Again, I seem to be delayed in writing about each chapter. The reason for it this time is covid. Three jabs later, and still I get it. I got it from taking care of my son – so actually, I am quite okay with that. I believe a child should not be left alone when sick – no matter how sick or contagious the illness maybe.
But the blog is not about me… so let’s move on to chapter four.
I always finding it interesting to re-read the chapters, noticing those strange little stories I add. The first one being here the remark about how Einstein’s theory is not completely correct. It is a nice message though, telling kids to answer a question even if it’s wrong. A lot of kids simply leave the question blank if they don’t know the answer, which is a shame. There is always a percentage of luck in life. (smile)
The second little antidote or parable is that of a child’s trainset. I think I enjoy creating such comparisons. They might not be perfect, but who decides what is? The train track idea helps to explain the connection between Evylin and George. I think I also write these explanations in because at some point someone’s going to ask me how the attraction of the splinter works – and by the time this happens, I’ll have forgotten. I am fighting my own memory loss. (Smile)
This chapter basically helps develop Evylin’s character and continues to show how the game is not like any other. It depends greatly on its sense of reality for success. This is shown through the fact that Evylin actually enjoys hiking in Creation but not in a normal hiking program. The fact that she could die while doing it, clearly seems to be part of the attraction.
I’ve never really gone hiking myself (I have been up and down one or two mountains but not like I imagine a ‘Hiker’ does.) I haven’t as yet discovered the beauty in it. This must sound awful, but it’s true. I hope one day to share this experience with someone nice. (Smile) If she doesn’t hurry up and find me though – I’ll be too old to even climb the stairs let alone a mountain. LOL.
So without having actually experienced hiking, how can I describe the scene?
I live in Austria. Ask anyone about hiking and you will get a relatively good idea what the addiction is.
After the scene of Evylin climbing the mountain, (somewhat self-centered in her wish to do this, she heads back down to the beach – clearly in a very good mood. Without spoiling any surprises – all her joy and the ‘almighty’ experience she’d had on the hillside with her avatar being put into proportion to the rest of the world – is turned into a vicious and ruthless attack. It is one of the few times in the story where Evylin kills someone driven by her own emotions. Most of the time she delivers death simply because that is what the game’s about. Earlier in the chapter I mention how she gets cross when she doesn’t know the answer to something and remains angry until she does. This need to control her own environment is part of the reason for her brutal attack.
It a short chapter, showing contrasting emotions within Evylin. These are not controlled by her, as I imagine most of her life is. She surprises herself with how much she wanted to climb the mountain, and then although she knew the brutality involved in her attack was not necessary, felt relieved after.
