Bloodstone: Chapter 2.1

CHAPTER TWO

Mira and Baz didn’t speak during the long walk back to their cottage. When Hound recovered enough to fidget in Baz’s arms, she set him on his feet. He spent the remainder of the walk no more than a hand span from Mira’s side.
Upon entering their home, Mira noted the utter silence. None of [...]

Bloodstone: Chapter 1.2

CHAPTER ONE (cont’d)

“I was a fool to let you near my daughter,” Sam raged. “All the coin in the world is not enough to allow a parasite like you to…”
“Enough!”
The barked command shot through Mira’s memories to the worst day of her life. It was him, the tutor who destroyed her. She scrambled [...]

Bloodstone: Chapter 1.1

CHAPTER ONE

The little girl’s screams echoed through the village.
Mira held her hands over the child’s scorched body, searching for hope. Although the burns didn’t cover more than a quarter of Zola’s frame, they went deep. Deeper than Mira’s had reached.
“Dotherri is with Sam,” Mira’s cousin whispered. Baz settled on the floor next to her. “I [...]

Bloodstone Map

A larger, more detailed version of this map will be made available at another time.

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This image may not be reproduced in any form without express written permission from MJ Twain.

Bloodstone Introduction

I’ll add more to this post later, but I felt the need to throw it in…
Bloodstone is a novella, perhaps a novel. It is not complete, and I will post 2-4 pages at a time. I’ll continue to post other short and flash fiction, so no worries there, but I thought it would be nice [...]

Clear the Mind, Part 2: Conclusion

Can bugs get cysts? What about cancer? I suddenly wonder. I consider checking cicada bodies for unusual growths. There’s a flashlight in the car, and I have time. It’s Friday, and I don’t have commitments tomorrow.
Curiosity gets me. The Mag-Lite is snug between the driver’s seat and door. Feeling slightly ridiculous, I ignore the “Park [...]

Clear the Mind, Part 1

The cicadas are deafening. I don’t mind. They drive fear away. Surrounded by a thick stand of trees that leads into the forest preserve, I embrace the cacophony.
Shady oaks shield me from murderous sunshine. Pale skin is safe here. Liberal doses of insect repellent will protect me from West Nile Virus, Rocky Mountain Spotted [...]

The Technicals: Notes

I don’t usually post story notes, but man, this story is driving me nuts. When I started, it seemed like a cool idea. You know, just a little tale to make people think about the environment and how we are affecting it.
I don’t know that two paragraphs went by in this story that didn’t suffer [...]

The Technicals, Part 4: Conclusion

The Technicals were done returning all the absorbed beings to the Gathering.
“Give back. Give back.”
Their chant went on as they began to pull random components from their bodies. Gadgets and their associated odds and ends grew in two piles.
To everyone’s astonishment, one pile—consisting of plastic, glass, metal, and wood—turned to streams of mist. The streams [...]

The Technicals, Part 3

It was difficult, but Mouse and Wisdom waited. The Technicals drew in the rest of the Gathering until the meadow was silent, empty. If they had it right, they would be safe. No place existed for Wisdom within the Technicals’ grasping indulgence.
“Are they finished?” Mouse peeped from a fold in Wisdom’s cloak.
“Quite nearly. The area [...]