March 8 daily
538 words

Unfinished story by JollofRice123
The night is daunting when it seems to last so look long.
A silver moon looks down from above, silently watching as I move down the cobblestone streets. The wind whistled behind me, like a shadow giving a warning whisper.
I ignored it.
There was nobody around. There usually aren't people out and about, not at this time. As I peer into houses, I see people hugging, laughing, enjoying each other's company.
It's something I've often wished for.
When did things go so wrong…?
The night is daunting when it seems as though it will never end. A cloud hides the moon, telling it to shield its eyes and look away.
I can't help but notice the echo of the wind's sigh, fading into the night.
My hands are trembling. I hesitate as I look onward, gritting my teeth, telling myself that this is the only way. After a moment, I let out a deep breath.
This is it.
I've arrived.

“I- I’m here,” I announce, hoping I sound braver to their ears than I do to my own.
The silence is deafening. “I’m here,” I repeat, louder this time. “I’m ready. R-ready for the exchange.”
This time, I am met with a laugh. “Ready, you say?” The voice is a spiderweb, wispy and silky yet stronger than steel. Beautiful, otherworldly, deadly. The owner sounds to be a woman, only so far from human. “Very well.”
“Where is she? Let me see her.”
“Patience, child.” I feel fingers brush at the back of my neck, graze my cheeks, but I know without trying that if I turn around I’ll find no one there. “Your friend shall be returned in time. Once you’ve done your part.”
“Remember,” says another voice, this one smooth and hard as obsidian, of a being something like a man. “Showing the girl might make the exchange more… potent.”
“True,” the first voice agrees. “Or even just…” There is a muffled clap.
“Rowan? Rowan, are you there?” She sounds so lost, so afraid. I try to tell myself I’m not just as frightened.
I look around for her, though I know I won’t see her. She isn’t here, not really. “Evelyn! Yes, yes, I’m here,” I call back. “I’ll get you back. You’ll- you’ll be safe soon.”
“But you-” There comes another muffled clap, and I can’t hear her anymore.
“Now, isn’t that sweet?” the first voice says. “But-”
“-that’s enough time-wasting,” the second interrupts.
“Exactly,” agrees the first. “Still ready, dear?” I nod.
“Then let’s get going, shall we?” says the second.
“We start now.” A third voice, a deep, booming, rasping whisper.
The three voices begin their chant, sending mist swirling. The dark neighborhood– such an ordinary setting for such rituals– grew even darker, dissolving to black.
Through the fog, I see her. “Evelyn.”
“Rowan.”
She drifts closer. I wrap my arms around her, though we can barely stay in the same world, barely able not to pass through each other.
“I’ll miss you,” I whispered.
The wind whips my long hair, and she brushes it out of my face. “You don’t have to do this.”
“Yes, Evelyn.” I force myself to meet her eyes. “I do. I made this mess. This is my fault.”
“There has to be another way.” She’s crying now, silently crying. If this doesn’t end soon, I will be, too, before it’s over. No. No crying. I’ve made my choice.
“No. There isn’t.” I wipe away her tears. “I… belong there. It’s- it’s my world. I’ll be okay. It’ll be okay.”
“Rowan-”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay, really. I’m just sorry that- that you got pulled into all this. Sorry for all I put you through. I just- just wanted-” I try to choke back a sob. I fail, and she holds me tighter.
Then the light grows between us, and we pull apart. Or are pulled apart. The chanting, which had faded into the background, grows louder, more powerful.
“Goodbye, Evelyn. I’m sorry.” Time to go home, the chant whispers.
“This isn’t over.” Her voice, getting fainter and fainter, is the last thing I hear as my realm swallows me. “There has to be a way.”

I am soo sorry for not doing stuff recently, I have been quite busy with school and stuff. Sorry!
Anyways, 2/8 daily:
Prologue
Hi, I’m Carla. You can call me Car, I’m fine with it. I live in the land of snow. My land is bordered, it is forbidden for anyone in the land go get out, and the people outside come in. I never known my real parents before. I live with someone named Ana Langdon. I live on the west of the land of earth, which everyone says it’s dangerous. I live happily in my land, but I am different. I have magic abilities with ice.
–⊛⊛⊛–
Hi, I’m Charlotte. Just call me Char. I live in the land of flames. The land of flames separated, and it is not allowed for anyone in the land go get out, and the people outside invade. I never known my real parents before. I live with someone named Fiona Patt. I live on the east of the land of earth, where people say it is dangerous. I am happy in my land, but I am different. I have magic abilities with fire.

Chapter 1. The Calling
“Wake-y Wake-y Car!” Ana sung.
“Ugh, why now? It’s only 5 AM, and you never told me anything about an early wake up…” I groaned.
“I want to show you something.”
“Huh?”
“Yes. Look at this note.” Ana gave Car a folded piece of paper.

Ana Langdon,
I must inform you about something you might not quite understand.
So, to put in short, bring your child, Carla, to the park in the middle of the land of ice tomorrow. At 6 AM, at the center of the park, a crystal will form, but Carla would notice it, not you though. Let Carla pick it up and keep it. It is hers to keep.

“Hmm” Car studied the note carefully. “Ok, I guess I’ll go, but it has no name.”
“I noticed that as well…” Ana paused. “Anyway, let’s go!”
30 minutes later, they arrived at the park.
“Wow… I’ve never seen the park so empty…” Car said.
The two walked to the center, where they sat quietly.
“Welp, I guess we just have to play the waiting game.” Ana said.
After what it seemed like an hour, a shiny blue crystal appeared.
“Ooh, cool!” Car exclaimed.
“You got it? Ok, let’s go home now. Take a little nap if you need to.” Ana told Car.
The next day, Car heard a magical song coming from the East.
“It must be from the land of Earth.” She thought.
The song keeps on bugging her throughout the day, until she was determined to find out why the song was being played.
–⊛⊛⊛–
“AA-AA-AA” Char’s alarm sounded.
“Ugh, why now? It’s only 5 AM, Fiona must have set this.” Char muttered.
Just then, Fiona came into the room.
“Char, get into the car. I’ll explain everything then.” Fiona told Char.
“So, what, where, and why are you driving me?”
Fiona gave Char a folded piece of paper.

Fiona Patt,
I must inform you about something you might not quite understand.
So, to put in short, bring your child, Charlotte, to the park in the middle of the land of flames tomorrow. At 6 AM, at the center of the park, a crystal will form, but Carla would notice it, not you though. Let Charlotte pick it up and keep it. It is hers to keep.

Char studied the note all the way to the park.
The two quietly went to the center, where they sat quietly.
“Now I guess we’ll just have to wait.” Fiona finally said.
After what it seemed like an hour, a bright red crystal appeared.
“Nice!” Char exclaimed.
“Ok, that means you got it right? Now let’s go home. You might need some rest.” Fiona said.
The next day, Char heard a magical song coming from the West.
“It must be from the land of Earth.” She thought.
The song keeps on bugging her throughout the day, until she was determined to find out why the song was being played.

Chapter 2. The Journey to the Land of Earth
The next morning, Car left very early. On the refrigerator, she wrote a note.
Ana, I love you, but I gotta go. I hope to see you again.

Part two because it didn't fit:
Charlotte knew the journey to the land of Earth was going to be tough. The first obstacle is…
The barrier of the land of Fire.
“I guess I’ll have to use my shield, so no one sees me.” Char thought. With a twist of her hand and some concentration, her shield was done. A shield of great fire.
After she got through, Car walked West until she noticed a barrier like the one from the land of ice.
“Now this is harder. Way harder.” Char mumbled. She activated her shield again and used some burning fire to get through the barrier. When she was about to give up, the barrier finally got an opening.
As she entered the land, Char kept her shield activated, just so no one sees who came in.
As the song continued, she kept following it. It led to a big house, where before she went in, saw another girl, that looks like her!
“Hi, uh, my name is Carla, but call me Car,” the girl said nervously.
“Hia, my name’s Charlotte, call me Char,” Char said.
The two said no more, and they both walked into the house together. When she walked in, she can’t believe what she saw.

Chapter 3. Reunited
When they walked inside, a girl very similar to them hugged them, and two boys like them gasped and ran towards them, saying, “Is it really you?”
“What is going on?!?!?!” Asked Car and Char.
“You. Are. Our. Sisters!!!” The girl and the boy say.
“…What!!!” Car and Char yelled.
“Oh, my goodness, you are actually here! Sorry I forgot to introduce myself, I’m Cristina. Call me Cristy. Just like you, but powers with light!” the girl winked.
“Oh, and this is Dave and Ben. Earth and air.” Cristina explained.
“Woah…” Car said.
“I never knew I had a family!!!” Char exclaimed.
“Gotta make sure one thing though. Everyone have their crystals?” Cristy asked.
“Uh huh!” Everyone replied. Dave had an emerald green crystal, Ben, a quite clear one, Cristina, a pure white one.
“What do the crystals even do?” Car asked.
“Nothing much,” Cristy answered. “Just adds to your power and for an all-out attack.” She winked at Car and Char.

Unfinished story

Intro
When you think of school, what do you think?? Boring classes? Disgusting food? Mean lunch ladies? Er, I mean, mean teachers?? Too much homework? Nevertheless, I’m making this list waay to long here. Anyways, I just thought of all that, and realized my school has none of those! Well, except for the mean lunch lady part. My school is called Starleen Academy. A handful of students from our current school got selected to go there for 1 month. It’s a boarding school, so I packed 2 suitcases plus a duffel bag, oh and a backpack. It’s school after all. I got on the train with 2 of my friends, who also got picked, Stephanie and Lily.

Arrival

“Heey amigos!” I said, and sat down in the seat with them. It was so comfy, I closed the door. And then of course, I did, “the hug.” The train then left the station and we were on our way to Starleen Academy! There were so many things. We rode over a ditch, and passed a river, and when we went onto the rolling hills, we could see the academy in the distance. As we got closer we could see how big it really was. It looked like a castle. The biggest one ever!! As we got off the train, we were all a little nervous. We stared up at the academy, it was so big, it was probably the size of a city. As we approached the main entrance 3 girls stood on the front steps. You could barely see their faces, and the sky was starting to darken. Then they flung the hats off their heads and turned up to us with a smile on their faces. The particularly tall one walked down a few steps. Her hair was a light blond color, she wore a trench coat. (?) She had glasses, but a strong gust of wind blew them off her face.

“Hello students!” She said, “I am your principal, and my name is Principal Shadow.” She said. Shadow was a weird name for her, especially since she made me think of the sun. She smiled at us, “The other two girl’s here are academy prefects. They each lead different groups, and you should have gotten more information about that in your letters. The one to my left is Amy, and she leads the group that will reside in the East Wing this session. The one to my right is Scarletta, and she leads the group that will reside in the West Wing this session.” A few people in the crowd started murmuring nervously. “And,” She said, trying to get everyone’s attention, and the crowd immediately silenced. “There will be one last group, led by me, who will be mainly working in the Library this session.” She said, and she continued. “Now, rain will soon be upon us, so I’d like everyone to split into their groups now, you know what they are.” At that, me, Stephanie and Lily exchanged nervous glances. Me and Stephanie were both in the West Wing, but Lily was put in the East Wing. We waved each other bye and quickly scrambled to follow our group's prefects.

In the School
The grand doors opened and we took our first steps inside the academy. It was totally not what anybody expected. The first thing everybody noticed first walking in was the giant fountain. Bigger than any fountain you will ever find at ANY mall. Then people gazed in awe at the other things, marble floors, humongous diamond chandeliers. I stared in awe as we walked through the halls. We walked into the cafeteria, which was about the size of a food court in a airport. The chairs had padding and backs. And people crowded around the giant poster that had the menu on it. We were then shown where the bathrooms were, I saw a quick peek inside one of the bathrooms, it was so neat. I slipped in just to take a closer look. The toilets were clean, nothing on the floor, no bad words written in the stalls, and best of all, it actually smelled kinda nice. I quickly came back out before I got in trouble and then the group went upstairs. We all had to fit in the elevator, which, by the way, was HUGE!! It was probably the same size as let’s say, 2 master bedrooms combined!! I bet 4 school buses could fit in there. The elevator arrived on the third floor and we stepped out. We walked down a long, giant hallway and we turned a corner. The East Wing group was also near us, as we approached a giant door, that was made with dark wood and in gold letters, was inscribed with the words, “The West Wing.” I looked across the hall, with another giant door that said “The East Wing” but had lighter words and had the words written in silver. I turned back around, where the West Wing door was being pushed open by Scarletta. Everyone stepped in, and chatter immediately rose up. It was as extravagant as the main area. A long fountain stretched down the hallway and there were huge looking lockers that lined the walls. A few doors that led to classrooms and more bathrooms were scattered around the hallway. We walked to this huge, hole, that allowed you to see down into the cafeteria. Scarletta got everyone’s attention.
“Just to let you know the second level is off limit during school hours. It contains an arcade, many places to shop, and restaurants like Starbucks and McDonalds.” She said, “You may go to these places during after school hours” Then everyone raised their chatter excitedly, as Scarletta showed us which classrooms were where.

In cabin daily for the eight

Lotus walked into the large courtyard, it’s previously well kept grounds where various sports equipment had gone, replaced with chairs, identical blackboard slates sitting on each one. The chairs were divided into three groups, presumably for the east and west wings, and the library as well. A chill, crisp, air surrounded the beautiful, cloudless night. The prefects had chosen a good time for Trivia Night. A few more students gathered, and Lotus sat down in the area marked ‘Fae’s Group’, quickly joined by all the others. The prefects had arrived too, their sudden and swift appearance silencing the much louder crowd.
“Hellooo Real-fiers!” Arli, from the east wing, shouted the greeting into a microphone, decorated with the emblem & colors of the Real-fi Academy. “Whoooose ready for TRIVIA NIGHT!?” The sounds echoed across the courtyard, bouncing off pillars and such, and was met by a gigantic uproar of approval from all the other students. A gigantic one. Scarlet stepped up, taking the microphone from Arli and explaining the rules of the Annual Trivia Night to the new students, ones who hadn’t participated yet.
“Right, you’ve been separated by your group, but don’t let that think you guys are a team- right now, it’s all for one, and none for all - “
This was cut off by a few competitive whoops.
“Anyway, everyone here has slates! You’ll use these slates to write down the answers we give you, once you're done, you hold the slate up, first one to do so gets to answer first, if their wrong, we let the second person answer, and so on and so forth until someone gets a point! We’ll do this until midnight, the winner gets no homework for two weeks, and then it’s late snacks and bedtime!” A few more cheers for this. Lotus consulted a few guesses and kids who actually had watches. It was nine o’ clock, meaning three hours till midnight. This would be a long night.

Boy were they wrong.

The next three hours passed in a haze of joy, competitive-ness, and fun. Lotus hadn’t one, in the end, bu the satisfaction of getting second place was more than enough to make her grin for the whole week.

Main Cabin Daily :
One.
“Are you coming, Anya?” The star student, Aura Whims, asks, their brown eyes and messy, lilac-colored hair, shimmering in the light-blue chandelier light of the Arcane sector at Mystlind Academy.
“Oh, I don't know. Am I?” Anya asks back, before getting up and flipping her light blonde hair, giggling.
Aura smiled, softly. Then, Anya asked, “Why are you excited? It’s just a training session.”
“Our first cross-skill one!” Aura exclaimed. “It’ll be fine!” Aura grabbed Anya’s hand, which was covered by a white silk glove. Anya smiled and followed them.

A few minutes later, they arrived at a staircase. “Ladies first,” Aura giggled. Anya rolled her eyes and walked up the staircase, and Aura followed. When they got to the top, there was a long corridor with a wooden and silver door at the end.
When the light of the staircase disappeared, Aura tapped Anya’s shoulder. “It’s dark in here,” they said. Anya smiled and took off her glove. She then opened her palm to reveal a small, purple, flame, just bright enough to light the way.
“Isn’t that dangerous,” Aura started, “as in-”
“Meant for erasing memories? Yep.”
“Then why are you using-”
“Everything should be fine, as long as you don’t touch it.” Anya closed her hand to snuff out the flame. “We’re here,” she said, opening the door and walking in, Aura following behind.
The mysterious purple mist in the room gave the impression that they were neither inside nor outside. Aside from the light from the windows, there was no light.
“Here,” Anya said, fishing into a pocket of her white vest, and tossing Aura a bracelet. “This should prevent any memories from being erased. It only works here though, this being a pocket dimension and all.”
Aura slipped on the bracelet. “Ready?” They asked.
“Ready.”
Anya took off her gloved. She then created a purple flame and touched the ground. The light from the fire illuminated her ocean green eyes, as they raced towards Aura. They did a hand gesture, and Anya felt a wind that confused her to the point where she cried. She put out the flame, and dropped to the floor, tears silently streaming from her eyes. Aura did another gesture, and Anya stopped
Crying, and put back on her gloves. “Should we try again, or go back?”

Before Aura could respond, a medium-sized, bright-eyed, young teen jumped up. “That was incredible!” She exclaimed.
“Aren’t you a bit… young to be in the cross-skill room?” Anya asked, with a hint of sass, “you don’t look sixteen.”
“My sixteenth birthday is in two days!”
“Oh?”
“Yes! That was rea-”
“How did you get in?” Anya asked. The girl simply smiled.
“I got her in.” A voice said, putting out their hand for Anya to shake. “Eleanor Cortel of Mieas.”
“Anya Maignes of Stevik.” She shook Eleanor’s hand.
Aura curtsied. “Aura Whims of Ver.”
The girl eagerly exclaimed, “Mai Cortel of Mieas!”
Aura walked over to Anya. “We should get going,” they said, handing over Anya’s bracelet.
“Agreed,” Anya said, slipping back on her gloves.
“Why do you need gloves?” Mai asked. “People with psychic flame can, usually, control it.”
“First, how do you know that? Second, it’s a fashion statement. And I do not want to burn my gloves. ”
“I’ve been reading about skills,” she smiled, reaching into a bag and took out a large book. “Visibles and Arcanes: a full guide to skills and subsets.’’
“That’s a lot of words for a title,’’ Anya mumbled.
“Goodbye.” Aura waved to Eleanor and Mai, and walked off, with Anya following close behind.
*transition between scene goes here.*
Back from Mystlind academy, Anya came home. Barely five minutes after walking through the castle-esque mansion she lived at, and to her room, her mom walked in.
“Are you getting ready?” Anya’s mother asked.
“I don’t see why I need to go to this,

An Unfinished story.

I know it seems finished but it’s not. Was gonna add more, but someone else can use it.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Liam opened his eyes. ‘What IS this place?’
“Welcome to Alpha Pokemon’s place of choosing.” said a robotic voice.
Liam opened his eyes and looked around. He was in a glass cage, which was opening. He stepped out. The voice turned out to be a robot. Everything around him seemed animated. ‘No.. That can’t be right. I’m getting confused with something.’
Somehow, despite being just created, he seemed to know everything.
“Good. It is good to think.” The robot seemed to narrow it’s eyes. “Don’t think about treachery, Character 56,998. I can see your every thought.”
“No. That would never happen.” Liam promised, though he wasn’t sure why. “My.. My name is Liam I believe.”
“Good! We don’t need to come up with a silly name. Rarely do people remember their name..” The eyes seemed to narrow again. “You must be special indeed.. Cary was right..”
“Cary?” he asked, but the robot turned around. “Well what’s your name?” he questioned.
“Never mind that. We must hurry to the loader. You must get into the game before it starts.”
“Alright, alright.. Wait, what's the loader?” he asked, a little alarmed.
“All will become clear in a matter of time. Patience, patience.”
Liam had this feeling in his mind. Ever since he saw this robot, a feeling of unease had spread over him. He felt like he had met this robot before, and he was not to be trusted.
‘No. You’re worried. That’s normal for people.”
“You seem to have a bigger imagination than others. You shouldn't worry about small things like that. Your future is a glorious one, and you should be grateful to be here.”
Liam flinched. The robot had seen what he’d thought. ‘What is his name anyway?’
“Very well. My name is Dopa, short for Dopamine. I assure that people feel pleasure when they play A.P., or Alpha Pokemon.”
“Pleasure to meet you.”
“That is not needed, Player.”
Liam wondered if Dopa had absentmindedly or purposefully called him Player.
“Purposefully. You do not need your name until you are loaded. Now hush your words and your thoughts. We are approaching.”
Liam looked ahead and saw nothing but players. When they got closer, he finally saw what the loader was. It was silver, made of metal, and was like the structure he woke up in, except silver and jutting out of the ground. A player stepped in, and the metal became clear like glass. Liam and other players watched as green words and letters flashed across the surface, and the player disappeared in a flash of bright light. Something nagged at Liam. ‘Don’t go! You know it’s not safe.’ Liam shook his head. Dopa seemed trustworthy, and they were all of these other players surrounding him! ‘I’ll be fine. A glorious future, like Dopa said.’
“Next up, Player 56, 998!” called a voice.
“That’s you! If we were late, you would have been whisked out of existence.” he scolded “GO!” he snapped before I could reply.
Breathing nervously, I stepped into the metal. As soon as I was fully inside, the machine started working. His mind screamed in retaliation. ‘YOU KNOW YOU DON’T TRUST THEM!!! LEAVE!!’ it shouted. ‘Even if I tried, it would be impossible!’ he snapped
‘But what if I could?’ his mind whispered. Perhaps the machine picked up a whiff of treachery for the top opened, and he was pushed out. He fell on the grass, groaning. An alarm started ringing, coming from the machine. He lay on the grass not sure what to do. Eventually the bell stopped ringing. His numb mind heard whispers of ‘What do we do?’ or ‘Destroy him while he is here!’. Finally a sharp voice rang out.
“Get Cary!”

Daily for March 8th continued from @ForestPanther
Bold is her part:
Sun woke to her alarm, just like every single other day.

But today was no ordinary day- it was her first year of high school.
According to her grandparents, even years ago before the upgrades the first day of high school was a big deal. And Sun could see how- new school, new teachers, new classmates. But for Sun, and all the other hybrids, there was another massive event- their first pre-ad upgrade.
Sun got up hurriedly, as she knew by now that she had slept in, would be in a rush, the usual. Thank goodness she had set her backup alarm! Throwing on her usual outfit, Sun skid down the stair banister and grabbed an energy bar from the counter. Her baby brother, Cloud, was messing around with his high chair and her mother was shouting over the noise of the multi-washer. Sun paused for a second, disappointed. No words of luck or appreciation on her first pre-ad?
Shaking her head, Sun plastered back on a smile and called goodbye out over the ruckus. Always a sunny face, right? That was what she had been told.
Her mum looked up and shouted something at her, but Sun was already out the door.
==
After a rushed form time at school, Sun and the rest of her year were rushed to the school’s Upgrade Center.
A large, cavernous room in the basement, though it didn’t look like much more than hollowed-out stone and machinery, the Upgrade Center was the most up-to-date you could get. And it had to be- every 12 months, a year group would progress to their pre-ad and ad updates.
The rest of Sun’s schoolmates were stirring restlessly in their places, and so was Sun. This would be the biggest upgrade of their mechanical parts yet.
Sun’s birth upgrades had programmed her to be just as bright as her namesake. She was unnaturally tall, enhanced by metal, and always wore a sunray headband that helped charge her power system, but other than that, Sun didn’t show her mech parts nearly as much as her classmates. Some of them sported eyes programmed to know every person with a record by sight, whilst others had wired legs, ready to spring into a sprint at any second.
Today, though, a huge change would occur. For the better, everybody knew that much. But no one knew what they would be implanted with. Supersonic hearing? A mind that could process millions of data pieces in a second? Or perhaps a personality re-wire, like Sun had gotten at birth. She had never felt anger, or spite, or jealousy. Just…
A false happiness.
“Sun Davidson?”
Jolted back to reality by the shout, Sun raised her hand and was beckoned forwards. A few other students were already lined up, in alphabetical order, in front of their upgrade cylinders- the metal beds where they would be operated on by robotic arms. Perhaps that would have been scary, had Sun not known that she would be fast asleep and monitored the entire time.
She was pointed to a capsule and stood rigidly in front of it, stiff with anticipation. For Sun, her first pre-ad upgrade was a cause for excitement.
Eventually, everyone was lined up before their capsules. The glass lids opened with a hiss and a monotone voice came over the upgrade system.
“Welcome to your pre-adolescence upgrade number one. Please lie on the bed and the procedure will begin shortly.”
Sun nestled herself on the horizontal mattress and waited. It began to tilt, until the cylinder was at a slant. People would have surely fallen off if they hadn’t been entombed in the glass chambers.
The voice came through the speakers within the capsules now.
“The procedure will begin in five-”
Sun noticed people squirming in their beds from her peripheral vision. What were they worried about?
“Four-”
A metal arm, tipped with a needle and syringe, moved to loom over Sun.
“Three-”
Sun could hear the electric current racing through the wires now.
“Two-”
A vague scream penetrated the glass cover. A classmate? Terrified? Should Sun be worried?
“One-”
For the first time in her life, Sun felt an unregistered emotion.
Fear.
“The procedure has begun.”
And the world blacked out.
==
Sun awoke to her alarm, just like every other day.
But today- today something felt different.
There was, in fact, no constant beeping in her ears. There was no sunshine pouring in through the open windows. If fact, Sun wasn’t even in her bedroom.
As Sun regained her bearings, she began to remember what had led her- and apparently, all of her classmates- into this sterile, blank room. The upgrade. Yes- she had slept through it all. Her first pre-ad upgrade.
Wait- she had changed.
Sun jolted upright, instantly wide awake. Did she have new limbs? Better senses? Or perhaps… control over her personality?
Sun scanned her own body, aware of people in white coats entering the room, and her classmates rising to consciousness around her. She noticed no wired machinery on her person and at first was as disappointed as she could be. She could see her friends reacting joyfully to smoother functions, better mech parts. She could see…
Her eyesight!
Yes, that was it, she could see everything- from the dust crowding the doorframes to the doctors taking notes all around her. Finally, a good upgrade! Sun scanned the room curiously, taking in so much more than before.
“Sun?” A voice interrupted her thoughts.
It was Julia, a girl in her form. She’d obviously had her legs upgraded- she was bouncing on the balls of her mechanical feet, ready to sprint. But Julia was peering at Sun- specifically her face.
“You- your eyes…”
Not knowing what Julia meant, Sun peered into a mirror hanging at the end of the room. And she, too, started when she saw her own eyes.
No longer a deep, doe-like brown, her eyes glowed a bright golden, like the fiery star that was her namesake. It was startling, to say the least. A doctor noticed her looking at herself and interjected eagerly.
“Do you like them? We though they would suit you!”
Still not completely sure, Sun put on one of her standard fake smiles. Nope, her programmed personality hadn’t been changed.
“I love them!”
The young doctor grinned and rushed off.
The next few days were much of the same- testing out the new upgrades, which for Sun was mostly boring because of course all she could do was look around and take eyesight tests, which she exceeded. And then finally, the pre-teens were released into the outside world.
It was a relief for Sun, to be outside the white, featureless room, but also a shock. The number of things that she could simply… see. The world was a symphony of blinding colour. Sun could barely take it all in.
The afternoon was a blur of noise and attention. The glowing yellow eyes- yes, they attracted more attention than wanted. But by this point, though she missed her old irises, Sun was used to them. She could barely process her surroundings with her heightened senses. It was a relief when night fell and darkness overcame the blinding light.
Sun went to bed. Her first pre-ad upgrade… she was happy as she fell asleep.
Of course, what other emotion could she feel?
==
There was a rustling in the middle of the night.
An unnaturally tall figure crept through the kitchen. Their movements were unnatural, jolting. Almost… glitchy. From their head protruded what could be seen as sunrays- or blades. It was pitch black, but the figure seemed to have no trouble navigating in the dark.
They looked up, now carrying a blade. As a manic smile spread across their face, they turned to face the door. And their eyes…
One eye glowed golden,
One bright scarlet.

My part! words: 605 words

Sun had no problem looking at in the dark thanks to her new golden eyes, so she made she watched the figure's every move. She stared at the figure. The figure stared back. She wanted to scream but she couldn't she could only feel happy that the figure was here. She opened her mouth. The figure smiled grew even bigger, which she didn't think was possible. They put their pointer finger to their lips as if they were saying shhh… . So Sun just stood there staring back, her keen eyes following the figure's every move. They had sheathed the blade and was now slowly walking over. Sun took a step back. The figure reached for the knife. Sun prepared herself to run and tell mum and Cloud to run, but instead the figure took out a note from a pocket. they placed it on the counter, with quite some effort since its arm repeatedly kept jerking up and down. The figure pointed to her then pointed to the note. It was obvious what the figure was trying to say. for you . Sun looked at the note then to the figure then back again to the note. The mysterious figure nodded then slowly retreated to the back door. I probably stood there for an hour or so until I was sure it was safe. I walked over to the counter and picked up the note. It was a printed note, in small text were the words:

Sun Davidson,
You must run! I was like you. Do you want to become like me? Golden eyes are the ones who need to have fear and be aware of the new changes that will come. You must do what I say. Tomorrow at around the same time, there will be another note. Read it and do EXACTLY what it says

from,
GE1

I read and reread the note. I pondered on every single word and sentence in the note. What do they mean, become like them. Become all glitchy? One of the most confusing line was Golden eyes are the ones who need to have fear Sun wondered what it meant. They couldn't have feelings. Only happiness. She was still feeling happy about this. Sun didn't know what to do but all she could do was wait until the next day for more information. The note came but she this time, she didn't see who delivered it. The new note was even more confusing then the last. It told her to wait for the next one. So she did. The next few notes were the same thing, until finally around the 6th note, she had had enough. She let it all go and decided that someone was pranking her. Probably some kid at school. So she stopped waiting for the next note. She threw all of them away and decided to write the note giver a note. She wrote a note saying ‘nice prank, haha, no more notes’ simply, no excuses about the note was to complicated, because it wasn't. She waited the next day to see if a new note had arrived. Their wasn't, she couldn't find her note she had placed. So she assumed that she was right, it was a prank.

Sun continued the rest of the year without any problems, when she was coming back from the last day of school, she was walking along an old road when her supreme vision faded to pitch black and she never saw the light again.

dang, the ended DARK. I didn't know how to finish so I just finished nice and quick. that sounded weird.

Continued story from TheBookLover_1point0 (this post)
What they wrote is in the box, what I wrote is outside of it

All she wanted to do was run. Her life had been ruined. Her family had been brutally killed, and now she was stuck with her stupid neighbors, the Winstons. They were mean, unhelpful, and didn't care in any way about her. Until one day, she couldn’t take it, that was the day the incident happened. So in the middle of the night, she took a little sack, filled her things with it, and left through the window of her room, which was on the first floor. At first she didn’t know what to do, but then she looked three houses down, to a modern two-story home, with light-gray siding and sky-blue shutters. She then knew just where to go.
She snuck in through the open window on the first floor, the one that had been left open that night. She was going to stay here, for a little while at least. She opened the fridge to see perfectly good food.
“Wow” she realized, “I am starving.”
She grabbed an apple and bit it down to its core. She then stumbled up the stairs, and walked over to what used to be her room. She would have stayed in a different room, where it was more comfortable, but doing that would just be too painful.
She was planning to stay there at least a week, but plans never go how you want them to.
A few days had passed, and all she could do was stay in her house, she knew she would be found if she went outside, and would be brought back to the Winstons. She knew her sister’s room would have things to keep her busy. But when she left her sister's room, tears rolled down her cheeks and fell to the ground, creating little puddles of sadness.
But to be honest with herself, she never really went in her sister's room to find things to do, she went in there for the memories.

Now for what I wrote!
It’s 480 words

A couple of days later, she was sitting in her room, thinking about where she would go next. She couldn’t stay here forever. That was when she heard a car drive up to the house. She gasped. Was it the Winstons trying to take her back? She peeked out the window, just a bit. If it was them, she didn’t want to be caught. But the car outside wasn’t their car. It was a different car, one that she did not recognize. Who was it?
She decided to stay in her room. Maybe the person wouldn’t come in here. It was a slim chance, but she didn’t feel like she could manage to hide well enough to not be seen anyway.
Of course, the person came in.
“Who are you?” She asked.
“I’m Meredith,” the woman standing in the doorway said. Meredith thankfully didn’t ask who the girl was. “What are you doing here?” An expected question, but not one that she wanted to answer. She decided to say as little as possible.
“My family was murdered,” she said, almost crying.
“We’d better get you somewhere, then, child. Do you have any relatives?” Phew. Meredith didn’t know about the Winstons.
“No, I don’t think I do.”
“Any friends of your family that would take you in?” She shook her head. “Would you come with me?” Meredith seemed nice and all, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to live with her. Then again, she didn’t have anywhere else to go, other than back to the Winstons, which was out of the question.
“Fine. I guess I can’t of anywhere else.”
“Listen, I understand.” She wasn’t so sure about that. “It doesn’t have to be forever, but you can’t keep living like how you are now.
She didn’t have anything else to say, and followed Meredith out of the house.
“You know, I was going to look at this house and see if it could be sold without too much work on it,” Meredith began as they walked out. “But I suppose that can wait.”
It was interesting how few questions Meredith asked. She had expected to be turned right back in to the Winstons, but Meredith was oddly not suspicious of her. It felt good.
She climbed into the car and they drove off. The car ride to Meredith’s house was silent. Neither of them had anything to say. “I’ll show you to an extra room,” Meredith said when they arrived. “I’ll introduce you to my husband and daughter, and then I’ll have to be off for more work, ok?”
It was nice how Meredith could talk enough for the two of them.

A few months later, her arrangement with Meredith was permanent and legalized. While she never fully adopted them as family, she was glad to have them by her side, and that was enough for all of them.

Unfinished story!

Plz credit and tell me if you use!

“Who’s there?” Kink peered around the empty warehouse. There was no response.
“Ok guys coaste is clear.” Four younger kids ran inside.
“It stinks.” Said a little girl with a ponytail.
“Yah like he does.” Another one pointed at Kink.
“Hey! At least I am taking you little brats somewhere safe.” Kink rolled his eyes at them.
“I don’t wanna be here! I wanna be home!” It was the smallest of the kids, barely able to run. Hia face was huge and his shaggy brown hair was almost over his eyes.
“Well we don’t have homes.” Said the girl matter of factly. “If we did, we wouldn’t be here. But we don’t. So don’t talk about them.”

March 8, 2022

Word count: 583

Unfinished story by @-RoseBunni

Huge icy raindrops splattered against the windows. The village children sat with their heads pressed against the glass, wide eyes fixed on the procession of soldiers marching through the streets. The heavy rain resounded against the stone streets as the sound of droplets fell into rhythm with the marching of soldiers.
For three days enemy troops had taken over the city of Havensburg.
For three days the children had been trapped inside the schoolhouse.
They didn’t dare to step outside the premises of the schoolhouse, in fear of the consequences that would follow. Now, the children were weak and pale with famine, and the teacher was doing everything she could to send for help.
“I- I want to go home,” one of the children cried out softly.
The teacher wore a concerned expression on her face. “I know, Benjamin. It won’t be long till we can all go home.” she said.
The children gathered around her desk, their solemn faces and trembling lips told a tale of despair and suffering. With nothing but the lunches they had packed days ago and a small stash of emergency supplies, food soon became scarce as the children were forced to ration what they had. That night, the children went to sleep with empty stomachs and cold, shivering bodies.
Long before the arrival of the soldiers, rumors about enemy attacks on the capital city of Havensburg began to form. Yet no one had any proof to justify the assumption. And now the enemies were marching through the village streets, on their way to overthrow the capitol building.
Another night passed by, with soldiers still flooding the streets. By morning the rain had dwindled to a light drizzle. As the children sat around the small fireplace, clinging to the only warmth they had, the teacher peered out the window. She let out a small gasp.

My part:

Outside, the city was basically overrun by soldiers. She didn’t think she could see an open spot, not occupied with soldiers. She turned around, seeing the children as they got up.
“Teacher?” one asked, yawning, “I’m cold.”
The teacher sighs, looking at the dwindling stack of firewood. “We all are, Ellen.” She rolls one of the remaining pieces of wood into the fireplace, gesturing the other children to come closer. “How about we tell some stories today? Would you like to go first, Hope?” She picks the girl with a large imagination, though pale and dirty.
Hope shows a small smile. “Of course, teacher. Did you guys hear about a fairy who gives candy and chocolate to all good little kids?” she gushes, brightening the mood, “Yeah! If you help out a friend, they say that you might find a candy just for you, if you know where to look. And I do!” Hope says, triumphantly.
“Where?” Benjamin asks, curious and captivated by Hope’s story.
Ellen huffs, rolling her eyes, “What kind of story is this? Fairies, candy, and chocolate.”
“Oh, be quiet,” Kim snorts, nudging her, “It’s a little story for little girls, but do you know anything better to do?”
“Heh- no.” Ellen admits, sighing.
Hope nods. “Now if you two are done, I shall continue to tell my tale. So there I was one day, handing Ellen’s mom her dropped apple. And when I looked inside my room, BAM!”
Benjamin’s eyes gleamed, his face flushed with excitement. “What, what?” He leans forward, eager to hear more.
“Well, you see,” Hope starts, with a sly smile.
The teacher smiles, looking at the children and their brightened faces. Yet, she wonders how long it will last. Looking out the window, she doesn’t see much hope for any of them. But she has to stay strong, if not for herself, at least for the children. She lets the children talk and tell stories for the rest of the day, somehow lightening the mood. Relief fills her, as they slowly fall asleep, hearing little complaints that night…

“Teacher?” a voice asks frantically, “Teacher!”
The teacher wakes up with a start, finding most of the children up next to her. “What is it, Norman?” she asks, somewhat bewildered.
“Teacher, look outside!” Hope cries, pointing to the window. A strange, warm glow comes from the window and it brightens as the teacher comes near. She lets out a small cry, seeing what had falled upon them.
The city has been completely burned down. It seemed like the schoolhouse was the only building left standing. Looking out at the ruins, there were still visible fires, flickering. There was no sight of any soldiers. The sun was rising, illuminating the glowing flames. One by one, the remaining children started getting up, groaning and complaining.
The teacher feared that help was, in fact, not coming. The children were worried, seeing their teacher’s long, nervous expression. Some whimpered and others cried at the sight of their ruined city.
“Okay, children,” she finally says, after a long silence, “Pack up your things. We don’t know when we’ll need to go or where.”
Hope steps up, hesitantly. “Why do we have to go? Where can we go? Is there any place safe anymore?” she asks, sounding a bit panicked.
“Now, Hope,” she responds, “We just have to go on and try to find something or someplace. Anything would be better than the conditions we’re in right now. There’s not a better solution.”

Word War with @abbieb1266
5 minutes
Prompt: No one’s been outside the city walls in several hundred years. A girl sneaks out and what she finds shocks her.
566 words

Thirteen year old Malia White snuck out of her house in the middle of the night. She knew she wasn’t supposed to be doing this but she couldn’t help herself. Her friend had told her a rumor that the world outside her city walls wasn’t as bad as everybody was told it was, that there was other life outside the city walls and that everyone inside the city was simply being contained there and lied to. She knew it as a stupid thing to do, but she couldn’t help herself, she had to know if there was really anything more than the life she was living now. Of course, she loved her life! She was happy with friends, a good family and a wonderful school life as well. But sometimes, she couldn’t help but wonder if maybe there was something more out there… That maybe there was more to life than school and work… That there were places full of real nature, not just the artificial stuff made by the government to give people a taste of what the world used to be like. On the other hand however, another smaller part of her wanted to believe everything she had ever been taught about this city. That it was the only safe haven left in the world after a third world war had completely decimated all the land on earth because of so many b0mb!ngs of nuclear proportion. That really, this was all there was to life. And why would she want to believe that, well because it made her life so much simpler then if she really had been lied to all of her life, if there really was another place out there and she had to go and figure it all out. Regardless of her suspicions however, Malia continued on walking through the streets in the d3ad of night until she reached the city wall, she looked to her left and right to make sure that there were no patrols coming her way. And then, before she could talk herself out of it, Malia started scaling the wall. She was dressed all back so it would be harder to see her, still she wanted to be fast so that there wouldn’t be any patrols coming by while she was climbing. Once she reached the top she first looked out over the city she had grown up in, marveling at the beauty of it all. There were only a couple of lights that were allowed to be left on at night, and it looked like stars in a sea of darkness. After staring for a few minutes, Malia turned around so that her back was to the city, wondering if she was about to see some barren wasteland that proved everything she’d been taught from a young age. But she didn’t. What she saw amazed her. It was a river. A real river! And there were real trees and real grass all around! And animals! Animals she had only read about in her textbooks! They were real! And as much as she loved seeing the outside world for the first time, a small thought grew in the back of her mind… She and her entire family and all her friends and everybody that she knew. They’d been lied to. There was no wasteland outside the city walls. But why? Why were they lied to?
(566 Words)

3/8/22 - SWC daily
Story, continued from @Stormy_Brook
(@Stormy_Brook ‘s part) Do you ever wonder if maybe, just maybe, happiness is some kind of hoax that doesn’t really exist? Like it's just made up, some sort of trick to get us where we’re supposed to go but we’ll never get there?
I don’t know. I’m probably just being ridiculous, like usual. My mother says she’s happy. My father says he’s happy. The thing is I’m not sure if I can believe them. If they were content the way things were, then why didn’t they act that way?
School’s starting back up in a week. That means that my tutor, Ms. Wilson has been quizzing me more than usual. “See?” she says, whenever I do a good job. “Won’t you be happy when you go to school and you’re smarter than all the other kids?” I never correct her when she says that. Whenever I don’t do as well, she squints at me through her glasses and then just shakes her head disappointedly.
Maybe I will be happy if I’m the smartest in the grade. Maybe that’s all I have to do. It’s easier said than done. My parents are sending me to a private school, the kind that you either have to be really smart or really rich to get into.
_______

(my part) I guess they want me to be both. I don’t bother saying anything. According to all my mom’s “when I was your age” rambles (as if she could relate her teenage experiences from 40 years ago to her teenage experiences now), or my dad’s big-fish talks about what he did when he was my age, school is either going to be a socially awkward nightmare or some grand, storybook-style adventure. Is it wrong that I don’t want either?
I’ve always been viewed as the perfect kid, or the rich kid. Most of the time, it’s both. But what if… I was neither? What if I was just normal? What if… I could be the person I wanted to be? Have the only person I wanted to impress be myself?
Every year on my birthday, I make a wish. I’ve never told anyone. Ever. I guess I’m scared that, if I tell anyone my deepest dreams, they’ll float away with the ocean currents.
Each year, our chef brings out my perfect cake. It’s three-tiered; a light, fluffy vanilla cake with rosy frosting and little flower petals decorating the top. The words “happy birthday, Sara” are iced on it. My cake is the same every year.
As I blow out the candles, I close my eyes and wish, as hard as I can.
I wish for a new life.
One time, at school, we had a substitute teacher. He didn’t really care about his job. I get it; I don’t care about my life. We were kindred spirits. Instead of teaching us current events, like he was supposed to, he hooked Disney+ up to the projector and we watched Soul. I’m not really interested in movies, but the idea of getting to start over again seemed nice to me.
It would be nice to become a new person. Not perfect Sara, not rich Sara, just regular Sara. Sara who has friends, Sara who gets mostly A-’s and B’s, Sara who gets Hershey bars out of the vending machine at school. Sara whose parents are busy all the time but still love her, and sit at the table with her every evening for a family dinner.
I could go on. I imagine my new life every night, when I try to fall asleep. In my new life, I have a friend group. There’s drama, but we always come through in the end. There’s Melody, the overdramatic theater kid; Jason, who is obsessed with his phone and has bad acne because his hair is always in his face; and Libra, who reads altogether too much and collects action figures. Together, they’re the best friends I’ll never have.
A bird cawing outside awakens me from my daydream. “This is pointless,” I mutter. “If there’s one thing that life has taught you, it’s that dreams are pointless. No matter how good they seem, they’re not real. You always wake up.”
Word count: 484
New total: 9586

Hi! This is the first chapter of a story I started last year but never finished. The grammar is SO. BAD. and I promise I'm better about it now. Anyways enjoy!

Chapter 1
Barriss Offee had not seen the sky in nearly five years. That was better than most on Coruscant. She was one of the lucky ones, who could remember the way air pollution had turned the clouds unnatural colors, and how streams of traffic created enough white noise to make one go deaf. Even more faintly she remembered Mirial, where there was no pollution at all, where her family had made a living harvesting the reeds from the swamps, where everyone had what they needed and nothing more, where all were happy and carefree. Sometimes, when sleep wouldn’t come, Barriss went back to those times. Everything seemed easier then. There was no war, nothing threatening her planet other than the bugs that ate the trees. Barriss wondered about her family. Did they miss her? Did they know what had happened? Did they care? Barriss remembered her family was a caring one. Or, at least, she told herself they were. Sometimes that was all one could do. She walked over to the ray shield keeping her in the prison cell. Careful not to touch the glowing surface, she looked out into the rows of prisoners like her. Many of them had been there when she arrived, most likely they had a life sentence and would be there until the Imperial prison was low on space. Barriss wondered how long it would be until she was killed in an “accident” to make room for more criminals. She knew that if she hadn’t been imprisoned, she would have been killed a long time ago. Though nobody had told her exactly what happened, she had picked up various rumors and bits of gossip from her previous cellmates. A stormtrooper walked by her cell. “Hey you,” he said. Barriss ignored him. “You! I’m talking to you.” Barriss moved to the bench on the back wall of the cell, and looked at the trooper, in an unblinking gaze she knew the Imperials found creepy. “Oh forget it,” the stormtrooper sighed, “I’m late for kitchen duty as it is.” He walked away. Barriss listened to the rhythmic clacking of his duraplast armor. It was familiar to that of the clones’ marching, but at a slightly different pitch. That was due to the different type of armor. The clones, Barriss knew, had worn stronger material, but the Empire had switched to the more flimsy stuff to save a few credits on manufacturing. Barriss sat on the cool, hard metal of the bench. Crossing her legs, she closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Meditation was next to the only thing keeping Barriss sane. The prison guards treated her well enough, the real danger for Barriss was herself. Barriss had never really understood the war, and it seemed nobody else had, either. She also didn’t understand why the senators were letting it happen while living, breathing, soldiers were dying out on the field. If they’d listened to her, maybe the madness could have been stopped, the emperor killed but nobody seemed to hear her calls. Barriss had thought that maybe she could’ve gotten someone to take action back then, but what was one voice of reason against the chaotic babble of the Republic senate? So she had gone about things a different way. At first, she knew her intentions were pure. Cause an explosion. Get caught. Tell her story while testifying to the senate. But somehow, nothing had gone as planned. Ahsoka had gotten mixed up in business that wasn’t hers, and then Barriss had found herself deep, deep in the well of the dark side, letting anger and hurt for the lives lost change the plan. Now, nothing would be the same. Barriss took some small comfort in the fact that her actions, no matter how rash, had saved both her and Ahsoka’s life in the long run. She knew that Ahsoka had been involved in some skirmish on Mandalore, gossip that she’d picked up from a Mandalorian cellmate who had been released a few years ago to serve the Empire. Some days, Barriss was worried the Empire would come to her cell and execute her, like they did to the other Jedi. Nobody ever did. It was like she didn’t exist. Barriss dove past the memories of the explosions, of the battles, of the Jedi, past everything. This was a form of meditation that was hard for most Jedi to achieve. Normally there was too much going on for anyone to get to this state. Barriss had a lot of practice, though. Not like there was anything else to do. She sat there, moving through the memories until she reached the very, very bottom. Here, there was nothing. Then, she heard something. “Is anyone there?” It was Ahsoka’s voice. “I sense someone. Who are you?” Barriss stayed silent. Ahsoka wouldn’t want to know Barriss was alive. “Please,” Ahsoka’s voice said. “Am I the only one left? Who are you?”
Barriss drew out of her trance. She had heard enough.

“You…”
“Uh-huh.”
“But that–”
“Yep.”
“So then–?!”
“In all probability? Yes.”
“No.“ Terra slipped down the wall, falling into a crouch with her arms over her head. ”You know how much they monitor everything in the Eighth Realm. What could've happened– what could still happen–“
”Terra, it was about time they knew I existed! Look at this.“ Bryn waved a hand at the steel-grey walls of the hideout. ”Maybe we're safe here; maybe we'll always be safe here, but that doesn't mean I want to stay here forever.“
”I know that! But– the Eighth Realm? If you wanted to get out of the hideout, couldn't you have taken the portal– I don't know– anywhere else?“
”Aren't I the older sister here?“
”That doesn't mean I can't worry about you!“
Bryn sighed. ”I'm going to fix the Eighth Realm someday. Defeat that weird queen, everything. Make it safe to live there.“
”I'd figured, but– now they know you're out there. A Manipulator.“
”Maybe they don't. Maybe they missed me. I got back here, right?“
”I know. And I'm glad you're okay. I'm just– It's– I'm going to my room.”
Pushing herself to her feet, Terra ducked through one of the three doors that branched off from the hideout's central room.
Alone in the windowless space, Bryn stared at her hands.
I knew the risks, she told herself.
And it's not like I wanted to go there. I randomized the portal. Because at that point–
Anywhere was better than here.
She couldn't let her eyes leave her fingers. If she did, she'd have to look at the dull sharpness of the one place where she could be safe.
Carefully, she directed a small spark of thought down to her fingers. It slipped into the air like an impossible raindrop up a windowpane, and the space it touched twisted. The outlines of her hands warped and blurred until, with a hush of blankness in her mind, reality calmed.
Manipulator or no, Terra's voice whispered in her thoughts, the Eighth Realm is dangerous.
I know, she told it. But someday I'm getting out of here for good.
In her own room, Terra lay flat on her mattress, staring up at the metallic ceiling. A leftover shudder rippled through her body.
What if they come looking for her? They can't find us here, but she won't stay here.
What do I do if she's not here to protect me?
And why do I care about that when I'm so scared for her?

by @Figurative_Wings

———

The Eighth Realm was dangerous. Terra knew that. Especially after it had taken her sister. Seduced her with promises of freedom, when all that would ever happen there was death.
Terra hated it. She hated it with every fiber of her being that wasn’t consumed by cold, tear-stained grief. And the hatred burned red-hot, blurring her vision like the tears that wouldn’t come anymore, because she had nothing more to give.
So why was she going there?
That was a good question. One perhaps better left unasked, or Terra might punch something.
Yet she was asking it of herself.
Between punches against the hard, stone wall, each blow causing wet, warm blood to flow down her knuckles, she remembered.
She remembered pain.
I can control it! Bryn’s voice cried in her mind. So hopelessly naive. So stupidly ignorant.
No, you can’t! A younger Terra yelled, tears sliding down her cheeks. You can’t! No one can. That’s why they have to!
Then you have to let me escape, Bryn said forcefully, turning away sharply and crossing her arms over her chest. Her voice sounded choked, but Terra hadn’t noticed that at the time. Perhaps it was her memory playing tricks on her. She didn’t know. And she never would.
I can’t do that, Terra replied, wiping away the tears.
She couldn’t. But Bryn hadn’t listened. She had thought the only way to safety was the path to death. How ironic that it sometimes looked that way.
Terra collapsed to the floor, real Terra, clutching her injured hands to her chest. The tears still wouldn’t come, but she didn’t much care. Too much of her was angry at Bryn to cry anymore.
Angry, and yet she still felt that sharp, cold terror crushing her chest, making her breaths come in short gasps.
She had to be sure, had to be sure Bryn was gone. Because if she gave up on her now . . . well, she didn’t know what she would do with herself. It would be just as torturous as if she knew Bryn was dead, because it was her own fault she wasn’t strong enough to find out.
And it was better to die together than alone.
Fear continued constricting her like an anaconda coiled around its prey, but Terra quickly beat it back. She didn’t have time to be afraid just then.
She’d need all the courage she could get to find Bryn. To survive in the Eighth Realm, where she’d once promised never to set foot.
Ironic, that she was going there of her own free will.
Sometimes the path to death really looked the safest.
Terra laughed, but it was humorless, dry, sharp, empty.
Just like her “haven” was without her sister.
She had to do this, she knew. Sometimes it was hard to convince herself of that, though.
She had to. Terra pushed herself to her feet, her hands still stinging from the abrasions in her skin.
Darkness crowded a lone corner of the hideout, darkness that was more than shadow. Darkness that simmered with ancient power that Terra couldn’t control, that Bryn couldn’t control, that no one could control. Warped space with electric jolts of red and yellow and white sparking all around it.
Terra took a deep, steadying breath as she faced the portal.
“I’m coming, Bryn. I’m coming,” she said and stepped into the Eighth Realm.
Darkness engulfed her, and the last thing Terra heard was Bryn’s echoing shout of escape.

+577 words

Word War with Seren
“I close my hands and open them but something was there that wasn't before.”

Written by Wari
169 words

“I close my hands,” Kira told her little brother, “and open them.”

She did so, opening her hands to reveal a small golden coin. “But something’s here!”

Tyler’s eyes went wide as he stared at her in disbelief and awe. “That wasn’t there before! How did you do that?”

“A magician never reveals her secrets!” Kira beamed, handing him the coin.

“And now, for my next trick,” she announced, “I’ll make flowers appear out of thin air!”

Tyler watched her reverently, giving her his complete attention.

Kira stood with a flourish, waving her hands around. “Say the magic words,” she sing-songed.

“Abracadwaba!” Tyler exclaimed, muddling the pronunciation a bit.

With a sweep of her arm, Kira pulled the collapsible bouquet out of her sleeve, timing it just right so it would appear in her hand. “Ta-da!”

Tyler clapped, filled with enthusiasm. “Again! Again!”

“A magician never performs the same trick twice! You’ll just have to wait until next time!” Kira told him, handing the flowers to her adoring fan.

Daily 8

Part 1 (by @clarem12)
I walk down the corridor quietly. Torches line the walls, illuminating the passageway with dim light and casting tall shadows across the cobblestone walls. I keep a firm grip on my scroll and pull the hood of my cloak over my face. If I am being followed I do not want my pursuer to know who I am. Well I don't want them to know what I look like, if they have found me all the way down here it’s likely they would know all my allies. I pretty much have the word retromagus written all over me and if their knowledge isn’t enough my looks will be. I am all over wanted posters and my clothing is quite distinctive.
I pick up my pace, walking as fast as I can around a bend. I stop abruptly to search and listen for anyone hiding but all I can hear is the quiet scatter of mice. I walk over to a divot in the wall and take one last look of my surroundings before pressing my fingertips onto a grey stone. It looks almost identical to the ones around it, only a little larger which is what gives it away to me. It moves back into the wall and I move my hand away. “Yawetag Nepo” I whisper under my breath and the wall slides away. A low groan echoes around the room as the stones scrape together eventually coming to a stop. I squeeze through the new opening, just able to fit before making it into a small room. “Esolc” I say with a confident whisper, flicking my hands together. The opening begins to close, causing similar scraping noises until it once more looks the same as before I had touched it.
I wait for a few minutes in the dark room. The air is stale and cold. I read over the scroll making sure I am in the right place. Of course it would be almost impossible for me to be in the wrong place but it takes my mind off the time.
I don't get to ponder on it for long though because soon there is a flash from the corner of the room. I lift up my arm to shield my eyes and let them adjust to the new light in the room. A room with a man standing in the corner, a man I have never seen.

Part 2 (by me)
I flinch back, my fingers scraping against the stones behind me. Why do they all look the same from the back? Why, why did it have to be so much easier to find my way into this trap than out of it?
Because it must have been a trap, all of it. What other reason is there for this other person to be here, this man in his stiff wool uniform the color of ashes?
The color of the Guards.
And how could I have been so oblivious? I’m not supposed to be the one who trusts, the one who goes down still thinking everything is fine. I’ve lost more than any ally I’ve ever known, so why would I trust?
And yet here I am, sealed in a room with a Guard (dizzy-looking, but recovering fast) and a scroll whose promises I actually believed.
“Get back,” I snarl at the man as he blinks at me. I brace myself against the stone hollow—maybe I can still get the wall open again if I happen to be touching the right stone. Maybe I can cast a word or two of magic to drive this guy back first. Maybe—
“Don’t hurt me!”
I blink at him. He’s actually cowering, his hands far away from the sword at his belt. I suppose he is facing a strange cloaked figure deep in the city’s abandoned tunnels, but last I checked (two days ago, another attempted arrest—I still have bruises) the Guards weren’t formed to squeal at signs of danger.
“Who recruited you?” I ask him. “And why?”
“Classified,” he says, barely audible.
“Oh, shocking.” I mutter “Yawetag Nepo” again, but the wall stays steady behind me. “How about this: you drop that sword and tell me how you guys got your hands on retromagic, and I’ll think about leaving you alone.”
“R-retro…?”
“Come on—we both know common magic can’t teleport a person. What poor person cast those words? And why’d the Guards make them do it just to send you?”
His face clears. “L-lady Dahlia did the magic. No one made her—I doubt anyone could.”
My hand clenches around the scroll. Lady Dahlia—supposedly the only noble who’s ever opposed the Guards. A powerful ally, if she really was on your side. And also the person who gave us these instructions, promising a perfect way to take down the Guards forever. The one who definitely did not tell me she could do retromagic herself. The one who betrayed me.
Unless…
I look back at the stranger. His hands shake as he pulls off his scabbard and drops it in the middle of the floor, just like I told him.
“You’re not a real Guard.”
For the first time, something flares in his eyes. “I will be! Until we can defeat them all, at least!”
“This is Dahlia’s perfect plan? An inside person who’s scared to hold his own blade?”
“I told her it was a bad idea. She went on and on about how every other spy tries to blend in, so I’ll look more trustworthy if I stand out…”
“She’s crazy,” we say at the same time.
He still looks tense, but he almost smiles. “Well, that and she hoped she’d have your help. I mean—your group—it’s not like I got your name—”
I’m not supposed to trust. I know I will regret this.
But I pull back my hood.

Daily #8, Part 2:
Continued on from story by: @-redredrobin-
-redredrobin-'s story: https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/topic/582424/?page=53#post-6100396
Notes: Not my best work (I'm currently sick)

Nobody is coming. I can feel it. The trees are still coated with the black leaves that I know shouldn’t be there. I am still sitting on the tire swing, but the sun is high in the sky. I try not to lose hope, but I have been waiting hours and the only living things I've seen are birds. Despite everything, a small part of me wishes that my tree still bore its black leaves. At least then I could be with my family, instead of sitting pointlessly in bed and trying not to panic. At least then I wouldn't be on my own. Because right now I am sure that my parents aren’t just going to come walking over to my tree. I am certain that I will never see anyone from my village again. I am pretty sure I knew that about 2 hours ago, but right now it feels real. So, so, so real and all I want to do about it is cry. I have bigger things to worry about though. I need food and water and I need to check the town just in case someone is still there. I look out to the ocean one more time then make my way towards the village. The closer I get, the more I realize how quickly I need to move. The nights in this town are cold, and it would be dangerous without the Gatekeepers warding away all the beasts that prowl the forests at night. My house might not be enough to protect me from the claws and teeth of the wild, so my only hope is City Hall. Unlike the houses, it has thick brick walls and iron doors. It can protect me. Another plus is that it has running water, but I know that they don’t store food there. If I was going to hole away there I would need to make multiple trips for food and as long as it would take I didn’t have any other options.

I started off running. Bringing every edible item I could find from houses to the doors of the City Hall. I quickly realize that I should only collect food that will keep well. It saves me time, but it still takes about 4 hours until I am satisfied with my work. All I need to do now is set up a camp. I choose the kitchen and place a mattress and sleeping bag on the floor before checking all the windows and doors in the building to make sure they are locked. All I have to do now is wait out the night.

439 words

Daily #8
Part 1
Part 2

~March 8th~
Main Cabin Daily
Word count: 425 (not counting the italics/the original)
Main Post: https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/post/6081187/

Anacleta clung desperately to the splintered driftwood floating haphazardly in the dark, brackish water. Her feet were paddling wildly below the surface and she was certain the leather buckle-up shoes adorning her feet were not assisting in her struggle in the least. The blue gown she had been subjected to wear was quickly soaking up the water around her, weighing her down all the more.

The bright-orange glow of fire hauntingly painted the murky water with the same intense hues. Anacleta stared in horror as the wooden ship, her last savior, burned as it slowly sunk into the obscurity of the churlish water. Wreckage floated past, inanimate victims of the same tragedy. There was a distressed yell and Anacleta did her best to face the owner of the voice, yet her own circumstances were already daunting enough. However, still determined to help the caller, Anacleta quickly clasped on to the nearest floating object. This happened to be a splintery, charred piece of the ship.

Grasping desperately to the board in one hand, Anacleta promptly tried to unbuckle and slip off the shoes on her feet, The other survivor’s voice echoed over the water again, burning a fire in her soul and prompting her to move even quicker. The first shoe eventually released it’s hold on her foot and sank deeper into the dark water. The second shoe followed soon after. With a little bit more mobility and still clinging to the broken plank of wood, she began to paddle toward the source, her gaze flickering nervously toward any unfamiliar motion.

She hated the unknown.

She paddled her best, but she had only swam once before in her life.

Like five hours before.

Of course, she had no sense of time, now that it felt like it was standing still one moment and rushing by the next.
She called out. “Hello?”
“Pirates!!” Shouted the voice. It was feminine and high pitched, with a watery, nasal quality. The watery part was probably from almost drowning.
Anacleta already wanted to turn back. But what if that person was killed? That would seriously cause some problems. She kicked her feet, and the splashes were, definitely, the loudest sounds she’s ever heard.
Sure enough, as she got closer, she could see the pirate ship. She saw someone going aboard, and as she started to swim away, there were loud cries as she was spotted, and someone pointed a gun at her.
A deep, husky voice shouted to her. “Swim towards us or I will shoot!”
She cursed and wondered whether or not to risk it. She tried paddling away, but a moment later, there was a hole in her board way too close to her hand.
“Last chance, girl! I won’t miss again.”
Anacleta believed him.

Once on board, Anacleta could see that there was something seriously wrong with the pirates. One of them wore double eyepatches and had snakes for hair. Another was a seemingly normal looking man, but he had scars that looked like venom had dripped onto his face and corroded the flesh. She desperately hoped that she also didn’t see a snake slither in and out of his jacket.
“Welcome aboard.” Said a snarling man, the one who had held the gun. “Ares, god of war, and I am in no way in your service.”
Anacleta looked at the other girl. She seemed young, 12 to 14. Her red hair was slick and wet, and she had her hands tied behind her back.
Anacleta turned towards Ares. “What have you done to the ship? Where are my parents?!”
“What parents?” The man with the snake in his coat scoffed.
The snake woman hissed at me, “Child, you are the sole survivor of the wreck. We did nothing to cause it.”
The man elbowed her in the ribs. “Medusa, there are two.”
Anacleta could basically hear the eye roll from Medusa.
“Anyways, child.” Ares cut in, “We are, as you can see, a tad short staffed. If you and the girl value your lives, I’d suggest you go down to the hold and pick up a broom.”