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#51
Old 08-23-2008, 03:23 AM

69. Can You Feel the Love Tonight?

Can see what's happening.

Putnar gave Soda a funny look. He would have recognized that singing Meerkat anywhere, even if it hadn't been followed by the warthog.

"What?" Soda said, the innocent look on his face was too convincing to be true.

"I can't believe you have this song on your iPod." Putnar said as he shook his head.

Soda quickly tackled him and laid on top of him on the couch, "They'll fall in love and here's the bottom line, our trio's down to two." Soda sang along to the words blasting from the stereo.

"I hope you don't actually think you're being cute right now," Putnar said as he tried to shove Soda off of him, "If you wanted to be really gay about it you could have at least played Elton John's actual song, don't you think?"

"Oh please, who wants to be mature about love? Besides," Soda said as he licked Putnar's cheek, "You're blushing."

"I'm blushing because I'm fucking embarrassed for you!" Putnar said as he Soda.

Soda finally got up as he clutched his stomach, barely able to breath through his laughing "Wait wait, this is the best part. This part is so you and your emo self," He grabbed a remote from the table, taking a dramatic pose, "With proper editing of course," With that he began to sing rather ambitiously , "So many things to tell him, but how to make him see? The truth about my past impossible, he'd turn away from me!" He quickly added, "And this part is me!" before singing again, as loud as he could, "He's holding back he's hiding. From what I can't decide. Why won't he be the king I know he is? The king I see inside!!"

Putnar stood up on the couch, looking down at Soda, "You think that's funny huh?"

"Oh yea," Soda said as he danced a little on spot, his face daring, "I think it's real funny."

Putnar jumped off the couch and tackled Soda to the floor. The chorus blasted through the room as they wrestled there, each trying to win the silly game. Soda finally bested Putnars, laying on the younger man once again. Quietly he whispered the last of the lyrics, smirking the whole time "And if he falls in love tonight, it can be assumed. His carefree days with us history. In short our pal is..." Soda kissed Putnar as the song ended, and the track broke up into comical crying. He wouldn't have even heard it if he hadn't remembered it from his childhood.

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#52
Old 09-02-2008, 01:45 AM

89. Through the Fire

"Yea," Putnar said quietly, "It hurts me too. But we can't fight them," He said as he looked back through the cafeteria door, "Not like this. We can't even hope to win." He walked her back to the secret door and proceeded to enter it, "We just have to escape and hope for the best," He was trying to be as positive as he could, but after the battle that they had just faced, it was hard. "Let's go," As he was about to turn down the staircase he had a thought, "You don't think that there's anyone else still out there do you, on our side." He wanted to get out of there, but he didn't want to leave anyone behind for the Bone Hounds. His hand tightened on his gun.

"That's fine with me. Stay safe Line." He spared a glance at Key and said, "Come along young SkyWalker, let Master Obi Wan show you how it's done," He skated off in the direction that all the clan members had gone. By the windows he could here the faint rumble of thunder. The metal covering the windows shook with the tremor. Line's idea to use bodies as a defense had been good but Soda liked the idea of cold hard steel before him and any possible bullets a lot better. He busted one of the sheets off the window and hefted it in one arm. It would do. He skated on, trusting that Key was a short distance behind him. He turned the corner into the kitchen

Putnar was completely thrown off guard when he saw the man come through the doorway. He would have recognized that moehawk anywhere, it was the sameway it had been styled when they had known each other, the same color too. He heard the metal clang to the floor as Soda realized in too. Putnar had resolved to pull the trigger once in this great mess and he wasn't going to stop now. He raised the gun and pointed the barrel at his old friend. "I can't believe you're one of them...Why the hell are you one of them!" He shouted across the room, the gun never wavering in it's aim, his hands weren't shaking anymore."They saved me, that's all I can say.""It wasn't supposed to be you!" Soda made to take a step forward but Putnar finally pulled the trigger. He shot Soda in the leg and sent him to the floor. "You got anymore of your sick friends back there? I'll shoot them too," He wasn't going to hold back anymore. He tore of the bandanna that had been tied around his arm and stomped on it's bright blue, the same color of Soda's hair.

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#53
Old 09-02-2008, 01:49 AM

86. Seeing Red

Soda let out a string of curses as he fumbled with his bleeding leg. It had been a powerful shot and the bullet had gone deep. He franticly tried to pull the bullet out, he knew what a bullet wound could do to him if he left it as it was. He bit down on his lip to keep himself from shouting as he attempted to remove it. It was too much. His shaking fingers couldn't get around the bullet and it hurt too much to try and force it. His efforts not to scream drew blood at his lip and he did anyway, the sound raw with his pain.

He had been invincible before, nothing hurt him before, not scrapes, bruises, even broken bones, but this was agony. Laying on the floor he beat his fist against the floor in frustration, yelling every curse that he could think of. When he finally stopped he wiped a cold sweat from his forehead, replacing it with the blood from his fingers. His eyes crossed the room, looking to Putnar, who was still standing there with the gun in his tense hands. He laughed softly and said with a voice raw from yelling, "You look like you're going to cry."


Putnar took a step back as silent tears burned down his cheeks. With gun still raised he moved to the door and put his free hand on the handle, ready to close it when he was ordered to. He would wait until Ani said it was time, even though he wanted to close it then and walk away from this person he thought he had known, the one he had thought had been his friend. He waited though, his knuckles turning white from his grip on door and gun, "Shut the hell up."

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#54
Old 09-02-2008, 05:26 AM

63. Scary Movie

A women walked alone on a pitch black screen. Her flashlight barely lit was one in front of her as the screams of her friends echoed around the cave.

"I can't believe you convinced me to watch this shit." Putnar said in as bored a tone as he could muster. Soda however, could tell that Putnar was really scared and just didn't want to watch the movie. To be honest, Soda wasn't entirely interested in watching the movie either.

Soda leaned over and put his arms around Putnar. Using the most pathetic voice he could he said, "Aw, it's ok. I'll hold you so you won't be scared."

Putnar quickly pushed the other man away, "Get offa me!"

"Well you don't wanna watch the movie so there must be something else you want to do," Soda said, slightly begging.

"Forget it," Putnar said, propping a foot against Soda to keep him away, "I'd rather watch this crap film."

They went back to watching the movie in forced silence. As the carnage continued Soda noticed Putnar once again trying not to show that he was afraid. Soda flopped over and leaned his head against Putnar's shoulder and wrapped his arms around him. "See, this isn't so bad."

Putnar replied by running his fingers through Soda's unattended to moehawk. 'Yea, I guess so."

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#55
Old 09-02-2008, 05:52 AM

14. Ice Cream

Balkar hadn't noticed it at the time, or even when they had started dating, but he had first seen Kira at the local ice cream parlor over a twisted soft serve.

Perhaps it was fate that once a week they went down to that same ice cream parlor and spent each other's money on whatever the other wanted. It usually wasn't fancy anyway, just a simple cone that they could walk out and eat. It was something that they could take with them on those weekly nights under the stars. They could stroll down Main Street together as they munched on waffle cones, peer into the stores that they never bought anything from, and when they were done they could walk back to the car and just lay on the roof and stare at the night sky.

That little ice cream parlor came to hold so many memories for the pair of them. It was only natural that, the night she died, he drove up there as he dreamed of reliving some of those old memories. It was only natural that the place was closed, the windows dark and a "For Sale" sign hanging forlornly in the window.

Even though his eyes had long been empty of tears he somehow found more to shed. Even in her death he had hoped to cling to something that he could fondly remember her with. The atmosphere, the brilliance of it all was gone, just like the fleeting taste of ice cream.

Last edited by Sho-Shonojo; 09-02-2008 at 05:57 AM..

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#56
Old 09-02-2008, 06:28 AM

34. Moon

Astin was awakened by the stillness around him. Never had he heard the forest so quiet, even though he had lived there all his life. He sat up from his bed of pine needles and immediately noticed that Cato, the Lupnian woman that he had met just a few days ago was missing.

He stepped over to where she had been sleeping. There was still warmth there under his touch. His eyes looked about the clearing and her footsteps became apparent to him. The grass was pressed gently inward and was still slowly springing back into it's proper place. He followed the path that she had left behind.

Cato had not gone far at all. He merely had to leave the cover of trees to see that she had gone to the small forest lake. Astin's breath was taken away as he saw it. The surface of the lake was completely still save for the tiny fireflies that brushed it's surface. Shown on it's mirror surface was the full moon, huge and swollen. At it's center stood Cato, heedless of the waist deep water that was filling the skirts of her sleeping gown.

He stepped on closer and heard her voice. It was no wonder that the forest was so quiet. Her gentle voice barely crossed the surface of the water, and yet, the forest begged to hear it and hushed. Her voice captured the attention of the night and commanded it. No matter she was saying, it was listening.

A twig snapped under his foot and just like that the spell was broken. An owl gave his melancholy cry as if out of mourning for the loss. Cato slowly turned around and looked at Astin. Even though he knew it wasn't possibly he could have sworn he saw the bright blue of eyes.

As she reached the shoreline Astin quickly offered her his cloak. She smiled and wrapped the white fur around her. They didn't talk, but simply stood for a while and watched as the ripples slowly dispersed to show the perfect image of the moon.

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#57
Old 09-10-2008, 03:08 AM


60. Desert

Shonasha stopped just short of barren circle that stretched out before them. In the middle of that seemingly normal forest lay a circle of dry earth miles long. He looked over his shoulder at Heso. The usually stoic man had a look of puzzlement on his face. It was an odd thing to see on the face of a man who could see into the future.

"According to the map," Shonasha said, somewhat loudly as it seemed that his voice was being sucked into the void, "This is where the homeland of the Elreen is. Did they just get up and take it with them?"

Heso took a step forward and his eyes darkened, the small shines of light in them disappeared and Shonasha knew that he was reaching out and searching for the weaved souls of anyone that could be out there. Suddenly he blinked, his eyes returning to normal and he stepped just outside of the ring and reached down to touch the dry earth, "They're here. I don't know how or why, but somewhere out there, they're there. In the earth."

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#58
Old 09-10-2008, 03:29 AM

33. Wrath

Putnar looked around the room at the things that were now his. They were things that in his old life, he would have only dreamed of having. A brand new computer, flat screen TV, a desk of polished wood, and a closet full of the most expensive brand names.

His thoughts turned back to his brother who was still living in their two room house. The brother who was living off barely two hundred dollars a month. He clenched his hand into a fist as he looked at the differences. When he had lived in the city with his brother, it was that same two hundred dollars paying for the both of him. Now that he had got himself in trouble, had to move here, his father actually acknowledged his existence with useless garbage.

He walked over to the Louisville slugger mounted on the wall. If his father had really known either of his sons, he would have known that they hated baseball. Putnars fingers tightened around the bat and he pulled it off the wall "I liked it better when you didn't care about us because we didn't live with you, but ignoring me while I'm right under your roof is something else. I'm only because it would ruin your perfect reputation if someone found out your son was in jail," He hefted the bat in his hand, testing it's weight, "Well I don't care about shallow shit like this,"

His grip tightened on the bat and he swung, knocking a desk load of computer equipment to the floor. His next swing took out the TV, and the next a lamp and clock on his side table. He was going for the window when the bat was yanked from his hand, dented and splintered.

There was his father yelling at him, a face he only knew from the oldest memories he had. Every record of him in his real family had been burned long ago. Burned with hatred for his abandonment.

Putnar didn't hear what he was yelling. Nonsense, he was sure, about how he had paid for all the useless crap that had littered the room, that Putnar had survived without all his life. Something too about how greatful he should be for all that he had given.

"Yea, now that everyone knows I'm your fuck up," Putnar said sarcastically.

He didn't see the fist coming until it hit him in the face.

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#59
Old 09-10-2008, 03:50 AM

8. Away

Putnar didn't go down to dinner.

After taking his shower, where he used as much hot water as he could stand, he returned to his room that had been returned to the spotless condition he had first seen it in. Sure, some thing that he had broken were missing, but it was still exceedingly tidy.

He walked past it all and threw himself on the bed and shoved his head into a pillow. He wished that he still had his old cell phone, then he could call Jeremy, or Taylor and tell them about the hell he was experiencing. No, his father had had that one taken away, there wasn't a house phone in the room and the cell he had received was blocked against any numbers that hadn't been programed into it when it was bought. He couldn't even send a text to anyone but the family phones.

He didn't know how long he laid there, or if he had even been awake the whole time, but eventually a knock came to the door. Without even asking who it was he shouted, "Go away!"

"I thought you might be hungry," Putnar recognized the voice of his father's wife. He laughed to himself, "She of all people wants to be nice to me?"

When he didn't answer she opened the door. There was a covered platter in her hands, huge and ornate. She walked in and set it down on a small table in the middle of the room.

Putnar just laid there, waiting for her to come to her senses and leave. She didn't though. To his utter annoyance, she dawdled along, looking at the things on the shelves and the walls before finally arriving over by his bed. He glared up at her over his pillow.

"Are you going to eat?" She asked. He hated her voice. It was high pithed and completely innocent, like a little girls. He didn't answer. "It's not healthy to skip meals you know." He stared back, "Is your face alright?"

"You're not my mother!" He finally screamed at her, "Leave me the hell alone!" He turned away and pulled one of the goose down pillows over his head.

She didn't leave though. Clair sat patiently on the edge of the bed, not speaking and not bothering him. She just sat there calm and collected, the only one to here him crying.

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#60
Old 09-21-2008, 03:05 AM

41. First Kiss

They were in Soda's basement, in his finished bedroom and crammed onto the love seat that was really too small for two people that were just friends. Soda had given up channel surfing and had left the TV blaring lines from some old black and white film that he couldn't remember the name of. It all made Putnar rather uncomfortable.

He'd told himself over and over during the past through days that he did not like Soda that way. Soda was just his first friend here and Putnar was just clinging to him the wrong way. It had been the same way with Anthony, and Putnar wasn't about to let that situation start all over again. Putnar shifted uncomfortably. Why did all of these old films have to be love stories.

"Hey Putnar?"

Putnar looked over at him, "Yea?"

"Want something to drink?"

"Oh yea, sure. You have Coke?"

"Yea. I'll be right back," Soda got up, and disappeared down the hallway to the stairs.

Putnar couldn't help letting out a sigh of relief. He leaned against the arm rest and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know how how more of this I can take."

"Why, what's wrong?"

Putnar jumped and stared at Soda in shock before stammering, "N-nothing, nothings wrong w-why would you think that. It's just this movie, I don't like stuff like this."

Soda put the cans on the table and walked over, "Well it's almost over, and you could have just turned it off."

"I-I, I thought you wanted to watch it," Putnar said, not looking at him.

"Don't make me out to be the bad guy," Soda put a hand on the arm rest, leaning in close to Putnar, "I told you there was nothing on, that's why we were watching it."

"Soda, quit joking around, what are you doing?" Putnar asked, his cheeks on fire as Soda put a hand to his face.

"You didn't actually think I invited you over here to watch old black and white movies did you?" He leaned in and kissed him.

From the TV's speakers blared ," The walls of Jericho have come down"

Putnar remembered the name of the movie, It Happened One Night.

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#61
Old 09-21-2008, 03:32 AM

23. Distasteful

Putnar was still in a daze as he waited for his breakfast. Soda, the one Putnar placed off limits to himself, had made a move on him, confessed, and begged for Putnar to admit the same. His heart fluttered in his chest as he remembered that and laying next to Soda talking the night away through a grin until they both fell asleep.

"Breakfast's ready," Soda said as he stepped over, pan in hand. He cut the omelette he had been cooking in half and set a piece on each of their plates. He dropped the pan into the sink and fetched the toast and served that as well before finally sitting down with a cup of coffee for each of them. "Here's to the married life," Soda said with a gesture of his mug before taking a sip.

Putnar had been about to thank him when a middle-aged woman, sharply dressed and wearing horn rimmed glasses strided into the room. Her shouting was not a second behind.

"Sodan please tell me this is not what it looked like," She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Before Soda could speak she was talking again, "Don't answer that. I told you that I was having company over today and I told you that I can't stand this anymore. You bring these friends of yours here and do, God knows what down there in your room."

An equally dressed up man was standing in the doorway, obviously uncomfortable with where the conversation was running.

"Honestly mom, you're always jumping to conclusions. Putnar here is just a new student who needed some help catching up, after that we watched a movie and I let him crash over here,"

"Oh I know what kind of studying you've been up to!" Putnar chocked on his coffee at that. The woman gave him a glance before continuing on. "And I don't even want to know what kind of movies you have hidden around down there! Sodan this is embarassing!"

"You have every right to suggest such things about me, but you don't even know Putnar. I suggest you take it back because you're gonna be seeing more of him. " Soda said angrily over his mug of coffee.

The woman straightened her shirt before saying, "Very well, I recant it, but I would advise the both of you to be gone before my real company arrives."

"Glady," Soda said. He didn't look at her.

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#62
Old 10-06-2008, 02:20 AM

20. Fortitude

"Where is she?" Astin asked with a growl as he stormed across the distance between him and Rowan.

"She's been moved to a lower room until I have her disposed of," Rowan said without so-much as a glance in Astin's direction. When Astin didn't leave, Rowan looked at him and asked, "Just what were you thinking, bringing a human here?"

"I was thinking of our welfare! That woman is the daughter of the king, the Star of Lupnia's Eye. Am I the only one who sees what she could do for us?" Astin asked, disbelief and frustration were writ in the strain in his voice.

"Oh, and did she tell you that?" Rowan replied mockingly, "I hate to have to remind you pup, but the humans are not so honest as you want them to be. At the simplest she is some lost girl who needed a place to stay in the night, but at the worst she is a spy. How can you be so naive after what the humans did to our leader, your father?" Even though Rowan stood in his human shape, Astin could picture the hackles of his red coat rising. Ridges formed on his nose in a snarl as he shifted between shapes.

Astin growled back, low and menacing in his throat. He felt the hood of his fur cloak cling to his skin, threatening his on change in shape, "How dare you speak to me that way! My mother leads you and one day it will be I who takes her place!"

Rowan did change then. Gleaming white jaws appeared as a fully formed red coated wolf sprung from his spot and charged for Astin. Astin lunged back as his form changed like liquid into that of a white wolf. The pair scuffled, with teeth tearing at throats and feet kicking at unprotected bellies until both stood apart, panting hard as they stared each other down.

"Remember one thing Astinvere," Rowan said, his words indiscernible from the feral snarls, "You might vary well be a tribe leader one day, but if this decision is a hint at whats to come in the future, then it'll never last. I will see to it."

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#63
Old 10-06-2008, 02:43 AM

47. Arranged Marriage

Astinvere stared back at the woman in shock. Here she stood, the same and yet so different then how she had appeared those three long years ago. The twisting web of long past memories had held him back, stopped him from comprehending what she had just told him.

"I waited for you Astin. I let you return to your tribe to try and make things right again, to try and make yourself suitable. I waited three years, wasted threes years. You made me come all this way to see you and I see and hear that you could have approached my father anytime as a proper suitor, but you didn't and now I must be married to a man I don't even know." Though the quaver of sorrow in her voice was clear, she did not look away or cry, nor did she drop the perfect posture with which she presented herself. "How could you say that you ever loved me when you refused to leave your forest home and claim me as your own?"

Astin could not help the low growl that emanated from his throat, for her statement held a deep insult to his honesty. "It is true that I love you, and do even now."

"Then why didn't you come?" She snapped. Astin could not help respecting her, the shadow of the queen she would one day be, was present in her actions even now. "Three years Astin, three years that I could have been yours."

"Time passes differently here your highness. Though your three years may have passed as the slowly meandering stream, events here have carried the past years as a waterfall. There were things to be prepared. Our people are ones of hatred when it comes to the other. Was I to claim your hand and have the separate tribes kill you the very night we wed?"

She was silent for a long time. All that could be heard were their measured breathes, his short and labored over the anger he felt, and hers short and painful as she took in his words.

"It's a matter of little consequence now," She said finally, the edge in her voice sliced through his hopes, "I am engaged now to the prince of a nation across the sea. In little over a year he and I shall be wed and there will be nothing you can do."


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#64
Old 10-06-2008, 03:03 AM

44. "I Will Protect You"

The day I confessed to my father what I was and who I loved, was both the best and worst day of my life. As I stood there, with meaningless explanations pouring from my mouth, all I could see was the growing frustration in his face as he hated me more by the second , and yet Soda's hand firmly grasping mine blocked out all fear.

The event in my memory is nothing more but a silent black and white film. There are no words or even guides, and the whole thing is played in fast forward, rushing me to the end where I was sure my father would disown me. But then my step mother stands up and everything slows down. She crosses the room, cups my face in her hands and tells me how proud she is of me, the son she never knew. And then my five year-old half sister runs to my side and pulls on my pant-leg until I lean down to her. She hugged me, and in her naive knowledge of the world, told me that I could love whoever I wanted just like she was allowed to love vanilla pudding even though all her friends liked chocolate.

I couldn't see through my tears, but Soda's hand was still firmly grasping mine. I think if he had let go I would have slipped away and simply disappeared. Of course then there was yelling. It passed between my father and his wife like violent and soundless waves. Then my sister started crying and the mayhem exploded in front of me as my father shouted back the insults of me and my disease that I had let spread into his wholesome family. I was nothing to him anymore, a curse upon his name and he wondered what I was going to do when he made that known.

"I will protect him," Soda said, breaking the silent screaming that filled the room. He stared right into my father's eyes and said, "No matter what, I will protect him."

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#65
Old 10-30-2008, 05:49 PM

70. 67%

Putnar stared at the grade on his paper in disbelief. "Sixty-seven" he said quietly to himself before flipping the sheet over. It had been a while since he had gotten such a bad grade on anything. He chanced a look up at Mr. Paner. He quickly looked away again, the teacher was staring at him. He pretended to be interested in what the rest of the class had gotten until the bell rang. The other students quickly filed out. Putnar was about to leave as well when the teacher stopped him.

"Have you been studying, I could tutor you," Mr. Paner said.

"No, that's ok, I'm going to do this myself,"

"Putnar..." Mr. Paner touched his shoulder.

Putnar swatted his hand away, "I said I'll do it myself. I'm not doing this anymore," He left.

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#66
Old 12-10-2008, 04:22 AM

39. Dream

The world went white and Cato blinked several times as she tried to clear away the brightness. Behind her she could here Astinvere growling. He must be seeing the same thing. She had been about to call to him, when in the distance she saw something coming their way. She reached behind her and found the soft fur of his cloak, "Astin..." she whispered, and it was like her voice broke the blinding light. It fell away all around them, until the only thing left gleaming was the figure that was still steadily coming their way.

He came up beside her and she could hear his nose as he sniffed out for something, some sign of what was something towards them.

"Let all things be as they are," A voice said all around them. Cato wondered that she couldn't even tell if it were a man or a woman. It seemed to many voices at once and yet silent as the wing, yet she had heard it. Or, at least she thought she had.

She looked over to Astinvere and was surprised to see that he no longer stood as a man, but his shape had changed to that of a white wolf, his true form. She looked at herself. Her gown was gone, and her circlet, everything that she had had with her was missing, and yet she did not feel naked, she was herself, she was only what she needed to be.

The figure stopped ten paces before them. His shape, or at least she assumed he was a man, was an ever changing one. In an endless motion he was at one man, and beast, as well as a number of trees that she had witnessed before. She even thought for a moment that she had glimpsed her father in him for a moment, "My children," he said, in his voice that sounded of everything and yet was nothing, "I have been away far to long," he said sadly.

"No my lord," Astinvere said beside her, startling her, "Impatience is only a thing of the foul-hearted."

"There is no need to be so formal Astinvere of the White Brook," he shifted to peer at her, "And Cato Hesoma,"

Her fingers entwined tightly with Astinvere's fur coat in fear. He gave a light growl in discomfort. His golden eyes peered at her, "Luphana," he said simply.

She stared at the man in disbelief, this was the god of her world, standing before her, showing himself to her, "Yes," he said simply, "I have returned from my long vigil in the lands across the frigid waters, the land of my sister,"

Astinvere suddenly snarled and spit the name, "Flamoya,"

"Calm yourself child of the Old Ones," he said, raising a hand that was at once, hand, wing, and hoof, "I trust their stories have been passed down to you. I will tell you then, son of Flamoya and Luphana, that the goddess has been freed in the lands across the frigid waters. She has not regained her powers as they once were, but even now she plots as her old strength returns to her,"

Cato couldn't think to speak. She had read in old histories of Flamoya and the hoards of cruel and vicious demons she had bourn into her land. Astinvere stepped forward, his tail quivered in apprehension, "What can we do Great One?"

"Stay your fear. Mine eyes have watched the land of my sister, and there I have found companions that would help us. Warn your countries and expect those companions whom I speak of. All else shall be revealed in time,"

"Yes my lord," Astinvere said, bowing his head before the figure. At once, the great light once again filled Cato's field of vision, washing out the figure that stood before them. With no idea what even stood before her eyes, she clutched at Astinvere's coat and hoped that she did not fall into the void.



The bubbling of a brook near by sounded in Cato's ear. She opened her eyes, thick green grass crisscrossed in front of her. She sat up and looked around. Astinvere was laying beside her, and they were in a small clearing. Light filtered in from a break in the trees, keeping the grass fed with light and rain. Nearby she saw the brook, water crossing over a few smooth rocks as they passed on for a wider stream.

"What was that?" She asked herself, staring into the light from above.

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#67
Old 03-06-2009, 10:43 PM

75. Mirror

"I grow weary of your silence, o far-sighted one!" I yelled at him once we were alone again. He sat in the chair I had helped him into, his lay unfocused staring into some distant or past time that I could not see. "Look at me!" I shouted with more venom than I intended as I grabbed him by the front of his dirty shirt and tried to make him see me.

His eyes roved wildly around the room, searching in that maze of times and scenes for me and where we were now. A chill ran up my spine with blackened orbs finally rested on my own eyes staring back at him. They seemed to vibrate there, as if something was trying to tear them away. He lifted a shaking hand up to my face, even though I could see how it pained him, and brushed the soft fingertips against my cheek. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice cracked under the weight of one left unused. His hand dropped like a dead weight in his lap. I looked at it sitting there, the fingertips twitched as his last bit of control seeped from them. When I looked back to his face, his eyes had gone distant again, they no longer looked at me. My reflection starred back at me in those eyes, they looked like polished, black glass.

I at once felt guilty for what I had said to him. What could he do with the curse hanging over him? This curse that rendered him unable to speak, to see, to even move. This curse that pained him in the night when Flamoya's eye starred down from the heaven's, searching for him. How I hated seeing him in the night, when he lay with eyes starring wide and his mouth lain open in a silent scream. I tightened my grip on the collar of his shirt and pressed my forehead to his. Was that my sweat on my brow, or his? Then I screamed as loud as I could, and didn't stop until I was light-headed with lack of air. I wanted to scream for all the time that he had been unable to, until it made him better, woke him from this dreadful waking slumber full of pain.

As the door to our room opened behind me, I could feel my limbs quaking as I stood breathing heavily into Heso's unseeing face. "Shonasha," I looked over my shoulder at the raven haired youth standing wide-eyed in the doorway. It was the first time I had ever seen Cato's boy look scared in the least, he was usually so brazen. Of course, this was the first time he had seen me lose control either.

"Do not look so concerned my friend," I said as I let go of Heso's collar and let him slide back into his seat. My fingers were stiffed from holding so tightly. I straightened up, but did not dare look at him for fear my voice would break.

"You should get some rest, you look exhausted," He said, carefully, as if his voice was treading on ice.

Damn the boy for his thoughts of kindness, so like his mother, "I will not submit myself to rest when Heso suffers on. I refuse to leave him abandoned like that."

"Very well then," he said softly, though I could tell in his voice he wanted to deny it of me, and damn me for the fool that I was being. Bless him for not speaking those words that he wanted to.

As the door closed after him, I gripped the side of Heso's face, turned it towards me. Reflected in those blackened orbs, I wept.

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#68
Old 03-09-2009, 06:50 AM

45. Come Back to Me

Putnar stood beside Soda in the busy airport as they stood in the line for the security check. Putnar was quiet, knowing that this was as far as he was going to get to following Soda all the way to his new home in England with his mother. He sighed unhappily.

"Cheer up there love," Soda said suddenly, as he gave Putnar a quick peck to the cheek, not even caring about all the people that were around, rolling their eyes, or making disgusted faces. "It's only going to be for a year, and I'm going to call you everyday so why don't you smile? I don't want my last look at you for a year to be you with a pout on your face."

Putnar weakly tried to smile, but it wasn't very convincing, even he knew that, so he looked away as they both took another step forward in line.

Soda gestured to the front of the line. They were slowly creeping closer to that damn gate that he was going to disappear through for a whole year. "We're almost there, you better give me some attention before I'm gone" Soda said jokingly.

"I don't want you to leave!" Putnar whined as he grabbed a hold of Soda's arm, and held him tightly. "You're not even in school anymore, why do you have to go live with her anyway?"

Soda sighed now. They had gone through with this over and over again since they had found out about his mother's arrangements to pull them apart. "I love you," He said.

"I love you too!" Putnar said, a bit to hastily , "And..."

Soda put a finger to Putnar's lips, "But I love my mother too, even if she can be the biggest bitch sometimes. There's no way she's going to pull as apart, so I'm going to do as she says and spend one last year with her so no more whining."

"OK," Putnar said as he nodded. He was still downtrodden, but he wasn't going to argue with Soda, not when he said it like that.

They had nearly made it to the front of the line, "Ok, I'm next, so give me my kiss goodbye." He leaned down, and Putnar gave him a small kiss on the lips. He smiled, "I'm afraid you have to run along now, I don't think they're going to let you in without a ticket just because we're hopelessly in love."

Putnar had to smile to himself as walked out of the line to the little alcove nearby. He waited for Soda to show his ticket and ID before saying, "You better call me everyday."

"I will," Soda replied with a laugh.

"If you don't, I'm going to call you. Even if it's two in the morning over there."

"If you have to do that then I suppose I deserve it."

He was going through the security screening now.

"I'll miss you!" Putnar shouted after him, no longer caring about the looks he was getting from people who didn't understand.

"I already miss you," Soda yelled over his shoulder.

He was picking up his bags. He turned around one last time to mouth the words "I love you," before passing out of view as he headed to his gate.

Putnar stood staring after him. His hands gripped the gate that kept him from chasing after Soda. He couldn't helped missing him already.

His cell phone buzzed in his pocket.

He answered it, "Stop crying," Soda voice said from the receiver.

"I'm not crying," Putnar quickly snapped, but it was a lie. Soda's voice on the other end had made the tears come, and they wouldn't stop flowing.

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#69
Old 03-20-2009, 03:19 AM

64. City

Luphana's city was burning. The floating embers singed the tips of Shonasha's hair and cast off smoke that clogged the lungs of Luphana's people that walked with him in their chains. They were too tired now to protest against the Jagerians that escorted them, whips in hand. Many of them were to exhausted by the heartbreak of it all. Their homes were burning as they watched, the army was in disarray. Even as they walked the Jagerians were dragging away uniformed bodies, sons and fathers of the women in chains. Shonasha swallowed hard and his throat burned.

Somewhere along the way he had lost the boy. He scoured the line in front of him, hoping to spot the prince among all these people, but a Jagerian noticed him, and put a hand to the sword at his belt and smirked. Shonasha could do nothing but walk on a breathe in the smoke as they made their way slowly through the deteriorating city.

The only thing that still remained untouched was the castle. While the commoner's homes were dried thatch that easily caught flame, the castle was completely brick and mortar. It stayed standing while the city burned around it in the night. It seemed to waver through the waves of heat that washed the air, reaching towards the dark sky where the moon stood out in full view. Even in the heat the sight chilled him. He had not seen the moon since he had left his homeland, but now it stood out wide and full as an eye staring down to watch the madness below.

He was glad when they were finally escorted into the castle. Shonasha would have rather been housed in the deepest dank dungeon than stand under that moonlight for another second.

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#70
Old 03-20-2009, 03:45 AM

7. "Trust Me" Continuation of City (with perspective switch :oops: )

They escorted us to a large open room that must have once been a dining hall. They released us from our bonds one by one before shoving us into the room with the many others that were already gathered there. When it was my turn I made sure not to look at the man that released my chains. I already stood out, a Shieto among the many Lupnians gathered there, but I still remembered the training from my early days, I knew how to appear invisible.

I spotted him as soon as I stepped into the room. Among a hundred faces I could spot him without a second look. He had the face of my enemy, and yet not, because he was mine, he was the one who belonged to me. I pushed my way through the crowd at the door, ignoring the people who grabbed at my clothes and called my name alike. I had not seen the man since he had been wounded on the battle field, had that really only been two days ago? I had not talked to him, held him in his arms or felt his embrace since the many years ago, years even before I had left my homeland.

He was turned away when I finally made it to him, but he remembered my touch, and the moment my hand had grasped the fabric of his shirt, he had caught me in an embrace that made me forget that the rest of the world even existed. Even so I wept for all of it. The city, the people, Cato and her lost son, even Astin. I wept for the soldiers that lay dying, betrayed by those they trusted, and I prayed deep in my heart that Nimbus was well, he had lost so much blood. I even spared some tears for Leo, who's people had been the cause of all this tragedy, and wept that he had truly come to love Cato and wanted to protect her more than anything, even when she bore him a son that was not his. Her son, I wept for him too and cursed myself for losing him so soon after I had found him. And when I thought I had had no tears left I finally wept for myself, and for Heso when still remained holding me in his embrace that never wavered.

His hand grasped my hair and he brought his mouth to my ear, "Things have not even begun to go wrong, but we will make it out of here, trust me," I looked up at him, and his eyes were looking across the room, contorted into a glare that looked so much like his brothers, "They come for you."

How slowly I turned my head to look where he did. The way had been parted for a pair of Jagerians, their stocky figures made their way heavily across the stone floor. Heso's fingers gripped my arms protectively, even though he knew he could do nothing.

They stopped a few steps away, "Shonasha Shonojo, confidante of the crown prince of Lupnia, you will come with us,"

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#71
Old 03-20-2009, 04:19 AM

100. Gone - Continuation of City and "Trust Me"

Heso had somehow procured us a bed. When the Jagerians had made it clear that we would be staying there, the braver of the prisoners had requested to go out in parties and drag what supplies they could from what was left of the burned city. Our guards had allowed it, but most likely because they did not want to be bothered, and because there was no way they were giving up the beds in the castles. Heso never said how, but in one of those many days that I returned from the interrogation by the Jagerians, there was a bed that Heso ushered me into, but honestly he would have been enough for me. I could lay in his arms for hours and forget the beatings that I had succumbed to as the Jagerians tried to get out of me where the last remaining members of the royal family had disappeared to. It hurt all the more that I knew nothing and that I could not convince them of the fact.

So I would come back to our dining prison along with others, the last remaining members of the army, trusted servants who had once worked in the home, and I stumbled into the quiet corner that Heso had reserved for us and succumbed to sleep. How quickly I could fall asleep in his arms. One day as I dozed I woke with a start as he winced in pain. "Your wounds!" I said quickly as I rose and examined the bandages that still remained from the last day of the war. But I had checked them just a few hours ago and none of them had pained him since we had come to be there. He shook his head and hissed again through gritted teeth before sitting up and taking a deep. He broke out in a sweat at once and I bid him lay down. Half the span of an hour passed before he sunk back into a peaceful sleep again. I lay down beside him and placed my head on his chest, but I could not force myself to sleep for fear for him. The hours passed endlessly.

"Shonasha," he finally said some time around dusk. I sat up and looked at him, but didn't speak. "Can you wait for me?" his voice sounded small, and unsure.

'Wait for you?" I asked with a frightened laugh, "Why do I need to wait for you, you're right here?"

His red eyes turned away from me, and as they became distant I knew he was looking someplace that I could not see and contemplating something that was still yet to come, "I have to leave you alone, or rather, leave myself..." He sighed in exasperation. "Flamoya is on the move again, and I can feel her tugging at the edges of my mind, trying to get in. I wish the clouds would cover her face again, she is so very strong," He gripped the front of his shirt and took a deep breath. "If she were to gain control of me, you know what could happen. I cannot fend her off as I am now, I need to devote all of my energy to protect myself. Can you wait for me?"

What could I say? Flamoya had used her powers of possession during the war and her power could destroy so much. I could not stop the words from passing my lips, "I do not want you to go, I have finally gotten you back. Please don't leave me here alone,"

He put a hand to my face, "Please take care of me while I'm gone. You'll need to leave this place when you find the prince. I'll be able to do some things, but not much. Please."

"I'll take care of you," I said as I held his hand to my face, "I promise."

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#72
Old 05-25-2009, 06:10 AM

71. Obsession
He was working at a little music store at the time. It was just off main-street, and was the kind of place that was visited by tourists, but was only really appreciated by the locals that came by there every day to check out the new CD's that were out or just hang out and talk music with the people that worked there.

Putnar was working register, and he just wanted to finish up with the last wave of people before he could take of for the evening and head back to the little apartment he shared with Soda. He was going to call up the other man and talk the night away in that apartment until it felt like both of them were there, instead the miles apart that they actually were. "Did you find everything alright sir?" He asked, as he started grabbing the next customer's things and scanning them in.

"It really is you."

Putnar's heart thudded deep in his chest, as if trying to knock him of his feet. He looked up slowly and gaped back at the perfect smile of the tawny haired young man that he had known as a teenager in high school. The man who had broken his heart down to the core, and had made him want to die ever since then.

"Anthony..."

And so it came somehow that as his shift ended, just a few minutes later that he walking down the street just off the main stretch with the tawny haired man that had broken his heart. How had that come to be?

"What are you doing here?" Was all he could manage to ask.

"The University of Phoenix. I'm taking classes to become an engineer," Anthony said, as he walked in that sort of shuffle that he had always done.

"An engineer," Putnar stopped in his tracks and stared at the other man, "What about your football career?" Football had been that only thing Anthony had ever cared about in high school. It had been the reason Anthony had broken up with Putnar. He hadn't wanted to get kicked off the team if anyone found out he was going out with another guy.

"Yea, I realized football wasn't getting me anywhere. I got hooked up with an up-and-coming company and they're paying for me to go to school so I can work for them. And," He turned around and gave Putnar that charming smile that had won him from the beginning, "No one will care what I do with my love-life."

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#73
Old 05-25-2009, 06:43 AM

55. Need (Obsession Cont.) (Warning: Some strong language)

"You can't be serious," was all Putnar could bring himself to say. He was disgusted. After these last years Anthony was finally trying...

At once Anthony's perfect, smug visage broke, "What do you mean?"

"Oh, give me a break Anthony!" Putnar snapped at him. This was unbelievable. "It's been two years! Two damn years since you kicked me to the curb. Did you actually think I was gonna wait around for you to come crawling back? I've got a new life now with better people in it! You might as well forget what happened between us back that, because the old me that used to follow you around like a lap dog is dead!" Putnar didn't wait for a reply, but began stalking off in the direction of home.

Anthony stopped him, grasping his arm and not letting go. He was still as strong as he had been in high school, and still just as stubborn, "I changed my life for you! I thought we could finally be together without having to worry about what other people think!"

"You're two years too late for that!" Yelled as he tried to yank his arm free, "Now let me go, I have better things to do than listen to your bull!"

He didn't let go though, but grabbed Putnar's other arm, gripped him tightly and shook him, "What do you want me to do? You want me to prove it? I'll kiss you right here, I don't care what anyone else thinks!" And he did. Gripping Putnar's face in his hands he kissed him hot and fierce. He finally broke away,and was overcome by Putnar, his face strewn with angry tears glaring at him.

"You're worse than dog shit!," Putnar said through tears as he beat Anthony in the head. Why did it hurt so much to feel like this. He was so angry, but all he wanted to do was curl in a ball and cry until Soda came home and found him, "I've promised my life to someone, and you come out the blue claiming you've changed your life for me, and go a do a thing like that, you stupid prick! Get out of my life! I never one see you again you asshole!," He yelled through sobs.

Anthony just stood there staring back. He couldn't understand how things had come to this. He had given up everything he had cared about, moved away from his hometown for this man, and for what, so he could deny him, shout curses and him and say he had found someone else. As he watched Putnar run off down that little road where the music store sat, he could only think of one thing. His hand went to his pocket, and folded around the metal object that lay hidden there.

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#74
Old 05-25-2009, 07:07 AM

45. Two Guns (Need Cont.) (May contain language and Mature themes)

It had been a week since they had argued on that street. Putnar had gone home, locked his door and called Soda. They had talked the night away and Putnar had pretended none of it had happened at all. But when he came into work the other, during his evening shift , he saw the man again. Anthony was sitting outside at the cafe across the street, sipping coffee and staring into the open windows where Putnar worked and felt unnerved.

He hadn't told anyone. They probably would have told him to get over it, that it was just a coincidence, and now it was his turn to close the store. The other employees had all left one by one and now Anthony was hovering outside the door, where Putnar still had to go and switch the "Open" sign to "Closed".

With an eye on Anthony, he picked up the receiver of the phone under the front counter and dialed the police.

"911, what is your emergency?"

Putnar let out a deep breath, "Um, hi, this is probably really stupid but... but there is a man loitering outside the music store off main-street. Uh..." Putnar eyes shifted to where Anthony stood outside and his breath caught in his throat. He coughed. "He's been out there for the last four hours."

"We're sending an officer over right now to take care of it. Please stay on the line,"

Putnar glanced over at Anthony again. He had moved. He had come over to the door, it slowly swung open. "Shit, he's coming inside," Putnar said under his breath.

"Stay on the line sir, the officer will be there...."

The last part could not be heard over the sound of the receiver hitting the floor. Putnar could only whimper, with his hands raised beside his head, and stare back into the barrel of the gun being pointed into his face.

"I think," Anthony said, the gun unwavering in his outstretched arm, "You should invite me over to your place."


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#75
Old 05-25-2009, 04:51 PM

32. Night (Two Guns Cont.)

It was getting late that night when the doorbell rang. Delilah had just been up to put her young daughter to bed and as she came down the stairs, she wondered who would come calling so late in the evening. She finally reached the door, as she swung it open, her heart stopped.

"Miss, are you Delilah Hamlin? Putnar Hamlin's mother?" The officer asked.

A few months ago her reply would have been a desperate, "I'd be his mother if he would let me!" But things had changed since then. He had become more accepting since then, though he could still be a bit of a trouble-maker. Maybe he had gone out to a party and made a little too much noise. She looked for him, but he wasn't out there on the step looking only partly guilty, he wasn't there at all. It was only the officer with a grave look on her face, "Officer," Delilah said slowly, "What seems to be the problem."

"May I come in Ms. Hamlin. I think you'll need to sit down."

And so the officer was now seated in their living room and politely taking one drink out of the glasses that Delilah had struggled to get together just to be a good host. The officer then set the glass aside, obviously with no intention of picking it back up again. She here for more important matters than being polite.

Delilah watched as the other woman pulled out a small notebook from a pocket on her belt, and with a pencil in hand, marked off the details as she read them. "At 8:46 today, your son made a call to the police station about a man who had been loitering outside the store for some time. We dispatched a car immediately but, while I was on the phone with him, I heard a loud bang, like something hitting the floor, and when the car got there, the store was empty. The front and back doors were both unlocked and the later was hanging open. One of the display cases had been knocked over as well.'

Delilah's heart was hammering in her chest. How could this be happening? "Just, what are you trying to say?" Delilah asked stupidly.

"Ms. Hamlin, we believe your son may have been kidnapped. We already have our forces out looking for him, if this man has been watching your son for any length of time, they could be someplace he frequents. I need from you a list of places that he goes often."

"I.. um." Delilah stammered. She put her hand to her head and wiped away the clammy sweat that lingered there, "He.. he doesn't really go anywhere. I mean, he attends the high school here, the store, and he has an apartment by himself. Well, not by himself, he shares it, but it's been just him lately."

"Can I get the address Ms. Hamlin?"

"Of course," Delilah said. Her hands shook as she reached for something to write with. How could this be happening?

 


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