Westward Steps by Chipka
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Description
It might end at Liars and Saints. It might end at Cyberus. He has no way to determine the course of the night; the mood hasn’t set. Company has not yet revealed itself. Maybe he’ll drink alone, sullen and shadowed in some obscure corner of a bar he cannot yet name. Maybe he’ll hang in a comfortable, dead slack with Tang, with Topper, with Zaria.
It begins at ten minutes to midnight. Winter’s first snow has fallen in damp clots colored hepatic and orange in the city’s diffuse and shadow-obscuring light. It begins with steps west: on Belmont (where that French guy once lived: the one he liked, though he could never have said so. Not then, and now…well, now it’s too late.)
He speaks to no one as he ambles westward, thumbing through messages marked URGENT on his iPhone. None of them require his attention, and so he deletes those he doesn’t read and leaves others unanswered….
*
I walked with Corey on the night that this picture was taken; we walked in a westerly direction along a familiar stretch of Belmont Avenue. It was a special night: the year’s first snow, and so the prospect of white stuff falling from the sky had been enough to draw us into the chilly, strangely humid night. Belmont, as always, was alive. Its energy was muted, however: diffuse.
As Corey and I walked, a stranger passed us and I captured his silhouette as he moved in front of me.
*
“Liars and Saints” and “Cyberus” are bars that appeared in some of my early science fiction; they were the definitive features of a universe I dipped into often. Topper and Tang (named after dogs from family history) were hackers, culture-jammers, and part-time lifestyle engineers; they were precisely the kinds of guys you’d see wandering around in any dystopian, cyberpunk universe. Their stories are lost (for the most part) and they’ve dated. I’m sure they’ll find their ways into a reboot of their universe, but until then, they’ve at least seen the light of digital day in the vague, nebulous background of whatever world might find inspiration in this picture.
As always, thank you for viewing, reading, and commenting, and I hope you’re all on the verge of a great week.
Comments (37)
anaber
Fabulous view from where you did your photo, till the end of the road...the shine of the light on the wet road, growing, makes everything so magical, together with the snow. Curious, the path of the walker and the figurative signal in the road, pointing. They cross the paths..Loved to read you. GREAT!
Sea_Dog
Well done - great shot and verbal imagery.
MagikUnicorn
Great words! And rainy spring!!
mgtcs
Spectacular photo Chip, you captured the mood amazingly, wonderful work and a fabulous writing! ***
RodS
Wonderful mood - this is a spectacular photo, Chip! I like the way the pedestrian sign echos the figure's walk. The shadow draws your eye to the lone figure, and the perspective is great. Awesome photo!
Bossie_Boots
This is amazing superb capture !
beachzz
A great night shot--moody, dark, maybe even a little scary. It evokes all kind of things and I love wondering about where he might be going, what he might be thinking.
helanker
What a beautiful shot this is. So dreamy and with this special mood and light. I like this alot.
Sepiasiren
this retreat tells a 1,001 tales--a tremendously insightful b and w...
kgb224
Outstanding work my friend.
durleybeachbum
Just marvellous, Chip! For me this is just the right length of read on the PC. I find it increasingly stressful to read big chunks of text from a screen, and this litle gem is perfect, both for purpose with the wonderful picture and for my neck!
fallen21
Excellent photo.
auntietk
I love the mood ... this is excellent! Snow isn't a big part of our lives out here, and I love the ordinariness of the idea of walking through the city in the snow. Of course Seattle isn't flat, and walking around when it's snowing could cause you to fall and kill yourself, but that's beside the point. It does, however, give me a sense of alien-ness, of another world. A flat world, where snow is just the way it is in winter and isn't a cause for alarm. (When it snows here the first thing we think is, "how soon do I need to leave in order to make it home safely?") Love the guy just sauntering along, and love knowing you and Corey are close behind!
jophoto
Wonderful mysterious feel to this image...I like it a lot.
bmac62
Excellent read Chip. You've set me right in the middle of the atmosphere here. Your postwork adds a retro touch.
shayhurs
Great capture and storyline. The narrator's mood is set perfectly with the photo.
makron
Wonderful and mysterious image. Well done
Feliciti
wonderful shot , like this b/w mood and your words too
MrsRatbag
Moody and evocative; and I love the storylet!
flavia49
fantastic mood
sandra46
SUPERB MOOD LOVE THIS IMAGE
tofi
A really intriguing and mysterious mood and atmosphere captured in this photograph. It's almost as though this place were completely deserted... a kind of pleasurable loneliness prevailing, nothing other than just one's own shadows. An exemplary composition, Dear Chip. The mood here is so powerful and overwhelming for me. Amazing how the words and the image integrate so beautifully, making for such a captivating image. Fantastic artwork!
Orinoor
This has such a strong sense of personal history to it, both in image and words. Wonderful.
0rest4wicked
The contrast and depth is fantastic!
CoreyBlack
Great moody shot. Love the black&white post work that makes it moodier still. I love the idea of you bringing Topper and Tang back. One of the first things you ever read to me when we first met 12 years ago this week was a T&T story, and I loved it. Let's see more. Great shot!
Crabbycabby
Really atmospheric work. Stunning Image.
Bothellite
Lots of character.
icerian
Excellent "atmosphere" shot. Well done!
jac204
Great night scene.
Cgaynor
Excellent mood piece - thoughtful words,