LIE Magazine - Issue #1 Preview

Cover

#1June 2012

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Foreword

by Howie Jordan............................................................................................................................................................................... IHe Called It His Tea

by Jules Ray............................................................01Various Haikus

by Willard Ramsey............................................01Out Again

by Thom Claire.....................................................02Night Terrors

by Somaria Ali......................................................02Eidetic

by Sara Watson.................................................. 03Lost in My Own Mind

by Catherine Aho...............................................07Falling in Line

by Matt McGowan.............................................. 11Drowning Yourself

by Sarah Roberts............................................... 13The Knife Applied

by MJ Slide.............................................................. 14The Craft of Prop Making

by Eliot Thomas................................................................................................................................................................................. 15Et Cetera.

by Sexting in Calibri...................................................................................................................................................................... 17Nukes & Napalm: The Game of Cold War Combat & Intrigue

by Al Hufferton................................................................................................................................................................................. 21

Table of ContentsIm

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3

EideticWritten and illustrated by Sara Watson

The child before me was nine. She swung her feet from the examiningtable, glancing around and periodically blinking. She waved to me. She

blinked. “Hello, Dr. Ross,” she called.I smiled. She was sweet. “Hello, Megan. How're you today?”“I have a headache,” she told me, frowning. Beside her, her mother held

a large briefcase. She bent down.“That's why we're here today, Megan.”“I know, I know.”I cleared my throat. “Do you want to go ahead and get started, Megan?”“Sure.” She hopped off the table, looking up at me directly. “Usual

place?”“Of course.”I let her lead. “How's she been?” I asked her mother.“She's been well,” she replied.“Do you have all the hard drives?”“Always do,” she said, smiling and lifting the case slightly.Megan had her own special room in the lab. It contained an MRI

machine, a massive computer, and a bed. She knew the drill from havingdone this monthly every year of her life. I sent my assistant, a youngdoctoral candidate, to get the lemonade. She gave Megan a friendly smilebefore exiting.

Megan hopped on the bed.“So, Megan, what's happened this month?” I asked her.

She shrugged. “Not much. I saw a deer yesterday, and a rabbit the daybefore.” She blinked.

My assistant returned with a paper cup full of cloudy lemonade. “Hereyou go,” she told Megan.

“Thanks, Rachel,” she said, sipping it. She blinked, face furrowing up atthe taste. One would think she'd gotten used to it after doing this over ahundred times in her life. “It's so sour,” she said, sticking out her tongue,“Did you put more lemon in it than usual?”

“I don't think so.”Megan sat on the bed, taking another sip and making a face.

“Blegh.”Rachel pulled a USB cable from a drawer in the

desk, sterilizing the long, flat end with a swab.

7

Lost In My Own MindBy Catherine Aho

It's bright in here today. Why is it so bright? Only a moment ago my eyeswere closed, and the world was as it should be. Now there's someone

here—who is that? She has brown hair... long, curly brown hair. Beautiful,golden brown strands dipped in gold and reflecting the light like theshimmers on a pond. Her smile is big and soft and friendly—is she myfriend? She looks like my daughter... only Jenny had red hair—deep, auburnred like the sky at sunset....Where is my mother? She just poked her head in—luckily, she didn't see mesneak back through the window early this morning. I couldn't help it!Stanley Carter got a new car for graduation, and he invited me for a ride.He looked so nice in his brown sweater and pressed slacks... I wore my newnecklace... he liked it....I open my eyes and there's that woman again. Beautiful brown curls... she's asweet thing; her voice is calming and quiet and reassuring. Her hand iswarm and gentle when she touches my arm. I feel safe with her. I know shewon't hurt me, though I'm not sure who she is. She isn't Barbara... mybeloved sister, Barbara, with her golden waves of hair soft as silk, and blueeyes as clear as the ocean....Barbara is sick. She's laying in bed, her newborn babe at her side. He'sperfect in every way—her blue eyes; his father's black hair. Her smile isweak; the pallor to her countenance is ominous. I know the worst is coming.The doctor here says there's nothing else he can do—that it's up to her. Herand God. Barbara has always been so strong. We were the only two tosurvive this long. Now she has a new baby... and three little ones already....How will Howard survive without her? His eyes are broken as he leans overand kisses my sister's cold, lifeless forehead before the lid of the coffin is

closed and Barbara... my beloved sister... takes her descent into her finalresting place. Her four children—the oldest a strong, stoic girl—watch

with broken eyes as their mother's body disappears into thebowels of the Earth....

12

Falling in Line

I am the clockwork General. I send my men to their deaths.

I dress them up in little hats and tell them about their sacrifice.

I dream for them, about loved ones and hot showers and happiness.

I fear for them, about their enemies and their tomb.

I say nothing as I pack them away in their rusted sepulcher.

I march back inside, dirt fresh on my hands, warm like blood.

I march back inside with a grim face, Da-Dum Da-Dum.

Illustration for "Falling in Line" by Sydnay Greene.

17

Et Cetera.by Sexting in Calibri

There is a woman who wakes up one morning only to realize it is muchtoo early in the morning to be awake so she tries going back to sleep butsleep isn't going to come easy she learns after lying in bed for twentyminutes to no avail so she does all she can to coax unconsciousness intorepossessing her which includes switching the television on to a programguide channel and bringing the volume down to a low murmur as well asdrinking a glass of warm milk which actually really honestly works for hercliched as it may seem plus plugging in the air conditioner for its hypnotichumming etc. She does all this and still struggles to fall asleep. She figuresit's because she's trying too hard to fall asleep, thinking too consciouslyabout it, putting too much energy into an act diametrically opposed tohaving energy put into it etc. She loosens up and relaxes and forces herselfnot to think about sleeping and she gets so god-damn close like practicallygone but suddenly thinks, “I'm finally falling asleep!” which of course snapsher consciousness back to attention and she silently scolds herself forfucking it up at the last second. She makes another attempt at slyly slippinginto sleep but midway through her faux relaxation efforts she becomesacutely aware of how faux they are and to make matters worse she glancesat the clock, realizing she's been up for forty fucking minutes already whichcauses her anxiety to skyrocket which makes trying to fall asleep evenharder which she is also acutely aware of which boosts her anxiety evenmore etc. It's basically a snake that eats its own tail, a vicious cycle,perpetual sleeplessness that begets anxiety that begets sleeplessness thatbegets anxiety that begets etc, etc. After it's been an hour she debates

whether or not her efforts are even worth it considering that thealarm signaling the beginning of her day will buzz in less than two

hours and she feels quite awake at the moment and the extra

21

NUKES & NAPALMThe Game of Cold War Combat & Intrigue

(Not to mention utter incompetency)by Al Hufferton

Editor's note: LIE Magazine in no way endorses nuclear warfare, napalm, the Cold War, McCarthyism, espionage, ordeath. Unless it's during the course of this game.

As this game is still in beta, if you have any game changing suggestions please email [email protected]!

Recommended players: 2-6

GETTING STARTED: All you need to play is a copy of the cards, which will be available todownload and print at www.liemag.com/NukesAndNapalm shortly after publication of thisissue.Note: As compiled, the cards should be enough for a two player game. For more players (orif you just want larger decks to play with) you should print multiple copies of the cards. Oneset should be plenty for two people, two sets for three to four players, three sets for five tosix players, etc.

There are three types of cards in N&N: Machines, Men, and Missiles. In addition, there is asubset of "Mystery" cards in each card type. Mystery cards interract with the other cards inspecial ways and can have a destabilizing effect throughout the game. Mystery cardsinclude Esionage, Spy, and Propaganda cards.

Sort the cards into the three decks: Machines, Men, and Missiles. Give each deck a hardyshuffle and arrange them in the center of the play area. You're now ready to play the game!

GOAL: The goal of the game is to be the last player standing whilst possessing the mostresources. The only way to be eliminated from the game is if you get hit with a “Nuke."You'll need to try to prevent other players from Nukeing you by seizing territory andutilizing spies... or the good old fashioned preemptive strike, also known as "Nuke thembefore they nuke us."

PLAYING THE GAME: The game plays in a series of turns, each turn being made up ofsix phases (Initiation, Machines, Men, Missiles, Mystery, & Intrigue phases.)Note: When cards are “discarded”, they are moved to the bottom of their origindeck. Cards "In Reserve" are in the players hand.