Tag Archives: writing game

The Shape of Family – Part Nine

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Tuesday is here! It’s time for Part Nine of The Shape of Family, where we’re gonna follow Claire and her Winged Riders a bit longer.

<- Part Eight – Betrayal

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The Shape of Family

Part Nine – Rally

by Rick Cook Jr

“How long for the Kingsguard?” Claire asked Private Hughes as she stepped out of the inn, Maggie trailing behind her, linens still clutched in her hands.

Hughes saluted. “I sent Tanner along to rouse them. We can head over now and they’ll be ready.”

“Good. Saddle the horses and bring them around.”

“Already on it,” she replied, turning to fulfill her orders.

“Wait.” She needed to do this first. She reached into the pouch at her side and drew out an insignia. “Lift your lapel.”

Hughes cocked her head at Claire but obeyed, staring at the pin. Claire fastened the small metal and smoothed the lapel down.

“You’re acting Sergeant until this is over, Hughes.” Continue reading →

The Shape of Family – Part Eight

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Tuesday is here! It’s time for Part Eight of The Shape of Family, where we’re gonna see what Claire’s been up to in Jeffrey’s absence.

<- Part Seven – Reveal

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The Shape of Family

Part Eight – Betrayal

by Rick Cook Jr

Claire and Private Hughes tended to the girl’s wounds while she was unconscious, and then put her to resting in the bed Claire had vacated this morning.  Hughes dropped into a chair, bundling up the bloody cloths and bandages.

Having removed the girl’s jacket and shirt, Claire saw two things: the new wound was not as bad as it looked through the layers of clothing, and this wasn’t Marie.

“This is Renee,” she said after the girl was settled and resting fitfully.

Hughes started. “What?” Continue reading →

The Shape of Family – Part Seven

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Tuesday is here! It’s time for Part Seven of The Shape of Family. Sadie is back under the saddle today!

<- Part Six – Den

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The Shape of Family

Part Seven – Reveal

by Rick Cook Jr

Sadie had never run so hard in her life. And they’d almost made it unscathed.

For the briefest of moments both Renee and Marie were on Sadie’s back, and then the creature, the not-bandersnatch, dragged away Marie.

And though Jeffrey Combs tended her wounds, she hadn’t recovered yet. She couldn’t even stand.

She didn’t know what exactly was happening inside the inn, since she was still lying on her side beside the door. Did they even know it was Renee?

I can tell them. You’ll put yourself in the same danger. Then Jonathan is caught and so are you.

They were facing something different, something lethal. They’d listen to her, wouldn’t they? Continue reading →

The Shape of Family – Part Six

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Tuesday is here! It’s time for Part Six of The Shape of Family. Let’s see what that old bandersnatch is up to these days..

<- Part Five – Sun-Baked

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The Shape of Family

Part Six – Den

by Rick Cook Jr

He released the mirror image from his silken, smoky grip and she clattered to the ground, scrambling away from him and babbling. He swirled with delight at his success and she watched without really seeing. He knew the look. Fear and shock.

His den was undisturbed, as it always was. No creatures dared enter the great redwood even while he was away. The mushrooms within never shied from his presence, though, and he cultivated them for their glow.

He had taken the girl deep into the hollow tree. If she attempted to flee, well, that just made the chase more exciting as she fled blindly in the maze of roots and tunnels. Continue reading →

The Shape of Family – Part Five

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Tuesday is here! It’s time for Part Five of The Shape of Family. Checking back in with Claire and her retinue today.

<- Part Four – Priority

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The Shape of Family
Part Five – Sun-Baked

by Rick Cook Jr

After she was alone, sated for the night, Claire tried not to let it get to her. Any number of reasons why the girl would be late. She tossed and turned all the same with a stomach churning worries, and by morning when her Wings first stirred she couldn’t tell if she’d slept or just kept her eyes closed hoping for it.

Claire pushed up from her bed, mouth dry, head pounding. She hadn’t meant to drink. That damned Combs wouldn’t take no for an answer, bordering on insubordination.

Bordering but never crossing that line. Continue reading →

The Shape of Family – Part Two

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And away we go with Part Two of The Shape of Family! This Part is entitled “Wings”.

<- Part One – Shadow-Dancer

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The Shape of Family

Part Two – Wings

by Rick Cook Jr

Wing Captain Claire Claymonte wanted to stay and search for the rider of this beautiful horse. It rankled that they were not able to sneak up and catch him unawares. But if the Forest didn’t kill him, a patrol probably would.

She sighed as they mounted up and Sergeant Combs continued to work his skill at calming on the animal. Dark blue and gray patches on a coat of midnight black. She had never seen horseflesh of this variety before. Her white stallion Moxie was a sight to behold, but pure white breeding was in vogue even among the civilians. A horse with coloring like this one… Envy of the entire military, she’d be. She could claim it as spoils of the road if she wished.

“Hand over the saddlebags,” she said to Combs as they left the forest and took up the route. Continue reading →

The Shape of Family – Part One

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Part One of a Seventeen-part serialized story, firmly in the fantasy camp, so fantasy fans rejoice? Find a Table of Contents at the bottom of this post.

This is the start of Volume 1 of my Shapechangers series. If you’ve read this one, you can hop on over to the start of Volume 2, The Wings Take Shape, right now!

The Shape of Family

Part One – Shadow-Dancer

by Rick Cook Jr

From Sind’s Sundry at the edge of town, Sadie bought the star map and a singed pamphlet with the last of her silver and struck out for the skinyard, fingers twitching to be gone. Sind hisself hadn’t said a word. No one had. They all knew she was going, that she couldn’t be stopped.

She tucked the papers within her pack and hucked it over her shoulders, ignoring the tension in her neck and spine. Just a little ways, she thought. I can make it just a little ways.

Her feet pounded the packed dirt, and though it was getting on dusk and all the changers should have been on their way back, the road lay empty.

She sighed as she passed the tall barricades and entered the skinyard, and here discovered why the changers hadn’t left for home. Naked as the day they first changed, they stood in a circle in the corral of sand and gravel. Eyes on her. Continue reading →