Reality Is Optional
Winter E- Zine
OC Secret Santa
HAPPY NEW RUTH!
Every year the RIO programs name the year to prevent any and all apocalypses. While we admit 2020, or Lorshax, didn't go as planned - we really think we can turn this boat around (so to speak). Thinking of all the girl names we liked (because this year is a girl - we rotated the genders), we finally hit upon Ruth. There have been many great Ruths in the past and it's time we got some of that amazing energy back to prevent any further issues and - hopefully - make things a little better. If nothing else, it can't make it worse!
Have a great year, and again, Happy New Ruth!
Every year the RIO programs name the year to prevent any and all apocalypses. While we admit 2020, or Lorshax, didn't go as planned - we really think we can turn this boat around (so to speak). Thinking of all the girl names we liked (because this year is a girl - we rotated the genders), we finally hit upon Ruth. There have been many great Ruths in the past and it's time we got some of that amazing energy back to prevent any further issues and - hopefully - make things a little better. If nothing else, it can't make it worse!
Have a great year, and again, Happy New Ruth!
In November and December our AWCS Youth Program creators make gifts for each other using the gift receiver's own character!
Now you can enjoy all their gifts too!
Now you can enjoy all their gifts too!
KATY FLORAILLE
By Aletheia for Silvana
By Aletheia for Silvana
GEMINI
By Sebastien for Kaslyn
By Sebastien for Kaslyn
SUMMER WITHOUT LANA
By Peter for Patti
I stick a finger in my curls, twisting it about; my eyes are filled with watery disappointment as I dropped my stare to the ground.
“I’m sorry, Anna. I wish I could choose to go, but Sarah already asked me to go with her. You can come with us if you want, though,” Lana offers.
Hope springs through my body before I realize what’s really going to happen: Lana and Sarah will drive together in Lana’s mother’s car, and I’ll ride alone with Lana’s creepy old aunt. We’ll get there, Lana and Sarah will be bunk mates, and I’ll be sleeping with Lana’s aunt. I don’t want to come for her aunt, I want to come for her. I bring my hand up to my nose and awkwardly itch it.
The hopeful part of me wants to accept, but my reality kicks in, and I offer a half smile and decline politely. I can’t even be myself around her anymore. I feel as if she’s blown a hole through my heart and all that remains is a hollow indent collecting dust. I feel empty. “No thanks, my parents won’t let me go anyway. I’m already going to Camp Presley, but if—”
“For that last time, I can’t! I’m already going with Sarah!” Lana interrupts.
I turn around and walk away, tears appearing in my eyes, but I hear Lana’s voice behind me, grabbing at me to come back like a cluster of hands grabbing my waist and pulling me back.
I didn’t mean it like that! is the last thing I hear from her before I shut the screened door behind me and slump on the yellowing Wayfair couch that came with the house when we moved in. We hadn’t bothered to replace it, despite its insides erupting through and throughout many different unpatched holes.
My left-hand falls to my side, blindly grabbing for the remote. The edges of my eyes begin to blur, filling with tears that I refuse let drop to the floor. My hand feels over a remote control, and I lift it from the couch. Its weight feels like a familiar burden that is weighing me down. I want to cry, to let that burden go, but I can’t. My finger hovers over the power button; for some reason I’m hesitant to press it. After a minute of uncomforting silence, I press it. The television flashes red, blinding my eyes. When I close my eyes, I see Lana and Sarah at the camp without me carved into the back of my eyelids.
A ring sounds through my house, bouncing off of my walls and into my ears. “I’ll get it!” I yell and lift myself off of the couch. My footstep’s creak on the floorboard follows me through the hallways, only stopping when my feet meet the rug situated behind my door. My hand clasps over the knob as I give it a turn.
The boy behind the door frame is tall and pale, his skinny arms resting at his sides. His short hair shuffles in the slight wind.
“Erm—” My eyes get lost in his and my mouth refuses to speak. “How can I help you?”
“I’m here for the tortoises. I saw the advertisement on Kijiji.”
My heart skips a beat, my feet rooted into their place; I can’t move. My stomach churns and twists inside of me and causes my knees to bend.
“Something wrong?” The boy asks.
I need to get my thoughts straight. “Sorry, I’m just a bit surprised that you came this early. Give me one second,” I blurt, and close the door. I’m sure he’s surprised or weirded out by my reaction. He might even feel bad.
“Mom?” I shout.
“Yes sweetie?” She calls back from up the stairs.
I hesitate a moment.
“Can you come here? I have to talk to you,” I yell, trying to sound stern.
Sweat beads collect at my forehead and fall to my eyebrows. I hear her steps become louder as she ascends downward the spiral staircase. She stops at the end of it, holding a basket of folded laundry in her hands.
“What do you need to talk about, kiddo?” She asks.
“Someone’s here to pick up my tortoise.” Then, trying to imply as much sarcasm as I possibly can, “Good going, not even telling me, Mom. Really proud of you.”
Mom raises her eyebrows. “Okay, I’m sorry about your tortoises, but that’s not how you speak to your moth—”
“No, Mom! I’ve had these for five years! You’re not going to just take them from me!” I interrupt. “Why? Why did you have to sell them?”
“Our couch. We need a new one,” She says plainly. I don’t sense any emotion in her voice.
“But these tortoises aren’t yours! YOU CAN’T JUST TAKE THEM FROM ME WITHOUT MY OPINION ON IT!” I scream. Here come the tears, I think.
My mother gives me a cold stare, her mouth set in a hard line. “I’m going to ask you one time. Could you please sell your tortoises to the person outdoors?”
I cross my arms in refusal. “No.” My heart is beating at the speed of light, and my knees are boiling noodles. I’ve never refused something to my mother before.
“You’re grounded. Would you like to keep arguing with me, or will you be a good girl and sell that person some tortoises?”
I let out a sigh, admitting defeat. I can’t win with my mother, ever. I spin around and grab the door handle, turning it fiercely as the door swings open. My mother is standing behind me, so I can’t do anything that she doesn’t want me to do.
“Sorry for the wait. I’ll go get them,” I say.
“If you’re not ready to sell them, then you can just say so. I don’t need them that much.”
I raise my eyebrows, surprised, and, frankly, relieved. I can’t find words in my mouth, and there’s an awkward silence where our eyes uncomfortably meet.
“Th- thanks,” I stammer. Again, lost for words. “No, I’m not ready.” I give a sage nod, and offer a half smile.
“Do you wanna play outside? You look like you’re about the same age as me,” He asks, his curious eyes gazing into mine.
It comes across as a kind offer, but I don’t have the energy to play with a random person. “No, but than—”
“Yes, Anna would love to play with you,” My mother interrupts.
I spin myself around in confusion and raise my eyebrow in a perfect arch, just like I had practiced during the school year. I ask her why with my eyes, staring deep into her pupils.
She ushers me along with her hand, and I spin around again.
“Your name is Anna?” The boy says.
I’m not sure if he likes it or not.
“Yeah, it is.”
“Mine’s is Abe. You didn’t ask, but I just wanted to say it.”
Suddenly a wave of guilt washes over me. I should have asked his name. Now I look like a jerk. “Anyway,” I begin, changing the subject and adding myself to the outside world, “What should we do?”
“I don’t know. Let’s explore. Maybe we’ll find something cool,” He says.
Lana and I used to explore a lot, before she found Sarah.
“Sounds good,” I agree as I close the door behind me. We walk side my side, and his pace imitates mine so he doesn’t go ahead. “Abe’s a nice name,” I say, trying out the words.
“Thanks, so is Anna,” He says so quickly that I barely hear him.
This kid, he’s weird.
“So. What should we do?”
“Let’s play hide and seek,” Abe offers.
“Sure,” I reply, glancing ahead at the forest we’re approaching. We dodge around the walkway and enter the unpathed section of the park. “Who’s seeking, and who’s hiding?”
“I want to hide!” he replies.
“So do I!” I say.
“I’ll race you to that tree! Whoever wins gets to hide!” He exclaims. Before I can answer, he starts to count down. Three, two, there’s a small pause before he abruptly shouts THREE!
We both take off. I force as much speed as I can, and yet he’s always a few feet ahead of me. My calves strain and my legs begin to fall apart as I drop to the ground on my knees. He comes back for me and his eyes meet mine; he begins to speak.
“You okay?” He asks.
“Eh,” I moan, my voice small.
“How often do you run?”
“Not very often,” I say, getting to my feet. “So, I guess you’re hiding.” He doesn’t hesitate. As soon as I bury my head in my arms and begin to count, his footsteps dart away quickly, leaving me alone. 10, 9, 8…
I wonder where Abe’s hiding. He must be hiding in a bush, and if not behind a tree. A forest doesn’t have great hiding spots.
7, 6, 5…
Or maybe he’s near the creek. That could be, but where would he hide? It’s impossible to hide there without being immediately seen.
4, 3, 2, 1. I poke my head out of my arms and yell, “Ready or not, here I come!”
I begin with the West. That’s where the hollowed out tree is, and he could fit in there. Twigs snap under my sneakers as I progress through the winding path of the forest, my eyes focused on what’s ahead. I pass tall trees that bend over the path like wooden rainbows and roots that are bound to trip someone one day.
Finally, my eyes pass the tree: A wide, hollow oak that winds and warps about, seemingly touching the sky. I lay a hand on the tough bark; it’s somehow soothing against my hand, like it’s massaging my palm. I fold over, tilting my head and poking it inside the tree. Cobwebs paint the roof of the tree, and tough dirt floors it. But no Abe.
I bend back out, disappointed and tired, and head back. Suddenly, a clap sounds to my left. “Well that was a dumb move, now I know where you are,” I say to nobody in particular. I switch my direction and jog down unpathed territory. I hear another clap, this time behind me, and I turn around. I must’ve passed him.
I slowly walk back, listening for another clap. Nothing happens for a while; I walk back and forth in the path that I’ve made. Finally comes another: This time quieter, but I hear it loud and clear. I turn to my right and enter a small meadow. There’s a little cottage situated behind Abe, who’s staring at me. My jaw drops to the floor. I try to distract myself from Lana with the house and Abe, but it’s not working. I offer him a smile and ask him what it is.
“It’s my garage,” he answers. “Me and my dad made it two summers ago. It’s where I hang out.”
“My dad and I,” I correct. “Can I come inside?”
“Sure. We have to talk, anyway.”
“What do we have to talk about?”
“First let’s go inside.”
And so we do. He seats me on a beanbag chair in the back corner of the room, and he takes a seat in an armchair across from me. I take a look around: The door has a gaping scratch in it that goes from the top to, almost, the bottom. The floor is just a carpet over the floor, but somehow it’s not painful to put my feet on. To my surprise, there’s a mini fridge next to Abe, and a small table in between the two of us.
“What’s in the mini fridge?” I ask.
“Sodas and refrigerated food,” he says, opening it and tossing me a coke. “Anyway, I can tell you’re sad about something. What is it?”
“Nothing.”
“Something.”
I open my mouth, but say nothing; I let out a large exhale. “Fine. Something. I have a friend, her name is Lana. She’s moving away from me to hang out with this cooler girl named Sarah. And to make things worse, my parents are trying to sell my tortoises and I don’t know how to survive sixth grade without Lana and—”
“Anna, calm down. Obviously, Lana was a jerk. Move on from her!” Abe leans in closer. “Now, tell me everything.”
And I did.
EPILOGUE
“Are you ready for this?” Abe asks me. He’s holding the loops on his backpack tightly with both hands, looking at me. I nod.
“Three, two, one, go,” I say, and we both open the front doors to the school at the exact same time. I never thought I would get by in middle school without Lana. But with Abe, I know that everything’s going to be okay.
By Peter for Patti
I stick a finger in my curls, twisting it about; my eyes are filled with watery disappointment as I dropped my stare to the ground.
“I’m sorry, Anna. I wish I could choose to go, but Sarah already asked me to go with her. You can come with us if you want, though,” Lana offers.
Hope springs through my body before I realize what’s really going to happen: Lana and Sarah will drive together in Lana’s mother’s car, and I’ll ride alone with Lana’s creepy old aunt. We’ll get there, Lana and Sarah will be bunk mates, and I’ll be sleeping with Lana’s aunt. I don’t want to come for her aunt, I want to come for her. I bring my hand up to my nose and awkwardly itch it.
The hopeful part of me wants to accept, but my reality kicks in, and I offer a half smile and decline politely. I can’t even be myself around her anymore. I feel as if she’s blown a hole through my heart and all that remains is a hollow indent collecting dust. I feel empty. “No thanks, my parents won’t let me go anyway. I’m already going to Camp Presley, but if—”
“For that last time, I can’t! I’m already going with Sarah!” Lana interrupts.
I turn around and walk away, tears appearing in my eyes, but I hear Lana’s voice behind me, grabbing at me to come back like a cluster of hands grabbing my waist and pulling me back.
I didn’t mean it like that! is the last thing I hear from her before I shut the screened door behind me and slump on the yellowing Wayfair couch that came with the house when we moved in. We hadn’t bothered to replace it, despite its insides erupting through and throughout many different unpatched holes.
My left-hand falls to my side, blindly grabbing for the remote. The edges of my eyes begin to blur, filling with tears that I refuse let drop to the floor. My hand feels over a remote control, and I lift it from the couch. Its weight feels like a familiar burden that is weighing me down. I want to cry, to let that burden go, but I can’t. My finger hovers over the power button; for some reason I’m hesitant to press it. After a minute of uncomforting silence, I press it. The television flashes red, blinding my eyes. When I close my eyes, I see Lana and Sarah at the camp without me carved into the back of my eyelids.
A ring sounds through my house, bouncing off of my walls and into my ears. “I’ll get it!” I yell and lift myself off of the couch. My footstep’s creak on the floorboard follows me through the hallways, only stopping when my feet meet the rug situated behind my door. My hand clasps over the knob as I give it a turn.
The boy behind the door frame is tall and pale, his skinny arms resting at his sides. His short hair shuffles in the slight wind.
“Erm—” My eyes get lost in his and my mouth refuses to speak. “How can I help you?”
“I’m here for the tortoises. I saw the advertisement on Kijiji.”
My heart skips a beat, my feet rooted into their place; I can’t move. My stomach churns and twists inside of me and causes my knees to bend.
“Something wrong?” The boy asks.
I need to get my thoughts straight. “Sorry, I’m just a bit surprised that you came this early. Give me one second,” I blurt, and close the door. I’m sure he’s surprised or weirded out by my reaction. He might even feel bad.
“Mom?” I shout.
“Yes sweetie?” She calls back from up the stairs.
I hesitate a moment.
“Can you come here? I have to talk to you,” I yell, trying to sound stern.
Sweat beads collect at my forehead and fall to my eyebrows. I hear her steps become louder as she ascends downward the spiral staircase. She stops at the end of it, holding a basket of folded laundry in her hands.
“What do you need to talk about, kiddo?” She asks.
“Someone’s here to pick up my tortoise.” Then, trying to imply as much sarcasm as I possibly can, “Good going, not even telling me, Mom. Really proud of you.”
Mom raises her eyebrows. “Okay, I’m sorry about your tortoises, but that’s not how you speak to your moth—”
“No, Mom! I’ve had these for five years! You’re not going to just take them from me!” I interrupt. “Why? Why did you have to sell them?”
“Our couch. We need a new one,” She says plainly. I don’t sense any emotion in her voice.
“But these tortoises aren’t yours! YOU CAN’T JUST TAKE THEM FROM ME WITHOUT MY OPINION ON IT!” I scream. Here come the tears, I think.
My mother gives me a cold stare, her mouth set in a hard line. “I’m going to ask you one time. Could you please sell your tortoises to the person outdoors?”
I cross my arms in refusal. “No.” My heart is beating at the speed of light, and my knees are boiling noodles. I’ve never refused something to my mother before.
“You’re grounded. Would you like to keep arguing with me, or will you be a good girl and sell that person some tortoises?”
I let out a sigh, admitting defeat. I can’t win with my mother, ever. I spin around and grab the door handle, turning it fiercely as the door swings open. My mother is standing behind me, so I can’t do anything that she doesn’t want me to do.
“Sorry for the wait. I’ll go get them,” I say.
“If you’re not ready to sell them, then you can just say so. I don’t need them that much.”
I raise my eyebrows, surprised, and, frankly, relieved. I can’t find words in my mouth, and there’s an awkward silence where our eyes uncomfortably meet.
“Th- thanks,” I stammer. Again, lost for words. “No, I’m not ready.” I give a sage nod, and offer a half smile.
“Do you wanna play outside? You look like you’re about the same age as me,” He asks, his curious eyes gazing into mine.
It comes across as a kind offer, but I don’t have the energy to play with a random person. “No, but than—”
“Yes, Anna would love to play with you,” My mother interrupts.
I spin myself around in confusion and raise my eyebrow in a perfect arch, just like I had practiced during the school year. I ask her why with my eyes, staring deep into her pupils.
She ushers me along with her hand, and I spin around again.
“Your name is Anna?” The boy says.
I’m not sure if he likes it or not.
“Yeah, it is.”
“Mine’s is Abe. You didn’t ask, but I just wanted to say it.”
Suddenly a wave of guilt washes over me. I should have asked his name. Now I look like a jerk. “Anyway,” I begin, changing the subject and adding myself to the outside world, “What should we do?”
“I don’t know. Let’s explore. Maybe we’ll find something cool,” He says.
Lana and I used to explore a lot, before she found Sarah.
“Sounds good,” I agree as I close the door behind me. We walk side my side, and his pace imitates mine so he doesn’t go ahead. “Abe’s a nice name,” I say, trying out the words.
“Thanks, so is Anna,” He says so quickly that I barely hear him.
This kid, he’s weird.
“So. What should we do?”
“Let’s play hide and seek,” Abe offers.
“Sure,” I reply, glancing ahead at the forest we’re approaching. We dodge around the walkway and enter the unpathed section of the park. “Who’s seeking, and who’s hiding?”
“I want to hide!” he replies.
“So do I!” I say.
“I’ll race you to that tree! Whoever wins gets to hide!” He exclaims. Before I can answer, he starts to count down. Three, two, there’s a small pause before he abruptly shouts THREE!
We both take off. I force as much speed as I can, and yet he’s always a few feet ahead of me. My calves strain and my legs begin to fall apart as I drop to the ground on my knees. He comes back for me and his eyes meet mine; he begins to speak.
“You okay?” He asks.
“Eh,” I moan, my voice small.
“How often do you run?”
“Not very often,” I say, getting to my feet. “So, I guess you’re hiding.” He doesn’t hesitate. As soon as I bury my head in my arms and begin to count, his footsteps dart away quickly, leaving me alone. 10, 9, 8…
I wonder where Abe’s hiding. He must be hiding in a bush, and if not behind a tree. A forest doesn’t have great hiding spots.
7, 6, 5…
Or maybe he’s near the creek. That could be, but where would he hide? It’s impossible to hide there without being immediately seen.
4, 3, 2, 1. I poke my head out of my arms and yell, “Ready or not, here I come!”
I begin with the West. That’s where the hollowed out tree is, and he could fit in there. Twigs snap under my sneakers as I progress through the winding path of the forest, my eyes focused on what’s ahead. I pass tall trees that bend over the path like wooden rainbows and roots that are bound to trip someone one day.
Finally, my eyes pass the tree: A wide, hollow oak that winds and warps about, seemingly touching the sky. I lay a hand on the tough bark; it’s somehow soothing against my hand, like it’s massaging my palm. I fold over, tilting my head and poking it inside the tree. Cobwebs paint the roof of the tree, and tough dirt floors it. But no Abe.
I bend back out, disappointed and tired, and head back. Suddenly, a clap sounds to my left. “Well that was a dumb move, now I know where you are,” I say to nobody in particular. I switch my direction and jog down unpathed territory. I hear another clap, this time behind me, and I turn around. I must’ve passed him.
I slowly walk back, listening for another clap. Nothing happens for a while; I walk back and forth in the path that I’ve made. Finally comes another: This time quieter, but I hear it loud and clear. I turn to my right and enter a small meadow. There’s a little cottage situated behind Abe, who’s staring at me. My jaw drops to the floor. I try to distract myself from Lana with the house and Abe, but it’s not working. I offer him a smile and ask him what it is.
“It’s my garage,” he answers. “Me and my dad made it two summers ago. It’s where I hang out.”
“My dad and I,” I correct. “Can I come inside?”
“Sure. We have to talk, anyway.”
“What do we have to talk about?”
“First let’s go inside.”
And so we do. He seats me on a beanbag chair in the back corner of the room, and he takes a seat in an armchair across from me. I take a look around: The door has a gaping scratch in it that goes from the top to, almost, the bottom. The floor is just a carpet over the floor, but somehow it’s not painful to put my feet on. To my surprise, there’s a mini fridge next to Abe, and a small table in between the two of us.
“What’s in the mini fridge?” I ask.
“Sodas and refrigerated food,” he says, opening it and tossing me a coke. “Anyway, I can tell you’re sad about something. What is it?”
“Nothing.”
“Something.”
I open my mouth, but say nothing; I let out a large exhale. “Fine. Something. I have a friend, her name is Lana. She’s moving away from me to hang out with this cooler girl named Sarah. And to make things worse, my parents are trying to sell my tortoises and I don’t know how to survive sixth grade without Lana and—”
“Anna, calm down. Obviously, Lana was a jerk. Move on from her!” Abe leans in closer. “Now, tell me everything.”
And I did.
EPILOGUE
“Are you ready for this?” Abe asks me. He’s holding the loops on his backpack tightly with both hands, looking at me. I nod.
“Three, two, one, go,” I say, and we both open the front doors to the school at the exact same time. I never thought I would get by in middle school without Lana. But with Abe, I know that everything’s going to be okay.
RYAN CHARLES
By Bodhi for RePeter
By Bodhi for RePeter
LIL' DEVIL
By Nimue for Die
By Nimue for Die
TRENCH DAY
By Kim for Eli
The TONK reverberated off the crumbling brick buildings of The Trench. The government drone flipped on its side and veered, smashing into a pile of rubble thirty metres away, beeping and whirring as a crackling electronic voice chirped, “You have violate... ate... ate… tedddddrrrrnn…” getting slower and slower until, with a small blue flame shooting out its shell and a plume of smoke, it stopped all together.
“Got it!” Liberty cheered pumping his fist. He slid down the nearby wall, knees to his chest, eyes on the purple-blue sky studded with stars above the city of Canada. The land beyond the huge black steel wall was filled with bright, beautiful copper taxi-balloons making slow circles, and shiny gold building pinnacles peeking up above the yellow street lit luminescent glow.
Tossing another rock towards the drone, smashing it further, Liberty clenched his teeth, while dust and burning plastic seeped through his mask, burning his nose.
“You need to stop doing that,” VC-47 buzzed with a voice only slightly less electronic than the drone, though a lot less mangled. The scarlet light in the middle of its silver squashed-hexagonal head flashed with each word it spoke.
Giving a slight shrug and stuffing his hands in his hoodie pockets, Liberty kept his star-masked face on the imposing wall in the distance. Spotlight shone from the tops, cutting into the dark streets and alleyways of The Trench. Sirens sounded, echoing off the rubble strewn buildings, destroyed in one government retaliation or another. Gunfire sounded. A scream shot up. Liberty and VC-47 bowed their heads. Another poor Trencher trying to sneak in. Trying to get a piece of what was rightfully theirs.
“One day…” Liberty growled, “revolution.”
The door to a nearby bar opened as a thick Trencher entered to join the festivities. Raucous music and singing leaked out of the opening along with the potent aroma of fried rat tail and strong beer.
“We should go,” VC-47 said, it’s voice lilting.
Liberty didn’t respond. Just threw another rock.
VC-47’s black segmented finger poked hard onto the top of Liberty’s beanie clad head, making him squirm.
“Stop it!”
“We should go.”
Liberty looked up, scowling under his mask. “Trench Day is a stupid made up holiday to make more money for the bars.”
Whirring — VC-47’s best imitation of laughter — the robot responded, “You know kid, revolution isn’t going to happen unless you make an army of more than just me and you.”
Liberty stood up and kicked at a broken brick.
“Trench day is fun…” VC-47 said in a buzzing sing-song.
“No.”
The scarlet eye threw a wide light over Liberty’s body, scanning the teen from head to toe. “You’re exhausted, injured, and grumpy. A party would be good for you.”
“No!”
VC-47 shook its head. “You have friends in there…”
“Friends. Huh.” Liberty’s boots crunched the debris strewn street. “I don’t have friends.”
“Thanks, kid,” VC-47 clicked. “Clients then. Think of the party as a recruitment drive.”
At this Liberty spun, looking at VC-47 in it’s blank face. “Why do you care?”
VC-47 threw up its hands, gesturing wildly at the location where the shooting had just come from. “Because I don’t want to be sliced and diced when we storm the city… by ourselves.”
“I’m no leader.”
“There might be one at the party. You could try. You know… get people excited… get them together. Maybe a leader will emerge.”
Liberty looked away.
VC-47 nudged him. “What do you think?”
Wind blew garbage down the street. The bar door opened again to laughter and merriment as a trio of Trencher’s Liberty’s age danced in, blowing on noise makers and waving their frilled and fancy hats in the air.
Liberty’s shoulders slumped. “I have nothing to wear.”
“Well you have more than me.” VC-47 whirred its laughter again as it cast its one red eye over its metallic torso. “Let’s scavenge.”
Liberty glanced at the city, walled in, impenetrable, then back at the bar full of Trenchers. Maybe he could prime them for revolution. Maybe... “Fine.”
There wasn’t much on offer in The Trench. Most of anything that could be snatched, had been, and everything else, you had to buy. It was cold tonight. Snow drifting down and the wind picking up speed. A warm scent of roasting meat and low singing drifted in the air. Liberty flipped destroyed tables and kicked over blasted doors finding the nothing he was expecting. Wasting time to get VC-47 off his back.
He wasn’t really one of them. No one was. No matter how much people said it. Favours always cost. It was all business here. Survival, not luxury like the city. But if he could help the Trench, the Trenchers, get back what had been snatched away, maybe then, they would be something. He would be something. He frowned. Tried to spot something festive.
“How do I look?” VC-47 asked poking its head around the corner.
Liberty let out a long, loud laugh. “A bow? A bow on your head? Seriously?”
“Looks good, right?” VC-47 patted the red and black polka dotted bow. “It’s magnetized. Gives a bit of a buzz in the old hard drive. It also matches your mask — so… perfect!”
“Sure.” Liberty couldn’t help the smile creeping over his face. His friend looked ridiculous. An assassination robot… with a bow stuck on its head. Crazy.
“I’m going to see if there’s a scarf to accent it. Come with me!” VC-47 motioned.
Liberty trudged after him, if only to see just how wild a dressed up robot would look. VC-47 ducked under the broken doorframe of a “used to be” shop. It had all kinds of dust and debris covering the remnants of wild clothing. All the useful stuff looted when the dust cleared from the shelling. Liberty grabbed a pair of black sunglasses, wiped them off, and fitted them over his mask. “What do you think?” he asked.
“Hey!” VC-47 cheered. “You have eyes!”
Blowing the dust off a mirror, he laughed. He looked insane. A red star mask with black sunglasses was not the image he wanted. He threw them in his pocket. Maybe someone else would like them. It was Trench Day after all. Gifts were a thing.
“New beanie?” VC-47 offered, holding out a silver cone with an elastic strap.
“That’s a party hat,” Liberty corrected.
“It’s not in my data base.”
“Really… that’s odd,” Liberty snickered. He took the party hat and snapped it on his head over his black beanie. “Sure, why not.”
“Oh wow! Look at these boo—”
VC-47’s voice cut out. There was a crash, and another, then huge plume of dust. Liberty ran, stopping at the jagged opening where the floor had collapsed into a basement, then collapsed again into the sub basement below that.
“Weight loss, buddy!” Liberty called, chuckling. “It’s a thing.”
There was no answer.
“VC-47?”
Still nothing. Only the sound of debris settling, rusted nails scraping wood.
Pulse standing still, breath held tight in his chest, Liberty called once more, already moving to drop down into the hole, “VC-47? You okay?”
“I’m not that heavy,” returned a sulky tone.
Liberty let out a long breath. “Why do you do this to me! Hang on. I’m coming down.” A few long and tetanus riddled minutes later, Liberty landed beside VC-47, who had turned on his chest lamp. “Woah! What is this place?”
The room, low-ceilinged, was full of work tables and shelves with all the latest in tech, government and black market. Liberty let out a whistle, a sputtering affair that didn’t do justice to the situation. “Happy Trench Day to me.” He moved around the room, picking up and putting down this and that. “Who’s building was this?”
“Give me a minute.” VC-47’s light flashed as it accessed its government provided data map, augmented liberally by Liberty. “Jose Wheeler owned the shop. She died in the bombing that hit this neighbourhood last month. No next of kin. Not many friends either. Looters took what was worth something, minutes after the bombing.” VC-47 swivelled its head. “Or thought they did.”
“So, no one knows about this?” Liberty asked.
“Don’t think so. We only found it because the floor was weak.”
“You’ve been packing on the weight ever since we came into that weapon’s cache. I told you it was making you heavy.”
VC-47 raised its gun. “The floor was weak.”
“Sure, sure, the floor was weak.” Liberty looked up at the ceiling. “Think we can fix this? Make it look like it used to?”
VC-47 grabbed the broken lumber. “Affirmative.”
“Then let’s do it quick.”
“Only if…” the robot twittered.
“Only if what?” Liberty asked, raising an eyebrow under the mask.
“We go to the party.”
Liberty threw up his hands. “You’ve got to be kidding me! We find the biggest payday, the discovery that’s going to feed us, arm us, tech us out, and you want to abandon it and go to a party?”
VC-47 nodded. “We have to.”
“Why?” Liberty could feel his teeth cracking, he was grinding them so hard.
“Because, if we don’t show up people are going to assume we found something interesting. Something that kept us away from the party. They’re going to get curious, annnnddd…”
Liberty stabbed his finger towards the floor. “We have to keep this a secret.”
VC-47 leaned on the board, whistling an actual tune and admiring its finger tips.
“Okay. Party. Fine. Let’s be quick on the floor. We can fix it more later.”
“You got it, kid.”
Liberty shook his head. “You’re younger than me.”
An hour later, gift-giving trinkets in their pockets, VC-47 decked out in a bow, beads, and a ratty scarf, Liberty with his silver paper party hat, they stood before the bar door.
“I don’t know.” Liberty crunched his boots on the street. “There’s a lot of people. No one will notice if I…”
“You said—” VC-47 started.
“I said! I said! Sure, but it’s not you that could get a knife in the back. If you die, we just pull your card. Throw it in another bot. Me…”
VC-47 turned his one red eye on him. “You’re not scared of dying.”
Liberty looked at his boots.
“They’re your friends.”
Arm flinging towards the bar, Liberty growled, “Not most of them. Most of them… The place is packed.”
“It will be fi—”
“Go in if you like,” Liberty interrupted. “You make friends. I’m going home.” He spun, starting to march away. A heavy hand fell hard on his shoulder, knocking the air from his lungs and the steadiness from his feet, holding him in place.
“Tin Can! You got him to come!”
Liberty looked up, coming face to face with Cougar.
“You two were in on this?” Liberty narrowed his gaze. “VC-47!”
“Hey, you needed a break and I needed a party,” VC-47 said.
Liberty’s mouth dropped open, aghast. “When?”
“Hey. You don’t know everything,” Cougar chuckled. “Nice bow, Tin Can,” he nodded.
“We dressed up!” VC-47 said, adjusting its bow.
“I see!” Cougar gave a thumbs up. “Looking good!”
“Mmmm, magnets.”
Cougar leaned in to Liberty, hissing in his ear, “I got a lead on that board you asked for. See me tomorrow.”
Liberty nodded and pulled out the sunglasses, “For you.”
Cougar threw them on, squinting at the night sky. “Nice! Come on kid. I have some people you need to meet.”
Cougar threw open the door to the bar, and trudged in. VC-47 nodded to Liberty. “Revolution,” it buzzed.
“It’s going to happen,” Liberty returned, adjusting his party hat and following Cougar. It was going to happen for sure.
By Kim for Eli
The TONK reverberated off the crumbling brick buildings of The Trench. The government drone flipped on its side and veered, smashing into a pile of rubble thirty metres away, beeping and whirring as a crackling electronic voice chirped, “You have violate... ate... ate… tedddddrrrrnn…” getting slower and slower until, with a small blue flame shooting out its shell and a plume of smoke, it stopped all together.
“Got it!” Liberty cheered pumping his fist. He slid down the nearby wall, knees to his chest, eyes on the purple-blue sky studded with stars above the city of Canada. The land beyond the huge black steel wall was filled with bright, beautiful copper taxi-balloons making slow circles, and shiny gold building pinnacles peeking up above the yellow street lit luminescent glow.
Tossing another rock towards the drone, smashing it further, Liberty clenched his teeth, while dust and burning plastic seeped through his mask, burning his nose.
“You need to stop doing that,” VC-47 buzzed with a voice only slightly less electronic than the drone, though a lot less mangled. The scarlet light in the middle of its silver squashed-hexagonal head flashed with each word it spoke.
Giving a slight shrug and stuffing his hands in his hoodie pockets, Liberty kept his star-masked face on the imposing wall in the distance. Spotlight shone from the tops, cutting into the dark streets and alleyways of The Trench. Sirens sounded, echoing off the rubble strewn buildings, destroyed in one government retaliation or another. Gunfire sounded. A scream shot up. Liberty and VC-47 bowed their heads. Another poor Trencher trying to sneak in. Trying to get a piece of what was rightfully theirs.
“One day…” Liberty growled, “revolution.”
The door to a nearby bar opened as a thick Trencher entered to join the festivities. Raucous music and singing leaked out of the opening along with the potent aroma of fried rat tail and strong beer.
“We should go,” VC-47 said, it’s voice lilting.
Liberty didn’t respond. Just threw another rock.
VC-47’s black segmented finger poked hard onto the top of Liberty’s beanie clad head, making him squirm.
“Stop it!”
“We should go.”
Liberty looked up, scowling under his mask. “Trench Day is a stupid made up holiday to make more money for the bars.”
Whirring — VC-47’s best imitation of laughter — the robot responded, “You know kid, revolution isn’t going to happen unless you make an army of more than just me and you.”
Liberty stood up and kicked at a broken brick.
“Trench day is fun…” VC-47 said in a buzzing sing-song.
“No.”
The scarlet eye threw a wide light over Liberty’s body, scanning the teen from head to toe. “You’re exhausted, injured, and grumpy. A party would be good for you.”
“No!”
VC-47 shook its head. “You have friends in there…”
“Friends. Huh.” Liberty’s boots crunched the debris strewn street. “I don’t have friends.”
“Thanks, kid,” VC-47 clicked. “Clients then. Think of the party as a recruitment drive.”
At this Liberty spun, looking at VC-47 in it’s blank face. “Why do you care?”
VC-47 threw up its hands, gesturing wildly at the location where the shooting had just come from. “Because I don’t want to be sliced and diced when we storm the city… by ourselves.”
“I’m no leader.”
“There might be one at the party. You could try. You know… get people excited… get them together. Maybe a leader will emerge.”
Liberty looked away.
VC-47 nudged him. “What do you think?”
Wind blew garbage down the street. The bar door opened again to laughter and merriment as a trio of Trencher’s Liberty’s age danced in, blowing on noise makers and waving their frilled and fancy hats in the air.
Liberty’s shoulders slumped. “I have nothing to wear.”
“Well you have more than me.” VC-47 whirred its laughter again as it cast its one red eye over its metallic torso. “Let’s scavenge.”
Liberty glanced at the city, walled in, impenetrable, then back at the bar full of Trenchers. Maybe he could prime them for revolution. Maybe... “Fine.”
There wasn’t much on offer in The Trench. Most of anything that could be snatched, had been, and everything else, you had to buy. It was cold tonight. Snow drifting down and the wind picking up speed. A warm scent of roasting meat and low singing drifted in the air. Liberty flipped destroyed tables and kicked over blasted doors finding the nothing he was expecting. Wasting time to get VC-47 off his back.
He wasn’t really one of them. No one was. No matter how much people said it. Favours always cost. It was all business here. Survival, not luxury like the city. But if he could help the Trench, the Trenchers, get back what had been snatched away, maybe then, they would be something. He would be something. He frowned. Tried to spot something festive.
“How do I look?” VC-47 asked poking its head around the corner.
Liberty let out a long, loud laugh. “A bow? A bow on your head? Seriously?”
“Looks good, right?” VC-47 patted the red and black polka dotted bow. “It’s magnetized. Gives a bit of a buzz in the old hard drive. It also matches your mask — so… perfect!”
“Sure.” Liberty couldn’t help the smile creeping over his face. His friend looked ridiculous. An assassination robot… with a bow stuck on its head. Crazy.
“I’m going to see if there’s a scarf to accent it. Come with me!” VC-47 motioned.
Liberty trudged after him, if only to see just how wild a dressed up robot would look. VC-47 ducked under the broken doorframe of a “used to be” shop. It had all kinds of dust and debris covering the remnants of wild clothing. All the useful stuff looted when the dust cleared from the shelling. Liberty grabbed a pair of black sunglasses, wiped them off, and fitted them over his mask. “What do you think?” he asked.
“Hey!” VC-47 cheered. “You have eyes!”
Blowing the dust off a mirror, he laughed. He looked insane. A red star mask with black sunglasses was not the image he wanted. He threw them in his pocket. Maybe someone else would like them. It was Trench Day after all. Gifts were a thing.
“New beanie?” VC-47 offered, holding out a silver cone with an elastic strap.
“That’s a party hat,” Liberty corrected.
“It’s not in my data base.”
“Really… that’s odd,” Liberty snickered. He took the party hat and snapped it on his head over his black beanie. “Sure, why not.”
“Oh wow! Look at these boo—”
VC-47’s voice cut out. There was a crash, and another, then huge plume of dust. Liberty ran, stopping at the jagged opening where the floor had collapsed into a basement, then collapsed again into the sub basement below that.
“Weight loss, buddy!” Liberty called, chuckling. “It’s a thing.”
There was no answer.
“VC-47?”
Still nothing. Only the sound of debris settling, rusted nails scraping wood.
Pulse standing still, breath held tight in his chest, Liberty called once more, already moving to drop down into the hole, “VC-47? You okay?”
“I’m not that heavy,” returned a sulky tone.
Liberty let out a long breath. “Why do you do this to me! Hang on. I’m coming down.” A few long and tetanus riddled minutes later, Liberty landed beside VC-47, who had turned on his chest lamp. “Woah! What is this place?”
The room, low-ceilinged, was full of work tables and shelves with all the latest in tech, government and black market. Liberty let out a whistle, a sputtering affair that didn’t do justice to the situation. “Happy Trench Day to me.” He moved around the room, picking up and putting down this and that. “Who’s building was this?”
“Give me a minute.” VC-47’s light flashed as it accessed its government provided data map, augmented liberally by Liberty. “Jose Wheeler owned the shop. She died in the bombing that hit this neighbourhood last month. No next of kin. Not many friends either. Looters took what was worth something, minutes after the bombing.” VC-47 swivelled its head. “Or thought they did.”
“So, no one knows about this?” Liberty asked.
“Don’t think so. We only found it because the floor was weak.”
“You’ve been packing on the weight ever since we came into that weapon’s cache. I told you it was making you heavy.”
VC-47 raised its gun. “The floor was weak.”
“Sure, sure, the floor was weak.” Liberty looked up at the ceiling. “Think we can fix this? Make it look like it used to?”
VC-47 grabbed the broken lumber. “Affirmative.”
“Then let’s do it quick.”
“Only if…” the robot twittered.
“Only if what?” Liberty asked, raising an eyebrow under the mask.
“We go to the party.”
Liberty threw up his hands. “You’ve got to be kidding me! We find the biggest payday, the discovery that’s going to feed us, arm us, tech us out, and you want to abandon it and go to a party?”
VC-47 nodded. “We have to.”
“Why?” Liberty could feel his teeth cracking, he was grinding them so hard.
“Because, if we don’t show up people are going to assume we found something interesting. Something that kept us away from the party. They’re going to get curious, annnnddd…”
Liberty stabbed his finger towards the floor. “We have to keep this a secret.”
VC-47 leaned on the board, whistling an actual tune and admiring its finger tips.
“Okay. Party. Fine. Let’s be quick on the floor. We can fix it more later.”
“You got it, kid.”
Liberty shook his head. “You’re younger than me.”
An hour later, gift-giving trinkets in their pockets, VC-47 decked out in a bow, beads, and a ratty scarf, Liberty with his silver paper party hat, they stood before the bar door.
“I don’t know.” Liberty crunched his boots on the street. “There’s a lot of people. No one will notice if I…”
“You said—” VC-47 started.
“I said! I said! Sure, but it’s not you that could get a knife in the back. If you die, we just pull your card. Throw it in another bot. Me…”
VC-47 turned his one red eye on him. “You’re not scared of dying.”
Liberty looked at his boots.
“They’re your friends.”
Arm flinging towards the bar, Liberty growled, “Not most of them. Most of them… The place is packed.”
“It will be fi—”
“Go in if you like,” Liberty interrupted. “You make friends. I’m going home.” He spun, starting to march away. A heavy hand fell hard on his shoulder, knocking the air from his lungs and the steadiness from his feet, holding him in place.
“Tin Can! You got him to come!”
Liberty looked up, coming face to face with Cougar.
“You two were in on this?” Liberty narrowed his gaze. “VC-47!”
“Hey, you needed a break and I needed a party,” VC-47 said.
Liberty’s mouth dropped open, aghast. “When?”
“Hey. You don’t know everything,” Cougar chuckled. “Nice bow, Tin Can,” he nodded.
“We dressed up!” VC-47 said, adjusting its bow.
“I see!” Cougar gave a thumbs up. “Looking good!”
“Mmmm, magnets.”
Cougar leaned in to Liberty, hissing in his ear, “I got a lead on that board you asked for. See me tomorrow.”
Liberty nodded and pulled out the sunglasses, “For you.”
Cougar threw them on, squinting at the night sky. “Nice! Come on kid. I have some people you need to meet.”
Cougar threw open the door to the bar, and trudged in. VC-47 nodded to Liberty. “Revolution,” it buzzed.
“It’s going to happen,” Liberty returned, adjusting his party hat and following Cougar. It was going to happen for sure.
BASIL
By Caelan for Deia
By Caelan for Deia
HENRY GOLDLINE
By Maya for Nimue
By Maya for Nimue
GOLF SAVES THE WORLD
By Silvana for Kali
Kyle had Blonde hair and green eyes. He was wearing a white Topshop tank top, matching sweatpants and converse shoes. Kyle loved golf. He wanted to compete in the PGA golf tournament after he finished college, but his dream was to explore space. He and his two older brothers went to the transit station to go to their colleges Monday morning.
Kyle waved goodbye to his younger brother Trent who was in 1twoth grade, whose high school was right beside the transit. His brother Chris shoved him through the train door.
“Ow!” he yelled. “You guys have already given me two concussions before! What’s next!”
“Ow.” mocked Earl.
Chris and his little brother laughed at Kyle. Kyle glared at them and walked away. When Kyle arrived at the college, he felt relief to get away from his brothers. The sun was high in the sky, it was a warm September morning. Because of this, Kyle couldn’t see that far and bumped into someone. Kyle was dizzy. He saw a girl with hazel eyes and light brown hair in a high ponytail. Kyle stood up.
“Are you OK?” he asked, stuttering.
The girl stood up and put on her backpack, picking up Kyle's backpack, looking at the name at the front.
“Yeah, Kyle,” she replied. “I’m Hailey.”
She passed him his backpack and walked towards the crowd into the distance. Kyle was blushing. He had a girlfriend once, her name was Emily, but she dumped him. He kept on walking, trying to forget what happened.
A tiny pebble landed in his hair, little did he know, it was a security camera spying on Kyle and the college, it belonged to a villain, one who planned to destroy the world.
It was a regular day at college for Kyle. After school he walked to the golf course to practice his golf. “Under two.” He smiled as he picked up the golf ball, and walked to the next course. The girl from this morning was there.
“Not bad.” she said.
She got her golf club and hit her ball. It slid off the plain and soared over the river and landed in the hole. it was a hole in one.
“Whoa,” he gasped. “How did you do that?!”
“I’ve been into golf since I was young, after I finish college, I’m going to enter the PGA golf tournament. But my dream is to explore space, I’ve always been curious about what's beyond.” Hailey exclaimed.
“Me too!” Kyle said.
Hailey smiled at him.
“Can I practice with you?” he asked.
“Sure,” she replied,
The two practiced golf that afternoon, it turned out they had a ton more in common. Hailey had three brothers too and had gotten two concussions from the older two.
After a few hours the sky grew dim, Kyle blushed at Hailey.
“Um, Hailey,” he managed to stutter.
His crush smiled at him.
“Yes?” she smiled.
He looked at her, confidently. Kyle cleared his throat.
“Would you.”
“Of course.”
As they gazed at each other they realised their love was true. They were in love. They held their hands and they went to the fancy restaurant beside the golf park’s office.
They decided to order the Penguin special and would share it. While they were eating their meal, they started to grow rashes and started itching them.
“The only thing I’m allergic to is potatoes. There must be some in this dish.” she announced.
“Is there anything we don’t have in common?” he chuckled.
The two laughed it off throughout the rest of the night. The waiters got them ice for their rashes to heal. When the night ended, they waved goodbye and went home, Kyle smiled to himself, maybe he could find love again, he thought to himself.
On Kyle’s way home he was peacefully walking, the tiny pebble that landed on his head pounced off and rolled on its way. The rock exploded, exposing its portal opener inside. Out of the portal A girl with Platinum Blonde hair Blue eyes and a sly smile emerged, she cackled as she stepped on her mini rock thing.
Long ago there was a diamond. Like most legends blue diamonds are a bad omen. This one was the size of an average diamond. If anyone ever touches this diamond would have a century of bad luck if they survive it. It is secretly held in an off-limits area protecting it and humanity from it.
There was barbed electric wire all around the perimeter. There was a sign posted; keep out. She hopped through the fence, blasting the welcome to area 51 sign inside the perimeter into pieces. A huge brick building stood in her way. Two muscular guards blocked her path. She got a bomb from her purse and threw it at them, creating a massive hole in the wall.
The diamond was gone, all anyone could remember was the silhouette fading into the distance.
The next day, Kyle was eating his breakfast until an alert popped up on his phone. “Breaking news, the rare blue diamond, named the Dark Diamond has been stolen. People used to think it was cursed and kept it locked up in a secret location until now,” he read to his family. They all gasped in horror. He wondered if Hailey knew. He grabbed his bike and raced to the colleague to tell Hailey.
“I heard that too,” she said, when he arrived.
She and Kyle were at the College, their stomachs heavy from blushing around being with each other. Mesmerized by Hailey’s shining eyes, he felt confidence about the situation around him and his current life situation.
“Who could have done this?” he demanded to know.
“Some sort of criminal mastermind,” she declared. “Although, I don’t know, with super flexibility to jump over that fence, bombs to take out the guards and create a hole entrance in the bricks, lasers to incinerate anything in its path…What if it’s not human!”
“Oh not human like your face!” Came a voie
“OOO!” Kyle replied, as his two brothers chuckled. Kyle rolled his eyes. He and Hailey just ignored them and headed to their classes.
“But the silhouette looks human.” she said later once they were on the campus.
“What if it is!” Kyle shockingly proclaimed.
As they were walking they saw a suspicious shadow, and they decided to follow it, it led to an abandoned apartment with police tape wrapped around it. There were dozens of police around the crime scene.
When Kyle and Hailey were at the crime scene they saw a pair of footprints that led inside the elevator. It led to a room with a busted door. They slowly crept in. The floor creaked as they walked, the two shuddered. They saw a girl watching the news loudly munching on popcorn. They slowly crept towards her.
“ACHHOO!” went Kyle blowing away their cover.
“Last night the Blue sapphire was stolen with no evidence whatsoever.” said the TV. The girl reached for the remote and turned off the TV. She turned around and glared at them.
“Emily!” gasped Kyle. “You stole the diamond?”
“Yeah,” she responded, “a couple days ago I saw this weird bracelet, so I picked it up and slapped it on my wrist. All of a sudden I had the power to teleport, blast lasers, and super agility, not to mention I also have a bunch of weapons and security cameras to monitor everything.”
“You were mind controlled to take over the world idiot!” yelled Hailey. “This is not the first sci-fi I’ve watched and or read.”
“Too late anyways.” she cackled. She got the Diamond from its crystal, bad luck protected case, and chanted a spell. “Misfuret sever odditch.”
All of a sudden, the sky turned red, the air and everything and everyone, were mostly was on fire. The smell of smoke rose and through the morning sky.
“Ughh,” Kyle muttered as he woke up.
Hailey was beside him. Above them was Emily. She was the size of a giant, towering over them. They glared at all the fire.
“What did you do!?” Hailey yelled.
“Oh nothing,” cackled Emily. “I just cast an endless amount of bad luck upon everyone and everything in the universe! Except me! Making me the most powerful being in the universe! Mwa ha ha.”
“OK.” Admitted Kyle, “Maybe going into space is a bit more scary than I thought.”
“There’s still golf,” murmured Hailey.
“Wait that’s it! You’re a genius Hailey.”
“Thanks,” she blushed.
“We’ll get our golf equipment and aim to destroy her bracelet.”
“That’s genius” Hailey chuckled, they began to blush again.
“OK! Let’s do this!” announced Hailey.
So they raced back to the remains of the college and got their golf equipment. They faced Emily and began aiming for her bracelet. Unfortunately, they were still cursed with bad luck and missed badly. She yawned and threw a rock, well a boulder for her, at them, crushing them into the dirt, they got to their feet, all hope lost. They hugged each other in horror as Emily got her laser and prepared to Blast them to smithereens.
“We may have bad luck, but it won’t stop us from giving you bad luck.” yelled a voice from afar.
“I wanna take a nap.” said another voice.
Two boys ran screaming it was Kyle’s older brothers they picked up the two of their golf clubs and ran onwards Emily they stepped on her bracelet and diamond crumbling it and whacked Emily in the head, Giving her two concussions and undoing all the damage the diamond brought.
After the bracelet was removed and sent back to area 51 with the diamond for safe keeping. It was time for the 4 of them to return to their college. As they walked, Kyle and Hailey held hands and walked back to their college. It was a great day.
By Silvana for Kali
Kyle had Blonde hair and green eyes. He was wearing a white Topshop tank top, matching sweatpants and converse shoes. Kyle loved golf. He wanted to compete in the PGA golf tournament after he finished college, but his dream was to explore space. He and his two older brothers went to the transit station to go to their colleges Monday morning.
Kyle waved goodbye to his younger brother Trent who was in 1twoth grade, whose high school was right beside the transit. His brother Chris shoved him through the train door.
“Ow!” he yelled. “You guys have already given me two concussions before! What’s next!”
“Ow.” mocked Earl.
Chris and his little brother laughed at Kyle. Kyle glared at them and walked away. When Kyle arrived at the college, he felt relief to get away from his brothers. The sun was high in the sky, it was a warm September morning. Because of this, Kyle couldn’t see that far and bumped into someone. Kyle was dizzy. He saw a girl with hazel eyes and light brown hair in a high ponytail. Kyle stood up.
“Are you OK?” he asked, stuttering.
The girl stood up and put on her backpack, picking up Kyle's backpack, looking at the name at the front.
“Yeah, Kyle,” she replied. “I’m Hailey.”
She passed him his backpack and walked towards the crowd into the distance. Kyle was blushing. He had a girlfriend once, her name was Emily, but she dumped him. He kept on walking, trying to forget what happened.
A tiny pebble landed in his hair, little did he know, it was a security camera spying on Kyle and the college, it belonged to a villain, one who planned to destroy the world.
It was a regular day at college for Kyle. After school he walked to the golf course to practice his golf. “Under two.” He smiled as he picked up the golf ball, and walked to the next course. The girl from this morning was there.
“Not bad.” she said.
She got her golf club and hit her ball. It slid off the plain and soared over the river and landed in the hole. it was a hole in one.
“Whoa,” he gasped. “How did you do that?!”
“I’ve been into golf since I was young, after I finish college, I’m going to enter the PGA golf tournament. But my dream is to explore space, I’ve always been curious about what's beyond.” Hailey exclaimed.
“Me too!” Kyle said.
Hailey smiled at him.
“Can I practice with you?” he asked.
“Sure,” she replied,
The two practiced golf that afternoon, it turned out they had a ton more in common. Hailey had three brothers too and had gotten two concussions from the older two.
After a few hours the sky grew dim, Kyle blushed at Hailey.
“Um, Hailey,” he managed to stutter.
His crush smiled at him.
“Yes?” she smiled.
He looked at her, confidently. Kyle cleared his throat.
“Would you.”
“Of course.”
As they gazed at each other they realised their love was true. They were in love. They held their hands and they went to the fancy restaurant beside the golf park’s office.
They decided to order the Penguin special and would share it. While they were eating their meal, they started to grow rashes and started itching them.
“The only thing I’m allergic to is potatoes. There must be some in this dish.” she announced.
“Is there anything we don’t have in common?” he chuckled.
The two laughed it off throughout the rest of the night. The waiters got them ice for their rashes to heal. When the night ended, they waved goodbye and went home, Kyle smiled to himself, maybe he could find love again, he thought to himself.
On Kyle’s way home he was peacefully walking, the tiny pebble that landed on his head pounced off and rolled on its way. The rock exploded, exposing its portal opener inside. Out of the portal A girl with Platinum Blonde hair Blue eyes and a sly smile emerged, she cackled as she stepped on her mini rock thing.
Long ago there was a diamond. Like most legends blue diamonds are a bad omen. This one was the size of an average diamond. If anyone ever touches this diamond would have a century of bad luck if they survive it. It is secretly held in an off-limits area protecting it and humanity from it.
There was barbed electric wire all around the perimeter. There was a sign posted; keep out. She hopped through the fence, blasting the welcome to area 51 sign inside the perimeter into pieces. A huge brick building stood in her way. Two muscular guards blocked her path. She got a bomb from her purse and threw it at them, creating a massive hole in the wall.
The diamond was gone, all anyone could remember was the silhouette fading into the distance.
The next day, Kyle was eating his breakfast until an alert popped up on his phone. “Breaking news, the rare blue diamond, named the Dark Diamond has been stolen. People used to think it was cursed and kept it locked up in a secret location until now,” he read to his family. They all gasped in horror. He wondered if Hailey knew. He grabbed his bike and raced to the colleague to tell Hailey.
“I heard that too,” she said, when he arrived.
She and Kyle were at the College, their stomachs heavy from blushing around being with each other. Mesmerized by Hailey’s shining eyes, he felt confidence about the situation around him and his current life situation.
“Who could have done this?” he demanded to know.
“Some sort of criminal mastermind,” she declared. “Although, I don’t know, with super flexibility to jump over that fence, bombs to take out the guards and create a hole entrance in the bricks, lasers to incinerate anything in its path…What if it’s not human!”
“Oh not human like your face!” Came a voie
“OOO!” Kyle replied, as his two brothers chuckled. Kyle rolled his eyes. He and Hailey just ignored them and headed to their classes.
“But the silhouette looks human.” she said later once they were on the campus.
“What if it is!” Kyle shockingly proclaimed.
As they were walking they saw a suspicious shadow, and they decided to follow it, it led to an abandoned apartment with police tape wrapped around it. There were dozens of police around the crime scene.
When Kyle and Hailey were at the crime scene they saw a pair of footprints that led inside the elevator. It led to a room with a busted door. They slowly crept in. The floor creaked as they walked, the two shuddered. They saw a girl watching the news loudly munching on popcorn. They slowly crept towards her.
“ACHHOO!” went Kyle blowing away their cover.
“Last night the Blue sapphire was stolen with no evidence whatsoever.” said the TV. The girl reached for the remote and turned off the TV. She turned around and glared at them.
“Emily!” gasped Kyle. “You stole the diamond?”
“Yeah,” she responded, “a couple days ago I saw this weird bracelet, so I picked it up and slapped it on my wrist. All of a sudden I had the power to teleport, blast lasers, and super agility, not to mention I also have a bunch of weapons and security cameras to monitor everything.”
“You were mind controlled to take over the world idiot!” yelled Hailey. “This is not the first sci-fi I’ve watched and or read.”
“Too late anyways.” she cackled. She got the Diamond from its crystal, bad luck protected case, and chanted a spell. “Misfuret sever odditch.”
All of a sudden, the sky turned red, the air and everything and everyone, were mostly was on fire. The smell of smoke rose and through the morning sky.
“Ughh,” Kyle muttered as he woke up.
Hailey was beside him. Above them was Emily. She was the size of a giant, towering over them. They glared at all the fire.
“What did you do!?” Hailey yelled.
“Oh nothing,” cackled Emily. “I just cast an endless amount of bad luck upon everyone and everything in the universe! Except me! Making me the most powerful being in the universe! Mwa ha ha.”
“OK.” Admitted Kyle, “Maybe going into space is a bit more scary than I thought.”
“There’s still golf,” murmured Hailey.
“Wait that’s it! You’re a genius Hailey.”
“Thanks,” she blushed.
“We’ll get our golf equipment and aim to destroy her bracelet.”
“That’s genius” Hailey chuckled, they began to blush again.
“OK! Let’s do this!” announced Hailey.
So they raced back to the remains of the college and got their golf equipment. They faced Emily and began aiming for her bracelet. Unfortunately, they were still cursed with bad luck and missed badly. She yawned and threw a rock, well a boulder for her, at them, crushing them into the dirt, they got to their feet, all hope lost. They hugged each other in horror as Emily got her laser and prepared to Blast them to smithereens.
“We may have bad luck, but it won’t stop us from giving you bad luck.” yelled a voice from afar.
“I wanna take a nap.” said another voice.
Two boys ran screaming it was Kyle’s older brothers they picked up the two of their golf clubs and ran onwards Emily they stepped on her bracelet and diamond crumbling it and whacked Emily in the head, Giving her two concussions and undoing all the damage the diamond brought.
After the bracelet was removed and sent back to area 51 with the diamond for safe keeping. It was time for the 4 of them to return to their college. As they walked, Kyle and Hailey held hands and walked back to their college. It was a great day.
LEO
By Deia for Aletheia
By Deia for Aletheia
DR. CYRUS
By Lina for Caelan
By Lina for Caelan
SECRET SAUCE'S END TIMES ANALOG CHRISTMAS SHOW
by Patti for Lina
When the End Times finally came, the cell phone towers toppled. The internet sputtered out. Cracked screens piled up on sidewalks, next to old phones and snapped keyboards. No one bothered arguing anymore about whose fault it was that the end had finally come because they’d all forgotten why they fought so divisively about it in the first place.
But Christmas was on the hazy horizon and that gave the survivors something to look forward to. They cut down pine trees in their backyards and in the parks to decorate with mementos of the past. They wondered what shade of black to wear to Christmas backyard roasts.
Alone at home, Secret Sauce hung a tree with little brass ornaments of music instruments, which glittered in the candlelight. They had made a yellow paper chain to hang in the boughs. They hummed old holiday tunes.
Musical voices soon drifted from the street and Secret Sauce peeked their vintage radio head through the closed curtains. Carolers gathered at their door, dressed in the hand-sewn black tunics that were so common among apocalypse survivors. End Times fashion, they called it. Secret Sauce wasn’t into fashion. A comfy hoody fit any occasion.
Yet music was irresistible to Secret Sauce, who decided to open the door to the strangers.
When the singing ended, Secret Sauce felt empty, looking at the forlorn faces of the carolers. “I have nothing to share with you as a thanks for the delightful music,” they said.
A wide-eyed child looked up at Secret Sauce. “Hey, I know your voice.”
A woman who had accessorized her black tunic with a black scarf said: “Me too. That gorgeous voice. So lo-fi and staticky. Didn’t you have a radio station before the End Times?”
Secret Sauce nodded. “Everyone was fighting. No one listened anymore. So I gave up.”
The child bounced on her tiptoes. “We have a solar radio at home. We’d listen now.”
All the carolers started to nod and agree.
“Could you play old days music?” asked one.
“I miss hearing chill chats,” said another.
“We have a radio too. A hand cranked one.”
That had done it. Secret Sauce started talking with the carolers about the potential of a new radio station, and once you got Secret Sauce talking about their passion, it was hard to get this music nerd to stop.
And that’s how Secret Sauce started End Times Radio, which brought a chill peace to anyone within the range of their frequency, building a new, loving community in the ashes of an old divisive one.
by Patti for Lina
When the End Times finally came, the cell phone towers toppled. The internet sputtered out. Cracked screens piled up on sidewalks, next to old phones and snapped keyboards. No one bothered arguing anymore about whose fault it was that the end had finally come because they’d all forgotten why they fought so divisively about it in the first place.
But Christmas was on the hazy horizon and that gave the survivors something to look forward to. They cut down pine trees in their backyards and in the parks to decorate with mementos of the past. They wondered what shade of black to wear to Christmas backyard roasts.
Alone at home, Secret Sauce hung a tree with little brass ornaments of music instruments, which glittered in the candlelight. They had made a yellow paper chain to hang in the boughs. They hummed old holiday tunes.
Musical voices soon drifted from the street and Secret Sauce peeked their vintage radio head through the closed curtains. Carolers gathered at their door, dressed in the hand-sewn black tunics that were so common among apocalypse survivors. End Times fashion, they called it. Secret Sauce wasn’t into fashion. A comfy hoody fit any occasion.
Yet music was irresistible to Secret Sauce, who decided to open the door to the strangers.
When the singing ended, Secret Sauce felt empty, looking at the forlorn faces of the carolers. “I have nothing to share with you as a thanks for the delightful music,” they said.
A wide-eyed child looked up at Secret Sauce. “Hey, I know your voice.”
A woman who had accessorized her black tunic with a black scarf said: “Me too. That gorgeous voice. So lo-fi and staticky. Didn’t you have a radio station before the End Times?”
Secret Sauce nodded. “Everyone was fighting. No one listened anymore. So I gave up.”
The child bounced on her tiptoes. “We have a solar radio at home. We’d listen now.”
All the carolers started to nod and agree.
“Could you play old days music?” asked one.
“I miss hearing chill chats,” said another.
“We have a radio too. A hand cranked one.”
That had done it. Secret Sauce started talking with the carolers about the potential of a new radio station, and once you got Secret Sauce talking about their passion, it was hard to get this music nerd to stop.
And that’s how Secret Sauce started End Times Radio, which brought a chill peace to anyone within the range of their frequency, building a new, loving community in the ashes of an old divisive one.
SNARE
By Die for Emily
By Die for Emily
MOKI
By Kaslyn for Maya
By Kaslyn for Maya
JEET
By Kali for Kim
Jeet ripped open the sealed envelope eagerly. He never got mail! Ever since Jeet escaped The Company and joined his resistance crew, he hadn't gotten a single letter. On that note, he thought, I should probably be a little more cautious, but nothing exciting has happened in what seems like forever. He pulled out the contents of the envelope and carefully unfolded them. There was only a single sheet of paper that read “Dearest Jeet, you have hereby been invited to the annual fashion show, taking place at midnight in three days, on the planet of Katoen. Dress your best, and don't miss it. Signed,” Jeet turned the paper over, but there was nothing else. No signature. Well, he thought, why not? It's only one night, and no one will realize I'm gone. They never do…
Two and a half days later, Jeet’s plan was in action. He had a shiny mother-of-pearl blazer and gelled hair. Underneath his suit, his trusty toolbelt was strapped around his waist. In his hand, he gripped a map to Katoen. There was only one thing he still needed to do: find a ship that would get him there and back unnoticed. Jeet walked quickly and silently to the spaceship hanger, where his crew kept all of their spare ships. He winced at the creaking noise the door gave off, but no one appeared around the corner. Weird, he thought. It looks like half of the ships are already taken. I must be crazy. There were probably already this number of ships and I just can't remember. One ship seemed to be calling to him from the other side of the room. It was a small, black, one-person ship, and Jeet immediately knew that this ship would be the one he would be taking. As he jumped into the cockpit, he quickly looked around the corner for any sign of pursers. Nothing. He turned on the muffled engine and took off into the night.
Jeet arrived at fifteen to midnight. He swerved toward the flashing lights of the runway, and landed his ship on a square marked “JEET”. Surrounding him were other ships, none of which he recognized. Jeet stepped out of his small ship and walked quickly towards what seemed to be the center of the city. He didn't want to be late for the show; whatever the show was.
As he neared the crowd in the middle of the city, Jeet was able to make out millions of figures. It was a huge show, and the noise level was going nowhere but up. In the middle of the huge throng was a shiny white runway. When he had almost reached the edge of the crowd, a short woman stopped him.
“What's your name?” she asked in a sharp, clipped tone.
“Um...I’m Jeet,” he stammered.
The woman checked something off on her clipboard she was holding and gave him a menacing stare before replying “Welcome to the show, Jeet.” She spit out his name as if he was a piece of garbage she had just swallowed. “Enjoy yourself.”
That was really weird, Jeet thought. He continued toward the crowd. Just as he reached the outskirts and was about to ask the person next to him-a handsome boy with black hair and green eyes-what was going on, a piercing whistle blew through the crowd. A tall girl with blond hair wearing a shimmery silver-blue dress strutted onto the runway. The show had begun.
After about fifteen more people had modeled, there was a second whistle. This time it was higher, a discerning sound that peaked and lowered after about ten seconds. Jeet wasn't sure what was going on, but he was enjoying the show. He didn't want it to stop. Maybe now would be a good time to figure out who sent me the invitation to come here, he thought. Then I can get back before the show ends. Jeet soundlessly moved away from the runway and looked around for anyone or anything that could be the host of this party. He spotted a watchtower a few hundred feet away and headed in that direction.
Jeet reached the base of the watchtower and slowly and carefully pulled on the handle at the bottom of the door. It opened without a sound. Inside were a set of balck stairs that spiraled upwards. He placed his foot on the first step, and when nothing happened, Jeet continued forwards. Not sketchy at all, he thought.
After a short but tiring climb, Jeet finally saw the top of the stairs. There was a door with an ominous black sign that read “If you value your life, stay out.” Well, he thought, I do value my life, but I really need to know what's going on. Bracing himself, Jeet pushed the door open.
Inside, the walls were covered in screens. The room was much bigger than Jeet had expected, but it was empty. He walked in a slow circle, looking at each of the screens. Every one had a runway with different people modeling on it. Strange, Jeet mused. He walked across the room where the one and only computer sat. This must control everything in this room, he thought. Sitting down in the chair in front of it, Jeet set his hands on the keys. The computer screen flashed one sentence repeatedly: AUTHORIZED ACCESS ONLY. Jeet pressed some keys that made a password bar show up. Then he pressed command>12345678987654321, which caused the computer to open, flashing ACCESS GRANTED. Jeet pumped his fist. Now I can finally find out what is going on, he thought triumphantly.
“Oh no you can't,” a male voice behind him said, as if reading his mind. Jeet turned around and was shocked to see another man standing in the room with him. He couldn't make out his features-the man seemed to be made of shadow. “Look around you,” the man said. “Recognize anything? Anyone?”
Jeet peered at all of the screens and realized with a start that he could identify many of the people in them. There were people from his crew. On a different screen, there was his girlfriend, Zey.
“What are they doing here?” he mumbled.
“Everyone in the galaxy who is not part of The Company is here! And we’re going to kill them ALL!” The man shouted with a strange passion. “I will give The Company power over everyone and everything! Because there will be no people who survive that will be able to resist!” He ran towards the other side of the room and pushed a big red button before Jeet could stop him.
“What have you done?!” Jeet yelled as a series of beeps started.
“I have given The Company the entire world!” the man shouted. Just then, Jeet started to see huge flames enveloping different runways and the people around them on the many cameras in the room. Soon, all of the places on Katoen were alive with flame. Jeet watched as his girlfriend, Zey, fell to the ground and didn’t get up. A model on a different screen made one last pose and toppled off the runway.
“And that's enough for you,” the man said. He lit a match from his packet and closed the door, trapping himself and Jeet in. The room caught fire easily, and the last thing Jeet saw was the man smiling wickedly at him. Goodbye, Jeet thought, or tried to think, he couldn't tell, smoke was clogging his lungs, he couldn't breathe. It really is the end of the world...
By Kali for Kim
Jeet ripped open the sealed envelope eagerly. He never got mail! Ever since Jeet escaped The Company and joined his resistance crew, he hadn't gotten a single letter. On that note, he thought, I should probably be a little more cautious, but nothing exciting has happened in what seems like forever. He pulled out the contents of the envelope and carefully unfolded them. There was only a single sheet of paper that read “Dearest Jeet, you have hereby been invited to the annual fashion show, taking place at midnight in three days, on the planet of Katoen. Dress your best, and don't miss it. Signed,” Jeet turned the paper over, but there was nothing else. No signature. Well, he thought, why not? It's only one night, and no one will realize I'm gone. They never do…
Two and a half days later, Jeet’s plan was in action. He had a shiny mother-of-pearl blazer and gelled hair. Underneath his suit, his trusty toolbelt was strapped around his waist. In his hand, he gripped a map to Katoen. There was only one thing he still needed to do: find a ship that would get him there and back unnoticed. Jeet walked quickly and silently to the spaceship hanger, where his crew kept all of their spare ships. He winced at the creaking noise the door gave off, but no one appeared around the corner. Weird, he thought. It looks like half of the ships are already taken. I must be crazy. There were probably already this number of ships and I just can't remember. One ship seemed to be calling to him from the other side of the room. It was a small, black, one-person ship, and Jeet immediately knew that this ship would be the one he would be taking. As he jumped into the cockpit, he quickly looked around the corner for any sign of pursers. Nothing. He turned on the muffled engine and took off into the night.
Jeet arrived at fifteen to midnight. He swerved toward the flashing lights of the runway, and landed his ship on a square marked “JEET”. Surrounding him were other ships, none of which he recognized. Jeet stepped out of his small ship and walked quickly towards what seemed to be the center of the city. He didn't want to be late for the show; whatever the show was.
As he neared the crowd in the middle of the city, Jeet was able to make out millions of figures. It was a huge show, and the noise level was going nowhere but up. In the middle of the huge throng was a shiny white runway. When he had almost reached the edge of the crowd, a short woman stopped him.
“What's your name?” she asked in a sharp, clipped tone.
“Um...I’m Jeet,” he stammered.
The woman checked something off on her clipboard she was holding and gave him a menacing stare before replying “Welcome to the show, Jeet.” She spit out his name as if he was a piece of garbage she had just swallowed. “Enjoy yourself.”
That was really weird, Jeet thought. He continued toward the crowd. Just as he reached the outskirts and was about to ask the person next to him-a handsome boy with black hair and green eyes-what was going on, a piercing whistle blew through the crowd. A tall girl with blond hair wearing a shimmery silver-blue dress strutted onto the runway. The show had begun.
After about fifteen more people had modeled, there was a second whistle. This time it was higher, a discerning sound that peaked and lowered after about ten seconds. Jeet wasn't sure what was going on, but he was enjoying the show. He didn't want it to stop. Maybe now would be a good time to figure out who sent me the invitation to come here, he thought. Then I can get back before the show ends. Jeet soundlessly moved away from the runway and looked around for anyone or anything that could be the host of this party. He spotted a watchtower a few hundred feet away and headed in that direction.
Jeet reached the base of the watchtower and slowly and carefully pulled on the handle at the bottom of the door. It opened without a sound. Inside were a set of balck stairs that spiraled upwards. He placed his foot on the first step, and when nothing happened, Jeet continued forwards. Not sketchy at all, he thought.
After a short but tiring climb, Jeet finally saw the top of the stairs. There was a door with an ominous black sign that read “If you value your life, stay out.” Well, he thought, I do value my life, but I really need to know what's going on. Bracing himself, Jeet pushed the door open.
Inside, the walls were covered in screens. The room was much bigger than Jeet had expected, but it was empty. He walked in a slow circle, looking at each of the screens. Every one had a runway with different people modeling on it. Strange, Jeet mused. He walked across the room where the one and only computer sat. This must control everything in this room, he thought. Sitting down in the chair in front of it, Jeet set his hands on the keys. The computer screen flashed one sentence repeatedly: AUTHORIZED ACCESS ONLY. Jeet pressed some keys that made a password bar show up. Then he pressed command>12345678987654321, which caused the computer to open, flashing ACCESS GRANTED. Jeet pumped his fist. Now I can finally find out what is going on, he thought triumphantly.
“Oh no you can't,” a male voice behind him said, as if reading his mind. Jeet turned around and was shocked to see another man standing in the room with him. He couldn't make out his features-the man seemed to be made of shadow. “Look around you,” the man said. “Recognize anything? Anyone?”
Jeet peered at all of the screens and realized with a start that he could identify many of the people in them. There were people from his crew. On a different screen, there was his girlfriend, Zey.
“What are they doing here?” he mumbled.
“Everyone in the galaxy who is not part of The Company is here! And we’re going to kill them ALL!” The man shouted with a strange passion. “I will give The Company power over everyone and everything! Because there will be no people who survive that will be able to resist!” He ran towards the other side of the room and pushed a big red button before Jeet could stop him.
“What have you done?!” Jeet yelled as a series of beeps started.
“I have given The Company the entire world!” the man shouted. Just then, Jeet started to see huge flames enveloping different runways and the people around them on the many cameras in the room. Soon, all of the places on Katoen were alive with flame. Jeet watched as his girlfriend, Zey, fell to the ground and didn’t get up. A model on a different screen made one last pose and toppled off the runway.
“And that's enough for you,” the man said. He lit a match from his packet and closed the door, trapping himself and Jeet in. The room caught fire easily, and the last thing Jeet saw was the man smiling wickedly at him. Goodbye, Jeet thought, or tried to think, he couldn't tell, smoke was clogging his lungs, he couldn't breathe. It really is the end of the world...
DAXTER BROMAN
By Emily for Bodhi
By Emily for Bodhi
THE FROSTBITE WASTELAND: A Sturdy DND Tale as told in Screen Play Style
By Eli for Sebastien
Ext. The Frostbite Wasteland, A deserted part of Sword Coast - Day
This wasteland is barren, mountains of black snow shield the horizon as icicles make brand new mountains. Our heroes Sturdy the dog and his Ranger Companion climb to the top of one of these mountains. They search the landscape while taking a short rest up on the peak.
RANGER COMPANION
Well when they said this place was barren I was thinking of a snow desert or something. Nevertheless the person should be here. Even though there are mountains to climb and danger all around I know we can push through. Right Sturdy?
STURDY
Woof
RANGER COMPANION
Sturdy you- you don't have to bark at- you- you don't have to bark you can talk!
STURDY
(In a barking type language only the two understand.)
I'm sorry. I enjoy it
RANGER COMPANION
(Thinks for a bit)
Makes sense- anyway is your armor good for this weather?
STURDY
Not really, We shouldn't go much farther without new gear. With what we have you could get cold!!
RANGER COMPANION
Yeah well I’ll be fine if I get co-
STURDY
(Interrupting)
You Could Get Cold.
RANGER COMPANION
Well what about you-
STURDY
(Interrupting)
You... Could... Get... Cold.
RANGER COMPANION
Alright then. Restock?
STURDY
Restock
The two travel down the mountain to find a village. After a little while of looking down mountains and beyond mounds of snow they finally find a village. It's on stilts and walkways make paths through buildings and homes. Workers bang away and citizens talk as the cold atmosphere fades away from the heat of the town. The two climb their way onto the walkway and enter a tavern.
INT. Tavern - Sunset
A silver tiefling is there to greet them
SILVER
Well howdy!! What can I get you two?
RANGER COMPANION
Something cheap
SILVER
And for yer pet
STURDY
Oh we're actually partners.
SILVER
?
RANGER COMPANION
We're partners
SILVER
Ah. Sorry bout that
STURDY
It's ok! Thank you for apologizing!!
Silver doesn't understand Sturdy, yet he gets the two some drinks
SILVER
I reckon you two were cold in that gear
RANGER COMPANION
It wasn't made for here that's for sure! Do you know where we can get some new gear?
SILVER
Yes Sir I do! There's a tailors round the corner.
RANGER COMPANION
Thanks
Sturdy and his companion get up, Silver then goes to the back and Sturdy catches him talking to someone. This person is in all black. Silver gives him a letter and the person walks away. Silver comes back to the front.
SILVER
He'll be expectin’ you two.
Silver gives a wide and scary smile. The two, nervously, say goodbye and thank you then leave. They walk to the tailors.
CUT TO:
INT. Armageddon Tailors - Evening
Sturdy and crew enter the shop. A glaring blue light shines throughout the building while thread and half made outfits lay around the room. It's clear that all sorts of customers have come through here, the place smells of B.O And blood? Adventurers y'know. It's warmer in here then in the tavern and a BANG shocks the duo as someone comes out from around back.
They enter the room with ripped up clothes that, if it wasn't ripped, would be a perfect midnight black suit and tie. Their sleeves are rolled up revealing MANY tattoos of.... Instructions on making clothing. They walk, skipping is more accurate, clanging their boots against the ground. Their mask is revealed, being a gray skull mask made out of leather.
STURDY
Hello!!!! We are here for new ge-
They grab Sturdy and his companion, one in each hand, and look at them from head to toe.
RANGER COMPANION
Ummmmmmm what are you doing? Mr-
Pike
It's Mx.
STURDY
Oh we're terribly sorry!!!
PIKE
Oh sweetie! it's ok!!!
RANGER COMPANION
You can understand him?
PIKE
Of course!!
The person lets each of them go and then writes something down in a little booklet
PIKE
My name is Pike and you two are EXTRAORDINARY!!!!!! I can make something splendid for the both of you!!!
RANGER COMPANION
Thanks but.... What are you making us?
PIKE
Well we just have to try things on and see!!!!!
Pike grabs the two and shoves them into a changing room. A shopping-esk montage ensues.
Pike tosses clothes into the air as Sturdy and his Ranger Partner walk out of the changing room runway style. Sturdy comes out in a flamingo pink dress, then a MIB style black suit, a zebra pattern cloak, AN OUTFIT THAT IS ON FIRE, etc etc. Then Sturdy finally comes out in the most apocalyptic thing you'll ever see. A Reflective suit, pure white, with a drum attached to wings on his back. The Ranger Partner is wearing Chainmail armor with dark gray tattered bandages to act as a shirt. A HUGE black hood goes over his head. He's wearing black peasant pants with a quiver attached to it to put the peace together.
PIKE
SPLENDID SPLENDID!!!!
STURDY
Wow this does feel really good! Thank you very much, good sir
RANGER COMPANION
I... look... sweeeeeet!!!
PIKE
Wonderful!!! You two will make amazing fighters!!
RANGER COMPANION
Wait fighters-
PIKE
Bullock!!! Be a dear and knock them out would you?
STURDY
Knock us out-
Suddenly Sturdy and his Ranger Companion get conked on the head and all goes black.
CUT TO:
INT. Fighters ring - night
Sturdy's eyes slowly open so descending snow. His ranger companion is father off in the distance then where sturdy is lying. He gets up and walks over to him
STURDY
Do you know where we are....
Sturdy looks down to see a mountain. One the two are on top of. The mountain is made of ice. On the top is, HUGE and circular. Jagged pillars fill the sides and try their best to hide the cheering crowd. Their voices echoing throughout the landscape. A pattern is carved into the ground. A snowflake made out of bones. It makes the floor uneven. The chill, though not as cold, still brushes against the two, their breaths clear as the snow.
Chains suddenly burst to life as Sturdy looks behind him to see a door being pulled upwards. Opening. From that door is Pike. The Ranger Companion goes for his bow.
PIKE
I wouldn't recommend that, the show hasn't started
RANGER COMPANION
The show?!
PIKE
(Towards the audience)
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BOYS AND GIRLS, ENBY'S AND AGENDERED ALIKE. WELCOME TO TONIGHT'S SHOW!!!!!
Cheering erupts
PIKE
TONIGHT WE HAVE 2 NEW WONDERFUL COMPETITORS TO FACE OFF AGAINST OUR 4 YEAR RUNNING CHAMPION!!!! YOU KNOW THE RULES!! KILL YOUR COMPETITOR OR DRINK THEIR BLOOD TO WIN!!!!
RANGER COMPANION
Drink their what now?!
STURDY
That sounds disgusting
PIKE
NOW. LETS LET THE COMPETITOR OUT AND THE BATTLE BEGIN!!!!
Pike leaves. The crowd is now roaring. The door lets in one more person before shutting. That person being their competitor that person being... Silver, our wonderful Tiefling Bartender.
STURDY
Silver!! A pleasure to see you again!
Silver sends an eldritch blast at them. Sturdy jumps in front of his Ranger Companion, taking the blast.
RANGER COMPANION
STURDY!!!
They fly back and slam against the wall. The Ranger companion takes out his bow and shoots at him. Silver uses lighting blasts to cancel out the arrows.
SILVER
That all yah got? Yah keep using that and I can defeat yah in no-
The Ranger Companions uses Silver’s talking and shoots him in the arm
SILVER
AAARG!!!
Ranger Companion dashes forward, yet trips on the uneven floor. Silver summons a flaming sword and leaps above the Ranger companion, ready to strike him. The Ranger Companion is prepared and throws an arrow at him.
SILVER
Smart
Silver knocks it away
SILVER
But not smart ENOUGH!!!
Silver plunges the sword into his body. They make it disappear, the smoke fills The Ranger Companion's body, and catches the nose of Sturdy.
Sturdy leaps forward in a fit of rage
STURDY
Don't... you... HURT HIM!!!!
Silver shoots another lightning bolt at sturdy slamming him into the ground. Sturdy tumbles, then leaps back up faster than the speed of light.
SILVER
How did ya-
Sturdy lands on Silver, biting him and almost ripping him apart. Silver uses shocking grasp to push sturdy back. The two tussle for a little while, the shock coursing through sturdy's veins, burnt dog fills the air.
SILVER
Yah done yet mutt? Gotta deal with yer partner-
Sturdy lunges forward. He must protect his companion, at all costs. He grabs silver by the neck.
SILVER
LET ME GO!!! I GOTTA WIN!!!
Sturdy drags Silver to the edge, his claws sticking to the ice, he uses the last of his strength to toss him over the edge. Silver lands on a cliffside, unconscious.
The crowd roars!!! Sturdy runs over to his companion.
RANGER COMPANION
You did pretty great out there
Sturdy digs his head into his friend
RANGER COMPANION
Ok there buddy little heavy for that.
Pike dashes towards them
PIKE
(To the audience)
AND WE HAVE OUR WINNERS!!!!!!
Sturdy and his Ranger Companion look at each other. Nodding
RANGER COMPANION
THESE TWO ARE THE NEW CHAMPIONS OF-
The Ranger Companion shoots an arrow into Pikes' side. Knocking them out from blood loss.
RANGER COMPANION
Show's over. Go home!
The Two walk out of the ring, and into the cold
CUT TO:
EXT. ThE FROSTBITE WASTELAND - Sunrise
The two are trudging through the wastelands... again
RANGER COMPANION
Well that was.... Something
STURDY
Well we made it. Let's continue forward. There are still more people we have to help
The two walk into the sunrise, new outfits in hand and ready to face anything
End of short
By Eli for Sebastien
Ext. The Frostbite Wasteland, A deserted part of Sword Coast - Day
This wasteland is barren, mountains of black snow shield the horizon as icicles make brand new mountains. Our heroes Sturdy the dog and his Ranger Companion climb to the top of one of these mountains. They search the landscape while taking a short rest up on the peak.
RANGER COMPANION
Well when they said this place was barren I was thinking of a snow desert or something. Nevertheless the person should be here. Even though there are mountains to climb and danger all around I know we can push through. Right Sturdy?
STURDY
Woof
RANGER COMPANION
Sturdy you- you don't have to bark at- you- you don't have to bark you can talk!
STURDY
(In a barking type language only the two understand.)
I'm sorry. I enjoy it
RANGER COMPANION
(Thinks for a bit)
Makes sense- anyway is your armor good for this weather?
STURDY
Not really, We shouldn't go much farther without new gear. With what we have you could get cold!!
RANGER COMPANION
Yeah well I’ll be fine if I get co-
STURDY
(Interrupting)
You Could Get Cold.
RANGER COMPANION
Well what about you-
STURDY
(Interrupting)
You... Could... Get... Cold.
RANGER COMPANION
Alright then. Restock?
STURDY
Restock
The two travel down the mountain to find a village. After a little while of looking down mountains and beyond mounds of snow they finally find a village. It's on stilts and walkways make paths through buildings and homes. Workers bang away and citizens talk as the cold atmosphere fades away from the heat of the town. The two climb their way onto the walkway and enter a tavern.
INT. Tavern - Sunset
A silver tiefling is there to greet them
SILVER
Well howdy!! What can I get you two?
RANGER COMPANION
Something cheap
SILVER
And for yer pet
STURDY
Oh we're actually partners.
SILVER
?
RANGER COMPANION
We're partners
SILVER
Ah. Sorry bout that
STURDY
It's ok! Thank you for apologizing!!
Silver doesn't understand Sturdy, yet he gets the two some drinks
SILVER
I reckon you two were cold in that gear
RANGER COMPANION
It wasn't made for here that's for sure! Do you know where we can get some new gear?
SILVER
Yes Sir I do! There's a tailors round the corner.
RANGER COMPANION
Thanks
Sturdy and his companion get up, Silver then goes to the back and Sturdy catches him talking to someone. This person is in all black. Silver gives him a letter and the person walks away. Silver comes back to the front.
SILVER
He'll be expectin’ you two.
Silver gives a wide and scary smile. The two, nervously, say goodbye and thank you then leave. They walk to the tailors.
CUT TO:
INT. Armageddon Tailors - Evening
Sturdy and crew enter the shop. A glaring blue light shines throughout the building while thread and half made outfits lay around the room. It's clear that all sorts of customers have come through here, the place smells of B.O And blood? Adventurers y'know. It's warmer in here then in the tavern and a BANG shocks the duo as someone comes out from around back.
They enter the room with ripped up clothes that, if it wasn't ripped, would be a perfect midnight black suit and tie. Their sleeves are rolled up revealing MANY tattoos of.... Instructions on making clothing. They walk, skipping is more accurate, clanging their boots against the ground. Their mask is revealed, being a gray skull mask made out of leather.
STURDY
Hello!!!! We are here for new ge-
They grab Sturdy and his companion, one in each hand, and look at them from head to toe.
RANGER COMPANION
Ummmmmmm what are you doing? Mr-
Pike
It's Mx.
STURDY
Oh we're terribly sorry!!!
PIKE
Oh sweetie! it's ok!!!
RANGER COMPANION
You can understand him?
PIKE
Of course!!
The person lets each of them go and then writes something down in a little booklet
PIKE
My name is Pike and you two are EXTRAORDINARY!!!!!! I can make something splendid for the both of you!!!
RANGER COMPANION
Thanks but.... What are you making us?
PIKE
Well we just have to try things on and see!!!!!
Pike grabs the two and shoves them into a changing room. A shopping-esk montage ensues.
Pike tosses clothes into the air as Sturdy and his Ranger Partner walk out of the changing room runway style. Sturdy comes out in a flamingo pink dress, then a MIB style black suit, a zebra pattern cloak, AN OUTFIT THAT IS ON FIRE, etc etc. Then Sturdy finally comes out in the most apocalyptic thing you'll ever see. A Reflective suit, pure white, with a drum attached to wings on his back. The Ranger Partner is wearing Chainmail armor with dark gray tattered bandages to act as a shirt. A HUGE black hood goes over his head. He's wearing black peasant pants with a quiver attached to it to put the peace together.
PIKE
SPLENDID SPLENDID!!!!
STURDY
Wow this does feel really good! Thank you very much, good sir
RANGER COMPANION
I... look... sweeeeeet!!!
PIKE
Wonderful!!! You two will make amazing fighters!!
RANGER COMPANION
Wait fighters-
PIKE
Bullock!!! Be a dear and knock them out would you?
STURDY
Knock us out-
Suddenly Sturdy and his Ranger Companion get conked on the head and all goes black.
CUT TO:
INT. Fighters ring - night
Sturdy's eyes slowly open so descending snow. His ranger companion is father off in the distance then where sturdy is lying. He gets up and walks over to him
STURDY
Do you know where we are....
Sturdy looks down to see a mountain. One the two are on top of. The mountain is made of ice. On the top is, HUGE and circular. Jagged pillars fill the sides and try their best to hide the cheering crowd. Their voices echoing throughout the landscape. A pattern is carved into the ground. A snowflake made out of bones. It makes the floor uneven. The chill, though not as cold, still brushes against the two, their breaths clear as the snow.
Chains suddenly burst to life as Sturdy looks behind him to see a door being pulled upwards. Opening. From that door is Pike. The Ranger Companion goes for his bow.
PIKE
I wouldn't recommend that, the show hasn't started
RANGER COMPANION
The show?!
PIKE
(Towards the audience)
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, BOYS AND GIRLS, ENBY'S AND AGENDERED ALIKE. WELCOME TO TONIGHT'S SHOW!!!!!
Cheering erupts
PIKE
TONIGHT WE HAVE 2 NEW WONDERFUL COMPETITORS TO FACE OFF AGAINST OUR 4 YEAR RUNNING CHAMPION!!!! YOU KNOW THE RULES!! KILL YOUR COMPETITOR OR DRINK THEIR BLOOD TO WIN!!!!
RANGER COMPANION
Drink their what now?!
STURDY
That sounds disgusting
PIKE
NOW. LETS LET THE COMPETITOR OUT AND THE BATTLE BEGIN!!!!
Pike leaves. The crowd is now roaring. The door lets in one more person before shutting. That person being their competitor that person being... Silver, our wonderful Tiefling Bartender.
STURDY
Silver!! A pleasure to see you again!
Silver sends an eldritch blast at them. Sturdy jumps in front of his Ranger Companion, taking the blast.
RANGER COMPANION
STURDY!!!
They fly back and slam against the wall. The Ranger companion takes out his bow and shoots at him. Silver uses lighting blasts to cancel out the arrows.
SILVER
That all yah got? Yah keep using that and I can defeat yah in no-
The Ranger Companions uses Silver’s talking and shoots him in the arm
SILVER
AAARG!!!
Ranger Companion dashes forward, yet trips on the uneven floor. Silver summons a flaming sword and leaps above the Ranger companion, ready to strike him. The Ranger Companion is prepared and throws an arrow at him.
SILVER
Smart
Silver knocks it away
SILVER
But not smart ENOUGH!!!
Silver plunges the sword into his body. They make it disappear, the smoke fills The Ranger Companion's body, and catches the nose of Sturdy.
Sturdy leaps forward in a fit of rage
STURDY
Don't... you... HURT HIM!!!!
Silver shoots another lightning bolt at sturdy slamming him into the ground. Sturdy tumbles, then leaps back up faster than the speed of light.
SILVER
How did ya-
Sturdy lands on Silver, biting him and almost ripping him apart. Silver uses shocking grasp to push sturdy back. The two tussle for a little while, the shock coursing through sturdy's veins, burnt dog fills the air.
SILVER
Yah done yet mutt? Gotta deal with yer partner-
Sturdy lunges forward. He must protect his companion, at all costs. He grabs silver by the neck.
SILVER
LET ME GO!!! I GOTTA WIN!!!
Sturdy drags Silver to the edge, his claws sticking to the ice, he uses the last of his strength to toss him over the edge. Silver lands on a cliffside, unconscious.
The crowd roars!!! Sturdy runs over to his companion.
RANGER COMPANION
You did pretty great out there
Sturdy digs his head into his friend
RANGER COMPANION
Ok there buddy little heavy for that.
Pike dashes towards them
PIKE
(To the audience)
AND WE HAVE OUR WINNERS!!!!!!
Sturdy and his Ranger Companion look at each other. Nodding
RANGER COMPANION
THESE TWO ARE THE NEW CHAMPIONS OF-
The Ranger Companion shoots an arrow into Pikes' side. Knocking them out from blood loss.
RANGER COMPANION
Show's over. Go home!
The Two walk out of the ring, and into the cold
CUT TO:
EXT. ThE FROSTBITE WASTELAND - Sunrise
The two are trudging through the wastelands... again
RANGER COMPANION
Well that was.... Something
STURDY
Well we made it. Let's continue forward. There are still more people we have to help
The two walk into the sunrise, new outfits in hand and ready to face anything
End of short