Young Writers Society

Jay was tired of writing so many words, and he was utterly, utterly confused. He wished he’d woken up to this alone, instead of surrounded by a bunch of people from different lands and no voices.

He watched the purple haired girl write. She was succinct. Thank goodness.

His eyes widened when he saw the word Nye. His world. Someone else from Nye, with sense. With gusto, he thrust out his hand and circled “Nye” in the sand. He put question marks by everything else, before writing a quick “maybe” under Jun’s message.

This conversation didn’t seem to be getting them anywhere, if you could even call it a conversation. It was scattered, and slow, and Jay was feeling antsy and impatient. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. He wasn’t supposed to be here. He needed to get away from all of this.

He stood up. Had he been able to make sounds, he would’ve huffed. He pointed behind him with his thumb, put his hand over his eyes, like he was “searching,” and then decided to leave it at that.

He was going to look around, with or without the rest of the muted group.

He darted off into the darkness, relying on his smell and his hearing. The buzzing bugs got louder, before they went quiet, as he passed. He expected them to chirp back up again, but they didn’t. The sudden eerie silence was unsettling. He faltered in his steps, looking around for any other sources of sound. Nothing.

That was, until he heard something plop in... water?

Claire didn't know any of the other lands. It wasn't anywhere she recognized from earth anyway. She wondered if they were from other universes. Unfortunately, it was Jay who had introduced her to the idea that there was other life in the universe. But the idea made too much sense.

It was ridiculous to think they were the only ones in the universe, with how massive it was. And if they weren't from this world, California wouldn't mean anything to them. But she'd figure that out later.

She wrote:

Where I'm from, it's the year 1971. Does that mean anything to you?

Before any of them could respond, Claire heard a splash coming from the ocean. She dropped her stick and walked closer to investigate.

Rose found herself raising an eyebrow at the man as he ignored everything else and only circled "Nye". Perhaps he didn't know any place outside of his own home? Though, he didn't look like the sheltered country boy she would imagine that lack of knowledge would come from. Still though, it was at least somewhat comforting to know she wasn't the only one to understand Nye.

But all of that comfort was drained away as she read the other message. The year is 1971 for her? Her heart raced as she found herself staring at the number. Surely it must have been some kind of joke, but what benefit would she have from lying in a place like this?

The only thing that took Rose out of her mind boggling confusion was that splash they all heard, she took one last look at that number before joining in on the hunt for the odd noise. Again she tried to reassure herself, perhaps it was just a mistake, a typo of sorts? Either way, it wasn't going to help her to dwell on it.

Jun was the last person to join Jay.

She heard the splash when everyone else did, but she was too busy staring at the year that Claire had written down. How could someone be from a completely different time? She knew that the avatar supposedly came from another era - a hundred years before - but that was totally different.

What was going on?

When staring at the number in the earth did little to help, Jun ducked inside her tent, grabbed the lantern, and joined the others by what looked like a great ocean.

Jay rushed to through the desert brush, bare feet clipping on a gangly bush in the dark. He picked his feet up like a skipping rabbit, hopping over things with more energy than necessary.

It smelled like saltwater. But he could hear no waves.

Suddenly, he saw a field of blue and purple-tinted water reflecting back at him, and he skidded to a stop, feet slipping in the comparably dry, dry desert sand just before he came to the water's edge. Flecks of dirt tumbled off the ledge into the still waters, creating little rings that seemed to spread out into the water for ages. The quiet little plips were all he could hear in the voiceless, and now cricket-less madness of the quiet desert night.

He heard the others' footsteps as they ran up to join him, but his eyes were fixed on the water.

It was almost... mesmerizing. When he looked down into it, he could very clearly see his reflection once the ripples faded away, almost like looking into a mirror. It was strange. Even in the dark of the night, he could see himself so clearly, like the water itself was some kind of source of light.

But it wasn't glowing. This didn't seem like the weird, magical phenomena like he was used to.

He stared at his face, before looking up and out at the horizon, where the starry night sky and the end of the ocean met.

It was then, that he realized there was no moon in the sky. Only stars.

Something about this was wrong.

Even though this desert island was beautiful, Claire felt a knot forming in her stomach, and she thought it wasn't entirely because camping reminded her of her time with the group. With her Jay. The father of her child.

Even though the night sky was filled with stars, there was no moon. No waves in the water. She couldn't speak. And it was so clear she could see her reflection. She looked tired, older than twenty-one. She'd have to cut her hair, it was getting way too long.

Then, she slid her sandals off and walked into the water, letting it pool around her ankles. The sand against her bare feet felt nice, as did the temperature of the water. It was nice, even if the knot her stomach was still there.

Maybe, when Amy was old enough, she'd take her camping. Just the two of them. A mother daughter adventure to erase whatever the year before had been.

She stared down at her reflection.

It had been a little while since she had last seen it - no one in the group she traveled with seemed fond of carrying mirrors. She raised a hand up and fingered the very top of her hair. Even though reflections in the water were never this clear, she could make out black at her roots.

Her hand fell back to her side.

When she realized that Jay was no longer looking at the water itself, she followed his gaze up towards the sky. Part of her had expected to see a full moon, but there was just an endless array of stars.

"Where's the moon?" she tried to say, but the words once again didn't come out. There was a memory playing in the back of her mind. She had been asleep for most of that night, but she had remembered a night where something happened to the moon. She couldn't quite describe it.

This didn't feel like that. This felt peaceful.

But still...

Just as Rose thought she might actually find a few answers here, she was only greeted by and plagued with more questions.

A moonless sky, a waveless sea. The only thing that made her feel naturally at ease were the stars that hung above them. Everything else felt unnatural, and if anything, made her wonder if this was all just a dream of hers now. Closing her eyes she pinched herself, but nothing changed as she opened her eyes and looked at the group gathered around her still.

All she could do was stare down at her reflection. It had actually been a long time since she'd looked at herself and she quickly remembered why she hated it. She didn't like the person she had become, but she knew she couldn't change, that she wouldn't change. She grew more frustrated by the second. Her reflection, everyone around her being as clueless as she was, all the mysteries around them, that dang reflection! The forced silence put upon all of them muffled her grunt as she hurled a rock at her reflected image in the waters, violently upsetting the calm and serene surface as she silently swore to herself.

Jay looked up at the purple-haired girl with a sharp glare. Something about disturbing the waters felt wrong, but the other woman - Claire - was already in the water anyway.

Oh, whatever.

Jay followed suit and stepped into the water with his bare feet. Despite the water being shallow and clear, it was difficult to see to the bottom because of how reflective it was of the starlight. It had to be the starlight because what other source of light was there?

It felt clean, and comfortable, and not at all harsh and cold like the ocean.

He wondered if it was saltwater. It didn't really smell like seawater. It smelled pure, and he couldn't feel any shells or sea life under his feet as he wandered forward, the water coming up to his shins.

He glanced back at the others. None of them could protest what he was about to do or judge him for it verbally, and even if they could, he didn't see much consequence. He smirked, before bending down and cupping some of the water in his hands and taking a sip.

His eyes widened. It wasn't salty at all. It was probably some of the purest water he had ever tasted. It didn't even taste like anything.

When the water hit his tongue, he realized how thirsty he was, and he slurped the whole thing quickly. Had he been in his wolven form, no one would question it.

As he swallowed, the water coated his throat, and he felt a strange warmth, like a shot of heat, just for a moment.

Just for effect, he smacked his lips together and let out a satisfied: "Aaaah."

And then he froze. He'd... he'd made a sound.

He looked down at the water, mouth turning into a smile and then started laughing.

"You can talk!" Jun exclaimed - only to remember that she couldn't when no sound came out. She frowned, raised a hand up to her neck, and tried to figure out why he could speak when she couldn't.

He had gone into the water. She followed his lead, taking a tentative step into the unknown. But when she whispered out a word, nothing happened.

Which meant it was from him drinking the water.

She hesitated for a moment before following his lead.

She had never had any water like this before. It didn't really taste like anything, but that was a blessing in itself. It made it taste somehow good.

"The water lets you talk," Jun finally said, a smile beginning to spread across her lips.

Claire had been too focused on her daydream, of the day when her daughter was old enough and she could take her camping in a place like this, that she hadn't even registered that the others had spoken.

She knelt down, the water feeling cool and comfortable, and helped herself to a drink. It was the best, purest water she'd ever tasted.

"Hello," she said. "Oh, that's lovely." She managed a smile at the others, but stayed kneeling in the water. She wanted to swim in it and didn't think of her clothes getting wet. So she went a little bit further into the water and simply floated on her back. Looking up at the stars.

This was nice.

Rose's ears perked the moment she heard their voices. Her gaze quickly snapped between each of those around her before, hesitantly, she kneeled and took a drink of the mysterious water. It was so surprisingly refreshing, and it caused her to take a few gulps before she stood and finally said what she figured would be on everyones mind at this point.

"Who the heck are you people and what even is this place?" The irritation was clear in her voice as she spoke.

She doubted any of the others would have the answers she was looking for, but it was the biggest question for her as she made her way quickly out of the water and back on to dry land.

Her gaze eventually landing on Claire, the year she wrote still hanging heavily on her mind. She wanted to demand answers, but she felt that was the wrong question, as the generally mystery of the area was a much more pressing issue.

Why did he just know that was what the purple-haired girl would sound like?

"Did you not read any of the stuff we wrote?" Jay shot back in a teasing tone. "I'm Jay, and I'm pretty positive none us know where this is."

Claire stood up and faced the others.

She was acutely aware of how thick her Liverpudlian accent seemed in comparison to everyone else.

After her family had first arrived in Minnesota she'd tried to sound American, and it hadn't worked. Her Jay had told her it made her beautiful.

"I wasn't always from California," she said. "I lived in Minnesota, and Iowa, but I'm from England. Do none of those places mean anything to you?"

Jun desperately wanted to see if her bending was working again, but she knew she couldn't risk firebending in front of a group of strangers. She would just have to be satisfied with being able to talk right now.

"I've never heard of those places before," Jun said. She stood up a little, water sliding down her legs. She didn't like getting wet most of the time, but the water didn't feel all that uncomfortable. She actually kind of...liked it. She looked over at the unnamed girl. "My name is Jun. I'm from the Earth Kingdom - I was on my way to Ba Sing Se with my friends before ending up here."

She glanced over at Claire.

"...Where are those places?" she asked. "I've never heard of them in the Earth Kingdom before, but you...you don't seem like you're from the Fire Nation. And I don't think the Water Tribe has names for where they live..."