Words don’t seem to have much point, but I look up at Alice, and manage to choke out “But what –?”
She shakes her head. “I don’t know. No-one seems to. But it’s not always like that, though. Occasionally it’s… somewhere. A gas-lit mud street, perhaps. Sleek cars snarling past on a cushion of air. Primal wildness… That can be worse.”
Something in my face gives my thoughts away.
She does a good job of keeping her face calm, but I can see the shards of terror in her eyes. “Trust me, it’s worse. When the world is wrong like that, it eats away at everything you thought you knew, at your very self. There was one occasion where it looked like we were back in New York in the 90s. But when I looked closely, I could see that all the buildings were made of bricks of solid metal. The streets, too. The people looked drained and grey and scared. I didn’t try to escape.”
Escape sounds good. Perhaps. To home, anyway.
“Oh yes, there are people who try to escape. Sometimes they fail — it’s hard, I gather. Sometimes they turn up dead. Sometimes they just vanish. Who knows? It’s a big risk. But it’s not always safe staying put either, I guess.” She sighs. “Look, I’ll be direct. You’ve had some nasty shocks, and there are going to be more coming. You need a guide, and I need… back-up. Can I trust you to play fair with me?”
Can anyone trust anything? I clear my throat gently, and say...
- ... "Why do you need backup?" (54%)
- ... "Can you help me get out of here?" (15%)
- ... "The rotting void... it burns..." (15%)
- ... "Yes. You can." (15%)
- ... "What's in it for me?" (1%)
Voting Closes at: August 17, 2009 @ 1:00 pm
Loading ...Today’s picture is Cohutta Wilderness by Quantum Physics.
“The rotting void…it burns” — where *did* you come up with that? *g*
Really enjoying this little literary jouney, Mr. D!
It’s a gift, Joey. A very twisted gift
Thanks for the kind words – it’s good to know it’s reading ok!
Tim, if you are in the mood for something rather melancholy may I humbly suggest you watch ‘Wristcutters: A Love Story’.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0477139/
Um, thanks Dave. Not in the market for Melancholy thanks — I’m over-empathic as it is, and depressing movies _really_ bum me out — but I appreciate the thought.