Bravo and Paddington wakened with the dawn. Heavy with dew, the pair of little ones washed themselves and drank deeply wherever accumulated moisture could be gathered into tiny pools. Bravo tested his paw, grunting when certain motions aggravated him. A scar was forming over the cut, and the ache was tolerable, yet the continuing pain [...]
Continue reading “A cloud of dust” »
Paddington could see the daylight in the long, sharp line that divided the darkness of the trunk. He could feel the breeze trying to come in and say heyo. It was so close that he could smell the air outside, he was sure of it. The scent of dried grass, mingling with the dull aroma [...]
Continue reading “As strong as Riffraff” »
The landing was a sensation like nothing the squirrels had ever experienced before. The roaring sound surrounded them, the sensation of speed increased, and an unexpected bounce lifted them off their feet. Something unseen flung them tumbling and rolling into the soft material of the pack, where Bravo clung to Paddington, shivering and bewildered. A threatening, [...]
Continue reading “A rare and valuable breed” »
Paddington rolled over at the sound of a bihgwun’s voice. Something was very wrong with his head. It felt heavy, and ached with an awful, throbbing pain that flared up with any sudden move he made. The space around him was dark and stuffy, and he growled miserably, bumping into another shape beside him. Bravo, [...]
Continue reading “Questions in the dark” »
The car sped southward over the mountain highway as the sun began to sink into the west, through the town where the hospital was located, and onward into the heights, through the forested pass between mountain ranges where Falstaff’s family first realized how soon he would be saying goodbye. A beautiful, forlorn stretch of highway, [...]
Continue reading “The price of two squirrels” »
Paul blinked. It was a possibility. He didn’t trust Lukas, and had no intent to maintain contact with the broker after coming home from Europe. Paul was going to find a safe place to live, and remain in hiding until- ‘until’ when? That part hadn’t been discussed. Lukas might be able to help, somehow.
The business [...]
Continue reading “The company of strangers” »
The old man stood at the head of the stairs, leaning heavily against the wall. Paul leapt up to the top.
“What happened?”
“Is he gone,” the old man asked, wavering, “he’s gone, isn’t he?”
“Who? No one’s here. Let me help you downstairs,” the other said, offering to help. Bruce sluggishly waved him off, taking his initial [...]
Continue reading “Time Alone” »
A small space that ended on every side, overhead and underfoot. Darkness as thick as blindness, stifling and restricted. Fear replaced freedom and terror descended like a heavy, suffocating smoke.
Bravo and Paddington fought and scrabbled in blind fright. Chittered and growled, leapt and tumbled, unseeing. They slid helplessly to the bottom of the bucket, and [...]
Continue reading “Abducted” »
Welcome…
“Return To The Forest” is a story blog, a book in progress. It follows “A Favor in Return”, published about two or three years ago. It’s all becoming a fuzzy, squirrel-shaped blur. Anyway, more preamble can be found here, a few necessary noises to follow, and the first post is here.
The story installments are uploaded every [...]
Continue reading “Read Me First!” »
Someone was shaking him. Bruce’s hands and feet were stiff, and he couldn’t think why, until his eyes opened. Andrew stood beside the bed, face shadowed in the light of dawn coming through the window behind him. He motioned towards the adjoining bathroom.
“Get up. Your feet are free.”
“Leave the door open,” said the stranger in [...]
Continue reading “The trap” »
Illustrator/writer living on the west coast. Had an idea for a story about squirrels in 2002, and it's been cashews ever since.
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