Nyctophilia #FridayFictioneers #AtoZChallenge

Nyctophilia; love of darkness or night. Finding relaxation or comfort in the darkness.

I loved the night. Staying in my friend’s parent’s Greek ‘castle’, whilst I finished writing my sixth novel, I continued my nocturnal habits.

I got up late, joined my friend and her boyfriend for dinner. Then walked around the castle and down to the beach for the sunset. After, I sat by the open door at my desk, letting the night pour around.

Embracing the darkness helped write the horrors within of my novel and peace made me type faster.

The night spoke to me and as I listened to those whispers, ideas flowed into me.

 

(Inspired by; https://rochellewisoff.com/2019/04/10/12-april-2019/ with thanks).

 

Advertisement

Water Man Part 8

They waited for nightfall then set out for the river’s end source. The sea and beach were miles from the woods, but with a God’s power they arrived in mere minutes. Hali and Zale quickly kicked off their shoes and rushed into the sea. Poseidon, with a belly laugh followed after them. Poseidon stamped his trident into the sea and a daze of golden light spun out of it and lit the waters and the beach up as if the sun had suddenly returned.

The twins hit the cold water at the same time and the sea greeted them like old friends. Waves broke at their legs and the sand moved under their feet. They laughed loudly like excited children and began throwing sea water at one another.

Poseidon stood on the edge, the sea lapping at his big toes and saddles, watching them. He felt the pull of the ocean calling him to step in, but the matter at hand stopped him. He looked around the beach and saw it empty. It was too difficult for humans to get down to this spot due to the towering jagged cliff faces. It was also too remote for any houses, but that of farmers and sea rescue crews.

The twins’ laughter and game faded as they paddled back to their grandfather. Both seemed breathless and had faces full of joy, it was a long time since they had last stepped into the sea. Hali stopped before Poseidon, but Zale carried on walking to collect their shoes.

‘I have decided,’ Poseidon boomed, ‘to grate you the last of my power.’

Hali moved his hair out his eyes and stared in puzzlement at the God.

‘I have realised you are able to do far more than me, the pair of you,’ he added as Zale appeared at his side. ‘I think it should become your duty and I shall retire.’

‘But grandfather, you can’t do that!’ Hali broken in, ‘what will become of you?’

‘The same as any other almost forgotten about God, I’ll still be there, but lingering. But I shall be happier though as in you two my power will become stronger. I can see that now. Here,’ Poseidon stated and handed Hali the trident.

With steady fingers, Hali reached out to touch it. He heard Zale dropping their shoes and coming around and their fingers wrapped around the trident at the same time. Almighty power shot up their fingers, hands and arms. Pain burst into their heads and they both felt sick and dizzy. For a few moments something screamed at them to let go, what they had touched was not for them. Then it subsided as it found Poseidon’s blood inside of them and realised that it had been handed over to another generation.

‘Boys? Are you alright?’ Poseidon’s voice echoed alongside the sea in their ears.

Hali and Zale opened their eyes and looked up at their grandfather.

‘I think so,’ Zale said and let go of the trident.

Hali just nodded and kept his fingers still. He could feel the power flowing within him and knew he now had complete command over any body of water.

‘Then I’ll leave you to sort things out,’ Poseidon stated, ‘you know where to find me and good luck.’

‘But wait! What do we do now?’ Hali called out.

‘What you’ve always wanted to do of course. Fix the waters.’

Hali looked down at the small waves lapping around them. He could feel the sea urging him to come further in. It was an odd sense.

‘I must go. Goodbye my children,’ Poseidon said and he walked into the ocean, which readily welcomed him.

Hali turned to Zale and held the trident out. Zale touched it once more, but this time felt a warmth radiating off the God’s instrument. He also felt the power that Hali could feel and he knew deep down that they were now destined to carry out their dreams.

The End.

Water Man Part 7

When they found him, Hali had his feet in the river. Zale approached him carefully, licking his lips as he did so and still not sure how he had pulled off this move. The person with him hung back respectively, but that didn’t make Zale feel any better. He reached out a hand and put it on his twin’s shoulder.

Hali turned to look at him, the cold water running over his feet, then saw who he had come with. Hali scrambled up and give his great great grandfather a small bow. Poseidon nodded his mighty head before continuing to look around. Hali felt his brother pat his shoulder and they walked over to stand before the God.

‘Nice place,’ Poseidon spoke in a deep voice.

‘Yes, it is,’ Zale responded, ‘are you sure you don’t want to go to the cabin?’

‘No. here is good enough. I see that river has been enjoying your company.’

The twins glanced over and nodded as one.

‘It is a fine river,’ Poseidon rumbled and he stroked his beard.

‘That it is, but not as might as some you have known, grandfather,’ Zale put in.

Poseidon nodded thoughtfully and curled his fingers around his trident. His light blue robe flowed around him, covering from neck to flow and seeming to have a life of its own. Leather saddles adored his huge feet with his big toes sticking out almost into the grass. A small orange crab appeared in his beard and scuttled across his hand.

‘What are you doing here, granddad?’ Hali finally asked.

‘Zale talked me into it,’ Poseidon boomed as he neatly tucked the crab back into his beard.

‘I told him, we wanted to talk about things…the sea and rivers and such,’ Zale chipped in, ‘and how sorry you were about your last visit…’

Hali half-raised his fist to punch him then thought better of it and let all the tension go.

‘Of course, you already know my position boys. There’s not much I can do,’ Poseidon picked up, having straightened out his beard.

‘We know that. But even if you can only do a little, it would make us more happy. Come lets’ go up to the cabin, I got some beer,’ Zale added.

‘Okay fine, you twisted my leg. Go on, go on.’

Nodding and patting his brother on the chest, Zale turned and began walking. Hali and Poseidon followed him, trying to make pleasant but awkward small talk. The sunny afternoon was well under way with light giving everything a sparkle and the birds happily singing. They followed a human footpath then a deer path, though it was a much short route then Hali had first taken. When they arrived the cabin looked just out of a fairy tale. Zale led the way in and whilst he hurried to get the beer, Hali gave their grandfather a chair at the table and wedged the door open to let out some of the sea salt air that clung heavily to Poseidon.

‘I don’t want to get your hopes up.’

Hali, having just sat down, looked up at him and waited for him to go on.

‘My magic wasn’t as strong as it once was,’ Poseidon explained, ‘and we always agreed not to get involved in man’s problems. I’m tired of trying to clean up the oceans after them.’

‘I know that grandfather, but there are better ways we can help them,’ Hali said, ‘some of the humans do want to put things right and they are trying. We just need to convince more of them and show them what to do.’

‘I can’t appear before them,’ Poseidon sighed, ‘no one really believes in us these days. Even back then it took a lot and that person had to be special.’

‘I know the old stories…’

‘Here we go!’ Zale called from a hidden cubby as he brought three large pints of beer over to them. He placed them on the table and foam slid down the glasses. He took a chair and settled in, ‘cheers.’

They raised they raised their glasses together before taking big drinks.

Zale banged his beer down on the table first and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He let a big ahh sound and lent back in the chair. He looked across at Hali and watched him placing his glass more lightly on to the table.

‘We need to find the others too and get them to help,’ Hali came back in.

Poseidon swallowed and placed his glass down, ‘good beer that. I couldn’t tell you where everyone was right now. My children are scattered to the seven seas.’

‘But you know where some of them are and they’ll know the locations of others,’ Zale suggested.

‘Suppose so. What are you going to do about the others though?’

‘Huh?’

‘Well, what’s the point in just saving all the water? What you going to do about the land and the plants and everything else?’

‘I hadn’t thought about it,’ Hali shrugged, ‘the water is my concern. Maybe, the ones in control of those should be doing something about it. It’s not mine- our- domain.’

‘Of course not, but we should all work together to make it better,’ Poseidon explained.

‘Point taken, but first the water. Here’s too it!’ Zale cried out and raised his pint glass.

The others did the same and clinked the glasses together before taking another big drink.

To Be Continued…

Water Man Part 6

When Zale found him, Hali was standing naked under the waterfall he had created. Zale called out to his twin, but as the name left his mouth he knew Hali wouldn’t hear him. Mumbling a string of swear words, Zale took off his boots and almost all of his clothes. He put his big toe in the water and commanded the river to hold him.

Slowly, he walked on the water’s surface and when he got within the waterfall’s spray, he told the water to stay away from him. He reached out a hand and the curtain of water parted. Hali snapped open his eyes and stared out at him.

‘What are you doing?’ Zale asked.

‘Enjoying a shower,’ Hali replied.

‘I’m sorry things didn’t work out with grandad. Maybe, next time I should go with you.’

‘I’m never going back there,’ Hali cut in with a shake of his head, sending water drops flying, ‘He won’t listen to me, he doesn’t care.’

‘That’s not true!’

‘He can’t do anything, just like we can’t,’ Hali stated and stepped forward.

He came out of the waterfall and stood opposite Zale on a large rock. Water dripped off him and returned back to the river. The sound of the waterfall masked their conversation and air bubbles popped around them. Hali stared at Zale, who reflected him perfectly. It seemed to be only their expressions which were different as Hali looked anger and Zale calm.

‘Then we’ll go and talk to the others,’ Zale suggested, ‘someone else will listen. Maybe we could band together and make him see.’

‘What’s the point?’ Hali dropped his shoulders and turned away.

Zale frowned, ‘you can’t suddenly be done with this! You’ve been trying for years.’

Hali got out of the river and not carrying about his clothes, set off into the trees. Zale clenching and unclenching his fists decided to let his brother go. Turning away, he put his clothes back on and went to the cabin. There were chores to be done and Hali clearly need to cool off.

Hali enjoyed the feeling of dry soil under his feet, but not the undergrowth that clawed at his skin. He pushed passed it all and found himself going uphill on an old deer track. He followed the track along, not caring where it led too. He just wanted to get away from his twin, his thoughts and himself. The track joined an actual footpath two miles later and Hali followed it around and down back to the river.

Human voices echoed in his ears and he slowed his steps. Keeping hidden in the dense bushes, he peered down at the river and saw a family below him. The mother was sat on the river bank on a blanket and next to a wicker basket. The father was in the river with the three children- one girl and two boys- they were paddling and building a stick structure. A yellow dog appeared from behind a tree, a large stick in its mouth. Hali watched the dog rush into the river, drop the stick and began to bark loudly. Hali cringed away from the noise, but couldn’t take his eyes off the family. The father threw the stick and the dog chased after it, dashing into the undergrown and trees. The man turned back and began helping his children make a dam.

Hali was drawn to turn away, but he ended up watching the family complete the dam and leave. He gave them a good few minutes, before he moved and walked down to where they had been. His body felt stiff from the hour or so of standing still, but he ignored that and came to a stop next to the dam. The barricade of branches let a trickle of water through in places and really it was doing nothing to hold the river back.

He knelt down and began tugging the dam apart. The branches easily give way to his strong hands and he let the river carry them away. The water seemed grateful to have been released and sung merrily to him. Hali finished off breaking the dam and sat back on the grass. The water surged and tumbled on its way.

    To Be Continued…

*********

Quick Note.

It’s The Story Files first birthday today! A year ago today I started this blog and published my first story. I’m mega happy that it’s still going strong and I’m still gaining readers/followers. Hopefully I’ll be able to kept it up for another year! I write all of my stories for free and don’t gain any money from doing so nor this blog. All I ask in return is that people like and comment on my pieces and help spreed the word about my blog. You can also do this by following me on twitter and Facebook, linked below. A big thanks to all my followers, let’s keep going!

If you fancy submitting a story to this blog please feel free to do so, the guide lines are here;  https://thestoryfiles.wordpress.com/submission-guidelines/

Tweets by ironmaidenfan9

https://www.facebook.com/thestoryfiles

Water Man Part 5

When Hali woke up everything had come back to him. He stayed in the bed, looking up at the ceiling and listening to Zale snoring. Oddly, he also remembered the whole of yesterday and wondered how he could have gotten through it so blindly. Casting his thoughts further back, he saw himself standing beside his great great grandfather, Poseidon, their pleasant conversation falling into a heat debate.

Hali sigh and turned his head into the pillow as he recalled Poseidon’s harsh words, ‘why should I save the sea if the humans are hell bent on destroying it and the rest of the world?’

‘Because, it’s important Grandfather and some of the humans do care,’ Hali had counted back.

‘This world isn’t ours any longer,’ Poseidon had answered thoughtfully, with his free hand running through his long blue-green beard.

‘So, what does it matter that no one believes in you or the other Gods anymore? You still have the right to do something!’

Poseidon shook his great head and clutched his golden trident tighter, ‘it matters.’

Hali groaned into his pillow, not wishing to remember the argument. He got up and went to the bathroom. Splashing water on his face made him feel better. He got dressed and went downstairs without waking Zale. He unlatched the front door and went outside.

The sun was shining in a too blue sky and dappling the tree leaves on the ground. Hali sat on the porch and listened to a breeze rustling the leaves and the distant tumbling of the river. He put his head in his hands and wondered how his grandfather could be so blind to all of this.

If I had it in myself I’d change everything, Hali thought.

He got up and walked towards the river. Birds sung in warning of his approach and darted from the trees as he walked. Far in the distance, he thought he heard the delight cries of humans and a dog barking. Forests were no longer the perfect hiding place. Throwing that thought away, Hali reached the edge of the river and sat down before it.

With his right hand, he reached out across the surface and watched the water eagerly coming towards him. He syphoned more water from the natural course of the river then turned it into a bubbling fountain. The water, happy to do as asked, cascaded down from a single jet and back into the river. Hali dropped his hand and stared into the bubbling depths.

He couldn’t command the sea like Poseidon could, he was only one third God and thus could only bend willing rivers and streams. Hali hung his head and knew he should be grateful for his gift, but it seemed all but useless in the twenty-first century. He thought about how in the past he had wowed crowds with his power to control water. He had given visibility to the water sprites, made huge waterfalls, redirected might rivers away or closer to towns. Now people could do most of that themselves and they now longer believed in the ancient magic.

Hali had watched the humans longer enough to see their fears changing and the old worlds slipping away. Ancient Greece was little more than a few broken statues and buildings, with the imaginations of tourists or children studying history giving but a glimpse of what it once was. He was kidding himself if actually knew that world though. Ancient Greece had already fallen by the time he and his brother were born, they had merely been brought up in the shadows of it.

Hali raised his hand, dismissed the fountain and watched the river get on its way again. He should go wake up Zale and discus what to do. Instead he turned away from that idea and plunged his hand into the river. He pictured a towering waterfall, with the water roaring over the edge and white waves below.

The river was happy to oblige the command.

To Be Continued….         

Water Man Part 4

The stairs were narrow and it seemed at first they’d never get their broad shoulders through the gap. Zale, having grabbed one of the miner’s lamps, led the way with the stairs creaking under his weight and his body brushing the side walls. Hali give him a few steps head start before following him. Surprisingly, the staircase held their combined weight and they made it to the top.

A narrow landing led into a large open room, which held two single beds and the brick chimney stack. There was a door in the corner, which Hali remember had a small bathroom. Zale placed the lamp on a bedside table which was between the beds before sitting down on the left bed. Hali cast his eyes around, spotting an old travel trunk on one side of the chimney and a wardrobe on the other.

‘You’ll feel normal after sleeping it off,’ Zale cut in, ‘I know I will.’

Hali watched his brother take off his worn brown boots and shirt. Zale dump them on the floor, added his jeans on top then got into the bed in his underwear. The folding back of the thin duvet and blankets was loud and scratchy in his ears.

‘I’m going to…wash…’ Hali said and moved towards the bathroom.

‘Fine. Here, take the lamp.’

He changed direction, collected the heavy lamp with its gas flame and went into the bathroom. Shutting the door, he held the lamp up and saw that there was only a toilet and a sink. He frowned and wondered why his mind had presented him with a different image, which had shown a bathtub and separate shower. Hali placed the lamp’s handle on a hook that dangled from the ceiling and ran the sink’s tap. There was only cold water.

Gratefully, he splashed the water on his hands and arms. Then noticing a washcloth and soap balanced on the sink’s edge, he stripped off his clothes and washed. After and feeling a lot better, he dried off with the single small towel. Collecting the clothes and the lamp, Hali walked back into the bedroom.

He saw Zale sprawled out in a doze, the small bed really unable to support his tall, muscular frame. He walked passed, put the lamp and his clothes down, then got into the other bed. The bedding felt rough against his skin, but at least it was clean. He had a flash image of Zale doing all the washing and drying whilst he had been away. His brother had to keep everything clean.

Hali smiled at that thought and settled into the bed. He felt tried, but not read for sleep. He looked at the miner’s lamp and noticed a book beside it on the table. Frowning, he reached out and picked up the book. The Odysseus by Homer. I was reading this, he thought and began turning the pages. He couldn’t remember where he had gotten to, so after a few moments he started at the beginning.

A few minutes later, the sounds of Zale rolling over brought his eyes up and Hali watched his brother settle down again. He bent the page corner down and closed the book. Outside, he could hear the trees creaking in the wind but nothing more. He placed the book back and turned off the lamp.

To Be Continued…       

Water Man Part 3

‘Hali? Here eat this. I’ll make some tea. You’ll feel better,’ Zale’s voice called him back.

He turned and saw that Zale had placed a wooden bowl of cut fruit on the table with a spoon. He sat down and began eating. The chair was hard and the table too low, though the fruit tasted good. Blueberries and blackberries popped in his mouth, he crunched his way through the sliced apples and slurped the melon.

Zale placed a cracked teapot and two mismatched cups on the table. He went to the fire, gathered the kettle and poured the hot water into the teapot. In a burst of steam, Zale put the lid on the teapot and the kettle beside the sink. Finally, he took one of the other chairs and poured the tea into the cups.

‘How’s the fruit?’

He nodded, ‘good thanks. What did you call me?’

‘Hali. That’s your name,’ Zale explained.

‘Yes, I remember. We are brothers. Twins.’

Zale nodded, ‘yeah, sounds like its coming back. Here’s your tea. There’s no milk or sugar, ‘cause we need to go shopping still.’

Hali took the hot cup and placed it beside his almost empty fruit bowl. His wooden spoon scrapped the bowl and he put the last of the berries into his mouth. He slid the bowl to Zale.

‘Got any more?’

‘Sure, Bro,’ Zale smiled and got up.

Hali sipped his tea whilst he waited. The warmth drove the last of the chill from him and he began to feel more like himself. He received the bowl back from Zale and tucked in.

‘We’ll have to go out first thing now,’ Zale cut in, ‘you just ate my breakfast.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Hali said through a mouthful.

‘Don’t worry about it. You need it more than me. Do you remember what happened yet?’

Hali shook his head, ‘it still feels cloudy. I know there’s something there, but I can’t see it.’

‘It’s cool. No rush. You should rest though, it’ll probably help,’ Zale added. He picked up his tea and took a few sips.

‘I woke up in the river,’ Hali spoke out after a few moments, ‘no damage done, but I ache all over.’

‘How far away where you? Do you remember?’

‘Not really. I followed the river back up and then weaved off when I saw the smoke. Good job you lit the fire or I won’t have found the way.’

Zale lent back in his chair with a little shake of his head, ‘you’d have found the way. Your feet know it.’

‘Why’s it so important?’ Hali asked as he finished off the fruit.

‘Because he could have flung you anywhere! I guess your argument mustn’t have been so bad this time if he dropped you so close,’ Zale paused then said, ‘don’t remember last time? You ended up in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and it took you weeks to get home.’

Hali frowned and Zale pressed on, ‘I found you almost died on the porch. Ah, it’ll come back to you. Drink your tea.’

Abandoning his bowl, Hali drink his tea in two gulps then Zale cleared the table. He ran everything under the sink and left it to dry. Hali got up and went to the fire. The flames were dying down, but the heat was still high.

‘Come. Let’s go up,’ Zale called over and they both turned to the staircase.

     To Be Continued…

Water Man Part 2

There was smoke drifting into the sky. He stopped and looked up, unsure what to make of it. Slowly, he walked on and a log cabin merged from between the trees. Bundling his mixture of feelings away, he went over and peered into a window. He could see one large room with a staircase at the back and a lit fireplace in the middle. There was a table and some chairs, a sinking sofa and a bookcase.

Turning his head, he could see a figure standing at a metal sink. A water tap was running and the figure seemed to be filling something. Still watching, he saw the figure turning off the tap and coming into the dim light of the cabin. It was a man very much like himself, though the man was wearing jeans and a shirt. He was also carrying a kettle, which he placed above the fire.

Stepping away from the window, he debated what to do. He looked down at himself, saw his nakedness and decided he had no choice. He went to the door, stepping up on a little bit of porch. He knocked on the door and listened to the dull thud being out sounded by an owl screeching. He looked around, but it was far too dark to see anything. The door opened and he whipped his head back. A face stared out at him then a hand swung the door open fully.

‘You made it back then?’

The words and voice took him by surprise and he stepped back.

‘Come in. I’ll get you some clothes,’ the man said coldly and moved away from the door.

‘I don’t remember anything,’ he called out.

‘It’s fine. It’ll pass soon and everything will come back.’

He stepped inside and looked properly around. Miner’s lamps hung from the bare ceiling and walls, but their small soft light wasn’t doing much to keep night’s shadows at bay. The fire on the other hand seemed to be doing a better job. He walked over and stood before the open flames which were crackling around dry branches. He warmed his hands and felt the chill leaving his skin.

‘Here. They’re yours’. Cleanest I could find.’

He turned and nodded his thanks as he took the clothes. He could now see the man more clearly and recognized his dirty blond hair and sea blue eyes, ‘Zale?’ he muttered.

‘The one and only,’ Zale replied with a laugh.

He looked down at the clothes in his hands, there were pants and a t-shirt both made of soft blue cotton. He put them on, aware that Zale was rummaging in the cupboards. The clothes felt nice and he felt warmer. He turned around and watched Zale cutting up some fruit.

‘What happened?’ he asked.

‘You went to Olympus, had an argument with our great great grandad and got kicked out.’

‘Oh,’ he responded and stared into the fire, from somewhere deep in the back of his mind his memories were stirring.

  To Be Continued…

Water Man Part 1

The water trickled through his fingers. He flexed the digits, bringing some life back into them. He tried to grab onto something, but found nothing other than some pebbles. He raised his head all the same and looked around the forest. The trees rose around him creating a canopy that almost blocked out the blue-grey sky. Rain drops slowly fell off summer leaves which shook in a gentle breeze.

He struggled upwards with a groan and eased his aching body off the boulder. He sat down in the slow flowing river, collecting himself. The cold water lapped against his skin reminding him that he was naked. He looked around again, trying to figure out where he was and what had happened. Nothing came to him, not even his name.

Getting up, he felt like he was lifting the boulder too. His feet sank into small stones and sand on the river bed, but he kept his balance. Splashing through the water, he made it to the bank and sat down again. Exhaustion crippled him and he fall back into the grass. He looked up at the swaying tree branches and they soothed him into sleep.

When he came to again, the sky was darker. Night was settling in. He eased himself up and noticed that the grass had imprinted on his skin. He brushed himself off and pulled himself towards the river. Nothing had changed expect the time. He washed his hands and face, before drinking some of the water. It was cold and fresh.

Shaking his head, he glanced around and got to his feet. There had to be answers somewhere. Like Adam he began to walk in the forest. The daytime birds were finishing off their songs and the night time birds were taking over. The wind had picked up and he quickly became chilly. He came to a tall tree and stopped to press his hand to the trunk. The roots were tangle in the loose soil and he thought he could burrow under there till dawn.

The urge to go on made his feet move and he carried on following the river even though it was running in the opposite direction. In his head, he believed he must have drifted down the river and at least that fact might give him a starting point. He breathed in deeply and smelt the damp earth and trees. The ground felt good underneath him.

He noticed a waterfall up ahead and made for it. The water was lazy cascading down and it looked just as shallow as before. There was no way the water could have brought him here. Growling, he cast around and did a little pacing. He rubbed his forehead feeling the start of a sharp pain there. He must have gotten into the river and lay down on the boulder. Unless, his mind ticked over and his hand felt the damp ground, the river had been higher days ago.

He sat down, the thoughts over taking him and his head pounding with pain. There had to be answers somewhere, he was just looking in the wrong place.

To Be Continued…

***

The Story Files is now on Tumblr! http://thestoryfilesblog.tumblr.com/

Still on Facebook too: https://www.facebook.com/thestoryfiles