My Kind of Madness

My Kind of Madness
by Nomar Knight


It's not the bodies piling up 
Broken souls stolen before time 

It's not weapons sold to kids 
The killing to solve problems 

It's not that I want to listen 
To a mother's wailing 

It's not the fame I build 
On massive amounts of corpses 

It's not terrorism for an ideal 
Or voices in my head 

It's the racing of my heart 
Just before I send another fool 

Watching idiocy cross with ideology 
Power breeds addiction 

Explosive fire marks my signature 
Screams increase my strength 

Having the world at my mercy 
Is my kind of madness 

©2015 Nomar Knight. All rights reserved.

A Knight Chills poetic presentation.

Vampire Chronicles: Trapped by Fury

Vampire Chronicles: Trapped by Fury
By Nomar Knight


     Loneliness could force some people to change their safe routines. I had begun the second month of my vacation annoyed that boredom refused to release its grip on me. To motivate my writing, I took long walks on the beach, enjoying nature’s soothing waves and majestic enchantments. The frustration of the Vampire Lorraina’s story hemorrhaging away into oblivion’s unpublished canyon, spooked me into a dormant state. Somehow, I had lost that magical connection to Lorraina’s motivation. The prospect of not finishing the book haunted me. 
     I hadn’t noticed that my wanderings in nature were becoming routine. It wasn’t until two men approached me that I realized my error. 
     There was something about the men that set off my internal bad guy alarm. One of them was a few inches shorter than me and had one hand in his pocket. The other, a big husky fellow, had a scar on his right cheek. They looked like two low-lives intent on mischief. I prayed for the power of invisibility. They stepped in front of me. 
     The small one produced a knife. The tall one balled his hands into fists and said, “Give us your money and your wallet.”
     When I was in a somewhat relaxed state, I had thought the waves to be soothing. Upon being threatened, the waves sounded angrier. 
     “You caught me at a bad time. I’m a struggling writer. Haven’t sold a book in months.”
     The short one waved the knife in front of my face and growled, “We don’t care about your problems. Give us your watch and ring too or I’ll stab you, then rob you.”
     I hadn’t thought about how I would react in a dire situation. The right thing to do would be to submit to the crooks and give them what they wanted. However, my adrenaline increased to the point I wanted to grab the little guy’s neck and snap it. The big dude must have picked up on my intentions because he punched me in my stomach. 
     “Wait.”
     I tried to plead for my life, but before I knew it, the big man had me lying face down in the sand. He plunked one knee on my back and said, “Get his wallet!”
     I had expected the shorter one to follow the brute’s orders, but instead I heard him yell. 
     “What the?” The big guy uttered, “Where did he go?”
     The brute got off me, allowing me to get to my feet. 
     “Leon!” he said, “Where are you?”
     Overcome with curiosity, I asked, “What happened?”
     The big guy scratched his head. “One second he was reaching for your wallet and the next, he was gone.”
     I noticed he didn’t have a weapon. I figured, one on one I could take him. I balanced my body in a fighter’s stance. 
     The big guy grinned, “You’re too slow for me, old man.”
     Screams! Bloodcurdling screams came from behind a large dune. 
     The big guy’s dark face grew pale. 
     “Was that your friend, crying like a little girl? This could only mean that my bodyguard is nearby.”
     “What bodyguard? You’re always alone.”
     Just as I had suspected. The two crooks had been observing my summer routine.
     “Lorraina, I would call her my guardian angel, but she definitely isn’t an angel.”
     From a distance, I spotted the vampire Lorraina Sandoval strutting towards us. Her long, illustrious, red hair swayed in the wind. When she got within a few feet, she licked the remnants of the remaining blood off her lips. 
     “Mmm, Leon was tasty.”
     The big guy remained motionless. I couldn’t tell if he was awestruck by Lorraina’s beauty or if he was hypnotized by her powers.
     I grinned, “This is when you run, dummy!”
     “Nomar, you haven’t been using your vacation wisely.” Lorraina frowned, “Why aren’t you finishing my story?”
     I shrugged. 
     She pulled my face to hers and kissed me. The taste of Leon’s blood lingered on her warm tongue. 
     Alas, the big guy spoke, “Where’s Leon?”
     Lorraina ignored him and whispered in my ear. “You lack the proper motivation, darling.”
     The big guy made the mistake of grabbing Lorraina’s shoulder. She spun, snapped his wrist, and then tore it clean off.
     His screams competed with the rushing roar of the waves. 
     “Hold this, Nomar.” She handed me his bloody left hand. I tossed it on the ground like a hot piece of coal. 
     Gurgling sounds confirmed that Lorraina drained the big guy’s life old school vampire style, puncturing and draining blood out of his throat. His body writhed as if he had touched an electrical live wire. She released the corpse when she finished. 
     I snapped out of my shock and uttered, “Thanks for saving me yet again, Lorraina. I really need to get home now, you know, finish writing your book.”
     She laughed and it took all my concentration not to soil myself. 
     “You still have three weeks left of your vacation.”
     “Yes, I will spend most of it, on your book, Lost in Darkness.”
     “I wish I could believe you.”
     I didn’t like the way she stared at me. She was still in predator mode. 
     “Don’t worry, Lorraina, this display of gruesomeness will haunt me in a productive way.”
     “I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
     “What does that mean?”
     The vampire Lorraina Sandoval kept me prisoner in my own home. She threatened to snack on me if I didn’t get to work on her book. 
     To think I had been bored this summer. The old adage rang true, “Be careful what you wish for.”

© Copyright Nomar Knight 2015. All rights reserved.

A Knight Chills Flash Fiction Presentation.

Don't Cry Tonight

Don't Cry Tonight 
by Nomar Knight


     “Don’t cry tonight.” He whispered near Linda’s half bitten ear. 
     For months Mike had watched Linda as she strolled in the park. He loved how the pink highlights gleamed on her silky blond hair. Her petite frame and innocent face could fool most predators looking to bag a child, but he knew she was of legal age. Her white skin made Mike want to slide his tongue all over her body. He imagined she’d taste like sweet nectar. 
     Bloodshot eyes pleaded with Mike. 
     “If I remove the tape, do you promise not to scream again?”
     She nodded. Her blue eyes elevated to the restraints on her wrists. 
     Mike yanked the tape and pulled a soggy handkerchief from her mouth. 
     Linda stretched her jaw and whispered, “Water.”
     Mike squeezed a plastic water bottle, allowing the precious liquid to squirt inside her mouth and over her chapped lips. 
When he was done, he placed the bottle on a tray next to his instruments of torture. 
     “Why can’t we be lovers, Linda?”
     He stood behind her, twisted a chunk of her hair around his fingers and sniffed. “Ah, you smell wonderful.”
     “Please,” Linda whispered, “Let me go.”
     He ran his fingers down her naked back. He loved how she shivered when touched. 
     “Is it because I’m fat?”
     His six foot frame towered over her. He frowned when she averted her eyes so as to avoid his stare. Mike grabbed her cheeks, forcing her eyes to meet his and shouted, “You think you’re too good for me! The other girls made the same mistake. The first thing I removed from them was one eye.”
     Tears streamed down Linda’s face. Her lips puckered as if she was about to bawl. She tried to choke in the sobs, but alas, the realization must have been clear for she screamed as if struck by a sledgehammer. 
     “Shush, don’t cry.” Mike picked up a hair brush and began to straighten the blond curls. “I can show you love like no one else could.”
     He whistled a familiar tune to calm her. He smiled when recognition lit her eyes. 
     “Linda, don’t forget that I never lied to you. Don’t ever forget how I felt about you.”
     “Why are you speaking in the past tense?”
     Mike whistled some more then he whispered, “Guns N’ Roses had it right.”
     He put down the brush and picked up a seven inch blade with a jagged edge. He continued, “You have to make it on your own. Don’t worry, you’ll be alright.”
     His eyes wandered toward the ceiling. The abandoned factory had proven to be an excellent choice. 
     “Let me go.”
     “Mike, my name is Mike.”
     He stepped closer to her and held the blade against her throat. 
     “Tomorrow will be better. You won’t be in pain anymore. Enjoy the sunrise.”
     Again Linda wept. She shuddered and prayed. 
     Mike kissed her cheek and said, “Don’t cry tonight. You’ll be in heaven soon.”
     He put the knife back on the tray and picked up a spoon. Confusion invaded her stare. He could see her thinking. 
     “Mike, maybe I can try to love you.”
     “The other girls said that too before I cut off their tongues.”
     He used the spoon and pried out her right eye. Her screams gave him a boner. 
     Afterwards, shock must have set in for she whimpered softly. 
     Mike hugged her. “That’s okay, baby. Don’t cry tonight. Don’t cry. We’re not done yet.”



 655 words

© Copyright Nomar Knight 2015. All rights reserved.

A Knight Chills Flash Fiction Presentation.

Vampire Chronicles: Thrill of the Chase

Vampire Chronicles: Thrill of the Chase
by Nomar Knight


     I hid behind bushes knowing my body had betrayed me. I had become easy prey for the vampire, Lorraina Sandoval, and there wasn’t anything I could do to escape. 
     Screams! Loud, sickening screams raged nearby adding to my woes. I tried to rise off the ground, aware the shrubbery would no longer hide me from the hungry night hunter. A shooting pain throbbed in my right ankle. 
     The mortified screams ceased, allowing for the sound of angry waves crashing to shore. 
     In my mind I yelled, “Get up! Run! You can’t die, not here, not now.”
     I knew it was a matter of time before she would find me. 
     To think that the day had started out with my looking for a way to relax. The previous euphoria of writing Lorraina’s story, Lost In Darkness, and the subsequent block when I began the chase scene in chapter ten, had led me to seek solace at the beach. I had arrived in the evening, bottles of water tucked in a small cooler. I relished taking a much needed break from the mundane routine of every day life. The sunset did not disappoint. Orange and purple skies slowly dipped in the horizon. 
     “Come on! Lorraina, why does my chase scene suck so bad? What am I missing?”
     Like any writer, I tended to speak to my characters as if they were present in the flesh. Although, I made sure to be alone. People who didn’t write wouldn’t understand. They would declare me a viable candidate for the funny farm. 
     The skyline faded and suddenly I was surrounded by tiny stars. Glare from a majestic moon left me in awe. The lull of the crashing waves, coupled by a cool breeze, made me wish I had brought something stronger than bottles of water.
     “Okay Lorraina, tell me what happens next.”
     The old saying, be careful what you wish for flashed in my thoughts. The overwhelming feeling that someone watched me, made my skin crawl. Goosebumps formed on my arms. 
     “It’s just the cool breeze.” I mumbled, “No need to be afraid.” 
     “Good evening, darling!”
     I sprung off my blue beach chair and turned. “What the?”
     The vampire Lorraina Sandoval grinned like a cat about to swallow a canary. Green eyes contrasted with her black attire. 
     “How’s the writing coming along? Have you sent my story to the editor?”
     My knees shook. Suddenly, my lips went dry. “I’m stuck on chapter ten.” The tremors in my voice betrayed any attempt at hiding my fear. 
     She licked her red lips. “What seems to be the problem, Nomar?”
     There was something about the way she spoke my name. Her voice dropped in a whisper as if she was forbidden to say it out loud. 
     “I’m stuck on the chase scene. The opening is boring.”
     One second she stood in front of me, the next she hovered by my side. Her cold breath pressed against my left ear. 
     “Who’s point of view did you write it in?”
     I knew the predator could hear my heart pounding. It took all the courage I had not to run. 
     “I used Roman’s.”
     Lorraina laughed. Her evil cackling had me scanning for a latrine. Maintaining the contents in my stomach proved challenging. 
     She whispered in my ear, “Have you ever been chased, Nomar?”
     All thoughts seemed to vanish. I couldn’t move. I didn’t dare think about anything but gaining distance on the predator. 
     I managed to step back and uttered, “I don’t recall.”
     “I haven’t fed yet.” She batted her eyes, brushing her red hair away from her face. “I’ve grown tired of you, dear.”
     For a brief moment, it sounded like she had spoken from inside a tunnel. The meaning of her words filtered into my mind as if caught in a vortex of confusion. When I realized what she was implying I wanted to have the power to time leap to another dimension. Preferably, to somewhere Lorraina Sandoval could never find me. 
     She flashed fangs, “Run, Nomar!”
     Although my mind knew what to do, it took awhile for the flight signal to get from my brain to my legs. Once in motion, the sick laughter of the terror queen filled me with dread. Thoughts of stopping and giving up entered my mind.
     “No, keep going.” I said out loud.
     I had to get away from the soft sand as soon as possible. I had to make it to the maze of high bushes by the road. 
     My analytical side took over, interfering with the frantic attempt at escape. 
     “What are you doing? You can’t outrun her. She’s a killing machine.”
     “Shut up!” Talking and answering myself was madness.
     The fact that insanity clawed its way through me added to my apprehension. I imagined running in slow motion as if stuck in a time warp.
     Just when I spotted the road and my gray Corolla, the sudden change in terrain brought me down hard. My right ankle had twisted on a crack between the dirt and cement road. Sand stuck to my sweaty arms. My ankle began to swell. 
     She shouted, “Keep running, Nomar!”
     I had been held in Lorraina’s arms before. Heck, I had even known the pleasure of making love to her. The idea of giving up faded when I spotted bushes a few yards away. 
     “Hello, darling.” Her voice sang a few feet behind me. 
     Somehow, I got up and made it to a set of vast shrubbery. I didn’t understand why she toyed with me until I recalled Lorraina enjoyed playing with her food.
     I dropped to the ground again, wounded and without hope of escaping. I knew the surrounding bushes did not keep me hidden, plus, my struggle to take in gobs of air betrayed my location. Lorraina was the best hunter I had ever met. My sad fate served to remind me that there were too many things I had not yet accomplished. 
     Sudden screams jolted me upright. I had to fight on. I needed to survive, yet curiosity made me step in the wrong direction. Instead of continuing to my vehicle, I limped to where the screams had originated. I headed to the vampire Lorraina. 
     The intimacy in which she embraced a woman who had been jogging, made my jaw drop. Raw power blended with a sweet tenderness. To the average person, it appeared as if Lorraina and the woman were copulating. However, I knew the truth. I witnessed the taking of a fragile life. When she was done, she guided the woman’s corpse to the ground. The poor lady had jogged in the wrong place at the wrong time. 
     “Nomar,” Lorraina shot to me so fast that she held both my hands in hers. “Remember what you felt during the chase. Maybe you can use it for another chapter.”
     For a moment I got lost in her green eyes. She continued, “Chapter ten should be written from my point of view. Never forget what Roman is and let discovery play with the readers’ minds.” 
     The fog that had trapped my writing into obscurity began to lift. The allure of new, horrible discoveries made me grin. 
     Lorraina pressed my lips to hers. The blood of an unfortunate victim invaded my palate. She let me go and smiled, flashing her fangs for effect. 
     “Why did she have to die?”
     She shrugged, “Even vampires need nourishment.”
     I spat, “We are in modern times. You don’t need to kill anymore.”
     She shook her head. “Where’s the fun in that? You are still so naive.”
     In a flash, Lorraina Sandoval vanished, allowing me to live to continue her story, Lost in Darkness.   

© Copyright Nomar Knight 2015. All rights reserved.

A Knight Chills Flash Fiction Presentation.

Eternal Fire

Here's the link to the poem, Listen to the Madness, that inspired the characterization dialogue exercise titled, Burning Damnation, which inspired tonight's flash fiction piece. Enjoy!


Eternal Fire
By Nomar Knight


     “It’s no use to try and wriggle free, you will burn, witch!”
     The townsmen watched as Katrina struggled with her bindings. Lord Mortimer took charge of providing justice.
     “You’ve all gone mad.” She scanned her executioners with a defiant gleam in her eyes. “I am but a simple midwife.”
     Lord Mortimer sneered, “You poisoned our Lord’s wife. She gave birth to an abomination.” He signaled two men carrying lit torches and continued, “He had to kill it and for that, you must pay!”
     The men lit the wood. 
     “No! Don’t light those twigs!” Outrage poured from her voice. 
     Lord Mortimer considered himself a firm, and righteous man. With smoke rising before them he said, “The flames of hell will consume you.”
     He pretended to walk away, but quickly turned and faced Katrina for effect. “Did you not see the look on my Lord’s face when he saw the beast? Did you not hear his whimpers when he was forced to stab the thing through the heart?”
     Katrina coughed and scoffed, “He played with the devil and lost.”
     “No, you evil witch! You alone are responsible for the tragic event.”
     Lord Mortimer wished he could inflict more pain upon the evil wench. 
     “Please, untie me.” Katrina’s voice broke as her lips quivered from desperation.
     Lord Mortimer grinned, “You can cough and gag all night, but your pleas fall on deaf ears.”
     “Please!” Tears streamed down red cheeks. “Mercy!”
     Laughing, Lord Mortimer turned to the bloodthirsty crowd. “The smell of witch defiles the air. Compatriots, cover your mouths, lest she poison us all.”
     They all laughed and jeered.
     While the flames consumed her legs, Katrina growled through clinched teeth. “I swear before the Dark Lord, evil will fall upon all who misjudged me.” In a childlike tone, she added, “I gave her a potion to save the child, but alas, the innocent paid for the sins of the father.”
     “So you admit to sorcery?”
     With immeasurable agony on her face she replied amid cries, “Doctoring is not witchcraft.”
     “What satisfaction to hear the evil witch scream!” With his chest out he proclaimed, “The flames of justice are beyond your powers.”
     Panting and screaming, Katrina said, "I...curse...all...your...firstborn...”
     The crowd gasped!
     She continued, “Deformed...faces...full...of...thorns.”
     The flames grew larger, covering Katrina. 
     “Die Witch!”
     Refusing to succumb to the flames she said, “Families...will...starve.”
     Feeling smug, Lord Mortimer smiled, “Your words have no power here.”
     Whispered from the cackling flames, “Starve...for...eternity.”
     Lord Mortimer yelled, triumphantly, “Rot in hell!”
     To this day, it is rumored that the ancestors of those who misjudged Katrina can hear her whispers, just before the curse reignites the eternal flame that brings deformities to their firstborn, and the destruction of their crops.

© Copyright Nomar Knight 2015. All rights reserved.

A Knight Chills Flash Fiction Presentation.

A Burning Damnation

     I recently wrote a poem called Listen to the Madness, about a man who burns a witch at the stake. At the time, I felt like writing about a witch, but had no idea who the characters were or how the poem would turn out until I wrote it. You may click on the poem's title so you can check it out. 
     Now, the unknown characters intrigued me to the point that I decided to use a writing technique to get to know them. What follows is my unedited dialogue between the man and the victim (witch). In the coming days I will post the flash fiction piece that was fleshed out from this exercise. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised at the results. Enjoy. 


A Burning Damnation
By Nomar Knight


“It’s no use to try and wriggle free, you will burn, witch!”
“You’ve all gone mad. I am but a simple midwife.”
“You poisoned our lord’s wife. She birthed an abomination. He had to kill it. For that you must pay.”
“No! Don’t light those twigs!”
“The flames of hell will consume you. Did you not see the look on my lord’s face when he saw the beast? Did you not hear his whimpers when he was forced to stab the thing through the heart?”
“He played with the devil and lost.”
“No, you evil witch! You alone are responsible for the tragic event.”
“Please...untie me.”
“You can cough and gag all night. Your pleas fall on deaf ears.”
“Please! Mercy!”
“The smell of witch defiles the air. Compatriots, cover your mouths, lest she poison us all.”
“I swear before the Dark Lord, evil will fall upon all who misjudged me. I gave her a potion to save the child, but alas, the innocent paid for the sins of the father.”
“So you admit to sorcery?”
“Doctoring is not witchcraft.”
“What satisfaction to hear the evil witch scream! The flames of justice are beyond your powers.”
“I...curse...all...your...firstborn...deformed...faces...full...of...thorns”
“Die witch!”
“Families...will...starve.”
“Your words have no power here.”
“Starve...for...eternity.”
“Rot in hell!”

© Copyright Nomar Knight 2015. All rights reserved.

A Knight Chills Presentation.

Listen to the Madness

Listen to the Madness

By Nomar Knight

Listen to flicks of flames

It dances pricks and maims

Consumes flesh inch by inch

Chars a permanent pinch

Listen to the witch scream

Stuck in a morbid scene

Cries while choking on smoke 

She gags and squeals and pokes

Listen to enraged mob

Deaf to her desperate sobs

Brandished ignorant hate

Deciding witch's fate

Listen to cries of few

From Mercy's righteous pew 

Failed to shed holy light

Witnesses of scorched night

Listen to Witch's vow

She'll get vengeance somehow

Deformed the first newborn

Cripples adorned with thorns

Listen to raging wind

Homes will crumble with sin

Floods mutilating crops

Madness that never stops

Listen to sounds of hell

Decrepit souls that yell

Bound to torturous plight

Expelled in endless night

Listen to father time

Erasing the sublime

Just when all hope shines through

The curse ignites anew

©2015 Nomar Knight. All rights reserved.

A Knight Chills poetic presentation.