Sweet Remember

A Forbidden Indulgence

2006-06-04T02:39:00.000-07:00

Theirs was a forbidden meeting. She stood nervously on the bleached sidewalk. Rain drizzled from the overcast, threatening to frizzle her curly black hair. When the door of the house swung open, she was biting her lip again, nervous. He emerged from the foyer, their eyes meeting for the first time. His seemed to sparkle with anticipation. She could feel him sizing her up and she immediately became self conscience, shifting her slender body atop midnight black heels.

“Go on inside and make yourself comfortable.” He said as he walked briskly past her to the window of the impatient cab driver. She could hear the muffled exchange of merchant and customer before the screen door closed behind her.

It was quiet inside. She could hear her heart beating, it sounded too fast. It was too late to change her mind now, she was here.

***

His phone rang waking him from a light nap. “Has it been half an hour already?” He thought as he lazily rose to his feet. “Hello?” But he knew who it was, he’d been expecting her. The air thickened with tension when he heard her voice again. She was outside now.

Clutching his wallet, he hastily put on his shoes. He held his breath as he swung open the door and walked out into the rain. She was stunning.

--------------------
Who was she?
The cipher can be unwoven with Ptolemy's 48
Bootes, Sagitta, Centaurus, Argo Navis, Corona Borealis, Serpens

Difficulty Level: Easy

John Spradlin has submitted the deciphered phrase for "A Forbidden Indulgence."

Reading Between The Lines

2006-05-20T19:01:00.000-07:00

It's becoming increasingly more difficult
to stay focused on the people who want
to see you. It reminds me of how much I
owe to friends and family. Too long without touch and they
miss you. I want to tell you
that it's not you, its just that I'm caught up, but
how I truely feel about it
isn't exactly clear yet. I'm greatful
but, I don't deserve
the blessings. You have to remember to be good to
your audience. I haven't earned the right
to dismiss them so quickly.
Perhaps it would only
make things harder if I were to turn my back and
break your
resolve. When the verdict is tough, you have to have a lot of
heart to hear it.

Difficulty Level: Easy

An anonymous visitor has submitted the deciphered phrase for "Reading Between The Lines."

Caesar's Tabula Recta

2006-05-17T23:17:00.000-07:00

They say time heals all wounds, but perhaps scars are forever. Perhaps they are like knots on a rope, a mark and twain calling out the depth of your mistakes.

I tease the thought of humble self reproach, like an offering at your altar, from a servant to his exalted. Yet, humility is inconsequential when weighed against your lament.

Regret is a powerful vice when pride is its ruler. On my knees, dampened against the crumbling banks of hope, I sip slowly from her. Your fading scent on a relic, long forgotten, my only antidote.

"Zofrex" has submitted the deciphered phrase for "Caesar's Tabula Recta."

The Beginning Of Every Golden Section

2006-05-17T00:18:00.000-07:00

I'm making it as simple as possible, slowly weaning myself away from you. All too often my mind drifts back over the times when things were fairy tale-esque. The heart is hard to understand sometimes. The mind knows it's a bad idea to delude the self. But the heart is persuasive and its arguments elloquent.

I try to stay focused on why I left, but the hard truth is that I can't even convince myself anymore. Some would say I fear commitment. If thoughts are reflections, I fear mirrors.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate

An anonymous visitor has submitted the deciphered phrase for "The Beginning Of Every Golden Section."

Introduction

2006-05-16T16:23:00.000-07:00

An Introduction

Welcome to "Sweet Remember," a cryptographic love story. Seeing as this is the first entry here, I will give you a gentle nudge in the right direction.

If communication was an iceberg, then words would bob on the surface. What lies beneath, are the vast subtleties of expression. They may be hidden, but they are not timid, they can sink ships.

What Is Sweet Remember

In each post here, I make two points. One is clear, it is the tip of the iceburg, it is when you read what I have written plainly. It's subject to all the insecurities and inhibitions of a man, pouring his heart out in public. However, buried within, lies a truer, more raw, heart felt message. It is the message I wish I had the courage to say aloud.

Decoding Sweet Remember

The more private the hidden message, the more difficult the cipher used to hide it. All of the secret messages can be decoded using common ciphering techniques. Some will use more difficult variations on those techniques, and all will require a little work on your part. Every post will contain a clue that will help you discover the secret message and how to decipher it.

If you manage to decipher the message, you may share it the comments, or you may choose to keep it as your prize, and our secret. I know that she will never read this, and if she does, she may never decipher the real message. In a lot of ways, it will be much like our relationship was.

Getting Started

If you're ready to get your feet wet, start here