I was wondering this morning if we'd be starting the yearlong journey this week -- I think you tend to pick the middle of the month for it. I am looking forward!
Epicentre They skirted the chapel, which had iron bars across each window and whose doors were clearly painted steel. Collins wondered for a moment if the Inspectral would tell him why a chapel should look like it could hold off armed attackers, but then they came round the corner and he was distracted. Everything was brighter than it should be, as though he were looking at it bathed in strong sunlight. The grass of the lawns was more vivid and a brighter, yellower green; the small shrubs at the far edges, before the trees began, were luxuriant with large, thick leaves and a sense of burgeoning vitality. The shadows from the trees were weaker, washed out, and the Tower itself, now looking like it was made from bricks of polished ivory, cast no shadow at all. The sky above was the deepest, most cloudless blue that Collins had ever seen, and it took a moment of staring at it for his brain to nudge him and remind him that it was – it had been – overcast a few moments ago. He found he didn’t want to turn around, but the curiosity about the sky nagged him into doing so, and when he looked back he was startled to see that behind him the world seemed dark and dirty, and the clouds were indeed in the sky. “Looking back is good,” said the Inspectral, his voice calm and somehow right at Collins’s ear. He jumped, feeling his heart start pounding in his chest and a chill run down his spine. “A lot of people couldn’t look away. Everyone who’s left… well, most’ve all got some resistance to the Radiance, but there’s still a few who haven’t seen it before. The tower, by the way, was the epicentre and is made of plain old redbrick and definitely was never shiny. You can come out now, Adams.” Collins blinked; Adams, wearing patrolman-style sunglasses, walked out of the treeline and across the glowing lawn. “What?” “If you’ve been taken by the Radiance we’d have needed to get you out. If you knew Adams was here, you’d be prepared for it. You needed to think that there was only an old ghost trying to shift you so that we’d have the advantage.” Adam reached them and pulled another pair of sunglasses out of a pocket. “I’ve signed for these, so don’t lose them,” she said. “If you’re going anywhere into the Radiance you need to get some yourself. Don’t take chances, don’t think that beating it once is good enough. It never, ever is.” “Is there something I should know?” Collins hesitated as he was speaking, wondering if this was another stupid question. “Lots of things,” said Adams. “You can look the Radiance up back at the station; consider it your homework for tonight. Put your glasses on.” Collins looked at them in his hands, turning them over and admiring the frames. The lenses were unscratched, and he wondered if he was really the right person to wear them. Then he felt an odd tinging at his wrist, where his bracelet was, and his reluctance to put the glasses on faded. He slipped them on, telling himself he was just seeing what the difference would be, and suddenly the world was back normal. “Good,” said the Inspectral in his bone-chilling voice. Collins looked around and realized that he couldn’t see him. “Let’s go look for the disturbed graves then. If they’re here and not at one of the other boneyards.” “Aren’t we going up the tower?” asked Collins, just as Adams said, “I’ve never heard you call them that before.” She looked at Collins. “No, the tower’s just a test. You take the left side, I’ll take the top, and the boss can take the right side. Of this boneyard.”
I'm glad you liked the snow monsters, Marc. That was a prequel to what I've already written, which can be seen here: https://lizbethsgarden.wordpress.com/category/my-writing/story/snow-monsters/ You probably want to read that before reading the rest of this comment, as the story is continuing. =============== Deep in the glacier, Erik let go my wrist and said, 'Stefan, this is my wife, Judy. She just arrived from town. The snow monster attacks are almost constant now.'
A slim, dark haired man turned from a table and smiled at me. 'How can you bear to be married to him? He does not understand the niceties at all. Have you been offered some tea?'
I shook my head mutely, awed by his accent and air of authority.
'Well, no matter. Here is some now.' He held out a steaming mug to me. I took it gratefully.
'Please, have a seat, and then tell me everything that has happened with the snow monsters recently. What compelled you to come here?'
I explained about the increasing attacks, the disappearance of Kitty Cat, and my fear for the children and how I had left them safely in the basement of the neighbor, and my terrifying journey here.
Stefan nodded. 'You were right to come here. This is valuable information. We have just about located the epicentre of the attacks, and we are on the verge of determining the origin of the snow monsters.'
Greg - I just wanted to get caught up and stay caught up on comments before commencing. And here we are :)
Ah, an intriguing twist on what I had been expecting. I wouldn't mind that homework myself, but I suspect Collins will have plenty of subjects to study up on all too soon.
Morganna - thanks for the link! I see you've been putting a lot of work into this one :)
Looking forward to reading more as the tale moves forward.
3 comments:
I was wondering this morning if we'd be starting the yearlong journey this week -- I think you tend to pick the middle of the month for it. I am looking forward!
Epicentre
They skirted the chapel, which had iron bars across each window and whose doors were clearly painted steel. Collins wondered for a moment if the Inspectral would tell him why a chapel should look like it could hold off armed attackers, but then they came round the corner and he was distracted.
Everything was brighter than it should be, as though he were looking at it bathed in strong sunlight. The grass of the lawns was more vivid and a brighter, yellower green; the small shrubs at the far edges, before the trees began, were luxuriant with large, thick leaves and a sense of burgeoning vitality. The shadows from the trees were weaker, washed out, and the Tower itself, now looking like it was made from bricks of polished ivory, cast no shadow at all. The sky above was the deepest, most cloudless blue that Collins had ever seen, and it took a moment of staring at it for his brain to nudge him and remind him that it was – it had been – overcast a few moments ago. He found he didn’t want to turn around, but the curiosity about the sky nagged him into doing so, and when he looked back he was startled to see that behind him the world seemed dark and dirty, and the clouds were indeed in the sky.
“Looking back is good,” said the Inspectral, his voice calm and somehow right at Collins’s ear. He jumped, feeling his heart start pounding in his chest and a chill run down his spine. “A lot of people couldn’t look away. Everyone who’s left… well, most’ve all got some resistance to the Radiance, but there’s still a few who haven’t seen it before. The tower, by the way, was the epicentre and is made of plain old redbrick and definitely was never shiny. You can come out now, Adams.”
Collins blinked; Adams, wearing patrolman-style sunglasses, walked out of the treeline and across the glowing lawn.
“What?”
“If you’ve been taken by the Radiance we’d have needed to get you out. If you knew Adams was here, you’d be prepared for it. You needed to think that there was only an old ghost trying to shift you so that we’d have the advantage.”
Adam reached them and pulled another pair of sunglasses out of a pocket. “I’ve signed for these, so don’t lose them,” she said. “If you’re going anywhere into the Radiance you need to get some yourself. Don’t take chances, don’t think that beating it once is good enough. It never, ever is.”
“Is there something I should know?” Collins hesitated as he was speaking, wondering if this was another stupid question.
“Lots of things,” said Adams. “You can look the Radiance up back at the station; consider it your homework for tonight. Put your glasses on.”
Collins looked at them in his hands, turning them over and admiring the frames. The lenses were unscratched, and he wondered if he was really the right person to wear them. Then he felt an odd tinging at his wrist, where his bracelet was, and his reluctance to put the glasses on faded. He slipped them on, telling himself he was just seeing what the difference would be, and suddenly the world was back normal.
“Good,” said the Inspectral in his bone-chilling voice. Collins looked around and realized that he couldn’t see him. “Let’s go look for the disturbed graves then. If they’re here and not at one of the other boneyards.”
“Aren’t we going up the tower?” asked Collins, just as Adams said, “I’ve never heard you call them that before.” She looked at Collins. “No, the tower’s just a test. You take the left side, I’ll take the top, and the boss can take the right side. Of this boneyard.”
I'm glad you liked the snow monsters, Marc. That was a prequel to what I've already written, which can be seen here: https://lizbethsgarden.wordpress.com/category/my-writing/story/snow-monsters/ You probably want to read that before reading the rest of this comment, as the story is continuing.
===============
Deep in the glacier, Erik let go my wrist and said, 'Stefan, this is my wife, Judy. She just arrived from town. The snow monster attacks are almost constant now.'
A slim, dark haired man turned from a table and smiled at me. 'How can you bear to be married to him? He does not understand the niceties at all. Have you been offered some tea?'
I shook my head mutely, awed by his accent and air of authority.
'Well, no matter. Here is some now.' He held out a steaming mug to me. I took it gratefully.
'Please, have a seat, and then tell me everything that has happened with the snow monsters recently. What compelled you to come here?'
I explained about the increasing attacks, the disappearance of Kitty Cat, and my fear for the children and how I had left them safely in the basement of the neighbor, and my terrifying journey here.
Stefan nodded. 'You were right to come here. This is valuable information. We have just about located the epicentre of the attacks, and we are on the verge of determining the origin of the snow monsters.'
Greg - I just wanted to get caught up and stay caught up on comments before commencing. And here we are :)
Ah, an intriguing twist on what I had been expecting. I wouldn't mind that homework myself, but I suspect Collins will have plenty of subjects to study up on all too soon.
Morganna - thanks for the link! I see you've been putting a lot of work into this one :)
Looking forward to reading more as the tale moves forward.
Post a Comment