Welcome, my name is Jayde Holmes, and I write science fiction. Make yourself comfortable and feel free to browse. I have stories you can read for free here on My Story Page. Information on works published elsewhere will be coming soon.
I am also an artist, gamer, book connoisseur, metalhead, and complete cat person. Follow me on twitter @LJHolmes6. Though given the way Twitter is going, I’ll be slowly moving over to Mastodon, where you can find me at @JaydeHolmes@mastodon.social. For gaming related tweets, you might prefer to follow @Trilobytes3. If you like video game randomizers, you may want to watch my twitch stream at trilobytes11
While you’re here, don’t forget to grab a Book Bingo Challenge Card, and challenge yourself to read more books.
Check out this month’s featured story:
Neighbor (Part 1)
By Jayde Holmes
Five bladetails explored the black forest, walking with intelligence not natural to their kind. The One That was Different had been unsure about this adventure. They had doubted they could comfortably possess a bladetail, but with help from The One That was Good at Being a Predator, they found themself feeling at home in the pack.
Bladetails were the largest land-based predators in this area. They had sharp claws at the end of all six legs, two rows of deadly razor teeth, two bony protrusions sticking out the back of their necks for telepathic communication, and a long tail adorned with the hooked blade that most people thought of first. Different had expected the tail to constantly be in the way, but their bladetail’s instincts kept it in check. Bladetail fur was so dark that here amongst the thick bush they blended into the shadows despite it being midday.
The leaves and mosses of the rainforest soaked up the light and no plants were bioluminescent this early in the day. All around Different’s bladetail the world was shades of darkness and shadow, with only tiny flecks from adventurous flowers or toxic animals to break it up.
Their bladetail could see just fine. Everything that moved was crystal clear to Different, and the air was alive with the scent of life, potential food, and the promise of imminent rain. Even though this part of the forest was usually thought of with fear, Different felt all-powerful. Nothing would hurt them while they were possessing a bladetail.
Another person’s thoughts entered their mind. It was The One Overlooking the River Near the Filter. Her feelings, concepts, and mental images emerged from the group mind and jumbled around Different’s individual mind for a split second, then emerged as a fully formed idea, conveying the following meaning;
(I’ve never been unable to see other host-trees before. It’s eerie; I can almost imagine doubting my own existence.)
Jayde Holmes 