Richard Ilnicki

The Birthmark, Volume 1 Richard Ilnicki

A young man is born with a mysterious birthmark. The birthmark haunts his tortured soul 24/7. A day doesn't go by when this young man is not confronted by what, to him, is not only unfair, but is such a grotesque representation of what a human being should look like that he begins to harbor enough resentment, bitterness and hatred to kill those he deems normal, and/or those he considers abnormal. His obsession to kill others is superseded only by his overwhelming desire to kill himself. In fact, suicide soon becomes his reason for being, his raison d'etre. Things are moving along rather nicely. Some interesting and intriguing seques take place until he meets, Olivia, the librarian. Prior to meeting Olivia he spent most of his time living in his tree-house, a secluded domain, in the bowels of which, he spent most his time reading and writing. He'd always been enamored by writers, poets and the books they seemed mysteriously( muse-inspired) able to write. At a young age he'd already fallen in love with the English language, but now, in the world of his imagination, he'd become helplessly smitten, and he wanted nothing more than to become a writer, so long as he lived, of course. Olivia, who never acknowledged his birthmark, touched him in a place he'd previously thought untouchable. The hope she manifested in life, particularly in him and his potential, created an avoidance-approach manner of living that caused even a greater degree of confusion and angst. He wanted to live. He wanted to die. But he knew he couldn't have it both ways. After his last meeting with Olivia he begins to believe in something, and/or just maybe someone greater than himself. His determination to live runs headlong into a mystical confrontation with an evil force greater than himself, and he pays the ultimate price. Before reading this story people should be forewarned that others have read it and laughed so hard and so long that they died.