The Institution

Here's something I wrote yesterday based on a writing challenge.  I hope you like it.  It's a bit violent but not too graphic.  (I'm still working on the conclusion of Leyla's adventure in East Germany.)

The New World

I'm still working on Leyla's current adventure and will post the rest of the story when it's finished.  In the meantime here's something I wrote yesterday about another young girl in extraordinary circumstances.

Leyla's Tale (Part Four)

     Baker arrived promptly at noon for our rendezvous.  He wore plain brown clothes and carried a small case.  He handed me the case.  It was full of Deutsche Mark banknotes.  I took him to an empty building near the Elbe River.  The area had still not recovered from the North Sea flood back in February and was sparsely occupied. 

     “We’ll leave tonight,” I told him.  “Try to get some rest.  It will be a busy night.”

     I went to a bank and deposited the money in one of my accounts.  Baker had paid the full amount up front.  I would have been surprised if he had not but sometimes clients try to shortchange me.  He had fulfilled his end of the deal.  Now I had to uphold my end.

Leyla's Tale (Part Three)

     I stayed in Europe for several years after the war.  Many Hunters had been Nazis or Nazi sympathizers in their own countries.  They had to cover their tracks or change identities.  We Hidden Ones were not the only ones after them.  My quest took me back and form across the Iron Curtain.  I did some cross border smuggling too.  The black market paid well and I liked the challenge.  I tried to keep a low profile but it was only a matter of time before someone noticed.

Update and Musings

The real world has been taking up a lot of time recently but I'm still writing when I have the time.  The next part of Leyla's Tale is done and will be posted Thursday (to be in line with io9's Thursday Tales). 

I've also realized that even though I call it Leyla's Tale, I haven't actually used the character's name in the story.  Leyla was the name her parents gave her when she was born.  It's the name she uses with other Hidden Ones.  But in public she's used several names and different people call her different names.  At some point I need to write a background story.  In my head I know when and where she was born as well as other details like how much the Hidden Ones age compared to humans. 

Anyway, Leyla will be back Thursday in the first part of a story set in 1960s Germany.  She gets caught up in some Cold War intrigue (more John le Carré than James Bond).