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Laney Dillon SPRING 2023 Fiction Writing Portfolio

A Voice in the Shadows The chatter in the dining hall echoes throughout the castle, the celebration will soon begin, her brother is to wed the week of next. The bright white of the castle has somehow gotten even brighter, everything decorated to the nines. Golden chariots are still pulling up to the front gate in hopes of seeing even a quick glimpse of the royal family, Theanara to be specific. The castle has been opened to the public for about an hour now, and Thea is already ready for that door to close. She sits in the third smallest throne, her older siblings and even her soon-to-be sister in law all have much larger seats than she. For years the townspeople have cried in outrage at her being the fourth in line. Such a low ranking would mean that she would likely never grant them heirs to rule in their lifetime, which could stretch to upward of two thousand years. At the young age of nineteen, Theanara had her whole life ahead of her. One that had already been carefully paved by her parents, she was to marry a rich nobleman’s son and bear heirs far more powerful than she. That was what many believe her gifts were intended for, to be passed onto her children, whom they’d all hoped would be male so that they may finally have a ruler with the blessing of Aether. Her father had told her once that she was the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen, and that it would one day play in her favor. Thea laughed when he said that. Then she began to realize how many men stared at her.

How many men longed for her. She was only fourteen years old when she was introduced to her first potential suitor who had just returned home from the battle of Sonog. He was one hundred and seven. Luckily for her, the man deemed her unsuitable as she was not fully developed. Though he said he may be back for her in years to come, she had yet to see him again. Many other men had come and gone, each interested, but not enough to truly court her. She felt lucky for that. There had been one man a few months ago who’d asked her oldest brother, Rishi, if he could speak to Thea. Her brother had slit his throat on the spot as he realized that he was no man of light at all. This was a common occurrence now. Men possessed by darkness would come to the castle doors begging to meet the irreverent princess Theanara. Her brother and father would claim they were captivated by Nyx and then each were beheaded. Thea’s had a theory that her brother and father just enjoyed killing innocent men, because she’d never seen anything off about the men, though she only got to view their corpses long after their deaths. Today is a special day however, it is a day in which her father wishes to find her a husband. A true husband. As it is, a man comes forward, a large chest in both hands, his back arched slightly backward as he attempts to carry it. “I bring forth a gift, for the princess Theanara.” Thea’s father, King Cyrus, leans forward in keen interest. This peaks his excitement, hardly anyone had the nerve to speak to the royal family, let alone offer gifts directly to them. “Bring it forward then.”

The man did so, stumbling slightly on the staircase as he couldn’t see where he was going. Once he reached the top and plopped the chest onto the floor in front of the King’s throne, he began unbinding the straps keeping it shut. The booming sound made Aelia jump from her seat next to Thea. Eyes turn onto her, her cheeks now turning golden from embarrassment. Thea lightly gripped her shoulder and guided her back into a sitting position. “This is an heirloom that has been passed down in my family for generations, it is believed that the Aether himself created it.” He opens the chest as he tells his tale, making a show of it. “In one of his many quarrels with Nyx he lost a piece of his tunic, the piece fell down onto Earth and was found by my great grandfather, who made it into armor.” He lifts the piece of clothing from his chest, it is not cloth and certainly not made from a shred of a tunic. But rather pure gold. The royal emblem, a lion, inscripted upon the side of it. “My father died in it, and his before him, I am no warrior, and as of today I have no sons to pass it on to. Unless, of course, your highness Theanara would be willing to grant me one.” Aelia held back a snicker in her seat beside Thea, who blushed furiously. This sort of confrontation was never something so looked forward to. She’d been dreading this day for months. Some members of the crowd clapped as the man finished regaling the legend behind the gift. The King however did not look impressed in the slightest. “Put it with the other gifts, my daughter is very grateful for your consideration.” He ordered impassively. The man’s smile did not waver however, he knew that he had earned a token of kindness in his favor, and that was all he really wished to accomplish with his gift.

“Thank you for listening, your highnesses.” He bowed and picked up the chest. Moving as quickly as his thin body would allow. The orchestra began playing louder as if to coerce the guests to continue their mingling. Aelia leans over to Thea after some time. “I hate this. When can we leave? This dress is so itchy.” Thea’s lips upturned slightly. “Just be thankful people aren’t staring at your breasts.” This was something that happened to Thea quite often. People can’t help but stare at times, no matter who it is. “At least you have them. I’m practically a male at this point.” Aelia quipped, causing Thea to snort with laughter, the two had been close since childhood, only being three years apart. “No man can have a rear like yours, I assure you.” She whispered, their conversation entirely too inappropriate for such an event as this. Aelia smirked. “I’m not sure about that, I’ve seen some large behinds on a few of our guests.” Thea giggled. “Like who?” Aelia scoured the room, searching for the man she had in mind. “Ah! There he is!” She nodded in his direction, Thea immediately looked toward him and gasped. “Gods, that’s not real.” The man’s coat was practically sitting atop his bottom. The sisters giggled for longer than necessary causing their brother, Blaze, to turn toward them with a questioning look. “What are you two snickering about?” Thea gestured to the man and Blaze’s face turned pink. “Aether certainly blessed that man in one department.”

Aelia did all she could to hold in her laughter, but failed, letting out a loud cackle. Thea slapped her hand over her mouth as guests turned to look at what was causing all the ruckus. The queen leaned forward from her throne to look at the three children. “What in the everdark are you three being so loud about?” “Nothing mother, just jests.” Blaze spoke for his youngest sister, knowing she didn't handle reprimand well. The queen narrowed her eyes at the three of them. “Be respectful, for your sister’s sake.” Thea rolled her eyes at this, she’d barely spoken to her mother in the past year, she’d been too busy hiding out in her wardrobe, obsessing over her figure, to truly be a mother. Her father wasn’t much better, he’d spent so much time in his war room, planning out new strategies with his men that Thea hardly recognized him. She never quite understood the purpose of this war, it’d been dragged on since the beginning of time, the two realms would never merge, and one would never conquer the other. The gods have ensured that the two halves must always exist. So what was the reason they fought? Why couldn’t the fae just live in cohesive harmony? They didn’t even need to interact with one another, they could’ve just left it alone. But then again, this was coming from a female who would never sit on the throne. “We will remain quiet mother, our apologies.” Aelia spoke up. The queen didn’t look too pleased, nor did she look convinced, but she sat back anyway. “Good job not panicking Lia.” Blaze patted her on the shoulder in jest. She whipped her head around to look at him. “At least I didn’t provoke mother. You know how she hates it when we jest.”

The two began quietly bickering until Thea stepped in and covered both of their mouths. “I’ve heard enough of your annoying voices for one evening. Please stop, for my sake.” She mocked her mother. Making the other two smile again. The orchestra looked at the King expectantly, ready to play their tunes when the doors burst open. Gasps sounded and the crowds parted suddenly as darkness seemed to overtake the light. Dozens of Nyxian soldiers shoved the civilians aside, making way for a man with a crown of thorns atop his head. Thea felt her hands clutch the arms of her chair. Restraining herself from shielding her siblings from whatever was about to happen. Rishi stood from his throne, rushing to the top of the stairs. “What is this?!” He hissed, drawing his sword as soldiers formed a line on either side of him. “Nyxians are not welcome here, as you well know.” King Cyrus pushed up from his seat, moving slowly toward his first-born. “Step aside Rishi, I knew they’d come.” Thea felt Aelia grab for her hand. “Thea… I’m scared.” She whispered. Thea’s mouth was shut tightly, she couldn’t open it if she tried. She simply grasped her sister’s hand. Rishi spun around to look at Cyrus. “What is this father? Why have they come?” Cyrus didn’t get the chance to respond before darkness spoke. “We have come for the girl.” Anwar, the second oldest child, joined the other men. “You will not have her. She is property of the Aetherian realm and could not survive elsewhere.”

The man in thorns spoke once more. “I have been promised the princess and I am here to collect.” Cyrus placed his hands on his sons shoulders as he addressed the court. “We have gathered here today to witness history. The daughter of Aetherum and the son of Nyxia are to be wed.” There was no oxygen in this room, Thea was sure of it. She could not breathe, nor could she believe she ever had. Blaze and Aelia’s hands were the only things tethering her to the Earth as she locked eyes with the Darkling Prince who’s come to steal her from her family. She knew her soul had abandoned her as she watched the small smirk appear on his face. Murder! Old-Man Thomas

The countryside is beautiful this time of year. People often forget that. They take it for granted. They use this land for its resources. Abuse it. Then they thoughtlessly leave it for dead. Not me, though. I take care of this land. I have for thirty years. I’ve given up everything to protect it. I haven’t got any family aside from my animals— no wife, kids, nothing that I don’t need. But I’m happy. Regardless of what people may say about a life without family, I don’t feel as though I’ve lost out on anything. I have everything I need here. I have something to care for. Something to protect, cherish, nurture, and yes, even love. This place is home. The trees and the grains of wheat sprouting from the Earth are all the company I need. Sadly, not everyone is like me. In fact, most people aren’t. I’m an anomaly of sorts. People in town used to part like the sea for Moses whenever I came ‘round. I’d hear them whispering. Their eyes practically bulge from their skulls if and when I speak to them. So, it’s suffice to say that I was a bit surprised when my dog began barking outside. Maybe it was a coyote, I had thought. It was probably gonna head for the sheep pin. I grabbed my shotgun from it’s spot above the fireplace. There hadn’t been any howling, so I had thought that this may be one of the sneakier fuckers. The sound of the door closing echoed across thirty feet of land. Leading to the perpetrator moving slightly. ———————————————————————————————————————

James God, I hate this place. There’s nothing to do or see, and the people here are even more dull than the miles of fields that make up this town. The only source of entertainment we kids have around here is sitting around a bonfire or fucking around with the old prick out by Goose Creek. Even that isn’t remotely interesting to me. But what else am I supposed to do in this place? Not even the beer in my hand could inebriate my senses enough to make this town tolerable. “James.” A pair of fingers snap directly in front of my eyes. “Dude. You awake?” Smith’s voice snickers beside me. I roll my head to the side to look over at him. “What?” “You hear what Nelly said? Her Uncle Don’s going out of town tonight. The whole farm’s open for business.” He waits for me to have some sort of reaction. When I don’t, he becomes visibly more enthusiastic. “You know what that means?” Nothing. “We can go fucking horse racing, man!” He smacks my shoulder like I’m supposed to be jumping up and down gleefully. “I’m good.” I shrug his hand off. Grabbing the keys to my truck from my jean pocket. “I’m heading out. Anyone need a ride?” Holden, Smith’s brother and likely the closest person I have to a best friend, shoots me a disapproving look. “Come on, man. You never even try to have fun anymore.” “This isn’t fun.” I argue. “None of the shit we do here is fun. It’s boring as hell, and we all know it.”

“Yeah, we all know. And we’re not complaining even though we’re stuck here while you go to some fancy out-of-state school.” He comes up closer to me. “So please, James. Have one last hurrah with us before you say bye forever.” My eyes roll back, but I quickly right myself. “Fine. But let’s make it quick. I got a long drive tomorrow and I don’t want to only survive on coffee.” Smith smirks, listening in. “Let’s go then.” Twenty minutes later we’re crouched down in a heavily shaded treeline. I knew this plan was gonna be stupid. We’re all supposed to sneak over to the stables and grab the horses. “Why are we sneaking over there if your Uncle’s gone?” I ask Nelly the burning question. She barely looks over at me as she responds. “This isn’t my Uncle’s place.” I reer back. “What? Then who the fuck owns this plac-” “Shhhh.” Smith hisses. “These horses are bigger. Trust me, it’ll be a lot more fun to take em’ from this asshole than Old Don.” He creeps forward slightly. “How the hell are we supposed to sneak up there when it isn’t even fully dark yet?” I question further. “God, stop being a pussy. Would you, James?” He points to the stable that does look to be far enough out to sneak up unnoticed. “You’re the master at stealing. So go on then, go get a goddamn horse.” I huff out a sigh but move out from the bushes. Creeping slowly toward the stable that looks closer to the house here than it did from back there. Let’s hope whoever lives here isn’t home.

The lights aren’t on inside. That makes me feel a bit better. I reach my hand out to unlock the stable gate when I hear a door click open. I crouch down quickly. Hiding behind the stable. The sound of rocks fumbling under large boots sounds from behind me. I peek out from my spo- ——————————————————————————————————————— Old-Man Thomas Red sprayed on the bucking horses and the indifferent cows. The chickens scurried away from their feed and into their house. Sploches of the same rouge littered my white shirt. I had sighed as I watched blood pool up. A slight smirk making it’s way across my face. I take one step before a blood-curdling scream pierces the air. My head snaps toward the sound. One moment I’m standing still, then I’m running faster than ever before toward that sound. No survivors. ——————————————————————————————————————— Holden I cover Nelly’s mouth. “Shhhh.” I whisper, tears streaming down my own face as I release her. “He- he killed James.” Nelly stutters, her face as pale as the rest of ours. Smith jolts beside us and points at Thomas Wales’ running form. “He’s coming for us.” He sobs.

I grab my girl and brother by their arms and pull them along into a sprint. “We have to… call the cops!” I holler choppily as we run as fast as we can. Behind us, twigs are snapping, and leaves are rustling as the monster chases us. I look over my shoulder to see him pointing his gun at Nelly. “Duck!” I shove her head down just as he shoots, the bullet scraping my arm. “Godammit!” I holler in pain. Distracted by my arm, I don’t see as Thomas points and shoots my brother. Who collapses next to us. “SMITH!” My scream cracks through me. “WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM US?!” Before I know it, Nelly collapses. The sounds behind me cease before another gunshot is heard. The sobs that leave my mouth are inhuman, every step I take is agonizing. My best friend, brother, and girlfriend are dead. They were fine an hour ago, we all were. In the distance, I see the light of our fire pit. My truck is parked about a mile out from camp. Thomas Wales is in his mid-fifties. I can… God, what am I doing? I stop running. He’s taken everything I have. I turn around and accept my fate. I was never gonna get out of this place anyway. ——————————————————————————————————————— Old-Man Thomas These goddamn kids make this place nearly unbearable. I’ve spent years trying to keep to myself, but maybe it’s time I change that. Maybe I need someone to calm me when all I see is red.

And as I watch the sunset reflect on that small red ravine that leaked from the boy, it reminds me that this world is a beautiful one and that it may be time to share it. But then I remember that people are terrible, and so I quickly stomp on the fresh cumulation of dirt on the ground. Yeah, I’m doing all right alone. Anything Goes… You ever heard that song “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers?

Who am I kidding? Of course you have. Everyone’s listened to that song at least once. Well then you’ve heard the infamous lines: You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em Know when to fold ‘em. Know when to walk away. Know when to run. Well, apparently I’m not blessed with a gambler’s instincts. I’ve been sitting in a brightly lit cafe in the middle of Chicago for well over two hours now. My mother is yet again keeping me waiting. I glance at my watch. Then at my sister sitting across from me. “She’s not coming.” I state plainly. About two seconds from grabbing my purse and rushing back to my office. “She’ll be here. She’s just running a little late is all.” Ella assures me, though she doesn’t look like she really believes the words herself. I roll my eyes. “She’s the one who wanted to have brunch. She doesn’t get to be late.” I tap my knuckles against the table. My sister places a hand on her swollen belly and sighs. “Just give it a little longer. She’ll come. I know she will.” Her big brown eyes trail after passing cars, looking all-too-hopeful for my taste. My knee is shaking beneath the table. Jonesing to get the hell out of here. “I’ve got a meeting with a potential client in about thirty minutes. I can’t stay any longer.” I stand and pull the strap of my purse up my arm right as the doorbell chimes. Signaling an arrival. And as if the universe hates me, which it certainly seems to, my mother walks through the door.

The bottom half of her face is almost completely covered by her extravagant fur coat, her hair is so blonde the lights reflect off it, the botox in her face has her skin pinched around the edges of her hairline, and of course, she’s got that lazy smirk growing on her plastic face as she mozies on into the cafe. Ella's on her feet instantly. A big warm smile plastered across her face. “Mama.” She spreads her arms and wraps them around frigid shoulders. I sit back down and finally glance at the menu. Not caring to greet her. Approaching heels clack against the concrete, before the legs of a chair screech across the floor. “It’s great to see you, dears.” My mother speaks in a posh accent as though she didn’t used to have box-dyed hair and stink like cigarettes. “Ella, you’re getting larger, I see.” The tone she uses wouldn’t sound deprecating to an outsider’s ears. But I’ve heard that tone all too many times in my life to not see right through it. I huff out a quiet breath as I continue pretending to peruse different omelets on the menu. Those cold eyes finally land on me. “Good morning, Gracie.” She speaks with a sort of expectant tone that makes me want to flip the table on top of her. Instead, I slowly raise my gaze to hers. The amber of her eyes match mine perfectly. That fact alone makes me want to order colored contacts. But if I were to do that, then I would need to also invest in multiple plastic surgeries. I sadly got every feature this woman had first. I think she likes to look at me for that sole purpose. It’s like looking in a mirror. With our eyes locked, I respond. “It’s afternoon now.” Then I pull the menu up to my face again. There’s an awkward silence for just a moment before Ella jumps into a conversation about paint colors and baby nose sucker things. To her credit, my mother feigns interest like a

true pro. Though her technique gets a bit shaky when she continuously glances toward me. I’m not sure what she’s expecting me to do, but it’s amusing to see her unsettled by my mere presence. Then, noticing this, and mistaking it for something else entirely. Ella being Ella, she decides to prompt my mother. “Did you hear that Gracie’s boss is stepping down?” She sips on her hot chocolate as she gestures at me. A big foam mustache stretching the distance of her upper lip as she smiles. My mother crooks her neck over to look at me. “I believe I read that in the paper, yes.” She lies. The look on her face tells me that she’s angry I didn’t alert her. “Does this mean you’re searching for employment?” I give her my most obvious fake smile. “No, mother. It means I’m the new CEO of Kalopsia Publishing.” I try to not bite the words out, but they still sound a bit snappy. Her smug expression dissolves like cotton candy in water. “CEO?” I rest my elbows on the table and lean my chin on my interlaced fingers. “Yes. I'm the new CEO.” She looks down at her lap, her flawlessly smooth fingers rubbing against the pink leather of her purse. “Well, that's lovely, dear.” She nods. “When do you start your work?” I don't want to say this. I know I have to say it at some point, but I really don't want that point to be this current moment. I want to give myself time before I spring this on Ella. But I only have three days until I have to leave. She's going to hate me for leaving her this close to her due date. I squeeze my eyes closed as I utter the words. “Well, I have to move first...” I hear a mug clatter harshly against the table. “You're moving?” Ella gasps.

I peer out of one eye at my sister's grief-stricken face. “Yes.” “Where are you moving to?” Her voice sounds strangled. “Georgia.” I whisper, praying that she can’t hear me. Of course I don’t have such luck. She makes a sound similar to a sob. “When?” I gulp. “I leave on Saturday.” Her breathing gets louder and she presses a hand against her chest as though I'm physically hurting her. I know that because I feel as though I'm hurting myself. “I'll talk to Henry. He'll be perfectly fine with moving. I mean, he hates his job and Emery's not in school yet so that'll be easy—” She starts. I cut her off at that point. “No.” Her face falls even further. “What do you mean?” I glance at my mother, who's watching both of us as though she were watching a soap opera and not her two children breaking each other's hearts. “You can't just upend your entire life to follow me to Georgia.” I shrug. “That's just not how life works, El.” Her bottom lip trembles. “But we've been together our whole lives. How are we supposed to live without each other?” I look around at the eyes starting to shoot our way. I can briefly see my mother pulling her phone out of her purse just as I reach for Ella. She allows me to take her hand in mine. “I'm going to come back as often as I can.” I assure her, giving that hand a squeeze. “I'll be here for when the baby comes. I promise.” I look her dead in the eyes to try and reaffirm her. She sniffles and rubs her free hand up and down her swollen belly. “You don't have to do that, Gracie.”

My mouth drops open a bit at this. “I'm your sister, El. I'm going to be at the birth of my nephew.” She opens her mouth to say something, but my mother cuts her off. “Wait a moment.” Ella and I both turn with confusion written clearly across our faces. “You're going to be a co-CEO?” I tense at this. “Yes.” My mother snorts and mutters something that sounds an awful lot like “Figures.” My eyebrows raise and I lean forward slightly. “And what do you mean by that?” Her eyes widen. “It's just that this is only your fifth year with this publishing house. I was surprised that someone so fresh could gain such a rank. It just makes a bit more sense now is all.” She hums as she continues scrolling through whatever article she’s got pulled up on her phone. I ignore her and focus back in on Ella, who’s taking deep breaths far too fast to actually calm herself down. “El, it’s going to be alright.” She nods, looking from me to the people walking past our window. “I know. It’s fine.” My eyebrows draw together. “You sure?” Her head dips down again as she slowly makes a move to leave her chair. “Wait, El.” I try to stop her. “It’s fine, Gracie. I just… can’t be here right now.” The words come out strangled as she holds back tears. Before I can get a word out, she’s darting for the door. “Wait!” I hop out of my seat, ready to chase after her, but a taloned hand grips my wrist. I shoot a glare at my mother as I rip my wrist from her clutches. “Don’t you dare.” She levels a mirrored look back at me. “What are you gonna do? Hm? You’re going to chase after her and make promises you can’t keep?” She balks. “Gracie, she’s made her choice.

She settled down. What she does now isn’t your concern or vice versa. You’ve got a bright future ahead of you here. This could be revolutionary for you.” She stands to meet me at eye level. “Let her go.” And though it pains me to admit it. She’s got a point. I will my feet to move forward, but they refuse. As though they’ve already made a decision for me. My mother smiles at me as I plop back down in the chair, mouth agape at my own audacity. “Good. Now then, tell me about this co-CEO of yours.”