Young Writers Society

Only By Night


This is the modern world, but it also has magic and legendary creatures.


Rules:

-Regular YWS rules.

-No god-modding, killing off other people’s characters without permission, or perfect characters.

-Mild swearing is allowed, but only when absolutely necessary. Mild means da*n and c*ap. Pi*s, s*it, and worse are not allowed at all.

-No ‘adult romance’. You know what I mean. I would prefer you not mention it, either. Romance is allowed, though, so long as you keep it to a kiss or two and love letters*.

-Long posts are better than short ones, but since I know I might even get stuck in a position where short posts are all one can do, short posts are okay. But still, long, thought out posts are better.

-Proofread your posts for grammar/spelling/punctuation mistakes and typos before posting. This helps a ton.




Faerie People/Magicians:

This is just like modern world, but there are differences. Magic exists. And so do Faerie People.

The Faeries will be the main characters in the story. All the legendary creatures of centuries ago – pixies, goblins, elves, they all exist. When the sun is up, they have human forms. You can’t tell them apart from normal human beings. During the day, their Faerie form rests, preparing for the night. When the sun sets, they take on their true Faerie forms.

Fairies:
Typical lifespan: 750-1250 years. The most common race of the Faerie People. They have one power that is never very strong. They reach puberty early in life, becoming an adult at only 100-150 years old. Their true forms are usually about the size of a seven-year-old, with wings ranging in appearance from dragonfly wings to butterfly wings to wings made up entirely of an element. They cannot really fly, but use their wings to soar. About fifty thousand worldwide.

Pixies:
Typical lifespan: 400-450 years. Like fairies, they have one weak power, if that. They reach puberty about halfway through their life, being immature and mischievous for the first 200 and mature, serious, and helpful the other half. True forms are usually only about six to twelve inches. They have pixie wings for wings, and can fly quickly for miles before growing tired. Thirty-five thousand worldwide.

Elves:
Typical lifespan: Immortal, but can lose the will to live or die of a wound. True forms are usually six to eight feet tall and well built. They do not have powers, but are very good healers. Ten thousand worldwide because they tend to only have one or two children.

Goblins:
Typical lifespan: 500-600 years. True forms are usually about five feet tall and tend to look like this. Have no powers. As you always heard in the stories. Thirty thousand worldwide.

Vampires:
Typical lifespan: Immortal, but can be burned to death. Your stereotypical vampire; fangs, albino, and can jump almost ten feet. They have one strong power, and are often mistaken for magicians. Twenty thousand worldwide.

Werewolves:
Typical lifespan: 75-150 years. True forms tend to be large, about as tall as elves. They have magic only during full moons. Only five thousand worldwide; werewolf fangs are highly prized and so werewolves were once hunted to near-extinction.


The Magicians have one element and its powers, which require some object to use, called a source. A locket, a stone, a tin can… almost anything can be a source. You keep it with you everywhere, because only one object on the entire earth is your source. Magic in this is not like Harry Potter; it consists of a few spells that revolve around your personal element, which is based on your personality.

Humans are humans.


Conflict:

The world is spinning. It’s burning you alive and freezing you to the bone. It holds you down until you can no longer move. There’s fire everywhere, surrounding you, consuming you. Horrible monsters growl at you from the caves. It hurts. You can’t control it. You can’t run from it. You wish you were dead.

Hallucinations, fever, chills, paralysis, pain. This disease is known as Tormen Vex, commonly called the Vex. It is a superbug that has wiped out entire cultures in weeks. It constantly morphs, preventing anyone from developing immunity. Its main vector was the Massacre Beetle, a tiny, parasitic insect about the size of a pea. Specialized organizations have managed to drive the species to extinction, but not the disease. It is still killing, spreading slower and slower every week, but it’s still spreading.

Fortunately, a cure has been developed for those who managed to survive long enough. Unfortunately, the side effects can be horrible. One out of three times, the cure leads to anything from a mild mental illness to utter insanity. Sometimes the brain grows so used to the effects of the Vex that even after the virus is gone it produces the terrifying hallucinations.

Almost everyone has caught the Vex. Contagious patients are quarantined until they can get the cure. Those who have not caught the Vex cower underground, wanting to continue their lives but not wanting to live.

You caught the Vex anywhere from a month ago to years. The virus has been destroyed in your body, but you do not have immunity. You suffer from the harder side effects of the cure, and have been placed in an asylum, Mark Bishop’s Home for the Mentally Unstable.



Plot:

It’s the year 2060, but all the technology and such is pretty much modern-day. The Vex first showed up in 2017, and after forty-three years, has wiped out most of the human population. Once it was nearly six billion, and now it’s only a dwindling few million. Animals, on the other hand, have thrived without humans killing them. Everything from the dairy farm cows to the pet Chihuahuas have gone feral. It’s a modern world with survivalist ideals.

First we will start off living in the asylum. A new administrator will come in command with ideas and extreme treatments for the patients such as isolation and sedatives, which remind the patients of the Vex. Then we can either escape or go truly insane. After that, I leave it up to you.



Landscape:

Here’s a few a bunch of pictures so you can get a feel for what I think the asylum looks and feels like.

Not how the building looks, but how the landscape feels.
Mark Bishop’s Home for the Mentally Unstable
Interior 1 - Hallway
Interior 2
Interior 3- Bedroom

The land surrounding the asylum is dead from pollution. What isn’t dead is swampy, filled with quicksand, mosquitoes and feral animals.


Notes:

*The Faeries cannot interbreed. Imagine a light fairy with a goblin. Not pretty. However, during the daylight hours, they are sort of 100% human. That’s how things would work. Love can go 24/7, but at night nothing touchy.


Please post your profiles in the DT.

Thanks for reading! I hope you join!

Starting! Yes!


Heather/Jinx

The outside, once her favorite haven, was nothing. She tucked up her knees on the windowsill and set her chin on them. The world was so pretty all those years ago, when there was green grass and a blue sky. Now, there was only cracked earth and, on nice days, a solid, gray cloud that spread between horizons. A flock of ravens took off from the earth, swarming the sky in a black blur. Even the birds were less colorful.

Heather tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear and sighed wistfully. She wanted to fly with them. Pixies could fly; they could feel the current push them higher and higher into the clouds. Yet she could hardly flutter.

It was almost six in the afternoon. The falling sun shone through the dirty window with dedicated purpose, like it was trying to melt away the gloom. It had been a boring day, but not the first. Most days were monotonous like this one.

There had to be something to do today. She thought of the garden some of the patients had started. It might be nice to see some green, she thought. Especially considering my bad mood.

She got down and walked over to the pile of mattresses in the corner. The sun was about to set, and she wanted to be lying down so she didn’t collapse when she fell asleep. The world seemed to move out of sync with her sight, but that was normal. Maybe on the way to the garden later she would hover. No matter. Only a few minutes left…

Gayle/Feather

Gales of wind forced itself through the dark and dreary alley way creating a small yet echoing sound. A scream wripped through the deathly silence, as a young girl was struck across the head with an iron pole.

Her nose bled and her eyes were blue and black from bruising. I covered my agape mouth with the palm of my hand, forcing my body back into the dumbsters. Another blow was dealt to the innocent girls head. Her knees buckled underneath her, and the horde of vicious men and women swarmed in....

Flinging myself from the matresses I smashed against the wall. A crack ran up the dirt filled walls, a cloud of dust dropping to the floor around my crumpled figure. Tears ran down my cheeks as the memories of the bashing held still in my mind.

A shaft on sunlight cascaded down on to my face lighting up my hair. It was the first sunray I had seen in a while. Stumbling to my feet I rushed towards the window to witness this event.

A large grey cloud moved over the ray shielding it from me. I pressed my face to the window wishing it back, though, it was gone. Just like my hopes and dreams.

Nicolasiana

Eternal love, return to me
Flutter by on the breath of a dragonfly,
Whispering in the wind.

Eternal love, return to me
Call my name with fire and flame,
Though I can only hear you.

Eternal love, return to me
Dance out of time, as life begins to lie,
And my mind alone offers solace.

Eternal love, return to me.
Though my body may die, ye shall not cry
For my soul will wait here forever.

Return to me.

Nicola's voice rang out pure and beautifully in the night air. She walked in slow, graceful circles around the fenced-in perimeter of the asylum. Looking behind her, she noted that the guard had not left her alone since she walked out the front door, hours before. She turned back around, paying him no heed.

"Eternal one, fly home with me..."

Nicola began the second verse of the Sonata of Eternity, a song her beloved husband had written for her years ago. Its clean, mournful sound was reminiscent of the prized Elven ballads of old, and Nicola often joked with him that he deserved his own Leaf on the Tree of Songs for his efforts. Humble as ever, Loran had denied the opportunity to showcase his work.

Such thoughts reminded Nicola that her husband would be home soon. Looking to the east, she scanned the dreary, lifeless plain for any sign of him.

Nothing.

Still, she reminded herself, he is hardly ever on time. Why should this time be any exception?

Comforted by the thought, Nicola waved an imperious hand to the man behind her. He trotted up quickly, his hands held politely behind his back.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked.

"I tire of the cold air. Please take me to the kitchens."

Without another word, the man turned around and led the way back inside. Nicola reminded herself to repay the man for all his efforts. For several decades now, he had been a faithful servant, taking care of her and those under her roof. With never a question to be asked on his part, Nicola couldn't have asked for someone better.

But she could have sworn he was an Elf not forty years ago.

Lance

The sight out the window amazed Lance. The sun, the beautiful glorious sun, was setting. He knew enough from his days in school what the sun was. It was fire. Hot, burning, manic fire thousands and thousands of miles away from earth.

Lance pressed the palm of his hand to the cracked glass of his room's window. He could practically feel the heat from it burning his hand. A smile crept over his lips as his fingers were scorched.

Lance. Lance, don't play with the fire. You'll catch the curtains on fire. Leave the candle alone.

"Candle," he wispered, turning away from the window. He searched the room with his eyes. It was spotless. The girl who had lived there before was some kind of OCD and kept it pristine. Lance just didn't care much to mess it up.

There was no candle, but he found his ipod. He stuck the earbuds in his ears and could almost feel his mind revert back to several years ago, before the illness.

Leaving the sun behind, he wandered out into the desolate hallway. Maybe he could find someone to talk to.

Five January-

She watched as the sun sank below the hills, leaving only a brief green flash behind. It was as though the life had been sucked out of her yet again, as it felt every night. Her sister in the sky had died, and would leave her for hours and hours. Five looked out at the new darkness,hating it. The moon looked at her forlornly. I'm sick of it. she thought. She knew she was going into one of her mood swings, but she didn't care. Sick, sick sick. Kill the moon, kill the dark. She said, her vision clouding. She threw open the window.
"Incanto!" she yelled, and a ball of fire appeared in her hands. She let it lick at her fingers happily for a moment, and then threw it. It went high, and then burst, like a huge firework. For a moment, the world lit up before sinking back into the dark. She cursed loudly. Why wouldn't it go away? A new ball of fire was in her hand, and she chucked it at the floor of her room. The carpet caught, and it spread until the whole room was ablaze. She smiled happily as the window clouded with smoke, blocking out all that could be seen outside. She let the blaze surround her, let it dance over her skin. She laughed. There was no darkness in here, not anymore. And God help anyone who tried to bring it back.

Texan, would you prefer second or third person?

~Rune~

Rune sat at the centre of the garden, tending to one specific plant stubbornly. For some time now the flower had been on the verge of death, it's wilted leaves barely raising despite all of his best efforts. It was hardly helped by the infertile soil he had to work with, and there was little he could do except weed, water, and attempt to fertilise it with the poor choices available. Rune gave the drooping flower an irritated glare, before standing up to look around the small garden.
As he stared, dropping in and out of random trains of thought, he noticed a young girl fluttering into the garden with a dazed expression. Rune racked his brain for her name... Fern? Daisy? ...Something plant-related... oh. Heather, of course. She came out here often, if he recalled correctly, to sit amongst the plants in silence.
Maybe it was time to make some sort of introduction.
"Hey, little one," he called out, skipping forward a few steps to catch up. There was a pause, and Rune wondered for a moment if she had even heard him.
Finally, she turned her head, a wary expression on her face.

Lance

Even through the music, Lance had sensed the fire. It was around, somewhere close. He smelled it, he felt it in the air. He ripped the ipod from his ears and threw it back into his room.

Lance sprinted back into the hallway towards the fire.

He found it in another resident's room. He didn't even realize he had left the human section of the facility, and without putting a shirt or shoes on. His bare feet hit against the cool floor, and the freezing air of the hallway burned at his skinny, untoned chest.

Fire, fire, fire, fire, fire was the only thing that ran through his mind.

He found it, soon enough, in a girl's room. The girl was sitting in the center of the room, letting the fire crawl on her. She was smiling, happy. All Lance wanted was to be as happy as she was. He wanted the fire to crawl on him.

Lance stepped through the wall of fire, letting it singe his skin. The girl looked at him, confused. Lance could only smile, his eyes wide, a smile of complete happiness on his lips, and let the fire run over his arms.

Whichever is more comfortable for you, kidashka. It makes no difference to me.


Heather/Jinx

“Yes?” she said, dropping back to the ground. It was one of the humans, maybe magician. He had a stronger magic aura than most humans. He slowed down and stepped up to her.

“You’re Heather, right?” he said. She paused a moment for his lips to catch up with his words and nodded. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Rune.”

She put out her hand slowly to keep it from blurring and making her nauseas, and he took it. “A pleasure,” she said and started to turn to continue her way. No, you idiot! Talk to him while he’s still speaking to you! She stopped and faced him. “Um,” she said slowly, her voice almost monotone. “So, you’re a magician?”

He nodded with a half grin. “Earth.” A ray of light broke through the windows behind the two. They swiveled around. Though it was faded, she made out a growing, red flicker coming from one of the main buildings. “A fire?” she said after mustering up the courage. Rune nodded.

Fire-

Some one else was there. A bay- or a man? Didn't he know that the fire would burn him? It was safe for me, only for me. I walked towards him, the flames crackling around me. Asking me questions. Who was this person? Should he be burned? I looked at him, wondering what I should tell it to do. My mind reeled suddenly, another mood swing kicking in. I hissed at him, speaking to the fire. "Burn him. Get him out." I commanded.This was my element. Nobody disturbed it,nobody brought in darkness.

Nicolasiana

As soon as Nicola walked through the doors of the entrance hall, she sensed something was amiss. The air was thick with tension. Several guards stood huddled in the center of the giant room, whispering frantically. They moved their hands in excited fashions with wide eyes. Nicola had no trouble hearing what they were saying:

"A patient...Five January...the mage."

"She started a fire."

Nicola skittered across the room to stand in front of them. "A fire, you say? Where?"

"Excuse me, miss," one guard replied, "but we have everything under control. Please go back to your rooms."

"Excuse me, sir, but do you know who I am? No one speaks to me that way! Tell me where this fire is!"

The guards seemed at a loss. Several urged the man to hurry along, but he hesitated. "Ma'am, I need you to go back to your room. There's an emergency!" He was slowly backing up as he spoke, clearly not wanting to waste any time in one place. "We'll be sure to inform you as soon as we can of what's going on."

"I know what's going on; there's a bloody fire!"

With an exasperated sigh, Nicola stormed past them, quickening her pace in order to stay ahead as they shouted for her to come back. If they wouldn't tell her where to go, she would rely on her senses to guide her.

It was her house, after all, and she was prepared to defend it in Loran's absence.

**Since there have been a couple post saying that it is night, I am going to assume we would all be in our faerie forms**

Toby (Thorl)

Toby sat on his haunches, staring at the opposite wall. After a moment, he rubbed his ear frustratedly. The muttering was getting louder. Toby glared out of the window, attempting to force the intensity down. He was slipping into a bout; Toby knew it. Maybe he could stop this one.

Toby wondered vaguely if the female voice would come this time. Out of the three of Toby's voices, she was usually the kindest. Toby wondered if -

"Stop!" Toby snarled, shaking his head. He didn't want to think about them. They would only come faster if he did. Toby steeled himself; they wouldn't get to him this time. Toby would beat them back. They had no right to invade his mind. Toby's mind belonged to him. That was how it should be. Toby shouldn't be at the mercy of figments.

Really, now. Is that any way to treat old friends?"

Toby yelped in shock. "No," he whimpered. "Go away!"

Make us, Thorl. Try, and listen to me laugh. It was the other male voice, the one who always referred to Toby by his non-human name. Toby whined and pawed at his ear.

Do we really upset you that much? Toby froze. The female voice had sounded upset, genuinely hurt. Guilt struck Toby.

"No, I - I didn't mean to - " he began, looking around the room, wishing he could see the voices.

Oh, great! snapped the second male. Now he's going to beg for apologies from us for hours. We were doing fine without you.

Didn't look like it to me! retorted the female. The three began to bicker. Toby shook his head, but the noise wouldn't leave. Toby was stuck; he couldn't be rid of them. Toby let out a strangled yelp, and he bolted out of his room. Toby would outrun the voices. They couldn't keep up with him if he ran fast enough.

The voices followed him. Toby ran faster, faster, and faster. He closed his eyes and pounded on down the hallway. Suddenly, Toby crashed into something and went tumbling to the ground. He opened his eyes. Toby had crashed into a person. An elf, by the looks of it.

"I'm sorry," panted Toby, untangling himself from her. Th voices were quiet, for the moment. Toby dimly wondered if he had outrun them.

She's quite pretty, said the female voice quietly. Toby grimaced. Perhaps not.

Note: Constantine is schizophrenic so he won't be able to tell which people are real and which people aren't.

Constantine

Oh? There's a fire going on somewhere in the building.

Constantine stayed where he was, soaking in the bathtub. Any human would have turned into a prune by now. He smiled. But whoever said he was human?

A sliver of water stood straight in front of him and he played with it, making it turn and twist and dance with his hand. He was the puppeteer, and the water was his doll. Then, his hand dropped.

"The show, ladies and gentlemen, is over," he whispered.

And an audience clapped, calling for an encore.

"Not tonight, not tonight."

The water swallowed Constantine, and he let it wash over him, slowly, quietly, letting it think it was drowning him.

Let it have control for once.

Ah, but the water can't ever drown you, can it C? And he saw Her underwater with him, reached out to touch her. She disappeared as soon as his fingers grazed her cheek.

Constantine emerged from the water as a nurse came in. She was young, this one. She blushed. Ah...unused to the way this place was.

She approached Constantine. "There's a fire in the building. You might want to evacuate since it's in the room next to yours." She shivered.

"I'll be all right. Trust me." His voice was soft, alluring.

The nurse shivered.

"Are you cold?" he asked.

She bit her lip.

"Don't be," he whispered, planting a kiss on her lips.

She drew back, surprised, but she did not scold him. She touched her lips and the ghost of a smile appeared on her face.

"I'll be fine," he said.

"The new administrator insists -"

"A new administrator? Send her to me. I'll talk to her."

"Him, sir. He's a man."

Constantine waved his hand and a bit of water splashed the nurse on the face, playfully. She stifled a giggle and he smiled.

Always the playboy, C. It hurts me to know you're with someone else, you know. First you attract your cousin's heart. Now you want her as well? She's nowhere as beautiful as I am.

Constantine's gaze slid to Her, who sat on the opposite edge of the bathtub, glaring daggers at the nurse. He laughed and stroked Her long silky hair with one hand. "Don't be jealous."

The nurse raised an eyebrow. "Please? Can you come out? For me?"

Don't do it C, or I swear I'll kill her.

Darling, oh darling you flattered him too much. He smiled and got ready to leave the bathtub, but the nurse sensed what he was about to do and left. A towel and a bathrobe were on the edge of the bathtub.

C, I won't forgive you for this.

Oh, but you always forgive him. You always do. Constantine put on the bathrobe and glanced at himself in the mirror. She appeared beside him and crooned into his ear.

I will kill everyone here if you walk out that door. If you leave me alone.

"Don't be jealous. I'll always love you first. I'm just going out to meet the new administrator."

And, just as a final thought, Constantine closed his eyes and concentrated on dousing the fire next door.

He heard a hiss and he knew the fire was over.

Why must you always flirt with everyone?

Constantine only smiled. Him? Flirt? Never.

Ben~

I was sitting on my bed when I heard there was a fire. One of the magicians had caused it. I sighed and got out of my bed to go outside. I passed by Lance's room and noticed he was gone already. No I knew his condition well. He was a pyro , the idea of a fire would entice him not make him want to leave. I silently debated if I should go and see if he was ok or leave as one should do in case of a fire. My mind had decided leave but Ti Tim's mind wanted to go and my world went black.

Tim~
I hated being controlled by Ben the whiny wonder. He was so boring. If there was a fire I wanted to see it. Maybe it would burn someone. I often wished I had magic, it would be so fun. I giggled at the thought of the things I could do. I pulled a cookie out of my pocket and headed to the Magician housing. Sure enough when I got there Lance was in the fire magicians room. The fire had apparently been put out by the water magician. I sighed. Why do I miss all the fun.

Lance

The girl with the fire was angry. At least, she had looked like it. But she let the fire touch him, and run over his bare chest. He couldn't help but grin widely at her. She was so nice for sharing her fire with him.

"Thank you," he whispered.

She glared and sent more fire to touch him. It was fabulous. Lance wondered how she controlled it so well. He wondered if he could learn to do that too.

Eventually, people came in and put out the fire. The water shocked Lance's skin, burning him. He shouted out in pain and crumbled to the floor. What was wrong? Was the water angry with him? It must be that way, because the fire would never betray him like that.

"Good god, Pyro got to it first," one of the male nurses said from somewhere behind Lance. Lance only groaned and crawled towards the remaining fire. When it was all extinguished, he curled into a ball and clutched his chest.

"Look at those burns!" a young, female nurse said. She sounded terrified.

"That'd be Lance for you," the male nurse said. "He's into the fire, which is why most of the staff refers to him as Pyro. He's the worse I've ever seen a pyromaniac. But this isn't nearly as bad as he's been before."

The man picked Lance up - very roughly in fact - and dragged him from the room. Nurses took him somewhere, but he didn't pay attention to the travel. They put freezing white cream on his chest and his arms. They took him back to his room and strapped him to the bed.

"Let's try and stay away from the F-I-R-E, now Lance," the female nurse from before said, her voice soft. She injected his arm with something warm, and Lance drifted off into a pleasant fire-fringed dream.