Kowloon was busy this time of the year, as citizens prepared for the upcoming festival. It was approaching fast and merchants where stocking up on trade so that when the tourists arrived, they would be gouged out of some pretty money.
Though it was early morning, the streets were packed with sardine-like people going about their business. The city was bursting with tons of folk, for Kowloon rarely slept.
Mags walked down familiar streets - she was dressed in jeans and a tank-top - and took in the sights. She stopped at a fruit vendor, peered about the apples and selected one, handing the vendor a crisp bill and he smiled in return. Mags continued on her merry way.
She crossed the street and headed towards The Shiny Sun, a greasy spoon of a restaurant that specialized in Western food. And she was in the mood for some greasy high-cholesterol goodness. The chime jingled above the door as she entered, the restaurant was nearly packed.
"Maggie!" a voice called.
She looked over and spotted someone she hadn't seen in a little while. A smile flashed upon her face and she strolled over to the table.
20130802
Reflection on a Cold Starry Night
Akimoto stood there looking at the stars; he let out a huge sigh. His breath drifted out into the cold, escaping from the warmth of the body and into the still of the night.
"Missing someone, are we?" Max asked. He walked up to his friend and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Yes," Akimoto said. He continued looking up at the heavens. He watched as meteorites streaked across the sky, which brought a smile to his face. There was a sensation that he felt, when he saw the streaking rocks across the sky; it was the sensation you felt when you were going home again.
"Missing someone, are we?" Max asked. He walked up to his friend and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Yes," Akimoto said. He continued looking up at the heavens. He watched as meteorites streaked across the sky, which brought a smile to his face. There was a sensation that he felt, when he saw the streaking rocks across the sky; it was the sensation you felt when you were going home again.
And at Night They Danced til Dawn...
Angst, Mags and Suki were on the dance-floor letting the techno beat consume their souls like the devil that music was. Amongst the throngs of the beautiful people; bodies sweating to the pulsating sounds of rhythms past, present and future.
It was times like these that made each adventure a blessing, a world saved unbeknownst to the inhabitants; they go about their business without a thought to what horrors would have befallen them if they opened their eyes a little wider. To peer beyond the darkness, and see for true the evil that lies waiting; like a rabid dog ready to snap at any moment.
Goner sat at the booth, sipping a drink and watching the girls dance. He was about to slip out and join them when a big hand shoved him back down into the booth. He looked up and saw a trio of suited men standing before him.
"Where you think you are going, Goner?" one of them asked.
"I have to bleed the lizard," Goner lied.
"Well, you can hold it," the other said. He stood in front of the booth looking down at the table and at Goner. He noticed the several drinks on the table.
"Here by yourself?" another asked.
"Ummm, yeah," Goner answered. He saw that Suki had glanced over at the table, and then she stopped dancing and tapped Angst.
"Goner, you knew we'd catch up with you eventually," said the fellow. He slid into the other side of the booth. "You owe Bartinallo a lot of money."
"Crap," Goner said. "That had slipped my mind."
"You know what we are going to do with you," one of the goons said.
"I would be leaving if I were you guys," he warned. "There's a girl that's going to be showing up here and she is going to give you guys a serious thrashing."
The trio chuckled.
"Maybe we ought to give her a surprise or two," one of them joked.
"Well, officially fellows, you've been warned," Goner said.
> Maggie in Plureality
Max
pulled the flaps of the tent back, sweat dripping from his brow, the
sound of the drumming and clapping filling his ears. He didn’t know how
they did it, sitting in the sweat-tent waiting on the spirits to guide
them, speak to them.
His
eyes struggled to focus but he could make out Maggie’s figure through
the soft glow of the moon. The smoke from the campfire swirling around
her, almost like it was dancing with her, kissing across her face and
whirling away like the key to their freedom was a soft brush across her
lips. He understood that feeling, despite how often she made him angry,
nervous, and all together ungrounded. His heart hurt looking at her and
he smiled.
“Damn
it.” He loved her. Maybe he had learned something in the sweat tent
after all, he thought, pulling himself quickly to his knees.
The
snapping just behind the tent was the first clue that they had been set up.
He wondered if he was the only one who had noticed. He stood statue
still, his eyes glancing over to her again, watching her lean in
laughing to Frank and he smiled to himself as she gracefully swooped
down, pulling the pistol from her ankle boot. Her eyes turned and met
his, almost like she had always sensed him there. It was like that for
them. She smiled and nodded.
Twilight Chill
The sun began to sink beyond the horizon bringing out the twilight. The street-lights began their merry humming, kicking in to light the way for passersby, to hold back the night in patches so that the illusion of safety is there.
Max and Frank waited by the park. Frank huddled in his long coat, holding a cup of coffee in his hands, while Max leaned up against a lamppost, smoking a cigarette. Looking like rejects from the Exiles On Main Streets painting.
"Damn cold out this evening," Frank said. "I hate winter."
"And she probably hates you as well," Max interjected. He flicked the butt from his hands and it arced across the sky like a comet, landing on the damp pavement and extinguishing its life in the process.
20130801
The Drop Zone
Max came down the stairs; he hit the bottom floor and glanced down the
hallway. He walked into the kitchen, and grabbed a butter knife from the
counter and placed it into the rucksack and slung it on his back.
He went into the study and hit the play button on the computer, his playlist of songs that he had chosen the night before. He put on the earphones and adjusted the sound on the computer and nodded. He walked out the patio door where he dove over the rail.
Apartment 909
Constance Talons stepped from the patio doors and out onto the balcony; she had on a flowing housecoat and was carrying a cup of coffee. She had the morning paper tucked underneath her arm, she placed the coffee down onto the table. And put the paper on the railing. Max zipped pass and grabbed the paper.
Apartment 609
Darel LaPointe was enjoying his morning crescent and his coffee. He sat and watched the sun slowly crawl from the east. The sky was cloudless so it was going to be another beautiful day. He glanced at his wristwatch and turned to the side. He took an envelope that was sitting on the table and held it out over the railing and within seconds it was gone.
Apartment 309
Kristal Vancourt & Allyse Nolle were leaning up against the balcony. Allyse was leaning back and looking and then turned to Kristal.
"He's one his way," Allyse said.
"Who is he?" Kristal asked. "Like a version of Jackie Chan?"
"Who knows," Allyse said. "But he's dreamy."
Kristal rolled her eyes and took three bobby pins and held them out over the side of the railing and they were gone in a blurred action.
"And why is he doing that?" Kristal asked. "Like why can't he use the elevator?"
He went into the study and hit the play button on the computer, his playlist of songs that he had chosen the night before. He put on the earphones and adjusted the sound on the computer and nodded. He walked out the patio door where he dove over the rail.
Apartment 909
Constance Talons stepped from the patio doors and out onto the balcony; she had on a flowing housecoat and was carrying a cup of coffee. She had the morning paper tucked underneath her arm, she placed the coffee down onto the table. And put the paper on the railing. Max zipped pass and grabbed the paper.
Apartment 609
Darel LaPointe was enjoying his morning crescent and his coffee. He sat and watched the sun slowly crawl from the east. The sky was cloudless so it was going to be another beautiful day. He glanced at his wristwatch and turned to the side. He took an envelope that was sitting on the table and held it out over the railing and within seconds it was gone.
Apartment 309
Kristal Vancourt & Allyse Nolle were leaning up against the balcony. Allyse was leaning back and looking and then turned to Kristal.
"He's one his way," Allyse said.
"Who is he?" Kristal asked. "Like a version of Jackie Chan?"
"Who knows," Allyse said. "But he's dreamy."
Kristal rolled her eyes and took three bobby pins and held them out over the side of the railing and they were gone in a blurred action.
"And why is he doing that?" Kristal asked. "Like why can't he use the elevator?"
A Cake Walk
"You think that this is just a cake walk," the beast said in a guttural
voice. It was the first time that it spoke. It was battered and bruised
and slowly regenerating its wounds; it needed to stall in order to
regenerate fully. Then it could tear this bitch limb by limb.
Maggie stepped forward; she kept her eyes on the beast as it tried to prop itself up with its only good limb left. She knew that it was trying to get her mind off the situation at hand.
"It's all about the cake, baby!" Maggie said. She had the pump-action shotgun in her hands and pulled the trigger, sending the demon back to whatever hell it came from. The body of beast disappeared as it imploded into nothingness.
It reminded her of some cheesy vampire movie after hunters had stabbed a vampire, as it turned to dust.
Maggie stepped forward; she kept her eyes on the beast as it tried to prop itself up with its only good limb left. She knew that it was trying to get her mind off the situation at hand.
"It's all about the cake, baby!" Maggie said. She had the pump-action shotgun in her hands and pulled the trigger, sending the demon back to whatever hell it came from. The body of beast disappeared as it imploded into nothingness.
It reminded her of some cheesy vampire movie after hunters had stabbed a vampire, as it turned to dust.
Time in a Bottle
"Time in a bottle?" questioned Max. "You mean Jim Croce was right?"
Goner let out a chuckle and he turned to face Mags. She stood by the window looking out, not turning to face the lads. Goner was sitting down the couch, his right foot propped up on his left knee, with a cup of coffee in his hands. At the moment he was drinking French Vanilla, because it was a flavour that he had recently discovered.
"Yes," she replied, still looking out the window and watching the nightlife unfold before her. "He is indeed a prophet."
"And here I thought he was singing about drinking," Goner said.
Max got up from the chair and moved towards Maggie; he grabbed a cup from the tray that he and Goner had brought in with them. He handed one to Maggie, she accepted. She drank her coffee black.
"It's an interesting concept, isn't it," Max said. He placed a hand on her shoulder.
Maggie was about to say something but Angst stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in towel. She strolled past Goner.
"What's going on?" Angst asked.
"Maggie was just telling us about keeping time bottled up," Goner quipped; he really wasn't sure if Maggie was serious.
Max sipped his coffee and put it down on the dresser. "So what exactly are you getting at?"
Maggie stared out the window; a tear rolled down her cheek like a glacier moving across the earth.
It's Spiders, Man
Max skimmed across the floor like a hydrofoil; he was on his back and
firing up at the ceiling as hundreds upon hundreds of fist-size spiders
poured out of the air duct. It seemed that the bullets were propelling
him along the floor.
He was getting as far away as possible; he had seen tons of freaky stuff in his lifespan in this reality and the others as well, but it was spiders that truly creeped him out.
"What the hell?" Frank asked, as he saw Max skim pass him. He was coming out the side door with a tray of drinks and he dropped them down to the ground. He looked down the hallway to see what Max was shooting at. "Crap!"
"What's going on?" Angst asked from the room. She could see that Frank wasn't a man to drop something as precious as coffee onto the ground. She grabbed a staff that she had collected and headed for the door, as Frank dug out a weapon.
He was getting as far away as possible; he had seen tons of freaky stuff in his lifespan in this reality and the others as well, but it was spiders that truly creeped him out.
"What the hell?" Frank asked, as he saw Max skim pass him. He was coming out the side door with a tray of drinks and he dropped them down to the ground. He looked down the hallway to see what Max was shooting at. "Crap!"
"What's going on?" Angst asked from the room. She could see that Frank wasn't a man to drop something as precious as coffee onto the ground. She grabbed a staff that she had collected and headed for the door, as Frank dug out a weapon.
If the Sun Refuse to Shine
Max looked at the invitation and then at the building; it was abandoned and boarded up. It looked like it hadn't been used in a number of years, and was now a derelict of a past that the future had forgotten. He dug out a smoke and lit it with a wooden match before proceeding forward.
Max checked the invitation again; this was the place that was written. He walked to the front door and gave it a tug and it opened, like magic. He stepped inside. The door didn't creak as he closed it behind him.
Dust and garbage littered the foyer and he stepped inside. Peered around. He walked into the place; it was an old bar, with a dozen or so tables scattered about. Except for one that had its chairs overturned and a candle burning on it, as well as a cold beer and a glass waiting for him.
He took a seat and reached for the glass; no sooner had his fingers touched the cool surface when music seemed to pipe in. The opening chords of a Led Zeppelin song, but sung by Duran Duran. His attention was brought to the stage as a curtain parted and Mags stepped through them. She was dressed in a red silky outfit, and raised a microphone to her lips.
Max smiled.
Max checked the invitation again; this was the place that was written. He walked to the front door and gave it a tug and it opened, like magic. He stepped inside. The door didn't creak as he closed it behind him.
Dust and garbage littered the foyer and he stepped inside. Peered around. He walked into the place; it was an old bar, with a dozen or so tables scattered about. Except for one that had its chairs overturned and a candle burning on it, as well as a cold beer and a glass waiting for him.
He took a seat and reached for the glass; no sooner had his fingers touched the cool surface when music seemed to pipe in. The opening chords of a Led Zeppelin song, but sung by Duran Duran. His attention was brought to the stage as a curtain parted and Mags stepped through them. She was dressed in a red silky outfit, and raised a microphone to her lips.
Max smiled.
The Gathering
The bus pulled into Ted's Roadside Diner a little after 7:30 pm, letting out just one passenger. A young lady, looking like she was in her late 20's, disembarked. She stepped from the bus and glanced around the area. She wore torn jeans along with a t-shirt with the Doors emblem, and she had a long coat on.
She turned to the driver of the bus and said thanks. The driver smiled and nodded.
"Well, this ain't much but it's where you wanted to go," the driver said and he closed the door and pulled the bus out of the waystation.
She grabbed her shoulder bag and walked into Ted's; around this time of the evening Ted's was practically empty. She walked up to the counter, dropped her bag beside her and sat down.
"Coffee?" the server asked her. The server was sitting down at the other end reading a book.
"Sure," Maggie said.
The server casually went about her business and brought a cup of coffee over to the customer. "Menu?"
"Yes, please," Maggie replied; she was a tad hungry, after all it had been a long bus ride to get to this place.
The server reached under the counter and placed a battered menu in front of the customer. "So what brings you to these parts?"
"I'm supposed to be hooking up with some old friends," Maggie replied. "They should be showing up shortly."
As if on cue a red sports car pulled into the lot and out popped a young woman with hair of red, dressed in a dark red dress, looking sultry. From the other side, a woman in black gothic gear stepped out as well.
"I take it that's them?" the server asked.
"That's two of them," Maggie answered. She turned in her seat, taking her coffee cup and headed towards a booth. She placed her coffee down on the table as the door chimed.
"And here I thought I was going to close up early," the server said with a smile. She was glad to have some people here this evening; ever since the bypass opened up two years ago, this cafe had been going on a downhill slant. "Let me fire up the grill."
The door opened and the lady in red called, "Magriel!"
"Hello Lucy. Been a long time," Maggie said as she made her way to the door.
"Hell of a long time," Lucy replied. As the two old friends embraced and gave each other a peck on the cheek.
"Get a room you two," a voice chided from the door. Maggie turned and smiled at the goth girl.
"You haven't changed much, Lilith," Maggie said with a wink.
She turned to the driver of the bus and said thanks. The driver smiled and nodded.
"Well, this ain't much but it's where you wanted to go," the driver said and he closed the door and pulled the bus out of the waystation.
She grabbed her shoulder bag and walked into Ted's; around this time of the evening Ted's was practically empty. She walked up to the counter, dropped her bag beside her and sat down.
"Coffee?" the server asked her. The server was sitting down at the other end reading a book.
"Sure," Maggie said.
The server casually went about her business and brought a cup of coffee over to the customer. "Menu?"
"Yes, please," Maggie replied; she was a tad hungry, after all it had been a long bus ride to get to this place.
The server reached under the counter and placed a battered menu in front of the customer. "So what brings you to these parts?"
"I'm supposed to be hooking up with some old friends," Maggie replied. "They should be showing up shortly."
As if on cue a red sports car pulled into the lot and out popped a young woman with hair of red, dressed in a dark red dress, looking sultry. From the other side, a woman in black gothic gear stepped out as well.
"I take it that's them?" the server asked.
"That's two of them," Maggie answered. She turned in her seat, taking her coffee cup and headed towards a booth. She placed her coffee down on the table as the door chimed.
"And here I thought I was going to close up early," the server said with a smile. She was glad to have some people here this evening; ever since the bypass opened up two years ago, this cafe had been going on a downhill slant. "Let me fire up the grill."
The door opened and the lady in red called, "Magriel!"
"Hello Lucy. Been a long time," Maggie said as she made her way to the door.
"Hell of a long time," Lucy replied. As the two old friends embraced and gave each other a peck on the cheek.
"Get a room you two," a voice chided from the door. Maggie turned and smiled at the goth girl.
"You haven't changed much, Lilith," Maggie said with a wink.
> Akimoto in Plureality
and there was no fear
it bore me through cloud and darkness
on great iron wings
into a land of mist and blood,
and ancient stone it bore me
as my feet touched this enchanted earth
the metamorphosis began
the garb of the everyman fell away
in its place came the fur and leather of the barbarian
this was his land
the land of his heart
and his time had come again to wander
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20130731
Chess Funky
Frank stepped off the curb carrying a tray of coffee, looking both ways as he crossed the street and headed into the park. He stopped off at the newspaper vendor, placed a bill down and grabbed a paper, tucked it underneath his arm.
"Thanks Frank," said the vendor.
"No, thank you!" Frank returned the gratitude. He liked reading about what was happening in various parts of the world. A newspaper was a man's best friend, for it can tell him things that a dog can't.
"Catch ya tomorrow," the vendor said.
Frank continued into the park area; he saw the table and headed for it. Angst was sitting there, her head propped up by her hands. She had been studying the board and trying to figure out a move.
"You figured it out yet?" Frank asked her as he approached.
"Not yet," she replied with a sour taste in her mouth. At the moment she was thinking of going postal on the board and sending the playing pieces scattering like leaves in the wind.
"Thanks Frank," said the vendor.
"No, thank you!" Frank returned the gratitude. He liked reading about what was happening in various parts of the world. A newspaper was a man's best friend, for it can tell him things that a dog can't.
"Catch ya tomorrow," the vendor said.
Frank continued into the park area; he saw the table and headed for it. Angst was sitting there, her head propped up by her hands. She had been studying the board and trying to figure out a move.
"You figured it out yet?" Frank asked her as he approached.
"Not yet," she replied with a sour taste in her mouth. At the moment she was thinking of going postal on the board and sending the playing pieces scattering like leaves in the wind.
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