Tuesday, April 21, 2015

The Story of Flank

Flank re-liquified and joined the rest of the Animae. Resin swirled through. "Hey Flank, welcome back," Resin spoke in his usual cheery manner. "Hey Resin, thanks," Flank responded.  "Did you solid for long? You seem especially bright." "Not too long," Flank responded, "only 500 parse. I don't like being down too long." Around them swirled a myriad of colors. A veritable rainbow of personalities and warmth. "Arniss has been asking about you," Resin continued. "I get the impression that she wants to join." Flank's color, a deep shade of red, flared for a moment, then returned to its natural hue. "Arniss, huh?". Flank spun in a helical pattern and then spread out. "She's part of the Helios clan, isn't she?". Asking though he already knew the answer. The Helios clan, one branch of the Animae made up of various shades of orange, would make a nice complement to Flank's deep red. While there were technically no rules for "joining", complementary color patterns were typically followed.
Flank shifted his essence to the far northern edge and focused on the "touch" region with Helios.  His own clan, Ran, were various shades of red and his joining to Arniss would create a new clan. Flank reached to the membrane and compelled a message. "Hello Flank," came the response. It was Arniss. "I'm glad you compelled".
Those of the Animae technically had no shape and therefore knew no limits, most members weren't within more than 100 others at a time. Being too thin resulted in more interaction than most were comfortable with. While there were limits, Flank knew everyone in his clan and many of the others. He actually didn't know how many clans there really were, but it was almost a daily occurrence that he met someone new. Time was an unknown concept. The only sense of "time" as humans would know it was in terms of depth and quality of interaction. Flank was relatively "new" in terms of interactions and he had once met someone from the Blanco clan who numbered interactions in the millions. Needless to say, the interaction that Flank had with him was almost overwhelming, in a good way.
Flank finished his interaction with Arniss and shifted his attention upward. The Animae lived on light. A photosynthetic process provided the energy they needed to continue the endless interactions. Philosophers within certain clans suggested that the light at the outer edges of their existence was not really outside at all but instead came from within the ones other than self and reflected outward. But to Flank, this contradicted the idea of sustenance. The other strange thing about the light was its own life force.  Interacting with others in the Animae always consisted of a flow of dialog. But with the light, it was almost as if the light communicated "through" you and "for" you. Flank found it almost impossible to put into words. But he did know that the light was something or someone "other" and it was always pleasant.
Flank made an open pass in a wide sweep and greeted many. He usually did this after going solid. It gave him the feeling of re-establishing contact after being away. While the light gave them the energy they needed to interact, solid helped them focus and organize. Going too long without solid left Flank feeling scattered.
(Resin visits Jellis- a place where some Animae exist in a jelly state, bad, a place of no interaction).
Flanks essence was in a perfect sphere as Resin approached. "Flank, hey Flank, something weird is happening in Jellis," Resin exclaimed. "Resin, I’ve warned you about going near that place. It's not natural," Flank barked back. "I know, I know," Resin replied, deflating a few sizes. "Its kind of like a car crash. Even though its ugly, you can't help but look. Seeing those guys not fluid but not solid, all jelly-like is so strange." "We've talked about this," Flank replied, taking on the airs of the older brother. "As those members left us, they lost far more than they gained. Being gelatinous like that isn't natural. It’s not how we are supposed to be. And all dark like that. It's so creepy. I don't care what their theories say about dreams and power and such. It's not right.  Anyway, what's going on there?"
"I knew you couldn't resist. They're moving Flank, actually moving on their own, but they're still darkness." "Did any of them say anything?" Flank asked incredulously. "No," Resin said, "That's what’s even weirder. They're still not connected to us, just masses of moving darkness. I don't understand it."  "Just keep your essence away from them for now," Flank instructed. "Let's wait and see what the elders say."


Sunday, April 19, 2015

Clem and Jeb's Traveling Circus Church

Clem and Jeb sat down on the couch with their customary Wednesday night corn dog dinner.  It was Wednesday night and Wednesday night meant one thing:  Billy Bob's Church of the Moving Wind.  Every Wednesday night, like clockwork, Clem and Jeb would microwave their corn dogs and spicy curly fries and eat in the living room while watching "the church."
This particular evening would be a life changing evening, a night like no other.  Clem and Jeb would laugh with the funny, stand up sermons, they would cry with the many sick and handicapped people who came for healing, they would cheer as so many people were healed and they would earnestly pray for the people, the pastor, and the world.  But tonight was different.  The sermon was not the typical light and funny vignette.  Instead, Pastor Billy Bob looked right into the camera, right into Clem's close-set eyes and spoke to his heart.  "Now is the time for action.  Now is the time to get out there and change the world for Jesus," he shouted from the tv.  "There may not be a tomorrow.  Are you willing to risk that you may die tomorrow and have to attend before the judgment seat of God and say, well, I was going to do it tomorrow?  Get out there and reach the world for God!"
Clem was moved.  His heart was touched.  His little mind was whirring with ideas.  "Jeb," he said, "I've got an idea." "Yeah, what's that?" Jeb responded, the tail of a curly fry poking from the left corner of his mouth.  The standard listener would not have heard that response but something more of a grunt, mixed with a German exclamation.
"Hold onto your hat, Jeb, this is a doozy, one of my best."  Clem paused for effect, but the effect was lost on Jeb, who was seriously focused on his third corn dog.  "Do you remember last fall when that circus came into town?" he asked.  "Yep," Jeb responded.  "Do you remember how many people showed up each night?" he asked again. "Yep," Jeb responded with just as much enthusiasm, "it was packed out each night."  "What does that mean, Jeb?"  Jeb paused, his brow furrowed in concentration.  "Uhhhh, there were lots of people?"  He replied with more of a question than an answer. "Well, that is true," Clem replied, "but I'm thinking that what that means is that people like a circus, right?"  Jeb nodded his head vigorously, clearly tracking with Clem's thought process.  "Okay, good, now, think of how many people go to and watch Pastor Billy Bob's church service each week.  Lots, right?"  "Uhhhh, yeah, but what does a circus have to do with church?"  Clem had clearly lost Jeb on this last step.  "That's my idea, Jeb.  Let's start out own church and we'll make it like a circus.  We can't lose.  It'll be huge.  It'll be popular.  Lots of people will come.  And then we won't have to work at the farm store anymore.  "Ohhh, I get it.  Wow, that's a great idea, Clem.  But we're not pastors and we don't know all that stuff like Pastor Billy Bob does."  "I knows, Jeb.  But remember how Pastor Billy Bob started out.  He was working at a burger place when God called him.  He just did it and God blessed him.  We can do it too."
So a week later, Clem sold the big screen TV and bought a giant tent.  Jeb found some folding chairs at a garage sale and the made some flyers, "Clem and Jeb's Traveling Circus Church."
Several weeks later, a teenage boy was out jogging early one morning when he stumbled across the body.  A panicked phone call to the police revealed the details of the grim scene.  Clem and Jeb's bodies were found on the edge of a marshy area, just outside of town.  Some very large, distorted footprints were uncovered near the scene as well as a whoopie cushion and three rubber chickens.  The police wouldn't comment, but there were rumors of white face paint and an empty pie pan also.
The case remains unsolved.


Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Southworld (Part 6 of 7)

Richard walked, hands in pockets, down 37th street, alone.  His life had taken a serious south turn in the last week that had come as a complete surprise.  Things had been going so well, for so long, that this series of unfortunate events was almost surreal.  Within one week, Richard's wife had left him for another man, his car had been stolen and subsequently totaled and his house had burned down.  Richard felt inclined to turn toward some sort of deity for solace, but his spiritual journey had left him, as of late, in limbo.  
Richard turned onto North 46th Ave. and continued in the rain.  The sky had just begun to turn dark and even the most modestly lit storefronts looked inviting.  Richard stopped in front of a very old and dilapidated bookstore, paused for a moment, and then went in.  A single small bell announced his entrance but that was all.  The store appeared void of any other human being.  A musty smell permeated the air and a thick layer of dust covered literally everything in the store.  Even the floor betrayed a neglect of attention, showing Richard’s footprints alone.  The sign outside, a faded open sign, singly declared the legitimacy of Richard’s presence.  Richard strolled through the nearest aisle.
By the end of the aisle, Richard turned back to retrace his strips to the front door only to come face to face (metaphorically speaking) with an extremely fat, extremely short man.  He actually looked much more like a troll but since trolls did not exist, Richard assumed the next most logical thing.  After a muffled gasp and a slight bite on the tongue, Richard grunted a type of "excuse me."  The man just looked at him for a moment and then smiled.  "I'm glad you are here," he finally said, "I was beginning to think you weren't going to find us."
The look of puzzlement must have been overly apparent, as the short man continued.  "We have been waiting for you for quite some time now," he continued.  "Your path had been quite circuitous, but definitely beneficial.  Personally, I believe the timing is quite good."  Richard cleared his throat and stammered, "Uh, I don't think I know you, ummm or this place...I was merely walking by," his voice trailed off.  The other man chuckled.  "By Osiris, no," he breathed, "no one ever merely does anything.  All things happen by plan, of that I am sure.  Maybe this will help."
The man shuffled over to the wall and flipped several light switches.  The change in environment was almost overwhelming.  It was as if Richard had his eyes closed the entire time, to only just now open them.  Everything became extremely bright.  There was no more dust, no more gloom, no more mustiness.  Gold, ebony, ivory and velvet shimmered from every corner.  The grays, browns and blacks had been replaced with a crispness Richard had never experienced.  Immediately, Richard turned his attention to the dingy front door through which he had come.  Now the door was a deep mahogany red with gold hardware, the surrounding windows glistened, yet still revealed the dark street outside.  "Oh no, don't go back out there," the short man said, almost pleadingly.  You've come so far and have found us.  Come this way," he said, taking Richard by the arm, "there is someone you must meet."
The man led Richard past countless bookshelves, reaching well past three stories tall.  They passed through a set of ebony colored doors with silver hardware.  The room they entered was fully carpeted and contained tapestries on all the walls, displaying scenes of ancient Egypt in hieroglyph form.  Richard stopped, almost in a trance, trying to take it all in, trying to make sense of it all.  A warm, heavy voice, threaded through with an accent Richard could not place, shook him from his trance.  "Hello, Richard," it said.  "I am so glad you are here. Thoth told me that you would come. I hope you make this spontaneous visit an official one."
Richard stood speechless in a combination of awe and confusion.  His mouth opened and closed a couple of times, but he said nothing. "You have been searching long and hard," the man continued, "and now you have come to us.  I am Nectarfius.  I hope that you find in me a dear friend.  Come this way, you have more to see."
Nectarfius pulled what looked like a keyless remote from his pocket, pointed it toward the east wall and clicked the silent device.  In same, silent fashion, a tapestry slid to the right, while the wall behind it, slid to the left.  The opening led to a small hallway opening into a massive auditorium, filled with people.  "Join them, Richard, they were once like you, but have now found the answer."
Richard paused and then entered the hallway.