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Once upon a time…
Staying low to the ground, Edward’s senses were on high alert. He slowly approached the main entrance and pulled out an electric code reader. With some basic skills and a few beeps, the door easily popped open with a swoosh, and Ed’s face was met with a rush of warm air. He stealthily entered the complex on the hunt for signs of movement.
The facility was nothing more than a shell of sparsely furnished rooms. The walls, ceilings, and floors were all white, reminding Ed of an old rural hospital. Staying true to the (unofficial) mission he searched for any sign of the deranged scientist Harald Quandt who had recently escaped a deep underground military base.
Passing a mirrored window, Ed caught a glimpse of his rugged reflection and for a split second, he wondered where the time went. His salt and peppered five o’clock shadow needed to be shaved, but he just didn’t see the point anymore. He smirked to himself and noticed more lines upon his face which (he decided) complemented his silvery black hair. The past three decades working for The Agency had not been kind and his ageing bones creaked like an old wooden staircase in an abandoned house.
Down a long dark hallway, Ed rounded a corner and heard a ‘squishy squashy’ noise. He froze to listen; the sound was getting closer! His heart pounded against his chest cavity and a rush of adrenaline flooded his hungry veins. Without thinking he quickly rolled behind a nearby desk to get a visual. After a few moments, Ed spotted the black goo monster slithering through the hallway like a giant black slug.
So… the rumours are true!
Ed slid to the end of the desk and waited for the right moment. The monster groaned as it squirmed past, giving Ed a chance to approach it from behind. His whole body was trembling in anticipation as he stepped out from his hiding spot. Suddenly his 55-year old ankle creaked.
CRACK!
Dammit! The moment of surprise was spoiled, and the black goo monster swivelled to find Ed holding a shotgun. It started mumbling something strange. “Entrust Us… Entrust Us… Entrust!”
The goo monster contorted its body and lunged towards Ed like a striking cobra. Edward stood his ground and yelled out, “Trust this!!”
BOOM!
He fired the shotgun and the cryo round exploded on impact, freezing the monster in mid-air. Ed slid on his knees towards the frozen goo creature and, in one swift motion, he reached for his combat knife and leapt upwards. The black goo shattered into a thousand pieces. Adjusting his jacket, Ed said, “If you took more breaks like that, you wouldn’t be so sluggish”
Yep, I’ve still got it! I wish the team was here to see that!
Suddenly, Ed heard echoes of lingering whispers coming towards him from down the hall. He projected his senses into the darkness. His mouth dropped as thirty more black goo monsters came squishing and squashing their way up the hallway. Ed took a deep breath and switched into survival mode.
He bolted back to the main lobby, frantically looking around for some inspiration. An idea came to mind. He wired explosive charges together in a straight line, marking his last line of defence. The black goo creatures followed right along making their way towards Ed who stood defiantly a few feet away from the charges.
“Come to Papa you disgusting slime-balls!!”
The goo monsters lurched forward in unison towards him. With his thumb firmly placed on the detonator, Ed stood his ground.
Wait for it…
Wait for it…
NOW!
Click!
KA-BOOM!!
The charges detonated just as the creatures were right over them, and they exploded like bubbling oil straight from the well. The goo splattered on everything leaving piles of black steaming slime everywhere.
Ed started to laugh. “You were Cruisin’ for an Oozin’”
Wiping the hot leftover goo from his face, Ed ran back down the hallway in search of Quandt. His muscles were starting to stiffen up and his ageing body began to groan.
Keeping his eye on the target, Ed pressed forward until he came to a set of double doors that were locked with a security code. He pulled out his code reader again to bypass it. While he waited for the door to open he heard a raised voice coming from beyond the steel barricade. He peered through the window and saw Polly St George and Zak Paine hooked up to several tubes. Harald Quandt hooked himself up to a machine and laughed maniacally.
“Now stop squirming – this will only hurt a little bit,” Quandt commanded. “The first two experiments were tests to determine specific weaknesses in the formula.” He turned his head to look at Zac and then Polly, who were chained down to beds with duct tape over their mouths. Their eyes both pleaded and protested, but it was no use.
Quandt closed his eyes as he injected an IV needle into his arm. “I will use your bodies to filter out all of the weaknesses and send the formula directly into my bloodstream. It will alter my genetic make-up and turn me into a living god!!”
Beep. Beep. Pop!
Ed stormed the room and bellowed, “Let them go Quandt, or I’ll put you down!!” He pulled out his 9mm handgun and aimed it straight at Harald Quandt’s head.
Quandt gave Ed a look that reminded him of his ex-wife – cold and calculating – before pushing the start button on the machine. His body immediately started to convulse and shake.
“It’s too late!” Quandt announced, “Phase three of the experiment has now begun!!”
Hesitating, before pulling the trigger, Ed wondered, ‘If I shoot him, will the kids die too?’
We never know which path to take in life and where it may lead, but sometimes we simply have to take a leap of faith. “Hey asshole!” Ed said. “Welcome to the future where the whole world is free from your crazy eugenics madness!”
BLAM!!
Ed pulled the trigger hoping for the best. The bullet pierced Quandt’s brain, and he bled thick black goo. Ed raced around and pulled Zak and Polly’s tubes right out of the machine. Quandt’s body began to shrivel up until it looked mummified.
As he removed the chains and duct tape from Polly, she thanked Ed and warned the tyranny would be back in another form. Upon recovery, Zak vowed to spread the word to keep the people informed so they could maintain their freedom.
Ed quietly congratulated himself on a successful mission and thought, ‘Not bad for an old dog. Still plenty of gas left in this tank. Aint nobody got time for black slime’.
“When nothing is sure, everything is possible.”
– Margaret Drabble
When it comes to doing something new in your life, you can prepare as much as possible. You can research and gather information. You can analyse the possibilities. You can plan it all out. However, there is only so much preparation you can do. There comes a point when it’s time to set those plans into action. Whether you trust your gut feeling or not all comes down to fear. Fear of failing. Fear of disappointing someone else. Fear of judgement. Fear of rejection. Feelings of fear are often so intense that they threaten to keep you caged in the safe and mundane to live a life of missed opportunities. In choosing not to do something you truly want to do or believe in, are you robbing yourself of your own happiness? There are points in your life when you are called to take a leap of faith.
Here’s the thing: a leap of faith is NOT blind faith. There is nothing blind about it! A leap of faith is all about trusting your intuition. Your innate, deep knowing that won’t go away. It’s a whisper that keeps calling to you. It’s a passion, or an inspiration that draws you forward, heralding a new cycle. When you get this call, it’s time to cast away the doubts and fears that often arise when leaving the well-trodden way: the known path. Take that leap of faith and step off the cliff of your old ways of thinking or acting and allow the journey to begin. Listen to your instincts in all matters regarding your new beginning and you will find you have a clear feeling about people and situations that need to be left behind. Nothing new can come from staying at home and taking no risks. Think matters through as best you can, then trust your intuition about what to do next. Steady yourself somewhere between natural fear and rashness and a leap of faith may turn out to be the best thing you ever did.
“What if you began to expect the best from any situation? Isn’t it possible that you could write new chapters in your life with happy endings? Suspend your disbelief? Take a leap of faith? After all, what have you got to lose but misery and lack?”
– Sarah Ban Breathnach
I am talented and courageous. My fears are dissolving and I am ready for whatever today brings. Today, I take action. I am bold and daring. I am fearless and I am ready for bold adventures. I believe I can overcome any challenge. I radiate positive energy and make courageous choices. Each struggle I face is an opportunity for growth. I release all fear, anxiety, and stress, and replace it with cool, calm confidence. Today I will do difficult things that will bring me increased peace in the future. I am filled with endless possibilities. I deserve to live the life of my dreams and I am worthy of it all. I have already come a long way and I can go even further because I am unstoppable. I stand tall through life’s challenges. I am one of a kind. I am captivating and I choose to go after what I deserve. I am strong, brave, and kind and when I am true to myself, everyone wins
“There are many talented people who haven’t fulfilled their dreams because they over thought it, or they were too cautious and were unwilling to make the leap of faith.”
– James Cameron
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