Stories from the Calindratem

Amber felt uneasy as she drove up the serpentines. The hotel was very isolated and with the grey sky and the heavy wind the castle which housed the hotel was less romantic than it was creepy.  It had sounded like such a good idea, when her agent had suggested it: Spend a week in a remote Irish castle to finish editing her book. She had thought the surroundings were going to be inspiring and the lack of distractions was going to keep her focused. Now after a 3 hour flight and a 2 hour drive, on what was the wrong side of the road for her, she simply felt annoyed. She would have to take the car even if she wanted to get a coffee in the nearby village. Apparently the castle or hotel provided a full board but since it was the off season and she wondered if there were going to be a lot of other guests and full staff.   She stopped the car at the parking and sighed, remaining seated for a moment. She grabbed her purse, her laptop bag and her wobbly old suitcase and made her way...

The woman had settled into an easy routine many years ago. She got up, washed and dressed herself. After a small but tasty breakfast, she left her house and waded through the river. Afterwards she went about her day and in the evening she crossed the river again and went home.  It was a simple but joyful life. She had friends and enjoyed the little she had, without any reason to complain until one day everything changed. When she was washing herself, she noticed something below the left shoulder blade. It wasn’t bigger than a seed. She checked in the mirror and sighed when she saw the black dot. It was a river parasite. She wasn’t too worried, more annoyed at the inconvenience. She knew of many people, who had had a parasite and usually it grew a while, until it would let go, when crossing the river. Others went to different healers, who finally managed to detach it. Finally there were those whose parasite had grown so much, that apparently they couldn’t move or do anything. They...

Mission 346:                                  Surveillance of planet earth Target:                                            Assessment for potential first contact. Mission commander:                    Elidara l’Oriano   Report: My team and I have been observing earth for 300 earth days, during which the planet went through a global pandemic and several political crises.   The global pandemic is caused by a virus, which while dangerous could have been easily controlled, had the population followed the indications of their scientists and political leaders. These are merely to keep a safe distance, wear a mask and follow basic hygiene rules. However the population is split basical...