So What...

I. We're all going down

Too late, too late, the Iron Horse hurrying to war, too late for laments, too late for warning- Ginsberg

My name is not important.
What I'm about to tell you is.

What? Did I just upset you label-makers, and people who feel the need to have a "name" for everything? People who must organize to the nth degree the minutest speck of dust. Did I piss off those whose lives must be perfect, or at least follow a preconceived path outlined by the powers that have been and continue to be told by the electric eye how the world must exist? Fine.

Then refer to me from this moment on as "Luder". Satisfactory? Good. Let's move on then.

If you have arrived this far then I have yet to offend you. Congratulations! Here's your free plastic blow-up hot tub, complete with a bottle of Mr. Bubbles to frolic at your heart's content. But you might not celebrate too fast, for I have not finished with you by a long shot. While you are reading this no doubt your mind is wandering (wondering) conjuring up images of such quick and varied flashes of things pertinent to your way of thinking. Some fast, some linger for but a moment then escape into the void of nowhere. Never to be thought of, reached, remembered, or pondered again.

You are also a moment older. Your cells have aged slightly, renewed, shed, and cast aside their old lives in favor of new ones. And so, just like that, we begin to end.

2. Amused

I want you to know that I ("Luder") have discovered the meaning of life. Yes after countless centuries my kind has sought to figure out our purpose, our reason for riding this filthy ball of dirt, and I have found it. The answer. And no, it is not 42 (though a respectable, and close guess).

The year had trudged on like any other. Repetitive tasks completed, bills paid, fun had. And all the while the entity known as "Jess" watched me with great trepidation.

Yea you saw what I did there. I mentioned Jess as a "named" entity, and she must also be confirmed as female to those curious minds that need to know, to differentiate the sexes of the characters they are exploring. I shall continue to satisfy those who need to know but for a short while longer. In the meantime:

We had it all. Nice house, good jobs (slaves), friends, another small entity from our loins (male) we called "Hans", and a considerable positive notoriety in the area which we had made our home. Our neighbors were nice. They mowed their lawns regularly, and occasionally held outdoor meat-cooking festivals in which we participated. Everything was perfect.

I had done all that was required of me. I paid my taxes, I allowed the current rulers to fully frisk me every time I traveled (for my safety of course). I even cast my vote at the local elections as if it meant something. Ah, all seemed well in this bubble of my existence...which popped the day I met "Kyrukan" (female).

Don't expect this to be a love story. It's not. It's much more tragically insane than love.

I had been sitting in front of our electric hypnosis machine for some hours now, watching some battle between which entity had "better" talent than the next entity that followed, when a massive crash woke me from my state of bliss and ignorance like a sharp slap in the face.

Wait. First I must explain to you why I had allowed myself to become lulled by such pointless "Winner take all" contests between entities. You see I have always been of the mindset that music, art, and many other products of people's endeavors are a matter for opinion, and not a f*&^ing competition. And yet we as a species seem to gather enjoyment from belittling other beings by creating such competitions and airing them out for the world to judge. Forcing those entities to engage in an endless dramatic war for who may have the best voice, or the best cooking, or the best whatever you do, is plain wrong. And yet, we are told that it is NORMAL. All is well, question not. F*&* that! It is not NORMAL to cause other entities to do what they do best, and then tell them that "Sorry, you lose. You are not the next big thing." in front of the whole planet. It's just...well...wrong.

But I watch anyways, because that is what is on.

Ah, the loud crash! Back to that.

"What the hell was that?" Jess said.

"No idea, I'll go check it out." I replied, with curiosity eating me alive.

I stood up, opened the door and stepped outside.

A giant moving truck had planted itself outside the previously empty house across the street. It's occupants were standing around what seemed to be a giant grand piano that had apparently committed suicide by dancing it's way off the end of the truck, and lay crunched up on one end as though it were the last crumbs residing in a bag of recently consumed potato chips.

"Well," said one of the moving entities, "that's definitely coming out of your check." The statement was aimed at the other, less bulky mover who looked like his favorite pet had not only died, but kicked him in the genital area, and urinated on his favorite computer gaming console before giving up its spirit.

"F*&* you Jack! You were supposed to be holding the end up while I released the gate!" said the smaller mover.

"Yea, well it's still coming out of your check, I'd fire you now but we still have to finish this job or neither of us gets paid." said Jack.

It was at this moment that I saw a black figure float towards the movers. Or, seemed to float as the garment it was wearing dragged the ground, engulfing the figure entirely. It was not like a conventional female dress, but rather it swallowed the figure yet allowed for complete and total movement. The face was covered as well, but after a second, I noticed that the garment was slightly see-thru. Enough it seems that you could make out some shapes, but not details about the wearer.

The figure seemed to say something I could not quite hear, and motioned in an odd way towards the movers. They immediately became silent, and began to gather the broken body of the piano with such care one would give to a sleeping infant so as not to rouse it from its slumber. And then, the figure was gone. I had not noticed where it went. Inside, most likely. But there had been no sound of footsteps.

***to be continued***

Three: Eye of the Dragon

It's been a few months since that day, and much has happened. Yea, life has a way of throwing sh*t at you when least expected of course.

Jess met another male entity on the interweb and has since moved in with him. Though I do get to see Hans every other week, so it is not a total loss. Work has picked up since the conflict began last week, and the world has changed. I work from home so even though it keeps me occupied, I can still screw off as much as I want, sorta. I find myself half listening to the hypnosis box as the talking heads continually update me...

"Today our allied forces captured two enemy combatants before they were unable to detonate a suitcase nuclear bomb...more on this at six...here's Tom with the weather..."

When Manhattan was nuked a month ago, it seemed the whole world went mad. Ever since then, our "War to End Terror Once and for All" has been plowing along at full speed. The draft being reinstated also changed many peoples lives. I hope it's all over before Hans is old enough to serve. All this death, war, destruction, for what? Nothing. No point to it. Ever. To show the world that your invisible friend is better than our invisible friend in the sky? What a load of crap it all is.

I saw her the other day. Our mysterious neighbor who, after moving in across the street, hadn't been seen at all since. Well, I saw her. Or rather, I caught a glimpse of her in her back yard through the cracks in her wooden fence as I was out spraying the weeds that sprout mercilessly around my driveway. It stopped me dead in my tracks. I know it was a her because the short dark blue spandex-like one piece she wore accentuated her curves quite nicely. She moved with catlike grace as she walked to the corner of her yard, bent down, and plucked one of the beautiful winecup flowers that had been growing there. Then, I swear, she looked up and stared directly at me. It was one of those awkward "oh crap I've been caught staring" moments, so I quickly went back to nonchalantly killing weeds.

I must go and knock on her door...but I need a reason. Maybe I'll buy her a nice bag of fertilizer or some flower seeds, or perhaps make some ambrosia...something. Damn you curiosity cat!!