Beneath Ceaseless Skies #21
Page 5
Thiever and I stood alone for a while, looking out. She shrugged away from my touch and, faltering for a moment, knelt against the wall in weariness. She glared at me and insisted again, “We had him.”
I made a sound of agreement, but she was wrong. No matter what Creeper felt yesterday, or dreamed about last night, or wondered about this morning even as he walked into this corner of town, he was lost from the moment he looked out and saw Sweet Death standing between him and the horizon. The way she stands, she’s always water to a man parched with thirst. I saw it in Creeper’s thirsty eyes when we strained against him. Though Thiever would never admit it, I’d seen it on her face out there too. I know I felt the sudden tug in my loins every time I’d glanced sideways at her.
Wanderspell claims that thought begets belief—maybe if I live anywhere near to her age, I’ll think so too. But right now, I know a different truth. The allegories can’t be given form only by the suicides seeking destruction with their despair, their reasoning, and their plans. We don’t unknowingly wish Sweet Death into existence with our thoughts alone. Belief is more than just thoughts, it’s also emotions—the kind that sear and burn from the inside out.
We don’t wish for Death. That’s far too easy.
We fall, all of us. We fall in love.
Copyright © 2009 Harry R. Campion
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Harry R. Campion lives in Harper Woods, Michigan, surrounded by children. He spends his days teaching and his nights parenting, and occasionally finds time to write. His stories have appeared in Electric Spec, New Writings in the Fantastic, and Fickle Muses. More about Harry, including links to his published stories, can be found at his webpage http://yangandcampion.googlepages.com.
http://beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/
COVER ART
“Endless Skies,” by Rick Sardinha
Rick Sardinha is a professional illustrator/fine artist living and working on the outskirts of Providence, Rhode Island. His passion is to create in traditional oil media, however, he is just as comfortable in front of a computer and often uses multiple disciplines in the image creation process. More of his work can be seen at http://www.battleduck.com.
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Table of Contents
“Thieves of Silence,” by Holly Phillips
“Walking Out,” by Harry R. Campion