(From Bad To Worst.)Jatray came into the Fast-Food restaurant. The line wasn't long but the facility was full of people sheltering from the rain.The rain had fallen earlier, stopped, then in the night began to fall again. She checked her watch, it was after nine p.m.Jatray was hungry and she decided she would go to the diner not far from the hotel. She joined the line, standing behind an indecisive teenager who looked up at the flashing menu board over the serving counter, with the expression that she wasn't sure which meal to order.Across the room a man was getting ice at the juice machine, then he moved his hand over to the choices of drinks and settled on filling his cup with Pepsi.The glass of the restaurant ran from floor to ceiling. The view of the outside was foggy, due to the high air conditioning on the inside and the rain pelting on the outside. A child stood on the seat and traced a heart into the thick glass.Plastic booths were all around the room, some empty becaus
(Goblin Land.)As they went deeper down the steps, the dirt over their heads became higher until it was towering over them. Before them were mazes of tunnels, like many subway tracks going around the city.“Where do all these tunnels lead?”Opal asked.“Just about everywhere. There is even a tunnel that magically opens in separate locations across the world. That is how Goblins travel, not by air or sea, but by tunnels.”“They will find us with magic.”Buttercup grumbled behind them, filled with anxiety she bit her nails.“The soil is the uterus of the earth, it incubates and shields anything within it. No magic can infiltrate it. Anything beneath the soil is concealed, never exposed unless it goes up above ground level."Buttercup felt more at ease after hearing this.“Goblins all died out." Moonstruck whispered, remembering the stories she was told as a child, where nothing of this magical tribe still lives. Buttercup also recalls the well-known tales.“Some of us survived the Great
(Behind these walls.)The car pulled up at the manor, secluded in England's rich countryside.Jatray got out of the black Ferrari and walked over the short, brick bridge, that the water gossiped beneath. She hurried up the brief, narrow trail towards the house and as she came closer, the front door opened.Cattles of cows stamped across the fenced pasture, pausing occasionally to nibble and chew grass in their cuds. She saw Mark running his hands down the body of a calf, he patted the spotted black and white skin and spoke low to the obedient animal.Mark didn't turn to look at her.None of her servants tried to get close to her, they just performed their duties."Good morning Madam."Kimmy said, taking Jatray's coat. Kimmy was a youthful-looking vampire that was shy and modest in her maid services. She was the only one who did the cooking and cleaning around the house. It would not have been an easy task with fourteen rooms and bathrooms, but only three rooms were used. Therefore Ki
(First Love.)It is very strange, this thing called love.Moonstruck thought.She looked into his big green eyes and she was sold.They were a week underground. Maverick had given them two houses, Moonstruck shared one with Buttercup. Opal and Doug had one for themselves, three chains down.They quickly learned that they could not just go to see Maverick, he had to summon their presence and he had not done so since the night they had arrived.Moonstruck listened to the gargling sound of the stream, as it was forced down the throats of the rocks. "Raining up above."A voice said."What?""It is raining up top,"He pointed to the arches above their heads with a long stick that strings contorted around. A sack was held in place around his neck, with another loosely tied string."That is why the water is flowing heavier."He smiled and her heart missed a beat, her chest felt the pressure of one going into cardiac arrest."My name is Bruce."He extended his hand to her and she took it, un
(Extraordinary Emotions.)Buttercup thought it was cute the way Moonstruck was sneaking out at nights to hang out with that Goblin boy.She turned into the dug-out hole in the wall that was padded with dried straws, covered with a sheet and fitted with a single pillow. Buttercup had to use a ladder to get into her sleeping quarters and below that, was another bed that Moonstruck occupied. Moonstruck had called it dirt bunk beds.They were shaped like those small tents she saw in the store, that went over and around, but minus the zipper to zip yourself in.Buttercup had listened to Moonstruck as she had slipped from the lower bunk earlier and smiled to herself.Buttercup wondered what it was like to be in love.She feels love for her people, her new friends and that hybrid child, but she had never been in love. Buttercup had not yet met her mate either.******************Buttercup's first partner was not of her own choice, he was the Fairy King's son, Dustin.She wrinkled her nose a
(The Road To Sicily.)Opal, Doug, Moonstruck and Buttercup were seated again at the table in Maverick's house. They had talked for a long time, drank tea and ate pudding.The pudding was a slice of heaven. Cinnamon leaves were boiled in water then strained, spices and prunes were added, the potato mixture was sweetened with honey, everything was combined into one bowl. Then the pudding was baked outside, where the fire coals were beneath the pot and on top of the steel cover.The soft cake was placed before them on broad leaves and had fresh cherries decorating the edges. "So how has your stay been here?"Maverick asked."It was restful."Opal replied, who had slept consistently and worried about none of the problems that exploded ever since she had moved back to Mala. Doug rubbed her stomach some nights ago and swore he felt the child move. His eyes beamed and he rested his head on her tummy and spoke to the baby, all the time massaging her stomach. Soon his hands were teasing betw
(Road Trip.)Where there were four, there are now five.They went down a passage behind Maverick and his two guards. Opal, Doug, Buttercup, Moonstruck and Bruce.It was adorable the way Moonstruck's cheeks had turned crimson as she tried to explain Bruce to the rest of the group, understanding the bond of soulmates, no one had objected.This passage was indeed special, different from all the others. The walls were the soft cushion of what fat looked like in the body, the colour was of white paint falling into a bucket of red and combined into a pale pink. Dirt was beneath their feet but above and around them, was another substance completely. Touching it was like sinking into a luxurious foam mattress.At the end of the tunnel was a dead end. They were sealed in, or so they thought, until Maverick touched the wall and spoke to it."Grant access to Sicily."He said.The structure began to melt away unsystematically, like fire put to plastic. Once there was enough space, Maverick turned
(An Evening Out.)Buttercup was emotionally afraid, but mentally fearless.You never knew you were lonely until you found somewhere that you belonged. She belonged with her friends.They had rented rooms in The Grand Hotel Piazza Borsa, bought new clothes and were all getting ready to eat out.Buttercup walked the red carpet hallway, admiring the art on the walls and in the ceilings. She met her friends in an area where the sky could be seen from the roof of a square glass.She saw them sitting in the chairs around the fountain."Ready Everyone?"Doug said, as soon as she had arrived.He had on a short sleeve shirt, so white that his skin appeared even darker and a white pair of pants over black leather sandals."Yes. Where should we go?"Moonstruck asked, wearing a pleated black skirt and a ruffled front, orange blouse, her black pantyhose slipped into flat shoes."Let's take a walk and decide where to dine from there."Opal answered. She looked wonderful in cream dress pants, a zipp