"Everlasting" by BOO

"Ladies and gentlemen, behold the Everlasting tree," said a man in a suit.

A round of applause broke the silence in the solid white room. They were scientists and professionals, staring expressionlessly at the grand tree that emerged from a brown hole of soil underneath.

"This rare specimen was grown from an alien seed that our exploration team unearthed from a nearby planet. We don't know much about it yet, but that's what you are here for," he chuckled. "You may freely examine it. Afterwards, please send me all your findings. Have a good day."

The scientists proceeded to observe the tree, picking leaves and feeling the branches.

One particular member of the research group, Dr. Joshua Everett, merely stared at the Everlasting tree. His interest grew with each second of his exposure to the great specimen, but he didn't move from his spot.

It was compelling him to come closer, but something kept him from doing it. And as he resisted the urge to observe the tree, Dr. Everett felt a stinging sensation in his head. Soon he was having an intense headache.

The pain became unbearable and he had to leave the room.

Shutting the door behind him, he realized it was the strangest sensation he has ever felt. Worse still, his headache hasn't left him.

He drove home and spent the entire night drinking, hoping that the pain would leave him be. But the more he resisted, the worse his condition became.

In the middle of the night, Dr. Everett drove himself back to his office, sneaking into that same white room where the Everlasting tree rested.

Drunk and shaky, the scientist turned on all the lights and stared at the marvelous tree's beauty. He couldn't help but smile as the headache faded on its own.

He looked at the tree intently, surrendering to its mental grasp. He didn't even notice his colleague's bodies that slumped all over the floor.

He was focused on the Everlasting.

He walked closer and closer to it, slowly taking off his own clothes. As he removed his last article of clothing, he laughed at himself, taking pride in what he was about to do,

Dr. Everett lost control over his actions, and he found himself hugging the tree's trunk. He gripped its bark and made love to the Everlasting. It was ecstasy and terror, mixed into one amazing sensation.

The next morning, he woke up lying close to the alien tree's roots. His stomach felt swollen and his headache had returned, but his face was a symbol of bliss.

The scientist never bothered to stand up. He felt himself fading.

His skin dried up, along with the rest of his body. He never bothered to struggle. He has never felt happier.

Dr. Everett crumbled into soil, leaving behind a single alien seed within the earthy remains of his human body.

"Letting Go" by ARK

There are many things in this human world that we do not own, nor can we ever. Each individual has his own set of possessions that he may or may not share with others.

But these are not always material things.

Our possessions include memories, experiences, knowledge, talents, skills, pains, and problems. We all have our blessings, and we all have our burdens.

We carry them as baggage within the comforts of our minds. Only we can determine how heavy they are.

But one thing that humans seem to forget is the fact that they do not have to carry everything all the time. Some have forgotten the concept of letting go.

While walking on the path of life, we will sometimes find ourselves being slowed down by unnecessary objects that we still choose to carry.

It is important that we learn to let these go.

Letting go does not always mean having to forget about something. A painful memory will linger in your mind whether you like it or not. But instead we can make peace with the past, so we can finally step into the future.

Accept the things you can't change, and face the darkness of yesterday's trials. Only then can you truly let them go.

Another thing that is hard to pass up are opportunities. As much as possible, we try not to let these slip our grasp. And while we must strive to fight for these rare moments, we must also learn that some things just don't work out no matter how hard we try.

There are more to come, and you must not worry about it. Let all your regret go. We have an entire lifetime of opportunities ahead of us.

Let go of all the things that slow you down and let the winds of life take you away.

And when you do, you'll feel how good it is to be free.

"How to Hide From Your Friends!" by DEV

There are millions of blog posts out there that will tell you how important friendship is. I know, I counted.

Everyone will tell you to take good care of your friends, spend quality time with them, and even cherish them. But that's hella boring if you ask me.

What you should actually do is hide from them so they would miss the crap out of you. And when the time comes that you show up to their lowly human presence, they would appreciate you more and realize how much they love you.

So here are some totally legit tips on how to hide from your friends, courtesy of the best ninja in the blogosphere (that's me).

"How to Hide From Your Friends" by DEV

1. Draw a mole on your face.

Warning: I can't guarantee that this first technique is 100% effective.

It relies on the hunch that your friends don't really care about you, and they haven't memorized your face. Drawing a dot-like image onto any part of your face is sure to make you completely unrecognizable.

Additional tip: Borrowing someone else's mole might work better. Please don't forget to return it to them afterwards.

(You wanna borrow...my mole?)

2. Wear glasses.

Who can argue with this? It's a tried-and-tested technique that even Superman *ehem* Clark Kent utilized. Why wouldn't it work for you?

("Yeah, I look like him, but Superman doesn't wear glasses, so...")

Additional tip: If your friends can still see through this reliable disguise, maybe they're a little too smart for you. Better look for new friends.

3. Go incognito.

Wait. You mean Ctrl + Shift + N doesn't work in real life?

Ugh. That sucks. On to the next tip.

4. Hide in a monkey's ass.

I don't think I have to explain this one. Who would even think about looking in there? If you can just squeeze yourself into that tight spot, you are in the clear for the next few months. Hide in there for as long as you want, man, nobody will ever find you.

(Hey look, Jim. There's a human in your ass.)

5. Disguise as cash, and blend in with the rest of the national budget.

This one is a bit tricky, but if you manage to convince a politician that you are a part of the national budget, then you're sure to be gone forever.

You'll be spending lots of time in his pocket, and nobody will ever know where you went. Not even your closest friends.

(Hello, senator.)

6. Take a trip to the Bermuda Triangle.

Because that shit is creepy and nobody wants to go there. Plan a vacation to this lovely place and your friends will miss you for a long time.

(Next stop, nowhere.)

Additional tip: Atlantis is a great weekend getaway too.

7. Hide in your ex-girlfriend's heart.

This only works if you can find her heart in the first place. A bit of a warning though, if you ever find it, pack something warm. It's cold in there, and everything's made of stone.

Additional tip: This also works on ex-boyfriends, mind you,