En Perpetua

 Shawn felt the world come back into focus for him. He tried to get his bearings only to pale when he knew exactly where he was. Looking out from this asphalt hill that he used to walk home on all those years ago, he looked out at the city from which he and Anisa could see conflicts between costumed heroes and robotic fiends that could use skyscrapers as toothpicks. They would watch from the sidelines, safe in their suburb, making impossible promises of what could be. Just two friends enjoying the spectacle. Shaking the nostalgia out of his eyes, he turned his attention to the finer details. Again, this skill of his seemed to pay off as he began to see the smoothed edges and missing details that seemed to populate before his eyes. Taking a deep breath, the scent of lost summers filled him. Still, more than that, the smell of rubble and dust and the mesquite of human bones. Feeling something watching him, he began to see this new land for what it was and decided that there was only ...

The warehouse was quiet and dark in the early hours of the morning, industrial dust covering most surfaces along with the plastic wrap covering the pallets of goods waiting for their proper destinations. Among these endless shelves, street merchants would hide their most sensitive of illegal goods and even the military could hide secrets in plain sight. The warehouse workers continued their usual routine this day, doing what they were paid to do best, ignoring the activities inside the warehouse. Inside, a group of shady armed figures were standing at either end of a particularly high set of shelves, blocking even visual access to the isles around it. Gavin sighed as he waited in those isles for the inevitable and startling appearance of his customer. And as always, a bright flash of purple flames filled the air and the heat and sound made him jump. The client held her head up in a manner designed to make Gavin feel judged, her harsh eyes piercing her mirrored shades. She bore a promin...

Beware The Curio. This warning has sounded through the ages, but all those who enter that cursed shop never heed. Before you ask, you do not find this shop. It will happen across your path when you need it most. It will offer you anything your heart may desire, but just as with all shops, it comes with a cost. What price you pay in the heat of despair is between you and the merchant at the counter. Beware her silvery smile and ebon tongue, for she promises charity, but her greed is wanton. Beware The Curio Upon entering it, your life will be forever guided by the deal you make. Even those who have brokered for their freedom have never escaped the consequences. All sales are final in that cursed shop and nothing you gain will exceed the cost. She will barter and bargain. Appeal to your greed, your pain, your loss. Everything she can leverage she will take until she is satisfied. Beware The Curio -File ALC001, Weaver’s Records Argenta laughed uncontrollably before saying, “Can you believ...