I stood on the precipice of the world. I looked down at the emptiness, at the void. My mind refused to accept the expanse and tried to fill it. Flashes, splotches and patterns filled my vision with vibrant color, which twisted and snaked and disappeared when I blinked, only to reform in a new configuration. … Continue reading The Precipice
Remember Me
Remember me. Remember me when you are old. Remember playing in the yard and you took five steps for every one that I took. Remember sitting on my lap while I played piano for you; it was the only time I remember you being quiet. Remember making pancakes with me after begging for days and … Continue reading Remember Me
Hidden City
Luna leaned against the window of the car as they drove, watching the drab people in their drab clothes walking down drab sidewalks. There were bags of trash piled up on the curb, the remains of old flyers stuck to every pole, and graffiti everywhere. They pulled into the parking lot of a strip mall … Continue reading Hidden City
Silence
Everyday he bathes in poison because he is afraid of bugs. Everyday he covers himself in varnish because he is afraid of dirt. Everyday he surrounds himself with sound because he is afraid of silence. When he bathes in poison, he is also killing himself. When he covers himself in varnish he cannot touch the … Continue reading Silence
A Tragedy in Red
It is February 18th. The yellows, greens, and blues of the stained-glass windows give color to the otherwise white flowers surrounding the black coffin. There is a minister speaking of love and family; the love Sam was given by his family, by blood and by marriage, and the love he surely would have shown his … Continue reading A Tragedy in Red
Shadows
Despite having all of the lights on, there were shadows surrounding him, dancing on the edges of his vision. They moved slowly, sending tendrils toward with grasping hand trying to grab him before the tendrils thinned out, the hands breaking off and disappearing. He lay in bed, staring straight ahead, afraid to turn his head … Continue reading Shadows
Dance with the Devil
Katarina stood nervously in high heels and a sequined red dress. The room, which would normally be filled with the warmth of hundreds of people, was both empty and cold. High above her, the ballroom ceiling loomed in the darkness, and she could feel all of the empty space between her and the walls. There … Continue reading Dance with the Devil
Float On
Claire was in her backyard, eating chocolate cake off of a small paper plate emblazoned with monster trucks. She was about halfway finished with her piece, although she had already licked the frosting off the little toy truck that had sat on top. Her friends had torn through their own cake, although they did not … Continue reading Float On
A Burning Compulsion
Sam climbed over crumbled concrete, everywhere he touched came away black from soot and ash. The metal remains of furniture poked out in places, buried like twisted metal skeletons. There was no roof, and only a few steel beams standing like monuments in the corners to suggest that there ever was one. Sam shook his … Continue reading A Burning Compulsion
Dinner and a Glass
Jake and Molly sit across from each other. Jake is wearing a suit. Black pants and jacket, but a bright blue tie. He had debated that morning wearing a black one, but he had felt like he was putting on a costume, being a g-man, an impartial observer. So he wore blue, it is the … Continue reading Dinner and a Glass
Matt's Scribblings 