Welcome to Stories from Among the Stars.

You're listening to The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Clune,

narrated by Daniel Henning.

Five.

There were no signs pointing in any direction, but since there was only one road,

Linus figured he must be heading the right way. It only took a few minutes of driving away from

the ferry landing before he found himself in an old forest. The trees massive. There are

canopies almost completely blocking out the sky, streaked in pinks and oranges.

Leafy vines hung from tree limbs, loud birds called from unseen perches.

I don't suppose this is some sort of trap?

Linus said to Calliope as it grew darker the deeper into the forest they went.

Maybe this is where everyone goes after they've been sacked. They think they're getting a top

assignment, but instead they get sacrificed in the middle of nowhere. It wasn't a pleasant thought,

so he pushed it away. He couldn't find the lever for the headlamps, so he leaned forward

as close to the windshield as he could get.

It was dusk.

His stomach rumbled, but he hadn't felt like eating less in his life.

He knew Calliope would probably be looking for a litter box soon, but he didn't want to stop until he had some idea where he was.

His luck would have Calliope running off into

the woods, forcing Linus to chase after her. And I probably wouldn't, he told her,

I'd leave you out here to fend for yourself. He wouldn't, but she didn't need to know that.

The odometer had turned over two additional miles, and he was about to start panicking.

...