Cost of the Heart

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  • Under a Dark Star: Up coming story

    Under a Dark Star: Up coming story

    HI all, this week I have a minor health issue so I will not be posting any story scene for Asha and Talas. I do plan to finish their story in about three or four more posts. I did upload for your enjoyment an image and poem for the next tale in the “Under a Dark Star” story line. It will be on the same moon as Asha and Talas.

    Thank all of you for your support. Please, if you are viewing this on Facebook, go to my website : http://www.costoftheheart.com for more information on my book being released the end of this July 2026, “Cost of the Heart: Into the Fire” as well as the complete story of Asha and Talas as it unfolds. -d²

  • Under a Dark Star: Firestorm

    Under a Dark Star: Firestorm

     Asha ran with labored breaths but on she pushed watching for purchases as she hop-skipped across the terrain to the cave, babies, home, to Talas. She notices that the landscape is getting lighter, with fewer shadows. The back of her body chitin and most hind appendages were warming. NOT time, the star not time to rise! Asha’s mind screamed.

     Talas looked out into the bloody glow just at the horizon. I haven’t seen a sunrise here. Asha always hides away in the day. What passes as day here. Talas muses as he scans the forming shadows across the land like growing gnashes and wounds bleeding out.

     Asha stumbled from the glare forming as the early red dawn began warming the landscape. Closing her emitter eyes Asha carried on now pushing hard as the back caprice began warming up to much. There! I see the cave, no Talas, get inside!” That last thought she projected to Talas as hard as she could. “AHHHH!”

     Asha fell flat on the ground feeling a surge of heat across her body and a bright searing red light flashed across the sky.

     Talas felt Asha see him Asha, what?! Asha’s warning hit him just as he watched a huge angry bloody red solar flare fill the sky. Blinded and pulling up his arms extinctive he felt Asha’s pain and mental push to get inside. On the ground he crawled towards what he remembered was the entrance. Ow, there’s a rock there, ok, more left, it’s getting hot.
     Talas reached out with his thoughts; Asha, are you ok, can you get here, I am blind but inside.

    Asha, ok, I will be there soon, we must get into the water pool at back of cave. Star angry. Never seen it this angry. I see you, Talas. Asha grabbed Talas with ease in one smooth movement and continued to run to the back of the cave. Babies, mommy is home. Will feed you tomorrow, eat your dead sisters. There, there I know my babies, mommy loves you.

     Talas’s thoughts were gently invaded by this mother children exchange. He kept his thoughts deep to himself. As suddenly as she had picked him up they were suddenly in cool water. Catching his breath before he went under.

    Talas, under water with Asha and babies. Star angry. Hide under water. With those thoughts Asha pulled Talas further under the water to the bottom of the pool. She had grabbed one of the egg sacks. It would have a third of her total children, the others would cook in the bright solar flare reaching around the large gas giant to touch the outermost atmosphere of the moon. The entire cave lit up and Talas could feel the water warm by several degrees. His flash blindness was subsiding as the light was fading above them on the surface of the water.

     Talas started feeling the need for air. Struggling against Asha’s grip he tried to break free. Asha! I need air! Solar flare is over.

    No, not over Star is mad it will as you say ‘flare’ again,

    I need air! With that forced thought at Asha he did his best to break out here grip, he could not it was useless. Asha please…

    Come here, turn face me.

    He rolled in her arms as she would let him. He gazed into the face that terrified him. The water and flash blindness blurred her so he could only make out shapes, not as bad. With that thought he was pulled closer and felt something forced into his mouth tube like, further till it sealed gently in his mouth like a rebreather mask would. I can breathe!

    Yes, Talas. Asha hold you so we both can breathe. I can stay underwater for a long time. You breathe my air. Take a big breath and hold, Asha needs to take off armor.

     With no more discussion she began to release Talas, trusting him to stay with her. Just as in the cave under the ancient city Asha popped open her chest plate and wiggled out leaving the same two appendages behind as before.

    Talas watched Asha shed her chitin armor like he did his power armor. Obscured through the water Talas could make out her vibrant blue skin color. She reached out and pulled Talas close to her again. Wrapping her self around Talas and what Talas thought strangely as a kiss she started breathing for them both. He lived through her.

    They both sunk to the bottom intertwined. Talas felt the contours of her warm soft body against his now. Their thoughts mingled.

    Talas, what is ‘kiss’? You kiss Asha? She held him gently but tight as a lover. Not understanding what she did nor feel, she let it flow.

    Ah, well, I guess this is the ‘kiss’ of life, that is what I meant. Not a ‘kiss, kiss’ you know. Again staringly Talas did not quite believe his  own words and knew as soon as he thought them she would know. Asha, lets just rest. Please, I could not sleep while you were gone. I need to sleep. With these last thoughts of finality for a conversation Talas found himself curling into Asha’s body and letting go of thought and the now.

     With those last thoughts from Talas; Asha knew something was different. Talas not repulsed by Asha now. Talas kiss Asha, Talas Love Asah now. These thoughts not only echoed around in Asha’s own mind but gently caressed Talas’s as they both drifted in a pool of water entangled through deep shared dreams.

    (continued)

    -d²

  • Under a Dark Star – Diamond

    Under a Dark Star – Diamond

     Talas sat at the entrance to the cave. Where are you Asha, why do I miss you. He found that the babies crying he began to think of it was fainter the closer to the entrance he was. Moving his head from left to right slowly and methodically he scanned the dark night.

    Pitch. Dark as the void. Where are the stars! Nothing, in the sky, and nothing but scrub out there and creator knows what else. His body shivered at that thought. If Asha was just one…. he let the thought end there. He sat and lost himself in the dark of the night on this moon under an eclipse. How in Hadis could this place be, how can life be here. Those old ruins across the plain he crossed with Asha from the crash. What were they? Someone was here before, maybe he can find out how they left. He grimaced in the dark as he hoped they didn’t die off.

    Asha bounded across the craggy landscape with a hop-skip movement. Her emitter eyes lighting up the terrain while her large primaries drank in the darkness seeing beyond shadow piercing the night. At the speed of a cheetah on flat open ground Asha traversed gullies, draws, sink holes with ease and grace. Home, my babies. Not all but most. Some will sacrifice so most will live until the reaping.  A sob escaped her as she jumped high to the next foot/handhold while climbing a small natural rock wall. Close now. Her mind turned to the reaping. All she did was have babies, feed, teach, let them be reaped. Only the strongest 10 would go, go with the Didon. Then start all again, 100 babies, feed, teach, fight, go away. She had never dwelled on this before. It was only after touching Love in Talas’s memory of a mother. He was baby Talas. Mother loved him, Asha loved baby Talas.
     Asha loved her babies now like baby Talas. For Asha, her new heart raged inside, and it was simple, you loved or did not. The night was brighter tonight for some reason. Asha had an idea, she thought of the hairline crack and the pool of water at home. Maybe I can look not like monster to Talas. He will love me then.

     Talas found himself lost in non-thought, staring off into the Dark, he let his mind go away. Just go into that black hole and disappear. All thoughts stopped timeless, nothing just “ising” for a moment, eternal in that moment though. In that “ising” he is acutely aware of the environment and moment he is in. He felt more than heard Asha’s approach. She still was a kilomitor or more away. She felt him touch her.

    Talas?

    Yes Asha, are you ok? I ah I missed you, I worried.

    A sob escaped Asha as Talas’s thoughts wrapped their way around her own web of thought.

    Talas, you miss Asha? Tired as she was and worn at the edges, she found more in her and sped up wanting to close the physical distance between her and Talas. She felt a warmth never felt deep in her body. A raging fire of warmth that slowly crept like wildfire through her being.

    Talas stood feeling her approach, her speed, her warmth. He could not hear her with his ears but deep inside him her approach resounded in loud echoes to his relief.

    -d²

  • Across the In-Between

    Across the In-Between

    Talas woke to the gnawing of the babies at the corners of his mind. It was dark outside. He stumbled towards the opening of the cave. Reaching down he rubbed the healing bone and wound. The med nanos are working. Almost mended. Two days I should be able to walk. Maybe visit that old city. Talas leaned up against the wall of the cave entrance and gazed out into the night. The blood red glow just about gone. Such a strange place. Where in the emperor’s beard am I? Where are you, Asha?

    The fluttering of wings and scraping of talons gripping rock woke Asha from her deep slumber on ledge in the water. Nibiks. Slowly and quietly, Asha rolled off the shelf into the pool of water. Her armor was at the bottom. Silently she exhaled and forced herself to the bottom of the naturally formed pool. Where are you, not see well here. Straining her emitter eyes to focus and not scatter in the liquid she spotted the armor.

    There you are, now to wiggle in but chest will not be closed for a night or two. She wiggled into the armor feeling each limb enter the appendage except the two bottom middle leg/arms. She had left them behind in the chitin armor. Wiggling slowly as to not disturb the surface of the water she felt the snick-pop of the ball and socket reconnecting. Ahh, there you go. Slowly flexing her appendages to ensure her chitin was fitted she could feel the cool water in and out as she breathed. Slowly moving each hand/foot she raised herself to the surface of the pool. Clearing her eyes she examined the roof of the cave. Spotting the upside-down hanging Nibiks. Asha quietly paddled on her back to the ledge she had slept on while watching the Nibiks to make sure they did not wake.

     Asha brought each limb out tentatively as she crawled out of the water hoping she would not wake any of the Nibiks. They can pierce my armor with their beaks. Tear into me and with my chest open I will not live. With that thought of her chest carapace still split a hairline completely down the front. Out of the water now, Asha crept with her chest to the ground to protect the hairline crack in her caprice. Must be quite, the wings, its ok, they just repositioning. Almost to the entrance. The night air was cool and coming into the cave Asha stopped for a moment, What was that? No they are asleep, Now! With that thought she bolted out the cave entrance. Running hard and fast Asha put as much distance as she could from the cave that had saved her that day but would be death in the night.

      As she ran silt was kicked up and worked its way into the hairline crack. Winching from the irritation Asha stopped for a minute and tried to relieve the itching. She knew she would have to leave her armor again to clean out the silt. On she ran in the dark night. This time no hunting, just home. Sorrow filled her and a sob escaped her mandible covered mouth My babies, some will die tonight. No food for two nights. Babies will eat dead babies, the will be ok. Talas, he be hungry. He no love me, why I worry about him. Kicking harder Asha ran and sobbed into the night towards her dying children waiting to be fed.

    -d²

  • Under a Dark Star – Darkness

    Under a Dark Star – Darkness

    Asha felt her chitin warming. She rose up on four leg/arms and looked at the horizon. The deep blood red glow slowly seeping over the horizon silhouetting an ancient, deserted city. I fell asleep. I must get back home. Looking around, where am I. This is too far; I won’t make it back. Mmm babies will sleep but Talas. He will sleep too. I can die, he care not for me, but babies need me. Too far. Secret cave at city. Old home will have to do until night again. With that thought Asha skipped ran on all eight leg/arms to the safety of a cave as the heavy shadows of the Dark Star chased her.

    She was born under that star; she would die under that star she knew one day but not today. Her chitin now hot as she was getting full rays of the eclipse red star upon her. Pushing forward as her joints began to ache as the radiation seeped into the softer areas of her armor. Hissing and gasping in pain Asha saw the cave ahead only meters now. Stumbling she pushed ahead as her inside body started to burn from the searing heat of her chitin. Steam was now coming off her armor. The blood red light soaking the rugged cliff side she was running for. Blinded she blinked to get her bearings again and as such closed her emitting eyes tight, this helped but the surfaces were bright and the safety of shadows obscured now with the rising mist as the eclipsed star’s rays warmed the moon’s surface.

    Reaching the cave entrance dragging herself she felt the cool air in her lungs, the darkness safe and assuring she continued to drag herself further into the cave. She was still cooking from the heated chitin that encased her. Once before this had happened, she knew what she needed. Opening her emitter eyes, she could now see the cave in its entirety. It was large, not as large as the Home, but it should have what she needed. A pool of liquid that would cool her armor off. The air helped a little, but she was cooking inside.

     She heard/sensed the dripping of liquid. Examining her surroundings she zeroed in on where the dripping was. She now hoped there was a pool large enough to get into. The sound now closer and deeper. Relief passed through her as she saw the large pool of liquid. Any liquid would do to cool her. Slipping into the cold dark liquid she realized it was water and drank deeply. As the cold water cooled her chitin she could feel her armor straining with the quick change in temperature. With a loud crack-pop her chitin cracked completely down the entirety of her front body if she stood. The relief of cold-water rushing in made her gasp. Slowly wiggling and working each limb out of the protective outer body made of chitin which acted much like a power armored suit she left it behind to swim and soak in the pool of water healing her inner body.

     Feeling her body’s temperature returning to normal she found a shelf in the pool of water to lay on. Relaxing every muscle, letting the emotions of the night go; Asha silently sobbed until sleep took her into the day.

    Talas had a fitful sleep without Asha near he realized. She seemed to soothe his thoughts while he slept but without her he woke off and on to gnawing feeling at the edges of his mind. He found he missed her in a strange sense, he felt safe with her, but she was a monster. With those thoughts running through his mind wondering if he would ever get home. Where am I? No stars just that red eclipse for daylight and starless dark for night. Where is she?

     Talas had been able to get around a little and made his way to the entrance of the cave. On the horizon he saw the faint tinge of a blood-colored thread stretching across and growing. Any minute I will see here skipping home. HOME, what the. I am not home! Talas watched for Asha a bit more then made his way back to the sleeping silks, this is what he thought of the bedding now and collapsed into the spun silk sheet like bedding. Weary of fitful sleep, nightmarish dreams, longing for home, and the damnable gnawing, gnashing at the edge of his mind, those Babies, Talas drifted off again to sleep with thoughts and hopes of Asha’s return to his surprise.

    -d²

  • Under a Dark Star- Talas:

    Under a Dark Star- Talas:

    Horror and unimaginable fear wracked Talas’s mind and body. With such fear the thoughts physically caused Asha to wince and step back; You LOVE me because I am not food!!

    Talas’s body continued to shiver and shake both in pain from the wound but more and deeper from the terror that faced him.

    Slowly and tentatively Asha creeped physically closer to Talas as well as quietly crawled into his mind again between thoughts as a spider traversing a delicate web.

    Talas, she began soothingly and softly, you showed me. I saw it in your mind. You want to find a mate and love her. You can love me. There is no one else here. Please, I want to know love.

    Blankly Talas stared back at the creature with 6 eyes, 8 appendages, two antennae, and a fanged lipped mandible. To say she was arachnid would be wrong, arachnid like yes, but no abdomen like a crab but thin like a wasp not round. Looking at her was unsettling. Talas could not look away.

    Asha gently pushed here and there on the optical centers of the mind, slowly she could see what pleased the eye of a human. Suddenly wincing at the hideousness she was to him she felt it through her being and let out a cry of true pain.

    A low screech escaped her mouth of such sorrow, “Sccaaa….” Talas, you see me as this?!

    She had been so proud of her shiny chitin, her glowing eyes, the gentle twitch of antennae for affection, to include her dancing gate of a hop skip from rock to rock. If her kind had tear ducts all eyes would have teared.  

    Talas just watched petrified. Again, the same low screech then she ran off into the night to hunt. Leaving his mind to his own thoughts.

    He shuddered as he heard her screaming as a banshee of earth folk, her voice fading as she continued into the night. He felt the children chewing at the corners of his mind. He forced himself into a fitful nightmare filled slumber.

    Asha’s voice raspy and her small vocal cords ached from wailing for at least an hour as she ran jumping from cervices to crag she killed with abandon, becoming the monster that Talas saw her as. She killed mercilessly, throwing pieces and carcasses to the horizon, she kept none of it, the slithery things and diggy things can have the food tonight. The babies will be hungry, but she did not care. Maybe she will get caught by the Didon and finally die. She did not know how old she was, she could not remember being a hatchling. Only always with children, hunting, feeding, taking to the reaping. Her thoughts, dark and of her babies eating Talas stopped her cold. She hunched over, sobbing without the soothing release of tears. Just the raw pain in the middle of her body. A heart a poet might say. Feeling the pain and sting of rejection but not just rejection, repulsion. She lay on the ground sobbing and flailing with no tear to fall.

  • Under a Dark Star

    Under a Dark Star

    Hello all, I apologize for the delay in posting the continuation of our story. I had to work on the Cost of the Heart typeset files which took quite a bit of time. I have a work flow now so when my next file set comes back it will be easier to process.

    Also it took for ever to get the image for the post created with Ash. I did upload it with this post. Unfortunately this image will not be the one with the poem for the today’s scene post. Ash and I went round and round.

    Big NEWS: I have an appointment with Barns and Nobel for book placement. I hope if things go forward maybe I will be able to do book signings at B&N.

    Thank all of you who interact with my page, go to my blog, interact with me. You are who I write for, me and you.

    Remember; Not all hearts have to Break, they CAN BURN! the choice is yours.

    -d²

  • Under a Dark Star

    Under a Dark Star

    Asha

    Asha came upon Talas’s passed out body with limbs sprawled out. Kicking him with her forward leg/arm she muses, hmm hard shell. Will sharpen children’s teeth. What is this? The head-thing still warm, still making sound. Asha cocked her head as she listened to the faint thump of Talas’s heart, still strong but faint beneath the jumpsuit composite armored shell. As she listened to the heart, she then moved closer to the large hole in the faceplate. Breathing in through her nostrils she could smell the carbon dioxide he exhaled. Food, the children will be sated today. Sniffing more over Talas the iron smell of blood filled her nostrils. Not from here, from out there. Too bad food, may have been play thing. Oh well.

    Looking at the horizon the deep red glow crept across the craggy expanse. Nightfall, must get home before star see me. Asha grabbed Talas’s broken leg with one of most hind feet/hands and began dragging him as she made way in the opposite direction of the rising dark star. A popping sound from Talas made Asha look back over her shoulder as she kept crawling forward on the seven leg/arms she had with one pulling Talas. The pop had set Talas’ compound fracture of his femur. Cocking her head a faint gasp reached her ears. Dropping the leg she was pulling she rotated on all eight legs to face Talas’s body laying face up on the dusty floor of the baren cavern she was pulling him through to get to the home. Rising up on her back four leg/arms she looked down on the slowly moving grunting thing.

    Talas started gaining consciousness when his bone was inadvertently set and the enviro-suit started to treat the wound.

    “Wha, where, Pia, status.” Pia was silent, just the wind made a sound he could hear through his helmet even with the faceplate damage. Hearing a rustle Talas tried to raise up on his elbow a managed to roll on his side in a fit of blinding pain. He saw her then, Asha.

    “AHHH, what in bloody hell is that!!?” Talas screamed in fear and pain as he tried to push away with his good leg dragging the broken.

    Asha gazed upon Talas with curiosity as he scream and was pushing his way across the hard ground. Where are you going food. You are broken, I am not.

    Asha bound like a jumping spider. As she lands her center four hand/feet pin each limb by the ankles or wrists. Her other four arms begin to look for ways to tear away the dropsuit armor.

     “No get off.” Talas struggles but to no avail. Asha now gazes into his face.  Talas completely silent now in fear he has never felt. The urine bladder of the suit fills as he screams and Ash screams back.

    “AHHHHHHHH” Ash screeches into Talas’s helmet, this can come off, quite food so we don’t attract attention. Be quite, we can be eaten. She thinks as she fumbles with Talas’s helmet. Yes, releases, ah from way beyond, not red hole place. Must get you home to my babies, they are hungry. The helmet flies off into the coming blood dawn as she looks for the first time fully into Talas’s green eyes. What, you.. Asha freezes.

    Talas squirms, fighting to get away from the iron grips binding him to this creature. My helmet, have to keep it from getting it off. A whimper escapes Talas’s mouth, images of being eaten by small creatures like this flooded his mind.

    No, no what no! Please I don’t want to die being eaten. Emperor’s Beards, not like this, I wanted to at least love once. Please! My helmet, oh, oh my god… His helmet gone from time now as he stared into darkness within the two predominant dark orbs that pierced his mind and heart like a laser through the night.

    Dark primal thoughts intertwined with those of Talas’s warmest and cherished. NO, these are mine, my thoughts. Laid bare was the raw emotion behind each of those thoughts of love. ‘Mine’ Invaded his thoughts, repeatedly, That’s not me, that’s not my thought. Raw, sharp. Dark as obsidian. His thoughts turned over at the invasion of his emotions, he was now just an observer of the logic while his heart was detected repeatedly. He broke and sobbed in a deep mourning of loss quivering for what seemed an eternity.

    Asha fell deeper and deeper into this well of passions never felt, devotions never believed possible, a oneness never hoped for. Her dark primal cold existence felt emotional warmth for the first time. “Ahh, ah, mmm.” She sobbed as Talas sobbed and she tore into his most cherished memories and love. Need it what is it, warm, dark and light at same time, Love!! I want it. This food thing will give me love. I will love it. Babies will be hungry another night. Will hunt again tonight. Have to go now!

    Franticly and now efficiently after probing Talas mind of his suit she was able to rip his armor away in seconds with all eight arm/legs working.

    With all the armor off Asha started to lift Talas onto her back.

    “No!” Talas shouted with a painful twist which caused him to land on the ground.

    “Humf. That hurt, no!” He shouted at her. Looking deep into his eyes she sent a piercing thought into his mind.

    Like a sledgehammer Asha’s thoughts pealed back his resistance, ‘We go, I put you on back. Star kill, trsickls kill, we go home now; babies alone!’  Talas went limp with the psychic blast of pure fear and was completely compliant as Asha held him with her middle four arm/legs tight to her back as she ran across the scrub and scree on the other four arm/legs. He felt the heat from the rising sun, but the dawning light was dark and heavy. He closed his eyes and slept as she cradled him on her back running to safety.

    Pain shot through Talas’s body as he felt himself being set down on a soft silky bedding. Not once did he open his eyes. Once fully resting on the bedding he grunted and gave into the deep sleep his body needed.

    Sleep slowly drifted away as Talas heard a strange screeching muttering just out of earshot. In his mind a buzzing nagged him at the edges. He heard the thing No Asha, she was coming closer but was not muttering anymore. Where am I what are these things.

    ‘Talas, you are awake’ she pushed gently in his mind he felt. Thoughts not as primal but still raw and pure.

    ‘What do you want? Am I food, why didn’t you just kill me?’ dark thoughts of being eaten by thousands of tiny, fanged mouths echoed through his mind.

    ‘No, you no food. I love you. You love me. We have love together. You want love, I want you to love me.’ His mind reeled as these strange dark thoughts crawled into each hope he had of love. How can I love this, this thing, this horrendous creature.

    Talas shuddered with the last thought.

    ‘I not thing, I Asha, your wife. You love me. I love you.’

    With every fiber of his body and mind he screamed, “HOW CAN YOU LOVE ME? Or I you!”

    Gently, silently, Asha’s silken voice seeps into his mind; ‘I love you because I don’t want my babies to eat you. You are mine, husband and you will love me.’

    -continued

    -d²

  • Under a Dark Star – Planetfall

    Under a Dark Star – Planetfall

    Under a Dark Star

                    –Forever locked in an orbit eclipsing the sun so daylight never is beyond a blood sky of shadows in the darkness of the void. Those that gaze upon the star’s crown, darkness falls forever. Only the night is safe, to roam about, to look, to hunt. – proverb for survival

    Blaring alarms woke Talas in midair, What the, hey why am floating, wait no! The ship is falling! The sound of screeching metal being torn was added to the alarms.

    “Sarah! Where are we, why are we falling?” Talas shouted competing with the screeching alarm.

    The ship answered in a female voice crisp and professional, “We are in a gravity well of a local planet. I am unsure where we are. The skip-drive failed and no stars are available for triangulation.”

    “What do you mean no stars? We were dead center of the spur. Edge of the empire but in the center of the sector.” Talas’s voice cracking slightly from the dryness of his throat. He had not completely recovered from his last planet drop.

    “Sarah!” Talas shouted as he looked for a hand hold towards the pilot seat. A thunk and sever vibration began.

    He was no longer floating in a free fall with the ship but being thrown about like a rag doll. Talas hand just about to grab hold slipped. “Argg!” A frustrated yell escaped his mouth keeping cool was no longer in the cards.

    “Sarah! What was that!” The blaring alarm was replaced with screeching atmosphere escaping or getting in, Talas could not tell. Bright light, Talas throws his hands up in time to block flying shrapnel as the nose of the ship began to disintegrate.

    Chaos erupted in the small ship cabin as atmosphere poured in through growing rents in the exterior walls, suddenly the keel bent.

    Flying backwards the long-range patrol soldier grunted as he hit the back bulkhead.

    “Emperor’s Beards!! Well to the drop suit. Well Sarah go into the void with peace.” Speakers came alive with a static for a moment, faintly a reply came back.

    “Talas, good hunting.” There was nothing else as Talas fought his way through the disintegrating ship to the safety of his drop suit.

    Calm surrounded Talas as he fell away from the forming fireball that was home in the coldness of the void. Into the upper atmosphere of a faraway planet forever unknown he plummeted down.

    “Pia, give me rundown.”

    The suit’s computer came alive showing a display HUD across Talas’s visor.

    “Suit temperature nominal but rising, internal temperature in specifications, reaching planetary terminal velocity, five kilometers from surface.”

    “Roll so I can see the sky.”

    Talas felt the pressure and vibration as each little jet fired off rolling him so he was looking up and falling backwards.

    The suit rocked from an explosion and the visor darkened to protect his eyes. “Goodbye Sarah.”

    “Pia, clear visor.”

    “It is Cpl. Talas.” The metallic whisper came in his ear bud.

    “There are no stars, where are the stars? Pia, does this planet have a moon?” His voice starting to have a bit of concern.

    “Searching loaded scans prior to termination. No, it is a moon of large planet. Currently the dayside is experiencing a full eclipse of the sun from the planet.” The cool crisp voice was of no comfort. It was pitch black up and pitch black down. No lights, no intelligent life, fortunately? Talas wondered.

    “Prepare for landing” Pia, said as reto-jets started firing slowing Talas down and righting him for a rolling landing ending with him standing. That was the plan anyways.

    Three jets gave out at once on his left side. “What’s going on” A flashing HUD filled his faceplate. “Out of fuel, how high up are we?”

    “You will survive.” Pia answered mechanically.

    “You didn’t say ho…” Talas didn’t finish, he felt the ground hit and a bone snaping vibrate to his teeth. “Medical protocols…” was the last thing he uttered as the grayness took over his mind.

    Talas heard through the greyness as he fell deeper into unconsciousness, “Approaching lifeform detected.”

    Across the plain, a local inhabitant followed the arc of Talas’s decent.

    Hmm, food? Children are hungry. Last night hunt.  The creature looks down at a forward arm most arm. Colors pretty. Hmm if not food maybe keepsake from out there.

    “ahh!” The exploding ship temporarily blinded this creature that saw in full spectrum of the electromatic spectrum. She had stood up to extend her upper torso that crudely resemble a humanoid female. Blocking the rest of the following wavelengths with her hands she rotated away from the explosion in lightning speed on the four legs she still stood on.

    Shaking her head her eyesight cleared. Now to find that maybe food.

  • Cost of the Heart: Under a Dark Star

    Cost of the Heart: Under a Dark Star

    –Forever locked in an orbit eclipsing the sun so daylight never is beyond a blood sky of shadows in the darkness of the void. Those that gaze upon the star’s crown, darkness falls forever. Only the night is safe, to roam about, to look, to hunt. – proverb for survival

    The following posts are stories I will write and post as I finish out a scene. They are raw and loosely edited. Even after posting I will be doing some editing as the week progresses into the story. What I would consider ready to send to my editor, Marie O.. These stories are just another avenue for me to write full closed stories while I work on writing/publishing current and future books.

    Thank you for stopping by, please stay a while, get comfortable and let me spin you a tail of bitter sweet love.

    -d²