Colleen Houck

“Good intentions are not sufficient to creat a positive outcome; you must act. As you take part and become actively engaged, answers to your questions will appear. Lastly, like a great rock is not disturbed by the buffetings of the wind, the mind of a judicious man is steady. He exists as a stanchion, a stalwart support. Others can cling to him, for he will not falter.”

“No matter what sort of difficulties you must endure and no matter hiw painful your experiences, you must not lose hope. Losing faith is the only thing that can truely distroy you. To conquer yourself and your weaknesses are a greater triumph than to conquer thousands in battle.”

“The very purpose of life is to be happy. As we care for others, the greater is our own senses of well-being. It puts the mind at ease. It helps remove whatever fears or insecurities we may have and gives us the strength to cope with any obstacle we encounter. Remember that old saying " love will conquer all " is true. As you give love, you will find it returns to you magnified.”

“Ren? I begged. Please don't leave me.You are in my heart. Always. His warm voice whispered softly and then faded away.”

“In the loudest voice I could muster, I shouted, "As of this moment, you are no longer the armies of China, Macedonia, Myanmar, Tibet or India. You are now warriors of Durga! We have already fought and overcome many fierce creatures. Now we give you the symbol of their power."I borrowed the Scarf and touched it to my Pearl Necklace. The silken material sped down each and every soldier to cloak them in the most brilliant red, blue, green, gold and white. Even the flag bearers were not left out and now held banners depicting Durga riding her tiger into battle."Red for the heart of a Phoenix that sees through falsehood!" I cheered and raided the trident. "Blue for the Monsters of the Deep that rip apart those who dare to cross their domain! Gold for Metal Birds that cut their enemies with razor beaks! Green for the Horde of Hanuman that comes alive to protect that which is most precious! And white for the Dragons of the Five Oceans, whose cunning and power has no equal!”

“And Ren cracked open a jewelry box.Two strands of tiny beads wound around each other in gold and blue. Small diamond and sapphire flowers ran down the length of the chain and in the center hung a diamond lotus flower with a ruby center. I pressed trembling fingertips to my lips as I recognized Kishan's ring reworked into a new form.......I turned back to him and as he touched the beads along the edge, he spoke quietly, "Gold and blue tiger's eyes to remember what was found." His finger trailed down to the lotus ruby in the center. "A diamond lotus and red ruby to remember what was lost". He slid two fingers up the length of the chain over the dozens of tiny blue flowers. "And sapphire flowers that symbolize what will be.”

“Good-bye bilauta”

“Ren clasped Kishan's arm in his and said with a quiver in his voice,"Yours in life, Kishan"."Yours in death, Dhiren," Kishan finished.”

“A mind with questions is a mind open to understanding.”

“He laughed. “Kelsey, we all have some animalistic tendencies. I loved hunting, even when I was young.” I shuddered. “Fine. Just keep your animalistic tendencies to yourself.” He leaned toward me again and pulled on a strand of my hair. “Now, Kells, there are some of my animalistic tendencies that you seem to like.” He started making a rumbling sound in his chest, and I realized that he was purring. “Stop that!” I sputtered”

“And for Heaven's sake, do not wiggle!”

“Home they brought her warrior dead: She nor swooned, nor uttered cry: All her maidens, watching, said, ‘She must weep or she will die.’ Then they praised him, soft and low, Called him worthy to be loved, Truest friend and noblest foe; Yet she neither spoke nor moved. Stole a maiden from her place, Lightly to the warrior stepped, Took the face-cloth from the face; Yet she neither moved nor wept. Rose a nurse of ninety years, Set his child upon her knee— Like summer tempest came her tears— ‘Sweet my child, I live for thee.’ -Alfred Lord Tennyson”

“We throw away what we could have been and waste our opportunities. We each have a purpose, a destiny, and to realize it, we must reach beyond what we think we are capable of.”

“How do I get past my fears? Make a life for myself? Risk loving someone? When death is all that waits for you, what's the point in trying to have a life?”

“I don't mind being alone either. The only problem is that if you're always alone, you get lonely.”

“I raced alongside the car but they were too far down the road. Brokenheartedly, I roared out in hopelessness and grief. She was gone.#Ren”

“After confessing her love, she ran from me. I wanted to stop her but I let her go. If she really loved me how could she leave?#Ren”

“What could I say to make this beautiful girl know how desperately I needed her? Practiced words fled my mind & I shamelessly begged.#Ren”

“Kelsey went swimming. I rehearsed what I wanted to say, headed outside, & saw her hug Kishan. Insanely jealous, I broke the railing.#Ren”

“She believed she was ordinary? Impossible! Any man with common sense would see what I do. The more she went on the angrier I became.#Ren”

“Kelsey was jealous of the waitress. I almost laughed. This beautiful girl was absolutely perfect for me. How could I look at another?#Ren”

“She insisted on heading back and immediately pulled away from me. I need to know if what I feel is one sided or if she's just stubborn.#Ren”

“I was so thrilled about being human it took half a day for me to realize that Kelsey was nervously pulling away. What am I doing wrong?#Ren”

“I didn't expect anything. I just wanted to be near her. The world outside fell away. Melted around us. Then, she kissed me.#Ren”

“When we left Ren in the jungle it was like a #Iscrewedupmydatewithadreamyguy +#Iabandonedmypetonthesideoftheroad feeling.#Kelsey”

“I had no right to be in love. I had nothing to offer her. But reason drowned in the beat of my heart, and I asked permission to kiss her.#Ren”

“We made it through the traps. Though dangerous, I'd go back through them all just to have her wrap her arms around me like that again.#Ren”

“I was immediately aware of her when she stood at the window but I didn't move at first. I wanted to look at her with my human eyes.#Ren”

“She was leaving so I made a sound and thought, "Please. Just stay a little longer. Don't go yet." That's when...she touched me.#Ren”

“He considered my question for a moment and then ducked his head to kiss me. He tugged me flush up against his chest , pulling me closer than i even though possible, and then his lips touched mine.”

“If I were a Jedi, I had definitely turned to the dark side of the Force.”

“Bad things sometimes happen to good people; the key to happiness is try to make the best of, and be thankful for the hand we're dealt”

“I peeked at him out of the corner of my eye. He had a slight smirk on his face. I imagined he was mentally checking off a task in his planner.Seduce date by talking about other girlsImpress date with number of awards you have receivedDo not spend money on dateMake date watch corny movie in media centerSneak in comments about your frugalityPut arm around date at exactly the halfway mark of the movie”

“I'll be fine. Maybe I should make up a magic milk bath with the Golden Fruit, huh?" I laughed.Kishan considered and grinned. "A giant bowlful of milk with you in the middle might be a little too much for us cats to resist.”

“Can I kiss you now?" he asked. "I think you'd better, tiger," I replied.”

“Yours in life, Kishan.""Yours in death, Dhiren”

“I don't want you to see only a tiger when you look at me. I want you to see me. The man.”

“Reality crashed into my brain:  I'd never see my black tiger again. P. 420, Kelsey ”

“Kishan is capable of a great many things, and girlfriendstealing is at the top of his list of skills.”

“You died in your sleep? Drunk driver? Cancer,huh? World war? Well...yeah those deaths are great and all,but wait till I tell you what happened to me. Yeah...that's right...I said kraken.”

“The baby was always mine. You were always meant to be mine.”

“And I would spend the rest of my life doing just that.”

“I knew then that my future had always been Ren.”

“I promise to remain faithfully beside you. I pledge to conquer faults; perfect my character. I vow to deserve you.I declare you're my dream, my fervent wish fulfilled. I offer my past wealth and future promises. I swear to keep your trust."I commit my soul's fire and my body's force. I profess I am forever bound to your heart. I proclaim I am yours.”

“A tear dropped from my cheek to his forehead. "Please don't die," I whispered.”

“Kishan stretched out his hand and touched and earring lightly. His rakish pirate about-to-make-off-with-your-woman-and-what-do-you-think-you're-gonna-do-about-it look melted away to a soft smile that turned up the corner of his mouth.”

“Don't do that again, he growled in my mind.Smiling, I thought. You have to admit it was cool.Cool? You are a devastatingly beautiful angel of death. If death came for me and it looked like you, I'd go willingly.”

“A happy ending was promised, and a happy ending was delivered.”

“There is still a piece of my heart that belongs to you. I have cherished it all these centuries.”

“Promise you’ll be happy.”