Arlo's Story: The Little Toy Airship (Short Story)

By Jade C Wildy

Arlo and his baby brother Rumi live in a town on the surface surrounded by thick woods. Everyone believes it's safe from the evil Decayer creatures that have driven much of the population into the air, but one day the town's warning bell tolls. 

Can Arlo and Rumi get to safety, or will everything be destroyed?

• Language: English
• Publisher: J W Wordsmith Press
• Release date: Mar 6, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224100842

Jade C Wildy

Jade Wildy is a South Australian author, living on Kaurna lands. She writes speculative fiction on themes like death, psychological state and being different, who delights in slipping in the unexpected. Her writing feature’s in numerous publications across the world. A self-confessed wallflower, she can frequently be found writing or drawing in the local cafes.

Book preview

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The Little Toy Airship

Arlo's Story

Jade C Wildy

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JW Wordsmith Press

Copyright © 2024 by Jade C Wildy

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, including AI training, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by international copyright law. For permission requests, contact [e-mail].

The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.

Book Cover by Jade C Wildy

Previously published in: The Clockwork Chronicles (2022) by Madhouse Books

Contents

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

About the Author

Also By Jade C Wildy

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One

Dreams of his childhood had chased sleep away from Arlo. He looked to the dark predawn sky outside the airship’s port window. The window came from The Last Hope , an airship shot down in one of the battles in The War with the Decayer, vile creatures bent on destroying humanity. It was just one of the many battles Arlo had witnessed as a child.

He carefully closed the door to the bedroom where his wife slept, and sat in a ragged old chair to reread the letter.

Dear (idiot) Brother,

Mother said I should write, and she keeps glaring at me, so I’m doing it. We got to visit Irrtum yesterday. The old town’s a trash heap, and bears have moved in. That’s kinda cool, I guess.

A smile played over Arlo’s face. There was a substantial age gap between Arlo and his younger brother. Rumi was now a few years shy of the age Arlo had been when the township of Irrtum had been attacked. Back then, Rumi had been only a baby.

Our cottage is still there, mostly. Mother sat on the front wall