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Post by Evelyn on Aug 2, 2013 23:48:17 GMT -5
Post them here! Anything! Just anything!
Anyway, here's the prologue to this story I'm writing.
Prologue – Fifty Years Ago
“It’s safe.”
The calm, soothing voice of the man relaxed and alerted me at the same time as I climbed into the stone casket. I desperately wanted the words to be true. The wall poster had said ‘safe and relaxing’ after all. I sunk into some strange aqua-coloured liquid, just a few centimeters from being submerged in it. I’m not even sure that ‘submerged’ is the right word to be using. The ‘liquid’ felt more like jelly every moment I stayed in it.
“What – what if something does go wrong though? What do we have to do then?” It was merely a question of my safety, or rather, ‘would I still be alive after a while in this casket’. The latter seemed more accurate. Tentatively, I waited until he had checked something behind me, probably some wire or tube. Not that I needed to know, obviously.
“We?” Since when did I say that there would be a ‘we’ involved in all this? Didn’t you read the fine print on the poster? I don’t think so!” He thrust the poster at me, magnifying the small text at the bottom. I turned, or, at least, twisted myself to read it. Movement was becoming limited now. Perfect. Just as he started getting all menacing. However, even with the help of a magnifying glass, I had to squint to read the text. Stuttering, for perhaps the first time in the thirteen years of my life, I read:
“A-all tests t-t-taken at a-applicant’s own r-r-risk.”
Applicant’s own risk? That didn’t sound very comforting. For me, risk had just meant putting myself into danger – small things, like jumping off a ledge. It never occurred to me that ‘risk’ could also mean putting me into a life/death situation. The way it was written stayed with me, the way applicants didn’t the text until they were in the same position as me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a shadow descending towards me.
“Help!”
My voice turned out as a feeble squeak. The lid slowly closed on me…and before I had a chance to react, the last words I heard were:
“You didn't prepare for anything, anything like this, did you?”
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Post by Evelyn on Aug 3, 2013 23:29:52 GMT -5
Ok, triple post *apologetic grin*, but here's the first chapter. Tell me about it...
EXTREMELY LONG SO IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ IT DON'T
Chapter One - Awake
All I did was feel a sensation of waking up. Or something similar to that, anyway. I found that, once more, I could use my voice, move. I pushed away the lid, heavy as it was, it came away in my hands much too easily. Slowly adjusting my eyes to the stark white lighting, I found that everything looked the same…yet on closer inspection, I see that things have changed. Most noticeably, the screen behind me. Probably the ‘thing’ that I saw the man adjust. Firstly, although everything else in the room was professional, clean and nearly lab-like, this particular screen flickered. But for the short while that it had stayed open, I could see a calendar. The date: 19th August. Normal enough, I guess. But then again, how would I know?
That was when I saw the year.
2100.
Fifty years from the day I came! Fifty! The shock of it nearly made me fall backwards. The screen stayed on it for an abnormally long time, as if to scare me in some way. I started an examination of myself now. I swear, I’m not a day older than thirteen! Now, though, I knew what he meant by ‘risk’. It meant staying in a casket for fifty years. Casket? More like a coffin, telling by the shape of it.
“Hello?” I said, to no one in particular. What was I thinking? There. Was. No. One. Here. I needed to get that one fact straight. Now, looking closer, I could see the signs of abandonment. Moss on the lid. Vines slowly creeping down through a hole in the ceiling. Even a sign of a fire that was quickly put out, damaging the papers on the other side of the room. I turned around, looking at a set of stairs.
What else was there to do but climb them?
Every step was hard. Did I really want to know what happened? Of course, I tell myself, I have to survive, don’t I? In the world where I had lived fifty years ago, that thought would never consume me. I’d never be driven to survive the way I was now. All that I could hope was that I wasn’t a ‘last resort’ – the last living human, at least. The logical part of me knew that I could probably stay in here and that I should search my surroundings before ascending into the world above.
But another part of me, a more animal part knew that I needed the feeling of sunlight on my face, the sweet scent of nature, even just the sight of my city, no matter what had happened. I followed my most natural instincts and dashed up the last few steps. I could see greenery above me. Trees! A liberal forest, at least. But that was only one side of it. Sheltered underneath the canopy was my city, completely in ruin. I searched for sunlight through the thick blanket of leaves.
Nothing. I started feeling claustrophobic, and trapped in the ruins. The remains of a few small treasures were still hidden. As I thought of maybe trying to remember a map that I’d studied so long ago, I realized that my memory was slowly starting to escape me. I had to think of the basic details. My name…my …my…with a pang, I realized that I really couldn’t think of anything else that I had to remember. Not when everything around me was already destroyed. It was pointless. My name is Serafina. Serafina Stone. That was all I really needed to know now. It was really a scary thought. Amazingly, though, I could still think. And I could probably still imagine. I was probably just seeing a strange shadow there that I imagined to be a person…or was I?
Was I? It seemed to be getting bigger, yet I was sure that there was no sign of life – or, at least, human life – anywhere! I had to find out. This was no illusion of light. This was a man, or possibly a boy? I didn’t know. I was still deliberating with myself over whether I should be trying to make contact of any kind or whether he was someone I could class as an enemy, when I saw that he was nearly in front of me.
Still partially in shock of the moment, I tentatively spoke.
“Hello? Wh-who are you?”
What was I saying? Shouldn’t I really be running away at the speed of light? He looked trustworthy, looking at me with emerald bright eyes…or was that just a way to get my attention, and then betray me the next moment? No, I had to get some answers out of this person. His next words were almost surprising.
“No. The question is: who are you? I was sure that I knew everything about this place.” Watching me, observing my movements in such a strangely careful, almost cautious way, he continued. “It seems like you’ve proven me wrong now.”
“Proven – proven you wrong? No way. I know everybody who lives here…lived here.” I managed to add the last part, almost sheepishly. Only I seemed to recognize the scariness in that one change of word. Not even word – more like change of letter. Lived here! I’d thought it to be impossible. How could a whole town be abandoned and overgrown, when I’d been left in safety and ignored? You know why, I told myself, you volunteered. And for what? Well, it seems like now you know. My head spun with strange, unfamiliar thoughts of what could have happened. Fifty years…all of a sudden, it didn’t seem so long anymore. Not compared to so many other events.
“Are there more of you? Uh, you family? Your friends? Just any other people on our side?”
“No. I don’t know how this happened! I feel like I’ve just walked off the face of the earth for fifty years without knowing it!”
“You – you probably have. And you have no recollections of what has happened?”
“No. And if I did, why should I even tell you? I don’t even know who you are!”
A flash of the defiance I’d been hiding for so long. That’s really all it took for him to give me the only answer I wanted or needed. His name. His identity. And most of all, his knowledge that, or so it seemed, he’d been hiding from me.
Deep sigh from him. “You really won’t give up, will you?” I nodded in agreement, as this was only too true. “All right. My name is Ash Skylin. I’ve never…never seen anyone in this area. This is real, isn’t it? Not a…a dream is it?”
“No…?” I replied, completely unsure over what to say, or what he expected me to say. Was this all a dream though? Could a dream, a thought? But dreams weren’t as realistic and surreal as this was. Could my mind really be so deceptive though? But that was next to impossible. Why does he believe in such a genuine way? Everything around me felt so real. I felt like here was the perfect place to confess.
“Look, Ash, I’m not what I seem. It’s true that I’m an ordinary - well, maybe not such an ordinary person, but I’m thirteen years old and, alright, I was stupid.”
“Stupid? How? Well, I guess, with what you’ve been like…you don’t seem to know anything.”
“No, I mean that I took part in a scientific experiment, and there was small print that told me to be careful – “
“Small print? You mean, you read it and you still decided to do it? I think I know what you mean now.”
“Actually, I didn’t see it until I was sinking and this weird guy running the experiment told me…”
“What happened to the old procedure of looking at it and immediately escaping the area, maybe even reporting it? I don’t see how, but I guess.”
“I…I couldn’t. He had me trapped in this blue jellyish stuff that was like quicksand once I laid down, and it tried to swallow me, or that’s how it felt anyway.”
“Adeliqua? Never seen a speck of it. Of course, all that stuff disappeared a while back.”
“Back? But…I was just in it? It isn’t gone!”
“Never mind. I want to know what’s happened. It feels like you’re trying to avoid something.”
“Well, once I was in it, I just…fell asleep. That’s the best I can do for how that felt.”
“Asleep? Didn’t you wake up the next morning and find that the chemical had dissolved or something?”
“No…and that’s the main part.” I hesitated, unsure whether it was safe to tell him or not. It was a secret…or nearly one. I didn’t think I’d tell anyone that I was really fifty three years old. They’d probably just doubt me and laugh, I had thought. But this time…no. He sounded and looked so serious, so willing to learn about this. I couldn’t avoid the words any longer.
“Ash…I fell asleep and woke up fifty years later. I know, I know, it’s impossible, but just trust me, just this once!”
“And…”
“Please. I mean it.” I must have been so forceful. Or, for that matter, so pleadingly, honestly desperate. He believed me. I could tell just by watching his expression morph into one of sincere surprise, if there was ever an expression that could be described in that way.
“You…you’re the one in all the stories? All the legends? How? After all this time…”
Stories? Legends? Me? The three words just didn’t seem to link up in any given way. In no way could I be a mythical person or hero…unless this was all something different? Like a prophecy? And the last words. ‘After all this time.’ What could that even mean? It certainly was fifty years, but this boy looked not a day older than fourteen, or maybe fifteen. It was hard to tell, really. Not only how old he was, but also what this legend, this prophecy perhaps. It was a strange and yet obvious thought that answered all my questions. I had to ask, to find out.
“Ash? What do you mean?”
“You don’t know? I thought you would, doing this experiment and all. But then again, it was only told forty years ago…” He snorted, obviously thinking that he’d just made a sarcastic, mocking comment. Of course, for me, this proved to be false.
“I woke up fifty years from the day I did it. Forty years ago? I was still in my sleeping state.”
“I don’t have time to tell you. Gather what you need and we have to leave this area now. I can feel something dangerous about this area; something menacing that could be watching us, stalking us.” His tone was alarming enough to make me believe and trust him.
“Ok. I’ve nothing to prepare though. All I have is myself. Everything down there seems like it’s dangerous to use or even touch.”
He nodded uncertainly. I’d probably made him terribly unsure about my identity, with me saying that I was fifty three and everything.
“Let’s go.”
Silently, my lips formed a word that teetered on the very edge of my tongue.
Goodbye.
I wasn’t coming back. Once I left, I had the feeling that I was never going to touch this same soil again. Ash looked at me patiently, watching me to see whether I would back out of the deal and go another way. But no, I was going to stay. I had, perhaps, just decided that my chances of survival were bound to be higher if I had a companion who hadn’t been part of a bizarre experiment helping me on my way.
I followed him to wherever we were meant to be going. This seemed to be a small stone hut that must have been on the edge of the forest. A shaft of sunlight ran through the thick foliage like a blade through the air. The air felt fresher, more real. I enjoyed the sensation for a few minutes before examining my surroundings. At first, all I saw was a single piece of paper. Then, my vision refocused and I saw that it was a whole pile of paper. Scrolls, books, cutouts, everything. Quickly glancing backwards, I made sure that nothing was watching. There were no animals in these parts, it seemed. Ash was…where was he? I can only assume that he left to get supplies of some kind. I sat down and started to read.
The writing was hard to read, if that is the right word for it. More like decipher, actually. The few printed parts were often stained or blurred from water damage. Most of it consisted of notes and notes of handwriting, with the occasional leaf or flower that would have dropped onto it. I put down my first attempt, and skimmed the pile for something else. There was one that caught my eye. Not a book or cutout, a note that had fallen to the ground, actually. It was titled: I need to know this. Strange. What would Ash need to know? On closer examination, I noticed that it was actually a letter. It read:
-A
I need help now. If you’re still alive, find me by going north. Hopefully this messenger has been able to deliver this letter successfully to that cliff. Reply to me, please. I’ve got no one else to turn to now. And don’t forget – we’re still the believers of the prophecy. Never turn your back on the statement. Once I find her, I’ll get there as soon as possible. I just need to know one thing – why did you believe me? I know very few people that actually do.
-A
From Ash to ‘I’? He needed help? Seemed unlikely to me, but then again I didn’t know the age of this letter. Judging by how the paper was stained and the creases, it seemed to be a few years old. He was what he called a believer of a prophecy? Could this be the same prophecy, the same legend that he had told me about? Her…for some reason, I didn’t feel like this was some long-lost relative that he had set out to find. I felt like that person was me.
On the back was a harsh reply, short and snappy. It read:
-A
How can I even trust you? No, I can’t. I’d rather throw myself off this cliff before I’d go to you. You need help? Hello? I’m safe here! Why don’t you do the same?
-I
Yet there was something hidden in that message. The wording seemed so fake, unlike something anybody could even think of saying when someone had simply asked for help. The two seemed to be close in some way. I realized that the sky must be darkening; the beam of sunshine was dimming. Running to it, holding the letter so it caught the last rays, I say something on the text…no, behind the text. Holding it up further, I could read a faint letter hidden behind the first. The message changed everything. The meaning was different; the tone was loving and desperate. And it gave me the answer as to why I existed.
-I
If I don’t make it, promise me that you’ll remember me for an eternity. You can’t run from the truth forever though. If you keep on going, you’ll really only get nowhere with your quest. I believed you because of your eagerness to believe. I’ve really never met anyone so willing to think in that way. Please, though, come back. I, too, need you. If I move, it’ll only ever cause my demise. This area is being watched. About the prophecy – I’ve discovered something strange and amazing. We (as in, our race) will survive because of it. There was a desperate, hasty experiment. The results, we won’t ever know, perhaps. But if you ever find the one, she’ll know the results. If you live. Please, listen to me, return to here. You could do it if you really wanted.
-A
Don’t make it? Could that mean…I shivered, despite the rather warm temperature. The sunlight had dimmed even more. Putting the letters down, I stared into the distance, still hardly believing what I had just found. The results…for some uncanny reason, I knew that the experiment was me.
I don’t know how long I spent looking into the distance. Concentrating was becoming harder and harder as I tried to piece together the puzzle that I was caught in. What I knew was nothing. What I didn’t know was nothing. What I wasn’t sure of was everything. What had happened so far felt like it wasn’t even real. It had a murky feel to it, the feeling when you have a dream that’s far too realistic and yet you know it’s not. Perhaps that’s where I was now. In the middle of a dream. Pacing around the clearing, I tried to tell myself to wake up. But it didn’t work. Everything was just…real. Trying to think, I realized that I hadn’t seen Ash since he’d led me here.
“Hello? Is anyone there?” As soon as I spoke, I knew that it was the wrong thing to do. I didn’t know what creatures lurked in these areas. So much had changed. I chose a direction at random to explore. Heading back to the city, or what used to be the city, I read another page, this time obviously torn out from a book. The writing was far too neat.
…therefore the results of this experiment cannot be determined. The gel chemical currently being tested is still unstable and may result in loss of life when it is finally used. Unfortunately, there is almost no other way of knowing whether this will work or whether it will fail. So far, using a…
It ended there. So I was ‘chosen’ to do this? Throwing it to the floor in disgust, I continued on my way. The air became cooler, until finally reaching a point where I could see a small cloud of mist whenever I breathed. Finally, when I reached the nearest building, I half-ran inside, completely ignoring the ‘Warning! Keep out!’ sign that hung crooked on the side. Pushing the door open, I could see nothing but the blank steel walls of the building. After that, I was aware of the continuous roar in the background. Cautiously turning around to check what it was, I could see the faintest shadow amidst the dark outlines of shrubs and trees. Ash! But there were too many differenced for this to be him. This figure’s eyes shone in the night, despite the shadows of everything else. But this was no animal. Its expression was already obvious just from its stare. Dangerous. Hostile. Ready to attack. I could feel my heartbeat get faster and faster until it reached a state where it pounded in my ears. There was no time to prepare anything. Dropping the paper that I was holding, I sprinted up the emergency stairs on the outside of the building. However, when I glanced backwards, I found that the mysterious person was still following me. This time, though, there seemed to be no escape.
For the figure was nearly right behind me.
I gave a small, shocked scream and kept going, ignoring the way my legs ached from the running. I chanced another glance backwards and, as I was doing so, realized that the staircase had ended. Well, not really. It had broken, though, leaving a gap that I was unable to jump. Shattering the glass of a window, I jumped back into the building, flinging open doors, trying to find a way to the bottom. At last, I found a balcony from which I thought I could jump. Readying myself, I shut my eyes and took the fall.
Evidently, I had misjudged the distance. But still, I was at the bottom. That was all that really mattered.
Stopping for just a second to catch my breath, I saw the glint of steel in a corner. Alright, it was no big deal, but my instincts told me that it was something to be inspected. Edging towards it, back against a building, I could hear the other person’s footsteps fade into the distance. Breathing a long, deep sigh of relief, I darted out from my short-term ‘hiding place’ and grabbed the object.
The object turned out to be a small, thin knife. A dagger. I had only heard of such weapons being used in ancient times, before technology had advanced so far. But now, even with just a small weapon to use, I no longer felt defenseless and hopeless. I could even smell a sense of what I probably now could call…home. A safe place or a sanctuary maybe. Smoke. The once-irritating smell now felt almost good. Gathering up the last of my energy, I ran towards the ‘campsite’. Seemed like a rational thing to do, I guess.
To my surprise, Ash was leaning against the back wall. As I walked in, it seemed like he wasn’t even surprised to see me.
“Well, welcome back. What have you been doing-“
“Nothing! Just…exploring. The question should be-“The words sounded so wrong when I said them. Would he seriously believe such a terrible lie? I hoped so. Almost.
“Exploring? Why would you want to do such a thing? Without knowing anything about where you are? Crazy.”
Defensively, I replied, “Yes I do! I’ve lived in the city for more than fifty years, haven’t I?”
But before he had the chance to speak again, I corrected myself. “I don’t care if that seems illogical! It’s true is all I’m trying to say! I don’t care whether it’s safe or not! I just…I just wanted to see it again.”
To my surprise, it worked. Almost instantly, as if relieved, his expression softened and he almost – just almost – smiled.
“You know, I once had a life, too.”
I nodded, not sure what to say. What were you supposed to say to that kind of comment anyway? I certainly didn’t know.
“Besides, who are you? You never told me your name.”
The comment startled me. “Sera. Sera Stone.”
We sat in silence for a few minutes, neither of us knowing or trusting the other enough to talk. Eventually, with almost no effort at all, I fell into a dreamless sleep. I almost felt safe. Secure. But at the same time, isolated from the rest of the world. Alone, yet also not.
When I awoke, I was aware of a crackling sound from outside. Peering through the doorway, I could just make out Ash’s shadow across the ground. Instantly, I headed towards him, for even though neither of us could trust the other, I felt as if I had to, unless I wanted to be the one who was gone by sunset. But he was so serious, so reserved. If I hoped to make an enemy, it seemed as if I had to first make a friend.
(Your prize for finishing is...NOTHING!!!!)
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Post by Misha on Aug 7, 2013 22:30:13 GMT -5
Uhh I don't have a title yet for this but here's the "blurb" and prologue of my story:
[Blurb]: When Annabelle witnesses her best friend and brotherly figure's, Sean's, death her life turns upside down. Feeling distraught and guilty she feels like her life can never get better until she meets someone who helps her to try and turn her life the right way around again.
[Prologue- 1 month ago]: "ANNABELLE!" He screamed, as his foot slipped on the damp wood and his body began to plummet downwards. From the corner of my eye I saw his body shrink as it reached closer to the water. A small splash was created making me believe he was gone. My whole body froze, stuck in it's current position apart from my eyes which blinked rapidly trying to prevent the tears from falling. My mind urged my body to move, my legs to run but I couldn't, however hard I tried, until I heard his voice again. "Help!" All it took
was that one little word to get me to spring into action. I ran over to the edge where he had tripped and looked down to see his pale hands shivering as they gripped onto the cold metal pole.
"Stay right there" I croaked running back to the entrance we had come from. "SOMEBODY HELP" I could hear my voice crumbling but I couldn't let that get to me, not a time like this. My eyes scanned the whole beach but it was completely empty, not one source of human life, not even a tissue or a crisp packet which could have at least shown that someone had been here recently. When we found out about this supposed abandoned beach we didn't think they meant it literally. My eyes slammed shut as I took in a sharp breath, not today off that I had agreed to this. With a small sigh I ran back to where I had left him, surprisingly but luckily he was still hanging on, his fingers were red due to the cold and strain he had put on them. I quickly laid down on the wooden planks pushing my head a little over the brink to be closer to him. Our arms extended in unison but however much we elongated our fingers and stretched them towards each other there was still a small gap between them. However we kept trying, over and over, but no result. There was only one option I had, to move closer towards him, but that would mean half of my body hanging over the edge.
"Stop, Anna, just stop" His tone was calm but his words frightened me, he couldn't be giving up, this was Sean he never gave up. Although his voice was refreshing to hear at the same time it hurt knowing it was unlikely that he would make it out alive. "Look it's obvious I'm going to die" My eyes began to prickle as I flung my arm back down to him again. With the little energy he had his head shook side to side.
"Don't" I took a sharp breath "don't say that" I stammered. "P-please" I whispered at the end. With a struggle he turned his head upwards, until his brown eyes were staring right into mine.
"Anna, you were the best friend a guy could ever have" A single tear slid down my cheek.
"No" I managed to squeak, "Katie is so lucky," His eyes were starting to water, "to have you as a sister because I wish you were mine."
"No" I repeated. My throat felt like it was clogging up I couldn't bring myself to say anything else.
"Anna I'm sorry. I love you. G-goodbye" I could hear him breaking down as he muttered his last word.
His fingers started to slip off the railing one by one and all I could do was watch. I never though that my last moments with him would be like this. I bit my lip trying to hold back the tears as he only had 4 fingers left, clinging onto life. "No." I whispered once more. It had to be a dream but I knew deep down it wasn't. I was watching my best friend's death and there was nothing I could do about it. I couldn't look away, I couldn't move at all, I was frozen again. As his last finger was about to slide off the post, he smiled one last time. It was weak and fake, but it was a smile nevertheless. Despite the circumstances I couldn't help but smile back. That all changed when his body hit the water and within seconds he was submerged, completely absorbed by the rushing cyan waves. That all changed when he was gone.
If I had said no to this he would still be here with me.
If I had made sure he didn't stand too close to the end of the dock he would still be breathing
If I had moved any closer he would still be alive
But if I had moved any closer my body would have been more over the edge than on the pier meaning I would be in the same position as Sean is now. Dead.
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