Kathy's Creative Writing

NaNoWriMo Epic Fail

2015-11-20T22:39:00.001-05:00

For a little fun, I decided to try the National November Writing Month challenge (again). This time I was not prepared with any sort of story idea or outline. I used some writing prompts and plot generators and created a basis of an idea. This was, by the way, a terrible idea. However, I thought I would share with the world, my most epic fail at writing a story.

In the Elven city of Slvenia, a young alchemist is given the task of finding the fabled weapons that will end the war between elves and humans. Adrianna discovers she has a surprising trait that allows her to escape with her life while undergoing her quest.

Zach knocks on the door of the quaint bungalow, “Adrianna Snow, I have a missive for you of high importance.”

From behind the door she calls out, “Come in.”

Adrianna can’t help herself when Zach enters the room her pulse quickens and her cheeks flush. She hopes he doesn’t notice the latter.

“What is it? Who is it from?”

“Emperor Banghaldi, and here, read for yourself.”

Grasping the envelope, Adrianna notes the seal of the Emperor. Turning it over in her hands, she rips the end off and slides out the letter. Adrianna’s hands shake as she reads:

You are hereby summoned for a quest of great importance. You must pack your things an army

Detail will be accompanying you at 0800 tomorrow morning. Your quest is to find the 3

Enchanted weapons stolen from our capital 600 years ago. As a skilled navigator of the wild, I

Trust that you will have no problem traversing the terrain.

Adrianna can scarcely believe her eyes. The fabled enchanted weapons are prophesied to be found by someone of great power and ability.

Her brows furrowed together, “What do you know of this?”

“Nothing, I swear to you, what does it say?”

“I am to find the enchanted weapons of Slvenia….”

Zach snorts, “Oh, you’re serious!”

“Yes, please say you’ll come with me. Even though it says I will have an army detail for my mission, I need someone I can trust.”

“No, absolutely not and I don’t think you should go either. That’s the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!”

“Right I will just tell the emperor that I can’t go.”

He brushes and errant hair out of her face and looks at her sternly. She finds the subtle gesture sweet but she can tell by the creases on his face that he is determined to stay behind.

“No. No! You’re not going to do this to me. This is important. What if I never see --“ She cuts off before she can finish her sentence. She realized that she’d revealed too much of her feelings for him. Not that it was a secret but it made her feel vulnerable. What was she thinking? She crossed her arms over her chest determined to put on a brave front now.

“Then leave. I’ve got packing to do.” She could feel the tears threatening to spill over so she turned on her heel and went to her room to find her essentials. She rifled through her closet until she found her satchel, water bottle, compass and hiking boots. By the time she returned to the living room there was no sign of Zach. She dropped everything unceremoniously on the couch and went to the bathroom to stare at her now bloodshot eyes. She then ran her hands under the faucet and splashed water on her face, the spot where he had touched her skin seemed to linger like she could still feel his presence. At that thought she scrubbed her face as if to wash it away.

The next morning, the sound of heavy footsteps on her porch woke her before the rapping of the knocker on the door. She looked at her alarm clock in disgust, why hadn’t it gone off? She quickly got ready and answered the door with her satchel already thrown over her shoulder.

“Ma’am, I am Colonel Brigant and this is Sargent Levy.” He said gesturing with his thumb to the stern looking young man next to him. Behind the two military officers was a woman with straggly brown hair speckled with flecks of gray. She wore pointy shoes and was carrying a wand. Next to her stood two pixies.

Noticing her gaze, Colonel Smith cleared his throat, “The Emperor wanted to make sure you were well protected, along with Miss Sharanel here there will be two more witches that we need to pick up. As for the pixies, we have Glimmer and Hope.”

Adrianna nodded her head in acknowledgement of the brief introduction.

“Well, gentlemen shall we be on our way then?” Adrianna said as she stepped out of her doorway, locking it closed with the swipe of her hand on the sensor.

“So, not that I mind, but why did the emperor send a letter, why not call or email it to me?”

“The Emperor did not want anything to jeopardize this mission and these days you can’t be too careful with computers. Who would think to look for a hand-written letter delivered by a simple apprentice? At any rate the Donda sisters are to the north of Slvenia’s borders.”

Adrianna’s boots crackled on the small pebbles on the ground as they walked the rest of the way in silence. She was deep in though when they approached the Donda sisters’ house. The red house stood in stark contrast to those around the area. The colonel reached up to knock on the door just as he did the door swung wide. Inside stood two portly women with ruddy cheeks and frazzled brown hair. They were snickering to one another about some inside joke. “Come in, come in.” The women gestured with their hands waving, Adrianna took a step towards them but the colonel held her back. “We don’t have time for this, are you coming or not?” Their smiles disappeared from their faces and even Adrianna had to wince at the harshness of his words. “Very well, Wilhelmina grab the book.” The sister scurried off to grab the book from the depths of the house beyond Adrianna’s vision. “I’m Gertrude,” the woman smiled her crooked grin and stuck out a chunky hand towards Adrianna which she accepted with a firm shake. Adrianna wiped her hand on her on leather pants afterwards to get rid of the moisture that had been transferred by the woman’s clammy hand. Gertrude did not appear to take notice. Within minutes Wilhelmina had returned with a leather bound book. Pages protruded in all different directions and there were several tabs sticking out of the top evidently marking the more important spells. The front had a snake that seemed to eat its own tail on the cover and for a moment Adrianna could’ve sworn that she saw it move. With a huff, the Colonel asked, “Are we ready now?” The twins stepped out from the doorway and closed it behind them. The colonel then turned to address Adrianna, “I assume you know where we’re going?” Adrianna shifted from one foot to the other feeling unsure of herself, she considered her words, “The thing is very few people know where the enchanted weapons actually are. It is rumored to be kept in the dragon stronghold. Since few people are brave enough to even attempt breaching Ungard and live to tell the tale, even the location of the stronghold is not well known.” The Colonel opened his mouth to speak but Adrianna held up her hands, “I happen to know a dwarf by the name of Elderich who might be willing to part with a map with the location of the Dragon Stronghold and even possibly details of layout of the stronghold itself. Which means we must first travel to the West of the Volumard mountains where the cave-dwelling dwarves reside. This is an area that I am quite familiar with, but” Adrianna steadied herself for what she had to say next, “we are going to need something to barter with to get them to part with that map.” The colonel had a look of disgust on his face, elves were not known for exchanging pleasantries with dwarves. However, the expression was fleeting as he realized the necessity of the exchange if their quest had any hopes of succeeding. “What did you have in mind?” Adrianna like this even less, but she knew there was only one thing that dwarves held in high regard and that was honor. This is not a commodity that one can trade obviously but Adrianna did have something in mind that she figured would have to make do and she knew the colonel would not approve. “There is a dwarf held in custody by the Emperor for crimes against our land. He is not due for release for nearly another ten years. However, if we bring him to Raqqa with us, Elderich would be duty-bound to grant us a favor.” The Colonel was clenching his jaw and Adrianna could see that his patience, what little he had to begin with, was wearing very thin. “You want me to get the Emperor to release Gonrath the thief?” Adrianna nodded her head, “I have never believed that he was ever guilty myself, but yes I feel that would be the safest bet if we are to get what we need from Elderich.” The Colonel made noise that showed his distaste for this business, “I am liking this quest less and less. Very well, we shall present your idea to the Emperor and see if he will release the mongrel. Is there anything else you’ll require?” he sneered. Adrianna chose to ignore his attitude, “Will we be riding horses? Although for the terrain we’ll be traversing we might do better with mules.” The Colonel made no attempt to hide his disapproval as he made an exaggerated eye roll at her. “Yes, yes of course. The stable boy was supposed to meet us at the edge of Maldar with our mounts. However, I’m sure that we can get him to fetch us some mules instead.” The Colonel turned to the Sergeant, “You should take care of that while we are dealing with the Emperor.” The Sergeant didn’t even bother to reply but immediately began heading off to the other side of town where the stables were located. The remainder of the crew headed towards the palace.

Adrianna sighed at the sight of the palace, tall spires seemed to touch the sky and its curvy architecture was reminiscent of builders of the golden era. The Colonel addressed the sentries placed before the draw bridge, “Colonel Brigant and company, we need to speak with the Emperor about an urgent matter of state.” The sentry to the left did not bother to respond but merely signaled to the guard atop the wall to lower the bridge. Within seconds the bridge was creaking as it was lowered to the ground. The Colonel led the way in. Once inside the Colonel directed them to the throne room. Here the Emperor sat at his station as if he had nothing better to do than to wait on patrons. Colonel briefly explained the situation to Emperor Banghaldi. The Emperor’s face was unreadable as he absorbed the information. “Adrianna, do you realize what you are asking of me?” he didn’t wait for a response as he continued, “This dwarf” he practically spat the word out as if it were a foul piece of meat, “made a mockery of our court, and denied all allegations despite having been caught red-handed! He is to complete his sentence in the dungeon with all the other vermin who dare to defy our laws.” Adrianna took that to mean that her only bargaining chip with the dwarves was gone, but the Emperor surprised everyone, “Very well, I’ll release him but he is to be banished from Slvenia henceforth never to return, and I shall find you liable if he does.” Adrianna gulped, not liking the sound of the terms but knew they were a necessity if the Emperor was to maintain his dignity. The Emperor waved a hand at one of the guards stationed along the wall who had until this point been so still Adrianna had thought it perhaps just a suit of armor. The soldier turned on his heel and headed down the hallway his armor clanging with each step. Once he was out of sight, the Emperor continued, “Now, tell me more about this plan of yours. How sure are you that you can get this map? How do you know it to be in existence?” Adrianna did not expect this line of questioning and was taken aback. She was unsure how to go about explaining her relationship with the dwarves being friendlier than any other elf in the city. She began to explain her tale beginning 3 winters ago. She had been out looking for herbs for her alchemy when she encountered a band of dwarves camping at the base of the Mountains. Within moments of her being spotted by the dwarves she was surrounded. They claimed that the territory she was harvesting from belonged to the cave-dwelling dwarves and that if she knew what was good for her she would leave, promptly. Not to be dissuaded from her task she struck a deal with the dwarves. It had not escaped her attention that a member of their group was mortally wounded and she happened to have with her the ingredients of a powerful healing potion. The injured dwarf was none other than the young Elderich who she planned to strike up the bargain with. She summed up her tale by stating, “I saved him from losing a limb and since that day we have been friends.” The Emperor looked as through squinted eyes at her as if he expected there to be more to this story, giving the animosity held between the races. However, he did not question her further as the guard had returned with a manacled Gonrath in tow. The dwarf was haggard looking with his beard matted and his clothing tattered, he looked as if he had not bathed in years (and smelled it too.) Brigant clapped his hands together as he felt that the matter was finally settled. He walked over to the guard holding Gonrath’s chains and took them off his hands. Adrianna looked rather sheepish as she blurted out, “Aren’t you going to un-cuff him?” Everyone stilled and gawked at Adrianna. The silence was deafening until the Emperor began to laugh, “Oh but of course! Aren’t you afraid that he will turn tail and run and then you will be left with no bargaining chip for this map?” Adrianna stared down at her feet trying to think of a way to get them to release the dwarf and ensure that he would not take off the first chance he got. She realized the unfortunate necessity of it all, “As usual you’re quite right, it was foolish of me to think otherwise.” The Emperor was still chuckling at her naiveté, once he regained his composure he gestured for their party to leave with a wave of his hand. They travelled in silence the rest of the way out of the palace and over the drawbridge once again. Once they reached the edge of the forest, they were greeted by the sergeant and the stable boy. As per her request there were mules for everyone except the dwarf. Again Adrianna thought to speak up on his behalf but bit her lip instead. Once they were all mounted, Adrianna took the lead heading towards the mountain pass. There journey would not be easy as the terrain got more difficult the farther they went. They road in eerie silence for the most part with the Colonel barking out orders from time to time. They stopped at a stream and Adrianna filled up her canteen. The others in the group followed suit. The journey would not be made in one day, so as the sun crept lower into the horizon the Colonel called for them to stop and set up camp. He tethered the dwarf to a post and made everyone promise that come their watch they would keep an eye on him so that he didn’t try to escape. The downtrodden look on Gonrath’s face was heart wrenching for Adrianna. She had never heard a dwarf be so quiet, they are by nature a boisterous race.

Adrianna was exhausted, her legs felt like lead and her body ached. They had been walking alongside their mules so as to not over burden them before their trek up the mountainside. While, it was true that Adrianna had made this walk before it wasn’t something that she did on a regular basis and she’d never before pushed herself to go so far without a break. Taking off her hiking boots felt wonderful. She stretched and laid out her sleeping mat. Even with it though she could feel the cold ground beneath her. After eating some bread, cheese, and jerky she laid down. She would be on the late night watch. She closed her eyes and mulled over the events of the day. She was still irritated by her conversation with Zach from the day before and she found that Gonrath weighed heavily on her mind as well. Despite her exhaustion it took quite some time before sleep finally came to her. She woke with a start as the Colonel tapped her on her shoulder. She felt as if she had just closed her eyes. Once she got her bearings again she sat up to take her place at the watch. She walked over to the tree where the Colonel had stood over Gonrath. The dwarf was not asleep but sitting upright staring into the forest. Once it was obvious that the Colonel had fallen asleep, his loud snores drifting through the air, Gonrath began to ask her questions. “So when will I be a free dwarf, eh?” Adrianna winced, she wanted to tell him that he was free now but looked at the chains around his wrists and thought better of it. Dirt and grime still covered the dwarf and she offered him her canteen to clean himself up some. “Do expect me to do that with these on?” He pulled tight his chains expanding his hands for effect. With a sigh Adrianna looked around at the group all seemed deep in sleep. “Listen, if I unchain you, you have to promise you won’t go anywhere ok?” The dwarf eyed her suspiciously, “Wouldn’t dream of it darlin’” She looked at the Colonel still snoring away, and the keys hung on his sword stuck into the ground beside him. Moving as stealthily as possible, Adrianna tip-toed her way through the campsite. Without realizing it she began holding her breath so as not to make more noise as she got closer. She carefully extracted the keys and then hurriedly returned to Gonrath. She hesitated just a moment and looked at his face again seeing there the resignation in his eyes. She unlocked his shackles and he flexed his wrists, rubbing them gingerly. Adrianna noticed how raw they really were as he began using the canteen to poor water over them.

“So, Darlin’, why are you so eager to help me?”

Adrianna mulled this over for a minute, unsure of what to say. “It’s just common decency for another living being.”

“I see,” he said his voice trailing off as if he meant to say more.

“I’m not like most elves I guess, I don’t hold any animosity towards your race. I don’t understand it frankly.” Adrianna felt like she needed to apologize for her entire race.

What happened next completely took her by surprise. He knocked her alongside her head with the canteen, she fell over stunned. He was immediately on top of her striking her again and again on the head until darkness overcame her.

“Damn it! Wake up!!” The Colonels angry words seemed far away.

“Oh dear,” one of the Donda twins.

Adrianna felt someone touching her hair, their fingers coming back sticky.

“Blood,” sergeant said simply.

Water was dumped on her face. Finally Adrianna found some strength to open her eyes. Still everything looked bleary. She blinked repeatedly trying to bring things into focus.

“A spell?” Sharanel asked.

The Colonel huffed. “Just do it already!”

Pulling a wand from her sleeve, Sharanel began to weave it to and fro while chanting in some foreign language. When She finished she pointed the tip towards Adrianna’s head a light green wisp floated towards her and she felt a warmness spread from her head to her toes. Things were finally coming into focus for Adrianna, she sat up but still had a wicked headache and wanted desperately to go back to sleep again.

“What happened?” Adrianna began.

The Colonel was exasperated, “You tell us!”

“I… the.. Gonrath…?” she stammered.

“You idiot!” Colonel exclaimed too frustrated for many words.

“It would appear that Gonrath over-powered you and made an escape,” Wilhelmina offered.

“And the keys?” Colonel pointed to the keys which lay in the dirt close to Adrianna’s feet.

“I just thought…” Adrianna began again.

“No, you didn’t think, that’s the problem.” The Colonel’s fury not losing any momentum. “What are we supposed to do now? He was our bargaining chip, you had better have another way of getting ahold of that map!”

Adrianna looked down at her hands unwilling to meet his gaze. “We… I can try just asking them for it. I mean, maybe they’ll be nice and just give it to us.”

“And what happens when we get there, and they deny us the map? Have you got another plan?”

Adrianna was silent, she didn’t have any idea what they would do. She was still trying to wrap her brain around the fact that Gonrath had betrayed her trust. Absent-mindedly she put her hand to her head where he had hit her, the pain was gone now but it was still wet and matted with blood. She looked to Sharanel wanting to express her gratitude for the healing spell but the Colonel was still ranting.

“…Didn’t understand what the Emperor saw in you in the first place!”

“I could compel them.” Gertrude said simply.

“How?” the Colonel and Adrianna said in unison.

“Compel. It’s a spell that compels people to do what they’re told to do. It’s short-acting but powerful.”

Adrianna had to snicker at the simplicity of it. The Colonel, of course, was skeptical but at least they had a plan now.

“Alright folks, let’s move!” The Colonel barked the command and everyone became busy cleaning up the campsite, gathering their things. Adrianna was still bothered by Gonrath’s actions and she wondered if she would encounter him again at the dwarves’ stronghold. She felt that if they were to have any success at all they had to beat Gonrath to the punch. They couldn’t allow him to start spreading tales about the poor treatment that he had received at the hands of elves. She had started to build a rapport with them and she didn’t want to see that ruined. Soon they would begin their trek up the mountain-side and for that they would need to use the mules, the terrain was too treacherous. Even though Elves are notoriously sure footed. Her musings took a dark turn when she retrieved her now blood-stained canteen from the ground. The canteen had been given to her by her father and it was made of a sturdy composite metal that kept the water as cool as it was in the stream. Now she worried that instead of being reminded of that fond moment with her father it would instead be of the treachery at the hands of Gonrath. For the second time in two days she felt tears threatening to spill. She did a sharp intake of breath to try and steady herself. Before she packed her mat up she ate some more of her cheese and bread, breakfast of champions she thought to herself. As she stuffed her mat into her satchel she could see that everyone else was pretty much ready to go as well. Most seemed to be waiting on her, she was after all, the navigator.

“Once we’re clear of the edge of the forest, we’ll start noticing the change in terrain. The mountain sloping upwards on our right. We’re not going all the way up the mountain but we still need to travel around it to get to the dwelling of the dwarves. Their on the Northeastern face of the mountainside. I would suggest we use the mules for this portion of our journey, it will be easier.”

At that they all began to prepare the mules for mounting and get on them. Once that was over they headed towards the mountains. Riding the mules was almost as grueling as walking. Their thighs burning from the stress of holding on and swaying back and forth. No one spoke much except the pixies but they kept to themselves. By the time the sun had crept up towards the middle of the sky, the Colonel had seemed to finally calm down. No longer casting angry glances back at Adrianna. Perhaps he had simply given up seeing that it was doing him no good. Soon after that Adrianna felt the pull of sleep calling her, she had only rested a short period of time the night before and most of it had been from when she had a concussion. Just as the thought had crossed her mind, the others were pulling to a stop behind her. She circled back around to where the others had begun to make a temporary camp site. They gathered rocks around some tinder and placed a spit over top of that. She wondered at what they had planned to put on the spit, when one of the Donda twins pulled out a dead squirrel from her pack. Adrianna thought better of that and decided that she would rather have more of her jerky. Taking her time to chew it thoroughly, once she had finished her belly full, she felt even more like falling asleep. She propped herself up against her satchel and took a short nap. Soon after she was woken by the call of a vulture who mistook the group for dead. Adrianna took a pebble from beside her and tossed it at the bird which promptly took flight. For some reason it surprised her that the rest of the group had allowed her to sleep but then she quickly realized why, they were all deep in slumber as well. Adrianna then became very worried as she tried to wake her fellow group members up and they remained unfazed. Alarm prickled her senses now, and she began to dart her eyes to her surroundings trying to make sense of what was going on. She wondered why she was the only one unaffected. Then she realized that she was the only one who had not eaten the squirrel stew that was made. Someone had poisoned them. She placed her hand in front of their mouths, but they were still breathing. Someone had wanted them to sleep but didn’t want to kill them? She was thoroughly confused as to how this came to be, when Gonrath appeared from behind the edge of nearest corner. Her brows furrowed as she tried to make sense of it all. Just as she was thinking this a sharp pinch in her neck took her by surprise and the last thing she saw was Gonrath holding up a pipe tube his mouth, he had hit her with a poisonous dart of some sort. Then darkness.

Time was meaningless. The sun was now fully in the sky but Adrianna couldn’t help but wonder what day it was. She now had a massive headache and was nauseated. Whatever ingredient Gonrath had used to knock her out had left some ill side effects. Gonrath was standing over her. She couldn’t have been more surprised. He held a single finger to his mouth shushing her. He squatted down to meet her gaze and whispered in her ear.

“Don’t say a word.”
Worried of what he had planned she obeyed despite her burning desire to ask questions.

“I had to be certain that you weren’t going to fight me back.” He said by way of explanation. As if this were some ordinary circumstance. “There’s something that I need that I left here without the other day, and you’re going to give it to me, or else.” Adrianna was having a great deal of trouble concentrating with whatever drugs still apparently in her system but she nodded all the same. “My pardon, from the emperor, where is it?” Now things were becoming clear, in order for Gonrath to return to his people he would need to show proof of his innocence or that he had served his time, for his honor to be restored. Otherwise the dwarves might not accept him back within their ranks. However, Adrianna was certain that they were already aware that his capture had been under false pretenses. She presumed that Gonrath was unaware of this fact though or he wouldn’t be asking for the papers. With her head spinning she sat up and motioned for the dwarf to move to the side. He did as she bade, and she went to the Colonels mule where his packs hung. She rummaged through until she found what he was looking for, the Emperors decree that he should be made free. “You should come with us.” She stated in a matter of fact. He gestured with his knife that made it clear he wanted no part in that and she decided that it would be in her best interest to letter the matter drop and hope that Gonrath would just let them go on their merry way.

The Dare

2011-03-03T08:44:00.000-05:00

Climbing trees for me was a passion. We had a large Mimosa tree in the back yard. The limbs were spread wide and easy to climb. I worked my way up to one of the higher branches and called out to my brother, “Watch me!” I jumped down the 8 feet to the ground and landed on my feet. I told my brother, “Now you try.” He was reluctant but I cajoled him until he gave in. My brother’s path to the ground was not as graceful. A second too late I realized just how far a fall it was for him. He landed on his arm. When I asked him if he was all right, he screamed at me to go away. I figured if he was capable of being that rude that he was fine. Perhaps an hour later my father came into the house screaming at me. My brother had broken his arm to the point that it nearly protruded through his skin. In the weeks that followed I was haunted by my guilt. I went out of my way to be nice to him, bring him a drink, get a crochet hook to scratch under his cast, bring him something if he needed it. Yet no amount of groveling seemed to gain that trusting bond we once had.

Waking up in a strange room

2011-02-26T07:43:00.000-05:00

Groggily, I sit up and look around the dark room. There is only a minuscule amount of light coming in from some distant source of unknown origin. My mouth is dry and pasty, my joints ache, and it's chilly. Suddenly I hear this terrifying sound and a ghostly wisp is coming at me at an alarming speed. The wisp has a glow as if it had an internal light source. The room is tense and I can feel that this entity is very angry. I feel vice-like grips on my arms, shoulders, and legs. I try to scream but nothing comes out, is it fear? Is it the dryness? Although the room is clearly unfamiliar to me I realize that I am still lying on my bed from my room. The wisp is trying to drag me off the bed by my ankles. I feel that I am fighting for my life! I dig in my fingers into the quilts and down to the mattress of my bed but to no avail. Suddenly, just as quickly as it appeared the wisp is now gone and I am lying on the floor. For a few minutes, I stay their with my heart trying to pound it's way out of my chest. The wisp may no longer have me but fear still has a firm grasp. Now the room appears to change in the low light I can see my bedroom again. I am relieved because now I realize it must all be a dream. Somehow I am back on my bed again and trying to pull myself out of the bizarre dream. Again the wisp appears and it is smothering me, I can't breathe!! I struggle to pry myself free from it's grasp but I don't have the strength. Now, I realize all to late that this wisp is a demon or vengeful spirit of some sort and while I may be dreaming the choking, the fear, the peril of my mortality is real. I feel the metal of my necklace it has this burning hot and cold sensation. I have an epiphany, my necklace! It's a cross. I grab a hold of it in hopes that it will protect me but it is not enough the spirit trying to inhabit my body. Urgently, I begin reciting "in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti," over and over again as I hastily draw crosses with my fingers all over my body. Even with the danger I am facing I realize that this all seems a little hokey but the thought is just a flash as while I pushed the spirit away it has come back to try and attack me again. With a bolt I am awake feeling as if I had just fell the distance of the ceiling to my bed. I am hesitantly peering around still expecting it to all be a dream. My chest is still pounding, my necklace still warm against my chest, my arms and legs feel bruised. The air feels heavy as if the entity is still lurking. I have no proof of my ordeal but I am certain, none-the-less, that it was very real! I want desperately to put as much distance between myself and this room as quickly as possible. Even as I reach the living room I am still wary that I may still be dreaming. As I watch the TV and bask in the glow of the bright ceiling light, I slowly accept that I am awake, I am alive.

Footsteps in the Dark

2011-02-18T08:08:00.000-05:00

In the slums of Whitechapel, Maureen paced the streets doing the only work she knew. A light moisture covered the street with a low hanging fog as the likely culprit. This early in the morning the sun was not yet up. Few people traveled at this time. In the distance the clacking of hooves could be heard as they struck the cobblestone as a carriage scurried away. Maureen was ready to call it a night and head home. As she rounded the corner a chill crept up her spine. She pulled her shall tighter around her neck and kept walking. Maureen finally realized what was nagging at her, she could hear footsteps behind her. She slowed to a stop and peered around but could see no one. There were many shadowed areas and she was certain within one of those shadows was her stalker. Perhaps this particular John was shy but something told Maureen that this was not the case. Maureen had to deal with all different walks of life but never had she felt such fear! She started to walk again listening closely and again could hear the footsteps behind her. Now she hastened her step, safe harbor was not far away. She began to run her legs propelling her forward as if they were moving of their own volition. Her heel snagged in a crack in the sidewalk, sprawling her headlong onto the concrete. The footsteps were close now and out of the shadows an ominous figure appeared. Frantically, Maureen attempted to pull herself to her feet but to no avail. The scream that had been building died in a sickly gurgling sound as a knife plunged into her throat. Her limp body fell back to the ground her blood pooling around her. Once the grisly deed was done, the footsteps receded back into the darkness.

Character Portrait

2011-02-12T00:23:00.000-05:00

In the morning he is stirred from slumber by his older sister. Stretching, he slowly sits up to wipe the sleep from his large clear blue eyes. He swings his feet around in front of him, too short to reach the floor yet. Mother brings his clothes; he slips the shirt over his shoulders and his pants on around his waist. Whining, he complains that the pants don't fit. He is at an awkward stage. Size five pants are too small, size six too big. Grasping his loose waistband, he stands up and slips on his zippered shoes. He hasn't learned to tie laces yet. Sitting at the bus stop, his short dirty-blonde hair waving in the wind, he enviously watches his older siblings get on the big yellow bus. Mother says he can go next year, but he doesn't quite understand what that means. ..So you mean the day after tomorrow I can go too?.. His dimpled grin is irresistible and hard to disappoint. Mother strokes his freckled cheek and soothingly replies, ..No, honey, but soon... Preparing for the ride to daycare, Mother pulls out the nap-time essentials, at which he grins and grabs the stuffed animal. ..Know why I want the Stegosaurus? Because I loooove Dinosaurs!.. Mother just smiles knowingly. When he arrives at daycare, he never misses a chance to show off his intelligence. He presses the five digit security code to unlock the door. Once inside he beams, ..I did it all by myself! I'm a smart cookie... Then he presses a separate seven digit code to sign himself in. Always one to attract attention, he creeps alongside the toy bins hoping to remain unseen for his big, fashionably late entrance. He slides in on both knees. The tiny girls swoon, the boys holler with joy, and the teacher struggles to maintain control of her class, ..Austin's here!

Never Again

2011-01-30T17:56:00.001-05:00

Elise sat in her rocking chair brooding. The curtains pulled tight so that even the bright summer sun could not penetrate the gloom. That is how she wanted it. Six months ago her husband had set out to sea to negotiate a peace agreement. She knew it to be a foolhardy mission, everyone did. He would not have brought all of his best armor, the heavy sword that had been passed down for many generations. Never again. The blood line of the proud Hassett name would end with her dear husband Brandon. He had died a hero’s death but what did that mean, he was dead just the same. A hero’s death meant that she was paraded about the town as various memorials took place. First the King held his ceremony giving her a heavy plaque with her husbands name and a hefty stack of coins. She would be set for life the state would pay her enough to live comfortably for the rest of her life. Comfortably, the word disgusted her. There could be no comfort in living a life of solitude all because he decided to be a hero! Then there was the ceremony at the Magus Colosseum, he had died protecting one of their most powerful mages and as such was a hero to them as well. The mage had won the war for the other side had not been prepared to fight a battle with sorcery. The scoundrels had thought to catch them off guard, they were cowards and their bodies lay bloated and forgotten at the bottom of the sea, so much the better. The king had commissioned that all captains that died in that battle were to be remembered their bodies carved in stone and displayed in the cathedral. Elise had been summoned on several occasions to remark on the details, never again. The statue near it’s completion seemed to stare at her and she would not go near it again and if they didn’t have their details right they could get it from someone else! A new warship had been built to set sail on the morrow for the isles of those same people who her husband had sought to make peace with. They were prepared to launch the entire fleet but they wanted Elise, widow of the captain of that fleet, to Christen the ship. She had attended such ceremonies many times before. She had been there for her husband’s maiden voyage. Never again. The townspeople did not know it yet but she would not be there, someone else would have to take her place. She walked outside and down the hill behind her house to the cliff overlooking the rocks with waves crashing below. She would not die a heroes death, but she could not bear the pain, the apologies, the ceremonies.... Never Again.

Epilogue

2006-05-03T14:00:00.000-04:00

Elita tossed back and forth on her cot, her small legs stretching out beyond the covers and then coiling back in. Abruptly she bolted up, breathing heavily and drenched in sweat. In front of the fireplace on the rug was an ember. Elita hopped out of bed and grabbed the thongs and placed the ember back into the fire. Wiping her forehead she laid back down in her cot and this time she slept peacefully.
"Wake up sleepy head." Elita's mother, Kierna gently tapped her shoulder.
As a sleepy-eyed Elita dressed, Kierna stirred a mixture of dried oats and water on top of the stove for breakfast.
"This morning I will teach you to hunt," Kierna explained. Elita merely peered her head over her bowl at the bow hanging from the wall. She anxiously swung her feet, which didn't reach the floor, back and forth as she quickly slurped down the remainder of her breakfast.

On their trip to the woods Elita daydreamed about her glorious hunt where she would return back to the village and be greeted by her neighbors with pride over the enormous buck she had brought down. When they reached a dense area where the trail could no longer be seen Kierna set down her pack and un-slung her bow from her shoulder. She knelt down beside Elita and placed the bow in her hand and curled her fingers around the bow.
"Close one eye and stare down the shaft of the arrow." Kierna explained, "See that tree over there with the patch of bark missing? Pull back with your middle fingers on the arrow and aim at that spot, when you're ready let it loose."
Elita concentrated and looked down the shaft as she was told. Once she thought she had it lined up properly she pulled back and let loose. The arrow fell into the ground only a few feet in front of her. Kierna stepped forward and pulled it from the ground and placed it back in Elita's hands.
"Try again. This time pull it all the way back before you let it go," Kierna instructed.
As the sun climbed into the sky Elita practiced shooting at the tree even as she felt her fingers grow raw her mother insisted that she continue to hit the same spot. Just when Elita thought she couldn't do this any longer a white rabbit came into view.
"Now you'll have the chance to test your skills," Kierna whispered, "sight the rabbit down the shaft of the arrow just as you did the tree but note it's movement, follow it, learn it's rhythm and anticipate where it will be. Shoot ahead of your target but be very patient."
For what seemed like an eternity Elita followed the rabbit trying to anticipate it's next move finally she held her breath and let the arrow fly.
"You did it!" Kierna squeaked. Together the two of them walked over to the rabbit and Elita's heart sank. The rabbit was not dead the arrow pinned it to the ground through it's mid-section, it's breathing was rapid and it's eyes showed shear panic. Then her mother grasped the head and twisted it with a grotesque pop. Seeing the pale expression on her face Kierna sought to reassure her.
"This animal gave it's life so that we could eat. This is the way of nature, do not mourn but rejoice in your success. You are a very quick learner and you should be proud of your accomplishment today."
The sky had turned dark and rain was imminent. There was something about the calm before a storm that Elita loved, the strong breeze and it's stark contrast of the clouds against the trees that seemed to make them look greener. As they approached the village it became apparent that the storm had already come and gone here. The ground was muddy. As they entered the village Kierna pulled her hooded coat tightly around her. She held her skirt high enough so that it wouldn't drag through the mud but Elita found delight in pouncing in the largest puddle she could find. Taking a deep breath she held back the scolding remarks that were on the tip of her tongue.
"Eli come here please." She lifted her apron and wiped the child's face as clean as possible. "Now you'll have to fetch water from the well so I can clean you up formally."

Kierna stoutly avoided the gazes of onlookers. She heard whispers of "that poor child" and "womanly duties." Kierna despite her desire to keep her face hidden refused to hang her head low. As Elita down trodden stomped her way to the well the people parted to let her in. The bucket was almost more than she could manage but she did it anyway lowering the crank that she could barely reach and then bringing it back up. Now full with water she held it with both hands the water sloshing from side to side. Kierna and Elita marched in silence the remaining distance to their hut on the edge of the village. Once they were inside they shed their garments to slip into dry apparel which meant that they would have to wash tonight a chore that Elita loathed. The water was poured into a wash tub and she began scrubbing. Afterwards they placed them carefully on the mantle above the fireplace to dry. Kierna had already began preparations for their evening meal. She also put some aside to be dried. She made provisions generally carried by people who traveled often and didn't always have the chance to catch new game but even though Kierna was quite apt at hunting the males of the community frowned on it. Kierna abhorred the gossip mongers not because it hurt her sense of pride but for Elita's sake some of the tales those women spun would have her quite frightened or upset. Kierna had just began to cook the meat when the thundering sound of hooves shook the ground and moments later screams from the women on the other side of the village were heard and the angry shouts of the men trying to protect them, but these were farmers not warriors and deaths were quickly piling up.

Kierna braced the door with a chair she knew it wouldn't hold long but she didn't need much time. Quickly she grabbed a necklace that hung from a hook above the mantle. The trinket that dangled on the necklace seemed odd it was shaped like a hexagon and as thick as her thumb. She grasped the base of the hexagon and twisted the top, from the center an oval shaped object popped out. She lifted up the rug displaying the paneled floor beneath. Barely visible was a rectangular hatch and in the middle of one of the boards was a small knot. Such an imperfection in the wood was not uncommon and thus would normally go unnoticed. Kierna pressed the trinket into the knot and twisted it. From beneath the floor the clank of gears could be heard as the floor opened up.
"I know it's dark but you have to be strong and no matter what happens don't make a sound and do not come out unless I bring you out! Do you understand?" Elita nodded emphatically tears already streaming down her face. Kierna pressed her finger to Elita's lips and muttered "exsisto quietis," then she slung the necklace around Elita's neck and kissed her on the forehead. Kierna quickly pulled the panel closed and replaced the rug and turned around just in time to see her door smashed into many splinters. Three gruff men stood talking to Kierna, from under the planks Elita could see one of the men through a hole in one of the boards, the man stood wearing red plumes on his helmet and on their chest she was able to discern a symbol of a skull it's mouth open and it's eye red jewels were socketed that gleamed menacingly and to Elita appeared to be looking at her, and it was laughing! She covered her mouth the smother the gasp that she made at the dreadful sight but still she sat awaiting the outcome of her mother's fate. "Bind and Gag her!" Barked one of the men another said "Torch the house bring the wench with us." The man she had been looking at glance around the small room that served as her home and then casually threw a torch at the straw mat and then another onto the roof. Elita sat in shocked disbelief as her mother was dragged away. She new she couldn't come out now or they'd have her too. Smoke began to seep through the gaps in the flooring and she had to suppress a cough. She tore the apron from around her waist and held it over her mouth and nose but as the smoke crept closer she began to back up further and further until she his a wall. For a moment despair overwhelmed her she didn't want to die but she didn't know what to do! By now the house was in flames and she would not be able to escape it without serious burns and then there was still the risk of being caught and then she was reminded of the stern face on her mother and her composure when dealing with the marauders. Then it dawned on her that she had her back against wood even in the low light she realized that this was the only panel in the entire area the rest appeared to be nothing more than solidly packed dirt, save for the wooden columns supporting the structure of the house above. She turned around and tried to pull the wood away and fell back as she lost her grip. The wood panel remained in place. She ran her fingers along the edges and found caked dirt jammed into the hinges which she cleaned out as best she could this time when she pulled the panel came free and burst of fetid air came through. Despite the smell she knew this was her only hope. She had to get down on hands and knees to crawl through the opening which was probably not more than 3 feet high and 3 feet wide. The ground was moist and there were tangles of roots and spider webs hanging but she trudged on. After a short distance (four or five times the length of her body) she found another panel as Elita searched for the edges of the wood she couldn't find any in fact it now occurred to her that this was not wood at all but stone. With the other panel closed behind her the smoke had only just began to seep into the tunnel and she began to sob. She missed her mom and whenever she was sad her mother always sang to her and rocked her gently. Slowly she began to rock herself imagining she was in her arms and a song that her mother sang to her every night came to mind about a princess who was locked in a dungeon and
"The Key Will Set you Free, The key will set you free!" Then her mother would tuck her into bed and kiss her on her forehead, lean back a check the pendant that she wore around her neck. "You are my princess," she would say, "don't ever forget that." Then holding the pendant in her hand, "this is a family heirloom you must where it at all times but let no one in the village see it or they might become jealous." Thinking of her mother and her precious gift she held it in her hand and squeezed it as if it might somehow bring her mother back. A faint glow began to pulse in the door it was a round fist sized hole that appeared to be just large enough to hold her pendent. She wondered at the fact that her pendant had only four square extensions but the imprint on the door had 8. She put it into the hole and then used the cross ridges to turn the pendant. Gears clunked and then the door swung outwards. Elita jumped down out of the small corridor into what appeared to be a cave. Then she noticed the braziers lining the walls and the tracks on the ground. "A rail road!" Elita gasped. Judging the angle it seemed to her the direction to head was on the side that appeared to travel "upwards." Once she got to the edge of the railroad it dumped her into a sludge filled water. "Miners!" Elita spat the word as a curse for she knew that they dumped their unwanted wastes here at the edge of the river. The River! Now she knew where she was and where to go she had been here many times to bathe or to fish with her mother and new that up the steep slope to her right was a well traveled road.
Edgar sat on his warhorse wearing full plate armor, you never could be too cautious, he thought. His fellow knights wore much lighter armor but were battle ready as always. Edgar fumed about having been placed on border patrol especially in this area which was traveled by few and the towns had little if anything to be gained by them being ransacked. More often than not he was sent to chase after a little one that had strayed out of bed at night or to kill a pesky wolf which had eaten many of their chickens. "Why don't they just build a higher fence?" He muttered more to himself than anyone. "Hark!" one of his men bellowed calling their attention he pointed to the treetops of the forest many miles away. "Fire..." said another and they all mumbled their agreement. "From the size of it, looks as if we'd never get there in time to save anyone." droned Edgar. "Well you know the king will want a full report besides that's one of his finer crops. We should save what we can and report back whatever else we discover." Edgar disliked being ordered from an underling but couldn't dispute the points he made and so grudgingly he agreed. Just as the started to bring their horses to a canter, Edgar noticed a rustling in the bushes and what came to mind was an ambushed, with a gesture he quickly reined in his horse and bade the others to do the same. Dismounting his horse as quietly as he could in his clanky armor he walked to the edge of the road where he'd seen the movement and pointed his sword tip into the bush, in a booming voice he demanded, "Come out from there throw your weapons to the ground and show us your hands so we know there is no foul play afoot!" All of the soldiers let out an audible gasp of surprise at the figure standing before them, a lanky little girl who couldn't have been much more than 6 or 7 winters old. Edgar trying to hide his chagrin at having mistaken a child for a bandit crouched down to ask her, "My, my little one what's your name?" Elita stood there a couple moments not saying anything and the men began to shuffle their feet in wait of her response. After such an amount of time had passed that they believe that she was mute of some sort, she finally spoke up, "I am Elita, Elita Alberich." At the name Edgar stood up straight and the men all drew into a circle to mutter things that Elita couldn't hear. Her mother had always told her to never divulge her full name, unless it was an emergency and she wasn't there to help, and above all else determine that the people were noble and good (which expressly excluded anyone from their village.) In her moment of silence she had studied the armament of the men noting that they held the flag of Rasheman and that they wore and acted like knights to the king. Her musings were concluded when the largest most heavily armored of the three addressed her again, "I'm sorry about that, my dear, where are you from?" This she had no problem answering, "I am from Mulsetta, sir." The knight glanced over to the ever growing flames in the not too distant forest. "Where is your father?" At this Elita scowled and folded her arms across her chest, "I don't have a father." Edgar began to retort but instead clamped his mouth shut, "Okay your mother then?" Now the overwhelming despair took over her and she began to weep, "They took her!" Before Edgar could continue his stream of questions a group of riders were approaching from the direction of the fire. "Raiders?" Inquired one of the nights. "Possibly." Edgar responded, to Elita, "Go child into the brush again and hide well we will call when it is safe for you again." All three knights mounted their horses and prepared a battle ready stance. As the men approached and they were finally able to see their colors it became obvious that in fact these were friends not foes. "Hail," said the leader of the newcomers. "Hail brother, what news?" replied Edgar. "We were hunting down a pack of trolls from Mulptan when we saw the fire. We came as quickly as we could but there was no one left..." he trailed off obviously shaken by the scene. "No one? Are you certain?" Asked Edgar. "Unfortunately so." With a deep sigh Edgar asked the question that he found distasteful but if he was to give a full report to his king, he knew he must ask, "and of the crops is there anything left?" The soldier scoffed at this but realized the necessity, "no, everything was burnt to the ground."
Edgar nodded, "Perhaps we should travel back together, I'm sorry I forget my manners, what was your name?"
"James," the newcomer replied, then looking to his comrades, "well I don't suppose we'll be catching anymore trolls tonight anyhow. I shall follow."
Edgar having nearly forgotten about the girl suddenly realized she had to have overheard everything, "Little one..." he called and Elita stepped from behind the bushes. Briefly Edgar explained how they had found her and that she'd come from the burnt village. "Well then you can ride with me," James said with a look of sympathy on his face he bent down and hoisted her up into the saddle. Elita found James demeanor more comforting than Edgar's but she did not know why. The smell of his leather armor, the creak of the saddle, the whinny of the horse for a brief moment she allowed herself to relax she felt safe and with the strong arms of the soldier wrapped around her and the rocking of the horses steady gait, she quickly drifted off to sleep. When they arrived at the tower Elita woke up as James brought her off the horse. One of the other men had already gone inside to send for the High Mage and when they arrived she sat down on a plush couch that was far more luxorious than anything she could remember. The carpet a rich red and stained oak furniture along with shelves upon shelves of books and scrolls lining the walls. After a lengthy weight a thick tall man with a bushy beard and long hair entered the room, and he did not look at all pleased. "There better be good reason for waking me at this hour of the night!" James coughed and Elita squirmed as if trying to escape the penetrating glare of the man before her. "Sir Alberich, we bring sad news and a matter of great importance." After explaining about the village the mage still looked on the soldiers quite agitated, "Then there is nothing that can be done at the moment is there? This could have waited until the morning!" He turned to go and then Edgar spoke from the corner of the room, "Sir, the child..."
"What about her?" Alberich again looked at the little girl her tattered gown covered in mud, tangled hair, and her bare feet.
"Sir she says her name is Elita, Elita Alberich." Edgar spoke the name slowly letting the implication sink in.
Alberich snorted, "This filthy child kin to me? Who are your parents?" He spoke addressing Elita. She hesitated only slightly, "My mother's name is... was Kierna, I do not have a father." Alberich nodded as if he had expected this answer, "Well I'll not be raising the bastard child of my sister's I am a busy man and my work does not leave room for me to be chasing after some brat." His words were harsh and biting to Elita and anger built to the point where she thought he would explode. The mage sighed and took on a softer tone, "There is a family, relatives in another nearby village, I'm certain they would take the child in." The matter settled the soldiers began to rise. As an afterthought Alberich raised his hand and bade for Elita to come to him, reaching within his robe he pulled out a small pebble smooth and the color of sand, not much different from any other rock that Elita had seen in the stream beds from her home. "Hold this," Alberich said gesturing for Elita to take the stone she held it in her palm it felt slightly warm to the touch... then Alberich took the stone back and waved them away. Elita stared at him quite puzzled as James began to ease her towards the door. The soldiers began discussing who would bring the girl to her new home and the soldiers of Rashemen all agreed that it was something that could wait until morning after they got some rest. However, James was still disturbed by the images of the dead bodies, women and children alike. He announced that he would have no problem taking the girl right away and he knew that by the time he reached the town the sun would already be breaching the horizon. Since Mulsansir, like Elita's home town of Mulsetta was a farming community they would most likely be awake when he arrived.
Adele pushed her husbands shoulder all but shaking him, "Jurgen wake up the cows will not milk themselves!" Groaning he rolled to his back and stared up at his wife. "Just a little longer Adele..." he replied and tried to close his eyes again. Adele huffed and swung about an infant at her bosom and a toddler already sitting at the table anxiously awaiting his breakfast. "Papa will be here in a minute Tobias." Then a knock came at the door, "Jurgen!" She called to her still sleeping husband, "I'm coming Adele, by the gods!" Jurgen opened the door to find a soldier and little girl standing there. They nodded numbly as James explained the circumstances and though they could barely feed themselves they gladly welcomed the orphan with open arms. Elita small as she was fully understood the enormity of their graciousness, especially after her Uncle's gruff dismissal of her. After James left them (turning down the couples offer for breakfast.) Adele and Jurgen stood in silence looking over their new child. Realizing how awkward it must be for the little girl and not knowing what else to say, Adele began introductions, "This will be your sister Nadine and your brother Tobias, I suppose you can call me Aunt Adele or Ma...." Adele winced realizing that it was probably much too soon to expect her to call her such an affectionate name. Elita grasped her hand and asked, "Would Nana be ok?" Relieved Adele let out a sigh, "certainly dear."