Down the Shrinking Hole

by Jamie Ott

  “It’s incredibly unlucky,” said another man with long chocolate brown hair. “Last thing we need is an interfering human. They can never mind their own business.”

  “So what’s the word?” asked Tess.

  “Uh, okay, everyone,” said the black haired one. “Let this meeting start.”

  Everyone got real silent.

  “I don’t need to tell you that the Sylphs are watching every portal, just looking for opportunities to crossover into our world.

  Well, a few managed to do just that; they got past our guards, and traveled down the west main shrinking hole, where they attacked the king’s palace. Don’t worry, the royal family is fine.”

  “Missing children’s reports?” asked the smallest one of the lot. He had cherry red hair, and orange-ish looking skin.

  “Good question, Mol. Several have been reported, but the humans aren’t in a panic yet.”

  Miles stepped out of his hiding spot.

  They all turned their heads up and looked at him with anger. Several grabbed their cross bows and spears from their backs, and took aim.

  Miles raised his rifle and said, “I wouldn’t, if I were you.”

  They all lowered their weapons.

  “Tell me about the missing kids!” he shouted.

  “It is not your concern. They’re gone, forever,” said the chocolate haired one. “Now, leave us.”

  “You’re gonna talk, or I’m gonna start shooting.”

  “Just your typical American boy, thinking he can control the world with violence,” said Mol angrily, his orange-ish skin looking even rosier.

  “Keep quiet, Alto,” said the one with the beard to the black haired leader.

  “If he wants to know, I’ll tell him. It’s not like he can do anything about it,” Alto replied. He looked at Miles and said, “The Sylphs took them.”

  “Where do I find these Sylphs?”

  “Why, some live right across the street from you.”

  “You mean Seven and his family? They look normal to me.”

  “It’s called a glamour, but if you saw them in their true form, they’d look more like us, only more human-like.”

  “What do they want with kids?”

  They turned their heads at each other, repeatedly, before looking at him.

  “What are you all staring at me, like that, for?”

  “It’s like I told you before, their world is depleted of resources,” said Tess.

  “The Sylphs aren’t made like other dimensional races; they don’t get energy from consumption: in their world, they eat it in pure form. Energy grows, there, on corpus flowers; a beautiful golden plant that drinks in every component of an atom of sunlight,” Alto explained.

  “But pure energy replenishes more slowly than anything you can imagine, with a new bud taking several centuries to form. The Sylphs don’t understand the concept of conservation,” said the one with chocolate hair. “Right, Pan?” he said to the one with the red beard.

  “Yeah,” Pan replied. “They have some weird idea that they’re going to conquer the worlds, rule us all. For that, they’ve allowed their population to grow to massive numbers; it’s also caused them to deplete their energy resources more quickly.”

  “So, what? What does that have to do with kids?”

  “They eat pure energy, which only can be had in their world, but there is one living thing that, when turned, nearly perfectly emulates pure energy,” Mol added.

  “People?” asked Miles, thinking back to the igloo and the funny gold liquid.

  “Yes, starting with kids. They’re smaller, easier to overcome in numbers.”

  “They’re eating kids? You’re eating kids!” he shouted, about ready to shoot again.

  “No,” said Tess. “We are not eating kids; we live off the plants, fruits, and flowers. We are a different species.”

  “We’re not all the same,” someone squeaked in the back.

  Miles caught his breath, lowered his weapon and asked, “How do we stop them?”

  “You can’t; there are too many of them, and they have magic. Likely, if they lose this war, they will annex this world, and humanity, permanently.”

  “I want to help! You have no choice but to let me. This is my world, and I’m gonna fight for it,” he paused.

  When no one said anything, he continued, “How do we get them out of this world?”

  “There is one way,” offered Alto. “We need a pure energy crystal, so that we might be as powerful as they.”

  “Where do we get something like that?”

  “From your neighbor; it’s called a Vertian crystal. It’s a long green crystal formed around a bud of pure energy; it’s a very powerful weapon. Get the crystal, and bring it to us, and we’ll banish the Sylphs from this world, forever.”

  “Why can’t you get it yourselves?”

  “We’ve tried, but Seven has wielded its power against us, every time.”

  “So what do we do?”

  “We need a plan.”

  Soldier Boy

  Chapter 9

  The next morning, Miles woke feeling, for the first time since his new neighbors moved in, like he wasn’t afraid. Knowing who they were, and having a plan to get them out of the world, empowered Miles, made him feel strong and courageous.

  The first thing he did when he got out of bed was look out of his window.

  Seven locked eyes with him.

  His ability to see the little people seemed to have lifted while he slept. The bushes that lined his porch trembled, but he didn’t see the causes of the movement.

  He went to the kitchen for breakfast. After, as usual, his mother told him to go out and find something to do.

  He grabbed his rifle, and went into the yard to practice shooting.

  Occasionally, the leaves on branches around him would suddenly flap, but Miles didn’t fear anymore. He’d be ready for any attacks they might make.

  When he could no longer stand the heat, he went inside and waited, anxiously, for night.

  ~~~

  He waited until his parents were asleep and then crept into the back yard.

  Tess was sitting on a branch, high up in the tree with his bow at the ready.

  “I didn’t think you’d show,” he squeaked, and then jumped straight down.

  “Of course I’d show! My people are as important to me as you’re people are to you. Now, let’s get this over with!”

  Tess pulled out a little leather bag that was tied to his waist. It was full of a white dust that looked like salt. Tess blew a handful of it into his face, making him sneeze.

  “What did you do that for?”

  “I camouflaged you, you thick skulled human! You think they didn’t hear about you sneaking into their house, last time?”

  Miles looked down at his body, and, indeed, his legs looked like the grass, his midriff looked like the bark of the tree behind him. When he looked at his shoulders, it was to see they looked exactly like a section of his white house.

  “Now, let’s go,” Tess said impatiently, and bounded for the gate.

  Tess turned and waited for Miles to catch up to him, and then grabbed him by the shirt. He took Miles by surprise, by leaping them over the gate.

  When they landed, Miles looked over and saw that Tess was, once more, invisible.

  Miles followed the sound of Tess’ foot patters across the cul de sac.

  All around him, the sounds of little people in trees could be heard. Once again, he could see them as they ate, sang, and moved about their branches.

  He reached for the latch of the gate, but Tess slapped him. His smooth, clammy hand grabbed his hand, and leapt him over.

  At the sliding glass door, Tess grabbed his hand once more, and whispered, “Trust me.”

  He felt Tess’ body move forward, and saw a water-like ripple in the glass. Miles took a leap of faith and walked through the glass, too.

  Like before, the kitchen was empty, except for the blue igloo
and cups with bits of gold liquid at the bottom.

  The sight of the cups and igloo made him angry.

  The living room was just as bare, except Miles noticed the brick lining of the fireplace appeared out of place.

  Up close, he saw that the fireplace wasn’t even real, but it was a door that opened up to a white porous material that resembled ceramic molded into the shape of a cupboard.

  They opened the white cupboard and found a short stone basin; its bowl was enormous, but it barely stood ten inches off the ground.

  “What is this?” whispered Miles.

  “This is where they turn kids into pure energy. They place them, feet first in the bowl, and shut the door.”

  Miles lifted the bowl just above his head and smashed it to the ground, breaking it into three large pieces.

  They went into Seven’s bedroom and found it completely empty. There were no beds or furniture, except a small hammock that hung from the ceiling.

  The other rooms were empty, too, except for hammocks.

  “Where are they?”

  “We’re nocturnal in this world, so they could be anywhere.”

  “Is that why I can only see you guys at night?”

  “I don’t know,” he replied.

  Miles stopped in the hallway, in the bathroom doorway. In the mirror, his reflection was plainly him. The dust Tess used was starting to wear off.

  They got out of there, fast.

  ~~~

  The next day, Miles was deeply troubled they didn’t find anything in Seven’s house. More than anything, he wanted to help Tess, and get those awful Sylphs out of their neighborhood.

  Then an idea came to mind.

  He asked his father if he could ask Seven to ice cream.

  “Well, I’m proud of you,” he said as he reached into his pocket for money.

  He walked across the cul de sac.

  Seven looked at him with a deathly stare.

  “Want to go for ice cream?”

  Without a word, he stood and began walking toward the end of the block; Miles followed.

  They walked to the liquor store in silence.

  “Hi, Mr. Mapley,” said Miles as they entered.

  “Hi, kid.”

  Once they had their cones, they sat outside on a bench and ate.

  When they’d done, Miles asked, “Want to play at the school?”

  Seven turned to him with a knowing look in his eyes. A chill traveled down Miles neck.

  “No, I’m going home,” he stood up and left.

  Miles ran to catch up with him.

  “Well, let’s shoot my rifle in the backyard.”

  Back at his house, he grabbed his rifle and target paper.

  Right as Seven was about to pull the trigger, Miles stepped on his foot, making him miss.

  Just like he’d predicted, Seven was livid. He pulled his hand back into a fist, but Miles ducked and ran right as he extended it toward his face.

  Even angrier than before, Seven chased Miles into the shed.

  Miles grabbed his father’s shovel and turned right as Seven entered.

  “OOOFF!” was the sound he made, when he swung it into his gut.

  Seven doubled over and fell to the ground. He made terrible noises as he struggled to breathe.

  Miles dropped to his knees and stuck his hand in all of Seven’s pockets. Next, he pulled off his shoes. Finding nothing, he pulled back the collar of his tee shirt and, hanging around his neck, was the Vertian crystal. It had been wired with a silver chain.

  Quickly, he yanked it off his neck.

  Seven jumped at him, knocking him into the shelves, and stumbling to the ground. Tools crashed down around them.

  His father walked in.

  “What are you, two, doing?”

  Miles had slipped the crystal into his pocket. Seven continued to try to punch him, so his dad dragged him out of the shed.

  “Go home, now!” he shouted.

  Miles laughed as Seven, looking surlier than ever, left the yard. He walked up to the fence and watched him walk across the cul de sac.

  ~~~

  Later that night, he snuck out and went to the school. He was so excited; the Brownies would be so happy!

  They were in the same spot as the night before last, discussing matters in their squeak speak.

  “I got it,” he said excitedly.

  They turned their heads and stared up at the crystal in his hand. Then their eyes turned to him, and they all grinned evil.

  Just as he was about to ask why they looked at him so, his eyes fell on the soft ball sized fire. Above it was a small spit that turned a strange looking meat that looked a lot like a liver.

  Miles’ breath quickened.

  “Is that what I think it is?”

  All the sudden, several arrows shot into his stomach. Their metal tips pierced his skin, painfully.

  He cried out, as he fell to his knees.

  One of the men grabbed the crystal from his hand, and then they disappeared so fast that he wasn’t sure if they flew or ran.

  Who’s Who

  Chapter 10

  It was painful, pulling the arrows out of his skin. They were made out of a light, stretchy, resilient vine, of some sort. He’d tug and tug, and then the vine would break off, leaving the metal tip in his skin, which he, then, had to dig out.

  Feeling defeated and stupid, he cried all the way home.

  What did I do?

  When he walked in the house, his parents were sitting on the living room couch.

  “Where have you been?” his father loomed over him, and shouted.

  Miles was speechless; all he could do was cry.

  “Why are you covered in blood?” asked his mother.

  Forcefully, she tugged the shirt over his head.

  When she saw the wounds were shallow, she said, “Clean yourself up; there’s disinfectant in the bathroom. Then, go to your room, and if you come out – at all, we will start locking you in. We will even bar your windows. Now, go.”

  After washing and putting six band aids on his belly, he went to his room and fell on the bed. From the living room, he heard his parents arguing.

  He contemplated everything the Brownie told him, and how it was all a lie.

  They were eating someone’s liver! he yelled, inwardly, at himself.

  He wiped more tears from his face.

  But what would happen now that they got the powerful crystal? Had he helped them win the war?

  He should never have interfered! Heck, he should have verified what they told him, before acting. He could have buddied up to Seven, who seemed to want to have a friend. He could have spied!

  Then an even more disturbing question came to mind: Does that make Seven and his people the good guys?

  After a while, he fell asleep.

  He wasn’t down long, when he woke to the sound of his door opening and closing.

  He opened his eyes and sat up.

  Standing in front of the door was a dozen little people, including Seven who wasn’t wearing his glamour. He looked almost the same as before, except smaller.

  They all had their bows aimed at him.

  Without warning, they shot dozens of arrows at him. They pierced his legs, arms, chest, and two hit him square in the forehead.

  He screamed out, in pain.

  His eyes full of blood, he lifted his pillow to protect his face. Then he stood up and kicked at the little men. Some of them flew back into the door.

  Miles screamed as a bow hit him in the thigh.

  The Sylphs continued to shoot, even when his parents were at the door.

  “Miles,” his father said, “open up the door!”

  A cool air rushed around the room; the hole was open.

  He used the pillow to swipe at all the men, and then dove under the bed, and fell down the shrinking hole.

  Vampin

  By Jamie Ott

  Copyright 2011 Jamie Ott. All rights reserved. No part of this book ma
y be used without written permission.

  Black Crowe (Robert Crowe) Books.

  ISBN-13:  978-0615563053

  ISBN-10:  0615563058 

  For all inquiries, please contact passionateprose@mail.com.

  Vampin

  Chapter 1

  Before crossing the street, Starr tucked the wad of money she made that night, working at Billie’s, into her black leather lace up boots. She didn’t want the others to see she had cash because kids had tried to break into her room before.

  Since Starr was a sixteen year old runaway living with undesirables whose ethics were long since compromised, she needed to be careful of all she possessed. Not that she owned much; just a few articles of clothing and a picture of her older sister whom she missed, terribly.

  She walked along a couple yards of six foot high chain link fence, behind which stood an old abandoned building with boarded out windows and partially rotted walls.

  The place used to be a clinic, but was now a forgotten, condemned building in the nastiest part of town. They’d only been there less than a year, but Starr didn’t think there was much chance of them getting caught. Cops rarely made an appearance in that part of town, and especially not after dark. And with the way the neighborhood looked, she couldn’t imagine many people wanting to move in and start a business, or, at least, not anytime soon.

  So far, she’d been right about not getting caught. However, there were still dangers, like every once in a while a hobo would wander in looking for a place to crash, or someone would notice her and the others going in and out. At times like these, it was up to Starr and the others to defend their territory, and only use force when they had to, and, sometimes, they did have to.

  She ducked underneath two slanted pieces of wood, nailed across a small walk way that lead to a glass door.

  The warm air blew through her hair as she pulled back the glass door and walked into the hazy lit entrance where several kids were hanging about, doing homework.

  Not all of them were untrustworthy thieves, though. Some of them really went out of their way to look after each other, becoming like a second set of parents or siblings.

  Take Shane, for example, who could have moved into the Columbia University dorms on her scholarship, but, instead, chose to stay and help the younger one’s get through school.

  Then there was Marla who was already done with college and made a full time income working as a night auditor for the Mayflower Hotel, yet stayed on and contributed much of her income to re stocking the food supply. She made sure strangers didn’t wander into the clinic during the day while it was nearly empty because they were all at school.