Category: Writing

It rumbles in my head as I walk guiltily like the filthy creature I feel I am, nothing but a lowly criminal. I feel lower than the dirt I walk on after the visit with the shrink. My mind is a dark place right now; shockingly, she dares to enter the space where I know my aberrant thinking gets me in trouble. What lives, no, exists in this space is a deep black hole on occasion. I welcome lighter thoughts, but my innards drag me down at the moment. Sometimes it really hurts to roam the world as a writer.

Passion, but also an intense sweetness, was evident in his kiss. It was hard to snap back to reality after that. But we both needed to get back to work.

Our projects waited patiently for us, the resin having dried and ready for attention. With luck, we would have another half-day to get it all done. Sid melts more wax, and I turn on the kiln for firing. I can taste the annual summer fest around the corner as I rush to get the crafts ready. Suddenly, my hand goes numb, and the piece I’m holding drops to the ground.

“Wings beneath my wind…” came out before I realized my error. My voice cracks, and I cringe at my mistake. I distract myself by watching a cute calico kitty stretch. How cute. Time to split the scene and cause some chaos. Something in me hesitates, though, as I approach the ship in the harbor, and spin on my heels in the other direction. I breathe slowly and begin putting together the bits and pieces of memory flooding my head into a sensible order. No one tells you how bad you’ll feel when you start remembering those devastating moments of life.

I would hope that the bandana on my head would keep me warm, along with the cape I’d found at the local Goodwill store. But it might not protect me in this Winter wonderland. I had to cross the lake since the ice was strong enough to hold my weight. This would be an interesting morning. At the edge of the lake, I saw the wheel of a car poking out from the white snow, and a man on his knees. There were three others, still and lying beside him, bound and gagged. What the hell was going on here?!?

They strung the fabric to separate spaces for the various people in the cave, protecting those who had been exposed to the extreme cold in one form or another. The wise one dwells deep in the cavern, and his protectors in shining robes guard him from harm. The oracle was an enigma to some, but a savior to us all. He protected us from the chaos that had erupted in the city’s well. It would now bind us to him forever. Many of us sat, holding our rosary beads, praying for harmony but fearing we would never feel it again.

There was a lingering human, walking oddly in circles, dazed and seemingly in a stupor. I was too full to try to ingest him. Plus, I felt it would be inappropriate when others hadn’t even had one yet. Instead, my common sense took over, guiding me toward slumber. With a sharp inhale, I rose and found my way to the place assigned to me. I admit, I was feeling some joy after killing the humans, but that wasn’t the point of my long journey. My family had wanted me to sit this battle out, but I wanted some satisfying revenge.

At dawn, tides sweep the pier, me dizzy with love as the lanterns sway in the ocean breeze. Past couples had carved their hearts into the wooden rails; this tradition was a hook for those suffering with first love. Old boats with steam engines prepare to strip their tarps for paying customers looking for nostalgia. I find you waiting, your eyes a shock of blue. My heart begins to swell with joy, and my voice wants to stick in my throat as I fidget with the chain around my neck. Standing before me, I put my arms around your waist.

There was a faint echo from the chiming of the grandfather clock announcing the new hour; my footsteps kept time with the peals. Before I could proceed, I needed to let go of the paranoia rooted deep in my body. I gaze at the slips of affirmations to gain control before the anxiety rises and begins to stir me up. The clock chimes again, the hour loop has gone by so fast. I look up suspiciously to verify that it was true. How many years had it been since I’d ventured into this haunted house that creaks with such fury?