The Obsidian Blade

I force my feet, my bare, cool feet to cooperate and ground myself on this unfamiliar turf. My eyes rove over thin, frivolous grey boots. Suddenly the flashback hits me. So many unbearable nights unravel before me like a roll of film.

I am in the little house. The wind howls and the door creaks and I sleep on the cold, hard floor. My mother lies in the bed just above me. Creak... thump... creak... thunk... thunk... crunch... crack... crunch, crack, crunch! My eyes open and rove over a familiar cottage from another lifetime. My mother jumps to her feet as the door shatters and the raiders rove in. The witch throws a splattering potion that burns me and shatters my mother as though she were the door. The zombies follow. "Run!" Mom's voice echoes. "RUN..."

The jump through the void has left them shattered, defenseless, and alone. Can Esse, or S, hero of The Overworld and Warrior of Minecraftia make it through a new, scary reality where she has to start over from scratch, and can she handle the earth-shattering truth and overcome her crucial flaw before it's too late? Will they ever be reunited, or is S destined to be alone again forever?

This story was previously published as Through The Void.