The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains... [style: Literary Fiction]

Writing prompt inspired by the title of a Neil Gaiman short story.

I remember that day better than most of my hot, dry summer childhood days sitting on my Grandfather’s porch. The flies were particularly bad that year despite the draught and they alighted on his liver-spotted knuckles as he dozed in the wicker rocking chair. I made a game of catching them and putting them in a jar like you might do with fireflies. I even pretended they were fireflies until my mother found them and made me let them go out by the barn.

But that day, even the fly catching had lost its appeal in the baking heat, and I’d resigned myself to stretching out on the dusty boards of the covered porch try to somehow get away from myself to stay cool. My grandfather had roused then and began rocking like he’d not stopped while he napped. He took a sip of watered down ice tea, its ice cubes having long since melted, and then gazed down at me and cleared his throat.

“The truth,” he began in deep tones like tractor tires over gravel, “is a cave in the black mountains.”

Somehow, even as a small child, I knew that his words would someday be of great import to me, and I listened, rapt, to the secrets that spilled from his withered lips.

A New World: Progress is Made (Part 2)

“I felt it was prudent, seeing how you always react to bad family things. Thought maybe it would lessen the blow on the owner’s children.” Alex statement caught me off guard, but I knew where it was going.

“Owners children?”

“Yes, apparently the old owner sold it to his brother…”

“But the brother didn’t want to deal with it, and lalala family fight?” a familiar story,

“Indeed. Looks like family issues are true even here.”

I rolled my eyes “Lot less murder about them though. What are you tapping?”

He looked down, as if he had forgotten it was there. “Oh yes, this, it’s a laptop I picked up while you slept. It’s what you use to interface with stores from a distance, and something called the internet. It’s quaint, like what the roots might have looked like a thousand years ago. Want to try?”

I snuggled into my chair. “No thank you.”

“Also, I was looking around, apparently you aren’t allowed to walk around like that.”

I raised an eyebrow “not allowed to look like a 7 foot tall feline ape hybrid? Thank you for the update Alex, I wouldn’t have known.”

A New World (Part 1)

It was my first day on earth, and so far so standard. The sky was blue the ground was solid and the intelligent spices was bi pedal and civilized, for the most part anyway. I looked back at my second, Alex, who was trudging along behind me, resigned to our new existence on a back-water no-name world that had been thrust upon him after he refused to let me leave our home world on my own.

I was excited to see the place that Alex had scouted to be our new home and cover story. It had been a bar and restaurant for a long time. Then one of the sons took it over and drove it into the ground as his gambling problem had gotten worse. His brother now owned it and seemed eager to get it sold off, bad memories or some such.

I saw the man and waved as we walked up, ignoring Alex glare of disapprove at my obvious excitement.  The old man shook my hand and offered to show me around the inside of the building, but I declined, saying that I thought better when I was on my own, asking Alex to collect the details on the place while I did an in-depth scan of the underlying plumbing and structure.

I call mine Adidas, what do you call yours?

A wholesome bit of slice-of-life where a son recalls a fond memory of his father.

It was a nice Summer's day when my Dad and I were sitting by the lake fishing together. I must have been ten or so but I remember it like yesterday. Warm Summer, cool breeze, the amber of the sunlight through the clouds draping the rich green leaves. The lake reflecting the light -- a pure transparent greenish-blue heaven. It was perfect. Some files buzzed about and we enjoyed their hum, despite them being flies and you are supposed to swat them.

I looked up to my Dad and said, "I call mine Adidas."

He looked at me all puzzled.

"These new shoes you got me, Dad. I call them Adidas. See," I said pointing at the logo on the side of the shoe.

Dad just smiled.

"What do you call yours, Dad?"

He looked at me squarely in the eye and said "Crocs."

The Lightning Bug

Inspired by actual events on the way home from post writing group festivities.

   As she walked along the moonlit street with the cool breeze in her hair, the vestiges of a night of comrades and jocularity clung to her like fine, silken spider webs, but the further she tread from the noise and warmth of the restaurant, the more they faded. Dreary thoughts wormed their way through her placid joy and stole her smile by measures. I need to do this. I should do that. I mustn’t forget to... Did I forget to? The mundane maintenance of the tedious machinations of life slowed her steps as she climbed the stairs of the too bright parking structure.

    Trudging up the last few steps, she spotted her car and took a few steps towards it before something odd caught her eye. A lightning bug hovered just below her waist in the middle of the lane, deep enough in the building that it was far from escape out into the night. She wondered how it could have gotten there, for surely fireflies weren’t prone to simply wander into parking structures. Perhaps someone’s car alarm had gone off and the blinking headlights had lured it, or maybe it hitched a ride in the bed of the pickup truck parked obliquely next to her. It was such an incongruous sight that it gave her a moment’s pause. She watched it in fascination until she eventually overcame her initial bewilderment then continued past the misplaced insect.

Vampire child part 3

I am now re-writing this, but here is the last part of the attempt i have been posting.

It seemed to work better with three hands, not having to use a finger as an in-between to keep her occupied.

“Dose she always chew on things?” Andréa looked at him before walking towards the rocking chair in the corner of the room. Thomas nodded.

“She starts crying otherwise, even when she was a newborn. Why? I have no idea.”

Donna piped up again “if her mother was still alive she would be latched onto a flap of skin on the back of her neck, it’s to keep their heads from bouncing and assists in developing neck muscles. As we take care of her, we will do exercises that will do much the same thing.”

Climb Every Mountain!

Prompt: "The Loneliest Cherry".

Climb Every Mountain! 

(Especially when they are covered In chocolate!)

"If you climb the snowy moutain,
past the mudslide of no return,
never stopping for the crumbling sand stones of doom,
never straying from the hot tingles of--"

"Seriously? I mean, Jessie, are you serious right now?"

"Don't interrupt!" I snapped and then lowering my voice, continued. "The hot tingles of--"

"I don't like that word." he whined.

Moonlight

Warning: Sexual Content, Mature Themes

This is a scene that may contain content which may make the viewer uncomfortable but I write in memory of a beloved friend.

Often in writing, we write to create a new reality, an illusion so we may help ourselves and the reader escape. With this, I hope to break that illusion to shed light on what some people must face on a daily basis...

...and what people are unable to see... or choose, pretend, to stop in favor of their view of reality. 

This was written in response to a prompt with the genre of Tragedy.

The story follows two high school students, two long lost childhood friends.  After ten years of separation, high school draw the two together. Yet. Mark carries the loss of his twin sister, her shadow hanging over him; she had died in a car accident. Sana had lost her parents from the same car accident. Both orphaned, though Sana was soon adopted by a teacher at the high school they both attend.

Focus, Man, Focus!

This was an attempt to do some literal stream of consciousness. You can also listen to an audio reading of this story by me here. Click continue for the text.

Light of Tears

This is a romance/heartbreak scene for the prompt "Bright cheerful summer of Sam" -- however given how I was when the prompt was given, I could not write 'bright' or 'cheerful' but the words that came are from a personal experience.

I took Claire and drew her close; though her eyes trembled mine remained firm.

"Look into my eyes," I said, "What do you see?
'Do you see the depth of my soul?
Do you see the oceans of unshed tears?
Do you see the scars of my life?
What do you see?

Vampire Child Origins (part 2)

He opened the door to see two women standing there, one in her thirties, the other in her mid-forties. They were both dressed in white blouses, maroon cardigans pencil skirts down past the knee with black buckle shoes. Badges on the cardigans marked them, stamping Nanny Brigade on their left shoulders.

“Mr. Riovas? My name is Donna, this Andréa We are here on behalf of the UAO, you asked for a certified nanny?” the older woman spoke in a clear concise tone that reminded Thomas of a sister he had as a teacher in catholic school.

The Affection of Love

A poem I found which I wrote in 2006.  Here's an idea of how my writing was back when I was a teen.

Why do feel this warm feeling
This small jolt in the stomach
Whenever
I see you
Is it a sickness?
No, it’s the effects of love

Tell Me, My Heart

This is from a writing prompt on Jan 14th 2014 titled "Write a summary of what you want to write."

Kana has always been the odd one of her class. Once social, but when at a young age, an incident happened which Kana was turned upon by her friends and blamed for it. Since, Kana believed having such trifling relationships would only lead to more hardships and broken hearts; thus she does not care or seek the friendships of any of her class. Much less a boyfriend.

Marcus is the most popular boy of school; handsome, athletic, and smart he is sought out by all who seek to be in his company. Yet under this charming demeanor he hides his heart, even from those he had once loved.  He remains mysterious despite what rumors are widespread, be them true or false. When he is injured in a misunderstanding, he meets Kana, a girl who couldn’t be more different—yet he is drawn to her. Little is known of her, he wants learn about her; few to no people have seen any emotion she has expressed during school interaction, he wants to see what has been denied to so many; she has only been seen in uniform, he wants to look upon her no other has.

Blip

He walked into class late. Quietly he found his seat. The teacher did not have anything to say about that. In fact, she stopped talking altogether. The students, respectively, ceased learning. Despite his best intentions, he was quite embarrassed. After school, he walked home. His house was a straight line from the school. He needed to walk home. School was over. He walked a straight line home from school. Once he was home, he felt a blip. I don't know how else to say it. It was a blip. He walked into class late. Quietly, he found his seat.