The Furry Forums
Creative Arts and Media => Creative Writing => Topic started by: flames on July 28, 2008, 06:36:01 PM
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This is a collection of small, single chapter stories (or Oneshots) that I wrote/will write in my spare time. I hope you enjoy reading them.
Trapped Animal
It was a dark and damp night. The sky was fading away, getting darker and darker, the stars were staring calmly at the world and small droplets of moisture slid down blades of grass, returning to the Earth from which all things were born. Mother Earth may nuture and protect all things in this world, but eventually all things must return to Earth's embrace as the darkness engulfes them.
It was on this night that this tranquil setting was suddenly shattered as the sky was sent ablaze with crimson fire, as the grass vanished behind smoke and clouds, that the air fearfully vibrated the sounds of gunfire and it was on this night that a kitten fled in terror.
She was being persued by her former captors, by the ones who had tortured her with their expetiments, her creators. Nobody saw the kitten run through the night on her hind legs, occasionally jumping onto higher ground. Nobody heard her frantic breathing, or the mantra she kept on repeating aloud to herself. There were no animals nearby to smell her fear, to know of her need.
She kept on running, tail quiverring as her wide eyes shone in the darkness, revealing the intensity of her emotion. She abandoned her bipedal run and instead dropped to all fours, making a dash for the forest ahead of her, the last hope for her survival.
Nobody had ever felt her soft, lush fur. Nobody had ever clutched her tight or had their hearts touched by innocence. And now, as the figure in the shadows took aim, nobody ever would. The sound echoed into the night sky as she came to a halt, a sickening dripping sound audible in her ears. Crimson flecks stained the grass as she closed her eyes and collapsed, her blood seeping into the ground. She, like her blood and all other things, was being returned to Mother Earth's loving care...
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WOW!!! It's kind of like my story series. "Dark Times and Deep in War."
Every interesting
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Good one flames, its kinda of sad to read. Poor kitty
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(Another update!? I must be ill or something...)
The Beauty of War
It is here, perched above the battefield, with the wind in my fur and the sun reflected in my eyes that I realise something: War is a beautiful thing.
Many would probably disagree and those that do have their reasons wrong. It is not the just rebellion we have formed that I have in mind. It is not even the sadistic pleasure of tearing the enemy apart that makes me think this. It is something else entirely...something not of this world...
I watch from up here, like some twisted guardian angel, as the people of the resistance fight for our cause, willing to sacrifice themselves for the good of their people. These people remind me very much of the cherry blossom I gazed at as a child, awestruck. During the 3 days in which their divine beauty is at its peak we watch them fall as if in slow motion, their existence eternally engraved into our soul before they reach the Earth and are trampled on by people and vehicles that pass by.
The resistance had made a good dent in the enemy's army over the past few months, but just like the cherry blossom, their time was up and they had to fall.
I could only watch as they gracefully collapsed onto the earth before being crushed by the vehicles of the enemy, hurrying to reap the survivors' lives. They are reaped, the Seeds of Death have been sown and crimson rain has drowned the earth. I smile as I too, lean backwards and fall, a large red patch staining my torso. The world darkens and I utter my last words:
"War is a beautiful thing..."
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A very dark but interesting read. Kinda true in many ways.
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Poor cat. Makes me want to go hunting. xD And nice dark twist on War. Keep 'em comin. :)
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Here's a spinoff of The Hero Eternal trilogy, shown from Levi's PoV. Enjoy.
Sleeping Leviathan
I still remember it all. When I'm asked about it I can still recall the details, my emotions, the atmosphere. It may have been a long way away, both in time and space, but I remember it all: Running away from home, forming the resistance, uniting rebels together, fighting against Xan and meeting...him.
It had all begun when I was only 14 years old. One day I was listening to people talk of Xan's greatness and I suddenly realised that he wasn't the hero humanity saw him as being. My ephipany of sorts allowed me to break past the subtle brainwashing he was using and allowed my mind, for the first time in my life, to be free. Sadly, my family were still under the control of Xan and I had no choice but to flee from my home, following only my logic and survival instincts as I lived a life of shadows on the outskirts of Neo Babylon. It would be many years before I could bear the pain to see my family again.
Eventually, more and more began to rebel against Xan and together we formed the resistance: a small group of humans, Anthros and Reploids working in harmony for freedom. I buried myself into my work, quickly becoming the unofficial leader and head of both technological and strategical aspects within the group. Over time we grew in size, power and spirit. We found ways of obtaining resources, of avoiding detection, of staying alive. It wasn't until we had a base outside of Neo Babylon that our efforts truly became visible. We had evolved from being a nuisance in Xan's eyes to being a threat. We fought on.
HoKaze no Flames...I don't know anyone in the resistance who doesn't remember him. He had started as nothing more then an odd, young Anthro; but he quickly opened our eyes. Almost every moment awake was spent training, reforging his weapon or aiding the resistance. He always pushed himself beyond his limits and fought against the odds, often forced to fighting large groups alone with nothing more then his determination and his blade.
Time went on and things changed. He and Omega rose to become two of our most elite. We lost many and it looked like the Anthro race was close to extinction. We relied on Omega and Flames a lot and, I now realise, we almost never thanked them for what they had to do. They were expected to do between them the work of 50 people. They had to defeat enemies a small army was instantly slaughtered by. They were expected to do the impossible and they did it all without any hesitation.
Omega acted like an older brother to Flames early on, with the more experienced gunman often discussing tactics with the younger swordsman. Eventually the became inseperable and were equals...Until Omega sacrificed himself for our cause. I was heartbroken by his death, as I had come to see him as a member of my family. I was also concerned about Flames, who must have been dying inside, forever mourning the loss of his 'brother'.
He became reckless at times and hurt me inside on countless occassions, although his words never hurt me as much as the guilt tearing through my soul. I owe him an explanation to a terrible crime that he will never hear. I owe him an apology for something I have kept secret for far too long. I have many hidden emotions which I took with me to my grave, not once letting them out. Instead, I sleep here, d-forever damp from the rain of sorrow and regret...
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A good story as well, I particularly like reading more of the events of flames life, who he knew and the like.
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A good story as well, I particularly like reading more of the events of flames life, who he knew and the like.
Ask and you shall receive:
Omega's Tale: Zero Mission
It's been many years since I last saw Flames. Many years since I felt the clean air of that planet in my lungs, felt the pure water trickle down my throat and felt the exhiliration of fighting by his side. Death tends to do that...make it seem like an eternity since you did all that you did whilst alive. It's been even longer since the aptly named 'Zero Mission' during which we first fought together.
The Resistance had recently gained a large quantity of members and this was to be our first mission since our increase in number. A team of 6 was assembled and told to neutralize Xan's forces who had recently captured one of our warehouses outside of Neo Babylon. Two more experienced members, me and a large Anthro wolf known as Si, were to lead the group and provide support to the newer members. Those newer members were 3 Reploids and a teenage Anthro: Flames.
The first thing I had noticed about him that really stood out to me was his eyes: he had the battle-weary eyes of a warrior, he had seen death and possibly even dealt it out at some point. He wore no armour and didn't have the standard handgun almost every member carried with them. Instead he wore clothing that allowed for a lot of moment and carried with him an ancient blade that appeared to have been enhanced with modern alloys. I decided to treat him as I treated everyone else: Firmly, but with understanding and kindness.
We stormed the warehouse, taking out any and all threats whilst also giving the team demonstrations and allowing them to gain experience themselves. They were all quick learners and followed our orders well. All was running smoothly and it looked as if our Zero Mission was going to be a success...that is, until we got deeper into the building. There were far more droids and many traps had been placed for us. Secret passages and extensions underground had been constructed, only adding to our irritation. Eventually we had no choice but to split up and hunt the remaining droids in groups of 3. I took Flames and a femake Reploid who wished to be referred to as "Crystal".
She was almost suspiciously accurate with her shooting and wasn't suprised whenever a droid emerged out of a secret section within the wall or dropped down from the ceiling. I simply thought that she was focused and couldn't be startled easily, so I ignored my suspicions and instead focused on the blade-weilding Anthro, Flames. He moved very swiftly and was clearly very skilled with his Sabre. His lack of a ranged weapon or suitable armour didn't affect his efficiency at destroying droids at all, rather it seemed to be better because of it. Perhaps he had learnt martial arts and thus preferred fighting this way. I didn't know then and I still don't know now.
It wasn't until we were approaching the last 6 or so corridoors that things went wrong. A small army of droids suddenly appeared behind us, dropping in from the room above and blasting through the walls to reach us. I told Crystal and Flames to scout the area ahead whilst I dealt with the sudden attack. After the mission Flames told me everything that had happened next, as I only reached him in time to hear the end of it.
He and Crystal had reached the next room when a blast door had suddenly slamned shut behind them. The moment he looked behind him Flames was shot in the back by Crystal, just as a levitating machine in the corner whirred to life. She used a remote control of some kind and sent the machine over to Flames, who was then sealed in an electrified capsule. I arrived at the blast door in time to hear Crystal announce to Flames that she was a spy for Xan and planned on sending Flames to Xan as a test subject to be tortured over and over. She then used the machine to transport him two rooms ahead, where she also hid, awaiting further orders.
As soon as I knew of her plan, I did all I could to break in, but the blast door wouldn't be damaged so easily. Instead I utilized the hole in the ceiling made by the droids to get to the floor above. I reached the room above the one I had been trying to break into, charged up my energy and fired a powerful charged shot into the floor before jumping down into the room below. I chased Crystal down and easily dispatched of her light armour with but a single charged shot. The energy of the blast knocked her unconcious and gave me the chance I needed to restrain her and free Flames, who had been hacking away at the capsule with all his might, despite getting electrocuted each time. The cracks in the capsule held testament to his determination. There was but one room left at the end of a long corridoor. I told Flames to search the last room whilst I called the other group and told them of our current status. I still look back on my decision to send him off alone and wish that I had not been so foolish. It took a while for me to reach Si and his team as a signal jammer was hidden somewhere in the building and the others had to destroy it.
By the time I reached the last room, I found Flames heavily wounded, Sabre still clutched in hand, looking down on the burning remains of a large mech of some sort he must have fought. Neither of us said anything. There was nothing to say...
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I really like this,I know I keep saying it but really to me the backstory can be just as interesting as the current story. Sometimes even moreso.
I really think you could come up with a entire book of this easily and it would be interesting to read. I relish in the details
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(Thanks Tezz, glad you enjoy my work)
This next one is dark...and full of angst. Don't read this if you're in a happy or content mood.
Immortal Anguish
I always knew that I would be the one to end it all. Funny how time corrupts even the most noble and righteous cause. The irony of it all I see before me...I would collapse into laughter were it not for humour being buried under blood-stained soil an eternity ago.
Strange that I was riddled with amnesia during my younger years when now all I have is an uncountable number of lifetimes in painful memories. Yes, irony truly is a bittersweet delicacy as it squirms on the tongue of the mind, unable to avoid the swallow and gulp into darkness.
I remember so clearly each day as their clocks ticked down to zero, the last moments of those dearest to me. The memories dance before me, mockingly, as my heart stirs once more in recollection of the crippling loss, the agonising numbness and despair as life leaves their bodies; nothing left but cold, empty husks. I see them all fall before me, many dying based on beliefs or for their cause. Some died as Heros, others were mourned by many and some were not remembered at all; alone even in death, alone even as I stood before their remains.
I watched every last person I cared about surrender to death, knowing that I would be unable to join them and that none of us would truly find peace. I became bitter and threw myself into my work, my old purpose. I fought on.
There was always a conflict just waiting to be made, a tyrant to be erased, people to save...But these battles meant nothing to me anymore, it was just a long series of hollow victories and false appreciation from those in power. I soon realised just how futile my actions were and I felt the familiar embrace of despair.
Hmph. The Humans never did understand why I stopped fighting, blinded by the veil they had placed before their eyes. As time passed, less and less Anthros understood my actions. Those few that did and saw that conflicts would always exist were shunned, banished and underwent horrific torture in the name of Mankind.
It wasn't long until the Anthros too lost sight of the truth and withdrew themselves from reality, hiding behind the veil humanity had created. Both became lost causes and were consumed by war. They didn't see that they had to truly believe in stopping destruction in order to evolve. No...They thought that what they were doing was wrong, but didn't believe it, not in their hearts and souls. I could do nothing to aid them and could barely watch as for the next few centuries they continued to slaughter one another and erase all life from the planet.
Humanity was doomed to self-extinction and they had dragged the Anthros down with them. Life entered desperate times...
And so I stand here from my vantage point above the planet, gazing at the Earth with sorrowful eyes as I recall its long-gone beauty. I shut my eyes and for the first time in several hundred years: I weep.
I weep for all that I have seen, for all that I have been through, for the chaos wrought upon the world. I weep as I remember my friends, those that I had loved and all that I held dear.
Unable to live in such a world, unable to die, Eternally Alive, yet without life, forever in pain, nothing to gain...
Only as the space station begins to burn and crumble do I open my eyes and allow myself the smallest of smiles as the station enters the Earth's atmosphere, the upcoming impact easily capable of wiping the last traces of life from this planet.
It'll all be over soon...And I shall finally be able to...
Rest.
In.
Peace.
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That's absolutely fantastic Flames. Everyone of your Oneshots have exceeded one another. There's so much emotion and detail. I can do nothing but bow to you for your skills in writing, because, this is just pure brilliance, all of it.
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Nice I like the motion in this latest piece, a sense of lost hope and the dawning of the realization that even the greatest of efforts, noble or other can truely change a people. In the end the inevitable will happen and even the greatest of efforts will only delay it. I like how he finally comes to this realization and lets it seep in and the doom approaches like standing in the way of a nuclear blast, opening your arms and embracing the comming of the end.
Well done Flames
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Something to remember me by...
It was a full moon, and the sky was cloud-free, deep and refreshing to look at with the many pinpricks of light looking down upon the world; a fleeting glimpse of the cosmos. The air is still and neither humid nor dry, the wind sleeping for the night, not so much as breathing out another breeze. Two figures face each other, frozen in time, their tails low and still, their eyes unblinking.
They simply gaze at one another, her beautiful blue eyes staring deeply within the depths of his dark mysterious, eyes. Two people just standing there, male and female, silent for what seems like an eternity before she finally speaks: "This is it...You...You are leaving..." It wasn't a question, nor a command. A single tear fell down her cheek, onto her muzzle as her words echoed in her mind. It was unavoidable, he had to leave: there was nothing either one could do about that. Still, the pain was unbearable, especially after all they had been through.
She fell, fell into an endless pit of despair, her dreams and wishes mocking her as they faded away into nothingness, forming a colorless fog around her, around her mind, around her heart. She couldn't see! She couldn't breathe! She-
His voice floated down towards her as she opened her eyes, as if woken from a long nightmare. "Let me give you something to remember me by..." And he took there under the moon, embracing her tightly as they kissed and the darkness was replaced by light...
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Nice one, something different then your usual style. Short but sweet
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Well, here is one that, once again, is dark and angsty; just the way we like it:
The End of All Things
A memory, glinting in my mind like a single, perfect emerald amongst an endless amount of dull rock. As it shines there, I can almost reach out and touch it, basking in the brilliance of that single ray of light; that one flawless scene.
I see a vast expanse of saphire blue on the horizon, a gentle breeze brings life to the still objects around me. Birds sing beautifully to one another, in harmony with the blades of grass and the trees that swing to and fro in their own syncronised dance: the greatest performance they ever gave out, showing the world how gorgeous nature was. The Sun smiled down upon me, warming my face as the fresh scent of morning flooded my being. Content, I close my eyes and smile, enjoying the moment before opening my eyes once more...
A single deformed hand greets me, just one of many sticking out of the pile of corpses before me, drenched in their own blood and fluids. The sickening scent of death plagues my nostrils as an empty silence deafens my mind. A colorless, murky spread blots out the sky from every direction, identically positioned wherever I looked, engulfing even the horizon. The blackened, scorched Earth is still, without so much as a whisper of wind to break the eerie silence. Time could very well have frozen and it would be impossible to tell the difference.
I slowly step back and here a spine-chilling crunch. I don't dare to look down and continue to mindlessly step back, my eyes unfocused and dialated. My foot slips ever so slightly and I turn around just in time to see the cliff edge I almost walked off. Regaining my senses slightly, I gaze at the expanse down below, seeing nothing but burning rubble as small dots flee to and fro, losing their sanity as everything they know is reduced to naught but charred stone.
A single haunting sound pierces right through me, echoing throughout the murky sky. Looking up, I feel a tear run down my cheek as I finally do what I must and reach out towards humanity: "The End of All Things is upon you! There is no time for retribution, no time to atone for your evil!...Begone..."
I bite my lip as I close my mouth once more, satisfied that my message has reached mankind. With red eyes and a sob, I unfurl my black wings and descend upon humanity, sowing death and disaster in my wake, against my will.
The Angel of Death's tears impact a single dying plant as the world reaches its end...
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Wow... That was amazing brother. All the emotion and description is just magnificent. Well done, once again.
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Awesome. I really like it! And it rocked me to the core. You've reached my level, Flames dear. And you have made it expand.
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An Eternal Nightmare
Drip. A lone trickle forges its solitary path down my arm. Drip. The echoing sound of nothingness deafens me as I shut my eyes once more, breathing in the dark vapour that engulfs me entirely. Drip. A flash of crimson is the only colour in this void, a fiery fluid alone amongst the shadows. Drip. There’s an unbearable stench that grips the mind, blank yet full of horribleness. I sigh in relief as I sheathe my blade, letting my blood endlessly drip onto the vast expanse of nothingness. An eternity passes by and I open my eyes, revealing my dulled, soulless orbs to the void. It is time.
The ripple bursts into existence and a lone tear falls, a single sparkling droplet of beauty in this otherwise barren and bleak world. It begins…
Demons appear and spread throughout the old world in human form, slowly gaining strength. I can only watch, once again, as they chase down my love and defile her, torture her, over and over and over again. As always, every cell in my body attempts to move, to aid her, to cry out…but I remain paralysed as they finally end their brutality and throw her corpse at my feet. I weep.
All around me, that same gruesome series of images repeats itself a million times, replaying every slash, every battering; every drop of her precious blood. I watch with empty eyes as she is killed over and over, for all of time.
I don’t know how long I’ve been in this world. It’ll be another millennium before this torture ends and I’m left to the void once more, free to let my anguish flow as a crimson river, to feel the despair in full as I realise that she really is gone…and I could do nothing to save her…
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Another quality entry to your series Flames, very moving. Sorta how Tezztor felt at the camp but a lot better worded and emotional. Very well done. It amazes me the stuff you come up with is better then even some of the most professional writes I've seen (or read if you wanna nitpick)
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The Black Wind...
(A silent gale, a muted gust of wind...)
A lone heart pumps louder and louder, shattering the deathly peace of rest.
(A slight breeze, a foretelling of more terrible things to come...)
Screams of pain echo into the night sky, fragmenting into indivudual shards of torment; spreading anguish across the land.
(A howl in the distance, a shadow on the horizon: Apprehension...)
An inferno grips the area in its molten claws and laughs, causing the very Earth to tremble in fear.
(A rush, a touch, eternally flowing: The Black Wind calls...)
Death and more death: the calling card of this horde, this plague upon decent life.
(The tides of time flow, aligning with this wind, this gale, this tornado of emotion...)
The horde leaves naught but scorched craters, frozen wastelands and crushed rubble in its path. Soon, our time too will come to an end.
...Silence returns once more, an eerie silence as all thoughts cease and hearts freeze. Their eyes widen, locked into a nameless expression, reflecting the hidden swirling pool of emotion within. Nobody moves. Nobody dares breathe. Nobody blinks, nor shake or even think. Silence. No heartbeats, no noise...only nothingness.
One of the survivours twitches ever so slightly and all that ever is and ever will be is unleashed in that lone moment: hearts beat like thunder, blood rushes out in a cascading crimson waterfall and all but the one who twitched leaps back; all in one fragment of time, a single moment...Time seems to freeze, unable to cope with all that is occurring. Only when it is certain of what happened, what is happening and what will happen does the flow resume with a sigh.
The surviours look on in horror as the twitcher collapses into a wretched and mangled heap on the floor, the remains of what had once been their barrier embedded in his flesh. A large, smoking cannon is lowered and the mech lumbers fowards, shaking the ground with each echoing, unbearable step. The pilot grins maniacally as the mech advances: getting closer and closer to the survivours, the rebels who dared to defy the New Order of the World.
The survivours all step back and cower, quivering in fear...all but one. He stands there defiantly, tail moving slightly in the newborn breeze, eyes focused on the pilot with all the intensity of the Sun.
The pilot frowns at this and glances again, realising who this cocky punk was. With a sneer he stopped the mech and looked down upon the survivours before addressing them all:
"So! This is how your group ends! This is how the once mighty, honourable and idealistic rebels die!? Pathetic!" With that he spat on the scorched ground before continuing: "You people...We offer you a utopia, a chance for all foolish conflicts to end and THIS is how you repay us!? By declaring war!? Hmph! And to think: all of this simply because you would lose your precious 'freedom'...Had you all seen the error of your ways I would have spared all of you and all races would live in harmony...Except for the Anthro of course." He spat in the defiant one's direction, hoping to strike some fear into the fiery Anthro's heart. But no, just as legend had foretold, he remained as defiant and stubborn as ever.
Glaring at him, the pilot continued, injecting more malice into his voice this time: "But now...There is no choice for me left but to erase you from existence in the name of the Lord who rules Time, Shazron-sama! Any last words, vermin?" He spat out again, directing the last sentence to the fiery Anthro.
The Anthro took a single step foward, closing his eyes. A jumble of cries came from the other survivours, begging him not to do anything. He ignored them, getting into a battle-ready stance.
"Ohhohohoho! I was told you were a stubborn fool, but to go against ME? Truly, you deserve to be crushed...Haven't you realised that it was your fate to die here?" The pilot seemed both amused and frustrated with this continued resistance.
Silence. No breeze, no hearts thumping, just...nothing...
Still, not opening his eyes, the Anthro said but one thing before reaching for his blade: "If it is my fate to die...I shall simply laugh!" And with that he opened his crimson eyes, narrowed them into a determined glare and drew his blade with a swift sound that seemed to pierce through the ages.
(The Black Wind howls...)
A sudden sound blasted out of both nowhere and everywhere, striking everyone to the core. It was a gale, a blizzard, a sign of change...it was eternity, it was zero...It was, is and always will be indescribable, unimaginable and incredible to behold.
"Do you hear that?...That's the sound of The Black Wind..." The Anthro suddenly said in an ominously calm voice. He tightened his grip slightly and tensed his muscles slightly as the mech began to move and the pilot yelled at him, but those curses and insults fell on deaf ears. "Hmph. Howl all you wish...Death is nothing to the reaper!" And with that last warcry the fiery Anthro shot fowards, streaking through the air like a fireball, a single glint that was his blade.
And...as a shot was fired from the mech and all was blinded by the flash of light it caused...that glint too became a streak...
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Nice, I like it, though to be honest I wish you would do more flames stories.
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A Human Void-Preview
"I'm here standing on the edge of the abyss, staring up...at where the full moon should be..." A lone figure, their voice floating on the harsh wind, speaks...
"Blood, crimson blood: flowing in a river through a valley...both born out of hate and despair."
A darkness more vile and detestable than anything of this mortal realm rears its roaring head...
"Emptiness, eternal sorrow...I shall make them feel my lonliness and despair...!"
Nothing and everything, terrible and beautiful; a conflct threatens to tear the world in two...
"Pain, such pain brought by pathetic emotions...I shall start a new age!"
Love lost, rage unleashed: Death and more death shall be the only result...
"Life is worthless without that one person...To die engulfed in misery or be reborn as the future?"
One individual ponders on a decision that could end all life as we know it...
Be afraid, be very afraid...Nothing is eternal, nothing is sacred; there exists only a void where the moon and the heart should be...!
(Tezz, I've been trying to. In any case, reread The Black Wind...who said that it had nothing to do with Flames?)
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Nice new addition
(if It had to do with flames is hard to tell he isnt mentioned at all, at least by name. I cant just assume that anthro could be him)
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*Yawns* Woah, it's been ages since I last wrote! Well, I had best see what I can scrounge up and throw together...
SoulRevolution-Special Preview
A dark shadow stands tall against the setting sun, the light forming a crimson halo around the figure: a hauntingly beautiful yet ominous sight to behold. A slight gust of wind blows, scattering the early autumn leaves to and fro, forming an intricate dance as they roll over one another before they fall, their rustling the only sound to disrupt the tranquil silence. There is a tremor, a change of flow in the air, so slight one could easily mistake it for something they only imagined.
The leaves suddenly become still, even as the wind slowly blows with more force, the breeze becoming stronger, colder, harsher. A flicker is seen near the figure, one so brief it could have easily been a trick of the light and nothing more...
The Sun retreats cautiously under the horizon, the halo around the figure fading at an oddly faster speed. The cloaked figure, face hidden in the darkest of shadow, grips the clothing closer to their body as the wind sends ripples streaming through it in an almost hypnotising manner.
The figure slowly straightens up, gloved fists clenched tight. Their eyes open, shining from within the shadows, absorbing the sights of their surroundings: a great stretch of grassy land, the occasional tree, the land far below the cliff-like edge they stood on and a city down below, in the distance reflecting what little sunlight remained.
Light vanished a few moments later, and a blanket of darkness engulfing the visible world. A howling gale started to form, making its presence known and in that instance, with a sudden blurred movement, the figure vanished from their position. Had there been anyone nearby at the time, they might have noticed a shape falling down towards the land below, a speck of fire-like light beside it...
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Nobody
Monday morning: dreary, dull, and drowning in boring routine after boring routine. People get up, eat, read the paper, go to work, get yelled at and return home glumly with a blank expression. Day in, day out: a cycle everyone seems to follow...that is, except for Nobody.
Dark clouds and dense smog blot out the sky as the putrid smells of the city choke him, this Nobody. Looking down, shuffling through the crowd, never noticed, never cares. Treading on litter, crossing congested roads, not once looking up, not once smiling or talking to someone or doing anything but walk.
He is surrounded by the crowds, engulfed in a sea of routine-obsessed people, yet Nobody remains more alone than Lonliness herself. Time passes, people come and go, doing the same actions, going to the same places...Grey buildings meet the sky, frustrated drivers punch out their horns, tires screech, birds flee and a starving cat raids through a dustbin noisily. Same people, same sights too...Nothing ever changes and nothing ever will. This Nobody knows all to well.
A muffled bang, then silence. Nobody hears not the city sounds, nor sees the disgrace to decent life around him. He never utters a word or changes his expression as his body slowly falls, the dull world speckled red, the choking stench replaced with a very different scent. With a slight thud he lands, still unnoticed, on the dirty pavement, eyes hollow.
Nobody is no more, just another forgotten face on the news.
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Wow... so, barren... Makes me feel so hopeless...
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Inner Struggle
People call me crazy, insane, a madman, a threat to society...their descriptions vary, but they all react the same when I finally decide to tell them...
Ah, you have no idea what I'm on about, do you? I'll explain in all due time. You see, I often react very differently to most in an emotionally-straining situation. My emotions and sanity go haywire and what should have been a simple disagreement or slight pain becomes a fully-fledged whirlwind of ("almost") multiple personalities, heartbreak, roaring, bleeding, and a tidal wave of sorrow...This is not normal, and it has led to much of the pain I have suffered in life, as I screwup my words and loose everything: Trust, dignity, honour, friends, family...and the love of my life...
Hm? You're starting to back away a bit...*Laughs bitterly* I haven't even started my explanation of why this happens and why everyone thinks I am insane...maybe I am, maybe we all are...*Twisted smile* What is "sane" anyway?
Now...sit down and listen well to my lil' story. It's worthwhile to find out what makes people like me tick after all...
My story begins when I was but a child and a very arrogant, annoying one at that. Known by all my classmates as the "know-it-all" and by adults as such meaningless terms like "gifted", "talented" and "mature". Mature? Yeah right. I was always sure that I was right, so certain of my importance, so uncaring towards others...intelligent enough to gain praise yet not enough to realise the error of my ways.
But then things changed...
The so-called experts say trauma, intense stress and unbearable emotions can change a person should they all come together at once...since then I have experienced many such occurances, but none changed me like that first major shock to my worldview. The impact was incredible. Much of my old personality remained but I gradually lost my old traits, habits and views. I started putting other people first and it got to the point where I became very shy, had a lack of pride in myself, thought all my close friends infinitely better than me and I blamed myself for everything...
I was steadily losing my sanity over the years, but it wasn't until I became a self-loathing wreck that my sanity went out the window. The people I cared most for gave me a reason to hate myself, the one I loved inflicting scar after scar on my soul.
I had took all I could take and now, as an adult, all Hell went loose...
(To be edited/continued later)
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wow.... jeez... sounds so lonely. You really are good Flames honey.
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Hehe, thanks. :"> (Inner Struggle may be continued at a later date)
Weary...
Thud, thud, thud. My heavy feet fall hard onto the earth with every slow step. Thud, thud, thud. The sound of my heart weakly pumping my remaining blood around my battered and bruised body. Thud, thud, thud. A throbbing series of aches pulsing with a life of their own...
It's been too long.
I've lost count of how long it's been since I first set out, how long since I could just sit back and relax. Time slips out of my worn and scarred paws, dissolving into nothingness, a trick of the light.
I've been walking so long, so far, so much that I no longer remember why I set out in the first place. My once swift and enthusiastic pace reduced to this weary plodding forward, my very bones ready to give up and collapse.
I have been through so much: battles on a grand scale I could never have imagined, ardous and tedious quests that seemed to stretch both Time and Space out before me...so much I have done, yet so little remains. My clothing is torn and ragged, my very flesh limply hanging onto my body. Once-vibrant fur is but a shadow of its former glory, hardened blood and patches of grey now a common sight.
It's been too long.
Exhausted, wounded and out of luck, the thuds slowly stop; my eyes bloodshot and hollow. I've been through more than most could ever even comprehend, let alone withstand. With that thought and what might be my last breath, I sag down, ready to collapse when something suddenly makes my ears twitch. Sound. I ignore it, my body steadily yielding to my weariness. More sound. I pause, my eyes blinkly slightly as I raise my head, a familiar sight on the horizon and, more importantly, a very familiar figure running towards me.
With a sudden rush of energy I get to my feet and run towards that sight, heart beating wildly, breathes frantic, face beaming.
It's been too long.
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wow... :shcoked: that's intense. Very heartfelt. Keep going.
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Yes, very emotional indeed. It's great to see that there is some light at the end of that path of your, and that short story showed it masterfully.
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Well, I decided to give a little insight into why Flames continues to fight time after time, against all odds...
An Eternal Promise
Silence. Emptiness. Alone. These are concepts you'll never truly understand during your lifetime, or even over countless lifetimes like me...No, the only way you'll be able to even start comprehending them is here, in the Void. Only here in this god-forsaken darkness that smothers and chokes you beyond death...it is only here that you'll understand what being alone truly is.
I've been alone for most of my existence: alive, dead and imbetween. But I'm not a demi-god, a being from above or whatever other powerful vision of a hero takes your fancy. I'm not an invincible warrior, I'm just like everyone else: fragile. I cannot survive alone and I cannot bear this constant fighting, the anguish I've been through. I've seen entire Universe's die, seen Gods erase things from existence, I've seen everyone I care about die slowly one by one. I've felt what it's like to be ripped apart by a Black Hole, I've felt my limbs be blasted off with searing plasma, I've had more weaponry pierce my heart than the Milky Way has stars.
And yet...I still go through with it each time, regardless of what I remember, where I am, who I am, what I am or even whatever rubbish the Gods try to trick me with next when I wake up again. People seem to think it's because of my morals, my determination, my noble attributes and incredible will...to some extent they're right, but no person (unless they are a demi-god in their own right), no matter how noble...nobody can rely on just those ideals for even the strongest wills tend to break eventually...
"And yet here I stand," you're probably thinking. The reason I am here is because I made a promise. To be honest, I made a seemingly never-ending list of promises; most I kept, some I broke. I hate breaking promises with all my heart and soul, I really do.
One promise in particular...one I made so long ago it seems like naught but a faded dream...before my first "death", before I joined the Resistance...I'm starting to believe that this promise may have been made before I was even born during Xan's reign in 24XX, maybe in a past life, maybe in the pre-life...
I may not know the exact details nor can I place when it happened, however...it is something part of me always remembers no matter what damage is done, no matter what havoc is unleashed on my memory...
A promise made not in words or thoughts or even emotions...A promise made on the core level of souls in response to something I cannot understand nor remember...but that untranslateable promise remains imbedded in my very soul.
An eternal promise: Wounds, love, death and the dissaproval of the Gods doesn't matter, this promise shall hold true for all of time............I do all I can to keep my promises, no matter what the personal cost.
"I won't hesitate...If an enemy appears before me, I'll destroy it, even if it costs me my life!"
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very good, Flames. I like it.
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(Sorry about the shortness of An Eternal Promise everyone, it was originally going to be longer)
I've updated Inner Struggle, although it remains incomplete. Anywho, onwards to my next piece.
Warning: The following Oneshot contains angst, betrayal, darkness and content unsuitable for optimists.
...No more
I'm at my limit, the world pushed too hard. I can barely contain this feeling, an emotion you made. Rage, sorrow, abandonment, self-loathing...
All the ingredients for disaster cooked by a heartless chef seasoned with my own tears and blood. You know who you are, how much I currently despise you. Once the closest to my heart and now the one who left me in the dark...No more.
The world is a sadistic place of fun and games, the most popular of which allows involves mind, body, heart and soul. You trashed my sanity like an unwanted toy and made me bleed out my body as I screamed in anguish to a red full moon. You shattered my heart into a thousand pieces before everyone I knew, trampling the shards underfoot as you walked away. You corrupted my soul, made me a hollow shell: a puppet, a doll, a dog's chew-toy; all whilst I hated myself and hid far away.
...No more.
Every step I take fills me with rage as I endure the countless mocking cries of this faceless crowd, these humans who are worse than demons, foul jackals feasting on the mangled corpse of one crushed by this world.
The self-blaming is over: I start to jog.
My pathetic remorse and unbearable sorrow shall end today: the jog becomes a frenzied run.
No longer shall I suffocate alone in the darkness, unsure of what is right and wrong: the demonic jackals flee, their cries of terror instead of glee.
I'm at my limit, you went far too far: my torment is the tidal wave destroying your home, my insanity is the tornado rushing and crushing its own path, my rage the vision of Hell smouldering all in an eternal symphony of destruction as you no longer laugh...
...No more.
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Early Apocalypse
A harsh wind blows through darkened skies, sweeping through silent cities like a flood as the thunderclouds gather, blotting out both Sun and Moon around the world. A stench most revolting, the essence of a rotting planet, pollutes the air like the thickest smog, turning lungs black and shriveled.
People everywhere, young and old, are barely moving, all hobbling and coughing and vomitting as if plagued by an epidemic disease. Some fall to the ground, writhing in agony. Others pray to their God or Gods, their pleas of help falling on deaf ears. But most are frozen, staring fearfully at the sky above as lighting briefly flashes, illuminating a darkened figure standing atop the tip of a skyscraper.
Silence. Sound fades away from reality as a barrage of lightning bolts lay waste to the distant land, illuminating the figure once more as he spreads out his arms and shouts down to the people below: "You had one last chance to set things straight and you all blew it. The End is not yet upon you, but I decided to give you all a present this year considering how you treated me; just your average lonely teenager..." At this point he made a swift series of gestures, causing a tornado to spiral into life not too far away as a tidal wave near the coast crashed through town after town, drowning them all in murky water.
"This year you'll be recieving your Apocalypse a few decades early. Happy Judgement everyone, I hope you're prepared for your permanant vacation...in Hell!" And with that he bid goodbye to the world and, more specifically, the people who had pushed him too far...
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^^ He sounds ticked. (normally, I'd say calm it down, but I like the way he handled it.)
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Eternally Ashamed, Eternally Sorry
Darkness all around, a greater numbness I have never felt. This pain within this torture means nothing to me anymore, I'm just curled up here, on the floor. I see my firneds in the midst of this darkness but one by one they vanish away. One into a pool of brightest blood, another into a pool of saltiest tears. One by on they all turn into vapour, leaving me alone to my self-destruction.
I brought this all upon my self and worse still I brought this all onto the people I care for. I'm a monster in human form and I hate it, I loathe what I am with every fibre of me being and then some more again. The few who I have yet to harm are there trying to assure me, comfort me; they have no idea what this is about. I was born into this world as a selfish, evil excuse for a living being and no amount of friendship, love or attempts to reform will ever change that.
Humans make mistakes, but I make disasters. I have hurt those I care most for in a way I never could have imagined. One hangs on the edge of life, the other I have inflicted such great agony on it makes me vomit.
Unwilling to live, unable to end it all and die; all I can do is curl up into a corner far, far away, locked up and put under heavy guard, hoping and hoping that I will never harm again, never cause such grief.
This pain, I deserve it, I only wish that this pain was mine alone. Those I have hurt in any way over the course of my lifetime, they don't deserve such treatment, such betrayal. Oh powers that rule this sick world, if you exist, surely you would take their pain and clean history for their sake? It matters not if the combined forces of their pain cripple me, it matters not if my new life is worse than an immortal, never-ending hell in which I suffer eternal damnation!
Just...don't let them suffer. Everything is and always will be, my fault. Apologies aren't enough, neither is honour or sacrifices or even the world's finest gifts. This damage is one wound time will never heal. Eternally Ashamed, Eternally Sorry...
(to be finished/re-wrote ASAP)
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Accursed Flames - Waiting
People have some very strange ideas about where you go when you die. Some believe you join with the Gods in dezth, others preach on how you'll burn in Hell for all eternity and a few say that your soul reincarnates. Variations of these ideas often cropped up when I asked people on my travels, with only one or two radically different ideas; but that was about to change...
It was here in the little-known town of Setsu that I first heard tale of the so-called "Dark Inferno", Accursed Flames. I had luckily chanced upon a wise old woman retelling an ancient legend within a tavern when my interest was first captured. Setsu had many legends the outside world knew naught about, so I naturally chose to listen to her tale. Nothing about it struck me as odd until she was close to finishing her story:
"...and it is there, in the infinitely lonely and eternally empty Void beyond life nor death, it was there that the Dark Inferno waits for us, ready to decide our fate as he constantly fights his bitter foe who very nearly destroyed all life as we know it. The Dark Inferno knows not happiness or company, only the frozen blizzard of isolation and the corrupted flame of his anguish. A finer mage nor warrior there was none, for in his lifetime he was Accursed Flames: a mortal who had his very soul cursed, along with others, by his foe. He survived against all odds and after 50 hard years he threw his life away to undo the danage wreaked upon the world by his foe...but that is a tale for another time..."
And with that she left, leaving behind a spellbound audience, captivated not by the story as much as the sheer power she put into her words, somehow capturing the legend and projecting the images directly into our minds.
I had to know more, it was if the notion of this cursed being forever waiting alone in the Void, still trying to vanquish his foe, had stirred something in the depths of my soul.
Mentally counting down my days left in this world, I set out after the woman...
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Very interesting brother. :)
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Agreed ~nods head to Vince's statement~
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The following is very loosely based on a dream I had and more may be added later:
Eternal Drifter
Crunch, crunch, pitter patter and the blare of a horn...Even now so little has changed as I crush the snow underfoot with my worn-out boots, ploughing through the constant fall of snow; ignoring both man and vehicle as I aimlessly continue walking through the frozen streets. A second ice age was coming, or so the self-proclaimed experts had said. What a joke, what good was this information now? Had it been spread but 20 or 30 years ago Earth might still have had a chance...
Mentally cursing mankind and the generation before me who had ruined the world, I continue walking, not feeling the subzero temperatures. Those few still outside in their countless layers of thick clothing can only stare in shock as I casually stroll through the town wearing a shirt and an old leather jacket that wasn't even zipped up.
It's been far too long that I have been alone, endlessly drifting with neither purpose nor a heart...I had frozen that useless organ long ago, back when everything had gone wrong...
How long ago was it now? What year is it...2014? Hmph, 5 years or so, huh? And yet I am still alive on this planet, despite the overwhelming odds stacked against me, despite my only support being the bag on my back and despite my only source of income being what little I could do from town to town.
Even in such harsh conditions where I tend to get barely one square meal a week and struggle to survive, I don't wish I could go back and change things. Nay, not anymore...
Once upon an accursed moon ago I always wanted to turn back the clock and prevent getting hurt, preventing my mistakes...I could laugh at how I acted now were it not for my body no longer knowing how to or indeed, the point of laughing. Laughing wouldn't get me to the next town, regreting the past would only slow me down; the wishes and hopes of making amends naught but delusional fantasies getting in my way. I know my path by now and I'll walk it all the way through hell with barely a blink: I've felt far worse during my pathetic existence.
I still blame myself for that incident, nay, for every little thing that ever went wrong with anyone. Old habits die hard and it seems that saying holds true now despite everything else in this sadistic game called Life being a lie.
I should know better by now, especially considering how I was able to break every other habit, like and dislike which made up my personality; stamping them into dried earth, never to be seen again.
I gaze onwards into the veil of falliing snow, eyes even colder and devoid of life than the lethal grip of the ice age to come, all warmth and humanity faded away as I can only stare; thinking, moving, barely alive.
Gunfire. A scream. Another death, another faceless person wiped off the planet. It doesn't concern me unless that person had a bounty on their head I could have collected...it's as good a source of income as any other and I do accept such bounties from time to time. If I succeed I earn enough to continue my aimless journey, if I die in a fight, my journey takes me off this doomed planet: It's a win-win situation for me.
...It's becoming harder to lie to myself with every passing day, you know? I've known it along...heh heh...I always knew I wasn't entirely to blame, that not everything that happened to others was my fault; that all these years blaming myself and ruining my life over it were for no reason.
But I refused to accept it and I sank to being this pitiful creature that I am today, a wreck nobody would ever recognise as the person I was 5 years ago. And...
I prefer it that way.
This...this is my ideal world: simply me and an endless road with infinite possible routes to take in life...no social interactions, no need to hide my true nature behind the various cloaks civilisation hides its weapons behind; concealing daggers and poison behind their "law" and "order". How foolish.
In my world I am free, truly free; with no government, taxes, laws, regulations or group morals to hold me back. Should anyone b3 so inclined as to punish me forever by attempting to force "rules" upon me...they'll meet their short end here in the pure and innocent snow, the price of their mistake tainting that innocence a shadowy red.
A world with no limits, no expectations to meet and an eternity to explore to your heart's content. A world in which punishments are always served, where you know full well what sort of scum you are and don't protest as your life goes down the drain. A world where no veil obscures your view, where the gritty truths of the Universe lie in plain sight and you don't have to walk on by in ignorance...
Drifting aimlessly for the rest of my no doubt short life as punishment therefore is not so bad. An endless tempest strikes down from above on my doomed and shattered soul, but I am free none-the-less, even as a drag the heavy burden of my actions through the deep snow; where I could slip on hidden ice at any moment.
This is my fate...and the will of all decent life...
<Unfinished, please be patient>
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Awwh... That one was very sad bro.
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This was wrote during one of my brief depressed/self-loathing phases a while ago...I'm better now:
True Identity: Virus
I've been blind, an ignorant fool unable to see the truth laid before me. As dim as the midnight sky, a detestable smudge on humanity. My blindness is almost as shameful as the truth I've ignored for so long, only grasping my true nature as a living being when I looked beyond the mirror, beyond what I believed and what others thought of me...
I am a virus
A parasite, a leech; a cold, barely alive cell draining others for my own needs: a virus. I've been infecting all those around me without realising it, relying on their support to further my wretched existence. Just like those tiny cells who can only exist within other (living) cells, I too exist only by draining the energy and happiness of those around me. They don't even realise what I am, refusing (much like I did) to see beyond this humanoid shell, to see the mindless organism intent only on furthering its existence, on multiplying...
Living this lousy imitation of life, harming all I care about, unable to exist without hosts to feed on...I am a living paradox, a virus who can think for itself and can emulate human emotions...
This is my design flaw. Viruses aren't supposed to have a mind, heart or soul...My one purpose is to infect others and multiply, but I cannot do it. No, I cannot continue to hurt others like this just to continue my agonising existence. If only I had not inflicted so much damage already; if only I had known sooner and released my parasite-like hold on those I care about...
It's not too late!
I can save them. I can end my suffering and more importantly, their's. Heh heh heh...a virus can't survive outside a living cell...it can't survive alone in this harsh world, exposed to the elements and countless cells designed to destroy them.
In my last moments I remember better times and ponder on the nature of these humanoid viruses...so identical to humans, yet they only mindlessly destroy nature and all around them...Not long now, my vision is fading slightly...heh heh heh huh?
Humans...?
Viruses?
Nay...I was wrong...about everything.
Humans...and viruses; two very different organisms, right?
In my last moments as the world goes black, my eyes widen in shock with sudden realisation:
They are one and the same...
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Very interesting piece bro. So sad, yet still interesting. I can't find the right words to describe it.
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Eternal Drifter has been updated.
(And to avoid drama, that piece of writing is not true nor does it specifically reference to any real people and the emotions/mood of this piece do not necessarily reflect my current mood)