Eclectic Narratives - Time Slipping Away [#206]

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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.

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Make the most of what time you have.

Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy 

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

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            ‘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.

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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

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

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            “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.

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Details are important, they help prevent miscommunication.

Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy 

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Enigmatic Fantasies - A Brush With Death, Part 2

Part 1: [link]

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           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.

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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 

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Support me on Patreon: [link]

Enigmatic Fantasies - A Brush With Death, Part 1 [#203]

Part 2: [link]

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           Big Tony was known as the worst man in town. He extorted mom and pop shops for money, threatened helpless people into unreasonable loans, and rumor has it he once stole candy from a baby. He had at least a dozen henchmen to do his bidding and skirted the law with a combination of bribes and mob connection. When a tall, muscular form with a buzz cut in a nice suit strolled down the street, all the people would cower and hide. Everybody feared Tony. He was invincible. Then one day, he met his match.

           It was a slow day at Tony's Honest Loans, so Tony spent the day engaged in his favorite hobby, counting money. Profits were great as always, but Tony was frustrated. He had already extorted every person in town for every cent they were worth. It was only a matter of time before the well dried up.

           'At this point, the only money left will be ripping off tourists at the casino,' Tony thought to himself as he lit a cigar. As Tony pondered his options, there was a knock at the door. "That better be you, Simmons."

           "Yes, sir," Simmons said as he entered Tony's office. Simmons, the ever-loyal assistant, was a skinny guy with red hair. His suit was wrinkled, his hair unkempt, and he fidgeted constantly.

           "I assume everything is running smoothly," Tony chewed his cigar.

           "Yes, sir," Simmons squeaked, "but there's one tiny problem..."

           "What kind of problem?" Tony growled.

           "Well, sir," Simmons shrank in place, "some of the employees say there's a little girl running around the office, causing havoc. They haven't been able to catch her."

           "Are you serious, Simmons?" Tony slammed his desk. "You came here to bother me about some little brat that you idiots can't even catch?"

           "I'm...sorry...s...sir," the redhead apologized, "but we've also had a lot of equipment and building malfunctions today. Some of the guys who tried to catch her got hurt because of it."

           "Oh boo hoo," Tony mocked his assistant, "you got a couple paper cuts trying to catch a stupid little tyke."

           "But...sir," the small man replied, "we've had three people hospitalized over this."

           "What?" Tony cocked his head, "What the fuck happened?"

           "Well, sir," Simmons explained, "One got knocked out by a falling ceiling tile. Another was electrocuted by a photocopier. The third was crushed by a row of file cabinets."

           "You're making this shit up," Tony chuckled, "very funny Simmons."

           "It's no joke, sir," the assistant confirmed.

           "Don't bullshit me, or you'll be out of a-," Tony was cut off by the sound of a loud crash followed by a chorus of panicked screams. "The hell?" Tony and Simmons quickly left the office to investigate. Upon exiting out into the main office, they were greeted with a terrible sight. A large chunk of the ceiling had collapsed onto the office space.

           "Damn it! I almost had the little brat!" A voice yelled from above. Tony looked up to see one of his employees perched inside the ceiling, at the edge of the collapsed section.

           "Did you do this?" Tony screamed at the employee.

           "No, sir, it was-" The employee tried to defend himself.

           "You're fired!"

~--~

           "No good lousy idiots," Tony fumed as he went over the damages in his casino office. That collapsed ceiling put an end to the day's business. He'd have to shell out a pretty penny to get the office back in working order. Not to mention all the worker's comp. Not that he'd ever payout for that, but the amount of bribe money he'd have to funnel to the authorities gave him a headache.

           Big Tony was used to yelling to get his way, but even he had to face reality on this one. It would take weeks to sort this mess, and that was weeks he'd be seeing a lot less money in from the office. It was surprisingly hard to negotiate loans with a hole in your ceiling. Thus, Tony was forced to lean on his casino to bear the burden of these unexpected costs.

           "This couldn't possibly get any worse," Tony felt his blood pressure rising. As if on cue, Simmons arrived, trembling a bit more than usual. "This better be good," Tony snapped.

           "Mr. Verrick called," Simmons squeaked. "He's coming to visit the casino to watch that poker tournament next weekend." Big Tony froze. This was the last thing he wanted to hear today. Mr. Verrick was Tony's most important connection. That rich man basically ran half the region. If Tony failed to live up to his expectations, he'd never work in this country again, and that'd be the least of his problems.

           "I want everything perfect for Mr. Verrick," Tony exclaimed as a bead of sweat trickled down his face. "Do you hear me?"

           "Yes, sir!" Simmons saluted and rushed out the door.

           "Just what I needed, more stress," Tony tried to control his breathing. "I need a drink," the large man got out of his chair and walked down the hall to his private break room. The room used to be a small VIP suite, complete with a plush sofa, coffee machine, and a mini-bar, until Tony took it for himself. He could always drink in his office, but Big Tony preferred to drink where no one would bother him.

           "Now then," he locked the door behind him, "I'm itching for something strong." Tony turned and walked towards the mini-bar. He ignored the little girl sitting on his couch who sloppily drank a juice box. The large man inspected his collection of alcoholic beverages. He was about to make a choice when a thought crossed his mind. 'Wait, kid?' Tony snapped his head back. He saw the strange child casually discard her finished drink before skipping over to the coffee machine.

           The little girl was likely no older than 12 and was garbed in a puffy, yellow and black dress out of a Lewis Carroll novel. Her hair was a light, almost platinum, blonde, and her eyes a pale green. She was topped off with a fancy, wide-brimmed hat, straight out of the Kentucky derby.

           "Where'd you come from, you the little brat?" Tony shouted at the child, "You've got to the count of five to piss off, or I'll- Hey, listen to me, you little miscreant!" Despite his yells, the small girl paid him no head. She was too enraptured by her reflection in the coffee pot. "That's it," Tony marched over to the child, ready to grab her by the scruff of her neck.

           "Ooh, shiny," she dashed away before he could lay a finger on her. She ran a figure eight around the room before settling next to the min-bar. After observing its contents for a moment, she began to carelessly toss out each bottle contained within. "There's got to be some juice in here, right?" The little girl said aloud as she chucked a glass of bourbon, which shattered on the carpet behind her.

           "Hey, those are expensive, you little shit," Tony charged the little girl. However, instead of grabbing her, all the large man managed to do was tackle the mini-bar. The contents of which spilled out and shattered around him. The large man thanked his lucky stars he didn't get stabbed by any glass shards. "Where'd she go?" Tony scanned the room, quickly noticing the little girl heading for the door.

           "There's no juice in here. This place is boring," she complained before unlocking the door and slipping out into the hallway.

           "Why you," Tony looked at the mess around him. "I'll have Simmons clean this up later," he affirmed before chasing after the girl.

~--~

           Despite his best efforts, Tony could barely keep track of the little troublemaker. It seemed as if he so much as blinked she'd vanish from sight. Every lunge and grab for her failed to register; each time she'd slip just out of reach. Yet, it never seemed intentional. If Tony tried to swipe at her head, she'd bend over to fix her shoes. When he made a desperate lunge, she'd skip off in a random direction. If he ever lost sight of her, she'd suddenly appear in the opposite direction he had looked.

           "Damn it, I'm running out of swears, you cheeky shit," Tony's patience was at its end.

           "That's bad. You shouldn't swear, mister," the girl scolded him.

           "Hold still," he thrust out both hands, ready to strangle her if need be. However, the little girl slipped through his legs.

           "Tag, you're it," she slapped the side of his leg and ran around a corner.

           "Why you!" Tony bolted after her, only to run right into Simmons. The lanky man crumbled as his boss ran him right over. "What the? Simmons, why didn't you catch that stupid kid?"

           "Kid?" Simmons mumbled in a daze.

           "Over here, mister," the girl waved from around a different corner before ducking behind it and disappearing again.

           "I refuse to let her make a fool out of me," Tony grumbled.

           "Wait, kid?" Simmons finally pulled himself to his feet. "Was it a little girl in a black and yellow dress?"

           "Exactly," Tony replied.

           "That's the girl the guys were chasing the other day," Simmons explained, "before they...uh...well, you know."

          "So, she's the little brat on the warpath," Tony commented. "Wait, then she's the one who cost me all that money. When I find her, I'll give her such a thrashing."

           "Do you want me to do anything, sir?" Simmons inquired.

           "Simmons," Tony rested his hand on the smaller man's shoulder, "I want you to put the whole casino on the lookout for this little brat. I want her dragged kicking and screaming to my office. Whoever catches her gets a big raise." Tony smiled. He had never given out a raise to anyone. This way, his employees would know he seriously wanted that kid captured.

           "Right away, sir!" Simmons saluted and rushed off to alert the other employees.

           "That ought to take care of that," Tony smirked with pride.

           "Hi, Mister!" The girl's voice came from behind.

           "Jesus!" Tony jumped.

           "Where?" The girl began to scan her surrounding rapidly.

           "Don't you ever sneak up on me like that, you little brat," Tony demanded, but the girl did not respond. She was too preoccupied in her search for "Jesus." "That's it, I'm going to throttle you good this time," Tony thrust out his bulky hand, with sights on the girl's neck.

           "Oh, a penny," the girl dropped to the ground and snatched a coin off the floor. She fell right between Tony's feet and caused him to trip over her in mid-lunge. The large man crashed into the wall before landing on the ground with a thud. "Yeah," the girl cheered for herself, oblivious to Tony's pain.

           "Curse that kid," Tony moaned as the girl skipped way again. Hopefully, this would be the last time he'd have to put up with her games.

To Be Continued...

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If you're wondering why this is a fantasy story, well you'll find out in part 2 next week.

Until next time, Read, Comment, Enjoy and have a Happy New Year!

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Enigmatic Fantasies - Colossal Caravan [#202]

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           “So then, Theo, are you ready for your first day on the job?” The boss asked the young boy. The rugged “office” they sat in was nothing more than a reinforced shack. It was furnished well enough, confirming the boss’s wealth and success. However, there was only so much one could expect from a structure so far on the frontier.

           “Of course,” Theo affirmed, “don’t worry, this isn’t my first caravan. I’ve worked on a couple back home.” The blonde’s blue eyes twinkled in the way only youth could. He’d waited so long to get a real job on the frontier, now he’d finally become a man.

          “That’s what they all say,” the boss chuckled as he stroked his long, brown beard. “Now I’m gonna warn you, this ain’t like the horses and bison you got back home. Our pack beasts are quite a bit bigger and much more troublesome.”

           “Don’t worry, boss, I can handle it. I’m ready for anything,” Theo beamed, which only made the boss laugh more. 

           “Alright then, kid, you should be able to hear them coming now,” the boss stated. “Your first job is to help us unload the cargo from our last trip. Tomorrow we’ll move you on to something more. If you haven’t lost your nerve, that is.”

           ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ Theo raised an eyebrow. Before he could consider the boss’s words any further, he could hear the caravan coming. Or rather, he felt them coming. The boy had often heard the beasts on the frontier were much larger than he was used to. But, the way the ground shook as the caravan approached made him start to realize just how big they were talking.

           Theo and the boss stepped outside to witness the caravan crossing over a nearby hill. Theo’s eyes widened as he saw the first beast come over, a bulky reptile with three horns and a shield-shaped head. A member of the caravan slowly guided it with a length of rope. The beast had a couple hundred pounds of precious cargo strapped to its back. The reptile towered over any horse or pack animal the blonde had ever seen before, and each of its steps made the ground shudder.

           “It’s massive. I’ve never seen such a beast in my life,” Theo was awestruck.

           “Don’t freak out yet, kid. That’s one of the smaller ones,” the boss grinned. Theo looked back at the older man incredulously, at least until he felt the ground shake even harder. The boy looked around to see another reptile’s head pop up from below the ridge, followed by its neck. Theo watched with interest as he waited for the rest of the creature to come over. His patience was tested as the animal’s neck went on and on until finally, the massive beast crossed over the hill.

           “Impossible, how could such a thing exist!” Theo was dumbfounded. The last beast was bigger than any animal he had seen before, but this one dwarfed most buildings. Every step of the long-necked monster was like a small earthquake to the blonde. It even had cargo and seating strapped to its back, making Theo wonder how anyone managed to get up there. Let alone load and unload its passengers and cargo regularly.

           “Haven’t lost your nerve already, have you, boy?” The boss snorted.

           “Of course not,” Theo asserted as his voice cracked. Although his composure faltered as he witnessed more of the long-necked reptiles cross over the hill. They were closely followed by many other strange, giant reptiles. “So this is the frontier? Such fearsome creatures,” Theo tried to change the subject.

           “Ah, this is nothing. These are the gentle ones,” the boss began to walk towards the caravan. “Wait till we have you with us in those untamed wilds. You’ll see the real nasty ones out there.”

           “I see,” Theo gulped as the caravan flooded into the area. He watched in shock as those guiding the beast casually strode alongside the monsters that could easily crush them underfoot. His first day was about to begin, the blonde had told himself he was ready for anything, but now he had never felt so small.

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Sometimes you'll never be prepared enough for big, new jobs.

Until next time, Read, Comment, Enjoy and have a Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays/Whatever you prefer.

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Eclectic Narratives - There's Nothing Here For You [#201]

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           Eric was a budding young talent in the world of science. He was the top of his class in university and popular with the press. The young man was already poised to make great strides forward in his chosen field. When asked what motivated him to do so much in a short amount of time, the scientist always had the same answer.

           “I’ve idolized the Green Yard research facility, ever since I was a boy,” he would explain. “There wasn’t a single major field of science they haven’t influenced or advanced in the past 50 years. It was the work of their staff, such legendary names like Dr. Marko and Dr. Gregorius, that inspired me to open my first science textbook.”

           Typically, Eric would then be asked what he’d like to do more than anything else. The young man would then put on his most excited smile as he answered.

           “Why to work at Green Yard, of course,” he’d state. “But that’s nothing more than a fantasy now, even for me. They’re very selective about their staff and very secretive about their research. I don’t think a member of the public has even stepped foot on its grounds in over ten years. If memory serves, they last welcomed a new member of staff even longer ago than that.”

          Despite his claims that it was nothing more than a fantasy, it was a fantasy Eric desired to make real above all else. Internally, he believed it would never come true and accepted he’d just have to watch their work from afar. However, that made it all the more wonderful when he actually did get accepted into Green Yard’s ranks.

           After long weeks of orientation at a handful of off-site locations, Eric was quickly given the approval to begin his tenure at the facility. He woke up bright and early for his first day, packed up all his needed possessions, and drove up into the mountains that housed the facility. He was eager to visit the dormitory, hoping he’d get a room close to one of his idols. He was excited about his future lab space, rubbing shoulders with those at the top of their fields. But above all that, he was most excited to lay eyes on the facility itself. Before now, he only had a ten-year-old picture of the exterior and his imagination.    

           He arrived early in the morning, only an hour or so past dawn. The facility’s gate appeared old and rusty. He expected security guards to check him in, automatic gates, and something to swipe his ID badge through. Alas, there was nothing but a decrepit gate that looked like it had been put in when the facility was founded 50 years prior. It wasn’t even locked. The lock and chain had long since decayed and fallen to the ground.

           Concerned he was at the wrong place, Eric double-checked his map and direction. Yet, all they did was confirm he was at the right place. More confused than anything, Eric drove his car up to the facility and parked in the vegetation-covered parking lot. At first, Eric wondered if they had skimmed on the parking lot maintenance bills until he looked at the building itself. It was a large and sprawling structure, or at least it would be by the standards of 50 years ago.

           Eric referred back to his map, directions, and even his photograph of the facility. The young scientist was now thoroughly convinced he was in the wrong place. Certainty gave way to confusion and then concern as he realized his photo and the aged facility matched exactly. While in the picture, it appeared pristine. The real one before him looked like it had been abandoned for almost 20 years. The young scientist was taken aback. He had been a close fan of the facility for over a decade, yet nothing told him it had fallen to such a state.

           “Another one, eh?” A ratty old man, with a filthy beard in a stain covered coat, emerged from seemingly nowhere. Eric jumped back, reaching into his pocket for a self-defense tool. “Calm down, son, I’m not here to hurt or nothing,” the old man assured. “Name’s Dr. Marko. You must be the new guy, right?”

           “You’re Dr. Marko?” Eric asked in disbelief.

           “I know, I look nothing like the pictures,” Dr. Marko laughed. “To be young and handsome.”

           “Apologies sir,” Eric looked around, keeping an eye out for anyone else in case this was a trick. “It’s just, this whole situation...the facility-.”

           “Doesn’t look like you expected, and neither do I?” Marko grinned, revealing half his teeth were missing. “I don’t blame you. They all say that,” the old man coughed. “It’s good to see that all the money upper management put into maintaining our image paid off.”

           “Even if that’s the case, I just,” Eric was at a loss for words.

           “How about this,” Dr. Marko proposed, “I bet you got a copy of my book in your truck that you wanted me to sign, right?” Eric nodded. “Page 112, line 4, I use a metaphor about zero gravity. It was my favorite line in the book, but I was sad when no one talked about it,” Marko explained.

           Eric was still suspicious, he had read the book cover to cover several times, but not even he remembered such a thing. Yet, he returned to his truck and pulled out the book. Just as the old man said, there was a metaphor about zero gravity.

           “Well, what do you know?” Eric shrugged. “Dr. Marko, it’s an honor to meet you, but what happened to the facility?”

           “Time passed is all,” Dr. Marko answered. “We’ve always done good work here, but the only thing management cared about was our prestigious image. I bet you’ve got photos from some years back, right? Nothing but baloney the higher-ups cooked up. That guy from the press who says he took the photo, he was paid off by management. He never stepped foot on these ground, and that photo is way older than you think.”

           “This is a lot to take in,” Eric tried to maintain composure. “I heard nothing about this during orientation and the like. Do you even still do research in there?”

           “I guess you could call it that,” Dr. Marko sighed. “Listen, boy, there ain’t anything in there for you, or anyone else for that matter. Hop back in your car and go home. You don’t want to get stuck up in this place, trust me.”   

           “But all my life I’ve-,” Eric started to say, yet some nagging feelings at the back of his mind stopped him in mid-sentence. Maybe it was Dr. Marko’s gaze. Perhaps it was the eerie silence that surrounded the facility. It might have been the sensation of unknown danger that had been tingling in his bones since he first arrived. Whatever the reason, Eric took Dr. Marko’s advice and drove off.

           His heart broken, Eric took one last look at the facility through his rearview mirror. He sighed and obeyed his instinct to leave. Dr. Marko watched with interest as the young scientist left the parking lot and returned to the mountain roads. The old man chuckled as Eric disappeared from sight.

           “Another soul saved from this wretched place,” Dr. Marko smiled. An eerie wind rolled over the facility, sending a chill up the old man’s spine. “Ah, management is calling. Probably mad I chased off another promising young soul. Better get down there before they really lay into me. Don’t want to end up like old Gregorius, now do I?” Dr. Marko waddled back into the facility, the creaky old doors slamming shut behind him.

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Sometimes your dream job isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Apologies if the formatting seems a bit different. I'm experimenting with spacing and trying to find what feels right.

Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy 

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