CnC appreciated, oh so much. [I'm recycling characters from my incredibly old set of stories and using them in this sequel to that. I'll try to explain more about the old ones in this, to help shed light on any confusion I may cause...which'll probably be a lot knowing me :'D ] Chapter One Re: Rebound to the Path "It's almost been a year..." "Hmm?" "A year. Since things ended." "Oh...right." "Ayden?" "Yeah?" It was at this point Ayden looked over to the boy lying on the grass beside him. His black eyes were cold, yet his face was glued in a smile. His blond hair rested against his hands, which were holding each other against the back of his head. He wore a blue suit, the sleeves rolled up and the jacket unbuttoned. The other boy sat up, and looked Ayden in the face. "Do you miss it? Do you miss the heroism, the thrill of fighting with everything on the line?" Ayden stared into his eyes for a moment, a wave of nostalgia washing over his mind. He shook his head, breaking the other boy's gaze and looked to the water below. He could see his reflection gazing back at him. His creamy, light brown skin appeared hazy in the water. Though, he could still see his clothes clear enough, the black hoodie, its sleeves cut off, and the white polo shirt beneath it, whose short sleeves extended through the sleeveless hoodie down to his elbow, were relatively clear. His face was soft, and the reflection made it look like it was so fragile it could be destroyed with a single touch. He could see his spiky hair, two bangs in the front, then multiple tiny spikes running down the side until they conglomerated in the back of his head, and he could see his light brown eyes, hanging there like glistening spheres of light in the middle of his murky face. Do I miss it? "No." "That sure took a while Ayden. Are you sure you aren't lying to me?" "Please. I bet you wish I am just so you could go off on another rant about how glad you are it's all over now, Carter." I have to admit; Carter thought with a smirk, he's right. I am glad it's over. Those hellish years can finally be put to rest, and life can return back to normal. But why do I get the feeling this is just another dream, waiting to be deterred by the unknown? ** "Anyway," Carter said, rising to his feet. His tan boots made a crunching sound as the stepped on the crisp grass beneath. "I've got places to be, whores to see and the like. And don't forget, Misty wants you at the Record Shop on the beach. Three-sharp. Be there or be...well, dead." "The day you begin to pimp is the day I stop reading 'Matt Damon' in a mentally ******ed voice" Ayden laughed, reciting 'Matt Damon' in a way that would certainly have mental health specialists beating the snot out of him. "And Misty?" "Psh. I'll be there in plenty of time to spare. Tell her I said to chill." "You say that as if she's not one to kill." "Nah, she won't touch me." "Still as cocky as ever, Ayden." "Still as emo as ever, Carter." "Touche," Carter replied, walking behind Ayden. After a few moments, Ayden could hear the sound of an engine revving up. A beep paraded through the air, as the noise of the engine sped into the distance. Smiling, Ayden rose from the ground, patting the loose blades of grass from his body. With a yawn, he began to walk next to the water, eyes screaming "boredom" as he made his descent to the beach. *** I still can't believe it's almost been a year. Everything seems to have happened so fast, time never caught up. Ayden was walking down a lush green path. It ran smoothly across the ground, curving in an out of the flowers that surrounded him. The path ran across a hill, which sat idly next to the sparkling blue tides below. Across the hill was a brown, rickety staircase that led to the merriful beach below. I can remember when we first came here. Back when life was a web of conflicts, over a couple of little charms. Ayden's hand moved over the heart-shaped necklace resting on his neck. It was icy cold to the touch, though he could still feel the warmth of the power it once held. The charms were keys to controlling the elements. Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Darkness, Light, Electricity, Gravity, Plants and finally the Cosmos. We were only little kids then (well, we still are according to law but 16 is close enough to being legal). We didn't understand what messing with that sort of energy could bring. From losing a friend, to the emotional distress; the constant worry of having to protect others all while putting yourself in harm's way...everything was just a cataclysmic ride into Hell. And to think it was all because of Alea's need to be better than everyone else. It's sickening to think about it even now; the gallons of blood she spilled, the families that lie tattered, and above all, her merry laughter at the sight of it all. Thankfully, that chapter in our lives has come to a close, and we can live normal, boring lives. "Boring..." Ayden repeated aloud, stopping on the peak of the hill. A patch of land to the right of him was clear, devoid of green, and hung as a plank over the waters below. He could feel butterflies—more like jets—flying around in his stomach at top speed. What if Carter's right? What if I am just lying to myself? Sure, life is back in my hands, the way it should be for anyone, but why do I feel so...bored? Unneeded? "It's like a huge hole has been punched through my chest." ...Wait. Did I seriously just recite a line from Twilight? Its official: I must miss the adventure. As Ayden was mulling over his life, a stick cracked in the background. He turned around, scanning the area over. "I must have been imagining things..." Ayden mumbled, continuing his walk to the steps. After another five steps, another stick cracked, causing Ayden to wheel around. A stray, brown dog stood limp behind him, eyes fixated on the fixated on the dry earth beneath him. Ayden approached the animal, extending his hand out to pet its fur. "...Bad move, bad move, bad move!" Ayden yelled as he pulled his hand away. It was throbbing red with pain. The dog's teeth retracted back into its mouth. Why would it just attack me out of the blue for no reason at all? The dog now looked up at the boy, its button eyes dangling madly from the side. It smiled, its fur changing to a silver-pink color, while its teeth grew into what looked like tusks. "Typical me to always get stuck with the generic villainous enemies" Ayden muttered, kicking the dog in the face. The dog flew backwards in the air, its front legs waggling furiously as though it were a dancer. It landed on its back, screeching like a young girl that lost her ice cream. "I have no idea what you are, but this is pretty pathetic if you ask me" Ayden noted, a smug grin resting on his face. The dog struggled to its feet, jaw snapping, and a waterfall of drool pouring out of its mouth. For a brief while, it sat there, eyes fixated into the boy's. Ayden could see his reflection in the pearly red eyes of the dog, twisting, turning, misshaping itself into a demonic image. He felt a chill run through his leg into the pit of his stomach, snapping his eyes shut, turning away from the dog. He could feel a rush of disturbance in the air, as though a plane were speeding past his face. A yelp escaped from Ayden's mouth as the dog's fangs clamped on his arm, both bodies crashing down to the earth. A flurry of fangs and claws ripped through the tortured air, beating the ground around Ayden's face. Torn bits of earth and mud splashed against his face, his eyes wide, angered. He slid his right foot beneath the dog's torso, and with a grunt slammed it through the frenzied beast. The dog cried in pain. It slumped over the leg, as still as a lonely tree stump, standing, waiting, for the empty death around it to re-grow with life. Ayden sat there, the dead beast a crypt on his leg, panting the sigh of the innocent murderer or one of the martyr that lived against death. Using his left foot, Ayden slid the corpse from his leg. It fell to his right, making a noise so hollow one would think it were just a paperweight. A breeze began to blow over the scene, causing Ayden to gasp with surprise: My leg is…dry? Ayden swept his hand over his pant leg. He felt the skin of his leg. Both were a desert of cloth and skin. “Honestly, I should consider using lotion in the mornings” Ayden mumbled, pulling down his pant leg. He turned to the dog, gazing at the gaping hole in its chest. Standing up, Ayden buried his head into his hands. “Where the hell is the blood?” “Where the hell is the blood?” This questioning session was short lived, as a sharp pain caused Ayden to stagger ahead. He fell near the edge of the hill, his head hanging over the crunching waters below. The earth began to vibrate. Ayden rolled over as two legs came crashing into the spot his head was only moments ago. He darted his hands around the legs, throwing them towards the trees. As the creature landed, Ayden stammered at the sight. A dog-like creature, silver and pink in color, lingered over the ground ahead of him. Through its chest, a window to the wildlife in the background sent a chill dashing through Ayden’s chest. The pseudo-dog smirked, sensing the boy’s hesitation. It charged forward. Ayden clenched his jaw. His stomach riddled with pain as his body flew into the air. The waves below seemed to crash with more vigor as the boy approached them. “One thing I…should have learned from TV: Punching holes through bad guys…never works.” Ayden said, as he disappeared beneath the waves.
Chapter Two: Awakening "Previously, in Advent of Dusk. I was awakening from a nap, with Carter being a little emo still. He told me Misty needed me to come to the album store (to pay for her album again). But, I was then ambushed by these weird red things, who I thought knocked me into the sea. But then, I find myself in this dark place on a glowing platform with pictures of me and my friends. Now I'm walking towards this mysterious light and who knows where that'll-" "Um, Ayden?" Ayden's eyes opened wide as he wheeled around to the source of the voice. It was a red haired male, with a white polo shirt underneath a red and white jacket, with black pants and white sneakers. His eyes were hazel colored, and shone brightly in the light from the glowing platform. "Drew?" Ayden replied, the tense feeling in his stomach subsiding. Drew was his other self, a being who lived in a solitary world apart from Ayden's own. Drew was drawn from that world by Ael, who told him that he was a mere imperfect copy, an inferior existence. This enraged him to the point where he fervently sought to absorb Ayden, thus becoming whole. The glowing platform and dark mist blurred into a canyon of rocks, the moon hanging in the air behind the depressed clouds. The blades clashed mercilessly as the two boys gazed fiercely into each others eyes, anger ablaze in this crisp night air. "Why is it that no matter what I do, no matter how much I try, I'm always the inferior to you!" Drew shouted, smashing his weapon against Ayden's own. "You're not less of a being than me. You're as much apart of existence as I am!" Ayden replied, knocking Drew away with his own weapon. "I don't know what lies Ael told you, but I swear, no matter how difficult it may be, I won't give up on you!" "You okay Ayden?" Ayden shook his head, trying to awaken from his daydreaming. The two boys looked at each other with the same expression, appearing as though a mirror. They both laughed at this thought, as Ayden began to speak. "Well, since you're here...and you fused with me...then, I'm..." "Yes" "So you're saying that we're..." "Mhm" "In..." "Yes" "For re-" "YES. You're in your head." Drew replied, his face evidently becoming more and more irritated. Ayden couldn't help but laugh, as Drew's face looked absolutely ridiculous. "So it is true. My face really does look hilarious when I get pissed" Ayden laughed, Drew's face evolving into a full smirk. "Joking aside, why are you here in the first place?" Drew asked, Ayden's laughter coming to a halt. His fingers moved over his chin as he thought. "I don't know. The last thing I remember was fighting these weird red things" Ayden replied, Drew's face eyes suddenly perking up. "What red things?" "Well, they were these red creatures. About this high," Ayden said, holding his hand three feet over the ground, "with beedy button eyes" he said, curling his hands like buttons over his eyes. "The Unanimi" "Un-who-the-what?" Drew hit his forehead with his hand, massaging his flaring temples with his fingers. "The Unanimi. You know, beings without souls." Ayden stood silent. "Unanimi. It's Latin. Literally means 'No souls'. You really need to read through your vocab more" Drew said, flicking a piece of his spiky red hair back into place. The only noticeable difference between the two was their hair, for Drew's was rusty red and spiked towards the sky. "OH. Yeah, that one word." Ayden said, face reddening in embarrassment. But, what are the Unanimi? And how do you know about them?" Ayden asked, his eyes glaring at the noticeable furrow of Drew's eyebrows. "I...I...don't know. I thought I knew of them through you, but I guess not. Though, what I do know for sure is that they are creatures created from the corruption of one's soul. The soul is then ripped from a person's body, and obtains physical form from the evil within it. Thus, creating the Unanimi." "Isn't there some kind of way to defeat them? Regular weapons do, but it takes practically every ounce of strength you've got just to defeat one." Drew made a sound resembling an "eeee". Ayden knew that sound from a mile away, as he was the one who first made it. It was the sound of hopelessness. All form of hope seemed to fly out of Ayden, until Drew resumed speaking. "Well, there is ONE way, though..." "Though what?" Drew walked towards Ayden, stopping directly in front of the teenager. Ayden could hear Drew's heart beat in rhythm with his own, the pulsating sounds ringing in his ears like the school bell. Drew placed his arm over Ayden's shoulder, pointing to the light only five paces behind them. The boys looked at each other with such certainty, that not even a wall could divide them. "Your answers await you past there. Only one can pass, and that's got to be you" Drew muttered, fading back into the body of Ayden. Now standing alone on the platform, Ayden glanced down at the picture once more, feeling a mysterious force rise up inside him. It made the little hairs on his arm tingle, and his body shiver. He turned his gaze to the ray of light, stepping forward. "Here goes something" he said, the light teleporting him out of the platform. ******* "The hell?" After exiting the light, Ayden happened upon the same platform, the same exact picture glowing up at him beneath the weight of today's events. "Why am I back here? I thought Drew said that the 'answers await here'?" Ayden said, his head ablaze with questions, the fuel of the lack of answers increasing the flames even more. He was began walking back to the light, until a voice emanated from some higher plane. "A journey that closes, a journey that begins anew. A cycle of continuity, lasting as though for infinity" the voice boomed, Ayden's spine shaking from the power of the voice. "Who are you?" Ayden asked, the fear in his voice barely restraining itself from spilling out of him like a waterfall. "Names. Such meaningless titles." "What do you want?" "It is not about the wants of this somebody, but rather of yours. The Unanimi, creatures born of hatred, born of the corrupt souls of humankind, plague the worlds. Their fate lies with the Chosen Hero." "Chosen Hero?" Ayden replied, the mysterious force still rising within. "He must be talking about you," Drew stated in the back of Ayden's mind. Due to the uniqueness of their fusion, Ayden and Drew were able to communicate through thought, though, Ayden continued to talk aloud, prompting people to call him "That psycho spiky haired kid". "I mean, you ARE the freaking protagonist." "The one who exhibits a character that no force can penetrate. Their heart and soul in perfect synchronization." "How long do we have to hear this guy's rant?" Ayden muttered, feeling Drew's subconscious sighing. "It depends really. I mean, if the narrator runs out of ideas, then we're gonna be here a while." "Oh god no. I'm losing my my mind hearing this load of-" "HEY" the voice boomed, shaking the platform repeatedly, causing Ayden to fall down on his posterior, interrupting his "conversation" with his other self. "Screw this ****. All I do is try to help you kids out but nooooo. I get sassed right in front of my vocal chords. Just, just go already." the voice echoed, a large brown door appearing at the end of the platform. Floral designs kissed the edges, while a rainbow colored stain glass design on the window. The handle bulged out of the door, it's regal golden color contrasting the deep brown. "That door is way too fancy to not lead to some life altering item that will force us into a large chronicle of massive adventures", Drew noted, Ayden giggling at the voice's "outburst" as he grabbed the handle. "Drew don't be ridiculous. Sure, after all the events that happened so far, that shouldn't come across as far-fetched, but I highly doubt that chances that I find something like that. This is a written story, not some video game where characters just randomly discover power ups" Drew replied, pushing down on the golden handle. His heart beat jumped with the action, the mysterious feeling increasing in power. He felt his insides tingle with a sort of ecstatic fire that spread slowly through the dense forests of nerves in his body. His brain ached, Drew quickly sensing this throbbing. "You okay?" "Yeah," Ayden responded, shaking the flailing bangs of hair from in front of his eyes, "We just need to keep moving." He pulled the door open, seeing nothing but black within the next room. The feeling kept welling up inside, pushing against his screaming insides, begging him to let the feeling completely explode out of him. He noticed there was absolutely nothing within the room as he ambled about within it, only the darkness that coolly kissed against his tight skin. He stepped upon the central point of the darkness, mind wandering, imagination flowing. His thoughts fell towards that of Misty, waiting on the beach for him to come. The image flashed quickly before his eyes as he fell to the ground, clutching his chest. A pain shot through his heart into his entire body, surging, pounding against his very life force. He swore he could here his body's agonizing screams ripple off into the abyss around him. The black floor, seemingly sensing these screams, cracked a bit. As the minutes passed, and the screaming increased, the cracks in the floor multiplied, until, with one final pain now exiting Ayden's mouth, the floor burst into a flurry of bright orange doves, revealing the same floor from the previous two rooms. The doves flew out into the rest of the darkness, the shed orange feathers falling down in a pile in front of him. Ayden was now resting on one knee, his breath heavy with exhaustion. "If this...is...anything like an acid trip...I think...I'll pass" he stuttered, intake of breath still heavy and strained. He noticed the pile of feathers in front of him, glowing brilliantly like a fire in the darkest night. He reached out to grab them, curious as to what they felt like. His vision was slightly obscured, rendering him unable to see the feathers in perfect detail. When his hand hit them, he gasped with surprise. "What?" His hand clasped a metal object, freezing cold to the touch. However, he felt a sudden surge of heat rush through his body, displacing the exhaustion that once beat against his insides. He stood u quickly, much to the shock of Drew, who had also experienced a similar feeling. "What is this thing?" Drew asked, Ayden's sight now restoring back to it's original state, allowing him to examine the object up close. It appeared to be a sword, though had a curved, winged tip on the left side. The guard was silver, contrasting the bright gold color of the blade's metal. The guard was triangular towards the top, circular at the bottom, and square in between. The blade itself felt smooth as a baby, much to Ayden's shock. He noticed a symbol matching his necklace engraved into the side, though that thought was much less important at the moment. "What kind of sword is this?" "Um, I don't think we should be worrying about the sword right now" Drew said, his subconscious motioning Ayden's eyes over to three puddles of red slime forming on the ground. The slime grew larger, solidifying into creatures only three feet from the ground... "Not this again" Ayden muttered, his hand grasping the sword. "I don't know where you came from sword, but you'll have to do for now" he said, as the three now solidified creatures slid over to him. He pushed the sword into his right hand, turning it backwards. The one nearest leaped at him, beady eyes staring viciously at his blade. The Unanimi swiped it's claws at Ayden, who proceeded to block with the sword. He curved his wrist as he smacked the creature in the stomach, an echo of sound reflected through the area. Ayden's eyes grew wide as the creature disappeared in a flash of blue smoke. His mouth hung open in disbelief. "H-How did I do that in one hit?" he said, as he quickly remembered what Drew had told him after first awakening. His mouth closed and formed a sly grin as the remaining Unanami approached. "This..." "...Should be fun" Drew finished, as Ayden ran forward to the approaching creatures. He slammed the blade down, causing a ripple of light to explode from it's tip, enveloping the Unanimi in a dome of light. The dome closed in on the Unanimi, blue smoke rising to the air through the cracks of the dome. His eyebrows jerked upwards as he stumbled onto the ground, the sword falling beside his left arm. The last red creature stood behind him, looking down at the mysterious sword. "You know, if you want to look at it so bad, then here you go!" Ayden yelled, grabbing the sword with his left hand, throwing it at the surprised Unanimi. It vanished into blue smoke as the thrown blade flew out into the darkness. Ayden's mouth dropped open. "OH GAWD. YOU DID NOT JUST THROW THAT?" Drew exclaimed as Ayden smacked himself in the forehead. "It was the spur of the mome-" "'Spur of the moment' my foot. That was the best weapon ever, and you just go and throw it like that. Who do you think you are, a Sora replica or something?" "Noooo, I am definitely not h-" "SHHHH. Remember, people who haven't finished that yet are reading this" "Hehe, oh right." Ayden giggled, holding his right hand in front of him. "Wielding that blade made me feel strange. It's almost as if it were a part of me", he said, examining his hand. The hand began to glow with a strange light, causing Ayden to gasp in surprise. The light enveloped his hand, until it vanished, the blade now resting comfortably in his palm. "What is this thing?" The Psychblade. "Whose there?" Ayden said firmly, now standing on his feet with the blade ready. The Psychblade, a weapon that draws power from it's chosen one's own soul. Connecting the two in a way beyond human contemplation. "The...Psychblade" Ayden repeated, looking down at the blade, it's silver and gold coloring reflecting a speck of light from platform into the darkness. The speck of light increased, revealing another large wooden door. Go now. Defeat the Unanimi, and realize your true destiny as the Hero of Souls. "Oh god. Not another adventure" Ayden pouted, opening the great door once more. As he walked through the door, he spoke out to Drew; "Hey Drew?" "Yeah?" "Next time we get included in a story, remind me to make sure we get trapped in a tavern with drunken women that are desperate for companionship." "Hey Ayden?" "Yeah?" "Keep it in your pants." (Note from Plums: I would've had this up yesterday, but got lazy and didn't finish. I think I'm going to try to write a new chapter by the end of every week. Also, Pyschblade Psyche + blade Psyche: Greek word for essence (Aka soul) I would have just used Soulblade, but already copyrighted. -Darn it Namco)
[Will add edit more tomorrow-the end of this week. I had the wrong draft in my email :'D] Also, there are some things here that are subject to change. Please be understanding <3 ~Music in the Mists~ A boy laid in silence on a beach. Waves caressed the edges of his hands. A warm blanket of sand covered the sleeping hands. His eyelashes flickered up and down, until he arose with a yawn. "Wha...?" Ayden moaned. His eyesight was hazy and he couldn’t recall how he got here. Wherever here is, he thought, starting to rub his beating eyes. As he rubbed his eyes, his mind began to wander back to his dream. A dream with his other half, Drew, a really obnoxious voice, red creatures, and a sword bathed in gold and silver. His hands were beginning to numb. The hilt was silver, and the tip was a curved wing. His hands lost all feeling, as a light spilled from his right palm, forming into a golden sword. "The Psychblade?" Ayden asked. So then, it wasn’t a dream; it was…real, he thought, the sword disappearing in a flash of light. He looked around, sand on each side of him, and water moving calmly behind his back. He saw the silhouette of a hill to the north. Water stood between him and this statuesque figure, splashing at his feet. I must have drifted over to here when I fell, he thought. Only, just where exactly is here? His gaze turned to the sea of sand around him, crisp in the clear skies. In the distance, Ayden could hear the echoes of nature swirling through the air. Seagulls screeched high in the skies. Dolphins sang in the blue depths behind him. Even the sound of heavy metal rock banged into the cacophony of nature… “Wait. There’s something I should be doing right now. Something that has to do with music. Hmmm. Something. About. Music” he said, posing in such a manner that “The Thinker” would be enraged at his copying. He pondered harder, veins bulging out of his head. He shrieked as a voice emanated from nowhere; “Umm, remember Misty? You know, crazy chick, bad sense of humor, crazy, brown hair. Did I mention crazy?” “The record store! I can’t believe I forgot! Stupid, stupid, stupid! How much longer before it closes?” “It closes at five. And it’s three o’clock right now. So you’ve got a good two hours to get there,” Drew added, Ayden launching a wide smile to the air. “Please. I could make it to Australia and back with plenty of time to spare.” “That was when you could fly. And unless you’re about to drink some red bull, I suggest you start moving” “Oh come on. It’s not like the record shack is that far away” Ayden mused. “You’re right it’s not that far away,” Drew replied with glee, causing Ayden to smile in victory. “It’s only a thirty mile walk” The victorious smile vanished. “Y-you, can’t be, that’s just not” “You better get to stepping my friend” Drew laughed, a look of scorn etching itself on Ayden’s face. Dark rain clouds began to converge in the air. The light of joy of the beach faded into emptiness, as Ayden walked across the endless sand pit into the heart of the unknown. ********* People chattered in the background. Melodies played gracefully through the air, cutting down the chatters of the outside world. Violins sang, trombones bellowed and pianos screamed through the brown interior. Sunlight flowed in through the windows of the shack, holding the looming shadows back against the far walls. A crowd of people was gathered up at the cash register, some pouting, some shrinking back, and most just silent. All with the exception of a curly brown haired girl, whose raging animal noises could be heard all the way outside. The cashier stood clutching the register, afraid of the brown haired beast in front of him. His pimples hid behind an embarrassed face, his hand held up to the girl: "Whoa, whoa, whoa. This credit card was declined, little missy. You're not getting anything with this" he said, wishing he could just hide away from the girl. "I have been waiting for this...for so long now...and you have the nerve, the audacity, the actual ****ing balls, to tell me... that I can't by this?" she said, brown eyes an endless chasm of hatred. "Hey, watch the language, girl" he replied, pointing to a sign with the headline "The Rules". She grabbed the sign, tearing it in two, dropping it on the ground and stomping on it with her sneakers. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to break your rules. Maybe you shouldn't make them as frail as you" she smiled, stepping on the sign one last time, dust now collecting on the fragments. "You know, you could leave if you’re going t-" "And you can shut the hell up and give me my ****ing album" she interrupted, prompting the guard to run back to the closet. She sighed, saying, "Excuse me" to the man behind her and ambling to the chair next to the door. Her hair rested against the back of the wooden chair, a few loose ends moving like a seesaw in the gentle breeze. Her eyes clouded over the good feelings of the room, people flinching away from being struck with her lightning. She reached into her jeans pocket, pulling out a full sized chocolate bar. The sealing was already broken open, the chocolate oozing out of the top. She dipped a finger into the chocolate, sucking on it like a pacifier. Her gaze moved upwards, where a boy had an ice cream cone an inch from his face, eyes and mouth wide with wonder. “Say one word…and I’ll castrate you so fast, even Naruto wouldn’t ‘Believe it,’” she said, the chasm of hatred burning into his skull. He gulped, stepping out of the wooden door. Misty looked down at the wrapper, a single thought projecting itself from her mouth: “Where the hell is Ayden?” ********* “Why does it always have to be mountain terrain?” The ground was etched with rocks, sitting in the earth like an audience at a carnival. Rain poured with murderous intent upon the ground. The dark clouds that had once gathered over the beach stalked the boy. He had long since hid his face under the hood of his shirt, eyes focused on the distorted world ahead. Visibility disappeared, the murderous little stalkers hanging curtains of rain all around. He was the main attraction, the biggest freak of this dark little carnival. The audience booed and jeered at him, jabbing him with their sharp edges. Ayden’s body shivered at the poundings of the audience. His hands remained burrowed in his freakish costume, face hidden behind his hood, his personal wall from society. Even the wet stalkers couldn’t penetrate this wall, a wall that sat rigidly against his skin. He could here the distinct sound of his teeth chattering. His whole body was soaked. He released his right hand from its hiding place, sticking it in his pocket. He pulled out a silver cell phone, flipping the cover open. “F-f-f-f-four thirty” Ayden said. He teeth were chattering, so much that he could barely hear himself think. However, he could hear Drew’s voice loud and clear amidst the noise, much to his dismay. “You do realize that Misty will burn you alive if you don’t get there in the next half an hour.” “You do realize I’m in the middle of a mountain, and have…ten more miles left before I get to the beach” Ayden retorted, looking at the compass feature on his phone. “I still don’t even know how I have ten miles left to go. I mean… I’ve walked for practically three hours. And how did I end up in a mountain in the middle of nowhere!?” “Well, this is a story. The author needs to create locales in order to serve as a challenge to the protagonist, to help them grow more as a character.” “How does a thirty mile walk with only half an hour left before I get murdered by a psycho chick on top of a mountain make me grow more as a character?” “Beats me. I don’t write the script. Only proofread it.” “You know sometimes I- Wait. You…you read through the script?” “…” “Well?” “’Well’ what?” Drew asked. He felt a strong euphoria flow through Ayden’s body, and couldn’t help but to fear what the boy had in mind. “Well, you know. I was kind of thinking, well, pondering, just what would it take for you to tell me how I get out of this” Ayden said, feeling Drew scowling in the back of his head. “Yeah, no. I’m not spoiling it. But let’s just say, you need to stay away from echoing mists.” Ayden tripped over a relatively small stone, falling forward into the brown puddle in front of him. He sat there in silence, until his face rose from the puddle, brown chunks of earth falling out of his mouth. “FML” ********* The sun cast an orange shadow over the shack. People began to file out of the beach, the screams and cries of the day fading into low “goodbyes”. The girl still sat in the chair at the corner, her brown eyes hiding behind the closed eyelids. There were only three others standing in the record shop, all-waiting in line near the register. They stared at her, hesitant to wake her, for fear of another “outburst”. The cashier, who returned only two minutes ago, was now standing over the sleeping girl, hand shaking her shoulder back and forth. “Umm, hey, i-it’s time to go” he said. His face was full of courage, though hid behind it cowering eyes full of fear and despair. She jumped a bit at the touch of his hand. He jumped back a few steps, nearly tripping over his untied shoelaces. Misty looked at him, scoffing at his appearance. To compliment his multiple pimples, he had hideous brown shoes with a hole poking out of them. His jeans were far above his ankle, nearly covering his calves. “I’ve heard of hand me downs, but hand me ups?” Misty laughed, the cashier turning scarlet in the face. “She-shut up!” he fumed, Misty’s eyes filing with hate. His already red face began to glow furiously. “Hahahahahaha, no I didn’t mean, I don’t want-“ “Save it piss face” she replied, crossing her legs in the chair. The cashier let out a large sigh. “I’ll just get you later for that” she smiled, staring at her watch. It was 4:55 pm, and Ayden had yet to appear. She tapped her left foot in the air, eyes now focusing upon the door. The cashier noticed this, nodding. “Waiting for someone?” he asked. “Yes” she replied, gaze still focused upon the door. “Friend of yours?” “No it’s a stranger. Of course it is, *******. Ugh, when he walks through that door I am going to shank him in the face” she fumed, eyes narrowing upon the door.
