| By: Jason Atwood |
While Jayce was outside, Kayli wandered back into the bedroom. Her mind was now occupied
with many things besides going to Enfield. She was certain Jayce had lied to her about seeing the
wolf. She walked over to the bedroom wall and depressed a fake knot in the board. A secret door
opened in the wall revealing a small closet. Inside this closet was where they kept a few mementos
of their former life. Hung on the side walls were Jayce’s sword and shield. How they had seemed
to flash with radiance when he wielded them. Now, they looked dull and lifeless.
Her twin crossbows hung on the back wall. These weapons were small enough to be wielded one
handed, and they could be reloaded very quickly from the custom-made bolt quivers she used to
wear on her belt. Hanging below them was the special belt that she found the very same day she
and Jayce met.
On the floor was a small trunk. It contained their old armor and a few small treasures that had
more sentimental than monetary value. She thought back to their life before they settled down.
Their occupation went by many titles: Mercenary, Bounty Hunter, Treasure Hunter, Adventurer and
Thief. For the most part, they simply performed tasks for which others were willing to pay.
Sometimes they just stumbled upon a clue to some form of hidden treasure.
Their lives were filled with excitement and danger. Kayli found that life exhilarating, but that
changed when she saw Jayce nearly lose his life. No amount of treasure or adventure was worth
losing him. So, she went into early retirement, and all but forced Jayce to join her. He was
reluctant to give up that life, but he did so to remain with her. It was much harder to convince him
to forget about his wolf.
Granted, the whole wolf delusion had helped them succeed on many missions, and had saved their
lives on several occasions. Unfortunately, the single-minded drive which came over Jayce while
he was in the grip of that delusion was frightening to Kayli. Convincing him that the wolf did not
exist had put a severe strain on their relationship, and had almost driven them apart. At times Kayli
wondered if she had made the right decisions, or if she had created a rift between them that could
never be mended. At times like this she wished she had not made the decision to leave that old
life. Maybe that was why she agreed with Jayce’s idea to keep these mementos.
The life of a farmer was not bad. It was peaceful, uneventful, relaxing…boring. The work was
hard, but it was fulfilling in its own way. Their place was a farm in the most humble sense. It was
on a small piece of land that bordered the forest. Some of this land they had turned into a
vegetable patch. The soil was good, and their harvests were bountiful. They preserved what they
could, and sold or bartered with the surplus to get the things they needed. The only livestock they
had were a few chickens and their donkey. Jayce seemed to enjoy raising the crops and taking
care of the animals. Plus, he was very handy in keeping things in good repair.
Kayli spent most of her time helping Jayce, but also ventured into the forest to gather wild fruits
and herbs. People in Enfield were eager to buy such delicacies. Their life was one of balance with
the world around them. They never took too much from the land, and the land was kind to them.
Some of the large farms closer to Enfield were not so mindful of the world around them. The
owners cleared as much land as possible in order to grow increasingly larger crops. Animals were
losing their natural habitats, and were killed mercilessly when they ventured onto the farms in
search of food.
That is why Kayli chose this spot to live. It was further away from Enfield and those large farms.
Their neighbors tended to be of the same mindset as she and Jayce, and that made the situation
all the better. It would be a long time before those large farms could move in and destroy the
surrounding land.
Kayli closed the door to the secret closest. If Jayce really was seeing the wolf again, then their
quiet life together could end at any time. She would have to keep a close eye on him, and try to
prevent him from putting himself in danger. They had worked so hard to get to this point in their
lives. Why was it that they could not just live quietly?
Kayli turned to leave the bedroom, and saw one of Jayce’s sandals by the dresser.
“Now why wouldn’t he be wearing his sandals?” she said to herself. She picked up the single
sandal, and looked around for the other. She quickly found it on the other side of the dresser. She
wondered why the sandals were not together, but quickly dismissed the thought. Jayce could be
peculiar at times, and he was constantly misplacing things.
While Kayli was inside remembering the past, Jayce was totally focused on the present. Preparing
their donkey, Annie, for travel was usually a difficult task. She was very stubborn and had a bad
temper, as was typical for her species. She did a great job pulling the cart however, and the price
they got her for was right. To put a spin on an old saying, you should never look a gift donkey in
the mouth.
Her former owner had just left her tied to a tree with a note that simply read, “Stubborn ass. Yours
if you can get her to move.” Well, Jayce had gotten her to move, and she followed him all the way
back to the farm. Since then, it was a battle to get her to do any work, but eventually she would
comply.
Today was different, Annie was unusually cooperative. She did not try to bite Jayce when he put
the harness on her, and she was more than willing to be led to the cart. Not only was Annie’s
behavior out of character, the day itself had a strange feel. The air seemed to be alive with
energy. Jayce listened to the buzz of the insects and the calls of the birds. It was almost as if
there was a hidden message in those sounds, something just beyond his ability to decipher. He
looked up at the sky. It was a beautiful pale blue, and filled with white, fluffy clouds.
Many people make a game of finding clouds that look like certain objects or animals. Jayce never
saw these things. Instead he saw faces in the clouds. In fact, he saw faces in many things, such
as trees and rocks. He shaded his eyes with his hands, and he stared at the clouds. There were
several faces looking down at him. Some looked like bearded old men, and some looked like
matronly women. A few others were grotesque with snarling mouths, and malicious eyes.
“Stop looking at me,” Jayce hissed.
He was unsure if they actually heard him, but now it seemed that the faces had found other things
to hold their interest. Not a single one was looking at him now. Jayce finished hooking Annie to
the cart, and went back to the shed to look for his hat. The sun was very unkind to him. While
Kayli darkened to a golden tan by being out in the sun, Jayce would only burn and blister. He
quickly located his hat. At least that goblin or gremlin or whatever hadn’t stolen it like it had his
sandal. He placed his hat on his head, pulling the brim down low to shade his face.
As he exited the shed, he noticed that something was different. He looked back up at the clouds,
but the faces were still ignoring him. Then, he noticed that the insects and the birds had quieted.
That feeling of energy in the air increased. The world seemed to be holding its breath for some
event. Jayce felt his body resonate with the energy around him.
Vibrations ran up and down his spine, and his hands began to glow with blue-green light. He felt
that there was an important message here. There was something that he must do, but he could not
determine what it was. He felt a gentle breeze, and could hear whispering in the stirring air. It was
too faint to make out the message, but he caught one word clearly, “Truth”. There was a noise
behind him, and he turned expecting to see his wolf.
What he saw he could not comprehend. His farm and the forest had disappeared. In its place was
a twisted landscape filled with bent trees, and strange plants. He could see the glowing eyes of
creatures hiding in the shadows, and he could feel their malicious intent. Before him was a mass
of blackened and warped trees that were in the shape of a throne. Upon the throne sat what
appeared to be another tree at first glance.
To his surprise, it stood up and opened a pair of eyes the color of hot coals. It was three times
Jayce’s height, and it had a body that appeared to be made of a mass of blackened branches or
vines. Its head was a bleached white skull of some animal with large jaws and teeth, the skull of a
predator. Jayce tried to move, but was paralyzed. He was unable to run or fight as the demon
approached. Jayce felt a hand on his shoulder, and the paralysis was broken. He whirled quickly,
and struck out with his fist.
“What the hell are you doing?!” Kayli exclaimed, barely leaping back in time to dodge Jayce’s
punch.
The twisted world vanished, and Jayce was back on his farm.
“Oh gods, I’m sorry,” Jayce rushed to her.
“What has gotten you so jumpy?”
“I thought I heard something in the woods,” he replied in a shaky voice. “You startled me. I’m so
sorry.”
“I bring you your sandals, and you try to hit me,” she quipped. “Some gratitude.”
“You found both of my sandals?” asked Jayce eager to change the subject. “Where?”
“By the dresser where they were supposed to be.”
“I looked through that entire bedroom, and I only found one.”
“They were each on different sides of the dresser. You really should take better care of your
things.”
“Well, thanks for finding them,” he said taking his sandals from her with a sheepish grin. “Annie is
all ready,” he said while putting on his sandals. “Wow, you must not have had any trouble with
her.”
“Oddly enough, I didn’t,” he replied.
“Maybe it’s a good sign.”
“Yes, if Annie can be less stubborn, then there’s hope for you,” Kayli said with a little grin.
Enfield was only a few hours travel by foot. Jayce led Annie, while Kayli sat on the cart’s single
seat. It was a pleasant trip with no further views of the twisted landscape or the demon. The birds
and insects were chirping and buzzing as usual, and the faces in the clouds had decided to vanish
for a time.
Jayce was still shaken by that vision. What disturbed him most was not the strangeness of the
whole thing, nor the imposing figure of the skull-headed demon. He could handle strangeness.
When strange things seem to keep happening around you, you get used to them.
What chilled him was the familiarity of the scene. He had never been to any place like that before
that he could remember, and had never seen anything remotely resembling the demon.
Nonetheless, there was a nagging feeling that he had been there before. Also, there was that
strange whispering message in the wind and the single clear word: “Truth”. Nothing about that
vision should be associated with that word. He shuddered, and tried to put the image out of his
mind. Besides, it was a beautiful day, and even bloodthirsty demons wouldn’t dare ruin such a day
as this.
with many things besides going to Enfield. She was certain Jayce had lied to her about seeing the
wolf. She walked over to the bedroom wall and depressed a fake knot in the board. A secret door
opened in the wall revealing a small closet. Inside this closet was where they kept a few mementos
of their former life. Hung on the side walls were Jayce’s sword and shield. How they had seemed
to flash with radiance when he wielded them. Now, they looked dull and lifeless.
Her twin crossbows hung on the back wall. These weapons were small enough to be wielded one
handed, and they could be reloaded very quickly from the custom-made bolt quivers she used to
wear on her belt. Hanging below them was the special belt that she found the very same day she
and Jayce met.
On the floor was a small trunk. It contained their old armor and a few small treasures that had
more sentimental than monetary value. She thought back to their life before they settled down.
Their occupation went by many titles: Mercenary, Bounty Hunter, Treasure Hunter, Adventurer and
Thief. For the most part, they simply performed tasks for which others were willing to pay.
Sometimes they just stumbled upon a clue to some form of hidden treasure.
Their lives were filled with excitement and danger. Kayli found that life exhilarating, but that
changed when she saw Jayce nearly lose his life. No amount of treasure or adventure was worth
losing him. So, she went into early retirement, and all but forced Jayce to join her. He was
reluctant to give up that life, but he did so to remain with her. It was much harder to convince him
to forget about his wolf.
Granted, the whole wolf delusion had helped them succeed on many missions, and had saved their
lives on several occasions. Unfortunately, the single-minded drive which came over Jayce while
he was in the grip of that delusion was frightening to Kayli. Convincing him that the wolf did not
exist had put a severe strain on their relationship, and had almost driven them apart. At times Kayli
wondered if she had made the right decisions, or if she had created a rift between them that could
never be mended. At times like this she wished she had not made the decision to leave that old
life. Maybe that was why she agreed with Jayce’s idea to keep these mementos.
The life of a farmer was not bad. It was peaceful, uneventful, relaxing…boring. The work was
hard, but it was fulfilling in its own way. Their place was a farm in the most humble sense. It was
on a small piece of land that bordered the forest. Some of this land they had turned into a
vegetable patch. The soil was good, and their harvests were bountiful. They preserved what they
could, and sold or bartered with the surplus to get the things they needed. The only livestock they
had were a few chickens and their donkey. Jayce seemed to enjoy raising the crops and taking
care of the animals. Plus, he was very handy in keeping things in good repair.
Kayli spent most of her time helping Jayce, but also ventured into the forest to gather wild fruits
and herbs. People in Enfield were eager to buy such delicacies. Their life was one of balance with
the world around them. They never took too much from the land, and the land was kind to them.
Some of the large farms closer to Enfield were not so mindful of the world around them. The
owners cleared as much land as possible in order to grow increasingly larger crops. Animals were
losing their natural habitats, and were killed mercilessly when they ventured onto the farms in
search of food.
That is why Kayli chose this spot to live. It was further away from Enfield and those large farms.
Their neighbors tended to be of the same mindset as she and Jayce, and that made the situation
all the better. It would be a long time before those large farms could move in and destroy the
surrounding land.
Kayli closed the door to the secret closest. If Jayce really was seeing the wolf again, then their
quiet life together could end at any time. She would have to keep a close eye on him, and try to
prevent him from putting himself in danger. They had worked so hard to get to this point in their
lives. Why was it that they could not just live quietly?
Kayli turned to leave the bedroom, and saw one of Jayce’s sandals by the dresser.
“Now why wouldn’t he be wearing his sandals?” she said to herself. She picked up the single
sandal, and looked around for the other. She quickly found it on the other side of the dresser. She
wondered why the sandals were not together, but quickly dismissed the thought. Jayce could be
peculiar at times, and he was constantly misplacing things.
While Kayli was inside remembering the past, Jayce was totally focused on the present. Preparing
their donkey, Annie, for travel was usually a difficult task. She was very stubborn and had a bad
temper, as was typical for her species. She did a great job pulling the cart however, and the price
they got her for was right. To put a spin on an old saying, you should never look a gift donkey in
the mouth.
Her former owner had just left her tied to a tree with a note that simply read, “Stubborn ass. Yours
if you can get her to move.” Well, Jayce had gotten her to move, and she followed him all the way
back to the farm. Since then, it was a battle to get her to do any work, but eventually she would
comply.
Today was different, Annie was unusually cooperative. She did not try to bite Jayce when he put
the harness on her, and she was more than willing to be led to the cart. Not only was Annie’s
behavior out of character, the day itself had a strange feel. The air seemed to be alive with
energy. Jayce listened to the buzz of the insects and the calls of the birds. It was almost as if
there was a hidden message in those sounds, something just beyond his ability to decipher. He
looked up at the sky. It was a beautiful pale blue, and filled with white, fluffy clouds.
Many people make a game of finding clouds that look like certain objects or animals. Jayce never
saw these things. Instead he saw faces in the clouds. In fact, he saw faces in many things, such
as trees and rocks. He shaded his eyes with his hands, and he stared at the clouds. There were
several faces looking down at him. Some looked like bearded old men, and some looked like
matronly women. A few others were grotesque with snarling mouths, and malicious eyes.
“Stop looking at me,” Jayce hissed.
He was unsure if they actually heard him, but now it seemed that the faces had found other things
to hold their interest. Not a single one was looking at him now. Jayce finished hooking Annie to
the cart, and went back to the shed to look for his hat. The sun was very unkind to him. While
Kayli darkened to a golden tan by being out in the sun, Jayce would only burn and blister. He
quickly located his hat. At least that goblin or gremlin or whatever hadn’t stolen it like it had his
sandal. He placed his hat on his head, pulling the brim down low to shade his face.
As he exited the shed, he noticed that something was different. He looked back up at the clouds,
but the faces were still ignoring him. Then, he noticed that the insects and the birds had quieted.
That feeling of energy in the air increased. The world seemed to be holding its breath for some
event. Jayce felt his body resonate with the energy around him.
Vibrations ran up and down his spine, and his hands began to glow with blue-green light. He felt
that there was an important message here. There was something that he must do, but he could not
determine what it was. He felt a gentle breeze, and could hear whispering in the stirring air. It was
too faint to make out the message, but he caught one word clearly, “Truth”. There was a noise
behind him, and he turned expecting to see his wolf.
What he saw he could not comprehend. His farm and the forest had disappeared. In its place was
a twisted landscape filled with bent trees, and strange plants. He could see the glowing eyes of
creatures hiding in the shadows, and he could feel their malicious intent. Before him was a mass
of blackened and warped trees that were in the shape of a throne. Upon the throne sat what
appeared to be another tree at first glance.
To his surprise, it stood up and opened a pair of eyes the color of hot coals. It was three times
Jayce’s height, and it had a body that appeared to be made of a mass of blackened branches or
vines. Its head was a bleached white skull of some animal with large jaws and teeth, the skull of a
predator. Jayce tried to move, but was paralyzed. He was unable to run or fight as the demon
approached. Jayce felt a hand on his shoulder, and the paralysis was broken. He whirled quickly,
and struck out with his fist.
“What the hell are you doing?!” Kayli exclaimed, barely leaping back in time to dodge Jayce’s
punch.
The twisted world vanished, and Jayce was back on his farm.
“Oh gods, I’m sorry,” Jayce rushed to her.
“What has gotten you so jumpy?”
“I thought I heard something in the woods,” he replied in a shaky voice. “You startled me. I’m so
sorry.”
“I bring you your sandals, and you try to hit me,” she quipped. “Some gratitude.”
“You found both of my sandals?” asked Jayce eager to change the subject. “Where?”
“By the dresser where they were supposed to be.”
“I looked through that entire bedroom, and I only found one.”
“They were each on different sides of the dresser. You really should take better care of your
things.”
“Well, thanks for finding them,” he said taking his sandals from her with a sheepish grin. “Annie is
all ready,” he said while putting on his sandals. “Wow, you must not have had any trouble with
her.”
“Oddly enough, I didn’t,” he replied.
“Maybe it’s a good sign.”
“Yes, if Annie can be less stubborn, then there’s hope for you,” Kayli said with a little grin.
Enfield was only a few hours travel by foot. Jayce led Annie, while Kayli sat on the cart’s single
seat. It was a pleasant trip with no further views of the twisted landscape or the demon. The birds
and insects were chirping and buzzing as usual, and the faces in the clouds had decided to vanish
for a time.
Jayce was still shaken by that vision. What disturbed him most was not the strangeness of the
whole thing, nor the imposing figure of the skull-headed demon. He could handle strangeness.
When strange things seem to keep happening around you, you get used to them.
What chilled him was the familiarity of the scene. He had never been to any place like that before
that he could remember, and had never seen anything remotely resembling the demon.
Nonetheless, there was a nagging feeling that he had been there before. Also, there was that
strange whispering message in the wind and the single clear word: “Truth”. Nothing about that
vision should be associated with that word. He shuddered, and tried to put the image out of his
mind. Besides, it was a beautiful day, and even bloodthirsty demons wouldn’t dare ruin such a day
as this.
| Splintered Fate |
| August 2009 |
| Serial Fiction |
| Copyright 2009 by Jason Atwood |
| Chapter 3 |
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 September, 2009, for the next installment of "Splintered Fate" |