So I know my Spliced Universe stories are really popular for those that have read them, and after some discussion with a friend, I got to thinking about how it all came about. Where did it all start? Who was involved, and what led to such a drastic change in the world? What were the repercussions of something like this being introduced into the world? So I started writing. It was a simple outline originally, but then more questions formed in my mind, and it became more complex as the days went by. This is not like the other Spliced stories I have written or will write in the future. It deals with things of a much more serious nature in the long run, and it will get heavy at times. Hopefully you all enjoy it, because these are going to be significantly longer chapters than my usual ones. Without any further ado, let's get rolling!
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The crisp morning air tickled his black hair as he opened the door of his Jeep. It was a long way from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, but he didn't mind it one bit. Danny enjoyed the finer things in life, having learned to make a killing on the stock exchange at a young age, and had invested quite smartly to keep himself well funded.
That said, he was so down to earth that you'd never peg him for the rich type. He also wasn't what was often referred to as "hot" either. He was by no means ugly, but he wasn't a chiseled specimen that oozed testosterone with women throwing themselves at him. He was average, in decent shape, and he had some rather crooked teeth that he refused to get fixed.
As he had explained it more than once to anyone that suggested getting them fixed, if they were supposed to be perfect, then they would've been like that from the start. He didn't like pointless vanity, and that was part of why getting a stable girlfriend was so difficult. Most of the ones he had been in a relationship had only stuck around because of the money in the end, so he didn't really get too attached to them.
They always wanted him to buy them things, to spend money on them for dinner or shopping, and he detested it. He was the kind of man to enjoy a good book by the fire as he slowly drank some hot tea, content to whittle away the long hours getting lost in a fantastic story. Or two, if the books were short. Danny liked his quiet and simple lifestyle, and that was part of why he had moved away from the city. Out here, people were more pragmatic, and content to take life one day at a time.
He had bought this cabin in upstate New York, a few miles out from Lake Placid. Far enough from the city that he had the comforting quiet of nature that he wanted, but close enough that he could get decent internet so he could keep track of his investments. He was busy carrying in his haul of groceries, enjoying the sounds of nature: the singing of the birds, the rustling of the wind through the treetops, and the snapping of branches in the brush.
He stopped for a moment at that last noise, looking around for an animal. He didn't see anything, and the birds were still flitting about nearby, so he doubted it was a predator stalking him. He had only just gotten there the previous night, so something stalking him after only a day was rather unlikely.
He got everything inside after a second trip to his Jeep, and it only took a few minutes to get everything put away. Once he was done, he grabbed a mug and filled it with some leftover coffee he had on from that morning. He poured in some sugar and gave it a good stir, taking a sip and finding it acceptable, before making his way back out to his porch. He sat down on his porch swing, enjoying the gentle rocking of the breeze as he slowly drank his coffee.
Things were peaceful, until there was a sudden rustling off to his right. It was across the porch and out by the tree line, but something had just taken off into the thick of the trees. He wasn't an easily frightened man by any means, but this was two incidents within a single afternoon, and caution got the better of him.
He got up and headed back inside, and made sure that his rifle was loaded and ready. He only had it for personal protection if he ever felt the need to take a hike through the forest, but right now he was feeling a bit uneasy, and wanted to make sure it was ready, just in case. He only hoped it was just a curious fox, or maybe a deer that had frequented the area to graze that was unaccustomed to his presence. Regardless, he wasn't going to take any chances.
He took his rifle back out with him, propping it up against his porch railing by the steps, resuming his quiet moment. The wind tossed his hair about as he sat and enjoyed the cool breeze, and before long his eyes got heavy. He slumped down onto his side, breathing deeply as he began to nap, never even seeing the thing that had snapped the twig earlier that so carefully watched him even now.
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Danny awoke with a start, having had a mild nightmare, most likely brought on from the noises he had heard earlier that day. He reached up and rubbed his eyes a bit, blinking away the blurry vision. As things came into focus, he noticed the sun had begun to set, so he made to grab his rifle, only to freeze mid reach. Something was looking at him from just behind his Jeep.
He could only just barely make out a face under the mass of wild hair, twigs and leaves all tangled up in it. The face was hidden in the shadow from the vehicle, so he couldn't make out any real features. He composed himself, standing slowly and taking a step forward, not making it obvious that he might be reaching for his weapon.
"Hello?" he called out to the shadow-covered face.
In a flash, the thing that had been watching him was bounding away on all fours. It was humanoid in shape, but it moved like an animal. He couldn't tell what it was, and it made him incredibly uneasy. He hadn't heard any rumors about strange things living in the woods, like Bigfoot, or whatever this particular creature might be.
That was all myth and superstition, of that he was sure, but this was clearly something very real. He watched the trees for a few more moments in silence before grabbing his rifle and heading back inside. He wasn't sure, but he doubted he was going to get a restful night of sleep after this. He decided to instead do a quick search on the internet to see what he could find on whatever it was he thought had seen.
A quick search and a few rabbit holes later, and he found a few unlikely candidates. The most likely were a Deer Woman, a Faun, or a Nymph. He has no reason to believe that one of these might be what he had seen, but it helped him to at least have an idea of what it could be. He chuckles to himself, imagining how ridiculous this all was, but at the same time he couldn't help but feel that he had not been imagining it.
