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The Nightmare 26: Nothing
May 6 2011, 8:18 pm
By: Sand Wraith  

May 6 2011, 8:18 pm Sand Wraith Post #1

she/her

Parts


_The Nightmare 26.0: Nothing_

nothing. There is nothing. All to naught, not to be. All before us, dissolve to nothing; all before us, annihilate.

Thus spoke Zathurhasta, zenith of our society, a gleaming pinnacle of hope in a sea of depravity, the last relic of the world we once knew. He came, unlike the others, through the sky. We cried "sorcery," but he calmly responded, "dreams." We accused him of witchcraft, but he was found guilty of vision, hope, future.

Zathurhasta then preached of a vision of hope for the future. At first, we scoffed and walked on, ignorant of the floating man above us. Inevitably we tolerated; inevitably we heard; inevitably we listened. Zathurhasta then spoke of a vision of hope for the future. And we listened.

He spoke of glorious exploration, a world without trespassers; of carving out our own fortunes, a world without theft; he spoke of romantic love, a world without rape; of peace between all, a world without war; he spoke of fortunes for all, a world without greed; of honour and good will, a world without murder; he spoke of utopia, a world without the filth around us.

Fervently, we held on to those dreams. Desperate to uplift ourselves from the sea of depravation, we began the Work of Zathurhasta. Everything he spoke of we attempted, we simulated, we imitated, we emulated, we accomplished.

And we excelled. We became a true civilization. We prospered, spoiled by riches from tamed lands, honoured by comrades, triumphed in competition. Or so we thought.

With so many winners within the system, there were bound to be losers, those we included as the filth around us. These were the less fortunate ones. More accurately put, these were the excluded. Where exclusion was, hatred was bred. Where hatred was, will was spawned. Where will was, action was taken. And so the winners were toppled by the losers - no one existed without the weight of poverty and starvation. Nonetheless, the losers became the winners, as they had brought we who had stood above - no, on top of - them to their level. We all existed in filth once more, but still some were winners, and still some were losers.

It was then, whilst I, once a winner, cracked the bone of a plump rat to suck upon, that I noticed Zathurhasta speaking, as persistent as ever before. It was then that I remembered that he had never faltered in his speech of what we called the Work of Zathurhasta, throughout both revolutions. Even when we had uplifted ourselves, he spoke with the same fever of vision and hope. Even though we had found that future he told to us, he still preached. Was he a broken record player? Or, to begin with, was the speaker never directed towards us?

Little did we know, we were the "filth." He never meant to speak to us; he paid us no heed from the very beginning. I know for I saw Zathurhasta, within whom we placed our faith, speaking his tales to the birds and the trees and the spiders and the rivers and the clouds. To these, he spoke most sincerely, with the most zeal - even the rats received his sympathies. I knew then that he was a false prophet, a liar, a deceitful soothsayer. I knew then what I had to do.

When the filth pulled down the sun to form night, my heart was frozen by the desire for vengeance, an overwhelming will that became my devotion to the fall of Zathurhasta. Over the course of one cycle of the moon, I worked away at my plans, staring into the pitch black abyss above me each filthy night, concerning my nights not with sleep but awoken intent.

I have made the preparations. Everything is in place. Now is the time to act. Now is when Zathrurhasta's blood shall be spilled.

Now is the time I am upon the roof of the church he hovers so blatantly above. Now is the time that I am holding a knife in hand, my fingernails driving into my palm. Now is the time that, with my fingers wrapped around the ivory handle, the blade shines with my malicious intent in the light of the moon. Now is the time I spring from the corner of the roof at the floating heretic. And I stab him, plunging the human-sharpened tooth of the earth into the base of his neck; and he crumples, both of us shadowy meteors underneath the cloudless sky of filth. Fall from grace, lying one, and speak your last lie whilst lying upon the filthy dirt. You lied to us. I believed you. How could you do this to me?

The filth below reaches for me. I toss away the rag doll, and I shield my head. Soon there will be nothing. I have ended the nightmares. Soon I will be nothing. All the world will cease and I will find nirvana. I am a saviour, a falling angel. Falling.

Soon, there will be nothing. There will be nothing.

I peek through my eyelids.

There is

Post has been edited 4 time(s), last time on May 15 2011, 4:31 am by Sand Wraith.




May 7 2011, 3:36 am ClansAreForGays Post #2



I liked it. The kind of stuff I wish was written more often. It's risky and daring. You unabashedly go for an epic tone at the cost of the average reader writing you off early as pretentious as I was ready to in the beginning.

Quote
Everything he spoke of we attempted, we simulated, we imitated, we emulated, we accomplished.
Your repetition really hit it's stride and started working here.

Quote
I know for I saw Zathurhasta, within whom we placed our faith, speaking his tales to the birds and the trees and the spiders and the rivers and the clouds. To these, he spoke most sincerely, with the most zeal - even the rats received his sympathies. I knew then that he was a false prophet, a liar, a deceitful soothsayer.
Ya got rhythm boy!

Quote
When the filth pulled down the sun to form night
Quote
And I stab him, plunging the human-sharpened tooth of the earth
Quote
and he crumples, both of us shadowy meteors underneath the cloudless sky of filth
Love the imagery. "human sharpened tooth of the earth" was probably my favorite part.

I like that I notice something new upon re-reading it. I might as well not have even read "nothing. There is nothing. All to naught, not to be. All before us, dissolve to nothing; all before us, annihilate." I skimmed over it so fast, but now it's significant. There's other parts but I won't go over them all. I'd say what I think the message is, and what is really happening in the ending, but I change my mind every re-read, so I'm not above just asking you to explain it.

Length was perfect for me, not too long, not too short. I actually clicked on this like 4 hours ago, but when I read the "I'd rike feedback" I was like "well if you don't want to be serious about it, why should I bother?" so when I was done surfing and manually closed all my tabs 1 by 1, I felt like I had time for a short story, and I'm glad I gave it the chance.
you should write a simpler version with the ending/meaning being 10x more obvious and post it on /x/




May 7 2011, 5:13 am Sand Wraith Post #3

she/her

Wow. Didn't expect such a response. You should have seen the very first draft; it was about one paragraph long because the only thing I wanted to use was the beginning-end-beginning structure. I wanted to write something epic and with that structure, and then this came out.

I can't really simplify this, since it's almost exactly what I wanted. Almost, because I kinda wanted it to be a bit longer, but it's okay as a 26.0 part.

If I finish the other parts, you'll see something really cool, hopefully.

Care to share what you've thought of for theories and stuff? I only wrote what I thought, and didn't edit/revise much.




May 7 2011, 8:05 pm Apos Post #4

I order you to forgive yourself!

At first, I didn't want to read the story, it looked too much like a wall of text, so I waited a few days... Now that I read it, I can say that it's a very clever story. I like it. It's a very good foundation for a longer story. I didn't understand everything (English isn't my native language), but I could certainly feel the character.

It reminded me of an other story: Thorgal

I wrote a story a year ago that had a similar structure: http://www.staredit.net/topic/11189/

[The above is what I left after removing most of my nonsense, or so I thought....]




May 11 2011, 8:07 pm Sand Wraith Post #5

she/her

_The Nightmare 26.1: Nothing_

nothing. There is nothing. All to naught, not to be. All before me, dissolve to nothing; all before me, annihilate.

Why won't the letters just melt away and disappear? They just keep dancing across the page anyway. This stupid book in front of me, filled with opened fetal pigs... Ugh, I can already smell them. The formaldehyde's stench is unbearable. Honestly, I'd rather work on math problems. Actually, yes, that's what I'm going to do. At least math doesn't stink.

...Shoot. I can't concentrate. I feel as if the numbers are dancing around on the pages too, but this time, mockingly; "Stupid Sally! Sinking Sally! Stupid, sinking Sally!" Anyway, I can't stand this. Maybe I'll draw something to calm my nerves. Yes, that would probably be best.

Hah, I knew this would be of a little help. Skeletons and ghouls, ghosts and zombies... Reapers of death... Blood and gore... Hm... Pentagrams of fire... Er, this is a bit morbid. Well, still, I'm only drawing them, it's not like I really believe in these fictitious things. Um, yeah, it's all right.

Ring, ring, ring! Is that all the dumb phones can do? Always some jerk calling somebody with dumb telemarketing deals. Can't my parents get caller ID already? Geez. And this late at night too. Stupid ringing; "...Stupid Sally! ...Sinking Sally! ...Stupid, sinking Sally!" Ha, great, now I can't even draw! What a mess... May as well go back to biology.

Blood... Blood cells... Red and white... White like bone? Ha. Heart... Aorta... Subclavical artery... That would lead to the arm and wris - ah. Um.

Uh oh.

Oh no.

I broke something. Uuuu, shoot, I broke it, I broke it! I... I have to... stay. Calm down, just sit tight and calm down. Breathe. "Stupid Sally! Sinking Sally! Stupid, sinking Sally!"

Shut up!

"Shut up Sally! Can't even calm down Sally! Mad Sally, angry Sally!"

Shut up!

Oh, no, no, how did I end up here? I look like a zombie. Ah, but there is a fountain in the bathroom, I'll just splash some cold water on my face and I'll be fine.

Ah, that's a bit better. I think I'll get a snack and a drink - then I'll be fine.

So, the kitchen. About as clean as usual with as many things standing around as usual. Looks like someone made steak though - I'm fine with the mess in this case. Now, the steak knife... The knife, where is it? Here, the knife - the knife. Ah, um.

Uh oh.

Oh no.

I broke it. The knife. I broke it. "Stupid... Sally..."

NO.

"Sinking... Sally!"

SHUT UP.

"Stupid, sinking Sally!!"

I'LL BREAK YOU ALL. JUST SHUT UP SO I DON'T HAVE TO.

Uueegh, I can't take it anymore! Cut, cut, break, shut up... CUT!

I slam the door, jam the lock, and land on the closed toilet seat. I can't... So I slide off of it, slowly coming to a rest of the marble floor. The bathroom light brightens the side of the knife, while the marble moon lights up its underside. The fine edge, straight and true, unlike the threshold between pain and pleasure...

And that's what makes its steel hide so comforting. I slide my finger along its belly, but it nips at me, drawing blood. My knuckles are white, my hand choking my pet. It growls slightly, its eye reflecting the two of mine.

"It's okay," I coo, as a slide my palms against its hide.

"Stupid Sally! Sinking Sally! Stupid, sinking Sally!"

I tell the knife to sic'em.

My pet slashes across the heckling crowd's neck - silence. Blood is dripping everywhere. Intense pain shoots up my left arm, while I appreciate the pleasure of the quiet.

Suddenly, banging. Atrocious sounds, loud sounds, disturbing my quiet. Voices.

"Sally? Sally! ...Stupid Sally! Sinking Sally! Stupid, sinking Sally!"

I'm drowning in rage. My pet screams, its voice shrill and violent, vile as sound can be. Why won't it all go SILENCE!

"Sally? Sally! ...Stupid Sally! Sinking Sally! Stupid, sinking Sally!"

SILENCE! Drowning... SILENCE! Drowning in SHUT UP! Rage. My pet growls. Kill them. Draw silence from their lungs. Stab their hearts to bring nothingness. Silence and nothingness. Slash their necks for the nothingness. SILENCE! PLEASE!

There is still screaming! Who could it be, who would do this to me? Just SHUT UP! Why!? Why do they continue? They won't stop, they won't cease, but I'll make them SHUT U-U-U-U-UP!!

With your talon of steel, gap their necks, meld life and death momentarily, and then infinitely increase the border between life and death. Make it silent, make it quiet, my pet. Make them SHUT UP! Make it quiet, my pet, render all to nothing. Slash their necks, my pet, let there be nothing.

"...Stupid... Sally? ...Sinking... Sally. ...Stupid, sinking... Sally!"

There will be nothing. Make it dark, my pet. Drown them in blood. There will be nothing.

Suddenly, pain, in my neck.

I... try... scream.

There is silence.

"Sally?"

I... try... gasp.

There is nothing.

"Sally!"

There is




May 15 2011, 4:28 am Sand Wraith Post #6

she/her

_The Nightmare 26.2: Nothing_

nothing. There is nothing. All to naught, not to be. All before me, dissolve to nothing; all before me, annihilate.

"That is right. I have your son in my custody. I will kill him within the hour. You best try to stop me in that time. Good bye." I click the cell phone shut and throw it out the open window; gravity will take care of the rest.

Before me is a young boy, perhaps aged 13 to 16, sniffling, shivering, scared, fearful; fearful of me, or my switchblade? Of course it is me, for a tool has no will of its own. Before me is my annihilation, my single curse that I shall lay on the world, my immortality. Through him, I can become more than man. I will become annihilation, a destroyer of hopes, a merciless killer, a-

"Let me g-"

"SHUT UP!!" I scream.

There is nothing that can stop my transformation into a decider of fates. The weight of a life shall now depend on me. I will decide whether or not there will be nothing for the boy before me. Within this hour, I am divine. And soon, forevermore shall I stay divine.

"Why me?..."

"SHUT UP!!"

"I have my parents and friends... I want to go back to school... Let me go!"

"SHUT UP!!"

An insolent punk before requires a lesson Thus, my fist shall teach it. I forget to withdraw my switchblade; my lesson leaves more than just a bruise. The boy screams in pain.

I smile.

"Boy, what is your name?"

Silence.

"I asked you your name, boy."

Nothing.

"WHAT IS YOUR NAME!?"

This time-

"D-D-David."

"David, eh? How old are you?"

"I... I'm ten..."

An error on my part; the morality of taking an innocent's life is questionable... but still doable.

"Who do you prefer: your mother, or your father?"

"M-My d-dad."

"Ooooh? Hehe, whyyyy?"

"Because he takes me f-fishing, and let's me stay up."

"I see, I see, icy cold to your mother then?"

"N-No! She helps me make my lunch and she makes dinner..."

Hilarity ensues.

"HEEHAAHEHEHAAAAH!"

Silence.

As I convulse.

Nothing.

Could anger me more.

"The correct answer is BOTH ARE GUILTY! Guilty of playing along with the game. But this time, I'm changing the rules."

Back to basics, back to the hand, backhand. The blade narrowly misses the boy's face, its deathly glint reflecting in his eyes, illuminating his terror.

"Grains of sand do not fall on their own, gravity beckons them. Just as time beckons my patience, until eventually..." I sharply push the knife's flat side against the boy's cheek.

"I HATE YOU!"

I'm going to kill him! There will be nothing! There has always been nothing! And so nothing shall be!

I whip around and look out the window to see the sewage wastes trickle through congested arteries; the body of a sick one is disgusting indeed.

"Can you see this all? This ridiculous game? See how they move, to and fro, those lives. Filthy. Really just tasteless. Makes me SICK. But that's okay."

I look at the boy from across the room.

"I'm changing the rules today."

I can hear sirens now. Red and blue flash in the corner of my eye.

It's time.

I stalk to the boy. He is shivering.

"M-m-Mum, d-dad, where are you!?..."

"See, now, child, they are a part of the game. They sent the referees to call for a timeout. They want to give me a red card. But I'm changing the rules. This time, I'm giving the red card - to you."

Driven is my knife, driven by the will of hatred, deep into the boy's chest, planted into his heart, so that the steel root may grow into a bloody red flower over top of him, blooming and unleashing the incredible odour of life and death, the border of which is blurred and hazy ever since an organism's birth.

There is no scream from him.

There is no sound.

There is neither final gasp nor death rattle.

There is nothing.

There are only referees around me, screaming at me to release the budding corpse flower. So I comply.

There are only walls of ash around me, preventing my escape. So I am complacent.

There are only other players of the game around me, debating over my fate. So I let them play.

Now, there are only the empty-minded and wrong-minded around me. So I laugh.

For I know one secret.

I am the only right-minded here.

But in the game, it's meaningless.

In the game, there is no "win."

There is no "victory."

There is no "hope."

There is no "despair."

There is no "hate."

There is no "defeat."

There is no "sanity."

There is only one truth...

There is




Oct 18 2011, 5:59 pm Sand Wraith Post #7

she/her

I'm reviving this in the hopes that I can get more comments for parts 2 and 3.




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[01:35 am]
Ultraviolet -- Vrael
Vrael shouted: NEED SOME SPORTBALL> WE GOT YOUR SPORTBALL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING
Gonna put deez sportballs in your mouth
[01:24 pm]
Vrael -- NEED SOME SPORTBALL> WE GOT YOUR SPORTBALL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING
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Oh_Man -- https://youtu.be/lGxUOgfmUCQ
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NudeRaider -- Vrael
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Yeah I'm not a big fan of Westernhagen either, Fanta vier much better! But they didn't drop the lyrics that fit the situation. Farty: Ich bin wieder hier; nobody: in meinem Revier; Me: war nie wirklich weg
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Oh_Man -- anyone play Outside the Box yet? it was a fun time
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Vrael -- if you're gonna link that shit at least link some quality shit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUV3KvnvT-w
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Zycorax -- :wob:
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NudeRaider -- Ultraviolet
Ultraviolet shouted: NudeRaider sing it brother
trust me, you don't wanna hear that. I defer that to the pros.
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Ultraviolet -- NudeRaider
NudeRaider shouted: "War nie wirklich weg" 🎵
sing it brother
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