On IndieSnippets...

Today, the title story: The Wood & Copper Inn, from my first book of short stories, was mentioned on indiesnippets: http://indiesnippets.blogspot.com/

The snippet consists of a scene in the story where the main character, who is traveling west, receives an unwelcome visit by a stranger while in the Rocky Mountains.

Currently, I am re-working that title, and will soon upload a new version.

30,000,000 Years

As scheduled, the loyal robots completed their captain's revival process aboard the vessel. The ancient traveler awoke, and as was his tradition, walked to the vessel's bridge to survey the wonders of the universe.

He watched the forming gaseous spheres orbit their parent, yet adolescent suns.  He watched the dawning of complete solar systems.  He watched supernovae obliterate ancient planets and their harnessed moons.  He watched the utter chaos of mighty black holes, and he watched as life sprang from chemical compounds.

On this particular revival, he discovered a new, yet ancient planet.  It was older than even the ancient traveler himself.  He named them, the planet and it's seventeen moons, and watched for decades.  He slept, and revived several times, and the traveler's vessel remained before Sentinilla, and it's moons, for many millions of years.  He watched life spring on two of the moons.

When the ancient traveler decided to move on, he documented the following:

"Although the massive gaseous planet Sentinilla IV itself cannot support life, two of its seventeen moons can.  Fratello Maggiore and Sorella Piccola are unique in that they are the closest to Sentinilla IV, and the most toxic, yet life has sprung on both.

This is a scene from the dense methane surface of Sorella Piccola. You can see her elder brother, Fratello Maggiore close by, and the gargantuan gas planet Sentinilla IV in the distance," The traveler said to himself.

"When I find my people, I will share what I have learned."

Spectre on the Staircase

On our return from the party, we decided to return to the hotel, rather than visit the famous cliffs at midnight.  We had all of our vacation week to explore the ancient parts of the city and countryside.  While on the road, we passed many dark houses in wide fields, and wooded areas.  We came across a tree that had fallen across the road, and decided to take an alternate route.

After many minutes of bumpy fields and rocky rivers, yes, we were far from the main road, we finally came across a small dirt path.  We went along, and some time later, we found another road.  An hour passed as we tried to find a familiar monument, as we were lost.  A car passed us, then another, before a horse-drawn vehicle came at us.  We swerved as best as we could, but our driver lost control and we hit an embankment.

The three of us were run off the road by, what we perceived, as being an 18th century carriage.  We all helped to push the car back onto the road.  We worked on the car for almost an hour, but it seemed that our poor vehicle wasn't going anywhere.  We noticed that we weren't far from cliffs facing the dark sea, and we could hear the distant waves crashing against the rocks.

Although it wasn't raining, the wind from the sea, along with the sea spray, was freezing cold.  We found a trail leading away from the cliffs, and towards a dark wooded area.  Perhaps we would find help, or at the very least, find a place to stay for the night.  We wouldn't see our hotel that night, we were sure of it.  Soon after we started, it began to rain.

Following the small cobble trail, we saw a building in the distance.  We ended up at an estate, which by all appearances, seemed to have been long abandoned.  We went in to get out of the rain and to spend the night.  After what seemed hours, I heard quite a shrill that would have startled those in the portraits that covered much of the walls.  We walked into another darkened room, keeping close together. That is where we saw it.... there, on the staircase!!

The Clay Watchman

"And I say to you as well, friend Actlimic, no matter how long lasting those iron watchers may be, or how durable they are, nothing can last as long as a clay watcher. They are the best guardians, as they reform themselves of damage after every battle. And, you need only pay them in moss."

The warlock Oliduur, at the 47th Annual Evil Warlocks Convention.