New Tales of Florida Gothic - Chapter 7
“Accordingly, some things torment us more than they ought; some torment us before they ought; and some torment us when they ought not to torment us at all. We are in the habit of exaggerating, or imagining, or anticipating, sorrow.” - Seneca
From time to time, you hear & then see the planes of Flight 19 fly over your house, forever lost & unable to find their way home. You watch them for a moment, then return to whatever it was you were doing.
Wiht the temperture & humidity shattering all previous records one aftenoon, you decide to go see a horror movie & enjoy the lavish air-conditioning. You are pleased to find the theater deserted with you the only one attending the showing. You are further delighted when the film turns out to be about you.
Sometimes your trail cam captures images of Florida creatures best left unseen. You always delete those pictures immediately. You consider it...professional courtesy.
As you work feverisly to complete your time machine, your future self, horrified at the unending nightmare you will eventually cause, labors equally feverisly to ensure that you never complete it.
After decades of false leads & bogus trails, you finally find your prize: a working genie's lamp, misplaced by a careless conquistador. You rub it & make your first wish; to be the smartest person in the world! But the genie professes that he cannot grant that wish, as you already are the smartest person in the world. This horrifies you beyond all reason but at the same time, explains so much.
You visit a fortune teller & ask to have your future told. But the seer seems increasingly frustrated each time she attempts to read the cards. You smile & reveal to her that she can no longer see the future, as she herself no longer has one. You then calmly draw your pistol & execute her, completing your assignment.
creaturesfromelsewhere 11-26-2024
