I painted the final X on the last door in town. The finality of the ordeal was real. Death was knocking and there was only myself on one other soul to answer. I tossed the can of high-vis orange to the curb, knowing well that nobody would care for the littering. Would anyone make it back? Only the scientists knew, and if we’d have listened to them earlier on, the approaching #solar flare could have been— What? Could it have been prevented? Probably not, but … Read more
The #infinity loop around my neck is not what you’d think. I wear it not because I am immortal. No, I wear it in honor of my late grandfather who was. His only problem was that he didn’t know that immortality had limitations. One can live forever, if blessed with the proper gene sequence. Unfortunately, an immortal such as granddad was susceptible to outside influence. Murder by any other name. I wear the familiar loop now in hopes that the still-at-large killer doesn’t get any … Read more
“I’m sorry but it doesn’t work like that,” the shaded man spat. “This club is exclusive. It’s not like it comes with an automatic #renewal.” “What if I told you that I never wanted to be part of your little club in the first place?” her words echoed throughout the lurid alleyway. “Not my issue, lady. You made a choice when you decided to join. There’s only one way out, and …” His words tapered off as the she stepped closer to him, his train … Read more
The new #normal began the day the first confirmed case developed into something more than just another epidemic. Chaos ensued, and what was once regular became quite the opposite. Life would forever be changed and until a real cure is discovered, only mayhem shall ensue. #VSS365
The task ahead was difficult, but it wasn’t #insurmountable. He’d planned for months & the time was now. He’d go right up to her and ask…without backing down. “Uh, hi,” he stammered. “Could you tell me the reason for death?” “It’s the #1 reason to end life, obviously.” #VSS365
He laughed heartily, the sound resonating from deep inside. She looked at him, credulous, with eyes so #unfathomable; as if he were a God. But, he was not God-like, certainly not to those below him. It was only her own naivety that encouraged his behavior. She was lost. #VSS365
“Do I have your #word?” he asked. “If I tell, you have to promise not to say anything.” “Absolutely,” she exclaimed triumphantly. “Not a peep!” “Okay. Well, after Mitch and I robbed that bank, we ran. We ended up stashing the money under that … *character limit reached* #VSS365
“Speak only when #spoken to,” I was told. I never listened though. I was more of a ‘ask for forgiveness instead of permission’ kind of guy. That was until I talked too much in the cemetery. What a shocking turn of events when I discovered the dead sometimes talk back. #VSS365
It was the #spark of curiosity that drove him to start the fire. Had he not seen the betrayal first hand–their two bodies writhing in unison–he’d never have locked them inside…before igniting the flame. “Could their passion outlast the impending inferno?” he wondered. #VSS365
As I walk through the legacy of life, I occasionally stumble upon a random rough #patch, mostly when I least expect it. Sometimes it’s when I think about how bad we used to be with one another. Other times it’s when I trip over the place where you lie. #VSS365