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
Tag: daydreams
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
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
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
The Fair Way
“See, look. It’s really simple.” Vorin brandished his sealing blade to demonstrate. In front of him, the light spirit, the shape reminiscent of an elongated golden rabbit, struggled to rise from the ground. Vorin’s currently manifested spirit, a fire spirit that took the form of a fox-like being, held it down. “The blade does all … Continue reading The Fair Way
Glacier
The first time they touched, Darius was taken aback by the the frigid cold of Krystal’s skin. Touching her felt like making contact with a dry, fleshy ice cube. She had no warmth to her at all, which surprised Darius. From a distance, Krystal gave no hint at the cold within her: she was always … Continue reading Glacier
Bookstore
Lyla’s bookstore burned down. She left the house every morning at the same time, 7:15, so that she could open the door at 8:00. She had an obsessive need to make sure the store was completely in order before any customers arrived, despite the fact that she usually stayed at least half an hour after … Continue reading Bookstore