Short Story (Again!)

What we have here is a short story.

A gentle, light-hearted, fluffy cute story... (I know, gasp with awe!)

This is probably going to be a two-part piece.

Seeing Daydreams

Admiring from afar had only one advantage: Nobody could see you daydream.

And that's just what they both did.

It started off simple enough: A rogue girl makes a random appearance into strange surroundings, catching the attention of a very curious stranger. A very curious stranger who immediately became smitten for reasons he couldn't quite comprehend. So he played it off and playfully joked about his devious plans for abducting the newcomer and running off with her. Little did he know that his simple jests would become so much more.

She thought his playful prods were just that, but something in the back of her mind made her buzz with curiosity. So many what ifs? soon flooded her mind, to the point that she couldn't quell her curiosity by herself. She took his prods to heart and began following him around whenever she had the chance. She always got that same gentle pink blush and giddily shy smile when he would look up and happen to lock eyes with her, if even for half a second. She loved catching him by surprise. Watching the pleasant jolt race through his body was amusing and fascinating. She loved observing him and every little thing he did.

And even with all of this going on, they still found a way to be apart from one another for long stretches on end. While in physical amounts the separation was maybe thirty or sixty days, in emotional amounts the separation was measured in eternities. Agonizing, slow eternities that left both questioning, are you coming back to see me again soon? And deep down in their minds, they swore this was wrong -- after all, they both were entangled in other relationships and agendas -- but how could you fight against a pull so strong that brought you together no matter how long the passage of time?

Soon secret trysts were formed. They would pry away from their prior engagements and run away, naughty children knowing better but unwilling to care. They disappeared together and spent the time simply absorbing the company of one another. Gentle conversations consisting of small talk that slowly turned into deeper conversations about beliefs and personal information. Silly little jokes that became theirs and only theirs to comprehend. The space between the two as they sat slowly disappearing until finally she was quite comfortable sitting on his lap... and he had to convince himself not to hold her close... no matter how badly his heart yearned for it.

She wasn't his... not his... he wanted her to be... but things were complicated. She couldn't be his, not with she belonging to another and he already with somebody who he had given his loyalty and his word. But it wasn't fair! His mind reflected back to his once innocent-enough remarks about stealing her and making her his own. Apparently his heart knew something that his mind did not at that time -- those silly remarks were becoming more and more serious concepts that he pondered over late into the night. He had developed a strange new fear: What if I eventually lose her to somebody who is brave enough to go through with his ideas? Could he handle losing her? Something in his mind told him that he probably could not.

He saw how she behaved. He saw her vicious tendencies and her verbal violence. Fortunately, he had never been on the receiving end of this nastier side of her, but he knew it was all for show. In all their secret meetings, he learned that this girl was nothing more than a shy child at heart -- wanting companionship, afraid of being hurt, and, more than anything... wanting someone to play with. And how badly he wanted to be that someone...

She was a tease. She kept him on his toes and kept him guessing while being completely obvious with her intentions. She was a master of provoking him to do things that normally he found himself too reserved to attempt. She brought out an energetic and bolder side that, somehow, only she seemed to know existed in him. Her words danced around in playful riddles that all said the same thing: I like you... I dare you to like me back. It seemed like maybe she also knew he did, indeed, like her, and her challenges were naughty little stabs just to leave him reeling. She never intentionally set out to cause him harm, and had grown increasingly jealous of any other female that might've garnered more of his attention than she. But it wasn't anything she needed to worry over -- she had more of his attention than anyone else would ever muster.

As the time passed, the tensions began mounting. Desires, frustrations, daydreams, fantasies, and fate were slowly coming together. Their hidden retreats became more episodes of silence and observation as they seemed to be scoping out one another for clues as to how to proceed next. It was a strange, sharp, and very sudden change in the dynamics that brought about more questions: Have I waited too long?

But the silence and strain wasn't provoking a sense of separation or distress. No, quite the opposite... the silence and strain suggested that the time of reckoning was upon them.

Make a move.

Now or never.

The silence and strain transformed a year's worth of pondering and questioning into two futures of knowing. Two futures that had now become one.

Admiring someone from afar allows you to daydream without being seen.

But if your daydreams are never seen, you'll always be admiring from afar.

Secondary Prose.

Yep.

It's another one.

I warn: This piece is extremely twisted. Dark, morbid, macabre, horrific. My specialty.

Living, Sleeping Graves

In the background rocks a steady sound
Rhythmic heartrate of a hidden clock
Strums a melody on any ears around
With its endless song of tick and tock.

And laying down upon this cluttered bed
A girl with an imagination overly intact
Dare to invade her twisted little head
Observe how the lies slowly became fact.

On her face a pair of unblinking eyes
Open windows that suggest she is disturbed
Do you hear her lack of whines and cries?
With a mouth sewn shut, her voice is curbed.

For her protection, they've pinned her still
Her wrists and ankles bound in tight restraints
Under strict control, they've forced her to heel...
And no one else has offered any complaints.

It's been said her mind just died one day
Leaving her to go completely mad.
So they captured her and force her to stay
In the world where all inhabitants are bad.

There is nothing in her empty white cell
The windows all are sealed in and cemented.
Because no one thinks she'll again be well
And society is simply hides away the demented.

Every now and again, one lone soul will enter
And sneer down at this newest of rejections
Watching as her squirms begin to splinter
As she's forced to take her next injection.

Her diseased little head begins now to falter
And those green windows struggle not to close
She lays like a sacrifice upon this rusty altar
Where she, like her mind, will start to decompose.

The images play in the depths of her brain
Like morbid films that show her the depictions
Of how her sanity's strength began to drain
And forces her to hear her own tragic description:

Invisible forces all around circling ravenous
As if she were a corpse coveted by the vultures
Her insanity's results ultimately were disastrous
The bleeding limbs have become the sculptures

By which she shows her involuntary conviction
Of a captive breed of all those that are depraved...
Forever trapped by the confines of one prescription:
The entombment forever in living, sleeping graves.

Completely Lacking Defense Mechanisms.

I don't care what anyone says.

I fail, epically hard.

Here. Have a stupid drabble.

Through the Cracks

It used to be solid and stable
Withstood the toughest trial
But its defenses are now disabled
And into the depths do I spiral.

With my mood-temperature flaring
And the drops in my eyes burning
Demons have begun dangerous daring
The ocean in my stomach's churning.

The brinks of insanity I'm walking
Thoughts in my brain become bleak
Self-created and eternal exile stalking
In these cryptic words I speak.

I've begun to disregard my safety nets
As I've learned on them not to depend.
A twisted relief -- on this my mind sets
Because this falling I cannot do again.

I'm content to lay in the loudest silence
Convinced that in this darkness I do belong
As it would end my pathetic dependence
To the belief that I am strong.

I've screamed myself into severe insomnia--
Always seem to rant and rave--
Frustrated myself into states of nausea
Drowned in tears--sent to my grave.

No answer will be given to this question
And my cries of misery the air will lack
And it's all because a simple distraction
Allowed me to fall right through the cracks.

Chapter Six Teaser

I'm still working on Chapter Five, which is proving to be a cute little challenge to produce. In the meantime, I came up with a little teaser for Chapter Six! =D

In Chapter Five, our cute little crossover characters learned how normal teenagers relax and enjoy their spare time. In Chapter Six, they learn how normal citizens go to school. They accompany Jared to his school, and interesting times ensue!

So here's a teaser of it! =D

Chapter Six Teaser: Adventures in Academia

"Well, this is it," Jared announced, almost too proudly. "This is where I go to class."

It was a large and magnificent campus, located on the highest point of Cookie Mountain. It had a beautiful overlook of the sea below, as well as the plains and the forest that were on either side. It was a peaceful looking campus, with the students quietly hustling to their destinations, or pausing to catch up with friends. Most of the people here were also Toads, but they saw a few Koopas as well. They had been taught that not all Koopa Troopas were evil, and to give a lot of them the benefit of the doubt.

"So what're we going to do here?" Luca asked, looking bored.

"I'm going to show you how normal people our age behave in a more professional setting. Life isn't all about video games and adventures, y'know," Jared answered.

"But I like the video games and adventures," Luca whined.

Phil nodded his head, but refused to say to what he was nodding his head for.

Jared laughed a little. "If you're going to blend in and be normal citizens, guys, then you're going to have to behave like normal citizens. Now trust me, this won't be as bad or as boring as you think. In fact, it'll be really useful for you guys -- you've still got a lot to learn about this world before you're ready to live in it."

Phil blinked. "Who said we were going to live here permanently?" He looked a tad alarmed.

"Well, you're gonna be living here until I'm able to find a way to get you two back to your own world, so..." Jared pushed them both forward. "Come on. I'm late for my Quantum Physics of Items class."


"...And it's by this process that a Fire Flower can filter sunlight and turn it into tangible flame," the professor was deep into his lecture when the door suddenly opened. "Well, Mr. Robertson," he chided Jared as he walked in. "It's very unlike you to be tardy. What's the reason?"

"I'm sorry, sir," Jared apologized, pointing over his shoulder, "But I was helping two new students get accustomed to the campus..."

"What new students?" The professor raised an eyebrow. The class began snickering.

Jared's eyes widened as he whirled around. His two friends were nowhere to be found. "Stars above," he breathed to himself in a panic. "Not now!"

"Well, Mr. Robertson?"

Jared blinked a few times, squirming uncomfortably on his feet. What a time for the two of them to get curious and walk off! He then grew a bit more panicked -- he had lost two completely curious people... in the science and chemistry building. His eyes widened more, and he grasped his stomach. "Suddenly I don't feel so well. I'm sorry, sir, I think I may be ill." He quickly ran off.

The professor raised an eyebrow again. "Interesting young man, that Jared..."

Jared sprinted down the hallway, throwing open every single door he passed. He had to apologize to several classes as he quickly scanned the lecture halls for his missing peers. Suddenly there was a loud popping sound from the second floor, followed by quite a commotion as students evacuated the area. "Oh no... No, no..." He fought his way through the evacuation, trying to find the source of the explosion.

***

"What do you suppose that was?" Luca asked of her boyfriend as they wandered around down in the basement. She looked up towards the ceiling.

"I don't know," Phil responded. "Do you think this is a good idea, wandering off like this?"

"Sure it is!" Luca giggled. "I had a bad feeling that we were gonna be stuck in some boring lecture... that's what everyone else was doing. I don't think that's fun."

"No, but it could've been useful."

She narrowed her eyes at him, and he glanced in another direction. She shook her head and ignored his comment. "You gotta wonder what kind of fun history this place has hidden beneath all the fancy walls and stuff."

"Maybe." Phil put his hands in his pockets. "I think Jared's going to completely kill us when he finds us, though."

"The operative word is 'when,'" Luca grinned. The two suddenly jumped as a loud creaking and hissing sound erupted from somewhere ahead. Luca sprinted forward after the sound, and Phil raced off to chase her down. They found themselves standing on a metallic platform above a large mechanical creation.

"What do you think that is?" Luca questioned, leaning over the railing.

"Something that'll kill you if you slip from the ledge," Phil replied, grabbing her around the waist. "Stop it and get down."

The machine below hissed and creaked again, then began to make a strange whirring noise. The platform they were on started to move. They gripped it tightly and watched as they began hovering around without any control whatsoever. Down below, a voice came into audible frequency.

"...Imagine what this could do for Dark Land! With its randomly moving platforms and hidden fireball cannons, this thing could be the 'heroes' worst nightmare!"

"Did you hear that?" Luca asked quietly.

"Did he say something about hidden cannons?" Phil sounded a bit paranoid. He shook it off. "Isn't Dark Land that place that we were taken to back a few days ago?"

"Mmhmm," Luca nodded. "Let's see what we can hear."

"I'm still working on the lightning bolt rods, but once it's complete, this thing will be a marvel of evil machinery! I'll sell it to the great King Bowser, and he'll use it to finally eliminate those no-good 'heroes' forever!" The voice continued.

"Man, blending in as students sure came in handy," a second voice laughed. "We were able to get access to all the latest technology! And nobody ever comes down here because they figure this is just an air conditioning machine... it's brilliant! King Bowser will be so pleased!"

Luca leaned over the platform again, trying to listen in. "They're going to use this thing to hurt Jared," she murmured.

"Or us," Phil added. "Now that we're in the game with him."

"We can't let that happen..." She leaned over a little more, her shoe catching the side and knocking her off balance. Before Phil could catch her, she tumbled down a thirty foot drop, crashing into several crates below.

I warned her about that, Phil couldn't help but think to himself. He quickly looked over the side, seeing two shadowy figures moving towards the source of the crash. He jumped down to try and get to his girlfriend first.

"Well, well," one of the shadowy figures said. "It looks like we have company."

"That it does," the second said with a nod of his head. "I guess we better address this problem."

"Indeed," the first replied. "We were going to wait until the machine was finished before we tested it out, but why wait when two perfectly willing volunteers just come falling out of the sky?"

The machine popped, groaned, and creaked, emitting another loud hissing sound. Luca and Phil looked towards it slowly, looking slightly afraid as the vile machine seemed to spring to life.

Story Time: A Dream I Had.

Last night it seemed that I was having an active night of sorts. The middle of the night had me awakening to a scary dream of sorts that I can't remember. Perhaps it wasn't a dream, but rather a message, telling me to wake, as it seemed my love was struggling with his own subconscious world.

Later, though, I had another dream. Very vivid, detailed, and strange, as most of my subconscious musings are. So here it is... a storified retelling of my dream.

(No, I really don't know what caused the following dream to occur.)

A Prisoner of the Facade

"We're so glad you took time out of your busy schedule to take the tour of our remarkable facility," the tour guide announced in his pseudo-joyful tone. But it was obvious to anyone who looked in his eyes -- he was disgusted with these people, and he was disgusted with these tours. He led several of them a day, and spoke the same scripted garbage every single time. The monotony was enough to make him want to throw himself over the otherwise chained-off ledges.

I found myself suddenly nudged softly in my ribs. I blinked, snapped out of my own distant daydreaming, turning my attention to my boyfriend.

"Why are we here?" He asked me, looking a little vexed at me.

I shrugged. "I don't know," I answered honestly. "But I figure that since we're already here, we may as well go along with it."

"Fine," he replied, looking around with a near impatient look on his face. "But if this is boring, I'm going to be upset."

"I'll deal with that if the time comes."

"When the time comes."

I cut him a sideways glance, and began to follow the group of spectators and strangers that laid out in front of us.


"We do request that all our visitors wear these bracelets," another guide spoke as he attached a metallic chain around my left wrist. "This way, we can keep up with our visitors and keep them safe. Now then, if you'll come along this pathway, the tour will begin..."

I tugged gently on the strange metallic band that had been practically forced upon me, noticing that it didn't feel cold like most metal objects tend to feel. I pressed it tight between two fingers, tugging on it again, swearing that for a moment, it had a pulse of its own.

"Don't play with it," my boyfriend chided after a moment. I couldn't help but notice the expression on his face suggesting his own desire to prod at the bracelet he'd received.

"Something doesn't feel right about this place," I declared quietly.

"Like what?"

"The bracelet... I don't think they're using them just to keep up with the visitor count. It... felt like it pulsed."

"Are you sure you didn't just feel your own pulse?"

I blinked and mulled it over. "No... I'm not sure. Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm being paranoid."

"They're going to leave us behind if we keep stalling."

"Then let's go."

The guide was continuing his big dramatic lecture about the history of the facility. "...which was created about twenty years ago. Today, this facility is where we do the majority of our research. As we deal with very dangerous elements and conditions, there will be many places that we are unable to take our tourists. Please follow me."

The group was led down a long passageway with a multitude of doors on either side. Below the floor was a hundred foot drop into steaming green fluid, which we were told we wouldn't want to try to interact with. Despite my fear of heights, I leaned over the ledge and squinted into the material. It seemed thick and stagnant. I was quickly pushed forward, and continued with the group.

As we walked past one of the doors, an awful screamed pierced through what was supposed to be soundproof metal. Everybody in the group seemed to jump about three feet, turning towards the source of the sound.

"Please return your attention to me and the other guides," the disgusted man quickly shouted. "We still have many places to see before the tour is over, and this procrastinating will get us nowhere."

The group hustled on ahead, but I stayed back. My boyfriend stayed at my side, though he seemed to vehemently disapprove of my decision.

"You'll get us in trouble," he warned softly.

"I have to know what that sound was," I replied, carefully grabbing the door handle and twisting it. To my surprise, it actually opened. I walked through and found myself standing in what almost seemed like a new building altogether. The walls and floors were solid white, and the hallway had a very sterile scent. I blinked and took a few steps forward, rubbing my hand against the walls. "Feels like concrete."

"Look over here," my boyfriend announced suddenly. "I found a window."

I quickly walked over to where he was standing. A very large pane of glass was inserted into a portion of the wall, revealing another room. There were frightened looking people within the confines of the other room, huddled together in the center of the room. We looked for a door but found none. Another panel of glass soon was found, followed by another. They each produced the same result -- frightened masses of prisoners huddled together and trying to keep it together.

"What is this place?" My boyfriend questioned me, as if I knew.

"I thought something wasn't right about this place." I said, almost to myself.

"We have to get out of here."

"But what about everyone else?"

We jumped in distress as a trapped human from the other side of the wall lunged at the window, clawing at it with inhuman ferocity. We stepped away from the window, then ducked out of view as a door opened from the other side of the room and what appeared to be guards rushed in. We cautiously leaned up just enough so we could watch what was happening. The guards grabbed the disturbed person and walked over to a platform. Suddenly, there was a loud creaking sound, followed by a screeching that faded for a few seconds, and ended with a splash.

"Did they just..." I couldn't finish my question.

"I think they did." He rose to his feet. "Come on, we really need to get out of here." He pointed straight ahead, as we couldn't go back the way we came. "Let's see if maybe there's something this way."

We walked quickly down what seemed like an endless corridor, refusing to glance into the windows that lined the walls. We had been traumatized by witnessing the behavior and treatment of those kept within those walls, and knew it would only have slowed us down. We finally made it to a door that was the same color as everything around us. He grabbed the handle and slowly turned it, shivering a bit as it creaked open. We were greeted by an old man in a solid white outfit.

"Hello, strangers," he said in a strangely somber voice. "Hurry and close the door before you are seen."

We shut the door and walked towards the center of the room. The old man continued. "It's been a while since anybody's been brave enough to break away from the group. It was a good call. You two stand a chance of escaping the facade alive."

"The what?" I asked.

"This is a facade factory, children. The people who run this place are actually very twisted people who only want to see pain and suffering inflicted upon others. It's rumored that these people were neglected in their pasts, and are exacting their revenge through torture and death. On the outside, however, this looks like a simple research facility. This is how they get their victims -- offering fake tours." The old man got up, trembling and barely able to hold his own weight.

"What are you doing here?" My boyfriend asked of the elderly man.

"I used to be a guide here," the man replied. "But the more I saw of the horrors that went on here, the less of it I could stand. Finally, they thought I fell insane, and they put me in here. I pretend to be crazed in order to help curious strangers like you try to avoid the fate that eventually awaits the rest of the tourists."

"What about everyone else?" I asked dismally.

"I'm afraid it's far too late for them. Anyone who remained on the tour line has probably been imprisoned by now. And those who are trapped here are no longer able to think for themselves. They have been poisoned by their imprisonment, and many are insane. You two are the only ones who stand a chance of escaping alive. However..."

"What?" We asked in unison.

"The guards already know that two of their victims are unaccounted for. They are probably looking for you as we speak. If they catch you, then there will be nothing that anybody can do to save you, and you'll be imprisoned within the facade forever, just like the rest." The old man sat back down and pointed to a vent in the wall above. "Hurry, children. Through that vent. It will take you into the heart of the facility. While I do not guarantee your safety, it is where you stand the best chances of escaping with your lives and your sanity. There are many places within the machinery for you to hide. Also, as soon as you can, get rid of the bracelets. Now that they know you're loose in the facade, they will soon activate them. The bracelets will slowly drain your life energy while also poisoning your mind. Please, children... don't let this second chance escape you."

We nodded and quickly went to the vent. Suddenly, we heard a furious pounding on the door we had just come through. Hurriedly, we pushed open the vent and my boyfriend insisted I go in first. I wanted to protest, but the door was slowly splintering. I scrambled into the vent and found myself suddenly falling down a long and dark chute. I reached up for him, unable to see. A few moments later, I felt his hand grip mine, and we plummeted through the claustrophobic shaft for what felt like an eternity.

We landed atop a large machine in the middle of an unsanitary and rusted room. We laid flat atop it while two people walked by.

"Have you activated the bracelets yet?" One of them asked.

"Affirmative," the other responded. "They have an hour of strength and two hours of sanity left. If we don't find them by then, they'll be dead of insanity or exhaustion."

I looked down at the bracelet on my wrist, seeing it suddenly flashing a pale green color. As the patrols walked past, I got up to my feet and looked around. Nearby, I saw a large chainsaw of sorts. "Look!" I instructed my boyfriend. "We can get these things off if we get over there."

"Then let's be quick," he replied. "We've only got two hours."

We jumped across the tops of the machines, occasionally pausing and ducking into dark crevices when our rustling around attracted attention. Fortunately, it seemed that the bracelets didn't possess tracking devices. My boyfriend made the last jump to the chainsaw without any trouble, then quickly motioned for me to follow. I jumped but missed the landing, holding onto the side of the machine and attempting to climb up it. He quickly leaned down to help me up, neglecting to release himself from his bracelet first.

"No," I yelped, "get the chain off first!"

"Living won't do any good for me if you're not with me," he insisted, holding onto me tight and pulling me up. I watched him quietly, looking alarmed when for a split second he looked down at me as if he didn't know who I was. He recovered, however, and pulled me up. Cautiously we got to the chainsaw and waited as it slowly chewed through the chain that had tethered us to a proverbial time bomb. Within five minutes, we were free from the death sentence.

"We still have to get out of here," I announced before letting myself get too pleased with our progress.

My boyfriend pointed nearby. "Look over there. That pathway has to go somewhere..." It was a long chute, much like the air vent that had dropped us into this room.

"Then let's go that way." We walked over towards it, looking up and trying to figure out how we were going to get up to it. Suddenly I noticed a conveyor belt of sorts and jumped up, grabbing hold of it. My feet rose from the floor, and I was being taken towards the chute. "Quick!" I shouted down.

The conveyor belt had us hovering over more of that strange green substance. The area was extremely hot and humid, almost stagnant. Down below, a skull of sorts seemed to float up from the substance and glance up at us. I shivered a little and tightened my grip on the conveyor belt. I watched my feet as they dangled helplessly, trying to convince myself that I was unafraid of heights. Down below on a lower platform, two guards were oblivious to us hovering just overhead. They were more focused on sweeping what appeared to be bones off the platform ledge.

We continued on for quite some time, until the conveyor belt seemed to turn back in the other direction. We dropped down to the platform we had been watching the guards on, carefully attempting to find a door before we were seen. By now we could hear an alarm blaring in our honor: Security breach: Two unauthorized personnel have infiltrated the facility. Find and eliminate at all costs.

We slipped through a door just as the two guards intercepted our location. We found ourselves in a room similar to the one we had seen all the imprisoned people within.

"A dead end," my boyfriend cried out in distress.

"Maybe not," I said. "Look." I pointed towards another window, one which appeared to be a path towards the outside world.

"Aha! We found them! They're attempting to break through the window!" We heard from the other side of the door. All the guards rushed away from where we were, apparently heading towards the outside to try and intercept us.

"Oh great," I mumbled softly, beginning to worry about the situation.

"Look at this," my boyfriend suddenly spoke up, moving a stepladder over towards yet another vent. "Wherever it goes is definitely better than us being here."

"Right, let's get moving," I nodded, jogging over as he moved the plate to the side.

We traversed the chute as cautiously as we could, trying not to make much noise. We popped out on the other side of the hallway, in another room with another outward window. I peered down towards the ground and saw nobody guarding the area. "This is it!" I declared. "Our escape!"

He was digging through a drawer, coming back with a large knife. "Will this cut us out?"

I took it from him and tapped the glass with it. After a few minutes of my tapping, the glass developed a crack or two. As I did that, he was steadily painting over the other window with white paint. The alarm became a dull broken record constantly repeating in the depths of our minds. However, we had both become remarkably calm. I slowly dug a path through the glass with the knife, then pushed hard on the glass and watched as it fell to the ground below. "We're open!"

"It's a long drop..." He pointed out as he walked over to join me.

"What choice do we have?" I growled somewhat.

"None, I guess."

Suddenly, a beating sound exploded on the door leading into our room. A nearby platform began moving, and the floor was slowly moving under us. Towards the wall. Below was more of that horrible green magma.

"What now?" My boyfriend asked, grasping the windowsill. I looked around hurriedly and spied a cord nearby. I ran over towards it and proceeded to try and yank it from the wall. "Stop it!" He yelled. "The floor's going to fall out from under you! Get back here!"

"Hold on," I growled with effort, nearly falling backwards as I snatched the cord from the wall. After a moment's recovery, I ran back over and threw part of the cord out of the window, tying the other half around something on the windowsill. "There. Now we get out of here."

"You go first." He insisted.

With no time to argue, I quickly climbed over the windowsill and grasped the cord tightly. I let myself slide down several feet before stopping myself, then watched as he climbed over and began traversing downwards. And down we headed, towards the ground.

Towards our escape.

We'd hit the ground running. We'd run as fast as we could, never look back, and hope to God we found civilization.

***

(Unfortunately, at this point I woke up. The perfect cliffhanger for a suspenseful and strange dream... do they make it or not? It's up to you to decide.)

The Day After.

So after finally calming down enough to get to sleep at 4:00 this morning, the alarm going off at 5:00 was my enemy.

I turned on the morning news to see what kind of reports were coming in. Much to my dismay, classes were still in session. So I forced myself to get up and prepare myself to go to school. My head was swimming and my equilibrium felt very off, but I attempted to shrug it off.

Classes were on as normal and went on as normal, with the exception of my Art History class, which was cancelled due to the downtown campus (which serves primarily the liberal arts) being damaged, requiring my professor to be there instead of on the main campus. But I was exhausted and didn't want to be there. I was never so glad to hear the words, "See you on Wednesday."

Lunch today was a "tater tot casserole:" seasoned hamburger meat layered with cream of mushroom soup, tater tots, and grated cheese. It was really good, but sat heavy in my stomach... and heavy foods make Dani a very sleepy person. So I laid down for a very hard (and much wanted) two-hour nap. Waking up was a nasty affair, however, as my body responded very negatively and left me dizzy, disoriented, sore, and confused for quite some time.

I get the feeling my body is still recovering from the adrenaline rush that I experienced during those frightening ten minutes of silence the night before, atop severe mental distress, sleep-deprivation, and surgery-related anemia. Sitting upright was a chore; walking downstairs was nearly a disaster.

Dad was working to drain the pool tarp, so I decided to sit outside in the backyard with him. I kept looking up at the sky -- beautiful shade of light blue, not a cloud to be found, gentle breeze, wonderfully sunny and mild -- finding it terribly ironic that the weather was so beautiful just hours after a stormy nightmare. It was surreal in a sense that maybe only I could make myself believe. Dad finished his tasks in the yard and started for the front yard. Curiously, I followed after him.

"Get in the truck," he instructed. I quickly hopped into the Explorer, neglecting to even bother running into the house long enough to get a pair of shoes. I knew where we were going... I had both a feeling of childish excitement, but also a feeling of surreal guilt. The excitement outweighed the guilt, however, and we chatted about the storm while driving towards the destruction.

For the most part, we found very little on the roads that were actually passable -- a few trees down here or there; a few large branches laying in the street. But as we turned a corner on our way towards the news station, we seemed to strike the proverbial motherlode. It had to have been one of the many "ground zero" locations of the EF2 tornado that ripped through the town. Massive trees lay strewn about the place as if they were simply toothpicks that had been flicked aside. A power line was snapped in half and laying in the middle of the road. A roof was missing half of its shingles. A plant nursery was completely decimated... ceramic figures were smashed to bits everywhere. Street signs were bent and snapped. A billboard was damaged.

It sent another wave of surreal guilt through my core -- this one nearly nauseating. All of the damage we found was located all of eight minutes from the house. All of that destruction could have easily been my neighborhood... my street could've been packed with rubberneckers, utility vehicles, and emergency vehicles. I wish I would've taken a camera to take photos of all of it. It was a stunning slap of reality that reminded me just how lucky I wound up being.

I think my mind is still in that state of, "Did it really happen? Am I dreaming, perhaps? This doesn't happen here." I admit that last night, I got a bit cocky. When the sirens sounded, I was reminded of just ten nights ago. Ten nights ago, the sirens sounded twice, but the worst we received was marble-sized hail and loud thunder.

But ten nights ago, Daddy was there with me the whole time. Ten nights ago, a tornado didn't ravage through the city I grew up and live in.

It just goes to show you that yes, it can happen.

The power, fury, and selectiveness of nature is very frightening, and deserves every ounce of the respect and fear it is given. Perhaps it's owed more.

A Scary Night.

Tonight... has been very frightening.

Daddy sent me a text around 7 this evening. "The boss made a scheduling error. I will be at work until 11:30 or later." I made a pseudo dinner of oven-baked cheesesticks and curled up on the living room floor to watch a marathon of one of my favorite shows, Mythbusters. I started a load of laundry, and settled in for a relatively boring evening.

Finally around 10:30, I decided to go up to my room to go to bed. As I was putting my clothing away, my television broadcast a text message across the screen: "Please tune to Channel 5 for emergency information."

It had been completely quiet all evening, so I was a little bit surprised. I turned to channel 5 -- The Weather Channel -- to be met with a tornado warning message for a county nearby. I quickly logged my National Weather Service link on, and watched with fright at the storm track pointed it straight towards Columbus.

I texted Daddy, warning him of the situation, dressed myself, and moved downstairs. I proceeded to watch the local weather broadcasting while occasionally updating my NWS page. I started calling Mama, as I was beginning to get jittery. She didn't answer her phone.

At 11:00, the sirens started going off. I was alone.

I texted Shelby and asked her to call me, as I knew that listening to another person's voice would help to keep me calm. As she and I proceeded to chat, the storm began taking on a very frightening signature of a tornado. The storm track took it right over Columbus. Then, at 11:30, the worst thing that could ever happen.

"A tornado is on the ground, and we've been told to take cover. We will be back on the air as soon as we can." The station went off the air. The station is located just around the corner from my house.

For a split second, my heart stopped, and I could've fallen dead on the spot. I walked shakily into the "cubby" (a place in the center of our house with no windows -- our safest place) and realized my worst fear: I was facing a tornado, alone. I listened for the roaring sound that they always talk about. Instead, all the rain stopped, and it was completely still and silent. I sat in the cubby and waited, listening to Shelby as she continued to tell me, "You're going to be okay. Listen to this..."

Ten minutes passed, and I wandered back into the living room. The local news station was back on the air, and everything was strangely quiet. The damage reports were coming in. "The tornado touched down and caused significant damage near Exit 6."

My house is located on Exit 7, which is maybe 5 miles from Exit 6.

There is damage all around the area near my house. Power is out in those areas. My house is untouched and we are with power. As I was coming to terms with the facts that the tornado "skipped" over my neighborhood and spared my house, Daddy got home. He actually drove through it on his way home.

I've been through several tornadoes and natural disasters in my life... but this was my first one that I went through solo.

I'm sitting here now shaking and feeling surreal...

It's been a scary night.

And there's another line of storms coming in within an hour or so.

Lyrics.

Still Beats Your Name by Killswitch Engage

Who knows how long I've been lost in the dark?
Followed closely by the footsteps of my failures.
What can I do to alter my perception of the way and the truth?

Let this burden drift away.

Who knows how long the void has swallowed me?
I only wish for nothing more than peace to find me.
How can this be? We've come so far
To let the weight destroy our grand design

Let this burden drift away.
My pledge remains faithful to you.

And my heart still beats your name

Drowning once again.
Will I live another day?
To reach the surface
Let this burden drift away

Drowning once again.
Will I live another day?
To reach the surface
Let this burden drift away

Drowning
Choking
Fading
Life

Is this the moment where I leave the blackness?
Is this the moment of my rebirth?

Who knows how long I've been lost in the dark?
Followed closely by the footsteps of my failures.
What can I do to alter my perception of the way and the truth?

Drowning once again.
Will I live another day?
To reach the surface
Let this burden drift away

Drowning again
Reach the surface
Let it drift away

Fitting.

Message.

Just Some Prose.

The Last Surrender

I could say I'd never dare
But lately insanity is the key
Unlocking the winding stairs
That will finally set me free.

And when it happens, leave me exposed
So all will know that I have died.
Let my problems simply decompose...
Don't bury them in formaldehyde.

Life just became an overrated game
With rules that I just couldn't follow.
I'm tired of the burden that is my name...
And the misery in which it wallows.

And they say that selfish is she
Who extinguishes her own candle.
Then selfish is what I'll always be
For this life I cannot handle.

Let me retreat now into the depth
Of the darkness in which I truly belong
You might think this was an untimely death...
But I knew it all along.

The hour of reckoning will finally arrive
When the sky loses sight of the setting sun.
I leave no note with which I may survive
Because deep down I know this must be done.

Dig me a bed deep down in the ground
And leave me there for my forever sleep.
Never more will my tears be audible sound...
Forever the dark secrets I will keep.

There was so much I never dared to say,
And I hope I'm not one to be remembered.
And I know that my memory will fade one day
Long after my final surrender.

Fitting.

If my heart were to explode right now and kill me...

That would be so perfectly fitting.


Life is overrated anyway.

Poisoned Musings.

I'm food poisoned. Or something.

I thought the shrimp in my dinner was fully cooked, but apparently it wasn't.

I'm laying here trembling. My muscles feel numb. My heart seems to be racing. I can barely see straight. I don't hurt, per se, but rather have a dull ache running through my body.

I just wanted to make myself feel better. So I spent a little extra money and bought myself a somewhat fancier than normal meal.

And now it's turned around and done this to me.

Isn't it ironic?

How is it that everything I do to try and pick myself up only winds up doing this to me?

If I were to die tonight in my sleep... y'know... that'd just be okay.

Do I want to? No. But if it happened, I can't say I'd complain.

In a sense, it'd be nice to die. Losing all the earthly limitations of the living world... never feeling pain... being able to fly without the risk of injury.

Freedom.

Floating.

Wherever you want. Whenever you want.

I'm not suicidal right now. I just really wish that for a day, I didn't exist.

If you were to die, would you be able to go back in time and witness how things could've been had you never been around?

Or do memories even exist at all?

Sometimes I don't think life is real. Much like time, life is an abstract concept.

Memories are only as truthful as the person who is remembering them. They're like stories. They can be manipulated.

Maybe it is, then, that dying is reality, and living is imaginary.

I think that maybe tomorrow, I will pretend to not exist.

It's not like I'd be missed.

But who knows.

This is probably just my food poisoning -- or whatever it is -- talking.

But maybe.

Just maybe.

Four Pieces. One Meaning.

Relate, Remember, and Reminder, three poems of mine.

Reassurance

In the chest of a wounded girl
Beats a heart that threatens to shatter.
She's been at war with the whole world
Unsure if her opinion even matters.

She's been twisting and turning
With every chance she has received
Because her feelings have been burning
Since the day she was deceived.

And does the world deserve a second chance
To convince her that things are okay?
Or will the world simply put her into trance
To do it all again some day?

A gullible soul is doomed from the start
Especially when so naive as to open up her life
To a world that would drop such a fragile heart
Onto the end of a long and painful knife

One that's now lodged deep within her back
A blade that causes pain with her every breath
Because of honesty the world dared to lack,
Everything's heading towards its death.

In her eyes, crystal gems of salted pain
Tracing slowly down her flushing face
As she wonders why all of this rain
Has to fall and flood this place.

And was it that the world planned it out?
Did the world really want her to fall?
Or were better intentions lost in all the doubt
Until the world finally lost it all?

A kingdom begins to die,
Falling to destruction
And the only question in her mind is why
The world resorted to dishonest instruction.

Now she tries to lose her loving dependence --
Loves the world but is terribly afraid to let it in.
She wants desperately to believe in reassurance
But right now she's letting the heartache win.

Chapter Four

Finally, Chapter Four is here! A very dramatic, tense, and roller coaster chapter indeed! I hope it's as enjoyable a read as it was to write!

Chapter Four: Captivity and Conversion

Jared groaned softly as he opened his eyes. Standing over him was Aaron, Aiden, Jessica, Kasandra, and Heather.

"Oh, thank the Stars!" Kasandra yelped, hugging her boyfriend tightly.

"Are you okay?" Jessica asked.

Jared nodded. "I'm fine. Thrown around, but fine."

Aiden whimpered softly, "Jared... where's Grandma?"

Jared hung his head. "Bowser..."

"No," Heather gasped quietly.

"Phil and Luca tried to save her, they really did. But I'm afraid that with them unable to control their new powers, they weren't a match."

Aiden's eyes became watery. "Phil got beaten up?"

Jared nodded sadly. "Yes. Both he and Luca were taken, too."

Heather hugged the boy as he sniffled and began to cry. "It's going to be okay, Aiden."

"He wouldn't have gotten beaten up if I didn't tell him to help Grandma..." the little boy sobbed.

Heather ruffled his hair gently. Jared replied, "I think he would've. He's got a heroic spirit hiding within him. He and Luca both."

Jessica sighed. "What do we do now?"

"We have to make a plan. We have to rescue them."

The family quietly brooded in the damaged remains of the castle's private chambers.

***

"Hey... hey, buddy, get up," a shaking voice demanded for the fifth time.

Phil mumbled incoherently to himself and forced himself to open his eyes. He was immediately dizzy, and his body felt as if it had been twisted into a pretzel. The blurry image of a Toad was looming over him, causing him to jump and sit upright quickly.

"Whoa!" The Toad squealed, jumping back. "Easy! I'm not looking for trouble!"

Phil blinked, his head slowly coming back into focus. The ground beneath his hands felt very cold and damp, like moist stone, and there was very little light. The room had a moldy smell, and was very small. The Toad nearby wore tattered clothing, was rather frail in appearance, bore a very pale complexion, and was trembling. "Who are you?"

"I was about to ask you the same question, buddy," the Toad replied, his voice still shaky. "I'm Nos. You are?"

"Phil," he replied simply, getting to his feet. He felt the wall and looked past Nos, seeing rusted iron bars. "Where are we?"

"In the 'guest rooms' of Bowser's Castle," Nos said sarcastically with a shiver. "I've been down here for about two weeks now. I know my family and girlfriend must be worried sick."

Phil blinked and visibly responded when Nos mentioned the word girlfriend. He whirled around, quickly. "Nos, did those weird looking things bring a short, redheaded girl down here when they left me?"

Nos furrowed his brow in thought a moment. "Yeah, but they didn't leave her. Apparently the big guy had something else in mind for her. Told his goons to take her up to his sky chamber."

"They didn't hurt her, did they?"

"Like you, she was completely unconscious. They simply tossed you in here and carried her off. That was hours ago." Nos leaned against the wall. "I didn't hear if they were gonna bring her back here or not. Knowing what I know about the sky chamber, I doubt it."

Phil paced furiously, his mind racing. He walked over to the rusty bars and gripped them, pulling backwards. They didn't budge, which was anticipated. "We have to get out of here and go find her."

"No way, Phil. If we even get lucky enough to escape the dungeons, the upper levels are crawling with Koopatrols. We'd get slaughtered before we had time to blink!"

"I can afford that risk," Phil replied briskly, pulling on the bars again. He paused after a moment and dug around in his pocket. A momentary burst of excitement rushed through him as his fingers brushed against his ring. "They didn't take it!"

"Take what?" Nos asked, standing on his toes to get a better look.

"You'll see." He held the ring in the palm of his hands and blinked as he heard the loud footsteps of patrols moving down the hall. Quickly, he sat down against the wall and feigned being miserably wounded, moaning softly in false pain. Nos raised a curious eyebrow at this.

Two Koopatrols approached the cell and looked inside. "Well, looks like he's waking up." One of them said in a mocking voice.

"It's about damn time," the other laughed softly. "It only took him what, six hours?" He mocked into the cell, "That's what you get for trying to be a tough guy!"

"Get over yourselves," Nos spat angrily. "Leave him alone."

The first Koopatrol rolled his eyes. "Count on the resident know-it-all to butt in where nobody asks him to." He snorted arrogantly, and the two patrols began to walk away. "Enjoy your stay, gentlemen..."

Phil waited until they were out of earshot, then quickly got back up to his feet. "They really know how to treat a guest around here," he commented sarcastically.

"You... you obviously have been in a situation like this before," Nos asked quietly. "Your faking was flawless. They really bought it."

"Yeah, I've been in situations like this once or twice," Phil shrugged, quickly thinking back to the few situations back on Sage. "But anyway, it's time to get out of this place and go find this chamber you're talking about."

"How?"

"Watch." He put the ring on his finger and gripped the bars tightly. He focused his energy and began pulling on the bars, shuddering a bit as they slowly began to bend and move. Nos' eyes widened in amazement.

"You have..."

Phil shushed him. "I won't if you alert the guards!" He pulled the bars apart. "Come on, let's get out of here before we're missed."

The two slowly made their way down the dimly-lit corridor, which seemed to be quite long and full of cells. Surprisingly, none of the other cells held any other prisoners. Nos stayed closely behind his rescuer and ally, noticing how sharp the human character was. It was obvious that this courageous stranger had seen his fair share of prison escapes and stealth missions. He was curious about his background story, but knew now was not the time to ask questions.

"I heard them say you're a 'know-it-all.' No offense," Phil whispered after a moment.

"None taken," Nos shrugged. "It's true. I think I can trust you, as we're in the same boat here... I'm actually an undercover spy for the Royal Mushroom Guard. A renowned one, at that."

"Interesting," the human replied. "Since you're so well-informed, can you tell me how to get up to the sky chamber where they took my girlfriend?"

"Yeah. We're going to continue down this hall until we finally get to the stairwell. It'll lead us up to the ground floors. From there, it's straight up. As cliched as it'll sound, the Sky Chamber is the tallest tower here in the castle. Strangely, he put it in the center rather than on a side. But we always knew the Koopa was crazy..."

"What exactly are they planning to do with her? Did you hear anything?"

"No. I tried to, but I heard nothing. All I heard was that they're intending to move the Princess soon, as they figure the heroes are going to come looking soon."

"Heroes..." Phil murmured softly. He didn't have the heard to tell the Toad that the heroes weren't going to be coming anytime soon.

The two made their way to the main lobby, and slowly crept along towards their destination.

***

"Your Gruesomeness!" A Koopatrol ran into the throne room. "We have a situation!"

Bowser, the Koopa King, narrowed his dark eyes and growled ominously, "For your sake, you better hope we do."

"The prisoners in the dungeon have managed to escape," the now frightened Koopatrol gulped. "The bars of the cell they were in were bent nearly in half, and both of them are gone!"

The evil king laughed. "Is that all?"

"We fear the human may be trying to find the Princess and make an escape, sir!"

"He's not after her, I assure you." Bowser rose to his feet and strolled idly to the balcony nearby. "He's going to be searching for the redhead. What's the status report on her, by the way?"

"She's still locked in the Sky Chamber, sir. She's coming around, but we've already prepared her. All she can do is yell... and she has a very colorful vocabulary."

"A fighter, just as I expected. Good. That's what I was hoping for. See, the boy is only interested in rescuing his precious girlfriend. What he doesn't know is that I've set up a nice little surprise for him when he finds her."

"Sir?" The patrol looked confused.

Bowser began walking towards the Sky Chamber. "I have a way of dealing with stupidly brave little boys, soldier. Come along. It's time to get my new recruit."

***

"Well, this staircase should, in theory, take you straight up to the Sky Chamber," Nos said as he pointed at the spiraling steps. "Phil, are you sure you want to do this? Most people who go up there don't come back."

"That's why you're not going along," Phil replied simply. "Find the way out, and get back to safety. When you do, find Jared and tell him what's going on. You do know who he is, right?"

"Everybody knows Jared. Alright. I'll tell him. I'll wish to the Stars for your safety."

Phil started to climb up the steps.

"Hey, Phil?" Nos quickly piped up.

He stopped and turned. "Yes?"

"Thanks for busting me out of there. I owe you."

Phil smiled halfway, then cautiously made his way up the steps. The pathway was strangely bitter cold, and eerily silent. The stairs seemed to spiral up into the heavens themselves, and it made him dizzy looking up at his destination. To himself, he said aloud, "The climb itself is going to kill me." He blinked and immediately found himself transported to the top of the steps. He blinked again, realizing that his new powers responded to his thoughts. He could warp reality, in a sense. But fiddling with that would come later. He slowly opened the door leading into the chamber.

"So nice of you to join me again, son," Bowser's voice seemed to echo from everywhere. The room was completely dark.

Phil said nothing, instead crouching low and creeping along in the darkness.

"You have some skills, I do admit," the evil king's voice spoke again. Suddenly there was a flash of light and a yellowish powder spun through the room in a sparkling vortex. Phil's muscles began to tense and tighten, and he found himself paralyzed, crumbling to the floor. The lights came on, and Bowser was standing over him. "It's a shame your skills have to go to waste."

"Where's Luca?" Phil growled softly, trying to squirm but making no progress. Two Koopatrols hoisted him upright to his feet, tightly gripping his numbed arms.

"She's present," Bowser disappeared into a cloud of black smoke, reappearing a few yards away. In front of him, a strange altar of sorts. The redheaded girl was strapped to it, thrashing futily. "Her language was a bit too vulgar for my likings, so I had to silence her." He took a piece of cloth from her mouth.

"Leave him alone!" She immediately yelled.

"Luca!" Phil yelped softly.

"Good, good," Bowser snorted, "the children have had their reunion. Now, boy, I thought I'd let you witness the true power of the Koopa Klan."

"You better not touch her," Phil growled lowly.

"Oh, I won't touch her," the lizardlike creature replied simply. His scepter flickered to life, and a strange purplish black mist began rising up from the floor around the altar. "But I can't say that this ravenous evil spirit won't."

Phil's blue eyes widened and dilated, and he tried desperately to move. His limbs still felt numb and refused to move. He reached for his ring but found one of the guards had taken it off his finger. He was completely powerless.

The purplish mist began to take on the form of a very distorted woman. It looked half-human, half-serpent, developing eyes that sparkled the color of blood. It swirled around the altar slowly. The room's temperature dropped well below freezing, and all the candles in the room turned a strange whitish red. The air began to feel heavy and crushing.

"Convert the conflicted..." It spoke in a warbling, horrible tone. Its head and eyes pointed down at Luca, who was frozen with her own terror. The serpent-like mist quickly swooped down on its prey, snatching her from the altar and levitating her in midair. The girl's body immediately tensed, and all color drained from it. She made a horrid choking sound, then a whimper, and a gagged yell. Her hair's color began to change to a purplish black hue, and her eyes lost all color.

Phil felt his limbs regaining their feeling, and he quickly thrashed away from his holders. He sprinted forward towards the mist, but what seemed like an invisible wall sent a pulse of energy through him and knocked him backwards. He fell back and looked up, trembling in terror. But as quick as the mist had come, it was gone. Luca slowly stood up, her flowing hair the same color as the mist, and her eyes completely black and emotionless. Her skin was sickly white.

"My dear girl," Bowser gently rest his claw on her shoulder. "I want you to do me a favor."

"Anything, my King," she responded in a voice that wasn't her own.

Bowser pointed at Phil. "Destroy him."

Phil shivered as his girlfriend's empty eyes stared him down. He felt as if he was suddenly in an assassin's crosshairs. A very cold pulse raced down his body as she smiled wickedly.

"It shall be done, my King," she spoke. She immediately lunged forward at her boyfriend with the ferocity of a tiger. He yelped in alarm and jumped backwards as she landed and threw a sharp punch with her left arm.

"Luca!" He cried out in distress. "It's me! Your boyfriend! You can't possibly do this!" He trembled when he was met with the soulless black eyes and matching evil smile.

"I do as my King instructs," she replied, growling and throwing herself forward again.

"You don't take orders from anyone, Luca... Come on... You're better than this..." He leapt backwards a few times as black fireballs were thrown his way. "Don't let yourself be controlled!"

She narrowed her eyes and threw a large orb of black fire. It connected with its target, knocking him to the floor. She stood over him and grabbed him by the nape of his neck, lifting him up to his feet. "You know nothing!" She yelled, thrusting another fireball into contact with him. He hit the wall and bounced off it, landing on his stomach.

"I... I'm not going to fight you," he managed to get out. He yelped as another barrage of black flames threw him around viciously.

"It is because you are a coward that you refuse to fight?" The possessed woman snorted, walking over to him and grabbing him by the throat. "It is pathetic, the day a man fears a woman."

He felt his windpipe being dug into, and squirmed softly. "I made a promise," he choked, "and I'm not going back on it. Ever. I won't fight you..."

She yelled and threw him towards the window. He tensed his body and braced, falling from the window and bouncing onto the balcony. He closed his eyes as a blast of black light launched him from the balcony and onto a platform just below. He coughed a few times, battered and aching, his body shivering as he tried to get back up.

Luca easily landed just inches from his hand. Below the platform was the magma moat that surrounded the evil king's castle. She smiled at this and kicked him towards the ledge. He felt himself hovering for a moment and grasped the ledge before he fell to his demise. He peered up at the girl looming dangerously over him, and slowly hung his head.

"So it ends like this," he murmured softly. His voice broke a little.

For a split second, the heartless woman paused. She glared down at him, a black orb developing in her hand.

He looked up at her, his blue eyes watering somewhat. "So this is how it's going to be?"

The crimson lightning that flashed above actually seemed to stop. The booming thunder seemed to silence.

"If this is how it has to be, Luca," he mumbled quietly, looking up at her with genuine anguish in his eyes, "then can you please make my death quick? Don't let me suffer, Luca. Please."

The black orb in her hand seemed to be fading.

"I told you I'd love you to the end, Luca," he continued, slowly looking down and away as a stray tear escaped his eye. "Even if the end plays out like this."

There was a strange moment in the land of evil, a moment of complete and total silence. A soft, cold breeze rustled through some of the dead trees nearby. Phil closed his eyes tight and mumbled softly to himself, "I promised you, Luca. I promised you."

Suddenly he felt something around his wrist, and he quickly looked up. He was met with the normally hard green eyes of his lover. But those eyes were presently soft, weak, and moist. He smiled slightly. "There's my girl," he spoke softly.

She hoisted him up onto the platform, gently hugging him against herself and sniffling. "I'm so, so sorry," her voice quivered. "I... I'd never..."

"I know," he reassured. "I know you'd never hurt me. It's okay. I promise."

She gently laid him down on the platform, her eyes suddenly flickering with rage. She looked back up at the window. "No, it's not. But I intend to make it okay." She tightened her left hand, creating a silvery, wispy sword. She leapt up through the window, back into the chamber.

Phil smiled weakly. Despite wanting to jump to her side, he knew he was too weak -- and he knew it was her battle to fight. "Make it a lesson they'll never forget, love," he whispered to nobody.

"Did you dispose of the garbage like I asked?" Bowser asked of Luca as she reentered the room.

"Not yet," she growled, sprinting towards him. "But I'm about to!"

"How did you escape my curse?" He demanded, quickly sidestepping.

"I know where my true alliance lies," she snapped, quickly matching his sidestepping to make contact with her misty sword. He grasped it, but it sent a mighty pulse of energy through him. He roared and jumped back.

"You're a feisty little girl, aren't you? I can fix that... permanently!" He gripped his scepter and fired a crimson ray at her.

"Try me!" She retorted, morphing her sword into a shield. The crimson ray reflected off the shield and turned purple, attacking its creator and shocking him. She morphed the shield again, back into the sword, and threw it at him. It penetrated his right shoulder, causing him to bellow in agony.

"Gah, you're catching on to how things work!" He snarled. "This is a battle I cannot win. But there is one that I can... I still have the Princess. I still have control of the Kingdom. This victory is yours... but you will join my forces. Voluntarily or by force." His scepter flickered again, and he vanished in a cloud of smoke.

"I am controlled by nobody," she instructed at the cloud. "Nobody!" She relaxed and jumped back out onto the platform where she'd left her boyfriend. She knelt down gently beside him, tracing the side of his face with her fingertips.

"Did you get him?" Phil smiled at her, reaching up and taking her hand in his.

"I did," she replied, bringing his hand up to her face and nuzzling it softly. "I promise."

"You did good," he praised. "I'm proud of you."

"Luca! Phil!" The couple looked up to see Jared standing on the balcony, looking down at them in a panic. "Stars above! Are you two okay?"

Phil sat up, with a little assistance from his girlfriend. "Yeah, we're fine."

"You're late," Luca joked.

Jared jumped down. "We've been worried sick about you two!" He looked at Phil and quickly helped get him to his feet. "Wow, what happened to you?"

Phil glanced at his girlfriend, who looked guiltily at her feet. After a moment, he answered, "I just got a bit roughed up. I'm fine, thanks to Luca."

"Nos told us you were here. He said you were heading to fight Bowser, so I hurried as fast as I could. But I see you guys have handled it on your own." Jared smiled. "I'm just glad you're both okay."

"We're always okay," Luca said confidently.

Phil smiled and nodded halfway. "We are."

"Come on," Jared said after a moment. "Let's get out of this place and get back home. I'm sure you two are looking forward to a good meal and a soft bed."

The couple nodded in an unison that only lovers could possess. Jared grinned at his two friends, relieved and amused, and began leading the way back towards the safety of the house.

Gonna Be One of Those Days?

I get a feeling it's going to be one of those days.

I say this because I had to spend 30 minutes registering my courses for next semester, and that's always a frustrating time.

Anyway, a rough schedule of next semester:

Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays
*US History to 1865: 9:00 - 9:50 AM
*Principles of Marketing: 10:00 - 10:50 AM
*Pre-Calculus: 11:00 - 11:50 AM

Tuesdays, Thursdays
*Intermediate Accounting I: 9:30 - 10:45 AM

For now, it's time to get ready for class. And a group presentation due in at 11.

Just a Thought.

In the paper on Friday... this was published.

On December 08, 2004 75-year-old Vera Braswell was brutally murdered at the Columbus Farmers Market.

On March 24, 2005 Linsey Favors was charged with her murder. The former DA announced on October 25, 2005, that this would be a death penalty case. To date, Mr. Favors has not been brought to trial for this crime. Is four years not long enough?

How long should a family have to wait for justice to be served? Some might think that as long as he is behind bars then justice has been served, but that is simply not true. This man has not had to answer for the crime with which he is charged, and that is just not acceptable.

Does the new DA care about this victim? I assure you that her family and friends do, and it’s time for the Muscogee County DA’s office to pursue justice for Ms. Braswell and her family. We will all be watching.

Lori Stringfellow, Newnan

It was all about politics.

All about goddamned politics.

More Crossover Goodness.

Here's Chapter Three of my little crossover story.

Chapter Two has been skipped as I'm having a slight problem writing it. Chapter Three picks up after Luca and Phil have recovered and been given their "containers" to hold their new powers in relative control. It shows their adjusting to a new world... and facing a new threat.

Chapter Three: A Celebration Turned Crisis

The strange box with the moving pictures flickered. Then flickered again. And again.

"I don't get it," Phil said idly to himself while continuously pressing the button on the strange device in his hand. The box flashed and got a new picture in it every time he pressed this button. It was highly intriguing, and he'd been at it for about an hour.

Aaron and Aiden were standing in the doorway separating the kitchen and living room, watching as their new guest steadily channel surfed. "I don't think he knows what the TV is," Aiden commented quietly to his older brother.

"That's crazy!" Aaron responded in disbelief. "He's older than us... he has to know what a TV is."

"Maybe he comes from one of those places in the Kingdom that doesn't have them," the younger boy suggested.

"Maybe we should've paid attention when he told us where he came from," the older brother shrugged.

Aiden nodded, and the two resumed watching their newest resident.

Phil slid off the couch and onto the floor, where he half-crawled to the television and put his nose on the screen. He gently poked the glass and murmured into it, "Hello?" The people within the glass continued on as if they didn't hear him. He blinked and poked the glass again. When he was given no response, he sat upright and huffed. "Hm. Rude people."

"Dude," Aaron walked over. "You are aware that they can't hear you."

"Well, I see that now," Phil responded without a trace of humor to be found. "I just wonder how they fit all those people into such a little space."

Aaron rolled his eyes. "It's a TV. What you're seeing is a recording of something."

"A what?"

"Ask Jared! I'm not a teacher. Sheesh..."

Suddenly, a huge explosion rocked the entire house. Aaron jumped up and looked around in a panic. "What was that? I think Bowser's attacking! Mom! Dad!" He shouted.

Phil blinked, and easily got up. "I have a feeling I know what that was. Excuse me a moment." He boredly strode through the kitchen and into the backyard. Aaron curiously followed.

Standing out in the middle of the yard, a dusty-looking Lucafira smirked guiltily and held her arms behind her back. "Hiya," she offered up.

Phil rolled his eyes halfway. "What do you have?"

"Nothing," she responded.

"Luca..."

"Nothing!"

"Show me."

"No."

"Now!"

She whined and brought her hands into view, revealing a blinking, orange plant. "Nothing, hm?" Phil asked with a grin.

"Nice Fire Flower," Aaron said. "Obviously a very strong one for it to make such a noise. You know you're not supposed to point them at yourself, right?"

Luca looked down at the flower, which looked back at her. "Oh. Right." She turned it around and held it up. "Now let's..."

"No!" Phil instructed firmly. "Put it down!"

"I just want to see if it..."

"I just said no!"

"Wait just a minute..."

He walked over to her. "Give it here."

"No!" The two fought for it for a few seconds, before a huge explosion erupted and surrounded the two in a ball of smoke. When it cleared, both were covered in a thick coat of ash.

"You just had to do it, didn't you," Phil muttered.

Luca grinned sheepishly. "Maybe."

Jared walked out into the yard. "Um, I hate to interrupt, but Mom and Dad want everyone to start getting ready to go to town."

Aaron turned around. "For what?"

"Well, the Harvest Season started in Sarasaland today, and Grandmother is throwing the Harvest Festival. And as her family, we're expected to be there."

"Oh, yeah! The Harvest Festival!" Aaron's face lit up excitedly. "I love Harvest Festival. Seven days of carnival rides and free food!" He ran into the house, nearly knocking Jared over in the process.

"Hm," Jared murmured to himself before walking over to the quarreling pair. "Come on, you two. You guys get ready, too."

Phil blinked. "You mean you're actually going to take us somewhere?" He then paused and reworded his statement. "I mean, you're actually brave enough to take her out in public?" He pointed at his girlfriend, who was happily throwing fireballs about.

Jared scratched the side of his head and grinned worriedly. "Um... no. I'm not sure on that. But... Mom and Dad say it would be unfair to leave her here, so she has to come to."

"What about..."

"I already suggested locking her in the hall closet. They said that wasn't fair, either."

"I didn't think they'd go for that."

"It was worth a shot."

***

Heading into town was the biggest adventure the two had experienced since their arrival in the Mushroom Kingdom, and it was the grandest of all. Beautiful buildings stretched up into the sky and lined the streets with plush green lawns and elaborate decorations. The town had banners and streamers galore as the preparations for the Harvest Parade were underway. The streets were packed with half-human, half-mushroom looking creatures who smiled and swarmed the large family as they made their way down the streets.

Phil nudged Jared in the side and asked, "What are those and why are they all around us?"

Jared smiled. "Those are called Toads, and they're citizens of the Kingdom, just like us. They're around us because my parents and family are celebrities. My mother is the daughter of the ruler of this place."

"She is? Wow. For someone who is so important, she certainly doesn't play the part."

"Mom is very adventurous. She takes after her father, who was an avid explorer and hero. But anyway, all those people are around us because they just want to talk to us 'important people.'"

Phil nodded, accepting the answer. "This place is huge, Jared. It's almost scary. I'd be completely lost if I got separated from the group." He put his hands into his pockets and looked around, completely absorbed in sight-seeing. Suddenly, a shrill screech pierced through the laughter and chatter of the townspeople, causing everyone to jump and turn around.

"Get her off me! Get her off me!" A voice screeched somewhere just out of sight.

Jared blinked. "Stars above... a mugging? In the middle of the Harvest Festival? Who'd be so..."

Phil brought his palm to his forehead and started running in the direction of the screaming. "Luca, whatever you're doing, stop it right now!" Jared quickly followed after his friend.

A young male Toad was pinned on the ground with Luca sitting atop him, hitting him over the head with what looked like a rather large mushroom. "Die, whatever you are!" She shrilled. "Die!"

"Oh, for the love of..." Phil ran over and grabbed her by the waist, trying to pry her off the poor young man. "Luca, stop that! He's not hurting anyone!"

She wriggled hard, still swinging the mushroom around. "He's not normal!"

"You're not normal!" Phil cried in frustration. He managed to pull her off her victim, lifting her up so that she couldn't touch the ground. He turned to the Toad and said, "I'm so sorry... my girlfriend is just a bit..."

"Totally insane?" The young man snapped while hyperventilating.

"Not the words I would've used, but..." He watched the creature walk away, then turned his attention back to his girlfriend, who was still squirming in his grip. "Luca, what was that?" He demanded to know.

"That... thing... was getting too close!" She growled. "Now put me down! You know I hate being lifted!"

"No," he responded calmly. "The reason he was 'too close' is because the people who have taken us in are important people, and he just wanted to have a word with them. Now you need to calm down, or you're going to wind up needing me to get you out of some kind of crazy situation. Again."

"I've never gotten into any 'crazy situations.' Name one time."

"I could name fifty. Would I get points for over-achieving?" He paused. "I'll put you down, but you have to promise to stand next to me at all times, and you better not go anywhere unless I'm with you. Understand?"

She huffed. "I'm not a child."

He put her down and held her hand. "Then behave like you're not."

Jared shook his head. "Come on, we got to get to the castle quickly! My grandmother is about to speak."

***

The castle was an amazing structure that caused both Luca and Phil to stop in their tracks and look up at it. It was the tallest structure they had seen so far, with its regal towers piercing through the clouds. It was built of a beautiful white stone, its towers glistening a bold ruby red. Beautiful pink flowers graced the courtyard, which was enormous and held a beautiful crystal fountain in the center. It was the epitome of beauty and grace, and took the newcomers' breath away.

Jared grinned slightly. "Yeah, Grandmother gets that reaction a lot." He nudged them both forward. "Come along. The speech is about to begin."

The three walked into the castle, which was just as beautiful on the interior as it was on the exterior. Large tables were set out on either side of the large lobby, and were wonderfully arranged with all kinds of delicious foods that neither of them had ever seen before. A huge chandelier made purely of pink crystal hung over the center of the room, its candle-like lights flickering quietly. There was a soft murmuring of the patrons, but it was quickly hushed.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Princess," a voice announced as if from nowhere. Everybody quickly turned towards the staircase. Phil nudged Luca in the arm as he saw her still looking around.

"Be respectful," he chided. "It's just like back home when you or I start talking."

"Sorry," Luca growled quietly and focused her attention forward.

The large doors opened, and a beautiful woman walked through them. She had long, flowing blonde hair and warm blue eyes. Her flowing gown was a stunning shade of pink, and demanded to be admired. She smiled down to everyone, looking as if her eyes made contact with every single person in the audience.

"Greetings," she spoke in an angelic voice. "Welcome to my castle. On this day, we celebrate the good fortunes of our neighboring kingdom, Sarasaland, as the time of Harvest draws near."

Jared looked at his new companions, blinking in puzzlement at how quiet and respectful they had suddenly become. They were both standing completely straight, hands at their sides, hanging onto the Princess' every word despite not having a clue as to what she was talking about. Upon closer observation, he swore the couple looked royal themselves, even dressed in mere shorts and shirts.

The speech went on for twenty minutes before the Princess smiled and gestured towards the door. "My friends, let us begin the Harvest Parade!"

The crowd poured out into the courtyard as a massive parade began strolling by. Luca stood on her toes to watch despite being taller than just about everyone in the crowd. Phil kept his glance on her while also allowing himself to relax and watch the festivities. Even he couldn't hide a somewhat childish smile. The two of them had never seen such a display -- creative and wonderfully decorated floats traipsed down the street while Toads played musical instruments, twirled batons, and danced. Confetti rained down from the skies, and the cheering was loud. It was quite a fun and festive scene. Jared continued to watch his friends, smiling a bit at their antics.

Luca tugged on Phil's sleeve and pointed. "Look at that one!" She squealed.

He grinned slightly when he saw it. "Oh, I like that one!"

"This is fun. I like parades."

He nodded. "Mmhmm."

They're sweet when they're not bickering, Jared thought warmly. You can definitely feel their love.

The parade ended and the carnival opened. The town was abuzz with loud music and laughter. Aaron and the younger children broke away from the group and got in line for their favorite rides. The older teenagers headed towards the haunted castle exhibit, which was their favorite of all the attractions.

Phil was sitting at a table nearby, keeping a close eye on Luca as she bounced around on a giant, inflatable attraction. She was wound up and he needed a break. He smiled while watching her when suddenly a gentle touch prodded his arm. He turned and saw Aiden standing behind him.

"Can I sit with you?" The young boy asked quietly.

Phil smiled. "Sure."

Aiden smiled back and sat down, gently kicking his legs. "How old are you?" He asked after a moment.

"Nineteen. What about you?"

"Nine." The boy responded shyly. "Um, I wanted to ask you something."

"Go ahead."

"Where are you and your girlfriend from? I mean, if you don't wanna tell me, that's okay, too."

Phil smiled again. "Of course I'll tell you. Luca and I come from a faraway place. We live on an island called Admiral in the middle of an ocean called Sage."

"Sounds exciting."

"Oh, it is." He leaned back a little in his seat. "It's a very busy place, much like the town here. Only we don't have all these fun festivals and parades. We do have people who do swordfighting in the streets... they're kind of like performers."

"Swordfighting?" Aiden's eyes lit up curiously. "Could you show me some moves?"

Phil laughed quietly. "Me? No. I'm not good with a sword. But Luca might, if you ask her real nicely."

"What else do you have on Admiral?"

"Back home, Luca and I live in a really big house. We have a lot of pets, too. Some of them are brothers and sisters, like you and Aaron... and some of them are adopted. They're almost like your family."

Aiden smiled. "Do they get along?"

"For the most part. Sometimes they don't like to share their treats with each other, but for the..." He blinked as a large, dark shadow suddenly caught his attention. The laughter and chatter suddenly began to fade as the shadow draped itself over the carnival. Phil looked up as a large flying object came into his line of sight. His eyes grew wide and he stood up to get a better look.

"What is..."

A booming, ominous laugh erupted from the airship, and a few circular objects fell from its bowels. He watched as one hit the ground and exploded into a massive fireball. He jumped back, frightened by the sudden explosion, watching as people started to scream and run. He turned back to the airship, which had gotten closer. A circular object fell from the sky, very close to where he and Aiden were.

"Aiden!" He cried, quickly grabbing the little boy and bringing him close. He held the child against himself and turned his back towards the object, bracing as the explosion erupted a few feet away. He felt the boy grip his arm and tremble. When it seemed clear, he let the boy go and looked at him. "Are you okay?"

Aiden nodded, his eyes wide with terror as he pointed over his rescuer's shoulder. "He's going for my grandma! Phil, you have to stop him!"

Phil blinked. "Who is?"

Aiden looked panicked. "Please! My grandma's in danger!"

"But I..." He looked down into Aiden's eyes and blinked. The boy trusted him and believed in him. He turned to the castle and nodded. "You got it, Aiden." He ran to find Jared, and the two intercepted each other halfway.

"Phil, Bowser's ambushed the castle," Jared explained.

"I saw it."

"You're not going to like what I'm about to say next."

The two young men looked towards the castle. Phil felt his stomach drop out of his body. "Please don't."

"She did."

"I got to get to her!" Phil tore away from his friend with near blinding speed, causing Jared to jump back. He then chased after him.

"Activate your abilities!" He warned. "If you go in there without them, you'll be obliterated."

"How?"

"Take the ring I turned into your container and put it on your right hand. Quickly! Both Luca and the Princess are in danger!"

Phil quickly dug through his pocket, pulling out his blue ring. Jared had turned his and Luca's rings for one another into containers, as they would never lose them. He put it on his right hand and felt a sharp shiver race up his body. It felt cold and hot, sharp and dull, violent and gentle all at once. He caught his reflection in the mirror and saw his eyes were white and red again, but he had no time to admire the change. "Where would they be?" He blinked as a strange forced seemed to be pulling on him. "What's that feeling?"

"Your bond is responding," Jared explained. "See, you and Luca share a Twin Bond."

"A what?"

"A Twin Bond: You two are so close that you are both bound to one another. If you feel anything, she will too. It halves the feelings and splits them between the two of you. It also lets you know where each other are. Now follow it! We have to go!"

Jared found himself nearly unable to keep up with his ally, who was running up the stairs nearly three at a time. Put his girlfriend in danger and he really steps it up. His agility is amazing... I've never seen anything like it. He must be a fighter back in his own world.

Phil suddenly winced and stopped. "I just felt a weird pain."

"Luca's probably taking damage," Jared replied grimly. He blinked as his partner randomly grabbed a coat-rack. "What're you going to do with that?"

"Improvising," Phil explained, thrusting himself through the door at the end of the hallway. He paused for a moment to take in the sight before him.

A twelve-foot tall lizardlike creature with a fiery red mane was glaring at him with piercing dark eyes. It had extremely sharp, long fangs and claws. Trembling in the corner, the beautiful Princess was huddled up. She looked at Phil.

"Please, sir, help!" She pleaded.

"This is the best the Royal Mushroom Guard can send? A boy with a coat-rack?" The creature laughed. His voice was deep, booming, frightening. "I guess it's better than the silly girl that intercepted me a while ago."

Phil growled. "Where is she? What did you do to her!" The coat-rack he wielded flickered and turned into a bluish white flame.

The creature held out a limp-looking woman. "You mean this?" He taunted. "I thought it was a human, but it turns out it was just a silly little rag doll." He smirked as he saw the fires of rage welling in the boy's eyes. "Aw, don't get so upset. You can have your silly toy back..." He threw her down to the floor. "...If you can wrestle her from me."

"Don't you dare touch her again!" Phil demanded, jumping forward with a force he'd never possessed before. He threw his makeshift sword forward, landing a strong blow on the creature's right shoulder. The lizard roared with pain and swung its massive hand at him, but he quickly evaded. The white aura that was flickering around him was slowly being swallowed up by a strange black light.

Jared noticed this. "He's so angry he's channeling dark energy from the Twin Bond... He's going to overwhelm himself..." He rushed into the fray, tossing orbs of different colored lights, but the lizard made quick work of him.

"Pathetic," the creature snorted. "Having to resort to the substitute hero and an overly aggressive boy with a matchstick..." He found himself blindsided by the flaming coat-rack, and stumbled forward. He recoiled quickly, swinging his mighty hand again and making contact with his target. Phil found himself tumbling several feet along the floor until the wall stopped him. Unconsciously, he put his feet against the wall and kicked off, rolling backwards back onto his feet.

I've never done that before, he thought to himself. These powers give me weird abilities...

"Give it up, little boy," the lizard laughed quietly. "I don't have a problem mopping up the floors of my castle with you."

"Try it and see what happens," a female's voice suddenly broke into the conversation. Luca unsteadily rose to her feet, limping to her boyfriend's side.

"Luca, you can't... Look at you!" Phil cried out. "You can hardly stand!"

"I've got a score to settle with him," she responded bitterly, her eyes red and white from her powers. She threw both hands forward and a black beam erupted from her palms. The creature jumped up and over it, landing with such force that the entire castle shook. He opened his mouth and inhaled, then exhaled ferociously, engulfing the girl in a wall of flames.

Phil's eyes widened as he witnessed it. He launched himself forward at the creature, outstretching a hand and hoping to accomplish the same feat as his girlfriend. A strange white light shot from his hand and made contact with the creature, who stumbled backwards.

The lizard smirked as he looked at his two opponents. Luca was barely upright, wobbling and moaning softly in pain. Phil was breathing heavily and looking weary. The creature laughed. "It was a nice try, it really was, children. Unfortunately, the girl has no strength and the boy overwhelmed himself with too much energy. Now, it's time to put an end to this. I have business to attend to."

He withdrew an onyx scepter and held it up to the ceiling. The blood red jewel in the scepter flickered to life, launching a crimson red beam at the two weary challengers. The light engulfed the two for nearly a full minute before fading away. When it disappeared, the two simply collapsed to the floor. The Princess yelped softly from her corner. These two strangers risked their lives for her, and were now laying on the floor.

The creature walked over to them and looked down at them. "Interesting specimens we have here. Very strong powers, but absolutely no control. Obviously novices." He touched Phil gently with the onyx scepter, which seemed to scan him. "It seems that he's got a lot of light energy in him. Hmph, utterly useless. A waste of a good fighter." He touched Luca with the scepter next, a malicious grin crossing his face. "This one, however, seems charged with an extremely high level of dark power. She's conflicted and can be converted. This is promising."

"Bowser, please," the Princess pleaded in a shaky voice, "spare these children. They were just concerned strangers."

He looked at the Princess, then gently traced a claw along the sides of the unconscious redhead's face. "My dear Princess. I wouldn't dare eliminate such a promising young warrior. The boy... maybe. If he doesn't swear his allegiance. But the girl? Oh, no. I have plans for her. Just like I have plans for you." He turned to the window and summoned his followers. "Bring the three of them along. Do not harm the Princess or the girl, understand?"

"Yes sir!" The three followers bellowed in unison.

"Sir, what about that one?" One of them pointed to Jared, who laid unconscious in a corner.

Bowser rolled his eyes and waved his hand dismissively. "He is of no use to me. Just bring these three."

As the airship took flight again, Bowser looked down at the ruins of the Harvest Festival.

"A wonderful harvest indeed," he laughed quietly to himself.

Devious.

I can't wait for Monday.

I can't say why just yet, but I can't wait.

I'm excited! ^^

I Just Wonder...

What happens when you love a person with your entire heart, but your thoughts are plagued with doubts?

What happens when things aren't the same any more, and while you're trying to adjust and adapt, things steadily are getting worse?

What happens when you misplace something that was symbolic of everything you believed in? (And still want to believe in.)

I just wonder...

Yeah.

[Edited at 9:44 PM. I erased the entire original entry, as I decided it sounded far too pathetic. This is Version 2, I guess.]

I'm starting to come to realizations.

And they're frighteningly sad.

But what can you do...?

Yeah.

I've got a bad feeling about things.

But maybe it's just fate.

Too Much, Too Soon.

I decided to check my email one last time before bed when I find a message in my inbox from Mama. I open it and read through it, and a sickly sad feeling runs through me.

The newspaper here in Columbus intends to write another news story on the murder case of my great-aunt.

The article is related to the fact that they've had the suspect in custody for nearly five years without sending him to trial. While the newspapers are working in our favor... the odds of getting the trial -- and even justice -- is slim to none.

And even if the trial went through and "justice" was served, it wouldn't be enough.

I know the intended article is meant to assist my family in getting closure...

But it's going to open up a lot of old wounds.

And with that news coming in just two days before the seven-year anniversary of my grandmother's death...

It's just too much, too soon.