January 11th, Leeds, Platform 4. 10am.
That’s what was agreed, couldn’t have been clearer. Why hadn’t she been brave enough to go back to his flat, or why at least didn’t she get his phone number? She pulled at her coat and sat there wondering what to do now.
¬
January 6th, 11:45am Leeds.
Anyway from memory, no way was it a phone number. He poured out his coffee and sat there wondering what to do now.
~
January 6th,11:17am Leeds
By the way the light was shining into the window, the noises filtering in through the glazing, its daytime.
Clyde pressed down the edge of his pillow to squint at the clock.
‘Shit’
It was eleven seventeen. He rolled over, eyes closed again and felt around to find that warm soft skin. Just cold sheet. He opened his eyes to an empty bed and felt immediately disappointed. Laying still he tried to hear noises she might be making in the bathroom or kitchen. All quiet, her scent lingering up from the folds of the duvet. Propping himself up he tried to hear any movement in the flat at all.
‘Kay?, you up?’
Nothing.
Bugger, she must have snuck off without waking him.
Swinging his feet to the carpet he bent to reach his shorts and was fastening his trousers as he walked into the living room. No one there. She had clearly scampered.
There was half a jug of coffee she’d made still in the machine and Clyde poured it into the mug she’d used. Her lipstick stain said she was a leftie. Another thing he hadn’t known about her.
What a night.
He looked around the flat, it was a shambles and headily redolent of their urgent fumbling and boundary testing of a few hours ago. Clyde walked to open the balcony door, throwing the lounge cushions back into place on his way. He glanced down into the car park, her Alfa was gone. Naturally. So she was away then. He dropped into the armchair and sucked up a mouthful of coffee. Urgh, no milk. Up again, on the way to the fridge collecting some used items to throw into the bin.
A smile bent its way across his face as he remembered that he’d only gone out to get a bottle of milk. He poured milk from the bottle, took another sip of coffee, lent against the bench and allowed himself a wallow in the memories of last night.
He had been in no hurry at the co-op, had got his milk and then idled a while in front of the magazine stand, first flicking through this month’s CAR then got distracted by FHM and a picture spread of their claimed top-ten sex positions. Pretty innocuous stuff really, but worth a look.
That was when he caught her perfume and glanced up.
There was something immediately special about her. Like you get sometimes when you meet someone and there is that thing, like irrational recognition, something that squirts a jolt in your chest.
“Picking up some tips?” She had quipped.
Clyde looked at his bottle of milk not immediately understanding. She giggled at his reaction as he realised she could see the pages of the magazine.
“Always learning” embarrassed, but glancing an appraisal. Nice, and he saw that she had just unhooked a multi-pack of AA batteries.
“Your girl’s best friend run out of spark has it?” he retaliated, instantly thinking ‘shit, too strong.’
Embarrassment was his again as she stared blankly at him for a second before realising what he had implied. To his relief she snorted a laugh and said “Neat come-back.”
“Yeah. Um, sorry about that”
“No worries, I guess I asked for it” she blushed and walked away.
Clyde stood thinking, should he chase her down…nah, too new puppy, should he pretend a lack of interest…, how to reconnect? Why were things always so bloody awkward? Anyway the moment had passed. He put the magazine back, decided to dawdle past the wine counter pretending to trawl for a select bottle of red and eventually he headed to the counter to pay, all the time looking around just a bit to see if he could spot her again.
Outside in the car park the warning lights of a little Alfa flashed as he started to walk home and he saw her fumble with her bags and keys, dropping something in the process. Not thinking this time he’d darted over, picked up the packet of batteries and reached over to open the car’s door.
Smooth he thought. But then blew it by saying “You wouldn’t want to get home without these would you?” Gawd, I’m such a prat he thought. This close her smell was delicious and as she reached to take the batteries her hand brushed his. There was that squirt in the chest again and now he was staring at her, really close up. She just looked back at him. Wide eyes. If it wasn’t her moving in, then for no reason he could fathom he leaned and gave her a kiss. In a heady surge he felt her respond a little and he let go the car door to put his arm around her waist.
Things sort of took on a different slant then, she leaned into him and he felt her body and a hunger hinted at by parting lips and a flick of her tongue before an equally sudden steeliness and a steady pressure pushing him back. He relaxed his hold a bit, stood looking at her unreadable expression and blurted,
“Christ, I don’t know what happened then, I don’t pounce on women, usually, I don’t.”
There was a short pause while they both realised their bodies had not actually stopped touching. The next embrace was mutual and passionate until Clyde broke off gasping for air
“This is not the place, would you like a wine back at my place?”
“Nmmm hmm. I’ll drive, you direct”
The short trip was surreal, her name was Kate, she preferred Kay, must remember that, lived near to the co-op and worked in the city.
He said his name and some other stupid stuff about work and travel and they didn’t look at each other again until Clyde had opened the front door to his flat.
There in the entry hallway, one leg still in his trousers, her bra and pants pulled aside they hungrily satisfied an animal urge. It was frantic, and urgent, gentle and persistent, lingering, shuddering and ultimately rewarding until they lay crumpled and panting gripping each other together combined and spent on the floor.
“So this is my hallway”. He chuckled, burying his face in her hair.
“I don’t know if I’m up for the full house tour” she breathed back.
He kissed her neck and, slowly removing himself, helped her to stand up. “Would you like that glass of wine?” and they headed into the living room. The night then rotated between drinks, embrace, chat, hungry sex , more drinks and eventually a sensuous and delightful couple of hours in his bedroom. Clyde had never experienced anything like it. It was as if he had known her for ages, going from chat to play and back again. To be honest he was fascinated by her, her voice and expressions, her gestures, but given the ongoing distraction of her glorious naked body he had not paid that much attention to what she had been saying. Something repeated about her favourite places and was it train trips and, god she had such a beautiful girl bits he kept wanting to be there, wrapped in her legs and arms and lips. She would be chatting on about taking a trip somewhere but he was rather distracted by the, well, by her everything really.
Gees, finished my coffee. That snapped him out of his reverie and he turned round, re-started the coffee machine and looked about the flat a bit more. He collected the wine bottle, chocolate and honey jars and threw them in the bin. While the coffee was brewing away he noticed the lipstick on the coffee table, it was a message. He stared at it, puzzled.
Clyde presumed she’d used his phone and had made some note while she was talking or , maybe a password or pin number. The text made no sense to him,
CU10,11/1,.plt4 k. and a smiley face. ... cuten eleven, one? P one t four..? peewont fork? … Nope, no sense at all. He wiped it with a dropped face wipe . As soon as he did, it suddenly dawned on him that he had no way of contacting her, no address, no phone. Was the memo her contact details? He peered at the smear to check but had erased it too much.
Anyway from memory, no way was it a phone number. He poured out his coffee and sat there wondering what to do now.
~
“Carol?
Hiya, only me.
Okay I guess. I um , I think I just raped a guy.
Yeah him,
I have not been stalking him.
I so haven’t! It’s your fault anyway, you pointed him out. I just keep seeing him around.
I haven’t Carol, stop it. Anyway his name is Clyde and he’s ..
Clyde, what’s so funny about that?
Do you want to hear or not?
Well I’ve got to tell someone.
Last night at the Co-op,
Yeah well. I thought this time I’d brave-up and say something to him. He was staring at a car mag and I sort of just stood there for a while, well, sort of hoping he’d notice me.
Yeah, anyway, so then I thought if I reached for something he might look. I lent across to grab the nearest thing after he had pulled another magazine out.
Don’t know, it was some lads mag and I made a stupid comment.
Oh, I don’t remember something about needing a sex guide.
Yeah I know. Any-way. He joked about the batteries I’d grabbed and it all went pear-shaped and I ran away.
I couldn’t Carol. I sort of snuck to the checkout while he was off shopping for something else. And then, this bloody new car with its stupid card lock thing. I dropped my shopping trying to get in and he saw me, came over to help and, well, I sort of jumped him I suppose.
I am not.
Yeah, been a while.
No. It wasn’t like that, it was like, mutual, but shit, I got scared and sort of pushed him away …Then he kind of looked at me and, oh I don’t know, I think I was still holding onto him and well, we started again…
Yeah I know. …. I know,
Anyway he asked me back for a drink and things just went sort of crazy.
No I wasn’t … but … listen will you?…
Yeah okay but do you want to listen for a minute?
Whatever. Anyway, we got back to his place and we just sort of went for it.
Yeah, really. Oh Carol, it was fantastic.
No, just inside the front door.
I know. I know. Mad.
Yeah, a bit.
Okay, a lot.
No, we went inside.
To the lounge in front of the fireplace.
Sort of, ended up in his bedroom.
Oh yeah…. Really, really...
Well, different….But he’s a really nice guy.
Yeah, he works out a bit I’d guess , but he listens Carol, he really listens. We talked all the time on and off.
No, alright,
Well,,, we were naked,
Yes, like that, and there was some foodstuff involved
No! Shit Carol. Don’t be revolting.
He was lovely, we just had fun that’s all.
He wants to go on the Leeds to Carlisle trip with me.
Because we talked about it, and anyway you didn’t want to go.
Of course. Anyway I left a lipstick note on his coffee table reminding him.
See you at ten, Jan. 11 , platform 4.
Yeah, next weekend , can’t wait.
No I won’t.
I won’t, I’ll see how it works out after a day with our clothes on!
Ha! Yeah. Yeah, okay.
OKAY! Gees!, yeah, later,
Yeah, Thanks Carol, See you.”
~
That’s what was agreed, couldn’t have been clearer. Why hadn’t she been brave enough to go back to his flat or why at least didn’t she get his phone number? She pulled at the collar of her coat and sat there wondering what to do now.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Artificial
The task was to write a story based on this one word/theme for the February 9 meeting.
The track thumped its way down, stopping sharply where a ledge made a vantage point overlooking a gentle escarpment. Bill ratcheted on the brake, turned off the engine and slid from behind the wheel to drink in the familiar view. Below, a little river cut a dotted glint between the trees and there, just to the left was his retreat. A little sliver of cream sand caught the eye and highlighted a gentle bend. Bill’s smile, if anyone was around, would have made his dentist proud. He gathered his camping kit from the car and as quick as he could he headed off on the 3 mile downhill hike to set up his home of the next few weeks.
Steve banked off the X9 flyway, landed and un-docked his propulsion unit. The geosite was as he had left it. The g-tag indicated there had been no activity here since his discovery. Not surprising really, there was no reason for anyone to divert to this eroded old cliff face. His trained eye could spot immediately the faint traces of the ancient transport relic. It was evidenced by a dim metal stain to the rocks and some decayed thermoplastic fragments. His mission today was to fully report the site, determine the history and wrap it to record. Unhooking and aiming his sonic trowel it immediately detected platinum trace. Fantastic. That should put this find smack into the 30 year time line of his thesis.
The three miles had seemed much longer to Bill this time but to be fair his fitness was not what it was. Smashing a hip always was going to be the risk in motocross racing. The hip replacement had stopped most of his action-man pursuits and even this annual escape had had to wait. It had also meant the trip had now slipped into late summer with the added risk of flooding and, this late in the season, the wildlife would be protecting territories and looking to feed their young.
Late summer, always a time for added caution.
Such thoughts were not top of his consciousness by the end of this first day as he fell back onto his bedding. He looked out past the campfire and watched the sun fade to a red glimmer on the surface of the river. The meal of fresh fish and forest greens had been a great reward for little effort. It was no wonder to Bill why he returned here every year, the absolute solitude, complete peace, no phone network, plenty of food, water and birdsong. Paradise.
Archeology tools had improved a lot but Steve was still required to set out, document and excavate with the same tedium his predecessors had perfected. He scanned a laser grid of the entire site, imaged and morphed the terrain and then began the gradual removal of stratum, cataloging every find. It was only a small site but Steve had allowed himself three days to resolve the mystery. One lone transport relic, in total isolation. It was a wonder to Steve why anyone would choose to come here. The cliff face was the edge of a barren landscape overlooking a desolate sea. He did realise that at the time of the event the geology may well have been a bit different but even back then it would have been very remote, unpopulated and many days travel from the nearest infrastructure.
As the peaceful days glided past Bill reverted slowly to the nature he was living in. There were times he thought of never returning to civilization and just staying here subsisting on natures’ bounty.
The temptation is strong, he humored himself.
Reality however is the great leveler and he knew he was always going to be dependent on his blasted medications. They would be the only reason he would have to plan his return up that 3 mile track and back into community. But that trip was a month and three days away by his pill count. He let out a sigh for the inevitable but all in all he would much rather be feeling well and able to be out here than to be clutching his chest and gasping for breath. Coronary medicine was a modern wonder he was happy to be a beneficiary of.
Steve’s excavations proceeded as planned. It was clear this was a vehicle which was intact and not looted or deformed as so many of these sites turned out to be. The symmetry indicated the relic was most likely abandoned rather than smashed. The thermoplastic load, the interior trim, was contained wholly within the perimeter of corrosion. This was about as much as Steve could glean from the central part of the site as time and technology were not good partners. The platinum had tested as the catalyst component Steve had hoped it was. Organic fuel catalysts were only used for a period of about 40 years so the time line was almost minute perfect. Steve decided that tomorrow he would extend his survey grid and excavate to one meter around the vehicle. See if there were any associated artifacts and then call it a wrap. He had today also determined the vehicle was of an agricultural type, concentrated metal trace at both ends indicated that solid mechanicals probably provided propulsion from each corner of the relic.
Morning was glorious. A light rain had passed over the campsite without waking Bill and his rain trap had harvested an abundant supply of drinking water. Great. Nothing like a big cuppa first thing. Bill cast around looking to see if there was any dry tinder nearby that would accept a flame. The rain had been more intense than Bill had hoped and he had to wander into the scrub a little further than normal in search of dry twigs.
The bite was immediately painful and deep into the middle of his index finger. Two clear puncture marks indicated an unseen snake of a decent size. Bill knew this was not good news, he spat on the wound, wiped off the venom around it, grabbed his wrist and held it aloft to limit circulation. Panic was not what he needed but he could not stop himself imagining the toxins seeping into his system. Stay calm. Three miles. Uphill. The 2 way radio is in the Land Rover. Calm. Keep calm. He got back to camp, washed the wound and bound his arm tightly from the bicep down to the bite. The pain around the bite now was intense.
Water. He’d need the water.
Keys where were the fucking keys?
Right. Calm, walk swiftly.
The pulse was now pounding in Steve’s head. He was getting delirious with excitement. It had to be a human jaw bone. Found almost in the first area he had extended his grid into. It was immediately next to the corrosion perimeter, right where that curious angled line of corrosion was. Steve thought that it was an opening, probably the main entry portal to the vehicle. His call went out immediately. It was a matter of minutes and Steve’s colleagues were on site and all working feverishly at unearthing and recording the remaining grid one meter around the corrosion perimeter. But just one humanoid found.
The jawbone had fallen to dust immediately it was disturbed but the morphing program had recorded and reported its structure. A thirty five year-old male, Caucasian/Mongoloid mix with homo-sapien and neandertal genetic links. So just a common male type of the era. With the identity solved as good as it could be, Steve collated the three indestructible pieces of evidence, the dental caps, the artery stent, the titanium hip joint.
As his professor had drummed into him, find the artifice, find the date. Steve had no doubts now, the report he addend-ed to his thesis stated, "The presumption of events prior to demise of this 34 year old male have been derived from the evidence that the individual had suffered from a chronic decaying physiology, there was evidence of long term poor health and it was further presumed the individual had most likely traveled as far from his civilization that his agricultural vehicle could reach. At the point of the vehicles failure he exited the conveyance to end his pain filled days. Evidentiary substance sampling and chemical analysis of remains would indicate cause of death as being self administered organic poison."
Steve snapped shut his pad, re-docked and programmed his re-entry onto the X9 flyway and home.
The pulse was now pounding in Bill’s head. He was getting delirious from the toxins. He had made it back to the vehicle, he was conscious, not clear-headed but happy to be here. The world had worked for him again, it was far too wonderful a place to leave and he never had any intention of doing so. Bill used the key to unlock the door, reach across to the radio. The battery was dead. Calm. There is an EPIRB in the center console.
Another wave of nausea and searing chest pain made him coil and fall to the ground again. Stay Calm. He lay there in the shadow of the car door, waiting for the agonies and the spasms to ease off again, just this one more time.
They didn’t.
(epirb: Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacons)
The track thumped its way down, stopping sharply where a ledge made a vantage point overlooking a gentle escarpment. Bill ratcheted on the brake, turned off the engine and slid from behind the wheel to drink in the familiar view. Below, a little river cut a dotted glint between the trees and there, just to the left was his retreat. A little sliver of cream sand caught the eye and highlighted a gentle bend. Bill’s smile, if anyone was around, would have made his dentist proud. He gathered his camping kit from the car and as quick as he could he headed off on the 3 mile downhill hike to set up his home of the next few weeks.
Steve banked off the X9 flyway, landed and un-docked his propulsion unit. The geosite was as he had left it. The g-tag indicated there had been no activity here since his discovery. Not surprising really, there was no reason for anyone to divert to this eroded old cliff face. His trained eye could spot immediately the faint traces of the ancient transport relic. It was evidenced by a dim metal stain to the rocks and some decayed thermoplastic fragments. His mission today was to fully report the site, determine the history and wrap it to record. Unhooking and aiming his sonic trowel it immediately detected platinum trace. Fantastic. That should put this find smack into the 30 year time line of his thesis.
The three miles had seemed much longer to Bill this time but to be fair his fitness was not what it was. Smashing a hip always was going to be the risk in motocross racing. The hip replacement had stopped most of his action-man pursuits and even this annual escape had had to wait. It had also meant the trip had now slipped into late summer with the added risk of flooding and, this late in the season, the wildlife would be protecting territories and looking to feed their young.
Late summer, always a time for added caution.
Such thoughts were not top of his consciousness by the end of this first day as he fell back onto his bedding. He looked out past the campfire and watched the sun fade to a red glimmer on the surface of the river. The meal of fresh fish and forest greens had been a great reward for little effort. It was no wonder to Bill why he returned here every year, the absolute solitude, complete peace, no phone network, plenty of food, water and birdsong. Paradise.
Archeology tools had improved a lot but Steve was still required to set out, document and excavate with the same tedium his predecessors had perfected. He scanned a laser grid of the entire site, imaged and morphed the terrain and then began the gradual removal of stratum, cataloging every find. It was only a small site but Steve had allowed himself three days to resolve the mystery. One lone transport relic, in total isolation. It was a wonder to Steve why anyone would choose to come here. The cliff face was the edge of a barren landscape overlooking a desolate sea. He did realise that at the time of the event the geology may well have been a bit different but even back then it would have been very remote, unpopulated and many days travel from the nearest infrastructure.
As the peaceful days glided past Bill reverted slowly to the nature he was living in. There were times he thought of never returning to civilization and just staying here subsisting on natures’ bounty.
The temptation is strong, he humored himself.
Reality however is the great leveler and he knew he was always going to be dependent on his blasted medications. They would be the only reason he would have to plan his return up that 3 mile track and back into community. But that trip was a month and three days away by his pill count. He let out a sigh for the inevitable but all in all he would much rather be feeling well and able to be out here than to be clutching his chest and gasping for breath. Coronary medicine was a modern wonder he was happy to be a beneficiary of.
Steve’s excavations proceeded as planned. It was clear this was a vehicle which was intact and not looted or deformed as so many of these sites turned out to be. The symmetry indicated the relic was most likely abandoned rather than smashed. The thermoplastic load, the interior trim, was contained wholly within the perimeter of corrosion. This was about as much as Steve could glean from the central part of the site as time and technology were not good partners. The platinum had tested as the catalyst component Steve had hoped it was. Organic fuel catalysts were only used for a period of about 40 years so the time line was almost minute perfect. Steve decided that tomorrow he would extend his survey grid and excavate to one meter around the vehicle. See if there were any associated artifacts and then call it a wrap. He had today also determined the vehicle was of an agricultural type, concentrated metal trace at both ends indicated that solid mechanicals probably provided propulsion from each corner of the relic.
Morning was glorious. A light rain had passed over the campsite without waking Bill and his rain trap had harvested an abundant supply of drinking water. Great. Nothing like a big cuppa first thing. Bill cast around looking to see if there was any dry tinder nearby that would accept a flame. The rain had been more intense than Bill had hoped and he had to wander into the scrub a little further than normal in search of dry twigs.
The bite was immediately painful and deep into the middle of his index finger. Two clear puncture marks indicated an unseen snake of a decent size. Bill knew this was not good news, he spat on the wound, wiped off the venom around it, grabbed his wrist and held it aloft to limit circulation. Panic was not what he needed but he could not stop himself imagining the toxins seeping into his system. Stay calm. Three miles. Uphill. The 2 way radio is in the Land Rover. Calm. Keep calm. He got back to camp, washed the wound and bound his arm tightly from the bicep down to the bite. The pain around the bite now was intense.
Water. He’d need the water.
Keys where were the fucking keys?
Right. Calm, walk swiftly.
The pulse was now pounding in Steve’s head. He was getting delirious with excitement. It had to be a human jaw bone. Found almost in the first area he had extended his grid into. It was immediately next to the corrosion perimeter, right where that curious angled line of corrosion was. Steve thought that it was an opening, probably the main entry portal to the vehicle. His call went out immediately. It was a matter of minutes and Steve’s colleagues were on site and all working feverishly at unearthing and recording the remaining grid one meter around the corrosion perimeter. But just one humanoid found.
The jawbone had fallen to dust immediately it was disturbed but the morphing program had recorded and reported its structure. A thirty five year-old male, Caucasian/Mongoloid mix with homo-sapien and neandertal genetic links. So just a common male type of the era. With the identity solved as good as it could be, Steve collated the three indestructible pieces of evidence, the dental caps, the artery stent, the titanium hip joint.
As his professor had drummed into him, find the artifice, find the date. Steve had no doubts now, the report he addend-ed to his thesis stated, "The presumption of events prior to demise of this 34 year old male have been derived from the evidence that the individual had suffered from a chronic decaying physiology, there was evidence of long term poor health and it was further presumed the individual had most likely traveled as far from his civilization that his agricultural vehicle could reach. At the point of the vehicles failure he exited the conveyance to end his pain filled days. Evidentiary substance sampling and chemical analysis of remains would indicate cause of death as being self administered organic poison."
Steve snapped shut his pad, re-docked and programmed his re-entry onto the X9 flyway and home.
The pulse was now pounding in Bill’s head. He was getting delirious from the toxins. He had made it back to the vehicle, he was conscious, not clear-headed but happy to be here. The world had worked for him again, it was far too wonderful a place to leave and he never had any intention of doing so. Bill used the key to unlock the door, reach across to the radio. The battery was dead. Calm. There is an EPIRB in the center console.
Another wave of nausea and searing chest pain made him coil and fall to the ground again. Stay Calm. He lay there in the shadow of the car door, waiting for the agonies and the spasms to ease off again, just this one more time.
They didn’t.
(epirb: Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacons)
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