Mystic's Story Fragments!
 

This is a collection of short stories and fragments of stories that I have not finished yet. I want opinions on them. Thanks!
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Short Story One
"I Love You Came too Late"
Sitting outside an old building on a bench is a young girl. She looks like she�s around 15 or 16 with soft raven colored hair reaching down her back, stopping at her mid-back. The soft autumn breeze blows through her hair, rustling it slightly before it falls back into place. Her deep azure eyes seemed to be looking for something as she stood under the old roof of the building behind her.

The steady raindrops of the fall shower were the only sound outside her own thoughts. If her thoughts were said out loud, it would seem like a room full of people screaming at her. She was lost, not physically, but emotionally. Much of her time, she sat at home waiting for a call she knew would never come, yet she continued to wait.

Sighing softly, she brushed a soft strand of hair off her face. He still hadn�t showed up. What could she expect though�? Had she once more fallen into his pit of trickery? She was always foolish enough to fall for his cruel tricks. That is why the thoughts in her head could no be silenced.

Sniffling, she felt the wetness of tears falling softly down her cheek. Seemed like this was yet another awful trick he mused in setting her up in. Closing her eyes tightly, she brushed the salty tears from her soft skin.

�Why do I wait when I know he�s not going to show up?� She asked herself over and over again, thoughts of her foolishness running through her head as she furiously brushed tears from her face as they increased in number.

She couldn�t stand the way she was about him, yet she loved the stupid bastard with all her heart. Although she was never treated right by him, she still stayed so deeply in love with him it seemed she couldn�t live a damn day without seeing him. She felt herself beginning to shake, although she couldn�t tell if it was from the chilly autumn air against her bare legs or from the frustration she felt. Perhaps it was a bit of both.

A sudden hand on her right shoulder snapped her out of her thoughts. She opened her eyes as she felt a jacket being draped over her shoulders. Next to her stood a young man with black hair and soft brown eyes.

�Ami, what are you doing out here?� He asked, looking to the girl. The girl looked away from him, bringing the jacket further over her slender build as her gaze fell upon the damp cement of the sidewalk.

�You aren�t waiting for Adam again, are you?� He asked.

Ami didn�t answer, but continued to look sadly at the sidewalk in front of her.
The young man put his arm around her, bringing her closer to him.

�How long has it been?� He asked, still holding her close.
She felt the warmth of his body as he held her close. She smiled slightly, a barely noticeable smile.

�Two hours�� She replied softly, her voice shaking slightly as she spoke.

Damn him! How the hell could he do that to her?! She�s a wonderful loving girl and beautiful. He thought to himself as he held Ami closer to him as she buried her face in his chest. He felt her tears dampen his shirt as she rubbed her face slightly against his clothing. Softly, the young man rubbed her back continuing to hold her close.

Suddenly, a pair of headlights pierced the descending darkness. Another young man dressed in a black jacket and black jeans got out of the car. He had black hair and brown eyes.

�Louis, nice to see you again.� The dark-haired young man said as he moved towards where Ami and Louis were. Louis held Ami close to him protectively.

�Get the hell away from her.� The dark-haired young man snapped as he roughly grabbed Ami by the wrist, pulling her away from Louis. Louis quickly grabbed Ami�s other wrist, glaring at the dark-haired young man as their eyes locked.

�Let her go, Adam.� Louis said sternly. Ami didn�t move, not knowing what to do.
Adam smirked, releasing Ami�s wrist.

�Let her pick who she wants to be with.� Adam said, not taking his eyes off Louis. Louis let her wrist go, glaring at Adam.

�Who�s it going to be babe? Me or him?� Adam said as he looked Ami in the eye.
Ami slowly walked over to Adam.

�Don�t be straying again.� Adam said to her as he put an arm around her, taking the jacket from her shoulders.

�You don�t need this trash.� Adam said as he tossed the jacket to the ground in front of Louis.
Louis watched as Adam and Ami got into Adam�s car.

Louis sighed in defeat as he leaned down and picked his jacket up off the muddy ground, slinging it over his shoulder as he walked towards home.

�Why the hell were you with him?!� Adam yelled at Ami, who was sitting in the passenger side, looking out the window.

�Answer me!� Adam yelled as he roughly grabbed Ami�s shoulder. Ami looked to him.

�He was walking by and saw me.� She replied , looking Adam in the eye.

�Why the hell did he have his arm around you?� Adam spat. Ami looked to the ground slightly.
�I was cold.� She replied softly.

Adam raised his hand and slapped Ami across the face. Ami put her hand to her face, not believing he actually hit her.

�Don�t ever go near him again, understand?� He said, taking her chin in his hand. Ami didn�t answer.

�Answer me when I talk to you.� He said, making her look at him.

�Yes.� She replied in just above a whisper, directing her gaze to the ground.
�Good.� He let her face go as she began to cry.

�Stop it.� He snapped as he began to drive. Ami looked out the window, burying her head in her hands as she cried harder to herself.

�How could you do that?� She asked herself as she felt more tears fall down her face. �I have to leave him.� She thought to herself, wiping the tears from her face.

Louis arrived home and tossed his jacket just inside the front door. He sighed, being frustrated, thinking about what had happened.

�I should have done something more�� He sighed as he walked to his bedroom and laid on his bed as the room began to darken with the setting of the sun.

�It was stupid of me to think for a moment she would chose me over him�� He thought to himself as he laid on his stomach looking at the white painted wall behind his bed. He closed his eyes as his eyelids became heavy, bringing him into the welcoming sleep.

It seemed like not too long after that there was a frantic knock at his door. Louis opened his eyes and looked over at the clock on his beside table that read 1:00 AM. He rolled over and got out of bed, hearing the knocking again, this time louder. Opening the door, he saw Ami standing there, soaked from head to toe. Her short-sleeved pink turtle neck sweater torn at the neck and down the shoulder, revealing patches of skin. She had blood stains spilt down her sweater and on her black mini skirt, which was also torn. Her normally flawless features had a look of fright falling over them. Almost immediately, Ami threw herself into Louis� arms, crying.

�Ami, what happened?� Louis asked as he pulled her away from him slightly. She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face as she tried to keep herself calm.

�I think I killed him.� She said quietly, trying to keep herself from crying.

After escorting her inside and sitting down on the couch, Louis had made coffee and gave Ami a new change of clothes.

�What happened?� Louis asked as he set his cup down on the coffee table.
Ami sat her cup down next to Louis�s.

�He hit me earlier.� She said softly, putting her hand to the bruise on her left cheek where he struck her.

�What?! Why didn�t you tell me he hit you?� He asked, moving closer to her.

�He never hit me before�� She said sadly. �I struck him back�and�� She broke off as she broke into tears. Louis put his arm around her, holding her close to him.

�I think I killed him.� She said as she buried her face in his chest.

Louis softly brushed his hand through her hair, trying to calm her down.
�Are you sure?� He asked softly.

Ami looked up at him, tears making their way down her cheeks as she spoke.
�No�I ran away� She said sniffling.

�He tried to kill me and he had a knife and I�� She paused as she brushed the tears from her cheek.

�I stabbed him�� She said softly as more cheeks replaced those she wiped away.

Later on, Ami woke up on Louis�s living room couch. She sat up, snuggling against the fleece blanket Louis had covered her with. The sun�s rays were softly falling on the white painted walls through the blinds that covered the windows. Ami stood up, wrapping the soft blanket around her as she walked over to the window, parting the white vertical blinds with her fingers. The view from Louis� apartment was that of a bust city below. Ami sighed as she looked down from the seventh story apartment.

�What am I going to do?� She thought to herself, thinking about what happened the night before. She knew if she hadn�t stabbed Adam he would have killed her, but she couldn�t help but to feel bad about stabbing him.

�Are you alright?� Ami jumped at the sound of Louis�s voice. She turned to him and smiled slightly, although her eyes clearly showed her worry. She nodded slightly.

�Yeah.� She replied softly.

Louis walked over to her and hugged her.

�Did you sleep well?� He asked as he looked down at her, knowing she probably didn�t get much sleep.

�I didn�t get much sleep.� She replied softly.

Louis nodded slightly as he ran his hand through her soft hair.

�I know what you mean.� He said as he moved his hands to her lower back. Ami leaned forward against him.

�Louis��She said softly as she looked up to him.

�Yes?� He replied, looking to her.

She paused then looked to the ground slightly

�Thank you.� She said as she hugged him tightly.

Louis hugged her back, resting his head on hers, taking in the scent of her. He loved everything about Ami, but never told her.

A sudden knock at the door caused both of them to jump slightly. Louis walked over to the door as the knocking got louder.

�Open the damn door, Louis!� Adam�s voice shouted from the other side of the door. Louis looked over to Ami, who seemed scared.

�Go in the back bedroom.� Louis said to her softly. Ami nodded and rushed towards the back room.

Louis opened the door only to be struck by Adam�s fist in the face. Stumbling back a bit, Louis glared at Adam as he pushed past him and entered Louis�s apartment. Adam had his hand wrapped as well as part of his face.

�Where the hell is she?!� Adam shouted as he took Louis by the collar of his shirt. Louis pushed Adam off him.

�What the hell are you talking about?� Louis replied as he glared at him.

�Ami, I know she�s here!� Adam said as he started to make his way towards the back of the apartment. Louis stepped in front of him.

�Get out.� Louis said firmly.

�Get the hell out of my way!� Adam yelled, attempting to push Louis out of the way.
Louis didn�t move as he glared at Adam.

�I figured you�d try to protect that bitch.� Adam said as he pulled a gun from his jacket.

Ami could hear both of them. She quickly rushed to the front where Adam and Louis were just as the sound of a gun fire filled the air.

�Louis!� Ami yelled as she ran to his side. Louis had fallen to his knees and was now bleeding from the chest.

Adam pointed the gun at Ami.

�This�ll teach you to stab me!� He yelled as he pulled the trigger.

Louis quickly knocked Ami out of the way, tackling her to the ground.

Adam took another shot, shooting Louis in the back. Ami quickly got up and tackled Adam as he fired another shot, missing her. She struggled with him for a few minutes before managing to take the gun from his hands and pointing it at his head. Her hands shook as she held the gun in her hands.

�Don�t move.� She said firmly, having her finger on the trigger of the gun.
Gunshot rang through the air as Ami pulled the trigger of the gun, shooting Adam in the head. Ami�s hands began to shake as she watched Adam fall to the ground, soaking the light gray carpet in blood. Ami dropped the gun, collapsing to her knees.

Everything was over�she was free from Adam�s grip, but lost something close to her at the same time. Ami looked to the casket, which held the man she truly loved. She placed her hand on Louis�s casket as tears made their way down her cheeks. She bowed her head, allowing tears to fall softly to the ground. At that time, she wished she could turn back time and tell Louis how much he really meant to her, how much she loved him. She wished she could just hold him again, to be able to share secrets with him again� Raising her head, she softly ran her hand along the wooden casket.

�I love you Louis.� She whispered softly as tears fell from her eyes.

�Thank you.�

I enjoyed your story a lot, but here's come critique:

Do you have a title for it yet?

It seems that every time your character speaks, you write an action. It will seem less clunky if you just left it at the dialog.

For example:
See? You wrote 'he asked' thrice. I found a lot of repetition also where it could be fixed by more variety of words.

Also, you could put their inner thoughts in italics.

Overall, nice style, with beautiful imagery![/quote]

Yeah, I noticed that I have a habit of being repetitive too. That’s why I ask people to read my stuff and actually tell me what they think. Thanks for the critique! As for a title, I’ve thought of a few, but none really seem to pop out at me. The closest I have to a title is “I love you came too late”. I’m not sure if I like it though.

This next story isn’t done yet. I’m pretty much stuck at this point for now. I just need opinions on what people think so far. I may end up making it into something more than just a short story, but don’t know if I like it enough to move on with it.

Summery:

Faith was born into a high class life that was everything she didn't want. She hated to fact that her father told her exactly what to do and even who to marry. Being tired of the prison she was living in, Faith left home after everyone was asleep to live on the streets. While on the streets, she meets a young man named Darrin, who helps her to survive. Little by little, Faith and the young man fall in love with each other. Everything seems to be going well until Faith's father finds her and drags her back home, where she's forbidden to see Darrin again.


Faith
The cool summer breeze felt wonderful against her ivory skin as she stood on the balcony that over looked the ocean. It was a beautiful evening without a single cloud in the sky. The air had a salty scent to it from the ocean. She could hear the chatter of seagulls and other sea birds and could see them flying over head and below her. The waves softly crashing upon the shores below could be heard as the young woman stood on the second story balcony outside her bedroom.

She loved everything about the few moments she had alone. She was hardly able to break away from the crowds, even in her own home. She was trapped in a lifestyle she had no desire to be a part of. It was too restricting and she needed the freedom to do as she wished. And she longed for nothing more than to find a love to call her own.
Unfortunately, her father had arranged a marriage between her and a young man, whose parents were friends with her own. He wasn’t a man that she disliked, but he wasn’t one that she would take as a husband if she had a choice. He too lived a very strict life and she knew if she married him her life would continue as it is now. And that was something she didn’t want for the rest of her life. Her father was a very rich and powerful man and was well known for his banking empire, among other things.

A light tapping came from behind her as she stood there, leaned up against the rail of the balcony. Quickly she directed her attention to the source of the tapping to see her father standing in the doorway leading out to the balcony. The young girl turned to face him, looking like a small child that did something wrong. Although she was almost a grown woman, she was still treated very much like a small child.

“Hello. Father.” She said softly as she directed her gaze to meet his.
He didn’t look too happy and only glared at her for a moment without speaking a word to her

She fidgeted slightly under his sharp glare. She knew she was in trouble when he looked at her like that. And she knew exactly what she was in trouble for. She had skipped a dinner that her parents had planned with Parry, the young man she was being forced to marry.

“Why didn’t you come to dinner, Faith?” He asked as his dark brown eyes seemed to pierce through her softer brown eyes.

She didn’t answer for a moment, but only turned to the waters below. She let out a sigh as she placed her hands on the metal rail of the balcony.

“I’m sick of all your dinners and being proper and having to be everywhere I don’t want to be and being who I’m not.” She replied as she turned back to face him.

“What do you mean by being who you’re not? You are my daughter and I expect you to act like it. Perry was waiting for you to show up for nearly four hours.” He half way snapped at her, but the look in his eyes was that more of concern for his youngest daughter.

He worried about her when she disappeared for several hours like she often did.
She said nothing, but only looked back at the soft waters below.

“I can’t be what you want me to be. I’m not like Christine, Thomas, Mary, or Thalia. You can’t expect that of me.” She replied as her voice shook slightly.

It upset her when her father lectured her like that. She wasn’t like her sisters or like her brother, but was her own person and wanted to be treated that way. She did not desire the type of life style that she was forced to live and it upset her a great deal to be forced to follow so many rules. And she certainly didn’t want to marry Perry.

“Next time I’ll expect you to be at dinner. Luckily, Perry wasn’t as upset as he could have been and accepted another dinner invite with you.” He paused for a moment. “And to be dressed appropriately this time.” He continued as he turned and walked out of Faith’s bedroom.

Faith turned and watched as her father walked out of the room. The pink, pastel, sheer curtain that covered the doorway from the bedroom to the balcony swayed softly as he father passed through it. No matter what she did or said she couldn’t get through to him. She was a prisoner of life and had to break free.

When her father walked out a middle-aged woman walked onto the balcony slowly. She was dressed in a black and white maid outfit. This was Millie, the only one that May felt understood her and the only one she could trust with almost anything.

“Another lecture, madam?” Millie asked, knowing the answer.

“Yes.” Faith answered softly as she looked back to the ocean. “I’m so sick of it here.”

“I can understand that, but you have to be patient.” Millie replied as she adjusted the ebony headband that held her raven hair in place.

“Millie?” Faith was contemplating whether or not to tell the maid about her plans to leave for good.

“Yes, what is it Faith?” Millie replied softly as she looked to the young woman before her. Her brown eyes were soft, almost like her mother’s eyes.

“I’m going to leave.” Faith replied in a soft voice.

“What do you mean?” Millie inquired.

“I’m going away for a while. Please don’t tell my father.” Faith pleaded.

“Although I can’t say I approve, I shall say nothing about it to anyone.” Millie replied, knowing that arguing with Faith would only cause more problems.
“Thank you, Millie.” Faith replied as she hugged the older woman tightly.

“When are you to leave?” Millie asked as they ended their embrace.

“Tonight, after everyone is asleep.” Faith replied as she walked back inside her room.

“Please, just be careful.” Millie said as she hugged the younger girl. “As you know, life in the outside world is much harsher than the life you live here.”

“I’ll be fine.” Faith replied sounding a bit annoyed.

“Promise me that if things get too bad you’ll come back home.” Millie said as she looked Faith in the eye.

“I’m sure I’ll be fine.” Faith said in an assertive voice as she looked over at Millie.

Mille had a look of concern on her face that told Faith she was very worried about something happening to her.

“Okay, I promise if things get bad I’ll come home.” Faith said to the older woman.

“Good night, Madam.” Millie said as she turned to leave Faith’s room.

“Millie.” Faith began as she turned to look at Millie. “Thank you.” She said with a smile.

Millie returned her smile with a worried smile and took her leave, leaving Faith alone.

Faith slowly walked over to the enormous wooden doors of her closet and slid the doors aside as she opened them then began to pull gowns from their hangers and tossing them onto her bed. She was tired of always being told to be proper and she wouldn’t stand for it anymore.

She wanted more out of life than sitting at home day after day, only venturing outside when there was a trip planned to another estate. And when she did go out, she was so overly protected that she couldn’t even do anything without someone standing over her shoulder. She despised the fact that she couldn’t even go down to the beach below her bedroom window and sit in the salty waters of the ocean below. Her father claimed it was too dangerous for her to be walking outside with no protection. She scoffed at this. People didn’t even know who she was or what she looked like because she was so sheltered.

Everyday they did the same things; plan parties for the evening, dress formally and greet the guest her parents had, always being so formal, so strict. When she failed to show up for dinners, her father would always lecture her about her not being like her siblings. When Faith did show up for dinners, she would dress in nothing fancy, unlike everyone else. She only wore slacks and a sweater. She did, of course, get lectured for that as well.

She continued to pull gowns off their hangers and toss them aside until she came across a simple black gown. The gown had a v-shaped cleavage and a slit up the left side that reached almost to her knees. She looked at it for a moment as the light reflected off the tiny beads that were on the front of the dress in flower shapes and shapes of leaves. This was one of the few gowns that she liked. It was simple, but at the same time elegant. She decided that she would change out of the raspberry colored dress she had on now and into the simple black dress. She set the black dress at the foot of her bed on top of the other gowns she had thrown there.

As she walked over to her full length mirror on the back of her bedroom door, she kicked a few of the full gowns that fell off the bed a side and looked into the mirror at her reflection. Before her stood a slender young woman, that was 16 years old. Her long auburn hair was tied at the nape of her neck in a loose knot and her amber eyes had a soft sadness to them. The gown she had on was a beautiful full length gown that reached to the floor.

Slowly, she reached to the nape of her neck and pulled the black clip that was holding her hair in place. Her auburn hair softly fell to her shoulders in a cascade of soft curls. She set the clip aside and unzipped the back of the raspberry gown as she slid it off, revealing her nearly naked body. She had on a black lace bra that had butterflies embroidered on it and a pair of black lace panties that had a matching design. She had a body that any woman would envy. Her skin was flawless and her body shape was slender and elegant.

She turned her back on the mirror and tossed her hair behind her shoulders as she walked over to retrieve the black gown from the foot of her bed. Looking over the gown once more, she slipped it on over her black lace under garments. This gown fit her much better than the raspberry gown. It fit her every curve and made her look more elegant than she had before. She adjusted the dress before zipping the back of it up carefully as to not get her hair tangled in the zipper. Taking the black clip she had in her hair earlier, she twisted her hair as she formed a bun at the nape of her neck before clipping the hair in place with the black clip.

She had planned to leave the house tonight and wasn’t going to change her mind.
She looked in the mirror at her reflection then walked back to the closet to retrieve a long black cloak. She threw the cloak over her dress and put the hood up over her auburn hair. She then walked over to her dresser and took out a few pairs of old pants and old shirts. She was sure no one would know it was her with the old cloak and the old clothes. They would for sure mistake her for a commoner. She smiled to herself as she packed the clothes into a bag she had sitting on her bedroom floor.

Yes, tonight she would leave her prison and finally be free. She knew that couldn’t stay in town because her father would send his men to look for her so she made a decision to go to another town. Then she would finally be free and able to find her own happiness. But one thing worried her. She didn’t know how to survive on the streets for long because she had been so sheltered all her life. She tried not to think of that as she continued to pack her old clothing into an old brown bag.
====
That's all I have for now.

This story’s one that I started off writing long ago, but never finished. It’s kind of weird, but I figured I’d post it anyway.


Kitty’s Troubles
I looked out the bay window in the front room, watching the steady rain fall from the darkened sky. The only sound was the pitter-patter of thousands of tiny raindrops against the ground and whatever else they hit getting there. I sighed softly to myself, curling my slender black tail around my body slightly. It seemed as if the humans were always gone now a days, not that it really mattered to me anyways for I was the independent type unlike some other creatures who totally depended on humans. Dogs where one of those animals... I shutter at the thought of actually wanting to please them like I was some kind of slave to them…Honestly, why would you want to go out of your way to please someone other then yourself? Unfortunately, humans expect us cats to be the same way as dogs.

For the past few years I had to live in the same house as a dog. Fortunately for me he was only a little thing that I could easily kill if he vexed me. The sound of the dog's barking came to alert me the humans were back home. I stayed on the windowsill flicking the end of my tail slightly, looking towards the front door. The dog of course ran to meet them, getting praise from them. He was really pathetic... actually wanting attention. I admit I was a bit jealous of the little dog… He was the human's favorite by far. I flicked the end of my tail, watching them from the windowsill.

"Cynthia!" The youngest of the humans, Alysia yelled rushing over to me. I meowed softly, standing up. She picked me up and hugged me tightly, a bit too tight for my liking. I hissed and swatted at her, digging my claws into her arm. She screamed, more from fear then pain and dropped me. I ran underneath a small table, sitting down upon the carpeted floor. I watched Alysia run to her mother before running off towards the bedroom. The dog ran after me, barking at me as a walked along. I stopped, swishing my tail from side to side very annoyed.

"Back off dog!" I said to him as a warning. "I don't like you much and won't hesitate to kill you." The dog smirked and replied.

"Won't have to worry about me, the humans are kicking you out." He said in a satisfied tone of voice.

"What are you talking about, you overgrown hairball?"

"The humans are sick of your attitude so they're getting rid of you."

"They wouldn't dare." I said firmly. "Now move out of my way." I hissed, raising my front right paw as a warning. He still didn't move, a bad move on his part. I quickly struck him with my paw, slashing him across the face. He yelped then growled, biting at me as I quickly moved away from his jaws. I grabbed onto his neck, holding on tightly as he struggled to get me to let go. Suddenly someone grabbed onto the back of my neck, lifting me into the air. I dropped the dog, hissing at the fact I couldn't finish what I started.

"Bad cat!" She yelled, tossing me over a gate into the kitchen. I landed on my feet, swishing my tail in a pissed off sort of way. I licked my lips, the taste of blood still fresh upon them. I sat down by the gate, watching as the oldest male human picked the small dog up off the ground, carrying him out the front door followed by the rest of the family. That mangy mutt started the whole thing and I get blamed for it? I sighed slightly to myself, licking my right front paw. I hated the fact that that little fleabag could get away with anything. Humans always judge on how cute things are and never look beyond the surface. That's how I ended up here.

I guess I should be grateful, after all the humans did save my life in a way. When I was only a few weeks old, I was thrown out on the streets to live by a very cruel lady and her husband. I hated them for what they did to me. They would take a belt and lash my mother with it until she could no longer take it and ran away, hiding my siblings and I underneath the front porch. She promised she'd come back for us but never did. At first I thought it was because she didn't want us, but I later found the truth out.

After mother left, the humans found us and began taking us out from beneath the porch one by one. They hated mother for having kittens. It wasn't her fault anyways, although she did always want to have a litter of kittens and loved us very much, she didn't want us growing up in the same house she had grown up in. The first kitten taken from under the porch was Ruby, who was half asleep and didn't know what was going on yet. Then they took Leanne, Devin and Riku. I scooted back as far under the porch as I could go, not wanting those humans to even touch me. I hissed, raising my small paw as a warning to leave me be. The wife grabbed me around the neck, pulling me out as I dug me claws into the dirt. Once out from under the porch, I hissed continuing to swat at her. She screamed when I scratched at her face, throwing me to the ground. I skittered past her, running up a tree.

I looked down from the tree, flicking my tail both in annoyance and because I was afraid. The woman looked up the tree then shook her head, picking up a trash bag I assume the other kittens were in, although I could see no movement from the bag. I looked away, feeling sickened. There was nothing I could do to save my siblings but I could save myself and could not let those humans get a hold of me. Once both the humans were out of sight, I slid down the tree trunk. I looked back at the house then shook my head running into the neighbor's yard then hopping over a fence behind their house. I sniffed the ground, picking up the sent of my mother. My ears perked up as I lifted my head, looking around the yard.

"Mommy?" I meowed softly wanting her now more then ever. Not seeing her anywhere, I began to slowly walk more into the yard, keeping on my toes. I walked to the front of the house, the sent of my mother growing stronger. Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw. Mother was lying on the ground by the side of the road, her long silky fur covered in blood. My ears flopped down as I slowly walked over to her.

"Mommy?" I meowed softly, almost crying. She looked up at me, barely lifting her head.

"Cynthia?" She struggled to raise herself to a sitting position, trying to make it seem like she wasn't hurting. I looked up at her worried. "Cynthia, what are you doing here?" She asked softly licking my head. I nuzzled her closing my eyes for a moment. "I ran away mommy." I said beginning to cry. "The humans.they…killed Leanne, Ruby, Devin and Riku..." I said sadly, crying even harder. She weakly nuzzled me, lying back down on her stomach. I wiped a tear from my fur, looking over at her.

"It's alright, Cynthia." She said weakly. I snuggled up to her, knowing her time was growing short. She laid her head down on the sidewalk as her breathing became heavier. She took her last breath, closing her soft gray eyes.

"Mama?" I said softly. No answer came. I snuggled into her soft coat, crying myself to sleep.

When I woke up, I found myself still snuggled into her fur. My own fur soaked in her blood. I scooted out from under her forepaw then nudged her with my nose slightly. I sighed, wiping a tear away then walked down the street a bit more before hopping over another fence. Suddenly a dog came running out of the house at me. I shot up a near by tree, hissing. A human came running out of the house and saw me in the tree. I swished my tail from side to side very annoyed at the dog that still hadn't shut up. The human took the dog in the house and I jumped down from the tree, landing on the ground below.

The human retuned with a piece of ham in her hands. I meowed seeing the piece of meat, me being quite hungry. The human sat down on the ground, extending the treat to me. I walked slowly over to her, taking the ham quickly from her hand. She wrapped her hands around me, picking me up. I hissed, slashing at her with my claws. She smiled and giggled.

"There, there, everything's alright." She said petting my head softly. I stopped hissing but still wasn't happy at all about being handled. She got into her car, placing me inside a small box. I looked around quickly for an exit but couldn't get out of the box.

"Where are you taking me?" I meowed, her of course not being able to hear my words, but instead hearing meowing. I continued to meow until the car came to a stop. The woman picked the box up, taking me inside a large white building.

"I don't want to be here." I kept meowing loudly. "I want mommy." I fell silent, curling up in the corner of the box now more frightened then anything. Another lady took the box, placing it on a counter. She opened the box and reached down for me. I closed my eyes tightly, not wanting to be hurt. The second woman held me close to her and petted my head softly. I could feel the heat from her hand and body warming me up. I began to purr softly, liking the petting.

"She seems okay now." The second lady said with a smile. The lady who brought me in smiled and looked down at me. "Thanks for bringing her in, Lona."

"Let me know how she does, okay?" The lady that brought me in asked.

Over the past couple weeks I was kept at the second lady's house. She turned out to be not too bad, for a human. Then one day another family came to look at a bunch of kittens and I. I was around ten weeks old at this time. By far I was the cutest kitten. I stayed in the corner, having my tail wrapped close around my body. The woman from the family looked over at me and smiled brightly.

"I want that one!" She said, looking over at me. I blinked, flicking the end of my tail slightly. She walked to me and picked me up, hugging me. I growled, not being too happy about being hugged by a stranger.

When we arrived at the human family's house, I was put into the kitchen, which was separated from the rest of the house by a child gate. I sniffed the ground, walking over towards the gate. Suddenly I heard a bark from the other room. A dog? Just my luck, I had to share a house with another dog. Unless I can get the family to kick me out... The dog ran quickly up to the gate, sniffing at me. I hissed and swatted at him through the gate.

"Not a smart move." I said none too happy about having a dog in the house. The dog growled and barked at me.

"This is my house, not yours." He said, baring his teeth. I hissed again, swatting at him this time managing to get one of my claws into his nose. He yelped, shaking his head. I laughed, sitting down upon the tiled floor. The human woman who brought me home walked into the kitchen, stepping over the child gate. I meowed, brushing softly against her leg. She smiled down at me, picking me up. I put my ears back, not liking to be held too much. The woman smiled at me, holding me away from her body. I panicked, being reminded of my old home and how those humans held me like that. I hissed and swatted at the woman, jumping down from her arms then skittering under a nearby table. I felt my breaths come in fast short breaths, my heart racing quickly. I breathed in deeply.

'I'm alright.' I thought to myself, taking in another breath. I looked up at the woman, who didn't seem to be injured at all, just startled a bit. She bent down, looking under the table at me as I backed up farther away from her.

"Come here, kitty." She said, reaching for me.

I hissed at her, swatting at her hand. "Back off." I said, of course not being understood by the lady. I darted out from under the table, jumping over the child gate and into the other room. The dog sprinted after me, growling at me. I hissed and raised my paw quickly, bringing it down and across his face. He yelped as I ran off, darting under the bed.

I could feel my heart pounding and my breaths getting faster as I sat under the bed, trying to catch my breath. The dog ran into the room and I jumped up, hissing in an automatic manner.

"I'm going to kill you, cat!" The dog growled at me.

"Try it and you're dead!" I hissed back at him. He barked loudly attempting to reach me as he scooted under the bed. Hissing, I sank my claws into his nose then ran away, hearing him yelp in pain. Skittering to the next room, I jumped up onto a tall cabinet, the dog following close behind my, but not being able to jump that high. He sat at the base of the cabinet, looking up at me and growling loudly.

The human lady rushed into the room and picked the small dog up, walking quickly out of the room with him. I relaxed a bit once they were gone, feeling the tension go from my muscles slightly.

*pokes* I'm gonna write some stories...yeah

Okay, show me then when you're done.

This is part of another story I’m working on, although I think it may be considered to be more than a short story.

A Voice without a past

As I sat there under the star speckled sky, I realized how much he really did mean to me. I could clearly picture his soft brown eyes, black hair and the soft look he often had on his face. I was completely in love with him, no doubt about that, but something wasn’t quite right with him. It was almost as if he was hiding something from me, something big, not like one of those petty little secrets friends often forgot to tell one another. He sure was different, that Ken was.

The first time I met him was in a bar I used to work at called The Black Pearl. I was a singer and often moved from place to place trying to keep a job, but somehow I was drawn back to The Black Pearl. Maybe it was because of him I kept returning to that dirty little bar in the first place. There wasn’t anything particularly great about The Black Pearl; it was just like every other riverside bar I worked at.

The Black Pearl was a small bar located on the riverfront of a small city. Outside, the bar was old looking and uninviting, with worn out wooden cutouts of old ships and sea animals on the sign and an old picket fence that was once white placed outside the door and leading to the parking lot. Inside was decorated much in the same way; with the same cheap cut outs of sea animals and several different boats. Towards the back of the bar, there was a small wooden stage where entertainment was provided.

Out back of The Black Pearl, there was an old wooden porch that over looked the ocean, a place few people went any more although the view from there was amazing. Often times, after I was done singing for the night, I would go out back and sit under the night sky and listen to the waves softly lap at the cement legs of the porch below. That’s where I was now, sitting on the porch, leaning against the old wooden railing. I looked down at the calm waters of the ocean as I tucked my hair behind my ears. I was popular at The Black Pearl, known for my voice and my killer looks.

My name is Mai Noritez and I’ve been singing all my life, not always at bars of course. I had short chestnut colored hair that was cut in a pixie cut and had soft dark brown eyes. When I was 15 years old, my mother died and I was forced to move out of state with my father. After I turned 18, I started moving around from place to place on my own, finding odd jobs until I moved here and came across The Black Pearl. It was strange………even though I never been to this town before a couple weeks ago, I felt like I lived there my whole life. I even found someone to care about here.

After my mother died, I never let anyone close to me………no one except………him. He had an affect on me like nobody else did. I don’t know what exactly drew me to him in the first place, all I know is that I’m stuck on him like gum on the bottom of a bar stool. He was much like any other man that drank at the bar for endless hours, except one thing………he would always run off when I was on the verge of pouring my soul to him. I never did find out what it was he was hiding.

I met him the first night I came to this town, after my first show. I had just gotten done singing a song I wrote called “Don’t be foolish�. It was a full house that night and the room was hazy with smoke from the cigarettes of the costumers. I stepped off stage and was walking back to my dressing room to change out of the tight v-neck red dress I was wearing when he grabbed my arm softly and pulled me aside, pinning me softly against a near by wall.

“What do you want?� I asked him as I studied his face. He had a soft look on his face that I haven’t seen on anyone in a long while.

“I want to know who you are.� He clearly stated, keeping his hands on my upper arms.

“Who I am?� I asked him as I directed my attention to his soft brown eyes. I could tell he didn’t want to do me any harm by the way he was looking at me.

“Yes, what is your name?� He asked, raising his voice slightly as the next act stepped on stage and began her performance.

“Mai Noritez.� I replied, still looking him in the eyes. He had the most beautiful brown eyes I’ve ever seen on anyone.

“My name is…� He began, only to be cut off by Drake, a bodyguard that grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him off of me.

“Who the hell are you?� He asked as he pinned him up against the wall opposite of where I was. Drake didn’t take kindly to people coming backstage unless they were performing.

“I believe he’s a customer.� I replied, placing a hand on the back of Drake’s shoulder. He was much taller than I was, me only being 5’3�. He was around 6’ tall with a muscular build. “It’s alright, you can let him go.� I said as I walked past Drake towards my dressing room at the end of the hallway.

“Was he bothering you, Mai?� Drake asked as he followed me to my dressing room.

I stopped right outside the door and looked back at him, pausing for a moment before I answered. “No, he wasn’t.� I replied, looking Drake in the eyes.

I could tell he wasn’t happy with that answer the moment I said it. His lips curled at the corners slightly in a frown, but he was trying to hide how he really was feeling. I later found out that he loved me from the moment I walked into The Black Pearl, even though I was in rags and dripping wet from the rain outside that evening. That had only been the evening before, but I already had a new wardrobe to perform in that the owner of The Black Pearl had bought me.

“I want you to tell me if any creep tries anything with you, okay?� Drake said as he looked down at me from behind the dark shades he was wearing.

I smiled at him and moved closer to him, putting my hand to his face. “Alright, I’ll let you know.� I said as I softly ran my hand down his cheek before returning it back at my side.

“I have to see Wanda off stage, I’ll see you around.� He said with a slight smile. I returned his smile with one of my own before he turned away from me and headed back towards the stage. I turned and walked into the dressing room, closing the door behind me before latching the lock on the door. I had to change into something more comfortable than the cotton dress that I was wearing.

It was a warm summer’s night and rather hot out and the lights in the bar didn’t help much either. I fanned myself with my hand as I walked over to a makeshift closet made out of a clothes rack and a curtain. Pulling back the curtain, I looked over the choice of clothes I had to choose from. I pulled a pair of blue jeans and a yellow tank top with embroidered roses on the front of it. Tossing them onto a nearby chair, I untied the strings that held my dress up at the back of my neck, allowing the front of the dress to fall slightly. I then slipped the dress off and changed into the blue jeans and tank top.

After changing, I made my way out to the back porch. I don’t know why exactly, but I couldn’t get that boy off my mind. I didn’t know who he was or where he was from or if I’d even ever see him again. Why did I even care? I shook my head at myself. How could I even care about someone I only said a few words to? And the fact that he pinned me to the wall didn’t help me take a liking to him, but I still felt something inside for him.

I shivered slightly as the night began to become cooler, the breeze off the ocean beginning to pick up as I stood and looked over at the calm waters.

-To Be Continued-

This is another part of another story that I’m not quite sure I like or not.

Faith
The cool summer breeze felt wonderful against her ivory skin as she stood on the balcony that over looked the ocean. It was a beautiful evening with out a single cloud in the sky.

The air had a salty scent to it from the ocean. She could hear the chatter of seagulls and other birds and see them flying over head and below her. The waves softly crashing upon the shores below could be heard as the young woman stood on the second story balcony outside her bedroom.

She loved everything about the few moments she had alone. She was hardly able to break away from the crowds, even in her won home. She was trapped in a lifestyle she had no desire to be a part of. It was too restricting and she needed the freedom to do as she wished. And she longed for nothing more than to find a love to call her own.

Unfortunately, her father had arranged a marriage between her and a young man, whose parents were friends with her own. He wasn’t a man that she disliked, but he wasn’t one that she would take as a husband if she had a choice. He too lived a very strict life and she knew if she married him her life would continue as it is now. And that was something she didn’t want for the rest of her life. Her father was a very rich and powerful man and was well known for his banking empire.

A light tapping came from behind her as she stood there, leaned up against the rail of the balcony. Quickly she directed her attention to the source of the tapping to see her father standing in the doorway leading out to the balcony. The young girl turned to face him, looking like a small child that did something wrong. Although she was almost a grown woman, she was still treated very much like a small child.

“Hello. Father.� She said softly as she directed her gaze to his.

He didn’t look too happy and only glared at her for a moment.

She fidgeted slightly under his sharp glare. She knew she was in trouble when he looked at her like that and she knew exactly what she was in trouble for. She had skipped a dinner that her parents had planned with Parry, the young man she was being forced to marry.

“Why didn’t you come to dinner, May?� He asked as his dark brown eyes seemed to pierce through her softer eyes.

She didn’t answer for a moment, but only turned to the waters below. She let out a sigh as she placed her hands on the metal rail of the balcony.

“I’m sick of all your dinners and being proper and having to be everywhere I don’t want to be and being who I’m not.� She replied as she turned back to face him.

“What do you mean by being who you’re not? You are my daughter and I expect you to act like it. Perry was waiting for you to show up for nearly four hours.� He half way snapped at her, but the look in his eyes was that more of concern for his youngest daughter.

He worried about her when she disappeared for several hours like she often did.

She said nothing, but only looked back at the soft waters below.

“I can’t be what you want me to be. I’m not like Christine, Thomas, Mary, or Thalia. You can’t expect that of me.� She replied as her voice shook slightly.

It upset her when her father lectured her like that. She wasn’t like her sisters or like her brother, but was her own person. She did not desire the type of life style that she was forced to live and it upset her a great deal to be forced to follow so many rules and she certainly didn’t want to marry Perry.

“Next time I’ll expect you to be at dinner. Luckily Perry wasn’t as upset as he could have been and accepted another dinner invite with you.� He paused for a moment. “And to be dressed appropriately this time.� He continued as he turned and walked out of May’s bedroom.

May turned and watched as her father walked out of the room. The pink, pastel, sheer curtain that covered the doorway from the bedroom to the balcony swayed softly as he father passed through it. No matter what she did or said she couldn’t get through to him. She was a prisoner of life and had to break free.

Faith (continued)

When her father walked out a middle-aged woman walked onto the balcony slowly. She was dressed in a black and white maid outfit. This was Millie, the only one that May felt understood her.

“Another lecture, madam?� The woman asked, knowing the answer.

“Yes.� May answered softly as she looked back to the ocean. “I’m so sick of it here.�

“I can understand that, but you have to be patient.� Millie replied as she adjusted the headband that held her raven hair in place.

“Millie?� May was contemplating whether or not to tell the maid about her plans to leave for good.

“Yes, what is it child?� Millie replied softly as she looked to May. Her brown eyes were soft, almost like a mother’s eyes.

“I’m going to leave.� May replied softly.
“What do you mean?� Millie inquired.

“I’m going away for a while. Please don’t tell my father.� May pleaded.

“Although I can’t say I approve, I shall say nothing about it to anyone.� Millie replied, knowing that arguing with May would only cause more problems.

“Thank you, Millie.� May replied as she hugged the older woman tightly.

“When are you to leave?� Millie asked as they ended their embrace.

“Tonight, after everyone is asleep.� May replied as she walked back inside her room.

“Please, just be careful.� Millie said as she hugged the younger girl.

“I will. I promise.� May hugged Millie tightly.

“Good night, madam.� Millie said as she took her leave.

May slowly walked over to the enormous wooden doors of her closet and slid the doors aside as she opened them then began to pull gowns from their hangers and tossing them onto her bed. She was tired of always being told to be proper and she wouldn’t stand for it anymore.

She wanted more out of life than sitting at home day after day, only venturing outside when there was a trip planned to another estate. And when she did go out, she was so overly protected that she couldn’t even do anything without someone standing over her shoulder.

She despised the fact that she couldn’t even go down to the beach below her bedroom window and sit in the salty waters of the ocean below.

Her father claimed it was too dangerous for her to be walking outside with no protection. She scoffed at this. People didn’t even know who she was or what she looked like because she was so sheltered.

Everyday they did the same things; plan parties for the evening, dress formally and greet the guest her parents had, always being so formal, so strict. When she failed to show up for dinners, her father would always lecture her about her not being like her siblings.

When May did show up for dinners, she would dress in nothing fancy, unlike everyone else. She only wore slacks and a sweater. She did, of course, get lectured for that as well.

She continued to pull gowns off their hangers and toss them aside until she came across a simple black gown. The gown had a v-shaped cleavage and a slit up the left side that reached almost to her knees. She looked at it for a moment as the light reflected off the tiny beads that were on the front of the dress in flower shapes and shapes of leaves.

This was one of the few gowns that she liked. It was simple, but at the same time elegant. She decided that she would change out of the raspberry colored dress she had on now and into the simple black dress. She set the black dress at the foot of her bed on top of the other gowns she had thrown there.

As she walked over to her full length mirror on the back of her bedroom door, she kicked a few of the full gowns that fell off the bed a side and looked into the mirror at her reflection.

Before her stood a slender young woman, around the age of 20. Her long auburn hair was tied at the nape of her neck in a loose knot and her amber eyes looked sad. The gown she had on was a beautiful full length gown that reached to the floor.

Slowly, she reached to the nape of her neck and pulled the black clip that was holding her hair in place.

Faith (continued)
Her auburn hair softly fell to her shoulders in a cascade of soft curls. She set the clip aside and unzipped the back of the raspberry gown as she slid it off, revealing her nearly naked body. She had on a black lace bra that had butterflies embroidered on it and a pair of black lace panties that had a matching design. She had a body that any woman would envy. Her skin was flawless and her body shape was slender and elegant.

She turned her back on the mirror and tossed her hair behind her shoulders as she walked over to retrieve the black gown from the foot of her bed. Looking over the gown once more, she slipped it on over her black lace under garments. This gown fit her much better than the raspberry gown. It fit her every curve and made her look more elegant than she had before. She adjusted the dress before zipping the back of it up carefully as to not get her hair tangled in the zipper. Taking the black clip she had in her hair earlier, she twisted her hair as she formed a bun at the nape of her neck before clipping the hair in place with the black clip.

She had planned to leave the house tonight and wasn’t going to change her mind.
She looked in the mirror at her reflection then walked back to the closet to retrieve a long black cloak. She threw the cloak over her dress and put the hood up over her auburn hair. She then walked over to her dresser and took out a few pairs of old pants and old shirts. She was sure no one would know it was her with the old cloak and the old clothes. They would for sure mistake her for a commoner. She smiled to herself as she packed the clothes into a bag she had sitting on her bedroom floor.

Yes, tonight she would leave her prison and finally be free. She knew that couldn’t stay in town because her father would send his men to look for her so she made a decision to go to another town. Then she would finally be free and able to find her own happiness. But one thing worried her. She didn’t know how to survive on the streets. She tried not to think of that as she continued to pack her bag.

May’s father, Scott, woke up in the morning to the news that his youngest daughter had turned up missing. There was a note on her pillow that told everyone that she was leaving and did not want to be brought back home. Scott was frustrated at her actions and he sent out a search party to find her. It was not out of the ordinary that she would leave at dinner parties or when guests were over, but in the middle of the night was strange. And what made things worse was that Perry was coming back for dinner with May.

If things didn’t go well between May and Perry then it would make Scott look bad and give him bad publicity and it would cause tension between the two kingdoms.
What would Perry think if his future wife wasn’t present at the dinner he was to attend to tonight? How would he explain his daughter’s disappearance? He slammed his hands down on the wooden desk in front of him as he stood up. He faced his servant that stood in front of the desk.

“What could May have been thinking?!� He bellowed as he turned to the window behind his desk in frustration. “Does she realize what she’s done?! There’s no excuse for her to behave this way!�

He had been unreasonable with nearly everyone that morning and showed no signs of calming down. It would be understandable that a father be worried for his missing daughter, but all Scott cared about was how he would look if May didn’t show up to dinner that night. He wasn’t concerned with May’s safety at that point and everyone knew that. He didn’t care if she was half dead as long as she made it to dinner with Perry.

“Why are you still standing there?! Get the hell out of here and look for May!� He yelled across the table at the servant.

The servant flinched slightly at his yelled, but was used to his booming voice.

“Yes, sir.� The servant replied before she walked out of the room and shut the door behind her,
Scott stood at his desk for a few moments. His hands were shaking with anger as he thought once again about how May abandoned her duties by running off like she had.

“Damn her anyways.� Scott said to himself as the door opened to his study.

He looked up to the doorway to see an older woman standing in the doorway. She was slender and elegant and had shoulder length black hair that fell in loose curls. She was dressed in an elegant black dress that fit her curves and had a string of white pearls around her neck and pearl studs in her ears.

“Is that not a bit harsh, Scott?� The woman walked into the room and over to the desk.

“Marianne, there’s no excuse for May’s behavior.� He said in a calmer tone of voice.

“I’m sure she’ll return home soon.� The woman softly hugged him as she kissed Scott’s cheek.

“And what if she doesn’t? It’ll make our kingdom look bad if May’s not there tonight.� Scott still had his hands on the desk, but had relaxed a bit.

“I would worry more about her safety rather than that dinner.� The middle-aged woman said as she released him from her embrace. She was becoming annoyed with Scott.

“I don’t care if she’s half dead as long as she’s at the dinner tonight!� He bellowed as the woman flinched.

“Don’t yell at me.� The woman said as she stared him in the eye.

Scott directed his gaze from her and sat down behind the desk.

“I’m sorry, Marianne.� He said softly. “This whole marriage would benefit both kingdoms greatly and I just want everything to run smoothly.�

“It’s always about the kingdom. What about May? Have you talked to her about any of this?� Marianne looked at her husband from across the desk.

“Why would I have?� He looked at his wife with a slightly confused look.

“Perhaps you should talk to her when she gets home.� Marianne said as she walked out of the room.

Yet another part of a story that I’ve been playing with for a while.
Moonlight Soul
I felt the soft breeze blow through my hair as I rested my head upon my knees. The cool sea breeze blew across the sandy beach as the sun set, sinking behind the soft waves of the ocean. I sighed softly to myself, feeling a bit lonely, as I often do. I thought back to the days where I had happiness.True happiness... It had been years since I had anyone I could be close to.

Ever since that day I had this curse placed upon me, I had been alone. I had no way of breaking this awful curse and as long as it was with me, people close to me would be in danger. I closed my eyes, allowing the soft cool breeze to blow my scarlet hair across my knees. Why did I have to be at the harbor that day? Why did I have to give up the one person who never let me down?

At Whale Harbor a few years ago, an old lady approached me. She was dressed in a long brown cloak with patches of cloth missing in various spots and she had long silvery hair that looked like it desperately needed to be washed. She looked over to me and smiled a toothless smile. I returned the smile, feeling a bit uneasy and continued walking down the pier.

"Give an old lady some change?" She asked after I had walked by.

I decided to ignore her, continuing to walk on. Suddenly, I felt someone grab onto my wrist. I looked back at the person. It was the old lady. She smirked up at me, still holding onto my wrist.

"Come now dear, couldn't you spare a few cents?" She asked looking me in the eye.

I could feel her cold penetrating stare as I looked down at her. The woman still held tightly to my wrist, squeezing it tighter with every moment. I tried to pull my wrist away from her, but having no success. Still, she held tight, digging her long nails into the flesh on my wrist. I winced feeling the cutting of her nails into my skin, still trying to free myself from her grasp. She took my wrist and twisted it, causing me to drop to one knee upon the hard wood pier. This was no ordinary woman. I could sense it, there was something about her that didn't quite seem normal. Her icy blue eyes began to glow, her looking straight at me.

My body began to feel weak as my eyes met hers. I couldn't keep my eyes open and felt my body going limp, softly resting upon the pier.

"You shall be yourself as a few moments longer before your transformation." She smirked, now looking younger and stronger then she had before.

That's the last thing I remember before passing out. When I awoke, I found myself lying on the shore, the ocean water lapping at my feet. I put my hands to the sand, pushing the upper part of my body up. Looking around, I noticed a lot of planks of wood lying on the sand along with a bunch of twisted metal. I looked directly in front of me.

"Am I at the pier?" I asked myself, looking around still. Everything was destroyed. Where the harbor once was, was not nothing more then splintered wood and pieces of metal scattered about. I stood up, brushing the sand from my skirt. I felt something on my leg and looked down. I was bleeding from a large cut of the upper part of my leg and a few smaller cuts on my other leg. My skirt was torn, almost completely torn from me as was my shirt. I winced as I felt pain on my chest, realizing I had a gash across my chest that was bleeding quite a bit. I put my hand over my chest, coving most the wound.

"Serita!" I heard a voice calling my name. I looked towards the voice, which was coming from the wreckage of the harbor. The breeze blew what was left of my skirt, softly brushing it against my legs as I began to walk towards the wreckage.

"Down here!" I yelled back as I felt more pain come to my chest. A boy with dark hair and dark eyes rushed to me.

"Serita!" He wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tightly. I felt warm and secure in his arms, like nothing could hurt me as long as he was there with me. I looked up at him, feeling a bit faint from the loss of blood.

"Akemi." I smiled slightly as I put the arm that wasn't on my chest around him. I began to feel light headed as I leaned against him. He held me in his arms, kissing me on my forehead.

"Let's get you to a hospital." He said softly to me. I nodded, having no strength to argue with him at the moment. We walked through the wreckage and to his car. He took his jacket off and wrapped it around me when we were walking to his car. Feeling tired, I leaned against the seat falling asleep.

Moonlight Soul (Continued)

This time when I woke up, I was in a hospital bed. I had several tubes and needles seeming to come from every direction. I felt very weak but the pain was now gone. I stared up at the white ceiling, until someone came into the room. It was Akemi. I looked over at him and tried to smile, but I was too weak to. He walked over to my bedside, kneeling down.

"What happened?" He asked me softly, taking my hand in his.

"I don't remember." I replied weakly. "All I remember is being on the pier with a weird old lady then passing out." I paused for a moment. "When I woke up, I was lying on the beach."

Akemi kissed my hand, softly rubbing it with his thumb.

"Did that old lady hurt you like this?" He asked, looking back at my face.

I closed my eyes trying to remember. I had a vision of a huge serpent that must have been around a hundred feet long. It was in the water by the pier, the light from the moon reflecting off its emerald green scales. The serpent growled loudly and thrashed its tail against the one of the piers, smashing it to bits. I opened my eyes back up, shaking my head.

"I don't remember anything." I lied. I know that that vision wasn't a dream I had but that the beast was at the pier but I didn't remember seeing it there.
knew the beast was at the pier, but had no memory of what had happened. Why couldn't I remember anything? I sighed, lying back against the pillow behind me. I looked out the hospital window at the ocean below then closed my eyes. I saw it again, the beast at the pier. It wasn't like anything I saw before. It lifted its tail with a growl then began to glow as the moonlight faded from the sky. I quickly opened my eyes. I realized I was the beast..I sat up quickly getting out of the bed. I ran out of the hospital and down to where the pier stood. I looked over the ocean, having my arms crossed over my chest as the salty sea air blow though my red hair.

"So, you have returned my pet." A voice from the shadows said. I recognized that voice..it was that old lady from the other day..

"What do you want?" I demanded to know. The woman stepped out from the shadows. She looked much different now then how she had a couple days ago. She had a tight flowing black dress on that was lined with silver threads and her gray hair was not jet-black. I stepped away from her, feeling her cold stare. She smirked, looking at me.

"Don't tell me you don't remember that night, dear." The woman said as she approached me.

"What are you talking about?" I demanded to know. I remembered very little about what had actually happened the night the harbor was destroyed.

"You know what I mean, my pet." She said as she stepped closer to me, her long black dress dragging on the splintered wood and twisted metal as she walked through the debris that used to be the harbor. I stood my ground, not knowing what else to do.

"Because of you this harbor was destroyed." She said with a satisfying smile.

"It was you..You're the one that did this!" I shouted to her, backing away. I stopped, having nowhere to go. "Leave me alone!" The lady stopped, looking at me.

"What's wrong my pet?" She said as she smirked, looking at me. "There's nothing you can do now. The curse I set upon you can only be broken one way, until you figure that out you shall be stuck as that beast!" She smiled satisfied with her work then disappeared. I fell to my knees, feeling the sharp pieces of metal on the ground below as they hit upon it. I began to cry, being more afraid of what might happen to me then the pain I felt from the metal pieces.

After a while, I found myself walking along the sidewalk in front of Akemi's house. I stopped, sighing softly. I knew I couldn't be with him right now, not the way I was. I was afraid of transforming into the sea serpent again and hurting him. I loved Akemi more then anything and would die for him, but when I was the beast, I had no control over what I did. I walked unconsciously up to his porch, sitting down on it.

"Serita? What are you doing here?" I heard a voice from behind me ask. I quickly stood up, looking back at the person. Akemi was standing in the doorway wearing nothing but a pair of dark blue shorts. I blushed, looking at him my heart racing. I blinked, snapping back to reality. Looking down at the ground, I felt a tear roll down my cheek and watched as it hit the wooden porch beneath me. Akemi walked over to me, lifting my chin.

"Are you alright Serita?" He asked, still having his hand to my face. I pulled away, shaking my head.

"I can't be with you any more!" I said quickly as I ran from his porch.

That was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. I didn't look back as I ran as fast as I could through the streets. I came to a bus stop and boarded the bus, hoping Akemi wouldn't follow me. I looked out the window as the bus pulled away. Akemi had attempted to follow me, but was too late to catch the bus. I watched him from the bus window. He seemed to be worried about me. I looked away from the bus window, beginning to cry softly to myself.

Disclaimer: If you don’t like reading about suicidal thoughts don’t read on. I know that can be a problem for sensitive readers.

Darkness to Light

She looked down at the tiny pools of blood upon her light blue tiled bathroom. The blood was still dripping from her wrist onto the tilted floor as she stood there and simply watched herself bleed. She never cared about what happened to her. Why should she? Nobody else seemed to care. The girl sat down on the edge of the bathtub, beginning to feel lightheaded as the blood continued to drain from the large wound on her wrist. This time there was nobody around to stop her from doing what she wanted to do for years...end her own life.

She was young, being only 16, yet her life was complicated and harsh. She never fit in because of her appearance and her home and social lives weren't exactly perfect. The girl had layered black hair that fell to her shoulders and emerald green eyes. She was about 5'6" tall and almost always wore dark clothing. Today, she was wearing a pair of black jeans and a black tee shirt. She had slit her own wrist and was still watching blood drip into the already existing pool of blood on the light tiles. Her vision became blurry as the loss of blood began to get to her.

Next thing she knew, she was lying in a white room with an I.V. attached to her right hand and a blood transfusion tube to her left arm. She opened her eyes, still feeling weakened from the loss of blood. Looking over at her left arm, she frowned and pulled the needle from her arm, causing blood to drip onto the white sheets beside her. She tossed the needle over the side of her bed before tearing the I.V. needle out of her right arm. Never did she want to end up back here...she hated life and just wanted to slip away into the welcoming darkness of death.

Closing her eyes, she wished she would just hurry up and die before the nurse could come in and tape the tubes back on her. No such luck. With a cluttering of several plates falling to the ground, the nurse rushed over to her and shook her from her sleep.

"Thank goodness you're alright." She said, sounding very concerned as she hurried to grab the tube that was dripping blood onto the ground. "You can't go pulling these out." She scolded as she stuck the needle back into her arm. The girl frowned then pulled it back out again as blood began to leak onto the sheets. "Stop that!" The nurse halfway yelled as she stuck the needle back into its place, only to have it pulled from it once more. "Sylvia, please just leave them in." The nurse said firmly to the girl as she took her arm and jabbed the needle back into place and taping it securely in place.

"What's the point in taping them down, when you know I'm just going to pull them off the minute you leave?" The girl said as she glared up at the nurse.

"Sylvia, please just leave them in place for once." The nurse said, almost in a threatening tone. Sylvia frowned as the nurse stuck the I.V. back into her right hand.

This nurse had dealt with Sylvia before several times. She knew that Sylvia wanted nothing more than to just die and not have to put up with her life at the moment. The nurse, whose name was Mai, knew that in the long run, Sylvia didn't want to die. Mai brushed a strand of her scarlet hair off her face as she scribbled some information down on her clipboard.

"Please, please just keep them in this time." Mai pleaded.

"Why not just let me die. It would be a lot easier on you, or do you not want my death to be on your conscious?" Sylvia said with a slight smile.

"You're a sweet girl and I think that if you didn't try running away from everything that you'll be okay." Mai replied. "We better get you some new sheets." She said quickly before moving over to a cabinet across the room.

Darkness to Light (Continued)
The next day, Sylvia was allowed to go back home. Her left wrist was bandaged up to her elbow and she had her arm resting in a sling that hung around her neck. Sylvia was sitting outside, looking over the calm waters of the ocean from her back porch. Her parents yelling at one another interrupted her silence.

"IT'S YOUR FAULT SHE CUT HERSELF AGAIN!" Yelled her mother, sounding near tears.

"IF YOU HADN'T STARTED THE ARGUMENT IN THE FIRST PLACE THEN SHE WOULD NEVER HAVE CUT HERSELF TO BEGIN WITH!" Yelled her father in return.

Sylvia scowled and walked off the back porch onto the sandy beach below to get away from the yelling. Her parents always argued about stupid things and sometimes even threw stuff at one another. Sylvia hated every bit of it. The way she viewed it, both her parents were good for nothing. They both worked all day and normally came home somewhere around 5 A.M., being drunk and yelling at one another or at Sylvia.

Sylvia shot a glare at her house as she heard a loud crash coming from inside. She shook her head as she returned her gaze in front of herself. Slowly, she began undoing the wrappings around her left wrist.

"What are you doing?" A boy, who was around Sylvia's age asked, seeing her unwrapping her wrist.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" She snapped as she continued to unravel the bandages around her wound. She dropped the remaining amount of bandages into a nearby trashcan before taking a pocket knife out of her jean pockets and bringing it to the stitches on her wrist.

"Don't do that." The boy said as he grabbed her right hand, stopping her from undoing the stitches on her wrist. She looked up at him, being surprised he had grabbed her hand like that.

"Leave me alone." She snapped as she attempted to pull her hand away. But the boy did not let her go. "What the hell is your deal!" She shouted as she looked up at the boy. He didn't answer, but kept a firm grip on her hand.

Sylvia attempted to pull her hand from the boy, once again being unsuccessful. She scowled and tugged her hand harder.

"Let me go." Sylvia said firmly.

"I can't do that." The boy said in response.

"Why the hell not?" She said in response. "It's not like you give a shit what happens to me anyways."

"I do too care about what happens to you." He replied.

"Why the fuck would you care? You don't know me." She yelled as she pulled her hand away from his.

He winced as he felt the blade of the knife run across his hand. Sylvia looked to his hand in shock then to the knife that had his blood on it. She didn't know why, but she felt sick seeing his blood on the knife. Her hand began to shake as she dropped the knife onto the golden sand.

"I didn't mean to...." She began.

"It's alright." He replied, looking at her, seeming to forget about the cut for a moment.

"Do you live around here?" She asked, still looking at his bleeding hand.

He shook his head. "I live a few houses down the beach." He replied.

"We should get you to your house to bandage that cut." Sylvia said, still staring at the blood dripping down the palm of his hand.

He blinked a few times then looked at his hand then back to her.

"Why do you care about my injuries?" He asked.

"I...Because it was my fault." She replied slowly as she looked up from the blood on his hand to his face.

He smiled at her momentarily then took his shirt off, wrapping his hand in it.

"Alright, let's go." He said, looking to her.

This one’s been one that I’ve been working on for years, but I just can’t seem to get it right and every time I rewrite it it turns out worse than before.

Portrait of an Angel

Day after day she sat on the bench watching the young artist she admired from afar. Every day she longed to tell him how she really felt about him, but she was far too shy to. She was a simple girl, quiet and not wanting much in her life. Her looks were extraordinary, her looking like some kind of angel. She had mid back length hair that was a beautiful red color and emerald green eyes. Her skin was like that of porcelain, clear and smooth.

Today, like every other day, she came to the bench and sat down. She sighed slightly, brushing a stray hair from her face as she waited for the one she admired to walk by. The tapping of feet along the path came, like every other day. She sat there, not saying a word as the young artist walked by. He was the most beautiful thing she ever saw. He was flawless in her eyes. His looks, the way he moved, everything about him was perfect to her. She watched the raven-haired boy as he walked past the bench, not seeming to notice her as he normally does. The girl sighed a heavy sigh, hoping that today would be different and he would stop to talk to her. No such luck.

She clenched her fist, not in an angry way, but in a nervous way and stood up from the bench.

'I have to talk to him today.' She thought to herself, trying to gather the courage to actually say something to him. She tried this several times before, but every time she would loose her nerve. She took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"Excuse me!" She yelled to the young artist as she turned to face him. The artist stopped, turning to face her, lifting his dark-lensed glasses. She looked at him, blushing deeply. Never has she seen him without his glasses on. He had the most beautiful blue eyes she ever seen. Continuing to just stare at him, the girl just stood there having a loss for words.

"Yes?" The artist says, making eye contact with the girl. She blushes, just staring at him, not being able to speak. He shrugs and turns away from the girl, beginning to walk away. The girl quickly runs in front of the artist, stopping a few inches in front of him. The young boy stops and looks at the girl. She takes in another deep breath, feeling her heart racing as she prepares to speak.

"May I help you miss?" The artist asks, being a bit confused.

"I...I..." the young girl began, loosing her words for a moment. "Need to talk to you." She says quickly, unsure if she should really tell him how she feels or not.

He takes off his glasses and puts them in his shirt pocket as he looks at the girl.

"Look, I really don't have time for this right now." He says, walking past the girl. The girl sighs softly to herself, staying in the same spot she was in before.

"I think I love you." She says quietly. She gasps, putting her hand quickly over her mouth.

'I can't believe I just said that out loud.' She thought to herself.

The artist stopped, turning to face her. "You think you love me?" He asks, moving a bit closer to her.

She nods nervously. "Y-Yes." She manages to say, not believing she actually said that out loud.

He smiles and looks into her eyes. "You have pretty eyes." He says with a smile.

She blushes, her cheeks turning a deep crimson.

"What makes you think you love me?" The young boy asks, still looking at the girl.

"I may not have met you before, but..." She stops, blushes even more. "I watch you every day from that bench." She says quickly, pointing to the bench behind her.

-Reserved-

Angel
I saw him walking down the wood chip lined path, hoping today would be the day he stopped and noticed me.

I sat up straight on the side of the path, watching him. He glanced over at me and snarled a bit, continuing to walk. I sighed a heavy sigh; my ears flopping down a bit.

“What was wrong with me?� I thought to myself, watching the young boy walk away. I looked down at my paws, then back at the boy. It was because we were too different…way too different.

I walked over to the edge of a near by pond, sitting down by the water’s edge, looking down at my reflection. I always thought of myself as a pretty dog. I sighed a bit more, noticing my features in the reflection. I wasn’t a big dog, but not quite a little dog. I have long white fluffy hair that was always neatly groomed. I just didn’t understand why the object of my affection despised me so.


“Give it up, Angel; he’s never going to see you as more than a dog.�

I looked over at the direction of the voice.

It was Dane, a German Sheppard that had his eye on me since I was a pup. I quickly looked back at the water, knowing that he was right. He nudged me softly with his nose.

“Come on babe, come live with me.� He said in a soft voice.

I moved my head away from him, turning away from the water.

“Leave me alone, Dane.� I said walking towards the path. “I can’t put up with you today.�

He followed me to the edge of the path, walking along the side of me.

“Come on, we can start a family, have pups of our own…�

“That’s not what I want!� I snapped, stopping for a moment.

I sighed, trying not to cry. “I just want him to see me as something more than ‘just a dog’�

I walked a bit faster, walking onto the path. Dane ran up beside me.

“You’re a dog and you want a human to see you as more than what you are?� He asked me.

I stopped and turned to him.

“Leave me alone…� I said sadly, continuing to walk.

“I only want what’s best for you.� He said, walking to catch up with me.

“What about what I want…� I sighed, stopping along the path. “I want to be with him…Ever since the first day I saw him, all I wanted was to be the one to be by his side…the one to make him happy, the one to love him when no one else could…�

I looked down at the ground, sighing and sitting down.

Dane sat down next to me. “If you really love him, why not try approaching him instead on just sitting by the path every day?�

I looked over at him, wagging my tail happily jumping up.

“Yeah! Maybe then he’d see how much I care for him.�

I looked over at Dane, wagging my tail.

“Thanks!� I said licking him on the end of the nose then running off.

The next day, I came to the same spot the young boy walked by every day. I saw him walking towards me.

“Here goes nothing…� I thought to myself, jumping out onto the path in front of him.

He looked down at me a bit nervous. I wagged my tail, walking a bit closer to him. I could feel he was nervous even though he tried not to show it. I tucked my tail between my legs, putting my ears down.

“He’s afraid of me…� I thought to myself, staying where I was.

Dane jumped out of the bushes, knocking the young man to the ground. I blinked a couple times, watching Dane jump off the young man.

“Damn dog!� The young man yelled at Dane, picking up his bag off the ground. I walked slowly over to his notepad that was lying on the ground and picked it up in my mouth, carrying it over to him. He looked over at me and took the notepad out of my mouth angrily standing up. I tucked my tail between my legs again, feeling rejected. I sighed a bit, looking down at the ground.


I heard a whistle then looked up at the source of it. The young man smiled down at me, extending his hand as if wanting to pet me. I wagged my tail slowly sniffing at his hand.


“Thank you.� He said petting me on the head. I wagged my tail, brushing my head against his hand.


“Finally I got him to notice me.� I thought to myself, smiling.

“You’re a nice girl aren’t you?� The young man said to me, scratching behind my ears.

I looked up at him, wagging my tail in a friendly manner.

“I got to go to work girl.� He said patting me on the head.

He turned away from me and walked off. I sighed happily, watching him walk off.

“He noticed me!� I said happily, running in a quick circle. I stopped, remembering what Dane had done.

“Dane!� I yelled, looking around for him. He walked over to me from behind a brush.

“Dane! Thank you so much!� I said, nuzzling him a bit. He smiled, looking down at me.

“It was no big deal, Angel.� He replied with a smile.

Over to past few days, the young man stopped and petted me on his way to work. He became more and more attached to me. About four days later, he was petting me, sitting down on a park bench. I jumped up onto the bench next to him, laying my head in his lap. He smiled and petted my head.

“You know…I wish I could take you home with me…� He said looking down at me. “Too bad Ms. O’Ralley doesn’t allow dogs in the apartment complex.� He said, sighing.

I looked up at him, nudging him softly with my nose.

“It’s alright.� I said to him, he not understanding my spoken words.

I sighed, leaning my head against his chest.

“I wish you were human…� He said standing up, brushing my hair from his clothes. “I got to go.� He said, quickly patting me on the head then walking off.

I sighed a bit, watching him walk off, it beginning to get dark.

“Yeah…If only I were human…� I sighed, jumping down from the bench. I walked over to the lake, sitting down by the water’s edge. I looked up at the sky, the stars beginning to show through the setting sun. I closed my eyes, still looking to the sky. I made a wish to the stars. “Please make me human…�

Angel(continued)
The next day I awoke on the shore of the lake, which was hidden from the path. I sat up, looking at my reflection in the water. I blinked a coupe of times, not believing what I saw. I looked down at my feet, them being human feet now, then up at what was my front paws.

“I’m…a human…� I said in shock, looking over my body.

My paws were replaced by human hands and feet, my body replaces with that of a human. I had mid back lengthed blonde hair and sky blue eyes, the same shade I had when I was a dog. I brushed my hair off my face, securing it behind my ears. I put my hands to the ground and stood up, leaning against a near by tree for support.

I was dressed in a light lavender sundress with no shoes or socks. I looked around at the other people in the park, each one of them too busy doing whatever they were doing to notice me. I let the tree go, attempting to walk over to the path, falling to my knees once. I got back up, brushing the dirt from my dress.

I sat down on the bench, looking ahead at the path. Being human certainly was different from being a dog. Now I couldn’t smell things I would normally be able to smell, such as the popcorn vendor’s fresh made popcorn, or then smell of the morning dew on the grass.

I watched the path, knowing that at any moment the young man would be walking to work. Sure enough, he came walking along the path, his bag slung over his shoulder. I smiled, looking over at him. He stopped, returning my smile.

“Hello.� I said in a soft voice.

“Hello.� He replied. “Have you seen a white dog around here?� He asked, looking around a bit. I looked up at him, smiling.

“I have.� I said brushing my hair off my face. He looked down at me and smiled.

“Where is she?� he asked, sitting down next to me.

“I..� I stopped. I wanted to tell him that I was the dog he was looking for, but knew he wouldn’t believe me.

“I don’t know.� I replied, leaning against him slightly.

He blinked a couple of times, looking down at the necklace I had on.

“Where did you get that necklace?� He asked me, picking it up with his fingers.

I looked up at him and blinked a couple of times; it was the same necklace he had given me a couple days ago.

“I got it from a friend.� I replied, still looking up at him.

He looked down at me, looking into my eyes.

“Have we met before?� He asked, getting a bit closer to my face.

“Yes.� I replied.

“What is your name?�

“Angel� I replied, still looking at him.

“I don’t know anyone named Angel…� He said leaning back against the bench.

“You said if only I was human…� I stopped, looking down at the ground.

He blinked, looking over at me.

“What did you just say?� I looked back up at him slightly.

“If only I was human you’d let me live with you…� I said in a sad tone.

“You can’t be…that dog…� He said surprised I said those words. “I said those exact same words to that dog…� I blinked a couple of times, looking at him.

He looked back down at the necklace around my neck.

“Who was it that gave that to you?� He asked.

“You did.� I responded without thinking.

“You…You’re her…but how…� I shook my head, looking over at him.

“I don’t know, I woke up this morning in this body.� I paused for a moment. “My one wish was to love you and have you love me back…I knew if I stayed a dog I wouldn’t have a chance…I made a wish and it came, true.� I said looking up at him, blushing slightly.

“Angel…I…� He paused, looking at me.

“My name’s Mikel Johnson.� He said extending his hand to me.

I blinked a couple of times then took his hand in mine, shaking it. The alarm on Mikel’s watch beeped, letting him know it was time for him to be on his way. I sighed a bit, letting go of his hand.

“Sorry…� He began.

“I know, you have to go to work.� I said with a sigh.

He smiled at me a bit. “Yeah. I’ll see you later ok?�

I nodded, leaning back against the bench a bit. I got up from the bench, walking over to the lake, sitting down on an old log. I sighed happily, looking down at my reflection. I hear a rustle in the bushes and looked over towards the noise. Dane walked out of the bush, looking at me. He barked once, moving to the other side of the lake.

“Dane!� I shouted to him.

He perked his ears up, walking slowly over to me. I smiled, moving down to his level, him sniffing my face. He jumped back a bit.

“Angel?� He asked, looking at me. I smiled, still looking at him.

“Yeah, it’s me.� I brushed my hair off my face. “He talked to me today…I found out his name.� I smiled, still sitting down on the log I was sitting on.

Dane walked over to me, looking at me.

“How did you get that human body?� Dane asked, checking me out.

I blinked a couple times.

“I’m not exactly sure how…I just woke up and I was in this body.�

“I can answer that for you, my dear.� A voice said from out of nowhere.

A bright light appeared, making it hard to see. When the light cleared, there stood a woman dressed in a sky blue dress. She looked as if she was some kind of goddess. She had long, flowing blonde hair and crystal blue eyes.

“My name is Celine. I’m a water goddess, goddess of the rain to be exact. I heard your wish last night and wanted everything to work out ok. You seemed so sad…so alone…� She stopped, sitting down on the log off to the side a bit.

“There’s one catch to this wish though…� She continued, looking over at me. “And what would that be?� I asked. “In exchange for you dog body, I gave you a human one. This human body will die in three days if your love isn’t returned.� She repositioned herself on the log.

“What! I’ll die?!� I said jumping up.

Celine nodded. “Yes.� She replied in a flat tone.

Dane growled, pouncing on Celine.

“Change her back!� He growled angrily.

Celine pushed Dane off her, disappearing then reappearing on top of the log.

“I can’t. What’s done is done.� She responded.

“Now excuse me, I must go.� She says disappearing. I fell to my knees, crying.

Dane walked over to me, nudging me with his nose affectionately. I threw my arms around him crying into his coat.

“What am I going to do!� I cried harder, burying my face in his coat.

He rested his head on my shoulder.

“Everything will be alright.� He said licking my cheek.

Angel (continued)

The day passed, I still wondering how I was going to get Mikel to fall completely in love with me. That night Mikel came back. I was sitting down by the lake, leaning back against the old log. I sighed, looking up at the stars in the sky, Dane lying down beside me.

Mikel walked to me, kneeling down next to me. I jumped a bit surprised at his presence.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.� He said with a smile. “Mind if I join you?� He asked, looking at me with a smile.

“Not at all.� I smiled, looking over at him.

He sat down beside me, leaning back against the old log.

“It’s pretty out here.� He said looking over the water.

I nodded. “Yeah, it is.� I said, looking out over the moonlit lake.

He looked over at me, brushing his hand softly against my face. I looked over at him, feeling his soft touch. He smiled at me, moving a bit closer to me.

“Do you have anywhere to stay?� He asked, still looking at me.

I shook my head, looking down at the ground slightly.
“No, I don’t…� I replied.

“Come stay with me.� He said, looking over at me with a smile. I looked over at him, returning his smile.

“Really?� I asked happily.

“Sure. Gotta keep my promise don’t I?� He said with a nod.
I jumped on him, hugging him tightly.
“Thank you so much.�

He laughed a bit, hugging me softly back.
“No problem.� He replied with a smile.

I slid off him, sitting back where I was before.
“Sorry about that.� I said a bit embarrassed. He smiled over at me and brushed his hand softly along my arm.

“It’s alright.� He said with a smile.

We walked back to his apartment, which was only a few blocks from the park. We entered the apartment. I just stood there, not knowing what exactly to do. I had never been inside a home before and didn’t know how to act inside.

The apartment was small, only having a small dinette just inside the door and a small red sofa to the side of the room next to the entrance hall.

“Please, have a seat.� He said, offering me a seat.

“Thank you.� I said as I walked over to the sofa and sat down. Mikel sat down beside me.

“Sorry, this isn’t much. It’s only me living here and I’m not used to having anyone staying with me.� He said, looking over to me.

“It’s okay.� I replied as I made eye contact with him.

He smiled at me then got up and walked over to a small dry bar he had set up.

“Would you like a drink?� He asked, pouring himself one.

“No thanks, I’m alright.� I said, watching him as he put the cork back into the bottle he was pouring his drink from.

He walked back over to the couch and sat down next to me, turning on the television. I still had my eyes on him.
(to be continued)

-reserved-

Alisa

Lying awake on a thick blanket that was laid down on the bottom of a tent was a teen-aged girl who was around the age of 17. She had shoulder length red hair and dark brown eyes.

Tonight she was on a camping trip with her family and her best friend, who was laying on a sleeping bag across the tent from her. The tent was large enough for the two girls to be spread out.

The girl’s friend had mid-back length hair and dark green eyes. Her family was sleeping in a tent a few yards away from the tent the two girls slept in.

The pitter-patter of many tiny raindrops upon the roof of the tent kept her awake most the night. That wasn’t the only reason she couldn’t sleep. She was thinking about her future. At the time, she was dating an older man, who was ten years older than she was.

She thought she loved him more than anything, but lately she had been having second thoughts about the wedding that was to take place when she turned 18. It was only a few months until she turned 18.

Maybe she was just imagining things, but she could have sworn she saw her man with another woman just a few days ago.

The red-haired girl rolled over onto her side, sighing softly to herself.

‘It’ll be okay.’ She thought to herself as she closed her eyes.

Tears began to make their way down her cheeks. She quickly wiped them away.


Morning came and the red haired girl got up from her sleeping bag. She was dressed in her nightclothes (a long red nightgown that had no sleeves). She walked outside the tent, allowing herself to soak up the golden rays from the sun.

It wasn’t too early in the morning, she could tell by the position of the sun that it was around 10 or 11. The girl brushed a stray hair from her face as she walked over to her mother, who was sitting down on a log that was positioned around a fire that was built to cook breakfast on.

“Good morning Alisa.� Her mother said happily as she glanced over at the red-haired girl before returning her attention to the cooking food in front of her.

“Sammy just went out with your father to find more firewood. They should be back anytime.� She said with a smile.

“Okay.� Alisa replied as she walked over to a nearby tree and sat down upon the leave littered floor.

It was summer, but the leaves from fall still remained on the forest floor. Alisa sighed, still being tired from the lack of sleep from the night before. She spent most the night trying to convince herself her boyfriend was loyal to her.

Her parents didn’t know that she was seeing anyone and she wanted to keep it that way until after they had gotten married. Her parents would never allow her to marry a man so much older than she was, but Alisa couldn’t help the way she felt around him. It was like nothing else mattered as long as she was with him.

Alisa looked down to the ground slightly. She noticed she had gained a bit of weight due to her being pregnant. Nobody knew about this, but her. Alisa hadn’t even told her boyfriend or Sammy, her best friend.

A clutter of wood being tossed to the ground snapped Alisa back to reality. The dark haired girl that was sleeping in the tent the night before walked over to Alisa with a smile on her face.

“G’morning!� She said happily as she sat down beside Alisa.

“Morning.� Alisa replied as she forced a smile.

The dark haired girl stretched then sat down on the ground next to where Alisa was sitting.

“What’s up with you?� Sammy asked Alisa, noticing she looked very tired still.

“Nothing.� Alisa quietly replied, looking to the ground slightly.

“Um…okay.� Sammy replied, knowing there was something wrong, but deciding not to push it.

The next day Sammy and Alisa were walking to school. It is a beautiful summer day, towards the end of the school year. Alisa and Sammy are both wearing their school uniforms which consist of a short dark green mini-skirt, white short-sleeved shirts that had a v-cut neck and a sailor’s knot tied at the chest line, knee high dark green socks and a pair of black shoes.

Alisa was wearing a silver chained necklace that had a diamond charm in the shape of a small heart on it. Sammy glanced over to Alisa and noticed the necklace.

“I love your necklace! Where’d you get it from?� Sammy asked as her and Alisa continued to walk down the sidewalk towards the school.

Alisa blinked then looked over to Sammy.

“I found it.� Alisa said, flat out lying to Sammy.

She had really gotten the necklace from her boyfriend. Sammy perked a brow at her response.

“Sure is a nice necklace for someone to just lose.� Sammy said as she brought her gaze to the front of herself.

There was a silence.

“Uh…Sammy…� Alisa began as she looked over at Sammy. Sammy blinked.

“Yeah?� Sammy asked as she looked back over to Alisa.

Alisa paused for a moment as she looked to the ground.

“Nothing.� Alisa said softly as she looked to the sidewalk in front of her.

Sammy blinked then shrugged.

“Alright.� Sammy replied as she shrugged her shoulders slightly.

Alisa looked over to Sammy and sighed slightly.

“Okay, it’s not nothing.� Alisa said as she glanced around quickly.

She took Sammy by the arm and dragged her into a nearby alleyway.

“Okay. You have to promise not to say anything to anyone.� Alisa said, still holding onto Sammy’s arm.

“Okay, I promise.� Sammy said.

“Okay…I didn’t find this necklace.� Alisa admitted.

“If you didn’t find it, where did you get it from?� Sammy asked.

“You can’t say anything to anyone. Remember that.� Alisa said as she looked to Sammy.

“Okay, okay.� Sammy replied.

“Okay. I got it from Mr. Kelsly.� Alisa said quickly.

There was a short pause.

“Why would Mr. Kelsly give you a necklace?� Sammy asked, that being more like a thought than an actual question. “Oh! Wait a minute…� Sammy paused for a moment before continuing her thought. “But…isn’t Mr. Kelsly married?� Sammy scratched her head, appearing confused.

“Y-yes…� Alisa replied softly as she looked down to the ground in front of herself.

-reserved-