Salt

 

...against the restraining forces of gravity cripple. Inhaled gulps of salt are coughed and sneezed at once with half full lungs caught somewhere between an inhale and exhale, cup half empty.

The wobbly discombobulated mirage of the sun sort of shines through, but not really. More like its idea mirages by or superimposes itself over the...

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The Good Guys

...Slow this chit chat and shoot back!
Unless you want to be dead meats by a couple of deadbeats. ”

“White boy is right. Focus, man, fight back.” Tyrel says and squeezes the trigger
“Like that!”

Across the parking lot members of the opposing gang
Alongside the cops they were exchanging merchandise with
They’re closing in
Tyrel, Antwan and Jonathan retreat
They go from cover to cover
Car to car
Trying to make their way further
But the gunshots don’t stop
They formed a firing line
Thugs and cops
Afraid to be imprisoned for breaking the law.

Little crimes they’ve committed
Pastime they’ve never admitted
They go unforgiven
By those they’ve involved
Those unwilling...

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A Hero Suddenly Appears

...above the still waveless ocean. Migrating birds with thick feathery wings hunt the schools of fish scattering and jumping from the water. The sun’s fight to the top of the sky illuminates the bubbling ocean surface. It’s as if boiling as the fish attempt to escape whatever comes from below.

The waters bubble more intensely and the fish scatter opening way for the tip of a black pyramid gradually rising. It rises and rises and goes high enough to graze the clouds. At the very bottom of the black pyramid is a gap big enough to fit a person. Before it a path begins to emerge from the water, made of grey stone.

The morning skies become grey and cloudy as a lightning storm forms from a perfect day. Thunder roars and quakes the pyramid and the stone walkway. Pieces break from the walkway and sink to the bottom of the ocean...

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To The Grave

The gentle stroke of the keys as grand as the piano they’re played on rang and danced along the walls of the theatre. Papa’s talent was the thief of breaths and master of awe. The pin drop silence of the theatre when he played was something to behold. A moment cherishable with the fondest of memories. A performance which radiated a warm velvet aura riddled with subliminal hypnosis.

It was the loveliest of experiences. It could have only turned out better had you been there with him, Mama.

-          From Jane

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The Darkest of Them All

A straight stride has proven fruitless and aimless as time makes no difference. Walking for an infinity no longer than a week, starvation begins to sink in. Madness has long since stricken, although the stride has not been affected.

Broken dissolved vocal cords rasp with every breath. Destroyed by the screams held for days with hopes that someone would hear my pleas for mercy, with no avail. A torn bloodied forehead shows white bone bits cracked by my skulls repeated impact against concrete. Fingernails broken off by all the attempts to hatch another.

Debating whether to lay for rest and die as a means of escape from this merciless prison I see a shadow ahead. A dark figure piled into the corner where the wall and…

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Across The Mirror

That across the mirror isn’t me
It mocks me when I say I am
Laughs to my face with a twisted smile and a malicious stare
Both of which I’m sure I don’t display
When eyes watch me they see it as if I don’t exist
And I ask why, I ask how do they see it and not me
So it tells me that I am the reflection
That I am but a mere illusion of the truth across the mirror
It tells me that my entire world is of self-deception and denial
And I refuse to believe its lies when I know that I am
But it’s always watching
With a smirk on its face
Ready for when I look its way

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A Written God

...this world began to form within the text. It wasn’t clear what I was looking at when I began, but as I continued the things written earlier became clearer. And I’d go and I’d make tiny adjustments to keep things consistent throughout the entire text. And these people within the universe I created developed personalities and lives. And as I continued to write they had families and friends. Loved..

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Miriam

...catastrophic pileup on the highway by a middle school in the middle of an afternoon. “Fucking asshole! Ugh!” She walks off in the opposite direction and shuts the front door that was apparently open the entire span of the argument.

The kids are already upstairs avoiding dad’s angry yelling. Hiding in the best most quiet hiding spot.

Moments later Miriam is back in the kitchen eating the wine bottle through a frustration induced tomato face. Vibrant deep red wine drains into the glass and then out, over and over in rapid succession. Throwing the empty bottle in the...

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Arthur

...he spots a small town up ahead. The incoming road welcomes newcomers with a large green sign reads Welcome to Pleasant Valley.

Customers come into view going in and out of a small bodega near the sign. Upon closer inspection Arthur finds it’s a plaza at the entrance of town. A small shopping center for the kind folk of Pleasant Valley and any kind visitors who might come through.

A small family of four catch his attention. He remembers having a mom and dad, and he’s always wanted a brother and sister, so he figures he’ll introduce himself. Arthur knows they’ll love him because he’s extremely caring and very sensitive. Those are good characteristics...

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Zoom Out

...grip is tight, firm, nothing will loosen it. If he gives in he’ll go off edge.

The deafening ring in his ears lingers infinite stretches of time before they gradually fade revealing drowned out scream, cries and pleas.

Whimpering resume, he sniffles globs of mucus to the back of his throat before swallowing and whimpers more.

“I-it was y-y-you wasn’t..

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Eating Lead Tonight

...that many times over with things as casual as a hobbies or mere chance… It’s just a thing I’m doing. A goal needs to have a sense of accomplishment and purpose. Neither of which are characteristics I associate with quantity, less I be materialistic too, but I don’t own much and don’t plan to. What do you mean, exactly?

“I just mean it’s impressive!”

I’m not sure what it is that you think is impressive. I said I’d do a thing and now I’m doing it… Is it impressive I’m actually doing the thing I said I’d do? In which case, do you walk around in awe all day long as you go about your day encountering people who are actively doing the thing they said they’d do? I’m confused. Okay, okay, let’s take a step back because this isn’t making sense to me! Let’s start at square one: is the congratulations...

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Identity

...holding from tearing apart and the necessity for oxygen forgotten, “What?” she asks. “How is this possible?” She’s in panic mode.

“You wanted someone to understand you. Who can understand you more than me, yourself?” he says and glances at the pen in his hand, then at the pen in hers.

She stares at the pen in his hand following him, and then at the pen in hers, and then back at his empty hand.

“I don’t understand what’s going on!” The confusion is nearly infuriating, but she’s shaking with the icy terror consuming her bones. Before long her body begins to dive into a shock, freezing and sending her into catatonic pause...

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Rebirth

...and a long drag later Isaiah is following Sebastian. Then he’s walking faster. Finally he runs right by Sebastian.

The cleric begins to run and the celestial takes flight close to the ground and burst into a ball of fire aimed straight for them.

Isaiah drops to one knee and using his back Sebastian propels himself high into the sky and then fires a blast launching him too high up to see. Isaiah sinking and vanishing into the dirt mere seconds...

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Transistor VI

...agony roars from every direction, all at once. Continuous, they twist and morph into demonic laughs and back to horrid screams. Hundreds, thousands, millions of them stacked on top of each other repeating this monstrous loop.

And then a child phases into view. He stands before Isaiah terrified, shook to his core.

Isaiah’s profusely amused at the petrified child. “Hey,” he says, “kid!”

Sabastian fights to look away and loses the battle. His neurons are firing panic signals left and right. Trembling hands, sweaty forehead, wide eyes and Isaiah is watching the kid conclude the worst in his mind.

“Are you okay?” Isaiah asks, now getting worried the child hasn’t yet reacted.

The Sabastian goes to speak, but pauses. Profound confusion mixed with fear...

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Eight Lives I

...arms and legs. She touches around her body. She’s a young woman, curves, boobs, thumbs. But also not entirely like the humans, large cat ears instead of human ears, nails a bit longer and sharper than human nails and a long fuzzy white tail.

At a pond in the forest she gets a good look at her reflection. She’s half cat half human. Or a human with a tail, cat ears, whiskers the color they were when she was a cat, but human sized. “I’m kind of hot!” she says staring at her reflection...

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Transistor V

...child in the gate!” he explains.

“Wait… It’s been like half a day…” she says, eyebrow raise high.

“EXACTLY!” Isaiah shouts.

“You’re serious?” Sarah asks.

“No, I’m fucking joking. Of course I’m serious! What would even be the point of a lie like that?”

Isaiah explains what’s going on to Sarah on the way out of the woods. He tells her how the boy ate the fruit of knowledge and was led to the gate for his own protection. He explain how he needs her help to track the passage the boy used to cross the gate.

Agreeing to help, they...

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