A FREE Book

A friend of mine will be putting her 2 books for free for several days! Go find it on Amazon! It is lgbt inclusive and a nice calm read! Go go go!

Finally! Picture stuff!

I’m seemingly always struggling with the dilemma between traditional mediums and digital art. Well today I figured out a way to really bring my colors through when scanning them! And, of course, I had to go a little haywire digitally with it. So be-hold  my latest picture, featuring Bella, with Chaos’ notes about her. (For those of you who are visually impaired, the ‘notes’ are scribbles of ‘that bitch’, ‘evil’, and exclamation marks with big red arrows pointing to Bella).

I really like this picture! I was inspired to draw it a few days ago, and the sketch gave me the idea that Bella may try and steal Jade and Aaliyah to her side of the story. So that’s the reason for her very smug and sneaky look.

I hope you all enjoyed it! Feel free to share it if you’d like. Remember, if ever you feel inspired to draw my characters, it’d make me squeal!

“Just More Chaos”; Chapter Six, Part Two

The day was officially over. It was lights out in the barracks, and I was alone in my room that was more of a cell. Thoughts filled my head, making a successful barrage against any and all sorts of sleep. It was like sleep was trying to tiptoe in and the thoughts just kept booting it out off the scene. Fun.

There was thoughts of Conan, Kuryo, whatever his name was. Of him and that dumb ‘we could date, if you were less of a jerk’, sort of thing. As if.

Then I flipped over, and found myself staring at the ceiling. There, FoxFace would be telling me that hey, all we had to do was kidnap Bella again or get her blood → that was actually what Charr (the cat!) had been trying to do, but I screwed it all up.

I flipped over, and felt like my parents were staring at me from the abyss of darkness in this room.

Disgruntled, I sat up. My hair was sticking up like a porcupine’s hairdo and I was just – pissed. Angry. Frustrated. Wanted to slam something but that probably wouldn’t be enough.

I got dressed knowing full well what I was going to do but pretending that I wasn’t. I told myself I was just getting dressed. Just, you know, going for a stroll. Just heading down the hallway.

“Now what?” sighed a voice from the door next to mine as I passed it.

I spun – and you guessed it! Mr handsome jerk-face. Conan. Looking so impatient and fed up.

“You’re up to something,” he said. With a nod he added “You got your coat and weapons.”

“Going for a walk,” I grumbled.

“In that mood?” he said snarkily.

I scowled. “Stay out of my head.”

“It’s not your head, it’s your vibes-”

“Can it!” hissed Charr from behind him as she stepped forward. With one possessive hand on Conan’s shoulder she glared at me. “What are you doing?”

I pressed my lips together. “Walk?”

Well, I tried. Not my fault they weren’t convinced.

“Even I can guess you’re about to stir shit,” Charr said flatly.

I glared at the two of them. Absolutely no way I was telling them.

“He’s going to see Bella,” said Conan in a loud whisper to his girlfriend. She rolled her eyes in exasperation.

“Hey!” I snapped. My sword clicked out and I accidentally pointed it instead of a finger at mister. “Shut it!”

Charr seized my wrist and twisted. I yelped and my sword clattered to the floor. She released me, and I stumbled back, pride wounded severely.

“You ever think that you shouldn’t run back to her like a puppy with its tail between its legs?” sighed Conan.

“I was not going to do that!” I hissed, rubbing my wrist. I am no one’s puppy! No more!

“Then what?” Charr snorted. “Going to sweep her off her feet and carry her away?”

“No,” I said grudgingly, but even I wasn’t entirely convinced.

There was a judging silence. “You’re going to cause trouble,” Conan said heavily, as if he just didn’t have the energy for this.

“I-,” I tried to sort my thoughts. “I’m going to try and set things right. If we wait for you to feel better before attacking, Bella might open the portals upon us already. Tonight might be our last chance to catch her off guard.”

Charr crossed her arms. “She doesn’t seem to move that fast.”

I scowled. “Well, won’t you be surprised if she does?”

That made kitty-cat pause. I smirked. “Goodbye,” I snapped. Then, thinking that was maybe too melodramatic, I added “See you tomorrow.”

“Bye,” Conan said lamely as I walked away.

Dummy me, I left my sword behind.

/////

Now, the trick to getting out of here was certainly in the lab, so to the lab was where I headed. There, I found what’s-his-face the scientist with several others.

“I need a hot ride out of here,” I said flatly as I kicked the door shut behind myself.

“What shit are you trying to cause?” Leo asked casually, like I was his kid playing around his ankles.

“Why does everyone think I’m causing trouble?” I half-yelled, half-sneered. I clicked my sword out – and nothing came. I had no right sword. Crap. I looked down, then back up. Deciding to try diplomacy instead of brute force, I pocketed my right hand (but left my left out for further sword use). “Her highness Foxy told me to ask you to give me the pill so I can send myself out.”

Leo was unfazed, stacking petri dishes in a box. “No she didn’t,” he said so calmly. “That’s not how things work around here.” The other scientists barely looked up from what they were doing. I felt powerless – and this was not something I wanted to feel right then.

I snatched up a syringe with a long needle from the counter. “Hey!” Leo said as I filled it with air.

“Want to see what I can do with a syringe?” I sneered. “Give me the pill.”

Leo looked at me like I was a pain in the ass, but nothing more. “Really?” he asked.

I drew out my other sword for good measure. Because yeah, a syringe wasn’t really my most dangerous thing right then. “Really,” I said in my most bad-ass way possible. Hey, I could be a good bully.

Rolling his eyes, Leo reached for a drawer. I stepped back, fully expecting the nerd to pull out a gun or something. Instead he drew out a pot of pills. Popping it open, he shook one out and handed it to me.

“Have a nice trip,” he said coolly. “You know, I thought we were friends.”

“Fuck off,” I muttered as I swallowed the pill. Friends don’t spy on each other. He was just a jerk like miss FoxFace and all the others.

Then the wooziness hit me, and the world dissolved.

I reappeared in utter darkness, but the scent – that particular perfume – told me it was Bella’s bedroom. Of course, I thought as I staggered. Where the hell else would I send myself?

There was a rustling of bed sheets. In the darkness, I saw a figure sit up. “Chaos?”

As the room stopped turning, I heard footsteps. This pill really had its side effects last too long. I grudgingly held onto the wall as lights switched on.

“Hey,” I said. Bella was three steps away from me.

She tilted her head to the side, amused. “Hey,” she said. She was wearing silky black pajamas. Oh, the memories.

I looked away, stuffing my hands in my pockets awkwardly. I tried to think of what to say, what I had really come here for, but my throat was a lump and that’s where all my thoughts were.

“So,” Bella stepped to my side. Then she leaned straight into my bubble and whispered in my ear. “What’s it?”

Her fingers raked through my hair. They gripped me and tugged, and my heart quivered. Fuck, I missed her. I loved her. Trusted her.

She kissed me sweetly, then bit me. Just the way I loved it.

I just wanted to sink to my knees before her and be done with it. Forget me, the world, and everything. Just me and her in that happy and strange bond.

So for one moment, I just let myself relish in it.

It was one moment too long.

Woosh, was all I heard, then I felt something thud through me. I collapsed forward and Bella caught me.

“Good job,” she said happily. Then, nibbling my ear, she added “Good bye, Chaos.” And then she dropped me to the floor.

I saw myself fall, an arrow sticking out of my back. Bella stepped over me and waved happily at a beefcake of a vampire standing in the corner of the room. It handed her back her bow and arrows but she ignored them, instead taking a stake from the wall.

“This will do it,” she said cheerfully as she walked back to my body.

“Oh come on,” I groaned as she began the process of making sure I would never rise from the dead again. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” Because, yeah, vampires aren’t the only thing that humanity has found ways to keep stuck in their graves. Pestilent spirits, arrogant neighbors, they all have their own ways of coming back, so stakes through the heart usually keep them ‘where they belong’.

Thud – it was done with such an energetic swing of a mallet. I stared grimly at the grisly sight before me. I was such a fucking idiot.

“You can say that again,” said a voice beside me.

I yelped and turned – and saw two crows sitting in the windowsill. One was looking around like it was just there for the ride, but the other had a suspicious blue tinge to it and was eyeing me. As we made eye contact it stretched out its wings – strangely echoing the way Conan used to raise his arms to do his magic – and I was gripped.

Oh fuck no, I thought, but with a yank I was pulled into the crow. It was like I was a tiny ball of energy just tucked neatly into a pocket of its soul.

I could feel Conan laughing. Feel his heartbeat against his ribs.

For some strange reason it was cozy, nice, and even relaxing. I felt safe. Cared for. It was just too bad I knew he was taking me back to FoxFace as the world turned woozy.

A Quick Sketch!

Here, oh dear denizens of the internet, is a sketch of Bella and Chaos! It’s a bit conceptual I guess, but I like it!

“My Name is Chaos”; Chapter Eighteen, Part Two

Hmm, I’m really not sure what to think of this scene. I hate writing abusive scenes (this definitely takes a trigger warning for abuse!), so maybe that’s why it bothers me? The real question is: does it seem consistent with Bella’s growing power over Chaos? Does the magic in it make sense? I’d love to hear comments on this!

////

“Lucifer is up to something,” I said to Bella the moment we were alone. That meant that we had just stepped out of the portal and slipped inside the house. Now, we were in Bella’s private room, pulling off our boots.

She raised her eyebrows at me as if amused. Like I was a cute puppy that was excitably licking her hand. I gritted my teeth.

“I know Lucifer,” at least a bit. “He never does something for nothing. He’s lazy, you know.”

“He does do things for no reason sometimes, though,” said Bella, quoting the liar of liars. “And besides,” she thunked down into her large chair, fingering the leash between us. “What point is there in saying no to him?”

“The point,” I said testily, “Is not to let him into the hive.” It felt weird calling Bella’s group, or goop of minds, a hive. Were we really all connected to her after ‘ascension’? Or was Lucifer wrong? It wasn’t beyond him, or any gods besides, to be wrong. But Bella wasn’t correcting me.

“A hive is a collection of minds, sometimes led by a singular mind,” she said, having probably just read mine. She shrugged. “I see no harm in having him added to it. It could even be a plus.” And she pulled a pillow from her side and plunked it down to the floor. She nodded at it, and I knew she wanted me to sit. At her feet.

I did, pressing my lips together and swallowing down more of my pride. I secretly hoped it would endear her to me, would make her listen to my point more. “Bella,” I folded my hands on her knee and propped my chin over them so my chin wouldn’t dig into her leg. “Lucifer isn’t someone to play games with. He’s a trickster god.” Not mean, but not easy to understand. “And he’s definitely up to something.”

Bella tutted. “Chaos, listen to yourself. Do you think I can’t keep Lucifer in line?”

I hesitated, not knowing how to say that yes, she couldn’t. Definitely not.

Maybe I thought too loud. A flash of anger made her eye flare with anger – and I didn’t see it coming.

Crack! The slap struck me hard across the face.

“How dare you!” Bella shrieked, hand still raised. With a jump she was now on her feet and towering over me. “I can so keep him in line! Who do you think I am?”

Clutching my cheek I shrunk back, propped on my other hand. Fear flashed through me. Fear of what I wasn’t sure – what could I logically be afraid of? – but for an instant I was terrified.

But then Bella lowered her hand. She breathed deeply and I thought it was over. “I will keep Lucifer in line,” she said coldly. “I can do that, and easily.” She smiled darkly at me, wickedly. When she spoke, the words were silent.

A gaping dread filled me. This wasn’t the ecstasy of union or the joy of being around Bella. It was seperation, a yawning gap between us that was cold like the wind. It hurt in that unspeakable way that depression or anxiety gnaws at the mind.

I was suddenly feeling near tears. My arms were wrapped protectively over my stomach. “Bella,” I protested, pleading. This felt awful. I had lost something precious and now every cell in my body was mourning.

She reached down and I pawed at her pathetically, trying to unify through touch, to drag her closer. But all she did was unclip the leash. “Stay here and rot a bit,” she snapped as she wrapped the leash back around her wrist. “Think on what you’ve said.”

“B-” I wanted to protest and cry out her name all at once, but she was walking away, her back already turned to me. The door slammed shut behind her.

I wrapped my arms around my knees, heart feeling like it was ripping open in my chest.

It took me about an hour to get off the floor and to stop sobbing like a baby. I couldn’t control it. No matter how much I told myself that it was just seperation from Bella and that I was physically fine, I couldn’t stop the pain.

The worst part was that I knew what she had done. I knew it was a spell of some sort, or whatever it was her word-power was. It was merely those words! But it hurt like a knife through me. My thoughts kept slipping away into blinding pain, and I kept forgetting that this wasn’t ‘real’. That this was just a spell. I found myself sobbing like I’d just lost a limb, and wishing that I hadn’t been so foolish.

Then I remembered that I hadn’t even said anything against Bella. I’d merely thought it. That fact flew me into a rage. How dared she do this to me! It was me who defeated the Sky God for HER! I was her best, her favourite, and she had no right!

I struggled to my feet, wiping my tears on the back of my hands. There! No more crying! Bella, you ungrateful bitch-

Just as I thought that, I remembered (or was I told through the hive in some way?) that Bella could hear me. That, and there was footsteps running towards the door.

I braced myself for whatever was to come. Was someone come to beat me for thinking so much? Well, bring it!

The door swung open, and it was Bella.

“Really?” she hissed, shutting the door behind herself.

I staggered. Every part of me was screaming out for her. I wanted her in the worst way. The idea of being on my knees for her flashed through my mind as such a beautiful idea, so soothing, so wholesome and completing.

No, no! I was angry and it was her fault – but that idea was slippery, gliding out of my mind the moment I didn’t focus just on it.

I blinked, and Bella was before me. My mind was skipping through black windows. I hadn’t seen her walk over, didn’t see her move, but now her hand was in my hair. Another black window, and my mind was blank. What was I angry about anymore? It felt stupid, and I knew that whatever it was, it was my fault.

That knowledge sure in my mind, I felt myself collapse, exhausted and wanting nothing more than comfort. My knees slammed into the floor and I hugged at her legs, but was dragged back by my hair.

“Shhh, there now,” Bella said soothingly, combing my hair from my face with one hand while holding me in a death-grip with the other. “Are you sorry now?”

I choked on a sob, nodding as I blinked through tears.

“You won’t do it again, will you?” Bella asked, just her voice being not enough. It soothed, but it was like a trickle in a desert and I needed more. I was burning for her, to be reunited with her. It felt like I couldn’t exist without her. Desperate, I nodded.

Her hands caressed my shoulders. She had crouched down and was hugging me to her chest. “You’re so disobedient, you’ve been so bad,” she crooned, holding me tight. “You’re a bad slave, Chaos.”

I whimpered, clutching at her.

“I love you anyways,” she whispered into my ear. “You know that, don’t you? I love you like no one else ever will.”

A sob tore through me – and then she spoke the words. It was sheer relief. Like a light through the mind. Like a cold compress on burning heat. There really is no words to express it. It made me gasp, and my entire body relaxed, sagging against her.

Bella shushed me, cuddling me against her. But, for a flicker, I wanted to draw away. I felt like I had a head again, like I could think. I wanted to be alone with my thoughts to digest what had happened.

But then, like a bite, there was sharp ecstasy. The pleasure of being with Bella. The euphoria. It was not too strong, more like the scent of a spring breeze. But it was enough to send me into a fit of giggles against her.

My head was pulled back and I was looking into Bella’s eyes. “Well?” she said softly. “Better now?” To which I nodded, gulping back tears that seemed pointless now. “Good,” she murmured, wiping my tears away with her gloved fingers. “Don’t ever do that again.” and she kissed me passionately, claiming me. I gave way eagerly, wanting nothing more than to be hers, to receive more of the ecstasy. But she didn’t give me any more. I was lifted up to my feet a moment later and instructed to rest in bed for the remainder of the day. I protested at first, wanting to spend it with her, but the moment I lay down I realized that, indeed, I was exhausted. Too much emotions, I thought before I drifted off to sleep.

Adelaide!

Be-fucking-hold! Queen Adelaide, Ladies and Gentlemen and folks in between!

This, if you haven’t been reading along with the story, is massive spoilers, by the way. If you have, it’s probably still spoilers. This is Adelaide’s end form/final mutation from the story ‘Of Adelaide and Shadow’. So WHY oh fucking why am I sharing it?

To motivate myself, selfishly. I have been so focused upon Chaos’ story that I have totally left Farfadel in the dust. But you know, Farfadel is one of those stories that is close to my heart so… I must continue to share it!

So let me tell you a little bit about Adelaide, for those who are wondering ‘Is this a story I’d want to read?’.

Adelaide is a princess who grows into a Queen. She starts off insecure but devious, and ends up, well, bad-ass. She literally rules the world and shapes Farfadel into what it will be, and is constantly referenced in later Farfadel novels. So if you like humor, fairy tales centering around a woman who grows in strength and awesomeness -> this is the story for you!

Join me, one and all, in reading ‘Of Adelaide and Shadow’!

Of Adelaide and Shadow; Chapter Five

“Help! Help!” squeaked Adelaide the chipmunk, battering her tiny fists on the glass bottle. But it was no use. Far away, through the tall grasses, she saw her future, her beloved, her army, and all that good stuff, growing small and distant.

“No one can save you now!” cackled the hunter in a most villainous way.

“Oh yeah?” squeaked Adelaide. “How about myself?”

“Oh,” said the hunter, lifting up the glass bottle and rattling her before his face. “But you’re a chipmunk.”

“So what?” Adelaide squealed, kicking the bottle. It made a dull thunk. “I’ll show you!” and she drew her tiny sword. Whack! A chip of glass went flying off of the inside of the bottle. Whack! Another chip went flying. Whack! A crack appeared in the glass.

“Oh,” said the hunter again.

“Hah!” said Adelaide, landing the final whack. The glass shattered – and Adelaide fell. Whump!

“Oh,” said the hunter again, looking at the suddenly free princess.

“Freedom!” squealed adelaide the chipmunk, throwing her fists (and tiny sword) up into the air.

“No!” barked the hunter, diving down to snatch at Adelaide. But it was a trap!

Adelaide smacked! Whacked! And nearly knocked the hunter silly upside the head with her sword.

The hunter reeled. Adelaide darted off into the woods.

“Oh bother! Bugger! Booger!” said the hunter, stomping his feet as the little chipmunk in armor chipmunked away and up a tree. From the safety up there, she pulled her tongue at him.

All the villainous villain could do was look up and shake his fists. That, and think. But he was not the thinking sort of villain. No, he brooded instead, crossing his arms and sulking.

For several moments, he burrowed in self pity.

Next, he went through all the stages of moping.

Then, he indulged in a little self-gratification, thinking that at least he’d gotten the chipmunk this far and why did he even bother? Pfah! Fairies and their honey-

Oh. Then it occurred to him that he already had the honey. Why bother and walk all the way to Denerspell when the chipmunk was already good and gone?

“Ah ha ha ha ha!” he laughed most evilly – then whack! An acorn thudded onto his forehead.

“Take that!” squeaked the very angry Adelaide. “And that!” she shook a branch, causing a small pelting of acorns to shower down.

“Ouch! Ouch!” and the villain scampered away, chased by the angry chirpings of the chipmunk. Off he went to do villainous things. Like pruning his trees. He was very fond of that. And lurking, mostly lurking. He liked lurking.

Shadow, the prince of valiant hair and beautiful spirit (er, was that backwards? Nevermind, just keep reading) was dutifully charging on with his army sort of lagging behind just then. Unlike the hunter, they did not have magical boots to slip them across magical threads and thereby zip across the valley. For that was the secret to the villainous hunter’s caterpillar like strangeness yet snake-like speed. He followed special magical threads that ran through the valley and thereby sped him along like hot wind currents through the sky. That, dearest reader, is how he crossed so very far across the valley and into the woods while the prince was still galavanting after them.

Shadow, seeing with his keen eyes that the enemy was no longer visible, drew his horse to a halt.

Oh! his hair floated in the wind about him!

Oh! his armor shone magnificently!

Oh! How fabulously beautiful he was as he peered around in despondent love.

“Commander!” he called in a melodious voice.

The commander reined to a halt next to him. And Oh!

How his hair was not floating in the wind!
Oh! How his armor was not shining magnificently!

Oh! How not quite beautiful he was as he stooped and panted atop his horse.

“Yes, your majesty, your highness, and your gloriousness?” he panted as if it was he and not his horse who had been galloping across the fields.

The prince tossed his magnificent hair. “Prepare the hounds! We must chase down that vandal! He stole my princess!”

The commander gulped air. “Yes your majesty, your highness, your gulfiness-” and he gulped more air “it shall be done.” And then he let out more air with a ‘whoo!’ and gulped some more. The prince gave him a most disgruntled look.

“Hurry up,” the prince snapped.

“Yes your magnificence!” And then the commander wheeled his horse round to face the rest of the army (which was arriving in straggling bits behind them). “Prepare the hounds!” he bellowed in a definitely not melodious voice.

“What – for what?” asked the houndsmaster. “Am I putting them in frills with bouquets on their heads?”

“No you bladder-brains!” the commander barked. “For hunting! We must chase down that princess!”

“No!” called out the prince, turning his horse around to face his army.

Oh! How the sun glowed like a halo ’round his head.

Oh! How his beautiful hair lifted majestically on the wind.

Oh! How earnest and beautiful he was as he addressed his troops with a hand upon his heart.

“She is my beloved! My closest ally and dearest friend! We must not hunt her down! We must rescue her from the clutches of that horrid -”

And here even his beauty faltered a little as he considered what to call the hunter.

“Baboon-caterpillar,” he finally declared.

And oh! How everyone was moved by this speech – to the point of tears!

“Ah, true love,” whispered a very sentimental dolt. Sniffles went round. Everyone was so roused to rescue the princess …

Except the houndsmaster. “So what am I doing?” he asked daftly. “Bouquets or no?”

Someone clouted him on the back of the head, thankfully.

“Prepare them for tracking down that horrid baboon-caterpillar!” called out the prince. “Ready your horses for speed, and prepare your swords for battle!”

Then, as an afterthought. “Why not some wildflower bouquets? Just to,” he waved his fingers “dress up the situation.” After all, he didn’t want the dogs to intimidate his beloved!

And so it was! Gentle reader, imagine the scene. All the horses were valiant and glossy as they tramped proudly on. All the soldiers were brave and dastardly (and not suffering from attacks of the honeycakes). At their head was the most beautiful prince with his hair billowing in the wind, the godly scent of his shampoo misting around him. Before him, the well-bred hounds struck up the scent, barking and nosing around as dogs do when on a hunt. Even the flower crowns upon the hounds’ heads somehow suited the occasion.

It was this touch that caused the fairies to nod their heads. “They are doing a farewell procession,” they said with arms crossed and chins nodding imperiously.

“Oh look!” the bees said excitedly. “A procession!”

“Ah,” said the good people of Farfadel, watching from their small houses in the valley. “A procession!”

And everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

“They must have eaten their fill. Look at them go!”

And all the people, and the birds and the bees and the happy gnomes and trees, all of them began to wave and cheer. And because all of them were waving and cheering, everyone thought that indeed, this was a goodbye procession. The fairies applauded each other and patted the other upon the back.

“Well done!” they said to each other.

The prince, on account of being blinded by love, did not exactly notice any of this. He was focused upon the hounds bobbing on ahead of him, and was worrying about his dearest Adelaide.

His soldiers, however, were glad to accept the last few honeycakes that the passerby’s gave to them…

Far away, evening descended upon Farfadel. The Frog King burped and demanded more food. The King and Queen moaned and wrung their hands, worried sick on account of their daughters. They alone were not celebrating the departure of the Denerspellian army as it had taken their beloved children away.

“Oh, whatever shall we do?” moaned the King, wringing his hands as wealthy people are wont to do.

“We must be stout! Stoic!” said the Queen, keeping her upper lip stiff. Then, clapping her fist into a palm she came up with a plan. “They must have taken our daughters as ransom for future goods! They probably want honeycakes for the winter!” A glimmer appeared in her eye. “We will secretly prepare honeycakes, hide them from the Frog King, and send them to Denerspell over the winter in exchange for our daughters!”

“What a magnificent plan!” cried out the King.

“Rubbit!” said the Frog King, blasting down the door.

“What a magnificent plan!” jeered the dozens of (not so miniature any more) frogs.

“Oh bother,” said the Queen.

“Bugger,” said the King.

“Rubbit!” said the Frog King.

And then he ate the King and Queen up.

Do not despair, gentle reader. This is a happy tale. No one dies.

The one who was despairing was the Hunter. Just as he thought that all that nonsense with the chipmunk was over and he was going to be able to restfully lurk in the comfort of his home – why! It was gone!

Or, more precisely, it was neither here nor there.

“Bugger!” said the very buggered Hunter. For his home was on a patch of land that was not part of the moving marshes but rather was friends with the moving marshes. So it up and left whenever the fancy took it. Often that fancy would happen when he wasn’t around to scold it. This meant quite often he would leave home to do some proper villainous skulking and return home to a stinky patch of marsh that had traded place with his dear home.

Well! He had big words and small words and colorful words to describe the patch of land – but instead he whistled through his teeth.

A great mare burst out of the nearby trees (literally, the trees gentle reader, not the space between them) for it was a spirit of the woods.

It was a great black pawing beast. A noble creature of stalwart heart and battle-tried courage in times gone by when battles were a thing. It was bored in these last few centuries and had come to like the human who gave it apples on account of trotting him around to places that were more colorful than these dark woods. So they made a happy pair. The horse wanted apples and the human was sick of walking himself around.

“Ho! Great beast of the forest! Nay, do not despair-”

And some rather bad poetry/monologuing ensued on the part of the hunter. Suffice to know that he often tried to impress the horse spirit with his speeches. The horse was half deaf and could not care less. It was happy to munch on the half of a carrot the hunter drew out of his pocket and offered to “the very great and verbolicious horse that lays her enemies flattened before her.”

Sufficiently flattered and bored, the horse allowed the hunter to mount atop her back. Then, she began to amble off in whichever direction she pleased.

For the hunter hadn’t the slightest idea where his home had gone off to. All he knew was that it was on the other side of the mountains, trading places and perhaps playing cards with some very talkative marshes. Which made him sad, really, for he hadn’t wanted to live on that side of the mountains.

The people there were far more stalwart than the Farfadelians, and he’d have to lurk, prune, and sulk harder in order to impress them. Which all around was just more work. Bugger!

Now, one might think that Adelaide and the prince Shadow were on a collision course. Nothing could be further from the truth. For Adelaide, spirited and determined Adelaide, was destined to return home. And her prince was destined to get horrifically lost.

For you see, the flowers that were placed upon the hounds’ heads were very strongly scented. “Ah, what beautiful aromas!” the houndsmaster had gullibly said while placing them upon the hounds’ heads.

Now, as the giddy fates who guard Farfadel would have it, those very same flowers were the ones that the fairies used to brew the sweetest meads and beers. They were, magically, filled with a gentle and sweet alcohol that misted into their scent.

The dogs, at first, noticed a chipmunk (not Adelaide) and strayed a little from their path. They then strayed back towards the path and overlooked it. Then they noticed a stream and pinholed for it, thirsty from the sweetness of the flowers. Then… then bugger it all, the dogs just wanted to lay down.

The houndsmaster was confused by the slightly wobbly appearance of his dogs. Yet he was a proud houndsmaster and did not want to let on that he did not know what he was doing. Truth be told, he knew quite a lot about dogs – but he had learned all that by watching how nobles behaved. He knew little about dogs in and of themselves. More so, he knew little of what could cause a dog to abruptly start wobbling and swerving and laying down on the scent.

So the houndsmaster did what most nobles do when in a bind. He improvised.

“The princess must have drank from this stream,” he said as his dogs thirstily lapped at the gushing and gurgling waters.

Then, “The princess must have rested here,” he said as his dogs lay down and heaved drunken sighs.

But it all came to an abrupt end when the moon hung heavy like cheese in the sky and the velvety darkness coated the sky. The stars sparkled the way as best they could and the moonlight glinted gently off the forms of the trees and bushes and the very thick brambles that the Denerspellians were wading through.

The hounds had had enough. Drunk enough to start giggling and throwing jokes at each other, they shook off the flower crowns for good and flopped down. One instantly began to snore.

“Ah, this must be where they rested-” invented the houndsmaster quite lamely, nudging his dogs with a toe.

“Oh bugger it all!” shouted the prince. “You haven’t the slightest idea what you’re doing!”

The houndsmaster hung his head and mumbled a faint apology. The prince dismounted. His glorious hair caught the moonlight and glinted like a silky curtain down his back. He combed it from his face and half the forest swooned. Even the crickets began to sing love songs.

It is this love for the prince, they say, that kept them safe from all real trials and tribulations that the dark forest could hold for lost travelers.

For the prince had them lay down their blankets and sleep for the night. He ordered some troops to stand watch while the other rested, and so on and so forth during the night. This would have been little help had the buggerbears or the waspbits attacked them. Yet the forest was entranced. The trees sighed and swooned, weaving their branches into a canopy above the prince and whispering gentle words about him into the winds.

The rest of his army, to put it quaintly, was attacked by the honeycakes. All night, one by one, they tiptoed past their own guards and rushed into bushes and brambles to battle with their bowels. Ah, the forest was not so pleased of them. It put thorns in their side and tripped them on their way back to bed.

But overall, it was a pleasant night. When the dew settled and the stars gave way to the sun, many a soldier rose well rested. The prince, of course, rose as if he had had the gentlest of beauty sleeps. It is hard to reminisce properly about how beautiful he would have looked right then, for all the magic of the forest had poured itself into him in the most restful and beautiful of ways.

Suffice to imagine that he had the most shining of hair, the thickest and darkest of lashes (which he blinked slowly as he roused), the softest of skin, and as he sat up, gentle reader, imagine a shower of rose petals all about him. The prince was just that beautiful.

And so he tossed his luxurious and stupendously beautiful hair over his shoulder and demanded that the day begin. The forest swooned, sighed, and shed a dew-drop tear of good-bye. For by the next day, the prince ought to have left the forest and strayed across the moutains into the marshes that talked incessantly.

Yet – the winds had whispered far. The winds had whispered wide. And now and entire tribe of dark elves were suspicious of this person who had so entranced their forest.

As the army began to collect themselves and shake off the sleep from the night, an army of eyes watched from nearby.

“Well,” said a very sensible elf. “They do not look ready for trouble.”

“It is time!” called out the prince. “We must ride to rescue my beloved! We will not stop until we find her!”

“Oh,” said a not so sensible elf. “But he is handsome.”

All elven eyes, glowing golden and purple and all the strange colors of the night, turned to the elf prince.

“Oh bugger,” muttered the more sensible elves. For they knew, without a doubt, that their prince was shallow and vain. But above all he was selfish and rather spoiled by his gentle hearted parents.

“He can ride in my lands,” purred the elf as the prince tossed his gorgeous hair over his shoulder and prepared to mount his horse.

The elves collectively rolled their eyes. The prince was too naive to notice this was directed at him. For he was not unkind. He was simply shallow. And so, without any malice in his heart, he came up with a plan.

“Direct him to my lands,” he said cheekily. “And we shall see for how long he can remember his beloved for.”

Again, the elves rolled their eyes. But they did as they were told.

The prince, unwitting and unprepared for any of this, mounted his horse and set off after the hounds.

Adelaide, for her part, was having a somewhat better time of it all. For she was a stalwart and sturdy chipmunk, and had wandered around these parts quite often upon her voyages to meet her beloved prince Shadow. After a night of napping atop a tree, she roused herself at the first scraps of dawn. Instantly she shook the dew drops from herself, scrubbed her face, and began the long journey home.

Due to her size, it was a very long voyage. But thanks to her being small, she went unnoticed by most of the forest. Once, a hawk spied her and thought she might make a tasty morsel. Upon closer inspection, it noticed that she was wearing armor. Not sure what to do with a chipmunk in armor, it soared away to find easier things to roast.

By the end of that first fateful day, Adelaide was barely reaching the edge of the forest. Night had settled and the stars shone when she climbed the last tree. There, she looked out across her home. Finally, she could see it.

Finally, she thought, all will be right again!

And, rest assured, all would be. But just not quite as quickly as she had hoped it would be.

For that day, that fateful and fate-filled and fate-touched and fate-ilicious day, the Frog King assumed his power upon Farfadel.

And the clouds grew thick and cast deep shadows across the lands. The cows grew ill and ceased to give milk. Wheat rotted on the stalk and corn fell unripened to the ground. Even the crows sought out shelter, cawing to each other that a storm was coming.

For the magic of the land had grown upset. Farfadel’s magic was not made to be reigned over by a half-witted magical creature. It was meant to be ruled over by partly-witted and rather endearing folk of the human nature. It was the good nature of gentle humans that gave Farfadel its charm and glory. Greed and slovenliness was never meant to rule here, as either a virtue or a pride, yet now it did.

And that upset everything.

“My Name is Chaos”; Chapter Fifteen, Part Two

Bella continued her grip over me until we had transported to the mortal plane. There, I finally was in control of my body. It didn’t come with a warning, or a gentle ‘here you go’. No, one moment Bella was striding forward, then the next I was crumbling down, waving my arms and flailing my legs to try and catch myself. Needless to say, I landed face-first in a snowdrift, gracelessly.

Pfah! I spat snow and scrubbed the freezing stuff off my face, propping up on one hand and scrambling up to my knees.

Inside, I felt Bella laughing at me. Thanks, but no thanks, I thought bitterly. “You can’t just do that!” I muttered viciously, just to be sure she heard that thought.

She must have heard me, but there was no answer. Perhaps she was tired from the stint of taking control over me? Now on my feet, I began trudging forward.

The portal had transported us into a scenery that looked dangerously familiar. There was quaint farmhouses. Lots of snow. Fields and valleys. And there, on the horizon? Pine trees of doom. Ugh.

I trudged and trudged and trudged. My feet were freezing and I was muttering angrily under my breath, wondering why the hell Bella hadn’t transported me closer to civilization. Why? And why did I have to do all the legwork, literally? Huh? She could walk and feel the freezy bits too!

No sooner had I thought that than I heard the sound of skidoos on the horizon. Great! I looked left, right, and saw them approaching from both directions. What luck!

It took me all of two seconds to realize that this was no luck. The humans must have sensed the portal somehow (what? Since when did they have that technology/spider senses?) and those skidoos were aiming straight for me.

So I stood still and let them come to me. Nope, I was not spending one iota more energy than I had to. No A+ for effort. I just stood, feet freezing, hands stuffed into my pockets for warmth, my breath freezing into misty clouds before me.

Finally, the skidoos (there was more than two, in fact they had been two flocks of five) drew up. Their riders fanned out, drawing guns that I recognized.

“Freeze!” one of them barked.

I laughed, hands still in my pockets. The irony was not lost on me. Freeze? Did it look like I was doing anything else in this stupid weather?

Laughter done and over with, I drew my hands slowly from my pockets and held them up at my sides. “Look, all I want is to talk,” I said flatly.

There was a beep. “Target recognized! Set to stun!” one of them barked.

“Hey wait-”

Thud thud thud, I was stabbed by about a dozen feathered needles ramming into my chest. “Fuck,” I groaned, hoping it wasn’t possible to overdose on this junk.

Then, the world swam and toppled over.

I woke up in a situation that was an echo. I was strapped down, and Leo was at my side in a lab coat. FoxFace was beside him, grinning wildly.

“What an excellent situation!” she was saying as I blinked awake.

“Oh,” Leo pointed at me. “Awake.” And he waved his fingers over my face. “Hey there!”

My first reaction was to snatch at those dumb fingers. What did he think I was? A baby? But I was strapped down, right? I just snapped against the straps, painfully.

“Good, awake,” said Leo, scribbling on an electronic pad.

“Hi there kiddo,” said FoxFace, leaning over me with a wicked grin.

I scowled and twisted my head away from her. Ugh. “What the hell?” I demanded. “Untie me!”

“Oh no,” she said, obviously enjoying herself. “We’re going to do this right here, like this. What brings you here?”

I glared at her, then skipped my eyes over to Leo. “What are you doing here?” Poor guy, he’d tried so hard to escape. But then again… my pity evaporated at the sight of his huge grin.

“Safely back at work, thank you very much,” he said pleasantly. Too pleasantly. Wasn’t he supposed to be miserable? What, had they tortured him into happiness? I frowned, puzzled.

FoxFace chuckled, patting Leo on the shoulder. “Our Sergeant here is perfectly well, don’t you worry. But you-” she pried at me with an eyebrow. “Tell us more.”

I snarled silently, lip curling in distaste. But what could I say? “I would like to talk to Leo alone.”

“Not happening!” said Foxface cheerfully. She snapped up a syringe from a table and waved it around like a drag queen would a shoe, a very dangerous shoe. “I believe you’ve been introduced to the dangers of needles, right kid?”

My scowl stayed firmly in place.

She grinned like this was one of those moments in life that she lived for. “Air in needles?All bad news for you, so,” she stretched out the syringe so that it was absolutely full of air. “Want to talk? Or am I sending you on a hot trip home?”

Cursing silently, I looked around. Nope, no rescue team coming in to help me. I hadn’t told anyone I was leaving, and so really, no backup.

“Okay, look!” I barked at her. “I just want to see her body! That’s it.”

Foxface made an unimpressed face. “Which part?” she asked, nonplussed. Then, setting the needle down she added “And what for?”

I pressed my lips together. Think, think, think. The best lie is one that contains the truth so → “Her soul is missing,” I blurted. “We think it might be lingering around her body.”

“Really?” asked Foxface. Turning to Leo she asked “Any electromagnetic activity recorded around the body?”

“None whatsoever,” said Leo happily as he checked something off his tablet. My, he looked so happy.

“Lookit,” I blurted. “Just a bone. Give me a bone.”

“A bone?” Foxface’s eyes lit up. “Whatever for?”

I floundered. I wasn’t sure why I wanted a bone, actually. “Uh, uhm, I uh-”

Foxface smiled like a cheshire cat. I shrugged. “A bone. Please. If you give me a bone, I’ll tell you something else.” Like what, genius? The color of Lucifer’s underwear?

“Oh no, no no no, you tell us what the bone is for, then we’ll see what we do from there.”

I bit my lip. This wasn’t going so well.

“My Name is Chaos” Chapter Eight, Part Two

Well this is one long chapter part! I intended to split it up into two sections, but it just flowed out and now it’s long and here we are!

I’m really not sure that this post requires trigger warnings. There’s a bit of abuse and fantasy violence, but it’s not described much. There is heckloads of stupidity though, and I’m starting to get a ‘Smack Chaos for being stupid’ drinking game going on in my head, where we smack him and take shots at the same tmie. I’d be taking so many shots all over this story, haha. I mean, on one hand I find him relatable in how the magic is twisting him. On the other hand, I’m not sure if he’s being too gullible or not. Thoughts? I really think that this is something that I’m going to have to see how it pans out through the novel and then edit it in the second version.

But Chaos’ stupidity aside, I still really like this novel. I like Chaos. I find him relatable in his gullibity with Bella, and his stubborn nature. This story is really growing on me. I also really like Bella. I have her as being this twisted character in my head, and I really hope it’s coming out the way I want it to.

So tell me what you think! Give me your reactions, and what you think of Bella and Chaos so far! Also, enjoy this picture I made, haha. It is supposed to be both sweet and creepy due to the manipulative aspects of Bella, the colors representing Bella’s eye colors.

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“So what’s the plan?” I asked as a biting wind swept over us.

“Lunch,” she announced. “You must be hungry.”

I laughed. “No, that’s not what I meant. What’s your plan? Overall? Why bring all the vampires and werewolves to earth?”

Bella smiled out at the fields. But she was silent.

I whined. “Come on. Tell me something.”

She let go of my fingers and crossed her arms haughtily. “You tell me,” she said sweetly, leaning her head almost onto my shoulder. “What do you know of me?”

“Nothing,” I admitted. “I don’t know anything about you. You’ve not shown me a thing!” And now I was promised to her side… how had this happened? So quickly too?

Bella was all grins. “You know something. Tell me what you know.”

“I don’t even know your real, original, name! Who you are, where you come from- I didn’t even know there was a ‘you’ in charge here! Come on,” I whined playfully, prodding her ribs, but she apparently wasn’t ticklish at all. I propped my chin on her shoulder. “Tell me what you’re up to.”

Her smile vanished. “You didn’t know about me? Interesting.” She ran a hand over my hair, petting me. “Why were you sent here then?”

I cringed at giving that away. “I shouldn’t tell you.” Should I? Hadn’t I already set my dice in her camp, so to speak?

“Really?” she seemed hurt. “Alright.”

I bit my lip and pulled her into my arms, her back against my chest and my chin on her shoulder. I buried my face in the warmth of her neck. “I was sent to close a portal you were opening in your center.”

“The portal?” she asked sharply, stiffening, then relaxing. “That’s what they’re worried about?”

I nodded against her skin, squeezing my eyes shut against myself. I shouldn’t have told her. But it felt so right to have her in my arms, to feel her relaxing back against me.

“That’s insignificant,” she drawled. Again, she stroked my hair. “Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing.”

I wanted to believe her. So I kissed the skin of her neck, just above her turtleneck and beneath her ear. “Are you really opening a portal to unleash hell on earth?”

She laughed. “That’s a dumb plan, Chaos. I’d like to think I’m more creative than that.” Her gentle touch turned rough, gripping my hair tightly so I hissed. She turned around in my arms, holding me still while she smiled at me. “I’m going to save everyone, Chaos. It’s a little more complicated than ‘unleash everyone’s minions upon the realm of incarnation’. Trust me.”

“I trust you,” I said honestly, openly. It was true. Something visceral in me felt connected to her and deep down, I felt that she could do no harm.

Her lips quivered in her smile, itching to turn into a grin. “So stop asking so many questions,” she said playfully.

“No,” I said back, just as playfully. I tried to lean in for a kiss but she held me back by my hair.

“No is not an answer for me,” she said semi-seriously. “You’re going to learn.”

“Learn what?”

“Everything,” she released my hair and turned to the open field again. “Soon, we’re going to have so much to do it’s going to be hectic. That’s why I need you.”

My heart fluttered happily at the thought of being useful to her, of being by her side. Our fingers wrapped around each other as we settled again side-to-side. We nestled together sideways, and it was so peaceful.

I didn’t know for when, but I knew I’d hold onto that moment for time to come. It was picturesque and perfect. Us, together.

It had to end. Bella ordered our helmets back on as the sound of skidoos was heard across the fields. “Something’s happened,” she said, eyes narrowing.

“How do you know?” I asked, curious of whether she had a special psychic connection with her minions. I was hoping she didn’t, out of jealousy.

But she just tapped her cheek, pointing at her angel’s eye. “I’m an angel, sweetie,” she said charmingly. My heart fluttered. She was cute, in a funny kind of way.

As the three skidoos arrived, we were ready, helmets on. They just had time to skid to a stop beside us when Bella said “Let’s go,” and gunned her engine.

We didn’t go back to town. Instead we wound through the pine forest, following deer trails that Bella seemed to know very well. I clung to her, feeling my heart pound in my chest. I hoped that whatever thr trouble was, it was human. Please, I wished to the great Goddess, mother of all gods, please let it be human. I wasn’t sure how I’d manage to face someone from home. What would I say? I’d look … stupid. But how could I put into words all that had happened to me in the past day or so? This strange bond with Bella? How could anyone explain that?

As I was busy worrying, time went on. Too soon, we burst out of the pine forest and onto a road. There, at an intersection, was a giant portal. There was burn marks across the road, and melted prints leading away from it.

We all skidded to a halt, making sure not to run over the tracks. My heart sunk down into my stomach as we stepped off the motorcycles and shedded our helmets. The wind whistled eerily between the trees, sweeping dust-like snow across the drifts.

“So,” said Bella, Marching towards the portal. “What do we have here? Chaos!”

I trotted to her side, hands in my pockets. “Yes?” I tried to ignore the dirty looks from the vampires, including mister Mcbigbigguy.

She pointed to the portal. “Tell me what you know. Friends from home?”

I sniffed the air. “No.” It didn’t smell like hell at all. Rather, the portal smelt … pine and … Crisp. Airy?

“Air realm,” I announced. Then I looked down at the very solid tracks. Wolves. “Native American pantheon,” I guessed, heart sinking lower and lower. They were here for Al.

“Here for your friend?” asked Bella with a sneer. “Very good.”

I startled. “How-” was she reading my mind?

She smirked at me. “I know she wasn’t the one who destroyed the vampire carriage. It was you, idiot.”

I flinched at her harsh words. So strange coming from her.

But then she smiled sweetly. “Come on, make yourself useful. They’ve probably already found your girlfriend by now. They’ll be back soon.” she pointed to the portal. “this isn’t meant to stay open long. It’s a direct line home. In fact,” she looked around. “Very interesting that they left it unguarded.”

I shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. The cold was seeping through my boots. It was biting at my hands. Couldn’t we just leave this alone? “So, uhm,”

“So, uhm,” Bella said sharply. “Get ready. They’ll be back any minute now. And we’re not letting them go.”

My heart sunk some more. It seemed that was all it was doing. “We’re not?” I asked sheepishly. “I mean, if we just let them leave they won’t cause any trouble.”

“Just let them leave?” Bella laughed coldly. “And what then? They’ll set up a highway through here? No Chaos, this is my realm. No one passes through without my permission.”

“But she’s not causing trouble, she just wants to go home-”

“You really think that?” she asked sharply. “Or did you really believe you were the only one they sent to deal with me?”

I shut my trap. Because yeah, I’d believed that. But now that she mentioned it, Al’s appearance and choice to incarnate pointed to the opposite.

“Younger, smaller, spirits are harder to track down, like dust,” said Bella. “So we wait for them to come to us.”

There was a grunt of approval from the vampires. They drew their blades, at the ready. Bella pointed here, there, and there, placing everyone before the portal. Then she drew back, admiring her placements. “Perfect,” she called out. “Except Chaos, who’s standing smack in the middle of it all. Thank you Chaos, can you move?”

Her words stung. Why was she being so mean? What had I done? I shrugged. “Where do you want me?”

She pointed to the right, far to the right. She herself was trudging to the left. “We hold the sides so they don’t run away.” She announced.

I took up my position, cursing myself for acting so docile. Since when did I just take directions? But for Bella, I was willing to bend over backwards.

So we stood there, almost knee-deep in snow, wind whipping across our faces, and Bella giving me the coldest shoulder of all. It all stung.

Then, we heard the flapping of wings. Glowing blue eyes appeared in the forest at my side. Wolves padded out, an eagle flying among them. I cringed as the deer I had spotted in the car came out with them.

The eagle landed before me, taking the shape of Al’s incarnation. “Hey, you,” she said icily.

One of the wolves took a human shape, shifting into a burly native warrior in tribal dress. Al’s bodyguard and my smallest fan. “Looks like you’ve made friends,” he said sharply.

I didn’t answer. I didn’t know what to say.

“Come on,” Al said angrily as she took my elbow. “Let’s go.”

“No!” I wrenched free.

Al startled, scowling at me. Her bodyguard glared me down. I swallowed. “I’m not going back,” I announced. Then, in a mumble, I added “And I don’t think you can either.”

“What?” Al scoffed, looking around at the vampires around us. “Do you really think-”

Twang. Whoosh. It was all the warning I had before an arrow ripped through my shoulder and stabbed into Al.

I collapsed forward, crashing onto my knees, my hands clutching at the gaping wound in my shoulder. Stars of pain danced before my eyes. My mind reeled, trying to understand what happened. Al was doubled over, a red arrow jutting from her chest.

Another twang. Al’s bodyguard yanked her out of the way just in time as another arrow came whooshing from directly behind me. It came so close to me.

The wolves jumped forward, bodyguard among them, carrying Al forward. I didn’t turn my head to watch as they jumped past me. I was looking down at my purple-red blood spattering across the snow, steaming and melting into it.

What the hell, I thought. The only person behind me was Bella. It couldn’t be her. It couldn’t.

I staggered to my feet, only dimly hearing the crash of battle behind me. I turned, and saw the vampires being thrown aside by the warriors. Al was being carried into the portal. Bella drew a bow – she was carrying a bow?

My mind spun. The world spun. Nothing made sense. This was completely out of tune with the world within me, with that soft ecstacy I knew of Bella- how did this compute?

An arrow hissed through the air, thudding into the back of the bodyguard and ripping through him. He stumbled – but made it into the portal. With a cry from one wolf the warriors fell back with the deer, jumping through the portal. The vampires rushed, but it was too late. The portal closed with a hiss, vanishing on itself.

The silence was stunning. Suddenly there was just the sound of heavy breathing, the crunch of snow. Bella was walking towards me. Her bow had vanished.

“Chaos!” she called.

The world span. I took a step back. But she trotted over, grinning widely. “You did great Chaos!”

“What?” I babbled, mind spinning. In a rush, I was furious with her. Everything seemed clear. She’d abused me, used me, and shot me. Literally. I was nothing but a meat screen for her to hide behind.

“Chaos!” her hands were on either side of my head, her blue eye sparkling at me. I flung her hands off – or tried to. She had grips in my hair.

“Chaos,” she said, her voice sweet. And then there was silence – but not within me. I heard sweet words within as her mouth moved. I felt pure love. Deep within, I knew that she loved me. That she was enamored with me, that the shot hadn’t meant anything. It was overwhelming, like padding in the brain. I couldn’t think, could only feel this fierce love, this burning sweet attraction.

Vampires were around me. They were watching, eyes glowing bright with magic as they circled around Bella and me. But they were just the backdrop, and Bella my focus. I barely noticed them, even as their hands touched me. I didn’t even feel them catch me as darkness closed over me.

“My Name is Chaos” or, “I wrote up another dream I had and here it is”

Yes, I had a dream last night. I was inspired by it to write this piece, which may or may not become a full-length story depending on my inspiration/organization levels. Do keep in mind that comments and encouragement fuels an author XD. I honestly write a TON (4-5 hours a day if I can), but tend to bounce around between stories. Having people who want to talk about a story keeps me motivated to keep writing it. So if you want to know more of this story, talk to me about it!

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“Hey kid,” was his brilliant introduction. He was thick-set, bearded with long blond hair, and freshly into his thirties. A bit young for a trucker, but looking the part with his checkered red and black hunting jacket and camouflage hunting cap. He was taller than me by a head. Or two.

He looked left and right. The first few dregs of snow were starting to flutter down from the sky through the darkness, but they weren’t stayign on the ground. Or on the pine trees for that matter. Pine trees that stretched on forever, like the columns of hell lining the road in every direction.

I should have been intimidated, I guess. A teenager all alone on the highway, no jacket in the cold, but hell. I saw plenty of people like him on their way passing through my home. Like, I probably knew half of his secrets just by guessing with my dice. So all I said back was “Hey,” and stuffed my hands in my jeans pockets.

“Listen, I don’t know what got you here, or what trouble you’re into,” he said, gesturing to me as if that explained something. “But you can hitch a ride with me. Okay, kid?”

Ah, a decent soul salvaging the poor, lost, child. I sneered, hands fingering the dice in my pockets. “You don’t know a thing about me.”

He sighed, breath puffing the air between us. “I know I don’t. But come on kid, the temperature is dropping and you don’t even have a jacket. Get in the truck. Where you going? I promise I’m not a creeper.”

I promise this, I promise that. I almost rolled my eyes – woops, I did. How many people had I heard with their fancy promises? And they all went away, not where they’d expected to go.

But the wind blew. It was icy cold. Canada. Damned place. I could have picked somewhere warmer. The guy pleaded with me. “Come on, you can’t expect to make it far! The next town is at least an hour’s drive away! And I’m sorry, but no one’s going to pick you up looking like that!”

Looking like what? I looked myself over. Thick combat-style boots. Jeans. Black t-shirt. Chains and spikes and the tips of my mullet hanging across my chest. Okay, maybe having orange and black hair wasn’t a wise choice. “Is it the hair?” I asked, suddenly feeling a splinter of … self consciousness? Was that what that was called?

“No kid, though I didn’t know mullets were making a come back,” he chuckled. With one thick arm he gestured to his truck. “Come on, get in. It’s warmer in there.”

Fine. Fine! Just because this place was blasted cold and – whatever! Did I care if he got in my way? No. So plans be damned, (whatever went right in my life anyways?) I stomped forward, muttering under my breath “Fine, fine, fine.”

Okay, but the guy had a point. It really was warmer in his giant truck cabin. As the semi rolled forward, he pulled a fleece-lined checkered jacket (red and green and white) out from behind the seats and held it at me. “Here. Bundle up.”

Grudgingly feeling my sense of fashion take a hit, I bundled into it. Ohhh, so warm. Almost like home. Almost.

The windshield wipers began their battle against the thickening snow. He turned the radio on, and tinny music began to play. No metal? Ugh. I slunk down in my seat, arms wrapped around myself and face buried in the soft fleece. They should make these things in black.

“So!” he slapped the giant steering wheel. “What’s your name? I’m Mark.”

What a typical name. “I’m Chaos,” I sneered.

He laughed good -naturedly. “Really eh? That’s what people call you?”

“They also call me ‘Bringer of Doom’ ‘First Horseman’, and ‘Little Jerk’,” I grumbled, snuggling deeper into the humongous jacket.

“Well now that’s not nice,” he said gently. “How about we call you – Chris?”

“I’m bi-gender,” I said sharply. “I don’t do single-gender names.”

“Oh,” and his voice softened as if he understood something. His eyes stayed on the road though. “That why you’re on the street now?”

“No,” I grumbled.

He hummed approval and nodded. I slunk further down in the seat, as far as I could go. But I kept my eyes on the road, peeling them for anything out of the ordinary. But damn, there were so many pine trees!

“How about Fuzzy McWuzz?” he said suddenly with a broad grin. “Huh? That’s gender neutral.”

“It’s Chaos,” I said flatly, trying not to laugh at the face my dad would make if someone called me ‘Fuzzy’.

“Chaos can be fuzzy,” he said with a laugh.

“Then I’ll call you Thor,” I said dryly. “Because you look like the movie of him.”

“Oh do I?” He made a show of taking off his cap and brushing back his long blond hair. “Is that a compliment?”

I looked away, smiling dryly. He was kind of handsome, I admitted secretly to myself.

It was when I was looking away, right then, that I saw them. Insect-like and humanoid all at the same time, with a smattering of booger-essence to them. They were crawling out of the forest, eyes glowing a deep green.

“WE’ve got company,” I said dryly.

“Huh, what?” He looked around, checking all his mirrors. He didn’t see them until it was too late. They were jumping onto the sides of his truck, their insect hand-bits or whatever the fuck they’re called were sinking into the metal, gouging their way along.

“Oh,” he muttered under his breath. “Okay, but, you know they probably won’t come to the cockpit. This has happened to me a few times. They’re just trying to hitch a ride to the next town.”

“No, they’re not,” I said dryly. “They’re here for me.”

Mark McThor gave me a look. “Oh,” he said softly, perhaps afraid. “You’re one of them.”

“Wrong again,” I said with perhaps a note of cheer. Then I swung the door open and jumped out.

Thud! I sort of landed on the asphalt mix squishy dirt and – you guessed it – rolled straight into the icy ditch half-filled with water and goop. I swear, I rose to my feet with a cattail poking up from my hair. That’s it. Now I’m going down as ‘Ye Olde Deity of the Cattails’, just watch. Ugh.

Slugging my way out of the ditch I stepped towards the demonic beasts that were jumping off the truck and scuttling towards me. With one hand I dragged mud and friggin’ cattails from my hair, with the other I drew my dice. It glowed red and blue faintly as I tossed it up into the air. It landed on my palm, a perfect 20.

“Good job,” I said, congratulating myself on my future kills.

“Kid!” The truck backed up faster than it should have, squishing three of the demons. “Get back in here!” The thing veered dangerously across the road and screeched to a stop with the cabin before me, on the other side of the road. McThor Mark-face was yelling. “Get here! They’re going to eat you alive!”

I shook my hands and my black double blades snapped out of my bracelets at my command. “Just watch!” I said proudly as the demon-cum-vampire spawn encircled me.

“Dammit kid!” roared McThor, slamming shut his cabin door as a spawn tried to get up there and eat him. “You’re not a superhero!”

I paused. Hadn’t he seen my badass blades? Probably not, as they were black and the whole friggin’ world was dark right now. Lights were sort of out.

But then the monsters launched at me. First was the biggest, the tinier fly-like ones arriving after like an angry swarm of wasps, if wasps were a breed of bugs mixed with pigs.

My instincts kicked in. I spun, blades slashing. Dark blood gushed everywhere, spattering across me as I hacked and slashed mercilessly at the fray.

And then there was no more. I stood there, breathless, surrounded by vanquished corpses. Oh yeah. This was a great feeling. Victory. Alea jacta est. Good stuff.

Then, there was the roaring of a chainsaw. Marc came thundering around the truck, chainsaw held aloft.

I startled, raising my blades. “Whoah!” I yelped. “Calm down! See- look? All done with.”

He drew to a stop, brain adjusting to the view before him. The chainsaw puttered above him. His eyes grew ‘yuge’ and then fixed upon me. Proud, I puffed up, expecting him to wither at my feet in fear. It’s what people did for my dad.

But instead he lowered the chainsaw and grinned as the motor puttered off. “You’re something else, aren’t you?”

I grinned. “Entirely.” But uh, no withering at my feet? No?

He stepped over the mess and clapped me on the shoulder. “Come on then, kiddo, let’s get back on the road before more of ’em come.” And he hauled me forward, big beefy hand on my shoulder.

I was dismayed. No withering?