Melody Writes

Set in a faraway future where humanity no longer lives on Earth, but in domed cities on Mars, Venus, and the moon, All the Children Shall Lead is a short sci-fi thriller from C. Marry Hultman. The set up reminds me vaguely of the Expanse, where different factions jockey for control over the spaceports and trade routes. In the midst of the politics, a school bus full of privileged children disappears while sailing past the burnt out remnants of Earth. Enter Hoffman, a man with a dark past living in exile, who is called to investigate the disappearance of the children. He and his team sort through the mystery and as the danger escalates, they realize there is more at stake than just the lives of those children.  Although I am not a sci-fi reader primarily, I was drawn to the mystery at the heart of this story. While I guessed the answer to the mystery relatively early in the novel, there were enough twists and danger to keep the story engaging. Hoffman and his colleagues are easily like

"Water"    “Your charms won’t work on me. I’m not a regular vampire.” Mark and Alicia agreed he didn’t look like other vampires.Green skin. Leafy hair. “Are you a plant vampire?” They snickered. “Sort of. I feed like plants. Sunshine. Water.” She relaxed.  Mark put away his cross. “We’re looking for the vampire sucking our villagers dry. Do you know him?” “I do.” Vines darted from his fingers and embedded themselves in each hunter.  They screamed as the vampire sucked every drop of moisture from them. “Did you think I just wait for rain?” He laughed and headed for the village.     Note: This drabble was the original source of inspiration that led to my story, "The Will of the Forest" published in the first issue of the Hungur Chronicles from Hiraeth Publishing      Originally published in Bloodlust from Black Ink Fiction