The Mine |Finale|

The Mine |Finale|

I hope you guys like this it’s a full 1,500 words, I feel like I could have done better though, but tell me what you think. Have a glorious day!

She felt the flow of her magic, closed her eyes, and spoke in the ancient language of the fairies.

“Levitate,” she breathed as she felt the magic flow out of her. It had been so long since she had cast a spell, she doubted whether it would even work. But lo and behold when she opened her eyes the northerner was sitting on a chair floating half a meter above the hardwood floors. A different northerner barked a request and Sir Faus translated with a smug smile on his face.

“Fairy! Make the floating chair spin!”

Airwyn obliged, hardly even thinking about it anymore. She mentally checked out of the situation as she was forced to trick after trick to entertain the northerners. She wondered why this was the only thing Sir Faus used her magic for. She could make ore mine itself out of the ground, and if given enough time to prepare, she could make the desert sand turn into water. That was what her mom would have wanted her to do, she had always taught Airwyn that magic was a gift that shouldn’t be wasted. Sir Faus on the other hand, was using her magic to make chairs float and to change the color of the floor. Airwyn was ashamed, but if all went according to plan this would be the last time she had to be humiliated like this.

When the men had had their fill of entertainment they moved onto dinner. Luckily they were so tired that they barely ate of the rich greens slathered in butter, they didn’t even glance at the moist chocolate cake, and to Airwyn’s delight, they only ate sparingly of the chicken. When Sir Faus led her back to her tent the moon had already risen and all of the laborers had retreated into their tents. Airwyn held her head up high and looked up at the moon saying a silent prayer for luck.

When they got back to Airwyn’s tent Sir Faus rubbed his eyes. Airwyn smiled, she knew that when Sir Faus was tired he made mistakes. Airwyn felt some of her magic return to her and was grateful, she would need her strength in the coming hours. After Sir Faus locked her chains in the drawer, he left. Airwyn let out a sigh and silently thanked the moon that he had left early. She laid down and closed her eyes, she needed to wait until midnight before she makes her move. Right now she needed to save her strength and gather her magic. Only a few more hours to go, all she needed was to be patient.

A few hours past and Airwyn rose up off the floor. She looked out of the tent and noticed that the moon was directly above the camp. She grabbed the chicken and dashed silently as she could across the warm desert sand toward the entrance of the mine. She hoped that they had been watching the moon as diligently as she had, she hoped to be free within the hour and she did not want to wait any longer.

Luckily when she got into the cavern they were already there. Three figures stood waiting for her. Even though one was holding a torch, they were still cloaked in shadow.

“Did you guys think I wouldn’t come?” Airwyn asked stepping into the torchlight.

“It was more likely that you would bring Faus with you,” said a teen with long, black hair as he stared at her, he had told her that his name was Leo,” I guess you proved me wrong.”

“She could still betray us all later, he could be hiding outside the mine right now,” said a short boy with close-cropped blond hair while glancing warily at the cavern entrance, Airwyn thought that his name was Dominic,” Maybe they are waiting for us to confess.”

“Come on DomDom,” says Sali, a girl with curly brown hair that always seemed to be smiling,” She said she would help us, so she is going to help us. We need to trust her.”

“Thank, Sali,” Airwyn said pulling the chicken from behind her back, “I knew that you guys still had doubts, so I brought some food. As a sign of our friendship.”

Dominic’s stomach growled as he reached for the chicken. Leo grabbed his hand before he could get any though.

“How do we know that you didn’t poison it or anything!” Leo accused when Sali and Dominic sighed Leo retorted, “She’s practically Faus’s dog, he takes her everywhere.”

Airwyn’s blood started to boil and she forced a smile on her face, “Listen, Leo, I am no one's pet. Just like you, I want to be free, if you don’t want to eat the chicken fine, let’s just get on with the plan already.”

Airwyn and Leo stared at each other as Sali and Dominic watched awkwardly, eventually, Sali broke the silence.

“Can I eat the chicken?” she asked, licking her lips with anticipation.

Airwyn responded cheerily, “Sure, just save some for Dominic.”  

Sali and Dominic sat on the dirty cavern floor and began to devour what was left of the chicken with gusto. Airwyn’s sensitive ears picked up Leo’s rumbling stomach and she gestured to the chicken.

“Are you really going to let them eat it all,” she asked him, “There is no shame in being hungry you know.”

Leo muttered something in response and began to eat the chicken as well. When what was left of the chicken was all gone Leo got up and wiped his mouth with his tattered sleeve.

“Thanks,” he said, not meeting Airwyn’s eye, “I haven’t had a square meal like that in a while.”

Dominic burped and rose to his feet, wrapping Airwyn in a grateful hug, “Thank you.”

“Dito, Airy, thanks,” Sali smiled.

“Don’t mention it guys,” Airwyn said,” Now let’s see that key Leo.”

Leo reached into a pocket of his dirty encrusted pants. He pulled out a delicate looking, rusted old key. Leo explained how one of the managers had thrown it away because they said it was too old to use. Leo had fished it out of the trash when their back had been turned. Now he was going to use it to free Airwyn.

“Now remind me why we are freeing you, instead of just freeing us,” Leo asked Airwyn skeptically.

Airwyn sighed and began to explain herself again, “That key is about to crumble into dust, it would break if it had to open all your shackles. If you free me I can use my magic to open your locks. Simple.”

Sali and Dominic nodded. Leo looked uncertain, but he didn’t protest anymore.

“Alright,” Leo conceded,” Which one first?”

Airwyn pointed to the hole in her shirt, toward her chest shackle. Leo carefully inserted the key into the keyhole and whispered a prayer as he turned the key. It stuck for what seemed like forever then it turned sharply and a soft click was emitted from the lock.

Airwyn sank to the floor and clutched her chest. She hadn’t felt this much magic since her mom died. She raised her hand and reflected the torchlight across the room. She giggled and groaned, without the iron shackles off her wrist even the most basic magic was draining. She looked up and noticed that everyone’s eyes were on her.

“Are you okay?” Dominic whispered.

“I’m better than okay!” Airwyn laughed while rising to her feet, “I finally feel like myself again. Let’s continue.”

Leo gently grabbed her wrist and slowly inserted the key. After a few moments of tense silence, the shackle gave a soft click and fell away, clattering to the floor. By now Airwyn was practically floating, for the first time in a long time she was tasting freedom on her tongue.

Leo grabbed her other wrist and looked her in the eyes, “You better keep up your end of the deal, Airwyn.”

Airwyn nodded her head just as Leo inserted the key into the last shackle. The same process as the first two locks. A turn, a bit of sticking, then a soft click. This time though when the shackle clattered to the floor Airwyn felt her magic come back to her. She laughed and looked over the people standing with her under the torchlight.

“Alright, guys,” Airwyn smiled, “Time for freedom.”

Airwyn snapped her fingers, and the shackles on the laborer's wrist burst open and clattered noisily onto the jagged stone floor. They walked out of the mine together and Airwyn looked out over camp that she had spent part of her life in. The moon was bright and full and Airwyn wanted nothing more than to fly out of the hot, featureless desert, but she knew that she couldn’t. Her wings had been trapped beneath iron for months, and they would need some time to heal. For now, however, walking free under the moonlight would be enough.    

The Monster in Her Bed|Finale|

When Harper woke up she couldn’t tell as if it was day or night. She didn’t care at much either; she had better things to think about. Contrary to what she had told her mother hours earlier her mouth felt as if it was being stabbed and her head seemed to be splitting open. However, she couldn’t feel the rest of her body. She couldn’t feel the cuts on her legs and arms, and whenever she glanced at them her veins ran cold. Her blood had dried black on her pale legs. She wondered vaguely about what had happened the previous evening. The whole event was fading like a dream from her mind, and she questioned why she had licked the water off the floor.

Harper brushed out the why and instead tried to focus on the effects. Shakily she got to her feet and walked across the hall to the bathroom. She wetted a rough washcloth and rubbed it gently against her blistering legs and forearms. She looked in the mirror and saw an unusually pale, tired looking face blinking back about at her. Harper had the fleeting thought that maybe she really should go outside but quickly brushed it off. If she went outside, then someone she knew might see her, if they saw her they might wonder why she hadn’t been to school, and she knew that try as she might she could not tell anyone what had happened before she told Amaya. How was she going to tell anyone that she went to a party even though everyone told her not to? How was she supposed to tell anyone that she and Amaya had had a fight that week? How was she supposed to tell anyone that at the party she had… she had... She had gotten some new STI from girt she didn’t know. And all this had happened because she was mad at her girlfriend.

With a sigh, Harper left the bathroom and padded softly to the kitchen. Looking at the mess she had made of the floor Harper quickly realized what she needed to do. She gingerly picked up the broken glass and began to vigorously mop the floor. All the while thinking to herself that her mom couldn’t know about this. That she was supposed to be getting better. That what had happened what just some weird fluke and that she would be better in the morning. These thoughts carried her from the newly clean kitchen to her bedroom, and through the through her mostly sleepless night.

When Harper woke up, she was feeling thirsty, ravenous even. She tried to calm her herself. She reminded herself that her mom would leave for work soon and she could get a drink soon. Her thoughts were interrupted yet again by a pounding coming from the front door.

“I’ll get it Harper!” her mom called from the kitchen.

Harper heard the door creak open and her mom give a yelp of surprise. She wondered who it was, but she had a suspicion that she already knew. Not a moment later her suspicion was confirmed when none other than Amaya came bursting into her room.

“Am!” Harper said, hoping her enthusiasm sounded genuine.

“Don’t give me that Am talk,” Amaya shouted, her curly black hair flying out her ponytail as she spoke, “Where have you been! Why haven’t you been answering my calls! Why have you been ignoring me!”

“I’m off ladies!” Harper's mom called from the kitchen, “Have a nice day Harper, remember to go to school Amaya!”

“Bye!” Harper and Amaya called out together with fake cheeriness.

The girls heard the door close and the room lapsed into an uneasy silence, which Harper knew that she had to fill.

“So,” she said, trying to ignore the dryness in her throat, “You must have heard what happened from Silas.”

“I did,” Amaya said without missing a beat, “But I wanted to hear it from you, you are my girlfriend after all. But from the way you are acting, I think I know what the truth is.”

“I’m sorr-,” Harper began to say, but Amaya cut her off.

“But,” Amaya interrupted, “Either way I want to hear it from you.”

Harper took a breath and again tried to quash the all-consuming thirst starting swell in her throat, “ Things were wild at the party last Saturday, and you know me I had a few drinks. I wasn’t wasted, but I swear I wasn’t thinking straight. Then this girl, she said her name was Ariana started flirting with me. Last week had been fighting because you said something stupid and I said something stupider back, and one thing leads to another and we are all alone, in Summer’s room and...and…”

Harper stops and tries to remember what had happened, but it’s hard. She has been trying not to think about it and on top of all that, her teeth had started to hurt. The pain was like stronger than before, more ravenous. Along with her aching throat and pounding head, it seemed to be eating up every ounce of concentration she had left.

“Sorry, but could you get me some water?” Harper asked Amaya tentatively, “My throat is killing me.”

“I’m not your servant!” Amaya snapped back before leaving the room and returning a minute later with a glass half full of clear, tap water, “So what else happened at the party? What did you and Ariana do together?”

Harper chugged the glass of water in an instant, but it did nothing to take the edge off her thirst, “I don’t really remember. I think I must have had more to drink than I thought because next thing I know it’s morning, Ariana is gone, and  Silas is standing over with that stupid grin he always has.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it, Harper!” Amaya roared, “You must remember something!”

“Nothing I swear! The only thing I can remember is her kissing my neck, and it’s so fuzzy I think I might have dreamt it.”

Amaya rolled her eyes and turned her back on Harper, “I’m leaving. Don’t talk to me for a while. I need to think things through.”

Harper rose from her bed with a sigh, “I can’t stop you, Amaya, so I just want you to know that I care about you and that I never meant to hurt you.”

Amaya gripped the doorknob and Harper suddenly remembered something, “On the way out can you get me some more water?”

Amaya turned around suddenly, her ponytail whipping behind her she fought back tears as she yelled, “I told you, I’m not your servant Harper!”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Harper said, hands out in front of her protectively, “Just calm down will you.”

Amaya gritted her teeth.

“I’ll give you calm!” she said as she pushed Harper onto the floor.

For Harper, everything moved in slow motion. It felt as if she wasn’t in control of her own body like she was just watching from the window. Her pulling Amaya to ground with her felt as if it was out of her control. Her pinning Amaya to the floor seemed as if it was happening on the t.v. screen. All Harper felt was her thirst. A thirst she now knew that water couldn’t quench. Amaya had fallen unconscious and sleepily as if in a dream Harper slipped her throbbing canines into her throat. She felt the blood running warm and red through her veins, tasted the hot metallic liquid blood. At last her thirst was quenched. At last, she knew that she was.

For cheating on her girlfriend, for ignoring her for a week, for being just an all-around shitty human being Harper had become (or perhaps she had always been) a monster.     

I’ve heard you’ve wanted constructive criticism so I hope this is okay. I read through some of your short stories and they’re really imaginative! The character all seem like interesting people as well! However, there are a few changes I would suggest. You keep using I or she to start a majority of the sentences. It would help if you mixed that up. Also, you don’t need to say that your OC felt/saw something when you describe it right after. Overall, however your stories are great! Best of luck!

Thank you so much, this is really helpful. I've felt for a long time that I need to change my sentence structure, but the saw/felt thing is something I haven't considered. Thank you for the feedback! 😊

Person, are you in my brain? I feel like you are quoting my thoughts. 

When you want to write but you have no ideas, no time and no energy to write anything™.

The Rocks

I think I like this fantasy/horror writing thing. Look forward to more of these type of stories in the future, anyway. Enjoy!

There was a disturbance in the water. Usually, I knew everything that was in the frigid depths. The fish that went around and around until their deaths. The plants that waved endlessly in the currents, and the rocks that stood unmoving slowly being eroded by the waves. That day was different, something big was moving through the water and it was coming right for us. I smiled, showing each and every one of my razor-sharp teeth it had been so long since I had tasted flesh, I could barely contain myself.

I barely even thought of the route I was taking, I retraced the route by memory, all my attention was focused on moving my tail as fast as possible. The closer I got to the cave, the more my stomach rumbled. I had swum out pretty far, so by the time I got back to the cave evening light was already filtering through the water. When I swam into the entrance of the underwater cave Katla was already curled up her seaweed blanket covering her tail. I saw that her eyes were open, she was staring up at the cave ceiling spacing out.

“Hey,” I said to her, still smiling from ear to ear, “Guess what’s coming.”

Katla sighed, releasing an air bubble into the dark blue water, “Let me guess, another boat?”

I giggled, Katla was always so crabby when she was tired, “Very close, not a boat, a ship. It’s going to be here tomorrow, just think we haven’t had any real food all month.”

Katla yawn and rolled over onto her side, “If it’s coming tomorrow, then tell me tomorrow. Right now I don’t care.”

I groaned and swam over to our food box. It was empty, as usual, I could feel my stomach eating itself as I thought about all the food that was coming the next day. Katla might have been satisfied eating fish, but something about their scaley, slick skin made me gag. I smiled wistfully, I could almost taste their hearty, bloody flesh on my tongue. I told myself that in the morning I should practice my singing, but I knew that I wouldn’t.

I went over to my sleeping spot and stared up at the cave ceiling. I tossed and turned, trying and failing not to think about all the meat I would eat the next day. I knew that if I didn’t sleep I couldn’t sing, and if I couldn’t sing I would probably starve. I swam sleepily over to Katla’s sleeping place and cuddled up to her. Feeling the tepid warmth of her skin had always made me feel safe, and I was finally able to fall asleep.

The next morning I woke up to the feeling of vibrations through the water. The ship was coming and it was close. Katla was still sleeping, I tell by the steady back and forth motion of the gills on her neck. I knew that it would be better if she woke up on her own so I quietly left the cave. I peeked my head out of the water and saw the clouds gathering in the predawn sky, by now I could hear the ship gliding through the dark choppy water. I knew that I had about three hours before us, and I intended to use every second.

I went over to my usual practice spot and hoisted myself not very gracefully up onto the seat of the rock. When the sun was at its peak it was almost torturing to expose my entire body to the air, but during the morning and at night especially it was tolerable. I coughed as my body switched from breathing with gills to my feeble and underused lungs. I had heard from Katla that other sirens in the tropics stayed above the water almost all day, and I never believed her. Just sitting on the rock on a cloudy day dried out my skin and scales so much that I could barely stand it. I closed my eyes and tried to focus, took a deep breath and began to sing. My voice rose and fell and I could feel the water move with it. I opened my arms and mist swirled around me. My head started to ache as I tried to maintain it. Newly formed waves crashed against the rock as I warbled my heart out to empty sea. After twenty minutes of my voice being in perfect harmony with the oceans I slumped, chest heaving, against the slick rock.

“I must be out of practice,” I laughed to myself, “Alright I can’t rest forever, I have to get back to practicing.”

After a few hours of practicing I could see the ship approaching. Its scratched wooden hull sliced through the icy waves as its sails flapped softly in the feeble breeze. I could see the men on boards ragged clothes and drained slouching. Perfect I thought to myself, they are much easier when they haven’t slept.

“Having fun?” Katla asked, trying to pull herself onto the rock.

I pulled her up next to me and smiled,” Lunch is here, of course, I am excited.”

“Then let’s start the show, shall we.”

I looked at her strangely,” Shouldn't we wait until they are closer?”

Katla laughed and patted my head, “You still have so much to learn, Eva.”

She started singing, her voice dipping low, calling the sea to her command. The waves crashed violently, rocking the ship that was steadily approaching. I didn’t want to miss the action so I started singing as well. I called the mist to my side and released it onto the surface of the water, making sure that no sailor could see us. After ten minutes the ship was finally upon, and our final song could begin. With each note, our appearance changed. Slimy stringy hair became lush and voluminous. Pointed, yellow teeth became small and vibrantly white. Scales appeared so shimmery that they glowed. With our song, we commanded their minds to think of nothing but us. Well not the real us, the us they saw, the us they believed, the us they wanted. As they jumped from the deck of the ship I could see the lust in their eyes, though it was nothing compared to my own hunger. I could smell them in the water and I willed them to come closer so that I could finally feast.

One man, he appeared to be very strong, reached our rock and started to climb towards us. I could see his eyes shining as he got closer and closer, reaching for what our songs had promised him. Katla looked at me and I could tell from her gaze that this one was all mine, she never had liked them muscular. I bent over and looked the man in the eyes, he smiled from ear to ear. I opened my mouth and bent low to his neck, sinking my teeth in as rich, red blood gushed into my mouth. I tried to savor the taste, but I always ended up drinking it as fast as I could. The man looked shocked as I pulled away, the illusions my song had created flickering away one by one. In his dying moments, he could see me for who I truly was, and he was horrified. He tried to call out to his shipmates, but it was too late, our songs had already pierced their hearts, and they were slaves to their desires. I always loved the look that they had right before they died, a look of total shock, mixed with fury, with a little bit or surrender. It was priceless. I tossed the body behind me so that I could focus on the task at hand.

Another man was approaching, this one was Katla’s. I raised my voice as she stopped singing, and kept the illusion alive while she feasted. I stared at her out of the corner of my eye as she bent low to look at the sailor who had come to her. She opened her mouth wide and used her strong teeth to bite through the sailor’s skull and take a bite of his brain. I turned my head to stare at her as she gnawed at the pink squishy interior. I loved the look on her face as she tasted her first bite of flesh, one of pure ecstasy. When the sailor died she tossed his body overtop mine and stared hungrily as the rest of them as they hoisted themselves onto the rock, and climbed to toward the faces their minds had created. The last faces they would ever see.

Thanks for reading, have a stellar day!

Monster in the Night

Hey guys! So just finished with this one, and I am so excited to share it. I’m literally starting school tomorrow so expect this to be my last post for a couple of weeks.

This short story is about 6k words, I know, very long. But I love the premise and the story and I hope you will too. It’s about a newly turned vampire, Kiera, who is trying to survive in the city on her own while holding up her morales.

I braced myself as the butcher threw me out of the shop by the tattered collar of my grimy shirt. I wanted to turn around and deck him, just punch him in his big bearded face, but I knew better than to cause a scene. I couldn’t afford to get banned from another butcher shop. 

I clenched my teeth as my skull collided with the cold pavement. I could feel the slimy residue of the storm the previous night coat my hair and I could smell the moldy scent of mildew. I winced as I got up shaking from the bottom up and trying not to think about the state that my clothes must have been in. I looked at the scratches on my cold grey hands and noticed how badly I was shaking. I cursed as I stumbled into the dark alleyway to collect myself. I sat down on the dryest pile of boxes I could find clutching my backpack to my chest and trying to hold back my tears. Head in hands I felt a migraine coming on. I tried to stifle my pain as I ignored the squeaks of mice and the scattering of roaches. I knew that if I was going to make it to the end of the week if I needed to focus, but hunger was making my mind cloudy. Inhale, exhale, I took a deep breath and tried to focus my churning brain. Right now the only thing that I needed to focus on was how to get more money. Not on my ever-increasing bloodlust, not on my continued homelessness, not on the fact that I had lost everything in my life a few short months ago. The only thing I needed then and there was more blood, and the money I would use to buy it. 

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