57 Threaded Spouts
Ben considered what he'd seen: the weird columns, the many black portals, the strange man, the odd looking girl. Wasn't that what he wanted, to explore a new planet? Just the presence of the portals leading to Earth implied that aliens had visited. He stepped back onto the portal. Nothing happened.
07:00 PM - Mar 12, 2024
57 Threaded Spouts
Elsewhere: Ben Clay shook, sucking in deep breaths from his air tank. What was that he saw? He moved away from the portal and the bodies in the sand, and watched. Would that man with the squirmy hair follow him? Would he die from lack of oxygen? Should he save him?
Ben waited, but no one appeared.
Ben waited, but no one appeared.
06:57 PM - Mar 12, 2024
Second, as you can read in the linked blog entry, I wrote my first Western story and entered it in a contest: https://jotinthedark.blogs...
Third, well, reload my blog to read more recent writing news.
Third, well, reload my blog to read more recent writing news.
01:27 AM - Mar 06, 2024
(Edited)
I have a couple of writing announcements. First, my humorous poem, "On Her Deathbed, Aunty Rose", was published last week on Spillwords (Free to read): https://spillwords.com/on-...
01:25 AM - Mar 06, 2024
(Edited)
57 Threaded Spouts
Marken cursed as he saw the girl run toward the Crypt of Columns. It was a good way to die. Each column bore the etched names of the dead that had ventured through one of the forbidden portals, the ones that had “gone bad." The deadly disks lay scattered around the columns like a grotesque artwork.
11:22 PM - Feb 09, 2024
57 Threaded Spouts
Elsewhere;
Levia gasped at the sudden change to weightlessness, thinking that she'd stumbled into a vacuum. But then she took a breath, and another, and looked around. She saw glowing pastel clouds, slender things flying in the air, drifting spherical shrubs, and translucent blobs of...something?
Levia gasped at the sudden change to weightlessness, thinking that she'd stumbled into a vacuum. But then she took a breath, and another, and looked around. She saw glowing pastel clouds, slender things flying in the air, drifting spherical shrubs, and translucent blobs of...something?
04:04 PM - Feb 16, 2024
57 Threaded Spouts
"You got lucky," Mrel said from the bag. "You could have died, stepping randomly into one of the restricted portals. You're in a living nebula. I recognize it. Hope you have some way to get back to the portal."
Levia twisted around. Behind her, the portal was drifting slowly away. "Crap!" she said.
Levia twisted around. Behind her, the portal was drifting slowly away. "Crap!" she said.
04:34 PM - Feb 16, 2024
57 Threaded Spouts
“Portals in its belly? Who knows where those go?”
“I have a good idea,” Mrel said. “Though it’d take a long time to drift there. And you still have no way to propel yourself.”
“And I’d starve.”
“No. Those blobs you see drifting around are edible, though tasteless. The sky sharks like them."
“I have a good idea,” Mrel said. “Though it’d take a long time to drift there. And you still have no way to propel yourself.”
“And I’d starve.”
“No. Those blobs you see drifting around are edible, though tasteless. The sky sharks like them."
10:55 PM - Feb 23, 2024
57 Threaded Spouts
At that moment, Marken appeared at the mouth of portal at which they’d just arrived, some ten meters away. He’d tucked three rolled-up portals under one arm.
“Risky move, Marken,” said Mrel.
“True. But anyone pursuing us will be reluctant to follow us into a high-risk portal," Marken said.
“Risky move, Marken,” said Mrel.
“True. But anyone pursuing us will be reluctant to follow us into a high-risk portal," Marken said.
10:58 PM - Feb 23, 2024
57 Threaded Spouts
"And I think that one of these portals I’m carrying might have a path to the human planet in it."
“What’s a human?” Levia asked.
“A creature from a proscribed world.” Marken said. “And who are you, anyway? Are you one of the Prosecutor units?"
"Unlikely," Mrel said, "since you're still alive."
“What’s a human?” Levia asked.
“A creature from a proscribed world.” Marken said. “And who are you, anyway? Are you one of the Prosecutor units?"
"Unlikely," Mrel said, "since you're still alive."
11:03 PM - Feb 23, 2024
Unique!
This week, my illustrated dark fantasy story told in a sequence of five poems, earned its 19th 5-star rating and 16th review on Amazon. I'd love to know your own reaction to it.
This week, my illustrated dark fantasy story told in a sequence of five poems, earned its 19th 5-star rating and 16th review on Amazon. I'd love to know your own reaction to it.
01:08 AM - Feb 16, 2024
During the minute I'm required to wait in the shower before rinsing the conditioner from my hair, I like to imagine that I'm in a doctor's office, watching for a traffic light to turn green that will allow me to cross over to the reception desk where my wife will be done with her makeup. #efficiency
09:51 PM - Feb 07, 2024
57 Threaded Spouts
Near Earth:
Ben examined the alien. There were quite a few portals within a hundred yards of the Earth portal. This portal had three bodies next to it, and none of them were human. One had what looked like four giant slugs attached to its corpse.
Well, this disk might go to a world with oxygen.
Ben examined the alien. There were quite a few portals within a hundred yards of the Earth portal. This portal had three bodies next to it, and none of them were human. One had what looked like four giant slugs attached to its corpse.
Well, this disk might go to a world with oxygen.
12:27 AM - Feb 04, 2024
57 Threaded Spouts
A talking bag? Levia stared. The alien—she didn’t recognize the species—was holding it loosely. She dosed herself for speed with her implant, lunged for the bag, swept it from the alien’s grasp, and ran. She could sell it to her fence with the rest of today’s booty.
The alien cursed, pursuing.
The alien cursed, pursuing.
12:23 AM - Feb 04, 2024
(Edited)
57 Threaded Spouts
Worlds away:
Pros-5 held out the tracking cube taken from Mrel’s headless body. "That's the portal," it squeaked. From a pocket he withdrew a tiny robot designed to test and report on the safety of a portal jump. He tossed it onto the portal, but the robot failed to go through.
"Blocked, is it?"
Pros-5 held out the tracking cube taken from Mrel’s headless body. "That's the portal," it squeaked. From a pocket he withdrew a tiny robot designed to test and report on the safety of a portal jump. He tossed it onto the portal, but the robot failed to go through.
"Blocked, is it?"
09:17 PM - Jan 26, 2024
My friend @tomjolly and I are collaborating on an experimental sci-fi story. Start here,
https://spoutible.com/thre...
And then BOOKMARK the continuation in progress, here:
https://spoutible.com/thre... #SteppingStones #sciencefiction #spoutibleexperiment #ThreadedSpout
https://spoutible.com/thre...
And then BOOKMARK the continuation in progress, here:
https://spoutible.com/thre... #SteppingStones #sciencefiction #spoutibleexperiment #ThreadedSpout
09:21 PM - Feb 05, 2024
57 Threaded Spouts
Pros-5 pulled a paper-thin explosive disk from another pocket, activated it, and slapped it down on the portal. It disappeared. A moment later, he tried the robot again. It passed through the portal and quickly returned with a green safety light. Pros-5 stepped through.
Two Guntuks raised guns.
Two Guntuks raised guns.
09:26 PM - Jan 26, 2024
57 Threaded Spouts
"Who are you?"
“I am Prosecutor 5.”
“Five?” The Guntuks' eyes widened. Of the millions of prosecutors, number 5 was here? On Guntuk? They lowered their guns, not wishing to die.
“Where did the being with the spare head go?”
“Not sure.”
“Useless." Pros-5 pushed past them, eyes on the tracker.
“I am Prosecutor 5.”
“Five?” The Guntuks' eyes widened. Of the millions of prosecutors, number 5 was here? On Guntuk? They lowered their guns, not wishing to die.
“Where did the being with the spare head go?”
“Not sure.”
“Useless." Pros-5 pushed past them, eyes on the tracker.
09:05 PM - Jan 30, 2024
(Edited)
57 Threaded Spouts
Pros-5 sneered at the Guntuks, though they couldn’t see that through his face armor. The Guntuks had limbs like giant slugs that crawled around their bodies as needed, communicating with their host through thousands of neurochemical feelers. Pros-5 found them disgusting.
"Lower your weapons."
"Lower your weapons."
09:00 PM - Jan 30, 2024
57 Threaded Spouts
They'd stumbled onto the portal disk just as he had, but had passed out from lack of oxygen. Ben wanted to return the bodies to Earth, but frankly, with the disk in the middle of his apartment, there was no way he was going to drag the bodies there. He’d move the disk first. Maybe to a mortuary.
01:04 AM - Jan 23, 2024
57 Threaded Spouts
On Earth:
Ben Clay stepped onto the black disk that he’d carried from the park to his apartment. How could no one have discovered it before? Once again, he was surrounded by a half-dozen corpses on a lifeless ochre landscape. This time, however, he’d brought along a supply of breathing air.
Ben Clay stepped onto the black disk that he’d carried from the park to his apartment. How could no one have discovered it before? Once again, he was surrounded by a half-dozen corpses on a lifeless ochre landscape. This time, however, he’d brought along a supply of breathing air.
12:58 AM - Jan 23, 2024
Fairywren Publishing's soon-to-be-published crow-themed anthology, "Tree Full of Crows", will include a reprint of my drabble, "A Murder of Crows".
01:56 AM - Jan 25, 2024
In response to Shawn Mischief Klimek.
Have you checked out the splash tags #BookSpout & #WritingCommunity yet? Most of the author Spoutans can be found there & they are myriad
02:49 PM - Jan 24, 2024
I'm echoing this late for Christmas 2023, but well ahead of the 2024 madness. Order early!
![]()
Tom Jolly @tomjollyChristmas is around the corner, so if you’re looking for something obscure for a friend, you might consider this collection of short fantasy stories; https://www.amazon.com/Hig...04:16 PM - Dec 09, 2023
09:01 PM - Jan 23, 2024
3 Threaded Spouts
I joined Twitter when it was still Twitter, at the end of 2019, chiefly to promote my book of fantasy poetry, Hungry Thing. I followed other fiction writers, almost exclusively. Now Twitter is X and I have come here, to Spoutible. But are there enough writers here to support that same narrow focus?
08:42 PM - Jan 23, 2024
57 Threaded Spouts
“Here’s the Metro,” Marken said, waving his Galaxy Pass.
“Aren’t you worried that I’ll call for help once we’re on board?”
"As a surveyor, you know that Guntuks are going to sell you for parts rather than rescue you.”
“They eat their guilty, too, you know. No jails!"
Marken gulped, but boarded.
“Aren’t you worried that I’ll call for help once we’re on board?”
"As a surveyor, you know that Guntuks are going to sell you for parts rather than rescue you.”
“They eat their guilty, too, you know. No jails!"
Marken gulped, but boarded.
08:31 PM - Jan 15, 2024
57 Threaded Spouts
"Then tell me," Mrel said.
"Portal, Inc. makes more and more of these portals, and you know that each one contains a dozen primordial micro-black holes to create the gate."
"So?"
"Too many on one world and they reach a critical distortion. You remember Troy-5? All the dead-end gates?"
"A myth."
"Portal, Inc. makes more and more of these portals, and you know that each one contains a dozen primordial micro-black holes to create the gate."
"So?"
"Too many on one world and they reach a critical distortion. You remember Troy-5? All the dead-end gates?"
"A myth."
11:12 AM - Jan 11, 2024
57 Threaded Spouts
Marken found a bag and put Mrel’s head in it. He headed for the basement, getting odd looks from a few Guntuks, his tentacular hair squirming anxiously as though in a wind.
“You’re leading me to another trap, aren’t you?”
“Maybe.”
“I’m doing this for everyone, you know.”
“Really? Do tell."
“You’re leading me to another trap, aren’t you?”
“Maybe.”
“I’m doing this for everyone, you know.”
“Really? Do tell."
02:39 PM - Jan 08, 2024
(Edited)
57 Threaded Spouts
“You mean reorienting portals to short-circuit the network?”
The sphere nodded gravely.
Pros-5 considered. “Certain worlds would suffer if isolated from the galactic hub.”
“It’s worse than that. Isolation of the galactic hub from certain worlds…”
"Ah. Maybe I'll handle this one myself," said Pros-5.
The sphere nodded gravely.
Pros-5 considered. “Certain worlds would suffer if isolated from the galactic hub.”
“It’s worse than that. Isolation of the galactic hub from certain worlds…”
"Ah. Maybe I'll handle this one myself," said Pros-5.
10:30 AM - Jan 07, 2024
57 Threaded Spouts
Worlds away, a hovering sphere named Arg glared at the headless frame. “Why is it extending the universal symbol of disrespect?”
“It’s stuck,” Pros-5 mused. “We can track the one that did this using Mrel’s brain link.”
“We already have two Prosecutors chasing it. What if it closes a jump loop?"
“It’s stuck,” Pros-5 mused. “We can track the one that did this using Mrel’s brain link.”
“We already have two Prosecutors chasing it. What if it closes a jump loop?"
03:05 PM - Jan 05, 2024
