Bright Lights & Glass Houses Read online

Bright Lights & Glass Houses

  By Ashton Raze

  Published by Ashton Raze

  Copyright 2012 Ashton Raze

  Table of Contents

  Thanks & Dedication

  I - Single Bullet Theory

  II - The Earth Crawled

  III - Over Easy

  IV - Dustland

  V - The Last Voice You'll Ever Hear

  VI - Bad Company

  VII - The Optometrist

  VIII - Column Inches

  IX - Blind Right

  X - Kissing Games

  XI - This Message Has No Subject

  XII - The Albatross Corridor

  XIII - Home Video

  XIV - Fusion

  XV - Acronyms

  XVI - So Long, Good Luck & Thanks For All The Memories

  XVII - The Signal Master

  XVIII - Bright Lights & Glass Houses

  XIX - A Bitter End

  XX - Lonely & Sympathetic

  XXI - Final Broadcast

  XXII - XX (13th Variation)

  About the Author

  Special thanks:

  Emily Richardson, Tom Hoggins, Molly Carroll

  Tiarny McNulty, Richard Warner, Lewis Denby

  &

  My parents.

  For Brian & Nora

  I - Single Bullet Theory

  "Have you ever seen a gun before?" the boy asked.

  The girl nodded. Of course she had. Not everyone had led such a sheltered life as the boy.

  "You're thinking I've led a sheltered life," the boy said. "And you'd be right."

  The girl smiled. The boy had a way of doing this.

  "I'm not stupid," the boy went on. "I knew the answer was yes. But you've never seen a gun like this."

  He held it out and the girl took it. "Is it loaded?"

  "That's the thing," the boy said. "Who knows?"

  "You obviously do," the girl replied.

  "No, seriously, just listen," the boy said. "These are strange and wonderful times, right? The world's changing. Everything's changing."

  The girl nodded. He was right. "Get to the point, then."

  The boy was unfazed. "This gun isn't anything special, actually," he said, taking it back. "It's the bullet which is special."

  "I thought you said you didn't know if it was loaded," the girl retorted.

  "I don't. Just listen! Seriously. The gun houses a magic bullet. You can't see it, or hear it, and you don't know where the bullet will hit. But believe me, it'll hit somewhere. It could shoot a star out the sky, or it could kill the President. Who knows?"

  "You're either delusional, or this is the worst pick-up line ever," the girl said.

  The boy rolled his eyes. "Don't believe me? Go on, fire it."

  He handed the gun back to the girl, and she took it. She looked him in the eye, then pointed it at him. She'd been expecting a reaction, fear perhaps, but got none. He merely smiled.

  "Not at me, that's not as fun then. Shoot it into the sky," he said.

  The girl pointed the gun heavenwards. Her finger rested on the trigger.

  "Okay, ready?" she asked.

  "Yes. Fire," the boy said.

  The girl wavered for a moment, then her index finger tensed. She squeezed, bracing herself like she'd been taught.

  The hammer clicked. Silence.

  Together, the boy and the girl watched the invisible, magic bullet sail in a glorious arc towards the sun. Then it was gone.

  "Who knows what we just killed?" the boy said, and the girl laughed and kissed him.

  II - The Earth Crawled