tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48276533675073834392010-01-28T20:52:03.399-05:00She wants to go home,<br> and all she needs is a unicorn. <br> An online novel.S.A. Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14094259995695058081noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4827653367507383439.post-57262654093379140572009-02-14T00:00:00.002-05:002009-06-01T18:21:50.888-04:00

The bright flash made Naomi drop the unicorn horn. It broke in two on her kitchen's linoleum floor. Only, she wasn't there to pick it up.It was like an invisible trap door had opened up beneath her, except the ground stayed firmly under her feet. She blinked and swayed as the vertigo faded. Her kitchen was gone. In its place was a room with rough white walls and a packed earth floor. There was an

S.A. Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14094259995695058081noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4827653367507383439.post-18309217335306589912008-08-14T00:00:00.001-04:002008-08-14T00:00:01.363-04:00

Naomi wanted to be sick, and puking directly onto the shriveled corpse hanging off her arm might actually improve its looks. She didn’t know if this body were once Errilol’s, suggesting he was once mortal or if the corpse were of a favored follower, and at the moment, she didn’t much care. She wanted to be free of the abomination and to kill the entity that animated it. She continued to pull away

S.A. Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14094259995695058081noreply@blogger.com48tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4827653367507383439.post-64470796114600459692008-08-07T00:00:00.002-04:002008-11-21T14:53:37.070-05:00

“Naked! You want me to face an evil god NAKED!” “It’s the best way to use the vanishing oil, and you’ll have the shield. We’ll coat that with the oil as well,” Agatha said in a far too reasonable tone.“But I’ll be naked!” “Modesty isn’t really an issue when you’re invisible.”Naomi shook her head. She’d always thought horny, old, puritanical men made up all that sky-clad stuff about witches, but

S.A. Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14094259995695058081noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4827653367507383439.post-90922079161590794372008-07-31T00:22:00.004-04:002008-08-07T08:02:12.767-04:00

It was Errilol. The god had come to stop her. Naomi freed herself from the guards. They didn’t pay her any attention. They were staring at the fireplace in terror. An angry, insane god was in the room with them. They should be afraid. She was afraid too, but she was also furious. Errilol was hurting Tavik, making him ill. She wasn’t going to let the god continue. “He doesn’t serve you anymore!”

S.A. Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14094259995695058081noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4827653367507383439.post-44418690510120219652008-07-24T00:54:00.003-04:002008-07-31T00:28:14.052-04:00

Naomi was going stir crazy. All she could do was pace, and her feet were beginning to hurt due to all the pacing. She flung herself into a chair and put her head in her hands. Where was Tavik? Where were Agatha, Yula, and Mr. Squibbles for that matter? It was like she’d been forgotten. This was a fine homecoming, she thought. She’d left her world to come here. She’d given up her nice normal job,

S.A. Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14094259995695058081noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4827653367507383439.post-436982413292455482008-07-16T22:57:00.004-04:002008-07-24T01:01:04.243-04:00

Naomi felt dizzy from the thin air. “We need to get out of here before we can't,” wheezed Mr. Squibbles. She jabbed her finger, and blood spilled onto the horn. The purple desert went dark, and when there was light again, Naomi’s eyes were assaulted by so many shades of green that she looked down to make sure that she wasn’t green too, but there was plenty of air. She took deep breathes in relief

S.A. Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14094259995695058081noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4827653367507383439.post-33095405986229681842008-07-07T21:01:00.005-04:002008-11-21T14:44:59.128-05:00

When Naomi checked the pot the next morning, her lip curled at the sight. The milk had burned away while on the stove over the night, and the ingredients had formed a brown slimy sludge at the bottom of the pot. She turned the stove off and contemplated her next move. “Well, is it fixed?” Mr. Squibbles asked. Naomi picked the mouse up and held him over the pot so he could see the ugly mess. His

S.A. Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14094259995695058081noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4827653367507383439.post-19498500401357766182008-06-30T00:00:00.007-04:002008-11-21T14:16:57.091-05:00

Dinner that night was spaghetti with meatballs, one of Naomi’s favorites. Too bad she felt too guilty to enjoy it.“What do you mean you’re moving away and can’t say where? How will we reach you?”Naomi winced and hunched her shoulders. “It’s not like you could call me anyway. There aren’t any phones.”“What?!”She winced again. “It’s a real rustic place. The phone companies haven’t gotten there yet.

S.A. Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14094259995695058081noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4827653367507383439.post-12100809289714769292008-06-26T22:42:00.006-04:002008-07-04T22:55:36.961-04:00

Naomi blinked. It was all she could do when a mouse said hello, even one that she might very well know. He stood on his hind legs and peered up at her. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten me. I really don’t want to have to go through introductions again. And you better not come after me with a broom. That’d be just rude.”It was him. It was really him. “Mr. Squibbles, what are you doing here?” She sat

S.A. Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14094259995695058081noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4827653367507383439.post-69026547403904831092008-06-23T00:00:00.003-04:002008-06-26T23:03:04.185-04:00

Naomi called her parents once she regained her composure. They were happy to hear from her, but they had seen her just that morning. Naomi’s mother told her how well the yard sale had gone and who she’d seen. Naomi held the phone numbly as she listened to her relaxed and happy voice. When a couple of tears fell onto her lap, Naomi quickly said her goodbyes and hung up. She was home, and nothing

S.A. Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14094259995695058081noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4827653367507383439.post-83704690511688866062008-06-19T00:00:00.003-04:002008-06-23T14:36:24.442-04:00

Agatha pressed yet another cup of tea into Naomi’s hands. She pushed it back. “No, no more. My eyeballs are swimming in this stuff,” she croaked. Her throat was sore, but she didn’t even like tea. “No, you’re going to drink this cup too. It’s only your fourth,” the witch whispered. She’d completely lost her voice due to the chanting. Tavik was dabbing at the unicorn slash on his chest with a wet

S.A. Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14094259995695058081noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4827653367507383439.post-75121066841653653292008-06-17T01:01:00.004-04:002008-06-23T14:35:24.509-04:00

When she saw Tavik had stayed behind, Naomi slipped to a halt and scrambled to go back to him. “Tavik!” she screamed. “Naomi, go!” he shouted. He stood with empty hands as large murky objects raced toward him. The unicorn stood by his side with head lowered ready to fight.Yula grabbed her arm and began pulling her back. “We must get back to the cottage!” “I am not leaving Tavik!” Naomi shouted.“

S.A. Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14094259995695058081noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4827653367507383439.post-42364239877943415622008-06-11T21:46:00.006-04:002008-06-17T21:55:45.773-04:00

Naomi shot up in bed with a gasp. Her hands instantly checked her chest for a stab wound, but she was unhurt. Tavik sat up too and blinked sleepily at her. “Are you all right?” She nodded, but pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them, not wanting to lie back down. He ran a hand over her back. “It was just a bad dream,” she told him. “Go back to sleep.”He leaned back against the wall

S.A. Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14094259995695058081noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4827653367507383439.post-34296446736463621992008-06-11T00:22:00.004-04:002008-06-12T00:47:43.960-04:00

“Are you mad? He will never help you!” Agatha declared.Naomi stared into Tavik’s eyes a few moments longer and then calmly turned away. She didn’t know what had possessed her to say that it was up to Tavik whether to help her go home, but she would stand by her decision. She would not force him to do anything else for her. She had already forced him to do enough, maybe even too much. Yula stayed

S.A. Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14094259995695058081noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4827653367507383439.post-51120539394049404152008-06-09T00:00:00.002-04:002009-06-01T17:52:35.864-04:00

Naomi didn’t want to wake up. She could feel the pins and needles pricking her even in her unconscious state. She knew if she woke up those pins and needles would begin to stab repeatedly. Unfortunately, someone dropped a large metal pot to the floor which jolted her awake and straight into pain. Naomi flailed about unsure what to clutch first. Her back, her head, her legs, everything ached.

S.A. Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14094259995695058081noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4827653367507383439.post-18716436367665985102008-06-05T00:15:00.005-04:002008-11-21T13:52:34.958-05:00

Tavik stood up to face Agatha. A muscle in his jaw twitched as he stared across the room at her. “Errilol made me the man I am.”“I wouldn’t be so proud of the man I was if I were you. Having your people fear you and wonder if you were a fiend is not something to be proud of.” He clenched his jaw, and Naomi hoped this didn’t go beyond a heated argument. “I became the man I needed to be.”“And what

S.A. Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14094259995695058081noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4827653367507383439.post-90365645473659010212008-06-02T00:00:00.005-04:002008-11-21T13:45:39.887-05:00

From fifteen feet away, the unicorn stared at them. He held his head high, his coat glowed in the growing dusk, and from the center of his forehead, his horn shone. There was no mistaking him. “I just looked, and he was there,” Yula said. The unicorn seemed curious about the two women. Naomi wondered if maybe all the virgin business with unicorns was nonsense. This unicorn didn’t seem skittish.

S.A. Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14094259995695058081noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4827653367507383439.post-88116012861636312572008-05-28T22:45:00.004-04:002008-06-05T00:41:50.870-04:00

Naomi led Tavik to a small copse of trees to shield him while he did his business. She wasn’t worried about him running off anymore. Her lips still tingled. Maybe she shouldn’t be the one holding his leash. He’d brought up their marriage like it mattered. She hadn’t thought about them being husband and wife. Not really. She’d viewed him as her jailer. They were married, but were they something to

S.A. Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14094259995695058081noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4827653367507383439.post-61840686450507654802008-05-26T00:00:00.001-04:002008-05-29T00:11:09.182-04:00

The flying house settled in a small field after lunch. Everyone except Tavik exited swiftly to walk around and stretch their legs. Yula looked back at the cottage with pity.“We should let Tavik come out and relieve himself. I would think he needs it.”Naomi looked back at the house too. She frowned. “It would be too easy for him to escape. He could overpower us in a snap.”“He will not escape,”

S.A. Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14094259995695058081noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4827653367507383439.post-33548285206430634422008-05-22T00:00:00.001-04:002008-05-29T00:11:44.990-04:00

Naomi picked at her dress as she stared out the window. Agatha was at the wheel holding it steady. Mr. Squibbles slept on the witch’s shoulder. Yula was dusting. Tavik still sat at the table. No one had replaced the mask, and he had not demanded it back which was probably good because if he had, Naomi would have pitched it out the open door. She had no idea how this whole thing was going to play

S.A. Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14094259995695058081noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4827653367507383439.post-79602398071673749272008-05-19T03:00:00.001-04:002008-05-22T01:20:57.017-04:00

Yula stood with her nose pressed against one of the windows. “Oh my lady, come look!” Naomi looked over Yula’s shoulder at the land racing below them. “Isn’t it wondrous?” the older woman asked.“It is pretty amazing that the cottage flies,” Naomi said.“And us, we’re flying too!” Yula said.Naomi shrugged her shoulders. “I’ve been on airplanes. They fly even higher in the air and take people to

S.A. Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14094259995695058081noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4827653367507383439.post-56193272398131756602008-05-15T03:00:00.001-04:002008-12-04T21:21:14.542-05:00

Yula finally acknowledged Naomi’s presence by turning to her. “Naomi, you can’t be serious about this.” Naomi looked up from where she sat on Tavik’s stomach. She’d been picking her nails while the two women argued.“I would get serious if I could get some help hauling Tavik’s heavy ass out of here,” she answered.Agatha nodded and went to grab a leg again. Yula hung back shaking her head. “What

S.A. Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14094259995695058081noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4827653367507383439.post-58075572881426780632008-05-13T00:34:00.002-04:002009-06-01T18:14:10.994-04:00

“What the hell just happened?” Naomi said. Tavik lay sprawled on the floor. She wheeled around looking for Agatha. The black cat crept out from under the bed“I didn’t do it,” she said.“I did,” a small, squeaky voice said.“Mr. Squibbles!”“That's me.” The familiar poked out from a rumpled napkin on the table. Naomi's eyes darted to the corpse on the floor.“Then who--““A stupid field mouse who

S.A. Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14094259995695058081noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4827653367507383439.post-63011478064431582062008-05-08T04:40:00.004-04:002009-06-24T23:47:47.739-04:00

The body made a small muffled thump when it hit the floor. Naomi felt sick. That furry lifeless lump was Mr. Squibbles.“Oh my God, you killed him.”Tavik wasn’t paying attention to her. He was trying to reach around to pull Agatha off his back. He was going around in circles with the cat just out of his grasp.“Get your damn cat off me!”Naomi approached him, but she didn’t grab Agatha. She began

S.A. Hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14094259995695058081noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4827653367507383439.post-71371804107231494162008-05-04T23:15:00.001-04:002009-06-24T23:36:24.608-04:00

Naomi sat still as Yula rearranged her hair. The older woman had a serene look on her face. “You really care about him, don’t you?” Naomi said.Yula stopped brushing her hair and looked at Naomi through the mirror. “No, I don’t. The fact is, I often hate him.”Naomi turned to look directly at her. “You do? But you look after him. Take care of him.”“It’s what I have to do to stay close to him.”“Why?

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