Teeth So Razor Sharp: Chapter 1, Part 1

2009-04-14T01:48:00.000-07:00

*You place a hand on the card with a formidable monstrosity at the center. It suddenly flies up, spiraling and twisting the image into animation. Throwing it's ugly head back, it releases a haunting roar before the card engulfs in flames. The smoke fills your eyes.*

Rebecca Woods was getting used to being married. With the recently painted walls of their new home as a constant reminder, Rebecca felt a little imprisoned in her quick decision to tie the knot. Was it the urge from her parents constantly asking,"When is he going to pop the question?" or the mocking tone of her sister as she said things like,"Let's hope you're not crazy like Aunt Marie" or "How many cats do you expect to have?" Her current count was two. Binx and Maxx but one of them belonged to the new chain.

Alex Woods had met Becky in the summer of 2006, sweeping the single misses off her firmly planted feet and quickly stealing her heart. The two had their share of fights at the beginning of it all, but after two years of dating, Alex finally asked the question.

Standing at the steel sink in the recently furnished kitchen, Rebecca recalled the night of her proposal. A night filled with painful butterflies and rock music.

The bar was filled with more then a hundred drunken loons screaming and tossing back beers as her husbands band played on stage. Blaring drums and nerve racking guitar solos blasted over the loud speakers. The young hearted heroine sat stirring a mixed drink as the lead singer, Shaun Peterson, finished the final lyrics of a new song. With the reverb echoing off the walls, Shaun tapped the mic.

"Can I have everyone's attention? I would like to set up our next song her. It's one our lead guitarist Alex wrote not too long ago. He does have a small request before we can start...", his voice took a moment to pause. Rebecca drew closer, paying more attention. "...Alex would like to ask his main squeeze Becky to come on up to the front."

Her ears were instantly a blaze. Had she heard correctly? Trembling fingers wrapped the base of her drink as she tried to figure out what her boyfriend had in mind. Standing at the kitchen almost a year later and she still feels the sudden burst of nerves in the pit of her stomach.

"Come on up Beck!"

She looked over. Shaun was now waving a friendly hand in her direction. Members of the audience turned to find the spot lit girl. They had been thoroughly enjoying the performance of Frostbite and their eyes showed that they were just as excited to see what was coming next. Feeling rather embarrassed in her shirt and jeans, Rebecca slowly coaxed her way up to the front of the house. The smell of booze and sweat soaked through her nostrils, though she desperately breathed through her mouth. Deep and controlled breaths. She focused. Deep and controlled breaths. Her nails dug into her soft palms as she kept her hands frozen at her sides.

Shaun now realizing this was as close as she was going to get, he began to speak. "Alright folks. Without further delay, here's another new piece called 'The Moment Is Right'. One, two, three!"

Suddenly there was a roar from Alex's guitar. The strong notes scraping at Rebecca's eardrums, creating a uproar of animalistic passion deep within her. She felt her breath getting heavy as the song her husband slowly strummed flowed out. There was a lust that birthed and started at the base of her toes. Shaun began to sing. The words painted out a love that felt enchanted. Red and yellow in their glow, the lights sparkled off Alex's eyes and he quickly looked over at Rebecca. Now fully entranced in his melody, Rebecca lost herself. Her body began to move in rhythm and time with each haunted note. Closed eyes turning her world to black, she danced until she heard the lyrics pull through.

"Full force feel my heart.
I took a chance.
Missed the poisoned dart.
And I won't let this feeling linger.
Even with this present danger.
My beating beating beating heart can't lie.
I want to hold you until the day I die.
So I get down on one knee
Cause the stars are blazing
The time is fading.
The moment is right.
To ask you."

Rebecca looked up. Her husband in fact down on one knee, hands still at his guitar when he suddenly put them behind him. Eyes, fluttering with shock, tried to focus on him. Alex suddenly produced a small diamond ring, placed in a green velvet box. Shaun walked over with the mic, the drummer and bassist still holding the melody. Alex smiled as Shaun placed the speaking device in front of his mouth.

He said in time with the music,"Will you marry me?"

Rebecca's grip tightened on the knives she was cleaning. The memory faltered just as her mind did in that first instance. She was suddenly back in the bar, the buzz of the waining music hanging just before her ears.

"Yes!", she screamed, pouncing up onto the stage and knocking back both Shaun and Alex. It was the happiest moment she had ever lived. Nerves turning into ecstasy, ecstasy to lust. And now she lay atop the man she loved, soon to be married.

Alex entered the kitchen setting his packed bag on the table. Rebecca looks over. He looks worn out, tired from all the final planning for the big trip. The song plays on the back thoughts of Rebecca's memories as Alex engages in conversation.

"Are you sure you don't want to join us?"

"Out there? In the amazon? I'm sure." Rebecca paused. "And what business did you say you had again?"

"Preston wants us to check out the sounds of the world. He says all the hottest artists do it these days. Whatever. He pays the bills so I'm not complaining."

The high hiss of the guitar roars up. A loud snap of the snare and a kick from the drum pushes the song back into the rush she lost herself in. It was a frantic pace the slowed down for that one perfect moment. Now, standing in their shared kitchen, she wasn't so sure she had made the right decision. The pain of love she felt for Alex was fading, feeling of insecurity poured down on her like a poison. She felt that this trip was only a ploy, something set up to fool her and hide her husband's infidelity. The bubbles in the sink burst in and out of existence as she continued to wash the dishes. Her husband's band, the now renamed Frostbitten, had just signed a rather large contract with CrazyVibe Records. She felt somewhat unimportant now in her husband's flashy world of photo shoots and label meetings.

"Well I have an extra ticket if you still want to go. It'll be an experience and I kind of want you to be there. But, no pressure. I'm sure you could use the time to work on your book."

That was a stab in the gut. Alex knew Rebecca was having trouble finishing her second novel and her deadline was drawing closer by the second. Time ticked and the clock in the kitchen spoke of the awkward silence that now engulfed the room. Rebecca drew another blade from the foamy water. She wondered if maybe the trip was something she should do. Maybe getting away could help her get past this road block. The song in her head drew to a close.

Alex pulled out a chair and sat at the table, unfolding papers he had stacked up earlier. Maps and pages of information littered about the wood surface. His eyes moved through the documents quickly, each second filling with excitement as he looked over his plans. The plane he was set to get on was leaving in four hours, enough time to get a quick fuck in. That was a knew thought. The smell of the bar fizzled out, her lust with it.

Come on Becky get a grip. Go ahead and go. It'll be fun. Her fingers traced the smooth edges of a plate. The voices of her many characters spoke out. Sara Bloom, the protagonist of 'A Night of Monsters' spoke the loudest. She was the character currently locked in writer's limbo. Get outta the house already. Damn, it's been how long?

There was a ruffle of papers and then Alex walked over. He was going through the cabinets looking for a glass. Rebecca continued to clean the dishes.

**What should Rebecca do? Should she go with Alex to Africa? Or should she stay home and work on her book? The poll is posted to the right of this page at the top**

What Is It That You Seek?

2009-04-06T14:41:00.000-07:00

You're standing in the middle of the street. Tired, almost to the point of exhaustion, but still curious. The walk home from school doesn't usually involve the slow stroll through the neighborhood. Today was different though. You wanted to see the small and haunted streets you passed up close up. They were calling to you. The laughter of the distant children, the birds singing as they danced tree to tree, all of it was beckoning you to enter in the suburban death trap.
So now you stood, arms at your sides, in the middle of West Port Street. You were running so wildly and joyously that you hadn't actually taken the time to see where you were running to. The quick and jolted blurs of people and street signs was all you could bring to memory. This tent though. The one that stood before you. It was the thing that was calling to you. With the elegance of it's sides moving in a phantom waltz making you want to enter, you tried your hardest to walk away. But your legs wouldn't move. They stood there, cemented on the pavement, trembling just slightly as you pressed them to move away. That's when you heard it. It was a melody. A broken one at that. Almost like a music box, with the soft metal coils beating the notes of some dead composer.
Taking in a deep and cold breath you started to move towards it. The beautiful colors of the fabrics shown elegantly in the setting sun. Charmed and decorated with the finest golds, you pushed aside the entrance flap and entered a smoking den.
As your eyes adjusted to the strawberry smoke you heard her voice. "What is it that you seek dear child?"
Your vocal chords scraped and stretched but produced no sound. With no force the smoke invaded your lungs making you cough and choke on it's bitter existence.
"In your eyes I see that of what you seek."
Her palms started to shift about the round table before you. You felt displaced. Never before had you had such a terrible feeling in the pit of your stomach. You felt like a prisoner to your body; a puppet to which you knew not who held the strings. Eyes scattered to follow the mysterious women's hands, you see her place three cards on the table. Each one face down. The melody on the unseen music box swells with importance.
"Let me tell you a story dear child. A story of a life that you wish to seek. Or maybe a story of a life pasted lived. A story of fear or a story of joy. These are for you to find out. I can only carve you a path sweet dove. Now choose the card for which you breath life."
At that the three cards flipped over. Each one painted with a terrible image of torture and disfigure. Your hand starts to rise. Quickly, which one do you choose?

*Now there is a poll on the side of this blog! Go to it and vote for one of these three cards! That's right, you're about to start a 'Choose Your Own Nightmare'. Each week another piece will be added, another choice you all have to make. Winning choice gets written. But now is the time to pick the story! Choose wisely!*

1. The Heart Card; The first card you look at. There's a thorn ridden heart, twisted over what seems to be a dagger. The roses are rotted behind it and a single eye beats in the center. It's cold dead glare seems to rip into you. It feels obsessed.

2. The Attic Card; The card at the center. It seems like a poorly lit attic room, with the light coming from a single hanging light bulb. In the middle, under the light, is a woman. She's bound and cut up pretty bad. She looks near death but still alive...and fighting...

3. The Beast Card; The last card. Standing dead center, teeth snarled, fresh blood oozing from it's jaw, was a beast. It's ruby red eyes pierced into you. It was hungry for more. It's claws held the flesh of it's recently defeated lunch. Chunks scattered at it's feet. It was a monster.

Delusions Of Grandeour

Teeth So Razor Sharp: Chapter 1, Part 1

What Is It That You Seek?