Maron Makes his Escape. Battle at the Swindle. Breakfast. Rounding from the back, Maron tightened a rope and secured it to an anchor in the wagon. Huddled in Taika Maru’s cage, Elina Hogsbreath cradled Benzie’s limp, unconscious body and contemptuously glared at Maron. “You should get used to that cat shelter ,” Maron smiled slyly, lifting a trunk from the ground and sliding it onto the wagon. Resting against it, he gestured to the inn. “Think of it as your home away from home.” Elina scowled, “This ain’t over, scoundrel .” “ Scoundrel ,” Pip repeated with a whistle and ruffled her feathers in her cage above them. She cawed, adding, “ Maron Maloney. ” “Quiet your beak ,” Maron hissed, pointing a dangerous finger at the cockatoo. Lifting the side-load gate, Maron locked it in place, and said, “We’re leaving now, well before dawn, before anyone can ask too many questions.” Bending over, Maron arrested Taika by her arm and gruffly lifted her from the ground. Weak, unable to resist, Taika groaned from the pain. Maron had dressed her in one of his nightshirts and shackled her wrists. Taking her by her shoulders, Maron led her around the front of the cart; Kimchi followed obediently at his feet. “Come now, my dear,” he said malevolently. “You’ve served me so faithfully, for how many years? Five? You can ride with me , up front, and we’ll, er, talk about your future .” Elina wrapped her arms around Benzie. She tearfully glanced at the inn, her home for nearly fifty years, and her heart sank. As Maron Maloney helped Taika into the pilot chair, Kimchi growled at his feet. “Nah, I shoulda listened to myself,” a voice behind him admitted. “Somethin’ wasn’t right. I knew it. But that’s on me.” Stepping off the pilot’s stoop, Maron turned to find a halfling walking up from the road. As he neared, he planted his arrows tip-first into the grassy yard, spaced out around him. “Master Muckwalker,” Maron Maloney acknowledged, reaching into his cape to withdraw his silvery Elvish longsword. When hearing the exchange, Elina was about to spin around just as a freckled, smiling halfling appeared at her cage. Standing on the wagon wheel, she was dressed in an emerald-colored blouse, leggings, and brown leather bracers, and her hair was bundled into a single afro-puff ponytail atop her head. “Merry Evenin’!” “Ginny!” Elina breathed. “Here,” Ginny Greenhill said, handing Elina a flower bulb with droopy orange leaves. “Crown Imperial.” The flower reeked like a potent dead skunk, and when Elina brought it under his nose, Benzie stirred awake. “Benzie, shush , you’re safe!” whispered Elina, calming him down. As Ginny worked the lock with a pair of steel picks, Barty issued a low, threatening growl at her from his cage. Momentarily turning her head, Ginny gasped and said, “Why, aren’t you the cutest ?!” His sword at the ready, Maron Maloney’s attention was fully on Kindle. Kimchi sheltered behind Maron’s legs, arching her back and hissing at Kindle’s approach. Maron asked, hesitantly, “So what can I do you for, ranger?” “You’re gonna surrender,” Kindle said, sticking another arrow into the earth. “Your prisoners, your animals, you .” Maron chuckled, standing squarely and clasping his sword arm’s wrist. “And if I don’t?” Kindle emptied his quiver and removed it from his shoulders to throw it to the ground. “Seems we’re at an impasse,” Maron sneered. Kindle shrugged and said, “I’m done talkin’,” and bit down on a single arrow he placed between his teeth. Maron yelled, lifted his weapon, and charged. Rushing forward, Kindle Muckwalker raised his shortbow to make it seem he was preparing to fire. Maron, assuming Kindle’s firing arc, kept his sword high, anticipating where to swing. Suddenly, Kindle surprised Maron by not using his bow. Instead, Kindle threw himself on the ground to slide on his thigh across the damp grass and passed between Maron’s legs. Maron twisted to wildly backhand his blade while Kindle, far below Maron’s arc, took the arrow out of his mouth and plunged it into the meat of Maron’s calf. “Arghk!” Maron screamed. Instinctively, he leaned forward to reach the bolt lodged in his leg. Taking advantage of Maron’s unguarded lean, Kindle gripped the end of his bow and swung it like a bat, slapping Maron across the jaw. A trail of blood was drawn from Maron’s mouth as he stumbled backward. “You-” Maron raged just as Kindle swung again to belt him in the gut. Furious, Maron righted himself and dual-gripped the pommel, sending his sword careening down on Kindle. But before he could complete his swing, Maron’s weapon was parried at the sword’s ricasso , the unsharpened portion of the blade above the hilt. “Hey!” Ginny grinned in greeting, blocking Maron’s attack with her quarterstaff. Seething, Maron brought his sword around for another strike as Ginny deftly positioned herself between Maron and Kindle. She expertly blunted his second swing, deflecting the sword to her left. “To my back!” Kindle yelled, thrusting his back against hers. Mirroring each other’s steps, Ginny and Kindle circled around Maron, and as Maron would swing, Ginny would block and used the sword’s momentum to push it away. Behind her and matching her pace, Kindle busily yanked two arrows out of the lawn as they went by. “Damned smallfoot !” Maron railed and furiously brought his sword down to cleave her. Bracing, Ginny threw her leg back and repelled his blow by once again blunting the ricasso. Nocking both arrows into his drawstring, Kindle shouted, “ Down! ” Ginny took to all fours, and Kindle, launching against her back, leaped into the air. Shocked, Maron pulled back while Kindle, suspended at the apex of his flight, loosed both arrows to pierce Maron in his right and left shoulders. Kindle landed and rolled, positioning himself to flank Maron. Maron gasped, wobbled, and limped. He glanced down at the blood-soaked nightshirt and soiled cape. With the halfling-sized arrows sticking out of his shoulders, he couldn’t physically lift his weapon, so he lunged his sword at Ginny, who lay prone on the ground. “ Déntra implicare detineo ,” Ginny barked, calling nature to her aid. Roots from the Swindle’s old oak tree erupted from the earth under Maron’s feet, crawled up his body, bound his legs, and wrapped his torso to squeeze his arms. Released from Maron’s grip, Ithandril fell to his feet, defeated. Struggling, fighting to breathe, Maron tore away the roots strangling his neck and gasped, “ Gaseous Forma! ” And instantly, his body dissolved into a roiling green cloud of noxious gas. The three arrows and roots fell harmlessly to the ground. “Wait here!” “Elina, wait!” Benzie shouted as she climbed off the wagon. “Ginny said to stay put!” “I have to help these people !” Elina cried, wrapping her hair back behind her head. Rushing out from behind the wagon, Elina sprinted for the Swindle’s back porch and bounded up the stairs. Dashing into her kitchen, she grasped the bowl on the floor and filled it with the counter reagent from her cauldron. Taking the bowl to her cutting board, she concentrated to force her will into the magic circle, and breathlessly whispered, “ For the benefit of one forcibly changed! ” Meanwhile, outside, Maron’s body reconstituted from the green gas near the road. He rolled his cape around his wounded shoulders and cried, “ Fools !” Orienting himself to Maron’s new position, Kindle dragged himself to his feet and ran across the yard to pull two more of his arrows out of the ground. Extracting the jade peryton figurine from his cape, Maron tossed it into the air and commanded, “ Animatus Figura! ” Roaring into existence, the monstrous jade peryton screeched, flapped, and extended its talons at Kindle. Fanned by the peryton’s wings, it kicked up a cloud of debris that pelted Kindle as he aimed his bow. “Ginny!” Kindle urgently cried, releasing an arrow at the peryton. Connecting, it smashed into pieces. Kindle nervously glanced behind him while nocking another arrow. “Benzie, throw me the cage, now!” Ginny cried alongside the wagon. “Got it!” Benzie cried, shoving Barty’s cage from the wagon to land on the grass. The honey badger whirled and hissed, righting itself onto its feet. Closing her eyes to imagine the impossible , she placed two fingers on her temple, focused on Barty, and shouted, “ Dilata Obiectum! ” Suddenly, Barty shimmered and enlarged into a giant honey badger; the metal cage exploded around him. Barty was as big as Maron’s wagon, and the honey badger snarled, crouched, and dug at the ground to lumber thunderously forward, its legs pounding against the grass before launching itself over Kindle to throw its body into the jade peryton. Snarling, Barty met the peryton’s antlers and pushed the creature back. The bird’s talons dragged across the earth, and the force of their conflict ripped the ground. The honey badger frantically clawed at the jade peryton as it howled and screeched, flapped, and bellowed. “Gods,” Maron breathed, releasing control of the wondrous figurine to dive out of the raging behemoth's path. Fighting in the street, Barty lunged for the peryton’s throat and struck it so hard the peryton was forced onto its back. Climbing on top of it, the honey badger frenzied, and chipped away at its jade skin with its gargantuan claws. Elina arrived back at the wagon with a bowl of her reagent and a handful of blankets; red soupy hot liquid slopped over the edges of the bowl and her hands. “Benzie!” she yelled, setting everything on the ground. “Did you see that?!” Benzie exclaimed, one hand on his head and the other pointing to the road. “Not now!” she cried. “The critters. Take ‘em out of their cages, one by one. Hand’em to me!” With the battling colossuses raging behind him, Maron Maloney struggled to his feet. Bleeding from his shoulders and limping from the gaping wound in his calf, Maron outstretched his right fist to manifest four green-glowing, mystical arrows; they hovered at his knees, two on either side. Flailing his outstretched palm, he growled, “ Solutam! ” The magicked arrows darted out from his legs - two struck Kindle, and the other two hit Ginny - their impacts blowing Ginny clean to the ground and sending Kindle sprawling to his back. Sized for Man, Maron’s arrows appeared as fletched javelins jutting out of their small bodies until their energy dissipated and the missiles disappeared. Kindle lay stunned on his back, and Ginny groaned and stirred on her belly near the wagon. “You think I’m going to kill you,” Maron menaced, ripping off his cape and hobbling toward Kindle. “But I’m not .” Stumbling, he fiercely scooped up his silver sword from the grass and balanced it in his hand. Reeling from his wounds, Kindle desperately inched to his shortbow. Grasping it, he threw it to his feet, balanced its grip against his toes, and pulled back the drawstring. “First, I’m going to turn you and your friend into something smaller than a halfling,” Maron promised, “a mouse, perhaps, or maybe a helpless finch, and then I’m going to feed you both to my cat .” Grunting, Kindle nocked an arrow, rolled on his back, aimed the bow with his feet, and released the bowstring, firing the weapon like a ballista. Thwap! The arrow sunk deep into Maron’s left leg. “Arraghh!” Maron screamed, collapsing to his right knee before Kindle. Sneering, Maron extended his arm with crazed, bloodshot eyes, and shouted, “ Ignitus Ful- ” Suddenly, the business end of a garden shovel crashed into the back of Maron’s skull, wielded by an elderly, naked woman. “You ... ate ... my ... husband !” she shrieked, lording over Maron as he fell to the grass. * * * Dawn broke, and all gathered around the warm fire. All, that is, except for Maron Maloney, who remained seated against a pine tree with his hands tied behind his back and a gag in his mouth. Elina prepared citrusy sweet bread called a barmbrack . Baked in bundt pans, the cakes were round with a hole in the middle. Sliced, they were piping hot to the touch, smelled of cinnamon and nutmeg, had chunks of dried orange and raisins, and were drizzled with a sugary syrup - Elina’s special touch. With it, she served a black Ceylon tea richly infused with chestnut and hazelnuts. Ginny Greenwood was a skilled naturalist healer. Using clean water and dressings, natural oils, common forest plants, and herbs, she tended to Benzie’s and Kindle’s wounds. She even applied compresses to Maron’s while he was unconscious for, regardless of his actions, ignoring suffering wasn’t how halflings treated anyone. Covered in a blanket, Mrs. Featherby remained quiet and solemn, shaking from her trauma, hunched near the fire, but she’d occasionally return a friendly glance or a happened-upon smile. Pan and Sid were two teenage friends who ate more than their fair share of the barmbrack and playfully told jokes to lighten the mood and recounted what they remembered of their ordeal to Kindle, Ginny, and Elina. The two-headed death dog, Pica and Pika, ended up being twins, aged eight. They didn’t recall their experience in Maron’s captivity, and last remembered playing near their home. They were troubled and missed their parents very much. Ginny sat between them to distract them both with kindness. Ammon was a tall, well-built, muscular man, bald, with a bristling beard, who said he was tricked by Maron to engage in a drinking game. Next he knew, he was pulling his wagon as a horse. It’d been two years since his change, and he was still weak and unable to walk. Barty was a young man in his early twenties with premature-greying black hair. He was feisty and animated, bantering back and forth with the teenagers. Months ago, he was walking alone one night in the rain. Maron’s cart rolled by on the road, and Maron offered him a lift to the nearest town. Apparently, he never made it. The cockatoo, Pip, was a charming old man with a gregarious personality and soothing, grandfatherly voice. He sat beside Mrs. Featherby to keep her company. Jacob Barkfoot shivered under his blanket, and Elina would spend a few minutes with him, reassuring him that he was alright. He recounted his ordeal of becoming the platypus by the wagon, but couldn’t remember anything else from the experience. Jacob was so glad to be who he was, and where he was, that he swore to curb his excess to Elina, and promised he’d spend less time at her tavern and more time with his wife and kids. Unshackled, Taika sat beside Benzie, still dressed in Maron’s nightshirt. She was relaxed, no longer in pain, and could somewhat walk with assistance. A native to the plains of Shae Tahrane to the south, her skin was smooth, black, and flawless, and her eyes were bright orange. “I am sorry you were hurt,” Taika said in a thickly-accented Common to Benzie. A dressing of cotton gauze circled his forehead, and he grinned at her. “When we met, you listened ; your eye open to possibility . This is why.” Benzie shrugged, grinning gleefully. “Nope! Nobody’s ever told me that I lack imagination.” “Take it from me,” Elina smiled at him from across the fire. “I work hard to make this old house hum, an’ I don’t know how I did it without ya, but you’ve reminded me that there’s more t’life than work. I reckon the mind needs t’play a bit, dream, imagine . Thank you, Benzie, for showin’ me what I shouldn’t ‘a ever forgotten in the first place.” “Aww,” Benzie blushed, sitting up straighter. “Where is Kimchi?” Taika asked, and everyone glanced around the back of the Swindle. There was no sign of the orange cat anywhere. Eventually, the rangers rose and announced they would take Maron to Gaelwyn authorities at Mossyrock. No doubt Maron had a price on his head in Mumling or Nodderton. They’d also find assistance to help relocate everyone to their respective homes if, in the meantime, Elina could so graciously keep them housed at the inn. They’d return in a week. “It would be my pleasure,” Elina said comfortingly, refilling everyone’s breakfast tea. “Everyone can stay for as long as y’ like.” Saying their farewells, Ginny and Kindle walked from the fire and back around Maron’s wagon to head toward the pine tree they left him at. “Shoulda listened to myself,” Kindle whispered, shaking his head and staring at the ground. “All coulda gone real bad.” Ginny rested her arm on his shoulder. “You did alright. You also had the wherewithal to find me first and not just react on your own. The Council will be impressed.” Kindle grunted. “Probably with you more than me, I-” Cutting himself off, Kindle stopped in mid-sentence and held Ginny back with a restraining arm. In front of them, Kindle saw Maron released from his bonds and standing motionless near the pine tree, whereas sitting atop his head was the flumph , its blue tendrils wrapped around Maron’s neck. Its body was a red-toned color, and its eye stalks writhed in elation as it consumed Maron Maloney’s psyche. As Maron’s body was controlled by the flumph , it slowly turned, took a haggard step forward, then turned again, and then another shambling step forward, leading Maron away into the dark and deep forest behind the Swindle so that the flumph might explore the countryside.


Hey guys, this is a culmination of real life experiences. The story itself is fiction, though I hope the real aspects appeal to you, and you find them entertaining and maybe humorous. Open to any feedback and appreciate your time. Planning on releasing more content each week! *Thats Life* “Fuck this, I’m going vegan.” Michael thought to himself. Sitting down on the big brown couch, they’d purchased off craigslist, Michael waited for dinner to arrive. A rack of ribs, side of gourmet sliders, and macaroni in cheese. “Tonights the last night.” he told himself that he’d maybe let his roommates know tomorrow. Michael Fontaine planned to make a change. Twenty minutes later, his best friends returned back with the takeout they’d ordered from Babes Barbecue. The 1,200+ calorie meal had costed them $70 in total with tip. Only thirty dollars cheaper than the crappy couch that had sunk their asses into every Monday Night for football over the last 5 years. Tonight their hometown team, the Pats or New England Patriots, faced off against the Buffalo Bills. Unloading the food onto the table in front of them, they dove into their greased paper bags, hunched over, their bellies hanging over their waistbands. Double rack of Ribs, three sliders, and a pound of Mac n Cheese with a side cup of St. Pauli's girl lager, filled to the brim. The U shaped seating arrangement allowed each of them to take their place around the knee high table while they stuff'd their faces. Within the first three minutes of the game,Tom Brady marched the Pats down the field for the first score. “Yo, TB! The fackin goat!” Reggie yelled with a mouth full of macaroni. “My guy! Lets go baby! ” Franky cheered with a half eaten rib in his hands. Michael sat between them and agreed, clapping his hands. He also knew something else about Brady. The guy didn’t eat Babes Barbecue. He didn’t barely ate meat at all, the guy is a 90% fackin vegan for christ sakes. Taking another gulp of his beer, Michael toasted to the guys, knowing it would be the last for a while.  (Two weeks later) The alarm began to ring. 5:45am, or two hours before work. Michael hadn’t had a piece of meat yet. Every other morning, he'd started going on jogs around the neighborhood. In total he’d run 6 miles over the last two weeks, which was great compared to the zero exercise he'd been doing before. Pressing the snooze button, Michael went back to sleep for another 30 minutes which he concluded, he'd deserved by how sore his body felt. When he woke up next at 6:15am, he figured he could still go on his run, but would have to make it quick. Putting on his new Nike sneakers, he walked into the kitchen where he found Franky up early, dressed for work. “What’re you doing up so early?” Michael asked. “Today’s a walkthrough with Phill, shouldn't be much working." Franky answered with a yawn. Standing behind the bar in their living room, Franky began pouring himself a cold cup of beer. Franky and Reggie worked for William Caldwell, a construction company. The days were hard physical work though it definitely beat going to school to study. Both Franky and Reggie had started community college, but left soon after they got their first paycheck, realizing they could enjoy life much more putting their money towards experiences, like Sunday Ticket or NBA League Pass. “Where you going with those new shiny shoes?” Franky asked pointing to the clean white and blue sneakers. “Oh, just down to Dunkin to grab a coffee. Got these shoes, my damn feet have been killing me.” Michael lied. “Could of bought you a nice steak dinner with that money. Guess getting old means taking care of yourself eh?” Franky laughed, and Michael raised his eyebrows in unattested agreement. Michael walked out of the apartment into the cold morning. The fall weather felt perfect, cold enough to wake you up, and just right if you wanted to break a sweat. Seeing other people out and about, he felt more motivated, and got moving into a comfortable pace when about a mile away, he got an incoming call. It was Franky. “Yo, whats up Frank.” Michael answered, slowing down to a walk. “Think you could pick up two vanilla caw fee’s for me and Reggie?” “Sorry, Franky I forgot my wallet. I’m actually coming back now.” “You sound out of breath, everything okay?” “Yeah yeah, everything is fine, just running a little late thats all.” Michael lied. “All right well don’t go getting yourself a heart attack.” Franky joked.  (3 months go by) The alarm went off at 5:30am. The Rolling Stones "Start me up" came through Michael's phone, a song he’d added to pump him up. Jumping out of bed, he grabbed his running shoes, and was out the door, on the streets by 5:45. Snow had built up in Boston, so he had to buy traction grip so that he wouldn't slip on the ice or snow. Michael finally was in rhythm with his life. Over the last three months he had failed, and given into old habits. After his first two strong weeks of no meat, he decided to get drunk for a buddies birthday. It all started with just a bite of a street dog, and ended with a late night delivery of Gino’s sausage pepperoni pizza. After that, Michael’s discipline fell apart. He began to cheat a little bit each and every day, until he found himself back in the groove of meat a few times a week. About two and a half months ago, Michael set the intention to get out of this funk. He had wanted that next step in his life. His dream had always been to become a teacher, and then principal of a Middle School. Trapped by the circumstances around him, he made excuses why it was so hard for him to get his act together. Soon after his buddies birthday, Michael got back to his routine of health and running. This time though, he'd eliminate drinking. A decision, that like eliminating meat, he decided to keep away from his best friends. Walking back into the apartment, the time read 6:23. Michael could smell eggs, coffee, and cigarette smoke. Alice Cooper’s “Poison” was playing on the kitchen speaker. Turning around to greet him, Reggie looked and smiled with a Marlboro in his mouth. “Good morning putz! Where you been?” Reggie looked like he’d just woken up. He wore a big Green Celtics robe, undoubtedly hungover. “Just took a walk to get some fresh air” Michael lied, giving him a high five as he walked by. “Yeah, yeah don't lie to me. You were jerking off in the park again, weren't you? Whats up with all the sweat?” Reggie joked, using the wooden spoon as a prop as if it were a penis. “Yeah jerking off to your mother.” Michael responded flipping Reggie the bird. Jumping into the shower Michael felt amazing. His endorphins were through the roof and he looked forward to the day ahead. His buddies hadn’t noticed, but he lost almost 20lbs, dropping from 200 to 180. Michael could now run a mile in under 8 minutes. While Michael showered and got cleaned up, Franky and Reggie put on their pants and jackets, getting ready for work. The 1,500 square foot project they were set to work on today, was for a new pharmacy down the street. The guys walked out of their apartment but not before leaving an extra plate of scrambled eggs on the counter for their buddy. A nice gesture, that would be met in the trash can as Michael left for work. The guys got in their truck and drove to the location of the site. Supposedly, the previous establishment would be easy to spot, it still had the sign up front that read "We are Kids!". A toy store that had been there for over 30 years, had been bought out, as parents now purchased video games and skateboards straight from the internet. Arriving at the sight, Reggie and Franky walked into the store dazed. The walls were amusing to them both, painted in yellow, green, and orange. The project manager Phil, stood behind a counter, next to an older man in a suit. Signaling them over, Phil looked stressed. “Hey guys, I’ve got to go for the day. They’re having me do a deposition for that gym off of 42nd street. You two clean up this place, and I’ll be back this afternoon." For the next hour, the guys demolished the stores interior, pulling out and breaking down cabinets where stuffed animals and bikes once stood. The lawsuit Phill had been spoken of was to their knowledge was out of their hands. Many of the details had been kept secret, though rumors spread that the explosion of the circuit breaker had nearly killed an electrician.  (Another Month Goes By) “Hey Mikey, we’re ordering pizza. You want in?” Mikey!?” “He’s not here.” Responded Reggie who was already on the couch with a beer. “But it's the Pats and the Giants. Where the hell is he?” demanded Franky. Reggie shrugged. “Who cares, just order the pizza. I’m sure he’ll have some” Around halftime Michael walked into the house. He’d spent the day visiting colleges in Boston where he’d potentially return to get his teachers certification. Maybe even a masters one day. “Hey, heard the game on the radio. Pats are down?” Michael asked his two roommates who were sprawled out on the coach. Between them, was an empty spot, where Michael used to sit. “Yeah, fucking Brady threw a pick 6, could you believe that?” Reggie responded, taking another large gulp of his beer. “We got you some pizza Mikey, Sausage and Pepperoni your favorite.” Taking off his coat, Mikey wasn’t sure how to respond. He hadn’t had a conversation about his diet in the two months since he made the transition to vegetarianism. “Thanks Franky, I’m not in the mood for pizza. You two can have it.” The guys looked at each other rather annoyed. They had spent an extra $15 with tip to get the largest pizza. Eating the rest of their pizza, they waited for Mikey to return, however he just stayed in his room to finish review of his top colleges. “Hey has Mikey lost a lot of weight, his neck looks thinner.” Reggie spoke out loud. “Yeah, I think he’s sick or something. Not eating like he’s used to.” Franky responded, taking another bite of pizza. Reggie contemplated saying something else, when suddenly the Patriots defense scored a touchdown. His train of thought interrupted by his love of the Pats, he ignored the idea, of his best buddies new change. He and Franky both went to sleep feeling great, as they watched their Patriots beat the Philadelphia Eagles.  (Later that week) “Alright Reggie, you and Franky never saw or used electrical wires or anything.” Phil began. Dressed in a suit and tie, he looked more nervous than before. He had been to two depositions already. The attorneys expected it to be a multimillion dollar case. The victim, Rafael Munoz, hadn’t had an issue with his work in 35 years as an electrical engineer. Now, badly disfigured from the explosion, Rafael may never work again. The attorney for William Caldwell spoke to Reggie and Franky once. He knew that the two of them would not do well in court or in front of a judge. Both of them were 29 years old but could have passed for much older, and in the attorney's eyes high probability of "slipping up." Reggie and Franky shook hands with Phil, and got back to work. They were extending the size of an old laundromat on Main Street. Finishing their daily work surprisingly quick, they headed out to the local Sports bar "Champs" to grab a beer. Across the street, Bailes Munoz watched the men get into their truck and drive away. She had been sitting and paying for the parking meter for over 2 hours, contemplating whether to go through with this. Her husband had put them both in debt after the accident. The attorneys told her that Rafael would win, and his medical expenses paid for and more. This didn't help the fact that she no longer loved her husband. Only the day before the accident, she had caught him cheating. Remembering what their attorney told her, she took a deep breath and turned on the ignition. Following the men, she felt like one of those detective's from Chicago PD, “Anything they say can and will be used against them in a court of law.”  (At Champs) The Celtics were playing the Lakers in the rather empty bar. “Two St. Pauli's please” Franky paid the bartender in cash. Returning their change, Franky tipped the man kindly. “I’ll have a tequila soda, two limes” Bailes sat down a seat away from the men, she looked beautiful. In her late 40’s she stayed in great shape. Wearing a hot pink dress, with black & white striped heels, the guys took notice, nudging each other at the elbow. Pulling out her American Express, she handed her card to the bartender. “Keep it open.” By the middle of the first quarter, the guys had finished their first beer and were on to their second. The Lakers were winning by 10 points, and Bailes cheered as they continued to pull away. “Laker fan huh?” Reggie asked rather indirectly. “Damn right, born and raised in Inglewood California” Bailes responded with some spice. “Oh shit, the hood?” added Franky animatedly. Bailes laughed at this, and confessed that she sure as hell was raised in a tough neighborhood. “What about you boys, you from Boston?” “Born and raised. The city of Champions” Reggie began, as he pointed to the banners that hung across the bar. “More than any other city in the United States,” he continued. After some back and taunting, Bailes began to open up the conversation more personally. A real estate agent, she hustled selling mid level properties all over the city. The confident and spunky persona that brought her success, she now used to coerce the construction workers who she caught multiple times looking down her shirt. “So whats a beautiful real estate agents like yourself, doing at a bar all alone?” Inquired Reggie. “Well, I’ve got this lawsuit, but you guys wouldn’t understand.” Bailes responded, her gaze focusing on the tv in front of them “I’m sorry to hear that, what happened.” Franky asked. Bailes began to tell her a made up story, about how she had been wrongfully accused in a deal with a home buyer. “Someone is saying that I lied in my appraisal, that I didn’t follow through with my work. I don’t think I’m going to lose the lawsuit, its just that I feel guilty. I’m not sure if it was actually my fault.” Bailes reached into her purse, and clicked the red record button on the tape player her attorney had given her. After a few more questions, and lies, Bailes eyes were red. She had finally finished her story, and used all of the pity she felt for her cheating husband. Finishing her tequila today, she waited earnestly to hear if one of these two jokers would bite. “Would you guys like anything else to drink?” interrupted the bartender. “I don’t know, we’ve had quite a few.” Reggie answered. They related with Bailes story, it had definitely rattled them a bit. Getting up from her seat, Bailes went over and kissed both men on the cheek, leaving a smudge of pink lipstick on their cheeks. Her arms resting on both of their shoulders, she continued. “I don’t expect you guys to understand, maybe I'm just crazy for worrying like this” she began to pull away again, as if she'd leave their lives forever. “We understand more than you know.” Franky blurted out. “Damnit Franky, we’re not supposed to talk about it.” “Shut up Reggie, she deserves to know. We understand completely, let me tell you...” The lakers were up now by 20 points.  (The next day) “Hello Mr. Jurist, this is Balies Munoz. You haven’t returned my calls, please get back to me, I have new information to discuss with you.” Bailes, had called her attorney three times that day, and still nothing. It was the end of the day now, she’d just shown an open house, and now had to pick up prescriptions for her cheating husband. A small private pharmacy had opened up down the street where that one toy store used to be. Charging the amount on her American Express, Bailes felt stressed. Even though she’d gotten the guys to talk, she felt wrong for helping Rafael. He’d been having an affair with his coworker's wife. For how long, it was anyones guess. She thought back to how they hadn't interacted at the 4th of July at a party she’d thrown last summer. Carol is her name, she thought. Carol was younger by at least 10 years. Her husband didn't seem to have his life much together, though genuinely seemed to try to do well for his family from what Rafael had told her. Maybe that was a lie. Bailes often times had flashbacks to the day where she found them together in their guest room. She'd called out of work, feeling sick, and come home early. Their two story apartment was big, but echoed as all rooms led to the great room. Hearing them make love in the guest room where her Mom often stayed during the holidays, she felt even sicker. Taking blame for everything wrong in the marriage to this point, she began to think back to her mother who'd always distrusted him. Particularly when they found out about his infertility, and subsequent unwillingness to adopt. Her mother had told her to leave him, he cared more about himself than anyone else. She had planned to tell her mother as soon as she found out about the affair. To hell with "Till death do us part" she thought to herself. This was the last straw. Then she received the voicemail from the hospital in the early morning about the accident. Life had once again put her in position to play the good wife. Stopping by Trader Joes on her way back home, she needed food for the week. Food for herself, and her handicapped husband. As if on autopilot she went through the aisles, picking out the food she always did. In the same quantities she had always done. Enough for two, with more to spare. Leftovers were welcomed kindly in the Munoz household. Her favorite things to munch on the next day, were the extra veggies and salads she would munch on in her tuber ware containers. Arriving at lane number 1, Bailes began unloading her grocery cart. “Hi how is your day going?” asked the friendly cashier. “Good, good.” Reaching into her purse, Bailes pulled out her wallet to find her American Express missing. Roaming around, she felt many things. Like lipstick, receipts from the hospital, proscription medication, and of course the black tape recorder. Opening up her billfold she only had $30 dollars in cash, the rest of her cards were with Rafael. “Is everything all right Ma’m?” inquired the cashier. “No, no, I’m sorry I think I left my American Express at the Pharmacy down the street” “Here, I can help. How much is it?” A young man, maybe in his late twenties walked up behind her. He wore a sweatshirt and running pants, with white and blue sneakers. “With that $30 off, it will come out to $70.85 total.” “Here, I’ll take care of it.” handing over his Visa Rewards card, the cashier accepted and charged it. “You don’t have to. Oh my gosh, thank you so much. I promise, I’ll pay you back.” Walking out of the grocery store, Michael carried his two full bags full of vegetables, while Bailes pushed her cart. “This is so embarrassing, I’m so embarrassed.” Bailes kept apologizing to the attractive young man, unsure how else to respond. “Thats okay, I understand these things happen.” Michael smiled back, noticing the diamond on her hand which they both noticed together, though Bailes wished she hadn't. “Well how about I get you a drink, or something. You know to thank my extraordinary grocery store super hero?” Bailes made a stupid joke, something she only does when nervous. “My name is Michael, and actually I don’t drink. Maybe we could grab a bite, if thats okay with you or your husband?” Michael responded in a friendly manner. Touching the ring on her finger, she she smiled and looked down. It wasn’t a date, she thought. He took paid for our food, and now I can pay for his. We’re not drinking so everything should be fine. “Okay, yeah lets go. What do you like?” “I’m on this plant based diet, so how about Shang Ru Lah?”  (Three hours later) Bailes hadn’t planned on having more than one drink. One mojito she thought, thats all I'll have. As she spoke more to Michael, she admired him for his courage. A well fit, motivated young man, who really cared about himself. She found herself marveling at the way he carried conversations confidently and respected her. Ordering a full vegan meal, she felt good about herself too. The last time she had felt this way was when she'd told her mother off, how she wasn't leaving Rafael regardless of the adoption argument. Reflecting on that battle since the accident, she had felt trapped in a cycle of guilt and shame which Michael seemed to change. He had a new energy. How he openly talked about his struggles in life and his dream of one day being the principal of a middle school. He mentioned living with tough roommates and how he would be moving out of his apartment very soon to get his own place. Only loosely he talked about his roommates and how they had held him back in some ways. He loved them both, and Bailes admired how he could compartmentalize between the two. Admittedly he confessed that life could be so much better when he had the right people in it, eliminating the things that didn't serve him. Bailes heard these words, relating to the fateful truth of her own story. Two drinks later, Michael decided to drive her home, though she lied that she lost her keys. When he offered to pay for a hotel room, she kissed him, and so went back to his place. Opening her eyes the following morning, she saw pictures of Tom Brady, and other Boston greats hung up on the walls of Michael's rather small room. There were stacks of books and letters from colleges he’d applied to on his desk. Feeling somewhat relieved, she looked at her hand and saw her ring was missing. Grabbing her purse, she found the ring, and a note. “Went for a run, will be back by 7:00am” - Michael The clock read 6:38am. Bailes put her clothes on, and left as soon as she could. Opening up the door into the living room she smelled beer, and saw a box of pizza on the floor. Sports center was playing on the TV, and she swore she saw the body of a guys asleep on the couch. Luckily Michael lived only a few blocks away from the restaurant. Getting to her car, she expected to see a parking ticket, as the meeter started at 6:00am, but nothing was there. Arriving home 30 minutes later, she opened up her trunk to find that all of the meat had spoiled, only the veggies remained. Tossing the eggs, steak, chicken, and turkey into the dumpster on the way in she was surprised to feel relief, and not guilt. Maybe it was the healthy meal last night, or possibly the sex she hadn’t had in over 6 months. Greeting the lobby manager, she smiled, holding only three bags of groceies, waiting for this weightless feeling to subside, and the truth of her actions to set in. Arriving on the 12th floor, Bailes walked down to her room 1204, and opened up the door, to their apartment. Placing the groceries down, and putting them away, she decided she'd make a healthy breakfast. Oatmeal would do just fine for her and Rafael. Thankfully she wouldn't have to go through the chore of making pouched eggs benedict as he had often requested. “Raffy, I’m home!” Bailes called out, her voice echoing through the house. Bailes phone buzzed, and saw the text message. It was from Michael. “Have a great day :)” Boiling the water, she accidentally made only a cup, or enough for one. Cutting up strawberries and cleaning blueberries she turned on some music. It was a playlist called “love in the morning” which her mother had sent her. Thats life began playing by Frank Sinatra. “Your’e riding high in April, shot down in May, but I know I’m gonna change that tune, when I’m back on top, back on top in June” Pouring the boiling water into a fresh bowl of oats, she covered it with foil to cook it faster. Rafael couldn't answer he, he likely was asleep Bailes supposed. Eating her own bowl of oatmeal, she took 30 minutes to herself before she wet downstairs to find him. Their bedroom empty, she couldn't imagine where he had gone. The only other place would be the guest room. Walking in, she found the bodies of Carol and Rafael and Steve. and two others in the guest bedroom. Steve his coworker, and Carol his wife. The Police officers would report that Steve his coworker and understudy had been responsible for rigging the fuse box which exploded at the gym, almost killing Rafael. Investigators proved an act of passion, when they found the video recording the night before. Carol had come to the Munoz apartment, and Steve shortly after. Drunk from the way he stumbled through the lobby. They discovered that Steve had found on Carol's text messages in the weeks leading up to the accident, which would prove motive. Bailes screamed when she found their bodies across the floor, a pool of blood suround each corpse. The corrinors office reported an act of extreme violence, due to the viscious stab wounds, displaying that Steve hadn't made them suffer much, and acted rather impulsively. Steve's body was found in the closet a bottle of perscription medicine laid with him, where he'd poisoned himself. And so it goes, Reggie and Franky never had to go to court, and never heard anything come back from the lawsuit. They didn’t read the papers or pay attention to the news outside of sports. Every once and a while they’d talk about the hot latina woman they’d met in the bar and how she was into both of them, but that she was married and thats why they lucked out. Michael moved out of the apartment in June, and started school that same August at Boston University. He never saw Bailes again, though they messaged each other so often as if to catch up. Bailes needed a real man, and Michael had only just begun his journey of becoming one.  (6 months later) “Hey Bailes, how are you doing. Its been a while?” “Great. Never better.


I stepped out into the bright sun~~ ~~~~~~~~ ”Come on, help me,” my sister whined as I threw my bag into the front seat of the car. I looked over to her, throwing a smirk in her direction as I watched her struggle. ”Seems like your managing just fine.” I worked to hold back a laugh, she would surely be mad at me then. But I didn’t want her to be mad, I was in a way to good mood for that. We we’re headed to a secret place, a remote place. A literal island. It was my favorite camping trip of the year. It was the only time of year that my uncle and aunt came down from Washington state. My mom and my uncle are sister and brother, and this trip has been in their family for about four generations now. So its a big deal. “Help me!! You fool,” my sister continued to complain. I rolled my eyes, but walked over to help her throw her bag in the car, also. “We aren’t quite ready to leave yet, I’m running to Walmart-“ I said the name with a groan, it definitely wasn’t my ”go to” choice of store- “with Tim and Britt to get some things for our trip. So maybe don’t wait in the car,” I reminded her. She groaned. “I know.” I nodded, walking away. I saw my aunt and uncle’s white rental car pull up into the driveway and I hopped into the back seat. My uncle is quite the character. That’s one way to put it, at least. On our drive to Walmart, he drove down the wrong side of the road to enter the parking lot, lucky nobody was coming. We just had good laughs. “Are you trying to kill us before the trip?” me and my aunt laughed. He gave a playful scoff, and laughed too. Oh boy, I thought driving was interesting with my uncle. Well, I have never been shopping with him. My aunt went to go find her own things, so I was left to following my uncle around. We we’re headed back and forth forever, talked about “Cheap-y,” which basically was “cheap,” and “tp,” in the same word. But I didn’t realize other people were listing to us until this lady told us where the toilet paper was (we needed disposable stuff for our trip)... so embarrassing. We checked out, and waited for my aunt, but we had lost her. We waited at the checkout forever, and she thought that she had lost us, so she was at the car, and oh boy, did we laugh. After that whole Walmart fiasco, we headed home. Then we were on our way, to the special, once a year, island trip. It was a three and a half hour drive. But it was all good, I made a playlist for trips like this. We cranked up the tunes and we were off, “like a heard of turtles,” my family would say. I chuckled to myself as I thought about my family, quite the group of people we are. Finally we made it to the pavement end. We turned off the music, rolling down the windows, just listening to the gravel beneath our tires, the birds chirping their music in the distance. We made it to the landing. We were almost there. It took forever to unload the boat and the canoe and pack it all. Oh wait, this is the best part of the adventure. There was barley any water in the channel, so we had to walk through, thigh deep in nasty, smelly, squishy muck- mind you- we were also surrounded by horseflies and mosquitoes. “So fun.” But when we all got in the boats, all we had to do was paddle. Me and my mom were in the canoe, my aunt, uncle, and my sister, all in the boat. We made it around that last bend, and we saw it. The island. The pine trees stood tall-well most of them, the ones that weren’t leaned over-they loomed out over the glass lake waters. There was six swans in the distance, and a loon call. My anxiety, worry’s, fears, problems, they all seemed to dissolve in the beauty of this place. This was finally a place where I was out off touch from humanity, a place without judgement. Humanity is pretty messed up these days, so I was finally glad for this. I have been waiting two years for this. We didn’t get to go last year because of Covid. But even now, I couldn’t worry about the worldwide virus. It was like my mind wouldn’t even let me think the thought. We paddled along, then finally, the tips of our boats hit hard ground, making the crunching sound of rocks and sand from underneath it. We carried all our stuff up, and I immediately threw off my shoes. I let my bare toes touch the old pine needles on the ground, letting them get dusty with dirt. We set up the tents, and I just... cried. I don’t know what set it off, but it was all so overwhelming. I hugged my mom, then I heard my aunt call, “group hug!” and I was being surrounded. I let myself be surrounded though, it felt nice. ”Fishen’ time?,” my uncle asked me. I wiped a tear away from my face, chuckling and nodding. My uncle, my aunt, and I all climbed into the boat after grabbing the tackle box and fishing poles. I caught the first, and only, fish so far, and it was a huge Northern. When we pulled back in, rain clouds started coming from the West, and we pulled up to the island. My uncle started a fire, but I stayed by the shore. The sun was starting to set, and it was my favorite time of day. The clouds started to turn into various shades of pinks, purples, and blues. I was covered by the shade of the pines, so I took in a huge breath, smelling the pine and the camp fire. I exhaled, taking a step, right into the last light of the day. Letting the small gust of wind tousle my already messy bun, and I sighed, closing my eyes. This... this was the way to be.


Everything sucks, thought Brian as he got out of bed, groggy and numb from the night before. The empty beer can fell to the floor when he went to grab his phone off the charger. His head was pounding but he needed something to wake him up, something to energize him. Twelve notifications chimed when the phone finally turned on as he sat on the toilet. Most of them were Likes on his posts that he quickly swiped away. The Instanews app opened automatically, based on the phone’s learned behavior. His feed popped up and he began scrolling. The first news stories were about the Washington Brownies making it to the playoffs, which he skipped quickly. He glossed over the cartoon memes, recipes, and editorials about how video games were becoming cash-grab remakes. Spacing out through the feed he realized he had been scrolling for pages. The stories filled him with emptiness and blank glances. A painting of a woman with large cleavage gave him pause but he swiped up on this as well. An image of a burning field caught his attention, the red and orange flame leapt off the screen. The story read, “12 dead in Australian wildfire.” The blaze had consumed several houses. His mouth was agape and his finger rested above the screen. He kept scrolling and came across an article about a poisoned water supply plant in Dillonstown, only four hours away. He clicked and read the story. Conspiracy surrounded the incident with suspects ranging from the leader of a socialist group to the right-leaning mayor. The comments consisted of several arguments about the injustices being committed against both sides. He read every comment as his eyes dilated. Pressing back, he returned to the feed and found another post several posts down, below the ad for a digital home security system and pictures of metal bands, about an agricultural article about worsening storms. The storms were said to be the product of environmental damage caused by a lack of emissions reduction. Users suggested that this was the fault of the government. Brian flushed the toilet and remained glued to his phone, staring closer, becoming more alert. Another ad flashed by of a skull in a dark backdrop. The word, “Doom” appeared but he was already on the next story. This time it was local news. A couple had been found dead in their home. Police suspect foul play when their bodies were found in the living room. A mysterious third party may have been involved. He tagged the story for updates while downing chilled coffee from the fridge and considering buying a security system. A spree of break-ins was the subject of another post. The author speculated that it was tied to some new delivery service. He scrolled faster, looking for something to pique his interest. He was feeling down when he couldn’t find anything and he put his phone down in defeat. That was until his virtual assistant chimed in, “From Science Alert: Baboons in eastern California have shown signs of a new virus that can be transmitted to humans.” He was compelled to scroll again, shooting down the page with a flick of his finger. The skull appeared again. He scrolled back, curious as to what kind of scam the ad was offering, but more intrigued by the punk-style red font. It read: “Doom Culture Inc offers no nonsense thrills based on your darkest fantasies. Give your inner self a reason to be afraid.” His finger touched the skull almost instinctually, as if there wasn’t a reason not to. It opened into a web browser and showcased a photo gallery of knife-wielding maniacs, blood, fire, and insects. The whole website read like a promotion for some horror movie with words like “Stabbed, kidnapped, poisoned, and shocking” appearing as taglines. It didn’t offer any explanation as to what the service was or why it existed. He quickly closed the window, more disturbed than intrigued. When he put the phone in his pocket and walked to his computer, he realized he didn’t like living alone. It was too quiet to drown out the thoughts of a world falling apart. There were earthquakes in India, a new virus in China, and people at home were going mad with protests and riots. He had never known the planet to have a single peaceful day. His friend invited him to a video chat as soon as he logged into his pc but he really didn’t care who it was. Colton appeared and Brian made a half-assed attempt at a smile. “Sup, bro. What do you have for me?” “Nothing yet.” Responded Brian. “I didn’t watch any streams last night. I’ll check out the game stats later.” Colton sipped coffee while browsing the web, forgetful of the conversation he was having. “So what are you going to get me for my birthday.” Brian hated sounding like a narcissist but Colton wouldn’t have noticed anyways. “Huh? Oh uh, yeah of course I got you something.” His friend appeared almost startled and quickly started typing and clicking. “Should be...on its way. Hang on.” Colton had always been absentminded and hapless but somehow managed to be resourceful. Brian spent the next several seconds looking down at his phone, picking it up and putting it back down, without even using it. The silence had to be filled with something. “Yup, should be on its way.” Said Colton. “Found it under your recommendations. Looks like something you’re into. You’ve been doomscrolling?” “Huh?” “Doomscrolling, like when you go searching for bad news.” Colton explained. “You Liked a lot of news articles.” “You can see that?” Brian was never cognizant of his online activities. He never needed to. Not like anyone cared. He changed subjects and moved his phone away, further from his reach. The two friends talked for a while about gamer streams and the release of a new competitive shooter. The conversation ended around noon and he spent the rest of the day thinking about what his mom would get him for his birthday tomorrow. There was a storm coming so the stores would have been packed. He just stayed home and had week-old mac and cheese for dinner and chased it with rum until the anxious voices, most of them his own, were drowned away. Before he went to bed, he read one more story related to Doom Culture Inc. Their hiring practices were brought into question when several of their employees were said to have gone postal or something. His eyes grew heavy. Authorities urged people to be careful when using these types of “fear fantasy” services. After reading the comments he fell asleep with his phone in his hand. Colton had sent several texts to Brian over the next several days, the contents of which were scatterbrained and strange. The more the messages seemed frantic the more Colton texted back. Webcam chats were less frequent with Brian looking over his shoulder constantly or abruptly ending the call when he heard something in the background. Having been friends since high school they still had never seen each other afraid. Brian was afraid, Colton could tell. The initial texts, “someone’s messing with me,” made him consider if his friend was even telling him the truth, about a knock on the door with no one there or the voices he heard coming from outside his window. The next night Colton held his phone close, his chest tightening, expecting an answer to his message, “What do you mean burning?” Three hours later when he was about to fall asleep the phone buzzed with the response, “Found burning twigs in my bathtub. Idk whats happening.” Colton didn’t sleep that night and stared at the ceiling as if the answers would be there. Had he been messing with him? Playing a joke? What the hell was he even talking about? He wondered if it was the gift he got him. It was just a horror movie fan site, wasn’t it? At 5AM he sent one final text to video chat after Brian had ghosted him. A few minutes later his phone was ringing. It was Brian on his computer web cam. His eyes were sunken and he was shivering. The room was dark. “Yo, you okay?” Colton moved in closer to the phone. “Hard to see you, buddy. What’s happening?” Brian was breathing heavily as if he had been jogging and didn’t speak for several seconds. His eyes were dilated and darted back and forth. “I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know.” He spoke rapidly, like he had an energy drink. “I’m seeing things -things that aren’t there.” “Did you take something?” Colton was sleep deprived himself and didn’t know what to do. “I feel...funny... There are people...in the windows, in the mirrors, in the corners of the room. I don’t know if anything is real anymore.” Tears were streaming down his face. Colton sat up from his bed and spoke loudly, choking back his own nerves, “What is going on man?” “I just want it to stop.” Brian had his head in his hand. “It started with a knocking at the door...but no one was there. It wouldn’t stop. They kept pounding...no one there. Then I found things around the apartment, like dolls...with their eyes burned out. I drank some rum to fall asleep but I felt weird. I felt nauseous so I ate something and it got worse. There are figures in the dark, horrible things, like skinny people with big eyes. I just want it to stop. They won’t go away. They watch me when I sleep. Please just make it stop. I don’t want to see anymore.” Colton’s eyes became glassy, “Just relax man. Take a breath.” But before he could say any more Brian started squeezing his face. “Make it stop. I don’t want to see...” Brian pressed his face harder, hands gripping and slapping, and sobbed uncontrollably. Darkness surrounded him in a bleak, obscuring grip. “The eyes...in the shadows...they make me see things.” “Hang in there, man,” Colton put his shoes on but before he could get to the front door Brian started screaming in the video chat. “I can’t unsee them.” He was saying, pressing his fingers to his eyes. Suddenly his fingers disappeared into his eyes as blood dripped down his cheeks. He screamed louder and fell to the floor, out of view of the pc camera. “Brian!” His friend shouted, shaking by the door. His heart was thumping and he gagged, spitting up saliva. Colton zoomed in on the video. That was when he saw a figure standing in the doorway of Brian’s room, staring back from the shadows. Suffocated by panic, the phone image burned into his mind, Colton became paralyzed. There was nothing he could do, he could only gaze at the haunting figure and watch as it stepped forward. Moans could be heard off screen, right before the video call ended, cutting off one final scream.


“So, there’s an elephant in the room and I’m not talking metaphorically!” “Wow! What did you do then?” asks my elderly great aunt as she tries to sit up on the bed with difficulty, her rheumatic joints, notwithstanding. I know that that headline would indeed rivet her attention. “Well, he had got into the check post room in front of us. When there's an elephant in front of you, you don't challenge him. There’s only one thing you do. You stay still inside your car, turn off the headlights and hope he soon retreats to his home in the forest beyond!” I say with a smile. I am recounting to her a pre lockdown road trip to Silent Valley nestling in the heart of Anamalai (Elephant Mountain in Tamil) in the heart of Southern India. She closes her eyes and utters an exclamation. I know she relishes such stories. “So, as we sit tight, we are aware that this isn’t part of the itinerary. Signage all around warns us that it’s best to allow it to play out naturally and patiently, without any attempt to capture it on camera. The flash might startle the latter and there was no telling how it might react. We are watching with bated breath, fascinated, to see a wild elephant at such close quarters, towering over the car and its occupants. We have been told that ever so often this happens- the encounter between elephant and vehicle. The latter is perceived as a potential threat to this enormous creature who is rightly indignant at the fast-moving lighted up little creature who dares to pass his forest domain. “Suddenly we hear a gentle tapping on the rear of our car. Half expecting another pachyderm from behind (she lets out a scream at this point), we see that it is actually a human being gesturing to us to silently get out. We are hesitant but a calm assurance seems to exude even from his silhouette which we can see in the setting sun. We follow him through the dark and thick canopy till we come to a small mud hut illuminated with a single kerosene lamp. A woman in a brightly coloured sari is drawing water from a well, her glass bangles making a gentle clinking sound in response to the splash of the water as the pail comes up. “That was kind. And then?” she presses me. “Oh we ended up spending a good few hours with this Irula (ethnic tribe) couple. We heard snippets from these unofficial cicerones that we could have never got from a tourist guide. And, what’s more, they shared their evening meal of dosai (savoury rice pancake) and thenga thuvaiyal (coconut chutney) with us. It was delicious”, I muse reflectively as I have a pleasant olfactory flashback to the stone quern on which our kind hostess expertly ground fresh coconut, dried red chillies, ginger and garlic pods to make the spicy but oh so delicious chutney and the hot griddle pan on which she swirled the fermented rice flour batter to make a perfectly round dosai, with a few dollops of homemade nei (clarified butter)- a treat which was reserved only for guests. We were indeed honoured that night. By the time the beast had tired of its little tryst with our car, it was a good few hours later. With great trepidation we followed our guide back to the road after that repast. But he was right. Once it had decided that this strange four wheeled monster was really no threat to its territory, it was content to amble back into the forest just pausing to snap off some juicy sugar cane shoots for a late night snack, which we learnt that all elephants love. Actually we too did the same the next day- only our sugar cane fix came in a tall glass from a sugarcane juice vendor whose heavy grinding wheels had squeezed the sweet liquid out with the help of a motor. “You know, I feel I’ve been there with you” she sighs happily. It’s taken me a lockdown to realise that for far too long she has been in a lockdown of her own. Somewhere between being pulled out of school prematurely to help with the home and looking after her many nephews and nieces, that tall, slender young girl became a housebound elderly woman who took up no more than a bed in her widowed sister's household and even less in everyone's minds. As a child, I was more intent on playing with my cousins than to indulge her with more than a few minutes of my time and some rushed answers to her curiosity of the things I had seen in the metropolis I lived in with my family at the time. As an adult now I know, that it is through my stories she has virtually visited so many new places. What's more, she replays my stories so often that she can competently review which shops are a good bargain, which restaurant in that city serves the best food, where one can go for entertainment on a Friday night. All this, within the four walls of that room she has spent almost all her life...But this adventure perhaps has caught her imagination like none else. It is unlike any of my previous tales in busy metros of the world- it is a completely new drama for the theatre of her mind too. I know she is going to have an adventure of her own, doing a maiden visit to this place now. I can already see her visualise the adventure in her mind's eye. She has never been to the next town, leave alone doing a safari in the wild. But, that will not daunt her- she can meander through her new uncharted territory in her own time. I know that in a few hours, she will be narrating it to anyone who cares to listen- her carer, perhaps some kindly relatives who regularly visit. In the version they hear, this story would have happened to her. They all know not to challenge that elephant in the room either.


Super Dan climbed in through the police commissioner's fourth floor office window."You called?" he said with a cocky grin."Yes Dan Man, we need your help and also some of your assistance." said the police commissioner."Hey, hold on! I'm Super Dan, not Dan Man." "Oh," the police commissioner chewed on a finger nail, "the chief inspector and I thought you called yourself Dan Man. We've always called you Dan Man - haven't you noticed previously until up to now?""You have a large 'D' on your chest." pointed out the chief inspector of crime, as he moved a handheld magnifying glass in and out over said 'D'."Well, that's because 'S' is already in use." said Super Dan."Say what?" said the police commissioner."It's being used and basically, is ruled out forever now." said Super Dan."It is?" said the chief inspector, "that's sad.""Yes, well, whatever, a 'D' is what it is" said Super Dan."For Super Dan?" said the chief inspector."That's right." said Super Dan."Not Dan Man." said the police commissioner."No.""Dan Man sounds alright though, don't you think?" said the chief inspector."Look," said Super Dan, his patience coming all unravelled, "anyway - what did you want me for? First I saw a 'P' projected into the night sky - the next minute it was slowly turning around clockwise to form a 'd' in lower case." Super Dan frowned in an obvious manner, "You need to be careful about that, you could have ended up with Pee Man.""We know, we switched it around as soon as we noticed." said the police commissioner."Believe me, you do not want Pee Man turning up unannounced." said Super Dan."Yes, yes," the police commissioner wiped an anxious white handkerchief across his perspiring forehead "for sure - we know Dan Man, we know.""Anyway, now that I am here," said Super Dan, hands on hips, "what is the mission?""Your mission tonight Dan Man, take it or leave it," the police commissioner pulled down on the hem of his waistcoat and pushed his chin forward, "is to fly past every circular intersection roundabout within the county and each bed sheet daubed with birthday greetings that you find, you are to remove - and dispose of in a responsible manner.""Well, okay, fly no, bicycle yes, I accept." said Super Dan."Eliminate these eyesores, this plague upon our land, promise you will not fail us." said the chief inspector."You have my word." said Super Dan."Er-umm, Dan Man," the police commissioner said, "you've laddered your tights." Two evenings later... On this occasion, Super Dan rang the front door bell."Dan Man!" cried the chief inspector, ushering Super Dan quickly inside and up the oak banister staircase."Yes! I am here again - and you did it again didn't you, a 'P' and then a 'd'. You really must be much more careful, one of these days you are going to have Pee Man arrive.""Yes - yes, we know - we know." said the chief inspector.They clambered up the next three flights of stairs in silence, until they reached the office where the police commissioner had been waiting, pacing backwards and forwards impatiently."So, what is it this time?" Super Dan said."Dan Man, you remember the task we set you the other night?" said the police commissioner."Y-es, indeed I do." Super Dan said, sashaying his cape over a shoulder with pride."Well what's all this we hear about the makeshift, roadside shrines being cleared away?" said the police commissioner."As well as the birthday bed sheets? We-ll," said Super Dan, "It just seemed a natural extension for the mission, two birds with one stone. I cycled past them at first, barely giving them a second look, but as I got more and more into the bed sheet job, I found I couldn't stop myself.""DAN MAN! You shouldn't have done that!" the police commissioner and chief inspector chorused together (only fractionally out of sync)."..." Super Dan came speechless."Earlier today we received instructions from the lord city mayor, telling us to tell you to go back and reinstate all the makeshift roadside shrines you've taken down." said the police commissioner."What?! Are you serious? Why exactly?" said Super Dan."He wouldn't say - even when pressed to tell. He just wants it all put back." said the chief inspector."How am I going to be able to do that? I can't remember what where went!" said Super Dan."What went where?" cut in the police commissioner, rubbing his thumb across the stubble on his chin."Yes, that as well. If I try to put the makeshift roadside shrines back together, the bereaved families and friends are bound to notice they won't look anything like how they remembered them. I mean - I didn't take any photos as a record, I just tore them down and shoved all the rubbish into black bin bags. How can you expect me to do this?" said Super Dan."Well Dan Man, you are just going to have to try your best, or..." said the police commissioner."Or what?" said Super Dan."If you do not carry out your instructions successfully, then you'll just have to wait and see what the consequences are."Both the police commissioner and the chief inspector of crime folded their arms across their own chests in a pugnacious fashion, throwing back their heads in loud and demeaning laughter, not stopping until their cheeks ached, as Super Dan hurriedly exited the building. to be continued...


As was usual on a Tuesday night, William had stayed behind in the cafe after closing time to sort through the leftover croissants and tarts. He yawned as he took one of the last trays out of the display cabinet, carrying it around the register and placing it on one of the last free tables. Every week, an hour after closing, Will opened the doors of his cafe to the homeless. He glanced up at the clock and saw that he had only a few minutes until the first of these needy people would turn up at the door. Once the door was propped open with the small wooden doorstop, he turned to make his way back to the register. Her bark of a laugh was the first thing that he noticed, and he felt himself tense as he recognised it instantly. Judging by the volume, she couldn’t be more than a block up the street. Sally . Sally was erratic, spontaneous, and difficult to predict; William had never enjoyed being anywhere near her. Sure, he could empathise with her situation , in the same sort of way you have to feel sorry for homeless people, especially those with mental illnesses. Sally loudly rejected authority, was filled to the brim with paranoia, and flourished her individuality in a way that would have always drawn unwanted stares by those around her. She was physically unkempt, with wild unbrushed hair that had heavy matting throughout the back. She wore torn, dirty clothes that were likely once beautiful, but had been worn way too many times to ever be considered so again. Even from the distance between Sally and the cafe, William could hear her spouting the same nonsense about the afterlife and the god-damn key that she always spoke of when she was near him; Will couldn’t explain why, but she just rubbed him up the entirely wrong way. He felt his shoulders begin to tense up and the beginnings of irritation prickling behind his eyes. Perhaps the worst part of it all was that she always came to the cafe when there was no one else around. She was always here first, right as he was opening for the night. No one else ever seemed to even notice she was there, certainly no one else ever talked to her, but William could sense her a mile away. Sally loudly announced her arrival with a boisterous “Good EVENING, William!” as she side-stepped through the door with a dramatic wave of a skinny hand. Her oversized rings clacked loudly against her long beaded necklace as she moved her hands in front of her; it was like she was forever conducting for an invisible orchestra that only she could see. “Good evening, Sally” William grimaced and tried to be as polite as possible. “I hope you ar-” “Have you taken a second to reconsider my proposal, William?” Sally interrupted him while bypassing the food and drink laid out, coming to a stop just a little too close to the counter. “What are you talking about, Sally?” William tried to stay calm, but he knew exactly what she was talking about; Sally went on about the same thing every single time she saw him. “The KEY my dear boy. You need to give me your EXPRESS permission to leave YOU the key!” Sally smiled widely as she threw her head back to inspect the ceiling. William frowned while inspecting the visible flecks of dirt on her neck. Now, normally William would play along with Sally for a little bit. He’d playfully ask her what key she was talking about, and every answer was as mysterious and non-sensical as the last. They’d go around in circles, both dancing around the point before more of the unhoused customers would arrive, and William was excused to go and help them. Then, as quickly as she had arrived, Sally would usually seemingly disappear into thin air. But tonight, he had just had enough . He didn’t have it in him to pretend to be nice. He didn’t want to be patient, he didn’t want to be kind to this woman who reeked; he didn’t want to dance today. Today had been long enough; he had countless rude customers just going at him non-stop and his reserves were just utterly and completely depleted. “Sally, please . If you go on with this fucking bull about the key today, I’m going to ask you to leave. I don’t want to hear it.” he stated firmly. Sally’s normally happy disposition suddenly went cold and calculating. It was as though someone flicked her insanity switch to 'off'. “You have no idea what this is all about William. I need you to take it. Take the key.” She said darkly. Her usual spark of mischievousness was completely gone, and she spoke softly and quietly. William noticed several other homeless people enter behind Sally, and he gave them a small wave and smile as they helped themselves to the food and drinks on offer. He leaned toward Sally. "But that's exactly the thing , Sally. You've never told me what it's all about, you just go on about me needing to agree with you and just take the key off your hands" he said softly but firmly. He let out a short exhale of a laugh. "I'm not taking it. I'm not even going to talk about it anymore, I've entertained you for long enough". Sally’s long fingers were holding the edge of the counter so tight that they started to go white. When William looked up to meet her eyes, there was a look there he had never seen before. Desperation ? “Please, William. PLEASE take this key. You don’t need to know what it means yet, my boy, but you will learn in -” "No, Sally." Sally's speaking sped up as she appeared to get more and more frantic. Her long arms extended and she tried to grab onto his shirt with her bony fingers, but William stood upright and leaned away. William slammed his hands down on the counter. “NO!” he yelled, spittle flying from his mouth. He noted how quiet the cafe had suddenly become. He felt the concerned eyes from across the room looking at him and Sally. William waved an apology to the other patrons, flashing a quick smile screaming I'm okay before he glared at Sally and whispered, “you need to leave. Now. I’m not asking again”. Sally’s shoulders fell slightly. “Fine,” she spat. “I’ll leave you alone. But I WILL leave this here, because your life depends on it”. William heard a small clink as an old, ornate key was placed on the counter. Sally slid it towards him slowly, maintaining eye contact through a look of what could only be described as pure hatred, then retreated from the counter. With a loud and angry sigh, William opened the register drawer and threw the mystery key inside. As he took one loud, shaking breath, he looked up to see where Sally had gone; just as he expected, she had vanished. “Good riddance” William muttered under his breath, running a hand through his hair as Joe, an old man with a kind smile approached the register. “Are you feeling alright, son?” Joe asked, his eyes twinkling as he looked at William with what he could only describe as fatherly concern. William hesitated. “Oh, I’m okay, Joe, just had a bit of an argument with Sally about something, that’s all”. Joe looked visibly startled. “Sally? You don’t mean-” he waved his hands about in front of his face in a crude impression of Sally’s erratic hand gestures. “ that Sally, do you?” William nodded. Joe went quiet. He motioned to William to come closer, and whispered, “she died a year ago, William. She’s long gone.” William felt like his stomach was going to drop all the way to his feet. He blinked stupidly at Joe, painfully aware that his mouth was gaping open and closed like a fish. He opened the register once more, and picked up the key; it burned like fire in his hands. Joe smiled at him gently, reassuringly. "Are you sure you're okay, William? You look like you've seen a ghost". Before William could formulate a response, he felt long, bony fingers grabbing onto his shoulder. Out of the corner of his eye, William saw familiar ornate rings, and a familiar smell prickled his nostrils. Then that bark of a laugh; loud , unmistakable . "Well, William, that was dramatic".


Author's Note: This is part two of "The Guilds of Atmos", my Reedsy-cast series. The prompts didn't fit well for it to take place where part one left off, so this is one week before part one. Sorry if this isn't a great continuation, the prompts were hard to continue it with. Hope you enjoy it! One week before part one, the Starlight Festival: Luminescent fairy lights weave through the slender branches of every tree in Atmos. Multi-colored tents are set up in the park at the center of town, they vary in color. Sherbet pink, canary yellow, shamrock green, periwinkle blue, and wisteria purple. The tents also vary in shape, some with steeply pointed tops, and others with round caps on top. The fabrics are adorned with patterns of mountain ranges, flowery meadows, and starry skies. Children from every guild stand in the fresh green grass, admiring the sight. The night is drawing near and with it the start of the Starlight Festival. Every month on the full moon, all of Atmos gathers for the event, regardless of their guild. ᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ̊ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃ Sapphire, Luna, Amethyst, and Celeste make their way through the winding, majestically lit paths of the park. Occasionally stopping to watch a performance or examine the magical items for sale. “Look, over there,” Saph says, pointing to a series of metallic purple and gold necklaces laid out on display. “What is it?” Ame asks as the four girls make their way over to the tent. “Amulets, for good luck,” Emerald responds, she’s already at the stand examining the charms, “Apparently they offer some sort of protection from dark magic.” She has short red hair and green eyes, charcoal dust covering her fingertips. A winding pattern of roses and vines is drawn on her arm, her artistic talent making her obviously from the Artists Guild. “Wow,” Ame says, taking in the table. The violet streaks in her dark brown hair shine in the dim lighting. “They’re pretty, in a mysterious way,” Luna says, looping one of the delicate chains around her finger. “I’ll take the one with the purple gem,” Celeste tells the woman standing inside the tent. “What?” she asks her friends watching, “I could use some good luck, lately.” “We probably all could,” Saph replies, laughing lightly. After some consideration, Luna picks a silver star-shaped one, Saph and Ame pick ones with gems corresponding to their names, and Em loops a heart-shaped locket around her neck. If the city of Atmos is anything, it is superstitious. ᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ̊ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃ At the edge of the park, most of the Warriors Guild sits perched in the branches of the towering magnolia trees. Most of the other guilds watch them cautiously, never daring to mess with the fighters and respecting them for their service to the city. Nainika, Lily, and Isaac sit at the very top of one of the remarkably large trees, slowly licking their melting snow cones. Isaac’s black kitten named Ti sits on his shoulder, purring happily. Their feet dangle off the branch, hanging high above the heads of people passing by underneath. “What do you think of the festival so far?” Lily asks them, swinging her legs back and forth. “I love the tradition, the lights are always so beautiful,” Nainika says, her lips stained bright red by the cherry syrup. “You?” “I found these new matching knives I like,” Lily says, holding them up to show the others, “I think there is some sort of hieroglyphics engraved on the handle.” “How about this,” Isaac says, smiling mischievously, “We’ll see which of you can hit the very middle of the tree trunk across from us, what do you say?” A spiraling knot in the wood forms a bull’s eye, perfect for knife throwing. “A competition?” Lily asks, “Sounds fun.” “I’m in,” Nainika says enthusiastically as Lily hands her one of the knives. “You first,” Nainika holds out an arm to aim, narrows her hazel eyes at the target, and throws the knife crisply through the air. The blade buries itself at the very center of the circle, a perfect throw. Lily tosses the knife into her right hand and pulls her arm back over her shoulder. Her wrist flicks and the second knife goes whizzing through the air, landing at the exact same point as Nainika’s. Both knives stuck in the same crack in the wood. “Let’s call it a tie,” Isaac says laughing and licking his tangerine snow cone. Down on the ground Varsha, Ivy, and Haripriya are making their way through the trees from tent to tent. The girls have chains of lavender flowers woven into their hair, the petals glowing under the light of the full moon. “Where should we stop next?” Varsha asks, taking a bite out of the chocolate croissant in her hand. The pastry tent offered all sorts of desserts; strawberry tarts, coconut macaroons, and chocolate truffles. “How about the tent right over there,” Haripriya suggests, pointing to a magenta-colored tent tucked at the very edge of the park. “Sounds good,” Ivy says, popping chocolate drizzled with raspberry syrup in her mouth. Almost instantly, her whole body seems to rise up in the air, the tips of her boots only barely brushing the grass. “Looks like that was one of the ones with magical enhancements,” Haripriya says, laughing. They eventually make their way to their destination, stopping right in front of the amber-colored curtains of the tent. “Get your fortune told,” Varsha reads from the sign, whispering as not to disturb whoever may be inside. Ivy pulls open the curtains and enters the tent. Inside an ancient-looking man sits at a low table. A soft carpet covers the ground, and plush pillows circle the table. “Have a seat, children,” the Prophet says, gesturing to the ground. They each exchange a doubtful look before taking a seat on the cushions. “Which of you would like your fortune told?” he asks, looking between them. After a few seconds of silence, Varsha comes forward. “What should I do?” “Just look into my eyes, child, and try to clear your mind,” his sharp gaze fixes on her, his eyes becoming distant as he reaches out to the universe for an answer. “Magi spirituum, id est sors, in copia tamen haec cara puella?” he murmurs softly, then his eyes snap back in focus and he takes a deep breath. “Dear child, what comes will not be easy. However, you are strong. If you stick by your friends, you will make it through the night to see the sunrise.” The tent is silent again for a little while after those words. Looking shaken, Varsha hands the man a few gold coins and abruptly stands up. Haripriya and Ivy watch her, concerned, none of them looking so excited to see the future anymore. “Thank you sir, but we should be going now,” Ivy says quickly as the girls rush out of the tent, eager to put distance between themselves and the Prophet. ᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ̊ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃ On the other side of the park, Carolina, Luke, Katelyn, and Sophie wait in line for Atmos’s Ferris wheel. The ride is one of the most well-loved events of the Starlight Festival, which isn’t surprising considering the remarkable size and the fact that it’s powered by magic. After five more rotations of the wheel, the group finds an empty box, Luke and Carolina sitting on one seat, and Katelyn and Sophie sitting across from them. As the grinding machine ticks around in a circle, like the hands of a clock, the group waits patiently to reach the top. Katelyn grips the edges of their box and shakes it, leaving them to swing precariously back and forth. Luke glares at her, the other guilds never seemed to appreciate the Warrior’s recklessness. “Come one, Luke,” Carolina says, holding back a laugh, “Don’t you want to enjoy the ride?” “I’m perfectly fine enjoying the ride without feeling like I’m about to fall to my death,” he says, but he’s barely able to keep the frown for long. A few minutes later, their group reaches the top of the ride. “Wow,” Sophie says, sounding in awe, “The view of Atmos from here is absolutely incredible. The other nod along in mesmerized silence, enjoying the bird's eye view of their city. The Warrior’s flat barracks line the edge of the city, just inside the wall to the east. And on the other side, to the west, the elegant forest of Aramark stretches across the land, home to the Writers and Prophets. In the middle of the city sits Dragonspire palace, home to the Artists. Multi-colored light is fractured across the roofs, casting rainbow shadows on the cobblestone streets of Atmos. “It really is beautiful,” Katelyn agrees, resting her elbows on the edge to peer over the side of the box. Eventually, their ride comes to an end and they find themselves on stable ground, but the sight isn’t easily forgotten. ᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ̊ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃ A roaring fire gathers people at the center of the park, the warmth from the flames licking their icy skin. People from all guilds sit around on logs, making smores and spinning tales of the Unknown. The Explorers ramble on about everything they have seen, while others sit listening, captivated by their words. “What exactly is it like wandering the desert for days on end?” B asks shyly, her pale purple eyes shining in the firelight. “It’s definitely never boring,” Meg says, smiling at their small audience. “Never a dull moment,” Brooke agrees, most likely remembering all they have encountered on their travels. “What is the most interesting thing you’ve seen in the Unknown?” B questions again, nervously fingering the fraying drawstring of her jacket. “I found a crimson feather in the sand once,” Brooke starts, “It was larger than the feather of any other bird. Almost as big as one from a- What’s the name again?” “Dragon,” Megan says, “But it couldn’t be that, those creatures are only a myth from the Old World.” “I could imagine it would be dangerous,” Annabelle ventures, curiously, “Aren’t you ever afraid?” “Of course we are sometimes, but then we use the fear to our advantage. Instead of making us smaller, it makes us stronger, faster, better fighters,” Jay tells her softly, staring thoughtfully at the shapes the flames form before their eyes. ᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ̊ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃ Under the glow of the fireflies, Danny and Billien walk side by side through the park. Paper lanterns hang from the branches of the trees, amber light reflecting off the bark of the birch trees. The sidewalk is still slightly wet from the night before, making it look polished under the shine of the full moon. “It’s been a while since we last got together for anything other than business matters,” Billien says, thoughtfully. “That was your choice,” Danny reminds him, regretfully, “Ever since we were five years old we were tinkering together, building things, you always said you would be an Inventor with me, start a shop together.” “I wanted to,” he starts. “But you chose to be an Explorer instead,” she states, simply, “The pull of the Unknown was just irresistible to you. It’s not your fault we drifted apart like this, but you chose this.” “I did, and there are times I wish I would have chosen differently. But in my guild, it feels like I could really be a part of something bigger, maybe bigger than even Atmos itself,” he’s pleading with her to understand by now. “I can make a difference without exploring, all I need is my work to make a change,” she says, brushing some of her raven-colored hair behind her ear. The tense silence surrounds them as they continue on the path, very aware of each other’s presence. Until Billien breaks the silence, not easily backing down. “I can’t change the bloody decisions I made in the past, as much as I may want to, but can we at least try to stay in touch? Separate guilds don’t mean we can’t be friends like before.” After a moment of thought, Danny looks up at him and nods, “I’d like that.” He nods, satisfied, and a soft smile spreads across his face, “It’s getting late now, we’d best be heading home.” “Of course, see you soon,” she says. He kisses her hand lightly before walking off into the moonlight leaving her smiling softly under the fairy lights. ᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ̊ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃ Once alone in the isolation of his cabin, Billien collapses on the dusty couch in his living room and pulls off his light coat. He rolls up the sleeve of his shirt to reveal a mark of metal chains wrapping around his forearm. The ink is faded as if it has been there for a while, keeping him chained to stale decisions for years. A mark depicting him as a traitor to everything he ever truly cared about. The mark of the Obsidian Hand.


In the tiny pixie village of Honey Lake, lived one pixie who loved nothing more than to prank others. Her name was Kat, and some might say her prank were her way of getting attention. And when your big sister is Rebel, a very powerful and beloved pixie, one would try to stand out as much as possible. But on the other some pixies say that the reason Kat is mischievous is because she was born one April first. Kat, had been playing so many pranks on the pixies that they have actually gotten used to it, they would make jokes and laugh at every prank. But today was a day that the pixies were afraid of April first, not only was it April fools day but is was also Kat’s birthday. On this day Kat would always get into more mischief, compared to any other day of the year. But what really frightened the pixies was the fact that is was Kat’s eighth birthday, and as pixie law goes once a pixie is eighteen they can venture out into the world of humans and explore for twenty-four hours. It was very clear to everyone that Kat would use that time to prank the humans, and that is exactly what they were afraid of. “Sweetie, are you sure don’t want to just stay home?” asked Lila, Kat’s mother. She to was worried about what her daughter would in the human world. “Yes, it would be safer if you didn’t leave Honey Lake,” said Tony, Kat’s father. He blindly followed his wife on this topic. “Mom, Dad, don’t you trust me?” Kat asked, her blue eyes sparkling. “They trust you they just don’t want you prank anyone and risk exposing us,” Rebel said flying in from above. “Rebel,” Kat exclaimed hugging her sister. “So you’re on my side?” “Yes,” Rebel sighed. “But you can’t prank anyone,”. After breakfast Kat quickly headed to the town gate with a few other people that were turning eighteen. The group were told the rules about going outside the gate: Don’t out yourself as a Pixie Don’t use your magic in the human realm There weren’t that many, but the those they were there got to the point. As she was leaving the gate Kat went over the rules again ad again. They were going to make pranking a bit more complicated, but Kat liked a challenge. And a challenge she would get, for Kat was about to pull of the best prank ever. Kat had been in the human world for little over an hour when she found the perfect place for her prank. She sat everything up so meticulously that even the dumbest of humans couldn’t mess it up. Now the prank she was setting up wasn’t her best prank ever, in fact she had pulled this same prank on any of the pixies back home. But the this prank is leading up her best one. Kat just wanted to have some opening acts. The frist one went off with out a snag. The human was so confused and mad, it was perfect. “Hey, kid,” said a voice from the shadows. “You need some help with those pranks, I have a good idea for your next one,”. Kat looked around to find the source of the sound but didn’t anyone. So kept on moving to do her pranks. If she had looked in the ally way behind her, she would have seen Wyatt. He is a pixie who also loves to prank. He lives on the other side of Honey Lake so they neve did meet. But Kat, didn’t let the weird voice stop her from pranking more humans. Her next few pranks went off effortlessly. Now it is time for the finally, Kat thought. She darted around looking for a spot to set up the prank. When Kat found the spot she flew behind a dumpster and put herself into human form. She didn’t really like to be in this form but if she was going to pull of this prank she needed to look like one. “Hey you, asked if I could help,” said the voice from before. But this time when Kat looked around she found the person who was talking to her. “Sure, I guess you could help,” Kat said consuedly. The two introduced themselves and begin to get to work. By the time they had finished setting up, it was almost time to head back to Honey Lake. Kat set off the prank, which went smoothly until a kid was running up the ice cream truck unknowing they were going to get blasted with a chalk powder. In an attempt to stop the child Kat used her magic to pull the little one away. Then Wyatt made the ice cream truck drive and disappear around the corner. The reason the two stopped the prank was because it would bring more attention to them if the victim were a child rather than an adult. Kat and Wyatt quick went behind a dumpster and changed back to pixies. They flew to Honey Lake and got there just as they were calling everyone back. The two quickly separated and went home they didn’t draw suspicion to themselves. “Oh, sweetie, how was it?” asked Lila, as soon as Kat walked inside the house. “It was awesome their are so many cool things in the human world,” Kat exclaimed sitting down to tell her family about her day. “What types of pranks did play on the people,” Tony asked. “We know you pulled some, would be you if you didn’t,” “Well...,” Kat start to say but was interrupted by a banging on the door. Lila when to open, it was the Queen’s armys. “Kat Downing, you’re coming with us,” said the General as she stepped in front of the crowd. “Buy why?” Kat asked the General. “Because you used magic in the human world, and that is against the rules,” said the General, she turned to leave. “Take her away,”. Suddenly, the Queen’s Army grabbed Kat and Threw her into the back of a police car. When she sat up right she noticed Wyatt was in the car. “Did you rat me out?” Kat growled. “No, if I ratted you out then I would also be ratting myself out,” Wyatt whisper-shouted. “And I don’t do that,” “Well then who sold us out?” Kat asked ranking her brain of the other people who went to the human world with you. “It was me,” said a voice from the front seat of the car. “Who is me?” Kat asked. The figure turned around and reveal themself as Rebel. “Rebel,” “Yes, my job today was to watch people going into the human world,” said Rebel. “You broke a rule now you have to pay the price,” “What price?” Wyatt asked sacred. “Death,” Rebel said sorrowly. Unfortunately, the one thing Kat loved to do most was the one thing that caused her down fall. If only she could resit pulling that prank.