Hugh J. O'Donnell

“I made a Fire Crystal!” The apprentice held up a faintly glowing orang-red stone.
“Why?” The wizard asked. This was not the response she was hoping for.
“Fire is useful. It gives warmth, light, and comfort.”
“And it also causes pain, injury and ruin, my young apprentice.”
“Should I not have?”
“Remember that artifacts are not the same as spells. They exist separate from your will, and can be used outside your control. You made a tool, but in another person’s hands, that is a weapon.” He pushed up the sleeve of his robe to show her his scars.

 Support Me on Ko-fi

The house sat in the middle of a serene lake in the veldt. In the first light of sunrise, he sat on the porch sipping coffee, looking out at the unspoiled wilderness.
Mist drifted above the water, forming ghostly shapes in the air. Jewel-toned birds pinwheeled through the air, and on the far shore, a tiger paced restlessly.
The door behind him slid open, and one of the other guests sat down beside him.
“You’re right,” she said. “This is beautiful. But I still think we should find someplace a little less remote for the writers’ retreat next year.”

 Support Me on Ko-fi

“What the hell are you wearing?” Mickey asked. It was an old argument, and one Lorenzo had been expecting.
“A suit, Mickey.”
“With a white shirt. I told you, black jacket, purple shirt. You look like a banker.”
Lorenzo raised an eyebrow as he took in the rest of the crew. They’d all followed the dress code.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to have a uniform for a heist.”
“You don’t get it, mate. It’s not just pulling the job. We’ve got to have style.”
When the rest of them all got pinched. Lorenzo bailed them out, again.

 Support Me on Ko-fi

The rope hung before him, suspended in the air in defiance of logic and gravity. It stretched as far up as he could see, into the blue haze.
He gave it a few experimental tugs, gently at first, then harder. It held.
Overcome by curiosity, he climbed up the rope. He climbed for hours, until, exhausted, he reached the end of his rope and found himself back where he’d started.
He eased himself off the rope and onto solid ground. He was home. Or was he? He took a few minutes to rest, then set out to explore once again.

 Support Me on Ko-fi