Dallastown Area High School - Spectator Yearbook (Dallastown, PA)

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He was in an underground tunnel, and at one end was a light, which seemed to be a beacon for him. Brinsley admitted to himself that he was afraid, but it seemed that the only thing to do was walk towards that light. He thought about the tunnel, and it seemed to him that it was probably a passageway under the great mountains which bordered his old home, the Middle Kingdom. Then, what lay at the end of this tun- nel, a new, uncharted land? As he was pondering this, the light drew nearer. Finally it was directly above him, and he stood in front of a steep set of stairs. Bravely he climbed them, one at a time. Soon he was at the door of a chamber formed from cold, mossy stone. It was from this chamber that the light emanated. Faltering, he entered the room. The light which had attracted him was created by an ancient candle-lamp which rested on an even older desk made of a deep red mahogany. On this desk and all around the room were scattered millions of papers, deeds, and documents, some rotting with age and mildew and others clearly as fresh as a new morning. Also in the room were many other smaller chairs, and other things whose real shapes were only hinted at in the many dark shadows that swallowed the corners of the chamber. Brinsley felt he had to wait for something, but what? Then, that something appeared amidst a vaporous swirl of ethereal stardust and dusty moonbeams. It was the Great Sorcerer Senoj of the High Kingdom. He was tall, austere, and awe-inspiring in his flowing capes and robes. He welcomed little Brinsley to this new land. “Greetings from the Sublimal Sorccrial Staff of the High Kingdom. I am the Sorcerer Principalia, Senoj. You have entered this land like your brethren for a long journey, a rite of passage that will be filled with in- tertwining joys and sorrows, trials and rewards. Despite the seemingly overwhelming odds against your finding the ultimate goal of your trek, the door to the mythical real world, strive to persevere by continual- ly working hard and by always giving your best effort. In the end, you will know the satisfaction of being able to grasp the handle of that door.” The Great Sorcerer Senoj then explained about the High Kingdom in which Brinsley Dustent was about to wander. He told him that he was now in a large castle which was inhabited by him and his assistants, mak- ing up the Sublimal Sorccrial Staff. This castle rested against the Moun- tains of Ytlucaf. He described the many crisscrossing paths that ran throughout the land often confusing strangers, and how he must stay along one certain path, the Path of Knowledge, and never stray from it c he would be lost for a long while. Continued On Page 8

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IN SEARCH OF THE GOLDEN DOOR Prologue Once upon a time in a land the location of which was forgotten eons ago by the race of man, there existed a realm which was called the Mid- dle Kingdom. It was a carefree and lazy land, surrounded on all sides by seemingly impenetrable mountains, at the foot of which were deep, mysterious forests. This Middle Kingdom was inhabited by a race of short, man-like creatures, who were marked by their easygoing and naive manner. A peculiar rite of this folk was that at the advent of the autumn season the oldest of the land walked into the forests as if drawn by some instinctive call, never to return. As we visit this land now, it is again the time for this strange emigration into the unknown. Chapter 1 Brinsley Dustcnt was a typical member of his race, and it had been only three days ago when he, too, had felt that stirring within himself, that inner call which forced him to journey into the dark woods like so many before him. He, along with a group of others like him who had also heard the call, was nearing the end of his venture now, and soon he and his friends stepped under the cool shade of the tall trees that greeted him at the entrance of the forest. “Why should I go on?’’ he thought. “Forsooth, I have no desire to leave the comfort of the Middle Kingdom. I know everyone there, and I know my way through the paths of that land. Still, I just cannot make my feet move the other way!” Brinsley and his fellows wandered deeper and deeper into the forest, but they walked in no obvious direction. Occasionally they could glimpse the tall mountains through the tops of the trees as they drew nearer to them. Dusk soon fell, but the party kept walking, drawn by an irresisti- ble force. Before long they were completely surrounded by darkness, and Brinsley soon realized with a twinge of fear that he had been separated from his friends. Even so, he kept walking. Fearful apprehension caused a tingling at the base of his neck, and Brinsley got the feeling that the end of his journey was near. Then, without warning, his feet slipped and he tumbled headlong into the blackness. Soon Brinsley regained his consciousness. He shook his head several times to get his thoughts together and then he looked around.

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He advised him not to be afraid of the many giants who roamed the same path, in that they were on the same journey, though they had begun it earlier. He also told him about the many new creatures he would see. They would look like horri- ble demons initially, but as time went on he would become familiar with them and may even grow to like them. Always, though, he would have friends in the Of- ficcrias dc Guidcncia. who sat in their mystical rooms in that very castle, sur- rounded by various ancient tomes. Brin- sley would also have many experiences that would be totally new to him, yet they would be exciting and romantic. The Sorcerer Senoj ended his speech with a hearty “Good Luck!” and disap- peared from whence he came. After Brin- sley had recovered from his surprise at seeing Senoj appear and vanish like the cvcrblinking light of the firefly, he no- ticed a door at the end of the room oppo- site the passage through which he had en- tered. He opened the door and gazed at a long passageway lighted by flaming tor- ches. Assuming that this had to be the way out of the castle, he walked down it slowly. He reached another door, but this one was large and strong. He opened it quite easily, though, and walked out into the High Kingdom. He gazed in wonder at the mysterious land around him. In front of him was a path paved in gold, and marked with a sign announcing that this was the “Path of Knowledge. Arrows showed him the proper direction to travel. Around the path were great trees with white trunks and bright blue leaves that seemed to reach for the glowing white clouds in the brown sky above. Giants, clothed in an endless myriad of fashions, walked back and forth before him on the path. Most ignored him or glared in cold disdain, but others either gave him a rough push or gently pointed him in the direction indi- cated by the arrows. Taking his fate into his own hands, he started off. Chapter 2 The first days of his journey were long and hard. He kept to the Path of Know- ledge with little difficulty, though many of the giants made staying on the path somewhat risky, sometimes shoving him onto side paths or pushing him backwards. He met others his si C and found that they, too. had gone through the same tun- nel to get to this land. He made friends with some of those his size, and with these friends he shared his meals at the food stops that dotted the path. These food stops were never famous for the quality of their food, but they served their purpose. Along with his friends. Brinsley also faced many of the creatures that Senoj had told him about. There was the many-digited. multi-variablcd algae mon- ster. forever mired in a pond of figures and solutions. There was a very social monster that was actually made up of two halves, one called the sike and the other the soash.