Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Calgary in Flames

This is a small piece that is a modification from a dream I had. Actually, the only thing that I really remember from the dream that I actually used in the story was the buildings in flames. And I think it was a job interview.
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The city burns. Great gouts of fire consume skyscrapers whole. I sit, watching the world explode, chatting idly with a woman who is not my wife.

Romantic? No. But was it? Things are ever ephemeral here. All but the fire. It has spread now. Or has it been spread? The cause seems fuzzy but the fact of it only looms larger. And yet, while I panic, I watch it unconcerned, sharing a drink with a woman who is not my wife.

Eric jerked awake. He remembered only the blind panic of a few moments ago. Then the panic subsided and details faded into dim recollections. Already he could only remember a false-looking fire engulfing the Calgary Tower and the camera of his mind panning out to see that the fire was seen through a large window. Continuing to pan, the next thing his mind’s eye saw was a coffee table, two people sipping a drink amicably while the fire spread to a nearby building. Not spread. That was not right. The other building spontaneously combusted. The whole thing.

The power of the dream began to fade and Eric started to drift back into sleep. He rolled into the heat of his wife’s sleeping frame. She sighed and put her arm around him unconsciously and they drifted back to sleep. Eric would remember nothing of the dream the following day or for the rest of July. It all came slamming back into him, however, on the tenth of August, the day he met the woman from his dream.
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So, whatchya think?

5 comments:

El Cliff said...

Overall, pretty good. I love the description of the fire...is it spreading, being spread, or some horrible, living entity bent on death and destruction? Who knows? My only issue...the whole "Wait...I know you...you're from my DREAM!" screams of a Japanese RPG. I would soon expect dialogue like

"Only by uniting our triforce can be defeat the Tentacle Spaceraper 5000!"
"Yes, truly the combination will result good tidings!"
"..."

I'm pretty sure you'd do something interesting with it, I just fear the cliche (which is ironic, because I use them...A LOT).

Liam J. said...

I don't know if I'm going to expand it at all. It was just screaming to get out of my head, so I put it on paper and then uploaded it here.

Liam J. said...

And Tentacle Spaceraper: I must have missed that episode of Gundam Wing or Phobos Flareon or whatever names those anime shows actually go by.

Anonymous said...

Excellent writing Liam. That's some solid writing skillz on display there.

El Cliff said...

If Japanese anime went by what was really involved, titles like Tentacle Spaceraper, Big Eyed Kid Shrieks a Lot, and Ninja Whines Endlessly would be very popular on the shelves.