Reluctant Hero [May2015]

Myra awoke in bed with a start. The heavy iron chains draped across her chest and thighs, pinned her to her bed. She struggled to take in a deep, calming breath, before turning to work the combination lock with her right hand. She couldn't wait to free herself from her oppressive anchors. She knew she needed those anchors, particularly when she slept, but she'd grown to hate them.

Just as she was about to heave the chains off her body, she noticed the shadow in the corner. Myra's golden arches snapped together, and her blue eyes narrowed to focus in on the spot. She unfocused her vision just slightly, and drew in a startled gasp. She was sure she was awake, positive. This could not be happening. She was awake!

A dark form seemed to materialize out of the blackness, and stepped forward. He was covered with a long brown hooded robe, and Myra knew, it was to calm her fears. That underneath that robe, was something so terrifying and incomprehensible, that people just didn't deal well with being confronted with 'them'.

"What do you want?" Myra asked in a powerful and assertive voice. She hid the tremor from her voice, and refused to cower. Despite the fact that she still lay prone in bed, with heavy chains draped across her body. It occurred to Myra suddenly, that the chains were meant to keep her here, anchored in this time and space. But now, it seemed to be detriment, since 'they' had chased her over here into this reality. It was rare that they crossed over, an exception. Myra didn't like to think she had anything to do with one of those exceptions.

When the being said nothing, just stood at the end of the bed looking down at her, Myra groaned. "I am not going over there. You do realize when we go over there, it's like swimming in water. The atmosphere is so thick and charged. Besides, I ticked the fairy tricksters playing at spacemen off royally the last I was there. They warned me off, and told me should I come back, they'd force me to remain there. I'm not getting stuck over there."

When the hooded being refused to answer, Myra laid back and crossed her arms over her chest and chains, staring up at the ceiling. "I'm not hopping between the dimensions, no matter what you say. It's over. I'll not be tricked by some pixie in putting anything within me. Simply because the whole world can't see what's just beyond their noses, doesn't mean I must succumb to it all also".

Myra held in a startled yelp, when the sibilant voice, right next to her ear whispered, "You mussst ssstop the new Assstral Walker, who has invaded our realmssss with dark intentionsss. Darker than any demonssss, we harbor within our realmssss..."

Myra turned to regard the creature, he was so close, that the hood of his robe no longer hid his appearance. The Ant People, as the ancient indigenous use to call them, were such an apt description for these beings. At one time in history, they lived in the Earth realm alongside people. It did not end well for the Ant people, who in turn opened a gateway, and found a new realm, devoid of humans. Honestly, who could blame them? Humanity had reverted back to stupidity, with the advent of technology to do all the work for them.

"You mussstt return home, a ssslayer is among us, and he will upssset the natural order of all worldss connected to this one", the being told her as he began to back away and into the shadows.

"Your world, is not my home!", Myra argued, watching the being disappear into the shadows, and she knew back into it's own world. "Your world is not my home! I'm human, and I belong here. Not there! I haven't consciously used the shadows to travel the dimension since I was a naive teenager. You have to force me there, while asleep, and good luck in doing that with these chains anchoring me in this reality".

Myra was aware she was now talking to no one, but herself. She groaned, and heaved the heavy chains from her body. She sat up, pushing her strawberry blonde, curly hair from her face, as she surveyed the room to be entirely sure she was alone. Not that anything, had every tried to snatch her from this reality while awake - but when the other beings start coming over to this side to enlist aid... something was very wrong. Something terrible, and that something terrible was another human with her same powers.

Myra sighed, turning on the bathroom light and commencing with her morning routine. Had anyone been a fly on the wall in that bathroom, there would be buzzing all about, of Myra obviously being a witch. Which, she supposed, she was. The water turned on and off without assistance, clothes floated to the hamper, and makeup sticks and brushes flew about Myra's face without her manual assistance. Of course, when you have a wizard that is very much like Merlin or Gandalf awaiting to teach you your potential, on the other side, since the tender age of since she could remember - well then you might also have your untapped potential split open and your mind rewired. Though, she wouldn't recommend it.

Myra dressed for a bright warm Indiana day, looking out from her 5th floor apartment in Indianapolis. She was surprised when her building started to shake and sway, causing her to loose balance. Outside she could here screams, and horns blasting, and the collision of metal and glass outside.

An Earthquake? In Indiana? Myra suddenly had a deep knot in the pit of her stomach. She made her way into the living room and turned on the television set, when another, larger quake suddenly rocked the building. This was not natural, Myra thought, as she watched the breaking news interrupt normal broadcasting. "It seems, the Indianapolis viewing area, was just rocked by a 6.2 earthquake! One of the largest ever recorded in our day and age in this area", the newscaster reported excitedly. 'Oh wait, other reports are coming in. It seems, that Earthquakes are not just being felt here in Indiana, but also all over the world. There are reports coming in from England, France, Gerrmany, Indonesia, China, - well everywhere really. Earthquakes are happening all over the world, simultaneously."

Myra shut off the television, turning to contemplate her easiest route to the other side - the closest. Who was tampering with the ring of fire? How would dwarves even allow such mischief? They were already about, constantly fixing the damage humans to do the Earth crust, and averting earth level extinction events routinely. Often digging chambers to the ocean, for the lava to vent into. They had come to enlist her help, and now it would seem that there was reason for her to once again - go into the fringe. Myra took a deep breath, and opened the doorway to her closest. She peered into the darkness, until a slight shift seemed to take place, and the darkness started to move and shimmer like water. It was time. Myra took a deep breath, and stepped through into a world she'd not visited, in a long, long while.

CdT

a reply to: CirqueDeTruth

That was vivid and engrossing - I could have read much, much more. I wasn't expecting a bondage/ant creature/fairy story but it was a wonderful surprise!

Loved it,

Thanks Beanshidhe.

I wasn't sure where I was going with this contest and that is just what erupted out of me. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

CdT

a reply to: CirqueDeTruth

S&F Nicely done! Witches as superheroes seems totally cool.

a reply to: CirqueDeTruth

I love it!

Its a great set up, and I love the direction it takes ones mind in!

Wonderful! Loved the premise - the magical element in the context of "Superhero" is always cool. Wish I knew what happened next, though it seems like a set-up for an entire trilogy or longer series... Great opening for it!

I liked how you tied the myths together with aliens and such - very Jacques Vallee of you!



S&F

- AB

Thanks everyone! I wish there was a heart emoticon.

I don't know if I'm going to expand on this one. I've been working at different projects, as of late, and have a few different things keeping me busy. I'm making a Thunderbird Blanket, completely designed by me, which kinda/sorta was inspired by a story I wrote a few contests back! I'm also playing around with screenplay formats for some of my stories.

It's going. We will see how it goes. But for now this is all I have for this story.

CdT

Quite awesome Cirque! Reminded me very much of the old Dragonlance books written by Margaret Weiss and Tracy Heckman, I'd swear you were one of them.

The pixies put me off a little, but your writing skills really drew me in. very cool.

a reply to: Rosinitiate

Hey Ros!

Thanks. I'm going to shoot you an IM. Be on the look out for it, okay?

CdT

Very nice. Reads like the intro to a new urban fantasy with the melding of modern and the fantastic like that.