The Boy wakes from a dream

Prompt: key #vss365 (view original tweet)

The boy wakes from a dream: dad rattling bars crying for the #key

His breath hovers in the air, thin ice coats the walls of his room

He shivers, pulls on his gown, looks out the window at the ruins up on the hill

Something primal snakes its white scales round his house

Join the story dots

…and more dots

…and more dots

…and more dots

violet #vss365

A deep, growling blue-eyed blizzard climbs the stairs

This way says a naked, wisp of a girl

Who? How? Says the boy

I’m #Violet. No time. Take my hand we have to fly

He grabs. She grips tight, runs & they transform as she takes flight out through his bedroom window

hold #vss365

He #holds her hand, feels smooth skin turn to feather. Ice jaws snap, as they exit window

She’s a bright kingfisher zipping through air! He chases after, feeling the thrill of wings

Ice jaws nip his tail as they crash into the holloway

Safe! she laughs in naked delight

Join the story dots

time #vss365

Stop larking about says the boy It’ll hear us

The green roof of the holloway shook as the white wyrm thundered overhead. The boy lay flat against its earthen walls. I’m naked!

Can’t fly with clothes she says placing her hand on his chest, his heart soared & #time stilled

flow #vss365

His heart slows as her cool hand warms on his skin. Time #flows between them

Who are you?

Violet

No. Who are you?

I am the guide. You are the messenger. This is the holloway, an ancient path. If it lets us, we’ll be able to travel hundreds of miles in a few hours

wound #vss365

She reaches into the hedge, pulls out a bundle #wound in string

Clothes, food: Hungry?

He nods. They dress on bread, cheese, pears, and cold black tea

Where are we going? He says as Violet heads down the holloway

To see the giant, Pyre, in the Pyrenees. Coming?

abjure #vss365

Ice erupts from every step he takes into the boy’s room

You’ve lost him! Growls a voice behind

He had help; the kingfisher flew him to the holloway

I #abjure this order of crows!

Haven’t you heard, says the white wyrm

What?

The Raven is dead! London tower in ruins

omen #vss365

They walk along the sun dappled holloway

What’s your name says Violet

Boy

Boy! She laughs

That’s what dad calls me

Well, Boy, what’s the message?

I don’t know he says

But you’re the…

What’s that?!

Raven feathers come whirling round their feet

An #omen! She says

mask #vss365

The hurt pinches her face, until she can’t #mask the pain

Boy steps back, looks away, wipes sleeve across mouth: You okay? Just feathers he mumbles

A crimson flush rises on her face, the tears roll away. He feels the sting of her hand & the holloway spits him out: alone

storm #vss365

You’re a funny looking bird, says the old tramp, pulling his cart to the side of the road to avoid a car

I’m a boy

Well, boy, you look like something just spat you out. #Storms coming: big black from the sea, nasty white from Corfe. Get y’self to Dunster. I’ll hold them

orb #vss365

Boy runs up wooded Tor to towering Dunster Castle, chased by white wyrm’s icey claws & black dragon’s flashing breath

Boy bangs desperately on the keep’s great doors: Help!

The doors slowly open. A tall woman comes forth, glowing #orb held aloft: Begone storm! She cries

sage #vss365

Light springs forth, spreading flowers along ground & blue into the sky. It burns bright until orb & storm are gone

The tall woman smiles, turns and vanishes into the castle, her pinkish brown robes flowing behind

Sage, basil & rosemary sprout from the boy’s head

spring #vss365

The boy’s toes curl down into earth, take root. Rosemary #springs blue flowers from his head and when he tries to scream, a silent tongue of parsley grows through his beard of sage. He feels knotted & woody, and grimaces with pain when a kingfisher lands & pecks his ear

fever #vss365

A jay swoops down before the poor boy & transforms into Dunster, the pinkish-brown robed sorceress

You stood too close to the magic orb Boy, says Dunster, now you’ve got spring #fever

It’ll be a week before those herbs grow out, unless? She says, eyeing the kingfisher

ally #vss365

No! Never! Says Violet, changing back from the kingfisher in horror

But you’re #allies not enemies says the sorceress

No! Says the girl pacing around the boy, staring at his parsley tongue

You’ll have to wait a week

We can’t! 1 kiss?

1 spring kiss breaks the spell

mortal #vss365

Stop squirming stupid boy! Do you want to be a walking herb garden? 1 kiss & you’re free!

They wince as their mouths meet. His long parsley tongue curls round her’s, worms its way down her throat; she gags, eyes wide in fear of her #mortal life. She CAN’T pull free!

drug #vss365

The boy knows he is killing her. He cannot stop. She is a #drug he must devour

His tongue spreads through her lungs; she cannot breathe, eyes weep

Fight him a distant voice calls

She pushes her own tongue in deep, deeper, until their double helixes entwine. Fuse

One

daylight #vss365

What kind of magic is this? Says Dunster, stroking their short thick fur

The boy&girl feel the sorceress’ hand glide over them: What are we? Is this a panto? Half human, half horse?

#Daylight breaks, myth awakens as science fades, she says. You are spring: a centaur!

past #vss365

They move as 1, a centaur prancing overlapping ripples of joy on their mind

Dunster sees the old tramp pulling his cart, waves for him to come see

Then the centaur stops: the flash of a kingfisher memory skipping #past, falling like a tear with the force of a punch

clean #vss365

The dirty old tramp grows #clean & tall as he nears the castle wall. His rags fall away from shining plate mail

Welcome home Sir Thomas, says Dunster

What is the meaning of this wonder? He nods at the centaur

I’ll explain later, for we are in danger! she says pointing

criminal #vss365

The ground shakes with hooves as a band of sword-bearing riders emerge from the wood

Dunster, Sir Thomas & centaur retreat to the castle. The portcullis crashing down like a prison gate

‘Your dad’s a #criminal? Thinks Violet

Stop reading my mind! Thinks Boy

It’s our mind!

sap #vss365

Sorceress!’ Cries the lead rider pulling up at castle gate. 16 riders assemble behind, clothed in furs, shield &spears on backs

The castle answers with a heavy silence

‘The Tower has fallen! The raven dead,’ he rages with spear aloft. ‘Now we shall #sap your life too!’

liminal #vss365

Great claws of ice bite into Dunster’s walls. An ice blue dragon lands, breathing blizzard and spreading wings of night over the crumbling keep

The sorceress stumbles, feels the #liminal moment as the Earth shudders under foot

Run to the catacombs! I’ll hold the beast!

future #vss365

The sorceress holds up her staff. Briefly, holding back the ice blue, until it is joined by white & black dragons

The castle gates fall, riders pour in. Dunster, vulnerable amid the trio of wyrms, is skewered by rider’s spears. Dragons bite her #future off, at the head

universe #vss365

A cloud of dust chases Sir Thomas and the centaur into the catacombs under Dunster Castle, as the great keep comes crashing down above

It feels like the #universe is tearing itself apart! Says the centaur

It is! Weeps the dust-covered knight, and my dear Dunster no more

frank #vss365

The stairwell is blocked says the centaur. We’re trapped!

There’s another way out says Sir Thomas. We must find Percival, a #Frank who fought with Charlemagne

He lives down here?

He’s long dead! His sarcophagus conceals a passage to an underground river

It’s too dark

crack #vss365

A pale blue glow emerges from a #crack in the dark

Percival! Gasps Sir Thomas. The ghostly shade doesn’t speak, only points

Come on! Says the centaur, pushing on the heavy lid of Percival’s sarcophagus

The lid scrapes open, revealing stone steps. Percival descends

claw #vss365

They follow Percival’s pale moonglow down the steep stair into vast echoing blackness

Their guide takes them over rocky ground to the lapping edge of an underground river, points at an upturned #claw rocking on the gentle flow

I think this is our ride says Sir Thomas

Make a connection

snow #vss365

They grip the upturned wooden fingers of the claw boat, and the river comes alive with the writhing dead

Percival waves as the boat is carried away on a current of ghostly pale blue arms, taking Sir Thomas & the centaur deep underground beneath a landscape deep in #snow

mystery #vss365

Ghostly hands, waves of water, carry the claw boat deeper

Hold on! cries Sir Thomas clinging to the side as the underground river gathers speed

Where is it taking us? the centaur shouts over a murmuring current of dead voices

A #mystery to meeee? He says as they drop

puncture #vss365

The dead river slows. Its pale glow illuminates the underground tunnel in a ghostly sheen

Sir Thomas now in rags, half shaven, old, slumps defeated in the boat. The memory of Dunster #punctures his heart, releasing a mournful echoing sob that draws the centaur’s embrace

sakura #vss365

The claw boat spins into a vast underground lake. The centaur gazes over the side at the pale blue glow of its swimming dead

Luminous petals descend, covering the blue water

#Sakura gasps the centaur. A soft pink island blooms a ghostly wave

Dunster! Cries Sir Thomas

turn #vss365

Cherry blossom flutters into the shape of the sorceress. She #turns toward the claw boat as it drifts past her island, clicks her petal fingers and the centaur divides into Violet and Boy once more

Out of the dark swoops a ghostly raven, crashing into the Boy’s chest

catch #vss365

Violet waits for the Boy to #catch his breath, but his eyes do not lie, unblinking, wide. Dead

Noooo! She cries shaking his shoulders

We must get him to the surface, off this dead river! Says Sir Thomas

We’re not leaving his soul here she says & dives

Splash!

Violet, no!

disrupt #vss365

The water bubbles in Violet’s ears with the steady sound of the dead

We are the river

We are the river

The relentless rhythm of those lifeless voices pull her down between ghostly bodies

We are the river

I am life! She rages, eyes blazing blue, #disrupting the river flow

destroy #vss365

Boy hangs in a bubble of parted dead. His lifeless eyes on Violet
We are the river he says what will you give?

She swims to him: Come with me, Boy!

You must give to take he says or the river will #destroy

Her tears lost in the flow: I have nothing to give, except…

hard #vss365

Violet feels Boy’s ghostly hand on her naked chest

You’re sure? He says

Just take it horrible Boy

He peels back her skin, peers in at a zipping kingfisher thrumming round her heart. He reaches between the ribs of her cage: You have to let it go

But it’s so #hard she says

armour #vss365

Sir Thomas searches the river of dead frantically for Violet, rocking the claw boat wildly at every turn. Boy’s lifeless body reaches out to his heart, breaking his #armour & hopes into rags and sobs

Then Violet breaks surface, gasping & fumbling for the side of the boat

soul #vss365

Sir Thomas lifted Violet into the claw boat. I thought I’d lost the both of you

Violet was too exhausted and out of breath to reply

Hold tight he said urgently. The river is growing wild. I fear some catastrophic event above ground. The flow of dead #souls is rising fast

poet #vss365

The claw boat spins down underground channels on the surging wave of souls, Sir Thomas & Violet holding tight. They pass through a small cavern where grey figures peer down from rocky outcrops like gargoyles

Sir Thomas places a calm hand on Violet: ‘Just dead #poets ‘

writer #vss365

Dead poets?

Only #writers die, their words live. Look Violet! Tennyson

A murmur rose from stone lips like the tide, echoing around the cavern

‘Break, Break, Break
At the foot of thy crags, O Sea!
But the tender grace of the day that is dead
Will never come back to me’

sphere #vss365

Tennyson’s verse fades into birdsong, as the river of souls surfaces on the River Hayle. Sir Thomas & Violet gaze upon a pure blue sky, feeling the warmth of its fiery #sphere as the claw boat spins to a halt. The girl kisses the dead Boy’s purple lips & he gasps to life

music #vss365

He’s alive! Cries Sir Thomas

Where are we, says Boy

Ah! His very voice is #music to the ears, is it not dear Violet

The girl turns away from them, peering through the upraised wooden fingers of the claw boat at ripples of sunlight bouncing off the river

Violet? says boy

crevice #vss365

We need to go says Violet

Where? Says Boy

To the Pyrenees

Spain! How?

The fingers of the claw boat creak

They rise: claw attached to arm, to body, to head. A wooden golem stands

We walk to Land’s End smiles Violet, peering down into every river #crevice for her kingfisher

founder #vss365

Cars came to a halt down Cornish country lanes, mobile phones out windows filming the giant wicker man striding across soft dandelion dappled fields. They didn’t see it #founder, over hill, tripping on hedge, crashing short of Land’s End. A million likes on social media

ruin #vss365

We’ll take the sea lane, past the Scilly Isles & the #ruins of Atlantis, says Violet pointing beyond Land’s End. It’ll take us to the Bay of Biscay

Sea lanes? Atlantis? Says Boy

Hidden paths along the ocean bed, says Sir Thomas, we can walk them from coast to coast

book #vss365

They made camp behind an old stone wall. The wicker man a scattering of shattered wood, from which Boy made a fire & Violet a spear

You’re hungry she says, reading him like a #book. I’ll go fish

She disappeared into the sea with hardly a splash, returning with pilchards

trespass #vss365

They ate pilchards, huddled round the camp fire, skins licked by flames. Sir Thomas told stories, long into night. Violet & Boy fell into dreams of subterranean giants reshaping the land

A ghostly #trespasser flew across Boy’s sleep. He woke. An albatross glides over sea

start #vss365

Time to #start says Violet, waking Sir Thomas. The old knight slowly rises

Going to be cold he says, eyeing the fading embers of the fire

The girl gently shakes Boy’s arm; he’s standing, watching a dream glide away

Wake up she laughs

They walk down to the soft waves

finish #vss365

Boy shivers as his foot touches the ice cold water. You sure this is right? He says

I’m not too happy about it myself but I’m the guide and this is the way says Violet

Once you start says Sir Thomas you have to #finish

They walk into the sea, and vanish beneath the waves

light #vss365

Boy holds his breath, closes his eyes. Violet’s grip pulls him on. He feels the cold water wrap round him, clogging his ears. A muffled swirl

He struggles up, to gasp air, but she holds him down until his mouth bursts in bubbles & he breathes the water, sees the #light!

draw #vss365

The pale glow of upturned whale rib cages stretch out before them along the sea bed. Violet takes Boy’s hand to #draw him along the spinal pathway. Sir Thomas points to shapes swimming out of the gloom: mermen & mermaids peer at the trio through gaps in the curving ribs

smooth #vss365

They walk along #smooth pale whale bones, following the sea lane over the ocean bed, under the watchful gaze of the merfolk

They unnerve me says Boy

Ignore them, says Violet, keep to the path

They pass between sunken ships, conquered by the sea, home to clans of merfolk

jazz #vss365

Look! says Boy. Lightning flashes in reds, yellows, purples & orange erupt from crooked galleons, WW2 battleships and trawlers on the seabed

Listen! Says Violet. The sound of symphonies, reggae and #jazz float from the wrecked ships, mixing in their ears, calling to them

action #vss365

Violet hurried down the sea lane, away from the lure of the music. Come on, she called. It was too late, Boy & Sir Thomas had already climbed through the ribbed edge of the path & were heading to the music & ships ‘Looking for some #action’ as Sir Thomas put it to Boy

beat #vss365

Flash red. #Beat. Flash yellow. Beat. Flash orange. Beat. Dark. Silence. Violet’s heart stopped with the lights & music. She stared through the gloom of the sea bed at the gaping hole in the side of HMS Warwick where Boy and Sir Thomas had vanished and felt hopeless rage

core #vss365

Violet swims reluctantly from the sea lane to the old warship, half-sunk in the ocean floor. She grabs the edges of the yawning black hole in its side, hoping to catch a glimpse of Boy & the old knight but only unsettling darkness greets her. Have they gone to its #core?

dew #vss365

Violet pulls herself into the dark, the fire in her heart dispels the #dew of fear that clings there

Like a lizard she scurries down gloomy submerged passageways. Stops, listens, speeds on

A blue light ahead sparks a rising tide of beats that flood her arteries – Boy!

etch #vss365

A pale blue glows from a great lamp, hanging in a vast chamber in the heart of the sunken ship

Violet is drawn to it, transfixed by the ornate blue shells that encase its light, engraved with scenes of merfolk hunting, dancing and lovemaking. Her fingers trace the #etch

frail #vss365

#Frail blue lines cling to Violet’s fingers, climb up her arm, draw her in, drag her down, squeeze her out, flat, until her skin hardens, burns & her body flickers in blue.

Pale figures approach

Boy & Sir Thomas? What has happened? she gasps

We are in the lamp! Says Boy

glass #vss365

Boy, girl & man: animated outlines of pearlescent blue, carved into shell

‘Surface dwellers simply cannot resist beauty, cut like #glass into our magic lamp,’ says a tough, old face gazing into the soft lamplight. ‘I am Lord Warwick, Chieftain of the Merfolk of Scilly’

Join the story dots

hush #vss365

I am Sir Thomas of Dunster. I demand that you release us from this lamp, Lord Warwick!

#Hush! My little djinn, you can all earn your freedom simply by granting me my wish

I wish I could cut that grin from your…

Hush! Sir Thomas, says Violet with a jab of her elbow

idiom #vss365

Unhook the shadow key, my angry djinn, says Lord Warwick, and pass it to me

Why must these merfolk speak in such an idiotic #idiom? cries Sir Thomas

Do go on, Lord Warwick, my friend is all ears, laughs Boy

To be freed, simply find the key hidden in the lamp’s shadow

jangle #vss365

Violet led them around the #jangling shells of the lamp

Are they fighting? says Boy as they passed an orgy of merfolk

You are too young to watch this passion, Boy! says Sir Thomas, himself shocked by a pregnant merman

And you are too old to see such sights! laughs Violet

kindred #vss365

I must confess says Sir Thomas I feel most exposed on this very blue of lamps. I do not trust these merfolk with their sinful ways, and I do not see where we will find shadow in all this light. Oh for a dozen of my #kindred!

Stop staring at those mermaids! says Violet

lyric #vss365

What is that sound? Says Boy

It is a harp! Says Sir Thomas, and listen to that #lyric…

“Do you feel the blue of the light, of the lamp, of the sea
Of the shadow at the heart of you, of me
Sorrow is the key”

I do not like the sound of this, says Violet

minor #vss365

A sobbing merman, shimmering in blue draws their attention

What is wrong my friend, says Sir Thomas tenderly, crouching low by the poor fella

My part like yours is #minor to this tale, sobs he, and yet the sorrow I bring… so great!

Sir Thomas! Violet cries. Too late…

normal #vss365

The sobbing merman thrust the jagged edge of a shell through the heart of Sir Thomas, who gasped in surprise before shattering like glass

Violet leapt onto the merman beating him with furious fists

I’m sorry, he cried

Why did you do that? She raged. That’s not #normal

other #vss365

Boy’s tears are lost in the gentle sea water, but his sorrow drips long and deep onto the shards of Sir Thomas

He does not see Lord Warwick or his clan of merfolk who gather round the lamp. He is aware of no #other, but the shards melding with his sorrow into a shadow key

page #vss365

Violet & Boy feel the pull of the sea peeling them away from the pale blue lamp like a #page from a book. Its light goes out. They lie heartbroken, silent in the dark

LIGHT! MUSIC! DANCE!

The whole chamber erupts. Merfolk sing & dance. Lord Warwick embraces the sad pair

quarter #vss365

It’s a great sacrifice, says Lord Warwick, eyeing the shadow key in Violet’s pale hand. My people have been scattered across the world for millennia, refugees locked out of our rightful home! A #quarter turn of that key in the lock, and Atlantis will be ours once more!

rabbit #vss365

The floor rumbles; the Atlantic shrinks; giants are reshaping the land! Cries Lord Warwick. Lucky we have the key to hand

Too long have we lived like #rabbits in warrens of sunk wrecks! Come Violet & Boy, come see the mighty Northern Kingdom of Atlantis rise from the sea

Join the story dots

strand #vss365

Merfolk gather from afar at a vast hidden door amid #strands of seaweed on the underwater slopes of the Isles of Scilly

Sharks, whales, sea turtles & dolphins come too

Is this Atlantis an Ark? Says Boy

Our banishment is over, says Lord Warwick, turning the key in the door

tremble #vss365

The shadow key dissolves. The sea bed #trembles. The great doors of Atlantis open

Lord Warwick leans on his trident, peers in. Bring lanterns, he cries. Wait! A bright light from deep inside, coming closer: a tall man in gold wearing a crown

A collective gasp! Sir Thomas!

umbra #vss365

A silhouette of gold strides towards them, features hidden in its #umbra

Sir Thomas! Cries Boy, You’re alive!

What is this witchcraft? Says Lord Warwick

The golden knight towers above them: Welcome all to my kingdom except alas, Boy & Violet, your path lies elsewhere

verge #vss365

I don’t believe it! Cried Boy. This is Atlantis! We’re on the #verge of the greatest of legends, & you, you old tramp, our friend, now royal & mighty, won’t even let us in!

Feel the sea bed, says the King, how it shakes. The continents are shifting. You have to reach Pyre

water #vss365

Violet pulls Boy like a kite, away from Atlantis toward the sea lane. He reaches back to the fading wave of the gold king, wrestling with her grip

Stop struggling! She cries, her voice bubbling angrily in the blue #water, until she sets him down on the whale bone path

X #vss365

I’m tired. I’m thirsty. Are we there yet? Where are we going? Says Boy
We’ve been walking hours!

What do you want to drink?

Not seawater he says

Look this is us she says drawing an #X in the seabed, & this is San Sebastian, 4 hours walk to all the food & drink you need

yoke #vss365

Violet & Boy emerge from a stormy Bay of Biscay onto a beach West of San Sebastian

They look up from their dragging feet, surprised by a crowd of pointers all along the coast, joined by some invisible #yoke

What are they pointing at? Says Boy

Look! Says Violet

Boy gasps

zoom #vss365

Across the Bay of Biscay, beneath dark clouds & Sun, they see a torch held high

Am I seeing things! Says Boy, holding his hand over his eyes, trying to #zoom in

I’m afraid not! Says Violet. It’s the Statue of Liberty, and behind looks like the flooded ruins of Manhatten

whiskey #vss365

Boy & Violet held hands, watching dark, turbulent waters slosh like #whiskey in a glass. The Atlantic Ocean now a thin channel & the Bay of Biscay almost an inland sea, & as New York City came crashing into Europe, Atlantis rose from the deep beside the Statue of Liberty

ripple #vss365

Violet pulls Boy away from the startling shore, up into the hills above San Sebastian. He looks back one last time at the newly shaped land across the bay, listening to the distant #ripple of excited voices spreading along the coast

Come on, says Violet, time to go

island #vss365

They climb the low hills, heading inland. Day after day they walk, eat and sleep, rarely talking. Eventually, high up in the mountains of the Pyrenees, they emerge above the clouds scrambling along #island peaks, floating over the world; just the wind & Sun for company

tweet #vss365

They sit on a rocky outcrop, legs dangling, eating wild mountain brownies caught from a fresh water lake, watching cloud roll under feet; a distant bird #tweet

Boy looks at her

What? Says Violet, tell me

In her eyes he sees horizons wider than the sky

Maybe later, he says

edit #vss365

They climb down beneath the clouds, stopping in a hollow. She points at a hole hidden by juniper bushes

Here, says Violet, is the way down to Pyre’s lair. Go slowly. Watch your step

You’re coming, too!

No. I’ll wait here, she says. Don’t get #edited out of the story. Go!

lambent #vss365

Boy climbs down the rocky steps, thinking only of Violet. Looks up at her glowing silhouette & his #lambent heart flares bright. He runs back, kisses her startled lips. She pulls away, a flutter in her chest

My kingfisher she gasps

I kept it for you! He says & descends

denuded #vss365

Violet watches Boy vanish down into the depths of the mountain, feeling the kingfisher flutter joyfully round her heart. A shadow drops down from the rocks above: a scrawny smirking boy, #denuded of grace, wipes his nose with his hand, then offers it

Who are you? She says

milk #vss365

Who am I? he laughs. I was a monkey, perched on top of the world. You might call me Sparrow but that ain’t so true. I took a beating to find my true form, to kill my #milky fear; they didn’t beat me for long

Violet gasps as leathery wings unfold, casting her in shadow

pale #vss365

Boy follows the stone steps down into the mountain, stumbling as daylight fades to dark

This is hopeless, he whispers, hugging the wall. It could take days to clamber down like this. Oh for a light!

His prayer is answered by the #pale glow of a ghostly figure beside him

swallow #vss365

This apparition does not spread fear, but calmly summons a flight of phantom #swallows to light their dark descent

“If you are curious, says the ghost, it is I, Raven, who met his demise at the fall of London’s Tower &, thanks to you, fled the dead river. Doom is upon us”

conjure #vss365

“Doom or not, I’m tired of walking under sea and over mountain, so if you’re the all-powerful Raven” says Boy. “can you #conjure up a feast and then magic us to the bottom of these endless steps.

Raven roared with laughter

Oh, said Boy, and I need a pee. Excuse me!

six #vss365

How many continents are there? Said Raven, as they continued their descent

#Six? Said Boy. 7?

Wrong. The answer is 1: Pangaea, ripped apart around 175 million years ago and held in the unnatural state you know by tribes of subterranean giants, of which Pyre’s tribe is 1

blur #vss365

Raven continued to tell of the ancient world that was reawakening, but Boy had long since stopped listening. While his ghostly guide glided effortlessly, Boy staggered down and every step of their rocky descent deep into the heart of the pyrenees became a #blur to him

roar #vss365

Awake at last!

What? Says Boy stretching on the cold stone steps in the pale gloom. Where are we?

Deep under the earth says Raven. You walked yourself into a sleep so deep, I couldn’t wake you. A ghost can’t nudge; it was the #roar of your snore that finally woke you!

inch #vss365

My legs ache says Boy. I can’t walk another #inch

You have done well to get this far says Raven. Take my hand

Take a ghost’s hand? Says Boy, surprised to feel the icey grip pull him up. He stands, a ghostly glow beside Raven, looking down on his own sleeping body. Wow!

paw #vss365

So now I can just float to the bottom, says Boy. Will my body be safe here?

Absolutely, unless a hungry bear passes and pauses to #paw you to see if you are tasty enough for lunch. Relax! I’m joking, besides I imagine you stink something awful, even for a bear! Come on

tightly #vss365

They picked up speed, ghosting down stone steps; 2 pale spectres descending into the underworld

Down
Down
Down
Spiralling in #tightly
Round and round

Whoo hoo, cried Boy, this is fun!

Raven laughed

They slowed as they heard a rhythm of drums & deep voices

We’re here, Boy!

parts #vss365

Boy floats down stone steps into the path of vast powerful legs, muscles taut, hands grasping great chains anchored to tectonic plates

Hot tears cut his ghostly cheeks: This cannot be! A tug of war between subterranean giants

Despite all he’s seen #part of him disbelieves

smell #vss365

Which one is Pyre? Says Boy

The brute at the front with the eyepatch, cracking the whip, says Raven

How do we safely interrupt giants? Says Boy

Getting their attention can be a little tricky. They go a lot on smell, not something ghosts are strong on!

Swell?

No, #smell

Oh

belly #vss365

Don’t make a sound, whispers Raven. To giants, we’re ghostly mice. Scare them & they’ll release the chains, causing a cataclysmic reaction above ground!

What do we do? Says Boy

Was that your #belly? Are you hungry? Says Raven

Do ghosts have bellies?

No, but you do. Look!

feasts #vss365

What’s my body doing here? Says Boy watching it stumble through the giants’ legs. We left me safely asleep on the steps!

Someone must be inside, operating you! Said Raven. We can’t smell it but I bet the giants are cooking a #feast, and it’s attracting your rumbling belly

fiery #vss365

The ghostly pair watch in horror as Boy’s body walks up to Pyre and taps on that #fiery giant’s leg
What am I doing, cries Boy. He’ll eat me!
He’s picking you up, says Raven
He’s opening his mouth, says Boy, I must do something!
Wait! Cries Raven. You’re talking to him!

black #vss365

Tiny #black crows fly from Boy’s mouth, each squawking in some giantish tongue before exploding in a feathery puffs

Pyre’s one good eye glowers, as he listens to the dark message

What are you saying? Says Raven

Beats me, says Boy’s spirit. Heavens! He’s flung me aside!

puckering #vss365

Are you okay? Says Raven. Any broken bones?

It’s hard to say, says Boy. I don’t think I’m breathing. How do I get back inside my body?

Hmmm. Tricky one says the ghostly mage. Try a kiss

A kiss! Kiss myself?

Yeah. Awful I know, but just try #puckering your lips and… kiss

brims #vss365

Boy feels his soul flow into his body through puckered lips, filling it to the #brim

Boy? Says Raven

He opens his eyes. Sits up. It’s warm in here! Gosh, I’m hungry! Oh, how my legs ache. I’m tired, Raven. I feel heavy!

Raven laughs

And where have all the giants gone?

wonder #vss365

They #wondered no more as the cavern shook with the echoing song of giant’s marching to war down one of the many tunnels

Come on! Let’s follow says Raven

I can’t says Boy I need to go back up to Violet & I’m hungry, he says, eyeing a bubbling cauldron of giant’s broth

dangles #vss365

Boy #dangles a large cup over the edge of the cauldron

I have to go follow these giants, says Raven. See what they are up to. I hope we’ll meet again some day Boy. Oh, and I’d avoid the broth if I were you

Boy licks his lips, the giant’s broth smelt good to a hungry belly

tail #vss365

He takes a sip of the broth. It tastes good. Licks his lips. What harm can it do? He thinks. I haven’t grown a #tail. Silly Raven

He drinks, and drinks, and drinks – way more than seems possible. Boy’s eyes swim in smiles. Then an enormous gigantic BURP!! erupts. Echoes

nails #vss365

Boy staggers and sways across the cavern, climbs the steps, using the walls to steady himself. He stops, scratches his chest with roughly chewed #nails – I have hair on my chest! he says. And what are these? He cries, feeling two tusks rising from his lower jaw
Oh my!

shudder #vss365

Boy #shudders and quickens his pace, taking the steps 2 at a time, desperate to find Violet. He yearns to see her again. She’ll know what to do!

By the time he nears the light at the end of the tunnel he’s taking the steps 6 at a time and stooping through the narrow cave

always #vss365

He bursts out of the cave onto the mountainside, greeted by laughter. He turns & turns, trying to locate it: Violet!?

She’s gone you ugly muck, says a scrawny kid leaping down from above

Gone?

Were you #always this ugly? And stupid, too! Name’s Sparrow. You?

Boy

Knew it!

dread #vss365

Where did she go? Says Boy, curiously scratching his surprisingly large, rough-haired head

Sparrow wipes his nose with his sleeve: Said she had to fly. Better things to do than wait for some stupid kid

She said that? Said Boy, gazing at his ogre-sized hands with #dread

open #vss365

Boy licks one of his great tusks in disgust, tries to speak then closes his #open mouth. He walks away, wiping his stinging eyes

Sparrow follows him down the path, patting his back: There, there, he says. Don’t cry, you’re making your face even uglier. I’ll look after ya

blind #vss365

Here’s a freshwater pool, says Sparrow. Freshen up, have a drink, and then I’ll take you to a friend of mine who may be able to help

Look at me! She’d have to be #blind to see past this ugly, says Boy

Lighten up, & I can’t keep calling you Boy. I mean, look at you!

never #vss365

You need a name that says who you are, says Sparrow as the pair ambled down the mountainside

You can call me anything you want, says Boy. I don’t care, but! #Never call me Lance

Oh! Why’s that?

It’s my real name… but dad called me Boy

How about Tusk?

Tusk! Sounds weird

word #vss365

Come on Tusk! Says Sparrow picking up the pace

Stop using that #word, it’s horrible says Boy

How about your ugly hairy face? 2 big tusks protruding up from your bottom lip, warts, bulbous nose…

Hey! Give it a rest!

You like your new face?

No!

Tusk is perfect then!

prompt #vss365

Boy looks out, across the border into the French hills below, #prompting Sparrow to look too.

What’s that? He says pointing at a cloud of dust making its way toward the coast

Looks like an army on the move, Says Sparrow. Stay here. I’ll go look. And he flutters into sky

llama #vss365

Boy watches Sparrow fly into blue, remembering when he once flew too, out a window with Violet

A raindrop lands on his hand, he looks up into the clear sky at the sound of thunder: not rain but tears, he is crying with loneliness & hunger

“Oh I could murder a… #llama!”

purple #vss365

He sits on a ledge, waiting for Sparrow’s return, remembering dragons, crows, castles & knights, merpeople, giants, ghosts and being a centaur.. with her

A #purple flower, soft & delicate, growing lonely on the mountainside, catches his eyes; his tears make the colour run

dairy #vss365

Boy feels a hard slap on his great back, and Sparrow laughs

Look at you, Tusk! Wallowing in your misery, milking it like a #dairy cow!

Don’t call me that!

The man I said could help you is down there! Says Sparrow. That dust cloud is his army, making camp. Let’s go!

fandango #vss365

Stop dragging your feet, says Sparrow. You don’t have to dance the #fandango, but you do need to pick up the pace!

Boy stumbles along, slowly following Sparrow down the mountain path. He notices a slither of violet moon in the darkening blue, as the sun dips toward night

bottom #vss365

Who is this man you are taking me to, says Boy, as they reach the #bottom of the mountains and head into the hills

The dark gathers around them, the only light from the slice of violet moon

Lord Phillipe d’Angers, says Sparrow, he is leading a great army to San Sebastian

squeeze #vss365

On the outskirts of Saint Jean Pied de Port, Boy & Sparrow came upon 6 men gathered round a small fire, armed with spears & shields, dressed in fur-trimmed leather. Nearby, hung 3 men, swinging above discarded guns

Boy felt Sparrow #squeeze his arm: I’ll do the talking

nun #vss365

Boy held back, watching Sparrow talk to the men who now surround him, he was pointing toward the coast and talking fast

A shadow moves and startles Boy, an old #nun with piercing eyes. She places a string of beads in his palm, closes his powerful hand firmly round them

chaos #vss365

Boy pulls away but the nun holds him firm, her old hands surprisingly strong

You are going to kill someone! she says, someone dear to you! It will break your heart, shatter your mind into #chaos! But listen, chaos is but a pattern you don’t understand. Open your eyes! See

calm #vss365

Sparrow shoves the nun hard, breaks her spell: Get away from him old crow!

Hey! Says Boy, leave her be. She means no harm

Come on! Says Sparrow, we can get to the camp by morning, so you can prove yourself to d’Angers

Prove myself? Says Boy, lost in the nun’s #calm gaze

punk #vss365

You want to see your girlfriend again, don’t you, Tusk!

She’s not my girlfriend, says Boy

No, she’s just a little #punk, says Sparrow

Boy grips Sparrow round the neck and lifts him off the ground. I could snap your filthy neck! He spits in the lad’s choking, red face

lucky #vss365

“I wouldn’t waste your strength on my pup,” says a smooth rich voice and, with the gentle pressure of an iron gauntlet, Boy drops Sparrow to the ground

“Lord Phillipe d’Angers, at your service,” says the tall knight, “When I heard you were nearby, I thought, what #luck!”

swim #vss365

Boy steps back to take in the tall, handsome knight. A shadowy creature #swims deep beneath the charming words of the man’s gentle voice, but it is too murky in Boy’s dense ogre head to see clearly beneath the surface

My Lord, gasps Sparrow, I bring you Tusk, as promised

cycle #vss365

Lord d’Angers ignores the wretched Sparrow. He leads Boy toward his camp

You want help finding a girl? Says the knight

Violet

Violet! I can help, but I need your help in return, Tusk

My name’s…

For this task, you must be Tusk

Suspicion #cycles round Boy’s head

bare #vss365

They enter a large camp on the edge of a forest, crowded with horses, knights, archers, pikeman, cooks, tents, jousters, jugglers and touts, all around a #bare patch of ground, surrounded by burnt out cars and tanks

Lord d’Angers leads Boy to his quarters, beckons him in

bear #vss365

It’s icy cold inside d’Angers’ tent. Boy’s breath puffs in clouds, reminding him of a spring morning, long ago, waking in his house to a dragon’s frosty curling slither

I’m sorry, says d’Angers, placing a #bear skin over Boy’s shoulders. The cold suits me. Drink this

beard #vss365

What is it? Says Boy

Iced vodka and lime, help you relax, says d’Angers

I’d prefer hot chocolate, says Boy, I’m feeling the cold

Of course, I forget you are still a boy. Look at you! Tusks, muscles hard as granite, eight foot tall. When I hit pubity, I grew a #beard

bored #vss365

Let’s get down to business, says Lord d’Angers. I have a little problem with a small army of knights about 30 miles north of here

Boy listens, gulping full cream hot chocolate, trying to not look #bored

I want you, Tusk the Ogre, to challenge their leader to a duel!

plank #vss365

I’m not a fighter, says Boy

But for this girl, this Violet, what would you do? Says d’Angers

Whatever it takes, Says Boy. I’d walk the #plank into a sea of sharks

She is in grave danger! Wait! I can save her but you must complete this task, and as Tusk. Fail! She dies

breeze #vss365

I am Tusk, says Boy to himself, riding an armoured rhino out of d’Angers camp, alone, heading north toward trouble. A cool #breeze greets him with the awakening dawn and a yawning violet moon hangs heavy in the sky

Your foe, He recalls d’Angers saying, bears a great sword

bob #vss365

The slow sway of the rhino sends Tusk into a sleep, he dreams he is a small boy flying through the forest on his dad’s shoulders, holding on tight, and they are laughing, and the world is a wonderful forever

Then he #bobs awake. It is dark. No moon. The rhino still

SNAP!

hurlyburly #vss365

Tusk grips his stone mace and eyes the dark trees keenly

SNAP!

Who’s there he calls in his best ogre voice

My! My! Look at you! Mr #Hurlyburly says a black knight emerging from the darkness

There are more of them, surrounding him. Feathers for armour. Swords drawn

impossible #vss365

Think carefully about your next move, ogre, or a thousand knights will be upon you!

Tusk steadied his armoured rhino mount, removed his mighty gauntlet and threw it to the ground: I, Tusk the Ogre, challenge your leader to a duel to the death!

#Impossible! They cried

Join the story dots

nose #vss365

Tusk saw only the #nose of the rhino, as he calmly rode to the edge of the cackling circle at the top of the hill, and the knight opposite in black armour, visor down, astride a warhorse, on his shield the sun eclipsed by the moon

A black crow flies overhead, cries Corfe!

headstone #vss365

The crow lands on the #headstone of Tusk’s mace, taps with its beak. Corfe! It stirs boyish memories in the ogre’s thick skull

The crowd roars, a warhorse gallops, a clatter of armour, flash of steel, a great sword protrudes from the rhino’s head. Tusk tumbles. Crow flies

parrot #vss365

Tusk landed heavy, stunned, arms limp by his side, his ears full of the #parroting chatter of crows: kill him

He felt the sting of fire, saw his ugly ear fly, his face flooded by the warmth of his blood

He looked up, saw the sword come down: fail and Violet will die!

flash #vss365

Tusk sits helpless as Arthur’s sword descends in a #flash

Briefly he sees the violet moon bruising the sky, faint, growing stronger until he feels the kingfisher beating wings deep in his chest. The ogre’s fist rises fast & wraps round the blade with fury, hard as stone

kawasaki #vss365

It was too late! Tusk recognised his dad’s face just as he plunged the sword through his heart

Boy! The last word he heard uttered before his dad turned to stone

Boy’s heart raced like a #Kawasaki engine. He shrank back in horror, his voice squeaking: the world felt vast

done #vss365

Boy raced through the grass past the Kawasaki, away from the sword-in-the-stone statue of his dad, right into a small cage. The door closed on him. Trapped!

He was lifted in the air. The cruel face of Sparrow peered in: Hello Boy! Or should I say Mouse!

The deed was #done

inglenook #vss365

Boy holds the cage bars with his tiny mouse hands and peers out

Amid Sparrow’s snore he hears the rip of canvas and a familiar old knight steps into the gloom

The old face looks troubled, eyes like #inglenooks, until they spot…

Boy!

Sir Edward! Squeaks Boy!

Shhh!