Short Fiction Blog

Borate finally got his chance to meet Shana a few days later. He was contemplating where to find his next meal while basking in the sun on a hill outside the village, when a sound disturbed him.

Shana gasped upon site of Borate, her face a mixture of awe and trepidation. Instead of running away as others have done, she came closer.

Borate watched while she stuck one tiny hand forward. He stayed perfectly still, not wanting to scare her. She buried her hand in the down of his wing, smiling at the luxurious feel. While Borate continued to watch, her whole being lit.

The soft yellow glow, which surrounded the sick and wounded she tended to, was encompassing them. Borate felt peace he’d never experienced overtake his being. He marveled at the feeling, relishing the comfort it brought, before breaking the spell by speaking.

“Hello, little one,” he quietly intoned.

Shana jumped slightly at the sound of his voice, but didn’t back away.

Looking at him closely, she replied, “Hello, great one.” Running her hands down his chest, she added, “You are very beautiful.”

Not comfortable being petted any longer, Borate stood upright. Shana backed away slightly at sight of his increased presence.

She didn’t stay away long though. Turning her gaze away from his face, she scanned down, becoming more animated.

“Oh,” she squealed. “Your belly is the same color as the sky!” Walking right under Borate, she reached up on tiptoes to touch his stomach before continuing, “How marvelous!”

Borate chuckled, “And your hair is the color of the sun,” bending down to rub his chin against the soft curls.

“I guess that means we go together,” Shana solemnly stated. “One cannot exist without the other.”

This is my contribution to the Three Word Wednesday prompt. The words for this week were: ache, difference, and suffer. I thought they went along well with the Night Stalker story, so made another section for it. If you’d like to read the story in order follow these links:

Night Stalker

Night Stalker-Remembrance

Night Stalker-The Children

As Nathaniel rounded the corner, he saw Clarissa talking with Jacob. He couldn’t squelch the ache the sight of her brought to his heart. She was so beautiful. Small and delicate, proud and defiant, by far the most outgoing of them all. Of course, he imagined she’d always been that way, even before becoming one of them.

He can still see her on the last day of her mortal life. She was running in the fields, trying to catch butterflies. Her laughter rang through the valley.

He and the others were staying in a cave on top of a mountain at the time. He’d had another nightmare, this time bad enough to wake him, and was looking out the entrance of the cave when he heard her laughter. He watched, envying her excitement and happiness. When he went back to sleep his dreams were much more pleasant.

That night they attacked a family at the base of the mountain. Nathaniel didn’t know it was the girl from the meadows until it was too late. When he walked into her bedroom he recognized her right away. She looked so frightened. He couldn’t imagine having her invade his dreams at night. There was only one thing to do.

He turned her. Watching her suffer through the change was the hardest thing he’s ever done. He held her as her body shook with pain, tears silently rolling down his cheeks. The others couldn’t understand why he’d done it. Who wanted a kid traveling with them? He tried to explain, but of course it did no good.

She still laughed often, but it was different now. Her laughter was no longer carefree and happy, but sarcastic and biting. She laughed at the expense of others. Though still a child in body, she was as much an adult as the rest of them. Taking lives does that to you. The only difference was that Clarissa didn’t have any problem at all taking children.