What is this thing.... Ember in Wrilogonzia - A Blog Opera

What is a blog opera?

First, let me start by explaining what a "Blog Opera" is. A blog opera is an ongoing story with many writers that travels from blog to blog as the story unfolds around a few set characters with other characters coming and going as the story progresses. I am going to start the story of "Ember in Wrilogonzia" on my blog and then hopefully other bloggers will pick up the story where I stop and continue it. I will follow the story as it unfolds and continually update here with the new links and the next installment of Ember's adventure.


Now here is where the guidelines come in. To keep multiple arcs from going at the same time, if you decide to pick up the story, comment that you will have the next installment and provide the link to your page. Then post your part of the story within 48-72 hours. If you want to write an installment but see that there is already a comment claiming that honor, then follow the story to the next blog and claim the next portion from there. When you post your installment, please make sure to provide a link back to the previous blogger and to this post where our readers can follow the story from the beginning. There is no set length a person has to write; you can write a few sentences, a few paragraphs or a few pages. It’s entirely up to the writer. The goal behind our blog opera is to connect with other bloggers and to lead our readers on a journey through many fabulous blogs.

Now before we begin Ember's journey, let me give you a little background information. This story is like an Alice in Wonderland meets Tron. Our main character is Ember Innocenzi and she is about to become trapped in Wrilogonzia (the blog/internet realm). Her story progresses as she moves from one blog to another, the “wonderland” aspect is that she can change on different blogs: get older, younger, switch genders, race, species, become paranormal, etc. That’s where all the fun comes in. If someone chooses to take on a segment of her story they can put her on their blog or on any blog or site. The story doesn’t have to take place on their own blog just because they are writing the next chapter; if they have a blog or site they love they can throw her in that one. The post will still appear on their site, but Ember can be anywhere they want her to be.


Let’s find out who Ember is. Ember Innocenzi is a 28 year old customer service representative that works from her home and rarely goes out. She shares her home with her reclusive and eccentric aunt, Elspeth, and their two cats, Nuet and Nym. Her parents were killed when she was six and her aunt has raised her along with her three other siblings. They are all three years apart in age, the oldest being her sister Fossylia and the youngest, her sister, Misty. Ember also has an older brother, Wyndel. She remembers little of her parents, only what her aunt, Fossylia and her brother, Wyndel have told her. Most of the stories involve the characters' love of nature, hence the elemental names their parents chose for their children. Except for Ember, they all possess traits of the names they were given. Fossylia is a social worker/child advocate. She is the rock of the family and those around her. Wyndle is a publicist and is always jetting around the globe for his clients. He flies through life like the wind or at times like a tornado. Misty, following her connection with water, is a marine biologist. Ember has always been the one to defy her name. She is shy and timid. She likes to stay home where she feels safe and comfortable. While close to her siblings, around others she has always been quiet and a loner. She married her college boyfriend but they divorced a year later. Physically, Ember is very average. She is 5’ 7”, 160lbs, a curvy figure. She is in great shape due to her love of martial arts and archery. Her eyes are a warm light brown and her hair has strands of many natural colors but has a strong reddish cast, when sunlight hits it just right it resembles liquid fire. Other random facts: her favorite color is orange, her favorite season is fall, she finds thunderstorms soothing and her favorite comfort food is hotdogs. Until now, Ember has simply been 'smoldering' through life. We are about to ignite her inner spark as she enters into a world where anything is possible! 

Our other main character is a creature that inhabits Wrilogonzia. It is genderless and will have the ability to pop in and out of the stories to act as a guide and companion on occasion. This creature is a Komosny, a species only found in the blog/internet realm. In appearance it looks like the aye-aye pictured below. Our Komosny is named Perhluna.

 And now, let the journey begin….

 

Ember in Wrilogonzia

“I do not need to go out and meet people. I have plenty of friends, thank you very much.” Ember told her brother Wyndel, irritably..

“Those people you talk to online, aren’t real. Ember, you need to get out of the house have interaction with flesh and blood people,” Wyndel chided through the phone.

“Wyn, you just don’t understand. I go out ….. occasionally, I’m just not comfortable around a lot of people. I like my solitude. And I have interaction with real people. Aunt Elspeth has people over all the time and I hang out with you and Fossylia and the kids.. Oh and remember just last summer I went to the coast with Misty for a whole month. Besides, my online friends are real. They understand me in a way nobody else does. I can be myself with them.”

“Ok, Ember, make your excuses. But when I get to town next week, we are going out. And you will enjoy it! “ Ember hears a muffled voice through the phone. “hey, Em I have to run. I love you. Give Ellie a hug for me. See you next week!”

“Lo….ve…you too, “ Ember says into the now dead air. “Online people aren’t real. You need to get out more. You should go on a date, be more social….yadda, yadda, yadda…. Well, you think I’m social enough, don’t you Nym?” Ember picks up the fuzzy tortoiseshell cat curled up on her keyboard. Nuzzling the long soft hair as a loud rumbling begins to emit from Nym. “Yes, you love me just the way I am. And speaking of my ‘unreal’ online friends, hmph, I need to catch up on some blogs.” Turning the computer on, Ember lays Nym in her lap as she begins typing in her email password.

After a few hours of reading and commenting, Ember’s head begins to nod as she is reading another of her favorite bloggers. Soon she is sound asleep; her head resting on her arms.

“What the…” Ember exclaims as she finds herself in a heap under a small bridge.

“Hey are you okay?”

Ember looks around, trying to orientate herself and locate where the voice is coming from. “I have to be dreaming.” She pinches herself. “Ow. Ok that was stupid. Why do they always do that in movies. Of course I can feel it. It’s my dream, duh…”

“ Do you always talk to yourself like this, or did your tumble rattle a few marbles loose?”

There’s that delicious voice again. Ember looks to her right and sees a man in a wheelchair rolling to the end of the small bridge. All around them are trees and flowering shrubs lining a path with stone benches. I must be in some sort of park, she thinks to herself. As she stands up and steps closer to the man she recognizes him, “Oh my God, you’re Jude Law!”
 
“Excuse me? You must have me mistaken for someone else. I’m Jerome. Jerome Morrow.” Jerome says in that wonderful lilting voice as he extends his hand.” And you are?”

“But…you…look…..I’m sorry, I’m Ember.. Innocenzi.” Ember shakes his hand as she mutters, “and this is one weird dream,” under her breath. 
 
Jerome chuckles. “Well, I admit I haven’t been called a dream in quite some time, so thank you.” He slowly runs his eyes over her invitingly curvy frame, taking in her black tank top, star covered flannel pants and bright purple plaid socks. But it his disheveled mass of long hair that captivates him with it's deep red color and hints of copper, honey and gold.

“Oh, I didn’t mean you… well, not that you’re not a dream, but…. I’ll just be quiet now,” Ember stammers, chiding herself. She feels the color rising in her cheeks as she follows his glance and realizes she is still wearing what she must have fallen asleep in.

"It’s alright, I understand. Really. Before the accident, I suppose I was a dream. Now the chair is a bit off putting, isn’t it?”

“Noooo! It’s not that. It’s just this isn’t real. I mean it can’t be. I must be dreaming, it’s just…..” Embers voice trails off as she again focuses on her surroundings. The lamp post lining the past cast a warm light on the path, leaving the surrounding woods and grassy areas in shadows. On one tree she sees an odd looking creature watching her. It’s huge eyes seeming to burst from it’s head as it’s floppy ears make it appear to be winking at her when they fall across it’s gaze. It’s finger like hands grip the trunk as it climbs forward for a better look. Then it does the strangest thing. It smiles at her before it disappears. Ember shakes her head and looks again. No way, she thinks to herself.. She turns to Jude… Jerome, “did you see that?”

“Sorry?” Oh, he is handsome when he turns his head that way and looks at me….focus!

“Over there on that tree, there was an animal and then it just went poof and was gone.”

“Are you sure you didn’t hit your head when you fell? There’s nothing there.” He says with a look of concern.

Before she can respond a beautiful blonde woman, who looks a lot like Uma Thurman runs up to them. “Jerome, what are you doing out here? If they catch you they’ll lock you away. Where’s Vincent?”

“Haven’t seen him tonight love. I’m sure he can handle himself. No need to worry about me. Know one is out here except this lovely young lady. Cassini, Ember. Ember,Cassini. And why are you running?”

“ We must hurry, Gattaca Security is not far behind me. We have to leave now.” Cassini anxiously says as she grabs the back of the wheel chair and begins pushing Jerome across the bridge as he protest. She pauses to say to Ember, “Sorry, we must go. You don’t look like you belong here. Do you have your papers?” At Ember’s puzzled look, Cassini continues, “then you better come with us. Hurry, if they catch you without papers they’ll make you disappear.”

Ember begins to follow, but as she reaches the other side of the bridge her vision blurs……

.


For the 2nd installment go to Crystal Clear Proofing.
For the 3rd installment go to A Writing Obsession
For the 4th installment go to Confessions of a Watery Tart
For the 5th installment go to Princess of Procrastination
For the 6th installment go to The Quiddity of Delusion

Check out the interview Ember's Aunt Elspeth did with the Ghost of Grace Street.