Flash Freeze

February 2, 2018April 5, 2018 ~ Piece, of the Sky

sea

Alli hadn’t been back there in half a decade. The sun was setting, making its slow, crepuscular descent. Alli sat on the park bench facing the water’s edge

The sea approached and receded. Alli sat, buttoned up in her winter coat, battling the January wind.

New Year’s Day.

They had spent New Year’s Day together. They had held mittened hands. Walked by Chinese groceries, with crustaceans hung up by their tails, fish markets that left the sidewalks slippery.

Now, Alli had no idea where she was. Dallas had disappeared into the lengthy line of Facebook friends.

Alli pulled up her collar against the chill. Summer days. December snow. “But here I am again,” Alli thought. The wind pushed the water. And endless cycle of oncoming waves.

The sun touched the horizon, bathing the bench and asphalt in a rough, red-orange glow. Dallas had never returned from Australia. Got lost somewhere along the way in Louisiana. Chasing new espers. Jan had been right.

The wind began to cut and Alli pulled further into her coat. Her cellphone rang; it was Dani, “Are you coming to the game?”

“I went to the store,” Alli said.

“Come by my house. Aspen just got here with beer.” Dani said.

“OK,” Alli replied. She ended the call, swiping the virtual red icon on the screen. She stared out over the vista, as the sky went from yellow to gray. Night was coming. The frigid wind picked up, pulling Big Gulp cups across the sidewalk.

Alli walked up and leaned on the railing. On the other side of the world, the sun was rising.

back home

Songs:

Cosmastly – ALAZAY CA$TAWAY

コンシャスTHOUGHTS – 空バウンド (based on “The Glow of Love,” by Luther Vandross)

BACKWHEN – Ｍｉａｍｉ

Related: The Vampire and Ghost Flavor

Forgotten Present

January 30, 2018January 31, 2018 ~ Piece, of the Sky

kodama tree spirits

The wood lay silent and bare. Moisture hung in the air, from every branch and leaf. Aro walked through the pine needles. The trees stood, lost in time, uninterested in passing affairs.

Aro had been tracking the deer for two hours, following broken branches and tufts of white hair. The morning dew glistened on the moss, and on the back of the trunks.

Stepping over roots, glancing at shadows, Aro followed the deer into the woods. All she knew was that she was walking parallel to the mountains, silent and covered in snow.

Fog wrapped the tops of the trees. No sunlight could be seen through the clouds. Aro heard the snapping of a twig and continued the slow pursuit. The cold wind blew against her face, pushing her scent far behind her and out of the reach of the deer’s nostrils.

Ferns and rocks kept her company. The light filtered down, barely making it to the forest floor. Aro passed a cave, a gaping wound in the earth. The air coming from its mouth was damp and dank. The invitation was almost too good to pass up, but Aro followed the deer.

The path sloped downhill. Aro climbed carefully down stone slabs, slippery with yesterday’s rain. In the distance, she saw the deer.

It stood, proud, magnificent, in the clearing, hide an ample honey brown, with white spots. Aro drew back her bow hand and fired one single missile. The animal stiffened, transfixed, its regal body slowly folded into the ground.

The wind shook some pine needles loose. The fog descended from the mountains. Aro stood over the deer. Nothing moved. The world stood within itself.

animals