A man climbs a mountain alone. He trudges through snow and climbs over rocks. It is hard work. When he reaches the top he looks out at the land around him, at the hills and forests stretching around the mountain, until the sun goes down and the stars come out, and he can no longer … Continue reading Waiting
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
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
Monsters
I set out last week on a quest to slay monsters. They have been accused of banditry, of stealing livestock, and poisoning the river with their excrement. The evidence is convincing, the cause is just. As I have been traveling I have been thinking through my approach, refining it, perfecting it. It is likely the … Continue reading Monsters
Staying Awake
The edges of the TV fuzz and then bleed. The black from the TV mixes with the off-white background of the wall to form a grayish puddle that oozes vertically up the wall. The screen inside, no longer constrained, develops odd neon patterns that move and pulse in time to the beat of some hidden … Continue reading Staying Awake
Chasing Bubbles
I used to chase bubbles as a child. Sometimes my brother would blow bubbles for hours, and I would go up and down the yard chasing them and watching them pop. My parents thought that he was being unfair, that he wasn’t giving me a turn. But it wasn’t that, I just loved chasing them. … Continue reading Chasing Bubbles
Hall of Remembrance
I leave the house with no particular plan. I walk through crowded streets. All the people look the same, like shadows, or ants. I cross a stone bridge so old that it is entirely worn smooth. I walk under an arch with words written in a language no people can read. I reach a large … Continue reading Hall of Remembrance
Time House – Future (part 3)
Paul found himself in a featureless white room. It was similar to the Present, except that it didn’t have any pillars, and it was only about ten feet across.
Time House – Past (part 2)
Everywhere Paul looked there was just more stuff, stretching forever.
Matt's Scribblings 