Topic
Religious
Souls, angels, devils, God and gods. Certain tales are best understood through the lens of religion.
God of Inconsequential Things
"What are you afraid of?" she asked me one evening, untangling her limbs from mine, smooth skin gliding over calf and thigh. Her fingers lingered as she sat up, tracing slow, idle circles. With the other hand she reached for the clay bowl of tea that had been left on the stone…
Soul Testing in Major League Baseball
Me and the rest of the Yankees sauntered into the room for the pre-game soul test, brought to you by STAB, the Soul Testing Administration for Baseball. This time they're showin' us the Pixar movie Up. Satan has us all prepped, so we knew the first ten minutes leave people with…
Blackwater Sound
The sun was below the horizon and dusk quickly fading as Lee Cortez pulled his truck off the road into the gravel parking strip separating Highway 1 from the quiet depths of Blackwater Sound. He yanked a ratty camp chair from the truck bed then went back to the front. He…
The Missionary
I was caught almost as soon as I arrived in Bavaa. I knew my eventual arrest was certain, but I had hoped to win a few converts first. But the Bavaas began mocking me as soon as I started singing the name of the One Musician. And when I declared that there were no other gods but…
Music for the End of Days
The End of Days has come. The flyers told us. They rained down on us, a paper blizzard that clogged waterways and oceans. END OF DAYS, or its equivalent in every language on Earth. And on the reverse side: It's happening. By now, of course, nothing techno worked except, clearly,…
The Last Passenger
The skiff had almost forgotten its purpose. Crossing the Styx, back and forth. Or was it the Acheron? The skiff wasn't sure it mattered. The River of Pain and the River of Woe had no effect on wood that could feel neither. Once, souls had thronged the river's banks, leaving…
The Devil You Don't Know
The devil showed up last night. Not in person. In a dream. I guess that's the way it's done these days. I'm sure it's a big time-saver. And it wasn't The Devil, it was a devil. Just a minor cog in a much bigger machine, putting in his hours before going off to do whatever devils…
The Old Man and the Angel
The old man and the angel sit in silence, waiting for the sun to rise over the ocean. As the cloudless, indigo sky gives way to burning oranges and reds that spread across the horizon, the old man sighs and shakes his head. "So beautiful..." he murmurs. "It is," the angel…
Manna from Heaven
The overlords drop our food from the sky. We never know where the packets will land, or how they fall undamaged. Our daily activities include a search for our meals. If we raise our voices in hymns and chant our prayers loudly, we may even receive fresh fruit. Once we worshipped…
Waking an Old God
The dark stretches in all directions, soft and silent and eternal. Then, uncurling, unfurling like a trembling first leaf of spring, not even tipped in green but translucent and pale and so delicate, something disturbs this peace. Peace like a crypt, lonely and vast. It tastes…
The Old Woman and the Tea
When the soldiers arrive, the old woman is waiting. "Sit down, sit down," she urges them, gesturing with her free hand. There are cushions spread on the floor, one for each soldier. "The tea will be ready soon." The soldiers grip their rifles. Their leader says, "Old Lady Meng,…
A Garden of Snakes and Stone
The men who tried to kill her were content to see her as a trophy, yet objected to their materialization under her stony gaze. History was carved by those permitted the tools, and so the stories painted a heinous monster. Lost was the truth that her gaze didn't turn all to…
So We Did
The gods told us to wake, so we did. Eyes open. Fists unfurling. We looked up to see these powerful creatures beaming down at their new creations, ready to show us the world. The gods told us to speak, so we did. The invention of languages, such a bizarre thing. Tongues…
Pining For My Demons
*****Editor's Note: Disturbing Story, Mature Issues***** I miss my demons. Devin says he likes the new me, the warmest L-word he's willing to employ these days. He dares to take me out now, to sit next to me in the opera house, where the merest cough is frowned upon; to treat me…
The Day After the Rapture
Well, it didn't quite happen the way they thought it would. I mean, there were no bodies of the faithful wafting up to heaven in a golden light. No, it was much more subtle. Here and there, one by one, or sometimes in threes, the bodies were taken down, actually; to be laid into…
Philosophy 101
Charles was a philosophy professor at a small liberal arts college. He prepped for the afternoon lecture on the problem of evil. This was always a fun topic, especially considering that he was an atheist. "Now why is there evil in the world, if God is all-powerful, all-knowing,…
Selection
It has been a while since my wife was Raptured. Happened right there in the grocery store lot. One minute, we were deciding whether the cola should go in the trunk or on the back seat, and the next she was ten feet in the air and gaining momentum. We always buy too much when we…
One Man's Trash
"Got any tax-deductible donations for the Visit, Mr. Smith?" asked Elvis. "You know the drill. Perishables, recyclables, anything you don't need." Smith craned his neck back into the house. "Son, go to the attic and bring down all those unopened electronics." He returned his…
Last Laugh
I have heard no tales about who sealed the gods, or how, or why. No tales about how it happened, how each member of the pantheon, from the greatest to the smallest, was sealed away in a bead of gray stone threaded on a braided leather cord. The tales all begin later, after the…
Sisyphus and Jane Austen
Out of nowhere, the gods altered my punishment. A woman replaced my boulder, and I watched her roll. "Why are you here?" I said. "For a laugh." Her hair was the color of honey and almonds. I felt so hungry. My boulder had been altered a number of times. The gods had made it…
Ever Since The Rapture
Ever since the Rapture, we have all become far kinder to one another. I haven't seen a trace of judgment for petty differences. Not one gay slur. No Muslim has been beaten in a long while. My trans friends are walking without fear. And I haven't been slut-shamed once. It's a…
Incarnate
Once there was a god. And that god was you. Yes, you, sweetie! It was and is and will be reborn eternally, this god. You are given form and walk among us again and again. For we have chained you. We chained you in this adorable body, we chained you with these ten itty bitty…
Faithful Sister
There! Is that a ship? Faithful sister, you've been staring at the horizon for all these long years, standing to your shoulders in the restless sea. And seen what? Waves. Glitter and shadow. Mirages that flicker and twist into nothing. But this speck persists on that distant,…
The Sword of Saints and Sinners
Every condemned man and woman of London has the right to face my sword before they die, but I pray they will choose not to. The first man to face death is dressed in his Sunday best and plays to the jeering crowd as he walks to the gallows. As the executioner ties the noose…
Wings
The angel did not want his wings. He had, after all, a place in Paradise. He had harps to polish, and music to sing, and the occasional soul to comfort. And if he could not rise to the heavens during the angelic choruses --well. From where he stood, the music of angels…
Cyclical Miracle
Piniglat was not the first to ask for miracles, but she was the most persistent. I'd turned her away last time, and the time before, and every other time after the first. As easy to count grains of sand on the beach as count the times I've been begged to open my book of…
Group Dynamics
***********Editor's Warning: Adult Story--Horny Gods*************** I should have gotten out of the goddess business a long time ago. It's hard to let go of power, though, even when most of it is gone. It's not like I can grant people good luck at the casino anymore, or destroy…
Eight Characters
"It's time," the nurse said. A digital countdown leaped over the wall. 0:99. 0:98. Countdown to the perfect hour. She had been sweating into her pristine white and blue uniform for an hour before this, getting ready. With her round face masked tight, her envy was visible only as…
Jesus Machine
Jesus was in my washing machine. The transubstantiation is what tipped me off. It beguiled me. So I studied the phenomena, analyzed the data. Quantified the variables. After all, precision is essential in tangling with a god. Mother blames herself for pushing me. Admonitions to…
Conqueror Sickness
Pound your chest and threaten the sun. See if it blinks. See if it even notices. When expeditions from western countries visit our mountain, we do what we can to make them feel brave and singular. We teach our young to gasp at their armor, to touch biceps with reverence, to…
Inventing the Gods
The god wandered into his temple one morning after an absence of years. Someone, he saw, had been faithfully sweeping the floors and mending the roof. Someone had sacrificed a fish on the altar, leaving a heap of ash and bone. Given the poverty of the village, this was not an…
Seeds of the Soul Flowers
Babies born without souls didn't live long. Amma's great-grandson, with only half a soul, didn't look like he'd do much better. "Is there nothing you can do, Amma-mer?" Vette asked, cradling the child against her chest. Amma couldn't answer that, yet. "Let me hold him." Vette…
Midnight Burritos with Zozrozir
A week after my husband leaves me, I go out for midnight burritos with the demon who's going to devour me. I haven't even bothered to take off my stage makeup, but Zozrozir has my back. With Zoz around, nobody notices my black eyeliner or purple Mohawk or the jacket made out of…
Heavenly
I feast my eyes on what I'll be eating tonight: a whole, roasted bird. L'ortolan the host declares. It's a delicacy. Caught in the forest--a cathedral of green--by a net spread up in the canopy. Captured alive, the songbird is taken home, put into a cage and blinded--a needle to…
Pipers Piping
If you follow the sound of the pipes on a very certain Monday morning, you might see them. The partridge first, in the little pear tree. The turtledoves next, and then hens. By this time, you might be laughing, or groaning, at someone obsessed enough with a silly carol to be…
A Hundred Babies
When Father Robert stepped outside the rectory Monday morning to visit the pauper's grave where he prayed every day, he found the cemetery playing host to scores of babies. They were all different races, most wrapped in brightly hued gowns that, he hoped, kept out the chill of…
The God Election
At midnight on the final day of the electoral campaign, Jehovah annihilated the human race. Jehovah had done this once before, by flood--apart from Noah and his wife and his family and their zoo--but this time was more final. Jehovah used simultaneous global strokes.…
Contractual Obligations
"If you want me to stay, Alice, I'll need you to agree to a few things. First of all, you'll need to sin a little." "I don't want to do anything really bad." "Well, Alice, you'll have to do something a little bad." "Why?" "It's part of the contract--the deal--that we're making."…
Heart Stitch
You pieced it together decades ago; so far back that you don't remember not knowing. The way it works is this: you see the pain in people's hearts, the way somebody else might notice a rend in fabric or a run in a pair of stockings. And just like one might repair and reweave…
Bargain
I didn't recognize the guy, but I let him in. He felt familiar; the name would come to me in a bit. Probably a historical reenactor. The height and beard made him a perfect fit for the Viking encampment. The eye patch was overdoing it. But who am I to judge? He accepted a…
Babel
O tower not of ivory, but builded by hands that reach Heaven from Hell. --Algernon Charles Swinburne Some nights, when I grow weary of lying awake and listening to the incomprehensible murmuring of the world, I leave the city sleeping in its withered gardens and go to the ruins…
Soul Weaver
I first picked up soul weaving at summer camp, when I was 13. At most camps, kids made friendship bracelets and lanyards. At Camp Anima, we made sprites, small ephemeral creatures that flitted overhead for a few minutes before sparkling away into the nether. My last year at…
Demon's Mark, or Mark's Prey
The man in the black fedora closes his eyes briefly, then turns to face the demon behind him. He holds his arms out from his sides and tilts his head back, offering himself, his face peaceful, or perhaps resigned. The man waits patiently for what seems an eternity, arms…
My Grandmother's Bones
My father was the most haau person I know. I don't know the English term for it. Haau. It's like love, but it's not. It's like respect, but it's not. American families don't have it. Children love their parents--I know you love me--but being haau, it doesn't exist here. My…
Created By...
"And there." He held his hand out to the far new horizon and with his finger spread a white line against the turquoise sky. From behind him came a figure. It was a shadowy figure in a long black robe and a creeping form of movement. It was some time before the dark figure was…
For Our Light Affliction
When Satan comes out of Whole Foods, dressed as an old lady, He finds his car surrounded by other shoppers. Inside His bichon is yapping like mad and pawing the windows. "You should be ashamed," a woman in yoga pants says, "leaving your dog in there with the windows closed." "Do…
Divine Optimization
Right after my PhD, I took a job at Omni-book. You remember? That search-engine. Had this algorithm that could take you where you wanted with just one search term. No? I Suppose that makes sense. Not many places hire philosophers, so when I saw this advert for a logician, I…
17 Amazing Plot Elements... When You See #11, You'll Be Astounded!
17. in media res Let's start in the middle of things, near the end. That would be where I'm climbing up this tree, not too high up, just high enough to find a thick, sturdy branch. Here I tie the rope. The other end has already been tied tightly around my throat. Secure in the…
43 Responses to "In Memory of Dr. Alexandra Nako"
puppyhugs42 2-04-2016 12:03pm Thanks so much for this post, Dr. Bates. Such a fitting tribute to a true pioneer in the field of near-death experience (NDE) research. Controversy over methodology be damned; you and Dr. Nako have done groundbreaking work. I know you're still…
Taming of the Christmas Tree, the Proud and Mischievous Creature
"We'd bring the Christmas tree in the night before," Gramma said as the children and adults alike gathered for dinner. She loved filling every nook and corner of her farmhouse with tales from the years past and traditions forgotten by most. "But the preparations would have…
I'm Only Going Over
There are a million of them, flicking between worlds faster than grasshoppers, the whine of their wings cicada summers, white scythes sighing. I caught one, once. Or it caught me. We are at a party. Teen drama of stupid petty fights that happen under electric light, in…
Only the Dead
The man shuffled in around closing time before I had a chance to bolt the door or turn off the sign. A dark blue suit drooped from his drawn frame, and his black shoes reflected the dim floor lights. Neither suit nor shoe had been in style since the mid-seventies. I nodded hello…
The Man Who Buys Giggles
"Four hundred and five in the Year of Our Tyrant. Fabulous year, yours. Very rare." Gunmetal stare warms to blue. "Very exquisite." Annora blanches. Blushes under the scrutiny, skin boiling. It has been decades since anyone looked at her--desirous, feral, unblinking--this way.…
In The Detail
Daniel Corder--Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland--regarded the senior Civil Servant standing before him with something like astonishment. "Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?" The Civil Servant, Lord Swallow, adjusted his tie as he formed his…
Teaching Your Demon Lover to Cha Cha
***Editor's Note: Adult story, situations, and language*** We never went out. We usually stayed in all weekend and fornicated until we were bleeding and our eyes almost popping out of our heads. Fun, but after a while, every orifice stuffed with a genital or tentacle just gets…
White Poplar
It's somebody's birthday. Streamers tangled in the chain-link fence--a spotted pit bull with a party hat strapped to his flap-grinned face. So I know it's somebody's birthday, and soon I'll remember whose. Soon I'll remember arriving here or who is going to take me home. I close…
Emily
The piece of amber that held the inclusion--the fragment of shed snakeskin--had arrived in a load from Iraq, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. There were also twelve pieces that had leaves and tiny bits of bark--a fruit tree, it would turn out. When the material was…
Person to Person
Jake called from Heaven again. When the phone started ringing, I glanced at the call display. As usual I didn't recognize the number. It's always different, and not always an actual number as such. This time it had a lower-case lambda in it. 212-3-λ-something or other. So I…
Necessary Santa
Mary Shelton steps into the kitchen of her efficiency apartment on Christmas morning and quietly fixes a small pot of coffee. Long ago divorced, with no children and no family living close by, Mary is prepared for a solitary Christmas day. While the coffee pot burbles and drips,…
The Last of the Magi
With steady hands, the watchmaker inserted the tiny cog into the back of the timepiece. Clocks of various shapes and sizes occupied the workshop around him. Outside, the winter storm blew. Amidst the cacophony of ticks and tocks, the occasional chime and bell, came a knock at…
Thrash
That demi winter night, Thrash stood on the passage stone, a hundred meters from the village walls. During the long hours his eyes had grown accustomed to the dark, and when he glanced at the sky the stars were brighter than he'd ever imagined: dazzling, mocking. The wind's…
Thrash
That demi winter night, Thrash stood on the passage stone, a hundred meters from the village walls. During the long hours his eyes had grown accustomed to the dark, and when he glanced at the sky the stars were brighter than he'd ever imagined: dazzling, mocking. The wind's…
Departure Gate 34B
I've never liked this airport. The endless corridors of white on white remind me of a hospital, but this is the only place I can talk to Stewart after the heart attack. He's not always here, but I come every day to look for him. Today he's sitting in his favorite spot in the…
Items Found in the Pocket of a God Who Abandoned His People
Item 1: Darkness. Item 2: Firmament. Item 3: Sticks. Item 4: Corn husks. Item 5: Small handheld mirror. Item 6: Clay (dried). Item 7: Spyglass (collapsible). Item 8: Box of prophylactics (unopened). Item 9: Copy of the Holy Scriptures of High Rathma'ru (heavily annotated). Item…
Roadshow
"You seem to have brought one heck of a sword here. Four and a half feet long, black steel blade. Can you tell me what you know about it?" "Well, my grandfather was the treasurer for one of the dark lords, over in the Southlands. And, you know how it is. Sometimes he'd bring…
Death and His Lover
Death's dead lover sits opposite him, his chest still, his flesh a mirage. Jerome is naked, as spirits are, and he seems so real Death imagines if he reached out he could stroke the dark satin skin, the rough-hewn muscle underneath. But were he to reach out, his hand would…
PRODUCE 1:1-10
Last week I found the god of the supermarket, standing in the frozen food section, silently weeping. I hadn't thought much about the new gods. I mean, they were worldwide; two had been spotted in my city alone. Gods of cats and sewers and furniture and lonely roads and traffic…
Revelations
The heavy church door swung open and a bald-headed Monk peered out. "Jesus won't see anyone until after dark. You'll have to come back later." "Wait," Nick grabbed the door. "I'm a reporter. I called earlier--" The monk scowled and looked Nick up and down. Nick let go of the…
Ghosts of Janus
Ding! The first bell of the New Year. Corporal Michael Bradley's gaze flew to the chronometer that glowed faintly in the heads-up display of his armor. He had waited all year for this. People always thought that All Hallows Eve or All Souls Day was when the living could speak…
I Have Read the Terms of Use
As a condition of the use and enjoyment of the Body selected for your use, you agree to the following Terms of Use: You understand that the aforementioned Body is designed for no more than seventy (70) years of operation, and that attempts to employ said Body for any period…
Screwtape
The man, sitting at the desk, thinks he is alone. His head is bowed and his fingers touch the edge of a grainy photograph. All day he radiates youth and energy, but here he lets himself feel the pain that gnaws at his bones. Weariness shows in the slump of his shoulders, in the…
The First Stone
"Here," says Nina, "hold this," and she puts it in my hand. That's how I come to be holding the stone when the world ends. It's hard to tell at first what's happening. We've been standing on the beach in the bleak afternoon light, gray shore and gray sea, sand and spray whipped…
Lost in Transit
It started with a thumb. Tiny and pale, it came in a slim, padded envelope that fit through the mail slot in my front door. A week later, I received a toe--the big one, possibly for a right foot. A week after that, the pinkie finger of a left hand, no bigger than a kidney bean.…
Dark Angel, Archangel
The train thundered toward him, its sharp light pinning him like a spear. He stood in the center of the tracks facing it, not moving. Defiant. Impotent. The night seemed to laugh around him. He opened his arms to greet the onrushing locomotive, waiting for its juggernaut…
Demonic Summoning, Ratings and Reviews
Demonic Summoning Publisher: Chthonic Software App Store Ratings and Reviews 1. Does not actually summon demons. Avoid. 1/5 stars by DarkElf27 Total waste of money. I've run this app a hundred times but not a single demonic presence has manifested itself in my flat. The app…
The Negotiation
Alexandre found Samson exactly where the card said. The card hadn't mentioned the gun or the explosives or the twenty-seven ashen-faced hostages, but he could work with that. "I'm just here to talk," Alexandre said when Samson's gun swung in his direction. Since the police had…
Holy Diver
Things you were supposed to believe in, but you didn't really until He told you for certain: Heaven. Demons. The Garden of Eden. Angels. Hell. God's plan. In hell, being a priest makes you a punk. You have to fight for respect; there's a hierarchy to the damned, and fallen…
The Bargain
The water's glassy surface reflects the boardwalk and the mist that drifts above it. Pine scent lingers in the chill air. The only sounds are the clomp-clomp-clomp of your feet, the slow rumble of the bicycle's tires across the uneven planks, the tick-tick-tick of the chain…
Ichor
***Editor's Note: Disturbing. For adults.*** Now "Peter Whitt, you have been sentenced to death by the order of the High Priesthood. Your crime is that of the grossest treason: the attempted assassination of our most treasured Angel Ikrael, upon whom this nation's spiritual…
Heaven
Murderers have a special planet they go to when they die. Kepler 22b. Oh yes. Attorneys who represent them don't know that. Well, no one really knows that. I know all about it now. I was accused of murdering Harrison Reed, Esquire. So here I am on Kepler 22b, a fine, fat, blue…
Pythian Games
At the first chill of winter in Delphi, Aristonike's husband was struck with fever and died. Aristonike washed his gnarled body with her calloused hands and placed one of their few coins in his mouth. Her two boys and their wives helped with careful piety, while her…
The Hades Hotline
***Editor's Note: Mature Theme, Disturbing Tale*** "You have to call them today," I said. "We've waited too long. We should have done that the day she disappeared." Karen became suddenly very busy washing the dishes. "Karen." "If you feel so strongly about calling, then call,"…
The Dead Letter Office
"Here's a good one," Kali said. The left corner of her mouth was curved up like a dog-eared page: her trickster smile. In her hand was a crumpled parchment with ancient letters scrawled messily across it. "'Please strike down this impious philosopher with your mighty lightning.'…
The Chosen One
Singh watched with a skeptical eye as the little boy came woohooing down the cyclone slide. Could this be the snotty nose of the Chosen One? "We've definitely found him." Jhadav took a step forward. This was his first run, and it was no secret that he wanted to prove himself.…
What the Sea Wants
The fishermen stood on their longboats that lifted and fell with each wave, watching the boy walk out of the sea. He waded from the shallow water, passing their nets without notice. His body was bare, most would later recount, except for what appeared to be a skirt of sea grass.…
The Suicide Witch
The suicide witch crushes glass in her leather gloves. Shards crumble like crackers over soup, filling her metal bucket. The witch's fingers squeak together in the damp cellar air. Glitter escapes over the worktable's edge, like white stars vanishing in the low torchlight. A…
The Watchmaker's Gift
It begins the same as always, with the sound of the shovel scraping over the country road. I sit upon the dashboard of the idling car--being a turtle, it's the only way I can see--watching as the old woman lifts her shovel, carrying the mangled carcass of a squirrel. She opens…
Prophet
Zaphira spoke to God. It wasn't that she had been taught to, or that she was at a loss for conversation partners. It was mainly that no one else was interested in talking metaphysics with a four year old. The other children at daycare would stare blankly, and if she became too…
Venus at the Streetlight Lounge
Stalker feels the leers of wall-leaning pool-players slide along her spandex dress--she's worth gazes, even though she gilds her hair to hide sneaking gray. She breathes alcohol-and-hormone haze. Ah--her prey are at the bar, his buzz-cut gray head nuzzling her sleek neck, her…
Daddy's Girl
When they came for her father, he hugged her tight and whispered into her ear, "Never forget your daddy loves you." Even as they tore her from his arms, she promised with all the earnestness a child of seven can muster that she would never, ever forget. And she didn't, even when…
Amy's First
The angel floated just below the rafters of Amy's bedroom. It glowed like a Christmas ornament: rainbow colours shimmering across its translucent, slow-sculling wings. Its soft radiance filled the darkened room. Amy lay still, hardly breathing. An angel had finally appeared,…
Requiem Duet, Concerto for Flute and Voodoo
Movement 1: I could ignore the boys at school. By and large, they left me alone. Guess I wasn't pretty enough or interesting enough to be worth their attention, which was fine by me. It wasn't like I wanted to cram my feet in suicide heels or dangle door-knockers from my ears…
What You Singing About?
The Devil and The Blues Met the devil one day, drinking coffee at my favorite breakfast cafe. Devil was looking at me while I was reading my paper. "What you want?" I asked the devil. "Ain't never about what I want," Devil says. "Always about what you want." "Don't want…
Distilled Spirits
I drank my first soul when I was fifteen, at my Great Aunt Abigail's funeral. Grandpa had the honor of tapping her casket. It was an oblong, copper thing, all smooth edges and rivets, with a glass window on the top that let you look in at Abigail's face. It reminded me of a…
How Amraphel, the Assistant to Dream, Became a Thief, Lost His Job, and Found His Way
Amraphel curled his already hunched body atop the chest of the first sleeper Dream had assigned him that night, her location plucked from the parchment he had been given long ago which remained blank until the dreamer was nearly ready. As the woman snored, her torso bucking…
Dealing with Death
It was 2 a.m., a time of day so thin that nothing seemed real. The tubes cycling in and out of my husband like external blood vessels, his monitors' rhythmic beeps of electronic pulses, the ventilator's hiss and sigh, all kept pulling me back to a reality I didn't want to…
God's Gift to Women
"So it's like this, Beth..." God stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and leaned across the bar, close enough for me to smell his cheap cologne. "I'm not omnipotent." "But you're God." I took a swig of my beer. "The all-knowing." "Well, yeah, I am omniscient. But that only…
Flood Myth
Begin with water. Cup it in your hands. You can feel its utter lack of character. It has no texture; it has no resistance. It is substance, and yet it is emptiness. It possesses nothing of its own. It cannot give; it can only borrow. But it is vital. You must always begin with…
Questions
Chase entered one end of a narrow white-walled room and crossed it toward a chair positioned before an unfamiliar man at the far end. But for the man and the chair, the room remained featureless. Chase was drawn to them. Seated, Chase asked, "Am I dreaming?" "No," the man said.…
Supply and Demand
The man who walked into my office was old-school through and through. A squad of little old ladies on Harris had toiled for years to make his suit, his school tie was knotted just right, and his brogues squeaked as he walked across the room. He looked to be in his seventies, but…
The Jug Game
Annalisa had begged her father to bring her, imagining dizzying rides and pink stick-clouds of candyfloss, but it wasn�t that kind of fair. Loud-mouthed men with red faces haggled over scrawny roosters and sickly calves; a bearded woman lifted weights to grudging applause;…
Tag, You're It
The old devil slouched against a grayish pile of unshaped matter on the storage platform. He suspected his masters down in the Pit and the governors of the paradise beyond the skylight overhead would be equally enraged to find him in this neutral space, but the thought of their…