Floodlit World

This is how the world ends: not with a whimper...

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Short Story: ‘Paris in Flames’

Posted by Floodlit World on April 28, 2013
Posted in: Drama, Life-Writing, Short Story. Tagged: Adultery, Broken, Childhood, Divorce, Innocence, love, Simplicity, trust. Leave a Comment

parisinflamesParents work mainly in simplifications. Ask a question and you’ll receive precisely enough information to shut you up. As you get older, the questions become more complex as do the answers. A system of gradual revelation. Television took gradual out of the equation. Somewhere in Gloucester a three-year-old watches Titanic and asks, “Daddy, what are they doing in the back of that car?” In Austin, Texas, a seven-year-old watches an episode of CSI, “Mommy, what’s auto-erotic asphyxiation?” In Brighton a ten-year-old – me – watches an episode of Quantum Leap and then asks the question, “Mum, what does rape mean?”

The accepted parental answers are: You see, when a boy loves a girl… When a boy has no one else to love… When a boy hurts a girl…

Simplifications are all parents think we can handle. Simplifications lead to me seeing Richard West hitting Stacy Nichols on the arm in a deserted stairwell; to me running into my first year class of middle-school and yelling out, “Mr. Lockley! Mr. Lockley! Richard’s raping Stacy on the staircase.”

Maybe parents do it for their own benefit too. One day I asked my mother, “Why doesn’t Dad live with us anymore?” The whole truth flashed through her eyes, her pain was synthesised into tears: one part heartbreak to two parts oblivion. I can’t imagine how she could have put that into words. My bite-sized truth for the day:

“Because he decided he didn’t love me anymore. But he still loves you boys very very much.”

For a time, that was enough.

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Short Story: ‘Moneta’

Posted by Floodlit World on January 24, 2013
Posted in: Drama, Science Fiction, Short Story. Tagged: Capitalism, Consumers, guilt, Memory, Rehabilitation, relationships, Remorse, Robbery, Vengeance. Leave a Comment

moneta

[Case number: HMPS-PET-07673201
Name: Ragnell, K.
Evidence code: 9201/F/09012019
Evidence type: Moneta - verbal stream-of-consciousness log,
interpreted by Joseph, K from raw data file - 0007h]

My name is Kaylee Yvonne Ragnell. I am twenty-six years old. The date is July 23, 2004. The prime minister is Edward Miliband.

As the two of us slam the doors of the panther black Ford Focus – almost in sync – I pull the balaclava down over my face. I’ve had three day pub crawls where I’ve felt better than I feel right now. My head feels like it’s inside a centrifuge. I can focus on a thought and it seems to be pulled out from under me. I can’t recall any of the little things before now. Did I eat breakfast? What did we talk about on the way here? What the hell is that in my pocket stabbing at my thigh? Who on earth is Edward Miliband? The prime minister is Tony Blair. If I was at work now, someone would be recommending me to the padded room, I’m sure.

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Elysian Cross – 1×01 – Pilot

Posted by Floodlit World on November 4, 2012
Posted in: Drama, Fantasy, Series. Tagged: Ability, Bankruptcy, destiny, Immortality, New Beginnings, Riches to Rags, Suicide, Supernatural, The 99%. Leave a Comment

Cycles mean everything in life. The waves on the beaches swell and break, water evaporates into clouds before raining down again, the earth orbits the sun, the moon shifts through its phases from full to new. People are born, then they die. Empires rise, then they crumble.

The moon was there somewhere in the sky, a circle of black against an expanse of black. Christopher Menzies searched for it in the sky, as he looked over the edge, he wished he could have seen the moon one last time. Squares of light encircled him, everywhere about there were people in their offices, in their homes: laughing, playing, making love, fighting, working; they were all a part of life’s feast. He kicked off his shoes, their black leather glimmering in the lanterns which adorned the rooftop with yellow light. He bowed his feet, first one then the other to remove his socks. He wanted to feel the grass between his toes. He took a deep breath before turning around. In the distance, other people stood talking, they sat at tables sipping from their champagne glasses as the enjoyed each other’s company. No one noticed the shoeless man near the edge of the roof-garden, laying the jacket of his suit down over the railings. Christopher stroked his head, dismayed at the increasing bald spot on his crown. Nobody deserved to go bald at thirty-eight. He took one last gulp of his drink before placing the empty glass down on the grass. Stepping forward to lean against the rails, he savoured one last detailed look at the London skyline. Buildings stood against the night sky like an ECG readout: the heartbeat of the city. He placed his bare foot on the first rail, he almost drew back from its coldness, then he realised the ridiculousness of that impulse considering the context. The foot stayed, he shifted his weight forward, preparing to climb the other four railings.

“Just an exquisite night for it,” a male voice called from behind him.

Christopher turned his head without changing his position. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to be alone,” he replied.

“But you are alone aren’t you? That’s why people usually do this dance. Life gave everybody else a glittering world of hope, love, wealth, joy and contentedness, but not them.”

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Serial: ‘Delete Yourself’ – Part 3

Posted by Floodlit World on September 5, 2012
Posted in: Cyberpunk, Drama, Science Fiction, Serial, Thriller. Tagged: escape, family, loyalty, power, Ragnorarc, safety, secrets, sword, tension, torture. Leave a Comment

(…continued from part one and part two)

Chapter 8

"So… Daemon. How've you been?" Hanin asked the crumpled mess on the floor.

The crumpled mess moaned pathetically.

"Really? How fascinating. I've been thinking that I really need to branch out more too. Maybe revisit my fear of ambition. I mean, I just stay in this nice warm home, with people I care about, eating and drinking and trying my best to make the world a better place. But I get it. At the end of the day, what do I have? A sense of purpose, true. A feeling of belonging, correct. The backing of a generous benefactor, ding. Yet it's all so… what’s the word…? Suffocating? Speaking of, how's the breathing going there good buddy?" Hanin kneeled down over Daemon, surveying his injuries in detail.

She took Mishka to one side of the lobby. Remnants of the old interior remained, the glass partition to their side was cracked and finished in grime, but the odd lapse in opacity was present, revealing the dim silhouette of a desk, filing cabinet and various piles of clothing. Beneath their feet lay a faded red carpet, one which once shone with a pattern of black diamonds and stars, now they were all-but lost beneath the boot-stains, beneath the dust, and amid the frequent torn holes. Hanin looked towards the small wooden staircase behind her, it was the one part which still looked new, mostly because they had to repair it a few years back when it started claiming a few too many legs through its five steps. She hit her Cynet and broadcast to the room where she'd left the newcomers.

"Fawkes, Loomis. First of all I'd like to take this opportunity to whole-heartedly welcome you to the team. The CSS is committed to offering employees a once-in-a-lifetime experience which not only rewards, but also builds within you the traits and skills needed to achieve greater things. Between us, the future will be bright. Secondly, could one of you bring a first aid kit up to the ground floor lobby, and maybe a mop?"

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‘Necrocracy: Personal Brand of Heroine’

Posted by Floodlit World on August 12, 2012
Posted in: Erotic, Horror, Science Fiction, Short Story Collection. Tagged: apocalypse, bridge, choice, delusion, hunting, love, personification, stalker, survival, trust. Leave a Comment

July 28th, 1 AI (Anno Inmortuis)

I remember an interview I had with a career counsellor back in high school. He kept going on and on about me needing to decide what I wanted to do with my life. “Jobs give us fulfilment Katherine, jobs give us a purpose Katherine. You need to engage in your life more Katherine,” he said. I had like, no answer for him. Most of my friends had decided back in 9th grade, but not me. I wanted to do nothing. Looks like I got my wish.

The days are hard to keep track of. My phone died a while back, the calendars ran out and the newspapers stopped arriving. I can count the nights, but I can’t remember if this year was a leap year, or if March has 31 days or 30. Stupid things like that. Where’s Google when you need it!

It’s getting quieter here, back before the riot, our town had about 5,000 people. Now I think we’re down to 50. You’d think we’d all stay together, pooling our resources, keeping each other company, but we don’t. The only other person on my road still around is Leah Maclay. Her parents died back in October before last. Nothing restores your faith in humanity like a crisis. Everyone gets scared and their first thought is: “I must protect myself and my family.” Where do they go? To the gun store. How many people turn up at once with the same exact thought? Hundreds, maybe a thousand. So did they (a), agree to ration ammo like civilized people, or (b), shoot the hell out of each other. If you picked A, I like your optimism. If you picked B, I like your accuracy. I’m starting to see the importance of a purpose, a goal. Wake up, try to wash, find food, read, sleep. So boring. Even my 50 Shades fanfic can only entertain for so long.

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‘Necrocracy: Liberation Frequency’

Posted by Floodlit World on August 2, 2012
Posted in: Horror, Science Fiction, Short Story Collection. Tagged: apocalypse, collection, file-sharing, friendship, hacking, hope, horror, life, necro, short story, zombie. Leave a Comment
          _____            _____                   _______         
         /\    \          /\    \                 /::\    \        
        /::\____\        /::\    \               /::::\    \       
       /:::/    /       /::::\    \             /::::::\    \      
      /:::/    /       /::::::\    \           /::::::::\    \     
     /:::/    /       /:::/\:::\    \         /:::/~~\:::\    \    
    /:::/    /       /:::/__\:::\    \       /:::/    \:::\    \   
   /:::/    /       /::::\   \:::\    \     /:::/    / \:::\    \  
  /:::/    /       /::::::\   \:::\    \   /:::/____/   \:::\____\ 
 /:::/    /       /:::/\:::\   \:::\    \ |:::|    |     |:::|    |
/:::/____/       /:::/  \:::\   \:::\____\|:::|____|     |:::|____|
\:::\    \       \::/    \:::\   \::/    / \:::\   _\___/:::/    / 
 \:::\    \       \/____/ \:::\   \/____/   \:::\ |::| /:::/    /  
  \:::\    \               \:::\    \        \:::\|::|/:::/    /   
   \:::\    \               \:::\____\        \::::::::::/    /    
    \:::\    \               \::/    /         \::::::::/    /     
     \:::\    \               \/____/           \::::::/    /      
      \:::\    \                                 \::::/____/       
       \:::\____\                                 |::|    |        
        \::/    /                                 |::|____|        
         \/____/                                   ~~          
>¿ƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒŸ
>≥≤≤≤≤≤±∞  F i L E   i N F O  ∞±≤≤≤≤≤≤≤≤≤≤≤≤≤≤≤≤≤≤≤≤≤≤≤≤≤≤≤≤≤≤≤≤≤≥
>¿ƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒŸ
>  ⁄ƒƒø                                                       ⁄ƒƒø 
>  ≥≤≤≥    TiTLE......[ How to Train your Nec                 ≥≤≤≥ 
>  ≥≤≤≥    GENRE......[ Saving the Motherfuckin’-World Docu.  ≥≤≤≥ 
>  ≥≤≤≥    RUNTiME....[ 43:18                                 ≥≤≤≥ 
>  ≥≤≤≥                                                       ≥≤≤≥
>  ≥≤≤≥    AUDiO......[ MP3 48000Hz 128 kb/s CBR (2 chnls)    ≥≤≤≥
>  ≥≤≤≥    LANGUAGE...[ English                               ≥≤≤≥ 
>  ≥≤≤≥    ViDEO......[ 916 kbps XviD 29.976 FPS              ≥≤≤≥ 
>  ≥≤≤≥    Q. FRAME...[ 0.193 bits*pixel                      ≥≤≤≥ 
>  ≥≤≤≥    RESOLUTiON.[ 1920 x 1080                           ≥≤≤≥ 
>  ≥≤≤≥    DAR........[ 2.451 (49:20)                         ≥≤≤≥ 
>  ≥≤≤≥    SUBS.......[ None                                  ≥≤≤≥ 
>  ≥≤≤≥    FiLES......[ 2                                     ≥≤≤≥ 
>  ≥≤≤≥    SiZE.......[ 512 MB                                ≥≤≤≥ 
>  ≥±±≥    SOURCE.....[ Self-shot on Panasonic HX-DC1         ≥≤≤≥
>  ≥∞∞≥                                                       ≥∞∞≥ 
>  ¿ƒƒŸ                                                       ¿ƒƒŸ 
> ⁄Ƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒƒø

“The hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out…” – John 5:28-29

It was raining that day as well. One drop hit the pavement, and it was a day like any other. The next drop splashed down and everything changed. We all remember where we were last October 30, for most of us, it marked the first time we ran for our lives, the first time we barricaded our windows, the first time we jammed up the motorways trying to escape. I chose to stay. Looking back it was a decision which saved my life, which led to me being here 11 months later, sending this video to you all. The video which may put the odds in our favour for once.

Barely 12 months ago, when you saw the LFQ logo, it meant one thing: you were about to snag yourself some high-quality DVD-rippage. All of this with no cost to the tax-payer. Where are the rest of the corporate services now? Youtube, Vimeo, Facebook, Twitter, barely weeks after the Necs rose, the dollar signs disappeared from their eyes and then turned their servers off for good. So it’s up to you guys, to seed as if your life depends on it. From here to the eyes and ears of the ‘verse.

I’ve gotta do something to keep me calm while I wait for this to upload to the topsites, so I may as well tell you how me, Sanguine and Hobbes made the discovery which you’re about to see. Anything to distract me I guess. I could tell you our real names here, but it wouldn’t mean anything. Best case scenario, you hear my surname, and if you live really close you think: “Oh, I used to work with your father.” Then you have the awkward internal moment where you visualise my father’s face, then realise that he’s dead like 98% of everyone else’s parents. Worst case scenario, we survive it through all this, and I end up in jail in the established new order for ‘copyright-infringement’. So let’s just keep me as S1gnal2No1se shall we.

How does it start? The same way they always do, with a girl running down a corridor. That’s where Sanguine comes in.

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Serial: ‘Graphite Club’ – Part 1

Posted by Floodlit World on July 23, 2012
Posted in: Fantasy, Light, Science Fiction, Serial. Tagged: change, destiny, free-will, future, global catastrophe, music, past, present, relationships, time-travel. Leave a Comment

SNAP!

It was the sound heard throughout the world. Buses ground to a halt in Central London, pogo-sticks stopped with a squeak in New Zealand, children fell off their chairs in Tokyo and no one laughed. It was the sound of a yellow and black 2B pencil with a 2mm tip. The sound of it snapping. In silence the shrapnel fell to the wooden floor of the examination room.

“Son of a monkey-humper! It broke.”

“Jeff Turner, will you keep your voice down please,” said a stern-looking woman in her late thirties, dressed in a floral white blouse and skirt. “Some of us are trying to finish an exam here, and some of us are trying to decide if it was a wise choice to place a ‘missed connections’ ad for the guy who accidentally spat on their face during the train journey to work yesterday morning.”

Young Jeffrey slammed his clenched fist against the surface of his desk. “I’m sorry Miss Watson, but my pencil just broke.”

“Nevermind. It’s not the end of the world,” she said.

Yet unbeknownst to all of them, it was. This one event would kick-start a chain of disastrous consequences. A chain which would culminate in global catastrophe, the like of which had not been seen since time’s beginning, nor will occur again.

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  • Updates

    - This website has a new address! www.floodlitworld.com

    - 'Moneta' is now available to download on the Ebook page (.pdf and .epub)

    - Elysian Cross – 1x01 – Pilot is now available in eBook formats (pdf & epub)

    - Coming Soon: Delete Yourself [Part 4] (end of January)

    - Updated e-Book for 'Delete Yourself' now available in ePub, pdf and mobi formats (includes parts 1-3).

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    • Short Story: ‘Paris in Flames’
    • Short Story: ‘Moneta’
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    • Serial: ‘Delete Yourself’ – Part 3
    • ‘Necrocracy: Personal Brand of Heroine’
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