Welcome to the writing collection of yours truly for SWC…
While you probably are not gonna read half of this junk… feel free to actually read some of it! I appreciate all the time you wasted here!

Weekly #1

Part 1 (912 words)

Keefe Reference Sheet (218 words)
Strengths: Loyal, great listener, able to make others laugh even when things are hard
Weaknesses: Impulsive, often hides emotions, tries to do things on his own, ignores advice
Relationships:
Mother: actually, cares about her even if she’s terrible to him. Also trying to stop her and is angry with her.
Father: Pranks him often, dislikes him and gives him a hard time.
Ro: Bodyguard who he has trouble listening to. They like to make bets.
Sophie: Obviously likes her but sadly she doesn’t know.
Friends: He really cares for them and doesn’t want his mom to hurt them.
Fitz: His best friend but they have mini fights sometimes when it comes to Sophie. (Fitz is just way too possessive and weird)
Tam: They are kind of the same but they each refuse to anknowledge that. Always fighting and there’s obvious dislike for “Bangs Boy”

Tendencies:
-Tends to act rashly without thinking when he’s mad.
-To rely on himself.
-To joke to cover up real feelings.
Situations:
Mother attacks people: Will try to solve the problem by himself. Probably run off and do something stupid. Will not care about self over friends. Will blame himself for any trouble caused (even if he didn’t do it)
Helping others:
-Always helps his friends.
-Seems to put his friends’ well-being above his.

Scenario: your character has just been framed for something they didn't do (673 words)

“What did you do this time!?” Sophie yelled loudly, nearly causing Keefe to flinch.
Of course, he pretended that everything was fine… when in truth, he was really shaken up. “Relax, Foster,” he said in a slow drawl, “Everything’s gonna be fine. It was just a misunderstanding anyways.”
Sophie looked at him with eyes that could melt his heart, “If everything is so ‘fine’ then why are you shaking?”
Keefe looked at her and before he could stop himself all of his emotions came spilling out. “I don’t want to get arrested! I’m too young to go to prison!” He grabbed her arms and shook her in panic, “They don’t have any hair products in prison!”
She rolled her eyes and shoved him, “Seriously, Keefe. How’d you get arrested anyways?”
“I dunno! I didn’t do anything. I’m innocent I tell you!” he yelled, giving a spiteful look to the guard at the door- he really wanted to punch the guy. “One minute I’m doing my hair and admiring my reflection, and the next, the authorities are at my door. They literally dragged me here without my consent. I didn’t even do anything.”
“You’ve said that a million times,” Sophie pointed out with a groan, “But you obviously did something, or we wouldn’t be here!”
“I’m telling you it was Bangs Boy!” Keefe exclaimed. “He’s never up to any good.”
“Leave Tam alone, he didn’t do anything!”
“And how do you know that?” Keefe challenged. He was pretty sure Tam didn’t set him up, but it was nice to blame someone.
“Because Tam isn’t mean like that! I still don’t get why you guys hate each other when you’re so alike.”
“That’s just the problem! I’m supposed to be the one who has amazing hair and daddy issues, but then the guy just waltzes in and steals my role! Also, he’s so smug that I want to punch his face whenever I see him. That… and chop of those idiotic bangs.” He looked at Sophie who was looking at him strangely, “Oh, uh… sorry…”
“Anyways,” Sophie said, changing the subject- for which he was grateful for- “Why’d you call me anyways out of all people?”
“Cause I trust you, Foster,” Keefe said. Even without looking at her, he could tell her face was probably a bright shade of pink. Her emotions were always so vivid and clear when compared to those of others.
He watched as Sophie played with the hem of her dress, “When you called me and said you got arrested, I thought you were pranking me again,” she mumbled.
“Yet you still came?” Keefe whistled, “Wow, you must really like me, Foster.”
She shoved him again, this time harder. “Oh please, someone had to save your bacon!”
“Sophie Foster, elves are vegetarians,” Keefe scolded, trying his best to ignore the emotions that slammed into him. She was obviously flustered. She acted like she was cool and that it was no big deal, but Keefe could feel her emotions. That was something she always seemed to forget. It was nearly impossible for her to completely hide her emotions from him. Not that he would tell her- that would ruin the fun.
Sophie let out a sigh, once again trying to pretend to act cool. It was honestly kind of cute. “Keefe, why are you joking around again? We’re supposed to be figuring out how to make sure you don’t go to prison!”
Keefe smirked, “Don’t worry about that, I have a plan!”
“What’s your plan?” she asked suspiciously.
“Once the guards see how good-looking, I am, they’ll obviously have no choice but to let me free!”
“Seriously Keefe, that’s your plan?”
He nodded, “Yeah, that’s the only plan I had in mind. Do you have any ideas?”
This time, it was her turn to nod, “Yes, I think I do!”
Keefe smirked again, “This plan better be good or else we’ll just stick with mine.”
Her reaction was the same as always. He smiled to himself. Never change, Foster. Never change!

Part 2 (996 words)

Keefe (108 words)
Keefe is an overall prankster who uses jokes and laughs to hide his true emotions. When he’s angry, he often lets his anger and stress build up, rather than confide in others. But he’s slowly learning to change. He makes rash decisions and often puts the safety of his friends (especially Sophie) before his own. It is hard for him to rely on others, especially adults, because of how his parents treat him. He pretends to be all strong when really, he’s broken inside. But even if he’s hurt, he always brings laughter onto the team, and even if he makes mistakes, he’s a friend worth keeping.
Sophie (125 words)
Sophie is kindhearted and will most likely help you if you’re suffering. People are generally drawn to her (hence the large number of people she has recruited). Sophie is not afraid to speak up for what is right, even if it means disrespecting the adults to do so. Once a friend is in danger, it is hard to convince her to think rationally. She will run into danger to save a friend, often not really caring for her own wellbeing. She also tends to drag others into her drama… although that isn’t really her fault. Oh, and she’s completely oblivious to how others feel, especially when it comes to their feelings for her. She literally has a million boys after her but doesn’t even notice!

Keefe (415 words)
I glanced out of the window and sighed. Foster wasn’t mad at me, right? I could’ve just misread her emotions. I mean, isn’t that what they always say: strong emotions are easy to misinterpret?
I knew I was making lame excuses to myself. I mean, she was obviously mad at me- it didn’t take an empath to figure that out. It was just that I wasn’t exactly sure what had happened. One minute we were talking with each other, laughing and having fun. It was Team Foster-Keefe at its finest. But then I said something and she got angry…
I think I mentioned Fitz. Which just proves what a jerk I am. I mean, I know things are a little awkward between them, so why’d I have to bring him up?
I’m pretty sure I know the reason… Fitzy has been my best friend for a while. But there’s one thing that I cannot ignore… his feelings for Sophie. Yeah, I’m an empath but, I don’t need to read his emotions to know that he obviously likes her. And yeah, I kept quiet about it, even though I knew Sophie liked him back. Her emotions are literally always crashing into me like a huge rock wall. I’m not complaining but just once it would be nice if I didn’t have to know that the girl I liked basically was crushing on someone else.
So yeah, it may seem selfish, but when she and Fitz were going through their whole fighting phase, I couldn’t help but feel a little relieved. I’m sorry, but I knew from the beginning that the Fitzphie ship was just not gonna sail. I mean, I love Foster, she’s so amazing and strong and… you know… but at least I’m not like Fitz who probably believed he was perfect for her. I bet he thought she would listen to everything he said since he’s a Vacker. Hey, I’m not being mean, that’s just how my buddy Fitz thinks. People think I’m full of myself- and yeah, maybe sometimes I am- but Vacker pride, something Fitz is full of, is something on a totally different level. Anyways, I have never once thought that I was perfect for Sophie. Sure, I like her, but that doesn’t mean I’m worthy of her, you know? Sometimes she’s just so oblivious that I wanna grab her and shake her until she finally notices me. But until then… I’ll just be there for her… oh and maybe apologize?

Sophie (348 words)
“Keefe!” I yelled, throwing my pillow across the room. Why did he have to bring up Fitz? We were having fun and enjoying ourselves when all of the sudden he mentioned the last person I wanted to think of. FITZ!
“AAAAAAAGH!” I screamed, faceplanting onto my bed.
“Everything okay in there?” Grady called from outside of my door.
“Uh yeah,” I said, trying to sound more normal and less like my angry self, “Everything’s good!”
“Hey, did I hear the name Keefe?” Grady said.
I groaned inwardly, “No, Keefe isn’t here!” I waited until I heard Grady’s footsteps sounded far from the door before, I let out a loud groan.
I kinda felt bad for yelling at Keefe… I mean, he was only asking a question out of concern for me… right? That’s what a good friend would do… right?
Then why did it seem that he seemed a little relieved when I told him that Fitz and I hadn’t really made up or talked to each other yet? Maybe I was just imagining things? I mean, Keefe wasn’t the type to laugh at the fact that his friends were fighting, so what other reason was there for him to be relieved?
Unless…
I shook my head quickly; the only other explanation I could think of was impossible.
Maybe Keefe was relieved because he liked me? I felt my cheeks redden as I thought of that possibility, then instantly scolded myself. Why was I blushing when Keefe wasn’t there? Plus, why would ever even think about liking a plain, weird brown-eyed elf like me? I wasn’t even really pretty like Biana, and he made it obvious that he didn’t like her.
“There must be another reason,” I said aloud. I wanted to ask him, but just the thought of doing that scared me.
Edaline’s voice brought me back to reality. “Sophie, Keefe’s here!” I froze, why did he come ten minutes after I had just yelled at him? Was he here to apologize?
Telling myself to act calm, I stood up and made my way to see Keefe…

Part 3 (1629 words)
Narrative Tropes- Crossover- Hurt/Comfort- Alternate Universe
I will be mixing Star Wars + Keeper of the Lost Cities

“Keefe, wake up!” a voice called, dragging me from one nightmare to the next.
I forced open my eyes, to see the face of Sophie foster looking down at me. “You were having another nightmare I think…”
I rubbed my eyes tiredly, “Life’s a nightmare,” I mumbled.
“Hey, don’t say that!” Sophie scolded, slapping my arm lightly, “at least we have each other!”
“And what a wonderful group of people we are,” I said sarcastically as I stood up. I gestured around the room with my hands, “A princess and a prince from a destroyed world, a crazed droid tinkerer, a bounty hunter and his twin sister, some strange scholar from Coruscant, a freaking Jedi, and me, the son of a crazy First Order lady.”
“Yeah, I guess you pretty summed us all up,” Biana said, smoothing her hair.
“I am not strange!” Wylie retorted.
“Yeah, and why’d you call me crazed?” Dex chimed in.
“I’m not really a Jedi,” Sophie said, playing with the hem of her tunic, “Just a force user… I don’t even have a lightsaber.”
“Anyways,” I said, ignoring everyone’s whining, “What I’m trying to say is that I guess we’re all kinda the galaxy’s misfits. The only problem is, me being here is putting you all in danger. My mom is after me, not you!”
“Good point,” Tam said, “So why don’t we just throw you out the airlock? I don’t need your filth on my ship anyways.”
“Tam!” Linh said, grabbing her brother’s arm, “Don’t be mean to Keefe. And it’s our ship, remember? Not yours!”
“So, what if we’re in danger? None of us love the First Order. They have taken something or someone from all of us,” Sophie reminded me.
Fitz and Biana nodded, “They took our planet.”
“They took my business,” Dex said.
“They ruined our family,” Tam and Linh whispered simultaneously.
Wylie scowled, “They took my home and family.”
“They took my family too,” Sophie said, obviously trying not to cry. “You’re not alone.”
The ship shook violently before I could say anything. Tam ran to the cockpit and cursed loudly. “We’re stuck in a tractor beam! That Star Destroyer came out of nowhere!”
I ran to the cockpit as well, trying to ignore my racing heart. But my heart rate sped up even faster as I caught a glimpse of the ship that had us in its hold. “That’s… That’s my mother’s ship!”
Tam looked at me skeptically, “How do you know?”
I gave him an annoyed glare, “I used to spend months on that ship! I know what it looks like!”
Tam returned my glare with his own, “I should’ve just thrown you out the airlock when I had the chance!”
“Guys now isn’t the time to argue!” Sophie said, standing between us. “We need to make a plan.”
“What are we supposed to do?” I asked with a tired sigh, “Fight?”
She grinned at me, “My plan exactly!”
——————
“For the record, I’m not really on board with this plan,” Dex mumbled as we each took our places by the ship’s main entrance.
“Well, it’s too late to change our minds now!” Sophie said, “It’s either this or get captured.”
“Or you never know, this could be a whole misunderstanding,” I joked. “Maybe Mommy Dearest just wanted to invite us to dinner!”
Tam groaned, “We’re probably gonna get captured.”
“Have faith, Tam,” Linh said, taking her brother’s hand and giving it a small squeeze. For a second, I wished I had a sibling or someone that cared about me.
Sophie must’ve noticed the change in my mood because she placed her hand on my shoulder, “We’re in this together,” she whispered, “I’ve got your back!”
“Me too,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
Sophie’s cheeks turned an adorable shade of pink. If I wasn’t so nervous, I would’ve teased her for it.
I heard a strange noise near the door and it took me a second to recognize it, “Guys… back away from the door!” I yelled. Before anyone could react, with a loud BANG, the door was blown off its hinges.
I coughed as smoke filled my lungs and burned my eyes. “Is everyone okay?” It was only a small explosion, and since I was closest to the door, I assumed everyone was fine like I was.
Through the smoke, I could make out stormtroopers making their way up the ship’s ramp. “Guys, if we’re going to fight, we’d better do it soon,” I warned, “Like now, would be great!”
A shot was fired through the smoke, and I saw a stormtrooper go down. I assumed it was Tam since he was supposed to be a skilled bounty hunter.
As the smoke cleared, I reached for my blaster and fired several shots before it overheated.
I heard Sophie suck in a breath as one of her shots hit its mark.
I knew what she was thinking: those stormtroopers were humans just like us. It was hard to shoot living targets without feeling a tiny bit guilty. But it was also reassuring that I at least still had some humanity, unlike my insane, power-hungry mother.
We managed to make it off the ship, carefully navigating around the fallen stormtroopers. But we didn’t make it far until we were surrounded.
Tam, Sophie, Linh, Dex, and I managed to kill a few, but there were just too many. And not surprisingly, Biana, Fitz, and Wylie were absolutely no help at all.
“We have you surrounded!” one of the troopers called out in an overly harsh voice. “Drop your weapons, and put your hands up.”
My friends and I complied. As we did, I heard the unmistakable sound of heels clicking on the hard floor. My heart raced but I willed myself not to look scared, “Mother.”
Lady Gisela, aka, my mom, strode into the hangar, looking pristine and regal as always. She was one of the few high-ranking officers that actually wore a cape. And her ship, Legacy, was just as pristine as her.
“Keefe Sencen,” my mother spat, saying my name like it was a curse. “Did you actually think you could escape me?”
I smirked, “No, I was just playing a glorified version of tag with you. And it looks like you caught me… for now.”
My mom rolled her eyes at me, “Keefe, I can see past your façade, I know you’re terrified.”
I tried to stop myself from shaking.
“Take them all away,” she ordered the stormtroopers. “But leave Keefe with me.”
I watched helplessly as my friends were dragged to who knows where. I couldn't help but think that it was all my fault.
Lady Gisela seemed to understand how I was feeling, “You should’ve never gotten close to others. You’re only harming them.”
“Leave them out of this,” I mumbled, “They haven’t done anything.”
“Hmm… well you should’ve thought of that before you got them involved.”
“Please, I’ll do anything!”
She looked at me, “You sound so pitiful right now. But since you asked so nicely, how about a deal? I’ll set your friends free if you agree to stay with me and train to become a loyal officer of the First Order.”
“Are you serious?” I asked, “I will never serve the First Order.”
“Well then, I hope you’re prepared to watch your friends’ executions. I have some very fun things planned.”
I gritted my teeth, “Fine, I’ll do it… only on one condition.”
She smiled evilly at me, “I knew you’d come around!”
—————————
They’re letting us free?” Sophie asked me as we were escorted back to Tam’s ship.
I didn’t say anything; it was taking all of my willpower not to cry. This was the last time I would see my friends- the only people who had ever cared about me.
“This seems suspicious,” Fitz mumbled, “Where’s the catch? The First Order always plays dirty.”
“There’s no catch,” Lady Gisela said sweetly. I was disgusted with her.
When we got to the ship, all of my friends boarded, leaving me. I swallowed a lump in my throat- they were sure to notice any second now.
It was Sophie who turned around first, “Keefe…?” The confusion in her voice broke my heart. “Why aren’t you boarding the ship?”
Tears filled my eyes and I had trouble holding back my emotions, “I- I can’t come,” I said gently.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“I made a deal with my mom,” I answered, looking away, “You guys are free to go as long as I stay behind.”
Linh and Wylie were also now looking in my direction.
“But we’re a team!” Sophie cried. There were tears in her eyes, “We’re supposed to stick together.”
I step closer to the ship- as close as I dared, “I’m sorry. I- I only bring suffering to our team. You don’t need me. This is what’s best.”
“Enough with the sob fest,” Lady Gisela groaned, “Keefe, you’ve said your goodbyes, now let’s go!”
“NO!” Sophie screamed, outstretching her hand. Something above me shook, and the ceiling beam above me collapsed. I dove away from the fallen metal beam, wincing as a small piece of ceiling hit me on the head.
It was then that I realized that my eyes were scrunched shut. I opened them to find Sophie standing above me, holding out her hand.
“Did you- did you just do that?” I asked, still shaken.
“We’re a team,” she whispered, “I would never leave you behind.”
I took her hand and pulled myself up. I couldn’t hide my emotions anymore. Tears spilled freely from my eyes as I pulled her into a hug.
“You’re bleeding and crying all over me,” she groused.
But I didn’t care… at that moment, everything was right.

Part 4 (422 words)
SWC fanfic

I sat at my desk trying to decide what I would write that day. It was then that I noticed a strange bracelet sitting right in front of my computer. With it was a note that said: You’ve been invited to SWC! I slipped the bracelet on. “What’s SWC?” I asked aloud. I noticed a strange button on the bracelet and pressed it. The world around me blurred and I felt as if I was being flattened into a pancake. I closed my eyes in fear. A few seconds later, the weird sensation was gone!
I opened my eyes to find that I had somehow been transported into a totally different world. “Where am I?” I whispered.
“Oh! I can answer that! This is SWC or Scratch Writing Camp!” a voice said from behind me, making me jump.
I turned around and saw a girl with blue hair and blue eyes. She had a huge grin on her face. “I’m Birdi! And it looks like you’re a part of the Thriller Rift. Come along and meet your cabinmates!”
I followed her through this strange world filled with floating words and weird looking people.
“As I said before, you’re in SWC, a super cool virtual world filled with all sorts of fun characters created by writers, and the writers themselves. There are weekly and daily challenges that I just know you’ll love! Plus, everyone here is super nice!”
“So, this space is a place for writers?” I asked.
“Yes, it doesn’t matter if you’re experienced or just trying out writing for the first time! Everyone is welcome!” Birdi looked at me, “Oh by the way, what should I call you?”
I grinned and said the first thing that came to my mind, “Cookie, call me Cookie!”
“Okay, Cookie, adventure awaits. I can’t wait to see what you’re capable of!”
And with that, Birdi was gone, leaving me in a wonderland filled with words and amazing characters. It was like mixing all of my favorite book series, tv shows, and movies and mashing them all into one amazing world. There were knights and castles, elves and superheroes, and even secret agents.
And what made it even better? I got to fangirl over all of my favorite characters. I mean, who wouldn’t want to see Todoroki, Amajiki, Horace, Halt, Roden, Jaron, Keefe, Tam, Kylo Ren, Rey, Anakin, The Mandalorian, Boba Fett, and so many others all in one place???? (Thank you, fanfic authors! XD)
“This place is amazing!” I said to myself. “I can’t wait to see more!”

Daily 7/8/2022

Lyrics used (messed up from google translate)


If lives can be saved by losing everything
I give up everything that makes me happy
I feel for the first time that I live with this feeling
Don't hide the scars
Desperation will also be my weapon

Swim in those tears, do your best
I give you everything
do not miss
The promise I decided to keep is in this heart…

my life exists and i'm fighting now
because someone risked his life
I'm not afraid of losing anymore
I don't want to give up victory

Power is not about being on top
Reason can seize what is important

even if you lose everything
I will not forget you

I give you everything
do not miss
The promise I decided to keep is in this heart…

Okay… so…. I shall write about these lyric thingies XD
723 words

“Behind you!” Lucien warned.
Remi whipped around and held her sword up just in time to block the fatal slash aimed at her head. Her attacker had a white hood with purple trim, just like every other Order member. His murderous eyes were an icy blue that held no emotions whatsoever.
He was a worthy opponent. Remi found herself struggling to get past his guard. He parried all of her attacks with blinding speed. Every time their swords clashed, she could feel the vibrations all the way up to her shoulder. This wasn’t good, she had to find an opening or in any minute, her arm would be numbed and rendered useless.
She snuck a glance at her friend and travel companion, Lucien; he wasn’t holding up so well either. Returning her attention just in time to parry another attack with crushing force behind it, Remi felt her strength slowly dwindling. This man was obviously way stronger than her, and it didn’t help that she was already tired from the last opponent she faced. It was obvious that they had underestimated the order this time.
The man, parried her attack so quickly, that she was caught off guard. She gritted her teeth in pain as his sword cut into her arm, disarming her. Remi backed away just in time as another attack came a few seconds later.
She realized that if the duel continued to be based on only stamina and strength, she would lose. So, she decided to add a little spice to it. She ducked under a slash that would’ve decapitated her if she’d reacted only seconds later. From her crouched position, she quickly unsheathed a dagger, swinging it at her opponent’s legs before he could react. He sunk to the ground with a pained cry, holding his hand over the injury to just below the knee of his right leg. He looked so pitiful in this position, that Remi decided to spare his life, knocking him out instead of killing him.
She turned to see if Lucien needed help, but he had already finished his opponent. “Well, that was difficult,” he said, flashing her a grin. His eyes strayed to her injured arm, “You, okay?”
She rolled her eyes, ignoring the pain from her arm, “Nothing I couldn’t handle.”
His eyes went to the man that she had knocked out, widening, “Wait- watch out!”
Everything happened so fast. Lucien jumped in front of her before she could react, falling with a sound that made her feel sick to the stomach.
The man, who was supposed to be unconscious, smirked. “You should’ve killed me when you had the chance. Now, your friend is dead because of that mistake.”
Remi threw her dagger at the man, not even caring to see if it had hit its mark. She sunk to the ground, barely able to see through her tears. “Lucien!” She screamed, trying to see where he was injured.
Lucien looked at her, and gave her a pained smile, “You know, I never got to tell you that I… I love you.”
Remi blinked as more tears streamed down her cheeks and into her mouth- they tasted salty. “Lucien, there’s still time. We can find someone to help! Just hold on, please!” she cursed, “Just please don’t die!”
Lucien’s hand, reached for her face, gently tucking loose strands of hair behind her ear. “It’s too late… Remi…”
His hand dropped to his side and Remi clasped it tightly, nearly choking as she felt it grow cold.
He was gone…
And as if the stupid Order couldn’t be annoying enough, more of their soldiers, ran into the room.
“Surrender,” One of them yelled.
Remi rose from where she was sitting, glancing one more time at Lucien’s body. She made her way to her sword, it felt heavy due to her injury. She switched to a two-hand grip on her sword; it didn’t matter whether she was going to make it out of there alive. If she was going to die, she was going to take as many members of the Order as she could with her.
Her heart ached for Lucien and her arm ached from the injury. But she ignored all of her pain. She lunged at the person closest to her, “FOR LUCIEN!” she screamed.
She had nothing left to lose.

Daily 7/9/2022
404 words

Words used
Royal
Pawns
Smear
Stead

Prince Andre Callas grinned evilly at the chessboard in front of him. All of his pawns were in the perfect positions- it was time to make his move. He knocked the king piece off of the board, letting it clatter to the ground. Soon he would be the ruler; not his weak older brother who was a disgrace to the royal family. He would rip the throne from under his brother and rule in his stead. He would bring glory to the Caligo Empire and under his reign, they would conquer the neighboring lands.
“Brother, the regents have arrived,” King Elliot said, striding into Andre’s office. For some annoying reason, he always forgot to knock. He glanced at the chessboard Andre was standing over, “Playing alone again?”
Andre smeared a smile onto his face, trying to hide his disgust, “Yes, the servants are rather boring to play with. The only worthy opponent was father, and he’s gone now.”
Elliot gave him a pitying look, “I miss him as well. Maybe it would help if you actually talked to your counselor about it? I hear you still turn him down whenever he comes.”
Andre fought the urge to roll his eyes. For some reason, Elliot still thought of him as some child. He was seventeen for crying out loud!
But it was best if Elliot underestimated him; it would make it easier to take him down.
“You’re doing it again,” Elliot said, interrupting Andre’s murderous thoughts.
“Doing what?”
He sighed, “That crazy grin thing. Seriously, Andre, you’ve been acting strange ever since father’s death.
Andre frowned, “We all cope with death in our own ways, brother.”
“I guess so…” Elliot said, looking at him sadly, “Sorry for not being there for you after father’s death. I had a lot to do, getting transferred to the throne and all that stuff.”
Andre gritted his teeth as he smiled, “It’s fine, I understand.”
“Anyways,” Elliot said, giving him a sidelong glance, “Come out and greet the regents. It would be best to get to know them since I plan on making you my advisor.” He laughed, “Who knows? Maybe you might be king one day.”
As he left the room, Andre smirked. Elliot had no idea… the throne would be his in only a few short days. But for now, Andre would play nice. After all, his brother only had a few more days left to live…

Daily 7/14/2022

My Character’s Sleeping Habits
601 words

Selina (Main Protagonist): Selina tries to set a specific time for sleep but always gets distracted and ends up going to bed a whole hour after. When she has a lot on her mind, she has trouble sleeping, but other times, she’s so tired from training that sleep comes to her easily.

Kyle (Secondary Protagonist): Kyle used to be able to go to sleep easily, but after learning that his parents were evil, sleep is something that he wishes he could escape to. He has trouble falling asleep because at night time, he is left alone in silent darkness with his thoughts. After being kidnapped, the horrors of his time in captivity make him afraid of the dark and unable to sleep.

Cypress (Main Antagonist): Cypress has trouble falling asleep. Sometimes he’ll spend hours staring at the ceiling before giving up and going outside- usually on the roof- to gaze at the stars. That usually soothes him and eventually helps him sleep. Other times he trains and practices until his body is so exhausted that he can no longer move or think. But when he does fall asleep, he is haunted by nightmares and flashbacks of his hard past, often waking him in sadness or distress.

Sear (Secondary Antagonist): Although Sear’s life was never easy, and he definitely has done some pretty bad things, none of this really affects his sleep. Often exhausted from his day’s duties (he’s an assassin), Sear will fall asleep the minute he hits the pillow. But every night, just as dark hits, Sear always goes to the dark alleyway he grew up in to bring food to the children there. It is only after that, can he sleep soundly, knowing that he helped in some way.

Axel (Side Protagonist): Axel has a bad habit of going to bed late. His excuse is that the best ideas for his inventions usually strike him way past midnight. And of course, once he’s had an idea, he has to record it… and maybe sometimes test it out. But going to bed late doesn’t really affect Axel since he wakes up late as well. And this only hurts him on days he has early missions or school.

Rose (Side Protagonist): Rose needs her beauty sleep, or else she’ll be cranky. Every night, before bed, Rose does her various and tedious skincare routines, finishing off with a face mask. Then she tucks herself in and usually falls fast asleep. And although she goes to bed on time, Rose is definitely not an early riser; wake her up early and you’ll probably get slapped.

Leo (Side Protagonist): Leo loves sports and makes sure to keep his body healthy. So, he always goes to bed on time and wakes up bright and early. If he messes up his schedule due to a sleepover or night job, he easily fixes it.

Kai (Side Protagonist/Antagonist): Kai sleeps easily unless he thinks about being kidnapped.
Marco (Side Protagonist/Antagonist): Marco has trouble sleeping because of how hard life is at home. But he usually is able to ignore his fear and anger, allowing him to rest easy. Although feelings of regret often bombard his dreams.

Naheer (Side Protagonist): When Naheer was with the Visionaries, he had trouble sleeping, often conflicted with what his family was meant to do. But after joining Selina’s team, it was much easier to sleep.

Orion (Side): Orion had trouble sleeping since he doesn’t really have a bed or safe place to stay. He always has to remain wary of his surroundings and sleeps lightly just in case.

Daily 7/15/2022
519 words

From AmazaEevee
A stack of 4 bracelets, 2 coil pink bracelets, one lighter than the other, and two rainbow loom bracelets, one of cool colors and one of warm.

The bracelets sat on the table. I glanced at them and shivered. The two pink ones had been gifted to me by Chloe; of course, that was before she learned that I disliked the color. The other two bracelets were much more special to me. They were made by weaving rubber bands together. One bracelet was made of cool colors, while the other was made of warm colors. They contrasted each other, yet also somehow went well together. But that wasn’t the real reason those two bracelets were special. The real reason made my heart ache every time I thought about it.
The bracelet made of warm colored rubber bands represented me. At the time, I had chosen all the colors that I loved- the ones that reminded me of the times sitting beside the fireplace on a cold winter day. The warm glow of the fireplace and the warm colors of my sweater, and of course, the warm smile on his face.
The bracelet made of cool colored rubber bands represented him. As he chose the colors, he described the beauty of the winter, from the white snow that powdered everything to the crystal icicles that hung from the eaves of people’s houses. And of course, he loved the sky- several times I would catch him looking at it, lost in its big blue beauty.
Although the warm and cool colors were obviously opposites, it was he who pointed out that they were, in a way, also the same. Tears filled my eyes as a fond memory replayed in my head. I remember his soft laugh as I expressed my confusion and his hands when they clasped mine. “Luna, we both like winter,” he said, his eyes sparkling, “I like the cold and beautiful snowscapes while you rather stay inside and enjoy the warm and cozy comforts of home. They may sound like total opposites, but they both have to do with winter. Winter connects us, and strengthens our bond.”
I remember laughing at him, telling him that he was putting too much meaning into the colors of our bracelets. “We just like different things.”
The tears were now streaming down my cheeks, if only I had told him then, just how special he was to me. My mind flashed to another memory, this time of him standing in the snow, his nose pink from the cold. Yet he still smiled, as happy as ever.
I let out a choked sob, Arlo was dead. His bright blue eyes would never be able to stare at the equally bright blue sky, and his curly brown hair would never again get tangled from the winter wind. He would never again smile with his teeth that were as white as snow, of laugh with that beautiful soft laugh.
My eyes lingered on the bracelets before they glanced out the window. Snowflakes fell from the sky, drifting gently in the wind. It snowed the day we met, the day he died, and on the day of his funeral. I blinked back more tears. Why was winter such a beautiful yet painful season?

Empty Hope (SWC Writing Competition Entry)

1519 words
Almost all of Roman’s friends were gone. But they told him that it was a good thing. They was what he called the ones that ran the orphanage.
They told him that he would be adopted soon as well because there was obviously a high demand for children. Roman knew they couldn’t wait to get him off their hands- all the children to be exact. He had no idea why people who hated children were even running an orphanage. But he didn’t care anyways; soon he would have a loving family of his own.
Roman looked up from the book he was reading, just as the door swung open. A young man and woman, both with sandy-colored hair, stepped inside and surveyed the room. The woman’s eyes found Roman and she glanced around confused, “Where’s everyone?” she asked. Her voice was soft and wispy like the wind.
“In the back room,” Roman whispered shyly.
“Are you supposed to be here?”
He shrugged, “They don’t care.”
The woman looked at the man next to her, “Could we speak to whoever is in charge here?”
Roman stood up from the dark corner where he was reading and trudged towards the door at the back of the room. “Two people are waiting in the front,” he called.
Mrs. Cohen, an old and fat lady, strode through the door. She was by far the worst person Roman had ever met. She hated children and always smelled old and stale. “What do you want?” she asked, glaring at the man and woman with obvious distaste. Roman felt bad for Mr. Cohen.
“We were thinking of adopting a child,” the man said, speaking for the first time.
Roman looked up hopefully; those two sounded like nice people. Maybe this was his chance.
Mrs. Cohen sighed, “Well, you’re in luck; we have four brats left.”
“You mean children?” The woman asked.
“What?”
“You said, brats… were you talking about the children?”
“Oh yeah, children. Both words are the same to me,” Mrs. Cohen grumbled.
The man and woman looked at each other again- they seemed to be communicating with their eyebrows. “Could we um… see the children?” the man asked after a full minute of silence.
“Knock yourselves out,” Mrs. Cohen said, leading them towards the back room. “And Roman, you’d better come too.”
Roman quickly followed. This was his chance- he could feel it.

6 years later…
A cold breeze blew Roman’s dark brown bangs into his eyes, blocking his view of the dark alleyway he was observing from his rooftop perch. With a sigh, Roman brushed his hair out of his eyes and continued staring at absolutely nothing. Why did he always have to get the boring jobs?
He had been working for Geo for almost five years now. He was starting to believe he would never be included in the top secret, highly classified jobs the others went on; he was always too young.
Roman’s gaze traveled a little farther down the street to a small graffiti-covered abandoned building- the orphanage he had grown up in. It had closed down four years ago, around a year after he ran away.
The year before he ran away was filled with the hope of being adopted. But every time someone came to adopt a child, he was never chosen. The day the kind man and woman came was the last straw. They had chosen a younger boy, apparently ten-year-old Roman was too old for them. Roman had dedicated the next several months to escaping the orphanage. He had observed everything from the time lights when out to the time Mrs. Cohen went out to get lunch. His efforts paid off one cold December night when Mrs. Cohen forgot to lock the front door and he had been free ever since.
Well… not exactly free. Working for Geo had its perks. He had clothes, food, and shelter, but that was about it. Those who worked for Geo lived in constant fear of disappointing him. And those who ran away were caught and either subjected to brutal torture or never seen again. Geo made sure that everything went his way. Always.
Roman’s thoughts were interrupted by a loud wailing sound that pierced through the silent blanket of darkness. The alarms!
His team had gone over the plan several times: Roman would watch the alleyway by the museum, while the others would go inside and steal whatever Geo’s recent buyer wanted. But obviously, some genius set off the security alarms. Geo wouldn’t be pleased.
Roman grabbed the drainpipe running down the side of the building he was standing on and quickly slid down. He knew he was supposed to stay put on the roof, but it seemed that the others needed help.
The wail of police sirens echoed through the air, making Roman pick up his pace. He ran around the side of the museum and saw the others quickly making their way through the front exit. In each of their hands were small bags, containing whatever they had stolen.
Roman caught the red and blue flashes of police cars quickly coming closer. He sighed; this was going all wrong. The alarms weren’t supposed to go off, the others weren’t supposed to exit through the main doors, and the police weren’t supposed to know anything had happened until the next day. At least they still got whatever they came for.
The others were getting closer; it looked like they were going to make it. Roman started running as well. “Out of my way!” a voice called from behind him. Roman instantly recognized it as Curtis’s voice. Curtis was in his early twenties and for some reason he hated him. “I said move!” Curtis panted. Roman felt him shove him forward with such force that he tripped and fell, hitting his head on something hard.
The world became blurred and the last thing Roman saw was the blue and red flashing lights of a police car.
——————————————————–
Roman opened his eyes and blinked as unfamiliar surroundings slowly came into focus. “Where am I?”
“In prison.”
Roman cursed as he realized he was behind bars. A middle-aged man with streaks of gray hair and a young woman with fiery red hair and freckles stood on the other side.
“Watch your mouth!” the man barked.
“Why am I here?” Roman demanded, the pain in his head suddenly became much more noticeable. Oh, the minute he saw Curtis’s hideous face…
The man laughed, a raspy, ugly sound, “You’re joking right?”
“Commissioner, he’s just a kid…”
The commissioner glared at the woman, “I don’t care if he’s thirteen or sixty. Anyone working for Geo is a low-life criminal.” His glare turned to Roman, “What’s your name kid?”
Roman shrugged; he wasn’t going to say anything.
“Don’t make me come in there and make you talk!”
The woman instantly panicked, “No, we can’t hurt him! He’s just a child.”
The commissioner shrugged, “I’m in charge here; not you, Stella.”
Stella put her hands on her hips and gave the commissioner a stubborn look, “I don’t care! If you break the rules, I will turn you in.” Her expression softened when she looked at Roman. “Now, could you please tell me your name?”
He shook his head.
“Geo can’t hurt you here.”
He shook his head again.
The commissioner sighed, “This is why we do things my way.”
“If you help us, you’ll be free to go,” Stella offered.
Roman perked up, instantly interested, “My name is Roman.”
“Roman what?” The commissioner growled.
Roman only shrugged.
The commissioner let out an exasperated sigh, “Don’t make me come in there!”
“I don’t have a last name. I’m an orphan. I ran away from the orphanage five years ago,” Roman answered through gritted teeth. Reliving his childhood was the last thing he wanted to do.
“And how old are you?” Stella asked, ignoring the commissioner’s pointed glares.
“Sixteen, now what’s this about being free to go?”
“If you can help us take down Geo, then you’ll be free to go,” Stella explained.
“But only if he is taken down,” The commissioner added.
“And if I don’t?”
The commissioner shrugged, “We’ll do it without you. And you can stay in this cell until you rot.”
“We’re offering you a fresh start. A chance many your age would love to have,” Stella said softly.
Roman considered his options. If he agreed to help them, Geo would find out and hunt him down. If he was caught, he would definitely be killed in the most terrible way Geo could come up with. But if he actually succeeded in taking Geo down, then he would be free from his wrath. His other option was to stay in a jail cell until he died from either old age or boredom.
“I’ll help,” he said, after a few more minutes of thinking about his options.
Stella unlocked the cell door and gestured for him to follow her. As he walked, Roman felt something inside of him ignite. Something he hadn’t felt in six years: hope. Hope for a fresh start. Hope for a new beginning of a better life.

Daily 7/16/2022
Two minutes and a half experience
483 words
“You have exactly two minutes and thirty seconds to talk,” Zina said, pressing a blade against Kyle’s neck.
“That’s barely any time to talk!” Kyle whined, wincing as the knife pressed harder into his skin.
“Well then, you’d better start talking,” she said with a shrug, “Your time starts now.”
“Okay fine,” he said, “Once this girl came up to me and started talking about how she was my biggest fan.” He glanced up at Zina for a second, unable to hide his smirk, “By the way, I’m pretty rich and famous. I mean, my mom is a model and my dad is the richest person on Earth. And on top of that, I’m a social media star. I mean, I wouldn’t blame anyone for falling for my amazing looks and all, but seriously-”
“Thirty seconds have passed so far,” Zina rudely interrupted, rolling her eyes at him.
Kyle glared at her but continued to speak, “Anyways, this girl was literally fangirling over me and I was growing increasingly annoyed because one thing that the internet never even bothers to mention is my personality. It’s kinda annoying when someone likes you just because of your looks. So, I told her off in front of everyone. Of course, I did it as nicely as possible since I’m not a mean person, but she still ran away crying anyways. Honestly, I don’t get people; they have the guts to confess their love for your looks or whatever, but then start crying when you reject them!”
Zina rolled her eyes again and sighed, “Man, life is so tough!”
Kyle knew she was being sarcastic, but he couldn’t help but smile- he loved annoying whoever threatened him. “Yeah, I know,” he continued, “Then after she ran off crying, a bunch of people started taking out their devices to take photos and record me. And then I had to tell them off by threatening to sue them! I swear, they all want me to be mean to them.”
Zina groaned, “Seriously?”
He nodded, “And, I believe my time is up. It’s been exactly two minutes and twenty-nine seconds. Did I mention that I am amazing at keeping track of time down to the second? That’s just how amazing I am.”
She groaned again, this time, removing the knife that she held at his throat. “The only thing I understood from your story was that you’re a self-absorbed jerk.”
Kyle shrugged and flashed a smirk at her, “I handled the situation perfectly in my little story. You’re just a terrible judge of character.”
Zina turned and rolled her eyes at him, “I’m leaving; I can’t stand you anymore!”
“Wait,” he called after her, “I have more amazing stories about yours truly!” But it was too late; she was gone. He smirked to himself. Well, that’s one way of getting out of a tough situation.

Daily 7/17/2022
795 words
Was he her enemy to begin with?
Could she trust him?
He stood in front of her, his various assortments of weapons laid down in front of him. “I can help you,” he said softly.
“How?” Selina asked, blinking back tears. It seemed like everything around her was falling apart. The Visionaries were close to achieving their goal of world domination, and she was being framed for crimes she had never done. And through all of that chaos, stood in front of her, Cypress, the leader of the Visionaries. Someone who might as well be called her sworn enemy.
“Think about it,” he said, taking a step closer to her. She had no reason to worry about him, she knew that all of his weapons were laid out in front of him- he never lied. “I’ve never actually hurt you before. Haven’t you felt it? We share this bond.”
“What are you talking about?” Selina asked, although she was pretty sure she had an idea of what he was talking about.
“You and I, we’re the same. We’re both amazing sword fighters and leaders, we’ve been betrayed, beaten, and lied to several times, and yet we always rise to the top.” His voice softened, “Selina, I- I feel drawn to you. Don’t you feel the same?”
His voice was heartbreakingly gentle, and it reminded her of the times they spent together. She always knew, even from the beginning, that he was the enemy. Yet even when she had gone undercover, she felt drawn to him. Those nights they spent on the rooftop, talking about the futures they desired, and even the walks through the city, helping those in need. After he revealed that he was the commander that she feared, she still helped him take down the Visionary leader, even though she had a feeling that he would betray her in the end. And that’s what he did, instead of ending the Visionaries like she thought he would, Cypress became in command, starting a whole new reign of terror.
Yet he still was kind to her. He was the one who revealed to her that she was adopted, and he had comforted her. Even after their countless duels- that none of them ever seemed to win- he never hurt her. She realized that she trusted him with her life.
Cypress took another step closer to her. She didn’t move, she knew that he wouldn’t hurt her. “Do I matter?” he asked, “Do you care for me?”
And there it was, the question that she had been asking herself ever since she met him. She had tried to hide her feelings, even told herself that she was imagining them. But the truth was, she did care.
Cypress
Whenever she heard the name, her heart fluttered. She couldn’t help but think about his midnight black hair and dark chocolatey brown eyes. The way he laughed when he teased her and the way he smiled, the sadness still apparent in his eyes.
He was broken, yet, so was she.
This time, it was she who took a step closer. “You’re supposed to be the villain,” she whispered, ignoring the tears that now fell freely from her eyes. “Yet, no matter how hard I try, I can’t stop thinking about you. You make life so confusing, and so hard. How am I supposed to fight an enemy I love?”
Cypress closed in the distance between them, “You don’t have to fight me. I feel the same way. You get in the way of my plans yet I can’t get rid of you. I- I don’t want you to die.” He wrapped his arms around her, making her stiffen in surprise. His face was so close to her that she could feel the warmth from his breath on her neck, “Which is why I will fight by your side. I think it’s time for the Visionaries to end. You were right, there are other ways to change this world- to end the corruption that surrounds us.”
Selina relaxed and leaned her head on his shoulder, “Why couldn’t you figure this all out before you destroyed so much of what I loved?”
He pulled away, and she could see the tears in his eyes, “I was wrong- blinded by anger. I was so focused on revenge that I didn’t realize I was slowly turning into the people who had hurt me at the start. But you showed me that there are other ways to change things.”
Everything felt like a dream. Was Cypress really done with the Visionaries? After everything that happened, was this finally the end?
Selina was still puzzled by it all. The more she thought about it the more she wondered.
Was he her enemy to begin with?

Daily 7/19/2022
583 Words

“This is ridiculous,” I said, for what felt like, and probably was the hundredth time. “Why can’t you two just get along?”
Atlas glared at me, “I’m sorry, but a self-absorbed pig like Nolan is impossible to get along with.”
Nolan glared at Atlas, “If you have something to say, say it to my face!”
“Okay,” Atlas said, rolling his eyes, “You’re a self-absorbed pig!”
“As if you’re an angel,” Nolan retorted, “I may be self-absorbed sometimes, but at least I’m not always thinking about my stomach. And don’t pretend like you didn’t kill an actual person a couple of days ago!”
“Angel?” Atlas snorted, “I never once thought I was an angel! Also, I killed that man to protect you two. And I didn’t hear a thank you at least once from your mouth!”
“A thank you?” Nolan repeated incredulously, “Now that I think about it, it’s your fault that we’re in this mess in the first place!”
“Guys!” I yelled, unable to take any more arguing, “Can you both please settle down?”
Atlas and Nolan glared at me but kept their mouths shut.
It was a good start…
With their attention on me, I looked them each in the eye, “I get it, you guys are tense after this long and tiring journey. I don’t blame you. But please, can you put aside your petty arguments for a few more days?”
Atlas took my hand in his and sighed, “Fine, Serena, I’ll do it for you.” I tried to ignore the smug look he gave Nolan.
Nolan directed his glare at our hands before taking my other hand, “I’ll do it for you too,” he mumbled, sending another glare towards Atlas.
I yanked my hands away from both boys, fighting the urge to punch them, “If you guys want to hold hands so badly, hold each other’s.”
Atlas made fake gagging noises, “Hard pass, who knows how long it’s been since Nolan last washed his hands.”
Nolan’s hand clenched into fists and Atlas smirked at him. I once again had to step in before one of them got hurt.
I stood in between both boys and sighed, “Can you two please cut it out. You’re my closest friends; I hate to see you two fighting like this.”
“It was Atlas who started it!” Noland whined, sounding much more like a two-year-old toddler than his sixteen-year-old self.
Atlas frowned, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you had feelings! Did I make you cry?”
Frustrated, I shoved Atlas. Caught off guard, he stumbled and fell to the ground. Then I grabbed Nolan’s arm and yanked him downwards with all my might. He too fell to the ground. “Stop!” I cried; tears spilled from my eyes.
Nolan and Atlas looked at me with concern, then looked at each other. Seeming to have made a decision, they both stepped forward, embracing me at the same time.
“We’re sorry!” they said at the same time.
I sighed, enjoying the warmth that came from their hug. “Please don’t fight,” I whispered.
Again, they seemed to have made some sort of silent agreement, “We won’t,” Atlas said.
I pulled away from the hug, wiping my tears and trying to hide a smile. I couldn’t believe they actually fell for it.
As we continued our journey, they actually made an effort to have a conversation with each other. I grinned to myself. If I had known that fake crying would shut them up, I would’ve done it way earlier!

Wanted (story for critique)
686 words
“Well, well, what do we have here?” Cypress said, stepping out of the shadows as Selina walked into the room. She looked exhausted, but he knew better than to ask her what was wrong. He would let her tell him in her own time. “I thought you said you wouldn’t talk to me again!” He pushed off his hood and smiled at her.
“Yeah, but the circumstances have changed,” Selina said, not meeting his eyes.
He moved closer, “Oh, so you come to me only when you want something?”
“So you haven’t heard?” She asked. He could tell that she wanted to back away.
“Haven’t heard what?”
She sighed and pressed her e-screen twice, projecting a holographic image in front of her. “See for yourself.”
The image in front of him was a wanted sign with Selina’s name and photo. There was a fifty thousand VC reward for whoever brought her in alive for questioning. Cypress noted with satisfaction that his bounty was higher- seventy thousand VC.
He noticed that Selina was waiting for him to say something, “My bounty is higher,” he said with a smirk.
He almost laughed at the look of annoyance that crossed her face. “That’s not funny!” She cried.
He shrugged, “It is to me.”
“This is all wrong! I wasn’t supposed to be wanted like this. It’s all Kai’s fault. He managed to convince the Senate that I’m evil.”
“Well, complaining about it isn’t gonna help you,” Cypress pointed out. “This Kai you’re talking about… he’s either an idiot who actually thinks you’re bad or he’s so clever that he was able to convince the whole Senate that you’re evil.”
“He’s clever,” Selina said. “He knows I’m not evil, he just found a bunch of evidence that makes it look like I’m on your side.”
“That figures,” Cypress mumbled, “But the fact that your talking with me will just serve as more evidence against you. Is this smart?”
“I don’t care!” Selina yelled, “It doesn’t matter anymore!”
He smirked again, “Oh, so you want to hang out with me all of the sudden? I’m quite expensive these days.”
Selina gave him a death glare, “That’s not- that’s not what I meant!” Her cheeks were red and her eyes wouldn’t meet his. “I forgot how annoying it is to be around you!”
“It’s okay,” he said in a whisper. He took two cautious steps closer, “For you I’m free.”
“Stop!” She whispered, but she didn’t move away.
He closed the distance between them and wrapped her in a hug. “I missed you.”
Her shoulders went stiff for a second before she slumped into his hug, “Me too.”
He pulled away a few seconds later and she turned to hide her reddened cheeks. “Too late,” he teased, “I already saw your face. It’s as red as a tomato.”
Selina turned to him with a groan, slapping him playfully on his arm.
Before he could stop himself, he grabbed her hand. “Please don’t leave me again.”
She looked at him, green eyes filled with sadness and exhaustion, “I-“
This time it was him who looked away. He didn’t mean to say something that sounded so… pitiful. “I’m sorry, that probably sounded weird…”
She looked at him with a strange look that he couldn’t decipher, “It’s okay. It was mean of me to just leave you all alone with your scary group of assassins and criminals.” He couldn’t tell if she was joking or not.
He rolled his eyes, “Yeah,” he said dryly, “I was terrified.”
She looked at him as if she just remembered something, “Oh yeah…”
He cocked his head at her, “What?”
“I just remembered you are a criminal,” she said, her voice filled with sarcasm. “Kill anyone recently?”
“Me? Kill someone?” He put a hand over his heart in fake surprise, “Do you take me for a petty murderer?”
“I don’t know what to take you for these days.”
He frowned at the sudden change in her tone, “Are you still mad at me?”
“How could I be?” Selina whispered. He sighed silently in relief.
Everything was okay… for now…

Daily 7/20/2022
Critique of @snowyforest 's writing
228 words
Okay, so I read your story excerpt thing (haha I don't know the right word to use) and I liked it! It seemed mysterious and it's cool that you were able to pack in so many events in just one short story. Also, third-person unlimited is something I struggle with, I think it's amazing that you were able to use it to show what all of the characters were thinking instead of just focusing on one. I really liked Veronica because she seemed like a reassuring presence for Zara. I also really want to know what “friend” Alexia was talking about when speaking to Zara.

Now… there are a few suggestions I have that could make your story better… (there's always room for improvement! )

One: your story is a little choppy. At some point I was confused. You should indicate that the scene/setting changed. Like here:

“Of course not.” the guard said gravely, for his position as a commander was very valuable to him.

Zara’s eyes were locked on the pair as she quietly snuck up from the dining room and into the long corridor.

I thought Zara was looking at the guard and Aurelia, not two new characters. Adding some indication like a dotted/dashed line would help readers understand that there was a change in the scene. Kinda like what you did later on in the story.

Two: in the first part, I feel that you repeated the word guard way too many times. It would be best to use Watson or “he” so the story would flow more.

Other than that… AMAZING JOB! XD

Weekly 3 (3720 words)

Part 1 (1069 words)
Fantasy Worldbuilding
Brainstorming (165 words)
• Kingdom is ruled by two different families at war with each other
• Citizens are generally forgotten unless rich
• Those with green eyes are considered special
• Most of the population is poor/uneducated
• Rain is very rare
• The rich live in the sky
• Owning a lemon tree makes you special
• Knights are recruited into the army by kidnapping kids
• Both sides fight over a river
• It is an insult to wear the color orange
• Seafood is a common part of the diet
• Part of the kingdom is in the sky
• Those with red eyes are deemed “dangerous”
• There are dangerous creatures that look like humans, but aren’t and they eat people
• The sky is pink with cotton candy clouds
• There is peace between the divided land twice a year
• It is forbidden for those with different eye colors to intermarry
• The outskirts of the kingdom are where all of the lowlifes meet
• The grass is yellow and tastes like lemons
• Technology is pretty good in this kingdom

Connections using bolded items (403 words)
The Divum Kingdom is one of the most advanced in technology and engineering. While most of the kingdom is on the ground, a part of it is in the sky. The sky part of the kingdom is inhabited by the upper-class. It is there that the two castles of the two royal families sit, floating majestically in the air. Despite how wonderful the kingdom may look from the outside, the truth is, it’s quite the opposite. The two royal families are at constant war for control over the most land and the upper-class plunders the resources of the middle and lower classes that literally live under them. And since the royal families need soldiers, they obtain them by kidnapping children from the middle/lower classes. Since the kingdom is surrounded by oceans, seafood is a common part of their diet. Most of the population is poor/uneducated and are generally overlooked. Although wealth does play a role in the classes of society, eye color plays a bigger role. Brown or black-eyed people are usually lower class, unless they’re lucky. Blue and green- and hazel-colored eyes are middle class. The upper class is made up of those who have yellow, orange, purple, pink or gray eyes. Of course, those who don’t have those colored eyes can still make it to the upper class, but they have to be rich, and even then, they would face scrutiny. Red eyed people are forbidden to interact with. They are the dirty ones of society and live in the dangerous outskirts of town. People with different colored eyes are forbidden to intermarry (meaning you have to marry a person with the same eye color) but their children do have a chance to have a different eye color than their parents. If two people with different eye colors marry, they are subject to arrest or will have to live in hiding or face ridicule. If two people with different eye colors marry, either the color will fuse (which is lucky for the child since they will be able to live a normal adult life with only a little bit of scorn) but sometimes the child will inherit both colors (one color on either eye) which makes them equal in status to those with red eyes. They will face hate for the rest of their life. Lastly, twice a year, both warring royal families have a “truce” and the kingdom enjoys peace.

Narrative (487 Words)

I’m a cursed child.
Well, not exactly cursed…
But if I was cursed, I would have probably been treated better than how I’ve been treated my whole life. People are either scared of me, or hate me so much that they wanted me dead.
It isn’t my fault! If anyone, I should be blaming my parents. Did my mom, a yellow-eyed woman that had lived up in the sky, have to fall in love with my father, a red-eyed man that she met when she was exploring the kingdom’s outskirts? Seriously, I love my parents, but having a child was the biggest mistake they could ever make. And you’d think they learned from me, but I also have a little sister.
Of course, I had to be the unlucky one. My right eye is yellow, and my left is red. Which is just unfair since my sister’s eyes are a beautiful orange. She literally has the chance to make it to the upper class and live in the sky. My mom told me it wasn’t as amazing as I thought it was, but she obviously said that to make me feel better. I can’t count the number of times I caught her staring up at the sky with those eyes, yearning to get back up there. But of course, she can’t. She’s too madly in love with my father. Even if she left him, people would still judge her harshly for marrying someone that didn’t have the same eye color as hers. And on top of that, a red-eyed man? She might as well kiss her hopes goodbye.
You might think that I’m being pretty pessimistic, but that’s just how life is in this kingdom. I have two different colored eyes and one is red. That makes me at the bottom of society. If I had two red eyes, then people would avoid me and give me dirty, angry glares. And if I had two different colored eyes, people would look at me with pity and disgust. Add both of those factors together, and I’m basically the lowest anyone can get. Even the red-eyed people look at me with unease.
I’d be lying if I said life wasn’t all that bad because honestly, life is terrible. I know I should be happy that I’m loved by my parents and have a home- even if it’s pretty small- to live in, and I am. I seriously am grateful for that. But whenever I see my little sister and her perfect orange eyes, I get angry. How come I had to come out like this and not her. How come I’m the only one who has to suffer this much. I know for sure, that no one outside of my family will ever love me. I’m basically destined to be alone for life.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: WHY IS LIFE SO UNFAIR!?

Part 2 (1103 words)

1. How is the magic in the world used in the characters’ everyday lives? What are the different abilities?
There is no magic… it’s more like some people have something about them enhanced. Like the ability to hear better, see better, smell better, or enhanced strength or speed. The characters that have enhanced abilities use them to their advantage and to help others. For example, perhaps someone with super speed can be a first responder. They’re faster than the average truck so they can use their abilities to get to the injured or endangered faster. Or someone who has enhanced eyesight can spot danger from afar.

2. What are the laws of your world, specifically about magic? Punishments?
If any ability is misused, there are punishments depending on the crime. For example, if someone with enhanced strength misuses their power to rip a tree out of the ground and use it as a battering ram on a building, obviously, they will be arrested. Also, anyone trying to play “hero” will also be arrested. Only people who are authorized to use their enhanced abilities to help others can do so. You have to get a license to use your abilities in public to help others.

3. What is an important symbol of your world?
Haha, that reminds me of the “Symbol of Peace.” (I’ll leave you to figure out that reference). Anyways, I guess a symbol in my world that is important is a raven. This is because the first person to somehow get an ability was a girl named Raven. People remember her with awe because she learned how to live with her power and be proud of herself. People usually think about her early struggles when they complain about their abilities. It helps to know that you weren’t the only one who had trouble. Some people think Raven was just a myth.

4. How can your world’s magic aid character development?
Well, maybe like in mha or kotlc, someone doesn’t know exactly how to use their powers to the best of their capabilities. There could be a special school where they can train to get better or maybe in a regular school there are special classes for those with abilities. The character can start off being bullied and teased by others either because he has no ability or is very weak. Then, he can learn to grow stronger. Learning to fight without an ability in the first scenario or learning how to control his ability in the second scenario.

5. How common is magic, and are all characters aware they possess it?
Most people have enhanced abilities and they’re pretty easy to spot. Kids usually get their abilities around the age of four and are “tested” to help them recognize and get used to their abilities. It is highly unlikely for a character to be unaware of their abilities since these tests force them to try everything possible. Of course, a small percentage of the population (around 12%) are just regular people. Sometimes these people have to be careful around those with enhanced characteristics because they are seen as “below them.”


6. What is a folk tale you have heard that involves magic, and how can you take inspiration from that tale?
Well, I’m not really using a folk tale but for some reason, no matter how much I think about powers, what comes to my mind is either kotlc (Keeper of the Lost Cities) or mha (My Hero Acadamia) So I guess my ideas sort of have some aspects from the societies described in these two works since powers are the norm in both. My people are just normal people with enhanced abilities. It’s kind of like in mha. The difference is, they are able to use their powers a little more freely like in kotlc. Also, I made sure just to keep the powers at enhancing the attributes you already have since in mha and kotlc, the different types of powers you could get are almost unlimited.

7. What are the limitations of your world’s magic?
If anyone overuses their powers, there will definitely be some sort of sensation. For example, someone with enhanced strength might have sore muscles after carrying way too many heavy things. Or someone who uses their abilities to see things far away for an amount of time past their limit might have aching or dry eyes. Someone with enhanced speed who runs too much will get sore legs. Or in very severe cases, anyone who goes over their limits might get sick or be in a lot of pain. But the way to overcome this is by practicing to increase your stamina.

8. What are some slang terms or other words used in your world that are related to magic?
Well, people who don’t have powers are called ordinaries. It’s kind of like an insult. The enhanced characteristics are called abilities. Regular people call the ones with abilities, anomalies. So basically, both groups of people insult each other, which leads to a lot of tension. You might hear your average middle school bully, call a kid without an ability an ordinary before shoving him to the ground. Or regular people might gang up together and bully a weak person with an ability and call him an anomaly.

9. What is the origin of your magic?
Again, it isn’t magic, but most people believe that the origin of the enhanced characteristics (abilities) is most likely a genetic mutation. Some genes in certain people got messed up and it was passed on to future generations which made abilities common. As I said for the symbol thing… most people believe it started with one girl. But in reality, probably a bunch of people got enhanced abilities at the same time. It’s all sort of a mystery, so if you ask a person, they probably wouldn’t know.

10. How is magic viewed in your world (ie. as a boring normal, as a fascinating element of their life, or as a curse on society etc.)?
It’s not magic XD. Anyways, the abilities are a pretty normal thing. No one really thinks it's weird anymore since it’s been like that for the past century. Some people without abilities feel uncomfortable, but they just have to live with it. No one really thinks of it as a curse. Instead, everyone uses their abilities to help society. Whether using enhanced sight to help see farther as a lifeguard or scout or using advanced smell to track criminals, everyone is trying to help out. Well… except for the criminals of course… DX


Part 3 (1535 words)

Science Fantasy (495 words)

Dragons and humans- we lived together peacefully in Lucidus. Emphasis on the word lived. Lucidus is definitely not peaceful anymore.
I walked through the dirty streets of District 3, a place where all the lowlifes usually gathered. The tall buildings towered above me, blocking any clear view of the night sky. Only those who lived at the top would be able to look at the stars. Those of us on the ground were stuck with the artificial, neon lights that illuminated the streets and signs.
I sighed, tugging downwards at my hood. My eyes and hair needed to be covered; if anyone discovered I was a dragon, I was as good as dead. I was a red dragon, a young one at that. I had only been alive for a mere fifty years. But that was long enough to remember the times of peace- before dragons were hunted by humans.
In my human form, I was a boy who looked to be around seventeen years of age. My hair was long and red and my eyes were gold. My teeth were fanged and my pupils were diamond-shaped. All of this was not human-like, to say the least. If anyone saw my face, they would definitely know I was a dragon.
I glanced up and saw flying vehicles zoom overhead on the air lanes. It reminded me of the past when dragons would also fly among those loud vehicles, in their true form.
Oh, how I missed those days flying freely in the sky…
“Hey!”
I bumped into someone, and cursed inwardly- I should’ve been paying attention. It was a middle-aged man whose hair was graying in some spots. One of his eyes was robotic and I could see it focusing on me.
“Watch where you’re going! The man yelled, angrily.
“Sorry…” I mumbled, making sure to keep my eyes focused on the ground. If he saw that I was a dragon, then he would attack me, and I really wasn’t in the mood for yet another fight.
“Look at me when I’m speaking to you!” he said, smacking me hard on the face, sending me sprawling on the ground.
I cursed; he had caught me off guard.
I heard the people around me give a collective gasp. I groaned; now I was annoyed. My hood had fallen off and now my bright red hair and golden eyes were on full display. I smiled because I might as well show them my pointed teeth.
The thug who had slapped me, grinned at me, eyes widening. “Looks like I’m lucky today!” he said, turning to the group of thugs that now surrounded me. They each carried a highly modified laser gun. “A real dragon, a beautiful one at that! I wonder how much he’s worth.”
I faced the thugs that surrounded me, trying to hold back a smile. If it was a fight they wanted- then they would get one.
I had no intention of losing…

Urban Fantasy (537 words)

“This city is terrible,” I mumbled, catching a whiff of some unpleasant scent. “Out of all places, why did we have to go to Facinus City? It’s like the worst city in this country!”
My older brother, Ian, elbowed me, giving me a toothy grin, “Quit whining, Ava. Don’t you remember why we came here?”
“To find a vampire,” I growled, elbowing him back.
His grin grew wider, which I didn’t think was possible, “Yup! And everyone knows that Facinus City is the best place to find vampires!”
“It’s also the best place to find some of the country’s worst criminals,” I reminded him, shivering as we passed someone who could be one of them.
“Who cares,” Ian said, “As long as we blend in, we’ll be fine!”
“How are we supposed to blend in?” I yelled, drawing way too much attention. I lowered my voice, “We’re literally children.”
“Teenagers,” he corrected, “We’re teenagers.”
“Something up?” I asked; his voice sounded rather distant.
“I think I’ve found our target,” he whispered, a smile growing on his face.
I followed his gaze to an individual who was walking on the sidewalk across the street we were about to cross. “What makes you think she’s a vampire?” I asked. From what I could tell, she was just an average woman.
“Look closely and you’ll see the glint in her eyes when she turns our way.”
I rolled my eyes but followed his instructions. Sure enough, when the woman glanced in our direction, I saw a strange red glint in her eyes. “So… what’s the plan?”
Ian shrugged, “Why don’t we just go up to her and start a conversation?”
“What a great idea,” I said sarcastically, “Why don’t we just walk up to her and ask her if she’s a vampire while we’re at it.”
“Great idea!”
“I was joking!” I said, but my brother was already running across the street towards the woman.
I cursed and ran after him. By the time I reached him, he was already in a deep conversation with the woman.
No, correction: girl.
A beautiful one at that.
Her long dark hair was worn freely, and her eyes were a deep red. I glanced at her teeth- she had fangs. She was definitely a vampire. And instead of being cautious, my brother was flirting with her!
I stormed over to them and grabbed my brother’s arm, yanking it. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Ian’s eyes sparkled and I fought off a groan. “This is Myra,” he said, “She’s a vampire!”
“I can see that,” I said plainly, despite the fact that I was actually fascinated. I had never met a real vampire before.
Myra smiled at me, her fangs on full display, “Your brother was just telling me about you. Ava, right?”
I nodded, suddenly at loss for words.
Her smile grew bigger, “Why don’t you two come over for dinner?”
I gulped but nodded my head… something felt terribly wrong. I glanced at Ian, but he was too busy staring at Myra. I would stay silent for now, but the moment something proved that my worries were correct, no matter how small it was, I would grab my brother and run.

Dystopian Fantasy (491 words)

The streets were crowded, filled with panicking people running in every direction. Government officials strode through the crowd, hands on their weapons- they were looking for shapeshifters again.
Nyla made sure her younger brother, Zayd, held her hand tightly. “It’s going to be okay,” she whispered.
Zayd looked up at her, his adorable green eyes filled with fear, “They won’t take us, right?”
Nyla tried not to cry. Their parents were shapeshifters who had been taken away by the government two years prior. Zayd and Nyla had watched from their hiding spot as their parents were dragged away. Zayd was only four then. Even now, at age six, he had seen and experienced much more than any kid his age should.
Nyla was sixteen and was all the family Zayd had. She looked out for her little brother. She would make sure they wouldn’t meet the same fate as their parents, no matter what the cost.
The officials were getting closer now. Nyla tried not to glare at them as they knocked down doors and acted as if they were superior to everyone in the small village. Their raids had been much more frequent recently and that had her worried. It was only a matter of time before she and her brother were discovered.
Lost in thought, she didn’t realize she was about to collide with an officer until the very last second.
“Woah there,” the officer said. He was a tall young man with short brown hair and blue eyes. He wore the standard government officials’ outfit: a dark blue jumpsuit with gold trim. “You should watch where you’re going.”
Nyla forced herself to look him in the eyes; she didn’t want to draw any suspicion by avoiding eye contact. “Yes, uh… sorry sir,” she mumbled.
Zayd tugged on her hand and the officer smiled, “You have quite the cute younger brother.”
Nyla nudged Zayd, “What do you say?”
“Thank you, kind officer,” Zayd whispered shyly.
The man smiled, “Kid’s these days.” Then he frowned, sending Nyla’s heart racing. “Hey… where are your parents?”
“Umm… err… they’re at home…” Nyla stammered.
“Hmm…” the officer said, “It looks like I’ll need to see your identifications.” He smiled and added, “Just in case.”
Nyla froze, unsure of what to do. She didn’t have any identification- shapeshifters weren’t allowed to have one.
Before she could do anything, another officer walked up to them. This man was older and seemed to be higher in rank. “Tom,” he said with a frown addressing the officer who had stopped them, “It’s time to get going.” He glanced at Nyla and Zayd, “These kids aren’t giving you trouble, are they?”
Tom’s cheeks reddened, “No, sergeant, everything is clear here.”
“Then let’s go,” the sergeant said, leading Tom away.
Nyla let out a breath that she didn’t realize she was holding- that was close.
She smiled at Zayd and gave him a hug. They were safe… for now…

A Galaxy of Friends
Writing Competition Fanfic Entry (Star Wars + kotlc)
1629 words
“Keefe, wake up!” a voice called, dragging me from one nightmare to the next.
I forced open my eyes, to see the face of Sophie Foster looking down at me. “You were having another nightmare I think…”
I rubbed my eyes tiredly, “Life’s a nightmare,” I mumbled.
“Hey, don’t say that!” Sophie scolded, slapping my arm lightly, “at least we have each other!”
“And what a wonderful group of people we are,” I said sarcastically as I stood up. I gestured around the room with my hands, “A princess and a prince from a destroyed world, a crazed droid tinkerer, a bounty hunter and his twin sister, some strange scholar from Coruscant, a freaking Jedi, and me, the son of a crazy First Order lady.”
“Yeah, I guess you pretty summed us all up,” Biana said, smoothing her hair.
“I am not strange!” Wylie retorted.
“Yeah, and why’d you call me crazed?” Dex chimed in.
“I’m not really a Jedi,” Sophie said, playing with the hem of her tunic, “Just a force user… I don’t even have a lightsaber.”
“Anyways,” I said, ignoring everyone’s whining, “What I’m trying to say is that I guess we’re all kinda the galaxy’s misfits. The only problem is, me being here is putting you all in danger. My mom is after me, not you!”
“Good point,” Tam said, “So why don’t we just throw you out the airlock? I don’t need your filth on my ship anyways.”
“Tam!” Linh said, grabbing her brother’s arm, “Don’t be mean to Keefe. And it’s our ship, remember? Not yours!”
“So, what if we’re in danger? None of us love the First Order. They have taken something or someone from all of us,” Sophie reminded me.
Fitz and Biana nodded, “They took our planet.”
“They took my business,” Dex said.
“They ruined our family,” Tam and Linh whispered simultaneously.
Wylie scowled, “They took my home and family.”
“They took my family too,” Sophie said, obviously trying not to cry. “You’re not alone.”
The ship shook violently before I could say anything. Tam ran to the cockpit and cursed loudly. “We’re stuck in a tractor beam! That Star Destroyer came out of nowhere!”
I ran to the cockpit as well, trying to ignore my racing heart. But my heart rate sped up even faster as I caught a glimpse of the ship that had us in its hold. “That’s… That’s my mother’s ship!”
Tam looked at me skeptically, “How do you know?”
I gave him an annoyed glare, “I used to spend months on that ship! I know what it looks like!”
Tam returned my glare with his own, “I should’ve just thrown you out the airlock when I had the chance!”
“Guys now isn’t the time to argue!” Sophie said, standing between us. “We need to make a plan.”
“What are we supposed to do?” I asked with a tired sigh, “Fight?”
She grinned at me, “My plan exactly!”
——————
“For the record, I’m not really on board with this plan,” Dex mumbled as we each took our places by the ship’s main entrance.
“Well, it’s too late to change our minds now!” Sophie said, “It’s either this, or get captured.”
“Or you never know, this could be a whole misunderstanding,” I joked. “Maybe Mommy Dearest just wanted to invite us to dinner!”
Tam groaned, “We’re probably gonna get captured.”
“Have faith, Tam,” Linh said, taking her brother’s hand and giving it a small squeeze. For a second, I wished I had a sibling or someone that cared about me.
Sophie must’ve noticed the change in my mood because she placed her hand on my shoulder, “We’re in this together,” she whispered, “I’ve got your back!”
“Me too,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
Sophie’s cheeks turned an adorable shade of pink. If I wasn’t so nervous, I would’ve teased her for it.
I heard a strange noise near the door and it took me a second to recognize it, “Guys… back away from the door!” I yelled. Before anyone could react, with a loud BANG, the door was blown off its hinges.
I coughed as smoke filled my lungs and burned my eyes. “Is everyone okay?” It was only a small explosion, and since I was closest to the door, I assumed everyone was fine like I was.
Through the smoke, I could make out stormtroopers making their way up the ship’s ramp. “Guys, if we’re going to fight, we’d better do it soon,” I warned, “Like now, would be great!”
A shot was fired through the smoke, and I saw a stormtrooper go down. I assumed it was Tam since he was supposed to be a skilled bounty hunter.
As the smoke cleared, I reached for my blaster and fired several shots before it overheated.
I heard Sophie suck in a breath as one of her shots hit its mark.
I knew what she was thinking: those stormtroopers were humans just like us. It was hard to shoot living targets without feeling a tiny bit guilty. But it was also reassuring that I at least still had some humanity, unlike my insane, power-hungry mother.
We managed to make it off the ship, carefully navigating around the fallen stormtroopers. But we didn’t make it far until we were surrounded.
Tam, Sophie, Linh, Dex, and I managed to kill a few, but there were just too many. And not surprisingly, Biana, Fitz, and Wylie were absolutely no help at all.
“We have you surrounded!” one of the troopers called out in an overly harsh voice. “Drop your weapons, and put your hands up.”
My friends and I complied. As we did, I heard the unmistakable sound of heels clicking on the hard floor. My heart raced but I willed myself not to look scared, “Mom.”
Lady Gisela, aka, my mom, strode into the hangar, looking pristine and regal as always. She was one of the few high-ranking officers that actually wore a cape. And her ship, Legacy, was just as pristine as her.
“Keefe Sencen,” my mother spat, saying my name like it was a curse. “Did you actually think you could escape me?”
I smirked, “No, I was just playing a glorified version of tag with you. And it looks like you caught me… for now.”
My mom rolled her eyes at me, “Keefe, I can see past your façade, I know you’re terrified.”
I tried to stop myself from shaking.
“Take them all away,” she ordered the stormtroopers. “But leave Keefe with me.”
I watched helplessly as my friends were dragged to who knows where. I couldn’t help but think that it was all my fault.
Lady Gisela seemed to understand how I was feeling, “You should’ve never gotten close to others. You’re only harming them.”
“Leave them out of this,” I mumbled, “They haven’t done anything.”
“Hmm… well you should’ve thought of that before you got them involved.”
“Please, I’ll do anything!”
She looked at me, “You sound so pitiful right now. But since you asked so nicely, how about a deal? I’ll set your friends free if you agree to stay with me and train to become a loyal officer of the First Order.”
“Are you serious?” I asked, “I will never serve the First Order.”
“Well then, I hope you’re prepared to watch your friends’ executions. I have some very fun things planned.”
I gritted my teeth, “Fine, I’ll do it… only on one condition.”
She smiled evilly at me, “I knew you’d come around!”
———-
They’re letting us free?” Sophie asked me as we were escorted back to Tam’s ship.
I didn’t say anything; it was taking all of my willpower not to cry. This was the last time I would see my friends- the only people who had ever cared about me.
“This seems suspicious,” Fitz mumbled, “Where’s the catch? The First Order always plays dirty.”
“There’s no catch,” Lady Gisela said sweetly. I was disgusted with her.
When we got to the ship, all of my friends boarded, leaving me. I swallowed a lump in my throat- they were sure to notice any second now.
It was Sophie who turned around first, “Keefe…?” The confusion in her voice broke my heart. “Why aren’t you boarding the ship?”
Tears filled my eyes and I had trouble holding back my emotions, “I- I can’t come,” I said gently.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“I made a deal with my mom,” I answered, looking away, “You guys are free to go as long as I stay behind.”
Linh and Wylie were also now looking in my direction.
“But we’re a team!” Sophie cried. There were tears in her eyes, “We’re supposed to stick together.”
I step closer to the ship- as close as I dared, “I’m sorry. I- I only bring suffering to our team. You don’t need me. This is what’s best.”
“Enough with the sob fest,” Lady Gisela groaned, “Keefe, you’ve said your goodbyes, now let’s go!”
“NO!” Sophie screamed, outstretching her hand. Something above me shook, and the ceiling beam above me collapsed. I dove away from the fallen metal beam, wincing as a small piece of ceiling hit me on the head.
It was then that I realized that my eyes were scrunched shut. I opened them to find Sophie standing above me, holding out her hand.
“Did you- did you just do that?” I asked, still shaken.
“We’re a team,” she whispered, “I would never leave you behind.”
I took her hand and pulled myself up. I couldn’t hide my emotions anymore. Tears spilled freely from my eyes as I pulled her into a hug.
“You’re bleeding and crying all over me,” she groused.
But I didn’t care… at that moment, everything was right.

Weekly 4
4267 words
proof: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/717824638/
Introduction (132 words)- Reigning
“Your highness, it’s high time you get ready for tonight’s ceremony.”
Reigning barely looked up from the book she was reading to address her bodyguard, Maia, “There are still over two hours left, and I doubt I’ll need that long just to slip some clothes on.”
She heard Maia’s sigh and struggled to hide a grin- getting on her bodyguard’s nerves was one of the best parts of being a princess.
Deciding that she had tortured her bodyguard enough for the day, Reigning stood up and let out a sigh of her own. “Fine, I’m going; just don’t expect me to be happy about it!”
Maia bowed, “Thank you for cooperating, your highness. I’ll be waiting outside your door; yell if you need anything.” And with that, Reigning was left to her own devices.
Revenge Prompt (224 words)- Rye
“I was starting to think you’d never come,” a voice said, creeping from the glooming darkness.
Rye rolled his eyes; the darkness didn’t scare him. “My yearn for revenge is something that cannot be ignored.”
A man stepped out from the shadows, “Well, I’ll be…” he said in obvious wonder. “I confess, when I received your letters, I thought I was talking to a grown man. But you- you’re just a boy!”
“And what’s wrong with that?” Rye asked, his anger rising. He wasn’t a boy, he was sixteen! “Does it matter how old I am? It doesn’t change the fact that you’re a lowlife assassin and I’m of nobility. Honestly, I should have you hanged for insulting me. But I need you.”
The man seemed suitably chastened when he asked his next question, “What about my promised payment?”
Rye sighed, “You’ll get half right now, and the other half will be given to you if you manage to do the job.” And if he survived the palace guards… which was highly unlikely. “It will be easy for you to infiltrate the palace if you pose as my bodyguard,” he said, throwing him a bundle of clothes. “Change into this, and meet me near the palace gates.”
Rye smiled to himself; revenge would soon be his. The royal family wouldn’t know what hit them.
5 mins of Horror/Mystery/ Adventure… Reigning
Reigning stood in front of the nobles, trying to ease her nerves. This was the first time she had ever talked in front of so many people. She had prepared a speech for the ceremony, but nothing was coming out of her mouth.
She clenched her fists, trying to calm herself down. This ceremony was for her coming of age. She had worked hard on the speech; she wouldn’t let everyone’s efforts go down the drain.
She opened her mouth to speak, but at the same time there was a loud bang, and smoke filled the air. People screamed and shouted, and she heard the sound of footsteps coming from behind her. She started to move away but tripped on her own dress, falling to the ground. She struggled to get up as the smoke slowly cleared.
Standing up on shaking legs, she stared in horror at what was in front of her. Her parents, the king and queen, were both slumped dead on their throne. There were stab wounds on both their bodies, and their lifeless eyes stared up at the ceiling.
Reigning let out both a scream and a sob at the same time; who could’ve done this?
Transported to another world (417 words)- Rye
The scream was something Rye had only heard once before- from himself. It was filled with so much pain and sorrow, that unearthed the past that he had tried so hard to bury.
The palace walls and the frightened nobles all faded into a scene that haunted his dreams. The bright glow of fire against the night sky, burning his house to the ground. The air filled with smoke and ashes made it hard to breathe.
Standing there, as close to the house as possible, was a small boy, only seven years old. He sunk to his knees and clung to a small stuffed bear, tears and snot on his face. He screamed his parents’ names until his voice was hoarse, but got no response.
Where was everyone?
Why wasn’t anyone helping him?
The dark sky was filled with clouds of smoke, and the boy could only stare helplessly at the blazing fire. The dizziness kicked in only a few moments later- he had inhaled way too much smoke. Slowly, but surely, the world around him grew dark.
——–
He was found by some merchants hours later. The fire had been put out by rain that was much too late, and the boy was soaked to the bone.
He awoke to someone shaking him roughly. He opened his eyes, blinking several times to adjust to the bright sunlight. The night before felt like a dream- or a nightmare.
He turned around, ignoring the man who had shaken him, eyes staring in horror at the burnt remains of his house. “M-mama? P-papa?”
The man in front of him grasped his shoulder, giving it a tight squeeze, “I’m sorry, son. Your parents are gone.”
The boy- Rye- let out a scream.
———
The man was still shaking him. Wait- that wasn’t the man…
Rye forced open his eyes and saw and felt a girl around his age shaking him. She had long black hair and a beautiful gown. Her eyes were green and red-rimmed; her cheeks were tearstained.
“Oh good, you’re awake,” she said, giving him a weak smile. “I was worried when you weren’t responding.”
It was then that he recognized her- the princess. Anger coursed through his veins, as well as understanding. She had somehow survived, and that scream was hers.
His eyes flitted up to the stage, where the king and queen were slumped on their throne- dead. Looking back at the princess, he felt something that he had never expected to feel.
Guilt…
Reigning and Rye (breaking the fourth wall) (308 words)
Rye: Ugh, quick break from the story! You… yeah, the person at their device, reading this. Don’t you dare feel bad for me! I might’ve had a hard past or whatever, but I’ve moved on. I mean, I’m totally evil! You literally just read that I had the queen and king killed. Which honestly is a huge feat. It’s not every day that royalty dies. I’m pretty surprised that the princess is alive… But now I’m kinda wondering about their crappy security. I mean, why didn’t any guards protect the king and queen? Oh… and are you wondering about that assassin I hired? Yeah, well, I’m not sure if he escaped either…. you’ll have to find out yourself. I hope he gets caught because I really don’t want to pay him. See? I’m totally evil! Now… back to the story, shall we?

Reigning: Wait! I wanna say something too! You’re probably wondering where my bodyguard is. Well… she was on the stage with me, and I’m pretty sure she’s out there looking for whoever killed my parents. Yeah… don’t feel pity towards me either. I mean, it’s terrible that my parents died… but if everyone starts thinking that I’m such a pool and unfortunate soul, I might just cry an ocean. I’m so upset, and where were the guards when this all happened? How did the assassin infiltrate the castle’s high security? Where are they now? Do I know them? Am I in danger? I have so many questions and I’m so scared. That’s right, readers; my life isn’t some source of entertainment! Anyways, Rye… what do I say about him…? Based on first impressions, I would say that he’s a little odd. Maybe hurt inside? He has this haunted look in his eyes. Anyways, why don’t we go back to the story and see what happens?
Literary theme: Redemption
Reigning
The boy in front of her was staring at her now; eyes filled with an emotion she couldn’t read. At first, when he’d finally woken up, he looked angry. But now… she wasn’t so sure. She had been worried when she found him sitting on the floor, eyes opened yet somehow unseeing. It was funny how instead of being worried for herself, she was worried for others. Some part of her brain just couldn’t register the fact that her parents were dead. Or maybe she chose not to process it.
“You could stop shaking me now!” the boy said in a tone that was ruder than the tone someone should have when speaking to a princess.
Reigning felt her cheeks flush as she yanked her hands away from the boy. “Sorry.”
The boy looked at her strangely, he was around her age, with a curly mop of light brown hair, and intelligent dark brown eyes. He had a spray of freckles on his light skin. “Are you really the princess?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said stiffly, trying not to cry. She was still a princess, right?
“Then, you don’t really have to apologize to me,” the boy said, “After all, I’m just a lowly noble.”
“Just because my status is above yours, doesn’t mean I can be rude to you. Everyone deserves to be treated as an equal.” She said, trying to sound dignified.
The boy rolled his eyes and sighed, “That’s a load of *. The king and queen didn’t treat their citizens as equals.”
Upon hearing about her parents, Reigning felt another wave of sadness wash over her. She tried to look anywhere except the stage where they sat, dead on their thrones. She glanced at the boy, unable to hold back any more tears, “I’m not my parents,” she whispered.
Rye
The princess’s tears, instantly made Rye instantly regret what he’d said. He sighed; he couldn’t believe he’d gone soft.
“Hey,” he said, reaching out to give her a handkerchief that was in his pocket. “Umm… sorry, please don’t cry. I didn’t mean what I said…”
Well, actually, he did mean what he said, but she didn’t need to know that.
“Maybe we got off on the wrong foot,” he said in the gentlest voice he could muster, “My name is Rye.”
The princess took the handkerchief and wiped her tears. Rye couldn’t help but notice that she would have been pretty if it wasn’t for the fact that her nose and eyes were red and puffy from crying. “Reigning.”
“What?”
“My name… it’s Reigning,” the princess said with a frown. “Although, you probably know that already.”
Rye stood up and offered his hand to the princess- no, Reigning- trying to hide his annoyance. “Well, your highness, why don’t we leave this place before your life is endangered again?”
She nodded and took his hand, “Thank you, Rye.”
Great… now he was on babysitting duty. The sooner she was dead, the sooner he could forget about this terrible day… But for now, he’d play nice…
Writing about a comfortable place for 5 mins
Rye, who surprisingly knew his way around the palace pretty well, lead her away from the ballroom towards the greenhouse. “It should be safe here.”
Reigning sat on a bench and looked up through the glass roof. The full moon glowed brightly in the star-filled night sky. “I often come here when I want to be alone,” she whispered.
Rye glanced up at the sky for a second, before returning his heavy gaze to her. Again, she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. “The sky’s beautiful tonight. Everything seems so peaceful.”
“When in reality, there’s chaos going on in the palace,” she said, shaking her head and fighting back the urge to cry. “I do hope the assassin is found; then I can mourn in peace.”
“I hope they’re found too,” he said after a moment. His voice sounded annoyed and she wondered, yet again, what was going on in that brain of his.
Enemies to lovers Trope (315 words)- Rye
Rye snuck another glance at the princess, who looked exhausted. “You should get some rest,” he said without thinking.
She gave him a look of surprise, which made sense since he had no idea why he said that. “Is it safe?”
He shrugged, “I guess I’ll keep watch.”
She nodded and closed her eyes, falling asleep within minutes. She looked pretty even when sleeping. Rye’s cheeks flushed when he realized that he was staring.
He felt annoyed with himself. There she was, sleeping so innocently right in front of him. All if took was the knife in his pocket and his revenge would be complete. But he couldn’t bring himself to kill her, let alone take out the knife. Every time he reached for it, he recalled her tears and something that she had said in almost a whisper.
“She’s not her parents.”
“I’m sorry?”
It took Rye a second to realize that he had repeated what she’d said aloud. Apparently, the princess was a light sleeper. Feeling his cheeks get hotter, he turned away from the princess’s questioning stare. “Nothing.”
She stood up and walked toward him, and it took all of his willpower not to back away. “You look tired,” she said.
He shrugged, although truth told, he was tired. It seemed as if all of the night’s events had come crashing down on him all at once.
“Why don’t you come sit next to me?” she asked. “That way, at least you can rest your legs.”
For some reason, he allowed her to drag him towards the bench. He sat down next to her and she smiled, before closing her eyes.
He groaned to himself. What was he doing here with the princess? He moved to stand but realized that the princess was leaning her head on his shoulder. With a sigh, he kept still, wondering how he’d gotten into this situation.
15 mins of discussing Rye (407 words)
Hair color: Light brown (curly)
Eye color: Dark brown
Has light skin with a sprinkling of freckles.
Rye is a character that may be hard for many to like. He has his flaws, but he has some strong points as well.
Flaws: Temper: Rye’s temper is legendary. He gets angry easily and often does things that he later regrets.
His past: Rye’s past often resurfaces, leaving him feeling sad and weakened. When this happens, he usually takes a day to himself, sitting there, sadly alone.
Shyness: Rye is somewhat shy when it comes to talking about his feelings. He may seem rude and cold, but that’s just because he sometimes has trouble expressing himself.
Strengths: Patience: Rye is extremely patient. If he has to, he’ll wait for years till the time is right for a plan.
Guilt: Despite often being rude and seemingly cold, Rye has a soft side. Usually, seeing someone else cry because of him makes him feel guilty and makes him quick to apologize.
Intelligence: Rye is super smart. His plans usually are planned down to every second. He is calculating and can make decisions in hard times.
Backstory: Rye was born into a noble family. He lived a life of privilege up until the age of seven when a house fire killed his parents and destroyed his home. Found by merchants, he was brought to the kingdom's capital. Since Rye was the son of a very important family, it was expected that the royal family would at least try to help him. But the king and queen denied his request to meet with them and even went to the extent as to send him away from the capital. By this time, Rye was only eight years of age and he felt neglected. With no other known family and nowhere to go, the merchants who found him took him in. He learned how to trade and lived a comfortable life. By age thirteen, Rye was good at being a merchant. He was wealthy and decided to bring back his family status. He visited the capitol again and was denied once more. The king and queen didn’t want anything to do with his family's restoration. Fueled with rage, Rye plotted his revenge on the royal family, using all of his resources. This brings us to now: sixteen-year-old Rye, who is angry but has finally gotten what he wanted. Yet he's still confused and unsatisfied?

Amnesia for eight minutes (this story is getting really crazy)
Reigning opened her eyes, realizing that she had been leaning on Rye. Her cheeks flushed and she was glad that it was too dark for him to see.
“Oh, your awake.” Rye’s voice sounded stiff.
“Yeah, umm, sorry,” Reigning said in a soft whisper.
“What?”
“Never mind…”
She could feel Rye stiffen beside her, “Someone’s coming,” he mumbled.
“Who?”
Rye stood up a shoved Reigning with enough force that she fell off the bench and hit a pot behind her.
She heard voices, but she wasn’t sure if it was Rye or someone else talking. Her head spun and her vision blurred. Everything went black.
———
“Oh, now you wake up!” a voice said, as Reigning opened her eyes, trying to adjust to the darkness. Where was she?
“Who are you?” She asked, moving away from the boy the was crouched in front of her.
He looked annoyed, “Rye?”
She racked her brain, trying to remember someone who went by the name of Rye. “I’ve never met anyone named Rye.”
He gave her a look of concern, “Princess… are you okay?”
“Am I okay…?” she repeated, unsure. “Wait, where am I? Did you kidnap me? I was supposed to be giving a speech for the nobles.” She stood up, ignoring the sudden wave of dizziness, “My parents are probably freaking out, wondering where I’ve been.”
The boy, who claimed to be named Rye, let out a weird gasping sound.
“What’s wrong with you?” she asked.
His eyes widened, “I think you’ve hit your head, your highness.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked, trying not to feel insulted.
“An attacker shot an arrow at you and I pushed you out of the way. You banged into a vase and then blacked out as I fought the attacker,” Rye explained calmly.
“And who are you, my bodyguard?” Reigning asked sarcastically.
Rye sighed and glanced to a figure behind them. It took her a second to realize that it was a dead body.
“W-wait… what’s going on here?” she asked.
Rye gave her a look of pity, “Princess,” he said gently, “Your parents- they’re dead.”
Reigning gasped as the events of the last hour came rushing back. All she could do was let out a sob.
Use 9 words given by other humans for 10 mins (396 words)
Okay… here’s a note… I took those words but two other people also gave me a set of three words and I didn’t know who to choose. So, I used ten, taking at least one word from each set. IT WAS HARD
List of words (15 of them)
cowboy, boots, horses
cookie, fly, glitter
apple, stars, chair
righteous, tubular, groovy
cream, sadness, life
So… here goes
Rye
Tears streamed down the princess’s cheeks. The moonlight made them sparkle like glitter. He was wrong; she looked pretty even when she was crying.
“Forgive me…” she sniffled, using the handkerchief that he’d given her earlier. “Somehow, I forgot all about what happened in the last hour. Although I admit, it felt nice to forget. Now my life is filled with sadness once more.”
Rye glanced up at the stars, “I know how it feels,” he whispered, “to lose someone you love.”
She looked at him, tearful eyes filled with curiosity, “Oh?”
He shrugged, unsure of why he was telling her any of this, “My parents… died in a fire when I was seven. I guess I’ve never really been the same since then.” He thought about everything that had happened in the last decade. A life filled with anger and the yearning for revenge. He knew he wasn’t a righteous person when he’d planned all of this, but why did he feel bad all of a sudden?
The princess stood abruptly, “This night has been too sad,” she said, causing Rye to cringe with guilt. Would he tell her the truth? “So, why don’t we have something to eat?” Before he could say anything, she grabbed him by the arm and gave it a tug, “Follow me!”
Rye followed her silently, still trying to ignore the guilt in his heart. He shouldn’t be treated like this- especially not by the girl whose parents were killed because of him.
They left the greenhouse and went down several sets of stairs and through several hallways before they made it to a small sitting room.
The princess sat down on a chair and pointed at another, “You sit there.” Then she got up and rummaged through a cabinet bringing out cookies and two apples. “I would love to have tea with cream, but this will have to do.”
Rye took a cookie and an apple, realizing for the first time that night that he was hungry. As he ate, the princess talked about everything, from her love of horses to the time she’d accidentally spilled tea on a noble. Rye listened carefully, trying to ignore the guilt that was gnawing inside of him.
When she was done talking, he couldn’t take it anymore. He frowned and took a deep breath, “Princess, I have to tell you something…”
Ending… since I got a sad bittersweet ending… I guess I’ll end the story badly. (656)
Reigning looked at Rye’s upset face, trying to mask her confusion. Had she done something wrong?
Rye looked down at his hands and was unable to meet her eyes, “I had your parents killed…” he said, sounding ashamed of himself. Which was ridiculous, because he was obviously lying… right?
“You’re lying!” Reigning said; although something inside of her told her that he was telling the truth.
He shook his head, sounding genuinely sorry, “No, I’m not.”
Tears spilled out of Reigning’s eyes, and she swiped at them furiously, “But, why?” she cried, “How could you do such a thing?” To think that she’d trusted him?
Rye’s face hardened, and he looked angry, “Your parents, they treated me like trash. I was once a part of one of the most powerful families. Once my parents died, the king and queen literally stripped me of the title I should’ve inherited. They even went as far as to kick me out of the capital. I spent years trying my hardest to rise in society. I was raised by merchants; I grew rich again through my hard work. But when I went back to the king and queen two years ago, they once again denied me of my rightful place in society.” He glared at Reigning, his eyes filled with pure hatred, “I’m barely a noble. I lost my title and worked so hard to regain it, only to be denied. And you know what the king said before he sent me away for the second time? He told me that I was lucky that I was even granted a spot in nobility due to my merchant upbringing. He had the audacity to tell me that because I was raised by a merchant family, I had no manners.”
Reigning sat there, stunned, as Rye stood up. “So, you decided to k-kill them?” It took all of her strength not to cry again.
He shrugged, “For two years, I plotted my revenge. I meant for all three of you to die.”
“Then… why didn’t you kill me? You could’ve saved me from all of the pain.”
She expected Rye to grin evilly and talk about how he wanted her to feel pain but was surprised when he gave her a sad smile. “I thought about it, but couldn’t bring myself to kill you. I know, I seem like a terrible person to you… but…” he shrugged, “Even I have my limits.”
Anger coursed through her veins, “I don’t care if you let me survive. I’ll never forgive you. I want to see you rot in my dungeon.”
He smirked, “I was wondering when your evil side would show. I just knew you weren’t an angel.” He looked at her and with a raise of one eyebrow, he said, “That face you’re making reminds me of your father’s face. I see that you don’t care an inch for my wellbeing.”
“Guards!” She screamed with all her might, “Gua-”
Rye pressed his hand against her mouth, “Nah ah ah, we can’t have you screaming for your guards and ruining my escape, can we? Even if they’re incompetent, bloodshed isn’t on my to-do list anymore.”
She elbowed him, but he was too strong. But she heard the guards coming, so she knew everything would be alright. He would be arrested, and she would have her revenge.
Revenge…
She sounded like him now… and that worried her. But justice needed to be served.
Rye suddenly let go of her, pushing her to the ground- he must’ve heard the guards. Then he moved towards the large window, punching the glass out with a chair.
“Princess, are you alright?” Reigning turned and saw five guards breathing heavily from the exertion of their rush to her location.
“Catch that boy, he has something to do with my parent’s murder!” She ordered.
But Rye was already out the window. He clung to the stones of the castle and smiled, “See you, princess!” And then he was gone…
Reigning scowled, “She would find that boy and make him pay…”

PATHS TAKEN: 5-1, 1-4, 4-3, 2-1, 101-4, 6-4, 81-3, 7-3, 9-3, 3-3 | SABOTAGE RESULTS: 6- F, 1- F, 7- F, 4- F, 8- F, 5- S;9- S;2- S;3- F | ENDING: bad

Two of the Sabotages

Okay… a thank you…
Thank you, Moonlit for adding all of my words and cheering me on. Birdi for reminding me to do things and always checking in. And the weekly/daily team for coming up with amazing prompts that help me pass time.

5 things I’m most proud of (achievements)
- That I have become much more confident than my middle school years.
- I have written a full novel, half of another, and a whole collection of short stories
- I won a writing competition (second place)
- I’ve read so many books that I can’t even count
- I managed to convince my parents to get me a phone

Daily 7/29/2022
1690 words
Beginning - character is walking home from school
Climax - the protagonist confronts someone important to them
Setting: A very small town at the bottom of a valley. It rains a lot there
conflict - a character is debating whether to lie or tell the truth
ending: you hit the antagonist over the head with a dictionary

“Wait up, Kyla!” it’s my best friend, Cora’s voice.
I stop walking and wait for her to catch up. “I thought you had art club today.”
She shrugs as she catches her breath, “The meeting was canceled, so I thought I’d walk home with you!”
We walk in comfortable silence, enjoying the fresh autumn air. Our town is pretty small and located at the bottom of a valley. It’s always raining, so whenever the weather was nice, I like to walk home.
“You’re still coming over tonight, right?” Cora asks, twisting some of her long, wavy dark brown hair around one finger.
I nod before looking down at my own hair, which is black and curly. It reminds me of how different Cora and I look. I am medium height while she is short. I have brown eyes while she has hazel. My skin is pale while hers is tan…
I return my attention to whatever Cora is saying. “I was thinking of watching another comedy movie,” she said, “What do you think?” Every Friday,
Cora and I go to her house and watch a movie and have a sleepover. It’s a tradition that we’ve had since third grade.
“I don’t mind another comedy movie,” I say with a grin. “Although last time, that comedy movie had way too much mushy stuff.”
“I thought it was beautiful,” Cora says, giving me a sly look. “Speaking of which, you never told me! Do you have a crush on anyone?”
I roll my eyes at her, “Nah, why would I?” Although, I’m not exactly sure if I am telling the truth.
“What about Davy Miller?”
I frown, “Davy Miller is a self-absorbed jerk. Plus, I saw him bully Andrew Stevenson a couple of days back.”
“That’s true,” Cora agrees, “Still, he’s cute.”
“Not really.”
She looks at me, “Oh, then what’s your type?”
“I don’t have a type,” I mumble, hoping my cheeks aren’t red.
“Everyone has some type of person they like!” she argues.
“Not me.” I feel bad for lying to her and seriously think of telling the truth. But I decide I’m not ready yet.
We reach my house, which is only one block away from hers. “Alright, I’ll see you later, Kyla!” she said, skipping off.
I let out a sigh of relief. That was close…
————-
An hour and a half later, I’m at Kyla’s house, waiting on the front steps with my sleeping back under one arm and my backpack under the other. She opens the front door and beckons me inside, “Come in!”
I set my stuff down in her room before following her into the kitchen. We take out a bag of chips and two cans of soda before settling ourselves down on the living room couch in front of the TV. Kyla starts the movie, as I shove a handful of chips into my mouth.
Halfway through the movie, the front door opens and Cora’s older brother, Cameron walks in. He’s sweaty which must mean he had basketball practice. He has the same wavy brown hair and dark brown eyes as Cora. The only difference is that he’s tall.
“Hey, what are you guys watching?” he asks making his way towards his room.
Cora wrinkles her nose. Cameron is only a year older than us, so we used to hang out with him a lot when we were younger. But he’s been so busy with eighth grade and his friends recently, that we’ve gotten used to his absence.
“We’re watching mouse attack,” I say when Cora doesn’t answer.
“Can I join you?” Cameron says, ignoring Cora’s obvious annoyance.
“Sure,” I answer, keeping my eyes trained on the TV screen.
“Let me take a quick shower first,” he says, before leaving the living room.
Once he’s gone, Cora turns to glare at me. I pretend not to see her, and keep my eyes focused on the movie. “Why’d you do that?”
“Do what?” I ask innocently.
“You know I don’t like Cameron hanging out with us,” she says with a sigh.
“But I love hanging out with him just like the old days,” I argue, trying not to pout.
She rolls her eyes, “What’s so cool about him?”
My cheeks flush and I’m happy that the room is dark so she can’t see my face. The truth is, that ever since the beginning of seventh grade, I’ve had a crush on Cameron. He’s just so perfect and nice- not that Cora would ever agree with me.
Cameron walks into the living room wearing an olive-green hoodie; I can’t help but think the color looks nice on him. He tries to sit next to Cora but she places her hand on the spot next to her. “Sorry, this seat’s taken,” she says.
Cameron shrugs and sits down next to me instead. It takes me all of my willpower not to squeal. He smells like warm cinnamon and it reminds me of the time we made cupcakes together for the school bake sale.
“I invited Ike over,” he says, resting his head on one hand.
I groan while Cora smiles. She’s had a crush on Ike for as long as I can remember. I don’t get why though. Ike is a brat who always makes fun of me.
The doorbell rings and Cameron gets up to answer the door, “Pretty sure that’s him.”
A few seconds later, Ike walks in with a huge smirk. “Whatcha doing guys?”
“Watching a movie,” Cameron explains as he sits back down. The only other empty spot on the couch is next to Cora, so Ike sits there. I’m sure Cora is very happy at the moment.
Ike is silent for a few seconds before he notices my existence, “Hey, Cryla, what’s going on today?”
I let out a loud sigh, Ike has been calling me “Cryla” ever since fifth grade when I started crying after failing at ice skating. I wish he’d just forget about it.
Ike stays silent for the rest of the movie, which is a miracle. But as the ending credits roll in, he grins like he has some crazy idea. “Hey, why don’t we play truth or dare?”
I shake my head- why would anyone play such a dangerous game with a lunatic like him. But Cameron and Cora agree, so I’m outvoted.
We sit in a circle on the floor, only I stand up and grab a dictionary from the nearest shelf. “Guys, I think I’m kinda busy here looking for the definition of um… a word… Maybe you can play without me?”
Cora rolls her eyes and grabs my arm, dragging me back to the circle, “Nice try, Kyla, you’re not getting out of this game.”
Ike smirks, “And because of that, you go first.”
I sigh and hug the dictionary close to my chest, “Fine.”
“Truth or dare?” Cora asks me.
“Truth,” I say, hoping I don’t regret my decision.
“Do you have a crush, yes or no?” Cora asks.
I shoot a glare at her, I thought she’d forgotten about that conversation earlier. I debate on whether or not I should lie, and eventually decide to tell the truth. “Yes,” I say in a small voice.
Ike looks at me, eyes filled with surprise, “Who?”
I feel my face grow hot, “I don’t have to tell you!”
Ike leans in closer, “Now I wanna know, right Cameron?”
Cameron shrugs, “That’s her decision.”
Ike groans, “Such a party pooper. Honestly, Cryla, you’re such a wimp.”
Tears prick at the back of my eyes, and it takes everything in me not to cry. Ike stares at me, “Are you gonna cry?”
I can’t take any of his teasing and that stupid face of his anymore. The next thing I know, my arms are moving without me thinking. I smack Ike in the head with the dictionary.
Ike curses and calls me insane, rubbing the spot on his head where I hit him. Look who’s crying now! “Nobody would like a crazy like you!” he yells.
For some reason, that makes me cry. I run out of the room and into the bathroom, embarrassed with myself. I hear voices from the living room, they’re probably talking about me being such a crybaby.
After a few minutes, the talking dies down and I hear a soft knock on the door. “Come in,” I say softly; it’s probably Cora trying to make me feel better. I swear I have no idea why she likes Ike so much.
To my surprise, it’s Cameron who walks in; he looks embarrassed. “Hey, umm, Cora… I’m sorry about Ike, he’s pretty rude sometimes. Next time I won’t invite him.”
I shrug, “He’s right though, I am a cry baby. I made such a big deal over nothing.”
“You don’t have to share who you like,” he says, “Also, that move with the dictionary was smart! Don’t tell Ike though.”
“It’s you,” I whisper.
Cameron looks at me, obviously confused, “What?”
“The person I like… it’s you…”
A look of surprise crosses his face, “You like me?”
“Yeah,” I say, feeling my face grow hot, “I know it’s silly, and you don’t like me like that but…”
“Who said that?” he interrupts.
“Who said what?”
“That I don’t like you?”
His cheeks are red too now, and I realize what he’s trying to say. Instead of saying anything, I smile. “Wow… I…”
He shakes his head, “That’s how you react to a confession?” he teases.
I grin and hug him. “How’s that?”
He blushes and then smiles, “How about we go for some ice cream one day?”
I smile, “Sure!” If all it took to confess my feelings was hitting Ike in the head with a dictionary, I would’ve done it years ago!

Daily 7/30/2022
356 Words

Idiom Taken Literally:
Two left feet

Today is the last rehearsal for the school play. I plan on not messing up like I always do because I really don’t want to get kicked off the special effects team.
“Brayden, how’s the fog machine?” the head of the team, Katie, asks. I give her a thumbs up; everything seems to be going fine.
Katie points to where Luke and Crystal are struggling to set up some fairy lights, “Can you go help them?”
I stand up and carefully make my way toward them, trying my hardest to avoid any wires. I repeat the same thing over and over again in my head until I reach them.
I will not trip.
I will not trip.
I will not trip.
I let out a sigh of relief as they hand me the string of fairy lights, which I twist and bend until they finally look perfect. They would serve as the fireflies during the night scene.
I step back to look at my handiwork, crashing straight into some speakers. I fall hard on my butt and watch as those speakers wobble back and forth.
Please don’t fall! I silently pray in my head.
But of course, they fall. It’s a good thing Luke catches them before they come crashing into the fog machine. The only bad thing is that I attracted the attention of our director, Mr. Cohen. He takes stock of the damage before looking at me. I’m still on the floor. “Brayden, what did I say about being careful?”
I sigh and stand up, “Mr. Cohen, I’m sorry- I really am. It’s just that I have two left feet!”
“Being clumsy is not an excuse for your recklessness,” he says.
“But I really do have two left feet!” I argue, taking my shoes off and showing him my feet.
He gawks at them and his eyes glaze over. There’s a loud crash as he falls and hit the ground.
My fellow team members are frozen in awe as I put my shoes back on. I hope making the teacher faint doesn’t get me kicked off the team.

Daily 7/1/2023
1039 words

Hello there! (do you get the reference?) You can call me Cookie because my crazy self a bunch of years ago was unhealthily addicted to cookies. I still am but don’t think this username would ever be my first choice. This is my second SWC session and I hope to reach my 25k word goal.

I’m a proud Star Wars nerd and would love to be a part of the First Order. In my opinion, villains are funner (I know that’s not a word) than heroes… not that I hate heroes or anything. A good villain to me has a valid reason for their actions. As a writer, I want my villains to be lovable and maybe even relatable. I want you to sob when I kill off the villain (which is what I’m totally planning on doing). Speaking of which, I love to write- mostly sci-fi with hints of romance… (that’s why I’m here right?) I am currently working on a novel (the fourth in my series) that I would love to finish by the end of this summer. My book series probably has a mix of enemies to lovers and a love triangle. I dream to one day have a book published. I also write flash fiction and short stories for other people (for a price >)… You request and I’ll deliver… as long as I get paid in some way or another. I’ve been writing since I was a little kid and started my first novel in 2019. Looking back… it was pretty cringe but I hope I’m better at writing now. That is my goal… to write a story that people want to share. I want my characters to be the favorites of others and I want someone to be unable to put my book down.

Speaking of writing, the best inspiration for what I write has to do with what I read. I love to read books and am a huge KOTLC, Ascendance Series, Ranger’s Apprentice, and Lunar Chronicles fan. I also love reading books by Kasie West. Reading allows me to get lost in worlds totally different than the one I’m living in. Not sure if it counts as reading, but I love Webtoons, especially ones about high school drama. I have endless suggestions and can definitely hit you up.

I also watch anime (although not many) MHA and Demon Slayer are my favorites! I’m a very emotional human and cry very easily. You don’t know how many times I cried while watching Demon Slayer. But crying is okay! I don’t get why people think it’s such a bad thing. Crying is good for you, so never let anyone look down on you for doing so.

I enjoy baking (I love anything sweet) and making drinks. Does that mean I should work at Dunkin’ or Starbucks to earn some cash? Maybe! I love snapping pictures of Legos and building them as well. And my final and most favorite hobby is gaming. I play Jedi Survivor, Overwatch, Brawlhalla and Splatoon and love anything to do with Xenoblade. (Especially Xenoblade 3) Playing CRK is also great, especially since I love cookies and all.

They say your favorite characters reflect a lot on your personality… at least so I think. The characters I like might or might not have some similarities. Hey… maybe you’ll recognize some of them! I could go on for hours on my love for Todoroki, Dabi, Hawks, Amajiki, Tanjiro, Rui, Muichiro, Obanai, Keefe, Tam, Roden, Horace, Kylo Ren, and… okay you get the point. Why did I just realize all of those characters are guys…? :0

Oh I forgot to mention I’m a girl… oh well yeah. I’m an ISFP-T (if you care about those types of things) and unlike my online self… I am terrible at conversing with new people. I want to program games for a living and am trying my best to fulfill that dream. I really want to know how a video game is made. I also want to learn Japanese… 日本語を話したいです。(I swear I wrote this on my own with what little knowledge I have)

I guess now it’s time for the actual daily part. The Ice cream! I love ice cream because it’s sweet. If I was a sundae I think I would have one scoop of vanilla… ‘cause I consider myself plain. In fact… I hate wearing patterns. Next to the vanilla ice cream scoop I would have a mango ice cream scoop. Not enough places sell mango ice cream… this is ridiculous because it tastes amazing! If you haven’t tried it, you should. Then I’d have a cookie dough scoop because of my love for cookies. My last scoop (because four scoops of ice cream is a must) would be mint chocolate chip because it’s underrated like me. Those who say it tastes like toothpaste don’t know what they’re talking about. On top of my ice cream would be a drizzle of caramel and chocolate for extra sweetness. And at last… a cherry on top. Maybe this crazy combination of ice cream won’t work… mint and mango? But that’s kinda how my mind works. It’s a mess in there, filled with so many possibilities and ideas. I just need to find the right combinations like mango and vanilla or mint and cookie dough. Or maybe I’ll try combining them all and just see where it takes me. Don’t get me wrong though… I wouldn’t necessarily call myself adventurous.

Since I have a hundred words left I’ll just list some of the other things I like. My favorite fruit is mangoes, and my favorite animals are red pandas, snow leopards and sloths. My favorite sea animal is the orca and my favorite colors are red and black. My favorite movie is Star Wars the Last Jedi and it’s too hard to choose a favorite book. Not sure if this is relevant but I’ll be a high school senior in September (Oh man, I’m getting crustier)

And now I have reached 1000 words. Thanks for sticking around (If you read this whole thing you’re like my new favorite person!) Feel free to talk to me if you’d like! Have a wonderful SWC session <3

Daily 7/2/2023
580 Words
humidity, sunset, drive, gathering, rope

“Did we really have to go so far just to watch the sunset?” I ask as I exit the car from the passenger side.
Compared to the cool, air-conditioned inside of Antonio’s car, it is hot and uncomfortable outside. I can already feel my shirt clinging to my back because of the humidity.
“Oh, come on, Liz,” Antonio says, gathering his supplies from his trunk. “The drive wasn’t too long.”
I raise one eyebrow, “You know I hate drives over thirty minutes long.”
He smirks at me, “All the more reason to force you on this little adventure.”
“This sunset better be beautiful.”
“Don’t worry,” he slams the trunk shut a little too hard for my comfort. It isn’t my car, but I still worry that one day he’ll end up breaking it. “I’m sure the sunset will live up to your expectations.”
We walk across the parking lot until we reach the boardwalk which is more crowded than I expected. It seems that a lot of people had the same idea as us.
The boardwalk is lined with rope, blocking access to the beach. I run my hand along the length of it, ignoring the frayed edges that get caught on my skin.
Antonio looks back at me from his spot up ahead, “Hurry up, Liz or we’ll miss the sunset!” Without any further warning, he ducks under the rope, jumping down into the sand below. I shake my head at him when he beckons for me to follow. Unlike him, I take the stairs.
The sand immediately gets in my shoes and I can feel it under my toenails. I groan; if the sand was going to get in my shoes either way, I should’ve just worn flip-flops or sandals. In front of me, Antonio looks unaffected by the sand. He walks closer to the ocean, stopping only a few meters away. He places the blanket he was carrying on the sand, and gestures for me to hurry up and sit with him. It’s funny how I’ve learned to interpret almost all of Antonio’s gestures. People don’t get it, but to me, Antonio’s gestures are like sentences themselves. Some even hold many sentences. For example, the one he’s making at me now means: if you don’t sit down right now, I’ll drag you by your arms and fling you in the ocean.
I laugh as I sit down next to him. He smiles and hands me a Coke. “Soda and watching the sunset; tell me that this wasn’t a good idea.”
“This wasn’t a good idea,” I say seriously. I get a smack on my back in return. The sun is starting to set now, bathing the beach in an orange glow. The ocean seems to sparkle as if there were gold under the water.
For once, Antonio is silent. As the sun seems to dip into the ocean, it takes its warmth with it. I shiver. Antonio moves closer to me and when I turn to him, I’m surprised to find that I can barely see his face. It’s amazing how almost all of the light disappeared in under thirty minutes. In the darkness, I can make out Antonio’s smirk; it’s as if he knows I enjoyed the sunset, regardless of how cold I am now.
I refuse to give him the satisfaction of being right. Instead, I turn my face to hide my smile and grumble, “I’m cold, let’s go home.”

Daily 7/4/2023
438 Words
rainyskiies-

twist: your character can see someone's future when they touch them, but only their death


silvxrywaves

bi-fi twist: your main character bursts into tears whenever someone says the word “however” (or any other word you choose)




Fanfiction- KOTLC


“What is wrong with me, Foster?” Keefe whispered, grasping tightly onto his wrist with his other hand. He seemed different tonight- more vulnerable.
“What do you mean, what’s wrong with you?” Sophie asked, trying not to freak out. Why did he look so scared?
He gulped and gave her a nervous smile, “Don’t panic, but I think I manifested another ability.”
“What?!” Sophie yelled, ignoring the urge to tug on an eyelash.
He looked at her, “You’re panicking.”
“Sorry, but how could I not panic?!” Her eyes met his and she forced herself to look away. No matter how beautiful his eyes were, it was not the time to get distracted. “So, what ability do you think you manifested?”
He shrugged, “It’s just that when I touched you…”
“Did your empathy return?” she interrupted, feeling a twinge of hope.
Her heart sank when he shook his head. “This is something different.” He bit his lip, “I touched you and I think I saw the future?”
“The future?” Sophie repeated.
“Yes, but only a specific part of your future… your death,” Keefe said.
Sophie felt her heart race as she reached for one of her eyelashes. Keefe saw how she died? “How did it happen?” she finally asked after some silence.
Keefe looked confused, “Me manifesting another ability? Obviously, it has something to do with Mother Dearest, which by the way has been strangely inactive recently.”
Sophie swallowed the bile in her throat and tried again, “No, how did I die?”
The color seemed to drain from Keefe’s face, and her mind began to come up with all sorts of gruesome deaths. “It doesn’t matter, Foster, I won’t let it happen.”
“You can’t guarantee that!” Sophie argued. “However, if you told me maybe-” she stopped suddenly when she realized that Keefe was crying. “Why are you crying, Keefe?”
He blinked several times, “I-I don’t know! This is all so frustrating! I’m so tired of fighting. Whenever I think I’ve gotten the worst of it, something else comes up!” He rubbed his eyes fiercely with his fists, “I shouldn’t be the one crying while you’re panicking over the fact that I saw how you’re gonna die!”
“That’s kinda true, however-” Sophie paused again when she saw that Keefe was crying even harder now. “What’s going on?” she asked, “Anything I should be worried about?”
He shook his head, “No! I don’t know! I’m just-”
Sophie tried to hide her confusion as Keefe took a deep breath and stood up. “How about we get some mallowmelt?”
Keefe nodded, “Sounds like a plan.”
She’d have to grill him on his vision later.