Unplanned Hiatus.

Wow, it's been three days without a post... I should probably explain, maybe, sorta... Tuesday was a very special day so I officially gave myself the day off from everything. Wednesday was, busy. I had a lecture, a job interview and then a rehearsal. Thursday, well, yesterday, was also busy... Had some stuff to sort out during the day and then had a standup gig in the evening... Busy busy busy, but it gave me time to think about this project and what I want to do with it. So, here we go, the as yet untitled detective story continues... I really do suck at titles...


Dexter ran through the hallways. He hopped up onto the couch for a better view out of the window and then ran through into the kitchen, skidding a little in excitement. "Damnit Dexter! Get down! You know this is people food..." Ryan smirked and crouched by his English Sheepdog, ruffling the giant hound's hair and brushing it from its eyes. Dexter gave a short, commanding bark and pawed Ryan to the floor then moved to sit upon his chest "C'mon Dex, I can't breath! You're too heavy." Ryan rolled the dog off of him and stood, dusting himself off, returning to his pan of pasta, turning the flame down before the water boiled over. He sighed and looked to the clock, then out of the window. Raining. What was it about January that meant rain? He shook his head and looked back to the clock. Five fifteen; she'd call soon. She always called at twenty three minutes past five to say that she'd be later home, to save her some dinner and to let Dexter out... He started to prepare the sauce for his pasta. Five twenty seven. No call. Ryan glanced to the phone. Dexter sat, panting upon the cold, tiled floor.

Five Thirty, the phone rang. "Hello?" It wasn't her voice. "Ryan, it has been long time." Ryan paused and looked to the mantlepiece, at the photo framed there. It was him, some years younger, but not much. That same messy chestnut hair framed his face and hung around his grey eyes. With him was a girl. Why hadn't she phoned? Then there was another man, taller and of a heavier build. No, heavier was the wrong word... Stronger was more apt. "Niki?" He smiled. It had been four years since that time in Paris. "Niki, what time is it over there?" Nikolai's thick accent was even more apparent over the phone. "It is, half past eight... And you? Your time, it is, only five in Mankester?" He always did struggle with the 'ch', and it always made Ryan smile.

"Nik, I'm not gonna lie, I'm waiting for a call. Could I ring you back in li-" "No! I must speak to you. I have a case. I need you. I think you are only able to help with this... You must meet me. I fly tomorrow. I can't say more now. I think they have Chris..." The line went dead. Ryan dropped the receiver and stared at the wall. It was odd how, in this moment of shock, he noticed the slight patch of damp developing behind the radiator. He noticed the cobweb in the corner of the room. He heard police sirens and saw their flashing lights breaking in through his window, reflecting off his mirror. He saw himself in the mirror. He saw that picture on the mantlepiece... It all seemed so insignificant right now, so... Inconsequential. Chris had been taken by, by, whoever this was. But, how did Nik know? What was going on in Moscow that could possibly effect over in Manchester? How could Chris be involved? All he could do was wait. Nikolai knew what he was doing, most of the time. Things would be fine, wouldn't they?



So there we have it. Remember that short one off I posted about a prisoner a while back? Decided to link that one into here too... Just something I've been toying around with, hope you enjoy it!

Adios for now,
Craiggy.

Soooo...

Apparently there's something special about today... I can't remember what it could be though... Ah well, I'm just gonna spiel randomly today. I dunno what I want to do though...


It was cold. That went without saying in Russia, but tonight felt colder... Nikolai took a long, deep breath and watched as his breath condensed on the air. He shivered and adjusted his coat, pulling his scarf tighter around his neck. If there was one thing that Nikolai had gotten good at, it was being able to tell when something was wrong... Tonight, there was definitely something wrong.

Nikolai Kreshnyev had moved to Moscow three years ago. He was a consulting agent for the police. What this means is if ever the police found a case too taxing or challenging, they came to him. Sadly, that was more often than not these days it seemed... It was tedious work, but it paid well. However, recently, Nikolai felt as though he'd hit a wall; he just wasn't feeling any interest or excitement towards his work. For some reason, he'd felt detatched as of late. He had a feeling that was about to change.



Just a little taster for a new project. Not sure where I'm going with it yet, but I felt like doing something detectivey...

That's all for today.

Enjoy the rest of this over commercialised heartfest!

Craiggy.

Universally Being pt. 7

Okay guys, I'm not gonna spiel too much today. I just wanna get straight into the writing.


Doc, it happened again... That gravity guy came back. Believe me or not, I can't force you, but this is getting serious now. I mean, it was serious before, but I can handle it. Well, I thought I could. Something was different this time... I think, I don't know... Maybe he figured out how to get into, well, into me, because I don't hear anything. There's, there's nothing now... I...


I'm sorry, it's just, you know when you have something for so long, even a condition like this; well, not like this, but something like... I don't know, cancer? Not cancer, but, just as serious, but good I guess... I'm sorry, my mind feels even more scattered than usual. I can't figure out what's going on. I've lost it Doc, I've lost everything that was inside of me... I think, maybe, I'm just human again... Just. Human...

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with being human, not at all... It's just, after everything I've done. After everything I've been through, and to have it all covered up and now to never be able to accomplish anything on that scale ever again, it's tough. What if there were lives inside of me? I don't know how many, millions maybe? Maybe more. They're all gone now! Because of my inability to stop one man, I've become a bigger murderer than Hitler, Sadam, Pol Pot and all the rest combined... How can I possibly face that Doc?

Doc? Wait a minute Doc... You can't do this! Who're these guys? What's going on Doc? No! You were in on this the whole time! You're one of them! Damnit Doc, I trusted you!! Doc, please, don't do thi-




Well, I think I'm gonna wrap it up there. Bit of an abrupt ending, I know, but I felt like trying something different with this. Hope you like it. Feedback is always appreciated.

Adios for now,
Craiggy.

Universally Being pt. 6

Wow... Sorry about not posting yesterday, I spent the whole day in the hospital. No, I'm fine... It was my lady; she'd knackered up her back (Not my doing!) and so had to have emergency surgery. So, that was how I spent my day... She's fine now though, so all is well! Right, so, back to business...



Well Doc, you're not gonna to believe this. Well, you might, soon. I'm sure it'll be on the news or something, unless they try and cover it up, but I doubt even they could cover this up... Hm? Whaddya mean who're 'they'? The government! They've got their fingers in everything. But then, the mess I made... Sorry, we made, I don't think they can cover it fully. There were too many people around; too many eyes to blind and mouths to quiet...

I'll explain. I was out of town, thankfully. This happened two days ago now. I was just walking along, minding my own business... Truth be told, I was checking up on the 'inner workings', so to speak, and I have a tendency to space out, pardon the pun; so to be honest, I didn't have much of a clue where I was to begin with. The first thing I noticed was the blood, then the pain, then the fact that I was in the air. Seems there was some nutjob with powers like me. Well, okay, not like me persay; turns out this guy had some kind of gravity manipulation ability. I'm not sure what he hit me with, but there I was, a good ten, maybe even fifteen feet off the ground in an odd, translucent bubble of shifting purple energy. Weird, I know; it's funny how gravity always seems to be portrayed as purple in the comics and cartoons, and turns out they were right! Anyhoo, this whack starts chunnering about a 'new order' and how the 'new breed' are going to take over the world... Seriously, it was like something out of a lame online fiction piece...

It took most of my concentration to avoid the shrapnel whizzing around in the bubble with me. I assumed that was what had cut me open. It wasn't much, just a gash on my arm and one on my midriff. They were closing slower than usual due to my distractions. It was getting annoying; the shrapnel, the monologuing... Enough was enough. I don't even know why I did what I did, or how I even thought it would work, but I'm thankful that it did. I just thrust my hands out and, this is the stupid sounding part, I imagined a car exhaust... Seriously, this brilliant golden energy just seemed to erupt from my palms! I knew exactly what it was. It was the essence of this universe being vented out and condensed... I knocked the guy right into a roadside diner and people started running and screaming. I hit the deck and passed out, possibly because of the fall, possibly because I'd done more than I'd ever tried before... When I woke up, there was no sign of the gravity guy. Did he escape? Maybe. Did he die, get disintergrated? Perhaps... I'd like to think I didn't kill a guy, but then, I guess it was him or me.

Am I a bad person, Doc?



So there we have it, another update. I hope this finds you well.

Adios for now,
Craiggy.

A side note.

Okay guys, first of all, I'm sorry that I haven't posted for two days now... I've been really struggling with this cold. It's knocked me for a loop more than I gave it credit for. This isn't going to be a long one today. I would continue with Universally Being, but I don't think I'd do it justice in this current mental condition, so I'm just gonna try my hand at a poem or two instead.


Rainbow
Prismatic radiance, shining bright.
Oh how this vision entices my sight.
These colours swim within my mind,
Shifting between blurred and clearly defined.

The legends tell of a pot of gold.
Now that would be a sight to behold;
A leprechaun, all clad in green,
With hair so red with a fiery sheen.

This sign represents a biblical promise
That the land shall not flood, not any province.
This makes this sight all the more of a delight.
Oh, how this vision entices my sight.


Cold.
Pain, delerium, aching and numb.
My head feels like a ravaged kingdom.
It throbs, it groans, it creaks and cries,
With reddened nose and bleary eyes.

Shivering, sweating, aches and pains.
How is it that I feel like this again?
Perhaps my body, though it be not weak,
Has done too much so it was rendered meek.

A day in bed, that's all I ask,
But the world does not seem up to the task
Of allowing me a day of rest.
Despite my pleading and behest...


Heartstrings.
The heart, like a guitar, has strings to pluck.
Each one makes music and emotions are shook.
This one brings pains, anguish and sorrow.
This one brings peace and hope for tomorrow.

This one, the one I find plucked the most,
This one is love, to which we all host.
It is this string which sounds the strongest,
But more often than not, is never the longest.

This string of love, this heart of mine,
I play for you to cherish this time
That is given to us, to spend as one.
This heart is yours, til the sun is gone.


Okay, so three poems... I'm now going to crawl back under my duvet again and hide away for the rest of the day.

Adios peoples! *sneeze*

Craiggy.

Universally Being pt. 5

Well, this is going to be an odd week I think. I've resolved that I'm going to write more of the book I'm working on (Feel free to ask for more info) but also have a lot of stuff here and there to be busying myself with... Also still not 100% healthwise, but I'm made of tougher stuff, so I'll live. I'm also reading a very interesting series of books right now by an author called Michael Grant. They were recommended to me by my friend Jon. The first is called Gone, the second is Hunger (The one I'm reading currently) and the third is called Lies. These're all that are available of the series currently. The premise is essentially Lord of the Flies, in modern day America, with super powers. It's dark, gritty, captivating young adult fiction, beautifully written and I would definitely recommend it to anybody! So, on with the show, so to speak.


So, you're probably wondering about the inner workings, right? What makes me just the way I am? Sure, the super heroics and theatrics are all well and good, and they make for an interesting story, but that's not who I am. It's what I do. I do, to an extent, believe that people are defined somewhat by their actions, but I also believe that actions are defined by the attitudes of the people also. So, what is it that defines my actions?

After that first fight, I slept for a day. This was back when I still needed to sleep; I wasn't as synchronised with my inner workings back then, so couldn't tap energy as efficiently. I remember it being a very odd sensation. I knew I was asleep, but I genuinely felt awake. I know people can have dreams that feel real, but this genuinely was. The vividity of it all was enough to make me think it was a dream, just floating there in this vast void of space, surrounded by unknown stars and constellations, planets and satellites that weren't from my galaxy. But even with all of that, somehow I just knew that I wasn't dreaming.

From what I've gathered and learnt now, I know it's sort of like a type of astral projection. My mental self subverts itself and slips through the dimensional boundaries within me that, well, I guess they stop me from exploding and spraying my surroundings with spacial paradoxes... Not pretty, I'd wager. I didn't dare venture onto any of the planets. I still haven't. The thought of my energy tapping causing harm to this universe is enough of a moral hangnail for me as it is without having faces to put to the suffering, if there even is any suffering. Like I said, I don't know, and I'd like to keep thinking that there isn't.

I'm sorry... Talking about stuff like this messes with my head. I think I've said enough for today. So, I'll see you again next week Doc?



So, a bit more there for you. As for me? Well I'm going home to indulge myself in copious amounts of ravioli I think. Yeah, that sounds like a good plan.

Much love as always,
Craiggy.

Oh look, an apology.

Yesterday was most definitely a duvet day. I don't get man flu, but yesterday was about as close as I've ever been... But, a day in bed and a good night's sleep has me back in fighting form. So, to continue, my "Universally Being" project. It's still a working title so if you can think of something better then feel free to let me know.


After that, I slowly pieced together what had happened. Turns out there were others like me. Well, not like me persay, but people - things - with powers. First thing I came across was some kind of ape/wolf beast thing... It was terrorising downtown, knocking indiscriminately through buildings and people alike. The police were useless, but then, that's Moorhead for you. I was conviniently out looking for a new pair of jeans; I'd busted my best pair in the lab blast. I'd been toying around with a few basic experiments with my powers; I'd figured out that strength and durability came pretty much naturally, so for some reason, I listened to that voice in the back of my head that most people often ignore, the one that screams "Just go already!" So I did. I went. I met that beast thing head on and got knocked through the window of a bakery for my efforts. I was lucky, the cinnamon swirls and pain au'chocolat cushioned my fall...

I was ready for round two. I caught that thing at full charge and was barely bruised. I had a good feeling I could at least subdue it, hopefully able to make an escape myself before the police managed to regroup and come after me... I remember climbing somewhat less than heroicly from the baker's shelf, dusting myself off of icing sugar and smushed glace cherries. Not the best of starts for a new hero, but hey, those're the breaks I guess. I'd played some football in college, so knew how to give a decent tackle. I picked up the pace and dropped my shoulder, lifting the beast a little on collision, but only pushing it back a few feets before it dug its claws into the asphalt. That's when I noticed its fangs. Big, dripping fangs - like a shark's! Two rows of jagged teeth that seemed to shift, as though their were muscles in the beast's gums that caused them to judder back and forth like an electric bread knife... It tried to take a chunk out of my shoulder. It hurt like hell. I'm not gonna lie, I yelled. Hell, I think I even cried a little... It was the shock, I swear. Mental note, I'd need a new t-shirt too... I was lucky though, it managed to catch the fleshy portion of my left bicep and was too busy trying to wrench and rend its way through my arm. This was the only opening I needed. I pulled back and swung a hook with my right. I caught it square beneath the eye and felt a crunch, no doubt its cheekbone collapsing underneath the pressure I could now apply. It was amazing just how much a person could do under the fuel of adrenaline.

Several more heavy handed blows and the beast's bite weakened, loosening around my arm. I pulled back and lurched suddenly forwards, bringing our heads to collide. The beast fell. It didn't move. I didn't stay around to answer questions...

So that was my first venture into the world of, well, I suppose you could call it 'heroism'... The comic books and films make it look so much easier, let me tell you.



So that's enough for today. Sorry again for not posting yesterday. I'll be sure to keep on top of this project for now.

Adios for now,
Craiggy.