The exercise:
Write about: the night watchman.
Took the boys to StrongStart this morning while Kat did some work and saw a client. Had a pretty good time, especially during gym break as the elementary kids are doing gymnastics right now and all the equipment was set up in there.
Max was climbing and jumping and balancing and Miles was happy to crawl around on the mats chasing after balls. They could have it like that all the time and I think we'd all be quite content.
One more day off tomorrow and then back to Public Works for me.
Mine:
The building is as quiet as it always is. All the doors and windows are locked, all the cubicle drones have gone home for the night (only to return in the morning wearing different clothes and the same expression on their faces). It's just me and the shadows, keeping watch.
Except the shadows seem restless tonight. Almost... expectant.
And I do not wish to know what (or who) they are expecting.
I just want to see another sunrise. Collect another paycheck. Have enough money to pay the rent, with enough left over to buy some food and maybe even put some cash away for that trip to Hawaii I've been wanting to do since... well, let's just say it's been a goal for a while now.
I don't need to deal with any more uninvited guests in this place. No more middle of the night visitations, thank you kindly. Been there, done that, don't need to do it again. Once was one more time than I needed to experience that... whatever that was.
But the shadows are shifting, talking to each other. I can hear them, I know what they're saying. Their friends are on their way and there is nothing I can do to stop them. Turning on all the lights would just make them angry.
And those foul, dark demons will be furious enough already when they make their nightmarish entrance to our world.
He's ready for anything
ReplyDeleteStanding guard against the night
Watching for evil doers and bogeymen
Too bad nothing ever happens.
@Morganna: I like the sense of impatience you create, with the stark anti-climax of the last line a great counterpoint to it.
ReplyDelete@Marc: the gym-time sounds like it was good for the boys! Maybe you should extend your house with a gymnasium and a basketball coach, so that you can chase basketball players out at 8 every evening :)
Your story has a bit of a Buffy feel to it today, with the night watchman seemingly used to nocturnal visitors, demons and nights of unending terror. Which is a good thing! I like the observation about the cubicle drones as well, a very nice touch. You put together backgrounds hints and foreground actions very smoothly; it's impressive.
The night watchman
Coleoptera,....
Rattle your wing cases, boys,
Sharpen those mandibles,
It's been seventeen years tonight,
It's time for a rumble.
At sunset we fly,
A stupendous cloud of us
To darken the sky,
And sound like the angel's horn.
We are the night watchmen,
Insectivores,
But tonight we make that exception:
Anthropovore.
Morganna - hah! Yes, I suspect that most night watchmen could relate to your poem all too well. Nicely done :)
ReplyDeleteGreg - oh yes, because I so dearly miss those basketball players...
Thank you for the kind words on mine. I rather enjoyed rereading this one, and am now tempted to return to it at some point.
I quite like the line 'A stupendous cloud of us'. I like the whole thing, obviously, but that one is especially pleasing :)