Due to circumstances far, far, far beyond my control, I have to make this my 4th post in May, and I have to move the fifth and sixths posts to being in June, instead of in May.
I can't give much detail, unfortunately, but I am committed to getting those extra/make-up posts in as soon as possible.
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Sudden Short Story 77
She flew in, from over the horizon. "It's not really star-gazing without any stars," she told him as she landed.
"There's that star over there," he said, pointing toward the northern horizon. He was near the south pole, so that was always visible.
"Yeah, but you're not looking that way," she pointed out. "You're just staring into the blackness of space."
"Would you rather I stare into the blackness of your heart?"
She stuck her tongue out at him, then laid down on the dying grass next to him and took his hand in hers. "We're the only two who saw it through," she said to him. "We're at the heat-death of the universe, with our man-made planet orbiting a man-made sun with all the matter left in the universe, and you still have to crack your cruel jokes."
"Well, there's not much else to do," he pointed out.
"There's always each other," she said with a grin.
"You know, I consider puns the cruelest joke of them all."
"I'm literally the last woman alive in the universe," she reminded him. "I've also got the better part of ten to the seventh Earth years to work on this," she said, looking at their sun, their timer. She stood up again, preparing to fly away. "At least I'm not bored: I've got a really good puzzle to solve," and with that, she was off over the horizon again.
"There's that star over there," he said, pointing toward the northern horizon. He was near the south pole, so that was always visible.
"Yeah, but you're not looking that way," she pointed out. "You're just staring into the blackness of space."
"Would you rather I stare into the blackness of your heart?"
She stuck her tongue out at him, then laid down on the dying grass next to him and took his hand in hers. "We're the only two who saw it through," she said to him. "We're at the heat-death of the universe, with our man-made planet orbiting a man-made sun with all the matter left in the universe, and you still have to crack your cruel jokes."
"Well, there's not much else to do," he pointed out.
"There's always each other," she said with a grin.
"You know, I consider puns the cruelest joke of them all."
"I'm literally the last woman alive in the universe," she reminded him. "I've also got the better part of ten to the seventh Earth years to work on this," she said, looking at their sun, their timer. She stood up again, preparing to fly away. "At least I'm not bored: I've got a really good puzzle to solve," and with that, she was off over the horizon again.
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Sudden Short Story 76
The demonologist got off of the bus, and was greeted by a somewhat perplexed woman. When everyone else had left, though, it was clear to her that he was, indeed, the demonologist, and it was clear to him that she was the one to take him to the suspected victim.
"Pardon my reaction," she said at last, "but I didn't expect you to be quite so young."
"You flatter me," he said, "but I'm nearly thirty as it is. Would you care to lead the way?"
They began walking down the block leading away from the bus stop.
"I guess that I just expected a demonologist to be some old man," she said. "Come to think of it, most people our age don't even believe in demons. I know that ... ." She trailed off, not quite sure what to say.
"I think that I've seen this before," he said to her. "You were raised some kind of christian - most Americans are, and African-Americans especially - and there are the stories about demons, so you think that you always believed in demons, but you never really took them seriously. The part of you that acknowledges that also regrets having done so, and has redoubled your faith. Am I wrong?"
"So how long have you been a demonologist?" she asked. She wasn't really trying to avoid the question; she was just curious how someone could be so experienced at such a young age. Or did her face just show it that plainly?
"Oh, almost two years, I'd say."
Reading her face after his response was not difficult by anyone's standards.
"Well, it's not exactly a lucrative career," he elaborated. "I live largely on the hospitality of others, which is sometimes cut short when it turns out not to be a demon - the diagnosis really is the most important part. If I didn't care about helping others, I could have stayed in my job as an adequate materials engineer." They arrived at the apartment. "Which room is it?" he asked.
"503," she answered. "You were a materials engineer?" she asked of him, while leading him to the elevator.
"Yeah, and that's kind of a funny story," he said, as they entered. He pushed the button for 5. "You see, I hadn't set out to do any of this at all. I didn't go to college for it, at least. I was actually studying to go into information security, which, come to think of it, would also have been a lucrative career." The elevator dinged with their arrival. "Come to think of it, I'm a very strange man." He got out and proceeded to look for 503.
"Pardon my reaction," she said at last, "but I didn't expect you to be quite so young."
"You flatter me," he said, "but I'm nearly thirty as it is. Would you care to lead the way?"
They began walking down the block leading away from the bus stop.
"I guess that I just expected a demonologist to be some old man," she said. "Come to think of it, most people our age don't even believe in demons. I know that ... ." She trailed off, not quite sure what to say.
"I think that I've seen this before," he said to her. "You were raised some kind of christian - most Americans are, and African-Americans especially - and there are the stories about demons, so you think that you always believed in demons, but you never really took them seriously. The part of you that acknowledges that also regrets having done so, and has redoubled your faith. Am I wrong?"
"So how long have you been a demonologist?" she asked. She wasn't really trying to avoid the question; she was just curious how someone could be so experienced at such a young age. Or did her face just show it that plainly?
"Oh, almost two years, I'd say."
Reading her face after his response was not difficult by anyone's standards.
"Well, it's not exactly a lucrative career," he elaborated. "I live largely on the hospitality of others, which is sometimes cut short when it turns out not to be a demon - the diagnosis really is the most important part. If I didn't care about helping others, I could have stayed in my job as an adequate materials engineer." They arrived at the apartment. "Which room is it?" he asked.
"503," she answered. "You were a materials engineer?" she asked of him, while leading him to the elevator.
"Yeah, and that's kind of a funny story," he said, as they entered. He pushed the button for 5. "You see, I hadn't set out to do any of this at all. I didn't go to college for it, at least. I was actually studying to go into information security, which, come to think of it, would also have been a lucrative career." The elevator dinged with their arrival. "Come to think of it, I'm a very strange man." He got out and proceeded to look for 503.
Life Update May 2015
So, once again, I completely forgot about blogging for most of the month. I remembered earlier this week, but I didn't get to it until now. I did manage to remember, earlier in the month, while at work, to jot down some sudden short story notes, because they popped into my head, so I'll crank those out tonight. I need to double-check, but I think that I have 4, which should cover 4 of the remaining 5 posts for this month.
I've also got a big thing happening this coming week. I'll say more after it happens.
I've also got a big thing happening this coming week. I'll say more after it happens.
Thursday, April 30, 2015
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?"
"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! @_@
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! @_@
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
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.
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.
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