MOVING GROUND

by Adrian Briedis-Macovei


„Why don’t you say something?” A charming being appeared in front of his eyes, on the balcony. Her hair aroma sounded as enchanting as flamenco guitar tunes in the hands of the playful wind. „I don’t understand you...” Her voice was full of despair, but sadness was already spreading in her greenish, naughty eyes.
„I would give everything to understand what is happening in your head...” She wiped some little tears that carressed her reddish cheeks. In the bright morning sun they even started to shine.
As she didn’t receive the answer she looked over the balcony trying to rise her interest in what was happening below. After a moment their looks met yet again. She even smiled at him with somewhat laborious expression, nevertheless smile was as charming as usually. He wanted to give himself only to her, surrender completely to her lips, touch her velvety skin that smelled like chocolate soaked in the milk calling him to hold her and never let go, embrace her tightly in his arms and feel every moment on this side of the sun. He wanted to look in her eyes and confess – shut off his mind and set free his heart that was ravaging and tried to jump out of his chest. Still something didn’t allow him to speak. He kept silent turning eyes over the railings of the balcony and looking indifferently at daily silhouettes as they were running up and down in this monotone anthill. Without stopping. He wasn’t interested where they were going.
„You want it to end like this” She softly sliped her fragile fingers through her dark hair, which covered her cheeks. They already became red from invisible springs of tears.
He looked at her and wanted to say something but maintained silent yet again. Something kept his mouth shut and he didn’t make a sound. He was standing in front of his charming muse like a dry pole and stared at her foolishly like a teenager on his first date. He was hardly holding himself together so he wouldn’t fall down on his knees and ask her to forgive him about everything. Forgive him that they met and all went so far. His heart was raging madly and tried to jump out through the mouth to tell at least one word, but he stubbornly stood on ground and was quiet.
„Do you have another girl?” She looked at him with her green lights, that were growing red and tired of waiting.
He opened his lips but couldn’t tell anything, just miserable moan went out.
„Allright!” Anger unwrapped in her voice that soon poured out of her eyes. „Good! I understand... You have another woman! Well, if you are not manly enough to tell me that, then hell with you, let her have such a toothpick!”
She started crying before she ran out of the balcony. Now he realized what he has done and just wanted to open his mouth to say something when powerful sound of the closing doors covered his voice. He fell gloomy, but strangely enough he wanted to get such an outcome. But if she returned now he would tell her all the truth. The whole naked truth! He couldn’t calm down and started to go mad... Door noise hitting the wall sounded again and his goddess stood once more near him on the balcony.
„Laura... I have to tell you...” His voice broke when he felt her little palm on his lips. The orchestra of pigeons flying to the sky accompanied it scared by the slap. Their eyes encountered for the last time. The goddesses captivating eyes couldn’t conceal crystal pieces rolling from their repository anymore. The noise of closing doors sounded in his ears.
Only after some time he collected his thoughts and rushed after his beloved. He took the door knob with his trembling hands and tried to open it but without luck. In fury he kicked the door and rapidly calmed himself down although his heart started to rage even more. As he pushed the door wide open, in his slippers he rushed to the elevator that was already occupied, and the other one as a bad luck would have it, didn’t operate. He wiped sweat from his forehead and rushed to the stairs. From time to time he slipped and slided even lower. Stairway seemed to be washed and with the slippers one could make a weak display of figure skating. Good thing that his strong, sunburned arms could hold his body above the slippery steps of the stairs, otherwise his run would end even without starting.
With a big bang he broke through the outside door but at the last minute he managed to catch the doorknob and held himself above the wet floor. He saw his beloved entering a yellow cab. With power he kicked the door open and rushed to the street yelling madly:
„Laura...! Laura...! Laura...” But it was too late... His dream has just disappeared after the first turn to the left. Screaming was useless because he was attracting attention from many unfamiliar and unwanted silhouettes. They were especially undesirable because he was wearing only underpants with smily bear faces and sliding slippers in the shape of bunnies. The present of his dreamgirl...


Fragment from my yet unpublished spy-thriller: IN THE SHADOW OF TODAY

Contrasts - pictures by me

The Lone Rider

The Lone Rider
(gothic detective thriller)

Anotation

This novel can be best described as „gothic novel” – genre that has never been cultivated in Latvian literature.
The volume of this novel is just 34 pages. It is a dynamical story about the mysterios and extraordinary events that happens in the mysterios province of Oscurvia somewhere between 14 and 15th Century, furthermore these events could take place in any different time as well as in our days.
The novel by its form, language, style, and character psychological portraits fits in the gothic genre perfectly. The main reason for that is mostly because of the elements of horror and detective thriller that adds it’s charm to the author’s fictitious gothic world. The tension of this novel is consistently kept until the very last sentences, but agile plot is easy to perceive and comprehensible for everyone, as the reader travels in the author’s logical and psychological narration to unravel one puzzle after another and persistently is allured into more and more traps, thereby retaining the continuous intrigue.
Vitio Deiverius – the main character of the story is the king’s scout and spy which is called by the king to investigate the villainous acts in the village of Sombreho. But even a seasoned king’s scout wasn’t prepared to discover as terrifying and shocking truth as this, as we all know some secrets are better not to be revealed. These findings puts in the danger not only his own existence and the very lives of his family but it will have an disastrous impact on all habitants of Oscurvia.
Intriguing and adventurous, a bit grotesque and ironical, paradoxical story about the mysterious and horrifying chain of events that contains a hidden tragedy giving a reader to rethink about the happenings that occurs nowadays in our world.

The Lone Rider
(Gothic novel: starting from 11th to 17th page)

by Adrian Briedis-Macovei

[..] Soldier brought us to the gates of the village. Raven screams over our heads grew louder. There were many vultures but the sulphur stench keept them at the back. This village was famous because many villagers were working for the king. It reminded a little town with a marketplace in the center and was established in the heart of the province of Oscurvia.
„I can’t go further...” The soldier hid his eyes. He was trembling with the whole body. Dayman noticed something and wasn’t paying attention to the soldier. When I saw this something I felt sharp shivers running through my bones. I have never expierenced this kind of shivers before...
„What the...” Dayman was mumbling. „Who... who could..? I can understand death... but this...”
„We... we...” Soldier fell down on his knees and started to cry.
„Why that is still there?!?” Dayman finally shouted and approached the soldier.
„Dayman!” I stopped him, then I approached the soldier. „Are you all right?” Soldier gazed at me, his pupils was extended from the fear. „It this the head of Rouwmeat?” I pointed at the stake on which a human head was set.
„Yes...” Soldier ceased to cry.
I helped him to rise to his feet. The soldier was very weak.
„You can go.” I told him.
„Thank you...” Soldier hurried down to the fireplace. His pace was very unsteady as if he was drunk.
I looked at the head. It was still reddish and in a good state. The features of the face were showing more surprise than fright.
Dayman lowered his head. For the moment he mumbled something under his nose and then threw a cross on his chest.
We continued to Sombreho. The closer I got, the weaker I grew to carry on. At the end I just came to a standstill and was gazing around like stunned. In the moonlight everything seemed so grey that I lost my sense of reality. Putrid corpses were carelessly lying everywhere. Many of them were without some of their limbs. Some were stuck together and it was hard to say how many people were there. Most of them were burned, but there were several corpses that were not touched by the fire. Shivers pulled in spazms in my stomach and I threw up. I had a hard time to breathe. Death was choking me. I felt weakness filling me and fell on the ground. Soon I couldn’t breathe and I started to choke.
„Vitio?” I heard Dayman’s voice. Strong hands carried me away from this stink. I felt fresh air and I was catching more and more of it with my lungs. I coughed out the death stench and finally recovered the taste of life.
„How are you feeling?” Dayman handed me wine.
I hadn’t strenght even to talk, I was somewhere outside of this world.
After I drank a full jug of wine I felt warmth and heaviness under my feet.
„Who could have done something like this...” Dayman shook his head and made a sign of the cross.
Now I realized that I needed to return to the village.
„I... I...” Dayman made a helpless gesture with his hands. „I don’t understand...”
I didn’t reply and Dayman fell silent. Soldiers were standing apart but we could see that Dayman’s escort was confused as some of soldiers were sitting on the ground and stared at the grass with dull eyes.
„I just can’t understand... How could it have happened?” I tossed my hands in the air. „What is the reason behind all of this?”
„There is nothing to understand...” Dayman growled angrily.
„I can understand revenge, jealousy and something else that could provoke desire to kill... But this – it is out of my understanding...”
„There is nothing to understand!!! Damn it! If I get my hands on those who are responsible...” Dayman jumped from his seat and struck the log on which he has been sitting with a sword with so much power that it got split in two pieces. Afterwards Dayman calmed down and sat on one of these chumps. I haven’t said a word.
We sat like this for a quite a long time. Sun was already rising in the sky and brought a new day. I was not surprised when I didn’t hear singing of the birds. Only ravens took over the trees and tried to pull out from each other some piece of meat that they riped off from the ones who will never move again...
In the sunlight dead bodies looked more horrible and my mind was growing dim from this stench. Finally I found the strenghts to ignore this air of sulphur and death. I became worried because I started to adapt to this stench.
I scrambled slowly over the pile corpses. Fire erased all tracks and I had trouble gathering together my thoughts because of the stink of dead corpses. I needed to look at it all with cold mind, without it I could not feel anything but the eerie horror.
There lived several hundred people in this village and all of them beginning from the infant to the aged man – were lying here. From time to time I coughed so hard that my heart wanted to jump out of my chest.
Children merged with the ground like small black lumps. I remembered my little ones... How beautiful, buoyant, endowed they were with their honest love towards the world... Who could possibly rob them of this happiness and joy?! That couldn’t settle in my mind...
I sat somewhere on the edge. There were hundreds of dead souls lying in front of me, I covered my eyes with hands so that no one could see my tears...
I regained my consciousness when I was far away from the village.
Dayman was still sitting on the same split half and gazed idifferently down a steep bank. All the other soldiers stood near him holding helmets in their hands.
„What happened?” I approached them.
One of the soldiers looked at me with apathy and turned his eyes down the slope. As I drew nearer the bank, I saw the remains of dead Rigobeti at about a score meters distance.
„He just jumped...” One soldier exclaimed. „Just jumped...”
I sat near the bank.
Only the wind hindered the silence to become stronger.
Dayman was sinking in his thoughts but the guards were still standing at the slope like glued and didn’t move a muscle.
„So, have you found anything?” After a while Dayman asked me indifferently.
I stared at the soldiers and Dayman sent them back to their posts.
„Come...” One of the guards told another and pulled him away from the bank.
„And Rigobeti? Will we leave him there..?” The other one resisted.
„Come... We can’t help him anymore...”
„But... but...” Finally the guard lowered his hands and followed the first one.
When we were alone, I started to talk:
„The village is burned... Someone or something has burned the village with all its inhabitants...”
„Why... Why someone needed to do that?” Dayman thundered.
I shook my head with obscurity.
„ Several days have passed... The trail isn’t fresh anymore...” I continued after a while.
„And? What now?”
„There always will be a trail. We must depart at once to the nearest villages. Somebody must have seen something!”
„I will take care of it!” Dayman exhaled lowly and jumped from his seat.
„Wait!” I called him and when Dayman turned around, I continued. „Go to the fortress for the aid and...” I lowered my head. „We must have to be sure that these people will be taken care of..”
„Allright!” Dayman stared at me. „You are staying here?”
„No, I have seen enough here ... I will go to Oscura!”
„To Oscura? You think that these monsters will be there?”
„Hardly possible but it is a good stop before leaving the Oscurvia.”
„Then I will find you there!” Dayman said and turned around.
„No! You must take care of people here!”
Dayman turned his face at me and reluctantly shook his head. After the moment he dissapeared.
I closed my eyes. A scream of a hawk stormed my head. I opened my eyes and noticed him. The clouds have vanished and the sun lit up the afternoon brightly. This was the first bird who dared to show at the raven’s heaven.
In the evening I arrived to Oscura. This was a big village that resembled a pretty big town.
At the entrance to Oscura I was surrouned by several guards.
„Halt!” One of them cried out and put his arm on the sword’s handle before approaching me and two archers ready to shoot were standing behind his back. I stopped my horse.
„State your name and business here?”
„Vitio Deiveriuss. I’m on the king’s orders. I’m investigating the occurence in Sombreho.”
As soon as I said the word „Sombreho”, several guards started to whisper loudly between themselves.
„Here...” I took out a document that I always carried with me while on king’s assignment. „This document testifies the truth of my words.” I gave the paper to the guard.
The guard looked through it quickly attempting to read the contents under the moonlight, then gave it back to me.
„Pardon us, sir Deiveriuss... Martail law is established in Oscura now. We are ordered to check anybody who violates this law...”
„Martial law?” I repeated. „I must see the sheriff of Oscura Rigonderv Mastrouss immediately!”
„At present he is located in the barracks of Oscura.” The guard gave me an honour me and permited me to go further.
Oscura was empty. There were lights from the candles in most of two-store wooden houses, but except several homeless cats and dogs there was not a living soul present on the streets. Even the usual beggars were hiding somewhere.
In the center of Oscura there was a medium building with the flags of the province. Huge wooden blocks girdled barracks from all sides but little stream was flowing under its gates. They were lowered. Several black figures looked at me marking time timidly on the lowered gates.
„What is your business here?” One of them cried out.
„I already reported to your men before entering the Oscura.” I retorterd unkindly.
„Still... It is an Rigonderv Mastrouss’s order...”
„Safety first? Here!” I waved the document and after a few moments the guard let me pass to the barrack’s frontyard and took my steed to the stable. The other guard checked my papers, apologized and offered me to follow him. He lead me into the barracks and then left me at one of the door.
At the end of corridor a familiar face emerged.
„Vitio! You have arrived just on time!”
„This is my job!” I approached and embraced him.
„Are you investigating the occurence in Sombreho?”
„Yes. I have just arrived from there...”
„We caught two runaways from the king’s personal guards. They have confessed about the Sombreho immediately... I wanted to depart to investigate it but something terrible has happened...”
„What?”
„Yesterday we found the remains of Frewand in his cell.”
„Yesterday?”
„Yes... Who needs to kill the serveant of the god?”
„Any witnesses?”
„One of the beggars noticed a person entering church in that fateful evening.”
„Where is that beggar?”
„In prison...”
„And king’s runaways?”
„Yesterday we sent them back to the king’s fortress.”
„I must talk to the prisoner!”
„It is a waste of time... He is always in a cheerful mood and tells a different story every day...”
„How many people know about the events in Sombreho?”
„I am afraid that this is not secret anymore... Both runaways all the time were at the pub... I don’t need to tell you what they were doing there...” Sheriff smiled askancely.
„Why do you think the priest has been murdered?”
„Frewand?”
I nodded. Sheriff laughed. This laugh was bitter.
„Come!” He stood up and threw a wrap on his shoulders. I followed him.
Two guards stood at the entrance of the church. They saluted us and we entered the church’s atrium.
It was a usual church. Big, nice stone building with gorgeous decorations and beautiful garden. There was an cemetary, too. The building looked even more impressive inside.
Sheriff looked at me and then we continued to the second floor.
„Here.” He pointed at the door.
I was about to enter when Rigonderv stopped and pressed his back against the wall.
„Aren’t you comming?” I asked him.
„No... I have seen enough...” Rigonderv lowered his eyes.
I nodded and entered the priest’s sleeping chamber. I noticed some dirty blood stains on the floor. They were everywhere, but as soon as I raised my head I didn't need to be more convinced about the murder anymore. There were blood stains even on the two meter high ceiling. The whole cell of the priest was a bloody mess. I could feel the death breath again. [..]

P.S. Novel is just 34th pages long and could be a great and original story for the detective/horror/thriller movie with the right directing approach ;)
anyway: feel free to contact me if you want to see more stories, I have plenty ;)

A totally nowaday tale

BIW. (Before I write) Hey, have fun, sometimes it's great to be silly! ;)


Once upon a facebook and gmail time lived three users. The eldest one was dirty one but unnecessarily clean. The middle one was middle one as he was in the middle. The youngest one was just a lamer as he didn’t know that internet is not connected to a microwave.
When their provider went spaming to another portal, he left his users the wireless internet connection. First user tried to connect to facebook but entered gmail and lost his interest when browsing spambox.
Second user tried connect to gmail but entered facebook where he lived virtually happily for a few hours as notebook’s batteries died out.
Third user connected to microwave by placing there a notebook. Unfortunately notebook was transformed into the microchips.
The connection is lost, who tried to adjust the settings is a real pro-user, the ones who doesn’t – microwave can offer various other options than blowing up your colleague computers. Log off and remember your password or you will be lost in the reality for real.

Nostalgy