Fear

I sense him at my back,
Dagger at the ready.
I hear his cloak rustle in the wind.
A strange cackle haunts my ears.
I feel him staring me down.
I run,
I run until I fall.
I hit the ground hard.
My vision blurs from the impact.
Turning onto my back,
His face and form
Are now fully visible.
“What should be done with you?”
Asked the cloaked man
As he rose his dagger.
The ebony blade
Could barely be seen
In even brightest moonlight.
As the dagger fell,
A shot rang out,
The revolver trembling in my hands.
Smoke rose from the chrome barrel
And plumed into the night sky
Along with the spirit
Of the slain demon.
Then it is no longer night,
But the blinding light of the sun
Floods the once-barren caverns
And cleanses the empty streets of my mind.
A message
For anyone who fears him:
Stop running and stand,
For if you do
No longer can he grip you
No longer will he be at your back,
But in your face.
Stare him down
And kill him with light.

Bio: as supplied (the editors take no responsibility for damage to readers minds!)
Age:17
Character class: geek
Social rank: Plainclothes proletarian
Job: Catering service (hey! You didn’t cook this right! Sir, we never cook anything right.)
Marital/relationship status: The next person who asks me if I’m going to the prom will be vaporized… slowly.
Passtimes: writing, reading, writing, video games, writing, sulking, listening to Pink Floyd and Radiohead, more sulking, more writing, and so on.
Favorite Historical Figure: Jesus Christ (funny how a simple message can be diluted by man’s imperfections…)

I must say, this generation is on quite the downward spiral. Oh well, I have my little bubble of (in)sanity with all of my other geek brothers. I WANT HIGH SCHOOL TO END AND I WANT IT TO END NOW!!!! Anyway, I enjoy watching sunsets and romantic walks on the beach. Aw, who am I kidding? Who wants to go on a “romantic walk” with someone who would spend the entire evening talking about “I, Robot” by Isaac Asimov and the super-advanced logic the robots use to make moral decisions?

And this is why I write…

Find more by Michael Redmond in the Author Index.

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