Chapter 11

My life was totally lived for the internet and the discovery of what I could create and share. It seemed like I could not type enough words or find enough colors to play with. I would get so frustrated at not knowing how to do this or find that. . Sometimes I would work for two days with no sleep and even at times eat from a can of something not taking time to take care of myself. My friends and family became worried. I had this pink robe that seemed to become permanently attached to me. .(LadyJane).. my best real life friend, would stop and see me and tell me "I am worried about you...."You need to get out more" but I couldn't. One day she understood and wrote me a beautiful poem that I wrote a duet with called "Rare Roses" and I placed it in my world Castles. It to this day means more to me then she will ever know for she truly is a rare rose.

I had met a few friends in a place called VP which would leave me laughing until the wee hours of the night.  Here you wore what looked like a postage stamp of a character you chose to be. My first one was a little pink haired girl that later changed to Elivra and so my life on the web became real. I wandered through the rooms there meeting people and at that time 400 in there was tops. I met a man named Z and Applejax33 and we three would tour all over the net. They encouraged me to write and build web pages and Heath, another friend, begin helping me with how to add music. Then people came to sit on my pages and chat. Online friends become real in one's life...how could they not after you sit for hours laughing and exploring others hearts. Matt, Penny, Zane, Brinkk, Efas1, Dos, Altairbase, LadyReba, Ziggy and MagicKind were just a few that made me smile. There were so many new faces in my life that I could only wonder what they might look like it real. I wouldn't tell much about me then. I only said I lived in Indiana... and would not share a picture or tell my age. I didn't really have a desire to.. for it was personal information and cautiously kept behind the screen.  

My first page was called "Angel" .  I created it for me and a friend named Efas1 because I felt we had a chance to help make the web a special place where we could listen to and help others we would never come to know.  I recall figuring out how to make these little avs move somewhat and 25 people (what was allowed on a page) would all sit there from their homes and give the effect we were all dancing. . Before long I begin helping others with web pages too and adding more of my own. This was in the later part of 96 and so much was to change.

In Feb of 97 ...Z and Apple and Heath invited me to go somewhere new. I followed and ended up in what appeared to be like a game from Sierra. I was a fan of Kings Quest and this place was unreal. Here I didn't just surf but I could walk,dance, chat and explore. The first night was tough... I had managed to lose all three of my companions and so I was on my own.  The only one who seemed to be able to see my chat was someone called "Skin" LOL and after awhile I had come to the conclusion this was too hard. Suddenly a lady appeared named ObjectX and wanted to assist me. She took me to a place called "Convent" and taught me to walk. Things were a little better but when I left I had decided not to return. Apple sent me a letter that was from her and said to please bring the lovely Belladora back. So, Apple and I went back the next evening. She took us to her special place.....a garden in the sky she had built. Here she taught us to fly and I laughed so hard at Apple... tears rolled down my cheek. Here I was to meet another special person  ...a professor from England named HolyOfficer. He now owns one of my paintings called "Garden of Love" and also is one of the reasons I stayed and never gave up. Every year he sends me a Christmas gift from abroad for me to cherish.  Z made me a beautiful logo "Belladora" and Gonzo animated it for me .so I created a page called "Front Door". Back then it was a heavy load and every time I tried to sit on this page with the others.. I would lock up and disappear. But we sure had some wonderful times that have been embedded in my heart forever.

The next day I went back alone and she found me and took me back to her garden. I could click on things and music would begin to play and I became enchanted with 3D virtual reality. That night she inspired me with a simple task.  She took one of my poems and typed it on a sign in the air. It was bright blue with white letters and my words had a new life. I could see my page on the right side of the screen called "Black and White" and now I was intrigued enough to return again and again. She approached me one night and asked me if I wanted to learn to build and I was anxious to learn. The first thing I created in 3D was a tree3. LOL And it took me forever it seemed to get that thing to appear. haha Afterwards she said now go delete all those triangles where I had messed up for they were actually tree3's that would take up memory even though all you saw was a black triangle. I wasn't real sure when I left if building was that great but when I came back she showed me a spot to build and left me alone. Smart move on her part for it gave me the freedom I needed to create. I struggled with getting things to appear and chose objects just to find out it was difficult to get them all lined up. But I didn't give up and before long I had built what I felt was pretty good.  So, I rushed back to VP and looked for someone to bring back to show them my masterpiece.  When I returned everything I had built was gone. :(  I didn't understand why and ObjectX came to me and said.... It was wonderful and I was ready for my own world. And then she typed this   †   and smiled. I had felt for such a long time I was doing something I was suppose to do in life for once in my life. I figured I couldn't do any harm with a world and would just learn more. So, my first 3D world was born .....that one day in the future would become a beautiful place to share called  "Castles".

At that time I alone simply built a grey castle with walls of my words and with only 8 people allowed to play there we every night would get together and spend time dancing, listening to the music I had tagged and reading my words. So, between there and creating new web pages and going to VP I was kept busy and continued to search for more to learn never being able to quench the thirst. All of these great people were truly the Wind Beneath My Wings... :o)

"Remember a friend doesn't have to be sitting by your side to work miracles."

©belladora

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