Flash Friday # 58: Surviving Elsewhere Part 6: Into the Water(Serial)

(Link to Part 5)

Something pulled me into the water and I flailed in panic.

"Be still!" a voice whispered. My head remained above water so I wasn't being pulled down by this -- naiad? "Do not draw their attention!"

I thought that wise when I heard the wolves moving closer. I found Edmond in the water as well, treading like a dog. He didn't look happy. Then I turned my head a little caught a glimpse of someone with long green hair and blue skin. She bent her mouth close to my ear, her breath cool enough to make me shiver, though being in the water had eased a lot of aches and pains.

"Take a deep breath," she said softly.

"Edmond --"

"I will take care of him as well." She reached out and snagged the cat by the scruff of the neck.

"I hate this," Edmond grumbled. "But do what she says."

So I did. One breath and then one deeper breath that set my head pounding.

She let go of me for a moment and reached out to touch my lips with long, blue fingers. She touched Edmond's as well. The wolves were far closer when she took hold of my arm and pulled me beneath the pond's surface.

Edmond dived under the water with us, looking like an odd, mutant otter. Cats aren't made for underwater swimming, though, and he was clearly having problems. I reached out with my wounded arm, ignoring the spike of pain, and pulled him over to nestle close to me. His claws caught on my shirt -- and some skin -- but I saw relief in his face . . . until he looked above us.

A shadow passed overhead.

I looked to see the distorted, drooling face of a huge wolf staring into the pond. His gigantic paw splattered at the water and I feared he would leap in. The naiad must have thought the same. She began to pull me farther downward into the water.

I didn't want to go. Panic at the thought of drowning nearly overcame the fear of being torn apart by the wolf --

And then I realized I didn't feel the need to breathe. Well. I stopped fighting and she pulled us towards the bottom, swimming past frogs, fish, and a couple startled turtles. The wolf followed along the edge of the pond which wasn't a large enough stand of water that we could get away from him. I saw him howl once, and even heard the echo of the sound reverberating through the water. All the smaller creatures darted for cover behind whatever growth or rocks they could find.

I wanted to do the same. The naiad began to look bothered. I wondered how long we could stay under water. I thought I might be starting to feel uncomfortable and Edmond had begun shivering.

We went farther along the bottom of the pond. I tried to take the experience in. After all, it wasn't often that a person got a chance like this. Though maybe this sort of thing was more common here in Elsewhere. Edmond had said something about hating it, after all. This wasn't his first time.

Yes, I was starting to feel uncomfortable. I looked at the naiad with worry, but she shook her head, green hair floating around as though in a wind. Then she patted my arm and let go.

She darted upwards and I almost panicked, thinking we were abandoned. However, we could swim to the surface even though that wasn't a safe place. So I held where we were, anchoring one foot around a rock. Edmond snuggled closer and looked up at me, worry in his eyes.

I watched the naiad. She had reached the surface and I saw her push upward as though she could rest her arms on the water surface. Then one hand raised and flash of light hit the wolf. I felt the tingle all the way where we were.

The wolf yelped and ran away. I couldn't tell if he had gone far though. Our protector swam back down, caught my arm and quickly moved on towards the opposite end of the pond.

We finally moved to the surface and came up amid cat tails and water lilies. I could hear something running away. The wolf was gone, at least for the moment.

"I am not a fish," Edmond mumbled.

"Nor are you wolf food, cat," the naiad replied. "Take that into account."

"My apologies," he said, and sounded sincere.

"Thank you," I managed. I gasped, but I think that came from the panic of never having learned to swim. "I didn't care to be wolf food, either."

"Polite human," she said and laughed with a sound that somehow reminded me of spring rains. She nodded to the boulders beside us. "Up the stones and you'll find a clearing the other side."

I carefully pushed Edmond up to the mossy stone. He scrambled up, looked frantically around, and then disappeared over the other side. I tried to follow, but my arm wouldn't hold me at all. The naiad gave me a boost and I scrambled up much like Edmond had. When I looked back, she had disappeared.

"Thank you," I said again, though softly. I could still hear wolves, but they weren't near.

I climbed over and down into a grassy field, settling with my back to the warm stone. Edmond was shaking water from his ears.

"Well that went better than I hoped," the cat said. "She didn't kill us."

"There is always the next thing," I said. My head pounded and my arm bled. Whatever came after us now, I knew I wouldn't be able to fight it off.

Then I heard the sound of a motorcycle. I was looking for a road when I noticed Edmond staring at the sky. I looked up and saw a motorcycle flying towards us.

"Well, that's either help or --" Edmond looked back at me, worried.

"Or trouble."

"Yeah."

I wasn't even surprised.

To Be Continued. . . .

 

 

1000 Words

 

 

 

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Flash Friday # 57: Surviving Elsewhere Part 5: The Pond (Serial)

(Link to Part 4)

One step and another. The wolves howled and I hoped they were farther away this time so we could rest soon. Everything blurred and my shoulder became a pinpoint of agony and spreading fire. How long since I had been shot? Where was Maggie?

The shadows gave way to bright light, all but blinding me. Behind us I could hear the whisper of trees: Go, go, go they said with a flutter of leaves. Edmond became nothing more than a black spot against a world where colors washed out in sunshine.

Follow the bouncing ball.

"We're almost there," Edmond said. "Can you see it? That's the pond. Just a few more steps."

I'd been looking at the ground. I brought my head up, gasping at the pain through my shoulder at the movement. Something glittered ahead of me; the reflection of light against the water. I could make out the shapes of trees nearby, which worried me -- but having a destination gave me a little more strength.

"We better keep moving," Edmond said with a glance back the way we'd come. I could see the movement of his head, the glitter of golden eyes. "The trees weren't very happy with us and they might not keep the wolves occupied for long. We need to hurry."

I started to argue, but it would take too much energy. I could feel blood on my arm and my head throbbed, so whatever magic Maggie had used was fading now. She was gone and I was alone with a talking cat who might be leading me anywhere. I told myself this was better than being completely alone, though I wished we would stop moving.

Light glittered in my eyes, so bright I had to close them.

"Sit down before you fall down," Edmond ordered and nudged the back of my legs.

That sounded like a good idea. I sat and my fingers dropped into water, startling me. I hadn't realize we'd reached the pond but as I blinked I could see a small stretch of impossibly blue water well-shaded by the trees, a few cattails, water lilies and an odd green frog staring intently at me. I waited, expecting an attack. The frog only stared, eyes blinking -- first the left and then the right. Never both of them at once.

"Yes? Yes?" I finally said in exasperation. I leaned a little closer, daring myself not to fall in and drown. "What have you got to say?"

The frog blinked.

"Mark? Why are you talking to the frog?" Edmond asked, sounding very, very confused.

"Because he's bound to have something to say about me being here," I replied. The frog blinked again. "Everything else has."

"Why would you think a frog could talk?" he asked, looking up at me with confusion.

"Cats talk. Trees talk. Why wouldn't the frog talk?" I asked.

"Oh." He smirked and then tilted his head. "You know, there's a kind of logic in that. Unfortunately, logic never works very well in Elsewhere. Sip some of the water; it'll help you feel better."

I wanted to be safe. I wasn't going to find it, I feared. "Why did I come here?" I asked, dipping one hand into the water.

"Because you killed someone."

That hadn't been what I meant and I hadn't needed the reminder. I shivered this time remembering Tommy starting to crouch, his lips pulled back in a feral snarl and the blood on his lips. I thought I would be ill, remembering the look in his flashing silver eyes.

"He -- he wasn't human."

"Yeah? So? That's not a good excuse here."

I turned to Edmond, startled and afraid. "Was he from Elsewhere? Was he one of you?"

Edmond blinked several times and stared somewhere else, as though he could see something over my shoulder. I feared to turn and learn what stood there.

"He was touched by something dark." Edmond's golden eyes turned back to me. "We don't accept that sort of evil any more than humans would. But you will have to prove it. Sip the water. We can't stay if Maggie doesn't come by. She'll be looking for us though. It won't be much longer."

"Good." I still felt shaken. I'd tried not to think about Tommy and killing him. I'd tried not to think about Sheriff Creston and the rage when he shot me. I concentrated on not falling as I dipped my hand into the water. The frog continued to blink at me. I still expected him to speak.

Wolves howled.

"Damn overgrown dogs," Edmond said with a hiss. He looked up in the air. "Come on Maggie."

The water did make me feel better, but I didn't think I would have the strength to run.

"I was starting to think there was no where safe on this side," I said, dripping my hand in the water again. I let some of it dribble over my aching shoulder and the pain eased slightly.

"Safe enough," Edmond agreed. "As long as the wolves don't find us here and Naiad doesn't take exception to us."

"Naiad?" I said. I remembered the term from mythology. Water nymphs --

The wolves howled, much closer. I could see the line of trees not nearly far enough away. Once they cleared that they would see us. There was no where to run.

"Go, Edmond," I said. "Run before they see you."

He seemed more a statue right then, the gold eyes unblinking as he stared at me. "More like Maggie than I thought," he said. Then he shook his head. "Get up. We can go a ways yet before they catch up."

"You should --"

"I am not leaving --"

The wolves howled and I saw movement at the edge of the trees. Too late. Neither of us would get away. They were charging across the glade, though not straight towards us.

I tried to stand.

And a hand caught hold of my arm and dragged me into the water.

To Be Continued. . . .

 

 

999 Words

 

 

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Flash Friday # 56: Surviving Elsewhere Part 4: The Trees(Serial)

(Link to Part 3)

We hadn't walked more than a dozen steps into the stand of trees before even Edmond began giving them nervous looks. The limbs continued to move, the branches twisting and turning, dipping low so that sometimes I had to swerve to avoid hitting one that hadn't been there a moment before. A fog enveloped the trees as well, moving as though it too were alive. Did I fear the fog and the trees more than I feared the wolves? I couldn't decide.

I hurt. My shoulder sent waves of fire through my body with every step and I didn't know how I could keep going. I wanted to stop and sit down. Rest.

"Ed-mond," I whispered.

And then I was down on my knees.

Edmond turned around and darted back to me.

"This isn't a good time --"

"No choice," I said. Everything moved oddly. I thought Edmond was slipping away --

No. Something had hold of me by the leg, dragging me. Lifting me.

I couldn't get enough strength left to protest.

Everything went black.

I came awake with something jabbing me in the side. I slapped it away and gasped in pain from the little movement. This was the most uncomfortable bed I'd ever been on. I tried to move and heard the snapping of small twigs. Who made a bed out of twigs --

Trees do. I learned that as I opened my eyes and found myself held up in the limbs of a big old oak tree. A face stared at me from the trunk where limbs had broken off and left puckered circles in a triangle of three marking two eyes and a mouth. The eyes, dark and unfathomable, blinked with a sullen red glow that was not fire -- no, nothing like that in these woods. The mouth moved and I could hear the grinding of wood against wood. This tree was old, the bark weathered like the skin of an old man. He'd gone bald as well; there was hardly a leaf left on the snarled limbs of his crown.

Aware. Alive. I tried not to panic as I tested the hold of the branches. Too tight, but at least the tree had stopped jabbing me.

"Hu-man," it said and the branches that held me shook. I grabbed hold, afraid the tree was going to drop me. "No Hu-man allowed."

I started to speak, but other trees began to shout and grumble. The tree that held me seemed to tremble in rage and I dared not look at the others nearby. The sounds of wood scraping against wood made me fear they were closing in and I didn't like to think of trees chasing me. Then, as if on cue, I heard wolves howling, though nowhere near. Everything in thid world was turning against me. Why had I thought I would be safe in Elsewhere?

"You do not belong here, Hu-man." The tree shook me and I was starting to get annoyed. "You do not -- Ow! Ow!"

Edmond had arrived, clawing his way up the tree and then walking nonchalantly out on to one of the branches that held me. He turned around and sat down, casually cleaning one paw.

"That hurt, cat!" the tree grumbled. "You have needles for claws."

"I had to be sure I got your attention," Edmond replied. He leaned closer to the face and the eyes narrowed as though it feared those claws were going to strike. "Do I have your attention now? Do you know who I am?"

"Yes and yes." The words came with a growl of wood against wood again. Not a happy tree.

"Those are Fenris wolves after us. You do not want them to catch up with Mark and me."

"Why not?"

"Because then Maggie would be very mad since this is her cousin."

All the trees went very, very still.

"Maggie?" the tree said softly.

I hadn't expected such a reaction and it made no more sense than anything else that had happened since I crossed the gate. I stayed still and rested while Edmond took care of the problem. I couldn't say I even really cared if I survived by this point.

"I'm sure you saw her flying frantically towards the city?" Edmond said. He sounded rather smug, but then he is a cat. "Do you want to be the ones responsible for the wolves catching him? Because I will survive, you know. And I'll make sure she knows."

"No need, no need!" I heard frantic sounds elsewhere. "We can mislead the wolves a bit. There now. On your way."

The tree lowered us carefully to the leaf-strewn ground. The face had slid down the bole of the trunk and watched from ground level now.

Edmond gave a little nod of his head to the right and started away without a word. At least I'd had a little rest, right? But each step still hurt like hell and I feared I would not be going far. I wanted out of the woods, though. I could hear the trees moving again and looked up to see branches twisting and turning over our heads while a scattering of leaves fell.

I almost stumbled.

"Edmond," I whispered.

"Not much more to go," he said. He slowed and walked at my side. "Just keep going, Mark. Can you see the open glade there ahead?"

I lifted my head briefly and saw something brighter ahead. I looked back down at my feet because I had almost fallen. "See it," I mumbled. "Not sure I can walk that far."

"You will do it for Maggie," Edmond said. "We don't want to upset Maggie. No one in their right mind wants to upset Maggie."

"I don't understand," I answered. I saw Edmond look at me. "But not now. Don't try to explain anything now. Just get me where I can rest."

"Yes," Edmond said with a nod. "Almost there."

And the wolves howled, closer. . . .

To Be Continued. . . .

998 Words

 

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Merry Go Round Tour # 25 -- Motivation

I have written 634,310 words this year.

I have written over a million words each year since 2002.

So what is my motivation?

My motivation is very simple and directly related to writing and nothing more: I have stories to tell and I want to see them completed. I think tossing aside unfinished work is a writer's worst sin. It is a waste of precious writing time that most people have to scramble to find. To see them waste it seems a horrible crime. Oh sure, for some there are works that are practice pieces and aren't really intended to be finished, but others will toss aside a story the moment they hit some plot snag.

I do not. I work my way through the problem, including massive rewrites, and I finish everything I start. I also do so within the year that I started the work because it would be far too easy to say 'I'll finish it later' and let the story sit for years. Finishing in this case means a current draft (or outline) and not all the way from idea to publication in one year. That will rarely ever happen with me, and only on shorter pieces. I know the need for editing and the power of letting the story sit for a long time before I pick it up to read and edit again.

Is my motivation also publication and readers? Yes, of course it is, but that's not why I write. I was writing for twenty years before I realized I might have readers. This was the fault of a teacher who told me that only people who went to college could be published. I came from a very, very poor family so I was not going to get that chance. However, I still wrote and held on to the love of writing and creativity that helped me create my own special worlds. Silky came out of those years. So did the first glimmering of the Devlin series and many others.

Eventually I learned differently about publication. I did well in the small press world and the early on-line paying markets. I started to become disenchanted with the world of traditional publishing when I realized I was finding fewer things on the shelves I wanted to read, and since I write what I want to read I knew this meant I wasn't going to find a publisher. My type of story was not popular.

So how does a person find motivation if they are motivated by publication and realize they aren't writing for the current market?

You can face it one of two ways:

1. Change what you write. Be careful of this one, though. If you try to follow a current trend, chances are the trend is going to be long past by the time you can write, edit, submit and resubmit to find a publisher.

2. Throw caution to the wind and leap into the world of Indie Publishing. I am not a best selling Indie Author, but I have made more income there then I ever did in the traditional route. I also hear from more readers. There are pitfalls, of course, but if you motivation for writing is to get readers, then go out and get them.

My motivation to write is that there is nothing else I would rather do. My motivation is my love of creating stories and if it were anything else, like making big sales or winning exceptional notice, I would have quit. That is, in fact, why a number of people do quit. They are not going to be the next big thing; the story they tell is only a ladder to get what they truly want.

Fame and fortune would be nice. All in all, though, I'm happy to be writing the stories I enjoy.

If you want to get to read about nearly twenty other writers, check out the Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour. Be sure to read tomorrow's post by Sharon Kemmerer

Flash Friday # 55: Surviving Elsewhere Part 3: The Scent of Trouble(Serial)

(Link to Part 2)

I tried desperately to fight away the pain and fear as I slowly turned my head to the left in the direction of the howls. I had a bullet in my shoulder. I couldn't ignore it. But the howls seemed to tear at my very soul. I wanted away from whatever creatures came our way.

A dense forest stood close by with a line of tall trees and forbidding shadows. I heard the howls again; loud, keening noises rising in an unearthly chorus. A scattering of colorful birds took flight with cries of fear and then silence fell.

The howls rose again, cascading over one another so it was impossible to tell how many might be out there.

"What are they? What do we do?" I whispered, turning back to the cat.

Edmond was gone.

"Oh hell -- oh hell --"

"Shut up and get to cover, you fool!"

I saw golden eyes staring out from under a bush. I didn't need a second warning, especially when I could tell the howls were closer. I considered my options for cover. I could barely see the edge of the gate , but that wouldn't be a good escape, especially since I thought I saw movement the other side and suspected Sheriff Creston waited for me to come back through. He wouldn't realize I had always meant to run to Elsewhere and never come back out.

I clenched my mouth shut against any sound of pain and crawled towards the bushes, sliding on my stomach as I slipped under the tangled branches. By a miracle, the wound had not started bleeding again, but I had trouble turning so I could watch where Edmond stared, his tail ticking left and right in a steady beat.

"They're almost here," Edmond said, his words nearly a hiss. The cat dropped down on his stomach, ears back and tail still. "Say nothing."

I heard the beasts as they rushed out of the forest, a thundering of feet that seemed to shake the ground. The first of the wolves came into view. And then another and another.

They were as big as horses. Their huge snouts sniffed at the ground while paws tore up tuffs of grass. Lips pulled back in snarls showing teeth the size of daggers. I would have trembled if I'd had the strength. I would have burrowed into the ground like a badger if I'd had the ability. Instead, I could only stare as the creatures circled and snarled, moving closer to us.

Edmond slid closer to me, a warm body and reminder I was not alone, for all the good a small talking cat could do against these brutes. They were coming too near though, and I felt Edmond tense --

A shout drew my attention. For a moment I thought help had arrived.

Sheriff Creston charged through the gate and into the glade, obviously having heard something and thinking --

"Oh shit!" He shot at one wolf and then another. As far as I could tell, the bullets only made them angry. They were turning on the sheriff, growls low in their throat and legs tensing to leap.

Creston spun and ran back the way he had and through the gate, the wolves looping after him.

"We need to go." Edmond threw himself out from under the bush as soon as the wolves disappeared. "They'll follow him a little ways through to the otherside, but not far -- they don't want to lose what they are. It won't be long before they're back this way. Human blood drew them. We need to get to a stream and get you cleaned up so they lose the scent."

"I don't know if I can go any farther."

I was still on mystomach, aching and trembling. When I lifted my head I found myself staring straight into Edmond's dark-furred face, the golden eyes intent.

"You will do this for Maggie," the cat said. "She risked a lot for you, just in taking that compass out of Elsewhere. Only people from Elsewhere are supposed to have them so they can always find their way home. If some of the higher powers knew she gave it to you so you could escape after killing someone --"

"You know?" I pulled myself out despite fearing I would black out at any moment.

"I saw things," Edmond said. He backed up and turned his head the way the wolves had run. "And right now I see us as dinner if we don't get moving."

The wolves were howling again, still on the chase. It wouldn't last long.

I stood. The world went black around me for a moment, but somehow I locked my knees and didn't go down. I blinked the world back into focus.

"Good," Edmond said and gave a nod. "Good. Follow me."

"Careful. I'll trip over just about anything."

I wasn't certain if Edmond heard me or cared, really. I followed, holding my arm close to avoid bouncing it much . Blood still ran down the side of my face where the other bullet came so close to killing me. Now there were giant wolves after me and we were heading into a line of trees that I probably would have avoided at any other time. They were tall, stately, dark -- and dangerous. The wolves had come from here. Were there more of them?

I had to trust Edmond.

Trust a cat.

Welcome to Elsewhere. I hadn't thought about trouble on this side of the gate. I had feared I wouldn't reach this sanctuary, but now with giant wolves after me, my cousin gone, and my life depending on the help of a cat. . . .

I could do nothing except keep moving.

The moment we crossed from the glade into the trees I knew this was another mistake. The trees were moving, and no, there was not a breeze as leaves rattled and branches bent closer over me.

But I still followed the cat.

To be continued. . . .

994 words

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