《Uroboros Cycle》Brother Slew Brother Part 8 Chapter 3
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"You're strong woman," he brushed away her tears, "and this is scary."
They drove back through the Industrial Park. A glow rose from the town, and lightning filled the heavens. War of despair had sparked into flame. Though only half the street lamps burned, the town no longer needed them. One man stood at the chain link fence, eyes on the abandoned factory. Tim recalled him, knew he'd lost everything. The man's gaze caught the light of distant fires. They slowed, but they had no time to spare. Unshaven, disheveled, and dressed in patched together clothes. A company's loyalty went one way, so ended when no longer advantageous to them. This man's means and meaning had been stripped away. Tim and Marie left him there with only the sound of thunder and a half empty bottle of cheap whiskey. A small pop from a worn pistol was lost in the chaos.
The Devil of the void had finally brought hell to the town. It needed no imps or demons, but only the self-loathing despair in people's hearts. Men and women would gladly, in a state of hopeless rage, be the hellish creators of malevolence. Pain inflicted would never fill the emptiness inside, though each attempt drew out a little more. The hunger grew ravenous.
Owl Sticks was littler with fire that the slow, bloated drops left unquenched. Some were bonfires, but most were the hovels that sheltered the wayward of the trailer courts. They shunned all, even themselves, and so burned the town to feel its warmth. Streets were filled with bands of cackling junkies. One group piled up tires in a bonfire in the street, and danced around the fire. With malicious glee, a scrawny addict rolled a burning tractor wheel down the road. Meth labs, hidden amongst the hovels, blew up. Chunk of debris landed on the pavement to the hateful joy of the little crowds. Thick black smoke rolled over the ruination left in the wake of the bedlam, which reeked of rubber and chemicals. Low, guttural stench turned the stomach. It settled on the skin, left it defiled. Between the brawls, curses and screams, the desperation in their eyes grew.
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Tim maneuvered around the mayhem. Any that drew close seen Marie, and ran in terror from the La Voison. She tried to think, but a wave of nausea hit her every time. Tim's mind blanked, and his gut dropped. They drove slowly.
Marie always strove to answer everything herself. Now, she prayed Bethany could help her, realized her mother always had an answer. Maybe, she thought, she had taken her love for granted. "I'm sorry," she whispered too low to hear. Marie had cried, when her mother had died, though pride would never let her admit it. It had been shameful to be the daughter of a mad woman. Small towns relegated children on the path of the parents. Fate had never really let her escape, only to return to this place. The insanity, curse of her blood, had started to devour the mind.
"Mom," she pleaded, and Tim glanced at her.
Before them, motes rose from the road, though this one was a dazzling hue of vibrant purple like a thistle. Bethany had loved the color, and wore a ribbon of its shade. It flashed, and Marie thought of her mother. The ball of flame floated to her, light soothed. She cupped her hand to hold the ball.
Ashless Hollow rose around her in a flash of black. In a flicker and then gone, Marie could smell gingerbread, and thought of Bethany. Trees crowded the dark water, where the mud was treacherous. Large, ripe blackberries formed a thick wall, briars long and thick. The berries were soured by the earth that nourished them. They stood guard, under a great weeping willow. Its branches touched the water's surface, like it was awed by the gloomy beauty. No light struck the earth, even the lightning failed to pierce it. Nothing that fell into the mire could escape. A single, old noose hung over the pool's center.
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Marie pulled back, like she'd stuck her head in dark water. The image broke fast as it had gripped her. Breath heaved to the pounding of her heart.
"Inky," Tim blinked.
She clapped both hands to her head, "I can't recall it!"
"What," he said, bewildered.
"There is a place, in Ashless Hollow, that has black berries and a big willow," she felt the name on her tongue.
He frowned for a moment, "It sounds like Blackberry Bog."
"Yes," she snapped fingers, "but…I can't think of where to find it."
"Oh, no," he turned towards Ashless Hollow, "that is a bad place."
"I've heard of it, but my mother never told me where it was in Ashless Hollow."
"That is where people disappear," he drove faster, but the patches of chaos slowed him. "Do you recall Mason Greene?" he asked, and Marie nodded though frowned. "Well, according to rumor, he was killed and dumped in Blackberry Bog."
"Did they find a body?"
"No, it is impossible for to get machinery back there," he saw a group of people, reached for the shotgun, but they ran away. "That is why Reverend Hill doesn't have a backhoe anymore."
"I bet Rutger has investigated Blackberry Bog," she rubbed her eyes, "and knows where to find it."
The truck cleared Owl Sticks. Gunfire played between the booms of deafening thunder. Rain fell slow, sporadic; water already began to run into the mire. Roads only cut through so much of the forest. They saw men in the woods, but were unconcerned with them. Groups of Gregory, McWhorter, and Van Lear hard cases trekked through the muck. The warring factions took shots at each other, cursed mire's labyrinthine trees. On foot, anyone could find their legs swallowed up to the thigh in moments. None were interested in the occupants of the truck, once they saw them.
"I don't think we can go any further," Tim grunted, but tried to push it a little deeper.
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8 124Falling in love with a witch
"The sun today will be the judge of you men, burning you and your sins, as the wind will sweep away the ashes of you fools. We witches pray to mother nature and she shall save us, as our souls are pure gold unable to rust". A witch spoke these words on the day of her death. Centuries later a hidden tale is unraveled in the 21st century in the town of Mount Giest. What secrets will be discovered and who is lying, whilst who is telling the truth? A love story between a boy and a witch. They learn to bond and heal each other wounds growing together, with a hint of darkness that lurks behind all of us. release dates hopefully if I'm not busy: Tuesday and Friday note: l do not own any copyrights over the cover image l used
8 199The Telvanni Girl
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8 148My Cat Boy | ^ -ᆺ- ^
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8 1851970's Gangster Couple [MTL]
Title: 七零年代大佬夫婦 / 1970s Gangster CoupleAuthor: 老衲不懂愛Chapters: 95 [COMPLETED]https://m.shubaow.net/85/85204/MACHINE TRANSLATED [MTL]Xiao Xiao is the Chinese Federation's youngest tech giant from the interstellar era. She is also the pearl in the palm of the Xiao family, which dominates the Interstellar Xiao Group. She did, however, find herself in the 1970s, a time when resources were scarce.Crossing into the 1970s isn't the only surprise she got; she's now married to someone!On the wedding night, when she first arrived, Xiao Xiao, who was confused and burning from fever, was carried to the health center by her skin-and-bone "husband".You can't eat good food or wear nice clothes, not to mention the bad state of the environment. But worry not, Xiao Xiao will solve it by scientific means.Technology is productivity. She was a boss in Interstellar, and she will still be a boss here!As a "monster", Wang Wei deeply felt that marrying his wife was trouble. On the first day of their marriage, he spent five yuan treating his little wife's illness.The little wife of his is also very delicate. She has no idea how to do anything and acts spoiled on a regular basis. Wang Wei keeps a record of every time he helps her with something. He expects to receive it back in the future, but he wasn't expecting that...
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◡̈ 𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞. the villainous princess wants to live in a gingerbread house. ⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚ ˚୨୧⋆。˚ ⋆ღ 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬. I knew I had reincarnated as a child from a poor and ruined home.And yet, I thought about the pastry shop, which in my previous life, I could not afford.But in this life everything is different.Originally, I was a possessed young woman who got in the way of the protagonist's love story and ultimately wanted power.If I want to avoid the bad ending, I must show the biggest lack of interest in power. Then, I will be able to bake the sweets that I have always wanted so much.But with the emperor, not everything is so simple..."How long will you avoid me for?"The Crown Prince who is the male lead who eventually drove me to ruin..."You are my only cousin."The Duke, the strongest knight of the empire..."I love your lime pie."Even a slave who is meant to plunge a knife into me..."I want to save you from death."Do you want me to be by your side?악역 황녀님은 과자집에서 살고 싶어요⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚ ˚୨୧⋆。˚ ⋆disclaimer: this is NOT my novel, this is only a fan translation, all rights to the author and please try to support the official works if you can!꒰ translated by mio (@mioscorner) ꒱
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