Darkness

Darkness. Despair. Fear. Cold. Atmosphere of absolute evil. Therewithin I am, alone and alone. I pace up and down the dark streets where I find nothing but sad people anticipating some fearful approach of evil, and straight cold darkness. We can feel it in our very beings, eating at the core of our souls, tearing us down and reducing us to worthless creatures, breathing but not living. Chain link fences follow the inner city road, lined with black covering, and the apartment buildings are void of light. No cars are to be seen or heard. No motion. Everything is dead, quiet, still, silent. I find slight comfort in a holy gathering inside a structure nearby, but even this does not live long. A strange old couple, whose presence feels as that of demons, come and join our meeting, staging a front to disguise themselves of their nature. I knew it though. Oh, how I felt it. That deep dark damned evil oozing out of their pores, their eyes. I had to leave. I had to find her. She is my only light in this place. Where is she. Here I am pacing the street again, wandering aimlessly, in hopes that if I could just get close enough, I might feel the light emanating from her soul. Up and down, up and down, down and up the God-forsaken roads I wander, when I catch it. A glimpse of purity, of calm, of comfort. It is hidden, under the arm of this man. He is merely trying to care for her, to keep her warm, to act as a shield against the darkness, but without delay or hesitation, I snatch her away from his care, and into my own. I hold her close, and closer still. She is now mine, and I will keep her here so very close to me. I won't let go. The darkness may be swallowing the world whole all around us, but it cannot touch this.

10,000'

We're here! We are finally here! We are at Disneyworld, atop the peak of a very high, cold mountain. We park in the lot on the other side of the street, requiring us to use the hand zip-rail mechanism to cross high above the road to the other side. It's her and I, but not the her it should be. It is another. What am I doing here with her? Why have I come alone to such a place with the wrong girl? My emotions are scrambled, and my thoughts more so. We have a wonderful day and are now leaving when she turns to me and says, "How could you ask both of us to be yours? What is wrong with you?" I don't remember doing this, and how could I have? That's not an easy mistake to make. Anger and confusion and frustration set in and flood the atmosphere with such intensity. What have I done. There she is, confused and frustrated, with the most pitiful look on her face. The initial she is gone, fled perhaps, out of our sight, and the right remains, with me, ready to embark on a crazy journey down the mountain. This place is somewhere in the middle of a steep, soaring mountain range, somewhere far removed and desolate, besides the famed theme park at its highest heights. Mountains everywhere you look, the most jagged edges, nothing is smooth, all is rock with patches of snow here and there. We drive down the mountain, at speeds way too high, cutting the dangerous corners so very close to the edge. The road is a single lane for both directions, unpaved and right on the edge, thousands of feet to the base, no guardrails. Yet I drive on, at high speed, as if I have no control or ability to slow or stop, sliding left and right and inching further over the cliff with every turn, barely dodging oncoming traffic. Down and down we go, as dangerously as possible, until it happens. Our fearful imagination comes true, we are over the edge. We jump out of the vehicle as it happens, and before flying over into the darkness, we catch the edge of the cliff, with the slightest grip. Fear. Intense, life-threatening fear. If I lose this shallow grip, I am gone. She is just a few feet up, struggling as well. I scream to her, we can get out of this, we can make it through if we work together, we must pull through. Much struggle endures for 10 minutes, but what felt like a small eternity, before I finally get a chance to push her up to safety. But I feel weaker and on the brink now more than ever. She comes to my rescue without wasting any time, and I am pulled up to be with her again. Safe. Sound. Still. Alive. Two faceless others arrive on the scene. They check our status, and seeing that we are well, come up with the most unlikely idea. Jump. Let's jump. Oh the thrill. We agree. And before we really understand what we're doing, the bliss of adventure takes us all, four in total, over the edge in unison. We occasionally bounce upon the jagged cliff. I hold her hand, her face, her body. Love and thrill overtakes us and perfect joy is produced as we sing, smiling, falling, loving, all the way to the bottom. Ten thousand feet.

Lust

I want that. I need that. I have it. Well, my dad has it. I didn't see that happening, but it is, and I accept that. The Apple iPad. This huge mall-like structure has it all: the biggest starbucks that stretches for eternity, a giant costco-like store with more fruit than any can imagine, and Apple products on every corner. She is here, with me, by my side as I wander in a daze in sheer amazement of my glorious surroundings. I'm somewhat expecting a faraway friend's visit, but not fully, when she appears and quickly comes up to me with the hugest expression on her face. It is so good to see her again, in person. But there is a problem. The new device we just purchased is broken, and not only that, it is lost, left behind, probably forgotten for a moment when visiting the land of eternal coffee. We return with haste, and there she is, already there, iPad in hand, fiddling with the various features as much as the limited electronics could perform. I hesitate to allow this to go on, and snatch it away with extreme caution. There is a fight, but not between us, no in the least, but between two men on the far side of the shopping center. Everyone is gathering, I must be there, with this device in hand, before the match may commence. We all rush once more all the way there, and we arrive, ready as ever, only to find the officials confused and demanding some sort of prerequisite. We all stand and wait in disappointment. When will it begin? Who will win? Will any serious injury ensue? Will we ever know?

Double

Sitting on a couch in a room full of people I love, I get a phone call. "Heyyyy!" The weird thing is, you're right here, not on the phone. Oh, it's simply your other self. You see, one version of you is here, with me in this state, lovely, beautiful, brunette you, and the other version is there, miles upon miles across the way, curls, blonde, crazy. Here you queries as to who is on the line, and I answer, "It's your other self." You're eyes become instantly ecstatic with excitement as you gesture desire to use the phone, to have the chance to speak to this other you far, far away. I withhold. You persevere. I drift into another world watching you and only you so closely as you look my way and smile in playful cheer. I'm taken to another place, a place of utter joy and love, love for all that is you. I see your face, your eyes, and into your soul. In this moment, there is perfect peace, silence of the mind. There is only you.

Foreign Cloud

Recollect. Recall. Remember.

Island life: water all around, shallow seas surrounding on all sides, the people crowding the landscape (and extra shallow waterscape) that remains untouched, unaltered from its natural state of harsh jagged rock and slimy colorful wildlife. Another contextually usual day on this neighborhood-sized island. The mainland, of course, is just a short distance away, with its towering skyscrapers and bustling city. The clouds in the sky are beautiful and few. And the day is windless, bright, and just right. A sudden commotion, such a terrible uproar. All the inhabitants rise in unison and face the same direction, pointing their view to the city, or rather, just above the city. A giant, dark, odd-shaped cloud came slowly down and stopped right over the highest high-rise. The bright sky darkened, clouds rolled in from all sides, people silenced in horror, as the darkest, largest cloud sifted away into the atmosphere to reveal a huge ship, a spaceship, something never before seen by any man. They were here, arriving with such fear in their wake. Why have they come? From where do they hail? What do they want? The nearby military base quickly informs us that it is in fact an alien life form, something nonhuman, who have come to confer with the government of the earth. Not just America, but the planet as a whole. Our wild human imaginations create so many postulations and notions as to their reasons, their appearance, etc. But these things may never be known. The circular craft simply remains still in its place, in a position as to suggest certain superiority of race over humanity. A tractor beam shoots down from the central core, down into the city, but nothing appears to move between the ship and the earth. All stand watching in fearful curiosity of what events are about to unfold. Suddenly I am filled with knowledge. Knowledge about human origins, the purpose of our creation, and why the extraterrestrials have come at this time. We are a byproduct of the visitors, who are in fact not visitors at all. They were on earth originally, and created us in an experimental attempt to create a better race, to see what we in this form could achieve. They found our technology more advanced than expected, and are quite proud of humanity as a whole. They have been living far above the earth, though not light-years away. Just beyond the atmosphere, but invisible to human eyes or instruments. It was time for a check-up. As this and more was all flooding into my mind, the sky began to brighten again and the spacecraft accelerated upward until it was no longer visible, leaving dark clouds and fear behind. Why had this revelation occurred to me? Had everyone else present experienced the same? What do we do now? These questions remained unanswered as the next events took their place. All attention was still slightly diverted in the direction of the city when I caught a glimpse of something peculiar in the water. A small boat, no bigger than the size of a toy slowly approached, a video camera hanging from its front, watching our every move. It came very close, to a point at which I could then see that there was not only the camera, but another object attached as well. A rocket? A miniature missile? Surely this is just some modern technical toy of some kind. An uproar rising from the voices of the people again, and without warning and out of nowhere, there are similar boats in all directions, but much much larger and without the camera, all silently aimed in the direction of our small island, our homes, our people. Without skipping a beat, the missiles fired, and chaos took over. Instant destruction and death everywhere. Direct explosive contact with houses and humans in every direction. And it was all over within but a second. I remained as a survivor, but I knew there was little time to lose before the next wave would be coming. Why is this happening? Why the sudden destruction? Such overwhelming thoughts bearing down on my mind amidst the chaos. The little boy near me I grab and start running with all my might. He had lost his two parents and sister just moments ago. We run and dive into the nearby sea, swimming with all our might to get away from the small island, our home. We swim off into a dream with no end, a story that has never been told, into a life that never was.

Stone Ruins

Down, down the swerving mountainside we ride, handlebars grasped tight. I fear, "We're going a little too fast, man!" But he continues to ride his bike ahead of me, several hundred feet in front. SHOOM! BAM! ...CRASH! Just in front of myself a car drives from hidden beyond the next bend across and through the guardrail of the corner I am approaching, and drops helplessly over the edge. !!! I coast quickly to the corner, the cliff. My friend stops in his tracks and flips over the handlebars; I'm too blown away to really notice. When I peer over the edge of the cliff, I find a old bridge structure, ruins really, with large stone pillars. The ill-fated vehicle had driven off and straight into one of these two standing pillars, the rear sticking outward towards me, the front completely in the partially-crumbled pillar. Other vehicles have more minor damage around the scene, and a few people seem to be OK and making their way to the pillared car. I make my way down the site, and attempt to offer any assistance possible. I walk behind the wall, made up in part by the large pillars, and hear voices, "You need to leave." "This is none of your business." "Get out of here!" A gunshot is fired in my direction and hits some of the stones near my head. I duck in cover and wonder what in the world is the deal. I use my cellular phone as a weapon, a feature I had never previously discovered. I retrieve a shotgun from a fallen pursuer. At this point, my only chance for survival is to take them all out, at least until they give up. I breathe. It may be last. I breathe. A window is above my head, and the enemy is just on the other side. I take a breath. Quickly I stand up and smash through the window with the butt of the shotgun into the face of the first man I saw, glass slicing his face, his eyes, his head. One down for the count. I instantly go for the next guy, smashing the gun into his face as well with great success. It appears I've taken out 2 of 3 men who are still out to get me, the third right there next to them. He is frightened and I continue to utilize my element of surprise to my advantage. He fires his weapon, and luckily, misses. I retaliate hastily and smash the last face in with my almighty shotgun. All three of them are down, out cold, dead for all I know. The battle seems to be concluded as a I cautiously snoop around the scene, checking for others, and finished it is. It became known that the identity of the victor that day was unknown, and that he was never to be hunted again. It was me. And I would set out to discover the secrets kept by the dead that day, but they were never revealed to me, and thus will remain a mystery until the day I am also dead.

The Night Terror of March 17

What do we do. What do we do. What is going on. Where are we doing. Why are we even doing this. What do we do. Aimless thinking. Planning without direction. Done. "Let's go here!" She excitedly suggests. But why? Why would we go there. A western style building, wooden pillars across the porch, stood in the near distance, glowing faintly from the dim torches mounted on its walls. It stood back in the darkness. We stand in the parking lot outside. OK! We run hurriedly toward the structure. What is holding me back. I slow. She runs on. "Come on!" Wait. I must run. Something is very strange. She comes back to me as I back away. I look around bewildered. There is something very horrible about this place. It's getting blacker. Darker. Evil. I try to kiss her and hold her in my arms. But she shrinks, ages backward, into a small infant. Lips touch, and I am confused, scared, and mystified. What. Is. This. I set the infant down and wonder. People in that car. What are they doing. Three of them. Threesome. I look in disgust. They return the stare, and the faces shapeshift into frightening, demonic expressions. The eyes stretch back and sink in, darkness swallows their being, mouths widen and turn black as hell, skin turns ashy and lined, and a shrieking inner squeal is heard in my head. I must run. I must leave. Get me out of this dark, creepy place. I must get out. I wake. I open my eyes. Fear rages within and evil swarms without. Must wake up. Black figures flashing all around the room. They fill up every space, hording, squealing, swarming all around me. There must be 100 or more flying all over. I cannot move. I have to wake up and rid of these demons. I see no angels, only demons. I shake. I fear. I panic. I wake.