Monday, May 21, 2012

Fiction Flashed: "Nuance"



Lightning flashed across the darkened sky.  The bolt landed beside Ilk, and within moments, Kin stood in its place.  The humanoid shape glowed slightly.

Ilk glanced down at its own foot, noting how it looked upon the broken rocks and dust.  This is where they lived.

The words weren’t any language the inhabitants of this dead world would have understood.  All such languages were dead, preserved only in relics that survived the Cataclysm.

They brought it upon themselves, Kin replied.

Kin’s signal felt harder than the others, yet it was also familiar.

We came from them.  Ilk felt something indistinct stir within.

The connection is distant.

We should try to remember.  Ilk stooped and ran its own glowing hand through the dark soil.  With the sun overhead, the lack of atmosphere drove the surface temperature too high for liquid water.  The heat diffused harmlessly through Ilk’s form.

They had war.  They killed over petty differences.  Why should we care?

Ilk recalled when Din, from whom Ilk spawned, spoke of Tin.  Tin was spawned many millennia ago, as far back as post-Cataclysm records went.  Much information about their ancestors still existed then, but was lost over time.

Tin’s words, recited by Din, resonated in Ilk’s mind.  Our reasons to fight are gone.  There is no sex, no color, no shape.  We gained peace, but we lost nuance.

Ilk’s goal was to understand those words.  Kin shared no similar goal.  Why did you come?

You asked me to.  The hard edge of the signal had lessened.

Whatever Tin meant about nuance, Ilk knew the answer wasn’t on Earth’s scorched remains.

No reason to stay.  Ilk put its arms over its head and allowed the transformation to take hold.

Kin did the same.

Twin lightning bolts flashed across the sky.




28 comments:

  1. Oh, this was really good. I love the concept - which I think is beings that were once human, who have evolved passed that and destroyed the Earth. I would love to read more about it. You did such a wonderful job describing the situation in such few words that you've got me hooked.

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  2. I like this! It keeps my wondering what they look like :)

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  3. Excellent job! I really liked this.

    Oh, and really like your blog design. ;^)

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  4. Fantastic take on the blogfest prompt.

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  5. Interesting story with very new characters - nice job!

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  6. Such an awesome story. I loved the characters names and how it was quite philosophical. One of the best things about this blogfest is hows diverse all of the stories are!
    Great job :)

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  7. Interesting idea! I loved reading this, now I just want to learn more about the Cataclysm and if Ilk learned the answers to his questions :)

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  8. This was very interesting. I want to know more about this place and these...people? Great entry :)

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  9. This is really cool! Love it. Hope this is part of a book you're writing and not just a stand-alone flash fic.

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  10. Unique. Definitely leaves a body with plenty of questions. Very nicely done.

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  11. Nice use of lightning and very interesting story. :)

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  12. love that last line! Perfect!

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  13. Oh my word that was insane! But in a good way. You hooked me.

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  14. This really conveys the strangeness of the beings. Interesting story.

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  15. Very strange and strangely stirring. That one sucked me in and made me shiver.

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  16. Very interesting... love how you have the beings traveling through the bolts of lightning!

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  17. Lightning travel... if only!

    Allison (Geek Banter)

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  18. Interesting and rather chilling.

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  19. Very interesting. It's weird how two words beginning a story can evolve in so many different ways.

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  20. Wow!! Great tale, superb imagery, well done!

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  21. "We gained peace, but we lost nuance." Great line, from nice, atmospheric writing. :-)

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  22. Creepy chilling goodness! I'm intrigued by what these descendants of man actually *are* - lightning beings? And I agree with Misha that the "...lost nuance" line is terrific.
    Some Dark Romantic

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  23. I love the interaction between Kin and Ilk - it's an awesome concept too; nicely done :)

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  24. Wow! Such a great piece. I loved how the backstory was filtered into these creatures’ thoughts.

    I'll announce the finalists tomorrow.

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  25. Very interesting characters and loved the interactions between them emotions were well implied

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