Click here if you missed last week’s story

This week’s story was even more fun to write. In my head I can already see the paths it could go from here. I’m not sure what will happen next week. Isn’t that exciting!? Well, it is to me anyway. This is a fun way to write. No excuses, no putting it off, no worrying about plot lines. Whatever happens is something I have to deal with and move forward.

Want to have a hand in it? Leave your ideas in a comment, maybe I’ll incorporate them into the story in the coming weeks. I still haven’t decided how long I want to let it get. With 500′sh word installments it seems best to make these short stories. That way I have the opportunity to explore more worlds, and more stories.

I hope you enjoy the story.

The shrill whistles from the trees marked the arrival of yet another human entering the forest.  Two in one day hardly seemed possible, but the birds didn’t make mistakes.  Pekosh Mildron narrowed his eyes at the thought of the one thing he had always feared.  There was only one way the human’s could invade his home and he knew it.  To this point they had ventured by themselves or in small groups.  Large numbers was the only logical way they could overtake his home.  Was that happening now?

In an instant he was off, scooping up the dead human outside his door and slinging it casually over his shoulder.  The Sharlicks would eat well tonight.  There was no part of the forest Pekosh did not have memorized.  Every step landed with absolute confidence.  Most of the animals never heard his footsteps, even when running as fast as he was now.

Within a few minutes he came upon the scene.  This new threat was smaller than the last, perhaps only five feet tall.  And it was a woman this time.  Nervous eyes flicked back and forth at the spiders slowly approaching it.

“Kiarsi…” He said simply.  Its eyes focused on him standing atop a high branch, then focused on the dead body slung over his shoulder.  “The poison from the elycior flower is interesting is it not?  Almost complete paralysis in less than a minute.”

Pekosh jumped from the branch and landed hard on a rock in front of the human.  The approaching Sharlick stopped their advance wearily.  He pulled the corpse from his back and held it out to the spider leading the others.  That spider approached alone.  It wasn’t the first time he had brought a corpse for them to feed on.

When the creature was in reach he places the corpse lightly on its back.  He watched in wonder as the cord-like extensions of the spider wrapped around the corpse and held it firmly in place.  The Sharlick could carry a great amount of weight up to their large webs made high in the trees.  The creature bowed awkwardly in thanks and turned away.  As he did so the rest of them turned away as well.  The spiders never ceased to amaze him.

“So, Kiarsi…”  He said, turning back toward the human.  Her eyes tightened as he leaped toward her.  He cleared easily to the woman’s side though and traveled the short distance to the plant he was looking for.  She hadn’t moved an inch in the time it took.  The poison from the plant would not let the girl move for many hours yet.  Without the plant he brought back at least.

It was pleasurable to see the fear in its eyes as he forced open the mouth and put the herb into it.  It wasn’t important that the woman swallow it.  Pekosh leaped back atop the rock that would get him out of its reach.  He watched and he waited.

After a few minutes the girl’s fingers began to twitch as the poisons inside her were being eradicated.  Then it could blink.  Soon it would be able to speak again.

“So, Kiarsi…”  He said again, “I admit I never expected to see you again.”

Tags: Fantasy, podcast, The Conflicted Zeegrak, Tuesday Night Stories, Writings

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 at 11:56 am and is filed under Tuesday Night Stories, Writings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.