The first clue came from the missing food. It was easy to miss, because their visitor didn’t eat much, or quickly. Perhaps, during the course of a day, a berry or two and a single nut might go missing. Perhaps the sugar lid might be put back slightly askew, with a pattern raked into it … Continue reading Arriette
A Face They Never Knew
Maybe it wasn’t a real betrayal, but it certainly felt like one at the time. I suppose, if I force myself to be accurate and I think about it from their side, I have to admit that it’s unlikely they intended to even hurt me, let alone inflict on me such feelings of hurt and … Continue reading A Face They Never Knew
Two Gods
This is how my grandfather began his story. “There was once, long ago, a war between two gods.” My sister Marin and I listened intently, because our grandfather always told good stories, sometimes about knights and princesses, sometimes about dwarfs and witches. We sat on the carpet in front of my grandfather’s recliner next to … Continue reading Two Gods
Comfort
I had originally planned for a more substantial entry today, but my morning was filled unexpectedly by stomach troubles. The main thing he missed was the comfort of her. They had been together so long that he was used to the way they fit together. Perhaps it had not been the best fit, else they … Continue reading Comfort
In My Hands
My grandfather’s sword looked far different in my hands than it had upon the wall, where it had hung for more years than I could count — for more years than I had been alive, in fact. I never knew my grandfather. He passed away before I was born. My grandmother always said it was … Continue reading In My Hands
Thanksgiving Week
Friends and readers, Due to the holiday and my holiday work schedule, posting will be sparse this week and those posts I do make are likely to be off-schedule. Thank you for understanding. Regards, C. M. Williams
Becoming, Part IX
I didn’t know which human to approach first, or even what proper protocol might be for approaching one of the humans. Instead, I began by walking straight down one of the paths that had been cut into the hillside. It wavered a bit from right to left as it travelled between the terraces, but at … Continue reading Becoming, Part IX
The Neos Simulation
The investors sat in the viewing room, each in their own plush chair, which were positioned perfectly so that no one investor’s view could be blocked by another. The room, like a lecture hall or a movie theater, had steps of seating extending upward toward the back. A waiter in a dapper suit stood at … Continue reading The Neos Simulation
Niqa’s Longing
Niqa longed for home more frequently and with greater intensity than she desired anything else. She didn’t understand her longing, either, for even when she was within the walls of her house, curled in her bed, she found herself pining for home. It came as an ache in her chest, a tired, hollow feeling that … Continue reading Niqa’s Longing
Enneagram
I've written some about the Guardians of Lora on Aia. You can find those stories, and a few others that take place on Aia, through the Directory. My struggle on Aia has been in determining who the villain is, because I started with primarily a concept of who the "good guys" are. This is my first … Continue reading Enneagram