《Fishbowl》Interlude 21
Advertisement
Mona
Mona glanced back at the group of kids behind her. She didn’t know them or like them, but she’d hadn’t realized how much she’d missed being around other people. Before being trapped in this place, she’d found most people irritating. These kids were undoubtedly irritating, but their presence was almost comforting just because they were a group. It had been so long since she’d been part of a group.
Her idiot nephew walked toward the front of the group with Chelsea, Naomi, and the Stanley fab who’d bleached his hair blond and traded his jumpsuit for an absolutely heinous loud-patterned shirt. Angelina and Jen had moved toward the back of the group with Sam and Lachlan, and Angelina was writing or drawing something on a notepad as she walked.
“Angelina, stop scribbling on that notepad while you walk,” said Mona. “You’ll fall and bust your head open and the last thing we need is another injury.”
“It’s okay,” said Angelina. “I’m super good at writing and walking.”
As if on cue, she stumbled over a cobblestone, then righted herself. Mona turned around again and raised an eyebrow.
“That didn’t count. That would have happened even if I wasn’t writing. That was just because I’m clumsy and this road is stupid.”
“I don’t think it’s the road that’s stupid,” said Mona.
“Get wrecked,” said Lachlan.
Angelina pursed her lips into a childish pout, then continued writing.
“What are you writing, anyway?” said Mona.
“It’s notes for our experiment,” said Angelina.
“We weren’t supposed to tell her about the experiment,” said Sam.
“Thanks a lot, you two,” Lachlan said. “Great job on the secret-keeping.”
“What do you mean ‘you two’?” said Sam. “I’m not the one who blabbed.”
Advertisement
“I didn’t blab!” said Angelina. “I just told her what we were doing.”
“That’s the exact meaning of the word ‘blab’,” said Lachlan.
“What kind of experiment are you trying to do, exactly?” said Mona.
“Well, now that the cat’s out of the bag,” said Jen. “Something really weird happened to us a little bit ago. Not just Sam, but all four of us. We’re trying to figure it out.”
“Just because you’re trying to figure something out doesn’t mean you’re doing an experiment. Do you even have a hypothesis?” said Mona. “I’d be surprised if you four could even spell ‘hypothesis’.”
“Um, H, Y, P…” said Jen. “O, T, H… A?”
“Wrong,” said Mona.
“Spelling is overrated,” said Sam. “You don’t have to be able to spell something to understand the concept.”
“So you do have a hypothesis?” said Mona.
“We’re working on it,” said Sam.
“So you don’t have one,” said Mona.
“That’s not fair,” said Angelina. “We’re still working on the… hypothesis.”
Mona noticed Angelina stumble a bit over the word, but she didn’t comment. While Mona’s initial impression of Angelina’s intelligence wasn’t favorable, Mona knew firsthand how hard it was to learn English without having grown up speaking it, and ‘hypothesis’ wasn’t a word that was likely to come up in Angelina’s everyday conversations with her friends.
Maybe she had been too quick to judge Angelina’s intelligence. After all, Angelina had not only learned a second language fluently, she seemed to understand things about this place that she shouldn’t have known.
Angelina spotted a fleck of purple glitter on her wrist and paused her writing to lick the glitter off.
Then again, thought Mona, sometimes first impressions are accurate after all.
Advertisement
Of mortals and gods
On the TV, they called it “the darker ages”. On the internet, “a new genesis”. Whatever the name may be, the fact is that it changed the world beyond recognition after it. Someone freed the gods from their forced slumber, and they started meddling with mortals again. As mortals begin to gain power rivaling those of antique heroes, and gods shower their champions and favorites with artifacts and boons, some gaps close, and others widen. From now on, people will have to deal with Status windows, levels, skills and health bar. The world looks like a giant MMORPG! Will civilization as we know it survive? What will be the new mondial order?
8 120Stormstruck
Just out of college with no job and no useful connections, Ashwyn Fleetwood's not far off from having to move back in with her oppressive mother. So when she finds out that Elizabeth Jonathen Butler--the most renowned businesswoman and inventor alive--is hiring an assistant, she jumps at the chance to interview. But E.J. Butler is more than Ash ever could have expected or imagined.More brilliant. More beautiful.More than human. From the day of the interview forward, Ashwyn's irrevocably locked in E.J's increasingly perilous orbit. And the deeper in love she falls, the clearer it becomes that to survive in her love's monstrous world, she will have to become more than human herself.
8 113Dragonfall
This fiction is based on a short story I wrote inspired by a prompt on r/WritingPrompts. Contrary to my plans, I haven't sketched out the story in detail or written anything ahead of time. I've discovered I don't do well at that. I'm just writing this thing and we'll see where it takes us, OK? Nothing every came easy to Ryan Shakespeare, but as an elite British Army sniper he had found a niche that suited him, right up to the point at which he found himself summoned to a world far from his own to fulfil the job of a champion. Luckily, Ryan arrived with his experimental sniper rifle, so surely killing the dragon and getting his chance to go home would be a simple job, right? But Ryan should have known better, because nothing ever comes easy. Caught up in the politics of the Draconic League, Ryan will need to keep all his wits about him and use every resource at his disposal if he's going to persuade these people to let him do his job and go home.
8 109Souladonis: Ouroboros
Journey with Souladonis as he struggles to save Katherine's homeland without losing her heart.The worst thing that could happen to a man is to find that special woman meant for him and then lose her to another. When Souladonis travels to Ouroboros with Katherine to help her father's tribe repel the invading army from Âme Kingdom, he accidentally leads her straight into the arms of the handsome, fit, and charming Uchawi. Souladonis, therefore, must do everything he can to help a group of tribal peasants defeat the world's most powerful military while simultaneously thwarting the quickly growing relationship between Katherine and Uchawi. The odds are against him at every turn. Luckily, however, he finds an old friend to help him.Souladonis: Ouroboros Features: An emotionally stronger and dauntless Souladonis. A more intimate, albeit contested, relationship between Katherine and Soul. Thrilling battles that push the boundaries of the LitRPG genre. Hilarious bouts of comedy to punctuate the ever-growing tension. The new and captivating world of the Ouroban Rain Forest and the Yugalla tribe. The return of novella star, Caroline d'Allégresse as the intimidating and nigh-unbeatable nemesis of Souladonis. The final twist of Soul and Katherine's relationship.
8 97The Country of Monsters
I found myself in the middle of a valley with no memory. I have this weird feeling inside me - is this magic? I accidentally open a portal and goblins come out? They say I am their master? What is going on? I will build an empire of monsters and explore this world! MC is building an empire of monsters in a world dominated by human kingdoms.
8 194Running >> TWD, C.G
Adelaide Dixon, probably the toughest girl you will ever meet. Season 1 > season 3
8 91