The room was lit by a single large flat screen TV. Police cars, ambulances, and news casters filled the scene. A man jumped over the couch, brushed his hair back and pushed his gold horned rimmed glasses up his nose.

“Police are saying this is the worst killings they have seen in years. Fourteen men and women have been found in pieces around the city. No suspects have been listed yet”

The screen flipped to the outside of an apartment building and then followed the captain of police to the outside of an apartment door.

“These have been the worst serial killings we have seen in a long time, who has done this will pay the ultimate price. I won’t stop till they are caught”

The man clicked the mute button and stood up into the projected light.

“Worst? Why is it always the worst?” He turned to his left. A set of eyes cried out to him. He walked over to the wall and flicked the lights on. “Do you see that? or I guess, hear that, worst”

The man snatched a large knife from the table. Bound to a chair was a young women, her eyes were large circles that were stained by tears. She struggled against her bonds and screamed through the gag at him.

“Stop that, what do you mean? You don’t know what your talking about. Fourteen” The man with the knife was young, thin, square jaw line and semi brown hair. He looked like an old school librarian. Dressed in black slacks, a tweed vest and a white button up shirt that was rolled up before his elbows. “I’m the best, not the worst”

He shook his head and pulled a chair in front of the bound women. She extended trying to threaten, but he waved her off with his knife.

“Look, I’m going to tell you a secret, yeah? Okay okay, here it goes. Those other things out there, the second rate serial killers, murders, what ever you call them. They cut their prizes up while they are alive.” The man shook his head and rolled his eyes “Like how are you going to get clean cuts if they are moving all around or blood is flowing so hard? You aren’t. Yeah yeah use drugs and all that, blah blah, doesn’t work, tried it. Does it look like I have time to surgeon people? To many people to get to. What a pain. Also I am going to tell you something else. That police captain. I have had coffee twice with him. Twice! and I told him TWICE that I was the serial killer. I told him, you have to start calling me the best, not the worst. This schmuck didn’t believe me. I tell everyone what I do, no one cares, what a sick game this is huh?”

The man return the chair to the table and walked back over to the women. Her energy was running out. The screaming, struggling and rationalizing were taking a toll on her. Her eyes fluttered to stay awake. Then she felt her arms being unshackled and the gag removed from her mouth.

“All right, all done.” the man said.

The women stood up weakly and stared at the man.

“Your letting me go?” she said hoarsely

The man reached for her and spun her around to see the chair she was bound to. There she was. Sitting, blood running from her neck and down her chest and pooling at feet of the chair.

“Sorry, your dead, But good news or I mean, bad news? Maybe both, you take it the way you want, you have been dead for a couple days” he said returning to the couch and flipping the channels until it hit another news station.

The women stood staring. Distant. A void. If that was her, who was she now. She turned and looked at the man sitting on the couch. He was now eating a stick of jerky. In a lul she moved to the couch and sat next to him.

“Do you care to explain?”

The man ripped off another head of jerky and pushed his glass up “Look, I’m good at something. Being a serial killer. The best, already am. I have even serial killed serial killers” He grinned and gave a thumbs up to her “Now you may ask what is all this ghost stuff that you are experiencing and this jazz. I serial kill people that have been missed by the grim reaper. Here” He pulled out a cylinder object. It was smooth metallic black. It pulsed with a cold energy. “Look at this” with a quick flick of his wrist a ghostly parchment draped from the cylinder. Fog emitted around the paper. “This list, which is updated all the time, is of those that death has missed. That car accident that you survived a couple of days ago, nah, you didn’t”

The women looked closer at the scroll. The names were jet black against a faded white parchment. They seemed to faze in and out and some would even disappeared before he eyes.

“Pretty cool eh? Well I had a dilemma on my hands. See I’m a natural born killer. Yet! I had an inner conflict. I like people and humanity, but damn, that feeling of” He made a stabbing motion with the beef jerky stick “and the life just seeping out, nothing like it. So one day, I just asked the sky. What should I do and Bam!” he leapt off the couch and stomped around “a bear came running straight out of the woods were I was, It’s teeth, claws ready and sliced me down.” he gave a laugh “Just ate me right there. When I awoke there it was, death with a contract and oh check this out” The man extended his hand towards the knife which was sitting on the table behind them, it wobbled then flew from the table into his palm. “My scythe”

The women made no motion, her face was stoic and internally she felt nothing,but exhaustion. No confusion over the whole situation, no anger over what she had gone through, just pure exhaustion.

“So what now? Heaven?”

“We wait. Death will show up and take you somewhere” He flopped back down next to her “So in the mean time” the TV unmuted “Jerky?” he held out a fresh stick to her.

The women sighed.

She grabbed the jerky.

-

This story was inspired by a irrational situation of a serial killer seeing that they were being called the worst, when if you took the stats, they were the best. Such as having the most kills or never getting caught. Also the thought of being good at something that is unmoral. As if what would happen if you asked the person who was going to kill you why they were doing it? and they said, “Well I am good at this”
I also remember seeing a Japanese movie where the serial killer would produce art from his victims, because it was his inspiration and what he was good at. This is sorta like that. I took a fun angle with it though, because While being morbid, being to morbid is sorta a drag.

“It’s snowing again”

Two men looked out the windows to see large flecks start to descend on them.

One of the men in a leather jacket stood up “Well, that means it’s time to get out of here, who knew it could even snow at this time of year”

The other man leaned back in his seat and took another peak out the window. The large flecks were now flurrying with the wind and the surroundings were starting to disappear behind a white sheet of tundra. The coldness extended through the glass and made his bones shiver.

“Careful out there Pete” the man took a sip of his coffee. Pete shrugged his leather shoulders and stepped out into flurry of coldness. The door slammed shut and the they looked at his back as it faded.

“Do you think he will be okay?” Sarah said taking Pete’s seat in front of the man.

The man gave a frown “Nope, he’s dead” he said and downed the last of his coffee. He held it out and Sarah poured him another cup. The restaurant was small. Log cabin themed, it sat in forest near a small midwestern town in the north. It got most of the locals to come down and enjoy the small menu and endless coffee. A few travelers from here or there would show up during the summer, but it sat in the forest as a shelter for those looking for something to eat and drink. A shelter from the wilderness, the rampaging nature that could claw it’s way to you. Tear at you. Leave you for dead.

The man that sat drinking coffee that had just proclaimed his friends death was Vandal Hearth. He always wore jet black clothes. Whether that was shorts and shirt, sweater and pants, coat and scarf. All of it was jet back. From his boots to his occasional hat. He would stroll by and you would think he was a shadow being misplaced.

“That’s a terrible thing to say” Sarah said pouring herself a cup of coffee. There would be no more customers today.

The wind started to howl and what trees you could see were starting to whip around.

“I told him that he would die if he came out here today. I can feel it, I could feel the snow, I could feel” Vandal stopped and swallowed “I could feel IT. Out there, IT watches”

Sarah let out a breath “Vandal you know I don’t like you start talking like that. This monster that you have been hunting, this IT, what ever it is. You have been out in the woods for far to long. There is nothing out there”

“Sarah I respect you, but you don’t know what you are talking about. I didn’t choose to be out in these god forsaken woods, but this is the closest I have been to IT”

Vandal had been in town for three years. He bought a cabin on the edge of town. His shadow would roam around the forest at night and in town during the day. He never seemed to sleep. No matter what part of the day, he would be looking, searching, wandering, hunting. Eyes like yellow pacing the landscape and corners of the dark woods. He would show up at Sarah’s restaurant every other day and drink copious amounts of coffee and eat a single piece of toast. Eyes always fixed to the large windows. He was older. Long gray hair that he pulled into a pony tail with a few strands that poked out over his forehead. A long nose with deep set eyes. He was always calm, collected and cool. Nothing ever seemed to bother Vandal.

The wind whistled and and the noise died down. Vandal tapped his fingers against the table then produced something wrapped in a black cloth and set it on the table.

“What’s that?” Sarah asked. Vandal never seemed have anything on him other then a small wallet.

Vandal brushed the object then unwrapped it. Revealing it’s self like an unholy object from eons ago a blade that seemed to absorb light dimmed the table. The blade was large and covered with smaller curved blades that sprung out in all directions. The handle had a small guard around it and another point from the hilt. As it sat, it hummed an unholy tune inside her skull. As if all the music in the world were tuned to insanity and dialed in to the frequency of chaos.

“Wha-“ Sarah went to speak, but Vandal shot up form the seat taking the blade in his hand. As it moved through the air it caused a black mist to form. “Vandal, stop”

He stopped at the door. The storm began to rage again, this time in anticipation of the battle to come.

“You have been a lovely host Sarah, see you around” Vandal pushed open the door against the wind. It slammed shut and Sarah peered out the window. Vandal stopped in front of the winter torrent. The unholy blade seemingly absorbing any light the remained.

Vandal Hearth stepped into and through the winter wall.

-
Inspired by the snow that is falling today. It has been rather nice and we are in spring, but the snow came from no where. In an hour the outside looked more of winter then it did of spring. The knife is inspired by the knife in Over the Black Rainbow, The Devils Teardrop. An item out of place in our world.

The court was packed with all the fools and nobles from the kingdom. They stood around the throne and the main entrance way speaking of gossip and stories that had travel among their tongues in the past month. Set upon his knees in front of the king and his court was a writer. His face was just beginning to show the creases of life and war, clothes cleaned and pressed, from the ancrease spell that he had learned from his youth. His hair draped over his face which a large mustache spread out from under his nose. His eyes were deep in their sockets and shone a deep auburn. He was a rarity. Born into the noble houses, but rejected them to write the truths and what he experienced during his life. His works were known far and wide, but he found himself keeling in front of the king, feet shackled, hands bound at the wrist with rope and guards surrounding him with spears.

“Scribe, Winterdel Pon Style, you have been spreading falsehood of my name and kingdoms for far to long, you have shamed my name in the written ink and made others question my rule.” The king said, his voice ringing and silencing the crowds.

Winterdel stiffened and rose his head causeing his face to be shown for the first time to the king.

“King, I have never written a word about you that was not true. My quill only captures what I have seen or what I have experienced. True, I have written shameful passages about you, but that was long ago. Yet, here I am, I am beginning to believe that I have deceived my self in my judgment of you”

“Silence!” The king shouted rising to his feet “How dare you insult my ears in front of my eyes, you have done enough behind my back. Sheldren, is it not true that these words have spread across the kingdom like some kind of locust.”

Form behind the throne a man stepped forward. His clothes cleaned and pressed. A robe of gold and white and he wore a large brimmed wizard hat. Strung across his shoulders was a nap sack of leather.

Winterdel gave a hearty laugh as the young man stepped out “I should of known”

“This is true my King, Winterdel has been producing these things on the bases of destroying your kingdom and causing an uprising”

Winterdel gave another booming laugh and the crowd gasped “Sir, this is a mistake. The first time I wrote about you was after your defeat at the hills of Jell. Someone” Winterdel called to the crowd “produce this book and then produce the writings of the Crowell as well” he cleared his throat and continued “I wrote that that king was arrogant, feebly, and quick to lose his tempter. Instead of taking responsibility for the defeat, he berated his generals and army for was his error. I called him a horse that had no hooves. But! Even with this I also wrote, he is young, if he grows and learns he could become a great king.”

The king had returned to sitting on this throne and looked annoyed at his personal defeats being brought up.

“Someone confirm please, bring him the paper” Someone from the crowd cried that they had found both texts that had been called for. They handed them to the guards and they were brought up to the king.

“Sir, this might be just a trick, volumes, might be modified, switched, this could be magic”

“Silence” The king said sternly.

“That would be on page one hundred and thirty, but let me guide your eyes to the writing of Crowell, this was after I had written many times on the king, repeating my observations, the growth that I could not see. But here, page four hundred, when I had caught him after another defeat. This time -”

Winterdel let his last sentence hang in the air. The whole court was silent, waiting.

“This time the king showed me something, a spark of his greatness. A window into the king that he would later become. After his defeat he took time to visit and help his army and generals. Feed the starving battle hardened soldiers, comfort and heal those that had been wounded. He steered his crowds with chants of hope and ideals of a place that would later become this kingdom. He took his first step into actually being a king.”

The crowd clapped a cheered at the past revelation. The roar grew so that it over took Winterdel until he rose his roped hands into the air.

“But, what I see here before me is not that king. I see the king after Jell, the King that has regressed, to a to-be king.”

“This charlatan speaks and writes falsehoods” Sheldren pointed

“Never” Winterdel roared “I do not write falsehoods, only the truth before my eyes, only once have a I ever speculated, and that was about the Malaberg.”

The king leapt from this throne, the whole court cried out and silenced immediately at the name.

“You speak the name of the beast in my court.” The king shook as he spoke “You have brought a storm of curses upon us”

“If I spoke ill of the Malaberg or untruth, yes, but this is true, or at least true to my eyes and soul. I call speculative because the Malaberg is something that is allusive as the scent of ones true love.”

The king returned to his throne and the crowd leaned in as Winterdel started to speak

“It was in Faljer.” A women screamed in the back of the room and the crowd started to vibrate with nervousness.

“That is immpossible, no one survived Faljer” the king said.

“I was not there when it happened, but I arrived just as it was finished. For those that have not heard the tale of Faljer, let me assure you that this tale is true. A large town just behind the Fal mountains. Prominent for it’s wheat and barley it was a peaceful place that was sought by many. One fall solstice a storm poured all around the town and surrounding areas. A storm from the age of legends. Lightening, rain, hail, water spirits riding the thunder and slicing through everything. Nothing was safe, nature had shown that it was sick of our meddling and that it was going to sweep our feeble souls up with it’s wind. Many beleieve that this storm was the cause of the fall of Faljer, but I -”

Winterdel took a deep breath in, the crowd mimicked.

“I rose my hands to great nature and said I would not be denied. So I traversed the grand storm. Twenty, no less, twenty times my life and soul were almost reaped by her spirits, yet I made it to the gates of Faljer. There was no storm there. The sky clear as a crisp apple day. The wind settled cozily. I stepped into Faljer which was not wet with rain, but with blood, body parts and faces that contorted in horror that even if I was the greatest actor on the planet I would not be able to reproduce the looks with out falling victim. My legs moved with out me knowing, my eyes took in the carnage until my legs stopped moving. As if they had eyes of their own I look forward to see what they had seen.“

The court was buzzing in anticipation and nervousness. As if what was being said should not be heard, a buggy going off a cliff. One could not look away or shut their ears.

“The Malaberg. It’s cape was a dark brown, heavy and looked as if it was made out of leather or skin. Storm cloud black armor with needles and blades protruding in all directions adorned it. It’s helmet had large horns spreading out into the air and sharp corners. It’s eyes burned a deep red. In it’s two gauntlet hands were two large maces that held bits of flesh and bone from the townsfolks. It did not move, it did not breathe. If one did not look closely, one would miss it. As if it stood stiller then a statue. My soul rose from my body and I stood, eyes affixed. Then it moved, but I did not. It’s movements were so fluid that I thought it might be made out of water. Between fluid movements and complete stillness it turned and looked around. Then it stepped forward. As it’s foot struck the ground it sent a ripple out from it that I could feel through my whole being. It saw me. With out it’s blazing eyes staring, I knew that it had seen me. It stepped one more in a direction away from me, and I ran. I ran faster then I could tell my self. I had heard the stories and I awaited a mace to my skull, my bones and spirits being ripped from wailing body. I ran from this, but also towards it. I ran to the gates and straight into a set of imperial guards escorting a band of fellows to the town. I was mad, I raved for days after that. I took months to recover my mind.”

There was silence in the court as they all took it in and recovered themselves. The king sat staring deeply and Winterdel.

“Guards, execute the young Sheldren, as he has been spreading the lies” the king said quietly.

The guards moved to take Sheldren.

“Wait wait, my king, let me offer a more devilish punishment. Discredit young Sheldren, credit me. Let his name be desecrated by your rule and restore mine. This will ensure the punishment follows him for the rest of his days, don’t let it be so easy for him”

Sheldren begged for death in front of the king, but he took Winterdel’s idea. Sheldren the writer, was now known as Sheldren the False.

–

The gates to the main kingdom closed behind them. Winterdel and Sheldren walked hand and hand on the dirt road into the large forest south of the castle.

“You know, I knew it was you as soon as I started reading what was being said. Your prose, it’s still weak, improved, but still weak. I am more ashamed that some thought that the prose came from me” Winterdel said

“Why did you do that, why didn’t you let them just kill me” Sheldren sighed

“You fool, you left there with your life, as long as your alive you can keep writing. Change your name, change your style, do what ever you want now. We the writers choose what will be read. If you die and something is declared about you then there is nothing you can do about it.”

They came to a small inn off the main road.

“This is where I am to rest my feet, not as young as I used to be”

“Is it true, you saw the Malaberg?”

Winterdel took in a deep breathe and frowned nodding. “Yes, I did. It took me almost a year to write anything after witnessing that thing, I taught you well Sheldren. I know we had our fights and that you hate me, but please, live, write, for both of us”

Sheldren lips quivered as his eyes filled up with tears “I will, see you when my eyes set upon you”

“See you when my eyes set upon you Sheldren, Godspeed”

-

Inspired by a bit of Hyperion and the Shrike. When I thought of the monster I pictured something like the Shrike from the Hyperion series. This whole story came to me during my shower the other day. The monologue between the king and Winterdel took place and when he was accused of falsehoods the story of the Malaberg entered to make it a bit more mystical. I would be up to returning to this world, it is very magical, but at the same time, some beasts are to scary to be real, odd isn’t it.

“Dear Sir Wellingson, you have been summoned to the kingdom of Cleritch”

The two men stood in silence.

“And?”

“That’s it, you have been summoned” The man said and then rolled up the scroll. “So, your going to go” A sheep bleated out in the valley “right?”

“Well I don’t know” The summoned man said.

“Well you have to go, you know, that’s sorta what a summoning is. Are you going to refuse the call to action? Refute the summons?”

The summoned man shook his head “I didn’t say I was not going to go I jus-“

“Going then”

“Wait a minute”

“Fine, then do not obey the summoning”

“No, no I am going to go” the summoned man said

The two men stood again staring at each other while the windmill above them turned with a dull screech.

“You’re going because you want to,or because I told you not to?”

“I am going because I want to go”

“Not because you are going against what I said?” The man with the scroll leaned forward.

“Yes, I will go because I want to. Nothing you said made a difference. I will go to this place” The summoned man gestured with his hand, searching “what was the name of it again?”

The man with the scroll stammered “Oh,uh” he unrolled and searched the two lines “Cleritch” he cleared his throat.

“Yes to Cleritch” The summoned man said standing proudly nodding in approval to himself. He then furrowed his brow and asked “What am I being summoned for?”

The man with the scroll shrugged “Didn’t say, but Cleritch knows you have accepted”

“What? How? You haven’t even gone anywhere, how did you let them know?”

“Destiny? or maybe that’s how summoning works. I’m just the messenger, don’t look at me” The man with the scroll waved him off then pointed to the sky “Here’s our ride.

In the yellowish dark sky a carriage adorned in pure black with golden trim that twisted and turned in sleek natural curves being pulled by two large rams jettisoned out and towards them. It was silent as it made a large circle in the air and then almost as if it weighed nothing, pulled besides them. The two rams, larger then any the summoned man had seen, horns spiraling with lighting wrapped around them floated just above the ground. The door creaked open revealing that the inside was much larger then it appeared on the outside.

“Right, because you want to go” the man with the scroll stepped inside.

The man who was summoned, the man that had accepted because he wanted to, stood wide eyed for a moment, then stepped in. He was being summoned by Cleritch.

-

This was one of those moments where I was in the kitchen doing something and I just had this conversation between two characters about being summoned. It might of been funnier in the moment, but I like dialogue that is quick. People have so many ways of speaking to each other and it would be fun to explore in the written format. It might be difficult, but I think it would be worth it. Another dimension to the characters. The ending the with carriage is something I made up, I have been playing Eldin Ring and I would imagine this carriage being in that game.

Well Cheers!

It had been two weeks days since the sun had not risen. The night had fallen like it had always done, but in the morning, the sun did not awaken to shine. Then the next day, nothing, total darkness. The country side lit large bonfires and started gathering wood at alarming rates to hold out until the sun came back to greet them.

Ten would go into the woods, nine would return. Then the number decreased, villagers started to huddle in their houses staring out into the abyss hearing the growls and snarls of something unknown. The bloodbath was about to begin.

Peter sat staring out of their window looking towards the south fields. He could see a couple of torches burning out in the distance illuminating the front and windows of houses and a small village in the distance. He checked on his own flames to make sure that they were no dwindling. They whipped in the night air, soon, but not yet. His wife Jennifer sat at the dining table with their daughter Sue. Their house was only two rooms. The kitchen, dining and writing room were all the same. Then there was their bedroom. He peered back at them. Sue was only five. She wondered when the sun would come back so she could go out and play. He told her that the sun had gotten a bit ill and that it would be back soon. That the moon was watching over them for a little bit. He wished it were true. He returned to gazing outside. They were running out of food, wood, and water. A single week was left.

Far out in the distance at the top of the south fields the village of Tinshin blazed. They kept a bonfire going as long as they could, even disassembling houses and burning any wood they could get their hands on. Peter looked out at the blaze. It gave him a bit of hope, even thought he knew they would run out of wood eventually. Suddenly his hope whipped wildly. It grew larger and larger and then, the hope died. Peter jumped to his feet and leaned out the window to focus. Tinshin was dark.

The burning inferno was no longer lighting them. Then the screams started. A whole village cried out, clawed for survival with their voices. It echoed out into the dark air. He could see nothing, but he could hear it. And what his imagination brought was even more terrifying. He could see the farm houses down the hill in the fields whipping their torches around. Moving around their houses in frantic paces. The screaming continued, but the crescendo was dying off. He turned to his wife who was covering Sue’s ears.

“We have to leave” he stammered,not believing what he was saying.

Jennifer bit her lower lip and nodded in silence. She uncovered the child’s ears and led her to the bedroom. He could hear them start talking about going on a trip to meet the sun. Peter grabbed his bag and crammed as much food and supplies as he could into it. He checked his musket, and then his sword. He wasn’t the most experienced fighter, but he could handle himself decently. Jennifer and Sue came out of the room with Sue bouncing up and down ready for an adventure. Jennifer’s face was long, empty and grim. He could only imagine what his looked like. He stuffed a bunch of small torches into a bag and took the two lit torches off walls by the door. One for him, one for Jennifer and Sue would be in between their shielding lights. They stood just out side their door. Their fireplace still blazing inside. The safety, the warmth. He looked south again. The screams had stopped. He could see the houses were still lit out in the distance and the people still danced around. Probably doing the same as they were. Then they started to dim. He could feel the panic as the torches in their hands started to die out. They whipped back and form in a panic and headed back to the hearth of the house, to the fire, to safety. But even that dimmed, burst, and then went out.

The screaming started again.

“Come on” He grabbed Sues hand and pulled her into the darkness towards the woods. He hoped. He bet their lives that if they made it to the main road that they could find the royal army. Since the darkness fell, the royal army had been gathering resources and fortify the main road for farmers and small villages to get to the capital. When the woods started to get dangerous, no one dared to venture for their help. They had no choice now.

The screams had stopped a while back. The trees had dampened them when they had entered, but even with all the barriers they still pierced the ears. Now just the sound of them rustling through the brushes and dry leaves filled the air. Peter waved his torch back and forth trying to search his way, With no moon light, no stars, nothing, the blackness became claustrophobic. He could only see a couple of feet in front of him and he feared that the light would soon start dimming if the monster got closer to them. Their daughter started humming a small tune and they all joined in a nervous choir navigating the darkness. Suddenly a large cracking sound came to their left. They stopped and swung their torches in that direction. Heavy breathing and heartbeats filled Peters ears, he stepped closer in the direction of the sound. As he did he noticed his torch flicker and start to dim.

“Run!” He screamed then turned around and grabbed Sue, pulling her up into his arms. They sprinted through the forest. Thorns and branches tearing at their skin, vines tempting to trip them and feed them to the monsters. Slopes that opened up into an abyss. Then they could see something in the distance. Light. The main road. It was illuminated by sun stones they had said. Both of their torches sputtered and his went out, he tossed Sue to his wife and pull his musket from around his back. She ran towards the light her torch starting to dim at each step. She heard a musket fire ring from behind her and she clutched Sue harder. On the road it looked like a band of royal guards were passing by, now alerted by the musket shot they had turn in her direction.

She waved with her torch and screamed for help. They started to scrambled and lined up pulling their muskets at the ready. She dove in front of them and slid on her back as their muskets rang out into the darkness. They loaded and fired again. The shots illuminated the forest and the darkness just enough that her eyes caught one of the horrors that now owned the shade. It’s eyes were small round dots of pure metallic glass. Teeth large, jagged, which it looked to have multiple rows of. Tiny arms jettisoned out from it’s large round body, which was also it’s head, which sat upon four large thick legs. It smiled with it’s shark teeth at her when the light hit it. Like it knew it was only a matter of time.

Jennifer set Sue to the ground near the Guards feet, she was crying hysterically from the sound of the muskets.

“Peter!” Jennifer screamed into darkness. The guards still stood at the ready. It was silent, then rustling came from in front of them. She screamed again for her husband and then put her hands up to give what ever it was in front of them a moment before being blasted to pieces. The rustling stopped. Her eyes searched as best as they could. The light form the sun stones that sat on top of poles made it hard to see now.

The rustling got louder and Peter burst into the light hitting the ground hard and crawling to her. “Oh my god, Peter” Jennifer leapt grabbing him with trembling hands to pull him into the light. He was shaking, blood soaked his shirt and he had a large gash on his side, but he was alive. The family held each other under the line of muskets peering into the darkness that had chased them. They had escaped for now. Their screams would not be heard drowning in the night.

-

The other day I was sitting outside and listening to the sounds of everything when I heard a dog barking. It sounded very far away, but I could still hear it, even with all the noise of modern life. Now not sure why my brain thought this, but the question of “hm I wonder how far away you could of heard a scream back in the olden days when there was no traffic noise and all the other stuff that filled up our ears now a days” I needed a setting and no better one then something I have had in my mind for a while.

The story in this is actually part of a larger story I would like to write one day. I thought it would be interesting to see how humans would build civilizations if one day the planet went completely dark and that monsters lived in that darkness. How would they build differently, how would they operate differently. This story takes place just after the this even that takes away the sun happens.

In this the monsters are not in every inch of darkness, but just starting to roam around. Soon no darkness is safe.

The house sat in darkness. It creaked and moaned under the heater as it started and blasted it’s way through the long ventilation. Todd awoke with ice running down his spine. A feeling startled him out of a dead sleep and he arose from his bed wrapping his night gown around him. The house was gaining warmth, but his skin still stood on edge. He moved out his room and down the large hallway to the main sitting room. Light from the moon filtered through the large windows. It was silent, besides the thumping of his footsteps against hardwood. He passed through the kitchen and then turned down to face another hallway. Usually a star night light brought a yellow aura to the this section of the house.

To keep the monsters in check.

It was dark. Todd reached for the light switched and clicked the over head lights on. They did not illuminate. He took a step back and flipped a lamp on in the main sitting room. It brought a pale yellow light that stretched just barely to the middle of the hallway.

“Charlie” he called out as he stepped back into the hallway then stopped. Pouring out of the shadows in front of him was dark red liquid. It crept smoothly and filled the whole floor towards him. His eyes grew large.

“Charlie!” he screamed.

Then the light from the lamp was allowed just a bit more into the darkness. A boy stood. He wore star and moon pajamas that were striped. His blond hair frayed all over from bed head. The boy looked towards his dad.

“Oh my god, Charlie, come here” His dad ushered. The liquid now slithered past his feet.

The boy stood motionless.

“Please, Charlie, come to daddy. Come on” Todd tried to keep his voice calm, but it quivered, just as his mouth did.

The boy stood motionless then fell forward, slamming into the floor with a sickening slap into the thick liquid.

The mans eyes widened straining against his skull to take in as much information as he could. His mouth sat agape until it took in a full breathe of air to fill the lungs that had just been stabbed.

He screamed and splashed towards the boy. He knelt down reaching for the boy, but something reached for him.

Arms. Multiple of them wretched from the darkness on the ceiling, the walls, and along the floor. The reached for him as he grasped his baby boy in his arms. He stilled screamed as he cradled the boy and looked up towards the darkness. Just beyond the veil of shadow a face emerged. Barely seen by Todds eyes. It’s face was smooth black, no nose. Eyes were shiny black ovals. Needle teeth stretched in a grisly smile in a mouth that extended three times the length it should. The arms encircled. The mouth opened. Todd weeped and rocked him and his boy into an endless sleep.

Carl leaned against the cop car in the autumn night air. Blue and red lights highlighted the mansion that at least 5 squad cars and an ambulance surrounded.

“Carl, about time you arrived” A cop walked up to him.

“Mick, what the hell is happening here. I got a call over the radio for all cars to get here asap. Kid and his father missing or something”

“yeah, yup” Mick rubbed his eyes “Kid and his father”

“Did you find them?”

Mick stared up into the sky and after a long silence said “yeah, we found them. On the ceiling, on the walls, all over the kitchen and family room. We found them alright”

“First the guy with the pens all over the place, now this. That was only two weeks ago. What the hell is happening around here” Carl said. He looked towards the house. He could see red splatter over some of the tall windows. “My god”

“Give the men in black a few minutes to finish up, It’s going to be a long night”

-

This was inspired by the old horror movies where kids were not safe. There was a rule in Hollywood or in movies that came about that you couldn’t hurt the children, or the dog. I understand why they do this. I had this vision of this scene from a hallway in my house. When the kitchen light is on, it only illuminates half of this hallway leaving the other half completely pitch black. I wonder what stares at me from that abyss.

I might revisit this in the future as I started off with a good vision of it, but after a bit of time started stumbling on the prose and how I wanted to present it. The scene in my head is a lot more, ‘impactful’ ? Anyway, hopefully this is the last of monster attacks for the poor citizens, though, I highly doubt it.

“And you said you received something form him? What did you receive?”

“I received two gifts” the man said with his eyes looking a round the room. He spoke slowly, enthusiastically and gleeful “He gave me two gifts”

“The first gift?”

The mans face lit up in a wide childish smile “Answers, answers to any question you could ask. Answers to all the questions you wouldn’t even know to ask”

“And the second?”

“Power. Unexplainable, unconscionable, power” The main said leaning back into the small metal chair. Spotlights stared at him behind the man in the black suit that was questioning him. Two men flanked him, he could not see their heads because of the lights. “He gave me these two gifts. Even if I wanted to explain them to you” The man raised his arms and waved them in the air “I would have no idea how. There is no explanation that can be given, no words to describe, even if I showed you, you wouldn’t see”

“How do we know you actually have these gifts?”

The man gave a small laugh “Please, if I didn’t have them, we wouldn’t be here right now. You wouldn’t of found me. He gave them to me, not you”

“And what if we kill you and take them?”

“We both know you can’t kill me”

There was a silence in the room. The spotlights buzzed and the men in black sat and stood as statues.

“You know, you guys have spent more money and time then anyone on the face of this planet. Sitting at the top of your obsidian pyramid. Controlling, scheming the world. Looking for answers, looking for power, looking for these. And yet, he never gives them to you.”

“You know you are not the only one to receive gifts from him” The man in black said.

“Yes, I know”

“Then you must know what fate awaits you”

“He has become very annoyed with you because of that. Every time he gives gifts, you snatch them away. Torturing, interrogating, mutilating, trying to gain what isn’t yours. He knows and he prepared me.”

“Prepared? What makes you any different?”

There was as slight hum that coursed around the room then followed by a high pitched squeal that needled into everything. The lights started to spasm and soon they went out. The small room was dark. The men in black scrambled for lights, but something then illuminated them. Glowing red eyes, hot as magma that seemed to burn when they gazed in ones direction. Red streaks of glowing ember coursed down the mans body and he stood staring in their direction. The men screamed, pulling their pistols from their jacket and firing at will. Each bullet hit the man square, but they simply burst into bright light.

“All that were chosen” The man said, his voice dark and distorted “Will be free. You, false soothsayers, men of non equal, creatures of lies and violence. Burn in your own devices” As the man stopped speaking the three men burst into flames. Their wild screams filled the air and alarms started to blare in unison. They whipped wildly searching for refuge until their bodies started to bloat and with a sickening crunch they erupted burning flesh and blood on to the room. The man stepped towards the door and it blew off it’s hinges.

His feet left scorched earth, his vision burned what it saw, his voice made ears rupture and his touch tainted.

The alarms blared, emergency lights flickered. There were 13 floors that stood between him and the rest of the world.

-

Sometimes I have monologues with my self. I don’t know why or how they come about. I stand up from my desk. I speak a line and act out a scene while walking around. This, up until the deaths of the agents, I acted out while making lunch. Who knows why the mind and body work in such a way.

They sat in Seths room looking over the blackboard that was to the right of his computer. On it was quantum equations, obscure math and impossible combinations of science. If any respectable scientist looked into that room, they would see nonsense, kids dreams and ridiculous theories. Seth stood next to the board flipping a marker in his hand. Bill sat with his legs crossed over each other and leaned back on to bed.

“So what you are saying that if we add those, then just take out the subatomic equation and then run it past the speed of light, we should be able to summon a black hole?” Bill said looking dejected.

Seth ran his hand through his side swept hair and started writing again on the board. “What I am saying is, that if we take this” he circled a equation on the board and then drew another arrow to another equation. He had to snake around a few other drawings and numbers to get there “and add this, then” He started to draw more lines. It all made no sense “Then this” he started to draw a cat. All of a sudden the lines connected and in the mess of equations and calculations the nonsense made sense. Bill lept from the bed to get a closer look at the board.

“How…” Bill stumbled on something on the floor while following the lines to the cat on the right side of the board. “How did you figure this out?” He asked as his finger landed on the cat.

“Carlton helped me out.” Seth said.

“Who?”

“You know that kid at the back of our science class. Wears air jordans, golden horned glasses and dresses like he is form the Victorian era.” There was silence “He has the faded haircut” Still Silence. “He’s pretty shy, he gets to class a bit late and leaves early, probably why you have never seen him.” Bill was a model student. He would practically run to the next class to claim a seat in the front and when class was in session, he was was engaged until the end.

“I see” Bill nodded still studying the blackboard. “Alright, let’s do it, let’s summon the entity of creation”

Seth and Bill scurried around the room gathering glass and electronics. They worked feverishly and diligently for a couple of hours. Putting together a small machine which consisted of two circuit boards, and large glass cathode in the middle.The circuit boards had large power cords slinking out of them and around the corner out the bedroom door all the way to the garage where they hooked up in to powerful generator.

“Alright alright, one more thing, be right back” Seth disappeared out of the room and returned a couple minutes later holding a black cat. It’s eyes were a greenish color and had short fur. It made one long low meow then hung from his hands. “Start it up”

Bill hit two switches on the right side of the machine then another three on the left side. The machine whirled to life. Red and green lights lit up on both sides and you could feel the power from the cables being sucked into it. The cathode smoked inside and lights flashed in brilliant vibrancy. There was pop and the smoke vanished and small black dot that if one was not looking with the best vision would not be able to see.

“The Cat” Bill said moving to remove the circle door to the cathode. Seth started to move towards the machine when a banging came at the door and Carlton burst in.

“Seth, I said a white cat, not a black one” Carlton said catching his breath.

“What?” Seth could barely hear over the hissing noise coming form the atomic sized black hole. The cat grew impatient and hissed. It squirmed and clawed at his hands. Then it’s sharp teeth bit down into him “Yow” The cat dropped from his hand, but it was so close to the cathode that is stopped in mid air. It hovered just beyond the glass where the black hole resided then moved closer. The cat start to turn into mist and quickly before anyone could realize it vanished in to the tube. A rumbling came from inside it and a burst of energy swept through them. Then it seemed as if a wave of distortion flowed slowly from the black hole as it popped out of existence. The machine whirled and seemed to die as the glass cathode cracked.

They stood in silence staring at the machine.

“Weren’t you listening when I said “It has to be a WHITE cat, make sure it is not a BLACK cat”” Carlton said

“I thought you said it needed to black because that’s what space was basically made out of and the calumniation of all colors made black. What does it mean? What happened?” Seth started to panic and pace.

They all looked around for any anomalies or changes. Nothing seemed to be any different.

“Guys” Bill said looking out the window “I think I found the cat”

Out side the window sitting in the street near the sidewalk was black cat. They all rushed down the stairs and into the street.

The cat sat. Undisturbed. Uncaring. It was fluffy now and had white hair on it’s chest and coming out of it’s long ears. The eyes were now a burnt orange. It said looking regal and in charge, it looked a bit around and then at the three of them.

“Oh thank god, nothing to wild” Seth said letting out a long nervous laugh

“Humans” A voice spoke.

All three of them searched for the mouth.

“You hear that?” Carlton looked at Bill. He nodded and swallowed hard.

The cat sat with it’s chest floofed out and it’s eyes seemed to narrow on them.

“You three have summoned me. Summoned me into an odd vessel, but a vessel none the less. We will now commence what I have been summoned for” It’s voice was deep and crisp. It sounded as if it was about to announce a sports game.

“And what have you been summoned for?” Seth asked.

“To annihilate……everything” it responded.

“wait what?” Bill stammered “What are you”

“The Entity of Destruction”

The three stood mouth agape. Their goal had been reversed. One minor detail, and instead of creating their dreams, they were going to destroy everything. Seth put up his hands and started searching for something in his jacket pocket. He produced a small ball. Catnip. He threw it at the cat. It hit it straight in the face. All three winced visibly.

The cat did not seem to be bothered. Then it’s eye twitched and it peered down at the ball. It lept for it and as it pounced a black shadow unearthed itself and the cat and ball disappeared. Then appeared across the street, rolling and clawing at the ball, then it disappeared again. It teleported all around them clawing and biting at the ball of catnip till it reappeared in front of them floating in the air. The ball hovered several inches from the cat.

“Enough” it said. The ball seemed to unravel it’s self and then explode into small black fireworks. The cat slowly came back to the ground and returned to it’s regal position. It’s head snapped to Seth.

“You” It’s eyes closed then opened to a sinister glare “I will disassemble you atom by atom if you attempt that again”

“Wait wait” Bill said stepping in front of the others “uh what is your name again”

“Authokmlatojfdsi Daj”

“Uh, authklm”

“Authokmlatojfdsi Daj“

“Authhbf“

“Just call me …… Chex”

“Chex?” Bill had to stifle a laugh

“Yes, as I was moving across space I saw something that looked like the quantum weave of reality. Since I will unravel such a thing, I thought it was an apt name”

“ookay, Chex. We left a gift in our room for you. You know you being the entity of destruction and all, we thought we could welcome you a bit. You wait here and we will be right back” Bill signaled to his friends to head back inside.

“I shall await your return” Chex said. It still sat in the middle of the road and Bill felt strange leaving a cat there. Even though it was no longer just a simple cat.

“Maybe you want to move over to the sidewalk? Might be a bit safer” Bill ushered Chex to his feet.

Chex gave a disapproving glare “There is nothing in this reality that can harm me” A car was fast approaching.

“There is a car coming, it will hit you”

“Yes,yes it will”

Bill started to panic. Even if this thing was set to annihilate everything, it still was cat “No really, you need to move” he moved closer to the street and waved his hands at the driver. They were distracted of course. “Chex” Bill screamed.

The car going five miles over the speed limit at thirty miles per hour barreled into Chex. The right wheel slammed right into the cat, but instead of Chex being smashed into the ground, the car bounced off him and skyrocketed into the air. It kept going and going until it disappeared out of site.

The three of them stood mouths agaped with their necks craned to the sky to see if the car would return to orbit. It would not.

Chex. The entity of destruction. The black cat with a bit of white fur. Sat with it’s fluffy chest puffed out, eyes staring at the humans with disappointment and sinister thoughts of destruction.

“Oh my god” Carlton finally spoke after a moment of silence “Oh man, oh my god” he searched blindly for his friends with his eyes still wide to the sky. He found their shoulders and pulled them towards and into the house.

They shut the door. Then collapsed.

“What did we do, what do we do?” Seth wiped the sweat off his forehead.

Carlton was still looking into the sky, which was now just the ceiling. His head shaking back and forth and a deep frown on his face “Nope, no , no I don’t think so , nope, not happening.” He repeated to no one.

Bill massaged his temples “Okay okay, Carlton said we needed a white cat for the Entity of Creation. So we get a white cat, we summon it and …”

“And?” Carlton and Seth said in unison

“I don’t know they battle it out or something, maybe they cancel each other out” Seth threw up his arms.

They all sat in silence for a moment pondering what other options they had. There were none. Or at least none that made any more sense then that.

“Okay” Seth said.

“Alright” Carlton nodded.

“Seth, you do something with Chex”

“What? Why me?”

“It’s your cat. Carlton, you and I will rig another machine and find a white cat” Bill put his hand out “Alright, here is to not destroying the world”

“This was not worth having endless supplies of pizza and root beer” Seth put his hand in.

“That’s why you were going to summon - you know what, doesn’t matter now” Carlton threw his hand in.

They gave a cheer and broke. Hopefully, nothing else went wrong.

-

This thought came to me in the middle of the night of a cat looking so annoyed and stately. Cats have those human expressions on their faces sometimes. They look and you see an annoyed face staring at you. What do you think they are thinking?

I have been reading alot about Quantumn and Schrödinger’s Cat came into my mind.

Fog rolled over the grassy knolls as she sat looking over towards the east to the forest of spruces. The sun was just peaking above them, cascading gray over the land and waking up the sounds of nature. She brought a mug to her lips. Vanilla black tea. Her favorite.

Her lungs took in a full breath of morning air. It chilled her, but brought sense to her nerves. She held it, bringing it to body temperature, then released it causing a hazy to form.

Stillness.

She put the mug down and cradled her head in her hands. To the side of her a pen and paper lay. Blank. She peered at them through her fingers then started to massage above eyes.

Confusion.

Snatching the mug from the porch floor and taking a large gulp she stood up and walked bare foot into the dewy grass. Fog continued to roll in and her feet disappeared in a layer of it. Her eyes frantically danced around. The trees, the rolling fog, the house, her blank soul, back to the trees and then to the sky. Her steps built in speed as she paced around the wet grass.

Manic.

She tossed her mug and it faded into the fog then trodded to the forest. Emptiness, panic, frustration, shame crawled from the earth and up her legs. She stomped through the forest. Roots and twigs ripping and tearing at her flesh. Her eyes kept alert, darting, searching, wishing , praying. For what? Would she know when she saw it? Would it help? Her thoughts seemed distant, heavy. Her body moved on it’s own now. Looking, but not seeing.

She emerged from the forest. But was she the same?

The pen had rolled off of the paper.

It was still blank.

She was still hollow.

It was still empty.

She searched for her mug among the fog, found it, and returned to the porch. She looked up at the gray sky. It stretch endlessly beyond the mountains and the trees. A haze the blanketed everything. She leaned back and closed her eyes. The blanket of haze weighted heavier on her mind and soon she was fast asleep.

-

Inspired by those days when you seemed to be weighted down by haze. It rests in your mind, dulling and warming your senses. Had th is song on repeat while writing. I love the background beats Walk Away by Point Blank Society

It was just another day out there. Another morning, another body in the park. I threw off my coat in the passenger seat of my car and pulled my badge from the dash and clipped it to my belt. I would like to say that this wasn’t a normal occurrence, but the big city. It had teeth and liked to strike often. I walked into the park, squad cars, an ambulance and a whole mess of people were already there. I sighed. The spectacle never got old for some.

“Frank, man, how is it going today” Jimmy said bitting into sandwich as he went to meet me. This guy never seemed to stop eating. Even when the dead were present something was always in his mouth. It upset me greatly in the beginning, but over time, like death, I got used to it. But it still pissed me off a bit

“Jimmy, get that thing out of your mouth, have some respect. Your going to choke to death and end up laying next to our victim one day” I said.

Jimmy laughed and choked on his sandwich. The day might come sooner then later. “yeah yeah, I’ve heard that one a million times.”

“What do we have here” I asked

“Nothing to unusual. Stabbing, robbery, pretty young thing. Shame” yeah, shame. A single word that now encompassed a persons life. Their future and past. What a shame.

We rounded past the ambulance to where the body was. She lay in the middle of the grass in front of a row of trees. My eyes moved up and up. There was something else there as well. I turned to Jimmy, but it seemed that he was frozen in place. I looked around. Everyone and everything was frozen, color seemed to be dulled from their faces. I looked back over to the body, but it wasn’t the only thing there. Something twenty, no thirty feet tall stood behind her cascading into the sky. It’s legs and arms where solid muscle with skin that was a dark blue. Armor that fit almost as second skin that seemed to shine with cosmic rays reflected in impossible directions and flames danced around the edges of it’s enormous body. Elaborate rings spun around it’s wrists and around it’s waist. A tattered cloak wrapped around it’s neck and covered the right side of it’s body. The head was nothing. A cloud of burning embers and dust that glowed with a dull shine.

I stepped back to retreat behind the ambulance, but as I did it’s faceless face seemed to peer into me. I could feel it’s gaze rip through me. To a quantum level. It seared it’s vision through every instant of my being. To levels that I could only imagine in the darkest of nights. It gripped my soul with it’s presence and if I could weep from the core of my existence I would. The thing straightened back up and I felt it’s presence slice and tear itself from me. I gasped for breath. Oxygen and something more. I refocused. Next to the being was the women who had been stabbed and now laid at it’s feet. Her face had a visible sadness that jabbed me. A frown, tears running down her face as she looked aimless towards me. The being opened it’s large hand and she put hers on one of it’s six fingers. It wrapped her hand gently and two wings burst from it’s back. The wings spread miles long and were a blackness that seemed to suck everything into it like blackholes. The wings snapped up and the being started to raise as if it was levitating. The womens arm extended upward and it pulled her. She hung as if she still had gravity pulling her down. She looked away from the creature with a sorrowful look. The wings snapped again and reality seemed to bend and strain around it. A wave of energy whipped across the ground and as it hit me I braced and slid on my heels backwards. It felt as if I was coursing through space at the speed of light. My body in infinite velocity. My entire being being burned away in a kinetic torrent. I fell to me knees and my stomach gave way. My vision spun as if I was in space and the ship was spiraling out of control with me in it.

“Whoa, shit Frank, you alright?”

The world had regained it’s color and motion. Jimmy handed me a bottle of water and I gulped it down.

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine. Something I must of ate last night, just hit me the wrong way.” I wiped my mouth and struggled to stand up. It was like nothing had happened, but I knew what I saw and felt. The feeling of my soul being ripped and torn from my body still remained. I hoped that it would subside one day. I reached for the cigarettes in my shirt pocket and fielded one. I went to light it, but the vision of that thing crept into my mind. I threw the cigarette to the grounded and handed my pack to Jimmy.

“Take em, I’m going cold turkey from now on” I looked towards the sky. I might need to quit drinking as well.

This was inspired by the mythology surrounding angels. In truth, angels are pretty scary. They are describe as sort of humanoid and there are different levels of angels hat look completely different. Human’s cant comprehend what they look like. They are divine. They hold incredible destructive power. So seeing an angel might be a terrifying experience. I am fascinated and terrified of beings of that caliber.

-

While the song really isn’t about this, the melody in the background and general feeling fit what I was feeling when imagining this being. I do love the this song. Very sad, but beautiful I the Mighty - Slow Dancing Forever