Feb 1, 2025
Death to Chickens
They slipped through the forest, glad there was no snow on the ground. It was impossible to be quiet in snow. The target was close – just past the tree line. On the map, the trees looked dangerously far from the building, but they could get close enough to dash across the barely-cleared ground.
As long as the occupants didn’t notice them. This group was notoriously sharp-eyed, but their spies had said that the ones living here didn’t like to go out in the cold.
Now all they needed to do was set the explosives on the coop and get out.
***
Feb 2, 2025
Promises
Rafael bent down, hugging Toby and smiling. “I’ll bring back some of the sweets from Aunty Jone’s place, okay?”
Toby nodded, one hand gripping Rafael’s sleeve, the other clinging to William’s pants.
“I promise”, Rafael said, standing to face William, voice gentle. “I’m coming back this time.” He ran a hand up William’s arm, squeezing his shoulder. “You’ve got Toby, so you know it’s true.”
William clenched his jaw, relaxed. Rafael had only ever broken one promise, though it had been the most important one.
He wondered what it would be like to be someone Rafael would keep promises for.
***
Feb 3, 2025
Closed
Howling cries sounded behind xer, bouncing oddly off the granite walls of the ravine that hid this bit of forest. They were closer, xe could tell. Not close enough, though. Xe could see the glowing light on the transporter and xe spent half a heartbeat pressing the button on the remote control.
Xe slid through the portal and onto the transport pad just as the first of the monsters passed the first trees. As xe slammed xer hand on the right key, xe saw the anger on the lead monster’s face.
Xe knew this planet was closed to the Collective.
***
Feb 4, 2025
Waiting
She hummed along with the endless, weirdly atonal hold music, idly sorting the junk drawer. It had been eighteen minutes, so far. Nothing compared to the four hour wait last month.
Eventually, that was as tidy as she could make it, so she moved on to the dishes. She turned the sound up on the phone to make sure she didn’t miss anything. Soon enough, she’d get to the whole house: laundry, washing the windows, everything.
The monthly call to the doctor’s office was the best time to do the housework.
Too bad she wasn’t allowed to do anything else.
***
Feb 5, 2025
Mistake
“Ah, hell,” she said, leaning back in her chair. She’d worked hard to get everything set up right, then after finishing – and posting – nearly half of her entire project, found a different primary source.
Of course, that source had information which turned all of the original work on its head. “Dammit. Okay, I can’t change this project halfway through, but I can correct the following ones.” She made a note on her progress board and sagged backward, rubbing her hands over her face. “I don’t want to fix the spreadsheets.”
At least she wasn’t the lead scientist on this one.
***
Feb 6, 2025
Safety
He settled into the chair, letting the sun’s warmth help him relax. Moving the wing chair to this room had been the right choice; he didn’t know why he’d put it off for so long.
Moving at all had taken forever, but it was all done now, and he was safe. His new apartment was small, and the neighborhood was louder than his old one, but this felt like home.
Soft paws landing on his thigh were quickly followed by an equally soft face shoving into his neck.
He’d never regret moving, not if it allowed him to have love.
***
Feb 7, 2025
Trust
Tersu was hip deep in snow and she grumbled, even knowing that without the ork hunting party she’d stumbled on yesterday, she wouldn’t be able to go anywhere.
One of the orks glanced back at her, eyebrows amused, before leaning over to his… her? companion and saying something sarcastic sounding.
The one who’d spoken turned around and said, slowly, in Shtrefski, “It not far. Over hill and…” They trailed off, glancing at their friend, who sighed and muttered in response.
“Over hill and into tall plants.”
Tersu blinked. “We’re at the forest?”
Maybe trusting orks hadn’t been the worst choice.
***
Feb 8, 2025
Wounded
Chifadi pressed frantically onto Obat’s leg, squeezing the edges of the slice closed.
“I’m going to pull that man’s arms off his stupid body and beat him to a pulp with them,” he muttered. He dug through the half-spilled bag on the ground, crying out in triumph when he found the first aid kit. Opening it with one hand scattered the supplies, but he snatched up the astringent cloths and the strange wound-closing tool they’d picked up.
When they caught up with Obat’s brother and his accomplice, Chifadi planned to take every drop of Obat’s blood out of them. Slowly.
***
Feb 9, 2025
Inside
He curled up in the chair, tugging the blanket tighter around his shoulders. It was cold out and he’d spent too long outside; his feet were still tingling from slipping through the ice into the skim of water.
But he was home now, and wouldn’t have to leave again for days.
A small sound made him turn. Jeannete smiled at him from behind a large mug and plate full of..
“Cookies!” he cried, reaching for them. “Yay!”
She sat on the footstool, smiling up at him. “Thank you—”
He held out a hand. “Don’t. You’d have done the same.”
***
Feb 10, 2025
Rescue
Nyaull peered around the corner – the Eekerem were still looting the upper levels of the ship. That meant it was safe to rescue her crew. Eekerem rarely left guards.
Two of the twisted creatures stood in the hold control room, flicking at the room controls. If she could just… she tossed a bit of gravel to the side of the room, and as the idiots turned toward it, she fired twice, ear cocked toward the lift.
Down the corridor, she heard someone – probably Kaum – call, “Nya, is that you?”
Dammit, she thought. Why can he never learn to keep quiet?
***
Feb 11, 2025
Between Chair and Table
“I don’t understand,” Baul whined. “Why doesn’t it work for me?”
Across the table, Tufdi sighed and rested her forehead on the table. “Because you’re an idiot,” she muttered under her breath.
“Did you try turning it off, closing it and restarting it?” Tchehu was always more patient than Tufdi. She didn’t know how xi did it, but xi managed not to get upset even when the customers refused to learn.
Baul huffed, ostentatiously turning his pockuter off and snapping the case closed. Then he rolled his eyes and restarted it.
“Oh! It’s working now!”
Tchehu’s glance kept Tufdi silent.
***