« Michele: Your Kiss Goes Everywhere | Main | Stacy: Traveler »

June 28, 2005

Volume 2, Issue 28

Random line, random book:

"You're lost, you've veered," said Melena, deciding not to be perplexed at his scrambled words. "No matter. Let me fix you a meal, and you can tell me your story."

Go.

Bookmark: del.icio.us • Digg • reddit

Comments

As the door slammed behind him, he slumped to the ground, gasping. A cough threatened to rip at his throat, but he choked it down – he couldn’t risk the noise.

He couldn’t have lost them for long; they’d certainly track him to the house he and Melena had shared for three years. He had to get her away somehow; maybe send her to her cousin’s? No, he needed somewhere with no connections.

Melena. How could he tell her? Would she even believe him? It sounded crazy, after all.

His mind raced, then:

Am I just paranoid?

Or am I… stoned?

Posted by: Keiran Halcyon at June 28, 2005 6:21 AM · Permalink

"I'm not lost. They lost me." he answered.

Melena wrinkled her forehead.

"My brain wasn't veering on purpose." he continued. He could tell he wasn't making sense.

"What's happened to you?" Melena begged. She was scared now and tried to distract herself with making him food. The satellite signaled the stimulator in his left temporal lobe which incremented its output to the next level.

"It's the dilution of the mask after presenting coordination. Wernike doesn't monkey very far. Some of the experiments transilluminate."

She shook her head and brought him a steak sandwich. All he'd had today was word salad.

Posted by: Doctor Bean at June 28, 2005 6:52 AM · Permalink

Everything was wrong. This wasn't where he was supposed to be. The portal was supposed to take him five minutes into the past, but the room he appeared in wasn't his lab.

"What, not, but, where, how..." he babbled.

"You're lost, you've veered," said Melena, deciding not to be perplexed at his scrambled words. "No matter. Let me fix you a meal, and you can tell me your story."

After all, that was her job, to greet the poor souls who had been snatched from their reality and stranded here. The Directorate simply could not allow time travel to spread.

Posted by: Gahrie at June 28, 2005 7:06 AM · Permalink

He sat and shook his head. Still lost. After all these years, he was finally starting to accept it. There was simply no way to get home.

It’s not like the sea is all that big, either. It’s not. It had only taken the fleet a couple of weeks to sail half-way across it.

The gods were toying with him. But why? Were his sacrifices too modest? Which one of the gods had he slighted?

Melena returned, carrying a tray of exotic fruit, bread and olive oil.

He cleared his throat. “My story. First, my name is Odysseus of Ithaca…”

Posted by: Jim Parkinson at June 28, 2005 7:52 AM · Permalink

Gobel had been Loremaster of the H’jiani for as long as anyone could remember. Generations of younglings had watched in amazement and wonder as his stories painted glowing pictures in the firelight. The Patriarch had taught their lessons to every married couple. Gobel was nearly a god to the H’jiani.

Gobel was giddy with excitement – the tale he’d crafted for tonight was brilliant. He raised his arms and the restless circle quieted.

“Goblets besmirched the weregoats of the volcano where prefects sniggered…” Wait – that didn’t make sense. What had happened to his carefully scribed story?

He ran to ask Melena.

Posted by: Keiran Halcyon at June 28, 2005 7:59 AM · Permalink

“That is illogical. I do not consume bio-matter for nourishment.”

“That’s interesting,” Melena said, slipping a hand into her pocket and stepping closer. “You don’t eat? Then how did you get to be so big.”

“I was created this way. My size is in accordance with my design specifications.”

“Well, I’ve never seen anybody like you before,” said Melena. “How did you say you got here again?”

“As you said, we are lost. What are you doing? Warning! Warn…”

The shock-probe worked and the robot went silent. Melena left the cave and snuck rock after rock toward the Jupiter Two.

Posted by: Jim Parkinson at June 28, 2005 8:09 AM · Permalink

"Quite the contrary, young lady," he said, as he dug heartily into the bowl of soup she had set before him. "I am precisely where I expected to find myself. I would have known in an instant had I found I am not where I am."

"Indeed, I have led myself on quite a merry chase. I nearly lost myself in the foothills of Althierra. Do you know the place?" He asked with soup dribbling down his chin.

Melena shook her head and smiled weakly, silently cursing the realtor who'd convinced her to buy a home near a transdimensional gateway

Posted by: No One of Consequence at June 28, 2005 8:45 AM · Permalink

"Wa...?" he mumbled, looking at her through bloodshot eyes. As she busied herself preparing a sandwich, tried to moisten his mouth and swallow.

She set the plate in front of him. "Wa..." he muttered again, but she made no move, so he reached for the sandwich, held it up in shaking hands, and took a bite. He chewed wearily, finally got the bite down, and looked at her again. "Wa..." he pleaded.

They finally found him, miles from the nearest road, his lifeless body baking in the desert sun. Oddly, he held a partially eaten ham sandwich in one hand.

Posted by: hnumpah at June 28, 2005 9:20 AM · Permalink

Speakingthrough for holdingclasp minestory youward, yesno?

Onsetwise, thencraft forsakenleft, dustclad, keylocked withinward exhibitdisplay backrooms. Valueknowledge nooneward injusticemade, so stealtaken meward.

Methinkings Onsetwise: thencraft wherewhensetting simpletask. Methinkins nowwise maxiful otherso. Beseeings of thunderbeast longneck, scalefliers, featherfliers, spouttopped swimtitans. Bewatchings of cutfightings, boomfightings, flashfightings, flyfightings. Behearings of truthpreaching godprophets. Betakings of
valuethings; inkbrushings, stonechippings, metalmeltings.

Nowwise bewishings of meward homenow, but thencraft vigorstore emptyhurt. Beneedings of lightningchain or atomrock. Thesehaving youward, yesno? Betakings meward. Handholding meward wartool of flashfighting. Youhavings meward, or youlivings unward.

Youtruth meward: reasoncause slumberneed meward? Poisonsoup witchbrewings youfrom, yesno? Beseekings of thencraft youward? Neverno. Flashtool holemakings youward nowwise.

Posted by: Jeff R. at June 28, 2005 10:56 AM · Permalink

"Tell you my story? I despise everything you stand for! What is that smell?"

"I'm grilling you some turkey breast," said Melena. It's kind of a local specialty."

"Have you ever done an honest day's work in your life?" he asked.

Melena handed him a plate. "I think you must have had a nasty knock when you fell out of that limousine."

"Bastards pushed me. Left me in the middle of a fly-over state. Oh, that's tasty. Recipe?"

"It's easy," said Melena. "Two cups Sprite, one cup soy sauce, a half cup oil. Marinade overnight."

"Mmmmm. This can't be wrong."

Posted by: skinbad at June 28, 2005 12:10 PM · Permalink

The woman’s black hair glimmered in the soft glow of the quaint gas streetlamp. Dark, striking eyes set in fine porcelain skin looked quizzically at Jacob as she offered to fix him a meal.

At least, that’s what Jacob thought she said. He frantically flipped through the English / Romanian dictionary.

“I’m not hungry,” he replied haltingly. “I am lost, though. I’m backpacking Europe.”

She gently took the booklet away from him and spent a few moments looking through it.

Then slowly, in English, she said, “I said you will make a fine meal.” That was when Jacob noticed her fangs.

Posted by: Jim Parkinson at June 28, 2005 12:47 PM · Permalink

"Don't you dare talk to me like that," I spat, "Don't you dare look at me like that."

My face twitched in rage, and she continued to stare at me dumbly.

"I'm not lost; I know EXACTLY what I'm doing. Take that damned soup- shut up! You listen to me!"

She looked towards the window and I lost control.

"Ah- HA! They've gotten to you, you stupid weak-brained cow. You're cattle!"

Grabbing her by the hair, I threw her to the ground.

"Do not misunderstand what I say: You may say my words confuse you, but I am not confused."

Posted by: Adam at June 28, 2005 4:10 PM · Permalink

He wandered down the infinite corridor. So many doors on both sides, and none of them were marked.

He had tried a few of them at first, but the things he had seen on the other side of the doors frightened him. The last time a huge hand, like the had of King Kong, had reached towards him out of some kind of mist. He had slammed the door just in time.

Wait. This one felt right. He opened it.

"Come in and eat," she said. "It's broiled hamsters in cream sauce."

He paused. "Eh, why not? Could be worse."

Posted by: david at June 29, 2005 9:44 PM · Permalink