Asher

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here once was a boy who was out of this world. A boy full of joy, made of happiness and sunshine.

A boy who wanted nothing more than to make others laugh. A boy named Asher>>>

Curious about life and love, and himself in the middle, Asher would roam his Mother Earth, providing laughter to any that crossed his path.

Asher was an unusual lad - he saw the world from a hazy pink perspective, even if it wasn’t so. The world Asher explored was in no way, shape or form a hazy pink one, in fact it was quite the opposite – it was black and white and square. Everywhere he looked, he’d find square people, living in square houses, having square meals, leading square and white. Asher did not fit in this black and but still tried to understand it. Often though, tended nature got in the way, so his actions translation.

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lives in black white world, , his well-ins got lost in

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The internal battle within Asher was strong. Day after day he witnessed the square people walk past him, walk past each other with no reaction. Not even a simple “Hello”. Apathy was weighing him down, making him heavier and heavier until...

One day, after countless attempts to adhere to the square customs Asher lost it – there was an eruption of “Hello’s”, “How are you’s” and “Have a lovely day’s”.

It was a rampage.

A nightmare for the square people - no one had ever went astray from the unwritten code of conduct. Everyone was scandalized. For the first time the square people united.

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The problem was obvious - Asher’s eyes needed adjusting. An ultimatum was presented - either Asher wore a pair of glasses that allowed him to see the world as the square people saw it – in black and white, or he would be exiled from this world. If that’s what it took to see eye to eye with the square people...

Now he could also see in black and white. Dull, boring, black and white. Asher accepted the price - his curiosity and compassion took the better of him, just like the square people took a part of him.

Time passed. The square people seemed to fu Asher remained a sore thumb in the square c world from their black and white - he was jus cept. His attempts at making polite gestures w beginning to lessen in strength and frequency still came from the same kind place. Asher di understand the square people, but was determ to make a good impression.

On one particularly hot black and white day A decided to treat himself with an ice cream cu a habit nurtured to help remember self-appre ation. As he was walking around, seeking a p to enjoy his ice cream, he found square park with square hills a a little square lake where squar ducks floated on top of the glass-like surface.

There weren’t many square people around: o passed by if the square park was part of their route while getting from point A to point B. A was enjoying his treat sitting on a bench next the main path, while observing the square pe pass by.

No one paid him any m Square businessmen passed, s and no one paid him any mind

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unction as usual - from A to B, from 9 to 5. community even though he could see the st too different for the square people to acwere y, but idn’t mined

Asher ube, eciplace da and re . only r Asher t to eople mind. square ladies passed, square families passed d.

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One square family, however, had a pa noticed Asher from the start of the pat family walked closer, she broke loose from really approachin her. With his free hand that was little square g et. A sq Asher didn Before he c an ultimatum ment for offen kicked off of in hand wit slightly

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articularly jumpy little square girl who had th and was examining him from afar. As the m her father’s grip and ran up to Asher - not ng him but too close for him not to approach hand Asher waved and he outstretched the s holding his ice cream, offering some to the girl. Her parents in shock made such a rackquare mob formed around Asher in no time. n’t understand why everyone was so upset. could comprehend anything, he was handed m: either he surrenders his hands as punishnding the square community or he would be f this world. If that’s what it took to go hand th the square people... At least now he could resemble the square people. Hand-less, but glad. Asher accepted the price - his kindness and friendly nature took the better of him, just like the square people took a part of him.

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Time passed. Asher’s curiosity led him to roam the black and white world, still determined to fit in with the square people.

Street after street built to resemble every other, person after person - on their own pre-programmed path.

Asher felt like he was running in circles...or rather in squares.

One day, while exploring the square grid of the city, Asher stumbled upon something he thought didn’t quite belong in this world - much like him.

Sitting on the sidewalk, back against the wall, shaped like no one Asher had seen so far – a circle.

The circle person sat completely motionless, staring a million miles into space What an amazing discovery!

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Asher hadn’t seen anything non-square in ages, especially not a person. But there was something odd about the circle person - they didn’t move quickly about their day, they didn’t have a sense of pre-programmed busyness, and above all they weren’t square. Asher was ecstatic to find another foreigner in the square world. Someone to share observations with, someone to learn with - someone to be an outlier with. For this collaboration to be successful, Asher needed the circle person’s full attention, but he couldn’t get that even if he was standing right in front of the circle person.

Asher was fully aware there would be a linguistic barrier - the square people spoke their own language, the circle person must have one as well.

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He needed to get creative in order to grab the circle person’s attention.

Asher started small - he tried to wave but without his hands it wasn’t as effective. No reaction. He turned to his feet and started tapping out a melody on the square pavement.

Nothing.

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Asher started jumping - he needed to break through to the circle person. With every bounce he went higher and higher and higher until‌.

Asher hit the square moon and bounced back to make a huge non-square crater in front of where the circle person used to sit. Waiting for Asher was an angry square formation of square people.

Asher took in the crowd with his usual humble smile.

By this time, he knew what would follow. He awaited the serial ultimatum to permit him to remain amongst these black and white square people, on this square world, both desperately pushing him away. He anticipated another condition, yet didn’t receive any. In this cross-fire, his perception of the black and white world shifted as he felt smaller and smaller, while everything

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around him - the square people, the square building, the square trees in the square parks - became bigger and bigger, he was shrinking into himself. The square people had taken his feet - the only connection he had left to his Mother Earth. Stripped of himself, and disconnected from his maker, Asher didn’t need to worry if he fit in the square society, if he understood their motives.

Another square to move from point A to point B, from 9 to 5. He was now one of them ...

Asher Zine

web version ____ / 25

Story and illustration by Iskra Dinkova @iskradinkova

Extrasensory Jan 20-22, 2017 | Artoteket

Get some tape and make this zine into a poster