I wandered through a used bookstore where the smell enveloped me like a blanket. Surrounded by stacks of books so tall that ladders were needed to reach the tops. Shelves overflowing, unsorted piles, row upon row upon row. All of those books had been opened and all of them read. So many fingers turning so many pages filling so many minds. For every impression left, a scent absorbed. Oils, perfumes,…
The girl who blew bubbles to the fishes (#1)
She floated, enigmatic, outside of normal interactive patterns. It wasn’t due to a lack of congeniality, she just rarely went out of her way to pursue companionship. So I was the one who introduced myself to her. I learned about her innate proficiency at reverse engineering, and the passion she had for deconstructing things. In contrast, is my most prominent memory of Kristina. She would lie on her belly next to her pool, its surface overgrown with lily pads, place her lips to the water, and blow delightful, bubbling greetings to…
99 Words About 99 Things
A few years ago, well, in 2002, I came up with the idea of writing a set of micro-stories. I’d taken some literature class that required us to keep our responses between two hundred, and two hundred fifty words, and I remember how challenging it was to make a valid, significant point, but still keep it that concise. It was also a lot of fun. I decided that I was going to make…
Ratty Old T-shirt
I’ve got a t-shirt that’s 18 years old. I haven’t worn it often, because there’s a part of my brain that tells me I need to preserve it. To save it. That its life is finite, and every time I put it on, it’s that much closer to being gone forever. I’m quite sure it’s because that time in my life has faded into distorted memories, and the shirt is one of the few…
In my head: “Lola Montez” – Volbeat
Iron Maiden was my introduction to heavy metal. I was in high school at the time and thought very little of the genre, although I’d never really listened to enough of it to form an educated opinion. But once I was introduced, I listened to “Piece of Mind” over, and over, and over on my Walkman. Not only was it a solid album, which I used as inspiration for many RPG adventures,…
Protected: Fifty shades of f#@k that tripe
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In my head: “Longview” – Green Day
I have a love hate relationship with getting older. I was speaking with a friend the other day who indicated that she was looking forward to her 40’s, because then she might get some “goddamn respect.” I remember feeling exactly the same way at one point. But I’m here to tell you, upon reflection, it just doesn’t happen. No matter how much older I get, I continue to run into…