School Assignment: Outsiders Ch. 5 Summary
\!/ May include spoilers for some, read at own risk \!/
word count: 324

So far out of all the characters I've met in the reading, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, the character that is most interesting is Cherry. She is the most interesting character because she is a Soc, yet she is kind and respectful to the greasers if they are respectful to her, she also shares a Soc's perspective of life. On example of her talking to greasers at the drive-in movie theater. She met Ponyboy and Johnny at the drive-in movie theater when Dally was talking badly to her, the boys, Ponyboy and Johnny stood up for Cherry and her friend, Marcia. In doing so, Ponyboy and Johnny were invited to sit with the girls, and they started to talk. Cherry showed a great amount of respect to Ponyboy and Johnny whilst talking to them, she didn't disrespect them or try to threaten them like other socs in the Outsiders, nor did she ignore their help of telling Dally off. Another point is that she shares her perspective of life and what a Soc's life experience is like whilst talking to Ponyboy. In a conversation they were having when buying popcorn at the drive-in movie theater, Cherry states, “Things are rough all over,” as a response to Ponyboy when he shares his assumption that Socs have it much better than them, greasers. Cherry is willing to share that a Soc's life is not as easy as a greaser might think, they all have their own troubles, even though they are more privileged it doesn't mean life is any much easier for them to endure through. To sum up, Cherry is the most interesting character in the reading, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, as she is not like other Socs, she shows respect and kindness whilst talking to greasers, such as Ponyboy and Johnny, she is also outspoken on how greasers' assumptions about the Socs all aren't that right, such as them having life much better.

Jan 5th Daily: Write a full (first and last) name in the comments. Any random name, or one you like! Someone else will take that name and make a character solely based on the name! Now, you will pick a name from someone else and write an outline of your character. 400 words for 500 points! An extra 100 points if you share your work!

This didn't end up counting for the daily because I finished too late, but it still counts for words! <3

415 Words

Name: Sasha Moondancer
Gender: Female
Age: 16 years old
Pronouns: She.Her
Sexuality: Straight
Birthday: Monday, January 22nd, 2007
Looks: Sasha stands at about 5’ 10’’ and she has warm, honey brown skin paired with knee-length dark brown hair. She most often wears her hair braided as that is the easiest way to keep it from tangling too much during the day. Sometimes she will also wear her hair in a ponytail before she braids it when she wants to change it up a little bit. She likes to wear long, flowy dresses often made of very light kinds of fabric. She likes the fact that they are cool and also that they look very nice and magical when she wears them. Her favorite color to wear is blues and purples, but her parents think she looks good in red, so sometimes she wears that as well, hoping to make her parents like her more. Sasha has bright amber eyes and she wears glasses in a blueish-gray color.
Family: Olivia Moondancer (mother), Tyler Moondancer (father), Kira Moondancer (sister, 13), Marcus Moondancer (brother, 19)
Personality: Sasha is quite introverted, preferring to keep to herself rather than go out and try and be making friends all the time. She’s very neat and organized, always making sure to keep herself together as well as the environment around her, including her room, desk and any of her things in the rest of the house. On the more negative side, Sasha is very detail oriented to the point where it can take her a very long time to complete a task since she wants it all to be perfect before she can call it done. She is also very very stubborn and does not like to change her opinion, even when she is wrong about something and she realizes it. This means it is also hard for her to admit when she is wrong and will often keep insisting she is right because she cannot stand being wrong too much.
Backstory: Sasha’s parents are somewhat distant because their work often keeps them very busy, so Sasha and her siblings Kira and Marcus were raised by a rotating collection of nannies and au pairs. This has caused Sasha to perfectionism, always wanting her parents' attention and wanting them to be proud of her. When she does well in school it is true that her parents pay attention to her for a while, in the end they always go back to work and Sasha goes back to wanting to please her parents.

Free writing, a continuation from this:
(299 words, this part)
I wake up, but the sky still looks dark. Perfect. I put my long, dark hair in a ponytail and change out of my corset and poofy dress. Thank god I can finally be comfortable. I leap out the window and fall into someone's arms. “Lucas, I can do this myself!” I exclaim. “Just wanted to make sure you're safe” He says with a tone of concern. I blow my bangs in frustration. Why didn't anyone understand? Whatever. I get out of his arms quickly, and speed-walk. “Hey, wait up. I was thinking of stopping by at the cafe?” Lucas says. “No, Lucas, we can't! I'm not in disguise.” I whisper-shout, mad at the situation that happened a few moments ago. “Hey, calm down princess. Lighten up!” he says, clearly not devoted in this mission like I am. “Listen, Lucas, if you're not interested in this, then leave!” I shout, louder than before. “Okay, okay, I promise not to, Mom.” Lucas jokes. I stay quiet. This “mission” i'm talking about is finding my biological parents. They left me at the castle's doorstep and the queen had no choice but to take me in. “Lucas, we need to hurry!” I say worriedly. “Okay, jeez” he says, annoyed this time. We both run into the moonlight, and I'm hopeful I'll find my parents this time. But I always say this, so maybe not. We arrive at the market, and I hear someone calling my name. “Lucas, stop goofing off!” I say, smiling. “It's not Lucas, dear.” a voice says. Wait, what? “Mom!” I yell. “Yes honey, it's me.” I hug her tight as Lucas watches, smiling a bit, but still mad at me rushing. Then I shout, “Listen Lucas, let me handle things on my own.” He nods, and I smile.

(This part is 416 words)

“I never knew I would see you again.., Norah..” my mother murmurs. “Me too..” I say, then quickly add, “mom”. I had no idea what to say. Usually when I was with Lucas I would joke around, and we never ran out of things to talk about. But right now, it was super awkward. “Hey, would you guys like to come to my cottage? In the woods. The knights won't look there anyways, so it keeps you safe” Lucas offers. “Oh, Lucas, you're still acting like I can't do things on my own. Stop it!” I say, effortlessly. I've said this so many times, why can't he understand? My mother cuts in. “We'd love to!” she exclaims. Ugh. I blow my bangs again. We arrive at Lucas's cottage, that is, I admit, pretty invisible behind the trees and vines. Immediately, I make up a disguise. I wear some slacks and put my hair in a messy bun, and dye my hair with a few streaks of blue. I wear a T-shirt, and I paint my nails. I think I've got the perfect disguise. “Neat.” I quietly whisper to myself. I felt so much better, and free! “Hey, mother, let me give you a tour of the market! I've got some extra coins, we can buy stuff too!” I exclaim. “Of course! But, just call me mom.” my mother says. Mom. Okay. “Alright.. uh, mom, let's go!” Lucas takes a step forward, but I indicate the no-no sign with my fingers. He laughs, before saying, “Alright, I get it, mother-daughter relationship!” Me and my mom walk out the door. I notice a lot of signs that say “WANTED! Young female criminal on the loose. REWARD: 50k” My mom redirects me to the marketplace, but I can't stop thinking about that poster. I spot a seamstress, making gorgeous tunics and cardigans. I go up to her and say, trying to fixate my tone, “Excuse me ma'am, can I buy a lovely cardigan for my mother over here?” My mom covers her face. “Norah, let's go back to Lucas.” Mom whispers. I ignore her completely, enjoying happily the feel of freedom. 20 guards would surround me if I was in the castle, but everybody thinks I'm.. normal. The seamstress's soft smile turns into a frown. “Is that.. oh dear, it is! The woman on the poster!” the seamstress calls for help, and I stand there in fear, while my mother, a criminal, runs into the direction of Lucas's cottage.

Prologue
“You mean to tell us that they escaped?” The man’s disbelieving tone matched his raised brows and skeptical expression. The echoing accusation bounced around the silent, icy council room. “You want to tell us, the leaders of every branch, that you, a fully trained flight specialist whom’s entire life was spent training for this exact situation, failed?”
The poor flight specialist glanced around like a panicked animal. “I… yes sir,” he responded pitifully.
“And what makes you think you're so high and mighty to speak for the rest of us, Smith?” a female with sharp, purple eyes and coffee skin snapped. “If the Zulinca branch were any better than the rest of us you’d have stayed behind and fixed our so-called former paradise!”
“Don’t start on me, Garez. Your branch couldn’t fix it either! And you certainly can’t fix your own planet!” Smith snapped, his eyes blazing as he jumped to his feet. The flight specialist backed away from the fighting pair, nearly being swallowed in the shadow of one of the many, ornate pillars lining the lowered round table.
“Silence!” a man shouted from the other side of the table. “Morgan, Tenisha, you’re being insolent and you are a galaxy off topic! Save your petty arguments for elsewhere. We have no place for them in a council of leaders.” The man narrowed his eyes at the pilot, who had begun to creep from behind the pillar. “Flight specialist. Explain,”
“Yes sir, President Valdez sir,” The specialist took a deep breath. “We flew to their spacecraft without issue. They sent a smaller craft to meet with us, and were willing to board under the promise of peace and no harm or prevention at their leaving. But…
“When they boarded everything they did seemed to be under a hostile move or intention. Some of them spit at our guards and jeered in a language that… that sounded like old English.
“We kept our side of the deal, but when we got to talk to them,” he shuddered. “They wanted to overthrow the government. They wanted to leave the Lux System. They… they wanted a system with a planet big enough for everyone to live on. Then they wanted to establish one authority. Thought it would unite us all. F-Fix the world.
“The weirdest part was they had no leader. They… they kept speaking of their grand plans but when we asked to speak to their chosen authority, they admitted they had yet to find a suitable choice. We told them n-no.” The flight specialist looked down at the ground. “W-was that right sir?”
President Valdez gave a slight nod. “Yes, it was.”
The specialist looked relieved and continued. “We had agreed to peacefully allow them to leave, and that’s exactly what we did. They left directly after that. G-got on their ship and blasted out into the universe,” He thought for a moment. “They headed in the direction of the old system.”
The room was silent for a moment.
“Thank you specialist,” President Valdez boomed. “You may take your leave now. If you think of anything else worth mentioning you may send a message along,” The specialist began to turn. “A human messenger. We don’t know who’s infiltrated our lines. Thank you.”
The specialist nodded, made a short bow, to which the other returned, and hurried out of the room. A heavy silence remained. Finally, a man with coppery skin broke the silence.
“What are we going to do?” He inquired, eyes skittering around the tense room.
Smith’s eyes snapped up. “What are we going to do? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?” He snarled, his voice turning quiet. “We’re going to crush those ridiculous rebels. They can’t take advantage of us like that!”
Tenisha raised an eyebrow at Smith. “How do you propose we do that, Morgan? Our rebels may be halfway across the galaxy right now. There’s no saying




Chapter 1
“Where are they?” The same words swirled and spun from every branch and then directed back to the great city of Aurea itself and the many other mixed settlements amongst the branches. It was as if everyone believed the great towers and bubble homes could explain it themselves. Then the question came to the citizens. The families of the missing people. The friends. The neighbors. Then, as it always goes, to the leaders. The branches’ governments. Worries of one become many, and the worries of the public are a heavy weight, but governments will cope. People may not.
That’s exactly why Zara Lusel Moravi packed her satchel and lock, eased the door on her empty home shut, and set out for Aurea. Not that she would ever admit that was why she left. After 5 and a half years living in her tiny, faded top-floor cottage on Linal, leaving felt nothing short of a dream. The walk down the stairs had been in a daze. When the trolley arrived the driver gave her only a sad smile as she boarded and grasped the chipping gold paint of the pole. No more evening laughs together when she got on to head to the archives. But she wouldn’t have done that if she were staying either.
The next second Zara stepped down from the trolley’s faded marine blue sides for the last time and waved to a nameless friend. She barely felt the rain soaking her already damp clothes. The dreary mist that settled over the miserable planet never seemed to pause.
Her focus turned toward the double doors of the building in front of her. Even in the dreary swath of fog, the building glowed in light as well as prospect. Contrasting the grays and browns of the surrounding buildings, the beautiful transport center popped in a rainbow of colors. Scarlet brick walls, coated to obtain their bright sheen, complimented the gold-brown of the roof, pillars, and door. Every window seemed to illuminate the street in warm light. It was no wonder parents kept their children away from here. The kids would probably run off to stay infinitely in the building’s glow.
Zara’s daze slipped away and the full weight of what she was doing slammed into her. She was leaving Linal. The branch would still be hers, unless she chose to change it, but the planet… the places… it wouldn’t be her home.
Suddenly, everywhere she looked at this miserable haze was tainted with memories. The book cafe at the end of her street was where she spent her eleventh birthday, picking through the endless novels and countless drinks. The buses zipping along their rails, platforms and benches vacant in the weather, sidewalks and stores crowded with people hiding the rain, everything was covered in memories. Maybe that was really why she needed to leave. Zara refused to allow herself to think about who was fleeting through every memory.
Rain managed to soak down her jacket, leaving nothing dry. Zara snagged the handle of the door, slick with the pouring water. She tumbled into the warmth of the Linal Inter Branch Transportation Center, water still pouring from her coat.
“Would you like to book a flight to another branch?” the attendant greeted Zara as she passed through the second set of doors. “Or have you already booked one?”
Zara tilted her head down a bit and murmured, “I booked one, thank you,” to the attendant, who immediately turned away. So much for hospitality.
Zara began to weave her way through the slew of visitors, people booking flights, and business folk all going in different directions. Chatter arose from every cranny of the center. She managed to scramble out of the tide of people and towards the ticket booth.
“May I retrieve my ticket for flight 378 to Aurea?” Zara asked, her heart leaping.
The woman peered at her over her spectacles. “I suppose you can,” she sighed, handing Zara a tab with her flight number and a code glowing on its miniature screen. The tab slipped easily into the pocket of her coat, but she buttoned it shut anyway. No sense in losing something so important.
“Where should I…”
“Far end of the center,” She pointed towards the long hall, still bursting with people. “Your tab should give you directions. If you can’t manage that, find someone else,” The woman turned away without another word, staring back at her tablet.
Zara plunged back into the torrent.



Chapter 2




As she pushed her way towards the back, the crowd finally began to thin until she reached the boarding area for her flight. Around her rows of blue-green cushioned seats sat void of any life. A boy sat behind a tall desk appearing extremely bored.
“Flight 378, Aurea?” he asked upon seeing her. Zara nodded. “Boarding in two hours.”
She turned back toward the endless rows of chairs. All of them were still empty.
“Not many people leave, you know,” the boy said with an inquisitive tone. “Usually it’s only people here on political matters,” His eyes seemed to be prompting her to explain why she was here. Well too bad.
“Interesting,” she said, grabbing a book from the rack and sitting in a seat several rows back. The History: Branch and Planetary Events of the Late Century. Zara sighed. Every citizen who had ever attended school, so all of them, had read the bore-you-to-death documentary. She knew the layout by heart: branch summary, political standing, 3000-4000 events, and finally 4000 and above events. Anything before 3000 was considered a part of the sister book, The History: Settling and Earth, Events of the Pre Branch World. The book, while crucial to education, certainly wasn’t something anyone would want to read outside of school. It was better than the flight boy and his probing questions though.
That was the thing about Zara. She didn’t deal well with people she didn’t know. Every time they looked at her all she could think of was the bad things they might be. Now, with the Aurea Academy year approaching, the anxiety rose again. Maybe she should beg the principal for a different dorm plan. Or just skip out on the year entirely. No, that wouldn’t work. Reyna had been to Aurea’s system-prized academy, and so had their mother and father before that. In fact, every member of the entire Moravi family had attended. No matter how painful it would be to wander the halls as her sister had a mere five years ago, no matter how many sleepless nights she spent on the what ifs and maybe thens, no matter how many uncomfortable people she had to encounter, Zara knew she had to attend.
The flight boy cleared his throat and Zara realized with a jolt she had been staring blank-eyed at the same page for… quite a long time.
“So are you ignoring me or is that page a twenty minute read?” he inquired with an amused tone.
Zara made an exaggerated point of flipping the page.
“Oh come on! I’m not that bad!”
She flipped the page again.
“Fine. Be like that,” he grumbled. “But your flight leaves in half an hour. You’re allowed to board. ”
Zara sighed in relief. Her trunk glided over the tiled floor as she shoved the book onto the rack and scrambled up the stairs into the spacecraft. Inside a few men and women in fancy clothing sat in the pristine seats of the craft. Her tab showed her seat and row. Seat A on row 36 Her trunk, when placed on the carefully designed trapdoor of the aisle and the button pressed, slid quietly down the hatch, which closed with a quiet hiss. Zara carefully stepped over the hatch and to her seat. A circular window would frame the breathtaking view of the universe outside when the journey began. The seat itself was squishy and plush as Zara sat down. A manual on how to use the ports below the window stuck out from the divider between the seat and the one in front. The booklet, Zara realized, was not just about the ports but about the various screens hidden in her divider as well! It seemed as if hundreds of them were tucked into the leathery walls. Several clicks and levers later, a computer sized screen spanned across the divider while a small, long rack rested above the screen ready for her tab. A shelf for any extra belongings hung on the left of the screen and on the right a holder for devices to play music. Below the screen a retractable tray slid in and out with a sliding keyboard.
Zara was still fiddling away with the booklet when an attendant’s voice vibrated from the speakers tucked above the windows.
“Attention passengers, this craft will be taking off in under ten minutes please begin to make your way to your seats.” Just as the attendant finished, a young man raced into the spacecraft and practically skidded down the aisle.
His trunk went flying into his heels when he abruptly stopped in the aisle next to Zara. He squinted down at his tab through half spectacles as his mop of brown hair fell in front of his face.
“Okay… B… 35… 36… Oh! 36!” He looked up, his eyes glinting, and placed his bag over the trap door, almost falling in himself. He leapt back into his seat and almost immediately spotted the booklet. A few moments later he had pulled every lever and pushed every button, leaving his compartment covered by a black curtain and surely filled with every device possible.
After a moment, the man got out and walked over to Zara’s seat.
“That was embarrassing, but my name is Adam Kane and I’m here to be your escort on your way to Aurea. Oh, uh… you can call me Adam.” Adam took in her bewildered look and frowned. “You are Zara Moravi right? No one was pulling a prank?”
“I am,” she mumbled. “I just didn’t realize I would have an… escort.”
“Ohhh,” he said. “I was assigned because you’re under the age of 16. Anyone below isn’t allowed to land in Aurea without an adult,” Adam paused, thinking. “I’m pretty sure it’s a new rule. You know with the missing people and all.”
Zara turned away as tears pricked her eyes. She had tried not to think about that. Reyna’s face was still so fresh in her mind.
“Oh! I’m sorry I didn’t mean to…” Adam mumbled, apologizing. “I’ll just go now.”
Zara waited until he had retreated back into his miserable curtain tent and pulled her music tab out. The small chips that permanently resided in her ear immediately had the music transferred in. The tab holder for music fit perfectly, customly designed for a certain size tab. Each kind of tab was slightly different, music tabs choosing music from their screens, communication tabs sending typed messages or voice calls, map tabs showing locations of places and transportation, and hundreds of others, each designed for a specific reason or company.
Calm, classical music drifted through Zara’s ears like the tide, noises rising and falling. A minute later the attendant came back on the speakers, requesting everyone to place their straps on while the takeoff begins. A slight rumble began from somewhere below the ship, but unlike the olden stories from the days on Earth, the starship didn’t scream with noise as it began to rise itself from the ground.
The hum increased, building itself up to a steady thrum before it peaked at a growl and the ship began to move up, higher and higher, until finally there was a quiet pop and the spacecraft freed itself from the atmosphere of Linal, flying away from the only place Zara had ever known.


























Chapter 3



Zara thought she would be devastated. She thought all her thoughts would be tuned in on regret, washing out everything else. Instead, she barely felt the regret. It was drowned under a sea of awe.
It seemed as though every movement was easier here, lighter. And then she looked out the window. All she could think is, Where is this place, as she gazed, quite literally star struck, at the sight that was painted across the world outside. At the rear edge of the window, her planet’s suddenly beautiful gray-blue mist seemed to have blanketed everything. It looked… almost cozy from here. Zara could actually see the end of the atmosphere, a glowing blue line stretching around the horizon of her planet.
Beyond the edge of Linal a breathtaking sight encompassed the window sight. Thousands upon thousands of stars patterned the space like a night quilt. “Patterned” wasn’t quite right. The stars had no constraints, no order, no rules. They scattered through the sky like a million fireflies frozen where they had flown, forever suspended above.
Fireflies. Zara froze, a memory shoving itself through the glittering dream. She had only seen fireflies once, when she was 8 years old. Back when her parents were alive, before the accident. Reyna had begged their parents to take them out to the forest, making every excuse she could to drag our family out for the night into the wilderness. Zara had never been to such a place, and to her young eyes it looked as though from a fairytale. They had hired a man and his transport to take them out to a lake, an hour or so away from the city. Zara had spent the entire journey with her face pressed to the window, watching the city fade behind and the mountains, short, stubby forests, and starlit skies grow from a fantasy to reality.
When they had finally arrived at the lake, millions of the fireflies danced across the surface. Zara had sat awestruck for a long moment in the car before Reyna had pulled her from her seat, dragging her into the night. They had danced in the light of the fireflies, their parents laughing along, for hours it seemed. They had made funny faces at the mirror-surface of the lake and eventually chased the fireflies around the lake. When the dew began to collect on the soft grass, they finally left the lake. Reyna had begged to stay but the man with the transporter had disagreed, claiming his family needed him home. Reyna had sat aloof the entire journey home.
Zara smiled faintly at the memory, but a moment later a wave of sadness washed over her. That was back when her family was still intact. Now nothing like that was ever going to be remotely possible. Her parents were gone and Reyna would never be- no. Zara couldn’t think like that. It would drive her to insanity before she even reached the school. She grabbed the booklet again, searching for the curtain and light dim options. The buttons made a soft whoosh when she hit them each. Or perhaps that was the curtains and lights. Zara didn’t need to know as she forced herself into a deep sleep.
































Chapter 4



Zara awoke to the steady vibrations of the starship. Slowly the hum began to grow again, signaling they were beginning to enter Aurea’s bubble atmosphere. A moment later the speakers thrummed again, explaining the landing procedure. Belt’s on, stay in seats, don’t get up until permission is given. Same protocol as taking off.
As the ship’s descent began Adam’s head popped out of his tent-seat and he made his way across the aisle.
“And they thought I was the one in need of a chaperone,” Zara muttered just loud enough for Adam to hear. “What are you doing?”
“Trying,” He murmured, barely keeping his feet as the gravity of the tiny dwarf planet shifted the entire floor. Adam grabbed the

Daily #7 1/6/23
word count: 426
points: 350

On the planet of Neptune, there only resides one living species, the Neptunians, they are the only living creatures that can live on Neptune. Let’s take a look into their daily lives and how they are different from humans. First, they live in tribes of ten to fifteen, each one with a chosen leader. The leader isn’t always necessarily the strongest or largest Neptunian, it can easily be the smallest but the strongest in mind. The Neptunians aren’t that different from humans in their physical appearance, it's more of their unique body structure that differs from humans. Neptune’s atmosphere includes mainly hydrogen and some parts of helium and methane. The Neptunians lungs and body are able to breathe that without getting harmed. Neptune is a well known ice giant in the solar system, as for Neptunians to withstand the cold, their skin is thicker than of a humans and they use a special plant, called the Mao plant, it is a fiber plant with this fibers that can be woven into warm clothes for the Neptunians year round. As for food, Neptunians have a small stomach, their bodies don’t require as much protein and nutrition as us humans eat. Ice carvers, usually two people in a tribe, are sent to carve chunks of ice off the planet with the sharp and sturdy stem of the Mao plant, one day each week. Rations are given out, each Neptunian is handed a chunk of ice about as big as a fist. They may choose to eat it little by little till the next ration is handed out, or they may choose to gobble it up all at once. Regardless, that is all that’s sufficient for them. Neptunians also have strong, steel-like bone structures to withstand the high pressures. They have quick legs for running as Neptune has unpredictable and extreme weather, such as storms. Their homes are made of ice, usually how this works is they find a giant ice block that is big enough for their whole tribe, they will carve into the ice, with the Mao plant stem, digging a cave for their people to stay. Did I mention that they are nomads? Once every few Neptunian days, they will move on finding another ice struction to carve their homes in. They don’t have much of a purpose or motivation in life, their lives are bland and tedious, they don’t mind, because this has been the life of the Neptunians for centuries and it will continue to be their way of life for centuries to come.

If this is where we post the dailies I’m gonna post mine but if not just tell me I’m not familiar XD

January 6, 304 words (I went a little over)
Being on Mars is quiet. Sometimes we get visitors called rovers! I’m friends with Curiosity. To get water, we dig down deep into the ground and extract a clear liquid humans call “water”. They also think that the water was here millions of years ago and then froze under out cold temperatures. But all of us Martians know the universe has been around for only 6 thousand years. We only have school when our mama and papas need a break. My parents claim to go to their favorite restaurant to eat their favorite food: roasted rocks! I still don’t know why they don’t just pick some up from outside. Everyone’s favorite color is the same, so it’s no bother asking. It’s always red. That’s the only color there is! And we always wear coats. Most humans think we look like slime blobs but actually we look like humans with no hair! The girls wear either jewelry or dresses and the boys wear pants. Back to Mars. We once sent a communication device. We hid it in the giant peach James rode in. It was giant for a reason! But I think the ladybug ate the part that it was hidden in. We tried another time but the device landed on Venus. We lost communication .0000000001 seconds after it entered the atmosphere. We’re trying to do it again, but I don’t think it’s going well. My dad comes home covered in soot from explosions every other day! Once he gave me a little bottle with some ashes from the failed experiment. I added so Zirconium and it started to smoke. I screwed on the lid as quick as I could, ran outside to dig a hole, and buried it. I heard a KA-BOOM!! To summarize, Mars is awesome and you should come live on it.

348 words
Daily #7

Thousands of years ago, humans lived on Earth. It seemed silly to me at first, when I first thought of it in my history class, but I guess for the Earthians, it would've been weird for them to think that we moved all the way to Saturn. I floated through the school portal and arrived at my “Intro to Inventions” class, as we were making all kinds of inventions here. Mine was to put positive energy inside the mind, which would work like a mind-reader. It was really gloomy on here, as the sun barely shines; smiling is something peculiar. My teacher raised her eyebrows at me, but I ignore her completely. After that class, I had history. I hopped into the History Class portal and floated to my space. I take in all the information from the long lecture, of Earthians thinking of going to Mars, but switching to Saturn, where we live now, I get out my bag of nutrients. Since we can't grow food here, we entirely rely on chemicals for our food. I sip on my “food” and look up at the sky. Well. Not the sky. A big bubble that protects us from the air that we can't breathe. I look at the giant gas sphere next to us. Everybody lived on the rings, as we wouldn't be able to live inside the actual planet itself. It was always cold here, and we needed extra protection, so we wore these thick jackets and trousers. History class finishes, and my last class of the day is Science. The advisor gives us all the information for us to take in our brain. Our brains have something chipped at birth, giving us an information chip that takes in information so we don't have to remember. After we're done, I analyze the information and then go inside the home portal. After that, my guardians give me nutrients and I drink it right away. After that, I take a rest, and the next day is the exact same; a loop, as you will, that we're stuck in, forever.

Weekly #1 - Part 1 1/7/23
word count: 1240
points: 700

Protagonist: Clarice Harper | Antagonist: Aunt Larissa, Bender | Deuteragonists:Aimi, Brynlee | Tertiary Characters: students, neighbors
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In the small town of Dormich everyone knew each other. Secrets and rumors would travel fast like a wildfire.
“Clarice…wake up!” whispered a soft and childish voice, shaking a lump of blankets.
Clarice Harper groaned, pulling the covers over her head, “Ughh- what is it Aimi?”
“The time doesn’t matter, wake up! There’s magic in the sky!” squealed Aimi. Clarice stuck her head out from the covers to the sight of her 8-year-old cousin Aimi’s face, her hair all messy and sticking out. Aimi grinned at Clarice, dimples appearing on both her rosy cheeks, happy that her cousin was paying attention. Despite that six year age difference, Clarice had turned fourteen in March, Aimi and Clarice were best friends. “Come on!” ushered Aimi pulling Clarice’s arm and dragging her out of bed. Clarice reluctantly followed behind Aimi, groggy and annoyed from being woken up early. Aimi stopped as they reached the door to her room, she gently opened the door and pulled Clarice towards her window. Outside the window it was a scene of dawn. The pinks, oranges, and yellows, mingled together in the sky, the sun shyly peeking out from just beyond the horizon, small chunks of clouds broke off from each other, it was a beautiful sight. Soon the sun rose up beaming in golden smiles across Dormich. Clarice sighed, it wasn’t often you would see a clear day in Dormich the town was known for being dreary and raining. At least the rain provided lots of water for the farmers up in north Dormich to tend to their crops which provided most of the food and produce in Dormich.
“Thanks Aimi,” smiled Clarice, turning to her cousin. She brushed Aimi’s messy hair from her forehead and planted a kiss on Aimi’s head. “I’m going to freshen up for the day, you should too,” whispered Clarice, careful to be quiet, her aunt didn’t like to be woken up. She snuck out of Aimi’s room and made her way back to her room narrowly avoiding the creaky floorboards. In her room there was a small restroom with a sink but it was sufficient for Clarice. Even though her aunt, Aunt Larisa, wasn’t the best guardian, meaning that Aunt Larisa didn’t like Clarice because she was estranged from Clarice’s father until Clarice’s parents passed away in a car accident leaving in the hands of Clarice with her aunt, her only living relative. Looking into the cloudy bathroom mirror, Clarice observed herself like she did every morning. She liked to do it because it reminded her of her parents. Her eyes were grey-green with small gold flecks like her mother’s. Clarice’s eyes wrinkled at the corners like her mother when they smiled. Looking at her eyebrows Clarice could see her father’s bushy and thick brown eyebrows on her face. Her skin was the same as her parents, a honey glow shade. After gathering her wispy, auburn hair into a presentable ponytail, hopping into a light blue pair of jean shorts, paired with a plain lavender t-shirt she headed downstairs. By the time she got downstairs Aunt Larisa was already in the kitchen with Aimi alongside her making pancakes.
“Hi Clarice!!” shouted Aimi full of energy, she had changed into a frilly pink ballerina tutu and a unicorn t-shirt. “Wanna help make pancakes with mommy and I?” she asked. Turning around, Clarice could see flour smeared across Aimi’s eyebrow. Aunt Larisa also turned around, narrowing her eyes at Clarice.
“Honey, Clarice needs to help wash the plates right now, isn’t that right Clarice? If I remember correctly I’m pretty sure I reminded you several times to wash them last night.” Aunt Larisa gritted through her teeth. Larisa didn’t show her ‘mean’ side when her daughter was around, the last time she had scolded Clarice, Aimi had started to cry. Clarice nodded, she had learned to be quiet in front of her aunt and keep her mouth shut. After washing the dishes it was time for breakfast. All three of them sat down to eat the pancakes. Out of all three plates, it was obvious that Aunt Larisa had intentionally served the more burnt pancakes to Clarice, Clarice rolled her eyes but kept silent, as long as she had food she wouldn’t complain.
“Are they yummy?” asked Aimi looking at Clarice.
“Mmm, yes delicious! Thank you for the pancakes Aimi!” Clarice smiled, Aimi grinned back. Aunt Larisa stood up shortly after eating, dropping her plate into the sink, glancing meaningfully at Clarice, then left for work. Clarice knew Larisa wouldn’t be back till noon, just enough time to practice her powers. Her powers, yes, Clarice had developed powers that day her parents perished in the car accident. She was in the back seat, when the other car rammed into them the metal got crushed, it would have hurt Clarice but, Clarice felt this weird sensation in her fingertips, a connection with the metal, she twitched her fingers and the metal had bent with her will, that was the day she realized she had telekinesis, she didn’t tell anyone. One night she was practicing changing the shape of a spoon she had sneakily taken from the kitchen, when Aimi barged in, catching Clarice using her telekinesis powers. Aimi hadn’t been bothered, instead she was fascinated, she promised not to tell anyone as long as Clarice showed her it every day. Clarice did, every day after Aunt Larisa left for work Aimi would help Clarice practice her telekinesis in the kitchen, obviously with all windows and curtains closed, they didn’t want to be caught. As soon as we saw Aunt Larisa leave through the door, Aimi and Clarice rushed to close all the windows and curtains and got started. Aimi grabbed a few metal utensils for me to practice with. They’ve been working on increasing Clarice’s telekinesis strength, so far she could bend two utensils at once, today she was going to try three. Clarice lifted three spoons up so that they were level with her eyes. Little by little they started to bend, she narrowed my eyes, aiming all her strength at the spoons, Aimi watched in amazement as she always did when Clarice practiced this. As the third spoon started to bend, the front door slammed open, in came running a frantic Aunt Larisa.
“Aughh- forgot my keys, Aimi did you see my- keys…” she trailed off seeing the bent floating spoons. “You- you- THAT’S IT I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR SHENANIGANS, I WILL NOT BE EMBARRASSED BY YOU WITH YOUR STUPID PARTY TRICKS, COME ON WE’RE LEAVING NOW-” Aunt Larisa stormed out the room, grabbing Clarice’s arm and dragging me along with her, Aimi was still frozen in the kitchen, wide eyes and silent tears running down her face.
To Aimi, Clarice mouths, It will be okay, smiling, well more of a grimace, before she disappeared not knowing when she would see Aimi ever again. Aunt Larissa sped towards the court house, after signing documents letting up her guardianship, she abruptly stood up and left. A case worker, by the name of Brynlee, with soft pink pastel hair, smiled gently at Clarice and guided her to me to the car taking Clarice to the foster home where she would be staying overnight. The next morning however she would wake up and they would take her to a boarding school, where she would stay the rest of the year, stuck, isolated, and lonely.

Daily #7

381 Words

I stared at the computer screen, in complete shock. The data staring back at me was pure and clear: there was life on other planets. Extraterrestrial life. It took a moment for this all to settle in, and I soon realised that I was being shaken by one of my colleagues.
“KATRINA!” my colleague, Lyra, shouted at me.
I turned to look at her. “Yeah, what?” I said, rather sarcastically.
“We’ve just made the discovery of the centur-”
“Stop it.” I glared at Lyra. “We still have a paper to- wait- what the-”
My eyes widened and froze.
Text was streaming through to the computer, text that I was not writing.
“You’re not writing that, are you?” Lyra looked at me.
On the screen, a long message had just been sent, followed by a single word.

The message read as follows:

“We have been watching you from Pluto for a long time. We’re dying, and this is our last-ditch effort to survive. Our home planet has been invaded and we’ve been forced out from it. It lies millions of light years away. What now remains of us is a small group of individuals, running away from our invaders and Earth is the only compatible planet for us to hide on.
Our only problem is that you inhabit the Earth, and we cannot just land and invade. We’ve seen from your movies what you could do to us if we came in uninvited. We have no other option now, please, help us.
Where we come from, we had lived in a democratic society. Everyone lived in small communities, and voted on all the important decisions. We farmed, ate, and went to school, got education, and performed religious rituals. We lived much like you do now, but closer and more connected. But that complete democracy was our downfall. When our intelligence detected an invasion, there were those who chose not to listen, not to believe. And in our world, enough of those individuals did not believe that the invasion was truly happening, so our leaders were never given emergency powers. We acted too late - and we’re the only ones that remain.

“Help.”

Lyra looked at me, and her eyes said everything that I knew she would say.
“What are we going to do?”

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Daily #7 - Life On Neznan

Words: 300
Points: 350

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Please note that this is the cringiest piece of writing I've ever seen - I was really rushed while writing it and it doesn't even have a proper ending.

I re-adjusted the lens of the telescope for about the hundredth time. Was I seeing this right?
Zoom in a lot, zoom out just a little, re-focus… there! I swear I could see something that looked like a bunch of rodent-like creatures having a dance party…
Oh - what’s going on, you asked? I think I have some explaining to do.
My name is Florinda Fig, and I stare into a telescope for a living. My current mission is to create a photographed record of all of the life forms known to humans that live on the planet Neznan.
Neznan was thought to be a fictional planet for years; stories, fables, and even fairy tales have mentioned the world of Neznan for generations. But just a few years ago, a young astronomer by the name of Mindy Malandie discovered, by accident, a tiny dwarf planet that perfectly fit the description of the supposedly fictional Neznan, as she was searching for a constellation.
Flash forward a few years - Nenzan is well known, and now it was up to me to attempt to locate one of each of all the Nezneanen life forms that have been previously documented with my telescope, and photograph them for a well-known news publisher. And my deadline? Tomorrow.
I’ve already located and photographed 79 different plants, animals, and indescribable living beings; just 105 more to go. Yippee.
As I’m documenting all of these fascinating beings, let me tell you about some of them!
A few of my all time favorite Nezneanen life forms are as follows: The Ipsh, a small, red, bunny-like creature with antlers; the Aellea, a translucent, floating ball of fuzz; the Pzif, which is a dancing succulent plant; and lastly the Enstraug, a humongous animal that resembles a combination of a butterfly and a lizard.

Word War #3
competitor: clouded_moon–
won / lost
word count: 300

Why are dogs better pets than cats? I believe that dogs are better pets than cats for multiple reasons. Of course not everyone will agree with this, but this is just my opinion. Dogs are more suitable for those who need a companion or just a creature that will listen to them. Most dogs will also play with you, they are energetic and fun. For example, take my corgi. She loved to run around and play with me, when I didn’t want to play she would also know and resort to playing with the ball by herself (I’m not mean to pets, it was just my dog’s personality) My dog also knew when I was feeling sad. When I was feeling sad, she would sit by me and let me pet her and talk to her. During when I was being bullied it helped me a lot. Nothing against cats, but I believe some cats, it differs from cat to cat, prefer more independence, they are emotional and are there for you when you need it but they do prefer independence more. Dogs on the other hand rely on their owners and are very needy of their owners. I like both cats and dogs but I believe if you want a pet that can emotionally support you try choosing an energetic dog. If you want a pet that is less energetic, a bit more independent, and doesn’t rely on you as much, cats would be a great choice. The good thing about dogs is that they give you daily exercise in some way, you have to walk your dog several times in a day in which you can get your exercise in. Cats on the other hand just go to the restroom themselves, but you have to clean up after.
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(word count doesn't involve these words)
oh gosh this is literally terrible, I had no idea what to write ahh- I'm not even passionate about this topic I just needed smth random to write about xD

Word War #4
competitor: -NightGlow-
won / lost
word count: 253

There was a famous magical tree bearing magical fruit in the town square of Edenworth. Edenworth was a well known town in the kingdom of Staria. It housed a lot of magical people and was high in the magic level. There everyone either created magic or had magic. By creating magic it means that they were witches or wizards, they brewed special potions to change appearances and give temporary magic. Those who had magic had magical powers from birth. Magic in your veins couldn’t be changed, you either had magic, or you didn’t. Some powers included, telekinesis, flight, ability to talk to animals, mesmerizing people, changing your appearance, and a lot more. Sarah Davis is a young girl who lives in Edenworth. Sadly she was born without any magic and had failed at every class teaching magic. Those who weren’t born with magic could always resort to learning magic, but that was certainly not the case for Sarah Davis. As Sarah grew up alongside her townspeople she found it harder and harder to fit in. It may not have been as hard when she was younger because young children loved playing with each other and didn’t exclude others for their differences. But as she got older she noticed how her ‘friends’ all subtly iced her out and ignored her. She felt very left out and saddened. Seeing her like this, her Uncle George decided to send her on a mission to find magic instead of pursuing magic, something that would make her happy.

Weekly #1

PART ONE:
“Now that you know about character roles, you'll be writing a story blurb that includes each of the character roles. Your writing should be a minimum of 600 words.”

Protagonist: Kara
Antagonist: the Chancellor
Deuteragonists: Evi, Zander
Tertiary Characters: Guards

Story:
The ruins of the century-old amphitheater serve as the perfect place for the entrance to a prison. Dusty, abandoned, and filled with bits of crumbling stone; the townspeople typically avoid it at all costs. Some say it’s haunted, others say it’s just animals, but no one can deny the screams and shrieks they hear coming from the prison. Though most don’t know that particular sight exists.

The prison is dark, with dimly lit halls echoing with the sounds of dripping water and the occasional scream. It was constructed like a maze, corridors lined with barred rooms winding around a central cell in patterns that almost no one understood, designed to prevent the criminals from escaping. And the system’s worked; no one’s ever gotten out of the prison. No one thinks it’s even possible.

The prison never gets visitors, let alone visitors there to see the criminals. The city’s better off with them in cages, and most have forgotten about the ruthless tyrants and thieves that now live off the oatmeal, stale bread, and water that come with prison-life. However, the visitors that appeared on the day of the Eclipse were not ordinary civilians.

- - -

Kara raps on the stone again, letting the hollow sound wash over her as she waits for the guards to come.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Evi asks, frowning. “I mean… you know how it went the last time you saw him.”

Kara tucks a loose strand of dark hair behind her ear. “I remember.” She pauses. “But I feel like I have to see him. I mean… It's been five years. Maybe things have changed?”

“Changed how? Maybe he won’t try to kill you again? Maybe he’ll only confuse you, rather than make your friends die?” she counters.

“Whoa there,” Zander cuts in as Kara spins around to face her hazel-eyed friend. “It’s not an easy decision, I’m sure, but we should… support her, right?”

“And you’re taking her side again.” Evi rolls her eyes.

“No! Or, yes? I don’t know!” Zander protests, turning red.

Evi sighs. “Fine. I’m sorry, I just don’t think this is a good idea. Only bad things come from meeting your psychotic father.”

- - -

The central cell belongs to former Chancellor Tarpin Byers, and he hasn’t had visitors in four years, save the mice and guards.

His cell is filthy, with dusty stone floors littered with small animal bones. The crunches are meant to remind him of… something. He can’t remember. He remembers hardly anything about his prison life; the days all blend together like an infinite hazy fog in his mind, only broken up by the occasional interrogations by the guards.

He was getting tired of getting asked questions by people he didn’t care to listen to. Chancellor Tarpin Byers would’ve never been treated like that, like he was a lesser being than the others. Even now, he had more authority than they could dream of, except it was amongst the thieves and reckless criminals. They respected him in this prison. And that was his escape ticket, if only he could formulate a decently possible plan.

And that’s what he was working on when footsteps came down the hallway outside his cage, and they belonged to the people he least expected to see.

- - -

Kara takes a slow breath as she follows the heavily armed guards down the corridor. Her request was met with disdain and reluctance, though she eventually convinced them to let her see the man in the center cell.

Evi’s face is impassive in the candlelight, solemn and straight like polished china. Her red waves of hair are knotted tight at the nape of her neck, while Kara’s short strands hang loose around her shoulders. Zander’s hand, calloused with years of labor, intertwines with her, sending a rush through her that had nothing to do with the impending circumstances.

Evi stares at their hands, but says nothing, though her lips curl at the edges. Kara shoots her a frantic glance, but her only reply is a smirk and a hushed, “Enjoy it.”

As they round the last corner of the maze, she lets her eyes flicker shut briefly before facing the cell.

It’s crafted from scientifically designed iron, reinforced with other metals to make it stronger that twine around each other to form a multi-layered webbed cage. The guard presses a button, allowing the top layer to slide off a small portion of the front, just enough for the man inside to see out from his perch on a short stool.

At the sight of his face, Kara sways slightly and Zander grips her hand tighter.

He’s aged- that was clear. His hair had grown longer and turned a silvery grey rather than its old reddish-brown. He has a ragged beard and tattered cloth clothes, ripped and torn in multiple places. But he has a face she’d never forget.

His eyes still have that malicious and cunning glint, like he’s always searching for another way to manipulate a person. His lips still quirk in a half-smirk, as if he knows he’s better than everyone else. The set of his jaw, the high cheekbones, and angular, chiseled features- they are straight out of her nightmares.

“Ah, Kara,” he says. His voice is hoarse, but it still has that deep mysterious rasp that had terrified her for years. “So good to see you, my daughter.”

PART TWO:
“For this part, you'll be coming up with character bios for three of these character types. There's no word minimum for this part as flat characters aren't usually well-developed.”

(a note: the above story will be connected to part three, and these are the ages and looks of the continuation, rather than the beginning.)

DYNAMIC character: Name: Kara (last name unknown) // Gender: Female // Age: 15// Looks: Short black hair with a few braided gold strands on one side, dark eyes, honey-colored skin. Uniform consists of tan cloth dress, ripped in several places, with a braided brown belt and combat boots. Her hair’s typically pulled back in a loose ponytail. She’s very skinny. // Personality: At the beginning, fairly quiet and reserved, afraid of breaking rules, compassionate, and gentle. However, her personality changes throughout, giving her a fierce tenacity and determination to defy the Chancellor. // Hobbies: (she’s not really supposed to have hobbies, however she enjoys the following things watching the sunrises/sunsets, drawing // Family: (as she is unaware of her last name, she only knows her family’s first names) Myrah- mother (deceased), Lienna- sister (18, though she hasn’t seen Kara in over 7 years), Bri- sister (deceased). Her father is Chancellor Tarpin Byers, though this is unknown to her. // Friends: Evelyn (Evi) (last name unknown) (15, female), Zander (last name unknown) (16, male), Crimson (last name unknown) (14, female) // Likes: art, market days, her mother’s gold bracelets, rain, colorful things // Dislikes: Gracie and Quinn (15, twins; Gracie- female, Quinn- male), seeing other people hurt, beatings, the Chancellor and the Seekers // Backstory: Kara was born into a poor family, with not much money, food, or supplies. She lived with her mother and two sisters, and never met her father. A plague outbreak in their neighborhood cost Myrah and Bri their lives, and Lienna and Kara were sent to the orphanage facility. The orphans there were forced into labor by the Chancellor- the ruler of their city- although the townspeople were unaware of this. Most weren’t seen again, and many assumed they’d been fostered by other families, however in truth they were building weapons and machines to help him conquer neighboring lands. Kara was put in one of the groups that worked on building the weaponry, and Lienna was put in another; they never saw each other again. She’s been stuck there for 7 years- since she was eight years old.

ROUND character: Evelyn (Evi) (last name unknown) // Gender: Female // Age: 15 // Looks: Fiery red wavy hair that’s always tightly wound into a bun at the base of her neck, sharp hazel eyes and an intense stare, and a pale complexion, often caked in dirt and dust from labor. She’s a bit on the short side, but has a lean frame. She wears the same uniform as Kara, and the same gold strand in her hair that all the female workers do. // Personality: a bit rough and defiant, with a rebellious streak, though she cares passionately for her friends. She’s not quick to trust, and is skeptical of most things, particularly because of her childhood. She often gets herself into trouble because of it. The ones she does trust, however, she is very protective of. // Hobbies: Sneaking around the facility and outside into the city, getting into bits of trouble, stealing from the kitchens // Family: (same case with Kara; she doesn’t know her family’s surname) Elian- father (deceased), Christelle- mother (deceased), Chelsea (deceased) // Friends: Kara (15, female), Zander (16, male) // Likes: exploring, sneaking around, getting into trouble, all breads and sweets // Dislikes: boring tasks (like labor, art, etc), water, nights with no moon, anything ladylike, dresses of any kind // Backstory: Evi grew up fairly rich, however she despised all things ladylike, which disappointed her parents. Because of this, she was often neglected and treated like less than her sister, who was the “perfect child” of the family. When her parents and sister passed in a carriage accident, she ran away before the Seekers could find her and bring her to the orphanage. She learned to live on her own, surviving off everyone else’s scraps and blending into the bustling city life. After a while, she found a similar group of runaways who stole for a living and understood her predicament. She stuck with them for a while, but they betrayed her, almost letting the Seekers find her in order to get money. She grew to rely only on herself, as others would surely betray her. She got caught by accident- a mis-disguise led to her discovery, and she’s been at the facility for around two years (though she knows more about it than any other orphans and most of the workers).

STATIC character: Zander (last name unknown) // Gender: Male // Age: 16 // Looks: tan skin, closely cropped dark hair, and brilliant green eyes. He’s managed to scavenge extra food scraps, and is built a bit stockier than most of the other orphans, taller too. The male uniform consists of the same cream cloth, but made into a loose sleeveless tee and trousers. Chiseled features, and a very defined jawline, and walks with a slight limp. // Personality: Very gentle, with a mostly positive outlook. He tries to avoid conflict, preferring to stay optimistic. He’s quite soft-spoken, though he can be intimidating when he wants to. // Hobbies: Scavenging for food scraps, reading, building things out of random material scraps // Family: (none he’s aware of) // Friends: Kara (15- female), Evi (15-female), Skitter (real name unknown) (16- male) // Likes: birds, the rooftop conservatory of the facility, books // Dislikes: violence, arguing, seeing people get hurt, ivy, vultures // Backstory: Zander was practically raised in the facility, having been there as long as he remembers. He has no memory of life before the monotonous work, no recollection of any family or incidents placing him in the dreary place. When he was younger, he fell running down the stairs and was injured, leaving him with a slightly uneven gait. Zander learned to look at everything with an optimistic approach, or the days would all blend together and he found himself growing restless. Meeting Evi and Kara was practically the best thing that ever happened to him, and Skitter as well.

PART THREE: 1118 words

Kara slid a piece of metal down the assembly line and grabbed the next one, already beginning to hammer the kinks and dents out of it. All around her, the workroom echoed with metal pounding metal, bouncing off the dull grey walls as the Seekers continued to shout at them from the above balcony. She risked a glance up from the metal, and let her lips curl in a smile as Evi met her eyes from the opposite side of the table. The other girl discreetly gestured to the Seekers and then rolled her eyes.

The moment passed, and they were back to hammering.

This was her life, endless pounding and hitting and un-denting things to be used for weaponry. The only exciting points were market-days, when the orphans could disguise themselves as civilians and go into town- but only for two hours, and only once a month. The other days she resorted to sketching every last inch of her sketchbook as she waited to get new paper and charcoal.

A bell sounded and she moved on to the next piece of metal, this time a cylindrical tube. Another bell, and she was pounding again.

Even when she was by herself, it was as if she could still hear the clanging, like it was permanently embedded in her mind. Three hours of hammering, lunch, three more hours of hammering. Three days a week. The other four she had different tasks- sometimes she worked on wiring, other times she had to run around delivering messages, it all depended on the Chancellor’s wishes.

And don’t get her started on the Chancellor. Kara hated him with a passion. Everything from his crooked sneer, malicious glint in his eyes, and greasy hair, down to his dark grey robes he always wore, as if he was trying to blend into the walls of this place. It was his idea to put the orphans to work, and he was good at keeping it secret; everyone else believed they’d been put with foster families or had died along with their parents. The Seekers were good at keeping a low profile.

The bell rang again. The monotonous drawl of the day continued.

- - -

“We need to get out of here,” Evi declared, barging into Kara’s room with no warning besides her quietly tapping feet on the concrete floors. Kara jumped, sending charcoals flying and scribbled pages fluttering to the floor. She hastily bent to pick them up as Evi plopped down on the quilted bed beside her.

Zander was at her heels, hobbling in and frantically closing the door behind them. “Shh!” he warned, his thick accent slurring the sounds. “You can’t just go around announcing these things!”

Evi rolled her eyes, and Kara finally straightened, setting the pages on her desk before they could go skittering away again.

“And how do you suppose we do that?” Kara replied.

The hazel-eyed girl frowned. “I don’t know yet, but I can’t take any more of this. I’ve explored every inch of this facility- except the throne room- and I’ve found nothing even remotely interesting besides the rooftop conservatory. I physically cannot take more pounding and weaving and measuring and…” she trailed off, sensing we understood her point.

Kara sighed. The predicament they were in was inescapable- that had been taught to them since the day they arrived. But Evi was so simply determined that nothing would take her mind off it.

“There’s got to be an escape route in the throne room,” she continued, glancing around at us.

Zander raised a finger. “Two things: first of all, how would we get in the throne room? And second, there’s no way out of here.”

“I mean, I know how much you hate it here- we all do- but it doesn’t seem possible to escape this place,” Kara put in. “The Seekers are always watching us, and there’s cameras and guards to get past… there’s no way.”

Evi scowled. “Perhaps no one’s tried.”

“For good reason,” Kara added.

“We just need a diversion!” she exclaimed. “Something that’ll attract their attention long enough for us to get out.”

“And where are we gonna get a diversion? It’s not like we can just pick one up at the market.”

“Bombs or something will work.”

“Bombs? Evi, are you insane?”

She glared at Kara. “No, I just want freedom, something the rest of you are too cowardly to try and ask for.”

Zander stepped between the two. “Whoa, there. Um, I feel like there’s alternatives to this, right? Like, I don’t know, working until our time is up and then going and living our lives?”

Kara nodded.

“Ugh!” Evi groaned. “I thought you would be with me on this! You’ve been here since birth; you’ve got to be sick of this stupid prison! Instead you’re on her side yet again.”

“There’s no sides here-” Zander insisted, but Evi cut him off.

“There’s no alternatives to freedom, and who knows if they even let us go! Who have you ever seen get out of here?”

“What if we just ran away on market day?” Kara suggested.

“We’re tracked on those days, remember?” Evi reminded them.

Zander winced. “Okay, if we’re going to speculate escape plans, perhaps do it quietly? Rather than letting the whole facility know what we’re talking about? You know we could be killed for even thinking about this!”

“Well, I’d rather be killed than live a life where I’m not really living.” Evi’s face was stony and distant.

Kara sighed. “I want to be out of here as much as you do, Eves, but you’ve been everywhere- there’s no way out.”

“Except the throne room,” she said again. “It’s got to be in there.”

“Or there’s the front door, y’know,” Zander said meekly.

Both girls turned and stared at him.

He sighed. “Just saying. Perhaps there’s another way to do this than breaking and entering- or breaking and leaving… whatever this is.”

Evi shook her head. “We have to. I just need a diversion.”

“There are so many things wrong with this plan,” Kara said. “What if we’re caught, what if they suspect us, what if the diversion doesn’t work- what if there’s nothing in the throne room but the Chancellor??”

“There’ll be people in there guarding it too,” Zander put in.

Evi threw her hands up. “Sure, you guys go ahead and team up on me, like a happy little couple living their lives in a desolate factory!”

Zander and Kara both turned bright red and stared at the floor.

She sighed. “I thought you’d want to get out of here.”

“We do,” Kara insisted. “We just think there might be a, uh, safer way?”

“Well,” Evi said. “There’s not.”

author's note: So, a quick clarification: this event takes place a little over five years before part one. At this time, Kara is unaware the Chancellor is her father, and it's long before he's in prison.

Daily #8 1/7/23
word count: 655
points: 600
prompt from: CookieRun_Kat

I patiently waited at the bus stop. Weird. Where is everyone? Am I in the wrong place? No, that can’t possibly be it. All of a sudden, I see someone walk up to me.
“Are you lost?” They asked. I shrugged, not really knowing. “You’re in the year 2073.”
I sputtered and choked over my own words, “T-t-twenty SEVENTY THREE??” I hysterically laugh, not believing this prank this person is playing on me.
The stranger’s frowns, they look at me as if I were crazy, maybe I was, “Are you okay?” they ask with worry, “You’re not about to pass out or anything right?” I’m only able to nod and they turn and continue walking their way. 2073?? How in the world did I time travel 40 years into the future. Hah- wait till my sister hears about this? I’m in denial as I walk away from the bus stop, instead heading back in the direction of what should have been a small cafe. I'd been at the cafe studying, my home was too loud and the school library closed too early. Around dinner time, six, I texted my parents and assured them I would be home soon for dinner then walked to the bus stop waiting for the bus, looking at cat videos on my phone, then this happend?
As I neared the corner of what should have been Cozy Cafe, instead I saw a city. Literally, a city, all futuristic decked out and all. Maybe I really was in the future, I thought. Regardless of my doubts I carried on deciding to walk deeper into the city. This all used to be a small corner with a few stores and restaurants, a park as well, now it was all gone. As I headed into the city I noticed the holograms immediately. There were no longer physical signs or advertisements like you would see in 2023, instead they were all holograms. Some holograms were 3D, with mouth watering delicious food. I couldn’t stop myself and decided to head into the nearest restaurant. The restaurant's exterior was pretty mind blowing, neon lights and holograms on the street outside projecting their dishes, it was a hamburger shop.
Inside instead of finding a usual expected waiter showing you to your seat it was a robot. The robot had a white exterior plastic shell and a digital face with expressions, it even spoke, and when it asked me, a party for how many people, I saw that its chest lit up with subtitles of what it spoke. Cool I thought, unable to stop myself I reached forward to try to touch the robot, to find out what technology this was! All I caught was a handful of air, great another hologram. How was I going to tell the difference, what would be next, hologram human interaction? The robot led me to a booth facing the outside world, and took my order, a hamburger with no mustard and sweet potato fries. I saw something normal for a human walking around. When my food came I was surprised to see that it was a human, not a holograph, she was balancing the hamburger on a ridiculous iridescent tray, seriously what was with all the neon and iridescence. Then I looked up at the waiter’s face, her auburn curls were tied back with a simple hair tie and she wore a blue headband keeping her hair out of her eyes. Her green eyes, so familiar, cause she was my sister. My sister?! What was she doing in 2073?! “Claire, it that you?” I incredulously asked, shocked.
The waiter, with my sister’s face, looked at me as that person at the bus stop had, like I was crazy, “I’m sorry, I think you have me mixed up with someone else. I’m not Claire, my name is Jacqueline.” she replied apologetically, setting down my food and hurrying on to serve the next table.

Jan 8th Daily
417 words

The mirror. One of the most valuable artifacts in the excellent museum, it is said that whoever looks at it will receive news of their future. However, the mirror has been kept away for the past few decades, never to be seen again. Actually, no. I plan to take it for myself, make some money off it- or sell it.

The roof seemed to be the easier point of entry, not crashing through a skylight but going down the stairs. I was told that it was in a supply closet on the top floor. So I made my way there, I opened the door with a struggle and peered inside the room. I took a step in the room and no mirror was to be seen. I closed the door silently and scanned the room for security cameras. I knew that the museum had some fake cameras due to low budgets, so I checked for a small red light near the lens. It didn't look like it was real.

After a few minutes of snooping, I tripped making a bookcase fall over, only to reveal a door. I opened it to a mirror, but not just one, many of them. I scanned the room looking at each one individually. Until one caught my eye, it was showing a reflection, but just black. Like a void, with nothing to be seen. My vision was going blurry, what was happening? God. Was I going to die? Within seconds, a lost balance and I saw black, just not in the mirror this time.

***

“She's awake!” a voice echoed through the room. Two figures rushed to my side, my vision was yet to recover fully. I try to lift my arms, in hope to feel what is around me. “Stop. Don't try to move, you hit your head quite hard.” I blink hard, trying to recover my vision. It works, I'm in a room, not a hospital room. The mirror is here but it doesn't look like a room in the museum.

“Where am I?” the words barely escape my mouth.
“You are safe.” A voice speaks. I sit up looking at the figure who spoke, the other seems to have left the room. “I'm Kris.”
“Constance Foxglove.”
“You saw black right?” I nod “It means that you are- well- special. That mirror can't read your future as something in you is blocking it. To put this into simple sentences, you aren't human.” I took a sharp breath. What is happening?

prompt by @TWILIGHT_A

JWC DAILY JAN 8TH

prompt : @cocomelon45

434 words

To Allie , this was hard. The last time she got into the cracked mirror , she had been stuck inside the mirror for a year and it took 6 months to get out. “Well , don’t trap me in there again will you?” She sighed as she directly stepped into the mirror. Allie blacked out once she got in. She just hoped she’d never have that painful experience again. 5 minutes later, she found herself in a white box. Her memory had become fuzzy. The last thing she remembered was just stepping inside the mirror and everything going black.

“What’s this opening ?” She mumbled. As Allie stuck her hand in, the opening started to pull her in. “No, No, no ,!!” she cried as she got sucked in. Again , she blacked out. 60 seconds later , Allie woke to find herself in a green meadow, under an apple tree. In the distance , there was a castle on a hill. “This is like how Newton found out gravity.” Allie muttered under her breath. The castle was pale , with pink-ish roofs. Blue flags stood on top. Deciding to explore the mysterious world, Allie got up, marching down the hill. Yellow buttercups swayed in the wind.

Butterflies fluttered here and there. A sign post popped up : “Welcome to the kingdom of Magica” It said with bold letters. A pixie had spotted Allie and stopped in Allie’s way. “Who are you?” The pixie asked. “‘I’m Allie and I got in here by going through the cracked mirror.” She answered politely. The pixie gasped. “You must be the Wise one!” We’ve been waiting for you for a millennia!” Allie felt confused. The Wise one? Who was that? What did it have to do with her? The pixie realized the confused state Allie was in. “I’ll explain later.” The pixie replied.

The pixie clutched Allie’s arm and ran towards the castle. The castle gates were guarded by the royal guards . “It’s the Wise one!!” the pixie exclaimed. The guards immediately open the gate. Allie was trying to catch her breath. Why was this pixie dragging her to the castle? Both of them ran through the stairs to reach the throne room. The pixie panted. “Your Highness , the Wise one has finally come.” The King sat on the throne , staring at Allie. Allie couldn’t take it any longer.

Feeling dizzy , she collapsed. “Guards , get her to the infirmary now!” Commanded the King. The Guards brought a stretcher had carried her to the infirmary. Allie opened an eye , to find herself in a tub of water. Still feeling weird , she closed it , knowing something wasn’t right.

Weekly #1 Pt. 3 1/8/23
words: 2578
points: 1000
(includes word count from pt. 1)
In the small town of Dormich everyone knew each other. Secrets and rumors would travel fast like a wildfire.
“Clarice…wake up!” whispered a soft and childish voice, shaking a lump of blankets.
Clarice Harper groaned, pulling the covers over her head, “Ughh- what is it Aimi?”
“The time doesn’t matter, wake up! There’s magic in the sky!” squealed Aimi. Clarice stuck her head out from the covers to the sight of her 8-year-old cousin Aimi’s face, her hair all messy and sticking out. Aimi grinned at Clarice, dimples appearing on both her rosy cheeks, happy that her cousin was paying attention. Despite that six year age difference, Clarice had turned fourteen in March, Aimi and Clarice were best friends. “Come on!” ushered Aimi pulling Clarice’s arm and dragging her out of bed. Clarice reluctantly followed behind Aimi, groggy and annoyed from being woken up early. Aimi stopped as they reached the door to her room, she gently opened the door and pulled Clarice towards her window. Outside the window it was a scene of dawn. The pinks, oranges, and yellows, mingled together in the sky, the sun shyly peeking out from just beyond the horizon, small chunks of clouds broke off from each other, it was a beautiful sight. Soon the sun rose up beaming in golden smiles across Dormich. Clarice sighed, it wasn’t often you would see a clear day in Dormich the town was known for being dreary and raining. At least the rain provided lots of water for the farmers up in north Dormich to tend to their crops which provided most of the food and produce in Dormich.
“Thanks Aimi,” smiled Clarice, turning to her cousin. She brushed Aimi’s messy hair from her forehead and planted a kiss on Aimi’s head. “I’m going to freshen up for the day, you should too,” whispered Clarice, careful to be quiet, her aunt didn’t like to be woken up. She snuck out of Aimi’s room and made her way back to her room narrowly avoiding the creaky floorboards. In her room there was a small restroom with a sink but it was sufficient for Clarice. Even though her aunt, Aunt Larisa, wasn’t the best guardian, meaning that Aunt Larisa didn’t like Clarice because she was estranged from Clarice’s father until Clarice’s parents passed away in a car accident leaving in the hands of Clarice with her aunt, her only living relative. Looking into the cloudy bathroom mirror, Clarice observed herself like she did every morning. She liked to do it because it reminded her of her parents. Her eyes were grey-green with small gold flecks like her mother’s. Clarice’s eyes wrinkled at the corners like her mother when they smiled. Looking at her eyebrows Clarice could see her father’s bushy and thick brown eyebrows on her face. Her skin was the same as her parents, a honey glow shade. After gathering her wispy, auburn hair into a presentable ponytail, hopping into a light blue pair of jean shorts, paired with a plain lavender t-shirt she headed downstairs. By the time she got downstairs Aunt Larisa was already in the kitchen with Aimi alongside her making pancakes.
“Hi Clarice!!” shouted Aimi full of energy, she had changed into a frilly pink ballerina tutu and a unicorn t-shirt. “Wanna help make pancakes with mommy and I?” she asked. Turning around, Clarice could see flour smeared across Aimi’s eyebrow. Aunt Larisa also turned around, narrowing her eyes at Clarice.
“Honey, Clarice needs to help wash the plates right now, isn’t that right Clarice? If I remember correctly I’m pretty sure I reminded you several times to wash them last night.” Aunt Larisa gritted through her teeth. Larisa didn’t show her ‘mean’ side when her daughter was around, the last time she had scolded Clarice, Aimi had started to cry. Clarice nodded, she had learned to be quiet in front of her aunt and keep her mouth shut. After washing the dishes it was time for breakfast. All three of them sat down to eat the pancakes. Out of all three plates, it was obvious that Aunt Larisa had intentionally served the more burnt pancakes to Clarice, Clarice rolled her eyes but kept silent, as long as she had food she wouldn’t complain.
“Are they yummy?” asked Aimi looking at Clarice.
“Mmm, yes delicious! Thank you for the pancakes Aimi!” Clarice smiled, Aimi grinned back. Aunt Larisa stood up shortly after eating, dropping her plate into the sink, glancing meaningfully at Clarice, then left for work. Clarice knew Larisa wouldn’t be back till noon, just enough time to practice her powers. Her powers, yes, Clarice had developed powers that day her parents perished in the car accident. She was in the back seat, when the other car rammed into them the metal got crushed, it would have hurt Clarice but, Clarice felt this weird sensation in her fingertips, a connection with the metal, she twitched her fingers and the metal had bent with her will, that was the day she realized she had telekinesis, she didn’t tell anyone. One night she was practicing changing the shape of a spoon she had sneakily taken from the kitchen, when Aimi barged in, catching Clarice using her telekinesis powers. Aimi hadn’t been bothered, instead she was fascinated, she promised not to tell anyone as long as Clarice showed her it every day. Clarice did, every day after Aunt Larisa left for work Aimi would help Clarice practice her telekinesis in the kitchen, obviously with all windows and curtains closed, they didn’t want to be caught. As soon as we saw Aunt Larisa leave through the door, Aimi and Clarice rushed to close all the windows and curtains and got started. Aimi grabbed a few metal utensils for me to practice with. They’ve been working on increasing Clarice’s telekinesis strength, so far she could bend two utensils at once, today she was going to try three. Clarice lifted three spoons up so that they were level with her eyes. Little by little they started to bend, she narrowed my eyes, aiming all her strength at the spoons, Aimi watched in amazement as she always did when Clarice practiced this. As the third spoon started to bend, the front door slammed open, in came running a frantic Aunt Larisa.
“Aughh- forgot my keys, Aimi did you see my- keys…” she trailed off seeing the bent floating spoons. “You- you- THAT’S IT I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR SHENANIGANS, I WILL NOT BE EMBARRASSED BY YOU WITH YOUR STUPID PARTY TRICKS, COME ON WE’RE LEAVING NOW-” Aunt Larisa stormed out the room, grabbing Clarice’s arm and dragging me along with her, Aimi was still frozen in the kitchen, wide eyes and silent tears running down her face.
To Aimi Clarice mouths, It will be okay, smiling, well more of a grimace, before she disappeared not knowing when she would see Aimi ever again. Aunt Larissa sped towards the court house, after signing documents letting up her guardianship, she abruptly stood up and left. A case worker, by the name of Brynlee, with soft pink pastel hair, smiled gently at Clarice and guided her to me to the car taking Clarice to the foster home where she would be staying overnight. The next morning however she would wake up and they would take her to a boarding school, where she would stay the rest of the year, stuck, isolated, and lonely.
The next day Clarice sat in the back seat as Brynlee drove Clarice to her new school humming in the driver’s seat, ever so often glancing back to see if Clarice was fine. Clarice avoided her glance and looked down at her feet, still wearing the black sneakers she'd rushed and put on yesterday when Aunt Larisa abruptly dragged her out the home. As Brynlee pulled up to the school Clarice could see that it was quite a big and new school with big glass walls and several other buildings around it.
“Welcome to the School for Magical Folk,” grinned Brynlee, turning around in the driver’s seat towards Clarice. Clarice was in disbelief. School for Magical Folk, this was so much better than being at Aunt Larisa’s. Wait but how did they know she was a Telekinesist?! Brynlee guided Clarice to the school office, wishing her good luck. “If you ever need me just ask for Brynlee Stevens from the magical investigations department,” she said, winking and gliding away. The school principal quickly showed Clarice around before guiding her to her dorm room. In her dorm room she found another girl already residing in the left half of the room. The girl has color changing hair, changing from red to pink, pink to green and so on. When she saw Clarice she immediately bounded up and walked towards her smiling.
“Hey! I’m Alia, a Morpher! What’s your name and power?” she asked, her green eyes shining with curiosity.
“Oh, hello! I’m Clarice, I guess- well, I’m a Telekenesist. What do you mean by Morpher?”
“Ahh a newbie- I see. That’s totally fine! I’ll show you around the magical world, you’ll get used to it in no time just like I did. Back to your question, a Morpher is basically a person who can change their own appearance by will. For me I can change everything about myself, I can even change myself to look like you,” Alia quickly demonstrated, morphing into Clarice, Clarice’s jaw dropped. Just as quickly as she had morphed into Clarice, she morphed back into herself.
“Th-that’s amazing!” Clarice gasped.
Alia rolled her eyes and giggled. “C'mon let me show you to the cafeteria, let’s go have some lunch!” As Alia let Clarice down the shiny school corridors, Clarice saw students all around the same age as her demonstrating their powers. One student had fire for hair, another water! Some were floating in mid-air, others were partially translucent. It was going to be an interesting school year. On arriving at the cafeteria Alia and Clarice both piled their plates high with spaghetti and walked over to an empty circular table near a big screen. They talked about their interests and likes, before Clarice suddenly asked Alia if there was any way she could communicate with someone outside the school, someone like Aimi. Just as Alia was about to answer though, the large screen glitched. Then a robot voice was amplified across the room, the screen showed a figure masked in black.
It said, “Members of the magical world, more specifically the The School for Magical Folk. I wish you no harm. In fact I’m doing a favor for you. I ask that you hand over your new student. Clarice Harper. To Clarice, stop hiding, I’m asking that you join me, our fellow magic group will make sure that your name is known by everyone in the non-magical and magical world, or else chaos will come.” The audio and visuals were cut out and the screen was once again blank. Clarice was shook, who was that person and what did they want with her. Alia turned to her while the other students' eyes started to dart around the large cafeteria searching for whom this new student may be.
“Who was that?” cried Clarice frantically. Alia’s face was a sheen of white.
“That was Bender. They’re the latest magical folk causing chaos. They’re a Telekinesist and use their powers for nothing other than to destroy the world, the safe sanctuary that the Magic Government has built for us. I-I’m guessing they want to recruit you for their group, the Allegiance, they pledge to have humans bow down to them and their powers be known by all non-magical folk. They want to bring fear, they have done it.” Alia faced down and shoved the rest of her lunch into her mouth. Clarice had no other option but to do the same, she wanted to escape the cafeteria as soon as possible. Alia quickly showed her around the rest of the school, the transporters which basically teleported you anywhere but you had to get permission, it was locked otherwise, the crystal balls helped you communicate with family members once a week, they would see you in their mirror, only those who knew about magic and could keep it a secret could be communicated with. The next five days flew by in a blur. By the seventh day Clarice had realized it’s been a week since she arrived here. Alia had avoided her for the rest of the week after Bender’s threat. On the seventh day Clarice sat at the same table she and Alia had six days ago alone. She wasn’t hungry, instead she was poking at her chicken caesar salad with her fork. She sighed, Why did Bender have to ruin her friendship with the only person she’d made friends with? As if Bender knew Clarice was thinking about them the screen once again glitched this time projecting a view of the figure, obviously Bender still dressed in all black, grabbing a young child. The shaky camera zoomed in, it was Aimi. Clarice’s breath left her mouth. She was frozen in fear. Aimi, Bender had gotten to her.
Bender started to talk in the disguised robot voice again, “Hello Clarice Harper. I know you’re there and listening to me, you can hear me quite clearly I assume,” they chuckled, “You see here, I have your precious cousin, Aimi isn’t it,” Aimi looked dwarfed next to Bender. She was whimpering with fear, tears trailing down her face. Clarice knew she had to do something but she was still frozen in place, eyes staring into Aimi’s, she needed to know what Bender wanted. “I’m asking again, either you join me or else this girl will be harmed. I know you are more powerful than you show, I can help you release that power. Stop hiding who you are, come quick… tick tock… tick tock… you have five minutes to get here.” Clarice’s mind was fueled by adrenaline, she dashed towards the corridor where the transporter room was. By the time she reached the door she realized it was locked. Clarice started to freak out, before she remembered, she had telekinesis, she sensed where the lock was, established a connection with it and twitched her fingers. The metal lock followed her will and clicked open. Clarice dashied in and once again unclicked another lock, the one on the closest transporter. Suddenly Alia burst into the room, her feet skidding against the shiny floor.
“Stop Clarice! You can’t, you don’t understand, Bender doesn’t actually have Aimi, they-” she was cut off by the whirring of the transporter turning on it swirled like a portal, with shades of teal.
“I have to! You don’t understand Alia, Aimi was the only person who has been there for me. Now it’s my turn to be there for her.” she screamed, her voice trying to overcome the whirring. She stepped forward already envisioning Aunt Larisa’s home, she didn’t want to go back, but as they say desperate times call for desperate measures. The transporter had already started sucking her in, Alia stared in horror.
She screamed as loud as she could, “BENDER WIELDS DOUBLE POWERS, THEY’RE AN ILLUSIONIST AS WELL, YOUR COUSIN ISN’T ACTUALLY IN DANGER, IT’S ALL AN ILLUSION!!” Too late… Clarice couldn’t escape the suction of the transporter, the transporter pulled her into a vast scene of darkness traveling in lightspeed to her doom.