Out of respect for the British people, I did not attempt an accent.

Thargus thought the time right. He set the lights to full strength and flailed and gnashed and roared as he’d been practising. He felt rather silly, but the performance seemed to be working. The human, one hand steadying its spin, looked on intensely. It moved the white stick up to its mouth, breathed in, and then stabbed the stick out against the sac wall. “Don’t be afraid,”  Thargus said, meaning the opposite. He’d seen the trick on old films stored in the moss-brain when humans always said one thing and meant another like “We’re safer if we split up.” The human exhaled a long stream of smoke. “I’m not,” it said. That didn’t sound right. Thargus considered his response while staring at the human. It sure was ugly. A patchwork of dirty synthetics over the majority of its body, and on top of its pudgy, pink head, strand upon strand of greasy hair. Ugh!  Thargus felt sick. “Be afraid, then,” he said. “Why, are you going to eat me?” Thargus didn’t feel comfortable telling an outright lie, but that didn’t mean he needed to be too honest. “I might.”

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If you head over to The Secret Lair, you will find the first episode of a work of serialized fiction called Tricksters.  It’s based on a writing prompt from two years ago, when Kris and I were meeting each morning at a local coffee shop to write. The ideas implied by the original piece have been lurking around in my head since then, and as one of my big goals for the year is to work on my practice of writing, I decided to jump in with both feet.

I freely admit that this a novice effort: I’ve long talked about writing fiction, and like many people, I’ve gotten caught up in buying books, reading blogs, listening to podcasts…doing anything but the actual work. That ends now.

Please check out the story. I welcome your thoughts.

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She is (insert Celtic-ish name here), an orphan girl in the land of (insert made up word, usually ending in -ia). Pursued by (insert bad guy with too many apostrophes in his name), who knows that she was the answer to prophecy and understands that she holds his doom. Now, she comes into her own power, as a priestess of (insert Greek or Celtic goddess here)… …and she will save, or damn, the world.

Keeping that in mind, you can see why I loved today’s xkcd:

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• In our first piece, The Monologue, Kris orates grandly before one of the many who have attempted to penetrate the Lair…and failed.
• Our second piece, entitled Serial, Chris tells a tale of boy meets girl…meets knife. NOTE: Not really for the kiddies, this one.

We look forward to your feedback. Go listen to The Secret Lair Episode 0011: BECKY presents.

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codeshaman: Watching a guy who doesn’t look too well shamble across the parking lot. Would think he was homeless except for the business suit.

codeshaman: Damn…the guys suit look like he was rolling a gutter or something.

sambearpoet: @codeshaman: there are a lot of well-dressed homeless people downtown atlanta

codeshaman: @sambearpoet Yeah, Sam…but this guy is kinda pale…and I think he is chasing a pigeon. It’s just weird.

sambearpoet: @codeshaman: wild

codeshaman: @sambearpoet Holy, shit…dude just bit a pedestrian. This cannot be good.

sambearpoet: @codeshaman: 911?

codeshaman: @sambearpoet Other peds are handling it, it looks like. Man who got bitten looks unhappy. No surprise there.

sambearpoet: @codeshaman: yeah, I would guess so!

Raeski: @Codeshaman. How did he get close enough to bite? Weird!

Cmaaarrr: @codeshaman @sambearpoet Rabies is awesome, too.

codeshaman: @Raeski Hard to say…I think he was distracted by his Blackberry or something. Two guys are holding the homeless dude now.

codeshaman: Dude who got bit just walked into the Starbucks. Heading for the bathroom.

sambearpoet: @codeshaman: you’re the Edward R. Murrow of tweetdom

Raeski: @Codeshaman. I bet the homeless guy is scottish. . .

codeshaman: @sambearpoet Sorry…it’s just not something you see every day.

sambearpoet: @codeshaman: no worries, it is kind of cool

sambearpoet: @codeshaman: it’s like “Police Blotter Live” or “News of the Weird”

Cmaaarrr: Just got a strange email from the CDC.

codeshaman: Cops have shown up. Taking homeless guy into the car. Homeless guy is not really resisting, Ambulence just flew by.

codeshaman: Bitten guy just walked out. Hand wrapped in paper towel…still bleeding, looks like. Ordering a coffee. barista looks disgusted.

Raeski: @Codeshaman. The rest of your day is going to be so dull in comparison to this soap opera.

codeshaman: @raeski Tell me

codeshaman: Traffic is starting to get snarled. Ambulance stopped at intersection. Paramedic is arguing with cop. 44 minutes ago from web

codeshaman: Guy who was bitten is standing outside, just holding his coffee. Staring at the traffic. Looks like he’s sweating. “Bandage” is soaked. 42 minutes ago from web

KJToo: @codeshaman When’s the next full moon? That guy is screwed. 38 minutes ago from web in reply to codeshaman

codeshaman: @cmarrr How fast can rabies set in? This guy with the bite look awful. Pale and sweaty. 37 minutes ago from twitterrific

sambearpoet: @codeshaman: human bites are the worst 36 minutes ago from im in reply to codeshaman

Cmaaarrr: @codeshaman Not that fast. But this CDC note describes a new Lyssavirus, related to rabies, reportedly very fast acting. Like, minutes. 34 minutes ago from web in reply to codeshaman

codeshaman: @sambearpoet Looks that way. Bitten dude just dropped his coffee. Looks dazed. 34 minutes ago from twitterrific in reply to sambearpoet

PGHolyfield: probably buying one of two laptops tonight… $1,000 range. My inner geek still wants the $2,300 Dell… sigh 33 minutes ago from web

Cmaaarrr: @codeshaman Wait. Sir, aren’t you IN Cleveland? What area? 33 minutes ago from web in reply to codeshaman

sambearpoet: Robot warriors have arrived to take me to my orbiting throne-station. This may be my last transmission. 33 minutes ago from im

codeshaman: @cmaarrr What’s a Lyssavirus? — Bitten Dude just collapsed. One of the cops is coming over. Other is moving homeless guy to the ambulance. 32 minutes ago from web

codeshaman: @cmaarrr I’m down in the Warehouse district right now. W6th and St. Clair. Not far frm the Stadium. Why? 31 minutes ago from web

evo terra: @codeshaman Dude. You’ve seen Resi Evil & Dawn of the Dead. Get. The. Fuck. Out! 30 minutes ago from web in reply to codeshaman

KJToo: @sambearpoet Nooooo! Dammit, that’s my throne! Those are my robots! 30 minutes ago from web in reply to sambearpoet

codeshaman: @evo_terra Heh. Funny guy. This is creepy enough to watch. 29 minutes ago from web in reply to evo_terra

Cmaaarrr: @codeshaman Only that St. Vincent’s and Cleveland State’s med office were the reporting sites for the virus. Are they close? 29 minutes ago from web in reply to codeshaman

codeshaman: @cmaarrr Not too far…East

evo_terra: @codeshaman I’m only parially kidding. Me thinks the good doctor is suggestion you abandon your current position. 25 minutes ago from web in reply to codeshaman

codeshaman: Another ambulance just pulled up. Crowd is surrounding the guy the ground. Thinking

evo_terra: Cannot lose my lead developer to some zombie-rabies thing! Oh, or a good friend. 23 minutes ago from web

: codeshaman Uh oh. Second ambulance has people in those hazmat type suits getting out. More cops are showing up. Cannto see guy on the ground. 21 minutes ago from web

Cmaaarrr: @codeshaman Uh… the cases were in that area. Started after altercation with a guy from the Glenn NASA center. Biting was involved… 20 minutes ago from web in reply to codeshaman

codeshaman: @Cmaaarrr Oh great. Okay. Going to pack up in a sec. 19 minutes ago from twitterrific in reply to Cmaaarrr

Cmaaarrr: @codeshaman CDC alert said dude working with retrieved satellite with biologic experiments from Ames, then went nuts. 17 minutes ago from web in reply to codeshaman

codeshaman: Woman outside just fell and is screaming. Corwd is starting to run. passed out guy..he…oh shit. 16 minutes ago from twitterrific

RayS: “And Invisible Man sayz, i can has light, and teh light wuz.” http://tinyurl.com/2ygwwb 15 minutes ago from twitterrific

codeshaman: He just bit her ankle. 15 minutes ago from twitterrific

Cmaaarrr: @codeshaman I know this isn’t what Twitter is for, but I don’t have your # – you okay? I’d get moving. 15 minutes ago from web in reply to codeshaman

Raeski: @Codeshaman. Can you club anyone to death with your laptop if need be? And oh yeah. . .RUN! 14 minutes ago from txt in reply to codeshaman

codeshaman: Cops. cordoning off street. Need to get moving if I’m going to get out of here. Sorry. guys. Back later. 14 minutes ago from twitterrific

RayS: @codeshaman someone bar the door! 14 minutes ago from twitterrific in reply to codeshaman

codeshaman: Thank you for joining us for Zombie Twitter theatre. Remember, kids, eat your BRRAAAIINNZZZZZ. 11 minutes ago from twitterrific

RayS: @codeshaman and I was just

Cmaaarrr: Hey – the CDC did bring you “nepth-charging”… 9 minutes ago from web

evo_terra: @codeshaman & @cmar are cocksuckers. Funny, talented guys, but cocksuckers none the less. 8 minutes ago from web in reply to codeshaman

KJToo: @codeshaman Dammit, I wanted werewolves! 7 minutes ago from web in reply to codeshaman

codeshaman: @evo_terra *bows* Thank you, sir. 6 minutes ago from twitterrific in reply to evo_terra

strangerthings: Ooh, reminds me: look to an upcoming season of Stranger Things, I have an awesome zombie story that turns the whole genre on its head. 6 minutes ago from web

RayS: @codeshaman please save that somewhere… 2 minutes ago from twitterrific in reply to codeshaman

KJToo: I’m off to infect @codeshaman with the superplague. This may be my final transmission. 2 minutes ago from web

: strangerthings @cmar @codeshaman: Well played. This is like Reality TV. It’s Reality Tweeting less than a minute ago from web

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1. Note: I would have kept going, but when I reaized it was Sept. 11, I thought that I should probably cut it off.