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#17: Tweet, tweet
Thu 11/29/2012
11:39 PM

"So, was there something you wanted to ask me?"

  • No, not particularly.
  • You don't seem like the others.
  • Aren't you a bird?

"You don't seem like the others."

"Wait, what? What do you mean...not like the others?"
  • You're...built differently, I think.
  • Kidding!
  • Aren't you a bird?

"You're...built differently, I think."

"Ah...well, you've got that right! I'm built for ultimate mobility! You won't find a pair of wings like these on anyone else!"
  • Really??
  • I didn't think cranes generally had wings...
  • Aren't you a bird?

"I didn't think cranes generally had wings..."

"Ah, but this model is super-advanced! Ultimate mobility means there's no getting stuck AND no waiting around! It's this model's best feature!"
  • Does this model have any drawbacks?
  • This model...of what, exactly?
  • Aren't you a bird?

"Does this model have any drawbacks?"

"...drawbacks? What more could you want from a crane besides ultimate mobility? I can reach anything, just dare me! I'll never get stuck! I can poke into any nook or cranny, no matter how high up or low down it is! I'll grab anything there is, wherever it is!"
  • But... how much can you lift?
  • Grabbing is useless if you can't LIFT anything!
  • Aren't you a bird?

"But... how much can you lift?"

"I'm the fastest! I'm the coolest! I'm... I'm..."

...

"Wwwwaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuugggggghhhhhhhhhhh!!"

He starts bawling his eyes out. The volume of tears threatens to drown anyone in the vicinity, but as this is an outdoor construction site, there is thankfully plenty of good drainage available.

(sniffle) "...all I wanted...all I ever wanted, was... to build things, like the others... I always do my best, but... am I stupid, for wanting this so badly?"
  • Maybe...you *are* stupid.
  • If you have a dream, you should follow it...
  • You're a bird. You should embrace what you are...

(Please post a comment in which you select an option)


"brightsuzaku" (Sat 12/1/2012, 11:28 AM):

If you have a dream, you should follow it...

(I mean, why else would he be here? It's not like they give him a hard time... do they? Bawwww!)

"yyr" (Sun 12/2/2012, 12:25 PM):

"If you have a dream, you should follow it..."

"..."

He sits for a moment in silence, seemingly processing the thing he just heard, slowly.

"...!!"

The expression on his face morphs from sadness to elation.

"...really? You think I can do it? You have confidence in me?? That makes me sooooooo happy..."

He tears up again... this time, for a different reason...

"Maybe, just maybe, I can become stronger...and bit by bit, I can do it...I can build something, in my own way!"

The most triumphant look appears, seemingly magically, on the bird's face.

"And maybe...if I'm really, really lucky, you'll choose me to build your project! I'll go all-out for you!"
"...you know what? I won't even wait for your decision! I'm going to get started, right now!"

The...crane...flies over to a nearby pile of metal scraps. He strains, but is able to pick up a small fragment of a girder. After making it about 20 feet, he clearly is struggling. He places it down on a patch of earth...but moments later, his determination returns.

He scans the area for the emptiest-looking spot, and using a half-carrying/half-dragging motion, moves the girder fragment in its vicinity. He quickly digs out a small hole for it in the mud--perhaps a few inches deep--and then carefully nestles the fragment inside. After pushing it from a few different angles to make sure it was sturdy, a look of satisfaction appeared across his face. Then, he flew over to the scrap pile again...

"I'll make you proud! I really will! You can count on me!"

#16: Dreams of the Harvest
Fri 11/23/2012
2:05 AM

"Rick?"

"Yes, Sally?"

"How long do you think we can keep this up? I mean...the illusion that we're just some rich couple...young, in love, and living the life of nobles, while wanting to share it with those around us?"

"As long as we want to, Sally. Nothing can stop us anytime soon, unless we want it to. We're in complete control here."

"But...this is so unlike us..."

"According to who? The people who knew our past lives aren't around any more."

"I know, Rick, but... I still can't shake the feeling that we're going to be found out...any day, now..."

"You're blowing things out of proportion. Seriously, what gives you that idea?"

"What about the one we just took in this evening? She was pointing out all kinds of details about our house that I knew nothing about! Do you even realize how hard it was, acting not only like she was saying what I already knew, but also that I knew what she was talking about in the first place?"

"Why didn't you ask me for help?"

"She was already talking to me about it, and you were in the basement preparing tonight's serum! There was nothing I could do."

"...I'm sorry, Sally. I'll try to be more mindful in the future."

"No... I'm not saying it was your fault. Someone obviously has to get the serum ready. There was nothing else you could do, either. We both had to be present when most of the guests arrived, so to prep the serum earlier wasn't possible."

They stared in silence at each other for a few moments before Sally continued with another doubt.

"You do realize...that this plan depends on our guests wanting to come back several times, right? There's no guarantee they will, nor do we know for sure that the drugs will work within only a few doses--"

"Oh, they'll work," Rick replied confidently. "They're the result of a thorough body of research. They've been fully tested. We helped with that, remember?"

Some of the color left Sally's face as she fell silent. She stared off into the distance for a moment. She looked lost.

"Remember," he continued, "we are but one cog in a giant, well-oiled machine."

"Is that what we are, now?"

"Why, yes! A machine that can help people!"

"But...at the expense of others...?"

"Don't worry about them. They came here of their own free will. They could just as well have left."

"They most likely WOULD leave, if they knew what we were up to!"

"SALLY!"

She froze in silence. The sheer volume of Rick's shout caught her off-guard.

"Listen to me, Sally."

"I'm listening..."

"You knew what you were signing up for when we started walking down this road. This is a unique business...where the product is derived from people. You were well aware of this. You assured me that you wouldn't have a problem going forward..."

"...but...I had no idea that--"

"No idea of what? That people would die as a result of our actions? What kind of market do you think we're selling to here? You think they sell computer parts, or something?"

Sally fell silent, again.

"Were you dreaming? If so, it's time to wake up. We're deep enough in this thing that there's no turning back now!"

A few seconds went by, in silence, before Sally decided to speak again.

"So...the next event is...Wednesday?"

"Thursday, actually. It's another gala. This time we're hiring a pianist...he's not part of the plan, though. For all he knows, he's just showing up at some mansion with a piano and doing his thing."

"How do we make sure he doesn't drink the wine?"

"Simple. I just let him know that I expect him to stay away from the alcohol. I'm his boss, after all."

"And if he doesn't?"

"Well...what's the big deal? In the worst case, our profits go up; we'd just need to find a new pianist. Actually...sounds like it wouldn't be all that much of a tragedy, after all..."

"Will anyone be up to their fourth dose?"

"Not this time, although we'll have a few on number three."

"Okay..."

Silence, for a few moments.

"I'm really worried about that one girl," Sally said.

"I told you, you can't go developing attachments to these people. They're our product, not our friends."

"No, I mean, about her figuring us out. Her name started with an 'M,' I think. She seemed really perceptive...and she was blurting out all kinds of things about architecture. Something about Roe-cocoa, or something like that...I was so nervous that I almost cracked. Seriously, Rick, I think we might be in trouble."

"Did she get the first dose?"

"Yes, but--"

"Does she plan on coming back next week?"

"I think so..."

"Then it makes no difference. If she shows up twice, I'm sure she'll stick around for two more. And soon enough, her organs will be right there on the market with the others."


#15: Thirty-three
Thu 11/15/2012
12:18 AM

24 hours in a day
365 in a year
All in all, the passage of time
is one of few things I fear...

Money comes and goes,
things add up in a stack,
but time is the one and only thing
that happens, and never comes back.

How do we spend this precious resource,
when mistakes we make allow no recourse?

No exchanges, no returns,
even when the pain of losing it, burns...

Many say that time can heal,
that time can ease the hurt you feel,

but while that theory may be real,
that time's gone too, forever sealed.

It's all been written, they've closed the book,
never giving it one more look.

So what can we do from dawn to dawn?
Before another day is gone?

Or another month, or another year?
What can we do while we're still here?

I want to leave something more behind
than just some piece of paper, signed...

To make my mark,
to rise above,
I truly feel
that the way is love.

To put a smile on someone's face,
means more to me than winning a race,

making a fortune, or finding fame!
Our limited time just isn't a game,

something to be won or lost.
Whatever we do, time is the cost,

the greatest price that ever was.
Nothing costs more than time does!

I saw X, I did Y, I visited Z.
I saw many things I wanted to see.

But years from now, what will it mean,
that vast number of things you've seen?

Not as much as it would if you passed things on.
And I don't mean trophies, or clothes one can don,

I mean feelings. Emotions. A smile on a face.
Things that make this a better place.

I know, for sure, that that's what I want.
But this passage of time, it seems to taunt,

tease, terrorize and twist my heart.
What do I do now, and how do I start?

Am I now just standing still?
Am I working towards more than nil?

I think I know what I'm excited about,
but time's passage fills me with doubt,

as I know any move means taking a risk.
"You could be wasting your time! Tsk, tsk!"

says the voice in the back of my mind.
At the end of this road, what will I find?

A smile, a laugh, and a warm embrace?
Or shock and tears upon my face?

The only thing that's certain is
the uncertainty I know;
for all the knowledge I claim to have,
I'm wondering where to go.

And all the while, the clock moves on,
continuing to tick,
for all the tape and glue one has
will not cause time to stick.

Another year has come and gone,
what do I have to show?

Am I closer to my goal?
Am I? Yes or no?

The answers, they elude me,
I'm confused at every turn,

Is this direction right?
Can I know? Can I learn?

I want to hope, I want to try,
I want to love, I want to cry,

For all of this, where can I go?
The clock ticks... I don't yet know.

But despite my uncertainty,
I see a half-full cup.
The clock won't stop ticking,
but I'll never give up.


#14: Please, Senpai!
Tue 11/13/2012
7:18 PM

Notice me...

Please notice me, senpai!

You're the reason behind the smile that I wear so often, these days...you put it there every time you say something to me. Can't you see that I want to squish an even bigger smile all over your cute face? I wanna rub it all over, like goop that drips everywhere! Except it doesn't...it stays on your face and radiates, making me even happier! Please see how happy you make me...can you see it? ^o^

I want to know what's on your mind... and in your mind, under and around your mind, and why it's there! I want to know what makes you tick... and then, to give it all to you a hundred times over, so I can hear the sound of your ticking some more! Tick, tick, senpai!

If you ever feel sad about anything, I want to help put a smile back on your face! If there are tears on your face, senpai, I'd wipe 'em away in a flash...unless I made you laugh so hard that you cry even more tears. And boogers! But they'd be tears of joy. And boogers of joy, too! Let me be there for you, senpai, so that I can bring you all of the boogers of joy~

I want to meet your friends! Because if they're *your* friends, maybe they'll be as wonderful as you? We can all have sooooo much fun! Boogers of joy for everyone...because you can pick your friends *and* your nose, right, senpai? Maybe I'm getting off-track... >_<

Maybe I'm trying too hard...maybe I have no chance...but it feels so worth it, if it's for you, because...you're worth it, senpai! I've always admired your talents, your wordplay and your zest! (Is that the soap you use? ...oops, maybe that's creepy!) It also doesn't feel like I'm trying that hard, because I'm having so much fun...

If I see a smile on your face--and I could somehow know that I put it there--I'll be floating on air~ I'll be the happiest, ever, ever! Like...Happy Everest! The tallest chunk of happy in the known world! They say the only way to reach the top of Happy Everest is with lots and lots of smiles, laughter and love! Like...all of the things I want to give you, Senpai!

Maybe, if I wish really, really hard, and I'm really, really lucky...maybe you'll notice me, Senpai? It'd be the best day ever...except for all the other days I'd get to be with you. Those would be even better! ^_^


#13: Sleep Paralysis
Wed 11/7/2012
5:55 PM

Falling...

I'm falling.

Falling as far as I could ever imagine.

I try to scream, but I realize that won't help me...nobody would hear me, anyway.

Initially, I thought I was falling forever, but I can see something below me. It looks almost like...a gigantic pillow?

But then, the pillow shifted, as if it were alive. What the heck...?

The soft, warm pillow starts to surround me as I fall towards it...

...SPLAT.




I'm awake.

...I think.

But I can't move. I feel completely paralyzed.

I instantly recognize the "pillow" from my dream. Both halves of it are firmly planted atop my chest. I've never seen anything like it.

...wait, it isn't just a pillow, is it...?

Oh, I see. There is a large, elderly woman sitting on me.

...WHAT?!

I try to struggle but not a single muscle moves. I don't just *feel* paralyzed...I really am completely paralyzed.

"Ah..."

The woman stirred, ever so slightly.

Hey, wait...I said something. I can talk!

"Um...excuse me?"

The pillow didn't move.

"Hellooooooo...hello?"

Nothing.

"HEY!"

Finally, the woman took some sort of notice. That was the good news. The bad news was that she responded by pushing herself down onto me. She seemed to double in weight. I tried to cry out, but for some reason no sound came out.

"Shut up!" the woman bellowed, in a deep, raspy voice that also seemed to add "I've been smoking for 70 years and I haven't croaked yet...if I'm not letting THAT bother me, than I'm certainly not going to let YOU bother me, either!"

The pain was excruciating...it was like my internal organs were trying to run somewhere, anywhere, to escape from the horror, but they were unable to liberate themselves from their impenetrable prison, also known as MY BODY.

Finally, after a few moments of that, she stopped pushing downward, and things went back once again from "excruciating" to "really uncomfortable."

I waited for a few minutes. Nothing changed. I figured I ought to try talking again, seeing as it was the only thing I could do.

"Um...excuse me?"

Of course, there was no response.

"Why are you sitting on me?"

The woman turned her head, clearly in response to the question I'd posed. Then, she slowly turned around. The motion was fluid, yet deliberate and forceful, as if she'd been sitting on the sort of turntable you'd find in a microwave.

"Because it's time to wake up! Say hello to the butterflies!"

The raspy invitation seemed to cue the disappearance of all light in the room. Then...they started appearing.

Blue, with pink spots.

Red stripes.

Rainbow-colored patterns.

Was I in some sort of video from the 70s? Trapped in a labyrinth of some sort?

As their wings fluttered, I thought I heard the flapping of very heavy wings, like that of an eagle. It was strange. And loud. I felt like I was going to get a headache.

The butterflies increased in number considerably, forming shapes... like clouds, made up of bursts of color that seemed to pulsate, as if rainbow-covered lightning was bottled up inside. Rainbow shapes followed, and their colors scrolled, distorted and flashed in as many ways as I could imagine. The wings got louder and louder as the colors became more vibrant. They were beginning to radiate light, just as the sun would, and the light started to brighten, until it was almost blinding...

And then, a voice louder than even the beating of the wings: "Annie?"

Huh?

The light became even brighter...now it actually was blinding me...

"Annie! What are you doing to your father?"

"It's time to wake up! Right, Mommy?"

"Oh, Annie..."

I realized that the sun's reflection was shining directly in my face. I covered my right eye and looked away with my left, only to discover my 4-year-old daughter perched atop my chest, and my wife standing over both of us. Annie was holding a piece of paper with butterflies drawn on it, in crayon, and wearing a smile almost as bright as the sun that had been burning my right eyeball a moment earlier.

"Unngh..."

I struggled to piece together what had just happened. Was there some sort of goblin in our midst? A devil? Was my child possessed? ...am I possessed?

Something tells me that I'll want to stay awake for a while, now...


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