J. Otis Haas
Bio
Space Case
Achievements (9)
Stories (64/0)
The Bluest Man in Babylon
“If walls could talk…,” is what they say. Even back before The BlueTime, people would imagine that the partitions of their domiciles, if they had merely mouths, would be impartial observers, eager to give up their secrets in gossipy torrents. That was long, long ago and I am eager. Let me tell you a story.
By J. Otis Haasabout a year ago in Fiction
The Bomb Factory
Jack woke up sweating from another nightmare, having again dreamed that Karl was in his house. He knew it wasn’t uncommon for therapists to dream of their patients, and that a great deal of problem-solving happened in the unconscious, but after only two sessions, Karl’s ominous presence in his sleeping mind felt more like an omen than an attempt to sort out his issues.
By J. Otis Haasabout a year ago in Fiction
Breaking Commandments on Level Alpha
The outside world was unknown to her, but she could see a glimpse of it through the window in his room. As the dimly-lit lift slowly shuddered its way upwards on creaking cables, Eve could hear familiar howling rising up through the shaft. MOM suddenly began quizzing her from speakers set into the ceiling, Her tinny voice competing with the wailing of the dogs below. “What are Eve’s Commandments?” asked MOM.
By J. Otis Haasabout a year ago in Fiction
Turtledown
Life was good in Turtledown. Jacques and Jacqueline lived in a cul-de-sac on Nesting Lane near the center of the development. All the houses in the neighborhood had started with the same template, but homeowners in the community were encouraged to dream big and customize to their hearts’ content, resulting in a variety of expressive structures standing proudly all around. The business district featured an award-winning shopping mall and a beautiful lake with innumerable recreational activities available was just a short, pleasant drive away.
By J. Otis Haasabout a year ago in Fiction
The Mournful Eyes of the Octopus
When a 35 year old father of two dropped dead from a stroke in front of the octopus tank, the aquarium closed early for the day. With a pang of schadenfreude Jack was able to get a jump-start on his cleaning duties, though there wasn’t much to look forward to if he finished ahead of schedule, save a few extra hours of solitary darkness and some extra, pointless screen time alone in his apartment.
By J. Otis Haasabout a year ago in Fiction
The Red Dragon and the Black Cat
Wrathmongous the Humongous spun through the sky a league above the ground. Craning a sinuous neck, he admired how the iridescent scales on his back gleamed like rubies in the sunlight. The blazing solar rays refueled his reserves of Manna, the ephemeral elemental force which powered all Magic in the world. The great dragon turned his massive head to the impossibly distant flaming orb and stared directly into the cosmic furnace, absorbing all he could get, distracted only by the nagging ache in his side.
By J. Otis Haasabout a year ago in Fiction
The Black Cat Surprises
In their ceaseless attempts to make sense of the chaotic universe they live in, humans delight in assigning labels to things. Identifying and classifying various aspects of the world features into many creation myths from around the globe, Adam naming the animals in the garden of Eden is only one example. Always craving simplicity, humans love if a concept can be simplified down to a matter of black and white. Binary concepts are often the preferred way to see things.
By J. Otis Haas2 years ago in Petlife
A Tissue Floating in Mercury
Sixty years after he disappeared into the sky, Kristen was shocked to find Jack sitting on the foot of her bed, yapping away like he always did. He had turned the light on when he came in, snapping her out of a pre-dawn doze she would have awakened from soon, facing another day of pain, deep aches and stabbing knives dulled by an artificial nurse who always chimed sweet tones while applying the ointment too roughly where the cannula irritated her nose.
By J. Otis Haas2 years ago in Fiction
Through the Golden Door
The sense of motion and regular clattering from below let Liam know he was on a train before he even opened his eyes. He had no memory of boarding for a trip and no idea of where, if anywhere, he was supposed to be, or where he might be going. Laying there, comforted by the rhythm of the conveyance, Liam wondered if he was dreaming within a dream. The distant sound of the locomotive’s steam-whistle far ahead broke his reverie.
By J. Otis Haas2 years ago in Futurism
A New Dawn
The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. Dawn sat, cross-legged on the splintery floor and began the ritual. She rolled out the piece of sheepskin, affixed it to the boards with an iron nail driven through each corner, and regarded the hand-made ouija board. The alphabet, numerals, and the words “Yes” and “No” were inscribed in her blood on the leather. The cutting had come easily, as it always did. The difficulty had been in keeping her hand steady as she used the stigmata of her other palm as an inkwell. She placed an inverted shot glass on the board to use as a planchette.
By J. Otis Haas2 years ago in Horror