The Bubbler turned out to hold even more secrets than Jonas thought. It wasn’t just a well with quirks, but rather the entrance to an entirely new patch, separate from Bubbler’s Point.
At least, that’s what he figured had to be the case. The seamster mermaid in front of him couldn’t have meant anything else, could it? And yet…
Continue reading “1.8) Where There’s a Well, There’s a Way”Preeja clutched the sides of the cold toilet bowl and wretched, hurling more of her stomach contents into it. She could still feel the flesh getting caught between pointed teeth. No amount of mouthwash would rinse out the taste of human nor the feel of blood running down her furred chin. She was now a complicit murderer. The fact that she possessed a wolf to do it changed nothing. The man’s calling and begging for help from spirits that clearly did not exist did not help. She knew they’d haunt her in her sleep and weave nightmares out of her dreams.
Continue reading “1.7) Tech Buddies”Bem had felt fate tugging at his arm every day for the past two weeks. It was a familiar pull in the direction of the woodlands, like a child urging him to go to the park. He had hoped that it would go away on its own, but it was to no avail. That was a shame. He had promised Aponi he would not go there anymore and he intended to keep it.
Unfortunately, the spirit of the trees had other thoughts. “Bemossed, why do you ignore our calls? The Heart of Woods needs your help.”
Continue reading “1.6) Guardian of the Woods”“I’m so sorry!” Naft said, jogging up to Perry.
“It’s fine.”
But it wasn’t. They were in the park, throwing Perry’s baseball back and forth until it wound up across the threshold into the next patch of land over: the Patch of Desolation. “Don’t go in there,” his mother had told him ever since he was old enough to walk. “Even if you get past the seamster, it’s not a place anyone comes back from once they go out too far.”
Continue reading “B.1) Patchy Memories”“You were literally born to do this! How are you so bad at it?” Corina’s husband yelled. A mist of saliva hit her face before she flinched away and closed her eyes. Manfred Victorson reached out with a leathery hand and pulled her face toward his. “Answer me when I ask you a question.”
Continue reading “1.5) The Forest and the Trees”“Shit.”
He was boned. Hands shaking, he set a timer on his PC for five minutes and rushed for the closet, yanking out a suitcase. This would have been easier had he planned ahead, but he never did. Perhaps he subconsciously thought he would never get caught.
Continue reading “1.4) Tagged and Bound”Bubbler’s Point was a small town patch in the middle of nowhere. There were only two things that made it of any value to Jonas. One was Ellie, the love of his life. The other was the Bubbler, a tourist destination for many patch travelers that had too much money and time to kill. The well was said to exist even before the town was founded and nobody knew who built it nor why it always gurgled, despite being deemed barren of any water.
He’d spent many days guiding tourists to the well. The job mostly consisted of saying things like “here it is” and “yes, it does make that noise all the time” and “nope, it really doesn’t provide water, we have a spring for that.” On nights he couldn’t sleep, he’d go there to think until the thoughts that plagued him were overwhelmed by the well’s noises. Today, though, he came with a different goal.
“Ellie, will you marry me?” he asked from his kneeled position, holding out a black velvet box. The platinum ring inside glittered in the light, beckoning her to say yes.
Continue reading “1.3) Well You Marry Me?”The rabbit fled across the forest, scurrying through the tallest grass and searching frantically for a hiding spot. A hollowed log or an abandoned groundhog hole, anything would do. But there was no such luck.
He glanced over his shoulder and whimpered as he noted the black wolf with the red eyes and stench of death that was inching closer by the second. Even over the constant, rapid-fire beating of his own heart, the rabbit could hear the pattering of paws getting louder and closer.
Continue reading “1.2) Predatory Practice”This was it. A few more steps and Corina would leave the limits of her village and be in forest territory. The rows of gangly willow trees before her stretched and crossed their narrow branches together to block all but the lone entrance with a curtain of yellow-green leaves. Today was the day she would venture down that narrow dirt path that few dared to take and journey through the unfamiliar to find the creature that held the knowledge she desired. It would be the start of her quest for everlasting beauty.
She pressed onward. A wet breeze blew through the forest and slashed at her face, arms and shins. Perhaps the linen dress she had donned for comfort would not be warm enough, after all? She took another hesitant step and felt the air come to a standstill.
Continue reading “1.1) Into the Sashing”