The House on the Hill

Outland: Chapter 3

That day, we weren’t able to travel very far.  I allowed our power cells to charge properly the following morning, which let us travel for a good part of the day.  I could feel a slight change in mobility with the feet being unbalanced, but Gulliver seemed to compensate for it without having to involve me.

That night, while plotting out the day’s new section of my map, I kept finding myself staring out the porthole.  Out in the darkness of the night, I could have sworn seeing a faint light off in the distance, blinking intermittently.

I had spent many nights looking up at the stars and the moon, perpetually clear nowadays with no other lights around to pollute the sky.  I had practiced guiding myself by the stars in the sky like old sailors had done.  Even though I had only been following the coastline, it helped me determine how close I would be to arriving at the equator.  All of the maps from before the catastrophe were no longer quite right.  I think that’s what originally drove me to start creating my own.Continue reading “The House on the Hill”

The Force of Water

Outland: Chapter 2

The cloudy eye stared back at me, the bony carcass of the fish from the night before sitting on the plate beside me.  I had allowed myself to fall asleep on top of the map, luckily avoiding scribbling any ink or drooling onto the paper.

Outside the small window of the compartment, I could see the morning sun start to cast it’s glow over the land.

“Good morning, Andrew.”

“Good morning, Gulliver.”

“You’ve risen earlier than usual.”

“I slept well last night, I guess.  Having a full stomach helps.”  I said, rubbing my neck.  Picking up on the fishy odor, I quickly picked up the plate and shoved the carcass into a self-sealing bag before depositing it into the compactor.

My body felt refreshed as I ascended the ladder to the cockpit, noticing the shudders still open from the day before.  Looking down at the control panel, I noticed the switch for the solar panels still in the off position.Continue reading “The Force of Water”

The Shadow of What Remained

Outland: Chapter 1  (Update- I’ll start putting up what I have of this for the next week or so.)

My eyes flickered open slightly to reveal the bright sun peeking through the metal slats of the shutters covering the cockpit window.

“Good morning, Andrew.”

“Good morning, Gulliver.”  I groaned, pulling my eyes open.  I wanted to avoid being nagged by him for trying to sleep in.  Stretching, I sat up and pulled the back of the chair up with me.  I could already feel the heat of the day entering the cockpit as I flicked the small metal switch to raise the shutters.  The midday sun began to shine though the streaks and specks of the plexiglas windows, glaring in my eyes.  Outside, I could see the blue green waves swaying back and forth against the land, tiny ridges of white forming as the opposing forces of the water pushed against each other.  Opposing the water was the comparatively tiny stretch of land continuing up the coast.  Just at the edge of my view were the mountains, stretching upwards to meet with a thick layer of clouds, almost a barrier from earth to sky.Continue reading “The Shadow of What Remained”

Shell-Shock

The incessant pounding rattled his eardrums, never hinting at if or when it may cease. Back turned to face away from the explosions, covering his ears did little to dampen the shock wave he could feel creep up his back.

The first real blast he had heard was on the streets of Kabul, sending a shard of shrapnel into his right thigh, the very minimum to have him sent back.  The distance, however, would never be far enough to separate him from the memory.

Everyone around had dropped all sense of urgency, to stop and watch in awe of the spectacle.  He couldn’t bear to face the sight, let alone deal with the flashing penetrating his eyelids.

“Daddy, won’t you come watch the fireworks with us.”  The boy tugged at his sleeve.

“Come on, dear.”  The mother suddenly pulled the young child away.  “You know daddy doesn’t like loud noises.”

even-the-fourth-of-july-can-be-a-nightmare-for-us-veterans
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One Year of Grease

Well, it’s been one year of writing for this blog, and I’m still sticking with it.  Even though my posts don’t always come with great frequency these days, I’m still writing.  Even right now:

I want to thank everyone who has followed me this year, reading my stuff and leaving likes and comments.  I promise to put more stuff out soon!