When Talya is sucked into a wormhole she arrives in a new world where humans are primitive villagers pursued by hexalimbs, six limbed creatures, for food. Along with Gavin, also stranded from Earth, she helps the local humans. They rescue and befriend Kysum, a tailed humanoid who can metamorphose into other beings, from a hexalimb spaceship.
In an ongoing fight against the aliens they search for a way home. In doing so, they transverse time-space and change the course of history in this far off universe.
But who is really in control? Will it be possible to ever reach home?
But does Earth even exist?
Talya's heart raced and the room around began to spin. She grabbed the table edge and swallowed. Something was wrong!
"Talya," someone nearby asked. "Are you okay?"
"A little woozy," she replied and rose to her feet. "My vote does not change. Excuse me... I need to get to the bathroom. "
She brushed away hands of support and ran out. By the time she reached the executive bathroom the spinning sensation was worse. She grabbed the hand basin; half filled it with cold water and lowered her face into it. That helped.
She tried to recall what it was she knew about the teenagers. Deep in thought, she reached out and pulled the tiny chain holding the hand basin plug. It pulled out and the water level began to lower. Within seconds, a vortex spiraled around with the accompanying gurgling sound. She leaned forward with her free hand and poked at the spiraling water to cut the noise.
The screeching sound or the vortex did not stop. Instead, Talya found her finger was being sucked down into the plughole. She pulled but the suction became too powerful. Her whole hand was now in the sink being pulled down.
Whether the hole expanded or she grew smaller, she never knew or cared but her whole arm was being pulled in. She screamed and used her free hand to push against the edge of the sink.
It was no good. Her arm as high as the elbow was inside the plughole. She screamed again and pulled, lost her balance and flipped into the sink that now appeared to be the size of a spa pool. The sensation of hitting water did not eventuate. Instead, she found herself spinning beside the water. She kicked and waved her arms in sheer panic but was tossed around like a cork. Below her was a vortex of twisting blue and white water. She rolled in a somersault and for a second, saw the bathroom ceiling. The scene before her eyes twisted and now there was nothing except water twisting around her.
When her panic momentarily subsided, she noticed things around that even in these bizarre circumstances appeared wrong. It was light, almost as bright as on a hot summer day, she was still dry, she could breathe and there was no sensation of falling. In fact, it was as if the vortex was horizontal and she was floating through it with a wind pushing from behind.
She continued on until, with a sort of pop, the water disappeared and she dropped three meters to the ground. It was a rough fall but apart from a jarring of limbs and skinned knees, she was unhurt. She glanced around. The bathroom and the whole Svensen high-rise building had gone. Instead, she found herself in a field of grass under a cloudless sky.
Excerpt
Talya's heart raced and the room around began to spin. She grabbed the table edge and swallowed. Something was wrong!
"Talya," someone nearby asked. "Are you okay?"
"A little woozy," she replied and rose to her feet. "My vote does not change. Excuse me... I need to get to the bathroom. "
She brushed away hands of support and ran out. By the time she reached the executive bathroom the spinning sensation was worse. She grabbed the hand basin; half filled it with cold water and lowered her face into it. That helped.
She tried to recall what it was she knew about the teenagers. Deep in thought, she reached out and pulled the tiny chain holding the hand basin plug. It pulled out and the water level began to lower. Within seconds, a vortex spiraled around with the accompanying gurgling sound. She leaned forward with her free hand and poked at the spiraling water to cut the noise.
*
The screeching sound or the vortex did not stop. Instead, Talya found her finger was being sucked down into the plughole. She pulled but the suction became too powerful. Her whole hand was now in the sink being pulled down.
Whether the hole expanded or she grew smaller, she never knew or cared but her whole arm was being pulled in. She screamed and used her free hand to push against the edge of the sink.
It was no good. Her arm as high as the elbow was inside the plughole. She screamed again and pulled, lost her balance and flipped into the sink that now appeared to be the size of a spa pool. The sensation of hitting water did not eventuate. Instead, she found herself spinning beside the water. She kicked and waved her arms in sheer panic but was tossed around like a cork. Below her was a vortex of twisting blue and white water. She rolled in a somersault and for a second, saw the bathroom ceiling. The scene before her eyes twisted and now there was nothing except water twisting around her.
When her panic momentarily subsided, she noticed things around that even in these bizarre circumstances appeared wrong. It was light, almost as bright as on a hot summer day, she was still dry, she could breathe and there was no sensation of falling. In fact, it was as if the vortex was horizontal and she was floating through it with a wind pushing from behind.
She continued on until, with a sort of pop, the water disappeared and she dropped three meters to the ground. It was a rough fall but apart from a jarring of limbs and skinned knees, she was unhurt. She glanced around. The bathroom and the whole Svensen high-rise building had gone. Instead, she found herself in a field of grass under a cloudless sky.
Pieces of Eight, Part II is an eclectic collection of eight imaginative novellas that complement the eight tales that appeared in Pieces of Eight. The selections are a blend of different short story/novella plots and themes. Science-fiction, paranorm
Utterly Fantastic Occurrences is a collection of 20 science fiction short story novellas existing in hardcover, in paperback and in Kindle and Nook e-book formats.
