Ok. At the gentle prodding and suggestion of a couple of very good friends here, I am going to post the first chapter of something I have had bouncing around in my head for a very long time.

I appreciate you taking the time to read it and any input, whether you think it's good or think it blows, will also be appreciated.

(RUN!!!)

...out of breath. Pain. Exhaustion.

The sharp claws and teeth of panic.

The iced veins of fear.

(RUN!!!)

...but what am I running from?

(IT DOESN'T MATTER!!! JUST RUN!!!)

...why?

(BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO IF YOU WANT TO STAY ALIVE!!!)

...what? there is something trying to kill me? What is it?

(YOU KNOW!!! THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE TO RUN!!!!)

...wait...I DON'T know why I am running...

Looking around...finally. Seeing the windblown streets and the leaves in the gutters. Feeling the chill of the Mid Winter wind. Feeling the teeth of Panic being dulled by exhaustion and confusion.

...why was I running? Was there something behind me?

(BEHIND YOU! IN FRONT OF YOU! ALL AROUND YOU!)

...then what good would running do?

(WELL…BETTER THAN STANDING THERE TO BE DESTROYED.)

...destroyed? seriously? What are you talking about?

(YOU ARE JOKING, RIGHT?)

...no seriously. What on Earth are you talking about?

(YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT YOU REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE RUNNING FROM?)

...well...if I knew what it was, I wouldn't be asking you what you are talking about. Now would I?

(WELL. SINCE YOU PUT IT THAT WAY. I SUPPOSE YOU ARE RIGHT. BUT DOES THAT MEAN I HAVE TO ACTUALLY EXPLAIN EVERYTHING TO YOU?)

...it sure would be helpful. I must be missing something here.

(OH VERY WELL. IF YOU INSIST.)

...don't take that tone with me. Sarcasm isn't going to get us any closer to what I need to know.

(YEAH, YEAH. OK THEN. I WILL TRY TO EXPLAIN THINGS SO THAT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THEM.

YOU REALLY DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING THAT LED UP TO THE EVENTS THAT WE WERE RUNNING FROM?)

...I just told you that I have no idea why we were running. That isn't answer enough for you?

(ALRIGHT ALREADY. I GET IT.

I SUPPOSE THIS MEANS I AM GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE YOU ALL THE WAY BACK TO WHEN THIS WHOLE THING GOT STARTED...)

...that would be very helpful. Thank you.

(DON'T THANK ME JUST YET. I'M NOT SO SURE THAT YOU ARE GOING TO LIKE WHAT I AM ABOUT TO TELL YOU.)

...well, let me be the judge of that. It's only fair since you were the one who was making me run.

(WHOA, WHOA, WHOA! JUST A SECOND HERE, BUDDY. I MAY HAVE BEEN THE ONE THAT SUGGESTED WE RUN, BUT IT WAS THE REST OF YOUR BRAIN THAT TOLD YOU TO GET GOING. I ONLY OCCUPY THIS ONE LITTLE CORNER OF YOUR MIND, TRYING TO TALK SOME SENSE INTO YOU WHEN YOU ARE ABOUT TO DO SOMETHING STUPID.)

...well, for you only taking up a “ little corner “, you sure do make a lot of noise.

(WELL IT'S NOT MY FAULT THAT YOU INSIST ON DOING STUPID THINGS LIKE PUTTING YOURSELF IN FRONT OF....WAIT, NEVER MIND. WE'LL GET TO THAT LATER. THEN YOU CAN DECIDE FOR YOURSELF IF I MAKE TOO MUCH NOISE.)

...fair enough. Can we get on with it now?

(YOU ARE PRETTY IMPATIENT FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS NO IDEA WHAT GOT HIM INTO THIS MESS, DON'T YOU THINK?)

...look. Either start telling me what you think I need to know, or I will start walking back in the direction we just came from. Do you really want that?

(NO!!! WAIT!!!! I'LL TELL YOU. JUST STAY WHERE YOU ARE!)

...that's more like it.


(OK...HERE WE GO. DON'T SAY I DIDN'T TRY TO WARN YOU.)

...I promise not to hold you responsible....

wow...I want more!!! that was amazing!

thanks

I demand more!! please?

I have a couple more chapters done. I can post them if you want. lol

please please please please please!!!

Ok. Ok....lol

One minute....

thanks!

Chapter 1

Brian Radik was having the best day of his life. He hadn't hit the lottery for millions of dollars, but he felt like the luckiest man on Earth anyway. He walked through the glass doors of his workplace with a smile on his face and a skip in his step.

The source of his happiness was twofold. First and foremost, he had finally gotten the promotion he had worked so hard for. The 10 years he had put in at the advertising agency had finally paid off. It certainly took it's sweet time making the payoff, but the day had finally come.

The other part of his happiness was, of course, a woman. The most beautiful, witty, and intelligent woman he had ever had the pleasure of meeting. Brian felt that not only meeting her in the first place was lucky, but the way they met was even more of a fortuitous stroke. He had been walking down the street outside his apartment building, thinking about his promotion, when he had almost knocked her over. He bent down to help her pick up the books she had been carrying, apologizing profusely, when he looked up, directly into the greenest, most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. He was struck speechless until she asked “ Are you ok ? “ with an amused look on her face. After stammering a reply that he really didn't remember afterwards, he asked if he could make up for the collision by taking her out to dinner, or even just a cup of coffee. He was dumbfounded when she agreed, and still couldn't believe that she had actually said yes.

That being said, you can understand why Brian was so happy on this particular day.

Chapter 2

After getting her name ( Janet, he thought with a sigh ) and her phone number, Brian continued walking toward the parking garage where his old rusty, but trustworthy, Buick sat. He had decided that it would probably be a good idea to buy himself some new clothes
( yeah. like that’s going to help you )
for his date with Janet.

He wasn’t entirely sure what, exactly, he was going to buy. But he figured that shopping anyway might be a good idea. After all, the only thing he had in his closet that was even remotely respectable were the clothes he wore to the office. The rest of his wardrobe pretty much consisted of ratty old sweatpants and a few t shirts.
( clothes don’t make the man. You are So screwed )
…will you just shut up
( never happen )
…I am very aware of that, thanks

Getting into his car, Brian fired it up and sat back for a moment to enjoy the throaty rumble of the big V-8 under the hood
( you know, you really SHOULD consider buying a smaller, more fuel efficient car )
....yeah, yeah. hush
And remembering the day he turned 16 and bought The Beast with money he had saved from various odd jobs over two previous Summers.

Putting the car in reverse, he backed out
( this thing sure does take a lot of room to turn, don’t ya think?)
Of his parking spot and, putting it in drive, proceeded to pull out of the garage into the street.

With his mind wandering, he never saw the red light that should have told him to stop.

He also never saw the city bus that bore down on him.

All he saw, was darkness.

This will be all for a little while because I just started working on it again. It had been stuck in neutral for quite a while. I'm not sure if it'll keep rolling the way it has, but I am crossing my fingers.

man..that is soo good. I can't wait to read more, you diffidently have a talent here!

Aww shucks

Glad you like it. lol

Ok. This is all I have finished, and I JUST got finished with this part....lol

Fair warning. It could be quite a while before I put up any more of it because when I write, it's usually only in fits and starts.

Chapter 3


WHAM!!!!
( WHAT THE..????)
…my question exactly. Where the hell am I?

Brian tried to look around him, but found he could only see darkness.
( ya know? I think we are in a pile of straw )
…straw??? How would you know that?
( you probably don’t remember, but try to think back to that field trip with Mrs. Kennedy science class back in the fifth grade )
….fifth grade?? I’m THIRTY for cryin out loud.
( well, you may not remember, but I do. This stuff smells like something that was at the petting zoo )
…well if you say so…
( so can we move? )
…a little
( turn your head and try to look for light somewhere )

Craning his neck, which wasn’t exactly easy, Brian thought he could detect a faint glimmer of light just above him and slightly to his right.
…ok yeah. I see some light up there
( ok good. That means we aren’t dead )
..are you sure?
( point taken. Just see if you can dig us out of here )

Moving very carefully, he discovered that if he moved just a little bit at a time, he could make some progress toward getting out of the position he was in.
( wow. Kinda like being in an avalanche )
…how the hell would you know? We’ve never been in one )
( saw it on tv once )
..figures
( what’s THAT supposed to mean? )
…never mind. Let’s just see if we can get out of here.
( alright, then. But I am going to ask you for an explanation to that comment eventually )

Ever so slowly, Brian made progress in moving toward source of the light. As he moved, he heard what he thought might be the rustling of mice moving around in the ( straw? ) pile.
Shaking of a mild case of the heebie jeebies, he made his way up to the point where the light was coming in. He couldn’t help but pause when the thought stuck him that it might be possible that the light he was seeing was the illumination that people who have had near death experiences sometimes describe.
( seriously? Get a grip, dude )
..oh leave me alone will you?

Making the decision that to find out one way or the other would be the best course of action, Brian stuck his hand up and broke through the layer of whatever ( straw ) it was that he was buried under and felt gentle warmth. Figuring he wasn’t stuck in the depths of Hell, he leveraged his way up until his head came poking through the top of the pile. He looked around him
…well what do you know? It IS straw
( I told you it was )
…yes. I know.
and saw that he was surrounded by more piles of straw. There was no particular order to their placement. To the contrary, it was relatively chaotic,
( like you know what a field of straw is supposed to look like? )
…oh shut up
Or so it seemed since there was a pile very close to the one he found himself in
( where are we again? )
..I don’t know. I’m trying to figure it out. Just back off for a few minutes.
while other piles were quite far apart.

Continuing his look around, he saw, off in the distance, what looked like a small cottage. Seeing smoke coming from the chimney, he assumed that it was occupied
..shall we go take a look
( sure. Why not )

Brian very gingerly wrestled himself the rest of the way out of the pile, then slowly climbed down. Finding his feet on firm land, he started walking in the direction he thought the cottage lay in.

Wow I mean Wow !!

wow..