Take a look!

I've started a new blog everyone.

I've already begun work on a novel and I'll be posting weekly chapters on the new blog for everyone to read until I'm finished writing. Here's a bit of what it's about:

Jason Brand is new to town and hates it. Due to an angry outburst in an argument with his father he discovers something that changes everything. 

In no time he's teamed up with Gretta (a girl from school) and investigating the hidden past of Ulster County and the even more unusual present. Suddenly a secret is revealed that puts him right in the middle of the maelstrom and he'll have to adjust because one thing is becoming increasingly clear . . . 

This is his home now.

 Please give the entire first chapter a read through and let me know what you think. If you like it then share it and all that jazz.

Now, this doesn't mean that I'm finished with Unusual Circumstances or Obviam Vita. In fact they may be updated more often then usual.

I so hope you enjoy it and I'll catch you people later.

-Timothy

Flashback 213: Adjusting Part 3 -Christina-

"Hey, do you think you could go to the store?"

I laid the controller on the floor and pulled myself to my feet, "I guess. There's no more milk anyway." I stopped at the door as I grabbed my coat, "I think I'm going to grab a candy bar."

"Cookies n' Cream?" He stood and walked over to me. Placing his hands on my waist, he leaned in.

"Of course." I kissed him lightly and then slipped out the door.

As I made my way down the stairs I slipped on my coat. Almost a year had passed since he'd found me in that store and saved my life, but I still wasn't used to any display of affection yet. He was probably the only person that could get away with anything with out losing a limb, but normally even a hug put me on edge. I swooped down to grab an empty can off the street and looked ahead for a source of disposal. There it was, about five blocks away was a nearly full trash can that had just enough room.

Two children that I'd seen here before stopped to stare at me as they always did. I didn't like children and found enjoyment in making their jaws drop. At least it stopped them from staring. I pulled my arm back and threw the can with as much force as I could muster.

A loud boom was heard as the can zipped through the air, smashed in to the diamond grating of the trash can and stuck there. I glanced at the children and grinned at the way their mouths hung.

"Remember, pick up your trash." Then I turned and continued my way to the store.

I don't ever want things to be the way they had been at the academy again. I was never free to do things that I wanted to. I was trained to fight and never anything else. He had taken the time to teach me that the world wasn't just a terrible place where war ruled. He taught me to let my guard down enough to enjoy the world around me. He showed me a sunset for the first time and then taught me how to walk to the beach so I could see it again at anytime.

Video games. He gave me them so that I could relieve my anger in a way that wasn't a felony. I was a master at almost every one he put in front of me except Super Smash Bros. Brawl; I could never beat him in that no matter how many times I forced him to miss work so that we could keep going. He was right though, I didn't feel like punching anything that moved. I was even okay with people accidentaly touching me, and I didn't think of humans as lower than myself. In fact, I had come to realize that they had became the reigning species not because of an accident, but because they deserved it. I found myself feeling proud about their accomplishments, almost as if they were my own; as if I were human.

The shop owner was sitting outside of the store and as I approached he waved, "Well, how are you this morning?"

I returned the wave, "I'm just here to grab some milk and maybe some of those delicious candy bars of yours."

"That's good, I got a new shipment today. Just go inside, Darrel will take care of you."

I stepped in the store and walked to the milk. One thing I really loved about humans was the invention of air conditioning, which this place had neglected in purchasing. My candy bars were probably melted. I carried the milk to the front register and grabbed three cookies n' cream bars.

"Christina! Hey, How's the man?" That's what Darrel referred to him as, probably because they once played games together and Darrel was so bad that I had to look away.

" I think he's okay, he seems happy." I shrugged. Human emotions still confused me a lot. I could never tell the difference between happy and indifferent, but I tried to pretend I understood.

"Well, we should get together sometime. I've been practicing."

"Let me see your hands." I leaned over the counter as he raised his fingers.

The wear from playing games was nowhere on his fingers and not a single controller blister could be seen. I leaned back and laughed at him, "Not enough practice, but I'll see when he has time for you."

"Oh come on, you always say that."

"And you always lose." I grabbed the change from the counter and smiled as I walk past the store owner.

I enjoyed this life we'd made. I was smiling when we were together and peaceful when we were apart. I loved walking to the store and making dinner when I brought it home. My favorite movie at the moment was Mrs. Doubtfire, and I enjoyed the band Poets Of the Fall more than any other band out there. I didn't have to worry about having my life in danger at every moment of the day, which was more relaxing than I had thought it would be.

I turned the corner on to my street and I knew something was off. Ahead of me stood three people, a tall dark skinned man, a small child with a look of fear on her face and then there was him. He was defending the child. I knew it because that was the kind of person he was. He would do what ever he could to help someone and even some things that he couldn't do. He'd helped me because I looked like I didn't belong, and he didn't even crack a smile as I told him all about my life. He was the kind of person who was born to be the hero, even though he wasn't built for it.

The air was wrong. This situation was wrong, and as I dropped the milk to run over I noticed what it was. The man he was defending the girl from was a fairy and the young girl was anything but. As I raced toward him the girl lifted up in to the air, attached by a thin string of muscle to the man. It was its tail and he was their prey.

The tail grabbed him tight, restricting his movements and the fairy swung its arm straight through his chest. I was close enough to smell the blood, as the fairy raised the heart of the only person I truly cared about to his mouth and bit down.

"This one was good. Very . . . defiant, and strong. He was very tasty on my tongue." He hadn't realized that I was closing in, but he would soon.

The rage flowed forward, unlike anything I'd ever felt. In mere seconds everything that I'd learned had been torn to shreds in front of me. There was no amount of gaming that was going to release this tension. I knew of only one way to make the pain go away and I wasn't even sure if that would work. I felt empty and I filled the emptiness with rage. All the pain and suffering I was feeling slid along until it rested at the edge of my fist. For some reason I felt that would make my fist swing faster, hit harder; I felt that it would erase the emptiness once the rage was gone. I knew I was wrong.

"HIS NAME . . . " I was running full force as I pulled back my fist. The creature finally noticed me but it was very late, and it knew it.

I swung my fist forward with a force that left my ears ringing, "WAS SAMUEL!"

I felt the fairy's surprised face vaporize as my hand collided with its head. Fairy blood sprayed across the buildings along the street as the creature's body hit the ground. The tail screamed and tried to run, but was stopped by the weight of the body. I flicked my wrist, cleaning it of the blood and leaving a light, red stain in its place.

The fairy tail screamed as I crushed its head with my boot, but I didn't care. Samuel was dead.

202: Black Baggers -Alice-

The grass beneath my feet felt cool and comfortable as the world around me came to focus. I found myself standing in a grove of trees outside of a massive building that looked like something out of ancient lore.

Ben had tried to explain everything and had told me how important it was that I find Alex, but now that I was in the Other Lands, everything seemed vibrant and interesting. Every sight tugged on my curiosity and filled me with awe.

The Other Lands seemed like Earth before humans covered most of the globe; natural and filled with a beauty not seen in many years. The large building I was next to didn't stick out against the natural beauty, instead it was built specifically to emphasize the world around it. I stared at the massive structure, my eyes following the flowing terraces and the columns that lined the walkway to the entrance.

The more I stood there looking, the more I noticed the silence of the place. The more I noticed the silence, the more unsettling it became. There were no noises from within this giant building. The air of abandonment was very evident as I stepped up to the entrance and read the words above it aloud, "The Academy." My voice echoed off the walls of the building.

I pushed on the heavy oaken doors and was surprised that I didn't flow straight through them. For the first time since I'd gotten here, I noticed that most of my ghostly properties were gone. I was still slightly translucent, but I couldn't travel through solid objects like I could on Earth. Here, I could feel my mortality, while on Earth I lacked the feeling of being alive. I knew as if by instinct that I could die here and I shuddered to think of what happened then.

The doors opened easy, swinging wide and slamming loudly against the walls. Stepping into the hallway, the first thing I noticed was the mess. It looked as though a battle had taken place inside this building, complete with broken furniture and dark brown bloodstains splattered on the walls. The place became intensely more creepy on the inside, but I was still led by my curiosity.

The door opened into a hallway and that hallway opened into a large courtyard. The plants of the courtyard had become overgrown, making it difficult to see across to the other side. The paths had survived the overgrowth, leaving natural hallways with walls of dense plant life. The sight was as breathtaking as it was disturbing. No one had been through these halls in many years. No one had been here to take care of the garden or clean up the place.

I climbed over a fallen archway and made my way down the path behind it. After a few minutes, I found myself staring at a tall, naked man standing in the middle of the walkway. The man was very pale and thin; skin hanging on his bones like clothes on a clothesline. His face was completely covered with what looked like a black, plastic bag tied tight around his neck. Even as I approached, the man didn't move. He just stood there, his arms slack at his sides and his head tilted as though looking at the floor.

I was terrified by the sight of him. He stood there still and silent, his chest not even moving to draw a breath. I pushed myself against the walls of green as I squeezed past, never taking my eyes off his thin frame. Who ever and what ever it was had left me utterly shaken, forcing me to increase the distance between me and it. I quickly turned my back to it and continued down the pathway.

I had made it about ten feet when a noise behind me made me freeze. I felt the blood drain from my face and my heart leap into my throat. I stood quietly listening for any sounds of movement. Hearing nothing I slowly turned around, and found myself staring at the black-bagged man. He stood three feet behind me unmoving again. He was facing in my direction, his head tilted like a curious child, though it was anything but endearing. The shock of him being so close nearly made me scream, but I grabbed my mouth. I fought to keep it in, fearful that if I did scream, what ever this thing was would hear me. The silence of the courtyard filled my ears as I sat there staring at the naked man.

Then it moved.

Slowly it stepped forward, so slowly that at first glance you would have never noticed. Even though the black bag kept me from seeing its face, I could tell it was staring at me. I began to crawl backwards, desperate to get away from the horror of its presence.

The further I moved away, the faster the black-bagged man moved. I spun to my feet and began to run, no longer trying to be silent. Fear filled me as I heard its heavy footfalls behind me. It was running too. I didn't glance behind me knowing that it was only a few feet away.

To the right near the ground I spotted an opening in the plants and dived through it. I pressed myself against the opposite wall as the man's arms stretched through the opening toward me. It tried to pull itself through the small opening, but soon quit trying when it realized it was too big. I breathed a sigh of relief. The relief didn't last long.

An ear-splitting scream, like something from the depths of Hell exploded from the pathway the creature was on. The sheer volume of the sound caused the sudden onset of a painful headache. When the sound had faded away another sound took its place. From all directions, the sounds of distant muffled screams slowly filled the silence.

This place was infested with these black-bagged people, and now they were all looking for me.

199: Life For A Life -Crystal-

I can't say I wasn't nervous. What would I say? How would I explain? The phone rang into my ear as I waited.

It felt like forever before someone picked up.

"Hello?" It was a gruff male voice, one I didn't recognize.

"Um, is William Ferguson there?"

"He's a little," the voice pulled away from the phone for a moment and then returned, "preoccupied at the moment."

"It's important that I talk to him immediately. Please put him on the phone."

"You wouldn't happen to be Crystal, would you?"

My heart sank. Something was wrong. How could this person possibly know me?

"Just put my Daddy on the phone. Please."

The voice laughed, "Sure thing." Again the voice moved away from the phone, "Hey! It's your daughter, she wants to talk to you. You can take it? All right." The voice returned, "He says he can take it. Just let me remove the duct tape."

A yelp of pain echoed through the phone followed by a stern "quiet" from the man on the phone. Some more shuffling and then a voice came over the phone, one I recognized.

"Hello?" I couldn't help but tear up when I heard his voice, "I don't know what kind of sick joke you're playing bu-"

"Daddy, do you remember what Mommy told us before she died? She was laying there pale and weak; so weak that she couldn't hold my hand. I was crying and you were trying to hide your sadness for me even though I could always see it. Do you remember?"

"How did you-" He sounded surprised.

"Daddy, she told you that the best moments of her life were the years she spent with you. She said," painful memories stung me to the bone, "She said that even though she'd only had a few years to spend with us, she couldn't imagine another life she would have rather lived."

"Oh my God." I could hear the surprise in his voice, "Crystal. How?"

"That's not all, then she looked at me and told me to love with everything I had. Then she closed her eyes, Daddy, she closed her eyes for the last time."

"You- you sound older. How did this happen? When can I see yo-", I heard a loud thunk as he was cut off. "THAT'S ENOUGH!" The other voice returned.

"So, I have a message to you from Patrick." The voice was very calm and dangerous, "By now, you've probably found that all your money is gone, right? That's why you had to call here."

They had my Daddy; Patrick had my Father. I felt the blood rush from my face as I whispered into the phone, "Yes."

"He thought you would, so I was told to wait here until you called and then tell you this." He laughed lightly, "Patrick says, 'A life for a life.' "

I heard him put the phone down and in the distance I heard my Daddy's voice, "Crystal, I love yo-"

The loud bang of a gun echoed through the phone.

187: Fear Of Ham -Christina-

"Well, I did not expect you to drop in."

"Bob?"

My dragon and I had crashed through several walls, and now stood in a large room with a pool of red liquid in the middle. The dragon had not survived the crash, but I got through with only a few bruises. Standing in the middle of the pool was Bob, waist deep in the fluid.

"Bob, what are you doing here?" I staggered to my feet, feeling exhaustion take hold.

"Did everyone seriously think that the Abhorians could unite together and start a war? They're barbarians; they don't have the intelligence to do anything like that."

I fell to my knees. The crash had hurt me more than I'd realized, "We have to get out of here, Bob. I need medical attention."

"No, that wouldn't be possible."

"What? I could die, Bob. Please, help me get out of here."

"The answer is no. Just die so I don't have to deal with your whining." Bob cupped his hands in the fluid and poured it over his head.

"Why? Why won't you help me? We're allies."

"Allies?", Bob scoffed, "You must have hit harder than it looked. I'm not your ally, I'm your enemy."

"That's impossible! Why?" I tried to stand again, only to fail.

"At the academy, I was weak. No one feared me, so my power never left the confines of my mind and when it did, the opponent always got the upper hand somehow. I tried everything and failed. I was given the lowest scores and put into the lower tier because I never showed my true potential."

"You left because you were weak?" I finally was able to get to my feet, but had to lean against the wall.

"I left because it wasn't fair. I pleaded with the teachers to give me a chance to use my powers to the fullest, but they never gave in. They told me that if my power did not activate than the fault was mine. I did not accept that, and I vowed to take my revenge."

"You're a filthy traitor, and a weakling." I was breathing heavily but slowly the pain in my head began to subside.

Bob laughed, "The system is flawed. The people with out abilities are executed when they reach nineteen, and the weakest of us are sent to the mines. There is no equality in the system, it's the strong survive and the weak are forgotten. I would gladly become a traitor to that."

"So, why the villages? Why the human settlements?" I had to keep him distracted till my head was clear enough for me to find a way out, or I was recovered enough to kill the bastard.

"I don't discriminate. Instead of allowing only the strong to survive, I'm just going to kill everything. First the Gods, then the human settlements, and finally the Sprites; none of them will survive."

"You're sick." My knees buckled and I almost fell to the floor again, "How are you controlling the Abhorians?"

"I'm the God of Fear, Christina. When I'm in the presence of these Abhorians, things change. My ability becomes supercharged. These creatures allow me to do things I'd never thought possible. I can show you, tell me . . . what do you fear most?"

Immediately, Mardockt surfaced in my thoughts. I felt goosebumps on my arms just thinking about what he'd become. Just Mardockt's eyes after the resurrection filled me with a dread I'd never knew could exist.

"That's very unusual. Why would you fear him? Why Mardockt? Isn't he dead?" His eyes widened, "Mardockt isn't dead, is he? Something else happened that forced him to be exiled. I wonder if he left for the same reason I did?"

"Bob, don't." My voice had no strength.

"Well, no matter, I'll take care of that later. Right now, I'm going to help you with your fear. Once I do that then maybe I can convince you to join me. With your strength, maybe I wouldn't have to worry about losing this war."

"I'll never join you, Bob. I'd sooner kill myself than become a murderer."

"You're already becoming a murderer! Once you earn some say on council matters, then you'll do the same things they do. They train us for this our entire lives, Christina. They make us in to them and then we make the next generation in to us." Bob's face had gone red with anger.

"This isn't the right way, Bob. This is wrong, can't you feel that?" My headache was nearly gone but my knees still shook beneath my weight.

Bob waved his hand toward me, "Maybe you'll think differently when you're not controlled by your fear."

A new headache erupted and I fell to the ground. The stone against my cheek only served to make the headache worse.

"The pain won't last long, Christina. You'll be better than fine. You'll be powerful, unstoppable. Nothing will - Oof!"

I looked through my pain-filled eyes to see Patrick standing where Bob had been. Bob was pulling himself to his feet and sneering at Patrick, "You shouldn't interrupt while I'm inside your friend's head, anything could go wrong if I make a mistake. You wouldn't want her to be a vegetable, would you?"

The pain in my head grew to a new intensity, and I could swear my head was splitting open. I opened my mouth to breathe but only screams escaped.

"All this time you've wanted to fight me Bob, and now that you have the chance you're hiding behind a hostage." Patrick tried to remain calm. If he didn't than he would use too much force. Patrick's power was related to his emotions, though I wasn't sure exactly how. If he got too angry this would get very messy and he'd have to explain to the council why he didn't bring the target back alive.

Bob took the bait and ran toward Patrick. He didn't release his hold, and I could feel him shifting things around in my head. The increasing pain of the headache made sweat drip from my forehead to the floor. It paralyzed me completely while I watched.

It was over in seconds, as I knew it would be. The pain subsided quickly as Bob fell to the ground unconscious. For some reason I already knew what had happened; Bob never finished removing my fear and because of this, I would never see ham the same way again.

Exhaustion, pain, and trauma from the ordeal took its toll and I fell to sleep.

I woke up back in the museum looking into the eyes of an Abhorian as he raised his fist to smash my face in.

181: Wake Up -Alice-

The world around me came into focus and I found myself staring off the edge of a massive cliff. An old man lay dead to my right, a look of complete agony permanently planted on his face. The sound of begging behind me made me turn to see Ben fighting against invisible bonds as he attempted to reach the three people locked in battle nearby.

Three children just a bit younger than me fought; a blonde, what looked to be a younger Patrick, and a black-haired one with an uncanny resemblance to Ben. It was Patrick and the blonde versus the one with black hair, but even at two against one the black haired boy didn't look like he was losing.


I glanced at Ben and I could see the suffering in his eyes as he fought to get to them. I didn't care about his suffering, I just wanted to know where I was and how I got here. Things were happening too fast and it was overwhelming me.

"You'll be okay, Alice." A kind-looking middle aged man walked over to me from the left near Ben. I hadn't noticed him before, but the amount of new people I'd met in the last hour was getting ridiculous.

"Who are you?", I spoke as though his arrival was nothing new. It might have been rude but being thrown all over the place was getting tiresome.


"Gilfred Odephius Doorstop." He smiled and slowly I began to feel a bit better, "You can think of me as . . . a needed push, or a hint."


"I don't need a push. I need a time machine." I turned to look at Ben again, but this time his face of suffering actually hit home and I felt tears in my eyes, "Where are we?"

"We're in Ben's worst memory. A time when he was imprisoned and unable to help the people he cared about most."


"Why are we here?"


"Because the ignorant retard that put everyone into their worst feared memory didn't realize what he was doing." He turned to me and smiled, "Lucky for us, huh?"


"What am I supposed to do here?"


"There's nothing you can do. Your part comes later, after this is done. Now you should watch and remember this time always.", he walked over to the black haired boy that was dominating the battle so far. "Alice, I have to go. I can't be in two places at the same time."

With that he pulled a spear from behind him and stabbed it through black-hair's chest. The world twisted and spun as both me and Ben were yanked into the sky. The clouds surrounded us making it impossible to see each other.


"Ben?!"

I felt my feet touch ground and I found myself standing at the top of a staircase. Ben was no where to be seen. The smell that came from the bottom of the stairs made my skin crawl. My skin? I looked down at myself to find that I'd aged quite a bit. I looked to be eighteen, but that wasn't the most disturbing thing.

I was alive.

173: Flashback; The Sweet Escape -Melissa- (by Crystal Ferguson)

We had to leave our home land behind, the Other Lands, in order to ensure our survival. Many of the Gods longed to end our existence. We were the last of our kind. Staying there would only bring inevitable death.


Qaliphus and I decided to settle in to this world; the world of humans. Here, we would be able to hide from the Gods. Here, we could bloom a whole new life together. Knowing this filled me with tingling feelings.


To share a life with Qaliphus that did not dwell around constant fighting was a pleasant thought for me.


He had great skill behind him, but he also possessed a softer side; one that didn't show too often. He was a warrior first and a friend second. We had mutual respect for one another’s power; though the feelings I had for him were overwhelming. Sadly, his feelings were not the same when it came to me. Oddly enough, I was okay with this. After all, I still had the pleasure of keeping him by my side. As long as he was there, I was perfectly content. Oh, Qaliphus…


Upon our arrival to the human world, he and I came across a seemingly loving family. There were two adults and three children. The oldest of the children was ten, the middle child to be six, and the youngest was four. All young enough to be able to see us. Of course, the parents were unable to see us. They never had contact with our world to have such privileged sight. At least they didn't question their children; the parents just thought it was their children’s imagination at work when the topic of Fay were brought up. Either way, we settled in rather smoothly with the humans.


The children took to us quickly, filled with much awe that creatures such as Qaliphus and I existed. Every now and again I would simply observe as he played with the three boys. He played hide and seek or tag, told stories of great triumph, and would some times pull a prank or two on them. They would laugh in delight from his shenanigans. It warmed my tiny body and brought a smile to my face to see such interaction. This was the side of Qaliphus that I adored the most. He might have had the will to kill in an instant, but his will to bring happiness was far more astonishing to me.


As the weeks passed, my love for Qaliphus began to grow all the more. I had never felt more happy in my entire life. Qaliphus and I were closer than ever before, or at least that’s how it felt to me.


I longed to be able to forever keep him by my side; to love him unconditionally.




Fate decided otherwise.

Flashback Entry 149: Awakened -Christina-

My blade cut through his neck cleanly. Its magical red, hot blade searing the cut closed to keep it from bleeding. I hate blood. Five more warriors leaped at me, but they were too slow and my blade made each of them legless eunuchs before they knew I'd moved. I glanced back at the door and then at the crowd of warriors flowing in to the room.

The amount of people didn't scare me, I'd faced many more in other raids. People had always attempted to get to the door, and just because this time it was Egyptians didn't mean I couldn't take every man in that room with my eyes closed.

So I closed them and jumped. I could smell the steel as a blade nearly took off my nose, and decided that it'd gotten too close.

The wielder never swung again.

I felt their confidence turn to fear as one after another fell with out screaming out. I heard the young ones run when they realized that fighting like a beast while blind wasn't something they could deal with. I didn't follow, my job isn't to kill; it's to protect.

"It's just a girl. Stab her all rea-" Don't scream next to a blind warrior.

When they stopped fighting I stood and sheathed my sword. The room's feeling had changed from a group of desperate men, to something that I had never felt before. Someone new was here.

"Christina." I knew who that was.

"Patrick." Now my confidence wavered. I had to fight to keep my face from showing the growing uneasiness.

"So, you were set as the guardian of the door? The warrior who fights better with her eyes closed?", I heard him laugh. He'd gotten closer with out me realizing it.

"It's much more noble than what you're in charge of. Waste duty, is it?", I felt his annoyance and smiled.

My blade was out to deflect his fist in seconds. I heard the men at the sides gasp as though I'd done something unheard of. Patrick's next attack came from below and connected cleanly with my ribs. I was lifted off the floor and felt the wind as he spun to put a leg in to my side. I flew toward the wall and at the last second was able to right myself by dragging my blade along the ground.

"I need the door Christina. Just stop fighting."

"You stopped your job and now look where you are. You'll have to kill me before I stop." I stood up and picked up my weapon. Patrick attacked again but I was ready. I knocked his fist away with my blade and laughed I heard him cry out as it cut in to his flesh. He was too powerful to lose a limb, but it stalled him enough.

I leaped into the air and introduced his face to my foot. He grunted as he was knocked back on the defensive. I swung at him knowing they'd be blocked by his wrists, but I wanted him to stay on the defensive. When his concentration was only on my blade, I swung my foot forward and connected where no man wants to be hit.

A collective gasp from the male warriors nearly made me laugh, but I kept it in as I looked down at him. I couldn't see him. I was mainly doing it for effect. Nothing more belittling than being looked down upon for real.

"Christina, I urge you to stop. I don't want to kill you. I'm not a bad guy."

"If you are trying to put this door in human hands . . . then you are a bad guy, and I have to stop you."

His feet swung up and I dodged backwards. I felt the blade enter me from behind. A lone soldier had gotten up the nerve to step forward and was in the right place at the right time. The wound was nothing, but it made me too weak to stop Patrick from round-housing me in the face.

"Bring it in! Bring in the urn!" I heard the dragging of stone against stone and opened my eyes to see Patrick kneel next to me.

"I'm not going to kill you Christina, but I need your help. He's coming back and we have to stop him. All the others don't believe it, which is why I'm stuck doing the job I'm doing. I'm going to keep you in that urn until you're needed, and then you will be released. I'm sorry, but it has to be done this way."

I saw the urgency in his face, "Are you sure he's coming back? I can't feel anything at all."

My strength was getting lower as I lost blood, so I didn't bother fighting back as he lifted me up and slipped me in to the jar.

"I'm sure, Christina. If you can't feel him when you come out then you can kill me."

"I look forward to it." My vision faded.

The darkness of the urn and the screams of people outside startled me as I woke up, but what startled me more was the feeling I got.

He was coming, and very soon.

Entry 148: What Fear Is . . . -Andrew-

"Are you scared?"

She was huddled with her arms wrapped around her knees. She was only fourteen by the looks of it ,and the fear in her face was a kind of beauty you can't appreciate unless you've been where I have. Her eyes were so close to overflowing with tears as she looked up at me.

"I want to go home, but the doors won't open. We're trapped."

I knelt and laid a comforting hand on her back. A properly faked smile looked to have helped her fear fade a little.

"Being trapped isn't something you need to be scared of. You'll get out of here. I promise."

She sniffled and looked to the doors and back at me.

"Really? You promise?"

"Yes. Besides, there are so many other things worse then being trapped."

Like a flower blooming, her apprehension opened across her face.

"Like what?"

I sat next to her and pointed to a dark corner, "You see those shadows?"

"Yeah?"

"What you don't know is that within every dark shadow, a creature awaits. It sits behind the veil of darkness watching the people walk past, its stomach growling. See, the creatures diet consists of human meat, so it sits there staring at us, waiting for its moment to escape."

I felt her shiver next to me and edge away from the nearest dark shadow.

"If they were to escape, I am confident that they would keep to the shadows because their eyes aren't adjusted to the harsh lights. From what I know of them, they'd first drag their victim in to the shadows to hinder its sight. Then, they'd take their large club-like feet and stomp on the person’s rib cage until they'd broken them and punctured their lungs."

She was staring at me, her face having gone from trusting to horrified in an instant.

"Then, they'd take their razor sharp cup-like hands and proceed to scoop up the flesh and muscle of the victim’s limbs. All this time, the person is alive and screaming, only their punctured lungs turn it in to a soundless breath. The creatures then open the shattered ribcage, which usually kills them."

She sat for a while not speaking, then she breathed deeply, her eyes never leaving the shadow, "I don't believe you."

"Oh really?", I stood up and held out my hand which she took like a stupid puppy. I led her closer to the shadows and pointed.

"If you look inside really hard, then you can just make out them moving. They're real. Very, very real."

I heard her gasp and grab my arm. Her breathing became sobs as she tried to drag me away from the darkness.

"My greatest fear, is of them escaping their holds and being released on humanity."

I grasped her shirt and lifted her off the ground. She began to scream wildly as I moved her closer to the shadows.

"Are you scared now?", I laughed as she tried to fight back.

She screamed for help again, but no one would hear her; she had broken away from the group a while back. She shook her head as I inched her closer and closer.

"Yes, I’m scared! Stop! Please, stop!"

"No."

And I tossed her in the darkness.

Flashback Entry 143: Booze -Will-

Each pound on the apartment door brought a new wave of stinging headache.

"Would'ja just hold on a minute?!", I rubbed my face and then closed my eyes again.

Every time I opened them the world started spinning anew. Every time I closed them I saw their faces. It was an inescapable torture; even the booze failed to rid me of it. Booze? When did I start calling it booze? God, I've really hit rock bottom.

I was jarred awake again by several more earsplitting knocks on the door.

"Hey! Wake up!"

"Go away Chris."

He came by a lot lately. Probably felt that he had to check up on me, or maybe he was just annoyed at how stupid I'd been acting. I don't blame him, I had been acting stupid. Truth is, I didn't care. Everything I'd had was swept out from under me, and there was nothing left for me save what sat in the bottom of the bottle that lay on my chest.

"Get up, Will!"

I closed my eyes again and there they were. Smiling as they got in the car to go home; smiling as they road to death. I'd been too busy investigating OCS industries that I never realized how deep I'd gotten myself. My one mistake; a mistake I don't make often. They'd been waiting at home for them, and me if I'd been with them. I had OCS on its knees. Crippling evidence that would have ruined the company. It would have led to the arrest of the CEO, Patrick Bernauw.

"If you don't get up . . . ", I snapped awake at his voice.

"I was a damn good reporter!"

"I know."

"I had those bastards. Was gonna nail them to their own cross."

"Get up, Will. I'll be waiting in the car."

"What do I have to get up for?! They didn't do anything and they had to die. Just to shut me up. Why didn't they just kill me?"

I listened to the glass shatter as I threw the bottle to the floor and sat up.

I was going to miss them. Forever.

138: I Return -Saba- (written by Crystal Ferguson)

(I liked Crystal's last post so much that I had her write another. AND here it is!)

Taking a quick glance, I realized we were in Merlin’s shop. It was far better than being stuck in that Soulscape. I sat up and looked up at Merlin.

Politely I feigned a smile, “Well, it’s good to see I have made it back, yes?”

The look on his face told me otherwise. In fact, he looked more angry than relieved to see me. What did I do wrong?

“What made you think you were even capable of going there to begin with young lady?!”, he pointed at me, “I thought I had made it very clear that you were not to go alone!”

I stood up, annoyed with him. “What’s your point?”

“Your ignorance is most surprising, Saba. Do you not realize the danger you even placed yourself in?! Most people who cross over to the Soulscape don’t stand a chance of coming back when they release their ties from this world. You were downright foolish to do it on your own.”

He held a stern look to his face to let me know he meant every word. With a small huff, he turned to a shelf; a shaky hand reaching for it, his other gently scratching at the wrinkled skin of his face. A sense of rage filled me.

A small glass object flew up, hitting Merlin in the back of the head. His hand grabbed at the unexpected pain as he caught his footing. He turned to face me, a look of pure shock now on his aged face. “What do you think you’re-” Another similar piece soared toward him, this time hitting him in the face. He made a cry of pain as the shards pierced his flesh. He closed his eyes, his hand now covering his freshly made wounds.

I stepped toward him, the air about me filling with pens, paperclips and other small items. “YOU THINK YOU HAD THE RIGHT TO GIVE UP ON ME? HA! I’LL SHOW YOU WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU LEAVE ME BEHIND!”

I was going to make sure he paid for leaving me in that void; for giving up on me.

A smile crept across my features as I let the objects attack him with no mercy. Pointed objects flew at him like bullets, glass exploded against his ancient body; blunt objects hit him with a mighty force. He made cries of pain and heightened anxiety, blood flowing out from each new wound formed.

He collapsed to the floor, arms up in a defensive position. “Stop at once!”

I laughed at the old man, throwing my head back. I knelt down, now face-to-face with him. For a moment, I let the flying of objects cease. “Why don’t you fight back, old man?”

Despite how beat up he was, he looked me straight in the eye. A serious look took over his features.

“I…I have no power. I had given that up to one who is far more worthy. I have been powerless for ages now.”

A small chuckle escaped my lips, “Pathetic; truly pathetic.”

I got back on my feet, “That makes for a bit less fun. Guess I’ll have to draw it out even longer.”

“You‘ll regret this, Saba Zahid!”, he pointed an ancient finger at me, “I promise you young lady, that you’ll regret this; for fate will make sure of it.”

I ignored him, the objects lifting in to the air for another round. They relentlessly attacked him, landing near vital organs as they pierced his body. He backed up toward the shelves. I watched on, satisfied with my work so far. Just as I was just really getting started, the distraught Merlin backed in to his shelves. There was a loud thudding noise as the shelves slowly began to descend down upon him. He screamed while his eyes widened as the shelves buried him alive. Muffled weeping sounds met my ears as it all settled.

I walked over, stepping on to the shelves. I peered downward, catching a glimpse of his worn out face. With a sigh, I jumped up and stomped as I landed. A moan was heard, along with the cracking of bones. His breathing was now raspy. I stomped down again.

“Still breathing? How annoying.”

One more for good measure; with more force behind it.

SNAP!

This time the obnoxious sound had come to a halt. A small gust of wind and a flash of light passed by; a window breaking nearby. I shrugged it off. Perhaps it was his soul running away.

I successfully ended him. Made him pay the best way I knew how, but rage still lingered in me; the need to kill remained.

I hopped off from his new grave, walking out of the shop and on to the sidewalk. The rage washed away with the smell of the outside world. I blinked, glancing back and forth; sighing. I felt lost and confused. If anything, I wished Ben was here with me.

I then looked down at my clothes. Blood spatters made a design across my shirt. A hand to my cheek told me blood even painted my face.

I began to panic, looking back to the shop to see the shelves down and no old man.

There was no ignoring it. I had killed Merlin.

133: Concrete Horror -Saba-

I was floating in the dark, listening to the continuously grating sound of that horrible laughter. Any attempts to move proved ineffective and only made it harder to do so.

"Where are you going?" My blood ran cold as I recognized the voice, though I couldn't put a face to it.

Slowly my surroundings flooded in to focus. An elegant hall of hardwood lined with many paintings and photos. A smaller me stood a few feet away from a much taller man. The laughter faded away.

"Saba, where are you going?"

The smaller me started to cry, "I can't do it."

I watched as the man knelt down and looked in to my face, a look of caring in his eyes, "Life is never going to be easy, Saba. It's going to be hard, and sometimes the only thing you can do to get by is try as hard as you can to do what you need to do."

My fear subsided as little me ran to the taller man and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. Just as I thought that this scene wasn't so scary, I heard that low laughter again and the fear returned.

"Thanks, Patrick."

The man stood and reached his hand out to little me, "Anything for my little sister."

A smile found my face for a few moments before the laughter came again. The smaller me took his hand as we walked toward large, oaken doors.

The man put his hand on the door, "Now Saba, you go in there and make sure they're all dead."

He pushed the door open and screams flooded out. Screams of help and horror that filled my ears and saturated my mind with a deepening horror. The scene that seemed so pleasant before changed shape, instantly becoming something of a deeper evil. My breath caught in my chest, I tried to close my eyes and forget I was there. It was like a tootsie pop with a razor in the middle; sweet on the outside, but it just hides the horror beneath.

"Can we have ice cream after?", the smaller me smiled up to Patrick.

"Sure."

Through the door I could see deep red splatters on the floor and hear the clinking of chains.

The littler me stepped through and turned toward where the sounds were coming from.

"Saba! Please, God no!" They were begging for their life. Begging me to let them go, "Saba, your brother is crazy. Please honey, just let us go! You can't do this to us."

As Patrick slowly closed the door I watched as my smaller counterpart smiled sweetly, with all the caring of a child and said, "Daddy, life is never going to be easy . . ."

Her voice was cut off as the door shut completely. The laughter returned and this time I welcomed it, something known in a world of concrete horror. The laughter grew in intensity as I hung there in darkness, watching Patrick looking away from me at the closed door.

"That's not me."

"Yes, it is you." The laughter had spoken.

"No, I wouldn't do something like that." I was lying. I knew I was lying, I just didn't want it to be the truth.

"Not only did you kill your family, but you did more than that.", the laughter came again, "You killed a person every day for two years after."

In my head, I saw flashes of blood soaked bodies and glinting knives. In my head I heard their screams for help and mercy. The more I watched, the more I felt the innocence I'd witnessed before slowly fade away. I desperately clung to any piece of that innocence that I could.

"All for power."

I knew what he was meaning. I felt it in my bones now, maybe I'd always knew that my hands were unclean. A person isn't born a spirit persuader, they're grown. So many lives had been ended by me, so many people never got to live their lives because of my blade. All in the pursuit of power over spirits.

"It's too late for you.", Patrick had turned and was staring directly at me, "There's no way to clean your hands. You are a monster, and you'll always be a monster."

Every time he said monster I saw something odd flash beneath the illusion I knew to be his face. A darker and more evil face, something not human and older than the world. Patrick started walking closer and the scene behind him faded away.

"You killed so many.", Patrick's face blinked away for an instant and the horror of the face beneath made me catch my breath, "You are more of a monster than I am."

His face was inches from mine and he smiled, his mouth full of sharp pointy teeth with a smile that was all too wide. "Not only did you kill them . . ."

As I felt myself yanked backwards into the darkness, I knew what he was going to say; not only did I kill them . . .

But I loved it.

Flashback 127: Stone Cold Dead -Carl-

"Push harder, boy! I didn't raise a weakling!"

I was a ten year old trying to carry a fridge up the stairs; two flights of stairs. John was off hiding somewhere like he always did; trying to keep himself away from our Father’s wrath. John knew that if I let the refrigerator fall down the stairs that Dad wouldn't check for broken bones. He'd just start beating on me until he got scared of killing me.

He was like that, a rough man with too much anger to hold in. So when things didn't go right, or he had a bad day, or the rain got too loud for him to tolerate; he'd turn to John and I as an outlet. I got the most of it mainly because I talked back and got in his face. Anything to keep him from beating on John.

Mom never tried to stop him, because she was busy watching soaps on the television and complaining about how many bills needed to be paid. She used to be beautiful but since we could understand what she was saying, all we heard was how if she hadn't had us then she'd be thin and beautiful. Bitch.

Bitch: I'd just learned that word the other day at school. Overheard Joshua Washington say that about one of the teachers and thought that it suited my Mother well.

As the fridge slid over the last step, I fell to the floor exhausted. I could barely feel my arms and what I did feel didn't feel good.

"Why are you laying down on the job? That's gotta go in the kitchen, you lazy brat! Where's that brother of yours? We could just let him do it. How old is he? Six? Seven?"

My brother was four and certainly couldn't handle a fridge like this.

"No, that's all right. I've got it."

I got to my feet and began pushing the large refrigerator toward the kitchen. As my Father walked away, I spotted John looking around the corner of our bedroom door.

Three weeks later, our Father was dead. The fridge fell on him, crushing his throat. The police said that it was misaligned and off balance. They said that he must have laid there unable to breathe for his last moments. That was my first run-in with death and taught me exactly what it was. I would never see my Father again.

I didn't know if I cared.

121: Define Wrong -Carl-

The people through out the plane had calmed down. They'd given in to their fate believing it to be a certainty. So many lives would be snuffed out if we failed. Then again, it's like that a lot lately.

Ever since I met Ben it's been one thing after another. Weird seemed to cling to him. I can't complain though. It's been crazy fun. Now that he'd taken to being leader, the group seemed to flow better. Several quick instructions and everything just fell in to place. Like how he wanted us to help these people.

Crystal and Nick took out the cameras quickly with a couple of Nick’s socks. They just covered them and then I waited. The terrorists would come soon, needing to know what had taken out the cameras.

The first one fell quick, one jab to the face. Then I grabbed his arm and used his weight to knock the one behind off balance. I felt that exhilarating rush as my fist made sure he wouldn't wake up for a few hours. The third guy was surprised enough; making any kind of movement to stop me. His weapon was in my hands and the butt of it in his face before he realized that the sad, pathetic people they'd destined to death weren't going down easy.

Fourth guy had experience, and swiftly brought his weapon up to block my fist. I swung my face forward taking him off guard with a head-butt. I felt his fist in my gut and his knee smash the bottom of my chin, telling me my head-butt had failed. I fell to the ground as his weapon came down, narrowly missing the back of my head. A quick scissor of my legs and down he fell. From there, it only took two swift elbows to the temple and he was down.

I pulled myself to my feet and wiped the blood from my mouth. The radio the man was wearing began to cackle.

"Davey? Hey! Davey? We're getting close to our destination, we can't have anything go wrong now."

I quickly scooped up the radio and laughed into it.

"Define . . . wrong."

119: Tears and Relations -Crystal-

"Hello, Mom?"

A person nearby was talking in to a cell.

"Mom, I love you, okay?" His voice broke.

"No, no, I'm okay. I'm just calling to tell you that I never meant to upset you and I'm sorry. I'll never forget all that you taught me." He went silent, tears along his cheeks.

"Could you tell Dad that I miss him? Tell him that I know he was rough, but I understand that he was just looking out for me. No, I'm fine. Just . . . tell him I love him too. Please put some flowers on Charlene's grave for me?"

Sounds of crying and panic had flooded across the passengers quickly and I'll admit, I was scared too. This isn't something that happens to you every day. This couldn't be happening. My life had been too short, and the only people I could call were either here or . . .

My Dad. I could call him. He wouldn't recognize me, but I wanted to tell him I loved him. Tell him that I've never forgotten him. Say goodbye.

I sat there staring at my cell phone trying to get the nerve to call when I felt a tug on my sleeve. Glancing down I saw a young boy. He looked to be about 5 and his eyes were filled with tears.

"Lady?"

I kept silent and stared at the kid, seeing him put me on the verge of tears. Such a small child close to my age, losing his life so early.

"Lady? My Dad won't hear me! He's not listening!"

"Where is your daddy?"

The young boy pointed at a man who was embroiled in the panic, yelling about revolting against their captors. There was no way to get that guy listening.

"What did you need?"

"The bad men. They took the plane and I'm not gonna see my Mommy again.", he started crying loudly and fell to his knees, "I WANT MY MOMMY!"

Tears streamed down my face as I watched this child cry. A couple of seats away I heard people talking.

They were saying goodbye to their children. They could barely speak.

Slowly anger filled me, something I'm not accustomed to. I knelt down in front of the boy and patted his head.

"It's gonna be all right. Do you know your phone number?", I smiled.

"835-555-4930!", he said proudly.

I dialed the number and handed my phone to him. My Father would have to wait.

"Here, you tell your mother how much you love her, okay? Don't worry, I have a couple of friends who may be able to help."

"I'm sure we can come up with something."

I turned to see Ben walking up the aisle toward me, followed by Carl and Nick.

"So, what's the plan, boss?", I looked up at Ben.

"First, you stop calling me boss. Then we save these people."

Flashback Entry 115: Father -Nick-

"Friend to many, Father to one. He will be missed."

The coffin slipped silently in to the ground and my Mother started crying next to me. I would have stood to comfort her, but my legs had been rendered useless by my run in with the Bernauws.

So many people had shown up. People I didn't know, people my father didn't even like, and even my closest friends. My Father’s influence had stretched through out anyone that knew him, and they respected him for his intelligence, strength of will, and stubborn beliefs.

Out of all my family and friends, he was the only person I ever told about my abilities; my magic. He stood behind my path and even when I'd lost my legs he was there to help me cope. He found the realm of magic to be amazing and something to be utilized to its fullest. He found me most of the books I needed to continue my learning; I'd found the list on his desk the day after he'd past.

The doctors said that it was his heart, but I knew different. There were traces of magic everywhere when I found him, magic I'd felt before. The Bernauws knew I was alive, and had killed my Father as a message, "Don't stop us or more people will die."

They don't know what they just did.

112: Mystery -Saba-

I had taken to going outside late at night and looking at the sky. Watching the stars and praying for some kind of miracle that I knew would never come. My life had an expiration date.

Coming back had been odd. For some reason I didn't feel the presence of either dark Saba, or Ben obsessed Saba. It was as if they left, knowing my life was almost over. Did that mean I was with out a soul?

The night had grown cold but I didn't mind, I just didn't want to go inside and deal with their stares, their whispers, and their pity. It wasn't like I was mad at them or anything, but I knew that they just kept me around because I was alone.

Even more alone with out my souls.

The doctors don't know what exactly happened, but the chest wound isn't what my problem is. My body is slowly shutting down. That's the only way they can explain it. They said I only had a few weeks to a month till something vital goes. Is it fair? No.

"My life just started, and now it's gonna be over. What am I supposed to do?", I spoke aloud to no one. I think I hoped that maybe, something would hear that could help me.

"Well, is there anything you wanted to do before it's over?", I hadn't noticed Carl behind me, and it nearly gave me a heart attack when he spoke. That would have been ironic.

"I haven't lived enough to know anything. I was created and then unleashed on the world. An accident; a fluke."

Carl lit a cigarette and took a big drag, "Well, I can promise that there's at least one person in that house who thinks otherwise. You probably saved Crystal’s life by stalling."

I didn't remember what had happened very well and everything was a kind of blur. I knew I'd done something to help Crystal but I didn't remember what.

Carl blew out the smoke away from me, "Also, I don't think you're a fluke."

"I'm not even sure if I have a soul, I can't feel them anymore."

Carl looked at me, "You can't just lose a soul. It's who you are. I could never stop being who I am, and neither can you. Something happened but your souls are there. I can guarantee it."

"It's like they've disappeared. Now all I feel is this empty place where they once were. I just want the emptiness to go away."

I stood and walked in to the house.

110: Intuitive Ways -Nick-

I couldn't kill Jay. I mean, I could; but I didn't want to. So I went easy on him and when I saw him slip around the desk, I was completely surprised. I closed my eyes and relaxed as the cool metal touched my skull and soon everything went black.

It's not cheating if it's planned before-hand, right? I mean, living to see another day was important. So important in fact, that I had to lose everything I'd learned. Everything that I'd worked on would be gone in this instant.

I thought back to just before I had confronted Jay. I had written instructions on a paper and stuffed it in my pocket. I am a complete genius. Swung in like an angry goblin but I'd been prepared.

I woke up in a puddle of my own blood surrounded by people. The sun shone through the windows and Jay was nowhere in sight. Jay-who? The last of my memories slipped away as I stood.

"Are you okay, boy?"

"I think so.", I touched my throbbing head. Feeling no cuts, I breathed a sigh of relief, "Where am I?"

My name is Nicholas Brown and I am a warlock in training.

Entry 69: Redemption -Jay-

I was free. Now I could just slink out of here while they're in the heat of battle. I was just turning when I saw John run forward. The snake’s speed was incredible as it whipped around, ready to protect itself. The fangs extended but John didn't stop. He couldn't stop.

Time seemed to slow as I ran over the choices in my head. This was my fault. They wouldn't be in this situation if I hadn't have stolen the herbs. Alex died to protect them and I insulted that sacrifice for my own gain. Now, one of my closest friends was going to take the fall. I was selfish; too selfish. So blinded by my own problems, that I didn't see exactly what Alex was doing when he died. This was wrong. All wrong.

All wrong.

Everything was wrong. It was all my fault.

Before I knew it I had covered the distance between me, John, and the snake. I threw my body between them, knocking John back. I felt the fangs sink into my flesh, and I felt the burning venom flowing into my body. The world became blurred and color lost its meaning. Was I upset? No. I felt relieved. I felt peace.

Entry 68: Last minute -John-

I didn't know how deep we were, but that yell had come from nearby. Darkness was all around us and with out a flashlight we couldn't see much. I stepped through an arch of rock and felt the walls move out from us. We were in a cavern now. I could hear Jay's breathing as well as the Snake Goddess’ hiss.

I ran toward the sound and pulled back my fist. Snake Goddess or not, I'm the only one that can hurt my friend.

At that moment, the cavern erupted in light. From three feet above the ground an orb of light shone, its bright light splashing over the room. Jay was underneath the body of the Snake Goddess, who was moving toward the wall because of the sudden light. The Snake Goddess was almost completely snake, besides the arms just below her head. On each finger rested a gold ring and around her neck a long beaded necklace. Jay was all ready working to get free using the distraction.

I was not going to let this moment pass either. I ran toward the Snake Goddess and lifted my axe. I was too late, the Snake Goddess regained its composure and whipped its tail in to my side, sending me sprawled on the ground.

The orb of light began to pulsate and slowly change shape. The light played over everything, releasing periodic flashes.

Carl ran toward the Snake Goddess and side stepped the first tail swipe, only to be hit by the Snake's fist. Carl fell back, dropping his knife. The snake took this time to knock Carl's legs out from underneath him. By this time I was on my feet again, and so was Jay.

I ran toward the beast, the axe raised above my head. Swiftly the snake spun and opened her great jaws. My own momentum was carrying me toward it. There was no way to dodge out of the way. The foot long fangs were going to go in me, and what ever venom this creature had was going to end me.