Metal tales - Short Stories updated 30/08/17 (Updated)

[Rex Anglorvm]

It's a good thing I have a habit of stalking Shankbot's profile in order to harry him with wall posts; otherwise I might not have noticed this thread. Wonderful pieces. I love the first two stories. I think we have similar tastes, REX.

It's always nice to welcome a new reader. Thanks for the great feedback

I have read the first four, and like everyone I am worried about you.

"Night Crawler" was my favourite, but the darkest was "Whole Lotta Rosie" I think... This is indeed some great writing, but I will never see you in the same way.

Nice to see you drop by mate. Don't worry I just have a very active imagination!

[Legio]

If you ever have the time, watch Santa Sangre and write something about it. I'm curious to see what you'd be able to come up with.

[Rex Anglorvm]

If you ever have the time, watch Santa Sangre and write something about it. I'm curious to see what you'd be able to come up with.

I've just read the wikipedia entry on the film, I think in all honesty that the amount of detail in the plot would leave very little room for me to create something fresh from it!

Plus I think it maybe a little too much for our readership

Thanks for the suggestion though, I may have another tale ready soon

[Legio]

I can't wait! Consider me your newest fan.

[Rex Anglorvm]

Sweet Child O’ Mine (Inspired by the song of the same name by Guns N' Roses)


Today I killed two men.

Its not an unusual thing anymore, just part of the everyday crap that you put up with since the Nuclear storm of 2032, I was a boy of fourteen when it happened somehow I survived through the fall-out of a nuclear winter, the famine that wracked the lands for ten years or more, the disease that spread when modern medicine disappeared and the widespread cannibalism that followed when men considered it acceptable to eat each other, at least that foul practice has now stopped apart from in the most desperate parts of this former United Kingdom.

I’m now 37 years old and a fully fledged warrior of the sands, that’s what my people call the wasteland that once made up the picturesque Lake District in what use to be the beautiful county of Cumbria. I had been a fresh faced youngster, boarding at a private school near Lake Windermere when the world turned upside down. What happened to my parents and wider family I just don’t know, I don’t dwell on it as there’s no purpose, all that would be there would be pain and loss. The ‘storm’ as its known wrecked the most wonderful parts of the country and turned them into deserts over a few years, while the cities such as Manchester, London and Birmingham in turn have turned into jungles, in the urban and real sense, communities fractured along religious and ethnic lines without the glue of a modern liberal thinking society to hold them altogether. My people trade with some of the tribes of the cities, but whenever we do go our trade caravans are substantially guarded, they have to be the cities are a mess. Virtually overnight the 21st century world had spun on its axis, and when it had finished spinning its revolutions the world had changed forever.

My own people had formed themselves from the local community, second home owners and tourists that had been holidaying in the area; somehow all these disparate people came together and formed a society that has managed to survive, perhaps even thrived in comparison to others. Its survival in part due to the creation of the warriors of the sand, we are the toughest males who have been grouped together and trialled by endless combat so that we are the most renowned warriors of these tormented islands of Britain.

So I have killed many men in defence of my people, but today for the first time I killed to save the life of my love.

The women of my people are known as ‘sweet children’ it is not a quaint title, it is an honorific as the women of our lands store the knowledge of our people and of the time before the storm, they cure the sick and bear the children and educate them so we are able to provide for our own, we are able to farm what little fertile land we have, we trade and our women provide knowledge to those from outside lands that would otherwise have none. As you may have realised they are the leaders of our people, men folk are reserved for two tasks; that is the killing of enemies and the hard labour of farming, from a young age the boys are divided into two groups, you are either a warrior or a farmer or artisan, and each role is equally respected, after all the former preserves life and the latter sustains it in an otherwise hostile world. Everything else is down to the responsibility and the leadership of our women.

I have been luckier than most, for my woman, the sweet child o’ mine is the leader of our people; she has eyes of the bluest skies, as if they thought of the rain that falls from the sky and today I killed those two men as I would hate to look in those eyes and see an ounce of pain. For she has a smile that seems to me to remind me of childhood memories, when the Earth was a fresh bright blue sky, and now and then when I see her face she takes me away to that special place of my lost innocence. These two foul men sought to kill my woman, the leader of my people, and I killed them without thought or hesitation, they were from a neighbouring people, from the land that would have been southern Scotland before the storm. Their people are vicious, and they have enslaved many tribes as their empire grows, it is said that if you stare to long at one of them that you would probably break down and cry, well I didn’t.

I cut them to pieces with my most prized possession, my battle axe, yes that’s right! We are more than a little lucky in our lands, for when the storm happened men where by the lakes re-staging an ancient battle between the Saxons and Celts. Many of these men stayed as they had no real choice and two of them were weapon smiths, men who had forged blunted weapons for weekend warriors found themselves making the real thing, they have passed on these skills to younger members of our people, such luck and skill has given us the edge in many fights and victory has been ours on virtually every occasion.

These Scots-men as we call them had stolen in during the night seeking to slay my woman and destabilise our people prior to a planned invasion. They have used such underhanded tactics before now, but on this occasion it would seem that their luck had run out, as the men crept in during the night, my mastiff ‘dog’ awoke barking in alarm and as they smashed in the front door of our home, I was already awake and ready to welcome them with my axe in my hand. As the first man barrelled through the door, a furry blur shot by me as dog went for his throat, as the man struggled I swept the axe in an upward arc at his stomach, which split like rotten fruit until I reached the bottom of his ribcage, I pulled the axe free from the eviscerated stomach in a split second and was ready to face the second man, it seemed however that one look at my bloodied axe and dog’s crimson coloured jaws was enough for him as he turned to flee, once he realised his evil compatriot already lay dead.

But my axe has perfect balance and I am not a small man so I threw the axe over handed and it lodged in the back of his skull as he ran with a mighty thwack, he crumpled to the floor with a thud as dog decided to lick the bloodied back of the dead man’s head.

Pushing dog away with my foot I pulled the axe free and felt a shadow at my shoulder, I looked around and their stood my woman, she had never seemed more beautiful or alive to me than at that moment. I was so glad to see her I burst into the marital song of our people ‘Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place where as a child I’d hide, and pray for the thunder and the rain to quietly pass me by, Sweet child o’ mine, sweet love o’ mine, where do we go? Where do we go now?’

The song is sung on your wedding night, when you and your new bride ‘retire for the night’, but I knew where we would go now, we would go to war, and I would slay the world for this sweet child o’ mine.

[Diocle]

Imagining the beautiful lands of Britain transformed in a desert is a pain almost unbearable for me, in my mind, British landscape is the place in which words like 'beauty' and 'civilization' are preserved, it's like a reserve of hope for the incoming future, so this tale has been really painful for me!

Anyway do you see? Reenactors can be very useful guys!!!

Your stories are hard metal tales RA!!! Good work also because any tale has the effect of displacing some of my certainties, and this is painful but very good thing! ....+rep!

[Legio]

You like axes, don't you.

[Rex Anglorvm]

Imagining the beautiful lands of Britain transformed in a desert is a pain almost unbearable for me, in my mind, British landscape is the place in which words like 'beauty' and 'civilization' are preserved, it's like a reserve of hope for the incoming future, so this tale has been really painful for me!

Anyway do you see? Reenactors can be very useful guys!!!

Your stories are hard metal tales RA!!! Good work also because any tale has the effect of displacing some of my certainties, and this is painful but very good thing! ....+rep!

As always I'm glad that you liked the story, sorry it was so painful for you

You like axes, don't you.

Yes I do! I guess its the Saxon in me

[Ybbon]

Ah, the dog is called 'dog' I see. Imaginative, but I guess fido is wildly inappropriate in a post-apocalypse World!

You do know Diocle that the British landscape is one of the least natural in the World right? We lost a large percentage of woodland up to WW1 and 6000 years ago it (woodland) was probably 75% of the country - it was a much more wooded land when the Romans appeared. Farming and industrialisation modified it again, and urbanisation now means that there are few places that could be considered wilderness any more - probably some parts of the Grampians only. The parkland look was 17th/18th century creations by people such as Capability Brown.

Excellent little tale again.

[Maximinus Thrax]

Today I killed two men.

Five simple words which really managed to capture my attention.

My people trade with some of the tribes of the cities,

But I thought that only cockroaches and chavs would survive a nuclear blast.

Another excellent story, Rex!

[Rex Anglorvm]

Ah, the dog is called 'dog' I see. Imaginative, but I guess fido is wildly inappropriate in a post-apocalypse World! Excellent little tale again.

Well I thought 'dog' was quite aposite, after all you couldn't reall call a war dog cuddles

Glad you liked it.

Five simple words which really managed to capture my attention.

But I thought that only cockroaches and chavs would survive a nuclear blast.

Another excellent story, Rex!

Yes, I liked that opening myself; and I never said what the city tribes were comprised of

[Shankbot de Bodemloze]

I have been naughty and skipped straight onto this one... but I love this song so I just to.

I like the lyric references towards the end, and it reminds me of "Dust" (a CW story) in some ways, which I loved as I thoroughly enjoyed that story. Great work mate, and sometimes I wish you'd turn some of these into serials.

+rep

[Rex Anglorvm]

Prince of Darkness (Inspired by the song of the same name by Megadeth)


I sit at my desk, reclining comfortably at my ease as I watch the Sun dip down and bring in the blessed night, the glow of the day recedes and I contemplate yet another profitable day, my most wonderful invention ‘Corporate Globalism’ had given me a harvest of both mortal wealth, trifling but useful, but more importantly a multitude of souls would be coming my way purchased by the sin of their own greed. How wonderful! The evening sky performed a grimly bloody vista as if by demand, the deep red of the night skies reminding me of the joy that I would soon experience as I toyed with the souls and decaying corpses of my newly acquired followers, bankers, hedge fund owners, lawyers, politicians, estate agents, the list of possible converts is endless in this modern world, so much easier to do business than it had been in the middle ages, all that suspicion, superstition and doctrinal following, bah! The view outside was now startling demonic, just as it should be. Ah, it had been so easy, such a thoroughly enjoyable day; my victims are rich or poor, young or old, strong or weak.

Rising out of my $50,000 leather chair I walked over to take a look at the insects, I mean people, that scuttled below me, my office, my penthouse on the top of the 70th floor of the building, I should say my building, giving me an excellent view of the mere mortals below me. Needing something to stimulate my senses I pick up the remote from my desk and flick on the wide screen television in my office, I study the channels, flicking through them until I find what I’m looking for, yes! A natural disaster, these always made for good viewing and the chance of a profit too; government’s and aid agencies always coming to me for a handout and me magnanimously handing over a large cheque with a studiously practiced sombre demeanour always played well with Joe public. Fools

Little did the insects know, I caused this ‘natural disaster’ just like the millions of accidents I cause, I am cancer in your bones, I father the lie, twist what you say, and speak not the truth, I am the media, I am the politician, I am the judge, I am the jury. I am insidious, impartial, and I am deep inside your chromosomes, for I am Lucifer, deliverer of your fantasies, dreams and secret desires, but for a price of course.

And what is my price? I take what you love, and leave you in tears, I imprison your soul, your hopes are my games, I strip you of pride, my promise is in vain, for while you burn at the stake, I will dance with the flames. For all that you desire I will give you, but all I desire I will take from you, you will be my slave, but only for all eternity…

My mind is a whirr of activity I turn from the TV, no longer interested in the insects on display on the screen, when I grow close to boredom I am at my most creative, I think on what I shall do in response to this latest disaster….no, not the giving of cash, that is for the cameras, no this is when I bring poverty, sickness and death. Yes a cheque in one had and a pestilence in the other, already I think of calling the President, offering him my sincere condolences and a large cash donation on behalf of my corporate multinational, or as I term it my corpsy-muldy to fund relief efforts, a worthless verbal handshake for the numbskull, I the slickest thief, I steal your wealth, your real wealth, the treasure that is your humanity.

I can answer your prayers when you feel sorry for yourself, you know when things aren’t going your way and you turn from your ‘God’, I will answer your prayers for greed and lust, more than mere evil I laugh at your trust! For I am the Evil in the world, not evil from your world…

Your feeble tanks, missiles and guns, they are as dust, for I am more powerful than all the armies of the world, I am more violent then your mortal violence, more deadly than death, for I am its creator. I have destroyed more men than the entire nation’s of the Earth’s wars, I am relentless, unpredictable, I sit with pleasure or dance with uncontrollable glee as you draw your last breath.

Evil, more evil than violence? Yes I can say that I am because I am Evil, the very creator of evil; violent, more violent than death? Yes, because I will torment you past the mere mortal realm, your grave will be no final resting place when you trade your soul for my patronage. Deadly, more deadly then man? Of course! Your God may have created you, but I can break you in thousand different ways and still you will plead for my help in attaining your sinful desires. I am yeah, I’m Evil I am!

I know no borders, boundaries, cultures or arbitrary lines drawn on a map by any human hand, the world is my kingdom, my kingdom corrupt with dissent, your sins erupt by my own intent, I loathe to hear your prayers, but I wallow in your sins. Let the nightmare begin!

Its time to reap the curse,
Its time to rend more than a single nightmare upon the Earth,
The time is now past dread, for soon I shall raise the zombie un-dead!
Time to recite the dark prayer, the time to call my legions of the underworld,
Yes its time to make this mortal domain Hell!

Prince of darkness your satanic highness,
Prince of darkness, the devilish serpent, the dreaded Lucifer,
Prince of darkness, the most beautiful angel,
I Lucifer, I prince of the night, I lord of the armies of the rotten dead,
I summon you my un-dead horde, come and claim this world for your lord of death!!



And if anybody does any of the jobs listed above I apologise!

[Maximinus Thrax]

Amazing tale you have here! Excellent work! It reminds me of Al Pacino's character from The Devil's Advocate.

[Legio]

A thrilling update!!!

[Ybbon]

"I summon you my un-dead horde, come and claim this world for your lord of death!!"

This is not when you want Mr Humphreys to show up then?

Excellent little dark tale.

[Rex Anglorvm]

Amazing tale you have here! Excellent work! It reminds me of Al Pacino's character from The Devil's Advocate.

Thanks. Originally I wanted to twist the tale to make it about globalism and corporate greed, leading onto the credit crunch, but the lyrics could not quite fit, so instead I thought I would have Satan as head of a multi-national corporation!

A thrilling update!!!

Thank you too my friend.

"I summon you my un-dead horde, come and claim this world for your lord of death!!"

This is not when you want Mr Humphreys to show up then?

Excellent little dark tale.

If he had of turned up I'm sure I could have put a dark twist in there somewhere! Thanks for the complement.

[Diocle]

....my newly acquired followers, bankers, hedge fund owners, lawyers, politicians, estate agents, the list of possible converts is endless in this modern world,...

I like the extreme realism of this tale! RA, here, there is a great truth, good work!

Lucifer is really a busy man today.....

[Rex Anglorvm]

I like the extreme realism of this tale! RA, here, there is a great truth, good work!

Lucifer is really a busy man today.....

Sadly you are correct but it makes for some great storytelling

[Scottish King]

Hmmm! I don't know whether to be disturbed or...is there another choice? Great writing! Particularly liked the sandman and the lucifer ones! + rep