Young Writers Society

Marnin-proper noun; A Hebrew name meaning one who creates joy.

Once upon a time, there was a boy named Marnin, who loved to smile and laugh. He was younger and weaker then his brothers; Alvis(1), Greipr(2) and Kalidasa(3), who would poke fun at him all day long. Yet, despite that fact, Marnin was always able to find the happiness in life. Even in the darkest of times -under the blackest of clouds- he would mange to find his only reason to keep on smiling. Whether it be the fact that a tiny bird finally took flight for the first time or how the wind would kiss his cheek as it made its way home. He loved the wind.

One day, when the sun was at its highest and the flowers had all bloomed and the cardinals sang their songs, Marnin decided to go for a walk in the meadows. It wasn't long till his brothers realized he was gone and set off to find their baby brother. Pretty soon, they spotted him lying in the grass, watching the clouds change shape overhead. As always, he had a huge grin on his face -spread cheek to cheek- and a light, whimsical laughter brewed in his soul and escaped his lips as he traced figures in the sky. This angered his brothers, for the three of them could never feel such pure joy that Marnin could -no matter how hard they tried. So they decided in hushed, hurried whispers to ruin his perfect day once and for all.

Alvis believed that the smartest choice would be to approach their brother from the left, under the dense cover of the forest's foliage.

"Marnin is to much of a harebrained idiot to look towards the trees. For heaven's sake, he has his eyes glued to those dumb clouds, probably wouldn't even notice a bird if it took a sh*t right on him." Alvis said.

The other two snickered, their lips curling over their teeth in wicked grins. Together they moved as one to the meadow's fringe, where they kneeled down behind the lone Lingonberry bush. As they suspected, Marnin had no idea what was beginning to take place.

"Alvis, what shall we do now." Greipr and Kalidasa said in union.

"Well-" And the three leaned in closer, their cruel words getting lost in each other, as they conspired away.

Meanwhile, out in the meadow, under the fading orange glow of the afternoon sun, Marnin continued in his youthful play. By now the clouds had gone away and birds had stopped their song. But Marnin still found happiness in the sleepy world and changed his eyes to the pastel waves of pinks and purples and blues of the green sea all around him. He would pluck a flower from it's spot and lift it to his nose, inhaling its intoxicating perfume. Then he'd rub the pads of his fingers along the petal's soft, velvet edges, letting the life and the color seep into his skin.

However, behind the berry bush, where the sun had finally died, the three brothers broke from their feverish babble. Alvis, the smartest of the four had finally come up with a plan that he hoped would make Marnin's happiness no more. And so, as their brother got lost in the sea of green, Kalidasa picked his way out from the trees. He smiled sweetly -sourness sweating from his skin- as he lifted a hand to wave.

"Marnin, my dear brother," he cooed, "mother has been worried sick and sent me out to collect you. Come it's time to go home, for the hours of rest are upon us."

Marnin looked up, saw his favorite of kin and scrambled to his feet. "Of course, I'm coming," he said, his words dancing through the air. Carelessly he made his way to Kalidasa, stopping just in front of him to hold up a hand and smile.

"Do you see it brother." Marnin asked?

"See what, the filth on your hands and your trousers? Why if that's the case then yes I do -for once in your life, take care of yourself."

Looking down, Marnin let out a sigh of content as he noticed the colors that stained his trousers for the first time. "But it's not filth, it's life, it's beauty," he said, "look closer brother, at the way the colors flow. They tell a story."

Kalidasa huffed, batting Marnin's hand from his face. "And what story could they possibly be telling," he asked.

"Why, the story of the wind and the places it's been." Marnin said, looking at his palm once more.

"Hmph. Aren't there any brains in that little head of yours. The wind is nothing more then a nuisance, stripping our wheat of its seeds. Now, enough with that stupid nonsense of it telling stories. Best be on our way, don't want to keep mother waiting long."

The two walked down the old worn path of the forest that ran the length of their farm, Kalidasa in the lead. He was the most beautiful of the brothers. Like their simple, small town mother, he had fine blonde hair and fair skin. Lips plump and cheeks flushed a strawberry pink. Marnin trusted him the most because of this. He trusted him because he believed a person of such beauty couldn't do anything wrong. That's why, as he let Kalidasa lead him home, he had no idea what was lying in wait on the other side of the hill.

Nestled in between the lowest hanging branches of the oak trees just outside the view of their farm house, Greipr sat. His muscles ached for relief from the tension of his crouched position but, being as conditioned as he was, Greiper pushed aside the feeling and prepared for his cue. The time was almost near. He could feel it, as the faintest sound of footsteps drew closer.

"Say it brother," he said through clenched teeth, "say the words and I shall scare that annoyance of person we call family."

Down below, with a sudden urgency, Kalidasa stopped dead in his tracks. His sweet smiling façade melting away.

"Why have we stopped brother?" Marnin asked.

"You sicken me, you know that right? Sick. To my stomach. Every time I see your face I can feel a repulsive bile rise up in my throat." Kalidasa replied. His words like liquid venom.

"I don't think I understand brother."

"It's your happiness. I don't understand how you can be so joyful all the time. I mean look at you, your nothing like the rest of us. You're weak, deformed and brain damaged. A stupid, worthless piece of nothing." Kalidasa's beautiful strawberry flush turned a deep shade of red as his nostrils flared and the tension in his shoulders grew more pronounced. "And yet, you're always smiling, laughing, believing in things like stories from the wind. How foolish could you be?"

Marnin couldn't help but look down, his cheeks also flushed -more so out of pain then anger, he wasn't angry. "I'm sorry brother," he said.

"Sorry?"

"Yes. For taking away your happiness, replacing it with anger and resentment. No one should live that way. So I'm sorry." Marnin reached out to touch Kalidasa's face but pulled back when he noticed the look of emptiness in his eyes.

"I don't want your apology." Kalidasa said. "I want you're fear."

"What do you-"

At that moment, Greipr fell from above, landing directly behind Marnin. He grabbed him, pushing his wire frame to the ground -screaming. Marnin was stunned, confused at what his brother said -the brother he loved the most, the one he trusted- and confused at why? But, as Greipr continued to push his face into the muddy earth, Marnin's confusion turned to what Kalidasa had said he wanted most. Fear. Gut-retching, utter fear. For how could his own kin, his own flesh and blood turn against him.

It was at that moment, that he broke. That a dark cloud rolled over him and clung to his clothes, refusing to move. Fear coated his heart and lungs like thick tar that he couldn't swallow, and it suffocated him, slowly. All around him, Marnin could hear laughter. Deep, ominous laughter. Like laughter that came from the shadows of a child's mind.

It lasted for two minutes. That's it. Greipr slowly rose to his feet, dusted the knees of his shorts and pulled back his lips in one last grin. Kalidasa and Alvis joined him at Marnin's side. Looking down in disgust.

"That's what you get for being weak." Greiper said.

"That's what you get for being ugly." Kalidasa said.

"That's what you get for being a retard." Alvis said.

Then three brothers looked at each other, then looked back down. "That's what you get for being happy. You get to lie on the ground, where you belong, because you'll never measure up to us." They said in union.

Then they turned, and started to walk away. They thought they broke him, for a moment they did. But what they didn't realize was that Marnin was joy. It wasn't a feeling, it embodied him, created him, made him who he was. So as he lay on the muddy earth, trousers stained with the colors of the green ocean's waves, cheek kissed by the wind, the sun poked it's way through to the place where it had died for one last moment. It shined on him and Marnin knew.

As his three brothers vanished over the hill, past the great oak just outside the view of their farm house, laughter could be heard. Faint and wholesome. It brewed in Marnin's soul and escaped his lips as he pushed himself off the ground.

"I forgive you." Marnin whispered. 

Foot Notes 1.Alvis: An English baby name meaning -All knowing 2.Greipr: An Icelandic baby name meaning -A man of great strength 3.Kalidasa: A French baby name meaning -beautiful swan

***This was an assignment for my psychology class. We had to create our own story, using what ever theme we wanted and then we had to create questions using each of the steps in the Bloom's Taxonomy model. This was my story. Feel free to analyze it, I don't expect it to be great as I only had a day for the assignment. Enjoy.