This is an unlinked page made only for the editors of Hobart literary magazine

– Mark L Berry

 (The essay is 4,700 words)

The audio story “As Far Away As I Could Get”
Read by the author
(with embedded companion song “The Infinite Steps”)   31:09

Words by Mark L Berry and Music by Simon Ashby
Performed by Simon Ashby

This is the companion song “The Infinite Steps” by itself   4:48

Lyrics:

(Intro)
To get away from my grief
I went far away
I strapped on a pack
And lived day to day

When I’m wearing a pack
Every step is a chore
But with every step
There’s another step more

Nine hours of climbing
A 3000 foot rise
The last thing I needed
Was a scary surprise

(chorus)
The Infinite Steps
Continued on and on
As far as I can see
And I’ve been climbing since dawn

Whistling in the woods
That can’t be good
Am I being followed?
I froze where I stood

Those birdcalls are fake
And even though I ache
If they decide to attack me
They’ll learn their mistake

I’ll fight ‘til I’m dead
I have nothing to live for
If you want a fight
I’ll give you a war

(chorus)
The Infinite Steps
Continued on and on
As far as I can see
And I’ve been climbing since dawn

I picked up a rock

And resigned to my fate
Nowhere to run
So I stood up straight

I can’t afford
To be easy prey on the trail
They’ll want a soft target
But they’re gonna fail

I could hear them
Just off to my right
Making noise in the woods
Just out of sight

(chorus)

The Infinite Steps
Continued on and on
As far as I can see
And I’ve been climbing since dawn

When I finally
Approached Ghoripani
What did I see
Looking back at me?

Four shady boys
Staring at my hand
At the rock I was holding
That spoiled their plan

So they slipped away
Avoiding the village
To wait another day
For a trekker to pillage

(chorus)
The Infinite Steps
Continued on and on
As far as I can see
And I’ve been climbing since dawn

The risk was behind me
The view my reward
Was it worth the climb?
I’d reached an accord

I couldn’t go back
To before my gal’s death
But just like on the trail
I could count every breath

And reach for the sun
Climbing over the range
And decide what I could handle
And what I couldn’t change

(4th Chorus)

The Infinite Steps
Went on and on
But tomorrow I’ll see
The Himalayas at dawn

The Infinite Steps
Went on and on
But tomorrow I’ll see
The Himalayas at dawn

Lyrics Copyright©2010 by Mark L Berry

13,760 Feet–Living with TWA Flight 800

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 48 Hour Film Festival 2009
submission by
Stick Shaker Studios

• The Genre we drew is: “Horror!”
• The required character is: “Ashton Brown, an expert.”
• The required prop – A picture of a mother and/or father…
• The required line of dialog is: “Have you ever seen anything like it?”

Here’s the movie. Run time 7 mins 50 secs –

This is the script we wrote for our Stick Shaker Studios submission to this year’s event. Lisa Ebert, Cleveland Brown, and Mark L Berry had from 6pm when we drew “Horror” as our genre until our actors arrived at 10pm to create this and write it up. Meanwhile, we received our required character, “Ashley or Ashton Brown, an expert,” our required prop, “a picture of mom and/or dad,” and our required line of dialog, “Have you ever seen anything like it?” from Annett who attended the kick-off meeting.

Reflected Relections

Working Title: MIRRORS

A 48 Hour horror film

CHARACTERS

Wife

Husband

Dr. Ashton Brown, a paranormal professional

Ghosts, miscellaneous improvised characters

SETTING

The home of the husband and wife

SCENE ONE

Open on dining room where wife is standing at the dining room table, rummaging through her purse. She pulls out her liptick (or some other item) and holds up an antique mirror while applying it.

Her back is to the fireplace, over which is an antique mirror. Through the reflection in the hand mirror, she sees a shadow move across the large mirror behind her. She turn in surprise, but cannot see it when she stares at the large mirror directly.

Cut to her placing a large mirror on the buffet on the other side of the room. She performs a few angle tricks to try to replicate the occurrence. It is successful and she begins seeing shapes rather than just shadows.

SCENE TWO

Several hours later the husband returns home.

HUSBAND: Honey, I’m home.

His wife does not answer. He comes into the dining room where she sits. The room is filled with mirrors. His wife is staring at the different mirrors.

WIFE: Have you ever seen anything like it?

HUSBAND: What are you talking about? What have you done?

WIFE: Sit here. Yes. Right there. Now look this way.

The husband looks, following her directions. He begins to see the shadows moving from mirror to mirror.

HUSBAND: Holy shit.

WIFE: Yeah.

HUSBAND: What do we do? Who do we call?

WIFE: I already called someone. He’s on his way.

The doorbell rings.

WIFE: That’s him!

They run to the door and let in Dr. Ashton Brown, a creepy man.

WIFE: Dr. Ashton Brown? Thank you so much for coming on such short notice.

DR. BROWN: Show me the mirrors.

They bring him into the dining room.

DR. BROWN: I’ve been looking for these for a long time. Where did you get these mirrors?

HUSBAND: They came with the house.

DR. BROWN: Are there any more?

WIFE: Funny you should ask… the last owners left behind only mirrors.

HUSBAND: There are more in the basement. They always bothered me, so I left them there.

DR. BROWN: I must see the other mirrors.

SCENE THREE

They are carrying the mirrors up from the basement and setting them up in the dining room, adding to the many other mirrors.

DR. BROWN: This should do it. Haven’t you ever noticed these papers on the back of this mirror?

HUSBAND: No. I never moved them.

They glance at a stack of old cryptic notes.

DR. BROWN: (At this point, actor improvises mumbo jumbo about the history of the mirrors and the danger they pose to the uninitiated. He demonstrates the different angles, and everyone oohs and aahhs over the visions of ghosts that begin appearing, a different face in each mirror.)

WIFE: (reading from a sheet) (Actor improvises mumbo jumbo)

Suddenly a face in one of the mirrors begins talking to them, making dire predictions, threatening them. The wife moves away to another mirror and ends up by the fireplace. In this one she sees her mother, who is also on the photo in the mirror.

MOTHER: Destroy the mirrors before it’s too late.

Cut to a quick scene in the hallway of a struggle. Dr. Brown is strangling the husband. He collapses.

Cut back to the hypnotized wife’s face. Dr. Brown’s face appears close to hers.

DR. BROWN: (whispering) Have you ever seen anything like it?

WIFE: No. (Tight shot on her face as she steps away horrified. Go to long shot of a ghost standing behind her. She turns and sees the ghost.)

WIFE: How did you do that?

DR. BROWN: The sacrifice, of course.

GHOST #1: The first sacrifice brings us out.

WIFE: Us? Us? Sacrifice? What sacrifice?

She looks around the room in a panic. Ghosts appear throughout the room, each speaking at her, some in foreign tongues. She calls out for her husband. She moves backward away from them. She finally looks into the hallway and sees her husband’s feet on the floor. His body is obscured by the wall.

GHOST #2: The second sacrifice keeps us out here.

WIFE: What second sacrifice? No!

She smashes the mirror. It shatters.

GHOST #3: You shouldn’t have done that.

They all descend upon her. Her scream is the last thing we hear and the scene fades.

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This is a test page for my novel Pushing Leaves Towards the Sun audiobook
A novel by Mark L Berry
Intro and Outro music to most chapters by Adam Hill

Chapters are first-person and read alternately by Mark L Berry as Billy, Alison Leston as Lindy, or Christopher Madden as Dog.

Here are the first five chapters to get you started. Cheers, MLB

Novel Intro and Chapter 1 – Curb Hopping            12:00 (Billy)

Chapter 2 – He Loved to Ride                                    4:34 (Lindy)

Chapter 3 – Last Call                                                     12:03 (Billy)

Chapter 4 – Oso’s Last Ride                                         7:27 (Lindy)

Chapter 5 –  Formidable Force                                   4:34 (Billy)

____________________________________________________

                                       Chapter Titles                  Companion Songs     Minutes

Part I
Summer of 1984

Chapter    1 – Billy       Curb Hopping                                                                    12:00
Chapter    2 – Lindy    He Loved to Ride                                                                4:34
Chapter    3 – Billy      Last Call                                                                                12:03
Chapter    4 – Lindy    Oso’s Last Ride                  One Down and Four Up        7:27
Chapter    5 – Billy      Formidable Force                                                               4:34

Part II
2 Years Later—Summer of 1986

Chapter    6 – Billy      Kassi’s Diner                                                                       26:10
Chapter    7 – Lindy    Bubble Hockey                   Can’t Say Goodbye                 8:28
Chapter    8 – Billy      The Battle of Breakfast                                                     7:11
Chapter    9 – Lindy    High School                                                                          9:52
Chapter  10 – Billy      Around The Loco Beer Fridge                                      20:30
Chapter  11 – Dog        The Fallout Shelter          If I’m Only Dreaming           25:13
Chapter  12 – Billy      Ship of Fools                                                                        35:26
Chapter  13 – Lindy    Officer Huskador                                                               00:–
Chapter  14 – Billy      Guests of the Crew                                                             00:–
Chapter  15 – Lindy    Concert Plans                                                                      00:–
Chapter  16 – Billy      Misery Loves Company                                                                        00:–
Chapter  17 – Lindy    One Day                                  One Day                                   00:–
.                                                                                           Screwed at the Drive-thru
Chapter  18 – Dog       Dog Houses                                                                          00:–
Chapter  19 – Lindy    Spy’s Surprise                      Man-Made Roadblocks        00:–
Chapter  20 – Billy      Don Q and Phoenix for Two                                          00:–
Chapter  21 – Lindy     Zodiac Signs                                                                        00:–
Chapter  22 – Billy      What About Lindy?                                                           00:–
Chapter  23 – Lindy    Hey Young Lady                 Hey Young Lady                    00:–
.                                                                                           Organized Anger (drum solo)
Chapter  24 – Dog       White Horse Diner                                                            00:–
Chapter  25 – Billy      Back in the Saddle                                                             00:–
Chapter  26 – Dog       At Least It’s Paid For                                                        00:–
Chapter  27 – Billy      Cockroaches of the Sea                                                    00:–
Chapter  28 – Lindy   About ‘Just Dan’                                                                  00:–
Chapter  29 – Lindy   From a Long Way Away  From a Long Way Away      00:–
Chapter  30 – Billy     The Silent Treatment                                                        00:–
Chapter  31 – Lindy   Next Move                             Just Another                            00:–
Chapter  32 – Billy     Pushing a Couple Leaves Towards the Sun               00:–
.                                                                                           Pushing Leaves Towards the Sun
Chapter  33 – Lindy   Restless Sleep                                                                      00:–

Part III
2 Years Later—Summer of 1988

Chapter  34 – Lindy    Encore!                                   The Family Tree                     00:–
.                                                                                           Cats
Epilogue     – Billy                                                                                                         00:–

__________________________________________________________

The following songs are used as background within the audiobook with permission from the songwriters (who are friends of mine)

Refugee – Words by Amanda Feuerberg
Music by The Siren
Performed by The Siren

10 Round Click – Words by Amanda Feuerberg
Music by The Siren
Performed by The Siren

In the making of this audiobook, single instances of very short snippets of the following music was used as background within the story with proper references made through dialog or narration:

When Doves Cry – written & performed by Prince

James Bond Theme – written by Monty Norman & performed by John Barry & Orchestra

Mr. Tambourine Man – written & performed by Bob Dylan

Truckin’ – written & performed by The Grateful Dead

The Ballad of Gilligan’s Isle – written by Sherwood Schwartz & George Wyle and performed by The Wellingtons

Theme from Star Trek – written by Alexander Courage for Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek

Theme from Get Smart  – written by Irving Szathmary

Pushing Leaves Towards the Sun

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Pushing Leaves Towards the Sun – a novel in stories and songs by author Mark L Berry

Chapters are first-person and read alternately by Mark L Berry as Billy, Alison Leston as Lindy, or Christopher Madden as Dog.

Test page for my novel Pushing Leaves Towards the Sun audiobook
A novel by Mark L Berry
Intro and Outro music to most chapters by Adam Hill

Novel Intro and Chapter 1 – Curb Hopping            12:57 (Billy)

Chapter 2 – He Loved to Ride                                  04:34 (Lindy)

Chapter 3 – Last Call                                                     11:48 (Billy)

                                       Chapter Titles                  Companion Songs     Minutes

Part I
Summer of 1984

Chapter    1 – Billy       Curb Hopping                                                                    12:57
Chapter    2 – Lindy    He Loved to Ride                                                              04:34
Chapter    3 – Billy      Last Call                                                                                12:–
Chapter    4 – Lindy    Oso’s Last Ride                  One Down and Four Up      07:–
Chapter    5 – Billy      Formidable Force                                                             04:–

Part II
2 Years Later—Summer of 1986

Chapter    6 – Billy      Kassi’s Diner                                                                       26:–
Chapter    7 – Lindy    Bubble Hockey                   Can’t Say Goodbye                08:–
Chapter    8 – Billy      The Battle of Breakfast                                                   07:–
Chapter    9 – Lindy    High School                                                                         10:–
Chapter  10 – Billy      Around The Loco Beer Fridge                                      34:–
Chapter  11 – Dog        The Fallout Shelter          If I’m Only Dreaming           00:–
Chapter  12 – Billy      Ship of Fools                                                                        00:–
Chapter  13 – Lindy    Officer Huskador                                                              00:–
Chapter  14 – Billy      Guests of the Crew                                                            00:–
Chapter  15 – Lindy    Concert Plans                                                                      00:–
Chapter  16 – Billy      Misery Loves Company                                                                        00:–
Chapter  17 – Lindy    One Day                                  One Day                                   00:–
.                                                                                           Screwed at the Drive-thru
Chapter  18 – Dog       Dog Houses                                                                          00:–
Chapter  19 – Lindy    Spy’s Surprise                      Man-Made Roadblocks        00:–
Chapter  20 – Billy      Don Q and Phoenix for Two                                          00:–
Chapter  21 – Lindy     Zodiac Signs                                                                        00:–
Chapter  22 – Billy      What About Lindy?                                                           00:–
Chapter  23 – Lindy    Hey Young Lady                 Hey Young Lady                    00:–
.                                                                                           Organized Anger (drum solo)
Chapter  24 – Dog       White Horse Diner                                                            00:–
Chapter  25 – Billy      Back in the Saddle                                                             00:–
Chapter  26 – Dog       At Least It’s Paid For                                                        00:–
Chapter  27 – Billy      Cockroaches of the Sea                                                    00:–
Chapter  28 – Lindy   About ‘Just Dan’                                                                  00:–
Chapter  29 – Lindy   From a Long Way Away  From a Long Way Away      00:–
Chapter  30 – Billy     The Silent Treatment                                                        00:–
Chapter  31 – Lindy   Next Move                             Just Another                            00:–
Chapter  32 – Billy     Pushing a Couple Leaves Towards the Sun               00:–
.                                                                                           Pushing Leaves Towards the Sun
Chapter  33 – Lindy   Restless Sleep                                                                      00:–

Part III
2 Years Later—Summer of 1988

Chapter  34 – Lindy    Encore!                                   The Family Tree                     00:–
.                                                                                           Cats
Epilogue     – Billy                                                                                                         00:–

The following songs are used as background within the audiobook with permission from the songwriters (who are friends of mine):

Refugee – Words by Amanda Feuerberg
Music by The Siren
Performed by The Siren

10 Round Click – Words by Amanda Feuerberg
Music by The Siren
Performed by The Siren

In the making of this audiobook, single instances of very short snippets of the following music was used as background within the story with proper references made through dialog or narration:

When Doves Cry – written & performed by Prince
James Bond Theme – written by Monty Norman & performed by John Barry & Orchestra

Mr. Tambourine Man – Bob Dylan
Truckin’ – The Grateful Dead

Pushing Leaves Towards the Sun

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