The Word Worker

Tag: Encounters

  • The Farm

    —

    by

    wordworkerrussell
    in ,

    It had been there for 200 hundred years, looking exactly the same. Just another farm, with a neat farmhouse and barn. Everyone joked about cows in the house and family in the barn, because of the chimneys, but no one had ever thought much more about it. Which I guess was strange in itself, now…

  • The Girl

    —

    by

    wordworkerrussell
    in ,

    She was there every day the sun shone, sitting against the big oak in the park with her guitar. No one ever saw her come or go, but when she played anyone nearby stopped what they were doing. They gravitated to her, faces suddenly pensive, often tearful as if their deepest longings surfaced. She always…

  • First Contact

    —

    by

    wordworkerrussell
    in ,

    Bluing was it’s favorite time of waking. The sand, brilliant white for so many matings, took on the hue of Aurora for only three. Others avoided the surface during bluing, fearing the overling would walk the sands with her obliterating heat. R’ik knew better; so many matings it had spent alone in the beauty. It…

  • The Story

    —

    by

    wordworkerrussell
    in , ,

    Priscilla prided herself on telling a good story. When Elouise pouted because Ms. Charlotte, the governess, made her rewrite her dictation for poor handwriting, she whispered funny stories about monkeys or kittens who misbehaved. When history lessons were just too boring, she embellished the lives of generals and queens with fanciful romances or tragic mishaps.…

  • Book Teaser: The Confrontation

    —

    by

    wordworkerrussell
    in ,

    Despite the distance, I approached Dracul far too quickly and my heart pounded at sight of him. His skin was bloodless and translucent, revealing blackened veins beneath. His head, with only a few greasy tendrils of hair clinging to it, was topped with what appeared to be a rough leather turban, the fur worn patchy…

  • Book Teaser: The Dragon

    —

    by

    wordworkerrussell
    in ,

    When I did see it, I would have screamed if I could have breathed. I no longer heard the waves or felt the wind, and the sunset faded into nothing. Dark red scales and black horns filled my vision. The scrape of a leather belly against stone drowned out every other sound. I watched, frozen,…

  • Book Teaser: The Queen’s Guard

    —

    by

    wordworkerrussell
    in ,

       The Amrtaka finally drew so close that the rising dunes began to hide them from view. I hissed a warning to Dagda and Balhon, who instantly prepared for battle. I thought about pulling my chain mail hood back over my head from around my neck where I had let it droop, but decided against…

  • Crow

    —

    by

    wordworkerrussell
    in , ,

    Brent chortled into the mask. This was gonna be the best prank ever. Forget trick-or-treating, that was stupid kid stuff. He was gonna scare the pants off some partiers in the park tonight. He just needed to find the perfect spot. He ducked under a vine that hung over the entrance to an old footpath.…

  • The Pod

    —

    by

    wordworkerrussell
    in ,

    Lise’s eyes darted back and forth in the dim light under the trees. Jole was always following her around, but she didn’t want to share her find with her loudmouth little brother. Sure she was alone, she ducked under the hanging moss hiding the strange pod and its contents. The bones were merely a curiosity;…

  • The Legend

    —

    by

    wordworkerrussell
    in ,

    There he was, in all his lacy glory. I’d heard of the viscount, of course, from every local in every cafe and bistro between Paris and Calais. Quite the legend, apparently, that no one outside of France had ever heard. No one remembered his full title, or even his family name, only that he was…