Wednesday, May 2, 2012

A Flash of Light

Let's see who gets this one. I'm betting most of you. I've been known to assume that people don't know about this particular event, much to my chagrin (for at least two of you, this will be a critical clue). Fitting historical references into one hundred word stories is hard - probably too hard to be worth the trouble. Nevertheless, I like this one.

A Flash of Light
By Mark L. S. Stone

The monstrous shape coalesced in the circle scratched in the dirt. It was teeth and claws and wings – terrible to behold.

It spoke in many voices. “You have summoned me at last, but you cannot hold me.”

“I don’t need to hold you for long,” the exhausted magician replied, smiling grimly. He glanced at his pocket watch. “Just for a few more minutes.”

The demon laughed. “What will happen then, foolish mortal?”

The magician pointed to a nearby post. The sign read ‘Government Test Site – Keep Out.’

“Progress,” he replied.

The clock turned to 4:45. There was a flash of light.

3 comments:

??? said...

I looked the time up to be sure, but I recognized it. Nice one and I can just imagine it happening that way.

Scattercat said...

"I am become death, destroyer of inconvenient metaphysical interlopers."

Mark said...

@ Jedediah: Yay!

@ Nathan: Not to mention suicidally determined magicians.