The Five to Fifteen Minutes Thread.

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samrw3
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Post by samrw3 »

Sounds like an actual exchange so I liked it. Interestingly enough I have the most trouble writing something that reflects something close to reality. When I tried in this space I deleted my effort before it ever was posted :D
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Post by samrw3 »

New submission no carry over from prior postings:

Let me know what you think of this one - I am not sure if it is too "dark" but it was aching to get out of my brain. PS - not to worry I am fine and this is not about me.
PSS probably going to be over fifteen minutes but I need to write this part before I go crazy
:twisted:

I'm OK
I walked blindly past dozens of people to get to my office. It was almost the end of the day and all I could think of was home. Not because it was safe, or fun. No I ached to fell my life again. Every day was pulsating pain. Every day was a gouging loneliness and emptiness.

"hey ya Tim I'm doing good - yeah sure we will talk later"

I wasn't doing good - not even close. But I knew how to put up that false face good - great even.

"Tina - I'm fine. Something on my mind? Umm not really - almost end of day and everything"

The fakeness settled in the pit of my stomach like a weight. I placed my hands in my pocket and scratched the inside of pocket lining. I feel my heart pounding. Tina stop staring at me - I need to keep moving. Did I just say that out loud? I can't remember and don't care.

"Well need to get going" best damn fake smile and I quickly shuffled around. I needed to get to my office before I cracked.

I closed my office door and rushed over to my chair - almost collapsing. I raised my hands to my face and gathered my breath. I needed to get a hold of myself. I probably should leave early - I wasn't thinking about work. I just wanted to get home and feel alive.

I suppose the plan I had in my mind most would question. But they didn't know. No no no...they didn't know. I imagine they would try to talk to me if they knew. Probably convince me to stop. But did they have to feel my pain? My anger? loneliness, confusion, agony, emptiness?? No no no no no

I realize that my heartbeat is starting to race. I breathe in heavy and exhale, pick up the phone. "hey Alice can you take my calls and push my 9AM back to 10AM. C'mon! I don't care! Just tell them that we are finalizing the paperwork - oh Alice! fine keep it at 9AM!." I hang up the fine with a nice resounding thud that is just enough to make me grin. I feel my finger pulsate for a moment. I need to go. I am almost tempted to stay after most people have left. No more fake smiles.

But I knew I needed to leave. I was cracking and I was not sure if I could take another moment.

"Yes Alice I'm ok. No no no I'm not mad at you...look I really need to go! Yes yes yes I'm fine just a lot on my mind ya know? Please Alice I really need to go. I made sharp turn without looking back. I let my hand smooth my shirt. I am making long strides not to move fast but to feel the strain in my legs ,the blood flowing through my body. I guess I am still alive. Or I think I am.

"John? oh yes sorry - I didn't see you. I'm really sorry John I'm not feeling too great - going to go home and get some rest." STOP LOOKING AT ME!!! I'M OK!!! "John can we talk tomorrow. Yeah man I'm really ok. Sure sure tomorrow 8AM? - great!" I am almost trembling my heart skipping around my eyes darting. "John anything else? yeah sure I'm ok-really. Yeah ok tomorrow"

I increase my strides, now I am hurrying, I cannot stop this time. I cannot fake my way past another person.

I finally make it to my car and grip my steering wheel. Then I sag down in my seat the whole day bearing me depressed into the cushions. I am able to be empty here. I let the emptiness fill me, surround me. I am able to look out the window - count the cars 1,2,3...Terry brought his bright red car - oh good for Terry 4,5...I notice some people far away in the parking lot. Where are they going do they care - do they know if I am alive? 6,7..Kathy just exited the building - I need to go...counting cars is useless. It is time for me to face tonight...

To be continued...
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***Warning*** the next installment will be pretty dark and possible intense read. I decided to tone it down from my initial direction I was going to take with the story but even this piece may be considered too dark for some.
***** Obviously do not try this at home or let this story influence any behavior. Like I said a dark story but sort of some sort of catharsis for me.

*Just a reminder this is not about me there are some scenes where some memories of my past 'influenced' the story but certainly not a recounting of anything in my past or anyone I know.

- final note again over 15 minutes.

I'm Ok - continued
I could feel the pounding in my heart on the way home. I purposely inhaled a large gulp of air to feel it through my senses.

I drove hard into my parking spot. Hard enough that I had to brake hard and feel my senses tingle and the rise of heart throb in my body. I could see the whiteness of my knuckles as they grasped the steering wheel.

I shifted into park and turned off the ignition. I sat staring at the red brick wall. I started counting the bricks - one, two..hmm that brick is broken, three...this is stupid -really stupid. I was delaying the inevitable and I knew it.

I slammed the car door and enjoyed the noise echoing in my ears. I clutched my keys and fidgeted with them - just for a moment - then slid them in my pocket.

I did not bother to check my mail. It did not matter. I needed to come home and take care of what I planned.

Oh the careful planning I had waited for weeks to feel this moment and I wanted it to happen with no possible interruption.

I entered my house. The walls were bare just like I needed them to be. I strode over to the sink and grabbed a glass. I started to fill the glass and I noticed my hands shaking. I felt the coolness of the water over my fingertips. I wrenched the faucet to stop the faucet. I noticed my heavy breathing. I shut my eyes and counted my heartbeats.

I was delaying again. But still...phone off...check...did I lock the door?...check

I walked to my bedroom seeing if I could match my stride to the heartbeats - one two three four. One two three four....

I shut my bedroom door behind me. I look around and smile. I had emptied out my bedroom so that all that remained was my bed and the end table and a solitary lamp.

I sat on the edge of the bed near the end table. I feel the bed spring under my weight and momentarily let my hand touch the end table - not yet - oh no not yet.

I let my hand smooth down my shirt so that it feels snug against my skin. I close my eyes and inhale. I concentrate on my heartbeat and place my hands on my knees until my heart beats in a steady beat.

I unbutton the buttons near the wrist of my long sleeved shirt. I slowly roll up the sleeve almost to the elbow.

I slowly trace the cloth of my shirt from the shoulder feeling each moment as it lingers by. I dig my nail into the shirt not too hard or direct - just enough - oh yes just enough.

I reach the elbow and count my heartbeats before I touch near my elbow with my finger. I let my heart race skipping around beats. I flatten my finger so that it glides down each part of skin to my wrist. I am feeling each hair and the skin feels alive with each touch.

I grasp the end table knob and just let my knuckles pulsate on the knob for a moment . I open the table and grasp the smooth sleek silver handle. I stroke the handle for a moment and carefully take it out of its drawer.

I slowly find the small button that ejects the small silver blade. I begin to take the edge to my shirt near my shoulder. I know I must repeat the steps that I took with my finger.

I let each heart beat race. I let my chest burst in anxiety.

Tonight.

Oh yes tonight,I will feel alive again.

------ THE END ------------

So??? too dark? should I delete this- please let me know. This was an interesting challenge for me so I would be curious of thoughts out there.
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Post by Sorus »

No, definitely don't delete. I've hesitated when posting dark stuff, but I think a warning is sufficient.

Oh, a change is coming, feel these doors now closing
Is there no world for tomorrow, if we wait for today?


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Post by samrw3 »

Thanks Sorus! I was sweating bullets the whole time that I wrote this and after I finished. I'm glad I went through it - for a 50 something year old white male that has not written anything besides poetry (before my other 15 minutes posts) I wanted to push my individual boundary.
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Post by samrw3 »

PS can you guess what my story is a 'dark' fanfic version of a story?

Hints:
Someone who wanted to discover if they were 'real'
Written by SRD



Answer:
Mordant's Need.

Mordant's Need gave me an idea of a person wanted to prove they were real - or alive - in my case. But in my case I wanted to take it to a dark level - my character needed to feel alive not by seeing themselves but by placing themselves in a dangerous position on purpose.

Anyways...I thought that may be an interesting back story :roll:
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Post by Sorus »

Ah, nice. I didn't make that connection, but I can see it now.

Need to reread Mordent's Need, been a while.

Oh, a change is coming, feel these doors now closing
Is there no world for tomorrow, if we wait for today?


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Post by samrw3 »

Me too - need to re-read it! I am currently on my re-read of Third Chronicles so after that.

Currently I am in The Fatal Revenant up to point Linden is umm discovering things about her companions <<trying to not be too spoiling here just in case there are passer-byes lurking around.

I am REALLY enjoying my seconding reading. I am not sure why I was so hard on my first read of the Third Chronicles but this read I am taking a lot more out of the passages and enjoying the story line, the characters the visuals well just everything.
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Post by Shuram Gudatetris »

"No doubt about it: confidence is very important when it comes to kicking a field goal. If a kicker loses his confidence, you can lose your football game.
I once had a kicker, man, he missed three field goals in a row on big time Monday Night TV. I tell you what, he came to me the very next morning, and he told me, 'Coach, I think I might have lost my confidence.' And you know what I told him?
-No.
-No, sir.
-Nuh-uh. *wide-eyed scared look*
I old him, thank you very much, and shook his hand. That afternoon, I had three guys out on the field trying out for his position. I gave them all three shots to make field goals from thirty yards, forty yards, fifty yards. But this one guy, veteran guy, he shook his head, no, he refused to do it. He said to me, 'Listen, Coach, you get me around the forty yard line, I'll make it every single time.' I gave him the job on the spot....We won the Super Bowl that year."



Post Memorium:

I heard a guy on TV say something like this. I was sitting here, remembering it, and I wondered if I could recapture the spirit of what he said. Because the kicker sounds like one hell of an interesting guy!
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Post by Shuram Gudatetris »

It is now, as of this very moment, my solemn vow to write something--er, make that anything-- for at least five mineutes time.

Hey! It's Novel Nevember, yo! Whar'cha been up to anyway? I been writing an epic love story between a man and a worm!



*******

And, so, it begins.

Giant red skull eyes shine in the dark. It's a giant skull, with candles burning in the eye holes. John shrugs at it.

Pretty lame.

John kicks some bones around and find a crude weapon: a fossilized femur. Humor? Femor? The big fucking leg bone,!

Yes.

He now has improved his reach buy several inches. A man can always use a few extra inches, and John was grateful.

What the fuck is taking these fucking demons so long?

John was very anxious to get the show underway. He could feel the fear, the trembling in the earth shaking out of sync with the shaking of your heart. The demons were here, nearby, still lurking.He stood in the doorway to Hell.

-Author's note* I may have mixed up some imagery here. This is not "The Doorway to Hell" as in THE Doorway, but rather 'a doorway.' There are many doorways to Hell. There is only one Gate to Heaven. The skull candle is just someone's living decoration, not some sort of Satanic cathedral. Nothing could be further from the truth. Hell always catches back up to John eventually. This, time , he just happened to be investing this weird place.

Of course! Map and John get separated. They are boith running from different Hells. They have to make the decision of whether or not to moving forward to escape hell, or turn back and try to find the other one.
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Post by Shuram Gudatetris »

Dear Mr. Reese,

Your candy bars stink.

Sincerely,

The End


No, sir. No, ma'am. If you will all please calm down, I will explain. This is not the end. Nor is it the beginning. Rather, this is the beginning of the end.

But, before we can begin to end things, we must first end the beginning. So, let us now, with solemn pleasance, begin to end the beginning.

And so, we find Map lounged out on the couch. She is wearing short, oily brown hair. A red tube top. A leather miniskirt. Long black leather boots that begin on the thigh, and end with a long, high heel. She is smoking a cigarette, and the menthol smoke exhales past bright painted red lips.

John is sitting across from her, staring her down with white need. He looks angry, but he merely tries to contain his aching. Map looks the other way, smoking her cigarette, oblivious to the other presence in the room. Now she has a feathery white scarf wrapped lazily around her neck and shoulders.

John is confused, clenched with tight dread. He cannot understand how she can sit there, so careless.

"What the hell was it?" he finally asks.

She looks sideways at him, then blows smoke to disrupt their gaze. "Your wife," she states simply. When the smoke clears, she is looking the other way again.
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Advocate
Advocate tapped the table in front of him. He quickly scanned Pryor's expression to determine if he could elicit any fear or hesitation. He did not expect to see any but it was always interesting to see if he could elicit any expressions.
"Pryor how do you want to die - determine the instrument"

The audience gathered for the procession slowly tapping their snare drums that were placed around their necks by ropes. The beat just slowly tapping in the background.

Pryor just sneered at Advocate. He knew it was his time. Nothing could be done now. After all 100 were going to die that day. He knew that it would be quick and no one cared if it was painful. No all that mattered was that it was quick and that the person was dead. Not almost dead - all the way for sure dead. There was no time for checking vitals when you had to kill 100 failed citizens.

It was Darwin Day of the month. Every first day of the month the citizens elected those in the community that had failed in some way. Every city had its own version but the main rules were always the same - elect 100 fellow citizens and make sure they died for their failure, survival of the fittest and everything.

Advocate turned his head closer towards the table. His smile brightened when he saw the hunters knife. No not any normal hunters knife the hunters knife that belonged to Pryor's father. He grabbed the knife hilt and turned towards Pryor. "Pryor, this will be your instrument of death. Do you recognize it!!?

Pryor just increased the intensity of his sneer.

The audience all increased the tapping of the drums.

Advocate approached Pryor with the knife held high to be used for a deadly thrust to the heart. "Any last words Pryor?"

The audience's tapping reached a fever pitch.

A distant shout rang out "hold the judgment rebuttal declared"

Advocate swung the knife down to his side and swore. A damn rebuttal.

Pryor did not move, did not even flinch. He just continued to sneer at Advocate

The audience stopped their drums. Most in the audience turned towards the sound. Many called out "execute judgment"

Advocate shouted "a rebuttal has been called execute the others".

Sounds of chaos as dozens of weapons were tore from tables and used to execute judgment.

Advocate huffed as he grabbed Pryor and drug him to the rebuttal tent. He whispered "This isn't over yet Pryor"

Pryor changed his expression to a scowl "execute judgment Advocate - now"

Advocate stopped for a moment and glared down Pryor "Damn rebuttal rules" and continued to drag him to the rebuttal tent.
Not every person is going to understand you and that's okay. They have a right to their opinion and you have every right to ignore it.
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Post by Shuram Gudatetris »

Devil May Cry 24!

DMC : Ultimate Devolution

Devil May Need a Tissue or Two

The epic story detail

By

A Humble Mumbler

...
The Devil May Cry anthology series continues to conclude! This is purportedly to be the last episode of the Last Chronicle of the last generation of Devil May Cry Game Continuum Series-DMC GCS in "game" lingo.

Here we proceed to end things with an unprecedented ending to the entire series. This is: Episode 24!


DMC 24! The New Deviolution

Part One: The Devil May Need a Tissue or Two

...
Open Game Play.

Game opens on Level 1.

Dante has a new hairdo. He has a special gun now: the Gun of Interdimensional Beings. He has a special sword now: the Sword of Open Roads and Unopened Doors, and he has achieved an alternative state in the form of a dragon-wolf.

The street is deserted. A wind blows and a tumbleweed rolls past Dante's feet. He looks up and sees a woman running. She is holding a baby tight to her chest. A demon dragon erupts from the ground and swallows her whole.

"Now, now." Says Dante. "That wasn't very nice. Let me teach you some manners!"

First battle ensues.

Player must defeat the dragon demon Dafong before he digests the woman and her baby alive.

The demon dragoon will have a strong defense compared to this opening level player avatar. It will leave itself open to attack for a few moments after committing an attack. The [player] will have to dodge the attack without getting hit, and then strike a quick blow while Dafong is helpless. Do this three times without dying, and Dafong will give up, and he will burp out the woman and her baby.

Dante picks up the shed demon skin and increases his armor.


Level 2: The Dragon Avatar.

Player continues toward the town as fast as the avatar can. There are many obstacles. Some are drunk villagers {these you must dodge without injuring} And some surprise demons pop up and attack you [most demons can be defeated by hitting them when they are vulnerable]. Boss level two must be defeated before moving on.

Boss 2 is a mercenary magician. He steps up to you boldly, and flashily, snapping his fingers with some magic. He comments on your gun. "My, that is a BIG gun!" he declares.

"Wrong," Dante answers. "It's a GIB gun."

"GIB? Erwhats that mean?"

"Let me show you!" Dante declares and the battle begins.

This boss is a little tougher to beat than the last boss. You must stand toe to toe with the mercenary and deliver attacks back and forth. Magic to magic, gun to gun, sword to sword. If you miss, you are hurt more than he is.But if you hit him with the gun, you will be able to keep hitting him until he dies, if you do it right.

Player wins Magician's Trick if the avatar defeats Boss 2 (increase magic).

...
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Post by Shuram Gudatetris »

Map as a Map
(or Map's Journey as a Boy)

He is a skinny young man, very boyusgh, of an indistinct age between 17 and 21. A weak, wiry blond beard is sported crazily on the chin. He is missing one tooth. His clothes give off the appearance of gray dirtiness.

He sneaks into houses and explores people's most valuable belongings. He can always tell what is special. An ordinary trapper keeper holds a lifetime of treasures. An old delivery package buried under a pile of unopened envelops, holding a precious gift to for a father who passed away before receiving it.

He doesn't steal anything, but he digs them out and opens them up. Fingers everything greedily. Savors the smells and textures.

It is a profound violation.

When the homeowners return, they discover they have been invaded. Personally, privately, and deeply emotionally.



-------------------------------------------------
+ 15
-------------------------------------------------

It's a world of Dublins. It's the next thaw. It's the convergience of a multitude of destinies. It is time to begin to end things. It's the nature of horror-scopes, and it's the hospice of the hopeless and the helpless, the weary and the needy, and the place where men and women come to die when they have lost all hope and ambition.

Map has made her way out. She hates John.

John has made his way out. He hates Map.

Anna finds them at last. She will kill them both.

It turns into a three-way battle Royale.

As they fight to destroy each other, a convergience of demons caves in upon them. The demons scurry forth, falling through the holes and climbing through the cracks. John, Map, and Anna continue to battle as they roll and fall themselves, crashing through into new different wholes of realities.

A whole: a worm-hole, a hole in space, a hole in time, a hole in the fabric of reality, the whole of everything. A whole.

"God damn it, Anna!" John cries. "I don't want to hurt you! For Chist's sake, what happened?"

"Don't you dare bring Christ into this!" shouts Anna.

And they pounce at each other again.

Their blows shake the ground and spray the air with debris. They deliver massive concussions that shake the air and make the ground tremble.




What the Hell would make John want to kill Map?

"That's it, Map." John spits. "That does it." John wipes her blood from the bottom of his boots. "I have had all I can stand of you, and I will not have it no more. Not now, not never, and not never whenever the never-ever ends up being. Shut your fucking mouth and get the hell away from me. I never want to see you again. Never. Ever. Whore."

Map curls her fists into tiny compact balls. She bounces lightly on her feet and prepares to face John down. "John, you stupid sonofabitch, I don't give a shit."
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Post by Shuram Gudatetris »

Just move it forward, now. Move it along. Move the story along and get it going.

She's dead. She's dying. And she soon will be dead and dying.

Here she is. Here we are here it is right here. And there she were!

Her cheek was pressed wickedly into the metal grating of the floor walkway. A shadow loomed above her. The shadow soon stooped and took her up by her hair, cruelly dragging her along the rough metal grate flooring.

It was awful. She bleed. She lay there and took it.

The gouging and scraping of her skin was a migraine radiation of sickness penetrating deep into her body. She yearned to puke, but she was choking and gagged. The large wonky shadow drew her forward with his cruel grip and steady gait. He continued to drag her along, trusting that Anna's hair roots would hold. If he had known how sick and dying she was, he may have thought twice.

Anna knew there was nothing left but death. She was ready for it to end. Her brief resurrection had been a cruel cycle of horror. John had called her forth into a world of pain and abomination. It was a brutal curse, and Anna was bitter and angry.

The demonic shadow found their destination, and Anna was flung through a set of stallroom doors, into a sauna of steam and sterilization. White tile walls and porcelain tubbing revealed the wealth and luxury of a Pirate King's private privy. Anna fell unceremoniously to the floor, where she found herself confronted by three ugly boot pairs.

She felt scrutinized in the solid frowns of the boot group. The middle man was especially so. His Boots conveyed a perverse combination of disgust and arousal.

"Get her clothes off," said His Boots. "Clean her up." The Boots seemed to hover ominously over her for a few unsettling moments. "I want her scrubbed. Vigorously."
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Post by Skyweir »

Mmm.. disturbing yet engaging .. I assume the next instalment awaits.

I wont lie, Im slightly stressed for poor Anna.
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Post by Shuram Gudatetris »

A financier: funds pranks and schemes and such.

Hey! I'm looking for a new gang!

(Thank you Always Sunny)

Kibbille Columnbou: the Ship's Specialties' Officer.



"Hey," snarled Columnbou, drunk as a snail, "I'm looking to join a new crew. What'd'ya think, uh?"

"Well," John rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "What are your Specialties, sir?"

"Huh," laughed Cloumnbou gruffly. "Huh, uh yeah. Specialties. Just you wait and see."

Kibbille glared dark promises.

John scowled in consternation. "What is your name, sir?"

"Kibbille Columnbou." A wink and nod. A little spark went off in the corner of his eye at the peak of his smile.

"What are your Specialties?"

"Well," Kibbille whistled and hiccoughed. "I'm a financier, of sorts. I like to invest in ideas and schemes, the riskier, the better. I'm looking for a new crew to roll with. My old gang lost their nerve!"

John was slightly impressed and partially concerned.

"Just what?" asked John incredulously, " Are you proposing here?"

"Treasure!" Kibbille smiled like a shark and smelled like match spark. "I'm trying to outrun the Pirate Nation. They want to steal my thunder!"

"What do you get out of all this?" John gestured around him, indicating his ship and the lives of his crew. "What do we get?"

"Oh!" Kibbille's eyes lit with the thunder of battle. "Not convinced? Fine! Maybe I will sell my secrets to the Pirate Nation! I've got no place else to go!"

John spun in a quick circle, over-dramatically spinning to confront his crew face on. "If I die, kill him." John managed another quick spin, a three-quarter circle, and it cycled him in the general direction of Kibbille. "Listen here, damn it! I'm the Captain! The life of the ship and the crew are my own! I will thank you to respect my authority, please!"

John spun back towards his crew again. And winks at them .

John spins quickly on his heel and faces down Kibbille, once and for all.

"Listen Kibbille! I'm the Captain, and I'm willing to offer you passage aboard my ship. It is not a passenger ship. You come to us to serve a purpose, your Special abilities. I'll ordain you under Special circumstance, and offer you an Office of Special Exceptions. You will answer to me, at all times. But you will hold Special Office over the crew. We will know this secret of yours, Mister Columnbou."



-------------------------------
-------------------------------
+15
-------------------------------
-------------------------------

Hello?

Is this real?

Am I alive? I thought I felt the current of the keyboard running through my leg hair. Oh my. I think I figured it out again. This is weird.

It is kinetic energy.



His crystalline blue eyes wept with tears. "I am so sorry," he whispered. "I don't know what to do."

She jerked. And she twerked. She was nearly dead anyway. Bjess doobbbit....

Her meaning was clear. She could see understanding in his eyes. She could see his misery and earth pain. She knew she had to be brave, and strong, just one last time.

She forced her arm up, jerking it from its dead sleep like a fish on the flip. She snatched greedily at the Cow Boy's shirt. She forced her dead eyes into focus one last time. "Just do it."

And Caub was released. Forgiven. Permissed.

He sighed and he wept, resting his head heavily upon his chest. He could not force himself to look up. He was too terrified. But he forced himself forward, tiptoeing steadily onward, until he was within reach of the corpse-like woman engulfed within a broken robot corpse.

He could see maggots burrowing within her flesh. Flies buzzed around her head, crawling in her hair. This was no way to live, and the sight of her sent a shiver of terror deep through Caub's inner fiber. He had a bad feeling about what lurked dormant within her useless robot shell.

He knelt before the awful horror. He took her hands into his, and he wept. The tears fell coldly onto her lifeless flesh. He dropped her arms and grabbed her head, looking deep into the ominous voids which were her eyes. There was nearly no living presence there. Anna was deep within herself, falling deeper and tempting loss.

But he could feel it.

A shiver shook Caub's body and he jerked violently in his place, sending himself and corpeus Anna tumbling in sickly tangle of living and dead limbs. Caub used his vice-lock grip on Anna's head to gently guide their foreheads together.

Another shiver shook Caub's body, but he was prepared for it this time, and he rode the waves of it deep into Anna's sleeping cyborg programming.





-----------------------------
+15
----------------------------


Intravenous treatment. Leeches to needles.

"Map," John looked horror stricken. "I think you are taking me the wrong way, Map!"

Map was noticeably irritated. She tapped her toe and swung her hips in agitation. "I literally can't even."

The blood drained from John's face. This was too much. He felt his heart struggle to beat for a few moments. "Map!"

The horror of the grammar!



"Map," John was sad. He was tired. He was at his wit's end. "Map, we are going the wrong way, Map. I can feel it. I know you can, too. What is going on?"

Map rolled her eyes and spit lazily into the fire. "Eat shit, John. Eat shit till you die." Map hopped to her feet and walked over to stand in front of John. She squatted. "I'm going that wa-y-" she indicated with her finger "--but you can do what the fuck ever you want to do." Map was giving him a significant look. Her urine was thick and yellow, full of hormonal pungency. John's feet were getting wet.



On the third night, John could not take it anymore.

"Map!" John stomped. He spit. Oops, he bit his lip. "Map, I've had it. I've had enough. I'm going to get some answers, damn it."

Map dropped her back pack to the ground with a heavy thump. John's eyes widened with amazement. He always forgets just how heavy her bag is. Knowing his train of thought, she assured him, "You're not man enough for it."

Her rejoinder caught him snoozing, and John was surprised to find that she may have meant he could not handle her answers. But John was pretty sure he knew where they were going. Her hints and evasions only further confirmed his suspicions.

"We're not trying to get out of here anymore, are we?" John's voice was tight with certainty. Map was thoroughly unimpressed with his posturing. She was considering various ways to kill him where he stood. But John was undeterred. "Map, I think I know where we are going. We're going in a straight line. Down."

Map stood staring at his crotch. She still never had gotten him in the balls. She was going to get him, one way or another, somehow, someway, and she was going to get him good. It was a promise on her life.

"John, you stupid sonofabitch, if you crush your balls in your hands, right now, I'll take you anywhere you want to go."

She could tell by the dark look on his face that he wasn't going to comply.

So she shrugged and continued, "But as things stand, you are a big fucking pussy. Keep your precious little testic-balls. I've got a path out of here, and I'm going to make it. Easy peasy. But you won't be able to go with me. Pussy."
Covenant is Linden Frankenstein's monster.

I maxed-out Tetris!
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samrw3
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Post by samrw3 »

Last Road

Maria ran in the door panting. The skies gathered black and a gust of wind slammed the storm door against the more solid oak door. Cracks of lightening rapped through the skies peeling the ground.

"G-ma"

Maria had called her grandma G-ma as long as she could remember. Her mom told her since she was two. She had to trust that her mom was remembering that correctly. It didn't matter. To Maria her grandmother was a friend.

Sometimes Maria would sit next to G-ma on the leather sofa and stroke her hair and talk about her dreams. G-ma would sit there and smile and not speak. She would just place her hand on Maria's leg and sometimes a pat or two. Sometimes a soft whisper "that's nice chil'". G-ma had a habit of leaving of that d almost like she was doing a southern drawl. Maria would smile back. They would just sit on the sofa and stare. When days were rough Maria would cozy up close up and tight and lean her head against G-ma.

"Yes chil'"

The response broke Maria back from her mind drift. She had not even realized her hands were shaking.

"G-ma it is storming out there and I thought I saw a tornado forming. G-ma I saw some fires in distance and fierce storm clouds"

"Where storm clouds coming from?"

"Ahh think the east G-ma but what does it matter? It looks awful out there."

"Yes yes ...east...it is ...it is"
Maria barely heard her G-ma had said barely in whisper. Maria looked at G-ma in silence as the winds tapped hard on the roof and clattered the tree limbs.

"G-ma?"

"Ah my chil' there isn't much time....lets see here where is remote..."

'Some accounts are saying figure appearing from cloud...." ....."Earthquake in Asia .." "Volcanoes erupting in US and Indonesia"..."Storms ravaging the Eastern United States"....

"Ah chil' take my necklace...you will need it now....not much time not much time...."

"G-ma" Maria was confused that was G-ma's necklace handed down generations. Maria had just seen the outside. It did not appear very lady-like. It was a tarnished small silver compass strung on a simple gold chain.

"G-ma??" Maria started crying as one of the windows shattered in the back bedroom.

"No chil' no time for frettin' take my necklace your G-ma has taken it to where she needed now it is your turn"

G-ma clutched the necklace into Marie's hands. "Take it chil'...come on now don't let an old woman wait"

Reluctantly Maria took the necklace and hung it around her neck.

G-ma looked at her with a glaring peace emanating from her eyes.

A massive boom shook the house and the roof rattled and trembled. Just at that moment a large wind caved in the side of the roof and swung huge chunks of wood.

"G'ma? G-ma!!!" Maria could not see the blackness and debris hung around the room like a sold dark cavern. She heard G-ma panting in the corner. She dug towards the debris as quickly as she could.

"G-ma!! G-ma!!" Maria was panting trying to catch her breath as the winds ravaged against the house tossing objects against the wall.

Maria finally got close enough to G-Ma to see her strained face and body crumpled under a large pile of wood.

G-ma looked at her and smiled and said "Run chil'...run!" G'mas eyes went blank and her body shivered and stopped.

Maria just stood there for a moment and looked at her G-ma one last time...G-ma...G-ma ...g-ma...g....she whimpered. Another large crash shattered the house.

Maria ran. Maria ran hard...out in the darkness...Out away...she ran not knowing what where she was going and she did not care. The necklace looped around her neck flapping out in the wind and tight around her neck.

Maria stumbled, tripped and fell and all went black.
Not every person is going to understand you and that's okay. They have a right to their opinion and you have every right to ignore it.
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Linna Heartbooger
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Post by Linna Heartbooger »

"In this matter of the saving of life"

I lifted Cassie up and handed her into Mom's big hands. She pulled her close. I walked up the last two steps and on to the porch. "Come in, come in," she said with the banging of the screen door and the last fading rays of summer sun.

She feasted us wonderfully; I would get fat if I came here more often. I could stop eating when the dishes were my own boring stir-frys. Then mom pulled out the "good book" as she calls it, for the bed-time story.

"And then Jonathan GAVE them honey." She looked up. "He thought his dad was crazy." Peering over her glasses she told Cassie, confidentially, "He was." "And then for all the men - the men who ate the honey - there eyes got brighter. You know what that means?" Solemn 2-year-old shaking her curly locks from side-to-side. "Well, they were out of energy because they hadn't eaten a thing." You need to eat, right? This elicited an equally-solemn nod: "Mmm-hmm." "They didn't eat all day AND they were running off to fight someone. They were about to fall down! Jonathan gave them honey, and they perked right up!"

My mom nuanced bedtime like a pro. I don't get it, but Cassie was in the bathroom for teeth-brushing, and in her sleepers before I knew what happened. and then packed into bed all cozily.

It was 6:15. "Thank you for watching her when I go to work." Mom was all, "Oh, don't you say anything - I practically think she's watching me." I hugged her.

And the next time I saw her was at the hospital.

"Mom! You look terrible." She might be my mom, and we might be getting older, but I'm still not ready to see her with all sorts of IV's hooked up. "Yeah. I would've looked a lot more terrible - might not have looked anything - if it weren't for her." She motioned to Cassie in a chair with an iPad, little feet dangling down. "What--?" She went on: "You know my numbers got too low. Glucose. I was just lying there on the floor in the morning after I'd tried to get the coffee down. The little squirt got down the honey and started putting it into my MOUTH."



(Full disclosure: I don't know if this would work. I have long wondered. For honey or sugar. Should probably research it if it has in any situations. In any case, don't take medical advice from fiction. Or at least not my fiction.)
[Also, I know it should say "their eyes" where it says "there eyes." It's my efforts to not correct the 1st draft. So I spend 20 seconds down here writing this comment... uh-huh.]
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samrw3
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Post by samrw3 »

Nice story Linna :)

My only slight question mark was why capitalize Mouth? I can understand that being crucial to the story but the capitalization seemed a little out of place
Not every person is going to understand you and that's okay. They have a right to their opinion and you have every right to ignore it.
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