Starting Over

By Peter Tarkulich

It took four years, but Mike Cosley finally managed to get through the nightmare of high school. But then he was faced with the decision of what to do with the rest of his life. Lucky for him, the answer was at the back of his closet.

Stepping through a mysterious doorway, Mike finds himself in the midst of a wizard, a demon, and all sorts of wondrous things - including a school that teaches magic. Through the help of the professor Fitzpot Fizzlebottom, Mike enrolls in the Wizardly Studies program and sets off to begin his new life in a strange world.

Meanwhile, a mysterious figure has set his sights on Mike...

Based on the webcomic "Bardsworth".

• Language: English
• Publisher: Peter Tarkulich
• Release date: May 27, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311655240

Peter Tarkulich

Peter Tarkulich is the author behind the fantasy noir series "Mystery, Murder, and Magic", as well as the lighthearted fantasy series "Bardsworth University", based on his webcomic "Bardsworth".Peter lives in upstate New York with his wife, two kids, a cat, and a rabbit. In addition to writing and drawing he also loves cooking, home brewing beer, watching movies and cartoons, and generally living life to its fullest. His goal is to be as successful a Renaissance man as he can be.

Book preview

Starting Over

Bardsworth University: Book 1

Peter Tarkulich

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2015 Peter Tarkulich

All Rights Reserved

Cover Artwork by Jackie Zysk

www.jackiezysk.com

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author

No portion of this publication may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of the author, except in the case of select quotations or reprints in the context of reviews.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Author's Note

Act One

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Act Two

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Intermission

Chapter 14

Act Three

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Epilogue

Other Works by Peter

Sample Chapter of Blood of the Mother

About the Author

Acknowledgments

This book would not have been possible without the help of quite a few people. First and foremost, I'd like to thank the readers of the Bardsworth webcomic. Whether you have been with me from the beginning or just the last few weeks, it's because of you that I even bothered to make this book a reality. I'd like to thank my beta readers – Emily Beamon, Kez, Reno Kugler, Audrey R., and Pat Toner – for taking the time to look over the manuscript and provide me with helpful feedback. I'd like to thank my amazing cover artist, Jackie Zysk, who took a chance and emailed me while I was searching for an illustrator, and who proved to be the best possible choice for the job. Last, but certainly not least, I'd like to thank my beautiful wife Katharine for not only being my editor, but for listening to my ideas and giving me moral support. And a kick in the butt when I needed it.

And thank you, dear reader, for supporting an independent artist with the purchase of this book.

Author's Note

On November 7, 2005 I launched a little webcomic called Bardsworth. It was crudely drawn, nothing more than a hand-inked strip on a blank piece of printer paper that I scanned and uploaded to an ugly hand-coded website. I wanted to tell a story, and the medium of webcomics seemed a great way to do that. I could instantaneously publish the story, it was fairly easy to get eyes on the work, and it allowed for visual storytelling (which, being an artist as well as a writer, was important to me). The problem was that although I had a general idea of the story, I was more or less making it up as I went along.

After several years, I began to see problems in the story - inconsistencies, plot holes, things I didn't have time to go into thoroughly. I fixed what I could, came up with reasonable explanations, or sometimes just ignored the problems. After all, most people didn't even notice what I was noticing. Still, things plagued me over the years and I wanted to do something about them, but I didn't know what.

I always entertained the idea of eventually turning Bardsworth into a series of novels, but it was a someday kind of a project. Then, Phil and Kaja Foglio released their novelization of their webcomic, Girl Genius. I figured if they could do it, so could I. And it was then that I realized what I wanted to do with Bardsworth - I wanted to adapt it into a novel that was almost an alternate universe, a retelling of the story that was separate from the webcomic. I looked at it as being the same way Douglas Adams handled each iteration of The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy – the book, the miniseries, the radio play, and the movie were all essentially the same story, but each one was a different telling of the story. That was my goal for this book.

This provides pros and cons for both readers of the webcomic and new arrivals to the Bardsworth universe. For established readers, you'll have the familiarity and attachment to the characters you know and love, but you may be disappointed to find that certain scenes have been removed and dialogue changed for necessary reasons (or because I thought of something funnier). For first time readers, you won't have the same sense of excitement at revisiting the story and characters from a different angle, but you also won't be weighted down by preconceived notions.

In any case, I think all of you will enjoy the book. So grab yourself a plate of cookies, open the closet door, and head on in.

Peter Tarkulich

April 23, 2015

Act One

The Door in the Closet

In which our protagonist ends one journey and begins the next by cleaning his room.

Chapter One

The mashed potatoes were silent as they traveled through the air. If they had made any noise, like maybe the whistling sound things made in cartoons when they were in flight, Mike Cosley would have known to duck, thus preventing the right side of his face from being covered with soft spuds and institutional-grade gravy. What he did hear, however, was the sound of laughter as he wiped the warm lunch food from his face. He had less success removing it from his chin-length blond hair. Once he was mostly clean, he returned to eating his lunch, as if this sort of thing happened often. Which it did.

Two more weeks, Mike muttered under his breath, staring at his tray of questionable comestibles. Two more weeks until graduation. Two more weeks of Blake and his idiot friends harassing me. Two more weeks until… His train of thought stopped there due to a lack of tracks. The question of what was going to happen after graduation was still unanswered. Whatever the answer was, though, it definitely did not involve airborne root vegetables.

After finishing what food he was able to choke down, Mike sent his leftovers to a better home in the trash and made his way out of the cafeteria. He was aware of the eyes on him, as well as the sporadic tittering and snorts scattered around the room.  Nobody was in the hallway and the bathroom was nearby, small blessings in Mike's favor.  Even better was that the bathroom itself was devoid of life, except for whatever was growing in the damp patch beneath the sink closest to the wall.  At the cleanest of the three sinks, he lathered up with the pink ectoplasm from the soap dispenser and studied himself in the mirror.  Bits of potato beaded his long hair and gravy was plastered to several areas of his pale skin.  His blue eyes stared back at him with a world-weariness reserved for war veterans, and he whispered once again, Two weeks.

And then what?  Pondering the question for the thousandth time and drying his face with the sandpaper that the school claimed was paper towel, Mike slowly began to get the feeling that someone was watching him.  Prepared for another attack, he whirled around and his eyes darted back and forth, but no one leaped on him or threw anything at him.  Feeling foolishly paranoid, he opened each of the stall doors, but all were empty.  Nobody was around, but the feeling of being on display still weighed on him, leaving him rather uncomfortable.  With one last look around he decided that he was just going crazy and left the bathroom, whereupon Blake, poised outside the door, rammed an overturned trash can onto Mike's head.

***

The house was empty and quiet when Mike arrived home, just the way he preferred it.  Both of his parents worked until five o'clock, providing a good cushion of time to relax and forget about the events of the day.  After a stop in the kitchen to raid the cookie jar, Mike made his way up the stairs and into his bedroom with a homemade chocolate chip cookie between his teeth and another three in his left hand.  He threw his school bag onto a mound of books and clothing, gobbled up the cookie in his mouth, and flopped onto his unmade bed with a long sigh.

His relaxation was disturbed by the sound of the Imperial March coming from his phone.  He let out a loud groan and then answered, What do you want?

It's so good to hear your voice, too, came the mocking reply from the other end.  I was calling to check up on you.  I talked to Mom today and she said you were still moping around.

I'm not moping, I'm just… I don't know what to do, Tammy, Mike replied, aware of the awful whine in his voice, but too burned out to care.

Well, you like art, right?  I mean, you do all that sketching and drawing and stuff.

Yeah, I guess.

Why don't you come here?  The university has a really good art program.

"It's a graphic arts program, Tammy.  Big difference between that and a fine arts program."

"Oh, I get it. You want a useless degree."

You're a communications major! Mike said in a louder voice than he meant to.

Calm down, dork, I'm just messing with you.

Mike sat up, slumped his shoulders, and sighed.  I know, I'm sorry. I just had a really bad day.

Look, I know you've been having a rough time in school and I know you're having problems deciding what to do, but don't go getting all emo about it, okay? Just take some time to figure it out.

All right, all right.  He paused for a moment.  Would you really want me coming to the same college as you?

Heck no, but the bookstore gives out gift certificates if you refer someone to the school.  Textbooks aren't cheap, you know.

Love you too, Tammy. He set his phone down on the nightstand and laid back down, closing his eyes. Thirty seconds later, his eyelids snapped open and he searched the room. The feeling of being watched had fallen over him again, stronger this time. Mom? Dad? Is that you? There was no answer. Just to be sure, he got up to look out the window. Neither car was in the driveway. But the revelation of no one else being home did nothing to diminish the Truman Show vibe he was experiencing. "Great, so I am going crazy, he mumbled as he fell backwards onto his mattress. At least that'll make life more interesting."

***

That evening during dinner, Mike let his mind wander the dark corridors of indecision while his parents traded stories about their respective work days.  As he pushed his steamed carrots around on his plate in much the same way one would tend a Zen rock garden, he slowly became aware that his mom and dad had stopped talking.  His eyes flicked up and he saw that they were staring at him.

Sweety, is everything okay? Mrs. Cosley asked, frowning in concern as she studied her son's face with her light-blue eyes.

Yeah, I just... Mike sighed and slumped in his chair.  I'm still confused about what I want to do. You know, after graduation.  He paused for a moment.  You guys aren't disappointed in me, are you?

Oh sweety, of course not!

I mean, Tammy knew what she wanted to do and got into the school she wanted to, and I'm...

Lots of kids don't know what they want to do right out of high school, kiddo, Mr. Cosley spoke up.  Heck, most of the ones that think they do end up changing their minds anyway.

That's right, Mrs. Cosley said, reaching across the table to pat Mike's hand.  Take your time and decide what's best for you.  You know your father and I will support you no matter what.

And, Mr. Cosley added with a smirk, his green eyes looking over the rims of his glasses, if you can't figure out what to do, I have a whole list of things for you to try.  You can start with the dishes.

Mike just shook his head.  No wonder people say Tammy takes after you.

***

Graduation day, Mike decided as he swept another layer of sweat off of his forehead, had been planned for the hottest day of the year just to stick it to the students one last time. Being outside actually made things worse; had it been indoors they could have at least had some fans blowing, but the scalding air outdoors was unrelentingly still. His parents had made him dress in a shirt and tie before donning the dark blue graduation gown, and between that and being seated smack dab in the sunlight, it was a miracle that he didn't burst into flames.

His attention faded in and out, hearing speeches from this faculty member and that community leader, and after he had walked the stage to get his diploma, he nearly fell asleep as they went through the rest of the alphabet. His attention was roused when he heard the name Megan Gallagher, and with a lump in his throat, he watched the beautiful brunette make her way across the stage to cheers and hoots from family and friends. A wave of memories and emotions crashed over Mike and he looked down at his feet, feeling tears surfacing.

Once the ceremony was concluded, Mike weaved his way through the crowd of happy graduates and their relatives, trying to locate his own family. He stopped cold when the feeling of being watched, even stronger this time, gripped him. From the corner of his eye he caught a man looking in his direction. The man had long black hair and a goatee, and his green eyes were locked onto Mike. Curious, Mike turned to make his way over to the man, but after a group of students passed by him, the man was gone. Blinking in confusion, Mike looked around, but could