I did learn something from that woman, but it was not what I asked to be taught. I learned that, even with all of the shreds of humanity I had absorbed over the years, even with all of the time I spent with Telan, the human mind and its workings and motivations were still entirely … Continue reading Becoming, Part V
Category: Multi-Part
Becoming, Part IV
As I waited for the approach of the Roamers, I did two things. First, I collected food from my surroundings in a way that required little effort. I generally refrained from consuming anything that I considered to be of less value than a human meal, but I made an exception, since for the second time … Continue reading Becoming, Part IV
Loop, Part 3
Loop, Part 1 Loop, Part 2 When Jake revived, he noticed two things: First, he stood in a completely different part of town. Second, he held another note in his hand. Telline: 3 Ora: 2 Ryse: 1 Mikael: 1 Celia: 0 Bastian: 0 Naleya: 0 Staff of Asrai: 0 Jake: 0 A score. Well, that … Continue reading Loop, Part 3
Loop, Part 1
This story will make more sense to those who have read Trapped, Part 1, Trapped, Part 2, and Trapped, Part 3. Jake came into awareness. He blinked. As with every other time, it felt as though he had been asleep for months; or, no, more like he just hadn’t existed for a while. He didn’t feel groggy or … Continue reading Loop, Part 1
Becoming, Part II
Part I To say simply that I knew Telan would be disingenuous, at least when taking the normal connotations of that statement under full consideration. I came to know a great many humans, and other sapient beings, once I began to walk among them in my guise. I didn’t know Telan as one might a … Continue reading Becoming, Part II
The Yew, Part 2
The Yew, Part 1 “Where did that come from?” Rae whispered, too chilled to scream. “I don’t know,” Loren said. “There’s not as much as I thought, at first.” “It sure looks like a lot,” Rae said. She refused to pass the border into the room. Loren, however, approached the branch. “No, it’s just … Continue reading The Yew, Part 2
The Yew, Part 1
“My grandmother’s mom planted that tree, you know.” Herb gestured at the twisting trunk with his mottled hand. His other hand quavered on his his cane. Rae worried that he might fall on the uneven ground. The roots of the tree rippled up out of the earth all around it, like knucklebones poking out of … Continue reading The Yew, Part 1
Trapped, Part 3
Trapped, Part 1 Trapped, Part 2 Bastian spared a glance back at Celia as he moved. Her frustration was clear, not just upon her face, but by the agitated movements of her hair. It buzzed about her head like a nest of swarming bees. He felt glad she hadn’t given up. He was grateful, … Continue reading Trapped, Part 3
Trapped, Part 2
Trapped, Part 1 Some of the arenas gave the illusion that they had once served other purposes. One was designed to look like an abandoned village, complete with houses full of items that made it seem as though someone had once lived there. One arena appeared to be the inside of an improbably large castle. … Continue reading Trapped, Part 2
Trapped, Part 1
How many times had Bastian come to this room? Did it number in the tens, or the hundreds? He didn’t know the answer. Perhaps it did not matter. It seemed, sometimes, that his memories of his life before this time were fading away, replaced by the vivid yet monotonous existence that now encompassed him. He … Continue reading Trapped, Part 1
Daydreams 