nope

         wasnt the three oclock in the morning telephone call that woke him

although it was shortly after three when he did

a dream badgering him

in a loop

spoken

          visualised  hand?written    named fonts

DEATH is the END

awake now

             laid in bed eyes closed

slowly the words sifted out of his eyes

                                           however remained branded on his brain

felt like he was being picked on

he eventually fell back to sleep

    DEATH is the END

                         Hey bub. Whardya go?

it leaned against a rough wood lamppost on an deserted city street corner lit in a cone of amber light

Ya ready?

toying with him

                  ready or not didnt matter

it began again

                written interspersed with audio   voices he did not recognise

it did not relent

leftie jumpedup on the bed as was her routine

rousing him he defied the austere hypnopompic throb

                                                       opened his eyes  pet her

swept it away

                except for the brand on his brain

he made his bed performed his toiletry fed cats insideanout washed their dishes made coffee dry multigrain toast picked up The Rigor of Angels a pen a clipboard went out onto the back porch to read muse

the brand continued interrupting

                                   he couldnt quit thinking about it

early that afternoon his brother-in-law called invited him over to bullshithave a beer shoot some pool

he thought maybe that would get his mind off it

living in a rural community he took the long waythe backroads the dirt an graveled roads running between wire fences woodposts barbwire hayfields pastures grazing cows sheep horses

                                                                          pastoral    quiet

he kept his speed down

The END

END

      

    An acronym

thought he heard someonesomething clear their throat

Why not  he said over that

                             and as quickly Eternal Night’s Dream

wondered if now it would cease  

desist

rapped on his brothers door

                               IT’S UNLOCKED. COME IN.

inside he found him in the kitchen prepping vegetables for beef stew

                                                                         Thought you might stay for dinner.

Thas a fine idea I might

Wanna hear something queer

Most things out of your mouth are queer.  nodded Sure.

he related the dream

                        its looping assault

Death? Really?

                  Ya couldn’t have shared a hot sex dream with me?

I don kiss an tell

                   humoured himself he laughed   he felt better

Look at you smilin’.

                      Needed to get it off your chest.  Think that’ll do it?

Well see

Care for an edible?

Don mind if I do

Sunday,  18  8. 24

1217,  Thursday,  22  8. 24