Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Shadow Dive

Looking down as he stood waiting for his bus to arrive, Alan regarded his shadow, cast on the ground in front of him.

The morning sun at his back shone down all around the concrete of the sidewalk at his feet, except for the dark void of the area blocked by his body.

He knew it was because the dense material that made up his solid form did not allow the wave lengths of light coming across the expanse of space from the yellow Sun to pass through to the surface of Earth's crust he now stood upon. That was the science of it.

Yet, he could not help but wonder if the shadow on the ground was merely a dark doorway to another side; another dimension that radiated with the dark light of a black sun its own.

Where, perhaps, a shadow version of himself was looking down at the patch of light that stretched out on the ground before them. Wondering, as Alan did, if it were possible to simply drop through one's own shadow and arrive on the other side; on the opposite side of light.

Craning his neck down further, without actually bending over, as to preserve his shadow's integrity, Alan looked closer at the silhouette on the ground.

Could he... could he see into the shadow?

Or was his imagination getting the better of him?

For a moment he thought he was just tired from the events of the passed weekend, but then he could have sworn he caught a twinkle of movement within the darkness.

Like looking into a dark pool of water, he could almost make out shapes in the inky depths within.

Unconsciously, he leaned down even closer until he was almost doubled over, staring deeply into the mysteries of his own shadow. Yes, he could do it; if he just fell through he would be in another worl...

Alan came to as a crowd of people looked down at him, their distant voices becoming clearer as he came back to consciousness.

Lying on his back his focus narrowed on the woman leaning down closer to him than the others in the circle.

"Hey, are you alright?" she asked Alan in a practiced voice that said she was used to this line of questioning. "I'm a nurse; can you tell me your name? Do you know where you are?"

After a moment of trying to form his thoughts clearly enough to get out of his mouth, he responded slowly, "What, what happened? Am I through?"

The question made the woman as well as the crowd look even more concerned.

"Through where?" The nurse asked. "You just fell over and hit your head on the sidewalk pretty hard. Maybe harder than it looked..."

Alan looked up passed the crowd to the sky above and saw the bright, yellow sun still on its morning ascension.

"Well, that answers that question." He said to himself aloud as he let them help him up.

As their bus pulled up and they filed on, the group of bystanders made sure to keep well away from the strange man they had just watched seemingly try to do a head first dive into the pavement.

This city is getting weirder everyday.

Monday, July 4, 2016

Mother's Helper

The young girl pulled her wagon behind her as she walked with purpose down the sidewalk toward the little grocery store that was only a few blocks from their house.

Jostling and clattering along the concrete, the little red wagon was empty save for its lone passenger; her stuffed teddy bear, Sam.

Sam the bear bounced haphazardly as she continued on her journey to the store with the determination of a child set on a mission.

Unnoticed by the girl, passersby smiled to each other at the adorable child with her stuffed animal and toy wagon on her errand.

Arriving at the quaint food market, the little girl entered and went unseen by the busy cashier as her head barely peaked over the edge of the partition that separated the entrance and exit doors.

Taking out her list from the front pocket of her overalls, written out in coloured pencils, the child went up and down the aisles gathering the grocery items printed with careful penmanship on the lined paper.

Once Sam the bear was crowded with apples, crackers, milk, cereal, and an odd amount of meats from the butcher's counter, she trundled her wagon up to the check out and began arduously lifting each item up onto the conveyer belt.

The teenaged cashier had to peer over the counter to see where the groceries were appearing from, and smiled a little unsure at the small girl unloading her wagon-full of food stuffs to be scanned.

The little girl looked up from her task and smiled brightly back at the wary grocer.

"My mom's not feeling very good, so she sent me to pick up some things while she rests in bed." She offered matter-of-factly.

"Oh, I see." The cashier responded, a tad dumbfounded, but began scanning through the assortment of items as they moved along the conveyer.

The total came up on the display screen and before the teen could ask how she was going to pay, the little girl dutifully held up a fan of bills to cover the cost.

After making change and bagging the groceries, the cashier helped load the wagon back up; being careful not to squish Sam the bear in the process.

The little girl thanked them and tugged on the wagon handle roughly to start off on her way out to the exit and back outside.

Making her way back home, the girl trudged a bit heavier-footed with the now full wagon, but with the same steadfast determination she had had at the start of her journey.

Reaching the big house with the wrap-around porch her mother and her called home, the girl turned up the walkway and stopped the wagon at the foot of the wooden porch steps, letting it bang against them to a halt.

Leaving Sam alone in the wagon, she slowly lugged each plastic bag full of food up the stairs and brought them all into the foyer of the old, yet well-maintained house before beginning to unpack them and put each item into their place, either in the cupboards or refrigerator.

As she put the last of the groceries away and was bunching up the plastic bags into the bag holder under the sink, a noise from the floor above made her look suddenly upwards with a worried look upon her youthful face.

A noise like someone moving across the wooden floor in the room directly above; her mother's bedroom.

With a heavy sigh, the now weary little girl went back to the fridge to pull out a package of bloody hunks of meat she had purchased from the store.

Slopping the red meat chunks into a clean bowl, she carried it out to the hall and up the creaking stairs that led to the second floor.

The noises grew louder as she neared the closed door of her mother's room at the front of the house, along the narrow upstairs hallway.

Sounds of someone moving cumbersomely mixed in with a strange metallic noise came from behind the door as she put her hand on the knob. As she turned the antique crystal doorknob, the noises cut off abruptly and the door opened upon creaking hinges into the dark of the room.

The opening door let the sunlight in from the well-lit hallway windows; a slowly widening wedge that revealed a heavily scuffed and scratched hardwood floor. Marks made by heavy metal chains and sharp animal-like claws.

Standing silhouetted, the girl's figure was tiny and small in the doorframe.

"Mommy?" She spoke barely above a whisper. "I brought you dinner. Are you feeling any better?"

She held out the bowl of meat and cautiously peered into the still dim corner of the dark bedroom. The smell of rotten meat filled the room and the girl tried not to gag as she took a timid step forward.

Movement in the shadows at the far side of the room stopped her advance and she bent down, never taking her eyes off the darkened area where something waited, watching in the shadows.

Placing the bowl on the floor and slowly pushing it along the marred wood, the little girl tried to move it as far into the room as possible without actually moving closer herself.

Instantaneously, an inhuman screech came from the shadows and a hideous figure lunged out with skeletal arms and razor-like fingers that no longer resembled human hands, but a creature's claws.

The monstrous creature was a twisted nightmare of how her beautiful mother had once looked. Her skin, grey and almost translucent; her once lush, dark brown hair had all but fallen out, leaving only patches of thin wisps on her otherwise bald head.

Gaunt and wiry, her soiled clothes hung off of her in rags; ripped and torn with slashes upon her skin showing underneath. Slashes and cuts that were self-inflicted as though she had been trying to ripped her own skin off.

Yet it was her eyes that held the most terror for the young girl. They had always been a bright emerald green, but now they were a solid black that seemed to seethe with hatred and rage toward her from the darkness of her maddened mind.

Jumping back outside the door, the little girl narrowly missed being snatched by the monster who had been her mother before the chain around its neck ended and stopped the thing in its tracks.

Swiping and gnashing its sharpen teeth at the girl, the creature continued to struggle against its chain shackles, wildly trying to attack its only daughter.

"You eat your dinner, mommy." The little girl stammered, "Eat it and maybe you'll get better soon, okay?"

Snarling madly, her mother knocked over the bowl with her stamping feet and she noticed the bloody meat for the first time as it spilled out over the floor.

Ravenously, she attacked the chunks little a starved animal, as her daughter watched on with tears welling up in her own green eyes.


"Please get better, mommy. I love you." She said as she closed the door upon the monster as the noises of it eating grotesquely in the dark masked the crying sounds from the little girl as she slumped to the ground on the other side.

Sunday, May 15, 2016

Butterfly Sanctuary

Sitting quietly amongst the flowers that filled the air with their peasant aromas, she allowed herself a moment to relax; a small repose from the usual turmoil that had filled her life as of late.

Taking in all of the exotic plant life hidden away in the forest garden she had stumbled upon, she felt a smile spread across her face that lightened her pretty features, which had been darkened with grief and worry as of late.

She watched as fat bumble bees lumbered from fragrant flower to fragrant flower, filling the sunny garden with a happy buzz.

A fluttering movement above made her look up to see a multi-coloured butterfly come floating down from the clearing that opened up into the clear blue sky.

The beautifully delicate creature flitted down to where she sat upon the smoothed stump bench, situated in the middle of the soft, green grass of the garden lawn. It descended until it finally came to touch gently down on her shoulder. She marvelled at the intricate patterns covering its wings.

Before she could study the butterfly that had just landed with more scrutiny, another fluttered down from above and she watched it pass in front of her face to come to a rest upon the sleeve of her blouse.

Almost immediately, another appeared above her head and as she looked up again, she saw the air filled with a kaleidoscope of colours from the multitude of butterflies that now swirled quietly around her.

Her smile widened and she let out a delighted giggle as she held out her arms for more of the lovely creatures to perch upon. Curiously, the landed insects did not stop flapping their tiny wings but continued beating them rhythmically.

More and more of the butterflies began to land all over her paisley blouse, their delicate-looking legs clipping onto her clothing securely. Unsettlingly secure, in fact.

Finally examining the first one that had landed on her shoulder more closely, her blood ran cold as she saw that the set of tiny mandibles were actually made of a black metallic material; the body of the thing, she now also saw was just a metal cylinder made to mimic that of a butterfly's.

The tiny mechanical abomination's wings were not at all frail or organic, rather, made of a translucent, parchment-thin alloy themselves; light-weight, but clearly strong.

She began to struggle in panic against their miniature vice grip, but the multitude of robot creatures upon her was too powerful en mass to fight against, and she felt herself being lifted off her stump seat.

Slowly, their strong little wings lifted her into the air even against her struggles to break free.

Soon, she was ascending above the tree line of the surrounding forest, into the blue sky, leaving the green sanctuary of the hidden garden below.

Now, she hoped the nightmarish little creatures' hold on her did not loosen as she watched the ground fall further away.

The fear and panic that had stolen across her heart at the realization the electro-machines were not as they seemed now drained away and was replaced by the seething hatred and rage that came with the knowledge of who had sent them, and where they were now taking her.

There was no need to look up to know what she would find in the distance upon the horizon; he had sent these horrid things for her, and now they brought her to their evil master.

Far off on the horizon, upon one of the many balconies of his mountain fortress, he stood scrubbing his hands together maliciously.

Soon, he thought with a mad grin upon his crooked face, soon his tiny winged minions would be bringing her to him, and she would finally be his!

The evil Dr. Otto Van Noort let out a cracked laugh that echoed across the skies as the tiny speck of a figure against the vast blue of the horizon floated closer; his lovely bride being brought unwillingly toward his foreboding mountain lair.

Monday, April 18, 2016

Spectre

He felt the presence of a shadow behind him, moving in unison with his own footsteps as he walked home along the dimly lit street.

Its spectre had been there throughout the day, yet in the sunlight it was diminished, faded into the background so he had almost forgotten about it.

Now, in the night hours, the ominous entity was a dense sensation behind him, following just out of his field of vision so that each time he dared a look back over his shoulder, nothing was there, except the foreboding dread that he knew to be hiding beyond the street lamps' light glowing borders.

Hurrying along his way, he arrives at his house and enters the front door in an almost frantic state.

Safely on the other side of the big wooden front door, he leans against its solidness, catching his breath as he laughs at himself for being so worked up over nothing.

But had it been nothing? Perhaps, but that feeling of dread as if his phantom follower was closing in him; ready to envelop his very self in its dark, shadowy abyss did not feel like nothing.

He locks the door and walks down the hallway to put his coat in the closet under the stairs that leads up to the second floor.

Turning quickly around at movement out of the corner of his eye he catches the sight of his own reflection in the hall mirror and startles himself, and he laughs once more at his foolishness.

Jumping at shadows, he thinks to himself as he shakes his head and walks away from the mirror's reflection.

Yet, his reflection does not move with him; indeed its familiar visage becomes stern and menacing as it watches its unsuspecting doppelganger move down the hallway.

Slowly, a chilling sneer spreads across its lips and it moving as swiftly as a shadow, it blurs out of sight of the mirror's frame.

Outside the still darkened house, a scream breaks the calm of the evening, only to be cut off abruptly once again, retuning the quiet to the sleepy, shadow-filled street.

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Outro

Droplets of blood fell on the crisp white snow as red booted foot staggered slightly with a crunching sound.

High up in the snow-covered mountains, the bright blue sky stood in stark contrast to the clean white of the plateau, making each colour pop with vibrancy as a red cape fluttered in the brisk breeze.

Looking down at his side, he pulled his hand away from the tear in his dark blue suit to see blood covering his bare hand; it had been so long since he had seen his own blood, it seemed foreign and unreal.

He did not need his supersonic ability to hear the foot falls behind him; just as he did not need to turn around to know who it was that stood there.

"I knew you would come." He announced plainly as he stood straight, ignoring the burning that radiated from his wounded side.

He turned to look upon his enemy and saw the familiar crazed look of malice in the bloodshot eyes as the twisted figure stood crookedly, holding a jagged knife made out of what looked to be carved purple gemstone. The blade was covered in blood; his blood.

He took an unsteady step toward his arch enemy, who jerkily took a hurried step back, unsure of what to do now that the fatal blow had been struck.

Though, seeing that his foe was now slowly becoming more unsteady, the green-suited maniac stood his ground a bit more confidently, gripping the knife hilt tighter just in case.

"I knew you would never stop." He told his eternal nemesis. "You will never stop. As long as there is me, there will always be you. No matter how many times we fight, and how many times I stop your mad schemes, our battle will never end. I know this now."

The twisted smile of the villain spread across his scarred face and a mad chuckle slipped out as he started slowly to circle around his wounded foe; his erratic movements contrasting the lanky grace of his long lithe limbs.

"I must protect the planet against your evil, and all others like you." The strong, still youthful-looking man said in a voice of one who is much older; much more fatigued. "But in the end, I fear that I will fail the people of this world; that I have failed them."

Another sadistic laugh escaped the mad man's lips as he almost danced around the hobbled hero, their footfalls crunching resoundingly in the sunny calm of the mountain top.

The hero looked up into the clear azure sky above.

"I have travelled to the far reaches of the globe, and I have seen the good in its people." His voice carried over the images of a woman making her way through a crowed market square; a man riding the bus home from work; a young college student sitting in a cafe with her computer.
"I have seen it in the eyes of woman in the bombed ruins of a spice market" He continued as the images played out, "The eyes a man on a crowded bus careening wildly out of control through a busy city street; a young woman in a cafe that was being held up. Even in a young boy whose family was trapped in flames as he watched the fire consume their home."

The image of a young boy with tears streaming down his dirty face as the flickering light of flames reflected upon him.

"I have seen the will in them, the potential to help defend the world against the evils set upon it, evils like you; if only they had the strength, the ability to match their willingness to be champions."

He looked back down at his enemy and the mad man stopped his crazed jig as fear crept back into his eyes.

"I know now," muscular hero in the blue and red suit stated in a once more powerful voice, "what I must to do."

In one blurred movement, he lunged at his foe, grapping the alarmed mad man in his steel-like arms and flew up into the cloudless sky.

Speeding further and further up, his enemy tried to struggle from the tight grip but to no avail, even the continued stabs of the purple blade had no effect on their assent toward the shining sun.

"Nrghaaa!" The squirming villain exclaimed shrilly as he continued to try to break free of the vice-like arms that held fast. "Let me go you fool! You can't do this! I've killed you! I've won!!"

"No." The hero said as he slowed to hover high up in the cold, thin air above the mountain peaks. "It will be our sacrifice that will save us both. Let me show you the light."

With his enemy still kicking and screaming to be let loose, the caped hero began to spin around and around, faster and faster, until the two men were only a blur of colours spinning in the glare of the sun's light.

Pulsating waves radiated out from them with the booms of sonic sound, while their multicoloured blur melted into pure, shimmering light, which became blinding until one final wave exploded out, obliterating them from existence.

Across the skies the light travelled, passing over small villages on arid plains; over bustling cityscapes of massive metropolises; farms, war-torn deserts, snow-covered settlements in the north, fishing towns on the shores of the vast oceans, and steamy, sprawling cities of the south.

Wherever it passed, a person was suddenly struck with the light that then glowed within them; the woman in the spice market, the man on the crowded bus, the student in the cafe, and the sad boy sitting alone on an orphanage cot.

They all were lifted off the ground and filled with the light that shined brightly in their eyes.

All over the world, random people were simultaneously filled with the same light; the light to help safeguard against the darkness that threatened to overtake the planet, and they were given the strength and ability to match the heroic spirit that had always been there.

The light faded and the world when on as it ever had; only now, instead of its one hero, it had many.

In the bright blue skies above the snow-covered mountains, all was calm once more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DJ3-BVMjOs