Monthly Archives: April 2014

Drums of War – Part #6 – Discretion

29 Tuesday Apr 2014

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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Sevra watched from the fireplace as Warden Gwendolyn left the World’s End tavern. Her fingers lightly played over the keys of her accordion as the other end hung limply. The other patrons had lost interest in music after the fight, and were slowly disappearing off into the night.

“Well, there she goes. You know Gwendolyn won’t do anything to the Captain even if she catches him, right?” She gave Dante a hard stare, but he just gave her his insufferably smug smile.

“All according to plan. You worry too much, Sev.” He propped his legs up on the nearby table as he tuned his guitar. She rolled her eyes.

“Lyra, you tell him.” She shrugged off the accordion, rubbing her sore shoulder as the young girl pouted, a distance look on her face.

“Sev is right, Dante, I think Gwen is actually looking forward to seeing Turgis more than anything.” She looked up at Sevra looking especially small beneath her harp. “How did you know, she’s broadcasting her emotions so faintly I could barely hear them.” Sevra smirked, ruffling the girl’s blonde hair.

“I don’t need Empathy to recognize that she cares about him, kiddo, you could see it in her smile when she figured out who Dante was describing.” She turned to address Dante again. “So, Fearless Leader, what’s the plan then?” Dante rubbed the greying stubble on his chin.

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?” Sevra stared at him slack-jawed.

“Precisely. It’s pretty obvious that Turgis has no intention of slaying our dear prince tonight. In fact, he may have saved him should a less-than-friendly Warden have been the one on scene tonight. So I’d say our directions as convert bodyguards is mission accomplished, wouldn’t you?” He smiled at her knowingly. Sevra scowled at him.

“I’d say this strategy of yours is ridiculously short-sighted. We’re talking about Turgis Balborkanon, Captain of the Iron Hawks. He’s practically King Jaximus’s right hand man, and you’re letting him wander off with the Crown Prince in the dark!” A few curious patrons glanced over, alarmed by her raising voice, but Dante’s smile didn’t falter.

“What would you suggest then?” He asked, quietly strumming his guitar. The curious patrons’ eyes looked away, their eyes glazing over as they decided nothing interesting was going on by the fire. Sevra lowered her voice to a harsh whisper.

“I would kill Turgis. Without him, Lucien would see no reason to come risk himself out here every month.” Dante’s smile widened.

“I see. And what of the Wardens?” Sevra shrugged.

“This neutral zone is only as strong as the people enforcing it. And behind their magic, that’s all the Warden are. Mere people, not omnipotent gods. They can’t be everywhere at once.” Dante nodded, turning to the young harpist and fiddler who watched Sevra with wide eyes.

“Lyra, Liam, what do you think of Sevra’s plan?” He asked the twins. Liam exchanged a look with his sister, putting down his instrument.

“I think it’s dangerous to attack him in a neutral town. If the Wardens caught us, we’d be lucky if they let us live.” Liam said cautiously. His sister nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, we’re supposed to be the good guys.” Dante nodded in approval, making both twins glow.

“There you go, Sev, no murder tonight. Liam, where are they now?” The boy closed his eyes in concentration.

“Lucien is with Curtis, they’re moving fast towards Avesta. Turgis is walking with that other girl still.”

“I see. What about Gwendolyn and Raike?” Liam screwed his eyes closed tighter.

“Raike is near Turgis and the barbarian. Gwen is approaching their location.” Dante nodded.

“Alright.  Sevra, I want you to go find Raike, send him back to me to report. No murder.” He added playfully, his fingers already striking up a new song. Sev sighed, sliding her accordion under Liam’s chair.

“Watch that for me.” She requested as he whispered an address in her ear. As she slipped out of the warm tavern into the rain she could hear the music rising up behind her.

After a brief search, she sidled up beside Raike’s dark form on the rooftop. He watched the figures below with the calm of a stone gargoyle, acknowledging her arrival with a gentle squeeze of her hand.

“Gwen let them go with a warning.” He whispered, his voice seeming to be for her ears only. Sevra held back a huff of frustration.

“I told Dante she would.” She whispered back fiercely. Raike squeezed her hand gently as she watched the two dark figures wander down the street. “Dante wants you to head back and give him a report.” She whispered softly, “I’ll watch these two a bit longer.” With a final squeeze, Raike vanished off into the night, leaving her alone. She got up to find a new vantage point.

She tailed the couple on foot, not liking the look of the rain-slicked rooftops. Luckily the pair took a straight path through the streets, confidentially not looking back more than once. It seemed cocky to Sevra, almost too trusting of the Warden’s power. Her fingers drifted towards the small brooch on her sleeve, a simple serpent cast in silver. The pin was fused with a potent poison, a simple prick would be all she needed to kill the man now. Dante’s voice echoed in her brain, warning her off, but he wasn’t here, and she was. As she watched, the pair paused outside an inn, the taller Turgis pulling open the door for the smaller girl. He paused outside the door, looking skyward as if to calm himself. She was closing the distance quickly, soon she’d be close enough to touch him. A simple pinprick was all she needed, it wouldn’t even take effect for days. Enough time to clear the scene, enough time to alleviate suspicions. She could be safely in Avesta before he knew anything was wrong. He glanced her way just as she bumped into him, muttering a quick apology as she pushed past. She thought she caught a flash of recognition on his face as their eyes met, but then she was off, hurrying down the road.

She safely pinned serpent brooch back to her cuff. Frowning slightly, she took the next corner, heading back towards the warmth of the World’s End tavern.

To be continued

Desert Messenger

27 Sunday Apr 2014

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I rode across the arid desert that covered the planet, riding as quickly as the dappled grey horse could take us. I dared not pause as the the horses hooves rained like drumbeats on the packed sands, least the beasts catch up with us. My red and green cloak furled out behind us beneath the beating sun.

A glance behind showed me that we could not pause even a moment. The ground behind us rippled and fell, leaving nothing visible but a cloud of sand and red spice that filled the air with a rich, earthy scent. I spurred my horse faster still. She was a proud mare, I’d raised her myself since she was a young filly, but now she frothed about the mouth as she drove us further ahead.

Suddenly, the ground lurched below us, causing her to stumble. I fell beside her as the ground sank below us, rising into hundred foot cliff faces about us. I stared at the unclimbable rock wall, sand falling from the top, as the ground behind us crumbled further into the chasm. Looking down, I could see the core of the planet laid bare as the beasts swam below, plowing through rock and leaving nothing behind as if they were worms and the planet an apple. Though larger than worm, with massive teardrop shaped bodies, a mouth at one end and a flipper at the other.Whales, I thought, though I couldn’t recall where I’d heard the term. They floated through the air above the molten core, casually eating away at the ground that supported me. It was only a matter of time until one came back this way, destabilizing the ledge my horse and I clung to.

The ground below us shifted as the sand we stood on slid deeper into hollow shell of the planet’s crust. My horse and I backed as far from from the ledge as possible. I clung to her neck, whispering soothing words as the ground fell out from beneath us, sending us plunging into the pit alone.

Suddenly, a hand grasped mine, and I stopped falling. I snapped my eyes up to see my rescuer. My sister, atop a giant flying eagle, held me firmly. I looked back to watch my horse fall towards the fiery core until she was nothing more than a mere speck against the red glow.

“I’ve been looking for you.” My sister said. “You’re lucky I arrived when I did.” I wiped my eyes before I looked back up. She helped swing me onto the back of the eagle.

“I owe you. But first, I have an important message for the king, and it can’t wait.”

The Countdown

26 Saturday Apr 2014

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Justin stared down at the body on the street in shock. The body wasn’t moving. Nor was the car, that just a second was racing down the street. Everyone around him was moving, running towards the body, in panic, but he felt like he was stuck in slow motion, feet rooted to the ground even as the crowd flowed around him. Their shouts seemed to mingle into a low buzzing noise in his ear. He didn’t need to look at the body to know it was his own.

“Hey.” The simple word cut through the buzzing and beeping of the people around him and broke him out of his shock, turning to stare at the person addressing him. He half expected to see a skull staring back at him, cloaked in black, but this girl looked shocking normal. She could walk through any crowd and not stand out, but somehow Justin knew who she was all the same.

“Uh… Hey.” Justin fumbled, finally finding his voice. “Um, this might be a dumb question… But I’m dead, aren’t I?” The girl smiled sadly.

“Yep. Dead as a doornail. I’m sorry.” The words held such finality to them, but he couldn’t help but rebel against them anyway.

“But…” He gestured at the crowd surrounding his body, “What about them? What if one of them is a doctor? Maybe I still have a chance?” The girl looked down at the panicking people herself, taking a few steps towards them. The sounds of the crowd droned in the back of his mind, repetitive like the whine of malfunctioning appliances. She laid a hand on the closest head, though the woman didn’t seem to notice.

“This is Mrs Patterson. She’s a first grade teacher at the school down the street.” She pointed out another person. “That’s Jonathan Dirk. He runs the restaurant behind us.” Lastly, she pointed at the young woman near his head. “And that’s Jillian. She was driving the car too fast because she was late for her first day at an office downtown. Poor girl, she’s going to have nightmares about today for the rest of her life.” The girl looked back up. “None of them are doctors, Justin. By the time the paramedics get here, you’ll have been dead for too long for them to revive you. I’m sorry.”

Justin stared at his would-be rescuers in disbelief, as the sounds of the accident rose louder about him, drowning out his thoughts. There was an incessant beeping drilling into his brain, like the sound of the car’s blinker signal, slowly rising in volume.

“This has to be a mistake.” He said, staring at Jillian’s distraught face. She had such a lovely face, though it was twisted up in distress. He tried to touch her reassuringly, but his hand passed straight through her. “I… NO! This is wrong! I had…” His brain scrambled for a reason, grasping at one last straw. The bracelet! Everyone got one the day they were born. It was plain, but it had a number on it, a countdown for the number of days until you found your soulmate.

“My bracelet! The one that says when you’ll meet your soulmate! It had a number on it still, I know.” He grabbed his wrist, only to find it bare. He looked down at his body, realizing he’d left it at home. But it had such a large number on it, there was no way it had run out yet. The strange girl flicked her wrist, then held it up in one hand.

“You humans always invent the most clever things.” She said, turning it over. “But I wonder how many of you actually understand what you created.” She showed him the small digital display, still reading “1624.”

“You see this dot?” She asked, pointing out the small indicator. Justin nodded. He’d never really considered it much. Never really considered the watch much either, the date was always so far away he’d never given it a second thought. But now it seemed to hold his life in it’s balance. “It means that you’ll meet your soulmate in the afterlife.” Justin stared at her numbly as she picked up his wrist, strapping the bracelet back on. The beeping from the crash seemed to get louder yet as he stared hopelessly at the scene, at the strange girl, and at the lovely Jillian, crying beside her car in her new suit.

“Are you ready to go, Justin?” The girl asked. He shook his head, his brain still desperately trying to make excuses.

“No, this isn’t real… This a dream…” He shook his head, trying to clear it. “This a dream and that’s my alarm and any moment I’ll wake up in my bed and…”

“That isn’t your alarm, Justin.” The girl sadly pointed down at the scene. “That’s Jillian’s bracelet.”

Voice of the Stars

25 Friday Apr 2014

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“Come on, Aubrey, hurry up!” The girl tugged at her brother’s hand, darting down the hallways of the temple. Her new white robes dragged on the ground, nearly tripping her as she ducked behind a pillar. The young boy that followed her wore similar robes, slightly too short about the wrists. The priestesses would notice soon enough, hauling him away to get new ones, but they could barely keep up with how quickly the pair was growing out of their clothes already. He quickly darted behind the steel pillar beside his sister, biting his lip. He put his hand gently on Zadie’s giggling lips.

“Shh.” He cautioned. “They’ll be here soon.” Zadie nodded behind his hand, biting her lip to stop giggling. He peeked around the corner to where the altar sat. The chamber was lit by the light of a thousand candles, the only sunlight filtering through a large, round hole near the back of the room. Water poured through the hole, bubbling up and over the lip through a pool behind them, and the sunlight reflected off the surface across the massive chamber. Despite the number of candles and the clear, sunny day, the chamber still felt dark, the blackened walls swallowing the light quickly. Aubrey ducked his head behind the pillar as voices echoed down the corridor.

“They’re coming.” He whispered, tucking back in behind the pillar in the corner. Zadie nodded as he removed his hand, quickly sobering up. The voices got closer until they entered the chamber, their voices echoing loudly within the curved chamber.

“Watch your step, Avery.” The High Templar’s voice echoed loudly as she stepped onto the oddly curved floor. Aubrey peeked out as his eldest sister entered the room, wearing her new red robes. She’d looked so proud when she had shown the two earlier, but now she looked nervous, looking about the room as if seeing it for the first time. Aubrey wondered if perhaps it was her first time, and she had never even peeked in before. Her gaze drifted towards the back corner and the pillar that stood there, and Aubrey ducked back quickly before she saw him.

“This is the Ampitheater. It is said that one day, the Gods will speak to us again, and when they do, it will be to the priestess within this chamber.” Avery stared at the chamber, taking it all in.

“I’ve never seen a room so large.” She said breathlessly. “How will the Gods contact us?”

“How?” Aubrey could hear the frown in the Templar’s voice. The awe in Avery’s voice faltered.

“I… well, how will we hear them? Will it just be a voice in our head? And if the priestesses only in here during the Hours of Twilight, how do we know we aren’t missing messages?”

“The priestesses did say you were a clever one.” High Templar Clara sounded mildly frustrated beneath her warm voice. “No one has heard the Gods in generations, my dear, and all the writings we have of them suggests the voices will come just as the sun is setting. But now that you are a priestess, this room is open to you should you wish to meditate here in wait. Come.” The pair of footsteps echoed throughout the Ampitheatre as the pair approached the alter at the back of the room. Zadie peeked out at the pair as Aubrey inched around to stay out of view.

“This is the holy altar. The floor here will stain your robes should you meditate here too long, but there are prayer rugs beside the door you can use.” Avery lightly brushed the altar with her fingertips.

“There are so many symbols here. What do they mean?” She asked. Clara laughed gently.

“You do ask a lot of question. Come, I will show introduce you to Master Lawerence in the library. He may be able to help you find your answers.” Aubrey pressed his back to the pillar as the footsteps left the room. As they faded to silence, he breathed a little easier.

“Come on, Zadie, now you’ve heard what the room is for, can we leave?” He asked, tugging her hand lightly. But his sister was already heading for the altar, heedless of his pleas.

“So this is where they hear the Gods.” She said in a hushed voice, running her fingers over the altar to mirror her sister’s movements. Avery whined, still tugging her hand.

“You heard Templar Clara, no one has heard the voices in forever. Now let’s go before they catch us.” But Zadie was fascinated by the ridges and raised circles upon the altar. As he watched, she ran her finger along the edge of one circle. The circle gently spun beneath her finger, and Aubrey gasped as a quiet sound slowly raised in volume, echoing through the room.

“-ar me. Repeat, planet Alpha 69274, is anyone there? Can you hear me? This is Star Voyager Delta, requesting landing. Please copy if you can hear me.”

A Pokemon Story – Part #5

24 Thursday Apr 2014

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As night fell, Frank and I found ourselves cuddling in the living room of the cottage with books, watching the dull glow of fire behind the doors of the wood stove.  Katie and Jewel were both sleeping nearby, close to us, but not quite close enough to be pet.  Casaer had been reluctant to see us go inside without him, even after I’d lead him back to the shelter twice.  Eventually, I had just left him out there.  He now lay just outside the porch door, staring in hopefully.

“Maybe I should stay up here this week while you’re at work.”  I said, breaking the silence.

“Just to keep Casaer company?  I’m not sure that’ll solve the problem.”

I shrugged.  “At least I’ll be able to do some work and maybe actually set up a petting zoo.  Could be interesting.”  Frank fell silent for several moments.  “You could drive up after work.  It’s not that far of a commute.”  I added.  He looked at me with puppy-dog eyes.

“It’s not a short commute either.  I’ll miss you if you’re gone all week.”

“I’d miss you too.  But I used to have to travel for work.  Eventually they were going to make me go on a week or two long trip at my old office too.”

“I didn’t like that either.”  He gave me a protective hug and I nuzzled into him.

“Well, Steve’s done school now, maybe he and Shevaun can come up and stay with me too.  But then you’ll be all alone in our house.”

“Well, we can work out something.”  He said, gently pulling me towards the bedroom.  “Come on, let’s go to bed.”

I woke the next morning to the sound of Caesar calling outside the bedroom window.  Jewel stirred from where she was curled up on my feet, peering towards the window curiously.  I muttered under my breath towards the window, but the sound showed no signs of stopping.  Finally dragging myself out of the bed, I threw on a house coat and wandered out to the kitchen where Frank was already eating, Jewel hot on my heels.

“How long has he been doing that?”  I muttered, trying to comb my hair into a semblance of order.

“All morning.”  Frank replied over his plate of bacon and eggs.  “I tried to call him over, but he wouldn’t come.  There some bacon for you in the oven.”

“Thanks.” I muttered, slipping on a pair of winter boots over my bare feet, and throwing on my winter jacket as I noticed the snow still on the ground.  As an afterthought, I grabbed a slice of bacon, wrapped the rest in paper towel and shoved it in my pocket.  “I’ll be back soon.”

The cold air hit me as I left the warmth of the cottage, but the sun was warm behind me.  As I walked towards the sound, I noticed there was more to the noise than just Caesar’s noises.  There was a strange crinkling noise as well.  As I got closer, the source became a little more obvious.  There was Caesar, almost growling at something flashing in the snowbank.  He paid me no mind as I got closer, focused on the snowbank.  It looked like a chip bag, blown in the wind.

“Caesar, quit that.”  I said getting closer, laying a hand on his back.  He barely glanced my way, fixated on the fun sized chip bag.  I rolled my eyes.

“Look, it’s just a piece of garbage.”  I said, moving closer myself to grab it, and throw it out.  As I bent over, I caught a glimpse of reddish-gold fur, poking around two small dark eyes.  My breath caught in my throat as I threw myself backwards, staring at the tiny Vulpix hidden in the bag in terror.  My brain started working quickly, as I pushed the Sawsbuck’s head aside.

“Back off, Caesar.”  I said quietly, and he finally listened to me, trudging away several steps to stand by silently.  The Vulpix made soft clicking noises, staring out of the bag with terrified eyes.  I knelt in the snowbank nearby, talking gently.  The Vulpix was far smaller than it should have been, barely the size of my fist and covered in baby fluff.

“Where’s your mommy?”  I asked quietly, looking around for any sign of a pissed off mother.  But other than Caesar, now eating some early spring grass, there was no sign of another pokemon.  Could I leave the baby out here alone?  My instincts told me that was the best idea, but my curiosity got the better of me.  With a flash of an idea, I pulled the extra bacon out of my pocket, crumbling it and offering it out on a flat hand.  The Vulpix stopped it’s clicking, sniffing the air curiously.

“Come here, little one.  You’ll like this.”  Slowly, it inched it’s way out of the bag, staring at me with big eyes.  I noticed it had only one tail, confirming my theory that this was a very young baby.  It inched it’s way closer, curious yet cautious.  The snow melted and steamed slightly under it’s feet, leaving tiny footprints as it delicately sniffed my fingers.  Satisfied I wasn’t about to move suddenly, the tiny mouth grabbed a bite of bacon, dragging it out of my palm and into the snow where it was quickly devoured.  A small yip told me the offering was found satisfactory.  When the bacon was gone, the Vulpix began to lick the grease from my palm.  I reached my other hand out, gently petting the small fox.  I was rewarded with the head pushing into me as it climb on top of my hand.  Within moments, it had curled up in my palm, happily cooing in it’s sleep.

As I looked down at the small fox, I realized the snow was beginning to melt through my pyjamas and my legs were beginning to go numb.  But the baby showed no signs of wanting to leave, and no mother had yet to appear.  There seemed to be only one option.

I walked back into the kitchen, kicking off the heavy boots with one hand held to my chest.

“Hey Sweetie.”  I called out to the living room.  “I found something cute, can we keep it?”

 

Drums of War – Part #5 – Explanations

22 Tuesday Apr 2014

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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Turgis pulled the door shut to the room of the inn and turned to Keita who was sitting on the edge of a bed that took up most of the room.  The room was nothing fancy, but it would do.

“So you want my story, you say. Well, for that I need to explain the current war. I don’t suppose you know much of it, do you?” Keita shook her head, fatigue starting to push the suspicion out of her expression. Turgis sat down beside her. “Well, there’s a lot to this story, but properly, it started back nearly 17 years, before Lucien was even born.”

“Back then, I was just the weapon master’s apprentice.  But also a friend to the crown prince of Kalmar, Tibalt Cromwell.  We were about the same age, and I guess he just needed someone who wasn’t his elder to talk to.  Mostly though, we were sparring partners.  His younger brother, Jaximus, worshipped the ground Tibalt walked on so he was forever underfoot.  Tibalt used to try to give him the slip but I couldn’t disrespect a prince like that.”

“One year, there was this ball to be held in the kingdom of Avesta, Lucien’s kingdom. Some fancy event with all the nobles of neighbouring lands, and Tibalt decided he wanted sneak me in as his servant.  This was a once in a lifetime chance, so I jumped on the oppurtunity.  As we travelled, Tibalt confided in me that he was nervous about this ball.  He was supposed to meet the woman he was betrothed to, the Lady Deirdre, from the kingdom of Gaina.  It was the first time they’d be meeting, but the betrothal had been arranged when they were young.  The two met before the ball and they were both tense as could be.  But well, when Tibalt introduced Jaximus to her, I could see that the boy was smitten.  We barely saw him that day as he followed Deirdre about, hoping for the chance to get her a drink or something.”

“The night of the ball, there were lovely ladies swirling all about and a thousand delicacies set out.  Despite that, Jax could barely take his eyes off the Lady Deirdre.  Which is probably why he was the one to notice when she and Saul Suncrown from Avesta snuck away from the ball. When Saul came back… Well, Jax was barely 15 at the time.  But that hardly stopped him from challenging Saul to a duel, right there in front of the whole ball. Accused him of sullying Deirdre honour and humiliating his brother or some such nonsense.” Turgis paused for a moment, taking a swig from a small flask.  Keita snorted.

“Your people have such confusing ways.  Is it not the lady’s choice to talk to a man?”

“Aye well, Jax may have been out of line, but it is not my place to question the prince.  And Saul could hardly ignore that challenge, not after his honour was called into question in front of everyone.  And so a duel was arranged, and swords brought out.  Jaximus was a good fighter, I’d sparred with him myself, but Saul was several years older, bigger, stronger and faster.  Jax barely stood a chance.  Saul quickly overpowered him, and backed him into a wall in his fury. He clearly had it in his head that he was going to kill him, but just as he went for the killing blow… Tibalt jumped in the way, shielding his brother and was run through himself.”

“Everything sort of went downhill from there. When Saul realized he’d killed Tibalt, he ran off and Deirdre followed him. Jaximus for his part was a mess.  The next few days were a blur, and I think Jaximus almost hoped that now that he was the crown prince, he would be the one to marry Lady Deirdre.  However, shortly after the funeral her father announced she would be marrying Saul, and the marriage was arranged for barely a week later.  Lucien was born soon after they were married, so perhaps the prince was onto something.”

“Everything calmed down a bit after that.  Later, Jaximus sent me to be the weaponsmaster in Avesta’s court. ‘A show of good faith,’ He said.  I got to know young Lucien well, he was fascinated with the armoury and the weapons in there.  I trained him to fight myself.  At first, Jaximus would send me regular letters, always asking about the Lady Deirdre, but she seemed happily in love to me.  Eventually, the letters slowed down, and then there came a point when the letters stopped.  I’d started to wonder if Jaximus had forgotten me, but the 4 years ago, I got a letter asking me to resign my position and return to Kalmar.”

“I arrived just in time for his Coronation, but this was not the same man who sent me away years ago.  He seemed like a man haunted.  When I finally got a chance to talk to him, it seemed all he wanted to know about was Queen Deirdre.  When I had told him all I knew, he thanked me and made me Captain of the Guard.  He sent the Iron Hawks and me off to the Spinetail pass, and privately asked me to ‘antagonize’ the border.  It seemed to me that he was hoping to provoke the war and make his own opportunities with Saul’s Queen.”  Turgis stretched the knots out of his back.

“But then, why is not really my job.  All I know is he wanted a war, and it’s my job to help him win.  Which I believe would be helped with the Ora tribes harassing them from within the kingdom itself.”  Turgis glanced Keita, who was laying on her back on the bed. “Does that satisfy your curiosity, or do you have any other questions?”

“Just one.” She replied, pointing at the bed below her, “Is this the bed? I’m sleeping here tonight.” Turgis laughed.

“Aye, that’s the bed. You can have it, I’m drunk enough to sleep on the floor tonight.”

To be continued

Dawn’s Demons

21 Monday Apr 2014

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The clock blinked red in the corner of the room, declaring that it was now 4:01 AM.  A time when most people were in bed, but Dawn was not most people.  She was still staring at her computer monitor in the dimly lit bedroom.  While her family slept soundly, she was deliberating between hair colours with her friend online.

“OMG, have u seen this Tangeine Glo??”
“it’ll be perfect with this Fire Red! lol”

Dawn typed excitedly.

“OMG YES!!”
“U have GOT to show me pics tomorow! my mom is making me sleep now. :(“

Holly typed back.

“Awwwww.  ttyl”

Dawn went back to her internet search, hunting for outrageous hair colours, as the little icon beside Holly’s name went grey.   She hunted through her friend’s list, but no one else seemed to be on so late at night.  Dawn sighed, she had really wanted to show someone this next picture, the girl in the image featured hair in the same shades as a peacock.  She briefly considered sleep, when she heard a scratching sound in the corner. The noise sent her skin crawling down her spine.  She turned slowly turned around to look at the dark corner, but there was nothing to be seen.  A bookshelf, filled with porcelain dolls and old sketchbooks, and a heap of dirty clothes filled the corner, and nothing moved.  Dawn turned back to her monitor.  The shadows felt a little darker in the room now, almost like fingers as they inched across the floor.  The goosebumps continued as Dawn tried to calm herself. “There’s nothing in the corner.”  She muttered, staring at the monitor.  “Nothing at all.” But her mind disagreed, convinced there was something behind her.  Watching her, with bright red eyes.  She turned quickly, fast enough to flutter the pages of her sketchbook, but the corner remained empty.  Reluctantly, she turned back to her computer, not quite willing to tear her eyes from the corner, when something moved in her peripheral vision.  She turned her head quickly, coming face to face with her mirror.  But the reflection she saw was not her own. “Hello Dawn.”  The words of the demon staring at her echoed in her head.  It stared out of her mirror, glowing red eyes with black stripes on it’s face, two horns nestled in a shock of messy hair.  She stared in horror as she realized it looked exactly like the demon she’d drawn last week.  “Now that I’ve escaped, you and I are going to have a some fun.”

DawnDemon

(Art courtesy of my cousin, Eve)

End of the World

20 Sunday Apr 2014

Posted by in Odds and Ends, Stories

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Dear Diary,

It’s me again, Julia. It has now been three weeks since I’ve last seen another human being. Unless you count the walkers outside the fence, but I don’t. They’re not really human anymore. Just mindless monsters. I did another supply run today. I now have enough canned peaches to last me until the next apocalypse. Given the way things have been currently going, I predict that will be sometime in the next 2 weeks. Couldn’t find anymore bullets though. Haven’t had any since I had to put the last one between Felicia’s eyes. She was staring right at me the whole time. I still remember the look in her eyes. It’ll haunt me for the rest of my life.

It’s not like I haven’t tried to find other people. I’m getting crazy lonely cooped up in here alone. But I haven’t even seen signs of life since the 4th earthquake. Not even any rats. Sometimes I wonder why I even bother writing anymore, it’s not like there’s anyone to read this. I just miss talking to people. I miss my family.

I remember when my grandpa first taught me to shoot. My mom protested, of course, but I wanted to be just like my grandpuppy. He taught me that you always had to be super careful with a gun. “Never point it at anyone you don’t want dead.” He said, “Even when you think the chamber is empty and the safety is on, there could be one more bullet hiding.” I would hang off his every word. He was so proud of his little marksman. I hope he can’t see me now.

Putting away her diary, the last known survivor played Russian roulette with herself.

Kingdom of the Blind

18 Friday Apr 2014

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June watched as her daughter walked past the living room, chattering away.

“Who are you talking to, Amy? You know you’re still grounded from last weekend.” She called out sternly.

“I’m talking to Nana, Mom.” Amy replied with typical teenaged attitude. June stopped folding the laundry in shock.

“Amy, Nana died last year.” She said quietly.

“Well duh. But she’s also standing right there!” She insisted, pointing at the air beside her. June tried her best to stay calm.

“Amy, there’s no one there.” The teen rolled her eyes in exasperation, turning to address the space beside her.

“See what I mean? She’s just blind as always.”

“AMY JENNIFER EVERIDGE!” June rose to her feet in anger. “Do you expect me to believe you are talking to the ghost of my mother?” Amy glowered back at her mother, her stance echoing her mother’s set hips.

“No, I don’t expect you to believe anything. You’ve never believed anything I said. Even when Theodore told me about Dad’s accident, you told me he was just ‘an imaginary friend’.” She turned on her heels and stomped off, leaving June still standing in shock as the bedroom door slammed.

June continued folding numbly. She thought back to that day, 7 years ago, when the company had called. She had been in shock that day as well, and far too panicked to consider what her daughter was saying about her imaginary friend as she’d loaded her into the car for the drive to the hospital. She’d never stopped to process it afterwards either, there was too much to worry about with Fred. But she as she tried to recall, the memory came up crystal clear, as if it had been stored away for later review and she was only just uncovering an old video in a forgotten box. There was Amy in the backseat of the car, telling her not to worry, that Theodore said Daddy had gotten his foot stuck in the machine, but they stopped it quickly and the doctors said it would be alright. She’d dismissed it as just a little girl’s rambling about an imaginary friend, not important at the moment. But she’d been right.

June walked quietly down the hall to the door proudly decorated in beads and stickers. She could hear quiet talking inside, but it stopped as she rapped on the door.

“Amy?” She hesitated. “What is Nana saying?”

Drums of War – Part #4 – Accusation

16 Wednesday Apr 2014

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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Standing on the dark street, Keita glared at Turgis and his offer of help, her grey eyes reflecting suspicion.

“No, I don’t trust this.”  She said as she planted her hands on her hips.   “Since I walked into that bar, you’ve explained nothing of yourself, nor your relationship with a boy who should be your enemy but you treat as like a nephew. Meanwhile, we’ve talked far too much of me, a stranger off the street. No, Turgis Balborkanon, before I accept your offer of help, you will tell me how you fit into this story first.”

Turgis eyed up the girl as she stared him down.  Mentally, he rolled his eyes then began walking down the street, away from the angry barbarian.

“Come on then.” He said gruffly, pulling up his hood against the drizzling rain.  Keita stood her ground a moment longer before realizing he wasn’t waiting.

“Where are you going?” She asked, not ready to give up ground so easily.

“To an inn,” He called back. “Unless you’d like to continue this conversation in the rain.” Keita considered this for a moment before falling in beside him, her long legs quickly closing the distance.

“Besides,” Turgis muttered under his breath, “If we just stand around here talking all night, the Wardens will be-“

“Right behind you?” Asked a young, clear voice. Turgis froze like a deer, turning slowly to see the sudden visitor. Behind them stood a young girl, no older than 16, with deep, brown skin and hair. Her eyes shone vibrantly green in the light of the lamp she carried, and Keita could see small, white flowers woven through her curly hair. She wore a green cloak, pinned at her throat with an emerald brooch in the shape of a leaf that glittered like her ageless eyes. Turgis gave a slight bow, subtly shifting his position to stand between the new arrival and Keita.

“Good evening, Gwendolyn. What brings a lovely lady like yourself out on a dreary night such as this?” Gwen smiled slightly at the compliment.

“A bar fight broke out at the World’s End tavern. I noticed tonight was the full moon again, I thought you and Prince Lucien may have been there still. But it seems you two left early tonight.” She jerked her head towards the bright patch of clouds left by the moon in the sky as she spoke, an edge of suspicion to her voice.  Turgis looked a little sheepish.

“Aye, Lucien was a little deep in the cups tonight, and you know how the boy can get.  I thought it would be best we left early. We left just as the fight was starting.” Gwen narrowed her eyes slightly.

“So you saw nothing then?”

“You’ve known me for twenty years, Gwen. If I was involved in a fight, I’d be ending it.”  Turgis stated bluntly.  Gwendolyn smiled slightly.

“That is true enough. Well, have a good night, Turgis.” As Turgis turned away, pushing Keita along in front of him, she added, “Oh, one more thing.” Pulling out a small hunting knife from her pocket,  she gave it a gentle toss in the air, catching it as it fell.

“Someone left this at the tavern. One of the Wardens said it looked like a traditional knife from the members of the Ora tribes.  He also mentioned that one had come through his station tonight, heading into town.” Her eyes flashed towards Keita’s stiffening back as she continued. “Some of the locals said you may have left with a woman with a similar description.  She would have strange, scarred markings on her face, with braided hair. If you see her, you can let her know she can pick it up with her bow when she leaves.” She smiled warmly to Turgis’s shocked expression as she turned to leave. “Have a good night.”

To be continued