| By: Jason Atwood |
Some stories begin on a dark and stormy night. However, the night this story begins on was not
stormy. In fact, it was a very clear and pleasant summer’s night. The closest thing to a storm was
a gentle breeze that made the night even more pleasant. Odd as it may seem, this night was not
exactly dark either. The cloudless sky revealed a myriad of stars, and a full moon cast a soft glow
on the countryside below. I guess you could say it was a perfect night for being outside.
Yes, Jayce could have chosen a much worse night to run naked through the woods that surrounded
the farming community outside of Enfield town. Unfortunately, it was not exactly his choice to go
for a nude run. It was more or less forced upon him by the wolf that was running with him. No, he
was not being chased by the wolf as you might suspect. Instead, he was doing his best to keep up
with it as it bounded across the fields, and slipped into the forest.
Jayce should have been in bed fast asleep, but he had been jarred awake that night by a strange
compulsion. He had looked outside his bedroom window and saw the wolf. He thought briefly
about going back to bed, but then he caught a scent on the breeze. This was the scent of the
hunt. He turned and gazed at his wife’s sleeping form. She would not like him leaving, but the urge
was much too strong to resist. He slid out the
bedroom window. He was no more than a shadow, and made no sound more than a rustle of a
few leaves. Jayce had one fleeting thought: he must be back before sunrise. Then all thoughts
were gone. The wolf bolted into the night, and he followed.
Jayce followed the wolf through the trees, locked onto the scent of his quarry. There was only one
thing that could have made the wolf appear and compel him to hunt. They were on the trail of the
creature that had been vandalizing farm equipment, and stealing livestock. The authorities were
convinced it was the work of some local youths just making mischief.
Jayce knew it was something much more sinister. He had seen the creature lurking in the shadows
around his own farm. Even his wife had seen it. Jayce was sure that the main reason their tiny
farm had been spared was due to his wife’s keen aim with a thrown iron skillet. Even dangerous
lurking creatures of the night do not wish to get brained by a hurtling piece of cookware.
Up ahead the wolf came to a halt. Jayce stopped beside it. This was where their quarry made its
home. The wolf had led Jayce to a cluster of dead trees that had fallen together to make a sort of
covered shelter. Around this lair were scattered various bones. At a glance they appeared to
mostly be woodland creatures, but there were some remains that looked to have once been goats
and cows. There was even one skeleton that was intact, and posed in a sitting position.
“So, that is what happened to Mr. Flood’s dog,” said Jayce to himself.
As he approached the lair, the stench hit him. It was a combination of body odor, feces, and
halitosis with a slight undertone of decay. Reflexively Jayce coughed and gagged. He
suppressed the urge to vomit, but it made no difference. He had already announced his presence
to the occupant of the structure.
Jayce peered into the opening, and could make out a hunched form. The creature’s eyes glittered
in the reflected moonlight with a feral intelligence. As Jayce thought of how he was going to handle
this situation, the creature hurled a rock at him. The assault caught Jayce off guard, and even his
quick reflexes did not allow him to dodge the projectile. The rock hit him square in the chest with a
soft “splat”. “Splat?” Jayce thought to himself. Rocks do not go “splat”. Then, he caught the reek
of feces. The creature had not thrown a rock, but rather a weapon of its own making.
“Ugggggh! I hate bugaboos,” said Jayce turning to the wolf. “Why can’t you ever lead me
anywhere that does not involve me getting dirty, stinky, or pummeled?”
The wolf let out a soft whine as it lay down and covered its face with its paws. Even though this
would appear to be a sort of apology, Jayce could have sworn he saw the wolf grinning.
Jayce turned back toward the opening to see the bugaboo approaching. It had a hunched form
covered in stiff black hair, and a densely muscled body. It opened the mouth in its human-like
face, and let loose a cackling laugh. Then, it turned around and farted in Jayce’s direction.
“Oh, that is nice. Let me guess, you are not just going to leave peacefully are you?” asked Jayce.
The bugaboo replied by leaping forward and cuffing Jayce hard across the cheek. The powerful
blow sent him staggering, but he did not fall. Jayce knew that a bugaboo was not a creature to be
taken lightly. Even though it was half his height it was much stronger and faster than any man. It
would not hesitate to kill him if it so chose. Or worse, it could knock him out, drag him into the
middle of town, and leave him to awake a naked, shit covered mess.
Jayce had no intention of losing this fight. His opponent was stronger and faster, but Jayce knew
how to hold his own. He had not always been a simple farmer, and he still trained on a regular
basis.
He assumed his fighting stance, ready for the next assault. The bugaboo leapt and swung its arm
in a sweeping haymaker. Jayce deftly side-stepped, and caught the arm. He used the creature’s
own momentum against it, and flung the bugaboo into a nearby tree trunk. The bugaboo shook its
head. It was dazed, but not ready to stop.
It leapt again, both its arms above its head. It was poised to land a blow that would crush Jayce’s
skull. Jayce pivoted on his left foot and spun, thrusting his right foot high into the air. The kick
caught the creature across its nose. There was a crack of breaking bone and grinding cartilage.
The bugaboo fell to the ground, but sprang quickly to its feet. It let out a cry of pain and rage.
Jayce shook his head. He did not want to kill this creature. No matter how disgusting it was, it
was just a wild animal. It was not evil. Most likely it had made its home in these woods all its life,
but as people encroached further and further into the wild areas it was forced to survive as best it
could. True the humans were the intruders, and many did not live in harmony with the land as
Jayce and his wife did. Regardless, it could not stay in this area.
These people had children, and bugaboos are creatures of opportunity. A goat, a dog, a
child…there was no difference in its mind. Meat was meat, and it would kill to survive.
The bugaboo squared itself for another charge. It was not going to run. It would not move on.
This was its home, and it was going to make its stand. Jayce cleared his mind. He focused on the
vibrations in his body. He felt the raw power coursing through him from his feet to his head. He
channeled the flow of energy into his hands which flickered alight with blue-green fire. This was not
the refined magic of a wizard. It was not even the hedge magic of the local healer. This was pure
elemental energy. It was primeval power from the origins of life itself.
Jayce was not a wizard. His abilities did not originate from years of training in the magic arts. In
fact, he did not know where this power came from. He could only summon it, and wield it to
perform the most primitive of functions. What he lacked in finesse he made up with raw
determination. He could control it enough to heal, or to kill. Sometimes the effects surprised even
him. There were even a few times it seemed that the power was guided by an unseen presence.
Jayce was in hopes that this display would frighten the creature into running. Maybe it would settle
in an area away from humans. However, the bugaboo was unafraid. It charged. Jayce focused
the power, and struck with both his palms, catching the creature in the face and abdomen. There
was no magnificent flash of light. There was no climactic clap of thunder. No earthquake. No
frogs rained down from the sky.
Jayce felt the power surge through the bugaboo’s body. He could feel its rage, its fear, its
confusion. He felt its primitive thoughts. Its intelligence was more than that of an animal, but less
than that of a man. He felt its heart pounding, then stillness. In that instant, that singular moment,
he felt the creature’s life end. He felt its passing as though he was the creature, and then the
contact was broken.
The now lifeless body crumpled to the ground. Jayce could take some small consolation that the
ending was quick. Could take some solace that now the families in the area would be safe. It was
a bitter victory, and left him hollow. He briefly thought of times past when the taking of a life was
for the greater good, when his adversaries truly were evil. They were memories he wished would
fade, but at the same time part of him missed that period of his life.
Jayce felt the compulsion that drove him to hunt dissolve as though it had never been there. He
looked toward the wolf, but it was already fading. As it disappeared he heard a soft voice in his
head, “Good Boy”. Jayce could not help but let out a small laugh. He set off for home. He had to
get cleaned up, and back into bed. If all went well he could get a few hours of sleep before his wife
awoke. Tomorrow they had to visit town to trade for supplies, and visits to Enfield were always a
treat.
stormy. In fact, it was a very clear and pleasant summer’s night. The closest thing to a storm was
a gentle breeze that made the night even more pleasant. Odd as it may seem, this night was not
exactly dark either. The cloudless sky revealed a myriad of stars, and a full moon cast a soft glow
on the countryside below. I guess you could say it was a perfect night for being outside.
Yes, Jayce could have chosen a much worse night to run naked through the woods that surrounded
the farming community outside of Enfield town. Unfortunately, it was not exactly his choice to go
for a nude run. It was more or less forced upon him by the wolf that was running with him. No, he
was not being chased by the wolf as you might suspect. Instead, he was doing his best to keep up
with it as it bounded across the fields, and slipped into the forest.
Jayce should have been in bed fast asleep, but he had been jarred awake that night by a strange
compulsion. He had looked outside his bedroom window and saw the wolf. He thought briefly
about going back to bed, but then he caught a scent on the breeze. This was the scent of the
hunt. He turned and gazed at his wife’s sleeping form. She would not like him leaving, but the urge
was much too strong to resist. He slid out the
bedroom window. He was no more than a shadow, and made no sound more than a rustle of a
few leaves. Jayce had one fleeting thought: he must be back before sunrise. Then all thoughts
were gone. The wolf bolted into the night, and he followed.
Jayce followed the wolf through the trees, locked onto the scent of his quarry. There was only one
thing that could have made the wolf appear and compel him to hunt. They were on the trail of the
creature that had been vandalizing farm equipment, and stealing livestock. The authorities were
convinced it was the work of some local youths just making mischief.
Jayce knew it was something much more sinister. He had seen the creature lurking in the shadows
around his own farm. Even his wife had seen it. Jayce was sure that the main reason their tiny
farm had been spared was due to his wife’s keen aim with a thrown iron skillet. Even dangerous
lurking creatures of the night do not wish to get brained by a hurtling piece of cookware.
Up ahead the wolf came to a halt. Jayce stopped beside it. This was where their quarry made its
home. The wolf had led Jayce to a cluster of dead trees that had fallen together to make a sort of
covered shelter. Around this lair were scattered various bones. At a glance they appeared to
mostly be woodland creatures, but there were some remains that looked to have once been goats
and cows. There was even one skeleton that was intact, and posed in a sitting position.
“So, that is what happened to Mr. Flood’s dog,” said Jayce to himself.
As he approached the lair, the stench hit him. It was a combination of body odor, feces, and
halitosis with a slight undertone of decay. Reflexively Jayce coughed and gagged. He
suppressed the urge to vomit, but it made no difference. He had already announced his presence
to the occupant of the structure.
Jayce peered into the opening, and could make out a hunched form. The creature’s eyes glittered
in the reflected moonlight with a feral intelligence. As Jayce thought of how he was going to handle
this situation, the creature hurled a rock at him. The assault caught Jayce off guard, and even his
quick reflexes did not allow him to dodge the projectile. The rock hit him square in the chest with a
soft “splat”. “Splat?” Jayce thought to himself. Rocks do not go “splat”. Then, he caught the reek
of feces. The creature had not thrown a rock, but rather a weapon of its own making.
“Ugggggh! I hate bugaboos,” said Jayce turning to the wolf. “Why can’t you ever lead me
anywhere that does not involve me getting dirty, stinky, or pummeled?”
The wolf let out a soft whine as it lay down and covered its face with its paws. Even though this
would appear to be a sort of apology, Jayce could have sworn he saw the wolf grinning.
Jayce turned back toward the opening to see the bugaboo approaching. It had a hunched form
covered in stiff black hair, and a densely muscled body. It opened the mouth in its human-like
face, and let loose a cackling laugh. Then, it turned around and farted in Jayce’s direction.
“Oh, that is nice. Let me guess, you are not just going to leave peacefully are you?” asked Jayce.
The bugaboo replied by leaping forward and cuffing Jayce hard across the cheek. The powerful
blow sent him staggering, but he did not fall. Jayce knew that a bugaboo was not a creature to be
taken lightly. Even though it was half his height it was much stronger and faster than any man. It
would not hesitate to kill him if it so chose. Or worse, it could knock him out, drag him into the
middle of town, and leave him to awake a naked, shit covered mess.
Jayce had no intention of losing this fight. His opponent was stronger and faster, but Jayce knew
how to hold his own. He had not always been a simple farmer, and he still trained on a regular
basis.
He assumed his fighting stance, ready for the next assault. The bugaboo leapt and swung its arm
in a sweeping haymaker. Jayce deftly side-stepped, and caught the arm. He used the creature’s
own momentum against it, and flung the bugaboo into a nearby tree trunk. The bugaboo shook its
head. It was dazed, but not ready to stop.
It leapt again, both its arms above its head. It was poised to land a blow that would crush Jayce’s
skull. Jayce pivoted on his left foot and spun, thrusting his right foot high into the air. The kick
caught the creature across its nose. There was a crack of breaking bone and grinding cartilage.
The bugaboo fell to the ground, but sprang quickly to its feet. It let out a cry of pain and rage.
Jayce shook his head. He did not want to kill this creature. No matter how disgusting it was, it
was just a wild animal. It was not evil. Most likely it had made its home in these woods all its life,
but as people encroached further and further into the wild areas it was forced to survive as best it
could. True the humans were the intruders, and many did not live in harmony with the land as
Jayce and his wife did. Regardless, it could not stay in this area.
These people had children, and bugaboos are creatures of opportunity. A goat, a dog, a
child…there was no difference in its mind. Meat was meat, and it would kill to survive.
The bugaboo squared itself for another charge. It was not going to run. It would not move on.
This was its home, and it was going to make its stand. Jayce cleared his mind. He focused on the
vibrations in his body. He felt the raw power coursing through him from his feet to his head. He
channeled the flow of energy into his hands which flickered alight with blue-green fire. This was not
the refined magic of a wizard. It was not even the hedge magic of the local healer. This was pure
elemental energy. It was primeval power from the origins of life itself.
Jayce was not a wizard. His abilities did not originate from years of training in the magic arts. In
fact, he did not know where this power came from. He could only summon it, and wield it to
perform the most primitive of functions. What he lacked in finesse he made up with raw
determination. He could control it enough to heal, or to kill. Sometimes the effects surprised even
him. There were even a few times it seemed that the power was guided by an unseen presence.
Jayce was in hopes that this display would frighten the creature into running. Maybe it would settle
in an area away from humans. However, the bugaboo was unafraid. It charged. Jayce focused
the power, and struck with both his palms, catching the creature in the face and abdomen. There
was no magnificent flash of light. There was no climactic clap of thunder. No earthquake. No
frogs rained down from the sky.
Jayce felt the power surge through the bugaboo’s body. He could feel its rage, its fear, its
confusion. He felt its primitive thoughts. Its intelligence was more than that of an animal, but less
than that of a man. He felt its heart pounding, then stillness. In that instant, that singular moment,
he felt the creature’s life end. He felt its passing as though he was the creature, and then the
contact was broken.
The now lifeless body crumpled to the ground. Jayce could take some small consolation that the
ending was quick. Could take some solace that now the families in the area would be safe. It was
a bitter victory, and left him hollow. He briefly thought of times past when the taking of a life was
for the greater good, when his adversaries truly were evil. They were memories he wished would
fade, but at the same time part of him missed that period of his life.
Jayce felt the compulsion that drove him to hunt dissolve as though it had never been there. He
looked toward the wolf, but it was already fading. As it disappeared he heard a soft voice in his
head, “Good Boy”. Jayce could not help but let out a small laugh. He set off for home. He had to
get cleaned up, and back into bed. If all went well he could get a few hours of sleep before his wife
awoke. Tomorrow they had to visit town to trade for supplies, and visits to Enfield were always a
treat.
| Splintered Fate |
| June 2009 |
| Serial Fiction |
| Copyright 2009 by Jason Atwood |
| Chapter 1 |
Bio:
Jason Atwood is a native of Sparta, a small town in the mountains of North Carolina. He now lives in Lilburn,
Georgia with his lovely wife Lisa and their four cats. When he's not writing, he's making a difference in the lives of
children as a pharmacist at a children's hospital in Atlanta.
Jason Atwood is a native of Sparta, a small town in the mountains of North Carolina. He now lives in Lilburn,
Georgia with his lovely wife Lisa and their four cats. When he's not writing, he's making a difference in the lives of
children as a pharmacist at a children's hospital in Atlanta.
| Return in July, 2009, for the next installment of "Splintered Fate" |