- Midnight Tales -

I pulled up to the house mid afternoon. The autumn sun was high in the sky just at its tip. It shined warmth against the cool breeze. I stepped out of the car and breathed in the crisp air as I looked upon the old Victorian manor. It stood with all its windows reflecting the sun at me, welcoming me once again to a familiar place that I had greeted many times in my life. I knew every bend and point of the roof, the corners of wood. All the imperfections, ones that nature caused and some that I might have caused as a kid.

I approached and unlocked the heavy front door. It swung open with a creak and revealed the dim inside. I flipped on the lights and the warmth poured back over the interior. The main entrance opened up to the living room which had large bay windows out looking the forested backyard. To the right through a large open space was the kitchen that was fashioned in a grayish theme with black trim. Marble of gold and black flashed in the sun light from the windows. To the left of the living room was a set of stairs that went down to the lower level and past that the bedrooms of the house. Three in all. My parents, mine and then my two sisters.

Or at least they used to be.

I moved through the house and observed the character that still remained. The family pictures, the little trinkets that were perfectly placed on each shelf, the fake and real plants that brought a bit of nature and balance to the rooms. Each room cast more memories in my direction. Like a whole lifetime playing out before my eyes. The good and the bad. This house contained them all with in its walls. I sat down on the couch in the living room which faced the front door. The house was still. The wind brought a few creaks and the house stirred a bit, but it was different.

I brought my hands to my face and tears streamed from my eyes. Emotions from a lifetime bubbled up from an abyss. The house that held us was no longer the same. The memories were not scarred into the wood structure, the pain and happiness not mixed with the foundation, the mirrors that watched and held out glances never captured those reflections. The house,in fact, was just a house. While it held us, it seemed full of life. Now, it was just a building. Music no longer ran through its hallways giving movement and energy. A pot or a stove no longer threw off heat and breathed life into the heart. Foot steps and laughter no longer rang high into the ceiling and bounced off for everyone to hear, even faintly. No longer was it home.

The house that I had lived in, that I dreamed of living in again, no longer held what I believed.

The house was not what my spirit cried for.

It was the people, who made it a home.

When ever I have been in my house with no one home or a place that is familiar I notice that it takes a different tone. It is all the little things that go on with a family that really bring something to life. Objects, such as a house or and item are really important, not because of the thing, but because of the memories and people associated with them. A house doesn’t seem the same with out the people inside it.

What is the fun of being in a castle, if your alone.

“I would like to see what the city has to offer” the man smiled at him. A large slit between two thin lips.

Taylor looked at his watch and then at the man “You are okay with the rates we spoke about over the phone still?” The smiling man nodded violently and stuck out his hand. Taylor took it and they shook.

They both stepped out of the small room and down a hallway that breached into bright light. Buildings scattered the horizon in all directions and the symphony of the city filled the air. Mariten Metropolis. A city standing bright and tall as an example of what humans were capable of. A mixture of science, industry, art and culture. The pinnacle of the heights. Ever changing, ever evolving, and ever attracting tourists from the whole world. Taylor looked at his new found employer. A average looking man. Short knappy brown hair, roundish face and smaller then average nose. He wore small round glasses that made him look like an old book keeper. He stood admiring the sites and sounds. Small airplanes zooming in and out between buildings, light rails slinking along their snake paths just below them. Lights pervading each and every single surface that they could. They lit up with advertising, videos and public announcements. The man’s name was Sigil. A strange name, but those that came from the west usually had something interesting about them. He had called earlier looking for a guide around the city. In particular the Arts and Theater district. He said he had gone to school for dancing and performing arts of the stage. Taylor couldn’t believe that looking at him, but maybe it was when he was younger.

“Sigil, this way, we will take the light rail to the theater district.” Taylor said motioning to the station. Sigils head snapped from what he was occupied with and stared for a moment in the direction and that smile slid onto his face as he moved.

The ride was short, ten minutes by light rail took you across half the city. Taylor sat in a lux seat next to Sigil. At first Taylor tried to ask a few questions and dig a bit deeper into Sigil as they sat down, but the only answers he got were quick un-insightful reflections then followed by awkward silence. He decided to sit back for a bit. He peered out the window looking at the city pass by. He enjoyed the light rail. Somedays he would just sit and ride it around the city. It went from one side of the city then up a level and back and continued all the way up and then skipped around to the bottom again. The train entered a tunnel. The cabin outside was plunged into darkness, but the rail lights inside the cabin illuminated the windows. His faces reflection lazily stared back at him. He noticed Sigil, then focused on him.

Sigils face stretched into that thin smile with eyes gleaming straight into his. He could see them clearly as if he was staring right at him. The reflection in the window was precise. The thin smile cracked just a bit to show teeth. The eyes seemed like infinite black voids. As if marbles had taken their place. The glassy surface reflecting all this nightmares back at him.

The train exited the tunnel and Taylors head swiveled to look at Sigil. The man looked unbothered and was peering the other way. Then he turned to meet Taylors gaze

“Are we almost there?” Sigil asked.

Taylor realized he was starting at the mans eyes. They did not seem to inspire the same horror as they had a second ago.

He snapped out of it “Yeah, next stop is ours”

“Brilliant” Sigil said.

Out of all the districts the Theater and Arts never appealed to Taylor. He appreciated it, but there were to many statues of half naked people holding buildings up to his liking. The people there also got on his nerves. It was like walking into a place where everyone was trying to sell you on their flavor of life with some interpretative muse. He was more akin to the Science and Industry. Labor and progress forward was his thing. The station entered the main square which held large banners made out of gold that welcomed all to the district. Sigil strode into the middle of the square and stood with this hands in his pockets. His head clicked as if it was clockwork side to side. Taylor came up behind him and started to explain all the buildings and streets to him.

“A play, Taylor.” Sigil interrupted “I mean, I would like to see a play if we could. Back where I come from we had the most wondrous plays. I would like to experience one from the top of the world. Money, of course, is no worry” Sigils was face was a mix of seriousness and enthusiasm. As if seeing a play was the most important act on the planet.

“Of course, there are plays starting all the time here, any subject or particular one?”

“Pick which one you would like to see. I am curious” Sigil said.

Taylor sighed. Damn he would have to sit through something. He looked up at a board which listed a continues list of the plays starting and ongoing at the moment. He ran his eyes down the list.

“Atlas and the Narrow Sea. Monsters, damsels in distress, some life lessons and who know what else. Maybe some backstabbing betrayal, how about it?”

“Sounds interesting” Sigil said “Very interesting, lead the way Taylor.”

A man fell off a make shift cliff face, plunging into a pool of water below. A sharp scream from a women crying and stretching an arm to the fallen man below. Then from the right side of the stage a monster with many black shiny eyes and many claws menacingly approaches the women on the cliff face.

Taylor gripped his seat. The play had engrossed him way more then he thought it would. The hero had been tossed off a cliff and now the the leading lady sat helpless against a giant monster.

The lights went dark and the stage could be heard changing scenes. Taylor leaned back in his chair and let out the breath that was caught in his chest. The lights dipped low and flashed leaving everyone in total darkness. Only small lights running up the side of the stage shown.

But it was enough. Two black marbles reflected that light. It was so subtle that Taylor thought it was his eyes playing a trick on him, but when he closed his eyes and reopened, they remained. A small fraction of light bounced off those eyes, no doubt a smile resting just below them. This time they felt predatory, sizing him up, drawing him in. Applauding filled the theater and the curtains started to pull up. The head which held the eyes shifted to the left in another clockwork tick and returned forward. A roar came from the monster on stage and Taylor jumped in his seat.

The last act of the play played out, but Taylor could only stare forward and away from Sigil. Even if Sigil was now engrossed in the play, his eyes were burned in his mind. They stared with out staring. Before he knew the audience was standing and clapping as the actors took a bow. Sigil stood clapping very enthusiastically, hollering at the actors. Sweat dripped down his face and it looked as if it took all his energy to produce the praise he gave.

“What a fantastic play, Taylor, your tastes are most excellent” Sigil said as they exited the theater and returned to the main square. “I thought that the ending was especially fantastic, the monster being slaying by the betrayed brother. What a scene”

“Yeah” Taylor said as they approached the light rail station. He stopped to check the train times and his watch. Sigil had paid for his time, but it was almost over. “So we have a half hour left, anything else you would like see?”

Sigil moved close behind Taylor. His movements clunky and out of sync with the way his head clicked side to side. “This has been quite enough Taylor. You will find the money in your account, I had the most wonderful day. The most wonderful time with you. I hope that we can see each other again, to experience more wonderful things” Sigil said getting next to Taylor. His body faced front, but his head almost owl like turned to stare at Taylor.

Taylor could see Sigil in the corner of his vision, yet he dared not turn to meet him. The feeling from the theater was returning. He pulled out his phone and scrolled a bit and said “Well, I will see you off here, enjoy your stay” Sigil bowed, then moved out of his peripheral and entered the next light rail. As the doors closed Taylor blew out a large breathe.

“I have to start vetting some of these people” he waved at the train as it left the station.

I started reading this book by Ryu Murakami called In the Miso Soup. It is about an American, Frank, being shown around Tokyo’s nightlife by a tour guide named Kenji. Frank, though, is not as he seems. The idea of encountering someone that is so different, strange and with a side that peeks out here and there interested me. Like when a person is unhinged, but hides it so well, that you only catch a glimpse of it. Everyone might have this side, but not all act on it. Is a person just eccentric? Or are they truly mad?

How can one be sure, until it is to late?

In the desert laid a house built of concrete and dust. It rose high in to the cloudless sky, impervious to the elements, watching, waiting for some event to challenge it. With slick gray walls that outstretched and arched like waves out towards the plains. It had a large arched gate, the hinges melted into it’s structure and when opened glided smoothly as if lubricated with eternity. When the gates were closed there was no seam, no opening. Just a smooth surface between an arch. Inside the concrete waves was a building that twisted and turned into brutalist nature. It was harsh to the eyes, but had seductive curves that pulled the body. The building crept into the sky and past the waves, so high that one that looked could not see the top. They could only see the few concrete decks that wrapped around the twisting tower.

The beginning of the this structure was never known. When the first person from the Meltin empire stumbled upon it, they thought it was an illusion among the cracked earth. As they approached the tower skewered the sky and they looked for signs of life around and beyond the beaches.

They found nothing.

The empire commissioned excavation and digging around the area to find any civilization that might of built the structure, but like signs of life. They found nothing among the dirt.

Doors would not open to anyone that attempted to open them. A few tried mounting ladders to crest the concrete waves, but when they peered over all they saw was inky blackness where there should of been ground. It swallowed all the light from their eyes and they retreated down their ladders with pupils as wide as their eyes. The empire spied and attempted to break the building, but it stood. Watching unrelenting to their sessions of destruction and violation. So what could be done? They back off and observed from afar. A Small camp was established to watch for any signs of movement, any treacherous acts. And they waited.

the brutal gray tower loomed, rested, breathed and took in its watchers, but never revealed anything.

She emerged from the smooth gates as they parted. Even though it was sandy, she wore heels. Her long slender legs glided from a pure dark dress and shawl. The back seemed to be pulling all the darkness from that which was observed years before. As she glided out, behind her the darkness followed. A thin hood covered her head and the top part of her face. Her eyes remained hidden, but her lips shone. Deep black, like her cape, absorbed all light and formed into a seductive grin. Her skin was like a matte glass, perfect, smooth, and a dark blue. Ribbons of dark velvet hair swayed down her chest and to her hips. As she entered into the large valley, the door pulled shut behind her,the floor inside could be seen. No darkness remained there. Among the cracked and dusty sand her darkness created a contrast of night and day.

She glided up the side of the sands to the outpost that watched the structure. The soldiers and the one scribe sat captivated by the unimaginable beauty.

She stood proud and confident before the small post. Her hand raised and with a flick of her wrist all the darkness that dragged behind her poured forth and drowned them. The men witnessed the dark lips part into a roar of laughter.

The darkness swelled and crashed like waves around the camp. Inky celestial blackness poured over the men and they screamed and clawed. Some drew their swords and swung, but like a heavy syrup the darkness smashed them under it’s weight.

With a slow pull the darkness withdrew from the camp. It melted and oozed around the small buildings and objects, pulling at each surface as it retracted to the women. A scribe stood alone in front of her, revealed from the darkness that now rippled behind her. His hands furious transcribed, but his eyes which stared straight at her, were pure black. Blinded, light pulled from his very corneas. She leaned forward to the scribes ears, his pencil still scrawling among the paper.

“Witness” she whispered into this ear.

In an instant her and the darkness slid back into the structure. As the last drop of darkness moved inside, the doors closed once again forming a solid wall.

The camp was abandoned and reclaimed by the sand. The scribe was retrieved and the empire of Meltin declared the structure possessed and put restrictions around it and the surrounding land. Travelers might come across it or see it in the distance, but it is advised to avoid at all costs. A monolith among the sand. Something unknown completely. Standing, observing, built for some purpose,but only realized in certain moments.

The house in the sand, holding darkness, pierces the sky and waits.

I recently went to Mexico for a wedding. We were in a bit of a remote place and what struck me was the buildings and their sporadic nature among the dry earth. They were made out of concrete or adobe and had very blocky designs. I imagined something like these buildings standing alone in the desert. Something mysterious with no current owner or builder. No one knows where it came from or what it is for. It would reflect the barren land which it stood on. A predator of time.

The lady in the story was something that I came up with for the contrast. I sorta lost my way in the middle of this and didnt know how to finish it. It turned out alright.

She pulled her coat up and over her neck to shield from the breeze coming from the fresh autumn air. The airship that was preparing to lift off, with it’s massive propellers, didn’t help either. She stood on top of a building surrounded by even larger, taller buildings of glass and concrete. The platform at the top of the Thompson building was specifically built for the Saint Sherrie to land and take off. A small cocktail lounge and diner sat at one end of the platform, while the occupants exited and entered the massive flat space where the ship would land gently.

The Saint Sherrie was a mid size airship. A large bronze blimp covered in massive steel wires and covers to protect it from any unknown objects in the air, it held a two story compartment on it’s belly. The compartment stretched all the way from where the blimp curved up to a point and to the back where it curved into the massive propellers. Large windows spanned across both sides and a viewing deck on the back was in open air with mesh covering so that no one had any unfortunate accidents.

The passengers lined up to start boarding. Grabbing a burgundy brief case she joined in and made her way to the long ramp that let into the passenger cabin.

“ID and ticket please” A stewardess asked. Her uniform was dark purple, tight to the figure, but the fabric was heavy and luxuries. A mini version of the Saint Sherrie adorned in gold sat on her left breast. Upon her gold hair, which was pulled up, was a dark purple pointed flight hat that had gold rims.

She flashed her ID and then produced her long ticket.

“Pleasure to have you flying with us Amelia Sterling” the stewardess smiled and motioned her towards the ramp.

Amelia stepped forward and flashed a smile before her heeled feet ascended towards the airship.

The cabin was first class, what wasn’t in Ilum Metropolis. Gold and white, mixed with blacks accented everything. Large statues of men and women sculpted in perfect form melted out of the marble that ran up columns between the windows. The seats, which were a combination of single seats and couches, where all plush leather that had been treated to never fade or break down. They were an off white, which was pleasant to the eye and lit up in the golden sun. The windows, were crystal clear, anti smudge and would project a small amount of heat to keep the cabin warm when they reached the higher altitudes. She could see small vents above each window which were used to keep the cabin pressure stable and comfortable for the guests. Near the front of the cabin was a massive bar that rose up and through the floor to the next level. It held all the liquor and cigarettes one could dream of. There were a few stools that accompanied it. Behind it was a spiral staircase that led to the upper floor of the cabin, which was a copy of the bottom floor. In the back there was a single door to a view area that was open air. The door, once the airship got to a certain height, would lock for passenger safety.

Amelia moved towards the stairs and wrapped up them to the second floor were she took a seat on one of the couches near the middle of the floor.It sat on a step up from the seating in front of the window so that all seats had a clear view. A small table ran either in front of the coaches or was built into the arm rest of the single seats. The last remaining passengers made their way in and the airship awoke and lifted off into to the sky and above the sprawling metropolis.

Amelia had remained alone on the couch while the rest of the cabin had filled up. She stood up and looked around. What she sought was not up here. Maybe down below. She grabbed her case and moved to the stairs spying all the guests. Drinks were flowing already and the cheers came when they reached the sprawling white clouds. She caught a glimpse her self in one of the mirrors over the stairs. Her black pants came up to her waist and straightened all the way down to her ankles where they were folded once. A small waist belt wrapped around her just a over her hips. A white blouse billowed out of the pants from her waist and hid under the long black over coat jacket which had its collar pulled up. Upon her hands were white knitted gloves with a small gold diamonds on the dorsal. Her lips were marked in black and make up done in natural tones. Her eyes, striking, sharp, focused. Green emeralds peered from them, hunting. Blond bangs laid swept across her forehead, long pieces of blond hair framed her face and the rest was pulled into a pony tail held together with a black scrunchy that shined when light hit it. She smiled at her reflection, made a small adjustment to her hair and continued down the stairs.

When she reached the front of the bar she spotted them. Two men near the back of the cabin in a half rounded couch next to the windows. She approached keeping her eyes fixed on them, when she got their seats, she walked past, stopped and then moved to open side of the couch and sat down.

Both men immediately turned to her.

“Hey pretty lady, what can we do for you today?” the man farthest from her smiled. He was lean with a thin face. Blond hair slicked back. He wore a dark green suit that looked very expensive.

The other man elbowed him in the ribs hard.

“I didn’t think it would be a pretty lady doing the deal with us, times be changing I guess.” The man also smiled at her. His skin was a dark brown, hair shaved and close to his head. He wore a beige suit, like the other man,it was expansive as well. His eyes shone deep amber. He pulled out a red envelope that was rimmed in gold and silver and placed it on the table. He then motioned to her. Amelia heaved the brief case on top the table keeping her hand on the handle.

“All in a days work, please count the money in the envelope” She smiled.

“You got some nerve - “ The thin man started.

“Of course” The man said keeping his eyes on hers. He opened the envelope and fanned out the bills and started counting slowly. The man next to him fidgeted looking down at the money.

“Two million Julies, just as the price was agreed upon.” he stuffed the bills back into the envelope “and now, the brief case”

Amelia slid the case over still holding the handle and held out her other hand. The man placed the envelope on it and she pulled it to her and let go of the brief case. There was a visible sign of relief from the gentleman as he pulled the case in front of him. He unbuckled the clasps and opened it. There was silence between the two men as they peered inside. Slowly, the man closed the brief case and moved it off to the side.

The man in the beige suit nodded and pursed his lips “I see we made a mistake, in this brief case there should be a Fullium Transmitter. When I open this case, I do not see a Fullium Transmitter. I see a bunch of junk.”

“No, there is a Fullium Transmitter in there” Amelia leaned forward onto the table “It just needs to be put together” she flashed a grin “Terms, gentlemen, are very important”

The man laughed deeply “Lady you made the last mistake of your life, Riley, do what you do best”

The man in the green suit stood up and reached into his coat. Amelia jumped up and vaulted over into sitting area behind. A shot rang out from a pistol and hit the table besides her. The ships alarm rang and startled at the noise and change in vibe, the passengers sprang up and chaotically sprinted away from the three. Amelia peeked out where Riley was, she pulled her own pistol from her long pocket on her coat. She peered back at the viewing deck door then a quick glance at her watch.

“Come out lady, we only want to have a little chat, a one sided chat”

She shot in the direction of the two men, they both ducked and she stood up and sprinted towards the door. She took another few shots to keep them down. She reached the door and took aim for the handle. A shot rang and hit the wall next to her, she flinched a bit, but she busted the door open. Air crashed into the cabin and debris of cigarettes, napkins and discard coats swirled around on the lower level.

“Is she crazy!” she heard the man in the beige suit scream.

The viewing deck was surrounded by a mesh that was blade resistant. Normally blade resistant. Amelia pulled out a serrated dagger, its blade glowed blue and vibrated at high frequency. The mesh sliced easily. She glanced back. The two men were fighting the wind at the door to the viewing deck. Riley was trying to stead his hand against the gale.

“Pleasure doing business with you two” Amelia shouted and stepped up on the railing. Both men stared squinted eyed at her. She then fell backwards into the golden sky.

“Almost didn’t make it there” Amelia brushed through her wind blasted hair “I thought you said the rope would automatically catch when I grabbed onto it?”

A man pressed a few button a on control panel in the large cockpit. He turned and pulled his mopey brown hair back off his forehead “It was” he then rose and moved towards her “At least it always had before, on “ he coughed “lower force targets”

“mmhm” Amelia shot an annoying look towards him “One of these days, Milo, my death will be on one your gadgets hands”

Milo took off his large circular glasses, wiped them on his shirt and then pushed them back up his nose “My gadgets, keep you alive”

They both laughed and she tossed the envelope to him “The Rosset Gang isn’t going to be happy”

“When are they ever” Milo flipped through the bills “But what would they need a Fullium Transmitter for? Building an underground city?”

“Not sure, half those parts don’t work and the other half are to a discarded train. We can worry about it another day” Amelia got up and yawned stretching into the air “for now, I am going to get some rest, let me know when we get back into town”

Milo finished counting the bills and threw the envelope to the small table to his left.

“You got it. Ilum, The Golden City, coming up”

This story is inspired by the old art deco future cities example - Popular Science magazine/November, 1939. Amelia’s last name is a reference to Roger Sterling from Mad Men. The concept is supposed to a heist in the clouds. I enjoy the whole overly rich tones of Art Deco and that style. Making everything lavish, but sustainable and unfading would be the way to do it. I think for the style to work, everything needs to always be in a tip top shape. I always go back to the anime Big O as well when thinking of Art Deco and metropolis’s. That show had a great art style and architecture to it.

The man in the air ship at the end, Milo, is a reference to the character from Atlantis: The Lost Empire. Fantastic movie from an age lost.

Hope everyone had a great 2022! Let 2023 be epic!

Safe travels into the future everyone, cheers~

There was a moment lost when he looked back. The train seemed to speed along, gliding above the ground. There were no rails guiding it. As it slide past in a liquid smooth movement he reached out his arm and it grabbed him. His arm extended and his body crashed and fell into the train as if it was water and he had splashed through the material surface. He tumbled onto the hard floor of the train car. The train was no longer welcoming him among its cars, but now slapped him with reality that would soon try to tear him apart.

The imperial planes of Tyiron was a place of wishful thinking and memories of those that had been slain by it’s cruel ways. This long plateau of nothing stretched into infinity where it played cruel tricks on every living soul , human or otherwise. Everyone that ended up here, died. Worst then died, was erased from the very vibrating fabric of reality. As if all the hunted were collected and smashed into a unfathomable small vibrating ball. So condensed. So intertwined. That there ceased to be anything, but one point, a single entity. The unmade.

Who knew how the plains came to be or why they even existed. They just did. They could create anything at any time. It never made sense. Monsters, hybrids, vehicles, futuristic things, unfuturistic things, anything. All with the express purpose of torturing and killing those that they found wondering among the plains.

There was only one tree and one mountain among the plains, if you came to the ‘edge’ it simply led you to the other side. It was infinite in all the right senses. The sun would come up and down at random. It didn’t have a set time. The stars moved around and weather happened when it felt like it.

The Imperial Plains of Tyiron held their own world to make and create. They had the power to do just that.

We return to the liquid like train screaming across the plains. It’s unholy ghostly blue lights casting into the darkness and even seen when pure daylight was present.

The train car that he found himself in looked like any other car he had seen in his ‘previous’ life. Both sides of the car were lined with plastic blue seats and poles to hold onto. The windows shone nothing but a pale reflection. He looked forward towards the next car. It shined with warm light. He looked back towards the back of the train. He had been grabbed by the middle of the train, but it seemed that he was in the caboose now.

Onward and forward. He moved into the next train. It was themed of black and silver. A chess board. The walls were lined with castles and clouds, the ceiling was a sky and the car expanded out a bit more then the other. Behind the castle walls he could see the windows the train car. It seemed as if he was in a new dimension. He stepped forward onto the board. A horse with a knight materialized in front of him.

“A worthy opponent has appeared, hail the lords of Tyiron. Prepare to meet your doom.” The knight boasted, but did not move. It held a jousting pole in its right hand. The ending was no fist though. A needle that if one looked close enough descended into millionth of sharpness.

He moved a square up. The knight’s horse took off and moved in its L shaped pattern. He stopped. The board was six by six. Smaller then a normal chess board. The knight would reach him if he took another step. He wasn’t sure if the knight would strike if he was right next, but he had to take the chance. He moved towards the knight. The horse danced around him.

The knight now loomed over him staring down. He could feel a viscous smile behind that helmeted face. Eyes that thirsted on his flesh already. The voice sounded so gallant, but behind that metal was a sadistic creature.

He stepped to the right and around the knight. The knight gave a growl and moved to the out square. He had him now. All he had to was diagonally zig zag to the edge of the board and the knight could not catch him. He did just that. Left then right and his feet crossed thresh hold of the board and onto the outfield. The knight and its horse sat on next to the square that he had just exited. It stared at him with a stillness that made him uneasy.

“Let your flesh be ripped from your screaming soul” The knight said as it liquefied and dripped back into the board.

He moved to the next train car.

The car door slid open. Hot humid air hit swept across his face. A jungle dripped from the ceiling and crawled down and onto the floor of the car. A small river ran through the middle from door to door. Something sat on a small chair in the stream. He moved forward and the door behind him closed and disappeared behind vines. Large trees spanned into the air and covered him with canopies. The windows of the train, like the castle before, could be seen behind them. The thing sitting in the chair came to life as his feet met the stream. It was human shaped, but skin like blue oil. Large horns that spiraled like a ram spun from it’s head of yellow and black. It wore a pin striped suit, perfectly fitted to its slender body. It rose from the chair and opened it’s eyes to him. The face was sharp, beautiful, with eyes of orange, Lips of black and red with teeth bladed.

“Another game?” the man said to it.

It opened its mouth and the words lulled their way into his head.

“No game, only revelations”

I was thinking about the cover art of Stephan Kings The Waste Lands and it held such an impact on me. I haven’t read the book yet, but I did read the first entry in the dark tower series. I feels like that world is very bizarre and tried to replicate it a bit with this story.

I did change tone from the beginning to the middle. Moved to a narrative to a degree, returning to our main hero/victim after explain the world a bit.

Let us see if our friend can survive to the end in the future.

“You know there is poison in there, right”

“Yes, yes of course, I am building up my tolerance” He took another sip of his tea.

David sat back in the chair. Taking in the man willingly sipping himself to death on tea. Simon Wells.

“I mean David, who did you think hired you to kill me?” Simon speared his chicken with his fork and stopped few inches from his mouth, his eyes staring at David “It was me.”

David brought his thumb and index finger to his eyebrows to massage his head.

“Mr.Jamster?” Simon laughed a bit before taking a bite of the chicken “I swear you would of known once you heard me speak in person. Mr.Jamster, what a name to make up” he mumbled through chewing.

David straighted out his vest and recomposed “So you are saying, you hired me, to kill yourself, and you payed me one hundred thousand dollars to do it? Is that what I am hearing right now.

Simon took another sip of his tea “You got any more of that poison? They always brew the tea so bitter here, what was it again?”

“Atropine”

“Yes, that’s it. You didn’t happen to have anymore of that?”

“While it wouldn’t matter, you are literally dying right now, no I do not have anymore on me” David took a sip of his water and returned to massaging his head while watching Simon chowed down on his chicken cordon blue.

Simon gave a laugh “Well, we will see about that” He finished the cup of tea. “You see that raven out there” he pointed over his left shoulder.

David leaned over to the right. The restaurant had a large window that outlooked the road and side walk out side. On a park bench that was across the street, the largest raven David had ever seen sat at the end. Peering inside at them.

“His name is Nightshade” Simon said smiling, flashing his eyebrows.

“And?” David was grow delirious of the whole situation.

“Nothing, that’s it. You know, I haven’t seen you in what? Fifteen years? When I heard your voice over the phone I knew instantly it was you. How the hell did you become an assassin? Of all career paths, what a wild one” Simon wiped his lips and adjusted his horn rimmed glasses.

David’s eyes flashed left and right to see if anyone had heard his career choice. Then his eyes caught the raven, Nightshade, eying a small boy that had sat next to him “I think your raven is about to eat a small child”

“Don’t worry, he has eaten worse”

David return to look at Simon eyebrows raised and shook his head in disbelief “Simon, death should be claiming you right now” He checked his wrist watch “I-I, What is this? How are you still alive? Why?” David took in a breath and racked his mind for a moment the exhaled deeply and frown putting up his hand “do you want a refund?”

Simons face lit up with a smile and he belted forward with laughter “Are you kidding? You tried, didn’t you? Honest to goodness try. Simon rose from the chair “I hope you don’t mind taking care of the bill for today, David, It was fantastic seeing you, but sadly, you weren’t able to get the job done. It was worth the try, though. Atropine, didn’t expect that.”

David rose and they shook hands.

“Well, see you around, be careful. Your line of work is a bit” Simon waved his hands “well you know. Take care, David” He smiled at him and shook his head and said “Good to see you again, how great.” then walked out into the street. Nightshade spread it’s enormous wings and landed on his shoulder.

David took his seat again and leaned back again staring at the empty seat.

A waiter approached “Would you care for an after dinner drink, sir?”

For a moment David sat silently then turned to the waiter.

“Bruichladdich X4+1 Quadrupled whiskey, make it a double”

There is a scene from Princess Bride, Battle of Wits. Wesley, the hero, is challenged to a battle of wits. He takes two cups of wine, turns his back and then returns the two cups to the table. The challenger, Vizzini reasons, convolutely, then cheats to choose the cup in front of him. As he boasts that he cheated, he dies. Both cups were poisoned and Wesley had built up tolerance to the poison.

This scene is fantastic and the ending of him poisoning both cups and having tolerance always gets me.

A casual meeting of two, one a murder and one trying to get murdered. The raven, and the tea came from a look at the tea “Poe me A cup” which is a Edgar Allen Poe themed tea. Very good might I add

Bruichladdich X4+1 Quadrupled whiskey is also some of the strongest alcohol in the world.

Just some Fun~

“We looked everywhere for you, where did you go?” she said moving towards him.

He looked at her with half lidded eyes. He was cold, but why? Where was he? Where had he been? Who was he? The women covered him with a jacket and ushered him off towards a car that was parked near the side of the road.

“What were you thinking?” Her voice shook as she closed the door and turned on the engine.

“I didn’t think. There is no thoughts” he mumbled back at her. His eyes shifted from one side of the car to the other. Something was wrong. Obviously. What did I do?

The car sped down the road and into a long stretch of winding roads passing by winter bashed trees and large stones seemed to be stacked in odd, impossible ways.

“What was a I doing before?”

“Before? Before what?”

“Before I left”

“Dr. Shim, you have to stop playing games, we are at our wits ends, working day and night, every minute that goes by and we do not figure this out. Well, you know what happens.” She shook her head.

He closed his eyes and peered out the window towards the gray sky. I found the key. The thought scrapped against his mind. I found it.

The car wound up a large hill and a massive building built from brick and glass roes high into the sky. Smoke stacks dwarfed the factory like building on both sides and at the sight his blood began to chill.

They pulled up and both got out of the car and moved towards the front door. as he approached he saw his reflection in the door. He was naked besides the long over coat that covered just above his thighs.

This is Dr.Shim. Was his first thought.

They moved into the facility. It was wide open, pristine, and looked as if it was brand new. The ceiling rose high and were filled with large arched glasses panels that shone the sky and smoke stacks. Grand chandeliers hung from steel beams and some how provided enough light for the whole place. Equipment of monstrous proportions rose in the empty space and computers, and desks were strobe about. As they entered, a bunch of people in white lab coats moved towards them, their eyes scanning him, all with frowns.

“Shim, what the fuck man, we are literally about to be ended and you are out doing what ever the hell this is” a man started yelling.

Shim looked at him with no remembrance.

“Please sir, we are running out of time, we need everyone on deck for this, this might be out last chance” a women with blond hair said. Her eyes looked puffy and her make up was a mess. His eyes scanned the rest. They all looked bent out of shape.Tired, beaten, on the their last leg. What was so important to them? What was important to him?

Words came from his mouth that he did not know where they came from “What do you think I have been doing? Wasting time?” He scowled at them and moved towards one of the large machines.

Something was coming back to him. But it wasn’t what he thought. Who he thought.

He placed his hand against it. The lights burned brighter and illuminated across the facility. He closed his eyes for a moment, then removed his hand and reopened them.

“Dr.Shim went looking for the answer to all of your questions. He found it, but Dr.Shim did not return with it” his eyes narrowed towards the crew.

The lady that had picked him up moved towards him, but he put out his right hand in a stopping motion. He turned his palm towards the ceiling and strained his arm, pulling it towards him then crushed his palm and brought it into his chest. As he did the women screamed. Her body cracked and crumbled in horrible sound. Blood sprayed and pour although it stayed gliding in the air around her broken body.

The crew screamed and ran from him. The women’s body then seemed to fold into its self, over and over again until it fell to the ground in a mind shattering splat.

“Who would of thought that to save your race, you would condemn it. None of you would of found the solution.” he walked through the machinery and computers “Not even close. Dr.Shim knew this, so he sought alternative methods of acquiring knowledge.”

The man that had approached him as he entered burst from his hiding spot and ran for the door. Dr.Shim swiped his hand in a diagonal motion and the mans legs were cut from underneath him. His thigh and torso slammed into the cold floor and he crawled crying and screaming towards the door.

“What a pity”

The monster that was Dr.Shim sat on the cobble stairs outside the front door staring out at the snow covered mountains. Behind him, the door windows and large windows on the sides of the building were covered in blood and internals. He rested his chin on his hand in a thinking man position.

“What does a god do?”

This thought came from if a person went seeking knowledge, the answer, and found it. Yet, when they returned, something else came with them. Forbidden knowledge and creatures from the beyond is a very lovecraftian idea. I am a big fan of incomprehensible things. How might you try and comprehend them?

This story is vague. The threat to the human race is unknown, what Dr.Shim was looking for is unknown and what he brings back is really unknown too. It is the unknowning-ness that might drive us to salvation or damnation.

“Carl, we have a 10-99 in progress, we need all available officers to be on route immediately, do you copy?”

Carl looked out into the night sky. It twisted with an unnatural rhythm. Orange and black mixed and swirled together giving ominous signals to him.

He picked up the radio “Copy that, on route” he turned his cruiser on and flipped the sirens. “Send me the location Joyce”

“Copy that, Carl, location sent”

The address flipped up on his police monitor in the middle of his dash. The route highlighted and started to guide him.

He turned on to the highway and started to head south into the suburbs. The city dipped behind him as he screamed towards his destination. No longer were the lamp posts and neon signs there to light his way. He pulled off and onto a long winding road. The trees lined each side and closed him into a tunnel. The lights from his cruiser flashed red and blue among the shadows, illuminating glimpses of the houses and farms that he passed.

He peered down at this navigator. This was far out from his normal jurisdiction.

“Joyce, are there any other officers on route?”

“Affirmative Carl, three officers are on route including your self. You are only a half a mile away. In the neighborhood ahead.”

Carl took a deep breath and turned into the sleepy neighborhood. No lights lit up on the porches. There were no cars in the drive ways, no lights cast their warmth from the inside of the houses. The whole place looked abandoned.

“I have a bad feeling about this” he breathed to himself as he leaned froward and tried scanning the darkness that his lights gave brief clarity to.

The house where he was being guided to was at the end of the street, which forked. He slowed down to face it. His navigation flashed that he had reached his destination.

“The place is right in front of you Carl, please check it out and report”

Carl looked down at the radio. He checked his pistol and clutched the handle to leave the car when something caught his eye in his rear view mirror.

Eyes. Red glowing eyes. They moved, glided past his car, darting across the street that he was parked on. They peered so bright and shiny that he immediately released the car door and spun in his seat.

“Joyce, you said it was a 10-99, who reported?”

The radio was static for a few moments then she said “Carl, get out of your car and check it out, report back”

He turned back to face the house. The eyes now shone through the windows, on the side of the house, on the roof, the bodies of the creatures flashed in the rotating lights. Their legs were needles that fulled out into bodies that looked like grey volcanic skin, which dripped and teared, the heads held their red glowing eyes and antlers bursting in all direction into the air. They had no lips, just razor teeth, locked in a hideous smile. Those teeth parted in a few of the creatures and a high pitch scream came from one, then the rest joined in an unholy chorus.

“Shit man, what the fuck is this” Carl Slammed his gear to reverse and took off backwards. The eyes scattered and the bodies holding them jumbled and ran after him.

“Carl, please turn around. Carl, Carl!.” the radio yelled at him. The navigation started chirping at him as well. The screen flashed trying to re route him back to the house.

The car wheeled out into the winding road that had led him there. He took one brief look at the neighborhood. They got closer and closer.

Before he knew it the tunnel of trees was peeling past his vision.

“Carl, turn around now” the radio screamed at him “Where are you going, 10-99, are you deaf, all available officers, that’s you, Carl”

“Joyce if you don’t shut your damn mouth, I’m going to lose my fucking mind”

He flipped the switch for the radio, but the voice kept coming at him. Yelling, screaming, instructing him to turn around.

He cursed at the noises and peaked at his mirrors. The eyes filled his the vision. They tripped and rummaged among the trees, the tunnel now glared red at him.

He came out of the tree tunnel and turned back to the street that led him to the high way. His hands were slick against the steering wheel. Each turn threaten to crash him into the curb. He wiped his brow. The eyes stilled followed. The navigation each time he went past a street told him to re-route and take the next one. He could barely hear anything, his ears being assaulted by a death wish. He could see the ramp to the high way. The traffic lights switched from green to red. He snarled and ran them. The car hit the entrance ramp at top speed and as it came to top, it took flight for a moment and crashed into the highway. Horns and cars screeched at him as he came flying into their view.

The radio died.

The navigation stopped and returned to its idle screen.

His mirrors shown regular highway traffic.

His hands were cemented to the steering wheel, his eyes wide, looking straight ahead. He turned his lights off and glided to a cruise.

Carl picked up his phone and called a number “Mick, where you at? Yeah? Don’t leave” He hung up.

Emma’s diner was a small little place down town. Open all day and night, solid food, unlimited coffee and donuts.

“Carl -“ Mick gave him a wave from a booth “holy shit, what happened?”

Carl took off his hat and slid into the booth across from him. He was still wide eyed, the colored drained from his dark skin.

A waitress approached the table. “What can I get you Carl?”

“Coffee” he didn’t look away from Mick “And four chocolate donuts…..” he glanced at her “how many chocolate donuts you got back there?” he shook his head a bit “bring them all” and he returned to Mick, his stare unfocused.

“we will start with two” the waitress smiled to Carl then gave Mick a worried look before walking off.

“You hear a 10-99 on the radio earlier?”

Mick shook his head.

Carl rubbed his eye brows “We have some problems, Mick. Some real big, like Ghostbuster problems, end of the world type shit.” Carl took a deep breath in and looked Mick straight in the eyes, focused “And it’s coming for us”

This was inspired by LOCAL58TV - You are on the fastest available route. This channel always has such great scares. Everything is subtle and well done. It never hits you over the head, never gives you all the information. It is just creepy. I liked the idea of something guiding, that you normally trust, to your demise.

Carl and Mick are reoccurring characters. Carl is based off a younger version of Carl Winslow from Family Matters. When I saw him in the first story I pictured him a just seasoned enough cop, maybe ten years on the force, while the character Mick, I haven’t decided yet. He seems more like a blues brother type of person. Tall, and skinny, sharp features and a bit dry atitude towards things. There is a lot of creepy stuff happening around them, but now it might be coming after them. Hope they are prepared.

Happy Halloween everyone. Be weary of the spirits and enjoy the spooky time.

Depth of Sound
Hallways
Misplaced Places

“Who’s a good boy for me?” her voice dripped into his ears like a sweet melody. His head swam with endless endorphins and his body started to burn with heat. His vision came back into focus, but then rolled back. A rainbow of color filtered through his view and he let out a moan, as more pleasure echoed through his being.

“hmm?” she teased, brushing her hand against his exposed chest. He opened his mouth but only gasps came from it. He tried to wiggle out of her grasp. To escape the pleasure which was now overloading him. Draining him. Only, when there seemed a nano-second of a chance, he would not take it. Not really. He didn’t want to leave. Not now, not ever. His eyes came into focus finally.

She laid next to him, predator like eyes shining in the light, almost glowing, peering down at him with pure lust. His body jerked and his arms pulled at his restraints. Her smile dripped a pure hunger. They toyed with him with all knowing confidence.

She leaned a bit closer and he got lost in her eyes. Swimming in their depth.

“I-I am” he stammered between lucid moments of audible pleasure. Her smile beamed down at him and her eyes squinted from joy.

She leaned down, swept her hair behind her ear and asked “You are what?”

He took a quick intake of breath. “I’m your good boy” he breathed out, exhausted form the length of the sentence.

Her face lit up. Sharp teeth biting her bottom lip. Savoring the moment.

“Yes” she dipped down towards his neck. Her tongue swiped in a long motion towards his jaw. Searing pain erupted from her touch “you are.” her teeth sunk deep and hard where she had licked. The pain was replaced instantly with waves of euphoric pleasure. Each one increased in intensity. He shook, recoiling at each hit, it was to much. All his senses blazed and drank in the moment each time she swallowed. He felt that his heart was going to explode, but just as it got to the cliff edge, she pulled away.

Blood dripped down her chin and she licked her lips in ultimate satisfaction.

Her eyes did glow.

He convulsed trying to hold onto consciousness. His eyes spinning, trying , pleading to keep her in his sights. To much blood, to much pleasure. He started to fade.

“Until you awake, puppy.” he heard her whisper into his ear with that sweet melodic voice.

Whew. Sexy stuff is exciting. Fun fact, I have always loved writing erotic stuff. Let’s put those actions, emotions and feelings all into words, shall we?

This was inspired a bit by Makima from Chainsaw Man. I won’t spoil what she is, but her personality is very much of a Dom. Since this is the Midnight Tales, it couldn’t be just about the sex though right? Could you take the pain and pleasure of having the life sucked out of you?

Anyway, happy Locktober everyone :)

The front of the building had a small stoop with a large oak door that had two windows inlaid into it. The whole building was made out of dark red colored brick in the style you might see in upper Manhattan. Large bay windows protruded from the front of the house on the bottom floor and floor to ceiling windows stamped the second and third floor. An oak tree rested its limbs among the side of the building which was only a few feet from the broken down and rotting corpses of another building.

Emily looked up at the building from the side walk. The day was nice and crisp and her feet had taken her to the bottom of the steps of this building. the neighborhood wasn’t the greatest. Most of the buildings were rotting away, condemned and waiting to be demolished and rebuilt. Gentrified they said. This building stood pristine in a world of blame and suffering. She had walked by most days on her way to school, but never once stopped to take a look at it.

A sign was hanging from the ceiling just before the door.

“A place for you always, music school of music. Among other things”

Clutched at her side was a saxophone. She was in band and music gave her something to strive for. The saxophone had become her unfitted partner. Not by choice. Her teacher ran out of all the other instruments when she had moved in. The saxophone was all that was left in the band room. So she took it up and it delighted her. She thought she wanted to play the flute.

The town did not have any music shops, or so she thought. Now in front of her was a music school? One that she had walked by almost everyday for the last three months?

She moved up the steps with her trusty sax at hand. If worst came to worst, it would defend her. A sign on the door told her to come in. she did.

The air was warm and smelled of cinnamon. Their was a haze that seemed to float through the air. Inside was well lit, but not to bright. The ceilings were tall, Victorian accents on all corners and soft dark brown wood floor creaked under her feet. She stepped forward into the foray. To her right was the large room with the windows. It had a grand piano that sat in the out cove and a couch that sat peering at it. Past that was a bar with some seats sprawled around. large book cases cascaded up the walls all around the bar with some small plants hanging from hooks from the ceilings.

A man stepped out from the back of the long room and weaved though love seats and tables greeting her with a big smile and hearty laugh.
His face was old and jolly, covered in white hair, a large beard drooped down his front and white hair splayed out from his head. He was like a casual Santa Claus.

“Welcome, Welcome!” He Knelt down to be eye level with her “Have you come to practice? i see you have a friend with you”

“Yeah, I saw the sign, this is a music school? Among other things?” Emily asked furrowing her brow.

The man gave a laugh “Of course, what else could this place be? The name is Jell, like jelly, but with out the e, and you are?”

Emily was a bit apprehensive, but she was the one that came into the shop “Emily” she shook is hand.

“Pleasure to meet you Emily. We have lots of practice rooms upstairs, some pretty wicked good teachers here and all the beverages you could need, plus some delicious sweets. Come on, let me show you.”

Jell turned then walk to the left to a large stair that curved to the second floor. A red carpet runner ran up the stairs with the wood exposed at the ends. Emily hefted her saxophone up and after him. As they reached the upstairs she could see the high ceilings continued and the hallways stretch in both directions. Rows and rows of doors with frosted windows for each room lined the hallway. Each door was tall and large, made out of thick black wood. A number in brass hung in the middle and the door handle was a thick bronze ball with etchings in it. Jell led her to room three and opened the door.

The room was large in all directions. To the right as she entered, floor to ceiling windows showed the streets that she had entered from, which should be impossible. This room was flanked by two others. A large tree sat in the corner of the room, and everything one would need to compose music sat organized next to a large shelf. To the left was a large carpeted area with a couch and table. A fully stocked beverage bar sat next to it. Water, lemonade, hot chocolate and a few plates of biscuits sat on a black wooden counter. The room was a cream color, like a latte, the walls had music notes made out of metal hung and sheets of music made out of plaster waved around. It was the perfect temperature, it melted all her stress away as soon as she stepped inside. She turned to Jell, who like her, was admiring the room.

“Jell, this is really nice, but I don’t really have any money, I was just curious about this place”

“Ah money, the thing that always comes up first, the worry that stamps in the face of all dreams. I wouldn’t worry about money for this place. It’s on the house”

Emily looked at him with a skeptic face “I don’t think that’s how it works, eeeeverything costs something”

Jell scratched his heard “Well, I guess you might be right young lady. The cost is that of one smile. fake or real”

Emily smiled bright, but returned to a frown immediately “How am I able to see the outside from this window, are you a smile harvester”

“What is that?”

“A monster that captures children and harvests their smiles for power”

Jell stared at her wide eyed “Boy, is that what you kids are into nowadays, goodness, no”

“Well, I’m going to keep my eye on you” Emily closed one eye and moved in with the other.

Jell threw up his hands and moved towards the door “that would be fine, enjoy your time here Emily, stay as long as you would like.”

With that Jell exited the room and Emily was left alone. The whole space seemed to radiate warmth and positivity. She moved over to a small chair that sat near the windows. The outside sun shined in and the trees waved at her through the large glass. She set her saxophone on the ground and went over to the wall and grabbed a music stand and a small cup of water.

As she opened the case and grabbed her saxophone a surge of energy passed through her. Music seemed to be coming to her even before opening her music book. She assemble, and as if in a trance started playing.

The notes flowed endlessly.

Her breathe rose and fell like waves crashing into symphonies.

Her fingers danced,fluttered and skipped around the keys.

Her eyes closed and the notes appeared in all her other senses.

She was lost in a river of music. Floating down the bars, around majors and minors, rising with the crescendo and crashing with the Decrescendo.

–

Emily closed the door behind her and re-entered the hallway. It was quiet. Could there be people playing instruments behind each of these doors? She looked back to door one and two, which were past her room. How did they get the window to her room?

She shook off the questions and slunk down the stairs to the main foray. She crept towards the door trying not to alert anyone. Her head had been filled with music for the last couple of hours, her parents were probably worried and the warming silence was a welcome for the moment.

“Emily, how was your time here?” She heard Jell speak in a low voice. Like he was trying to match her stance.

She turned on her heels and looked back at him. He was standing behind the small bar, smiling and polishing a coffee mug.

She couldn’t help the smile which burst from her face “It was incredible. I have never felt anything like it before. The music just - “

“Flowed?”

“Yes” she nodded rapidly “How?”

Jell just shrugged his shoulders “Well come back anytime. You are always welcome”

Emily gave a confused look, but didn’t want to bother him anymore. She turned and left the house.

The sun was still shining and the breeze wisped across her face as she return to the street and turned to look at the front of the building. It looked the same as it was when she entered. She couldn’t see anyone in the window, but it sort of looked like the room she had been in. She pulled her phone out of her pocket anxious about the time.

The time read the same time as she had entered the building. Emily check a bunch of apps and the Internet time to confirm. No time had passed.

Her eyes stared wide eyes at the house. A mix of fear and curiosity ran through her. What was this place?

Was it a paradise? or was it a something else?

What ever it was, it welcomed her with open arms.

This story made a couple of turns here and there. I really wanted it to have a super positive tone to it. Like the building would be a safe place for anyone to be in when they needed it. But as I thought of it and the character moved through, I started to ask questions, and in turn they started asking questions.

Could there be some more sinister going on? Did Emily just narrowly escape? Or did she really fine a magic door into another world?

In the end, it is just happiness. A slice of the world that allows one to be with their own magic in what ever they are trying to create.

I still have an idea for a happier more positive spin of this, but for now. This is what we have.

He stopped at this car door and waved to his friends. A girl with blond hair smiled back.

“Be careful on your way home”

He nodded in reassurance and he waited for them to get into their car and pull out of the parking lot of the bar. He waved at the red fading into the darkness and sighed as he pulled his keys from his pocket.

His reflection looked at him. Tired, questioning, and unfulfilled.

“Dammit” he rolled his eyes and opened the door to his car. The bar wasn’t far from his place, but at night the streets seemed to stretch and bend longer then they did in the daylight.

It was late and he glanced at each parking lot and neighborhood entrance to make sure no vigilant cop laid waiting for him to pass and pull him over. They were notorious on these winding roads.

He pulled slowly up and past some of the local business’s that were closed for the evening. Then he spotted it. In the middle of Tom’s Hardware was a car. A cop. He breathed in and slowed his speed. As he got closer he noticed something. It was not a cop car that sat in the middle of the parking lot, it was an old Lincoln. Phantom black, the windows tinted to be slates of midnight. It sat sleeping.

As he passed he looked straight at it. Just a glance. He thought he could see the driver through the windshield. Even if it was all black, he could feel his eyes connect with something. Only a fraction of a second, no! A fraction of a millisecond.

The Lincoln’s lights blazed on and the engine roared to life. The tires squealed as they spun and the car leapt from it’s slumber from the parking lot.

The sudden movement and roaring from the vehicle startled him. He slammed down on gas and flew through the darkness. Lights from the Lincoln illuminated his rear view mirror and they rapidly got larger as it approached with incredible speed. He tried to get out of its way, but each time he whipped his wheel to clear a path the Lincoln slowed and kept itself behind him.

He gripped the wheel with sweaty hands as he pulled the car around tight corners. Trees, speed signs and fences past by him in rapid succession. His stomach knotted and sunk as the speed was now setting in. His mind was signaling warning bells as each turn got sharper and sharper. The Lincoln still kept tight to him and he could hear the engine revving each time they skidded across the road. It didn’t honk, it didn’t even try to ram his car, it just rode a couple feet behind him, ever present with inhumane precision.

He finally rounded a bend and hit a straight away. His house was just around the corner. He couldn’t go home though, he couldn’t let this thing follow him. He drove past his entrance and deeper into the night. His car hit top speed and just as he was about hit a slope heading in to the valley, the Lincoln cruised past him like a phantom. It did not heave or roar, it glided effortless with amazing speed.

It’s tail lights gleamed for a second and then disappeared into the night. He let the car cruise and then hit the brakes.

The cars engine hummed in the night. His face was splattered with sweat and he heaved breathlessly. He was drained as he leaned back into his seat, put the car in reverse and pulled back down the road towards his house.

He had seen no license plate when the Lincoln passed him. The only features that imprinted on his mind were the tinted windows and the feeling that he got from looking at it.

He pulled down the road and turned into his driveway.

He turned off his car and sat for a moment with his eyes closed, replaying the night and the chase. He looked through his rear view mirror at the empty street and fog rolling through the air.

Slowly he got out of his car. As soon as his door closed he felt it. The feeling that he had earlier. He turned.

The Lincoln sat silently behind his car. Lights off, engine off. Just there. Next to the drivers side door was an impossible tall figure. They stretched at least twelve feet into the air. A black brimmed hat and large black rounded shades stared down at him. A cowl covered the face of the figure that was attached to a black double breasted jacket which draped all the way to the ground where it pooled in waves of shadow.

“Please” he choked “what do you want?”

The figure pointed to it’s glasses.

“It was only a glance” he yelled.

And that’s all it took.

Inspired by the one night I saw a strange car in the middle of a parking lot. It was late at night and I was driving home. I watch out for cops at night, just to be safe.

I was driving past this bank and I thought I had seen a cop car in the parking lot, but at a closer glance it was just a normal car. As I passed I look pretty close at it and thought.

“What if I wasn’t supposed to pay attention to this car?”

As if it was supposed to be ignored, but i payed attention to it. What would happen if no one was supposed to notice, but did. That’s where this story was born from.

The train comes to a halt among the cosmic fields and lakes. Out beyond splattered across the sky like a mural is balls of multicolored lights, star dust in rainbow colors and a dark canvas which it is all etched in. Planets glides as silent as a lullaby across the abyss. Each one with features different from the next. Some have rings, other many moons. They all glow with their own uniqueness.

A passenger steps off the train and walks to the edge of the dark water which small crystals hover catching all the celestial light.

He stares out across the water.

The conductor steps out from the the train. He is dressed in black and gold. Where the head would be is an oval of glass. Inside swirling galaxies and stars hang in perpetual motion. They spin and twirl in dark colors of purple and black. Upon his head a black conductors hat sits, unmoving.

The passenger glances over and then back at the endless water.

And this is what their thoughts reflected.

Why does it feel as if i am visitor in my own life. As if the vision I see is made up. A hologram playing out among infinite organic circuits to a spirit that is confused about its place.

The reflections in the mirror that I see seems more real then the body I reside in. I look down at my legs, my arms, my whole lower body, but yet I cannot confirm that my face is even there. If I disconnect my eyes from this body and place them among a shelf would I really see my self? The shadow among the floor feels more concrete then I. It’s solidness in stark contrasts to my hollowness. My hands desperately grip the handles of my seat to confirm the my relativity to reality. To keep me from fading out of existence.

My hands clutch the steering wheel. Just a turn or two at this speed, would it produce a reaction? Any feeling? How can I be moving through space so fast, among others. It feels unrealistic, like a fantasy, my eyes and conscious combined with machine, moving faster and faster.

A city I stand among the other consciousness that roam these streets. I stand among them all, we are all there, but at the same, we are all ghosts to each other. When together. Ignored. When alone. Crying for acknowledgment. Do eyes that set themselves upon mine even have a spirit that commands them? There is no way to tell.

My body feels what it feels in instances, but the spirit and mind do not actually feel or understand. Momentary physical manifestation of what might be considered emotion. Do other bodies feel or not feel the same as I? Again, a question that will never be answered. Disassociation with the body for the spirits sake? Or maybe for the minds? Smile for the communication. Frown for the social commentary.

Close my eyes. Sweet sleep comes, but filled with other lives. Which one might be real. The mind and body does not know. What if this is all a dream and I am yet to wake. Dreams with in dreams. How many lives can I live before it’s the “real” one.

A ripple spread across the reflective water.

“What am I?” The passenger asks the conductor.

There is a long silence between them. The train engine far down the track roars in anticipation of moving again.

“You are nothing” The conductor replies.

He turns and walks back to the train then stops with one hand on the rail.

“And you are everything” he steps back on.

The passenger waits for a moment. Then returns to the train.

I am empty.

But the emptiness is filled with nothing.

Thus

I

Am

Full.

This is more of a reflective piece. Humans, in my thoughts, try to communicate their experience to others in anyway they can. Whether that is through emotions, actions or other things. Everything we do is an expression of ourselves in some way. Whether we have decided to be who we are or influenced by other things to be who we are. We express those things.

This is an attempt to express my internal view or how I move along with life. No, I do not need help haha I am doing alright. This piece is incomplete. As my own vocabulary and skill can not fully convey through words how I move through life. I am not that skilled, yet.

Even so, I had the last line of this “I am empty / Full” come to me late at night when I couldn’t get to sleep. I really felt as it if represented a piece of me.

We think in duality. Happy or Sad, Angry or Calm, something in between these,but for me, not sure why, I sorta remove these. Happy and Sadness are part of each other. If you remove them, then what are you? That’s what I feel I am. What ever it is to remove the duality of life. In a couple of years I might look back and try to express again when I am more skilled.

Thank you, let’s get back on the train and listen to more Midnight Tales

It jolted him awake out of a dream filled sleep.

A harsh noise echoed through the halls of his house and into his room on the second floor. His door was closed, but the sound penetrated through the thick wood.

Cutting, slicing, hacking, with hints of brutality. His eyes winced when it came again. It was faint, but it still ripped straight to the center of his brain.

He rolled out of bed and put on his slippers. The sound came between long beats of silence. Each one physically assaulted him. He cracked open the door and listened intently till it happened again. This time something organic crossed the harshness. It was a sound that he had never heard before, a sound that clawed at his soul, he had to know. The curiosity was fueled by fascination of being violated in such a manner.

He crept forth into the hallway and turned on a light. Why would fear not come? The imagination must have turned off the center that generated the bogey man. As he moved down the stairs he noticed that the light in the hallway next to the kitchen was still on. He peered down the long straights. They seemed to be stretched beyond what was possible and down there, way down, was a large opening he did not recognize with a yellow light and haze rolling out from it.

The sound came again. It was sharp, and only lasted as long as he paid attention to it, which wasn’t long. He moved down the hallway. towards the yellow haze. His body shook as the sound got louder and louder as he approached. He could hear it clearer now.

Flesh.

Something thick and full of blood and bones was being cleaved, butchered with a monotone beat.

Curiously he did not smell anything as he was fully engrossed in the haze. The yellow light filled his vision with bits of red as his eyes started focusing on the room that the sound now radiated from.

The room was large, much larger then it could be. The walls were tiled and scaled into thirty foot ceilings where long lights hung shining pale yellow. The walls shone of murals of blood and carnage. Bits and pieces of flesh and organs slowly dripped towards the floor. His eyes scanned the piles of bodies that where mutilated beyond belief and stacked all around. A large L-shaped table stood in the middle of the room with a body on it, which was being hacked with a large cleaver. He stepped closer, the figure hung the cleaver in the air as he approached.

He recognized the figure.

The cleaver flew from the figures hand and struck him in the right shoulder. The sound that he had heard filled every piece of him. The cleaver ripped through his skin, though muscle and sinew straight to the bone. Carving him up. The figure stomped over and past bodies around the table towards him. The pain had caused him to fall back against the wall. The pain paralyzed him, the terror filled him with cement.

His own eyes stared at him. But they were not his. No eyes lids, no lips, and a nose that looked as if it was bit off. How did he know it was him? The eyes that stared at him. He had seen them many times in the mirror. He screamed, clawed at the figure as it grasped the cleaver and ripped it from his body.

All breathe was savagely torn from his lungs with the release. He could not close his eyes though. He stared at his eyes.

The cleaver rose into the air again for one final blow.

The figure moved to strike but instead of the ungodly sound, gunshots rang from his right from his original house. He scrambled to his feet, but blood spilled from his shoulder at alarming rates. He stumbled and fell as some man grasped him and others ran past him. More gun shots rang out as his eyes blurred against the muzzle flashes illuminating the hallway.

He awoke to blue and red flashes. Cool air filled his lungs and he stared up in to the sky.

Sirens and people were scrambling all around him

“This is the sixth case this month.” A man was standing close the ambulance talking to an officer.

“Yeah, and what do you think about it, at least we got to this guy in time.”

The officer blew out a breath before speaking “This is some like Nightmare on Elm street shit, did you see that guys face in there?”

“Of course I saw it, I shot it”

“Mick, where are these things coming from?”

There was a long silence between them and then Mick said “Somewhere we don’t want to believe exists”

They then walked away and back towards the house.

Pain throbbed from his shoulder as he closed his eyes.

Then it came.

Like a slice through his thoughts, the sound rang through him and his head whipped to the darkness across the street. The blue and red lights splashed back and forth and among the illuminated darkness, two lidless eyes peered at him.

The sound came again.

He screamed.

I feel that sound for me is much more impactful then the other senses. I have always had sensitive ears and sound effects are the things that get me to turn away or not want to watch something. I can witness gruesome stuff in movies and tv’s, but if they get the sound right, then it started getting to me.

What if a sound was so disturbing, so unconscious, so violating that it dragged you towards its open jaws?

The town is heating up it seems. Watch those shadows my friends.

There was a moment when he looked into the tiny Halloween town where he thought someone turned and looked at him.

It was early August and it was time to get back to school. Art school was something that required more then just notebooks and pencils for him. Michael, was in fact at Michaels. For the school year he needed to buy a few canvases for his paintings that he would be working on before the year entered into full swing, and few more for when it did. As he walked in he was surprised to see the front of the store stocked with plastic pumpkins, bats and ravens hanging from the ceiling, black glittering trees standing up against shelves and a full stock of Halloween props filling rows and rows of the store. August seemed to be just a bit early he thought. Fall didn’t start till the very end of September and here it was, all ready in his face. He ignored it at first, but in the middle of these rows of shelves was a stand with mini figures and buildings producing an energy of action and music. He looked towards the back of the store where his canvas lay waiting, then back at the display. A few minutes wouldn’t hurt.

The Hallow Village stood displayed on a few mounds of paper dirt and hay. In middle of the village sitting on a large hill overlooking everything a great windmill spun slowly. Among the blades were cob webs and spread around the tower hung a large spider that fixed it’s million eyes down at the front door. A few dust covered windows lit up with a flickering green from whatever was happening inside. Around the base, moss, yellow hay bricks and boxes pilled up. A small wooden fence stood with a small door a few feet from the house. From the small gate a path led down into the village. It moved past two buildings.

One a doctors office. If that’s what you might call it. Frankenstein Ortho. Large windows splattered with dull dried blood rose on each side of a double door. The building rose and spun into the air with black pointed fences sticking out from impossible windows. A man patched with different arms and legs sat on the stoop of the office outlooking the village square. He rested his large square jaw on his hands in a defeated manner.

On the other side of the street from Frankenstein Ortho was an apothecary.

The witches Brew. An apt name for it. The entrance was one step into a flung open door that seemed to lead into fully stock rows of old falling apart bookshelves. Eyes and crystal balls looked towards the door from the inside. A set of stairs across from the main desk squared up and led to the second story where a balcony looked over the square. On it a large cauldron with wings, eyes, toads, and green slime was being churned by a witch in flowing black robes. A broom stick sat in the corner waiting for their nightly ride. The building was built in dark stone and had accents of light bricks on the corners. It ended in a Victorian point at the top with sloping roofs.

Out in the square of darkened cobble stone was a large fountain that sprayed a sea green water a few centimeters in the air. The whole thing was black, round like a cauldron and was adjourned in bats and lizards all around it. A few decrypted benches were littered around the plaza.

Next on tour was the The Night Ball. It seemed to be a swinging joint. Skeletons, zombies and vampires dressed in 1950’s fancy dresses danced outside on the sidewalk and on the roof top, which was filled with lamps which emitted a bright fiery blue. A zombie with no jaw manned the bar. He was busy shaking a cocktail shaker and looking out to tables inside, which all pointed at a stage with a band of werewolves strumming along some instruments. The whole places looked like an undead New Year’s Eve party in New York.

The last building to wrap around the square was a bookstore. The Unholy Grimore Store. It looked like a large book that had seen and gone through everything one could imagine. The spine was falling apart, the binding pealed around the window on the side and the whole thing opened slightly to give the shop dimension revealing thick leathery pages filled with grime and dirt. The doors looked as if someone had torn the corner off of the middle pages of the book. Two massive wooden doors stood in the middle of ripped and raw pages. He couldn’t see inside, but it had an upstairs as well and a small balcony on the back.

He look off towards the east of town and saw a small building through a corn field. He moved to take a closer look. A small house with a towering chimney sat out among the corn. In front was a what looked like a ghost. A sheet hanging in mid air with two lumps of sheet arms. one was holding a paint brush. An easel sat in front with a painting on it. A small painter ghost and it’s haunted house. Michael smiled and leaned in to take a look at the painting that the ghost was producing.

There, on a canvas no bigger then his thumb, was the shelves that he was standing in front of. In tiny detail the store came alive in paint that he couldn’t believe. He did a double take. Staring at the shelves committing it to memory and then back at the tiny painting. He crouched to the packaging below the display.

The Ghostly Painter. The package showed the small shack and the ghost statue that came with it. Michael picked up the box and then looked back at the display. The ghost seemed to have turned slightly. It’s sheet whipped in the wind. Did it smile at him?

He looked again at the box in his hands. Nothing on it said that it was magical. Magical ?! What was he thinking, but then he glimpsed at the canvas one last time.

He brought the box with him and retrieved his canvas that were bored of waiting.

His dorm room would have a new addition this year.

I love going into Michaels around Halloween. They have their Halloween town thing that they do. I always pick up a figure here and here. This year I bought a pumpkin snowman. A couple years ago I bought a pumpkin water tower. They are fun to put up around the year in small spaces. I would love to one day buy one of the big displays. They are so detailed and have really cool architecture to them. The whole vibe is something close to my heart. Do we think Michael might be pulled into the mini Halloween town ? Maybe it can be a source of inspiration for him as he goes through the blitz of art school.

Nothing to crazy with this story, I would like to explore mini towns like this in the future. I remember the Goosebumps episode where the kids get sucked into the miniature town. A pretty scary episode, especially when the girl gets turned into a human pig thing.

Till next time

“What was that?” She turned to look through the darkened trees. The sun never really set,but it dipped in the sky allowing the trees to cast their shadows among the trails.

Her boyfriend turned and looked around “probably a squirrel or something” he returned to trekking down the trail. They continued for a few moment and then she stopped again. Her ears perked up and she tried to follow the sound that invaded her space.

“No,there, I definitely heard something out there.” She peered into the never ending trees. The sound was faint, but strings of music whipped around the trees and into her ears. It pulled her every time it peeked her interest. Her boyfriend, growing annoyed at the constant interruption spun around and stood next to her.

“I don’t hear any-“ the strings grazed against his ears this time. It was a violin. Far away it strummed deeply and controlling. The music was sweet and flowed with a smooth consistency.

“Where is that coming from?” He moved towards the sound. His girlfriend put her arm out to stop him, but he pushed past it and off the path. The trees past him as he made his way. Norwegian wood tall and old, shepard him to his ultimate destination. A few minutes past as the music grew louder and sweeter. The notes getting more personal. Each note that flowed into the ears seemed to be written just for him. Memories and emotions poured forth from his past. The violin played to his soul.

“Jason” he finally stopped “Please, stop” he turned to her. His eyes saw her, but his mind and spirit was with the music. She had been calling his name since he left the path.

“What is it, Terra? You heard it, the music right? It is so beautiful. It matches completely” Jason said. He seemed entranced. The music had ceased to be heard by Terra as soon as Jason caught ear of it. It was if the music had changed targets, picked a easier victim.

Jason turned back around and moved again, his feet dragged across the brush floor and through the Norwood.

They soon came to a clearing in the woods. A small lake opened up among the dark woods. The water was crystal clear blue and a small boulder sat off center in the middle. Jason came to the edge of the water and peered at the rock. The music was louder, all encompassing. It flowed through every part of him. A sweet serenade of his life passing before and through himself. Every cell recalled a different part of him from eons ago. His body vibrated in ecstasy.

Upon the rock a figure appeared. It was if they walked out of the water behind the boulder and stepped upon the crest. Jason stared at the figure. An impossible beautiful women stood draped in white flowing clothe. Upon her shoulders a violin sat, her other arm moved fluidly strumming with a bow. She smiled deliciously at them both. Revealing a welcoming, but seductive greeting to both of them. Her eyes, which glowed yellow, stared at Jason. They beckoned him to her. Terra pulled at his arm as he stepped forward into the water. The female also stepped forward into the water. Each step Jason took, she took as well. Terra tried with all her might, her voice straining from the screaming to keep him out of the water.

The music stopped as soon as the women entered fully into the water. Her arms still moved across the violin as she submerged.

Jason took a large intake of breath and rubbed his eyes. His senses came back to him now that the music wasn’t making him drunk with pleasure. He looked down at his waist which as submerged in water. He turned around and looked at Terra. Her face was a painting of horror.

He went to speak, but it was to late. He women rose from the water. Her beauty had turned to an impossible horrid appearance. Her eyes still remained the same, but her skin sagged with a mossy consistency and had turned from a milky white to a sickening sea green. Her smile which brought warmth now hung in a awful frown. Bunches of flesh collected and hung from her bones. A shriek escaped it’s mouth as it grabbed him. He screamed. Terra screamed.

The woods kept still and observed.

The creature dragged Jason into the water and into the unknown of the lake. The shadow of them both dipped to the middle of the lake and like shadow being smothered by the sun, it circled and disappeared.

Terra stood watching the waves of the lake subside. Her eyes scanned the deep. The lake wasn’t that deep, but there was nothing left. It took her a moment to realize or rationalize what was happening. She went to turn and run, but another sound caught her. The music she had heard earlier had returned. This time it had snared her. She turned back the lake.

An impossible man stood at the shore. His arms strumming a violin with a bow.

she tried to scream.

She tried to run.

Her feed moved towards him.

At the moment I am in Norway for a wedding. Among the large fields and farmlands are large patches of forests. They are filled with tall tress which even among the sun, makes them look dark.

The creature in the story is a Nøkk, they are creatures of Scandinavian legends. They hang around water and lead their victims in with music. They are beautiful beings that charm their victims and take their souls. Again I think music has a certain charm to it. With the power to charm and enslave those that get lost in the emotion and memories it can bring. It can be a very powerful tool.