| THE LORELEI SIGNAL |
.
| Written by Kelly Madden / Artwork by Holly Eddy |
| Make a donation to this writer |
| EDEN |
She slipped gracefully across a slender stem, its surface cool and moist with the night air. The forest seemed especially
lovely to her tonight; the moon shone brightly from a clear night sky, illumining every plant in a silvery outline. She tossed
her tentacles gently. The thin trail of liquid she was leaving behind sparkled in the pale moonlight. She knew it enhanced
the beauty of the plant, as well as her own. A soft breeze whispered over her flesh and she shivered slightly; she had little
to worry from the night air, so laden with moisture as it was. But the wind was an old enemy, and she respected it, as did
all her kind. But at least that danger was known--she shuddered, and forced herself to think good thoughts.
She rippled down the stalk, testing the ground with her foot, and found no sharp objects. Satisfied, she slid from her perch
and made her way slowly across the damp earth. She twirled her tentacles back and forth, but saw no one else in the
forest save the flittering sail-creatures high above her. She watched them weave in and out of the plant tips high above her
and marveled at their beauty and their capacity for flight. She realized they could see her too, but she had nothing to fear
from them. The forest seemed free of any danger, in fact. She was glad of that, as her parents had given her express
orders not to leave the safety of the royal quarters. She knew it was for her protection. She knew it was because of who
she was.
lovely to her tonight; the moon shone brightly from a clear night sky, illumining every plant in a silvery outline. She tossed
her tentacles gently. The thin trail of liquid she was leaving behind sparkled in the pale moonlight. She knew it enhanced
the beauty of the plant, as well as her own. A soft breeze whispered over her flesh and she shivered slightly; she had little
to worry from the night air, so laden with moisture as it was. But the wind was an old enemy, and she respected it, as did
all her kind. But at least that danger was known--she shuddered, and forced herself to think good thoughts.
She rippled down the stalk, testing the ground with her foot, and found no sharp objects. Satisfied, she slid from her perch
and made her way slowly across the damp earth. She twirled her tentacles back and forth, but saw no one else in the
forest save the flittering sail-creatures high above her. She watched them weave in and out of the plant tips high above her
and marveled at their beauty and their capacity for flight. She realized they could see her too, but she had nothing to fear
from them. The forest seemed free of any danger, in fact. She was glad of that, as her parents had given her express
orders not to leave the safety of the royal quarters. She knew it was for her protection. She knew it was because of who
she was.
| Make a donation to this artist: |
As Princess of her people she was unique, and carried great responsibility. She understood this, but the longing for one
last visit through her beloved land had overcome her parent's wishes and her duty, at least, for tonight. She glided through
the green stalks of her forest, delicately tasting as she flowed over the vegetable matter that lay thick upon the ground. She
could just have easily named herself Prince, but she preferred thinking of herself as female. She deposited a bit of extra
fluid onto the ground at the thought, and created a swirled, complex pattern with her body as she moved across it. She
reared back, and noted the moonlight had clearly marked her creation, as she had anticipated. It was beautiful. As the
breeze slowly dissipated the design she grieved slightly at its passing, although she realized the sad feeling was somewhat
overwrought. She enjoyed her feminine side the best, but wished at times for a more even temperament; something she
accredited to her lesser-used male persona.
She was making her way to the center of the forest where clusters of forest green plants grew wide and round. Most
plants in the forest grew tall and slender, but these special plants had large, flat, overlapping leaves that formed giant green
balls as big as her home. The tightly wound leaves of these spherical plants were juicy and delicious, and were found only
in one place in the forest, growing side by side in long, bare paths. As a youngling she had enjoyed burrowing her way in
and out of the fragrant structures, waving her tentacles with delight when she came across a family member. She and her
siblings had created pretend homes as they tunneled, and imagined themselves miniature rulers within their cool, green
palaces. The plants were the source of happy memories as well as wonderful meals. She hurried forward anticipating the
remembered sweet taste. These special, round plants were the best eating anywhere, and she was determined to enjoy
them once more before her family moved away from her forest forever; she was determined to say good-bye to her
youthful playground in her own way. She twisted her eyes nervously at the thought of why they were leaving, but the
forest remained quiet and still. She understood her parents' worry. Dangerous forces had taken over her idyllic land.
Forces that were strange, hurtful, and horrifying. Terrible forces that had taken the life of many of her family, including
that of her closest sibling.
She stopped for a moment and shuddered at the remembered body of her favorite egg-mate: a shriveled dry husk that she
would never have recognized save a bit of the silver cord wrapped around her tentacles, a mark of royalty even in death.
She absently rubbed one of her own tentacles against the other; it was something she wore as well.
She was about to continue on when her sensitive skin felt a slight disturbance. She shrunk up in fright as she heard a faint
rustling beside her; could this be yet another plot of the Evil Invader? She froze in place, hoping whatever it was would
take no notice of her. Huge, twin tentacles poked out of the thick matting of growth next to her, and she gradually relaxed
as a Great One slid softly by. She bent her eyes in respect, and the creature nodded back to her in return, sending
comforting thoughts. The great structure on its back shimmered gold in the light; its whorled surface was so dizzying to
look upon she had to turn away. She remembered soon after her birth discovering what she had first thought was a dead
creature much like the one who had just passed by. She had realized it was only a discarded home, and had wriggled
inside, curious. She had been amazed and awed at the silken pink interior that seemed to spiral to infinity. She knew even
then her family would think of what she had done as heresy, and realized later it had been disrespectful. But she had not
been able to resist, and had spent much time there delighting in its translucent smoothness and contemplating how it would
be to carry one's own home.
She felt sad remembering she would be leaving and might never again have such adventures. She pushed herself through a
small clump of stems and arrived at the long earthen tracks in which the giant balled plants grew. She anticipated the
sweetness and hurried towards them. But she quickly stopped in horror. The Evil had returned and this time it had come at
night. She gazed across the nearest track and looked upon the newest evidence of why her parents had begged her to
remain home. Heaped around the base of each green orb were huge shards of razor-sharp crystals; mountains of jagged,
clear stone that had cut the soft bodies of many of her kind. She bowed her head. It had been almost unbearable to know
the day was no longer safe, and now it seemed the night had become just as dangerous.
She recalled when the terrors had first happened, so quickly and without warning: great clouds of choking mist, and then
the falling death, which had proven much worse. The tiny, lethal cubes that had somehow sucked the life-juice from her
sibling finally convinced her family that night was the only time to leave their homes, and even then the forest should be
approached with caution--caution that had now been justified. She turned and propelled herself back the way she had
come. She did not need to see any closer the torn and broken bodies she had glimpsed, impaled and cut to ribbons upon
the sharp surfaces.
Her foot vibrated with fear and she caught herself on the rough ground, ripping a small tear in her flesh as in her haste she
had forgotten to release her protective fluid. She calmed herself and moved slowly away. The heaped crystals could not
harm her from this distance, but who among them understood the Evil, and what terrible form it might take next? Some
strange new weapon could be around the next corner, intent on killing her. She mentally forced such thoughts from her
mind and concentrated on producing the fluid that would help her reach her home quickly. She glided across a soft, moist
cushion more easily now, but her wound continued to remind her of the painful death of those she had so recently
witnessed.
As she made her way back to her home, she wondered what had caused the Evil to manifest itself in their forest; what
was its purpose, and why did attack her people with such vehemence? She stopped, raising her eyes to the round, full
moon. She wondered if other creatures suffered as she and her kind had suffered. She shivered and wondered if leaving
was the answer, as surely something as powerful as this Evil could follow them wherever they went.
She was deep in thought as she reached the edge of her home, and was caught off guard by an unexpected sensation as
she slipped over the lip of the vast doorway. It was so cool and smooth an almost erotic thrill rippled through her body as
she slid over the rim into the grand entryway. She swirled once in a circle, enjoying the feeling. She had never returned
this late to her home, and thus had not experienced the surface so cold and damp from the late night air. But she knew
what she had to do, and pushed aside her thoughts of pleasure. She must warn her family of the new threat.
She moved quickly through the many corridors, glancing now and then into the many rooms branching from the main
hallway, but all the rooms were dark and silent. She called out to her family with her mind but received no answer.
Panicked now, she moved as fast as she was able to the main hall. The light from a high window above filtered moonlight
down upon the twin thrones of her parents. But the smooth, pearlized seats were empty. She twirled her tentacles this way
and that but she saw no one in the hall. She called out again and again but empty silence was her only response.
She backed slowly away from the throne and suddenly perceived an unfamiliar scent. Sweet and beguiling, it seemed to
offer fulfillment of a sort she had never experienced. She forgot about her family. She forgot about the horrible sights she
had so recently witnessed. She turned in the direction of that glorious scent and glided as if in a trance towards the back
entrance of her palace.
She was almost mad with desire by the time she reached the back opening; she tore her wound further on the stones
immediately outside her home so intent was she on reaching the source of the smell. She stopped at the edge of a new
lake, set at ground level and perfectly round. Waves and waves of promised deliciousness invaded her body: a potent mix
of spoiled grain and sugar. She pushed her foot into the amber waters without a second thought, drew up a minute portion
and tasted it. Her body rocked with delight and sensation...she must have more... she would never rest until she was
completely satiated with it...
Just as she was about to plunge into the lake, she caught sight of something strange. Her eyes were still blurred with
desire, but what she thought she saw were large white rocks floating in the water. Even in her fevered state she knew
rocks did not float. She backed away and refocused her eyes.
Pain flooded her when she realized that what she had thought were rocks were the bodies of her family. Pale and bloated,
they drifted back and forth within the amber fluid. She made herself look closer. Other creatures had been lured by the
siren scent; some she recognized and other species she did not. She watched as a huge, spiraled shape filled with the liquid
and slowly sank out of sight. A trail of silvery bubbles rippled across the still waters where the Great One's home had been
and then they too disappeared.
Even the gods can fall, she thought sadly.
She turned and made her way back through her home and out the front opening. She did not know where she would go,
but she could not stay here. The Evil had found them. It knew where they lived. Her parents had been right; their only
mistake had been not to leave fast enough.
She moved through the thick growth for some time until the moon tipped towards morning. She found a hidden stalk deep
within a strange forest, and slid up into the cool underside of a slender blade that would protect her from the hot light of
day. She shivered there in the night's last hours, wondering what the next moon would bring. She watched as the lights of
fire-creatures flittered and winked around her, illuminating the forest with soft yellow glow.
The sight of them cheered her. Surely in a world filled with such beauty there would be a place for her. Surely there was a
place where the Evil could not penetrate. A ripple of resolve passed through her body. She was not sure of her future, but
she was sure of her hope for one. As leader of her people, she would find a new kingdom; a land where offspring could
be raised, a land where she and her people could be happy and safe. The new Queen raised her tentacles high; moonlight
reflected off the silver cord woven between them.
It was her duty to at least try
last visit through her beloved land had overcome her parent's wishes and her duty, at least, for tonight. She glided through
the green stalks of her forest, delicately tasting as she flowed over the vegetable matter that lay thick upon the ground. She
could just have easily named herself Prince, but she preferred thinking of herself as female. She deposited a bit of extra
fluid onto the ground at the thought, and created a swirled, complex pattern with her body as she moved across it. She
reared back, and noted the moonlight had clearly marked her creation, as she had anticipated. It was beautiful. As the
breeze slowly dissipated the design she grieved slightly at its passing, although she realized the sad feeling was somewhat
overwrought. She enjoyed her feminine side the best, but wished at times for a more even temperament; something she
accredited to her lesser-used male persona.
She was making her way to the center of the forest where clusters of forest green plants grew wide and round. Most
plants in the forest grew tall and slender, but these special plants had large, flat, overlapping leaves that formed giant green
balls as big as her home. The tightly wound leaves of these spherical plants were juicy and delicious, and were found only
in one place in the forest, growing side by side in long, bare paths. As a youngling she had enjoyed burrowing her way in
and out of the fragrant structures, waving her tentacles with delight when she came across a family member. She and her
siblings had created pretend homes as they tunneled, and imagined themselves miniature rulers within their cool, green
palaces. The plants were the source of happy memories as well as wonderful meals. She hurried forward anticipating the
remembered sweet taste. These special, round plants were the best eating anywhere, and she was determined to enjoy
them once more before her family moved away from her forest forever; she was determined to say good-bye to her
youthful playground in her own way. She twisted her eyes nervously at the thought of why they were leaving, but the
forest remained quiet and still. She understood her parents' worry. Dangerous forces had taken over her idyllic land.
Forces that were strange, hurtful, and horrifying. Terrible forces that had taken the life of many of her family, including
that of her closest sibling.
She stopped for a moment and shuddered at the remembered body of her favorite egg-mate: a shriveled dry husk that she
would never have recognized save a bit of the silver cord wrapped around her tentacles, a mark of royalty even in death.
She absently rubbed one of her own tentacles against the other; it was something she wore as well.
She was about to continue on when her sensitive skin felt a slight disturbance. She shrunk up in fright as she heard a faint
rustling beside her; could this be yet another plot of the Evil Invader? She froze in place, hoping whatever it was would
take no notice of her. Huge, twin tentacles poked out of the thick matting of growth next to her, and she gradually relaxed
as a Great One slid softly by. She bent her eyes in respect, and the creature nodded back to her in return, sending
comforting thoughts. The great structure on its back shimmered gold in the light; its whorled surface was so dizzying to
look upon she had to turn away. She remembered soon after her birth discovering what she had first thought was a dead
creature much like the one who had just passed by. She had realized it was only a discarded home, and had wriggled
inside, curious. She had been amazed and awed at the silken pink interior that seemed to spiral to infinity. She knew even
then her family would think of what she had done as heresy, and realized later it had been disrespectful. But she had not
been able to resist, and had spent much time there delighting in its translucent smoothness and contemplating how it would
be to carry one's own home.
She felt sad remembering she would be leaving and might never again have such adventures. She pushed herself through a
small clump of stems and arrived at the long earthen tracks in which the giant balled plants grew. She anticipated the
sweetness and hurried towards them. But she quickly stopped in horror. The Evil had returned and this time it had come at
night. She gazed across the nearest track and looked upon the newest evidence of why her parents had begged her to
remain home. Heaped around the base of each green orb were huge shards of razor-sharp crystals; mountains of jagged,
clear stone that had cut the soft bodies of many of her kind. She bowed her head. It had been almost unbearable to know
the day was no longer safe, and now it seemed the night had become just as dangerous.
She recalled when the terrors had first happened, so quickly and without warning: great clouds of choking mist, and then
the falling death, which had proven much worse. The tiny, lethal cubes that had somehow sucked the life-juice from her
sibling finally convinced her family that night was the only time to leave their homes, and even then the forest should be
approached with caution--caution that had now been justified. She turned and propelled herself back the way she had
come. She did not need to see any closer the torn and broken bodies she had glimpsed, impaled and cut to ribbons upon
the sharp surfaces.
Her foot vibrated with fear and she caught herself on the rough ground, ripping a small tear in her flesh as in her haste she
had forgotten to release her protective fluid. She calmed herself and moved slowly away. The heaped crystals could not
harm her from this distance, but who among them understood the Evil, and what terrible form it might take next? Some
strange new weapon could be around the next corner, intent on killing her. She mentally forced such thoughts from her
mind and concentrated on producing the fluid that would help her reach her home quickly. She glided across a soft, moist
cushion more easily now, but her wound continued to remind her of the painful death of those she had so recently
witnessed.
As she made her way back to her home, she wondered what had caused the Evil to manifest itself in their forest; what
was its purpose, and why did attack her people with such vehemence? She stopped, raising her eyes to the round, full
moon. She wondered if other creatures suffered as she and her kind had suffered. She shivered and wondered if leaving
was the answer, as surely something as powerful as this Evil could follow them wherever they went.
She was deep in thought as she reached the edge of her home, and was caught off guard by an unexpected sensation as
she slipped over the lip of the vast doorway. It was so cool and smooth an almost erotic thrill rippled through her body as
she slid over the rim into the grand entryway. She swirled once in a circle, enjoying the feeling. She had never returned
this late to her home, and thus had not experienced the surface so cold and damp from the late night air. But she knew
what she had to do, and pushed aside her thoughts of pleasure. She must warn her family of the new threat.
She moved quickly through the many corridors, glancing now and then into the many rooms branching from the main
hallway, but all the rooms were dark and silent. She called out to her family with her mind but received no answer.
Panicked now, she moved as fast as she was able to the main hall. The light from a high window above filtered moonlight
down upon the twin thrones of her parents. But the smooth, pearlized seats were empty. She twirled her tentacles this way
and that but she saw no one in the hall. She called out again and again but empty silence was her only response.
She backed slowly away from the throne and suddenly perceived an unfamiliar scent. Sweet and beguiling, it seemed to
offer fulfillment of a sort she had never experienced. She forgot about her family. She forgot about the horrible sights she
had so recently witnessed. She turned in the direction of that glorious scent and glided as if in a trance towards the back
entrance of her palace.
She was almost mad with desire by the time she reached the back opening; she tore her wound further on the stones
immediately outside her home so intent was she on reaching the source of the smell. She stopped at the edge of a new
lake, set at ground level and perfectly round. Waves and waves of promised deliciousness invaded her body: a potent mix
of spoiled grain and sugar. She pushed her foot into the amber waters without a second thought, drew up a minute portion
and tasted it. Her body rocked with delight and sensation...she must have more... she would never rest until she was
completely satiated with it...
Just as she was about to plunge into the lake, she caught sight of something strange. Her eyes were still blurred with
desire, but what she thought she saw were large white rocks floating in the water. Even in her fevered state she knew
rocks did not float. She backed away and refocused her eyes.
Pain flooded her when she realized that what she had thought were rocks were the bodies of her family. Pale and bloated,
they drifted back and forth within the amber fluid. She made herself look closer. Other creatures had been lured by the
siren scent; some she recognized and other species she did not. She watched as a huge, spiraled shape filled with the liquid
and slowly sank out of sight. A trail of silvery bubbles rippled across the still waters where the Great One's home had been
and then they too disappeared.
Even the gods can fall, she thought sadly.
She turned and made her way back through her home and out the front opening. She did not know where she would go,
but she could not stay here. The Evil had found them. It knew where they lived. Her parents had been right; their only
mistake had been not to leave fast enough.
She moved through the thick growth for some time until the moon tipped towards morning. She found a hidden stalk deep
within a strange forest, and slid up into the cool underside of a slender blade that would protect her from the hot light of
day. She shivered there in the night's last hours, wondering what the next moon would bring. She watched as the lights of
fire-creatures flittered and winked around her, illuminating the forest with soft yellow glow.
The sight of them cheered her. Surely in a world filled with such beauty there would be a place for her. Surely there was a
place where the Evil could not penetrate. A ripple of resolve passed through her body. She was not sure of her future, but
she was sure of her hope for one. As leader of her people, she would find a new kingdom; a land where offspring could
be raised, a land where she and her people could be happy and safe. The new Queen raised her tentacles high; moonlight
reflected off the silver cord woven between them.
It was her duty to at least try