I dragged myself upright, trying to focus on my surroundings. Almost immediately a dark shape was lunging at me out of the pixelated fog but somehow I managed to sidestep Mephisto’s blow and stagger away from him. The air resounded as a stack of corrupted files collapsed around us. Then he was on to me again, his eyes blazing as only an old devil’s can. I fled, stumbling over the litter of old programs until I sensed the sheer black walls of the social network looming out of the clouds.
But my enemy had outrun me and was standing there smiling with an old fragment of virus held aloft, waiting for the gun turrets to swing towards us.
I don’t think it was until right at the end that he realised his mistake – not until the ground flung out metal tendrils and held him fast, not until the black wall crumbled into lumps of outdated machine code. It wasn’t cyberspace at all, just a hastily disguised hard drive on a disconnected old desktop. Leaping out of the terminal I yanked its plug from the wall and fell back in exhaustion, my final glimpse of Mephisto’s fury burned indelibly into memory.
Comments
Silver Spun Sand | October 8, 2011 - 09:15
Amazing stuff...again, Rob.
I particularly liked the way the reader is swept along in a kind of blind frenzy at the beginning of the last paragraph. Skilfull writing, indeed;-)
Tina
insertponceyfre... | October 8, 2011 - 09:45
I agree with tina -love the build up towards the end. well done
oldpesky | October 8, 2011 - 11:23
I don't know how you do it young fellow, but you do it so well.
ScoZen | October 9, 2011 - 21:05
Hello rjn.
"...the sheer black walls of the social network looming out of the clouds..."
I try to warn my son about this, but he dosn't listen to me.
ps I'm envious how you manage to keep to 200 words.
rjnewlyn | October 10, 2011 - 00:38
Many thanks Tina, Insert, not-so-oldpesky and ScoZen. And thanks very much for the cherry.
Yes, social networks ... still not sure ...
Rob
fatboy74 | October 11, 2011 - 10:41
No I'm not sure either Rob - what I am sure is that i'm thoroughly enjoying this and don't really want it to stop. :-)
MistakenMagic | October 13, 2011 - 18:45
Still going strong, Rob, though I feel this one's ready to reach a thunderous climax? Looking forward to it!
Magic xxx
rjnewlyn | October 15, 2011 - 22:58
Thanks very much Fatboy and Magic. I'm not sure about thunderous but something more fairly soon ...
Rob
celticman | October 17, 2011 - 00:56
Is this the end? You can't kill an old devil? Can you?
rjnewlyn | October 19, 2011 - 21:23
Wait and see (part 26 will be up within the hour)!
Rob
Sooz006 | May 19, 2012 - 20:52
Hhhm, me thinks he's trapped for now, but that's way too easy. Oh, Oh.
rjnewlyn | May 19, 2012 - 23:49
Possibly ...