K.A. Ashcomb's Blog

Mark

The huge red mark on the wall was the first warning she saw when arriving in the village. As she stepped past the first house, she saw the same red mycelium spreading from house to house. She drew her scarf against her mouth and nose, holding it in place with her hand. She had arrived too late. It had taken over the entire village.

The eerie silence had taken over every inch of the place. The life that had once been there haunted the yards, but now it was absent. She waited for a chil...

Island

The hovercraft swooped over the artificial island. The city below was dark and industrial, and the streets were crowded with workers, making sure the little island city pumped electricity to the mainland. The carrier was taking the new batch of workers down from the mainland. The pilot had heard the news. There had been a significant incident last week as a maintenance pipe had erupted, taking down twenty people. He wouldn’t have paid any thought to the story if he weren’t tasked with ...

Lost

The moorland opened around her. There was nothing but the strange landscape with its yellowing fields and the odd twisted tree here and there. No signs of civilization. She wasn’t sure even what century it was or where she was. She had been forced to step out of the current, and here she was, lost in time and space.

She sighed and faced a random direction. There was no point in reason. She had to let her intuition guide her. It was all she had. The current was out of the question. The...

Train

The rain drizzled down against the high glass ceiling. She traced with her gaze the iron Gothic work keeping the glass windows up. She imagined the day they built the train station, and what it took to make all the individual pieces. It was a true marvel. She could sit there watching the high arches, the ironwork, the symbols, and the old clock face all day, but she was meant to catch a train.

It was the old ghost train that only those with special eyes saw. Her silver-blue eyes were...

Machine

It was a small gadget. Not really bigger than his palm. There it had been on Paul’s front steps, waiting for him this morning. And it was for him. His name was on the package. He just wasn’t sure what it was and who had sent it. He had poked it, propped it, twisted it, and nothing. The brass thing was mute.

He glanced at the clock and stared at it in disbelief. It was already noon, and he had missed going to work. He was sure he had just gotten the thing out of the box and given it...

Corporate

It was to be his first day in the office. He had gotten the job through his uncle’s friend, who had taken pity on him at one of his uncle’s famous parties. The man had said that a good lad like him should have a career on his way. That it was such a shame that his university degree would be wasted on him. The man had given him a business card and said to meet him there on Monday. He was making his way through the city to do just that. He wasn’t sure if it was actually a job, an inte...

Spoil

The girl wailed. She had been the worst spoil they had taken from their raid. Even the most perseverant advocate for transom was starting to wear out of the constant wailing. The girl didn’t make the sound because she was scared. If she were, it would have made things a lot simpler. She was demanding this and that. She was constantly complaining about how bored she was.

They were setting up a party to return her home. There was a line of volunteers for the task despite the apparent d...

Creep

She was sure someone was following her. She had had that feeling for days. Still, whenever she glanced behind her, there were only the shadows and the stillness of moments that had passed. Yet, the feeling remained. No matter how many times she checked it, how many times she convinced herself that it was just her mind playing tricks on her, it was there. Thus far, her instincts had kept her safe. Thus far, she had relied on them, and she would rely on them even now when her senses were ...

Sorrow

Nothing was as it seemed. The darkness had swallowed everything she touched. There was just a stifled stillness, and she wasn’t sure how to struggle free. The dark tentacles pinned her down on her bed, sucking the life out of her. There was just a thick, heavy sorrow within. No will to struggle. Just surrender.

She could hear their muffled voices, demanding her to fight, whispering about all the past lives that seemed now too far away to reach. They spoke of someone who no longer ex...

Spice

The scent of the market was intoxicating. There were so many colors and scents she hadn’t felt before. Her caravan had traveled across the mountains, and here in the desert, they had found their trading post. She wondered if they had anything to give the people of the sand. Their spices burned her mouth and warmed her whole body. Their silk was the finest she had seen. With what they bought here, they would be rich back home. The colored patterns in their dresses and garments were like ...