Game of Nature

-Good move, Push said thoughtfully. -A very good move, I hadn’t expected that. His voice was dark and low. Forest sensed worry and anger.

The birds were singing in the trees, two deer ran by in a distance. People walked by. Forest felt the fresh air in his lungs. His mind wandered through the surroundings for a moment, to get a well deserved pause from the intense game.

Push sat there, thinking, rubbing his little flute. There had to be a way out of this situation, some way to read his opponent’s plans. Then, there, just in front of him, it appeared. A solution. He lifted one of his pieces, moved it two steps forward.

Forest snapped out of it, stared at the table. It was turned. He was the one in trouble, the one behind, the one losing. Nature would go under by the power of the supernatural, the beyond, the way of the old gods. The definition of reality was in danger… (more)

They Will Eat Us

-Oh my God, Mickey! I think they are going to eat us!

-Why did we even come here? Why?

-I’m sorry, Mickey… I…

…

-I’ll have a taste! The monsters stared down at the two humans with hungry eyes.

-Stop! No one eats anyone until I say so. I’m the boss here. I ate Lord Bullocks, and I decide. Or you’ll have to eat me too!

The grey one looked at the pig i front of him. It wasn’t like he hadn’t thought of that possibility quite a few times.. The pig was fat and full of meat, but strong and fearless. The other monsters jumped up and down behind them, wanting to take part. The conflict made them even more hungry. The pig was their leader, but he sure looked tasty.

-I’ll eat them, and the rest of you will watch me! the pig said. -It’s not much to share anyway…

-I want a taste! I want a taste! The froglizard was jumping up and down behind.

The grey man’s eyes narrowed. His hand tightened around the butcher’s knife he always carried around… (more)

Bridge of Paradox

-We’re close, Gin! Track said exited. -We’re so close I can smell it!

-We still haven’t found the place where the others turned back, though. The hardest part is still to come.

The rocks around them got steeper and steeper, the landscape more and more hostile. Anyone who ever tried this journey before them either disappeared or came back empty handed telling tales of invincible monsters blocking the way.

They came to a bridge over a bottomless abyss. On the other side they could see the lost city, the place where the treasure was hidden.

-The bridge looks safe enough, Track said ironically looking at the massive construction under his feet.

Halfway over a shadow was seen at the end of the bridge. Something materialized, something big. Something monstrous. A giant came to be, a giant with a giant sword in his hand.

The two adventurers stopped. The air had been hard to breath before, but now Track felt dizzy.

The giant spoke:

“You’ve come this far in total vain

The journey you seek will end in pain.

The shadows in darkness, your greatest threat.

I am the Round Square, this bridge is your death.”… (more)

Stuck in a Rock

-Here on the right side you see the great attraction of the park. The giant stuck in a rock!

-Oooooooh! A sigh went through the crowd. A huge man was sitting on the mountain, looking down at them.

-We urge you not to go past the fence, since he can be dangerous on a bad day.

-How did he end up there? one of the tourists asked.

-Ah, I’m glad you asked. The story goes way back. You see, this giant used to terrorize the villages around here. He roamed around, stepping on people. Yes, you heard me. Stepping on people.

-That’s horrible!

-Yes, it is. But you see, he was a very, very lazy giant. Every once in a while he sat down for ages, and even then he kept growing. One day he sat down here on this rock. He put his leg down in a hole in the ground to cool it off. When he decided to walk on, his leg had grown and was stuck!

Laughter. Everyone looked up on the giant sitting on top of the rock. The giant was looking down at them.

-That’s so funny, one of them said.

-What a stupid giant, said another.

-First, the villagers thought about killing him. Now that he was stuck it wouldn’t be too difficult, but it would still be rather messy… (more)