one could survive swimming that far into the darkness. She'd heard horrible stories about monsters and sharks… and Aunty was so distraught, she had to be careful to keep her lungs tightly closed… Crying was an unnatural thing that happened sometimes to fish and could kill them. They could drown. Accidental deaths occurred often in this town, and it was always whispered that they must have been weeping, since no other cause could be found. The dead ones were always honored in the death ceremony, though… no matter the cause. It helped everyone feel better, except the dead one, of course. The normal death process was predictable: the old ones, who were by that time so thin and weak, would begin turning from their dark blue color to wrinkled patches of grey and black…their once flowing hair would turn grey and drop out… and the old one would finally drop to the ocean floor, motionless. The last thing that happened in death, was the musty, acrid bubble of air that would erupt from the mouth of the dead one and float away. That was the last sign. There was nothing anyone could do. The aging fish Scent would grow stronger and stronger too, until it was over. The Scent of Age was respected by everyone. It meant that this one had managed to hold his bubble of breath for a very long time, without error. The bit of air that came with birth, eventually ran out, though, for everyone. And that was it. Then, the Scent of Age would become so strong, the death handlers had to plug their noses as they stood guard over the blackened, collapsed fish. It was always very sad, how things ended up. Most tried to ignore this inevitability. The dead were hauled to the great hole eventually. It was said to be very far away and no one ever went there. Imagining the shark infested place was enough. Seeing it would be too much for anyone. Aunty always had puzzled over the whole "death" process. Something just never seemed right about it, to her…but she avoided thinking about it as much as possible. Now her niece, Teeny, was dead, too. They'd never find her body… according to the police, she'd gone completely mad and headed straight up, the worst possible way to go.

10. How could she do this? Why? Aunty dissolved into painfully controlled sobs once again, her long blue braid floating gently around her thin blue shoulders. Then her eyes flew open. A faint melody was invading her sadness… a tune her mother had taught her as a tiny child. Her mother had called the sweet song, "Prayer"… an old and ancient word. Aunty closed her eyes and listened carefully. Suddenly, she remembered. There WAS something she could do, there was indeed. Aunty began to hum the tune she'd heard in her head, although she dared not open her lungs to sing it. She thought it instead, with all her might. She thought the “Prayer” for her sweet Teeny… it was the one thing she COULD do… and she began to hope.

11. Days had passed… and Teeny had been pinking up beautifully. She sat on a large, sun warmed rock, her spectacular tail draping down into the clear water below her. She splashed the water playfully. She was a beauty with her glowing copper hair flowing down her back. The beautifully tooled belt of gold around her waist and the embroidered garments of green velvet with jeweled sleeves set off her green eyes… and best of all, brought out her fine pink complexion. Teeny's bright smile and cheerful laughter delighted everyone around her. She breathed deeply of the Kingdom's sweet air and was filled with Life. She drank in the bright joy surrounding her, and began her preparations… to leave. The King and his friends had heard Aunty's quiet song and shared it with Teeny. Michael and Gabriel had instructed her in the art of telling the King's story… and carrying His Oxygen to others under the ice sheet. She'd been a good student and couldn't wait to get back to Aunty. They'd insisted, though, that she fully understand the difficulties she would face before she left. There were many hard lessons.

It would be easy, they said, for her to Forget, for one thing. Once back in the water, without the ready supply of Oxygen she'd recently grown accustomed to, she could become Oxygen deprived. Her thinking could fall back into old blue patterns. If she waited too long, it would be easy to start thinking she didn't need oxygen, just like before… that her blue world was all there was. On top of that, in the blue water, her beautiful colors would look distorted, when in reality they hadn't changed a bit. In one lesson, Gabriel had taken a handful of sparkling diamonds and held them in dark shadow inside a blackened box. When Teeny looked in, the diamonds that had been sparkling wildly in the light, shooting rainbows of color everywhere, suddenly looked dull and drab, lifeless, in the shadow box. They needed the light in order to shine, Gabriel explained. Like these diamonds, he said, her special beauty would seem to disappear right before her eyes, but like the diamonds, her beauty never really changed…the light had. So… in order to survive in the shadow, she had to Remember her King and that she was his Diamond forever. Could she Remember, they'd asked her? Yes, she nodded solemnly. They placed a Remembering Ring on her finger and smiled at her with pride. She was ready. She was, as the King like to say, "Pinked up".

12. The group of Divers accompanied her nearly all the way back to her town. They traveled swiftly through the night waters, when most water creatures were sound asleep and oblivious to the secret plans of the King unfolding around them. The group breathed expertly from the oxygen tanks strapped to their backs, face masks pressing into their faces. Teeny Weenie Beany rehearsed in her mind what she would say to her Aunty.

She would be frightened at first, the King had said, even suspicious. But the love between them would be the link that would save her. He had assured Teeny that His plan for Aunty would eventually come to good, and not to give up. Teeny laughed to herself as she recalled His stern warning to return for His Oxygen often… to not Forget. How could she possibly forget Him!!? But His sad eyes, when he warned her, were very serious. She just couldn't imagine it though… never again, she said to herself. Not possible. There was no way she'd ever Forget.

There it was, just below, her town, her streets. The blue mermaids were beginning to wake, preparing to go about their business as usual. They looked so sad, so tired… she felt sorry for them all. If only they knew they were mermaids… if only they knew the truth… Her Diver posse slowed and signaled to her. They would wait on the outskirts, out of sight. No sense in attracting sea-monsters this early in the morning. Battles with them this close to the town could have tragic consequences for the King's beloved ones on the sea floor. Teeny swam on for another mile to her Aunty's humble home and stopped at the door. She took one last deep breath of oxygen and pulled the breathing apparatus from her mouth. It and the face mask would only frighten Aunty further. She removed the equipment carefully and laid it just outside the door, out of sight. She turned the handle quietly and entered, and, holding her breath, looked for the familiar blue face of Aunty. There she sat at the kitchen table, face in her hands, dark blue tail draped on the floor. She'd grown alarmingly thin in the past two weeks. Greyish patches had appeared on her hands and face. She looked up at the frightening brightly colored stranger in the doorway. Slowly, recognition began to find its way through her dark fog and she slipped to the floor in shock. Teeny swished over to her and shook her gently. Aunty… dear Aunty… look at me, she said in her mind as loudly as she could.

12. Aunties eyes flew open… she smiled as she wrapped her skinny arms around her niece's neck and began to tremble. Teeny hugged her and sat on the floor beside her. She began to try to explain all that had happened… the book in the library, the frozen ice sheet, her rescue… and best of all, her King. She tried in vain to explain how important it was to breath, how Oxygen made her pink, not blue… that everyone was meant to be pink …and alive… and they were mermaids not fish…and that was when Aunty's eyes began to glaze over and a frown appeared. She pulled away and stared. Her Teeny was crazy… her mysterious disappearance had driven her mad. What in the world was she talking about? Aunty looked sadly at her niece and placed her worn hand on Teeny's pink face. She was startled at its warmth. Her happiness at having her back was dampened with this new fear. Then again, maybe she was the one going mad. Her awful tendency toward tears began to well up in her throat and she clamped her mouth closed against the sobs that would kill her. Teeny held the precious Oxygen in her lungs as long as she could. She could see her Aunty would not follow her easily. Teeny swished quickly toward the front door and frantically motioned for Aunty to follow. Aunty didn't realize how close to death she had become in her sorrow, nor how weak. Teeny had to work fast. She dove for the oxygen tank she'd left outside… and was horrified to find… it was gone. She nearly inhaled in her panic. She looked everywhere around the house… the tank had disappeared. Her own lungs were beginning to burn as she tore back inside and gathered her Aunty in her arms. The frail woman was no match for the living arms of her niece. Teeny carried her out of the house and into the open… it was daytime now and Teeny's unusual colors, even when muted by the murky water, made her an easy mark in this blue town of hers.

13. She swam with all her strength, holding Aunty close, toward the outskirts of town. She traveled quickly through narrow alleys and dark byways, ignoring the stares and sudden interest of bystanders. A blue mob was slowly forming behind her, following her, sure that she was up to no good. It was a long way, and Teeny's face was draining of its warm pinkness. She was running out of breath and the Life in her was waning. She had to slow down, she just had to. She knew she couldn't swim this fast for long. And that crowd behind her… the taunts and jeers were getting louder. Where was her blue cover-up, where could she hide? Her pink hands looked odd in this place. She tried to tell herself that she was a diamond… but who's diamond? She couldn't remember. She shook her head to clear it as she swam on, not sure now, exactly where she was going. Her Oxygen was gone… her face completely blue. Something else now, drove her on toward the edge of town. Her Aunty, she loved her Aunty… it was the eternal spark of love burning in her heart that kept her tail moving now. The crowd was bearing down on her, their laughter destroying her. They joked with each other…one of them flaunted the tank and gear he'd stolen off the porch. He had no concept of the meaning of what he held recklessly in his blue hands. Its wonderful power was wasted. Just as the crowd was beginning to surround her and Aunty, black shadows darkened the water overhead. Everyone stopped in their tracks, suddenly afraid for their lives. It was sea-monsters roaming near them, far too close for comfort. It was the darkening waters of fear and hate surrounding the group, that had attracted them. The crowd began to scatter, intent on saving their own blue skins, leaving the worn out pair, Teeny and Aunty, alone on the sand. It was over now, Teeny's mind told her… it was time to give up. There was no hope, only the familiar darkness. It would end for them like it ended for everyone. Death and stink…and the sharks. Teeny covered her Aunty's eyes with her hand and was about to close her own, when she noticed a glint on her finger. A ring… she'd seen this ring before. There was a stone, a diamond? She looked closer. Her loving green eyes reflected onto its surface, and suddenly there it was, a flash of color, turning spinning color inside that stone that made her blink in surprise. She remembered something…something important.

14. A King? THE King… she was a Diamond of…the King!! She Remembered! He'd called her His Child! This memory shot through her like lightening. Teeny sat up quickly and looked around… and saw that in the sudden exodus of the crowd, the thief had dropped his prize. Her oxygen tank lay dented, but whole, in the sand just a few feet away. She remembered what to do from her lessons with Michael and placed the breathing mechanism in her mouth. She inhaled the blessed air and her lungs filled with relief. Energy flowed back into her as she inhaled freely and deeply. The Scent of her dear Aunty reached her now with clarity and she scrambled to get a better hold of her. Aunty's eyes were closed and sunken, and her grey skin was getting colder. Could Teeny and her waiting friends get her to the King in time? On the outskirts of town, Teeny's friends had seen the shadows overhead, too. They began to draw their weapons and to prepare to defend themselves in this hostile territory. The sharks began to gather around. They knew a meal was coming. It was only a matter of time. These sea-monsters never learned.

15. After many months of unconscious sleep on life support, and the tender care of the King’s friends, Aunty finally woke up in a soft dry bed with Teeny Weeny Beany at her side. Her rather small, quiet niece, with copper colored hair, wore her own shining armor now. Her pink cheeks matched the rest of her perfectly. Teeny's multi-colored tail sparkled and shimmered like the rainbow. She carried a great shield she called Faith and a Sword called Spirit. She was strong and beautiful and brighter than ever, bursting with laughter and love. Her confidence had grown after Aunty's rescue…after that, Teeny had returned several times to her town. She shared her story with anyone who would listen. She tried her best to answer hard questions. The old book that contained His picture, had been checked out from the library so often recently, that it was looking tattered. More copies were constantly on order. Mermaids had started to wonder about this King. Although they remained suspicious of her colors, some began to ask about her oxygen tank. Occasionally, one would secretly try a breath… and never turned back. The Divers were always ready for them. And Teeny had become better and better at Remembering. As she thought about all that had happened, with wonder, she looked at the one she loved the most, there, on the bed. Teeny laid her shield down, leaned over and kissed the frightened blue face of her aunt. She began to softly sing. The song she sang was called "Prayer" and was the very song Aunty's mother had taught her. Aunty couldn't believe what she was hearing… it was her niece's voice, a most beautiful voice, alive and clear and real. She felt like she was going to cry again, that terrible curse of hers…and was sure she would die this time… when into the room walked a King.

16. The King spoke directly to her, like a Father to a Child. He said very softly, "Cry Aunty… you may cry out loud today. Let your tears flow."… Then He looked at Teeny, and together, they smile. THE END