Flash Fiction Friday - Blog Posts

✨FFF 205 Masterlist

Thank you for all your wonderful entries, we loved reading every single one ^^ (If we missed your entry, please let us know)

Consider checking out your fellow writers’ pieces, give out those likes and reblogs and gather some inspiration for the new prompt at 12pm!

We’ll see you then!

Where the flowers grow by @somealienquill

The Magic Mirror by @charlies-storybook

Imaginary flowers by @rins-love-wins

Where the Flowers Grow by @renee-writer

Hanahaki by @lix88888

She will wait by @whogavemeapen

Everyone Deserves a Flower by @shipping-through-eternity

Where the Flowers Grow by @aquadestinyswriting

Soar, young one by @writing-with-olive

Curses by @drowning-in-cacophony

Clarification by @lisbeth-kk

Where the Flowers Grow by @clarislam

of ancient roots by @ginneke

Where the Flowers Grow by @stories-by-rie

Growing to be who we really are by @mimisempai

Missing home by @sam-glade

Stolen Moment in the Fields by @pen-of-roses

Something About Poppies by @scottdarlingstorytime

A lovely day by @ngkiscool

Where the Flowers Grow by @lassiesandiego

Desolation by @odysseywritings

Two Suns by @theoriginalsapphic

What She Left Behind by @starlightswitch

Make It True by @jlilycorbie

The Beauty You Are by @edosianorchids901

Snowdrops in the Summer by @betweenthetimeandsound

Disappearance by @e-lisard

so hold my hand, i'll walk with you my dear by @ineedaplacetostay

soil under his nails by @asher-orion-writes

✨ intermission ✨because you wrote so much that tumblr can't post them all in one block ✨ apparently ✨

Where the Flowers Grow by @landofspaceandrainbows

Wherre the Flowers Grow by @nooowestayandgetcaught

Life on a new Sphere by @goblin-writer

Mysterious Masquerade: a fairy tale

@flashfictionfridayofficial

The Princess had reached the right age to marry. Her father picked some young noblemen and noblewomen from families that he had an allyship with as marriage candidates. However, when he presented his daughter the options she rejected all of them. "Father, I'm in love with my best friend. I will marry her or no one at all."

The King was not satisfied with that answer because he was in conflict with that family. "I don't believe you're really so in love with her. You'll have to prove it. Next week I host a masquerade ball in celebration of my birthday. Show me you still recognise that girl when her face is hidden under a mask." 

The Princess agreed. 

A week later the masked Princess entered the ball room. It was crowded with guests from all over the country. A few of them dared to ask the princess for a dance but she declined them all. Soon she spotted her friend in her heavenly blue dress. She was masked but the Princess could still see how her smile lightened up her whole face when their eyes met. "Will you dance with me?" 

"I saw you dancing with her the whole night, how did you recognize her?" the King asked the Princess the next day. 

"That was easy, father," she answered. "She wore the dress we sewed together last year and a necklace I gave to her."

"That's not fair," he said. "I still don't believe you're really so in love with her. You'll have to prove it again. Next week I host a party in celebration of the anniversary of my reign. Show me you still recognise that girl if you go there with a blindfold on." 

The Princess agreed. 

A week later the blindfolded Princess entered the assembly room. She bumped into a few acquaintances but she left them alone as soon as possible. She went to the terrace, one of her friend's favourite places. "Hi?"

"There you are, I was already waiting for you!"

"I saw you talking with her the whole time, how did you recognize her?" the King asked the Princess the next day. 

"That was easy, father," she answered. "She wore the same perfume as always and I can recognize her voice everywhere."

"That's not fair," he said. "I still don't believe you're really so in love with her. You'll have to prove it again. Next week I will have dinner with the noble families of this city to celebrate my successfulness. Show me you still recognise that girl if you can't see, hear or smell her." 

The Princess agreed bitterly. 

A week later the Princess entered the dining hall, her eyes, ears and nose covered. She sat the whole evening quitely besides the King. 

"You did not recognize her this time, did you?" the King asked the Princess after the guests had left. 

"No, but neither did you," she answered.  "Look, I am not your daughter. The Princess left this morning, with her girlfriend." 

"But why?" the King cried. 

"You proved her you don't really love her."

Weeds and ruins: I am still a flower

@flashfictionfridayofficial

“I always knew you were the weed of the family!” 

“Don’t you understand how you ruined everything for us?”

Usually my parents told me their criticism at least in pretty euphemisms. Maybe I had crossed a border by dropping out of university for the third time but I just couldn’t find the right programme.

“Please, believe me this time I really,” I swallowed my tears away, “I really tried my best.” 

“I don’t think your best is very good then,” my mother told me. My sister laughed a bit but I didn’t think it was funny. I actually didn’t believe she was really joking.

“So what is your plan now?” my sister asked. I didn’t know. “Are you going to an art school?” She had been telling me my whole life that I just should go to art school. But for art school you have to be good at art. I wasn’t good; I just really enjoyed it. My sister didn’t really know the difference between those because whenever she is enjoyed something she was also really good at it.

“Well, I haven’t really had time to draw or paint the last months so my chances to get accepted are… like, zero.”

“In my opinion it is not-” my father began but I already knew what was coming. We’d had this argument many times before. He thought art wasn’t a serious career. 

“I’m going for a walk,” I announced. Our home felt too cramped for my father’s anger, my mother’s disappointment, my sister’s hubris and my… everything.

“No. We have to talk about-” I slammed the door. I wasn’t ready to hear about all my mistakes again.

When I was outside I didn’t know where to go until I heard cheerful voices from the playground. It used to be one of my favourite places. The slide looked more dilapidated then I remembered though. The lawn wasn’t well maintained either. It was full of dandelions. Adults always thought they are a weed. 

“Whoo!”. Two boys went down the slide. The smaller one looked a bit scared but an elder lady, I think their grandma, catched them. Grandpa applauded. “Watch out, madame!” I dodged the ball that was coming my way. It landed in the bushes behind me. I picked it up and threw it back to the girls who were playing soccer. “Thank you so much, madame!” 

I sat down on the swing. It squeaked. I watched the children and their grandparents play. It made me sad to see this place turned into such a ruin but they didn’t seem to be bothered by the state of the playground at all.

“Do you want a dandelion?” one of the children handed me an overblown flower. I thanked her, my voice still sounding as if I was about to cry. 

“You have to blow it.” I did. “Make a wish,” she whispered. I wish....

The flower fluff flew away. I wish…

I wish everyone would realize that dandelions are not a weed. No, I wish everyone would know that even if a flower is blooming in a place where it doesn’t belong, it’s still a flower.

Waiting for Reinforcements

Thank you for the prompt @flashfictionfridayofficial

Walking across the dark field towards the barricade, Silus couldn't help but feel a bit melancholy despite the fact that Null had already been passed on to a more fitting vessel. He should have been pleased to rid himself of the burden, but it only felt like his shoulders had started to get even heavier them before.

Rose said it was nerves, and while he knew it wasn't helping things, this was different from the nerves that he'd grown accustomed to.

"Still brooding?" Silus jumped slightly as he noticed her waiting in the shadows with a bottle quietly extended toward him. He accepted it easily for a sip and quickly returned it before the drink could draw him in fully.

"Any word?" She shook her head with a sour expression as she finished off the last several drops of bottle before smashing the glass against the ground.

"No,if we can hold out another day though..." her voice trailed off, unconvincing even to herself it seemed, but he appreciated her attempts. Worrying wouldn't get them anywhere, especially with the mess they had to clean up tomorrow.

"I'm sure they're on their way." He tried to force a smile, but the corners of his mouth felt strangely heavy. He hoped for all of their sakes that they were on the way, because if anything happened to Nulls' new vessel... His newfound freedom would be quite short-lived.

( I'm very tired today, so I just got a rough sketch done)

Bad News 

Thanks for the prompt @flashfictionfridayofficial

Summary: Unexpected news is not well received on 2 hours of sleep.

Warnings: Implied and threatened violence

“So… I think that Charlie and I might be dating.” Veins on the side of his neck began to pulse visibly as Simon set down the document he was reviewing. He hadn’t noticed the gaggle of idiots wandering into his room, and normally he wouldn’t have caught what they were saying, but even more cups of coffee than he’d care to admit and 4 hours of overtime thanks to their antics, he wasn’t nearly tired enough to miss a comment like that. Seb was the first to notice his sudden engagement, moving from his usual perch on the edge of Simon’s desk 

“Well, I guess the cat really got out of the box this time huh?”  Simon breathed deeply through his nose, as his knuckles started to get even paler than usual. 

“Its bag though isn’t it?” Ruth interjected slamming her fist down hard enough to knock some loose papers out of their stacks, sending them strait to the damp floor. 

“No. Everyone knows that Cats love boxes, so if the cat leaves the box then things have really gotten out of hand. Common Ru, think about it. Why would a cat be in a bag?” Tapping the side of his desk with his unclenched hand, Simon began eyeing his half empty mug of cold coffee while eyeing the side of Seb’s head.

“No, I’m pretty sure it’s bag, Right Si?” Ruth turned to him with a hopeful glint in her eyes to let him know that she wasn’t ready to just drop the stupidity this time. As the sound of Simon’s teeth grinding filled the silence, Seb finally seemed to grasp a semblance of the situation, positioning himself behind the main problem in this mess. 

“I’m not ashamed of myself, She’s really changed this time and Psych already cleared her again for active combat so this is really just a win win for all of us in the end.” Jon began grinning like an idiot as he shrugged. “ You should really be thank…” Before the cup had time to leave his hands, Ruth had already jumped over the table scattering the rest of his documents. 

“He didn’t mean anything by it… You know he got hit in the head last time he was on the field!” Clarity crashed through his exhaustion for the briefest moment, and Simon considered if he truly wanted to strangle the idiot in front of him. Gingerly grabbing Ruth by the scruff of her collar, he quickly moved her to the side and drew himself up to his full height. Staring down at the crazy fool he decided that he didn’t exactly have any good reason not to. 

Talk to Me.

Thanks for the Prompt @flashfictionfridayofficial

Warning: slight horror

*Knock* 

“Steven? Are you okay, buddy?” 

Silence hung in the dim hall as Steven hid under his bed, blanket pulled up around him. 

“*Sigh* I know it’s different now sweety, but we’ll make it though this, alright?”

Clamping one of his hands over his mouth, Steven tried to stay as quiet as possible as the old floorboards outside creaked in protest. 

“I know you missed dinner. Do you at least want some ice cream?” 

The sweet voice ever so slightly as frustration crept into the smooth tone. He tried to time his breaths to match the voice, but it wouldn’t work forever. Looking down at the teddy bear alarm clock nearby he watched the seconds tick by slowly (3:59:25) The door began to groan under a sudden force and Steven could hear the frame starting to crack. 

“I Think you’ve dragged this on for long enough young man, I didn’t want to do this, but you can’t just shut me out.” The honey was gone now, replaced by a hard tone that sent chills down his spine.  

“It’s so lonely out here Steven, but I’m sure you’ll liven the place right up” Pulling his alarm clock close to his chest, Steven closed his eyes as tightly as he could counting down the seconds in his mind as the door finally gave way. 

-10 Mississippi, 9 Mississippi, 8 Mississippi-

He could feel it looming nearby, but if he didn’t know that it was there then it couldn’t hurt him.

“Oh don’t be like that Steven, I only want to talk, don’t you love me anymore?”

He lost count, his tear stained eyes finally opening wide, to gaze in frozen horror at the twisted thing that had snuck into his room again.

“Thats it Steven, come to mama.” It smiled wickedly as it reached towards him, long spindly fingers twitching erratically as it tried to grab him. Then a beeping began to sound in his arms, and the things face twisted in disgust as the world melted to black. 

Opening his eyes, Steven looked out at the cloudy sky, gripping his alarm close to his chest, he’d survived another night, only had three left to go.

Ruined Safehaven

Thanks for the prompt @flashfictionfridayofficial

Some context: On the run from a group of powerful vessels (those wielding powers of nature and destruction), Silus tries to bring Luna to a small town for some sense of normalcy in the whirlwind of their journey.

Warning: implied massacre, devastated landscape

Luna rushed past Silus, hiking up the hill with renewed determination.

-Did you really think it was that easy? I didn’t take you for a coward and a fool-

Silus paused, his throat drying out instantly as he recognized the familiar smell of sulfur faintly hanging in the air. Just over that, Ridge was supposed to be safe, but they would have already guessed that wouldn’t they? 

Despite the heavy pack weighing him down Silus lurched forward with the last ounce of stamina he had been preserving, tackling the excited girl to the ground and covering her mouth before she could let out a startled squeak. Now that he was paying more attention, the smell was only getting stronger, accompanied by a sinking dread that started bubbling up in his guts. Luna’s eyes were wide with fear, but when he motioned for her to remain quiet, she nodded slowly, not even making a peep when he removed his hand. 

Luna’s small body trembled as he shifted away from her, but Silus couldn’t stop for apologies this time. Creeping slowly to the crest of the hill, the gnarled woods gave way to a sudden wasteland. Dust and ash hung thickly in the air like a wall, not creeping past some unseen boundary. Any sign of their refuge was completely blotted out, but if he listened closely, he could hear the muffled screams of those trapped inside. 

The air in his lungs began to grow thick as he watched the ash begin to twist and form itself into dancing ghosts of the past, mocking him while growing evermore realistic. One spector pressed its pale hand against the boundery, pressing forward just past where the ash had stopped. It smiled with a hollow expression dripping with satisfaction when he flinched. She couldn’t see this. Slowly withdrawing from his possition, Silus pulled himself to his knees and picked the exhausted girl up. Despite the protest of his aching bones, he held her close as he moved quietly off the path, hoping that whatever that was didn’t chance to follow them. They needed to move further inland. 

Unsent letter

Thanks for the prompt @flashfictionfridayofficial

Also, happy belated 6th anniversary and 300th prompt 🥳

Description: An unpolished letter written in anger but never sent. (I wanted to try something a bit different for the milestone)

I stand now at a crossroads of significant divide. Where need and will have chosen to once more diverge. I need from her many things, her company included, but after this, I can not just pretend that the walls are not fractured.

Don't make decisions when you are upset. Don't burn bridges that you still need to cross. Money will be given, and debts repaid in kind. I will not be forgiven by her words, and in this, I can not find reason to forgive.

Will you look at me differently once the madness has retreated? Will smiles adorn your face once the storm has passed? I am to be rational and care as always, but you have a life left to lead, and I have no place stopping that, only the desire to keep you safe. In doing what I thought best, I have hurt you, and for that, I am sorry, and by your own actions, I have seen a folly in my resolve. I can not save you if you do not wished be saved, no matter how much it pains me to watch.

I have benefited greatly from your kindness and thoughtfulness, but I have also suffered greatly under the weight of your wrath. I curse my heart for still being affected by this, but I will do my best not to let this affect our partnership. Instead, the roots shall be gradually trimmed, and I will do my best to quietly let you go.

Spark of Progress

Thanks for the prompt @flashfictionfridayofficial !

Warning: minor science and bugs. Picture has mutated body parts displayed in the background.

Word Count: 395

Story: original snippet, apocalyptic

Cells danced across the lit slide, quickly overtaking the benign tissue and effortlessly mutating the sample. Carl attempted to focus in on the process for any notable variation in its pattern, but after sixteen hours, his dancing vision was persistant enough that he probably wouldn’t catch anything of note even if it bit his face anyway. 

“Sleep, or I’m gonna break that piece of junk.” Pulling away instinctivly, Carl clutched his microscope protectively. 

“Touch it and we all go up in smoke.” His baby-sitter shrugged and picked up the pile of papers that he’d haphazardly arranged for collection. These brutes had their uses but they were far too blunt for his purpouses most days. 

“See anything interesting today?” He shrugged.

“Nothing significant, the infection has been resistant to everything I’ve thrown at it.” Feeling less insecure about the safety of his equipment, Carl leaned back a bit in his chair and raised his coffee to take a drink before he caught sight of something floating along the surface. Pulling it away from his mouth, he set the ceramic mug onto the table and eyed the strange insect floating belly up on the surface. It was obviously infected, nothing that would cause significant damage by itself, but how had a dead infected bug gotten in his cup? 

“You okay?” Carl’s guard was already by his side, checking him for any signs of injury. He knew he wasn’t turning, He’d run enough test to know what turning felt like, at least what people documented it feeling like. Pushing past her, he grabbed a pair of forceps from a loose pile of tools and picked up the bug quickly dragging it over to his work station. Despite his earlier exhaustion a sence of urgency had driven the sleep from his eyes. Quickly preparing a tray, he slid the pieces into place and engaged the magnification. 

Silence settled over the room as he watched the aggressive cells shrivel up and flake apart when contacting the coffee residue. After all this time… Shaking his head, Carl pulled away to grab another sample, he’d have to isolate the cause, figure out what exactly was triggering the reaction. His fingers shook with excitement forcing him to slow down his work for the sake of accuracy. Every moment crawled by in agonizing silence, but If he was right… humanity could finally be saved. 

Uninvited Pest

Thanks for the prompt @flashfictionfridayofficial

Description: A new father struggles with insomnia and is visited by an unwanted acquaintance. 

Warnings: Reference to violence

 “Hey Obi, you’re looking oddly cognitive today. Did the brat finally exhaust itself?”

Oberon reflexively raised a hand to protect Poppy from Solomon. 

“Quiet jester.” He hissed out the words in a hushed tone while the mischievous creature rocked his head back and forth quietly, having finally replaced those blasted bells he was so fond of. 

“Oh you don’t mean that Obi, I know you missed me.” Oberon tried to put some distance between them, but Solomon quickly closed the gap and pressed the back of his hand against Oberon’s burning throat. 

“Tsk… Tsk… I knew the misses was out of commission but how long have you been caring for her little hell spawn?” Uninterested in discussing his wife at the moment, Oberon bit back.

“Didn’t you get executed yesterday?” Solomon straitened suddenly and pulled back as though appearing to be offended. 

“And I thought you couldn’t make it to the event.” His smiling jester mask shifted to a frown and a blob of black ink ran from the corner of his eye. Oberon shook his head in disgust gently lifting Poppy from her sling and setting her down in a small crib with star drops dancing overhead. It took him a moment of effort, but before he’d even pulled away, Oberon had resigned himself to the trickster’s company, at least for the evening. 

“Next time they should dig a bit deeper.”

“They don’t have the patience for it, but by all means I commission you to persuade them.” Oberon rolled his eyes and grabbed one of Solomon’s tassels to drag him from the room. 

The Jester put up a mock struggle, pulling fruitlessly against Oberon’s light hold until they had made it to the wine cellar. 

“So what do you want Solomon? I doubt you came all this way for my company.” The frown disappeared from his face, replaced once more with his devious smile. 

“Nothing so grand as last time Obi, just the world?” Oberon almost dropped the bottle he’d pulled free of the dust covered shelf. Instead he flipped it in his hand and almost instinctively finished the executioners work. 

Termination

Thanks for the prompt @flashfictionfridayofficial

Lan decides to make a move after learning that his deal with the council has been voided.

Warnings: Violence and death

“I heard an interesting rumor.”

Ripples cascaded across the wine soaked floor as council members looked up from their drunken revilry.

“It was such a silly little thing, but I knew that it was the perfect tale to end things on.” Water droplets danced around Lan as he took another step forward, once more disrupting the wine underfoot. “Besides, I just know you’d be interested to hear it.”

Several of the more grounded members began to stir, reaching for their stupid little bells with shouts of panic that only grew more desperate as the metal melted into puddles of burning liquid.

“Oh… Not interested then?” Streams of water began running from the ceiling, twisting together to form thin serpentine constructs.  “I guess there really isn’t a need to go over things.”

The serpents began to slither down the large pillars of the hall, quickly gliding towards their prey. Lan continued to advance, walking just slowly enough for his constructs to begin feasting. The council desperately struggled, arms harmlessly passing through the serpents' bodies, only serving to further entangle them. It was a wasted effort. Their fates had already been set in stone the moment they broke their word.

“Such a pity, Rue would have enjoyed this.” But the love birds would be busy, wouldn’t they? 

Half smiling, Lan stepped onto the platform, reaching out to one of the feasting serpents. It raised it’s head and quickly abandoned the others to gently offer up a gilded skulls it had collected. Blinking in surprise at the already smooth surface, Lan couldn’t hold back a chuckled. Even for pigs, their hides had been softer than he expected. 

Thanks for the prompt @flashfictionfridayofficial

Short and not so sweet, but fun to write none the less.

Vocal Reflection

“It would be so easy Simon, just say it, and you can finally be free of them. Don’t you want to see the sun again?” The creature now only barely obscured by the murky waters spoke to him with honey coated words even as its hollowed eyes glared up at him hungrily. “Your lovely wife and precious child… Oh how lonely they will be when you don’t return. They would steal your life, but I wouldn’t take much Simon, not even a fraction of what you stand to lose here.”

“None of the others could hear me, do you know what that means Simon?” He was the only one who could know what name to call. “Yes, but you don’t have much time left without my help Simon. It’s a simple choice, we can both survive.”

“No” 

The End of A Story

Thanks for the prompt @flashfictionfridayofficial

No warnings, just the end of a little story.

“Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. A horse, a bull, and a goblin walk into a bar…”

The minotaur rolled his eyes before slowly turning his attention back to his pint. 

“It was never a funny joke, Jerry, and I’m a pony anyway.”

The talking ‘pony’ raised her head from a bowl of hay to fix him with a disappointed look that wasn’t half so effective now that her eyes were almost as large as watery cue balls. 

“Ha, then why the long face?”

The minotaur snorted in amusement, not quite pulling his attention from his drink while the talking ‘pony’s ears flicked backward. 

“See I told you that the big guy was the only one that still has a shred of humor left. Anyway, what do you think of the place?”

The barkeep gestured to the ocean waves, lapping against the not so distant shore while giving them a wide smile. He’d gone for a resort look this time, taking advantage of the natural beauty of the coast line to compensate for his lack of decor. If nothing else could be said for him, he was good at making the best of a bad situation

“I like what you’ve done with the place, nice open air concept, now where’s my blasted money Jerry?”

The Goblin face poking over the table top was plastered with a sour expression as he watched the gold swing fron the barkeeps’ ears. 

“Have some more food.”

He placed another plate of carrots in front of the trio and went back to dealing with his other patrons, only glancing back over to their table occasionally to make sure that the group was still content. 

In the relative silence that quickly overtook the quaint establishment, a lone figure approached their table and set down a familiar looking lamp. 

“Ten years already passed… How time flies, but I wonder, are you still interested in changing back?”

There was no outburst this time, no bargaining or desperation that had been so often present in their past encounters. After a moment of silence passed between them, the Goblin grinned, his pearly white smile now mixed with shining golden teeth that complimented his velvet suit coat. 

“No, I think I speak for the lot of us when I say that won't be necessary. Now leave us to our meal, and we shall show you the same courtesy.”

The djinn chuckled ruefully at the results and disappeared, leaving the trio to continue their misadventures. He may have pegged them wrong, but they had been interesting to watch nonetheless, and there would always be others far less resilient to mess with.

Bad Deal

Fairies causing trouble doesn't always go in their favor.

Word count: 307

Warning: some violence, implied/ referenced child death

Thanks for the prompt @flashfictionfridayofficial

“I’ll count your late husband's debt fulfilled with this. Be grateful I don’t come for the next one.”

Leona stared down at the doll in her hand, remembering the bloated swamp fly’s words more clearly than the night they’d been spoken. In her travels, she had often wondered what possible reason that foul being could have had to rip her child away before she even had the chance to hold him. A part of her had hoped that the fay just craved connection to the world like she had. That might at least have made the loss more bearable. 

“DON’T KILL ME! IT WAS MY RIGHT TO TAKE HIM, THAT WAS THE DEAL.”

A gently thump emanated from the burlap bunny, and Leona knew that connection had been the furthest thing from this insect’s mind when robbing her of the last thing she could care for. It had been foolish to suspect anything else from them, but it wasn’t too late to learn from her mistakes. 

“No, you never had any claim to my son… Theo couldn’t have children.”

The insect’s face bunched up in rage, and it shook it small fist’s in the air while screeching. 

“I WAS TRICKED? MY PRIZE WAS JUST A FAKE!?! I DEMAND…”

Frowning in disgust, Leona pierced her bident through the frustrated fay. The heartbeat in her hand fluttered as the creature’s light faded, making her chest tighten. No magic in the world could bring back a body ten years gone.

She’d been too diplomatic, listening to the advice of those who feared the old magic. Gripping her weapon tightly, Leona swore to the boiling rage in her heart that she would not make the same mistake again. Valleys would be turned to rivers, filled with their putrid blood before they came to know the despair she would bring to them. 

Protector

Thank you for the prompt, @flashfictionfridayofficial

Janus smoothed out her crumpled letter as he watched the sunset beyond the horizon. To say that he hadn’t longed to see his sister after she abandoned them would be a lie, but after years of contemplation and bargaining, he thought that he had at least gotten past caring so much. Chuckling to himself at the irony, Janus supposed that his role of protector wasn’t so easily forgotten, despite what his therapist had been insisting on for years.

What really struck him about all this, was just how simple the letter really was. No pleasantries or excuses, just his sister, asking to meet her brother in a neutral area, and promising to actually explain things for once. Without a doubt it was one of her ruses, so predictable, that it would make anyone who'd known her roll their eyes in disgust. Even as her brother, he’d be a fool to believe such empty words again, yet here he stood, waiting for her like always.

“Mr. Janus?”

Turning, Janus felt the muscles in his jaw tense. The boy standing before him was her spitting image. If he hadn’t known better, then he might have suspected that she ran a fowl with some spirit that compressed her into this form. It wouldn’t be that strange for her, but the boy’s eyes were distinctly inhuman. 

“You must be Clarance.”

The pre-teen nodded his head slowly, gripping the strap of his duffle bag until his knuckles began to turn white. Mother had mentioned him once or twice, but Janus had stopped himself from inquiring about the boy, convinced that it wasn’t his business. Whatever the result, now it had been made his business, and he wished that he had at least listened to the basics.  

“Well then, I suppose your mother left you with some instructions?”

The boy’s eyes widened in panic and he began rooting through his bag, eventually producing a crumpled piece of paper. Stepping hesitantly forward he shoved it towards Janus, who accepted it with a quiet thanks.

-Please keep him safe-

Letting out a heavy sigh, he crumpled the paper and stuffed it into his pocket with her letter. As always it seemed that her promises were as paper thin as the cheap scrap she wrote them on. Straightening his posture Janus smiled at the nervous child. It was pointless to dwell on the twisting mass disappointment in his chest, he could figure out her situation later. Now he had other things to focus on. 

“Are you hungry?”

An Interesting Conversation

@flashfictionfridayofficial Thank you for the prompt! Also, thank you for your kind words about my drawings and writing in the past :) These prompts have been really good for getting me to write original work more regularly. Thank you so much!

Warnings: alcohol and some tension?

Summary: John runs into an unexpected figure at a lack luster party.

You were quite difficult to track down you know.”

John set down his wine, uninterested in the sparkling liquid after an initial testing. So far, this event had been a waste of his time, and speaking to another elite wasn’t going to improve his souring mood. 

“I keep to myself… Politics no longer hold any interest to me.”

Watching the many debutantes fluttering across the dimly lit ballroom with their sparkling capes and glistening helms had only contributed to the perpetual headache that had recently been plaguing him. He thought he might at least get to meet with someone interesting, but the older participants who might have been good for a story or two were all focused on the dance floor, assessing potential seeds to develop with even less subtlety than a child in a candy store. After two hours of this nonsense, he had little hope that any conversation here would be worth his time. 

“Yet you always hold such sway over the tides of history… I remember reading about your exploits on Teris 7, the carnage that you wrecked… It was inspiring.”

John turned his head slowly, his eyes fixed on the towering figure just to his left. A simple red cape held in place by two golden fasteners caught his attention before the coiling cables draping past her ceremonial helmet snaked into view. She was quite the figure to be appearing here.

“Such high praise, Admiral Krom, but you seem to have me confused with someone, don’t you? I may seem tarnished, but my time does not span further than your father’s.”

He noticed the flinch, turning his body towards the drink he’d laid aside. It seemed more palatable now that the conversation had shifted to such a useless topic. 

Before he could reach for it, his hand was intercepted, the music beginning to swell as bachelors flooded the dancefloor to have their promised turn with a rising star. 

“Humor me?”

With another half hour before the doors would reopen, he accepted her advance, swaying along to the tune until her moves began to shift, turning to a much older step that his body instinctively fell into. 

“The Dying Constellation… banned by the mad emperor after the death of his beloved wife, and nearly lost to time… not the type of thing one’s body forgets, is it?”

John’s shoulders hunched. She was a persistent pup. One who seemed to have done her research.

“What do you want?”

His words were flat, and he wasn’t sold on the conversation, but for her to have learned that dance at such a young age… she deserved a modicum of engagement at least. At the height of the echoing music, Krom dipped him back, pulling his waist towards her with a tense grip and closing the distance between them in an instant. 

“The empire is rotting John. I just want you to do what you do best and remind everyone just how small our bluster is in the face of real monsters.”

Her words rang out like music, causing the husk to stir with excitement in a way he hadn’t felt since encountering the first emperor. Her ambition was palpable, and borderline, desperate, hidden behind a thin facade of calm that was threatening to break with every word she spoke. 

“He was already proud of you, Elodie, and revenge can’t revive the dead.”

He pulled away from her gently, the strength gone from her hands as he picked up his wine, downing the liquid in an attempt to quiet the beating of their hearts. What use would there be in getting excited now? 

“No… But you can, or at least the husk could manage it, right?”

He froze, a spark of interest finally starting to unravel the ball of apathy packed tightly in his chest. Perhaps this party wouldn’t be a total waste of an evening after all.

Something Shiny

Thanks for the tag, @flashfictionfridayofficial

Warnings: mild body horror, altered mental states, mild nudity (nothing too explicit, but I figured I should mention it)

Wren watched in quiet longing as the carriage grew smaller in the half light until it was nothing but a dull glimmer in the distance. They’d rejected her again. She’d been so good too, doing all of the chores and following every rule down to the letter, but it wasn’t enough.

 Looking down at her ruined dress, it felt foolish to have hoped things would end differently this time. If she had just stayed quiet then perhaps her sister’s dress could have at least been spared, but this of all event had just been too tempting to not at least ask. Was it so bad for her to have fun sometimes? She had proven that she could behave, and it wasn’t like she wanted to see a stupid prince anyway. Watching the glittering stones dance across people’s throats was all the entertainment she’d need for at least three months, and maybe if she was lucky someone might lose a sliver that she could find, and add to her meager collection. 

Pulling out her string and needles, Wren picked up the nearest torn shirt and began to mend the shoulder. Her family wouldn’t be back until morning, so there wouldn’t be any music to spy tonight. As she tried to focus on the work in front of her, the silence grew to a suffocating pitch. Moonlight washed over her, bringing with it the glint of something shiny in the distance. 

A plume of feathers burst from her skin and colors began to shift as a thick film slid over her eyes. Her ears twitched as an obsession began brewing in her mind. Since her collection had been plundered months ago, the scraps she’d managed to gather were less than spectacular. She could finish up her mending, but working distracted was a fool's errand and it wasn’t like mother expected her to finish the work this evening. 

Pulling out some extra clothes that she had held back from the last batch of mending, Wren packed away the unfinished pieces before her wings burst through the torn back of her dress, scattering the old silk across the attic. Feathers ruffling in anticipation, Wren flung open the window. Gripping the frame, her fingers twisted into talons as she took in a deep breath free from restraint.

 Jumping from her window, Wren dropped down the side of the moat before allowing her wings to unfurl and lift her soaring into the air. Her flight feathers hadn’t completely recovered from the last pruning, but she’d been careful to avoid flying around her step sisters anymore, so they were starting to forget again. 

Wren let out shrieks of excitement as the world flew past her in a blur of dazzling color, lit by the moonlight overhead. Catching a draft of air, Wren rose higher into the air, allowing moonlight to bathe her before plunging down to land on her prize. Tackling the lone figure she pinned its limbs with her talons and plucked a pretty stone from its throat. Examining it closely she gave a trill of excitement before pulling away.

“Pretty! Can I trade you for it?”

Not one to completely forget her manors too easily, Wren pulled one of her finest feathers out, presenting it to the stranger who was now sitting on the ground, stunned. 

“Sure?”

Quickly gripping her prize, Wren handed over payment and perched on the edge of the water enamored by the strange stone she’d bartered for. It wasn’t that she was surprised by her triumph, her negotiations were impeccable. It was more that she had only parted with one of her shining feathers, when she had been prepared to go up to three. It made the trade even more thrilling. 

“Take good care of it, I spent many hours caring for that one, It’s good luck you know?”

Wren soon found that her upselling wasn't necessary, as her trade partner, a man in leather armor, seemed just as enamored with her feather as she was with her stone.  On closer inspection, he seemed to have some strange weapons at his side. Was he some type of hunter perhaps? 

Remembering her sister’s warnings of such folk, Wren remained calm, giving the man a friendly wave before taking off into the sky. She didn’t bother to look back, knowing that even if he could draw his bow in time, she’d be well out of range before he could notch an arrow. If he had tried to strike earlier, her talons would have made quick work of him, and then she could have her stone, feather, and a meal. While her mouth started to water at the thought of a snack, her step mother would definitely know she’d fed. Wren shuddered at the possibility of losing her flight feathers again and quickly returned as the moon was setting, determined that this little distraction wouldn’t upset things too much. 

Hide and Seek

@flashfictionfridayofficial Thanks for the prompt!

Summary: A rather intense game of hide and seek preformed every fifty years. Each game spans over a five year period and involves about 300 active participants. The goal of the game is survival, but from what? Most involved only have a notion of their pursuer.

Warnings: Horror, blood, some eldritch elements

A pungent mix of rusted iron and raw meat woke Gordon suddenly from a dead sleep. Quickly glancing at the band bolted to his wrist he should have had another three hours before his next move, but the calculation must have been wrong. Adapting quickly, Gordon pulled out his hunting knife, and began pruning back a collection of tissue that had begun to grow, producing a thick pool of blood. The work was fowl and tedious, but a necessary step to buy more time. 

As he lingered the ceiling began to groan, warning of an impending collapse. Packing up the large mostly cleaned vertebra, Gordon inspected it for any additional growths before loading it on his back and quickly grabbed some extra supplies. There was no telling how long he’d have to be on the move before reaching another shelter, but delaying any longer would be dangerous. 

Inserting his data card, Gordon quickly switched his status to targeted. Looking back to the shower, he almost regretted not taking a bath before crashing, but sleep had been a better investment. He could worry about feeling clean when he could afford it.  

Stalking down one of the many dim corridors, dread simmered in his veins. Up until last year he’d been given alerts when his turn was drawing near, but lately he hadn’t even run into wanderers making him fear for the network. Reaching a good distance through the tunnels, the solitary echo of his boots was interrupted by the sound of dripping blood, as tissue continued to form around his burden at an alarming rate. A shiver ran down Gordon’s spine as he recalled his last encounter with the creature. If he could escape the tunnels and get to the lake he could use the current to outpace it, or he at least hoped that he could. 

It could smell him like this, and the chase would be easier that way wouldn’t it? The creature would take time to collect its fallen flesh, but the time it stalled varied significantly from case to case, making the tactic risky to use often. He’d avoided it for the most part, but today the scars on his left arm began to ache making him pause to glance over his shoulder. It wasn’t as overgrown as before, so maybe he was putting enough distance between them? That hope carried him a little faster, pushing him to the surface minutes before he’d anticipated.

Stepping out into the forest, a dock sat only a couple hundred feet away. The sight filled his bones with a surge of anticipation that died in his throat at the sound of twisting wood. Plastering himself against the far wall of the building, Gordon held his breath and listened as the trees were bent out of place. It was here. Silence followed for half a minute, forcing Gordon to sneak a small gasp of air, as his heart began to beat wildly. A low sallow hum called for him to cry out along with the rest of the forest, to make himself known, but he resisted. 

Among those that answered the call, a Starling perched on a nearby branch sang out and was instantly bathed in a red light that crept past the corner of his hiding place. Gordon saw the starlings eyes grow wide, and its muscles stiffen up as it lost balance and fell into the grass mere feet away from him.  

The wood once more creaked and strained as it was bent out of form. The red light passed over the top of the building, lingering just where he was hiding. It was taunting him, and he needed to move. The boat was so close but his legs seemed frozen, knowing what would happen if the creature laid eyes on him. The little Starling twitched and writhed, its eyes seeming to plead for an escape that Gordon couldn't provide. He could only make sure that the creature was occupied, and keep the game going until the timer ran out. Clenching his teeth, Gordon forced himself to move. 

As he took his first step, the sounds of the forest cut out suddenly, making his movements feel impossibly loud. The creature crooned in a twisted mockery, the light remaining in place, eerily still, and perfectly obstructed, goading him to flee. Swallowing back his fear, Gordon accepted the challenge and ran, ripping through the trees faster than he’d ever managed before. 

Even as his racing heartbeat rang through his ears, Gordon could hear the trees behind him, snapping at their bases to make room for the hunter. It would have its fun, but if Gordon could help it, the creature wouldn’t have its prize today.

It’s all in the eyes 

Thank you for the prompt @flashfictionfridayofficial

No warnings

Word Count: 608

It was the final day of the grand celebration and Rue was late. Tapping his finger against the table, Kaliyah scanned the crowd again. It wasn’t like her to be this late. Normally it wouldn’t have been of much concern to him, but he had been itching to discuss the latest reports with her since they had come in with the afternoon meal. He’d managed to intercept most of the interesting tidbits today, but the information would only be good for so long. Once the council got wind of it, their advantage would be wasted, and he could already tell that one report would be of particular interest to many at the event. Rue’s keen sense of their cohabitants was vital to finding the best buyer, and they were running out of time.  

A crack of thunder suddenly split the sky, startling the attendants and drawing their attention. Vibrant blues and greens filled the night air overhead, as a flurry of water droplets began to cascade towards them, suspending just above the heads of the guests. Kaliyah’s hand relaxed on the hilt of his blade as recognition dawned on him. Of course it would be him. Scowling Kaliyah continued to silently scan the crowd for any devilry as the other attendants watched small constructs form from the water droplets with complete devotion. Kaliyah even found himself glancing at the intricate constructs dancing across the sky in an elaborate dance despite his irritation. 

As the performance was reaching its height of action, a great serpent of water rose up consuming the constructs, rolling itself into a sphere that quickly shrunk into a solid form and landed at the feet of the council, refined into a shining pearl of the sea. The crowd erupted into applause as one of the council servants rushed forward to present the stone to the council head, who inspected it with greedy eyes.

The disrespectful undertone of the performance and its conclusion seemed to have been ignored by the participants,  who seemed content with the grandeur of the performance, but Kaliyah shuddered to think what such a statement could mean. That man didn’t make such boisterous plays mindlessly. Looking towards the door, Kaliyah watched Lan silently step into the courtyard, towering over everyone as usual, in a very unusually flashy dress. The crooked smile plastered on his face painted him as the picture of geniality, but Kaliyah didn’t miss the flash of darkness that passed through his eyes as he bowed to the council. When the noise from the crowd finally died down as they returned to their revelry, an air of excitement still lingered from the performance. Lan never disappointed. 

Growing uneasy at his unexpected appearance, Kaliyah made ready to sneak away from the party, but as he was approaching the exit he caught sight of Rue. She looked beautiful, adorned in a simple dress and practically glowing as she quietly offered Lan a beverage. Kaliyah almost reached out to her, but having no desire to intrude, he swallowed his pride, turning to leave. If she had chosen Lan then he would respect her decision. 

‘Come now Capitan, don’t keep Mrs. Rue waiting.’

Turning suddenly Kaliyah caught sight of a small water construct in the shape of a snake that seemed to smile at him mischievously before dissipating.Turning towards Lan, half fuming, he caught Rue’s gaze and stood in shock as a light blush spread over her cheeks. Had they not come together? Catching Lan’s expression, Kaliyah felt his ears burn slightly at the hint of mirth filling his cold eyes. The old snake had definitely planned this.

Thanks you for the tag, @flashfictionfridayofficial

INTOLERABLE INACTION

How far can one tollerate injustice for the sake of advancement?

Bitter heat forced its way down Pearl’s throat, burning his lungs. Every muscle in his body ached to turn and do something, but his hooves remained planted firmly on the scorched stone. His tail flicked back and forth as bits of his fur began to singe, marring his pristine coat with numerous imperfections. Even that price wasn’t high enough to atone for his inaction. 

As he listened, wails of torment rang out over the sound of the crackling flames. They were merely mortals, their lives meaningless in the grand scheme of the world he lived in. Their suffering was a mercy compared to the life of mediocrity they would have faced. Still Pearl’s grip tightened around his staff. He could still recall the boundless fields, filled with lush flowers and children laughing as they ran down the uneven streets without a care in the world. That hadn’t been nothing. The cry of a baby echoed above his resolve, his ears flattening against his neck. The council had made it clear that they wouldn’t tolerate further insubordination from him, but Pearl hadn’t been all that interested in immortality anyway.

Dropping his branded spear, Pearl turned from his post and charged towards the burning village. Fire birds circled above, destroying every ounce of life that their burning eyes landed on. He needed to be faster, to make up for every moment of pain his inaction had caused. Rushing to the blackened river, Pearl planted his hooves deep in the soft stones.

Power coursed through his veins, bending the water to his will. They attacked without mercy, and he would swallow them whole. Great snakes of glistening water rose around him, swimming through the air as though they were traveling through the ocean’s depths. They hissed in anticipation, hungering for battle, awaiting his command. Swiping a claw across the night sky, Pearl ordered his constructs to feast on the burning fowl. 

Without hesitation, the snakes rushed to the village, biting down on their prey and extinguishing the fire in their souls. The swift formation led to unstable constructs, making Pearl’s skin burn as each of the snakes shattered. As their forms unraveled, torrents of water crashed against the burning buildings, enveloping the land in billowing clouds of steam. Now, they could run or rebuild. Either way, he wouldn’t let the council have their way here.

“What have you done!”

Pearl turned to face his former commander, one of the water serpents coiling around him protectively. 

“I have tried, brother, but I can not force my knee to bend in the face of tyranny, no matter how tempting the rewards.”

Thanks for another fun prompt @flashfictionfridayofficial !

Happy New Year!

This is another random snippet inspired by the prompt.

Cold Winters Night

The falling snow turned to slush around midday and had continued pelting down in an endless onslaught well into the evening. Annexed from the other houses and nestled between two towering warehouses, a pair of windows glowed brightly with an inviting warmth that seemed to cut through the howling wind. Inside, the fire burned brightly, keeping the week's soup and most of the bar toasty. It helped that Zora had finally invested in some proper insulation over the summer months, but what good did it do her if there were no customers filling the tables?

Usually, around this time, the bar would be packed with workers, just back from the mines, drinking and carrying on about whatever petty squabbles that had grabbed their attention this week. Today, it seemed that the slush was enough of a deterrent to send them all scurrying back to whatever holes they called home. Even the corner closest to the fire was completely empty. If the weather continued to get worse, and this became a trend, she might have to take Ruth up on her offer to go to the country for a bit. It would be nice to see the kids again, even if she’d end up suffering another lecture about starting her own family, and Prior had been asking to borrow the bar for storage anyway.

Just as she was convincing herself that the trip would be a good choice, Zora’s solitude was interrupted by the little bell above the main door ringing. A dripping figure draped in a brown sack stepped through her door, tracking in a mess of ice. The shivering child who barely stood three feet tall struggled to close the thick oak door before turning to the counter and tottering forward. From the boney limbs poking out from under her ragged clothes, the child looked to be a beggar, but Zora hadn’t heard word of any kids on the streets lately.

When the child finally made it to the bar, Zora watched in silence as the scruffy child pulled herself slowly onto one of the bar stools and shoved a bag across the counter towards her. As the torn burlap scraped forwards, the twine strap holding it closed came loose, spilling shining gold coins between them. The child looked from the coin up to Zora with a determined expression that didn’t belong on such a young face.

“I want you to be my father.”

Zora briefly wondered if her years of drinking had finally resulted in hallucinations but quickly decided that the child was just confused. Turning away from the child, Zora grabbed a clean bowl and filled it with soup. Her appearance had always been on the masculine side, sure, but usually flirtatious drunks were the only ones to mistake her for a man. Maybe Prior wasn’t completely off basis with how much she’d let herself go.

“Eat up kid.”

Setting the soup down, Zora watched the child’s eyes light up.

“Thanks Dad!”

After gulping down the soup like a starving animal, the child gave her a big smile and offered up the clean bowl. Zora chuckled and accepted it, filling the bowl once more, much to the child’s delight. She wasn’t sure what this father business was all about, but there was nothing else going on tonight, and it wouldn’t hurt to figure out what the kid was doing with so much gold.

A New Start

Thanks for the prompt @flashfictionfridayofficial

Coming back to a background story from one of my WIPs Bloodmage. Luis first meets Jade.

Chapter warnings: some body horror

A flurry of minute red crystals flowed from his lungs. Mixing with the frosty air, the fragile shards easily shattered, sparking an array of pinpoint explosions. Fragments ricocheted wildly, tearing up more of the ground around his still form. As he lay still as a corpse, a particularly robust fragment landed in one of his unblinking eyes, embedding itself slowly into his cornea; he hadn’t been particularly interested in the view, but it would be a shame to lose his sight before the end.

“What manner of creature are you then?”

A voice rang out to his left, pulling his focus from the cloudless expanse above him. Opening his mouth to speak, he found that his voice refused to work, his heart still too dead to manage even that. He frowned in frustration, but without the energy or will to move, he was trapped here, like he had been for many years.

“It’s rare for someone to have destroyed more humans than plants… You seem to have put most of my little ones to shame.”

What looked to be a deer skull hovered over him, finally coming into full view. Pink hair ran across the top in a messy array, reminding him of cherry blossoms in spring. He’d always enjoyed watching the delicate petals dancing through the wind.

His breath hitched suddenly as a strange surge of power coursed through his skull as one of the creature’s fingers gently rested against his cold face. Whatever this creature was, it was humming with a strange and beautiful power that was strong enough to steal his breath away.

“Don’t give up yet. There is much to this world worth living for.”

He could sense the creature’s disappointment in him and his decision. As the hand began to pull away, a piece of his fractured soul suddenly sparked at those simple words. He’d counted everything lost, felt that this world had nothing more to show him, but this feeling. He suddenly felt that he needed more of it.

“W…it”

The creature’s attention turned to him once more, filling his mind with a strange spark of excitement. He took in a deep breath and let out a choked laugh at his own pathetic efforts. The creature returned the laugh with a trill, and he could almost imagine that it was smiling at him.

“Good, warriors shouldn’t fall so easily.”

The creature’s clawed hands gently encircled him, pulling Luis free of the earth.

@flashfictionfridayofficial Thanks for the prompt!

Messages

Another random story inspired by the prompt.

Story warning: mild language.

[Hey honey, I know I said that I could make it back by 8, but something came up at the lab, and the boss wants all hands on deck. Take care of the kids, I love you guys.]

His eyes darted around the room, looking for anything that was salvageable. It was clear that the area had been abandoned some time ago, the infection almost completely covering the walls. Avoiding the larger masses, he crossed into a room that smelled slightly cleaner than the rest and discovered to his delight that the technology hadn’t been damaged too significantly.

[I know that I promised to spend more time at home this year, but we’re so close to a break through, I can feel it. Take care of the kids, I’ll be back when I can]

Taking several deep breaths to bring his heart rate back to normal, he stopped in front of the main terminal. He couldn’t let his emotions run too high and wake the others again. His fingers hesitated just over the keyboard, knowing that if he screwed up this time, he could kiss any chance at escape goodbye.

[Some of the others are starting to act strangely, I know that we’re on to something, but they’ve locked down the main exits. I’m worried about you guys. Please call me back when you get this message…. sigh… I love you guys]

Carefully securing the most intact cables, he gingerly booted up the computer system and watched in quiet excitement as the screens flickered to life.

[I found a way out, I’m coming home, please be okay. I miss you guys… If I don’t make it, I need you to know that I love you]

The files were nothing he wouldn’t have expected from a lab like this one, but it would be good enough to aid in his escape of this labyrinth. With the data secured in his wrist and a plan of escape brewing in his mind, one of his eyes suddenly picked up on a strange flicker from one of the dying monitors. It felt greedy to try for something more, but he was feeling adventurous today. The files were encrypted, but it was easy enough to break through.

[Dear, where are you? You said that you’d be back by now,the kids are worried about you. I don’t know what’s going on, but the sky is acting really weird, and Tom started acting strangely… Please call me back when you can.]

His fingers froze, and his heart jumped a bit, the voice striking a cord in the back of his mind. Where had he heard it before?

[I can’t wait for you anymore, the kids… they’ve started to get sick, and the neighbors all left last week.]

Why did she sound so afraid? His skin began to crawl as his eyes darted to the main terminal again. Lurching forward in barely controlled steps, his fingers began to fly across the keys.

[I tried John, I really did… I don’t know if you’re still alive, but I know that you wouldn’t have left us like this unless you had no other choice. I love you.]

His fists landed against the table, triggering a wave of alarms as his heart rate began to fluctuate, overloading the computer. They had blocked the messages, every bloody message that he had sent. A flood of rage rushed through his veins as all of his memories began to condense, ripping him away from the hive.

His finger deftly landed against the keyboard, forwarding the messages. For all he knew, they were dead, but if there was even a chance they might reach Ruth and the kids, he needed them to know that the thought of them had kept him sane. They needed to know that he loved them. John ripped the cables from his arms and ran for the exit as the chittering of the other husks started to echo through the halls.

….

[John?]

Recall

@flashfictionfridayofficial thanks for the prompt!

It's not my best, but I am tired and have done what editing I can.

While trying to come up with a suitable partner for the arsonists of my group, I realized that i had missed a golden opportunity and decided to capitalize on that.

Warnings for imprisonment, violence, starvation tactics, referenced abuse.

He didn’t have a proper name, at least as far as he knew. He was mostly referred to as it or thing since he’d been woken, but when the lights of the circus came on, he was Blaze the fire abomination, one of the wonders of the modern world. It took him many beatings and nights of starvation to associate with the name, but after a time he supposed it became what he was, without any memories of what he had been before, there was little choice for him.

Cold Iron poked at his side, disturbing him from his fledgling slumber. Looking up with bleary eyes at the cold disgust half heartedly focused on him did little to ignite the flame in his chest, but little by little as Blaze started breathing again he could feel the pumps in his chest turning up the heat until the metal encasing him glowed with an orange hue. Never enough to burn through the metal, they didn’t give him enough fuel for that, just enough to make a spectacle of himself.

His captor was saying something again in a frustrated tone, but Blaze wasn’t sure what he had done now, and he didn’t bother to try and understand their vulgar words anymore. When the door to his cage was indicated with another prod to his ribs, he moved towards the slowly opening gate. There was no point in rushing himself. They would just take that as an attempt to flee. As it stood, his supply of fuel was getting dangerously low, and if this persisted much longer, he wouldn’t make it through another winter. Everything was so cold already that he would be surprised if he made it to the end of the summer.

Sweat trickled down his captors face as Blaze stepped out of the metal cage, almost instantly setting the wooden boards of the stage ablaze. Grunts and exclamations of fear and confusion drove him back into the protection of his cage as he watched the fire being quickly extinguished and the boards being replaced by metal plating. It was all part of the routine. He just had to make it believable. So he mimicked the fear that they had trained him to exhibit and let out a roar of false defiance, causing members of the crowd to gasp in fear.

With a practiced motion, the end of his leash was quickly secured before his flames had a chance to properly ignite. The shackle on Blaze’s remaining arm had fused with his skin, making each tug the chain pull his wrist uncomfortably. He’d be paraded through the town again all the way to the circus grounds, and then he’d be put on display like every other town that he’d been to. To pass the time, he surveyed the crowd, making low grunts and growling sounds to elicit fear. His dull eyes flickered over the faces filled with fear and contempt until Blaze’s attention was suddenly drawn to a hooded figure exuding a strange smokey aura that stopped him dead in his tracks The sound of the busy street faded into dull echoes as the fire in his core began to roar louder than it had in years.

He took a step towards the hooded figure deftly pulling his chains along with him until he stood there instinctively straitening his twisted back until he was towering over them. At this, the figure leaned back its head, revealing a smile that made his roaring furness flicker with excitement.

‘you blaze like the sun’

A grumble of garbled words echoed from his soul as he tried to convey his admiration for this thing before him, but he’d been mute for so long he feared that the thing would fear him like all of the others. A burn scared hand shot out from under the robes, embracing his cold hands, sparking life into his withered bones.

“I accept.”

The figure let her cloak fall back to reveal a face twisted with scars, radiating a warmth that spread through him like a wild fire. The world was once more as it should be, burning in glorious flames. It was so simple, how could he have forgotten?

Introducing (drum roll) fire spirits (opposite of the forest guardians.

Happy Birthday

Thanks for the prompt @flashfictionfridayofficial !

Couldn't resist writing a birthday song story with this prompt.

It's a little story from Hati's past. A very memorable birthday and very defining moment in his life.

Warnings: violence, tragedy, death, depictions of violence, trauma, survivors guilt.

He’d woken up from his nap to the sound of hushed excitement from the kitchen.

‘Mom?’

She’d turned to him bursting with excitement, presenting a cake just like the one he’d dreamed of, candles lit perfectly and everything.

‘I’m sorry if I woke you up, honey. I was just too excited to celebrate my little man’s birthday! I know it’s not the same with dad gone, but we can still have fun!’

She was sure they would, and that was enough for him. Would it taste as good as he’d dreamed? Haiti’s eyes sparkled in anticipation as his mother took a deep breath to sing.

“Happy Birthday to you…”

Within moments of the explosion, his mother stood over him. Her face was covered in blood, but her eyes were lucid, unlike the others. She could be saved? A smile flickered across her cracked lips as she knelt before him with a damaged paper package in her trembling hands.

‘I know we didn’t get to eat cake yet, but I wanted to give you your gift a bit early this year.’

He saw her smile and knew that he would make it through this somehow, his mother wouldn’t smile like that if there was no way out, he’d seen what it looked like when she gave up after all, and she was even taking the time to give him his birthday gift.

“Happy Birthday to you…”

’You got something extra special this year my sweet’

The forest green cap in her hands seemed to emirate a strange radiance that he couldn’t understand, but whatever it was, Hati was sure that it was special; no there was no doubt that this gift was extra special just like his mother had said.

‘As long as you wear it, the tech witches won’t ever be able to find you!’

She placed it firmly on his head and kissed his cheek warmly.

‘I love you Hati, never forget that.’

“Happy Birthday, my Baby…”

The sky burned as rays of weaponized light reigning down from above. Hati watched family and friends alike, burning under the scorching beams, but he stayed still as a statue, holding the cap to his head tightly. His face burned as tears rolled down his cheeks in silent lament. They never found him, like his mother had said, but he’d never stopped running just in case.

“Happy Birthday to you!”

Hati woke up in a panic while clutching the worn fabric of his cap until his fingers turned white and he couldn’t feel them anymore. Curling into a ball, he tried to make himself as small as he could. No one would find him then. His mothers voice still echoed through his ears as Hati cried himself to sleep like he’d done every year after escaping that hell.

UNSEEN

@flashfictionfridayofficial , I'm glad you enjoy the drawings! Thank you so much for the prompts every week!

This one is a bit over 400, so on the shorter side for me, but I was pretty busy today and am writing this as half of my brain falls asleep so sorry if some things seem a bit weird.

Warning:Mentions of injuries and coercion

Neither of them spoke as Rose continued to clean the glass in his hand like nothing was wrong. How many times had his cloth polished this surface? Did it matter?

The silent man in front of him kept his eyes fixed on the area just above Rose’s left shoulder which had now become nearly numb with a strange pulsing pain that threatened to steal control of his arm at any moment. A chill swept through the silent inn dinning room as the coins that had been offered remained on the table untouched by either party since the stalemate had begun.

If it hadn’t been for the sound of Rain beating down against the rafters in heavy torrents you could have heard a pin drop. Whatever monstrosity had managed to blow in with the wind. He couldn’t see the creature, he should have been able to, given how loudly it was breathing right next to his ear. He’d taken several side glances though and never once had he been able to catch even a shadow of the nightmare tormenting him.

“I didn’t mean anything by it…”

The man before him finally lowered his head in frustration, the scar around his throat being obstructed for the first time since he’d entered the inn tonight. A pang of some unknown regret passed through Rose as he tried to say something encouraging but quickly stopped himself as a stab of icy pain shot through his shoulder making him flinch.

{You can’t keep things from me puppet}

The voice reverberated through the air, freezing his blood. The thing had spoken in a twisted voice that seemed to be clawing through unwilling lips, dripping with desire. He’d been lusted after by many strange and terrible people, but never had he felt more disgusted as by this voice. It made no attempt to hide its purpose, but even from the brief words Rose could tell that for once he wasn’t the object of interest.

He looked at the familiar stranger with pity as he watched him struggle with something before finally regaining a hold on himself. In no less than a moment, the doomed man before him suddenly straitened with something resembling resolve before resolutely turning and leaving through the door without another word or mention of his purchased drink. As the man walked away, Rose felt the dark presence leave him, and he collapsed to the ground, panting.

A Bit Old For This

@flashfictionfridayofficial

Where did this come from? I don't know... I woke up at 6:10 am. and saw the prompt. This story just kinda came knocking on my brain without notice.

Story Warning: breif thoughts of death, violence, abduction, mentions of unstable mental state, and isolation.

Aaron woke up scowling to the sound of his alarm. 4:30 am. flashed brightly on the small LED screen. He’d overslept again.

Not bothering to snooze, Arron slowly sat up in bed and attempted to fight his growing desire to pitch himself over the balcony of his fifth story apartment. Imagining the complications in the event of his failure he discarded the unproductive thoughts turning his attention to the bathroom instead.

Pictures and Phil and Rachel in their uniforms hung on the mirror taunting him with their smiles, a constant reminder of his failure.

Blasted psyche test. Weren't people like him the very kind that the military were looking for?

Aaron's scowl deepened as he tried to push down a rising sense of nausea, he really needed to take down those pictures before he…

A loud boom sounded from the living room and his failures were replaced by a sudden and unshakable dread.

He'd been anxious and angry in equal measure for most of his life, so Aaron was familiar with voids in his gut, but this dread seemed to be emanating from the back of his head telling him to run.

His brain didn't even process the command that had been instinctively issued before his body was moving calmly towards the bathroom window.

Unhooking the latched he ducked out to the fire escape and began to descend the stairs as quietly as possible while his heartbeat began to accelerate with each successive boom.

The wind began to pick up as he heard a low growl from above. He didn’t dare stop, didn't dare to look up and see what might have invaded his home. What would have happened had he hit snooze one more time? It was then that his anxiety caught up with the dread and a pit formed in his already weakened stomach threatening him with a putrid bile that crept into the back of his throat.

Aaron stopped just long enough to force the bile back down into his stomach. Unfortunately It was a moment too long, for even as he took several deep breaths after finally forcing the caustic mixture down his aching throat, he felt icy fingers gently wrapping around the back of his neck.

The back of his mind began to scream as his body froze in place. He wanted to move, needed to continue fleeing but it was as though his body had been frozen by those fingers which dug into the back of his neck.

"Are you sure this one will do?"

Aaron closed his eyes before he could see the person he heard them stepping closer. It was like his brain knew something worse than the eternal sleep he dreamed of would be forced on him if he made eye contact with whatever it was.

"The Professor was very clear in his description, and I can feel radiance even if it’s faint. I am a bit surprised he made it this long without being discovered."

His brow furrowed as Aaron tried to make sense of what was happening. What did they mean radiance? The feeling in the back of his head flared once more with the urgent desire to escape these things, but he was still firmly rooted in place as a bony finger pressed into the side of his face as warm blood pooled under the sharp nail.

The sting of torn skin was enough to convince the last sane shred of his mind that this wasn't another of his insane dreams, he'd always wake up when he was injured and less had drawn him from his wanderings. The icy grip around his throat tightened, and his vision blotched to blackness.

....

"Simon, wake up!"

His eyes snapped open at the unfamiliar voice. He was in a plain white room filled with sleeping figures. From a cursory glance he was probably the oldest by about fifteen years. Among them only about a fourth seemed to be awake, and half of those were staring at the walls in a daze.

He didn’t have much time to linger on his confusion as a familiar boom filled the room and his eyes were drawn to a wolf-like creature that stood towering over one child that was still sleeping. The creature's maw dripped with red as it didn't hesitate to bring its jaws down on the sleeping boy's shoulder before blinking out of existence with another boom, taking the boy with it.

Cries rang out from nearby children as they began to scramble away from any of the sleeping kids as more booms filled the room in rapid succession, always a sleeping child, and always there for less than a moment more than necessary. The teen near him continued to shake her unconscious friend while calling out his name as another boom sounded and knocked her away from the defenseless teen.

Aaron wasn't sure if it was that strange new part of his brain , or the well of frustration the had been brewing in his gut which caused him to leap at the wolf, but in the end the result was the same. Without an ounce of hesitation he pounced on the focused beast like a coiled spring which had finally been released.

Its body was lighter than the wolves he'd dealt with in the past, and as he pinned its throat to the ground with his knee, he reached to his belt finding his knife had been left unchecked.

His fingers gingerly gripped around the handle pulling it free as the creature seemed to catch up with its current situation and attempted to claw at him while snarling.

He was struck by the pathetically weak nature of this thing as his blade was buried in the creature's throat, tearing it cleanly with more ease than should have been possible. As the blade broke free of the creature it burst into a cloud of thick purple smoke and rapidly funneled into his mouth and nose suffocating him for a brief moment.

When the swirl was gone he looked down at his hands with patchy vision and tried to focus on the strange fog that he could now feel slowly making its way through his lungs.

"Congratulations!"

A little old man appeared not far away smiling from ear to ear.

"The first dream wolf has been absorbed so all survivors are now eligible dream Arbiter candidates!"

Little bursts of confetti sprayed over the room as the children and Aaron looked at the man in confusion.

It was at this point that the sleeping victims all started to wake up and look around them in confusion before happily reuniting with their peers and crying tears of what he assumed were relief.

For his part, all Aaron could manage to do was put away his suddenly clean knife, hoping the old man would suddenly decide it wasn't something that an abducted adult should be allowed to have.

Choices

@flashfictionfridayofficial prompt

Summary: Tori, a loyal soldier, has his alegences tested and finds that his loyalty to his country isn't as strong as he first believed.

Finally, a Tori Story. We're getting the perspective of another in the rag-tag squad of my WIP.

Chapter warning: referenced violence, violence, killing, referenced torture, and the picture at the end shows violence and injury.

Tori had been raised like all of the other able bodied children in his village to be loyal soldiers. He killed and maimed without regret, without hesitation because the people that he was sent after were the enemies, and if he wanted to keep himself and others safe, they needed to die. He wasn’t a sociopath, they’d tested him for that. Tori was just someone who had long ago reconciled that he could live with himself. He could wait for regret if he ever made it to retirement.

He had never questioned orders, been a faithful dog, and he had planned to remain like that until the evening when he received a new set of orders. This time, he wouldn’t be hunting down a traitor or ripping the life from a target. This time, he was capturing something. He’d never been ordered to capture something alive. He’d never had reason to.

The creature in question was suspected to be some type of extra-terrestrial, an invader to their planet. He didn’t need to question his orders, and he’d never had reason to up until he laid eyes on the creature. The moment it had looked up at him with eyes that seemed to contain galaxies, everything became complicated. Then it had saved him. That was the only reason they had managed to apprehend it, and now he was haunted by the low bellows of its pained cries.

The creature never spoke, but its voice rang through the minds of its captors. The other’s in charge of watching the creature found the sound to be soothing or funny, but he couldn’t help but feel a hollow pang in his guts as the underground facility was flooded with the creature’s cries for help.

He couldn’t understand what the sounds were at first, but the more time he spent focused on them, the more clearly he could hear it calling out for something, begging for its freedom. When they had found the creature it had been hiding among a pack of wolves, peacefully living out a life of serenity, and now it was being poked and prodded by the deft hands of his own people, all in the name of some strange advancement that made no sense to him no matter what argument they gave to convince him.

Tori was off duty when the storm struck, when the sirens blared so loud that he was woken from his drug induced sleep. A sharp pain throbbed behind his eyes as he slowly rose to his feet, mind instantly turning to the creature. Had it escaped? A part of him hoped that it had, but then a sickening feeling crossed through him as he thought of what means the other guards might use to contain the creature.

If it were in better shape, but the creature was kept on the brink of life and death to avoid such situations. Gripping his gun tightly, Tori rushed out of his room, an idea springing so suddenly into his mind that he wondered if it had been planted there.

He could get the creature out of here, he could rectify his mistake.

His heart tightened at the idea. If he had a chance to free it, then Tori already knew what he would do. He had been far too deeply influenced by its song and eaten by newfound guilt to choose any other option.

The sound of a struggling guard rang out from the main lab as he approached, and Tori hesitated before carefully peaking around the door frame. Two hulking figures near the shattered containment cell instantly turned towards him. An operation? No, they were wearing POW uniforms or what was left of them, not only that they were quite battered as well. So why were they here?

The female POW tightened her chokehold on a guard, and Tori watched as the man suddenly went limp. Raising his gun, he wasn’t so foolish to enter the room with the POW’s even if he was armed. Catching sight of the creature that he had been so concerned for held gently in the male POW’s arm, Tori felt his heart hitch. They had come to free it?

The sudden realization hit him like a bullet. They were here to do the job he hadn’t been able to. Even if he could have made it out with the creature, he couldn’t protect it after what he had done. Even with his mind made up, every ounce of his training fought against him as he lowered his gun and moved to the side.

“Go down this path, and you can reach an exit outside the camp.”

He wasn’t wearing his proper uniform at the moment, but they could likely tell what he was, so there was no reason for them to listen to his words, but he had to try.

The POW holding the creature over his shoulder straightened up and smiled broadly. It was a stupid grin that lacked the usual grit that he so often seen in the eyes of soldiers.

“You got it boss man.”

He winked suddenly, and Tori was so confused by the gesture that he barely noticed the woman glancing between them before a look of realization seemed to dawn on her.

“So no more killing?”

She seemed disappointed by that, but the male POW patted her shoulder gently.

“It’s okay Ember, boss man called the shot, you couldn’t have burned them with all this water anyway.”

It seemed to satisfy the woman who released her final victim and followed the man past Tori with a matching nod of recognition.

Standing for a moment in silence after they had left, Tori tried to make sense of what had just happened. Their behavior was far too strange, too irrational, but he supposed all that mattered was that the creature was safe. He would miss it’s presence, but if it would no longer have to cry in pain like that anymore, then He had done was required of him. As the song of its voice faded from his mind, Tori felt a sadness sink into his bones as he settled back onto his cot. He wouldn’t allow himself to be sad knowing that the creature’s cries had finally been quieted. With a strange peace that didn’t feel deserved, Tori fell back into a dreamless sleep for the first time since the cries had begun.

@flashfictionfridayofficial

Sorry, I'm a bit late with this one, but I think I got it in just before the deadline. I had just finished the picture when the internet went out, and I had to transfer the story over to my phone manually. Unfortunately, I may or may not have fallen asleep while doing so, and I have just woken up in a panic to get this posted.

Summary: If the story calls for a villain, then what choice does a character have but to follow? Alexia, a proud and just knight, finds herself victim of this unfortunate reality.

Content warning: reference to suicide attempts, violence, self hatred, loss of control, blackouts, and violence.

Her Angel

Noble Alexia, good and loyal. She had come from the gutter and reached the peak of excellence. Becoming a knight had been her dream, but becoming the commander of the knight's had been her honor. The tales of her deeds and bravery spread through the world, memorializing her even before the first wrinkles of age had etched into her face. Truly a hero of legends; a figure that would be spoken of in whispers to starry-eyed young ones before bed.

Three years into her role as the knight commander, Alexia woke up to find her hands covered in blood. It hadn't been right, she had just been having a meal with a trusted friend, just been talking about her future with someone dear, then she blinked and found her hands covered in the blood of innocents.

It was at that moment that her life was irreversibly changed. The blackouts increased in frequency and duration, but when she sought help, no one could understand her ravings. The isolation brought her to the edge of her sanity when one night as she fearfully lay down in her bed, Alexia found that her eyes would jot close, and her fingers would no longer obey her commands.

Standing from her bed, she dawned unfamiliar clothes and met unfamiliar people. Her body moved against her will, and her lips spoke words that never should have been uttered. Whatever demon had possessed her seemed to find sick enjoyment in watching her suffer, for even in her few sane moments of control, it would jot let her end the torment. That didn't stop her from trying. The hesitation only lasted for the first dozen attempts before her disgust at the blood-soaked monster in her mirror drowned out any remaining pity for herself.

…

Coming to her senses once more Alexia tried to make sence of the stabbing pain pulsing through her with every breath, but with her body frozen in place, Alexia could only use her eyes to scan the surroundings. That was right, she'd been in a fight? She could see that her body was twisted at odd angles where she lay among a pile of rubble, memories flooding back to her in a disoriented array. She had been defeated by some upstart who shouldn't have the strength to lift her finger and been left to rot like the dog she had become.

The knight commander, formerly the golden sun of the empire, now lay dying in a suit of blackened armor befitting her new title of Scourge.

“Oh you're still alive?”

Alexia should have been taken by surprise at how close a stranger had gotten, but in her state a bull could be charging and she'd likely fail to notice.

"From the looks of it, your story ended in death, so why do you still haunt the living?”

The gaudy angelic figure stooped nearly mumbling ti itself while grasping the air from alexia. She felt her jaw tighten instinctively as a thin blue tether materialized leading back to her heart. Gathering the cord in its hand, the creature before her frowned in concentration before suddenly brightening.

“So they forgot you couldn't be killed by demonic energy? How fortunate that it seems to at least weaken you beyond their ability to sense.”

The creature seemed amused by whatever magic it had used to know such a dark secret of hers. Had it truely come to take her to the other side? No, after what she had done there was no way that such a beautiful creature would have any business with her. It took another cord and inspected it growing somber once more.

“Stay still for a moment longer, I will not let them have you anymore.”

With simple words, and they weren't even meant for her really as the creature still seemed to be taking more to itself than anything. Still her heart jumped at the forgotten convictions that she had been forced to swallow back. The creature grabbed a red strand in front of her and with a thin blade, cut the cord.

…

Sitting across from the gaudy man whom she has come to value as a friend. Alexia couldn't help but smile at his concentration on the food before him. She had come to learn over the years that he was mostly as human as anyone, even with his lack of factual features. To this world, he was expendable, to many of its inhabitants he was a monster, but to Alexia and Alexia alone, he was the same thing that he had always been to her.

“My Angel."

She spoke the words softly and reached out a hand to gently caress his face, while a soft smile spread over her lips.

Prompt from @flashfictionfridayofficial

Well, I haven’t touched this story in years, but it was fun to get back to.

Summary: In the universe of a certain author who likes switching stories, there was born a character who was sickly. His entire purpose was to be one of the faceless beings that was saved by a hero’s benevolence. Not even his own family noticed him outside of the story, and he lived most of his early miserable life trying to figure out what was going on. One day he finds a crack in the universe left by conflicting story ideas, peering inside he learns that he is part of a fictional world and decides to take advantage of the illogical nature of things to propel his life forward.

Abandoned

Nihil stretched out a clawed hand and did his best interpretation of a yawn.

It was early morning and he had work to get to before the horrid sun rose and decided once more that he was to have an unlucky day. Damn author favoring the day time so much, if it weren’t for the implications of working at night, and the stories that went along with it, he would have been turned into a night owl.

No, the pre-dawn mornings were special in that none of the little pest’s were out and about causing mischief yet. They were all sleeping or training their fingers to the bone. Sure it might be impressive the diligence that they had, but even covered in sweat and bleeding they would become stronger than any being had the right to with three times their training, no matter how sloppy their technique.

Stepping down to the kitchen, Nihil began preparing something simple to eat when he heard the sound of a sword swinging powerfully outside the window. Raising his attention he mimicked a frown, the knight was no longer bond by the author’s methods yet still she trained like this, there were better ways, ways that both of them were quite familiar with at this point. Still it showed a dedication that he supposed was admirable. Changing his plans, Nihil began mixing up some hot cake batter and quickly flipped the dial igniting the stove top.

He continued to absently watch her training as he cooked until her expression suddenly shifted turning to him. He’d finally been caught. It sent a trill of excitement through him as he reveled in the feeling of being recognized in something so simple as the plain clothes he was wearing.

“Morning Nihil, did you sleep well?”

A smile bloomed on her face as the knight stepped through the open door to the kitchen. To even remember his name… He mimicked a smile back at her and raised a pile of hot cakes towards her direction.

“Seems there was another break in at Facility B, but other than that I slept fairly well. Tell me you at least let yourself get some sleep?”

She had the bad habit of using all the tricks for the wrong reasons, and while Nihil was familiar with the desire to improve his understanding of this messed up world no matter the cost to his health, there was just no true replacement for sleep long term.

The knight shrugged and accepted the hotcakes adding on some berries and syrup for good measure. She skipped the butter again, but he didn’t blame her, after the recent shortages he barely used any on his own breakfast.

Deactivating the stove, he prepared his own hot cakes and quickly followed her lead to the table where they both ate in happy silence.

Looking at his companion from time to time with a mimicked grin, Nihil didn’t feel as bad about the years of research that had been burnt to ash during the night. With all the knowledge and power he’d gained over the years, Nihil couldn’t have wished for such a simple thing as eating breakfast with someone he was comfortable around until he’d met the Knight. It brought him some comfort that at least not everything that that blasted author mucked up was completely rotten.