DR: Daniel's Teaser

Disclaimer: Characters, etc. belong to me. This is narrated to Daniel's POV and slight spoilers are contained, as it takes place AFTER Dark Redemption.

To clarify things. First, I never wanted to save the world. All I wanted was to make things better for those I care about. My family, my friends, even those kids at the Academy who pick on other students.

Second point of clarification. I never once dreamed we'd be in so much danger. It was a harmless simulation, designed to pass away the hours of the afternoon and procrastinate on a pile of homework from Ms. Turner's AP biology class. Maybe if I'd known we were going to almost be killed like that, I wouldn't have dragged Bridget along.

But what does one do when thrust into a situation where the fate of the world is at stake? What if you simply cannot do anything to make things better? At that point, do your choices even matter anymore? Contrary to popular belief, perhaps questions have no easy answers. Maybe the right answer is different from person to person and dependent on the situation.

Yet then again, maybe not. From the very beginning (even though I never read the books written by Ms. Adams), I knew that Synistra had to be evil and we, as the heroes, had to be the good guys. I have always known that the good guys have to win in the end, but when I was younger, I didn't understand why CJ was so hesitant. I think I do know why now; my time in Almendrim has taught me that evil never goes down without a fight. The good guys still win in the end, but it's never easy.

And maybe that's why I did what I did. I chose to do what was necessary to help the good guys defeat the evil guys in the end and no choice comes without sacrifice.

Meeting Allison

The young bounty hunter crossed the room. It was rather crowded and he cared little for paying attention to the latest gossip, which Lin seemed to be the center of. Well, Lin and Naomi. Elisha's nose wrinkled slightly; he knew he would never understand the female mind and its need to speak incessently of all the latest happenings, including the arrival of a new informant for the Resistance.

"You ought to go greet her." Mark motioned to where Jordan was speaking to a small girl with short blonde hair. Or Elisha only assumed she was a girl by her unusually petite frame, but really, it was hard to tell from the fifty meters away that the two boys stood, just watching. "Eh, doesn't really matter one way or another. Looks like she's getting the royal treatment from Lin over there." A slight frown crossed Mark's face.

"Aye, maybe I should," Elisha answered, almost the exact same frown crossing his darker face. "Lin really needs to learn to treat newcomers with respect or there'll be no one left to help us." There was a slight pause and the grasp on his quarterstaff tightened until his knuckles were white. "And right now, we need all the good help we can get. There's no way Ran is going to let Lin go out and spy." Using the wooden stick for a bit of extra support, he half-limped to where Jordan was standing, talking to the new arrival. Mark followed partway in silence, then broke off to go talk to Ran.

As Elisha approached, Jordan turned around and nodded towards the shorter youth. "This is Allison, a new recruit," he held his hand out towards the girl. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go speak to Harcourt and Ran and I'll leave the two of you to get acquainted." Without waiting for Elisha to protest, Jordan turned around and let his long legs carry him effortlessly across the room.

The younger bounty hunter frowned to himself and winced slightly, still annoyed with himself for slipping down the riverbank when he, Naomi, Mark and Lin went out for a short excursion the week before. Another few days of limping around like this and then he knew he'd be back to normal before the end of the week, but the fourteen-year-old couldn't help feeling the hairs on the back of his neck prick up when he saw Lin and Mark sparring and he had to sit on the sidelines, just watching.

"What's your name, Darkie?" The girl looked up at him, meeting his dark hazel eyes with her own light brown ones. "I'm Allison, or that's what everyone calls me." She looked him over and he could feel a piercing stare. "You're not a very good fighter, are you?"

The very tips of Elisha's ears heated up and it felt like they were once again subjected to the hot desert summer afternoon. He had only been that far out of the town a few times, even though his ancestors were originally from the desert tribes to the east. "Why should I give you my name?" After a moment, Elisha met her piercing gaze with his own more subtle one. "You obviously haven't given me yours, at least not your real one."

"Then can I call you Darkie?" When Elisha shrugged, the girl perked up and bounced away, leaving the bounty hunter more confused than ever. By the time he turned around, Mark was standing behind him. The taller bounty hunter had picked up the habit of being able to sneak up quietly behind people; it especially annoyed Lin.

"You know I don't like giving out my name," Elisha's voice dropped down to a whisper. "To know another person's name is to hold power over them and it's not something I need to deal with right now, so don't even think about it."

Sigh. I really don't like how that piece turned out, but whatever. I think it would've been better (especially at the end) if it had been a first person narration to Elisha's POV. And just to let you know, "Darkie" is a rather derogative term used to refer to someone from the desert, but Elisha either doesn't know or doesn't care. Meh, I might as well let you read this...

Swim Lesson Blues: Megan's Fear

Just something I wrote this afternoon. I guess I'll be continuing it a bit more later, but right now, I need to go get ready to meet a friend and then work on a project for class...

"I won't let you drown." Those five words had been repeated to what Sophia thought was at least the hundredth time as she watched Megan clutch onto the edge of the swimming pool, the young girl's blue eyes wide with terror. The fifteen-year-old let out an inner sigh. This was going to be more difficult than she thought.

When she'd first told Coach Abby that she'd be willing to help teach the younger kids how to swim, Sophia thought that she'd be working with the ones who could actually swim across the pool. She'd teach them how to dive and perfect their strokes enough so that they could join the regular swim team during the next season. But no. Instead of working with the older kids, she'd been shunted off to work with a four-year-old who wouldn't even put her face in the water, much less let go of the wall.

"Soapy!" The girl wailed. "I'm cold!" Despite the fact that she hated being called by this rather diminutive nickname, Sophia almost smiled when any of the little kids (many of whom could not make the f sound properly yet) addressed her by name. From across the pool, Sophia could hear Mei-ling praise her students. They were all supposed to be at the same level, but the kids that Mei-ling had were already doing backfloats with minimal support. Sophie scowled to herself. Go figure that she'd get stuck with the one girl in the entire swim program who was afraid of the water.

"You should move around, then," she answered. Truth was, standing here in the water that reached just above her midriff was getting boring and even she was starting to feel a bit chilled. For a moment, she was envious not only of Mei-ling, but also of James, who had been assigned to the diving class. Well, as a diver, he would have been naturally more suited to teach kids how to dive, but none of them were afraid of the water.

Thankfully, Sophia was saved by Coach Abby's whistle, signaling the end of the session. Still sobbing, Megan climbed out of the pool and her mom wrapped a fluffy towel that had a picture of the Disney princesses on it around her. With little to no effort, Sophia swam a rather sloppy version of freestyle over to the diving boards on the deep side of the pool, where all the other instructors had already gathered for a quick debriefing.

Before Abby could address the group, James swam over to where Sophia was treading water. "After Abby's done, I kinda need to talk to you." This comment was quiet enough so that even Mei-ling, who was chatting with Kaitlyn on the other side of Sophia couldn't hear. She nodded and then turned to wait for Abby's latest instructions.

tbc... this will definitely be getting more. I'm rather excited to see what James has to tell Sophia and how that will relate back to what she's been thinking about...

Silver Wings

Just a little short something I wrote... you can make your guesses about who the characters are, if they are actually characters in my stories that you've met. You can also make your guess as to the gender and identity of the narrator. Anyhow, enjoy.

I cannot fly anymore. I used to have wings, but he took them away from me and broke them. I don't even want to think about it right now, but my mind cannot keep itself from thinking of him. I don't know his real name, so I shall just call him Chris. Ironic. I've always liked that name. But not this time. Because it reminds me of him. The man who took my wings away.

These wings were a gift a long time ago and I've just learned how to use them. I guess I was born with them, but I can't know for sure. As I discovered more about myself and the world around me, they just grew until they were large enough to support my weight. I learned how to fly. She was the one who taught me how to fly, to use these wings. It is because of her that I put forth the effort into practicing and it is because of her patience when she taught me and because of her compassionate love for me (even though I assure you I do not deserve it) that I was able to learn.

She was my only true friend when the world was full of enemies and a light to help find my way in the darkness of my mind. Don't assume that we didn't argue because that isn't true; we did argue... we even fought, exchanging bitter words with one another in the irrational heat of anger. But because of that, the bond of our friendship strengthened. She taught me that sometimes a smile can change someone's day for the better and that having words to say isn't really necessary. She instructed me in a different way of viewing the world and that the scientific method doesn't always provide the answer. But most important of all, she taught me how to fly.

But now she is gone. I will never see her again. And because I will never see her again, my wings are broken. As hard as I try, they will not work anymore. So Chris cut them off. It was very painful and I remember screaming. Not so much from the pain, but from realising that they are gon, never to return. I will never be able to fly again.

Perhaps it is possible to fly without wings, but I have been told that will be very difficult, if not impossible. This is what Chris told me. "Have hope," he said. But hope is something that does not exist. Not in a world without her and since she is gone forever, how can the world have hope? No, I do not think I will ever be able to fly again. Especially without my wings. My beautiful silver wings.

I want... no... I need my wings back. Without them, I cannot fly. And without the ability to fly, life is pointless.

Letter of Forgiveness

Just a little something I decided to write from one character to another. This takes place just a few months after high school graduation. For some reason, Sam has been bugging me to write more about her and Katie, which has been rather interesting, to say the least. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy.

August 6, 2007

Dear Katie,

I'm not sure why I'm writing this to you, but I felt like I needed to say something. Ever since I last saw you about two months ago, God has been putting it on my heart to tell you a number of things. So if you will please do me the honour of reading this letter, that would be appreciated.

First of all, I have been praying for healing. We're all broken people, but it is our brokenness that makes us beautiful in a way. I don't know if you know what I mean, so I'll just leave it at that. But things that are broken need to be fixed. What you did hurt me a lot and it hurt Michael and my brother, too. You must know that healing cannot happen until Forgiveness and Grace are present.

I have forgiven you for what you did. So has Scott. Even Michael has, though stubbourn he is to admit it. But in order for you to heal - for any of us to heal, really - you must forgive yourself.

I am not going to be falsely nice and tell you that forgiving you has not been difficult. On the contrary, it has been one of the more difficult tasks I have been faced with. I know what you did was very bad, but how much must one atone for past mistakes? How long does it have to be before it becomes a legalistic ritual rather than an act of heartfelt penance? How muchmust one pay to redeem herself from past transgressions? Although no action is without consequence (as Michael so often points out to me), I see no reason for a person to continually beat herself over the head for a past mistake.

Do not get me wrong here. I am not saying that atonement is unnecessary, but that it needs to be balanced out by Grace and Mercy. From them comes Forgiveness and when all three are present, together with Love, that is when healing can happen. It is a choice, one that must be made to accept forgiveness.

And so, I have chosen to extend my forgiveness to you. God has already forgiven you for what you have done and now it is my turn. I cannot force you to accept it, but I am giving it to you as a gift and I hope that you will accept.

Your Sister in Christ,
Samantha Christine Adams

Convo in the Cafeteria

Just a brief scene between a few characters, narrated by someone who's observing them in the school cafeteria. I'll leave you to guessing what's going on, but it shouldn't be that hard to figure it out...

"May I ask you a question?" There was a short pause before the voice resumed. "Have you ever made a girl cry?"

The other youth turned around, suddenly no longer interested in his foot-long sub and he returned the half-eaten sandwich to his plate. "Sure... why'd'ya ask?" Unlike the other boy's tone, his was light-hearted and quite a bit higher in pitch.

"Oh, no reason." The response came quickly as the shorter boy set his chopsticks down on a napkin and frowned slightly.

"This is about my sister, isn't it?" The Asian boy nodded, so the other youth continued. "Well, with her, it'd be best not to try and hide behind anything." His glance shifted towards the window, where it settled for a long moment before turning back to his companion. "If you need to yell at her, then do it. She can take it a lot better than she lets on sometimes." He shoved a potato chip into his mouth.

"Really?" He narrowed his eyes slightly.

The taller youth nodded and took a few gulps of water to wash down his food. "You think I'd lie to you about this?" He let out a heavy sigh. "Chance are, if you made my sis cry, it wasn't you." He stood up and picked his tray up. Leaving the other boy to ponder the words that had just been spoken, he turned and headed out of the cafeteria...

Quick Update

I've just decided that I have a new pet character: Professor Shasthri. I would really like to figure out more about her, but I'm not sure how I will go about doing that. I also want to continue writing an interaction between her and Sharpe, as they play off of each other quite nicely. But Sharpe is being stubborn and not letting me write him at the moment, so that may be easier said than done.

Yes, I realize it has been almost two weeks since I last wrote here, but I haven't had much of a muse as far as writing goes and I've decided that it's not worth forcing myself to write anything of consequence at the moment.

Whom Should I Pick On Next?

I've decided that I like my fictional characters a lot better than real people right now because I can tell my fictional characters to shut up and that will not have any consequences irl. I can torture my fictional characters for my own pleasure and get away with it. Let's see... who to pick on next? >.>

Last of the Hollidailies

So today is the last day of Hollidailies, which is kind of a sad thing. I've been writing a lot more commentary than I'm used to and I think I've actually been writing a little more than I usually do. Last night when I was in bed, I had the most random idea for a story, so I think when I finish Snapshots, I shall write it. The idea was basically what would happen if Michael went for a walk on Christmas day and happened to run into Sharpe. I don't know what it is with writing those two characters together in scenes; I should've figured out by now that it doesn't work very well.

Outside my window, it looks like Narnia. No really, there's snow and icicles everywhere! And... I'm sick, so I might not be posting here for a few days. :(

Short Post Today...

Yet another half-effort entry in this journal because I'm pressed for time trying to finish Christmas presents and all that before tomorrow... hopefully I'll get more done in the actual story later on this week. Sorry it won't be done before then.

But I know who kills Shaun Ackerman!!!!! In the Once Upon an Alternate Universe piece, I mean. Not in the real world or anything like that. Hideaki sees Ackerman get shot, but doesn't know who did it. Sharpe has a pretty good idea of what's going on, but he'd never say anything unless he's certain. No one else knows what's going on... not even Candace.

And I am enjoying myself greatly right now. Plotting is so much fun! Especially plotting whilst procrastinating on finishing up Christmas presents. Alas, I'll just work on them tomorrow, right?

Prompt 139: The Halls Were Silent

Creative Writing Prompts
Prompt 139: The Halls Were Silent
Character: Dr. Priya Shasthri
MPAA Rating: G
Word Count: 273
Timeline: circa 1990

The hallway was silent. Any other time, she would have been thankful, but today, it was just odd. Though it was the day before Thanksgiving, Priya Shasthri was in her office, trying to finish grading the exam she gave her quantum chemistry students yesterday, it still threw her off to see no one in the entire building. Usually, students or other faculty members were milling in the halls or finishing up projects in the library, especially so close to final exams. The professor shook her head with a smile as she slipped her coat on over her clothes and turned off the lights in her office. Despite not having any family nearby, six o’clock on the evening before Thanksgiving was late enough to go home. As she locked the door to her office, she thought she heard a sound coming from the opposite end of the corridor.

That was odd. An anomaly... and anomalies were interesting to a scientist. One should have expected the building to be completely empty, but apparently it wasn’t and upon reaching the south end door, the thirty-six-year-old professor frowned slightly. So this was what the noise was. She arched an eyebrow slightly as she approached the student and simply stood in the hall for several moments, observing and not saying a thing. Quiet sniffles came from down below and she simply waited, standing there. She had nowhere to go and it was pretty obvious to her that she might be there for awhile. Perhaps she was thankful she’d stayed late tonight rather than going home to grade the exams. Despite what things appeared, the hallway was not silent.

tbc