Article: 178537 of talk.bizarre From: Zed <zed@eden.rutgers.edu> Newsgroups: talk.bizarre Subject: while my keyboard gently weeps Date: 1 Dec 1994 12:46:46 -0500 Organization: Liars for Truth -- to eff the ineffable Lines: 178 Message-ID: <3bl266$u7@er1.rutgers.edu> Reply-To: zed@eden.rutgers.edu Summary: failing to suck, thank you. And you? Status: RO That night would be the new moon, and the National Guard stood ready at the waterfront. They strained to listen above the low splash of the waves and the high creaking of the docks. A corporal thought he heard something and opened fire. He was reprimanded and much harassed. It was very early in the morning when most of the soldiers were asleep on their feet that he finally arrived. The splashing grew a little louder, a little more irregular. The water's surface seemed broken by more than waves, something a little darker, a little greener. Suddenly he appeared. "HWRRMNNMMNNCHH!" He looked sort of like a crocodile if it were built like an ape and the size of a house. Seaweed and trash clung to his scales. His eyes flashed beneath thick brow ridges. The soldier on watch sounded the alarm, feeling she had been late but knowing that was the price of avoiding countless false alarms. They began their rifle fire, which only seemed to annoy the monster. "HWWWUUUURRRMMMLLLK!" he roared, thrashing forward, the bullets hurting him not more than a pinpricks would us, but hundreds of pinpricks, thousands of them. One struck his eye, bringing to it, unseen by the soldiers amidst the smoke and muzzle flash, a tear. "Keep pouring it on! Hurry with those bazookas!" a lieutenant roared. The monster pushed forward, swinging wildly, demolishing a dock with one backhanded punch. He was almost on the soldiers. "Fire! FIRE!" the lieutenant yell, and the rockets were launched. One struck the monster in his arm, two in his chest, one in his leg. One missed entirely, exploding in the sea behind him, momentarily casting his monstrous shadow upon the Guard. "Hwrrrrrrnn!" he moaned as he fell backwards, and began to drift to sea, and the drama ended in stalemate as it had each time before. -- He was miles out when he really woke up. It was the crack of dawn and he would have to submerge soon. As he turned he noticed an old man in a fishing boat. "That's no way to go about it, you know," the old man said. "HWWWRRRRN?" "Storming up the waterfront, growling, coming on like gangbusters, trying to impress her like that. It's no wonder she pushes back." "HHRRRWWRRRKKK!!" "Don't get upset. I know you love her. I love her too, in my own way." "HHHRRRNNMMBMMMKKKLLLN!!!!" the monster roared, raising up his good arm as threateningly as he could muster. "No, no, not like that, don't worry. You see, I'm a part of the City myself, really, so it's not like that at all. And besides," the old man smiled. "I am an old man." "HHHWWRRNNNNNMMMMM." "Yes, I know, sometimes that's easy to believe, but you mustn't give up hope." "HWWWRN." "Well, here's what I'd do. Stop trying to rush things. Become friends with her. Give her flowers, bring her sweets. Bide your time. Let her make her own choice. In your heart I think you know that that's what's right, that it's the only way you'd really want it." "HWRNMNBSOL." "No need to thank me. Seeing things work out would be thanks enough. And good luck." The sun had been becoming too much for the monster, and so he exhaled and began swimming down. -- That night would be the new moon, and the National Guard stood ready at the waterfront. They were scared, though so far they had escaped the monster's attacks intact. Finally, he appeared, getting a little closer before the alert was sounded for foregoing his usual roar. "Open fire! Aim the bazookas!" the lieutenant yelled again. As before, though the gunfire clearly hurt the monster, he pressed on, but this time without thrashing. As he got closer, the lieutenant could see he had something in his hand. "What in hell is he up to?" she asked, heard only by her sergeant. "BAZOOKAS! AIM! NOW!" The monster approached a dock, deposited a black pulpy mess, then quickly turned and submerged, barely ducking the bazooka fire. The Guard just stared. "Sergeant, take two men and investigate that," the lieutenant ordered, feeling obliged to do something. "Kowalski, Esfahani, follow me," the sergeant ordered and approached the dock carefully. The lieutenant saw them walk up to it, Kowalski laughed, they seemed to argue briefly and finally Kowalski took a pinch of the stuff and tasted it! "Sergeant! Report!" The sergeant and the others quickly marched back. "It's kelp, ma'am." "Kelp?" "Kelp. Seaweed." "I knew that." "Lieutenant?" Kowalski asked. "Yes?" "Could I take some home? I make sushi, and this looks like pretty good stuff." The lieutenant stared at Kowalski. "Yeah. Sure. Whatever." -- That night would be the new moon, and the National Guard stood ready at the waterfront. The monster's head broke the water, and the alert was sounded. "Hold your fire!" the lieutenant reminded them while the bazookas were still being aimed, just in case. This time the monster had something cupped in his hands. He walked to the dock, emptied his hand, and this time stayed to face the Guard. "Hwwwrrrrnnnll," he roared softly, and only then swam away. "Oysters, ma'am! Oysters!" the sergeant shouted. "Yes, I can see that." "Lieutenant?" It was Kowalski again. "What is it?" "I happen to know the mess has ingredients enough that I could make a pretty mean butter sauce. But you'd have to sign a requisition." "Prepare the form." -- That night would be the new moon, and the National Guard stood ready at the waterfront. The lieutenant and the sergeant were at the end of the dock, ready to greet the monster. "Hwwwwrrrrrnnnk," he said as he emerged. "Fish! Cool, he brought fish this time!" the lieutenant could hear Kowalski shout behind her. "C'mon," she said. "Let me show you around town." -- And so it went for several more new moons, as the monster courted the City. Finally, people would evacuate downtown once a month, only partly to give them some privacy, but mostly just for safety's sake, for they were a part of the city too. Only the bitterest of curmudgeons begrudged the inconvenience. After all, they were so cute together. -- zed@eden.rutgers.edu And send your damn birthday. Edward Lopez PO Box 698 Piscataway NJ 08855 I've only got a couple dozen.