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Hank Stahl woke up unsure of where he was. He had a pounding headache like he drank too much but hadn't been drinking. He stood up and looked around groggily, knowing that he was last in his bed but wasn't any longer. His head finally stopped hurting enough for him to orient himself with his surroundings. Somehow, he was near his Great-grandfather Dale, or Pappy, as he was commonly called's cabin in Southwood, Iowa. It was a place he hadn't been to in ages. After his father and grandfather had a falling out, they only went there on rare special occasions when he was a child, and even then, things were tense and awkward. After Pappy died, there was no reason to go anymore and he hadn't been back since...until now.

Desperate for answers as to why he was there, he walked up to the rickety, old porch and took a step. Each step creaked more than the last, but the timeworn deck held his weight. He approached the solid oak door, fashioned from the ancient tree that once stood where the cabin was built. He turned the knob and opened it, stepping into the darkness. Suddenly, the door slammed shut behind him.

Slowly, candles placed around the entire cabin began to light themselves. A flame roared to life in the fireplace and started to roast some sort of meat Hank didn't recognize on a spit over it. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, but also couldn't stop staring at the strange sights unfolding before him.

His trance was broken by a voice that shouldn't exist, that of the long-dead Pappy, ?The time has come, boy, for you to learn the ancient ways of our family.?

He hoped there would be more explanation than that, but a small part of him was afraid to ask, he did manage to squeak out, ?Uh, do what now??

?I wanted to stay just a voice and be all mysterious.' Said Pappy, now in corporeal form stepping out of the shadows. He looked just as he did the last time Hank saw him in his coffin. He was tall, balding, with horn-rimmed glassed and a large potbelly. Hank could never remember him smiling and even in death he seemed constantly irritated, ?But here you go being a dumbass just like your daddy and making me have to explain things slowly. It is tradition that youngest child born after the death of the last mage, me, partakes in the ritual of becoming a family mage. Now that you're old enough, you, my boy, are the next in line to inherit this blood right.?

Hank took a step back pressing his body against the closed door. His deceased relative standing before him was pushing him towards thinking everything was a dream. ?I don't think any of this Harry Potter magic stuff is right for me.? He said defiantly.

Pappy scowled, a typical expression for him and said, ?It doesn't matter if you believe it, you are born to it, and it is born to you. You can learn to harness life or death, let the magic that lives within this world live within you. You can use it and allow it to use you. You can feed from all that nature gives you and in return you will offer yourself to its longevity.?

Hank rolled his eyes to himself. He still didn't think anything was real, but he would play along for a little bit. With a sign of resignment, he said, ?I suppose if you put it that way, I don't really have a choice. What do I have to do??

A black, leatherbound book appeared suddenly on a pedestal in the middle of the room. ?When the book opens, the ritual begins.? Pappy said pointing at the book.

Hank was vaguely intrigued. He slowly walked towards the book and reached for the clasp. Then, just as he was about to lay his fingers on the ornate buckle, it disappeared in a puff of smoke. He turned to his great-grandfather in confusion. ?What happened, Pappy? Did I do something wrong already??

Grand Pappy laughed a hearty laugh that made his plentiful belly jiggle. ?No, no, foolish child,' He said tears starting to form in his eyes from laughter. ?You kids just want everything handed to you. You think everything will be easy. That's not how this works. In order to claim your birth right, you must first pass three trials. The Trial of Fire, The Trial of Ice and The Trial of Blood.?

Even more confused than before, Hank asked, ?Why didn't you tell me that from the beginning??

Pappy chortled again then, wiping tears in his eyes said, ?Because you should have seen the look on your face when the book poofed away. It was priceless. I wish I had a photographer here that could have captured that look, it would have made eternity a lot more enjoyable.?

Hank growled in frustration, ?Mom and dad always said you were a bitter, old bastard. Now I see how right they were.' Any interest he had had about magic real or fake was officially gone. Angerly, he snarled, ?I don't need any of this. I've got a life to get back to.? He then turned to leave and walked out of the now open door.

He only got a few steps away before Grand Pappy's booming voice called out, ?Did your daddy ever tell you about your great-great-uncle Rob? No, of course he didn't. He wanted to keep the Stahl side of you hidden deep down. He wanted to hide your true potential behind your fancy doodads and whatsits. I will tell you this now, kiddo, if you stay, you will know power greater than you could ever imagine.?

Hank slowly spun to look at his great-grandfather then said, ?That is the difference between me and you, old man, I don't desire power. But, just out of curiosity, who is Rob??

A wicked grin crossed Pappy's face. ?Many years ago, back in the old country.' he began, ?My uncle Rob was a small man, the runt of the litter, kind of like you. Using the abilities that he had, that you will have, he conquered his enemies and brought terror to those who opposed him. He-?

Hank cut Pappy off, ?I'm going to stop you right now. I don't care about conquering anybody. I just want to get back home.?

He backed away from his great-grandfather, careful not to take his eyes off the crazy old man. He should have paid attention to where he was going, however, as he accidently stepped into a firepit.

Pappy laughed once again and bellowed, ?The Trial of Fire has begun!?

Hank tried to correct his mistake, but it was too late. ?Wait! No! I didn't mean to!' He called out, ?I don't want any of this.?

The old man snickered sickly, ?And I didn't want my only grandson to marry a jezebel, so life is full of disappointment. And that is about to take your head off.?

His great-grandfather's warning was the only thing that saved Hank from a large flaming rock golem taking a swing at his cranium. ?Good luck, boy, try tapping into your capabilities, see what happens?You know, before you die.? Pappy sat on the porch in a rocking chair watching as if he were an audience member watching a football game.

Hank leapt back to avoid another swing from the creature. He promptly tripped over a rock and had to roll out the way of a flaming stomp. He stood and faced the golem. Blood dripped into his eyes from a cut on his forehead. Half blinded, he didn't see the golem's fist until it was inches from his face. Somehow, Hank's own hand shot up and caught the fist before it made contact. He was shocked that the fire didn't burn him. With the blood in his eyes he couldn't see that his hands had turned to stone, but he felt them. Using this newfound ability, he went on the offensive and started to punch back on the golem, pummeling the creature into submission. When the golem was flat on the ground, it crumbled into embers.

?There you go, my boy,' called Grand Pappy from his chair, ?You beat that thing down with Stonehands. I can't tell you how many enemies uncle Rob vanquished with that technique.?

?B-B-But I don't want to vanquish anybody.? Hank stammered shaken from the adrenaline rush of a near-death experience.

?It's alright.' Grand Pappy said in a moment of what seemed like compassion, ?Come inside and eat something. You'll feel a lot better.? Pappy led him in the cabin and to the meat still roasting over the fire. He cut off a sizzling chunk and offered Hank a bite on a fork.

He didn't quite trust his great-grandfather, but he had to admit, it smelled delicious. ?Thanks, old man.? He said taking the fork and putting the food in his mouth. Only after the meat passed his lips did he realize he made a mistake. It was so cold it made his entire body hurt.

With a wry smile, Pappy said, ?Welcome to The Trial of Ice.?

Hank felt horrible. His entire body felt so cold he worried that he was going to get hypothermia right there in the cabin. With anger in his eyes, he took one step towards Pappy, but passed out before he could do anything he might regret. When he woke up this time, he was on a massive frozen lake surrounded by swirling snow. The cabin was nowhere to be seen and the only thought going through Hank's mind was ?That old bastard.'

He didn't have long to curse his great-grandfather. He may not have spent much time outdoors, but he knew that he wouldn't last long in the snow without shelter of some kind. The blizzard-like conditions around him made it difficult to see anything so he closed his eyes and relied on an innate sense of direction to travel in his closest approximation of north.

After only fifteen minutes he realized that he wouldn't be able to make it any further. It was too cold, he had no food, no water, and he was certainly not dressed for a snowstorm. Downtrodden, he decided he was done and could no longer go on. He laid down in the snow and let the flakes drift over him. As he closed his eyes and readied himself for darkness to take him, Hank felt a mysterious heat emanating from his rapidly beating heart. It began to spread down his middle to his legs then out to his arms and feet. Lastly, his head felt like it was wrapped in a warm towel and he was no longer cold. The snow was still falling, but he found that it didn't bother him in the slightest.

Feeling suddenly energized, he stood up and started to jog. Soon, he saw a small log house in the distance. To his disappointment, it wasn't Pappy's, but he thought he might be able to find help there.

He walked onto the porch and politely knocked on the front door. If not for the heat inside his body keeping him nice and toasty and thereby deadening the sounds of the blizzard, he wouldn't have heard the gun cocking from the other side of the door. He managed to dive to the side just in time to avoid having his head blown off.

?I'm not here to hurt you,' He shouted, hoping whoever was inside could understand him over the storm, ?I was just passing through. If you don't shoot at me again, I'll leave!?

?I'd rather see your guts on the ground, mongrel!? Shouted the voice from inside. It was a familiar voice and a familiar insult, one he hadn't heard in a long time, but still hurt as much as it did when he was a child.

?Keith? Is that you?? Hank asked cautiously.

?Yes. Now hold still so I can put another hole in your mongrel head!? Yelled the vicious bully from Hank's elementary school days back in the city. He pressed his back against the wall and began to hyperventilate in fear. But soon his fear turned to rage and the heat from his body started to radiate outward. It got so hot it started to melt the ice under the house. Hank quickly backed away and couldn't help a small smile as Keith screamed while his house sunk to the bottom.

A blink later and he was back in Pappy's cabin being helped off the ground. ?Way to go, child!' The old-timer praised, ?Not only did you access Inner Warmth, but you turned that into Irradiating Flame with little effort. You have no idea how proud I am of you. Now you can survive in any temperature, and set enemies close to you ablaze.?

The last thing Hank wanted was for Pappy to be proud of him. He didn't want these abilities. He didn't want to continue these trials. All he wanted to do was go home. ?I started the first trial by accident.' He said with growing fury, ?And you tricked me into doing the second. Until you let me go home, I'm just going to sit down and not do anything. That way I have no chance of starting the third.?

Pappy took off his glasses and gently cleaned them on a cloth. ?Don't you see, foolish boy. The Trial of Blood has already begun.? He used them to point to the cut on Hank's forehead.

?B-B-But I got this during the first trial. Why would it matter now?? Hank stammered with his, now typical, mix of confusion and anger.

Pappy shrugged and made a grunting sound that resembled ?I don't know?. He then dove as quick as his large frame would allow into another room and slammed the door.

Hank was about to chase after the old man until he felt a trickle of blood ooze from the wound and roll down the side of his face. A drop fell to the ground and splashed onto the wooden floor. He wiped the line of blood with his hand and it came away a crimson smear. There was much more blood than he expected. Another drop fell to the ground from the still flowing injury. Then another fell then another, soon a steady rain of blood was running off his face. He didn't know how he had that much blood in his body. The wound was gushing so much that the room was starting to fill up with blood. In his head he knew this shouldn't be possible, but all this blood was coming from his head, so he wasn't sure what was real anymore.

Shortly thereafter, he was struggling to breath as he was nearly drowning in a blood-filled room. He kicked his way to a small air pocket near the ceiling and had just taken a deep breath when he was pulled under by something. Hank opened his eyes, finding he could somehow see. He looked around for what had pulled him but didn't see anything at first. Then it appeared. Of all the unbelievable things that had happened, an under-blood hammerhead shark had to be the most unbelievable. The beast flicked its tail and charged at Hank mouth open wide.

Hank tried to turn and swim away, but he was nowhere near as good a swimmer shark. It clamped onto his right foot and bit down hard. He screamed, expelling all the air he had in his lungs. He tried to get up to the air pocket, but it was pulling him down. He felt himself drowning. His chest got tight as his lungs yearned for oxygen. ?Well, this sucks.' He thought as the world went black.

Hank's eyes snapped open. He was still surrounded by a sea of red. A giant shark was still gnawing on his foot. Yet he felt nothing, not even the need to breath. His first thought was that he was dead and he was somehow trapped in his deceased body. Then he realized he was able to move. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a small knife and stabbed the shark in the middle of its hammerhead. It released its grip on him and quickly swam away.

The blood level in the house started to drop and disappear until there wasn't a drop to be seen anywhere. Even the cut on his forehead had healed and there was nothing on his foot where the shark had bit him. Pappy burst through the door he had hid behind and shouted, ?In all my years I never would have guessed that a progeny of mine would be the first to master Essence of the Undying in a hundred years!' He added quietly, but not quietly enough, ?And a half-breed at that.?

Hank was done. He was furious that he had been put through Hell and his great-grandfather was making jokes. ?I'm finished here, old man. Tell me how to get back right now or I'll use some of my new powers on your sorry old ass.?

Pappy laughed, ?Go ahead and try, boy. I've been dead for years it won't do you any good. Or you can calm down and I can show you how to use those powers to bring me back then together we can take back what we lost years ago.?

Hank didn't have to think about the offer very long. Without saying anything, he used Stonehands to punch down the front door and leave. His great-grandfather yelled for him to come back, but as Hank walked away into the sunshine, the cabin and the old man's words faded away the Trials having been completed. The warm embrace of his pillow and blankets took their place and he was left wondering if it was all a dream.

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Tin Can Camping

In the early 70's my parents bought a lot in Wisconsin on Lake Kegonza, a very Indian name, but that's those Wisconsin Indians for you. My parents were so proud of their purchase and invited us all to come stay a night at their summer retreat. The small quarter acre lot had a trailer parked under the one and only pine tree on the property. My work-a-holic husband actually asked for a few days off from his job. We packed our bags and went. After all it was a free vacation and that's all we could afford. Our children were four and six, so I packed suitcases full of clothes, bathing suits and towels.

We packed coolers of food and paper plates never considering that Wisconsin has their very own grocery stores. It was the first time in my life that I had to plan a few days of menus. I packed a large box with our mixing spoons, tongs, electric frying pan and toaster, my main essentials to cooking a meal for my family. We packed sheets and towels into a black plastic garbage bag because we ran out of suitcases. We let the children pick out their favorite toys. This was going to be fun.

Somehow my husband got everything into our car. Here came the Beverly Hill Billy's off to a Chevy Chase vacation. It should have been only a two-hour ride, but two hours of listening to, ?Are we there yet?? became a long trip through construction delays. After stopping to pay four tolls, we finally reached the state border and triumphantly announced to the excited children that we were crossing into Wisconsin. The freeway lined with pine trees and wild flowers looked beautiful. I suggested that the children watch for deer. Finally, we found our exit. We were circling the off ramp when one of the children spotted a dead deer, its feet stuck straight up in the air as it laid on the side of the road.

?Is it Bambi?? one asked.

Both children looked. ?What happened to Bambi? Why is he sleeping like that?? asked the youngest.

The more experienced six year old quickly explained ?He's dead!? and they both started crying.

My husband cheerily said, ?We're almost there.?

After driving county highways and little back roads, we found our vacation retreat, a rusted-out camper with one tiny door, no emergency back door for escape, but it was next to a lake. Wow. We opened the doors to get out of the car and stretched our legs. The children emerged with their arms full of toys. Rob unlocked the camper door and we started carrying in our supplies. After many trips back and forth we finally unloaded the trunk A problem arose: Where in the tiny camper do we put everything? The camper was small. There were no chairs. The tiny table lowered to bench level, and cushions from the benches were laid over the table to make a bed. The bathroom was the size of a telephone booth. This was not the Ritz. It wasn't  even Motel 6, but it was camping with a roof over our heads. Think positive and smile a lot, I told myself

?Let's go swimming,? someone suggested, so I found their little bathing suits and beach towels. After getting both little ones dressed we headed to the water. They stopped before even sticking a toe in the cold water to complain ?This water stinks. It smells like fish.?

How can a lake filled with fish, not smell like fish? I thought.

Then they spotted the dead fish floating by. Okay, even after my husband scooped the dead carcass out; it took some time to convince the kids to get into the water, but they actually had fun in the chilly water playing with their beach toys. But when it was time to get out, we realized there was no shower. We had to wash off in the one and only sink which was located in the kitchen area of the camper. This area was not clearly defined, but it was close, very close to the table/bed. Do I dare even call it a kitchen?

I started helping my daughter off with her wet bathing suit, when to her horror, she found dark wet seaweed sticking to her little body inside her bathing suit. High shrieks came out of this terrified little girl. I showed her how we pick off all the green stuff. She sobbed that she wasn't not touching it with her hands.

After everyone was washed, the best we could do in these circumstances, and dressed, we were hungry. It was time to make our first meal. There wasn't enough room in the trailer for me and the family unless we put the children into the telephone booth bathroom to play. Their father decided to take them outside. I was left unpacking our food supplies. My first meal plan was fried chicken because all the finicky eaters would eat it. There were only two outlets in the entire trailer. Because of the distance between plugs I ended up with the electric frying pan plugged into one outlet and the toaster plugged into the other outlet at the farthest end of the trailer. I was running from one end of the trailer to the other turning chicken pieces and ejecting toast before it burnt, getting my exercise before the meal. The meal wasn't elaborate but we were filled. My husband again took everyone outside while I figured out how to wash an electric pan in a sink that was half the size of the pan. Right then ?tiny? sounded like a big word to describe this kitchen.

After a couple of hours of playing outside, the mosquitoes forced us to retreat inside our tin cave. There wasn't enough floor space for us all to stand up at the same time, so we put our pop cans, chicken bones, and dirty napkins in a plastic garbage bag and placed it outside. We sat to read stories until bedtime. The miniature table was lowered and bench cushions were placed over the table. I tucked sheets over the cushions. We all had to sleep together, and soon we were all trying to get comfortable over the kitchen table. Comfortable is not a word that described that night, but the children finally got to sleep. In the middle of the night it started raining. At first there was a couple ping pings of rain drops on the metal roof, then they started coming faster and faster. Suddenly there were millions of drops. We were trying to sleep in a tin can! After several hours of lying there, listening to the storm, the rain stopped, and I heard another noise outside. It was an animal tearing apart our garbage bag in search of food. Then it was crunching on our chicken bones, one crunch at a time. Was it a bear? I could hear every mean bite through the thin walls.

All night long someone's head was in my stomach, or someone's little foot was kicking my head. By morning, with no sleep, I was beyond crabby. Then my husband growled ?Every time I looked over at you during the night, you were sitting up.?

As the children woke, it became evident that we were all crabby campers.  I started to wonder if we should try fishing for our breakfast or try to make pancakes or move to a Holiday Inn.

CW: rape, murder

At beginning ,in this story a man sees (Frist character) who were go for his summer trip and thinking of good and joyfully trip,but who knows what's gonna be happen ....he's name was Alexender which character is very bad,selfish and he's play boy ,he's just crazy about girls ....he's weekness is girls ,he never control himself when it comes girls....one day he go for his summer trip to his farm house for holiday by the car ,all things good and he's happy but suddenly one girl standing on the road side and the girl saying 'please help me ' and he's greed come out towards girl ,he was thinking to do somethings with that girl so he say sure come and then two were going and they started conversation with eachother and the girl name was Dyna (second character)...he's suddenly stopped the car and thinking about his past ...and think that's just concidence and again started to drive the car ...and after then they finally reach the farm house and go for the room and they rest and Alexender makes dinner for her and he asked her come to ate dinner and she's comes and they ate dinner with eachother and make more conversations he asked her where are you form ??how you come the road?? What should I have to help you??..and she's replied I am form London and I am came here for my family's then I miss my bus so I asked you to help me and then she's pretend that someone call her and started crying and he's comes and asked her what's happened then she replied my whole family's died because of bus accident then she started cried more and and get sympathy from him and he gives his arms to lay her and for feels more good and the days goes ,he really started to like her, they more interact with eachother and he's shocked and talked to himself (how can I love with some one hahah and says loudly wow I am in love ) and he finally decided to confess his feelings towards her ..and he go to her room and say Dyna I want to confess something to you and Dyna replied please go a head you don't want to asked me then he says Dyna I really love you .. please be with me ,and the Dyna says yes I love you too and then they started to dating eachother and they so much in love ...he really started to love her more and more and he's just mad for her...he just loves everythings about her and everything's go good and joyfully.... one day the Dyna and Alexender go together for shower and they play with eachother and even they romanced with eachother and just enjoyed the moments with eachother and Alexender hugged her so tightly and there's a Mirror Infront of him and he'eyes on in it and he's just shocked cause Alexender only seen in the mirror but Dyna wasn't seen it ....He scared so much in inside he Control himself and decided don't show her that he knew already about her that she's not human ...and he just pretend that he just knew nothing and pretend normal ...and started looking her and checked her more then she's also found that he already knew about her but one day he planned to ran away from here and at the mid night at 2 am he decided to ran away from there he slowly slowly steps his foot we all know she's not Normal human being (she's ghost) ..so she's found and suddenly comes in front of him and he started screaming and he's was so sacred with her ...and he was asking her who are you ?? After that...she's just replied nothing gonna be happen don't worry which the boy says in the past to a small girl ..and then Alexender asked who are you again and again the girl replies same to him that nothing gonna be happend the she's says to him to remember the date 1918 December 31 new year .. raining time you meet one small and innocent girl who knows nothing .....hmmmm then suddenly he started to remember his past and then he remembered it and say Dyna and she replied yes ...(Dyna was a small girl who play with his friends in raining time ,and he give her chocolate and saying many things and started to touch in personnel parts then she say what you are doing uncle and he's saying nothing gonna be happen....and she even begging him please leave me uncle but he just grabbed her ,shut her mouth and started to rapped her because of imature body and the pain she's spot died and he just scared and started digging the ground for her death Body then he ran away )...then in (present) he shocked and scared and started begging infront of her and saying please leave me I am sorry and she replied just remember I also screaming so loudly and beg Infront of you to leave me but what you do you just shut my mouth .....so how can I leave you so easily how can you do this to me hmmm and started crying and saying I was just the age of 10...how can you think also how can people can be this much monster ......you just destroyed my life ...even I dont see much the world ...I am just too small then how can you imagine also that I leave you so easily ...you have to pay for it ha ...do you think that you can freely go ....after that the boy can't bear it and decided to ran away but this time Alexender successful to ran from there and just running in the road but suddenly the bus comes and hit the Alexender (spot dead)....

Main theme is that if we do something wrong then how much we try to ran from then but karmas back so if we do something wrong then we have to paid anyhow ..

That's the karmas and that's the faith of life ....