shadows and stones - an original fiction series of gothic, horror, dark fantasy

You have entered the archive area of Shadows & Stones. For right now you'll be finding synopsis of the older stories in the series.

"Why?" you ask. Well, if you read the news on the first page you'll know that the first ten episodes (and four histories) of Shadows & Stones are going to be published in a full multi-media DVDBook. (Waltsan Publishing, visit them and tell them you can't wait for the book to come out!) Unfortunately, publishing means removing the stories for the book off of the site, but I understand that the series can be a little confusing for new readers if they haven't read the first parts so I'll be putting a little synopsis (narrated by Eva, of course) here to help them out.

Episodes 1-10 (Narrated by Eva Lockwood)

Episode I - Journey Into Darkness
I thought I was going to spend the summer in England after my high school graduation. A distant cousin of my mother's invited me - a real dream come true; too bad it was really a nightmare. In the car, on the way to his home from the airport, my Mama's sixty year old cousin, Edward, suddenly changed into a different man - only around 25 years old. I passed out from the shock.

When I woke up, I was locked in a dungeon-like tower, with only a tap for water and a rat for companionship. My captor never explained why he put me there, and he never gave me any food. Starvation is a slow death - trust me.

I started to hallucinate, to dream of my life before this prison, of my Mama back home in Denver, and of my old dog, Sasha. Maybe it was dreaming of my dog, maybe it was my starvation, or maybe it was that damn rat waiting for me to die - something set off a change in me. One minute I was a normal 18 year old girl, the next I was a wolf and the rat was firmly clenched in my jaws. He tasted so good.

After eating the rat, I collapsed, slipping into unconsciousness.

Episode II - Tea Party
I woke up believing I was dead. At first I thought I was in heaven, because I saw a beautiful angel in front of me - then the angel became the rat, and I knew I was in hell. The rat chased me, determined to get revenge for its death, only at the last minute a wolf came out of nowhere to kill it and save me. It wasn't really a wolf though, it was another version of me, kneeling and eating a gigantic rat. I closed my eyes, trying to close out the truth.

A woman's voice pulled me out of my fear, and told me the truth. I wasn't in heaven, or hell, nor was I dead. Somehow I was the descendent of a girl whose father had not been human. I watched memories pass before me like a movie, as the woman showed me how this girl had been conceived by a shape-changer, onto a human mother. How the girl became a woman in her own right and was betrothed to a handsome young man. He wasn't a human though, he was also a shape-changer, son of the same father. When he tried to explain it to the girl she panicked, leaving him, and denying the truth. It cost her in the end. She married a human man, and gave birth to his daughter - but the birth killed her.

It seems that the piece of her that was a shape-changer never awoke, and so it passed to her child. Unawakened it continued passing from mother to daughter - until it reached me. Being starved to death is what "woke" the shape-changer in me; the woman called it Becoming. She also showed me that my Mama's cousin, Edward, and the shape-changing brother of my ancestor, are the same person. He has been watching my family all of these years, waiting for one of us to Become, I suppose.

Now, it seems, I was trapped inside my own mind; stuck there until I accepted the shape-shifter in me, which this woman was a manifestation of. If I continued to fight the changes, I would remain inside my mind forever.

Not much of a choice. I embraced the woman, and discovered what it really meant to Become.

Episode III - Awakening
This time I was in bed when I woke up. My cousin, Edward, in his young form was next to me. He promised to explain everything to me once I was dressed and prepared. I found him waiting for me in another part of the enormous room I'd been given to stay in. There he finally told me why he had done this, what I was, and what he was.

What is he? He was born a Celt, over 2,000 years ago. Currently he exists as both Edward, an older gentleman, and Edward's heir and nephew, Michael. His real name is Rath.

What am I? The youngest "child" of a shape-shifting creature that has been fathering halfbreed offspring for thousands of years. I am now immortal, and able to take any form of any animal I wish, or even just change parts of myself at will.

Why did he do this to me? Because the only way to awaken the shape-changer within is to be put in some sort of mortal danger. My ancestor had never run into such a situation, and so had ended up dying when she had a child. Though later descendents survived passing on the shape-changing heritage, none of them were strong enough, mentally or physically, to face the change. I was.

Rather than wait for chance to change me, he had forced it in order to be there - to help me make it through if he could. In the past, it seems, others have not handled Becoming so very well. I was then introduced to Hannah. She looks 15, but is actually over 100 years old. Apparently, Michael was walking with her, at night, when they were attacked. Michael was knocked unconscious before he could do anything, and when he awoke their attacker was dead - torn apart - and Hannah was covered in blood. She withdrew completely from reality, living inside her mind rather than accept what she had done.

I didn't really approve of his methods, but I decided I might as well enjoy what I now was, and save the worrying for later.

Episode IV - The Book of Grief
I have my first meeting with our insane brother, Grief. I must say it's a memorable one. He is a fanatic, determined to kill any and all of our kind who refuse to acknowledge God. Seems he met Jesus once and got converted - and decided this was the only way to atone for his sins.

Oh, yea, seems we aren't as immortal as I thought. Grief let's me know that each of us is vulnerable to a specific element. In my case, I learn it is earth when I try to escape via an underground pipe. I learn that for Michael it is water when Grief tries to drown him.

I can't stand a hypocrite, and while Michael can be a jerk sometimes, at least he is a mostly good person. Trying to save my more sane brother, I tell Grief that, in my opinion, if anyone is going to hell it will be him, because I've never met a more ungodly soul in my life. I don't know why, but he listens to me, and lets us go.

Episode V - Breaking Points
As if being a shape-shifter isn't bad enough, now I find out that vampires really exist when one comes to our door late one night. Michael is prepared to kill it on sight, but the vampire, Iain, seems nice, so I persuade my brother to let him in. Big mistake. It seems Michael has a history with the vampires, one I haven't been told about.

The next night I learn that Iain wasn't a casual visitor - he was after something. While showing Iain the house, we come across a little-used cellar room full of boxes. The vampire begins opening them, spilling their contents, which turn out to be skulls, on the cellar floor. Grabbing me he demands to know where a specific one is. Bad mistake.

Michael warned the vampire not to touch me, and he has been watching us. In an eerie half-panther, half-human form, he attacks Iain, tearing the vampire apart and beheading him, before torching Iain's body. Taking a box from the wall, Michael opens it, showing the contents to Iain's head; it's another, perfectly preserved head of a vampire. This is what Iain had been looking for - the head of the vampire leader, Simon. Michael talks to the heads, putting Iain's in the same box. I pass out when the head of Simon speaks, showing it is still alive.

It's too much for me - all this macabre business - so I inform Rath (now I understand why his real name is so appropriate) that I am going home to Denver.

Episode VI - Decisions
I thought going home to Denver would make everything normal again. I was wrong. A drunk driver kills my Mama and Aunt, leaving me alone. Then Rath comes to help me, and offers to take me back to England with him - promising to never interfere in my life. With Mama gone there is nothing left for me here, so I accept.

Episode VII - Momentary Distractions
I couldn't help wondering - if the head of Simon was still alive, was Iain's? One night I snuck into the cellar "head" room and have a chat with Iain. It seems he was a most unwilling vampire, and had been tricked in coming here to find the head. The vampire who created him said he could be made human again if he succeeded in recovering Simon.

It seems Iain is a lot like me - both of us are no longer human, and neither of us asked for the change. I've needed someone who could understand my pain - I've needed a friend. Despite meaning well, Rath can't fill that void in me, but Iain can. Though I know it will anger Rath, I continue to visit Iain's head.

Episode VIII - Exorcising Demons
Sometimes, so-called "humans" are more bizarre than we are. I get to meet my first Stalkers as two women infiltrate our house in an effort to eradicate all "werewolves".

Episode IX - Porcelain Visions
It seems there are other side benefits to Becoming a shape-shifter. I discover that I can see ghosts when I meet a little girl who disappeared over 100 years ago.

Episode 8.5 - Exorcising Demons: Part 2
As if the previous Stalkers weren't bad enough, their leader shows up on our doorstep looking for his missing subordinates. The question is, do I let Rath kill him - or do I get so pissed I do it myself?

Episode X - Body and Soul
Chapter 1 Matins and Lauds - A year after the death of my mother, I have come to a decision: I'm going to set Iain free of his captivity, either by getting him back his body, or destroying his head. When I tell him, Iain chooses life, and I begin my search for his body's ashes. I'm convinced that Rath has them stored somewhere in the house, it's just a matter of finding them.

Chapter 2 Supplication - Three months after my decision to help Iain, I still haven't found his ashes. Worse, I've learned that Rath either knows for certain, or has suspicions of what I am up to. Since he hates vampires I've been hiding my activities from him, knowing he'll disapprove and try to stop me.

I have bigger problems than that though - Iain is giving up. Convinced I will never find the ashes, and that without them there is no way to bring him back, he asks me to kill him. I know I promised that I would, but I'm not as prepared as Iain to give up. I refuse and we argue. When he asks me if I am doing this for him, or for myself, I find I can't answer truthfully.

Chapter 3 Baptism - Later that evening, I take a step I had hoped to avoid: I ask the head of Simon how I can bring Iain back without his ashes. I should have known the vampire wouldn't help. He taunts me with foul suggestions until I lock him back in his box.

Discouraged, I read my journal, hoping it will give me an idea of what to do next. It succeeds beyond my wildest dreams, for I find a passage where I noted something Iain had told me once: the location of the local vampire lair.

Chapter 4 Trespass - In the morning I learn that my activities of the night before were not wholly unnoticed; Rath had been hit hard by my emotional turmoil, sensing my distress. He left the house to get away from me, taking Hannah with him. Ursula, the cook, begs me to talk to her about my problem, promising not to tell Rath, but I don't trust her. Instead, I flee the house, heading towards the lair of the vampires.

Inside the lair I force a vampire to lead me to Romany, their leader. She laughs at my request, before naming the price for my answer: the head of Simon the vampire. Giving it to her would betray Rath, but without the information Iain will have to die.

At the appointed time I return to the lair, with Simon's head. Threatening to burn it with a torch, I force Romany to give me the information. If I cannot find the ashes of Iain's body, I will need to find another body - a fresh one. I will have to kill someone and remove their head, to bring Iain fully back to life. Leaving Simon's head, I return to the house, and realize I have made a terrible mistake.

Chapter 5 Mortification - Iain begs me to kill him again. Since I cannot bring myself to kill another human just to save him, I start to give in, only to find I can't fulfill my promise. In despair, I flee to the dungeon where I was imprisoned long ago. In my selfishness I have caused Iain so much pain - I don't deserve to live anymore. I lose myself in tears.

Chapter 6 Evensong - Rath comes to my rescue, pulling me out of my sorrow with his presence. Even in London, he felt my pain, and came to me. I confess everything to him, and to my surprise, he makes it all right again. Iain's ashes were in his room, all along (the only room I never dared search). Rath doesn't allow me to be there, as he rejoins Iain's head to his body - I must wait 24 hours to see if it works.

Chapter 7 Benediction - Iain is whole again. In gratitude, for what Rath and I have done, he swears he will remain with us, until the vampire Simon is under control again. Iain feels it is his fault that I returned the head to the other vampires. Surprisingly, Rath agrees to let Iain live with us.

Histories 1-4 (not narrated by Eva)

History I - Paterfamilias
After the death of his sister, Iyneferti, Ra-teh journeys to find other shape-shifters. Unfortunately he gets far more than he expects when he meets an older brother. The first meeting of Rath and Grief.

History II - The Invitation (formerly known as "Romany")
Romany, a club girl in the eighties, is one of the chosen few invited to an exclusive party. When she and her friends are dropped off at the secret location, however, they find the real reason why no one ever talks about their experiences - no one ever comes back alive. How Romany becomes a vampire.

History III - the Dark of the Mind
Hannah lives inside her own mind, and it is a fantasy world of her own creation. Those whom she meets in the real world are turned into creatures there, part of her storybook existence. When an Unexpected Happening, threatens the serenity of her world, Hannah journeys to stop it; along with her special companion Gentle Bear (Rath).

History IV - the Nature of Jackals
Iyneferti is sent into the Egyptian desert by mother, in order to meet with the god Ptah, whom she is told fathered her. Instead, as she sits close to dying, Iyneferti meets a talking jackal and learns the true nature of her parentage.

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