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Adventures In Living With The Mythical |
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A military veteran is adopted by a werewolf and brought into his pack. Insanity ensues. About "Life With A Werewolf" Life with a werewolf is a dramatic blog. As such the characters in this blog are not real but maybe loosely based on real people. The situations represented are not real but maybe loosely based on real things that have happened in my life. There are a multitude of ways to view life, this is simply one of the ways I have chosen to view mine. Updated Every Friday unless I can't or don't want to. If this is your first time reading this...start here: https://www.writing.com/main/books/entry_id/1040400-Welcome-To-The-Pack My book, "Dreamers of The Sea" is available now on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0uz7xa3 |
| A brief list of why I'm typically not invited to too many places around Christmas: 1) "No grandma, you have a thinking problem. Which leads to a talking problem. which leads me to drinking." 2) Telling kids the truth about Santa. 3) Telling kids the truth about Santa's reindeer. 4) Telling kids the story of Krampus. 5) Starting the Krampus movie for the kids during the Christmas party. 6) Getting a werewolf sized flea collar then giving it to Vic (the vampire doctor) and tell him it's an engagement ring. Putting Crash's name on it. 7) "Accidentally" scratching my cousins brand new SUV after she went on and on for over an hour about how big of a loser I was and how much better her former high school quarterback turned oil change jockey is than me to the rest of the family. 8) Turning all of the special toys on in my cousin's bedroom, setting them free from their hiding spot, then letting the dogs in the room with them. 9) Turning the TV to Foxnews in my liberal relatives house during Christmas dinner. Stealing the batteries out of the remote, hiding the remote, then leaving. 10) Turning the TV to CNN during Christmas dinner in my conservative relatives house during Christmas dinner. Hiding the remote after stealing the batteries out of it, then leaving. 11) Swapped the sugar out for salt in the sugar bowl. Made fresh coffee for everyone on Christmas morning! 12) Hid a bluetooth speaker in a return vent in the A/C system during a Christmas party. Started a music marathon with it. Two straight hours of "All I Want For Christmas Is You," by Mariah Carey. Followed by "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth", then back to Mariah Carey. Party broke up early while people searched for the devilish device. (I'm still not allowed back at my Uncle's). Everyone's family drives them a little nuts at times over the holidays. I've not always had the most mature responses to these events. It's a wonder I haven't been shot yet! Some of these things I'm ashamed of. (Though that Mariah Carrey one was hilarious and worth the scorn, heh). But I do have my reasons. Well, I suppose you can call them excuses. These are the things that run through your head at night when the sleep doesn't come. The "I wonders" and "if I'd a's". I am convinced that's what kills more people than cancer, drunk driving and splinters combined; the "I wonder's" and "If I'd a's". I hope your holidays went over well. If they didn't, I hope your holidays went better than the ones I usually have with my family. Don't give into "I wonder". Don't give into "if I'da". All you ever have is now. Looking back on past mistakes with friends at times can be a laugh, but when you do it alone all I've ever known it to bring is tears and heavy drinking. This day is the only one you have. This moment is the only one you got. Please don't waste it looking back at past mistakes. Cause, like Crash says, "if you spend too long looking back, you can't see where you're going." |
| Khied made his way towards the little girl’s house. He wasn’t trying to be secretive. Didn’t feel much of a need to be secretive. “She entrusted herself to me,” he told his new assistant, “So I’ll turn that little girl. She’ll be the new Faenie.” With a touch and a little concentration, the large door at the back of the property opened. The assistant’s eyes looked wild, afraid. But he followed. In a jerky, manner as some unseen power pulled him along behind Khied. He looked between the houses as he went. Several of the lawn gnomes watched with anger and horrified disgust on their faces. Help me he mouthed to them, before he was pulled along inside. The inside of the house was much the same as the last. Large white walls, wood beneath, painted ceiling above. It was filled with familiar and unfamiliar materials. A strange and alien world for the taking. Khied moved through the area with all of the cabinetry, the stone ground and the large metal boxes towards towards the front. He heard the bus arrive. He waited. A dog came bounding towards him, his hackles raised, snarling and yapping. Khied touched him and forced a bit of power into the canine. It yelped one last time as it shrunk, fur hardening into a statue of a ceramic dalmation. “Much better,” Khied said and smirked. “I’m getting pretty good at this.” The little girl walked through the front door. It opened and closed with a slam. She threw a back pack on a piece of furniture in the front then stopped and stared down at the lawn gnome. “Uh…” She began. It was all she got out. Light emanated from Khied’s fingertips, enveloping the girl. She was pulled off the ground and began to float in the air. “Now,” Khied growled to his assistant. “We’re going to have a little transference. Sorry about this.” His hands glowed, the light began to pool and change colors. She wanted to scream but the words and sounds were trapped inside. All she could do was float and feel funny…fuzzy. The light grew blinding, then…it stopped. It reached down to his assistant and grabbed him, lifting him slowly from the ground. It grew brighter, almost painful. The assistant felt a tugging he said later. As if something was being pulled out of him. Then, it stopped too. Junith stood behind Khied. The entire gnome community behind her. She was pushing the light, manipulating it. The assistant was thrown backwards, towards the wall. His ceramic began to grow, it grew softer. It puffed upward and out until the cop lay where the old assistant was. “Don’t! It’s her only chance,” Khied shouted. He looked over at Graffur beside Junith. “Please! I’m doing this for us! Can’t you see, all of us!” Graffur snarled at Khied, a tear in his eye, then held his own hands up towards the light. He pulled more out with Junith, pressing and manipulating it. It exploded in a shower of sparks. A yelp like a dog could be heard from the other room. The girl fell to the floor. She shrank back from the gnomes, a look of terror on her face. “She’s dead! It’s your fault! She’s dead,” Khied shouted, charging Graffur. The older gnome grasped him, and twisted, throwing him down. Khied struck, punching him. The sound of ceramic slapping against ceramic echoed through the house. Several hands grabbed Khied. Junith walked forward then, and slapped him hard. Tears in her own eyes. “Where’s Khied Faenie,” she demanded. Khied glared back at her. “She gave me all she was,” he snarled. “I was about to bring her back.” “You,” Junith snarled, “was about to kill that girl.” “Necessary sacrifice,” Khied snarled. “You know nothing,” Graffur snarled at him. “You can’t be doing this! They protect us, and we protect them. It is our job to protect them from the baddies and the beasties, just like they protect us!” “They weren’t there to protect us from the dragon! From those little terrors next door smashing us to bits for fun. From their clumsy vehicles that occasionally roll over one of us, or one of them! They’re not there for anyone but themselves!” “How have I raised such a fool,” Graffur said. “They cannot protect you from yourself, Khied Falkurk. You chose to break into their home and you paid for it. You called the dragon and we paid for it. When you choose pain and death, Khied, you find it.” Junith held her own hand up. It glowed red hot with power. The other gnomes hold Khied backed away. For such a power is enough to smash a gnome. “You have until sundown to be gone from this community. Or I will make it so you no longer exist.” Khied maybe angry. Perhaps even quite a bit crazy. But he is not stupid. He scrambled backwards, fled through the remaining gnomes in the house, and towards the woods. He did not see what happened to the girl, to her dog. Though at a distance days later it could be seen they were playing happily in their back yard, and even talking to one of the lawn gnomes as if it could hear her. He never returned to the community. Graffur and Junith never saw Khied again. With each misadventure, he grew angrier. More twisted. Though at night sometimes, if you’re in the wood, you can occasionally hear him talking to Faenie. And asking her why. Please understand meaty ones, that not all lawn gnomes are such mean creatures as Khied. And perhaps it might do you good to have one. Signed, A gnome. *** After reading all of this, I must admit. I was surprised, shocked and wondered how much of it was true. I walked towards the woods. It was early morning. Crash had been on day shifts handling paperwork. Twin beady red eyes glared at me from the woods. “Not hard,” I said holding up the letter, “figuring out just who wrote this Falkurk.” “Falkurk is dead,” the voice replied. “There is only Khied.” “No,” I said, “what’s left of Falkurk I think is what wrote this letter.” “Why do you speak to me, meaty?” “Look,” I said. “I’ll go my way, you go yours. Live. Let live. Don’t touch my property. Don’t touch my friends.” “I cannot do that,” he said. There wasn’t a snarl in his voice. It sounded almost…sorrowful. “The world will be ceramic. It must be ceramic.” “Then I will give you the only kindness I can. Next time we meet, I won’t pull punches. I’ll shoot to kill.” “Next time we meet, you will be ceramic. And you will thank me.” I turned and went inside. The entire sad affair playing over in my head. I still wonder what had any of this accomplished? What will any of the conflicts actually do? I sat on the back porch staring out at the woods drinking coffee when Crash walked up. “What’s got you up so early,” he asked. I showed him the letter. Told him of the conversation after. “You can’t rescue some people,” he said. “You know this more than I do.” I nodded thinking of a few things from my last job. Things that I will not discuss in this blog. “Some just choose destruction.” He shrugged. “Some just choose themselves above others. Destruction always follows that.” I nodded, then clapped him on the shoulder. I wished him a good day, then watched Crash leave in human form and a shirt and tie. “Can’t wait to be back on nights,” he grumbled heading out the door. I smiled. “Yes, but when you’re on nights, you’ll wish you were on days.” “Paperwork sucks. How would you like a job?” I laughed. “You remember my last office job? How would you like to be fired?” He chuckled as he walked out the door. I watched him leave then took another sip of coffee and looked towards the wooded clearing near hour home. As I drank my coffee, I watched a pair of beady red eyes glare at me one last time from the wooded clearing. They pressed back into the darkness after that, and was gone. |
| The two new Khied’s stood around the body of Ms. Smythe. They had a small ceremony, just by themselves, honoring her as a lawn gnome should be honored. A simple ceremony that should be done with a whole community, but can be adjusted for just one. Khied Falkurk stood at her head, while Khied Faenie stood at her feet. They looked at each other in sorrow but love. Tears were in both of their eyes. It had taken half the night for Khied Faenie to pick the flowers that surrounded Ms. Smythe. She arranged them in a colorful pattern, the same way that we lawn gnomes arrange for ourselves. White lilies were near her head symbolizing purity. Red roses on her hands to symbolize life, and finally dark blue violets near her feet to symbolize her journey of passing from this world into the next one. Both Khied Faenie and Khied Falkurk raised their hands, and spoke a single word, drawing energy up from the Earth as they did. The body of Ms. Smythe crumbled inward, drying up into dust. As the energy faded nothing of Ms. Smythe’s body was left but a pile and a gust of wind blown in through the window, pulling the dust outward. The flowers dried up next, and followed, carrying them all on the wind. A single blue violet was left behind. It danced in the wind for a moment and came to rest at the feet of Khied Falkurk. “She gave a gift to you,” said Khied Faenie. “Quite the honor.” He gave a single nod in response, a gentle tear trickled down his cheek. “Her own kind abandoned her. Our own kind betrayed her.” Khied Faenie nodded. “It’s like neither side wants happiness. They just want to struggle.” “Sometimes,” Khied Falkurk said, “you have to force others to see the light.” Khied Faenie smiled slightly. “I was thinking the same. One day, this will never happen again. Not to us, not to them. We will show them what family truly means. And they will give us proper security.” Khied Falkurk had been rubbing his freshly shaven chin all night. He did so one more time with the flower in his hands. Then walked up to Khied Faenie. “It’s not from my beard,” he said, “but, I think it’ll do for our purposes.” He slid the flower behind her ear, then kissed her cheek. “Khied Faenie, I wish to marry you. But I have no community to do it with.” “Yet,” Khied Faenie said. “You don’t yet. But we will. Tonight, we start next door. The neighbors has one rambunctious little girl, who I always felt was more gnome than human.” “I will begin to draw power,” Khied Falkurk said. “I will do it right. No more mistakes. No more death.” Khied Faenie turned and walked back towards the window. “They will beg,” she said. She looked out at the lawn gnomes. It was early morning now. Every gnome in the neighborhood was in their proper spots. Every gnome had subtly turned away. As if they were turning their backs towards the Khied couple. “They will beg our forgiveness when we’re through.” “All flesh will be ceramic,” Khied Falkurk replied. They had been at the window for a while. They stood and watched the kids get on the school bus. They watched the parents go to work. It was strange to see their goings on and day to day activities out in the open like this. To just stand in watch, not trapped in a single pose for the meaties sake. No human seemed to ever see them or pay much attention. Except the one little girl, whom Khied Faenie had already said was more gnome than human. Her dark hair was braided in twin braids that lay across her shoulders on either side, almost like an imitation of Khied Faenie’s old locks. When their eyes met, the girl twisted around in her bus seat, turning her head back towards the front with a look of fear on her face. “See,” Khied Faenie said to him. “She shapes her hair like mine was, almost instinctively. I want her as mine.” “And she will be,” said Khied Falkurk. The car with the red and blue flashing lights arrived a few minutes later. It rolled down the street, and pulled into the drive, as if it owned the place. “Who’s that,” Khied Faenie asked. “Trouble,” Khied Falkurk replied. They heard the foot steps on the stairs of the back porch before they saw the two humans. They wore matching blue uniforms with strange caps on them. A brass symbol of some kind had been affixed to their breast. The two humans talked, and Khied said at the time he couldn’t understand them. Not like now, where translating human speech is almost second nature. He did recognize the name Ms. Smythe. He recognized “the others.” Which is what they called their special division in that community apparently. The ones whose job it is to police and maintain the community lines of those non-human entities like us lawn gnomes. They had both frozen in place, with Khied Faenie giving him a kiss on the cheek. The one human walked towards her, then shined his light down upon her. He muttered one word which Khied later learned was “weird,” then began searching the house. As they walked through, calling Ms. Smythe’s name, Khied Faenie began to follow the tall one. She stalked behind the human, her steps going slow. As he moved, she moved, making three steps for every one he made. Khied Falkurk followed behind, fascinated, watching them. Suddenly, a shout came from behind Khied Falkurk. Khied Faenie Leaped when the human turned, attacking his leg at the knee. The human shouted and kicked. Khied Faenie flew across the room, smashing against the wall. A large crack ran down her head. The world went red for Khied Falkurk. He didn’t know he summoned energy until the moment he felt it leave him and enter the human that had hit Khied Faenie. The human screeched in pain. It twisted and became a short yelp as he began to shrink. His flesh morphed and twisted, becoming hard, more ceramic. Khied Falkurk concentrated harder this time, willing the flesh to morph. Not blindly pushing power, but altering its flow when necessary. Soon, the tall human was no taller than Khied Falkurk. He had no beard, darker skin, but was a lawn gnome now, just the same. Khied Falkurk heard a thump from behind him. He turned, before he huffed. The world faded in and out. It fuzzed for a moment, but he concentrated just enough to see the human turning to flee the house. “They’ll be back,” Khied Faenie whispered. Khied Falkurk fled to her side on watery legs. “Oh no, oh Faenie,” he whispered. “Give me a moment. I can,” he huffed. His words chocking in his throat. “Give me your hand, Khied,” she said. “They’ll be here for their friend.” “Oh Faenie, I can fix this give me a moment,” he said, drawing power to himself. He looked at the former human, who stared at him dumbfounded now. Staring at his hands, then back at the two lawn gnomes. “Come here,” Khied Falkurk snarled. “You’re going to help fix this!” He shook his head faster, but took a step anyway on shaky legs. As if he couldn’t stop himself from moving towards his new master. “P-please d-don’t make me,” the former human whimpered. Khied Falkurk waved his hand over to the human, and was about to grab him, to transfer his ceramic over to Faenie, when Faenie huffed, “do you trust me, Khied?” He looked down at her. A single tear rolled down his cheek again. He nodded. She grabbed his leg, then whispered a single word that meant “unite”. Power flowed into Khied Falkurk from Khied Faenie. As it did, her body began to dry up from her feet. He felt a surge of power, control and knowledge enter him. “Please no,” whispered Khied Falkurk. “No.” She touched him one last time on the leg and smiled. “It’ll be alright,” she said. “Now we’re together. Forever.” Her waist and chest dried up, followed by her arms, and her head. It shriveled into a fine powdery dust that was grabbed by the wind. A single flower was left behind. The blue violet that he had given her earlier. Khied picked it up, his eyes now glaring. He stuffed the flower into his hat then turned to the human, glaring at him. The former human waved his hands proctectively, stepping backwards. “L-listen, we had no idea what we were walking into,” he started. “Come here,” Khied Falkurk snarled. On shakey legs, the former human walked forward. “P-please,” he muttered. “I have a family.” Khied Falkurk reached for his front pocket, grabbing the pair of shades he saw there. “Yes, you do,” he snarled. “I’m your family.” A single tear rolled down his cheek one last time. “We will honor her memory,” he said. “Both of theirs.” “W-who are you?” He looked at the scared former human. “W-what are you?” “Me?” the lawn gnome thought for a moment. “They call me Khied,” he said. “And we’re going to make them regret it.” |
| Now I know you humans don’t understand what magic can do to someone, seen as how you got all the gadgets but none of the pretty sparklies like we gnomes. So, I’ll explain it for you. Imagine you’ve just ran a race. A good long race up and down hills, across valleys and through forests. A race so long that even your hat feels tired. That’s what Falkurk felt. He collapsed to the floor for a moment. Took two deep breaths, then stood, walking over to the window on watery legs. Outside was total chaos. The dragon swooped down, strafing the street. From his vantage point, he could see two tiny individuals under the scaley beast’s arms. Falkurk couldn’t see much, but he did see only one gnome had a beard. The rest of the neighborhood was running in panic, running back between the houses, huddled under bushes, struggling to find cover where ever they could find some. There was gnomes trying to build a resistance of some kind by a playground near the corner, but the dragon largely ignored them. It made a large swoop through the neighborhood as if taking one last look, then flew on into the distance. Falkurk later said that it felt as his very heart had shattered that night watching the dragon fly off with the gnomes under its arms, with its ceramic coppery wings glistening in the distance. His knees buckled. He said it felt like the floor gave way and the entire world was in free fall. He braced against the wall, tears in his eyes. Faenie walked up to Falkurk and hugged him tight. “Things are going to be okay now,” she said. “You see? This is what the humans have. None of their children were carried off, where they? Their greatest enemies is just each other. They’re having no fear in these wooden castles. And now, neither shall we. We shall be like they are.” He turned to her, clenching his fist. “Did you not just see the dragon cart off our kin?! What is wrong with you Faenie?” “You said you trusted me, remember?” She pointed at the creature as it attempted to crawl across the floor. A sad whimpering sound came from it whenever it placed a new ceramic hand down. “She’s one of us now! She’ll help us, protect us. We’ll help her and guide her. We’ll live here happy. No more worrying!” “She’s hurting, can’t you see? Look at her!” The creature whimpered then laid back on the floor. “I’m okay,” she said in a hushed whisper. “I’ll be okay.” But it was obvious she wasn’t okay. There was a trail of ceramic dust behind her. She was corroding away before their very eyes. “We can fix her,” Faenie said. “You have the strength in magic, I have the wisdom. It will take a bit, but we can get her repaired good as new!” Graffur strode in through the back door with a group of lawn gnomes behind him. They all wore the grim face of an executioner at the gallows. “I’d have never thought it,” he said, walking over to Falkurk. “My own son. After everything I taught you. Every warning I gave!” A crowd of lawn gnomes came in after him. “Forbidden,” was said by someone in hushed tones. “Rotten” someone else said. They huddled around the creature that was Ms. Smythe, looking down at her with a mix of sorrow and horror upon their faces. Graffur dragged Falkurk forward, tears in his eyes. “Did you do this?” The creature that used to be Ms. Smythe looked up from her place on the ground. She tried to smile, but the pain forced it into a grimace. “I didn’t,” Falkurk said. “Then who?” Falkurk refused to meet his glare. Graffur stepped closer, and pointed down at the creature crawling on the ground. “Who created this abomination?” He looked up at his dad, his lip quivering. “Faenie said she was seen. I was trying to talk to her and well,” Everyone stared at Faenie, who smiled as though nothing was wrong. “We all could see she was lonely. No one came. How many of their festive holidays did we watch the meaties have and skip over this poor woman. How many times did they just forget she existed? It’s like she dropped off the earth. Lived in a hole amongst them. Now she’s one of us! Our magic can heal her. She’ll be whole again! You’ll see. We’ll live as one happy family now. We can live in here, with no need to hide anymore.” “And do what,” Graffur growled. “Sing and dance while the humans come and see what exactly is wrong? How long do you think it will be before we’re all smashed to bits? Did you ever stop to think about that?” “Well,” Faenie said, tapping her lip thoughtfully. “We can turn the neighborhood. Shan’t be that hard, cannit?” Graffur gave her a hard look. He was about to reply, but Ms. Smythe’s groan of pain said more than anything he could. The gnomes began to part, and an older gnome stepped forward. When Faenie saw her braided grey hair and the disappointment and sorrow on her face, Faenie looked hurt and shameful for the first time. “M-mom I…” Faenie began. “Don’t speak.” Elder Junith said. “For I already know.” She pulled energy from the Earth, not as much as Falkurk. But then, she didn’t need as much for what she was doing. She walked to the creature that was Ms. Smythe, and lightly touched her head. A soft white light glowed from her hand down into the creature when she touched her. “We cannot heal you, Ms. Smythe,” she said. “But I give you back your name and I give this kindness to you; that after tonight, you shall have no more pain.” Junith stood then glared at Falkurk, then Faenie. “Who was on watch for the dragon?” “I was,” Falkurk said, his eyes cast to the floor. “Instead of watching for the dragon, your stunt called the dragon to us. Dunkirk and Llyda, newly wedded here upon this very land, are now gone. Dinner for the stone beast,” she snarled the word beast, then glared over at Falkurk. “We are lucky no one else was caught. You Falkurk, who shown so much promise. You Falkurk. You Faenie.” She reached behind herself and pulled a knife. “You have destroyed three lives tonight with your greed. This cannot go unpunished. Faenie,” she stepped forward, and grabbed a braid. “You are no longer my daughter.” The knife cut quick through it. The elder threw it to the floor. “You no longer have a name.” She cut through the other braid, and threw it to the floor next to the first. “You no longer have a family. You are cursed! Khied shall be the only name you know. Hunger and greed are the family you have chosen, and it’s the only family you will have, until the day that it destroys you.” Graffur grabbed the knife from the elder. “And I, Graffur, say to you, Falkurk,” “Dad, please! Listen,” Tears filled Graffurs eyes. He held the knife strong as the hands of strong male and female gnomes pulled Khied to the floor. Graffur knelt over him, his tears wetting Falkurk’s face. “You no longer,” he began to saw through the beard.” You…no longer,” he sputtered with a single shuttering breath. “Dad…I’m sorry. Please dad, I didna mean to, dad…” “You,” he said again, as the blade cut halfway through the beard. “Are no longer Falkurk.” He continued sawing, the knife moving back and forth. “Dad….” He gripped more of the beard, throwing the hairs behind himself. “You…have no family.” The blade went through the rest of the beard. Strong hands gripped his head. The knife pressed against his chin. Falkurk stared up into the hurt of his father. Tears fell against his face. “I curse you,” Falkurk said, scraping the blade against his chin. “Khied is your name. Hunger and greed,” The blade scraped the left side of his chin with a loud scrape of ceramic, “be the family you have chosen.” The knife scraped the other side now. A fresh white powdery scratch appeared on his chin from the effort. “Hunger and greed be your family now! Until the day they destroy you.” He stood. The hands slowly let go. One by one the gnomes left in silence. Junith paused at the door and took one last look at the gnome that was once Faenie, then turned without saying a single word. Faenie looked stunned, her jaw dropped, tears in her eyes. It was as if the thought of being punished for this had never entered her mind. Graffur stared down at the gnome that was once Falkurk, glaring at him through his pain. After everyone else had left, the son attempted one last time to talk to his father. “Dad…” “I….have no son,” Graffur said then left. The gnome that was Falkurk laid in the floor, staring up at the ceiling. His breath came in harsh gulps and huffs, his teeth gritted. A soft scraping sound could be heard. Like ceramic scraping over stone. Finally, a large arm laid over him. “It’s alright,” The creature that was Ms. Smythe said. “At least we’re together.” Falkurk touched her hand, and turned to look into her beady eyes. “Are you alright?” Ms. Smythe smiled. “Yes,” she said. “I do not hurt now. And I am not alone.” She laid down her head then, and closed her eyes. Khied now, no longer Falkurk, placed his hand upon hers. Hot tears stinging his eyes as he felt the last of her life energy leave. Ms. Smythe was no more. |
| Days growing shorter and colder to a lawn gnome means more freedom. The less humans are about the more we can move and be free to do the things that are necessary for our own survival. The world may grow chilly and icy for you, but for a lawn gnome it’s all the same as a spring summer day. That’s the advantage of having ceramic instead of meat for flesh. But you meaty ones certainly can build more things than us, reach higher and farther. Your imagination and ingenuity are wonderful things that have gotten you far; those vehicles you ride around in to do various things being just one of the wonderful inventions you’ve built for yourselves. However, whether you have ceramic or meat for flesh, you can still covet. When what you covet burns into jealousy, it warps you. It becomes easier to harm those you know very little about. Less of a problem to hurt or kill them as long as you get when you want. I’ve heard it said that the love of gold be the root of evil. The front door into our hearts that swings open wide for evil and darkness to enter and take control. If that’s so, then coveting be the side door. Through covet you get jealousy. Through jealousy comes rage. From rage only comes death. No one knows just how long Faenie was sneaking into Ms. Smythe’s house at night. It was easy for her to do. Her spot in the day time was in Ms. Smythe’s very yard, close to the back of the hedge that divided the properties. She was out of sight of just about everyone in the village, so no one could watch her. Ms. Smythe was a trusting soul for a human. She never locked her doors, never had a dog or cat of any kind. It was easy for any gnome to slip inside and borrow and item or two before returning it if we needed. It was something we in the village had done plenty of times prior when we needed something. Though we always attempted to return it with a little extra. The days had grown short with the approach of winter. The village kept its nightly vigil against the dragons, Falkurk included. His watch was closer to dawn, just as the sun was preparing to break the horizon. On that night, he stood by the hedge at the edge of his lawn, eyes towards the sky, scanning in the manner that had been handed down in that position. “Falkurk,” Faenie whispered, pressing her head through the bush. There was a look of panic on her face that Falkurk had not seen before. “What is it Faenie?” She pulled her hat down off her head, and held it, fear caused her lip to tremble. “I need your help.” “I’ll be happy to give it to you,” Falkurk said. He swallowed and looked back to the sky. “But I’m on watch, I cannot leave this post.” “But Falkurk, I did something terrible. I need your help.” He looked down at her again, taking his eyes off the sky. “What did you do, Faenie?” She took a single shuttering breath, then expelled it. “I was seen, Falkurk. I was seen.” He stepped forward, away from his post. Falkurk later said his belief was that the dragon had made attempts last month, but hadn’t been seen for some time. That perhaps that particular dragon had moved on, going towards warmer, happier and easier targets in the south. He followed Faenie, who moved across the road, through the neatly trimmed hedge of Ms. Smythe’s front yard, and up the steps to her back porch. It was a wonderous world that he’d only ever glimpsed through windows. Wood carved into the floor, into the walls. The very ceiling upon the porch was made of wood! As he went through the back door, he saw counter tops made from a stone much harder than his ceramic. He saw furniture made again from wood, lights that required no fire; it was as if the humans had captured the very light from fire itself to illuminate their homes. Ms. Smythe lay in a heap on the stone floor. She rubbed her head, groaning in pain. “What happened,” she gasped, then looked up, setting her eyes on Faenie and Falkurk. She let cry a gasp of terror, then scooted back towards the wall. “Demons from hell,” she sputtered, “begone demons! Begone!” Falkurk gripped his hands into fists, then began drawing on the floor with a fingertip. There was nothing for him to draw with or in, but it was the motions that mattered, not if anyone could see it. He felt power begin to flow upwards from the Earth. It started flowing through the floorboards, through the very walls itself. His chest grew mighty and powerful with it. As he began to pull more to prepare to speak, Faenie whispered into his ear, “Do you trust me?” He almost faltered then, but nodded. Faenie whispered, “then draw more. Do not speak yet. Keep drawing in power. As much as you can hold.” Falkurk was confused, but he did as she asked. His eyes stayed on Ms. Smythe’s, whose grey hair now hung in ragged clumps. A red substance was running down her head, something that Falkurk didn’t recognize then. He’d recognize it now, though. “P…P..lease…” Ms. Smythe muttered, shivering as if cold. Faenie grasped Falkurk’s hand, and began to drag him over to the injured woman. She pressed it downward upon her ankle and shouted a single word, a command in gnomish which means RELEASE! The power flowed from Falkurk. It illuminated the entire living room, making every window shine like the noon day in summer. The energy flowed from his hand, into that ankle that Faenie touched his hand with. Then something began to happen. Ms. Smythe began to change. Her skin wrinkled, then cracked, she cried in pain and terror as the meat started to morph, pulling away from the old skin. It hardened, growing into ceramic. The change rolled up her leg and towards her torso. The terror on the old woman’s face over rode the pain she felt then. It rolled and roiled upwards, going through her chest, down her limbs and finally to her head. A white flash of light pulsed, followed by a shockwave. Every window in the house shattered outwards, every glass in the kitchen broke in a jangle of notes. The creature that was Ms. Smythe sat back, muttering. “Muh…muh…” Her eyes now black beady points instead of regular or gnomish eyes. She cast her eyes towards the windows in fear and terror. “D…d….” she began. “Yes!” Faenie cheered. “What happened,” Falkurk said dumbly. He shivered, for a moment, feeling cold from the loss of power, falling to one knee. “I was just trying to talk to her. Tell her not to tell anyone. Faenie, what did you do?” “D…d…” Faenie just shrugged, and walked over to her. “What we did is help her! She’ll live longer now! And she’s ours! She can be our pet, can’t you see? Isn’t this great, Falkurk?! Though, we’ll have to get this fixed,” Faenie tapped the old woman’s now ceramic head. There was a small crack in it. “Faenie, was that you?!” Faenie shrugged. “I had to keep her in the kitchen, so she wouldn’t lock the door. It’s not like I could tie her up. She’ll be okay, won’t you Ms. Smythe?” “D….d…” The creature that was Ms. Smythe continued to babble, staring out the window, a look of terror on her face. Falkurk rubbed an ear. “It was so bloomin loud, too! Like sticking your head in a thunder bolt.” He walked over to Faenie and snarled “I should shatter you.” Faenie smiled. “But you’re not, are ya?” then embraced Falkurk with a kiss. “D…d…” The creature that was Ms. Smythe said. “No, I suppose not,” Falkurk grumbled, as the kiss broke. His ears were slowly recovering. They both looked down at the creature that was Ms. Smythe, staring into her eyes. The beady eyes had a far away look of terror in them. “I’m sorry miss. I didn’t know,” Falkurk said dumbly. “D…d…” Ms. Smythe said again. “But now, you won’t be lonely,” Faenie said, smiling. “We’ll move the whole village in here. You’ll be happy with all of us now as new friends. You’ll see. We’ll have a grand old time, it will be like, harvest! Every day!” “Faenie,” Falkurk started, then heard a shout from outside. He rubbed an ear and looked over towards the window. “What was…” he began. “Dragon…” the creature that was Ms. Smythe whispered. |
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