Stephen Curto

This is a continuation of a story begun in the post “Chapter 1. Part 1.” If you enjoy it, please like and share it with others!   CHAPTER 15: THE TASK AT HAND I couldn’t believe my eyes when recognition dawned on me. “Pathena?” I asked incredulously. “What-? How-? Where-?” I couldn’t finish any of my thoughts. “Nicholas, what are you doing here now? How did you get here?” she asked in a hushed tone. “I could ask you the same question,” I said. It took a moment to breathe in the reality of the situation. “I thought you were … [Read more]

This is a continuation of a story begun in the post “Chapter 1. Part 1.” If you enjoy it, please like and share it with others!   CHAPTER 14: HUMAN SEE, HUMAN DO After the argument over how to get into The Settlement, we packed up the camp as quickly as possible and headed off down the road toward the cliff’s edge. Thrump and Flye knew the most about The Settlement, and were giving me a crash course on how to fit in as we walked briskly down the road. Chak guessed it would take about two hours to get … [Read more]

This is a continuation of a story begun in the post “Chapter 1. Part 1.” If you enjoy it, please like and share it with others!   CHAPTER 13: DOUBLE STANDARDS Chak came running moments after my scream. He saw me on my knees next to the remains of the tent and came to the same realizations I had. The white light inside of his skin burned more brightly than I had ever seen it. He tore through the tent fabric like it was tissue paper. I could spot the moment he saw Brew’s blood. There was a momentary lapse … [Read more]

The quiet persisted for about an hour or so. We floated down the river, went through rough patches of water and still patches, but for the most part it was an enjoyable trip. The air was cool as it wicked upward off the water, and Doctor Lee would sit on my shoulder humming a way that only a beetle can. It was buggy but soothing. Eventually some real music started being sung. Plink, Brew, and Shishu led the pack when it came to real singers, and they taught me a few classic Umbili songs. Their music had a gruff gritty … [Read more]

This is a continuation of a story begun in the post “Chapter 1. Part 1.” If you enjoy it, please like and share it with others!   CHAPTER 12: WHEN THE RIVER MEETS THE ROAD The twins had composed a song that morning about my defeat of the Umbra, and they firmly believed in singing to pass the time. That doesn’t mean they were good at it. Fwik kept saying that our journey needed a theme song. The problem was that their songs weren’t really songs, they were just a bunch of lines that all rhymed. Every once in a … [Read more]