THE SUMMIT

by O'Keefe There one was a self-diagnosed genius Who went by the name of Barney Jehoshaphat. His smug assertions often upset the populace, Least of which because it was crap. Barney was the type to lecture the electrician While he was installing his sockets. And he was also the one to petition NASA let him build their rockets. He was the best at everything he could think of, From basketball to pool to quantum mechanics. A superiority complex he was on the brink of,  And, because I need a rhyme, Hispanics. Even the snootier among us were offended, For information Barn was not even seekin’. And his whole superiority shtick was upended When he whined like a hairsplitting vegan. But he was to be put to the test, Concerning his greatness one day, When at a certain stranger's behest He was challenged his brains to display. He one day found himself strolling in the park, Pondering of things dumb and weird, And at the colorful flowers he did remark, Whe...

by Peter O'Keefe CHAPTER FOUR: The Feast of the Fiery Heavens  Even with the horrible circumstances, Obi, Aaron and Nancy were determined to enjoy the best event of the day: the lance.         As usual, by the time they arrived there, the line was wrapped around the entire festival, and it was no fun waiting in line.        “Obi,” said Aaron after a while, “I have decided that I am going with you.”        “No, Aaron, you can't,” said Obi patiently. “The wizard said you can't.”        “I'm not afraid of him,” said Aaron angrily. “I won't abandon you, Obi. No matter what he says, you're still my brother.”        Obi was touched. He really wished he didn't have to leave. To be perfectly honest, he was just waiting for the moment to come when he would wake up. He kept pinching himself, but it wasn't working yet. If only it was all lies! And yet… he had always wanted to ha...

by Peter O'Keefe CHAPTER FIVE :The Road Ahead   For what seemed like forever, Obi and Nancy toiled as they walked up the Uto Road, thinking at any moment that a Viking would leap out and kill them. The sky was dark by now, and a sense of dread seemed to hang in the air. The landscape also began to change. The grassy lands soon turned into corn fields, but the long stalks were more gray than anything else, and dark crows and ravens feasted on them, casting suspicious eyes at the travelers nearby. The dark skies made everything seem gray and old. The only word to describe the road was gloomy.         Obi heard a random sound from nearby. It sounded as if a rustling was coming from the corn stalks, getting closer every second. In a perfect world, Obi would have whipped out his sword and stood holding it with a deadly stare in his eyes, and Nancy would have held her shovel as if it were a lance, ready to throw. Instead, since the world was not perf...