Cloth

This entry is part 5 of 5 in the series The Ruin of ShorelockeEifan withdraws his hand, shaking his head. “No,” he says. “This is neither the time nor the place to delve into such remembrances.” He reaches instead into the satchel slung at his side, rummaging through...

The Orb

This entry is part 4 of 5 in the series The Ruin of ShorelockeHe inspects the orb without picking it up. He can feel the memories radiating off the thing already, and he is not ready to delve into them just yet. Unlike nearly everything else in the room, not one mote...

Shriek

She accosted him on the sidewalk, as he was loading the last of his gear into the truck. He had just come from a client’s house, the last job of the day. He was loading his backpack sprayer when she slammed into him, nearly knocking him off his feet. She was...

Accusations

She leans against the sink and stares at the message scrawled in the dust on the mirror. Thank god it’s just dust this time, and not blood. Her arms and thighs are criss-crossed with the scissored scars of past blood-lettings. She breathes deeply, heavily, though...

Heartstone

It is a wondrous thing to hear your child’s heart beat for the first time. All those long hours of laboring and toiling over a workbench, all those days and weeks of tenderly, gingerly nudging gears and springs and cogs into place. All those blisters and burns and...

The Shelter

This entry is part 2 of 5 in the series The Ruin of ShorelockeThe shelter calls out to Eifan, and he is drawn toward it. A cool breeze blows in off the sea and with it a hint of a voice, as if a vapor. Almost that voice entices him away from his explorations, but he...