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."
20130911
> Dan in Plureality 5
The sun's going down of the Aran Islands off the coast of Ireland. We're sitting on the rocks of a beach, our backpacks propped beside us. Nowhere to go. He rolls two cigarettes and passes me one. I take out one of our enchanted matchbooks, fashioned during the six hour ritual that we began this trip with. The sigil inside is for shelter. I strike the match and we light our cigarettes. Before we've finished smoking them a woman has walked up to us from over a hill and invited us to spend the night in her cottage.
*
She turns to him. “Now Dr. James. Surely there's something of merit going on here?”
Dr. James frowns. Suddenly he drops his file folder on the desk and marches towards the door to the room. Daniel startles slightly when he enters and Ms. Amita frowns. Dr. Hannah follows him in, looking apologetic. And They keep watching.
“Daniel,” Dr. James says. “In attempting to delineate the effects of your addiction you have so far done little more than show me that you have a penchant for telling stories. I ask you, what is the point of them?”
*
I'm visiting with a friend from the small town I lived in during the summer of the year 2000 and I take the chance and tell her about what happened to me that week in August.
About how I starred in a this reality-tv show called 'Spygame'. It was a lot like that show 'The Mole', but this was before that came out. I was clear with her: I explained how I was aware that my biology spent the week laying in bed, walking along the river listening to a walkman. But I can remember everything that happened on the show. I can remember guesting on Letterman after it was over, with the other three finalists. I remember talking with her afterwards about being on the show, only she doesn't. I even told her about the time in my apartment, once the summer was over, when a song from the 'Spygame' soundtrack came on the radio and I cried and cried, I missed the other people from the show that badly.
I was so nervous telling her. I even became insistent, almost shouting at her even though she was listening quietly. And then she smiled and nodded and said that she understood. And she told me a beautiful, sad story about being haunted by the first horse she had to put down when she was younger.
It was like sex, like tantric sex where orgasm isn't the point.
*
Dr. James shouts, “Then what is the point?”
“You tell me,” I say.
***
In Like Flint
Wraith moved in the night like a song from a radio, drifting out into
the dark where words cannot be seen. She was dressed in black,
her black hair tied into a ponytail and a mask over her face.
She came up to a fence and leaped over the 14 foot high barrier like a leaf in the wind. She landed on her feet on the other side and continued to move, paying no heed to the sentries on patrol because she was part of the night and moved right before them in plain sight. They did not blink or acknowledge that she had gone past.
She came up to the outside security doors and her fingers danced over the console, and the doors majestically opened. She slipped inside, just a blur to the security cameras. The watchmen on duty didn't even register the fact that the doors were breached. Wraith's fingers danced open another door and she was in. A smile cracked her serious face since she knew that she had still had the magic, the power, the moves.
She stepped into the hallway and moved off to one side. "I'm in," she spoke softly into the throat mic. "Time me."
She came up to a fence and leaped over the 14 foot high barrier like a leaf in the wind. She landed on her feet on the other side and continued to move, paying no heed to the sentries on patrol because she was part of the night and moved right before them in plain sight. They did not blink or acknowledge that she had gone past.
She came up to the outside security doors and her fingers danced over the console, and the doors majestically opened. She slipped inside, just a blur to the security cameras. The watchmen on duty didn't even register the fact that the doors were breached. Wraith's fingers danced open another door and she was in. A smile cracked her serious face since she knew that she had still had the magic, the power, the moves.
She stepped into the hallway and moved off to one side. "I'm in," she spoke softly into the throat mic. "Time me."
The Pursuit of a Trivial Matter
Frank made the leap across the street; the 60 foot gap was what he
needed to distance himself from his pursuers. He landed on the roof of
the other building, rolled and came up with both guns blazing. He was
firing in the direction he had came from.
The bullets hitting their mark, catching two of his pursuers in mid air, and sending them straight down to where the street below. A third one was hit as well, sending him from his safe trajectory. And then he bolted once again.
Two down. Three more to go, Frank thought.
The bullets hitting their mark, catching two of his pursuers in mid air, and sending them straight down to where the street below. A third one was hit as well, sending him from his safe trajectory. And then he bolted once again.
Two down. Three more to go, Frank thought.
A Spin of a Coin
The coin spun on the table, twirling around, spinning itself into a three
dimensional ball. It moved around the table before it began to slow
down and the coin, still full of inertia, kept spinning but it was a mad
wobble now.
"Any bets?" Goner asked.
"Heads," Frank replied not looking up from his paper.
Goner watched the coin spin like a lunatic in a madhouse. Angst was sitting across from him; she was sipping away at her soda. Frank was beside her, a paper folded up to the crosswords section and using a pen he was figuring out the clues. While Aqua sat on the stool at the counter, eating fries and sipping a malt.
Goner's coin finally rested on heads.
"That's five in a row you called it," Goner says. "Maybe we should be doing some downtime in Vegas?"
"I love Vegas," Angst chimed in. "So alive and full of colour."
"That's a thought," Frank said. "Maybe if we get the signal."
Goner looked at Frank and smiled, "Well, we could wait for the signal in Vegas."
"Don't count on it," Angst interjected, she looked up at Frank and gave him a wink.
"We're here for a reason," Frank said in a leadership sort of tone; he wished something would happen shortly as well. They'd been hanging around for several days now, waiting for a sign.
Goner picked it up and he spun the coin again asking, "Any bets?"
"Heads," Frank replied.
"Any bets?" Goner asked.
"Heads," Frank replied not looking up from his paper.
Goner watched the coin spin like a lunatic in a madhouse. Angst was sitting across from him; she was sipping away at her soda. Frank was beside her, a paper folded up to the crosswords section and using a pen he was figuring out the clues. While Aqua sat on the stool at the counter, eating fries and sipping a malt.
Goner's coin finally rested on heads.
"That's five in a row you called it," Goner says. "Maybe we should be doing some downtime in Vegas?"
"I love Vegas," Angst chimed in. "So alive and full of colour."
"That's a thought," Frank said. "Maybe if we get the signal."
Goner looked at Frank and smiled, "Well, we could wait for the signal in Vegas."
"Don't count on it," Angst interjected, she looked up at Frank and gave him a wink.
"We're here for a reason," Frank said in a leadership sort of tone; he wished something would happen shortly as well. They'd been hanging around for several days now, waiting for a sign.
Goner picked it up and he spun the coin again asking, "Any bets?"
"Heads," Frank replied.
20130910
> Dan in Plureality 4
When I was traveling in England the second time, when I was 23, I
went into a bookstore in Chelsea and found a book called 'The Crow
Road', so I bought it. Two days later I was in Cornwall with guy who
had picked me up hitch-hiking and invited me to camp with his friends
in a quarry that one of them owned. We were walking down the road
along the coast at night, on our way to the country pub. Talking
about books, and I noticed the crows, blacker than the night, lining
the field to our left, and he didn't, he was talking about books.
And he said: “One of my favourite books is 'The Crow Road'. Have you heard of it?”
*
Dr. Hannah smiles. “Very cool.”
Dr. James snorts.
*
Working in the bookstore during my stay on the farm, everything easily becomes about work, about paychecks, relaxing after work, small talk. That morning, before we open the doors to let in the customers, I glance at the New Age section, my attention caught briefly by a box-set of runes. I remember reading the runes, I wonder at everything implied by the runes and what they imply about the world. But I cannot feel it, cannot find it in the stark mall lighting, the stream of people, the economics.
Later in the shift a man buys a box-set of Faerie Oracle cards; illustrated by Brian Froud. As I turn the box over to scan it I see the author's name, who wrote the commentary. Jessica Macbeth, and I remember being picked up by Jessica while I was hitch-hiking in Scotland when I was nineteen, her taking me to an ancient cairn and teaching me my first meditation technique before dropping me off in Oban and saying goodbye.
*
“Fine,” he says. “They are interesting stories. But frankly I don't see the point of them.”
*
A girl that I worked with at the bookstore named Kaye lends me over 30 hours of videotapes, all the episodes of 'Roswell' to date. I watch them continuously for a day and a half. Like brainwashing. These stories of aliens disguised as humans trying to relate and survive in their small town. Sure it moves me.
The last time I did a total immersion run like that was when I read Grant Morrison's 'Animal Man' straight through. Later that summer a RPG character I was playing became self-aware and now gets calls and emails from fictional characters in the game.
*
“Again, the recurrence of TV, of role-playing games. The pathology is clear to me, Dr. Hannah. I'm still unsure of the value of these stories.”
***
And he said: “One of my favourite books is 'The Crow Road'. Have you heard of it?”
*
Dr. Hannah smiles. “Very cool.”
Dr. James snorts.
*
Working in the bookstore during my stay on the farm, everything easily becomes about work, about paychecks, relaxing after work, small talk. That morning, before we open the doors to let in the customers, I glance at the New Age section, my attention caught briefly by a box-set of runes. I remember reading the runes, I wonder at everything implied by the runes and what they imply about the world. But I cannot feel it, cannot find it in the stark mall lighting, the stream of people, the economics.
Later in the shift a man buys a box-set of Faerie Oracle cards; illustrated by Brian Froud. As I turn the box over to scan it I see the author's name, who wrote the commentary. Jessica Macbeth, and I remember being picked up by Jessica while I was hitch-hiking in Scotland when I was nineteen, her taking me to an ancient cairn and teaching me my first meditation technique before dropping me off in Oban and saying goodbye.
*
“Fine,” he says. “They are interesting stories. But frankly I don't see the point of them.”
*
A girl that I worked with at the bookstore named Kaye lends me over 30 hours of videotapes, all the episodes of 'Roswell' to date. I watch them continuously for a day and a half. Like brainwashing. These stories of aliens disguised as humans trying to relate and survive in their small town. Sure it moves me.
The last time I did a total immersion run like that was when I read Grant Morrison's 'Animal Man' straight through. Later that summer a RPG character I was playing became self-aware and now gets calls and emails from fictional characters in the game.
*
“Again, the recurrence of TV, of role-playing games. The pathology is clear to me, Dr. Hannah. I'm still unsure of the value of these stories.”
***
Wraith's Wrath
The ground seemed to shudder and heave, knocking her off balance. And that
was a rare thing to do. Wraith lay on the ground looking up
at the night sky. She flipped herself back upright and scanned the
perimeter; she knew that she was totally caught off guard and that could have
cost her a life.
She didn't know what the heck was going on but she intended to find out. The next ripple didn't catch her off balance since she expected it. The ground shook like a wave lapping up to the shore.
"This cannot bode well," she whispered to herself.
She spotted the sentry nestled up along the ridge; she knew that she was getting close to the compound.
She didn't know what the heck was going on but she intended to find out. The next ripple didn't catch her off balance since she expected it. The ground shook like a wave lapping up to the shore.
"This cannot bode well," she whispered to herself.
She spotted the sentry nestled up along the ridge; she knew that she was getting close to the compound.
The Pawn of Presents Passed
Frank pulled the sedan into the parking garage and got out. Opening open
the trunk he pulled out a gun and tucked it into the back of his
pants. He slammed the trunk down and walked away from his car. His
cellphone rang.
"Frankay!" the voice said.
"Scott," Frank replied.
"Can't a guy call on his old friend?" Scott asked.
"You ain't my friend," Frank replied coldly. "I'm here."
"That's cool," Scott's voice dropped the friendly tone. "Go to the roof."
"This better be good," Frank said.
"Would I steer you wrong?" Scott asked, knowing that answer all too well.
"This better not be a wild goose chase," Frank said. He pushed the up button at the elevators.
"Frankay!" the voice said.
"Scott," Frank replied.
"Can't a guy call on his old friend?" Scott asked.
"You ain't my friend," Frank replied coldly. "I'm here."
"That's cool," Scott's voice dropped the friendly tone. "Go to the roof."
"This better be good," Frank said.
"Would I steer you wrong?" Scott asked, knowing that answer all too well.
"This better not be a wild goose chase," Frank said. He pushed the up button at the elevators.
Awakening the Beast
Pain racked his body as he fell to the ground. His head bounced off the
asphalt of the parking lot, and he was sure that there was another cut there,
but he couldn't feel it at the moment. His body was beyond the point of
registering pain, it was channeling it.
He picked up his head and began to crawl.
"You guys better go while you have the chance," he said to the thugs around him.
"Yeah right," one said.
"Whatever," another one replied. "Any last words?"
Not yet, he thought.
There was a trio that stood around him and they kicked him a few times when he was down. He was beyond feeling the pain now, he wasn't sure were he was at. His mind was somewhere else.
Just about there, he mumbled.
"So big man, you think you are tough now?" a voice laughed. "Come on and teach me a lesson."
"I would," he sputtered out. "But, right now I have a pressing engagement to tend to. Once I am finished there then I will come back and teach you guys a lesson."
"Think he's going loco?" another voiced asked.
"Beats me," another one chimed in. His voice held an edge of hatred that consumed him.
"No," the first one corrected. "Beats him."
They all chuckled over that, and continued with the kicking. They didn't realize that they were waking the beast within and would pay the ultimate price for it.
"You boys were warned," Akimoto said.
He picked up his head and began to crawl.
"You guys better go while you have the chance," he said to the thugs around him.
"Yeah right," one said.
"Whatever," another one replied. "Any last words?"
Not yet, he thought.
There was a trio that stood around him and they kicked him a few times when he was down. He was beyond feeling the pain now, he wasn't sure were he was at. His mind was somewhere else.
Just about there, he mumbled.
"So big man, you think you are tough now?" a voice laughed. "Come on and teach me a lesson."
"I would," he sputtered out. "But, right now I have a pressing engagement to tend to. Once I am finished there then I will come back and teach you guys a lesson."
"Think he's going loco?" another voiced asked.
"Beats me," another one chimed in. His voice held an edge of hatred that consumed him.
"No," the first one corrected. "Beats him."
They all chuckled over that, and continued with the kicking. They didn't realize that they were waking the beast within and would pay the ultimate price for it.
"You boys were warned," Akimoto said.
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