(Continues from a Street Called Mercy)
Luminous wings flapped,
while thunder clapped
drowning out my screams.
The knife ripped my seams,
gouged out my dreams,
tore through what remained,
when death’s chains wrapped
spectral flesh ’round the gap
left by a mishap
robbing me of a recap
of why I’m trapped.
Instead of getting answers, I’m dangling from a winged knife lodged in my back. And either my edged captor’s dying my ghostly flesh with its light, or I’m turning yellow. Either way, it’s not a good look for me. I’m no Coldplay.
Beneath my feet slid the mousetrap known as NYC. I was a struggling mouse in an arcane eagle’s talons. All my attempts to break free lodged the knife deeper between my shoulder blades. Jase, what the hell did you get yourself into? And why is your mess inflicting itself on me? What did I do to deserve this?
No answer came because the knife was too busy abducting me to carve out a reply. I should be grateful, but I’m tired of all the guesswork. The knife dove, tucking its luminous wings in close to my body, and we fell. The glass and steel quills on NYC’s back rose to meet us. I covered my head.
The knife tore out of my back releasing me, and I flopped onto the pavement. An orange haze overhung the alley pushing on the buildings, warping them into crazy curls. I picked myself up and glared at the knife. It pointed at the swirling lights behind a wrought iron fence. I’d found Hell’s Carnival. Was I ready to walk in there to learn the truth?
Find the earlier parts of this series here.
For the November Notes Writing Challenge hosted by Sarah Doughty of Heartstring Eulogies and Rosema of A Reading Writer. 30 more days of your favorite ghost and his poetic adventures. Enjoy!
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“Beneath my feet slid the mousetrap known as NYC.” -> I’ve never thought of NYC as a mousetrap before but this comparison got me pausing and pondering that. Moving on to the next chapter!
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Thank you 🙂 I guess it’s because I grew up in suburbia that I see the city that way. I’ve had trouble finding my way out of it on numerous occasions!
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I just became a ghost while reading this one! Phew!! You’re a great storyteller, Mel. You have the magic to take us to your world in an instant. Can’t wait for the next one.<3
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Thank you! This is high praise indeed!
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Hell’s carnival sounds scary! I like how you used the song. “I’m no Coldplay.” I love that line 🙂
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Thank you Mandy! We’ll see 🙂
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HAHA! I agree with NJ!!! the installments. geeeez. more!!
And hey, the imagery! so vivid!
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Thank you! I love vivid imagery. I like to see everything and ghost is fond of showing me his world in hyper real detail 🙂
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oooh. then great job Ghost!
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I’d tell him, but I don’t want him to get a swelled head! 🙂
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hahaha! is that possible?? haha
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I’d rather not find out! 🙂
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Whoo! This is nail-bitingly nuts! I’m going to be the Queen of patience by the end of it as I sit waiting for each instalment 😀
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Thank you! This is high praise indeed. I’m as much on edge as you are. The main character shows me only so much and no more each time I sit down to write an installment.
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Oh, very nice!
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Thank you 🙂
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