VSS - 2023-06
Story snippets posted to social media, using vssCollab and optional prompts. Bolded or underlined words denote a prompt.
The god of thunder and lightning vied with the god wind for attention as the gale swept in. My brother and I were soaring toward it to determine if the residents needed to be warned or if we could keep our presence hidden for just a little longer. A phosphorescent miasma fused with the rain pelting us in sheets. Whatever the omen was, our little town was right in its trajectory. I nodded my acceptance to my brother, we’d have to make a scene and reveal ourselves in order to warn the residents. I splashed down behind shed in the mountain valley and donned a human disguise, still hoping to avoid the hazard of revealing my true form. But I always hated having to give up my silvery blue for pale, weak flesh. How could we warn the residents to evacuate? A clash made me jump and peek around the corner. A middle aged man stuffed bottles into the trash. He twisted my direction and grumbled, “Come in from the storm.” I obeyed. ”But the river will funnel its roaring waves right through town. I have to warn the residents!” “Sit down. Make yourself at home.” When he shoved a bowl of snacks over, I spied his tanuki magic. “Thanks to the levvee, there hasn’t been flooding in over 100 years.” Stupid, easy going tanuki. “The typhoon will make landfall soon. My brother says it’s hit the beach cliffs.” “You’re not from around here,” he said. “Typhoons hit the coast every summer.” I glared. I was born here! But he didn’t know that, nor that my father had protected this valley. “I KNOW the flooding will be devastating. What is the best way to warn the residents?” He stared at me, as if gazing into my soul and his eyes widened in the low light. “You… You… You’re a dra-” A growl rumbled in my chest and my hand slapped over his mouth. Idiot tanuki! “Later! Lives are on the line!” He nodded. “The TV and radio stations.” ”Take me there.” As we ran, I said, “I confess, I’ve not kept up with the humans. What are TV and radio?” When my father’s warning came, my family had fled to the sea king’s realm where we stayed a few days, but I don’t know how much time passed here. “And what year is it?”
Flood
All Shion's children wanted was to see if it was safe to go back home, not reveal themselves yet. But the storm of a century is on the horizon.Related Characters
yet to be revealed
The god of thunder and lightning vied with the god wind for attention as the gale swept in. My brother and I were soaring toward it to determine if the residents needed to be warned or if we could keep our presence hidden for just a little longer. A phosphorescent miasma fused with the rain pelting us in sheets. Whatever the omen was, our little town was right in its trajectory. I nodded my acceptance to my brother, we’d have to make a scene and reveal ourselves in order to warn the residents. I splashed down behind shed in the mountain valley and donned a human disguise, still hoping to avoid the hazard of revealing my true form. But I always hated having to give up my silvery blue for pale, weak flesh. How could we warn the residents to evacuate? A clash made me jump and peek around the corner. A middle aged man stuffed bottles into the trash. He twisted my direction and grumbled, “Come in from the storm.” I obeyed. ”But the river will funnel its roaring waves right through town. I have to warn the residents!” “Sit down. Make yourself at home.” When he shoved a bowl of snacks over, I spied his tanuki magic. “Thanks to the levvee, there hasn’t been flooding in over 100 years.” Stupid, easy going tanuki. “The typhoon will make landfall soon. My brother says it’s hit the beach cliffs.” “You’re not from around here,” he said. “Typhoons hit the coast every summer.” I glared. I was born here! But he didn’t know that, nor that my father had protected this valley. “I KNOW the flooding will be devastating. What is the best way to warn the residents?” He stared at me, as if gazing into my soul and his eyes widened in the low light. “You… You… You’re a dra-” A growl rumbled in my chest and my hand slapped over his mouth. Idiot tanuki! “Later! Lives are on the line!” He nodded. “The TV and radio stations.” ”Take me there.” As we ran, I said, “I confess, I’ve not kept up with the humans. What are TV and radio?” When my father’s warning came, my family had fled to the sea king’s realm where we stayed a few days, but I don’t know how much time passed here. “And what year is it?”
These Very Short Stories (VSS) posted on Twitter relate to my book series the Liminal Chronicles and were written for the month's vssCollab challenge.
Prompts Used
(from vssCollab unless otherwise noted)Contents
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