Welcome, you’ve stumbled into The Tori Story Series. If this is your first visit to this realm you might want to catch up.

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Sweat trickled down each face as Peddler, Tori, and Hunter, who were chained to the woodpile, baked in the midday sun.

Hunter squinted against the sun and searched the crowd.

The entire town scurried around below them like an army of ants, each adding more dried twigs, brush, and logs to the already enormous pile. Remember? They had stacked it up only two days ago in anticipation of their very first burning.

Today? The Witch was back. Look! There she sat. So in another frenzy of excitement they amassed even more logs. Now, not only was the Witch slated to burn but so too the Giant and some unfortunate chap who had fallen under the Witch’s spell.

“Burn them all. Burn them all.” the crowd chanted as they continued to scamper about. Since there were thrice the people to burn surely thrice the logs were needed. Yes, indeed. Certainly, the most logical conclusion.

Much to Hunter’s dismay not one single person paused to ascertain who the unfortunate chap was. Instead they were far to excited about the event that was to take place in just a few short hours. After the work, after the feast, after the sunset. At long last— the bonfire.

The animals also sniffed the excitement that permeated the air. Dogs barked wildly, aggressively chasing their tails. Cats hissed and clawed and darted through the streets. Even a few crows perched themselves on the roof tops and cawed endlessly to one anther. All were buzzing with excitement.

At one point Hunter spotted his mother. She wore an enormous smile as she playfully nudged the butcher with her left shoulder, said a few words, and continued on her way to bring in more baskets of sweet rolls adding to a growing pile of treats. Hunter, frantic and desperate, tried to call down to her but she was too far away.

Just then Peddler stretched and smiled. A smug smile. He was exceedingly thankful he was no longer stuck in that cell even if his chains stilled squeezed. He was free— almost— it was just a matter of time.

Hunter caught the Peddler’s grin in his peripheral and snapped “What are you smiling at?” Then added “Look what you got me into Giant.” He swatted at a fly buzzing around his face but never let his eyes leave the crowd. “I hope you have a plan to get me out of this mess.” He whined trying to wriggle out of his chains.

“Sit tight.” Peddler ordered. “I’ve got to find Tori.”

“You mean the Witch?” Hunter snorted and looked right past the Witch in order to face the Peddler. Dumbfounded, he pointed at Tori as if to say Are you mad? Or You’ve got to be kidding me! Before adding. “I’ll tell you where the Witch is— she’s RIGHT HERE!”

Upon hearing the word ‘witch’ the townspeople within earshot instantly looked up toward the three and chanted. “Burn the Witch! Burn the Witch!” Which quickly turned to “Burn them all! Burn them all!”

The chant caught on like wildfire.

Hunter threw his hands up in the air or tried to at least. The chains prevented it.

Peddler sighed. “No, that’s not what I mean. Just… Oh never mind. Look— sit tight.”

“Like I’m going anywhere.” Hunter mumbled petulantly raising his legs this time and eyeing the chains that bound him. A tear fell down his cheek (or was it sweat? there is no way to be sure) as he scanned the crowd again hoping beyond hope he might spot someone who might rescue him.

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Peddler sang the void open— just a crack. Gods! A good sign for sure. Finally the Keepers were weakening and it wouldn’t be long before their barrier collapsed completely. If he could just coax it open a little more…

As the day continued the crack did widen— slowly but surely— and a swirling vortex of black nothingness appeared. First minute then gradually growing.

It made Hunter uneasy.

“What is it?” Hunter asked trying to distance himself as much as possible from the unknown blackness. Of course he didn’t get far. The chains left little room for movement.

The Peddler ignored Hunter. What choice did he have? To stop singing would close the Void and so he continued to sing, coaxing the void open until, yes! At last. It was wide enough to crawl through. Peddler grinned and entered pulling his chains in with him. Once inside the metal that had once stubbornly refused to obey the Peddler released their bind. When they fell back into Andor they immediately clamped down again. Fierce. Only there was nothing to clamp onto.

“That’s not fair!” Hunter yelled into the Void but no sooner that he said the words the Void closed completely leaving Hunter alone with a dead Witch, a frenetic half-crazed town, and his own thoughts. How in the world did he get into this rotten pickle?

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