Ha!
I cannot BELIEVE they've let me use that title!
Ladies and gentlemen, the collection I've been promising you, the book that scoops up all those little short stories and provides you with some brand new ones, has been unleashed. There won't be a Spoiler Zone post because it's not one of the "book" books, but even so, try to limit the amount you give away about the endings.
Of the new stories included, I'm finding it hard to pick a favourite. The Horror Writers' Halloween Ball is the most out-and-out comedy of the lot, but Across A Dark Plain is a WESTERN, for god's sake, and it was SO much fun changing my writing style slightly to convey that mood.
But I think Get Thee Behind Me, Bubba Moon is probably my favourite. Much like The End of the World (which is also collected here), it's told from the point of view of an outsider, in this case a middle-aged American man. I didn't mean it to be quite so long, but it grew from a short story to a novella before I knew what was happening. The tone of this one is different, too — until a certain pair of intrepid detectives wander in with their bickering and their jokes...
Anyway, I hope you like it. I hope you ALSO like the sample chapter from The Dying of the Light. It is VERY well written, if I do say so myself.
Oh, and speaking of TDOTL, tomorrow I shall be revealing an awesomely cool limited edition alternative cover.
And it ROCKS.
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*chione steps forwards*
Hi Silente.
*her baby bump is gone*
Chi...what happened?
*chi smiles*
There were...problems.
*blake steps forwards*
*everyone else does too*
Viv and Matex, as one: Silente dear...ah. Such a player. I'm afraid were going to have to.....put you down. *both smile*
What?
*an energy beam comes flying through the air and cuts into her shoulder* *cries out as more and more attacks come towards her*
*turns tail and runs, the last thing she sees are black veins raising to fill laughing lips*
(Trip - basically:
The Dark Shadow basically infected James.
James contacted shunters.
Dark Shadow built dimensions which mutate to people's fears.
Shunters shunted everyone into their own dimension so they're alone with the thing they fear most.
Dark Shadow getting stronger.)
(bye Viv!)
(OMG I AM ENJOYING THIS SO MUCH! THANK YOU ALL FOR SAYING YOU'D GO ALONG WITH IT AHH IM HAPPY!)
*manages to stand up thanks to the drone with the flamethrower covering her* *wipes the mould away from her suit and runs away from the rest of the zombies*
(*Whispers to Alastair* Adra visited you.. *Rolls*)
*more mould begins to grow where the zombies came into contact with her*
Viv is crying blood right now.
(I plan to make SilenteTC's world hurt her so very much emotionally. If I'm lucky I will make people's feels hurt! I AM VERY HAPPY IT'S WORRYING THAT THIS MAKES ME HAPPY BUT I AM VERY MUCH SO!)
(WHY IS VIV CRYING BLOOD? That can't be good.
Rhymes. :) )
(Im going to make Chris' short so I can concentrate on Inkys)
Christen:
Ive got to help her
guy:Do you really want to help her. why should you put your life on the line for some bitch who wont appreciate it? Im doing you a favour. Have a drink and relax
*-I really need a drink, but Inky is in trouble. However, she doesn't love me.Would it be better to let her die ? she always gets into trouble and doesn't have a pack, death would be a nice escape for her-*
*shakes head*
*-what the hell? It must be the heat... even if she sees me as no more as an annoying body guard, I have to save her-*
*lunges forward, hand goes through the guy*
huh?
inky: Thanks Chris *smiles brightly before disappearing*
*Flash*
*Back at cottage*
That was quick, no one is here...
*jumps into stream*
(So what are these guidelines?)
im going to bed now
ill continue tomoz
byii
*shrieks when she sees the mould and tries to dry it off again*
*a zombie leaps at her from behind and cuts into her suit with its teeth*
*stabs it with her blade*
... no... no no no no no no no...
I think I actually know what I have to write . . . O_O
Just writing it, now. :) :)
*rips through the trees*
*she cant hear anyone following*
*ducks into a nearby cave*
*lays with her back against the wall hyperventilating*
*feels a reassuring arm around her shoulder*
Viv: you cant run darling. It'd be better to get it over with quick. Come on. I can do it for you. *holds up the knife he made her about to plunge it into her heart*
*screams and rolls out of the way hearing the knife hit stone*
Viv: *chuckles darkly and fades as Silente runs away again*
(*bounces around gleefully* Happy!)
*Adra remains lying on the bed, lightly dozing against Alastair's pillow, curled tightly around it* *Twitches a little in her sleep* *Mumbles*
(@the dark shadow no that's what is happening in El's dimesion.)
*quickly seals off the part of her suit that has been damaged from the rest of it so it all doesn't get infected*
*removes a needle full of immune system boosting drugs and injects them into the infected area*
*takes some tools from her pockets and gets to work on repairing the suit*
(Draggie got confuses is all. Continue El. I'm reading it.)
(*laughs happily and evily at once* I hope you all DROWN IN YOUR TEARS! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! *cough* I mean enjoy the rp.)
(I have to go now. But I may be back depending on whether my dog is barking or not.)
(He'll be back. His dog almost always barks.)
(I am seriously grinning so much right now. I love this. Silente doesnt but I LOVE THIS SO MUCH WALLOW IN DESPAIR AND WATCH YOU FRIENDS CRUMBLE UNDER THEIR DARKEST FEARS!)
(...I think there's something wrong with me.....OMG THIS IS WHAT DEREK IS LIKE! I GET IT NOW!)
((Omg so I had to eat and I'm chatting with Mom and I told her about the challenge and she goes: That's an awesome way to challenge you, now you have to figure out Loki's fear, as well as your own character's-Zaf
(Zafira, I left you an email..)
So, can I just jump in?
((Thank you for the notice, love.))
*wakes a few hours later, half destroying the cellar in a moment of panic* *takes a few shaky breaths, waiting a moment to calm down* *quickly notices the weight around his neck* Adra... *teleports to two other places before he finds her*
*smiles slightly at the sight of her, quietly moving to lay beside her* *flits through her dreams cautiously, attempting to keep nightmares away, but wary of what happened the last time he tried to enter her mind*
*she runs on*
*icicles rise up before her, so very close to piercing her*
*turns to see Chi's black lips grinning*
Hello Sil. Sorry. Hold still.
*chi moves her hands and icicles fly at her*
*dives aside as a snow storm forms, the snow like daggers against her skin*
*everywhere she turns a wall of ice bars her way*
*Chi appears before her, Viv by her side*
Viv: Come on Sil. Don't be like this. It's not that bad. No one wants you around anyway.
*matex appears*
Matex: No one. Not even us. No one has. Or ever will. You may as well give in.
*backs away and charges through one of the ice walls, fleeing their smiling faces*
(@Zaf your mum? Gosh.)
*Adra's dozing lightly, and wakes up with a start as she feels the bed shift the weight a little, and springs into action immediately, instinctively hitting her opponent, who just happens to be Alastair*
*strolls into blogland, and is a little puzzled by the situation*
Hello? Anybody home?
(Im grinning like a fool)
*jerks backwards, far more concerned about Adra- he'd hate to have frightened her again- than the strike itself* Are you alright, love...?
*Blinks, surprised*I.. I am, thank you..
*pants as she runs, quickly growing tired*
*runs smack into a wall of air and feels another one looming close behind her*
*spins and sees two grinning faces behind her*
*Elleni and Amethyst*
Both: Hey. We were just making some food.
*they both smiles and click their fingers summoning a flame*
*unbalanced Adra sits at a neatly laid table nearby*
*eyes widen as she understands*
*she's trapped*
*they were going to eat her*
*extends his arm, energy twirling around it as he searches*
Hello? Antagonist? What have you done with the protagonists?
*both girls throw the flames straight at her*
*screams and ducks away as the air slams into her face knocking her to her back*
Elleni: She's not fighting much is she.
*alastair pops in, sitting next to Adra*
Alastair: what would you expect. She's a disgrace to vampires.
*shudders at the words and focuses just in time to be hit smack in the chest with a fireball*
*screams and bats at the flames*
*they grow and spread with each hand motion El and Amy make*
*runs, still batting at her chest, into a load of stone walls*
((Just replied Adra :) -Zaf))
*doesn't register anything his sistet said*
Zanida: For the love of god! *sees the elves and tries to fend off them*
*Malikith enters Frigga's chambers*
Zanida: *slaps Loki* WE NEED TO GET THE HELL OUT OF ASGARD!!
*vanishes and appears in the chambers*
Frigga: Stand aside creature, and you may come out alive.
*Frigga attacks and Malikith and her enter a fight*
Frigga: Who are you?
Malikith: I am Malikith. *walks towards Jane* You have something of mine, child. *Frigga isheld by the Kursed*
*Jane disappears*
Malikith: WITCH!!!!! Where is the Aether?
Frigga: I'll never tell you.
Malikith: I believe you.
*tries to attack Malikith but he cannot move*
*Frigga is killed*
Zanida: *is left to fend off the Dark Elves, and is going up against one as Loki is shot in the chest, then again* LOKI!!! *runs over to* Don't die..I swore...oh god...
Man, I guess no one's home.
(You're welcome El.)
Oh, that's lovely to hear...
*the Midnight Hotel blossoms up from the ground*
*is sitting at the desk*
*face buried in hands*
*is clutching a business card*
What a day . . . what a day . . .
*Nods, biting her lip, and lays back down abruptly against the bed, holding the pillow against her*
I knew that would work!
*runs up to the door and begins to knock*
Anni! Anni!
Anni I have booze!
*STAMPEDES TO THE DOOR*
*WRENCHES IT OPEN*
*PULLS TRIP INTO A TIGHT BEAR HUG*
Trippington Castalan, my old friend! It's been too long, my fine fellow! Now, what was that about booze?
Right.
Sorry, I'm leaving now.
(Awh. Farewell, Adrasdos!
*hugs*)
*sits on the bed next to her, reaching a hand out somewhat cautiously to brush her hair out of her face* Has something happened?
*looks at Zanida* Tell...Thor...I really did care...I'll see you again one day....
Zanida: Loki...no you idiot you are not dying!
This is goodbye, sister. *his breathing slows, and he dies in his sister's arms*
Zanida: NOOOO!!! *is cradling her brother, sobbing hysterically* This wasn't meant to be....This world....
*the scene shifts to the nighttime, Loki's body is on a wooden boat, he holds his sceptre as the body floats past the Asgardians. The body goes towards the waterfall, and an archer sends a flaming arrow at the boat as it lights on fire, Asgardians release the orbs of light and Thor stands beside Zan, and taps the ground with the king's staff, the boat going over the fall and the orbs float with Loki. Zanida is left crying, standing beside Thor, who is real to her*
((Nevermind my last comment, then, love. *hugs*))
*turns from a wall and sees the scene behind her has completely changed*
*turns and shes once again in a new place*
*high walls surround her, crumbling slowly*
*nearby, a voice*
Soon. As soon as we have eliminated the threat.
Viv: Not much of a threat. She won't even fight back.
She is still a threat. We must take her down.
Matex: She has no blood supply. She'll die of thirst soon.
Viv: Or come for us
Either way she will die.
*cheers as the only thing she had left to call a family waited in excitement for her death*
((*Adra shakes her head faintly, and wraps her shawl around her* I just need to go on a walk to clear my head. I'll be back in a little bit. *Squeezes his hand, and brushes out the door*)
((I AM FRICKING FRACKING BAWLING MY EYES OUT SILENTE TEMPEST!!!-Zafira
(You're very welcome Zaffy.)
(Trip, Clara, you're welcome to follow suit and be in your own nightmare dimensions. In fact it is encouraged.)
Toodloo Adra!
*gives her a tight hug too.*
I have a bottle of single malt whisky in this coat.
*sighs slightly, closing his eyes* *withdraws into himself, resolving to set a few of his names in order*
*smiles broadly*
Single malt whiskey is always welcome in my Hotel, as are the people who carry it. Do come in!
*steps aside and gestures with a flourish*
It's been a while, Tripwell. How have you been?
(And I'm back.)
(*straight-facedly showers Dragona in rose petals*
Welcome home, sir.)
(Look Draggie. People are crying. *smiles proudly*)
(*starts eating the rose petals*
*then realise they taste horrible so spits them out*
Thank you, ma'am.)
Oh, so so.
*pulls out the whisky*
Adra and I got engaged, had Cara, crashed and burned. I had various adventures, I guess.
You?
(Silente - mwhahaha. Awesome plot. :) )
((I leave ya there I gots to go to Zumba I may write one more comment-Zaf
(*bow stiffly*
All in a day's work, sir.)
(Elleni - who do you hate/love?)
(Awww El how could you hate me? *smiles innocently*)
*collects two whiskey glasses from the wet bar*
Same old, I suppose. Vampires keep crashing my Hotel, Death Rose broke a wall, I got attack by Norwegian terrorists, etc. I've had no end of troubles, and no time for adventures.
*begins to pour the drinks*
At least there's whiskey.
*attacked
The Dark Shadow: *is absorbing a lot of fear and pain, and is very strong*
(Me? All I did was supply the villain for this. Silente sent me an email about the plot and I decided it was good and remembered a creature from my old sp fanfics, so sent her a quick description and some extracts from my stories. *points at Silente* 89% her.)
(Dayyymn busted. Got to go now guys, parent has discovered my awakness. Night! ENJOY WATCHING YOUR CHARACTERS FEELS DIE!)
Aye, at least there's whisky. *drinks*
Yeah, that's another thing. I think my drinking has gotten worse.
(Nihjy!)
(Bye Silente! Remember not to fight the law because they always win!)
(@Dragona I OBJECT!
*leaves*)
I KNOW my drinking has gotten worse.
*drinks*
My guests are bloody impossible. Particularly that girl who drinks more than I do. And all the chaos, and the wall-breaking, and the-
*drinks*
-the noise. The bloody noise.
I have no more time for adventures.
*sits in an armchair by the fire*
. . . I'm sorry about Adra.
(Yay. :D *is not hated*)
*manages to outrun the zombies and manages to catch her breath*
*isn't feeling well at all*
*tries to stay away from the diseased trees*
*begins to vomit inside her helmet, and opens the induction port to let it out*
*injects herself with more immune system boosting drugs*
Thanks. You know, it was so sudden, it just...
*drinks, and then pours another, and drinks*
So, how's your marriage?
(Bye Elleni!)
(My dog has stopped barking so I'm going to sleep. Night!)
*Clara L. Crowley is drinking*
*hears Trip's question*
*does a violent spit take*
*gasps* Marriage?
*laughs without humor* What marriage?
*refills drinks*
Come on, Trippalong, no one would have me. I consider myself married to my work; my work is all I've got.
*a fist of energy punches Clara from out of her field of vision*
Under new management, bitch.
What about Oscar?
Or was that precious?
I can never remember things like this...
*gets punch*
Ow! *holds shoulder*
*laughs a little* Oscar?
Please, Triptych, I'm not . . . I'm not that kind of girl. Oscar's married to Doctor Precocious, not me.
*pours another drink*
But if you must insist on twisting the knife of regret in the wound of my love life, then it's only fair that I ask you what . . . or who . . . is responsible for the rift betwixt you and Adra.
*punched
Hilariously, Alastair.
It's a very long story.
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE!!!!!!!
ALL BLOGLANDIANS SHOULD READ!!!!!!!!!
Ok, this page is about full. There are many more unfull pages. I know this happened last time but it took me awhile to find so I say we should go back one page when this page is full!
Ok, that's all, I'll be on after I finish reading the comments I missed.
Alistair.
*dry laugh*
*drains the whiskey glass*
. . . I'm sorry.
*looks contemplatively at the empty glass*
. . . Where did we go wrong with our lives?
Evening all!
Oh, I didn't go wrong, an aspect just changed for the worse. *drinks*
Most of it is just as good as it's always been.
-------
Hey Em!
I wonder if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Mostly it seems like a sad thing.
*reaches for the whiskey bottle*
*grabs at the air for a moment*
*finally finds the bottle*
*pours another glass*
Yeah, I've gotta go with you on that one.
*sits at a couch, and produces a bottle of Tumblesoz*
But, wasn't owning the hotel your dream?
Mmm. Dreams.
*eyes the Tumblesoz with a greedy look*
You know that saying, that goes . . . *hic* . . . I can't remember how it goes, but it's about dreams. When you're a kid, you think you'll be happy if you get that one toy. Then it'sh that one pair of shoes, that one boyfriend, that one car, and they're . . . *hic* . . . your dreamsh. It'sh all you think about. And when you get them, you're shtill not happy, eh? You keep getting your dreamsh, and they never make you happy.
*leans heavily on the armrest of the chair*
So you keep making more dreamsh, and you . . . *hic* . . . keep getting not-happy, and . . . and I'm rambling now.
Damn.
*swigs*
Isn't that basically one of the core teachings of Buddhism?
You know...
um...
Dhukka? I think. Everything is unsatisfactory.
Well, I kind of shee what you mean. Don't meet yer heroes and all that.
@Dugglyn, if you're still around: We usually just go back to the previous post.
If the previous post is also full, just keep going back until you find one which isn't. (If it's a long way back then sometimes someone will post a link to the next available post before we hit 5000, but, yeah.)
I think that's what you meant, yeah? :) ^^
(Sorry for vanishing before. I'm getting good at that.
*will be vanishing again*
*immediately*
*probably* )
*nods*
Never really thought much about Buddishm. Maybe you're right.
*stares into the fire*
. . . I don't think I have heroesh. Not anymore.
*squeezes the armrest*
*remembers the previous hotel manager*
Do you have any heroesh left?
*holds out empty glass*
*gives Trip a hopeful look*
*swigs*
I never believed in heroes. I am my own hero, because in the end, I will always be there for me.
*pours her a little tumblesoz, then puts the tumblesoz back*
*Adra encounters Trip while she's walking, and stops in her tracks* *Slowly steps forward, and gives him a hug* Please be weary of how much you drink, Trip. *then continues walking past and away*
*cautiously sips the Tumblesoz*
That'sh an intereshting idea, in itsh own way.
Yeah, well it's what happens if through some unfortunate event you end up a grown adult with no family and no concept of societal norms.
You develop some fun opinions.
*It hurts that he's ignored her, and she confines on anyway, deep into the woods*
*gazes into the fire*
*swirls the Tumblesoz in the glass*
A man I once admired told me that sometimes, a series of unfortunate events may in fact be the first steps of a journey.
*drinks a swig*
I think he was full of . . . well, anyway.
*stops drinking*
*frowns*
You don't have any family, Trip?
. . . What am I saying. I'm sorry. Forget it.
*drinks*
Well, I do now.
But I didn't. Not for a long time.
*is saddened by her leaving, but didn't really know what to say*
(THERE IS A NEW POST. LET US NOW RELOCATE.)
(AYE. LET US.)
(AYE.)
ANNIKA BARNOSKY
YOU SAID YOU HAD QUOTEV
WHO ARE YOU
DAMN IT
TO THE NEW POST, AWAY
*wanders in*
Haven't posted for a while.
Hope everyone is doing well.
*sings from the wicked soundtrack*
Loooathing.
Unadulterated loathing.
and so on.
I hope I make it to last comment.
I'm having fun chatting to myself.
Umm
eggs
ummm
more eggs
i am a potato
*burrito
or something
lots of dots
.
.
dots are cool
all the dots
.
very close now
houston
we
have
a
problem
*crackles*
made it
*closes*
Bye now.
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