first, small slits of silvery light. They bloomed into giant orbs, like twin moons exploding into a night sky. Jake felt an immense presence in front of him and felt tremors running through the stone. He heard the sound of something scraping stone and a rumble like thunder from the silver moons.
No, not moons. Eyes!
“Well, what have we here?”
The voice was deep and powerful, seeming to come from everywhere at once.
“Um… Hello?”
The voice sighed, the eyes flashing to a golden color.
“Manlings have not improved their manners after all this time, it seems. You rouse me from my rest and fail to introduce yourself.”
“I’m sorry… uh.. sir.. My name is Jake.”
“So he does have a name! Wonderful. Now, Jake, what should I do with you?”
“Could you… show me the way out? I’m not entirely sure how I got here in the first place.”
“You’re not? Let me enlighten you. You came to my temple with hopes of finding some shiny thing in order to make you rich. Instead, you fell into my lair and woke me up from centuries of peaceful sleep. Tell me, Jake, how did I do?”
“There are stories of ancient kings buried in this shrine. I did not know this was your temple. I am sorry for disturbing you. If you help me get out of here, you can go back to sleep. I will leave and never return, I swear it.”
“No, no, no. That won’t do. Things are out of balance and they must be set aright. You came here believing in legends, seeking fame and fortune. What your kind fails to realize is that for every hero, every myth and campfire tale, there are ten thousand stories that end in failure. The hero dies, the city falls, and the sword stays in the stone. These are the stories between myth and legend, stories never told. Many of them end the same as your story.”
The beast’s eyes grew brighter and flashed to bright red. In the radiance, Jake could see the outline of horns and wings looming over him.
“How is that?” His voice cracked with fear.
A rumbling chuckle rolled through the cavern.
“Why, dinner, of course.”
Mr. Giggles
The screaming started when the sun went down. Julie could hear her mom crying through the walls. Her dad’s yells echoed through the house like thunder. She heard something hit the wall and shatter, like a crash of lightning.
There was always a storm going on at her house. Her father had a beast inside of him. Julie’s mom said he couldn’t control it, that it wasn’t his fault. He was a good man. She didn’t see much of her father anymore. The beast had taken him away.
Her mom had sent her to bed right after her bath, her hair still damp. Though she was locked in her room, she never really felt safe. Not until she had met Mr. Giggles. Julie slid off her bed and crawled under the frame, into the dark.
Her hands touched his fur, soft and warm to the touch. He rumbled in pleasure as she scratched him. She could see his eyes dancing, glowing bright red in the gloom under her bed.
Julie had been scared of Mr. Giggles at first, with his sharp claws and long teeth, but she knew now that he was just lonely. Each night, they huddled under her bed to weather the storm of her father’s rage. Sometimes, she would sneak him a treat. He liked weird things. She had given him a cupcake once, but he just sniffed at it. He liked hotdogs, though, or any kind of meat. After he ate meat, he purred like a giant cat and cuddled with her for hours.
She hadn’t brought him anything tonight and he seemed to be pouting. She hugged him tight, his fur tickling her face and making her giggle. He rumbled softly.
There was a crash at her door. Something roared in the hallway. The beast was trying to get into her room. Her mother must be sleeping. She never let him come this far. Julie whimpered in fear and slid towards the back of her bed.
Mr. Giggles looked at her, cocking his head, then faced the door. A growl rose from his throat, a hungry sound. The door rattled in its frame as the beast struggled to find a way in. He bellowed in frustration, pounding on the walls. Then, silence.
Julie thought her father had worn himself out, but a moment later a loud crack startled her. She saw wood splintering as a flash of metal chewed at the door. Fear. Panic.
Oh no! He’s coming! He’s coming, he’s coming, he’s coming! Please, help me! Help me!
Mr. Giggles stretched out his hand, the sharp claws raking the floor. He was ignoring Julie, his glowing red eyes focused on the shattering door.
“Please! Make him stop! Please! Make him go away!” she cried.
Mr. Giggles vanished like smoke on the wind and Julie saw a shadow crawl across the floor and slip under the door. The beast roared, but it cut off suddenly. It was over. The beast was gone. The door still stood, though it was broken in several places. The house was quiet, the calm hush of a spent storm.
Mr. Giggles was beside her again a moment later, his face warm and sticky. He was purring loudly, licking his teeth.
“Mr. Giggles! Did you find some meat! You bad boy! Father will be furious if you ate his steak.”
In the darkness under her bed, Julie giggled.
Finding Heaven
Gabriel stood atop the ruined Statue of Liberty, smacking golf balls into a burning sea. Her arms were broken, sheared off at the elbows and her face was shattered and crumbling. You had to give it to the humans. When they broke things, they didn’t play around. It was hard to make water burn like that; he knew from personal experience.
His game was interrupted by the gentle flap of wings. Another angel had awakened from its ten-thousand year slumber. How many more were left?
“Lord Gabriel. What happened? Where is everyone?” the newcomer asked.
Gabriel studied the angel’s face. Tristram? Yes, that was it.
“The others have left, seeking out our Father and his newest creation. Earth has been scrapped as a failure.”
Tristram looked dumbfounded. “Failure? Where are the humans?”
Gabriel chuckled softly. “They built a tower to Heaven and this time Father wasn’t here to stop them. They opened a gate right in the middle of the Ivory Court.”
He shook his head. “You would have thought that would have solved so much for them. Proof of creation! There is a God! What did they do? They fought over it! The Church denounced it, saying it couldn’t possibly be the real heaven. They ransacked the palaces, melting down the gold and silver, stealing the ivory. The world erupted in war over Heaven’s riches.”
Gabriel gestured to the burning sea and the roiling sky of black clouds. “It took less than a month and the human race obliterated itself. There are a few people left; they are living in holes deep underground. The ones on the surface can’t be called human any longer.”
Tristram fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face. He looked utterly lost. They all did when they woke up to this blasted world. “Father is starting over?”
Gabriel nodded. “I’ve heard He made people that grow out of trees. No males or females. I think He’s hoping for less conflict this way.” He shrugged.
Tristram wiped his face. “Then I shall help as well. Are you coming, Lord Gabriel?”
He smiled, turning back to look at the burning sea. “No, not this time. I’ve had enough watching, waiting… failing. This world is quiet. Finally, blessedly quiet. No more prayers. No more fighting. Just… silence. Peaceful.”
He felt Tristram leave and sighed. Hopefully, that would be the last interruption. He flicked his hand, another golf ball appearing in his fingers. He set it down, set his shoulders and gave it a solid swing, watching the ball arc through the blasted sky.
Gabriel sat down on top of the broken body of Lady Liberty and watched the world burn.
Sweet and Sour
Ms. Monet popped another sour candy into her mouth, savoring the flavor. She eyed the young boy sitting across from her desk. His face was flushed, his eyes red and puffy.
“Okay, Lucas. Let’s talk. What’s bothering you? Mrs. Jones said you started screaming
in class out of the blue. Why don’t you tell me what’s going on?”
The boy just sat there, staring ahead blankly.
“Do you like candy, Lucas?”
He nodded, still not looking at her.
“I love candy. My favorite ones are the sour kind, but not everyone likes those. They are an acquired taste. Most kids enjoy sweet candies. Do you like sweets?”
Another silent nod. He was a stubborn one.
Ms. Monet selected a small jar of hard candy from the shelf behind her desk and pulled off the lid. The room filled with a fruity aroma. She picked up an orange candy, examined it, and then put it back. Next, she tried a green one. Nope, not that one either. Red. Yes, definitely red.
She closed the jar and replaced it on her shelf, offering the candy to the student. Lucas looked at it hesitantly.
“Go on, take it. It’s full of sunlight, strawberries and laughter. I promise. I make them myself.”
He looked at her like she was crazy, but took the candy. He sucked on it slowly, rolling it from side to side in his mouth. He smiled and straightened in his chair.
“You’re right. It’s really good.”
“Of course it is. I make the best candy. Now, why don’t you tell me what upset you so much today?”
He fidgeted with the sleeve of his shirt. “I have nightmares. I dozed off in class and had a bad one, that’s all. It’s normal.”
“Oh? I don’t think that’s very normal for a boy your age. What were the nightmares about?”
Lucas hesitated.
“Come now, sweetie. I’m the counselor. I’m here to help.”
He took a deep breath, as if plunging under
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