Twelve Months Late

The door opened and in walked Nervina and Brogan- twelve months late but their timing could not have been better.

Marley had not seen Brogan until this moment and was astounded - she almost thought to herself that he was alive again - he looked so well.

"Brogan!" Marley yelled happily and put both her arms around him in a big theatrical hug. He took a step back, slightly perplexed.

Brogan hardly remembered who she was now, let alone who she might have been to him.

The reason for his vagueness was twofold. Firstly he had no recall because nothing really happened between them, in his lifetime just passed; and secondly, all that led up to his homicide was now blurred, for Puck had helped him to forget everything that occurred during and just after the ordeal.

Marley on the other hand had been torn apart to read those final reports of his forlorn dumping and decayed remains. And so to see him stand beside her looking better than ever was remarkable. He looked so normal - well, almost.

Puck moved forward and embraced the two of them, relieved also to see how well they both fared.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

Demeaned by Beans

"Beans! You traded me for beans!"

"It wasn't like that... and who told you anyway?" said Puck, now agitated that he was in trouble for doing something right. 

"Who do you think told me? - it was Goober doing the inventory". .. "That's hardly the point! ... beans?" she glared her strongest glare.

Marley felt crushed. It wasn't so much that Marsden was back trying to cause trouble again, her upset chiefly lay in the thought that the tradeoff might have involved bags of gold or something more significant than just beans. She felt demeaned. Demeaned by beans.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

Spirit Child

It had been a fine day earlier, when Marley had been shopping in the card store (the same stationers where she had bought her winning lottery ticket) - (or at least believed she had won it there) - and later went to purchase the store itself with some of the prize money she had received.

Today she was looking for a novelty card to give Puck. It was coming up to their anniversary of a whole year. She was browsing for something with whimsy that they could open together and share a laugh about.

As she stood in front of the card aisle trying to find the perfect sentiment, she reminisced over the times that he had been there for her when she had needed him.

It did not enter her head that he and her had differences at all - it seemed very natural, incredibly natural - almost second nature, for her to be with him.

And as she was standing there, seeing far past the cards with their powerful inscriptions inside, a small child, no older than three, ran up and wrapped her arms around her legs tightly.

She was a 'spirit' child (a ghost of some kind) yet dressed in modern clothing wearing a pink t-shirt with a fairy on the front, very small blue jeans and glittery sneakers with pink Velcro trims.

"She can't have been long gone" Marley first thought pityingly, looking down at the small figure still clutching her thighs.

Marley had grown used to seeing apparitions and otherworldly phenomena. Sharing her life with Puck had given her this vision, which was convenient because she could see now the folk that he would talk to, and he could no longer return to invisibility within the physical world and be unseen by her.

It was a little difficult at first - finding just how crowded every place truly is within the world - with characters of all kinds.

Yes, there had been diversity issues for her and not to mention the uglies that had faces so foul it took moments to get over them.

But once she had got past her own judgements and comparisons Marley found she could flip quite ordinarily from this world into the ethereal and just accept it for what it is. Not only could she see the folk there but now she could hold a conversation with them too.

Marley expected that the child would disappear out of there, for most human spirits very quickly come and go; but instead she followed her from the store into the hairstylist, and the cafe, the grocer, to the refuge where Marley dropped off a dozen bags of groceries - she even followed her into the bathroom in-between.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

Marble White Fluid

Cow had been eating the pink flowers in the paddock, and neither Puck nor Goober had realised that this had been inhibiting her milk production. It was only when the buds had all been eaten, and she had no more left to graze upon, that one morning the marble white fluid appeared in the pail.

"Finally!" a joyful Goober called out to Puck, interrupting this morning's session with the highland Dwarves who meet together every solstice. Each had a coffee and cake, although some were still tucking into the cheeses. (It was the Dwarves who invented Cappuccino, named of course after the famous Red Cap dwarves of Europe.)

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

He did not approve of Puck

Puck was chewing on a caramel and a piece got stuck in his teeth. A Gryphon was sitting pensively beside him - his wings glistened at the edges and his spiky whiskers protruded from a wise, elongated chin that was gnawing on a caramel also. Puck had brought him a bag full. Both were enraptured by melancholy.

The Gryphon's counsel had always been sober and dependable, yet with that he cautioned and dismissed far more than he encouraged. He did not approve of Puck, and the ways he would take to get somewhere.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

His Prime Method of Keeping Track of People

Not all hopes are harmful or cumbersome to take on - in fact most contribute to build up a soul - but some create itches, pin-pricks and aches - just depending on the weight and the message that they bear.

However, in the case of Puck it was his prime method of keeping track of people. He could usually sense their whereabouts and how they were travelling, from his own small note he had placed on them.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

Overwhelmed by his Hope-notes

One time Puck had wandered into a Baptist ceremony in a small outback chapel. He had been keeping an eye on a poor soul there who was so overwhelmed by his hope-notes that he had the look of a would-be suicide written all over him as well.

But then, with the flash of brilliant consciousness he decided there and then to give himself up to God - and curiously, they dropped right off him, all shedding to the floor. He walked out of that Chapel feeling truly born again with his burdens now gone.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

Flux & Flow of Emotion

The great Lion stretched out his right paw very slowly and rose smoothly to his feet.

He then padded around Puck full circle three times, and sat down again. His head was huge, and radiating out from it was a golden mane, which made it look all the bigger; yet his face was kindly and Puck could see by the expression on it that he had clearly been listening to his troubles. Puck waited solemnly as the Lion scuffed the dirt between them, making what looked like a figure eight in the ground, pausing to consider his delivery of the advice Puck had come for.

After many moments he looked straight into Puck's eyes and said quietly: "This world of Men is still very young - one could say, at adolescence. The spirit of Mankind is strong, and tensile to each age and its difficulties.

“In the breath of a lifetime their hearts heave with loss and new discovery no less than every hour of their existence there.

“This flux and flow of emotion is a constant - to be taut with life and then to relax; to breathe in the wisdom and outpour one's own; to sort through the choices before you, gathering the skills of good choosing and the ability to say no.

“But the spirit within is young and trusts all.

“It is natural for children to omit danger from their consciousness of behaviour - and in this reasoning, the spirit which is also young, comes from the abundance of Heaven and expects this paradise to continue on.

“As spiritual beings they are self-centred ordinarily - for this is where their own gravity lies - and as spirits they expect all and give very little - having much come to them from Heaven all of the time.”

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

He had no Control of this Character

Puck reluctantly went over to the screen to see what Goober was going crazy about. And there it was - his very own Avatar of him - only he had no control of this character - someone else had created it.

With a perfect likeness, the game of WAR had not only crafted him into their storyline, but evidently made him out to be a target. Comet spears were being hurled at the Puck in the game and players were rewarded with special powers for striking him.

"He's even got a name like yours" Goober laughed. "Oh really? And what is it then?"
"Puke" said Goober.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

Spidercrawl (the Fey Web)

Puck did notice a large circular pendant that he wore under his shirt on the breastbone. It emanated a weird pulsing darkness, which was something that only a Fey could have seen. There were no clues as to what strange energy within was causing it. Puck had heard of foreign anti-matter that pulsed with dark rays, but had never seen any himself, he had however read the conjecture on Spidercrawl (the Fey Web).

Marsden had a magnetic implant that actually held the medallion in place, grafted under the skin – another of the gamer's new inventions.

They had sold them in the millions within one year of their release. What the wearers did not know was that each one had been encoded with individual tracking, activated by the WAR's resource unit, should they ever activate them.

Conspicuously Puck was the only one in the room not wearing one. He was all prepared to glamour them, however Marsden walked straight up to him and hissed "You need to find your own game to play in Fae ... your kind are not welcome here".

Puck was mildly taken aback that Marsden had recognised this about him.

Marsden's medallion seemed to emit some kind of black smoke that turned in a spiral like a Catherine wheel before the sparks take flight. The other men in the room all rose from their seats and moved in towards him threateningly.

The animosity was palpable.

"Where there's smoke there's fire,” Marsden snarled cryptically.

And then, in one dreadful moment, Puck could feel it - his chest ached and he suddenly became breathless - his beloved tree was burning.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

Locks Were Never a Difficulty for Puck

Puck sensed that Marsden was on the second level of the building - that he was still present, yet hidden away in the viewing room above.

He wanted to make formal contact this night and so the Elf kept his appearance set to tangible. He straightened his hair and proceeded up the stairs to the main deck.

Puck knocked briskly, twice, on the Captain's door.
"We're closed for the night - email headquarters in the morning,” a voice answered abruptly.

The door stayed firmly shut.

Locks were never a difficulty for Puck. He quietly spoke to it, asking it to remember unlocking itself earlier - and with that the lock decided to show him how, went 'click' and turned back – letting Puck inside.

Once there, he saw twenty or more young men entering data into their laptops. Several were counting and bundling notes into bank bags - whilst two others were doing the same with tokens of e-dollars and string medallions.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

Cut from the Same Cloth

Pepper looked perplexed - she also looked stunning. She wore her intensely copper red hair short cropped, with an emerald green tshirt, tight black jeans and tall studded matching suede boots. Iridescent green beetle shells dangled from her golden earrings. Puck glanced at his sister appreciatively - he loved the way she took him seriously - they were cut from the same cloth - and he knew that she felt the gravity of his concerns - he could always trust her.

Pepper's eyes sprang tears with empathetic sadness - she asked, "Puck, what is it this time?" her voice questioned gently ... "You have seen the failure of men before - why is now so very important?"

As she had asked this something of her youthfulness fell away, and momentarily Pepper grew an inch or so taller. She would do this from time to time, gaining the appearance of a strong and learned queen rather than that of the sprite she had seemed to be minutes earlier. Puck had this characteristic too - he could look boyish and gentle, yet when he felt strongly about something his features would become fierce and beyond bargaining with.

Puck read her thoughts on this and said blankly,

"Sis, we are not estranged from the consequences of their ills - we truly are not. I cry for them, I weep for us - is there a difference to be had between crying and weeping?".

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

The Last Few Years of Atlantis

Puck had that sinking feeling when he remembered back to the last few years of Atlantis. It was the saddest of times to recall the Machina who had plundered the etheric world just prior to that magnificent age's downfall. He thought back to the faith both the Mortals and Fey had invested in them, right up until the end.

Fey folk are not autocrats, they are suspicious of repetition - and predominantly light-hearted when in their proper element.

The Machina however, were methodically skilled and deadly serious - they lacked verve and self-awareness, due to eons of conformity. They came from a part of the Cosmos that worshipped an icy sun, and did not belong naturally to the evolution of the earth - it beings and the kingdoms - for which it was comprised. Their sanitised view infected the minds wherever they would settle, and wherever they settled they took control.

And now Puck had evidence of their returning. His lips tightened as tears of anger sprang to his eyes. Standing right in front of a promo poster he read:

"WAR - Come and live the untouchable life now" he winced.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

Babies See Ethereal Beings

Usually in the material world he would appear as tall, or taller than any normal man - but to the infant he looked like a doll and could do vanishing tricks to amuse her and pass the time.

Babies naturally see ethereal beings until the age of three or so. Puck could stay with her longer, because his ability to be present in our world is strong, and he remained within her vision until seven, when she began to actually question who her imaginary friend exactly was.

- Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

Making his Yuletide Trip

It was seventeen years ago on Christmas day, that Caroline had first entered this world into her new life - of what turned out to be that of a very sickly child. From birth she had been given the spirit of a poet and the body of a spirit.

Puck had been making his yuletide trip to the hospital, bringing gifts of enchanted dreams to the sufferers who were bedded down indefinitely in white sheets, and in grave need of the release that a good dream can bring.

When he first saw her, he thought her to be the most beautiful mortal he had found this century. Seventeen was a most perfect age for the physical form. He was drawn to her grace, her expression, and countenance of kindness. She seemed good for the world and far too young to be dying.

With half opened eyes she could watch the light shimmering through the tree branches outside of her window, as the curtains inhaled backwards and forwards with the breeze. She could not see him watching her.

"What day is it?" she asked her nurse softly - who had cuffed her arm and pumped the pressure with an awkwardness that showed her nervousness with death. She was uncomfortable, and fumbled with the pen upon the chart, whilst replying that it was Christmas, not even bothering to look up.

Caroline herself said nothing more - her soul had other plans now and was preparing to move on. Puck remembered that day and how she fled from the world without complaint or expectation.

After her passing she was immediately occupied with a crowd of relatives and friends who came to greet and chat in spirit speak, and embrace her with spirit arms.

He held back from introducing himself - she was so busy, and now happy - there really was no need.

From time to time he would go and find her, to see how she was faring. He never showed himself - she would not have known him - but nonetheless this pure soul was now on his list for people to care for.

Just three decades later Caroline returned to be born again - this time to a frosty family who did not treat her well at all.

As an infant she would be left crying on her own for long periods of time - cold, hungry, saturate and red faced. Puck would go to cheer up the child as best he might - presenting himself to the baby Marley (which was her name now) as being only eight inches high. Usually in the material world he would appear as tall, or taller than any normal man - but to the infant he looked like a doll and could do vanishing tricks to amuse her and pass the time.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series 

Puck, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Act Five, Scene One)

“If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended:
That you have but slumbered here,
While these visions did appear;
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend.
If you pardon, we will mend.
And as I am an honest puck,
If we have unearnéd luck
Now to ‘scape the serpent’s tongue,
We will make amends ere long,
Else the puck a liar call.
So, good night unto you all.
Give me your hands if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.”

—   Puck, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Act Five, Scene One)