She was beautiful. She was more beautiful now she had struck that deal with ‘the lady’ so it would be unfair to see this tall slender woman as not. She had been kind enough to give her the looks. However,neither originated in such unearthly figures. Where they were now we’re the complete contrast of where they had been. The sweet looking girl waited for the other to come out. Pink blossom was her back up. Death was the others. “I want my body,Willow.” This creature-like person cried. “With time. Aubrey you and I are on a mission. Interfere and you will never change back.” “I want to swap roles. You don’t maintain my hair and don’t wash my face.” “Will all that matter if the kingdom falls? Aubrey I am here for my power. You for your current relationships.” Aubrey sighed. Her crooked boney knees wobbled whilst black hair masked her face and upper torso.

“All with great time,Aubrey.” She lied.

Then it begins. The alleyway was opaque and the only light seemed to come from patches of water reflecting moonlight. Cats balanced on washing lines only letting their silhouettes show. Less to lose due to the nine lives most were on.

Dogs were snarling as the leader steered them around the corner to the agreed spot. An old cat leapt down onto the wet concrete and proudly pranced forward head-on with, the also old, hound. The cat raised a paw to its lips and used its sandpaper-like tongue to clean it. The dog sat and growled and waited for the cat to speak.

‘Meow.’

Disapproval erupted from the crowd at the disgusting insult. Even some of the cats were stunned at it. Felines worked as ninjas jumping into the glow on the ground making themselves ready to attack. The dogs were inching forward and foaming at the mouth. Shiny eyed each side.

‘Bark.’

A foul scrap. Cats gave belly rubs to dogs as a weakness whilst free dogs spat catnip at them in attack. Paws were stepped on and water chucked onto the cats. It was complete mayhem and was thought to go down in history.

I was a bride the night it happened. Fog swarmed my ankles as I perched on the rose-covered benches. Thorns pricked at my feet as I sobbed remembering what had happened when I aged back to normal. Beauty dripped off me revealing my skeletal self. I had a chance to be born again and marry my true love but he had moved on with the woman who had killed me in the first place. I told him what had happened at the altar before her bridal song played but he didn’t care because ‘she was the pretty one’. Therefore I won’t be the one six feet down in a graveyard tonight. I won’t let them be together alive or dead.

From the only accessible angle of view at the time we believed this was a usual crash landing involving a plain. As per usual we ventured further and found something remarkable. Only in red body suits and matching cold red faces we saw the truce. A UFO incredibly crafted that was slanted in a chunk of ice. Loose machinery hung from it but what I checked out first was the massive hold in it. “Don’t go in there, Connor. Not yet,” Issac shouted at me as I began climbing in.” Soon my hands were full of light after grabbing my flashlight from around my belt. It had clumps of a goopy substance struggling to hang on the roof. A sharp whimper came from what I presume was the control panel and then I saw it. A pink boy with multiple eyes struggling to put a mask on.

“What are you?” the boy would have jumped but due to his just seen circumstance, I understood he was wounded so he gasped. “Have no finish disguise.” it was a muffled response that was coated in a thick accent from some other tongue. Just then, he reached to his face and started to irresistibly start twitching and shaking. Then he looked just like Bobby who was just outside. “ Why are you here? Why do you look like Bobby?” I freaked out. “I have the chance to look like your deceased. My crew are mostly your team already. We here because we can’t go. Parts needed.” I stepped back and stood up and limped outside in the frozen weather with me trailing behind.

“ Issac. Is Issac ok?” the alien boy looked up. “Yeah. He was only one to not try and kill us. We like Issac more than Bobby. Now you are liked too.” “This is a lot to process. If you want to leave we can help just don’t kill anymore of the crew.” “We look like your crew. We are blending in.”

What a day that was.

‘Hell’s gates had finally opened’ is what I thought. A scorching city with toxic waste fumes and smoke clouds had engulfed the air and it became clear that we were destined to die. Communities became gangs and pacifists protesting became riots screaming. Boats of classy people escaped as far as they could but even they knew they were dead before sailing. Massacre an entire society without causing a complete bloodbath. Shades of red and orange spat verbal and physical threats at ancient landmarks and all we could do was regret.

I sat in a hospital full of freshly burned victims of all ages. Seven years old and my face had been burnt by an invasive flame. Bandages covered all but my eyes as I gingerly walked towards a barrier of glass. I saw what had become of us but not yet the full consequence. Water had been dropped over city spots by military plains and the king had been assassinated. He tipped us over the edge making it almost impossible to live due to what he had gambled. A kingdom.

Eight years later and this city of ours had been wiped from the memory and imagination. We had gone from a thriving one hundred and fifty thousand citizens to a four thousand people anarchy. The only survivors were those from the south side. The hospital was cramped and the people clean wounded got a chance. No one came for us because we were all presumed a lost cause for who are we without a leader? The air has cleared and we managed to grow food and find a life in these new environments but there is a catch. Beasts. Creatures that now lurk in this pyro condition. Monsters who we didn’t know exist seemed to be born from the chaos. Now at fifteen years old, I am in the protector's group. Now of age, my life must be put on the line to keep us safe. One or two die in a group of seven every battle but they now want to start a war.

Vitamin D seeps through our pores excessively. Our sun never gets a break and our sky another accent. The Moon of the croissant structure or sphere is virgin to our eyes. We can never behold a canopy of twinkling stars. Crops can barely exist in such a world let alone us. Synthetic nights are painted on our ceilings to psychologically convince our minds we have a difference. Daylight robbery is consistent and no creature has the choice of nocturnality. We wouldn't know if it is a hard life for it is merely our only experience of it.

Exhausted. Identity on the urge of exposure. All the energy I had to fight was leaving me as quickly as blood underneath the costume. I had tried only to be doomed by the inevitable state of mine and my partners' misfortune. Sweat covered my slim figure and my faded hair was soaked as my arch-enemy held my head underwater. Water is my weakness. Since I knew I would most likely pass out, the most strategic thing to do was to lose the last of my power for good to take them out. Although my nemesis had other plans. “Show me who you are Pyro boy!” They yelled as they tried to keep me still. “Like hell.” “Then I’ll have to help you out ” ending on that note, they peeled my mask from my skin and then paused. Firstly, I believed I was a disappointment to them. I was just some scrawny teenage boy. Until they started to pull their mask off as well. “Dad? What was your goal?” Tears were being held back because I couldn’t hurt myself anymore, especially because of him. “Son. I…I didn’t know.” My eyes commenced to rolling back and my chest struggled to rise as I spat out water. “What excuse is that? You shouldn't do this to anyone regardless of who I am in relation to you.” my body began to spasm until I was ready to let go. “Now I know the kind of monster I cared for.”

Only my shadow weeping umbrella could keep me from looking at the heavens above. Exiled and punished to never look up. Never find hope or guidance for my ‘twisted’ ways. Although I am forced now to watch those lucky enough to ascend to a chaste palace of love. But that is where I offer them to play a sickly sweet game with me to test their bittersweet judgement. A man, a woman and finally a child is the story ill tell you.

A headstrong man who seemed to have a betraying aura showing more of a sheepish mind. “Good sir,” I began “could you be ever so kind to assist me in finding the church?” he looked into my cloudy eyes baffled at my lack of flesh. “You are by far the ugliest thing I've ever seen. Not even god would want you in one of his homes.” “A shameful answer. Now I choose your trench coat as a punishment. Something I can show to your creator for a horrid response.” I wrap myself in and triple his memory waves into forgetting this unforgiving experience.

Next was a woman. Agile and confident in herself she let such a familiar cross sit on her chest. “Good ma'am,” I began “could you be ever so kind as to assist me in finding the church?” she looked from my shoes to my face with complete disgust on her face. “No. You seem like the kind to kidnap and hate. We couldn't want you there.” “ More honest than the last. For that, I'll only take your beauty in the form of a blue butterfly.” I yet again tampered with the mind, smiling at the fact I can already prove to banish me out of the all was a grave mistake.

Thirdly was a tricky child. One with a sour face and blond hair. “Young sir,” I began “ could you be ever so kind to assist me in finding the church?” “Sure. It's straight on from here sir. You look cool.” baffled by the response I smiled and made him forget this precious moment to me. Making him unaware of the bright future he’s just created for himself.

I walked to the church and inside its halls to be teleported upwards. I gave my newly possessed item and organism away and reminded them about how nice that boy was who didn't judge my questionable looks. When I left I found people to be nicer and nicer just like that boy making me wonder if my prejudiced thoughts on everyone brought me exactly as I expected. Now I only expect good and I get it. I ask the people who I know will be polite.

An intimate mark that often left cranberry-coloured lipstick on the corner of his smile. My lips hadn't been near him since he’d left the country to fight in a war. A letter had arrived through my door written by him stating how he wasn't going to make it. Love never left for him and even if he was considered a memory he remained the only person I could love constantly. So in such a lonely state why did my lips tingle again? If my one true love was truly dead how could I feel this nearly forgotten power in me? All I could worry about was that he no longer was just a loving memory and that he somehow found a way out. He had kissed another before and I had him think about that consequence when I drove him to the woods. When I punctured him countless times. When I left him there...

Something staged so beautifully must always have a play. Maybe I wasn't the only one pretending.