Far Horizons: Tales of Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror. Issue #20 November 2015 | Page 89

the urge to take off her heels. Aksel never asked for
that, since he vacuumed after every rare visit he got
anyway, but she always liked how fluffy the carpet
was. She didn’t get to have fluffy carpets, since Lenny
was way too clumsy with his food, and cleaning blood
was a bitch. “I need to ask you that favour.”
Aksel sat down on the chair opposite hers.
“Sure, though I have to ask, why now? I have done
so many things in the past that would warrant an
intervention.”
“Vampires have extraordinary hearing.”
Lindsey moved her fingers lightly across the couch in
contemplation. “I could hear your heartbeat from the
back of my van, which means I could hear inside the
bar too.” She smirked, more to herself. “Just because I
have a demonic essence in me it doesn’t mean I’m not
compassionate.” That was a mistake people made all
too often.
“Nothing could ever make you inhumane.”
Aksel got up and walked into his bedroom, to shortly
return with a small grey stone. “Here is your favour.”
He placed the stone in Lindsey’s outstretched hand.
“All one needs to do is channel their magical energy
into it with a spell. Preferably a trained witch. So,
Patrick. I hear Jake brought him back.” Lindsey
wasn’t surprised Aksel knew where she wanted to
take the stone. She didn’t even think he knew she was
friends with Jake.
Lindsey dropped the stone in her pu rse. “I
hope this doesn’t spoil your plans.”
“You know me, I have a contingency plan for
everything.” Aksel smirked.
Lindsey got up and gave Aksel a hug. “Don’t
worry, I’ll keep up my end of the bargain. I won’t tell
them.”
“I do not doubt that.” Aksel held Lindsey
for what she could swear was exactly timed fifteen
seconds and then politely escorted her out. He closed
the door and went to the fridge, where he made
himself a chicken sandwich. He needed his strength

back if he wanted to pretend he was caught off guard.
As he ate, he noticed a small nougat bar on his glass
table. He couldn’t help but laugh.
Lindsey bolted down the stairs as fast as she
could, and flagged down a cab in five seconds flat.
“I’ll give you double the fare if you can get me to this
address in thirty minutes in this traffic.”
***
Margo’s soul would not leave her body. It was
like it was pressed inside, something keeping it from
moving on. As soon as her body exited the portal and
fell on the cold hard ground, something sucked her
back in, and her heart started beating again. All of her
wounds healed, and she was left to lie there under the
sun.
But her consciousness lost all connection to
her body. She was being carried by the current of her
own thoughts that, as soon as she opened her eyes,
manifested around her as a large river flowing through
a burned forest. Margo couldn’t speak, couldn’t think,
couldn’t move. Something grabbed Margo’s hand and
pulled her out, dropping her on the ground.
“Well, a river is not that uncommon, but the
burned out forest is new. It’s usually something that
doesn’t exist where you’re from, or a cave.” Margo
turned her head to the side the voice came from. In
front of her stood an apple-green amphibian. The
creature stood on two legs. It was thin, and its skin
was covered with shiny scales. Its fingers and toes
were webbed. Its head was thin and with pronounced
cheekbones, large light irises staring from equally
large eyes with double eyelids. There were seethrough fins that connected at the top of its head,
circling around its sides, and vanished into its neck.
The creature flashed a big smile, revealing a row of
small sharp teeth. There were two pairs, one on the
bottom and one on the upper jaw that were larger than
the rest, and their tips protruded from its mouth. It
waved cheerfully at Margo. “Hi.”
“Um… what?” Margo straightened up. She felt
strangely light, like a cork floating on top of a bowl of
water. Surprisingly, her clothes were dry. “What are

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