《Call it a Mission》Fixing A Hole –35 – Find Your Own Enlightenment
Advertisement
Ephram
Messages began to pop up. Of course the would. His Columbus office been busy, not to mention the others on their tasks, missions, operations.
He tapped the contact for Esperanza Flores first. She answered it on the second ring.
“Ephram? Where have you been?” she asked, sounding more annoyed at him than usual.. “I’ve been trying to reach you for two weeks!”
“I’ve been a little out of touch,” he replied. “Off the grid.”
“For two weeks?!” she wanted to know. “Where did you go that put you off the grid for so long?”
Had it been that long? Two weeks? He certainly didn’t feel like he’d been there that long, but then again, time moved differently depending on … things. Best he rehydrate and get some food in his stomach. His dirty clothing did feel a little loose, baggy, a physical cost to his experience. He’d passed a diner on the highway before he’d turned off onto this road. The sign had read ‘Best Sweet Potato Pie in the State!’
Mmmm.
“Everything is good now,” he said. “And I trust things went well on the recovery mission? And the post?”
“All according to plan,” she replied, sounding like she was smiling, proud. “We’ve been conducting reviews since. Some interesting data coming in.”
“How does it look?”
“Some issues, but nothing that can’t be dealt with in the short term,” Esperanza told him.
“Will Mr. Bellamy be staying on?”
There was a pause at the other end.
“He seems enthusiastic enough about the mission, now that he knows what it is,” she finally replied. “And the trip may have unlocked a couple useful new skills he’ll be able add to his resume. We’ll know more after a few interviews”
Advertisement
Ephram nodded.
“Keep a close eye on him,” Ephram instructed. “Let me know how his trial period goes.”
“You’re not returning, then,” she asked, sounding disappointed. “There’s something else.”
“What?” he asked.
“The French finally came through,” Esperanza told him. She didn’t sound happy though. “Tasmin’s flying back Tuesday.”
“That’s good news, isn’t it?” he asked. “What about Dr. Burnes?”
There was a pause on the other end. The phone pinged. Its battery was almost dead.
“He didn’t’ make it,” she finally answered.
“What happened?” Ephram asked. “Didn’t they say he was alive?”
“I don’t know,” Esperanza said unhappily. “We probably won’t find out until Tasmin gets back. You should be here when she does. She didn’t sound good on the phone.”
Ephram let a breath out. Then made the decision.
“I’m still looking for… a few things,” he replied. “I’ll be back when I’m done. I’m sure you and the others can take care of her.”
“How has your... journey been going so far,” she asked, sounding a bit worried now.
“I’d say so far a little on the disappointing side,” he replied. “But I have a few more locations to investigate. Though, I can’t say it has been a complete waste of my time.”
“Good luck then,” she told him. “I’ll let you know how things go.”
“You do that,” he replied, then turned off his phone. Its battery was just about dead anyway.
Ephram gazed down the country road. It would be a hike to the car, and then a long drive to the hotel. He certainly needed to get cleaned up. The thirst was starting to hit him. He checked his pockets. The keys were still there. He’d left bottled water in the trunk. That would be enough for now.
Advertisement
As Ephram walked he passed the sign he’d encountered on his way in. He’d brushed enough of the dirt away thought it was a good omen.
‘...Find Your Own Enlightenment?’ had been all that was left legible on it.
He chuckled.
Turned out his own Enlightenment wasn’t quite what it had been cracked out to be. But there were several other locations which held different Enlightements. Perhaps one of them would turn out to provide what he was actually searching for.
One had better offer him more than this one had. He was running out of time. They were all running out of time.
Advertisement
The Painter: A fantasy psych thriller and epic
*** June 21th Update ***- New chapters are being posted! I haven't figured out a schedule yet, but stay tuned!- Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed, I'm happy to say The Painter is in the top 200 best-rated fictions. - Readers of The Painter have suggested reading through Chapter 6 before making a decision on this book.- The story takes place in the Lootverse, but you don't need a canonical understanding to appreciate the storyFinally, a warning or reader beware: This is not an action novel (despite the coming fight scene) but a slow-burn psychological thriller of sorts. For a time, the Painter's life was simple. He lived in the small town of Kinon (called Kinney by locals) with his wife, Kahriah and his son, Thesdon. The story begins with him alone and unable to travel more than a few hundred miles from his home. For 5 years he tried to chart his prison until one day a letter appears with a mysterious commission that will see him test his condition and his boundary. Set roughly 50 years before the impending end of days (from Loot canon), The Painter is a story about loss, grit, and exploration of a seemingly normal man in a world of magic and monsters. The Painter will follow the man on his adventure to restore his family, uncover his commissioners and discover the nature of his condition. Loot is the decentralized, global, community built fantasy world based on Dom Hoffman's art/tech experiment: Loot. Fun fact: The cover of our book is painted by the artist, who the MC is loosely based on and the same person painting the Banners (digitally) IRL for an art/worldbuilding project.
8 136Is It Too Late To Move My Lair?
A legendary dragon... It has been told in the stories for hundreds of years. Some say it keeps a mountain of treasure in its cave, some say it is a vicious beast, some say it protects the village nearby, some claim it can grant their wishes, and some just think it's nothing more than a fairytale. He is not. The dragon is very real, although he isn't bothered by what people think of him in the slightest. He also doesn't have a grand treasure, nor does he grant wishes, like a magical genie. He is not interested in eating humans either. And as for protecting them… well. This is the story of the time before the legends, how they came to life and a dragon in the quest of his snooze. In a nutshell, this is a simple, light-hearted story with a dragon in it. What I have in mind is a relatively short one compared to most of the works on this site, but we'll see where it goes. This is my first attempt at writing something like this, so please be patient and kind in pointing out mistakes. As for the posting schedule... let's say it will be sporadic. Hope you enjoy reading, as much as I do while writing it… THE STORY IS NOT DROPPED, JUST SLOW ON THE UPDATES. Cover art by Nane, aka me. (Cross-posted on Scribble Hub.)
8 176Heartful
Connor is a trainer at Grimpark Space Station, teaching human experiments how to fight. His private life is a mess; although he seeks love, he's unable to find any. His solution may lie within arm’s reach, but for that he needs a change of heart first. heartful (noun): As much as the heart can hold or contain; as much as a person wants or can endure.
8 155Good Morning World
Short stories, each chapter is a stand alone, so start reading anywhere you like. There's magic, sci-fi, drama, and a worrying amount of murder... The collection is complete.
8 210A Twist Of Marvel || Infinity War
"KNOWLEDGE IS POWER, BUT IGNORANCE IS BLISS."Naomi Swanson is fresh out of college, working as an assistant in a small paper supply company and inhaling coffee by the gallons. When an accident knocked her out, Naomi woke up in a world she had only seen through screens.Armed only with her phone and a questionable data plan, Naomi attempts not to be killed as she comes face-to-face with the Avengers, and so much more.Winner in Fanfiction Category | Watty Awards 2020Cover by @zaramartinez-Spanish Translation available: @CrazyCattGirl Infinity War Spoilers!Disclaimer: Some explicit language will be used throughout this book. Do not read if you cannot handle light swearing. No sexual content.Disclaimer pt. 2: I do not own Marvel or any of the characters aside from Naomi Swanson. (Don't sue me Disney.)
8 193Zhanyi/Xianwang oneshots
Zhanyi or XianWang oneshots when I'm in the moodARTWORK ON COVER ISNT MINE CREDIT TO OWNER.
8 87