Strange Sci-fi Tales - Alone at Last [#209]

~~~~

           Jeffery just wanted to be left alone, to his own devices. In the vast emptiness of space, one would think that would be easy. Alas, that was not the case. Jeffery thought his career choice as a communications expert, managing intergalactic transmissions, would lead to a quiet life. He hoped to be put on monitor duty on a quiet space station in the corner of some no-name galaxy. Yet, that never was the case.

           Every job he was assigned to by his superior put him on some crowded spaceship with rowdy crewmates. No matter how much Jeffery urged or insisted, he'd always be put on that exact same setup every year. Whenever he was given the privilege to work on a small space station on his own, within a month, he'd be shoved back on another ship. Apparently, someone thought he liked working on teams. Jeffery wished he knew who so he could punch their lights out.

           That led Jeffery to his current job. After a blissful two months working at a communication hub in one of the least populous sectors of space, a 'friend' of his recommended him for a new position. It was a standard communication officer post on a small research and exploration vessel. Jeffery would have refused except said 'friend' had already applied and accepted the job for him.

           Without being able to even speak his own opinion, Jeffery was strong-armed into joining the crew and forced back into his discomfort zone. The job was only supposed to last a couple months, so Jeffery told himself to wait it out. Then the first thing he'd do when he got back was sign a ten-year contract to work on the communication hub. However, he quickly realized it wouldn't be so easy.        

           "Captain's orders, get on it now!" On only the second day, the captain was barking at the vessel's doctor. Jeffery didn't know why they were fighting, just that it was over something petty.

           "What if I don't feel like wasting my time with your frivolous BS," the doctor snapped. Jeffery noticed the two men puffing out their chests and left the area before a fight broke out. Sadly, these interactions became a common pattern. Everyone on the ship got along like cats and dogs, and fights broke out with alarming regularity. Jeffery began to wonder if his 'friend' actually hated him.

           A month in, and Jeffery was at wit's end. He found himself confined to his quarters or workstation at all hours. He didn't eat meals with his crew or even interact with them for fear of getting in a fight. His plan seemed to work, as no one on the crew ever fought with him. But, in the few times he ventured out into the ship's halls, there was always a fight in progress. Jeffery knew it was only a matter of time.

           Then came the mistake. The navigator and the captain got in the worst fight the crew had ever seen. Fists were thrown, words that dug deep were said, and nerves were left raw. Both men were encouraged by the rest of the crew to return to their quarters and cool off. Sadly, both men took this as an opportunity to refuse to do their jobs, likely to spite one another.

           The next thing everyone knew, they made a couple of wrong lightspeed jumps and were way off course. The navigator, who hadn't looked at a map since the fight with the captain, had no idea where they were. The engineer and pilot, who were responsible for the jumps, had all the blame shoved on them. The two were obviously furious they were blamed but held their tongues. They likely hoped their silence would make the navigator and captain actually do their jobs again.

           Jeffery noted the engineer took it a lot harder and was far angrier over the whole ordeal. Which confused Jeffery all the more when they found said engineer dead the next day. The captain ruled it as an accident. Officially the engineer was upset and not paying attention, which led him to fumble with a heavy tool chest that fell on his head. Jeffery never bothered to check the validity of that claim. The rest of the crew got into a massive fight over the situation immediately, and he slipped out to avoid the fisticuffs.  

           Jeffery didn't emerge from his quarters until the next day, only to learn the captain and doctor had gotten into their worst fight yet. It ended with fists flying and the doctor's head hitting the ground just right that he died. This, in turn, sparked a fight between the captain and navigator. The latter believing the doctor's accidental death was too convenient sounding, only the replicate the incident leaving the navigator dead as well.

           At this point, Jeffery was beyond done. He wasn't about to get himself killed in the dinky ship with his crazy crewmates. He snatched one of the engineer's wrenches and locked himself in his quarters. The communication's officer prayed this whole thing would blow over, or at least that he'd escape with his parts intact.

           Days passed, and Jeffery quickly found himself without food or water. He needed to make a food run. The man could only hope the captain or another of the crew members hadn't gorged themselves while he had remained hidden. With hesitant steps, he moved towards the dining area, wrench in hand, occasionally spotting the dead bodies of his crewmates. Finally, he arrived at the dining room door, only to hear a gunshot inside.

           Against his better judgment, Jeffery peeked inside to find the captain, smoking gun in his hands, having just shot the pilot. The captain was shaking, looking ready to vomit, before collapsing onto a nearby chair.

           "I didn't mean to. It wasn't supposed to end like this," the captain claimed.

           "I see," Jeffery nodded as he stepped towards his captain. 

          "I just wanted to be a good captain, a successful captain, but all I did was fight with my crew," he continued. "I killed them, I killed them all, but it was an accident, I swear."    

           "I understand," Jeffery assured, his eyes never moving from the gun still clutched in the captain's hand. "It's not your fault," Jeffery stated as he bashed the back of the captain's head with the wrench, "but I'm not taking any chances." The communications officer wasn't proud of his own action, but he also didn't feel like taking the chance. The captain was not in his right mind and still held onto the murder weapon for dear life.

           With the captain's passing, Jeffery noted how quiet the ship was. All that remained was the idle hum of the engine as the vessel drifted on autopilot. Jeffery realized he was now and truly alone, but he wasn't happy about it. This wasn't what he wanted. This was just sick. With little else to do, the communications officer picked up the remaining food and isolated himself at this workstation. Maybe he could contact a nearby ship or space station for rescue, but he had no idea if any were nearby.

           As Jeffery settled in for the long wait, he wondered if he'd ever get home. Would he die here, drifting alone in space? If not, does he even want to make it back? Returning with a ship full of dead bodies wasn't the best look. In the end, Jeffery shrugged off these questions. Whatever the answer, it was out of his hands. Now all he could do was try to enjoy the solitude.

~~~~ 

Sometimes you just want to be left alone on your own terms, sadly you don't always have a choice in the matter.

Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy 

~~~~ 

Support me on Patreon: [link]

Eclectic Narratives - Under the Rain [#208]

~~~~

           The heavy rain drenched the empty alley, the storm clouds above left the night sky pitch black. Lights and sounds from a nearby road were all that illuminated the area. A girl collapsed on her knees huddled up to the alley's wall, in the driest spot she could find. Her long black hair and pure white uniform were soaking wet. Her face was flushed, and her breathing was haggard.

           "Where am I?" She muttered aloud. "How did I get here?" She asked no one in particular. Her legs were sore, and exhaustion had set in, yet she did not know why. Hazy memories of running trailed across her mind, but she could recall no details beyond that. "Did I pass out?" The girl wondered as she stood up, "no, that can't be. I was just running, I can tell." It was inexplicable, but she was sure that was the case. It wasn't that she had blacked out. Her memory simply stopped.

           "Was I chased? Am I still in danger?" Panic set in as she glanced all around. Yet, the feeling quickly faded as she realized where she was. No persuaders lurked around the corner, nor were there any sketchy figures nearby. In fact, the alley was quite clean, just wet from the rain. A quick glance towards the lights nearby revealed she was actually in a very affluent part of town. Signs of offices, businesses, and labs dotted the buildings nearby. The people walking by looked posh at best and business-like at the worst.

           "This doesn't make any sense," the girl looked at herself. The uniform seemed quite nice, despite being wet and a little dirty. She must not have been out here for more than thirty minutes. An emblem, likely for a fancy private school, was proudly displayed on her chest. Sadly, her pockets were empty, no wallet or ids to be found.

           "Did I go to this school?" She considered. The emblem looked vaguely familiar, but that's about it—no images of a school building, nor teachers or classmates. Blurred memories of public schools came to her mind. But, they were nothing more than basic images, colors, and sounds.

           "Was I drugged?" The girl felt a new tingle of panic in her chest. "I don't feel like I was, but how would I know?" At this thought, she notices just how uncomfortable her body felt like she was a stranger in her own skin. She could not trace the root of why she felt this way. The girl couldn't tell whether or not something was changed or she was violated in some way.          

           "Nothing makes sense. Why can't I remember?" She wandered out of the alley in search of answers. She didn't know where she was going. In fact, she barely knew what she was doing. Her mind was so clouded she couldn't keep track of her own movements. This wasn't a problem until she felt herself trip over a curb and into running traffic. On reflex, she prepared to scream until a hand grabbed her collar and yanked her back onto the sidewalk. The girl looked up to see a woman, a police officer, with a concerned look. She had no time to process this scene as she felt a wave of darkness consume her vision, and the girl finally passed out.

~--~

           "This makes no sense," the officer said to herself as she sat at her desk and looked over the report on the mystery girl. A girl with no memories, wearing the uniform to a private school that was 100 miles away, wakes up in an alley and wanders into traffic. No id, no record of her face or fingerprints anywhere. Even the school had no idea who she was.

           "It just makes me mad," the officer recalled difficulties with the hospital.

           She tried to get the mystery girl checked into a local hospital to receive medical care, but they refused. The only reason given was that "she's perfectly healthy, and there's nothing more we need to do for her." The police were forced to provide the necessary medical care themselves. They did manage to run some tests and confirmed the girl had been drugged. Painkillers mostly, but nothing extreme or illegal.    

           "I don't like this one bit," the officer furrowed her brow. Her instincts flared up, assuring her something was rotten. But, no evidence or even a thread of logic had presented itself for her to follow. "I need to get to the bottom of this quick if I want answers," the officer affirmed to herself. But, she soon realized she was no longer in her office and had wandered into the hallway.

           "That's strange. This case must be really getting to me," the officer shrugged off the memory lapse. However, as she returned to her office, she couldn't help but note how fuzzy her head felt.

~~~~ 

If you can't remember what just happened, then you should be concerned, because that means either you shouldn't remember or you really should.

Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy 

~~~~ 

Support me on Patreon: [link]

Eclectic Narratives - Ol' Game Shop [#207]

~~~~

           Ol’ Game Shop was a moderately popular sight in town, at least with kids. It was a small building that sat on a sleepy corner in the quietest part of town. There was only a single member of staff, Ms. Alice, the owner. The town’s handful of game-loving kids flocked to the place to play uninterrupted. It wasn’t much, it wasn’t fancy, but it was enough for the kids to enjoy themselves, and that’s what mattered to Ms. Alice.

           It was an average afternoon in the humble little shop. Alice watched a handful of kids play a popular trading card game on the big table upfront. The middle-aged woman sat behind the counter with a cheery smile. The shop had done well today, and the kids were having fun. Everything was as it should be in her eyes.

           The front door to the shop opened, with the usual jingle of a bell, in stepped a kid a few years older than the ones playing at the table. He sported a ripped black shirt, worn jeans, and a large bag over his shoulder. The four kids froze when they saw the boy enter.

           Alice watched the scene with curiosity. She hadn’t seen this boy come in often, but something about his description felt familiar. The woman had vague memories of him casing some kind of trouble before, but nothing specific came to mind. She swiped a lock of blonde hair out her eyes as she eyed the boy while he approached the table. The other four kids gave him a wide berth, even as he sat down.

           “You playing? I’m game for a couple rounds,” the boy smiled. The others laughed nervously, but one brave soul among them accepted his challenge.

           ‘Seem fine,’ Alice shrugged. ‘I guess they were just afraid of an older kid.’ The blonde turned away from the game to tidy up the shelves behind her. After tens of minutes ticked by, she turned back to observe the game in progress. The older boy was winning, quite handily in fact. Not a surprising outcome, he likely had a more solid grasp of the game.

           As Alice observed the game more closely, she felt her body tense while the back of her spine tingled. The younger boy looked distraught over losing, but not in the usual way Alice saw. Usually, the kids would get sad, angry, or generally upset. Yet, this one looked so panicked he was trembling.

           ‘Did I miss something?’ Alice wondered before briefly looking away to finish dusting a corner. The next time she looked back, the game had ended, and the younger boy looked crushed. He stood up from the table and walked away, while the older boy slouched back in his chair with a wide grin. ‘Did he just come here for easy wins against little kids?’ The blonde sighed. She hoped the boy would leave so the others could resume having fun.

           Hours passed, as afternoon turned to evening, which meant closing time approached. The older boy had stayed and defeated the other three kids in turn. A few more younger kids and even one the older boy’s age had stopped by. Few of them lingered after they saw the older boy. Most just bought something and left. A couple were roped into a game with him, and each of them left with the same forlorn look.

           With closing time only ten minutes away, Alice prepared to lock up the shop. The older boy sat at the table, giddy over something as he packed up his bag. The younger kids trickled out, except for the young boy who was the first to lose. He waddled up to the counter, scrounging through his pocket for loose change.

           “Ms. Alice, do you have any more of those cheap card packs from earlier,” the boy asked nervously.

           “Of course I do,” Alice pulled out a wrapped pack of cards from behind the counter. She had packed them herself by hand. The blonde had sneaked a few rare cards in them for some of the younger kids as a treat. Alice remembered giving one such pack to the boy earlier. He was so excited with his find that he put it in a unique sleeve Alice gave him. “Not happy with what you got earlier?” Alice asked.

           “No, I liked it, it’s just... It’s nothing,” the boy bit his tongue while glancing at the older boy in the corner.

           “What happened?” Alice leaned down, her tone shifting from warm and motherly to deadly serious.

           “Nothing,” the boy shivered.       

           “You can tell me. I promise you won’t get in trouble,” the blonde assured.

           “He...he,” the young boy began, “he took my card. Halfway through our game, he made me bet the card you gave me earlier, and I lost. He did that with everyone today. He told us only babies complain about it.”

           “Did he really?” Alice nodded. No wonder the boy seemed familiar. She had heard a few parents complain about a boy matching his description doing the same. “Don’t you worry, take this one on the house,” she whispered. “I’ll have a talk with him.”

           “Okay,” the young boy eagerly accepted the pack and quickly left the shop. All that remained now was the older boy, who was taking his time packing his bag. Alice assumed he was still counting his “winnings.”

           “It’s closing time,” Alice announced.

           “Yeah, yeah, I’m going, give me a minute,” the boy did not hurry his pace one bit.

           “Hmm,” Alice glared at the boy. She thought for a moment, and as an idea popped in her head, a smile spread along her face. “Hey, do you want to know a little secret?”

           “What’re you going on about, lady?” The torn-shirt boy grumbled.

           “It’s nothing, I heard you liked rare cards, and I just happened to have a few spare in back,” Alice claimed.

           “No foolin’? Then show me,” the boy’s interest was piqued.

           “Follow me,” Alice opened the door to the backroom and welcomed the boy, and more importantly, his bag, inside.

           “You weren’t kidding,” the boy’s eyes lit up as he saw Alice’s display of valuable cards in the back. The middle-aged woman was quite the collector herself and huffed her chest with pride. “I haven’t even heard of some of these cards,” the torn-shirt boy examined the collection as he dropped his bag.

           “I’ve run this shop for a long time,” Alice explained as she picked up the bag and set it aside on a table. “I’d be willing to part with some of them for a good trade.”

           “I got plenty to trade,” the boy ran up to his bag and pulled out a decent collection of cards, each contained in miss-matched sleeves. Some of which were very familiar to Alice.

           “Oh no, I don’t accept stolen cards, boy,” Alice’s smile faded.

           “What’re you talkin’ about?” The boy snapped.

           “I know what you’ve been doing. I don’t take kindly to thieves in my shop,” Alice stated as she picked a specific card off the table. “I know you took this one from one of the younger boys earlier. I gave it to him, I’d recognize this special sleeve it’s in anywhere.”

           “I won it fair and square,” the boy declared.

           “Oh, is that how you want to play it? How about this then?” Alice’s smiled returned, but it lacked all the warmth and affection it had before. “We’ll play a round. If I win, you give me those cards. If you win, I give you anything out of this collection you want.”

           “Deal,” the boy agreed. The two sat down at a table in the back and shuffled up their decks to play a round of the trading card game. There was little to say on the game’s contents, as Alice defeated the boy in a single turn. “You cheated,” the boy accused.

           “I did no such thing,” Alice took the boy’s bag and emptied all the cards it contained into a box for safekeeping. “You can try again if you like, but only if you have something else to bet. I’m feeling generous, though. If you can win this time, I’ll give you my collection and all the stuff you stole. If I win, you’ll pay the price for theft, understood?”

           “Sure whatever,” the boy’s eyes lit up with energy. They sat down for another game, which lasted much longer than the first. Alice took an early lead, but the boy managed to hold on. Turn by turn passed as the two chipped away at each other. Whenever Alice seemed to have the game in hand, the boy came back with the perfect counter. On the fifth time this occurred, Alice grew suspicious and watched the boy much more closely.

           “How about this then?” Alice played a fairly straightforward turn. She was in a position to win, but as she prepared to play her winning card, she spotted the torn-shirt boy shuffle his cards suspiciously. “Don’t cheat again, or face the consequences.”

           “You’re full of it, lady,” the boy stuck his tongue out and slammed down another perfect response.

           “No wonder you beat those boys so easily if you’re cheating so often,” Alice laughed as she countered with her own perfect response.

           “What, no?” The boy was taken aback. “Wait, I got something for that,” he reshuffled his cards before pulling out an ideal counter yet again.

           “I warned you not to cheat again,” the blonde woman glared.

           “I don’t know what you’re -,” the boy started before his cards slipped from his hands, along with a few others. Spilling from the torn holes in his shirt were a selection of useful, if situational cards. Much like the ones he’d been playing all game. “How’d that happen?” The boy froze.

           “I warned you there’d be consequences,” Alice tapped the table with her nail. The torn-shirt boy felt a shiver go up his spine.

           “This is stupid, I’m out of here,” the boy jumped up from the table and ran for the door. His escape failed when he realized it was locked. “Hey, what’s the big idea? When did you lock this?”

           “I warned you there’d be a penalty for cheating,” Alice didn’t even look up from the game. “But the price for losing is far worse, so you’d better sit back down.” The middle-aged woman placed down one last card, one that would secure her win despite the boy’s cheating.    

           “I don’t get you, lady,” the boy ran for another exit. Yet, each one he tried was a dud. The other doors were tightly locked. The pitch-black windows were sealed shut. Even when the boy picked up a nearby phone in desperation, the line was dead.

           “I win, boy, it’s time to face your penalty,” Alice stood up from the table.

           “What’s wrong with you?” The boy cowered in the corner.

           “I can’t tolerate thieves and cheaters in my store,” Alice replied. “Lessons must be learned,” the blonde’s smile made the boy’s heart stop, “penalties must be paid.” The torn-shirt boy wanted to scream and cry for help, but he felt so short of breath; he couldn’t even gather the air in his lungs. He stared on in silence as Alice approached him with unknown intent.

~--~

           The next day, the young boys returned for another few rounds of the trading card game. They tensed up every time the door opened and sighed with relief when they didn’t see the torn-shirt boy. As the afternoon marched on, Alice decided to surprise the kids with a little surprise.

           “I believe these belong to you,” Alice returned the stolen cards to the kids.

           “How’d you get these?” The young boy from yesterday asked, his eyes alight with pure joy.

           “I gave that older boy a stern talking to, he’s learned his lesson,” Alice’s smile was filled with warmth again. “He won’t be back anytime soon.”

           “Thank you,” the kids said in unison before returning to their game with glee. Her job done, Alice returned to the backroom to tidy up while the kids played.

           “Oops, I forgot to put this away,” Alice spotted a familiar bag on the table. She grabbed it by the strap and carried it to the far side of the back. The blonde popped open a cabinet. Inside was a collection of discard bags, backpacks, and packs, some far older than others. She deposited the new bag inside. “There, now to see what else I can surprise the kids with today.” Alice left the room. The boy’s whimper from last night still rang clearly in her mind.

~~~~ 

In games, theft and cheating are the highest crimes. Expect to pay dearly for it, especially if you're bad at hiding it.

Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy 

~~~~ 

Support me on Patreon: [link]

Eclectic Narratives - Time Slipping Away [#206]

~~~~

Time kept on slipping, and slowly by slowly, I lost my way.

In this vast sea of possibilities, there appears so much to do.

Time is endless yet also finite. There is only so far you can drift into this boundless sea.

To wish you had infinite time, to experience everything, is considered a foolhardy choice.

Even with finite time, you can lose sight of yourself as everything blends together.

Imagine if you were eternal. How long would it take before it all descends into a blur?

What’s the point of an endless lifetime of experiences if you can’t remember any of them?

Time is finite, so make do with what you have.

Enjoy what is there, and accomplish what you can.

When the possibilities are truly endless, what matters most is which ones you make true.

~~~~ 

Make the most of what time you have.

Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy 

~~~~ 

Support me on Patreon: [link]

Enigmatic Fantasies - A Hell of a Job [#205]

~~~~

            ‘You know,’ Mary thought, ‘when I applied to work as a desk jockey at H&E Hockey Sticks corporate office, this isn’t what I had in mind.’ It was a perfectly normal office by most metrics. The office was filled with chairs, computers, hundreds of identical desks, the shuffling of papers, and idle chatter. However, only the briefest of glances would confirm it was anything but ordinary.

           The view outside the window showed a vast, rocky, and cavernous landscape of eternal fire and brimstone. All the managers displayed prominent horns upon their heads. The higher their position, the bigger the horns. Most of the other employees had various combinations of unusual features. Tails, bat-like wings, hoofs, red skin, and sharp fangs were all common. The janitors were all small, grey creatures who floated by with tiny wings. And above all else, the coffee machine occasionally dispensed liquid magma. No one seemed to mind except for Mary.

           ‘Having to take an elevator down to 180th basement floor for my interview should have been my first clue,’ Mary realized as she typed away at a random document. Honestly, she was just trying to look busy. That way, her coworkers wouldn’t bother her.

           ‘I was hoping a new job would let me meet new friends. Maybe learn a useful office skill or two, but...’ Mary’s thoughts trailed off as she glanced to some of her nearby coworkers.

           Her immediate neighbor to her right was an insect-like creature with four arms who stood eight meters tall. He wasn’t much for conversation. To Mary’s left was a more human-looking woman, with wings, a barbed tail, and blazing yellow eyes. Said woman was part of a clique who had tried to bring Mary into their fold when she first joined. Mary quickly excused herself when she discovered what their idea of a “fun night” was.

           ‘I’d look for another job, but,’ Mary sighed. ‘I wish I had read the contract more thoroughly.’ People often joke about selling their souls to their job, but such jests were no longer humorous for Mary. ‘Maybe, if I spend the rest of eternity working on this spreadsheet, I’ll be fine,’ she told herself.

           “Ah, Mary, just the girl I wanted to see,” a voice stated, which sent a chill down Mary’s spine.

           “Yes, boss?” Mary turned around to see a giant, disembodied eyeball floating behind her. It wasn’t really an eyeball, more like a projection of a giant opened eye. Despite having no mouth, it’s voiced echoed throughout the room and right into Mary’s mind.

           “I have an extra special job for you,” the eye revealed.

           “Oh, lovely,” Mary failed to hide her fear. ‘I’m so going to die.’

           “Now don’t be like that,” the eye read her thoughts. “Even if you died, you’d come right back here, so there’s nothing to worry about. Now then, follow me if you please.”

           “Yes, boss,” Mary slunk out of her chair and follow the eye to a nearby elevator. The transport generously listed all the floors in the building. From the 1st floor all the way down to 666th basement. Mary walked inside the elevator, which was relatively normal. Aside from the red carpeting and blood coming out of the walls (hence the red carpeting).

           “Now this is an important task. As the only living human currently on our staff, you are the only one fit to perform it,” the boss explained as the elevator began its descent.

           “Wait, only living?” Mary exclaimed.

           “Oh, yes, Jeff fell into a lava pool last week,” the eye squinted. “He’s in the flaming skull division now.”

           “So, what part of being a living human is so important to this job?” Mary inquired, against her better judgment.

           “I’d tell you, but I think it’s better to see for yourself,” the boss sighed (somehow). The elevator came to a stop on the 665th floor, aka the executive offices. Mary had never been down there before. While one usually might walk through the halls where their boss’s boss worked with reverence and care, Mary felt suffocated. In fact, she was actually suffocating. There wasn’t much air down there. “Oh, apologies. Lou, could you pump some more air down here?”

           “Oh, thank g...well, you know,” Mary coughed as the air returned. Now she finally had a chance to observe her surrounding, and it looked like an average executive office floor. The carpet was plush. There were portraits of executives along the walls and plenty of fancy decorations. The fact most of the decorations were made from human-looking bones certainly made it stand out, though.

           “Now, hurry along, we’re almost there,” the eye pushed Mary along until they came to a large double door. The nameplate on the door was in Latin, but the big “S” inscribed on the door gave Mary a reasonably good idea of whose office it was. “Enter,” the boss opened the door (telepathically obviously) and ushered Mary inside.

           Beyond the door was not a long red carpet that led to a big wooden desk with an equally large horned monster with six heads and six arms like Mary expected. In fact, it didn’t even look like an office that much, or at least not anymore. The room had a distinct air of a sudden and drastic redecoration. It looked a bit more modern, like something you’d see in a startup run by 20-somethings. Filled with contemporary art, pop culture posters, and stuffed animals. The best description would be a teenage girl’s room vomited all over an executive office.

           At the center of the chaos was what looked like a teenage girl, except for the curled horns, barbed tail, and aura of absolute menace and evil. She sat on a nearby couch with her legs in the air, chatting away on a cell phone. The girl was dressed like she was following fashion trends from the 1990s, all of them at once. She spoke in a random mixture of “teenage” lingo from across three decades.

           “Like totally, yeah...like totes LEET, YOLO and stuff,” the girl gabbed away on her cell.

           “Is that,” Mary pointed, mouth agape.

           “Exactly who you think it is, yes,” the eye affirmed.

           “Not their daughter?” Mary was in disbelief.

           “Nope,” the eye replied.

           “Ooh, my 2:00 is here, like Yeet you later,” the girl hung up her phone and bounced to her feet.

           “What did you need me for...um?” Mary struggled to find the right word to address her.

           “Like, call me S, not boss and certainly not Big S, makes me sound totes fat,” S replied.

           “What did you need me for, S?” Mary gulped.

           “Didn’t you tell her? Like, totes not coral, Eyebrow,” Spouted.

           “For the love of all the is evil,” the eye squinted. “Ahem, let me explain, Mary. S here discovered modern human culture for the first time in centuries, and now they’re enraptured with it. As our only living human on staff, you are the best fit to be her guide.”

           “I see,” Mary feigned understanding. “For reference, how long ago did this start?”

           “A week,” the eye rolled itself.        

           “Oh my go-!” Mary nearly blurted out.

           “Like don’t even say that nerd’s name down here,” S shushed her.

           “Okay,” Mary was too stunned to disagree.

           “Now, like, teach me all about this modern human stuff,” S jumped into Mary’s face. “I totes want to know all the LEET and YOLO stuff. I want to be Da Bomb, get all that tubular bling Kay, brah?”

           ‘The fuck?’ Mary swore internally.

           “My thoughts exactly,” the eye read Mary’s mind again. “Now go along, show S everything she wants to know.”

           “Totes rocking this boat,” S spouted off more random words, “first stop the mall, right? That’s where all the hippest hippies hang out, right? Come on.” S dragged Mary along, to wherever her whims would take them.

           “Finally,” the boss said as the two left the room. “Perhaps, ahem, hanging out with such a boring stick in the mud as Mary will finally get S to snap out of this phase.” While the eye remained behind, proud of its accomplishment, Mary and S began a long, crazy adventure at the mall. Full of twists, turns, betrayals, and drama, the two’s exploits would be known as some of the most incredible nonsense in history. Countries would fall, heroes would be born, they’d even save Christmas at one point. And, for your information, S did not grow out of this “phase,” it only got worse.

~~~~ 

You never know what you might have to do at your job, so always read the fine print.

Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy

 ~~~~ 

Support me on Patreon: [link]

Strange Sci-fi Tales - Careful Danger [#204]

~~~~

            “Careful,” Dr. Maxis warned his assistant, “need I remind you how dangerous that is?” The two men stood close together in their shared lab space. Buried deep in the building’s 3rd basement, they were practically alone down there. If something were to go wrong, no one would be coming to assist anytime soon. It didn’t help that it was the middle of the night at the end of a long workday. The aging light fixtures that hung above them flickered every so often, threatening to bathe them both in darkness.

           “You worry too much, Dr. Maxis,” the assistant, Richards, assured. “I will handle this as if it were my own child.” The younger man gripped the pair of tongs in his hand for dear life. Held within them was a sealed test tube containing a strange, purple liquid. Despite Richards’s claims, his hands trembled, ever so slightly, as he moved the tube across the table.

           “You’re trying my patience with your hollow words, Richards,” Dr. Maxis seethed. The older man glared at his assistant, judging their every move. He maintained his stare until Richards gently set the tube into its new home, a small rack, at the center of the table.

           “See, nothing to-,” Richards began, before the lights cut off for a brief moment. They returned quickly enough, but now they flickered much more consistently. Neither man was an electrician, but even they could tell their time in the light was limited.

           “Damn faulty wiring,” Maxis growled. “I’ve been warning those idiots in management this would happen.”

           “It’s just the lights, I’ll pull out a flashlight, and we can finish this,” Richards brushed it off.

           “No, you fool, listen,” Maxis hushed the other man. Richards pricked up his ears but heard nothing. The room was dead quiet.

           “I don’t hear anything,” the assistant stated.

           “Exactly, the A/C, the coolers, everything shut off,” the older man pointed out.

           “Oh, no,” Richards’s heart dropped. “Does this need to be refrigerated?”

           “Of course it does. Have you not learned anything?” Maxis snapped. “If this is left out to expire, two weeks of hard work and $10,000 go down the drain. Now hurry, let’s take this upstairs and find a working refrigerator.”

           “Sure thing, Dr. Maxis,” the younger man gulped as he picked up the test tube with the tongs again. After grabbing a flashlight, the two men exited their lab into an equally poorly lit hallway. Thankfully, the lights did not flicker. Instead, half of them had burned out. Most importantly, the ones surrounding the stairs. “I don’t like this,” Richards admitted.

           “I don’t care, move,” Maxis forced his assistant along into the darkness. Some points were so absent of light the two men could barely see their own nose. “Blasted darkness, what’s with your flashlight?”

           “Is there a problem, Dr. Maxis?” Richards asked, still holding onto the tube for dear life.

           “Have you replaced the batteries recently?” Maxis inquired.

           “I thought I did yesterday,” the assistant claimed.

           “Of course you did,” the older man groaned. “Move, we’re on borrowed time.” The two men rushed through the hallway until they finally reached the stairs. They hoped that they’d get some light trickling down from above. But, to their horror, the entire stairwell was pitched black, all the way to the top. Thankfully, they only needed to scale three floors to reach the lobby, which would have some natural moonlight from the windows.

           “Dr. Maxis, are you sure about this? I can barely see,” Richards tried to hide his panic behind a question.

           “Just move and follow in my footsteps,” Maxis took the first step.

           “If you say so,” Richards followed.

           “Slow down, you’re shaking the tube too much!” Dr. Maxis yelled at his assistant.

           “Okay, okay,” Richards drastically slowed his pace.

           “What are you doing? Speed up, or we’ll never make it in time,” the older man continued his tirade.

           “How fast do you want me to go?” The younger man blurted out.

           “Is this so hard?” Maxis grew more hysterical. The two men had barely made it past the second basement.

           “Dr. Maxis, please, I’m holding our jobs, and maybe even lives right here,” Richards exclaimed. “I don’t need any more stress. Just tell me what you want me to do.”

           “I’ll tell you what,” Dr. Maxis spun around. “Why don’t you stop being such an incompetent screw up who needs his handheld through every experiment. If I had it my way, you’d never-!” The scientist never got a chance to finish his sentence. In his fury, he misplaced a step and tripped backward. He tried to right himself, but the older man overcorrected and tumbled forwards.

           “Dr. Maxis?” Richards shouted as they jumped out of the way on instinct. Then remembering his boss was about to fall down a flight of stairs, his brain told him to reach out and catch him. Alas, in that brief instant, he forgot the dangerous substance still held in his hand. Maxis collided with his arms, and Richards let the other man fall, taking the test tube with him.

           Dr. Maxis rolled down the stairs and crashed down onto a landing, the glass in the tube breaking on impact. A horrific sizzling sound and a smell akin to burning flesh filled the area. Richards stood parlayed for a moment, unable to see what occurred in the darkness.

           “Dr. Maxis?” Richards called out and received nothing but eerie silence. “I need to...Shit, that stuff is toxic. I need to leave, call for help,” the younger man scrambled up the stairs in search of a phone.

           “Fool, why did he leave?” Maxis coughed. He could feel blood all over his chest and hands. His entire front burned in enormous pain, both from the liquid and the glass shards lodged in his belly. The older man tried to stand up, but he realized his legs were numb. His brittle, aged bones could not withstand the impact. “It was toxic to the touch, the touch that fool, why would he...?” The scientist stated before he was hit by a moment of realization. “I didn’t tell him...” The older man’s voice trailed off as he felt the darkness consume him further.

~~~~ 

Details are important, they help prevent miscommunication.

Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy 

~~~~ 

Support me on Patreon: [link]

Enigmatic Fantasies - A Brush With Death, Part 2

Part 1: [link]

~~~~

           Preparations for the poker tournament, and more importantly, Mr. Verrick’s arrival, continued on as usual. Or at least, they would have if it wasn’t for that mysterious little girl. Despite Big Tony’s best efforts, the child continued to elude him and his men. Half the time, they could barely keep track of her, to the point most of his men hadn’t even seen her. Rumors started to swirl that Tony had finally cracked. Those who claimed to see the girl just humoring him to stay on his good side. Anyone caught repeating those rumors quickly found themselves out of a job.

           Thankfully, sightings of the girl began to slow as the preparations completed. Big Tony hoped she got bored and left, although he stepped up security just in case. The large man was left with so many questions concerning this strange girl. Who was she? Why was she here? How did she even get into his casino? How had she managed to stick around for so long? It was one thing if she was some bored or adventurous kid who found some way into the building, like through a forgotten back door or a vent. But, the fact she seemed to have lingered in the building for days made no sense.

           ‘The hell is she eating? Is she sleeping here too?’ Tony wondered as he sat back in his office. ‘Doesn’t she have parents to run back to? Of course, she does. Where else would she get that fancy dress from? Then why aren’t they looking for her? I haven’t seen any missing child reports. Even if it’s some rich idiots trying to keep her disappearance on the down low, how the hell could the kid of a couple of rich morons be so fucking elusive?’

           “Sir?” Simmons knocked at the door.

           “What is it, Simmons?” Tony was snapped out of his deep thoughts.

           “Mr. Verrick is here,” Simmons peaked into the room.

           “He’s what? Since when?” Tony jumped out of his chair.

           “Since right now, sir,” Simmons replied.

           “Shit, he wasn’t supposed to be here for another hour,” Tony panicked. “Crap, is my hair good? Do I need a quick shave? Is my suit spotless? Damn it, there’s no time.” The large man scrambled past his assistant and down into the casino. At the front entrance, surrounded by several scary men, who made Tony look like a towel boy, by comparison, stood Mr. Verrick.

           “Ah, there you, Tony. You’re eight seconds late,” the old man chuckled. Mr. Verrick stood a head shorter than Tony, with a bald head and long grey beard. He walked on a fancy, jeweled topped cane and dressed in the finest designer suit. The older man’s whole outfit likely cost more than Tony’s car.

           “Apologies, Mr. Verrick,” Tony bowed. “You’re, here earlier than I expected.”

           “Ha, just like to keep you on your toes,” Verrick cackled. “I’ll be in my usual VIP room until the tournament starts,” the rich man declared as he walked off with his posse of guards. Tony remained firmly in place, maintaining his bow until Verrick was out of sight.

           “Ah shit, I got to keep him happy for an hour longer than I thought,” Tony sweated. “Oh well, this shouldn’t be too...bad...Shit,” Tony cursed. He noticed a familiar little girl in a black and yellow dress skipping through the casino, heading right for Mr. Verrick. “Not this time,” Tony scrambled after her.

           “Ooh, who’s that old guy?” The little girl said aloud as she followed after Mr. Verrick, only to be stopped by Big Tony blocking her path. “Hi, mister,” she chirped.

           “Alright you little brat, you’re not causing any problems today,” Tony declared. “Mr. Verrick is a very important man, and I can’t have you ruining things with him around.”

           “Okay,” the little girl smiled.

           “You’re being surprisingly cordial today,” Tony commented.

           “What’s that mean?” The little girl asked as she tilted her head.

           “It’s not important,” Tony grabbed her arm. “Now, I’m taking you into the back, we’re calling your parents, and you’re going to leave, understand?”

           “Help, I’m being kidnapped!” The girl screamed.

           “What?” Tony froze, realizing what this looked like.

           “Just kidding?” The mystery girl stuck her tongue out as she revealed her arm was now free. “Bye, mister,” she skipped away.

           “When did she?” Tony was dumbfounded. “That brat,” he chased after her again.

~--~

           Tony quickly lost sight of the girl in the casino and was forced to give up the chase. He would have put his men back on the hunt for her, but a string of incidents took up his attention. While they were doing the final set up for the poker tournament, one of his men almost got crushed by one of those giant TV cameras they had rented to film the event. Thankfully, both the employee and, more importantly in Tony’s eyes, the camera, were unharmed. When asked, the man swore he saw something run past him. He turned to find it and got tangled up in some cables.

           That was only the beginning. One of the players they invited to the tournament was almost in a car wreck in the parking lot. The player swore he saw someone run across the street, and he swerved to avoid them. Then one of his employees suffered a poisoning, the circumstances of which left Tony conflicted. The large man reluctantly decided to present a bottle from his alcohol stash, one of the few the little girl hadn’t destroyed, as a gift for Mr. Verrick. The employee decided to sneak a bit of the beverage for himself before handing it off to Mr. Verrick and immediately suffered.

           Tony didn’t know if someone had tried to poison him or if there was something wrong with the bottle. But, better, he found out this way instead of with Mr. Verrick. Tony decided to let the employee off on this one, as long as he stayed quiet. Although considering said employee was currently on their way to the hospital, that might not even become an issue.

           As Big Tony sat in a booth overlooking the poker tournament, his nerves frayed. The event started smoothly enough, and Mr. Verrick had a nice front row seat, directly across from the table. The camera was set up to Verrick’s left, getting a nice view of the game as it proceeded. Everything was perfect, and that’s exactly when disaster liked to strike.

           “Stanley Black has...” The announcer for the tournament droned. Tony silently wished he had picked a more energetic man for the job.

           “Sir, there’s something you should-,” Simmons tried to tell Tony something.

           “Not now, Simmons,” Tony hushed his assistant. “I got to watch this thing like a hawk, can’t have anything go wrong.”

           “But sir, the light-,” the lanky man tried to continue.

           “Boston Rocky has...” The announcer’s voice echoed over the two men’s conversation.

           “Not now,” Tony growled, silencing the smaller man.

           “Yes, sir,” Simmons slinked away.

           “I haven’t seen the girl in a while, maybe she finally-,” Tony’s words died in his throat. He saw her again, he’d recognize that ridiculous hat anywhere. The little girl was skipping towards the cameraman, but she was approaching from his right side, which could only mean one thing. “Shit,” Tony swore as he stood up from his chair.

           The worst-case scenario was now, the girl had skipped right in front of the gambling table, in plain view of Mr. Verrick. Tony panicked; in mere moments, she’d jump right into the unaware cameraman. She’d would knock over him and the expensive equipment and ruin the tournament all in one fell swoop.

          “No, no, no,” Tony chanted as he bolted down from his booth with little care for Simmons’ cries of confusion. He had seconds to grab the little brat and slip offstage before anyone can notice. It wouldn’t be easy, but there was little room for her to escape this time.

           “California Tim has...” the announcer continued his commentary over the game.

           ‘Good he hasn’t noticed the brat just yet,’ Tony felt a hint of relief as he turned the corner and found himself only a few feet behind the little girl. He planned it out in his head. He’d sprint, swipe up the girl, give the cameraman a pat on the back ‘for doing a good job’, and be out the other end before anyone knew what was up. ‘It’s now or never,’ Tony steeled himself.

           It all happened in one swift motion, Tony ran out in front of the gambling table. A few of the players looked up in surprise as his form emerged but said nothing. Tony then lunged out towards the girl, and for once, she did not dodge out of the way. Instead, she spun 180 degrees on her heel and flashed him a sly smile, and said something he couldn’t hear. What Tony didn’t know was that directly above him was a loose lighting fixture. The same one Simmons tried to warn him about earlier. As though guided by the hands of fate, the fixture broke from its hinges and fell straight down. Yet, Tony still didn’t notice. Instead, he was focused on his capture of the girl. His hand reached out, closer and closer, until it was mere inches from her face, then his hand passed right through her.

           Tony’s blood ran cold as his brain tried to comprehend what just happened. A sensation traveled up his arm. It was an unmistakable chill that any flesh and blood creature could recognize. However, Tony had little time to process this realization as the light crashed down on his head and sent him into a world of darkness.

~--~

           “Wake up, mister,” a familiar voice called out to Tony, “Come on, sleepyhead.”

           “Oh my aching,” Tony mumbled as he pulled himself up, “What happened?”

           “You died silly,” the familiar voice answered.

           “What!” Tony’s eyes snapped open, only to be greeted by a pair of familiar dull green orbs. “You!” Tony stood up and immediately realized something was amiss. The sights and sounds of the casino and the gambling tournament were gone, replaced by something else entirely. A flowing river, an oppressive fog, and an eerie ambiance surrounded him now. “What is this place?”

           “Well you died, so it should be easy to guess, right?” the girl answered.

           “Ha, this is only a dream,” Tony tried to assure himself. While his head was a bit foggy, the feel of water and the sounds in his ears felt a little too real to be a dream. “So, if I really am dead, where am I going?” Big Tony humored her for a moment.

           “Oh, Mister,” the girl giggled, “I’m sure you can figure that out real easily.” The girl smiled, but it wasn’t the usual childish smile she’d flashed him dozens of times in the past week. The grin was far too wide for that. In fact, it was far too wide for any human to do. Tony felt a chill to his very core. He expected his heart to be pounding in his chest and his blood to run cold, but they didn’t. But of course, they didn’t, he was dead.

           “Please no, it can’t end like this!” Tony pleaded.

           “That’s what they all say,” the girl laughed as the fog parted behind her and made way for geysers of fire and brimstone. “If it makes you feel any better, Mr. Verrick will be joining you in a week or so.”

           “No, no!” Tony tried to turn and run, but he quickly realized he had no legs to stand with, no arms to scramble away with.

           “Come on, mister. You can’t fight what’s already happened,” she grabbed Tony and dragged him kicking and screaming past the geysers of flame. Big Tony’s screams echoed into nothingness as he disappeared into the abyss.

~~~~ 

One of the most frightening aspects of death is how sudden it can be. Even then, there might be signs to warn of the impending disaster, but they aren't always obvious.

In case my pseudo-wisdom didn't make it obvious enough, the little girl was in fact the grim reaper, or rather a grim reaper. The idea is that death is a complex thing that has different meanings to different people, thus you can't put all of it on the shoulders of a single skeleton with a scythe.

In this case, the little girl represented sudden and surprise death. She's the accident waiting to happen, the squirrel that causes you to swerve into a lamppost, the loose brick that fall and beams you in the head because you stopped to pick up a penny. I actually had a lot of fun writing her.

Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy 

~~~~ 

Support me on Patreon: [link]