The Magician’s Dream

It isn’t that the trick doesn’t work, it’s that it works for real. He pulls the rabbit out of the hat, but it isn’t a plant, there’s no false bottom: he just reaches in, and there it is, where no rabbit was before. And every time he puts his hand inside the hat, there’s another one.

Soon, he’s covered with rabbits, of all colours, sizes, shapes. They start to whisper things that he won’t remember on waking.

When he tries the trick again in actual performance, Karl freezes and has to leave. The show after that, he sticks to cards.

Scylla and Charybdis

(No lyrics.)

Strange Waters

“Bring me the star charts!” roared Captain Sterling. He raged about his cabin, looking for things to stab. Nothing presented itself.

First Mate Jenkins, recognizing the captain’s mood, stood outside the door. “Don’t think the star charts’ll do much good, cap’n.”

Sterling threw a rum pot at the door and cut a candlestick in half. “Damn your eyes, Jenkins, bring me the bloody charts! When we get lost, we look to the stars!“

“Have you looked at these stars, sir?”

Sterling hefted his cutlass, then stopped. “Why?”

“Well, for one thing, they’re purple. For another, they move around. A lot.”

Jacobssen

Yeah, I killed a guy.

Wasn’t personal. I used to work security for this place, way under the radar, some deep bunker experimental shit. For your eyes only, burn after reading, et cetera. Worst job I ever had. Nothing fucking happened. We played a lot of euchre, me and the guards.

Then one day there’s this keening sound from the central chamber, where they’re doing the Big Thing, and out comes one of the scientists, Reinhardt. Only there’s something wrong with his face, and he’s coming right at me…

No big thing. Good to get it off my chest, though.

My High Friend

So there was this time, that um. It was… you know what I mean? We were playing this game of Movie Bomb. And there were all these challenges, and fucking, like, storylines, I mean, it was epic… and then we came inside, and Ryan started spinning. You know what I’m saying? Like arms out.

Then I forgot to write any of this down. It was… I was so fucking baked, right? And then Jurassic Park, man, and my friend totally remembered the part where Dr. Grant says, “Not from the front, but from the sides,” and makes that whishing noise.

Static Rages

I saw the many faces on her, in awe, forgetting grace and honor
I smelled the apples of the garden, I had some trouble disregarding

Static rages
Static rages got me

I tied myself to masts as I passed the tides of Juliets unsurpassed
I heard the Sirens’ symphonic speech, I saw the mermaids singing each to each

Static rages
Static rages got me

Visions

The windows are down, even if it’s maybe a little too cold for it, tonight. Something slow and ethereal drifts out of the speakers. I don’t remember the words, but the feeling is right.

On the passenger seat, Rudy is curled up, the tip of his tail just over his nose. There’s a spider on the inside of the windshield.

For a half-breath I imagine the car ramping onto the curb and spinning through the air, the terrible silence just before we hit the ground, the spider perfectly still.

That happens a lot, the visions. They rarely come to pass.

Crispin Bartlow

I don’t know, they’re not that bad. I just wish they’d try an exorcism or something, now and then. Those are always cool.

Instead, they have barbeques, mow the lawn, do these game night things. (No Ouija yet. I’m hoping.) They even invite people over. They don’t know we’re here, yet.

Ben tells me to ignore them, but then I’d be reduced to swooping around at night and scaring dogs. So I go through the walls of the daughter’s closet and rattle things. She’s about the age I was.

She’s smart. She’ll figure it out. Then we’ll have some fun.

Jeremy and Samantha Bartlow

(Thanks to Olga Nunes for her wonderful vocals!)

Whose idea was yellow? My kitchen should be blue.
That’s one woman’s point of view.
And look at how he sits there, he hasn’t moved in years!
That guy’s got great taste in beer!

Samantha, relax! Stop with all the attacks and be thankful that at least the kitchen’s not black!
Jeremy, it’s not that easy you see! All these things that they’re ruining once belonged to me!

I will do my best to give these folks a break.
Please, dear, for everyone’s sake!
But if they change the carpets, then I will not be pleased!
Darling, you’re never appeased!

Agent Club

Even with its high ceilings, Emperor Ouroboros’s throne room feels crowded. Maybe just for Club. Maybe because of the thirty odd guns pointed at him.

“Hey big fella,” says Ouroboros. “I hoped the bears would get you.”

“Nope,” says Club.

“What about their grafted titanium plating?”

“I thought it was a nice touch.”

Ouroboros sighs. “Put your guns down, boys. This guy’s old school. Go fight him one or two at a time.”

Later, Club walks out of the palace, cracking his giant knuckles. His phone rings; he fumbles with the tiny buttons.

“Get back here,” comes Diamond’s voice. “Now.“