Nocember 2021
Midnight Writers
Table of Contents
Cover: “Dewdrop”, a photo by Vérité Page 3: Ask Aphro & Dite • An unpopular Thanksgiving opinion • Unusual faerie encounters A Raven’s Sighting • Ranking Taylor Swift albums
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“Artblock”, an illustration by viento de levante “lunch dates”, a story by Vérité
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“lunch dates”, continued “Full Bloom”, a photo by Vérité “Oasis”, a photo by Vérité
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“lunch dates”, continued “Secret Garden”, a photo by Vérité “Desperate Cat”, a photo by Cupid
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Welcome to the end of 2021 “Canopy”, a photo by Vérité
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“KTxME: Tetanurae: Issue 1: The Giant Southern Lizard (Part 2)”, a comic by AgonysEmbrace
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“KTxME: Tetanurae: Issue 1: The Giant Southern Lizard (Part 2)”, continued
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“burn the house down by ajr”, an illustration by viento de levante “The Close Clause”, a story by Midnight Millard
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“The Close Clause”, continued 2
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“The Close Clause”, continued
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“an enchanted forest, as told by haikus”, a series of haikus by Vérité “Foliage”, a photo by Vérité “You’ve Got A Fern In Me”, a photo by Vérité
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“WHO CARES?”, a poem by Midnight Millard (ft. Taylor Swift slander) “NAIROBI MY QUEEN”, an illustration by Cupid
issuu.com/midnightwriters wchs.midnightwriters@gmail.com
Ask Aphro Dear Aphro, I have a confession to make. I apologize in advance. I’m not actually a fan of Thanksgiving food. Please don’t kill me, Turkey Traitor Dearest Turkey Traitor, (Between you and me, I agree with you. Shhh! But Thanksgiving food is overrated as hell. Hot take, chicken is better than turkey. And while we’re at it, stuffing, gravy, and cranberry sauce? Whose idea were they? Because they are mediocre at best. Pies, especially pumpkin pies, get some points in their favor but frankly that’s only because of their default status as desserts.) I know you’re a turkey in disguise. I recommend you run. Our world has very little mercy for you and your brothers. With Love, Aphro
Ask Dite
A Raven’s Sighting
Dear Dite, I’m writing to you because something strange Here is the definitive ranking of Taylor Swift’s and. . . troubling happened to me the other albums from worst to best and the best song day. I took a different path than I usually do, from each one: as if some invisible string was pulling me along - long story short, I ended up walking 9. Taylor Swift. I think we’re all in agreement right into this mysterious forest. It was, for on this. The best song from her debut is Our lack of other words, enchanting. The woods Song. were just about the most gorgeous thing I’d 8. 1989. I’m sorry, this album is so overly ever seen. And there was something different hyped. It’s good, just not the best. The best about them too - magic streamed through the song from 1989 is Clean. branches like daylight. 7. Lover, I absolutely love this album but it And then. . . it happened. The faerie apjust definitely isn’t a no-skip album. The best proached. She offered me peace and happiness song from Lover is Cornelia Street and starlight, tied together with a smile. I 6. Fearless. I LOVE fearless, this album was should have said no, I know. I should have my entire childhood. The best song from Fearthought twice - it was a faerie, for heavens’ less is Mr. Perfectly Fine sake. But I didn’t. And here I am. I don’t feel 5. Speak Now, her most underrated album like I’m quite out of the woods yet. by far this whole thing is ART. The best song Please help, from Speak Now is Long Live. Betty 3. TIE: Red and Reputation. Both of these alBetty, bums are incredible, no I will not choose. The I won’t make assumptions about why you best song from Reputation is Don’t Blame Me thought walking into these mysterious woods and the best song from Red (and overall by in the middle of the day was a good idea - but Taylor) is All Too Well (Ten Minute Version) for future reference, this sort of magic is noth2. Evermore, this album is perfection. That’s ing more than a hoax. I’m sure you now know all, just perfect. The best song from evermore it all too well yourself. is Dorothea To fix this, the best advice I have is that Folklore, this is the single greatest album of you’ve got to go back, thought it may take till all time. Every single song is absolute art. The December, and find that faerie. You’ve got to get her out of the woods with you; typically, best song on Folklore is Betty. their magic is tied to their chosen willow, and the further they get, the weaker it it becomes. There’s my ranking! In short, Taylor Swift Sparks of rage may fly, but she can’t hurt you, is a god, stream Red and Fearless (Taylor’s since you’ve already kept your side of the oath Version). - but she hasn’t kept hers. You can undo the oath with ivy under starlight (since she prom- -The Midnight Raven ised you the stars to begin with) and the whole thing will fade till it’s some wild dream. It’ll Special thanks to Sra. Steele, The be difficult, but you’ll get your closure, and Midnight Raven, Cupid, Vérité, and you’ll be perfectly fine. Best of luck! Bleach Lord. With Love, Dite
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“Artblock”, Illustration by viento de levante
lunch dates by Vérité
An android and a human walk into a coffee shop hand in hand. It sounds like the setup to a trite and tired joke. Perhaps the punchline is cheesy and overdone. Perhaps it is brutal and only a joke by the slimmest of margins. Perhaps the android and human will fall in a heap. Perhaps the android and human will fall in love. Perhaps world domination is on the charts, though for which one is unclear. Or perhaps none of these things happen, and perhaps it isn’t a joke. Perhaps the android and human walk into the coffee shop, hand in hand, and find a nice seat by the window as they complain about dreary Saturday weather. Perhaps sleek taxis drive by, and raindrops splatter the windows as they go. Perhaps an automated voice asks for their orders, and they both reply in unison, “One cup of coffee, please.” And then they both laugh. And perhaps… well, perhaps, in this day and age, it’s impossible to tell which is which. “So,” Jane says, tucking her hair behind her ear with a stray strand twirling around her fingers. “Ever been to this one before?” John shakes his head. “You’ll be glad to know you’re the first to ever bring me to this particular coffee shop, Miss Bates.” Jane laughs. “I’m glad we can add originality to my short list of attributes. And just Jane, please. We’re getting coffee together, not going to a lecture.”
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“Jane, then.” He shifts awkwardly. Jane echoes him. Neither thought they’d make it quite this far. “Well, Jane, how’s the coffee?”
Jane gives it an experimental sip, leaning back against the sleek and shiny leather of the booth. Many things have changed in the past few decades - often at a breakneck pace too dizzying to follow - but café booths and their crumbling colors have remained static and unyielding. Small mercies. “A bit too sweet,” she says lightly. “I’ve had better.” The waitress walks by mechanically. They both shift away and cross their fingers the blasé comment went unheard. Casting away for a new topic of conversation, Jane sets the cup back on the table. “So where do you usually spend your days in town, if not at coffee shops?” “Oh, here and there.” John shrugs. “I’m rather fond of libraries, actually. So much knowledge in such a small space. It’s enchanting, don’t you think?” Jane sits contemplative for a moment. She twirls a strand of hair around her finger - a nervous tic, perhaps, though whether natural or programmed is unclear. “I don’t know. I always thought they were more than a bit outdated. All the books are available on a screen anyways, so why would we need the paper copies? It’s just wasting space.” John inclines his head. “I understand that’s the popular viewpoint these days.” “Hardly anyone’s taught otherwise.” Jane takes another sip of her coffee. “Everything’s online these days. It’s a wonder we haven’t all collectively destroyed our eyesight what with all these screens.” “You still believe that myth?” Jane looks back up and laughs. “My mother did. Some things you just can’t unlearn.”
Their easy flow of conversation is suddenly interrupted - and not only for their own unlikely pairing. The whole shop has gone quiet. A quick glance shows the culprit. A middle-aged couple, man and woman with streaks of grey in their hair, have gotten themselves into an unpleasant tussle with the waitress - the same waitress that served Jane and John their coffee, just minutes before. The man is swaying on his feet. Besides him, the woman stays passively silent, though a scan of her face shows she’s hardly inclined to stop him. “These damn rotten cyborg freaks are everywhere now. They’ve even shoved them in the coffee shops, Leslie, can you believe this? They’ve got them serving coffee. Damn freaks. What’ll it be next, d’you think? Will they shove them into the schools? Replace our goddamn kids?” Jane and John exchange a glance, both distinctly uncomfortable in different ways. They look away. “You are not obeying the customer code of conduct,” the waitress - the android waitress - says evenly. She’s an older model; though she passes nearly well enough for human, there is still something unexplainable missing. A sparkle in her eyes, perhaps, or a wrinkle in her cheek. The very thing that has now been scrubbed away in the newer models, the very thing that makes Jane and John completely indistinguishable. If there is even a fraction of her that feels hurt at the man’s comment - if she is even capable of feeling such human emotions such as hurt and pain - not a hint of it shows on her face. “I must ask you to leave this establishment.”
“Oasis”, Photo by Vérité
Where before the man was ranting into the air, now he turns decisively on her. “Y’think you can order me around, freak? Y’think I take orders from your kind?” Now the rest of the customers are getting antsy. Different opinions on the dizzying rise of new technology there certainly may be within their little shop corner, but they can all agree that, whether the man is right or whether the man is wrong, disrupting their coffee break is a step too far. Thankfully the manager, who seems to have finally been made aware of the tussle, agrees. He materialises from the back of the shop, placing himself firmly between the waitress and unruly guests. “Out,” he says, tone brooking no argument. “You heard my employee. Out, now.” “Oh, so they’re employees now - “ “Out, I said, or I’ll have the security come and handle you two!” That does the trick. Spitting mad and possibly a little inebriated the man might be, but physically intimidating and willing to tussle with security guards - likely also androids in this day and age - he is not. The two make their way to the door rather quickly after that, and the customers return to their drinks and small talk. The waitress walks away, heels clinking and face still utterly calm and collected. John turns back to Jane. “And what do you think?” “What?” “Of the ‘android apocalypse’,” he elaborates, a smile playing on his lips. “Do you think humanity has anything to fear from these monsters of its own creation?”
“Full Bloom”, Photo by Vérité 5
Jane blinks slowly. Once. Twice. Discomfort radiates off of her in waves. “What an interesting place to take this conversation, John,” she says neutrally. “We’re here to get to know each other, are we not?” he says, fingering his own coffee cup but not taking a sip. “There will be not judgment on my part, I promise.” Jane sighs. She looks away. She looks back. Finally, she speaks, “I don’t think humanity has anything to fear.” “Really?” “Androids are hardly monsters. They’re by definition bound to do whatever their creator programs them to do. The creator is the one to fear - so in the end, all humanity has to fear is humanity. Just as it’s always been.” “Deep for a Saturday morning,” John muses, but he seems satisfied. Jane laughs. “What can I say? You’ve brought out my philosophical side.” The same waitress’s round finally bring her back over to their table. “Anything else for you two?” she says flatly. The two exchange another long glance. “No,” Jane finally says. “No, I think that’ll be all, thank you.” They make a decent exit, quick than their entrance but slower than the unpleasant couple from before. They leave a mostly spotless table with two cups behind - Jane’s, drained to the bottom, and John’s, untouched. Jane casts it an eye as they leave but chooses to ignore it.
“Secret Garden”, Photo by Vérité
At the door, they prepare to part ways. Something tells them both they won’t be meeting again. “It’s been a pleasure, John,” Jane says, leaning in but changing her mind halfway through and waving instead. “Right back at you, Jane.” They let the door of the coffee shop close behind them, heading out onto the sidewalks. They turn to head in opposite directions. Jane heads to her car. John heads to a charging station. And powers off next to twenty identical figures. Above them, a fluorescent sign reads ‘Lunch Dates’. “Desperate Cat”, Photo by Cupid
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WELCOME TO THE END OF 2021
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KTxME: Tetanurae: Issue 1: The Giant Southern Lizard (Part 2) by AgonysEmbrace
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“burn the house down by ajr”, Illustration by viento de levante
The Close Claus! By Midnight Millard
It was just days before Christmas, and the excitement in the air was palpable. School let out early, and the children were filled with cheer as they continually asked their parents, with some trepidation, “Have I been good this year? Please tell Santa I’ve been extra good this year. I promise I’ve tried hard!” However, this holiday season was more unusual than ever before, as there was a divide and debate between the people of the town as to whether or not Santa was real. After all, how could any one individual possibly deliver large quantities of presents to every believing child worldwide personally and without mistakes? “Santa is a fraud!” Shouted nerdy citizen Dilbert Jones annoyingly. “Nobody in the right mind will fall for that garbage!” “Santa is real! You don’t deserve any presents - in fact, you don’t even deserve a candy cane!” Said Nicholas Dancer abruptly. Dilbert tossed his head back and laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous, Santa-fanatic.” “I’m not talking about this with you anymore.” Nicolas said. “You are a waste of my time.” Three men, who were neutral in their beliefs about Santa’s existence, witnessed the argument between the two men. The observers were neighbors who once had a terrifying experience in a haunted mansion; Martin, Daniel, and Nathaniel. The men whispered among themselves that there could only be one way to resolve this argument once and for all.They needed to prove the existence of Santa or expose them as a fraud. They knew they had to come up with a convincing plan to determine Santa’s legitimacy. “I’ve got it!” Exclaimed Martin. “I just saw an ad from a security company in the newspaper. They have these amazing hidden cameras that can be placed outdoors, with their motion detecting ability to capture the image of any flying object.” “Let’s check out the website,” said Daniel. At home, Martin googled Security+, the name of the security company Martin had found in the newspaper. Among the examples of outdoor hidden security cameras, a picture of a rock harboring a hidden camera was what intrigued the men the most. The imitation rock looked realistic without seeming to cause suspicion. The motion-activated camera was hidden within the creases of the rock and was impossible to detect with a naked eye. The men plotted the locations for the rock placements so that they could view every possible angle as the sleigh approached from the East. Martin’s house was chosen as the prime location of the surveillance. “Wait! I think I can get one of our sophisticated tracking devices to further monitor Santa’s route while 10
“Wait! I think I can get one of our sophisticated tracking devices to further monitor Santa’s route while we use the security cameras to track his final approach.” Exclaimed Daniel, as he works for NORAD. “Great idea!” exclaimed Nathaniel. “But how are you going to secure the device?” “And do you even know how to set it up in a home?” Martin asked. “And do you even have a handheld device through NORAD?” Nathaniel asked inquisitively. “Yes, I get it on loan from the Security Department,” Daniel said. Two days before Christmas, the three men pay extra for overnight delivery of six security cameras that look like realistic rocks. The next day, they took a picture of the house from the Maps App. The men then decided where to surreptitiously place the security rocks. In the end, they went with placing them next in the bushes on the east side of the house as Santa’s route is from East to West. The rocks are synched to six computer monitors set up on a long, 120-inch dining table, where the men could easily position themselves to view all of the monitors. Before dark, they carefully coordinated the security rocks so that they could easily observe and detect any motion in the sky above the house, as well as any object that landed anywhere near or on the house, without making an alert sound. And then they waited… and waited… and waited… Darkness began to set in. “Quick, we need to make sure we have enough food, drink, and caffeine to keep us awake through the night.” Martin said. “That’s the only way we can solve this mystery.” Despite the sleep deprivation they might experience, the men were so excited that these emotions counter-acted potential sleeplessness. Every fifteen minutes throughout the night, the three men checked the NORAD device to see Santa’s approximate location. But by 2 am, disaster struck! The wind suddenly picked up to gale force levels of over 60 miles per hour, and a bulletin appeared on the NORAD screen suggesting that conditions were ripe for major weather events. “Oh no!” said Nathaniel. “We didn’t anticipate any weather disasters. High winds can mean downed power lines and the possibility of an avalanche.” Daniel quickly called in to the local NORAD headquarters to see what the professional forecasters were predicting. His face suddenly turned ashin as he screamed, “You gotta be kidding me!” “Okay men, it looks like an avalanche was detected near Mount Pavlof. Look out, boys! This could make our mission impossible!” The lights began to blink, then started to flash on and off. Warning sirens could be heard in the distance, telling people to stay inside due to the potential and impending avalanche. “What’s happening?” shrieked Nathaniel. “It’s the middle of the night, and we have no idea what’s happening.” The lights continued to flicker when suddenly a loud explosion shook the very foundation of the house, and the house went pitch black. “Great!” Daniel said. “We never anticipated a power outage right in the middle of our research project. Sounds like a transformer just blew up.” “Do any of you guys know where the candles are, or if we have any flashlights?” asked Nathaniel. “Wait!” shouted Martin. “I think I remember seeing a flashlight in one of the kitchen cupboards.” The three men then slowly and cautiously climbed down the stairs to the hallway leading into the kitchen. None of them could ever remember being in such a dark enclosure at any time in their lives. Due to the overcast skies, no stars or the moon were visible, making it almost impossible to see. Slowly they continued toward the kitchen with their arms extended to avoid running into any furniture or walls. “How are we ever going to accomplish our goal? I really thought we were going to be successful.” Nathaniel said. “We researched every possible scenario except an avalanche. It figures that this would be the one Christmas Eve when an avalanche would hit this town right as Santa would be expected to arrive.” “You know, it’s starting to feel really chilly right now.” Daniel said. “What do you think is going on?” “Well, without electricity, we have no heat, and we can’t light a fire in the fireplace.” replied Martin. “After all, how do you expect Santa to come down the chimney if there’s a fire?” “Well, what’s our alternative for keeping warm?” Daniel asked.
“Candle in the Dark,” Illustration by Andromeda
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“Once we get to the kitchen, we could turn on the oven since it’s a gas stove.” Nathaniel said. The three men crawled into the kitchen. After they found the oven, they pulled themselves using the oven handle to stand up. Daniel groped to find the knobs, trying to guess which one would operate the oven. He finally found the right knob and turned it about half-way around. “Alright guys, I think this will keep us warm but the fumes shouldn’t hurt us.” Daniel said. “What a relief.” said Martin. “Now let’s look around the kitchen for that flashlight.” Using the glow from the oven, the three men searched the cupboard until Nathaniel finally found the flashlight. “I sure hope it works, as this is the only flashlight I found.” Nathaniel said. “Don’t we need to stay in the kitchen?” said Daniel. “It’s for our own safety, even if we don’t solve our quest this year. Staying alive is more important; we can always do this next year. Agreed?” “Yeah, you’re right,” Nathaniel and Martin said. “That’s a plan.” They all checked their watches. It was 3 am. “I sure am getting sleepy,” said Martin sleepily. “You guys mind if I take a little rest?” Daniel grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. “We need to stay awake. This is an important mission.” he said. “I just need a little rest.” Martin said. Nathaniel agreed, and also said that he was awfully tired. “Why don’t we just take a break.” Daniel said. By then, the other two men were already fast asleep, and even Daniel’s eyes were feeling heavy and he was failing to stay awake. Sleep deprivation, combined with the open oven door and exposure to carbon monoxide might be the cause of all their sleepiness. Before he knew it, Daniel collapsed on the floor. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the three sleeping curiosity seekers, there was a loud thumping on the roof. As dawn was breaking, Daniel’s eyes began to flutter, as did the eyes of the other two men. “What happened? Did we miss anything?” Nathaniel asked. “I can’t believe we slept through Christmas Eve!” Martin said in a confused state of mind. Martin sat up abruptly and wondered how the oven door was closed. Then he proceeded to ask if either of them closed the oven door. “NO!” Both men shouted. “We were right here with you.” “Uh oh!” said Daniel. “We better check out the rest of the house.” As they slowly stood up, they noticed that the lights had come back on. Together they rushed back to the living room only to discover that piles of presents were waiting for them beneath the Christmas tree. All three men gasped, with their eyes wide open. “WHAT THE…”
THE END
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an enchanted forest, as told by haikus by Vérité the trees they reach oh so high endless criscrossing above yet let the sun shine the sky bluer than it should be except on dreary rainy days when heavy drops fall
“Foliage”, Photo by Vérité
the elves they’re tall and refined and call sprawling branches home always out of sight the faeries they’re mischievous giggling in hidden ringlets filled with light and love the humans they see no magic no light, no miracle woods just lumber, and wealth the end eventually good things must come to an end condestruction begins
“You’ve Got A Fern In Me”, Photo by Vérité
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WHO CARES?
By Midnight Millard Taylor swift, Taylor swift. I’m sick of hearing Taylor Swift! Whenever she sings a song, It always sounds all wrong. If she releases one more thing, I think that I may start to sing. She may be hot. She may be fine. But then again, So are some friends of mine. She often sings On themes of note. As far as for talent, She won’t get my vote! She may make millions. She may be rich. But when it comes to tunes, She sounds off pitch. Let’s be serious about the fact She puts the “harm” in harmony! And man, I wish that she, Could just take her music and let it be!
“NAIROBI MY QUEEN”, Illustration by Cupid