Published November 11, 2013

Well its November which means its National Novel Writing Month. Its something I’ve thought of doing and I made a start on it at the beginning of the month but I’ve already fallen behind and doubt I’ll finish it this month as I have other things on the go at the moment.

But below is the opening for my novel idea.

City on the Edge of Oblivion

The air reeked of rotting garbage and the sickly sweet smell of molasses. The highway was empty except for a black hearse racing along at break neck speeds the world blurring with motion. The sounds of slobbering jaws and ravenous hounds pursued it. Bits of pavement flew into the air as meter long claw mark appeared from nowhere.

“Su gnisahc era sdnuoh Rolaeb ruof.” Said the petite girl in the back of hearse, her skin like porcelain and clothes old and black, she had cold dead eyes and was almost like a living doll. A small black table rested on her lap and she dealt out a set of discoloured tarot cards.

“Tsk. Someone is upset with us Shoe.” The driver unshaven with three day old stubble and hair outplace. He searched through the glove compartment with one hand will trying to swerve away from the unseen attackers. At last he found what he was looking for a pair of out of fashion sunglasses with tinted green lenses and an oversized pistol with two long bulbs instead of a barrel and a series of brass tubes all along it.

“Sretem ytnewt, thgir.” Armitage reached out the open window and fired. The air erupted in blue fire and the stench of caramel. The first chamber in the Tesla Exodus Pistol began to hum as the mechanism began to charge. Armitage’s finger on the second trigger ready to fire again.

“Seerged net pu.” The second shot stuck home blue fire erupting and as the spectral hound cried out in pain for only the briefest of instants.

“Og ot touba si erit thgir kcab eht.” The car swerved out control as one of the hounds teeth ripped effortless through the spinning tire. Armitage grabbed the wheel and turned trying to regain control as the car bucked wildly. Jamming on the accelerator and turning sharply barely managing to keep the car on the road as they rounded a sharp bend. With every effort he kept going compensating for the missing tire and the rain of sparks flying out behind them. The TEP began to flicker and glow as it at last recharged. Shoe in the back continued to stare into the empty air looking at nothing shuffling the cards in her hand before turning over the next one.

“Su dinheb”

“It almost as if they don’t want us to get away.” Armitage flicked a switch on the dash board and the roof retracted, and another switch locked the wheel in place keeping them on a course straight ahead. Standing he turned the air shifting behind the hearse the unseen foes in hot pursuit. Only ripples of heat in the night air almost impossible to detect. Claw marks appearing the in the ground as they chased after their prey. Armitage waited not wanting to miss a shot.

“A little help if you will.”

“Ecneitap.” Shoe flipped over another card as the sounds of the hounds of grew louder and more intense. They were nearly on top of them their barking enough to drive the weak minded insane with fear.

“Toob dna erit.” Blue fire erupted just behind the tire and long claws marks gauged the back of the hearse before Armitage could turn and fire again a splattering of thick saliva hitting his sunglass before the unseen hound erupted in flames.

“Tnavres leehw eht.” The wold began to distort, colours unsure of themselves and blending and melding in unexpected ways. An angry roar seemed to echo across the empty streets and the sounds of city began to slowly rise. The shifting colours began to coalesce and calm as sounds of city life and activity rose. Ghosts of people and cars fleeted passed, like echoes or mirages, growing in substances. An hour glass on the dashboard of the hearse appeared at first glance to be frozen in place but the single grain of sand was beginning to move. Slowly at first and then accelerating as the world righted itself.