List of Short Stories

The night air was cold on our faces, even though our faces were red and burned like fire. We ran for hours, fugitives for a crime we helped commit. The man my friend and I helped left us to be caught, and perhaps to be put to death. We helped him, but he deceived us, took the wealthy gentleman’s riches from his still warm, but dead, tight hand, and then ran.

My friend looked at me in the face, her breath visible in the cold; her soft blue eyes were filled with panic. “We must go on, mi amico,” she whispered, her panic being invaded by exhaustion. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, drawing close to me as she leaned her head on my shoulder; and for a moment, I felt my ragged sleeve grow damp. “Why, Kaon?” she cried, her hands grabbing my shirt as she tightened her grip, her knuckles turning white. “Why what, Aluné?” I asked, though I knew what she meant. Aluné looked up at me, her eyes and cheeks as red as a rose, tears streaming down her face like a river. “Why did we assist that scoundrel? Why did we kill that poor man?” Her ever-flowing tears made my heart ache. With a soft sigh, and as I hugged Aluné gently, I whispered to her, “We need to press onward.”

We walked farther, dawn’s light seeping up from the ground, curious, yet happy to see us. “Do you think we can rest, Kaon?” Aluné pleaded, slowing her previous pace. I nodded, scanning the area for life of hostile humans. When all seemed calm, and when I glanced over to see a tree with quite a big hole inside, I looped my arm through hers, trying to hold her upright, as I dragged us both to the depression in the tree’s trunk. Once inside, I gently placed Aluné in the far end, far from the entrance, far from dawn’s bright, blinding light. Moments later, when she fell into sleep, I stayed near the light to watch out for guards or bounty hunters, even though sleep was trying to creep up on me.

~

The dream was wonderful, was full of wonder. I felt the wind in my face as I flew across the sky as watched two children with obscure faces laugh and play below me. I lowered myself, trying to get a better view. I saw that one child had black hair and was wearing a deep red dress with a black-gray coat and boots; whilst the other had platinum blonde hair and wore baggy pants and a loose shirt. The children were speaking to each other, bouncing a blue ball back and forth, but the words were just whispers to me. The dream almost seemed familiar, too familiar in fact. The dream faded and shifted itself into something not as pleasant.

I felt anxious, felt my cheeks burning as I watched a lone home burning, watched in horror as I saw people inside the house. ‘The family is still inside!’ I tried to scream, but all that came out was rubbish. I looked around, seeing those two children again, but instead of happy like in the other phase, they wore the masks of remorse and shock. That must have been his or her home. I lowered my head in shame, ashamed I couldn’t help the family, ashamed I couldn’t help the children. I just watched the house burn, however my mind clicked. I remembered seeing this, I remember playing with a blue ball and I remember fire.

I rushed over to the children, grabbing the boy’s shoulders and yelled as loud as I could, ‘What’s going on here?’ Instead of answering, the child smiled up at me, and laughed silently. I stood their angry for several moments, and then I felt alarm. I now realized I was staring into my own face. Younger than I was now, but it was my face. I looked to the other child, now staring at Aluné who was still staring with denial at the blazing flames. I tried to reach her and tell her this wasn’t my doing, that it wasn’t my fault, but a black pool formed under me, slowing my movements further. I attempted to force a scream, but nothing came out; and all I could do was watch as I sunk into the ground. I sunk down deep and into black, the truly suffocating black.

~

Panic surfaced inside me as I awoke, sweat dripping from my temples. I stared forward for a few seconds at the pale, bright moon, feeling light-headed and disoriented. My gaze then shifted to Aluné, sleeping peacefully near the back of the trunk. I inhaled and exhaled quickly, but softly, ready to drift back into sleep when something caught my eye as I looked back to the entrance. A deep, red-orange color started to appear from the trees. At first, I disregarded the occurrence of the glow, thinking it was near morning; however, the closer the light got, the more it started to resemble fire.

At the sight of the burning, I shot up and stared intently out at the now bright embers of a dozen torches. I sunk back into the darkness of the entrance, hiding, but still able to see. I could see about seven men: five wore the clothing of brigands, two looked like bodyguards, and the last was a noble man; he was wearing an expensive-looking silk robe with a golden sash. At his fingers, I saw several rings, from dull, plain bands to ones that had jewels in them.

The sound of the nobleman’s voice sent a chill down my spine. “Where was the last time you saw them?” the wealthy man inquired, his voice so low, so cold and burly, that I thought he was possessed by the Devil himself. “Sorry, Your Grace,” one of the bandits responded, “We lost them a night ago, but we think they are still here.” The noble’s eyebrow arched, his black eyes glared at the scrawny thief, puzzled. “And why is that, San?” The brigand hesitated for a moment, and then he cleared his throat, obviously scared of the man. “We saw them being chased for several hours, and they would need to rest sooner or later, we also have not seen two strangers within the next town,” the young bandit said, scared, but without shuddering.

The wealthy man paused, thinking to himself and waited, as if listening for a sound, straining his ears to hear careless movement. Whilst this happened, I held my breath, trying to keep still as I waited for the silence of the seven men to cease. The nobleman chuckled harshly, slowly turning and walking away. “Find them quickly, or none of us gets any of the gold.” As the bodyguards walked after the man, the bandits skulked behind them like shadows.

I waited many minutes in silence, watching as the last of the torches’ lights disappeared from sight. I let out a breath I forgot I held. “This is just great,” I whispered sarcastically to myself. I jumped as I heard a soft yawn come from behind me. “What’s great, Kaon?” a small, drowsy voice asked. I relaxed as I turned my head and smiled warmly at Aluné. “Oh, it’s nothing, just go back to sleep.” She glared strongly at me, her eyes looking deep into mine, aware that I was lying. “Tell me, please, mi amico,” she pleaded, staring at me with an innocent, sad look. I sighed with defeat. “Fine, Aluné,” I began, “They didn’t find us, but we are being pursued by bounty hunters and a nobleman.”

Aluné’s face turned a snow-white color, panic back in her eyes, ready to tear up again. I couldn’t bear to see her cry, couldn’t bear to see her in both pain and panic. Slowly and softly, I leaned close to her, embracing her and lightly kissing her eyes, already tasting salt. “We’ll be alright,” I assured her, resting my chin lightly on her head, near tears as well. “As long as I’m here, I will never let anybody, or anything, hurt you.” She snuffled, nodding and burying her face in my shirt. I patted Aluné’s back, directing my attention to the entrance; the sun’s rays were protruding from behind the trees, clarifying a start of a new day.

“I suppose this means more walking, Kaon?” she giggled self-mockingly, adverting her head to where I was gazing. “I’m afraid so, Aluné,” I answered. “But, I’ll be glad to carry you, if you’d like.” She giggled again, shaking her head. “No grazie, Kaon, I am perfectly capable of carrying myself around.” “Alright, Aluné,” I laughed, getting up and helping her out of the tree.

Hours passed since the sun’s ray shined on our faces. We huffed and panted as we jogged, puffs and puffs of our heavy breaths rising into the air like smoke. After a few minutes, Aluné stopped behind me, bending over and cupping her knees with her palms. I halted and turned quickly, rushing to help her. “Come on,” I told her, lacing my arm through hers and holding her up. As I gradually moved forward, I felt as if I was carrying a heavy man with dead weight. She was exhausted again, and she wasn’t helping me help her.

“Here, just get on,” I forced through my lips, squatting down, and waited for Aluné to get on my back. I felt a hand press against my shoulder, but it withdrew fast. “But, Kaon,” she whimpered, her eyes full of shame, “won’t you get tired?” I shook my head, smiling wide at her. With a mope of surrender, Aluné climbed on my back, wrapped her arms around my shoulders as I propped myself up and kept move forward against the frigid weather.

It felt like days as I walked, legs feeling like butter and lungs feeling ready to burst. I kept pace in one direction, hoping for many things: Hoping the guards and bounty hunters wouldn’t find us, hoping we would find a town, and hoping we would live to see the days to come. These thought invaded my mind as I searched around for life. I paused for a moment; adjusting Aluné so she wouldn’t fall from my grasp, then willed my legs to go forward. I bit my lip hard, to the point of blood, my thighs aching, and my heels bearing the sensation of being pierced by blades. At last, after minutes of torpor, I continued on.

The half-moon glistened like a harvest moon as I saw, in what little faith I had left, lighting and torches and the sounds of kind laughter. A town festival was taking place. I saw dancers, men and women on high stilts dressed as clowns and jesters, and several girls who bent their back so far I thought they would break, but they didn’t. The girls were perfectly unharmed. I shrugged my shoulder softly, whispering to Aluné as we drew closer to the fair. “Aluné, wake up,” I said quietly. “You need to put your hood up.“Once I said this, she nodded, pulling the hood of her brown cloak up; she even took the liberty of pulling mine up, as well.

I darted around the crowd, almost getting caught by one of the stilts. I gasped, falling to my knees for a brief moment, but then shot right back up, running into one of the alleyways. Sighing with relief, I walked through the alley and onto a less busy street. I glanced side to side, and then noticed an inn; it looked broken down, but still intact. I jogged carefully to the building, slowly moving my hand from under Aluné and knocking on the door, as I looked through the window next to the door. The place looked empty and deserted, I could see some of the furniture was covered in white sheets and some of the walls were shedding.

I knocked once more, waiting for an answer. I’d almost given up when an elderly woman opened the door. “Yes, dear?” the woman spat out, watching me closely. “If you’re here for work, then sorry, OK?” I shook my head, wrapping my arm back around Aluné as I felt her starting to fall. “No, madam, I- We are looking for a place to stay for the night,” I told her, lifting Aluné, “I have the coin.” The elder smiled at that, her yellow teeth flashing at me. “Oh! Why didn’t you say so?” She fully opened the door as the scent of many things hit my nostrils. I smelled smoke, musk, flowers, and who knows what else. But it was our only haven until morning, so it would have to do.

“Aluné, wake up, please,” I whispered to her, shrugging my shoulder lightly. Aluné stirred, then with a yawn asked, “Where are we, Kaon?” “Safe for now,” I responded. As Aluné climbed off my back, I glanced around the small room. “So, um... Madam, about that room...?” I started but she cut me off. “Oh, yes, your room. Right this way, please.” The woman chuckled softly, gesturing for us to follow as she took us to a fairly wide room with a large bed near the back window. She pushed us inside further, grabbing the door handle. “Is there anything else you need, my little ones?” she questioned, squinting her eyes as if tired. Aluné and I both shook our head quickly, rushing over to the bed; the woman shut the door, leaving with what I thought was a smirk.

I shrugged the image away, thinking it was just the lack of rest gaining up on me. “The bed is so soft, Kaon!” Aluné exclaimed, her eyes bright, but hazy. “Feel it.” I laughed softly, walking over the lumpy bed, trailing my hand over the silk sheets. “It feels great,” I confessed, but it was unheard, for Aluné was already inside the sheets and wrapped in them. I shook my head, grinning and slowly laying on the bed, eyes heavy and swollen.

~

I remember hearing screaming and pleas of anguish. I remember seeing Aluné’s face staring at me, her face pale, her eyes red, and lips were blue like the ocean. ‘This is a dream, right?’ I screamed. “It’s just a horrific dream from a strange mind.”

The sight of Aluné this way made my heart break, her dead eyes looking at me, her expression holding disappointment and need for a hand. I shed many tears, holding my hand out for her, but I couldn’t reach, I couldn’t take her hand. I mustered my strength, and then screamed as loud and hard as I could; I forced myself awake.

~

“Hush up, scum!” commanded a voice, his voice booming inside my ears, almost making my ears ring. I gazed around, trying to adjust my blurred vision, now aware that I was being dragged. I looked over and saw another figure seeming to be being dragged as well. “Where are we?” I asked in a swaying tone, still drowsy from sleep. “I said quiet!” the voice yelled as a sharp pain hit my back, knocking me to the floor. “Hey, hey, don’t bruise them yet,” said a more feminine voice, sighing with shame. “We need them intact to get the full deal.” The figure behind me growled like an angry wolf, “Fine, Cynthia...”

The feeling of being dragged against rocks was painful, more so with someone who didn’t care if you broke a bone. My vision slowly came back and I saw myself inside a small, dim-lighted chamber with a man dressed in a black, hooded cloak in the center. The man’s face was covered, but I could tell he was smiling at us. “You found them, then?” the hooded figure asked, taking a careful step close to us. The two bounty hunters nodded, as they both held us up by the collar of our shirts.

“Oh? Good then,” the man stated, reaching to his side and taking out a small pouch that clinked as he surged it toward the two hunters. “Here, as promised, my friends.” The mercenaries grinned wide at each other, taking the small bag, and then kicking us to the floor. My breath was knocked out of me again as they left, as the hooded figure gazed down at us. “Now then, you two, you were so hard to find,” he started, “But, you made a big mistake taking a rest at an inn, especially an inn that knew you both.”

I stared wide-eyed at him. “You... you know us?” I forced out, trying to get back on my feet. The man just chuckled harshly, gliding over towards me and pulled me up by my hair, causing an instant yelp from my throat. “Of course, lad, over half of the land knows who you two are.” His hidden eyes gave me no comfort; rather it made my heart pound more. “Please, sir... we did only as we were told. We are poor, you see--” He cut me off with another chuckle and a pulling at my hair’s tendrils. “So, you thought you could get away with murder so easily just by giving me some story?” he inquired, frowning now. He then looked over at Aluné, grinning wide that I almost saw his gums.

I glared up at him, aware of his intentions. “You wouldn’t dare,” I warned. “I would, dear boy,” he shot back. “Give me a reason not to.” The cloaked man dug his nails deep into my scalp; I could almost feel my hair being ripped out. I grabbed his hand and scratched him in response before he screamed and threw me at the floor. If he threw me harder, I would have blacked out again.

“Come, Brothers and Sister!” the man yelled. “Come and assist me in judging these useless morsels.” As he said that, six other cloaked figures strode into the room, standing behind the middle man in a perfect V-shaped formation. They all stared at us, some with mocking smiles on their faces, others with scorn grimaces, but all filling me with dread.

~

We did not resist; we had neither the strength nor the will to resist their capture. We just let them lead us, chained from neck to ankle, into a large antechamber filled with several tall chairs. The two holding us forced us down to our knees, as if to bow, as the others glided toward the chairs. The two cloaked figures held us in that position even as the leader of the shrouded beings spoke. “Now then, you are here because you have committed a very heinous crime, one that we do not take kindly,” the man looked down at what looked like a variety of scrolls and papers, “not to mention you did not even confess to your actions and fled instead...” The air grew cold as the man paused for many moments, then he sighed as he glanced back at us.

“I would ask ‘How do you plea?’, but how about I just answer that for you, hmm?” The figure chuckled so coldly, deeply that his very voice seemed to make the whole room tremble. Then he said what I feared, the word booming through the room as the others echoed, “Guilty.” As the last syllable passed his lips, the figures behind us pulled us up harshly and started dragging us outside, into a large courtyard. What was outside disturbed me. Outside to the right was a rather large guillotine; to the left was a stage with a rope dangling from a wooden frame. I shuddered at both as a small hand grabbed mine and squeezed it tightly.

“Take the boy over there,” the leader demanded, pointing to the guillotine, then he pointed towards the gallows, “and the girl over there.” As we tried clinging to each other’s fingertips as long as we could, they ripped our grasped on each other. Aluné’s delicate face was now red from tears as they pulled her to the left of the courtyard, and I to the right. The masculine figure pushed Aluné and threatened her until she slipped her head through the rope necklace; I had to bite my bottom lip to keep from swearing at the figure.

The one behind me kicked the back of my knee, causing me to lose my balance and topple to the floor. One of the men who escorted myself halted my footsteps as his accomplice pulled the rope to my doom, the blade rising with each tug. As I listened to an unheard threat, I did the same as Aluné, pushing my head through a loop just big enough for a head to fit through.

Aluné and I gazed at each other as we both smiled, awaiting our fate. We were calm at that moment, because we knew we were innocent. We knew were only scapegoats and the judges were mistaken. But, we did not struggle. We did not speak. We only smiled and a thought crossed my mind. Soon you and I will truly be free, Aluné. We will be one with the star and clouds. This was my last thought before they released the floor from under Aluné, and before they finally let go of the rope holding the blade.