"29" :: Chapter- 7

The heavy breaths let out by Scruffy seemed like heavy blows of air coming out from a furnace. He sure was hungry. The brown furred rabbit leaped out and Fabrice moved back. It moved in leaps that only look adorable if the creature is of a much lesser size. Fabrice bent down and moved beneath the cradle with the little girl (who still looked less frightened than Fabrice)

Scruffy repeatedly bumped the cradle letting our shrill squeaks. The cradle moved a little with every push. “On the count of 3, start crawling from the other side” said Fabrice, the girl nodded in a silent response.

“1…2…3” they began crawling towards the door. Fabrice felt his body shivering but Scruffy did not notice them. They got up once they reached the corridor outside and began running. “Stupid hamster” shrieked Fabrice and there was a noisy response from the room. As they were climbing down the stair case, Fabrice sensed from the noises above them, that the hamster wasn’t so dumb after all. He was right behind.

Out through the door the road was as serene as it was before. Fabrice began running holding the little girl’s hand. The road seemed endless and the line of similar houses on either side was never ending. There was a weird sound of hooting, right behind. Fabrice turned back, spotting the same red dots following them and then there was scruffy right behind. Those dots, those pair of eyes of something flying, there was no time to figure out what it was. The little girl was breathing heavily. Fabrice picked her up and ran towards one of the houses by the side. He went all the way to the backyard and things were a little different on the other side.

Fabrice looked at the structure of dry stone right in front, it looked like a church. Similar structures stood on its adjacent sides. The hooting returned, Fabrice looked back and flying creatures were right there, flying in completely random patterns, like bats, under an influence. There were a couple of them, and then a swarm descended from the skies joining them, to form a massive swarm. Fabrice wanted to run but it was too late. They cast shadows above him and he bent down with a little girl. With eyes wide shut, he held shielding her. The hooting was right above him, and then… it reduced a little.

Fabrice felt something touch his shoulder. His heart beat ran like an elephant. Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.

He looked up and an old man was smiling at him, “Come now, we must leave at once, son”. The swarm was flying back as Fabrice glanced in the other direction. Fabrice wanted to thank the old man and maybe even ask the key to reality. But for now he just followed him, to another mysterious scenario.

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"29" :: Chapter-6

“So how will I escape?” Fabrice entered the living room, looking at the carpet which refreshed a forgotten memory of the picture it showed, a couple of men on horses chasing a flying bird. Even the fish tank was just like it was, the four gold fishes were right there, swimming carefree as if it was all too real. ‘Too damn real’ Fabrice thought walking towards the staircase adjoining the living room.

The little girl was walking right in front of him, “I’ll help you pass through” she said. They entered the first room to the right. Again very familiar, the light pink shade of the paint still looking the same. The cradle was there in the corner and the cupboard next, the room was dark with the light coming in from outside through the window, faintly exploring the shade of everything inside.

Fabrice noticed the little girl removing the photo frame from the wall. She gave it to fabrice , “Take this, you’ll need it” . Fabrice found it rather strange, to keep a frame which absolutely had nothing in it, no picture. Fabrice looked at the hamster’s cabinet, “Scruffy” he whispered. Scruffy wasn’t there perhaps he was on the other side of this prison where everything was real.

Fabrice saw that the little girl was now looking out through the window; he didn’t wanted to be bothered for some time. So he took a walk through his days of infancy, to his parents’ bedroom. Every single detail there wasn’t clearly recallable but seemed familiar, the grand dressing table, a big bed in the center and an unused candle holder on the table.

The window was open and the netted curtain did a random dance to the winds. Fabrice closed his eyes and watched the scenes of his early childhood roll right before his eyes. Fabrice wasn’t sure if the interrupting sounds were real or not, till they grew loud and he could clearly hear the crash and bang, it was right below where he stood. He hurriedly ran towards the other room, the little girl was still there right beside the window. Fabrice ran up to her, she looked back and raised her finger.

Fabrice looked back and he realized that the hamster’s cabinet was empty for a reason. Scruffy stood right there, huge, horrible and drooling with fat droplets of saliva.

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Dear imaginary reader,

Forgive me, in case of any typos and in case the story is allowing you to yawn.

"29" :: Chapter-5

The view below had now become noticable, the little strip of road was now surrounded by a full-fledged residential arrangement. The skies were still dark the faint texture of the clouds was illuminated by the timer that was still high in Fabrice's view. The 29th hour was running in its 18th minute. Fabrice's still hadn't gotten his answer about the mysterious scenario he had woken up to, the question itself did not haunt him as he was living the haunting. It was like the circumstances were laughing at an entire life that he had lived, claiming all the years to be unreal.

They glided down, drawing closer to the line of structures in the neighbourhood that moved backwards, a thunder now and then, would expose the greenery, of the trees and the lawns in front of the houses. The houses on both the sides were the same , exactly the same. To Fabrice the structure was familiar, yes another picture he had seen in those photos. A tricycle, a kid which happened to be him, dad and the same house in the background.

Among the line of houses, a house shone in a weird light that came from within it. They landed right in front of it. Fabrice got on his feet as his mother drop them down and flew, disappearing into the skies.

“She saves me and departs, just like before” Fabrice said looking up at the skies. He stared down at the girl, “Tell me now, is this a dream ?! If it is ? End it now! Please!” he cried.

The little girl walked up to him “It's a little more than a dream” she held his hand and began walking, trying to lead him somewhere.

“But how did I get here?”

“Ask yourself?”

Fabrice did ask himself, and there were fragments of thoughts all mixing together forming a weird sense. There was a birthday party, some smuggled whiskey. Yes, the whiskey, they had gone to the suburbs to that Asian man with small eyes. He called the drink “whiskey”, but it was some thing else. It had some herbs which were treated to a pressure of the smoke of some sort of essence sticks. He had warned that the whiskey if consumed excessively could turn your worlds upside down. It all made some sense. 'Upside-down. Upside-down. Upside-down” the words echoed in Fabrice's head.

The little girl had brought in front of the building that was shining under a mysterious, heavenly glow. The skies were suddenly coloured in a dark red colour, so dark that it strained the eyes. As the brightness of the light progressively reduced, Fabrice noticed the clock had struck the 28th hour.

“We have to get you, to your present” the little girl said. “I know a way out” she said suddenly looking up. The skies were dark again but there were little star-like red dots appearing closer and closer. They blinked too, like they were alive. Fabrice looked harder and the dots changed form and he knew he was staring at many pairs of eyes drawing closer. 

“Come now” the little girl pulled him into the house.

They rushed in and quickly shut the door. Fabrice looked around, he knew the place, he had grown up right here in this very two storied house. He was home, maybe in a different place in time.

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Dear imaginary reader,

Still have no idea where we're headed to...

"29":: Chapter-4

The blade drew closer and closer, Fabrice had his eyes tightly shut. There was no thought, no feelings, a little question drifted away in his mind asking him, how he had got here ? And then, there was silence and a silence shadowed by the darkness around his eyes, Fabrice waited for the impact, the pain to take over, but there was nothing.

Maybe this was how death felt like, the moment of liberation is just not felt. Maybe you depart moments before you are supposed to depart. 'Is this it?!' the thought echoed in Fabrice's head. He managed to open his eyes and what was before did match up the expectations he had. The skies were closer and the gush winds began blowing, like they were waiting for him to open his eyes. He looked down and blinked a few times at the land so very distant. Just a patch of road running beneath, which looked like a tiny line from the distance Fabrice hung from. Towards the right, a wing motioned effortlessly and towards the left, was her, the little girl, still looking indifferent and not very amused. “You're safe” she whispered finally giving a smile.

He looked up at a familiar face, and soon the realization grew upon him that a hand held him tightly in the air as a lady glided in the skies. That face was familiar and when it smiled, he knew her through the photos he always seen. She was his mother.

“Aren't you happy to see your mommy ?” asked the little girl.

“I have never met my mother. She had died when I was born” a cool breeze hit his Fabrice's face, his eyes became a little moist.

“Where am I ?” he cried in a breaking voice.

===

Juggling writing with a busy life. StorySeptember is about trying to write a story and trying to live one.

Thank you, if you're reading.

"29" :: Chapter-3

The silhouettes began moving faster. Whenever a silhouette briefly illuminated under the street light, a momentary shimmer appeared on the faces of the unknown figures. As the mysterious figures drew closer, a weird kind of screeching laughter filled the air.

Fabrice looked at the other direction, trying to find an escape through the road that extended into the darkness. ( Where ? Where ? Where ? Too late ! ) The sound of the halting motor bikes were right behind him. Fabrice closed his eyes, too scared to look back, but he did and his breathing froze. He began running his eyes at what was before, the two half bent legs, the two eyes with a big eye in the center, the abnormal ears protruding out, two canines reaching all the way from their mouths to their pointed chins . There were three of them, excitedly jumping with their tails swinging violently behind them. One of them leaped forward and kept a metal structure down. He pressed it a little and moved back.

Fabrice moved back, he looked at the little girl but she didn't show the slightest sign of astonishment. The metal structure vibrated and changed form, it expanded turning into a big rectangular inlet. The motioning stilled and inside there appeared a huge roller with metal spikes. The rotation began with the roller letting out a shrill mechanical sound. A long metalic pathway extended, forming a chair in the end. One of the demonic figures turned back making Fabrice wondered what they were upto. Fabrice immediately felt the tail of the demon rolling around his leg and was jerked with a strong pull. It made him fall, he tried fighting the force but he couldn't. The three demons were continually laughing. Another tail lifted him and placed him on the chair, and the chains appeared, pushing in his ribcage.

The game had begun. The chair moved and so did the blade and the demons waited on the other side. The pace increased and the chair drew closer. Fabrice's hair flew due to the gush of air let out by the moving blade.

Maybe doom didn't wait for 29 hours , it was right here, right in front of Fabrice, ready to swallow him.

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Is this it ?
What happens for the rest 27 days ? I write bad poetry. Yep.

"29" :: Chapter 2

The view around was blurring around Fabrice's eyes, like a faulty camera trying to adjust its focus. It took a while for him to realize that he was looking at the crushed metal that once formed the bonnet of the car. Fabrice relentlessly banged the door but it was stuck. He tried to reach to opposite door, feeling that a part of his body was stuck between the crushed dashboard. After resisting the pain in his arms, due to the trials of reaching out, Fabrice banged the door open, crawled out and tumbled towards the street. The “29” was bright and clear in the skies, a thunder shimmered in the background but the number remained.

A hooting sound began at a low pitch and quickly became loud. Fabrice felt his ear drums vibrating abnormally, creating an itching sensation in his ears. Lying there on the road Fabrice tried to shut the noise, he wanted to believe that this was a dream, but it was all to real, just like the hooter he spotted on the pole towards the other end of the road.

Fabrice got up at once, taking large strides towards the pole. He finally reached the pole and began climbing, right about now he began thinking about being in a dream due to the unbelievable strength that he felt running through his body.

Fabrice ripped the hooter out and it fell down with a loud clang. He leaped down, relieved, due to the soothing silence that was finally accumalating. The sigh he was about to take was interrupted by a sighting right before him.

A little girl in a black frock stood before him. Long black hair fell on both her shoulders, skin so fair that it would make you think that she had gone pale. Standing there she looked at him with a blank expression, even though she looked adorable, she had a look that made Fabrice swallow. A distant sound of a motor interrupted the encounter, Fabrice spotted a silhouette moving closer.

At first there were 3 motor bikes, within moments the humongous riders were noticeable and finally Fabrice saw their tails behind their heads swaying in the air.

A loud thunder exploded in the skies.

“Your doom is drawing closer to you” the little girl pointed at the skies.

Fabrice looked at the projection in the skies, which now showed 29 hours 59 minutes and the seconds slowly ticking away. He wanted to scream but he felt the time wasn't right because the time, was slipping away, one second at a time.

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...And that's how we're rolling. Are you reading ?

"29" :: Chapter 1

Everything around seemed to follow an under-water pace. They were all just passing by Fabrice, even the bumps were too slow to be felt. Like an endless swarm, the crowd was never-ending. The faces looked the same, with a plastic smirk spread over them. All the faces were somehow unnoticeable. Many had party caps on their heads. Fabrice could feel a reminder sneaking at the back of his mind, about the ongoing birthday celebration, which happened to be his.

A pair of hands clenched his shoulders guiding him through the crowded hall way. Fabrice could sense, it was his Dad. Thinking about his Dad, made another realization trickle in, this time reminding of the whiskey he had smuggled in with a faithful accompanist and a good friend. Fabrice could see back into time, and that familiar stare with which his dad had looked at him, before he had fallen like a crippled man on the couch. The party was ending now; this birthday had gone too far.

The view cleared out and there was a certain degree of coolness in the air. The pair of hands reached Fabrice’s head carefully leading him to the bed. Fabrice felt like his perception was being treated by a “fast-forward” button and when his realization caught up, the smiling face of his dad appeared before his eyes. The view blurred continually before the eye lids gave up and his consciousness sank in.

It felt like Fabrice had turned away towards a different view. With eyes shut, still some things appeared so clear. In an instant he went from lying down to sitting straight up. There was a steering wheel right in front, and the interiors of a car unraveled as if light was slowly progressing its way into the entire view. A funny feeling in his stomach, told Fabrice that he was falling.

‘What’s up with the slow mo?’ Fabrice felt funny that he could clearly think in this peculiar state that wasn't real, but seemed a little too real to be a dream.

The pace returned as the car hit the ground with a loud crash, Fabrice felt as if he would leap out like a dolphin due to the abrupt impact but his rib cage hit the steering wheel. A faint pain shot up through his ribcage. Fabrice, hunched towards the steering wheel, saw a clear “29” projected in the skies.

‘This birthday had gone too far’ he thought.

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...and so it begins again. Another attempt to weave a story. So jump in, hold on tight and let the ride take control.

Anyone after-thoughts are always welcomed, as it would reassure me that my shit is being read. Yep.