The exercise:
Let's go with: inside.
I'll be continuing my piece from yesterday; expect the conclusion tomorrow. That's the plan, at any rate. These things do tend to take on a life of their own though.
I helped Kat's parents set up the irrigation for a new planting area this afternoon. It was good to learn how it's done, but the glue they use to connect the PVC pipes is just naaaasty. I can still smell it.
Mine:
That Sunday night was a restless one for all, and sleepless for many. In the darkest hours before dawn paranoid thoughts, seeing their opposition weaken, began their invasion.
What if the boxes contained bombs, set to go off when zero hour arrived? Entire families would be obliterated. Perhaps they should just flee, while there was still time.
But not a soul left. Such curious cats they were.
As the countdown entered its final hour, households gathered in living rooms, garages, on front porches, wherever they had placed their mysterious metal box. Friendly wagers were made on what they would find inside. More than a few guessed money, several thought a new tech gadget of some sorts.
None were even close to reality: a handgun for each resident of the house, enough ammunition to supply a small army, and a typed note which read as follows.
Reduce the number of people you will share it with.
Best of luck.
5 comments:
Hi Marc, things have been a little bit busy on my front so I've been spending more time outside then in. On the up side, I have a new kitchen!!!!!
I actually have run the story off yours but for some reason I am no longer able to copy/paste onto this comment field. I will try again when I get back home.
Okay, now it worked. Here you go.
Seth sat staring at the gun and the ammunition for all of three seconds before picking it up, it felt great in his hand, balanced, light, and deadly. A dark, beautiful, lethal piece of inert steel until used by the bipedal, carbon based life form which it had been designed for. Jan watched his face only a tiny line on her forehead showing her anxiety. They both straightened up as the muffled popping sounds reached their ears. “Go get Brigitte,” he whispered.
Suddenly they were running through the house spurred into action by the realization that this was real, that their friendly Christian neighbours have discovered that greed and self-preservation trumps pretended faith in an old archaic book. Whoever was left in the aftermath would certainly be able to justify it through cognitive dissonance but for now it had become a war zone out there. Kill or be killed.
Seth jammed the gun into the waist band of his jeans he had no real desire to go around killing anyone anymore he had seen enough on his four tours. It wasn’t that he felt any qualms about killing the whole town if need be, but he did have a huge issue with some asshole trying to control his actions by dangling a big five hundred million dollar carrot in front of his face. Seth Rogan no longer would jump because someone told him to. Pulling open the storeroom door he grabbed two large bags and started pulling everything out of the fridge and dropping it into the bags.
Jan came down the stairs holding a sleeping Brigitte in her arms and looked up at him. “We have plenty of supplies,” she said looking at his two shopping bags.
He looked down at her worried expression then kissed the tip of her nose. “Yeah but this is fresh food not freeze dried.” It was beginning to sound like a full out battle outside so without wasting any more time he moved the small picture on the wall and tapped a code into the hidden panel behind it. They both waited for the hatch in the floor to open wide enough to allow them access to the stairs before heading down into the bomb shelter to wait out the storm.
Hmm I have to continue with Inside, tell that’s easy... given they are inside a space ship *snickers*
Inside - from the files of the Nueri-Nin-Ni
They were half way to their first destination when Rachael began work on the cargo holds. Transium boxes were scattered about the lower deck, half of them ripped apart, as she began to retro fit the inside of one hold.
“You know,” Michael watched her, “you could have asked Management...”
“And let them dock their exorbitant fees from my pay?” Rachael flashed him a grin. “Hell no.” She carefully ripped out another bit of lining. “Besides the sooner I can pay you back for the engine upgrade the better.”
“I already told you...”
“And I,” Rachael snapped around to face Michael, “already told you that I was going to pay you back, upon my spacer’s honor. I will be beholden to no one, my ship is my own and No One is going to take it from me.”
Sadness and hurt settled upon Michael’s face. “You know I would have procured the legal documents to absolve you of the charges.” He looked at the floor, his voice quieter. “I would never take your ship from you.”
Rachael dropped her tools to the floor with a resounding thud. Before Michael could fully look up she had him pinned against the wall with passionate kisses. He pushed her back slightly to look in her eyes. She smiled.
“Working around this S**t give me a migraine. Shall we break?” There was no doubt as to what kind of break she was talking about.
“You’re going to drive yourself insane Rach,” Michael stated as they headed up to the living level.
“Oh no. I don’t think so. Management knows what they’re doing.” She grinned impishly at him. “and I’ll find out what I won’t go insane.”
But Michael didn’t get a chance to ask how as she gave him something else, something better, to think about.
Sorry for the innuendos, but that’s Rachael for you and I toned her down as much as I possibly could. Fact of the matter is, she’s an adrenal junkie and nymphomaniac... :}
@Marc - why you big meanine... I totally would have run for the hills, watched what happened, and the try to stay hidden... but that's me. I'm not good at dealing with conflict. However, it is an interesting take - who would band together and who would try to kill them all? Not a very nice social experiment.
@IB - Heh. Nice follow up with one family's reaction. (Though I suspec it'd take a moment for a sleepy little town to become a war zone, they'd have to get over the shock of the note first.) :}
Shuffling down an alley Faith finally reached her new makeshift home. She crawled into the discarded cardboard box and read the words scribbled over and over on the walls: Michael, John, Jesus Revelations, Seven Angels of Destruction.
She sighed. Inside her heart she held love for her fellow man and wished nothing more than to save them from their fate, but inside her head she knew the path was a difficult one. A path very few would follow. They would have to choose, she’d already made her decision years ago.
But today she had spoken to the masses and made her presence known. Soon they would come looking for her and together they would journey back to Mount Zion. She would be bathed by its bright light and walk the cool marble floors in bare feet running her hands along beautiful white stone walls. Smiling at the thought of her future, she sat and waited for the inevitable.
Iron Bess - completely understand, we're into the outside season here as well. Congrats on the kitchen though!
That's funny, when I started thinking about expanding mine I figured viewing the situation from a few different families' perspective would be an interesting way to go. Seeing what you've done with one family, I'd say I was right :D
Cathryn - no, not a very nice social experiment. But that I'm currently fascinated with :P
No apologies needed, Rachael is a fun character to watch :)
Krystin - very intriguing character you've got here. I'm glad you continued this, and I look forward to your conclusion - though I suspect that the 'inevitable' will not be what Faith expects it to be...
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