The visitors come from many millions of miles away, traveling to a region of space that in no way resembles home and landing on a planet that in few ways resembles earth. This is a planet of twists and turns, where the land seems to be made up of large tubes of soil, forests growing in every direction, the very makeup of the planet like some twisted rubber band ball. Much like a rubber band ball, this planet hides a secret of stretching proportions. During a routine mission to investigate unusual readings, the four person crew becomes trapped in what their commander calls the briar patch, trapped and hoping to wait for rescue. However something is changing them, something is affecting them on a daily preogressive basis and it seems to be affecting the woman, Summers, more than anyone else. Do the cave paintings showing that this has happened before paint a warning for these lost travelers? Is there any hope for rescue? Can they warn others and save them from being trapped in The Briar Patch?
The Briar Patch is a short story in a way, one like no other by the author as instead of heavily relying on dialogue to convey emotions, to carry the reader along, this time Kris P. Kreme attempts to use setting, description, and imagery to progress the story. Featuring a cast of characters we only get to know through extremely brief snippets of conversation and as the story goes on, find them losing the ability to even communicate in understandable language, this is a unique story of space adventure. It serves as a drama but primarily as a thriller, the four identifiable cast members thrust into an environment like none other, one where nothing seems to be what it appears and where the least likely might just change them forever. Reading very much like a comic in the stylings of Tales from the Crypt though with a distinct science fiction styling, The Briar Patch will keep readers guessing until the very end and provide the twisted conclusion the author has become known for. This is an all new Tale from the Kreme.
