Short Story Saturday: from the world of Mnemosyne

Posted on by Teagan Riordain Geneviene

Saturday, February 1, 2025

Hello, everyone.  I hope you’ve had a wonderful week.  It’s been a while, so you might not remember, but…  Early this year I shared a couple of stories that were set in a parallel dystopian world.  It’s not a world that I can visit too often, but I said that I would share random vignettes from it.  My title for the overall story is The Rise of Mnemosyne.  

Fellow author D. L. Finn posted an image of a beautiful autumn scene as the prompt for her Creative Perspective Challenge.    In the strange, twisting workings of my mind, that idyllic photo took my mind to the world of Mnemosyne.  Here’s a link to the first part… and here’s a link to the next story I wrote for it.  However, you don’t have to read the other parts to understand this one.   The overarching story could easily begin with what I’m sharing today.   At any rate, here’s a short story.

Hiker and dog

I made a promo from Denise’s photo prompt.

An Autumn Walk

The trees of the park were in full color.  A breeze brushed my cheek when I opened the car door.  The gentle rustle of leaves was the song it carried.  Although the soundtrack in my mind struck sinister chords.  I took a cautious look around.  Hypervigilant — the Employment Security doctor said I was that along with “totally and permanently disabled,” the ongoing aftereffects of traumatic events.

My hand was poised to shut off the engine when the music on the radio stopped, and the announcer began talking.  The term “housing lottery” immediately put an icy knot in my stomach and I lowered my hand.

“Today we have an extra round of the housing lottery,” he stated with enthusiasm.  “The generosity of our Praetor Maximus really is amazing in taking care of the people of the United Holdings of Vesputius, yes, the good old UHV.  Especially the many women over fifty who have no adult children able to watch over them.  Today he announced a special Southwest edition of the lottery that provides free housing for these sad women.  We have winners from across Arizuma, New Azteca, and Teyshas!”

Nausea churned in my stomach as I listened to the list of “winners.”  I didn’t know any of them, but I hardly knew anyone at all.  It was a constant worry that my name would show up in the lottery.  Those women were seldom heard from again.  The housing was at an unpublished “neighborhood” deep in the desert, adjacent to the reservations of the First Ones.

“That’s it, ladies.  You have thirty days to claim your winnings!” the announcer finished with a blast of prerecorded applause.

“My name wasn’t on the list… this time.  Claim your winnings,” I muttered derisively.  “Thirty days to surrender voluntarily.”

I turned off the ignition, and still shaking, got out of my car.  I strained my hearing for other sounds.  After a moment, I filled my lungs with brisk fall air.

The twin trekking poles felt strange in my hands.  I didn’t really know how to use them.  Hikers carried the poles, seeming to barely use them.  I pretended it was the same for me, but I actually needed all the support I could get, even if I felt they made me more… obvious.

I took another glance at my surroundings, in dread of being seen and ridiculed.  My eyes swept the scene, and I spotted a secluded trail.  Hesitating, I listened again.  The fear with which I was too familiar crept close and oppressive.  I pushed my mind toward the colorful leaves, the sunshine, the gentleness of the breeze.  Then I headed out along the winding but level path.

GoldenCottonwood trees autumn Bandelier National Monument NM Getty Images

Rounding a bend, I leaned heavily on the hiking poles.  The pain had set-in and I paused, trying to get it under control.  It caused my breath to labor.

“This is ridiculous.  I already hear my heart beating,” I thought, but then I held my breath.

The pulsing wasn’t coming from my heart or inside my head.  The soft-edged, rhythmic sound grew louder, closer.

Running shoes?  No.  The padding of a dog’s feet maybe?  It would have to be a big dog…

A glance behind showed the empty trail.  Cawing, two crows settled among the yellow leaves above.  They tilted their heads as they stared at me.  Their gaze was unnerving.  One crow cawed something at the other.  As I watched, they seemed to blur when they abruptly flew away.

I rubbed my eyes and worried that a panic attack was starting.  If an episode was bad enough, I went blind until it passed.  Thankfully, I didn’t have anymore fuzzy vision.  Collecting my wits, I resumed walking.

The rhythmic sound came again — louder and faster.  I turned around to see something dark and furry charging toward me on four feet.  It was big.

“That can’t be a dog.  Is it a bear?”

Don’t run! A different part of my brain shouted at me, as if I actually could run anyway.

A news clip about a hiker walking backward for two miles while a bear followed him and his wife popped into my mind.  Could I walk backward?  I wasn’t doing too well walking forward.

I took a shuffling step backwards, my eyes glued to the dark shape.  Although, before I could do much more than get untangled from the trekking poles, the thing was upon me.  I drew a breath to scream.

To my astonishment, it drew even with me and went around.  As it passed, I heard words.

Hiker forest Lochem Netherlands photo Ana Fernandez_Getty

“Hurry.  Keep going.  Just around the next bend in the trail,” it said.

Gaping, I watched it run ahead.  The two crows appeared again, flying above the dark shape.  Then a disembodied voice shouted into my face.

“Keep going!”

The ground vibrated beneath my feet.  I worried that it was an earth quake.  Since the bombing of the state of Calida and the resulting fissure that stretched across the next three states, we had occasional quakes in New Azteca.

“No, not a quake,” I decided when farther behind me I heard the rumble of a huge vehicle.

“Oh shit.  Anything that big and loud has to be government,” I muttered, knowing I could get fined or even arrested for being out without a male escort.

Moving faster than I believed I could, I hobbled around the curve.  Puddles from a recent rain filled low spots on the trail ahead.  The golden leaves of cottonwood trees reflected in the water.  It rippled with the vibration of the approaching vehicle.

Off the trail was a much wider puddle beside a rock formation.  As I got closer, I realized that large rocks jutted up from an opening in the ground, from one of the quakes.  The dark shape splashed into the water and ran to it.  The crows cawed at me, and their calls became voices.

“Tinsley Bard, follow the guide,” they squawked.

My mouth opened but I was too dumbfounded to speak.  When I looked at the dark shape, it had become a black dog.  Thinking that I could at least hide behind the rocks until the UHV vehicle went past, I followed the huge black dog.  Or whatever it was.

It frisked playfully around the rocks.  I checked the ground with the hiking poles, but there wasn’t time to be too careful of unstable ground.  It seemed okay, so I went to crouch behind the tilting slabs of rock.  The vibration of the heavy motor of the UHV wagon went through my chest.  I sank down as far as I could. To my surprise the dog positioned itself between me and any view from the trail.

Just a random patrol I guess, was my thought as the vehicle rounded the next curve.  I wonder how long I should wait…

One of the crows flew down, startling me.  It began to peck at something.  After getting my attention, the bird flew up to perch on the highest point of the rock.  I brushed away dirt and leaves to reveal what looked like a small computer.  I opened it and to my surprise it booted up immediately.  The screen filled with the image of a beautiful woman with long, wavy hair and a serene face.  She wore the flowing robes of a goddess.  Both the gown and her eyes were purple.

The image on the screen was realistic, but not quite real.  It seemed manufactured, like something from a film.  Black bits littered the ground around the woman.  Those started moving and collected together.  Two crows emerged from the bits and flew to alight near her shoulders.  She looked at them fondly.

The image pixelated as if it was either a very old recording, or it came from a rogue channel.  However, it came back into focus.  The woman looked directly into the camera.  Then to my bewilderment she spoke my name.

“Greetings, Tinsley Bard.  I see that Arc and Zyme have found you.  Don’t fear them.  My crowlings are shadow creatures, but they won’t harm you.  Keep this device with you,” she stated, and just before the screen went blank, she added.

“Stand ready for the rise of Mnemosyne.”

♣ ♣ ♣

Thanks for reading.  Friendly comments are welcome.   Hugs!

♣ ♣ ♣

Of course, here’s the obligatory shameless self-promotion.

A Peril in the Vines

Just released, in paperback and e-book.

Universal Purchase Links

A Peril in the Vines

e-book:  relinks.me/B0DS4G7RSD

Paperback:  relinks.me/B0DS69GJDV

A Medium’s Peril full series link: relinks.me/B0CG2SXX24

♣ ♣ ♣

No part of this work may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission.  Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

All images are either the property of the author, or used with permission, or from free sources.

Copyright © 2025 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene

All rights reserved.

58 thoughts on “Short Story Saturday: from the world of Mnemosyne”

  1. Pingback: Short Story Saturday: The Rise of Mnemosyne Part-3 – Teagan's Books

    1. Thanks, Teri. Haha. This one really scares me when I write it. Actually, after I posted this, I realized that I had drafted an episode this spring (that would have preceded this one) and forgot about it. So I’ll go ahead and post that this weekend, even though it’s out of order. Hugs.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  7. Pingback: #CreativePerspectiveChallenge Eleven Results! #writingcommunity #poetry #flashfiction #writerchallenge – Author D.L. Finn

    1. Hi, Rebecca. I’m so happy to hear that. There’s more info in my comment below to Resa. I actually realized this morning that I had an episode from this spring that I never published. In the story’s timeline it would have come before this. I might go ahead and post it next weekend anyway. It’s just a tidbit about the crowlings.

      Anyhow, many thanks for reading and commenting. Wishing you a brilliant new week. Hugs on the wing.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. You are so kind, Jim — thank you. As I was telling Resa, I did a ton of world building and name-research in my notes back in January. Unfortunately, that world is just really difficult for me to stay in for any length of time. It feels too possible (“likely” is a better word). Yet it keeps calling me back, demanding to have a voice. I had written a bit about the “crowlings” (which I forgot about) that would happen before this scene. I might go ahead and post that next weekend. Many thanks for visiting. Hugs.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. Ha! John, I love it when the reaction is “I don’t know exactly why but it just is.” Maybe because often I don’t know exactly why either. 😀 Bard fit with the backstory I made (part of which is in the first story) for the Mnemosyne character (Since bards preserved history through music and poetry — and the Greek goddess Mnemosyne had to do with memory, and this Mnemosyne is composed of bits of computer memory that collected and achieved consciousness). There was something about Tinsley that clicked with that part too, but I don’t remember what. It might have been an extremely thin connection.
      Anyhow I appreciate you reading and commenting. Hugs.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  18. Ohh, I like this short, Teagan.

    I look forward to the next vignette.

    Also thank you to Denise for inspiring you! Her new book, Miracles and Ghosts Past, is getting rave reviews in blog land!

    Be well, and big hugs!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Thanks so much, Resa. I did a ton of world building and name-research in my notes back in January. Unfortunately, that world is just really difficult for me to stay in for any length of time. It feels too possible (“likely” is a better word). Yet it keeps calling me back, demanding to have a voice. I appreciate your kind feedback. Hugs winging back to you — and Misha and Norm.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      1. I get it.
        It seems many “future dystopian worlds” in novels from long ago, have and or are coming true.
        With everything (except humanity’s humanity) evolving at break neck speed, you might not even have time to finish your predictive tale.

        Perhaps something else.. like Utopian novels need to be written, to influence in a different direction.
        Hugs all around!

        Liked by 2 people

        Reply

        1. Good point, Resa. There’s a lot of truth to the (various versions of) the saying “You are what you think about.” Or expanded on:

          “Mind is the Master power that molds and makes,
          And Man is Mind, and evermore he takes
          The tool of Thought, and, shaping what he wills,
          Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills:—
          He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass:
          Environment is but his looking-glass.” ― James Allen

          Liked by 2 people

          Reply

                1. Wow! We haven’t gotten a decent autumn afternoon yet. It will be about 25.5C today. It also hasn’t rained in more than 20 days, but… at least the chest-high weeds grow slower without rain. Anyhow, take care, especially out in the weather.

                  Liked by 2 people

                3. It actually is, but “high desert” at 4,330 feet. Not in the mountains though — they’re even higher. My (very) little city is at the base of a mountain range (the highest peak is Sierra Blanca Peak at 11,981 feet), and is actually in the Chihuahuan Desert. Although the climate is just short of being considered “desert.” The air is super dry, which causes physical problems, but the dry is mostly preferable to southeast coast high humidity. We have 4 seasons, but winter is short.

                  Liked by 2 people

  21. You drew me into this story so fast, Teagan. When I read that she heard her heartbeat, I thought, “so do I.” I had to laugh when I read, “Could I walk backward?  I wasn’t doing too well walking forward.”

    We have crows around us, in fact, two are shown in a photo on my blog today. I always think they know more than they reveal. Maybe that’s true. After reading this, it seems so.

    Thanks for sharing a wonderful story to start my weekend.Hugs❤️

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Haha, Dan when I thought of myself trying to walk backward, especially outside on a trail, I would have been lucky to do no worse than landing on my rearend.
      I enjoyed your post, and your crows. In another coincidence, Facebook sent me a “memory” this morning of a post for “Brother Love,” with a promo of Jinx.
      Thanks for your kind feedback. Hugs winging back to you and yours.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. Haha. Thanks, Fraggle. I had a lot of it mapped out back in January. It’s just that the story feels far to likely for me to cope with “having my head in it” for the amount of time it would take to write it. It doesn’t put me in a good place… but sometimes bits of it bubble up and have to get out. I hope you’re doing well. Hugs.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  23. Wow! Vivid, intriguing, mysterious, and fascinating. I hope the stories about this universe keep coming, Teagan. A wonderful vignette. Big hugs to you and the Scoobies. Have a lovely weekend.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment