From the Wisp ...

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The Wolf sprang. The distance was great, too great for any natural wolf to cover with one leap. This one flew through the air with ease. Bara ducked. Her hands flew to cover her head. She expected jaws to grab hold, for sharp, heavy claws to push her to the ground and pierce her tender skin. She felt only the weight of a shadow as it soared above and over her head.

There was the unmistakable splash of water. The Wolf jumped with such power it positively flew. It sprang once more, covered the remaining distance, and barreled into the Spiritkin. Glowing white and silver entwined a foot or two above the water and battled. The Wolf pulled the Spiritkin down to the surface. They splashed ferociously in the shallows. She fought back, but the Wolf was too strong, too quick. Its teeth took hold of her throat and bit. Thick trails of red ran down her glowing skin. The Wolf didn’t give up its bite and she stopped struggling.

Still in the creature’s jaws, the Spiritkin turned her head to look at Bara. Her mouth opened and closed. No sound. Vocal cords were cut. The wolf released its jaws from her bloody neck and backed off several feet. It watched and waited.

The Spiritkin touched her throat. The glow intensified beneath her hand. When she removed her fingers, it died down. Miraculously, she was healed. Once again she opened her mouth to speak. She tried again and again. Her eyes brimmed with tears of frustration. Only silent air passed between her lips. The depth of the water grew then. The Spiritkin hung her head and sank beneath the waves. An instant later, a large globe of light rose from the lake. Like a reverse comet, it soared into the dark sky and the Spiritkin was gone.

A victorious howl tore through the night. The Wolf turned now to Bara and began a menacingly slow approach through the water. She backed away. Her foot caught on a rock and land gave way. With a single bound, the Wolf cleared the space between them and landed on top of her. They were eye to eye. Her tranquil green battled its stormy silver. She smelled its breath. It was warm and metallic. It smelled of blood.

Not wanting to witness her own end, Bara went to close her eyes but stopped and opened them wide again. Flickering like the glow of the predator’s eyes, a locket hung from its thickly furred neck—an odd collar for such a ferocious beast.

The Wolf gnashed its teeth. It lifted a heavy and sharp paw. The paw lowered. A blur of golden light prevented the beast’s sharp nails from slicing her soft skin. Appearing as from mist, the dark-haired boy threw himself into the Wolf. Had a boulder collided with a granite cliff? The Wolf should have flown through the air. Its silver fur merely shook. Then like an icicle falling up, the locket rose above and over its head and into the dark-haired boy’s grip. The dark-haired boy didn’t hang around. On the fleetest of feet, he stole into the trees. His glowing white dimmed—from a blaze, to a spark, to a pinpoint, to nothing.

Still reading? Awesome. The Wisp, and its sequel, the Tall Man, are published in paperback and kindle. There is a link in my bio. It will take you to my writer's page where you will find fiction and poetry collections. Hope you are enjoying the Halloween season and my sojourn into fantasy and horror!!!

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Words and Poetry are my own. Images unless otherwise attributed are a collaboration between me and AI, Grok. They should be viewed visual haiku, in that they contain symbolism. I include multiple images to hint at the process, which can be lengthy at times.The concepts are my own creation and the rendering AI. Keep drawing and painting. AI cannot replace your hard work and excellence. All titles below, including the Wisp and its Sequel the Tall Man, represent lengthier works and are available in paperback or digital through amazon and your local libraries and bookstores. Click on any title below to further explore and support my writing.