The Word Worker

Tag: Encounters

  • Portal

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    by

    wordworkerrussell
    in ,

    Hugh carefully backed around the corner he had just rounded and leaned against the cool stone, sucking a deep breath into his startled lungs. Eyes wide, he took another peek. The hole in the wall was still there. It definitely wasn’t there before. He trembled; his old nurse maid would have mumbled about witchcraft and…

  • The Phantom’s Mask

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    by

    wordworkerrussell
    in ,

    The flashlight beam reflected from the dark water, and she stirred the water with her toe just to break the unnatural stillness. Even her footsteps barely whispered in the cavern. Quite a contrast from the busy, vibrant stage far overhead. She continued skirting the lake, passing her light over damp columns. The years had left…

  • Conscious

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    by

    wordworkerrussell
    in ,

    The wreckage from the treetops littered the moss, cracking under Pim’s feet. He placed his palm against the bark of the nearest trunk, feeling the thrum of distress from its heartwood. The storm had happened too early, whipping into the new growth forest before the development of deadwood. Pim didn’t understand the complex algorithms that…

  • The Folly

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    by

    wordworkerrussell
    in ,

    “Come on, Sal, what kind of place is this for a picnic? It’s creepy!” “Donny, you’re the scariest guy I’ve ever met. It’s just an old building and some dead trees. Can’t you imagine what this place looked like in its heyday?” “Heyday? Sometimes I think you’re an old ruin, Sal. Who talks like that?…

  • The Watch

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    by

    wordworkerrussell
    in ,

    The sound of the sailors’ feet shifting against the boards grated on the silence. A whispered prayer floated unintelligibly over the water, blending with the fog like something unearthly and dreadful. There should have been waves noisily licking below, the creak of rigging in the shift of the wind. Edwin closed his eyes, his hands…

  • Frost

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    by

    wordworkerrussell
    in ,

    There were lights in the mist. I glanced at the sun overhead as if to reassure myself that it was in fact daylight, that the glare that squinted my eyelids reflected from the snow. Surely that’s all it was, my eyes playing tricks. It was just bright spots under the trees where the light made…

  • The Castle

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    by

    wordworkerrussell
    in ,

    “Hurry! We’re gonna get caught in it!” Jenny shrieked, stumbling over the rocks on her way down the hill. “Don’t be a wimp!” Jake grumbled behind her, hopping from stone to stone instead. “It’s just water! Why are you such a GIRL?” “I AM a girl, stupid!” Jenny stuck her tongue out, then pulled up…

  • The Accident

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    wordworkerrussell
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    Something was wrong. She must have hit her head harder than she thought; could a concussion make you see color differently? She touched her forehead gingerly and pushed herself to her feet. What had she been doing? Oh yes, running. She had tripped and hit her head because… Something had been in the woods, and…

  • Yellow Eyes

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    by

    wordworkerrussell
    in ,

    This story is brought to you courtesy of my ten year old son, with a few slight changes on my part for clarity. I hope you find it as entertaining as I did. One night a family of four was driving out in the woods. They heard a howl, and the dad said, “It’s just…

  • The Tomb

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    by

    wordworkerrussell
    in ,

    “What a depressing place! Why on earth did you bring me here, Jack?” “Oh, I dunno, I think it’s pretty cheerful with the sun shining through the trees and all.” “Whatever, weirdo! Seriously, what’s with the creepy mausoleums?” “Come here, I wanted to show you something. Look at the door on that one.” “What about…