Saturday, January 24, 2015
Old Man
Friday, June 13, 2014
There Be Giants!
There Be Giants!
“Hey, psst buddy, wake up.” I heard this coming through my sleep as I
slowly opened my eyes. “Where am I?” I asked softly. It was dark and I could
barely make out the movement between the flashes of light. “Buddy you might as
well be in Purgatory for all I know. You got here probably an hour ago, just
after dark. What happened?” I told him all I could remember; I said “It was
dusk, not to dark yet, but just enough for me to use my light. I was playing in
the woods not too far from this old cabin. I felt a whoosh of air around me and
everything went black, I felt this pressure against me as if the darkness just swallowed
me whole.” I was relieved to find that my light still flashed. It looked like
we were pretty high up on a branch. “Where are we?” I asked again. “What does
it matter?” a voice came from below, “You’re not getting out.” Between flashes
I could make out two eyes down below me. “Eventually you’ll grow tired and
fall, and then you’re mine.” Came the phantom voice filled with pleasure. “What
the hell is that?!” I started to shake, a bit startled from this new
development. “Some demonic thing that loves to torture us” my cellmate said, “There
were three others in here with me when I arrived and like he said, one by one
we’ve fallen to him.” I looked down and tried to make out more of him as mine
and my companion’s lights flickered on and off. He was large, on all fours and
maybe a tail. I’d be able to see it better if I climbed lower, but I didn’t
want to risk falling and proving him right. “What do you want from me?!” I
yelled down to this monster. “Well to eat you of course, why else do you think
you are hear my silly morsel?” The calmness in his voice as he casually
discussed my demise was truly disturbing.
I had to get out of here, no way was I going to end up on the menu for
that thing! I climbed to the end of the branch. It seemed to be wedged tight
against a wall, so I made me way to the other end. It was the same here as
well, both sides wedged in flush and suspended across an abyss with inescapable
death waiting below. The walls were smooth and cold to the touch but I could
probably climb it to the top. Guessing what I was thinking, my friend spoke up.
“I wouldn’t try that, the last one who tried almost made it and slipped at the
top. Fell all the way to the bottom and broke his back, that bastard toyed with
him for hours. Besides the top is sealed off, it only opens when the Master
drops more of us in here. They all usually fall right to the bottom, but I was
able to catch you.” I asked who this mysterious Master that imprisoned us here
was. “You’ve never heard of the giants?” he asked. “Of course I have, who hasn’t?”
The giants were a fairy tale, a boogeyman story made up to scare children. They
would come in the night and pluck you up. They would through you into cages and
watch you for their amusement. As the stories go, if you were lucky, they would
let you go after a few hours. Some of the stories didn’t have a so happy of
ending. A few would end with the abducted dying alone in isolation or worse,
being suffocated. My own great grandfather told me tales of the time he was taken,
said they kept him for three days with only grass to eat. Of course Grandpa was
old and again, they were just stories to scare us kids, right? The giants
couldn’t be real, could they? “So you’re trying to tell me that we were thrown
in here by some childhood nightmare? Is that what you’re telling me?” “That is
exactly what my appetizer is telling you.” Came the voice from below again. “You
know, I have eaten anything in a few days now and I am truly famished so could
one of you kindly come down here?” “If what you say is true, then you’re
trapped in here just like us. Why not work with us and get yourself free?”
Laughter boiled up and continued to travel up every hair on my body. “Why would
I want to leave, it’s cool, dark and I get fed my fill daily? Go ahead and
resist, it will do you no good. The Master checks every morning to make sure I
have eaten his daily catch. I can wait if you can.” I could see his grin in the
flash of light. Well if waiting is what I must do then waiting it will be. I
sat in silence for the rest of the night. A few hours before morning, my branch
company stared to sigh. I looked over at him, he said nothing. He lowered his
head and rolled backwards off the branch. He was gone before he hit bottom, a
tongue lashed out of the darkness and quickly drew him back to the beast. He
chomped with glee, all the while smiling at me as the first rays of morning lit
up my prison. For the first time I could see clearly around me. The dragon like
creature below me with his bulbous eyes stomped down the dirty beneath his
feet. He yawned and lay down. “I will be my pleasure to meet you up close in a
few hours.” He closed his eyes and went to sleep. I looked around, the walls
were completely see through, though a little distorted. It looked like I was
inside the old cabin. There was a rumble in the distance, I looked toward the
sound and saw it. I couldn’t believe my eyes! It was indeed the stuff of legends;
it was in fact a giant coming towards me! He was large, pale and ugly. It
lifted up my cage and held it up to his face. He shook it violently, but I was
able to hang on to the branch. He placed his hand on top and I could see it
move, I could hear metal scraping. “NOOO!!!” the monster shouted with rage. I
knew this might be my only chance, so I leapt towards the top. Just as my
captor opened the top, I spread my wings and flew as fast as I could! I was
out! With a quick scan I saw the trees through the large opening in the wall; I
could feel the morning air. I beat my wings as fast as they could carry me. The
giant voice was thunderous, “Don’t worry boy, I’ll get more fire flies for you
tonight.” Not this one I thought to myself, I couldn’t wait to get home and hug
my granddad. I think I’ll ever go out
after dark again!
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Love Never Ending
Love Never Ending
Harold had been waiting for today for what seemed like
forever, Date Night was finally here. He was a nervous wreck when he had asked
out, dry mouth, sweaty hands, upset stomach. He nearly fainted when she said
yes, after all she had been the Home Coming Queen and he was just a little
nobody in the back of her class. A smile broadened his face at the thought of it.
He had spent the last three nights picking out his wardrobe; he had gotten
himself a haircut that afternoon. He had to look his best for his lady. He had
been in love with Dorothy from the first time he had ever laid eyes on her,
third grade to be exact. It didn’t matter to him that she became one of the
popular people and he was a social outcast, and when asked why it had took him
nine years to ask her out, well he was just pacing himself or just waiting for
the right moment. He had the evening planned out, a nice picnic under the stars
on the lawn and a movie. He had bought one of those portable DVD players and a
couple of her favorite movies. Harold finished getting ready, checked himself
for cat hairs and lint, sprayed on a liberal amount of cologne and went to pack
the car. Dorothy lived across town and the drive would take some time in the
afternoon traffic. Harold didn’t mind the drive; it just meant that he had to
wait a little extra to see his love. You know what they say, “Absence makes the
heart grow fonder”. Harold pulled his car in and drove past the gate house and
up the drive. The closer he got he could see his Dottie sitting out on the lawn
waiting for him. She was wearing her yellow flowered sun dress; it was a warm
evening so she would be fine. If she did get a chill, Harold had packed a small
blanket to wrap up in, you know just in case. He sat and looked at her for a
few minutes before shutting off the car and getting out. He walked over to
where she Dorothy sat; she was at a small circular table. Harold started
unpacking his basket; he draped a small white table cloth over it. He had
brought three small tea light candles for light and mood. He had two of
everything, plates, glasses, silverware. He placed the movie player on ground
next to the basket for easy access after the meal. Lastly he brought out an old
photo album, it printed across the front in gold filigree, “The Story of Us”.
He flipped through the book for a moment; the first picture in the book was a
little picture of him and Dot from the photo booth at the fair. As he turned
the pages he saw her wearing the most beautiful white dress. Then the picture
of them on the front porch with holding the “For Sale” sign, his face had the
biggest smile across it. Hers was even bigger, probably because she was holding
her belly too. Then came the children’s pictures, four sets in total. There
were three little boys and ended with a tiny little girl that was a miniature image
of Dorothy. Finally the children seem to grow bigger towards the end with even
more smaller children appearing. Harold closed the album and set it on the
table. A small tear appeared in the corner of his eye as he looked to the lady
in white standing just to the left of Dottie. “I’ll bring her back to her room
after the movie Karen”, Harold told the woman. “Just let me know if you need
any help Harry”, the lady said back to him before walking away towards the big
house behind them. Harold reached over and took one of Dottie’s hands and with
his other he brushed away the silvery hair from her face. “I love you Dottie, I
always have and I always will”, Harold stared into Dorothy’s eyes and she
stared through him.
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Footprints
Footprints
By Doug Salway on Saturday, March 10, 2012 at 12:29am
The footprints in the snow suddenly ended. The only way to go was up. That seemed to obvious, Charles thought. Back tracking the trail, he noticed several small branches broken off the underbrush. "You sneaky bastard" he mutter under his breath before plunging into the darkness even further. The moon wasn’t even close to being full yet, this would make tracking Johnson a little difficult, but not much more. Of course Johnson wouldn’t be able to pace, he wasn’t made for this terrain. To many years behind a desk eating Krispy Kreme will to that to a man. Charles knew that his prey would have to stop before long, and then he’d have him.
It was supposed to be a simple in and out. Johnson worked there so he knew the layout, had the access, had the keys. Charles just needed a job and money plain and simple. Charles liked simple. And it was. The doors were open where they needed to be, this person or that was on break or bathroom, just like Johnson said. Charles made his way to the eighth floor, first door on left. There it was sitting on the desk, no guards, no people in general, one silver metal case. Charles figured if it was important, somebody would be watching it. He picked it up and made his was by down to the parking garage with the same ease.
Charles had been given a location, a secluded place not far off of highway 62, at the base of the mountains. This time of year is usually too cold for camping, so the place should be pretty empty. He was to meet with Johnson for his payment. "The easiest $50 grand I’ve ever made" he thought to himself. Charles threw the case in the trunk and headed north.
The small cabin was easy enough to find and far enough away to deter any unwanted attention. Charles got out of his care to take a look around. There was another car there as well, Johnson’s obviously. Everything seemed to be in place so he headed in side to make the exchange. The sooner he got his over with the sooner he could get home. The thought of being here after sundown didn’t sit well Charles. "Well it’s about time you got here, did you manage it well" Johnson asked hastily. "Yeah I got it alright" he said in return. "Let’s get this over with, I need to get back before it gets too late" Charles said, "You bring the money?" Johnson drew a large smile across his face, "About that", he said, "I’ve decided that I’d make a better profit without a partner. Of course there’s still a need for a patsy." "You see, your finger prints are all over that building, stairwells, and door knobs. When they realize this is missing," Johnson shook the case. "You’ll be the one whose prints come up that don’t belong there." "So you didn’t even bring my money did you?" Charles asked. "Oh, I have the money, not that you’ll see any of it!" With that Johnson bolted out the door. Charles sat down at the small kitchenette table. "I’ll give him a small head start." He said to himself throwing the dirty spark plug cable on the counter top.
When Johnson rounded the drive way, he saw the hood to his car was up. Not thinking he tried to start it to no prevails. Panic set in, "FUCK!" he shouted and jump from the car. The wilderness was dark and getting darker. "I can lose him on the hiking trail and double back" Johnson thought, and then ran off into the woods.
The moon was almost at its peak when Charles heard the branch snap. He could smell Johnson's sweat soaked clothes in the air. The night filled with new sounds, smells wafted into his nostrils. Then the pain hit, the familiar pain that he had grown accustom to over the years, his bones breaking and rearranging themselves. He fell to his knees ripping at his clothes. Johnson’s backstabbing run would be over shortly. Charles’s laughter turned to growl. Never double cross a wolf.
It was supposed to be a simple in and out. Johnson worked there so he knew the layout, had the access, had the keys. Charles just needed a job and money plain and simple. Charles liked simple. And it was. The doors were open where they needed to be, this person or that was on break or bathroom, just like Johnson said. Charles made his way to the eighth floor, first door on left. There it was sitting on the desk, no guards, no people in general, one silver metal case. Charles figured if it was important, somebody would be watching it. He picked it up and made his was by down to the parking garage with the same ease.
Charles had been given a location, a secluded place not far off of highway 62, at the base of the mountains. This time of year is usually too cold for camping, so the place should be pretty empty. He was to meet with Johnson for his payment. "The easiest $50 grand I’ve ever made" he thought to himself. Charles threw the case in the trunk and headed north.
The small cabin was easy enough to find and far enough away to deter any unwanted attention. Charles got out of his care to take a look around. There was another car there as well, Johnson’s obviously. Everything seemed to be in place so he headed in side to make the exchange. The sooner he got his over with the sooner he could get home. The thought of being here after sundown didn’t sit well Charles. "Well it’s about time you got here, did you manage it well" Johnson asked hastily. "Yeah I got it alright" he said in return. "Let’s get this over with, I need to get back before it gets too late" Charles said, "You bring the money?" Johnson drew a large smile across his face, "About that", he said, "I’ve decided that I’d make a better profit without a partner. Of course there’s still a need for a patsy." "You see, your finger prints are all over that building, stairwells, and door knobs. When they realize this is missing," Johnson shook the case. "You’ll be the one whose prints come up that don’t belong there." "So you didn’t even bring my money did you?" Charles asked. "Oh, I have the money, not that you’ll see any of it!" With that Johnson bolted out the door. Charles sat down at the small kitchenette table. "I’ll give him a small head start." He said to himself throwing the dirty spark plug cable on the counter top.
When Johnson rounded the drive way, he saw the hood to his car was up. Not thinking he tried to start it to no prevails. Panic set in, "FUCK!" he shouted and jump from the car. The wilderness was dark and getting darker. "I can lose him on the hiking trail and double back" Johnson thought, and then ran off into the woods.
The moon was almost at its peak when Charles heard the branch snap. He could smell Johnson's sweat soaked clothes in the air. The night filled with new sounds, smells wafted into his nostrils. Then the pain hit, the familiar pain that he had grown accustom to over the years, his bones breaking and rearranging themselves. He fell to his knees ripping at his clothes. Johnson’s backstabbing run would be over shortly. Charles’s laughter turned to growl. Never double cross a wolf.
Friendships past, stories and talltales
Friendships past, stories and talltales
By Doug Salway on Friday, May 25, 2012 at 5:22pm
Any of you have that special group of friends? You know, those through thick and thin kind of deals? Well in my life, I've been lucky enough to have two sets. These are the kind of friends that no matter where you are you're always going to keep in touch. I mean we're not just friends, we're family For the next little while, whenever I get the inkling to do so, I'm going to be posting long lost stories of long ago. If anybody finds them entertaining let me know, or if you happen to be one of the people in the story and I've somehow mangled it over time, by all means please correct me.
It was probably a cool autumn afternoon. We had gathered by the lake as we were want to do during this time of year. You see, Bobby was the live in maintenance man at a Christian summer camp. After the Summer had ended the camp would close up till mid spring, so we pretty much had free run of the place for over half the year. At any given time you could find any combination of Bobby, Ben, Paul, and myself just hanging around and running amuck. On this particular day I'm not sure who was there, or even if I was there. Its one of those kind of stories that after so many retellings, you're not so clear on the detail but you know it so well that you may have been there just the same. We're going to assume for stories sake that all four of us were. Like I said before, it was definitely a cool autumn afternoon. We we're gather at the edge of the lake, in a tiny cove just off from the main camp. We would always fish here, best fish, less Gar. We had been sitting quietly on the bank for most of the day, I hadn't caught anything, of course I never did. The day had been pretty peaceful until this vicious creature dug its way straight up from hell. This god awful chirping noise just started coming out of nowhere, breaking that much loved silence. After some looking around we discover the source, this tiny little mud frog had clawed its way up out of the mud. He just sat there chirping away, just happy to be seen and heard. After about ten minutes of this Bobby decided he was over it and pushed the annoyance back into the mud. Squish went his foot and gone was the hell spawn. We all had a good laugh about it and went on fishing. Sometime later the chirping had started again, looking down there was our little friend back for more. Sitting between Bobby and myself, right in the middle of Bobby's footprint. This time it was my turn, I picked up my foot and plopped him even further down in the mud. There was no way he was coming back to bother us, of course I was wrong, he came back louder than ever. This went on for some time, Bobby and I would take turns. We'd push him in and he's come back for more. We all just decided to ignore the little bastard, seem the best thing to do. We four sat there trying our best to pretend that it just wasn't there. That little monster was relentless, he must have continued on for at least two more hours. Just when I was about to push him back in, Bobby let out a milk curdling scream. He slammed his fishing pole to the ground and picked up the 12 gauge shotgun we always carried with us, you in case of trouble. We were in the woods of South Carolina after all, you never know what kind of furry, four legged, man eating, possibly banjo picking nasty was going to come out at you. Anyway, like I was saying, Bobby picked up the gun and aimed at the frog. Now, this aiming consisted of basically resting the barrel right on top of the the frog's head. Before any of us knew what was going on, he pulled the trigger. I don't know about you, but I've never been that close to a gunshot before. Meaning to say, that I was the one right next to Bobby, I'm talking less than a foot away from the frog. Ben and Paul were on either side of us. So, lets recap here shall we, we've got the ground which upon is sitting a frog, a mud frog, maybe 3 inches tall, if that. A 12 gauge shotgun with the barrel on top, and me all cozy right next to it. I would say there was a very loud bang, but I could be certain since I couldn't hear anything over the ringing in my ears from the blast. I looked up at Bobby, he was oblivious of what he had just done. Just standing there, staring at this smoking hole where the frog had been seconds ago. He was covered up to his waist and some of his face with mud, of course we all were cover with mud. Me being the worst since I was sitting down at ground zero. Bobby threw the gun down on the large once was frog hole, sat down and began casting his rod out again. There pretty much was no use fishing anymore, that shot probably scared even the biggest fish away from our spot. We didn't care, we were going to fish anyway. We sat there in quite again, nobody mentioning Bobby's melt-down. About a hour had past since the incident and I was just about to cast out again. I looked down at my feet just in time to seen a large clump of mud that was sitting between me and Ben start moving a bit. Within a few seconds something had emerged from the center of the pile, climb up on top. It just sat there eyeing us, its bulbous eyes twitching back and forth. Then it sucked in a deep breath, big enough for something three times its size and started chirping. It was that goddamn mud frog again! Bobby casually stood up didn't say a word to any of us. He threw his pole in the water, gathered his shotgun strolled away into the dusk.
It was probably a cool autumn afternoon. We had gathered by the lake as we were want to do during this time of year. You see, Bobby was the live in maintenance man at a Christian summer camp. After the Summer had ended the camp would close up till mid spring, so we pretty much had free run of the place for over half the year. At any given time you could find any combination of Bobby, Ben, Paul, and myself just hanging around and running amuck. On this particular day I'm not sure who was there, or even if I was there. Its one of those kind of stories that after so many retellings, you're not so clear on the detail but you know it so well that you may have been there just the same. We're going to assume for stories sake that all four of us were. Like I said before, it was definitely a cool autumn afternoon. We we're gather at the edge of the lake, in a tiny cove just off from the main camp. We would always fish here, best fish, less Gar. We had been sitting quietly on the bank for most of the day, I hadn't caught anything, of course I never did. The day had been pretty peaceful until this vicious creature dug its way straight up from hell. This god awful chirping noise just started coming out of nowhere, breaking that much loved silence. After some looking around we discover the source, this tiny little mud frog had clawed its way up out of the mud. He just sat there chirping away, just happy to be seen and heard. After about ten minutes of this Bobby decided he was over it and pushed the annoyance back into the mud. Squish went his foot and gone was the hell spawn. We all had a good laugh about it and went on fishing. Sometime later the chirping had started again, looking down there was our little friend back for more. Sitting between Bobby and myself, right in the middle of Bobby's footprint. This time it was my turn, I picked up my foot and plopped him even further down in the mud. There was no way he was coming back to bother us, of course I was wrong, he came back louder than ever. This went on for some time, Bobby and I would take turns. We'd push him in and he's come back for more. We all just decided to ignore the little bastard, seem the best thing to do. We four sat there trying our best to pretend that it just wasn't there. That little monster was relentless, he must have continued on for at least two more hours. Just when I was about to push him back in, Bobby let out a milk curdling scream. He slammed his fishing pole to the ground and picked up the 12 gauge shotgun we always carried with us, you in case of trouble. We were in the woods of South Carolina after all, you never know what kind of furry, four legged, man eating, possibly banjo picking nasty was going to come out at you. Anyway, like I was saying, Bobby picked up the gun and aimed at the frog. Now, this aiming consisted of basically resting the barrel right on top of the the frog's head. Before any of us knew what was going on, he pulled the trigger. I don't know about you, but I've never been that close to a gunshot before. Meaning to say, that I was the one right next to Bobby, I'm talking less than a foot away from the frog. Ben and Paul were on either side of us. So, lets recap here shall we, we've got the ground which upon is sitting a frog, a mud frog, maybe 3 inches tall, if that. A 12 gauge shotgun with the barrel on top, and me all cozy right next to it. I would say there was a very loud bang, but I could be certain since I couldn't hear anything over the ringing in my ears from the blast. I looked up at Bobby, he was oblivious of what he had just done. Just standing there, staring at this smoking hole where the frog had been seconds ago. He was covered up to his waist and some of his face with mud, of course we all were cover with mud. Me being the worst since I was sitting down at ground zero. Bobby threw the gun down on the large once was frog hole, sat down and began casting his rod out again. There pretty much was no use fishing anymore, that shot probably scared even the biggest fish away from our spot. We didn't care, we were going to fish anyway. We sat there in quite again, nobody mentioning Bobby's melt-down. About a hour had past since the incident and I was just about to cast out again. I looked down at my feet just in time to seen a large clump of mud that was sitting between me and Ben start moving a bit. Within a few seconds something had emerged from the center of the pile, climb up on top. It just sat there eyeing us, its bulbous eyes twitching back and forth. Then it sucked in a deep breath, big enough for something three times its size and started chirping. It was that goddamn mud frog again! Bobby casually stood up didn't say a word to any of us. He threw his pole in the water, gathered his shotgun strolled away into the dusk.
Sasha
Sasha
By Doug Salway on Sunday, June 24, 2012 at 1:53am
Sasha watched the waves crash into the shore one last time before heading home. Every evening she would make her way down the cliffs to watch the sunset. It had been many a year since she had found her way to this beach. It had been a small seclude place, with steep cliffs jutting up to the sky. There were only two ways to get to this strand. One way was a small covered maze through the rocks to the bluffs above, or you could just walk out of the ocean. It had been here forty-five years ago where she had happened upon Kieran, he was a young handsome man then. She could remember everything about that moment, how could she not. It was the first time she would lay eyes upon the man she would love for the rest of her life. They met every day that first summer, just after dawn. They lay in the sand, she remembered, it would be their last sunset. He was to ship out in the morning; he was the boatswain for the Sesothis. She would be setting sail, carrying people and cargo to the Americas. Kieran had signed up for three runs, meaning he would be at sea for almost 2 years. “Wait for me” Kieran asked, “Yes” Sasha whispered, “I will stay for you” and she stayed, never returning to the beach. The first six months passed quickly, they declared their love over the few days he would be docked refitting the ship. Kieran had no family to speak of, and she had given up everything for him, so the wedding was handled quickly by the Captain. They spent his finally night in married bliss, and he was off again at first light. She had already moved into a small waterside apartment. It was close enough to the water to smell the salt air, but far enough away to keep her at peace. The next six months came to a close and Kieran was glad for it. One more time across and he’d have enough money to make a life. Sash met him on the docks as before, only now she was different. Her belly swelled with the gift their short honeymoon had bestowed on them. She cherished the few moments she would have with him, but was saddened to think that he would miss the birth of their child. He would most likely be just beginning his last voyage home when hopefully their son was being born. Though she prayed to give him a son, she bore him a fine, strong girl. Every bit her mother in a tiny form, she named her Tighe. Upon returning, Kieran took the position of the lighthouse keeper. Sasha was happy to be out of the apartment and closer still to the ocean. They lived through the years as a family should; they lived and loved for one another. Shortly after Tighe’s seventeenth birthday, she told her parents she needed to leave. That she longed be at sea. Her father smiled warmly, “you’ve got your father’s salt in your bones, you have a yearning for the sailor’s life.” “No” Sasha thought that wasn’t it. “Does the night breeze call your name daughter?”; “Do you still feel dry after having water?” Puzzled, Tighe answered yes. “Tonight then, we three shall go to the beach and your questions will be answered. The walk down to the water was slow and quiet. Sasha could tell Kieran would be in need of answers as well. She only hoped he would listen to them. Kieran built a fire to warm and light them, while Sasha unrolled a bundle she had carried under her arm. “What is this?” Kieran asked, “It looks like a seal’s skin.” “It is mine” she said quietly. “I had just taken it off all those years ago when we first met on the beach”, “I loved you from the moment I saw you and when you asked me to wait for you, I never again needed to wear it.” Kieran was still confused. “Why would you need to wear it and how does this concern our daughter?” Sasha sighed, tears in her eyes, “because she’s only half Selkie. Being part human, she doesn’t have the ability to shift, not without this.” Sasha smoothed her hands over the soft pelt that she hadn’t touched in what seemed like a life time. “Mother, what does this all mean?” Tighe asked. “Here, it will be easier if I showed you.” Sasha whirled the skin over child’s shoulders. There in the moon light, against the glow of the fire with a faint shimmer, her daughter was no more. There before them sitting in the sand was a small black seal. Kieran gasped, hardly believing what he had just seen. Sasha grab the back of the seal and will a gentle pull, slid back the skin from Tighe. “This is your birthright, my past, my legacy. Now I give it to you, so you may make your own choice like I did.” Sasha took her husband by the hand stepped back away from the fire. Tighe, holding the skin, stepped into the surf and disappeared. “Do not worry, my love.” Sasha reassured her husband, “She will be back.” Tighe returned from time to time, letting her parents know she was healthy and happy. Sasha took over the lighthouse after Kieran fell ill. He would have done better in a dryer climate, but would not leave the sea, not for her. Not for us. Sasha watched the waves crash into the shore one last time before heading home. The salt misted on her cheeks, hiding her tears.
The Nexus
The Nexus
By Doug Salway on Monday, October 22, 2012 at 3:26pm
Standing here on the dock, looking over into the water, it’s hard to believe I died here 150 years ago today. My name is Ruari Flynn and I was born Galway Ireland in 1842. My father having moved my family to America to get away from the famine, we found life here to be not so different from home. My family finally found a stroke of luck in a small patch of land in Missouri, the farm was very prosperous. So much so, that my father had arranged a marriage for me to small merchant from home. I was to sail back to Ireland meet my husband to be. My ship was to set sail from New York harbor at early in the morning of September 1st, 1862, of course I never made it to the ship. According to history, I was waylaid by two men. They came up from behind me, one man clasping his hand over my mouth, and dragged me off out of sight. After robbing me of my possessions, I was stabbed and thrown into the water. The men responsible for my death were found a month later trying to pawn what was left of my jewelry. They confessed to the crime, were hanged and my body was never recovered. It was never recovered because I am still very much in use of it. You see, in my time this would have been a very mortal wound. If it had not been for Tarek, it would have been. Tarek found me floating in the water just moments after, my life’s blood spreading across the water like a sheen of oil.
I remember waking in a panic, I had just been stabbed! I felt my stomach, there was no wound, and there wasn’t even scar for that matter. Sitting up and looking around I appeared to be in a small room very much like my own back on the farm. There was an oil lamp burning on the table in the corner. At the table sat a man, Tarek. “Well you seem awake Miss Flynn, after you’ve dressed, kindly meet me outside if you please.” With a slight nod of his head, he left the room. At the foot of my bed were some clothes for me, very odd clothes indeed. They seemed more like men’s clothes what with the breeches and high boots with the laces. Well I couldn’t just sit here in my dressing gown; I managed to figure out how to fasten everything and stepped out of my room into what would be the first day of my new life.
I opened the door and the light flooded in, I had never seen anything so bright and incredible in all of creation. The noise was almost deafening. I felt faint all at once and almost fell. Tarek caught and steadied me. “Welcome to the Nexus Miss Flynn”, “Come, I’m sure you’re famished, let’s get you something to eat while I try to explain the situation you now find yourself in.” He took me to a place they called the lounge. He says this is where most of the agents go to wait for their next assignments. We took a table in the back, the place was practically empty. “Am I dead?” I asked, having a pretty vivid memory of being stabbed and throw off a dock. “Yes and no.” Tarek stated, “You see, this place where we are now is called the nexus. It exists between times. Are you familiar with the concept of time travel, perhaps not? Let me see if I can explain, time as we know it from the beginning, flows forward like a river. What we do here is make sure the river stays flowing smoothly as possible in its intended direction. We make sure the river is never dammed or forked. If the timeline should splinter, we’d be stuck with alternate times, separate rivers flowing in different directions, thus damaging the natural order of things. Are you starting to understand?” I nodded my head, "a bit, but how is it that we’re able to be here? This place I guess, time doesn’t move here does it?” “That’s right” he said, “time is at a standstill here, no forwards, no backward, shoot, we don’t even age while we’re here.” He explained further what it was they do here. The nexus as they call it is like an outpost where they, meaning Tarek and the rest of the people here police the timeline. Correcting its flow and putting back misplaced people and items. From what I gathered, they have a means of opening small ripples to be able to go anywhere or any when they need to. Apparently there are naturally occurring ripples allover the world. People and things accidentally end up wandering through them. Dinosaur and cavemen mistaken for monsters, something call the Bermuda Triangle, apparently things end up there all the time. Oh and a gentleman by the name of Presley, he got a hold of one of their keys and has been nothing but trouble since. They have a tracking system that alerts them to any shifts that need to be corrected. “It also alerts us to new possible agents, such as yourself.” Tarek said. “Well if I’m all healed, why can’t you just put me back where I belong, I’m supposed to be getting married” He looked at me with sadness in his eyes and slid a newspaper along the table top to me. It was opened to the story about two murderous thieves whose victim was never found, me. “Well yes, but I was found, by you, and now I’m healed, you can just put me back in the water and I’ll swim to shore, everything will be fine.” Unfortunately, that’s not how it works. The reason I’m such a viable candidate for being an agent is that my time has ended without any repercussions to the time stream. If I were to go back it would be in the same condition I was found. I would be dead and time would flow on. I think my choice was pretty clear.
That brings me back here to the docks, 3:00am September 1st, 2012. Tarek and I are now partners; this is our first official assignment. A ping in the system brought us here. After some investigating and one sunken cruise ship, it’s not every day that Carnival Cruise Lines gets besieged by cannon fire; we found what we’re dealing with. We’ve set up a parlay and hopefully we can negotiate. Really though, how does one tell Edward Teach that he’s in the wrong place and he needs to turn around?
I remember waking in a panic, I had just been stabbed! I felt my stomach, there was no wound, and there wasn’t even scar for that matter. Sitting up and looking around I appeared to be in a small room very much like my own back on the farm. There was an oil lamp burning on the table in the corner. At the table sat a man, Tarek. “Well you seem awake Miss Flynn, after you’ve dressed, kindly meet me outside if you please.” With a slight nod of his head, he left the room. At the foot of my bed were some clothes for me, very odd clothes indeed. They seemed more like men’s clothes what with the breeches and high boots with the laces. Well I couldn’t just sit here in my dressing gown; I managed to figure out how to fasten everything and stepped out of my room into what would be the first day of my new life.
I opened the door and the light flooded in, I had never seen anything so bright and incredible in all of creation. The noise was almost deafening. I felt faint all at once and almost fell. Tarek caught and steadied me. “Welcome to the Nexus Miss Flynn”, “Come, I’m sure you’re famished, let’s get you something to eat while I try to explain the situation you now find yourself in.” He took me to a place they called the lounge. He says this is where most of the agents go to wait for their next assignments. We took a table in the back, the place was practically empty. “Am I dead?” I asked, having a pretty vivid memory of being stabbed and throw off a dock. “Yes and no.” Tarek stated, “You see, this place where we are now is called the nexus. It exists between times. Are you familiar with the concept of time travel, perhaps not? Let me see if I can explain, time as we know it from the beginning, flows forward like a river. What we do here is make sure the river stays flowing smoothly as possible in its intended direction. We make sure the river is never dammed or forked. If the timeline should splinter, we’d be stuck with alternate times, separate rivers flowing in different directions, thus damaging the natural order of things. Are you starting to understand?” I nodded my head, "a bit, but how is it that we’re able to be here? This place I guess, time doesn’t move here does it?” “That’s right” he said, “time is at a standstill here, no forwards, no backward, shoot, we don’t even age while we’re here.” He explained further what it was they do here. The nexus as they call it is like an outpost where they, meaning Tarek and the rest of the people here police the timeline. Correcting its flow and putting back misplaced people and items. From what I gathered, they have a means of opening small ripples to be able to go anywhere or any when they need to. Apparently there are naturally occurring ripples allover the world. People and things accidentally end up wandering through them. Dinosaur and cavemen mistaken for monsters, something call the Bermuda Triangle, apparently things end up there all the time. Oh and a gentleman by the name of Presley, he got a hold of one of their keys and has been nothing but trouble since. They have a tracking system that alerts them to any shifts that need to be corrected. “It also alerts us to new possible agents, such as yourself.” Tarek said. “Well if I’m all healed, why can’t you just put me back where I belong, I’m supposed to be getting married” He looked at me with sadness in his eyes and slid a newspaper along the table top to me. It was opened to the story about two murderous thieves whose victim was never found, me. “Well yes, but I was found, by you, and now I’m healed, you can just put me back in the water and I’ll swim to shore, everything will be fine.” Unfortunately, that’s not how it works. The reason I’m such a viable candidate for being an agent is that my time has ended without any repercussions to the time stream. If I were to go back it would be in the same condition I was found. I would be dead and time would flow on. I think my choice was pretty clear.
That brings me back here to the docks, 3:00am September 1st, 2012. Tarek and I are now partners; this is our first official assignment. A ping in the system brought us here. After some investigating and one sunken cruise ship, it’s not every day that Carnival Cruise Lines gets besieged by cannon fire; we found what we’re dealing with. We’ve set up a parlay and hopefully we can negotiate. Really though, how does one tell Edward Teach that he’s in the wrong place and he needs to turn around?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)