Author: Michael

Okay so I’m doing M’s prompts and going to try and do a full month as one long story with no planning. Today it is ‘Night of nin’. I forgot to work that in though. Oops…

The instructions are to simply write for ten minutes or so each day and that’s about it. It’s certainly taking me longer than ten minutes but I will keep going with this for as long as I can and see where each days takes this. Either that or Ill stop if no one is reading it because its either too long or too ridiculous.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part15 Part16 Part 17 Part18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21

Selfish, drunken, irrational, dangerous and Inconsiderate. Some of O’Rourke’s finer qualities, and those that knew him knew he was something else too. He was lucky. With the exception of the unfortunate matter with the Prussians things always seemed to end well for him and over time he had come to realise that should he take action then it would more than likely work out rather favourably.

He hoped this would be one of those occasions.

What O’Rourke did not know was that his luck was a matter of inheritance. His great great grandmother Dorinda Flaherty, a woman with a thing for men of short stature, had spent a night of passion on midsummers eve with a taller than average leprechaun. Nine months later this resulted in the birth of his grandfather Concobhar O’Rourke and a change in the families fortunes from that point forwards.

“What the hell is he doing?” Plumduff said peering out from the booth as O’Rourke propped himself up against the bar. It was a long, dark room with the bar running along one side and booths and tables opposite. An old man stood behind the bar stacking glasses on a shelf and save for Armitage and his companions the place was empty.

McCann unsheathed her sword.

“They have pistols” said Crompton.

McCann shrugged and grinned.

O’Rourke called out again and raised his drink. “Armitage my old mate” he said. “It’s me, O’Rourke. How long has it been?”

Armitage and everyone else around the table turned towards O’Rourke, a look of horror on Armitage’s face. He shook his head as if trying to warn O’Rourke off.

“Oh come on lad” he continued. “I know it’s been a while. Join me for a drink” and he walked over purposefully. The old man behind the bar looked at O’Rourke, shook his head and ducked down behind the bar.

Armitage sat motionless as Thrumhall’s men got to their feet, hands on their pistols. McCann stirred and Plumduff put a hand on her shoulder. “Let’s see how this works out” she cautioned.

“He doesn’t know you stranger” a squat fellow insisted stepping forward and placing himself between O’Rourke and Armitage. “And he doesn’t need a drink.”

“Oh come on now, you’re in a pub and in a pub everyone should have a drink. Barkeep, drinks all round.” He shouted, but the old man remained hidden. McCann grinned as Armitage slammed his tankard down on the bar top.

“Barkeep, drinks all round” he pressed.

“No drinks” barked Thrumhall’s man drawing his pistol. Armitage flinched and O’Rourke, refusing to be deterred took another step forward.

“Now come on friend, no need to be like that” O’Rourke continued. “I simply wanted to catch up with an old friend and have a beer.”

The creature took a step forward and raised his pistol, holding it just inches from O’Rourke’s face who grinned and stretched out a hand picking up his tankard. The other creatures bristled and reached for their weapons, Crompton and McCann with hands on their sword hilts.

“Fair enough ” said O’Rourke and in one swift movement swung the hand holding the tankard bringing it crashing down against the side of the creature’s head. As it slumped forward he dropped the tankard, spun him around and snatched the weapon from its hand before the others could even raise their weapons.

“Now” he said loudly, his eyes wide and a maniacal grin on his face. “I said I wanted to have a drink with my friend here and must insist.” He raised the pistol to it’s head. “Why is that such a problem?”

“You’re going to regret this” said one of Thrumhall’s henchmen.

“Oh come on, always with the threats and the aggression” O’Rourke replied. “How about I just take my friend here and I’ll be on my way?”

Before his question was answered a door that O’Rourke hadn’t previously noticed to the side of where the Armitage and Thrumhall’s men had been swung suddenly open and Thrumhall strode through.

“What the hell’s going on here” he boomed raising his pistol and pointing it at O’Rourke. “who the hell are you?” Plumduff placed a hand across McCann’s chest. ”

“Just wait” she whispered.

O’Rourke lowered the pistol ever so slightly. “I was saying to your man here that I just wanted to have a drink with my friend.” He motioned towards Armitage. “I’m not looking for any trouble.”

“Crompton Look” said Plumduff quietly noticing the two shadows prowling around Thrumhall’s legs. Thrumhall walked forwards and O’Rourke strained to take a few step backwards and drag the deadweight of the creature with him.

Thrumhall motioned to one of the men stood with his pistol raised. “In the back, get the crates.”

“Yes Boss” he replied and disappeared through the door.

“Now here’s what’s going to happen next” Thrumhall said one hand on the head of the shadow nearest to him. “You’re going to release my man and I may just let you get out of here alive.”

O’Rourke laughed. “How about you release my friend and we all have a drink, sound like a deal?”

Plumduff looked at McCann, the three still hidden behind the high backed sides of the booth. “This may work after all” she whispered.

“No thanks” said Thrumhall and without warning fired a shot into the chest of the creature shielding O’Rourke who stopped smiling, dropped the dead weight and vaulted over the bar. Thrumhall continued shooting and those with him opened fire.

“Alright pal” he said to the old man as they both lay on the floor together, shards of glass raining down on them. “Nice place you have.”

As Thrumhall and his men advanced towards O’Rourke’s position Crompton, McCann and Plumduff burst from their cover.

“Ill take the big lad” said McCann drawing her sword and bearing down on Thrumhall who pivoted and squeezed a shot off at her. He was too slow though and she was on him in a flash landing a blow with the hilt of the sword across his Jaw and sending him sprawling. She then leaped over the bar joining O’Rourke and the bar keep.

“Elizabeth how grand to see you” he exclaimed.

Taken by surprise the others turned to see Crompton and Plumduff close behind McCann and turned their fire on them at which point O’Rourke reappeared from behind the bar, pistol raised, and began returning fire.

“Great distraction” O’Rourke said smiling as Plumduff and Crompton dived into cover in another booth, shots splintering the table and wooden seating around them.

Two of Thrumhall’s men fell to the ground, shots exploding in their chests, the shadows scattering and melting into the gloom.

“Move it Armitage” McCann barked peering over the bar top and he scrambled to his feet and threw himself into the booth sheltering Crompton and Plumduff. Thrumhall’s lot had taken cover behind tow overturned tables and were returning fire

“Hello lad” she said grinning. “I thought we’d lost you”. A shot split the wood panelling between them and Armitage placed his hands over his head. It never ceased to amaze him that no matter what she never let go of her hand bag.

Thrumhall slowly regained his footing, noticing his downed men and waved them back. “Get the crates now” he ordered and vaulted over the table to where the two men were dragging them from the room. The shadows raced to his side.

“On me” he said reaching inside his black tunic and pulling out the device. The petals opened and a hum filled the room, a feint blue light emanating from it. Leaving the downed men behind the remaining few followed Thrumhall and formed a protective wall in front of him.

“That’s right, run” yelled O’Rourke as he reappeared once more from behind the bar firing off shots wildly. Returned shots ripped into the bar but he didn’t flinch, suddenly feeling indestructible.

He saw Thrumhall look up at him, grin. “I’ll be seeing you lot real soon” he said and then quite suddenly there was a flash of blue light, a feint pop and every one of them disappeared – crates and shadows included.

For a while no one said anything. Slowly they all emerged from their places of hiding.

“They’ve gone” Armitage said stepping over the body of one of the dead men.

“Bright lad you got there” O’Rourke said clambering over the bar, glass crunching beneath his feet. “The question now is where oh where have our friends gone.”

Part 23 coming soon…

Okay so I’m doing M’s prompts and going to try and do a full month as one long story with no planning. Today it is ‘Artichokes and Anchovies’.

The instructions are to simply write for ten minutes or so each day and that’s about it. It’s certainly taking me longer than ten minutes but I will keep going with this for as long as I can and see where each days takes this. Either that or Ill stop if no one is reading it because its either too long or too ridiculous.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8  Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part15 Part16  Part 17  Part18    Part 19  Part 20

Plumduff scratched her head as she looked at the panel of dials before her.  Each of the Entropy officers was represented by a small golden dial which indicated their status within the Fracture but one was curiously out of sync with the others.

“I’m telling you Crompton, he isn’t on our timeline anymore.” She insisted.  “Everyone else is accounted for and even factoring in the differences across the realities Armitage is somewhere else.”

“How is that even possible?” Crompton asked.

“I’d suggest we ask the witches but given our track record I think perhaps we will need to think of something else.” Plumduff replied.

“You know what I think” said O’Rourke from the other side of the room.

“I would thank you kindly to keep your thoughts to yourself” Plumduff scalded.  “You’ve already done quite enough damage for one day”

O’Rourke smiled and took a long drink from the generous glass of whiskey he had poured himself.

“Not my fault Maggie, how was I to know he still had the device with hi.  He’s not the brightest of fellows now is he.  All he needed to do was check his pocket.”

Plumduff clenched her jaw, nostrils flaring.

“I will give you that” she conceded, “and I will put it down to jolly bad luck” she continued still poring over the dials as they clicked and whirred showing the difference in time of each agent in relation to the time in their true reality here are the Office of Entropy.  “His isn’t moving Charles, and there is no indication that he is dead, it is as if he is simply not where he is.”

McCann looked up from her seat next to O’Rourke, frowned, and went back to polishing her sword.

“Makes absolutely no sense I agree” said Crompton “but it is what it is and it cannot be anything but.  The machine cannot be wrong.”

O’Rourke put down his drink, then picked it back up, swallowed down what was left and then put it back down again.

“You know what I think” he said again.

Plumduff paused.  Not only did she have an officer missing but something hugely valuable had fallen into the hands of the Witches and the still had no idea what it was.  Now she had to listen to O’Rourke’s ramblings.

“Go on” she said and sighed.

“I think he must be at another time” he said picking up the empty glass.  McCann looked up and stopped polishing and then looked across at Plumduff and Crompton who surprisingly had not already told him to be quiet.

“It’s the only thing that makes sense” he insisted. “He’s not dead and he’s not on any of the known realities so either we have a new reality – which we know about – or his is somewhen else.”

“And what do we do then?” Crompton asked.

“Devil if I know” O’Rourke said smiling and offering his glass.  “But another whisky might help.”

“He might be right you know” Plumduff said taking the bottle and filling up O’Rourke’s glass.  “It’s as good an explanation as any and might explain why we can’t track him down.”

O’Rourke took another deep drink.  “Must be something to do with that device” he continued now on a roll.

“And you know that how?” said Plumduff.

“Oh I don’t, not in a way that can be proven” he replied.  “I just have a nose for these things.”

McCann laughed.  “He does indeed you know.  Luckiest bugger I have ever known and you’d not believe the times he just…knows.”

O’Rourke smiled and raised his glass.  “Oh Elizbeth I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.  Cheers”

She shook her head and resumed the polishing of her sword.

“So we just wait then?” Crompton asked again.

“No” said Plumduff putting on her cardigan and hooking her bag over her arm.  She pointed to Armitage’s dial.  “He’s here, look.”

Crompton rushed over and Plumduff pointed out Armitage’s dial.  It was exactly seventeen minutes different from the large clock on the wall.

“There is only one place seventeen minutes different to here” she said heading towards the office door.  “Come on you lot” she said.  “We’re off to Vectra.”

“Ooh goody” said O’Rourke finishing his drink.  “How exciting.”

“Shall I get the others” McCann asked putting her sword into it’s scabbard.

“No, no I think the four of us will be just fine” Plumduff answered.  “We will need to do this with a modicum of stealth if the witches are still about, and as handy as your lot are in a fight I think perhaps this is best done with only the minimum required.”

McCann nodded and followed as Crompton and Plumduff headed out of the door into the courtyard.  “You coming?” She asked looking back.

“On my way my dear on my way” O’Rourke replied grinning and took a swig from the whisky decanter .

Passing out through the heavy wooden doors they were back on the outskirts of the city Plumduff and Armitage had first visited in search of Periscope.  Night had fallen and the streets blazed with neon in pinks, yellows and blues.  Stars burned bright in the sky above and twin moons hung heavy in the sky like a pair of watching eyes.

“So where do we start looking” McCann asked. “It’s a pretty big place.”

“What do you reckon O’Rourke” Plumduff asked.  “Let’s see how that luck pans out shall we.”

O’Rourke looked up the street before him.  “There” he said pointing.

“The Artichoke and Anchovie?” Crompton said his brow furrowed.  “A pub.  Well that’s hardly a surprise is it.”

“Absolutely man” he replied.  “What better place to get information.”

“And a drink” mumbled McCann.

O’Rourke insisted that he never drank on duty unless absolutely necessary.

“Lead the way then” Plumduff said rolling her eyes and allowing O’Rourke to lead them up the road and through the crowds.  As they passed through the massed creatures from just about every reality here in the Fracture she looked across to where this whole mess had started.  Periscope’s apartment.

“So you know this place then?” Plumduff asked.

“Not one bit” he replied pushing open the door and heading inside.  “Make mine a …”

He never got to finish because sat at a table at the far end of the bar was Armitage.

“See” he said grinning and pointing.  “Lucky I tell you.”

It took Plumduff about three seconds to realise that Armitage was not alone and his new friends were carrying far more weaponry than you would normally have with you if you were just nipping down to the local for a quick half.  She also realised that she couldn’t see the witches and quickly bundled Crompton. O’Rourke and McCann into a small booth.  The high seat backs prevented them being seen but also meant that they could not see Armitage..

“Heads down and wits about you” she whispered.

“I have a plan” said O’Rourke taking a drink from the large stein of ale before him.

“Where the devil did you get…” Plumduff began but stopped.

“A plan?  That’s not like you” McCann replied.

“Yes” he insisted and taking the drink he stood to his feet, wandered back out of the booth towards the bar and shouted over to Armitage at the top of his voice.

“Armitage me old mate, how the devil are you lad.”

Part 22

Okay so I’m doing M’s prompts and going to try and do a full month as one long story with no planning. Today it is ‘Leathery Lies’.

The instructions are to simply write for ten minutes or so each day and that’s about it. It’s certainly taking me longer than ten minutes but I will keep going with this for as long as I can and see where each days takes this. Either that or Ill stop if no one is reading it because its either too long or too ridiculous.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8

Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part15 Part16

Part 17  Part18    Part 19

There are points in your life when things become too much and you simply have to insist that enough is enough and you will no longer play along and be buffeted and tossed by the universe.  For me, this was one of those moments.

As if being dead was not enough, I had been forced into the service of the Office of Entropy without so much as a leisurely induction course conducted by a friendly and attractive instructor called Debbie or even a tour through the offices where the toilets and canteen would be helpfully pointed out.

No.  Instead, I had been witness and party to the most outrageous set of events one could imagine which had left me feeling rather done.

I looked around the room for an exit, stars blinking through the high windows and dim lights set in the curved ceiling.  The way we had come in seemed the only way out and I didn’t fancy my chances at making a break for it.  Sadara and Gravita stood in front of me with the shadows behind and set around the long table in front of me were an array of heavily armed creatures that looked like they would rather enjoy hunting me down if I decided to bolt.

Something boiled up inside of me.  It could have been bravery but I suspect it was more stupidity.

“Excuse me ” I said coughing politely and peering out from behind where Gravita and Sadara stood.  Everyone turned to face me.  “But would you mind terribly if I just let myself out.  I would very much like to not be here.”

Thrumhall laughed loudly and Gravita turned on me.  “Quiet flesh bag” she barked and struck me across the cheek causing me to fall to the floor.  My well honed sense of self preservation insisted that I stay down and remain quiet but such was my mood that I uncharacteristically did exactly the opposite.

“No, I will not I really have had enough of this.” I said as I regained my footing.  “Do with me as you will but this whole business has gone too far and I really must insist that you let me leave.”

The room fell silent, all eyes now fixed on Thrumhall where he sat at the end of the table.  He was a creature of some size, probably 8 foot tall and I had counted at least four of what I would call arms though they could have also have been tentacles or robot claws it was hard to tell given how gloomy the room was.  His head reminded me very much of an oversized goldfish in both shape and colour with eyes set wide apart and no nose.  He had a wide mouth with rows of sharp teeth which he seemed to great pleasure in showing off.

He stood slowly, those around the table slinking down in their chairs as he did so.  He was dressed in the sort of dark clothes untrustworthy dangerous types seem to favour in whichever universe you might find yourself and a large nasty looking pistol lay on the table in front of him.

He slammed one of his hands hard on the table and roared with laughter again.  This in turn was taken as a signal that the others could laugh and they promptly did so all looking rather relieved as the tension lifted.

“Oh you are a brave one aren’t you” he shouted loudly.  “Do you not know who I am?” he asked.  The others around the table fell suddenly quiet again which told me that obviously I didn’t.

I said nothing.

“Forgive him Thrumhall” Gravita said walking across in front of me.  “He’s new here, he is of no significance.”  She struck me again and this time I chose to remain on the floor.

Thrumhall grinned.  “Fair enough” he said and pulled the Periscope’s device from abreast pocket.  “He did after all bring me this little beauty.”

“On that matter” Gravita said wringing her hands together.  “Should I assume our deal will be honoured now that you have it?”

“Oh yes, yes of course” Thrumhall replied “No word of a lie I will take great pleasure in destroying those fools from the Office of Entropy.  Nothing will make me happier and when they are gone the Fracture and all the worlds within will be ours to do with as we wish.”

The assembled cronies around the table roared loudly and banged their weapons on it.  One particularly enthusiastic fellow discharged his weapon and a fizz of green ricocheted around the room until it grazed the shoulder of the angry looking creature opposite.  They all howled loudly and found this quite hilarious.

“Very good” she replied.  “If that is all then we will take our leave and be back to Bunderburg.”

“Leave the flesh bag though” Thrumhall replied.  “He’s fun and I think he might come in handy.” He sneered and the look on his face told me that this was unlikely to end well for me.

Gravita and Sadara exchanged glances and whispered briefly and then, without a word turned and left the room through the two large doors behind us.  The shadows remained behind and scampered over to where Thrumhall stood and he reached down and caressed them.

“Now flesh bag” he said loudly walking back to his seat.  “Time to show you what you brought me I think.”  He pulled out his chair but remained standing.  “Jaral, bring me the machine.” He shouted.

An older creature, similar to Thrumhall but considerably smaller shuffled from the shadows and placed a large wooden box on the table.  He took off the lid and then folded back all four sides.  Raised within the box was what looked like a silver flower.  A central circular body supported what could easily have been leaves that curled from the base upwards and even in the dim light it shimmered and reflected light around the room.  Those around the table leaned forward and the shadows began to prowl back and forth.

Thrumhall, still holding the device in one hand grinned and picked up the device and held it in the other.

“At last” he said holding it up to admire it in the light.  “Time and space within the fracture and without will no longer hold us back but instead be ours to do with as we wish.”

I strained to get a better look and he noticed me staring.

“You really had no idea what you had did you flesh bag” he said holding it out to me as if to tease me.  “With this and the power of the shadows I can be anywhere and any when within all eventualities past and present.”

“Oh I see” I replied.

This felt as confusing as anything over the last few days, perhaps more so, but if I was to be honest with myself I was really beyond caring.  He seemed particularly happy with himself and I decided to let him have his moment of glory.  I had not asked for any of this and there was no way I was picking a fight with a room full of fully armed goldfish looking types armed with only a bad attitude and a throbbing headache.  I simply shook my head.

Thrumhall reached inside the petals of the device and pushed the core he had taken from me into a slot in the base surface.  Instantly what little light there was in the room flickered and fizzed and a hum filled the air.  The shadows stopped prowling, walked over to Thrumhall and sat bolt upright.

The creatures seated around the table took this as a sign and left their seats to stand behind Thrumhall.

“Now flesh bag ” he said taking his pistol from the table and pushing it into a holster on his belt “where shall we go next.”

Part 21

Okay so I’m doing M’s prompts and going to try and do a full month as one long story with no planning. Today it is ‘Bottled Bliss’.

The instructions are to simply write for ten minutes or so each day and that’s about it. It’s certainly taking me longer than ten minutes but I will keep going with this for as long as I can and see where each days takes this. Either that or Ill stop if no one is reading it because its either too long or too ridiculous.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8

Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part15 Part16

Part 17  Part18

As I was dragged through the doorway the cold night air took my breath away.  After that the first thing I noticed was how high above the stars blazed bright in the clear night sky and as Sadara threw me to the ground I heard the door slam closed behind us.

It was difficult to see much from where I lay, it was dark but I could feel a mixture of snow and grass beneath me and there was the glow of civilisation on the horizon some way off in the distance as I looked about with the now familiar grey mist shrouding my periphery.

“Why did you bring him?” Gravita snapped.  “Now were going to have to finish him off.”  She took out her wand and the tip began to glow red as she pointed it at me where I lay.

“Wait” Sadara shouted raising her hand and knocking the wand from it.

“What are you doing?” Gravita’s eyes narrowed to angry slits.

“We’ve just picked a fight with the Office of Entropy, I think it would be wise to allow ourselves a little insurance don’t you.” Sadara insisted.  “Plus, did you not hear what Margaret said about him?  The tree didn’t take him when it could have which means there’s more to this flesh bag than meets the eye.  If the Entropy want him then I think it would be wise for us to keep him around.”

Gravita picked up her wand from where it lay in the snow and put it back inside her log white robes.

“Fair enough, but any trouble from him and I will finish him.”

“You’ll behave won’t you lad” Sadara said pulling me up from the ground.

I nodded.  Not that I really had a choice in the matter.

“So where now then Gravita?” Sadara asked.

“I guess we head for the lights” she answered.  “He said he’d meet us at his place in Caladros once we had the package.”

We walked for what seemed like hours through the dark, me just ahead of them and they would bark instructions at me as we walked.  The shadows bounded along at each side, almost invisible in the darkness save for their eyes burning bright.  The night was still and from the little I could see the land around us was barren with snow lying in patches.

As we walked I suggested they just use magic to get us to our destination and Gravita suggested she turn me inside out and leave me by the roadside so I let the matter lie.

“So why did they choose you” Gravita asked me as we walked.

“Who?” I replied.

“Plumduff.  The Entropists.  Why did they bring you in?”

I’d asked myself that question a thousand times in the last few days but hadn’t quite got around to asking Plumduff or Crompton.  They seemed so very confident and matter of fact about me being part of everything.

“I really don’t know” I insisted.  “I am not sure I am cut out for it to be honest.”

“Most have been something you did.” Said Sadara.  “That’s how it works did they not tell you?”

Whilst I assumed that there was probably a rule or a code of some sort that would discourage me discussing such things with someone who was most definitely what I ought to assume was an enemy I should also admit to being intrigued.  I had had so little opportunity to understand my current situation.

“They have told me very little it seems” I replied.

Gravita laughed and quickened her stride and was now walking next to me.

“What’s your name?” She asked.

“Armitage.”

“Armitage.  Right.  Well Armitage, no one gets into the Office of Entropy without being chosen.  There aren’t many of your kind in the fracture and those that there are mostly seem to work for Crompton.”  Her voice was suddenly calm and warm.

“I see” I said though most definitely did not.

“Do you remember much of your past?” She continued.  “Do you remember your death?”

I paused before responding.  I had been so swept up in things that my untimely demise was just another question on a growing list.

“I occasionally remember a woman’s face.  She’s sad.  But that is just about it.”  I waited and then continued.  “If I am honest my past is just not something I seem to think about.  In some ways it is as if it never happened and I only seem to think about it when prompted.”

Gravita placed a hand on my shoulder.  “It will come back to you boy, in good time.  I just hope you’re ready for it when it does.”

“Oh great” I replied.

My sarcasm was obviously lost on the witches and Sadara laughed.

“Oh it wont be great trust me.”

As we continued to walk through the darkness the light on the horizon grew brighter and the path grew steeper and more unsteady underfoot.

“Left Armitage” Gravita barked as the wind picked up, whistling through the trees that occasionally lined the route and whipping the snow into flurries that danced around our feet.  I bore left and after a short distance she shouted again and told me to stop.

“Over there” she said pointing over to my right into the greyness of my periphery.  I turned to where she was pointing and as the grey peeled back I found myself looking down over a high precipice and towards a city that sprawled away before me.

“Caladros?” I asked.

“Indeed it is, and a more dangerous city you aren’t likely to find so stay close when we get down there.” Gravita replied.

As I looked down it struck me that ‘city’ was perhaps a generous description because it looked more like a large industrial complex.  A vast array of pipes and walk ways connected sprawling domed buildings and whilst there were roads that criss crossed area the majority of traffic seemed to be on rails weaving its way between the buildings.  Steam hissed and vented into the air wherever you looked and towering flare stacks spewed orange and red into the night sky.

Still buffeted by the wind we wound our way down a long stone staircase carved into the cliff face that brought us out on the periphery of Caladros.  I stayed close behind the witches as we walked between the first set of domes, the shadows following silently behind me.

Each of the buildings seemed to be similar in design just of a different size.  I ran my hand against the side of one and the metal was warm to the touch, with tall doors and high windows cut into the sides.

“This way” Gravita said and quickened her pace.  The shadows melted away into the night and we pushed on.  Apart from the rattle of the trains on the tracks above and the hiss and roar of the steam and flare stacks the place was quiet.  Lights burned high in the sides of some of the domes but most were dark and there was no one else about.

I looked at my watch and it showed as late afternoon Entropy time.  Here it felt like the middle of the night.  Gravita continued to lead the way and when I looked at my watch again fifteen minutes had passed and we were still winding our way through the labyrinth of domes and pipework.

“Not far now” she said and as she did I realised I could make out a slow steady thump that sounded like the far off beat of music.  Looking about the grey gave way and I cold see that there were now taller building on each side with lights burning brightly in broad bands around the domes.

“Here, this is the one” Gravita said and we headed towards one of the larger domes.  The noise grew louder and she knocked on the door and waited.  I checked my watch again and saw the hands tick over to midnight, which made no sense at all because there was no way that it could be that late, It was no more than an hour since I had last checked.

“Now stay close” she insisted as the door swung open.  “Thrumhall is not one to be trifled with and I would caution against anything he may offer you to drink, especially the bottled bliss.”

And without another word we walked inside.

Part 20

Okay so I’m doing M’s prompts and going to try and do a full month as one long story with no planning. Today it is ‘Forgotten Ruins’.

The instructions are to simply write for ten minutes or so each day and that’s about it. It’s certainly taking me longer than ten minutes but I will keep going with this for as long as I can and see where each days takes this. Either that or Ill stop if no one is reading it because its either too long or too ridiculous.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8

Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part15 Part16

Part 17

Plumduff strained against her ties as the sisters left and headed away down the stone corridor, two of the curious black creatures taking their place and prowling slowly around where she sat in the middle of the room.

“So what exactly are you then” she asked watching them. They seemed to change form as they moved, and up close they she could now make out that the black mass that made up their form seemed to swirl and move like smoke twisting upwards from a fire into the night sky. They turned to her, eyes burning as she spoke, and one propped it’s from legs on her knees it’s face only inches from Plumduff’s.

“Oh heavens you are a thing indeed aren’t you” she said pulling back as it mirrored her head movements. “Wherever did they find you I wonder?” It’s eyes were like burning suns and up close she realised that in the blackness of their being were feint pinpricks of light. They seemed to be made of the very matter of space itself. Plumduff leaned in towards it and then as if called to heel it leapt down as quickly as it had climbed onto her and continued to pace the room with the other.

She was just about to speak again when there came an almighty crash and shouting from beyond the door. Both creatures set themselves facing it as if ready to pounce.

“Margaret, are you back here?” Came a familiar voice as she kept struggling, the ties cutting into her wrists but not giving even one bit.

“In here” Plumduff shouted. She could have sworn it was O’Rourke. The creatures took a step back as something crashed into the door and it flew open.

“Watch out” Plumduff shouted as the creatures threw themselves through the air crashing into O’Rourke and McCann as they burst into the room.

“Jesus” shouted O’Rourke as all four spilled to the floor.

“Aren’t they beautiful” shouted Plumduff. “I’ve decided to call them ‘shadows’.”

McCann held the black mouth of the shadow back with her sword which was still in the scabbard. “They’re not frigging pets Margaret” she shouted as she got her feet into where it’s stomach would probably be and kicked it off of her and sending it across the room, “this one is trying to eat my bloody face off.”

O’Rourke rose to his feet as the second clung around his next. He spun and threw himself against the wall back first putting the full force of his weight against it and pinning it to the cold stone. It released it’s grip and he grabbed it and hurled it across the room to where the first had got back on al four’s. They waited, ready to pounce but before they had the chance O’Rourke pulled a short stubby pistol from the folds of his robe and let out two shots, each hitting one of the creatures and sending it crashing to the floor.

“That should put pay to them for a while” he said holstering the weapon and pulling out a long bladed bone handled knife which he used to cut Plumduff free. She raced over to the creatures where they lie and as far as she could tell they were still alive.

“They’re okay Margaret” O’Rourke said. “It’s a stunner, use it for bagging runaways.”

“Good, because whatever they are they are special and I want to get them back to office. I’m not sure where the Witches got them but they’re something new and I want to get them catalogued.”

A huge crash and shouting could be heard back down the hall away from the room. O’Rourke pulled his sword from his scabbard and flashed Plumduff and McCann a smile. “Now, shall we get back to your friends, sounds like all hell has been unleashed in there.”

The three ran from the room, Plumduff stopping to close the door and turn the key to secure the shadows inside.

Re-joining Armitage and the rest of the Gadzooks they found themselves cut off from the main entrance pinned down behind a number of fallen bookshelves. The witches Stood at the far side of the room throwing down red and blue blasts from their wands which tore into the makeshift barricades. Sparrow, Jones and Simpson returned fire, poking out their heads precariously and then taking cover again when the witches picked out their positions. A number of Shadows scrambled up the walls in an attempt to out manouver the Gadzooks but Sparrow in particular was a crack shot and he was able to keep them at bay.

My part so far was to mostly hide behind mason who had still not stopped grinning since O’Rourke decided he was not going to wait for the witches one minute longer and instead barged inside and starting destroying everything he could.

“I tried diplomacy” he had insisted, “some people just prefer to learn the hard way.”

As O’Rourke, McCann and Plumduff reappeared I caught their eye and Margaret’s face dropped. She didn’t seem happy to see me.

“Have you got it?” she shouted as a flash or red tore into the wall next to where she had taken cover behind a large piece of fallen masonry.

“Have I got what?”

“The device?”

Plumduff must have seen the confused look on my face. “No, you had it.”

Thought she was still some way away I was pretty convinced she sighed and were a lip reader I would have been more certain that she hadmouthed the words “stupid boy.”

She tried to break cover to scamper over to me but O’Rourke pulled her back just in time and another large section of the building’s outer wall crashed down exactly where she would have been moments later. Through the dust I could make her saying something to them both, and both looked across at me.

“Just stay there” McCann shouted. She really didn’t need to tell me twice, I had exactly zero interest in being anywhere other than out of sight of the witches.

More blasts tore into the shelves and ricocheted into the walls as the witches advanced on out position. Sparrow, Jones and Simpson returned fire but the sisters seem impervious everything they threw at them.

“We need to get out of here” Simpson shouted as a shot ripped right through between myself and Mason. For the first tie he stopped smiling and suddenly looked rather angry, his eyes wide and his nostrils flared.

“You ready to go Mr Armitage?” he asked.

“No, No” I replied. “McCann says to stay here.”

“McCann knows nothing” he shouted and in one movement leapt to his feet and threw himself over the bookshelves straight towards the witches. They had obviously not expected this and both stumbled back at the sight of the rippling bare chested fury bearing down on them. It was just the break we needed and everyone raced back from the barricades and back down the passage which O’Rourke, Plumduff and McCann had just come from.

“Where the dickens are you going” O’Rourke shouted standing up, blasts from the witches just missing his head as they again steadied themselves. Mason was already being overrun by the shadows and they piled on top of him before he could reach the witches. “We never run from a fight.”

McCann dragged him forcefully down the corridor after her reminding him that in fact they did run from a fight, and they did so quite often and that there were by all accounts actually rather good at it.

“We need to get Mason back” Jones said reloading his pistols.

“Afraid that’s out of the question fella, we will deal with that problem later.” O’Rourke replied. Evidently not only were the Gadzooks not afraid to run from a fight but they had no qualms about leaving a man behind either.

“Now get to the end of that corridor” he continued pointing, put a hole through the wall and run like the devil himself is after you back to the courtyard”.

“Where’s Armitage?” Plumduff said looking about panicked. “Where’s the boy.”

Hunkered down behind what was left of the barricade I could hear Mason roaring as he fought with then shadows, and the approaching footsteps of the witches. I looked to where the others had disappeared down the corridor and realised I had left it too late to get out. As I looked back I saw Plumduff peek around the corner and then hastily duck back inside as the stone where her head had previously been was shattered by a well aimed shot from Sadara’s wand.

“Run Margaret” she shouted. “You’re cornered in there, there’s no getting away now.”

They stepped around the barricade and past me. They hadn’t realised I was still there and I was now looking at their backs as they advanced on the Gadzooks and Plumduff. A loud explosion rocked the building and dust billowed from the corridor. I turned to run as they advanced forward thinking that I could maybe make it out of the door as I had the previous time and but tripped as I vaulted the bookshelf and clattered to the floor. Gravita turned as I fell forward and as I lay sprawled on the debris littered the device we had recovered from Periscope spilled from my pocket.

“He has it” she roared and Sadara turned as she unleashed a barrage of brightly coloured shots towards the corridor. With both bearing down I turned onto my back grabbing the device tightly in my hand. Their faces pale and cruel they stooped and lifted me from the floor Sadara holding me to her chest and turning to face where Plumduff now stood looking out at us.

“What’s going on Margaret” O’Rourke shouted as the rest of the Gadzooks bolted through the hole in the wall Taylor had blown.

“The device, I slipped it into the boys pocket last time we were here. I thought he would have realised. Now they have it and they have him.”

“Not much we can do now Margaret, we need to regroup” he replied.

Sadara called to Plumduff. “Not the brightest this one is he Margaret” she teased. “He brought it right back to us, we really could not be more grateful.”

Gravita laughed putting her wand away.

“We’ll be getting off now” Sadara continued. “People to see and places to be and all that.” She waved her wand and a door appeared where they stood and before Margaret could move they disappeared through it and disappeared. Moments later the shadows peeled away from Mason and followed them through.

Plumduff ran forward but before she could get past the barricades it was gone.

Part 19

Okay so I’m doing M’s prompts and going to try and do a full month as one long story with no planning. Today it is ‘Bavarian Cream Dreams’.

The instructions are to simply write for ten minutes or so each day and that’s about it.  It’s certainly taking me longer than ten minutes but I will keep going with this for as long as I can and see where each days takes this.  Either that or Ill stop if no one is reading it because its either too long or too ridiculous.

Part 1   Part 2   Part 3   Part 4   Part 5   Part 6  Part 7   Part 8

Part 9 Part 10  Part 11 Part 12  Part 13  Part 14 Part15  Part16

During my time short in the fracture I had already witnessed so many truly amazing sights, but the Galloping Gadzooks were not one of those.  A ramshackle bunch as I had ever seen, and who’s place here in the Fracture I couldn’t help but question.  Crompton had explained that he had no real idea how any of them had made it over and even less so why they had been recruited into the ranks of the Office of Entropy.  Nonetheless they had and that was pretty much that really.

Crompton had asked whether there was a plan, at which point McCann shook her head knowingly.

“A plan?” laughed O’Rourke.  He still wore the dark red Cardinal robes he had favoured in life despite being excommunicated.  A heavy golden cross hung from his neck and a sword hung from a thick leather belt around his waist.

McCann shook her head, she was pretty sure what was to follow.

“Plan’s will make themselves known when we first take action” he shouted excitedly.

“I really don’t think that’s how it works” I insisted but he wasn’t one for listening.

“Just go with it” McCann said quietly in my ear leaning across.  “Things just tend to work out for him.”

“You know you’re dead right?” I replied.

“Well yes there is that, but as Charles explained how were we to know it was all going to go so terribly wrong.  If O’Rourke is anything then not only is he a Cad, a charlatan and a steaming drunk but he is also, with the exception of the time he got us all blown to pieces by the Prussian guns, extremely lucky.”

I struggled to find a great deal of consolation in McCann’s words but Crompton assured me that the Gadzooks were our best chance of getting Margaret back.

“And I just tag along with them then do I?” I asked as Crompton patted me on the back and assured me it would all be just fine.  “Perhaps I should just stay here, they look like they have quite enough between them to sort everything out.”

“Oh no Armitage” Crompton insisted. “This is a great opportunity for you to see some action.”

I assured him that I had seen quite a lot of action in the last few days thank you very much what with the Periscope business and being chased across another world by witches and heavens alone knows what else but he was no longer listening.

“Stay close to Mason” McCann said pointing.  Mason nodded and smiled a broad toothy grin.  I nodded obediently.  He was a most impressive specimen of a man standing more than 6 feet tall, shirtless and wearing only a pair of ragged cut off trousers.  His skin was as black as night and the curved blade of a scimitar flashed in his hand.

“Should we not get him more clothes?” I suggested.

Mason roared with laughter.  “Little man I need no more than I have and I will cover myself in the blood of my enemies.”

It seemed a little excessive I thought but he seemed pretty enthusiastic about the matter so I said nothing.  O’Rourke pointed to two men stood together talking quietly to each other.  They were dressed mostly in black save for pair of silver pistols than hung from their belts.  “Jones, Simpson let’s keep it simple this time shall we, no showboating we just get in and get Plumduff back okay.  And No trophies.  Understood?”

The two men nodded and answered in unison.  “Yes sir.”

“And Taylor” O’Rourke continued without turning around  “keep an eye on Sparrow will you.”

The tall handsome man I assumed to be Sparrow sighed.  He wore the red trousers and gold embroidered black tunic of the English cavalry officer uniform.  Like O’Rourke a sword hung at his side.  A shorter dark haired moustached man in a dark suit and white shirt patted him on the back.

“Me and you again old chap eh” he remarked smiling.

“You know where this reminds me of” said O’Rourke as we passed out through the office door, into the courtyard and onto the street beyond.  No one answered, the tone in his voice made it perfectly clear that he would tell us whether we wanted to know or not.  “Bavaria and that incident with that young fellow in the bakehouse.”

Taylor grinned as O’Rourke shot him a knowing glance.  “He was dreamy indeed Sir” he replied.

“Give it a rest you two” snapped McCann.  We’ve a job to do.  “Up here on the left was it Armitage?” She asked me.

“Yes at the end of the alley, there should be a small door.” I replied

“Right then, stay close, this could get messy pretty quickly.”

“Ooh just like Bavaria” O’Rourke roared loudly.

Part 18

Okay so I’m doing M’s prompts and going to try and do a full month as one long story with no planning. Today it is ‘Fight or Flight’.

The instructions are to simply write for ten minutes or so each day and that’s about it.  It’s certainly taking me longer than ten minutes but I will keep going with this for as long as I can and see where each days takes this.  Either that or Ill stop if no one is reading it because its either too long or too ridiculous.

Part 1   Part 2   Part 3   Part 4   Part 5   Part 6  Part 7   Part 8

Part 9 Part 10  Part 11 Part 12  Part 13  Part 14 Part15

With the taste of blood in her mouth Plumduff opened her eyes and licked her lips.  Her mouth was dry and her head was pounding.  She was in a small dark stone walled room, feint rays of early morning sunshine streaming through a window high up on one wall.  A heavy wooden door was set in the middle of the opposite wall.

She strained to move, but to no avail noting that she was tied rather tightly to a small wooden chair by her wrists and ankles.

“Hello” she shouted hoarsly.  “Are you there girls?”

There was no immediate response but she did pick up feint noises from outside of the door and presumed someone must have heard her.  A short while later she was proved right and the door swung open and the witches walked in.

Gravita, Sadara – how very nice to see you again.  I do so love what you’ve done with the place.” Plumduff said smiling broadly.

The taller of the two, Sadara, walked across and placed a hand around her throat whilst Gravita closed the door.

“Where is it Margaret?” she asked squeezing.

Despite the grip of the fingers causing her to gasp relief flooded through her.  If they were asking that meant that there was still hope.

“You’ll never get it” she croaked.

Sadara loosened her grip and took a step back.

“You realise how this ends I assume?” Gravita snarled walking across to where she sat.  “A second death is permanent Margaret, you know that better than most.”

Plumduff’s jaw tightened, nostril flaring.

“She does indeed” Sadara teased.  “Look at her face.  She’s sent enough there to know what’s coming. “

Gravita smiled and ran a longtwisted fingernail across Plumduff’s cheek.  “I’d like to say it isn’t personal Margaret but it is, very much so.  The Office of Entropy have been nothing but a thorn in our side and it’s about time you got a taste of your own medicine.”

Plumduff strained at her bonds and the witches laughed in unison.

“Oh strain away dear” Mocked Sadara.  “Either tell us where it is or we take a trip out to see her.  She has quite the appetite you know, and a taste for your kind I believe.

Plumduff had seen enough first hand to know that the Tree was as unpredictable as she was hungry and would prefer not to take her chances hoping that she would let her pass by untouched.

“I’ll tell you what, how about you let me go and I wont have to tech you girls a lesson” Plumduff said, a broad grin  on her face.

Gravita slapped her hard across the face.

Plumduff winced.  Her entire body ached, she assumed she had put up quite a fight but things were still very hazy.  “So that’s a no then is it?”

Gravita slapped her again, this time harder and she could taste fresh blood in her mouth.

“I don’t have it ladies” she said resigned to her fate.  “I don’t have it and If I did I would not give it to you.”

He’s not going to be happy” Sadara said to her sister looking concerned.

“This is going to hurt you a lot more than it will hurt me Margaret” Gravita said reaching inside her robe and pulling out a long birchwood wand and holding it to Plumduff’s head.

As Plumduff closed her eyes and slowed her breathing, determined not to give them the pleasure of her suffering, there was a loud knock on the door.  Gravita walked over and pulled it open.  One of the formless bright eyed black creatures stood in the doorway.

“What is it?” Sadara snapped as Gravita stooped in hushed conversation with the creature.  “Well?”

Gravita turned as the creature scurried away.  “Apparently there’s an O’Rourke at the door who is insisting on speaking to us.”

Part 17 is here

Okay so I’m doing M’s prompts and going to try and do a full month as one long story with no planning. Today it is ‘Rinky Dink’.  This probably should come much much earlier in the story but I’m making this up day by day.   Not easy to introduce ideas when it’s so linear.  I based it on a poem thingymajig I did once that you can see here.

The instructions are to simply write for ten minutes or so each day and that’s about it.  It’s certainly taking me longer than ten minutes but I will keep going with this for as long as I can and see where each days takes this.  Either that or Ill stop if no one is reading it because its either too long or too ridiculous.

Part 1   Part 2   Part 3   Part 4   Part 5   Part 6  Part 7   Part 8

Part 9 Part 10  Part 11 Part 12  Part 13  Part 14

The roar of a dozen cannons split the eerie silence,  thunderous volley after volley whistling overhead as smoke drifted across the battlefield.  The long lines of French infantry shuffled nervously, muskets loaded and bayonets fixed waiting for their orders as the guns, with their superior range, pounded the Prussian lines.

“Oh Gentlemen this is a glorious day to be sure” cackled O’Rourke, his thick Irish accent causing the French around him to stare.  “Relax Frenchy”  he continued staring down at them from atop his most impressive chestnut mare, “we’re here at the request of Emperor Rinky Dink himself and a fair price he has paid indeed for us to help you out with your particularly pressing Prussian problem.”

A shell landed unnervingly close to where they waited, throwing up smoke and raining down sods on their position.  O’Rourke cursed, pulling back on the reins of his horse and patting her neck to calm her.

“That’s no way of a man of the cloth to speak is it?” came a voice from behind him.

“Elizabeth” O‘Rourke exclaimed slipping from the horse and wrapping his arms around her.  She squirmed uncomfortably and pushed him away.  “So very good of you to join us” he said “I thought you weren’t going to make it.  You’re looking as lovely as ever I see.”

Elizabeth winced at the smell of whiskey on his breath.  The Prussians seemed to be finding their range and another shell impacted only a short distance away causing everyone around them to duck with the exception of her and O’Rourke.

“Oh, and that’ll be ‘disgraced man of the cloth’ to you, a badge of honour I wear with distinction. ”  He said proudly.

McCann took a step back before speaking.  As great a leader in battle as he might be O’Rourke was a man of very little moral repute and even less faith.  She was a slight girl with short cropped dark hair and pale skin and somewhere in her late twenties.  She wasn’t exactly sure herself given that she had grown up orphaned and in some of the worst of London’s work houses.

“The others are with me too” she said quite matter of fact.  “Usual rates and expenses as agreed?”  She posed it as a question though now that they were here they could hardly leave.

“Oh that’s grand indeed, yes yes and not only is it the usual rates but the promise of a pretty penny in gratitude when we are victorious.” O’Rourke smiled and  climbed back onto his horse as another salvo of cannon fire made the earth tremble.

Whatever the amount, Elizabeth was certain that O’Rourke would have his cut.

“So exactly who have you got?” O’Rourke asked.  “Did Taylor make it.”

“Yes He’s here” she replied with a note of distaste in her voice.  “Managed to pry him away from the school with the promise of something a little exotic.”

O’Rourke let out a loud laugh.  “He is a cad indeed.”

“Jones, Simpson, Sparrow – they’re all here.”

“And Mason?  Please tell me Mason is here the Prussians aren’t going to know what’s hit them when they see him.”

“Mason’s here yes, took some persuading after that Egyptian business but he’s saddling up as we speak.”

“Oh how brilliant, this is going to be a real blast for certain.”

McCann shifted uneasily.  “I brought Sparrow too.  He needed the work.”

O’Rourke bit his lip, his eyes narrowing and nostrils flared. “Can we trust him?”

“Do you trust me?”

“Fair enough” he answered and turned his horse towards the Prussian lines.

“Oh and there’s one more, a friend of the family ans someone I know will fit in perfectly.  Charles Crompton.  Ex army and handy as hell in a jam.”

O’Rourke patted his horse as more cannonballs ploughed into the earth now just feet away.  “Let’s do this then shall we my dear, it’s time for the Galloping Gadzooks to ride once more.”

“And what’s the plan then?” she asked.

“Plan?” O’Rourke replied. “Oh I have no plan other than to wade into those blue coated ranks and cause the most delicious mayhem and carnage.”  He grinned and took a slug from a small silver hip flask.

Elizabeth sighed.  “So same as usual then.”

***

I scratched his head and leaned forward in my chair.  “So what happened next?” I asked.

Crompton smiled and tapped the side of his nose with his forefinger.  “Aah well that is for another day, but let us just say that that Prussian Mob had a little more spirit than we had anticipated and the lack of a plan was to be our undoing.”

“So you all…”

“Indeed” he grinned.  “But it was only the beginning as it turned out and as you have seen yourself.  The Galloping Gadzooks continue to ride and luckily for you my boy they will be helping you to get Margaret back.”

Part 16 is here

Okay so I’m doing M’s prompts and going to try and do a full month as one long story with no planning. Today it is ‘Cloudy Dimensions’.

The instructions are to simply write for ten minutes or so each day and that’s about it.  It’s certainly taking me longer than ten minutes but I will keep going with this for as long as I can and see where each days takes this.  Either that or Ill stop if no one is reading it because its either too long or too ridiculous.

Part 1   Part 2   Part 3   Part 4   Part 5   Part 6  Part 7   Part 8

Part 9 Part 10  Part 11 Part 12  Part 13

Despite her diminutive stature Plumduff punched well above her weight, and as she gave me a shove and shouted “Run boy, back to the courtyard” she launched herself at the witches.

I needed no second invitation, and whilst I would later regret my decision to flee, at that point in time with the sisters bearing down on us it seemed a most acceptable course of action to allow an elderly woman to do my fighting for me.

My history of violence was not one of note and barring childhood altercations I had never had to defend myself physically that I could recall.

The wooden floor thundered beneath my feet as I beat a hasty retreat towards the large doors at the far end of the hall.  Plumduff gave a jubilant cry as she dragged the first of the sisters to the floor with the second attempting to restrain her.  Straddling the chest of the first she looked back to where I paused at the door and shouted again.

“Run boy, run damn it” she shouted raining punches down on the witch.  As I pushed through the door I turned back one more time to see the taller of the sisters pick Plumduff up and throw her across the room.  She skidded to a halt in a  crumpled heap next to the fireplace, and the shorter witch got to her feet and began to stride purposefully towards me.  The other headed across to where Plumduff lay quite still.  Not waiting a moment longer I ran out into the night and back down the alley towards the main cobbled street that lead to the courtyard.

The night air was cold and the road uneven and I tripped as I ran for all I was worth.  A high pitched wail broke the stillness of the night and as I got back to my feet I quite foolishly allowed myself the briefest of glances back over my shoulder.

Turning the corner she was now closing in on me as she strode through the darkness eating up the distance between us.  Following close behind her were a number of the formless creatures we had encountered at Periscopes, at least three pairs of bright eyes burning in the dark of the night.  They scampered and bound past her as I turned again and ran.

I had expected a lack of exercise to be irrelevant given that I was dead, so it was with some surprise that I felt my heart pounding in my chest and my lungs on fire as I set my sights firmly ahead of me and ran.  The courtyard was still some way off at the far end of the cobbled road, and I focussed on it as everything else faded into the grey peripheral blur to either side.

The creatures cackled and hissed as they closed in on me and though I knew not to look behind me again I went against my instincts.  They were now close enough for me to make out their individual shapes and I could see wide gaping black mouths set in their pitch black forms.  The closest seemed to smile ominously as I looked back at them and without warning it leapt through the air, falling just short and tumbling along the cobble stones.

It was all incentive I needed and I turned back and ran as hard as I could through the night with them on my heels and the witch further back wailing at the top of her voice as if instructing them.

A second leapt at me and again fell short, reaching out as it fell and catching my shoulder with an outstretched limb causing a flood of cold to course through my body.  I shuddered and kept running, and as it fell it caused the others to swerve and I was able to move away from them if only briefly.

Past building after building I ran, my legs burning and my head swimming, the courtyard was now so close.  I knew I needed to put distance between them and myself to allow me to open the gate and get inside and with one final push I headed for the gate with the cackle and hiss still loud in my ears.

I slowed as I reached the heavy wooden gates and lifted the latch throwing everything I had at them and falling inside.  That briefest of delays was all the creatures needed and as I scrambled towards the door to the Plumduff’s office they were upon me.

Their icy touch coursing through me I span around to try and throw the first off but it clung to me, it’s hiss deafening in my ears.  A second grabbed my legs and with the weight of the others I stumbled and fell to the floor and in an instant my heart ceased to race and darkness filled my senses.  I could feel them not only on top of me but inside of me, their icy clutches penetrating every fibre of my body.  I struggled in vain and gasping, the breath from my mouth a painted cloud in the dark canvas of night, I was overwhelmed.  From where I lay I could see the witch approaching the open gate, a broad and menacing smile across her face.

To this point I had not considered what dying a second time might entail and was in fact uncertain of whether I could suffer the same fate twice.  I then that I, for reasons I would later understand,  remembered her face for the first time since I had arrived in the In-between.  I did not know her name but I knew with the utmost certainty that she had mattered to me once and the fear I had moments before felt turned to a deep sadness.

I closed my eyes, the weight of sadness as heavy still as the physical forms of the creatures than pinned me to the floor and as I did there was a quite deafening roar of a man’s voice.

“Hand’s off the boy” It barked and with a flash of light the creatures were hurled back across the courtyard as the witch walked through the gates.

“Not tonight Nelly” he continued and let out a raucous laugh as a second flash lit up the night.  He grabbed me by my collar as the witch wailed loudly, the creatures struggling back to their feet and hurtling back across the courtyard towards us.  It was too late though and as a third flash lit up the night, throwing the creatures back once more he hauled me through the door to Plumduff’s office and the door slammed closed.

I lay there expecting for a moment expecting them to burst through after us.

“Portal door Boy” the man said.  “Once it’s closed there’s no way through without the password.  Don’t worry yourself one bit.”  He seemed most confident on the matter.

Stretching out a hand he pulled me to my feet and holding it still shook it and introduced himself.

“Charles Crompton at your service Mr Armitage.”

I nodded and thanked him.

“No bother at all” he replied, “No bother at all my boy.”

I had seen him before.  He lead me over to the desk and pulled up a chair for me.

“Plumduff has some good stuff in here somewhere” he said rummaging through her desk drawer.  As he pulled out a bottle I knew where I had seen him.  I should have remembered the name really.  It was the man in the picture hanging over the fireplace right in front of me.

Okay so I’m doing M’s prompts and going to try and do a full month as one long story with no planning. Today it is ‘Glass Houses’.  I am also doing this on three hours sleep so I think it’s a bit all over.

The instructions are to simply write for ten minutes or so each day and that’s about it.  It’s certainly taking me longer than ten minutes but I will keep going with this for as long as I can and see where each days takes this.  Either that or Ill stop if no one is reading it because its either too long or too ridiculous.

Part 1   Part 2   Part 3   Part 4   Part 5   Part 6  Part 7   Part 8

Part 9 Part 10  Part 11 Part 12

Of all the things that I had so far seen the sight before me was right up there with the most curious.  I had expected witches of the traditional earthly type but these were very much something else.  Perhaps I lacked imagination.

“Let me do the speaking” Plumduff insisted as a heavy door closed behind us.  She had obviously forgotten how very little I actually knew of what was going on.  I checked my watch and it confirmed that despite it being night here it was just after nine in the morning.  My stomach rumbled and I regretted not having breakfast.

The room we were in was mostly empty.  It was small, perhaps two or three times the size of Plumduff’s office.  A fire burned in a tall fireplace on one wall and a number of bookshelves were scattered along the others, their shelves groaning under the weight of dusty leather bound books.  On a small table to one side were a collection of jars and beakers, each filled with a liquid or a powder.

It was in many ways just what you might expect, and lacked perhaps only a witches cat or a collection of broomsticks to really set the room off perfectly.  The witches however were not quite what I expected.

I heard them before I saw them, a sweet melodic voice breaking the silence.

“Plumduff, well it certainly has been a while hasn’t it.”

I strained to make out where the voice was coming from. Only the light from the fire illuminated the room and as my eyes became accustomed to the darkness where once there was nothing shadows now danced across the walls as two tall women in white seemed slowly appear out of the darkness.

“It has indeed” Plumduff replied continuing to walk towards them.  “After the events of last time I thought it best to stay away for a while.”

“Most wise” said the taller of the two, which was quite something because they towered over us.  Dressed head to toe in long flowing white robes,  with hair to their waists as white as snow they looked down as I stared open mouthed.

“New partner Plumduff?” they asked in unison.

“Don’t mind him” She replied, “he’s harmless enough.”

I paused for a moment and considered responding but by the time I had decided to speak it was too late.

“That’s what they said about you Margaret, and look at how things turned out.  What do you want this time?”

Plumduff smiled, reached into her bag and pulled out the cylindrical device we had retrieved from Periscope.  She held it up for them to see.

“Oh my my, that is a thing” the shorter one said reaching for it.  Plumduff withdrew it preventing her from taking it.

“Do you not want to share Margaret” the taller asked.

“You know what it is then?”

“Knowledge comes at a cost Margaret, you know that it is the way here in Bunderburg.  You get nothing for nothing my dear.”

“Help me and we consider your debt paid.” Plumduff said putting it back in her bag and zipping it closed.  “You obviously know what it is.”

“Our debt to you is long repaid” snapped the shorter of the two and she took a step towards us.  She was most menacing and I withdrew as she got closer.  Plumduff however did not and she stepped forward to meet her, the top of her head barely above the witches waist.  She looked up and spoke again.

“Okay, help me this time and I and all of my colleagues will stay far away from here for at least three cycles.  How does that sound?  You can do as you wish without fear of interference or repercussions.  Glasshouses, Silver Harbour, Enthorpe – all yours to enjoy until your twisted hearts content.”

I looked across at Plumduff quizzically.  The list of things I did not know about continued to grow at an alarming rate.  This sounded far more like a racket than policing.

Plumduff looked back at me and winked as the witches took a few paces back and conferred in hushed tones.

“Something is coming Margaret” they said, again in unison.  The fire died and the room was plunged into darkness.  Their voices took a more sinister tone and echoed as they spoke.  “There is something that needs what you have because it comes from nowhere and everywhere, and it has a hunger that cannot be satisfied.”

Impatiently Plumduff interrupted.

“Ladies please, there really is no need for the dramatics – just the information.” She shook her head, tutted and waited.

“That thing will let you traverse all and any reality that overlaps the fracture and enter any of the timelines.”

“See” said Plumduff.  “Nice and simple.”

“You heard what we said right?” The taller witch said thinking that Plumduff had not.

“Yes, I heard you” she replied.  “And I can see why anyone would want it, the ability to be anywhere and everywhere and any when is quite something indeed.”

“That it is” they replied together walking towards where we stood.  “I’m afraid though that we must insist you hand it over now Margaret.  It is far too valuable for you to possess.”

At this point I realised that being dead does in no way remove the fear of dying and it occurred that perhaps there were things far far worse than death to be worried about.  Stepping backwards as the witches advanced I felt Plumduff’s hand on my arm.

“When I say run, you run” she said.  Before I could nod she shouted.

“Run!”