A Quote I’ve Been Thinking About Today

“Sometimes there are no words, no clever quotes to neatly sum up what’s happened that day. Sometimes you do everything right, everything exactly right, and still you feel like you failed. Did it need to end that way? Could something have been done to prevent the tragedy in the first place?…

Like I said, sometimes there are no words, no clever quotes to neatly sum up what’s happened that day…

Sometimes, the day just…

…ends.”

-Aaron Hotchner, played by Thomas Gibson in Criminal Minds, season five, episode eight, “Outfoxed.”

Unspeakable

“Yes, Astaroth?” the Devil himself asked, arching one impressively villainous eyebrow.

“Well, you see, Luci…” Astaroth mumbled, wringing his hands and avoiding eye contact with the Dark Prince.

The Devil sighed, slumping back onto his throne of skulls. “Asti, we talked about this. It’s ‘Your Infernal Highness,’ or ‘My Dark Prince,’ or maybe ‘Lucifer,’ if we’re being informal. Quit calling me Luci, it’s wrecking my image.”

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Perspective

Sitting on the floor,
Listening to the whir
Of the record player
Go round and round,
Soft music seeping
Through a crackle
Like fire,
I lean my head back,
Close my eyes,
Step out of myself,
My life and the world,
Finding, for a moment,
Peace.

At least until the
Record stops,
And silence mocks
Me again.



© The Lightning Tower, 2020

Memorable Moments

Dylan and Hugh tumbled through the cabin door, laughing and swearing as the storm raged outside.

“I told you,” Dylan panted, shutting the door and shaking her head, spraying water everywhere, “that it was going to rain.”

Hugh grinned, peeling off his sweatshirt. “Yeah, okay, so you were right. But I did say a walk would be invigorating, didn’t I?”

Dylan rolled her eyes, slipping off her sodden sneakers and tiptoeing around the puddles. “Whatever makes you feel better.”

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Cut Threads

The rattle of the train covered up the man’s choked gasps, for which Ara was grateful. She held the wire tight against his throat, and tried to hold on as his body flailed, searching for oxygen. It didn’t usually take this long; this particular mark sure had a strong will to live. Eventually, though, he started to falter, to sag against her, and finally, like they all did, collapse to the ground, pulling her down with him.

Ara held on for a few minutes more, making sure he was good and dead. It wouldn’t do her any good to have him wake up and storm the train looking for her. She was more of a professional than that. She released her hold on the garrote, and dragged herself out from under his body. She leaned over, checking for a pulse. Nothing. Good.

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Fate

Fear held her frozen in place as she stared down the horror before her. This was her fate, her destiny, her purpose, and yet… Her battle cry stuck in her throat, her ax limp at her side. Her eyes darted along the monster before her, unable (or unwilling?) to comprehend what she was seeing. It drew itself up, higher and higher above her, and she knew, just knew, that this would be her end.



© The Lightning Tower, 2020

Inspiration

Alexis leaned back in her chair with a groan, glancing around the small study nook on the first floor of their dorm.

“What is it?” Vita glanced up from her own writing, peering across the table to where her friend sat.

“I keep writing poetry,” Alexis sighed, stretching her arms above her head, then rolling her neck side to side.

“And that’s a problem, why?” Vita asked.

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Ever Onward

Tick tick tick deafens
As the hand marches onward.
I have to catch up.

–

I’ve been preoccupied with time lately.
Is it because all sense of it is gone?

–

Living by the sun
Provides a very different
Kind of clock, rhythm.



© The Lightning Tower, 2020

Untitled 5

I look behind and see the future,
And ahead I see the past.
The world’s the same and ever-changing,
Just go ask a cat.

I often wonder what everything means,
Or if that’s a futile quest.
I seek knowledge near and far,
With wisdom past my grasp.

I tend wallow in the pain,
As I outrun the pleasure.
One thing that I know is true,
Contradictions, me and you.



© The Lightning Tower, 2020