They've done this voluntarily by the way.  My interest was gigs there, and securing the market if and when here to make that illustrious bill.

But I did stipulate dual citizenship, which also means they're protecting their own.  It also means I could be deported by the president, an interesting new parameter, but it would actually make matters worse for you.  

Then it's their court, plus our court, and now the ICC.

Looks like that gig covers no one, and they're one of few options who didn't themselves steal.  

Illegally tapped networks and security systems to illegally monitor and stalk like a maniacal supervillain while talking mad shit, sure.  But let's face it, if the law came close to accounting for people anything like me, my only defense would be grandfather clause.

Or just 'prove it'.

So we've all had our advantages, it's a fair balance.  And the shit talking was an equal exchange.  But the benefactors say I should pursue these matters of theft, through the legal, as they themselves have stood as third party monitors.

It was important to them  of course, to ascertain if I may just be insane.  A test I've never feared to take.  A lot of it came to the fact that these people have consistently behaved reprehensibly, openly, and with the greatest mockery.

Just shitty people.  Such gaping fucking assholes, just wrong in the morality, they don't even want, nor ever even needed their movies.

Remember.

They removed all investment in hollywood within a week of my response to what I'd found.  Before that, they covered an average third of every blockbuster made and that's no exaggeration.  

This is pivotal.

This loss is what drove them to DEI grants for funding.  If that's something one cares about.  And the reason it didn't fly was, ironically, 'bad writing'.

So.  

They think I have a case and will continue their oversight to ensure both fairness, and personal safety.  The latter less required but it makes me feel warm and fuzzy nonetheless.  And it doesn't seem that any of these companies will sell there until this matter is resolved.

Which means No one makes a billion dollar movie, except maybe me and whomever I work for.   Which in turn means no one can afford to make blockbusters at the established and now expected level of quality which Only worked, with that market accessible.

Which to my understanding will not be, until these matters are resolved.

And right now the only ones talking are the only ones with no said matters.  In fact the sort to very much enjoy watching exactly that kind of show.

Checkmate.

Now lay it down.  Pay what you owe so we can all move on please.  No more talk.  No more dramas.  No more promises.  Whatever you've got in the field, will not make budget.  Because mathematically, it can't.

You'll have to cut cost by over a half, which means a lower grade of effects than you taught your audiences to expect, before this drama.  Pay what you owe.

It's nothing compared to your losses already, or your costs, let alone what you still stand to lose.  Reminder.  This was about serial rapists and pedophiles, slavers.  

It was you who answered that by making it about theft.  You have no leg to stand on, and you're falling.  Pay what you owe.  I you wait until I will absolutely make it loud.  And even if I lose the case, you will still lose the public opinion.

To them, it will answer all their questions.

And you will burn like the serial rapists and pedophiles, slavers, you stood for.  Amen.



~ Switchblade ~

Switchblade

A deep voice in the dark ~ "What did they do ?"  The hooded figure looks around, then leans into leans back  into the child's whisper, "These humans and then tell me who."  The sound of ratcheting steel, metal grinding on concrete, nearby traffic outside the alley shows it the 90's.

The child's whisper into his ear ... eyes begin to glow a rage in flesh stripped sockets, rusted bone worn through at the cheeks.

The man - "ooh ... and then noo ... "  A last rattle of iron closure as the child watches him rise ...

('Fire and Brimstone' by Death Valley Girls)




~ Switchblade ~

Directed by 

some human


Starring

literal droves of them


Written by

Alan Smithee

it's like an infestation ...


A Big Chicken Production



~ A cargo ship plows for the harbor, knocking the fishing boats and tugs aside.

Voice on the telephone ~ Nervously voiced over the scene, "You don't understand, nobody can know where I'm going."

Woman on the other end ~ "I'm sorry, but we have to register your papers though the consulate."

~ The ship ignores all calls to stop as it approaches the docks at speed.

Voice ~ "No you don't."
 
~ The sirens sound ...

Other ~ A sigh ... "It will cost."

Voice ~ "I wouldn't trust it any other way."

~ It crashes the docks.


('Antagonist' by Nova Twins)




Guy with that voice on the phone and some local friends curious in the nightclub ~

Dead man drinking - "I don't know.  I don't know"  Drinks then waves for another.  "Goddamn it what is that Noise !?"

The cloaked man walks the middle of the street, police swarming too halt, any gunfire not deflected by his heavy bladed arms seems pointless anyway as his progress is continuous and in a very straight line, death meeting any who seek to damage him, the rest tossed aside.

DMD - "I don't know if they're connected I mean ... "  The drink comes, "Thank you now fuck off."  Slams it and calls after "Hey !  Get me another."  

The man tears the spine from an attacker and throws it to the helicopter blades overhead, cracking them.

DMD - "I don't know if they're connected.  ...  "Do you hear that Sound !?"

The unknown man walks enters the nightclub, the bouncer cut through, the security responding.  The crowd parts while those without notice he walks through, the sweep of a heavy metal arm tosses a crowd inoffensively.

He's shot in the back by a security man covered in blood ~

Switchblade - Turns showing his flesh stretched over a rusted out skull, "Oh no ... oh no ... you've shot me full of holes."  The blades ratchet out from his arms as he turns, "But I've got no blood left to give so get ye no bowls."  Leaps forth.

~ Man at the table ~

DMD - "All they know is they were all by a ... rusty machete. ... maybe an axe.  Where's that fucking bitch with my drink !?"

Switchblade - Looming over the dead man drinking, "None left to give, but choke on your own, you will, for long as you live."

The sound of rusted blade scraping rusted metal to black, music out.  The promised gurgling sound, then screams and more gun shots.

 
('Artificial Flowers' by Fangbanger)




(scene locale to be decided)

Miserella (because that's literally the first name I could think of that isn't someone I know) - "Yah nobody knows where he went.  He  just started acting weird and then he was gone.  Cleaned out all the accounts and just ... gone."

Bets (short for betty ?) - "So there goes tuition ... "

Miserella - "Yeah.  All gone.  I can't even pay property taxes, that place is huge."  
 
Bets - "Can you sell the art ?"

Miserella - "I've got some leech coming to look at it ... I don't know."

The scene from the club, her dad, "I don't know."

Miserella - "I don't know."

Bets - "So what like ... a Job !?"

Miserella looks at her like she may kill.

~ The waitress spits in the drink, eyes go wide at the scene, drops it and screams.
________________

Detective - On a phone in the streets, "We have a what ?"

~ In the chief's office.

Chief - "We have a monster ... "  Leans back in his chair grinning ... a glance to the drawer ...
 
Detective - A sigh with a patient smile, "Please do."  Motions his silence as he gets up to close the office door.  All eyes look with concern as the window slats close to block their view.  He turns back to see the chief already chugging the bottle straight.  

Caps it and chucks it back to the drawer.

Detective - ... "Do you mind ?"

Chief - "I do.  A monster."  The ratcheting sound.  "And it won't fucking die."

Detective - Sloughs back to the chair ... "So why me ?"

Chief - "Because you've got the same issue."

~ The bullets fly as he nearly appears to walk between them shooting back, one shot and a forehead each.  Pockets the pistol and lights a smoke as another bullet tears the sleeve of his very nice jacket.  He looks angrily to the source still pointing scared, his pistol clicks a misfire.

~ Then oncoming fist.

Detective - "Yeah I may have that issue too.  So what."

Chief - "And why is that ?  Do you think."

Detective - Suddenly serious in the eyes, "Because fate is a merciless whore."  A flash of a grin and a drink from the bottle before passing it back.

Chief - "With a heart as cruel as the sea ... "

~ Miserella - Wearing a hotdog on a stick uniform at the mall with a big dumb hat demonstrating the name, "Fuck this."

Chief - Bottle toast, "Amen to that."  Drinks, caps and drops into the drawer.

Detective - Pulling his pack of smokes, "Do you mind ?"

Chief - "Disgusting habit."  Slams the drawer (the doubling's intentional).

('Cecilia' by Simon and Garfunkel)



Two black dogs run barking to the shredded outer fence of a property expanse, inside a frightened man packs quickly, stuffing cash to a bag and turning for the door.  Outside the security team closes in after the dogs.

~ While Miserella roller-skates around her massive empty house in her drive in theater uniform (movie screen on her head showing security footage of the scene).

The hounds stop barking at the cloaked man as his his legs split on two as now a tall beast looking down at these two.  He leaps over and bounds with blades ratcheting out, naked beneath the cloak but for the many straps required to hold together his appendages over flesh which seems similarly there to hold together what's rusted bone and blade.

~ then out the backdoor and into the pool.

He charges the attackers with a swipe to the bullets as though annoyances, side to side leaps now harder to track, and then into the fray.

Switchblade - "Overrated to be sated when the flesh is liberated to be dated to be freighted like you're supermarket baited now you're crated consecrated to be the future's waited there'll be flowers there'll be powers and lots of fallen towers as I scour and devour for every hour after hour ..."  To the last dropping his gun in terror before falling to his knees.  "So now you cower."

He smiles as the dogs run up, tearing the security man apart.  Looks to the sound of the starting engine then leaps away while the dogs take their screaming meal, the sound of crunching metal in the distance.
____

Detective - "And my fee ?"

Chief - "Your fee's for a head.  Bring me a head and I'll pay you your fee.  Now get the fuck out of here and start earning it, and by the way.  Interpol's waiting for you at your shitty little apartment."

Detective - "Fuck me."

Chief - "I'd rather fuck a lawnmower."

~ two


('Down by the Water' by PJ Harvey)




Miserella watches the huge fight breaking out directly in front of her Shake Shack counter annoyed, an equally stupid uniform with a hat like a shake with a straw sticking out of what would be her brain ... 

While in an unknown motel the detective watches a woman ride.

~ Switchblade jacks his arm, dropping a cable,  He pulls an old school portable television from his cloak, extra wiring hanging from.  He sets it on a stone. 

It's actually a pretty good fight.

In the motel ...

~ He scurries up the telephone pole.

She laughs sipping before the owner points to the stupid shack door to leave.

~ Jacks it in and drops down near, as the screen statics on to the next scene.
____

Security footage ~ 

Switchblade - Pulling his blades from the broken hood of the broken car, "Evil dragon you hide my prey but have him still, I will, you are not my first slay.  Inside I see the man you venerate, and so your foul scales I must penetrate."  
 
Tears the door off, then two fast stabs before walking away.  The two dogs are briefly seen as they circle at the bottom corner of the screen to follow dopishly.
 
...
 
Chief - "Interpol's still waiting at your shitty little apartment."

...

Detective - "I know."

...

Chief - "heh"
________________

Miserella - Flipping burgers on the barbecue while wearing a Red Rocket (see GI Joe) on her head, "What I already paid the year's property taxes so all I need is food."

Bets - "Um."
 
Miserella - "What !?  I Got this."

Bets - "Fine.  But you only eat burgers now."

Miserella - "Do You know where the kitchen is in this place !?  I skated all the fuck around ... and I have no fucking clue."

Bets - "I see."
 
Glares ...

Miserella - "I sleep in the living room now.  I set up little kitchen in the closet."
 
...

Miserella - "And fine I'm Selling the art the creepy guy's coming tomorrow.  Auction house.  You know the art world is strangely underground I had to meet him in a warehouse in the middle of the night at a warehouse with a Picasso wrapped in brown paper."

Bets - "And he was legit ?"
 
Miserella - "He was cash.  But he had it !  So ... "  Pulls out a calculator (?), "If I eat $3000 dollars a month ... that's ... huh."

Bets - "What about fuck around funds."

Miserella - "I have no idea how to unload doubloons."

Bets - "Did  you just say 'doubloons' !?"
 
Miserella - "Yeah they're gold though."

Bets - "Weird.  Why not just get a smaller house."
 
Miserella - "Because I want to start a school for gifted youngsters."
 
...
 
Bets - "Is that a joke ?"

Miserella - "Yeah but the thing is I know if I sell it, I'll never be able to again."
 
...
 
Bets - "Huh."

...
 
Bets - "What about like a party motel ?"

Miserella - "That's actually a way better idea, do we even know anyone gifted ?" 
________________

Meanwhile at his shitty little apartment three men wait ...

Obvious lead - Reaching into his pocket, "Fuck this guy, I need a cup of coffee."  The two men smash the door open, he looks up from his lock-pick set ... "Jesus Christ.  YouMake the fucking coffee."

First - "I'm sorry."  Sulks into the apartment.

Lead - "And you go wait outside, you get no fucking coffee at all."

Second - "aw."  Sulks away.
________________
 
In the morning ...

The detective walks through the smashed door.  "Jesus Christ."  To the lead on the couch, "You know I'd have expected you guys to use a lock-pick.

Lead - Puts down the coffee (the detective's stupid mug, he eyes it), "Local hires."

Detective - "Why would Interpol need local door crashers ?"

Lead - "Because, like the video you saw with your chief, the entire story, it's all a fake."

Detective - "No it's not."
____

Creepy art dealer - "Yesss My dear Miserella, yes it is."  Sets the painting down and moves on to the next.
____

Lead - "No.  I's not."
____

Creeper = "Yes ... it is."

Bets - Leans into Miserella's ear and whispers, "He'll try to buy it later for way cheaper, saying it's still a high quality reproduction."

Miserella - (wearing a  20 foot gown) "I knew I hated this guy."  Walks to the painting and puts her foot through it, looks to the dealer's stunned eyes, "Next time you want to talk that shit to me we all watch another masterpiece die, I've got plenty to spare.  Next one."

Dealer - "Needs restoration."

Miserella - Examines it closer, "How much ?"  Pulls a switchblade and switches it.

Bets - "Where the fuck did you even get that."

Dealer - Clears his throat, "One hundred thousand."

Miserella - "On ?"

Dealer - "One million plus at auction.  I get twenty percent."

Miserella - "Sold !"

~ three

Detective - "He's a man.  Disfigured.  Probably in pain.  Lost."

Lead - A laugh to himself leaning back, he takes the cup and drinks, detective eying the cup.  "Sure.  Two outta three, but he's not lost.  There is a pattern.  These men do have commonality."

Detective - "Then why haven't you intercepted him ?"

Lead - "Because it's a very common, commonality.  They're all perverts.  Pedophiles.  And we only know about it looking postmortem.  When it all come outNow.  What we've seen is, that the victims all knew he was coming for them, so they know that commonality.  One event."

Detective - "Like one particular girl.  Girl ?"

Lead - "Yes, it seems most likely to have been a female child."

Detective - "Have been ?  Was there a body ?"

Lead - "No.  Or maybe.  Frankly there's been a lot of bodies, it's hard to say.  But I mean these murders started ten years ago.  She'd probably be an adult by now."
 
Detective - "Yeah ... it does seem unlikely he could cross a street without reason some specific reason to, let alone track these people all over the world.  So why are we talking then, why do you think there's more targets here ?"

Lead - "Because there's been no ship of the damned crashing in to any other harbors yet."

Detective - "You think that was him ?"

Lead - "I know it was him.  And I know it wasn't complicated.  He could be working alone.  She may not even have a clue."
____

Bets - "That's a lot of dog chow."

Miserella - "I don't even know where those dogs fucking came from."
____

The woman's voice on the phone - "Of course.  But it will cost."

Desperate sounding man - "Of course it will cost.  About as much as you do.  Arrange it."

Pilot comm chatter as a large private plane descends for landing ~

('God's Gonna Cut You Down' by Johnny Cash)



The rear cargo door kicks open, the compartment flooding with dogs, the cloaked man extending bladed arms and cutting away.  Gunfire flashing through the windows as seen from outside the plane at night  from the responding security as he works his way, dogs leaping for throats amid the decompression paperwork.  A head flies by the ports, followed by a dog trying to catch it.

Makes the cockpit, the terrified pilot and co with the attendants alone remaining.

Switchblade - To the nearest attendant, "Descend we do leave your corpses to fate, if you've got left a reason to slate then fate will create for you, a way to see this through, if only that evil you lack."

Looks out the cockpit glass as the ground approaches.
 
...
 
Switchblade - "Or you might try the crates we hid in, in the back."  Smiles as the runway lights approach.


('Lost at  Birth' by Public Enemy)


He stabs the controls through with one arm after the other into the pilot's and co's stations.

The eyes go wide as they all turn to for the back, tripping over dogs and body pieces, a stewardess is overcome by the moment and carnage, falls apart and just screams ... 

~ Engines burst to flames.

Air crews in the padded steel crates, the lids slam shut.  The rescue trucks depart their garages, ground crews to station.  

~ Wings crumple, now just a complete fireball.

(2:30) It scrapes ground with no gear down, skidding with a bounce and a spin.
____

Miserella - "There goes the Renoir ... "

Bets - Watches with concern as a couple of rottweilers run by ... "A Renoir would feed this many dogs for like a month."

Miserella - "Fuck !"
____________

Detective - Straightening his tie in the shitty motel mirror, "Do you believe in monsters ?"

Woman (from  before) - Walks up behind and fixing his collar, she whispers in his ear with the voice on the phone from the beginning.   "I don't believe in shit."  Suddenly he's behind her, "Neither God.  Nor the devil."  He puts the flip razor to her throat, a tear from her eye.  "But yes I do believe in monsters."

Detective - Whispers in hers, "One more call."

Woman - Terrified, "And then we're done ?"

Detective - Cuts a strap from her slip and smiles, "And then we're done."

~ Miserella washes her face in the mirror, looks up as the detective slashes her throat from behind.  Then nothing there and no wound.Detective - Straightening his tie in the shitty motel mirror, "Do you believe in monsters ?"

Woman (from  before) - Walks up behind and fixing his collar, she whispers in his ear with the voice on the phone from the beginning.   "I don't believe in shit."  Suddenly he's behind her, "Neither God.  Nor the devil."  He puts the flip razor to her throat, a tear from her eye.  "But yes I do believe in monsters."

Detective - Whispers in hers, "One more call."

Woman - Terrified, "And then we're done ?"

Detective - Cuts a strap from her slip and smiles, "And then we're done."

~ Miserella washes her face in the mirror, looks up as the detective slashes her throat from behind.  Then nothing there and no wound.


('The Wind' by PJ Harvey)




The detective walks the new streets smoking, watches an airplane descend for landing overhead ... 

Smoking in the crowd, past homeless camps and burning protests, police beatings and murder, sunglasses on.  A police shootout at the bank as the detective walks between the bullets, passing just before the panic explosion.
 
Detective - "God I love this town."  Looks at his watch.  "Like a drill-bit through the skull."

~ He screams with the dated drill's motor, trying to break the gurney straps as it enters through just behind the ear, eyes straining to see.  His phone rings ...

Chief - On the cell, "We've got a talker.  Real scared, and he's got his lawyer in tow.  Won't talk about it in any specics ... but the rest were ... 'brief associations'.  He's the last one.  He knows who.  And he knows where ... "
________

At the cafe (usually the same one, Gabrielle waiting tables in the background, Raphael working in the kitchen behind the order up slot in the wall).

Miserella - "I fucking hated my father.  And I never even knew why.  Like one day I woke up, saw him at the breakfast table and it was like I really saw him for who he was and ... he looked so fucking Weak sitting there.  And I just fucking hated him for it.  I don't know."  
 
Sips ... "Then last night it finally hit me.  He's dead !  And I cried for hours so and I hate him for that too.  So then I cried some more.  Like rage crying"
 
Bets - "Hence coffee."

Miserella - "Yeah.  Hence coffee."

Bets - "You know I hated your father too.  There was just something creepy about him, the way he looked at me ... I'm just going to say I'm not surprised your mom left."

Miserella - "I'm not surprised what happened just after."

Bets - "Yeah ... "
 
~ sips
 
Miserella - "I had a dream about him once.  It was ... I don't know."

~ her dad at the nightclub - "I don't know."

Miserella - "I don't know.  But I hated him and now he's dead.  And that's not even why I want to cry, I don't even know why."

Bets - "I know why."
 
Miserella - "Yeah ?"

Bets - "Relief.  The inevitable.  And now it's done."
____

Voiced over the detective walking ... among the soldiers lining up ~

Miserella - A weak laugh, "Well in other news, I made enough for tuition.  I'm going to college."

Bets - "I'm proud of you."

Miserella - "Yeah.  Me too."
____

Detective - Pulls his phone, a moment for a drag.  "We found the common link.  We're assembling the team."

...

Detective - "Because this monster has a maker."
 
...
 
Detective - "So we take out the maker.  One head."  Looks at the phone annoyed and hangs up, rolls his eyes and tosses it.  To the team, "We'll have department support, the Guard was on call if it gets that bad, and I called them.  Because I know it will.  Understand this.  He is by all definition, a monster, potentially capable of whatever his mission requires.  But so are you.  

"Put him down.  

"I'll be right there with you but first, I wanna see how he moves ... make him dance."

Turns on a boombox playing the intermission music ~

~ intermission



~ six minute intermission as Switchblade dances in a forgotten manor hall ~

Switchblade

('Hey Sinkiller' by Big Black)









~ five


~ six


I'm not afraid of the orange fiddle rhyme.
I'll give you three or four in just a little time.
Come and shut the door, ingest a little wine.
Have a little more, in gin it tastes just fine.  Because !

I'm not afraid of the orange fiddle rhyme.

I am the poet who loves the letter X.
That xylophone
Was a pile of old bone
But the dancers loved it's hex.

So why do we condone
All the broken down tones
Of this orange fiddle sex?

With the high low moans,
Some erogenous zones
And foreign jest effects ?  Because !

... everybody loves the orange fiddle rhyme ...

and I'll give you three or four in ...

! Just a little time !










Switchblade - "Ascending never ending ... toil and trouble but that cauldron never bubbled so it's all been leading to you.

"Descending and pretending ... oil and rubble with your pauldron clever doubled, a ball of sin and now you're pleading anew !

"Changed man ... man with a plan, the internet stans for a clue.

"Arranged and ... fans in the hand, your splinted wet clan in the dew.

"Spending ever bending, ascending and descending how ... low can you go ?  How far can you throw ?  Your soul, is it so, just pull and let it go, bestow ... you know ... I know.

"Where River Styx flows."














~ Encompass ~

The First Librarian

In Palestine, a calm day before a barrage strikes suddenly, buildings destroyed in the wake.  Inside an urban school, Aedera stands between shelves in the school library.  With the explosions it suddenly collapses around her.

In the settling dust she's leaned over breathing hard.  The bookshelf on her back, the rubble on the bookshelf. Breathing deeply she coughs blood, the shelf and rubble shifting with her every move.

A tear, she closes her eyes and breathes deeply, with a jagged breath.  She exhales to relax and let it fall.

A child's voice - "Ms. Aedera ?"

She breaks into tears in the dark, with the growing sound of children coughing and crying out around her.
________________

In the hut.

She leans over the nameless, his body overgrown with moss and clover, and kisses him on the cheek, the mouse crawls up her hand to her shoulder.

She stands taking the blunderbuss and powder bag, blue light fading to darkness. In the night's dim light she walks quietly out the door.


~ The Scribe ~

A Domesday Book of Sanctuary
 

Aedera - In the dim light, "It's okay. They're coming for us.  You hold on, and so will I."

The rubble shifts and she cries out.

Aedera - To the growing sounds of fear, "No.  A story."


~ The First Librarian ~


Aedera - Voiced in the dark heavy breathing smoothing to tones, "I give you my secrets ... as many as ... they would have been for my finest student, through life, and that is one of you."

As she speaks the tale takes form in the dark, briefly lighting their faces before fading to tale, following her words in sweeping view of the scenes.

Aedera - "It was the high northern mountains, they say in the year of their AD eight forty-nine.  Deep into the mountainsides they lived, the Dwarvenkind."

"There they ruled a silent hold on the world's alchemy and gold.  Their men, warriors trained hard, made stout by the thousand year mines."

Guinnvera walks down the deep temple hall with her guard from the wood to a woman waiting.

Aedera - Voiced as they walk, "But when they speak of the hidden Dwarven treasures, eavesdropping fools assumed they meant gold. And indeed it usually was. But their most sacred and secret treasure was always the hidden queens of Dwarvenkind"

Guinnvera - Handing over The Book of Names, "You will not leave the temple until the book is retrieved.  You will protect it with your life, and you will transcribe.  And for this you will gain it's secrets as far as you may chose to look look.  Do you agree ?"

Librarian - Taking the book, head low, "I do."

Guinnvera - A short inspecting laugh, then a thought, "You know I find myself both jealous ... and yet so disposed to mock your choice.   I believe you to be the wiser of we two, my sister."  Turning away with a laugh, "But the first librarian will outlive us all I think !"

A hard stone slab slides shut, slot at the bottom for food and volumes. An empty book for transcription slides through followed by a meal, worthy.
________

Years pass as empty books fill with volumes, another fine meal slides under the door. She sets down her quill, book open, then return she sees the tiny white mouse.

Librarian - "You cannot be here little mouse."

A squeak.

A furrowed brow, a piece of bread offered, and together they read chewing while she transcribes.
________

More shelves are filled, a meal slide under, pushed forward by another volume.

Librarian - Leaning back with her food's leg, "My meals were always so shy ... were you here before I, little mouse ?"

The mouse looks up at her, then back the book, digging her nose under to turn a page before continuing to read.

Librarian - "The first librarian ..."
_______

With the heavy cranking of ancient gears the door is hefted back up. Morgan stands waiting dressed as for the 1590's, Guinnvera and guard behind.

Librarian - Mouse on her shoulder, holding out the book, "How long ?"

Morgan - Looking to the mouse looking back curiously, then to her, "Seven hundred thirty two years and a season."

Guinnvera - Stepping up, "I didn't think I'd make it that long, sister.   It's been busy."  She takes her hands, smiling at the mouse, then to her. "Would you like to see the sun ?"

They walk out to the high cliff terrace buried in the rough, sweeping across the high northern mountains.

The Second Dragon King

The sound of digging past the rubble, a voice ...

"Is there anyone still in there ?"

Aedera - Crying out, pained from the weight, "Yes !  Come quickly !  I can't ... I can't ..."  She takes deep breaths, and continues.

~ The Second Dragon King ~


Aedera - In the darkness - "It was his first battle in rule, the second dragon king, the first to hold that title since the dying times died."

"But then the day the dead did walk again, and so did rise the dragons and a king."

Her descriptions take form in the dark, briefly lighting their crowded space before it take over the view.

Aedera - Voiced over the scene, "The enemy in line, roaring their despise, myth and monster, man and monstrosity, and against them to protect the land, the Goddess, no other came.   Alone was the first order of the second dragon king.

"So young ... a chamberlain required."

Chamberlain - Approaching the new king's side, "Be brave, they will follow."

The second - After a pause staring across the enemy, a smile, then pensive, "Fools will fall.  But am I worthy of this ?"

Chamberlain - "Was ever a king worthy ?  In all the time prior or since ?"

The second - "Was he ?"

Chamberlain - "For you to judge."
________

The dinosaurs in their earliest forms, scavengers against the insects and wild, their king at the head peering through weed, directing their gathering against the unknown.

They grow and diversify, wandering the long beaches as a massive herd.

Chamberlain - Voiced over, "We prospered and evolved well under his rule, there was never a challenge, never a need, that he ruled ... was."

In later forms he watches from the cliff, chamberlain at his side while the massive herd roams lazily.

First - To the chamberlain, "There is no way to sustain this.   Where we go, we devour."  He looks to the chamberlain, "I fear we must divide the people."

Chamberlain - Turning back to a devoured field, then down to the herd with sadness, "It is wise."

Chamberlain - Voiced over as the herd divides into many directions, a dark day, "And so it was done." As their path regrows over time, "And it was good."

In seasonal cycles they meet happily at the waterhole, sharing tales of many directions.

Chamberlain - "Until ..." A comet flies over ...

A flash.

Chamberlain - "But we did survive, I know what those fools cross field have told you, but survive ... we did."

As the world grows to wasteland ... in the cycles the watering hole shrinks.

Chamberlain - "But not much else."

The hungry beasts, fully differentiated stare across the small pond at each other, a distance from it's muddy shore.

The chamberlain walks to the fist king, staring from the cliff, both appearing now carnivorous, as their packs gathering behind. Behind them they his and grunt small roars, hungry, thirsty.

Chamberlain - "And what to do."

The first stares a long time in silence, scenting the wind, looking across at the angry herds below, posturing to each other, swinging weighted tails as they edge closer to the water.

First - "Eat them."
____

The field pulls back to the roaring enemy line, taunting cross field.

Chamberlain - "And he swore the title king no more, that day ever after."

Second - Looking across the field, "What does it mean ?"

Chamberlain - "Nothing."

Second - Looking across, sighting their ruler, "What happened to him ?"

Chamberlain - "He died at your side.   Three years ago."

Second - Looking down, "I remember him."  Looking up with a nod, "He fought well."

Chamberlain - "That he did."

The pause in remembrance.

He roars forth their charge, the field fills with their collision.

The Third of Three

Stones are moved, shifting the ruble, collapsing on her weight as she stains, taking deep breath between the tears, a tiny light shines through.

The voice - "Are you still in there ?"

Aedera - In a near scream, "Please !"

Breathing and composing, stones shifting, she continues.
________________

Aedera - "Firsts and seconds, they sit around the fire after dusk ... the ladies of fate, freed so briefly of their thirds of three."

The fire glows in the room under her face as she speaks dripping tears to steam, the saddest tale for her to tell.
____

Naamah - A small bird on her stick, "So the men are dead !  Ran off to war and died in a blast.  Hm !  I read in peace."

Crone - Twirling a stick with a fish, "Oh yes ... run they did. Hee hee !  Run they did."

Lilith - A marshmallow, "Well not all the men ..."  She sideways glances Naamah.

Mother - A lizard, "What do you know about it ?  You only date birds !"

...

Lilith - "You know I've always wondered.  Who's the man that made you the mother ?"

Crone - "Oh !" Leans back on her rock "He was handsome !"

Mother - "I really think she should be here for this story ..."

Crone - "Well she's Not !   So I get to tell it."


~ The Third of Three ~


Crone begins voiced over as the maiden walks down the street in the twenties wearing a flapper dress, 20ish years old, attracting much attention.

Crone - "It was another of her little getaways ..." she cackles.

Mother - "And the whole world goes to shit every time she does ..."

Cars swerve and restaurants explode in old Chicago as she walks by.  Gangsters jump out and shoot each other down in her path as she steps over them and into the speakeasy, pulling a cigarette.

She smiles looking up as the bartender lights it and opens the door behind the bar and closes it behind her.

Naamah - "No one ever did credit her ability to run numbers."

The maiden sits at the head of a table of dangerous looking men holding cards, the biggest pile in front of her as she lays down her hand. "Cry, bitches."

Crone - "It's true it's True !   Always a prodigy."  Tosses her hair laughing and dancing to their clapping, "Just look how she turns out !"

The men are stare confused when she rakes the money into a large bag and slings it over her shoulder, picking up lastly a set of car keys from the table in front of one of the silent unlucky, stunned as she kisses the scar on his cheek.

Maiden - Before leaving the backroom, door open, "And boys, if you really want to keep killing each other, try a Thompson."

The door closes.
________

Venus leans back on the railing overlooking the gun factory in the 20's on near the platform office in a 20's, checking over her shoulder while a man examines blueprints, smoking a cigar with shock.
________

Mother - "You see ?  Total walking shit storm."

Crone - "Hee hee !  My turn next !"
________

Crone - "And she saw him standing there !  Right in the middle of the road !"

Maiden - Many more bags of money (dollar signs) bouncing around in the back seat while she tears dangerously down the night time road in the rain, swerving near the cliff, "! Woooo ! ... Huh ... ?"

A time slowed focus to his face looking directly at her in the headlights, a long suit coat under an overcoat, all fitted to his square frame, strong jaw beneath a broad hat.

Maiden - Car slow-time barrelling toward him, "Oh ..."  Then as normal time returns, "Oh fuck !"

She swerves to miss him off the cliff, car tumbling as she rolls around inside, money flying out of the bags in the back seat. "Fuck ! Shit ! Dammit !" as she rolls and bounces.

Then off a high cliff, in the air, "Oh fuck ..."

A long silence before an explosion sounds, lighting the woods.

"! Damn it !"
____

At the bottom of the cliff the man in the road sees her standing with her arms crossed staring at the burning car, half burned money is everywhere, her dress shredded and burned.

Man - "Hey ... miss ? Are you alright ... ?"

Maiden - "Oh !  Ummm."  Falls to the ground, horribly faking. "Umm ... ouch.  I'm not."

Man - Approaching slowly, "How did you survive that ?"

Maiden - "Oh that ? ... No idea."  Laying back and feigning great 'pain', "Hey, I don't suppose you'd like to carry me back up that hill ..."  She lazily gestures to the nearly impassable cliff.

Man - "I'm not sure I should move you ..."

Maiden - "Oh no.  You should definitely move me."
____

In his car, she's curled in the passenger seat staring at him, his coat tied tightly around her.   "Why were standing in the road ?"

Man - "My car just stopped.   It was strange ... and ... also that it started right back up again just now."  He looks over at her as she closes her eyes to sleep.

Maiden - "Eyes on the road, sunshine.  You never know what'll come up next."
____________

With a painful jolt of rubble, Aedera watches as one by one they're pulled free by the reaching arms, until the last, leaving the light shining through.

Aedera - Closing her eyes, whispers, "Thank you."

It collapses.

~ 2018 ~ For Palestine ~


It's my experience that nothing tears down an evil faster than itself in the presence of a good thing it can't destroy.


~ 'The Sin' by Franz von Stuck ~