The Armada Of Sensation (646 hits)
Category: NoneLabels: Armada
Rating: 1.52 on 35 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by kaos-king (antius777) (View user info) at 2007-06-04 12:41:13 EDT
A discotheque in Prague. It's a giant warehouse that used to manufacture some old military parts during the cold war and it's been long abandoned for those reasons. The top floor is alive with the thumping bass of techno music and the swaying, dancing bodies of youth. There are a few rooms, perhaps one or two just a level below, where illicit things occur; things of sex and drugs. But we move even deeper into the depths of the structure, down and down, to find what we are looking for. We are looking for murder.
He is called The Artisan. He responds to no other title, and quite probably has no other name. If he did, he has long ago forgot it. No, this is his moniker now, and he wears it well. Currently he is stripping the flesh off a young man in ribbons, peeling it away in slivers much like you would from an apple. The youth is very much alive and gagged to keep his incessant screaming to a minimum.
The Artisan is precise and patient. He feels he learns something from every slice, from every drip of blood. He believes he is a student in these things, always the learner, occasional the teacher. The cuts he makes are perfect and he feels as if he is creating something beautiful. He wishes he could leave his final piece in all its glory to be found by others, by the cattle; but The Artisan knows this is not to be. Besides, he works only for himself in the end, he needs no applauding audience.
Fire has always been the preferred method of his kind. It was a growing trouble that the forensics of this modern age were able to see past the damage of flame and peer deeper. These inquisitive little sheep, oh how they wanted answers to their greatest fear, that of death. So caught up in his day dreaming, The Artisan did not notice that his subject had passed out. This was becoming a problem, too, his day dreaming. The Artisan sighed and flexed his will over his work, summoning the flesh to awaken.
It woke screaming.
He tried not to let his mind wander too much, but it was his nature. Did not this young man realize this was his destiny? That it was his fate to be found by The Artisan? Indeed, the youth was staggering down here, lost, and fell right into the awaiting arms of his captor. The Artisan had known, he had felt the draw. The pull the guided both he and his colleagues to their intended locations.
The Artisan stepped back and examined his piece so far with his pale blue eyes. The subject floated in the air only inches off the cement ground, his arms raised above his head to leave his bare torso exposed. His shirt had been stuffed in his mouth and a perfectly even spiral of skin had been removed, starting at his clavicle and twisting its way down to his belly button. Now, what next?
He was rubbing the thinly manicured stubble on his chin when he felt it, that particular drop in his stomach. It shifted and moved, and The Artisan grimaced as he turned towards one of the large green industrial doors. He waited impatiently, displeased to be disturbed right in the middle of a piece.
The lock on his side screeched opened, forced by another's will. It creaked open to allow access and a tall, thin man stepped through smiling. The Artisan did not return the look. The visitor was dressed a white tuxedo, his face painted to match. The only color on him was the black kohl around his eyes and the blood around his lips.
"A greetings, Artisan!" laughed the newcomer.
"Hello, White."
The White Man sauntered over to inspect The Artisan's work, murmuring his approval on a job well done. He reached down and picked up the long end of the flesh sliver and popped one end in his mouth, sucking greedily. Continuing around the floating body, he kept nodding and eventually leaned up to stare directly into the youth's terrified eyes.
"Yes, yes... very good work!"
"What do you want, White?" asked The Artisan.
"You know, I've been down in New Orleans."
The Artisan said nothing.
"Yes well, it's wonderful down there. So many callings and such little travel! Oh, and the suffering is exquisite. So there I was, stringing some entrails around a room like Christmas lights and..."
"The point, White," said The Artisan. "I have work to do."
The White Man grunted then a large grin spread across his face. "Daughter came to see me."
The Artisan raised an eyebrow. "The Crimson Daughter hates all of us. Why would she visit you?"
"Oh, she was in the midwest of the United States because of a tornado," explained The White Man, "When she felt IT."
"What?"
The White Man paused and looked away, almost troubled. "A Null."
"No. You're joking," The Artisan said simply.
"Check with Scissor, I've already talked to him."
"Wait... you're serious? What about The Changeling and The Swansong?" asked The Artisan.
"Scissor was tracking down the boy, but," said The White Man, "No one, eh... no one has seen Swan in quite some time."
The Artisan considered all of this. A Null. The Swansong's disappearance. Could it be?
"We all need to meet, to get together," declared The Artisan.
"Uh, you think?" said The White Man sarcastically.
Turning slightly, The Artisan gestured hard with his right hand, the back of the young man's head blowing out. The body fell to the floor in a heap. Kissing his fingers and flicking them at the corpse, it burst into flames.
"Come," said The Artisan, "It's time to gather up The Armada Of Sensation."
User Reviews
Submitted by JoeyG (user info) at 2007-06-14 05:49:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by DrogoRoch (user info) at 2007-06-14 05:20:19 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
How did I miss this little gem me wonders?
Oh yes I had my head up my ass for a few weeks. Onwards to part 2
Submitted by EmissionImpossible (user info) at 2007-06-05 09:09:33 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
No Comment
Submitted by Void_Where_Prohibited (user info) at 2007-06-05 08:48:43 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Very good.
Submitted by Bohme (user info) at 2007-06-05 03:54:24 EDT (#)
Ranking: -1
Was expecting something less vomit inducing.
Submitted by eric_the_bread (user info) at 2007-06-05 03:35:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Incredible, yet again. and dark, very dark.
Submitted by i_can_get_you_a_toe (user info) at 2007-06-04 17:42:41 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Susie_Derkins (user info) at 2007-06-04 15:22:44 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
K- Check your email...
Submitted by zwerg (user info) at 2007-06-04 14:41:04 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I liked it, but if the next installments are even more grotesque, I don't know if I'll be able to make it through them!
Submitted by kaos-king (user info) at 2007-06-04 14:24:48 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I gots you, it's coo'
Submitted by ChaosJester (user info) at 2007-06-04 14:22:04 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Okay, I get Clive Barker and Piers Anthony. Rethinking on it, this does feel like something Clive would have had a hand in back when he still wrote good stuff. Piers is just plain weird. Never much cared for Anne Rice, though. She was just too dry for me. Can't say that the rest of them are too familiar.
The reason why I keep comparing your stuff to Gaiman probably has to do with the lowbrow-type dialoge betwixt god-like figures. It's a pretty unique taste to me and you seem to do it much like him.
But, wha'evah.
Unlike Zebra, I'm not the best critic in the world...I like to write too.
Submitted by kaos-king (user info) at 2007-06-04 14:15:37 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Hmmm... you've compared my work to Gaiman before.
Thing is, I've only read a little bit of his work, and it's been just in recent years. I hardly consider him an influence.
Clive Barker
Anne Rice
Piers Anthony
Brian Lumley
Warren Ellis
Terry Goodkind
Grant Morrison
That's the crew that have REALLY inspired my writing the most. I think because I do "Mythic Horror" my stuff is kinda Gaiman-esque, but his work is so very British. It's also more fairy tale-like. I dunno, like I said, I've only read "Good Omens" , "American Gods" 1/2 of "Neverwhere" and a lil' of "The Sandman." I find his stuff kinda... distant.
Submitted by ChaosJester (user info) at 2007-06-04 14:07:31 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Superbly creepy, as usual.
The only criticism I have is that this sounds a little too much like something Neil Gaimen would write if Satan were massaging his brain.
Other than that...yummy.
Submitted by AshK (user info) at 2007-06-04 14:03:14 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
The crazy part is, it isn't the chewing part that got me. It was the actual image of....
Gak! Nevermind. I can't deal with it. It gives me the willies.
WILLIES I tell ya!
Submitted by kaos-king (user info) at 2007-06-04 14:00:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
HaHa... Palahniuk is a god...
Saint Guts-Free 4 PREZ!!!
Submitted by AshK (user info) at 2007-06-04 13:57:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I'll give you plus two's forever if you can write something so bad it erases the gut churning image Palahniuk gave me with Pearl Diving...
ugh. Great. Something to think about this afternoon. fuck.
Submitted by kaos-king (user info) at 2007-06-04 13:54:23 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Yeah... this was simply the intro.
I have a whole new level of butchery I'm gonna try to establish with the next chapters...
Submitted by Orgasmatron (user info) at 2007-06-04 13:24:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by gravitas (user info) at 2007-06-04 13:23:29 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
ewwwww
what was he thinking with that color eye shadow? Submitted by gravitas (user info) at 2007-06-04
---
"I'm a pretty pony. Yes I am. Yes I am."
Submitted by Wompom (user info) at 2007-06-04 13:24:13 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
effed up, man. effed up.
Submitted by DirtyHarry (user info) at 2007-06-04 13:24:02 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I started this while eating lunch (Taco Bell), and about threw up. I had to trash the rest of my lunch to finish reading. Which isn't a bad thing, I shouldn't be eating that crap anyway.
Submitted by gravitas (user info) at 2007-06-04 13:23:29 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
ewwwww
what was he thinking with that color eye shadow?
Submitted by Draco (user info) at 2007-06-04 13:21:51 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I'm interested to see this series develop
Submitted by TigerLilly (user info) at 2007-06-04 13:17:24 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Zebra (user info) at 2007-06-04 13:10:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
1.5
Submitted by Zebra (user info) at 2007-06-04 13:10:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
This sounds like an interesting concept but it felt like you jumped in without enough setup.
Some nice description.
Submitted by FALLEN (user info) at 2007-06-04 13:07:50 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
***waits for part 2*****
Is Prague that fucked up, I saw "Hostel" that was Prague too, I think.
Great job.
Submitted by Susie_Derkins (user info) at 2007-06-04 13:05:39 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
*blush* Sorry K, I'm odd that way. I can't watch slasher movies for the same reason, I can physically feel everything being done to the victims.
Submitted by kaos-king (user info) at 2007-06-04 13:02:11 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Stomach turn & skin hurt???
Then my job here has been done well...
Although I hate to think I've made you uncomfortable in any way, you adorable lil' thing...
Submitted by Susie_Derkins (user info) at 2007-06-04 12:58:39 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I had to skip much of it as it was making my stomach turn and my skin hurt. Sorry. What I could read was good. Your note made my weekend, you rock.
Submitted by kaos-king (user info) at 2007-06-04 12:55:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
There's gonna be 5 parts, and each chapter will have a picture of a member of The Armada.
For instance, this is The Artisan. I have shots of The White Man, The Changeling, The Scissor and The Crimson Daughter.
The MIGHT be a sixth, depending how the tale plays out...
Each picture is as grotesque as this one.
Submitted by AshK (user info) at 2007-06-04 12:55:25 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Crystle (user info) at 2007-06-04 12:49:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
*WEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeps*
Submitted by kaos-king (user info) at 2007-06-04 12:46:05 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Yeah Crystle, this short series will NOT be your kinda tale...
Submitted by Crystle (user info) at 2007-06-04 12:43:49 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
yeah.... I couldn't get past the 3rd paragraph. Shows, don't it?
Submitted by Crystle (user info) at 2007-06-04 12:43:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww @ picture