Young Writers Society

Lulu

Barke, shut up.
N is for anywhere at anytime at all...
Barke! Shut up! I shoot a glare at him, but the colors are so majestic, I can't stay mad for long. It's just so, amazing! I could have never imagined grass would be green! Barke chuckles, I turn to him.
"Was that directed to you?" I ask. He shrugs.
"No, bu..." I interrupted
"Then stay out!" I snapped. He chuckled and turned to the road in front of us. The hostage wriggled, I turned to him and swiftle smacked him over the head, then sent him calming waves.
"keep it up and you'll see just how hard I can punch." I hiss at him. He looks more relaxed, but his emotions say else wise. Zabe pops back into my head.
Is he behaving? I looked at the guy, then back at Zabe and nodded.
He is now. Zabe smiled and returned to Audry. Did I sense a little, love, there? Wait, is that what I was sensing from Barke!? God, you think after years of learning to read emotions you would know this stuff by now. The question was, did I feel the same way?

ZABRIEL

You know, you should just tell her. Zabe shot at Barke, attempting to symotaniously tell Lulu to lighten up on the boy a bit. He could tell that she liked him... a lot. She was just too stubborn to admit it. Barke and his handsom-feeling face... Zabe had to supress a chuckle.

From Lulu: Lighten up? He won't stay out of my head!

From Barke: Huh?

He focused on Lulu first. I know, but it's obvoiusly hard for him to stay away. He added a mental-snicker to the end. Then to Barke. Lulu. You're looking at her like she's the best thing in the world. It was true really. Fascination, admiration, a tad of irritation and then this bestranged, far-away look that could only mean one thing. Barke evidently really liked Lulu.

Again from Lulu. That's not very reassuring.

And then Barke: I am?

Zabe chuckled and flashed Barke a knowing grin from where he was standing, not bothering to say anything more to him. Same for Lulu. No more thoughts. He had too big a migrane to have people in his head at the moment.

Kassie groaned and Zabe glanced over his shoulder. She was sitting on the ground, hands on her stomach. Zabe stopped Audrey's horse and bit his lip. What if she fell when he went to see what was wrong with Kassie? Not good. Very, very unguardian-like. But then again, so was leaving somebody else to help Kassie.

He shrugged out of his cloak and hung it over Audrey's shoulders, just to ease his consiounse a bit, and walked quickly to where Kassie was sitting. Rule was already asking her what was wrong, and she was responding with a long trail of, "I'm fine"'s.

"You're sitting on the ground and holding your stomach. Something's wrong," Zabe muttered, crossing his arms.

Rule and Kassie both looked up at him.

"Well? I'd prove quite useless if you didn't tell me what was wrong," Zabe urged.

Barke

Zabe can stuff it.

Okay, I knew she could control emotions but I did not know she could read them! Wait...years of hearing thoughts in heads...I know what love is like too. I close my eyes and listen to Lulu's thoughts for a moment, while she's thinking about her own feelings.

It sounds like love to me.

When I open my eyes and look at Lulu, she's looking in another direction and blushing. You do. Did I think that out loud?

Huh?! she thinks back, startled. Controlling her horse to follow mine, I gallop deeper into the woods. We need to get back.

I know where they are. Mind freak, remember?

Right. So I do what?

Feel the same. I know thoughts well, and I know what the thoughts of love are like, I mumble. I never thought mumbling was possible mentally, but apparently it is.

"Really?" she says out loud. "Are you su-" I cut Lulu off by kissing her, and suddenly all connections are lost. No thoughts anywhere except mine and hers, and both of ours are occupied. So that leaves my own thoughts. Which are lost on Lulu.

Soft chuckling from above snaps us apart, and thoughts all around come rushing in. Including Zabe's. Who happens to be several feet away, watching. This must be what surprise feels like.

ZABRIEL

"I'm fine. I just need to sit for a bit," Kassie hissed.

Zabe backed off. Keep an eye on her. He told Rule sternly. Lulu and Barke were galloping off anyways, and Zabe was officially curious as to what was going on. He turned on his heel, quickly checked to make sure Audrey was fine, and followed the two love-birds off.

They were staring at eachother, having a mental conversation Zabe guessed.

"Really?" Lu asked, finally out loud. "Are you su-"

Barke didn't give her time to finish. The next thing Zabe saw was the boy's lips pressing themselves to Lu's. It was sort of a what-did-I-tell-you moment and he couldn't help but chuckle. The two sprang apart quickly, eyes narrowed.

"You two are absolutely adorable," Zabe muttered, still grinning.

"Zabe..." Lu hissed, obviously not thrilled.

"Sorry. I just couldn't resist." Zabe's grin was broadening and he had a funny feeling he was going to get it. There was just something so ammusing about this...

Cypress

Deep breaths.

In, out.

Left, right.

Don't think.

I sat up, my eyes staring straight ahead. Deep breaths. In, out. Left, right. Don't think. There was no way in all earth I was going to overflow with emotion now. I always knew I was a lone wolf. It was just being proven. That was all. So, Barke didn't understand how badly I was hurt- fine. So, Lulu had no idea what a gem there was in Barke- okay. So Zabe was falling for Audrey- good for him. Just leave me out of it.

I pressed my heels into my horse's flank, urging it faster, forward. I wanted to run again, shut down on a rooftop, cocoon myself in wind. But we were going to their city, and my fifteen-year-old needs would just have to wait. I leaned forward, fully awake, flat out ignoring the ripping pain in my spine. Pain was a message, messages can be ignored. Simple logic.

Deep breaths.

Barke was grinning his head off. Lulu was blushing. Zabe was looking over his shoulder at Audrey, Kassie was talking quietly to Rule, everyone had partnered up. Except me. Oh, well, it's the way of nature for me to want to be alone. No changing it now.

In, out.

Zabe was smiling to himself. Lulu was starting to give a shy smile herself. Barke was humming the Fun Song, and I wanted to punch him for it. Kassie was wincing, Rule looked concerned.

Left, right.

I stared straight down, watching the hooves of my horse go left, right, left, right. The ground whipped out from below, and it made my head hurt a little, but it was better than the volley of encouragement and sappy statements that would come from the lot around me.

Don't think.

~Kassie~

I wanted to be alone, I wanted to just walk away. No, I wanted to run away, run into the forest and hide, like I always did. I was good at that, wasn't I? I was really good at running from things by now. I always ran, when something became too complicated, I ran, hid. I was getting tired of it, but I couldn't do anything. I could run more, run from my future, run from all of these people, no matter how kind they were. I couldn't stand this anymore. I had this guilty feeling in the bottom of my stomach, like I had something to tell them, but I wasn't quite sure how to say it. The only problem was, I had nothing to say.

I couldn't take it anymore. Rule's endless random chatter was annoying me. I stood up, ignoring as he did the same. I looked around at all of their faces for a moment, knowing that if I didn't make a choice soon, I would collapse again, and then I knew I wouldn't be able to get back up. Only one good thing to do. Only one way to escape this misery and clear my mind.

Suddenly, my legs buckled, and I fell back down, sighing. Maybe I wasn't as strong as I thought I was. Rule looked down at me, worried. I didn't want to be near him right now, I might do something I would regret. I helped myself up, walking off to sit under a tree, curling my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms around my legs, face burred in my lap. I didn't want to talk to anyone,, and I didn't want to see anyone. Maybe, when I woke up from sleeping, I would be back in my hiding place in the trees once more, and it would all be a dream. And that was what I drifted off to sleep thinking of.

Ninja-there's always Wulf! We could read up on his personality and drag him around for a bit! 'Till...his...owner comes back. [forgets who it is]

Gotta plan. Character development. I know what I'm doing.

ZABRIEL

They were falling apart. They needed rest, questions answered, something that wasn't whatever this was. Zabe knew it, but he couldn't accept it. Not if Charna was still out there. Stopping would more than likely prove quite fatal. Assuming Zabe didn't get his own rest, assuming he didn't get his strength back up.

"I'm going to leave you two to sort things out." He smirked at Lulu and Barke, once again feeling proud of some hidden victory. "And Lu?" She looked up at him. "If he gets too irritating for you let me know." He chuckled and slipped away, checking on Audrey again before calling Cypress. She was looking upset. Again. Of course, that was assuming she ever took a break from it.

"What?" she asked, looking over her shoulder.

Zabe sighed, looked around at everybody and turned back to Cypress. "You know, if you want to talk to anybody, I've been in your shoes. You're surfacing a lot of memories for me, and I remember a lot of that pain. It's tough to carry something like that on your back." He had the scars to prove it. Life before their city had been... difficult. His story may have been different than Cy's, but it was the same in so many ways.

Cypress

I looked straight ahead, jaw locked. "I don't need to talk. I need to think." It took all my will power not to add a sharp "Got it?" at the end. I leaned forward again, parallel to my horse. I refused to let anyone think I was some wailing misunderstood-heroine-in-distress. No. I was Cypress, the girl who just had a rough night and needed to get back on her feet, soon.

Hoping Barke found plenty enough going on to not read my mind, I delved into my mind, trying to figure out what the heck was going on with me. I chalked forty percent of it up to hormones, forty percent to society, and about twenty percent to me. Problem solved, now I could just focus on keeping myself in control and getting to their city.

Zabe tried again. "Really, Cypress, if you ju-"

"No, alright! I said I didn't need to talk, and I don't! I'm not misunderstood, or in distress, I just had a really rough night! Just let me figure this out for myself!" I spat back. The ground split a few yards away, and I reigned myself in quickly. Zabe looked like he wanted to say something.

"You know what? Forget it." I mumbled, leaning forward again. I tried not to breathe fire again and turned my head away, only barely catching myself from biting my lip. I kept forgetting how bad a beating I had gotten, or that my lip was still bleeding a little.

But I was not misunderstood, not a heroine in distress.

I was just the street rat that lost everything she ever had.

Lulu

Zabe looked upset. Since I had a family-like connection with Zabe, and have known him so long, he affects me most. So I am attempting to send happy vibes to him. But I am failing cause his misery is affecting me. I feel Barke touch my hand, and my heart flutters. Zabe suddenly perks up. He looks all happy. I look over to the hostage. Who looks ticked, and miserable, and feels that way as well. I send happy vibes to him. He suddenly perks up. Zabe enters my mind.
Thanks. He says. I turn my head towards him.
No problem, I can't what to get home, and see master again. I had still taken to calling our mentor, master. Even though I've been told a million times more that I didn't have to.

Charna|Forest-on the trail of the six:

Finally! I thought, growling. Their scent left a clear trail through the forest and I quickly followed it. I felt I was getting close. I tried to return to human form. Still couldn't. Damn, I'd be stuck in this shape for a few more hours yet.

I kept going, streaking through the forest until eventually I felt my human form pulling at me. I grinned, I guess I wouldn't be stuck for as long as I thought. I quickly returned my sword and dagger to their original forms and change back to human.

I heard voices, faint but still there. and I felt my brother's presence. Ah, I was getting close. Grinning, I picked up the sword and my dagger, returning the dagger to it's sheath. I closed my eyes and brought the shadows in to wrap around me. I couldn't keep this up for much longer, I was going to pass out soon. Ugh, again.

My knee buckled and I opened my eyes. I felt weaker; I might be weak at the moment but the shadows were called. I just couldn't keep them for long. But that didn't matter, it was enough. I was maybe an hour or two behind them now. I smirked got back up. Sword in one hand, I shot off into the trees, running as fast as I could.

I was catching up.

Audrey~

Audrey suddenly shot up from her slumped over form, eyes wide. The falcon above cawed to her wildly, his eyes wide with fear. Animal-human coming this way! Evil aura! Very evil! The falcon screamed, divebombing to Audrey's shoulder, which surprisingly held strong when the falcon's talons dug into her cloth tshirt. Tap moved around in her pocket, climbin up to wrap his limber body around her neck protectively.

"What is it?" Someone asked. Audrey was too preoccupied recieving pictures from the falcon. Zabe took in a ragged breath, showing that he obviously had recieved the images. "We need to hurry up," Zabe growled, Audrey glaring back at the boy they had hostage. So, his sister could shapeshift as well?

Audrey couldn't help but wonder if she could beat the girl, Charna, in a fight. Audrey slid off the horse, dropping to the ground gracefully. "Where are we going exactly?" She sighed, her mind slightly preoccupied. Zabe sent her a image of the place they were going.

Wait... she'd seen that place once before. When the nuns had traveled to Myre and back, they'd passed through their with Audrey. Zabe commanded her to get back on the house, and Audrey just smiled, setting Tap in the side knapsack. "Go ahead, really." She needed a good run anyway. Sleeping... she'd been passed out too long.

As soon as he gets on that horse, I'm running in cheetah form, without a doubt. The horses will follow me without even needing to be led. Maybe that kid'll even fall off. She pushed the last thought out of her mind, and tapped her foot, slightly impatient. The falcon shot back to the air, sending Audrey the coordinates on where the girl was.

Chiekh

To put it quite frankly I was pissed. If whoever it is that was singing that stupid song sang it one more time I will take my time to destroy whatever counts as his internal organs. I mean normally I would be overreacting but I'm not. Imagine the most annoying song in the world then multiply it by infinity, such was the filth that I was subjected to listening to.

The entire group were losing their energy. They were always moving due to a fear that Charna would appear at any minute, a fear that was perfectly justified. I knew that Charna was going to come for me, She would be angry at me but she would come for me. And perhaps we can destroy this group of 'Walkers'. I had tried my best not to use any of my powers in front of the group so that when Charna arrived and we attacked it would be bit of a surprise.

I smiled and leaned on the horse that I had been tied to.

"What are you smiling at?" One of the girls snarled.

"Nothing." Your doom.

"Well stop smiling then," She scowled and kicked me in the face.

"Not smart." I said. "When I'm free the first thing I'm going to do is make that leg useless." I threatened.

Cypress

I turned my head away from the group. Again. I was getting tired, but if I fell asleep, I would miss out on something, or Zabe would try one of his calming dream thingies. I didn't like being tampered with. Especially not by him.

"You know, he wouldn't, probably, if you asked," Barke said behind me. Throwing my hands up in defeat, I pushed my heels in and cantered forward. I would've gone far ahead of them, had I known where we were going. But, since I didn't, I pulled back into a trot and stayed far to the right, eyes narrowed, parallel to my horse.

I was starting to really not like mind freaks. Especially the ones who- Don't you dare! One thought cut off the other, and I groaned into my horse's mane. It let out a soft whinny, and I wished we hadn't let Audrey stay behind. For the moment, I let myself think it was some sort of sound of sympathy.

I slapped my cheek gently and sat up. I immediately wished I hadn't- my spine whimpered in pain, and I swayed dangerously. Without missing a beat, I laid back down. I may be stubborn, proud, and headstrong, but I knew when I had to give up. My stomach twisted, and I realized I hadn't eaten since... crud... day before yesterday. I shook my head and ignored it.

Oh, well. I'd just have to suck it up.