The Nick Of Time (and other abrasions): Shadows Of Polaris chapter two

The Nick Of Time

(and other abrasions)

Shadows Of Polaris

by

Al Bruno III

Chapter Two

Matthew stared at the guns wondering which might be more painful- multiple bullet wounds or ritual castration. He had a funny feeling that with his luck he was going to end up with both. Audra gave him an elbow in the ribs and then glanced down the hallway to their right. It ended in a wide picture window. What had she seen? Something helpful? "Look," Matthew began, "I think there's been some kind of terrible mistake..."

"I'll say. Those shirts went out of style years ago."

The four men had a good laugh at that.

Matthew Peterson- straight man to the universe!

"Sir." Matthew tried again, "Whatever the reward for my capture is I'm sure I can more than double it."

"The bounty for an Outlander is an Audience with the Regent. Are you saying that you can get me two audiences? I'd like to see that."

"Regent?"

"I thought so."

Audra was shaking her head and whispering under her breath. Matthew couldn't understand the words but it did sound a little bit like Latin. The poor thing must be really terrified of this guy.

Matthew said, "Who are you?"

"The name is Jack Diamond."

"Ok Mr. Diamond, what do I have to do to get out of this mess?"

"Ain't a damn thing you can do buddy. You are in the wrong motherfuckin' place at the wrong motherfuckin' time."

"People will know I'm missing."

"Buddy people go missing every day." Jack started to laugh but then his gaze fell
on Audra. Her whispering had become more frenzied, "Oh no, you just cut
that shit out right now missy!"

Jack raised his cannon of a pistol, taking aim at the girl.

The other three moved forward, their weapons at ready.

"No!" Matthew cried.

Her hands seemed almost to glimmer as Audra pulled the bottle of baby powder from her knapsack and threw. The plastic bottle shattered like glass when it struck Jack Diamond's forehead. A cloud of white, sweet smelling powder engulfed the four men.

"This way!" Audra dashed to the down the dead end hallway.

Matthew followed her shouting, "Wait! You're going the-"

Wild arcs of gunfire peppered the walls. Audra shouted something, it sounded like gibberish to Matthew but when she was done the bay window shattered outwards.

How? He almost faltered at the sight of it, How did she-

Then he remembered her saying "Because I'm a sorceress. Well, sorceress in training really."

And before he could say or think anything else she leapt out the window.

Is she crazy? What floor are we on? How high up are we? Matthew
thought as paused on the windowsill and peered down. His eyes found a mass of
snow and naked shrubbery. It was a drop of four feet, maybe less. He breathed a
sigh of relief.

A flurry of curses made him turn back, he could see the four men chasing after him. The white powder coating their faces made them look like a quartet of psychotic mimes. Matthew jumped out the window.

Only to hit the ground all wrong; somehow managing to both smack his head into something hard and knock the wind from his lungs. He rolled in the snow, crunching broken glass and torn branches beneath him.

Audra was shouting in his ear for him to get up and run but his legs felt rubbery
beneath him. It was too much effort to breathe, much less run anywhere. Matthew let himself be half carried, half dragged into the shadowy treeline. He glanced over at her face, her eyes were narrowed, her teeth clenched.

...so pretty...why is she helping me?

Everything swam out of focus. Does this mean I'm going back home? He wondered.

The next thing Matthew knew he was lying beneath a pine tree watching Audra retreat into the darkness. Her voice was a haggard whisper, ".... be right back. Gotta make sure they can't find us."

"Wait." His voice was thick slurred, his mouth tasted like blood. He must have bitten his tongue in the fall, "Wait."

"What?"

"What's-" He spoke the word uncertainly, "What's a Pendaroth?"

Her eyes widened "Where did you hear that?"

"...read it."

She nodded, "Shut up and wait here."

Matthew watched her disappear into the darkness. This school of hers certainly had nice campus, lots of woods. He wished he'd have gone to school with grounds like this instead of a measly community college.

What kind of school teaches magic? Must be a liberal arts thing.

He slid down the tree and stared at the sky. The stars glittered coldly, pinpricks
of light shining through the broken canopy of the treeline. His eyes found all the old familiar constellations; Orion, The Big Dipper, the Little Dipper. Wherever he was, at least the stars were the same- that was something. His eyes found the star Polaris shimmering coldly from its place in the Little Dipper. It almost seemed to be staring down at him, like a single mocking eye.

The sound of footsteps close by startled Matthew from his thoughts. He sat up suddenly, his heart hammering. He'd almost fallen asleep! Was he crazy?

He could hear voices too, gruff angry voices getting closer every second. Matthew tried to concentrate, tried to gage which direction they were coming from. The voices became shouts, he thought he heard the dry clock of weapons being readied.

Was that motion he saw up ahead or nothing more than his eyes playing tricks on him?

Was that Audra he heard whispering?

More gunfire filled the air but it sounded different this time, muffled.

Silencers? Are the using silencers? That's not how they sound on TV.

And then as suddenly as it had begun it was over. He could hear footsteps moving again. Just one set this time.

What just happened? What just happened here?

Audra knelt beside him, out of breath. "Three down. I don't know where Jack
Diamond is. We better get moving."

"What did you do?"

"Magic."

"What did you do?"

She took him by the wrist, pulled him to his feet. "Let's just say that
kinetic energy and I are old friends."

"What?" Matthew found himself dragged at breakneck speed through a maze of trees and brambles. The darkness made every shadow seem swollen and ominous.

"You can look it up when you get home. You have encylopedias don't you?"

"Are they dead?"

"Do I look like I care?" She stopped suddenly and gave his wrist a hard tug, "And by the way, the Pendaroth is none of your damn business. Your only concern is getting out of here, not learning all our quaint little folk tales ok?"

"I'm sorry."

"No. If we don't get over the fence before the forces of order or the Dean show up - then you'll be sorry."

A well-worn path snaked through the wooded campus. It split off and branched out in crazy directions. Matthew could see buildings off in the distance and he
wondered if they were dormitories or if they were classrooms. Regardless of what they might be, Audra was leading him away from them.

He didn't like this, it was too secluded. For all he knew Jack Diamond might be
shadowing them, waiting for the right moment to strike. Matthew couldn't
believe that he was worth all this trouble. Whoever said it was nice to feel wanted had never been to the city of Olathoe.

"Why do they hate Outlanders so much?" he whispered.

"The Regent believes that that if an ordinary schmoe like you can get this far you're either pitifully unlucky or potentially dangerous."

"I'm not dangerous!"

"Believe me I know." She slowed her pace. "Ok we're there."

A wall of darkness loomed before them. It stretched as far as Matthew could see in either direction encircling the wooded campus. As they drew closer he could
see that it was a stockade fence. "Hm." He said, "I expected something more... something more..."

"Gothic?"

"Yeah gothic."

"The original fence was wrought iron and gothic as hell. It was destroyed in the Morgan riots of nineteen eighty-six."

"Riots?" he approached the fence, appraising it. It was almost ten feet tall and looked easy enough to climb but the top ended in a series of regular sharp protrusions. He did not like the looks of those and he had to wonder if they were to keep the riff-raff out or the students in.

"Yeah it was right after the Vlodek purge and..." She paused, "Shhh! Get down."

Matthew got down. He could hear the scrabbling noises too.

A pair of shadows clumsily made their way over the fence and plopped down a few feet away. "Lorelei?" Audra whispered.

"Audra?" one of the figures moved forward while the other held back, "What are you doing?"

The two girls hugged "Sneaking out. What are you doing?"

"Sneaking in. How was your trip?"

"Worst vacation ever."

A man's voice interrupted, "Lorelei do we have time for this?"

"Can it." Lorelei whispered harshly, then she turned
back to Audra "What's up?"

"Oh you'll love this." Audra said "Come out Matt. It's my roommate Lorelei and her boyfriend."

"He is not my boyfriend Audra."

Matthew walked out from behind a tree with as much dignity as he could muster.

"Where did you find him?" Lorelei snickered, "And where did you find that shirt?”

So much for my dignity. Matthew groaned. Lorelei looked to be about the same age as Audra but her hairwas shorter and her physique was more robust. She was good-looking but there was something predatory about her that Matthew found unnerving.

The man who wasn't Lorelei's boyfriend stepped closer. He was wearing scruffy-looking jeans, a battered leather jacket and a rumpled gray fedora. His eyes were dark, so dark that the seemed to blend in with the night itself. "Matthew?" He said, "Matthew Peterson?"

"Uh yeah." He shook the hand that was offered him. No wonder Lorelei doesn't anyone thinking that's her boyfriend, the guy must be at least forty. "Do I know you?"

"Of course you- oh." a pained expression crossed his features.

"Have we met?"

"Yes." He cleared his throat, "Just now. I'm Jason, Jason Magwier."

"Matthew Peterson, but you already know that...somehow."

Audra pulled the brim of Jason Magiwer's hat down over his eyes, "Don't let him freak you out Matt he's just being cryptic. He gets off on it."

"He's an Outlander isn't he?" Lorelei said with an appraising look.

"Big time."

Once his hat was straightened Magwier began pacing, head down, arms clasped behind his back. "You have to get him out of here."

Audra groaned, "Gee thanks I never would have thought of that."

"We could take him back the way he came." Lorelei suggested.

Magwier shook his head, "You saw what it was like out there. They Constables have placed Sentries at every streetcorner. He'd be spotted in seconds -frilly shirt or not."

"There are about four wiers I can think of." Audra said.

"There are five, a sixth is being built on the Regent's estate. All of them are one hundred percent unreachable."

Matthew asked, "How would you know?"

"Trust me I know."

"How?"

"He knows." Lorelei said with a frown, "He remembers."

Audra waved a hand, "Look I'll just head on over to Pexley's Emporium. He's so sweet on me he'd do anything, even book passage out of the City."

"That won't work either." Magwier said as he paced, "You know he's in bed with the Kuen-Yuin."

"So what? " Lorelei kicked at the ground, "It’s not like they know he’s here."

Audra shook her head "He made a phone call."

"He what?" Jason Magwier and Lorelei said with matching looks of dismay.

"It was a stupid phone call!" Matthew shook his hands with frustration, "A stupid stupid phone call! How was I to know?"

Magwier said, "I'm surprised the Gray Mandarin's men haven't shown up already."

"They did." Audra said, "I took care of them."

Lorelei high-fived her, "You go girl."

"Excuse me." Matthew said, "Am I to get the impression that I'm screwed
here?"

"Sounds like it." Lorelei replied.

"No we aren't finished yet." Magwier stopped pacing and shook a finger at them, "They won't expect you to go to Harnett's Tabernacle."

Audra approached him, her voice was icy, "That's because going to Harnett's Tabernacle is suicide."

"I don't think we have a choice." Jason Magwier said "There's no other way. The Constables are out for blood."

"Oh man." Audra crossed her arms and gave Matthew a worried look.

"Come on people-" Matthew was nearly stomping his feet with frustration, "What's a Tabernacle? What's a Harnett? Why is it bad? Throw me a bone here!"

"Audra," Magwier stopped pacing and scowled into the darkness, "how exactly did you deal with the agents of the Kuen-Yuin?"

"They shot at me, I was ready. I returned their violence threefold." Audra squinted and followed his gaze.

"You killed them?"

"They were trying to kill me."

Matthew added "But she said that Jack Diamond guy got away."

Lorelei made a choking sound, "Jack Diamond? Jack Diamond was here?"

"Jack Diamond is still here." Magwier said, "And he's mad."

Shadows shifted in the blackness. Magwier tensed, Lorelei drew back to stand beside him. Matthew recognized the three shapes shuffling towards them, he recognized their designer shits and their cold eyes. But now their flesh was torn and hanging. "I thought you said you killed them." Mathew barely had breath to speak "I thought you said they were dead.

"I did." Audra said, "They are."

The gunshot sounded like canon going off. A hole the size of a fist appeared in the stockade fence just inches from where Audra was standing. Everyone dove for cover. "Stick your head up again bitch so I can air it out for you!" Jack Diamond leaned out from behind a tree. He fired again, destroying another section of the wooden barrier.

Magwier said, "What did you two do to him? He doesn't raise the dead unless he's furious!"

The dead men drew closer; Matthew could hear their teeth grinding. They were
trapped, between the gunfire and the fence there was nowhere they could run to.

"Jason!" Lorelei hissed as she fumbled around in her pockets. "You remember what I'm thinkin' lover?"

"Of course." Magwier crawled over to where Audra was cowering, "We'll take care of this but you have to get him out of here and you have to go to Harnett's Tabernacle."

"But-" Audra tried speak.

"No buts- the only thing that that man hates more than being humiliated is me. And remember- Harnett's Tabernacle." Magwier said before crawling away again.

A bullet impacted on the ground just inches from Matthew's hand. He yelped and
pressed himself against the fence.

Lorelei was chanting over a handful of stones, in her other hand she held a wooden slingshot.

"Be ready." Audra whispered as she slipped her hand into Matthew's.

The stones in Lorelei's hand began to shimmer. Magwier crawled over to her and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. The first of the zombies was within grabbing distance of them.

"Now!" Magwier cried.

Lorelei raised herself to one knee, loaded one of the glowing stones into her slingshot and fired. There was a flash and a wet popping sound. The lead dead man went down, the top of its head torn away.

Howling like a lunatic Magwier dodged past the remaining zombies and barreled into the woods. Jack fired twice, missing both times. Magwier tackled him, the pistol went flying.

"Come on." Audra said as she started climbing the fence. Matthew followed her, using the smoldering, ragged holes as fingerholds.

It took two stones to bring down the next zombie and even as it fell the third one was right on top of Lorelei. It clawed at her, knocking her to the ground in its eagerness. She cursed as the gleaming stones tumbled from her fingers. She kicked at the zombie only to have it grab her leg.

Carefully heaving herself over the top of the fence Audra landed on the cobblestone street. Mathew hurried to follow easing himself as gently as possible over the sharp spikes. He could hear Lorelei struggling with the last of the dead men.

Further away two men were grappling in the snow, flailing at each like a pair of feuding children. Somehow, Matthew thought, somehow I expected this to be more kung fu and zaps and less grunting and scratching.

"Matthew!" Audra called, "Hurry up!"

"I think your friends are in trouble."

"They can take care of themselves! Come on!"

Jack punched Magwier, knocking him back. "I should have fuckin' known you'd be behind this." He said as he clambered to his knees. His left hand snaked into his coat pocket.

"You give me too much credit." Magwier launched himself to attack again.

Cursing himself Matthew dropped from the top of the stockade fence. "Audra I think your friends are really in trouble."

"Don't worry. They thrive on it." she started running, "This way."

"Audra I'm serious I think-" a gunshot cut Matthew off, a fresh hole was torn in the fence. Afraid that he might be dead, Matthew reached up and felt wood splinters in his hair. "Wait up!" he called to her."

Of course he had to assume that she knew where they were going because to him all the alleys and side streets looked the same. Audra kept a brisk pace and refused to answer his questions with more than a grunt or a shrug. Matthew just figured that she was worried about Lorelei and her un-boyfriend. Occasionally they would slow at the mouth of an alley and observe the goings on. The more that Matthew saw the more he marveled at the city's dichotomies. One tableau in particular brought that crashing home.

It was a street where spectators had gathered to watch a double-jointed man caper to the music coming from pipes being played by a round-faced boy. The gathered audience was varied, most were average looking, if strangely dressed but scattered among them were albinos in lace and six-fingered men in leather. Some of them tossed black rubies into the basket at the pipe-playing boy's feet;
others merely nodded sagely as they watched the dance unfold. A Constable observed the assembly from a discreet distance, her uniform immaculate, her medals glinting. A pair of huge sexless figures flanked her on either side; their heads were shaven, their faces intricately tattooed. They wore armor that looked to Matthew like something out of the Middle Ages. The assault rifles they carried were very much on the cutting edge.

"Are those-" Matthew began.

Audra replied as she dragged him to another side street "Sentries. What you get
when you combine magic, steroids and ritualized abuse."

They made their way through the abandoned furniture and bags of garbage. Matthew asked, "How does magic work?"

Audra paused to get her bearings, "Magic is just another kind of energy. It's soul energy. Everything- you, me, Jack Diamond, animals, buildings- has a soul. Magic is the act of harnessing and directing that energy."

Matthew nodded "Like when you made your hand glow back at the Dean's house."

"I'm impressed. I didn't think you'd noticed that." She gave him a pleased look and then started pushing an old desk from one end of the alley to another, "That was me calling upon the power of Anarchy to make sure the bottle of babypowder blew up in the Kuen-Yuins' faces."

Matthew helped her wedge the desk up against an old brick wall on the side of the alley, he could hear music and dozens of people talking. It sounded like a bustling computer show. "And when Lorelei made the rocks glow?"

"She was calling upon the powers of Mother Nature. The girl calls herself a sorceress but I swear she's a closet Wiccan." Audra climbed up onto the desk.

"What did you do to Jack Diamond's friends?"

"Shh!" Audra put a finger to her lips.

Matthew looked around, the lights were on in some of the buildings that bordered the alley. "Do you hear something?"

She put her hand over his mouth, "Shhhh!"

He couldn't hear anything over the din from the other side of the wall.

Maybe she has super hearing. Matthew thought, Or maybe she's just trying to get me to shut up?

She wouldn't be the first.

"Come on." Audra said and then she climbed over the wall. Matthew hopped up onto the desk and followed her.

The street they found themselves in was a wide cul-de-sac and it was crowded;
crowded with people, crowded with voices, all seemingly trying to sing, chant or shout each other down. There were twice as many listeners as there were talkers. Most of the people addressing the masses stood on boxes or makeshift stages; a few of them had elegant podiums. Some spoke alone others had choruses singing in the background.

They're all preaching! Matthew realized This is all religious stuff.

"What is this?" He asked.

"Recruiting station." Audra said, "Come on."

They threaded their way through the crowd "This is the tabernacle?"

"No." She shook her head, "Not even close."

She paused for a few moments to listen to a trio of women singing hymns. Their voices were beautiful and the language they used was as alien as all the other tongues Matthew had tonight. He wished he could relax enough to enjoy them, "Then what are we here for?"

"The faster we get past the city walls the better. So we're gonna borrow a car."

"From who?"

"One of my friends."

"What about your other friends? We shouldn't have left them."

She started walking again. On a nearby podium a particularly devout missionary was offering his body for any that would convert to his faith. Audra had to bulldoze her way through the line of eager converts "You worry too much."

"How can you be so calm? They could be dead or worse by now."

"They could be but I doubt it. It's gonna take more than the likes of the Kuen-Yuin to bring those two down."

"If you say so. I'm surprised you just aren't going to steal a car."

"I can't hot-wire for a damn."

A Catholic priest stood at a podium, speaking in a soft voice to a fair-sized audience. He shuffled though his bible with quivering hands and spoke into a
microphone that was plugged into a worn-looking amplifier, "Now giants were upon the earth in those days. For after the sons of God went in to the daughters of men, and they brought forth children, these are the mighty men of old, men of renown..."

Audra waded in to the audience. Matthew followed listening. He was a lapsed Catholic but it did his heart good to see that normal wholesome religion had found its way into this bizarre place. "So this guy is going to help us?"

"Yes." Audra motioned for him to stand behind her.

"Shouldn't we wait until he's done with his sermon?"

"Why? There's no one listening."

"What do you call all these people then?"

"They're in line for the frozen custard stand next to him. He just sets up next to it so he has a captive audience."

"Oh." Matthew stared at the frozen custard stand; they certainly were doing brisk business. "You don't think-"

His mind did a little spin kick in his head at the sight of Audra; she and the priest were staring at each other. His voice was beginning to quiver, he lost his place several times. When she began to unbutton her shirt he dropped his bible. Index cards and bookmarks flew everywhere.

"What are you doing?" Matthew grabbed her arm.

"Getting Father DiSorbo's attention."

Matthew fought to keep his voice steady and his gaze at eye level, "You're flashing a priest."

"It's nothing he hasn't seen before."

"Wh-wh-"

"Relax that was months ago. Besides I was drunk and he never told me he was a
priest."

The frozen custard line moved slowly forward, nudging them along with it. After
dropping his bible a third time Father DiSorbo gave up and sat on the edge of his podium, his face buried in his hands.

I know how he feels. Matthew observed.

"OK I'm gonna go talk to him, you stay in line and get me a large chocolate custard with chocolate sprinkles."

"But-"

"No buts- I need him spooked but not too spooked."

"How am I supposed to pay for this?"

"Here they take American currency, get something for yourself too." She slipped a worn billfold into his hand and made her way to the priest.

"This-" He gaped, "This is my wallet!"

Fuming and grumbling to himself Matthew stood in line. Usually he had to go to a singles bar to feel this out of step and pathetic. When he glanced over at Audra he could see her flirting and playing coy with the blushing Father DiSorbo. The sight left Matthew with a queasy feeling in his stomach.

I don't know who the bigger jerk is. Him for putting the moves on her or her for not being all that upset. I mean how old is she anyway? She’s practically a teenager.

"Hear me!" A voice boomed from the other side of the street, "Turn your backs on the false promises of heretics! The stars are right. The Little Bear is rising. Soon the Pendaroth will come and herald a new Golden Age! His might will heal the sick and blight the unbelievers!"

The man delivering the sermon was huge, almost Sentry-sized. He wore a robe and hood made from a bear pelt. There was a pretty good crowd of listeners gathered around.

This Pendaroth must be more than a 'folk hero'.

He continued to speak, his voice almost a roar, "The Outlander will be found by a she -bear and to protect him from Those That Hunger she will give him a piece of her soul. Then he will wander from world to world. During this time his faith will be tested and his power will grow. Soon his acolytes will gather around him in the City Made of Song."

A ripple of panic began to work its way through the crowd, some of the spectators froze in place, others waited, gathering in small groups and watched. Six Sentries made their way along the street, their assault rifles held at the ready. A trio of Constables followed in their wake. Matthew felt his knees buckling, he looked back at the podium. Father DiSorbo was glaring at him, but Audra too busyplaying the vamp to notice. Matthew turned back the way they had come.

Maybe we can double back before we're noticed.

Then he saw Jack Diamond climbing over the wall. He didn't look good, he looked like he'd been set on fire and flung out a fifth story window. Jack half-fell half dropped onto the pavement, cursing loudly and gritting his teeth when he straightened up. Scanning the crowd he spied Audra, the murderous expression on his face deepened. He raised his red-streaked right hand, taking aim at her with his canon of a handgun.

So much for Magwier and Lorelei being able to take care of themselves.

Matthew shouted to her but the commotion spreading through the crowd drowned him out. The Sentries approached the man in the bear robes, with the Constables following close behind. They shouted orders, Matthew was sure that he heard the word 'Sedition' being used. Jack still had his pistol aimed at Audra.

The bastard is waiting for her to turn around. He wants her to see him before he kills her!

He shouted again but he might as well have been whispering. The throng was growing agitated, apparently they didn't like the Constables barging in on them.

A squeal of amplified feedback stabbed through the air. The entire cul-de-sac was momentarily stunned into silence. They all looked to Father DiSorbo standing atop his amplifier. His eyes were bulging. He had the microphone in a white knuckled grip, and with his other hand he was pointing into the crowd. He shouted "Outlander!"

Oh crap.

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The Nick Of Time (and other abrasions): Shadows Of Polaris chapter one

The Nick Of Time

(and other abrasions)

Shadows Of Polaris

by

Al Bruno III

Chapter One

"What's the hold up?" Matthew stared out the taxi's windshield. Traffic was backed up for blocks. Opportunities like this were few and far between, he couldn't afford to blow it.

"It's a parade... or the President... or something." the cabby said.

"Isn't there an alternate route you could take?

"I don't think so. Guess you should have left earlier." the cabby said before turning up his radio and drowning him out.

"Damnit." Matthew slumped in the taxi's moldy seat and thought about car payments, overdrawn accounts and late fees. If he got this job it would fix everything. It was nearly twice what he was making now and as an added plus the corporation would pay all his moving expenses from Schenectady to New York City. Hell, maybe he wouldn't even tell his creditors where he was going; maybe he'd just move and let them do all the work of finding him again.

Maybe he'd let Laura do the same thing.

Not that any of that is going to happen now. He thought glumly. His fingers reached instinctively for the pack of cigarettes in the breast pocket of his suit, but then he reminded himself this was a non-smoking cab. He checked his watch, less than twenty minutes to go. There was no way he was going to make it. He
looked ahead at the line of cars, minivans and buses; four lanes of traffic jammed into two because of double parked delivery trucks and brazen shoppers. Tall buildings pressed in on every side, pedestrians moved along on the sidewalks, their shapes hidden under heavy winter clothes.

A few moments of watching them pass by while his taxi stayed put was all Matthew could take. He tossed a handful of bills into the front seat and got out.
The February air was biting; he pulled his overcoat tightly around him and started walking. He'd visited New York City a grand total of six times in his lifetime, he felt like he knew his way around. Besides he'd always had a good sense of direction; he'd get there just as quickly on foot.

Like my resume says 'An ambitious go-getter and a good problem solver.' Matthew thought as he cut down a side street. It was a narrow, one way lane of pocked asphalt that was practically an alley. There was no sidewalk and ankle deep slush. He walked carefully, praying he wouldn't ruin his one good suit.

Once he was out of the alley, Matthew banked right onto a main thoroughfare. The wind blasted him, setting his coat flapping. He walked against it, leaning into it, dodging in and around pedestrians until he came to a crosswalk. The streets here were equally clogged with traffic, cars stretched in every direction
for as far as he could see. When the light changed he took the left way up the Y-shaped intersection and walked along for the next four blocks, reading street signs as he went. All the while he tried to imagine the questions that might be asked of him. He wanted to have all his answers ready in advance.

Matthew stood at the next street corner for a few moments considering. He had a pretty good idea where he was going but it was better for him not to take chances. He turned right and made his way down the street. Ice crusted the shop windows, salt crunched under his feet. He tried not to think about the time.

The road led to another four way intersection. His cab was a stoplight ahead of him, that meant he was on the right track, he just must have overshot his target. Turning right he made his way down the street for two blocks, then he turned
right again. That brought him back into familiar surroundings.

Great. He realized as he stood in the middle of the sidewalk, looking this way and that. I think I just went in a big loop. He checked his watch and blanched. Almost time!

Almost time and he had no idea where he was.

Standing on the streetcorner he felt his panic rising. The wind ripped at him, the foul scent of automobile exhaust chased after him like the stink of failure. Part of him just wanted to give up and go home, but he wasn't ready to throw in the towel. Not just yet. Matthew ran down the street to the next intersection. Oh yes, he'd definitely been here before, he recognized the parked cars and the awnings over the doorways. He turned right and staggered. A wave of dizziness left him gasping. Cursing the cheap Amtrak food he doubled over. Staring at his brand new patent leather shoes and praying that he wouldn't puke all over them.

He planned to return them if the interview was a bust.

Moments passed, pedestrians stepped carefully around him. No one paused to ask if he was all right.

Everything shifted in and out of focus a final time and then the sensation faded. He straightened up and began walking again. Two steps later he was motionless and dumbfounded.

The skyline had changed completely. Gone were the stocky silhouettes of skyscrapers blotting out the horizon. Instead there was a sea of gambrel rooftops and slender minarets. Chimneys filled the sky with sweet-smelling smoke. The buildings themselves were tall gothic structures that had been painted in bright airy colors. To Matthew it looked as though the entire block of houses had been sculpted out of frosting. The cobblestone roads were choked with activity; horse drawn carriages and bicycles maneuvered their way around slow moving automobiles. The crowds that passed him on the sidewalk were still bundled up against the cold but their clothes were ostentatious amalgamations of velvet, fur and leather. Many wore hoods and scarves against the cold but the faces Matthew could see were not the arrogant yet furtive faces of the New Yorkers he had been overlooking all day. These faces were regal yet predatory. Some had skin that was jet black, some had skin that was albino pale. Above it all a single gargantuan tower loomed, its upper levels were wide and decorated with windows of stained glass that glinted and gleamed in the sunlight. The lower body of the tower was slender and cast in shadow. It reminded Matthew of a chess piece, a bishop.

Matthew could have stood there all day but a he began to feel a creeping sensation working its way up his spine. Lowering his gaze he realized that everyone was staring at him. Blushing Matthew tried to speak but didn't know what to say.

Where am I? He wondered, What's happening to me? Am I going crazy? Is this some kind parade like the cabby said?

The street traffic froze. Horse whinnied in protest, tires screeched. A commotion worked its way through the finely dressed pedestrians. They pushed back against the buildings, squeezing together, as one they turned their gazes to the ground.

A shape in a raggedy old peacoat and a fur hat ran down the street and bolted into a nearby alley. A cluster of men in dark blue uniforms were close behind. They stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of him.

"I think..." Matthew said to the dozen stern faces, "...I think I'm lost."
Moving as one, they drew their sabers and advanced on him.

Matthew started babbling, but he knew he wasn't making sense. He was too terrified, too confused. These were obviously policemen of some kind; he recognized the smug superiority they projected, but what kind of policemen? They certainly weren't NYPD.

This is all just to scare me right? He thought, They wouldn't just cut me down in the street in front of all these witnesses would they?

He glanced around, the elegant pedestrians hadn't moved an inch, their gazes were still centered on the sidewalk before them.

The uniformed men bore down on Matthew, the silver of their blades gleaming. He couldn't believe he was going to die like this, he always thought he was going to die in a car accident or of some terrible and painful disease. There had been a
kind of comfort in that, but to die like this, in such confusion.

"Ah-hem, Constables..." The voice was sharp yet delicate. The figure in the peacoat stepped back out of the alley and struck an impatient pose, "...aren't you supposed to be chasing me?"

The armed men stopped and turned.

He couldn't have asked for a better opening.

Matthew ran. Pounding footsteps followed in his wake, coupled with cries for him to halt or suffer the consequences. Matthew remembered the swords and kept running.

But there was no way he could keep up this kind of pace for long; he had to find a place to hide. A chance to catch his breath and try and think.

He risked a glance backwards, there were two of them. Two of the so-called Constables and they didn't even look winded.

There was an intersection up ahead, Matthew ran across the street, squeezing between a pair of motionless automobiles. He glimpsed the drivers of the cars, their hands on their steering wheels, their eyes starting down at the floorboards.

An arc of pain lanced across his shoulderblades. He pitched forward, his hands sinking into the filthy roadside slush.

The Constables were drawing closer. Matthew forced himself to stand and scramble to the right. This street's decor was slightly less opulent yet at the same time it was much more flamboyant, as though the residents of this neighborhood were consciously trying to outdo their neighbors. There were people sitting on their front steps, watching their children play and sing but when they saw him coming they retreated inside. There were gaps between the houses here, dirty alleys and unkempt paths. Matthew hoped they were dark enough.

I can hide up ahead. He promised himself, Just keep moving, just keep moving.

There was a warm ticklish sensation creeping down his back.

Oh I'm bleeding -oh JESUS! One of them cut me with their swords.

Visions of torn skin and exposed muscle goaded him to run faster.

The voices of his pursers changed from shouts to chants. The language was alien to him, like Japanese or Latin; all he knew as that it was the kind of thing he needed subtitles to understand.

The chanting became more frenzied and then dwindled out suddenly. He turned to see what they were up to, there was no one behind him.

But when he turned his attention back tohere he was going he found them standing before him. Matthew tried to double back and only managed to stumble and crash onto the pavement. He heard his blazer tear and thought crazily that he'd just ruined his only good suit.

With a kick to the gut they rolled him over and pressed their blades against the nape of his neck.

"Outlander." One of them spoke his voice panting and ragged, "Your presence here is a violation of the Jamestown Compact."

"Agreed." The other Constable, the one with the waxed moustache, said, "The penalty for such trespass is conscription."

The first Constable smiled a little and licked his lips "Agreed. Sentence to be carried out immediately."

Matthew tried to sit but the blades at his throat kept him down, "Please I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know anything about a Jamestown Contract. I swear."

"Ignorance of the law is no excuse."

"Agreed." Waxed Moustache drew back his weapon arm; there was already blood on the blade. Matthew tensed, his fingers scrabbling impotently at the cobblestones.

The trash can came out of nowhere, bowling both of the Constables over.

Matthew rolled to his feet. The figure in the fur hat beckoned him from a decrepit old brownstone. He followed into the shadowed interior.

The odor of burnt wood and rot nearly drove him right out the door again but he pressed on. The peacoat was barely visible in the murk, he followed it past shattered widows and melted telephones. Debris crunched under their feet.

By the time he'd been led through a slouching doorway and down a flight of rotting stairs Matthew began to get that nervous feeling again.

Where am I going here?

He stayed at the foot of the stairs, peering into the blackness.

A flashlight flickered to life, a voice that was lively and soft asked him "Not scared of the dark are you Outlander?"

"Who are you?"

The peacoat slid to the floor, the hat joined it; a lithe form moved in the shadows "Introductions later. Come on. We've got to get moving."

"You're a girl!"

"Last time I checked. Let's go."

The smell here was worse; the stink from the fire had coupled with the dank musty odors of the cellar to produce a cloying fetid stench. Matthew really wanted a cigarette now. Holding his nose closed he followed the girl deeper into the cellar, the glare from the flashlight cast her in silhouette. Matthew wasn't sure if she was in some kind of a uniform or if she was making a fashion
statement. His limited successes with women had taught him that if
you weren't sure it was safer not to ask.

There was an old box spring mattress leaning against the far wall of the cellar. Slipping the flashlight into her mouth she shifted the rotted rectangle of wood and fabric aside. There was a hole in the wall just large enough to crawl through. A thin carpet of trash and mud covered the bottom.

"Big mice?" Matthew asked.

She pulled the flashlight from her mouth, "Come on."

"I need to know where we're going."

"Someplace safe." she dropped to her knees and shone the light into the squalid passageway.

"That's not good enough. For all I know-"

"We don't have time for this Outlander."

A commotion upstairs startled them, shouts and stomping set dust raining from the basement ceiling. Matthew's stomach flopped and clenched at the sound. "The Constables?"

"Worse." She shone the flashlight on him, "Sentries."

"Sentries?"

"Soldiers recruited from Constables that have been demoted for screwing up too much and from apprehended Outlanders. Outlanders like you." She crawled into the hole and beckoned for him to follow her, "Pull the box spring in behind
us. It'll cover our escape."

Rooted to the spot, Matthew stared up the steps, wondering if he should take his chances with the Sentries. If they had once been 'Outlanders' like him they might be sympathetic to his plight. After all they had been chasing her hadn't they? They weren't really after him, he was just a victim of circumstance.

"Oh by the way," She called, "the first step to becoming a Sentry is ritual castration."

"Oh Hell." shouldering out of his torn, bloodied blazer Matthew followed her into the passage, pulling the box spring behind him.

The tunnel slumped downwards, he half crawled half-tumbled after her. The slimy, sour-smelling walls pressed down on every side. Grime caked the underneath of his fingernails and dribbled off the tunnel roof to coat his hair and shoulders. No matter how careful he was, every fourth step or so his wounded back brushed against he roof of the tunnel sending a shiver of pain through him. He didn't like to think about the infections he might be getting. Garbage and slime oozed though his fingers and wormed its way into his loafers.

There is no way I'm going to be able to return these shoes for a refund

"How long until-" The flashlight clicked off. "Hey!"

"Saving batteries." she whispered from up ahead. "Keep moving."

"What's your name?"

"I'm the girl that saved your life, isn't that enough?"

"No what's your name?" Deprived of his vision Matthew's other senses struggled to compensate. He had no idea where he was going to or what he was getting herself into but when faced with the choice between an uncertain future and ritual castration he chose the uncertain future every time.

"My name is Audra. Satisfied?"

Audra.

"Now where am I?" She stopped suddenly, "You don't know?"

"Would I be asking if I knew already?" he glowered only to realize a moment later that he was glowering at her backside.

"Don't tell me, let me guess... a weird old relative of yours passed away and you were going though some of his personal papers. You found a book that claimed to be about magic and you happened to read one of the goofy sounding spells out loud."

He started to glower again but managed to stop himself in time, "No."

"Ok then, how about this. You were wandering in the woods and you came upon a circle of standing stones smack dab in the middle of nowhere."

Yeah. The Stonehenge of Utica. He thought sourly. "No. Nothing like that happened. Do I look like I was camping?"

"You were in a big city, you got lost and of course being born a male rendered you unable to ask for directions. So you kept wandering this way and that, going in circles and retracing your steps, suddenly you found yourself here."

"Uh… yes."

"I knew it." She laughed and started crawling again.

"So where am I?"

"Escape tunnels, they go through most of the boroughs. They got dug about eighty years ago during the Inutos sieges. I think most people have forgotten about them now. Good for burglary and sneaking out after curfew."

"What are you talking about?" Matthew exclaimed.

"You wanted to know where you were."

"Yes where... in the larger sense. What is this place, this weird city..."

Audra gave a little laugh "This is the embodiment of weird cities. This is of Olathoe."

"Olathoe? Is that in Canada?"

"No. Olathoe is where everything you've ever been told doesn't exist can be found."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm talking about the stuff that dreams are made of. Literally. Magic is here. Real magic, not that David Copperfield crap. The magic here is so strong it hides the city from the so-called normal people like you. The only way to get here is to cast the proper spells, or use a Aperture or go to a large enough city and walk certain streets in a certain pattern."

"You expect me to believe that?"

"You have another explanation for what's happening to you?"

"No." Matthew said and then fell quiet. In the darkness he lost all track of time. When he checked the luminous digital readout on his watch all he saw were wildly flickering numbers.

"Are you saying I'm on another world?"

"Yes."

"But you look human. Where are the aliens?"

"Don't you get it? You're the alien."

The cold tunnel pressed in around him on all sides. How much further did she expect him to crawl? Did she even know where they were going? What if this whole thing ended in a dead end? Would that have to crawl backwards the way that had come? Would the Sentries be waiting for them? Panic gripped him, he had to concentrate on the simple motions of his arms and leg to keep from collapsing into a shuddering heap.

She said these tunnels are eighty years old. They could fall down around us any second! Oh God. Oh God. Why did I ever get out of that cab? Who cares if I was late? And for that matter why did I ever go on that stupid interview? I should have just stayed home. My old job was perfectly fine! Now I'm going to die or be castrated or both! A tiny whimper escaped from Matthew's throat.

"OK." Audra flicked on the flashlight, "We're there, you can stand up now."

"Huh?"

"Lightswitch... lightswitch... who's got the lightswitch?" She paced around the room, flicking the yellow flashlight beam this way and that. Matthew gawked dazedly at the shine from the buckles on her patent leather shoes. "I really need to... Ah-hah!"

There was a click and Matthew was blinded. He winced and used his grimy hands to shield his eyes, Audra stood before him. Her clothes were definitely a uniform not a fashion statement. The knee-length dress was a rich shade of lavender and tailored to a design that seemed one half nun's habit one half school uniform. Her long black hair was tied back from her dark-eyed, gamine-like face. Even without the dirt masking her features it was obvious that she wore too much makeup.

With a groan he stood up and looked around. Another basement. No surprise there. The hole he'd crawled from was nestled between a pair of empty wine racks. Audra pulled a ratty looking knapsack from behind one of the wine racks and strode up the stairs. She flicked on another set of lights. Resigned Matthew followed her down a service hallway that led to a brightly-lit room that was furnished with expensive, sterile looking furniture. Paintings hung on the walls that were either surrealist masterpieces or elaborate pleas for help. "This is your place?"

"Nope. It's the Dean's."

"We're in a college?"

"It's a private institution dedicated to studies of a metaphysical nature."

Great. Matthew dropped onto a nearby ottoman and buried his face in his hands. "So, is the Dean home? And more importantly, is he armed?"

"Nahhh." She rummaged around the poorly stocked wet bar. "He goes out drinking most nights, he won't be home 'till like four in the morning if at all."

"Uh-huh." He said as he watched her open a decanter of brandy and empty half the bottle in a few short gulps.

"Hopefully by then we should have you sorted out."

When she passed the brandy to him he took a long hard pull from the bottle. Her lipstick flavored the taste. "Sorted out?"

"You know, either I'll get you home or I'll get you killed."

"Oh God...." He took a second even longer pull from the bottle.

She unbuttoned the sleeves of her dress, "Look Matt I'm gonna grab a quick shower. Can you stay put for a few minutes?"

"You know I'm not a child."

She gave his cheek a pinch "Of course you're not."

"And how did you know my name? I never told you my name!"

"Because I'm a sorceress. Well, sorceress in training really." She said as she left the room.

Alone in the room Matthew nursed the bottle along and brooded. He picked at the edges of the torn sleeve of his blazer and wondered what to think.

Maybe I've gone crazy. maybe I'm in a psycho ward doped up and tied down.

He wanted to believe that, he really did but there was no denying the evidence.

Besides I would never hallucinate anything this elaborate, I just don't have the imagination.

Standing, he trudged over to the window and peered outside. The sun had set and the stars were out. How long was I in that tunnel? He wondered, What the hell time is it?

There weren't any clocks in the room so Matt turned his attention back to the window. The Dean seemed to be doing pretty well for himself, the house they were in was mansion-like in proportions. The grounds however were wooded and sickly looking, a rusty gate separated the grounds from the busy streets of the city. Matthew let his eyes be drawn to the Olathoe skyline, to the lofty minarets and baroque estates with the single great spire towering over it all. How could a place like this be hidden? Could it really be magic? Could there really be an entire world he didn't know about? Could he really have come here just because he took a few wrong turns on the streets of Manhattan?

What else can I believe? Look at it out there! It's like I've traveled in time.

Time travel. He thought pressing his forehead against the cool glass of the window. Even that's almost more believable. I haven't seen any magic here. All I've seen is a bunch of Renaissance fair rejects!

A few more swigs of brandy and he decided to explore a bit. He peeled his head from the window pane and started snooping. His attention was drawn to the bookshelves first. They were crammed with thick, ancient-looking volumes the shelves. Most of them seemed to be written in Latin and were illustrated with bizarre pictograms and charts. Paging through them left him with a strange feeling. It was as though he was looking at a new kind of programming code and it was just familiar enough to almost make sense and just different enough to make him wonder if there was some manual out there that he'd neglected to read.

A scrap of paper fluttered out of one of the books. Matthew bent to retrieve it. The handwriting was barely legible, and filled with strange chemical and mathematical formulas. At the bottom the wobbly script read “The stars are right. Ursa Minor is in ascendance. The Pendaroth is among us now 'an unlick'd bear-whelp that carries no impression like the dam'.”

Cripes. Bet he was drunk when he wrote that. With a shrug Matthew replaced the paper and slipped the book back into its place on the shelf. He turned his attention to the stereo system, it looked to be state of the art.

So much for time travel. He thought as he scanned the Dean's CD collection; there weren't any titles he recognized. They were mostly Jazz and Electronic music. None of it was Matthew's cup of tea; country music had always been his passion. As far as he was concerned Western Culture had peaked with the recording career of Johnny Cash.

There was a telephone near the stereo, it looked like a museum piece. Matthew stared at it as he finished the brandy and set the decanter down on an end table. Could he make an outgoing call from Never-Never Land? He reached for his wallet; he'd use his calling card. No reason that this Dean guy should get a long distance bill.

Frowning he patted his pockets, then methodically turned them out one by one.

Great. My wallet is probably back in the tunnel somewhere. No way am I going back there. The Dean will just have to deal with it.

He picked up the receiver not sure who he should call. Laura? His parents? The police? The American Embassy? His fingers dithered over the rotary dial.

A voice breathed from the earpiece. "Number please?" Whoever was speaking they sounded either drunk or half-asleep, "Number please?"

"Hi!" Matthew stammered, "I'm going to- I mean I need to make a long distance call... at least I think it's a long distance call."

There was a long pause and another snuffling groan, "Local calls only... Outlander."

Matthew hung the phone up and backed away. "What?" He whispered, "What the Hell?"

"You're next." Audra walked into the room, her skin was pink and clean; her dark hair hung in loose wet ringlets that she was expertly pining back. She was wearing jeans and a crisp, white tuxedo shirt. Both were several sizes too large.

"Are those the Dean's clothes?"

"Yeah." She towel dried her hair as she approached him.

Matthew retreated, "Won't he miss them?"

"No." Audra grabbed the decanter from the end table and shook it. Her smile became conspiratorial, "Trust me Matthew. I've been doing this for almost a whole semester now."

"But-"

"He's a drunk. He has blackouts. We're cool." She grabbed his hand and led him down the hallway to the still-steaming bathroom. Matthew was appalled at the opulence; the marble floors, the brass and crystal fixtures, the full-length mirrors and a shower wide enough to do gymnastics in.

"Look I don't think I need-"

Audra shook her head and began unbuttoning his dress shirt. "Listen you. The Sentries will be looking for a grubby terrified Outlander not a clean, well-dressed man about town."

"Why are you helping me?"

"There are three things I love in this world, chocolate, shoplifting and anarchy."

Frowning he started to re-button his shirt "I just don't feel comfortable with this."

"Come on." She rolled her eyes, "The shirt's ruined anyways."

"It's not unwearable."

With a curse she grabbed the lapels and tore sending buttons clattering across the tiles. "Now it is. Now get in there before I do something equally horrible to your pants."

Stunned he slipped out of what was left of his best white shirt. This was so humiliating, he turned away from her.

"Goddess!"

"What?" He turned back, a queasy expression had replaced her smug little smile.

"Your back."

"What about my back?" He angled to see his reflection in the full-length mirror. Where he had expected to find a ragged cut his eyes instead found a suppurating wound. It looked like a chemical burn of all things. "Oh no."

"When did this happen?" She touched it tentatively.

He flinched but there was no pain, in fact he couldn't feel much there at all. Was this shock? He wasn't sure, he'd always fallen asleep in Health Class. "When I was running from the Constables. One of them stabbed me..."

Audra ran her fingertips across the wound and back again, "You weren't stabbed Matthew. They zapped you."

"This is from a taser?"

"No." She shook her head and then started picking at it. "They cast a spell on you. It looks like they tried to get you with a good old fashioned Incantation of the Boiling Rind."

"A spell? This is crazy."

A strip of skin came away with sickening ease; it was like peeling away a sunburn. "Crazy or not your darned lucky that your flesh didn't blister and peel from the bone."

"Ow! Now that hurts. Ow!" He watched their reflections with a mixture of horror and fascination, "Do we need to get to a hospital?"

She waved a hand, "No. You'll be fine. You just got scalded. Count your blessings. Now get in the shower and make it quick. I'll get you some clothes."

The patch of skin she had revealed was pale and smooth looking. He wondered how he would explain something like that to Laura. He wondered if she'd even notice. "You're sure I don't need to go to a hospital?"

"Yes I'm sure." she left the room.

When he was sure the door was securely shut behind him he stripped out of the rest of his clothes and got under the water... and screeched.

F-f-f-f-freezing!

Protectively cupping his shriveled genitals he hoped back out of the shower and readjusted the water to something bearable. Then he got back in and lathered up. Immediately he started to relax, his muscles began to unknot, his stomach began to unclench. Leaning forward he put his head directly under the spigot and let it rain down on him. That was much better, he was starting to feel human
gain.

A secret city, a secret magic city no less. Matthew chuckled at the very thought but it was real wasn't it? Well now that he knew what was going on he could deal with it. With Audra's help of course, she was the only person here he could trust. But could he really trust her? For all he knew she might be just as dangerous as the Constables. On the run for my life in a strange place- completely out of my depth. This is like that Emilio Estevez movie with Mick Jagger. I wish I'd stayed to watch the ending now.

He turned and let the water hit his back that felt even better. This was a lot better than the crummy shower he had at home; the one with the peeling tiles and the tap that had only two settings- TOO HOT and TOO COLD. He was so relaxed that he was practically falling asleep on his feet. The events of the day played through his mind but they were disjointed, out of order.

"Did you make a phone call?" Atfirst he thought he'd imagined it, Audra's frantic voice just inches away but then she spoke again, "Did you make a phone call?"

"What are you doing in here?" He shrunk back, the only thing between himself and total embarrassment a filmy shower curtain.

"You did didn't you? I don't believe this! Someone just drove a car through the main gate!"

"It was a stupid phone call. I didn't even make the connection the operator told me there was no long distance service."

"Of course they said that. Everyone knows that except Outlanders." She poked the shower curtain for emphasis.

"So?" He poked back.

"Didn't I warn you that there is a bounty on Outlanders?" She replied her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"No." Matthew paused, "No you didn't."

There was the unmistakable sound of someone slapping their own forehead. "Damnit." She threw a handful of towels over the shower curtain.

He dried off hastily and then wrapped the largest of the towels around his waist.

Audra was there, dressed and ready to go, her knapsack slung over one shoulder a handful of clothes in her hands. He took them from her and blanched. "You don't seriously expect me to wear this."

"They're the height of fashion. Everyone dresses this way."

"You're kidding." He waved a frilled shirt under her nose. "I'll look like a transvestite vampire."

She picked up a container of baby powder and hefted it for a moment before slipping it into her knapsack. "You should be so lucky."

The doorbell rang, Matthew clutched the frilled shirt to his damp chest. "Is that- What- Who?"

"One of the other things I should have mentioned is that our telephone company is pretty much run by Chinese Mobsters."

Making sure he kept the towel securely around his waist Matthew slipped into the underwear and trousers she'd given him. He wasn't a boxers man by nature but this was no time to complain. As he buttoned the trousers he heard a crash from downstairs. "Oh crap." He whimpered.

Audra pulled the on the shirt, helping him slip his arms into the luxuriously cuffed sleeves. "A little less modesty a little more hustle."

"What's the plan?" He asked. She offered him a pair of boots but he declined and put his loafers back on instead.

"We run like Hell that's the plan." She grabbed him by the arm and led him out of the bathroom.

There were four men waiting for them on the landing. Three of them were Asian, they carried semi-automatic weapons and didn't look old enough to be out of high school. The fourth man looked like he'd wandered in after them; he was broad-shouldered and unshaven, wearing bluejeans and a T-shirt emblazoned with a picture of a chimpanzee in a crown. Matthew found his attention shifting from the earring dangling from his right ear to the pistol he held- both were gaudy. The onyx-jeweled earring was like a pirate fashion statement. The pistol was huge, it looked like something out of a movie. Audra froze in place, staring at them.

"Don't go rushing off just yet..." The fourth man smiled amicably, "Outlander."

Click here to continue

IT'S BACK! (and it's moderately bad!)

For those of you interested in such things I have managed to scrounge up enough cash to get my website up and working properly.

http://albruno3.com/ is back!

It of course will have the same material you can find here but you folks get to read it first.

I will not add one of the website's stories here to celebrate this event. I am also doing it because I am crying out for attention.

It is a short novel called Shadows of Polaris and it is one of my favorites.

Watch out I feel a shill coming on!

The next post will be nothing more than a blatant advertisement for my novel. Be warned.

Also I think some of you out there enjoyed Heartbreak with Monsters I have a few other stories in the same 'universe' around here. If you are interested I will share them as well - as soon as I get more work done on Price Breaks and Heart Breaks anyway.

By the way if most of my dark fantasy stories share the same universe I should probably have a name for it.

How about The Brunoverse?

Or maybe The Bruno Zone?

Ah well back to work.

Shill coming on line in 3... 2... 1

I hate goodbyes

I just read the news on the BBCs website;

"Prisoner star McGoohan dies at 80"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7829267.stm

I should tell you that when other kids wanted to play at being cops and robbers I wanted to be Carl Kolchak, or Doctor Who or #6. (That probably explains why the other kids never played with me, they never knew what I was talking about.)

Patrick McGoohan's series The Prisoner was a huge part of my imagination when I was growing up. and still is a huge part of my imagination now.

I never met the man but I will miss him just the same.

May he rest in peace.

I'm feeling a tad nostalgic tonight...

...so I thought I would dig out a story from the old version of my web page.

It's called Heartbreak with Monsters and it was posted on my webpage around 2002 or so.

Of course the irony with that title is that I am a Doctor Who fanatic and the show would have an episode in the second season called Love and Monsters.

Al Bruno III, always ahead of the curve- yet somehow a day late and a dollar short.

Be warned this story is pretty damn long but I think it is worth a read.

Meanwhile I am hard at work at Part 8 of PRICE BREAKS AND HEART BREAKS. The Tallulah/Paper Shredder story was supposed to be just one single part of the story but there was just too much to say.

Thanks for still reading and to paraphrase Mystery Science Theater;

"Keep Circulating the Blog!"

A quick glance at some of my DVD collection...

Please feel free to view these as recommendations or cautionary tales... your mileage varies...


PHANTASM (1979)
Plot: Something sinister is happening to the bodies buried at Morningside cemetery, 12 year old Mike Pearson and his pals decide to investigate.

Ok I’m just gonna put it out there. This is my favorite movie. It’s is as heartfelt as it is surreal, its a coming of age story and a tale of cosmic horror. How can you not love a movie that has transgendered morphing alien morticians, killer dwarves, fingers turning into bugs, brief nudity, random scenes lifted from the novel Dune and an ass kicking hippy ice cream man? I watch this one at least once a year, usually when I’m down in the dumps or on my birthday. Actually at 41 I am usually down the in the dumps on my birthday.



JACK AND THE BEANSTALK (1974)
Plot: Oh come on!

This is one of my favorite animated films. Some 30 years after seeing it I still catch myself humming the songs to myself and I like the slight changes made to the classic fairy tale. In this version of the story the giant is the henpecked son of a nasty witch named Heccuba and the pair of them have taken control of the castle for the kingdom of the sky. There are some scary moments, some funny moments and some moments that are just so goddamn strange I don’t think you’d ever see them in a modern film. This along with The Mouse and His Child are the kind of movies they just don’t make any more.




POINT OF TERROR (1971)
Plot: 40 something singer screws his way to the top.

Now I have discussed this film in the Potentiality section of the board but I am going to talk about it here as well because more people need to see this movie. It ranks right of there in that strange TROLL 2 realm where the movie is so awful that it becomes endlessly fascinating.

This film was in a box set called THE HORRIBLE HORRORS COLLECTION but it isn’t a horror film- it’s the plot of SHOWGIRLS but starring Greg Brady and Ilsa She Wolf of The SS.

See the musical stylings of protagonist Tony Trelos rock out the Lobster House lounge!

Marvel at the tale of a man whose ambition leads him to sleep his way to the top!

Cringe at the sight of star Peter Carpenter bare butt!

Pick your jaw up off the floor after watching a twist ending that would leave M. Night Shyamalan weeping tears of blood!

When I saw this film I was sick with the flu, shuddering and near to retching with fever. I put a movie in the DVD player to try and distract myself. My stunned disbelief at what i was seeing soon became tears of laughter. This film may have saved my life.

And thanks to the wonders of Youtube, here is a taste of the film… it only gets more insane from here…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsUFBEnW1nc