Lately, I have been writing micro short stories on twitter based on incredible art and photos by the talented community there. These stories are scattered among my many other tweets, including excerpts from my book and many works-in-progress, and can be hard to find without a lot of scrolling.
So, for your reading convenience, here they are in one collection (newest to oldest):
'He was not sure it was a monster. Surely, it ate many humans, but only those that came to slay it. The creature had not attacked him, and he had studied it for weeks now. Of course, it was blind, and perhaps it had yet to notice him. But still, he was not sure it was a monster.' https://t.co/wvjnlVy8Yq
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) August 5, 2020
'There was only the one prisoner high atop the peak of the world. Those that guarded the way and the edifice carved out of the living rock spoke little but to each other, and never with their captive. Few came to visit, fewer every year. 'Twas the only fitting way to cage a god.' https://t.co/T35wam0Hzv
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) August 5, 2020
'The dominions of man are vast and magnificent, at least to the minds of men. But the beasts of the field and air care little for the mighty walls of the cities nor the spires reaching for the sky. Let man have his kingdoms, the wilds will always belong to untamed creatures.' https://t.co/kzUwHPIbAL
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) August 4, 2020
'The chill of the winter was wearying, and was yet to wane, but still the red-breasted robin knew no worry, no want. While others fled or hid, the robin still knew where to find food, even in the worst of snows. In the stillness of the snows, the little bird was at home.' https://t.co/F8lFeiVgJt
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) August 4, 2020
'It is not always what we see in the mirror that matters. It is not the sadness that seems to pervade our features after so many years in the struggle of life. Often, what we see is not what matters, but the strength and warmth within that keep us looking for more in the mirror.' https://t.co/BCkmws1w1D
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) August 4, 2020
'The behemoth was walking slowly now, its steps sluggish, its mind seeking naught but sleep. It was almost there now, it was almost done treading the tundra. It only had a few steps farther to lie down with the bones of its father and its father's father, and then it could rest.' https://t.co/07tavSmFit
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) August 4, 2020
'Danger in the depths deigns no disguise. No need of nicety nor mesmerizing a mate with a magnificent mask. No, the powerful predator of the abominable abyss had no illusions of intent, other than the lighted lure it carried for the unwary and the unwitting. Dazzling and deadly.' https://t.co/G3b9Z3S95n
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) August 4, 2020
'The white tree buds but once a decade, standing bare in the interim. None alive know why the tree can live so deep underground, or why leaves grow red. The tree, and the chamber it calls home are ancient, older than the city above. None know the last king nourishes the roots.' https://t.co/mYOX3m4Kwm
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) August 4, 2020
'The hulks had been there forever, longer than his species, longer than any life on his world. Some had feared the relics of another world, some had worshiped them. He was here to strip pieces away, to demolish the past to build the future. They would not be there forever.' https://t.co/kqPaQn4bdg
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) August 2, 2020
'The kingdom was a quiet realm. They had little their neighbors envied and far off lands knew them not. Nestled among high mountains, their land was untroubled by the ills of the world, serene in its solitude. It had lasted for ages, stable, staid, and supremely insignificant.' https://t.co/5eO3XKrlgo
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 31, 2020
'All knew nature reclaims what mankind forgets. The trees return and the waters run clean once more. The bricks and stones that once were so carefully crafted and assembled to the will of man, crumble to dust over time. True, man might return, but for now, nature reigns supreme.' https://t.co/5cEjdyXxm9
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 30, 2020
'Few knew about the source of life and where it could be found. So very few had ever seen the spring from which all life arose, the stream that still fed the spirit of the world, the river of all hopes and dreams, so very few knew and they were determined to keep it that way.' https://t.co/W6DP53tk9A
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 29, 2020
'They were calling down the wrath of the gods, so it was said in muttered curses when they erected the spire. They were shunned, feared, hated for their work, but they were never trying to taunt the gods. When the spire worked and free energy flowed, they became gods among men.' https://t.co/KfJYWxd1jd
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 29, 2020
"There are beings of tremendous power out there among the stars, that we can't see with our most powerful telescopes."
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 29, 2020
"Do they know we exist?"
"They barely know they exist. They're vast, with tendrils throughout space and time, but they're little more than a system of nerves." https://t.co/GNByDohaob
'The monks of the mistborn temple were skilled at many things, this was born from the many times they were separated by snows and slides that choked the passes for decades at a time. They were revered as masters of many crafts, but the one prized above all was how they brewed.' https://t.co/UheHVR7sT0
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 28, 2020
'Be wary of the old books, my pupil, for they know things most secret, most dangerous. Within their pages is power, oh yes, but peril as well. Be cautious among the stacks in this library, it is old and its books older still. The walls take on the words, and the weird warps all.' https://t.co/i97CwMBpBU
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 28, 2020
'There was no question who was king in this land, no question and no quarrel. The lord was terrifying and solitary, the subjects timid yet thriving. Though they duly feared their sovereign, they lived in peace. The dragon hunted elsewhere, and no threat intruded upon their home.' https://t.co/l0Wbz1wRKo
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 27, 2020
'When the waters came for their stunning city, they did not mourn. When the oceans rose and stole their astonishing achievements, they did not fight. When their mighty metropolis vanished from the surface of the earth, they did not do a thing, as they had died out long before.' https://t.co/8fmMEY5OU3
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 27, 2020
'The world had grown grey with the passing of the ages. The weary old guardian, perhaps the last of his line, would soon pass from this land, and all he could do was fear for the foreboding future, one without any color. Little did he know, only his vision had faded to grey.' https://t.co/l98IZXWvlh
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 27, 2020
'He had a long way to go, but with every step, his bones hurt less, his load became lighter, his mood became brighter. He had a long way to go before his journey's end, but was but little to the long way he had come so far. He could walk a little longer before the end.' https://t.co/yhVR5mmxuW
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 26, 2020
'When they emerged from the places yet untouched by man, they seemed like a dream, the sort you never awake from. The fighting was desperate and unmerciful on both sides. This was a war of survival and all knew it. The last battle between nature and man would be waged with fire.' https://t.co/YhONmuEpZd
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 26, 2020
'They had a plan. They always had a plan. It was a grand plan, spanning many years, drawing upon the labors of many, a plan that would show their might and glory, that they could suborn nature to their whim at any time they wanted. It was a great plan, but nature did not care.' https://t.co/X5kuO4NDqC
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 23, 2020
'The people of the village always celebrated when the ships departed. Their children were on those ships, their cousins worked in the grand world-port, the one that had transformed their world into a nexus of civilization. Their village was a small, but vital part of the galaxy.' https://t.co/tKHQeEw80K
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 22, 2020
"This desert is so far from the sea, so far from any river or lake. How did these boats get here?"
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 21, 2020
"They floated."
"But how? These sands are among the mountains! No flood could have carried them here!"
"No flood, no. No river nor stream either."
"Then how?"
"The clouds above…" https://t.co/GjupuxWGkl
'They worshiped it as a god. All the mortal deer that looked alike were considered sacred. It was a gentle, benign god, only crushing the occasional village, who must certainly have sinned against it. Truly, they were blessed by such a god, that for the most part ignored them.' https://t.co/5jCHbXJHry
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 21, 2020
'All roads meet in the end. All of the many divergent paths through life, no matter the length, no matter the difficulty, no matter the course through this world, all trails come together in the end. All roads converge to cross through the gateway before the next journey begins.' https://t.co/zE39CkN8yl
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 20, 2020
'It is dark, here in the undergrowth, where the small creatures live and the night flowers bloom. It is dark, here in the undergrowth, where the sunlight comes but rarely. It is dark, here in the undergrowth, dark enough see the tiny lights flit and fly free.' https://t.co/CcS9pzD51D
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 20, 2020
'The tower was not made by man nor beast. Some said the gods shaped it, some said the waves. Others believed that only demons of the depths could have erected such a sinister structure to dominate the coast. No one really knew, but all swore the light it gave was not natural.' https://t.co/V4Df1G0Rs6
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 20, 2020
'They were beautiful. Exotic. Entrancing. The red leaves shimmered in the sunlight, seemingly glowing a bright crimson whenever dawn colors struck their edges. The trees were tranquil upon the empty plain, exuding an enticing odor, deadly to inhale, keeping all threats far away.' https://t.co/ueq1dvLant
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 18, 2020
"Can't believe you're fishing for birds. Birding!"
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 16, 2020
"Not birds."
"No? Whatcha trying to catch?"
"Old droids. Ones who have nowhere to charge anymore, whose owners passed on."
"Oh yeah? What do you do with them?"
"Take them in, give them a new home."
"…Mind if I help?"
"Sure!" https://t.co/p4qWrVgaQg
'Within the shell of a dead mountain, within the walls of the earth itself, they built a house, safe and sound. No matter the raging storms of the world without, the rocks and bricks would protect those inside, sheltered and secure in their own little world within the world.' https://t.co/gJk1hw0DbO
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 15, 2020
'The trees and grasses came back after the deluge. There was so much more fertile soil to take hold upon. The old land had been swept away, but the plants adapted and seized upon new deposits and new opportunities, forging a fresh new land, bringing life back after the flood.' https://t.co/lc4yabgNhi
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 14, 2020
"There wasn't always two moons."
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 14, 2020
"You're nuts."
"No! I swear! The truly ancient texts speak of only one moon!"
"Then when did the second appear?"
"No one knows, but there's a gap in the texts of thousands of years, of no writings at all. What I fear, is the arrival of a third…" https://t.co/wZCwHopcdQ
'Over hundreds of years the path was worn into the ancient stone. Not by purpose, but by a million weary travelers walking up and over the shortest path, by a million tired souls, resting upon the rock as they paused to catch their breath at the top. Now, no one remembered how.' https://t.co/th6Us2Xb30
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 13, 2020
'Not long ago, one could ford the river, not long ago, this was an undivided land where the river flowed freely below the ancient mountains. Not long ago, there was no gorge, not long ago by the reckoning of the stars. Yet that was a time before the first man, not so long ago…' https://t.co/mPnIY3Wwnq
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 13, 2020
'The old god was at rest. Many thought him dead. Then, many thought him a legend. Then, many thought of him no more. The old god sat, still and silent through the ages, pondering the passage of time in the movement of the waves. Asag would watch the tides and storms forevermore.' https://t.co/7mG0A3nrao
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 13, 2020
'The world was new, volatile, fractured and unsettled. Nothing stayed the same for long. Colossal plumes of gas erupted upon the shattered plains, thrusting jagged shards of crumbling rock up from below. No life could survive this hellscape. But, life had never known this world.' https://t.co/d0dOfuYCTU
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 13, 2020
'Lush was the valley below the great peak, filled with all manner of creature and plant thriving among the cold waters. The summer melt brought the waters and the bloom of trees and grass fostered life in the valley for another year. The mountain was dead, but gave forth life.' https://t.co/vKOmPnZ88n
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 11, 2020
'The storm was coming. They all knew it. The birds and the lords of the sky sought refuge at the heart of the gathering tempest, circling, on guard, ready to flee the moment the winds shifted. They all knew the storm was coming, but none knew what would be left once it was gone.' https://t.co/p7B0w5Fziy
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 10, 2020
'It took ages, but the portal was built. It took another age for the people of the doomed world to filter through to the other side, a refuge from their dying lands. The portal stood alone and silent on the dead world. One day it lit up and refugees started to return…' https://t.co/lCMwxHz7zH
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 10, 2020
'It was a long and difficult climb to make an offering to the god of the summit, but every week he would make the journey with thanks in his heart.. Little by little, his fortunes fell and his people died away, but still he sacrificed. Surely, persistence would pay off some day.' https://t.co/0Q44Yl6FkK
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 7, 2020
'Gods, giants, wizards, wyrms, dragons, and demons, all had created the hidden rift valley in the old stories. None knew how it came to be. In truth, it did not matter. Those that settled in the concealed chasm led peaceful, prosperous lives, hidden away from the wider world.' https://t.co/S76xHNh8WB
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 7, 2020
'In the chapel of the vale, there are but few parishioners. The path to the place of worship is treacherous for those who know where it lies. Yet, no matter how few come to pray in the lonely sanctuary, none are turned away for want of wealth. The chapel is a refuge for all…' https://t.co/g5CHsMmR4y
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 6, 2020
'The songs started at dawn. The haunting wails of the creature wafted across the land as it slid through the air, but none paid it anymore mind than they did the birds or bees. No one knew what they were, but no harm had come in the millennia since they arrived, so none cared…' https://t.co/1Xbhvbz091
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 6, 2020
"T'was late in the season, the roads were slick with ice. T'was late in the season, the streams had ceased their flow. It was late in the season, his cart was full of spice. T'was late in the season, he made to race the snow. T'was late in the season, the risk worth the price…" https://t.co/zaYcUFZxa7
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 6, 2020
'"Do you see lights rising up from the ridge-line?"
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) July 1, 2020
They looked at him in shock, backing away in horror. "Oh no… Your time has come! Only the damned see the lights! They'll be here soon!"
He stammered in fright, but they were already chanting. Then he saw the white horses…' https://t.co/puTIJ0arWa
'No one knew why it was there. No one knew what it was for. There was no city here, not even settlements. The tower stood alone. Many came to see it, to study it, to dream of it, and when they went away, their dreams remained. Little did they know, their dreams were the tower.' https://t.co/l3usRDvY4L
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) June 30, 2020
'There is trade between gods and men. Men would pray and gods would bless. It had always been that way. It is why their city thrived, or so the lords of the city always told their subjects. Yet the subjects prayed as well, seeking something far different in trade from the gods.' https://t.co/4SOLXltkul
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) June 30, 2020
"The silence shattered with a million gasps! The clouds were parting, the darkness receding, the sun they thought they'd never see again but as a dim haze above, emerged from beyond the gloom! The pharos was alive once more! Hope and light had returned to the world at last!" https://t.co/WPv2Klqmpq
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) June 30, 2020
'Few walk the land of the dragons. There is no need. Few creatures can live and nothing grows in this remote region. Some brave souls come every so often to challenge themselves and learn their worth. Few walk the land of the dragons, but many that should be feared fly.' https://t.co/pIGfFHs3V0
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) June 25, 2020
'The rider did not, could not, look up for fear they would notice. The guardians of old were jealous of the path to the temple of truth. None had dared venture there since they took up watch. But the terrified rider kept toward the temple. Someone had to try to learn the truth.' https://t.co/YpeCCJyUa6
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) June 25, 2020
"They had been an empire once. The relics of a glorious past served as a reminder of their lost power. Grand structures, crumbling away with the ages, the memories of their reign fading away with the features on every edifice. Their life was simple now, simple, small, serene…." https://t.co/xdELtLK9VR
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) June 23, 2020
"Far from the gleaming cities with their teaming crowds, far from the grand cathedrals and grander monuments to the glories and triumphs of civilization, the isle of the wilds sits in solitude. Few frequent its shores or worship at its sacred shrine. Far too few feel so free." https://t.co/sahksADrbw
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) June 23, 2020
'The Temple of the Missing Gods existed before the faiths of today. When it was built, there were many more gods than now, each with their own temples and followers. But gods rise and fall and every generation there are less than before. The Temple was ancient, and full of gods.' https://t.co/57Q3XCtBt4
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) June 19, 2020
The house loomed on the hill above, casting pools of eerie green light and darker shadows in the gloom about her. Turning to her companion, she asked, "Is that it? Is that the house you warned me about? The house of evil?"
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) June 11, 2020
"No, that is the home of the one who holds it at bay." https://t.co/d8M3sdWq96
"They all looked up, toward the horizon, following the movement of the birds above. They all looked, silent, reverent. Today was a rare day, one of the few days they ever caught sight of the old tower. An age ago, it was their strength. Now, it was a memory, seldom seen." https://t.co/ymYU2lKBLq
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) May 25, 2020
"No matter how dark the night got, no matter what the blight blotted all about, the tower stood alone, aloft, aloof. It was never stained in the sins of the simple, it was never tainted by the corrupting touch of life, but only because the tower never deigned to become involved."
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) June 5, 2020
"It once was a symbol of power, authority, and dominion over the lands around and all who dwelt therein. Now, as the tides go in, and the tides go out, it is a symbol of nothing more than the passage of time, and the memory of long ago times, fading and crumbling with the ages."
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) May 25, 2020
"A gateway into another world?"
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) May 19, 2020
"Perhaps. Perhaps it is but a gateway into your own soul, where the only company is your own mind."
"Okay, now I'm scared…."
In that moment between light and dark, in that period between the seen and the unseen, the hidden colors of the world burst forth to paint our skies and our lives, brilliant and vivid for but a brief time, only to fade swiftly to grey, not to be seen again for another day.
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) April 29, 2020
The place seemed so tranquil now. Every so often, a jogger or hiker would pass by, never knowing, never suspecting. Water washes all away in time. No trace remained of either of them anymore. Not their footsteps, not their blood, not even their bones remained after so many years.
— Duncan Wilson (@MrDuncanWilson) April 11, 2020
