Unsettling Futures Chapter 1UnsettlingFuturesByJamie Carlson(a.k.a. Cardinal Syn)Chapter One: "NightmaresCome True"Yawning tiredly, Lilium Noir crawled into bed. She eeped as Kaiou Elios rather rudely pulled the bedspread out from under her, stealing it for her own use. The brown-haired Lilium glared balefully at the red-head, but was ignored as Kaiou curled up on the right side of the bed.Lilium wiggled under the covers, and watched the lighter-brown-haired Tsukai Hitonokono, the only male in the room (which didn't really matter since he was gay and all) worm his way into his sleeping bag."I'm really tired," Nida Richards complained as sh
Unsettling Futures Chapter 03"What were you thinking?""You need to feed to survive, master!""I am aware of that -""You will not take a human yourself and this journey taxes you! Even now you growweaker! Master, you must use the girl -""MASHIRA! I will not take the life of an innocence without due provocation! Youhad no right to kidnap the girl, you and Caroline both knew that!""But, Master! Please! You must not allow yourself to die so soon in the journey!"The vampire Mashira referred to as "Master" turned away sharply, angry. "I will not use her!""Master, please," Caroline said, her smooth voice pleading. She sat atop the long t
The Porcelain HarlequinThe Porcelain HarlequinBy Jamie Marie CarlsonA little girl peeped into a box of old toys. At the bottom, buried under old doll clothes and a few weathered children's storybooks, lay a porcelain harlequin doll. Under the detailed, lacy harlequin outfit, it was obvious that the doll was broken. Her legs and arms were sticking out of the sleeves too far, shards poking at the cloth in odd angles. Her elegant black hair spread out from a head which was cracked, the line running down from the corner of the little red mouth to the neck. The little black eyes looked very sad, and the child felt a pang of sorrow in her young heart for the poor por