THE IDES OF FEBRUARY 2020
Aloha;
Here is another excerpt from this month’s featured story “Balance Retained.” (This copyrighted story is the intellectual property of J. A. Stubbs; and he reserves all rights to it.) Get the entire story now! At Amazon.com!
BALANCE RETAINED (continued)
© 2019 by J. A. Stubbs
After he’d learned what he could from her, he withdrew his awareness from the world beyond his egg. Inside of his private ‘universe’ he pondered the future. Tried to make guesses about a world he’d never seen. Since he was not strong enough yet to do more. However, many more unanswered questions formed in his thoughts now.
Then he realized that the answers must wait until his body and mind grew stronger. So again he gave his imagination free rein. But this time the images he dwelt on were more consistent. As he saw himself as master of the world outside his egg. Where his mother and all like her did not have the mental strength or will, to resist his commands. Which meant he would have his choice of prey.
He began considering methods for controlling those with weaker minds. Or manipulate any stronger wills he found through his control of the weak. In the meantime, he waited. He relied on his personal development as his measure of times’ passage. While his body became larger, so did his ambition. Then his insatiable curiosity drove him to continue his hunt for understanding.
He scanned the tree the nest was in; beginning with its high crown. Thus he carefully examined his home, inch by inch; until his awareness reached the ground. He relaxed his scan a little; letting it play along the firm, grass-covered soil. Although the soil did not seem to be alive, it was teeming with several forms of different living things.
Then his mind touched a lifeless and uniform surface. He studied this discovery in wonder. Here, for the second time in his life, he found an artificial construction. As he considered the nest to be the first. however, this material was unlike anything else he’d perceived before. He did not understand what its purpose was; but since it was here, there must be a reason for it.
The desire to know inspired him. So he swept his attention along that flat surface to learn what it was. It surprised him to find that this surface extended away from the tree as far as he could scan. It also stretched off in the opposite direction just as far. However, its width was far narrower by comparison. For the tree held branches which were longer than the flat surface was wide.
For a time he pondered its purpose. His mind relaxed further and became more receptive. Then he perceived sunlight. He quickly returned to his mother’s mind. With care he joined her thinking. Soon he viewed the world though her eyes; learning the difference between perceiving and seeing. And he saw it in color.
His respect for the larger world grew as he saw its beauty around him. It was while he experienced her way of seeing that the giant came. Instantly the odd construction made sense. He watched this creature and the strange object that carried it approach. While the giant was a living, thinking being; the thing it sat on was not. Which meant something or someone built it.
Read this latest excerpt A Third Word About Balance Retained. Or get the entire tale now at Amazon.com! Or go to A Word About Balance Retained, for the start of the story. Or to the Science Fiction page, or the Reading Library.
Respectfully Yours,
J. A. Stubbs, Editor-In-Chief
Forgotten Lore Publishing, llc