Red Gates by Tim Maughan

REDGATES
Tim Maughan

REDGATES

TheBridge
youcanstilfeelit,distant,somewhere.thefeelingoffake
leatheragainstyourears,thepressureofshapedfoam against
yourforeheadandcheeks,thefaintsenseofyourskulbeing
held,gentlebutvice-like
butitrecedes,fadeswitheverypassinggate
they’removingfastnow,almostablur,leavingafter-image
streaksandcheap-acidtrailsasyoupassthrougheachone,
deeplearningsupersamplingstrugglingtomaintainframerates
low overthewateryoustarttodecelerate,asthefinalgate
emergesfrom themist,slow now,weightlesstoafulstop
forananosecondnothing,notathing,nomovement,enoughto
makeyouwonderifit’scrashed,eyesdarting,tryingtoseethe
ever-elusiveperiphery,thefeelingofnot-leatherandfoam
creepingback
andthenwordsappear,formedfrom air
welcometoredgates
v.0.126b
stepthrough

Runner
stepthrough
into
avoid,nothingbuthorizon,agreygridofpencil-thinlines,
stretchingawayfrom you,barelyvisible,greyongrey
youfightpanic
morewordsfrom air
manifestyourspace,createyourcalm,focus
asuddenexplosionoflightonthehorizon,likeatechnicolorsun
rising
andthengoneagain
focus,manifestyourspace
somewhere,stildistant,throughthefoam andleatheritfeels
themagneticsofyourthoughts,watchesthechanging
blood-flowsofyourmemories
anotherburstonthehorizon,halfformedmountains,ahintof
distantlakes,litlemorethananimpression.childhood
recolections,moreemotionthanmemory,awokenintoimagery
byathousandunknown,unwilingartists,theirworkstolenby
secretmathematics
andthengoneagain
focus,clearyourmindofalbutthespace
countingbreaths,youcloseyoureyes,andsurrendertoitthe
atentionitdemands
focus

CrystalRange
youreyesopen
crystalplanet.themountainsareback,butstabilized,fuly
formed.prismaticstructurestoweringaboveyou,theirpeaks
reflectinglightintointerlockingspectra.
emotionengulfsyou,unsurewhetherit’sthebeautyofwhat
you’vemanifested,orreliefthatitworks
don’tfightit,itwarnsyou,feelit
theemotionistoomuch,toodistracting.atentiondrifts.
mountainscrumble,landslidesofpixeldust,rainbow evaporation
focus
youcloseyoureyesagain,reimagine
openthem anditsalback,butmore.heightenedclarity,the
highestofdefinitions,OLED bright
focus
anditstays,letthenoisebackinanditcrumbles.simplerules,
hardtomaster
countingbreathsagain,youpushforwardintothevista,and
starttoclimb

Ceremony
distantceremonialpercussion,stringspluckedfrom theair,
crystalineprecisionlikefrequencymodulatedsinewaves
apalaceintheclouds,hewnfrom thecrystalsaroundit,
sculptedbyalgorithmsthatglanceyourthoughts
thepathissosteepnow thatyou’realmostpulingyourselfup
verticaly,handoverhand,fingersfeeling,strugglingforgrip
focus
atention
focus
strugglingforgrip
everymisplacedfinger–everyfailedatemptatpurchase–
betraysyourdistraction,andcrumblesaplacewal
rainingcrystalinebouldersdownonyou,sufocatingyouwith
particleefects
focus
Ican’t
panicspiral,thedeathof
focus
andit’sgone,yourhandssurrendertoyourmind,thepalace
colapses,takingthemountainwithit
andyoufal

LightFlash
faling,raptinchaos
thetunnelstrobeswithmemories,low ratesamplesand
deep-dream sketches,isn’tthisrealywhoyouare
focus
no,Iwon’t
thestrobeaccelerates,thefalquickens,theimagesblur,
somehow bothtoovagueandtoodetailedatonce
youwanttocelebratethis,admitit’syou,revelinthenoiseof
yourunquietmind,butanxietycreeps
exhilarating,butnothingtoholdonto,nothingtogroundyourself
thisisn’twhyyou’rehere.focus.
youstaredown,nogroundbelow yourfeet
youscream,frantic

Furnace
you’reincontrolnow.orisitredgates?
doesitmater?
focus
Iam
don’tdrift
Iwon’t
youreyesopen,andthegridisful.Populatedbymemories–
theonesthatblinkedinandoutwhenyoufirstentered,that
strobedpastyouasyoufel–butsolidnow,stable
beaches.asummerholiday.schoolplayground.akiss.emerging
from amovietheatreatnoon,blinkingintodaylight.acotageon
alake.anew job.sunrisingoverpost-partydebris.holding
skin-crackedhandsinthesnow.
nostalgia.longing.regret.mistakes.thepast.everythingthat
distractsyou,tricksyou,occupiesyou.definesyou.controls.it
feelsgoodtoseeitallikethis,externalized,doesn’tit?
doesn’tit?
inordertobuildanew you,youmustdestroytheold
asensationofrisingheat.youglancedownatyouropenhand,
flamesflickering,growingfrom yourpalm
youmustdestroytheold

RedGates
youdripfirefrom yourpalm,watchflamestwistandgrow,your
memoriesburn
inordertobuildanew you,youmustdestroytheold
landscapesonfire.somethingtugsatyou,asensethatyou
shouldenjoythismore,beinvigoratedbytheilicitabandonof
burningyourownself
butyoufeelnothing,justcalm.calm andquiet.calm andquiet
andRedGates.
succumb
outofthefireitemerges,asredastheflames,butimperviousto
them,evenastheycaressit
thefinalgate
anew worldawaits,anew you
stepthrough

SafeAndWel
Redscreen,whitetext
Processcomplete.Egouninstalationsuccessful.Subjectoperatingat97.98%
clarity.
[USERNAME]issafeandwelinRED GATES

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