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Friday 27 March 2009

Twisted tales


Meet my new pet, Boblett.


I am so spacey right now I don't even know what dimension I am in. I feel like I am on some kind of drugs, but never having taken drugs I couldn't tell you which one.

It does not help that I have been reading Kafka on the shore, by Haruki Murakami, which is a pretty spaced out novel. Colonel Saunders is a major character (finger-licking good!). It is brilliant. But it is messing with my sense of reality, which was shaky to begin with.

The novel reminded me of something I wrote for my first writing class ever last year. We were supposed to write a really short story of a few hundred words.

I am not comparing my writing quality with that of Mr Murakami, but the trippiness and the weirdness do slightly correspond.

Basically I am too dazed to write a real post, so here is my random story:


The magnifying glass

 

Walter tugged fractiously at his tie. The heat on the underground made his lungs feel as if they were coated with fur. His eyes darted over his newspaper.

The train stopped. Willie lumbered on, clutching a magnifying glass in his clammy hand. Walter could not stop himself from examining Willie, who was wearing a yellow Hawaiian shirt and blue Bermuda shorts. He was pink, and dripping with perspiration.

Willie heaved himself into the seat next to Walter.

“Of course,” thought Walter, “this fluorescent walrus would choose to sit next to me.”

Willie tapped Walter’s shoulder.

“D’yew know,” he slurred, “with this magnifying glass, I can see my very soul.”

“He is drunk,” thought Walter. “No, I think he is in fact high on something.” He continued staring fixedly at the headlines.

“D’yew wanna see your soul?” asked Willie.

Inwardly Walter groaned, “leave me in peace you damp fool.”

To Willie he replied, “No thank you, I’m afraid I am late for a very important meeting.”

He started to stand up, but Willie grabbed his arm, and spoke in an altered, measured tone:

“That is a pity, Walter, because any man afraid to look into his soul will be felled by his own shadow.”

A drop of sweat formed on Walter’s forehead and ran down into his eye. Things became blurry after this. On reflection Walter thought it must have been his swampy state of mind that had prevented him from questioning how the man knew his name.

“All right then. Show me my soul.”

The train stopped. Willie lurched to his feet.

“We’d best get off here.”

Outside the station, Willie held up the glass, and Walter peered in. He gasped. There was a gust of wind.

His shadow winked out.

14 comments:

Miss T said...

Seriously trippy lass...i like. Tell me more!

Anonymous said...

Oi, feel as though I am living in a twilight zone at the moment too! Love your writing :-)

6000 said...

EtBr

henno said...

I like! Just trying to imagine a fluorescent walrus is kinda trippy.

Janine / Being Brazen said...

Cool - i like.

your a bit off the wall...and i love it :)

Sass said...

And now I want more.

Anonymous said...

Spaced out - in a deep way! Loved the story.

po said...

Miss T: um there is no more. That is the end. I am not good at making up more than short fragments like that. I will leave the rest up to your imagination.

Tay: maybe we will meet there!

6000: but does it make you trip out? I thought it just made you cool at nightclubs.

henno: haha, I think I sound a bit like the Beatles now!

BB: Today even more so. In fact there is no wall in sight.

Sass: no more. I tried to make more actually but it was pretty complete, at least to me.

Ladyfi: have you read Kafka on the shore? I think you might like it. It is like one of those anime movies.

Anonymous said...

Ur pet be sweet.

I'm so getting that book; it sounds like my kinda book. Haruki Mirakami? isn't that a pop-art designer? I'll look it up...

Your sotry? To be honest; I was too tired to read it so I just commented on what I read. I'll read it when; I'm functioning in my brain

Have a great weekend!

Janine / Being Brazen said...

*care bear stare* (thats even more hardcore than a care bear hug)

Khadija said...

Po, Congrats on SA blog..Micha, the pigeon on my balcony alerted me to the list of finalists and threatened to peck my eyes out when I questioned him further. You could say that he is rather an aloof bird. Half the time, i can't understand what the heck he is talking about.

po said...

Paula: you will love the book, but he is a writer not an artist. Haha at least you are honest, thanks!

BB: ooh a care bear stare! Those are petty powerful.

Khadija: thanks so much! Hectic, your bird friend sounds a bit... insistent. I wonder how he knew about me though? Do I have a stalker?

Khadija said...

He is friendlyish with Boblet, your pet. Check this pic out - image of madness? Lets hope Micha doesn't turn out like this..although I am seeing symptoms when it comes to bread crumb distribution (and it ain't pretty!)

http://photos.mg.co.za/view_photo.php?gid=229&pid=3555

po said...

Khadija: How can the man even be smiling? IT kind of gives me chills