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Post by lazybug on Sept 30, 2012 19:59:36 GMT -5
This is my first time posting here so I'm a little nervous. Constructive criticism would be great if it well help me become a better writer. (and not make a bunch of plot holes.)
Prologue
He crumpled to the floor in pain . . . His body no longer listening to his brain to get up and fight again before his enemy would finish him off. He whimpered in frustration, slowly moving his left arm under himself while still keeping a firm grip on his sword. The defeated warrior turned his head and glared at the enemy that stood quietly across the room, standing low in a fighting stance with his sword still sparking with life from the deadly attack seconds earlier.
How could he let this happen?! He thought angrily, his body still stinging all over as he again tried to stand up only to fail at the attempt. His eyes burned with intensity and were lucky to glance to four figures laying ways away from the battle. Their bodies were in no different condition than his, except he took the majority of the harder hits on himself.
A bellowing laugh and the sound of footsteps filled his ears. The warrior looked up to see his enemy walking casually to him, his once giant sword now shrunk down to its normal size and the blade now rested on his shoulder. With a grunt he struggled to his hands and knees, leaning on his sword that now felt so heavy to him.
“Not as powerful as you thought you would be, did you old friend!? “The enemy mocked when he finally stood a foot from his victim’s head, “And here I believed I would finally have an opponent worth fighting.” He snorted, “I proved wrong.”
The warrior looked at him with a snarl, doing his best to keep the fear from surfacing to his face. “Just you wait; I’ll kill you one way or another.” He said in a low growl.
But the threat only made his enemy laugh even harder. And then with a quick hand, he grabbed his victim’s blood matted hair and harshly tilted it so they were mere inches of each other’s faces. “Such mighty words coming from a knight who is barely still alive, let alone can lift his sword to strike.” He whispered, but loud enough for his friends to hear.
The knight stared hard into the other’s deep black, lifeless eyes. . . His enemy was right. His body was wracked with wounds he could not count, and had lost enough blood which should have killed a normal man if another had fought. But it didn’t matter. All that mattered was he had failed. . . He had failed to kill this traitor. . . He had failed to yield to the Council Elder’s warning of his increasing power. . . He had failed to cooperate with the other knights to strategize a plan to find his weakness. . . He had failed everyone.
It was too late now, and his heart thundered in his ribcage at the situation before him. He could feel the enemy’s hot rancid breath flow across his face as he stared at those black eyes once more. . . He was finished.
They both stared at each other for a brief moment. The knight’s determined gaze never wavering, until the traitor’s lips creased into a hideous grin and said, “Amazing. Despite knowing death is near you still hold that stubborn look on your face.” He paused a moment, but then his eyes lit up in excitement, laughing. “And I think I found the perfect solution to that problem. Much worse than death.”
The knight’s eyes widened in surprise. What could be so much worse than death itself other than torture and starvation? But he didn’t have time to answer his own question when he noticed the traitor in front of him shift, and then felt his whole body begin to rise from the floor. He couldn’t feel the floor anymore as he dangled from his enemy’s hand, which gripped the front of his armored collar, and watched as those lifeless black eyes brightened with anticipation.
He saw movement and looked to his left. A knight clad in gold armor barged through the massive doors, his sword stained with blood from the soldiers he had fought through to get here. The warrior mentally sighed in relief knowing he was the strongest of them all. Though he didn’t like to be thought of as weak, he really had no other options. The gold knight panted heavily as he stared at the two of them with the enemy still holding the battered one up effortlessly with one hand.
The gold knight gasped. “Put him down, your fight is with me!!!” He shouted.
The enemy paused for a moment, but then laughed, “I’m afraid you are too late for that, Lance. It appears one of your poor excuse of a knight has decided to see just how far I will go to make his life as if he were in hell already!” He then raised his other hand and placed it on the battered ones chest. Slowly his hand started to glow a red hue, growing brighter with each passing second until it engulfed the warrior’s body.
At first he felt nothing . . . Suddenly an ear splitting scream escaped his lips, cutting the air like butter. His body convulsed violently as if his body was being ripped apart, his limbs having a mind of their own. Gripping the gauntlet that held him the knight tried to free himself, but was too weak to pry the fingers off. His enemy only laughed as his victim thrashed in his grasp. The light grew brighter still and the knight noticed a new threat. In his line of vision he saw four panels of glass appear out of thin air and surround him on all sides.
The gold knight called out his name, but he didn’t hear it. All he could hear were the constant screams he made from the electricity like pain rushing through his veins. His organs felt as if gravity was pressing on them from all directions, his bones about to shatter like glass, and his skull being stabbed a thousand times over and over. He couldn’t take it anymore, he wanted to beg to be killed now but even that would be foolish. He couldn’t stand the sight of this traitor getting the satisfaction of torturing him slowly and finally breaking him in the end.
No . . . He was going to die like a man, even it eventfully kills him.
Despite the pain, he held his glare down at the traitor. The black eyes piqued in interest, and then his laugh grew louder over the knight’s screams. “I’m impressed, boy. Perhaps there is hope in you after all!”
And with that, the glass panels that hovered around him began to close in. The pressure on his insides intensified as the almost invisible glass pressed against him, morphing around his armored body until the knight was completely enclosed into a glass space. By this time the enemy’s hands were released from him and he hovered in mid air, engulfed in the light and unable to see anything. But it didn’t stop; the glass was still compressing him. Squeezing him to the point he couldn’t breathe or move at all. Was this what the traitor meant that was worse than death? He didn’t know, and it didn’t matter either. He tried to stay conscious, but the combination of everything he’s suffering made it a losing battle.
The last thing he remembered was the battle cry of his older brother and a clash of swords . . . Then everything went black.
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Post by lazybug on Oct 1, 2012 22:28:11 GMT -5
Chapter 1
June 8, 2012 - present
“Alex! Hurry up we’re going to be late!” His father called up the stairs. That boy, always late for something, he thought to himself. Shaking his head as he carries the rest of the luggage outside to the minivan.
A sound of light footsteps and laughing could be heard as an all too happy seven year old boy came stumbling down the stairs, his little dark blue suitcase bumping down each step. Today was going to be great day for him and his family. This summer they decided to visit their Grandpa who lived out in the Arizona desert. He made sure he got good grades and stayed out of trouble from his little sister (which is entirely impossible) in the last two months before school ended. Little Alex couldn’t contain his happiness anymore as he unceremoniously skipped out the door and down the stone garden steps. His father grinned at this and took his sons suitcase, but then paused as it felt strangely heavy. “Alex, what did you put in here? Maxi?”
Alex giggled, remembering the family dog, “No, it’s my clothes.”
His father raised an eyebrow. “But Grandpa already has some clothes for you there.”
“I know!”
He rolled his eyes to the sky, knowing all too well it is useless. While cramming the luggage into the back, a little girl no older than four walked up, holding a chocolate brown bear with a dirty red bow tied around its neck. She stared curiously at the method her father was using to cram the suitcases into the already too full minivan.
“Honey?! Have you seen the sun block I bought two days ago?” A woman called from the open doorway, holding a small beach ball in one hand and a pair of sandals in the other.
The man glanced around the corner of the minivan and up to his wife, “No I didn’t.”
“Are you sure?” She said, a bit huffed, “Never mind.” She then disappeared back into the house.
Alex’s father breathed huge sigh. He noticed the little boy still standing next to him. Looking back to the front door, he bends down to his level, “Remember, when you find a wife someday, be sure she is not as stubborn as your mother.” He whispers.
Alex nodded, despite not understanding what his father meant by this, but did it anyway.
It wasn’t long until finally the whole family was out on the open road. The summer sun shined brightly across the green landscape as the minivan traveled alongside the Rocky Mountain Range. Flocks of geese flew in the distance above the cloudless blue sky, heading north from the long harsh winter. Alex looked out the window at the rugged land as he quietly bounced in his seat, humming an imaginary tune he had made up only a few minutes earlier. In the other window his little sister sat in her booster seat, nibbling on some Cheerios leftover from breakfast. And then sitting right in between them on his haunches was their black and white American Pit Bull Terrier, Maxi, his big tongue hanging out of his mouth. The parents were too busy having a debate on which radio station was better to play in the van.
After four hours and three pit stops, grandpa’s little house finally appeared over the hill. It stood out in the desert sun with the large trees behind it to give it shade, and the red mountains towered majestically in the distance, dwarfing it into nothing. The minivan drove up to the old house, dust trailing behind it, and stopped as an old man came out from the screen door. He was in his mid fifties, and in spite of his weathered appearance, he had an energetic bounce to his movements that would fool anyone at first meeting him. The old man smiled as the family emerged from the van, the little ones the first to greet him as they ran up to his opened arms.
Grandpa!!!” The kids yelled in unison.
Grandpa clasped them tightly, giving each a quick kiss on top of their heads. “You finally made it!” He turned to Alex, “Alex? Were you a good boy the whole time?”
The boy nodded vigorously. “Yes, Grandpa.”
Then he glanced to the other, “And you too?”
“Uh Huh!”
“That’s good to here!” He said excitedly, giving them a finally hug.
“How are you doing Dad?” The father asked, placing some of the luggage on the rusty grey porch.
“Oh never better,” Grandpa replied as he straightened up to hug his son, “Though I must say, Jason, I do wish sometimes I didn’t miss all the beautiful ladies back home in Los Angeles”.
Jason laughed. Typical pervy Dad, He thought. “I’m sure you will get over it soon enough. But it beats trying to navigate through the mountains anymore.”
Grandpa agreed to this, nodding. “That’s true, but if only it were the same here.” He said in mock depression.
Alex then walked up and tugged on his grandpa’s shirt. “Grandpa? Can we go to the lake now?”
“Hahah! Not yet little man, we still have to get you settled in first.” He clapped his hands together. “Now, who’s hungry for some leftover coyote?!”
The mother’s eyes widen in shock. “GEORGE!!!” Grandpa responded with a hardy laugh, and took a few of the luggages through the screen door.
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Alex with energetic beats to his steps, climbed up the stairs to his new bedroom. Upon entering, he wasted no time in unpacking his things. Here and there, the boy would place his toys and knick knacks on an empty shelf, and then put up posters of his favorite cartoon characters on the wall in a very crooked fashion. He beamed in satisfaction for his work, flopping onto the bed with a sigh.
But his relaxation was short lived when he heard the sound a scream. Alex gasped, jumping off the bed and bounding down the hallway until stopping short of the door to his little sisters room. Peering in, he saw her standing on her bed trembling in fear, pointing a shaky finger down to the floor. Alex followed the finger to where it was directing, afraid that there might be a monster hiding somewhere in the room.
A large smile crept up to his face.
It was longer than his hand from head to tail, its beady little eyes staring at him with a tilt of its head in curiosity. Light brown scales with black jagged lines and shapes traveled down its body, almost blending into the floor. His little sister was still shaking as he bent down and gently picked up the lizard into his hands, his smile slowly growing into a mischievous grin.
“Kaylee? Wanna touch it?”
“No!”
He brings the lizard closer. “Come on, you know you want to.”
“GO AWAY!!!”
“It won’t hurt you.”
“LEAVE ME ALONE!!!”
Like a cornered mouse, Kaylee jumped off the bed and dashed out of the bedroom. She ran down the hallway and down the steps screaming, her big brother running close behind with the lizard out stretched in front of him laughing.
The screams mixed with laughter echoed throughout the house. Maxi poked his big head around the corner; with a doggy look that said “what-the-crap-is-going-on!”, while grandpa and the parents conversed in the kitchen discussing something about new wallpaper. They jumped in unison at the sound as the little girl ran straight into her mother’s arms, crying. Confused at this, she glanced to the door frame to see Alex with a lizard in his hands.
“Alex! Take that thing outside right now!” She yelled.
“But I was only joking-“
“I mean it. Now!”
But then Grandpa walked over and peered into Alex’s open hands. “Great job there lad,” He said with a chuckle. “Been here for no more than an hour and already you’re an expert lizard catcher.”
Alex smiled, but his mother’s scowl only deepened as she repeated her order.
Finally he obeyed, and walked outside to the front porch. He sat down on the old grey steps, the high sun shining brightly across his lightly freckled face as he stared down at the lizard laying in his hands.
“Thanks anyway, buddy.” He said to the lizard, and picked it up by two fingers and gingerly set it down on the ground. It sat there in the dirt for a couple of seconds before scurrying across the yard and hid beneath a large rock. Alex stared in amazement at the little creature. It moved with such skill and stealth you would have thought you lost the little thing in the dirt until it suddenly popped up out of nowhere. A smile again crept up to his lips as he imagined himself as a lizard. So small, yet, so fast that no one could catch him. Blending in to his surroundings that not even the kids who picked on him in school would find him. Did bugs really taste like chicken? At least that’s what grandpa told him they did. His gaze strayed from the departed lizard to the bright red landscape beyond, the distant mountains stretching up into the deep blue sky.
Regardless if his little sister hated him now, but at least he had his fun for while. He chuckled at the look on her face. Perhaps now was a good time to ask grandpa again about going the lake today.
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Post by lazybug on Oct 9, 2012 13:41:30 GMT -5
(/)
A figure, clad in a plain dark monk robe, let a grunt of frustration escape his lips as he ambled down the great halls to the main chapel. It was his turn to retrieve the elder for his late dinner. Normally the elder was always on time when it involved his favorite meal of this week. But this time it was different, it had been two hours and still no sign of him.
The monk sighed as he stood before the massive doors to the chapel, which was closed off for renovations at the moment. Gripping the handles that were a third of his whole form, he pushes the doors wide enough to slip through and walk down the expanse floor of the chapel. Square pillars lined up with each other and towered high to support the curved ceiling far above, elaborate paintings of long forgotten battles and saints remained untouched from time. The monk continued across the stone tiled floor to the far side of the chapel, where a wall of stain glass windows rose nearly as high as the pillars themselves. Behind the stain glass, a balcony protruded over a steep cliff to reveal a river running through the valley and out to open sea.
His elder stood with his back turned to him, gazing out across the peaceful landscape. The young monk stood for a moment to look at the night before him, the stars showing brightly on this clear crisped night.
“Grand Master Idun?” The monk asked cautiously, wondering why his master was out here at this time of night.
Slowly the elder turned to face the voice, his eyes at first having a far away expression in them. Now knowing who the voice was his eyes softened. “Yes? What is it young one?”
The young monk stiffened. “P-please forgive me for interrupting, Grand Master.” He said in unsure voice, “The others were worried about you when your presence at dinner was absent.”
The old elder gave a slow nod of understanding, and turned back around to gaze at the ever so peaceful midnight landscape. Confused with this type of manner, the monk walked up next his aged teacher. His eyes held that far away expression again, but at the same time an arousal of his mind was at work of something very important.
“Is there something wrong, Grand Master?”
“The night is so beautiful at this time of season, isn’t it?” The elder asked to no one in particular, his eyes never leaving the valley.
The young monk looked out to the vast valley before them. Indeed it was true; the night was crystal clear for the stars to shine at their brightest, and the moons are nearly close in alignment for this season for it only happened every three cycles. The moons dull lights blanketed the valley in shades of cool blues, turquoise, and violets.
The monk sighed. “Yes it is, Grand Master. The most beautiful I’ve seen so far in my lifetime.”
The elder nodded in agreement. But then suddenly his tone changed, “Yes. It is a shame that it must all come to pass.”
He didn’t have to time to ask why when the door to the chapel burst open. A monk soldier, clad in simple armor with the monastery symbol on its front, panted heavy. Beads of sweat slid down his face from running all the way without any warning. The soldier took a moment to compose himself before straightening up to attention. “Grand Master! Forgive me for my intrusions. But there’s a disturbance down in the courtyard that I thought would require your attention.”
“Thank you, lieutenant. I will be there shortly.”
But the lieutenant remained still in his spot, “There is more, Grand Master. The king requests your presence at the palace as soon as possible. Something involving in personal matters.”
The elder nodded at the soldier’s last statement. But the young monk detected a strange shine in his eyes that he had never seen before. . . The Grand Master knew something.
The soldier finally left, and the monk turned back to the elder. “What’s going on?”
The Grand Master said nothing. Slowly he crossed the balcony and walked through the door to the main chapel, the young monk close behind. He watched as his teacher, full of wisdom and strength despite his frail appearance, meander across the great expansion of stone floor with his hands clasped behind his back. His bald head, which was speckled with brown freckles, lowered down to gaze at each stone that was individually placed perfectly without a single crook out of place.
His face creased with forethought. He knew what was going on, the young monk thought. Looking at his teacher with awe and admiration, he often wondered how someone that came from a poor serf family could have such wisdom far beyond his own age.
The monk shook his head, bringing his mind back to reality. The elder still had his back to him, his mind in deep thought.
On the other side of the chapel, a clamor of armor and arguing voices could be heard echoing off the stain glass windows and dark gray walls. The massive doors opened, and a knight and a few lower soldiers trailing behind him emerged. The knight crossed the vast room of the chapel with haste, and in no time stopped abruptly several paces from the two monks. His face was strong jawed and confident looking, with a distinct scar which lined one side of his face, labeling him a warrior with a long history of harsh battles. On his breast plate his countries emblem was engraved but slightly worn from many years of long use. Just as the knight stopped his pace, he wasted in no time to explain himself.
"We wish to know, Grand Master Idun!”
The young monk winced from the knight’s sharp voice. But the elder never moved other than raising an eyebrow in question.
“Such as?”
The knight glared. “Do not amuse me by playing dumb. You know what is happening and how it will end. I got two empires almost on the brink of war and you will not say how we can avoid it!”
The Grand Master slowly shook his head, his hands still clasped behind his back. “One cannot avoid conflict without one or the other’s heart still full of greed and power.”
“How could you say that?” A hint of disbelief coated his question, “I have spoken to both emperors, and none of them want this war.”
The elder’s eyes narrowed at the knight. “Your mind is clouded. How many kings have said that they do not want war, yet behind their walls and hidden in the mountains their armies prepare for the first strike the moment one drops his guard?’
The knight pursed his lips; he looked down to the stone floor beneath him in thought. Whispers from the soldiers behind him arose in confusion over the Grand Masters words.
“Then one of them is lying?”
“Correct.” He then fell silent for a moment. Creases formed in his brows as the strange expression in his eyes appeared once more, “It comes soon. . .”
“What comes soon?”
Everyone watched as the elders eyes glanced to the enormous stain glass window behind him. The scene of an intense battle danced across its shiny surface. As one of the moons shined through it, it illuminated as if the scene had come to life and would bring the battle to the small group below. And within that fierce battle, were seven knights kneeling in a semi-circle.
The elder stood silent for a moment. Gazing deep into the multicolored masterpiece, his eyes rested on a particular figure among them.
“The holder to our fate.”
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Post by lazybug on Oct 16, 2012 14:22:55 GMT -5
Chapter 2
Alex was having the best time of his life.
He wasn’t sure about his sister, but . . . Other than that he was having fun none the less.
It’s been two weeks into the summer with their Grandpa. The family went hiking, fishing, canoeing, and even swimming in grandpa’s lake behind the house.
Today, Alex and his family were going whitewater rafting down the Colorado River, at Grandpa’s expense of course. According to Grandpa, it was a seven day trip down the river, with a guide and several other people which were Grandpa’s friends.
Alex as usual bounced in his seat as the minivan neared the starting point of their adventure by the river. It was early in the morning so the sun has yet to peek over the giant canyon that the river snaked through. The van came a stop, just in time for the little seven year old to open the car door and run to the edge of the rocky steep hill.
“Alex! Stay away from edge!” His father yelled.
“Okay!” He yelled back, balancing on the old log bordering the parking lot and the steep hill. He could see from this view several other camping groups preparing for the long journey. Some were well seasoned rafters, while others, appeared a little too unprepared for the harsh environment they would face. Luckily the guides knew what they were facing and were patient enough to explain their situation.
With his straw hat held firmly in place on his head, Alex waited for his dog, Maxi, and his parents and sister to follow down the well worn path behind him, careful not to stumble in the process. Grandpa had just put the remaining camping gear into a pile near the boats when he saw them reach the bottom of the hill. He gave his trademark grin and waved. About five others were there as well, three men and two women. Must be Grandpa’s friends Alex figured.
Running across the sandy beach, Alex reached the row boats. He felt the cold water flowing over his sandals, bringing a chill up his spine from the sudden drop in temperature compared to the eighty degree dry heat in the air.
“Sorry we’re late, Dad.” Alex’s Father, Jason called.
“Oh, no need to say so. We are ahead of schedule just as planned.” Grandpa assured. “I would like you to meet some friends I met when I moved here.” He gestured to the five people by the second boat, strapping down camping equipment. Alex with his seven year old mind was amazed at how big one of them was compared to the others in their group. He was not only big in height but in width as well, with muscles bulging out of his tank top shirt and shorts. The other two men were smaller but normal looking, one slightly fatter than the other. The other two were women; one Alex figured doesn’t eat very much, while the other looked very pretty with the morning sun shining in her blonde hair.
Grandpa pointed to the shorter one, “This is Jackson.”
Then to the second short one, “Don.” Don gave them a wave.
Then the giant one, “John.” John simply nodded.
As Grandpa made introductions to the men, the two women walked up next to the others. “Oh! And this is Lorelei, Don’s fiancé, and Jackson’s girlfriend, Daisy.”
They both waved hello, and then the pretty one named, Lorelei, spoke up. “The guide said they’re ready when you are, George.”
“Excellent!” He clapped his hands together. “Now before we go, are there any questions anyone is concerned about?”
Alex’s mother raised a hand. “Have just one. How are the kids ---ALEX!! DON’T TOUCH THAT!!!”
Everyone turned to the direction of his mother’s shout to see Alex and Kaylee crouching near a small round cactus plant. Hadn’t his mother yelled, Alex would have found a needle in his finger. His mother was there within seconds, grabbing both he and his sisters hands and walked them back to the group, lecturing the whole way about many times she had to warn them of such dangers for the one hundredth time.
“Honey, I don’t think you needed to go that far.” Alex’s father tried to reason, but his wife only gave him a glare and walked the kids to the boats.
The group and their guide finally boarded their boats. Alex and Kaylee sat in the middle of the boat, while Mom and Dad sat behind them with Grandpa and John (big John Alex mentally started calling him) on the bow. With one strong push with the oars, the two oar boats caught the Colorado’s currant and began their long journey down the winding river.
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The boats glided peacefully down the river, the wall of rock towering over their tiny little party on either side of them. Alex stared in awe as the time etched in the form of water lines on the walls showed how long it had taken for such a massive chasm to form. Everyone on the boat except for Alex and Kaylee had a paddle in hand, and once in a while would dip them into the river in sync with each other to push the boat over the crystal clear water. Alex with a smile waved to a few kayakers that sped past their obviously bigger boat and those with slightly smaller boats that could hold only two or three people at a time. But then his eyes widened as a boat that was twice as big as theirs passed by them. Instead of having paddles or oars, it was pushed with a regular boat motor with a guide driving in the back. Alex and Kaylee watched as the boat which held at least twenty people motor on by, waving at them and many others on the boat waving back.
“Well what do you think, Alex?” Grandpa called from over his shoulder.
“This is great!”
“Hah, Hah, I knew you would.”
Then Alex’s Dad piped in, “So Dad. Where’s our first stop?”
Grandpa turned around in his seat with a smirk on his face. “It will be at an area called Elves Chasm, it’s a beautiful spot. But first,” He paused a second for a dramatic effect and raised a finger as if to say ‘oh but one more thing’. ”We have to go through a few small obstacles before we get there.”
“Define ‘small’?” Alex’s Mom said with uncertainty. From what Alex could remember, she wasn’t much into anything that sounded dangerous in her dictionary. This was all the more reason Grandpa liked to tease her or surprise her with dangerous stunts.
“Oh don’t worry, Linda. It’s only a couple of small rapids, nothing of a big deal really.” Grandpa assured as he turned back around. His face grew to a wide grin as we all heard the sound of roaring that came from behind a canyon wall ahead of them. “Speaking of rapids, here comes one now.”
The roaring grew louder as the two boats flowed closer and closer and when after rounding the rock wall, Alex couldn’t help but giggle with anticipation. Though Grandpa said earlier to him that they were going through small rapids first, the mere sight of the quick rushing water and foam spewing out gave him goose bumps despite the hot dry air of the late morning. The canyon guide and big John up front kept paddling until the boat was positioned in a way they wanted it before reaching the rapids. The water beneath the boat began to flow faster and faster, and once they had past a certain point in the river there was no turning back now.
Alex and Kaylee let out a scream of laughter as the boat hit the first waves. The boat rocked with such force that Kaylee nearly jumped out her seat from the lack of gravity when the boat went mid- air for a half a second. Everyone paddled furiously as the guide barked orders so as to avoid the worst waves that would get them either stuck in a hole or flipped, and many didn’t want the latter. While the adults paddled, Maxi, their American Pit Bull Terrier huddled down close to the kids for both safety and comfort. The watery roller coaster ride only lasted for a few minutes, but to Alex it felt like more than five. The boat crashed into a couple more rough waves and the river returned back to its original calm form as if it never happened. Everyone raised their paddles, shouting in triumph for passing their first rafting experience.
“Do it again!! Do it again!!!” Kaylee shouted in laughter.
Grandpa laughed as well. “Don’t worry. There is plenty more of that in the near future.”
But Alex could clearly see his mother glaring holes into Grandpa’s back. Surely she wasn’t expecting it to be just a peaceful stroll down the river for a weak was she? He looked over to Dad to see his face away from hers, his smirk hidden on his face as he pretended to marvel at the red-ish Canyon wall next him. He knew she didn’t read whole brochure about the more difficult ones that they were about to face.
After the victory celebration had worn off, the two boats quietly flowed down the winding river to their first camp destination, hoping that they would make it before darkness fell on them.
But what no one realized yet was that several hundred miles up the Colorado River, at the closest river dam, the first stages of an almost unidentifiable crack was beginning to form on the concrete wall.
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Post by natalie on Oct 30, 2012 19:17:55 GMT -5
Great story!! I like it. Please continue.
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Post by natalie on Nov 18, 2012 16:58:00 GMT -5
Another awesome update, sounds like the plot is getting juicy !!
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Post by lazybug on Nov 18, 2012 18:20:15 GMT -5
Warning for mild alcohol: if its not accepted I'll change it.
(/)
The evening sun that begun to make its departure for another day percolated through the large window with a warm comforting glow. The stain glass border around the window illuminated the dark room into different bright colors, given the reason for not lighting the glow orbs just yet before sunset. The dark, stone room only furnished several shelves of paper work and books, spare swords and shields, and a pair of chairs in front of an old desk that has seen better days. Sitting behind the old desk with the sun silhouetting his form, a man focused intently on the papers laid messily before him. His focus faltered and pinched the bridge of his nose with a thumb and forefinger, a sigh escaping his lips in frustration as he leaned back in his chair with a loud creek.
The silence other than the man’s groaning was interrupted by a rough knock on the other side of the door. The man looked up and with a mix tone of authority and irritation, he answered, “Enter!”
The door creaked open, and slowly entering a young man entered the room. He was no older than twenty five and wore the same type of armor with the same emblem as the other man, only except his was a little more simple, showing he was several ranks below him. The man entered with slight hesitation, as if he had caught his superior at a bad time. Crossing the room he stopped in front of the beat up desk and saluted.
“Lieutenant Tack reporting, Sir.”
“At ease, Lieutenant. What do you have to report?”
The Lieutenant relaxed slightly but stayed at attention. “We have been able to convince Emperor Primet to temporally halt his military campaign until further notice on the other negotiations with the other two kingdoms.”
The knight sighed, massaging his temples in thought. So he finally agreed. So that just leaves the other two to stop bickering like school boys and solve this ridiculous problem. He wished it was that ridiculous, if it weren’t so life threatening.
“Is that all?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Then you are dismissed.” He ordered, and returned to focusing on the paperwork on his desk.
The lesser soldier turned to leave, but then he hesitated and turned back on his heel to face the knight again. Clearing his throat as if to get the knight’s attention and at the same time calm down his nerves, he was about to speak when the knight interpolate.
“Yes, what is it?”
“Permission to speak freely, Sir.”
“Permission granted.”
The young man cleared his throat again. “Were you able to receive an answer from Grand Master Idun about the war?”
The knight narrowed his eyes. “No . . . Only more cryptic riddles about fate and such.” He then paused, remembering something the Grand Master had told him before. “But he did say he believes that one of our kings is lying about not wanting the war to erupt.”
The soldier looked puzzled. “Do you believe that’s true?”
“By the great heaven’s I hope it isn’t!” The knight snapped, leaning back in his chair once more. He didn’t need this right now. He had enough on his table to worry about besides the old man’s prophecies. “Is that all, Lieutenant Tack?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Then you’re dismissed.”
The young soldier gave a small salute and turned once more to the door, closing it behind him. The knight breathed a heavy sigh of frustration. Normally he would call upon his brethren knights to help prevent such a war from occurring, but alas they were tied up with problems of their own in another part of the galaxy.
“Why do I have to do this the hard way?” He asked the empty space and then rose from his chair to gaze out the window that was behind him. Down below the training yard was blanketed in shadow from the high stone walls which surround it. The clashing of swords and shouts suggested that there was still activity despite the majority already having left for the day and heading straight for the taverns. His eyes quickly glance up from the training yard to the setting sun, a familiar hum ringing in his ears. An airship was heading this way, eclipsing the sun as the humming of the engines became a roar as the airship flew closer. The knight recognized immediately whose airship it belonged to and let a small smile form on his lips.
Castle that the knight lived in sat on a high hill overlooking the ocean behind it, and young trees covered the hill with its leaves painted gold from the setting sun. At the base of the hill, a small quiet trading village nestled, where tired merchants and adventurers come to trade or rest from their long journey. The knight watched as the airship hovered over a clearing not far from the village, but still distant enough not to disturb the crops and livestock that grazed in the field. After a few careful moments, the airship landed with a metallic thud meeting dirt, the engines of the hover drives finally quieting down to a low hum. Just as the large metal doors on the side slid open, the knight hastily made his way out of his office, down the stone hallway, and out through the training yard to the large wooden doors to the outside. He called for his runner, which a stable boy quickly received, saddled and ready. The creature was nearly seventeen hands high at the top of the shoulder, and had the body of a lean dog but the characteristics of a dragon. In a swift movement, the knight grabbed the pommel and swung himself over onto the saddle. Never missing a beat he pushed his heels into its sides and with great speed unmatched, the runner raced down the expanse hill.
By the time he reached the clearing, a distinct figure had already emerged from the airship. He had long, thin gray hair striped with white tied in a low pony tail that reached the middle of his back, and a neatly trimmed beard with a small hint of a ginger color. The design and color of his armor he wore told the knight the stranger was equal rank as him, and his element of power. Dark green armor with light green leaf circlet designs on the shoulders, arms, and sides . . . He was a Terrain Knight.
The knight stopped the runner just short of the airship, swinging off in the same fluid motion and landing gracefully on the ground. He raised an eyebrow at the other knight’s strange poster, looking as if he had been kept waiting there for hours.
“It took you long enough!” The green knight shouted, his face etched with anger.
He rolled his eyes to the red sky. “It’s not my fault you like to take your time flirting with the attendants the whole trip over.” He countered.
The green knight’s eyes narrowed but never faltered his expression. They glared at each other for a good minute, seeing who would break first. But then small hint of a smile slowly formed on their faces. The green knight finally broke into a laugh before walking up and embracing a hug with the other.
“It has been a long time my old friend! How have you been?” The older knight asked as they made their way out of the field and towards the village, the runner obediently walking along side them.
“Yes it has. You have no idea how glad I am to see you, Aonghas.”
Aonghas laughed. “What did you do this time, Bennett? Decimate another poor farmer’s barn again?”
The knight shook his head at that horrid memory. That was his first time wielding his wind power, and it did not go well at all. “No . . . Unlike you, I’m trying to keep the peace in the land while you were sitting nearby drinking wine.”
Aonghas raised a hand in defense,” I was merely observing. I could have easily interfered if I wished. “He said. “And it wasn’t wine; it was paka that my lovely wife made.”
“Of course . . . My mistake.” Bennett mock apologized as they entered the little restaurant in the village. The runner stopped near the doors and lay down to wait for its master to return. Since dusk approached, it meant dinner had come and the place was busy to serve food. The knights weaved through the lantern lit tables filled with hungry travelers and laughing soldier trainees, finally sitting at a small table in the far corner of the room. The corner was dark enough and out of the way in case of suspicious ears would try to eavesdrop on them.
After they made themselves comfortable and had ordered their food, Bennett got straight to the point on what was on his mind. “So what is your true reason for coming here, Aonghas?” He asked. “The last I heard of you, you were doing something secretive with the King and the inner circle of knights. What is the deal with that?”
He saw the older knight stiffen when his last question came out. So he was involved in it. Aonghas turned his head and searched through the whole crowd of people, glancing at every face for any prying eyes. When he was satisfied, he pulled out a folder from his tunic underneath his armor and placed it on the table closest to the knight.
“I have a favor to ask of you.” He said in a low voice. Bennett furrowed his brow in question, but then the green knight gestured to the folder on the table and picked it up, unlatching the tie that held the leather folder together and opened it. His confusion became more obvious as he pulled out a tiny gray disk no more than two inches in diameter.
“What’s this?”
Aonghas looked around the room some more before replying, “Star charts of the outer sector in the Cyrus constellation.” He raised a hand before Bennett could ask why. “I want you and some of your best pilots to go there and investigate that sector.”
Bennett’s eyes widen in surprise. “Are you out of your -!” Aonghas quickly shushes him, continuing with a lower tone. “Are you out of your mind, Aonghas! That sector is nearly halfway across the galaxy, and an unexplored one at that.” Bennett hissed. Nothing unusual had ever come out of the Cyrus constellation, but there had been many stories of adventurers flying out to that sector and never returned again. He didn’t want that to happen to his men either.
“I understand your superstitions about it.”Aonghas said. “But we have reason to believe that remnants of the enemy’s forces are hiding in that sector.”
Bennett narrowed his eyes. “What makes you think they would even go anywhere near that area?”
Aonghas chuckled lightly. “The same reason that you wouldn’t go there.” He pointed out as their mugs were set down and he took a swig of it after the server had left. “Look, the King is backing you with everything you need for the trip, including soldiers if needed to be just in case. Think about it; you will be the first fleet to explore the Cyrus Constellation and come back alive.”
“IF we come back alive.” Bennett corrected, running a hand through his hair with a sigh. He stared down at the disk still in his hand, contemplating on this new assignment. “I still don’t like it.”
“Well it’s not like your flying blind. We sent probes out there for the last couple of cycles and surprisingly it’s very quiet. Everything you want to know is on that disk, but be wise in keeping it a secret. Even in the lowest ranks they cannot be trusted.”
Bennett sighed and stared at the disk once more. Now that he thought about it, it was logical why the enemy would hide out there. No one would dare try to fly to the Cyrus Constellation without going out of communication range or their ship breaking down with no help from light cycles around. But flying there in a group shouldn’t be too bad.
“Fine . . . But remember this old man . . . If anything ever were to happen to me or my men in a horrific way, I will come back personally to haunt you in your nightmares.”
With a wide smile, the green knight raised his mug. “It’s a deal then."
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Post by lazybug on Nov 19, 2012 13:03:36 GMT -5
Thank you so much for the positive feedback natalie! I'll do my best to make it worth reading.
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Post by natalie on Nov 19, 2012 20:30:56 GMT -5
You're Welcome !! Awesome !!
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Post by lazybug on Dec 2, 2012 18:46:48 GMT -5
Warning for smoking: . . . .Don't smoke, its not good for you.
Chapter 3
“Tag!! You’re it!! “No I’m not!” “Yes you are.”
“No I’m not.”
“Yes you are I touched you.”
“That doesn’t count.”
“I touched you, that means you’re it!” Alex said, raising his voice a little louder than he should. His little sister’s hands were placed firmly against a large red rock that jutted out of the beaches shore, her head held high and looking sternly at her brother that any four old couldn’t possibly muster. His eyes narrowed and his hands slowly turned into fists, trying very, very hard not to smack his little sister right there.
Kaylee shook her head, her shoulder length blonde hair bouncing with each movement she made. “I touched the safe point, so I’m not it.”
His brow furrowed in confusion. “Since when did this become a safe point?” “Right now.”
“But that’s cheating.” Alex pointed out.
“No its not.”
“Yes it is.”
“No its not.” “YES IT IS!!”
“NO ITS NOT –“
“KIDS?!” The children flinched simultaneously at their father’s sharp tone. They looked over to see the group on the other side of the beach, surrounding a campfire that was cooking their late dinner. Alex’s father scowled at them from on the other side the campfire. “If you can’t learn to play fair then come back over and help your Grandpa.”
“Yes, sir.” They said in unison. Kaylee stuck her tongue out while her big brother did the same as they walked back to the camp, picking up rocks and throwing them out into the river with a splash as they went. Big John and Jackson were preparing cooked fish on a fryer over the fire while Lorelei and skinny girl (forgot her name three days ago) were next to his Mom talking about girl stuff, and if not girl stuff it was about men.
The hot Arizona sun had dipped behind the canyon walls to touch the desert landscape, ever so slowly bringing the chill into the air as the light darkened. Alex felt the goose bumps run up his arms as he rubbed them up and down with his hands to bring back the warmth. Fortunately his mother had made him pack a pair of green sweat pants and hoody before leaving, and now that the nights have gotten colder he was grateful for it. He walked up to one of the bags near the tents and extracted the warmer clothing. After slipping them on and feeling warmer at last, Alex made himself comfortable near the warm fire and accepted one the dishes of fish that was being passed around the group.
“Thanks again for bringing us on this trip, Dad.” Alex’s Dad complimented. “It means a lot.”
“Oh stop it. I just thought it would be a great experience for everyone to enjoy.” Grandpa said.
As Grandpa said this, Alex glanced over to his Mom to see her spraying a good amount of mosquito repellent all over herself and into the air around her. A muffled snicker erupted from his mouth, and he bit the inside of his lips to prevent them from him getting into trouble. But his father had noticed, and merely winked in Alex’s direction with a smirk. Alex smiled, returning to the meal on his plate as the adults started up another boring conversation about everyday things in life.
His mind finally tuned them out, and then look up to the clear stars that were beginning to appear one by one. Each constellation he knew by heart, which was his specialty. He loved to just lay back and try to connect each star to each other to create a new constellation, and then make up names for them as if he just discovered a whole new galaxy to explore. His heart went out to those stars, longing to travel to them as if they were calling to him. Letting down a rope for Alex to grab on to and pulling him up into the night sky.
His ears perked to hear a low whistle a little ways from him, and turned his head slightly to where it had originated from. About a hundred yards away, Alex saw another group of people camping by the river shore, surrounding their own campfire with food and an occasional laugh every once in a while. But one person was alone away from the group, playing on a small device that illuminated his face in the darkening night. The boy was looking in Alex’s direction, and when he saw he had Alex’s attention, he quickly made a hand motion to come over.
“Dad, can I go play with the kid in the other group over there?”
“Sure . . . But you come back for bed when we call you.”
“Ok.” Alex replied as he stood up and began making his way towards the other camp. When he reached the boy, he realized he was only a few years older than him. The boy smiled as Alex sat down in front of him, looking pleased as he held his 3DS play system in his hands.
“Hi! My name’s Alex.” Alex proclaimed and raised his hand to shake.
“Name’s Steven.” The boy replied but didn’t make the same gesture. Disappointed, Alex dropped his hand. “You’re on vacation with your family too?”
Alex nodded excitedly. “Yep, we’re actually staying with my Grandpa for the whole summer, so we’ll have lots of fun.” Steven scoffed. “Oh please . . . There’s nothing interesting about being in the desert. Once you see one lizard or two, you’ve seen them all.”
“But that’s not true! I saw lizards, snakes, spiders, and those weird looking crabs with claws and a curved tail that Mom said to never touch. You just have to look harder.” “Not if your family’s like mine” Steven explained. “We come here every year after the school year, and I have seen every overturned rock in this canyon alone in my life.”
“Oh . . . I’m sorry.” “What are you sorry for?” Steven huffed, setting the play system on his lap. “I wanted to go to Disney world for a change.”
Alex wasn’t sure what to do for him, and set a finger to his lips to think. What could he do to make this boy’s vacation better? Thinking hard, Alex didn’t see the sudden spark in the other boy’s eye and heard a “hah ha!” sound escape his mouth.
“I know what we can do!” The little seven olds head tilted slightly. “What?”
“Have you ever heard of the Ross Wheeler?”
“No . . .” Alex sentence trailed, as if somehow he would remember it. “Then here’s what we’re going to do . . . .”
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No one would have guessed this night would be the perfect night for star gazing. The sky was so clear that you could see light years of stars shining brightly, like tiny little lanterns to guide the weary traveler on a moonless night. The desert was quiet except for the occasional yelping of coyotes and the hooting of the desert howl waiting for a meal to patter on by. This night is a peaceful night.
A facility worker walked out into the night through one of the metal doors of the dam’s towers. He held his mug of coffee to his lips and sipped deeply, letting the strong aroma awaken his senses with a deep sigh. It was another long shift for him, and it won’t be long until he was a loud to go home to his soft bed. The man’s hands felt around his pockets until he found what he was looking for, and bit the end of the little plastic box to pull out a cigarette. As he did this, he hummed a tune he heard on the radio as he lit his light, ready to inhale the nicotine.
The light was about to catch the end of the cigarette when a sudden strong breeze muffed it out. The worker tried again but the light would quickly go out every time. Frustrated, he walked to the nearest wall around the door to block the wind, but his actions quickly stopped. Something to his left, closest to the canyon wall caught his eye. The stars shone brightly, but the moon still wouldn’t be up until at least another hour, so he was unable to see any form of detail in the desert landscape.
He waited a few minutes before shrugging his shoulders, turning back to his lighter again. As he turned his back the man didn’t see that a cluster of stars had changed and dimmed, so when he finally turned around after finally lighting the cigarette, his eyes looked like they would pop out of their sockets.
The stars dimmed and warped, turning into a circle of light. Within that warped light a pitch black silhouette of an object hovered down from the sky, but the worker couldn’t make heads or tails of what it looked like other than its massive size that dominated most of the sky. The object drifted down to the desert ground, swirling dust and rocks as the loud engines of the object forced the man to clasp his hands over his ears from the sheer noise.
A short stocky man burst through the metal doors, the wind nearly blowing him away. “Henry! What the devil is going on out here?!”
But the man didn’t answer. He was about shout at him when he too saw the strange phenomenon going on in the desert. The black silhouette was about to land when suddenly the engines were cut off, resulting in the object to fall the rest of the way. It landed with a loud BOOM! raising dirt, rocks, and other debris into the sky, and the wind force throwing the two men off their feet a few yards away.
The dam’s siren blared loudly, signaling a danger that is about to unfold. The little crack that would have been easily repaired if it were noticed by the workmen grew in size. The crack stretched up from over halfway to near the rim, spewing water here and there. The dam groaned with the stress, trying its hardest to keep the water from spilling over.
The two workers sat up, shielding their faces from the cloud of dust still lingering in the air. One of them still had the cigarette in his mouth; he pulled it out and stared at it, and then back up to the looming object that landed a couple hundred yards from the dam. Having made up his mind he flicked the cigarette aside, vowing he wouldn’t smoke again for the rest of his life. The men visibly flinched when a loud screeching of metal echoed in the air. The black object changed form and then one side of it began to extend and stretch out. The long appendage moved until hitting the desert floor, blowing more dirt into the air.
Then all was quiet. . . The dust having finally cleared and settled, but the dam workers shook with fear. After a few minutes it had become too quiet, with only the sound of the dam groaning and the blaring of the horns.
What came next made the workers scream in agony as they slammed their hands back over their ears. The mix of a roar and a shriek erupted from the black silhouette object, and a large form that no human had ever seen before walked out. Every step it took the ground shook beneath it, with every step the dam’s crack became wider and wider. Once it had emerged, the creature with multiple limbs lifted it massive head and made a sound of inhaling air. Its head rotated from side to side, as if wondering which direction to go first. The workers couldn’t move a muscle as the tremors vibrated through the ground again, the pitch black form moving its massive limbs in motion like a spider down along the Colorado river.
The men sighed in relief after the thing was farther enough away, knowing it wasn’t about to attack them. But the sound of something else caught their attention.
The dam, with all its effort to contain its position, finally fell away. Water shot out from everywhere, and the men barely had an enough time to run to the safety of the tower by the canyon wall. Despite only the upper section of the dam being broken, like a great tsunami, the river water barreled down the canyon at great speed. The dam was now more of a waterfall than the barrier.
The men watched as the canyon flooded into one great rapid. One of them snapped out of his stupor and shouted out orders to send out the warning call. . . He just prayed it would be received in time before it was too late for the tourists further down river.
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Post by lazybug on Dec 2, 2012 18:56:38 GMT -5
Does it feel like it's being rushed? or have too much humor?
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Post by natalie on Dec 4, 2012 0:50:55 GMT -5
No, it's just fine. I like description of the giant robot and the tremors.
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Post by lazybug on Dec 16, 2012 13:21:27 GMT -5
Chapter 4 is almost done.
And to the readers who are still looking for the "big" moment. . . .Please!! wait just a little longer! Just one more chapter after Ch 4 and we made it.
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Post by lazybug on Jan 4, 2013 21:03:56 GMT -5
This is just a snippet of the chapter. The rest will be up later.
Chapter 4
No one was aware of what was to come. . . The campers on the Colorado River slept peacefully in their tents, lulled by the river water’s gentle churning and the chorus crickets hiding in the bushes nearby. Jason turned in his sleep to lay an arm around his wife next him. He sighed with contentment, glad to see his Father happy in a long time and the kids having fun spending time with him. With that mind to rest he slowly drifted off back into sleep . . . Jason, along with his wife in unison, bolted up right in their sleeping bags to a loud beeping sound outside. A shuffling of fabric from one of the tents and then walking on gravel was heard, perhaps one of the guides checking it out. The beeping continued as the booted steps stopped in front of it, but then the guide cursed loudly, panic lacing his voice.
“EVERYONE GET UP NOW!!!” The guide shouted. All the tourists, including the neighboring campers nearby stared at him in confusion through half lidded eyes. “IT’S A DAM BREAK!!! THE CANYON IS GOING TO FLOOD!!!” That was enough to snap them awake. All the campers jumped to their feet, grabbing what packs they could carry into their arms and ran to the nearest rocky trail. Jason and his wife untangled themselves from the sleeping bags and burst through out of the tent to see everyone in a panic. They too wasted no time and quickly headed for Jason’s Dad in the other tent.
“Linda, go get the kids.” He ordered over his shoulder, coming up to the small tent.
“Dad! Wake up, we gotta go!” Jason yelled. But only silence answered him and he zipped down the tent. He gasped . . . Tent was empty.
“Hurry up! It’s coming!” The other guide warned as the whole group was bounding up the trail. Jason shook his head in panic. Where was Dad? Did he have to do business or something? “DAD! Where are you?!” His shouts echoed off the canyon walls.
“ . . .Someone help me! . . .”
He looked over. A woman from the other camp group hurried around the campground, looking as if she lost something important. She screamed out a name over and over, and with each time her voice became more alarmed. Jason ran over to her and grabbed her by the shoulders to turner her around to face him. “Miss! You have to hurry up the trail!”
“Not without my son.” She cried, tears staining her cheeks.
“What’s your son’s name?”
“Steven.”
“Do you have any idea where he may have went before hand?”
The woman shook head, doing her best not stutter. “H-he said that he had to use the bathroom, b-but that was twenty minutes ago . . . Oh Steven . . .”
This was not good. Not only was there a flood coming, but a kid was roaming about. He heard the guides shout again to hurry up. Jason jerked his head around the campsite, trying desperately to see into the darkness for the boy. “Steven!” He shouted, “Steven, get back here now!”
“Jason, what’s going on?” Grandpa’s buddies, Don and Jackson, ran up. “The flood is supposed to come any minute now.”
“I know, but one of the camper’s kids is missing.”
Jackson’s eyes widened. “Crap. . . There’s nothing we can do now though. . .”
“PLEASE!!” The woman cried out, “He’s our only son . . . We have to find him!”
“I know miss, but - “He stopped his sentence. . . The look on his wife’s face practically made his heart drop to the hard, rocky ground. She stood tall next the smaller tent their kids slept in, her face paler than the full moon that was starting to rise into the starry night sky. Linda pulled the tent flap aside. . . .
A small, chocolate brown bear wearing a dirty red bow around its neck, occupied the space in the empty tent.
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