In the last post: stranded in the high branches of a fur tree, Alf fell asleep and dreamed of his newfound love...

Dear friends, on Tuesdays and Saturdays I’m blogging nibble-sized chunks of new ‘Life in the Clouds’ stories. You can check in regularly and read them free, or wait to buy the whole story when published.

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​Eerie Eve ® James Field. Part 28

Down by the mansion's small lake, Morris hadn't slept a wink in his tent. His rolled-up sleeping bag still lay in a corner, unused, and his neck and back ached so bad that he couldn't stand straight.

Something had scared him while picking toadstools on Trollop Knoll last midnight, and he’d escaped back to his tent—for all the meagre safety it offered. As much as he wanted to deny it, he couldn't contradict the evidence of his own senses: a troll had stalked the night. What could a man do, any man, in the pitch-black of night, with monsters loose, defenceless and weaponless as he was?

The troll had followed him back to the tent and thudded and kicked the canvas. The flimsy tent had threatened to collapse at any moment, and all he could do was play dead. He’d turned off the lights, held his breath, knelt on the floor with his head between his knees, and clasped his hands behind his neck.

He'd never been in such a crisis in his whole life. God must have heard his prayers though, because he was still alive this morning and nothing other than a miracle had saved him.
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To be continued…

Image by James Chan from Pixabay

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The real world:

Eeire Eve is drawing to an end. Next up is “Enchanter on the Roof,” where The Stable’s sleepy life is disrupted by a young charlatan, and Bert has the unpleasant task of sorting him out...

Rather than miss an instalment, it’s easy to follow my blog on bloglovin’. They’ll give you a friendly nudge as I release new parts.
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Like to know more about Alf, Bert and the rest of the gang? You can read their chaotic history in What on Earth.