"You set?" Max asked Maggie. He could tell that she was in state of preparedness.
Maggie nodded, then added, "Ready when you are, sweetie."
"Soon.
Very soon now," Max replied; he was transferring cigarettes from a
cardboard pack into a solid tin. "I can feel it now."
20130825
Killer Instinct
Maggie walked towards the door to the complex, still feeling uneasy that
something sinister was in the air. She took a precautionary glance, seeing
nothing out of the ordinary, and then proceeded to the door.
That's when she felt something hit her in the back the head. She paused, momentarily stunned, and brought her hand to her head and felt liquid. The impact was enough to stagger her, falling on a knee. Turning to see Frank standing there; he had been hiding in the shadows, waiting for her.
He looked at her and nodded.
How dare he, Mags thought, her body filling with emotion. After all I did for him.
Frank walked closer to her, his hands clasped behind his back. He was dressed in black, his killer wardrobe.
"Why?" Maggie asked.
"Because," Frank replied coolly. "It's my nature."
Maggie leaned forward to control her stance. She was like a deer caught in the headlights of an approaching semi.
"Max will avenge me," she said.
"Not before I get him," Frank replied. He stopped 15 feet away from her.
She was scanning around and taking in all her options. She knew that she was caught off-guard, blindsided because she was taking things too slack. She was caught off her guard and now she was paying the price.
"I hope you don't hold it against me," Frank said. "After all, you knew who I was in the beginning."
His face cracked into a vicious smile as he brought up the second snowball.
That's when she felt something hit her in the back the head. She paused, momentarily stunned, and brought her hand to her head and felt liquid. The impact was enough to stagger her, falling on a knee. Turning to see Frank standing there; he had been hiding in the shadows, waiting for her.
He looked at her and nodded.
How dare he, Mags thought, her body filling with emotion. After all I did for him.
Frank walked closer to her, his hands clasped behind his back. He was dressed in black, his killer wardrobe.
"Why?" Maggie asked.
"Because," Frank replied coolly. "It's my nature."
Maggie leaned forward to control her stance. She was like a deer caught in the headlights of an approaching semi.
"Max will avenge me," she said.
"Not before I get him," Frank replied. He stopped 15 feet away from her.
She was scanning around and taking in all her options. She knew that she was caught off-guard, blindsided because she was taking things too slack. She was caught off her guard and now she was paying the price.
"I hope you don't hold it against me," Frank said. "After all, you knew who I was in the beginning."
His face cracked into a vicious smile as he brought up the second snowball.
The Aria Effect
Frank slid back into the booth with a sly grin on his face. Max was sitting there smoking another shitty smelling cigarette, his arm draped around Mags. Angst sat on the other side next to Goner.
"What are you smiling at?" Angst asked him.
"I slipped the disc jockey a c-note and a song to play," he replied.
"Why?" Goner asked this time around.
"Because," was all that Frank said.
As the last song ended the haunting melody of the next one began. It started to perk up the interest of the table. The tune began to wail from the speakers and the dance floor cleared. Then the techno sound began to sneak into the haunting melodic tune. Which made the young crowd seem to turn away from the dance floor.
"Care to dance?" Frank asked of Angst. She turned and smiled and held out a hand for Frank to take.
Max just looked a Mags and gave her a wink; she gave him a nod and they too headed out onto the dance floor, as the haunting voice began to sing. Both couples took to the dance floor like nobility at a grand ball. The crowd of 20-somethings stood around looking at the majestic couples as they did their ritualistic movements on the dance floor.
Goner sat at the table shaking his head, though he thought Frank was cool for an old fart. Goner flagged down a waitress and ordered another round, his head bobbing to the music.
"Fuckin' A, Frank," Goner whispered.
Mags looked into Max's eyes and she was swept away into the pools of azure, lost for a mere fraction of a second in his world. She began to spin like a dervish, the scarves around her arm billowing out, and Max was getting into the essence of the song.
He thought he owed Frank big time for this, because right now it was what he needed.
A Breakfast of Illusions
"I got a feeling that you are going to miss me," Max told Suki. Suki was sitting on a bench facing the tracks, eating a bowl of cereal. She had been hungry and this was the first quiet stop in a little while to grab something nourishing.
"You're not going anywhere are you?" Suki asked back. "Aren't you?"
"Well, just in case something happens and we get separated," Max said, beside her on the bench. He butted out a cigarette and leaned back. "You know this journey we are on can't last forever."
Suki paused for a long while; a single tear streaked down her face, seeming more foreign than ever. "What do you mean?"
"Someday this will end," said Max. He took his thumb and wiped the tear from her face. "Life will continue and so will we."
Suki added, "I never really thought that it would eventually end. I always thought we'd be doing this forever."
"Forever is such along time," Max said.
"Yeah, but can't I just live the fantasy for now?" Suki said. She placed the cereal carton into the trash bin.
Max let out a chuckle, and then he turned to Suki and winked, "But we are having a kick-ass time doing so!"
} A Close Call - for B.H.
The cool breeze enveloped him, though he didn't shiver for it was a comforting one. Max stood outside on the patio and looked out over the city below. He was sure he was home. For a little while at least, he hoped.
His cellphone chimed. A haunting melody emitting. He answered it.
"Hello Max," the voice said.
"Yes?" Max asked pensively.
"Time is coming," the voice said. "Prepared yet?"
"Yes," Max replied.
20130824
Faux Blog
Excerpt from Sparkle_Lady's journal at Ghostbloggers:
I haven't updated in a while. I haven't been nothng much at all. Stay in my room, listening to the gothic voices sing to me on my mp3 player. Nothing too exciting has been going on. Nothing until earlier this evening.
I've been hanging out at a coffee house where a strange eccletic group of people been hanging out as well. I really don't know what to make of them but they seem to be a pretty eccentric bunch (wow look at me use big words I are edumakated! ;)) After school I like popping in and getting a cap or two and read up on the current events. It's a nice cosy atmosphere.
Well anyways the crew that hangs up in the upper tier, I have come to know by their chatting: There is Max (tall handsome fellow with sandy hair), Frank (a middle aged fellow with jet black hair and always wears nice suits), Goner (a twenty something dweeb), Angst (a very pretty girl who could could be a debutante) and Maggie (a tough looking lady). I am sitting at a low table, pretty close to where they usually sit.
I notice Goner always glancing at me.
I am sitting there this evening and in comes Frank and Max. They go over to their usual spot by the window and they sit back and chillax for a bit. Sipping coffee and Frank reading the papers (he always has a stack of papers with him). Max is smoking a cigarette (a bad habit I know). I have been working up the nerve to try and chat with these guys... though we do say the occasional hello and how's it going.
I am just about to stand up and make a move over there, I feel all queasy and nervous inside... when suddenly an elderly gentlemen strolls past me. He walks up to the table and Frank really is about to do something, when Max signals for him to stop. The fellow has got to be in his 40's maybe, looking dapper (but Frank looks more dapper)... he stands at the table and says:
"Max Cube. We need to talk," and than adds as he scans the room and looks directly at me. "Privately".
I drop my drink on the table, and Frank looks at Max and Max nods his okay. So Frank gets up and comes over and he helps me.
"Let me buy you a coffee," he says to me like a father. After we gather the paper up, Frank leads me by the arm down to the main area and he buys me a coffee. But he's got this real concerned look on him.
"Trouble?" I asked meekly.
"No," Frank replies. "Something much much worse."
Whatever that means.... oops got to go now. I will continue this escapade later on tonight.
I haven't updated in a while. I haven't been nothng much at all. Stay in my room, listening to the gothic voices sing to me on my mp3 player. Nothing too exciting has been going on. Nothing until earlier this evening.
I've been hanging out at a coffee house where a strange eccletic group of people been hanging out as well. I really don't know what to make of them but they seem to be a pretty eccentric bunch (wow look at me use big words I are edumakated! ;)) After school I like popping in and getting a cap or two and read up on the current events. It's a nice cosy atmosphere.
Well anyways the crew that hangs up in the upper tier, I have come to know by their chatting: There is Max (tall handsome fellow with sandy hair), Frank (a middle aged fellow with jet black hair and always wears nice suits), Goner (a twenty something dweeb), Angst (a very pretty girl who could could be a debutante) and Maggie (a tough looking lady). I am sitting at a low table, pretty close to where they usually sit.
I notice Goner always glancing at me.
I am sitting there this evening and in comes Frank and Max. They go over to their usual spot by the window and they sit back and chillax for a bit. Sipping coffee and Frank reading the papers (he always has a stack of papers with him). Max is smoking a cigarette (a bad habit I know). I have been working up the nerve to try and chat with these guys... though we do say the occasional hello and how's it going.
I am just about to stand up and make a move over there, I feel all queasy and nervous inside... when suddenly an elderly gentlemen strolls past me. He walks up to the table and Frank really is about to do something, when Max signals for him to stop. The fellow has got to be in his 40's maybe, looking dapper (but Frank looks more dapper)... he stands at the table and says:
"Max Cube. We need to talk," and than adds as he scans the room and looks directly at me. "Privately".
I drop my drink on the table, and Frank looks at Max and Max nods his okay. So Frank gets up and comes over and he helps me.
"Let me buy you a coffee," he says to me like a father. After we gather the paper up, Frank leads me by the arm down to the main area and he buys me a coffee. But he's got this real concerned look on him.
"Trouble?" I asked meekly.
"No," Frank replies. "Something much much worse."
Whatever that means.... oops got to go now. I will continue this escapade later on tonight.
And Now Another Word...
Max drummed his fingers on the table. He had been sitting in the booth with a cup of coffee in front of him and a pack of smokes out on the table. His cellphone was beside the coffee cup and there was something playing on it. He had been glancing at the news every now and then on the hopes that something caught his eye.
"Another coffee, sugar?" the waitress asked.
Max nodded.
"Anything on?" The waitress wanted to know what was on the cellphone.
"Nothing as usual," Max replied. He was facing towards the window as the elderly waitress poured another cup of black gold. "Hoping to hear about some old friends."
The waitress smiled and gave him a wink.
Max took the coffee and sipped away. He was in the middle of another sip and that's when he heard it...
"Another coffee, sugar?" the waitress asked.
Max nodded.
"Anything on?" The waitress wanted to know what was on the cellphone.
"Nothing as usual," Max replied. He was facing towards the window as the elderly waitress poured another cup of black gold. "Hoping to hear about some old friends."
The waitress smiled and gave him a wink.
Max took the coffee and sipped away. He was in the middle of another sip and that's when he heard it...
> Karen in Plureality 2
Steps formed from fractals coming together and disappearing as they climbed, towards what she did not know.
“So what’s the deal here, Max?” she asked
“Ah, you’re going to love this Raven. It’s genius, even for me," he said as more steps appeared and disappeared from the grid, which had rolled and flattened as required. “Just watch out for Mor…”
The words melted into the air, and the floor, and the walls, as Max disappeared and Raven fell… no, slid towards an unknown destination.
Damn! What now? She tried to right herself but things were changing too quickly, pitching and rolling, so she relaxed into it. That’s better. Wonder what Max was trying to warn me about?
“Good evening, Raven," he said, as he peered through the beaker that held a golden liquid.
She looked out from her cage at the man in the white lab coat. Reaching out, she touched the bars and brought fingers back quickly, as they sparked in response.
“Cute," she said. “So what are you, the evil scientist?”
“No, no. Nothing quite so dramatic. My name is Morganfokker.”
“Well, nice meeting you Fokker but I was in the middle of something.” Raven looked toward the ceiling. So where’s the exit on this contraption? Wish I had my slice.
As the thought came, so did the slice. She could feel it in her hand and she smiled. Ok then. Thought creates reality. Nice.
“I require you to tell me what Max has created,” Morganfokker said.
“No can do, Fokker.”
“It’s Morganfokker.” He frowned. Noncompliance was not what he expected and it disturbed him.
“Whatever. So, like I said, nice meeting you.” She sliced the bars and flipped the cage over Morganfokker when he opened his mouth to speak, thinking stairs, then slide, as each thought transformed into reality and she heard his voice fading into the distance.
Nice. I could use a burger, and up ahead a diner appeared and she entered and sat down at the counter, smelling the burgers on the grill and thinking, ”Where the hell was Max?”
“So what’s the deal here, Max?” she asked
“Ah, you’re going to love this Raven. It’s genius, even for me," he said as more steps appeared and disappeared from the grid, which had rolled and flattened as required. “Just watch out for Mor…”
The words melted into the air, and the floor, and the walls, as Max disappeared and Raven fell… no, slid towards an unknown destination.
Damn! What now? She tried to right herself but things were changing too quickly, pitching and rolling, so she relaxed into it. That’s better. Wonder what Max was trying to warn me about?
“Good evening, Raven," he said, as he peered through the beaker that held a golden liquid.
She looked out from her cage at the man in the white lab coat. Reaching out, she touched the bars and brought fingers back quickly, as they sparked in response.
“Cute," she said. “So what are you, the evil scientist?”
“No, no. Nothing quite so dramatic. My name is Morganfokker.”
“Well, nice meeting you Fokker but I was in the middle of something.” Raven looked toward the ceiling. So where’s the exit on this contraption? Wish I had my slice.
As the thought came, so did the slice. She could feel it in her hand and she smiled. Ok then. Thought creates reality. Nice.
“I require you to tell me what Max has created,” Morganfokker said.
“No can do, Fokker.”
“It’s Morganfokker.” He frowned. Noncompliance was not what he expected and it disturbed him.
“Whatever. So, like I said, nice meeting you.” She sliced the bars and flipped the cage over Morganfokker when he opened his mouth to speak, thinking stairs, then slide, as each thought transformed into reality and she heard his voice fading into the distance.
Nice. I could use a burger, and up ahead a diner appeared and she entered and sat down at the counter, smelling the burgers on the grill and thinking, ”Where the hell was Max?”
20130823
Conversational Piece
"What are you saying?" Angst asked Frank. "You are saying that Maggie is not who she says she is?"
Frank was sitting on a chair in the kitchen; he leaned closer to Angst and shook his head. "No. I'm just saying that she is older than she looks."
Angst leaned back in her chair, giving Frank a weird look. "After all the shit I've seen and the places we've been and the stuff that we've been through, it doesn't surprise me one bit."
Frank grabbed a smoke from the table and lit it. He took a long satisfactory puff. Angst wasn't getting at what he was saying. So he might have to illustrate the point.
"Look," he started. "You and I have traveled realities and shifts and even been to the first gates of hell. But we are getting older, aging."
"So?" Angst stated. She was trying to reach the depth that Frank was swimming at.
"So," Frank said. "But Maggie has been something like this for a long, long time."
"Meaning?" Angst asked; she was missing the point.
Frank was sitting on a chair in the kitchen; he leaned closer to Angst and shook his head. "No. I'm just saying that she is older than she looks."
Angst leaned back in her chair, giving Frank a weird look. "After all the shit I've seen and the places we've been and the stuff that we've been through, it doesn't surprise me one bit."
Frank grabbed a smoke from the table and lit it. He took a long satisfactory puff. Angst wasn't getting at what he was saying. So he might have to illustrate the point.
"Look," he started. "You and I have traveled realities and shifts and even been to the first gates of hell. But we are getting older, aging."
"So?" Angst stated. She was trying to reach the depth that Frank was swimming at.
"So," Frank said. "But Maggie has been something like this for a long, long time."
"Meaning?" Angst asked; she was missing the point.
} Somewhere Between Page 1 and Page 4 - for J.D.
"You okay, Mags?" Aqua asked her, after tapping her on the shoulder.
Maggie snapped out of her daydream and shot Aqua a smile. "Yeah, sorry, was drifting off there for a minute."
"You sure picked a hell of a time to go off on a tangent," Aqua told her.
"Sorry," Mags apologized.
Both girls were sitting down on the ground, behind a concrete wall. Mags shook the cobwebs from her brain and started to asses the situation at hand. Aqua was flexing her fingers in the gauntlets she was wearing.
"We only got one shot at this," Aqua said. "And I don't want to end it like Butch & Sundance did."
"But didn't they have fun doing that?" Mags said with a sly, wry smile.
Like Butch and Sundance... But With More Irony
The shell ejected from the gun, tumbling into the air for a few seconds, before landing on the marble floor. It joined his brothers on the floor. With both guns blazing Max was making sure that the mooks around him knew who they were dealing with.
"Don't you die on me you bastard," Max told the crumpled figure on the floor.
He was surveying the area and he was vastly outnumbered. No matter how many he took out, it seemed like two would take the place of one fallen comrade. It looked like this time that these mooks would rather face death than report back to their bossman of a failure.
"I ain't going to die just yet," the crumpled figure said. "There's still plenty of things to do."
"Who are these guys?" Max asked.
"Why they belong to your counterpoint..." the figure replied.
"Ain't you my counterpart?" Max questioned the figure on the floor. Max had always figured that Control was behind most of the stuff he had been through; after all he was Control.
"No," Control said. "I'm not your Anti-Max."
Nothing Lasts Forever Including Cyberain
Apple City 2123 AD
The rain fell in the cold predawn morning and she didn't care. She stood on the lip of the doorway looking down the street, remaining partially hidden from the casting of lights. She watched a diner's neon lights begin to flicker and that's when she stepped out into the cold embrace of the rain.
The neon lighting declared the diner to be "Now Open".
She entered the establishment. The doors parting like the red sea for Moses and she stepped inside the comforting embrace of mercury lighting. She slid into a booth and her fingers danced on the table top.
A sound emanating from the back, indicating that her order was received and would be processed.
She moved her hand over and a holographic screen emerged on the table, two news anchors reporting the events of the hour as they happened. She waited for her order and turned as she heard the door open and watched three kids enter the place. They all were dressed in black slickers.
An Asimo 451 waitress appeared with her order. Rolling across the floor with built-in wheels, gliding like a mechanical angel over clouds.
"Here you go, Maggie," the Asimo 451 model said.
"Thanks Jen," Maggie replied; she motioned towards the slicker trio and said, "Prepare for trouble."
Jen's head turned slightly, her sensors picking up on the trio. "How can you tell?"
"When you've been around the block a couple of times you can make an educated guess," Maggie replied with a wink that wasn't lost to Jen.
The rain fell in the cold predawn morning and she didn't care. She stood on the lip of the doorway looking down the street, remaining partially hidden from the casting of lights. She watched a diner's neon lights begin to flicker and that's when she stepped out into the cold embrace of the rain.
The neon lighting declared the diner to be "Now Open".
She entered the establishment. The doors parting like the red sea for Moses and she stepped inside the comforting embrace of mercury lighting. She slid into a booth and her fingers danced on the table top.
A sound emanating from the back, indicating that her order was received and would be processed.
She moved her hand over and a holographic screen emerged on the table, two news anchors reporting the events of the hour as they happened. She waited for her order and turned as she heard the door open and watched three kids enter the place. They all were dressed in black slickers.
An Asimo 451 waitress appeared with her order. Rolling across the floor with built-in wheels, gliding like a mechanical angel over clouds.
"Here you go, Maggie," the Asimo 451 model said.
"Thanks Jen," Maggie replied; she motioned towards the slicker trio and said, "Prepare for trouble."
Jen's head turned slightly, her sensors picking up on the trio. "How can you tell?"
"When you've been around the block a couple of times you can make an educated guess," Maggie replied with a wink that wasn't lost to Jen.
Like Hoboes in the Night
The train shunted along the tracks. An ambient sound which could be
heard from the inside of the car. Here they were like hoboes hitching
around, on a car with a side door open enjoying the country view.
"It's times like these that make it all worthwhile," said Frank; his black suit was dirty and he had tried his best to look presentable. He leaned up against the open door, a smoke in his hands and he was watching the starry sky.
Max was sitting on the ledge; he was in that exact frame of mind that Frank was in. Though he was splattered with enough blood to make a CSI happy. He didn't reply at all, content with the knowledge that someone else was feeling what he thought.
The car that they were in was empty, except for Angst sleeping off to one side. She was using Frank's jacket as a pillow.
"Well, I hope Pretty can get that for me," Frank wondered aloud.
"He's good," Max replied still staring up at the night sky, his eyes seemed a million miles away. "He's like Felix The Cat - all he has to do is reach into his bag of tricks."
Frank chuckled.
"It's times like these that make it all worthwhile," said Frank; his black suit was dirty and he had tried his best to look presentable. He leaned up against the open door, a smoke in his hands and he was watching the starry sky.
Max was sitting on the ledge; he was in that exact frame of mind that Frank was in. Though he was splattered with enough blood to make a CSI happy. He didn't reply at all, content with the knowledge that someone else was feeling what he thought.
The car that they were in was empty, except for Angst sleeping off to one side. She was using Frank's jacket as a pillow.
"Well, I hope Pretty can get that for me," Frank wondered aloud.
"He's good," Max replied still staring up at the night sky, his eyes seemed a million miles away. "He's like Felix The Cat - all he has to do is reach into his bag of tricks."
Frank chuckled.
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