Monday, October 25, 2021

The Void

The Void


an empty sky

this separation

a life gone by

an imitation

wax wings don't fly

no transportation

a longing sigh

last exhalation


when I reach out to feel

the empty space

a memory of nothing real

floods down my face


and I'm calling, calling out

I've been falling, falling down

just a voiceless, faceless shout

that the void rejects

the void reflects

the void won't pull me away


the stars shine on

a constellation

the line's been drawn

just a creation

that future's gone

infatuation

can't face the dawn

the confrontation


and I reach out to feel

the empty space

proof that this was never real

floods down my face


the void is calling, calling out

I'm crawling, crawling now

just a faceless, empty doubt

that the void accepts

the void projects

the void will take me away

the void can't save me anyway


and I'm calling, calling out

I've been falling, falling down

just an empty, faithless shout

that the void rejects

the void deflects

the void won't pull me away

the void won't save me today


(it was all fake anyway)

Saturday, October 2, 2021

Image Story: Social Media Crush

 Lost Humanity Image Story


This story is provided for free by H.S. Kallinger as part of the Lost Humanity universe.

Timing: During Bridges with an update during Predators and a final one during Castles. Each update has a warning before it begins. This is a comedic short.

This story is told through social media formatting (Facebook, specifically). CW: language 

Note: Alt text is taken as direct copy/paste from original text, so the comments say "3y" instead of "1 y" because the images were originally created four years ago and most screenshots taken two years later.

Social Media Crush


Zack Henderson apOrgdctoabner 16,o c20Sh17i  ·  WITHOUT prompting, ask your boyfriend or husband these questions and write EXACTLY what they say. The outcome can be hilarious. •What is something I say a lot? "Can you call my phone?" •How tall am I? "Six feet. You will not get a more accurate measurement." (that's not accurate enough? Do you like 'seventy-two inches' better?) "No. You simply multiplied six by twelve. You did not actually measure yourself." •What is my favorite thing to do? "Interact with music." I asked what that meant, and he said, "All things with music--listening or participating. This is your favorite thing." •What do I do when you're not around? "Human things." •If I became famous, what would it be for? "Something likely related to your medical field."  •What makes you proud of me? "Your tenacity, kindness and strength." •What is my favorite Food? "Steak." •What is my favorite restaurant? "Cattlemen's." •Where is my favorite place? "The center of the couch." (thanks, dear, that doesn't make me sound lazy at all) "The bookstore? Why are you asking me all these questions?" •If I could live anywhere, where would I live?

"Wherever your family is." •What do I do to annoy you? "That is a long list. How much space do you have for whatever it is for which you are transcribing every word I say? Your mouth involves a significant number of those things. If I give a particularly long answer, are you going to keep typing? Everything I say? Why are you doing this? Your refusal to answer me is annoying right now." •What is my favorite movie? "The Fifth Element."  •Who is my celebrity crush? "How do you define a 'crush?' Male or female? Is this something you have specifically told me? Because I do not recall discussing it. Will you stop typing and give me criteria?" (I don't know--it just says 'crush' -- I'd say that's someone I would date given the chance) "Is [redacted] enough of a celebrity?" I'm not typing the rest of what he just said. 😶 Bonnie Pedraza OMG I can hear him saying all of that so clearly 😂😂  · Reply · 3y Sarah Henderson So could I--since I was in the room 🤣
Amanda Huff Lmao! Poor Lukas!  · Reply · 3y Zack Henderson Poor Lukas? What about me? Do you know how fast I had to type when he was throwing out the answer to how I annoy him? Also, I transcribed it all in English and didn't mention that over half of that was German! He was going back and forth during the annoying part. Bust as most of my friends don't speak German, I thought I'd be nice and stick to English.  · Reply · 3y Bonnie Pedraza Gracias. When it's mixed with english, Facebook doesn't auto-translate. Thankfully, his posts are all in straight german or straight english so it's no big deal  · Reply · 3y Zack Henderson De nada.  · Reply · 3y Lukas Ritter She clearly recognizes the struggle of living with someone so mouthy.



Update Timing: Beginning half of Predators (original post was one year before the comments)



Garret Lambert who's redacted?  · Reply · 3y Zack Henderson The point of redacted is that we do not talk about redacted.  · Reply · 3y Garret Lambert no, that's fight club  · Reply · 3y Garret Lambert who's redacted?  · Reply · 3y Zack Henderson I plead the fifth.  · Reply · 3y Garret Lambert how's it incriminating?  · Reply · 3y Zack Henderson It just is. So it's redacted.

Garret Lambert awww but I want to know  · Reply · 3y Zack Henderson I have a few different celebrity crushes. He was just teasing me.  · Reply · 3y Garret Lambert with who?  · Reply · 3y Zack Henderson JFC, you're tenacious.  · Reply · 3y Garret Lambert i've nowt to do and i'm bored  · Reply · 3y Zack Henderson You could... go fuck yourself?  · Reply · 3y Garret Lambert aye, but that's more fun with someone else

Garret Lambert you bored, too?  · Reply · 3y Zack Henderson I PLEAD THE FIFTH 😳😳😳😳😳😧😨  · Reply · 3y Garret Lambert  [Gif from the Princess Bride of Inigo Montoya saying "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means. · Reply · 3y Zack Henderson [Gif from the Princess Bride of Humperdink brandishing his sword as though to attack]

Zack Henderson  [Gif of Princess Bride Humperdink running away with "NOPE" written along the bottom] · Reply · 3y Garret Lambert [Gif of Princess Bride Dread Pirate Roberts saying "That does put a damper on our relationship"]  · Reply · 3y Zack Henderson [Partial Gif of Princess Bride Westley's face]

Zack Henderson  [Gif from the Princess Bride of Westley asking "Who are you? Are we friends?] · Reply · 3y Garret Lambert [Gif from the Princess Bride of Inigo Montoya saying "Let me explain." · Reply · 3y Garret Lambert [Top of another Inigo Montoya gif]

Garret Lambert  [Gif from the Princess Bride of Inigo Montoya saying "Hello"] · Reply · 3y Garret Lambert [Gif from Supernatural of Dean Winchester in a crown saying "I'm the Princess"]  · Reply · 3y Zack Henderson [Gif from the Princess Bride cut off]

Zack Henderson  [GIF from the Princess Bride of Westley saying "As you wish."] · Reply · 3y Zack Henderson Shit. I forgot that Cary Elwes was really fucking hot  · Reply · 3y Garret Lambert reminds me a bit o Lukas there  · Reply · 3y · Zack Henderson Maybe I am bored... [indistinguishable gif begins]

Zack Henderson Maybe I am bored... [gif of butterfly knife tricks]  · Reply · 3y · Garret Lambert [Photo of a thin, pale, shirtless young redheaded man dancing, his long hair covering his face and much of his body, wearing black pants stopped at the thigh]  · Reply · 3y Zack Henderson WHY DID FACEBOOK TRY TO HIDE THAT
(Note: The gif above was of a person doing butterfly knife tricks, and at the end, the blade is shown to have the words "SEND NUDES" written on it)

Zack Henderson I mean  · Reply · 3y Zack Henderson It's just a picture  · Reply · 3y Garret Lambert no clue. i'd not think that a get flagged  · Reply · 3y Lukas Ritter  [GIF from the Princess Bride of Inigo Montoya saying, "You seem a decent fellow. I hate to kill you." · Reply · 3y Garret Lambert [GIF from the Princess Bride is cropped]

Garret Lambert  [GIF from the Princess Bride of Dread Pirate Roberts saying "You seem a decent fellow. I hate to die."] · Reply · 3y Zack Henderson [GIF from the Princess Bride of Westley looking around and saying "It's not that bad."]  · Reply · 3y Lukas Ritter [GIF from the Princess Bride is cropped]

Zack Henderson  [GIF from the Princess Bride continues with Buttercup staring at Westley incredulously] · Reply · 3y Lukas Ritter [GIF from the Princess Bride Impressive Clergyman saying "Mawage"]  · Reply · 3y Zack Henderson [GIF from the Princess Bride, same scene, cropped]

Zack Henderson  [GIF from the Princess Bride Impressive Clergyman saying "Mawage is what bwings us togeder today"] · Reply · 3y Garret Lambert [GIF from the Princess Bride Fezzik saying "That's wonderful"]  · Reply · 3y Lukas Ritter [GIF from the Princess Bride cropped]

Lukas Ritter  [GIF from the Princess Bride of Westley saying "Learn to live with disappointment" · Reply · 3y Garret Lambert  [GIF from the Princess Bride of Dread Pirate Roberts/Westley rolling down a steep hill calling "As you wish!"] · Reply · 3y Zack Henderson [GIF from the Princess Bride cropped]

Zack Henderson  [GIF from the Princess Bride of Wesley saying "Life is pain. Anyone who says differently is selling something.] · Reply · 3y Lukas Ritter Get off the computer and come watch the movie with me.  · Reply · 3y Zack Henderson   · Reply · 3y [GIF from the Princess Bride of Westley saying "As you wish"]

Garret Lambert [GIF from the Princess Bride of Miracle Max and his Wife calling "Bye bye, boys! Have fun storming the castle!"  · Reply · 3y Sarah Henderson Ooooh, so this is why we're watching!  · Reply · 3y Bonnie Pedraza ded  · Reply · 3y Amanda Huff Omg! Can I come visit and watch with you guys?



The following update takes place during Castles:



Garret Lambert I was redacted?!  · Reply · 1y Zack Henderson Why do you sound surprised? Of course you were.  · Reply · 1y Garret Lambert I'm no celebrity tho  · Reply · 1y Zack Henderson "Enough of one."  · Reply · 1y Garret Lambert ?  · Reply · 1y

Zack Henderson  [GIF from the Princess Bride of Westley saying, "Truly, you have a dizzying intellect."] · Reply · 1y Zack Henderson Sigh. FINE. One of the things I refused to repeat was that he used the computer after me after we talked following Sarah's test, and my search history was your modeling pictures.  · Reply · 1y

Garret Lambert [GIF from the Princess Bride of Vizzini saying "It's a very prestigious line of work."]  · Reply · 1y Zack Henderson  [GIF from the Princess Bride of the Grandson asking, "Is this a kissing book?"] · Reply · 1y Garret Lambert  [GIF from the Princess Bride of Mircale Max asking, "You got money?"]

Zack Henderson  [GIF from the Princess Bride of Inigo Montoya saying, "...kay." · Reply · 1y Jamie Adams I can't breathe. I don't know how I missed this two years in a row.  · Reply · 1y Bonnie Pedraza IT ALL MAKES SENSE NOW  · Reply · 1y Lukas Ritter I feel quite differently about this conversation now.  · Reply · 1y

Zack Henderson In a good way? Oh, hey, guess we're going to watch the Princess Bride again!  · Reply · 1y Garret Lambert And I'm here this time and all!  · Reply · 1y Vincent Everhart Wow. That was a ride.  · Reply · 1y







I hope you enjoyed this departure from the standard short story format! I may have a few more for the future!

Friday, October 1, 2021

Fernweh

Fernweh


Yearning for a dream

a world

a universe

more real than reality

intangible

consuming

just past the horizon

past the sky

past the stars

aching for shadows

chest tight

breathless

reaching for a light

that never shone

never brightened

never broke into prisms

trapped

calling for

a home that never was