Young Writers Society

Lulu

Me and Zabe were nearing the city, closer and closer. I only knew this because he was telling me. Not being able to see sucked some times. We had been traveling for a while now, but we could have been faster if Zabe didn't have to stick right by me. He suddenly let go of my arm, I took a deep breath and walked carefully. I was used to feeling my surroundings, but not after suck a long period of being guided around. Zabe needed to stop doing that.

I felt his hand on my shoulder and stopped walking. I smirked and ever so slightly inhaled.
"There already?" I sighed, half mockingly. I remember arguing with Zabe before we had left, because I thought this trip was going to be easy. He laughed half heatedly, probably looking out at the other city.
"Ya, we're here." He mumbled defeated. I chuckled slightly.
"Well, how are we going to get them up here and back to the city?"

Zabriel

Zabriel glanced over at his friend, smiling slightly. This was going to be a fun night, he could tell. Six tired, possibly very grouchy, teens to lure into the forest and over a small mountain range only to plunge into the desert. Of course, the trip would take a couple of weeks. Longer if anything went wrong, which it would. Something always went wrong.

"Nightmares and light flashes for me," he answered, stifling a yawn. He hadn'ts slept in two days now; all of this nonstop walking couldn't be good for him.

"What? I don't get to have any fun?" Lu asked, jutting out her bottom lip.

Zabe chuckled. "Earthquakes? Small ones, under their beds. Nothing draining."

Lulu nodded slowly. "Three for you, three for me?"

"Of course. If you need any help or anything..."

"Zabe, I'm not a baby you know. I'll be fine."

Zabe sighed and shook his head. He was overprotective, always had been, always would be. Some things just couldn't be helped. "I know," he breathed, glancing at the city. It was so exposed, so vulnerable. "But either way, if you need me, call before you get yourself into trouble. Now, let's lure some unsuspecting teens into the forest, shall we?"

Ceri

Another day, another...wait. When the hell was Ceri getting paid, anyway? And for that matter, when was he going to start getting paid enough for what he put up with? True, room and board was included, but he was a teenager, not really old enough or mature enough to go out on his own yet. And somehow, the old bat thought it was fitting to make him work for...his...whatever.

He yawned, stretching his arms 'til he was nearly touching the ceiling, and he fell onto his bed fully-clothed, sending a fine powdery poof of flour out from under him. It was meat pies that night, though someone wanted a roast. Forget that, Ceri had yelled; he hadn't been in the mood. At some point, Great-Aunt Batty yelled back at him, something about being an ungrateful, bratty teenager, and get this man some pot roast. Apparently no one realized that that took hours. HOURS! So, with the help of fire manipulation, the man had gotten a roast, but..well, it wasn't exactly roasted. He hadn't been happy, but Ceri just pointed out that that was what happened when you ordered something not on the menu.

Looking down at the bed, he thought he should probably change, lest he start sweating in the night and wake up in a puddle of dough. That would never come out of the sheets...

He dressed in a clean pair of loose pants and a shirt grabbed at random after kicking his shoes off. He shook out his long hair, sending another poof of flour flying, and settled himself under his blanket. Ceri fell asleep almost instantly.

A faint, musical tittering sound floated in from underneath the door. Laughter; that's what it was. High-pitched, feminine giggles.

Ceri sat up slowly, pushing the top of the blanket to the side, contemplating getting up. He was sure that the girls outside his room were the waitresses, or so they called themselves. Their whispers and snickers unnerved him; his palms sweat, his face burned. He had to lock the door before they came in.

Before he could fully get out of bed, they barreled in, all six of them. The ringleader, the oldest one, tall, blonde, and charismatic, crawled over his bed and grabbed his throat, pulling a knife from her bodice. She held it up under his chin and started mouthing words. Ceri couldn't read lips, but he did wonder for only a split second before all-out panicking why he couldn't hear what Marie was saying.

The other waitresses formed a half-circle around the foot and right side of his bed, trapping him between them and the wall. A chant rose up. He could hear them, but not Marie. Not like he could understand what the others said. He guessed it was another language, but he hadn't had much schooling in languages, so he was at a loss.

They all took candles from their bodices and lit them, holding them inches from their porcelain faces so that they glowed like five small moons in the darkness of the bedroom.

It was like a sacrifice of some sort. Was Ceri going to die like this? No. No, there was fire. If only he could--

"Don't scream, Ceri, or I'll make it worse," Marie grinned, and pushed the blade into his neck.

"AAAAH!" Ceri did scream, and cursed himself for it. His upper body shot up from the bed--but wait. Wasn't he in a sitting position anyway?

Looking around, he saw no sign of the waitresses. There was only him, his bed, his things. There was a shimmer of moonlight sneaking in through the window, the curtain thrown up over the rod because he hated being in total darkness. Blue eyes cut quickly over to the door, which he noticed was locked. There was no chanting. No laughing. No Marie.

Rather than going back to sleep, he shakily emerged from his bed and started to pack a bag. He had no idea why or how, but he knew that he had to get out of there.

Cypress

Not a good day. Not a good day at all.

Three sightings of Count Devon. Butcher and baker both down with a fever. Any targets locked up in church. A climb up a pipe that completely shredded the bottom four inches of my leggings. I growled and yanked a knife free of its strap; I kept them tucked between two black strips of fabric, strong and durable, that was carefully and well hidden under the hem of my shirt. I sat down against a wall of an alley and started sawing at the useless fabric, muttering and grumbling under my breath as the strips of gray material wadded up on the cobblestones. Wiping the blade with one piece, then discarding the fabric tangle in a garbage heap, I glared at the stars.

"Thanks for the SPLENDID day!" I screamed, more at the sky than anything. No answer. "Way to sound insane, Cy."

"Well, maybe I am!"

"Oh, shut up and get to the tavern. Roger'll have some food for you."

I scoffed at myself. Yes, I do argue with myself. Happens when you turn into a recluse. But anyway- the tavern. A rather wonderful place. Cozy and warm and homey, and right across from its rival, a nasty and rancid place that just happens to do good 'business'. Roger smiled and nodded to my corner from behind the bar, the gold tooth sparkling amidst its gleaming pearl siblings.

"Bread and meat, some spiced cider." Roger said, holding out his palm. I sighed and rummaged around in imaginary pockets for a few seconds, finally giving him a sliver of stained glass. He smiled his golden smile and stowed the glass away. Roger's probably the only person I'd ever accept help from, if only because I knew him even before... and here I bite my tongue until the pain flares away the bad memories and stride to my corner. A ratty booth, under dim light. Nearly invisible. I started wolfing down bread and meat virtually by the pound and ignoring Roger's snickers.

When I could actually see a slight shape under my shirt (after I pulled it so taught the stitches started groaning), I slipped out and hid behind the tavern, building up an ice egg, as Maria'd once called it. Maria... Maria... mama... I shook my head violently and wrapped my arms around my ankles, my head tucked into my knees. I am Cypress. I belong to no one. I am no one's daughter, no one's child, no one's charge or responsibility but my own. I nodded silently and with that, sleep had claimed me.

That's when the nightmare starts.

"Cypress, sweetheart, get in the cupboard," Maria whispers. Six year old me's never seen her like this. Hair mussed and wild-eyed, dress torn and face bruised.

"Maria, why?"

"Just do it, love."

I nod and dutifully tuck myself into the cupboard under Maria's vanity. I stay quiet as a mouse, eyes round. I pretend I am a mouse. I make my hands look like paws and tuck them up under my chin; I raise my shoulders and clench my muscles. I pinch my lips up small. I must be a mouse, Maria said. Quiet as a mouse.

"Wench! Where's the brat?"

"Devon, I don't know what you're speaking of."

"That... child. William's?"

"Devon, no, you don't-"

A crack. I tuck my lips under my teeth. Quiet as a mouse.

"My liege. The Countess?"

"Hang her at dawn."

The door slams. No one's there, I can tell. I crawl out from the cupboard. Maria's on the floor, her face bloodied and her marble skin marred.

"Cypress, be a mouse for Maria."

I am, for the next twelve hours. At ten am, Bethany the laundry girl yanks open the door and pulls me into her arms. She's running so fast, I can't tell where I am, and when we pass the courtyard, she tries to cover my eyes. It's too late- I've seen Maria's limp body, swinging with the wind in the gallows.

I bolt awake and the ice shatters. Breathing shallowly and feeling cold tears on my clammy skin, I scramble to my feet and run, as fast as I can, to the forest.

I'm quiet as a mouse.

Charna | The Local Inn:

I rolled over, stared up at the ceiling and fingering my dagger. It was quiet....why was it quiet. Nevermind. It didn't matter; I should be sleeping. I had been trying to for hours, but it wouldn't come.. I always had trouble sleeping nowadays... As I lay there, my eyes drifted closed.

"Charna!" someone called. "Charna!"

And I recognized that voice; it was my mother. A mother I barely even remembered....but suddenly, I wasn't Charna, daughter of the Lord of the House of Serkan.... I was little, five-year-old Charna, who was scared of the monster under her bed and loved to play in the sun.

"Charna!" She called, and then she started screaming...and then the scents and other sounds slowly bled in. I could smell blood, and burning timber. I could hear shouting, lots of shouting--men's voices, and my mother, begging them.... and then there was the sound of metal on metal--swords, fighting.

Crying, my five-year-old self ran off to hide, and found my mother's body sprawled across the ground just outside the back door. And then there was pain, lot of pain, down my right leg... Suddenly a man stood over me, hands on my thigh, one hand holding the hilt of a sword that had embedded itself in my leg.

The man smiled, and yanked the sword free. Screaming, I fell....and then he stepped down on my leg and something went crack....and then darkness.

I jerked upright, startled and gasping. No, no. He didn't.... He would never. No, I refused to believe it had been him. I shook my head, trying to clear it and suddenly, I couldn't remember why I'd woken up... Frowning, I pushed the blankets back and sat up, rubbing my forehead.

Someone screamed and I looked up, startled again. The city fell silent. No, I must be hearing things. Shaking my head, I threw my legs over the side of the bed and stood up, checking on my dagger, making sure it was there, before I walked over to the window and looked out.

Dark, heavy clouds were gathering overhead, and every now and then, lightning would flash and thunder would boom. There was a storm gathering, and it looked like it was going to be there for a while. Sighing, I sat down on the windowsill and watched the storm, ignoring the crazy urge to ran off into the forest, and rubbed my injured thigh. It had been years since I'd broken it, but even now it still hurt.

Lulu

I giggled, "We shall." I heard him run off. Maybe I should have accepted his help when I had the chance. Nah, he needed to stop being so, overprotective. I survived perfectly fine before he came to the city. Now... what was that trick master had taught me, to keep me from walking into walls? I tightened my fist, towards the ground. The ground shook lightly, but it was hardly noticeable. When I felt the tremor bounce off an object and come back to me, at least I knew an obstacle was nearby. Like a bat's sonar hearing.

I walked slowly and awkwardly towards where I knew the first of the six would be. I felt a tiny tremble, and walked around the wall I almost walked into. I lifted my hand and kept it on the wall as I walked along it. I tightened my opposing fist and felt the wall begin to shake. That was one heck of a wake up call.

*she's at Barkes place*

Barke

That's one heck of a wake up call, I hear some girl think as I bolt up from bed. I don't know who this girl is, or what her business with me is, but I was having a very good dream when her little earthquake hit! Clearing the fog from my mind, I realize what just happened. Wow, a second ago I was thinking that as if it were normal. I stop her as she turns to leave.

What? Why can't I move? she thinks in a panic. I walk over to her and cross my arms. "What?" Is all I can say. "Just...why? Honestly what do you want?" Forgive me is I'm a little grouchy, I was just forced out of sleep by a freaking earthquake.

Lulu

Crap... crap crap crap. Zabe wasn't going to be impressed, let alone our master. Ugh Lulu what have you gotten yourself into this time.
"Um, uh.. just... let me go and get into the woods." I stutter. Nothing was moving, why couldn't I move anything. Was this what being paralyzed felt like? I suddenly took a step forward and smiled weakly.
"Fine, whatever." he sighed. I stumbled off, stupid six. How did he know I was coming? Must have been one of his powers. If he restrained my movement again, ugh! I wondered how Zabe was doing... I actually kinda hoped he got spotted so I wasn't a total failure.

Alice

I raced down the alleyway, twisting and turning, frantically trying to find my way out. My little sister trailed behind me. "Run!" I screamed in terror.
"I am!"
"Faster! They're catching up!"
Oh, no oh no oh no. This isn't happening, I told myself. This is just a dream, this is just a dream. But if it's a dream, why can I feel the roughness of my dress against my skin and smell the stench of fear running through my sister's veins?
A scream pierced the air.
I turned frantically. Two men pulled my sister to a halt. "We got her," the tall one said.
"Finally," said the stout one.
And with that, they slit my sister's throat.
I awoke with a scream. It's all my fault.
I told myself that every day just to make sure I never forgot it. I hated the feeling of guilt, but it was what made me feel most alive. Otherwise, I just felt dead and alone- the husk of my former self. Wearily, I dragged myself up. Time to get on with the day.

((Sorry for the long first post. You know what I'm like. Or you might not, I don't know. Whatever... ))

Riley

Cursing under my breath, I lifted my hand to my head for the tenth time. Narrowing my eyes, I stared back at myself in the dirty mirror. My fingers curved slightly as I brushed my bangs, making complete sure that they weren't completely straight, but wavy enough to look natural. Lifting my hand back down, I smiled. Perfect.

Checking the mirror one last time, I switched my bathroom light off and closed the door behind me. I had no idea why, but I was in a seriously good mood today. Unfortunately, Daniel, my roommate, didn't like me in a good mood. As I practically skipped into the small living room of my apartment, Daniel stared at me before eventually rolling his eyes.

"Yo, Danny bwoi!" I more or less shrieked. Daniel responded by calling me a crap licker. "What's wrong with you?" I asked, leaning against the doorway. "Your face is, like, all mushed and junk."

Daniel didn't answer me. He simply shook his head, shoving his dyed blonde hair out of his face. Laughing, I wondered over to him. I was still laughing as I quickly pecked his cheek, tapping it before jumping onto the sick coloured couch. Thankfully, it was a heck of a lot comfier than it looked.

What happened next was strange. I suddenly felt shattered. It was only ten o' clock. Why on earth was the tiredness so overwhelming? As my eyelids fluttered shut, I allowed myself to start breathing deeply. Ah well, I liked sleep. I may as well have gone with it.

I stared, wide eyed, in front of me with the only thing I had. Innocence. I didn't understand. Why was mummy angry with me? I didn't mean to make her angry and I didn't like it. I always tried to be a good boy for her, but whatever I did, she always got upset with me. It wasn't fair.

She had a bottle of see-through drink in her hand. She always had one of those in her hands. I didn't know why. She said it relaxed her, but all it did was make her scary. She always shouted at me when she had some see-through drink. Mummy shouted at me then. She told me that I was too noisy all of the time and that I needed to start playing with Action Men.

"For God's sake, Riley!" She shouted, her voice sounding funny as her words came out all jumbled. "Can't you just be normal! Do you have any idea how lucky you are to have me? You can at least appreciate it by doing what I say!"

I did nothing but stare. What was I supposed to say? I didn't want to make her cry again, or make her even more angry with me. Mummy started screaming out loads of naughty words as she grabbed her purse and her phone. She yelled another naughty word at me before slamming the front door, leaving me all on my own.

The second mummy left, I started crying. I didn't want her to leave me again. I didn't mean to make her angry, I really didn't. 'Be a brave man,' I shut my eyes, shouting at myself in my head. 'Be a really tough, brave man.' I waited for a small moment. It was working! As long as I kept my eyes shut, nothing could hurt me. That was why, when I opened them, all of the monsters came.

They kept on telling me to go with them. I could feel my hands shaking as the monsters grabbed my arms, pulling me away. I curled myself into a ball onto the couch, begging them to leave me alone. They wouldn't listen though. They just kept on laughing ad yelling at me, making me feel really, really scared. I wanted my mummy. Where was my mummy? It wasn't fair. I didn't mean to be a naughty boy. I did want to be like all of the other boys, but it was too hard. I wished I could please mummy. I wished so hard.

I felt, and heard, a loud thump as I fell onto the hard floor. Groaning, I rubbed my back before awkwardly standing up. I seriously needed to stop falling asleep on the sofa. I did exactly what I always did after falling asleep. I shook the dream I'd just had out of my head. I was really starting to get pissed off by it now. Sighing heavily, I sat back down onto the couch.

I had absolutely no idea why, but all of a sudden, I had this urge to go into the forest. Why that was exactly was beyond me, but I had been feeling kind of strange lately. I had always been a weird kid. May as well go with it, I thought to myself, grabbing a mint from the coffee table. You never know, I might find Robin Hood or something. Minutes later, my coat was pulled over my shoulders and I was about to leave my apartment to find the forest.

Nova

And then the sword came down, slashing his head off.

I sat straight up in bed. I only realised a moment later I was sobbing uncontrollably and my hands were shaking. I lay myself slowly back into bed, but my eyes stayed open, staring at the ceiling for no particular reason. After awhile, my eyelids drooped closed and I wandered back into the restful land called sleep.
*
I awoke, not fully rested after my small encounter with monsters of the night earlier before. I stood from my bed and slipped into a rough robe that had the feeling of being made of potato sacks. I then walked to a basin in the corner of the small room. I took the unscented bar of soap and rubbed my face with it, forgetting completely to wet the bar first. I wiped my face with a dry cloth and headed out the door which consisted only of a sheet nailed over an open doorway.

There, I was overcome with dizziness and collapsed onto the steps. I pulled my legs close to me and whispered a sweet lullaby.

The last I felt was a hand on my shoulder, reassuring and kind.

Zabriel

Two of them. Two hadn't felt that bizarre urge to run to the forest. And then one had already caught Lu. Zabe shook his head and rested a hand on the girl--Nova's shoulder. Don't look behind you. If you do I'll be forced to do something unpleasant. He thought to her, cringing. Hurting one of them was the very last thing he wanted to do.

"Who..."

Trust me. I need you to go pack as few things as possible and meet us in the forest. With any luck, his mentor would give him a hand getting the girls to the forest. The others, with the acception of Barke, who was busy tormenting Lulu, should be there by now.

"Why?"

Zabe sighed, out loud, and removed his hand from her shoulder. It's a long story. One you'll never know if you don't come. He stepped back, before she could say any more and slipped behind her house. Being here again was horrible, every face seemed to bring back a different memorie. And being Zabe, memories were hard things to forget.

Now, to find Lulu and Barke. Lu, where are you?

Lu, then the other girl, then the forest.

Lulu


I heard Zabes voice.
Like I know! I thought at him. Then took a deep breath and felt around. Still near a wall, I wondered if that six guy could still see me... One of them saw me, I'm sorry... Then, swallowing my pride, I thought to him, can you come find me, I need you're help. I don't know where I am. He was going to baby me twice as much after this... but I needed his help.

*sorry it's short, I was thinking Barke could over hear her and help her or something*

((I'm gonna give this a little boost.))

Cypress

I stopped a few yards into the trees, bouncing on my toes. I had a knife clutched in each hand, my third one still tucked against my stomach. I couldn't make sense of my whirlwinding thoughts -fire, fire, pale, run, loom, duck, escape, tree, run, run and launched into a sprint again.

Winding my claws around my palms, I threw myself to one side and started climbing. I wondered briefly if this was how a cat felt, its claws locking into the flesh of the tree, ripping out, locking again. I rather liked it. I started spiraling upward, winding around it like a snake. A snake cat... my mind really did work strangely.

But now I was hugging a limb, several feet up, out of sight. Leaves, brown for winter, rustled and swayed and covered my figure, my knives were still held tightly. I eased off my claws and tucked them into the waistband of my leggings, deciding I could jab the knives into the trunk and slide down if necessary.

Until then, I'd stay up here. My hair didn't need to be adjusted, I was still full from Roger's, my knives still had a good grip. I was okay for at least an hour, and when that hour was up, this weird compulsion to stay in the woods will have passed, right? Of course it would- it had to.

I fell out of thought abruptly. A branch had snapped, under heavy footstep, I could tell. Super senses really burst my bubble sometimes.

Ceri

The woods.

He guessed that he could say a little bird told him. A little voice inside his head; something told him to run quickly and made its direction very specific.

But should he go armed? Perhaps. Ceri pulled his scraggly black locks back in a matching ribbon and set to work, taking the first long stick he found and a bit of twine. Rummaging about his pack, he found the small paring knife he'd brought and fixed it onto the end of the stick. There: a spear, makeshift, but a spear nonetheless. He knew that his throwing arm was good and its aim was true. He knew he could hold his own in a fist fight. So there was nothing to worry about, right? But, still, Ceri was slightly afraid of what he might find in the blackness underneath a canopy of forest flora.

"Just have your wits about you," he consoled himself softly, stroking the shaft of the spear with his thumb, pulling it close to his chest. Afraid or not, it was time to go. He set off, his pace swift, but his footsteps made only tiny sounds on the earth below him. Leaves whispered to each other gently in the breeze overhead. Noises of little nocturnal animals filled his ears and tiny eyes gleamed curiously at him in the partially-obscured moonlight. He paid those little mind after a while; they made him nervous.

Using his gift of quick movement, the young man covered quite a bit of ground in little time, and he so far hadn't met anything questionable. Good...

He got to the end of the worn path, and it trickled off into smaller ones, made not by people, but perhaps deer or something even smaller. But something seemed to guide him a little to the right, along one of the smallest paths, only wide enough for him to walk with one foot directly in front of the other. And soon even that disappeared. Not ready for it, he tripped and swore under his breath upon hearing a loud CRACK! from a broken branch under his foot. Ceri took a few deep calming breaths. Certainly there was nothing, nobody there to hear it, or at least nothing that would care. There were only animals...