Writing

11/24/2005 10:21:00 p.m.

So I haven't been posting here much lately. Nano has kind of taken over.

Here's a sample, if you're interested:

In the slice of time between heartbeats, civilizations were born, flourished, grew corrupt, collapsed into warring nation-states. Continents crawled across oceans, met, rose heavenward in himalayan mountain-building.

He could see the slug, could see the eye-searing brilliance of the expanding gases. Sir Edouard was coming to his feet, moving slow, as slow as if he were embedded in honey. Tiny sunlets of flame and smoke puffed from the anti-recoil holes along the pistol's barrel, swelling in excruciating slow motion.

He was embedded in a block of plastic, unable to draw a breath. Nothing would move for him. He wanted to scream but he might as well not have had a mouth.

Sir Edouard had unfolded himself from his seiza position. He was almost to his feet. His eyes were flat mirrors, reflecting the flame of his pistol's muzzle. His mouth was set in a narrow, lipless line. His halo of snow had burst from him like a starburst, a white cloud enveloping his head. It might have been comical but for the expression on his face.

As Yakoub watched, his paralysis complete, the knight took a step, impossibly slow, then another and another. Slowly, inexorably, he closed the gap between them.

The snowflakes remained where they were as he approached, slow as a glacier. One step, and another, and another. He stopped, heels together, two paces away from Yakoub, and reached up with an arm.

With the speed of a continent, he plucked the slug from the air. A chill smile spread across his face. His eyes glittered with reflected flame.

Want more? Here's the whole thing: Salyx. 38,000 words so far, by the word counter in OpenOffice.org 2.0.

How's your November?