Round Robin
At each 2017 event I attend as an author, I bring a little book with me that sits open on my stall, urging passersby to:
ADD A LINE TO THE STORY!
From what kind-hearted passersby give me, I craft something that tries to capture the core feeling of this sum of disparate sentences.
See the links below for what is.
Join me at ICON 2017 to be part of what will be.
Once upon a time, in a land not unlike this one, yet, in a way different because everything was
upside down! Oh, wait. No. It’s just me. I’m upside down. I will correct myself and then notice
two animals standing before me in the dark but very sunny day,
a strange smile on one’s face. Suddenly everything spiraled and all I heard was …
… nothing. Absolute silence. This stillness that shook me to my very core, then after a few breaths I remembered I’m deaf.
I took my misery so seriously. It was draining to be me. So tiring. No wonder people were tired of me. I was tired of myself.
Once upon a time, in a land not unlike this one, yet, in a way different because everything was upside down! Oh, wait. No. It’s just me. I’m upside down. I will correct myself and then notice two animals standing before me in the dark but very sunny day, a strange smile on one’s face. Suddenly everything spiraled and all I heard was … nothing. Absolute silence. This stillness that shook me to my very core, then after a few breaths I remembered I’m deaf. Deaf to the world, deaf in my soul, deaf to the core of my inner being. The silence that falls between us, the other, compounded my confusion. I took my misery so seriously. It was draining to be me. So tiring. No wonder people were tired of me. I was tired of myself.
Detective-Lieutenant Finn yanked the jack from her receptor and cut the data flow from the damaged ‘bot moments before the signals overwhelmed her. She drew a ragged breath, feeling her face cold and hands slick with sweat. She flicked the jack away from her, at an anxious tech in a spotless anti-static suit. “Jo, I think I can wholeheartedly agree with your analysis. The consciousness-processor on this unit is smoked. Its nuts in there.”
The technician waved the detective’s comments aside, bringing her electrolyte solution and a ration-bar. “I know its damaged sure, I don’t need you here to tell me that. What I need you to tell you is whether this unit’s damaged because it saw the crime, because it knows something about the perp. We need answers Detective.”
Finn chugged the solution, not caring that she spilled droplets of the cerise liquid over her cheeks and chin. Swallowing she pulled a hand across her face and shook her head. “Look, somethings done this to your ‘bot, it didn’t happen by accident that’s for sure. As for the crime, I don’t know. The perp could just have wiped it. They didn’t. I don’t think your bot’s collateral damage here Jo, I think it’s a messenger. There’s something here, something about a dark sun, two strangers, one smiling, a silence and an exhaustion deeper than words. This is a message all right, and I think it’s from your perp.”