A whole world on a single page!
The short story morsels of One Page Worlds are flash fiction adventures of all flavors. Every Wednesday will feature a complete story in one page, or the first page of what could be a novel or novelette.
Sharing the fun and geekery is the best part of writing! Please tweet or comment with your guesses on what genre, character, and job is central to each tale. Enjoy touring new universes each week with One Page Worlds!
*****
Prop Master Rick handed my co-star a gillihe suit. “Don’t let Bill intimidate you. He's just a big yeti-bear.”
An affronted accent twisted Laurine Lake’s voice. “I acted with California’s ex-Governor. Now I’ve got to work with this monster?"
I slung a lightweight prop rifle over one shoulder. The strap tangled in the thick brown fur that the hairstylists had spent two hours artfully matting. Magic prickled along my hide. “Arnold wasn’t the first yeti to get famous," I grunted. "He was just the first hairless one."
Laurine whipped her auburn hair away from Rick, searching every extra’s face. The hunting cabin the Director had flown us to was the nearest one he could find to some military base outside Minneapolis. Folding chairs, tents, and cameras on tripods littered the languorous grass around the cabin. B.O. from dozens of ragged actors and stunt people peppered the Northwoods air. That and the hairspray-on-my-yeti-fur combo made the area feel like the least natural nature spot. Nothing like my ancestral home.
Snatching the gillihe suit from Rick’s hands, Laurine hissed, “I’m the only one that thinks this is F’d. Let’s do this bullshit now. I haven’t even checked in at the hotel yet.”
“This isn’t some B-movie,” I snarled, resisting the urge to roar. “This is my breakout role. Yetis’ll be world famous after this hits theaters.”
Laurine glared through the sunlight at me. “Your kind should still be on the list of legal game animals.”
Rick shoved a hand into the thick back muscle above my hip, but I wouldn’t move off set. Manlings wanted a show? Then they’d get one, just not the one they expected.
“Your acting got you here,” I rumbled, tingles building along my hide. Fur crackling, I released the magic and vanished from sight. My hide sputtered and went out two seconds later, revealing me where I’d stepped one inch away from Laurine’s face. “We didn’t get a choice. You didn’t see us wrecking your cell towers. Those signals ruined our hides and we dealt with it.”
Gasps and frightened shouts burst from the extras and actors watching the argument. This time I let Rick pull me back from the disastrous actress before she could scream—
“Harassment!"
Damn. Too late.
Laurine screeched, "You saw that. Bill Pelden flew off the hook. He almost assaulted me.”
Eyeing Rick, I seized control of my temper and lowered my voice. “Non-aggression toward yeti is part of your contract and mine. Or didn’t you read yours?”
We were a good six human feet-one yeti step-away from Laurine now. She scoffed and started sliding into the gillihe suit. “At least I can take this ridiculous thing off after this. What’s the line again, Rick?”
Rick had jerked his smart phone from his vest pocket with his other hand while he guided me away, thumb over the emergency icon. Tucking it away now it was safe, he narrowed his eyes at Laurine. “‘Should’ve hired a yeti for forest ops months ago.’ That’s the line.”