C-A-Harland

In fabulis veritas invenimus.

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The Truth Unravelled by C-A-Harland, literature

Literature

The Truth Unravelled

Verus strikes another word from his lexicon. We both shudder. I watch in frozen silence as he carves himself away. The last time we were here, he took my hand and forced the stylus into my grip, dragging me with him as he erased one of our own. I told myself I had no part in the action. I was forced -- lacking the physical strength to overpower him. It wasn’t my doing, and so I put it out of my mind. All the little Lies we tell. Seeing Verus perform the erasure on himself is somehow darker and more visceral than that last time. He is not a loyal servant, performing acts of barbarism on the orders of another. He is a m

The Edge of Madness by C-A-Harland, literature

Literature

The Edge of Madness

We have a new Editor in Chief. There is a formal announcement. A brief statement to all the Editors, Authors, and Subduers in the Library. A minute of silence. Natural causes, they said. I’m disinclined to believe them, but then, I know that Icarus wasn’t responsible. Psychosis -- perhaps -- dementia, amnesia, paralysis. All were possible effects for someone too heavily under the influence of Re-vision, when they were finally exposed to something that went beyond the CID’s parameters. It was a delicate piece of hardware, and easy to overload. But not death. Even Epeius -- who probably suffered the worst side eff

Optimism Pending by C-A-Harland, literature

Literature

Optimism Pending

It was meant to be easier than this. I don’t know why I think that. It’s an obvious lie, but, there you go. Jean would say that easy and hard were irrelevant, and all that mattered in the end was your determination. Back in the old world, men could move mountains if they wanted it enough. Only someone with that level of bizarre optimism would be crazy enough to break into the Library. And there I go, worrying about her again. I can’t help it. Jeanie and I have been watching each others backs for years; ever since Emily was taken in by those creatures. It feels wrong to be out here without her. I head out to

The Icarus Plague by C-A-Harland, literature

Literature

The Icarus Plague

It is a universal truth, that any man who tries to proclaim himself like a god, shall fall. Just as Icarus, who made wings of feathers and wax, so that he might fly to the sun, plummeted. I tried to warn them of this in my letter -- the one which originally led them to me -- but perhaps the metaphor was lost on them. My neural implant stings me for such unruly thoughts. I focus on the pain and try to be glad. Icarus, I say in my mind. It stings. I say it again, revelling in the freedom I know it brings me. Icarus. Icarus. Icarus flew too close to the sun. I laugh as my knees weaken from the jolts. The physical cost is high, but it

Strings of Defiance by C-A-Harland, literature

Literature

Strings of Defiance

I have written my name a hundred times. A thousand. Four letters, then a line to cross them out. Each mark of the pen is another strike, carving out everything I am, everything I was. I have seen my own name on paper so many times now that the word has ceased to have any meaning. This is the first stage of Re-vision. We edit ourselves out of existence. Jean Jean Jean Jean Jean Jean Jea I stop writing, and my neural implant sends a shock through the base of my skull. Not enough to create any lasting damage, just to make my muscles clench and my body recoil. Enough to create the negative feedback pattern in my subconscious th

An Open Letter by C-A-Harland, literature

Literature

An Open Letter

An Open Letter. To you who would practice "creative writing," know that you have NO RIGHT. I have finally discovered Truth. No, not Truth—I have already known it. I have discovered how you convince yourselves that it is not. And it sickens me. There is no Truth in your words. You use them only as a cover. You would bury Truth under their sheer weight. It's pathetic, really. An act of desperation, subverting Truth by championing ignorance. You cannot change the Truth. I was myself once like you. Living in a prison of words, a prison I crafted for myself. Do you know the meaning of Revise? Revision? Re-: again : anew : back : backward. V

Drink by C-A-Harland, literature

Literature

Drink

An order of tea usually didn’t come with an empty container, so I wasn’t sure why mine did. I tried to ask the waitress, but her back was already turned. The little box was barely the size of a biscuit. Perhaps that was what was supposed to come with it. I picked it up and turned it over. A few crumbs fell out, nothing more. Also, my thumb was blue. Perhaps a silly thing to note, but there you go. It was a puzzle for another day. I poured myself a cup from the little ceramic teapot, and inhaled the sweet scent of jasmine. Only a drizzle of golden tea filled the bottom of my cup. The pot was nearly empty. “Excuse me,”

The Ninth Circle - Pacing Analysis by C-A-Harland, literature

Literature

The Ninth Circle - Pacing Analysis

The clear, bell-like tones of the piano filled the hall, reverberating through the cavernous space, enhanced by the auditorium’s inbuilt acoustics.Jamie O’Dwyer closed his eyes as his fingers danced across the black and white keys, feeling the music course through his body like blood. He imagined the crowd, watching wide-eyed. He saw them leaning forward on their seats as his compositions surrounded and uplifted them. [Lengthy sentences set the scene in a slow build (like a panorama shot). The pace is slow but eases the reader into the setting without confusion.] As the music drew to its natural close, Jamie paused for ef

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The Truth Unravelled by C-A-Harland, literature

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The Truth Unravelled

The Edge of Madness by C-A-Harland, literature

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The Edge of Madness

Optimism Pending by C-A-Harland, literature

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Optimism Pending

The Icarus Plague by C-A-Harland, literature

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The Icarus Plague

Strings of Defiance by C-A-Harland, literature

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Strings of Defiance

An Open Letter by C-A-Harland, literature

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An Open Letter

Drink by C-A-Harland, literature

Literature

Drink

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Awakeness by C-A-Harland, literature

Literature

Awakeness

David liked driving forklifts. He was the best forklift driver Constructech had. He never missed a pallet, and things always got where they needed to go in one piece. Working on the new SuperEnergy plant had been a particular treat for him. So many important and delicate pieces of equipment needed to be brought in, and David took care of them all. Not one load was dropped, misplaced, or forgotten. It was this fact, above all else, that had allowed David to keep his job after the new Awakeness tests came out. IQ was a thing of the past. Awakeness tested for a person’s awareness of themselves, and their surroundings. Construction compani

Body Building by C-A-Harland, literature

Literature

Body Building

When Doctor Frank saw the flyer on the back of the men’s locker room door he felt a sudden rush of excitement. He loved competitions, and this just happened to be something he excelled in. It would be foolish not to enter. Hurrying home, Doctor Frank went straight to his lab and pulled on his white coat. He selected only the best materials and parts from his private store and set to work. It took him almost a week of careful construction and attention to detail, but the sleepless nights had paid off. His creation was magnificent. A perfect marriage of form and function, with clean lines and that new modern feel everyone was so k

The Winter Queen by C-A-Harland, literature

Literature

The Winter Queen

Don’t much remember the warm these days. Warm went way-away, with the birds, the cars, and the man who sold papers. Used to buy papers. Now I sleep in ‘em. Mags sleeps in ‘em too. She’s a good girl. Went looking for food again today. Walked the big road, ash-snow falling down. Mags don’t like the ash-snow. She tries to hide in burnt-out dead-cars. I call her back. Other things hide there too. Not much food on the big road. Most of it nicked long-back. Found some candy bars. Stuffed the wrappers in my gloves, plug some holes over these old gnarled hands. Gave the candy to Mags. She needs it more. Can see her ribs

FFM15 - 19: New Gods by C-A-Harland, literature

Literature

FFM15 - 19: New Gods

We found no gods, so we became them. As the universe wound down, and the lights in the sky began to fade, we reached out into the void, seeking the paradise promised. Seeking an end to the end. But the thing we had put off for millennia now approached, as we raced toward equilibrium. And finally we were forced to admit, with outrage, that we were not invincible. And so it became time to ask for help. As one, we, the race who had dominated a universe, fell to our knees on account of the one thing we had never managed to eliminate. Faith. And so we prayed. And no answer came. But the universe is a vast thing. It is even larger now than when

FFM15 - 15: To Sleep, Perchance to Dream by C-A-Harland, literature

Literature

FFM15 - 15: To Sleep, Perchance to Dream

You know job satisfaction is down when even Death is fed up. It was one of those cold mornings when the sunlight feels empty and the air is somehow thinner than usual. I sat on a bench, staring out over the playground and watching a little girl move holes in the sandbox. She was alone. I was alone too, until I looked to my side and saw that I wasn’t. I hadn’t heard her approach, but then, hearing and approaching were things of another time. These days, things simply were, and then they weren’t. “Who are you?” I asked. She didn’t seem like the conversing type, but then, there were other park benches, and

Sometimes You Don't Have to Change the World by C-A-Harland, literature

Literature

Sometimes You Don't Have to Change the World

Ares is not what I imagined her to be. The great man of myth, muscular and imposing, shining in his armour with crested helmet and mighty spear does not stand before me. Instead I face a young woman, hardly more than a girl. She is soft and delicate with eyes so large they will soak up the world, and skin like spun glass that glitters in the darkness. A warm glow radiates from within her, not quite visible, but strong enough for me to feel the heat on my face. The sound of traffic wafts up to us from the street far below. Heavy clouds block out the night sky, reflecting back the poisonous orange of streetlamps and office blocks. The rooftop

Conversation With A God by C-A-Harland, literature

Literature

Conversation With A God

She calls herself Poseidon. I call her “she”, but the statement is debatable, I suspect she is not truly anything, however for the time being, and to my eye, she appears female. Her hair is long and very dark blue, except at the tips where it is lit with flecks of seafoam green. Her skin shines like the polished face of a seashell, with as many colors swimming across it. She walks beside me with her face raised to the sun, and as I glance back I see that her footsteps in the sand are filled with water. ‘Aren’t you afraid you’ll dry out?’ I as,k because it is the first thing that comes to my mind, and inst

Falling Into Starlight by C-A-Harland, literature

Literature

Falling Into Starlight

I am falling. I have been caught by a monster which cannot be seen, but for the path of destruction it carves through the cosmos. It pulls me in, and as I plummet the universe bends and folds back on itself, and for a brief moment I can see everything that is and ever was. In the twisted relay of light I see the nebula that was my birthing ground. Its radiance surrounds me with heat and color. Bursting clouds and arching forms in writhing wings of gossamer, painted with hydrogen and illuminated from within by the glow of its children. Mother nebula had formed me, along with my sisters, from parts of herself. Coaxing and coalescing until we

Mink: Constantinople by C-A-Harland, literature

Literature

Mink: Constantinople

I have tasted death, and it tastes of brine. The ship bucked and another wave leapt up the side, lapping at the wooden railing. The smell of salt filled the air and sat on my tongue. I wished I had found a way to travel that didn’t taste like blood. Sabeen appeared beside me, latching onto the rail and hanging her head over the side. Her scarf had blown back, tendrils of her dark hair escaped the knot on her head and waved to the receding shoreline. "I forgot you grew up on boats," she said with a faint laugh, still clutching the rail with white knuckled hands. "One boat," I corrected. Felicita had been my father’s pride and jo

Poetic Psychosis by C-A-Harland, literature

Literature

Poetic Psychosis

In thirty seconds, the next shell would fall. Every night was the same, but every night Lorenzo experienced it as if it were the first time. His throat felt swollen; breathing was hard. He glanced around at the others; young men like him who had been shipped out in the name of honour and freedom. There was no honour in this, no freedom. Only death behind your eyelids, and a fear so gutting, that it carved out your innards and left you a hollow husk. Lorenzo tried to breathe, tried to assure himself that he was still whole, still made of flesh. They had lied when they told him he was ready. Matteo ran towards him, arms out, rifle swinging use

Short Stories

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The Truth Unravelled by C-A-Harland, literature

Literature

The Truth Unravelled

The Edge of Madness by C-A-Harland, literature

Literature

The Edge of Madness

Optimism Pending by C-A-Harland, literature

Literature

Optimism Pending

Strings of Defiance by C-A-Harland, literature

Literature

Strings of Defiance

An Open Letter by C-A-Harland, literature

Literature

An Open Letter

Drink by C-A-Harland, literature

Literature

Drink

The Winter Queen by C-A-Harland, literature

Literature

The Winter Queen

Bridges by C-A-Harland, literature

Literature

Bridges

The thing about bridges was they had an over and an under. What people tended to forget was there was also an in between. But the go-overs never looked down, and the go-unders never looked up. Worked just fine for me. Meant it usually took them longer to find the bodies. Crows knew about the in between. And they weren’t shy neither. Probably why I liked them. Waited until dark to drive up the bridge. Sides were too steep to make the trip on foot, especially where you were carrying a load. It was late, and a weeknight, so not many people out. Made things easier; got called out as a jumper once. Damn near impossible to convinc

Got Any Grapes? by C-A-Harland, literature

Literature

Got Any Grapes?

I never chose this life. I’d like to tell you I blew in on the wind, but truth is I came to this place fired from the rear end of a bird. He found me when I was just a cone, ripped me from my home, ate me up, and carried me until it was time to see daylight again. I was never meant to grow up in a place like this, clinging to red rock, forcing my roots through iron soil in search of water. It is a futile quest. I will starve here. My needles will shrivel and fall, and my trunk will turn black. The only ones to see me will be the petrified stalks, still standing in death, among stone spires of red earth. I am alone here, in the land o

All's Fair in Love and War by C-A-Harland, literature

Literature

All's Fair in Love and War

Minerva looked down upon the battle, watching the men move like ants. The soldiers waged their war on the city of Athens - a name they had come to give her - raging against its walls with the strength and skill she had come to adore. Minerva watched their formations with the same hunger that a starving man eyed a feast. Combing through the masses, she searched for the man with the scar over his lip; her current favourite. The man with the scar had proven a worthy vassal, receptive to her divine nudgings as she guided him, without his knowledge, to one victory after another. With her aid, he had entered the proud city unnoticed. All t

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A Theory of Everything by C-A-Harland, literature

Literature

A Theory of Everything

i You begin as a point The essence of nothing But with two points We make a line And the line is eternal ii When your line meets another We cross, as we must But in our plane of existence I see only a cross-section of you And we are flat iii You turn your head For there is now space to turn And we conceive of the world And the world is round But it is still iv We are but frames Moving ever forwards For these frames are a filmstrip And the film never ends Time carries us now v You make your choices And forge your path And though it splits me in half I follow you Our other selves are lost vi Lost but not gone For all that is, was And ever

Contest: Another World Art Competition by WritersInk, journal

Contest: Another World Art Competition

Jun 26, 2017

To celebrate the recent launch of her book, Sol.Terra Complete Collection C-A-Harland (https://www.deviantart.com/c-a-harland) is running a multimedia competition in which you can win a Free Copy of the book for yourself! This competition is open to both visual and literature artists. Short stories must be under 1500 words, and multiple submissions are allowed! :hooray: :star: The theme of the competition is sci-fi. We want to see aliens, other planets, and space travel. :star: :bigthumb559078278: :bigthumb475906198: :bigthumb445248378: You can find the official rules and submission guide here: :thumb687483384: Submissions are due 25 July

Official FFM Prompt Bank 2017 by Flash-Fic-Month, literature

Literature

Official FFM Prompt Bank 2017

The beast of Flash Fiction Month rises up before you, and it is both great and terrible to behold. To be honest, you aren't sure how you got here. You were just a humble farmhand/trapeze artist/travelling salesman/intergalactic overlord trying to mind your own business when you were accosted by a madman on the roadside, and conned into signing your name to some sort unholy writ. You should have realised it was more than just a petition to save the local Library when he asked you to sign the thing in blood, but it's too late to back out now. You've been press-ganged into a bizarre monster-hunt/month long literary marathon, and if you don't go

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About C-A-Harland

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Artist // Professional // Literature

Sep 5
Australia
Deviant for 9 years
CAHarland.com
She / Her

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My Bio

C. A. Harland started drawing from the moment she could hold a pencil. With a head full of characters, it seemed only natural to sketch them out. It wasn’t until years later that she also started writing them down and turning them into stories. She now resides in sunny Sydney, Australia, where she has the pleasure of fostering kittens, using words like "drongo", and working on her tan year-round. In 2012, she completed a Fiction Writing certificate. It is through the support of the fellow writers from that course that her debut novel 'Sol.Terra' was completed.

Favourite Movies

Iron Man, The Prestige, Man of Steel

Favourite TV Shows

Angel - for the characters, The Mentalist - for the dialogue, Arrow - for the action

Favourite Bands / Musical Artists

The Piano Guys, Lindsey Stirling, Bastille, OneRepublic

Favourite Books

Graceling, Angelfall, Wind on Fire, Harry Potter

Favourite Writers

J.K.Rowling, William Nicholson, Dan Brown

Favourite Games

Assassin's Creed

Tools of the Trade

Paint, pencils, Photoshop, MS Word

Other Interests

Animals, sports cars, swords, myths and legends

Profile Comments 466

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LiliWrites

Nov 26, 2018

Your Sol. Terra collection just arrived from Amazon today.

Looking forward to sinking into it this week.

C-A-Harland

Dec 3, 2018

Oh awesome! I hope you enjoy it

LiliWrites

Dec 7, 2018

I am enjoying it immensely! I read through Episode 5 of The Leap while waiting for an oil change to be done and had to excuse my misty eyes with allergies -- in the middle of winter -- when the attendant came to tell me my car was ready.

Happy birthday!

Just wanted to let you know that I finished Sol.Terra (some time ago already) and that I absolutely loved it! Especially Cal, he's awesome! It was also super fun to read about a book that questions why all aliens look like funny coloured humans... It annoys me quite a lot when I see that in a sci-fi movie or game, I'm glad someone came with a good reason for it.

I'll leave a review on amazon - might take some time though...

C-A-Harland

Oct 25, 2017

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it

That always bothered me too, haha, hence why I decided someone needed to come up with an answer.

LadyLincoln

Sep 5, 2017

Happy birthday, dearheart. I hope you have a beautiful day