Tree Dreams

Once upon a time there was a tree that thought it was a bird which thought it was a fox, who dreamed of being a fish that thought it was a frog, who imagined a day it would kiss a princess and become a man, a man who would look at the trees and yearn to be one of them.

Food

It doesn't smell like food. It smells like that thing I found where I run around sometimes that maybe was food at one point but wasn't food any more. At least not good food. Maybe this is not good food? I'll just take a small bite and see if - ugh... this is not food.

Mommy

     "Did you see the funny tree Daddy?"
     "I sure did. It kind of looked like a clown, didn't it?"
     "It wasn't a clown. It was mommy. She told me so."
     "Oh, the tree... I uh, I mean mommy talked to you?"
     "Yep. She said you're going the wrong way."

Ocean

I can still smell the ocean sometimes. I can't see the faces of loved ones or remember the street where I lived. Indeed, most of what came before the desert is like a dream almost faded, thoughts and images just beyond remembering that you can't get back no matter how hard you try. I'm not even sure I remember my own name.

But I can still smell the ocean.

Code

As hard as he tried, he simply could not find an answer this time. It had to be somwhere, hidden in the text, but this code was unlike anything he'd ever encountered before. There seemed to be no cipher whatsoever, no clue as to how he should interpret the apparently random sequences of letters and numbers.
     "Any of you fluent in Ugaric?" he asked.  "It was rhetorical," he muttered as one of the men started to answer.

Generator

     "If you don't get that generator back online, we won't survive the next few hours, let alone days."
     "I'm working on it, Jade! It'd help if you kept the forzali off my back."
     "What do you think I've been doing, you thankless grunt? Move it, or I'll kill you myself and use your oxygen."

Foggy

You couldn't even see your hand in front of your face, so thick was this fog. Now, fog was common enough in Cornerbrook, but it typically didn't seep out of the broken windows of an abandoned hospital. This was no ordinary fog, and already I could feel the difference on my skin. Then came the light - green and seemingly coming from everywhere all at once. Where all of this came from and what its purpose was, I still haven't the foggiest.

Down Draft

An ear-splitting screech filled the night, waking Tohl and the others and sending them scrambling for their weapons. The camp was covered in temporary darkness as a huge form flew overhead, blocking the moon. A violent down draft caused by massive wings knocked over two tents and scattered the coals from the fire, and men rushed to stomp the embers out before the dry grass could catch.

     "By the Great God, what is it?" Kyram shouted, sword and shield shaking in his hands despite his training.
     "Such a monster is not the work of God, Kyram," Tohl replied, adding in a whisper, "but may he have mercy on our souls..."

Sleep

Vyra couldn't remember the last time she'd slept. There was no resting out here; you couldn't afford to doze for a few minutes, let alone actually sleep. The only thing that kept you alive was being awake.
And so Vyra knew she wouldn't live much longer.
Sooner or later, sleep would have to come, and with it, death.

Anomaly

The anomaly was visible as soon as the ship came out of the jump. The journey from outer orbit to the Estralus galaxy had taken only minutes, thanks to the prototype spacefold engine on board. And yet, it was only the second most astonishing thing the crew experienced that day, and was forgotten almost as soon as it happened. All eyes were now fixed on the "hole" in space that was visible ahead of the ship, or more precisely, on what could be seen inside.
Palm trees lining a beach of pristine white sand, gentle waves lapping against the shore of a crystal blue lake floating right in the middle of space.

Politics

     "There's a line between politics and blackmail Addi," Terrence replied, "and what you're doing is not politics."
     "Go ahead and draw your imaginary lines, Mr. Andrews," Addi responded coolly. "We have a country to protect... a job that I will see accomplished by any means necessary."  Terrence slammed his fist again the wall in frustration, eliciting a response from the two guards standing near the Secretary, who waved them back.
     "You can't stop the devil by becoming him, Adison," Terrence said softly as he turned to leave.

.22

     "Hey Gat, I got a question for you," Stones said, raising his voice enough to grab the attention of everyone in the room. Gat looked up from the broken terminal he was fixing, annoyed at being disturbed.

     "Nothing stopping you, Stones," he said.

     "How long you been selling secrets to Gerecon?" Stones asked, whipping out his .22 and aiming at the traitor's head.

Under

She had no idea how long she'd been down here; having blacked out a few times as they dragged her down old stone hallways had removed all sense of time and direction. She still had her experience however, and it helped her now, if only somewhat. Looking at the floor and the walls, she could tell by the architectural design of the room that she was somewhere in a layer known as the middle city, built some three hundred years earlier.

     "If they torture me with a history test, maybe I'll have a chance," she joked dryly.

Promotion

     "Firing somebody who points out your flaws isn't evil, it just makes you a jerk. You want to be an evil boss?"
     "I am an evil boss."
     "Then instead of firing them, promote them, earn their trust, make them think they have a real shot, and when their hopes couldn't possibly rise any higher, then you fire them."
     "That's... brilliant! You've just earned yourself a promotion my friend!"
     "... ... I'll see myself to the door then..."

Walls

Only three people in the world knew she existed. Two she hated more than life, and the third she feared more than anyone. Not because he would harm her, but because the mere thought of him melted her to the core and tore down her walls. With him, she felt she could truly be human once more, and that was a fate worse than death.

Time

Time progressed naturally enough as the Origin entered the extra-dimensional bubble, a phenomenon that only Koya was aware of. Once inside the rift, she willingly pulled herself out of the normal time stream just enough to give her an extra few hours. The rest of the crew would experience only the passing of a few seconds in normal time, as if everything was as it should be. When those seconds passed however, they would find themselves in an unimaginable nightmare.
     "Time to get to work."

Self

Arya finally caught up to herself, though now she was breathing heavy and half-bent over from running. If her other self took off again, she'd never be able to catch her.

     "Listen," she said, gulping air between every other word, "I'm just as confused as you are, but we have to stick together!"

     "You don't get it, do you?" her other self replied. "You're not real!"

Photographs

I've found half a dozen photographs of her and I together, but they tell me little. She could have been my friend, my sister... my lover? I show these pictures to the others, but they tell me they've never seen her before. I know that she is the key to unlocking everything, but how do you find somebody who apparently doesn't exist?

Medium Black Coffee

Henry stared over the top of his book as she walked in and headed to the counter.

     "Medium black coffee," he muttered under his breath, knowing exactly what she would order. He found it somewhat ironic that he could predict her every move with complete confidence, when confidence was the one thing he lacked.

Marie

Marie stood in the doorway, taking in the chaotic scene with all of her senses, noticing every detail and adding it to her analysis. She knew Grant and the handful of officers in the room were watching her. They always did.
     "One of these days you'll have to tell me how you do it," her partner said as if on cue. Marie simply smiled and pulled down her sunglasses to reveal the flawless skin where her eyes should be, knowing full well that it gave Grant the chills.