In the Rocks

In the Rocks

It was a cold day in late November, the clouds were dark and dreary and the sun was blotted out to a dull glowing orb on the horizon as it set. Night was falling soon and as I stood with my friend Anna on the beach we began to shiver more and more. It was getting much colder very fast and so we agreed to head back to the parking lot and to our car. As we turned to leave I paused, something catching my eye off to my left. What I thought had been a flicker of light drew my attention to the mass of rocks that piled along the shore line and jutted out a little ways into the ocean. Anna paused also, seeing me stop, and followed my gaze to the rocks.

“What’s up?” She asked.

“I thought I saw something over there. A light or something.”

“Oh, well it’s probably just some kids or something.”

I nodded and was about to turn to keep walking when I saw it again. This time a definite flicker of light within the rocks. This time it lingered longer before going out. I turned to Anna, but she had seen it too.  For some reason we both felt a strange chill, but from within rather than from the cold wind around us. Something seemed very odd about that light flicking in the rocks. There were no caves over there that we knew of. We frequented this beach quite often all throughout the year and had never known there to be any caves, or even any hollows large enough for a person or larger animal. 

“Come lets go back, it’s just some kids,” Anna said again. “Cece, come on please.”

But I was transfixed. I can’t explain why but I was staring at the spot where the light had been when suddenly it came back, only this time staying lit up, and shimmering as if coming from a fire source. I still felt the chill. And I felt drawn. I wanted the fire to warm me. I was so cold. I needed to get to the fire. I began moving toward the light when Anna grabbed my hand and yanked me back. I turned to stare at her as I jerked my hand away. She was saying something but I couldn’t understand her. Her voice was muffled, as if she was talking through thick glass. I called to her but she did not seem to really hear me either. I continued walking on towards the light in the rocks, and I noticed Anna followed along.

As we got to the rocks we found a fairly large opening to a cave. The cave itself was pretty large, tall enough for us to easily stand, and spacious enough for a handful of people to sit around in. But there was no one. Only a small crackling fire in the center of the cave. A pack sat near the fire, as well as an unrolled sleeping bag and a book of matches next to it. Anna and I looked at each other. We climbed inside. Once in the cave all sounds of beach; the waves, the wind, the seagulls, had all ceased. We could see the scenery through the mouth of the cave, but could hear nothing of it at all. Now only the crackling of the little fire. We noticed too the wonderful warmth sweeping through our freezing bodies. We sat down near the fire, warming our hands and feet and staring into the flames. I wanted to speak to her. I wanted to tell her I was sorry.

“For what?” Anna asked.

“What?” I said snapping out of my daze.

“You were saying you were so sorry, over and over. For like the past five minutes...”

“Oh...I, I don’t know. I think I’m warm enough let’s go back, this is weird.”

“That’s what I was trying to tell you,” Anna sighed as she got to her feet only to stop suddenly and gasp.

“Cece, the cave. The entrance is gone!” I looked all around. There was no hole. No ocean, no beach, only solid smooth rock. This didn’t even look like the beach rock that we had entered through. 

“Ok, let’s not panic,” I said trying to stay calm. 

“Why did you insist on coming in here?” Anna yelled, clearly panicking.

“It was so cold out there, I wanted to warm up by the fire.”

“But we had no idea who’s fire it was, and it wasn’t even that cold!”

“I...I don’t know. Let’s just figure out how to get ok?”

Anna glared at me for a moment before turning her attention to the rock, feeling around for a crevice or something. I began doing the same before noticing a tangle of brush and bushes at the far side of the cave that I had not noticed before. Or maybe had not been there before? I showed Anna and we approached them.

Cold air. We both felt it as we got nearer and then we definitely felt and heard a stiff wind blowing through the bushes. I began pushing aside the branches to reveal a small opening large enough for us to fit through. But what was on the other side did not make me want to go out there.

A vast and dark snowy landscape met my eyes. Rolling hills covered in towering pines stretched as far as I could see. Anna looked through as well and gasped. We exchanged looks, glanced back at the crackling fire, and then back out to the snow. The sky was still gloomy with dark and foreboding clouds, and the wind was harsher and sharper than ever. Anna and I nodded at each other, silently agreeing to go out and figure out where we were and what was going on.  Had we been drugged? Had we been abducted? 

Once we stepped outside we knew our shorts and t-shirts from our beach attire were quite ill-suited for this weather. To make matters worse, it began snowing. We were now standing in the middle of an increasingly violent blizzard. We looked all about us, and turning round we found the cave entrance we had just exited from was now gone. This almost did not surprise me at this point, though Anna seemed to be having a brand new wave of anxiety washing over her. As we looked about for any sense of direction, we were seemingly shown the way by a far off light atop one of the distant tree covered hills. This was not a fire light though it seemed, as it was quite bright and yellow and round and was not flickering. I motioned to Anna and we began making our way as quickly as we could. The direction was against the wind, so in addition to the freezing snow we were pushing against heavy, piercing winds. Our skin was already quite frozen and I could no longer feel my feet or hands, not to mention my poor face. The far away light now appeared to be much closer. What had seemed to be possibly close to a mile off was now only just up a steeply sloping hill that we had just reached the bottom of. I began climbing haphazardly up the side, slipping and sliding with every grasp in the snow. Anna followed close behind.

After what felt like an eternity flailing through the snow we reached the top of the hill where the wind and snow had stopped almost completely. A slight breeze blew, and a single snow flake drifted serenely down here and there. And in the center of the hilltop was a small hut with only a door and a single window, from which the bright yellow light was glowing. We wasted no time getting to the door, hoping that it was at least much warmer inside than out here.

I knocked hard on the door several times. We waited, shivering nearly frozen to death but there was no answer. Anna barged through the door, “Forget it I’m going in.” I followed after her. She screamed. She was gone.

I caught myself just in time, maintaining my balance at the very edge of a cliff. I looked behind me. No door. Nothing but a vast expanse of rock. I looked back down over the edge. Anna lay at the bottom, a disturbingly far fall, laying flat against the rock floor below. Blood was pooling around her head.

“Anna!” I screamed as tears began to flood my eyes. “Anna say something! Please!”

Then I noticed a rope tied securely around a large boulder to my right. I didn’t care if it was a trap, I had to try it. I grabbed hold of the rope and slowly climbed down to where Anna lay. I ran to her and picked her up in my arms, covering myself in blood. Her head was split, her skin already graying, her heart not beating.

“Anna,” I sobbed holding her close to me, “I’m sorry...I’m so sorry, Anna...”

Tears spilled down my face for what seemed to be hours, until I heard the clatter of rocks above me. My head snapped up and I looked to see a figure standing on the cliff high above me. The cliff seemed to have become taller, and in the lighting it seemed nothing more than a black silhouette.

“Help!” I called desperately. “Help me please!” It just stood there. “Please, I need help, I don’t know what’s going on or where I am can you help me?”

It slowly raised its arm and pointed one long finger at me. I saw where the face should have been begin to shimmer and shift and suddenly the figure was right before my eyes, wearing Anna’s face, but a deeply distorted version of it. The eyes were pure black, and the mouth was grotesquely wide. The scream it emitted was ear splitting. I jumped back in shock and felt myself falling. Falling deeper, and deeper, and deeper. All was darkness around me. Thud.

I hit something soft, cool, and sandy. I heard the calls of seagulls. I heard the crashing of waves and the sound of laughter and chatter. I opened my eyes that I seemed to have shut tightly, only to be blinded by the bright sunlight. I was on the beach again. Laying on my towel in the sand. People were all around. Children running and chasing one another, while parents conversed under colorful umbrellas. The sky was clear blue, not a cloud to be seen. I had just fallen asleep. It had all be a bad dream! Anna’s towel was next to mine along with her bag and sandals.

But I could not find her. Anna was nowhere to be seen.

But what I did see was the flicker of light off to my right. In the rocks.

Not All Heroes Wear Capes Or Are Heroes

Once I took a cigarette out of a guys mouth and flicked it to the side. He glared at me and then I gave him a little boop on the nose.

"Smoking kills," I said gruffly, "I just saved your life."

He got really close to me, our noses almost touching. I know, gay right? But don't worry, you'll live. He was still glaring as he grumbled a quick thanks and then walked past, giving me a pat on the back as he walked away.

I was in many ways a hero. Saving lives was just what I did. It's all I had ever done since I was kid. It started all when I was a youngin' growing up on my grandparents' farm. My grandpa was about to shoot one of the pigs to use it for meat for the winter. But I knew I had to stop him. I told him it was wrong but my grandpa just told me to go away and go inside, and to not bother him while he was working. So I took my favorite baseball bat and hit my grandpa over the head, and then let the pig go free. My grandpa was pretty mad. I had never gotten a beating like I did that day before. My butt was red and stinging for days after. But I knew it was well worth the sacrifice for that pig. Ever since that day I knew it was my fate and destiny to fight evil doers and save lives.

Like one time I went to a bar, and one of the guys made just the worst comment to one of the waitresses. Something about her having really nice long hair. Disgusting pig. So I naturally sprang into action. I broke my glass over the mans head, and once he was good and unconscious I kicked him a few times for good measure. I said, "You're welcome," to the clearly grateful women as she stared at me with her mouth wide open and eyes wide. The look of pure admiration and appreciation. That's what I live for.

Another time this guy did not hold the door open for me as I struggled out of a coffee shop with TWO drinks in my hands. The injustice was too much to handle, and so I threw my five dollar cup of hot coffee at the man. As he cried out in pain, distracted by the boiling hot liquid dripping from his skin, I swooped in and gave him the old one two. I knocked him from his wheel chair and and smashed his face against the concrete.

"Maybe next time you'll think twice before being so self centered and not holding the door for someone," I said as I kneeled on top of him to prevent the villain from escaping.

"Why would you do this," the man whimpered like a coward.

"Just doing my job, sir, you're welcome," I got up and walked away, my heroic act enough to compensate for my spilled coffees.

This was my life. A hero. A martyr. A savior. And I was happy to do it and people just loved me. So yeah, you could say I like to beat people up. In the name of justice!

Unfortunate

The match sparked into life and briefly lit up his face as he lit his cigarette. He took a couple of drags before turning his attention back to the man tied up on the floor. He looked at him for a few seconds before smirking a bit and then bending down in front of the man, balancing on the tips of his feet. Again he stared for a few more seconds and then took another drag, then put the cigarette out on the man's cheek. The man groaned and his faced clenched up in pain but he did not scream or yell, even with his mouth gagged. He was mostly silent.

"You know," said the man tossing the cigarette butt away. "It's a shame your pretty little wife and her sister weren't here tonight. We were really looking forward to sharing their company after all this messy business was done. But what can you do. I guess we could wait for them but since your bitch ass won't tell me when they'll be back we can't really afford to hang around too long. But you know that's fine, makes it worse for you, more fun for us."

He pulled out a switchblade from his back pocket and flicked it out.

"You ever had a small, thin blade like this here stiletto slowly slid under your finger nails, Mark?"

The man's eyes slightly grew wider as he began to violently struggle at the ropes binding him.

"Calm down now, we won't get to that just yet. I was just curious. Though it seems that you haven't had that before, but seems like you know what it must be like. Yeah it is not fun let me tell you..."

Mark still struggled against the ropes and was now grunting and most likely trying to yell against his gags.

"You messed with the wrong people, Mark. See next time you...well there won't be a next time will there? I sure hope you've learned your lesson. And if you haven't, don't worry...you'll be dead very soon."

The man pulled out a small box from his jacket pocket, drawing out another cigarette and a match again and lighting it up. This time he dropped the still burning match on the ground, then took a couple of drags and tossed the burning cigarette to the curtains. The man closed the switchblade, tucked the box back into his pocket and stood back up and walked towards the kitchen where he began rummaging through the cupboards. He carelessly threw out anything he was not interested in until he seemed to finally give up his search.

"You don't have any damn tea in this house, Mark? How terribly un-classy my friend."

A car door outside slammed.

Mark's wife and her sister were home.

The man smirked. "Well now, how terribly fortunate."

The cigarette butt slowly smoldering, slowly began to heat the curtains it lay under. They ignited. The man smiled as the fire quickly began to spread.

“Well I best be on my way,” he sang loudly. “I forgot to tell you I spilled a bit of gas around the house, so sloppy of me. You take care now, Mark.”

Outside a raven flew low over a burning house while two women stood by hysterically crying as fire fighters attempted to put out the flames. It circled around surveying the situation before landing in a nearby tree, it’s back to the blazing scene, now staring at the full moon. What a peaceful night, thought the raven. But not for those folks down there. How unfortunate. Unfortunate indeed.

The Most Popular Person in the World

It was back in the 1900s when I was born into a wealthy family in the wild, wild west. My father was an inventor, he had been since he was boy. He was a brilliant man, smarter and wittier than any other you'd ever meet. He worked in his own shop in the growing town of Las Vegas. We lived in a massive home on the outskirts of the town and my father had his shop deep below the house in a huge warehouse-like basement. It was common knowledge in our family that my father had made a recent breakthrough in his work, but we did not know exactly what it was, and we were forbidden to speak of it to anyone outside.

In school I was a smart boy as well, most likely getting some of those good old brain cells from my father. However I was a rather socially awkward kid, and didn't have any friends. You might say I was the most unpopular kid in my school, even if it was small. I tried to not let it bother me, even if I didn't have friends, the other kids mostly just left me alone.

But that all changed one day.

My father rushed into my room one morning as I was about to leave for school. He looked at me seriously and sat down on my bed.

"Son, you must listen to what I say. I have made a terrible mistake...I have doomed the world...but I know I can save one person...I must save you."

I tried to ask what he was talking about but he hushed me and grabbed my hand and pulled me along. He brought me down to his shop in the basement and showed me two large objects in the middle of the room. One was what appeared to be a large glass tube, standing upright with all sorts of hoses and wires coming from it. The other object was a massive cube-like thing, all black and smooth and not very interesting.

"The glass case there, you must get inside and stay there until you hear a high pitched noise letting you know it is alright to get out. That big black box...it is something I should never have created...it was a mistake….But you will be safe inside the case."

Again I attempted to question my father but he hushed me, grabbed my hand and pulled me to the glass case. He knelt down in front of me and looked at me while he held my hands. He kissed my forehead and gave me a little push inside and closed the door.

"I love you," he mouthed to me. The sound outside was completely cut off. I could hear nothing. Suddenly I noticed movement to my side and I looked and saw that the big black cube was vibrating violently and spewing out what looked like steam. I looked back at my father just as his whole entire body seemed to disappear before my eyes, almost like dust or sand being blown away in the wind. I screamed and cried and eventually passed out. When I woke up later everything seemed normal. I pushed hard on the door of the glass case and it fell open. There was no sign of my father. I rushed upstairs.

There was nothing. The house was silent and empty. I looked outside. There was nothing. No plants. No animals. No people. No nothing. Just absolute silence. I was alone. Quite alone.

Simple Syrup

He throws it in your face and says it’s what you ordered. You know for a fact that this was not your order. You don’t eat meat products unless they are kebabs. Something about the veggies and the stick holding it all together. But this big bucket of syrup was not in any way shape or form or even made up of what you wanted to order. You are mad. You are going to complain but suddenly he winks at you and smiles. He knows the real reason for this whole messy situation. He slowly pulls out a large kebab from behind the counter waving it around like a crazy flag pole or something. A marching band enters, and it's now a parade. Your parade. What a fun day. You are happy, because kebabs make you happy, but simple syrup does not. Simple syrup makes you sad. Simple syrup is EVIL.