A Portrait of an Infinite Moment

You have the power to stop time; you do so for one reason. It’s difficult to stop time. All sense of forward and backwards is lost in a haze of concentration. When the moment comes, it’s as if you’re a dream. You continue breathing even as everyone else stops, but you do so out of …

Everlasting Echoes

Echoes in the effluvium of the everlasting dead, In the illuminated room with exits blazing red, Echoes of silence sever the sanity of solitude, Of red, dead eyes seeking gratitude. No-nonsense sympathy is the sworn savior So says the shining seer and the monster slayer, This they say and they say this to the sole …

h u m a n

Two men and one woman gathered around a cylindrical robot who sat on three wheels. One man tapped the robot’s face. “Is it working?” the woman asked. “I think so,” said the guy tapping the robot’s face. “Are you streaming live?” the second man asked. “Yes, yes yes,” the first one replied. The woman pulled …

Stealing the Poison

Sandra slammed her hands down on the table. Glass vials shuddered and rattled at the vibration. One wobbled toward the edge. Before she could catch it, Wes swept it up and placed it closer to the center of the table. "See?" he asked, pointed at the vial. "I can do good." Although, doing good wasn’t …

First Contact

“Hello? Anyone there?” A radio crackling, the only sound in response.   What is that chattering?   “This is Carlos speaking, from the planet Earth, of the species of human, also known as homo sapiens--” “Don’t confuse them with Latin!”   What pesky noises.   “Why not? They can’t understand English and we’re just getting …

In a Loop

Part 1: Déjà vu Tick, tock.    It was the thirty-second time the clock had spoken.    The girl curled into herself, squeezed her eyes shut, and waited.    Tick, tock.    Her count began. 10, 9, 8 ...    Fear, or something deeper kept her face glued to her knees. But this was the thirty-second time. Shouldn’t she be …

Uten Sjel (Without a Soul)

Træl was addicted to funerals.    The first funeral he attended was for Herres colleague. It was the first time he’d been so far from the house. He would’ve been left behind, had Herre not injured himself the previous day.    Few noticed him standing beside Herre. None noticed the engraving in his metallic neck, marked with …