Young Writers Society

Okay... first storybook (and forgive me if it's lame):

Background: With renewed vigor, the Chinese recently conquered India and are now setting their sights on the USA with the Pacific Coast under full attack at the moment the story begins. US military forces are scattered, and allies cannot make it to the Pacific as the Panama Canal is being blocked by the Chinese and a huge storm is brewing south of Argentina. However, a new force, calling themselves the Dark Ones and wielding fantastic powers, arises in the US to combat the Chinese. The Dark Ones are really a group of wizards, vampires, elfs, warlocks, etc. Everyone can make up their own character for this group according to one's own tastes.

The story opens to find the person of James Snapp standing on a ridge in Oregon overlooking the waters of the Pacific. He is wearing a long, tattered black cloak that is flapping wildly in the breeze. Here, everything is peaceful and there are still the squawks of seagulls drifting in the air. However, there is a huge Chinese fleet to the south preparing for an invasion against the urban areas of California.

James is a member of the Dark Ones, but unlike the rest of his clan, he is just a human. He has no powers, cannot accomplish amazing feats, and is otherwise unremarkable. However, his ability to scale walls with cat-like grace and his knack for gadgets has made him an important asset to the Dark Ones, who are, as of now, unknown to the rest of America.

Adjusting his blue tinted glasses to ward off the glare of a softly setting sun, he hears the rustling of bushes from behind him.



That's the beginning... for those who don't know how storybooks work, just create your own characters and keep the story flowing. It's even better if you create new storybooks for everyone's enjoyment

He didn't turn, he didn't need to. He knew the perfume floating on the breeze even before Audra was at his side. She had long black hair, in a braid as usual, and pale skin, lips as red as satin, full, pouting. Her eyes were hidden behind dark sunglasses with silver rims. They weren't real silver, of course. If they had been, her skin would be burned through like acid. Lycanthropes were allergic to silver, as it were.

Audra was unimpressed with Mr. James Snapp. She was unimpressed with most humans. She thought them vile and undeserving things, and sometimes she resented that she had taken this job to protect the race in the first place. The vampires, for the most part, were right. Humans were food. Cattle.

Snapp had saved her life once, and she hated him for it. Hated it because now she felt like she owed him something, and she hated owing anyone anything. She had screwed up on her mission, taking things into her own hands and attacking before she should have. What had taken place was a hail of enemy fire, some regular bullets, some silver-coated, lethal to her. James, using perhaps the same stupidity that has possessed her, had shielded her, using the Kevlar vest as an advantage, even though one of the bullets could have easily gotten him in the head. He had dragged her, wounded, out of the line of fire, and preformed basic first aide which had saved her life in the end. She still held the scar, the only silver bullet that had ever struck her, in her shoulder. An inch and a half above her heart.

"Audra," he said. She had no last name. None that she disclosed.

"Snapp." She stared ahead, as did he. She smiled, a deeply disturbing smile to some, "Your name always sounds like you read it off a cereal box."

He didn't smile back, just watched the fleet.

"A billion screaming China men. What've I always said? Coming down to infantry, against the Chinese, we're screwed. Why are we doing this, Snapp?"

An oath, she knew. Damn it, she knew, but she hated it sometimes, hated it the most right now. She had a feeling that she was going to die. If it was just women intuition or a deeper sixth sense that came with her lycanthropy infection, she was usually right in her feelings. She knew that this was it. She felt it in her very bones.

*********

It's a bit long, I'm sorry, but Audra started talking and I couldn't stop her...

"We should go."

With that he turned away from the deceptive scene below and walked down t he path wihich led to the base of the cliff. Audra glared,
Always so damn cold, bloody humans.

James was in a stew, they were going to be late to the meeting now. The stupid wolf girl had taken for ever to show up. His palms were sweaty and he new Audra was annoyed at him for being so aloof. He couldn't help it, his father was going to be there. It didint matter that the rest of the clan had recognised his special talents, or that he had been lauded with the dark star for his achievements. None of it mattered when James senior looked his way eyes steely polite as they glided over and then turned to Marcos, his brother.

His hands balled and the gravel underfoot began to crunch thunderously as his thoughts turned angry. Its not my fault I'm not a phaser like him, or even a pyro like mom and Lana.Whats so great about walking through walls anyway?. Dammit its more likely to be his fault than mine. Shitty genetics, of course I had to be the throwback.

He was so enthralled by his thoughts he didn't watch were he was going, neither did he hear the second set of crunching steps on the gravel, coming toward him. He suddenly collided with something solid.
Snapping out of his thoughts he muttered a quick apology, but stopped as when he saw the figure lying on the floor.
It was a girl, barely eighteen. Her face was heartshaped and pointed, with rather thin lips and ice blue eyes. She had shoulder-length blonde hair, half of which was hidden under a black beanie.
She glared up at James, "Watch where you're going!" she said, still lying on the gravel.
"Sorry," James said, extending a hand to help her up. She ignored it and stood up by herself, brushing dirt from her worn out jeans and knitted navy cloack.
James was familiar with most of the Dark Ones, but this girl was must be intirely new. She started walking past him, back to the ridge where Audra was still standing. He turned to glance after her, wondering who she was.
He saw the girl coming to a halt next to Audra. She turned and said something inaudible to Audra, who glanced back at James, smiling wickedly. James looked away quickly, getting angry again. He knew they were talking about him.
He turned back to the path, wondering who this girl could possibly be if she and Audra were getting along so well.

Audra brushed some more dirt off her sister, saying, "I would apologize for James, but apologizing for that bastard is like apologizing for a Ben Affleck movie: it never ends."

Arlissa glared at Audra. "I guess I'm lucky you don't hate me as much as you'd hate any other regular human."

Though they were sisters, only Audra had aquired any obvious inhuman traits. It made her the first natural pick for the Dark Ones, leaving Arlissa behind as usual. Only recently, when it'd been discovered that Arlissa's spead could easily outdo a cheetah, had she been taken into the prestigious group. Though she'd joined, Arlissa hated knowing she had been brough in somewhat as a last resort. The leaders, known as the Kasabaks, had been quick to mention she was in reserve and would only be used as a runner of sorts against the Chinese.

"You're not a regular human," Audra argued, "and just being here should tell you that."

"Ooh, don't let the Kasabaks hear you say that," Arlissa whispered mockingly. "Anyway, I was just sent to tell you, the Chinese have passed the Dior Dome. I assume you know the advance strategy, in case they move for an attack?"

"Of course."

"Then I'll just head back. It doesn't look like you have any use for me anyway."

Audra wanted to assure her sister of her necessity to the operation, but didn't say anything. Once Arlissa had it in her head that Audra was once again superior, she was quick to act moody. Audra watched her sister running back stealthily to base, about three miles from their current position. Then she turned her attention to the news. So the Chinese had passed the Dior Dome, which was well known for the Nade Attack, in which the enemy had positioned themselves inside the very ceiling of the Dome and attacked from the windows there. Obviously, the Chinese would not use that strategy, but the Dome was a useful advantage on their part.

There was a rustle and and sleathliy another girl emerged from the bushes.
"So the china men have passed the Dome have they?" she said quietly flicking her flame red hair over her shoulders.
Ashrina was young for the Dark Ones barely fifteen and quite short with elbow length red hair and bright,silver-grey eyes.
She had the gift of clear sight and was a windwhistler to some extent.
"shoulden't we be going?" she asked

Audra sneered, looking the new girl up and down.
"We?" Audra scoffed. "Shouldn't you be there already? Somewhere in a Kasabak's room?"
Ashrina's eyes became slits. She should've expected this. Ever since she came to be a Dark One, Audra hadn't been too pleased. So what if she had to pull a few strings to get noticed? She wouldn't do it again, and she hasn't done it for a whole while.
"You can stay here if you want Audra," she said. "Let Snapp take another bullet for you."
With that Ashrina also turned to head back to base. She was seething. al though she knew her comment would sting, it wouldn't burn as much as Audra's had.
Audra smiled, satisfied with the departure.

Then before they could leave rain starting poring down at an alarminhg rate they all knew Faadyne the Element Wizard he was the oldest of the group round about a 300 but still looked young he wore a big blue robe and had an silver bread and hair but was was so weird was he had no Eyes only socket and a were wolf tooth around neck.Audre ws had always been frighted of him he seemed to untrustworthy.

Faadyne approached Audra in his usual sweeping manor he called walking. He stopped a few feet away from her, facing the opposite direction as he spoke. "Have you heard the news, then?" he grunted.

"What, that the Chinese have passed the Dome?" Audra asked, while wondering why Faadyne was even bothering talking to her. Though he was old, he was not yet a Kasabak; his sector of the Dark Ones dealed mostly with designing battle plans and drawing up such ideas, not communicating messages.

Audra could almost see Faadyne roll his eyes, though he always swore he never resorted to such low human body language. "No," he replied shortly. "The news that Egrypithiya has fallen ill." He turned to face her for the first time. "The Kasabaks fear she does not have much time left."

Audra was stunned. Egrypithiya was the closest to her of the rest of the Kasabaks, the one who'd first discovered her powers and trained her to join the group. "Since when has she been ill? I spoke to her just a couple days ago, she sounded fine to me."

"It happened this morning. I was told to inform you and if you wish to go back and see her, I am to cover for you."

"That's awfully generous of you," Audra observed.

Faadyne didn't bother to look at her as he replied coldly, "It's not by choice, I assure you."

"I will return back to base, then."

"Fine. I was instructed to tell you to take the path through the Gedor Forest, because we suspect our usual walkway is being watched."

She nodded, knowing he probably hadn't even seen it, and headed towards the forest. She kept on the path until, oddly, it slowly began to fade. Though she hadn't been through the woods in a while, she knew the path had been marked quite dominantly her last time through. Why would it suddenly disappear? Audra continued walking in the direction she believed camp was in. It was only ten minutes later, as she found herself in completely unfamiliar territory, she began to have second thoughts about Faadyne's motives.

Ashrina, swore lightly under her breath, Why did Audra have to always be so bitchy? she would have liked to be friends with the girl when she had first became a Dark one but had ended up befriending Audras sister Arlissa.
"Lissa" she called as entered the camp.

Arlissa groaned softly under her breath. When she was first recruited for the Dark Ones, Ashrina'd looked like a valuable ally. She knew most of the inner workings of the Kasabaks, and most of the other members. But lately Ashrina had become extremely annoying, especially when she called her 'Lissa.' Arlissa didn't really feel any notions of friendship toward Ashrina, but she thought it'd be a good friend to keep.
Before turning she pasted on a cheerful smile.
"Ashrina!" she greeted back brightly, walking towards the girl.

Deaqorne watched the meeting of the Dark Ones with some interest. Whilst he knew that together their abilities overpowered even his, he also knew that alone, they were easy to dispose of. Being born of human and demon blood, his powers ran through manipulation of shadows, pain, hallucinations and confusions. He felt the human walk away, and smiled beneath his black mask. There was much anger in that one.

"He should be easily.....turned." His mind flicked towards the woman walking towards the forest known in that time as Gedor. He stood, his meditation forgotten.

"The old fool has done me a favour I see. I wonder how long she will be able to take the sight of silver...."

With a grin on his face, he opened his eyes, and walked towards a large shadow near a boulder. Walking into the shadow, he dissapeared from the ridge.

Suddenly Faadyne sensed something, he walked to a tree an pulled out a scruffy girl with dirty blond hair an a bloood dagger drawn.
"What are you doing here little Girl?"he shouted loadly causing the rest to come back.
"Who are you?" sneered Audre.
The girl looked frightninged.
Faadyne then spoke calmly but in a way that frightnininged the girl "I Faadyne the last Element Wizard comand you to tell me who you are" the ground shook.
"I.... am........ Aurora.......... a.n ......assa.i.n hir....ed .t..o ki....ll .....you" she replied stuttering, she then fainted
Audre took a guess "okay Faadyne what you do?"
"Nothing except i just put her too sleep, so lets go he replied grinning

James continued up the path, he did not notice until he was practically on top of him his best friend in the dark ones and perhaps only true one. Almost no one likes a human. His friend, Darwin definitely wasn't a human; Darwin was a new zealand kangaroo. New zealand kangaroos certainly aren't grass eaters, they have razor sharp teeth and bat like wings Darwin was a black one about six feet and seven inches tall; new zealand kangaroos have also evolved hand like paws with sharp claws, Darwin had gold eyes. Newzealand kangaroos can ofcource jump far farther than usually and at 70 miles an hour they can fly and are stronger than gorillas and 1 well aimed kick could kill a rhino they are also as smart as humans with better eyesight and other senses.

You would think Darwin would be a highly valued member of the dark ones, but, the leaders claimed, he couldn't exactly go anywhere without being noticed, most of the Dark ones were at least vaguely human shaped so while they scorned humans they also scorned kangaroos. Darwin and James got along just fine. Darwin had joined without knowing they scorned creatures not at all human.

"where's Adrre mate? Are not you supposed to be with her?" Darwin asked as he gracefully landed next to James
"She can go to hell, for all i care." answered James sourly.
"ah but you do care," chuckled Darwin.
James decided to ignore that comment, "Do you have a mission yet?"
"nope" replied Darwin goodnaturedly, "sooooooo you gona see you dad an brother at the meeting right."
it was not a question.

Almost...almost there... Kat puffed. "Master Faadyne!"
Faadyne turned and something that might've been a sneer crept across his face. "You have brought what I asked?"
"Yes, Master Faadyne." Kat held a basket up, which he took, and inspected its contents.
"Snapp," Faadyne said, walking over to him, "I'm afraid I must add another to our party. My apprentice, Kat." Under his breath, he muttered, "I'm afraid I can't get rid of her at the moment, but have no fear. I'll think of some other meaningless task to send her halfway around the world."
Audra looked derisively at the small, brown haired girl. "Yes, please, get rid of her. She can have no help for us. A human, and a bite sized one, at that."