Ali Noel Vyain's Blog, page 70

Chapter 12 The Prisoner

An excerpt from The Violet Series Book 1: The Water Nymph’s Tale.

Bonnie was busy checking the route schedules when Clyde walked in. She looked up at him.

“Oh, there you are. I was wondering, how can you stand it that Violet is off by herself?”

“Oh, I don’t know. I think she needs some freedom. Exploring Mars will help her learn more about the colony that my parents help to build.”

She smiled. “I miss her.”

“So do I, but my parents would have let her go exploring as well. They let me start this business.”

“Without complaints or worries?”

“I don’t know about that. They never complained directly to me. They both encouraged me to go for it. I think they were more worried about Frank.”

She sighed. “There wasn’t anything any of you could have done.”

“I know.”

“Everything looks good on this end. What about the new routes?”

“The Snowstorm sounds willing to be our first spaceship to travel around the solar system to visit the other colonies.”

“Oh, a regular passenger route… sounds exciting.”

He nodded. “Would you like to help me finish up the negotiations with them?”

“Sure.” She looked at him and bit her lip.

He checked over the routes on his tablet. Then he looked up at her. “You’re the best partner I could ask for.”

She smiled. “I’m glad we’re partners.”

He smiled. “Good. Wait…”

“What?”

He stepped closer to her. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

“You’ve been biting your lips again. I wish I could kiss them to ease the pain…” He half closed his eyes. He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I promised I wouldn’t do anything like that.” He stepped back.

She gaped at him. “Violet knows.”

He sat down across from her. “Is that why she kept giggling after she saw us?”

She nodded. She stood up and walked over to him. She leaned down to him as he stared. They both closed their eyes and their lips touched.

*******************

“I’m so glad I found you. So, are you enjoying your stay so far?” Victor asked of his guest.

“Who are you? Why am I here? What is going on? What do you want with me?” Antoni gaped at Victor.

Victor wrinkled his nose. “It’s really very simple. I need a lure to get the water nymphs to my lair and you’re it. Now, you will stay here in this room.” He ran off to another part of the castle, leaving Antoni alone in the dungeon for the night.

Antoni laid down on his back, but couldn’t sleep. He couldn’t stop thinking about his dead relatives and friends on Eris. Nor could he stop thinking about Violet. She looked strange. She was a true friend to him.

He sat up. “Wait a minute, Violet doesn’t know any other water nymphs! Victor, your plan may not work out the way you want it to!” He slammed his fist into the cold, damp slab he was sitting on. “Ow!” He shook his hand and rubbed it with his other one. “Great, no one is coming, Antoni. How are you going to get out of this mess? Hmm? I’ll probably have to die. Well, then I could join my dead family and friends. I guess that wouldn’t be so bad.”

He laid back down. “But what about Violet? She’ll probably miss you… You could just tell her how you feel about her. No, what would be the point? Wouldn’t she just die like everyone else? Perhaps…”

Eventually he fell asleep from sheer exhaustion.

*************************

“Victor, who is the guest you’re keeping in the dungeon?”

“Ursula, my love, he is friend to a half human half water nymph.”

“Oh, they can mate?”

“Apparently.”

“Tabitha was half water nymph as well.”

“But she’s not human at all.”

“True. Her father is a werecat.”

Both vampires shuddered.

“I hope you don’t forget to give him some food. We can’t have our prey go hungry. You know they don’t taste as good.”

“Right. The servants should take care of that. In the meantime, you and I have some pleasure to attend to.”

“Yes, we do.”

As the torches in the bedroom burned out, the vampires slipped out of their clothes and slipped into each others’ arms and into the bed.

Chapter 11 Vampire Interference

An excerpt from The Violet Series Book 1: The Water Nymph’s Tale.

Snowstorm and its crew made it all the to Mars. Captain Whitfield called a meeting with the crew’s officers. They were to plan how to answer Clyde Mineur. They also wanted to discuss how best to ask Mr. Winchester to join the crew permanently.

“Captain, Mr. Winchester left this morning right after breakfast.”

“Oh, that’s not surprising. He’s probably looking for Violet Mineur.”

The doctor nodded. “I made sure he left with his allergy list. I just hope he follows it.”

The galley master spoke up, “I did make it clear he could still get his meals from here. He hasn’t vacated his quarters, but he’s wearing his regular clothes.”

Captain Whitfield nodded. “That boy has more options now than he did. Do we all want him to stay on as a crew member?”

All around the table, the officers nodded their assent.

“Good. That’s settled. Now we just have to notify Mr. Winchester. I’ll just leave him a message. He can get it when he gets back to the ship.” He paused. “Now, for the contract with Clyde Mineur. Any opinions on the matter?”

“Let’s take it. It will be more steady income for us all.”

“And we’ll be able to afford to keep Mr. Winchester permanently.”

“Alright, we are in agreement. Then let’s contact Mr. Mineur and accept the contract.”

*********************

Antoni was sitting watching people walk by. Then he saw her. She had light blue skin with red violet eyes and red violet hair. He gasped and his heart pounded. He dropped his jaw as he stared at her.

She noticed him standing in the spaceport. Was there something familiar about him? Had she seen him before? She couldn’t think—

“Violet?”

“Yes?”

“It’s me, Antoni.”

“Oh, hello, Antoni.”

He walked over to her. “I, I didn’t expect to see you here. How are you?”

“I’m fine. And you?”

He sighed. He shook his head. “I could be better. I traveled all the way from Eris, but I’m glad to catch up with you.”

She smiled. “What happened? Why did you leave?”

“Everyone died at my town.”

“What?”

“Yeah, my parents and my friends. I don’t know what happened. I just came back and found everyone in the town dead.”

“That’s terrible.”

He nodded. “Yeah. I just wish I knew what happened to them. I wish I could have done something.”

“You said you weren’t there when it happened.”

“No, I wasn’t. I was off at college and just went home for break.”

“Then it sounds like there was nothing you could have done. You probably would have been killed with them.”

“You’re probably right.” He paused to stare at the floor. “Thanks for listening. I haven’t been able to talk to anyone else.”

“That’s what friends are for.”

He looked up at her and smiled.

A pale looking human flitted into view. “Ahh, what do we have here? A water nymph?”

“Yeah, I’m half water nymph and half human.”

“Oh. I wasn’t aware that water nymphs and humans could mate.” He sneered.

“I’m not the first. I probably won’t be the last.”

“I don’t like water nymphs. They complained about our castle on the preserve. It’s silly, but they were welcome to live with us, if they so choose.”

“Who are you?” asked Violet.

“I am Victor.”

“Well, Victor, judging by your attitude, I’d say it was you who created the problem with the water nymphs. I’ve researched the records. They requested that land so they could stay away from the growing colony. They haven’t done anything to ruin the land. Nor have they committed murder.”

“You think you’re so smart.”

“I know what I see and observe.”

“Do you speak for the other water nymphs? Do you know what they want?”

“No, but my uncle did meet my mother and I can trust what he said about her.”

“Well, we’ll see.” He took a glance at Antoni and at Violet. Without any warning, he grabbed Antoni and ran off. They became a blur and no one could see where they went.

Violet froze in place. The clerk on duty stared at her. Violet walked over to her. “I take it Victor is a vampire.”

The clerk nodded with a gaping mouth.

“Damn!” She looked down to the floor. “Wait a minute. Do you know where the castle on the preserve is from here?”

The clerk closed her mouth. “Oh, it’s just behind us that way. It’s close to the wide river.”

“Oh, there it is.” Violet doubled checked using her little computer attached to her glasses.

“You said the water nymphs requested the land?”

“Yes, my grandfather wrote the petition and it was granted. He knew they weren’t going to build anything on the land. As far as I know they are maintaining the land and the river.”

“I did hear of Tabitha. People claimed she had light blue skin as you do.”

Violet nodded. “Yep. She was also half water nymph. I think her hair and eyes were a different color.”

The clerk nodded. “Sorry if I was rude to you earlier. I just didn’t realize why you looked so different. I know I should be nice. It’s not your fault.”

“It’s alright. I didn’t think you were rude. I thought you were curious and shocked by my appearance. You still did your job.”

The clerk smiled.

“I better go. My friend is in trouble.”

“Good luck. I hope you find him.”

“Thanks.”

Chapter 10 Flight

An excerpt from The Violet Series Book 1: The Water Nymph’s Tale.

A chime resonated in Antoni’s quarters. He opened his eyes. He was lying on his side. The chime rang again. A computer screen on the wall was facing him with a message. He pressed the screen and he read the message. His commanding officer, Galley Master Douglas, requested his presence in the galley at 10 a.m. It was 9:30 a.m.

Antoni yawned and sat up. He stood up and took off his clothes and left them on the floor for the moment. He took a quick shower and changed into clean underwear and a uniform. He smiled realizing it fit him perfectly. He wondered how they knew what size to give him. He spun around, picked up the dirty laundry and set it on the floor of the closet. He closed the closet door.

It was 9:50 a.m. He left his quarters and went straight to the galley being led by the lights. By 10 a.m., he was standing in front of his commanding officer.

“Ah, Mr. Winchester. Welcome aboard. I hope you got some sleep.”

“A little, sir.”

“Good. You can sleep after we clean up from lunch. You do look like you need some more. Everything okay?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Okay, I have read over your work experience and I just want to show you around and get you acquainted with the crew before we start lunch. I’m just glad we don’t have to train you to do this work. It’s pretty unusual that we hire someone at the last minute.”

Antoni greeted and nodded to each member of the crew as he was introduced to them. Soon he was shown where everything was kept and how he would be expected to serve the passengers. After his experiences on Eris, it wasn’t hard to pick up on the differences.

Lunch was busy and some of the crew were eating at the captain’s table with a few key guests. Antoni served lots of people and many were grateful to see the young man. He didn’t smile at anyone. Neither did he frown at anyone. Eventually the passengers left the dining room. Antoni and the others cleaned up the dining room and the galley.

Antoni walked slowly back to his quarters and didn’t notice anyone. He yawned and got inside his room as soon as he could. He didn’t have to report for duty until 6 p.m. The door closed behind him and he slipped out of the uniform. He hung it up in the closet and then laid back down on his bed.

Soon he was asleep and dreaming he was back on Eris… He woke up later sweating and shaking. He sat up and checked the time. He sighed and got up. He took off his underwear and took another quick shower. He wrapped a towel around himself and just breathed.

He wondered if he would have another nightmare when he went to sleep. He saw the clock again and knew he would have to hurry. He grabbed clean underwear and slipped the uniform on. Then he ran to the galley. Master Douglas smiled at him. Antoni stopped running and nodded.

“Ah, Mr. Winchester, it’s good that you made it. I hope the nap did you some good.”

“I think it did, sir.”

Master Douglas nodded. “It’s okay, you’re not late and you are getting the hang of it. Okay, everyone, we’ve got passengers to keep happy.”

Everyone did what they needed to do and soon the food was ready and the passengers were sitting down in the dining room. Antoni noticed a heated argument between two of the passengers. He said nothing as he was still doing his job. The officers at the captain’s table took notice as well. For now they were just watching.

Antoni was clearing the dishes from the table, when one passenger drew a gun on another.

“That’s it! You know I’m right!” He stood up.

Antoni froze in place. He watched closely as the officers stopped eating. Everything slowed down for Antoni. The passenger raised the gun and was about to fire. Antoni slammed the dirty dishes towards the passenger, who dropped the gun. Antoni grabbed it and held it. The passengers and crew stared at Antoni. The captain and the officers ran over.

“Mr. Winchester, please hand the weapon to Master at Arms Winfry.”

Antoni handed the gun over without question. He was shaking and sweating.

“Thank you, Mr. Winchester. You may resume your duties.”

Antoni cleaned up the dishes he had shoved onto the floor and wiped down the table. Captain Whitfield and the officers watched him. The officers arrested the passenger with the gun and quickly restored peace to the dining room.

********************

Captain Whitfield was on the bridge when he received an important message. He read it carefully. “Computer, please tell Galley Master Douglas to meet me in my room immediately.”

“Acknowledged, Captain.”

Captain Whitfield sat down as Galley Master Douglas walked in.

“Yes, Captain?”

“Galley Master, please sit down. We need to talk about Mr. Winchester.”

Master Douglas raised an eyebrow. “A problem, sir? About the incident at dinner last night?”

“No. He may not be Mr. Winchester or he is and he’s the only living person left from Cat Falls, Eris.”

Master Douglas sat down. “Sir?”

“Here, read this message.”

Galley Master Douglas did so. “Oh, I see. I’m not sure he would have killed anyone after seeing what he did last night.”

“I would agree with you. I think we need to scan him to make sure of his identity and then we will have to question him.”

“Perhaps it will explain why he’s so tired and doesn’t seem to be happy.”

Captain Whitfield nodded. “Yes, I think Mr. Winchester is sad, but he is doing a good job.” He pressed a button on his desk. “Doctor Brown, please report to my quarters with a scanner immediately.”

“On my way, Captain.”

The captain pressed the button again. “Mr. Winchester, please report to my room immediately.”

There was no response.

“Mr. Winchester, right this minute.”

Antoni opened his eyes and saw a light flashing at him. “Huh? Did I miss something?”

“Mr. Winchester, this is the captain. I need you in my room now.”

Antoni threw the covers off of him. “Okay, I’m coming.” He stood up and put on a uniform. He wasted no time walking to the captain’s quarters.

When he walked in, he saw the captain sitting at his desk. Antoni also saw Galley Master Douglas and another man sitting in front of the desk. They all stared at him. “Sir, you wanted to see me?”

“Yes. Dr. Brown, scan him.”

Antoni gasped as Dr. Brown scanned him.

“He is Antoni Lance Winchester and he is 19 Earth years old.”

“What? Why?”

“Mr. Winchester, I just received a message from Eris that everyone in the town of Cat Falls has been murdered. No one is sure how or why, but they suspect that you were there after they died.”

Antoni shook and cried. He tried to remain quiet.

“You are wanted for questioning. Please, can you tell us anything?”

“I don’t know what happened. I just went home for a visit. I was hoping to talk with my parents about college. I wasn’t sure I wanted to go back…”

“Alright, we will tell the authorities.” The captain sent the message. He received one back a few minutes later. “Dr. Brown, you will need to run some tests on Mr. Winchester. The results just may prove his innocence in this matter.”

“Yes, captain. Come, Mr. Winchester, with me to sick bay. It looks like many of these tests aren’t included in the routine physical.”

Antoni was breathing hard. He pushed his hair back with his hands. He followed the doctor out of the captain’s room.

“Captain, that boy is suffering from PTSD.”

“Yeah, and we have him aboard. He’s our responsibility for now. I just hope he didn’t kill anyone.”

“I don’t think he did. I think he found them like he said.”

“Then why is he going to Mars?”

“I don’t know.”

Captain Whitfield sighed. “I know your instincts about people are right. You haven’t let me down before. But it sounds like he’s running.”

“From what? The dead? He could be. He’s young and he isn’t sure he wants to finish college. It could be a girl he’s going to see.”

The captain smiled. “Perhaps. We’ll find out soon enough.”

*******************

In the sick bay, Antoni sat on a bed staring at the floor. Dr. Brown used his scanner and took blood samples. It took a long time.

“Okay, I have what I need. Some of the results won’t be available for a couple of days.”

Antoni looked up. “It has to do with what happened to everyone in Cat Falls.”

“Yes. The cause of death is being determined. You could have been exposed to something bad. We’ll find out soon.”

“Will I be quarantined from the rest of the ship?”

Dr. Brown checked his computer when it beeped. “Not likely. You’re not contagious. But until the rest of the tests come in, you do need to take care of yourself. You can still work and tend to your duties, but it doesn’t look like you’ll be doing much else.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your white blood cell count is high. Your body is fighting some kind of infection that you can’t pass to the rest of us. That’s part of the reason you’re so tired.”

“Oh.”

“It’s partly grief as well. Are you having any nightmares?”

“Yes. Not always.”

Dr. Brown nodded. “I’d be surprised if you weren’t having any nightmares at all.” He studied the computer some more. “Oh, you should get to the galley. It’s nearly 6 p.m.”

“Oh, right.” Antoni stood up. “You will tell me all the results?”

“Yes. I have to report them as well. Consider yourself lucky. You’re on board a spaceship and you won’t be arrested. If you had stayed on Eris, you’d probably be in jail right now.”

Antoni nodded. He sighed. “I’ll see you at dinner, Doctor.” He walked out of the sick bay.

Dr. Brown watched him go. He pressed a button. “Captain Whitfield?”

“Yes, Doctor?”

“I’ve ran all the tests. Mr. Winchester is ill, but he’s not contagious. He is reporting for duty.”

“Oh? Then what’s wrong with him?”

“I’m not sure yet. I ran all the tests I was requested to do, plus a regular physical. Not all the results will be in for a couple of days. He may be having an allergic reaction to something. If he is, I’ll find out what it is so we can stop it. Or it could be something he was exposed to when he went home.”

“Understood. We’ll all be keeping an eye on that boy.”

“Yes, he’s awfully young to lose everyone like that.”

“The Galley Master thinks Mr. Winchester may have PTSD. What do you think?”

“I think he does, but he can do his duties. I’m setting the computer to monitor him in his quarters and to remind him when he needs to report for duty.”

“Good idea. Anything else?”

“If his condition gets worse, we will just have to let him sleep it off and give him a form of therapy which will help him.”

“Okay. Keep me informed.”

“I will.”

*********************

“Mr. Winchester!”

There was no response. In the sick bay, Dr. Brown frowned. It was unlike Antoni not to answer. He pressed another button. “Douglas? Is Mr. Winchester in the galley?”

“No.” Douglas frowned in the galley. “This isn’t like him. He should be here by now. Has he gotten too sick to work?”

“Perhaps. I’m checking right now.” Dr. Brown scanned and found Antoni in his quarters.

“Mr. Winchester? I hope you’re still conscious. These current scans on you don’t look good.”

Antoni rolled over. He had just thrown up in the toilet. He groaned. He was dizzy, and so far was unable to sit up.

“Douglas, I found the boy. He’s in his quarters and very ill. Don’t expect to see him today. I’m sending you information on a new diet he will have to follow. Then, I’m going down there to check on him.”

“Understood, Doc.”

Dr. Brown sent the message, grabbed his portable scanner and quickly left sick bay to find Antoni’s quarters. Once there, the doctor pressed his hand to the door lock and the door slid open.

“Oh, Mr. Winchester. I was afraid this would happen.” Dr. Brown looked down at the young man. “I bet you feel like you’re having the flu.”

“Yes…”

“Well, you’re having a severe allergic reaction to some of the food you’ve been eating here on the ship. I’ve already sent a new diet to the Galley Master. If you even ask for the foods you’re allergic to, you will not get them. You’ll likely get substitutions instead. We can’t afford to let you die.”

Antoni tried to smile as he looked up at the doctor. “I’ve never heard of allergies like this, nor have I had any.”

“Well, the test results are in and I just need to send them to Eris.”

“Okay.” Antoni closed his eyes and saw Violet smiling at him.

“Mr. Winchester, I can prove your innocence and I know what killed the people of Cat Falls. But first, I need to make sure you’re going to be alright.”

Antoni opened his eyes. “How long will I feel this way? I don’t want to eat…”

“Then don’t. However, you should still drink water.” Dr. Brown approached Antoni and scanned him. “You shouldn’t throw up anymore and it will take a few days before you’ll be well enough to work again. So, either I or another member of the crew will check on it to make sure you at least drink plenty of water. You don’t have to eat anything until you feel hungry and well enough to eat.”

“Okay, but I don’t think I’m getting up off the floor.”

Dr. Brown set his scanner on the floor near the door and reached down to gently lift the young man. The doctor laid him down on the bed. “Better?”

“Yeah.” Antoni closed his eyes and saw Violet smiling at him as she reached out for his hand.

“Good. Someone will be by later on.” Dr. Brown reached for his scanner.

“Violet…”

“Huh? Who’s Violet?”

“Violet, I’m coming…”

Dr. Brown smiled. “Ah!” He left to go find the captain.

Captain Whitfield was sitting at his desk when the door slid open. He looked up to see the doctor walking in.

“I have the test results for Mr. Winchester.”

“Yes, I’m looking over them now. So, he is innocent as we all wanted to believe.”

“Yes, sir. And…”

“And?”

“I think I know why he’s going to Mars.”

“Why is that?”

“He’s going to visit someone named Violet.”

“He told you that.”

“Not directly. He’s sick and drifting. He said her name when he fell asleep.”

The captain smiled. “Well, he is young. I hope it goes well for him.”

“I hope so, too. Should we keep an eye on him?”

“No, we really should give him his space with Violet.”

“Well, yes of course, but I bet we all would like him to become a regular crew member.”

“Oh, in that case… yes, we should keep an eye on him and see if he’ll be willing to be a regular crew member.”

*********************

“Mr. Winchester, are you feeling well enough to work again? Has the doctor cleared you to leave your quarters?”

Antoni smiled at Galley Master Douglas. “I haven’t spoken to him today, but yes I feel well enough to work. I’m not too sure about my new diet, though…”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. We have dealt with food allergies in the past. In fact, we require all passengers to give us their food allergy list so we don’t make them sick during the trip.”

“Oh, is that why some people have special dishes?”

“Yes. Good thing you got those right.”

Breakfast went smoothly. Afterwards, the passengers left the dining room as the crew cleaned up.

Antoni was carting dirty dishes into the galley when the captain walked up to him.

“Mr. Winchester, when you are done, I’d like to see you in my office.”

“Yes, sir.”

Douglas looked at Antoni. “Just go now. We got it. See you later for lunch.”

Antoni nodded and left the galley following the captain.

“I see the Galley Master let you go early.”

“Yeah. I hope that’s not a problem.”

“No, it’s okay. We all know you’ve been real sick. I’m surprised Dr. Brown didn’t complain that you just showed up this morning.”

“What did you need to see me about?”

“Oh, the results of the investigation. As the captain I get to tell you personally and let you know about your inheritance. We can also discuss future plans.”

“Uh, sir, I probably won’t get much. My parents were never rich.”

“No, but they could have left you a life insurance policy.”

“What?”

“Parents tend to do that sort of thing to help their children if they need it.”

“Oh. I never heard them discuss that sort of thing.”

“Parents rarely tell their children until they’re older.”

Antoni nodded. They stepped inside the captain’s quarters and sat down.

“Well, let’s start with some good news.”

“Okay.”

“You have been proven innocent. We know you didn’t kill anyone in Cat Falls.”

Antoni sighed.

The captain smiled. “Unfortunately, your food allergies may be permanent. The doctor isn’t sure on that point. I hope you can live with them.”

“So far, it hasn’t been a problem.”

“Well, it wouldn’t be on this ship, but once we arrive on Mars, you could have problems.”

“Oh, I didn’t think of that.”

“Understandable. Galley Master Douglas can probably give you some tips so you don’t have a problem. If it’s really bad, then you can keep getting your food from the galley here.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Now, I understand that a lawyer is trying to get in contact with you about your parents’ estate. Here’s the information.”

Antoni checked the screen. “Oh.”

“You may use our communications. I understand you don’t have your own portable computer.”

“No, sir. My parents couldn’t afford it, but on Eris, I was always able to find one when I needed one.”

“Okay, well you can use the privacy of your quarters to talk with the lawyer.”

“Thanks.”

“Now, do you know what you want to do for your future?”

“Uh, no. I haven’t thought much about it.”

“Oh, then why are you going to Mars?”

“To visit a friend of mine.”

“A Violet?”

“How did you know her name?”

“You’ve been talking in your sleep.”

Antoni bit his lip.

“You haven’t said anything other than her name and that you’re going to see her soon.”

“Good.”

“What’s Violet’s last name or does she not have one?”

“Mineur.”

“Oh, we’ve been negotiating a contract with a Clyde Mineur. Any relation, you suppose?”

“I don’t know.”

“Let’s find out.” The captain pressed his desk screen. “We’ll find out if he’s even awake.”

“Hello, Captain Whitfield.”

“Hello, Mr. Mineur.”

“Have you made a decision on the contract?”

“I’m still thinking about it and discussing it with my crew. I actually called to ask a personal question. Just out of curiosity.”

“Okay, what’s your question?”

“Do you know someone named Violet Mineur?”

“Yes, she’s my niece.”

“Ah, well, I have a friend of hers on broad my ship who is going to visit her.”

“Really? Who?”

“His name is Antoni Winchester.”

“Oh? Well, Violet is traveling and exploring Mars right now and I don’t know when she will be home.”

“Hmm. Mr. Winchester, did you let her know you were coming?”

“I wasn’t sure when I would arrive…”

“Oh, Mr. Winchester, you are hopeless. It’s usually best to warn a woman when you’re arriving so she can be prepared.”

“Sorry.”

“Mr. Winchester, I’m sure Violet will be happy to see you whenever you arrive. I can let her know you’re coming.”

“Thank you, that would be great.”

“Captain Whitfield, is he a member of your crew?”

“He is for this trip, but he has performed his duties so well that I hope he will become a regular member.”

“I take it, he’s not sure what he wants to do just yet.”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“Well, he’s welcome on Mars. I wouldn’t mind discussing his future plans with him once he’s here.”

“Good. I was planning on giving you an answer once we arrive on Mars.”

“Sounds good.”

Captain Whitfield pressed the desk screen and the call ended. “Well, you have some options, Mr. Winchester.”

“Yes, I do. Thank you for thinking so highly of me.”

“Good luck with Ms. Mineur. You may go now.”

Antoni nodded and left the captain’s quarters.

*********************

Clyde touched his tablet again. Soon he heard a ringing. Then Violet’s face appeared on his screen.

“What’s up, Uncle Clyde?”

“I just got word from Captain Whitfield that a young man named Antoni Winchester is on his way to Mars to visit you.”

“Oh, really?” She smiled.

“Yes, and the captain and the crew are happy with his work performance.”

“Aren’t you negotiating a contract with them for travel to other colonies?”

“Yes and it sounds like they want to settle the contract in person.”

“Wonderful. I would like to travel around the solar system and see all the colonies.”

Clyde smiled. “Are you going to be blogging about your adventures?”

“Of course. I have earned some money writing about what I’ve seen so far.”

“Sounds good to me. I’ve enjoyed reading those pieces so far. I look forward to reading more, once they’re finished.”

Chapter 9 The Quest

An excerpt from The Violet Series Book 1: The Water Nymph’s Tale.

Violet was sitting on the couch moping. Clyde walked up the stairs from his office. He smiled as soon as he saw her.

“What’s wrong, Violet?”

“I have a paper to write about the beginnings of the colony and I can’t seem to get a good picture from grandmother’s diary. I wish I could access grandfather’s. She said she knew he was keeping one as she was.”

Clyde stopped. “Oh, wait. I think I have it.” He went to his room. He searched his shelves. Finally he found a tablet computer and a cord. He walked out to the main room. “I found his computer. It probably needs to be charged and I don’t know how well it will work now.”

Violet smiled. “Well, I bet we could hook it up to my computer here on my glasses like we did with the other tablet.”

“Yes, let’s try that.” He sat down next to her and hooked the tablet into the tiny computer. Soon the data was being copied to Violet’s computer.

“Whoa, Uncle Clyde, your father did keep a diary. He’s made references to vampires, were creatures, and water nymphs!”

Clyde smiled. “Yeah, perhaps you can learn more about water nymphs.”

“I did hear there was a half water nymph who lives and works in the colony. Her skin is a weird color like mine.”

“Yeah? Who is it?”

“Her name is Tabitha. I have seen pictures of her. She has blonde hair. Strange that she has a normal hair color.”

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with your hair color.”

Violet laughed. “You’re my uncle and you did meet my mother.”

“Yes, I did. I didn’t even know she was in the house until Frank died.” He cringed. “But she was gorgeous.”

Violet laughed even harder. “Water nymphs have that reputation.”

Bonnie walked up the stairs and raised her eyebrows at uncle and niece. “Alright, what are you two up to now?”

“I have a paper to write and we just found grandfather’s diary. It’s loaded with more information about the colony’s beginnings than grandmother’s diary had.”

“Well, Herbert did more actively than she did, but she did raise two boys pretty much by herself.” Clyde watched Violet.

“I didn’t look at it that way. I should put that in my paper. Without anyone raising children, the population isn’t going to grow very fast.”

“This is true. Perhaps you should cite examples from both diaries to give a better view of how the colony was built.”

“Yes, I’ll do that. Thanks, Bonnie.”

“You’re welcome. Is anyone else ready for dinner? I’m starved.”

“Oh, yes, sounds good to me.” Clyde turned to smile at Bonnie. “Violet, are you hungry?”

“Yeah, as I usually am these days.”

***********************

Several hours later, Antoni sat up. He was thirsty and hungry. He stood up slowly and walked inside the house. He found what he needed in the kitchen. He thought of Violet with her long red violet hair and her red violet eyes. Her light blue skin. He could see her smiling at him.

He finished eating and went to his room. He packed up the rest of his clothes in a suitcase. Fortunately, he didn’t own much and there was still room in the suitcase. He took off his backpack and set it on the bed next to the suitcase. He took his clothes out of the backpack and put them in the suitcase.

He counted up his money and knew he didn’t have enough to get to Mars. He sat down on the bed and sighed. Then he remembered where his parents kept their mad money. He jumped up and ran to their room. He soon found what he was looking for.

“Mom, Dad, I just want you to know that I’m going to Mars to visit my friend, Violet. I don’t know what else to do now. I’m not even sure about college or a job. I suppose I can do odd jobs for now as I did when I was in school.”

He turned and walked out of the room. He went back to his room and closed up the suitcase. He then made sure he grabbed both the suitcase and his backpack. He walked to the kitchen. He grabbed as much food as he could and stuffed the backpack. The suitcase had a pair of wheels, so towing it behind him wasn’t a problem.

Antoni left the house for the last time. He said goodbye to his parents and to Betty. He walked away from Cat Falls to the train station and said goodbye to most everyone he had known his whole life.

At the station, he used the computer terminal to request transportation to get him to the spaceport in Xena. He found one quickly that was able to stop for him. It also didn’t cost much. While he waited, he found passage from Eris to Mars. It took some time to get a place on board the ship, Snowstorm, and he agreed to work in the galley and serve food to the other passengers. By the time he had finished signing up, his first transport had arrived.

He walked away from the terminal and grabbed his suitcase. Soon he was on board the shuttle and they left via the airlock. In a matter of hours, Antoni would be back in Xena and in the spaceport.

He didn’t talk to anyone on the shuttle and he stayed out of everyone’s way. When the shuttle arrived at the spaceport, he waited for others to leave before he stood up and grabbed his backpack and his suitcase. Then he followed the signs to the ship that would take him to Mars.

He checked in and was told to see the captain before seeing his quarters. Antoni walked to the Captain Whitfield’s room and stood before the captain.

“Oh, who are you?”

“Antoni Lance Winchester.”

“Oh, yes, a late arrival. We will be leaving this morning. You look tired. Are you alright?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Okay. I see you have some experience serving and growing food. Excellent. We will need your services aboard this ship. Your employment will give free travel to Mars, your own quarters, and food. If you do well, you’re welcome to become a full member of this crew. Would that interest you?”

“Maybe.”

The captain smiled. “Alright. We can discuss that later. For now, you will be shown your quarters. There will be uniforms for you to wear while on duty. Off duty, well, I won’t say anything to you, nor will anyone else, if you choose to wear your own clothes. We’ll need you for lunch at 11 a.m. Be in the galley in uniform.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You may go.”

Antoni took his suitcase, turned, and walked out of the room. Soon he was following the lights which led him to his quarters. His quarters were small. There was enough room for his bed and storage space for his suitcase and backpack. There was a small bathroom with a shower, toilet and small sink. He found the uniforms hanging up in the closet. He put his things away without unpacking anything. He sat down on the bed and sighed.

He laid down on the bed and was soon asleep.

Then he was dreaming of Violet again…

************************

Violet and Antoni were talking. She was laughing. He was smiling. They were lying on pillows with the top of their heads touching.

“Antoni, I’ve missed you.”

“Yeah, I’ve missed you too.”

“What’s new? I’m dropping out of college.”

“So am I. I just got a job working as a server on board a spaceship.”

“Cool. I want to travel around the solar system. There are so many colonies to explore.”

Antoni smiled. “Can I join you?”

“Sure. Why not?”

*********************

“There you are, Violet.” Bonnie sat down next to Violet on the couch.

“Hi, Bonnie.” Violet made some hand signs that the small computer attached to her glasses would understand and then turned to look at Bonnie.

“How did the paper come out?”

“Good. I got an A on it. The teacher liked how I showed that what both my grandparents did helped the colony.”

“Congratulations.”

“Thanks. Anything new with my uncle?”

“No.”

“Really, it’s getting worse around here.”

Bonnie sighed.

“Well, I’m thinking about exploring Mars soon.”

“Really? Why?”

“I’m curious. I’ve lived here all my life and I want to know more, especially after learning about my grandparents’ diaries.”

“Oh. What about school?”

“I don’t know. Some of the classes are too easy and I’m not sure what I’m going to do with a degree or what else I want to do.”

“You should ask your uncle before you take off.”

“Yeah, I do want to talk with him. Where is he? He told me he was too busy a little while ago.”

“Oh, he’s checking over a new possible route. He should be back soon. Unless there’s a delay.”

Violet smiled. “Oh, that would be bad if there were a delay. Uncle might lose his temper.”

Bonnie laughed. “He might.” She looked at her feet. “Hey, Violet, would it bother you if your uncle got involved with anyone?”

Violet laughed. “Bonnie, why don’t you ask him?”

Bonnie gasped. “You don’t care!”

“Nope. Go ahead. Perhaps you’ll both feel more comfortable when I’m out exploring.”

Bonnie smiled and looked at her feet again. Soon they both could hear Clyde walking up the stairs. Bonnie blushed and Violet giggled.

“Hello, ladies.”

“Hi, Uncle Clyde.”

“Hi, partner.”

“So anything new?”

“I’m thinking about exploring Mars on my own.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, I’m curious especially after learning more about my grandparents.”

“Okay. What about college?”

“I don’t know yet. Some of the classes are too easy for me.”

Clyde smiled. “Sometimes they are. I guess you could learn more from exploring the colony than you can from school. Just be sure to call me once a week.”

“Okay, I can do that. I’ll also be blogging about my adventures to earn some money on the side.”

Clyde nodded. “Good. At least you can think ahead. When are you going to leave?”

“After classes are over.”

“So that’s what? Another week with us?”

“Yep.”

“Clyde, are you sure about letting her go like this?”

“No, but she does have to grow up sometime. I think exploring can help her do that.”

“How do you know that?”

“I don’t know for sure, but she has the same enthusiasm about exploring as I do about setting up efficient and inexpensive transportation.”

Bonnie smiled. “That’s a good point. She’ll probably do it without permission then?”

“Sure I would!”

“Yeah, I bet you would, my darling niece.”

Chapter 8 Teenagers

An excerpt from The Violet Series Book 1: The Water Nymph’s Tale.

“Uncle Clyde, are you busy?”

Clyde was sitting on the couch looking over some work. He looked up when his young niece spoke to him. He set the tablet on the table in front of him and smiled. “Not right now. What’s up, Violet?”

“I was wondering why you keep the robot. He’s the only thing around here that is broken and doesn’t look that great anymore.”

“Oh, he was a gift to my father, your grandfather because of the work he did setting up this colony.”

“Oh! So the robot has some meaning for you.”

“Yes, I don’t even know if my father died. I just know he went missing after my mother died.”

“Why did she die? Was it the same thing that killed my parents?”

“No. My mother had a serious illness that wasn’t caught right away. If they had found it sooner, she could have gone back to Earth to get treatment.”

“Aww, that’s sad.”

“Yes, it is, but she felt it was time. She was quite happy and she also helped the colony. Before she married my father, she worked in the hydroponics and aquaponics lab to supply food for the colony. She continued to grow and raise food here in the house.”

“Oh, she started the food we have here.” Violet looked towards the kitchen. “Wow.”

“She kept a diary. Would you like to read it?”

“Yes!”

“Alright, let me get it. I suppose it’s time for you to have your own computer. I know you’ll need it in school.” Clyde stood up and walked into his room. He pulled out a tablet computer from his shelves. “Please take care of this tablet, Violet. It did belong to my mother, your grandmother.”

Violet nodded and she took the tablet. “Thanks.” She hugged her uncle and then ran back to her room.

Clyde smiled after her and then picked up his tablet again. He found a message from Bonnie. He read it and called her even though she was downstairs. Soon he saw her staring at him on the screen. “I just got the message. You’ve got the right idea. Just go ahead with your suggestion.”

“What? You’re not mad?” She smiled. “No, ‘I can come up with something better than that. You should wait until I think of something?’ ”

“Bonnie, you know what you’re doing and I trust your judgement. I’m glad you decided to become a partner and stay upstairs while I raise my niece.”

She continued to smile. “I’m glad you approve. I’ll take care of it right away, partner.”

Clyde was still smiling when her image winked out. Both he and Bonnie continued to do more work with scheduling and checking time delays. It certainly helped when the employees would report things that others would forget.

********************

Violet sat down at her desk. She set the tablet on the desk and turned it on. Like the robot, it needed to be charged up. She connected it to the desk and soon it was charging. It didn’t take her long to find her grandmother’s diary. It wasn’t long before a new world opened up for the adolescent.

Before she knew it, it was late. She yawned. She set the tablet to the side and went to bed. Soon she was asleep and dreaming.

In the dream, Violet was sitting on a sofa. A teenage boy sat down near her. He had shoulder length, wavy blonde hair and green eyes. They stared at each other.

“Wow. You’re beautiful. I’ve never seen anyone with red violet eyes and hair or blue skin. Or you human or something else?”

Violet smiled. “Thanks. I’m half human and half water nymph.”

“Oh.”

“I’m Violet Nymphe Mineur. What’s your name?”

“Antoni Lance Winchester.” He smiled at her. “I’m living on Eris. Are you here as well?”

“No, I’m on Mars.”

“Wow. Are you in college? I’m currently going to the University of Eris in Xena, Eris.”

“Nope. I’m finishing up high school. I’ll go to college after I’m done.”

They continued talking for a few hours.

*******************

Antoni opened his eyes. He was smiling in the dim light. He sat up and stretched. He got up and changed into his school uniform. Then he left his dorm room to go get some breakfast before going to class. He didn’t seem to notice many people that day. Most everyone else noticed the smiled plastered on his face. He didn’t focus too hard on his classes as he was too busy thinking about the strangely colored woman from his dreams. He hoped he would see her again in his dreams.

*******************

Violet opened her eyes. She was alone in her room. She could hear Bonnie getting ready in the fresher. Violet sat up in bed and saw her dolls floating before her. She smiled. She had long been used to seeing her toys floating around her when she played as a child. Whenever she wanted one that was out of reached, she would reach for the toy and it would float down towards her. It only seemed to happen to her. The other children never knew what she was talking about if she mentioned it to them.

Her Uncle Clyde figured it was because she was half water nymph, but he never sounded too sure. Violet threw back the covers and picked out her school uniform. She quickly got dressed and brushed her long red violet hair. She thought about Antoni and wondered how he could be old enough to go to college. Perhaps things were different on Eris. She shook her head. She put on her glasses with the small computer attached and walked out to the main room.

She picked some fresh veggies and fruits and prepared a large salad. Bonnie came out of the fresher a few minutes later. Both women could hear Clyde get into the fresher.

“Morning, Violet.”

“Morning, Bonnie.”

“You seem pretty happy this morning.”

“Yeah? So is there a problem?”

“No. It’s good to see you happy.”

“What about you? Are you happy here with us?”

Bonnie smiled. “Yeah. I love being business partners with Clyde. And you were always good to me.”

Violet smiled. She pushed her bowl near a stool, grabbed a glass of water and sat down. “You were always likable as far as I can remember.”

“Thanks.”

“What is it?”

“Nothing. I doubt you’d understand.”

“Try me.” Violet took some bites.

“Well, your uncle is strange.”

“Yeah, so am I.” Violet paused to eat more food. “Did something happen between you two?”

“No. Nothing has happened. I’m not sure what it is. I guess it started when the three of us first lived together.”

“Oh.”

“I’m not sure you remember, but all three of us sometimes would cry together for hours because we missed our mothers.”

“That sounds familiar, but I don’t think I remember it.”

“Yeah, then we all eventually got over it and moved on with our lives.”

Violet smiled and continued eating.

Bonnie shook her head. “You are the easiest person to talk to. I can understand it being easy to talk to babies, but you still are.”

“Even when I’m moody?”

“Yeah, even when you’re moody.”

“Okay, so what’s wrong with my uncle?”

“Nothing really. He’s been good and true to his word.”

“You sound disappointed.”

“I do? I don’t mean to. I just…”

“Hello, ladies.”

“Hi, Uncle Clyde.”

“Hi, Clyde. Ready for another fun filled day in the transportation business?”

“Yes, I am. But first, I’d like some breakfast. You having any this morning, partner?”

“Yes, I just haven’t decided what to have.”

Violet finished eating and set her dishes in the sink. “It’s my turn for the fresher and then off to school.” She left the room.

“What were you and Violet talking about this time?”

“Oh, just how the three of us have gotten along and how we’ve gotten over the deaths of our mothers.”

“Well, I’d hope so.”

Bonnie smiled.

Clyde sliced some fruit. He put the slices on two plates. He added nuts. He set one plate in front of Bonnie and one in front of an empty stool. Next he poured water into two glasses and set those near the plates. He sat down on the stool.

He and Bonnie started eating. Neither spoke.

Violet came out of the fresher. “Well, I’m off. Have fun working you two.” She waved and smiled. She walked down the stairs and shook her head. She giggled to herself as she walked out the door and to school.

Upstairs, Bonnie and Clyde weren’t talking, but she gasped when she heard Violet giggling. Bonnie looked at Clyde and he blushed.

“Thanks for breakfast. I’ll get downstairs before someone tries to call us.”

“You’re welcome. I’ll be down after I wash the dishes.”

***********************

Antoni was sitting in class wondering what he would do once college was over. He frowned. Some of his classes just weren’t interesting. They were too easy for him. He wasn’t sure he would need a degree. He was happy living in Cat Falls planting or harvesting the plants or serving customers at the boarding house or even working with Freddy to keep the boarding house properly maintained. He sighed. He wonder why it seemed that some professors droned on for longer than their allotted time.

Then he thought of Violet. He hoped they would have another shared dream soon. He missed her and wondered what she was up to.

***********************

Violet came home from school. She waved at Bonnie and Clyde on her way up to her room. Bonnie and Clyde smiled and waved back. Violet wasted not time in getting a snack. Soon she was eating a sandwich. She smiled to herself when she thought of her uncle and Bonnie. She wondered when they would make it official.

Bonnie and Clyde were busy with virtual paperwork. There was a problem with one of the newer routes, but it wasn’t something they couldn’t handle. They just had to allow extra time for the construction.

But today was not a normal day for them. Both were irritable.

“Bonnie, why can’t they just stick to the schedule?”

“Or the route for that matter.”

“Yes, that too.”

“Wait…”

“What?”

“Oh, they can’t always follow the route. Look at the progress of the construction!”

“Oh, that explains it all. Why did it take us so long to see it? Or we just getting old?”

“Old? Maybe. Why are we so irritable today?”

“I don’t know. Why does Violet keep giggling after she sees us?”

“Oh…”

“It’s embarrassing.”

“It is. She must know something we don’t.”

“What would she know?”

“Nothing.” Bonnie stared at her desk.

Clyde sighed. “Bonnie, I’m going crazy.” He threw his arms up and then let them drop.

Bonnie looked up at him. “I’m going crazy too. Violet thought I sounded disappointed and I didn’t mean to.”

“Really? What are you disappointed about? Our partnership?”

“No. That’s been great.”

“Then what?”

“Uhh…”

“Hey, Uncle Clyde?”

Clyde turned to face the stairwell. “Yes, Violet.”

“I just applied at the local community college. I hope that’s not a problem.”

“No, not at all. Are you going to stay here or go to the dorm?”

“I was planning to stay here.”

“Okay. Thanks for letting me know.”

“I’ll go study now. See you later.”

Bonnie smiled. “Good luck, Violet.”

“Thanks, Bonnie.” Violet ran back upstairs.

*************************

Antoni was on the train. He wasn’t sure if he would go back to college. He was frustrated and wondered about Violet. Right now he just wanted to go home and see his parents and friends. Later he would figure out how he would go and visit Violet on Mars.

One long train ride later, Antoni was stepping off the platform into Cat Falls. He had just his backpack on his back. He looked around and thought it odd that no one was there to greet him. He walked over to the boarding house to see his friends and his mother. No one else got off the train. It soon left him behind.

As he walked, he felt odd. There was no one out in the street at all. Antoni wondered where everyone was. No one had sent him any messages that Cat Falls was to be abandoned. Perhaps it was a surprise party for him? He hoped so, but he doubted it.

He stopped at the boarding house and pushed the door opened. It was too quiet. Eerily quiet. Soon he could see why. He saw dead bodies lying on the floor. Their faces contorted in shock and fear. He ran throughout the building, but it was the same everywhere. Many people he didn’t recognize. But all the staff he knew.

Antoni ran out of the boarding house and checked all the buildings. Everywhere it was the same. Then he headed home to the farm. He didn’t stop running until he was there.

It didn’t take long for him to find both his parents and Betty. He collapsed on the porch and cried. He was alone and now had no reason to stay on Eris.

Chapter 7 Childhood

An excerpt from The Violet Series Book 1: The Water Nymph’s Tale.

Alone with his niece, Clyde waited until Bonnie showed up to work. They were having breakfast together. Neither spoke as they were still waking up. Bonnie came in at her usual time and got right to work. Violet and Clyde heard her. Clyde took Violet from her high chair and put her in the playpen. He went downstairs.

“Bonnie, I have a big favor to ask of you.”

She looked up at him. “What?”

“I need help raising my niece. She’s just a toddler and I don’t know how to take care of her and the business.”

Bonnie looked at him. She didn’t feel so safe at the boarding house anymore. “Well, I haven’t taken care of a baby before… This is a rather unusual request.”

“I know. I’m only asking because her mother is now gone. This is hard on me.”

“I know how that feels. I took care of my mother who was very ill. She just died last night.”

“I had no idea. I’m sorry to hear that.”

She forced a smile. “It’s alright now. She’s at peace.” She paused. “You just want help with the business and taking care of your niece, right? You’re not asking me to do anything else?”

“Right. I have a spare bedroom upstairs that you can have all to yourself.”

“Wow, there’s three bedrooms upstairs?”

“Yeah, there always were three bedrooms in this house.”

“Did your father live here by himself before he got married?”

“Yes, he did with a robot, which no longer works.”

“Oh, that’s right. The first colonists were given robots. The one Jain had is still running the local gym.”

“Yes, that one gets regular maintenance. I don’t know what mine needs.”

Bonnie sighed.

“Well, Violet asks about you. She was the one who told me you were sad and that you were doing most of the work.”

“She did. That child is very curious.”

“Yes, she is. I checked over what you’ve been doing with the business lately.”

“Oh, no. Here it comes…”

“What’s wrong? You’ve done a great job. I should just ask you to become a partner.”

“Really?”

“Yes. You’re doing great. Better than the robot ever did. So what do you say? You and me be partners in this business?”

“Okay, let me think about it. I won’t take longer than a week and I’ll let you know.”

“You’re still welcome to the spare bedroom upstairs as well. I have heard of some bad stories about what can happen to single women in boarding houses.”

“Yeah, it’s already starting to happen to me.”

“I can show you the room now if you’d like.”

“No funny business?”

“No, but Violet does want to see you.”

“Wait is she upstairs?”

“Yes, in her playpen. She should be fine, but…”

They ran upstairs to find Violet happily playing in her playpen. “Hi, Bonnie!”

“Hi, Violet.”

“The room is this way. That one on the left. It was my mother’s.” Clyde pointed out the room and gave space for Bonnie to check it out by herself.

Bonnie looked it over. She thought it wasn’t too bad. She was curious about Violet. She hadn’t seen a human child with blue skin, red violet eyes and red violet hair before. She walked back out into the living to see Clyde and Violet playing together through the playpen.

“Why does Violet have such strange colors for her skin, hair, and eyes?”

“Oh, her mother was a water nymph.”

Bonnie raised her eyes. “I thought water nymphs were a myth.”

“No. My father meet them and studied their biology.”

“Wow.”

“He set aside the preserve just for them.”

“Oh, wow.” Bonnie sat down. “So the nun did she Melanie dissolve into a puddle of water.”

“Yeah, I know she did. That’s why I squeezed the blanket out into the river. I thought the water nymphs would want to know what happened to her.”

“They probably didn’t like it.”

“No, but they had to be notified and I’m afraid to go visit them.”

“Oh, because of the stories?”

“Yeah. Melanie actually woke me up in the middle of the night and I had no idea she was even here. When I saw her, I couldn’t believe my eyes. She was gorgeous with her natural blue skin.”

Bonnie smiled. “Yeah, I’ve heard those stories as well.”

Clyde looked at Bonnie. “Take what time you need to decide.”

“About the partnership or the living arrangements?”

“Both.”

“Oh, well, I’d love to take the partnership. Without this job, I’d be lost.”

“Good.” Clyde picked up his tablet. “I’ll have a lawyer come over to help layout the terms that we can agree to.”

Bonnie smiled. “I’m not sure about living here, but if you will behave, then this may be safer for me.”

Clyde looked up and smiled. “I give you my word. There is only one fresher, but we can set a schedule on who gets to use it when and for how long. However you want to set it up.”

“Alright. When is the lawyer coming?”

“Looks like next week.”

“Okay. I’m still thinking about the living situation. For now, there is lots of work to be done, partner.”

Clyde smiled at Bonnie and Violet.

***********************

Bonnie went back to the boarding house after work to find that things were worse. Many of the men were watching her. She went to her room and closed and locked the door behind her. She looked around. She sighed. She saw the box of her mother’s things she was planning to give away. Mostly clothes she couldn’t wear.

Bonnie walked around the small room. She went to the closet and got out her suitcase. Soon she was packing up her clothes and toiletry items. In a moment she was done. She didn’t own much else. She grabbed a smaller bag and put the rest of her things, a few mementos, inside. She went to one of the night stands and pressed a button.

“Front desk. How may we help you?”

“This is Bonnie. I’m moving out. I have a box of clothes for donation, but I don’t know where to take them.”

“Bonnie, I’ll come up and take care of the box for you. Are you ready now?”

“Yes, I’m all packed.”

“Okay, I’m on my way up.”

A few minutes later the desk person was at Bonnie’s door, which Bonnie opened for her.

“There’s the box.”

The older woman picked up the box without any trouble. “I know a place which will be happy to have these clothes. The room doesn’t look bad at all. Let’s get you checked out downstairs.”

Bonnie picked up her bag and suitcase and followed the older woman out of the room, down the stairs to the front desk. It didn’t take them long to settle the bill.

“Good luck, Bonnie. That business you work for is a blessing for Mars.”

Bonnie smiled. “My boss offered to make me a partner and I accepted.”

“Wonderful. I am happy for you. It’s a great blessing when we can do work we’re meant to do.”

“Yes, it is.”

“Good luck. I’m glad you and your mother were both here.”

“Thank you.”

***********************

Bonnie walked back to Clyde and Violet’s house. She rang the door bell and soon heard Clyde running down the stairs. He opened the door.

“Hi, Bonnie.”

“Hi, Clyde, I’m moving in to the spare room.”

“Yes, of course you are. This way.” He ran up the stairs. “Violet, Bonnie is going to live with us.”

“Yay!”

“Hi, Violet.”

“Hi, Bonnie. Will you play with me later?”

“Sure. Let me get unpacked.”

******************

She was young and strange looking. Just a child with red violet hair and eyes. Her skin was a pale blue. Yet, she was still human. Or at least half human. Violet looked around her room. She had been playing with her toys and noticed that they started to float. She wasn’t sure why. She saw the old robot standing in a corner. She had never heard it speak. Yet, she wanted to hear its voice. Would the robot say anything to her? She raised her right hand and pointed her index finger at the robot.

The robot jerked and stepped forward. “What? What is going on? Have I neglected my duties?” The robot raised its arms and turned. He stepped forward and walked into the wall.

Violet’s eyes got all big and round. She jumped up. “Oh, Mr. Robot! Don’t walk into the wall!” She ran towards the robot and tried to lead him out of the room into the main living area.

The robot clunked about. “Who are you? You don’t sound like Clyde or Frank.”

“I’m Violet! Uncle Clyde! The robot needs help.”

Clyde was sitting on the couch studying reports on a tablet computer. He looked up and saw his niece helping the robot. His jaw dropped. “What? I thought the robot was broken…”

“I, uh, I pointed at him and he started talking, but then he walked into the wall.”

Clyde smiled and set the tablet down on the table in front of him. “It’s okay, Violet. He’s hasn’t done much in years. He’s needs a good tune up or perhaps even more work. I bet you just gave him a bit of a charge when you pointed at him.”

“Really? You mean I didn’t hurt him?”

“No, you didn’t. How do you feel, Robot?”

“Terrible. I can’t see anything.”

“That explains why you’re having trouble walking.” Clyde stood up and walked towards the robot and his niece. He looked over the robot. “Unfortunately, I don’t know how to fix you. I wish I did. I could use your help.”

“I want to help, but what can I do…” The robot slowed down and stopped.

“Uncle Clyde, what happened?”

“His batteries are dead. They don’t seem to keep much of a charge anymore.”

“How sad. I just wanted to hear him talk to me.”

“Well, he did. I should put him back in his alcove.”

“Will he get better?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know what he needs or how much it will cost.”

“Oh.”

Chapter 6 Growing Up

An excerpt from The Violet Series Book 1: The Water Nymph’s Tale.

Bonnie sighed. Her mother was finally asleep and peaceful. Bonnie stood up and walked out of the boarding house room downstairs to the dining room. She sat down and was able to order her dinner right away. She wondered how much longer it would be before her mother finally died.

If Bonnie didn’t have the job she had, she would have gone crazy long before now. She sighed as she looked around the dining room. There were plenty of men eating at the tables. They all noticed her. She just wanted to be alone. Her thoughts wandered as her dinner arrived. She ate without tasting her food.

She wondered who Melanie was, but didn’t want to ask. She knew Clyde was in mourning and probably missing most of his family. She had heard and read the stories about his mother dying from a disease which could have been treated if it was detected earlier and she had been on Earth. Later, Bonnie had heard and read about Herbert Mineur, Clyde’s father, disappearing without a trace. Many people thought he couldn’t take his wife’s death well and so left the colony. Some weren’t even sure he was still alive.

Bonnie did notice Clyde wasn’t mourning Melanie as if they were lovers. In fact Bonnie had overheard them talking about Clyde’s brother, Frank, and how much Melanie missed him. Bonnie continued to eat. Her thoughts continued. So, that meant the toddler was Clyde’s niece and the only living relative he had left.

She blinked back some tears. In a way, she found comfort in the fact that someone else was also sad about losing someone they loved. She also didn’t mind doing more work when he was busying taking care of a baby. The work was a comfort to Bonnie.

She finished her meal and went back to her room. She found her mother still sleeping peacefully. Bonnie sat down in a chair, covered her eyes with her hands, and cried.

Unfortunately, she didn’t notice the men in the boarding house who knew her mother was dying. They were waiting until Bonnie would be alone before they pursued her…

***********************

Antoni stepped out on the porch to look up at the moon Dysnomia. He stared at the moon and then noticed there was a big tawny cat out in the yard staring at him. Anastasia was busy cooking in the kitchen. Antoni and the cat stared at each other, saying nothing.

Samuel looked at his son and wondered if he would become a werecat someday. What was there to say? No one had warned Samuel of what he would become until Betty mentioned it. The little boy seemed so human, as did Samuel. Perhaps later on, when Antoni would be a teenager, Samuel would tell him his secret.

Anastasia was finishing up the cooking. “Antoni, Samuel, it’s time for dinner.”

Antoni blinked. The big cat was still in the yard. Antoni turned and walked back inside the house and into the kitchen. He sat down at the table as his mother was setting the table. He watched her.

“Is something wrong, Antoni?”

“There’s a big tawny cat out in our yard.”

“Oh? That cat is harmless. I guess dad is working late this evening.” She served Antoni some food.

“I didn’t see him outside. Perhaps he’s taking care of Betty?”

“Yes, he must be. Well, no matter, he knows where the food is. He’ll be back later.”

Antoni blinked. Who was the cat in the yard?

*********************

Antoni got ready for bed. He had just had his bath and now he was sitting in bed with his mother sitting beside him on a chair. She held her tablet computer so he could see it. She read him a story. Then he laid down. She kissed him on his forehead and they both said goodnight.

Soon Antoni was asleep and dreaming away.

Anastasia closed the door to Antoni’s room and turned to see Samuel walking into the bathroom. She walked to the kitchen and began cooking again. By the time she was done, Samuel walked in the kitchen and sat down at the table. She brought him the food and sat down beside him.

“Antoni said he saw a big tawny cat. He doesn’t know it was you.”

Samuel paused in his eating. “I didn’t know what to say to him. He looks so human, like you.”

“People would say the same thing about you.”

“I know, but I don’t know how to tell him he could become what he saw tonight.”

“No one told you and I know there’s still prejudice against your kind.”

“It’s not fair. I wish I was warned. Sometimes it’s still awkward for me.” He resumed eating.

“I know. I can tell. How far do you run when you’re a cat?”

“I stay in the yard. I don’t want others to see me.”

“Sally knows.”

“Sally won’t talk, except to us. I don’t want to let other people know.”

“What about our son?”

“I don’t know. I should tell him. It would be the right thing to do, but what do I say? ‘Hey, Antoni, my boy, I’m a werecat and you may be one too’?”

“It’s a start.”

“He may not believe me.”

“He would if you shapeshifted in front of him.”

“It may also scare him as well.”

“Yeah, I forgot about that.”

Samuel finished eating. He and Anastasia cleaned up the kitchen and then they went to bed.

********************

“Hi, Anastasia and Antoni. Are you ready? We have a lot of guests today. A new town is growing nearby and they’ve hired more people. You know how it goes.”

“Yes, I remember. That’s why I have a job to begin with.”

“What do I get to do?”

“Oh, with all the extra guests, we’ll need someone to serve water and rolls or any missed dishes.”

“Yay!” He danced. “Do I start now?”

“Yes, go on back to the kitchen. Polly and Freddy are getting ready for lunch.”

Antoni ran back to the kitchen.

“Where do kids get all their energy?” asked Sally’s husband.

Anastasia and Sally laughed.

“They wear the rest of us down too easily and yet they keep right on going. It’s wonderful when they’re sleeping.”

“Dear, our children are grown up and they don’t wear us out. That’s all the guests who keep coming to stay with us.”

“Right, I forgot.”

*********************

“Freddy, I’m baking extra rolls. Are the warmers all working?”

“Yes, sis, they are. I just finished fixing them this morning.” He turned on the food warmers. “Ready for the rolls when they’re ready.”

Antoni stopped when he saw Polly and Freddy. “Sally says I get to serve water and rolls today!”

Freddy and Polly smiled at him.

“Good. I’ve baked extra and soon they will be up in the warmers. Freddy, show him how to serve the drinks and rolls.”

Freddy grabbed a tray and demonstrated how to carry it and how to fill it up. He set the tray down and showed how to serve the table. Antoni watched closely.

“Okay, my turn.” Antoni grabbed another tray and soon he had a tray with water glasses and rolls which he served to the kitchen table.

“Not bad. You’ll be fine and help keep the guests calm while they’re hungry.”

Antoni nodded.

The dining room was packed. All the guests were talking so the room was noisy. Little blonde Antoni carefully served trays of water and rolls to every table. The guests were happy to see him. None complained of their hunger or how long they had to wait for their food.

The sight of the little boy put many people at ease.

“Hey, boy, is your mother around?”

“Yes, she’s that server right over there.”

“Oh. You’re doing a great job.”

“Thank you!” He ran back to the kitchen to fill up his tray again.

*********************

Clyde was busy with Violet one evening helping her get ready for bed. They were both tired. He stifled a yawn.

“Uncle Clyde, when is Bonnie coming back?”

“What? Oh, tomorrow morning. Why do you ask?”

“I miss her.”

Clyde frowned. “You know Bonnie does a lot downstairs and she’s here to work as my assistant.”

“She’s not your assistant. She runs the business.”

Clyde smiled at his niece. “How do you figure that?”

“You’re too busy playing with me to do any work.”

“So, Bonnie has been doing more work and not complaining.”

“Yes, and she’s so sad, but she won’t say why. She just keeps working.”

“Oh? Perhaps you’re right.”

“Can she come live with us? Then I won’t have to wait to see her.”

Clyde grabbed a towel and wrapped his niece in it. “Perhaps that’s a better idea. I know she’s staying at a nearby boarding house. Staying here could save her some money.”

“And I’ll see her more. Maybe she’ll play with me when you need a nap.”

“Yeah. I should check over what work she has been doing lately. Here you need to get into your jammies.”

“Okay.”

Once Violet was dressed, Clyde carried her to her room and sat down with her on his lap. He reached for his tablet and read her a story until she fell asleep. Then he tucked her into her bed and kissed her lightly on her forehead. He took his tablet, turned off the light and walked out of her room.

He walked to the couch and sat down. He checked the business records and found that Violet was right. Bonnie had been doing more work and not complaining. He smiled. Ever since the robot had stopped working, Clyde had too much work to do. It didn’t help that his brother wasn’t around very long to help out.

He set the tablet down on the table. He yawned. He could see why Violet thought Bonnie was sad. Sometimes he heard Bonnie sigh when she was working. Clyde stood up and yawned again. He walked to his room and crawled into bed.

**********************

Bonnie woke up in the middle of the night. She could hear her mother gasping for air. Bonnie got up and ran to her mother. She held her mother’s hand. “Mom, I’m here. It’s okay.”

Her mother was feverish, but relaxed when she felt her daughter hold her hand. She took more shallow breaths. She couldn’t talk, but she was scared. She didn’t know what would happen to Bonnie once she was dead.

But there was nothing she could do. Her body was worn out and lost the battle to a serious and fatal illness. She could see Bonnie watching and crying. Finally, she took the last breath and relaxed. She no longer could breathe and soon her heart stopped.

Bonnie cried for a few minutes. Then she pressed a button on the end table.

“Front desk. How can we help you?”

“This is Bonnie. My mother just died.”

“Bonnie… oh, I’m sorry. I’ll get the undertaker immediately. Just hang on.”

“Thanks.” Bonnie let go of her mother’s hand and stood up. She wasted no time getting dressed.

***********************

A couple of hours later, Bonnie was packing her mother’s few things and deciding what to do with them. The door to her room was unlocked and slightly ajar. A man walked by and walked into her room.

“I’m sorry for your loss, miss. Perhaps we can have dinner later and discuss future plans.”

“What?”

“You know, you really shouldn’t be alone. Now that your mother is dead, you need a man in your life.”

“Get out!”

A handyman walked by. “Is there a problem?”

“Yes, please escort him out of my room.”

“Yes, ma’am. Let’s go.”

“Now wait a minute…”

Bonnie watched them go. She could see more men watching in the hallway. She walked to the door, closed it, and locked it. She turned around and leaned against the door and slid to the floor. She cried.

Chapter 5 The Secret Birth

An excerpt from The Violet Series Book 1: The Water Nymph’s Tale.

Clyde was busy in his office doing virtual paperwork once again. He sighed, but kept at his work. Finally, he was done checking the current routes and the books and he sighed once again. He raised his head from his desk and noticed water flowing into his office. It stopped into a little puddle and then formed into a woman. Clyde stared with his mouth gaping. It was Melanie and she was blue again.

“How did you do that?”

“I’m a water nymph. That’s how we get around, especially when we need to be discrete. You do realize that some humans can’t be trusted.”

Clyde nodded his head. “So, that’s why I didn’t know you were here. Did you come with my brother?”

“Yes, I traveled in his suitcase.”

He rose up from his desk. “No wonder I never saw you before.” He slowly approached her and watch her skin change colors again. “You’re doing it again. How do you change your skin color?”

“I don’t know, but perhaps I should leave before anything else happens.”

“No, wait. I’d rather you’d stay here and tell me more about my brother.”

Melanie had tears in her eyes, but she couldn’t speak. Instead, she collapsed onto the floor. Clyde raced over to her and checked for a pulse, which he soon found. He turned his head to listen for her breath and he could hear that, too. He yelled for Bonnie to come help him carry Melanie up the stairs to the room the water nymph had shared with Frank. Once that was done, Bonnie went back to her desk and Clyde stayed with Melanie.

He didn’t say anything, but was lost in thought. He had heard some stories about water nymphs when he was a child, but none of them could help him now. He could hear Bonnie leaving for the day and he sighed. He shook his head and wondered what to do next.

Melanie opened her eyes and saw Clyde sitting near the bed. “What happened to me?”

“You passed out. I don’t know whether to call for a doctor or not.”

“I can’t transform myself back into water. And I can feel something moving in here,” she said slowly as she placed her had on her belly.

“Oh, no, you may be pregnant.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means you may have a baby in a few more months.”

Her eyes widened. “I never heard of a water nymph having a human baby.”

“You sure don’t look like a water nymph anymore.”

Melanie cried and wished for the other water nymphs, but she wasn’t sure how to call them now. Nor did she even know where they were. Clyde didn’t know what to do. So, he just sat there and let her cry without chiding her for it. When she finally stopped and wiped away the last of the tears, he offered her dinner. She accepted and so Clyde left to get them something.

*********************

Clyde never told anyone about Melanie and Bonnie didn’t ask. Bonnie made arrangements for Frank’s funeral while Clyde looked after Melanie.

For the next several months, Clyde did as much work as he could and he also checked on Melanie several times a day. She never ventured out, even when he suggested she should go for a walk. She just sat in the room and mused over her loss— over Frank and the other water nymphs. She continued to mourn as her child grew inside of her, not knowing what would happen when she gave birth. She did find little comfort in Clyde’s concern.

Finally, it was time for the baby to be born. Melanie screamed. Fortunately, it was Saturday and no one was in the office downstairs. Clyde ran into her room.

“What’s wrong?”

“I think it’s time for the child to come out. This is horrible. I’ve never experienced pain like this!”

“Okay, just relax and focus on your breathing. That’s it just take a deep breath and then let it out. Just keep on that and I’ll be right here with you.”

Melanie suffered through most of the day with Clyde at her side and finally they both could hear the baby crying. But it wasn’t over for Melanie. Clyde put the baby on her lap and then he went to grab some towels and a bowl of water. He came back and carefully cleaned up the baby girl as Melanie gave birth to the placenta. It was all over and Melanie was still in pain and unsure of her baby. The baby had stopped crying and was held by her uncle who busy getting a diaper for her. No one said anything for a while.

After Clyde got the baby into a diaper, he said, “How do you feel now, Melanie?”

“Terrible. What am I do to with her?”

“Well, now a baby requires lots of care. I don’t know. My mother made me help out with Frank, but he wasn’t a baby when I was asked. Babies need milk. You should be able to nurse her for awhile and then eventually we can give her the regular table food that we’re used to eating.”

“So you will help out with her?”

“Yes, of course. She is my niece and it’s only fitting that I should extend my promise to her.”

Melanie closed her eyes. “Okay, how am I supposed to nurse her?”

“You have to let her suck on your nipples.”

“Oh, okay. Should I start now?”

“Yeah, now would be good. I bet she’s hungry.”

So Melanie got her baby to drink some milk and Clyde tried to give them some privacy. He waited just outside the door and listened closely for any signs of trouble. Melanie started to get the hang of it and soon her baby girl was full and needed to burp. Afterwards, Melanie called for Clyde and he came in again.

“I guess she just wants to sleep now.”

“Okay, I’ll put her in her crib.” He took his niece and set her in the crib near Melanie’s bed. Soon the little baby was fast asleep.

For a time, Melanie and Clyde spent much of their time looking after the baby whom they named Violet Nymphe Mineur. Violet was a good baby and slept a lot and then eventually she played and talked more. Clyde encouraged Melanie to take Violet for walks in her stroller. Melanie did so as much as she could. She had to walk past Bonnie, who still said nothing about Melanie living in the house and with a baby. A nun tended to go for her strolls to chat with people at about the same time Melanie and Violet would go out.

One day, when Melanie took Violet for a walk, Melanie felt extremely ill and wasn’t sure what was happening. First, her skin turned blue and then she eventually dissolved into a puddle of water, leaving poor Violet to scream and cry over her loss.

Fortunately for the child, the nun was outside as well. She ran over to the stroller. The nun took a blanket from the stroller and wiped up the water and then placed the blanket back in the stroller. She quickly grabbed her rosary and said a little prayer. Then she sang to Violet.

After the nun had sung for awhile, Violet stopped crying. “There, there, little one. I’ll get you home safely. I did see where you and your mother came from. Let’s get you home.” Soon the nun was inside the office with the stroller and spoke quietly to Bonnie.

Bonnie wasted no time getting Clyde to come out. “Where’s Melanie?”

The Sister replied, “Sir, I’m not sure if my eyes deceived me, but I saw the child’s mother, Melanie, is it? from a distance. She didn’t look well and then her skin turned blue. She promptly dissolved into a puddle of water. The poor child was crying the whole time as if she knew there was something wrong with her mother. I ran over to the stroller and grabbed that blanket to mop up the water to bring back. It’s just so strange, yet I couldn’t leave this poor child all by herself.”

“It’s alright. Your eyes weren’t playing tricks on you.” Clyde took the blanket and examined it. “I thank you for bringing the baby back. She is my niece and the only family I have left.”

“Oh, my poor man, I had no idea.”

“It’s alright. How far is the river from here?”

“Oh, it’s just a couple of miles behind your house. I think there’s some water in it.”

“Good. Will you, Sister, and Bonnie, accompany my niece and me to the river?”

“Yes,” both women said at the same time.

They went to the river with Clyde pushing Violet’s stroller. There was indeed some water in the river. Clyde pulled out the damp blanket and looked at the nun.

“Sister, will you say a little prayer for Melanie?”

“Yes.” She got her rosary and said another prayer.

Clyde held the blanket over the river and wrung it out. Water droplets fell into the river and he hoped, if there were more water nymphs that they would be able to reclaim poor Melanie.

The droplets flowed along in the river. Far down the stream, there were some water nymphs sitting on the shore at their land preserve. They were laughing and thinking of ways to attract attention from the human colonists living on Mars.

One water nymph spotted the droplets and screamed. The others turned to see what she saw. One went into the river and felt the droplets. They all stopped and went into the river. They dissolved into water and gathered up the droplets.

Chapter 4 Is He a Werecat?

An excerpt from The Violet Series Book 1: The Water Nymph’s Tale.

Darien Dashing sat in his office in the city of Xena, the capital of Eris. He was checking the reports. The southern region of Eris was doing well. Towns were growing, especially Cat Falls.

He sat back in his chair and grimaced. He hated the town of Cat Falls. He especially hated those who lived there. But what to do about them? It was clear they were starting to cut into his profits. Something that he couldn’t live with. Perhaps it was time to do something about the inhabitants of Cat Falls. Not to mention that his fiancée went off and married a resident of that same town… How could she after her mother had promise him?

But what could he do that they wouldn’t suspect him? It was so obvious. He smiled and his eyes narrowed. It was just a matter of time for him to have his revenge.

********************

Samuel and Anastasia watched their toddler son grow. They were sitting on the porch when he was running in the yard in the evening.

“I remember running around like that at his age.”

She laughed. “I wonder if he will be a werecat like his father.”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure if it’s even genetic.”

“It could very well be.”

“We may not find out until he’s older.”

“You mean about the time you found out?”

“Yeah, probably.”

“Should we tell him?”

“I’ll tell him when he’s older. At least we’ll know when it’s about to happen. He will be hot and sweaty for no other reason.”

“True enough.”

Betty, the horse, watched Antoni run around. Inwardly she smiled. The child reminded her of another child who did the same things at the same age. She looked forward to watching this newer child grow and change.

*******************

Anastasia went to work as usual. Antoni, with his blonde hair and green eyes, squirmed in her arms and asked to be put down. She set him down gently and he ran into the boarding house. He stopped and looked around. The first person he recognized was Sally. He ran over to her.

“Sally!”

She looked down. “Well, hello, Antoni! I take it your mom isn’t too far behind.”

“Nope, she’s right there.”

“Good.”

“Can I help out today?”

“Well, of course you can. Let’s see, what would you like to do?”

“Can I help Freddy?”

“Sure.”

Anastasia walked over to Sally and Antoni. She rubbed his hair. “What are you up to, my son?”

“Sally says I can help out Freddy today.”

“Oh?”

“He wants to help and I’m sure it will be good for Freddy.”

“Okay.”

Sally turned to the front desk. “Dear, find our son and let him know he will have a small assistant today.”

“Sure thing.” He quickly pressed a couple of buttons on the desk. When he was done, he looked up at his wife. “He’s on his way. Hi, Antoni, are you ready to start working today?”

“Yes!”

“That’s good. We can use all the help we can get around it. Some days it just gets too busy.”

“The colony must be getting bigger.”

“Yes it is.”

Freddy limped into the main room. “So, who’s my assistant for today?”

“I am!”

“Oh, good. I was hoping you’d want to work with me. Let’s get started.” Freddy bent down to give Antoni a hug. “Let’s start upstairs. We’ve got some leaky pipes to fix.”

“See you later, Mom!”

“See you later, sweetie.”

Antoni and Freddy went upstairs. Soon they were in a bathroom. Freddy set the tool box down on the floor and he opened up a panel. Antoni watched closely.

“I need a wrench.”

“Oh, this it?”

“Yes, thank you.” Freddy made some adjustments and soon the leaks stopped. He replaced the panel. “Okay, next room.”

Antoni tried to pick up the tool box, but he couldn’t lift it. Freddy smiled and picked it up.

“This way.”

Antoni followed Freddy into another room. This continued for a good hour. Once they were done, the pipes weren’t leaking anymore. Then they went downstairs to the kitchen.

Polly was busy cooking. She saw Freddy walk in with Antoni. She smiled. “Welcome, boys. I was wondering if you’d be coming, Antoni.”

“Hi, Polly!”

“I was surprised to see your mom by herself today.”

“I’m Freddy’s assistant today.”

“Oh, lucky Freddy.”

“He’s been very helpful. We came to help keep the kitchen clean and to make sure you have everything you need.”

“I’m keeping up without too much trouble, but the dishes are piling up.”

“Then that’s where we’ll start. Come on, Antoni, you can use the step stool.” Freddy put the step stool in front of the sink. He picked up Antoni and set him down gently. The two of them spent the rest of the afternoon washing dishes.

*************

Anastasia and Antoni got ready to leave. He yawned.

“Mom, I want to be Freddy’s assistant tomorrow.”

Anastasia smiled. “That’s fine with me.”

Freddy smiled. “I’m looking forward to it, buddy.”

Some guests were sitting in the main room. They said, “Awww. How cute!”

Anastasia took Antoni by the hand and they walked out of the boarding house.

Chapter 3 The Conception

An excerpt from The Violet Series Book 1: The Water Nymph’s Tale.

One morning, Frank woke up alone in his bed. He didn’t feel numb on this particular morning as he usually did. In fact, he felt restful. He got up and got himself ready to go back to the mine. As he was combing his hair in the bathroom, he saw water moving towards him on the floor from the bedroom. He didn’t jump when he saw it. He just kept combing his hair. Once he was finished, he straighten his shirt and his pants. The water slowly formed into Melanie, who now smiled at Frank.

“I know I can’t be losing my mind because I didn’t have any booze last night.”

“Glad to hear it. Do you have to go back to the mine today?”

Frank sighed. “Yes, I have to go back to the mine today.”

“You don’t sound as if you want to. Isn’t there anything else you can do instead?”

“Well, I could take my brother up on his offer, but he’s in the next town.”

“Is it another mine?”

“No, it’s his business and I would be working in the office with him.”

Melanie didn’t say anything as she could tell Frank was musing over his possibility.

“I don’t know. I don’t have any direction in my life to follow.” He paused staring in the mirror at his and her reflections. “I better go before I’m late. I know the foreman won’t like it if I am.” He turned to face Melanie. “Well, this is goodbye for now. A mine is no place for a lady water nymph.”

“Okay, I’ll be here when you get back.”

Frank gently grabbed her arms and pulled her close to him. He then kissed her and she kissed him back. Without another word, he stepped out of the bathroom and sat down on the bed to put on his shoes. Then he walked silently out of his hotel room and off to the mine thinking about Melanie the whole time. He thought it was amazing how one woman, a water nymph, could change one’s life in such a short period of time. He shook his head as he reached the mine in time for his shift to start.

He grabbed a pickaxe and went back to the same place as before in the mine. This time however, there was no more water. Frank scratched his head. “That seems odd. Oh, well.” He raised the pick and began chipping. Somehow the work felt empty and boring. Perhaps, Frank thought, he needed to find a vocation. Was there anything more to life than work and booze? Sure there was. There was Melanie. He smiled as he thought of her and tired to get through his shift.

He was surprised about all the thoughts swimming around in his brain. He was aware of the other miners, even though there weren’t many left since the mine was beginning to run dry. He could hear them chipping away at the rock as he was. Frank felt strange to hear all those clicks echoing throughout the mine. He stopped to reconsider his brother’s proposal. At least if he worked in an office, he wouldn’t have to worry about getting so dirty and dusty everyday. That was certainly more appealing especially with Melanie around. She was always so clean. He couldn’t wait for his shift to end.

The echoing clicks were getting on his nerves. He knew he could get his pay, leave, and never return to the mine. He may even have enough to take the train to the next town where his brother was. Once Frank heard the whistle for the end of his shift, he took the axe and marched out of the mine. He set the axe down with the other tools and then walked over the foreman for his pay.

“Sir, I won’t be back tomorrow.”

The foreman handed out pay to the other workers before answering with a long sigh. “Okay, Frank Mineur. I hate to lose one of my best workers, but I know the mine is drying up. Good luck with your new prospects.” The foreman smiled at Frank.

Frank smiled and nodded. Then he turned and walked back to his hotel room.

**********

While Frank worked in the mine, Melanie tried to amuse herself by checking out his belongings. There wasn’t much to look at. So for a while, she was amused trying to figure out what everything was for. Unfortunately, she had to hide when she heard the maid cleaning the rooms around Frank’s. Melanie quickly dissolved into water and slithered under the bed in the dark, hoping the maid wouldn’t see her.

The maid opened the door a few minutes later and failed to see the water under the bed. She quickly picked up Frank’s dirty laundry and threw it into a pile on the floor. Next she grabbed the sheets and tossed them out in the laundry bag attached to her cart. Then she dusted everything in his room and remade the bed with clean sheets. Next, she grabbed his laundry and dropped it on his bed. Then she cleaned the bathroom. Finally she swept the room and left without knowing there was someone else in the room.

Melanie stayed under the bed and waited the rest of the day for Frank to come back. She wasn’t sure if anyone else was going to walk into the room and when they would do so. In the liquid state, it didn’t matter how much time would pass or who passed by. It was as if time didn’t exist and all there was were mere thoughts. She thought of him and how much she wanted to stay with him. The other water nymphs thought she was crazy and needed help, but she wouldn’t listen to them. The others didn’t know what it was like to have their sighs answered back with more sighs from someone else. Just because the other miners wouldn’t even pay attention doesn’t mean Melanie had to leave with the other nymphs. Water nymphs usually get bored when they couldn’t get enough attention. They just moved on to another place and to see what would happen.

This time, Melanie didn’t go with them, but with Frank and she wanted to remain with him. After following those thoughts for some time, she wondered when he would be back from the mine. It wasn’t long before she heard the door open and someone enter the room. Soon it was clear from the trod of the boots and from the sighing that it was he and he alone. So, she edged out from under the bed and formed into herself once again.

Frank smiled at her. “Well, I’m not going back to the mine ever again.”

Melanie flew at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “That’s wonderful. Now what?”

“Now, I need to pack my things and get a train ticket to the neighboring town to see my brother about his job proposal to me.”

She released him and stepped back. “Is this goodbye?”

“No. I want you to come with me, but I was thinking you’d probably tag along like you did yesterday.”

“Oh, yes, that would be good. I’ll go with you. What’s a train?”

“It’s a way to get to the next town. There will be other passengers, but it shouldn’t take too long to get there, but I don’t know the train schedule.” Frank held out his arms to her and she walked back into them. “I can go find out after I shower and get something to eat. Do you want anything?”

“Just you.”

“You have me. I meant food wise.”

“Oh, I guess just bring whatever you were going to eat to the room and I’ll eat with you.”

So, he took his shower and then went to the dining room to order some food to take to his room. When he came back to the room, Melanie was waiting for him on the bed. He closed the door and set the food on the table.

“I hope you like fish— I brought plenty of it.”

“Sounds good. What’s in that bottle?”

“Oh, it’s some wine. You’re welcome to have some with me.”

Melanie strolled over to the table and sat down next to Frank. She waited for him to serve both of them before she started eating. They ate fish, some rice, and vegetables with the wine. Before long, they had eaten all of the food and drank all of the wine. Afterwards, he cleared the table and put the trash in the waste basket.

“Well, I should go to the train station and get a ticket. Do you want to tag along or just wait here for me?”

“I’ll just wait here until you return.”

He smiled and turned to leave out of the room. Once at the train station, he didn’t waste any time checking the schedule and getting a ticket for himself. Since it would only be a few hours to the next town, he just paid for seat. Next, he went to the hotel lobby and used a phone screen to call his brother. He swiped his card and then punched in the number.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Clyde, it’s me Frank.”

“I was beginning to wonder about you. Are you still working in the mine or have you reconsidered my offer?”

“I’ve reconsidered your offer and I want to take you up on it.”

“Great. How soon can you get here?”

“I’ll be coming in tomorrow afternoon on the train. Should I just meet you at your office?”

“No, I’ll meet you at the station. You can stay at the house so you don’t need another hotel room.”

“Great. I’ll see you tomorrow. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Frank hung up the phone screen by pressing the end button and then went back to his room. He opened the door to see Melanie was lying on the bed. “Well, it’s all set. We leave tomorrow early and we should arrive where my brother is in the afternoon.”

“Sounds great. Do you need to pack now?”

“Yeah, I should do that.” He walked over to the dresser and grabbed his suitcase that was next to the dresser against the wall. He opened the suitcase and then pulled the clean clothes out of the dresser and set them in the suitcase. He packed his toiletry items. He had a few dirty clothes that were also torn. He picked them up and put them in the trash. It didn’t take him long and he was glad. He wanted to enjoy Melanie’s company before they had to catch the train in the morning.

She had been patiently waiting for him and now she couldn’t control herself much longer. Frank sat down on the bed next to her and she shot up and wrapped her arms around him. They started kissing and then laid down on the bed.

*****************

The next morning, Frank got up early and checked to make sure he had everything he needed. He hated to leave anything behind. Once that was done. He went to the dining room to get breakfast for the two of them. Bacon and eggs and some orange juice. He took it back to the room and set it on the table. Then he walked over to the bed and woke her up. “Wake up, honey. It’s time for breakfast and then we have to go catch our train.”

She opened her eyes and smiled at him. “Okay.” She rose up and walked over to the table and sat down. Frank followed her and both began eating. Once done, he threw away the trash and stacked the dishes on the table. “Are you ready? It’s about time and I have to check out before we go to the station.”

“Okay.”

He watched her turn into water and slither inside his suitcase. Once all the water was gone, he picked up the suitcase and walked downstairs to the lobby. He checked out and paid up his bill. Then he strolled to the train station and sat down on the bench to wait for the train.

As he waited, he wondered what Melanie was doing and how it felt to be water in the suitcase. She was very aware of his breathing and didn’t care where they were going just as long as she was with him. Soon, they both could hear the train coming long before he could see it. Once the train approached and finally stopped at the station, he pulled out his ticket and grabbed his suitcase. He then walked up to the porter and showed his ticket. Next, he was ushered to an open seat and he sat down with his suitcase in front of him.

Before long the train took off and plunged ahead to the next town. Melanie could feel the train moving and she could no longer hear Frank’s breathing. She hoped that the loudness from the train was the thing preventing her from hearing him. For several hours, he stared out the window at the moving scenery. There weren’t many plants because it was a desert. Watching the sparse vegetation go by made him happy that he no longer had to work in the mine. He figured he’d be okay with the office job his brother had offered him, especially with Melanie. So the hours passed and finally they had arrived in the next town.

He grabbed his suitcase and walked off the train and onto the platform. He looked around and saw people moving everywhere. He took a few steps away from the train and looked around. Soon his eyes found Clyde who was waving at him. Frank strolled over to his brother and they greeted each other.

“It’s good to see you again, Frank. I was just going to lunch. Care to join me?”

“Sounds good. Can I drop my suitcase off at the house first?”

“Certainly, it’s right this way.” Clyde lead the way to the Main Street of the town to where his office was located. Then he opened the door and walked up the stairs to his place. Frank followed closely and was shown to the spare bedroom. “I hope your old room will be okay for you.”

“It will be fine,” Frank answered as he looked around to see the bed with a nightstand next to it. He set the suitcase down on the bed and walked out with his brother to get some lunch.

After the brothers left, water moved out of the suitcase and onto the bed. Then the water rose up and formed into Melanie. She surveyed the room and found it to her liking.

***************

Clyde took Frank out to lunch at a local restaurant. Once they sat down, a server came out immediately and took the order Clyde offered. After the server left to return to the kitchen, Clyde turned to his brother. “Well, Frank, I hope you’re ready to see the office today… I would like to introduce you to Bonnie so it will be easier for you to come to work tomorrow.”

“Sure that will be fine. So what exactly will I be doing in your office?”

“Oh, well, I was hoping you would check on requests for new transportation services and let me know where the new places are. Do you think you could do that?”

“Sure, I don’t think that would be problem. Do I have to supervise the route construction?”

“Yeah, that would help. I doubt it would be too hard to do.”

The server arrived with their food and both began to eat. Clyde had been having trouble finding someone who could keep up with the new requests and wasn’t happy that he had to do it with all the other work he had to do since the robot stopped working. So, he was glad his brother accepted the job without too much indifference. Clyde did promise their mother on her deathbed that he would look after his only brother.

Frank, as he was eating, was thinking he would like not getting dirty all day at work and the requests for routes didn’t sound too bad as far as work went. Besides, he hoped Melanie would like it as well and be proud of him for the new job.

After lunch was over and Clyde had paid for the meal, the brothers walked back to the office, where Clyde introduced his brother to Bonnie, who was the person who greeted anyone who walked in, and answered the phones then directed the calls to the right people. Clyde managed the current routes and all the people who drove the trains and shuttles and all the virtual paperwork.

Frank felt a little nervous, at least he was clean with clean clothes on, but still he muttered quietly in response to Bonnie’s hello. Clyde showed him around the office, which wasn’t very big. There was the reception area where Bonnie worked that was the main part of the office and there was a little hallway that lead to the stairs in the middle, and off to the right was Clyde’s office and an empty office, which was to become Frank’s.

Clyde showed Frank Clyde’s office first, and then Frank’s. Frank smiled when he saw his office with the sparse furnishings. There was a desk with the chair behind it and two chairs in front of the desk for other people who were visiting. There was a computer built into the desk itself.

“So, Frank, what do you think of all of this?”

“I think it’s wonderful, Clyde. So this route stuff shouldn’t be too hard to learn, right?”

“No, it’s pretty easy once you learn and I will teach you. How about we start tomorrow morning around 9 a.m. to get you started? Today, just unpack and get settled in. I’ll bring dinner for both of us this evening.”

“Sounds good. See you later.” Frank walked out of his office and up the stairs back to the room where Melanie was waiting for him. “Well, hello there. What did you think about the train trip here?”

“It was loud and bumpy, but I’m glad you put your suitcase in front of you. And I do like this room your brother gave us. Do you think I should meet him?”

“Well, I suppose that’s up to you. I don’t mind. But I don’t know how he’ll react to you.”

“Oh, well, when do you start your new job?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

“Then you have some time for me this evening?”

“Of course, but Clyde will be back later with some food for us.”

She grabbed him to pull him closer to her. “Well, until then…”

*********************

It didn’t take Frank long to learn his job or to get used to the requests. It was somewhat time consuming and Frank could see why his brother needed someone else to do this job. The bookwork took about as long as Frank had to submit reports to his brother to help that task along.

Being away from the mine didn’t stop Frank from drinking, in fact he was drinking even more. Melanie didn’t really like the stuff too well and eventually didn’t drink anymore. She drank mostly water and that was good enough for her, but she noticed that Frank was changing and wasn’t sure if the changes were good. His energy level decreased and his speech was often slurred. He was also becoming klutzy and she wondered why. Still she didn’t say anything and still she hadn’t met his brother either. She just stayed in Frank’s room and kept herself amused by thinking of the other water nymphs and wondered where they were and what they were up to.

Then one day, it was over. Frank didn’t wake up. Melanie was lying next to him and didn’t know what was wrong. She rolled over and sat up. Still he didn’t respond. She shook him and still he didn’t respond. The sun was up, so she thought she better risk her exposure to Clyde to see what was wrong with Frank. She threw back the covers and slowly rose up out of bed and walked to Clyde’s room.

The door was closed, so Melanie turned the handle and walked through to find Clyde asleep in his bed. She carefully walked to the side of his bed and tapped him. Clyde awoke with a jerk. “Who’s there?” He sat up and looked straight at Melanie. “Uh, who are you?”

“My name is Melanie and I’m not sure what’s wrong with Frank. Will you come with me and find out?”

“Sure.” Clyde jumped out of bed and followed Melanie, thinking he had no idea who this good looking blue skinned red haired woman was and how she got into the house. They both made it to find Frank fairly stiff in bed.

“Oh, no,” said Clyde as he ran over to this brother. Clyde tried to listen for Frank’s breath, but there wasn’t any. Finally, Clyde put his head down on Frank’s chest and cried. Melanie understood and cried, too. Her affair with Frank was over and there was no replacement… After a little while, Clyde rose up and said, “I have to call the undertaker. In the meantime, you stay here and we’ll talk later.”

He left the room and went downstairs to make his phone call. She stayed with Frank and sat down on the bed next to him thinking where she could go now. She didn’t want to impose on Clyde, but she wanted to talk with him. So, she just waited.

When Clyde came back, he had the undertaker with him. Melanie was no longer blue skinned, but still red haired, but instead looked rather human. Clyde didn’t say anything, but his eyes widened when he saw her. Then he let the undertaker take the body to leave Clyde alone with Melanie.

“I thought you had blue skin,” said Clyde breaking the silence.

“It was. I’m not sure what happened, but I don’t feel well either.”

“How do you feel?”

“I feel like I could throw up if I try to eat anything.”

“Then don’t eat for awhile.”

Neither spoke for a few minutes.