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
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
I wait
I wait, safely, in my bunker at the bottom of the sea. In my bunker I have everything I want: I have games, and food. I have places to run, and places to sleep. I have books, too, down in my bunker. In the books I visit other places, meet other people. But only in … Continue reading I wait
Frozen Hilltop
I grew up next to a magic hill. From the top of it I could see practically into the next state. or so it felt. I don’t know what kind of magic it had, or why it had it; maybe an angel landed on it at some point, I don’t know, but I felt it: … Continue reading Frozen Hilltop
The Tide
I walk with purpose toward the endless horizon before me. On my left and my right, the waves lap gently against the shore. The clay beneath my feet is dry and cracked. It’s been a long time since the last tide, but I can see the shoreline disappearing. The waves close in on me from … Continue reading The Tide
Are you sure it will be okay?
Dennis’s blood is bubbling up slowly from beneath my hands. It covers my arms and is all down my blouse. Dennis is trying hard to take even breaths like I told him to, but I can feel his stomach twitching in pain. He tries to speak. “Are... you sure... it will... be okay?” No. Never. … Continue reading Are you sure it will be okay?
Monks
In order to meditate properly, a monk must be able to eliminate all distractions. Each year the trainees will learn to ignore a specific stimulus, from loud noises, to cold, to pain. At the end of each year they are given a test; the masters will attempt to distract the students in whatever discipline they … Continue reading Monks
Matt's Scribblings 