Heather the Necromancer

Book 2: Chapter 2: Oops

Book 2: Chapter 2: Oops

Heather stood outside her tower and tapped at her panel as it glowed over her left arm.

So do I make the tower taller? Do I make it wider? Or do I buy things for the inside?

The skeletons stood silently by and had nothing to offer but blank stares.

Well, you're no use, she groaned as she looked at her options again.

Inside the tower, she heard a crash followed by a groan

Be careful with my tub! she yelled from outside as she looked at the options again.

You could come in here and help us, Frank called from inside.

You two are both stronger than I am, she replied. Updated from

Just put it down, Frank said from inside. A moment later, he and Quinny walked out.

We got it upstairs finally, he sighed.

what about the rug? Heather asked.

Thats in your bedroom, Quinny gasped. It was so hard to twist that up the stairs.

I gave you the howl from the grave, Heather pointed out.

Frank shook his head and walked over to look at her panel screen.

So, what are you trying to choose?

I can make the tower a floor taller, or I can make the existing floors wider, or I can buy things for the inside.

Can you buy an elevator? he asked.

I don't think so, she said as she looked through her options. I can get a ladder, and a, oh, wait! I can get an elevator!

What? Frank asked as he looked at the screen.

See! she said excitedly as she showed him a round shaft that would fill with water and lift a floating platform level by level.

Frank scratched the top of his head as he looked at it. It's powered by water. I wonder how fast it is?

I dont care how fast it is, Quinny said. So long as I dont have to carry something that heavy up the stairs again.

Its nearly twenty thousand points, Frank remarked. She wont be able to buy it until shes level fifty.

I will be dead by then, Quinny joked.

Heather smirked and went back to the choice to make. So, which one do I pick?

Which one means the most to you? Frank asked.

Cant you just tell me what to pick?

Why so you can not pick it? he asked.

You make me sound horrible, Heather said with a toss of her hair. Maybe what I need is some time to think about it.

We could decide where Quinny's forest will go, he suggested.

Thats a good idea, Heather agreed as she rubbed her tattoo and dismissed the panel. She looked around the graveyard and considered the options.

Well, the stream is our southern border. So it's pointless to build over there.

I do want to expand over it, Frank reminded her. I want to build my obelisk on the other side.

I know you told me all about it, but for right now, it acts as a clean line, she suggested as she turned to Quinny. Can you create a shape for your forest?

I can designate any shape I want. It measures total volume, Quinny said.

Well then, let's make it an adventure, Heather said. Put the forest between the front gate and the road. Make people walk through it to get to the graveyard.

That's only about half a mile of room, Frank said. It won't be a very long walk.

I didnt want to give her a huge area to fill, Heather replied.

My forest is bigger than the graveyard, Quinny said. I could fill that space and go all the way to the stream and wrap around the north edge of the graveyard.

You can? Heather said, surprised.

Quinny nodded. I build a big area and then add points of interest to it.

Whats a point of interest? Heather asked.

Quinny shrugged. Like a statue, an open grave, an abandoned shack, a tall dead tree, a hangman's tree, a stagnant pond, a pumpkin patch, a brier patch, that sort of thing.

You can make paths, can't you? Frank asked.

Quinny nodded. I can make paths through the forest and upgrade them at higher levels. I can turn them into stone paths and eventually into roads. I can also choose how overgrown it is. I can even move the paths around or choke them off with plants at any time.

Why would you want to do that? Heather asked.

It's to make the paths vanish, so people get lost, Frank said.

Oh, Heather nodded. So, you can play with them when they are in the forest.

This is cool to watch, Frank said as trees grew rapidly before their eyes.

I can't believe how strange this world is, Heather said as the forest rounded the corner of the graveyard and began to grow down the other side. She noticed a strange oblong hill that wasn't there before with a large gnarled tree growing out of the top.

Was that hill always there? Heather asked.

Frank looked over and shook his head.

No, that must be her burial mound. She is probably inside it, directing the growth of the forest.

Its not a very big hill, Heather said as she squinted in the sunlight.

I think it has one large internal room. I bet she can make a lower level, but most of her options will be in the forest.

I like how she can place things in the forest for people to find, Heather said.

I can do the same with my graveyard, he said. It randomly grows graves like she grows trees, but I can place specific things to add interest.

I cant do any of that with my tower. All my options are inside of it.

Frank nodded as the burial mound was covered over by trees. He walked to the edge of the tower and looked over the side.

The ring of your yard expands when you make the tower bigger, he pointed out.

But I have no control over that, and all I can do is place skeleton things.

I bet you have more options at a higher level, he said. Why don't you upgrade it now, and we can watch the yard change from here.

But we're on top? What happens to us?

I have to change my tunnels while I am inside them, he pointed out. I am sure it will safely move us or build around us.

This is so strange, Heather said with a shake of her head. She pulled up the panel and began to tap at the air. This is strange too. I know the panel isn't real, but it feels like I am pushing buttons. It has a very surreal quality to it.

If you make your tower taller, we will see more of the forest, Frank said.

Heather tapped at the options and looked at the new level.

Its just a single large empty room, she said.

I bet you can pick entire builds for levels once you make them bigger, he suggested.

So just put it on the top? she asked.

See if you can add it as the second level and push your bedroom higher.

Heather shrugged and dragged the level, and sure enough, it placed as the second floor. So now she had two lower floors that were single empty rooms, and two higher floors that were two divided rooms. With a tap of the submit button, she felt nothing.

Did it work?

It did, look we can see a little more, Frank said. And I was watching your yard. It definitely got wide. I can even see a little roof down there now.

Heather walked closer to the edge but felt her stomach twist to look over it.

How can you stand being on the edge like that?

He shrugged. If I fell, I would respawn in my graveyard.

Still, Heather groaned as she struggled to look over the lip. Sure enough, there was a small wood shingle roof below in the yard. The yard itself was perhaps ten feet wider and even had two new trees.

I think thats a well, Frank suggested as they looked down.

A well in a graveyard? Would you want to drink that water?

I bet it's fine, he said. I don't think the visitors have contamination programmed in. I am pretty sure there is a spell to sour water, though.

Heather tried to get a better look, but vertigo swept through her. She had to step away from the edge to settle her stomach.

Lets go down and take a closer look, Frank suggested. I think Quinny is done laying out her forest anyway.

She was right. It really was a lot of trees, Heather said. I would love to explore it and see what it looks like.

Then lets go down, he suggested again.

They dropped down the ladder and descended the stairs. As Frank went to go down the next level, Heather stopped.

Where is the tub? she asked.

Frank turned around and pointed through a doorway into an empty room. He was quiet a long moment and then turned to glare at Heather.

Please don't tell me you had your tower in edit mode this whole time?

Why? Heather squeaked.

Frank went down the stairs to the second level, and sure enough in the middle of the new room was the tub.

Oh, there it is, she said as she followed him down. I thought you said you put it in the side room. Why is it here?

Because we placed it in that room on the second floor while your tower was still being edited. You made the changes later and locked down the tower's new profile. It didn't record that the tub was in that specific room. All it knows is the tub is on the second floor.

Heather chewed on a lip and looked at Frank as she dragged a toe on the floor.

So, can you move it upstairs for me?

Crows took to the air as the graveyard filled with the sound of Franks cry of frustration.