DDOlympics Storytelling Part 2

Thanks so much to me opponent for the competitive story, and for agreeing to make this about the content of the story and not weird stuff like sources. Thanks also to all the fans! (197 characters) Meta. There once was a girl who learned to fight. There once was a girl who learned to kite. There once was a girl who learned to spite. There once was was a girl who learned to rhyme. There once were three men in a room, huddled, desperately looking for a clever introduction. Their employer suggested that the storyboard begin with some kind of "meta-narrative," and the rhyming girl story was their best idea so far. On reading of the employers, the teenager caught the irony of his own reading of the meta narrative in his friends "Meta" blog. She thought it was quite clever, but necessarily felt sympathetic for the fictional employees who seemed trapped by the narrative they sought to form. Dave thought little of very low opinion of blogs, and an even lower opinion of teenagers. "There's no way she'd write that" he grumbled. Al Asad sighed. This book was too confusing. Devon chuckled knowingly and closed the book. Patrick didn't get it. He closed the book. But Rainia did, and she also recognized her ironic place in the story as she closed the book. Patrik saw his name, but thought little of it, except that he wished someone would spell it his way. Ester liked the fast-pace writing style, but was confused because it was on the radio, not a book, so the irony was diminished. Roberto felt the novelty wearing off. He understood it. The author was beating a dead horse by the end, in his opinion. The second judge smirked near the end. He wondered whether it would be more ironic to write a love or hate for the tale. Juanita looked up, as if an invisible author were controlling her every move. The graduate student looked back at Juanita, the character in her Second Life digital story, as if in answer. She thought the moment was quite picturesque. Janet expected a more abrupt and less satisfying. * Bob wondered by authors ended their stories with an asterisk, but thought little of it. The story had a satisfyingly unsatisfactory ending. It was too perfect. ** Mr. Marshall giggled. He found the story amusing throughout. But at the same time, he felt hungry. He though of who of his friends he should recommend "Meta" to. George might like that sort of thing. *** Ok now that's freaky, George thought. **** Marie knew where this was going. Obviously, the asterisks would increase for each time the meta story shifted. The end had four asterisks, which meant the reader, she, was part of the narrative. Clever. But she wondered about the "George" incident. It would only really be an effective literary tool if she herself had been named "George." Perhaps the story was meant to appeal to a very small audience. Maybe it had some meaning. She tried not to brush it off as some "artistic thing." She'd worked too hard in literature classes for that sort of laziness. Maybe the author was trying to convey something about the nature of coincidence? ***** Because her name was not Marie, the boy was satisfied. ****** But the girl was not. ******* Mary Ann was concerned about why the asterisks didn't appear earlier in the story. ******** Robby didn't care one iota about the story or it's artistic content. He wished the author would stop jerking off to their own ego and end the story already. ********* Ralph was disheartened to learn that the phrase "jerk off" was in the narrative. He'd wanted to show it to his kids. ********** Littlefeather didn't believe in sheltering her children from phrases like "jerk off." But she didn't think it was worth showing her kids the book anyway. *********** Ugh, I'm tired of writing the author thought. ************ And that's were it ends? So predictable, she thought. ************* Of course, Bob answered the fictional character. It could end at any time. Just what was the author dragging their feet for? ************** Just wear was the author going with those asterisks? That was a dumb idea. We all know it was going to end with asterisks--the story even said so from the beginning. *************** Are the asterisks even still increasing by one? Peter thought. He had long since stopped counting. **************** It's an odd sort of feeling in itself, knowing you are going to be part of a story, Robin mused. It's like watching all of your previous lives, and a little of your future. ***************** Lee didn't believe in bologna like previous lives. This was stupid. ****************** Susana didn't like the way that Lee was portrayed as a close-minded stereotypical conservative. It just seemed to make them look like the bad guys. ******************* Ming know the author, so thought nothing of it. ******************** Am I the last one? Daniel thought. If I am a character, does it end with me? ********************* Am I the last one? Jane thought. I suppose that means I am. ********************** Am I the last one, "Dr. Foxy" thought. I guess so. Or I could write more. *********************** It's like it's winding down, the critic thought. I love it. ************************ "The long goodbye," Lucy whispered, and thought of her mom. ************************* That was kind of sad, kind of satisfying, Jaqueen concluded. ************************** How many endings are there? Someone shouted. *************************** I am the last one. The first and the last. I. ***************************** The last two didn't have names. Is the ending opening up, allowing me to enter myself? Are they becoming closer to me? Are they me? ******************************* I'm the last one, Peter said to John. John had no idea what Peter was talking about. ********************************* I am the last one, God said. *********************************** Jared thought the ending was sacrilegious. Where do I fit in? ************************************