Friday, June 06, 2008

diurnal nocturnal

He sat on the edge of the ruined high rise and looked over the tangle of trees and assorted flora that twisted through the city.

Just gotta make dawn. The pale glow on the horizon made his head spin. He planted his hands on the edge of the building and took a breath.

"You look like hell." His dead brother appeared next to him.

"It's the curse."

"I think it's the number of days you've gone without sleep."

"I'll sleep at dawn."

"You really should get some rest." It was his mother now, who, as far as he knew, was still living out west.

"At dawn." He forced his chin up and his eyes wide (once more alone). The cool air briefly soothed the itching.

He'd become aware of the curse on his third day without sleep. Something overtime behind schedule a pressing project at work it was a long time ago how's she doing He had been working on something and forgot to sleep. When his boss came to tell him to take a day off and get some sleep, a tiny worm had jumped in his ear and taken control of his brain. A coworker passed by a moment later and two worms leapt from the bossworm into the other guy's brain.

He fled. But he knew the worm was inside his head saying sleep rest one moment close your eyes just relax SHUT UP He didn't want to risk letting the wiggly bastard gain control so he resolved to stay awake until

"Why dawn?" Deadbrother again.

"The curse will die."

"How can a curse die?"

"It's a..." he wiggled his index finger "thing."

"Worm?"

"Yeah."

Deadbrother shrugged. "You plan on fixing up the city or something?"

"Huh?"

"Look at this place, all overgrown. You got a plan?"

"Find survivors, I guess."

"You're not worried about getting another" Deadbrother drew circles around his ear with his finger "thing?"

He was silent for a moment. "I bet I'm immune now."

"Let's hope."

He watched the vines wind their way among the trees and up the buildings. This would be a hard fight long fight tough fight since the living would likely be cursed.

The sun peered over the edge of the world, growing taller and wider under his gaze. Come on come one come on

When it was halfway up, it stopped. After a moment, it began to sink, taking it's warmth and light and hope with it. "What the hell!" The sky grew dark again.

He jumped to his feet and shook his fist. "Get your ass out here, you bastard!"

Slowly, deliberately, a glowing middle finger rose above the horizon.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

After being awake for 40 hours, and having been awake for days on end several times in the past, I am relieved to know it's just worms and not anything I should be concerned about otherwise.

~Loven

Anonymous said...

Is this a beginning, middle, or end? Sounds like it could be any...

Anonymous said...

Don't they have pills for worms?

Problem Solved!

Anonymous said...

Hmmm, I think this one needs more BEER...

Matt S said...

Dave - yeah, no worries.

anonymous1 - it is all; it is none... it is what happens when you read HowStuffWorks every day and have long commutes to and from work :)

anonymous2 - it would explain some of my dog's erratic behavior.

anonymous3 - I'm pretty sure bossworm would be willing to implement that procedure-policy in the name of efficiency and the bottom line.