The Colds

The Colds: Book One

This is a work of fiction. Names, character, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Copyright © 2015 Michón Neal

Smashwords Edition

Book One

The Colds

By Michón Neal

The Cuil Effect Project

*This is only a list of my largest project. I have other stories, but most of them are stand-alone. For full details on each book, read the last book in each series. Yes, I’m going to make you work for it.

The Ultimate List:

*updated as I locate more intercrossing titles and create new ones

The Tree:

The Trunk

The Black Tree Series:

The Black Tree

Book Two (unknown title, missing)

A New Home

Book Four (unknown title, missing)

Planet of Secrets (missing)

Sweet Revenge

Razi’s Odd Planet

Slowing Down and Taking Over

The Next Generation

Caught in the Crossfire

The Three Talismans

Come Collecting

Final Revelation

The Black Tree Second

Branches:

First Branch: Planet Protectors (concurrent to BTS, within the universe)

Second Branch: Immortal Fantasy (alternate universe of the BTS)

Third Branch: Imaginary Prince (concurrent to BTS, within the same universe)

Fourth Branch: Aelious, Come Unto Me (started, concurrent with Imaginary Prince, within the same universe)

Fifth Branch: Twisted Jinx (concurrent to BTS, out of time)

Sixth Branch: Three Special Secrets (concurrent with Representative, in AD universe)

Seventh Branch: The Truth About Blood (concurrent with Representative, in AD universe)

Eighth Branch: Aftermath (takes place right after BTS, within the same universe)

Ninth Branch: Elegant Troubles (not started, concurrent to Aftermath, within the same universe)

Tenth Branch: Another Chance (what should have happened to the BTS crew, alternate universe)

Roots:

*to be written/completed

First Root: Deliberately Wicked (started, before Allison Dutch, in alternate universe)

Second Root: The Representative (by Ripley Santo, started, before Allison Dutch and concurrent with Deliberately Wicked, in AD universe)

Third Root: The Changing of Allison Dutch (finished, before BTS, alternate universe)

Fourth Root: The Colds (started, concurrent to Allison Dutch, in AD universe)

Fifth Root: SUPERS (started, alternate universe, concurrent to Colds)

Sixth Root: The Elements (started, alternate universe of the BTS, concurrent with Colds)

Seventh Root: Let the Blood Spill (by Ripley Santo, started, ancient Egypt 5000 yrs ago, in AD universe)

Eighth Root: In the Time of Toba (ancient Indonesia, 70000 yrs ago, in AD and BTS universe)

Ninth Root: The Ultimate Price (ancient Middle East, 10000 yrs ago, in AD and BTS universe)

Tenth Root: The Forces (Big Bang and on, all times)

Eleventh Root: Cassie (present day, ancient Greece, AD universe)

Twelfth Root: Ancient Arena (out of time)

Thirteenth Root: Mik’s Untold Story (started, unknown timeline, but before BTS)

Fourteenth Root: Mark’s Chronicles (started, leads right up to BTS, within same universe)

Leaves:

*finished and yet-to-begin

Tragically Destined (after Aftermath, within same universe)

Truth Hurts (the aftermath of Imaginary Prince, after Colds, within same universe)

Static in the Dryer (by Ripley Santo)

Not That Strange (by Ripley Santo)

The Wholeness of Fragments (by Ripley Santo)

A Tail of My Own (by Ripley Santo/Damon Richman)

Any other book by Ripley Santo (not started)

Talk Show (short, concurrent with BTS, within same universe)

Hunting for Interpretations (short, concurrent with BTS, within same universe)

Immortal Fantasy Version Two (crosses timelines, alternate universe, concurrent with AD and BTS)

All That Glitters (alternate history, mainly in the 1300s)

Seed:

Clarence Buys Hats

Start

I’m in my room, ok? This is where everything started changing. I mean, really changing. I’m not talking about my nervousness about becoming a young adult. I’m not referring to The Crash that left the whole world in shambles. I’m not even bringing up the recent rash of UFO sightings or the impending vampire uprising. No, what I’m about to tell you is somehow much, much weirder. I met these…people; I guess you’d call them. I’m still not entirely sure they’re human but at least they look like they are. Well, most of them. I’m pretty sure you’ve met a few. They’re everywhere. And the first one I met made me one. My name is Aniella Brewster and these are my adventures into the hidden worlds of the colds.

Yeah, I know that name doesn’t seem scary or anything. It doesn’t inspire abject terror or trigger existential crises. But it should. What colds can do, the places they can go, what they can see…it would drive any normal person insane. Maybe that’s why they picked me. From the moment of my birth I was always a little oddball. For instance, mine was one of a few families that managed to regain their prosperity after The Crash happened. We lived in a two-family house in California. My parents had divorced one another and remarried. So my dad and his new wife lived in one side of the house and my mom and her new husband lived on the other side. They were the best of friends and did everything together. They were nigh inseparable. It’s too bad it was still illegal to marry more than one person or they’d have all married each other.

There were four children: me, my half-sibling Joel Harding (compliments of Dad and Renae), our older brother Stan Brewster, and our cousin Matthew Elson. Matthew’s parents had died so that’s why he’d moved in with us (sad stuff you’ll learn about much later). Mom and Papa and Dad and Momma all had retro vehicles of their own and Stan and I shared a retro van. That was the style nowadays. People thought if we brought back the feeling from the world before The Crash that maybe it would help us rebuild for the future. I didn’t mind it so much and had adopted the fashion style of the punker. It didn’t hurt things that we lived in a town The Crash hadn’t completely devastated. The residents had all banded together and we managed to enjoy a fairly normalized life now. Well, at least until the vampire uprising happened. Yeah, Earth was definitely having a lot of bad luck lately.

But before any of that, most people didn’t know other creatures existed. I at least knew better. It wasn’t because I loved reading and drawing comics. It was because in our two-family home there were at least three ghosts. There was one that hung out on the stairs, another one that stuck to the shadows, and the one that my cousin brought with him. That one tended to follow us around, particularly me. One day I suppose he was super bored or something because as I was sitting in bed reading my favorite comic, I heard a noise. I feigned sleep (it was nearly 3:00 in the morning and my Mom was a stickler about us getting enough sleep). When nothing moved I cautiously climbed out of bed and looked around. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and noticed a strand of blue hair poking out from my scarf. As I raised my hand to tuck it back in I felt a cold spot on my hip.

Glancing down, I didn’t notice anything out of place. But it felt as if there was a hand there. Slowly, I put my own hand on my hip. Or, I attempted to, anyway. There was a moment of resistance, as if there was something between my hand and my hip, and then the sensation went away. Must be Matthew’s ghost, I murmured, dismissing the encounter. I sighed and climbed back into bed, muttering about spectral figures. I picked up my comic and finished reading it. I hid it under my mattress for easy access (I hide comics like people used to hide physical porn) and drifted off to sleep. I punched my alarm bird when it dared to wake me up. It retaliated by turning my lights on. I groaned and shut my eyes against the bright lights, waiting for my eyes to adjust. That’s when I got the feeling that someone was watching me. I peered around the room and saw nothing but I could feel someone standing by the bed.

Suddenly, I felt something touch my lips. My arms shot out and there was a loud thump on my wooden floor. I heard what sounded like footsteps rapidly retreating from my room and followed the sound with my eyes. I wrinkled my nose, grumbling, Damn horny ghosts, under my breath. Since I was now fully awake I got up and dressed in my favorite baggy black jeans, my favorite band’s t-shirt, a sweater tied around my waist, and my ratty gym shoes. I put on my chains, my cross earrings, my spiked black bracelet, and my nose ring to accent the outfit. Luckily, schools now understood that these things weren’t lethal. Or at the very least they realized it was a small price to pay to let people have freedom of expression in exchange for their voluntary cooperation and unflinching support. After The Crash, the cities that thrived were the ones that realized diversity was their only saving grace. We needed all kinds of people now because there weren’t as many of us left.

I stepped over to the window and greeted the sun before heading down to get breakfast. Mom was in the kitchen putting on her jacket. Be good, she told me, giving me a kiss on the cheek.

I will, I promised her. Be safe.

She nodded at me and rushed out of the door. She was the current president of a next-gen tech company. She was a damn good one and this town definitely needed her. Half of the power plants we had here were her creations. Papa came in almost as soon as she shut the door behind her. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, he called to me, lifting his cap to me before dashing out himself. He ran logistics: organizing deliveries for the town, making sure food and other goods kept flowing smoothly. I was proud of them and hoped to one day make as big an impact on our town as they did.

I pulled out my typical breakfast: jam slathered on toast. Grateful none of my parents were around to lament my desecration and poor manners in regards to food (English people do not slather jam on toast); I stuffed it into my mouth. Don’t you ever eat healthy? Matthew scolded me, having come in just at that moment.

Damn it! I’d still been caught. Sure I do. I just spread it out over the course of the month. Give me a break; I’m starving!

Seems more like it’s once a month you manage to eat right, Stan hopped on the bandwagon, gliding in to make his tea.

Shut up. Are you dropping me off or am I dropping you off?

I thought you told me to shut up? he countered.

You know what I meant, I retorted.

Can I drive? Matt asked.

When you’re older, kiddo. One of the things they haven’t changed is the driving age. Stan ruffled his black hair. I’ll drive, he announced.

All right… Hey, Matt… I sidled up to my cousin.

What? He met my eye warily.

Your ghost came into my room last night.

So? His eyes started to glaze over.

I want you to tell him to leave me alone, I stressed.

Why?

I already have enough idiotic boys to deal with. I don’t need a dead one bothering me as well, I reasoned.

Whatever. He ignored me, grabbing a biscuit.

If you don’t talk to him, I swear I’ll-

Crap! It’s after 9:00! Stan yelled, jumping up from his seat.

Threat forgotten, I grabbed my kit and trailed after him and Matt. We piled into the blue van that appeared as if it would fall apart at any moment. Good ole retro. I patted the van affectionately. Joel, being much younger than the rest of us, had awakened earlier to get to his school. One day he’d join us in here but until then, I wouldn’t miss his retro pop music. I settled into the passenger seat and put on some rock to get us pumped up for the day. Matt played along on his guitar and Stan belted along with the singer/screamer. I smiled, utterly content under the warm California sun.

We stopped by the Cambaccis mansion to pick them up. They were these hot Italian twins I’d been crushing on for…for as long as I could remember. But as brave as I supposedly was I could never bring myself to tell them. I didn’t want to ruin our friendship. Plus, I didn’t want them to think I was fetishizing them or that I wanted to choose between them. I liked them both for who they each were; the fact that they happened to be identical and related made it heart-wrenching. And I admit that unless they started talking it was very hard for me to tell them apart. So I kept it to myself. The dark-eyed, dark-haired brothers climbed into the back of the van. They both wore glasses, in part to lessen our town’s technological load. Not many contacts or laser eye surgeons still existed. Ah, our regular chauffer! Jack joked. He was funny and laid-back, whereas Jesse was more serious but with a mischievous streak.

Then maybe you should pay, I suggested evilly.

No! he pretended to scream as we drove off. We all shared a good laugh. Jack was a pretty decent actor. That’s a big reason he went to the arts school instead of the tech school. We’d had to build both of the schools far enough away from the main town just in