Icy Shores

Cold winds blow across the frigid waters as the white caps of the waves crest and fall back down into the next.
On the desolate shore, a fur-clad figure stands facing the vast open waters before them. Frost collects on the brim of their hood as their breath steams out from underneath the hood’s cover into the freezing, wet air.
Their goal of the far shore cannot be seen across the wide body of mercilessly cold, but cross they must; to find what they seek; to find what they have lost.
Taking off their sturdy leather gloves, they raise their bare hands out, palms facing the water. White light begins to glow from within each hand and become as bright as the white sun shining in the pale blue sky. Struggling to keep them steady, they hold their arms out as the waters far off the shore begin to churn violently.
Waves crash into each other and swirl into eddies as a dark shadow appears under the surface, and quickly grows larger.
Erupting from below a massive head of a man lifts out of the churning waters. A giant of solid ice heaves its great shoulders up and out into the air as the rest of its body lumbers up and moves toward the small figure on shore. It seems to walk on the seabed far below as it nears the shore.
The ground shakes as the giant ice man stomps its massive foot down a short distance from the figure standing on the barren shoreline; a small child in comparison to the goliath before them.
As it reaches the waters’ edge, the ice giant kneels down and slowly extends a massive hand, palm face up, down to its master.
Keeping their brightly glowing hands held out, they climb easily onto the icy palm, which is then raise high up into the air as the giant stands and turns back to the vast sea. Holding its passenger out in its hand at chest level, it begins to stride out across the water, stepping upon the surface with freezing footfalls.
As they move out across the water, the chilling wind pushes back the tiny figure’s furry hood and the long, dark hair and soft cheek of a severe, yet beautiful woman are exposed. Her dark eyes concentrate on the unseen shore of the other side, but a tiny smile touches her red lips. Soon she will reach her goal; soon she will find what she has lost.

Alternate

I don't think alternate universes are parallel. If you think about it, what occurs in nature that is parallel? Nothing. Only people try to make things straight and tidy.

Alternate universes and dimensions probably exist in random, wavy lines, not straight, parallel ones. And they probably intersect at points along themselves, thus creating nexus points where two or more universes touch.

At these nexus points, it is probable that some version of you could slip into our universe, and you could slip into theirs. Possibly without either of you even realizing it.

Sliding into different versions of their universes, where maybe the only difference is that you like the colour red and the other version of you likes blue. No one would notice, not even you, until you started to slowly realize everything you own had blue hues instead of red....

Unless it was a Renaissance universe. Then you'd probably notice right away. What with the tights and fancy wigs.

Shut Your Light Hole

Down through the dirt hole, Peter peered. A light had shone out from the darkness of the roughly dug hole, like a beam rising into the starry night sky.

He had been walking hurriedly home from work, along the sidewalk that boarded the tree-filled park, when he had seen the light coming from the hole in the grassy ground and stopped.

Such an odd thing, the small hole could have been made by some animal, trying to get at what lay beneath, yet the shaft of light, though thin, seemed not to be a natural occurrence.

So Peter had stopped and was now kneeling down to investigate, his face lit byte the golden light of the hole. Something did seem to be underneath, a light source escaping through the small opening it had been given.

Peter leaned in closer and reached into dig out the opening a bit more, pushing the edges down into the hole itself.

He had barely touched the sides and the dirt began to crumble away and the hole enlarged rapidly so that Peter had to pull back quickly as to not fall off balance.

The light that broke through was brilliant as it beamed up and into the sky like a spot light.

To get closer, Peter got down on all fours, paying little regard to the knees of his slacks getting dirty. He squinted as he peered further down into the hole of light.

Thought it, what he saw made his brain swirl with incomprehension. For on the other side of the opening was a sun, shinning brightly in a blue sky.

Resting more of his weight upon the ground, Peter pushed himself closer still to the hole, almost pushing his face through the hole itself.

He caught a glimpse of a green land through the clouds that hovered around the giant sphere on the sun, as it sat in the sky that seemed to curve down and away from his view.

Suddenly, the ground broke away from him and he felt himself falling through the widening gap. Reflexively, Peter grabbed onto the other side of the hole's edge and held on with both hands as his body swung down to hang in the air at the top of the sky on the other side.

Frantically he looked down to see that he was indeed hanging thousands of meters above a green land pocked with pools of blue water and high, snow-topped mountains. All of which were lit by the glowing sphere of the sun that hung just to his left a few hundred meters below.

A world within the world, he thought as he tried to pull himself up, but the dirt crumbled and he lost his grip on the edge.

Tumbling through the sky, the wind whipped passed his ears as he fell passed the massive orange sun, his small figure a silhouette against its bright surface.

Faster and faster the ground rush towards him, and Peter fought fiercely to swim through the air so that he was positioned over one of the big lakes of crystal blue water. Maybe, he thought, at least I can try to splash down into the water, instead of the ground. Though he was not sure if he would survive either impact.

So, as he approached the water rapidly, he dropped his feet down underneath himself so that they would break through first and closed his eyes.

In the blackness he felt a jolt and he opened his eyes. The darkness remained but with the speckles of twinkling light that were the stars in the sky above. He sat up to find that he was back on the grass of the park and it was night once more.

He stood up and looked around for the hole but the ground was unbroken wherever he looked. A couple walked by along the sidewalk with their small dog on its leash, and as they passed the dog wandered over to him and sniffed the ground at his feet and began to paw at it.

Its owners tugged him away and apologized but Peter barely noticed, he only looked down where the dog had been pawing to see a tiny sliver of light coming through the grass blades.

He sidestepped quickly off the spot and tip-toed back to the sidewalk, where he continued home, not bothering to brush the dirt that covered his knees and hands.

The Pool

Something was wrong; something was amiss.

Some dark thing felt to be lurking,

from beyond the abyss.

Looking into the inky pool's reflection,

the one looking back seemed odd.

And not one of my own, familiar complexion.

At first thought, perhaps the light fell in error.

Yet as I gazed further, my heart filled up with dread.

The mirrored visage became on of terror.

With its sneering black teeth and eyes devoid of light,

from out of the pool it for me,

as, stumbling back, I tried to take flight.

But its icy grip held my arm fast.

I felt myself being pulled back, into the pool.

Knowing surly, the next breath would be my last.

Now it is I who look out from the murky waters so cold.

Only a reflection upon the pool's calm surface.

And it is to you that my story be told.

My friends, if it is me you think that you see.

My horrid twin has taken my place.

Take my warning, run, save yourself; flee!

The Lute Creature

Deep in the woods, there lives a creature of unimaginable power. Though it does not know it. It thinks of itself as just a plain, simple creature, living its life contently amongst the trees.

It is not a very large creature, rather small in fact. It does not mind, however, for its small stature keeps it hidden out of sight. And for the most part, that is what it wants to be, out of sight of the other creatures who live in the woods and the lands beyond.

On some nights, though, it comes out from its home in the trunk of an old tree, sits on its favourite stump, and begins to pluck away on its little homemade lute. As it plays, the notes of its melody dance out and up into the dark night sky.

They shine and sparkle in the dark pitch of the sky, lighting up the night with their shimmering glow. All the other creatures come out of their holes and burrows, sleepily draw by the one little creature's simple song.

Big and small, they all sit around the creature on its stump peacefully and watch as its song lights dance above them. The song lifts the woods into the sky, and it floats like an island amongst the shimmering lights, leaving the world below.

Soon there seems to be no distance at all between the tall tree tops and the darkness of space, but all the creatures of the wood are warm and happy as they sway back and forth to the melody the little creature continues to plink on the tight strings of its crude little lute.

Slowly, the creature begins to end its song and the woods begin to drop down from the sky gently. And as the sun's rays begin to peak over the rim of the horizon, the forest sets back in place and the song ends.

The other creatures of the woods lumber and scamper back to their homes to go back to their slumber, but the little creature only sits on its stump, smiling as it watches them go.

Just before the sphere of the sun comes over the horizon, chasing the night away, the creature heads to its home as well. To rest itself for the next evening's song.

Destoryer

In the dank light between the two buildings a glowing ball began to flicker into existence.

It hovered a few meters above the slick, garbage littered pavement and grew its radius with pulsating beats. Within the bright white light of the glowing orb, an image of a featureless figure rippled into view for a moment and faded away.

The figure wavered in and out a few more times as a crackling noise began to emanate all around the orb.

In a blinding flash, a bolt of lightning came crashing down from the clear night sky and hit the glowing orb as if drawn to it.

After a deafening crack, the flashing electrical bolt and glowing orb were gone, and an opaque figure stood from kneeling position. Their skin gave off off a faint amber glow itself, as if lit from within.

Neither male, nor female; human in appearance, but altogether other worldly. With each step it took, the concrete seared with radiant heat.

They had arrived, and had come to complete the mission that had been given; the mission passed down from their masters, through the ranks, to them to complete; them alone.

As the glowing being left the alleyway in a slow, determined stride, Heather watched in awe from where she had hidden, behind a dumpster, when she first saw the flickering light on her way home.

She crouched awkwardly in her skirt and heels, out of sight as the towering figure passed. As it did, she could swear she heard it saying aloud to itself in a monotone voice, “Destroy all Rune Buns!”

But that made no sense. They cannot have meant that, could they?

Iron

Blood drips from his finger tips as hestands with his arms held out from his body, his chest heaving heavywith breath. He can feel the stinging of the cuts upon his left armas he clenches his fist and shakes the dripping blood upon concretewith a splatter. In his right, he grips his sword.

Looking down the length of the street,he never breaks his gaze from the figure, standing like a mirroredimage a full block away. The two looking wary and haggard aftertheir long battle, but both ready to strike like great, deadly junglecats at the first sign of the others movement.

The amber street lamps light citystreet with the sinister lights of the; their sickening glow castingcontorted shadows on the two opponents' faces. Only the sharp glintof hatred in their eyes penetrates their silhouetted visage.

He squints as he sees his counterparttense his grip on his own sword hilt, the blade glinting with theslight movement. He sneers and twirls his sword deftly in his hand ashe changes his stance, shifting his weight to his front leg, readyingto strike.

With a snarl his foe begins a mutedsprint toward him as he himself releases a growl and tears forward.

Leading with their free hands they lettheir shining blades trail out behind as they run furiously towardone another.

As they gain speed, the lights of thecity street flicker and the background shifts to a muddy, gray skylit battle field. Bodies of dead warriors and horses lay in thetrampled ground as the two run ever onward.

As pools of muddy water splash up witheach of their foot strikes, the battle field flickers and the rubbleof an ancient city surrounds them, its dusty, arid streets brightlylit as the sun beats down from the white hot sky.

Each time the scene changes, the twostill charging enemies change their grab to that of the nativewarriors that lay about them in bloodied heaps.

As they near each other within a dozenmeters, the ruins flicker away and are replaced by an empty, grassymeadow; the breeze blowing peacefully through the long, reedy stocks.

The two doppelgangers cover the last ofthe distance between them with a leap into the air. Their gray,peasant clothes stained with the blood of their wounds.

The steel of their blades clash andthey land with a roll away from each other.

He swiftly turns to face his double ashe faces him; the hateful glare mimicked on both of their faces. They round each other, the movements of their feet and blades likean intricate dance.

“This was my favourite death.” hesays steadily as he switches his stance.

“Then come,” his opponent answersin a growl, “let us die once more.”

They leap, hefting their blades highover their heads to bring them down on one another in a slashingblow. Another clash of their blades and the light washes over thescene; their never ending battle; eternal.