Lucid Waking

Originally published on November 29, 2005

            Rivers. Rivers of pain, ice, and fire. She grew up on the banks of these waters and she knew what it was like to know nothing but a constant feeling of numbness and missing something you love or need. The Hawkes took care of her and left her for dead when she reached age seventeen. Now, she was fit for an empress and there was nothing in her path that was going to stop her.
            Crossing the morbidly cold room to the window, she gently brushed everything on her desk with her pale frozen fingers. Snow glistened outside in the distant sunlight. The breath of thousands of commoners lingered on the morning air like clouds of a thousand souls. Nature had a way of seeming wickedly beautiful and she knew that a gorgeous day today would become a treacherous blizzard tomorrow. Time had a way to do that to a person as well; youth was wonderful and carefree but tomorrow’s age would only come with suffering and a race against death.
            Her day to die was not today. She had lived centuries without bothering to barter her soul and she intended to live many more winters like this without ever having to think about it again.

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Originally published on November 27, 2005

           Winter was approaching fast. It was only September and it had already snowed. Twice. Clouds were moving along the coast and dropping rain just as quickly. Droughts flew across the center of the continent. Thousands of species dropped like flies. Humans took planes, trains, cars, and boats, to hundreds of coast cities around the world to try and escape.
            Who needs wars? She thought as she smiled and closed the game board. When you’ve got Mother Nature?
            A wave of her hand cleaned the game up and she put another tally mark next to her name by the door. She had won again.
            For heaven’s sake, it’s so easy, John. Why can’t you win more than three times? She thought shaking her head as she flew down the hallways.
            Although training had been hard, it was these games that gave her strength and courage to continue. It was that particular power that had gotten her through so far. Far enough to be leaving at the end of the year and be the heir to the throne.
            I do admit, she said smiling, it’s a good thing you can’t seem to win. How else would I be so close to getting rid of those humans once and for all?

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