Parking Lot Nocturne by Chipka
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Description
It is a chilled, summer night.
Whispers of autumn hang in the air as midges and moths bash themselves to death against the suspended globes of streetlamps and neon flashing in storefront windows. It is early. The bars—open—are lifeless. Dead. Awaiting some strange species of divine resurrection. He is not in the mood for alcohol or for chattered inanities with intimate strangers he sees only on barstools or in booths lit with neat cones of colored halogen light. He is in the mood to walk, his iPod whispering the cunning seductions of music into his ears. It is familiar music: dark stuff that reminds him of home.
He lives alone here. He has friends: more than he can count on both hands, and yet he is alone. Now.
He walks the northern length of Broadway Avenue, listening to train sounds and the sounds of some distant emergency: sirens wailing in the easterly distance. A parking lot (empty) looms to his right: only three vehicles sleep there--white, featureless vans like abandoned bits of molded Styrofoam. He reaches into a pocket, pulls out a pack of cigarettes and tweezers one from amid its companions with his thumb and forefinger. He has grown accustomed to expensive American cigarettes. He prefers them now.
He lights up, inhales the all-important first drag and holds the acrid, stinging smoke in his lungs. Only another smoker may recognize the pleasure of such masochism. He smiles at the thought and continues his northerly walk, listening to his own muffled footsteps, and sirens far, far to the east.
***
I have no idea where this little story snippet came from or where it’s likely to go. Is the character a guy from Ükür, from Agara, or some other country on the eastern fringes of some alternate Europe? I don’t know.
I took this picture tonight, as I ambled away from Borders Books. It has been a while since I’ve been able to simply browse, and upon my return to Borders, I was disappointed by the lack of selection. The USA has fallen upon nearly impossible economic times and so things such as inventories are too steep an expense for corporate entities to maintain. Oh, it’s quite easy to find endless books, cds, and DVDs related to the Twilight saga…but I’m not interested in pretty, pouting vampires that look like Harry Potter characters who didn’t quite make the final cut. I found a new William Gibson novel, the new China Miéville novel Kraken…but I’ll purchase neither of those until they’re at least available in trade paperback, or at the very least, quality trade paperback (the nice, hefty, big size.) Normal paperback sizes are sufficient for most books, but when you’re sinking your literary teeth into a Gibson or a Miéville, it’s nice to have something hefty in your hands.
I did manage to purchase the soundtrack to the film Inception: a film I have yet to see. The music is by Hans Zimmer. If the movie is anything like the music, then viewers are in for a treat. I’ll eventually purchase the DVD. I love a good science fiction film, and Inception has been deemed brain porn by a friend of mine whose opinions I trust. The friend in question is a brilliant guy who downloads Hubble Space Telescope images the way that some people download pictures of mammary glands. That alone makes him infinitely endearing; that he’s cute in that adorable nerd sort of way just makes things that much better. And so, as I write and listen to the music to Inception I wonder what story may eventually grow from the snippet above, from the image that inspired that snippet. Only time will tell.
As always, thank you for viewing, reading, and commenting, and I hope you’re at the start of a great weekend.
Comments (22)
beachzz
Just reading this and looking at the foto took me to yet another place. A place I want to write about--it's amazing how you do that to me so often. A word, or in this case, words and a foto, simply set me off. So--off I go to see what I can put together. And, it's got that noir feel, makes me look for Bogie and Bacall.
jocko500
cool work and story
MaraP
Fantastic night-shot and mood!
sharky_
Wonderful night shot. Aloha
auntietk
Words and image combine to create a perfect mood piece. Nicely done! BTW, Tepper has a new novel out. :D
minos_6
I like you little mood piece very much - there seems to be a lot of promise in there, and it'll be interesting to see if you expand it. The image looks to me like it must be late at night - the street is deserted, and the pools of light across the street, which would appear inviting at an earlier point in the evening, look lost and forlorn. Great post, both image and words!
durleybeachbum
Excellent 'taster'. That image sets my mind going: who and why about the three cars, and what might happen if the owners all return more or less at once..maybe nothing much but maybe something life-changeing.
helanker
Such a very nice little story that makes one see pictures and they fit good to this beautiful capture.
anahata.c
back for but one comment per, I picked this because it was your latest, as, if I tried to pick 'the best', the choice would take me all day. A wonderful ruminative entry from one of your passing characters, and it catches the quiet journey through a street at night. And as for not seeing the inventories we once saw in Borders, well I think, these days, the only place you'll find those inventories again is online. The days of massive collections in a store seem to be going away...the online revolution probably adds to the economic reasons. It's a shame. And I have always liked Hans Zimmer's scores, mixing classical, folk, jazz, pop, etc etc...I don't know the film or score, but I hope you see it/rent it, whatever, to feed your prodigious insides. As for the image: a vivid, clean & clear image of night in the big city, and yet nostalgic ("noct" of nocturne related to "night", as you probably know) (german "nacht"...): It's soft and haunting. I like the perspective too & the light flare, and a lot that looks more like a wall holding in a place we're not supposed to see. A fine image, Chip, and always nice to come back here if even for a moment. (And btw, somewhere back a-ways you spoke of the famous stair sequence in---I think---"The Untouchables," ie, where the baby carriage is bouncing down the steps. I don't remember if you said it, but on the chance that you haven't seen it or remember it, that comes from the great Russian film, "Potemkin", where the steps-scene is devastating, and very hard hitting cinema too. Since you're a love of many things Russian, I thought I'd mention that on the chance you might not know it. It's a silent film of course, but the Odessa Steps sequence about an hour in still touches film today, including de Palma's impressive steps sequence in The Untouchables.) Anyway, a fine upload once more, and another fine night shot too!
flavia49
fabulous colors and contrast! magnificent!
THROBBE
Fantastic words to go with this capture! Great work!
MrsRatbag
I'm always amazed that you can walk around so freely at night in such a fearless manner; I used to do that when I was very, very young and didn't believe that bad things could happen to me. I look back now and shake my head at my naivete and unbelievable luck that nothing bad did ever happen. It seems these days that taking the steps to go out, especially at night, often leads only to tragedy for so many; or at least the media would have it so. But I'm glad you can and do take these walks, and that we get to see visions of what you see, complete with echoes of the story concepts that tickle your mind!
MagikUnicorn
LOVE IT...WONDERFUL SHOT...GOOD EYES
lick.a.witch
You have such an amazing ability to see what should be seen by all, but rarely is. This image is fabulous. As is the story accompanying it.. More please. ^=^
kgb224
Stunning capture my friend.
sandra46
stunning image! superb composition! i like the contrast between the wall with the ivy and the yellowish color of the street. And the way the parallel slanted (not really diagonal) lines go towards the large lamps on the left, like twin suns in the night!
KatesFriend
I highly recommend 'Inception'. A film that assumes from the get go that the audience is sophisticated and intelligent enough to follow the numerous layers it transports through which it takes you. And yes, the music is well suited to the film. An interesting piece from a life. But who knows what compelling stories are carried by those random strangers who make their way through a city. Stranger or otherwise.
RodS
Wonderful writing and wonderful photography to go along with it. I love the color vibrations of the greenish flourescant, and the orange ambient light of the streetlights. Hans Zimmer is a must-get whether I ever see the movie or not. Love his music.
paul leatham
Go and see Inception, it's a lot of fun.
jac204
Nice snippet of a story you have there. As to Borders, I'm afraid they may become another casualty of the Internet, along with Barnes and Noble and Blockbuster Video.
Sepiasiren
I would love to recreate this scene in DAZ--I can see a group of friends leaving a club and taking a leisurely stroll back to their cars on this sidewalk--I remember such evenings and they were always filled with energy and Majik--thanks for the nostalgic bump...
praep
The differences in colors here are great - the red of the streets and the green of the walls are fitting together perfectly. Well done shot.