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    Assorted Shorts
    Assorted Shorts
    Assorted Shorts
    Ebook93 pages1 hour

    Assorted Shorts

    By PJ Port

    ()

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    About this ebook

    A booklet of Fantasy/Speculative-Fiction short stories:
    "Fleesor Justice"
    ~ A Fleesor's Human pet attempts a Trial of Freedom.
    ~ futuristic fantasy on another world, 3062 words
    "Tempt a Legend"
    ~ Ricker ignores an age-old warning.
    ~ legend tale, 640 words
    "Rohan's Touch"
    ~ A fictional character breaches a writer's physical world.
    ~ altered reality, 856 words
    "Bristle Ordeal"
    ~ Cantana faces surgery to prevent a deadly disease.
    ~ altered perspective, 931 words
    "in the box"
    ~ Fairy and Unicorn counter-voice Slug and Toad in a lid-keeper's box.
    ~ whimsical fantasy about being different, 1527 words

    with a sample from the Love Story novel:
    "Transport Tales, Volume 1: Novan"
    ~ futuristic romance-fantasy Love Story in space

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherUnicornPanther Books
    Release dateAug 9, 2011
    ISBN9781465992970
    Assorted Shorts
    Author

    PJ Port

    ~ dreamer, writer, gramma ~ I mostly write Happy-Ending Love Story novels -- sappy, trashy, past, present, futuristic, and otherworldly -- though not usually of any one specific category. My short stories, on the other hand, seem to be an unrelated assortment of speculative/fantasy musings. I like to read hybrid combinations of mystery, paranormal, romance, sci-fi/fantasy, and humor. (But try to avoid horror, suspense, and thrillers.) *My favorite teacher advised me to "specialize," so as not to be a "Jack of all trades and master of none (like her)." But the Jack sounded like so much more fun, and I admired 'her' versatility so much, that I didn't listen. From Algebra classrooms to Massage and Reiki tables to Writing pads, my professional interactions have been as varied as the seasons. And alas, my stories follow suit ... mixing genres and being none.* ~~~~~~~~~~ Life circumstances have delayed my next release. But I haven't given up! Hope to be be back in gear soon. ~~~~~~~~~~

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      Book preview

      Assorted Shorts - PJ Port

      .

      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

      Assorted Shorts

      by

      PJ Port

      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

      Copyright 2011 PJ Port

      United States Copyright Office

      all rights reserved

      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

      published by

      UnicornPanther Books

      Smashwords Edition

      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

      .

      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

      Smashwords Edition, License Statement

      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

      This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient.

      If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please go to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy.

      Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

      .

      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

      dedicated to:

      Laurine

      May we both find our bliss!

      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

      .

      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

      contents

      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

      title page

      Fleesor Justice ~ a futuristic fantasy

      on another world

      Tempt a Legend ~ a legend tale

      Rohan's Touch ~ an altered reality

      Bristle Ordeal ~ an altered perception

      in the box ~ a whimsical fantasy

      about being different

      with author's notes and

      a sample of Novan

      a sample of To Touch Ice

      a preview of Sapphire Wolf

      a preview of Krish

      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

      .

      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

      Fleesor Justice

      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

      When would the moon ever rise? Any kind of orb in the sky would be better than that blank nothingness. Or so I thought — until an hour later, when the pulsing pink disk finally hovered in full view. It even seemed to possess fangs!

      I crouched closer to my boulder and prayed for courage. That's what I really needed. Just a little courage ... to put my mind in order.

      Okay. So how long did she say to wait?

      "One-third the rise of moon,

      Brings forth Rrolayan's tune."

      Two more hours. He'd be out in two hours.

      Hours? Ha! So I was still thinking in terms of Earth time, was I? Maybe there was still hope, then.

      A Fleesor snarl erupted in my memory. Damned goats. Or were they descended from sheep? Crossed with Wolf, in Herrra's case. —Her most frequent boast.

      But the snarl was never alone, even in memory. With it came Herrra, gray-skinned and smiling. This time with her long silver-white hair draping over her shoulders about me, stubby horns set mid-skull like one of Satan's own, and even stubbier fingers prodding my chest. Crouched over me like that, she must've resembled her last ancestor to walk on four feet. Or hoofs, I should say.

      Herrra always snarled a higher pitch when she found me amusing — which was often. Having bought me as contraband from an unscrupulous Trader Captain, she considered me a prized pet.

      Imagine that! A Fleesor's pet, I was! How low could a self-respecting Human sink?

      Well. She was erotic company. Pink eyes, like that damnable moon, though.

      I'd never grown accustomed to their pink. Always hated that particular shade. It reminded me of sickness. A paleness that suggested one's blood too tired to circulate.

      I'd learned of the Trial of Freedom from Herrra's brother, Frraun. He had more respect for Humans, it seemed.

      Actually, according to Frraun, this was the only Fleesor province still tolerant of Human slaves. Isolated and seldom visited, Herrra's realm apparently harbored many vices illegal elsewhere.

      Frraun's own holdings bordered a metropolis. Or so he said. I often wondered if there could even be such a thing on this God-forsaken planet. Rock and gravel were about all I'd seen.

      He'd frowned when he first noticed me being flaunted as part of Herrra's, ah, ... 'harem.' Their exchange of snarls had echoed the place.

      Earth, it seemed, was now a more respected world. One not to be shamed so. If a Human citizen of it wished to enjoy her 'hospitality,' by all means, allow it. Entice the creature to the point of extreme rudeness, even. But to hold one enslaved was tantamount to insult — to the muchly revered and respected Pure-Blood who'd acknowledged their change in status.

      The sister won out that volley. He'd been visiting her territory. But she allowed him conversation with me as a gesture of good will. I reasoned he'd make a frightful enemy, if insulted.

      He wasn't above making use of such an opportunity to 'entice' me himself. The sampling of a Human lover being considered a rare and tasty treat. Especially one schooled in managing Fleesor rut.

      I'd obliged willingly enough, and he'd told me about the Trial of Freedom when I confessed to Service Training.

      My level of Training would've prepared me adequately, he assured. And no self-respecting Fleesor, anywhere, would deny even the lowliest of creatures an 'opportunity' to earn freedom, had said creature courage enough to request the Ancient's bargain to begin with.

      Out here, alone and weaponless in the path of Rrolayan, I wasn't quite sure I had any courage left. Maybe I'd been pampered too

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