by S. Cole

Created on: December 02, 2009

A Fan of Fick

His cleverness erupted in the black and white of his work. While the aftermath looked tidy and word shaped on the pages, it carried enough force to rearrange the soul of a reader. I've read every word, if you could call them that. His novels were marvels that seemed to be meant only for the halls of the museum of my mind. He seemed to understand the darkness and light of my soul and I was thankful for him.

There were over a dozen books he'd written, spanning over two decades. Aside from the delights of heaven and hell, every novel shared three other characteristics. The forever thanks and acknowledgement of a son he had bore, the same dated Authors' Photo, and the name that followed the title on every cover. Cecil Van Fick.

Mr. Van Fick was the ringleader in the circus tent of imagination. The greatest delight I'd ever experienced was the announcement that came from Cecil Van Fick himself following his latest hardcover creation. On the final possible page, before the end cover of the book began again, he had written:

"Dearest Readers, I have cherished you since the beginning of my humble first published book. All I have written since then has been half my devotion to your devotion, and half my restless need to create words and stories.

"There is a project I have hidden behind my eyes that I have likely begun if you are reading this now. It is unlike anything I have done before. The next book that I will publish will be the first in a series of twelve. They will all follow the adventures of the same character, who I must admit, has become quite the hero in my eyes as I've fantasized his adventures and beginnings.

"I feel I am ready to bring all of you a series, so that your romances with the characters that I have come to love, myself, are not cut short by the simple closing of one book.

"I will complete this series even if it need be prolonged after the death of me. Yours, Cecil Van Fick."

My mind was a carousel of possibilities. What adventures would I endure as the vicarious passenger? What friends would there be along the journey? What enemies? Would my destinations be earthbound or divine? What would my latest hero be named?

These questions and fantasies drew on for months as I reread many of Mr. Van Fick's classics. Until finally the first book of the series was released and I was able to discover a tangible conclusion for all the months of wonder.

I breathed in every word of that first book like a glutton breaths in a four course meal.

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