**Entries will be accepted until February 28th, 11:59pm EST**
We writers really don't get enough love. People don't really think of us when artists are mentioned. Why? It's harder to show off writing skills. It involves people devoting the time to go through and read a text wall, and lots of people just don't seem to want to bother.
I think this needs to change.
There appear to be lots of art contests, but apparently very few if any writing contests on Magistream. But contests are a great way to get exposure and to improve writing, so why aren't there any?
Therefore, this. Get out your quills, pens, parchment, laptops, whatever you write with, and prepare to write your best story ever!
Judges
-GamingGal
-Kestrad
-Choco566 Submitting to contest instead
New: FAQs
Do I need to follow one of the prompts?
Yes please. It'll help make judging less arbitrary.
Do all entries need to be set in the MagiStream world?
Nope! That's only a requirement for the first prompt.
Who can join? And when will submissions be accepted?
Anyone can join, and the contest is open to submissions right now!
How do I submit?
Post your story in this thread. Please use the spoiler tag, though, so that there aren't pages with really, really long posts.
Can I submit more than one entry?
To keep things simple, only one entry is allowed per person. However, you are allowed to exchange your submission with a different one.
By the way, if anyone wants to help judge, please contact me by PM. Send me a sample of your writing--this is just to make sure that you can write coherently. Please note that judges will not be allowed to submit to the contest. Also, if someone who has visual art skills could make a banner, it would be much appreciated. Help with raising prizes would also be highly appreciated.
Writing Contest! [CLOSED]
Moderator: Tea House Moderators
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Kestrad
- Writer
- Creatures • Trade
- Posts: 12987
- Joined: October 26th, 2010, 12:57:20 am
- Gender: Female
- Location: Befriending peacock phoenixes
Writing Contest! [CLOSED]
Last edited by Kestrad on March 1st, 2011, 1:26:07 pm, edited 10 times in total.
Kestrad has been eaten by life. She'll probably pop back in occasionally.
Keep story | Portal Guild | Graphics Shop
Please do not click my hatchlings. Thank you.
Avatar by Kingsfisher, sig art by herinbon
-
Kestrad
- Writer
-
- Creatures • Trade
- Posts: 12987
- Joined: October 26th, 2010, 12:57:20 am
- Gender: Female
- Location: Befriending peacock phoenixes
Re: Writing Contest! [Under construction, do not post yet]
Prizes First place
One Male Valarn Resurrection Horse-
Spoiler
One Male Sasrael Resurrection Horse
Spoiler
One Tasharn, also male. Gosh, what a lot of testosterone.
Spoiler
Coming soon, maybe.
Consolation prizes
Streamborns!
Kestrad managed to lose track of which creatures were which in her Keep :tard: But rest assured, everyone will get a random streamborn as a prize.
More prizes will be added soon eventually (Kestrad needs to buy textbooks
). The prizes might get shuffled around a bit as more creatures get added.
Last edited by Kestrad on February 25th, 2011, 5:24:10 pm, edited 10 times in total.
Kestrad has been eaten by life. She'll probably pop back in occasionally.Keep story | Portal Guild | Graphics Shop
Please do not click my hatchlings. Thank you.
Avatar by Kingsfisher, sig art by herinbon
-
Kestrad
- Writer
-
- Creatures • Trade
- Posts: 12987
- Joined: October 26th, 2010, 12:57:20 am
- Gender: Female
- Location: Befriending peacock phoenixes
Re: Writing Contest! [Under construction, do not post yet]
**Entries will be accepted until February 28th, 11:59pm EST**
Rules:
1. Be polite to everyone, please.
2. When results come out, accept the judges' decisions.
3. You must write using one of the prompts.
4. Entries will be judged on the basis of creativity and plot, but bad grammar or spelling will definitely lower your chances of winning. So please, please, *please* use spellcheck!
5. Only prose will be accepted for this contest. Sorry, poets.
6. Try to format your entry so that it is relatively easy to read.
7. Post your entries in this thread. I will check periodically and add them. Use the spoiler tag, please.
8. Plagiarists are terrible people. Why would anyone do something like that?
9. Entries must be under 3000 words. I don't have time to read several novels
Keep checking back here, as rules may be added or changed. Entries which do not follow the rules might be disqualified.
Rules:
1. Be polite to everyone, please.
2. When results come out, accept the judges' decisions.
3. You must write using one of the prompts.
4. Entries will be judged on the basis of creativity and plot, but bad grammar or spelling will definitely lower your chances of winning. So please, please, *please* use spellcheck!
5. Only prose will be accepted for this contest. Sorry, poets.
6. Try to format your entry so that it is relatively easy to read.
7. Post your entries in this thread. I will check periodically and add them. Use the spoiler tag, please.
8. Plagiarists are terrible people. Why would anyone do something like that?
9. Entries must be under 3000 words. I don't have time to read several novels
Keep checking back here, as rules may be added or changed. Entries which do not follow the rules might be disqualified.
Last edited by Kestrad on January 8th, 2011, 2:17:06 am, edited 3 times in total.
Kestrad has been eaten by life. She'll probably pop back in occasionally.Keep story | Portal Guild | Graphics Shop
Please do not click my hatchlings. Thank you.
Avatar by Kingsfisher, sig art by herinbon
-
Kestrad
- Writer
-
- Creatures • Trade
- Posts: 12987
- Joined: October 26th, 2010, 12:57:20 am
- Gender: Female
- Location: Befriending peacock phoenixes
Re: Writing Contest! [Under construction, do not post yet]
And finally, the most important part, the prompts!
Prompts
Prompt One--Winter in MagiStream
Prompt Two--The end of time
Prompt Three--Ooh shiny!
All entries can be written in first or third person, regardless of how the prompt was worded. Prompts two and three can be set anywhere you wish, MagiStream world or not. If these aren't enough, post a comment. I just might add more.
Entries so far
***More entries found in this post and this post***
Prompt One
A Snow Day at The Keep by Phenora
Untitled by raccotaco38
Untitled by Arospersonalguard
Untitled by Yellow
First Snow by LightningDragon
Prompt two.
End of the Timeless. by DragonsLairs
Untitled by blitzy
Prompt Three
The Teleporter by Crazyflight
Break My Locket, Break My Heart by Icethornstar
End Is Coming by magicdream1
The Doppelganger by Choco566
Prompts
Prompt One--Winter in MagiStream
Spoiler
Write a short story about you and one or two of your favorite creatures enjoying a winter day. Or, if you're feeling bold, write about you and a few of your least favorite creatures or your worst enemy trying to enjoy a winter day. Anything goes, as long as it's set in the MagiStream world and the time of year is winter.
Spoiler
You are a being with close to unlimited power and, as far as you know, an unlimited lifespan. Except now you think your life might be coming to an end, after all. Possible points to consider writing about: What happened? Are you right? And what did you do during the unimaginably long period of time leading up to this point?
Spoiler
Someone (and perhaps some friends) are out taking a walk, exploring, playing, or something to that effect, when they find something. It can be amazing and life-changing. Or it can be perfectly ordinary, but they find it amusing, strange, or otherwise unique in some way. It can be real or imagined by the character. Be creative!
Entries so far
***More entries found in this post and this post***
Prompt One
A Snow Day at The Keep by Phenora
Spoiler
Snow covered the ground, making the whole place look like someone had thrown a white blanket down and fluffed it up. Small snowflakes still fell, drifting to the ground around Anya and Convel, Anya's companion and Albino Direwolf. Anya was a mage from the Keep, a water magi, that specialized in the water magiks and charms. Her Albino Direwolf had been her companion since she had found him as an egg years ago. They had been nearly inseparable then, and now they traveled together all the time.
The duo emerged from the Keep and headed out into the cool, crisp winter air, breathing deeply and looking around to watch the Pegasus foals frolicking in snow drifts with a few young Niveus Enox and Arkenian Kitsune hatchlings. A number of magi stood around with other creatures, taking delight in watching the younglings play. Others were simply trying to beat the cold by hugging up to one of their larger and furrier creatures.
Anya laughed as four or five magi huddled around one of their Molten Bone Dragon that had its fiery wings spread out above them, trying to help warm them. She watched as a Fire Gryphon, its magi companion on its back between its blazing wings, made its way into the warm halls of the Keep.
She laughed and walked with Convel out to their usual tree, a shady pine with one side of the branches growing at odd angles that made a good space to sit on the inside. She nestled down between some bottom branches, and put her arm around Convel's neck when he joined her, then she looked out on the field beside the keep, where a major snowball war was going on.
After a while of watching the snowball war, she leaned back against the tree, and closed her eyes. The next thing she knew, snow was falling on her face and head from above. Convel made an odd groaning noise, and shook his head, knocking snow off of him and more onto Anya. Anya laughed, and brushed the snow off of her, then looked up to see a couple of Ice Phoenixes looking down at them. Anya stood, and reached out to the birds. She gently rubbed their heads, then watched them fly off again.
As she was turning around, a ball of wet snow slapped her in the back. She turned to see who threw it, just in time to see a blond head disappear around a large snowdrift. Anya rolled her eyes, and climbed out from beneath the tree, then pulled her wand out. She waved it in a large circle, then motioned upward. A large chunk of snow detached itself from the ground, and floated over to the snowdrift where her attacker was.
"Alright, I give up, who was it?" she called out, a smile playing on her lips. The blond head of one of her fellow water magi popped up. "Oh, so it was you, Turo. I should have known. Try this one on for size!"
The chunk of snow centered itself above his head, then fell with a thud onto him. He fell back, and disappeared behind the snow drift, then popped his head back up. His golden hair was white with snow, and some of the cold powder stuck to his face and his robes. Anya laughed, then walked over and helped him up.
"You want to join us?" he asked, and gestured to the others in the field throwing snowballs at each other. Anya smiled, and nodded. The two headed off down the hill and to the field, Convel following close behind. As they neared the fight, Anya slipped her wand back up, and quickly grabbed several ready made snowballs from a pile, one of several lying around, and started throwing them.
Immediately, snow balls were thrown back at her and Turo. Together, they through as many as they could, dodged, and ducked. They ended up wet and cold, and covered in snow, as did everyone else.
After a few more rounds of the fight, everyone turned and started back toward the Keep. The sun was already low in the sky, and cast a red glow over everything. Turo walked with Anya and Convel all the way back into the Keep, and to her room.
"Well, that was fun," she said, as they reached her door. Convel grabbed her robes and pulled on them. He knocked some snow still stuck to her off on his snout, and backed away sneezing. Anya and Turo laughed, then Anya opened her door and let Convel inside.
After a few more words, Anya and Turo bid each other good night and Turo departed for his room. Anya joined Convel in her room, then walked over to the small stove against one wall, and made herself a cup of hot chocolate, then sat on the bed beside the Direwolf, and stared out the window at the falling snow and setting sun, and drank her cocoa.
The duo emerged from the Keep and headed out into the cool, crisp winter air, breathing deeply and looking around to watch the Pegasus foals frolicking in snow drifts with a few young Niveus Enox and Arkenian Kitsune hatchlings. A number of magi stood around with other creatures, taking delight in watching the younglings play. Others were simply trying to beat the cold by hugging up to one of their larger and furrier creatures.
Anya laughed as four or five magi huddled around one of their Molten Bone Dragon that had its fiery wings spread out above them, trying to help warm them. She watched as a Fire Gryphon, its magi companion on its back between its blazing wings, made its way into the warm halls of the Keep.
She laughed and walked with Convel out to their usual tree, a shady pine with one side of the branches growing at odd angles that made a good space to sit on the inside. She nestled down between some bottom branches, and put her arm around Convel's neck when he joined her, then she looked out on the field beside the keep, where a major snowball war was going on.
After a while of watching the snowball war, she leaned back against the tree, and closed her eyes. The next thing she knew, snow was falling on her face and head from above. Convel made an odd groaning noise, and shook his head, knocking snow off of him and more onto Anya. Anya laughed, and brushed the snow off of her, then looked up to see a couple of Ice Phoenixes looking down at them. Anya stood, and reached out to the birds. She gently rubbed their heads, then watched them fly off again.
As she was turning around, a ball of wet snow slapped her in the back. She turned to see who threw it, just in time to see a blond head disappear around a large snowdrift. Anya rolled her eyes, and climbed out from beneath the tree, then pulled her wand out. She waved it in a large circle, then motioned upward. A large chunk of snow detached itself from the ground, and floated over to the snowdrift where her attacker was.
"Alright, I give up, who was it?" she called out, a smile playing on her lips. The blond head of one of her fellow water magi popped up. "Oh, so it was you, Turo. I should have known. Try this one on for size!"
The chunk of snow centered itself above his head, then fell with a thud onto him. He fell back, and disappeared behind the snow drift, then popped his head back up. His golden hair was white with snow, and some of the cold powder stuck to his face and his robes. Anya laughed, then walked over and helped him up.
"You want to join us?" he asked, and gestured to the others in the field throwing snowballs at each other. Anya smiled, and nodded. The two headed off down the hill and to the field, Convel following close behind. As they neared the fight, Anya slipped her wand back up, and quickly grabbed several ready made snowballs from a pile, one of several lying around, and started throwing them.
Immediately, snow balls were thrown back at her and Turo. Together, they through as many as they could, dodged, and ducked. They ended up wet and cold, and covered in snow, as did everyone else.
After a few more rounds of the fight, everyone turned and started back toward the Keep. The sun was already low in the sky, and cast a red glow over everything. Turo walked with Anya and Convel all the way back into the Keep, and to her room.
"Well, that was fun," she said, as they reached her door. Convel grabbed her robes and pulled on them. He knocked some snow still stuck to her off on his snout, and backed away sneezing. Anya and Turo laughed, then Anya opened her door and let Convel inside.
After a few more words, Anya and Turo bid each other good night and Turo departed for his room. Anya joined Convel in her room, then walked over to the small stove against one wall, and made herself a cup of hot chocolate, then sat on the bed beside the Direwolf, and stared out the window at the falling snow and setting sun, and drank her cocoa.
Spoiler
I was walking with my favorite albino direwolve, snowy. We had just begun walking. It looked like a cake with all the snow. It was beautiful. I could stay out here all day, except id get sick. We were just walking for the fun of it. It’s been snowing off and on for a few days. It seemed like things were lifeless and cold. People never came out.
Then all of a sudden a humungous phoenix swept down from the sky and scraped snowy’s back. It started to bleed. ‘Were under attack’, I screamed. We were already too far from home. We ran into a nearby forest hoping to find a hiding place. It was really hot.
We only found more phoenixes. I had to run back out fastly. I stopped to take a breath. Wait a sec- Snowy! She wasn’t anywhere to be seen! I can’t go back in I told myself. I’ll get killed. I knew I had too. I tip toed into the forest.
They were encircle ling her, and burning her with their fire. ‘No!’ I shouted. They all looked over at me. Crap. I ran over and took sway by the tail. Let’s go. We ran out. Barely in time. The phoenixes had been so firry trying to burn snowy; they couldn’t get into the snow.
We were almost killed that day. Every Tim I look back at it a shiver. I’m never walking into a forest again
Then all of a sudden a humungous phoenix swept down from the sky and scraped snowy’s back. It started to bleed. ‘Were under attack’, I screamed. We were already too far from home. We ran into a nearby forest hoping to find a hiding place. It was really hot.
We only found more phoenixes. I had to run back out fastly. I stopped to take a breath. Wait a sec- Snowy! She wasn’t anywhere to be seen! I can’t go back in I told myself. I’ll get killed. I knew I had too. I tip toed into the forest.
They were encircle ling her, and burning her with their fire. ‘No!’ I shouted. They all looked over at me. Crap. I ran over and took sway by the tail. Let’s go. We ran out. Barely in time. The phoenixes had been so firry trying to burn snowy; they couldn’t get into the snow.
We were almost killed that day. Every Tim I look back at it a shiver. I’m never walking into a forest again
Spoiler
Shadowfang huffed and hobbled against the wind. There was a fierce snowstorm and she couldn't see but her kitsunes thought this was going to be fun. They were not just Red kitsunes, they were Arkenian kitsunes, making their pelts impossible to tell apart from the snow. Shadow wanted to get them back inside because vixen, the female, was expecting. She felt a snow ball pelt her in the back of the head and she heard viper laughing. "Oh you are going to get it now", shadow said balling up snow and tossing it at him, only to have it blown back in her face. "ARG", she cried. She turned as Vixen handed her a snowball and she pointed to where Viper was hiding. Shadow threw it as hard as she could and it landed a direct hit. "Traitor" he called. Vixen laughed and pounced playfully on shadow sending them rolling in the snow, each trying to gain the advantage. "CANNONBALL"!!! VIper screamed as he jumped into a pile of snow. He poked his head out and shadow laughed at the snow on his head, it made him look like Santa. He shook it of then collected a mound of snow on his butt, "Look im shadow and i like clean things that don't smell like wet dog", he said trying to sound like her. "Oh yeah", she yelled, "Look at me im Viper and i like to play in mud and eat whatever falls on the floor",she retorted. "OH YEAH", he yelled, "Well im shadow and i can't appreciate good floor food when i see it". "Oh yeah" said a voice behind them, "i'm master belmos and if you two don't quiet down...", he left the sentence hanging and walked away. Shadow and Viper looked at each other, eyes wide. They both turned at snowballs pelted them from outta no where. They heard Vixens triumphant voice cry out, "Ha you'll never find me", They exchanged glances again and charged into battle
TEH END
TEH END
Spoiler
The pale morning sunlight poured down on April through the windows as she and her Black Tienko, Diablo, walked to the door that led to the outside of the Keep. Opening it slowly, the Magi winced as a blast of wind slapped April and her companion in icy frustration. Once the gust of wind had vanished, they both wandered out into the snow. Groups of other Magi huddled together, trying to keep warm in the cold, but, at the same time, trying to have a good time. Smiling, April pulled up her hood and trudged out into the snow. Inside of her satchel, Diablo sheltered from the cold, occasionally peeking out to see what was going on. Behind them, a Chestnut Kirin followed, neighing in annoyance as a snowflake landed on her nose.
Snowflakes. They were falling down from the sky, dancing in the harsh breeze that carried them to the ground. Snow Shoe Jackalopes that belonged to other Magi frolicked about, twitching their noses in amusement as their owners chased them. Chestnut, April's Kirin, blinked in awe as an Ice Gryphon flew in front of the sun, it's wings extended in an all-out flight.
April reached her hand inside her satchel, feeling for her white Winged Cat egg. She had plucked it from the Stream before all of the frost had nipped the tail on the smooth surface. It didn't have very many cracks - so it'd be another day or two before it hatched. Diablo meowed as his Magi stroked his fur before pulling her hand back out. A tree nearby had snow speckled along it's bare branches, shining in the sunlight. Smiling, April mounted her steed and patted Nutmeg's rump.
"Go." She commanded. The Kirin did as it was told and trotted over to the tree. April smirked. Perfect. the water Magi thought to herself, He's here.
A man in a bright blue cloak sat on the other side of the tree, huddling close to a Fire Gryphon. Screeches of delight came from the cat-bird as he scratched his companion's neck in affection. Leaping off of her mount silently, April bent down and picked up a little bit of snow in her hands. Shaping it into a ball, April felt a warm feeling inside her stomach as she opened her mouth to speak.
"Hey Zach!" She yelled. Zach turned to face her right as she threw the snowball at him. It landed right on his face. "Great shot, right?"
They both laughed as Zach got up and grabbed a wad of white snow from the ground and threw it at April, cursing playfully under his breath as it broke apart in the air. Diablo meowed loudly from the satchel, shrinking farther inside of it and closer to the egg. The two Magi threw snowballs at each other for what seemed like forever.
Snow crunched behind April, but she was having too good of a time to even notice. Zach's Fire Gryphon bumped into her purposely, pushing her right up to Zach. The water Magi gasped, but the male was too quick for her. April's cheeks turned a rosy red as Zach threw his lips against hers in a cold kiss. His Fire Gryphon screeched in delight, knowing that he had done a good job, and turned around, only to be kicked with shards of ice. Looking up, he was eye to eye with April's Kirin. They both neighed/cawed in amusement and began to play.
Meanwhile, Zach and April ended their kiss. April's ocean blue eyes glittered with happiness as Zach smiled and stepped away. The water Magi looked down and smiled, only to look up and run into her friend, pushing him into a drift of snow. Before he could react, she twirled her fingers in the air and covered him in ice. Since she was a water Magi, she could freeze water, not just control it. Zach's Fire Gryphon looked over in curiosity, walking to his Magi and melting the ice. April laughed and hugged him, absorbing the water from his skin and clothing. Zach's chocolate brown eyes gazed at her blonde hair that flowed down to the Magi's shoulders. He reached out a hand to stroke it, making April squeak. He smiled, twisting his leg around hers, sending them both spiraling into the white stuff that covered the ground.
Snowflakes. They were falling down from the sky, dancing in the harsh breeze that carried them to the ground. Snow Shoe Jackalopes that belonged to other Magi frolicked about, twitching their noses in amusement as their owners chased them. Chestnut, April's Kirin, blinked in awe as an Ice Gryphon flew in front of the sun, it's wings extended in an all-out flight.
April reached her hand inside her satchel, feeling for her white Winged Cat egg. She had plucked it from the Stream before all of the frost had nipped the tail on the smooth surface. It didn't have very many cracks - so it'd be another day or two before it hatched. Diablo meowed as his Magi stroked his fur before pulling her hand back out. A tree nearby had snow speckled along it's bare branches, shining in the sunlight. Smiling, April mounted her steed and patted Nutmeg's rump.
"Go." She commanded. The Kirin did as it was told and trotted over to the tree. April smirked. Perfect. the water Magi thought to herself, He's here.
A man in a bright blue cloak sat on the other side of the tree, huddling close to a Fire Gryphon. Screeches of delight came from the cat-bird as he scratched his companion's neck in affection. Leaping off of her mount silently, April bent down and picked up a little bit of snow in her hands. Shaping it into a ball, April felt a warm feeling inside her stomach as she opened her mouth to speak.
"Hey Zach!" She yelled. Zach turned to face her right as she threw the snowball at him. It landed right on his face. "Great shot, right?"
They both laughed as Zach got up and grabbed a wad of white snow from the ground and threw it at April, cursing playfully under his breath as it broke apart in the air. Diablo meowed loudly from the satchel, shrinking farther inside of it and closer to the egg. The two Magi threw snowballs at each other for what seemed like forever.
Snow crunched behind April, but she was having too good of a time to even notice. Zach's Fire Gryphon bumped into her purposely, pushing her right up to Zach. The water Magi gasped, but the male was too quick for her. April's cheeks turned a rosy red as Zach threw his lips against hers in a cold kiss. His Fire Gryphon screeched in delight, knowing that he had done a good job, and turned around, only to be kicked with shards of ice. Looking up, he was eye to eye with April's Kirin. They both neighed/cawed in amusement and began to play.
Meanwhile, Zach and April ended their kiss. April's ocean blue eyes glittered with happiness as Zach smiled and stepped away. The water Magi looked down and smiled, only to look up and run into her friend, pushing him into a drift of snow. Before he could react, she twirled her fingers in the air and covered him in ice. Since she was a water Magi, she could freeze water, not just control it. Zach's Fire Gryphon looked over in curiosity, walking to his Magi and melting the ice. April laughed and hugged him, absorbing the water from his skin and clothing. Zach's chocolate brown eyes gazed at her blonde hair that flowed down to the Magi's shoulders. He reached out a hand to stroke it, making April squeak. He smiled, twisting his leg around hers, sending them both spiraling into the white stuff that covered the ground.
Spoiler
"No, Rahl! That's not a plaything!" Neera ran over and detached the little noctis enox from her friend Dagger's robes. "Dagger is a person." The little enox stared up at her with unblinking violet eyes. Neera sighed and set him down. Almost immediately, her crystalwing, Cypher, glided to her shoulder. Dagger laughed and shook his head. "Well, Neera, about ready to go for a walk?"
Neera nodded and opened the door. Rahl bolted outside, stretching his little black wings. "Rahl! Come back!" Neera ran after the little troublemaker, scooping him up in her arms. "Enough misbehaving," she gently scolded. She felt something cold and wet land on her nose, and looked up at the sky, where gray storm clouds released snow.
Rahl leapt out of her arms and caught some of the snow on his back. He twisted around, trying to figure out what it was. When enough snow covered the ground, the little hatchling jumped around in it, sending flurries onto the robes of both magi. Dagger and Neera shared a glance filled with affection. "His first snow." They shared a sweet, if short kiss, until Rahl and Cypher tackled them. Neera's blue eyes glittered with happiness and joy, as did Dagger's.
Neera nodded and opened the door. Rahl bolted outside, stretching his little black wings. "Rahl! Come back!" Neera ran after the little troublemaker, scooping him up in her arms. "Enough misbehaving," she gently scolded. She felt something cold and wet land on her nose, and looked up at the sky, where gray storm clouds released snow.
Rahl leapt out of her arms and caught some of the snow on his back. He twisted around, trying to figure out what it was. When enough snow covered the ground, the little hatchling jumped around in it, sending flurries onto the robes of both magi. Dagger and Neera shared a glance filled with affection. "His first snow." They shared a sweet, if short kiss, until Rahl and Cypher tackled them. Neera's blue eyes glittered with happiness and joy, as did Dagger's.
Prompt two.
End of the Timeless. by DragonsLairs
Spoiler
Pushing her platinum blond hair that ran nearly to her buttock behind a slender pointed ear , her cat like azure blue eyes gaze across the ocean in front of her. She stretched her slender five foot two inch frame out as she slipped into her thoughts, adjusting the blue cleric’s robe she wore. How long has it been? Decades? Eons? Ruthia found herself suddenly unable to remember little details like that any more. She gave a gruff laugh and shook her head some. It seems that all the authors she had ever read had one thing right in every publishing they had ever made about the Immortal Ones. Time, truly was meaningless to them. Years went past in the mere blink of an eye, lives began and ended like the passing seasons. Always too quickly, always to short. Even her own children were long gone now for the most part, except for a select few who had been granted longer lives by the gods and goddesses. And even them would end their lives eventually. Ruthia, unfortunately in her mind, was timeless. Five thousand and sixty year old and she still did not look a day over twenty.
Shaking her head to clear these thoughts, Ruthia turns to head back into her beach front home but pauses. Something felt different today. Time it’s self almost seemed to be on a knifes edge. As if a breath in the wrong direction would send them all tumbling down to crash into the hard reality below. She did not like that uneasy feeling. It felt like unavoidable danger, the type one would not want to be in if they had a choice. Shaking her head her eyes scan to the east. East always seemed to be where danger came from. She was not sure why, but any time she had this feeling it was where she would glance. Though today there was more reason to glance that way. Her husband, Imreis, had left recently with the King’s army. Three people she felt the closest to in her life had left with him, laughing about how it would be a one day war. Grinning in their easy way. But that was how they were. Fighters from a young age, they felt no fear when told to run head first into enemy lines. Ruthia sighs and runs her fingers through her long hair. That had been five long months ago.
Laughing a bit she suddenly realized how ridiculous that sounded. After as many years as she had on herself how DID five months end up feeling so long? But pausing again to look east out over the ocean she can not help but sigh. There It was again, that feeling. That whispered warning on the air at that Ruthia felt she could not ignore now. The warning held promise of endings, of beginnings. Of a change. A major one. Perhaps even a, life ending one. Shivering now as a chilled wind suddenly blew off the warm ocean water she wrapped her arms around herself. Something WAS going to happen. And it was going to happen soon. Reaching out now with her mind, she tried to feel what this change could be. If she could feel it on THIS level what could it be? Stiffening now she whimpers a bit, her animal side reacting to this invisible threat. But what WAS it. What could possibly be happening that was so bad that she was afraid for her life?
Later she would chide herself for not leaving on the first warning. Later she would weep her loses. But in that moment she made a mistake. Ignoring the feelings now she turned and headed back to her home. Back to the warmth and the safety. Where things were normal and would get rid of these uneasy feelings. Her home had enough protections on it to prevent anything, barring the end of the world that was. And even SHE knew the world was safe. After all the only way to end the world was to figure out the Father God’s true name. And if it has lasted this long what was the chance some one would do that?
Again as she touched her door handle she pauses, looking back to the ocean. The feeling was still there, it was haunting her now, as if someone was trying to send her a warning. But that was ridiculous. No one even was aware she was here, except her husband and his fellow warriors. Shaking her head, pushing aside the thoughts that were screaming in her head now about the danger she was in, Ruthia opens her door to step through. Across the hallway in front of her was a full length mirror. Her eyes widen to saucers as she finds herself staring at as a light builds behind her. In the mirror the light was a brilliant orange red as it seemed to get brighter as it got closer. The whispered warnings got louder, a mental scream of anguish ripped through her mind, sending the lady to her knees holding her head from the pain. It was as if a thousand voices had screamed all at once in agony and she had heard every single one of them. One voice held above them all for a brief moment, his pain the worst of them all. Ruthia, FLEE!
The agony in those words alone made her scream in pain even as the intense heat of the world burning hit her. The warnings had been serious. The world WAS ending. The pain was real as the fires of the planet licked at her body, trying to claim her as their victim. Her home, once a safe haven from all bad, became a trap as the walls collapsed bringing the ceiling down on top of her frail frame. She screamed in that moment as the intensity of the flames and the crushing impact of the beams falling on her body riddled her entire being with pain. She could smell her flesh burning and feel every muscle straining as she struggled for that next breath choking on the smoke filling what space she had. As she laid there wrapped in pain she could almost feel her husband reaching for her, begging her to do something. Pain hazed she was unsure what he could be wanting from her. Was it not enough she was about to die? But his voice kept nagging at her, calling her to do something. But what?
The knowledge she was about to die seemed to come with a revelation. She did not care that she was finally done. No, indeed she could finally join her family in the after life. She could finally have true peace. Shaking with the pain that ran through her core now her hand slowly creeps up, searching. Searching for her key. Her connection to the man she loves, the necklace he gave her years ago. Her trembling left hand searches for it in a desperate fashion, wanting to touch it, to hold a small part of her husband before she died. As she starts to lose the feeling in her legs, as the pain in her arms gets too intense, her hand weakly grasps something hard and warm. Her medallion. Her knight. Her Imreis. Softly whispering his name into the smoke filled air her eyes close as her world goes white……….
Shaking her head to clear these thoughts, Ruthia turns to head back into her beach front home but pauses. Something felt different today. Time it’s self almost seemed to be on a knifes edge. As if a breath in the wrong direction would send them all tumbling down to crash into the hard reality below. She did not like that uneasy feeling. It felt like unavoidable danger, the type one would not want to be in if they had a choice. Shaking her head her eyes scan to the east. East always seemed to be where danger came from. She was not sure why, but any time she had this feeling it was where she would glance. Though today there was more reason to glance that way. Her husband, Imreis, had left recently with the King’s army. Three people she felt the closest to in her life had left with him, laughing about how it would be a one day war. Grinning in their easy way. But that was how they were. Fighters from a young age, they felt no fear when told to run head first into enemy lines. Ruthia sighs and runs her fingers through her long hair. That had been five long months ago.
Laughing a bit she suddenly realized how ridiculous that sounded. After as many years as she had on herself how DID five months end up feeling so long? But pausing again to look east out over the ocean she can not help but sigh. There It was again, that feeling. That whispered warning on the air at that Ruthia felt she could not ignore now. The warning held promise of endings, of beginnings. Of a change. A major one. Perhaps even a, life ending one. Shivering now as a chilled wind suddenly blew off the warm ocean water she wrapped her arms around herself. Something WAS going to happen. And it was going to happen soon. Reaching out now with her mind, she tried to feel what this change could be. If she could feel it on THIS level what could it be? Stiffening now she whimpers a bit, her animal side reacting to this invisible threat. But what WAS it. What could possibly be happening that was so bad that she was afraid for her life?
Later she would chide herself for not leaving on the first warning. Later she would weep her loses. But in that moment she made a mistake. Ignoring the feelings now she turned and headed back to her home. Back to the warmth and the safety. Where things were normal and would get rid of these uneasy feelings. Her home had enough protections on it to prevent anything, barring the end of the world that was. And even SHE knew the world was safe. After all the only way to end the world was to figure out the Father God’s true name. And if it has lasted this long what was the chance some one would do that?
Again as she touched her door handle she pauses, looking back to the ocean. The feeling was still there, it was haunting her now, as if someone was trying to send her a warning. But that was ridiculous. No one even was aware she was here, except her husband and his fellow warriors. Shaking her head, pushing aside the thoughts that were screaming in her head now about the danger she was in, Ruthia opens her door to step through. Across the hallway in front of her was a full length mirror. Her eyes widen to saucers as she finds herself staring at as a light builds behind her. In the mirror the light was a brilliant orange red as it seemed to get brighter as it got closer. The whispered warnings got louder, a mental scream of anguish ripped through her mind, sending the lady to her knees holding her head from the pain. It was as if a thousand voices had screamed all at once in agony and she had heard every single one of them. One voice held above them all for a brief moment, his pain the worst of them all. Ruthia, FLEE!
The agony in those words alone made her scream in pain even as the intense heat of the world burning hit her. The warnings had been serious. The world WAS ending. The pain was real as the fires of the planet licked at her body, trying to claim her as their victim. Her home, once a safe haven from all bad, became a trap as the walls collapsed bringing the ceiling down on top of her frail frame. She screamed in that moment as the intensity of the flames and the crushing impact of the beams falling on her body riddled her entire being with pain. She could smell her flesh burning and feel every muscle straining as she struggled for that next breath choking on the smoke filling what space she had. As she laid there wrapped in pain she could almost feel her husband reaching for her, begging her to do something. Pain hazed she was unsure what he could be wanting from her. Was it not enough she was about to die? But his voice kept nagging at her, calling her to do something. But what?
The knowledge she was about to die seemed to come with a revelation. She did not care that she was finally done. No, indeed she could finally join her family in the after life. She could finally have true peace. Shaking with the pain that ran through her core now her hand slowly creeps up, searching. Searching for her key. Her connection to the man she loves, the necklace he gave her years ago. Her trembling left hand searches for it in a desperate fashion, wanting to touch it, to hold a small part of her husband before she died. As she starts to lose the feeling in her legs, as the pain in her arms gets too intense, her hand weakly grasps something hard and warm. Her medallion. Her knight. Her Imreis. Softly whispering his name into the smoke filled air her eyes close as her world goes white……….
Spoiler
Her head drooped to the side, her shoulders sagged. It was a rare sight, to see such a powerful woman brought down by the simplest thing. The only thing keeping her standing was the wall she leaned against, her shoulder a stark red from the force she used just to keep a tired body from dropping. What if I just rest for a moment? Just allow myself to- No. She couldn't allow her mind to be plagued with such dangerous thoughts. Pain was good. Tiredness was good. Comfort and sleep were bad. The pain showed Ashlynn she was alive. The tiredness showed her she she wasn't sleeping. Comfort would lead to sleep, and sleep would lead to death. Gritting her teeth, she looked over to the side, her large black draft horse standing still, waiting for a command by its owner. A soft cue from delicate lips, and the horse trotted over, standing beside his master. Ashlynn grabbed the saddle, using the large beast to keep her standing. With a pained grunt, she mounted, clutching the saddle to keep her from falling. Straightening up slightly, she flicked the reins, sending the horse into a trot. Anything faster would mean death. With a quick look behind her, she knew they were alone. But her father was behind her somewhere, waiting to deliver the killing blow. He wounded her with a spare piece of glass! She was a powerful sorceress, and he managed to nearly kill her with glass. If it wasn't for her brother, she'd be dead.
A tear slid down her cheek, the salty water leaving a trail as it landed on her dress. They flowed freely as her horse trotted towards the forest. Hopefully there, no one would see her mourn over her loss.
A tear slid down her cheek, the salty water leaving a trail as it landed on her dress. They flowed freely as her horse trotted towards the forest. Hopefully there, no one would see her mourn over her loss.
Prompt Three
The Teleporter by Crazyflight
Spoiler
Clyde and Kathrin were outside, out in the snow, behind the school. They did this every day, just to flirt. But today, today was much different. They found something that would change their relationship forever. All of the other kids at school liked them. They knew that Clyde and Kathrin were together. They had no idea why they left the high school. After a week of pondering over it, they ignored it, and moved on.
You see, Clyde and Kathrin were kissing up in the cherry tree, when Clyde saw a spark, then another, in the snow. In the snow? Well, it was definitely quite remarkable, so the couple went to check it out. It was a broken, little machine-thingy. Clyde brought it home and fixed it up, and when they were finished, they laughed together for the rest of the night.
They hadn't even known what it was, however. Kathrin cleaned it up and tried to make out what the name of the machine was. It seemed very old, and all that the couple could see was T le or r. They pondered on it for hours, and got extremely frustrated. They went to sleep that night dreaming about what it could be.
The next day, Clyde had a big grin on his face as Kathrin walked across the street to his house. Kathrin was puzzled. "Why are you so happy?" she asked. He replied, "I've figured out what the machine could be!" They ran over to the table where they'd kept the machine in Clyde's garage. "Watch!" he exclaimed excitedly. He filled in the blanks with a black Sharpie. Teleporter is what it said when he finished.
They stared at it for a few minutes, then Kathrin asked, "Well, how does it work?" Klyde answered, "I have no clue," and then he grinned. "I guess we'll have to figure that out too!" So they set to work. They looked over near the cherry tree where they found the machine and sure enough, buried in snow, was another part of the Teleporter. It was a small part that said "Input Place: Input Time: TELEPORT" and they looked at each other in amazement. "Now," said Clyde, "we attach it to the Teleporter."
On the cloudy Sunday afternoon, while all of the other kids and teenagers were doing something in the snow and having fun, Clyde and Kathrin were slaving over the Teleporter. It was about 11:00P.M when they finished. 'Well, I guess we should get some sleep before we go," sighed Kathrin. She would miss her friends, but she wanted to be with Clyde more than anything. "Yeah," said Clyde. Kathrin crossed the street and fell asleep quickly in her bed.
It was 5:00A.M when she was shaken awake. She groaned and looked at her clock. "Ma, it's 5:00 in the morning!" But Clyde was by her bed, not her mother. When Kathrin's eyes focused, she gasped. "Clyde! What are you doing in my house!!" Clyde replied calmly, "Shh, we don't want anyone to hear you. We have to plan everything, we're leaving today!" Kathrin sighed. "Alright. I'll write a note to my parents about it." Clyde frowned. His uncle wouldn't care if he left, and his parents were out on work trips all the time; they wouldn't care either.
They walked together over to Clyde's garage after she left the note in her parent's room with tears on her eyes. However, when she saw what Clyde had put on the Inputs. The machine now read: "Input Place: remote island Input Time: summer" and Kathrin laughed. "Where will we get things to live with?" Clyde smiled and replied, "I've got them all right here." Kathrin looked around the garage in amazement. There was a bed, a shelf, and other things for living. They soon gathered everything together, and hit TELEPORT. They went back and forth getting things, and they laughed the whole time together.
Well, the island was small, and there were many cool animals and plants. They went exploring for this portion of the day. They saw so many cool creatures, like Gryphons and Cascara Butterflies. After exploring, they worked on a temporary shelter that they would build on later. They knew that they were on the Callisto Islands, and they lived amongst these creatures for the rest of their lives.
You see, Clyde and Kathrin were kissing up in the cherry tree, when Clyde saw a spark, then another, in the snow. In the snow? Well, it was definitely quite remarkable, so the couple went to check it out. It was a broken, little machine-thingy. Clyde brought it home and fixed it up, and when they were finished, they laughed together for the rest of the night.
They hadn't even known what it was, however. Kathrin cleaned it up and tried to make out what the name of the machine was. It seemed very old, and all that the couple could see was T le or r. They pondered on it for hours, and got extremely frustrated. They went to sleep that night dreaming about what it could be.
The next day, Clyde had a big grin on his face as Kathrin walked across the street to his house. Kathrin was puzzled. "Why are you so happy?" she asked. He replied, "I've figured out what the machine could be!" They ran over to the table where they'd kept the machine in Clyde's garage. "Watch!" he exclaimed excitedly. He filled in the blanks with a black Sharpie. Teleporter is what it said when he finished.
They stared at it for a few minutes, then Kathrin asked, "Well, how does it work?" Klyde answered, "I have no clue," and then he grinned. "I guess we'll have to figure that out too!" So they set to work. They looked over near the cherry tree where they found the machine and sure enough, buried in snow, was another part of the Teleporter. It was a small part that said "Input Place: Input Time: TELEPORT" and they looked at each other in amazement. "Now," said Clyde, "we attach it to the Teleporter."
On the cloudy Sunday afternoon, while all of the other kids and teenagers were doing something in the snow and having fun, Clyde and Kathrin were slaving over the Teleporter. It was about 11:00P.M when they finished. 'Well, I guess we should get some sleep before we go," sighed Kathrin. She would miss her friends, but she wanted to be with Clyde more than anything. "Yeah," said Clyde. Kathrin crossed the street and fell asleep quickly in her bed.
It was 5:00A.M when she was shaken awake. She groaned and looked at her clock. "Ma, it's 5:00 in the morning!" But Clyde was by her bed, not her mother. When Kathrin's eyes focused, she gasped. "Clyde! What are you doing in my house!!" Clyde replied calmly, "Shh, we don't want anyone to hear you. We have to plan everything, we're leaving today!" Kathrin sighed. "Alright. I'll write a note to my parents about it." Clyde frowned. His uncle wouldn't care if he left, and his parents were out on work trips all the time; they wouldn't care either.
They walked together over to Clyde's garage after she left the note in her parent's room with tears on her eyes. However, when she saw what Clyde had put on the Inputs. The machine now read: "Input Place: remote island Input Time: summer" and Kathrin laughed. "Where will we get things to live with?" Clyde smiled and replied, "I've got them all right here." Kathrin looked around the garage in amazement. There was a bed, a shelf, and other things for living. They soon gathered everything together, and hit TELEPORT. They went back and forth getting things, and they laughed the whole time together.
Well, the island was small, and there were many cool animals and plants. They went exploring for this portion of the day. They saw so many cool creatures, like Gryphons and Cascara Butterflies. After exploring, they worked on a temporary shelter that they would build on later. They knew that they were on the Callisto Islands, and they lived amongst these creatures for the rest of their lives.
Spoiler
Twining their hands together, a girl and a boy leaned forward, towards each other; black hair and sandy brown mingling together for that slightest moment when their lips touched. Unclasping one hand, the boy drew an arm around the neck of the girl to pull her closer, but several heartbeats later, clutched at her back and jerked her to his body in a hug. Breaking the connection in surprise, the girl looked sideways, at the back of the head of her boyfriend, bewildered. Hesitantly, carefully, she placed her arms on his back as well, stroking the white shirt. Shadow was cast over both of their faces, but a glint in the corner of her eye was visible, with the moonlight’s penetration of the shadows. The girl was looking up, to hold back those unwanted liquid drops, at the ceiling of the bridge, where the couple stood, embracing each other for what seemed the last time.
She felt her shoulder grow warm, dampening as tears slowly slid down the boy’s cheeks and onto her skin; the liquid was tepid, running slowly down her arm unnoticed. Still, she did not let those tears loose, choking back the guilt that had gathered in her throat. The girl hadn’t told him until the last day, the last hour before her flight was to depart; she hadn’t wanted him to feel depression because of her. Biting her lip, she wished the tears to stay in place longer, at the very rims of her eyelids…
“Don’t forget me…â€ÂÂ
Her vision blurred, watery drops slid down her cheeks in uneven streaks; the broken whisper breathed her heart into a slow fluttering. Mouth pulling down to a quivering frown, she breathed out, carefully, but the shuddering exhale brought a fresh load of tears. He was making it hard, hard for her to leave, go to that school she had always wanted…
“I won’t, remember?â€ÂÂ
She pulled away from the embrace for a moment, to dig in her shirt; successful, she held up a silver locket half, an etching on the other side of the simple object. With a watery smile, the boy did the same, producing the other half from his hand. They stared at each other with red faces and blurred vision for minutes, quiet sounds of the creek next to them filling the long silence. Dropping the locket so that it again rested against her neck, she sighed, wiping away the tracks on her face.
“One more kiss, sweet, before I’ll let you go.â€ÂÂ
As much as she wanted to decline, she couldn’t leave him like this; in truth, she wanted it too, a long-distance relationship, but she knew, it was impossible for love to piggyback on phone calls and webcam chats. But this last memento…Perhaps it could tempt her once more?
She brought her lips upon his, with soft touch, and the warmth spread across her skin, raising goosebumps on her exposed arms and back. Ah, if only those sweet lips of his weren’t drenched with salty liquid; ah, if this could be a dream…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ian examined the flower he held in his hand, turning it so that he could both avoid the thorns and see if it had any flaws. A red rose, it was, with thorns aplenty, so the boy had to hold it with his fingertips. Other than this, the petals were uneven, and starting to darken to a brick red, instead of the vibrancy he expected. With a polite smile edging on uninterested, he handed the rose back to the hopeful girl in front of him, watching her hopeful expression deteriorate immediately.
“Ian, for the last time, why not? It’s not like you have a girlfriend, or anything! What’s wrong with me? Am I not skinny enough? Is it because you like Lucy? Tell me!â€ÂÂ
The boy blocked out the sound of her voice, that high-pitched, girly whine. Now, she had even caught the fabric of his shirt and was pulling at the sleeve; how irksome, were these insatiable females! A rose one week, a carnation the next- Ian understood the concept of Valentine’s Day and crush but even he, so unconnected to the “now†of the high school life, knew that these kinds of things didn’t come four times a month.
Was this some kind of joke?- Ian really didn’t know, nor cared. As long as it didn’t distract him from his studies, or take time away from his carefully planned schedule, he just brushed it off. But with the mention of his relationship status, it was Ian’s turn to switch moods. His mouth turned slightly down, his eyes visibly darkening a few shades. The girl shrunk back, startled at the change in his face; the disapproving frown just slightly marring his expression spoke bitterly to her. He sighed, running a hand through his hair as the boy caught a glitter in the corner of her eye. Tears used to mean something to him, but nowadays, it just seemed an advantage over the other person. Nevertheless, though, he leaned forward and cupped the girl's jaw in his hands, thumb moving to wipe the start of the tear away. Ian pushed to disable the frown, as it made her uncomfortable, and ended up with a feeble smile, to which the girl said, "I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..."
“That’s okay.â€ÂÂ
Granted, his answer would have been all the more effective if he hadn’t paused in the middle, scrambling to find a word. But, it still worked, and the girl opposite to him fled, kicking up dead grass as she ran. Ian watched her go, drawing a hand over his forehead and rubbing his temples. The boy was tired of making them feel guilty. They wanted nice? Black hair? Large, dark chocolate eyes? He’d tell them to go to someone else, Dylan, perhaps, or Greg. But no; he was the more popular choice and the two in question envied him for it.
As he walked along the creek, hands clasped behind his back, Ian thought of the girl, the one he had been talking to just minutes earlier. Black hair and a good body- he preferred the sandy brown crown and familiar cure under his hand, in opposition. If he could, the boy would gladly trade the dark brown for hazel eyes, the pale skin for tan; the image was strong, in his mind, even more so as he stopped and looked up.
For, upon reaching his destination, he was thankful for the last bit of sunlight touching the stone before him, casting the pale concrete in red; any later, and he would have not come at all. The structure creaked and echoed as a car rushed past, and all was still, beside the quiet rush of water and birds in the air. The bridge looked the same: sturdy, as it was the last time he had been there, a little under a month. It had become a ritual for him, as it used to be their favorite place…
When his feet brought him here the same day every month, it was because the boy had before convinced himself he would be okay. But Ian was kidding himself; that last scene, the heat on his body, was still fresh in his head, a raw wound he reopened upon arrival every time. Slowly lowering his body, the boy sat on the grass, back leaning against the bridge. He tilted his head back, to look at the sky turn orange, when a sparkle caught his eye. He squinted, but saw nothing but the red bricks of the bridge. Standing up, he stared at the spot a little longer, willing the shiny thing to show itself.
With a slight breeze, Ian saw a tiny light flash at the edge of his vision; a lucky wind for him, then. He leaped forward and grasped at it, able to see what the object was as he got closer. It was tiny, dangling from a nick in a brick just above the opening under the bridge. Tugging a bit, the object in his hand, its hold on the brick gave way and the silver chain it had been suspended on fell down, almost dragging the item with it. Opening his hand to look at the object, Ian felt cold. It glinted happily at him in the faint moonlight, as he gasped.
The locket.
She’s here.
She’s close.
And she’s telling me, now…
~*~*~*~*~*~
Ian wasn’t sure what he was expecting, stepping into a yard once full of lush greenery; he remembered, those days in the summer, where the plants had once flourished- was it that he wanted it to remain undisturbed in his memory, like a protective truth? He was sorely disappointed to find the reverse, even if it was her house; grass and weeds swamped the brown stalks, as a testament to the passage of time since someone had last been here. The boy picked his way through the foliage carefully, to avoid crushing the already-perishing flowers lining the cracked, concrete path to the door. Successfully reaching the doorway, he slumped against the wall, dizzy with the reality that the locket seemed to be giving him; already, was Ian at her house, waiting to knock on the door, and still, he was doubtful.
But he couldn’t deny the proof the small charm had laid before him.
He rang the doorbell, hearing the chime ring throughout the house, and almost backed out of the whole ordeal. Goodness knows why he was shy; Ian felt nervous, even. What if she wasn’t there?- he would look like a fool, dangling a silver chain in front of someone and insisting on its importance. The door would slam on his face, the resident’s face of portraying the disbelief that such a person should exist… But again, the-
The door opened, revealing a young man about Ian’s height. The door opened, revealing a young man about Ian’s height. With sharp brown hair and matching eyes, the person in the doorway glared at Ian, scrutinizing the other’s face in attempt to find fault. But, after a pass over the semi-long black hair and large, dark brown eyes, he grunted, not getting any particular generosity from the depths of Ian’s face.
“Go away, dude, I’m busy,†the latter growled, beginning to slam the door on his face. In that second before the guy moved into his line of vision, though, Ian could see inside the house, and his eyes widened, seeing a crown of sandy brown hair… He put a hand on the edge of the door, attempting to stare through the guy’s curses and attempts to pull it closed. “Amber,†he growled, “I want to see Amber.†The other squinted at Ian, mouth turning from a mere smirk to a suspicious frown. “Well, she’s busy. Go away, seriously.†He made a move to close the door, but Ian stopped it with his foot, placing his face right next to the other’s in the doorway.
“Let me in,†he snarled, jerking the doorknob in a sudden motion, so that the guy holding back almost lost his balance and relinquished his hold. “Whoa, okay, it’s not your house,†was the reply, the guy grunted, trying to force the door to close on Ian’s foot. Ian withdrew his face, and presently felt the tension in the doorknob loosen as the person on the other side sighed in relief.
“It’s just for a bit! Come on, a minute’s enough!â€ÂÂ
With one last pull, the blue-eyed boy gave up, and wearily let Ian in, glaring as the boy in question entered the house silently. The stairs full of replicas of famous paintings, the table outside the dining room; it was there, in a hazy outline as he closed his eyes. Around this time, her mother would be busily slaving away at the computer, the muted clack of keys coming from the room just ahead…
But when Ian opened his eyes, she was there.
Though, he didn’t imagine that her eyes would be so wide, mouth open in a silent gasp, when he appeared in her life again. They stared at each other in silence, save for the click of the lock, Ian’s eyes traveling over the girl again and again, to make sure she was real… Her figure was still the same, after just a year, though her hair had gotten longer, and her face more narrow with high cheekbones, but those murky jade eyes were still flashing and capturing the lights of the room. Ian exhaled silently, in wonder of this girl named Amber, who had captured his heart so completely; to him, her beauty was astounding, even her worst quality that of an angel.
Ian strode forward dreamily and placed his hands on top of her jawline, just below her ears, tilting her face toward his. Bringing his face closer to hers with startling suddenness, their lips collided, one could say, and Ian felt a brush of warmth sweep over his face and down his body. It had been so long, too long, since he last felt this sensation spark from such contact, the soft touch of one’s lips on his own. He melted into it, wanting to drown in its dizzying depths for eternity. He caressed her face with his thumb, shifting his position so that the girl’s head wasn’t forced into an uncomfortable incline.
In a sudden twist of events, Ian found himself sprawled on the floor, looking up at unzipped jeans- the guy’s, he could tell. His eyes traveling higher, he could see the guy scowling hate at him, hands slowly lowering back to his sides. Amber looked slightly dazed, a hand lingering over her lips as her eyes focused on the wall opposite to her; looking at her, Ian felt the same way. His head spun, with the rush of oxygen in his lungs, but also because he was confused as to how he had gotten on the floor, after that minute of bliss... He snapped out of his dreamy state, however, when the opposing boy began to talk in a low voice; Ian had to strain to hear the menacing whisper.
“Just who…do you think you are?â€ÂÂ
Ian flinched slightly as the volume of the standing guy’s voice increased, becoming similar to that of a small roar; he blinked, sweat beginning to form on his temples. He looked again toward Amber, to see that she, too, had snapped out of her trance. She looked worried; her brow had furrowed and she was biting her lip. The girl came forward, placing a hand on the guy’s forearm. “Roy, don’t… You didn’t have to push him…†The brown hair hid her face for a moment, as the girl leaned forward to murmur the statement into her counterpart’s ear. Ian bit back a curse, glaring at the hand that seemed so naturally friendly; he took in the proximity of her lips and his ear with growing unease. The intimacy they shared, though, for Roy’s hand was sliding down her backside, made him visibly twitch. He gazed at them, from the floor, unable to move anything but his eyes.
“Unzipped... Oh, God, no, Amber, you didn’t just…?â€ÂÂ
The realization smacked him in the face, and his vision blurred; but his whispered horror had reached the ears of the intended, apparently, for she looked directly at him, and said, coldly, “I love him, Ian, that’s all there is to it.†Like a plunge into cold water, Ian blinked at the shock, mouth spreading into a smile, eyebrows slanting down at the supposed sarcasm he assumed was in her voice. He looked away, then back, attempting to stand on shaking legs to match the others’ eye level. Using the ground as support, he slowly got to his feet, his body swaying slightly like that of a drunk. Raising his head, Ian felt like his mind was starting to shut down, though his next words were sharp, accusing daggers thrown at not the brown-haired boy, but the girl next to her.
“Him? …Are you kidding me?â€ÂÂ
Truly, he believed in his words, even when the stance of the opposing couple said otherwise. Though Ian meant to discredit the statement before, one could plainly see, if judging by proximity, how close the two were; could two people be so close, and still remain standing? But the denial stood as an obscuring factor in his head, and he was nothing of this, even as their hips welded together, and they turned for a kiss in the silence. Rubbing his temples, and blinking, the lone boy looked up to see the moment before their mouths met, and continued to stare for a moment as they disregarded all the world but each other. Shivering when he heard the sound of soft pleasure coming from the two, he just stared dumbly at Roy. Brown hair for black, blue eyes for brown; that should’ve been him.
The boy there should’ve been him.
I had her first.
She’s mine.
She loves me more.
Worked up to a slow rage by his silent ranting and the ongoing background noise, he stomped over to the girl and ripped her from Roy’s grip. “WHAT THE HELL?†he screamed, looking into that dreamily familiar face… Taking a fist out of his pocket and uncurling his fingers, a thin chain cascaded from his hand. The girl, mouth previously just shocked into the generic “oâ€ÂÂ, gasped when she saw the necklace, expression hardening into a frown.
“What is this, then? Isn’t it yours? Didn’t you drop it there, by that bridge? Wasn’t it you that left me to find it? Wasn’t it…â€ÂÂ
Here, Ian’s voice cracked and he swallowed hard, tears threatening to form on and drip down his cheeks slowly, at the thought of the now-crushed hope he had so carefully nursed for the past year.
A year of pining.
A year of waiting.
A year of hoping.
All, wasted, crushed by the simple sentence she had said, and this boy standing angrily to the side, Ian felt like hiding away, taking his blubbering interrogations with him. Never once did it occur to him that the girl had changed, moved on, while he delved in the past to wait, like a stupid dog to an abusive master. Never once, did it occur to him that he might not like the answer she gave him.
“Yeah, sure, it was mine,†Amber began, tossing her hair over her shoulder and looking upon him with contempt from Roy’s shoulder, “but I had been planning to get rid of it. That’s kind of the reason WHY I threw it in the river, you know?†She turned back to Roy, who was fingering her hair, and smiled at him angelically.
Her words cut through Ian’s stomach; her expression, an icy knife to the heart. The boy felt his life crack, a window fracturing into an intricate web of dark lines…
“Go home, Ian. Grow up.â€ÂÂ
The boy’s face changed to an angry frown, portraying the mixed feelings of his: the anger he felt, the frustration at his stupidity, his present lust at revenge…
In front of the two, he flung down the locket, and when it didn’t shatter like he hoped it would, Ian brought his foot down to hear a sickening crack that made him feel as if his heart had twisted in pain. With hollow eyes, he looked again at their blank faces, and turned abruptly.
Ian slammed the door on the way out of Amber’s house, the crushed remains of the silver locket half lying on the floor, twinkling up happily in the sunlight shining through the windows.
She felt her shoulder grow warm, dampening as tears slowly slid down the boy’s cheeks and onto her skin; the liquid was tepid, running slowly down her arm unnoticed. Still, she did not let those tears loose, choking back the guilt that had gathered in her throat. The girl hadn’t told him until the last day, the last hour before her flight was to depart; she hadn’t wanted him to feel depression because of her. Biting her lip, she wished the tears to stay in place longer, at the very rims of her eyelids…
“Don’t forget me…â€ÂÂ
Her vision blurred, watery drops slid down her cheeks in uneven streaks; the broken whisper breathed her heart into a slow fluttering. Mouth pulling down to a quivering frown, she breathed out, carefully, but the shuddering exhale brought a fresh load of tears. He was making it hard, hard for her to leave, go to that school she had always wanted…
“I won’t, remember?â€ÂÂ
She pulled away from the embrace for a moment, to dig in her shirt; successful, she held up a silver locket half, an etching on the other side of the simple object. With a watery smile, the boy did the same, producing the other half from his hand. They stared at each other with red faces and blurred vision for minutes, quiet sounds of the creek next to them filling the long silence. Dropping the locket so that it again rested against her neck, she sighed, wiping away the tracks on her face.
“One more kiss, sweet, before I’ll let you go.â€ÂÂ
As much as she wanted to decline, she couldn’t leave him like this; in truth, she wanted it too, a long-distance relationship, but she knew, it was impossible for love to piggyback on phone calls and webcam chats. But this last memento…Perhaps it could tempt her once more?
She brought her lips upon his, with soft touch, and the warmth spread across her skin, raising goosebumps on her exposed arms and back. Ah, if only those sweet lips of his weren’t drenched with salty liquid; ah, if this could be a dream…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ian examined the flower he held in his hand, turning it so that he could both avoid the thorns and see if it had any flaws. A red rose, it was, with thorns aplenty, so the boy had to hold it with his fingertips. Other than this, the petals were uneven, and starting to darken to a brick red, instead of the vibrancy he expected. With a polite smile edging on uninterested, he handed the rose back to the hopeful girl in front of him, watching her hopeful expression deteriorate immediately.
“Ian, for the last time, why not? It’s not like you have a girlfriend, or anything! What’s wrong with me? Am I not skinny enough? Is it because you like Lucy? Tell me!â€ÂÂ
The boy blocked out the sound of her voice, that high-pitched, girly whine. Now, she had even caught the fabric of his shirt and was pulling at the sleeve; how irksome, were these insatiable females! A rose one week, a carnation the next- Ian understood the concept of Valentine’s Day and crush but even he, so unconnected to the “now†of the high school life, knew that these kinds of things didn’t come four times a month.
Was this some kind of joke?- Ian really didn’t know, nor cared. As long as it didn’t distract him from his studies, or take time away from his carefully planned schedule, he just brushed it off. But with the mention of his relationship status, it was Ian’s turn to switch moods. His mouth turned slightly down, his eyes visibly darkening a few shades. The girl shrunk back, startled at the change in his face; the disapproving frown just slightly marring his expression spoke bitterly to her. He sighed, running a hand through his hair as the boy caught a glitter in the corner of her eye. Tears used to mean something to him, but nowadays, it just seemed an advantage over the other person. Nevertheless, though, he leaned forward and cupped the girl's jaw in his hands, thumb moving to wipe the start of the tear away. Ian pushed to disable the frown, as it made her uncomfortable, and ended up with a feeble smile, to which the girl said, "I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..."
“That’s okay.â€ÂÂ
Granted, his answer would have been all the more effective if he hadn’t paused in the middle, scrambling to find a word. But, it still worked, and the girl opposite to him fled, kicking up dead grass as she ran. Ian watched her go, drawing a hand over his forehead and rubbing his temples. The boy was tired of making them feel guilty. They wanted nice? Black hair? Large, dark chocolate eyes? He’d tell them to go to someone else, Dylan, perhaps, or Greg. But no; he was the more popular choice and the two in question envied him for it.
As he walked along the creek, hands clasped behind his back, Ian thought of the girl, the one he had been talking to just minutes earlier. Black hair and a good body- he preferred the sandy brown crown and familiar cure under his hand, in opposition. If he could, the boy would gladly trade the dark brown for hazel eyes, the pale skin for tan; the image was strong, in his mind, even more so as he stopped and looked up.
For, upon reaching his destination, he was thankful for the last bit of sunlight touching the stone before him, casting the pale concrete in red; any later, and he would have not come at all. The structure creaked and echoed as a car rushed past, and all was still, beside the quiet rush of water and birds in the air. The bridge looked the same: sturdy, as it was the last time he had been there, a little under a month. It had become a ritual for him, as it used to be their favorite place…
When his feet brought him here the same day every month, it was because the boy had before convinced himself he would be okay. But Ian was kidding himself; that last scene, the heat on his body, was still fresh in his head, a raw wound he reopened upon arrival every time. Slowly lowering his body, the boy sat on the grass, back leaning against the bridge. He tilted his head back, to look at the sky turn orange, when a sparkle caught his eye. He squinted, but saw nothing but the red bricks of the bridge. Standing up, he stared at the spot a little longer, willing the shiny thing to show itself.
With a slight breeze, Ian saw a tiny light flash at the edge of his vision; a lucky wind for him, then. He leaped forward and grasped at it, able to see what the object was as he got closer. It was tiny, dangling from a nick in a brick just above the opening under the bridge. Tugging a bit, the object in his hand, its hold on the brick gave way and the silver chain it had been suspended on fell down, almost dragging the item with it. Opening his hand to look at the object, Ian felt cold. It glinted happily at him in the faint moonlight, as he gasped.
The locket.
She’s here.
She’s close.
And she’s telling me, now…
~*~*~*~*~*~
Ian wasn’t sure what he was expecting, stepping into a yard once full of lush greenery; he remembered, those days in the summer, where the plants had once flourished- was it that he wanted it to remain undisturbed in his memory, like a protective truth? He was sorely disappointed to find the reverse, even if it was her house; grass and weeds swamped the brown stalks, as a testament to the passage of time since someone had last been here. The boy picked his way through the foliage carefully, to avoid crushing the already-perishing flowers lining the cracked, concrete path to the door. Successfully reaching the doorway, he slumped against the wall, dizzy with the reality that the locket seemed to be giving him; already, was Ian at her house, waiting to knock on the door, and still, he was doubtful.
But he couldn’t deny the proof the small charm had laid before him.
He rang the doorbell, hearing the chime ring throughout the house, and almost backed out of the whole ordeal. Goodness knows why he was shy; Ian felt nervous, even. What if she wasn’t there?- he would look like a fool, dangling a silver chain in front of someone and insisting on its importance. The door would slam on his face, the resident’s face of portraying the disbelief that such a person should exist… But again, the-
The door opened, revealing a young man about Ian’s height. The door opened, revealing a young man about Ian’s height. With sharp brown hair and matching eyes, the person in the doorway glared at Ian, scrutinizing the other’s face in attempt to find fault. But, after a pass over the semi-long black hair and large, dark brown eyes, he grunted, not getting any particular generosity from the depths of Ian’s face.
“Go away, dude, I’m busy,†the latter growled, beginning to slam the door on his face. In that second before the guy moved into his line of vision, though, Ian could see inside the house, and his eyes widened, seeing a crown of sandy brown hair… He put a hand on the edge of the door, attempting to stare through the guy’s curses and attempts to pull it closed. “Amber,†he growled, “I want to see Amber.†The other squinted at Ian, mouth turning from a mere smirk to a suspicious frown. “Well, she’s busy. Go away, seriously.†He made a move to close the door, but Ian stopped it with his foot, placing his face right next to the other’s in the doorway.
“Let me in,†he snarled, jerking the doorknob in a sudden motion, so that the guy holding back almost lost his balance and relinquished his hold. “Whoa, okay, it’s not your house,†was the reply, the guy grunted, trying to force the door to close on Ian’s foot. Ian withdrew his face, and presently felt the tension in the doorknob loosen as the person on the other side sighed in relief.
“It’s just for a bit! Come on, a minute’s enough!â€ÂÂ
With one last pull, the blue-eyed boy gave up, and wearily let Ian in, glaring as the boy in question entered the house silently. The stairs full of replicas of famous paintings, the table outside the dining room; it was there, in a hazy outline as he closed his eyes. Around this time, her mother would be busily slaving away at the computer, the muted clack of keys coming from the room just ahead…
But when Ian opened his eyes, she was there.
Though, he didn’t imagine that her eyes would be so wide, mouth open in a silent gasp, when he appeared in her life again. They stared at each other in silence, save for the click of the lock, Ian’s eyes traveling over the girl again and again, to make sure she was real… Her figure was still the same, after just a year, though her hair had gotten longer, and her face more narrow with high cheekbones, but those murky jade eyes were still flashing and capturing the lights of the room. Ian exhaled silently, in wonder of this girl named Amber, who had captured his heart so completely; to him, her beauty was astounding, even her worst quality that of an angel.
Ian strode forward dreamily and placed his hands on top of her jawline, just below her ears, tilting her face toward his. Bringing his face closer to hers with startling suddenness, their lips collided, one could say, and Ian felt a brush of warmth sweep over his face and down his body. It had been so long, too long, since he last felt this sensation spark from such contact, the soft touch of one’s lips on his own. He melted into it, wanting to drown in its dizzying depths for eternity. He caressed her face with his thumb, shifting his position so that the girl’s head wasn’t forced into an uncomfortable incline.
In a sudden twist of events, Ian found himself sprawled on the floor, looking up at unzipped jeans- the guy’s, he could tell. His eyes traveling higher, he could see the guy scowling hate at him, hands slowly lowering back to his sides. Amber looked slightly dazed, a hand lingering over her lips as her eyes focused on the wall opposite to her; looking at her, Ian felt the same way. His head spun, with the rush of oxygen in his lungs, but also because he was confused as to how he had gotten on the floor, after that minute of bliss... He snapped out of his dreamy state, however, when the opposing boy began to talk in a low voice; Ian had to strain to hear the menacing whisper.
“Just who…do you think you are?â€ÂÂ
Ian flinched slightly as the volume of the standing guy’s voice increased, becoming similar to that of a small roar; he blinked, sweat beginning to form on his temples. He looked again toward Amber, to see that she, too, had snapped out of her trance. She looked worried; her brow had furrowed and she was biting her lip. The girl came forward, placing a hand on the guy’s forearm. “Roy, don’t… You didn’t have to push him…†The brown hair hid her face for a moment, as the girl leaned forward to murmur the statement into her counterpart’s ear. Ian bit back a curse, glaring at the hand that seemed so naturally friendly; he took in the proximity of her lips and his ear with growing unease. The intimacy they shared, though, for Roy’s hand was sliding down her backside, made him visibly twitch. He gazed at them, from the floor, unable to move anything but his eyes.
“Unzipped... Oh, God, no, Amber, you didn’t just…?â€ÂÂ
The realization smacked him in the face, and his vision blurred; but his whispered horror had reached the ears of the intended, apparently, for she looked directly at him, and said, coldly, “I love him, Ian, that’s all there is to it.†Like a plunge into cold water, Ian blinked at the shock, mouth spreading into a smile, eyebrows slanting down at the supposed sarcasm he assumed was in her voice. He looked away, then back, attempting to stand on shaking legs to match the others’ eye level. Using the ground as support, he slowly got to his feet, his body swaying slightly like that of a drunk. Raising his head, Ian felt like his mind was starting to shut down, though his next words were sharp, accusing daggers thrown at not the brown-haired boy, but the girl next to her.
“Him? …Are you kidding me?â€ÂÂ
Truly, he believed in his words, even when the stance of the opposing couple said otherwise. Though Ian meant to discredit the statement before, one could plainly see, if judging by proximity, how close the two were; could two people be so close, and still remain standing? But the denial stood as an obscuring factor in his head, and he was nothing of this, even as their hips welded together, and they turned for a kiss in the silence. Rubbing his temples, and blinking, the lone boy looked up to see the moment before their mouths met, and continued to stare for a moment as they disregarded all the world but each other. Shivering when he heard the sound of soft pleasure coming from the two, he just stared dumbly at Roy. Brown hair for black, blue eyes for brown; that should’ve been him.
The boy there should’ve been him.
I had her first.
She’s mine.
She loves me more.
Worked up to a slow rage by his silent ranting and the ongoing background noise, he stomped over to the girl and ripped her from Roy’s grip. “WHAT THE HELL?†he screamed, looking into that dreamily familiar face… Taking a fist out of his pocket and uncurling his fingers, a thin chain cascaded from his hand. The girl, mouth previously just shocked into the generic “oâ€ÂÂ, gasped when she saw the necklace, expression hardening into a frown.
“What is this, then? Isn’t it yours? Didn’t you drop it there, by that bridge? Wasn’t it you that left me to find it? Wasn’t it…â€ÂÂ
Here, Ian’s voice cracked and he swallowed hard, tears threatening to form on and drip down his cheeks slowly, at the thought of the now-crushed hope he had so carefully nursed for the past year.
A year of pining.
A year of waiting.
A year of hoping.
All, wasted, crushed by the simple sentence she had said, and this boy standing angrily to the side, Ian felt like hiding away, taking his blubbering interrogations with him. Never once did it occur to him that the girl had changed, moved on, while he delved in the past to wait, like a stupid dog to an abusive master. Never once, did it occur to him that he might not like the answer she gave him.
“Yeah, sure, it was mine,†Amber began, tossing her hair over her shoulder and looking upon him with contempt from Roy’s shoulder, “but I had been planning to get rid of it. That’s kind of the reason WHY I threw it in the river, you know?†She turned back to Roy, who was fingering her hair, and smiled at him angelically.
Her words cut through Ian’s stomach; her expression, an icy knife to the heart. The boy felt his life crack, a window fracturing into an intricate web of dark lines…
“Go home, Ian. Grow up.â€ÂÂ
The boy’s face changed to an angry frown, portraying the mixed feelings of his: the anger he felt, the frustration at his stupidity, his present lust at revenge…
In front of the two, he flung down the locket, and when it didn’t shatter like he hoped it would, Ian brought his foot down to hear a sickening crack that made him feel as if his heart had twisted in pain. With hollow eyes, he looked again at their blank faces, and turned abruptly.
Ian slammed the door on the way out of Amber’s house, the crushed remains of the silver locket half lying on the floor, twinkling up happily in the sunlight shining through the windows.
End Is Coming by magicdream1
Spoiler
The shimmering glow of a girl’s long silver hair was perfectly visible by anything watching her as she walked quietly in a nearly silent forest. She watched her surroundings, the bright wild green leaves around her, the almost hidden dull blue sky, barely seen through the layers of trees and vines, the animals, scarcely making any sound. Then she saw it, a slight glimmer from quite a ways away from her. The forest seemed to fall completely silent as she crept towards it with only the sound of her cautious footsteps.
As the girl reached the unknown object her mysterious sparkling dark blue eyes fell on a gem. It was a strange thing, with its pure black color, yet you could see through it, and its odd shape, a perfectly cut heart. Its size was no bigger than a regular golf ball, and it was almost shining too much to look at. It was sitting atop a golden pocket watch, not ticking, just sitting. The girl picked up the gem and pocket watch. There was the sudden sound of screeching then the silent forest remained silent once again.
***
Records say that Lilac Rider died August 29, 1573 at age eighteen but there is no body in her grave, and nothing had ever been found of to prove that she died. It is now 1997.
The truth, she is not dead. She is stuck forever at eighteen years old, never aging, never changing. The precious gem and small pocket watch that she had found in the forest was nothing normal at all. It was never seen by anyone but her. Lilac discovered eternal life, along with other things said to be impossible to find to create, but it may not be forever after all...
***
Lilac sat on a tree branch, high in a tree of a forest, hidden from sight by bunches of leaves and the early morning mist hitting her face.. She stared at the gem and pocket watch that she had discovered so many years ago. By just touching t, by just picking it up, she had gotten stuck like this, frozen forever. The pocket watch had never ticked, until about a hundred years ago, when it started ticking and messages started to appear in the center of the glass, which had a tiny crack in it. Messages that worried her. The first one had appeared in midday, August 29, 1910, the same day she had found it. It had startled her when it had started ticking, for Lilac had never heard it make any noise, it was as silent as the insane forest she had found it in. The pocket watch had a beautiful ticking noise, unlike others. The message had said, End is coming. It was simple, but brought her to reality. It would end. Life would end for her, someday, somehow, and there was no way she could stop it.
Lilac had received many messages along with that, but that was the one she feared most. What would death be like? Was it really happening to her? After all she had witnessed? The Civil War, all the sports legends such as Babe Ruth, Man o’ War, Secretariat, and so many others, the World Wars, and so much more. After all that, it would be over? Even living for so long, there were things she had never done. She had never fallen in love; she had seen plenty of people who had fallen in love, but not her.
Lilac couldn’t let this be over, but there was just no possible way to change it. She was going to gone forever. A while ago, Lilac had figured that as long as the pocket watch was ticking, she was living, but as soon as it started to slow, or stopped, she was dead. It was starting to slow, the ticking has been fast when it first started years ago, but it had gotten slower, and slower lately.
Lilac had always moved around, never in the same place for too long, as for it to never be discovered that eternal life really does exists. At the moment, she was in the exact same forest she had discovered the gem and watch in, the forest that had given her her abilities, the forest that she was going to die in.
Time was ending soon, the end of endless was reaching Lilac as she sat in the tree, above the very spot the gem and pocket watch appeared in the forest for the first of many times.
Dawn was coming upon the completely silent forest as the black gems started shining in the girl’s hands, and as the pocket watch started to rapidly slow. Lilac’s heart started to beat faster than normal, as she knew she would be gone soon, extremely soon. A message appeared, the last message she would receive, saying, End has come. She climbed down the tree, but left the treasures behind. She didn’t want to know how much time there was exactly, but she knew it wasn’t much.
That night Lilac fell asleep under the moonlight, still in the silent forest, but she never awoke. And as for the pocket watch and gem, hundreds of years later, they were found, in the same place, in the same forest, and it kept going on, giving people life and taking it away.
As the girl reached the unknown object her mysterious sparkling dark blue eyes fell on a gem. It was a strange thing, with its pure black color, yet you could see through it, and its odd shape, a perfectly cut heart. Its size was no bigger than a regular golf ball, and it was almost shining too much to look at. It was sitting atop a golden pocket watch, not ticking, just sitting. The girl picked up the gem and pocket watch. There was the sudden sound of screeching then the silent forest remained silent once again.
***
Records say that Lilac Rider died August 29, 1573 at age eighteen but there is no body in her grave, and nothing had ever been found of to prove that she died. It is now 1997.
The truth, she is not dead. She is stuck forever at eighteen years old, never aging, never changing. The precious gem and small pocket watch that she had found in the forest was nothing normal at all. It was never seen by anyone but her. Lilac discovered eternal life, along with other things said to be impossible to find to create, but it may not be forever after all...
***
Lilac sat on a tree branch, high in a tree of a forest, hidden from sight by bunches of leaves and the early morning mist hitting her face.. She stared at the gem and pocket watch that she had discovered so many years ago. By just touching t, by just picking it up, she had gotten stuck like this, frozen forever. The pocket watch had never ticked, until about a hundred years ago, when it started ticking and messages started to appear in the center of the glass, which had a tiny crack in it. Messages that worried her. The first one had appeared in midday, August 29, 1910, the same day she had found it. It had startled her when it had started ticking, for Lilac had never heard it make any noise, it was as silent as the insane forest she had found it in. The pocket watch had a beautiful ticking noise, unlike others. The message had said, End is coming. It was simple, but brought her to reality. It would end. Life would end for her, someday, somehow, and there was no way she could stop it.
Lilac had received many messages along with that, but that was the one she feared most. What would death be like? Was it really happening to her? After all she had witnessed? The Civil War, all the sports legends such as Babe Ruth, Man o’ War, Secretariat, and so many others, the World Wars, and so much more. After all that, it would be over? Even living for so long, there were things she had never done. She had never fallen in love; she had seen plenty of people who had fallen in love, but not her.
Lilac couldn’t let this be over, but there was just no possible way to change it. She was going to gone forever. A while ago, Lilac had figured that as long as the pocket watch was ticking, she was living, but as soon as it started to slow, or stopped, she was dead. It was starting to slow, the ticking has been fast when it first started years ago, but it had gotten slower, and slower lately.
Lilac had always moved around, never in the same place for too long, as for it to never be discovered that eternal life really does exists. At the moment, she was in the exact same forest she had discovered the gem and watch in, the forest that had given her her abilities, the forest that she was going to die in.
Time was ending soon, the end of endless was reaching Lilac as she sat in the tree, above the very spot the gem and pocket watch appeared in the forest for the first of many times.
Dawn was coming upon the completely silent forest as the black gems started shining in the girl’s hands, and as the pocket watch started to rapidly slow. Lilac’s heart started to beat faster than normal, as she knew she would be gone soon, extremely soon. A message appeared, the last message she would receive, saying, End has come. She climbed down the tree, but left the treasures behind. She didn’t want to know how much time there was exactly, but she knew it wasn’t much.
That night Lilac fell asleep under the moonlight, still in the silent forest, but she never awoke. And as for the pocket watch and gem, hundreds of years later, they were found, in the same place, in the same forest, and it kept going on, giving people life and taking it away.
Spoiler
How? I thought. I looked at the flawless, solid copy of me. It looked exactly like me. It had my dirt brown eyes, my horribly straight, yellow-brown colored hair, my annoying pale brown freckles that were in the exact same places as my own freckles were and the pair of black-rimmed glasses.
Reaching my left hand out, I touched the bony shoulder of the strange creature that could’ve been mistaken as my twin. The being stared at me and was unfazed of the fact I was touching its shoulder. Then, it reached out its own left hand to touch my shoulder. It was like looking into a mirror and touching your reflection except you were not held back by a rectangle of glass. Thus, you could actually feel yourself. How could a simple purple rock do something like this?
~
~
Earlier that Saturday morning I had set out to head towards the riverbank and skip a few stones across the crystal-clear waters. I admit the air felt different that morning...almost magical. Even the wind felt strange. Instead of the strong hot winds that blew throughout the countryside the wind was warm, tugging at my hair gently.
As I approached the riverbank, the wind seemed to pull me closer to the waters. I was resistant to it at first, but slowly, as if unconsciously, I noticed I was only a few inches away of the water touching the tips of my sandals.
Grasping a flat, gray stone in my hand, I got in the position to skip it across the water when I saw a bright glint coming from the many dull stones surrounding me. Instead of tossing the stone, I dropped it and crouched to the ground. I looked carefully at the stones, looking for the source of the shine. At first I thought it could have been glass, but I was way off.
Staring down at the ground, I noticed a shiny, purple stone about the size of a quarter. It was in the shape of a diamond and all of the edges had been worn down. For some reason, it seemed to not just a pretty stone that glimmered in the sunlight, it seemed to be more than that.
Examining it closer, I noticed there were small etchings of clouds on the stone. Other than that, it seemed like an ordinary purple stone. It just didn’t feel that way. Unlike other stones, this one seemed to have a deeper meaning in life than to just lay there and be a part of the earth.
Then, there was a flash of white light and suddenly I was face to face with a girl that looked exactly like me and was wearing the same unfashionable clothes as I was. At first I was shocked and tried to stand up, stumbling a bit. The strange look-alike stared at me for a couple of seconds and then mimicked my movements, including every stumble I had made.
Suddenly, I realized something. Looking at the hand that I had the stone in, I gasped. The stone was gone.
~ ~
Taking my hand off my double’s shoulder I sighed and watch my double do the exact same thing. Was this thing mocking me? I thought angrily. Was it copying my movements to mock me? To show me that I was ugly and had no talent?! I was about to burst into tears except a voice stopped me before I could.
You are only what you think you are. The strange voice sounded like a thousand different voices, both male and female, and they were speaking in unison. This mere reflection of you is just how you see yourself: a hideous girl with no talent. Truthfully, you’re quite beautiful, inside and out. If you alter the way you think about yourself you won’t feel the way you feel now.
All was silent as I thought for a moment, looking up at the clear sky. I was always talking down about myself and I guess I did see myself as ugly. Perhaps that voice was right. I needed to change the way I thought about myself.
When I looked back at my double she was smiling at me. I no longer saw anything that looked ugly on her and I knew it right then. I’m beautiful because I say I am and nobody was going to make me feel bad about myself.
My twin looked at me, and nodded as though she knew what I was thinking. She then mouthed the words, Don’t ever forget what you just heard.
Finally, a strong gust of wind blew through the trees taking my doppelganger with it as she disintegrated into dust.
Reaching my left hand out, I touched the bony shoulder of the strange creature that could’ve been mistaken as my twin. The being stared at me and was unfazed of the fact I was touching its shoulder. Then, it reached out its own left hand to touch my shoulder. It was like looking into a mirror and touching your reflection except you were not held back by a rectangle of glass. Thus, you could actually feel yourself. How could a simple purple rock do something like this?
~
~Earlier that Saturday morning I had set out to head towards the riverbank and skip a few stones across the crystal-clear waters. I admit the air felt different that morning...almost magical. Even the wind felt strange. Instead of the strong hot winds that blew throughout the countryside the wind was warm, tugging at my hair gently.
As I approached the riverbank, the wind seemed to pull me closer to the waters. I was resistant to it at first, but slowly, as if unconsciously, I noticed I was only a few inches away of the water touching the tips of my sandals.
Grasping a flat, gray stone in my hand, I got in the position to skip it across the water when I saw a bright glint coming from the many dull stones surrounding me. Instead of tossing the stone, I dropped it and crouched to the ground. I looked carefully at the stones, looking for the source of the shine. At first I thought it could have been glass, but I was way off.
Staring down at the ground, I noticed a shiny, purple stone about the size of a quarter. It was in the shape of a diamond and all of the edges had been worn down. For some reason, it seemed to not just a pretty stone that glimmered in the sunlight, it seemed to be more than that.
Examining it closer, I noticed there were small etchings of clouds on the stone. Other than that, it seemed like an ordinary purple stone. It just didn’t feel that way. Unlike other stones, this one seemed to have a deeper meaning in life than to just lay there and be a part of the earth.
Then, there was a flash of white light and suddenly I was face to face with a girl that looked exactly like me and was wearing the same unfashionable clothes as I was. At first I was shocked and tried to stand up, stumbling a bit. The strange look-alike stared at me for a couple of seconds and then mimicked my movements, including every stumble I had made.
Suddenly, I realized something. Looking at the hand that I had the stone in, I gasped. The stone was gone.
~
~Taking my hand off my double’s shoulder I sighed and watch my double do the exact same thing. Was this thing mocking me? I thought angrily. Was it copying my movements to mock me? To show me that I was ugly and had no talent?! I was about to burst into tears except a voice stopped me before I could.
You are only what you think you are. The strange voice sounded like a thousand different voices, both male and female, and they were speaking in unison. This mere reflection of you is just how you see yourself: a hideous girl with no talent. Truthfully, you’re quite beautiful, inside and out. If you alter the way you think about yourself you won’t feel the way you feel now.
All was silent as I thought for a moment, looking up at the clear sky. I was always talking down about myself and I guess I did see myself as ugly. Perhaps that voice was right. I needed to change the way I thought about myself.
When I looked back at my double she was smiling at me. I no longer saw anything that looked ugly on her and I knew it right then. I’m beautiful because I say I am and nobody was going to make me feel bad about myself.
My twin looked at me, and nodded as though she knew what I was thinking. She then mouthed the words, Don’t ever forget what you just heard.
Finally, a strong gust of wind blew through the trees taking my doppelganger with it as she disintegrated into dust.
Last edited by Kestrad on March 4th, 2011, 5:24:29 pm, edited 20 times in total.
Kestrad has been eaten by life. She'll probably pop back in occasionally.Keep story | Portal Guild | Graphics Shop
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Lunaheart
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Re: Writing Contest! [Open]
when you say 3000 words, it is without spaces, correct?
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Phoenixwildfire
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Re: Writing Contest! [Open]
*stares at prompt three*
are we allowed to use original characters from a story we've already started? (Avalon Keep)
are we allowed to use original characters from a story we've already started? (Avalon Keep)
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PossessedFae
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Re: Writing Contest! [Open]
And for prompts two and three, do those have to be MS based? I have an idea in mind, but it has nothing to do with MS. 
I have a lot of butterflies. 
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Kestrad
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Re: Writing Contest! [Open]
Lunaheart, spaces aren't words, so correct!
You're allowed to use any characters you want, as long as you assume that the reader hasn't read the other stories they're in. And prompts 2 and 3 can be set anywhere you want. Sorry if that wasn't clear
You're allowed to use any characters you want, as long as you assume that the reader hasn't read the other stories they're in. And prompts 2 and 3 can be set anywhere you want. Sorry if that wasn't clear
Kestrad has been eaten by life. She'll probably pop back in occasionally.Keep story | Portal Guild | Graphics Shop
Please do not click my hatchlings. Thank you.
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Lunaheart
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Re: Writing Contest! [Open]
Okay, thanks!
Hmm...what to do...I got it!
*graps quill, ink, parchment, and laptop. Sits down and starts on Prompt 2...
Hmm...what to do...I got it!
*graps quill, ink, parchment, and laptop. Sits down and starts on Prompt 2...Looking for Donis on my wishlist. See my profile for details on what I have to offer.
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Lunaheart
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Re: Writing Contest! [Open]
Sorry to ask another question, but could we aslo put a picture up when we submit the story?
Looking for Donis on my wishlist. See my profile for details on what I have to offer.
Sarge is one of my Keep Guardians along with Durakro.
AT&T Link