Twitter Stories made using daily prompts from #vss365
THE BALLAD OF CLUNY AND AGNES
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 · Jul 2, 2020
The bell tolls once for each year she’s lived, and with each peal Agnes’ spirit rises. But when the bell ringer stops at sixty-five, the almost #angel floats downward. “I shouldn’t have lied about my age,” Agnes mutters. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jul 8, 2020
Cluny’s only hat was a cloche and she wore strand earrings every day. When her baby brother clutched at the golden threads, Cluny bobbed her head up and down, and sang ding dong. She had a bell ringer’s #aesthetic. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jul 9, 2020
The bell is a #pachyderm, its trailing rope a proboscis, a shadow its ear. But the darkness lingers after Cluny turns on the light. Not a shadow, but a shade: Agnes the deflated spirit waiting for five more tolls to send her to heaven. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jul 10, 2020
They stare at each other. Agnes speaks, but her words are #orphans; Cluny can’t hear them. She gestures, but all Cluny sees are spiderweb threads drifting through the air. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jul 12, 2020
What Agnes lacks in intelligibility, she makes up for with #charisma. Cluny’s eyes follow the lost soul as she descends. The cold tap of Agnes’ finger on her face feels like a drop of water. Cluny looks up to check for a leak, but all she sees is the bell. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jul 13, 2020
The touch repeats four more times. The drops turn into an #ocean. Cluny doesn’t know the why, but she knows the what. She releases the bell and lets it toll. Agnes has no breath to hold, but she clasps her essence closer together, revealing her form at last. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jul 14, 2020
The bell’s clapper is a #sycophant. It runs to and from the lip like a gossip spreading tales. It loves to stir up trouble. Chloe stops after five pulls, but it makes one last journey. The sixth peal mewls like a new born kitten. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jul 15, 2020
The #chronicle of Agnes’s ascent to heaven ends abruptly when a toll too many strikes her in mid-flight. Stunned, she hurtles earthward. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jul 16, 2020
Agnes lands on the bell tower with a thump: her corporealness is an #anathema. She moans, one hand clutching the spire, and the other exploring her unfamiliar limbs. Attracted by the noise, Cluny looks out the window. “Does this body make me look fat?” Agnes asks. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jul 17, 2020
“No,” Cluny says, tossing a rope. Agnes ties it around her waist and creeps down the side of the steeple. When she slips, she dangles in the air, squealing, swaying back and forth like the clapper that brought her back to life. “A #pandemic of bell imagery,” she sighs. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jul 18, 2020
Cluny hauls Agnes into the bell tower. She lands on the floor in a heap. #Ostracized from her hopes of heaven, she ponders what to do next. “Is there any way to ring a bell backwards?” she asks hopefully. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jul 19, 2020
With a bell ringer’s #empathy, Cluny recognizes Agnes inside the unfamiliar body. “That extra toll brought you back to life? No way to reverse it, but we’ll have another chance to get it right when you’re buried.” “I always wanted to go to my own funeral,” Agnes says. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jul 20, 2020
Agnes’ new body is too tight in some places and too loose in others. She’s afraid to look into a mirror-the #schism between how she sees herself and how others see her has never been greater. But if she wants to go to her funeral, she needs to know who she’s wearing. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jul 21, 2020
Her face is a #poem, each feature a syllable. Her fingers count each one, from forehead to chin. “A haiku,” Agnes says. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jul 22, 2020
Cluny waits, wondering. Could the ring of a bell bring back the dodo? Or the #dinosaurs? Would they want to come back to the world as it is now? Agnes looks completely lost, and she’s just been dead a day. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jul 23, 2020
Agnes is disappointed and relieved her body’s previous occupant is a stranger: “Feels like I have bats in my belfry.” “Shh! You’ll wake them!” Cluny points up. A #galaxy of dust motes swirls between walls dotted with brown furred bodies tucked tight their wing blankets. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jul 24, 2020
When Agnes starts screaming, Cluny invites her home so the bats can get some rest. “Wonderful! I need to make a dish to bring to the funeral. Maybe ambrosia salad?” Cluny makes a face. “It’s the #nectar of the gods!” “Hades, maybe,” Cluny mutters. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jul 25, 2020
While Agnes makes Jello, Cluny surfs the net. She ignores the entries on #exorcism. “Agnes may be possessing someone else’s body, but she’s not evil…Death bell, also known as lych bell. That sounds promising…” #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jul 26, 2020
Agnes’ loaner body is handy in the kitchen. The unmolding of the ambrosia salad goes flawlessly, but Cluny refuses to come see it. “You don’t have to eat it!” “It’s not that, I have a marshamallow #phobia.” “Really?” “A traumatic smores related incident at summer camp” #vss365
“The Lych bell will send me to heaven?” Agnes sighed. “I hope so, unless you’ve changed your mind?” “Of course not. Heaven or bust! But being in a body makes me #nostalgic for my own. I wonder what mine is doing right now?” In a coffin, a corpse screams. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jul 28, 2020
Elaine had never imagined a lag between heart stoppage and heaven. That was for unhappy spirits or those with unfinished business. She saw #iridescence in every oil puddle and each glass as half full. “Oh no! The marshmallows!” She banged on the coffin. “Let me out!” #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jul 29, 2020
Horror movies were clear on the consequences of solitary visits to basements, but offered no guidance on shouting coffins. If someone needed help, should it matter whether they were alive or dead? Cluny had a #hero‘s spirit. She opened the casket.#vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jul 30, 2020
Cluny had fled Agnes and her ambrosia salad to find a quiet spot in her family’s funeral parlor to finish her term #paper. The reanimated corpse’s words sent a chill down her spine- she couldn’t get away from marshmallows wherever she went. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jul 31, 2020
“It’s a birthday present. Promise me you give it to her. Then I can rest in peace.” Elaine the undead’s #agape battled with Cluny’s fear. Love won. “I will.” #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Aug 1, 2020
The marshmallow’s stare triggered a wave of panic. It started in Cluny’s toes and swept upward. She began to count, imagined numbers dancing to a waltz, forming equations she solved in her head. #Math always soothed her. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Aug 2, 2020
Cluny walks in a self-induced trance, counting each footstep, being sure to end on an odd #number. She places the sacrifice on the altar. A raccoon goddess ascends the stump and slays it with her teeth. The marshmallow, diminished by each bite, erodes to nothingness. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Aug 3, 2020
Finding the safest place to stow Agnes overnight requires a complex #calculus: Cluny’s parents have predictable migratory patterns, but her baby brother has an erratic orbit. The attic is the solution. Agnes rummages happily through cast off toys and clothing. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Aug 4, 2020
Cluny stares anxiously at the poker face of the tracking history on her lych bell purchase. It claims her package is in transit and expected to arrive on time, but it’s still several states away. If it’s delayed by an #epsilon, it will be too late. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Aug 5, 2020
Cluny studies the lych bell #theorem, pondering how to change the spirit expulsion polarity from evil to good, and falls asleep to the chimes of midnight. She dreams of formula covered blackboards and a marshmallow eraser that changes all the plus signs to minuses. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Aug 6, 2020
Agnes dithers from one outfit to another. There’s no #logic to her selections. A cheerleader’s uniform lies next to a tuxedo. A pirate costume snuggles with a fringed flapper dress. The funeral will be her last outing in her borrowed body, and she wants to go out in style.#vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Aug 7, 2020
The no contact delivery person is gone before the buzzer fades, the package left on the doorstep is a single footprint. In a Schrodinger moment, Cluny imagines a bell swinging in and out of existence inside the box. Today Agnes will become a spirit #iff she loses her body.#vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Aug 8, 2020
Cluny learns the lych bell, reading its engravings like braille, while Agnes creates a #topology of heaven, dolloping whipped cream on top of her Ambrosia salad. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Aug 9, 2020
It’s time for the funeral. Unable to choose between her #manifold wardrobe options, Agnes wears them all. A cummerbund belts flapper dress. She drapes the cheerleader sweater over her shoulders and ties the pirate bandana around her neck. “Ready to ascend!” she cries. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Aug 11, 2020
Agnes’ outfit puts off the other funeral attendees. Their eyes categorize her coldly. #Genus: human. Species: eccentric. The closed casket removes the temptation to see herself from an outsider’s perspective. “It’s what’s inside that counts,” she reminds herself. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Aug 12, 2020
The bell in Cluny’s hand vibrates with energy-its notes will #vector Agnes’ spirit up to heaven. But first Agnes needs to get through the funeral. She walks toward her casket like iron drawn to a magnet, but catches on the back of the first pew and sits down. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Aug 13, 2020
Agnes can’t resist looking over her shoulder. She expects to see a #field of mourners, but most of the pews are empty. She longs for heaven more than ever. Humanity was a clique she’d never belonged in. Time to spread her wings. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Aug 14, 2020
Agnes doesn’t recognize herself in the eulogy. It simplifies a #complex life into a few sentences and transforms her flaws into foibles. It’s sweeter than a twinkie and leaves her craving more. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Aug 15, 2020
The minister announces the interment will be private and invites everyone to the reception next door. Cluny and Agnes loiter behind a floral arrangement near the coffin as the mourners leave. Lych bell in hand, Cluny counts down to #zero. “Ready to launch!” Agnes whispers.#vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Aug 16, 2020
Cluny swings the bell: #one, two, three times slow; five times fast. Agnes’ body hums like a bee hive to the sound of the peals, her spirit dispersing into hundreds of particles. They swarm out of her mouth and effervesce. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Aug 17, 2020
Agnes’ host body teeters like a marionette before collapsing to the floor. As the last peal of the bell fades, the body grows fainter and fainter, until nothing is visible but a motley #group of clothing. Cluny views the remains. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Aug 18, 2020
The folds in the clothing are a map to heaven, a #morphism of Agnes’ corporeal past and her spiritual present. Cluny’s fingers linger on the fabric, tracing Agnes’ path. She wraps the lych bell in the garments, stows them in her knapsack, and heads to the reception. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Aug 19, 2020
The reverend helped Cluny to a portion of Agnes’ ambrosia salad. Cluny held it at arms length, glaring. #Contravariant functors and exorcism rituals dueled in Cluny’s mind. The marshmallows must go. #vss365V
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Aug 21, 2020
Agnes’ #commute to heaven goes well once she sheds her body. The bell notes play catch with her spirit, tossing her higher and higher, until she gets stuck on a white puffy cloud. A forgotten thought worries at her consciousness, looking for a way in. #vss365
(corrected version)
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Aug 21, 2020
Agnes casts a shadow on the cloud. A #triangle peeps over her shoulder. Craning her neck she can just see the beginnings of wings sprouting from her back. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Aug 22, 2020
The marshmallows in the ambrosia salad are countless. Cluny would never degrade an #integer by quantifying their detested presence. A triangular shadow obscures them-a wing beat and they vanish from her plate. Free of the debt of unexpressed gratitude, Agnes rises upward. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Aug 23, 2020
Cluny thinks of Agnes while eating the translucent ambrosia salad. A #quantity of bell peals ring in her head, some sweet, some light, in an eccentric syncopated rhythm: a musical incarnation of friendship. She goes back for more salad, finds a marshmallow and eats it. #vss365
THE LITTLE WITCH’S HALLOWEEN ADVENTURE
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Oct 30, 2019
The little witch liked the quiet after the service ended, when the pentagram was still #warm, and the scent of fire and brimstone lingered. That last moment when she could breathe in the darkness and absorb it inside her to protect her from the light that lurked outside. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Nov 4, 2019
The little witch had grown a bumper #crop of pumpkins this year. She hollowed them out and left them outside on All Hallow’s Eve, hoping to catch lost souls. She could tell at a glance if she’d succeeded by the tormented expression on the orange shell’s faces. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Nov 5, 2019
At sun’s touch, the pumpkins lost their scowls as their souls followed the path of light skyward. Only one retained its angry grin, an unkempt #haze of soul peeping out from under its lid like stray hairs “I thought you looked familiar,” the little witch said. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Nov 6, 2019
The little witch #trimmed the pumpkin’s candle to let the soul shine through the pumpkin’s eyes. “We’ve met, haven’t we?” “Nice to see you daughter.” “Mom?” “Dad.” Of course, the little Witch thought. Mom would never have been a lost soul. She’d have asked for directions.#vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Nov 7, 2019
The little witch took one last look before closing her knife. “How do they look?” her Dad asked. “Like #treads.” “Race car tires or boring family car tires?” “Just try them, ok?” The pumpkin caromed recklessly. It was the driver, not the vehicle, that made it dangerous. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Nov 8, 2019
The smell of #crushed rosemary permeated the room. The pumpkin slowed to a stop. “Do you remember now?” the little witch asked. “I owe you,” the pumpkin replied. “Bring her back.” He roared off in his new transport, drove up the wall, out the open window into the sky. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Nov 9, 2019
The Little Witch spun reminiscences into silvery silk on the attic spinning wheel, then wove it into a spiderweb, each #spoke a memory. Her trap set, she sat back to wait for a tug on its threads. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Nov 10, 2019
Voices #trolled her, emanating from the web: “It’s your fault she left.” “She never loved you.” “She’s happier without you.” All imposters. Not a one could balance on a strand without slipping off. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Nov 11, 2019
Time #marched on, but the web remained motionless. The Little Witch had felt no tug on her heart all night, and it was almost bed time. The first rays of sun traced the web’s strands, revealing a pearl of ectoplasm, empty as an abandoned cocoon. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Nov 12, 2019
She ran to close the blinds before turning the #crank of her old music box. Strains of The Teddy Bear’s Picnic weaved through the half-light, coaxing her mother’s shade into the open. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Nov 13, 2019
“Why did you summon me?” Her mother’s voice sounded like the #wind of the beating wings of a murmuration of bats flying out of a cave at dusk. “I’m scared of the light!” #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Nov 14, 2019
“I thought I #drilled it into you there’s nothing to be afraid of! The dark always comes back. If you close your eyes, you’ll see the night again! It’s always with you.” “Will you stay with me till I fall asleep?” the little witch asked. “Of course,” her mother said. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Nov 15, 2019
The Little Witch snuggled into her bed, her #pounding heart slowing to an almost imperceptible pulse, dozing off as her mother’s ghost watched over her. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Nov 16, 2019
When she woke up at twilight, the Little Witch felt a cold #draft brush against her cheek, a last caress from her mother, before she faded into the darkness. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Nov 17, 2019
A dull roar woke the Little Witch, #plucking the sleep from her eyes, the pumpkin sat before her. “Are we square?” “Yes.” “I never meant to leave you an orphan.” “I know. You’ve always been a terrible driver.” He effervesced. The pumpkin stared at her with vacant eyes. #vss365
THE INTERSTELLAR CIRCUS
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 5, 2019
He thought the ache in his #knee was arthritis brought on by a night outdoors watching meteor showers. But the swelling wriggled away when he put a heating pad on it. A small talon cut a slit through his skin. A creature stuck out its head and asked, “Is it safe?” #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 5, 2019
His horror fled at the sight of its kitten like face, replaced by an urge to protect it at all costs. “Safe from what?” “The authorities. They’re pursuing me.” “Why?” “I dared to #swing from a star.” #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 6, 2019
“What’s wrong with that?” “Circuses are outlawed, but some of us put on a performance in the nebula outside our home planet. We broadcast it on a pirate network. It woke my people from their #sleep, now there’s revolution in the streets.” “And you’ve been blamed?” “Yes.” #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 7, 2019
Ben often disagreed with his government’s policies, but at at least they hadn’t banned circuses. “How can I help?” “You’ve sheltered me. Would you be willing to help the others?” “The others?” “My fellow performers.” “Of course, how?” “Would you happen to have a #straw?” #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 8, 2019
He watched alien after alien slide from the end of the straw held to his visitor’s mouth, each larger than the one before. The visitor ducked inside last, emerging with a flip and a flourish. “You really stuck that landing,” Ben said. The alien took a bow.#vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 9, 2019
“Inner body transportation is a thing?” “It’s a circus tradition. We train from an early age.” Ben supposed it wasn’t so different from sword swallowing. The diminutive aliens dripped with bodily fluids. “Let’s get you washed up.” He handed them a #cake of soap. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 10, 2019
“I’m not much of a #chef,” Ben said as the aliens emerged from their bath, “but I made you an omelette. You must be hungry after everything.” They set to, purring contentedly, until a pounding on the door rattled the house. “The Authorities!” they screamed in terror. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 11, 2019
Hissing, the aliens unsheathed their talons and struck threatening #poses as Ben opened the door. “Sorry to disappoint,” Ben laughed, “It’s just my dog Max.” Max took one look inside and ran away whimpering. Ben gawked at the aliens. They were almost as tall as he was. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 12, 2019
The alien leader #smiled at his expression.”No size shifters on your world, Ben?” “Not as such. We start out small and get bigger, but once we reach full size, we stay there. There’s no turning back.” “We’ll see about that. How would you like to join our circus?” #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 13, 2019
Joining the circus had been a childhood dream, but Ben hesitated. “We’ll #teach you everything you need to know.” “But I don’t even know your names, or where you’re from!” “I’m Alpha. My siblings are Beta, Delta, Gamma, Epsilon and Zeta. We’re from Charon. Let’s go!” #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 14, 2019
“Wait!” Ben said. “You haven’t told me about the Authorities yet!” “They are few but hold most of the wealth of our planet.” “Sounds familiar. How’d they get it?” “They hold the patent for the interstellar #drive and charge a fortune for interplanetary travel.” #vss365View on Twitter
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 15, 2019
A loud grinding sound outdoors interrupted their conversation. “Sorry,” Ben said. “Ever since my neighbor got a new lawn mower, he seems to spend every spare moment cutting the #grass.” “That’s no lawnmower,” Alpha gasped. “That’s the sound of an interstellar drive.” #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 16, 2019
“I don’t mean to be inhospitable, but it’s time to leave.” The aliens looked at Ben sadly and walked to the door. “Stop, I meant all of us! Shrink down, I’ve got a plan.” Once he’d distributed the aliens in his cargo pants pockets, he #pushed the door open and whistled. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 17, 2019
A crystalline dodecahedron sat on the lawn. It reflected the sun’s rays, #spreading light into the deepest shadows of the trees. One of its surfaces slid open, revealing a trio of figures. “Hand them over,” a cold voice said. Ben heard a tell-tale jingle.”Come bye Max!” #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 18, 2019
The border collie circled left to cut the Authorities off, then #leaned in to herd them to the side, creating an opening for Ben to get to the ship. “That’ll do, Max!” Ben emptied the aliens from his pockets onto the floor. “I hope you know how to drive this thing!” #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 19, 2019
Their lockstep broken by Max, the Authorities tipped over. Helpless as a #beached whale, they watched their ride take off without them. Soon an endless black sea of space surrounded the ship, interrupted only by nebula eddies and white caps made of stars. “Wow,” Ben said.#vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 20, 2019
Max ran from surface to surface, trying to herd the stars. “Lie down,” Ben commanded. “Your dog has circus potential,” Alpha said. “Thanks. Where are we headed?” “The #Horseshoe nebula.” “To perform?” “No, to pick up some luck before we head home. We’re going to need it.” #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 21, 2019
A comet drifts by, a strand of the universe’s #hair. The reality of what he’s done sinks in. “We’ve left the Authorities on Earth,” Ben says. “Yes.” “What if they try to take over my world? I have to go back.” “We’re no match for them alone. We need help.” Max barks. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 22, 2019
“Border Collie Max, please report to the #bridge! I’ve always wanted to say that,” Ben laughed. “Time for your first circus lessons, Max,” Alpha said solemnly. “Zeta will train you.” “Your first trick to learn is tossing rings. We’ll be passing Saturn soon,” Zeta said. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 23, 2019
“We need to set you up with a #GIRL,” Alpha told Ben “I can find my own dates, thank you.” “Not a girl, a GIRL! A Gravity and Inertia Resistant Light Jacket.” “Don’t you mean life jacket?” “No. It’s a jacket made of light, to protect you from black holes during practice.”#vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 24, 2019
Friction and air resistance disappeared when Ben put on the light jacket. He did triple flips effortlessly, casting rays into every corner of the crystal spaceship until it looked like a green house on a #sunny day. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 25, 2019
The spaceship dripped with luck after its journey through the Horseshoe nebula, but Alpha wasn’t satisfied. “We all need to be in the #pink before we take on the Authorities,” he told Ben. They set course for GJ 504b “Isn’t that a bit far?” “We know a short cut.” #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 26, 2019
The spaceship bounced off an asteroid like a bank shot in a game of #pool and spun into a wormhole. “Light jackets on all. You too, Max!” Alpha shouted at the border collie. “It’s going to be a dark ride!” With a graceful roll Max slid into the jacket. Ben zipped it up #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 27, 2019
The pink light from the planet suffused the spaceship, giving everyone inside a slightly embarrassed look. Ben wished his #parents could see him now. They’d always urged him to get out more and meet new people. “What next?” Ben asked. “Time to put on a show,” Alpha said.#vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 28, 2019
Jealous, Ben watched Max leap into the air above the tightrope, spin, and land facing the opposite way. Ben walked slowly across, eying the adhesive Beta used to #stick the line to the ship’s walls, worried it wouldn’t hold. “Initiation over, welcome to the troupe!” #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 29, 2019
The tight rope fell like #London Bridge as soon as Ben stepped off. “That was close!” “Timing is everything in a performance,” Beta said, “and yours is excellent. Speaking of timing, we need to get going if we want to be on time.” “On time for what?” “The Revolution.” #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 30, 2019
” What about Earth, Beta! Who knows what the Authorities are getting up to?” Ben said. “Not to worry! Stranded on Earth, they’re nothing but #pantomime villains. No one will take them seriously.” “Are you familiar with recent Earth history?” “Oh right. Change of plans!”#vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 31, 2019
Ben felt a sense of #bliss when Earth came into view, its blue waters a symbol of life and light in the darkness. He hadn’t realized how much he missed it. “Wait, something’s different! They’ve built a wall!” It zigzagged across the U.S., spelling out “The Authorities.” #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Feb 2, 2019
Ben couldn’t believe what he’d just #read. “How is this possible? We’ve only been gone a few weeks!” “Time passes differently in space,” Alpha said. “Delta, you have the best internal clock, how long have we been gone?” “Ten weeks.” “Don’t worry, we’ll fix it,” Alpha said.#vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Feb 2, 2019
They performed next to the wall, used it as their big top, then struck it down at the end with a #bow, as if that was part of the show. Critics gave the circus 5 stars, called it performance art. People followed them cross country and joined in until not a brick was left. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Feb 3, 2019
“Well, I guess we’ve showed the Authorities not to mess with Earth,” Ben gloated. “We’ve gotten rid of the symptoms, but not the cause,” Alpha said. “To bring this chapter of Earth’s history to a #close, we have to get the Authorities off your planet. We’ll need help.” #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Feb 4, 2019
“Who’d you have in mind?” “A #convict serving a life sentence. We’ll have to break her out..” “What’s she in for?” “Attempted murder by laughter in the 1st degree.” “A clown?” “Yes.” “She’d risk taking on the Authorities?’ “Who do you think she tried to kill?” #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Feb 5, 2019
“It’s illegal to make a joke?” Ben asked. “The Authorities make the laws & privatized the justice system-they’re prosecutor, judge & jury. They only #deliberated seconds to reach a verdict..” “But no death penalty?” “They run the prisons. It would cut into their profits.” #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Feb 6, 2019
“What are the prisons like?” “Each prisoner is #deserted on an asteroid in the Kuiper Belt with a crate of survival equipment and provisions.” “Alone?” “It’s to save money on guards. This way they only pay for pilots to drop supplies from time to time.” Alpha sighed. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Feb 7, 2019
“Doesn’t anyone #object?” Ben asked. “You’d be imprisoned for contempt of court,” Alpha said. “What’s the penalty for helping a prisoner escape?” “To serve the same sentence as the #convict.” “We’ll be stranded on an asteroid if caught?” “Yes.” “What are we waiting for?” #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Feb 8, 2019
“It’s a bit #bougie,” Ben said. “If we dress like the Authorities, we’ll throw off suspicion. They often visit the prisons to get them in the news. It’s free advertising,” Beta replied. “OK. But the next time I wear a top hat, it better be because I’ve become ringmaster.” #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Feb 9, 2019
The trip to the asteroid went smoothly. Dressed in the Authorities’ clothes and traveling in their space ship, the security satellites didn’t look twice. But the prisoner ran when they approached. “Get away from me, you bunch of randos!” “Wait Mom! It’s us!” Alpha said. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Feb 10, 2019
She turned back with a #hangry look, devouring their faces. “What took you so long. A clown without an audience? It’s been unbearable.” “I’m so sorry,” Alpha said. “And the rest of the litter?” “On board. By the way, meet Ben.” Ben tried not to wince as she groomed him.#vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Feb 11, 2019
Back On Earth- The Authorities marched in lockstep to the ruins and #palmfaced simultaneously. Red and blue bricks littered the ground where the wall had once stood. Spelling their name and built big enough to be seen from space, it was an SOS. Time for another Gofundme. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Feb 12, 2019
“It’s facepalmed, not palmfaced,” Alpha said. “Who’s the clairvoyant?” Delta asked, annoyed. “I say what I sense!” “No time to fight. Their wall’s #munted, but it won’t stop them long,” their mom warned. “They’re near a bridge, wearing cowboy hats.” “Texas,” Ben said. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Feb 13, 2019
It was night by the time they got to Texas. “I can’t see anything in this dark,” Delta said. “A crystal ship can be used as a #downlight,” his mom suggested. “Did I mention how big Texas is?” Ben asked. “We’ve got plenty of luck left,” Alpha said. “Throw the switch!” #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Feb 14, 2019
A silver glow emanated from the bottom of the space ship, interrupting the purples and grays of the #eventide. “There they are!” Ben cried. The Authorities shrank away from the light, like insects exposed when a rock is lifted. “Now what to do with them?” Max barked. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Feb 15, 2019
Max drove them up the ship’s ramp and into a corner. The Authorities glared at their captors. “Time for answers,” Ben said. “Who will be #rapporteur?” “We’ll never talk,” the Authorities said. “Walk on, Max.” They shook as the dog approached. “What do you want to know?”#vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Feb 16, 2019
Ben stared at the Authorities. Unlike Alpha and his litter mates, they were identical; most of their height came from their top hats. “What made you into such #abominable creatures? How could you outlaw circuses and make joke telling illegal? And what’s up with that wall?”#vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Feb 17, 2019
“We’ve always been #eclectic in our choices of oppression,” they answered as one.”We rise by pushing others down.” “How do you get away with it?” Ben asked. “The privileged think those who reach the top deserve it. Others lack the power to stop us.” “We’ll see about that.”#vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Feb 18, 2019
The circus troupe huddled to discuss their plan. The alien’s mother Mu put on her makeup; the others donned top hats. “Prepare for #paradigm shift!” Alpha said. “Fasten your seat belts everyone, it’s going to be a bumpy ride!” They strapped the Authorities in and took off.#vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Feb 19, 2019
On reaching Charon, the spaceship bobbed and weaved. “What’s wrong?” Ben asked. “Nothing. It’s the skywriting function-we’re announcing the show,” Mu said. “In scribbles?” “In #demotic, our common language.” They airdropped thousands of replicated top hats as they flew. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Feb 20, 2019
Despite the rehearsals, Ben’s stage fright #malingered. But when he gazed out at the “Mountain in a Moat” on Charon’s surface, a sense of awe replaced it. The capital city resembled the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde. From each opening, tiny catlike faces peered out. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Feb 21, 2019
All attention was on the crystal space ship. A line shot out and lodged itself in the mountain, creating a tight rope. The circus troupe walked out one by one. At their #behest, everyone donned top hats when the performance began. The Authorities couldn’t look away. #vss365V
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Feb 22, 2019
The performers danced on the wire, hurling hats like frisbees, swapping one for another. On their signal, the audience joined in. A murmuration of black hats flew through the air, each landing with a graceful flip. A single #teardrop ran down the face of each Authority. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Feb 23, 2019
The Authorities had mocked her when she’d challenged them years ago, nicknamed her #lame because she walked differently. She gazed at the tightrope longingly until she caught Max’s eye. He helped her onto the line. She’d show them what she could do with her claws. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Feb 24, 2019
The Authorities’ top hats, expensive and imported, declared their superiority, The spectacle of #humble citizens playing with the symbols of their power maddened them. But it was nothing next to the sight of the rebel leader they called “Lame Lambda” taking center stage. #vss365
THE BATTLE FOR MRS. HENDERSON’S GARDEN
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Dec 30, 2019
Something had been nibbling at the lavender and heather in Mrs. Henderson’s garden. She examined the delicate teeth marks, before exploring the honeysuckle. A #cocoon dangling from a blossom split open. Mrs. Henderson’s worst fears were realized. “Fairies!” she hissed. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Dec 31, 2019
The fairy stared balefully at Mrs. Henderson, their dislike mutual. She soared into the sky as soon as her wings dried, looped the loop and stuck out her tongue as an #encore. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 1, 2020
The empty coffins of abandoned cocoons littered the honeysuckle vines. “#Charlatans, all of you!” Mrs. Henderson cried, hair tangled into elf locks. An ominous humming assaulted her ears. The fairies were swarming. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 2, 2020
The fairies manipulated human emotions to #obfuscate their strategy and keep their foes off balance, but Mrs. Henderson was immune. She’d let a fairy into her heart years ago-she’d never make that mistake again. Her garden was her shield. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 3, 2020
The fountain still whispered the #unicorn‘s name, the shadow of its mane and horn trapped in the falling water when the fairies spirited it away. Mrs. Henderson’s watering can filled from the fountain’s basin, poured a memory over the flowerbeds. The plants drank it in. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 4, 2020
The unicorn’s #latent hoofprints rose to the surface of the flower beds, punctuated by the intermittent marks of fairy feet, which set down on the earth for a moment before flying back into the sky. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 5, 2020
“You see why we must fight!” Mrs. Henderson said. The flowers nodded in the breeze. The #disinterred memory of the unicorn inspired them all. The deafening hum of the fairy swarm assaulted their ears. “Prepare your weapons,” Mrs. Henderson ordered. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 6, 2020
Violets readied seeds for launching. Nettles waved their stinging hairs. Pitcher plants rotated their mouths toward the oncoming swarm. Mrs. Henderson nodded to the grey tree frogs, who #yipped a signal. The dragon lilies, first line of attack, unleashed their stench. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 7, 2020
The swarm broke formation as they fled the dragon lilies’ odor. Mrs. Henderson had timed the attack perfectly. Fainting fairies fell into brambles, captured by thorns that #obviated the need for a prison. The Garden had won the first battle. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 8, 2020
Just as the Garden paused to celebrate, the fairies #usurped the momentum. Those still airborne circumnavigated the dragon lilies and reunited into a single squadron. Tongues sticking out, they dove straight towards Mrs. Henderson. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 9, 2020
The #kinetic fairies flickered in and out of sight like quantum particles, each reappearance a new insult, their tongues dangling from their mouths. When they came in range of Mrs. Henderson, they spit out streams of glitter, then pulled up to reload for a second pass. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 10, 2020
The Garden held its breath, #inquisitive. The glitter hit its mark. Mrs. Henderson’s eyes drifted shut and a smile crossed her face. A mortal wound! #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 11, 2020
Formerly faded with age, Mrs. Henderson’s spirit grew #lively– her feet started tapping. Waltzing to music only she could hear, her rhythm infected the Garden. The plants swayed with her. #vss365#sunthing
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 12, 2020
As the dance ends, a strange #languor spreads over the Garden, except for the nettles. Their hairs continue to gyrate, biding their time, as Mrs. Henderson slumps against a trellis, dreaming. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 13, 2020
Mrs. Henderson’s eyes turn #opaline as they gaze inward. He’s hidden there in her memories, riding on the unicorn, playing his flute. His song winds around her heart and pulls it to him. She follows. The nettles inch closer. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 14, 2020
Choosing their moment, the nettles strike. Their hairs brush Mrs. Henderson’s ankle; their #fibrous roots rake through the soil, creating a subterranean shockwave. The Garden rouses. Mrs Henderson remembers. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 15, 2020
“It wasn’t my heart the fairy stole, it was the unicorn,” Mrs. Henderson recalled. Their work done, the nettles withdrew with a last #flourish of their hairs, just as the next wave of the fairy attack swept over the garden. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 16, 2019
When Mrs. Henderson finished digging, she noticed the bulbs shivering. “Don’t worry, it’s warmer in the ground.” The bulbs protested. “Oh, you’re afraid of the dark?” She fetched a flashlight. “No monsters!” She gave them a gentle #push and tucked them into the dirt. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 17, 2020
The unicorn’s horn swept the fairies aside; its tail created a #riparian boundary they could not cross. The fairies hurled glitter and stuck out their tongues from the far side until they tired, then flew away, colliding like bumper cars, blinded by the rainbow. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 18, 2020
The water fell back onto the garden in a #muddle of puddles, each reflecting a scene from the unicorn’s life. Mrs. Henderson walked from one to the next, reading them like a story. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 19, 2020
In the last puddle their eyes met. The unicorn’s gaze #articulated its grief. Mrs. Henderson took a seed from her pocket and dropped it into the water. The reflection opened its ripples to swallow it whole. #vss365
M. P. McCune @MPMcCune2 Jan 20, 2020
A plant sprouted and grew a lifetime in an instant, from seedling to flower to pod. A scent of #jasmine presaged its demise. When the seed vessel split, a unicorn burst out. “Welcome home,” Mrs. Henderson said. #vss365
Mary McCune Author 
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