Bitterwater Tales

Jenny got a blank book on her birthday, a magical book. She didn’t know it was magical though.

Like any tweener, she lived daily the drama of teenagers trying to find their place in the world.

She wrote in the book nightly, all her woes, everyone who slighted her, and what she wanted done to them. The book complied.

Eloise broke her leg. Margaret choked on a dick. Sasha got fat.

Jenny’s mother found her dead one morning. In her hand she clutched Justin Bieber concert tickets.

The last words written in the book was: “I’d die for JB tix”.

One day I discovered a cardboard box in my attic. An hour later I discovered the box’s unique properties when I put some old clothes into it.

Once I closed the box, there came a shudder and a crunching sound. The moment I opened the box, the noise stopped, and the box was empty. No clothes, no trace of them.

I, of course, experimented. As long as it could fit into the box and once it was closed, the box seemed to eat it.

The box came in handy, because I was getting tired of digging graves in the desert.

When we were on the beach, she said such beautiful things to me. She whispered lovely words that filled my broken soul with the promises of a brighter future. I so yearned for the fruition of her words then.

The world has ended since then. The great nations have fallen, the dead are piled millions deep, and there is no hope across this broken land.

I still remember her words, though. I still remember what she said when we were on the beach, when everything was at its worse.

“What comes next, it’s better than working retail.”

She was right.

“Knock-knock.”

“Who’s there?”

“Joe.”

“Joe died three years ago.”

“I know. I’m his ghost.”

“Ghosts aren’t real.”

“That’s what they want you to believe. For years now they’ve been saying ghosts aren’t real and we’re just imaginings or hallucinations brought on by grief. They’ve been lying to you, Dad. I’m real and I’m here to warn you.”

“Ghosts aren’t real.”

“Please, heed my warning. They’re coming for you.”

“Ghosts aren’t real.”

“Open the door, Dad. I’ll show you I’m real.”

“Ghosts aren’t real.”

Open the door, Dad.”

“Ghosts aren’t real.”

“OPEN THE DOOR AND LET ME FEED ON YOUR SOUL!”

Beyond the Western Mountains lies a great golden city ruled by a Queen. The land she rules over is fair and just, it is one of artisans, builders, and traders. They have created beautiful monuments, their ships cross the great oceans to sell their wares and they bring back gold and goods never seen in this land.

It is a land of great wealth and bounty. A land devoted to philosophy and thought, of learning and the advancement of knowledge. They are a kind and gentle people.

They are not soldiers or warriors and they are ripe for the plucking.

There are only two rules to the Sword of Power. The previous owner must be defeated and then killed. For hundreds of years that has been so. Men who have possessed the Sword have done great and terrible things.

The man sitting in my home is a bad man. He boasts about killing and destroying. I suspect he will kill us when we are done feeding him.

He does not know about the poison in the food, it will not kill him, only cripple him. I will take the sword and hide it.

Perhaps we will finally know peace.

The ship was infested with humans again.

We have no idea where they come from. They appear and set up colonies in the unused areas of the ship.

There are only two options available to get rid of them. Vent the ship’s atmosphere into space or destroy the vessel. The first option gives you a ship full of dead humans and the smell they make when they’re dead, disgusting.

The second option gives you a destroyed ship and we have no use for a destroyed ship. There’s a silver lining for the second option.

Ships are easy to build.

Capturing the creatures was easy. Just shine some bright lights and they’d come running. Curiosity was their failing.

Tagging and collaring them was the hard part. They kept struggling, biting, and screaming. We held them down and tried not to hurt them. We weren’t here to harm them, we were here to track them.

One day they’d leave their planet and spread across the galaxy. When that day happened, we wanted to know where they were going.

That was the future though, for now it was just bag and tag as many as possible.

The probing was merely good-natured fun.

We stood on the shore and smoked our cigarettes.

The sun rose in the east, and then fell back into the sea, making a horrible splashing sound.

We stared at one another in bemusement and wondered out loud if this was happening.

Then the skies opened up and a great hand plucked us from the shore.

A tsunami wiped out the shore and it’s environs. The great hand set us on dry, safe land.

We looked at one another and put out our cigarettes.

“Thanks,” we said.

“No prob,” the great hand responded.

After that things just got plain weird.

Two men sat on a bench and the sky began to darken.

“Mom’s got another boyfriend,” the first man said. His name was Abner.

“It better not be another dumbass,” the second man said. His name was Paxton.

“Since Dad’s been gone, she’s been swimming in dicks.” Abner remarked.

“Yeah, Dad was a dick too.”

“So are we.”

“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, big brother.” Paxton laughed.

“The way I see it, if you know your faults, then you try to work on them.”

“Always the fucking optimist, eh?”

“Either that or get swayed by the dark side.”

“Go with the flow, big brother. It’s a lot easier that way, way more fun too.” Paxton gave Abner a thumbs-up.

“Kara’s growing up fast.”

“Yeah, kids’ll do that on you. Shitting themselves one moment, fucking you over the next.”

“Figured you wanted to know, seeing as she’s yours.”

“Barely knew the bitch that popped her out, why would I want to know the spawn?”

“Blood’s thicker than water.”

“And being a dick about things only pisses me off.

The two men were quiet for a moment and the wind began to pick up. Abner pulled his coat around him and looked toward the horizon, the sky was black and rain was coming.

“Big storm,” he remarked.

“Yeah, not that it matters much to me.”

“You used to love the rain.”

Paxton smiled “It washed away the sins, big brother. Better than any off the counter bar of soap.”

“But it didn’t get rid of them, did it?” Abner replied.

“It was more of a spiritual cleansing. It washed away everything. All that pent up rage, hate, and fear. It made everything better. Like tiny kisses of God’s forgiveness all over you.” Paxton leaned back in the bench and stared at the cloud heavy sky. “And I needed all of His forgiveness.”

“I’d best be leaving.” Abner said.

“No one’s stopping you, big brother. Why the fuck do you even come at all?” Paxton suddenly snarled.

“Guilt?”

“More like rubbing it in!” Paxton rose to his feet and towered over Abner, his face contorted into rage. “I could fucking kill you!” he screamed.

Abner nodded. “Sometimes I wish you had.” He said.

“But you beat me to the punch, didn’t you?” Paxton gave a harsh laugh and stalked off.

Abner rose from the bench and followed his brother. Paxton stood over a small gravestone protruding from the ground. His eyes took him to the scores of other tombstones lining the graveyard.

“Wasn’t there some shit in the Bible about brother killing brother?”

“God marked my soul, Pax. And you needed to die.”

“All that bullshit Ma shoved in our heads and it stuck in yours.” Paxton shook his head and walked around the tombstone. “How do you figure this then, big brother?”

“I don’t know why I see you. Like I said, it might be guilt.”

“Or you’re six shades of fucking crazy.” Paxton grinned. “Just like Dad, just like me. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, big brother.”

“No. I’m not crazy.”

“Anyone else fucking see ghosts here?”

“Shut up.”

“Anyone else kill people?” Paxton raised his hand. “Come one, big brother. Raise your hand too.”

“Shut up!”

“Did your God tell you to do it? Did he say: ‘Hey, Abby, Pax’s been a bad boy. Go kill him, because I’m the Big Fairy in the Sky’?”

“Free will, little brother. You needed to die for what you did.”

“Bullshit, those people deserved it. The way I see it, hearing voices, seeing ghosts, and killing people don’t make you any better than me?” Paxton leaned up against an angel.

“It doesn’t. But I know my flaws. I struggle against them.”

“Slippery slope, big brother. Killing the first time is always a tad difficult, but the second is easier.” Paxton grinned. “I’ve been dead for a while now and I ain’t seen none of Him.”

“He’s there.”

“Like some big ole perv, rubbing himself to our woes and follies.”

The clouds cracked and rain began to fall.

Paxton looked up at the sky and spread his arms. “I can’t feel it, y’know? The rain. It just passes right through, taking nothing.”

“Its cold.” Abner remarked, pulling his coat tighter.

“That’s the best part, big brother.”

“I’m leaving,” Abner said.

“Go. Pray to God, say ‘hi’ to Ma and the spawn.”

“I’ll be seeing you.” Abner prepared to leave.

“We’ll meet again, big brother. In Hell,” Paxton said, grinning.

Abner paused and then nodded. The rain consumed him and Paxton’s laugh echoed across the graveyard.