Edited as of 5/17/05
It began as a dream...
This one called himself Albert. He'd cornered Alan in the alley behind Shoney's.
But he'd also cornered himself.
Nica thought it was the lead pipe in the Conservatory. Kemp bet on the glass bottle in the alley.
Nica saw the relief in Alan's face when he caught sight of her and Kemp silently marching in, putting the Timer between Alan and themselves.
"Albert!!"
The Timer turned, black eyes flashing.
"Nica. You have to let me do my job"
"I ain't gotta do shit."
She swung the pipe into his temple.
She heard a cracking noise. But first, during the slow-motion sling, even as the splashing connection traveled through her arm, she heard a melodic sound. Like a windchime as it danced with the air.
Thick black blood leaked into his eye.
"Last warning, daughter-"
But Alan's foot in his neck knocked the words loose.
Kemp took out the eyes with broken glass.
There is no feeling, no thought, no relief in this silent moment.
"Are you okay, Alan?" asked Nica."Yeah."
"Savor it," gurgled the shrinking Timer. "You know I'll have to come after you now, love?"
"I know." Nica can look him in the eyes. Or in what was once the eyes.
The regret in his face slackened. She saw the tattoo on the Timer's hand, then the entire hand, begin to fade.
And watched the hourglass take shape on her own hand, between her thumb and index finger.
I know.
11 comments:
wow, my dream last night was quite tame. Don't let the timers get you Jane!
Run!
Jane this is fantastic!! You going to get it published??
I would very much like to see this built upon. This little snippet is just such a tease!
Geez! This bit was intense Jane - Could SEE it like a movie with your words.
hi,
i just linked to you
from tisha's.
thanks for the nice words
about my piece.
Wow!! That's some cool shit~! I agree on publishing and please e-mail me what you were consuming the night before! I want some!!
Hee hee, I know, I am a total tease. But I had a dream about the new Timer last night, Albert's replacement, perhaps, learning to walk.
No, it's not the drugs. ;) I have weird dreams all the time, but I can't usually retain enough of them in the morning to create anything. I know there are techniques out there for recall and lucid dreaming and such... I may need to actually start applying some.
I like your black fragments. Each one is a brief - but somehow expansive and breathing - shortshort story.
I have really strange dreams as well but the only time I remember them is when I'm just getting up still on the border between two states and then they are lost...
Cool blog
If these Timers were to focus on cheating taxes instead of death, they could make a fortune as accountants.
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