The Skull In The Water - Part 10 / What Doesn't Kill You - Part 1

The following is a short story revolving around the fantasy story 'The Wall Outside'. There will be serveral parts. It uses some of the characters of 'The Wall Outside', but is not part of main book. 'The Wall Outside' is currently available in digital format at http://www.amazon.com/The-Wall-Outside-Series-ebook/dp/B009FLOMLI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350814435&sr=8-1&keywords=the+wall+outside+by+james

The Skull In The Water - Part 10 / What Doesn't Kill You - Part 1

Horror grips you; you cannot turn away.  The dark lady's eyes stare into yours.  You scream.

Bob The Pixie leaps into the air from his place around the fire.  His eyes dart both directions.  "What's going on?"

Cold sweat pours off you as you open your eyes, listening to your own ragged breath.  "It was only a dream," you tell yourself.  "The dark lady is gone!"  The ground around you rumbles.

"Dark lady?"  Bob descends back to the earth.  "You had a nightmare?"  He waves it away.  "Perfectly natural after what you've been through, but don't worry, there is nothing to fear here now."  Bob glances over at the fire.  "We might need more wood though."

The heat of the fire has burned down, but there is enough to knock off the chill.
"You're not going to leave me."

"I'm just stepping out to get some wood," he reassures.  "No reason to fear.  Look," he points toward the forest edge.  "The Banshee is still standing guard."

"That's exactly what happened last time; she just stood there and screamed.  I like alarm systems as well as the next person, but if the cops don't come---" you shrug and slap the ground.  It rumbles again.

Bob looks like a deer in the headlights.

"Cops, you know, police?"

"Ahhh," Bob grins and slaps his own knee.  "Slang, you're using slang!"

"Sure," you shake your head.  "Bob, you really need to get out more."

"That's exactly what I keep telling Jonna," he nods agreement.  The fire crackles and jars his memory.  "Right, wood!"  He lifts into the air and heads toward the forest.

You turn around and huff.  It was bad enough you had to spend the night around the dark lady's campfire, but on top of it, Bob still hasn't restored you to your full size.  He had made a good case; it was easier to stay warm this way, but that didn't change the situation.

You kick the ground and it rumbles back.  You tap the ground and it rumbles back harder.  You move to stand and feel the ground shift under your feet.

"Bob!"  You leap as the ground beneath you gives way.  The only stable place appears to be in the campfire, and you're not going in there.

The ground around you is shaking; something is stirring beneath its surface.  Cavities form and you trip, tumbling into one.

Dust stirs everywhere; you find it hard to breath.  As you hit the bottom, you notice a white reflective glow.  You'd know that glow from anywhere.  It's a finger bone to a skeleton reflecting firelight, and it's rising out of the earth all by itself.


~ James William Peercy

For those interested, what is 'The Wall Outside' about?

Step across the barrier and what will you find?
A place of magic just out of sight?
A pixie, a leprechaun, or even a sprite?

What starts as a vacation, turns into a mess. For Jonna, there's
more at stake than meets the eye. Through pouring rain,
misdirection, and a curious mind, Jonna crossed the barrier
between our world and magic.

Now forced to return across the barrier, Jonna battles Dark Mages, angry leprechauns, and a ruthless Minotaur, all in an effort to find his wife. To do this, he must locate the stolen Rune Blade and rescue a beautiful elvish princess.

But what can a human do when faced with a world of magic?