20130912
> Dan in Plureality 6
He throws up his hands and storms out of the room, returning to the other side of the mirror. Dr. Hannah lingers for a moment, looking at Daniel, looking at Them, then she joins him.
“You should calm down,” she says.
“Why? We're trying to cure his addiction and he can only answer my question with a flippant deflection.”
“I don't think it was that at all,” Dr. Hannah says. “I think it was the truth. As much as he understands it anyway.”
Dr. James stares hard at her. She returns his gaze, her eyes soft. And says, “Feedback.”
In the room, Ms. Amita smooths her skirt. “I'm sorry if that was uncomfortable, Daniel.”
*
When I was 24 I found a book called 'The Shaman's Body' that talked about the deathwalk, a ritual during which the shaman has to avoid being shot by his fellow warrior-priests. If the shaman is confident, is impeccable in thought and action, he can walk directly in front of the others, slowly and evenly, without being hit.
The meaning of the phrase 'the crow road' in the novel turned out to be death. The crow road is the deathwalk.
*
“What's going on?” he asks, staring through the glass, his voice soft. “It's all just stores, right? Just TV shows and games and comics...” He looks back to Dr. Hannah. “It's not real, is it?”
*
At the Hillside Music Festival, my friends and I camping, pretending that every time we go down to the island where the bands are playing we are entering Faerieland. Drawing cards from the Faerie Oracle deck to see who our guides are for each trip. Gathered by the picnic table beside the road leading to the gates, I offer each of them the deck and watch their faces as they study the cards that they pull. Watching them as the hit takes, feeling like a dealer.
*
Dr. Hannah squints slightly. “Oh. Oh, I see. I think I understand now. He's not here to be cured of the addiction. He's here so that it will spread.”
***
The Nook
The skateboard rolled down the sidewalk, its passenger a young kid in a
overcoat; he was dressed in black jeans and had on a white shirt. Over
the shirt was a necklace with a cross dangling out from it. He had
several buttons on the overcoat, and he really looked like a scraggy
haired kid, but he had that wise-beyond-his-age look about him.
Darius stopped in front of the Neve's Nook and kicked up his skateboard. He tucked it underneath his arm as he strolled in. Neve's Nook was a breakfast place; it opened early and closed just before lunch.
"Morning Darius," the waitress said as she saw him step through the door. She grabbed a paper off the counter and handed it to him. "You want the usual?"
"Sure thing," he replied, sitting at a table. "I want to shake things up this morning and start with some toast."
"Living dangerously, are we?" the waitress joked and gave him a wink. She turned behind the counter and hit the order's up bell.
Darius opened up the paper and began reading the morning headlines. He thought that he heard the sound of stone on glass, and he glanced around the Nook. That's when he spotted Twofeathers outside the window, looking in, like a ceramic gargoyle. He gave her a concerned look and she motioned her head to the back door.
Darius got up and said to the waitress, "Be right back." He left his overcoat on the chair and the paper unfolded on the table as a sign to others that the table was occupied. He headed for the back door.
"What's going on?" Darius asked as he stepped outside and saw Twofeathers perched on a garbage pin.
"I really don't know," Twofeathers replied. "Just that I have a sense of foreboding."
Darius' eyes widened; he knew when Twofeathers had an uncanny knack of predicting danger. He nodded at her, "What about the others?"
"I haven't contacted them yet," she replied. "I was just about to head over to Dex's."
"Well, let me finish my breakfast and we shall round them up," Darius stated. He turned back to go inside - Twofeathers was just about to ask something but before she could open her mouth, Darius finished, "And yes, I will save you some of my hashbrowns."
Darius stopped in front of the Neve's Nook and kicked up his skateboard. He tucked it underneath his arm as he strolled in. Neve's Nook was a breakfast place; it opened early and closed just before lunch.
"Morning Darius," the waitress said as she saw him step through the door. She grabbed a paper off the counter and handed it to him. "You want the usual?"
"Sure thing," he replied, sitting at a table. "I want to shake things up this morning and start with some toast."
"Living dangerously, are we?" the waitress joked and gave him a wink. She turned behind the counter and hit the order's up bell.
Darius opened up the paper and began reading the morning headlines. He thought that he heard the sound of stone on glass, and he glanced around the Nook. That's when he spotted Twofeathers outside the window, looking in, like a ceramic gargoyle. He gave her a concerned look and she motioned her head to the back door.
Darius got up and said to the waitress, "Be right back." He left his overcoat on the chair and the paper unfolded on the table as a sign to others that the table was occupied. He headed for the back door.
"What's going on?" Darius asked as he stepped outside and saw Twofeathers perched on a garbage pin.
"I really don't know," Twofeathers replied. "Just that I have a sense of foreboding."
Darius' eyes widened; he knew when Twofeathers had an uncanny knack of predicting danger. He nodded at her, "What about the others?"
"I haven't contacted them yet," she replied. "I was just about to head over to Dex's."
"Well, let me finish my breakfast and we shall round them up," Darius stated. He turned back to go inside - Twofeathers was just about to ask something but before she could open her mouth, Darius finished, "And yes, I will save you some of my hashbrowns."
It's a Good Thing Aqua Didn't Study the Laws
Aqua concentrated. Her eyes closed and she focused on the task at hand;
she didn't know if she could do it. But in a situation like this it was
best to try rather than not do anything at all.
"C'mon. You can do it."
She felt a curious sensation and then she opened her eyes. She was actually hovering 1cm off the floor. It was a weird sensation and she could sense that her equilibrium was off-center, trying to take in the new sensation and feeling as well.
Hold on for a few more seconds.
She fought the urge to panic, and then she let her mind go and she landed on the ground again. Overcoming the weird feeling, she looked up to the side of the pit in which she was trapped.
Okay let's do this again.
"C'mon. You can do it."
She felt a curious sensation and then she opened her eyes. She was actually hovering 1cm off the floor. It was a weird sensation and she could sense that her equilibrium was off-center, trying to take in the new sensation and feeling as well.
Hold on for a few more seconds.
She fought the urge to panic, and then she let her mind go and she landed on the ground again. Overcoming the weird feeling, she looked up to the side of the pit in which she was trapped.
Okay let's do this again.
Short and to the Point
Pretty George was in his den, sipping on a cold beer and watching a
movie on the screen before him.
His phone rang and he hit the talk switch.
"What's your pleasure," he said into the earphone.
"Hey Pretty," a voice said. "I need a favor."
"I can get you one of those but it's going to cost you," Pretty replied.
"How much?"
"If you have to ask how much then you can't afford it," Pretty said and he hit the end switch.
His phone rang and he hit the talk switch.
"What's your pleasure," he said into the earphone.
"Hey Pretty," a voice said. "I need a favor."
"I can get you one of those but it's going to cost you," Pretty replied.
"How much?"
"If you have to ask how much then you can't afford it," Pretty said and he hit the end switch.
Enter the Flesh
Frank adjusted his tie and gave Angst a wink and then he stood and
turned to face the Fleshmates. He hated to do this but there was no
other option; maybe this might buy some time. There were over a dozen Fleshmates who were all stepping out of their hiding places and showing their
metallic faces.
"You sure you know what you are doing?" Angst asked him; she winced from the severe pain she was in.
"No," Frank replied. "I'm making it up as I go along."
"Sweet," Angst replied. Though she couldn't move, the sword-blade had pinned her to the ground. "Remind me the next time someone says this will be a milk run to pound their face in."
Frank held up his hands, showing that he had no weapon.
"You time is up meatbug," the Fleshmate leader said, stepping forward with a huge freaking gun pointed at Frank.
"Meatbug?" Frank asked.
"You need no question us," the Fleshmate leader replied. He had stopped about three strides away from Frank. "Just your reign is nearly over."
"You sure you know what you are doing?" Angst asked him; she winced from the severe pain she was in.
"No," Frank replied. "I'm making it up as I go along."
"Sweet," Angst replied. Though she couldn't move, the sword-blade had pinned her to the ground. "Remind me the next time someone says this will be a milk run to pound their face in."
Frank held up his hands, showing that he had no weapon.
"You time is up meatbug," the Fleshmate leader said, stepping forward with a huge freaking gun pointed at Frank.
"Meatbug?" Frank asked.
"You need no question us," the Fleshmate leader replied. He had stopped about three strides away from Frank. "Just your reign is nearly over."
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