What’s the Worst that can happen in Newcago? #newcago #noir #fiction #virus

 

 

It’s a messed up place full of crumpled and empty lives. Yeah there are some nice ones, but they are cowering cuz they’re afraid. They should be we’re in NewCago. She was the metropolis of the ages until something went wrong.

Now people know better than to go out after 6 at night,  even the cops.

As the clock chimes the hour in city hall, you can hear the clang of metal clad doors being closed and quadruple locked.

The fancy folks have doors that close without them even touching a thing. Lead bars  drop into feet of metal lined concrete. Our windows rattle from the collective thud.

I was getting antsy from being inside. I teased my girl, ” It’s like living in a coffin for half of our lives. Let’s go have some fun while everyone is inhaling the last of the day’s stagnant air behind bars. What’s the worst that can happen?”

“Sure Sammy, let’s go on the town for a change.” She put on her favorite shade of lipstick. It’s not like she needed anything to make her look pretty. She was a knock out without it.

So there we were linked arm and arm like kids.

“Having a good time?” She smiled as she wiped mustard off the corner of my mouth. I loved the way her eyes looked when she took a deep sip of soda from her straw and her laugh always made my heart skip.

“It’s always good with you, Sam.”  I noticed the catch in her voice; she sensed the motion first.

I felt her body tense and instinctively pulled her down against the wall.

I heard a shot. “We got lucky with that one.”

I looked at her usual steady gaze. The red wasn’t from her lipstick. She silently whispered sweet goodbyes but they were short. Too short.

“Lily, why this? Why now? You are…You were days away from a cure…

I SHOULD BE DEAD NOT YOU!!!”

It’s a messed up place full of crumpled, empty lives and I’m thrown into the cement mixer of black, white, and red.

I’m revamping a noir crime series I wrote in 2013. The story centered around crime but the main antagonist was a deadly disease lurking in dark corners. If you like Noir and you have time to read come back for more in the days to come.

This will take you back to the first installment “Life In New Cago Where Crime Never Sleeps“

The Marketplace of Life #poetry #lifeinUganda

 

 

 

greetings far and wide

hearts momentary grasp

a smile of shared kindness

if only this could last

 shallow are grey blue waters

when for another do not share

freedom used to ring

for gold we only care

daily the reminders

a smile so white and pure

a child trusts my hand

love is our world’s cure

                                                                                                                        *

gathering place

happy red tomatoes

instant friends

 

The prompt for this week at Poet’s United Mid Week Motif is Independence.

That concept used to be so dear – now is a time when people are enslaved in so many ways.

 

At long last a remedy has been discovered #medicine #fantasy #poetry

The lady a victim of a cursed poisoned rain

her breathy, alluring beauty consumed him causing heart’s pain

How was a knight to endure?

Vigilantly he sought her life’s cure

In a relentless quest

he travelled on her behest

seeing the world high and wide

clock’s hands moved life’s ebb and tide

he found a man who conjured infallible potions

“What will you give to spare your emotions?

she may already have met her grave”

“time will allow me her to save”

“alas it is too late

you both must endure your fate”

take this… one sip will heal

two …you will no longer feel

three… is her demise (or yours)

“what is it ? says he with wide open eyes”

“to answer said knight’s query

it is a prozac and purple magic slurry”

Flipside Records has great word prompts weekly. This week was no exception