Synchro
The constant bipping of the monitor displayed evidence that vital organs were working.
Sync stood beside the bed looking at his friend. The smell of disinfectant penetrated his nostrils with a vengeance in this hour of sadness. Her eyes were closed. She breathed unaided. Her breaths came long and slow with an extended pause in between. Some pauses went on for a long time. He thought she had stopped breathing. Then she’d begin the drawn-out labour of inhaling again.
Edith’s skin had all but lost its colour. Her grey-white hair had been smoothed back onto the pillow. Her wrinkled aged-blotched arms rested on the sheet. It was pulled up to her armpits. A washed up hospital gown covered her to the neck.
It was an impersonal way to end a life without her own things around her. She deserved familiarity at the end.
Sync held her hand. She lacked the warmth he’d come to look forward to on his visits to her flat. Her hand was cold, still.
As he absorbed the sadness a bubble of white light surrounded her. Her life’s details listed in his mind. He didn’t want to know her personal details though such knowledge was irrelevant now. Soon it’s all that would be left of Edith aside from photos and memories. All personal effects would be passed on to family members or sold or donated. He’d become fond of her, had only ever seen her in her own surroundings, with her own things around her. Those images would stay with him forever.
The last detail he received was her date of death, tomorrow.
He looked at his watch. An hour and a half till midnight.
A lump formed in his throat. It was barely audible when he spoke.
“Goodbye my friend.”
Continued…
By Diane L Wood
Writer
My Bio: http://write-intention.com/Diane_L_Wood.html
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Episode 12: My Friend Edith
Synchro
One outstretched arm resting against the architrave supported him as he puffed. Air rushed in and out of his lungs. Rivulets of sweat trickled down the middle of his back and down the centre of his chest. Patches of sweat spread on his singlet. He knocked rapidly on the door.
Come on Edith where are you?
The door slowly opened.
“Yes?” The eyes belonging to the deep voice inspected Sync. The straight face and down-turned mouth matched the sad eyes.
“Is Edith there?” Sync began to breath normally.
“No, she isn’t,” the man answered dully. “Sadly she had a heart attack last night and is in intensive care. She’s not expected to recover,” he said bluntly.
“Oh. I’m sorry. I live next door. Synchro Reed,” he said extending his right hand.
“David Buchanan,” he said clasping the offered hand. “I’m Edith’s son. There’s an envelope on the table with your name on it. Just a moment.” He disappeared along the hall and returned with envelope in hand.
“I called in to see her the day before yesterday. She seemed fine. What happened?”
“She felt unwell and phoned me to come over. When I got here she was unconscious. The ambulance came quickly.” David’s bottom lip quivered.
“Is it okay if I go to see her?”
David nodded. He couldn’t hold back the tears.
“You’d better hurry.”
Continued…
By Diane L Wood
Writer
My Bio: http://write-intention.com/Diane_L_Wood.html
One outstretched arm resting against the architrave supported him as he puffed. Air rushed in and out of his lungs. Rivulets of sweat trickled down the middle of his back and down the centre of his chest. Patches of sweat spread on his singlet. He knocked rapidly on the door.
Come on Edith where are you?
The door slowly opened.
“Yes?” The eyes belonging to the deep voice inspected Sync. The straight face and down-turned mouth matched the sad eyes.
“Is Edith there?” Sync began to breath normally.
“No, she isn’t,” the man answered dully. “Sadly she had a heart attack last night and is in intensive care. She’s not expected to recover,” he said bluntly.
“Oh. I’m sorry. I live next door. Synchro Reed,” he said extending his right hand.
“David Buchanan,” he said clasping the offered hand. “I’m Edith’s son. There’s an envelope on the table with your name on it. Just a moment.” He disappeared along the hall and returned with envelope in hand.
“I called in to see her the day before yesterday. She seemed fine. What happened?”
“She felt unwell and phoned me to come over. When I got here she was unconscious. The ambulance came quickly.” David’s bottom lip quivered.
“Is it okay if I go to see her?”
David nodded. He couldn’t hold back the tears.
“You’d better hurry.”
Continued…
By Diane L Wood
Writer
My Bio: http://write-intention.com/Diane_L_Wood.html
Friday, January 30, 2009
Episode 11: A Change of Mind
Before today's episode I'd like to show you my writing bio.
The link is at the bottom of the episode.
Now, on with today's installment!
Synchro
It was there but not. Sync stared long and hard. The young man ignored him going about toy retrieval duty. Sync saw a feint white light around the young man. He appeared to be in a bubble of white light. A list of details about him ran through Sync’s mind, like a radio on low volume. The information was everything there was to know about the young man. The date he was born, his partner and children’s names, his job, his income, his hobbies, his date of death, everything. Sync’s heart raced. His skin prickled cold and sweaty. He didn’t want to know the personal details of strangers or anyone for that matter. It was none of his business.
He took off at top speed heading for home.
Zig zagging his way back through the streets he passed a woman with a child. He glanced at them. A bubble of white light surrounded them both. Information poured into his mind. She was in early stage pregnancy, though it wasn’t yet visible with a baby bump, and her grandmother was going to die on the 21st of June. The little boy was going to be a commercial pilot and live to be 97 years-old.
Sync looked away and kept running.
An elderly gent walking with a metal walking-stick came towards him. The old man grinned from ear to ear. A white bubble surrounded him. He was 81 and had this morning successfully had sex with his 59 year old wife. The first time since his heart attack five months earlier.
Sync shielded his eyes so he couldn’t see the man. The information kept coming.
Red faced he ran faster than ever before.
He didn’t want to do this.
He had to stop it, turn it off.
How could he shut it down?
His mind screamed,
“E-e-e-d-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-th!”
Continued…
By Diane L Wood
Writer
My Bio: http//:write-intention.com/Diane_L_Wood.html
The link is at the bottom of the episode.
Now, on with today's installment!
Synchro
It was there but not. Sync stared long and hard. The young man ignored him going about toy retrieval duty. Sync saw a feint white light around the young man. He appeared to be in a bubble of white light. A list of details about him ran through Sync’s mind, like a radio on low volume. The information was everything there was to know about the young man. The date he was born, his partner and children’s names, his job, his income, his hobbies, his date of death, everything. Sync’s heart raced. His skin prickled cold and sweaty. He didn’t want to know the personal details of strangers or anyone for that matter. It was none of his business.
He took off at top speed heading for home.
Zig zagging his way back through the streets he passed a woman with a child. He glanced at them. A bubble of white light surrounded them both. Information poured into his mind. She was in early stage pregnancy, though it wasn’t yet visible with a baby bump, and her grandmother was going to die on the 21st of June. The little boy was going to be a commercial pilot and live to be 97 years-old.
Sync looked away and kept running.
An elderly gent walking with a metal walking-stick came towards him. The old man grinned from ear to ear. A white bubble surrounded him. He was 81 and had this morning successfully had sex with his 59 year old wife. The first time since his heart attack five months earlier.
Sync shielded his eyes so he couldn’t see the man. The information kept coming.
Red faced he ran faster than ever before.
He didn’t want to do this.
He had to stop it, turn it off.
How could he shut it down?
His mind screamed,
“E-e-e-d-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-th!”
Continued…
By Diane L Wood
Writer
My Bio: http//:write-intention.com/Diane_L_Wood.html
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Episode 10: No, No, No!
Synchro
Balancing his day job with his extra-psychical brain-work was exhausting. Three months of ‘practice’ and nothing unusual had happened except brain drain. He was getting bored with it all and tired. He slept so soundly every night he was late leaving for work. He didn’t like hurrying to work. It unsettled his entire day.
At the start of the fourth month his sleep pattern changed. He bounced out of bed each morning full of energy. It lasted throughout the day. His twilight runs extended to double his usual distance. His body felt acutely aware of everything around him. His skin felt the dry atmosphere and sent a detailed evaluation to his brain. It was the same every day no matter what the weather. Sync felt atmospheric variations and deep inside him he sensed change was about to engulf him. He could handle physical changes but this consciousness change was unnerving. The thought excited him and terrified him.
It was the last day of the week. The weekend loomed. He slammed the front door of his flat behind him and started running. He passed people here and there and at first didn’t notice what he saw. Concentrating on his feet as he crossed at the corner where he avoided a series of pot-holes he paused letting a car go by. Off he went zigzagging through back streets racing himself. The air fiddled with his hair, the aroma of dinners cooking in houses he passed tantalised his nose. He stopped briefly, jogging on the spot as he turned around to re-trace his steps. A young man on his front lawn nodded as he picked up children’s toys.
Sync nodded back and watched for a moment. Oh, God! His brain ran in fast-forward. The puffing from his run stopped abruptly. He stood motionless and stared.
Continued…
By Diane L Wood
Writer
Balancing his day job with his extra-psychical brain-work was exhausting. Three months of ‘practice’ and nothing unusual had happened except brain drain. He was getting bored with it all and tired. He slept so soundly every night he was late leaving for work. He didn’t like hurrying to work. It unsettled his entire day.
At the start of the fourth month his sleep pattern changed. He bounced out of bed each morning full of energy. It lasted throughout the day. His twilight runs extended to double his usual distance. His body felt acutely aware of everything around him. His skin felt the dry atmosphere and sent a detailed evaluation to his brain. It was the same every day no matter what the weather. Sync felt atmospheric variations and deep inside him he sensed change was about to engulf him. He could handle physical changes but this consciousness change was unnerving. The thought excited him and terrified him.
It was the last day of the week. The weekend loomed. He slammed the front door of his flat behind him and started running. He passed people here and there and at first didn’t notice what he saw. Concentrating on his feet as he crossed at the corner where he avoided a series of pot-holes he paused letting a car go by. Off he went zigzagging through back streets racing himself. The air fiddled with his hair, the aroma of dinners cooking in houses he passed tantalised his nose. He stopped briefly, jogging on the spot as he turned around to re-trace his steps. A young man on his front lawn nodded as he picked up children’s toys.
Sync nodded back and watched for a moment. Oh, God! His brain ran in fast-forward. The puffing from his run stopped abruptly. He stood motionless and stared.
Continued…
By Diane L Wood
Writer
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Episode 9: Decision Made.
Synchro
“I’ll do it,” he announced after he settled on Edith’s lounge-room couch. Oddly she made no discernable acknowledgement. He thought the old girl would gloat because she won. “How do I go about it?”
Edith took her time. She looked at him as if she was seeing something that no-one else had privy too. It wasn’t exactly staring. It was more like an appraisal of something Sync wasn’t aware he had. She’d done it many times before. It was creepy. She seemed to sense his discomfort and began speaking.
“You’ve been blocking it for a long time, since you were a child. You need practice and lots of it. Practice making your mind go blank.”
“How do I do that?”
“Start doing it as you drift off to sleep each night. See in your mind a blank slate, a clean page, a TV with the power turned off or something else you can relate to. First thing in the morning as you rouse out of sleep before your day begins, do it again.”
Her instructions went on and on.
His head was spinning as she walked him to the front door. On the top step Sync turned back to her.
“When will this perfect woman come into my life?”
She shook her head.
“Impatience won’t help,” she smiled. “You’ll know the first time you see her.”
Edith closed the door.
Continued…
By Diane L Wood
Writer
“I’ll do it,” he announced after he settled on Edith’s lounge-room couch. Oddly she made no discernable acknowledgement. He thought the old girl would gloat because she won. “How do I go about it?”
Edith took her time. She looked at him as if she was seeing something that no-one else had privy too. It wasn’t exactly staring. It was more like an appraisal of something Sync wasn’t aware he had. She’d done it many times before. It was creepy. She seemed to sense his discomfort and began speaking.
“You’ve been blocking it for a long time, since you were a child. You need practice and lots of it. Practice making your mind go blank.”
“How do I do that?”
“Start doing it as you drift off to sleep each night. See in your mind a blank slate, a clean page, a TV with the power turned off or something else you can relate to. First thing in the morning as you rouse out of sleep before your day begins, do it again.”
Her instructions went on and on.
His head was spinning as she walked him to the front door. On the top step Sync turned back to her.
“When will this perfect woman come into my life?”
She shook her head.
“Impatience won’t help,” she smiled. “You’ll know the first time you see her.”
Edith closed the door.
Continued…
By Diane L Wood
Writer
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Episode 8: Is it in the Family?
Synchro
“Hey Sis.” Synchro held the phone to his ear. “Um, do you believe in psychic stuff?”
The first thing he decided to do was test Edith’s words.
“As a matter of fact, yes I do,” said Mesh. “Why do you ask?”
“Edith was telling me about that stuff and reckons it runs in families, sometimes.” He wasn’t handling this at all well.
“You mean you’re psychic?”
“Not sure. Just wondering if you or Con were into it.”
“I do have intuitive moments. I don’t know about Con,” she added.
“What about Mum and Dad?”
“I don’t think so. But did you know that Grandma Reed read tea leaves and apparently was very accurate?” A pause lengthened. “Sync? Are you there?”
Edith was right. Maybe she’s right about everything.
“I didn’t know.”
“It’s one of the reasons that he would have nothing to do with her.”
“In that case better not tell them about this conversation.”
“OK.”
Sync walked in circles around his kitchenette running his hands through his hair. His mind re-ran his options. Stay a lonely woman loser and not have the burden of dealing with unwanted psychic stuff or let his unwanted psychic side emerge and find his life partner.
Something in his brain said, ‘Stop beating around the bush and bloody well decide.’
He slammed the front door behind him and marched to Edith’s place.
Continued…
By Diane L Wood
Writer
“Hey Sis.” Synchro held the phone to his ear. “Um, do you believe in psychic stuff?”
The first thing he decided to do was test Edith’s words.
“As a matter of fact, yes I do,” said Mesh. “Why do you ask?”
“Edith was telling me about that stuff and reckons it runs in families, sometimes.” He wasn’t handling this at all well.
“You mean you’re psychic?”
“Not sure. Just wondering if you or Con were into it.”
“I do have intuitive moments. I don’t know about Con,” she added.
“What about Mum and Dad?”
“I don’t think so. But did you know that Grandma Reed read tea leaves and apparently was very accurate?” A pause lengthened. “Sync? Are you there?”
Edith was right. Maybe she’s right about everything.
“I didn’t know.”
“It’s one of the reasons that he would have nothing to do with her.”
“In that case better not tell them about this conversation.”
“OK.”
Sync walked in circles around his kitchenette running his hands through his hair. His mind re-ran his options. Stay a lonely woman loser and not have the burden of dealing with unwanted psychic stuff or let his unwanted psychic side emerge and find his life partner.
Something in his brain said, ‘Stop beating around the bush and bloody well decide.’
He slammed the front door behind him and marched to Edith’s place.
Continued…
By Diane L Wood
Writer
Monday, January 26, 2009
Episode 7: Thinking Time
Synchro
It had been a long day. The TV blared in his little flat. He didn’t hear it. He lay on the couch staring at the dark ceiling. He’d turned off the lights. The glow from the TV screen grew and shrank in the room depending on the scene. Five girlfriends in five years must be some kind of record. He didn’t count the casual dates. Judy lasted the longest, a whole six months. It wasn’t as if he’d grabbed the first woman who walked passed. He’d been selective and chosen interesting lively women to become close to. They apparently thought he was ok at least at the start.
The pattern suggested Edith may be right. If so, doing what she suggested was creepy, like her. She was nice creepy. Asking Mesh and Conrod if they are psychic could be embarrassing. They would think he was nuts. And his parents, he didn’t want to go there. He could resign himself to living alone for the rest of his life. Nah, he liked female company. He so badly wanted a permanent relationship. He didn’t feel complete and he knew what he needed to achieve completion.
Cool midnight air surrounded his heavy body. The touch button on the remote flicked off the TV. He pulled one of the throw pillows from behind his head and held it to his chest. His eyelids drooped. He’d make a decision in the morning. His head would be clear then and he’d know his decision would be the right one.
He hoped.
Continued…
By Diane L Wood
Writer
It had been a long day. The TV blared in his little flat. He didn’t hear it. He lay on the couch staring at the dark ceiling. He’d turned off the lights. The glow from the TV screen grew and shrank in the room depending on the scene. Five girlfriends in five years must be some kind of record. He didn’t count the casual dates. Judy lasted the longest, a whole six months. It wasn’t as if he’d grabbed the first woman who walked passed. He’d been selective and chosen interesting lively women to become close to. They apparently thought he was ok at least at the start.
The pattern suggested Edith may be right. If so, doing what she suggested was creepy, like her. She was nice creepy. Asking Mesh and Conrod if they are psychic could be embarrassing. They would think he was nuts. And his parents, he didn’t want to go there. He could resign himself to living alone for the rest of his life. Nah, he liked female company. He so badly wanted a permanent relationship. He didn’t feel complete and he knew what he needed to achieve completion.
Cool midnight air surrounded his heavy body. The touch button on the remote flicked off the TV. He pulled one of the throw pillows from behind his head and held it to his chest. His eyelids drooped. He’d make a decision in the morning. His head would be clear then and he’d know his decision would be the right one.
He hoped.
Continued…
By Diane L Wood
Writer
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