part 1
Tonight, me, Rouxgaroux, and Felix were back-up for all the things that go bump in the night. Our unit was volunteered for extra duty. A really stuck-up way to say we were babysitting the local police forces during Samhain celebrations. We had it coming. Continue reading “Border Patrol, M.E.L.”
Storycluster: Devil's Peak; character studies: Mark Smith, Frank Edwards
Mark couldn’t hold up his enigmatic misanthrope act. Today, he let me see his friendly side. The scotch made him chatty and I was nice and cozy in a beer-fog. Perfect match. The late afternoon droned with the noises of the forest’s edge.
The bugs screeched. Meme, the dog, barked from the shore at us. Some campers shouted and scream-laughed somewhere on the side of the lake. Chainsaw noises faded into the distance, and the dark waters of the lake whispered to the purplish hue of the fading daylight. Bah! Took a swig from the bottle. Looked like a nauseating postcard picture. A big cheesy blown kiss from Mother Nature that smacked me right where my heart was. A kiss, like poison ivy rash; itchy, blistering feeling, where I just couldn’t reach. Swollen. Red. A raw spot. My hands shook and with them the fishing pole.
alternative D.P. with changed POV, bc I suck & wrote myself into a corner. So here you go. Parent text: here
PART 1
The call saved me from kennel cleaning. Thank God to whoever rang.
I sat in my mock-ffice, in the nook between a dresser that was a stand-in for a kitchen counter, the wall, and a bunk-bed. Across the half breakroom, half guestroom was a real office, and it belonged to Ranger Mark Smith. I tried to listen to the call he just received in the most casual way I could manage without falling over. To be honest, all I had to lean on, was a white plastic folding table behind a cardboard stand with an assortment of fliers and educational pamphlets about the fauna and flora, as well as general information about campgrounds, and some new pencils. Yay. Continue reading “Devil’s Peak (alt 1)”
Part 1 Superstition / Part 2 Names for Blades / Part 3 Sin-eater / Part 4 Threshold
triggerwarning: injury, cruelty, predatory behavior
Part 5a
“Is this really necessary?” I’d be nervous too. “I doubt you need me tied down.” It was a bad position, yes. Frank scuttled and tried to keep his balance. But it was important to leave no doubts. I bowed down and tied his ankles and knees together. The Sin-eater was an old being, almost as old as I was, which meant it had time to perfect some nasty tricks. If it suspected a trap, it would do a lot more than just kill the child. Continue reading “Devil’s Peak (5a)”
Part 1 Superstition Part 2 Names for Blades Part 3 Sin-eater
Part 4
Each breath of cold black air cleared my mind. I held onto Frank’s arm, supporting his weight, marching him forward. Frank’s white hair gleamed like ash falling into the rich darkness. One step -or drag- at the time, we made our way up the trail towards the boulder field. He was heavier than anticipated. I had to thank myself for that, cause I had been the one to knock him out. It was for a good cause though: safety. Continue reading “Devil’s Peak (4)”
Part 1 Superstition Part 2 Names for Blades
The dirt and the leaves on the trail showed no signs of disturbance. It smelled of balmy firs and two-day-old game trails. The patches of grass and plants stood straight. The path we took was virginal. No wind, no movements, no sounds, besides Frank’s and mine. I almost expected the cicadas to sing, but the forest remained silent. The day lost its fierce heat and power. Even the fir trees froze in the semitransparent shadow of ominous size, stretching above the canopy. It was something heavy and dangerous. Blue, violet, and brown saturated in the shadows but I was the only one to recognize. Light withered faster than I had anticipated. Continue reading “DEVIL’S PEAK (3)”
Part 1 HQ Part 2 Biwako-Ohashi-Bridge Part 3 Rustling in the Dark
Part 4 Moonlight Market
The pub was dark and silent, except for the lit candle sitting between two whiskey glasses shimmering with golden liquid and ice cubes. The counter was dividing the darkness and the mirrored shelves packed with gleaming liquor bottles, jars with herbs and other potions. “Aunty made us welcome drinks?” Lou whispered. I shook my head.
I breathed in the rich scented atmosphere. I recognized honey, beeswax, cold tobacco, leather, lemony and herbal notes, and polished wood. Home! I closed my eyes. This all meant home to me. Home. I opened my eyes. I wasn’t alone. Lou was here with me.”Remember! Nothing is for free. Ever! That’s a test.”
“But. You’re family! Aren’t yo-” I harrumphed, and Lou shut up.
Part 1 HQ
Part 2 Biwako-Ohashi-Bridge
Part 3 Rustling in the Dark
The mists of the borders lifted, as soon as my foot touched the wooden planks of the landing stage boat. One way in, the only way out. Felix and Lou materialized by my side.
“Ugh, great! I’m barely dry from the downpour before, but you had to drag me through the lake too!” Lou shook water out of his fur. Poor puppy, he despised being wet. Most amusing weakness, so I made a mental note to buy a water squirt gun, as soon as possible.
Felix chuckled. “Who had the audacity to dip you into the lake, you hairy cookie? Point them out, and I shall smite them with lightning!” To my surprise, he had kept the antlers, never seen him do that with other supernatural entities.
“Smite yourself, you horned fishbrain!” Lou barked and clicked his tongue at him in disgust.
Part 1 H.Q.
Part 2 Biwako-Ohashi-Bridge
The sight of Lake Biwa had me in a headlock of a peculiar mix of joy and dread. The water surface shimmered with the natural and artificial magic mist, walled in by the lurking whispers in the trees around the shore. It could have been a gust of wind if this wasn’t a sacred place. The darkness of a starless sky moved. It hopped from tree to tree like a curious beast, deciding if the newly arrived people at the lake were prey or toy.
I heard the beating of multiple wings, the rustling of feathers ‘n claws, probably the menacing clicking of beaks. Several pairs of eyes fixed me and Lou. My skin tingled where the gazes touched me. The shadows whispered in a distant language, in their breaths: a distinct lack of innocence.
Part 1 HQ
Dat: 30.10 Officers: Kuro, Lou Rouxgaroux, Felix Kanagawa
We reached Kyoto by bullet train. Rain clouds made the October afternoon look like an early winter greeting. Two very bored uniforms welcomed us at the platform.
First, their halfhearted attempts to hide their disinterest didn’t rub me the wrong way, but when one of them placed a folded up paper into my outstretched hand expecting a handshake… I wanted to punch them. Who was I kidding, I wanted to punch everybody. Always. It was a note was from Superintendant Yatomi.
“That’s just peachy!” Lou read it over my shoulder.
THE STORY HIVE 