Trigger

For Ashes, life was always about the spark. The hard part was avoiding a wild fire. With the spark, everything was meaningless. But after a wildfire, there is nothing but death remaining. Ashes had seen a few wildfires in his time. In fact, that is how she found him.

It had been a day like any other day, back in another lifetime, when he had used a different name and lived a completely different life. Flames of hatred came down on him daily, until they consumed him. When there was just a shell of a person left, he was thrown out of the home he had known and was to never return.

So he wandered aimlessly, a broken shell looking for something that broken people can’t find: love, compassion, acceptance. He worked odd jobs and found shelter where he could. It wore on him. Always a different place, low pay, total isolation. 

He found himself in a store, staring at the food on display, yet with no coin to buy any. It would be so easy just to take some. He was so very hungry and discouraged. He noticed a strange scent of grass in the air and his skin tingled with goosebumps and a shiver. He turned and scanned the store, his eyes darting between the handful of customers and the suspicious looking clerk, then at the door. He felt a warmth on the back of his neck like a blown breath and spun around, knocking over two displays and tumbling to the floor to the sound of laughter and the sharp voice of the clerk. Angry, he jumped to his feet, primed for a fight, but the clerk and the customers merely stared at him, seemingly oblivious. A girlish giggle erupted behind him and he spun around again, only to face empty space. He heard the voice of the clerk speaking into the phone, and then a panicked whisper.

“Run!”

And he ran.

He’d never forget the day he met her.

Suddenly a burst of laughter erupted right behind him. 

Jess had a way of sparkling. She was a light. A beacon. She loved life and she loved to celebrate life. We found each other seemingly by accident. For her it was fate. She never asked him. To her there was no question.

They had a connection like no other. She understood his boldness, his strong willed spirit. He knew she would stand by him, right or wrong, for better or for worse. She was the first voice he heard. Anyone who had her trust had his as well.

They were one that was two, brought together for a purpose.

You see, when Jess found Ashes, he was drifting. He was in a life that wasn’t working, but surrounded by people determined to keep him there. Sometimes persistence is a wonderful thing. But Ashes hadn’t learned when to quit. Sometimes two people are looking for each other without even knowing it. Then they found each other, and at that point he was ready to change. 

©️ 2024, Accountec, LLC

Interrogation

 There was a loud impact not 30 yards off, followed by something or someone crashing through brush and over rough terrain. Then Ashes realized that there was not one, but two creatures hurtling straight towards him, obscured by thicket and trees. As his ears attuned to the chaos, he realized that one was chasing the other, though the front runner moved with agility and much greater speed. At the same time, he heard a loud bird call in the distance, which could only mean that Diamond was moving towards with all haste. For a split second Ashes’ mind went from the runners to Sarah to Jenn and back and forth until suddenly he began breathing again and clarity and context returned to his consciousness. 

Eddie burst out of the brush, his tongue lolling despite himself. Jess could be heard whimpering not far behind.

For a moment they just stared at each other, Eddie eying the tree line across the road and Ashes too stunned to react. 

“Hey there!” a sweet voice called. Eddie and Ashes both looked to the East to see Diamond smiling at Eddie as she casually walked over, as if they were good friends. 

To Ashes’s surprise, the strange creature stepped forward to meet her, and even licked her hand. Then Jess came crashing and limping out of the forest, and Ashes rushed to help her. Sarah kept talking to Eddie and even had him doing tricks by the time Jess’s sprained ankle was ready to move again. Even Jenn seemed flabber ghasted. Sarah certainly had her way.

©️ 2024, Accountec, LLC

Vigilance

 Sarah was poised, motionless, on a large tree branch near the point where the trail looped back around the perimeter towards the footbridge by the clearing. Her eyes were closed and her brow furrowed in focus as she listened. Above the rustle of the faint breeze she could hear the faint sound of the water moving down the riverbed. Birds called and the occasional squirrel darted about.

This is where she belonged, out in the world, losing herself in the flow of time. Her body was like a metronome set to the rhythm of nature. She did not miss a thing. Today she was perfectly in tune. She needed to be. The gang really needed this.

The sun was sifting through the trees, the air warm and calm. She smiled as she watched the birds 

That’s when she heard the scream.  

©️ 2024, Accountec, LLC

Meanwhile...

 “I don’t know vhat you see in this stuff.” Vlad said as he sipped a fresh glass of gnat juice.

Dat bat. Nebber before had ennyone gotten so far under Spidey’s carapace. He was worse den a can ob Ortho Home Defense. Now he had di nerb to insult Spidey’s specialty beverage. 

“I tell you vhat is truly delightful, a nice bottle of A negative with extra platelets. Last time I flew by DI/LO they were having a sale… 4 pint barrels, 2 for a forearm. Vhy, there were undead lining up past the rusted gates. I saw one ripping off an arm near the entrance. It was to live for!”

All dis talk about di dead. And nebber enough about DI/LO. Vlad’s eyes just light up when he talks about blood. On and on, di types and di qualities ob di stuff. Drive an arachnid just plain webby. Worse, now der were udders around, the bat tells me. Humans! 

“Quite dull around this wooden castle. Reminds me of my uncle Boromir. We used to call him Bor. He never figured out why. You know what hits the spot? A vell chilled glass of A negative. I vonder if they still have that sale…”

Spidey almost got him out the window when he thought to stay to see if the humans returned. 

Vlad set his glass down and flew to the rafters again. “It’s getting late in the day.”

He had dat look agin. Good thing Spidey doesn’t bleed.

“I vonder vhen those humans will return.” He said, gazing wistfully out di window.

Spidey crawled to the corner and started spinning thread. Too many guests! Spidey channel his frustration into his labor. Maybe start a whole new cobweb. 

©️ 2024, Accountec, LLC