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{"When you're in doubt,
And when you're in danger,
Take a look around,
And I'll be there."
- "The Promise" by Clive Farrington.}
{Ghost of Samuel Clemens, here. My fingers tremble as I turn the pages of Roland's journal, for I know what is to happen shortly.
The ghosts of Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Marlene Dietrich, me -- and of course, Roland,
have just dodged the bullet with the mysterious DayStar and the revenant, Major Strasser.
Marlene, being Marlene, has just succeeded in hurting Roland.
Bogart has just given him his trench coat when we are surprised by the one person we never expected. I'll let Roland's journal entry take it from here } :
I turned to the direction of their eyes.
Toya.
Still dressed as a mini-skirted buccaneer. Marlene's saber was a blur. Its edge stopped at the woman's throat.
A trinkle of blood slowly trinkled down coffee-cream flesh.
"Marlene," I said softly. "She did what she thought was right."
Lauren Bacall sneered. "They said that a lot at Nuremberg."
I turned. "Hush, DayStar."
Bogey stared at me as if I were insane.
Lauren just laughed, her body flowing like quickly melting ice. No spooky music. Just silence. And more frightening because of that.
Lauren Bacall disappeared like the innocence of childhood. In her place, tall and arrogant, stood DayStar.
Bogey sprang back as he glared at the tall man in a gray Armani suit, his face hidden by shadows that flickered like demons escaped from Hell.
Bogey went sick pale, and I turned to him. "Lauren Bacall is still alive in my world. I thought she was just visiting you in her dreams until ...."
In words hollow and golden as ghost bells in the night, DayStar said, "Until I goaded you to look at me with your accursed Sight."
Gray eyes stabbed at me from the shadows of his face. "So you can recognize me no matter what shape I take. I had to know. Now, I do."
I bit back the words that came to me. I couldn't tell. Not all the time. Just when I forced myself to look beneath the surface.
He bowed slightly, "The flames are right through that door."
And then, he folded sideways, like a spindling frame of burning film, to disappear right in front of us.
"What door?," I frowned.
Mark Twain rasped, nodding behind me. "That door."
I turned around. The breath left me, and my chest became ice.
The door of Nasah, the gateway to testing, the portal to the end of all flesh.
***
And when you're in danger,
Take a look around,
And I'll be there."
- "The Promise" by Clive Farrington.}
{Ghost of Samuel Clemens, here. My fingers tremble as I turn the pages of Roland's journal, for I know what is to happen shortly.
The ghosts of Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Marlene Dietrich, me -- and of course, Roland,
have just dodged the bullet with the mysterious DayStar and the revenant, Major Strasser.
Marlene, being Marlene, has just succeeded in hurting Roland.
Bogart has just given him his trench coat when we are surprised by the one person we never expected. I'll let Roland's journal entry take it from here } :
I turned to the direction of their eyes.
Toya.
Still dressed as a mini-skirted buccaneer. Marlene's saber was a blur. Its edge stopped at the woman's throat.
A trinkle of blood slowly trinkled down coffee-cream flesh.
"Marlene," I said softly. "She did what she thought was right."
Lauren Bacall sneered. "They said that a lot at Nuremberg."
I turned. "Hush, DayStar."
Bogey stared at me as if I were insane.
Lauren just laughed, her body flowing like quickly melting ice. No spooky music. Just silence. And more frightening because of that.
Lauren Bacall disappeared like the innocence of childhood. In her place, tall and arrogant, stood DayStar.
Bogey sprang back as he glared at the tall man in a gray Armani suit, his face hidden by shadows that flickered like demons escaped from Hell.
Bogey went sick pale, and I turned to him. "Lauren Bacall is still alive in my world. I thought she was just visiting you in her dreams until ...."
In words hollow and golden as ghost bells in the night, DayStar said, "Until I goaded you to look at me with your accursed Sight."
Gray eyes stabbed at me from the shadows of his face. "So you can recognize me no matter what shape I take. I had to know. Now, I do."
I bit back the words that came to me. I couldn't tell. Not all the time. Just when I forced myself to look beneath the surface.
He bowed slightly, "The flames are right through that door."
And then, he folded sideways, like a spindling frame of burning film, to disappear right in front of us.
"What door?," I frowned.
Mark Twain rasped, nodding behind me. "That door."
I turned around. The breath left me, and my chest became ice.
The door of Nasah, the gateway to testing, the portal to the end of all flesh.
***
Nice. "The portal to the end of all flesh" is a spooky thought...
ReplyDelete...you've got me picturing DayStar as a male version of Medusa and I'm not entirely sure why.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Roland, with an all-star cast from the past!
Have a great holiday weekend,
EL
Deliciously imaginative, Roland, with an outstanding cast, no less.
ReplyDeleteDoh!!! *face palm AND a head slap* How did I miss that? Of course Ms. Bacall is still alive!!! Duh. And I could've sworn Hemingway was the one strolling toward them. Hmmmm, very slick Mr. Yeomans. Very slick. All this time and no one questioned Lauren being there. Wow. Observant I'm apparently not.
ReplyDeleteCurious what happens to Roland when he goes through that door....
Intriguing cast! Although I'd trade Humphrey Bogart for someone nicer- maybe Clark Gable. ;)
ReplyDeleteStephanie : I've always been fond of Bogart. CASABLANCA to me is the perfect movie. The script was literally written day by day, too.
ReplyDeleteAs for Marlene Dietrich, she was a true hero in WWII. She turned down the world offered her by Hitler to return to Germany.
Then, for 3 years, she made no films -- instead, with a death sentence on her head from Hitler, she entertained the troops ON THE FRONT LINES. She slept in jeeps, in tents, and on dirt floors that trembled with the impact of neary mortar fire.
Words Crafter : Happy I could surprise you. The living can visit Meilori's in dreams, but not often. And things get ... interesting when my avatar goes through the Door of Nasah ("testing" in ancient Hebrew.)
Wendy : So great to have you comment again. And I tried to make my ghostly mystery everything I would want to read. Things are about to "heat up" for my poor avatar.
Elliot : How insightful ... in a way. DayStar is a sort of Medusa, who turns to stone the hopes, dreams, and loves of those hapless mortals he crosses paths with.
Amanda : In my novels, the Door to Nasah leads to a strange dimension called Kol Basar (ancient Hebrew for "the end of all flesh." My avatar is about to learn that no good deed goes unpunished. Thanks for commenting.
:)
ReplyDeleteThese posts with the ghosts and spirits of actors and writers never cease to mesmerize me. Loved this :))
ReplyDelete"The portal to the end of all flesh." Wow great! Sent shivers up my spine.
ReplyDeletegreat images in this one. this is my favorite line" In words hollow and golden as ghost bells in the night, DayStar said, "Until I goaded you to look at me with your accursed Sight."
ReplyDeleteIt gives such a haunted poetic feel to the voice.
Pretty wild, Roland. Don't know quite what to make of it yet!
ReplyDeleteWhats behind door number 2, Monty?
ReplyDelete........dhole
You're giving me goosebumps! Not that that's unusual:)
ReplyDeleteToya! Gah! I'm with Words Crafter, I thought it would be Hemingway for some reason and I was thinking, "NO! Don't end it YET!!!"
ReplyDeleteLove the twists and turns, ~that rebel, Olivia