I give to you a story in eleventy-one words...
On a clear day during the 473rd starcycle, Zakarin left the colony seeking rare and elusive artifacts.
Each day, he pursued the detritus of his forebears, and each day he returned to the colony with naught but a weather-worn face. His sister, Lorani, resentfully earned the family’s meager keep, sacrificing for an unrealized dream that both her father and brother dreamt.
Towards starfall – far from the outer reaches of the settlement barrier – Zakarin readied to leave when he happened upon an ancient emerald cylinder, long since devoid of liquid. In his excitement, he gripped the aluminum with his bare hand and, for the first time, experienced the spiritual sensation called plenum.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
Giant
I give to you a story in eleventy-one words...
They ran as fast as their diminutive legs could carry them. Behind them came a sound like chattering teeth followed by an ear-shattering squeal. From the bush exploded a sleek creature with azure fir. Scarlet eyes shone from its elongated face. Where ears should be, the creature had black jutting horns, one of which had been badly mauled.
‘Run!’ the thin one yelled. The fat one lagged. ‘It’s right behind you!’ He stopped, pulled out his stick and turned just in time to be flattened by his fat partner. The creature slowed, squealed. The creature’s transparent fangs magnified its orange innards as it prepared to pounce.
Then the giant stepped in.
They ran as fast as their diminutive legs could carry them. Behind them came a sound like chattering teeth followed by an ear-shattering squeal. From the bush exploded a sleek creature with azure fir. Scarlet eyes shone from its elongated face. Where ears should be, the creature had black jutting horns, one of which had been badly mauled.
‘Run!’ the thin one yelled. The fat one lagged. ‘It’s right behind you!’ He stopped, pulled out his stick and turned just in time to be flattened by his fat partner. The creature slowed, squealed. The creature’s transparent fangs magnified its orange innards as it prepared to pounce.
Then the giant stepped in.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Father Not
‘Eddie is not your father.’
His mother’s words hung like a beehive on a rotten branch.
He responded in the only way he knew how, ‘What the hell are you talking about?’
‘I’ve tried to find the right time to tell you.’
‘And you thought this was the best time?’
‘I know your brother just died.'
‘Really? I hadn’t noticed.’
She bowed her head, wiped away the tears. ‘Eddie is Brian’s father.’ She referred to her dead son as if he still lived.
‘Who’s mine?’
‘I don’t know.’
His mouth opened, closed, opened again. ‘You don’t know who my father is? Were you a slut?’
‘No, I was a virgin.’
His mother’s words hung like a beehive on a rotten branch.
He responded in the only way he knew how, ‘What the hell are you talking about?’
‘I’ve tried to find the right time to tell you.’
‘And you thought this was the best time?’
‘I know your brother just died.'
‘Really? I hadn’t noticed.’
She bowed her head, wiped away the tears. ‘Eddie is Brian’s father.’ She referred to her dead son as if he still lived.
‘Who’s mine?’
‘I don’t know.’
His mouth opened, closed, opened again. ‘You don’t know who my father is? Were you a slut?’
‘No, I was a virgin.’
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Raw Meat
I give to you a story in eleventy-one words...
He sank what teeth he had into the warm juicy flesh. Blood glistened on his ruddy skin. His sister played it perfectly, ran up behind him and hit him with her bag.
‘You’ve contaminated the meat, you idiot. You can’t just bite into raw meat with your condition.’
He loosened his grip on the carcass and bowed his head in shame.
‘I’m very sorry, sir. My brother has the gloam.’ She extended the raw meat in her hand.
The butcher backed away, white knuckling his knife. ‘Keep it.’
‘So nice of you,’ she bowed. ‘I am very sorry for the inconvenience.’
He grimaced.
They had secured enough food for their journey.
He sank what teeth he had into the warm juicy flesh. Blood glistened on his ruddy skin. His sister played it perfectly, ran up behind him and hit him with her bag.
‘You’ve contaminated the meat, you idiot. You can’t just bite into raw meat with your condition.’
He loosened his grip on the carcass and bowed his head in shame.
‘I’m very sorry, sir. My brother has the gloam.’ She extended the raw meat in her hand.
The butcher backed away, white knuckling his knife. ‘Keep it.’
‘So nice of you,’ she bowed. ‘I am very sorry for the inconvenience.’
He grimaced.
They had secured enough food for their journey.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Clutch
‘How is the first draft coming?’
‘It’s terrible.’
‘I don’t want to hear that.’
‘It’s the truth.’
Mark recited the Serenity Prayer to himself.
‘You’re running out of time.’
‘That is altogether true.’
‘I’ll fire you if you don’t write it.’
‘Is that a promise?’
‘I’m serious.’
‘Me too.’
Mark paced. Chris stared at the screen.
‘What do you need?’
‘You know what I need.’
‘I can’t locate it.’
‘Then I can’t write this.’
‘For God’s sake, it doesn’t give you special powers!’
‘Have I ever failed to get you what you want?’
‘No,’ Mark sulked
‘Then give it back to me.’
Mark reached into his pocket and clutched the ring.
‘It’s terrible.’
‘I don’t want to hear that.’
‘It’s the truth.’
Mark recited the Serenity Prayer to himself.
‘You’re running out of time.’
‘That is altogether true.’
‘I’ll fire you if you don’t write it.’
‘Is that a promise?’
‘I’m serious.’
‘Me too.’
Mark paced. Chris stared at the screen.
‘What do you need?’
‘You know what I need.’
‘I can’t locate it.’
‘Then I can’t write this.’
‘For God’s sake, it doesn’t give you special powers!’
‘Have I ever failed to get you what you want?’
‘No,’ Mark sulked
‘Then give it back to me.’
Mark reached into his pocket and clutched the ring.
Possession 2
I give to you a story in eleventy-one words...
Jeff finished his presentation and excused himself to make the call. Given such nice weather he went outside and walked to a secluded spot away from the building. He dialed the number his wife had provided.
‘Pat Wiles,’ the voice was raspier than he remembered.
‘Hey Pat, this is Jeff Chaput. Long time no chat.’
‘Jeff, how the hell are you?’
‘I can’t complain. I’m out in Texas giving a presentation.’
‘Yeah, you’re wife told me.’
There was an awkward pause.
‘She said I have something of yours?’
‘In a manner of speaking. You owe me.’
‘What?’
‘How soon you forget.’
‘No really, do I owe you money or something?’
‘Something.’
Jeff finished his presentation and excused himself to make the call. Given such nice weather he went outside and walked to a secluded spot away from the building. He dialed the number his wife had provided.
‘Pat Wiles,’ the voice was raspier than he remembered.
‘Hey Pat, this is Jeff Chaput. Long time no chat.’
‘Jeff, how the hell are you?’
‘I can’t complain. I’m out in Texas giving a presentation.’
‘Yeah, you’re wife told me.’
There was an awkward pause.
‘She said I have something of yours?’
‘In a manner of speaking. You owe me.’
‘What?’
‘How soon you forget.’
‘No really, do I owe you money or something?’
‘Something.’
Possession 1
I give to you a story in eleventy-one words...
Jeff woke and stared at the alarm clock. Squinting, he made out the bright red digits 5:45. He donned his glasses, sat upright; the hotel room came into focus. His hand reached for the worn frame. He kissed the glass twice, once each for his wife and son. He called home on his cell.
‘Good morning,’ his wife, Megan, chirped.
‘Hi honey.’
They traded small talk.
Just before they hung up, Megan said, ‘Oh, an old college buddy of yours called last night to see if you were here. Patrick…’
‘Wiles?’
‘Yeah, that’s him. He wants to stop by tonight to get something. He said you’d know what he’s talking about.’
Jeff woke and stared at the alarm clock. Squinting, he made out the bright red digits 5:45. He donned his glasses, sat upright; the hotel room came into focus. His hand reached for the worn frame. He kissed the glass twice, once each for his wife and son. He called home on his cell.
‘Good morning,’ his wife, Megan, chirped.
‘Hi honey.’
They traded small talk.
Just before they hung up, Megan said, ‘Oh, an old college buddy of yours called last night to see if you were here. Patrick…’
‘Wiles?’
‘Yeah, that’s him. He wants to stop by tonight to get something. He said you’d know what he’s talking about.’
Monday, April 9, 2012
The Path
I give to you a story in eleventy-one words...
The purple-orange waves lapped against the gray rock’s worn crevices. In twenty minutes the rising tide would consume the thin path leading back to the mainland.
He didn’t care; he preferred the dangerous simplicity of the wet, jagged limestone. His right hand leaned on a book he had read, a simple tale of love by a long-dead German author.
‘What happens now, I wonder?’ he inquired of the encompassing water and failing dusk. ‘Shall I make my home on this wind worn boulder?’
‘If you wish,’ came a voice between the wind. ‘But you don’t want that.’
‘What do I want, then?’
The ocean swallowed the last remnant of the path.
The purple-orange waves lapped against the gray rock’s worn crevices. In twenty minutes the rising tide would consume the thin path leading back to the mainland.
He didn’t care; he preferred the dangerous simplicity of the wet, jagged limestone. His right hand leaned on a book he had read, a simple tale of love by a long-dead German author.
‘What happens now, I wonder?’ he inquired of the encompassing water and failing dusk. ‘Shall I make my home on this wind worn boulder?’
‘If you wish,’ came a voice between the wind. ‘But you don’t want that.’
‘What do I want, then?’
The ocean swallowed the last remnant of the path.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Shell
Paul’s ancient eyes looked down from the green sloping hill upon the shell of what had been a Catholic Church. It had long since fallen into disrepair; its bricks lay smashed and broken in the remains of what had been a parking lot.
Paul recalled attending mass there with his grandparents. Receiving the wafer with his right hand cradling his left. Lifting the gold plated cup to his lips and sipping. Father Durant used to put his massive arm around his shoulder and talk to him about his plans to be a baseball player or pilot.
Paul felt the nostalgia but no regret. Good riddance, he thought. What good were you?
Paul recalled attending mass there with his grandparents. Receiving the wafer with his right hand cradling his left. Lifting the gold plated cup to his lips and sipping. Father Durant used to put his massive arm around his shoulder and talk to him about his plans to be a baseball player or pilot.
Paul felt the nostalgia but no regret. Good riddance, he thought. What good were you?
Monday, April 2, 2012
Rustling
‘It isn’t moving.’
‘I know.’
‘But you said we’d follow…’
‘I know what I said,’ he hissed.
The giant twisted its head, glanced in their direction.
They froze.
The giant looked away.
The thin one backhanded his companion.
‘Why’d you do that?’
‘For making me yell at you.’
‘Huh?’ was all he could muster.
They turned back to the road. The giant had vanished.
‘Now you’ve done it.’
‘What?’
‘He’s gone.’
‘Who?’
‘The giant!’
‘Oh.’
‘And that means the stick!’
‘Oh no.’
They both heard a familiar rustle. Without both sticks, there was only one thing they could do.
‘Run!!’ the thin one screamed.
But he knew there was no escape.
‘I know.’
‘But you said we’d follow…’
‘I know what I said,’ he hissed.
The giant twisted its head, glanced in their direction.
They froze.
The giant looked away.
The thin one backhanded his companion.
‘Why’d you do that?’
‘For making me yell at you.’
‘Huh?’ was all he could muster.
They turned back to the road. The giant had vanished.
‘Now you’ve done it.’
‘What?’
‘He’s gone.’
‘Who?’
‘The giant!’
‘Oh.’
‘And that means the stick!’
‘Oh no.’
They both heard a familiar rustle. Without both sticks, there was only one thing they could do.
‘Run!!’ the thin one screamed.
But he knew there was no escape.
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