Excerpt from upcoming story "Mar, the baby ascendant"
Mar hated the hottest days of summer. Muscle cramps could take hold for hours without water to drink.
Pressed against the darkest part of this hidden cave, she knew she could only suffer silently. She had lived alone in the wilderness for ten summers. Ever since her whole village was slaughtered.
A sound of distant water whispered in her ears.
She crawled deep in a crevice, following that sound.
When she got past the tightest part, she saw light.
The huge rock was actually hollow. A lush place with fruiting trees had been so close for years and years.
There she saw a pool of water. So pure it mesmerized her, and the scent was so dear.
As she got close a dragon fly hovered there.
In long splink of water, the dragon fly was caught in sudden water drop. Then drug under to leave the surface unnaturally smooth again.
Her foot trembled. You do not live alone and survive the wasted ruins without solid fear.
She turned slowly to run.
A thick rope of water caught her ankle. She did not have time. No thought to taking in air.
She was yanked down into the freezing pool. darker and darker. colder and colder.