What Doesn't Kill You - Part 4

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

What Doesn't Kill You - Part 4

The smell of smoke wafts around you.  You open your eyes, but there is no light.  Smoke?  Is something on fire?  The image of the skeleton comes rolling back; it was attempting to reach inside the hollow.  There is a strange gurgling sound to your left.  With a tentative hand, you reach out until you feel a body.

Jerking your hand back, you sorely wish you had a light.

The noise stops and something sneezes.

"Bless you."

The sleepy voice of Bob asks, "What?  What did you say?"

"Bless you."

"Don't say that, not in here!"  Bob The Pixie looks around.  "Don't you know where we are?"

"Bob, do I look like a pixie?"  You stop for a moment, remembering you are still as small as one.  "Let me rephrase that.  Bob, I'm not a pixie.  How can I see in the dark?  All I can do is listen to your voice; I don't know where we are."

He laughs.  "We're in holly wood.  Can't you at least smell it?"

You do smell something, but what it is you cannot say.  "Hollywood?  The only Hollywood I know is a place in Los Angeles, California."

"Really?" Bob is all ears.  "So what do they do in your holly wood?"

"Bob, what is your hollywood?"

"Not hollywood, holly wood.  It is one of the most scared trees of the pixies!"

He acts like that explains it.  When you don't say anything, he continues.

"Surely you know about---"

You clear your throat.  "Like you didn't know what a cop was, right?"

"Okay, okay. How about I quote the pixie poem?"  He takes a deep breath.

"Hold the holly in your hand, this wood is magic in the land.  Say the words, 'Do dum day', and pixie magic is on its way."

"Do dum day?"  Something begins to happen to you; gradually you begin to grow.

"Not now!" Bob panics.  He moves toward the front of the hollow, and finds that something is blocking the exit.  "They've trapped us in!  We can't get out!"

"At least that explains why it's so dark."  Your body is growing; you can feel it.  "What just happened?"

Bob moves back to your side, takes you by the arm, and guides you toward the blocked exit.  He says in a very monotone voice, "Just stay calm.  Everything is going to be fine.  We just have a little problem of getting you outside."

"Bob, what's happening to me?"

"By using those words inside a holly wood tree, you've negated the shrink spell. You're returning to normal size."

The horror of it hits you, but I'm inside!"

He guides you to the exit.  "Stay calm.  If we push together---"

Both of you slam against it; it barely moves.  Your head bumps into something.  You reach up and feel the top of the wooden cavity.  "We better hurry!"

"Heave," he shouts.


~ 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?