I am a leaf

I am a leaf on the wind
Floating blythely on the breeze
It is the sky which I own

I go where I am taken
Till wind comes to blow again
To new places I call home

Copyright © 2007, All Rights Reserved

Two More

Two more tears in the river of pain
Lost amid the floodtides of sorrow
Drowned in the crying of the rain

Two more tears tracking down my face
Mixing with the old bloody scars
My darker sins have traced

Two more drops unnoticed in the storm
Engulfed in the grey lead of despair
Clouding every day since I was born

Two more drops and two again
From eyes never emptied
A heart that never mends

Two more acid drops to fall
Searing through remnants of soul
Burning apart dreams and all

Two more nights when dawn won’t come
Two more days when light won’t shine
Two more tears and then
I’m done

Copyright © 2007. All rights reserved.

Crystalline Darkness

Where dark elves go to take their rest
Beyond where the Phoenix flies to nest
Lies power; crystalline, dark and cold
Harnessed lightning awaiting the bold
Seek this blade at the risk of your life
Far safer be it to take a basilisk to wife

Skeletons cackle silently in the dust
Mute testimony to greed and lust
Will o’ the Wisps dance round the hilt
Flickering enticingly amongst the gilt
Are you the one foretold long ago?
Cast out from above and from below?

The crystal pool and the shining sword
A king’s ransom and a devil’s hoard
Bleeding the holy, burning the fool
The crystal sword, the shining pool
Half between the East and the West
Where dark elves go to take their rest

Copyright © 2007. All rights reserved.

Her Offer

No one refused her offer, and no one realized that mistake until it was too late.  Some would call her a black widow, except she didn’t take the long road getting married and hooked into their money.  No, she wasn’t in it for the money, she was in it for the thrill, the thrill of the kill.

A beautiful woman to be sure, gorgeous even, called “hot” by many a man.  More than looks she had intelligence and talent.  She knows how to work what she has, as well as how to work the crowd.  She would have whomever she chose eating out of her hand in minutes. This was in part because she was that good, but also because guys are stupid and think with the wrong head more often than not, which made them easy marks.

For her, it was a game.  She lost the lust for love long ago, and now she was a machine, a machine seeking revenge against the male half of the species for all women scorned.  It had become more than just revenge for every wrong doing against her, every late night braggart taking her heart and feelings freely given and leaving behind cold desperate emptiness.  She was now in her mind an equalizer, hurting them before they could hurt anyone else.

The routine was almost that, people don’t change and patterns develop.  Late nights at the clubs and parties, revealing clothing, caught glances, pouting lips mouthing wanted words, quick getaway to some private place, and finally the finale before the escape.

It was all too easy, men were far too trusting, just as she had been some time in the past.  Simple application of college chemistry to fabricate the killer concoction.  Applied to her lips above a protective coating meant she didn’t even have to undress, she could kill without so much as damaging her modesty.  Well, except for one encounter where her mark refused to kiss her, a superstition or  some such nonsense.  No matter, it didn’t save him.  There are other areas where men put faith in a womans lips, and there the poison works just as well.

So here it is my brothers, a warning to you all.  If you are out working the scene, hunting a night of anonymous pleasure.  Be wary when she offers herself to you, for if it is this huntress that I have spoken of, this might just be the truth that really is too good, too good to be true.

Silver Wings and Chrome Kings: Chapter 1

PROLOGUE: The Business of the Future

“There seems to have been a problem with the credit transfer.”

“There is no problem. There is no payment for unfulfilled commissions.”

“What are you talking about? Completion was guaranteed. The oversight inspection returned perfectly clean results.”

“Incorrect. Three billets were improperly handled. We have a troubleshooting team reviewing the situation.”

“Three? Send me the data and I’ll take care of it. There’s no need for a separate team.”

“Negative. The team is already in the field tracing the billets.”

“Now wait you…”

“Repeat, the team is in the field and will complete the commission. Your assistance is no longer required nor desirable. There will be no further business relations between us. Ever.”

Unlatching her dented and dirty hardshell armor to pull out a nicstik, Dera shook it alight as the light-sensitive camera mounted on her left shoulder whirred quietly, following a preprogrammed pattern across the crime scene to record the carnage for forensicomp analysis later. Shards of glass littered the floor about the mangled remains of what, at some time previously, had been a human being. Her partner slipped quietly around the room with a portable inspection unit, careful to stay out of the camera’s field of view as it whirred and clicked its way back and forth across the small room.
“DNA scan negative, ID scan negative.”
“You’re wasting your time, Del. The Bumblebee popped up outside the window, emptied the magazine and, just like that, problem all gone. No evidence either. And cybercypher here,” she pointed at the corpse with the glowing end of the nicstik, “won’t have a past or a present on record and sure as hell ain’t gonna have a future.”
“Yeh, I know, but they’ll wanna see the scans anyway” Del sighed, “even if it is just a case of business as usual.”
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Scattered Seed: Part 1

Scattered Seed

“Simone!” he whispered intensely into the faint light of the tunnel.

“Simone!” he whispered again, hoping to hear her footsteps near.

He gave a startled jump when her young face popped up near him.  She held a soft glowing light near her face and put her finger to her smiling lips.  Her green eyes sparkled in the light as she motioned for him to follow.  He rolled his eyes, stifled a low groan and closed in behind her bouncing curls.  He loved his sister dearly; and, had always taken the role as her guardian and guide.  It had never been an easy undertaking.

He hated the tunnels.  Try as he might, he could not be silent as he followed her; and, making noise could alert a drone. They never knew where the mechanical workers would be patrolling. Though many of the robots had specific task assignments, some were always set to wander the tunnels randomly.  They made sure the pathways were clear of fallen debris and any unwelcome vermin.  Humans were no less vermin to them than the tunnel rats.

He and Simone did all they could to be smart in the tunnels.  They wore tightly bound leather on their feet so they could be protected and step quietly.  They wore no cloaks that could catch on the rock walls of the tunnel or make noise as they ran.  They wore tight gloves that allowed them a solid grip on their surroundings, and would not leave any blood from a scratch or cut that the rats or other starving creatures could follow.  Even the packs were bound tightly to their bodies so they would not bounce as the couple traveled.  

They were lucky that tunnels were lighted, though dimly, which made traveling easier. No one knew why the creators of the drones would want to have light in the tunnels.  Micah, an elder scholar, said it was probably for the creators to use if they entered the tunnels and might be a way for the creators to communicate with the drones.  No one had ever seen one of the creators in the tunnels; and for that, Ethan was most grateful.

“Ethan, look!” she whispered as she stopped abruptly, pointing to the wall.  It was covered with a soft web like moss. The fresh scent of the moss was a delightful contrast to the dank smell of most of the tunnel. Simone could take the moss and make delicious tea, medicine and flavoring for cooking from its different parts.  She gathered a large quantity of the web moss, leaving plenty to spread again across the wall and provide for future use.

 The two moved on to gather several types of mushrooms, some foul smelling mold scrapings, and a pot full of mud flecked with minerals.  It was then that they saw the rat.  Above ground, seeing the rodent might have meant an exciting hunt for meat and leather. Here, however, it meant people were the hunted meal.

Seldom was there a lone rat in the tunnels.  They were ruthless fighters, quick and vicious.  Their sharp teeth could easily rip through flesh and their claws were sharp enough to be painfully damaging. Both teeth and claws drew blood easily, and the scent of blood would quickly draw others to the scene.  The filthy scavengers could be killed, but that could attract the attention of a drone. Rats, normally, did not die quietly.

Simone saw it first, freezing suddenly in front of Ethan. Now alert to their visitor, he froze, too, hoping no drone was near enough to detect the upcoming fight. Being still and silent could sometimes work with a drone in the area, but never with rats.  They had a keen sense of smell and unbeatable persistence … and they were always hungry. The brother and sister team had a well practiced plan; but, it was not always successful.

Ethan slowly and quietly drew a blade from his belt as Simone untied the ends of the leather kerchief that wrapped her upper curls.  She reached for a pinch of powder from her belt pouch and waited.  As the rat approached, they could hear the claws of others on the rocks further down the tunnel. 

“Now!” said Ethan with a soft urgency and delayed log enough for Simone to throw the pinch of caustic powder into face of the rat and toss her kerchief over its body.  This enabled Ethan to grab the squealing target safely, slit it open and toss it down the path away from them.  As the other rats gathered to dine on their fallen brother, Simone and Ethan ran toward their exit.

Ethan loved it when they began to smell the fresh air from above.  It meant they would soon be above ground and free of the rocky corridors.  Though far from being out of danger, it meant they would be away from the drones and the darkness.  He understood that the trips to the tunnels were necessary, and he would trust no other to go with his sister; but, the very thoughts of the tunnels made him feel ill.

It was not a difficult climb from their entrance to the tunnels into the daylight. It was well hidden, though there was little need for secrecy here.  The creatures who controlled and dwelled within the domes, those who had created the drones, no longer ventured into the hills.

Ethan and Simone had not yet been born in the time of The Change. They had not known the horrors of the invasion and enslavement.  They had heard the stories … stories of great fiery battles, of weapons too powerful to defeat, of many people taken by the aggressors and others killed in great masses. They had heard stories of the time before The Change when people were everywhere and moved as they wished in the world … a time of no domes or domination.

“We did well today, my brother!” Simone said proudly, removing her gloves and loosening her pack. She shook her head as if releasing her red curls to the fresh air and sunlight.

“Yes, my sister, we did.” Ethan agreed, smiling as he also loosened his binding attire.

They sat to rest, reviewing the treasures and troubles of their journey. They shared some jerky from the packs and a flask of fresh water. It was a traditional respite before the walk home. They dared not drink until they were free of the tunnels, as less than a full flask would make splashing sounds.  When the weather was not friendly to their resting outside, they would remain in the crevice that led to the tunnels. They still would chat and share food and rest, but always lingered when the area was warm and welcoming.

Across The Bus

I am a geek by trade, and this is just a silly little rhyme that popped into my head. It doesn’t make any sense, but maybe it doesn’t have to. I liked it none the less, so I thought I’d share.

Silicone systems synching bits and bytes across the bus,
Dumping data downloads user not unlike one of us,
Relays regard registers transistors transition types,
Broken busted bent data comes pouring pounding past pipes,
Cpu’s cogitate copious binary bitstorms,
Drives deliver details while ram resists refuted rest,
Display adapters draw dainty pictures put upon protons,
Animated angles acquired picture pretty photons.

Copyright © 2007, All Rights Reserved

Today And Tomorrow

Today
I dream about tomorrow
Tomorrow
I remember yesterday
Yesterday
I dreamt about the future
Now
I can only dream of you

Copyright © 2006, All Rights Reserved

Humorous Twist On Old School Rhyme

From some dusty memories of drama class, a twist on Mary Had A Little Lamb

Mary had a little lamb,
It’s fleece was black as soot,
Everywhere that Mary went,
The sooty foot he put.

Aah, those were the days!

New Site

Yep, this is the new writing site that is going to take over the literary world. Stay tuned …