Tag: fiction

Strike for Power

Writing prompt from the book 5000 writing prompts:  Any person who kills her will inherit her power.

This originally was a writing prompt that turned into a longer story. I have no regrats.

– Turan

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Running through the woods, Alex tripped over a stump and rolled across the leaf-covered ground. Dirt and rocks cut and bruised her skin as she tumbled. With a hard groan, Alex pushed herself up. She couldn’t waste a single moment. They were hunting her. 

Wiping the tears off her face, Alex stifled her pain. There was no room for error in her escape. Who knows what power they possessed in return. She pushed herself to her feet, not even bothering to brush herself off. Picking up the pace, Alex forced into a light jog. Her body ached and screamed at her. How long had she been running? Internally she cursed. If only she never killed that stupid boy, she could be free.

It was two weeks ago when she took the shortcut home. It was a small path through the forest beside a small flowing stream. Alex had taken this path every day since starting school, taking it to and from home. It was a beautiful, forgotten, beaten path: overgrown from years of neglect. She had stumbled upon it one day when she was running from her dad. 

He was drunk, yelling at her for something her mother did or didn’t do. Alex couldn’t remember the reason anymore from how often it happened. Since then, she’d explored each pathway and where they led. It was a convenient secret, leading her across town to just about any place she needed to go. It wasn’t long until Alex had each path and section of the forest memorized. 

Even more surprising was how no one ever knew about the connected ways, nor did she bother to tell them. Her biggest fear was that more people would find them, ruining her only solace away from the forsaken town.

Only today, it was the first time she had ever come across something on the path. Alex froze, feeling the adrenaline kick in, chilling her to the core. Should she run back to the school and wait? She never needed a backup plan for this type of situation. 

She shuffled awkwardly. Looking forward and then back down the path to the school, she debated her options. A small yowl caught her off guard. She jumped at the sound. Was it a wounded animal? 

Alex waited a moment longer before clenching her fist tightly with determination. Taking a small breath in, she decided to step forward. Timidly approaching the body, Alex spotted reddish fur, glowing from the flashing sunlight that broke through the tree coverage. It was a fox, a large one to boot.

With more confidence, she rushed to the beast’s side, checking to see if it was still breathing. The fox whimpered at her touch, shivering in fear weakly. It broke Alex’s heart. 

The fox must have been afraid she was a predator. With a soft voice, she stroked its fur gently. “Shh. Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you.”

The creature pulled itself up weakly and tried to run away. Right then, Alex spotted the blood-soaked fur on its leg and shoulder. She gasped with concern. Who could have done this to the poor animal? 

Tenderly, Alex slid her arm under the fox’s body and lifted it. The poor creature yipped, struggling against her hold.

“Please, be still. Your hurt, little one. I just want to help you.”

Placing it down again, she touched her fingers to the frightened fox’s cheek, stroking it softly to ease them. The fox’s eyes widened, almost human-like. It panted heavily and stared back at her, scanning her eyes for a moment. Alex continued to rub her finger along the fox’s jaw line. Again Alex reassured the poor mammal. 

“It’s ok. You’ll be safe in my care.”

Her words were enough for the beast to relax. Letting go of its resistance, the fox slumped into her arms. Alex waited a moment before slowly moving her hands towards the fox’s paws. She checked to make sure no bones were protruding or any missing chunks. The fur was matted and dirty, some of it with dried blood. 

Poor thing, Alex thought. Without hesitation, she swooped the fox into her arms tightly and ran. If she could get to her tree house quick enough, she could get provisions for the little one before getting caught. 

Alex prayed that her dad was still out so she could sneak about without being questioned. Time was of the essence. Weaving through and down the path, Alex made quick haste. 

Before she knew it, the view of her backyard was in sight. She slowed down, kneeling behind a bush to quickly scan the house windows. The lights were all off, and there was no movement that she could see. Perfect, she thought with a smirk.

Alex bolted out of the forest to the base of the tree house. There was a small ladder that led to the top. It took a bit of manoeuvring to keep the fox tightly to her chest and ascend the shaking ladder. 

Thankfully the little creature was light that it posed no real difficulty. Reaching the top, however, was the real struggle. Balancing as much as possible, Alex grabbed the latch above to open the trap door. It was a little tricky, but after years of sneaking full arms of food, clothing, and toys from her room, Alex had become a bit of a pro. 

Once she flipped the trap door, she climbed the last few rungs enough to pull herself up, sliding to her bottom first, then brought her feet in before closing the latch. It was a small room; with a small bed in the corner, a battery-operated lamp, a travel-sized oven attracted to a solar panel battery, and a table with books, papers, and pens. From the roof hung a hammock full of clothes, bags of snacks and a few other blankets in case of cold nights. 

Alex placed the poor animal beside her bed and reached for a towel. Grabbing an old shirt, she ripped it into shreds for bandages.

There wasn’t much she had to offer the fox, and there was no fresh water to clean the wounds. Alex reached for a small cushion and placed it under its head. It was all she could offer for comfort until she returned from inside the house. Petting the foxes face, she reassured it. 

“I have to leave you for a moment. You’ll be safe in here. I will come back in a moment with fresh water and supplies to take care of your wounds.”

She knew the animal couldn’t understand her, but it gave her comfort. If she could help it feel at home, it was worthwhile. Grabbing her backpack from a hook on the wall, she swung it on her back and kicked open the trap door. 

With a small jump, Alex skipped a few ladder rungs and descended quickly. Running towards the house on high alert, Alex opened the door silently. 

Without turning on a light, she crouched low and tipped-toe to her bedroom. First, she needed a small blanket and towel. She rolled them up quickly and shoved them into her bag.

Next, she reached the bathroom, pulling out her cellphone to turn on the light. Quickly opening the drawer, she grabbed band-aids, gauze, and soap. There also was a white trash bag roll inside that she ripped off a few bags. It was just for precaution and to throw away what may have been too soiled by the fox’s blood.

Lastly, she headed back to the kitchen. Spotting the clock, she watched the hand strike 7 o’clock. The chime rang as a flash of light crossed the wall. Ducking further, Alex sped to the kitchen pantry. A diesel truck pulled into the driveway, music blaring. It clunked hard, the gears grinding into park to stop. She was running out of time. 

Grabbing several water bottles, Alex shoved them into her bag until full to the brim. With a tight pull on her bag strings, she lifted the bag and booked it to the back door. 

The front door opened when she closed the back, hiding the noise. Ducking behind the door, she could hear the staggering steps of her father. 

Just by the uneven pattern, she could tell he had been drinking. Figures. Alex waited a moment longer as the steps took down the hall towards the bedrooms. She pushed off and ran back to the ladder, climbing it gracefully. Lifting the trapdoor carefully, Alex slid inside the house and closed the door silently. She waited before sitting up with a heavy sigh.

Turning her attention back to the fox, it had drifted into a deep sleep. Hopefully, she was not too late to help the little creature. Setting up the supplies she gathered, she began to work. Pouring water on the small towels, Alex cleaned the blood and dirt away. 

It took time to clear all the wounds and the discolour from the blood. Taking the gauze, Alex pressed them into the open wounds, then wrapped the shreds of t-shirt around the fox’s body to hold them in place. She covered the rest of the injuries on the fox’s legs and neck. 

It looked like whatever was trying to attack the poor animal intended to kill it. What would have happened if Alex decided to pass it by and do nothing? She shuttered at the thought. It was better not to think about it.

Finish dressing the wounds, Alex slumped back, stretching out her legs. She watched the fox sleep peacefully in a deep slumber. She discovered his gender while cleaning his legs and thought now about what to name the little guy. Would it be ok to keep him until he recovered enough to leave on his own? 

Tapping the bottom of her chin, Alex thought for a moment. The fox slept peacefully, curling up into the blanket she wrapped around him after she finished washing his fur. Despite the bandages, he didn’t look to be suffering much. It made her happy. 

Alex had never owned a pet before, and the thought of keeping a secret pet fox from her dad made her giggle mischievously. She would be like the character in a comic she read once, where a girl found a magic rabbit. They got into all sorts of trouble on their adventures. It was one of Alex’s favourite books.

“I know,” Alex rolled to her stomach, crawling in closer to lay beside the sleeping fox, “I will call you Flax. It’s the name of the rabbit in the stories I used to read.”

Giving the small fox a head scratch, Alex smiled. Flax stretched sleepily, flicking his bandaged paw before lazily leaning his head into her hand. Alex giggled. Her head close to his, she whispered in a low voice. 

“I wish I had magic powers, you know? At least then, I could leave here and take care of myself. Leave this terrible house. Leave this awful town. I hate it here.”

Her smile faded. If only she could leave. With a small sigh, Alex closed her eyes. “Will you be my magical sidekick, Flax?”

With that, she drifted off to sleep.

In the morning, she woke up with Flax still sleeping in her hand. He was awake, staring at her, waiting for her to wake up. Never did he complain or cry. Thankfully, Alex had some snacks stored away to feed them both breakfast. She sat on the floor, breaking off small chunks of her granola bar to feed Flax. 

He was feeling much chipper, gleefully taking the small bites to chop down.  After eating, Alex unwrapped the bandages to clean the wounds with fresh gauze. Only, when she pulled them away, there was no sight of any cuts. 

In a bit of confusion, Alex chuckled. “Well, I don’t know if I made the whole thing up or if foxes just heal fast, but you’re all better now.”

Petting the fox behind the ears, she frowned. “Does… this mean I need to let you go free?”

Flax sneezed in response. He looked upset and almost disagreed with her. Alex put her hands on her hip. “What, does that mean you want to stay?”

With a yip, Flax replied. He sat straight, flicking his bushy tail.

“Alright, if you insist. Welcome to Castle El’forte. It’s my home away from home. Cause the real one sucks.”

The alarm on Alex’s phone began to ring, pulling her attention away. “Oh, shoot! I need to get ready for school! Come, let me take you in. Dad’s gone early in the day for work and always comes home late. If I time it right, I never have to see him. He doesn’t bother to seek me out either.”

With that, she offered her shoulder, and Flax hopped on. It was a start of a beautiful relationship. 

Each day Flax would follow her to school, wait on the path until she returned and then they would play until it was time to sneak back up into the tree house. Alex finally found hope, living her days happy alongside Flax. But with everything in Alex’s life, it never lasted.  Two weeks had gone by, and this time when she came out of school towards the path, Flax wasn’t there. Odd, Alex thought, calling out for him a few times.

“Flax? Flax! Where are you hiding?”

Maybe it was a game? Alex scanned about more before taking a few steps into the forest. Could it be a new game he was playing with her? Smiling weakly, she decided to play along. 

“Alright, I guess I am just going to keep heading home! Don’t try to sneak up on me!”

Alex continued, walking for a while, waiting. Nothing came after several minutes, which caused her to worry. Where did he go? 

She stopped to look back towards the school with a frown. Did Flax maybe stay at home today? Facing homeward bound, Alex broke into a hurried jog. There was only one way to find out. 

The forest was a blur when the tree house popped into view. Not wasting time looking for her dad, she dropped her bag to the ground and called out for Flax. Her voice laced with concern and fear. Looking up to the tree house, she climbed the ladder in a rush.  The trap door was unlocked, making it easy for her to pop open.

“Flax, are you-“

All the blood drained from her face. Her body shook with rage as she dropped down the ladder in a frenzy. Racing the back door, she ripped it open and stomped inside. She didn’t have to go far. Sitting on a chair in the kitchen was her dad. His back to her as she stormed in.

“What did you do?”

He was lighting another cigarette, taking his time to reply. He deliberately took a deep breath of the smoke and exhaled, meeting Alex with an indifferent attitude.

“What the hell did you do to all my stuff?!”

Finally, he glanced at Alex. “I cleaned it out.”

Flabbergasted, Alex shook her head. “Cleaned it out?! That was all my stuff! You had no right!”

Her dad slammed his fist against the table. “Don’t tell me what I have a right to do in my own house! With my property! You’ve been wasting your time up there when you are supposed to be living here! Your lucky I haven’t taken a chain saw to the tree to cut it down! You are too old to be playing games! Time to wake up!”

Alex shook with anger. How dare he tell her she needed to wake up. 

“I need to stop playing games? Who’s getting pissed drunk every night and wasting all the money on alcohol? Every day I need to fend for myself because my useless dad-“

Alex felt the dread trickle down her spine at how fast her dad shot out of the chair. His face was menacing. Puffing his chest out, he towered over her. 

“What did you call me? After all, I have done for you? I’ve given a roof over your head.  Even allowed you to spend night after night in that tree house: and for what? This disrespect? I know you think you are so clever. I saw the bags of bloody rags in the trash and the tiffs of fur all over the yard. You are hiding a damn mutt from me! You know the rules around here: no pets allowed! So, from now on, you are no longer allowed up in that tree house, and you’re getting a job to start paying for things around here!”

Alex took several steps back towards the wall as her dad yelled at her. His face was blistering red as spittle flung out at her. Her body did the one thing it could. It turned towards the door and fled. Her dad reached out, grabbing her shirt to pull her back before she could make it. It tore just enough for her to escape his reach. He may have been stronger than her, but she was nimble. 

Opening the door with great force, she managed to slam it into his face. He collided hard with it, falling back to the floor with a roar. Alex didn’t bother looking back, running full force towards the forest. Before she hit the tree line, she heard a yip from Flax. 

Alex whipped her head towards him, spotting him jumping near a different pathway. She pivoted on the spot and bolted in his direction.

“Flax!”

The second she caught up, he turned and led her down the pathway. It was the pathway that took them out of town. Alex’s heart was pounding, her legs weightless. Leaves, twigs and branches flew past her in a blur. All she could see was Flax sprinting like a golden light guiding her. 

Ahead of them was a clearance leading them just outside of the town. Once on the other side, Alex would be clear from the town’s borders and into the wilds. Her spirit soured. Finally, she was leaving this horrible place. 

Reaching the edge of the treeline, Alex almost tripped over Flax. Stopping stiff in his tracks, he paused with focused eyes. Alex collapsed to her knees while panting. “What… what is it… boy?”

She wiped the sweat streaming down her forehead before looking into the clearing. Covering her mouth quickly to mute the startled scream, Alex spotted dark figures out in the opening. They were younger kids calling out, all taunting some being. 

“Here, little weasel! We know you are trying to escape here! No use hiding! Come out and face your fate!”

Alex’s eyes widened. Were they talking about her? How did they know she was trying to escape. A tug on her sleeve made Alex jump. Flax was trying to get her attention, pulling her off the path to the right. His eyes were wide with fear as well. Was Flax scared of the teens as well? 

She had no choice but to follow. Alex did her best to sneak through the thicket. They slowly made their way downwind of the kids before Flax looked back at her. With a nod, Alex understood. They were going to try and run to the other side. It was the only way to freedom. 

Reaching out to Flax, she gave him a soft pat. “We can do it. We are almost free of this place! We’ll start our own adventure.”

It wasn’t a reassuring speech, but it was enough to gear her into the ready. Alex looked across the field, listening carefully for the sounds of the kids in the distance. With a deep breath, she readied herself. “Alright, on the count of three. One, two…, Three!”

Both Alex and Flax bolted from the tree line. The open breeze greeted Alex, cooling her down from the sweat and heat of running. The field was longer than she thought. Just passing the halfway mark, she finally heard the cries of the teenagers. “Look! Over there! There it is! And there is another person with it!”

Alex looked over her shoulder to spot several kids running in their direction. Panic erupted over her, pushing her to run for her life. The last words she heard echoing in her mind rang clear as day.

“What do we do with the other one?”

“Kill them, too.”

Alex glanced down at Flax running ahead of her. He looked at her with terror, sprinting in front of her to lead the way. 

What was going on? Why did they want to kill them?! 

A sharp whistle glanced by her ear suddenly. The noise made her veer off a little from Flax’s path as she tried to dodge whatever it was. A second one flew past as she looked over her shoulder. The kids had enormous slingshots that harnessed to their forearms. One of the kids loaded it up again while running and shot it towards her. Unable to avoid the rock in time, it hit her square in the shoulder. “Ow!”

Stumbling a little, Alex now realized what had caused the wounds to Flax’s body. It wasn’t her they were after; it was him. Flax slowed down, meeting up to her side once more. He couldn’t help her with the pain, only encouraging her to run faster. Alex choked back her tears and focused on the tree line. 

They just needed to outrun them all and hide. On the other side of the wilds, there was a river. If they could get to it, they might have a chance to escape them. “Flax, if we can get to the river, they won’t follow us!”

The fox was more intelligent than he should have been. With a nod, he ran in front again and sped up. They were nearing the wilds quickly when the kids began to slow down. Alex laughed excitedly. “Flax! They slowed down! We might lose them before-“

SNAP. 

The loud crack of a metal machine shot out of the ground ahead of her. Alex slowed down, realizing they ran straight into danger. Traps laid all over. Thankfully Flax was not caught, but he too crocheted low. 

Leaves covered the ground heavily, covering any sights of metal that could glint in the low sunrise. It was the twilight hour, making it nearly impossible to scan for danger. 

Laughter carried from the kids as they walked the rest of the way towards them. They needed to keep moving! Slowly Alex hopped about, avoiding large bundles of potential traps. A few times, Alex saw the teeth of the traps peeking out, but not often enough. Bumping her foot against the edge of one, it slapped, catching the edge of her pant light. Alex cried out, afraid that it would trip her to fall into another one. 

Ripping her pants quickly, she needed to make her way faster. A rock smacked her head with a hard thud. A burst of laughter was short to follow as they all cheered. “Good shot!”

Several loud cracks began to follow closely behind them. Alex looked to catch the kids triggering several traps with sticks, catching ground behind them. What was wrong with these guys? Alex fought from sobbing. 

Looking ahead, she spotted Flax yipping at her. He made it past all the traps and was waiting for her. He moved left to right, attempting to give her directions to weave through the traps. Her eyes were blurry with tears as she stumbled through the landmine field. 

Again a rock hit her hard, this time in the leg, successfully tripping her. As she landed, the rock triggered a trap beside her. The snapping teeth caught her arm, cutting her. 

Thankfully it only caught the outside of her arm and didn’t catch the entire thing. The power of the snap could have broken her bone. There was no way Alex would get out of the field in time to avoid the hunting kids. The taunt of an older boy confirmed her feeling.

“I got you now, you bitch. What kind of powers are you going to give me?”

“Powers? What are-” 

Before she could finish, the boy raised his arm high, holding a knife tightly. It plummeted towards her in slow motion, her body frozen with fear. Is this how I’m going to die? A flash of red flung in front of her, colliding with the boy as it pushed him back. Flax sacrificed himself to save her, biting at the boy’s face and arms. 

The teen cried out, grabbing Flax and throwing him off towards the side. Alex watched in fear, everything slowing down as Flax landed into a trap. The teeth jumped up, snapping into his side. With a horrifying crunch, Alex could hear the deep grunt from her friend.

 Blinding rage took over. Alex grabbed at the ground, picking up a trap by the chain. With a painful roar, she turned towards the offender, flinging the chain towards him with all her might. 

The trap flew in an arch, colliding with the teen’s head, triggering the trap to snap shut. Alex stood stunned, watching the boy gurgled blood from his mouth. His eyes stared at her in disbelief.

It was the first time Alex experienced death firsthand. The body slumped to the grass, lifeless. Alex felt bile in her throat but swallowed it down. 

Running to Flax’s side, she pried the trap open and picked up his weakened body. Holding him close, she glared back at the other kids; they stood speechless. Without a word, she slowly trumped through the rest of the traps and ran into the wilds. 

She didn’t stop for a while until she saw the river. Stumbling over the rocks, she placed Flax’s body down to look at him. He was still alive, barely holding on. Alex sobbed, petting his face. 

“No… Nononono! Don’t die on me, ok? Let me get some water, and I can clean this up for you…”

Pulling off her button-up shirt, she prepared to rip it into strips when a voice stopped her.

“Alex. Don’t.”

Looking down at Flax, Alex blinked in shock. He looked her dead in the eyes, speaking once more.

“Listen. Please. Kill me. Those kids, they won’t stop until they take my powers. I want you to have it instead. If you don’t and I die, it will be devastating to the town. You need to contain it.”

Alex dropped her arms, shaking her head. “Flax? Kill you? No! I didn’t mean to kill the other boy, but kill you? I can’t!”

Flax lifted his head weakly. “You must. Please. Take the rock, and bash it against my head. Do it. Just think, you get to have your wish. You get to have magical powers and leave this place. Like you said you wanted, remember.”

Tears streamed down her cheek as she stroked the top of Flax’s head. Voices in the distance rang as the kids continued to chase them down, accompanied by several adults. One of which Alex recognized instantly. 

Clutching at her heart, Alex closed her eyes tightly. The pain swelled her chest. She didn’t have much choice. She killed someone, and now if caught, she’d be in much worse trouble. Running her hand slowly against the ground, Alex fumbled to grab a rock. Opening her eyes once more, she looked into Flax’s fading eyes. “I love you, Flax.”

“I love you too, Alex.”

Clenching her eyes shut a final time, Alex raised her arm high and struck down against the ground. She did it several times, over and over, until the sickening sound became thuds against other stones. Or at least that’s what she made herself believe. 

Tossing the rock aside, Alex rolled herself to the side, turning her back to the corpse of her friend. The cries of people searching for her echoed close by while she sat. All the things Alex experienced in a short period; losing her closest friend, running away from home, killing the boy? None of this was like her adventure book. All she wanted was a friend, but now she had to do it alone.

“Good bye Flax.”

Pushing herself up, she walked towards the river. Where should she go now? Alex was a wanted person for murdering the boy no matter where she went. All she could do now was run deeper into the wilds. Looking at the ground near the fox’s body, she pondered his words. “Magic powers, huh? Guess I’ll have to find out what they are on my own.”

Stepping into the water, she began her new life.

End.

Codexing Against Blood: Chapter 1

Sarah sat dully within the worn leather chesterfield, her legs crossed elegantly. Absentmindedly, she flipped through pages of a book that sat neatly on her lap. It was quiet and peaceful. 

The casual cough of the librarian in the distance, the constant smell of old books, and the timeless aura of peace enveloped her like a warm blanket. It was an ideal place to seclude herself from the entire academy. Had she not been patiently waiting till the lunch bell rang, she would already be napping in the cozy chair. However, today she will not sleep away indoors.

The sun was out in full force and the warm rays sang to her in a siren’s call. Sarah kept herself from checking the clock, not wanting to fret anxiously about the time since it was all she had nowadays. It was a privilege for a student like her. 

The Willager Brightson’s Academy was unique, offering several options and class styles that were like no other. For several reasons, the biggest option was the module structure class. Not only was it a self-paced program where each subject was offered in module format, but you also had to apply to get into it. It was very exclusive and few were selected in each grade. Even fewer were accepted outside of different schooling systems. Once you are accepted into the program, you could complete the entirety of your education. However, failing to comply with the grade mark requirements or rules meant expulsion from the program. Permanently.  

Sarah was the small few that were accepted into the program. Instead of spending her school days in a classroom, she was granted the freedom to do as she pleased. Within limitations, of course. Some requirements were that each student must be on-premise for the morning classes and with good attendance. Only then were they able to leave the property during the 3rd and 4th periods. 

At the end of the day, they must return to check-in after classes had finished within an hour. Leaving the academy’s premise was a perk that Sarah utilized every day. 

Often she spent her time in the library and then would go sleep out in the fields. During the first few weeks of attending the school, several of her classmates had shown her around. They shared all of the hidden gems and where most of them would hang out. One of her favorites was the hillside. 

It was a fair distance from the academy and through the forest that surrounded the entire property. The small worn path weaved and if it weren’t for the others, she would have easily gotten lost. There in the far back of the property line was a small open field that turned into a sharp hill. It was a popular place for all the module students to hang out due to the privacy. It was also easy to access once you knew your way and quick to return to the building to check back in.

  Although as fall began to settle in, it got quite chilly out. Several of the students decided to stay inside. Despite the cold, Sarah was determined to enjoy the last few days of good weather on the small hillside. It had become her place of sanctuary. On hot days, the tree shade gave enough solace and the open hill patch was a great place to have lunch. The way it angled was perfect for a snooze and the feeling of nature all around was soothing.

Sarah was fortunate to have been invited on a whim to the hillside by her classmates. It was easy to get along with them since they too desired to laze about. Not having the overbearing weight of constant conversations was a beautiful change of pace. Because she wasn’t much of a social being, it was hard for her to make friends. Even in her previous school.

Here, Sarah could let her guard down. To just enjoy the weather while feeling like she had low-maintenance friends. Occasionally they would share in playing games, but with winter approaching it died down. Sarah had not seen them since. 

So alas, her hiding out in the library began. Students also began focusing on oncoming module deadlines since the majority of them put it off to play outside. Now being forced indoors it was a perfect time to catch up. At least for them, not for Sarah. She had long completed the necessary ones in the first month.

A sudden loud clunk on a small table nearby broke Sarah from her daydream. Heather plopped down her pastel rainbow bag and crossed her arms in the chair across with a smile. She took the liberty to sit down first before breaking Sarah’s thoughts.

“Hey, you look a little worn out more than usual. Winter blues kicking in early?”

Heather smiled softly, waiting with a twinkle in her hazel eye. Several freckles sat on her cheeks and nose against the contrast of her light cream skin. She brushed her amber bangs to frame her face, then pulled at her large braid made of dreads down her left shoulder while she adjusted in the chair. How she managed to keep them so neat and firm always baffled Sarah.

Smiling lazily back, Sarah closed the book on her lap with a thump. Looking down at Heather’s uniform, she stiffened. Immediately she spotted several infractions to the school’s dress code. Heather had ditched the academy’s forest green blazer and untucked her long sleeve shirt from her plaid green and blue skirt. Several top buttons were undone to show an array of layered necklaces and tank tops. 

Sarah scowled with a shake of her head while Heather burst out laughing. In response to Sarah’s displeasure, she leaned back into the leather chesterfield and kicked up her legs to rest on the table. Before Sarah could start her usual lecture about her uniform, Heather raised her hand to stop her and quickly interjected.

“You can’t change how I am. I’ve been doing this since 5th grade, If they haven’t kicked me out since then, they won’t start now.”

Sarah huffed before snapping her mouth closed. Adjusting her poster to sit up straight, she flicked her long black silky hair out of the way to lean into her fist propped against the chair’s arm. “Fine, make us look worse than we already are. You wonder why everyone in this school thinks the Slithers are spoiled rich kids.”

Heather rolled her eyes. “As if sitting outside on the hill is any better. I heard you’ve been napping out there and was late for check-in, Miss Kettle.”

Sighing heavily at her companion, Sarah squirmed in her seat. She may have been a little tardy here and there in the last few weeks. At least it was a few small mistakes and not blatant disregard for uniform policies. 

Sarah settled back into the chair and placed her hands behind her head. She noticed a few students sitting nearby at tables with headphones in. They worked hard on projects and term papers, scribbling frivolously in their world. 

Yes, Sarah had been tardy a few times. However, it was no surprise Heather would have found out she was scolded. There were classroom students, or Hoppers, who had it out against them. The Hoppers who complained usually tried to get the mod students banned or reprimanded on purpose. Scalers were treated like degenerates, no matter what they did. Even though they had the same grade point as the class or higher since it was a requirement. The real difference was that Scalers didn’t need to follow the standard rules.

Sarah was always treated the same as the Scalers, no matter how hard she tried to follow the rules. She would always be an outcast regardless of where she attended.

Sarah feigned ignorance of Heather’s statement. With a coy smile, she finally replied.

“I don’t know what you are talking about.”

Closing her eyes, Sarah fought the sleepiness that pulled at her. They sat in silence for a few moments. The sound of pages flipping could be heard, filling in the silence. Each moment that passed, Sarah could feel Heather’s eyes on her. How long was she going to keep staring? Was she going to comment on her remark?

It finally became too much to bear when Sarah took a deep breath in. Since Heather had come to find her, there must have been a reason. There was always a reason.

Not bothering to open her eyes, she let out a long-drawn sigh. “Was there something you needed?”

Heather giggled victoriously. “I’m glad you asked. A few of us Scalers are going to the cafe at lunch if you wanted to tag along. You can always go nap on the hill tomorrow. If the weather permits.”

Fighting a grumble, Sarah chewed at the inside of her lip in thought. Going to the cafe meant that Sarah was expected to socialize with several groups while they talked and played games. It was a new internet cafe that opened last year that served food, coffee and tea of all kinds. They had several tables to hang out and a back room with several computers lined against the walls. 

The boys would hang out in the back to play games, yelling loudly and cheering at each other every time someone scored or won. Meanwhile, the girls would stay at the tables watching the boys. 

Sarah was not interested in gawking and found it unamusing. Not to mention that games were not her thing; she despised them. There was only one game she didn’t mind playing. The cafe had an old-school shooter game in the front. Heather forced her to play a few rounds even though she was terrible at it. Still, Heather didn’t stop inviting her to play. 

They would play till the money ran out regardless of her skill, which wasn’t long. Heather was much better at playing and always carried them through the levels. Each time Sarah could no longer play, she would give up and claim she was no longer interested.

If not for Heather, Sarah wouldn’t bother to go. In the past, Sarah used to refuse Heather each time. She would seek Sarah out every day to befriend her, asking her to come. Until one day, she finally said yes. Since then, Heather would constantly drag her along. 

Why she bothered to do so was a mystery. Neither of them had much in common. Heath was incredibly popular where Sarah wasn’t. Yet, out of all the people in the school, Heather was her closest friend. If she hadn’t made an effort, Sarah would be left in the library or hillside each day alone. 

It was a sombering thought. Sarah opened her eyes and glanced over at Heather. She sat patiently with a caring smile, waiting for her to reply. How did Heather put up with her? Sarah was stale and mundane to be around. She knew if she decided to sit in silence till the last minute to answer, Heather would comply without a fuss. It made Sarah feel guilty. 

Heather was a saint with her carefree attitude and hippy appearance. Sarah was quiet, reserved, and followed the rules. So what if she wasn’t the ideal friend? Just because Heather broke the rules more than any student in the academy didn’t mean Sarah couldn’t be friends with her, right? Sarah had an opportunity to make a close friend, even if she was troublesome. 

Dropping her arms to her lap, Sarah gave in. she nonchalantly answered while flipping open the book again. 

“Fine.”

Heather stood up and snatched the book from Sarah. The action startled Sarah. With a gasp, she sneered at Heather. Heather giggled and tapped the book under her chin, leaning in close. Her necklaces fell out and dangled in front while she planted a fist on her hip. With a roguish grin, Heather wagged the book with a taunt. 

“I will have none of that. I know you’re not even reading anyways. It’s in Russian, and I have a sneaking suspicion you don’t know the language.”

Sarah crossed her arms defensively. On second thought, she was a terrible friend. With a pout, Sarah barked back. “I could be learning.”

Heather raised an eyebrow and looked at the title of the book. Laced with dramatic flair, she spoke enthusiastically. 

“Mmmhmm. ‘Agriculture of Russia’?”

Heather flicked her eyes towards her with a knowing grin. It was a new form of teasing Sarah hadn’t seen before. Desperately searching for an excuse, there was no escape from the embarrassment. Sarah ran out of interesting books to read. It had become a game to grab one at random and try to read it regardless of language or topic. Disarmed with no retort, Sarah frowned. 

Heather laughed victoriously and turned towards the library aisles. “As I thought. Khoroshaya popytka, my friend. Come, we are leaving early today.”

Creeping Doubt

Sam hunched over her clay work, spinning the rotating plate as she molded the mixture within her hands. Focused and poised while she began her work. With agile fingers, she shaped and molded the sculpture within her mind. A bird-like creature, rising slowly out of the base of ash and flames. Scraping and cutting small slivers, she dabbed water to help smooth areas to even them out. Time passed slowly while she worked in silence. 

The overwhelming darkness in the corners of the room began to loom over her. It slithered and crept along the furniture to make its way above. It whispered softly into Sam’s thoughts while she tilted her head, rotating the sculpture to and fro. 

“Terrible.”

Pausing the movement of the plate, Sam’s eyes widened. No, it’s alright. It’s just the outline of my design. I can make it work. Again she grabbed her tools, shaving and trimming along the neckline of the bird. 

With her tongue sticking out, she added small lumps of clay to create wings that expanded outwards. Adding more water, she shaped and formed lines to where the feathers would be, then began to cut and trim. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she pushed her chair back a bit to look at the form of the clay taking shape. 

“You call this art? Looks like amateur trash.”

The shadowy smoke clouded thick around her as Sam’s confidence dwindled. This time, she spoke out loud against the ever-growing whisper in the back of her mind. 

“I will look better once I get more detail in. Back off.”

Her voice quivered despite her strength against the toxic cloud that began to shroud her working space. Fighting tears, she began to further detail the flames licking at the bird’s wings and torso. A debate slowly started to bounce between her thoughts and the consuming darkness.

Are there too many flames? “Yes.”

Should I give more definition to the feathers? “That’s overdoing it.”

Does this look better here? “It’s getting worse.”

Each comment ate at her, breaking down her will to continue the art piece. Her fist shook with a small tremor while she ground her teeth with anger. The pain swelled into her chest while the dark cloud smothered her. Jumping out of her chair, she threw the tool in her hand to the floor and grabbed at her hair. 

Who cares if she got clay everywhere, she knew the cloud was right. Her skills as an artist were nothing. Glaring up at the cloud, she cried out at it. 

“What do you want?! Why must you always show up! I can never accomplish anything with you constantly talking me down!”

The swirl of the cloud formed into a shaded figure, its void-less eyes mocking her. The shade flickered, never truly appearing in a solid state yet its hands were long and thin like skeletal hands. This was not her first time seeing the smoky being. 

Its appearance started only as a small wisp. With each project she started, it grew,  showing bit by bit. The longer she continued to work on her art the bigger it appeared. Its torso hovered within the smoke, trapped within the fluid motions as it pulled to escape it. Slowly it floated in a snake-shaped appearance to slither through the air. Pausing to hover above her shoulders it whispered close to her ear. 

“You were the one that called me here, asking for my opinions. I am only just being honest to you.”

The figure wrapped his fingers one by one on top of her shoulders, gripping her tightly. With a smooth sway to the other side of her head, it continued to poison her mind. “Besides, why do you fight it? You know deep down you are nothing more than a child wasting your time on these things. Why not do something useful instead?”

Sam clenched her teeth tightly. All this creature ever did was tear her down. Its ghastly appearance reflexed weakly in a mirror on the farthest wall. Its voice was always there, ever since she had first picked up a pencil to draw her ideas. 

The memory plagued her so with acute accuracy. She had been drawing a superhero, designing it from scratch as an idea to one day make real. It was exciting and fun. Sam detailed the women to be strong. It was then when her friend had looked over, frowning at the page. 

“What is that?”

Sam replied, hardly lifting her head as she continued to draw. “It’s a superhero, silly! I made her up. She’s got strong muscles and can fly! And when she is fighting monsters, she can blast them away with her supersonic voice!”

The friend scoffed, puffing out her chest as she raised her nose to Sam. “That sounds stupid. Why would she have a supersonic voice? Besides, there is already a superhero who can fight and is strong. Plus he’s a boy. Girls shouldn’t fight.”

With that, she turned and walked away leaving Sam disheartened. The words repeated in her head. “That sounds stupid.”

Looking up from her page, she watched her friend join a different table laughing. Dropping her pencil she looked down at her superhero. There’s no way it was stupid, was there? 

A small black cloud swirled in front of her appearing out of nowhere. It dimmed the light around her drawing and thinned into a small cord, circling around in front of her. The same damning voice she would recognize to this day.

“She is right, you know. It IS stupid.”

That day, she crumbled the picture up and cried after returning home. The stalking shadow never left her side since. Sam came to know this creature well. It placed doubt within her at every opportunity it could. 

Looking back to her clay model in the present, its venomous words almost rang true. Hugging herself, Sam turned away to face her table. The drawing of her design of a phoenix bursting from the ash blurred as tears began to swell. How did she think something so complicated would actually work? 

Sniffling, she wiped her eyes and picked up the paper, preparing to rip it. A door behind her opened, stopping her with a bit of a jump. Whipping around she saw her friend Gabrielle. They had gone to university together and had met in the arts program. She wasn’t a sculptor, yet she had encouraged Sam to try. Nowadays she frequented her place to see her latest designs had been. 

Gabrielle sang her greeting and pulled off her jacket. “Guess who I saw today! This cute boy working at the cafe down the street. You know, the one we go to now and then? I say, after you clean up, we should head down there and grab a seat. Might be worth it.” 

Sam held the paper of her design behind her back, faking a bright smile to greet her friend.

“Yeah, sounds like a plan. Head on into the living room and I will be right there.”

Sam waited, hoping her friend would not heed attention to her or the clay figurine. But to no avail, the first thing Gabrielle did was head straight to her working area. Spotting the art piece, she gasped. 

Here we go, Sam thought negatively. She is going to confirm how terrible it looked. Crumpling the edge of the paper in her hand with a tight grip, she braced herself.

“Holy cow. You’ve really outdone yourself now. Look at this detail!”

Sam paused, her mouth agape. “What?”

“This is incredible! I thought your take on Zeus’s bust was amazing, but this! Look at the flames! It really looks like this creature is birthing right out of the ground!” Standing up, Gabrielle placed her hands on her hips. “I don’t know how you keep doing this. Every time I think you set the bar, you outdo yourself each time. Do you think you make a few more of these guys?”

Sam closed her mouth, pushing off the table to hang her thumbs in her jean pockets. With a shrug, she nodded. “Yeah, I think I would make a few more. Maybe even change the positions too.” 

Gabrielle brightened. “If you do, I know a guy who can sell them too. It would be a huge break for you. I know you’ve been working your ass off trying to get out there. I’ll help you get more clay and offer anything I can to help. I think you can get them ready before the weekend with ease.”

The dark cloud shanked as Sam’s confidence soared. The whispering shrieks, drowning out by the light that increased with her hope. With a quick look around her room, Sam nodded. Yeah, this was doable. 

“Looks like a shopping trip is in order. First stop, the cafe!”

Gabrielle cheered, returning to admire the phoenix while Sam crossed her arms. With a deep sigh, she smiled. How could she have almost destroyed the drawing? A small black swirl of smoke caught her eye as it loomed close to her ear. 

“Today may be a victory, but I will always be here. You can never get rid of me.”

Sam glared at the creature. She knew it was right, yet without the constant doubt it spewed, she never would keep pushing herself to improve. 

“You’re right. I know for the rest of my life I will have to accept you. As much as you are my toxic thoughts, you are also my muse.”

With a smirk, Sam swiped the remaining cloud away. The small cries of the whisper vanished, relieving her of the weight of her own crushing doubt. Looking over at her friend, she was grateful. One step at a time, she would continue to move forward and not let her personal demon stop her from being an artist. 

“Bring it on.”

“Don’t write the word” Challenge.

I decided to do a writing challenge called, “Don’t say the word.” I write a short story about one word and then do everything in my ability as a writer to not write the word once. I am trying to learn how to write with more descriptions and in an active voice. So to keep from a dull story, I am expanding my skill to challenge myself. They won’t be always perfect, but hey, writing should be about the fun and magic, not just the end result.

Please enjoy the fun little story as much as I did writing it.

– Turan

Challenge word: Sleepy

Groggily, Tim walked towards his bed. Each bone in his body creaked and popped from each step he took. Fog blurred the shape of the room, making it hard to distinguish the furniture around. A yawn held his mouth hostage, forcing its way out like a lion’s grand roar. His legs dragged across the wooden floor, thudding hard against the surface with the slap. Tim moved at a glacier pace, unable to move the mountainous body any faster to reach the comforts of the pillow mattress. The feeling of the silken sheets, warm blanket embrace, and heavenly cloud ascension into dreamland called to him in a siren’s song. The lulling melody crushed the worldly events of his day hard against his shoulders and back. The burden he carried of stress from work shot pain down his spine into his hips. Soon he would be whisked away, refreshed to start his day anew tomorrow.

Alas, he could not enjoy the wonders of his sleeping solitude. The phone rang moments before his towering body could collapse into the sweet abyss. Thunderous shrills cried out to him from the table in the other room. The cold tendrils of dread crept up his shoulders, grasping at his neck and face. Who dare called him at this hour?! Moments before his rest and graceful slumber? Slowly turning his furious gaze towards the door, the rings continued for a few more gruelling minutes. Finally, the shrieking calls stopped, leaving his home in a peaceful state. With a smile, he returned to the gentle tug of the bed sirens to be swayed into sleep once more. Tolling bells of alarm clashed with the soothing singing of his pillow sheets when the phone began to ring once more. This time Tim’s eyes shot wide with anger. His mouth sunk hard into his chin and his eyes shot wide.

With a swoosh of wind, Tim’s body found the strength to fly out of the room into the living room. The phone shook and shuffled from the vibrations, the ringing of the basic tones screaming for him to answer. Towering the table, Tim loomed over the wretched machine. The name flashed across the screen, blinking with a flashy dance of lights. Grim and brooding, Tim watched the name until it finally stopped. The moment the name dissipated and the booming ring tone died down, Tim grabbed the phone with lightning speed. No one was going to stop him now from his slumber. Opening his screen with his password, he held the buttons on the side of the phone. The most magical words on earth popped up on the screen, “Shut down.” Yes, this was what he wanted the most in the world. A smile broke on his face, his eagerness at large as he reached with a shaky finger towards the button. Soon he would be in bliss!

With a powerful force downward, he aimed directly for the power off button. Before he could achieve his goal, the button disappeared and the name of his tormentor flashed once more on the front screen. The alarm of chaos flooded the shadowy room. Internally, all Tim could do was whimper as his finger slammed against the talk button. Fear enveloped him and adrenaline shot through his veins. He now had to deal with the wild beast on the phone. Shakily, he raised the phone to his ear and spoke with a grumble. “Hello, mother.”

Whispering Death (part 21)

(Hey Ragarootlings! Apologies for the late post, I’ve been dealing with a lot of personal issues which are getting sorted now. I should resume my regular Wednesday postings again. Without further delay, please enjoy!

-Turan)


Stirring back into the world of consciousness, Drina groaned. Her body was stiff and sore, not to mention overheated. It prickled uncomfortably with pain. Why was she boiling up? The sounds of birds chirping outside the window reminded her of the hostel she was staying at. Quickly Drina established that the source of the heat was coming from someone beside her. With a groggy roll to the side, she grumbled.

“Jeta, you are too close again. Move over and give me space.”

Her body ached at the movement which caused her to take a sharp breath in. With a light touch against her arm, Drina felt several bandages wrapped around her shoulder. A vague memory of the night before began to swarm her at once. The attack from the ghosts, her newly awakened power, Wiggles gulping the spirits down with ease. There was so much she needed to process from all the events that transpired. Deep within her thoughts, a sudden hand slid across her chest to pull her close.

“I am starting to pity your sister for having to deal with you as a bedmate. You are a total bed hog, not to mention you yell at her all night.” Hestar’s body connected to her and embraced her tightly. “Is Jeta her real name?”

Drina frowned, furrowing her brow with her eyes still closed. “I am not a bed ho-”

    It took a moment before it dawned on her, the person sharing her bed was not Ocan. It was Hestar. Stiffening, she shot her eyes open and turned to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. Sure enough, Hestar was staring back at her with a smirk. The sun had brightened the room and bounced off the strands of blonde flowing hair that splayed across the pillow they had been sharing. Her soft violet eyes locked with hers threatening to lure her into their depths. Drina felt the heat radiating from her face. Too close! 

In a panic to push herself up, pain erupted all over her body. Drina winced and grabbed at her shoulder with a growl. The soft linen sheets and blanket covering Drina slipped off her chest, exposing her unclothed body. Hestar sat up with a concern, brushing hair out of Drina’s face. 

    “Are you ok? Don’t move so fast. You took a lot of damage fighting yesterday. Some of the burns haven’t healed fully.”

Drina grabbed handfuls of the sheet in front and covered herself. Her voice cracked while she spoke in a harsh whisper, “W-why am I naked?” 

Drina turned to Hestar for answers and got an eye full of her body. Hestar was also unclothed and unhindered by the covers. It was clear her concern was more important than modesty. Drina felt her jaw drop in a stupor. It was the first time seeing a woman she felt attracted to this close and naked.

    “I had to remove your clothes to look at your wounds. You don’t expect me to put you to sleep with dirty cuts and burns so they can get infected, do you?

    Before Drina could break from the spell she was under and reply, a giggle came from the entrance of the room. Standing there was Ocen and Lulu. The timing they both couldn’t have been any worse. Lulu had several clean towels in her arms and dropped them on the bed nearby. Having just entered the room to check on Drina’s wellbeing, she gave a shake of her head. Ocen couldn’t hide her excitement, giggling uncontrollably. Lulu rushed back to the door and shoved her around the corner quickly. Looking back once more, she narrowed her brows. “Honestly girls!”

    Drina felt all the blood drain from her face. Stammering a bit, she finally yelled out after them. “It’s not what it looks like! We didn’t do anything!”

    Hestar broke out into a hearty laugh, unable to help herself. There was nothing Drina could do now to convince her sister that she was not intimate with Hestar, especially after seeing her like this. Hopeless, Drina flopped back against the bed and covered her face with embarrassment. Hestar fought to speak through the last remains of her laughter.

    “Drina, relax. You are right, nothing happened. Last night you were so cold after I removed your clothes and cleaned your wonders. I was worried you were going to die, so I joined you to help warm you up.”

Hestar crawled partially over top of her and grabbed at her hands. With a light pull, she peeled them away from Drina’s face to uncover her lips. Kissing them tenderly before pulling away with a more serious tone. Her voice was barely a whisper.

“In all seriousness, I thought I was going to lose you.” Hestar reached up to Drina’s hair and brushed it away from her face once more. The memory of the night’s events was fresh in her mind. Drina removed the rest of her hands, looking up at Hestar. Because of her power, it was normal for Drina to be as cold as the dead. How easily she had forgotten that no one else would be used to it. It was one of the reasons Ocen slept so close to her while they were out on the road traveling. She too would often worry that Drina would drift off in her sleep and never wake up in the morning. Reaching up to touch Hestar’s face, Drina offered a tender smile.

“Don’t worry, I am here now. We are lucky to still be alive.”

Drina caught the scarring on her arm. With curiosity, she let go of Hestar’s face to inspect it. “What did you do to heal it so quickly?”

“Healing salve. Lulu usually keeps it for things like this. Not that it happens often, but anytime someone shows up at her doors with injuries or wounds, she would tend to them. No questions asked. Now knowing that she is a traveler, it’s really no surprise.”

Drina reached around Hestar to rub her arm, nodding. Everything had made more sense since she learned the truth about Lulu’s past. Ever since the first day they arrived, Drina suspected that Lulu knew more than she let on. Yet at the same time, it wasn’t much of a concern. With a heavy sigh, Drina remembered the fight she had with Ocan in Lulu’s office. She must have known what she was saying in their dialect too. Dropping one hand on Hestar’s back, she used the other one to pinch the bridge of her nose. Drina was ashamed of her behaviour. How could she have been so childish? There was much she needed to correct. The blood-bind contract, saving Hestar, breaking the bind with a vengeful spirit, and apologizing to Ocen. All the wave of embarrassment slammed into her gut, twisting it into a knot. How was she going to apologize to Ocan now after she had seen her naked in bed with Hestar? Too many emotions flooded Drina at once that she couldn’t focus on just one. Instead, she peeked through her fingers towards Hestar. 

There on her side was Hestar shamelessly laying beside her exposed. It took everything in Drina to keep her eyes from drifting from her soft violet eyes peering back. Not that it was any better. The look of adoration shifted quickly into a look of lust. The blood that had drained her face earlier had raced back into her cheeks from the sight. This had become a very dangerous position.

“Well, since you are feeling much better and no one will be disturbing us for some time,” Hestar raise an eyebrow as she adjusted her position closer to Drina’s face. In a small voice that sent a shiver throughout Drina’s spine, she continued. 

“How about we finish what we started in the alley?”

WP: Truthful Deceit.

Writing prompt: Start with the truth and end with a lie.

Samuel crossed his arms in a huff. “I would never leave you just on a whim. It would need to be something absolutely devastating and traumatic that I could never forgive you for in order for that to happen. Being a bisexual is a good thing. I am mildly irritated that you thought I would leave you over something like that.”

Ryan let out a hard breath. He didn’t even realize he held it in so hard when he finally told his boyfriend his secret. It had been a year now since they started dating. Ryan was so scared to lose him that he didn’t know how to tell him. “So you don’t care if I ogle at women in a sexual fantasy way?”

Samuel sat on the couch next to him. “I don’t mind at all. You can think about her body and I can think ‘where did she get that blouse?’ It’s absolutely fine and normal to be interested and attracted to people. All I care about is that you come home to me every night. It’s not like I never noticed you looking before either. You are not subtle when you flirt. Even a straight man could figure it out.”

Ryan blinked hard with a shake of his head. “You knew?”

“Oh Hunny, I knew from the first few weeks when you took me to all those straight bars with all those fruit flies. I can see now why they had a hard time accepting me as your new fling. I even thought for a while that you could have been a pansexual by how flirty you are.”

Ryan relaxed into the couch, the relief hitting him like a freight train. “Do you know how freeing this is? I am so sorry that I felt I couldn’t come clean and tell you.”

“Baby, I got you,” Samuel wrapped his arm around his waist, snuggling into Ryan’s side. “If there is ever something heavy on your heart, you can always talk to me. Even if it starts a fight, we can get through it. I don’t want you to ever feel like you need to burden those hardships away.”

Ryan felt the tears welling up in the corner of his eyes. Wrapping his arms tightly around Samual, he kissed the top of his head. “Thank you. I will try to pull my stubborn head out of my ass from now on. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

Samuel chuckled, kissing Ryan on his stubbly chin. “And you are too.”

“I love you, Samual.”

“I love you, too.”

_________

Thank you so much for reading this short story prompt. The inspiration came from a blog post where they talked about using real-life situations and experiences and writing them into a short story to help with writer’s block. This was not a personal experience but one borrowed from a friend who had struggled with coming clean about his sexuality. If you ever need a friend or support, feel free to reach out and message me. You are not alone and there are people who have had the same struggles as you.

I hope you enjoyed this story and the little twist. Let me know what you think by leaving a comment or by shooting a message at Turanturnip@gmail.com

Turan

Codexing Against Blood: Prologue

Shit, she’s right on my tail. I can’t shake her!

The man ran full speed down a crooked street. Looking over his shoulder, he stumbled on debris, tumbling hard with a roll across the ground. Sharp concrete chunks from crumbling buildings sliced his skin while he slid to a stop. He cried out from the pain along his arms and legs. Already he was battered from fighting against the child that followed shortly behind.

Gasping for air, he clawed the dirt beneath his fingertips. It was the end of the line for him. He knew once the girl locked on to him, there was no escape. Her skills exceeded his tenfold, despite his adult years of practice. 

The sound of crunching footsteps several feet away made him stiffen. The sensation of death loomed ever closer. Trembling, he turned to face the predator. 

 There before him stood a small petit girl. Her eyes grey and empty watched him closely. She wore a black leather bodysuit that hugged her tightly. Each step she took was controlled and calculated. The wind tossed her silver hair about while she giggled softly. There’s no way a girl her age could be such a skilled hunter.

She’s a shapeshifter. There’s only one person who could be this talented.
“I know who you are. Attaché, the academy’s lapdog.”

The small girl tilted her head with an eerie smile.

“Oh, seems you’ve heard of me.” She stopped a few feet away, “Saves me time.”

Her actions didn’t fit the child’s innocent appearance. It was uncomfortable. Pushing himself up slowly, he grunted.

“I also know what you can do. You can shift your appearance, extract information, and manipulate anyone on a whim. It won’t work on me.” 

Barely standing, he held his side. His breath was laboured and shallow. Without touching his ribs, he knew they were broken. Even his shirt was blood-soaked. Snarling at the girl, it took everything to keep his voice even. 

“If you came looking for the weapon, give up. You can beat me, torment me, or do whatever you want. It will not cave! I’m ready to die.”

Attache’s smile faded, her expression hallowed and unamused. 

“And yet, you ran. If you were ready, you would’ve accepted it gracefully. Come, let’s be civil. You have something I need. I can pay you handsomely.”

The man spat at the ground between them.

“I have nothing to say. If you wish to kill me then do it!”

Attache smiled and started to circle the man. “There is no need to kill you. Just tell me what I need. Tell me where the weapon is.”

About to reply, something held the man in place. Sweet whispers crowded his mind. Her words sang a melody that gently coaxed him to reply. It caressed him tenderly and asked him once more to tell her what he knew. It took him a moment to realize her power. Quickly he shook his head to break from the spell. She was stronger than he thought.

 A small flicker popped up in front of him. A small blue digital square hovered in the air. Small glitches flickered around the flat screen weakly while displaying his current status. A warning flashed with a count down to when he would lose consciousness. He glanced at the health bar as it depleted, followed by a black bar shrinking his health. The wound damage he sustained was too much. Closing the screen, he selected a gun that was stored in his inventory. It materialized into his hand from nothing, rendering the gun with blue fuzzy chunks. It completed the physical form of a standard M9. 

Aiming at Attache, the man glared with hatred. “No! Your skill won’t work on me no matter how high the talent is!”

Attache stopped, raising her hands to her face level. Her voice shifted from a sultry adolescent to that of a small child’s. Cowering, the child’s face scrunched up in fear and bewilderment. 

“P-please no… Sir, don’t hurt me.”

Blinking the sweat from his eyes, the man blinked hard. Was this a real child or an illusion? A small tear ran down Attache’s face as she stared at the gun. It was convincing. For a moment, he believed that this could be an innocent child. Confusion and doubt ran through his mind, tricking him. This wasn’t real, was it? In an instant, the child’s fear was replaced by concern. She took a few steps forward. 

“Please…Tell me. Where is the weapon?” 

The gun shook viciously in his hand while he watched her. Shaking his head viciously to break the siren’s hold, he screamed back.“STAY BACK!”

“It doesn’t have to be like this. We can join up as a team. We’re the good guys and just want to cure this plain.”

“No! NO! I won’t tell you! No one will ever find out who they truly are!”

Attache changed her demeanour, lowering her arms with astonishment. Widened her eyes, she spoke softly in her normal voice. “They? The weapon is a person?”

Shit! I slipped up big time! 

With no further words, the man pulled the trigger. His aim was true, striking the girl in the head. Unfortunately, it was a mirage. The image of the child glitched, disbursing into thousands of coded cubes. The presence behind him caught his attention too late. A sharp sudden pain lodged into his hand, knocking the gun out of his grip. A small dagger pierced through his hand. Three more daggers caught his clothes, pulling him to the ground. They were long and slender, effectively pinning him into place. 

Unable to use any more strength, he collapsed unto his back with a heavy thud. Tears streamed down his cheek, blurring the vision of the pale girl standing over him. 

“At least kill me quickly.” It was a pathetic plea, one he knew the answer to.

“I can’t do that. You have the information I need and until I retrieve it, you’ll be my captive.”

Closing his eyes, he relaxed. There was no other choice now. Quickly he opened the message he had long prepared weeks ago and sent it off. At least his wife would get a proper goodbye. Next, he opened his inventory, the shifting screen barely rendering in at all. He took out a single pill for such occasions and swallowed it.

Attache noticed too late, lunging for his throat to stop him. Punching at his chest in hopes to dislodge it, the man smiled as he coughed from the impacts.

“You and your enemies will never find them. This war will come to an end and neither will be the victor.”
Attache growled, pulling at his shirt.“Where are they?!”

“You will never gain control this plain. Only they can.”

With a gurgle, the pill burst within him. Attache barely dodge the sudden vomit of acid that spewed from his mouth. His body and the ground around him began to disintegrate, sinking into the corrupted land beneath. 

Standing a few feet away, Attache could only watch. There went the only real lead she had. It had taken her years to finally learn his name. Cursing, she ran her fingers through her hair. Where on earth could this person be?! All this time she was looking for an object that thousands speculated about. A key, a bomb, maybe even a mythical computer chip; all of which were wrong.

Looking up at the sky, Attache could see the Ever Tree pulsing in the distance. The purple hues lit the world around even from such a far distance. With a quick scan of the area, there were no traces of life forms around. With the body’s limbs remaining, it wouldn’t take long for one to appear. 

The other plains wind howled through the vast land of broken buildings covered in strange purple vines and plants. Would her superiors see this as a failed mission or a successful one? Although she could have killed him and taken the mutated organ that stored his memories, he was more valuable alive. The fact that he could withstand her manipulation and her psychological attacks was impressive. Truly a terrifying mutant. 

A small green chatbox from her teammate popped up in front of her view. 

“Did you find anything? I’ve been looking for ages and I can’t get a signal on this guy.”

Attache scoffed, looking back at the remains. And he never will.
“No, I didn’t. Let’s call it a day. Let command know we couldn’t find what they were looking for.”

“Right. See you back at the academy.”

As the screen closed, a horrific cry sounded off in the distance. Looks like the unknown creature will be eating plentiful tonight. With one long glance at the warped and corrupt land in front of her, Attache couldn’t help but feel sorrow. What did he mean they could never control the land? Does that mean they can’t find a cure for its corruption? Did this person have the ability to stop the entire mutant war?

Scoffing with a frown, Attache opened a portal door back to the real world. How many more years will she find the next clue to the weapon? Only time would tell. In the meantime, her duties at the academy would keep her busy. It was the start of a new year and she was in charge of recruiting. Dropping the shell around her, Attache’s body transformed back into her original body. The layer of green cubes shifting down her body in a fast scan, she walked through the portal. 

Before it closed, she turned around to spot several beasts running towards the body. Brushing an amber dread from her unreadable face, she made sure to watch them eat the evidence left behind. Attache was now the only person who knew about the weapon. She wanted to keep it that way.

WP: Real-life Subtitles.

This writing prompt was originally from Reddit. Occasionally I take on a challenge to post on there and I’ve decided to share it here for all of you! It’s been revised since I wrote this back in September 2021. I’ve made a little progress with how I have been styling my writing and learning to change how I write. As always, I wrote this as a self-challenge and to help with my creative writing. Mistakes and errors are to be expected.

-Turan

____________

[WP] You can read subtitles in real life, which is pretty handy for translation, in bars and when dealing with people who mumble a lot. One day suddenly you read a subtitle that just says: {Boss Music Starts Playing}

Duke hardly had to listen to the conversation to keep up. After getting his power to read subtitles mysteriously one day, it changed his life. Sometimes for the worst and for the better. Every conversation had become a text that he could read while listening. At first, he found it irritating since he missed most social cues or body language. However, as time went on he adapted to reading the bracket events. It also came in handy when he wanted to see what was happening around him. Most people believed he was nonchalant about everything or uninterested. But in reality, it was mostly due to the constant distractions. Eavesdropping had become significantly easier, especially if it was problematic. If he was bored with the current conversation, he could read others around him like switching a channel on a tv.

Duke wasn’t one for gossip or drama at all, it just was a mild form of entertainment. This particular day was one of those days as he sat with his good friend Stew. Stew was an old faithful, reliable friend. He was very plain and predictable. It made it easier to keep his friendship. There were no complicated texts, undiluted situations, or foreshadowing. Just simple and easy conversation. One of the shared interests Duke had with Stew was that he also enjoyed people-watching. He was the perfect sidekick to have around while they sat at the peaceful cafe, enjoying their brew.

Duke took a sip of his coffee, taking in a deep breath. He’d already been following a few strands of text from a couple sitting across the way. A current breakup was escalating in front of him when he let out a slow exhale. Placing his empty cup down, he turned his attention back to his friend.

“You know Stew, I’m gonna bounce. Catch you later.”

{Happy grunt.} “Yeah mate, see you around.”

Without delay, Duke stood up and left. It was nice knowing his friend was so chill. Nothing was more freeing than to know you can get up and leave with no quarrel. At least Stew would enjoy the sudden scene of the breakup unfolding, which was mostly the reason why Duke left. Screaming and crying women were not his thing. Even with his ability to read subtitles, he still couldn’t understand women. There were so many hidden meanings and contexts he didn’t know. At least he was considered a good listener, even if he didn’t understand everything all the time. Heading towards a park, Duke tucked his hands into his pockets. It was a perfect day for a casual jaunt through the peaceful pathways surrounded by grass, bushes, and trees. Small subtitles still popped up around him with the different sound effects of the area, it wasn’t a huge bother.

{Chirping birds. Wind rustled leaves. A distant dog barks.}

Duke took in a deep breath of the cleansing air. With a pause, he scanned the area to observe the activities. Out towards the open space were some college kids tossing a freebie. Along the pathways were several chairs sprinkled with people and occasional runners jogging by. Everything was serene and calm when suddenly a bold subtitle popped in front of him. It was startling at first. He had never seen such a text before. Shortly after it appeared, a small daunting hum of a dark melody began to play out of nowhere.

{Boss music starts playing}

Frozen, Duke stood with wide eyes. “What.”

Cautiously, he turned to look behind him. The feeling of a cold breeze began to swirl around him in slow motion. He spotted a shrouded being several feet from him in the shade of the trees. “No… It can’t be…”

He was unarmed, with no weapons to battle the beast before him. How could he be caught so off guard? With a stern yet seductive tone, the shrouded figure stepped forth out of the shade of the tree to reveal themselves.

“Hello, Duke. It’s been a while.”

The sun reflected off her strands of golden hair, shifting the dark looming cloud of despair into a halo appearance. Her deep blue ocean eyes were fierce locking onto his. With an unamused frown, she crossed her arms comfortably a few feet away from him. She was magnificent to behold despite that they were at odds. Subtitles appeared beneath her name, ones he didn’t need to read to know what they said.

{Ex Girlfriend: Melissa Normen.}

Oh no, Duke thought while grinding his teeth. The one who left me for a d-bag in university. My first love.

“What do you want Melissa?”

{Exaggerated gasp, she feigned being hurt} “Is that a way to greet an old friend?”

“Ex, not an old friend. We haven’t spoken since you dumped me at a freshmen party.”

{Fake surprise} “Really has it been that long? I don’t remember dumping you.”

“You were making out with Tony Snider, the leader of the biggest frat houses on campus. Right in front of me.”

{Painful realization} “Ah. Right. Look, I’m sorry about that. I made a huge mistake and was being so naive back then.”

Melissa stepped forward, closing the gap between them. Duke swallowed hard, he was taking critical damage with the look of regret plastered across her face. No! He had to stay strong! This was a boss battle for crying out loud!

{Sincere commiseration} “I feel like there’s a reason why we ran into each other here. Do you think we could go for coffee sometime? Maybe try again where we left off?”

Duke was at his limit. She was beautiful and he had never gotten over her. Was she really telling the truth? Yeah, sure, she was feeling sorry for what she did. But was it enough to go through all the pain again? Duke was never good at saying no to people in the first place. Mostly because he was never sure of what would be the right thing to say in any circumstance. Sure he could read subtitles, but it wasn’t like they ever offered a selection of words to say either. With a heavy sigh, he nodded.

“Yeah, sure. Why not. I know a good place we can go to.”

{DEFEATED: KO}

“Oh really! That’s amazing!” She linked her arm around his, pressing close to his body. “Lead on!”

Man, I am a huge sucker, Duke thought. Well, at least he could go back to join Stew and see what ended up happening during the breakup that unfurled earlier.

{Tragic death music starts playing}

Whispering Death (part 20)

Hey Raga-rootlings. I just wanted to say thank you so much for reading and supporting me this far. Originally this story was supposed to be short, maybe even like 10 chapters. But here we are! Part 20! It has been a journey for sure! I hope you are all enjoying it as much as I am because we’ve made it past the halfway point and now are nearing the downfall of the series. Hold your buckles and tighten your shoelaces, because it’s going to get dark from here out. Well, sort of. See you all for the next update!

-Turan

_______

Drina was lost. It was not easy to trek across an unknown town, especially at night. Not only was it much bigger than Drina had realized, but filled with several surprises. There were roads to dead-ends and alleyways that back-tracked in the wrong direction. Whoever had built this city needed to get their head checked. Although Drina thought the worst, she could tell by the change in designs of houses that there had been several large expansions from the quick growth. Good for the population of the town, not good for her to navigate back to the hostel. Drina not only had to stop and turn around multiple times, she would need to duck and hide from the spirit as well. Quickly it floated about the streets, passing through walls and buildings with ease. This added an extra challenge of keeping hidden, knowing that at any time, it could pop out and attack her. It had been a while since she had last seen it, giving her a little more confidence. The pendulum spun faster, indicating she was getting close. Tired and weary, Drina took a deep calming breath. Soon she would put an end to the night and make sure Hestar was safe. Then she could rest.

Drina pressed her back against a wall, preparing to walk out from the shadows. Just when she thought she was in the clear, she spotted the spectre floating into view. Biting her lip, she tsked. How was it following her so closely? Once it passed by, she ran across to the adjacent alleyway. Skidding to a stop, she caught her breath as another one on the other side floated into view. Glancing behind her, she knew there was no way it couldn’t have jumped from the other road to get here. Had it broken off into several ghosts or may be called in more? Now she had more to worry about. She could hardly defend herself against one spirit, who knows how she would fair against several.

Kneeling behind a trash bin, Drina closed her eyes and held her fan still until she felt the presence pass. How long could she keep this up? Sooner or later, they would catch wind of her trace and follow it straight to her. And now with several more of them floating about, she was running out of time. Taking a deep breath, she prepared to run. With a quick check to her fan for directions, Drina peeked over the bin to make sure the passing spectral was out of sight before bursting into a full run. No sense in trying to be stealthy anymore.

Running close to the sides, Drina didn’t pause to check around the corners before running down the street. The air in her lungs burned hot, pain erupted all over her chest and legs. Finally, she recognized a building and smiled. At least she was close to somewhere she’d recently been. Hope fueled her, pushing harder through the pain. Her legs were weak and sore already from walking all day in the market. Drina knew if she stopped now, she wouldn’t be able to push on.

Ahead of her Drina spotted Alp’s restaurant, causing her to yell out with relief. She knew where she was now! Running past the building she continued on into the market. Freedom was so close yet still a few blocks away. A fresh wave of renewed energy hit her with a jolt. Homestretch, she thought victoriously. With a sharp turn, she burst into the middle of the street and spotted two spectral ahead. How careless, Drina thought while sliding to a stop. The two beings turned, locking their hollow eyes on her. There was no way to avoid them now. Turning to run the opposite way, she spotted a third coming out from behind a building. They all were aware of her presence now. Drina was going to be surrounded if she wasn’t careful. Stepping backwards she pivoted back down the street she came from, making a sharp right on the first street she could. She didn’t need to look back to feel the beings hot on her trail. They had the upper hand since she was already exhausted. That and they were dead.

Tingles on her spine warned her as she weaved to the left, taking an alleyway to avoid the several blasts that whizzed by her. Drina yelped, coming face to face with another one. The spectral was already prepared, firing a bolt right at her. She ducked in time to avoid it, the heat blasting her from above. Rolling beneath the entity, she sprang back to her feet and bolted. All Drina could do was run. Several more blasts flung past her from behind, hitting the buildings around her in a puff of black smoke and fire. Holding her breath, Drina jumped through it, landing out into the open street market. Pushing herself up, she dodged to the side to avoid another attack. Each bolt was hotter than the other. One mistake or one direct hit and she was done for. Hope filled her while she ran. Not far ahead was the opening of the market intersection. The side of the hostel was in view, meaning she was not too far away. Drina was almost there. The sudden lightness around her made her grin. The spectrals disappeared, leaving her be as she ran. Almost crying out in a chear, it felt like she had won this round. At least until she heard a cry from behind her.

“DRINA!”

Coming to a halt, she turned around in horror to see Hestar running behind her. The spectral didn’t stop their attack on her because she was close to the hostel. They stopped because they found a new target.

“Hestar! Stop!”

Drina cursed, pivoting to rush to her side. The spectres gathered, building their attacks to fire on the unsuspecting girl. Drina wasn’t going to make it. In a fit of fear, she unflipped her fan and threw all her power into it. With a prayer, she closed her eyes. Please, let me save her.

Opening her eyes, she swished it hard in front of her. Blue light sparked, conjure in a flash of swirling light and released as she flicked her wrist. To her surprise, the fan created a powerful current, dispersing the blasts with a blue smoky blade. All the ghosts flew back, clearing from above Hestar. The wind was strong enough to stop Hestar in mid-run. She covered her face to protect against the kicked-up sand from the current.

Drina watched in shock, renewed by the ability she never knew she had. Holding her fan in front of her she laughed.

“I take back calling you a curse!”

Quickly she rushed to Hestar’s side. Concentrating this time, she poured her energy into the fan with a quick burst. Aiming the attack, she swished it directly at two spectators side by side nearest to her. The blast hit them with surprise and flung them into the walls behind them. With a hard impact, it turned them into puffs of black smoke. It dissipated quickly, leaving no trace behind. Drina didn’t know if it was enough to destroy them for good, but it was enough for her. The tingle against her skin warned her once more of an incoming attack. She turned to bat off a bolt coming from the side. Flowing her energy became second nature to her as she connected to her fan. With a backhand swipe, she knocked it to the ground. Even though she had a way to fight the entities, there was no telling for how long.

Grabbing Hestar’s hand, she yanked hard toward the hostal. It was difficult to dodge all the while trying to defend them from bolts at the same time. At least Hestar didn’t fight her from being pulled, pushed and guided through the streets. It must have been a strange sight to behold. Drina powered her fan preemptively, waiting for the next attack when Hestar whispered harshly.

“W-when did you learn to do that?”

It was a bit of a surprise at first Hestar. Could she see the flashes of blue currents releasing from her fan? Drina pulled them out of the way from a blast before releasing her attack on the spirit. It cut the being in half with an otherworldly wail before bursting into a puff of smoke. Drina shot a grin toward Hestar before replying to her. She couldn’t help slather her words with a bit of cockyness in her tone.

“Just now. Seems there are a lot of things I can do on a whim.”

Her heroic moment was cut short when a bolt flew at them. Using less energy, her light blade only deflected a small portion of the attack, allowing the rest through. The small chunk hit her right in the shoulder, causing her to drop her fan with a shriek. Drina dropped to her knee, reaching up to put out the fire around her clothes. A large chunk of her skin was blistering and charred. Unable to move her arm, they were defenceless. Hestar dropped down to see the wound, tears streaming down her face. Looking about she couldn’t see where any of the attacks were coming from. She was terrified.

“Drina! What do we do now?”

Before Drina could respond, several of the entities gathered in front of them slowly. They built a small circle around them, preparing to attack. Thankfully the trusty bark of Wiggles shattered a few of them as he leaped in to save the day. The charred black demon dog leaped out in front of them, his slimy tongue slithering about. He crouched low to the ground and waited for them to attack. There were four beings remaining and gathering energy to attack at once. Hestar held Drina tightly, cheering at Wiggles.

“Good boy, Wiggles!”

Drina watched dumbfoundedly. What was the mutt planning to do? Taking all the attacks at once? Apprehensive, Drina watched the several bolts launch towards them. She thought for sure they were done for, bracing against Hestar. With a crackle, a small ethereal swirl opened in front of Wiggles. His jaw unhinged, opening with a powerful vacuum. It sucked everything in the air in front of him, pulling the flaming balls of fire into the void. Happily, the mutt ate all the attacks, snapping his jaw shut. With a loud gulp, he licked delightfully at his chops.

Drina watched with wide eyes. This beast was horrifying in so many ways. She didn’t know what to think of him anymore after all she had witnessed. With a turn of his head, the mutt nodded at Drina. Without any words, she understood what he meant. It was time to leave.

“Let’s go. Wiggles can take care of this.”

Drina pushed herself up with the help of Hestar, grabbing her fan with her other injured arm.

Hestar smiled, wrapping her arm around Drina for support while they hobbled towards the hostel. “Wiggles, huh? I thought you didn’t like the name.”

“Right now isn’t the time to talk about this. Besides, if you knew what I did, you’d be afraid to upset that dog too.”

Several more spectators began to form around them with dark swirls. This pushed Drina to urge them fast.

“Right now, we need to run.”

Letting go of Drina, Hestar followed her pace. They dodged a few blasts, the doors of the hostel insight. Almost there, Drina chanted in her mind. The distance to the hostal door was within her grasp when the prickles on her skin intensified. Hestar screamed, startling Drina to whip her head back at her.

One of the blasts struck her leg directly, tripping her to the ground. Before Drina could step forward, another blast hit the ground between them. She stumbled backwards to avoid it, wedging distance between. Drina looked over her shoulder towards the door. It was so close, yet she knew they weren’t going to make it at this rate. With several spectators in the sky, Drina looked up with rage. With a cry of agony, she released the last of her soul well at once. Leaping to Hestars side, she picked her up with unearthly strength. Several blasts came at them in a hurry. Drina knew they were panicking. Using her power, she gathered it all in her legs and ran. The sheer force in her push-off crushed the earth beneath her, leaving a small crater behind.

Drina bolted towards the doors. Several attacks launched at them in a flurry, missing Drina as her body glowed with power. With all of her weight, Drina launched her body into the door. The doors busted open with a shower of splinters from the impact. It did nothing to soften the blow from the speed. Hitting the floor with a slide, Drina let out a loud grunt. The wind was knocked out of her making it hard to breathe, but she needed to know they were safe. She turned to the entranceway, holding her breath at the horde of spirits flung themselves after them. The beings’ attacks bounce off an invisible barrier, stunning and deflecting them off. A few even shot at it to no avail. The darkened entranceway lit up, revealing the full moon in the sky beyond. Each of the spectres had flown off into the night.

They made it, they were safe. With that knowledge, Drina collapsed. Her head smacked the floor hard and her world went black.

WP: Wardon of Conspiracy

Hello, you beautiful Raga’s! Sorry, it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything new! I’ve been dealing with new medications and adjusting to the changes in my lifestyle because of them. But don’t you fret! With those changes, I’ve actually been writing more! I am still practicing different writing techniques and seeing what works for me. Some have been fun while others have been frustrating.

On that note, I have decided to switch some things around a bit with both my website and posting schedule. I will return to posting once a week, but alternating between a shorter and longer story. One week may be a writing prompt or one shot and the other will be a longer or reoccurring story. I may also have several titles going at the same time. I have changed my main website to house all the lists of stories with links so you can go back to it and read any of the stories in order since it will be harder to navigate the blog posts alone. Not all of them have been edited to a link to the previous chapters which will take some time for me to add.

Until then, please enjoy this writing prompt story which I had a lot of fun writing!

– Turan

———

conspiracy

Writing prompt from the book, “5,000 Writing Prompts: A Master List of Plot Ideas, Creative Exercises, and More” by Bryn Donovan.

In a dystopian future, college admissions boards have access to video footage of students’ entire lives.

Watching the screen with her arms clasped behind her back, Desirae frowned. It was the fourth time in a row she was forced to watch the suppression and abuse of her star pupil. He held such high expectations to excel in not just college, but his future career. Desirae bit her lip, knowing that this was more than just abuse from students who were jealous of his excellence and attention. It was an experiment the government-held under the guise of protection and obedience.

Over 60 years ago, a law passed that any student who attended college was to be monitored heavily in order to cut down on accidental death rates caused by overdoses, alcohol poisoning, and occasional sexual abuse. The law proved to be successful, forcing more strict rules for such monetization. Tracking bands were soon implicated, followed by cameras in every area. Several petitions had fought the fast-moving expansion of privacy invasion, yet the results of its success pushed for more control. Students who graduated under these restrictions excelled in modern society, accelerating the digital era. Within 20 years, the system had worked its way back into every grade and school; if the effects could be implicated at a younger age, how much more could we improve the world?

At least that was what they told everyone, although Desirae knew better. As she watched her pupil defend himself against the aggressive opposers, she knew exactly what consequences would be delved out; any by her hand as well. Sighing heavily, she leaned over the console, adjusting the cameras, glancing at the receptionist who was watching the sector. “How long ago did this begin?”

“About 10 minutes ago, Ma’am.”

“Good. Please log this in each of their academic records. Each of them will receive points accordingly. If I am not mistaken, one of them will be dropping their current classes and moving into special force training. Let’s see how well he fairs being the small fry of the class.”

The receptionist nodded, returning to her duties as Desirae continued to watch the camera. Secretly she prayed, “Don’t strike back, Mathers. Please don’t…”

She wanted nothing more than to rush down there and stop the fight from happening, knowing full well that this was part of the experiment. It was the same training she had received unknowingly when she was in college. The difference was she found out the truth, and the government saw it. Learning the truth behind the shadows of the college put her life in danger as they watched her every move, waiting for her to make one little mistake; to tell someone or to escape. She had done neither and was rewarded into the position she had now, the Dean. Still, she felt the eyes staring through her back as she watched Mathers. He had a chance to escape the dangers where she could not.

Only able to watch, she wished she could do more to help. He didn’t deserve this torture and the only way it would stop is when he reached the top. Thankfully he only had one more year to endure. Desirae could only encourage him from the sidelines.

From the screen, she saw Mathers keep his head down, unspoken while the others around him swore and yelled. Physical violence was untolerated but it didn’t stop verbally taunting until someone snapped. Mathers breath was fast, his fists clenched tightly until they were white. He was close to losing his temper when suddenly the bell rang. The yelling had stopped and the boys ganged up on Mathers turned white. The bell was bad news for them.

“Ah. I see the security has finally noticed. Excellent.”

Desirae stood up, folding her hands behind her back once more with a smirk, one she knew she shouldn’t have so publicly. It was no secret to anyone her adoration for Mathers and that she favored him the most. It was still seen as unacceptable, although Desirae didn’t care. Mathers succeeded this time, the uppers could suck it. Turning from the screen, Desirae spoke to the receptionist as she walked away.

“Inform the chair about this encounter. They will be thrilled to hear the news of his victory.”

Her voice was laced with sarcasm. She knew the chair would not. All they wanted was to see the results of their hidden agenda and experiments. This was just one of them. Leaving the room, she turned down the hall and kept a steady pace. The sound of her heels echoed off the walls, loud and confident as she continued down a series of halls. All students had been in class or in their dorms leaving the halls open for her to strut. Only when she arrived at an open courtyard did she stop and wait. Her back to the opening as she stared at the tree in the circle of the enclosure. It towered over the building, giving shade to the blazing heat. With a smile, she stared at the light that peeked through the leaves.

“Causing trouble for the uppers again, Mathers?”

Looking down from the sky to her left, she knew he was taking refuge on a bench. It was a habit of his to come and calm down, one she was very familiar with. He shuffled in his seat, embarrassed.

“You saw it, didn’t you?”

“Of course. I am charged to make sure your every move is monitored. Including the boys who were cornering you.”

The boy smiled meekly. “Every time it occurs?”

Desirae couldn’t help but scoff, turning to face him. He looked so young. Too young to be a pawn for the government’s corrupted games.

“Maybe I am just a little more invested than required. How are your studies going?”

“You know the answer. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here to cheer me up.”

“Is it that obvious?”

He looked up at her with a cheeky grin. “You are always obvious, Professor.”

“Ah well, can’t always be careful. Care to join me this evening for tea and chess? I know it helps the nerves. Besides, I have been practicing so I might score the chance of beating you this time.” Mathers smiled brightly. It warmed her heart that she could offer him a small glimmer of hope from the darkness within the halls.

“I’ll be there at 8.”

“Excellent. I will send you the pass required to head to my office. Can’t have them look for an excuse to dock you points.”

Desirae nodded, taking her leave towards the halls once more when Mathers stopped her just at the edge of the grass.

“Professor…”

She paused, waiting for his response.

“Do they watch us in your office as well?” Desirae’s smile diminished as she stared at the wall in his response. Looking at the small black hole, she glared at the camera knowingly. Unable to tell him anything, she could only reply with the knowledge he already knew.

“They will always watch you as long as you’re in these halls.”

The rest of the words she wanted to say only stayed within her mind. They will never stop watching you. With that, she continued her pace. We will never be left alone.