Sudden Short Story 75

She, from the bank of the lavender river, saw him up the slope.  The grass lost blue on the way up. 
"Who are you?" he asked, as if it were the most normal thing ever. 
"Oh thank god," she said, approaching him, "another human being.  Do you know where we are?" 
"Where do you suppose that we are?" he asked. 
"I'm not sure," she replied, hesitantly.  "I've seen some weird stuff out here, though," she continued, scanning the horizon.  "It gives me the heebie-jeebies, to say the least.  Well, which way did you come from?  Maybe we could follow it back out of here." 
"How long do you suppose that I've been here?" he asked. 
"I don't know.  Look, let's just get out of here, OK?" 
But he just stood there, at least for a moment. 
"What would you say if I told you that I, too, was a human who became lost in the spirit world?  What would you say if I said that I had to hide, but could not evade the spirits forever?  Would you believe me if I told you that I found a way to disguise myself among them?" 
And she just stared at him, silently, not running not only because she wasn't sure whether she should, but because she wasn't sure whether it would do her any good. 
"Did you realize that a human can disguise himself as a spirit if he acts like one?  Did you know that spirits are often limited, having specific domains or extreme personalities?  And would you believe that I've survived here, this whole time, because I thought to ask only questions?" 
She remained hesitant, but asked, "So... there's no way out?" 
His resigned expression and his silence spoke volumes.  She looked around, half vainly for an exit, and half in fear of what might come next. 
"And what will you do with this insight?" 

Life Update April 2015

So, life's crazy right now.  I've still got that move coming up (it got delayed somewhat), so I haven't really had a chance to think this month.  I'm going to defer one of this month's posts to May, in addition to the one from March, so May will have 6 posts. 
Oh, and, probably related to the above, I totally forgot about that whole Flash Fiction Friday thing, so there's that.  Well, I've got notes scribbled down for a story, so I'll write that tonight. 
More info after the move!  @_@

Sudden Short Story 74

It's a funny thing, how laws are, but I suppose that it's funny how people are, too.  There are still lights strung up on nearly all of the houses, here, even though it's April.  Last year, most people took their lights down by Valentine's Day, but we don't actually have to until a week after the first melt of the new year. 
It used to be that most people had to take them down before MLK Day, since winter was always iffy at best around here, and the first melt was usually while the calendar was still in the single digits.  But then, of course, there was last winter, when the wind blew in from all directions, and the snow stayed.  It was nice to see the snow, but not so nice to drive through it.  Still, everyone took their lights down eventually, seeing as how it would look downright silly when the snow finally melted and there were Xmas lights up on St. Patrick's Day. 
We complained a lot at Easter.  We were all a little nervous by Memorial Day.  By the 4th of July, we were downright scared. 
Food could still be grown down south, but even there the weather was weird, being always unseasonably chilly, and windy.  States of emergency have been declared damn near everywhere, and most people are quietly abiding, since nobody knows what to do. 
We try to keep peace and order and hope, where we can.  That's why it's nice to live here:  Since the ordinance says that we get to keep our lights up until the first melt of the new year, we're keeping our lights up against the dark.  The law is still being obeyed, to the letter, which helps with peace of mind, and we also get to look at our pretty lights. 
I don't have the heart to tell my neighbors what I've figured out:  We're in the middle of Fimbulwinter, and Ragnarök is coming.