Lights of Mirigan Issue #5

Fred didn’t know where he was anymore. He didn’t understand what Alexander wanted from him, and why he was dealing with the people he was dealing with.

“No I don’t have my pilots licence anymore.” Fred answered.

“Well that’s a bugger?” Alexander said, disappointed.

“You want to tell me what’s going on?”

“What do you mean mate?”

“What’s the deal with those guys.?” Fred was refering to the two middle eastern guys they’d just.

“Oh I go way back with Sadik and Omar. They taught me everything I know.”

“Um, ok.”

“Sorry, I forgot you weren’t here when they came in last year for the holidays. They came in and we had a get together at the shop. I guess you weren’t around yet then.”

Fred was in shock, he struggled to find something to say as he watched Alex getting into the car.”Look man.” Alexander said. “You gotta lighten up a bit. Look at the bigger picture.” Turning on the engine, he said “I’ll text you some directions. No worries, I’ll put you on secondary ops. It’s gonna be a blast!” He then laughed maniacally as he drove away.

Fred was left alone, and took a walk downtown to collect his thoughts. After not long, he once again saw a police car pull up close to him, again, it was his old childhood friend Richard.

“Hey Fred.” his old friend said walking toward him.

“Did I do anything officer?” 

“I don’t know Fred did you?” Fred kept walking by.

“Oh come on man,” Richard said in frustration. “Why can’t you just talk to me!”

“Nothing to say.” Fred didn’t miss a step.

“What,” The officer pointed to his dark skin “cause I got Aboriginal skin you can’t talk to me. Come on man you know that’s bullshit!” 

Fred said nothing but did stop walking.

“Listen, I always tried to look after you. I know some kind of shit is going down, and you know it to. You know it, and you know it’s not right. Now help me out so nobody gets hurt!”

“You think you can stop people from getting hurt.” Fred almost laughed, then he walked away.

A few days later Fred sat alone in his apartment. Only him and a six ack of beer. He was drinking a lot the last few days, he sat on his couch watching TV, coming in and out of consciousness. He felt the phone vibrating, shaking him out of unconsciousness. He looked at the phone in his hand, it was a message from Alexander, directions to go downtown tonight. The message was about to be forwarded. Did he hit forward in his sleep? He recognized the number, it was Richard’s. He still had it from when his mother first got put in the hospital. He stared at it for a moment, and he thought about Alexander and his crew, they didn’t believe the shit they were preaching, none of them did. He was had, bamboozled. “Fuck it.” he thought, as his thump angrily pressed the ‘send’ button. Dam if he didn’t just become a snitch. 

He became something more once he pushed the button on his phone. He was bathed in a blue light, and soon his vision was that of the stars. He felt his body shake as he was falling through zero gravity, the galaxies and star clusters were but playthings in his hands. He looked down at his body to see it was made of the comets and planets, as well as the nothingness of space.

Now he could see himself up in the cosmos, his body outlined by stars like a constellation, the constellation made a walking motion, like those cheap cartoons he watched when he was a kid. His star body looked up, and an immense light came out of his head.

He awakened to find himself on the roof of a building. It was the same building he’d found himself on that night, that night when he escaped the police. He was laying on his back facing the still daylit sky. A small aeroplane, like the kind his father used to fly, went straight across his field of vision. Fred leapt to his feet as he saw the plane go by, he could simultaneously see inside the plane. He could see inside the plane, where the small glider sat, and he could see the explosives inside, this was the package that Alexander paid for. He saw the pilot flying the plane, one of the members of Alexander’s group. Fred could then see behind the pilot’s eyes, he would bail out before crashing the plane into downtown. There was her mother, downtown, the hospital staff were taking some of the patients out for the day. He had to get to her. his feet moved, he ran toward the edge of the roof, he tried to warn them. Fred didn’t even look as he ran straight to the edge of the roof, he fell fast, the wind rushed at his face as the building below him got smaller, and the plane ahead of him got bigger. 

He was flying! Was he dreaming? He looked down at the city rushing past him below. When a few bugs flew into his mouth and his skin got cold in the high alititute he knew he wasn’t dreaming, and he knew what he had to do. 

Like the heroes in the comic book he read as a child he aimed his fist toward the plane and his body increased its velocity. Too bad he was in plain clothes, he thought to himself. When he imagined flying as a kid he pictured himself in a cool outfit. That wasn’t important now, as the plane got closer to downtown. His hands pressed against the steel. Fred hoped super strength was included in his new set of strange abilities. Sure enough the plane pushed upwards, up safe away from his target. Fred let out a yell as he pushed the plane into the atmosphere. Suddenly his powers gave out on him, he began descending in altitude, pulled by gravity, then pushed by the explosion of the plane overhead. He managed to turn his body around, he was falling away from the city into the ocean. As the water approached the water, he thought about what he had done in his life. Perhaps this supernatural act was the only good thing he ever did. In his gut he always knew he’d let down his mother, and if his father was still around, he might not be so proud either. It didn’t matter now, he hit the blue water and darkness descended.

He saw a black face looking at him. “Nice swimsuit man.” The kid said as he watched Fred wash up on the beach. Fred struggled to his feet and coughed up a bit of water. 

“What’s the matter, your broke ass can’t afford the laundry mat!” An aborigional woman, presumably the child’s mother, joked with him.

Fred could only shake his head and laugh as the woman ordered. “Child get him our towel this man needs to dry off.”

“Thanks.”

“You can keep it.” She then turned to her son. “Come on we gotta go see Officer Richard for dinner today.” The mom walked away with her son while Fred dried himself off.

Deep in another solar system, on a lonely space cruiser, a humanoid hand presses a button on a glass screen. It activates a transmission. The being’s two eyes don’t believe what they saw. A human displaying the power, a human pushing up a plane into the air, saving the city. The creature remembered flying planes like that when he stayed on that planet. He missed that world very much. Now he had to go back, he had to go back to help his son. 

This is the end of the Light’s of Mirgan. Tune in next week for the Flying Fox!

Lights of Mirigan Issue #4

To the Doctors it was a small miracle. Fred’s wounds, though never incredibly serious, healed almost overnight. The police couldn’t hold him for anything, though there was no explanation as to how his attacker electrocuted himself, so Fred was free to go. After his strange dreams he decided to visit his mother.

Mental hospitals are never like you see in the movies. As Fred walked down the main cooridoor, the patients were calm and smiling. A few of them were helping clean, mopping the floor and talking the garbage out.

Well today there was one exception, a handfull of orderlies rushed into one room as a man was screaming. When Fred walked by the room he saw what looked like a Chinese man being restrained in his bed. He couldn’t help but laugh as the man was yelling incoherently. As he passed he could still hear him, and was able to make out one phrase in English, “Ghost City!” the patient screamed. “Ghost City!”

Fred found his mother lying in her bed. He was surprised she wasnt up and about, he remembered her always being active. She still did her painting, a few pictures of her creation were taped on the wall. There were pictures of constelations and things in outerspace. He never knew her to be a science fiction fan, but there were even pictures of strange alien landscapes.  One more familiar picture was of the Blue Mountains he rememebered exploring as a kid.

“Freddy you came to see me!” Her face lit up as she turned to see him. He hadn’t realized how long it had been since he’d been here. Immeditately she noticed a scratch on her face that for some reason hadn’t healed. “Oh what happened to you! You weren’t fighting again were you?”

“I’m fine mom. Are you keeping well?”

“They treat me good here.” she said. How is Richie?”

“I don’t talk to him anymore mom. He’s a cop now.”

She grew sad as she remembered, “You used to be such good friends. I remember when you two used to go to the Blue Mountains. Your dad loved that place too.”

“That was a long time ago mom.” He didn’t want to talk about this.

“That one time Rich’s grandma told me they found you in that cave in the mountains, just staring off into God knows what haha. You were always out in outer space.” A tear floated down her cheek as she finished the memory. “Just like your father.”

“You don’t talk about dad much anymore.”

Perhaps not clearly hearing what he said she answered “Oh I talk to him all the time. It’s like that Celine Dion song, ‘Every night in my dreams.'” she cackled. I know you’re a big fan of Celine.

Not in the mood for banter he said “You never did talk about him much after he was gone. You never even told me how you met!”

Her eyes looked with wonder as she remembered something she couldn’t bring herself to share. “Oh if I told you that you’d never believe me. You’d put me in the looney bin!”

“You are in the looney bin mom.”

“Looking at her pictures of far away galaxies she answered. “Yes,…I guess I am. I woudn’t trade it for anything. Your father, he was, he was out of this world.” Her face went blank, he called to her a few times, but nobody was home. This was why he hardly visited anymore.   She would be ok to talk to for a while, but then she would just drift off into space.

It was just as well, Alexander called him as soon as he got to his car. “You alright mate?” The leader of the movement asked.

“Yeah I’m good. What’s up.”

“Big meeting tonight. I’ll text you the location.”

Officer Eades had never been to the Holden reserve. Seemed like a nice place to have a picnic with your family. Not today though, Harry, his fellow officer and informant, was face down in a lake.

“What do you think happened sir?” Another officer asked.

Richard didn’t have an answer, but back at the station, there was a file Harry helped him fill with information about Russian activity in Melbourne. Something big was going down, and he would be dammed if he didn’t find out what it is.

The sun was setting as Fred saw Alexander in front of an old Warehouse. He greeted him with a big smile. “Wow mate, glad you made it out in one piece. What happened?”

“I don’t really remember honestly.” That wasn’t too much of a lie.

“I’m so sorry mate, I told those guys I would take care of it. I knew you weren’t the snitch. Don’t worry about that by the way, I got our leak plugged.”

“So what are we doing out here?”

Alexander didn’t have to answer. Just then  two headlights shined on them as the van approached. The engine shut off, and Fred’s fist clenched as two dark skinned men got out. What was this, some kind of ambush?

Fred almost charged them right there, but Alexander held his hand up to Fred’s chest as he spoke, something. It wasn’t in English, Fred didn’t understand. He never knew Alexander to speak anything but the native tongue. The stranger answered back, and the two embraced like long lost friends.

Finally speaking English Alexander said “Good to see you guys again. This is Fred, one of my newest, and more honest recruits.”

Fred felt repulsed as the two men went to shake his hand and greeted him like he was an old friend.

“The Czar sends his best.” The other man said. “He will soon be here to oversea things.”

“Sounds great.” Alexander said as he exchanged what was a stack of money for a small but heavy box. “Looks like phase two is a go.” Then looking at Fred he asked “So Fred, you still know how to fly?”

Fred was still puzzled about the whole situation. What was going on?

Tune in next week for the Flying Fox #4. The week after that I’ll be taking a break. Gotta rest my brain after spinning all these yarns. Be sure to come back in August for our most popular tale, Ghost City, and more from the blogverse.

Lights of Mirigan #3

The images ran through his mind like a dream. Fred was a boy again playing with Richard in the Blue Mountains. Those caves ran so deep, it was unreal. Had he dreamt it? He was too young to think of it then, but Richard’s grandmother was so spry, leaping over the rocks and the crevasses. She was in better shape than people today. People today were soft, weak. Fred remembered his dad, he was strong. It was pathetic what happened to his country, that’s why he joined Alexander’s group. They were gonna make their country strong again. 

But my god those caves. They were huge. he remembered one time, he got seperated. How did that happen? Who knows, maybe he went one way and Rich and his grandmother went another, but through a narrow crevasse he entered a gigantic chamber. He never found it again. He looked a million times, but he and his childhood friend never could retrace his lost steps. Maybe he was better off, given what he saw down there, way down in the cavern. I mean, it couldn’t really have been a, not, it couldn’t have been, could it?

The images shifted to a hanger. Fred didn’t know where he was now. It was someplace he had never been before, at least he was pretty sure he hadn’t been there before. It was a hanger. There were a few guards about. But what was in this hanger, Jesus, it looked like something out of one of his outer space movies he loved as a kid. It wasn’t that big, looked like it could fit on a flatbed. Maybe it could be flown by just one man, or, maybe not a man, one, one thing. My god was this real. Maybe he was thinking of Area 51 in America, but no. He could hear the guard’s accents, they were Aussies. This craft, wherever it came from, was in his own country. It was right outside of Melbourne. How did he know that. It was one of those things about dreams, he just knew.

“Rise and shine sleepy head.” Fred was awakened by the sound of Richard’s voice. Richard was an adult now, not his friend anymore. “Gees mate you alright?” He asked.

Seeing Richard was in uniform, he knew this wasn’t a social visit. “What do you want copper?”

“What do I want?” Richard asked. “Bloody hell, looked like someone wanted something a lot more than I did by the looks of you.” Looking at his chart he continued “Luckily no broken ribs. Got a bump on your head but no stitches. Got some bruises on your face.” Richard put down the chart and quipped, “Probably an improvement.”

Fred didn’t bother laughing at the officer’s jest. His former friend then asked ‘Want to tell me what happened last night?”

“I dont’ know officer.” Fred said formally. “Someone knocked me from behind, and next thing I knew I was here.” Fred wondered, even if they had still been friends, would he have told him the truth?

“Well you weren’t the only one attacked?” The officer said. “We found another body about twenty feet from you. His chest was caved in. It looked like Superman smacked him with a sledgehammer. Then there was the body we found by you.”

“What do you mean.”

“Guy we found laying next to you was electrocuted. Of the three, you’re the only one alive. Want to tell us what happened?” Fred remembered the rushing sensation he felt when the man swung down at him with the tire iron. Even if he wanted to tell the Officer, he would probably get locked up with his mom in the looney bin.

Officer Eades expected no answer. “Oh, just one more thing.” He said before he left the hospital room. “Alexander, you know, the leader of your little clubhouse,” Fred couldn’t hide from his former friend that he was now a little startled. “Is he in contact with any Russians?”

Fred simply turned away and stared out the window. The cars flew down Flemington road. Across the street was a Thailand restaurant. He smiled as he saw its front window was smashed in. One of Alexander’s cells had this area assigned to them that night. Officer Eades wasn’t expecting an answer and walked out. Fred smiled at his minor victory, these douchebags didn’t have a prayer.  

Harry liked the Holden reserve. Growing up in Sunbury, just outside of Melbourne, he’d ran around here a lot as a kid. Whole summers playing hide and seek out here, messing around in Jackson’s Creek, he’d missed it since coming to Melbourne. 

Walking under the trees with Alexander, he wondered why he called a meeting out here. “We’re expanding our operations. “Alexander said. “Our previous operation was a success, despite a few setbacks.” Harry kept his cool as he knew what Alexander was talking about. Thanks to his undercover work, a few hoodlums got busted vandalizing ethnic business around Melbourne. But, thanks to our comrads, we know where our weak links are.

Comrades? At the station they were briefed on the rumors. Russian gangsters making connections with local radical political groups,trying to stir divisions in the country, like he heard had happened in America. 

Harry knew he was done when Alexander pulled a folder out of his pocket. It had Russian and English writing on the cover, and but the contents inside sealed his fate. It was photos and documents about Harry’s real identity. 

Two men came out of the woods and grabbed Harry from behind. He almost had no time to react as they shoved his head in the creek. The cold water rushed over his face, as a current of images floated by of memories of playing here as a kid. These were the last things he would think of before his life was snuffed out.

Alexander then made a phone call. He only had one thing to say. “Comrade,” he said, “the weak link has broken, ready for phase two.”

Thanks for reading the latest chapter of the lights of Mirigan. It feels great to be able to get out and about again as business are re-opening. I had an opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. yesterday. I was able to see the peaceful protests at Black Lives Matter Plaza. The AFL-CIO had a huge Black Lives banner displayed on their building. There wasn’t a large crowd when I was there, but there were many signs in the area, people speaking, performing music, etc. When witnessing people practicing their constitutional right to free speech and assembly, we are reminded that our freedoms and our society hang in delicate balance, a balance that requires us to raise our voices in times of injustice. 

Tune in next week as Diego makes his fighting debut in Flying Fox #3

In two weeks our most popular tale return in Ghost City #3

After that Jaguar returns for more action.Will she finally get her revenge?

The Lights of Mirigan returns in 30. Hope you can join us for more paranormal action from the land down under!

Lights of Mirigan Issue #2

Richard’s grandmother was surprisingly agile as she climbed over the stones. She had led Richard and his young friend Fred deep under the earth. Fred was beginning to wish he had brought a jacket as his mother suggested before he left, as the crisp subterrenean air nipped at his skin. As many times as Richard explored these caves, he was still amazed as he turned off his flashlight to find himself not in total blackness, but in the green glow of phosphorescence emmenating from the rocky walls. 

Fred watched his friend anxiously run down one of the cavern pathways while he followed his friend’s grandmother down another. Soon they found themselves in an immense cavern, too big be believed. It was filled with an underground lake, the water shimmering in the phosphorence.

Fred touched his fingers in the cold water, and when he turned around he saw the old woman standing before him. It was an image like out of a dream, she stood before him in a shroud of mist, the green light now turned white, shining behind her. “You have the light of Mirigan.” She said. Young Fred was confused at what she meant. “You have a power that comes from the stars.” He did not see her lips moving as his mind registered her words. Then, as though she could hear his internal confusion, she continued. “You will learn in time. Know now you’re current allies will betray you. Rekindle your lost friendship, and your mind will be at ease.” What was she talking about? He had been friends with Richard for a few years now, ever since fifth grade math class.

In his apartment off Batman street, Fred awoke to the sound of pounding on his door.  Now surrounded by darkness he asked “Who is it?” 

“It’s me Fred, open up.” He thought the voice sounded familiar, and when he cracked the door open he saw a familiar dark skinned man waiting for him.

“G’day Fred.” Officer Eades said. “May I come in.”

“Do you got a warrant?”

“Come on man let me in. I just want to talk.”

“Not without a warrant.” Fred attempted to shut the door but the officer’s foot was blocking it.

“Bunch of stores were vandalized last night.” Officer Eades explained. “All “ethnic” as you would say. You wouldn’t know anything about that would you?” 

“Wasn’t me.”

Eades could see the poster for the group on the wall. “Funny,” he said, they all belonged to the local fitness group. I guess that’s just a coincidence eh?” 

“Must be.”

“So what’s next, you gonna get a Swastika and be the next Fuhrer, or maybe you should get a white robe like the yanks.”

“What’s it to you? 

“Come on man we both know what this is about.” The officer was both agitated and disappointed. “You’re not the only one that lost your pop! My dad died too you know!”

“Are you done?”

The policeman pointed his finger sternly as if Fred were a child. “If you get caught doing this shit, I can’t help you.”

Removing his foot from the door he walked down the walkway. Fred kept the door open and watched the policeman leave. “Funny,” the cop said as he continued walking. “I had a dream about grandma last night. Never dream of her you know. We were kids, back when he would take us hiking through the blue mountains.” He stopped to turn around, “Remember that?”

Fred was at a loss for words, but nodded his head.

“Just don’t do anything too stupid alright?” Fred’s former friend pleaed. “Take care of yourself.”

“You too Richard.”

Richard stopped in at the bagel shop before going to work. “What happened last night!” Was the first thing he heard walking in. David was real pissed off.

“Somebody snitched on us!” Another guy said. 

“Keep it down we got customers coming in.” Alexander ordered from behind the counter. 

 “Never mind that.” Zane said sitting at his seat. Did you hear about Luna Park?” 

“What about it?” David asked. 

“People saw lights in the sky. They’re back, and they’re watching us.”

“What are you talking about?” Fred asked. 

“I saw on the news,” Zane explained. “NASA found Ultima and Thule in the Kuiper Belt. Some say that’s where we descended” He looked at Fred and said “You know, they were here 15 years ago. Now they’re back.”

“Man shut the fuck up with that shit!” Fred lashed out. “Come on David we gotta get to work. I’m parked outside.”

Soon the crew that followed Alexander left, Alex asked an employee to man the cash register while he went in his small office. 

Closing the door behind him, he saw the blank image on the screen, his benefactor never revealed his face. “How is the land down under?” The seemingly disembodied voice said. 

“We had a few new recruits, but there was a bust last night, we lost a few.”

“You weeded out those that were week.” The voice said mysteriously. “I’ve been watching. You are ready for the next phase. Our representative will meet you soon.”

Fred didn’t talk to David much during their shift at the Warehouse. Usually there wasn’t much time to socialize anyway. David didn’t usually ride with him, and on the way was asking him a lot about last night. Fred was confused himself. The police seemed to be right there, and how did he get on that roof. Fred almost felt like the whole thing was a dream. Could he ran up a fire escape and blacked out? His mind couldn’t pathom the events he had just experienced.

After his shift he waited in the parking lot for David. The weather was starting to cool, summer was almost over. He looked up at the stars and remembered his father. He hadn’t thought of his father for a while, but there he was, remembering his father flying through these very skies. “What was that asshole talking about?” He thought to himself, remembering the older guy at the bagel shop. He was always going on about UFO’s and the like. He’d had enough of that shit.

Suddenly he felt a clubbing blow to the back of his head. He fell to the ground and was met with a series of kicks to the body. “You snitched on us you asshole!” David shouted while kicking him. There was another man with him, he didn’t know who he was but he held a tire iron that now dripped with his blood.

Fred knew he didn’t have a lot of time. The blows continued when Fred felt a rushing sensation throughout his body, like a strong current of electricity was running through it. Instinctively he raished his hand toward David, desperately trying to shove him away. All three were shocked as David’s body flew through the air at an impossible length. The tire iron again was swung down toward him. Now on his knees, Fred gripped it with his other hand. The man immediately began convulsing, his hair stood on end as if he were being electrocuted.  Only when Fred released his grip did the convulsing stop and the man crumbled to the ground. Fred himself went back down to the ground, Between the blow to his head, and the shock of recent events, he knew he was about to pass out. His last thought before his eyes closed was, “What’s happening to me?”

I hope everyone has been keeping safe. The weather is getting much nicer and things are slowly beginning to open up again. Hope you have enjoyed this story. Come back in 30 for more tales of uncanny lights and conspiracy tales.

Next week is round two for the Flying Fox! Be here for tales of the world of underground fightning.  

In two weeks our most popular tale returns. Jennifer meets other foriegners in her knew home. What insights will they have in this mysterious Ghost City?

Jaguar number three will come in three weeks. Finally out in the field, will Jaguar partake in her mission, or will she strike out on her own? Stay tuned for the latest tales of the Blogverse!