《Run, Run, Run》Two
Advertisement
Daisy felt strange knocking on Torv’s door when she knew he'd been gone for nearly two seasons. The oak door was solid; she remembered Torv fitting it onto the hinges himself. It was one of countless small moments of his life she had witnessed from her upstairs window across the field in those days before she had the courage to cross and speak to him. Her knocks seemed to echo in the quiet night, the rain falling in near-silent, thin mists. At first there was no answer, but she knocked once more with a loud persistence.
The door cracked open and a single eye with a coal-black pupil stared her down in a rage.
-Do ye plan on waking the whole village is that it? Do ye think it’s a right laugh to knock on the missing boy’s door?
-I only hoped. I had thought, Daisy sputtered. Torv.
As his name died on her lips, the man opened the door wider and pulled her inside as quickly as he could. It was dark as pitch, but Daisy could hear the man bolting the door from the inside. He struck a match, lit a candle, and bade her follow.
-Mistake. Window. Stupid, the man muttered to himself as she followed him down the stairs into the cellar.
Down in the cellar with Torv’s wine and cheese, there was no need for the single candle as it was bright and comfortable. All the casks and food were pushed into a corner. In their place was...well most of Torv’s living room. There was his comfortable reading chair with the worn armrests and footstool, and his coffee table, and even his hearth rug. Four or five candelabras were lit and placed about the room, giving it a healthy, warm glow. Brushing past her and sitting down in Torv’s reading chair was the man of the coal black eye. And it was indeed only a single eye, as the other socket was empty as a sand shell. He sat with his arms crossed, clearly in a foul temper, staring at the young girl who stood in awe and confusion.
Advertisement
-Suppose you saw me in the window?
-Yes, she said, glad not to have to be the first to speak.
-Stupid mistake on my part. Thought your house was abandoned.
-Just mother and I. I’m Daisy. Daisy Heartfand.
It was at this point that the gentleman was supposed to introduce himself, or so Daisy’s upbringing had told her. The man with the coal black eye did no such thing. He looked her up and down as if she were a pony up for auction and pulled a dirty, clay pipe from a vest pocket. It was possibly the strangest article of clothing Daisy had ever seen, this vest. It must have had two dozen pockets of various sizes and stitchings. It was clearly a product of many years and many revisions.
From one of these pockets came the clay pipe, and from another a match with which he lit the former. Not until he had filled the cellar with the aroma of his pipe tobacco, which Daisy was trying very hard not to admit to herself reminded her terribly of Torv, did he deign to give his own name. And what a strange name it was.
-I’m sorry, Daisy said. But I don’t think I heard it correctly.
The man sighed.
-Few do, he said. Come, sit closer.
He motioned for her to take one of the kitchen chairs propped against a nearby wall and she did. Up close, he was not nearly as frightening as she had first supposed. He was tall, certainly, but bald and had a liver-spotted head, though his hands had none, and in fact looked younger than most. His one eye was black, and appeared to be all pupil. He wore patched, woolen pants and the aforementioned many-pocketed vest. His clay pipe stem was too short to hold in his mouth as Torv had often done, and he held it in the palm of his left hand in between puffs.
Advertisement
-Can call me Fen, he said. Most folks who aren’t Wran do. Nobody but a Wran can understand a Wren name.
-You’re a Wran? Daisy asked, incredulously. But I thought
-We’re all dead. All live underground. Have hooked tails?
-The first one.
-You’re not alone. Popular one, that. In this part of the world. Suppose it’s easier that way.
-Easier than what?
-Let’s…
He put his pipe to his mouth and inhaled deeply, exhaling a plume of aromatic smoke.
-I suppose you’re his sweetheart then.
Daisy went very red.
-We never.
-All the same, Fen said, clearly as eager to avoid the topic as Daisy. That’s why you were watching the window. Hoping to see if he’d come back?
-That’s about the size of it, she said, looking at her hands.
-He’s not coming back, Daisy Heartfand. I can tell you that much.
-Do you know where he is, then? Who took him?
She had stood up from the kitchen chair and was looming over Fen now, fear and hope and desperation all showing at once in her eyes. The Wran gave no sign anything had changed, but went on calmly smoking.
-No one’s took him if we’ve had any luck at all. But as to who’s after him. Aye. I know that for certain.
Advertisement
Legends of Arenia
Arrival: Legends of Arenia Book 1 is now available on Amazon, Apple, Kobo, and Nook! Interested in the Audiobook? Find it on Audible! As for Book 2... new chapters are here! Legends of Arenia: Discovery chapters come out every Monday and Thursday for the rest of Book 2, and at 150k words, it's got some meat to it. Hope you all enjoy the next installment of the Sullivan family's Arenian adventures! The Sullivans are a normal family. But after being transported to the magical world of Arenia, normal isn’t a luxury they can afford. It's just another Thanksgiving for the Sullivans—until the walls disappear and they discover they are being transported to Arenia, a place where game rules are real and their Earthen ability to reincarnate grants them unlimited potential. Or it would, if the celestial administrator in charge of their case hadn't mixed up longitude and latitude and sent the wrong family. Oops. Too bad he already faked their deaths. Now scattered throughout the Arenian wilderness and armed only with their Tomes—books containing all of their skills, accomplishments, and quests—the family members must discover a strength they didn't know they had if they are going to survive long enough to find each other. Note: Contains some profanity and a turkey, but not a profane turkey. Personally, I'm fine with profane turkeys, but if that's where you draw the line, you should know there are none in this book. In fact, I'm going to promise you no profane turkeys for the entire series. That's my gift to you.
8 113Heroic Age
When the First beam of light descended upon the earth and gave humans access to the Heroic Altar, a voice appeared in every humans mind across the world. “The realm is in peril and its people need your help, those that choose to step upon the path of the Hero need but enter and let your deeds go down in history” When the world received this message thousand rose to the challenge, and in exchange for facing the terrors of the universe, they were granted fantastical powers and abilities in the form of [Skills]. Years have past since the first Hero took up the cause and the world has never been the same for it. Heroes who were supposed to use their power for the good of the universe have set about abusing them for their own personal greed, whilst others tried to achieve too much, too quickly, and it cost them everything because of it. Now a boy who has had his past hidden from him will discover the truth behind a secret that had been kept from him all of his life, and in exchange… …the world will hate him for it Additional Tag: Taming, Bloodlines Note: I did not create nor do i own the picture that i am currently using for the cover of this book, it is a still image i found on the web shot within a popular netflix movie.
8 186Taran'Kha
Somewhere in the endless Universe, on a small planet, there was a man who was once happy. He fought together with his brothers and earned honour. Then someday, everything he loved and cared for was destroyed and he was imprisoned. After years of torture his mind was broken and he returns to a world he doesn’t know anymore. He was hopeless and nothing ever could change his life. Then suddenly he gets summoned to another world, his scarred body vanishes and he becomes the Successor of the Taran’Kha, the Dragon Gods. Follow him from there as he travels through the worlds on the path of revenge, kills countless beings, fights for honour and swears the oath of brotherhood! This is the story of Drake Cal’anar, who will someday be known as the white dragon King!
8 102✔️| Gilbert (K.M. Love Story)
The story of the other gilbert doppelganger; Ariana. Ariana is the blind Gilbert, what struggles will she face entering the supernatural world and more importantly, what will occur when she captures a certain hybrids attention?Rights go to LJ Smith.
8 133Reincarnated as a Grunt in the Demon Lord's Army
Lenore Wraithwhisper is having a hell of a day. Up until a few moments ago, she was definitely someone else, but somehow she's now trapped in an unfamiliar body with an unfamiliar set of memories and a name that feels strange as hell to say. To top that headache, she's about to enter a fight to prove her worth to the Demon Lord and this is not at all the vacation she'd had planned for herself.
8 316Broken- Teen Wolf FF
{COMPLETED}Stiles gets kicked out of the pack for being a weak, useless, human. A few days later, he disappears without a trace. The pack doesn't seem worried, until Scott and the rest reach senior year, where a familiar face returns, but not alone. A new threat surfaces in Beacon Hills, and how will the two packs cope? Will an alliance be formed, or will things stay as they are, broken?I'm sorry I'm so bad at summaries, but please give the book a try :)
8 149