After the Thunderstorm

-There are no one living in the cities any more. We all left, fled into the wilderness up here, hid in our deep caves. Our city is now a ghost town, empty, dead. Waiting for the next time he’ll come around.

That day was today. The rain had stopped, the thunder was far away. They knew the One of Two Trunks would come looking for them, looking to harvest their bodies, just like it had done for the first time so many years ago.

-We were unaware, unready. The storm was fierce, vicious. Lightning and thunder breaking at once, just over our heads. When it calmed down, people walked out, to continue their shores. The clouds were moving, the sky could be seen between them.

Father silenced. Painful memories tormented his mind. That’s when it had arrived. A god, there to destroy them.

-He came down on the city with terrible force. His trunks were everywhere, killing everyone in their way. Made us run, made us flee. Only a few survived, a few who managed to escape into the wilderness.

-Now it is back, Father said to his son.

The clouds spread again, like it always did after a thunderstorm. Between them a figure took shape, bigger than the mountains, big as the sky. It moved like the clouds, seemingly slowly from a distance.

-Father, I’m scared!

-So am I, little one, but we’re safe up here. The caves are deep and long, and there are many exits in many places. If it comes too close, we’ll hide, but I’ve never seen it come up into the mountains.

They stood in silence. The monster hovered over the abandoned city, searching, waiting. It turned its head towards them. Pil could have sworn their eyes met. He could ha sworn it knew who he was… (more)

A Reason to Exist

We’re freaks living in a meaningless world! There’s nowhere to go, you fools! Monster shouted. -There is no more to find, no more to see!

-There has to be! We neeeeeeed it to be! There has to be something more than this, something that makes sense!

Nose sat there, chewing on the grass he ate yesterday. He had heard this conversation many times before, it was getting old. After a while he said: -I think it does make sense, really. The grass, the rocks. I think it’s all pretty meaningful.

-We need something to give the grass meaning! If not, there’s no meaning at all!

-Exactly! Monster said, frustrated. -There is none. Cope with it.

Nose kept chewing… (more)

Traffic Jam

Biiiiip! Beeeeeeeep!

-The traffic’s stuck… damn, as if the weekend wasn’t short enough as it is.

-And here in the middle of the tunnel… Now what?

-I guess we’re just going to have to wait. It has to loosen up sooner or later… Wait, why are people running back here?

-Do you think there’s been an accident?

-I’ll go have a look.

Jake walked on down the tunnel. People were running the opposite way.

-What’s happening? Why are you…

-Run! There’s a monster!

-Run for your life!

-A monster… Ha! That’s just silly. I guess I’ll have to go check it out myself.

The end of the tunnel was far ahead. He kept walking until he could see the bridge outside.

The traffic was jammed, all right. Several big trucks were blocking the way, but there was something else in front of them, like some kind of wall. He couldn’t really see what it was from here, but it looked like a huge rock. There was no one running any more. All the cars were abounded.

He reached the opening. His eyes followed the rock up towards the tall top. A giant face was staring down at him, watching him from high above. Jake swallowed. There was a giant monster sitting on the highway. There was no way no one would ever get past like this.

There goes my vacation. This can’t be happening.

Jake swallowed, forced his hands to stop shaking… (more)

Relative Truths

-We give you this blood for strength! May your soul become one with ours, and lead us into world dominance!

-Aaaaahhh! Let me go! Please, let me go!

The strops were too strong, there was no way they would break. Even if they did, Gilbert wouldn’t be able to get passed all these people surrounding him.

He should have known. She had always been crazy, believing anything anyone told her.

-Everything depends on your point of view! She used to say.

-The truth is what you make it!

They had split up, he just couldn’t take any more absurd fights.

He missed her. He missed her so much he couldn’t live without her. He missed her touch, her kisses, her soothing voice when she was happy. The sex. Oh, my God, the sex had been fantastic.

He heard about her, he heard she had started hanging out with some weird people out in a farm outside of town. He’d been worried.

So when she wrote him the letter, he really wanted to give it another try.

He walked down the path she had been told him she’d be waiting. Meeting up in the forest, he liked that. He knew she got naughty when they were in the forest, and had big expectations for what waited…. (more)

Moment of Glory

Yeah yeah yeah, baby!

The crowd went wild. The lights, the drugs, the music pumping though the masses. The concert was the best they ever did. The press was there. TV. This would be their great breakthrough.

Jaime Jetpack’s blurry vision made the whole place vibrate. The walls came back and forth, the crowd made strange multidimensional waves. He hardly ever remembered his concerts, but this was ridiculous.

Some chick was taking her shirt off, exposing her tits. He liked that. Tits were good, hopefully she’d look him up later.

The music stopped. Cheers, wild screams and applause. Jaime stood quiet, absorbing the moment, and working a bit on staying on his feet while the hall was swaying in a delightful way.

-Thank you! Thank you, you’re a great audience, he said after a while. -This one one is for the girl with the white shirt in her hand… (more)

Dirt Valley

“They were once human beings, now lying around as stinking piles, feeding on the flies attracted by their stench. They do not move, they do not speak, just lie around in stinking suffering.”

The words of the old man lingered in Drove’s mind as he looked into the valley. He could already smell the stench, and a welcome committee of flies was swarming around his head.

His horse pranced and neighed. This was not good place to be.

He forced his horse forward.

They walked in between the tall canyon walls. Soon he saw them, lying on the ground. Men who had tried to find better land. He was different. He was not afraid.

He rode down rocky slopes, through a river so dirty he had never seen the like. The smell stayed on his horse’s legs, tearing his nose. The animal suffered as well. He felt dizzy, sick to his stomach. He heard the piles around him moan in agony and self disgust. Their suffering dug into his back with the evening sun.

His horse stepped in something. Drove looked down. A pile of dirt looked up on him with tortured, pleading eyes… (more)