How could something so small, It was just a place, just an image, just a concept, Wide as the heavens above, as small as the dust under the table, Be consuming my heart,
Be the fire within my soul, Leading me with passion, Do others have the same passion as me, For something that can be contained in a painting,
I must tell the world, I must tell them, My love for an ant
“I told you that we should have listened to the park ranger,” Ethan yelled at his friend, Dan. “He said that we needed two gallons of water.” “Shut up,” Dan yelled back. “I used the regular amount of water I have used for my five years of hiking. Besides, forests aren’t supposed to be this hot.
“This place is a desert.” Both Ethan and Dan wore their hiking gear as they traveled the forest. The leaves, while bright green, barely covered the sun above. Both men were bright red, with sweat on their brows. Ethan and Dan could only breathe heavily as they walked for miles.
They had both thought about what had happened in the morning of this day. It was like any other morning. Ethan and Dan were packing up in their cabin. Dan was looking at his packages of water, remembering the ranger’s advice.
“You need ten gallons of water,” the ranger said. Unfortunately for Dan, he looked down at his map and backpack. “I’ve been on tougher hikes,” he laughed to himself. That moment kept haunting Dan, even if he didn’t want to admit it. In the present, Ethan had a scorched look on his face.
“Do you think we should continue?” Dan nervously asked. “We’ve been walking for hours now.” “I don’t think we should,” Ethan replied. “It’s getting late, and I’m worried that we’re only getting further away the more we go. We should set up camp.”
“But it isn’t getting dark. How about a few more hours? We can even try to signal for help.” “Fine then, but we have to set up a way that we can track our steps. Can’t use any of our materials we are already carrying.
“I can gather some rocks to lay out.” After that, Dan and Ethan continued in the forest. The scenery had changed to less trees and more hard ground. By the time the sun was setting, both Dan and Ethan were pouncing. Dan in particular started to complain about a sour leg, making him slowly limp.
Meanwhile, Ethan, while quite tired himself, managed to throw all his supplies on the ground. He began to unpack his bags, strapping out everything he could to get in order to make a tent. “You ok,” Ethan asked, looking at Dan massaging his leg on a rock. “I make the shelter on my own.
“But I would rather have your help.” “Yeah sure,” Dan responded. “I’m just worried.” “About what? You think that we won’t find our way out?” “At least not before something bad happens to us.
“You can never predict the woods.” “Hey Dan, don’t worry too hard about it. There aren’t any animals out here.” “It’s not the animals I’m worried about. It’s the weather.”
Ethan didn’t even looked annoyed with Dan. His face lowered in acknowledgment of his concerns. “Let’s just get some sleep,” Ethan said as he went inside his makeshift tent. Dan hesitated for a moment, before entering as well. “Hopefully someone will find us,” Dan responded.
They both fell asleep shortly after, with a few dreams haunting them both. Ethan and Dan were rocking back and forth in their bed, with a little bit of sweat coming out. For Ethan, he imagined himself back at his home. He was in his kitchen, which almost shined in how ideal it looked. However, just outside of his window was Dan, who was looking dead straight at him.
Meanwhile, Dan found himself in ironically a snowstorm. He was being stalked by an unknown beast, seemingly a monstrous hybrid of a deer and bear. It admitted a loud scream, sounding more like a car passing by. That was when Dan realized it.
Ripping himself out of bed, he breathed heavily as he looked back at Ethan. “Ethan!” He yelled, startling Ethan in his deep sleep. “What is it dude?” Ethan moaned. “Please tell me you realized something that could help us. Otherwise, I’m out.”
It was then that Ethan had his question answered without a single word from Dan. The sound of cars passing through filled their ears. “Holy crap,” Ethan muttered. “Do you think what I’m thinking?” “Yep,” Dan asked.
“Let’s just leave our stuff and go.” Bursting out of their tents, Ethan and Dan ran out. Sure enough, there was still a little bit of light through the trees. Eventually, they found a dirty road. Unfortunately, there were no cars in sight.
“You jackass!” Ethan screamed. “You led us out into the middle of nowhere!” “I’m sorry Ethan,” Dan cried out, his voice cracking. “I just thought..” “Of what?
“We just abandoned all our stuff. All for some lights.” “Look, we can just run back. We go back to sleep, and maybe come back here.” “Fine, you’re right. This looks to be a road anyway.”
Ethan and Dan turned around to face their makeshift camp once more. The crunches of leaves beneath their feet echoed through the woods as they made their way back. The only relief they had was that it was a bit colder than in the daytime. Ethan himself became a little more sickly the more he walked. His face became paler and paler, and his eyes grew darker and darker.
Dan was slightly better. He simply breathed heavily as he walked alongside his friend. At most, he shivered a little. “Hey Ethan,” Dan suddenly stated, narrowing his eyes like a preying hawk at the darkness. “Do you see that?
“Looks like a bunch of eyes.” “Are you sure?” Ethan responded. “I can only see what my phone can project. Maybe it’s just your mind playing tricks on you.” “Are you entirely sure?
I think I saw the eyes blink.” “Yeah, your mind must be playing tricks on you. Come on, you need sleep. Otherwise, this will be even more difficult than before.” “No, I’m serious. Look in front of you.
“They are right there.” “Maybe you saw a deer. Again, you need to stop seeing things that aren’t there. It’s getting dangerous.” That was when both Dan and Ethan heard a branch crack in the distance. It was a rather slow crunch, almost like whatever made the sound wanted it to go unnoticed.
That was when the forest became colder than it was before. Ethan was starting to feel extremely ill. Not just from exhaustion, but from something more unnatural. He started to become more pale and cold, to the point that standing was painful for him. Dan didn’t notice however.
He looked frantically around to see what could have caused the noise. “Daniel,” Ethan weakly muttered, becoming more disoriented. “What’s happening to me?” “What do you mean by that?” Dan nervously asked back. “Oh Daniel, do you understand what is happening to me?”
Dan nervously turned around, fearful of what he would see. Much to his horror, it was exactly what he feared. Ethan was a completely different person now. His eyes turned pitch black, his body became frail as a skeleton, and his hair began to fall out. Even worse, Ethan had a smile that was wider than humanly possible. “Oh come on Daniel,” Ethan’s voice said echoing.
“Aren’t you starving right now? I know I sure am.” “Ethan!” Dan exclaimed. “What the hell happened to you?!” He stuttered as he walked away from his old friend
“Haven’t you seen, I have achieved a greater form,” Ethan muttered. “No no,” Dan repeated. As soon as he did, he turned around and ran as fast as he could. “Daniel!” Ethan shouted as he lunged at Dan on all fours. “Listen, I’m not sick.”
Dan wasn’t listening to Ethan’s speech though. Instead, he shoved away as many branches as he could to get away from him. Unfortunately for him, Dan became more disoriented as he ran. Eventually, he coughed up as he decided to slow down to catch his breath. Of course, Dan looked over his shoulder, hoping that Ethan wasn’t behind him.
Ethan thankfully wasn’t, and Dan could peacefully collapse close to a tree. “This can’t be real,” he cried to himself. “This has to be a dream. I’ll wake up eventually.” “Try pinching yourself,” Ethan joked.
Dan immediately looked up and screamed at the sight of his former friend, who had completely lost his human face and was grinning with too many teeth. Screaming, Dan tried to joint away as soon as possible. Unfortunately for him, Ethan dragged onto him. He dragged him across the leaves on the ground, caving his elongated nails into his thighs. All Dan could do is scream in pain.
Ethan’s jaw then inlongated large enough to swallow Dan’s long. Dan clawed as hard as he could away from Ethan, crying as his nails chipped. Fortunately for Dan, he noticed a big enough branch to grab a hit Ethan with. Ethan screamed in pain , allowing for Dan to slowly wiggle away. He started to cry inhumanly, making Dan think that his old friend was back.
“Ethan,” Dan called out as he got closer. “Are you okay now?” Unfortunately for him, Ethan was far from okay. He began to laugh before launching onto Dan once more. Ethan’s hand grew to overcome Dan’s face, with Dan only making muffled screams.
“Join me,” Ethan screeched. Dan’s hand once again frantically grabbed onto whatever he could find. He then found a rock, sharp enough to hit Ethan with. Striking him in the head, Ethan let out a scream. However, he didn’t let go of Dan.
Dan kept hitting and hitting, hoping that eventually Ethan would let go. It was almost an eternity as he kept hitting his old friend. Dan could even hear bone cracking against weak flesh. Eventually, Ethan’s hand slid off Dan’s face, only to reveal a worse image. Dan nearly screamed as he saw Ethan, half-dead.
His face returned to a more human form, but was split in half. Ethan’s eyes were more hallow as he stared blankly. Regardless, there was no signs he was once a monster. “Oh,” Dan cried out, shell shocked. “What have I done.”
He reached over his friend’s body. Before he could start to cry, he was startled by a dying breath. “Thank you,” Ethan cried out. “For saving me.” Those were his last words, looking at Dan as his vision became blurry.
Dan could see the exact moment that Ethan had died, letting out a scream in response. “Come back!” He anguished. Dan clenched onto Ethan’s body in what almost felt like an eternity. The sun apathetically rose in the distance, with it being colder than usual. Eventually, Dan became delirious from his fear and tears.
He didn’t notice the screams of a woman nearby, who noticed the crime and had called the police. Not even a park ranger demanded to come, frozen with Ethan. Dan was shortly afterwards arrested. The police tried to understand why he would murder his best friend.
Unfortunately for them and Dan, Dan didn’t have an answer. He claimed it was a mercy kill, that Ethan thanked him in death. That wasn’t enough to keep Dan out of prison. He did get released twenty years later, but was still haunted by his actions. Especially when Dan could still hear the creature, constantly whispering to him through his bedroom window as he tried to sleep
It was supposed to be such a simple task. I was supposed to go fetch a ball from a lake for my kids. Admittedly, most parents wouldn’t have even thought of letting their kids play under a bridge, but I figured that as long as I was, nothing could go wrong. My son was with a few friends of his. I could find them a bit annoying, but they cared for him well enough.
They were playing a game of fetch. Meanwhile, I was rolled back on a blanket, having half of my vision on my boy and half on a mystery thriller novel I had in my hand. While my son pretended to be a superhero, I pretended to be a retired detective. Unfortunately, all that would quickly come to an end.
While I imagined myself in a darkened alley, my son started to yell. “Honey,” I cried, lifting myself up as I feared the worst. “Are you okay?!” “I lost my ball,” my son started to cry. “It disappeared over there.”
I took a massive sigh of relief as I pressed my hand onto my chest. “Thank heavens,” I muttered to myself, with all the worst ideas about what could have happened to my son fading in my head. “Do you want me to get it back? Where is it now?” My son pointed straight in the direction that the ball went to. “Timmy threw it there,” he cried out.
“No I didn’t,” Timmy cried out. “Boys boys,” I commanded. “Quit your squabbling. I need you all to stay exactly here while I go get the ball. I should only be gone for about five minutes.
“I repeat, stay here and immediately call me if there’s anything troubling.” For one last time, I pointed right at my son and his friends. They nodded in complete agreement, which would have been reassuring. For me, however, the greatest struggle wasn’t heading forward at the dark forest. It was resisting the urge to turn back to my child.
Despite that, I went head first into the woods. In that moment, I felt nothing but regret. Despite not being too far from the river and the bridge to civilization, it was still extremely dark. The woods were nothing but coldness, with the leaves on the trees still having droplets on them. My heart was pacing in my chest as I tried to breathe in the thick atmosphere.
“It’s just your imagination,” I told myself. “Just get the ball and leave.” If you saw me at first, you would assume that I was just being dramatic. It wasn’t a difficult path to go down. Additionally, I had caught sight of the ball rather quickly.
Unfortunately, one small thing set me off. It was nothing but a twig snap. I shouldn’t have paid any attention to it. Unfortunately, that alone was enough for my heart to be racing. As soon as I heard, I spun around and jointed away.
Running through the woods I noticed how much longer it was. It was almost twice the amount of time I took entering the forest. What really got me was a pair of eyes that glowed in the corner of my eyes. They were nothing but pure white. That was enough for my entire body to ache.
Too many thoughts were filling my head, with my head heavy from nothing but fear. But there was one thought that dominated my mind. My precious boy, who I had left to fend himself. As soon as I could see sunlight, I screamed for him. “Are you okay?!” I called out.
“Mom,” my son cried out. His voice was a bit muffled in my mind, but that didn’t matter too much. All I could care about was seeing him safe, which he was. My son was cuddled with his friends, with only a mildly concerned look on his face. “Oh thank heavens,” I cried out, rushing in to hug my son. “Quickly, let’s get out of here.”
“But mom,” my son complained as I dragged him by the wrist. “The ball is still in the woods.” “That’s none of our concern. Boys, come!” My son’s friends rushed behind us.
I did hear a few groans as we walked up a steep hill, but I could care less. As soon as we got to my car, I ushered the boys inside the old red thing. My car was a complete mess, almost buried in dust. As soon as I got in the passenger’s seat, I slammed the door and hit the breaks. My mind was still rushing with thoughts about what I had seen.
As I drove through the woods, my mind began to finally calm down. The sun shined as brightly as it could over the green leaves, coloring the world. If only it wasn’t the eye of the storm. I decided to look at my son and his friends through the rear view mirror. They were talking about what they usually talk about.
How lame everything was, how summer was, etc. That was when one of my son’s mentioned something that made my heart drop. “Did you see that weird shadow?” He said to his friends. “Looked like a weird wolf.” “Yeah,” one of his friends responded.
“For a moment I thought it was mom.” “Excuse me,” I said as I looked at the rear view window to see my son. “I didn’t notice,” he responded. “The thing came around the time you left.” “It didn’t go close to you.
“Please tell me it didn’t get close to you.” “It didn’t. Just hid in the bushes.” By the time we got home, my head was pounding. What was that thing?
Eventually, I welcomed my son and his friends inside my house. It was the same cold cottage place as it had always been. As expected, one of my close childhood friends was there. She was practically my sister, and I had already made plans to be with her.
“Welcome back,” I called out. She must have seen the grief in my face, given that her eyebrows winced. “It’s been a long day,” I continued. “Come and have a seat,” she replied. “Boys, can you keep it down.”
“Thanks for being here. You wouldn’t believe what happened to me. I was with the boys while they were playing, and they accidentally lost a ball in the woods. I figured I could go fetch it myself. Unfortunately, something strange happened.
“I got spooked by a twig snap.” “Really?” My friend laughed. I did join along with her, realizing how dumb that sounded. “Unfortunately, when I ran out of the woods and got the kids back, my son mentioned a figure that was standing in the woods.” “Wait,” my friend said, her entire body going completely stiff.
“You’re talking about a mysterious figure from the St. Woods Forest? It wasn’t a wolf, was it? Please tell me it wasn’t a wolf.” “It was a wolf. Know anything about it?”
“Yes, but not for the right reasons. My grandmother would always warn of these wolves that come to a land and promise death. Her grandmother also told her this story.” “Really, then what are they called? Sounds a little like skinwalkers.” “Quiet!” My friend exclaimed.
“You are NOT allowed to call them by their true names!” “Why? Will the wolves come for us?” “Moreso than they already are. These wolves are vengeful spirits, using witchcraft to stay on this earth well past their mortal passing.
“However, they cannot truly be a part of this earth. The wolves get around this by tracking down a group of humans wandering in the woods. They love children the most. Unfortunately for you, the wolves have decided that you are their new target. Specifically, you and your family.”
“Really? How do I get rid of it?” “That’s the problem. Very few survive. However, there is a high reward to those who defeat the wolves.
“Forever protection is given. If not, your entire bloodline will be eliminated by the wolves.” “You’re not answering my question,” I stated. “How the hell do I keep these wolves away from my family?” “Simple,” my friend stated.
“You must bring with you a broken piece of your most treasured item,” she continued. “Like what?” I asked. “I got an old teddy bear. Wouldn’t be ideal to loose though.” “Don’t worry,” my friend reassured.
“It’s a protection item. Then, go to the forest where you meet the wolves. And I mean the exact spot, all by yourself.” “How do I survive?” I asked. “There’s no clear way,” my friend ominously replied.
“However, the wolves will aim for your fears,” she continued. “They will show your visions of the deaths of your loved ones. However, you must know it’s not real. If you try to save the illusions the wolves create for you, you’ll die, or worse.”
“Can you give me a minute?” I meekly asked. My friend nodded her head. I couldn’t believe it. Something was really hunting me down. No, hunting my family down. Did I even have the strength to fight it off?
“How many people have survived an attack by these wolves?” I asked again. “Well,” my friend sheepishly said. “My grandmother did. She vowed to never tell a soul outside of her family, but I believe you need guidance.” “Thanks for all the help.
“I think I’ll get all my stuff.” “You really think you are prepared for this? You’re an accountant for heaven’s sake.” “I could care less. I will do anything to keep my boy safe.” “Alright then.
“Be careful out there.”
“Why do you have to do this to me?” I yelled at an angel, who was now burning with rage. “What were you truly expecting?” She yelled back. “That I would just sit around watching you get tormented like that?” I will admit, the angel I’m describing, which may sound like anything but, was really my fiancée. And truly, she deserved such a position
It all began at prom. Yeah, I know it sounds cliche, but there’s more than just a high school date. My parents had dropped me off there in nothing but the bluest tuxedo you could imagine. Seriously, it was a horrible color. Anyways, I was only brought to the prom because of my older brother and his girlfriend.
The girlfriend, who I think was named Jane, wasn’t too bad of a person. She was decent enough to actually ask if I was doing okay in the back seat as I was nervously twitching. My brother, however, wasn’t known for being caring. I honestly don’t even know why Jane thought he was a good guy at the time. It was likely because he was a soon-to-be frat boy, being really obsessed with how he appeared. “Wipe that look off your face,” he commanded coldly.
At the prom, my brother and Jane were dancing away. Despite not even being selected for prom king and queen, they managed to be at the center of the stage. Meanwhile, I was hidden under a table. The only comfort I could find was my phone, where I looked at my song playlist. At some point in the night, I noticed a pair of red high heels walk near my face.
It would have been nothing to me, I was under a bunch of food after all. The thing was the girl standing in front of me wasn’t as ignorant of my presence as I was of hers. In fact, she actually lifted the velvet that stood between the two of us. Despite that, the girl kept muttering to herself. Her tone was as sharp as a sword, and she could easily be mistaken for an angry schoolteacher.
Despite that, the girl was extremely pretty. Her eyes were a romantic dark color, and her hair was cut like Snow White in the cartoon. “Oh my bad,” the girl instantly said when I had direct eye contact with her. “Didn’t mean to sound harsh to you.” Instead of giving a response, I was frozen still.
“It’s just been a rough night for me,” she continued. “Guessing it’s been a rough one for you too.” “Yeah,” I meekly replied. “Want to leave this place?” “Yeah.”
As the girl reached out her hand, she paused in mild realization. “My name is Gabby,” she quickly replied. “My name’s Daniel,” I confessed in return. “But you can call me Dan.” “Nice to meet you Dan. Oh, I forgot to ask you if you want to see this place.
“It’s the parking garage.” “Sure.” I could tell that my face squinted a little at that last sentence. Gabby let out a sigh before she reached out her hand. “It’s okay if you don’t want to go,” she replied.
In that moment, my mind was both frozen and overflowing. A girl, one that was especially beautiful, was talking to me. Wanting to be with me. It’s dumb that I want so caught up with that thought. Before long, I gave an answer.
“Trust me,” I assured. “That sounds like a fine enough place.” “Thank you so much,” Gabby said as she reached out her hand to me. She pulled with so much force that I was worried that she would rip off my entire arm. Together, we broke through the doors of prom and ran across.
The lights of a small town I resigned in shined brighter today than ever before. As me and Gabby crossed the street, I looked over at the college town that rested nearby. The garbage itself was exactly what you would expect. Steel walls that kept everything within almost cold to the touch. Me and Gabby ran up the stairs, reaching the roof.
For once in my life, I got to see the stars for once. With the city lights down below, the distinct purple and blue shined in the night sky. Me and Gabby soon decided to sit down together near the edge of the building. She was more willing to dangle near the railing, while I sat down on the pavement. “Beautiful, isn’t it,” Gabby muttered to herself.
“Yeah,” I awkwardly replied. “You must be here often.” “Haha, what can I say. It’s the best place to be when you’re stessed.” “So, you must hate parties too.
“With all the loud noises, bright lights, and awful music.” Gabby turned her head, looking at me puzzled. “I mean, you did want to leave that party?” I nervously tried to explain. That was when Gabby lowered her head to giggle a bright smile. “I don’t hate parties,” she responded.
“Sometimes, the dancing is exactly what you need.” “Then, why were you so desperate to leave prom?” Gabby let out a sigh before she confessed. “I was with my boyfriend.”
“You had a boyfriend?” Admittedly, that was probably the worst thing I could comment on. “Can you keep your mouth shut? Anyways, we were having a good time,” she continued. “He snuck in some candy from the convenience store, and I bought this dress for him.
“Shortly after we slow danced, he commented that he needed to go use the restroom. I waited patiently for him. When I decided to go and see where he was…” “Where did you find him?”
“He was behind a tree, kissing another girl.” Gabby was dead silent after she said that. “I’m so sorry,” I instinctively responded. It was probably not the best response I could give.
“No no, it’s fine,” Gabby insisted. “That’s men for you.” I could have tried to say, “not all men,” but what good could it do. As we both stared into the night sky, I came up with a better sentence. “Life is nothing but backstabbers,” I said.
“But there’s always someone who is also sick of being stabbed.” “That was an awful saying.” “Ha, I know. I just figured you needed something along the lines of that.” As I said that, my hand reached out to Gabby’s.
She took a glance at it, but refused to move her hand, instead clenching her fists. “Maybe,” Gabby said to herself. “Maybe you’re right.” As she said that, she once again opened her hand.
Gabby gently stroked my hand, refusing to firmly grasp it. “I gotta go,” I interrupted, somewhat ruining the moment. “Wait,” Gabby called out. “Before you go, what is your phone number?”
“Pardon?” “You know, if you want to call again. It’s okay if you don’t.” “No no, it’s fine.” I described my number to Gabby. Afterwards, we had many talks.
About school, about love, and even about family. To our mutual shock, me and Gabby got engaged. As one can imagine, we learned so much about each other. It was a true warts and all for us both. One day, Gabby knowing my darkest secrets turned dangerous.
We were both at my parents house, planning to announce our engagement. I had obviously told her about my brother. How he used to hit me, drag me, and generally do anything he could when my parents weren’t looking. I should have known it would strike a chord for Gabby. She herself confessed to have seen her mother get beaten a lot.
“Hey mom,” I chimed in, holding Gabby in my arms. “Hey dad.” I looked at my brother, expecting something from him. Instead of a snarky comment like usual, he was glued to his phone. “This is my girlfriend Gabby,” I continued.
“She’s truly lovely.” “Aww, how sweet,” my mother said. “Come and sit here. The food isn’t going to eat itself, right honey.” My mother looked directly at my father, who had a massive smile plastered on his face.
He never bothered to say anything though, preferring to nod. The dinner was decent enough. Some broccoli and cheese with Coca Cola. My mom was the primary talker, like she always had been. She asked Gabby a few questions about her family, which she tried to deflect.
“Aren’t family stories so fun,” my mother joked in an unintentionally mocking tone. “Dan and his brother Chris have so many stories to tell.” She looked at my brother, expecting him to confess. Instead, he kept his mouth shut, only showing engagement when he looked up at my mother. Eventually, he gave a coy smile and put his phone down.
Gabby wasn’t smiling back at him though. “Come on Dan,” my mother pestered. “You remember the time you saw your brother trip on his way to school?” “Of course,” he smirked. “Chris is such a klutz.”
I had lowered my face in shame, remembering that day well. Dan had tripped me, like he always had. Looking at Gabby, I realized she hadn’t bought into the lie. Her face was hot red. “What’s with the cherry look?” My brother asked.
“You liar,” Gabby cried out. “You have done nothing but be a bully to create these fake stories.” My brother was taken back by what she had said. “You don’t have any proof of that,” he laughed. “Oh really,” Gabby mocked.
“Is not your own brother’s word good enough testimony?” My brother’s eyes widened as he looked at Gabby. At first, he tried to laugh it off and leave. Unfortunately for him, as soon as he tried to enter the door, Gabby blocked him. “What the hell are you doing?” My brother commented.
Gabby asked him to take a guess as she raised her fist. “Hey hey easy,” my mother shouted as she ran up. She tried to push Gabby away from my brother. Obviously, it didn’t go well, with Gabby throwing a punch at my mother.
That was when the room went dead silent. My mother cowered back, with a little bit of blood coming out of her nose through her hands. My father finally did something by running up to her and asking if she was okay. “Gabby,” I finally cried out. I reached out to pull her away from the chaos.
“What the hell was that?” I shouted as soon as we were far away. “Why did you think that was okay.” “Do you think I could excuse those lies,” Gabby cried out. “Excuse that abuse.” “You didn’t have to hit my mom to do that. I already know my family is a mess.” She let out a little shout, which brings me back to where I began.
“I have had enough of this bullshit,” Gabby shouted, ripping at her hair. “Seeing this abuse.” “Are you kidding me,” I responded. “You caused me so much pain, but yet the love I feel for you blinds me!” That was when Gabby paused. Her hand slowly went over her mouth, but only her fingers managed to get close.” “I’m sorry,” I weakly replied.
“I didn’t mean to say that.” There was nothing but complete silence between the two of us. However, I just know, somewhere in my heart, that we shared the same idea. Don’t know why I did in this moment, but I embraced Gabby.
I sweezed her in my arms as I buried my face in her shoulder. “What are you doing?” Gabby asked me. “I’m sorry,” I responded, being a bit muffled.
“For everything?” “Yeah, for everything.” That was when I felt a tight embrace back. “Thank you,” Gabby whispered in my ear
When it comes to sexual attraction, it makes the most logical sense that one could only form a crush on a real person. After all, the purpose of attraction is to a physical aspect. You have to touch the person you are attracted to. You have to be able to talk to the person, with them talking back. For the longest time, I thought only idiots could develop feelings for a fictional character.
That was until a late Saturday night in my pink bedroom. My parents were both away and left me with an iPad to keep me entertained. I was a typical middle school girl back then. My hair was pinned up with a red band that gave the illusion that it wasn’t actually part of my scalp and I wore bracelets that resembled pride flags, despite not identifying as part of the LGBT community. On my iPad screen was my favorite show, The Marvelous.
It was a superhero show that was recommended to me by my best friend, and I had already binged watched a lot of it. There was one character that I had particularly liked. His name was Star-Spangled. He was a true American hero, a Civil War solider that was brought to the modern era to stop a apocalypse. The episode I was watching was where Star-Spangled was nearly beaten to death by his greatest enemy, the Red Klan.
“Tell me,” Red Klan mocked as he cupped his hands around Star-Spangled’s bruised face. “What makes you truly believe that this world is worth fighting for?” Honestly, Red Klan was one of the most terrifying villains. His most infamous moment, which happened to have happened about three episodes ago, was successfully killing off an entire city. The trauma of such an event was both fresh in the minds of the audience of the Marvelous and to Star-Spangled himself.
Red Klan himself was, while not terrifying to me as a middle schooler, could easily scare off a five year old with his pale skin and sunken eyes. However, as the screen focused on Star-Spangled, there was no fear in his dark eyes. Instead, there was a slight fire within his iris. “You know that these people despise you,” Red Klan taunted, referring to a previous group of civilians. “They don’t believe you are a true hero.
“They think you are the real threat, not I.” “Isn’t that how men have always been?” Star-Spangled replied while he started to pick himself up. “Finding a new scapegoat to fight against. You may think that using such a weakness will disable all who stand against you. But there is one thing you can never control.”
“And what could that be.” “The very few who only focus on justice. In all my years, there have always been a single voice that has cried out. They separate from the crowd.” “And why would that matter.
“Oh, you’re just talking about yourself. You really think that you alone can stand against the world.” “And so what if that is the case? Should I be bound by the expectations of men who I will never see the faces of? It is a fragile ideal. The only thing I will confine to is true justice.
“To fight for those who have yet to have a voice of their own. And if only one man has to stand for justice, then may that one man stand strong.” While my eyes were fixated on the blue screen, my skin became as cold as if it was in the middle of December. I bit my lips in response to Star-Spangled’s speech.
“Wait,” I muttered to myself as my teeth released themselves from my lips. “I didn’t just get turned on?” Looking back on the screen, I looked at Star-Spangled’s torn top. It revealed his darkened abs that almost shined because of the animation. Star-Spangled was perfectly beefy, with his upper body being molded better than a statue of a Greek god.
I slammed my phone into my bedsheet, with almost a sense of mild shame. I flipped myself over just to stare at the wall, closing my eyes in hopes of not having to see the roses on top. My head was still pounding, with too many intrusive thoughts overflowing it. “I did NOT develop a crush,” I declared to myself. What was a hollow declaration?
Yes, yes it was. At first, I grove my head straight into my pillow. Much to my surprise, I didn’t even scream through my gushing feelings. Instead, my mind began quiet. It was the eye of my hormonal hurricane.
As I ripped my face off of my pillow, I looked around my room. Me and my mom took a lot of time and dedication into making it a window into my soul, and it showed. It was littered with pictures of me and my best friends, artwork I did back in elementary school, and movie posters. I had a table that was divided evenly by homework and comic books. It sat right at my bedroom window, which I had always covered with a rose decorated sheet.
Even from the side, I could read the titles of each comic book. My mind distinctly read, “Star-Spangled,” on one of the title, so clearly and so loudly that I could almost mistake it as real. At first, I rolled over to the other side of my bed. Grabbing onto one of my pillows, I was about to cover my burning red face. Gripping onto my pillow, I paused.
“What am I doing?” I muttered to myself, as if I didn’t ask that question before. I decided to finally get out my bed and head over to my desk. Somehow, I felt some sense of pride in being able to leave, like I did a marathon. I gently picked up the homework laying on top of the comics.
There was one assignment that was completely blank, despite the due date being the next day. Despite that, I completely ignored it. I had to stare at a cover of Star-Spangled in his little tights.
As my fingers flipped the front page, it slightly pierced my skin. There was a slight burning pain over the small cut that was now on my finger, but I didn’t care. Instead of checking my new wound, I was staring at a random page in the comic. It had Star-Spangled leading a battle in a post apocalyptic world. I should have remembered the context of that comic.
But I didn’t. Instead, I stared straight at Star-Spangled’s body. His tights wrapped around his waist, which I’ll give the artist credit for how detailed it was. I didn’t read the rest of the book. Instead, I slammed it back onto my desk. I put my bloody fingertip in my mouth as my face burned with passion. This was a fictional character, existing on nothing but a screen and a page.
But what can I say. I’m no longer the blushing thirteen year old I was back then. As I prepare to ask out one boy I’m interested in going out with for senior prom, I look back on my own desires. The same dark-skinned men of justice plague my life, real or not.
My least favorite part of the day is mornings. Especially when the first thing you feel is rope tying up your body and a mouthpiece. And just like that, I described someone’s fetish. No big deal, since the first thing I saw upon waking up was a greasy room with only one window shining the sun. It smelled strongly of oil there.
“Ah,” a strange male voice echoed in the distance, almost being drowned out my footsteps. “You have finally woken.” I tried to let out a “who are you?”, but the gag was choking me quite hard. The most I could let out is a cough as I laid on the floor. “It’s pointless to struggle my dear,” the mysterious man snarked.
“For it is I, Doctor Fae Mal. You see, me and your dear husband prince have some things to settle. Well, I guess it’s more his father and your in-law I have things to settle with. He had me exiled from this very land on the day of your husband’s birth. Apparently, I was considered a disturbance to the good kingdom.”
Dear goodness, could this guy just shut up already. “Ever since then, I have been planning my revenge,” Doctor Fae Mal continued. “All I needed was someone who the Prince would do anything for. Luckily for me, the greatest weakness of men is woman. All I had to do was ask for my men to take you in the middle of the night. And now, your husband will be given a choice: either he will give the crown, or you will die.”
Truly a lovely proposal for me. Luckily for me however, Doctor Fae Mal made one little mistake. As soon as he was done monologuing, he simply left the room. “Hope that my guards provide you with all the comfort you need,” Doctor Fae Mal snarked as he opened the door, revealing quite a few well-armed guards outside. “Afterall, today’s going to be a long day.”
As I laid in the quiet room, I instinctively imagined my escape. Was quite hard honestly, given how dark the room was. Luckily, that little window gave me some hope. While it was too small to crawl through, I could use the light to give me a better view of the room I was stuck in. I picked myself up from the ground, revealing myself from the horrible smell on the ground.
It was the only thing that was truly waking me up. As soon as I could drag myself towards the wall, I examined my surroundings. What could I say, it was still gloomy. There were oil spills everywhere, as if it was a murder scene. The only item in the room to keep me comfort was a medical table.
I went closer to the medical table to see if there was anything that could be of use to be. Unsurprisingly, or surprisingly if you consider how dumb evil people can get, there wasn’t any typical medical instruments. Just a very finely decorated mirror laying on top. Oh, how bad I felt that I had to break that thing. Especially since I had to be precise enough to make one of the shards into a makeshift key.
“What’s going on back there?” I heard one of the guards say through the door, causing me to twitch a little. “Sounds like the princess broke the mirror,” another guard replied. “Probably going hysterical there.” I took a sign of relief, knowing that my captors were dumb enough to believe that I would just break down and cry. Unfortunately, I knew that they were now alert.
“Just keep a close eye on the girl,” one of the guards said. Whatever move I had to make, I had to make it now. That was when I looked back at the medical table. The very thing I could use to my advantage. I then arrange the medical table I saw the mirror on and positioned it near the door.
Unlocking the door with a piece of glass was surprisingly easy. Knowing that the guards on the other end definitely noticed is another. “Did anyone hear that?” One of the guards said sheepishly. “She’s escaping,” Another yelled. I kicked down the door, leading myself on the medical table like a sushi buffet.
Thankfully, the idiot guards didn’t know how to shoot me point blank. Unfortunately, I had to use the only part of my body that wasn’t tied up. My legs were useful enough against the necks of a few of the guards. As soon as I was far from the guards, I jumped off of the medical table. “Get her!” One of the guards shouted.
“If you can,” I mocked. Yes, it was rather childish of me. But there wasn’t time to be concerned of such things. I ran across the hallway, my feet freezing from the floor. The walls were rather strangely decorated, with fat pillars covering the ends.
There was also this strange steam coming out. Before long, there was a few guards at the end of the hall. “Stand down,” they all said in unison. The guards’ guns clicked like frog’s croaks at the lake. Like the maniac I am, I charged straight towards them. Well, technically I zigzagged a little to avoid getting shot.
Actually, it was a lot of zigzagging. Before long, I wrapped my arms around one of the guards, riding his blind ass long enough to shoot up some other guards. Unfortunately, a piercing pain ripped through my leg. I could barely whimper as I fell onto the ground. When I looked at my leg, my worst fear was confirmed as blood stained my dress.
All I could do then was to pick myself and limp a little. My leg was as heavy as a rock as I tried to escape. Unfortunately, the guards understood how vulnerable I was now. I was quickly overpowered and push onto the ground. “Should we kill her?” One guards asked.
As the blood dripped, I used what little strength I had left to swing my body around. Yeah, it was as graceful as it sounds. As I picked myself up, a few guards tried to grab onto me. It was like hyperactive dogs wanting affection. Unfortunately for them, I wasn’t a dog person.
I managed to put one guard into a straggle around his neck, breaking my bond around my hands. He quickly dropped onto the ground as I continued to swing a few kicks and punches. As soon as the guard was on the ground, I sprinted away. While, kinda more hopped away with my bleeding leg, but that’s close enough. I knew I only had to escape.
Eventually, I found myself away from the guards before I became disoriented. My vision began to blur, with only the faintest of whispers being audible to me. The worst and best part was that I could recognize one of those whispers. “You are done for now,” Doctor Fae Mal gloated. He had grabbed onto my hair while I struggled to stay on my feet.
In front of me was my little knight in shining armor. He was the cutest prince that any girl could ask for, being a little short but with the most beautiful baby blue eyes. Despite that, my husband was the incredibly brave. “Give her back,” he loudly proclaimed, a gun in his hands. Admittedly, I could do less with the cheesy lines, but isn’t that what relationships are for.
“You don’t understand, do you?” Doctor Fae Mal gloated. “He’s angry at some dumb thing you’re dad did,” I chimed in, still sounding weak. “Keep your pretty mouth shut. Unless you want a bullet in your brain.” “Honestly, that would be preferable than listening to your rants.
My husband still had the gun in his hand, but he slightly lowered it. “So what do you say?” Doctor Fae Mal gloated. “Either surrender, or she will die.” I looked straight into the eyes of my love. He only whispered something faint, but it looked like his mouth asked “next?”
All I could do is nod. “Alright then,” my husband mockingly said. “I will surrender. Just let her go.” “Perfect,” Doctor Fae Mal replied.
As he loosened his grip on me, he inched closer to my husband. “I have dreamed of this day as a boy,” Doctor Fae Mal smugly proclaimed. He had raised his gun towards my husband’s head, with my husband seemingly lowering his head in defeat. “Any last words?” Doctor Fae Mal asked. “Didn’t you get exiled as an adult?” My husband mockingly asked back.
By that point, I had managed to sneak right behind Doctor Fae Mal. The idiot was completely dumbfounded. I wrapped my wrists around Doctor Fae Mal, tucking his neck. With the little strength I had, I managed to bring him down on the ground. “Why you little,” Doctor Fae Mal muttered through his teeth.
That was when he bit me, like a little stray bitch. Luckily, as Doctor Fae Mal’s teeth sunk into my flesh, I shouted to my husband. “Now!” I cried out. My husband then swiftly picked up his gun off the floor and held it over Doctor Fae Mal’s head. “You better not squirm now,” My husband muttered under his breath.
In one instant, a gunshot echoed through the room. Doctor Fae Mal’s skull cracked open like a bloody egg as the bullet entered his head. It left my own face covered in blood, and my ears ringing. “Couldn’t you have shot him in the knees instead,” I snarked as I tried to get up. “Apologies dear,” my husband replied as he reached his hand out for me.
“But he was a threat that had to be taken out,” he continued. “I’m pretty sure we could have handled him to our guards. Then again, you still got that assassin blood in you.”
My husband simply chuckled as he held his hand out to me. “You got a point,” he replied. “But your wounds.” “I’ve experienced worse,” I commented. And in my defense, that was half true.
Still, I had shivers across my body as I collapsed in my husband’s arms. “Much much worse,” I snarked. “Come on,” my husband commented as he wrapped his arm around my waist. “You’re going to need a lot of switches.
“At the very least…” As he carried me away, I realized something. This was the first time he saved me. Usually, I had to be the one who rescues my husband from bandits and such. I leaned my head onto his chest, reminding him that we do make a good pair.
It started off as the worst day in my life. My mother had awoken me to what she thought was the greatest news. “We have decided on your husband,” she exclaimed. “You remember that Lord Barnes?” “Barely,” I muttered as I tried to smuggle myself to death with my own pillow.
“Guess what, you are going to get married to him.” That was when I lifted the pillow away from my face in horror. I remember the horrible experience that was talking to Lord Barnes was. Flashing back to when he first knocked on my door, I knew instantly what an unbearable pig he was. Don’t get me wrong, Lord Barnes was quite handsome.
But the moment he opened his mouth, any beauty outside withered away faster than a flower in winter. “My pretty girl, aren’t you going to be the luckiest lady alive,” Lord Barnes said to me once he saw me while examining my corset. “How charming,” I replied, trying to be as okay with what he had to me. “Admittedly, I thought you were going to be hotter than your portrait showed.” “Excuse me.”
Lord Barnes barely gave me a glance as I stared flabbergasted. “Oh you know better than to that voice of yours babble on,” he responded. “Guess our conversation is over then,” I replied with an awkward smile. I left my mansion as soon as possible that day, promising myself that I would never marry that pig. Alas, that was a shallow promise. “You can’t just let me marry such a monster!” I exclaimed to my mother, fully out of bed.
“Well, Lord Barnes proved to be the best suitor out of all them,” she insisted. “I will curse you if you say it’s because he was the richest.” “It wasn’t just that he was the richest. You know that he’s a well respected man.” “Well, Lord Barnes will be nothing but a pig to me!”
“Maybe you should be calmer about this.” In that moment, I immediately left the room. I didn’t even bother getting out of my pajamas, I just had to run away. “Wait,” I could hear my mom cry out. It was a very pitiful cry, like a wail for my death.
Despite that, I didn’t look back. Instead, I ran further and further into the woods. It became only darker and darker. Eventually, I was all alone. The sun was even beginning to set as the fireflies danced.
As I stared into the lake in front of me, I began to weep a little. “Should I just go back,” I said to myself in the reflection. “I know that Lord Barnes is a good for nothing man. But my mother is probably…” “She could care less,” a mysterious voice hissed in the distance.
“Wait, who’s there?!” “Just an old friend for you. Here, turn around.” As I turned, I gasped in horror. It was a demon, with feminine body, red skin, goat horns, and a skull-shaped head. “What are you,” I practically whimpered.
“Just, just get away from me. You can’t be real!” “Oh my sweet dear,” the demon mocked. “I’m as real as one can be. Maybe I should formally introduce myself.
“My name is Azaleas, at least that’s what it is to mortals. I see that you are in such mortal distress. Does it have to do with that particular Lord Barnes you are marrying.” “Well, yeah. But I doubt that you of all creatures would care.”
“Oh no, I have seen this tale too many times. A beautiful bright maiden gets sold off to some pig, all agency taken away. And she is left believing that there’s nothing she can do. But all of those maidens are mistaken. For I can save them.”
“Well then, if you are who you say you are, how do you want to help me? Please don’t tell me it’s murder or anything.” “Well, it’s exactly that. But Lord Barnes won’t be dead to any mortals.” “What do you mean by that?”
Slowly, I began to back away from the mirror. “Why, I’ll remake that man into the prince charming of your dreams. He will remember nothing but his love for you.” “Why, that seems to be a bit extreme. I think I’ll pass.”
“Come on my sweet dear. You know that as soon as you leave this forest, your mother will wed you to Lord Barnes as he is now. Please, I demand so little from you. Especially as your friend.” “Well then, thanks for your help.”
I immediately left the mirror and walked out of the forest. My mind was still racing about what I had seen. “That must have been a crazy vision,” I thought to myself. “There’s no way that was real. I should just forget about it now.”
When I arrived back home, I noticed everything was much cleaner than it was before I left. I could even make the argument it was cleaner than it ever was. There were photos of me and my mother plastered everywhere. They appeared to be the happiest photos one could imagine, but I couldn’t help but feel unnerved with them. Before I could take a closer look at them, I heard a distinct voice cry out in the distance.
“Katherine,” the voice called out, sounding exactly like Lord Barnes. I turned around and confirmed that it was in fact the man himself. The only noticeable difference was a much warmer smile plastered on Barnes’s face. “Oh my,” I managed to respond. “You look quite different than the last time we met.
“Must be the hair. Anyways, do you know what happened here? I swear, something here changed. And it can’t just be the upcoming wedding.” “Don’t you remember,” Barnes almost sang out.
“Anyways, would you happen to know where my mother is?” My heart sank in my heart. That was when Barnes gently held my hand. Leading me to my mother’s room, I realized it.
Today was like every day for me. I was walking across the beach side of my summer home. It was the only way my head could be cleared. Ever since I was a kid, I had my life set on one path specifically. Be the best businessman I could be.
My parents made sure of that by having me spend extra time in school for studying. Every day, I would spend a good chunk of time just staring out the window in my room. There was a playground outside, where children would play everyday. Even before high school graduation, I would continue to stare outside that specific window. Eventually, when I left for college, I was sent off to Harvard, far away from my home state.
It wasn’t the worse, my roommate was decent enough to keep the room clean. However, it was still as cramped as an asylum room. Even worse, the window in the dorm was covered by a tree trunk. There was no hope of even looking outside. Along with that, my parents called every day.
There was never a consistent time they would call. Maybe it would be at night, maybe in the afternoon, or in the morning. I wish I could say that they were being nothing but supportive. That they were just calling out of concern. Instead, I got nothing but demands. “We need to see your grades now.”
“You better be the top student.” “You’re never getting a A-.” If I even told them that there was a club I considering joining, they would immediately say how much of a waste it would be. All I could do is silently agree with them. By the time I finally graduated, I was just tired.
I found myself a job as soon as I could in California, and never talked to my parents again. I built myself a decent business and eventually bought myself a beach house. However, I could still enjoy the beauty of something like the beach. That was until one day. On my usual walk, I stumbled upon the most curious sight.
It was a beautiful piano, laying dangerously close to the tides. It was as golden as the sand, and was in pretty good condition. I investigated the strange piano, noticing a slight glow around it. Suddenly, pages appeared to rest on it. They were rather simple musical notes at first, but the more I stared at them, the more they seemingly changed.
I could at first see pictures of a child version of me, only difference. I was playing that very piano, smiling all the way through. My parents were even there, patiently teaching me. Before I realized it, I was playing the piano itself. My hands danced around the keys so professionally.
Before long, my entire childhood flashed before my eyes. It was similar to the vision. Instead of right staring longingly at the window, I was mastering my musical skills. There would even be the sound of children laughing as they entered my home. My parents were even there, telling me that I would be a great musician.
And that was what I believed. Eventually, I did go to college with a business degree in mind, but I had another passion with me. I continued to play the piano, preferring to stay in state so that I live in a place where I could afford to play it. In the present, I was playing my favorite piece, New Beginnings by Luke Faulkner. As I finished the piece, the memories stopped.
Once I stood up and left the piano behind, I had a strange sensation. It was almost a mixture of confusion and nostalgia, nothing I felt before. As I turned around, I gasped. The piano had disappeared as suddenly as it reappeared on the beach. Despite that, I became slowly calm about that.
I finally had a promising future ahead of me. I imagined myself as being the creative genius I was always meant to be. As I walked away from the beach, I had a sudden ring in my pocket. It was a message, from unexpectedly my dad. “Don’t forget your concert tonight,” he texted. “You will do great.”
