Dralin by John H. Carroll Read Free Book Online Page B

gently up and down her
back. Rather than looking at the blossoms, he stared at the curve
of her spine through her burgundy dress. He couldn’t believe his
fortune at finding someone so wonderful.
    When Frath had first seen her coming into
the city, Sheela’s thinness had alarmed him. At the time, he could
see bones pushing against her skin through the tattered dress she
had worn. Smudges of dirt had covered her delicate features and
knotted her hair. In the short time Sheela had lived and worked at
the Shining Shield Inn, good food had softened the curves of her
bones and added a healthy color to her smooth skin.
    He moved his hand to her side and enjoyed
the feel of her against his palm and fingers as he ran it up and
down to her hip. Frath suddenly realized that Sheela had frozen
completely still. “I’m sorry,” Frath said, pulling his hand away
and standing.
    Sheela slowly stood and turned. The look on
her face was unreadable. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. I like
it when . . . when you touch . . .” She brushed hair back over her
right ear and gently bit her lower lip. “How far away is the lake?
I don’t see it.” She looked up the street.
    Frath didn’t answer right away because he
was too busy staring at the curve of her jaw. When she looked back
at him, he shook his head to clear it. “Umm . . . how far? It’s
about fifteen minutes away. This is one of the main streets to it,
used for heavier traffic. I thought we might walk along the paths
awhile,” he told her, pointing to one that rounded the low
tree.
    “I’d like that,” Sheela replied, neither
smiling nor frowning. Her brown eyes held mystery in them and Frath
was intrigued. He took a deep breath and put his arm around her
shoulder again, tentatively, not certain if it was wanted. Sheela
put hers back around his waist and let him guide her to the
path.
    They walked in silence for a bit, looking at
the different flowers, trees and multihued grasses that were on the
sides of the paths they strolled along. One of the trees was
translucent and they were able to see through its trunk and leaves.
The effect was surreal, causing both Sheela and Frath to rub their
eyes and temples. Frath knew they would get headaches if they
looked at everything for too long.
    Statues had been placed around the park.
Originally, they were statues of important people. The Lake warped
them too, although it took much longer than it did for the plants.
The formerly important people became malformed clones of what they
once were, each twisting in unique ways. Only two statues never
deformed. Both were of individuals who had dedicated their lives to
the welfare of humanity. It was said that they had been pure of
heart, while every other statue had been twisted to reveal the
corrupt hearts of those they had been dedicated to. After a while,
only abstract sculptures and statues dotted the multihued
grasses.
    “It’s just so . . . weird ,” Sheela
finally stated. “Nothing is as it should be. It’s making me a
little sick, Frath.” She took the opportunity to bury her face into
his chest again, much to his delight.
    Frath closed his eyes and soaked up the
closeness. “The lake is just over there. Let’s go take a look at
it, and then we’ll leave.” She nodded and moved to his side again.
They walked a little quicker, no longer stopping to stare at all
the plants.
    One thing Frath had always noticed when in
the park is that there wasn’t a single animal of any kind, not even
insects. For some reason plants and trees could grow, but any
attempts by government officials to introduce animals either
resulted in the animals getting out as quickly as possible, or
dying within a few days if trapped in the park. Frath could relate
to how they felt about it. The park was unnatural and there was
something about it that made him want to run away a little more
each time he visited. Patrolling Wraith Park was the least favorite
duty within the City Guard, even more so than