A recent attempt at Flash Fiction, a difficult but fun challenge. The theme was the 80’s and in my illustration I’ve tried to capture an IT sort of vibe.
The oak tree stood decadent, bough knotted and gnarled. Jake hated the dark cracks in the bark. He was sure that if you stared at those black spaces long enough you could fall in, trapped forever in conscious nothingness. He adjusted the grip of his BMX and fiddled impatiently with the playing card on his wheel spokes, anxiously awaiting Wil.
Finally the familiar sound of wheel on gravel reached his ears, heralding Wil’s arrival. He was on his Michael Jackson skateboard, emblazoned with the car from Moonwalker, its yellow neon wheels visible from miles away.
Jake nodded a nervous greeting and Wil playfully punched him on the shoulder turning grimly towards the purpose of their meeting.
The creature was there as promised. Looking like a deformed koala it always reminded Jake of a Jim Henson puppet.
“We’re here you freak, now where’s Jake’s sister.” Yelled Wil defiantly.
The creature, hunched, hairy and shriveled, chuckled and from his perch pointed to the base of the tree. The ground rumbled, a thunderous crescendo of splintering wood filled the air as a crack formed in the trunk. It grew wider, revealing a gaping entrance, with a staircase, going down. A swirling light shone forth from the entrance and an image was projected. They could see their own houses, but they weren’t like they knew them. They were shells, burnt and broken. The image flickered then changed to show the empty streets of their town. No life, just smoke and ruin, derelict tanks and upturned cars littered the scene.
“What does this mean?” Asked Jake.
“Will you enter the Oblivioni for your Sister?” The creature taunted.
Jake nodded bravely and descended the staircase. Wil went to follow but the entrance had sealed before he could act. The creature had also vanished, leaving the old oak, guardian of the Oblivioni.
Words and pictures Copyright of John de Gruyther 2017
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The World Outside the Window 
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