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This is an excerpt from a short story in my book, Electric Dreams: Seven Futuristic Tales. In this short story, Roots of Deception, Shera Kuhani is a religious leader of the Tellurians.
For over twenty years their planet had been occupied by troops from the neighboring planet, Kellia. Her people have recently won the war and freed themselves from occupation. Shera has assumed power and is inspecting the gardens of the monastery.
The early morning sun was the color of blood, the same color as the flower she held in her hand. Shera Kuhani sat in the monastery gardens, examining the small flower she held between her fingers.
There were no thorns on the delicate stem, and the fragrance was deceptively inviting. Though it appeared that there was nothing to stop a predator from destroying it, the plant was poisonous if eaten.
Knowing its true nature drew Shera to it more than if it had been just another pretty flower. She knew that beauty could be bait for the trap. Appearance could obscure the truth and draw the victim in before he realized he was ensnared.
The delicate petals were soft as whispered prayers, and excessive handling could cause them to break apart. They were rare blooms, requiring the most expert cultivation. She wondered how they got here in the midst of the weeds that had overrun the garden during the years of the Kellian occupation.
It resembled a jungle more than a place of contemplation, but she was determined to change that as soon as possible.
About the book…
Seven short stories of the future:
a robot is abandoned by his human buyer when she has second thoughts, a frustrated employee has a rude awakening when his computer starts managing his career, the caretaker of a lonely space station gets a shock when a couple of unexpected visitors show up, and more!
Includes the stories:
Electric Schemes
When Words Leave Off
Between the Mirror and the Heart
On the Beach
Stranger in Town
Roots of Deception
A Place in the World
Available on Amazon.com for Kindle and in print.