《MAD Wendigo》Chapter 12
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Hanging around the rear to push them all along, Chandra woefully turned an eye to the sky. The rain was coming in droves and the evening grew thick around them. With each passing minute, she knew the inevitable would come.
Laurence had been silent for a while. Chandra hoped he was appeased that Tish and Shannon had taken Eamon to keep them moving, but Eamon getting heavier. Shannon sagged a little more each minute, and Tish’s breathing grew louder.
Chandra walked beside Eamon’s wife, Viola. She shivered in the cold as her eyes repeatedly glanced over her children’s heads. Over and over again. Chandra almost envied her not knowing what horror was to come. You will wish to be anyone else soon.
The parkway dipped down towards the valley and it looked as though no one had come this way in years. The rain would wash away all evidence of them soon in the gentle patter on leaves, metal, and glass.
That was one of the dangers. The quiet but distinct moans of the ever-hungry creatures were an alarm system that had sustained them beyond safe walls. It was how they knew when to run and how fast. In the rain, there was no warning.
We should never have come here, her heart whispered sadly.
For a few fleeting moments, Chandra closed her eyes and let the heavy rain drip down her face as it had when she was young. She could taste those drops that kissed her skin as clearly as she could remember her husband's touch. The memories wonderful and agonizing. Her own soft tears disappeared with a shiver in the dying images from a life long lost.
I will never forget.
“We have to stop.” Eamon's voice ripped Chandra from her husband’s arms, where they had danced in a rain not unlike this. Warm wondrous rain spoiled by harsh frigid reality.
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Viola stood by Eamon and their children gathered. Tish and Shannon lowered him to the ground but when he was to support his own weight Eamon called out in pain. Blood stained his clothing but it didn’t pool from the wound Reid inspected. High, near the hip, it drained fresh into the fabric of his pants.
Oh dear god…
“I can't do this… I can’t.” Eamon reached out to his family. “It’s not just my leg. I’m not bitten, I just… I know I should have said something. I was scared. ” He looked up to his wife with guilt flooding his eyes.
Chandra expected protest and outrage but even Tish and Shannon gave space to the family.
Her own eyes ached as a little hand slipped into Chandra’s. Beside her, Nyssa stood still and watched. The two had bonded over their own grief and now, in their vigil, they knew others would join their fold.
“You need to get the kids out of here.” Eamon leaned his head into his wife’s.
“Dad you to get up.” Cally fell into her father’s arms with a whimper and buried herself in his neck. Peter followed suit, shoulders shaking with tears. But not little Shane. He stood apart.
“You have to take care of each other. No more fighting; you are a family. Promise me you'll look after each other.”
Each child in turn nodded.
Chandra had forgotten Laurence until his voice cut through the rain.
“We don't take breaks.” He pushed past Tish and Shannon who tried unsuccessfully to get his attention. When he looked down at Eamon and the blood his face grew tight. Nyssa's hand squeezed Chandra’s once before letting her go and she disappeared in the direction of Ethan and Wendy.
Chandra's rushed to Laurence. “We know what has to be done.”
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Laurence didn’t bother looking at her. “How long have you been bleeding?”
Eamon leaned into his family, his soft words of comfort lost in the din.
“They are saying goodbye.” Her hand reached out to grab Laurence's arm. “Give them a moment to themselves. Please.”
Laurence met her eyes then and she saw more than just cold anger. Understanding, maybe? But it disappeared as he shook her off and turned to riffle through his pack. The smell of whiskey wafted from Laurence and found Chandra despite the rain.
Kneeling beside Eamon, Chandra touched the bleeding man's shoulder.
“I understand Eamon, few of us would have done differently.” Though she prayed that fact wasn’t true. “But it's time to think about the kids.”
Eamon nodded, his hands trembling as he held his wife close. “You have to go, Vi.”
“I'm not leaving you.”
“You have to take the kids somewhere safe. You have to go with them now.”
“I don’t want to go. Not without Dad.” Cally gripped her father tighter. Chandra reached forward and pulled her away to the sound of Peter begging his father to get up. But poor Shane just stared, a small frown smeared across his face.
Chandra tightened her grip. “Cally, come with me.”
“No, we can’t.”
“Viola please,” Chandra pleaded.
Viola shook her head until little Shane broke his silence and stepped towards Eamon.
“I promise, Daddy.” Shane leaned in to hug his father.
It took all of Chandra's emotional and physical strength to get Viola to her feet, but she froze when the sound of the pistol hammer cocked in her ear.
“Laurence don't!” Shannon screamed before a single shot fired.
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Delve
Summary – Level 1: Delve is an isekai litrpg that follows an average guy who just happened to wake up in a forest one day. He wasn’t summoned to defeat the demon lord or to save the world or anything like that, at least as far as he can tell. The only creature there to greet him was a regular old squirrel. Soon enough, he meets other people, only to discover that he can’t speak the language, and that not everybody immediately trusts random pajama-wearing strangers they met in the middle of the wilderness. Things generally go downhill from there, at least until the blue boxes start appearing. Delve is a story about finding your way in a new, strange, and dangerous world. It’s about avoiding death, figuring out what the heck is going on, and trying to make some friends along the way. It’s not about getting home, so much as finding a new one. Did I mention that there will be math? Summary – Level 2: Okay, but what are you in for, really? Well, this story is supposed to be realistic, or at least, as realistic as a fantasy litrpg can be. The main character doesn’t instantly become an all-powerful god and murder-hobo his way across the universe. Delve is, at its heart, a progression fantasy, but that progression is meant to feel earned. The numbers in this story actually mean something. Everything is calculated, and if you find a rounding error, I expect you to tell me about it. That said, if math isn’t your cup of tea, there is plenty more that the story has to offer. Characters are meant to feel real, and progression isn’t only about personal power; it’s also about allies, connections, and above all, knowledge. Figuring out how the system works is a significant theme. ... What, you want more details? Okay, fine, but this is going to get a bit spoiler-y. Are you sure? Yes! Really sure? I mean, this summary is practically half as long as the first chap– Now! Okay, okay! The main character becomes a magic user, but he takes a route that is not very popular in adventurer culture, namely that of a support. There is a full magic system with various spells, skills, and abilities, but our MC decides that aura magic is the way to go, and that the only stat worth investing in is mana regeneration. Most people at the Adventurer’s Guild think that this makes him a bit of a dumbass, but he’s playing the long game. We’ll see how that works out for him, won’t we? Because of his build, the MC levels up fast, at least compared to normal people. There are no cheats, though, and he is limited in other ways. There are some clear and pretty obvious downsides to his build. That’s what makes it fun, no? Morals? Our MC has them. Again, we’ll see how that works out for him. Realism, remember? Would you be okay with killing someone and looting their body? I sure hope not. POV? The focus is on the main character, but there will be occasional varying perspectives from people around him, or involved in the events related to the main plot. It isn’t going to jump all over the place. Tech is standard medieval stasis. No smartphones, but the MC does have a technical background. Computers and their programming might be involved. There might even be a bit of uplifting down the road, who knows? Anyway, it isn’t the focus. He isn’t going to invent the gun in chapter 1 and change the face of warfare. Romance is not a major focus. Friendships are more the name of the game, though there will be some characters in romantic relationships. There is exploration, though not as much of the geographical nature as you might expect. It is more about exploration of the system and the culture. The pace is slow and detailed, sometimes verging on slice-of-life. The action is meant to be realistic and grounded in the numbers, and it is intended to have meaning beyond simply punching things until they stop moving. The general tone of the story is grey, and some parts can get quite dark. People die. Sometimes, people with names, but not anywhere near GoT level. There is plenty of light, too, though, to balance the darkness. The world is dangerous, but overcoming that danger is why we’re all here, isn’t it? Anyway, if you’ve made it this far through the summary, you clearly like words. I hope you enjoy the story! Cover by Miha Brumec Summary Updated: 2020-06-14
8 822The Glyph Queen
When Winnie was thirteen, her settlement taught her how to fire a rifle. Her school practiced drills in case raiders came, and the town grew crops in their greenhouse-adapted homes, which were the only places warm enough during the worldwide nuclear winter. The Lakiran empire invades—a corporate-born nation overseen by their corporate-born queen, Victoria Paladino. They ride silent planes whose repulsion field veered bullets away. Three years of occupation later, an exemplar visits—a member of Victoria’s oversight committee rumored to read minds. He tells Winnie that she may have a unique mental power, or a flair. At the empire’s capital, the queen herself tutors Winnie to help her reach the full potential of whatever power she may have. Meanwhile, in post-war Nigeria, a streetwise teenager named Naema sees a different side of the empire. Between corruption and oppression, everyone lives in squaller. People fight over assembled food pastes. She too is told she has a unique flair, not by the empire, but by a fugitive woman who is the last vestige of an ancient witch coven, and she knows a dark secret about what the exemplars do to people like Winnie and Naema. Updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The most recent chapters of The Glyph Queen are available on its main website.
8 194Aliens.exe
Jake is a mess. He's completely sick of life. His only interest is the video game Lapine Death Corps which is played all over the universe. Jake has no inclination for social interaction, except through video games, of course. In fact he actively shuns it - so you can imagine his dismay when he inadvertantly starts an intergalactic war and becomes the most wanted man in the universe. He just needs to be boring old Jake again. Could his favourite video game be his saviour, and, somehow, the key to ending the war? Strap yourself in for a hilarious, good vs evil, rollercoaster ride across the galaxy.
8 159Nexitus: Neoteric Origins
Humanity is on the brink of extinction despite recent advances in artificial intelligence. Birthrates are on the decline and the population is on the brink of anarchy when a miracle seems to appear. An extraterrestrial company has been working with the governments for entry into a galaxy-spanning entertainment system. To upload our consciousness into a new body and begin anew in this wondrous seeming world. But is all on the up and up as it appears to be? This is a story about a married couple who aim to upload themselves to enjoy a new lease on life, have adventures, and maybe find something they shouldn't have. Join Susan and Phil on their journey into a brand new world where their relationship and adventuring are more then what they thought it would be. Authors Note: Found out I shouldn't be using content warning tags until the story has them so I did remove them but it will likely contain sexual content, profanity, gore, and traumatizing content in the future.
8 182Kindled Spirits
Travelers near and far had come to this very city. Each hoping to get a chance to get an elusive copy of Kindled: A Life Forgotten, an 8d RPG indie game produced somewhere in Eurasia. The game went on well, producing high ratings within 24 hours of sale. It was praised as one of the best game of the millennium, earning several world records in a short amount of time. It was so popular in fact that even NASA decided to launch it into space, hoping to for it to be seen by alien races as a sign of life in the universe. We follow Andromeda Fushigiwa, a retired gaming veteran, and a have a profound knowledge at programming.The date is May 17, 2071 when it was found by an alien race. They enjoyed videos of it actually. To thanks Earth, they made our world just like the game with alien technology. Can everyone adapt to this new life or will the whole world plunge into anarchy?Note* The mc will become more and more op by the story progress.
8 82It's Not Over
Matt and Jenna haven't been having a good relationship so far, with Matt touring so much and Jenna at home alone, she has no one since she was moved with Matt to London thinking it was going to be the best but turns out to be the worst. All matts lies start to pile onto him when he returns over the winter for three months off and she finds out his dirty little secrets.
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