Crisis again? Or are "crisis" and "a crisis" (Tuesday) different prompts? It looks like Malta is going to go into lock-down, so we'll all be 'quarantined', though I notice they've not closed any of the churches. Even though that's where people gather to wish things away.
Crisis The van drew to a halt and then they heard the engine turn off. “We’re here,” said the Inspectral, breaking the silence. Collins, who’d been reading Heretics of Oxcross again folded down a corner of the page he was on, not seeing Adams’s moue of disgust. He closed the book and stretched, just as the door of the van cracked open and the yellow interior light flicked off. Daylight seemed oddly bright and flat at first, and it took his eyes a moment to adjust as he got out of the van. They were stood in a car-park with a low stone wall around it. There were no other cars, but the building it adjoined looked like a supermarket or warehouse store: red brick walls, single storey, but spread out over a large area. The car-park, contained by its wall, appeared to surround three sides of the building, in which there were no windows or doors that Collins could see. Past the wall was a street whose tarmac was humped up in places with tuft of wiry yellow-green grass poking through. A belisha beacon, its yellow globe shattered, stood on one side of a worn zebra-crossing; its partner on the other side had fallen down or been knocked over and was rusting on the pavement. Some houses were beyond that with overgrown bushes and trees in front gardens spilling over and breaking through fences, and the twitter of bird-song was bright and startlingly loud. Timothy’s ears pricked up as a squirrel bounded over the wall and into the car park, then froze, eying the newcomers warily “Addisons,” said the Inspectral. In the strong daylight he was hard to see. “Was a supermarket chain. We’re in the middle of Tanham. Thank-you.” This last was addressed to the driver. “I’ll be waiting here for you,” he said. “You all have to leave here, so if you’re injured or unconscious or anything you still need to get back here. All of us leave, or no-one does.” Adams nodded. “Look where you’re going,” she said to Collins. He looked at Ethel, who shrugged and then beamed a smile like he was on an outing to a fun-park. “What’s the plan, Harold?” “Timothy should track our man,” said the Inspectral. “Collins, get him to pay attention and start sniffing. But… we’re going to end up at the Crisis centre.” Collins nudged Timothy with his leg, not really sure how to give commands to the Garmr, but that seemed to be enough: the large wolf-like dog started sniffing enthusiastically and criss-crossing the car-park. The squirrel disappeared over the wall in a panic and Adams suppressed a snort of laughter. While the Garmr hunted Collins considered what the Inspectral had just said: according to Heretics the Radiants had had deep connections to the charitable foundations in the communities and had held many of their meetings in shelters – for the homeless, for battered women, for migrants. The book had suggested that this might have been a contributing factor to how they managed to gain support. Crisis, a charitable organisation that had worked for disaster relief, usually providing temporary housing, short-term loans, and affordable psychiatric support, had become a keystone for the Radiants, with some of the proselytisers claiming that the Radiance was there to finally end all crises. Timothy barked, running around the corner of the building. “Let’s go,” said the Inspectral. “We have a direction.”
Greg - yeah, well... I was, um, giving you more opportunity to write, what with haiku being so... uh... limiting.
Yeah, okay, so this is what happens when I schedule Monday/Tuesday, and then come back later to do the rest of the week. At least it worked out this time.
Good luck in Malta! Hopefully this virus stays the eff off your island(s).
2 comments:
Crisis again? Or are "crisis" and "a crisis" (Tuesday) different prompts?
It looks like Malta is going to go into lock-down, so we'll all be 'quarantined', though I notice they've not closed any of the churches. Even though that's where people gather to wish things away.
Crisis
The van drew to a halt and then they heard the engine turn off.
“We’re here,” said the Inspectral, breaking the silence. Collins, who’d been reading Heretics of Oxcross again folded down a corner of the page he was on, not seeing Adams’s moue of disgust. He closed the book and stretched, just as the door of the van cracked open and the yellow interior light flicked off.
Daylight seemed oddly bright and flat at first, and it took his eyes a moment to adjust as he got out of the van. They were stood in a car-park with a low stone wall around it. There were no other cars, but the building it adjoined looked like a supermarket or warehouse store: red brick walls, single storey, but spread out over a large area. The car-park, contained by its wall, appeared to surround three sides of the building, in which there were no windows or doors that Collins could see.
Past the wall was a street whose tarmac was humped up in places with tuft of wiry yellow-green grass poking through. A belisha beacon, its yellow globe shattered, stood on one side of a worn zebra-crossing; its partner on the other side had fallen down or been knocked over and was rusting on the pavement. Some houses were beyond that with overgrown bushes and trees in front gardens spilling over and breaking through fences, and the twitter of bird-song was bright and startlingly loud. Timothy’s ears pricked up as a squirrel bounded over the wall and into the car park, then froze, eying the newcomers warily
“Addisons,” said the Inspectral. In the strong daylight he was hard to see. “Was a supermarket chain. We’re in the middle of Tanham. Thank-you.” This last was addressed to the driver.
“I’ll be waiting here for you,” he said. “You all have to leave here, so if you’re injured or unconscious or anything you still need to get back here. All of us leave, or no-one does.”
Adams nodded. “Look where you’re going,” she said to Collins. He looked at Ethel, who shrugged and then beamed a smile like he was on an outing to a fun-park.
“What’s the plan, Harold?”
“Timothy should track our man,” said the Inspectral. “Collins, get him to pay attention and start sniffing. But… we’re going to end up at the Crisis centre.”
Collins nudged Timothy with his leg, not really sure how to give commands to the Garmr, but that seemed to be enough: the large wolf-like dog started sniffing enthusiastically and criss-crossing the car-park. The squirrel disappeared over the wall in a panic and Adams suppressed a snort of laughter. While the Garmr hunted Collins considered what the Inspectral had just said: according to Heretics the Radiants had had deep connections to the charitable foundations in the communities and had held many of their meetings in shelters – for the homeless, for battered women, for migrants. The book had suggested that this might have been a contributing factor to how they managed to gain support. Crisis, a charitable organisation that had worked for disaster relief, usually providing temporary housing, short-term loans, and affordable psychiatric support, had become a keystone for the Radiants, with some of the proselytisers claiming that the Radiance was there to finally end all crises.
Timothy barked, running around the corner of the building.
“Let’s go,” said the Inspectral. “We have a direction.”
Greg - yeah, well... I was, um, giving you more opportunity to write, what with haiku being so... uh... limiting.
Yeah, okay, so this is what happens when I schedule Monday/Tuesday, and then come back later to do the rest of the week. At least it worked out this time.
Good luck in Malta! Hopefully this virus stays the eff off your island(s).
... and the hunt is on in earnest! Woo!
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