Plugs

Read Daniel Braum’s story Mystic Tryst at Farrgo’s Wainscot #8.

Luc Reid writes about the psychology of habits at The Willpower Engine. His new eBook is Bam! 172 Hellaciously Quick Stories.

Edd Vick’s latest story, “The Corsair and the Lady” may be found in Talebones #37.

Read Rudi’s story “Detail from a Painting by Hieronymus Bosch” at Behind the Wainscot.

Archive for the ‘Ken Brady’ Category

Role Playas

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008

FADE IN.

EXT – THAT VAST EXPANSE OF DESERT YOU SEE IN EVERY CAR COMMERCIAL – DAY

It’s hot. Cacti dot the landscape. A lizard skitters by.

TWO FIGURES dressed as warriors walk slowly into frame. They struggle to make
progress in the oppressive heat.

Finally exhausted, they both collapse in a heap near a cactus.

We see OUR HERO, 20s, a buff, Conan-like force of nature. Built like a tank,
consumes small grocery stores for lunch. A football jock with a dangerous
weapon.

He’s beat.

                                             OUR HERO
                              I need some water.

The other figure is SWORDFIGHTER #1, 20s, A scarlet bikini-clad warrior woman.

Impossibly large breasts that defy the laws of physics. She flexes her nipples with
sheer willpower.

                                             SWORDFIGHTER #1
                              Hey, it’s not like I asked for your cooperation.
                              You just started following me.

                                             OUR HERO
                              I’m not following you. You’re following me. You’ve
                              got this entire thing backward.

Our Hero stands and struggles to keep upright. Then he pulls his sword and flails
at the cactus. He makes unintelligible noises he thinks are words.

                                             OUR HERO
                              Blahow, yaaooou, herf, hahahaooogle!

Swordfighter #1 shakes her head.

                                             SWORDFIGHTER #1
                                   (sotto voce)
                              Damned psycho.
                                   (to Our Hero)
                              Who do you think you are, anyway?

                                             OUR HERO
                              Me? I’m the hero. I’m the star. The leading man.
                              The center of this particular celluloid universe!

                                             SWORDFIGHTER #1
                              Uh-huh.
                                             OUR HERO
                              I am! That’s why I’ve got this.

Our Hero shows off the pendant hanging from a chain around his neck containing
dark/light theatre masks.

                                             OUR HERO (con’t.)
                              What’s wrong with you, anyway? Haven’t you read
                              the script? Oh wait, no, you don’t GET a script.
                              You’re just a…a…character actor! Not even that.
                              You’re just BACKGROUND.

                                             SWORDFIGHTER #1
                              Oh, that hurts.

Swordfighter #1 stands, breasts catching the hot desert sunlight and focusing Our
Hero’s attention completely.

                                             SWORDFIGHTER #1
                              But not as much as this will.

She draws her sword and runs Our Hero through.

Our Hero crumples to the ground. He has the decency not to be melodramatic in
death.

                                             SWORDFIGHTER #1
                                   (shakes head)
                              Method actors.

Swordfighter #1 reaches down, looks at the pendant around Our Hero’s neck. She
fingers it, contemplates.

                                             SWORDFIGHTER #1
                              Then again…

She rips the chain away from the dead body.

CROSS FADE TO:

INT. OBLIGATORY TAVERN OF DEBAUCHERY THAT’S BIGGER INSIDE THAN OUT – NIGHT

Swordfighter Sarah, now leading lady, is surrounded by a dozen scantily clad
SLAVE MEN.

Her bikini and the pendant around her neck are like beacons in the torchlight,
drawing in the unsavory characters of the night. There are a whole lot of them.

A WAITER approaches the entourage.

                                             WAITER
                              Anything I can get for you, m’lady? No charge,
                              of course.

Swordfighter Sarah considers the things around her.

FLASHBACK MONTAGE:
– Scantily-clad men dancing on the rough-hewn tables
– Tankards of ale flowing freely to her from adoring fans
– Scores of young starlet/maidens being executed in the streets
– A mandatory Swordfighter Sarah star on the ground in the town square
– Wagons full of gold and jewels

BACK TO SCENE.

She rubs the pendant around her neck.

                                             SWORDFIGHTER SARAH
                              What else could I possibly want?

She grabs a handful of slave butt on each side of her and pulls herself to her feet.

                                             SWORDFIGHTER SARAH (con’t.)
                              I’ll be in my trailer.

As we follow her entourage toward the rear exit, we

END.

How to Attract the Attention of the FBI

Tuesday, October 7th, 2008

Subject: Impending Doom
From: johnnyq@gakmail.com
Reply-to: johnnyq@gakmail.com
Date: Tuesday, October 8, 2008 – 08:00:00

To: johnnyq@gakmail.com

The email response you will send today at 09:13:02 will never make it to me. You won’t know that because you’ll be in jail soon after you send it, so I’m telling you now.

The bomb threats you’ll phone in in five minutes to the Wells Fargo Tower and City Hall will be taken seriously. I know you don’t actually want to do it — at least not yet — but the police don’t know that. In about fifteen minutes everyone will find out the threats are more than threats. Don’t worry, not everyone in the buildings will be killed this time.

In prison you’ll experience unspeakable atrocities. You’ll seethe with rage at the unfairness of the situation, and you’ll hate the world even more. You’ll hate yourself. You’ll want to lash out, punish someone, anyone, any way. But after three years behind bars, you’ll come to terms with it. Discover that you were right all along. Realize that the only problem was that you didn’t destroy enough.

I know you don’t want to do this, but in a way, deep down inside, you do. Many people do. I’m still here typing this and the article I’ve attached hasn’t changed, so you must have gone through with it.

You’re wondering what I want from you. It’s easy: I need you to place the calls, take the blame, do the first three years. Tell them whatever you want to tell them. They won’t believe you anyway.

Just three. Easy. Years. Then I’ll take over. You’ll be ready then, and we can be a team.

Then we’ll burn it all to the ground.

Cheers,
jq

Forwarded Attachment:
>
> News Release: Reuters
> Date: Wednesday, October 9, 2009
>
> Title: Man says future self told him to destroy skyscrapers
>
> Abstract: Accused terrorist Jonathan Quill, 28, says that a future version of him sent a message back in time, telling him to
> blow up the Wells Fargo Tower and City Hall. He claims that he is not responsible for the actions of his future self, and that
> he did not, in fact, place explosives in the buildings in question. Mr. Quill is currently under arrest pending psychiatric evaluation.
>
> Click here to read more…
>

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