Finally, a preview of my piece for the @yoihorrorzine! There’s danger in the woods, and you’d think Yuuri would know better after all of Viktor’s constant talk of wolves, but nooOoOoo…
Pre-orders will open really soon, so watch out!!! 😀Here’s a text version for easier translating:
“Uh-huh.” One of the reasons they were in Russia was to improve Viktor’s relationships with his family, and forcing Yakov to be at his beck and call for every little thing seems like the exact opposite of what they want. “Not just because you don’t want to drive?”
“At least I know how!”
“With the public transportation system in Japan, I don’t have to!”
“Maybe you shouldn’t have left, then.”
Silence. Then more wind. The snap of a branch. Yuuri sniffs and rights his glasses as he gets to his feet.
“Wait— Yuuka, I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry.”
“Hey Coach. Why don’t you get the tent set up while I get the firewood.”
“Yuuka…” Viktor’s helpless, staring up at him. Good. “You heard what Yakov said… we’re supposed to stay together!”
“You’re supposed to be the coach, now. You make the rules.” Yuuri waits long enough for the reply to sink in, grabs his flashlight, and heads for the trail.
It’s already dark to begin with, but the gradual corkscrew of the dirt path leads Yuuri down to deeper darks, where every surface seems to mold with spongy moss or lush fern and berry patch.The sun probably doesn’t ever touch some places here, and Yuuri’s sure this is where Viktor’s fairytales come from. The big trees stretch up and up, disappearing into swaths of black canopy, then drop back down with skinny trees that hang from emptiness like rope or skeletons in the beams of his flashlight.
He’s able to find plenty of options for kindling in only a few minutes, but he takes his time. They don’t fight often, but time to cool down always helps, and letting Viktor stew over his mistakes does, too. So Yuuri wanders, picking up bits of branch and bark strip, winding through the spruce and birch, mountain ash and pine. The fuller his arms become, the less useful his flashlight is, wedged between a spray of dried pine needles and linden leaves. He depends on the trail directly in front of him, cutting in and out of the foliage.
But nightfall has changed the forest. And Yuuri is lost.
Pre-orders are now open!
Oh, I guess I never mentioned that I did both the writing and illustrations for this piece, so there’s that, too!