《For Grass and Glory》Chapter 19
Advertisement
Norma sat in her re-leathered company car inhaling the vape that came out of the vaporizer in her hand. How her dad could still smoke those disgusting tobacco death sticks she didn’t know. The smell alone made her sick to her stomach. It was one of the many reasons she didn’t feel like visiting all that often. Also, one reason she paid for his cleaning lady so she could visit without throwing up.
Even though she did not visit often, she enjoyed his company. If he was not in one of his moods, he could be a very charming father. a bit rough around the edges. Why he had to bring up her more than average appetite in men all the time was also beyond her. But he had always shown his support in one way or another for her every move. Even if he liked to joke about it in the most embarrassing ways imaginable. It was something no one else had done so far in her life. Not even her late mother. May she rest in silence.
It was late in the afternoon already. The cloudy sky produced infrequent drops of water that splashed on the windshield. It was getting dark, the lights beside the road were on and traffic was a mess. It all did nothing to elevate Norma’s mood.
She was driving home from work and the day had been a bit too eventful for her tastes. Well, It was not the work that was so eventful, per se. The wife of the CEO she was screwing to get a better position came by. That wasn't such a big deal, wives do such things. But when she screams at your desk and calls you a filthy whore, it gets more uncomfortable than is desirable.
She looked up from her pensive stare and straight into the traffic. She didn’t know how long she had been reminiscing. It seemed that during it all the automatic pilot, driving her home, had made little progress towards its destination. Absentminded, she blew out another lung fool of nicotine filled water vapor. Bored, she took her phone and scrolled through her regular entertainment. She could have asked the car to project it in front of her but she liked the motion. It calmed her.
Advertisement
She came across an article decimating George and his recent form. A small smile could not help but creep on her beautiful face. Bastard deserved it all. It had been a month since the memorable birthday of the little chicken nugget. She hadn’t spoken to them ever since. It didn't feel good, not seeing the little guy anymore. But what the witch had done had crossed a line.
She sighed and looked at the navigation. Still an hour to go. She reached out and typed in the address of her father. It was only ten minutes from where she was. She was stuck in traffic anyway and she was getting hungry.
Fifteen minutes later she knocked on his door with little response from the inside. Annoyed she tried again but still there was no sound coming from within. Did something happen? She looked through the mail slot in the door but could only see the empty hallway. His ancient raincoat on the floor like the piece of crap it was. Worried now she got the spare key from underneath the mat. The mat told everyone to wipe their damn feet when you stood on it. She thought it funny it looked so clean after giving it to him two years ago. With half a smile on her face, she opened the door.
Once inside it smelled less oppressive of tobacco but more so of sweat, a surprising shift in odors. Surprising as it might be, she didn’t know what was worse. It made her walk a little faster towards the living room, coat still on. Worry showing on her cold and expressionless face. When she entered the living room though she saw him lying in his chair with a digitize helmet on his head. Breathing like he was asleep. Calm.
A smile broke through the worry and a melodic laugh rang through the room. “This man, using a digitize helmet. Now I have seen it all...” She said. The noise didn’t seem to reach the old man still lying there as if no one had come in. He seemed less fat than she remembered he was a month ago. It didn’t surprise her. If her father got into something he enjoyed he would not come out until forced.
Advertisement
He should be deep into T.E.A.M. by now, or porn... The thought brought a cold shiver traveling down her spine. Walking to the kitchen and looking into his trash. It was overflowing with deep freeze pizza boxes. “Living the life I see, no wonder you lost weight. If I remember correct, we had to vacate the premise every time you ate pizza…,” She mumbled to herself, but couldn’t help but laugh out loud again.
She should make him something good tonight. To wash away the dirty underwear he promised to eat the day he ever got digitized.
With a broad smile on her face, she opened the fridge and gagged. A sense of instant and intense regret making its way on her face. Turning away in disgust she grabbed her phone from her pocket, still wrinkling her nose. Now that the fridge was out of the picture she needed alternatives. Remembering that she came by a local superstore she went to the app and ordered the ingredients. While she waited for her order to arrive by drone, she decided on calling that useless cleaning lady. She might even call that opinionless brother of hers to check on the little chicken nugget. She smiled and asked the phone to dial the cleaning lady, ready to dish out some karma. It might still be a good day.
Advertisement
- In Serial421 Chapters
Lone: The Wanderer [Dropped Version (includes original draft of the rewrite's first volume)]
Nine-to-five. The daily grind. Life. Painful years of school. Working as a slave for some undeserving corporate big-wig. The monotonous life of unemployment. We all experience this in one way or another, and we can all conclude one thing: it's dull. Such a fact rings true even for the fabled Lone Immortus, a powerful nine-tailed Golden Foxkin. However, what would you do if your monotony was suddenly ground to a halt and you were thrown out of your comfort zone along with a young girl forgotten by time? Perhaps you might have done things differently, been more organised, immediately died, gained control of the world in a matter of days, but this is Lone's tale, not yours. Watching two insecure people struggle to survive and find their place in an unfamiliar land just might be enjoyable to witness. Who knows? One thing's for certain: it won't be an easy path for them to tread, and what could possibly be more entertaining than watching people endure hardships and grow? I know of at least eight gods that would answer with, 'Absolutely nothing.' I wonder, after seeing this journey from start to finish, how would you answer? [Goal of 2 chapters per week, the only exceptions being announced breaks or emergencies] A/N: This story is in the middle of a rewrite, so please forgive any noticeable plot holes and wonky chapter numbers. I am working on it every day, so understanding would be greatly appreciated. The new cover art is a courtesy of the very kind and talented ssddx. This novel is a participant in The Writer's Pledge
8 816 - In Serial21 Chapters
Masking Tape
“Well, I do sometimes wonder why we’re sent here, considering we never consented to be born. I’ll just go about living my life, I guess." A supposedly ordinary year in Semangat Junior College proves to be anything but normal for its students when a freshman gets attacked by a mysterious creature prowling around Bishan. That is just the beginning. Unexplainable bursts of magical energy begin mushrooming all over Singapore following the attack. An intern at Divyane is sent on a mission to investigate these strange happenings. Unfortunately for him, nobody told him that the life of an intern was not going to be easy. For one, there is an overly-enthusiastic supernatural fan who insists on following his every mission. Then there is the issue of the rogue mage who has been attacking the school's students and the unresolved disappearances around the island. Will Frankie be able to find the answers to his investigation? Most importantly, who is the rogue mage responsible for the unexplained attacks on regular students? What do they want? The first novel in the planned Rugged Backpack Series, Masking Tape combines elements of the magical girl genre with Southeast Asian mythos through an ensemble cast as they get tangled up in the affairs of a realm they never knew existed beneath their feet. New chapters every Monday and Friday!
8 74 - In Serial8 Chapters
Paper Aeroplanes
In post-apocalyptic New Zealand, 2 clones communicate by paper aeroplane. 16-year-old Tui has never spoken to anyone outside their Block... until a paper aeroplane slips through the bars of their cell window. Can they fight the serum that numbs their emotions, and build a true connection with the girl on the other side of the barbed wire?
8 195 - In Serial10 Chapters
R.E.A.L. Life Online: Inception
What happens when the future you were meant to have is stolen out from beneath your feet? When Sera and Gilbert experience the ultimate separation, everyone thinks a game is to blame—because how can one live if they can’t separate reality from fantasy? Determined to find out the truth, Sera journeys into Elysia, a magical MMORPG world of virtual reality where anything is possible. With the help of her best friend's nephew, she finds the fun and laughter that she's been missing out on all these years. But all is not as it seems, and Sera is quickly drawn into an insidious plot that spans reality and fantasy. With real lives at stake, will Sera survive long enough to discover the truth? Note: This is a work in progress and might be edited from time to time. If I do change anything big I will definitely let you know. I will update twice a week on Tuesday and Friday. Enjoy and please do share your thoughts and comments, I will read and consider every single one! :)
8 120 - In Serial13 Chapters
Tangled
Passion drives a person forward, sometimes striving for new heights, and sometimes creating a deeper chasm in which they fall. Love is passion, for love they can murder thier families, for love they can kill thier friends, and for love kings can cause the death of millions. Beauty can be pleasantly toxic, and ideals can be so easily tainted. Heroes rise, and fall, but the world goes on. To a certain man, this has always been one of the highlights of a world, everything had it's own charm. "Villains are interesting, heroes are admirable, art is a form of truth, books are food, and beautiful scenery should always be enjoyed." A long lived man dabbles in various hobbies to live out his long lfe in a ruined futuristic world. With the appearance of a strange ethereal continent, gates started to form all across the globe. Leading to hostile orcs, and magical beasts leaking into the world throughout the years, and causing chaos. With the mysterious death of his friend, and the coming disaster, he finds the oppurtunity, and reason to explore another world. Bringing along with him others who seek to expand thier own unique desires.
8 118 - In Serial81 Chapters
THE APPLE OF SNAKES
❝to live in the house of gods, you must learn the tongue of divinity.❞Nerluce - named for light - dwells in darkness, where the longest shadows are cast by the greatest beasts. Nerluce is sure he's surrounded by very great beasts. They flash their cruel fangs and crueler insults. They choke the light from his chest with their chains.Disdain for gods and men is made in dim places. Hunger for ruin is cultivated in starving stomachs. Power for destruction is rarely given but when it is, oh, the world will burn.CONTENT WARNINGS (16+)Profanity, violence, gore, alcohol usage, abuse (neglect and verbal), self-destructive actions and suicidal ideation, minor character death, and morally-questionable people doing morally-questionable things.[[WORD COUNT: 185,000]]COVER BY APHRODITE270
8 211

