Like the title says, put up your creative writing here. Be it poetry, short stories, novel excerpts, what have you. Just make sure it's original and not from someone else's work or I'll hunt you down like the plagiarizing dog you are.

Thursday, December 29, 2005

I Am
Current mood: Independent

I am like an ocean that holds a mystery. My feelings and emotions roll with the tides. When I am angry, my waves are destructive like those in a storm. When I am sad, my waves are calm like those on a quiet night. When I am happy, my waves are playful like those of a summer day. I am like the ocean that waits for that perfect something...that perfect someone...who is willing to enter my world...be apart of my life...of my waves....

6:40 PM

Monday, July 03, 2006

Love Is Like A Rose
Current mood: Loved

Out Of All The Roses I Give You, Only One Will Live.
Without Looking At The Roses, Can You Pick Which One It Is?
It's Very Simple I Tell You. It's Not Difficult To Find.
For A Rose Comes From The Heart. Making Love The Rose That Never Dies.

2:21 AM

Part 1

House Guest

Autumn was just hitting, and the red and yellow of the trees in the courtyard reminded Lee of home that seemed oh so distant from monolithic courtyard. His mother in her apron preparing a cake and the flowers on the sill by the sink, Lee missed those days. Back before he came to this new world, this place so far away from home.

Home to him was Monterey, a small town with a population of about 20 thousand people, out in what some people referred to as the boondocks. Farming country, that was what Lee new and that was where he felt most comfortable.
Really, home was just a couple hours drive away, but it felt like a whole world apart. Here, in this city where cars buzzed through the streets, and bright lights blocked out the evening stars. Here on this campus with its ancient stone buildings and milling students passing between them like ants, was so very different from the small town that he had come from. Ridgeside. McLaughlin University.

“Focus,” Kristi snapped, tossing a small paper wod at Lee, bouncing of his short black hair. “We need to finish this paper before tomorrow.” She went back to reading the book that she had in her lap. How she could sit like that, with her legs crossed and her feet locked in against her pelvis, Lee could never understand.

“Well, it’s your fault I can’t focus,” Lee said while reaching down into his bag to fetch his sketch book. “Why did you want to do this out here anyway?”

Kristi brushed the red hair out of her face, narrowing her eyes and letting a little smile break her lips. “It’s quiet here and no one will bother us.” She got up from the stone bench, and moved to sit by Lee. “Besides, its gets you out of that house of yours, don’t it?”

She was teasing him now, he could tell, imitating his lazy language pattern that told so much about where he came from. ‘Well that’s true,’ Lee thought. He hated being in his apartment anymore, especially now that Mark had come into town.

“So,” asked Kristi, “what do you think? Do we have enough to do a presentation on this?” She handed him a notepad with pages filled with notes and printouts on the Falling Water Estate. She had been doing a lot of research.

“Wow,” Lee said as he leafed though the notes. “You make me feel like a real slacker.” Lee moved to hide his sketch book back into his bag, but Kristi grabbed his hand.

“I’m sure” she said flipping through the pages. She straitened up examining his work, eyes rapidly darting across the page. She was judging him; Lee knew it. He hated it when people looked at his drawings; always so self-conscious. “I wish I could draw like you,” she said after a few moments, returning his sketch book to him. “We should definitely put a few of those pictures into our presentation.”

Lee’s shoulders dropped slightly. “Yeah, sure,” he said, “but you have done so much more than me already.” Lee realized that he had been pushing his luck with Kristi, always being late or having to cancel hanging out. He stood up slinging his backpack over his shoulder and reaching out to grab Kristi’s notebook. “Let me set up the power point presentation.”

Kristi released the notebook hesitantly and frowned. “Are you sure? I mean, do you have time?”

“Come on,” Lee said, smiling. “It’s me we are talking about.”

Kristi bit her lower lip as she got up off the bench and brushed off her pants. “Well if you’re sure you can do it. Just remember, we have to have it by tomorrow at ten o’clock.” She threw her arm around his shoulder and gave him a slight smile. “I’m counting on you.”

“Okay,” lee said brushing her off, chuckling. “I’m going to take off. See you tomorrow.” Lee gave a little wave as he walked off and entered the crowd of people. Here on this campus built of old Limestone, a school arranged as a tight cluster of buildings with small niche courtyards that reminded Lee more of a fortress. This was supposed to be his home now.

Lee never quite felt comfortable in crowds. It was just weird to him, everybody rubbing shoulder to shoulder, a million conversations going on at once. It made him edgy, so he tried to walk off the beaten path as much as possible. After about a hundred yards of constant bumping with his peers he was able to duck into another courtyard space and then out to the creek that ran behind the school. The path that went along this would lead him right by his apartment.

Lee loved it out here. This was the place he could come to if he ever needed to think, or just get away from this world. This was the closest thing he had to being back home. Out here, time seemed to pass a little slower, and one wouldn’t have to feel rushed to get from one place to another. It was days like this, when the sun was just starting to tinge the sky red and the crickets were just starting to chirp that reminded Lee of fishing at the old pond with his dad, the two of them just joking softly as the sun rose on their little world and another day started.

Lee’s foot struck an exposed root, and he stumbled, barely catching his balance; two female joggers giggling at his apparent clumsiness as they passed.

What a loser, Lee thought as he continued along the path. The sky was becoming dark now and he could see the light of his kitchen window in the distance, and the silhouette of a man standing behind it. “The perfect end to another perfect day,” Lee said, snickering to himself.

* * *

It was dark outside by the time that Lee opened the front door. Emmy was sitting at the dining room table, her eyes heavy and red as she stared off into her laptop. She had been in the same place when Lee went to school four hours ago, the only real difference being two more coffee cups occupying the table.

“Hi,” she said while glancing up shortly and flashing a quick smile. She always used that babyish voice when she addressed him and now was no different. “How was studying?”

“Okay.” Lee opened the fridge and began rifling through its contents hoping to find something edible. Of course there was nothing there, just some old eggs, a carton of milk, and a various assortment of condiments. “How’s your paper coming,” Lee asked as he removed the milk and began drinking straight from the carton.

Emmy sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I don’t know. It just isn’t what I was going for.” She reached over and grabbed one of the many coffee cups and proceeded to drain it of its contents. “I wish I could just be done so I could go out with you guys tonight.”

Lee coughed a little as he inhaled and raised an eyebrow at her. “Oh yeah,” he asked. “And just where am I going?”

Emmy’s gaze drifted over towards Lisa’s bedroom door, and the sound of her giggling softly could be heard coming from behind it. “Well…” Emmy said, “Lisa and Mark were going to go see a flick and then go to get a drink afterwards. She said she wanted to invite you to go along too so you could get to know Mark while he is in town.”

Lee’s shoulders dropped a little and he put the milk carton back in the fridge. “I don’t know, I got some work to do myself and I don’t think I am going to have time.” Lee pulled up a seat by Emmy and set his bag down on the table. “I need to set up a power point presentation for tomorrow and Kristi is counting on me.”

Lee pulled his laptop out of his bag along with the notes he had taken from Kristi earlier that day and set off typing. For a while, that was all the noise that could be heard in the kitchen; the clattering of keys as Emmy and Lee went about their work. Then a bump and more giggling could be heard coming from Lisa’s room. Lee stared at that door for a while, hoping it wouldn’t open and that he would not have to see “him”.

“I’m sure you will still have time to go out with them Lee,” Emmy said as she got up and poured herself another cup of coffee. Motioning with her head towards the notebook on the table she said, “Stuff like that never takes you very long.”

“Oh, but then who would keep you company,” Lee retorted with a sly grin. He new Emma had thought he was cute when they first met, but any lingering feelings like that had long since past. ‘It is amazing how living with someone can change a person’s perception so rapidly,’ Lee thought. Still, it was worth a try this way it wouldn’t look like he was just avoiding Lisa and her boyfriend.

Emmy shook her head slowly. “Yeah I’m sure that’s just what you want to do.” She plopped back down into her chair and went back to her writing without another word, so Lee was left to his thoughts. Here he was, almost done with the presentation so what could he use as an excuse to not go out? Could he think of an excuse to get out of the apartment before Lisa and Mark came out and asked him? Could he just hideaway in his room and pretend that he wasn’t even there?

Lee balled his fists. It had come to not even feeling comfortable in his own home, having to go out or hide just to maintain the masqueraded that everything was fine; just to pretend that he was fine with Mark being here.

“Come on,” came a muffled male voice from Lisa’s room, and Lee’s eyes were back on that door. He found himself hoping again that it didn’t open, that he could stay here in this false world where everything was alright. And then the knob turned.


* * *

As the sun began to peak over the hills, Lee knew he was in trouble. Before he had left class yesterday he promised Kristi that he would finish their PowerPoint presentation on the Falling Water estate, the dynamic home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright back in 1935 that blended so perfectly in with the natural landscape and just seemed to hang out into space over the gentle stream and waterfalls, despite being constructed from that soft cream colored concrete, stone that was local to the area, and glass, so that it almost looked like a living thing growing from the landscape along with the enormous and lush green trees that hugged the home so closely.

Coming back to the present, he could hear the distant bell signaling that he had half of an hour till Kristi would be waiting for him to bring her the disk with their research. 9:30.

‘Damn Lisa, this is all her fault,’ Lee thought as he began running back towards home, his gray cotton shit already soaked dark with sweat and his heart pounding. Even at this pace he doubted he could make it home and then to school in time. If only that door had not opened, if only he would have said no, he wouldn’t be out here right now. Fall leaves swirled and coalesced around him the whole time on the river trail. It almost seemed like nature was trying to slow and impede his progress; even it had something against him.

“Get out of the way,” he yelled as he slid onto the wooden foot bridge, almost sending a cyclist over the edge. He really didn’t care if he would have fallen of course, those cyclists thought they owned the streets and these trails and he had been nearly run down on a few occasions.

“I hope you EAT SHIT AND…” the cyclist roared as he slowly faded into the distance, shaking his fist in aggravation.
Just as Lee made it to the other side of the bridge, he heard the bell chime. Kristi was going to be so disappointed with him if he didn’t come through for her. Leaping over a hedge and hoping to buy precious seconds, Lee found himself face to face with a telephone pole guide wire and he was cloths-lined instantly. Most people would give up after this and just accept that they were destined to fail, but not Lee. Not today.

“Ouch,” chuckled a passing skater as Lee rolled to his feet. Pushing through the pain filling the left side of his face, Lee ran on. Quitting was not an option now. Running was all he could do, and he ran on as homes began to appear on both sides of him. This part of town was obviously exclusively affiliated with the college. With peeling paint and couches serving as standard lawn furniture; garbage cans filled with beer bottles and 90’s cars lining each curb. There was no doubting it. These where small one and two story homes built back in the 50’s and 60’s to help with the demand for the growing college population, the homes had definitely seen better days.

Then he was outside of his apartment, a two story duplex painted robin’s egg blue built in the ranch style, it was times like this he hated living on the second floor. He took the stairs in leaps of two and just prayed he could make it.

Sliding through the door of the apartment, Lee almost caused Lisa to fall out of her chair. This cute, short little girl with her beautiful curly hair and sparking eyes was the cause of all of Lee’s suffering. Unzipping the bag on the table, Lee grabbed the disk and moved back towards the door.

“Very attractive there,” Lisa said, commenting on Lee’s appearance and stopping him in his tracks. “What’s your hurry?”

‘You know as well as I do that I’m late,’ Lee thought. They had lived together long enough to know each other’s schedules. ‘At least I know yours.…’ And with that thought, Lee felt his heart drop again for the second time in two days.

“You aren’t late are you,” asked Lisa as she got up and walked down the hall toward her bedroom. The door was closed and Lee found himself hoping she wouldn’t open it. He didn’t want to see Mark again. Still, he found his gaze locked on her receding figure.

The knob turned and the door opened, opened into a room that he was oh so familiar with. And to his relief, no one was in there. No bags by the door, no coat on the leather chair.

“Well, I should let you go,” she said disappearing from his sight, “but if you’re not doing anything later, do you want to see another movie?” Lee’s mind went instantly back to the night before. To Lisa and Mark. “Mark had to fly back to Milwaukee early, so I have no plans.”

“Sure,” said Lee, his mood improving already. I was just going to hang out with Kristi, but I’m sure she can fend for herself.
In the distance, a bell chimed ten times.

Two Ticks and a Tock
Two ticks and a tock.
The clock strikes twelve
and the stirring begins.
The things from the dark
step out of their holes.

Two ticks and a tock.
Moving on to one
as the night drags on.
And the children cower
afraid to shout, afraid to run.

Two ticks and a tock.
Now twice past twelve
and the dark things cackle.
The children shriek, run out of the room
to parents, love and safety.

Two ticks and a tock.
The time is three
the evil is gone.
Banished by mother,
banished by father.

Two ticks and a tock.
It’s four on the clock
and sister’s closet is dark.
Time wears on
and fear grows evermore.

Untitled Emotions
Staring at the screen, confusion on his face
like a blue haze hanging over his being
it happens when his mind shuts off
and sounds as though pots and pans are falling down a flight of steps
Confusion happens, it’s best to accept it.

Sunrise of the Sag
The Sag sits perfectly still
legs crossed at the summit of his turlin.
Auntie Wisp pushes back his aben
as the elder man rises to greet the new day.
A grin splits his wrinkled face as the great kinari rises
chasing all the little kinari off into the west.
The great kinari gives his solmet to the cervet
and Auntie Wisp makes them bow in thanks.
Many a day it had been
since oliv had settled on the cervet.
As the young men raced off to war, seeking their own akir
leaving their wailing solmets with naught but a memory.
No akir for the deceased.
As the last Sag greets the day
and mourns the young souls who again rise to do battle.
Kinari weeps.
Auntie Wisp weeps
The Sag weeps.
Oliv one again deserting the village.

Chilling Button: Crafting/Magical,- A ceramic, or metal button containing a weak cold cantrip, allowing them to be produced cheaply and in large quantity. When combined in large numbers they provide a cumulative effect to meet certain needs. In this case, they cool the interior of protective armor, or average clothing allowing one to "beat the heat" in summer or if you happen to live in a volcanic, desert, or even tropical area.

When you run across a DM that takes into account heat exhaustion in hot areas, or while wearing stuffy armor you'll see the value.

As he stepped into the sweltering Arizona heat, Jonathan Thomas swept his already soaked sleeve across his forehead, wondering for what seemed like the ten thousandth time why he had worn his black sweatshirt. The drive down from Minneapolis had been a long one, and the temperature had climbed steadily the entire time. The tired old bus groaned as it pulled away, and Jon scanned the parking lot, looking for his uncle.

Not that it would matter if I did see him, Jon thought. I haven’t seen the man in twelve years. Jon’s parents had perished in a terrorist attack while on vacation in London six months ago, and he had been forced to endure hardships unimaginable to most people as he waited for his alcoholic social worker to become sober long enough to contact a relative to take him in.

A dark grey town car pulled into the lot, and a young woman stepped out. Jon noticed immediately that she was strikingly attractive, her dark brown hair hung loosely over her shoulders and framed her beautiful face. She wore what looked like a brand new baby blue t-shirt, as well as a black skirt that spelled out princess in gold letters. She walked up to the bus stop and smiled sweetly as she asked his name.

Jonathan stared for a moment, still not quite believing that this goddess was addressing him. Noticing the awkward silence he finally managed to stammer out, “J-Jon Thomas, ma’am.”

“My name is Claire, it’s nice to meet you Jon,” Claire said, barely managing to stifle a giggle at his obvious discomfort. “Your Uncle Ben sent me to take you to the hotel.”

Stan didn’t say anything about a hotel, Jon thought. But then, he was to drunk to remember his own name half the time. Jon cursed his social worker’s disease yet again, then looked up and asked Claire, “aren’t I staying with Uncle Berenson?”

Claire looked back, surprised, “Didn’t Stan tell you? Mr. Berenson owns the former Red Cactus Inn, and he uses it for his personal home.” Jon shrugged and followed her into the car.

“Jon this is Timothy, Mr. Berenson’s chauffeur,” Claire told him as the sat down. John nodded and smiled at the large man in the driver’s seat. Claire chuckled noticing that Jon had taken the seat farthest away from her. “What’s wrong Jon? Do I intimidate you?”

More than you could imagine, Jon thought. But he only smiled and shook his head. “I guess I’m just not used to riding in the same car with beautiful women,” he replied.

“Well for Heaven’s sake, Jon, come sit with me.” Jon hesitated, then grinned and moved next to Claire, who put his arm around him. Jon started, uncomfortable, and then relaxed and enjoyed the hug.

Suddenly a beeper at Claire’s hip began to buzz, causing her to disengage from Jon, leaving him feeling lonely again.

“We had better go Tim, the old man’s wondering where we are,” Claire called up to the driver, then slid her arm back around Jon’s waist and leaned into his shoulder.

Tim laughed heartily, “boy you must be some kind of special,” he said. “I ain’t seen Claire warm up to no one that fast.” Claire put on a mock angry face and hugged Jon all the tighter.

“You just get us to the Cactus, Tim, and stop worrying about him,” Claire said, then laughed. “I promise not to do anything too terrible until we get to the hotel.” The car pulled out of the bus station parking lot and rolled off into Jon’s new life.

“We gonna be driving fo’ a while Johnny,” Tim called back to him, his thick southern accent soothing the air around him. “If y’all get tired go ahead an’ rest your eyes, now.” Jon nodded and closed his eyes, taking in all that had happened in the past few months, and feeling that finally, things were going to be better. He laid his arm around Claire’s shoulders, feeling her rhythmic breathing, and soon he, too, was fast asleep.

Jon awoke with a start, once again the dream that had haunted him for so many nights on end, the dream that had created his haggard and sleep-deprived existence had come to him once again. He felt so clearly the heat on his face, heard his mother’s bloodcurdling cry, the deafening roar of the firebomb the terrorists had left in the back of the subway. He felt the stone floor of the station, the terrible pain he had felt as he had been slammed to the ground, nothing like what his parents must have felt as they perished in the flaming wreckage of the train. He saw his father’s charred corpse, hand outstretched as if reaching for his son, to take him with, to take him to the afterlife into which his parents had been so unjustly cast.

Claire stirred next to him, and looked up into his eyes, noticing the tears there, “Jon, what’s wrong?” she asked, concern on her face.

Jon turned away, not willing to let her share his pain, but knowing that somehow it would help to tell somebody. “Every time I go to sleep, I see them again, the bomb, the fire, everything that happened that day. It hurts Claire, it hurts worse than anything you could possibly imagine.” He turned away again as a tear began its descent down his cheek.

“Claire? Johnny? we here.” Tim’s soft voice filled the car. “Your uncle will be waitin’ fo’ you.” Jon and Claire stepped out of the car, and Jon took his first glance at the inn.

It was massive, with red bricks along the sides, and large windows in front. A short, balding man was walking down the front steps towards them. “Jonathan, I’m so sorry, when I heard, well, I’m sorry,” Ben said. He turned to Claire, “Honey, there was a spill in the kitchen, do you think you could mop it up while I take Jon to his hotel room?”

Claire smiled, “of course I can Ben. Jon, I’ll see you tonight for dinner?” She asked as she gave him one final, comforting hug.

Jon nodded, and continued to watch her as she walked away, noticing the way her hips swayed as she walked, the same way his mother’s had. Then he looked up to his uncle’s smiling face as she walked through a door.

Ben smiled, “she’s a sweet girl isn’t she?” He said as they began their walk to the elevator. His hard shoes clacking loudly on the tile floor as they moved down the hall.

She sure is, Jon thought, knowing that even the largest hotel and the sweetest girl couldn’t replace what he had lost. But maybe, just maybe, she can help ease the pain.

Mostly posting it to bump the thread so it doesn't get forgotten, but....rawr, I'm terrible at poems. (P.S. in that last story david, if I was jon, the first thing I would have asked was if I was related to her....)

Friendship

When your heart is broken,
Your eyes are bloodshot,
You need a shoulder to lean on,
I will be there.

When you feel all alone,
In need of a hug,
Someone to hold you,
I will be there.

When you need friend,
I will be there.

When your legs are weak,
You can not even crawl,
In need of arms to carry you home,
I will be there.

When you need advice,
To talk your thoughts out,
Just say the word,
I will be there.

When you need a friend,
I will be there.

When you feel like smiling,
So full of joy and hope,
Not a care in the world,
I will be there.

Time flows on,
Through sorrow and joy,
Through love and hate,
I will be there.

True friendship lasts forever,
Just look and see,
When you need a friend,
You’ll always find me.

At first there were two worlds, heaven, a world of politics and organization. The way to move up in society would be promotion from higher up, like a business. And hell, a world of power and war, you move up in the world with battle experience and talent, like an army. Each world wrapped in an endless war with each other, each side only getting so far ahead of the other before they found a way to defend themselves and strike back. Then, in an attempt to make a truce, the two worlds created a new world to live together and animals to eat, Earth. But the truce did not last and the two went after each other again. But before they did, some of hells minions and the warriors of heaven mated, creating a mix of the two, humans. But when the fighting broke out the humans were hidden by there parents. They grew and when the planet was abandoned and forgotten, the two worlds fighting it out with each other and leaving the planet behind, knowing it was not worth fighting for, the humans grew, and evolved. Eventually they found out how to use their powers from there ancestors. Raising the dead, controlling demons, and causing plagues from hell, and controlling trees, healing wounded, and using the power of the moon to name a few. Now heaven is known as the moon, and hell as the sun. People have forgotten of the two worlds, only the magic remains of them on earth.

Brett That made me cry

"Have You Ever?" By L.L. McAdams
******************************************
Have you ever loved someone?
And knew they didn't care?
Have you ever felt like crying?
But knew it wouldn't get you anywhere?
Have you ever looked into their eyes?
And saw something there?
Have you ever looked into their heart?
And wished that you were there?
Have you ever whispered: "I love you so."
And never let them know?

If you fall in love, my friend,
You'll find it doesn't pay,
It only causes heartaches,
And it happens everyday.

Have you wondered where they were,
And if they're being true?
You'll find you're happy one day,
And the next you'll be blue.
And when you don't know,
You'll wonder day and night.
You'll see, my friend, you're losing them,
No matter how hard you fight.

Love is fine, it hurts so much,
The price you pay is high.
If I had to choose between love or death,
I think I'd rather die.
And so I say, don't fall in love,
You'll hurt before you're through.
You see, my friend, I ought to know.
I fell in love with you.

*Clap*

And where is my picture!?

Your pic, are you addressing me

I'm working on it!! I just need a little more time... and an idea or two.

Well you too baby but no..


Haha...ok ok

"The Best Advice Comes from a Pirate's Wife"


"Real ladies don't marry pirates!" The woman in the tight bun screeched as she protested her daughter falling in love with a sailor. I watched her daughter sink into the chair with a face full of anguish. I remember feeling that same way once. I chuckled softly beneath my breath. She must have heard me; the woman whirled around in her chair as she kept a white-knuckle grip on her teacup. What possessed me to drink tea with the courtiers I still don't rightfully know. Maybe it was the chance to be friendly with someone other than Kashalyn... "Do you find something funny Lady Gervania?" She asked in a heated manner.

"I think its rather adorable that she decided to fall for a seafaring man." I admitted before putting the cup to my mouth. The woman twisted her snout into a smarmy grin.

"What can a sailor provide for my daughter? You know how they are always gone and they do little for their families. He could very well have a family across the sea she will never know of."

I smirked softly, "If he manages to provide well for her and shows her love, should it matter if he has another family she will never know of?" Though the idea of Markuss doing that made my skin crawl. I knew enough of him to trust him with all of my heart. Besides, I was certain that if he did anything outside of our marriage, Argent would be the first one at my door to tattle on him.

The woman scowled. Apparently she did not like my response so she pushed the conversation. Her daughter, by this time, was sitting up and looking at me like I could be her salvation. "So, you're saying you'd be willing to share your husband, Lady Gervania?" She asked in a snide manner. I had known that Lady Astoria had been eying my husband for quite a while now. While it bothered me on the inside, I never let my aggression show.

"I said if I didn't know about it, I would go on living my life contentedly. We all know you covet Lord Gervania, Lady Astoria." I said in a calm manner. She grunted disapprovingly in my direction before mashing her cup against her mouth. She was well past her prime while I still retained much of my youthfulness. After all, I was only sixteen when Markuss married me. Lady Astoria turned back to her daughter to continue to bash the poor girl.

"What do you think that sailor wants from you, Lydia? He wants your money and your body. That's all they ever want." She said in a harsh tone. I felt my brow furrowing at the thought that a man who lived his life at sea could be so heartless. Most of them, perhaps, but I knew of a select few who felt with their hearts.

"That's a fairly ignorant statement, Lady Astoria. Have you ever been with a sailor?" I asked, feeling my blood boil. I wasn't just defending the honor of this poor girl but I was defending my husband... my friends... my sons.

"No I--"

"No, you haven't." I corrected her. I turned to her daughter with my face a mixture of encouragement, courage and softness. "Take it from the wife of a pirate. It gets lonely. You'll want to pull your hair out every time they leave. You'll want to kill them and kiss them at the same time. Its not an easy life but it is one that takes hard work and patience. Mostly patience. If you love this boy and he loves you - really loves you - you'll make it work. You'll find the right road and you'll take it together. Marriage is more than just money, names and power. It is about what you share. It is the feelings of breathless bliss you feel with each kiss; no matter how long you've been married. You'll cry a lot and a lot of promises will get broken. ...But in the end... You won't regret a shred of it."

With that, I walked away to spend some time with my children...

Keeping this awesome thread alive...

A random post at a time...

Double posts? It may happen...

Wait what was that!?

Oh just me a "rappin"


lawlness

Random piece of my story...

No one could prepare them for what they saw as they rounded the corner. A vast kingdom once great, now lay in ruins. Some walls were left standing, others completely diminished. They stepped closer, taking in everything around them. Each one taking their own path as they advanced on this now long forgotten kingdom. It was no wonder no one had come across it. It was well set back in the woods on three sides. The fourth lay on the edge of a two hundred foot cliff overlooking the immense ocean of blue.

Kamia closed her eyes. She envisioned what this kingdom had once been like. It was standing tall, mighty, proud. She saw the high walls and the beautiful architecture. The lovely gardens and the large training yards. She heard laughter, commands, music, and various other sounds. And that's when she heard it. Screams. Crying. She heard a woman's voice shouting out militaristic orders, explosions, a man's harsh laughter. His laughter. But who he was, she could not tell. She only knew he was someone to fear. She began to tremble the more she saw, the more she heard. And then, there was nothing.

Kirana walked through the broken walls towards the ones still standing. She felt a presence. It was a strong one, one she felt over take her. She closed her eyes against her own will. Not once did she stumble walking through the rubble. When she opened her eyes she was standing before a mirror. She leaned in towards it, hand reaching to it. Her eyes grew big as a beautiful kingdom appeared. Then a males face flashed before her eyes. He stared at her, with a solemn look on his face. She went to touch the glass, but her hand went through it. She blinked, and it was all gone.

Pantala kneeled down next to the stone. It was made of marble and perfectly intact. Untouched, unscarred. Its smooth surface bore an engraving on it. She read the words slowly. “Aria Marie Sedi”. Her eyebrows knitted together. The name sounded familiar to her. Close to her in a way that scared her. And then she remembered. Bits and pieces flew through her. Thoughts, memories. Some that made sense, others that did not. When it was done, she was left in a state of shock. Next to the grave was a book. It was not there when she first came upon the grave. She picked it up. She flipped open the pages, read a few words, and then slammed the book shut.

Kimira looked around her. Something wasn't right. She looked up at the sky briefly. The sun was about to start setting. Darkness would be upon them soon. Her attention reverted back to the ruins. She had heard a voice. When she looked back down, the sight before her eyes stunned her. There in front of her was a large ballroom. It was filled with people dancing and laughing. One woman caught her eye. They made direct eye contact. The woman figure beckoned her along, and without knowing it, Kimira began to follow. She followed her down hall after hall. The woman walked into a room. By the time she got in there, the figure was gone. The room was massive. She noticed a box on the table, picked it up, and opened it. There inside laid a key. As she picked it up, the room vanished, and she was back in the ruins, the key still in her hand.

Tuscan walked forward. His gaze never left its spot. He felt it, saw it. There in the rocks was the most beautiful sword he had ever seen. Nothing he ever crafted amounted to this. And despite where this sword had lain, it looked as though it was just made. He ran his hand along the blade. He tested its weight and balance, gripped the handle, and swung. Completely astounded, he unsheathed his own sword, and replaced it with the new one.

Ada broke the silence. “Is it just me, or does this place feel kind of,” he paused briefly, “familiar?”
Norg looked over at him. Ruhiel nodded his head slowly. Kronos kept his mouth shut. He knew he couldn't tell any of them. Not even the women. He looked over at Kamia. He knew she saw more than she should have. She was well tuned in with her abilities to be able to. They all gathered back together. Kimira looked back up at the stars.
“It'll be dark soon. We need to start preparing for it.”
“I'll go gather some food then.”
Kimira looked up at Pantala and nodded.
“I'll grab some wood.”
“I'll go as well.”
She looked over at Tuscan and Norg. “Very well you two.” She looked at the other five. “Do what you feel needs to be done.” They all nodded and went about their ways.

just made this up for this, though I have an idea of the context, military airmen gets shot down in a plane (you should be able to guess the importance of when he crashed was approximately. didn't land anywhere known to man, now the protagonist has somehow fallen into the same situation some number of years later however he has the fortune to find a guide to this unknown and dark place. thinking it would be a cool way to star off a video game, I may add more to this later but I really just wanted to write a dark journal entry (been playing Call of Cthulhu)



If you're reading this I can only pray that you have a quick and painless death. You do not know where you are but it does not matter, all that matters is that you are here. You're confused, disoriented, and scared, so was I, but if you do not move soon none of this will matter for you will either be dead or pray that you were.

You have fallen from the light. Where once there was hope lies now only despair, where once there was reason here lies only chaos, where once you knew joy here now all you will know is suffering. This is not a place for mortal men yet mortal men have entered. This is ground marred by the tracks of nightmares, this is the air heavy with the scent of fear, this is a world of endless night.

This is Al'Fen'Aurora.

I have left this journal here in the hope that whoever finds it may find safety and possibly freedom. I have long ago given up hope that anyone will find me, yet should some higher power love you, and protect you, and you find yourself free, I ask that in lieu of my remains, you take this journal and my words to my family, to my Rebbecca, so they know I did not abandon them, but that the world abandoned me.

Enclosed within this book is all my knowledge, all my experience spanning my five tormented years in this Godless land, along with instructions and guidance so that you may live long enough to seek refuge. No refuge here is safe for long, but so long as you know when and where to be, it doesn't have to.

Follow the instructions in the following pages and you may yet live. Seek comfort in God or hope if you must, but put faith in my wisdom and heed my words and leave the rest to fate.

-Second Lieutenant John S. Davis
~June, 1949

Death, The Ending


Kale stared blankly ahead as the dagger entered his back. He opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. He gasped for air as he reached out, clawing for anything stable, for help. Nothing.

Hope was lost for the poor boy as he fell to his knees,. He placed his hands on the ground in front of him to hold himself up. Speckles of blood littered the ground as he coughed, attempting to get air into his fragile lungs.

Despair. He had no chance to survive. He was already beginning to grow cold as deaths hands wrapped around his neck, constricting him further.

A laugh resounded around him as him enemy placed his foot on Kales back, pushing the dying man down.

"Times up, Kale." He spoke the name with disdain as he shoved Kale further down. "Looks like you've lost."

A smirk spread across Kales smug features as he allowed himself to lay flat on the ground. He rolled, moving himself from underneath the other mans foot, and with his last ounce of strength he pulled his sword free and jabbed it upwards, piercing the other mans heart.

The man stumbled back, eyes empty and face pale, as he grasped at his chest. Utter shock and confusion filled his mind as he fell back. "H-how?" He managed to studder before his last breath left his frail body.

Kale closed his eyes as he entered his eternal slumber, never to awaken again.


In Loving Memory

In loving memory,
We close our eyes,
Hoping for just one chance,
One more long goodbye,
Another tear to fall,
Thinking of the memories,
That you can barely recall.
The long nights, hard at work,
and those that pass too quick,
Loving, laughing, crying, caring,
Feelings you can't pick.
In loving memory,
We close our eyes,
Hoping for one more chance,
One more oppurtuniry,
An end,
A loving embrace.

Some scribbles from my past.

Purpose

I long to feel a Passion, a Purpose, or a Drive
Strong enough to let me know that inside I'm still alive.
Alas in my heart naught remains but cold and scattered ashes
And I keenly feel the currents as Time's raging river passes.
My smoldering muse has left my soul and from my path I strayed
Without that incandescent guide I'm lost down some strange way.
I hope that soon I can rekindle that searing inner flame
to burn away bleak fear and doubt, scorch away self-blame.
Until the candle of my soul has roared back to a glorious blaze,
I'm left to wander cold, alone bereft of all but false desire.


To My Heroes


Here's to all the people
The folks who've helped to shape me
I hope that I will make you proud
Of all that you have made me

First here's to my family
For dealing with my trouble
All the times you heard my cry
And came running on the double

You've stood beside through thick and thin
And shown me that you care
If I ever needed anything
I knew that you were there

Next here's to my friends
For being ever true
And for putting up with all the things
That I may say or do

Despite my quirks you stuck around
And lent a helping hand
No matter how hard that I fell
You always helped me stand

Here's to all my teachers
For helping me to see
Showing me the great wide world
And all that I could be

You opened the door to knowledge
And showed me how to learn
The desire you created in me
Will always and forever burn

And here's to all the random people
Whose names I may not know
You came into my little world
And somehow helped me grow

You may not have stayed too long
But you have made your mark
In your own way you may have been
My candle in the dark

There are so many people
Who have helped to shape the man
That sits here knowing all the while
My heroes you all stand

Bravo

Some of my past poems..

I Am-

I am like an ocean that holds a mystery. My feelings and emotions roll with the tides. When I am angry, my waves are destructive like those in a storm. When I am sad, my waves are calm like those on a quiet night. When I am happy, my waves are playful like those of a summer day. I am like the ocean that waits for that perfect something...that perfect someone...who is willing to enter my world...be apart of my life...of my waves....

Moon And Stars-

We belong together like the moon and the stars. Nothing can shut out our light except the darkness. Even then the sun shines like our love on the moon and the stars letting us shine forever in the night.

Condem-

Condemn me to burn in this Hell for eternal life, with blood so cold and Devilish eyes. With hatred so pure it can not exist, yet it does in this bottomless pit. Where fear consumes your soul, and time seems to stop and never go. Where evil lies and the Devil hides. Where shadows loom and lives are doomed. Yes, condemn me to burn in this Hell for eternal life, with blood so cold and Devilish eys. With rotting flesh and lifeless bones. Where hearts once were, now are stone. Condemn me to this hell to where I shall be damned. Where prayers are unheard, where we kill men. And no longer shall we be free, when we are as cursed as a black sea.

Forever In Hell-

Lay me down. Bury me deep. Let me fall deep asleep. Watch the darkness surround my soul. Look as it takes me whole.
Down to the depths of hell I fall. No one now can hear my call. Listen for my cries of pain. There is nothing left to gain.
At night I haunt. By day I roam. My shadow is in every home. I cause your nightmares. I make you fear. Evil has many ears.
The Devil has taken hold. Forever you're his. He never let's go. You can't escape. There is nowhere left. He eats you alive.
He eats you in death. We're bound to him. We do his work. We prey on fear. We start with hurt. We look for victims.
We look for prey. This is our destiny. Forever in Hell we'll stay.

The Hidden Love-

Out Of All The Roses I Give You, Only One Will Live.
Without Looking At The Roses, Can You Pick Which One It Is?
It's Very Simple I Tell You. It's Not Difficult To Find.
For A Rose Comes From The Heart. Making Love The Rose That Never Dies.

Sweet, let me get the ol' flash drive out

*gets it out*

The three factions.

Marcus had never seen so many vampires at once, actually he had, but they had all been infected vampires, he had never seen purebloods, and now… he was in a room full of them. The strangest thing was that they looked different from each other, they didn’t look different physically, but the way they were dressed… there seemed to be three basic groups, one group was dressed in all black, even their armor, weapons, and their ornaments were black; another group was as red as the first was black, except this group seemed to use a lot of skin drawings, “tattoos, they’re called tattoos boy”, he turned around and saw one of the members of the third group, these seemed to not have a dominating color, like the other two had, but they were more richly attired, as if they were royalty, “oh we are boy, we are indeed royalty”, “how is it that you know what I am thinking?”, “oh, it is an ability all purebloods share, but which we, the first faction, the White faction, have perfected over the ages. Your thoughts resonate strongly in my head, without the need for my reading them consciously, which means you too have the ability to communicate by thought”, Marcus looked at this vampire, he didn’t look much older than himself, but Jonathan looked like he could be no older than 25, when he was truly more than 200 years old, “If you do not mind my asking sir, just how old are you?”, “me? Oh nowhere near as old as the Vampire King, but I am indeed the first he bit, I am the father of all the noble Vampires”.

“you are the…”, “Yes, indeed I am the first person bit by the legendary Vampire King, but I can tell you something, no matter how powerful I am, and no matter how powerful Raezegiel and Nargaluth are, all three of us together could not have even been able to challenge the Vampire King’s son, and do you know why that is?”, Marcus looked at this vampire who had apparently come straight out of the history lessons Jonathan had given him over all these years, “no, I do not know why that would be”, he suddenly felt a hand clap down on his shoulder, he turned around, instinctively reaching for his sword, but a hand shot out and grabbed his wrist before he could reach it, “be careful with that young master Marcus, you could hurt someone”, it was one of the vampires who were dressed in black, “I see that old Denford has been telling you about the three factions of the pureblood vampires”, Marcus nodded nervously , noticing that one of the red vampires was standing close by. He was dressed in a strange armor; it seemed to be made of overlapping layers instead of one solid piece that moved as if it was a second skin for the wearer, “do you like it?”, Marcus drew his breath, realizing that he would have to be very careful what he though around all these mind reading vampires, “it’s Japanese”, “Japanese?”, the vampire walked closer, his movements graceful even under the uncomfortable-looking armor he wore, “they are a race from another world, their customs and architecture can be best compared to that of the Fish-men Hybrids, but they are truly unlike anything that has ever walked this world”, Marcus suddenly felt overloaded, this was all too much, ancient vampires of old legends talking to him, telling him of the three factions vampires seemed to be split into, and of other worlds, and it all was somehow related to him, but how?

All of a sudden a voice resonated in his mind, “Everyone to the central ring, we are about to start the council of the three factions”, Marcus was about to ask where the central ring was when Jonathan appeared and took him to it. All of the vampires were just standing there, as if waiting for somebody to start speaking, but there was nobody inside the ring, then Marcus heard murmurs coming from three different corners of the room, he couldn’t decipher most of what was said, but he did hear three names, repeated over and over like a mantra, or a prayer, “Denford, Raezegiel, Nargaluth, Denford, Raezegiel, Nargaluth, Denford, Raezegiel, Nargaluth”, over and over again, until three vampires walked into the ring, Marcus drew in breath, it was the three vampires who he had been talking with! The one called Denford raised his right hand to silence everybody, once the crowd had stopped talking; he walked up to where Marcus was standing next to Jonathan. “Now we shall se if this half-blood is indeed of the legendary all encompassing kind”, Marcus suddenly felt a strong desire to run or scream, or both, “Marcus, if you would step into the ring please”.

Marcus stepped into the ring, feeling very aware of how all the vampires seemed to be looking at him with contempt, “Is there anyone in here who wishes to examine Marcus to determine his true power?”, asked the vampire dressed in the Japanese armor, <Raezegiel, his name is Raezegiel>, thought Marcus, not too loudly of course. “I will examine him”, Marcus turned to look at Jonathan, who had just spoken, what did he mean by ‘examine’? Jonathan walked into the ring, his sword at his side, he turned to face Marcus, and said, “Draw your sword Marcus”, “what?”. Marcus barely had time to finish saying this before Jonathan was upon him, sword drawn and ready to strike, “DRAW YOUR SWORD DAMMIT!”. Marcus drew his sword and defended himself, managing to block Jonathan’s attack just in time, <this isn’t like when he was training me, this time it’s a real duel>. Marcus and Jonathan fought for a couple of minutes before Denford stood up and spoke again, “does anyone doubt that this young half-blood is capable of defending himself in battle?”, nobody answered him, then out of the black vampires one stood up and said, “it is obvious that he can fight well enough with a sword, yet, can he control the powers of the three factions like the son of the Vampire King could?”, he sat down, a look on his face that made Marcus want to sharpen his sword on the speakers skull, “well spoken Nerzenthal, we shall find out this very second”.


Unfortunately I wrote this before I began to separate the dialouge from the narrative in individual lines, but oh well.

life is the emotion that can only bring us tears
it crushes all our dreams, turns our hopes into fears
at first it burns like fire, but then all is consumed
if you give in to its desires, surely you are doomed
he'll tear out your heart, and maybe stab it too
and though you may want to, there's nothing you can do
except for, perhaps, sit there helplessly and cry
while inside, all you want to do is die


when he comes, just roll the dice
lifes a gamble, lets make it nice
not the right numbers? no second chance!
death's with who you'll have to dance

Epic. You remind me so much of me it's starting to creep me out.

u write emo poems occasionally too?! we DO have a lot in common! zomg!

Go up a few posts. I have a lot more on my external hard drive.

Circles Within Circles

These infinite circles of history,
As we constantly repeat the same mistakes
Refusing to recognize our fallibility,
Pretending to be omniscient like gods.

As we constantly repeat the same mistakes,
A few recognize our faults and step up
Pretending to be omnscient like gods,
And all follow them blindly.

A few recognize our faults and step up,
Helping others to do the same
And all follow them blindly
For like robots, we are innert.

Helping others to do the same,
Refusing to recognize our fallibility
For like robots, we are innert
There infinite circles of history.



Pantoom Poems, bailing out people who suck at rhyming since 1985.

very nice!! they had a lot of passion in them!

it's a single poem.

Here is a little something I posted on another forum. It was pretty random thread I posted it in. Which was somewhat about creative writing, but not exactly.


Donk:




Never was there once point in time when the end happened. The split second of change that altered the course of history before one frightful eye could blink. There was calamity at first: as any human element will tell us. We can learn that the instinct of modern life is scared to death of change, of the unknown.


That is why the end came.


Now, the only way to explain this erractic, spontaneous change really occured in real time is to recount past events of a time long forgotten. To recount time itself, it almost seems. It "began" before the earth took form. For one could only fathom and/or try to contemplate how it began. Nor, trace how it's affects trickled down the stream of time like a leaf treading in some over-looked creek. There's no knowledge of ways for any one person to take steps against this change. Yet not once did we take the time to try. A downward spiral, if you will. A void all-consuming. In as much as humanity "progressed" from it's stone age status quo to the advanced society of crime; could we lay down our lives, our livelyhood for one single moment at a chance to prevent that one change.


We've only hastened that change with our one weakness in the human concept.

That is, of couse, the natural action of rebellion.

A plague by definition is a widespread affliction or calamity, especially one of divine retribution. It is considered highly infectious; a usually fatal epidemic disease. Disease. That was what they considered her. Hover, it was of her own volition that she had given herself the alias "Black Plague." She felt a connection to something that could infect hundreds.
-----------------------------------

The corridor seemed to stretch on into an eternal ethereal white and chalky, powder blue motif. The smell of sterility clung heavily in the filtered air - the smell was an odd mixture of rubbing alcohol, floor buffer and a hint of pine. Along the empty hallway every sound seemed to be amplified ten fold; even the soft jingling of the chains that shackled around her wrists and ankles seemed to increase and bang hard against the ears. Each doorway that lined the hall was made nine inches thick at either side of played titanium, reinforced with linked steel near the hinges. At the tops were small, culvert portholes with six inches of bulletproofed Plexiglas. The space was no bigger than the circumference of an infant's head. The walkways were buffered marble tile that covered twelve feet of concrete barricade. They were buffered and waxed constantly which gave them their mirror-like appearance. The hallways were narrow, barely wide enough to fit three people shoulder to shoulder. This was because the only thing that ever passed this hallway was a motorized android module. The android functioned to take on the tasks of any single guard and then some. If a problem arose within one of the cells, the android would classify the danger and then take the appropriate measures to contain the problem. They also were used to serve the cellmates their meals. Three times a day the small slit near the bottom of the door would open just enough to slide a covered plate through. Inside each of these cells the walls were padded with an extra quarter inch of pillow stuffing. The stuffing was then bound tightly in protective rubber casing which gave it an elasticity if the containee chose to bite at it. There were no windows to the outside world so the high, vaulted ceilings were affixed with a special UV lamp that would ensure the cell mate attained the proper amount of vitamins and also it helped to lower the patients who were rushed to the infirmary for liver and bilirubin problems.

The two guards at either side of her clamped tightly to their electrical rods that protruded closely to Kaede's waistline. The thought of shaking her hips just to feel the jolt crossed her mind - but so did gutting the two perverts next to her. However, she knew better. Having been in solitary confinement for nearly three years she had become accustomed to every detail of her cell. At first, she attempted to escape in the most rudimentary ways. They only laughed at her failed attempts. Soon, she became aware that even if she did manage to slip through the concrete barriers and get past the army of guards that patrolled the compound on a twenty-four hour basis; it was a hundred miles to any nearest town. She wouldn't make it to the fifty mile marker before she would need to rest and re cooperate. On foot, and in terrain as rocky and as desolate as the one surrounding the prison; it would take her a week to get anywhere. Although to some, three years confined anywhere might not seem like such a hard sentence - but in these walls - solitary confinement went to a new extreme. For three years, she didn't speak to anyone, read any books, write any letters... she was deprived of all civilized contact and forced to wear over-starched hospital gowns. They were thin and barely draped over her knees. The ventilation system was still rather crude, so she managed to acquire the cell that was closest to the incoming vent. Her room was constantly at a fifty-two degrees. Silently she would pray for a humid day so they would be forced to shut off the vents to prevent mold. Now, rather than being paraded around in little more than a blue and pink plaid sheet with strings on it, she was given a worn, grease-scented burnt orange jumpsuit. It obviously wasn't tailored to fit her; the pant legs bunches up around her ankles and the sleeves kept pushing over her hands and covering the shackles that fit snuggly against her wrists. She looked like a pumpkin that had been sucked into a dry husk.

In the past three years, no one had bothered to visit her and for some reason, today seemed special. The guards marched on like identical drones - cold, unfeeling eyes with their hands white knuckling the electrical prongs. The one on her left was a quarter of an inch taller then the one on her right. The normal human eye would see them as clones, symmetrical in every way. However, Kaede had trained her self to discern details - no matter how simple. Like herself, they were once trained to be the Government's army - however, their greatest flaw was their inauspicious size and girth. With them at either side of her, it made walking difficult so the shorter of the two strolled a half step ahead; being certain to keep the prisoner between and centered of the two of them. Kaede toppled around as she walked; waddling between the coarse and loose fabric of the jumpsuit. With what little material she was given, she managed to pull her hair back in a tight ponytail. Over the course of the years and having no contact with any real human, she found it tiresome and sordid to take care of her hair. Because of the direct exposure to the UV lamp in her room, the top hairs on her head had become a faded rusted brown while beneath it was still dark, almost a chocolate cherry with very little luster. It didn't matter to her what she looked like, she figured whoever had come to visit her would understand that this wasn't exactly the type of place you could have access to a salon. Her thoughts caught up with her, making her slow a little. The guard behind her prodded her in the waist with the forked prong; the sound making a loud, ferocious crackle. Her left knee buckled for a moment as the electrode ran through her system.

"Damn, can't a girl think in here?" She hissed softly as she rubbed the spot and straightened herself out. The guard thought of poking her again just to torment her but instead, lifted her up slightly off the ground in silence. She dragged her feet for a moment before resuming the long walk.

When they reached the center of the prison, it was more elaborate than she had seen in a long time. The room itself was surrounded by eight inches of bulletproof, fireproof and soundproofed Plexiglas situated in twelve inch titanium-barricaded wall frame. The only thing flimsy about the structure was a single doorway that swung limply whenever someone walked by. That doorway led down a short corridor that was one, big metal detector and then slipped into a small circular room where they were deloused; as if a place this kept would even have so much as a germ. The guards shuffled her past the "brain" of the prison and circled a hallway that seemed to be filled with only double doors that locked from the outside. They had to knock against the feeble part of the metal in a specific fashion that caused the two heavily-armed guards on the other side to press the cypher lock in a set code that was changed at every shift. This was designed to suppress any thought of escape, making it as difficult as possible for the Genius Complexes to run into their freedom. Because of Kaede's grand escape from the training facility, they had learned how to cut corners around their superior intelligence.

After being led past the hall of doors, she was finally stopped in front of a large Plexiglas door. Everything inside the room looked warped from how the glass bent outwardly. It was said that people who lived in solitary confinement and who were released often times committed suicide within the first thirty minutes. The doorways along this hall were bent slightly and given obscure, rounded edges. The door read: "Parole Board." It made her stomach tickle so hard she let out a wheezing chuckle. The idea that they were going to put her up for parole after only three years was laughable. The first guard tugged her roughly into the small room and pushed her toward an empty chair. She might have fallen flat on her face if she hadn't stopped short on the ball of her foot. She hobbled for a moment to catch her equilibrium and then plopped happily into the padded chair. To be able to sit on something that wasn't a cushioned floor eased the tension that had been mounting in her hips. Although she didn't allow her face to show it, she was feeling unmitigated pain from the grinding of her joints. Sitting upright seemed to ease the biting pain. After she was settled in, a group of people shuffled in as if they were herded cattle. The first person was a woman who looked about fifty and dressed for a woman half her age. It was almost humorous to see her attempt to hide her sagging frame inside a tight, forbidding gray three piece suit. It scrunched her tall body and made her look like a willow that had been tied up for being naughty. Her ashy blonde hair was poorly dyed and pinned back in a tight bun that seemed to be the only thing keeping her face from falling off. The second was a man who looked far too fragile of mind to be caught dead in a place like this. His balding head reflected the lights that hung in the ceiling. The few hairs he did manage to save on his head were the brown bristles that lined the crown of his head. He seemed to take great pride in them, as he habitually licked his stubby, tootsie roll fingers and glide them through the bristles. His hazy gray eyes were hidden behind large, thick-rimmed glasses. They were so thick it looked as if he were peering at you through two magnifying glasses strapped to his head. The third was a much younger man, maybe only a few years older than Kaede. His hair had a few scattered silver patches and the skin beneath his misty green eyes had drooped and become a little gray themselves. All three of them stood from tallest to shortest with Ms. Melted-Face being the tallest one. Kaede did all she could to keep a stoic face as she watched the woman wobble like a daddy long leg spider who had several of its legs removed. Her feet were obviously too long for her pumps, but she strode proudly in them anyway.

From the corner of her eye, she recognized one face. The gruff man seated furthest to her right looked as if he would have to roll out of bed just before he could ever sleep. His brown jacket had patches hemmed at the elbows and a few inauspicious mustard stains near the loose buttons. His white dress shirt was wrinkled and nearly popped out near his bulging gut. His five o'clock shadow looked as if it hadn't been shaved in weeks and to top his suave look, he reeked of whiskey and sweat. This was the man who had originally put her away - Detective Sean Reynolds. In her eyes, he looked as if he hadn't aged a day or changed in any manner. Since the day she had started her underground work, he had been assigned to the case. An already misguided, harsh and brazen cop; he slowly became obsessed with catching the fiend who had been causing him to lose sleep and peace at the station. Despite the Captain's orders for him to allow the federal agents to lead the case, he made capturing her a personal vendetta. However, their inter-personal relationship wasn't that simple. Each of them had some perverse respect for one another. Kaede respected a man who could feel so passionate about something - even if it was to a faction of life she didn't wholly agree with. Reynolds respected Kaede because of her ability to seek truth and avoid being captured even while in broad daylight. Reynolds starred down the girl he had only ever known as "Black Plague" because he could tell by her visaed that she had allowed herself to be captured.