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About Madeline Walz
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Blog postOriginally released as NaNoWriMo 2020 Day 30: A language class for aliens.
Eight-year-old Arkeda Mothran’s ESL class.
This is connected to Beneath Which Sky. It can be read at any point in the series.
March 11, 2040 Waukesha, WI
Julie strolled between the tables, watching her students learn. They were doing a cards game in pairs. One student would read a question, and the other student would have to give an answer as quickly as they could. It didn’t matter if t -
Blog postOriginally released as NaNoWriMo 2020 Day 1: A written walk down the street to your favorite place through the eyes of somebody else.
It’s James Rochester’s last day in Savannah before leaving for college in Michigan.
While not essential to the Otherworld series, this flash fiction takes place before Beneath Which Sky and can be read at any point in the series.
September 9, 2049 Savannah, GA
James Rochester crossed the road to Broughton Street, trying to imagine -
Blog postOriginally released as NaNoWriMo 2020 Day 10: Your character picks up a locket or a frame. Explain its contents and their significance.
Eight-year-old Arkeda has been on Earth for five weeks but still misses home.
While this story takes place before the events of Beneath Which Sky, it may be best read after reading the book.
October 2, 2039
Waukesha, WI
Everything felt alien: the light through the window, the noises outside, the way he had to pretend to -
Blog postJames really doesn’t like his history professor but at least they’ll never see each other again after this class ends, right?
Image credit: Hurst Photo on Unsplash
October 12, 2050
Gabriel Possenti University
“I’m going to fail this class,” James groaned to Arkeda. They were in the hallway outside the world history classroom. “I’m gonna fail for sure.”
“It can’t be that bad,” Arkeda said. “How’d you do on the test?”
“I guessed on at least half of -
Blog postA man travels through a blizzard to find a woman he's never met.
Image credit: Roan Lavery on Unsplash
December 31, 2035, 5:29 pm
Waukesha, WI
He scanned the blizzard again for any sign of the Arcanodis Orateia. How much farther do I have to walk? he wondered, shoving through another knee-high drift. Even I can only withstand this cold for so long.
Finally, he spotted a gray hooded figure, faintly glowing through the snow. It was standing beside the fron -
Blog postOriginally released as NaNoWriMo Day 7: Free write about your first protagonist (from Day 1) meeting a new character.
James Rochester has a chance encounter with an alien shapeshifter from Egyptian mythology.
Chronologically, this story takes place after the first three books of Otherworld, and between the first two books of Chloe Walz's Age of the Immortals, but it can be read anytime after Beneath Which Sky. No knowledge of When Comes the Stroke of Midnight, Chosen, or Age -
Blog postOriginally released as NaNoWriMo 2020 Day 24: Write a story that involves magic.
You think you know the world? You have no idea. There is another world that exists, hidden, alongside our own. Few know it exists. Now it is in danger, and that danger could affect the world you know. Are you ready?
I've been hinting at the events of book 4, Gateway, throughout the first three books of Otherworld, and in my interactive map project. Want to know more about what's coming? Check out -
Blog postJames has invited Mark, Arkeda, and Petyr to St. Patrick's Day in Savannah. It's a celebration to rival Mardi Gras in New Orleans!
Contains no spoilers for When Comes the Stroke of Midnight, Chosen, or Gateway. May be best read after Beneath Which Sky. Cover photo by Madeline Walz.
Savannah, Georgia
March 17, 2054, 9:03 am
Mark Flynne pushed through the growing crowd outside the cathedral. It looked like the morning Mass had just finished, and now everyone was h -
Blog postSmoke hung so thick in the library’s rafters that she could read words in it. She didn’t have time to read them now, though. She had to finish her book.
In hindsight, maybe a trash can fire wasn’t the best distraction to get into the library after hours. Especially when that trash can was blown over by the wind and started the whole building on fire.
That had happened after she got in, of course. She’d grabbed the book she wanted and had sat down to read when she’d heard the c -
Blog post“Hello, sir. I’m doing a school project on secrets. What’s something you’ve never told anybody?”
“Buzz off, kid.”
Cover photo by Christopher Burns on Unsplash.
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Blog postThe man hung his apron on the back of his door. Another day of work done. Eight hours of staring at people in the checkout line had made him very hungry.
He went downstairs to the fridge and rummaged through it. He was pretty sure he had something left from yesterday’s dinner guest. Ah, there it was. He popped open the container and put it in the microwave to reheat.
About twenty minutes later, he was done. He put the empty container in the sink and took the foot bones out to -
Blog postMy hand hurts. Why does my hand hurt?
I look down, open my fist, and see a key.
Oh. Right.
I fell asleep in the RV’s driver seat again, still holding the key. I’ve been clutching it so tightly that it’s left a mark on my palm. Any tighter and I think I might have broken the skin.
A glance out the window reveals the sun rising over the Badlands. Time to move on. There’s still a long way to go to cross the country.
Cover photo by Ivan Shemereko on Unsplash -
Blog postPacking up my things. So many boxes! How do I have this much stuff?
A few days later, I’m all packed. Time to put it in the car.
Putting the boxes in the car. Getting them all to fit is like playing Tetris.
Done packing the car. Time to go.
Saying goodbye to everyone. Here comes the dog. Where are you going? Can I come too?
No, sorry! I’ll miss you, and I’ll be home soon.
Driving away. Staring out the window. Thinking, hoping, wondering…
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Blog postI chose Little Red Riding Hood. Heads up, this is a lot like the classic Grimm version: people being eaten, etc.
“Take this to your grandmother’s house. And stay on the path – I don’t want you getting lost.”
“Okay, Mom.”
The girl takes the basket from her mother and heads out the door, pulling up the hood of her red cloak.
Soon the path goes into the woods. The girl skips along, staying on the path, until she realizes there’s a problem. Everything in the basket -
Blog postOriginally released as NaNoWriMo Day 22: Write a story set in outer space.
Aldebaran, an alien from the planet Pleioné, is on his way to Earth, searching for an artifact his people hid there five thousand years ago.
Set before the events of Aldebaran, The Journey introduces you to a divided planet whose conflicts shaped the events of both the Otherworld series and the larger world of Heart of Darkness.
Cover photo from Freepik.
May 2066, Interstellar Spac -
Blog postA series of six-word stories.
"Mom, are we there yet?"
"No."
"How 'bout now?"
"No, we're not!"
"Now?"
"No! No, we just left!"
Cover photo by Taylor Deas-Melesh on Unsplash.
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Blog postTrue story: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/starbucks-customer-finds-cheeky-secret-23043352
“Large caramel macchiato?”
“That’s me.”
(She grabs the cup.)
Written on the cup: Secret message with an arrow pointing down.
(She looks at the bottom of the cup.)
Careful, the beverage you're about to enjoy is extremely hot.
“Wow. Real clever.”
(She grabs her husband’s hand and leaves.)
Cover photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unspl -
Blog postThis one I'm not going to release. Have you ever written down your bucket list?
Cover photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash.
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Blog postFirst day of work! I’m so excited!
“Okay, everyone! Start dyeing those eggs!”
Eggs? I thought this was the toy shop.
“No.”
I think I’m in the wrong room.
Cover photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels.
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Blog postThis is another flash story connected to Eternal. Like Day 2, I'm saving this for inclusion in Anathema, so it will not be released on its own. This story fills in a little bit more of the events between Eric and Helen that are hinted at in Eternal.
If you haven't read Eternal yet, check it out! (Please note: Eternal is not consistent with Anathema.)
Cover photo by Alexander Andrews on Unsplash.
