《Stop While You're Still Beautiful》7. Live a Little, But Not Too Much
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The door was the enemy right now. Colin had the speech ready. He was ready to give a heartfelt apology for his actions a few days ago. The Investigators would barge in, the police, he could see the flash of the camera already. He already had his one-liner planned out. " You wouldn't arrest a kid in a wheelchair right?" Hold for laughter. Then wait for the cuffs.
Colin had kept his door shut, but he could still hear the hustle and bustle from the outside as nurses and therapists and the whole lot zoomed from point A to point B. The beeping had been driving Colin crazy too. Everything beeps in a hospital. Your room, the desk out front, the computers, the stuff in the hall it's like a chorus out there. Colin had filed it under the white noise section but now the beeps were creeping back. This was clearly all Moira's fault.
" You ready for another adventure, my minion?"
Colin groaned. There was no jump this time, no hair standing up. He had been expecting this. It had been a week of peace. Colin grabbed the wheels with a tight forced grab and slowly turned around.
" You should knock before coming into a person's room." He locked eyes with Moira who lay sprawled out on his bed, her feet dangling in the air as her upside down eyes met his.
" This is a nice bed what is this made out of?" She asked as she rolled around the bed, " Oh wow and safety bars too!" She jiggled the railing."
" I think its sand or something..." Colin paused. This right here, all of it. Was not happening.
" Why are you here I told you I think we need to lay low for a bit. We caused quite the scene." Colin leaned in close. " They may be onto us." Moira jumped up from the bed. " But you were amazing my knight! I've never seen such raw bravery." She waved her hands around like she had an imaginary sword. "Such loyalty." Moira clasped her hands to her chest. " It was amazing! It was any 20-year-old girl's dream."
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Walking. Was it worth it for this?
Knock-knock
Ah shit. Colin wheeled over and grabbed Moira by her hood. " Bathroom now" He gestured towards the circular room in the corner.
" Ohhh I've never seen a circular bathroom before-"
" It makes it easier for people like me, there you happy, in ya go." Colin pushed her towards the door and slammed it shut.
Colin took a calming breath. " Come on in."
In burst the lunch tray, the star of the show. Being in a hospital is kind of shitty, but being in a hospital with an accomplished chef, a little less shitty. The aroma of lobster mac and cheese filled the room and pushed out Moira's musk. Much better. The door to the room swung back closed, but with it, another door opened. The bathroom door.
Moira peeked out. " What is that?"
Colin spread his arms wide. " A gourmet meal, for me."
" How do I get some of that?" She asked, her eyes consumed with envious green.
" All you need is one of these." Colin pointed to his chair. Moira looked at the chair, and then back at the food."
" So what is that Jill and bars syndrome thing again, what happens to you?"
Colin laughed ah another person had mispronounced it. That was how Colin knew he was fucked. The doctors that had come into his room had all pronounced Guillian-Barre a different way. , "Guillian-Barre Syndrome is the name. Well, basically your body thinks the part of your nervous system that transmits signals from the brain to the muscles is the enemy so it attacks them. Then that makes it really hard for the signal to get through so you can't move any parts of your body in really serious cases like mine. Some people can't even open their eyes I've heard. So yeah you just lie in bed for months doing nothing."
" Well, that's not too bad," Moira added.
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"Oh I'm not done yet" Colin continued." During that time your muscles wither away from lack of use so you look like a skeleton, and you can't talk because they need to stick a tube in for you to breath. And you're probably in constant pain as your nerves try to figure out what is going on, if a stiff wind hit my toes it felt like they were burning with the intensity of a thousand suns, Moira" Colin looked her dead in the face.
" Huh, well damn," Moira said her hands to her chin. " I think you need something fun to do, let's do something fun today, no danger! Just a fun adventure."
" I'm pretty beat I just had a few hours of physical therapy, they make us do at least three hours a day here." That part was true. The Guillain- Barre didn't just affect his body either, it hit him in his mind. Even thinking or concentration too much would weather down his stamina. And Moira, well she took a lot of stamina.
" You can't stay in here all week. You have to come out. Even if there's a nice huge TV" Moira pointed to the TV that took up a portion of the wall," And a room with a view..." She peered out the window, gazing at the greenish bridge that spanned part of the harbor outside. The water shimmered from the sunlight as boats big and small cut through the water. Sails dotted the water as a fleet of small boats drifted past," And a big comfy bed...that moves with the push of a button...." Her head hung down." And the delicious food..." She paused. " Alright maybe you can stay here but it's time to burst your bubble! Let's sneak you out of here, My heroic minion!"
" It's just Colin, my name is Colin." Colin said for what felt like the thousandth time." His head fell to his outstretched hand. Deep breaths.
" Our next adventure as the Wonderful Witch and Sir Wonderful, incognito edition, starts now!" Moira put her hand on his shoulder.
Colin quickly wheeled away, "accidentally" running over Moira's foot in the process. Moira jumped in the air. " Hey!!!" She held her foot and hopped around.
"Whoops! My hand slipped." That was a half-truth, Roundup and it was more like a full lie. Colin was not in a teleporting mood right now. He needed to reign this wild stallion in and take control of this operation.
" We don't need to sneak out I can just leave. It's not like I'm a prisoner or anything."
" So you wanna walk right after you ran over my foot jackass?" fired back Moira. Nothing like poking the bear.
" Just act natural, calm and collected," Colin said. Wait. "Act how you think an actual calm and collected person would act, not your calm and collected." Colin nervously added.
" Please, I've been doing it for years kid." Moira had begun moving towards the door.
Oh no. oh no. " What the hell do you think you're doing," Colin yelled in a hushed whisper. Moira was floating ever so slightly above the ground. You probably couldn't slide a piece of paper under there but it was enough to be seen.
" My foot hurts for some reason, so I refuse to walk, Colin." Moira coldy said.
"I'm sorry, just make it look more believable will ya." Moira crashed to the ground, stuck out her tongue, and with a poorly acted and extremely over exaggerated limp walked out the door.
This was gonna be a long day.
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The Accidental Archmage - BOOK 9 (THE DRAGON HOUSES)
The Accidental Archmage Series (BETA CHAPTERS) NOTE: DRAFTS OF EARLIER BOOKS (BOOKS 1 to 8) HAVE BEEN POSTED BEFORE ON RRL. THEY ARE NOW ON AMAZON AND HAD ATTAINED BESTSELLER STATUS IN THE FANTASY-MYTHOLOGY GENRE. ACTUALLY, MANY RRL STORIES PUBLISHED ON AMAZON HAVE GONE ON TO BECOME BESTSELLERS AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER. HOWEVER, AMAZON KDP RULES REQUIRE THAT MOST OF THE DIGITAL CONTENT AVAILABLE ELSEWHERE BE REMOVED. GENRE: CLASSICAL EPIC FANTASY An epic mythological fantasy in another world. Immerse yourself in a grand and dangerous adventure. In a world both familiar and strange. A world where magic and gods still exist. Meet deities, beings, and exiles from Earth’s pantheons. Encounter warriors, huskarls, satyrs, hoplites, dark and evil mages, and strange beings from myths of pre-history up to the age of iron.Match wits with the likes of Loki, Zeus, Athena, Odin, Amun-Ra, Coniraya, Viracocha, and even Dionysus. Escape plots and schemes played by powerful gods of life and death.Find the truth behind the dark and otherworldly beings from the Lovecraft mythos.Play with dire wolves, drakontes, lamias, keres, amphisbaenae, a sphinx, ice giants, creatures of nightmares, empusas, gigas, minotaurs, vrykolakas, jotnar, dokkalfr, to name a few.Survive being in the middle of wars between civilizations and races. Suffer the arrogance and stupidity of gods and men alike. Cross paths with beings who don’t like you. Thor, Ares, and the Incan death god Supay, to name three.Be burdened with a quest to save yourself and your humanity in the brutal and primordial world of Adar.A world where scientific pursuit will get you a lightning bolt or two. Probably five. All at the same time. Book Nine - THE DRAGON HOUSES His beloved Eira rescued, the rogue Titans have been defeated, and Tartarus sealed. Yet as the rising Archmage tries to escape the Forbidden Isle, events have been set in motion that would embroil him once again in the tides of war engulfing Adar. Escaped Titans, a rising power in the South, vengeful adherents of the Elder Gods, and more have him in mind. Least of all, a far from defeated Loki. New players have come to the fore, each with their own purpose in mind. The lustful drive for power, the search for a release of one's soul, and the companions' storied pasts all come to drive the world deeper and further into chaos. Add a powerful demon determined to open a portal to its own dimension. It's enough to drive a mortal man mad. (Cover image used under license) Book Eight - WHERE TITANS WALK Now in the land of the damned below the underworld domain of Hades, Eira awaits the company and battle portends. But first, they have to find the fortress of the Titans. Above them, Loki's war is going well as the internecine war among the pantheons continues. An old foe rises in the south, more powerful than ever. Astrid finds herself the subject of a wife's rage and the murky past of the companions now comes back to haunt them. Yet amidst it all, a dying Elder won't wait as plots and new players bedevil Havard Ulriksson, formerly Tyler West of Earth, now the Archmage of his adopted world. Cover Image used under license from shutterstock.com. Alterations by the writer. Book Seven - DRAGONS AND DEMONS https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B08122Y739 An urgent rescue and the path to vengeance are not easy in a magical, myth-filled world. Nasty roadblocks and unexpected complications have a way of rearing their wicked heads along Tyler's route across the dwarven lands and into the infernal realm of Tartarus. More myths and legends cross the First Mage's path as Loki's war and Asag's emergence stir up mortal lands and magical domains. Cover Image used under license from shutterstock.com. Alterations by the writer. Book Six - TARTARUS BECKONS Gifts, curses, and problems. The unfolding of Loki's mad and complicated scheme results in a war between and among pantheons, empires, and kingdoms. From Ymir's Domain down to the far south, conflict engulfs Tyler's world and the magical gate to Tartarus is starting to break open, threatening to add mad Titans and other powerful beings to the chaotic mix. And on the forbidden isle of Banna, a dying enemy awaits. (Note: NOW PUBLISHED ON AMAZON) Book Five - LOKI'S GAMBIT With the promise of the First Mage not to act against him, Loki now accelerates his plans. A plot millennia in the making, spanning the length and breadth of Adar. Like a spider spinning its web, the trickster god now puts the finishing touches on an audacious scheme. A revolution to change the balance of godly and mortal power in the world. Book Four - VOID LANDS The Void Lands. A place where gods fear to tread. Where strange creatures and hostile beings emerge. A nexus of dimensions, the origins of which are lost in the mists of time. To stop the Aztecha Empire’s march to power and domination of the eastern lands, Tyler West, now a High Mage, must confront and defeat the empire’s mysterious patrons. Beings of incredible might and magical knowledge. An imperative path which leads him right to the Void Lands. Though a few detours are required, each dangerous yet crucial. The only problem is that the Void Lands are on the other side of the continent. And to get there, he may have to ask a favor from the Trickster God himself, the Norse deity known as Loki. Book Three - BLOOD WARS Continuing our lost mage's epic journey through the magical and extremely dangerous world of Adar. Escaping the convoluted schemes of the Greek pantheon, Tyler finds himself with an old acquaintance, the Incan deity Viracocha. His son, the sun god Inti, is dead. 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Amid convoluted plans designed by divine acquaintances of old and newly met gods, what's an ordinary guy from Earth to do?The god of wine wants to be his friend. Ares and his sons are coming to say hello. Book One - RAGNAROK RISING What if you fell through a crack in reality? Like those people disappearing in plain sight you've read about. What if you find yourself in a strangely familiar world? A world full of Earth’s mythological beings, lost civilizations, and people from its primitive and brutal past? Where magical energy still exists. Where gods play games among themselves, with the fate of mortal men as pawns. A land where a sword is deadlier than a five-inch thick contract drawn by a hotshot lawyer. Would you survive? That's Tyler West. Alone, lost and bewildered, the three moons in the sky made it clear he wasn’t on Earth anymore. It’s not a game. It’s real. And there's no coffee, pizza, fries, or his favorite show on HBO. *** All Rights Reserved. 2017/2018/2019/2020. Cover Images are used under license.
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