Freakcity

dolphinstar
Bonfire of Profanities

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Adept

I could see myself running, viewed from above and behind, my family was running with me, my mother on my left, my father and brother on my right – other people I knew from my past, a secretary I worked with, an old school friend, scattering all over the place. I caught a look in one womans eye.

Fear – cold, hard, fear.

The image seemed to burn itself into my brain. I was unable to shake it off, even though the insanity carried on around me.

She stumbled to the ground, her expression changing little – the life quickly dissapating from her, yet the same fetid, desperate expression etched on her skull.

I could feel my heart pounding in my chest and in my throat – what on earth could have caused this to happen?

Her exposed skin seemed to yellow before my very eyes, turning scaly, like a cast-off snakeskin.

What seemed to be like an enforced twilight seemed to envelop me – the copper skies brought on by some unearthly act. I was standing in a forest – why am I here? – why is everyone here?

I looked back at the woman. She lay with her head down on the ground like a thrown away ragdoll. I could hear screaming around me, yet there seemed to be no source from where it was coming.

I had to run.

Evenly spaced trees, well-kept, lined my path, almost as thought they were expecting me here – why do the trees know, and I don’t? why am I here?

I kept running. My legs seemed unstoppable and untireable – I could barely feel them moving. I glanced at the footsteps I heard beside me. It was my mother. The same look of fear in her eyes. I didn’t say anything – I just knew I had to carry on. I looked forward again, but the trees were gone

The forest had gone. I was now in a library

Rows upon rows of shelves – books – dust.

There were more people here and the noise was unbearable, almost like mechanical yelling. My mother had also gone from my side and I was alone again.

I could see an ochre-coloured sphere floating about 50 metres infront of me, at the bottom of my dark alley of forgotten books – was it really a sphere? It didn’t look as though it had a physical form, almost as though it was a concotion of my mind, projected infront of me. It seemed to glow, yet no light fell upon the near shelves. It appeared to move towards me.

I could feel its heat as it moved closer, gliding through the air.

Then I was tackled from the side. My brain went into overdrive – fear – my hapless body fell over itself, bundling me to the ground, legs, arms, hair – one indistinguishable from the last. My limbs grew tight and responsive. I grabbed at whatever it was the pushed me over – was I going to die now?

“Run – What are you doing – Run now!!”

It was my brother – well..it looked like him – his face – sorrowful, folorn

'What are you doing!"

I found my feet and grabbed at him to stand for himself. His arms seemed like lead.

“Come on – get up”

His face – an tawny pallour I’d never noticed before. It seemed to be getting more prominent.

I dropped his arm – it fell by his side. The sheer weight seemed to drag him down and down. I didn’t wait to watch this time.

I turned to go – the library was gone. I was back outside.

Down at my feet I could see stones. As my vision cleared I could see a whole stone causeway, no more than a couple of feet wide stretching infront of me to the horizon. The rest was water – dark water. It was raining too. I daren’t even stop to think now. I just looked ahead and walked on.

Walked on to the edge of the world.

*******

I now have a hallway carpet and have been running up and down it since Monday. Last day tomorrow and I’m rather hopeful of something turning up before then. I’ve had a couple of offers, none brilliant, but hey – beggars and choosers etc

I feel like going out and celebrating. I feel like getting a bit merry and being rowdy. With N around me all the time, though, that ha

Last modified: Tuesday, February 17th, 2026 at 10:08am