Clank.
The sound of metal on stone echoed throughout the the
area. It made me cringe because that meant that we were being followed.
Max expected that would happen, but we didn't know by whom.
A rat
scuttled by my feet. There were a few of them scampering about, more
defiant than their cousins topside. I had tied the handkerchief over my
nose and mouth, hoping that the would stop the stench.
"You
coming Frank?" Angst asked. She was just a few steps ahead of me and
she had this joyful glee about her. Who'd of thought that a girl like
her would dig doing stuff like this.
"No. Just breathing hard," I quipped.
"You wish you old fart," Angst replied with a faint flirty tone.
"Cut
the chatter back there," Max said. Though, I really couldn't
understand why he said that since he'd been humming a show tune as we
made our way through the sewers.
"Yeah right," Angst told Max.
Clank.
There was that sound again off in the distance behind us. Sounding much closer. Whoever was following us had picked up the pace.
Here
we were beneath the city, walking through sludge trying to find a key.
The old man had given Max a riddle, and though I am not to clear about
it myself, Max and Maggie came to the conclusion that the answer lay
in the sewers.
Clank. Clank.
"Max," I said; I drew my glock. "I think we have company."
Max
paused; he held the blue cube in his hands and turned to me. He looked
very sinister in the pale green light, as if he had discovered the Loch
Nar and was about to morph out into a zombie like in the end segment of that Heavy Metal movie.
I guess Angst noticed that as well and she chuckled.
20130814
Like a Starless Night
His world was in a state of chaos, his head swimming with glitches of images of other people's lives. Max staggered through his room, his head a black hole sucking in the hopes and dreams of those around him.
Get out, Max ordered the random patterns that were making his mind feel like a swiss cheese omelette. He caught his foot on the corner of a chair and stumbled as a drunk would onto the floor. His head catching the corner of the wall with such a sickening thud that Max didn't feel the impact.
He welcomed the coming darkness to swirl in and end the visions of millions.
"Max!"
His eyes flickered opened. His face down and in congealed blood. He brought a hand to his head and he felt a gash there, and he knew that he had lost a lot of blood. The good thing about it was that there wasn't the millions of voices crying out to him, but the question remained was who was the one voice that shouted his name?
"This is candy compared to what I've been through already," he muttered. He tried to pick himself up and it was a slow process, like a dinosaur dying in a bog. He chuckled at the imagery of a dinosaur; it could mean a metaphor for what is to come.
The phone rang, sending a signal right to the core of his brain. The feeling of ice on a sore tooth, and he cringed. He steadied himself as he got up and he looked at the blood on the floor (it wasn't the first time... nor would it be the last time) and it made him feel queasy that he had lost a lot.
He made it to the phone after the sixth ring and picked it up.
"Hello?" Max said into the receiver.
"Good Afternoon, is the man of the house in?" a voice said at the other end. Max could hear other voices as well trying to sell things to people who didn't really want them in the first place.
"No."
Max hung up the phone.
20130813
God Complex
Max jumped from the rooftop, over the alleyway, and landed on the roof of the hardware store. He rolled and came up on his feet.
Glancing around quickly, he headed for the door. He gave it a quick tug to see if it would open, but luck was against him.
He took out his gun with a silencer on it and shot the lock. The door didn’t resist…
20130812
20130811
> M in Plureality
Dan
shook his head, the wind whipping across his neck. His head was
pounding and the sirens and flashing lights were not helping. He tried
to focus on the scene, his arm weighing heavy, looking down to the black
megaphone in his hand. The spotlight gliding across the night sky,
stopping on a rooftop some ten stories up. He could make out the shadow
of a figure.
“xxxxxx?” he asked back.
“Max!”
an officer yelled at him. “The chopper will be here soon. She’s agreed
to let you and only you come up. Let’s get you connected and cabled -
you are being dropped in, no weapons…”
“Wait a minute-” Dan stammered, trying desperately to wrap his head around what was happening…
*whomp whomp whomp*
He
heard the bird coming before he could see it, the dust flying around,
stinging his eyes, the pounding in his head almost unbearable.
“Ready to go, Max,” the young officer yelled over the growing roar of the chopper.
“Wait a minute…my name’s…”
Soon
there were hands all over him hooking up the harness. He felt the clang
of the safety buckles, he felt the tug on his waist, and soon his feet
were off the ground. Watching the city grow smaller in the night sky as
the chopper took him up hovering just above the rooftop, then slowly
lowering him down. “Release, release,” he heard the officer in the
chopper yell down to him.
Not
sure what to do, Dan tugged on the line hanging just to his left and he
felt himself begin to fall, dropping with a thud onto the rooftop below
him. “Wait!” he called, looking up and watching as the chopper
disappeared. “What the fuck is going on?” he thought to himself.
“Don’t
come any closer,” the voice called out to him. He could make out her
figure now, short woman, blackish brown hair. He could hear her crying.
“My name’s…” He stopped for a minute… Thinking back to everyone calling him Max… Officer Max…
“I am going to do it, Max!” she cried, turning...“What the hell?” she stammered, catching her first look at him…
“Dan?” she asked.
“xxxxxx?” he asked back.
Teaser for a Beginning That Never Was
FADE IN ON:
SHADOWS
Parts of the screen slowly lightens to reveal what appears to be silhouettes on a graffiti-filled wall. The shadow of figures thrown onto the wall by firelight.
A figure comes into focus to reveal CONTROL. He's walking towards the camera from the shadows, a smile upon his face showing his pearly white teeth. He's heading to the firelight.
MAGS is sitting by a campfire; she is leaning back on a log and sipping some whiskey from a bottle. She sees CONTROL walking into the light. She takes a swig from the bottle and then hands it to CONTROL who takes a long pull from it and then hands it back to her.
CONTROL
Magriel.
MAGS
Control.
MAGS looks at the bottle and then places it down beside her.
CONTROL
Here we are at your request.
CONTROL looks around and nods.
CONTROL
How fitting of a place. This is where it began, didn't it?
MAGS nods.
MAGS
Something needs to be said.
CONTROL
That it does.
The Devil You Say?
EXT. A JAIL IN MEXICO - DAY
It's early morning as a patrol car pulls up into the parking lot. It parks beside a couple of other cars. The camera pans with the OFFICER as he exits his car, goes to the trunk and takes out a small box. He then heads towards the JAIL HOUSE.
A young boy steps out and salutes the OFFICER.
BOY
Hola, Sir
OFFICER
Morning.
INT. JAIL LOBBY - DAY
The Officer enters the lobby, he places the box on a desk. Taking out a small brown paper bag, he walks over to one of the cells.
OFFICER:
Yo Rubiks Cube. You got mail.
Officer tosses the brown paper bag onto the bed.
INT. JAIL CELLS - DAY
MAX is sitting in a lotus position in the center of the cell. Stripped down to his boxers. His body is covered with many scars; bullet wounds, claw marks and what looks like several blades as well. He is covered in sweat and his eyes are closed.
INT. JAIL LOBBY - DAY
The Officer returns to his desk, takes a coffee mug from it and heads for the coffee machine. Where a lovely woman is sitting on a bench at the moment and filing her nails.
OFFICER:
How long has he been up?
NAILS:
According to Manu, he's never been to sleep yet.
OFFICER
How come we get the American weirdos?
INT. JAIL CELLS - DAY
Max opens his eyes. He reaches for the brown paper bag and opens it up. He takes out a cellphone and looks at it, and then places it beside him.
EXT. EAST TEXAS RANCH - DAY
A gorgeous, bikini-clad woman is sitting by a pool. Tanning. A long slender drink is at the table beside her as well as a cellphone. She is lying there with her eyes closed, and then her watch begins to chime. She picks up the cellphone and dials.
INT. JAIL CELLS - DAY
The cellphone rings. Max reaches for it, and snaps it open.
LUCY (V.O.)
Hola Max.
MAX
(into phone)
Ms. Morningstar. What the hell do you want after all these years?
EXT. EAST TEXAS RANCH - DAY
LUCY is sitting up in her chair. She has a servant who hands her another drink. She takes it and dismisses the servant.
LUCY
(into phone)
It's been a long time. We've got a lot of catching up to do. I heard that you were in the region and I figured I'd give you a call.
MAX (V.O)
I'm touched.
LUCY
(into phone)
It's one of the reasons why I called you.
MAX (V.O.)
And you couldn't take time out of your schedule to pay me a visit?
LUCY
(into phone)
Well, I've arranged for you to get an early release.
MAX (V.O.)
That's mighty nice of you.
LUCY
(into phone)
Any second now it should be.
EXT. JAIL - DAY
A black sedan drives up to the jail, parking beside the police car. Two gorgeous ladies in black suits step out. One carrying a briefcase.
INT. JAIL CELL - DAY
Max walks to the barred window and glances outside.
MAX
(into phone)
Damn.
It's early morning as a patrol car pulls up into the parking lot. It parks beside a couple of other cars. The camera pans with the OFFICER as he exits his car, goes to the trunk and takes out a small box. He then heads towards the JAIL HOUSE.
A young boy steps out and salutes the OFFICER.
BOY
Hola, Sir
OFFICER
Morning.
INT. JAIL LOBBY - DAY
The Officer enters the lobby, he places the box on a desk. Taking out a small brown paper bag, he walks over to one of the cells.
OFFICER:
Yo Rubiks Cube. You got mail.
Officer tosses the brown paper bag onto the bed.
INT. JAIL CELLS - DAY
MAX is sitting in a lotus position in the center of the cell. Stripped down to his boxers. His body is covered with many scars; bullet wounds, claw marks and what looks like several blades as well. He is covered in sweat and his eyes are closed.
INT. JAIL LOBBY - DAY
The Officer returns to his desk, takes a coffee mug from it and heads for the coffee machine. Where a lovely woman is sitting on a bench at the moment and filing her nails.
OFFICER:
How long has he been up?
NAILS:
According to Manu, he's never been to sleep yet.
OFFICER
How come we get the American weirdos?
INT. JAIL CELLS - DAY
Max opens his eyes. He reaches for the brown paper bag and opens it up. He takes out a cellphone and looks at it, and then places it beside him.
EXT. EAST TEXAS RANCH - DAY
A gorgeous, bikini-clad woman is sitting by a pool. Tanning. A long slender drink is at the table beside her as well as a cellphone. She is lying there with her eyes closed, and then her watch begins to chime. She picks up the cellphone and dials.
INT. JAIL CELLS - DAY
The cellphone rings. Max reaches for it, and snaps it open.
LUCY (V.O.)
Hola Max.
MAX
(into phone)
Ms. Morningstar. What the hell do you want after all these years?
EXT. EAST TEXAS RANCH - DAY
LUCY is sitting up in her chair. She has a servant who hands her another drink. She takes it and dismisses the servant.
LUCY
(into phone)
It's been a long time. We've got a lot of catching up to do. I heard that you were in the region and I figured I'd give you a call.
MAX (V.O)
I'm touched.
LUCY
(into phone)
It's one of the reasons why I called you.
MAX (V.O.)
And you couldn't take time out of your schedule to pay me a visit?
LUCY
(into phone)
Well, I've arranged for you to get an early release.
MAX (V.O.)
That's mighty nice of you.
LUCY
(into phone)
Any second now it should be.
EXT. JAIL - DAY
A black sedan drives up to the jail, parking beside the police car. Two gorgeous ladies in black suits step out. One carrying a briefcase.
INT. JAIL CELL - DAY
Max walks to the barred window and glances outside.
MAX
(into phone)
Damn.
London Calling
1942 London
Maggie stepped out of the pub and walked down the street. The night had a surreal feel to it and the sky was lit up with search lights, much akin to a Hollywood premiere.
She turned up the collar of her jacket and headed down Chambers towards the safe haven of her home. Air raid sirens sang in the night like demonic beasts calling out to the very gods that had banished them.
From the shadows behind her two forms melted out and began following her. Maggie could hear their footfalls echoing off the walk but she didn't pick up the pace; she wanted them to feel a false security.
Poor bastards, she thought to herself. As her hand slipped a button open and she felt the cool hilt of her katana.
"Hello Maggie," a voice up ahead said as he stepped out of the shadows.
Maggie stopped and looked ahead. A feeling of uneasiness washed over her like a broken faucet.
"Didn't expect to see me anytime soon," the man said as it stepped closer.
"Hopefully tonight will be the last time," Maggie replied as her coat dropped to her feet.
Maggie stepped out of the pub and walked down the street. The night had a surreal feel to it and the sky was lit up with search lights, much akin to a Hollywood premiere.
She turned up the collar of her jacket and headed down Chambers towards the safe haven of her home. Air raid sirens sang in the night like demonic beasts calling out to the very gods that had banished them.
From the shadows behind her two forms melted out and began following her. Maggie could hear their footfalls echoing off the walk but she didn't pick up the pace; she wanted them to feel a false security.
Poor bastards, she thought to herself. As her hand slipped a button open and she felt the cool hilt of her katana.
"Hello Maggie," a voice up ahead said as he stepped out of the shadows.
Maggie stopped and looked ahead. A feeling of uneasiness washed over her like a broken faucet.
"Didn't expect to see me anytime soon," the man said as it stepped closer.
"Hopefully tonight will be the last time," Maggie replied as her coat dropped to her feet.
In Dark Corners of Interrogation
INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - NIGHT
MAX sits at the end of a table. From an ashtray a cigarette smolders. A video tape camera is focused on MAX. He is covered in splashes of red (blood). A DETECTIVE leans up against the wall by the rooms only door. CONTROL enters; he drops a manila folder on the table then looks at the DETECTIVE.
CONTROL:
Get us a coffee.
The DETECTIVE eyes MAX and then nods.
DETECTIVE:
Sure, Dan.
The DETECTIVE exits, closing the door behind him. CONTROL reaches over and shuts off the video tape.
MAX:
Dan. That your name?
CONTROL:
No, that's your name.
MAX:
(puzzled look)
What do you want?
CONTROL:
When are you going to end this charade? This multi-faceted facade you got going on? It will end when you acknowledge it.
MAX:
I don't know what you mean?
CONTROL leans across the table. He takes out two six-sided dice from his vest pocket and places them in front of MAX.
CONTROL:
You know damn well what is going on, and only you can fix that. Because right now you really are in some serious shit.
MAX:
(has a faraway look)
What do you mean by that?
CONTROL:
It's a game, Max. You're a character in a game!
MAX:
A what?
CONTROL:
I'm here to snap you out of it.
MAX hesitates, then...
MAX:
What do you mean?
CONTROL:
It means these two things control you destiny.
MAX:
Nothing controls my destiny. I am me.
CONTROL reacts. Backhands MAX.
CONTROL:
Let's stay on subject...
MAX:
A might touchy are we?
CONTROL picks up the folder that is on the table. Opens it and takes out one sheet and places it in front of MAX.
CONTROL:
What's this?
MAX:
(looking confused)
A character sheet!
CONTROL:
What's on it?
MAX:
(looks up at CONTROL)
My stats?
CONTROL:
Bingo.
MAX sits at the end of a table. From an ashtray a cigarette smolders. A video tape camera is focused on MAX. He is covered in splashes of red (blood). A DETECTIVE leans up against the wall by the rooms only door. CONTROL enters; he drops a manila folder on the table then looks at the DETECTIVE.
CONTROL:
Get us a coffee.
The DETECTIVE eyes MAX and then nods.
DETECTIVE:
Sure, Dan.
The DETECTIVE exits, closing the door behind him. CONTROL reaches over and shuts off the video tape.
MAX:
Dan. That your name?
CONTROL:
No, that's your name.
MAX:
(puzzled look)
What do you want?
CONTROL:
When are you going to end this charade? This multi-faceted facade you got going on? It will end when you acknowledge it.
MAX:
I don't know what you mean?
CONTROL leans across the table. He takes out two six-sided dice from his vest pocket and places them in front of MAX.
CONTROL:
You know damn well what is going on, and only you can fix that. Because right now you really are in some serious shit.
MAX:
(has a faraway look)
What do you mean by that?
CONTROL:
It's a game, Max. You're a character in a game!
MAX:
A what?
CONTROL:
I'm here to snap you out of it.
MAX hesitates, then...
MAX:
What do you mean?
CONTROL:
It means these two things control you destiny.
MAX:
Nothing controls my destiny. I am me.
CONTROL reacts. Backhands MAX.
CONTROL:
Let's stay on subject...
MAX:
A might touchy are we?
CONTROL picks up the folder that is on the table. Opens it and takes out one sheet and places it in front of MAX.
CONTROL:
What's this?
MAX:
(looking confused)
A character sheet!
CONTROL:
What's on it?
MAX:
(looks up at CONTROL)
My stats?
CONTROL:
Bingo.
20130810
This is Dangerous, I Walked Through Minefields...
"Magriel!" a voice in the crowd shouted, which made Mags turn around.
She was scanning the faces, and then an old familiar face caught her eye
and made a smile brighten hers; like a sun going supernova.
"Gabby!" Mags replied. She stepped forward and the two old friends embraced.
"I didn't know you were here," Gabby stated as she stepped back and looked more closely at her. "It's been a long, long time since we did something together."
"Come on," Mags said. "Let's have a coffee and do some catching up."
"Gabby!" Mags replied. She stepped forward and the two old friends embraced.
"I didn't know you were here," Gabby stated as she stepped back and looked more closely at her. "It's been a long, long time since we did something together."
"Come on," Mags said. "Let's have a coffee and do some catching up."
Remembrancing
Max stood amongst the crowd around the memorial. The sun had
broken through the clouds earlier and brought down a ray of light upon
the group. Both the sun and the clouds were dancing that tango, that
tango of a crisp Autumn day. Being thankful that rain wasn't showing up, although it would be fitting.
A bugle sounded off in the distance and many heads were bowed in unison, out of respect for those who had perished, from wars long ago and not long ago. Pretty placed his hand on Max's shoulder. "How goes it pal?"
Max gave him a sideways glance. "Glad to have you here."
"Wouldn't miss this for the worlds," Pretty replied; he had on his greys, with no medals; he wanted to be part of the crowd. "My name would have been carved in stone with Morris and Thandlerude if it wasn't for you."
Max smiled upon hearing Thandlerude's name. He remembered when he was sitting at post, and Thanderlude would be leaning back and playing his harmonica, and old blues song. Max could hear the song in his head but he had forgotten the name.
"Thandlerude," Max repeated. "What was that song he constantly played?"
Pretty thought about it for a few seconds. "I really don't know. But it was a haunting melody. I think it was an Otis Rush tune."
The bugle was done and then a little girl stepped forward and spoke into the mic. She was repeating a poem that was written many years ago, about a field. A field where flowers grew among the dead.
"I am going to look into it," Max said. He felt the vibration of his cellphone, but he made no attempt to answer it. He could talk later, now was the time of remembrance.
A bugle sounded off in the distance and many heads were bowed in unison, out of respect for those who had perished, from wars long ago and not long ago. Pretty placed his hand on Max's shoulder. "How goes it pal?"
Max gave him a sideways glance. "Glad to have you here."
"Wouldn't miss this for the worlds," Pretty replied; he had on his greys, with no medals; he wanted to be part of the crowd. "My name would have been carved in stone with Morris and Thandlerude if it wasn't for you."
Max smiled upon hearing Thandlerude's name. He remembered when he was sitting at post, and Thanderlude would be leaning back and playing his harmonica, and old blues song. Max could hear the song in his head but he had forgotten the name.
"Thandlerude," Max repeated. "What was that song he constantly played?"
Pretty thought about it for a few seconds. "I really don't know. But it was a haunting melody. I think it was an Otis Rush tune."
The bugle was done and then a little girl stepped forward and spoke into the mic. She was repeating a poem that was written many years ago, about a field. A field where flowers grew among the dead.
"I am going to look into it," Max said. He felt the vibration of his cellphone, but he made no attempt to answer it. He could talk later, now was the time of remembrance.
Out of the Woods and Back Into the Fight
Mags was tossed like a rag doll; she went flying up and over the trees
about 300 yards away, came crashing down hitting branches and
bouncing off a couple of trees along the way.
It wasn't the first time and it probably wouldn't be the last time that this sort of thing had happened.
She hit the ground with a sickening thud and lay still for several seconds before she lifted up her head.
"Ow," she muttered to herself. She began to pick herself up and shake the dizzying feeling from her body. Glancing around to see if she could see her katana. It was stuck in the ground, like a marker of sorts.
She saw it just a few feet from her and picked her battered and bruised body up, staggered over to the sword, and headed in the direction where she was thrown from.
She picked up the pace a little and upon leaving the tree line she bolted towards the combat. Max, Angst and Frank where still engaged with the robotic beast that towered 30 feet tall.
"It's my turn now," Mags whispered to herself as she brought up her katana and sped like a demon across the field to her intended target.
It wasn't the first time and it probably wouldn't be the last time that this sort of thing had happened.
She hit the ground with a sickening thud and lay still for several seconds before she lifted up her head.
"Ow," she muttered to herself. She began to pick herself up and shake the dizzying feeling from her body. Glancing around to see if she could see her katana. It was stuck in the ground, like a marker of sorts.
She saw it just a few feet from her and picked her battered and bruised body up, staggered over to the sword, and headed in the direction where she was thrown from.
She picked up the pace a little and upon leaving the tree line she bolted towards the combat. Max, Angst and Frank where still engaged with the robotic beast that towered 30 feet tall.
"It's my turn now," Mags whispered to herself as she brought up her katana and sped like a demon across the field to her intended target.
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