For the Hotaru Park Snow Fort Contest, my *family formed our castle brick by brick and cemented them together with *ice. We were the Gods and *Goddesses of the event that everyone aimed to beat. @vssCollab@twitter.com #WeirdMicro #366FF LiminalChronicles
@vssCollab@twitter.com For this year’s entry, we upped the ante by adding *swirls of flowers in the bricks, representing the *zephyr that swept in to bring us the snow of this event. Our fort would be breathtaking and able to withstand the impending onslaught. @vssCollab@twitter.com #366FF LiminalChronicles
Knowing every other contestant would *bee-line it to our fort for an attack, we made some of our décor into traps—the moat was obvious. But the flowers? Those subtly added an imperceptible force field. We’d need it this year. @vssCollab@twitter.com #inkmine LiminalChronicles
Ichiro wanted to make a ‘security system’ with an *orb that lights up if someone even touched our fort, but Ken and I vetoed it. This is small town Nonogawa. Who would be a threat to our entry in the contest? @vssCollab@twitter.com #LiminalChronicles
When we arrived the next morning for the judging, we found our fort *ringed with onlookers. Had someone tried to get *revenge for our winning streak? We pushed through the crowd to find the orb *tattered on the ground. @vssCollab@twitter.com #366FF #WeirdMicro LiminalChronicles
“Electronics are prohibited in the forts!” The judge pointed at my brother. “You used lights in yours. Disqualified!”
“The *aurora *cloud was naturally phosphorescent. Not electronics.” I put my hands on my hips. “So, who destroyed our orb?” @vssCollab@twitter.com #366FF #LiminalChronicles
The judge glared at me like I was an *alien with five eyes. But I wouldn’t let him stare me down or let go of my *pursuit to find who smashed a piece of our fort.
A boy, maybe five years old, trudged forward and bowed. “I-I s-so sorry!” #366FF @vsscollab@twitter.com #LiminalChronicles
“I was l-looking at it and…and it was just so pretty.”
My heart went out to him. “What if you help us make a new one? Instead of a ball, we’ll make a glowing *port window.”
His round face lit up like the sun. “Really?”
My brothers and I nodded. @vssCollab@twitter.com #LiminalChronicles
A crowd gathered. My brothers zipped home to prep the colorful inclusions. We weren’t about to demonstrate the magic for it. The boy (Kai) and I drilled the *space in the wall for the window. Kai chipped away with enthusiastic tenacity. @vssCollab@twitter.com #366FF LiminalChronicles
After Kai’s *arm fit through the hole, my brothers returned with the secret ingredient. Using dry ice allowed us to freeze the hot water quickly, and we inserted an ice panel with magically glowing crystals. @vssCollab@twitter.com #LiminalChronicles
The official gave us time to finish the repair after scrutinizing our ice window’s creation, *traveling around to judge the circuit of other entries. I made sure to thank him, despite his earlier accusation. @vssCollab@twitter.com #LiminalChronicles
After the judge returned and declared our fort the 2nd place winner after the emperor’s palace miniature, the other contestants *descended on our fort. Three of us against about thirty. Snowballs flew. @vsscollab@twitter.com #LiminalChronicles
In a frenzy, invaders congregated to *orbit and surround our structure, keeping us from attacking the other forts. Little did we realize, young Kai and his mom, joined the fray. The Pelting of our fort halted. And Kai proudly approached. @vssCollab@twitter.com #WeirdMicro #LiminalChronicles
I swallowed down the lump in my throat. Everyone had been out to get us, like when we fled Hokkaido. Kindness to this boy had allowed us victory and gained us a young ally. It wasn’t my brothers and I against the world. I *rasped, “Thank you, Kai.” @vssCollab@twitter.com #LiminalChronicles
The judge declared us the fort siege winner. Kai carried flags for all the other forts and handed them to me as I gaped.
My brother said, “Everyone’s *flight to *crush us allowed you to take over the others?”
Kai nodded. “Easy!” @vssCollab@twitter.com #inkmine #LiminalChronicles