77 Results in the "Burned Cover" category
-
Story
Burned Cover
Erika Walker has a problem. Her mother isn’t who she says she is. An urban-fantasy set in supernatural Chicago. -
Chapter
08 – Uninvited Interference
Erika peered out the motel window, eyeing the cars as they moved up and down the street. This motel was a dump. The door next to hers looked like it had been in a fight with a battering ram and had only survived thanks to someone bolting a metal plate over a gaping hole. Mold clung to the air, thick and sour, around the entire block, while her room smelled of smoke. There were burn marks in the small table next to the bed—too big for cigarettes, more like the calling card of a heroin junkie. The…-
279.2 K • Ongoing
-
-
“Do you know anything about this place?” Erika asked as they slowly drove along the black cobblestone bridge. Now that they were moving, she had a little more mental space for taking in the new realm they were in. Periodic raised archways stretched high into the red-tinged mist, each decorated with tall, inhuman statues made from polished obsidian. A gnawing unease settled on Erika’s shoulders as they passed one particular statue, feeling like she was being watched by the multitude of eyes peering…
-
279.2 K • Ongoing
-
-
Chapter
17 – Another Brick in the Wall
“This feels weirder than normal,” Erika said as they blazed down the streets of Chicago. Carter bending time wasn’t usually all that apparent. The effect gradually fell off as physical distance increased, leaving a rather large bubble around him where people could get more time per time, thus accomplish more, move faster, or otherwise just experience time a little faster than normal. From her perspective, nothing normally felt different either. She could drive the speed limit from her relative…-
279.2 K • Ongoing
-
-
Erika slipped between clusters of laughing kids and the glow of arcade cabinets, the air thick with the scent of popcorn and sweaty teenagers. She paused beside a pinball table, watching the silver ball ricochet under neon lights, then caught sight of Rick hunched over a malfunctioning cabinet, screwdriver in hand and cardboard tube on his back. “Need some help?” she called, raising her voice over the thumping bass music that she had picked out—royalty free, despite her doubts that any big music…
-
279.2 K • Ongoing
-
-
“So, about your parents—” Erika stopped Leslie before he could begin, holding up her hand. “The Fixer said they knew what they were doing, that they had escaped these kinds of situations before, and that they didn’t have time to elaborate. It’s been three days. I have seen no sign of them or Leah, and I don’t know what to do beyond trust that they’ll show up again, eventually.” As far as Erika was concerned, there was nothing more to say on the subject. Leaving like she had pissed…
-
279.2 K • Ongoing
-
-
Chapter
12 – Lonesome Investigations
“Just wanted to ask about the status of that meeting,” Erika said, seated at her kitchen table with a notebook in one hand and her phone in the other. Carter sat at the table next to her, staring at her wristwatch—though he didn’t seem to do anything with it. Opposite both of them, Daniel had his laptop out, trying to find out the same thing Erika was trying to find out. What happened to The Fixer? “The Hermit has been under increasing stress as of late,” The Adjustment said, calm and…-
279.2 K • Ongoing
-
-
Chapter
14 – The Hunters Reconvene
The atmosphere within Varn’s suffocated Erika, making her feel like she was walking on eggshells. Not everyone was present. The Fixer still hadn’t made a peep since ordering Erika away from the motel; Erika tried sending texts, emails, and even tried calling up The Church to see if they had any idea what might have happened—in all three cases, she got no responses. Anna was the other glaring absence. Although The Castle had released her, she was at home with her mother. Erika approved, having…-
279.2 K • Ongoing
-
-
The Historical Gallery and Cultural Museum hadn’t changed much since Erika’s last visit. They had to put a wall back together here or there, but Erika hadn’t actually caused all that much damage to the place. The authorities shut down the entire building later that evening, citing ‘gas leaks’. This indicated that some intruders might have gotten in despite her shutting down the portal. If they had made a mess, cleaners had long since tidied it up. The incident made her wonder how they handled…
-
279.2 K • Ongoing
-