“A Final Test”

The room is dark.
“What do you see, my young hunter?”
“I see a City-make lamp on the floor. There is a little light. Not much.”
“What else?”
“N–nothing else, Ma’am.”
He hears faint echoes. A soft sliding sound, fabric over metal, moving away. He feels uneasy, calms his breathing.
“Are you certain?” The Preceptor is more distant. Past arms’ reach. Farther.
“N–no. The dark. I see–” He inhales sharply. Something else is here. “Preceptor, what–?”
“Quiet! Look!”
He blinks once. Twice.
He sees the monsters.
The Preceptor’s voice is far away now. “It is time to graduate, young hunter.”

——-

This week’s story didn’t want to come easily, but I dragged it out into the light just for you. I imagine this story takes place in the same world as those of the brave Jamis and Annaline, and their commander Alyn. It may also take place in the same world as Martin and the City of Wonders, though I’m not entirely sure.

I also wrote a short story, roughly 1000 words, for the Quantum Shorts 2015 contest. You can read it here. You can also rate it, though I don’t know if your ratings matters for purposes of the contest. There will be a period of time later when you can vote for my story, or any other story there, but that won’t happen for a few days. I’ll let you know. I’ve never entered a story contest. It’ll be cool to see how my little quantum physics-inspired tale does against so much competition!

Darleen’s story punched me right in the gut. Read it twice, the second time slowly.

Smitty went with a current events political poem.

BigGator5 imagines a new type of legendary lamp.

April’s story is full of bravery. We could all use some bravery these days, don’t you think?