All Souls

By Audrey Fuerle

There's a legend of how the world got its scar: six demons came to a cross ways and destroyed each other.

Nott knows the truth to this legend, because he was one of those six. For thousands of years his ghost has been protecting the living from his fellow demons and hounding them in death. Now they have tricked their way into possessing human bodies and seek to regain their lost power, even if they have to tear apart the world to do it. Some of them find enemies in humanity; some find they are worshiped as gods. But before they can truly become gods among men, Nott must find a way to kill them from the grave.

After all, he made a Promise: the living will have nothing to fear while he still walks, and he will become a monster himself if that is what it takes.

This mix of magical realism and comedy explores the human experience through the eyes of creatures who are definitely not human.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Audrey Fuerle
• Release date: Sep 8, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301189304

Book preview

All Souls

by Audrey Ayn Fuerle

Copyright ｩ 2012 by Audrey Ayn Fuerle

Smashwords Edition

Long ago, the world was destroyed by the one who would save it.

When Emily turned and ran away from him, tears brimming beneath her long bangs, Teddy Guthrie thought he was the unluckiest kid in the world. Given how the rest of his day would go, this thought was a bit premature.

Today was All Souls' Day, a holy day not on any calendar. It did not match up to the phases of the Sun, Earth, and Moon. It did not appear on a regular schedule, but followed a schedule of its own.

As the girl and boy acted out their ordinary teenage drama, the souls of the dead aligned with the Earth and became temporarily solid. They appeared before mortal eyes like Teddy's as though they had always been there, because they had.

Teddy's eyes were still on the corner where Emily had turned and disappeared, as though he could will her into reappearing. But instead of the shy girl with the shaded eyes, skulking figures emerged from nothing, and the world turned to twilight. One by one, the figures turned to look at him, eyes shining. Teddy's organs tried to escape out of his mouth, throttling his breath and smothering him in darkness. A shadow descended upon the boy, and he did not open his eyes to the light again. Yet his body stood as though he had. The figure that had been Teddy cackled to itself as it shuffled off. What it was to set in motion would change the world. It lurched forward, intent on nothing good, and it soon found a haven for a host of evils--the mall.

He indulged every vice he could name as though checking them off of a list. He gorged himself at the ice cream shop, flirted with young and old, male and female, and finally spent the last of Teddy's money at a boutique on the trendiest skirt, vest, and blouse he could find. He was in the midst of another pick-up line when he was spotted by Emily, the girl who had run from Teddy only hours before.

Teddy...? she said, perplexed. What are you doing?

Courting! said the spirit.

Emily decided this was beyond her scope and focused on what she thought she understood. Teddy--

I'm not your boyfriend, lady, said the spirit, truthfully.

I ... I know that, Teddy, said Emily, I just ...

I'm telling you, I'm not him.

What? said Emily.

I am a force of great and terrible destruction! said the spirit, I have possessed your little friend.

This statement should have been ridiculous, but as he spoke a wind from nowhere rustled his hair. The breeze gathered until it became a gale surrounding him, a tornado with him as its eye. People began to fly by and the ornamental trees began to bend.

TEDDY! shouted Emily, falling to the ground and holding on so as not to be blown away.

Hey, Air! came a voice above the din, Possessed some guy, huh? Waiting for day's end? For it to become permanent?

Who are you, the exposition fairy? said Air, turning. The wind died down, and his eyes went round when he spotted the ghostly figure.

It was a teenager dressed in a simple gray outfit with a v-neck shirt and black stripes down the sides. There was a strange logo on the shirt, like a yin-yang symbol but with the white parts removed, leaving only the yin. His hair was cut to his chin and curled around his face. Most notably, he had lively gray tail, and it wove back and forth seemingly of its own will.

In the change of his eyes and the twitch of his lips, a careful observer might have noticed the physical signs of Air's personality switching gears. His eyes focused, and his mind was obviously working furiously behind them. He cast aside his silliness and the joy of power, the ornamental trees of the mall uprighting themselves as the wind died down. His face became an unreadable mask.

Nott. said Air, his voice full of recognition and anger.

Nott grinned at this. Long time no see, huh?

Don't speak as though we're friends. He turned away.

Nott's smile faded. "Come on, Air, let 'im go. You