Retro 4/4

What do you get when you take CS Lewis’s ‘That Hideous Strength’ and cross it with… well… me?

You get Shadowlands.  Where quasi-human janissaries serve those dithering-fallen angels who could not make up their damned minds.

What happens if one of your overpowered agents wakes up… and turns on you?

Again, this is all here and there… take the walk to the pharmacy door of OTChi Kocchi.

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MCD – Abandoned Factory 7 (Close)

This is a little longer, but I wanted it shut down this weekend.  That, of course, is not the same as “over.”  Few stories are ever over.

The construction of this is a bit different as I’ve made a change to my storytelling.

This was fun; perhaps too much fun, though.  What next?

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MCD – Abandoned Factory 5

Took a mental heath day and not because it was 70F in central Ohio.  There were two times, yesterday at work, when I had to stop and sit on the floor in the pharmacy to rest; I didn’t trust myself to sit on a chair.  I’d had that wonderful writing jag all weekend but as a result I was having a hard time distinguishing this world from RealLife(TM).  If you think that sounds hackneyed or stupid, you’re not a writer.

So what do I do with time away from work?  Go back to the ‘Factory, of course.  At 51, it’s not called ‘being self-destructive,’ it’s called ‘being aware of what little time is left.’

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MCD – Abandoned Factory 1

Just finished editing what I wrote last night; very glad I waited as it was a mess.  Just as I did with my Pine Bluff short, I’m going to extend this story a little.  I won’t insult anyone this time by claiming that it’ll likely be “only 1200-1500 words!”  I’ve learned my lesson.  It will be what it will be.

Although I’m calling this Part One, the real start is here; I’ll edit that post and call it ‘Part 0.’

I’m honestly curious as to where this one will go!

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MachCiv Dreams 4 (Abandoned Factory 0)

Not knowing much, well, anything, about international copyrights, this could best be called fanfiction.  The main character here, Nike, plays a not-insignificant role in my forthcoming novel, Defiant.

This story takes place in a world created by Yoshitoshi ABe nearly twenty years ago.  It yielded an anime that – while dated – is one of the most powerful and compelling stories I’ve ever experienced.  For a non-Christian, ABe had an amazingly Catholic vision.

And yes:  I do know who’s in the cocoon.

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Pirate Twins, coda

This not the short I originally saw.  After last night’s tragic news, I wanted to a little more about the West’s current attempt at suicide.  But, there’s still hope.  Hope, much like Evil, can often be found in the most unlikely places.

Thanks, everyone, for reading this story.  I think I’ll try to make ‘Defiant’ into a proper novel, but I’m taking the rest of this weekend off.

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Pirate Twins 14, The Bridge at Andau, Reprised

Left DayJob an hour early.  When my boss asked why, I told her:  I’m ending the Cold War.  She really should know better than to speak to me.

There’s still a short coda I want to write, as this has been the oddest writing exercise in my life.  It began as just another escapade into Machine Civilization.  That mold broke very quickly, becoming an allegory of the Cold War, something only oldsters like me recall.

Old?  Very:  Tuesday was the 25th Anniversary of my better half and I.  Either her standards are very low, or I’m much better in bed than I realize.  Likely the former.

Once I write the coda – tomorrow – this will end up being about 18-19k words.  Who publishes ‘historical allegories’, these days?

Thanks, everyone, for reading!

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