Fall in One Day
Friday, April 20, 2007 at 10:46AM 
I've been working on a new piece for my class. A long one.
Here is an excerpt from "Fall in One Day".
The first week of September is just an extension of summer. School starts and there is an excitement to that, even those who dread the day have to admit it. When the last bell rings, I jump on my bike and the seat burns my ass, which reminds me that last week it was August. Peeling across the soccer field, past the wire cage that surrounds the school, and riding past the pool, it's almost like I could fool myself into thinking that it's still summer, except the pool has been drained and a couple of poplar leaves are stuck on the yellowed bottom.
The wind that pushes me home has the smallest hint of cold, barely there – I sort of think I am imagining it because the calendar tells me its coming. Fall. When we are lucky it last a few weeks, but some years it's a day. It's an amazing windy day where every leaf is torn off every tree and launched into this aerial parade – like soft fireworks echoing the fair that started the summer. I remember watching them with Brian on the bank of the river. How good it felt to lay back on the grass, our shirts dusty and sweaty from a day of riding the Zipper, knocking over bottles with baseballs and breaking our teeth on candied apples. Just like the breeze tells me that fall is coming, and as much as I loved watching those Roman Candles, the fireworks told me that the summer would be over before I knew it.
Reader Comments (11)
Nice start Craig. You have me right there with you with the wonderful descriptions. Hope the class is going well. Do you have TBD as a teacher?
thanks for reading, Lisa
Yes, TBD is the teacher.
Too soon to reveal the plot? Love story? A hard-hitting mystery? A tribute to Doc Savage?
Chuckle!
Doc Strange does show up as a reference - I had forgotten about Doc Savage. I need to work him in too.
So many Docs, so little time.
Plot? We don't need no stinkin' plot!
Lovely, Craig. Makes me yearn to be in class with you and TBD. I actually felt a pang in my heart when I read your work and thought of the process, the class, the teacher...a forever student I long to be, I suppose.
Please tell TBD that I wish I were there...
Miss You,
Fran
Fran!!! Well how cool is that.
Great to see you over in this neck of the internet-woods.
Yeah, I miss you too.
craig
- I'll pass your greetings to TBD
Using my hacking abilities, I managed to find the most recent draft of your Doc Savage novel in progress. I love it. The true tale of Doc Savage as a kid...
The first week of September is just an extension of summer. School starts and there is an excitement to that, even those who dread the day have to admit it -- once I force a confession from their skinny little throats, thanks to a drug of my own devising.
When the last bell rings, I jump on my bike and the seat burns my ass as the six cylinder jet engine explodes into life and throws me and my Huffy model Rocket Bike into the street, which reminds me that last week it was August, because that's when I built my Rocket Bike out of a canister vacuum and a propane gas grill that my parents will never miss. They were killed by Russian whale-smugglers. If it weren't for the first day of school, I'd be avenging their deaths. But I have big plans for Christmas break.
Peeling across the soccer field, past the electrified wire cage that surrounds the school -- I installed it last year to keep out the zombies -- and riding past the pool where I dock The Shark, my submersible-helicopter, it's almost like I could fool myself into thinking that it's still summer... except the pool has been drained and the Shark leans against the tile wall, its rotor blades drooping like a starfish at low tide. A couple of poplar leaves are stuck on the yellowed bottom.I blow them away with my .38 revolver...
It's good to be back in school.
Once again I bow to your brilliance Mr. Heath.
Damn, I'm always forgetting to put more zombies in my stories.
craig
I had a weird dream last night. This is true. In my dream I wrote a story without a hint of fantasy. It was 5000 words long, and it inspired two thoughts: this is the best thing I've ever written. And, two, if I added an element of the fantastic to the story it would be ruined.
For anyone else, this sort of dream would rate a so what? But for me, where every story I write has something unreal in it, it was startling. I woke up this morning feeling uneasy. I'm feeling like a pod creature with a mainstream writer inside, waiting to burst out.
There. Now I feel better.
I'm liking the excerpt Craig. A great read, despite the fact I don't want to think about autumn for a few more months yet. Can't wait to read your version and Mark's side by side. (Don't forget a few lycanthropes. They are way cooler than zombies.)
Oh great now I have to fit in even more creatures! Oh well, let the lycanthrope vs. zombie battle begin.
During a pleasant fall of course.
cheers, Andrew
craig