Authors Notes: Elephant Graveyard Original Short Story from Copper Shock.

Elephant Graveyard Episode

My original short stories first started as a simple writing exercise after reading a series fo Stephen King Short stories. not all of them had to make sense, and often those who are affected by the supernatural are not always privy to the entire picture of the monster that has come for them. Elephant Graveyard was at first a series of short horror fiction stories set into a time of how much panic would ensue when those who have a disease are considered “pre-dead”, and constitutional rights are stripped away. A strongly prescient story for 2010 as ten years later we’d see the biggest pandemic and how it has affected life, new unrest is highlighted almost every day in the news, or across social media. I myself for a period of time took a “social-media” fast because the constant bombardment of hopelessness or elevated discussion of new pains just to survive felt overwhelming. So I turned back to Copper Shock. I began to show it love and allow it to be my escape key from the oppression of life as an adult. I sincerely hope I can do this channel justice after my neglect for so long. And the last story I left it on? Had to do with a resulting scene for a pandemic devolved into animalistic abuse to those who are infected. Naturally with life evolving every day under COVID-19, I am understanding more and more fully a universe that I felt was so make-believe ten years ago.

Constant listener. The frame for this story is set during a resulting and massive pandemic, however my goal as a writer within this short story had only been to focus on what makes us human. And that while desperation can push us into states of reality we never dreamed possible… it is never too late to remember who we are as a people, a community, a society, a kinship a neighbor, and be kind to those we don’t know. Our own plight will always feel enormous, but shifting your gaze to be that which is outside of your immediate view to other less fortunate as ourselves reminds us how we can reach out to be of help. And that must account for something.

When I wrote Elephant Graveyard I pictured the setting something along the lines of this place. In fact here’s a picture if you’d like to just look at it here:

Zions national park is beautiful as it is alienating. It’s a natural fortress if you wanted to build an encampment right in the middle of it.

For another original Copper Shock short story, we have “SHUTTER” available for your review.

FULL STORY:

“It’s coming isn’t it?” Grey asked.

“It’s coming.” Toliver reflected. “It’s the old adage to a more literal term.” He continued as Grey turned to face him.

“Meaning what?” 

“Let the dead bury the dead.” Toliver spat a wad of dry saliva from his crusting peeling lips. It was a thick sludge, it’s color had been tinged a burnt-orange as it mixed with the desert sand. Grey began itching his arm as he casually watched Tolivers freshly spat slime crawl itself down the slope stretching thinner as it went. Grey flinched as he accidentally popped one of his sores with his nail. It spewed a small ooze of brown.

“Damn it. I didn’t have these last week.”

“They say the more of those you rupture, the faster you kick the bucket dumb ass. You probably got it from someone else here at the Elephant Graveyard.”

Yes thought Grey. This designated camp for diseased,