collab writing for cabin wars - part 1
251 words
edit: dang it now i'm top post and people are going to see this… thing

“Okay, I’m back- what- YOU GUYS?!?” I scream, perplexed. I couldn’t believe what they got up to when I left /for two minutes/ to buy groceries.
“Hi! Did you find what you needed?” One of them greeted me innocently with a smile.
“I- now I have to get both of you down- how do I-” I took a deep breath. “Yes. I did. But care to explain what in the world you’re doing? You’re floating upside down, in case you forgot.”
“Oh yeah, that! Well, I was just experimenting with your stuff a bit-”
“The stuff I pointed at as I warned you: ‘DO NOT TOUCH THIS’?” I said annoyed.
“…It might have been that.”
“I leave… I leave you alone for one second. To go buy some pizza. And you’re upside down.”
“You see, first she got flipped around. Then I panicked, and realized the only way I could help her down was going upside down myself!” He smiled.
“Are you stupid? Now it’s two people I need to… fix? Uh, I need to turn you guys around.”
“Aren’t you at least happy I tried? You know, teamwork?”
“No, I’m not.” I stopped talking to find a solution, trying to recall anything useful I might have heard or read somewhere in all my years of being a scientist. “I got it. But for this solution you’re going to temporarily turn into grilled cheese. Dang. I can’t believe that’s something I’ve actually said.”
“That’s fine! I’ve been a grilled cheese before!”

Collab writing for cabin wars - part 2
251 words
Italics are part one

“Okay, I’m back- what- YOU GUYS?!?” I scream, perplexed. I couldn’t believe what they got up to when I left /for two minutes/ to buy groceries.
“Hi! Did you find what you needed?” One of them greeted me innocently with a smile.
“I- now I have to get both of you down- how do I-” I took a deep breath. “Yes. I did. But care to explain what in the world you’re doing? You’re floating upside down, in case you forgot.”
“Oh yeah, that! Well, I was just experimenting with your stuff a bit-”
“The stuff I pointed at as I warned you: ‘DO NOT TOUCH THIS’?” I said annoyed.
“…It might have been that.”
“I leave… I leave you alone for one second. To go buy some pizza. And you’re upside down.”
“You see, first she got flipped around. Then I panicked, and realized the only way I could help her down was going upside down myself!” He smiled.
“Are you stupid? Now it’s two people I need to… fix? Uh, I need to turn you guys around.”
“Aren’t you at least happy I tried? You know, teamwork?”
“No, I’m not.” I stopped talking to find a solution, trying to recall anything useful I might have heard or read somewhere in all my years of being a scientist. “I got it. But for this solution you’re going to temporarily turn into grilled cheese. Dang. I can’t believe that’s something I’ve actually said.”
“That’s fine! I’ve been a grilled cheese before!”

“You’ve been grilled cheese before??” Oh my god, what had they gotten up to while I’d been gone? I gave a heavy sigh, trudging toward my experiment table. I fiddled with my flasks for a moment, pouring some potions into one another and trying not to flinch when I got combinations wrong and things exploded. I needed to maintain the guise of knowing what I was doing. I was so absorbed in my work that I almost didn’t hear a crash behind me. I paused, turning, and then promptly buried my head in my hands. My two upside-down friends had gotten into the pizza, fumbled with the box, and now the pizza was on the floor and my dog was devouring it while my friends each fought over the pizza table.
“I want it! I deserve it since I tried to get you down.”
“Yeah but I got it first!”
I sighed again “you guys can share it. He gets it for summer and winter and she gets it for spring and fall.”
They didn’t look happy about my compromise but neither of them said no. I went back to my table and mixed up an elixir. Once I put it in two bottles I walked back over to them. This was going to be a very very weird day.
“Okay. So I’m going to throw these bottles at you so you’re coated in the elixir. Then you should be grilled cheese sandwiches and I’ll flip you two over. You ready?”

Crumble | 1360 words

The park was empty except for me, the winter weather having driven all the sane people inside. Normally, I’d have joined them, but I wasn’t entirely sure I was classified as sane anymore. Legs dangling off the bench closest to the pond, I tossed bread crumbs into the water. The ducks swimming nearby ignored them, for the most part. The bag of bread at my feet was nearly empty, and even they seemed to be growing tired of the flavor. If they even cared about how it tasted. I myself had only been able to choke down a couple of slices, even though the sweet cinnamon-pear bread used to be my favorite treat–partly because of how good it was, but mostly because of who baked it. Maybe it was because I knew she wouldn’t be baking any more batches of it. Not now. Not ever.
I kicked the leg of the bench with the back of my ankle. The metal was cold and rust-rough against it, and there were probably a thousand spider webs under there. When I pulled my foot away, my sneaker was coated in a shower of dull green paint flakes.
I didn’t look up as he took a seat next to me. I didn’t have to see him to know that I was no longer alone.
He said nothing for a long moment, and I didn’t rush to fill the silence. I wasn’t so sure I wanted to talk, anyway.
“I brought a muffin,” he finally said, and I could hear a rustling sound that must belong to the little paper bag my favorite muffins always came in.
I didn’t reply, but I shifted slightly to let him know I’d heard.
He nodded towards the bag of bread. “I thought maybe you’d like something to eat other than that.”
Something warm and steamy was pressed into my hand, but it wasn’t the crinkly paper bag I’d been expecting. It was a styrofoam cup filled with–I dipped the tip of my finger in and brought it to my tongue–coffee. Just the way I liked it, with milk and sugar. Just the way I always used to make it, back when he was still just my annoying little brother. Back before we shattered.
I thawed just enough to accept the muffin too and take a bite. Crumbly streusel tumbled over my lips, carrying the faint taste of flour and butter.
“Is it all right?” he asked, and I could practically see his concerned gaze. I stiffened.
Fine. If he wanted to dance around his true meaning, I could too.
“It’s fine. Could maybe use some cinnamon.”
He sighed and shifted away. Now, I thought, he would be looking away guiltily, hands clenched in fists.
He didn’t stay like that for long, though, reaching over and taking my hand, using his other one to tilt my chin up, forcing me to look him in the face. “Is it? Is it really?” He hesitated for a long beat before adding, “Do you want to talk?”
I swiped him away. “It’s fine. And no. I don’t need to talk about anything. I don’t need your sympathy. I have my ducks…and bread.”
He didn’t reply, but I saw him subtly kick what remained of the loaf under the bench. I resented that. He didn’t have the right to care anymore.
“She wouldn’t want to see you like this, you know.”
I rested my chin on my palm, humming thoughtfully. “How would you know? I never thought you cared.”
The words were light enough, but the meaning was bitter, bitter, bitter, and he flinched at the sting. “Hey, I–look, I know–but–”
“It seems to me,” I continued, as though he hadn’t spoken, “that you never cared at all.”
The words hung in the frozen air, like little pellets of hail. Little pellets of hate, daring him to contradict them.
I could feel his shoulders slump. “I know I wasn’t always there for you two, but I didn’t think she’d gotten so bad. Honestly.”
I slid my gaze over to him. “Mm-hmm. Yeah. Because coming for a visit would have been so hard. We both know the real reason you never came.” I dropped my eyes again and focused on his feet, which were bouncing and swinging. Just like old times. He was always so full of energy, so twitchy and restless.
Not enough energy to come make sure things were all right, apparently.
I heard the clang of metal as his fist struck the armrest, then a hiss of pain. “I’m sorry, okay? I really didn’t know. I thought you two were just…trying to get me to come home.”
I laughed, and it felt like swallowing broken glass. “You mean you thought we were faking. Making up some tragic story so you’d come back.”
He didn’t confirm it, but he didn’t say anything in denial, either.
I stood abruptly, fishing the bread out from under the bench. “Whatever. What’s done is done. I’m cold. I’m going home.”
He stood too, hand reaching for my shoulder. Forcing me to wait. I didn’t pull away, but I kept my eyes fixed stubbornly on the grass.
“Alexis, if you knew how many times I’ve played it though my head, wishing I’d known, wishing I had found a way to get there sooner–” He broke off, biting his lip. I couldn’t see his face, but I knew he was, all the same. Sometimes I thought I knew him better than myself. Maybe I did.
I didn’t know who I was anymore.
“If you’d listened to us, maybe you would have. But she's dead, so there’s nothing you can do about it.” More broken glass, this time flying from my mouth. I imagined the words scraping against my lips, my tongue, leaving bloody trails of pain and heartbreak, and it felt so real I almost cried out. The word dead hammered in my head, driving a knife into my heart, into his heart.
Tears welled up in his eyes, and he flinched, but he didn’t let go. “Alexis, I’m–actually. Nope. I’m tired of beating around the bush. I’m sorry that I thought you and Mom were lying about how sick she was. I’m sorry for being a terrible younger brother. I’m sorry for being a jerk and running away. I’m sorry for leaving when you most needed me.” He took a shuddering breath. “Is that good enough for you? Or are you going to storm off again because I can’t be perfect?”
I had to swallow a few times before I could answer, and even then my voice was more like a fragile thread than shattered glass. I’d never stopped to consider that maybe this was hurting him just as much as it was hurting me. Maybe worse, because he hadn’t been there. He’d ignored us.
And now that was coming back to haunt him, maybe forever.
Was I really going to push him away forever? Condemn him to live a life full of what-ifs and it’s-all-my-fault?
Was I really going to keep punishing him, after he’d been punished far beyond what he deserved?
“I never…never wanted perfection. I just wanted you to be there, and she did too. She was asking for you up to the very moment she…”
A sob crawled up my throat, and I couldn’t say anything else. Styrofoam crunched in my fingers, and cold coffee dripped down my fingers. I’d forgotten that I was still holding the cup.
He didn’t say anything else. Just opened his arms.
I collapsed into them, dropping the cup and the bread. Liquid splashed over my sneakers, and his too, but neither of us moved. We just stayed there for a while, while the tears froze on my lashes and crusted on my cheeks.
I was warm for the first time since Mom died. Maybe even before that.
“I forgive you,” I whispered into his shirt. It was so quiet even I doubted I’d really said it, but his arms tightened around me, and I knew he’d heard.
I stretched one foot out and kicked the remainder of the bread into the pond.
Let the ducks have it.

eclipse - writing comp entry - forum version
this is based on the song “a total eclipse of the heart”, by bonnie tyler | see the project version here: https://scratch-mit-edu.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/projects/1050309031/ | many thanks to @lilyjen for her awesome critique! | 433 words <3

once upon a time there was light in my life

There were leaves drifting in the air, adding flecks of color to the already vibrant autumn forest. It was windy, a cool wind that rustled through the trees and caressed the two people walking lazily. They were dressed in the colors of fall, oranges and reds and browns, and blended in with the landscape.

They began to dance under the trees, slowly, quicker. The breeze seemed to follow the pair as they wandered, soaking in the beauty.

The sun was setting, sending maroon blossoms of light through the tree trunks, illuminating the couple. One rested on the other’s shoulders, reaching up to brush the low-hanging branches and plucking off a few brittle leaves. They fell, toppling into the crushed leaves on the ground. Their laughter drifted up, filling the whole forest with light.

now there's only love in the dark

It was a bitter day. The sky was dark, even though it was only early afternoon. Clouds sped through the sky as if eager to get away from the person covered in sorrow. The sidewalk was icy slick underneath her, but she had no hesitation. She was running away, away from the darkness where there used to be joy. They had parted the night before and she had been running ever since. Her heart was cold and the world was dark and she didn’t think she’d ever love again.

Tears were frozen on her face from the night before, but she couldn’t cry anymore. It was partly the chill that settled in her bones, but mostly the hollowness. Her heart was empty, there was a gaping hole. Maybe it was the shape of a hand, a punch straight through her. Maybe it was just broken in half. She didn’t know.

It had come out of nowhere. Two days ago she was filled with light and cheer and hope for a future with the two of them. Now it was only her.

nothing i can say

She wanted it back, all of it. The love, the delight, the blaze that had swept her off her feet. She was floating away and she didn’t want to come back down. Then she fell. She wanted it but she would never ask. She would never come back. She would break before she even said the name.

It was light then it was dark. It was love then it was loneliness. It was everything. Then it was nothing. It was a void in the sky. It was a void in her heart.

a total eclipse of the heart

IslandSWC
(a warning that this entire thing was written during cabin wars so it's not very coherent bahaha)

Begin your story by writing 100 words of whatever you like.
141 words

The raft bobbed on the waves, drifting out to sea. The gentle current tugged it along, water sparkling with the gleaming sunlight.
Wren leaned over the side, her dark hair tangled and damp from the salt spray. A telescope was clutched in her hand, and she peered into it, watching the little raft leave her home behind.
She let out a deep, relieved exhale. Her heart had finally stopped hammering against her ribcage, her breathing slowing and her head calming for the first time in days. She was glad to put that place behind her.
She glanced at Inia and Orion, asleep on the raft. Inia’s hand trailed in the waves, seawater slipping between her fingers. The water was so clear here, without the debris and spilled chemicals tinting the sea black, without the storm making the waves wild and hungry.

Sci-fi Writing Prompt—flashforward
223 words

Except—what was that?
Wren squinted into the water. It looked almost as if there was something down there… something shimmering and glowing and pink?
She shook her head, shook herself out of it. It was fine, it was nothing. Just some weirdly-coloured seaweed.
But she couldn’t shake the uneasiness, clawing at her stomach, creeping up her spine.

Drifting somewhere between sleep and waking, Inia flexed her fingers. The water wasn’t cold—only smooth and comforting, soft as a whisper.
Suddenly her stomach lurched, and her eyes flew open. In an instant, the waves had grown giant—almost as if they were back in the storm, but the sky hadn’t clouded over.
Inia grabbed the side of the raft with white-knuckled fingers as another wave crashed over them. And then they were being plunged downwards, water flooding over them in a rush, pulled by some unseen force—before it threw them back to the surface. Inia gasped for air, seawater stinging her throat, her nose, her eyes. She was blinking rapidly, vision blurred—but she thought she saw a flash of pink rising above the raft, blotting out the sun.
Dimly, she was aware of her hand, hanging off the side of the raft. She yanked it out of the water—
and the calm waters returned, sun glimmering on the water’s still surface.

Horror Prompt—play any board or video game (i played snake!)

Dystopian Prompt—pure motives
346 words

“Inia?” Orion lurched awake. “What happened? Are—are you okay?”
Next to him, Inia was gasping, trembling. She only shook her head, unable to form words.
Wren glanced over from where she crouched at the edge of the raft, telescope still in hand. “It’s okay, Inia. We’re out of the storm, we’re safe.”
Inia continued to shake her head. “It’s not… that,” she managed to croak out.
“What is it, then?” Orion asked. He leaned forward, concern in his eyes.
“Wait,” Wren whispered. Her telescope fell from her fingers, rolled across the raft before coming to a halt at Orion’s feet. Hesitantly, he picked it up. Raised it to his eyes.
Oh no.
There was something in the distance. Something approaching, fast.
Another ship.
Wren had seen it too. She turned to Orion, eyes wide, frozen in place.
He voiced what they were both thinking. “It’s coming from the City.”
The city they’d all been desperate to leave.
Orion narrowed his eyes. “Wren. Why did we go so far past the storm, if we were only meant to be fishing? For food to bring back to the City?”
“I—” she swallowed, unable to meet his eyes.
“When were you going to tell us? That you were steering us away from the fishing waters? That you were planning to run away?”
She lifted her head, and held his gaze. “You didn’t object to it.”
A pause.
“You knew,” Wren continued. “You can navigate as well as I can, you knew. Inia knew. Why would I need to voice an unspoken agreement? This is what we all want. We’re going to leave this place.”
“We have to,” Orion whispered. He gritted his teeth, reached for an oar. Began to row, away from the City’s ship, away from those who would drag them back to nothing but danger and death.
Wren snapped into action too. “C’mon, let’s go. Let’s get out of here.”
And invisible to the both of them, Inia peered over the edge of the raft, squinting at the glimmer of pink far below the water’s surface.

Folklore Prompt—dinosaur game

Solarpunk Prompt—environment
280 words

The waves splashed against the raft, sloshing over the sides and soaking Wren’s feet.
“The water’s getting rougher,” She calls to the others, voice tinged with fear. “And the boat’s approaching fast.”
“I’m rowing as fast as I can,” Orion pants, hair slick with water and sweat.
Wren squinted through her telescope, the City’s ship looming in the distance behind them—but rapidly gaining on them.
“WAIT!”
Orion’s scream made her drop the telescope once again, spinning around to where he was staring ahead of them.
“What’s that?” He asked, eyes fixated on a dark shape below the water, right in their path.
“Rocks!” Wren gasped. “Turn around!”
“Where?” Orion pulled the oar sharply to the left, but there were rocks there, too, hemming them in. “Where do we go?”
“To the right. It’s the only way we can go. We’re not going back the way we came.” Wren snatched Orion’s oar and pulled it to the right.
“Not to the right,” Inia whispered. “There’s—”
Wren ignored her, still trying to turn the raft around, but it had got caught on one of the rocks. Wren beat the rock with her oar, desperately trying to push the boat away, but it wouldn’t budge, until—
with a splinter of wood, the raft sprung free of the rocks, a hole ripped in its side. Water flooded in, and the raft tilted sidewaves, spinning back towards the rocks. Wren tried to steer away, but the oar had been splintered, too, split clean in half.
And the City’s boat continued to approach—they could see it without the telescope now, a huge dark shape on the horizon.
They were cornered, and they were sinking.

Non-fi Prompt—multimedia
259 words

“Citizens of the City.”
The loud, crackling voice made Orion jolt. He pulled the radio out of his pocket—he had forgotten it was there, he should have thrown it overboard. It was too late now—the people on the boat had seen them, contacted them, knew who they were.
He glanced at Wren, and she slowly shook her head. Orion didn’t say anything back.
Clutched in his white-knuckled grip, the radio began to spit another transmission.

Citizens of the City. What are doing so far from the fishing grounds?

We know who you are. Orion Hayward, Wren Eastman, Inia Alstrez. Halt your raft. Respond, citizens.

Provide us with a reason why you’ve strayed from your designated task, or we’ll have no choice but to arrest you.

Respond, or prepare to be boarded.

They did not respond.
The ship sailed closer and closer, knife-sharp as it cut through the water. The raft still refused to move, skewered on the rocks.
“What do we do?” Wren whimpered. “They’re going to take us back to the City, we’re never going to escape now.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Inia scoffed. “We’re going to die anyway.”
“Exactly.” Wren’s eyes were fixed on the boat. “We’re going to die in that City.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Inia said, gazing into the water.
Orion peered over her shoulder. “There’s… nothing there?”
“Exactly.” Inia replied, darkly.
An abrupt rushing and crashing came from the radio, rising to a crescendo, gurgling and then—a sudden silence.
Orion whirled around, and the boat was gone.

Script Prompt—listen to a song (i listened to gold rush by taylor swift)

Thriller Prompt—increase pace
207 words

It had completely disappeared, almost as if it had never been there at all.
Almost. There was a roiling whirlpool in its place, stirring the once-calm seas into giant waves. And amidst the turmoil—a flash of pink.
Inia gripped the side of the raft. It’s happening. It’s here.
And suddenly, the raft was thrown from its place on the rocks, flung into the air and brought crashing back down into the water. There was a scream, and then Wren was gone, snatched by the waves, lifted into the air—
wrapped in one huge, pink tentacle.
“The sea monster,” Orion croaked. “It’s real.”
Another wave crashed over their broken raft, tearing it into two—Inia lost her grip and plunged into the water, shattered pieces of the raft falling all around her. She thrashed amidst the waves, and her leg hit the jagged edge of a rock. The sea bloomed red around her and she tumbled further under, snatching at the surface, but the waves were flooding her lungs and she couldn’t see through the debris and she didn’t know which way was up and she was sinking, being pulled under—
Through half-closed lids she saw a flash of pink, a crushing force wrapping around her torso.

Poetry prompt—symbol
339 words

She clawed at it, but it was too strong, lifting her into the air, high above where Orion was clinging to a piece of wood that was now all that was left of their raft.
“What do you want with us?” Inia screamed through crushed lungs. The sea monster only squeezed her tighter, and she gasped for breath, head spinning.
The tentacle dived beneath the waves, and Inia went with it, once again plunged underwater. She forced open her eyes, and through the blur of seawater she saw it—the monster.
Its own eyes were clouded over with a white film, unseeing pupils darting back and forth as the tentacle holding Inia wavered in front of its colossal head. Mangled debris from the City—splintered wood and ripped mattresses and technology trailing wire entrails, televisions and fridges and what could’ve been the engine of a car—hung from its jaws, mouth stained black from the oil and chemicals it must've consumed. Its jagged teeth were stained, too, chunks of enamel flaking off underneath red-raw gums.
Inia’s eyes strayed from its face for a moment and she could see its ribs, sticking through its grotesque, discoloured pink flesh. It oozed more pink, sludge seeping from its skin, sticking to its blistered tentacles and eating away at the tissue.
It swung another tentacle past Inia, and she could see clumps of dead, rotting fish clutched in its grasp—they, too, were stained black.
The toxic oil spills, she realised. From when the floods washed all of the City’s chemicals and wastewater into the sea.
The monster leered at her.
“That’s not our fault!” she spat, her words gurgling, escaping to the surface as bubbles. “It’s not our fault the storm came and washed the oil into the water, it’s not our fault the seas are rising, it’s not our fault your fish are dead!”
The monster unhinged its jaws and began to laugh, a dreadful rumbling that rippled the water. It broke off into a choking cough, its whole body convulsing.

Fantasy prompt—magical realism
226 words

Inia struggled in the monster’s grasp as its tentacles spasmed and shuddered. She had run out of air, vision darkening—
she poured the last of her energy into her palms and grabbed onto the monsters heaving tentacle — a golden glow began to creep outward from between her fingers, shooting along the lines of the monster’s veins, dissipating its oil-contaminated ooze and smoothing its festered skin. Perhaps if Inia healed it, saved it, it would let her go?
And as water filled her lungs and she slipped into nothingness, the black splotching the monster's skin faded to a pale pink, the raw-pink slime coating its tentacles lightening and thinning, the tentacle loosening its hold on her.
She slipped farther and farther down beneath the waves, drifting towards the seafloor—
until a tentacle — healthy and smooth — picked her up, cradling her gently and bringing her to the surface.
It set her down on a large piece of wood, pushed the makeshift raft away from the rocks, towards the distant outline of land.
And then it scrabbled around in the wreckage, looking for what it had dropped earlier. It found her — the dark-haired human still clutching her telescope — and although she tried to struggle, it wound its tentacle around her until she could barely move.
The monster’s jaws crested the surface, and it raised its prey to its mouth.

Bi-fi prompt—sentence prompts
255 words

All of a sudden, a rabid moose took control of the raft.
“Why is there a moose on the raft? It’s too heavy, it’ll make it sink!” Inia screamed, but no one could hear her. The moose couldn’t understand, and Wren and Orion were gone. Perhaps the moose had thrown them off, she didn’t know.
Foam dripped from the moose's mouth, but it was the slick black of oil. It poured onto the raft, sloshing over Inia’s feet, staining her skin except her skin was pink and her arms were tentacles.
She staggered to the front of the raft, where the moose was steering, but instead of an oar it was holding a massive, glowing potato between its hooves. Inia stumbled into the potato and when she touched it, her black-stained skin began to heal. It couldn’t heal the moose, though. The blackness spread, striking to its fur, and it toppled off the side of the raft, disappearing into the brown-tinted water with a splash.
Inia didn’t care, though. All she cared about was that she was thirsty, so thirsty. She knelt at the side of the raft and tried to scoop the dark water into her mouth, but the bitter taste scorched her throat — it wasn’t water, it was coffee, she didn’t like coffee, so she spat it out back into the coffee sea.
She lay on the raft, and it was cold and hard against her back, except the raft wasn’t wooden — it was made of turnip, and Inia didn’t like turnip either—

Gothic prompt—draw yourself as a ghost

(I drew my Soundwaves character ehehe—also this was super rushed anfjksngk </33)



Mystery prompt—Play the NYT Connections

Connections
Puzzle #413
I got green first,
followed by yellow,
followed by a mistake (1x blue, 3x purple),
followed by blue,
followed by purple

Write 100 words to wrap up your story
253 words

Inia lurched awake.
She wasn’t on a turnip-raft, and the sea wasn’t made of coffee — she was lying on a block of wood, waves lapping at her feet. She raised her head, and found that she had been washed up on an unfamiliar beach.
It looked uninhabited — which made Inia almost relieved. She’d had her fair share of humans and creatures and monsters for the time being.
She got to her feet, stretched her aching muscles despite her throbbing leg, breathed deeply despite her bruised chest.
She was safe, and for now, that was all that mattered.

Far across the sea, a certain pink tentacled monster was feeling satisfied, after finally having a good meal.
The healing magic that had cured the monster had somehow spread through the water, healing the fish and sealife that had also been poisoned with oil. The monster had gorged itself on fresh, healthy fish, and then settled at the bottom of the seafloor for a nice, deep sleep.
As its eyes were drooping closed, it hiccuped, and coughed up something that must’ve been from its feast earlier. A dark-haired human, that was somehow still alive. It must have gotten caught in the monster's throat. It thrashed towards the surface, limbs flailing wildly.
The monster let it escape. It didn’t particularly like the taste of humans, anyway. Too bony.

And above them — moments before Wren’s head broke the surface — a boy sitting on a plank of wood, surrounded by wreckage and debris, finished piecing together a makeshift oar.

-

Submit Code: smalltoe's submit code: | order of cabins visited: 10, 6, 2, 4, 12, 8, 11, 13, 9, 3, 1, 5, 7 | prompts chosen: 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2 | we love the POLAR BEARS <3

Collab writing for cabin wars - part 3
317 words, total is 819 words :D
Italics are parts one and two <3

“Okay, I’m back- what- YOU GUYS?!?” I scream, perplexed. I couldn’t believe what they got up to when I left /for two minutes/ to buy groceries.
“Hi! Did you find what you needed?” One of them greeted me innocently with a smile.
“I- now I have to get both of you down- how do I-” I took a deep breath. “Yes. I did. But care to explain what in the world you’re doing? You’re floating upside down, in case you forgot.”
“Oh yeah, that! Well, I was just experimenting with your stuff a bit-”
“The stuff I pointed at as I warned you: ‘DO NOT TOUCH THIS’?” I said annoyed.
“…It might have been that.”
“I leave… I leave you alone for one second. To go buy some pizza. And you’re upside down.”
“You see, first she got flipped around. Then I panicked, and realized the only way I could help her down was going upside down myself!” He smiled.
“Are you stupid? Now it’s two people I need to… fix? Uh, I need to turn you guys around.”
“Aren’t you at least happy I tried? You know, teamwork?”
“No, I’m not.” I stopped talking to find a solution, trying to recall anything useful I might have heard or read somewhere in all my years of being a scientist. “I got it. But for this solution you’re going to temporarily turn into grilled cheese. Dang. I can’t believe that’s something I’ve actually said.”
“That’s fine! I’ve been a grilled cheese before!”

“You’ve been grilled cheese before??” Oh my god, what had they gotten up to while I’d been gone? I gave a heavy sigh, trudging toward my experiment table. I fiddled with my flasks for a moment, pouring some potions into one another and trying not to flinch when I got combinations wrong and things exploded. I needed to maintain the guise of knowing what I was doing. I was so absorbed in my work that I almost didn’t hear a crash behind me. I paused, turning, and then promptly buried my head in my hands. My two upside-down friends had gotten into the pizza, fumbled with the box, and now the pizza was on the floor and my dog was devouring it while my friends each fought over the pizza table.
“I want it! I deserve it since I tried to get you down.”
“Yeah but I got it first!”
I sighed again “you guys can share it. He gets it for summer and winter and she gets it for spring and fall.”
They didn’t look happy about my compromise but neither of them said no. I went back to my table and mixed up an elixir. Once I put it in two bottles I walked back over to them. This was going to be a very very weird day.
“Okay. So I’m going to throw these bottles at you so you’re coated in the elixir. Then you should be grilled cheese sandwiches and I’ll flip you two over. You ready?”


He scoffed, “Yeah, just get us down already, so I can have the table, summer’s wasting away by the minute!”

“…uh-huh.” I mumbled as I grabbed one of the bottles, and threw it at him, promptly turning him into a sandwich, then the other flask—somehow she hadn’t tried to eat him yet, thank god for that—to the other. “….Should probably flip them now…where’s that spatula…”

I glanced at the table. No spatula. Suspicious. Wasn’t it next to the pizza bo— No. I turned my head towards the dog, who was still eating the pizza. I swallowed and slowly asked the dog—maybe the fumes of my experiments were getting to me, why was I talking to a dog,
“Did you eat it? Did you eat the spatula too??” It just stared at me with that blank look in its eyes, panting. “Nooo. No, bad dog. Throw it up. Now.” It just stuck out its tongue, almost taunting me. “THROW THE DARNED SPATULA UP, THERE’S GRILLED CHEESE PEOPLE ON THE CEILING!” I grabbed the dog’s mouth and forcibly opened it, sticking my hand inside—seriously, what was wrong with me at the time—and searching for the spatula in there—but there was nothing in there. The dog somehow already swallowed the spatula. “Bad dog!” I slapped the dog across the face, pulling my hand out of its mouth (note: the dog deserves better, MC (I’m calling em that) is not great ). “Now they’re stuck!” I gestured up to the ceiling, then paused.

A whole….city, it seemed like, was now up there, all made of cheese. The two grilled cheese sandwiches were on a pair of thrones, cheese crowns on their…heads…? On their top bread? I wasn’t sure. “You know what….they seem like they’re having fun…maybe I’ll leave them up there.” I spoke to myself, grabbing a slice of pizza from the floor and watching the civilization grow.

( i dont know how to end this I’m tired I wrote 3000 words for cabin wars I’m sleeping in today and reading manga :sob: )

The assassin was immediately in front of me with a kn!fe to my throat that I could've sworn she didn't have before. My back slammed against the wall as she pressed the kn!fe's edge against my skin. I swallowed hard and felt the blade press even closer.
“You won't use your ‘Minder’ power?” I growled in response. The whole kingdom knew I was a Heat in a family of Minders. “Now, if you talk about that again, I will not hesitate to slice your pretty little throat open!”
Her teeth were clenched and her eyes were burning with hate. But I was the princess, I knew she wouldn't actually k!ll me, so I continued stalling.
“Do it,” I bit out. “I dare you. You already have a price on your head for being an assassin, now you can have one for k/lling the crown princess.”
The assassin blinked and I saw my opportunity and took it.
Grabbing her arm, I pulled my own kn/fe from the sheath on my thigh and spun her around so now her back was to the wall. I pressed the hard metal against the brown skin of her throat. Much to my satisfaction, she actually looked surprised at the position she found herself in.
“Try me,” I pressed the bl@de a little harder for emphasis. The assassin actually had the nerve to grin.
“If you wanted to pin me against the wall, your highness, all you had to do was ask.”
251

The assassin was immediately in front of me with a kn!fe to my throat that I could've sworn she didn't have before. My back slammed against the wall as she pressed the kn!fe's edge against my skin. I swallowed hard and felt the blade press even closer.
“You won't use your family power?” I growled in response. The whole kingdom knew I did not receive my family power and had received the power of some other family, not that we ever found out whose. “Now, if you talk about that again, I will not hesitate to slice your pretty little throat open!”
Her teeth were clenched and her eyes were burning with hate. But I was the princess, I knew she wouldn't actually k!ll me, so I continued stalling.
“Do it,” I bit out. “I dare you. You already have a price on your head for being an assassin, now you can have one for k/lling the crown princess.”
The assassin blinked and I saw my opportunity and took it.
Grabbing her arm, I pulled my own kn/fe from the sheath on my thigh and spun her around so now her back was to the wall. I pressed the hard metal against the brown skin of her throat. Much to my satisfaction, she actually looked surprised at the position she found herself in.
“Try me,” I pressed the bl@de a little harder for emphasis. The assassin actually had the nerve to grin.
“If you wanted to pin me against the wall, your highness, all you had to do was ask.”
260

The next morning I awoke on the ground where the assassin had left me after using some power. Some special people have the power to use any type of magic whenever they want, but there was no way she had that… Otherwise, other things could have happened. Plus you had to k/ll people for that- Wait she k/lls.
There was a knock on my door, and I hurriedly got myself into a better state than I was in. Opening the door, I saw it was my personal guard, Nathan.
“Your Highness, I am sorry for disturbing you so soon, but this was addressed to you and it was told to me to be delivered immediately.
I took the letter and dismissed him. It was a letter. Opening it, I sat down and started reading. It was not to me, but to our enemy kingdom. It talked about how they could change what star the person reached into and it had worked quite well with the princess.
I knew I wasn't supposed to be a Heat, but a Minder like the rest of my family!
Then they talked about all our kingdom's flaws and ways of entry into it.
I didn't even know we had these problems!
They talked about some other stuff, but by then, I knew I had to do something. I took the package again to see if there was anything else. There was a set of clothes that the commoners wore and another note.
This one was from the Assassin. Apparently, she had taken the note so the true recipient wouldn't receive it and want me to join her on some stupid quest.
I touched the clothes. They were a whole lot more comfortable. I locked the door and changed into them. I looked out the window of the tower I was in.
”Hey, Your Royal Highness, did you make up your mind?“
The assassin had used two d@ggars to climb up the tower!
Stars.
328

”Your Royal Highness, are you coming?“
”Yup…“
”You don't sound very confident.“
”Is there any other way to get down?“
”Yes, but do you want to do it? I brought I pair of d@ggars for you, you're going to need them.“
”I'd rather not.“
She sighed and made some symbol as she turned towards the ground. Then she smirked,
”Jump.“
”What?“ I asked, thinking I heard her wrong.
”Jump.“
”Stars no.“
”If you're going to curse, curse like a commoner, not a royal.“
”What?“
”Say Curses instead.“
”But that's-“
”An illegal word for the Royals to say because you don't want bad luck. I don't care. Just jump or I will pull you and push you down.“
I heard the sound of people slamming on my door, and I jumped.
I looked up and saw her pull her d@ggars out of the wall and jump behind me.
147

At the bottom there was a cat. A gray and white cat.
“Amaya, you brought the princess!”
The Assassin looked at me and smirked,
”That I did, Onyx.“
”What's her name?“
She shrugged.
”My name is Lily.“
The assassin laughed again.
”What's so funny?“
”I can call you Royal Lily!“
The cat had the nerve to grin,
”Amaya, if we're going to leave to the other lands, we need to hurry up,“ The cat glanced at me. ”And you, can come along since we need a royal for this.“
”Need a royal for what?!“ I exclaimed.
”Keep your voice down. First, we're going to sell that jewelry that you're still wearing, then we're going to buy other stuff such as food and water and move to the cursed mountains. There you're going to shut down magic.“
”What?!“
The cat frowned, ”Should've just kidn@pped her last night. Or knocked her unconscious right now.“
The assassin just looked at it and it rolled it eyes before some seeming to vanish into the folds of her cloak. She grabbed my hand and tied it with some small piece rope which burned my skin and I screamed.
193

The assassin made the same symbol when she knocked on a door and they let her in. When I tried to enter they told me to wait outside and that annoying cat gave me a grin that made me so angry that I wanted to kick it, but held myself back.
We sat there for a while and then when she returned she held her hand out. On it was the symbol of an six petaled flower.
”Jewels.“
I narrowed my eyes, but as pulled unsheathed the her sword and gave it to her.
She walked off and the moment she wasn't looking, I ran back towards the castle, the cat made no move, but the arm with the rope was burning so much that I couldn't move anymore and just stayed there. My vision blurred and I barely made out guard Nathan who the moment he saw me stared in shock, but made no move towards me. I barely called out his name when the burning sensation reduced. And the Assassin returned,
”Isn't it sad, young guard?“
”Guard Nathan! Help me!“
He removed his helmet and approached slowly,
”I'm sorry your highness.“
”Wha- What?“
”You have the thread of being owned.“
”What?!“
”Owners put it on the people they now own. Until you are free from her you can't leave her side or do anything she doesn't want since she can increase how much you feel the burning,“ he pulled up his sleeve to show the same thread.
The assassin nodded just slightly and pulled out a small d@ggar and sliced his thread.
He made the same flower symbol.
”Your highness, you have to free our kingdom from magic.“
He turned around and walked away.
”Now, Your Royal Highness, will you listen to me?“
295


I remembered what that flower was now, a Lily.
It gave people freedom from magic…
And my name was Lily…

The assassin watched as I pieced together everything.
I nodded, slowly.
”I will help you free the kingdom from magic,“ as I said this my thread pulsated slightly. ”And the moment you free me, I will bring it back,“ I murmured under my breath and no one heard me.

I followed her as we walked into the commoner market. It was filled with poor people, ugh. The assassin pulled out my jewel brandishing it in the sunlight and it shimmered, catching everyone's eyesight. They all tried to grab it from her, fighting, pushing and pulling to get through.
She seemed unbothered and pulled out an actual Lily. Those no longer grew in our kingdom for a reason. Everyone immediately quieted and stopped trying to grab it. She pushed me forward, my thread visible to everyone as she removed my hood.
Everyone gasped.
”That's right! You all said I couldn't capture the princess! Guess what! I did!“
She broke the stem of the Lily and a tiny drop of water dripped out of the stem and onto my head. I screamed as I felt all my power being sucked out and then she placed the Lily into my hands. I blacked out.

When I reawakened, I was tied to a large cat of some sort. I twisted around to look at who else was there. The only thing I could see was a large pack.
”Good Morning, Your Royal Highness.“
I looked at the ground, which was covered in Lillies.
269

Craning my neck, I found out that we were now in the mountains of some remote location.
”Wh-“ my voice cracked. ”Where are we?“
”I'm surprised Your Royal Highness doesn't know it,“ the Assassin said, and the cat we were riding on growled in agreement. ”We're on the mountains of yearly prayer.“
The mountains where I did the ritual to make sure magic was back, but that… was a almost a year ago…
Before I even asked why now, I knew. As the year goes on, the magic protection fades little by little, and in a few days my family will return to do the ritual, but if we break magic before that, then there is no magic…
”What are we riding on?“
”Onyx.“
Her cat?
We stopped a little bit later and she gave me some food.
”Thank you.“
She nodded, and as I ate, a rush of memories returned.
151
I pulled out a little kn!fe and cut at the thread. It frayed apart and then I threw the little kn!fe at the assassin as she packed up. At the last second she shifted slightly and she laughed.
”You need to do better than that, Your Royal Highness. I know you got out of my little thread trick, but I was going to free you here anyway.“
Before I could ask why, I caught a glimpse of my family. They were coming to do the ritual. Guard Nathan was there too.
The assassin polled out her double bl@des and held them both in front of my neck.
”Make one move towards the ritual, and she d!es.“
My parents looked at me with a disappointment that hit worse than the time when I ruined their royal meetings.
”Then go ahead. We don't need her for this. She's not a royal in the first place. Clearly, if our family magic had passed on, then she wouldn't have the power she has right now.“
I felt the bl@des move just the tiniest bit as I stood there in shock.

”See?“ the Assassin hissed in my ear. ”They don't believe you are part of their family because of some stupid magic! So many people were banished from the kingdom because of the type of magic they had. Just remove all magic!“
She slipped me a Lily.
235

I looked up into the night, where all the stars twinkled.
My family started the ritual, and the starts glowed, their magic sharpening and starting the magical resistance.
The Assassin let go of me and I watched as she merged into the shadows.
”She was always a shadow spirit, a part of nature…“ I mused.
At that moment, thousands upon thousands of Lillies sprouted out of the ground and the stars themselves started flying.
”This wonder has not happened for thousands of years,“ the cat spoke.
The mountain seemed to rise higher and higher as I clutched my Lily.
My parents screamed as their magic was ripped from them. Followed by them, came the screams of many from out kingdom and neighboring kingdoms.
I watched in wonder as the ground shifted as people from other kingdoms were brought back to their kingdom to watch the wonder of the falling stars.
When everything settled, the large cat was tiny again,
”Amaya gave me the power to speak, but now she has returned to nature and so will my speaking ability."
Then he meowed and ran away.
My parents were furious, but there was nothing anyone could do anymore. Magic was officially gone.
201

It wasn't long before all the other things that the royal family had done in the dark came to light.
Because of all that, not only were they punished, but I was not allowed to become queen. They ended up having some type of vote to decide the new ruler, and it turned out to be a girl who looked so similar to the assassin that I was surprised it wasn't her. She didn't go by Amaya though, she went by Kien. When I asked her about it, she said she was told that she was in a coma of sorts for a the last few months, not in the way I thought, but she was awake, just unable to control herself. I figured the assassin was controlling her.
I ended up moving to the mountains. There were Lillies and travelers who came and went. There were others who had chosen to live there too, so I was fine.
159

Total: 2248 words

CherryMango17's submit code: | order of cabins visited: 8, 11, 13, 10, 6, 2, 4, 9, 3, 1, 5, 7, 12 | prompts chosen: 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 1 | we love the POLAR BEARS <3

(will soon be my) writing comp entry <3
City of Dreams
1,788 words
Author’s note {this is NOT included in the word count, fyi}: This story originally began as part of my weekly, and I decided to finish it, not even planning on entering it. Now that I’ve finished, I’m so glad that I did. It’s been incredibly fun to write, and I hope that you’ll (maybe?) enjoy it (even just a little bit) too

Oasis. Some call it a city of dreams. Others say it's a curse, a remnant of Pre-Flood that will be destroyed one day. I call it home.

It's been two hundred years since Flood. Pre-Flood humans warmed Earth to its literal melting point. The glaciers melted, and the sea level rose, and rose, and rose. By the time the Pre-Flood humans actually acted, it was too late. Some places were safe, but many couldn't get to them. Those years were called the Years of Tragedy.

Now, the sea has fallen. We still have a place to live, at least, so we're grateful. It's almost like before Flood, some people say.

Almost.

——–

I sat at my desk. Ms. Blunden was telling us about the construction of the wall. It surrounds Oasis, protecting us from the sea. Usually, we don't need it—only when we have a big storm. Then, the sirens blare. People panic even though we aren't supposed to, as everyone rushes to their basements. There, we wait, talking in hushed whispers as we wait for the sirens to stop. There hasn't been a storm like that in years, though.

I tried to turn my attention back to Ms. Blunden, but Ashla, my best friend, elbowed me. I ignored her. She waited a moment, then-

“Pada!”

I still didn't look at her.

“Pada Louise Avrum!”

“/What/?”

“Wanna come over after school? My mom found some SUPER old DVDs—like, almost 250 years old—and a DVD player she hooked up to our HoloVision. One is about a magic school or something, and the other, I think, is about these people fighting this super cool masked robot dude.”

“Sure! But can you /please/ focus on the lesson? I need to take notes.”

“Your notes are filled with doodles anyway,” Ashla said, rolling her eyes, but she obliged and began to scribble in her notebook.

———-

It began to rain during the last few hours of school, so I didn't end up going over to Ashla's house—nobody is allowed to go outside when it's raining. It's just one of the laws that we have now to keep us safe. The rain could've turned into a storm.

Later that night, I lay in bed, listening to the rain thrumming against my window. If it didn't stop by tomorrow morning, then we wouldn't have school.

I still wonder what it was like back then, before Flood. How many people knew that they had to change but just wouldn't? Flood could have been avoided. People could have survived. But it happened—all of it—because they were just too stubborn to see it. We're still human. Maybe we're not the same people, but in a way we're still the same.

So what if we make that same mistake one day?

☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆

The next morning, it still hadn't stopped raining. No school today, I suppose. As I crept down the stairs, I heard my mother whispering nervously to my father—I didn't know they were up yet.

I heard footsteps as Mom and Dad walked into the kitchen. My cat, Holly, padded over to me, meowing until I scratched her ears. She's a calico. I found her when I was 9, when she was just a kitten. Someone had abandoned her, even though that's against the law, and I've had her ever since—4 years now. She followed me as I went downstairs.

Mom was already in her studio, and Dad was eating in the living room as he watched the news. I grabbed Holly's food from the cabinet, pouring her some—if I didn't then I'd be meowed at all during breakfast. Once she was content with her breakfast, I poured myself some cereal—strawberry milkshake flavored (yum)—and went into the living room to see what was interesting my dad so much.

“We've been tracking a severe storm that's about 20 miles away from Oasis. It's moving slowly, so it could dissipate by the time it would reach us, but make sure to be prepared. Stock water and food in your basements, and make sure you have a phone or radio with you. Remember…”

I stopped listening after that. /A severe storm?/ We hadn't had one of those since… I think I was 8 or 9. Hadn't they gotten better? I put my bowl on the table and walked over to the window. I could see dark clouds in the distance, and there was the rumble of thunder. My spoon shook, rattling against the sides of my bowl. The clouds looked… different, though. There was a red glow around them, and every few seconds I saw something that looked like red electricity sparking around them.

/What was going on?/

☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆

“Dad.”

He didn't look up from the news.

“Dad! Come over here!”

His head snapped up from the HoloVision, and he came over to the window. “Oh, yeah—that storm looks pretty bad. We'd better get some stuff downstairs,” he said, but he didn't sound like anything was unusual.

“Do you see that, though? The, like, red electricity or something? Like sparks around it?”

He looked at me strangely. “There's no red, Pada. It's just a storm. Are you feeling okay?

I shook my head, telling him that I was fine. I know what I saw, though. /Something/ was up. I stayed at the window for a few more minutes. As I started at it more, I noticed one line that stayed, pointing to the top of a hill, just beyond the river bordering Oasis. It seemed to be calling me, like I needed to go there. Something was going on, and I seemed to be the only one to know about it.

I walked upstairs and grabbed my backpack.

☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆

I had snuck down to the basement to go through that door—I almost got caught, but I had managed to dash down the basement stairs before Mom saw me.

My hand rested on the door handle, the metal cold against my skin. /Did I really want to do this?/ I thought.

/Yes./

I had to do this. It wasn't about me—this was about everyone. Something was going on, and it wasn't natural. I had to do something.

I wouldn't sit by and let Oasis—my home—be destroyed again.

I turned the handle and stepped into the rain.

———-

I had to keep to the dark alleys to avoid being seen. I had shoved a change of clothes, my phone, and some snacks in my backpack. Enough to suffice for a few days. Just as I was about to pass Carl's Street to exit the city, I heard a voice.

”Hello.“

I nearly screamed, but clamped a hand over my mouth at the last second. I glanced around wildly, trying to locate the noise, but there was nobody around.

”Down here! I suppose you can see it too? The red?“

The voice sounded female, a bit high pitched and airy. But when I looked down, there was just a black cat with a single white patch around its eye.

”I'm Sora. I'm a shapeshifter, but this is the form I usually take. But like I said, I suppose you can see the red too?“

”Y-yeah, I can. What is it? And how did you find me?“

”I'm not sure what it is, but I can sense dark magic around it. I was heading that way to check it out. I found you because of your scent.“

”My- what?“

”You smell like magic. You're the only person here I've met that does.“

”Oh.“

”Can I come with you? To the hill? I suppose if we're both going there, it might be helpful to have company.“

”Um… I guess so. Sure. I'm Pada, by the way.“

”Nice to meet you, Pada. We'd best get going.“

☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆ ☽ ☆

We passed through the river easily enough—or Sora did, at least. She transformed into a fish. I was stuck as a human.

By then, we were very close to the hill. The air felt thick, and something was just off about this place. The trees that filled the area drooped and were turning brown, like the magic was taking their life force as power.

”Pada, wait here. I'll sneak around to the back of the hill and see what's there.“

I nodded, and she trotted off. A few minutes later, she came back, gesturing for me to follow her. I did, trying my best to be quiet.

We came around to the back. There was a metal door, but no handle or lock. Sora nodded towards the door. When I went up and touched it, there was a slight blue sparkle, and then it slid open.

——-

It was like a science lab inside, everything in blinding white and gray. I felt drawn to a red stone in the middle of the room—it felt unnatural and intriguing at the same time. The dark magic flowed out of the top. I walked over, almost like I was in a trance. I was barely aware of Sora shouting ”Don't!“ as my fingers brushed the stone.

I don't know what happened after that. I just remember waking up, lying on the floor. It was dark purple and black, but it rippled like water. As I stood up, a room with three doors formed around me.

”Welcome, child, to the Dream Realm. Only one door will allow you to exit. Choose wisely,“ a voice whispered—almost like they were standing right next to me. I looked around, but I was alone.

”How do I know which one to pick?“

”I cannot help you, child. I too have been imprisoned here. I too wish to prevent the storm, to erase the dark magic. But only you can do that.“

”Why?“

My question went unanswered by the voice. I was alone.

——–

I started at the doors, hoping to find something to set one apart. They were all the same—wooden, with a silver handle. No matter how hard I looked, I couldn't figure out which to choose.

”Use your magic, child.“

This time, the voice was in my head.

”I don't know how!“

”Open your mind. Let it flow through you.“

I closed my eyes and concentrated.

”Pull the energy to your fingertips. Let it guide you.“

I didn't have to open my eyes to know that it was there, pulling me forward.

”You are more than you seem, Pada Avrum.“

I stepped to the left door and pulled the handle.

——–

The room swirled. I saw flashes of my own memories and saw some unfamiliar ones, too. I felt like I was in a miniature tornado, flying around, not being able to get out of it.

Then, I was back in the room, exactly where I had been before. Sora gaped at me.

”It's gone. You did it, Pada."

when green flag clicked
say [EVERYONE GIVE IT UP FOR AMERICA’S FAVORITE FIGHTING FRENCHMAN, LAFAYETTE]

fourth weekly !!!
omg this session has been a blast <33 i'm so sad it's almost over but i hope november will be as awesome !! anyway thank you to everyone involved in making swc happen and especially luka, blau, and yume for being amazing co/leaders with me! and especially zai and alia and the whole daily team for making the masterpiece that is islandswc <3 | 3485 words

submit code + certificate

wolfiebear-'s submit code: | order of cabins visited: 10, 8, 11, 13, 4, 12, 9, 3, 1, 5, 7, 6, 2 | prompts chosen: 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 1 | we love the POLAR BEARS <3

start

Lena pulled her earbuds out of her ear and collapsed backward onto her bed. She was so tired of everyone and everything, and she was so glad school was over so she didn’t have to talk to anyone again.
There was a knock at her door and Lena sat up, hoping whoever was there didn’t have much to say.
“Come in,” Lena groaned and flopped backward. The door opened and her little brother London darted inside the small room and jumped on the bed next to Lena, jostling her out of her slump. “Hey there, you need something?”
London grinned, “Play Minecraft with me!” When Lena rolled her eyes, he pouted. “Pleeeeeeeeease?”

flashforward

Lena relented and followed London downstairs. She pulled a blanket around herself on the couch and waited as her brother turned on the TV. As she was waiting, she let her mind wander. Suddenly, she was 25 and bustling around a big city – New York maybe? She pulled out her phone and looked at the time. Older Lena muttered under her breath and started walking faster. She was clearly late for something. The sensation was weird, as if Lena was watching this unfold from above. Older Lena ran across a street against the light, and got yelled at by a taxi driver for her efforts. She slid through a set of revolving doors and arrived in a fancy looking hotel, flushed and out of breath.
“Late again, Lena? You need to work on that or we’ll have to let you go. We need our employees to arrive on time.” An older man glared at Older Lena from behind a tall desk.
Older Lena hung her head. “Sorry, Mr. Palm, it won’t happen again.” The man shook his head, not believing her.
Lena blinked a few times and was back in the present. She wasn’t sure what to make of it, but she figured it was just a very vivid daydream. London was in her face, waving his little hands at her. “Lena! It’s ready!” She smiled and grabbed a controller.

drawing

dialogue scene

“Okay, so, we’ll need to start by finding beds,” London explained. The sounds of 8-bit sheep dying echoed from the speaker. This game was so weird.
“Gotcha, what do I need?” Lena asked as she moved her character around the mountain they had spawned in.
“Three wool and three wood. Here, follow me and we can grab the wood. Punch this tree here,” London’s character started hitting the tree and some wood popped out. He picked it up. Lena followed suit.
“Now where do we find sheep? I know you got some over there but I don’t see any more…” Lena trailed off.
“We’re in a mountain so there won’t be many, but if we get down to that field there should be plenty. Be careful as you go down so you don’t fall and die.”
Lena was impressed by how much London knew about this game. “Ack!” She yelped as her character fell off the cliff and made an “oof” sound as it hit the ground.
London glared at her, “What did I tell you? You’ll spawn back over there, meet me here real quick and I’ll show you how to do it properly.”
Lena sighed and watched as he lithely made his way to the field below. She somehow managed to make it, but lost a few hearts. “Oh no!” She exclaimed. “My wood, it’s gone!”
“Bro, Lena, do you really know nothing about this game? You lose your stuff when you die, but I just picked it up for you. It kinda…floats around until someone comes around and grabs it.”
“Oh. Can I have it back?”
“Sure come here and I’ll drop it for you.”
She moved towards London’s character and after some struggle picked up the wood he left for her. “Hooray, thanks! Now…sheep.” Lena looked around, and saw a cluster of white objects in the distance. “I see some!”
“Let’s grab them, and hurry! It’s getting dark.” He was right, the sky was becoming darker and streaks of pink were blossoming on the horizon.
They got enough wool to make beds and dug a little pit in the ground to sleep in, surrounded by the groaning of zombies and clatter of skeletons. This game was so weird to Lena.
“Yo, I’m hungry. Let’s pick this up later. Or you can keep playing on your own.” Lena logged her character out once day arrived and drifted towards the kitchen.

pace increase

There was someone in Lena’s kitchen, and they were most definitely not part of her family. She stopped dead in her tracks, trying to figure this person out.
They had a jellyfish haircut, and the top of their hair was dyed a deep blue with streaks of orange while the bottom was braided into two braids and was pink and purple. It looked like a sunset and Lena was really impressed. They had large star earrings and were wearing a denim jacket with a spray painted decal Lena didn’t recognize. They were wearing baggy white pants, and their back was to Lena so she couldn’t see anything else.
They swiveled around to face Lena. They had freckles covering their face and indigo eyeshadow. They were wearing a bright yellow tank top under the denim jacket. They were holding a mug of tea – one of Lena’s mugs. She wasn’t sure whether to be impressed or annoyed. “Hey there! I’m August,” they announced brightly.
“Um, hi August.” Lena was more confused than anything now. “What are you- How did you- Why- You know what, I have many questions, but why don’t you explain yourself first?”
“What is there to explain?” August’s nonchalant tone was beginning to grate on Lena, especially because they had to know they were being weird.
“Uh, everything?”
“Oh, like how I got in and stuff? Well I got in by doing this,” they stepped forward and Lena’s eyes widened. They were standing in the counter. Inside of it. This wasn’t possible. Lena’s brain started going into overdrive trying to explain it.
“Oh, calm down, I’m not here to tell you you’re the ‘chosen one’ – oh, wait, actually I am – but don’t worry, you don’t have magical powers,” they paused as Lena stuttered. “I don’t either, you know, this is just an illusion.” August stepped backwards until they were standing in a more physically possible place.
Lena’s mouth had been open for the last few minutes and she finally had enough control over herself to shut it. “How do you do it?” She gasped out once she was able to speak again.
“A magician never reveals their secrets!” August winked infuriatingly, and Lena’s heart sped up a bit.
“So how did you actually get in then?”
“See above…”
Lena groaned in frustration. Were they going to explain anything?
“You might be wondering why I’m here…” August suggested.
“Darn right I am!”
“I need some help of the scientific kind, and you seem to be the person to ask. I’ve researched you.”
Oh no. No no no. This was not happening. Not right now. Not ever. Lena began to breathe faster and more shallowly. The flashbacks began to appear behind her closed eyes. An explosion. A body falling. Wires. Fire. She bent over, bracing herself on the counter. She began to count in her head, focusing on the numbers instead of the memories. 10, 9, 8. There was a presence in front of her, but she ignored them. 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. She slowly opened her eyes and saw August holding her shoulders with a concerned and knowing expression. She didn’t want their pity. She wanted them gone, this unwelcome disturbance in her finally peaceful life.

dino game

environment

Lena’s heart was still pounding. She had to get out of there. She brushed past August and through the back door, letting it slam closed behind her. There was a small tree in her backyard and she pulled herself onto the lowest branch, the perfect size for sitting on. She always went here when everything was too much – the concrete feeling of bark beneath her legs grounded her, and the wind tousling her hair calmed her, and being in the air felt freeing. She ran her hands along the branch in a meticulous pattern until they were red from the coarse wood. She could finally breathe easily and the tears threatening her eyes had subsided.
“Hey, you okay?” August had come outside sometime in the last, well she actually didn’t know how long she’d been sitting there.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she lied, turning away from August and pulling a leaf from the tree. She fidgeted with it, feeling how smooth it was, hoping August would go away and never come back. Who did they think they were, barging in on her perfectly fine life. London! In all of the commotion she had forgotten about London, her one charge and the only thing she hadn’t messed up yet. She could kick herself for her ignorance, but she didn’t want to look silly. She hopped down from the tree and ran inside, ignoring August’s confused look. They didn’t merit her attention right now.
What if something had happened to London while she was wallowing in her own self pity? She rushed up the stairs and into his room. There he was, with his headphones in, watching YouTube on his iPad. Nothing wrong. She let out the breath she’d been holding. He had missed everything that had gone down and she was grateful. He didn’t even notice her in his doorway, too enraptured by MrBeast climbing a volcano or whatever brainrot he watched. She wordlessly turned back around and went down the stairs, still angry at herself and August and the world.

playlist

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7q8B95Yl1t8ur5hEnZH1dy?si=02aa394c6fda4c81

magical realism

To Lena’s great annoyance, August was still there when she came back down the stairs. She told them as much.
“Lena, look, I don’t know what I said wrong, but I’m sorry that I think we got off on the wrong foot. Can we start over?”
Lena was still * but she decided to give them a second chance. She was a tiny bit curious as to what they had to say. “Okay, fine.”
August took a sip of tea from the mug – the nerve of this person – and sat on the counter. “We need your help to find a cure for a disease that’s been plaguing our people for years. We’re pretty desperate or we wouldn’t come to a kid for help.”
“You can’t be that much older than me,” Lena said indignantly.
“Unfortunately, I’m not. But I chose to be here and I’ve seen enough for several lifetimes.”
“Wait- What do you mean ‘we?’” Lena interjected.
“I’m part of an ancient group of Collectors who live on the fringes of society. Our leaders embarked on a project to find someone who could come up with a cure for this disease. We’ve been trying for so long and our numbers are dwindling. You could be our last hope. I heard about your accident, and I understand if you don’t want anything to do with science anymore. But I hope you’ll at least try, knowing how important this is to us. Even though you don’t know me or my people, what happens to us affects the whole world. Please consider it. Take this, and say my name into it if you decide to help us. It will disappear and come back to me in five days if you haven’t used it,” August held out a pendant connected to a long chain. It was blue, with swirls of white set inside. It was beautiful, and Lena clasped it gently in her hands. She slowly slid it over her head and set the pendant to rest above her heart. It was warm, pulsing as if it was breathing.
Lena was at a loss for words after this influx of information, so she nodded and looked up at August, making sure they weren’t pranking her or something cruel. Their previously bright face was serious now, and they had a grim determined look in their eyes. She decided right then that she would help them, but she had to figure some things out first. “Okay,” Lena breathed out.
“Okay,” August repeated. They smiled again, “Oh, and sorry for taking your mug. I really needed some tea.” They turned, and before Lena could say anything more had silently exited the kitchen. Lena ran to the window, swiveling her head to see the whole back yard, but no one was there. She smiled to herself. August was growing on her.

nutritional snack

:zany:

setting change

The next morning, Lena woke up from a surprisingly dreamless sleep. She was usually subject to any number of replays of the accident during the night, but maybe this new development was giving her brain something to think about other than that. Maybe this would be good for her. She wanted to help August and their people, but she first needed to sort things out at home. Her father was already at work, figures, and since it was summer London would be home all day. Someone needed to stick around and keep him out of trouble. She couldn’t just leave him. Her go-to babysitter, her best friend – wait, is that ex-best friend now? – was out of the picture so it was just her. She couldn’t bring him along wherever she was going, which she suddenly realized she didn’t know.
Lena collapsed backward into her sheets, pulling a pillow over her face. This was too much. She shouldn’t have to worry about this kind of stuff yet. She groaned into the soft fabric as she went through hypothetical scenarios in her head.
Someone knocked on her door and she threw a “Come in London!” out before sitting up so he wouldn’t wonder what was happening.
“Lena, are you going away?” He asked quietly from her doorframe.
She was bewildered, how could he know? “Of course not Lon, why would you think that?”
“You were talking to the person downstairs! I heard it!”
“I thought you were watching videos?”
“My iPad died! I was gonna get some Goldfish but you and that stranger were in the kitchen.” He looked a mixture of ashamed and betrayed. “I shouldn’t have eavesdropped…but were you ever going to tell me?”
Lena patted the bed next to her, “Sit down Lon, and don’t worry about it. I’m not sure if I’m leaving at all! We can just pretend it didn’t happen.”
London sat next to Lena and leaned into her. “Well, it sounded important! If it’s important you should do it, right?”
“I mean, yes, but…” She trailed off.
“What’s wrong?”
“I can’t leave you here alone, and you can’t come with me!”
“Why can’t I come with you?” London was indignant.
“I can’t just take a ten-year-old to who-knows-where to find a cure for an incurable disease! That’s bad parenting.”
“You’re not my parent,” London reminded her gently. Sometimes, though, it felt that way.
“Ugh, fine. I’ll consider it.”
“Consider it fast, you only have four days to decide!” London smirked as he left the room.
“Dude, how much did you listen?” Lena pretended to be annoyed, but really she was filled with joy because of her brother. He was a ray of sunshine in this dull life. She loved him more than anything.

connections

hallucinatory vision

Lena sighed and pulled out her phone and started doomscrolling, letting her mind wander. After learning about how the Earth was going to be nuked by seven different countries within the next week she closed her eyes. Lena was in an eerily sterile lab: white walls, white equipment, white uniforms, white cot, white sheets. There was a doctor standing at a monitor checking the readings of some tests. Lena realized someone was in the cot, still as the dead. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to see what they looked like, but curiosity won over. She drifted towards the bed, ignored by the doctor. She wondered if they could even see her. She bent over to see who was laying in the bed and the breath was torn from her throat. She felt like she had been punched.
It was her brother, face half covered in an oxygen mask, eyes closed. He looked peaceful, but his stillness was terrifying to Lena. His chest was barely moving, and there was barely a reaction on the heart monitor. Tears leaked down her cheeks as she watched the life seep out of London, her perfect, innocent brother. She couldn’t tear her gaze away and stood there for what felt like hours. Somewhere deep in her mind she knew he was safe in his room next to hers, but she wondered if this is what would happen if he came with her and August.
The doctor came back over to check on London and squeezed his hand, murmuring something Lena didn’t catch. It was deadly silent in the room, not even broken by the humming of machines or the beeps of the heart monitor. Lena’s heart pounded as she stood there, frozen in time, watching.
Something jostled her shoulder, breaking her out of her daydream. It was London, asking if she wanted to play Minecraft again. She could hug him with relief that he was okay and unharmed, but she knew he’d think she was weird. How could she take him along with her if this was his fate? How could she leave him? She was being torn apart inside.

motive crisis

After the siblings logged off of Minecraft, Lena went to get them a snack. She poured a large bowl of potato chips and ate one as she walked over to London. He grabbed a handful of chips, and looked expectantly at Lena as he ate them.
“Yes?” Lena asked curiously.
“Well, are you going to do it?” London looked too eager. He just wanted an adventure, Lena decided.
“No. I can’t leave you behind, and it would be too dangerous to bring you along. You could get hurt! Or get the mysterious disease! Plus, I don’t even know these people! August might not be telling the truth!” Her voice rose as she began to yell.
London looked taken aback by Lena’s conviction, then his face morphed into a strange seriousness. “Lena, I know you are worried about me but I’m ten – I know it’s not that old, but I can take care of myself whether I go or not. Are you sure you aren’t using me as an excuse because you’re afraid you’ll repeat what happened last time?”
Lena sputtered, about to accuse him of not knowing what he was talking about, but as London’s words sank in she realized he might be right. What if she was afraid of the past enough to ignore someone’s cry for help? She hated herself for even considering ignoring August and their plight. She could feel tears gathering behind her eyes but blinked them away. She couldn’t cry in front of London, least of all because his words cut to the bone. He was right. She was being a coward.
“London…” Lena sniffled quietly, “You’re right…I was too caught up in the past.”
London grinned, “Yeah, I know. Don’t worry about it. You’ll bring me along, right?”
In that moment, Lena was reminded of just how young London was – they both were – and he had no idea the effect his words had. She smiled slightly, happy that her brother still had some of his innocence. Maybe that would be a good thing on her upcoming adventure. Her dream was still in the back of her mind, but she reminded herself it was just that: a dream. She had hope, and even more importantly, a purpose.
closing
A few days later, their preparations were complete. Their father was on a work trip and wouldn’t be back for a few weeks so they didn’t bother telling him. They were all packed, and most importantly they had each other.
“Okay, the last thing we need to do is call August.” Lena was excited at the prospect, and not only because of the impending adventure.
“Do you have their number?” London asked eagerly.
“Nope, they gave me this!” Lena showed London the pendant.
“Ooooh cool,” London said, gently touching it. “Oh my gosh, it’s warm!”
“Yeah,” Lena took back the necklace. “Are you ready?”
London’s eyes glinted. “Yes.”
Lena lifted the pendant to her mouth and whispered hesitantly, “August.”
“Oh my gosh Lena!” A voice came from the pendant, loud and clear. “You accepted! This is awesome! Yay! We’ll come get you in just a few minutes.” August squealed in excitement. Lena grinned and London shot her a knowing glance.
She glared at him, but she wasn’t upset. She felt amazing.

Skog and Blahaj thought this would be a great idea, but like many of their amazing plots and schemes that spawned from their heads, they could not be more wrong. But can you really blame them? Who knew a “STAYING IN IKEA FOR 24 HOURS PRANK (NOT CLICKBAIT) (GONE WRONG)” would go wrong! Especially when a bunch of other youtubers have done it and only about half of them got arrested or went mysteriously missing. The rest? Well they were never caught, and Skog and Blahaj intended to be just like them.

Sneaking in right as the store opened was easy as pie. All you have to do is walk in, who's gonna stop you? The police? They weren’t breaking any laws!

Yet.

Anyway, they walked in and decided to scope the area for the best hiding spots so they knew where and how to get there when the store started closing. Skog was actually moving in with Blahaj, soon as they’ve been best friends for awhile and rents getting expensive, so on the way, they also checked out furniture that they could add to the house. Both tasks were highly successful, and despite Ikea being a furniture store, it was really fun! They ate swiss meatballs, got ideas for house layouts, raced through the isles, got scolded by employees for racing through the isles, apologized for racing through the isles and did it all over again. Blahaj even found a big red button in the ‘employees only’ room, which she mistook for a bathroom with a big red button that said, “DO NOT TOUCH!” With a bunch of fineprint. That won’t be at all significant later.

Finally it was ten minutes till eight and with a shared super cool nod, the two animals made their way to the back. There behind the bed frames and bedside tables was a family bathroom that clearly hasn’t seen a family in years. No one came there the entire day and it looked all but abandoned, so it was clear no janitors would come in and catch them like they might in other hiding spots they found.

Skog cracked the door open, doing his best to not disturb the dust and the “OUT OF ORDER” sign on the door. The two entered, excitement buzzing and bouncing between them. Phase one had just begun.

Since it was a family bathroom, the room was bigger than they expected, enough that they could comfortably sit on the toilet and sink without being squished. For the next ten minutes they talked about there plan, smiling like little gremlins about how much fun they were going to have.

Then they heard it. “IKEA HAS CLOSED! HAVE A GOOD NIGHT AND SHOP WITH US AGAIN!” But that wasn’t what caught there attention. All the lights turned bright red, flashing again and again as sirens blared. Then, before the two could even think to panic, thick metal bars slammed down in front of the door. Skog and Blahaj were trapped.

The once friendly intercom voice, turned cold and robotic, “INTRUDERS REMAIN IN THE IKEA! ACTIVATE CODE RED!”

“Oh no.”

In the heart of the IKEA showroom, beneath the towering shelves of neatly organized furniture, two mischievous creatures plotted their grand escape. Skog and Blahaj had grown weary of their confined life. No one was buying them from the IKEA. They had waited as the customers passed, day after day, always on their way to some other part of the store. It was time to take matters into their own hands. Er, paws and fins, that is.
Tonight, they would embark on an adventure unlike any other.
As the store lights dimmed and the last customer left, Skog nudged Blahaj awake. “Tonight’s the night, Blahaj! We’re finally getting out of here!”
Blahaj stretched and yawned, showing off his rows of soft, fabric teeth. “Are you sure this is a good idea, Skog? What if we get caught?”
Skog’s beady eyes gleamed with excitement. “That’s the thrill of it! Even if we do get caught, at least it would mean someone finally notices us! Come on, let’s go before we miss our chance.”
The duo slipped out of their designated display area and darted through the maze of furniture. Skog led the way, nimbly navigating the tight spaces between sofas and dining sets. Blahaj followed, his bulkier shark form knocking into the occasional chair leg but still managing to keep up.
Their first stop was the kitchen section. Skog couldn’t resist hopping onto a counter and pretending to cook. Blahaj, on the other hand, found himself stuck inside a large frying pan, much to Skog’s amusement.
“Come on, Blahaj, focus! We have to keep moving!” Skog laughed, helping his friend out of the pan. “There's got to be a way out of this store somewhere…”
Next, they ventured into the bedroom displays. Skog bounced from bed to bed, reveling in the softness of the various mattresses. Blahaj, ever the practical one, investigated the storage solutions, finding a drawer just his size.
“This is amazing, Skog! Imagine having all this space to ourselves,” Blahaj said, his voice muffled from inside the drawer.
“Space? You're inside a drawer, how much room could there possibly-” Skog's voice cut off in surprise when he peeked into the drawer.
Instead of a simple wooden backing, the drawer opened into a whole new area. It still had shelves and furniture, but it was much more cozy, with books and pillows strewn about everywhere. Writing utensils rested on every surface, and there was a huge bin of mangoes in the center of the room.
“Blahaj, that place looks amazing! Let's go through and check it out!”
With each step, their excitement grew. They were no longer just plush toys on display; they were adventurers, revolutionaries, and dreamers. Skog and Blahaj knew that this was just the beginning of their epic journey. Together, they would transform IKEA into a land of freedom and fun, where every plush could roam free and live out their wildest dreams.

The scars that make me
swc writing comp main entry
part 1: currently 4 critique (or however u spell it :'D)

As I briskly walked towards the door, I stole a glance at the golden framed mirror that stood tall at the corner of my ever-shrinking room. I take a second look at myself, I don’t know what it is, but it doesn’t feel quite right. Perhaps it was the posh burgundy uniform, or the matching Victorian hat that weighed heavily on my neck, I could not recognise the person staring back at me. I shrug and shake off the feeling, swinging my bag onto my shoulders, picking up my phone and snatching my keys off the coffee table.
“Zio, I’m leaving now.” I call to my uncle
“Mio caro, leaving so soon!”
“If I don’t leave now I’ll be late.”
“Be safe, ti amo.”
“anch’io ti amo.”

I shove my keys into the keyhole and turn it round until I hear a satisfying click and the door scraping open. The sun spills through the door, bathing my face in a thin line of gold, masking my ever-so pale face. I step through the door and the smell of newly blossomed flowers and fresh air overwhelm me: it’s been so long since I left the house and I haven’t realised how much I missed it. I let out a light chuckle and break out into a jog, absorbing the beautiful environment around me. I stop when I get to the bus stop, my heart pounding in my chest. I heave myself onto the metal bench and lean my head on the side of the shelter, the pitter-patter of the rain filling my ears. The weather changed so suddenly, the rain sweeping the sun’s light and my rare good mood away. I sigh and put on my earpiece, playing love is bs by Lala Sadii, the lyrics filling my ears.

Took my faith, a decade straight
Of having someone on my mind
How’s my name the only thing
I feel sure of?

I glance at the people surrounding me, wondering how their lives have been, from the man on the other side of the bus stop, worriedly glancing at his watch, possibly anxious to get to work on time, or the teen on the other side of the street, smothering on lip-gloss, wondering what others think about them. You see, some people look at other people like placeholders, like they’re the only ones in the world that feel emotions, but that’s not the way I think. Mother always taught me to think of people like stories or like chests, each person hoards a jewel inside them ready to be discovered, each person has their own stories, with their own tragedies and keepsakes. With a deafening screech, the bus pulls up, opening its doors, beckoning us towards them. I smile at the gloomy looking bus driver and he smiles back at me. A smile can fix anything, it’s worth using a few seconds of your time and a few drops of your effort to make someone’s day, this is the kind of things they ought to be teaching us in school, rather than things like cavemen that will never benefit our lives in the future.

Coffee dates, confession tapes
20 questions, what’s your sign
How’s my name the only thing
I feel sure of?

Something adults need to remember is how hard it is to be a teen, the overwhelming pressure and urge to end it all. They think we’re just lazy, we’re sloppy, we’re dramatic, perhaps they should take a moment to remember what it’s like be us, they were once there weren’t, they, I mean, that’s what they tell us after all.

I’ve been convinced
Real-life love is bs
Cinematic touch
I’m still waiting for it

And I’m, so lonely, /so/, in this life, I have only myself to trust. But aren’t you the one who secludes yourself, isolates yourself from others? It’s for their good, and mine, I can’t have another person g-gone because of me, I’ve got enough blood on my hands already.
And of course, silence, that’s all I’m ever greeted with. A silence that splits through the air and leaves yet another scar on my heavily bruised body.

Wasting my time on a pipe dream
Putting my faith in advice that’s never been right
I’ve never been right
I’ve been convinced
Real-life love is bs

————————————————————————————————————————–

for a critique: Daily july 26 a hero failing

“Alright,” Ariadne said, tying the string securely around the post. “As long as we don’t lose this string we can find our way out.”
I stared down into the dark corridor and nodded. “You guys ready?”
I felt Phaethon’s warm calloused hand taking hold of mine. “We’ll be okay,” he said certainly.
We entered the labyrinth, grimacing at the scent of rotten flesh and I squeezed Phaethon’s hand tighter. It was dark and I didn’t notice when Ariadne stopped so I ended up walking into her. Stumbling. I took a step back, “sorry.”
“Ikaros, I don’t think we can do this. I think it’s too late.” Her voice wavered, catching on hooks of pain and grief.
I let go of Phaethon’s hand and took both of Ariadne’s. “We have to do this. Don’t you remember him as a child, how much we loved him? Hate has hurt him, he needs people who love him again.”
“And he’s killed people!” Ariadne shouted. “We failed the day we let my father sink his claws into Asterion.”
At her shouting, there came the sound of a deep and resonant lowing from further into the twisting pathways.
“I know you’re scared,” Phaethon said. “I am too. But we have our defenses if we need them and Ikaros is right, we should hold out hope that he’s still in there. I know there’s the prophecy about me, but really the important ones here are you. Ariadne, you should never underestimate the power of love. I have hope that he will remember you and that you can heal the pain the king put him through.”
“He’s your baby brother. Somewhere he’s still in there.” I said.
Ariadne was silent, probably thinking it over. I hugged Phaethon tightly, his strong arms wrapping around me. “We have to help him,” I said. “Because nobody else will.”
“Okay,” Ariadne said. “Okay you're right. We've come too far to stop now.”
We came to the place where Asterion paced restlessly and the last few moments where we would not wish we had turned around and fled.
He glared at us and slowly we knelt showing we had no weapons at the very least none that he could see. Ariadne placed some of his favorite flowers on the ground. “Remember us, Asterion?”
He blinked and Phaethon squeezed my hand excitedly. “He remembers you.”
a smile started to form on my lips but it quickly vanished when Asterion charged. At once I felt my arm being yanked as Phaethon pulled me out of the way.
“Asterion!” I begged. “We won't hurt you! We won't let Minos hurt you!”
“Ikaros we have to go!” Ariadne shouted. “This was a stupid, stupid idea. We're going to die.”
Asterion bellowed and charged at Phaethon, his horns pointed at his stomach. “Noo!!” I screamed. Everything happened so quickly, I charged at Asterion with my knife. But I couldn't do it. I couldn't hurt him. I would have pleaded but he grabbed me immediately and threw me, knocking all the wind out of me when I landed on the stone ground. I struggled to get to my feet, panting and in pain. “We love you don't do this,” i whispered. Love… how good could love be when he was hurt so much. While Ariadne was distracting Asterion, Phaethon ran toward me. Asterion bellowed in utter rage and ran toward me. Then before I knew what was happening, Phaethon lunged at Asterion to wrestle him bare handed. Immediately filled with adrenaline coursing through my veins and blocking out every sound, I ran to help him but I was grabbed by Ariadne and forced away. Still unable to hear my voice, I screamed into my entire lungs hurt, screamed for her to let me save him. But with arms far stronger than mine, Ariadne dragged me away from the sight of the minotaur, kneeling in front of Phaethon, bloody and unrecognizable.
I felt nothing after that, not the escape from the labyrinth, not the pain as a physician set my broken bones, not the sting of my father slapping me, yelling at me for going into the labyrinth.
I finally felt something when Theophanes let me into his house, he tried saying something but I couldn't hear it I just ran straight for Phaethon's room. He was there laying in bed, a little bruised but perfectly fine. I threw myself into his arms, crying as I finally felt his arms wrapping around me. I could feel my hands on his face, my lips on his, and the taste of his tears. The feeling flickered, the warmth fading, but fiercely I held on. I heard his voice as if underwater but at least I could still feel his embrace. The hand on my shoulder felt like a rock and I startled, knowing it definitely wasn't Phaethon. I looked up and saw Theophanes who never cried, wiping tears from his eyes. “Ikaros…” he held his arms out for a hug. But I shook my head quickly. “No, no.” I found my throat tightening. “Look he's fine see!”
Theophanes frowned. “Ikaros. You can't pretend he's alive,” he said like it was supposed to be kind and gentle.“
”Phaethon is alive!" I screamed, reaching for his hand but finding nothing. I looked around frantically grabbing for him, for that warmth and that love. I could still feel him holding me but that got colder and fainter and when I could no longer hold the memory, I fell crying into Theophanes arms.

islandSWC!! (omgomgomg), weekly #4
2426 words total

a/n: did not proofread whatsoever but im assuming this reads like a choppy choose-your-own-adventure :,D super sorry about that and i highly advise against reading if you dont have to to spare your sanity /hj /lh



-vanillamochabear-'s submit code: | order of cabins visited: 10, 8, 13, 11, 4, 12, 6, 2, 3, 9, 1, 7, 5 | prompts chosen: 1, 1, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 1 | we love the POLAR BEARS <3

beginning: 100 words of anything!
i stare at the sleek black envelope in my hands. it’s embellished with gold detailing, giving it a very fancy and posh look. i’m unfazed - i know what to expect.
dear darling maya, we’ve seen you all over the news, your eyes are exactly that of your mother’s—
i sigh, and chuck the entire thing into the fire before even finishing. maybe it’d be believable for some other orphan out there, but i’d received hundreds of the same letters during this week alone. some had been more… affectionately worded than others, some more fancy like this one had been, yet they all followed the same general idea. we’re your parents! it’s only irritating now as i think, no the stars you’re not.
i’d become the savior of the world in a little under a month. i was famous now - and most importantly, my story should be over. i wasn’t looking for a sequel, and random strangers shouldn’t be wanting to be my parents, of all things. in one word, i’d describe myself as confused.
i’m still waiting for the words to come. the end. they don’t show.

sci fi - flashforward
it’s always hard for me to fall asleep, but nothing could compare to that night. i must’ve spent at least an hour tossing and turning, my worries plaguing my thoughts and my head pounding with an unholy headache. somewhere in there, i pray that the letters stop and that i get to go back to a somewhat usual life. it’s strange - all this hadn’t bothered me nearly as much earlier, but i’d probably reached my breaking point.
by some miracle, i finally slip into a half-slumber. i immediately wish that i hadn’t - a sleepless night would’ve been a million times better than whatever this was.
fire, and a lot of it. i’m burning from the inside out, my screams mixing with the roar of an inferno. next, i’m falling, with no idea of how that came to be. it’s one of those dreams where nothing makes sense, but it’s horrifying regardless.
i’m standing before a tall figure, skyscraper tall, who looks like they’re woven of the very shadows. i can’t see their eyes, but i can tell they’re watching me, judging. i suddenly feel extremely small and insignificant - not real. i quickly push the thought out of my head, and try to speak.
unsurprisingly, it doesn’t work. who are you? what do you want? i think, and i know my words are there at the edge of my mind, but they’re not real.
the figure only tilts their head and smiles, rows of glowing teeth engraving themselves into my vision. “you’ll understand, in some time. you’re an interesting one,” and i’m back in the maze of smoke, with a gut-wrenching sense that only the flames are real.

non fi - incorporate multi-media
the next few nights are pretty much the same - different dreams (or nightmares, i supposed), but they were all more disturbing than the last and involved fire in some way. part of me wants to decode their meaning, to check out a dream book from the library, and the other half of myself wants to bury them into the earth forever and never think about fire again.
i don’t light a single candle in the next week. it’s come to the point where i try not to sleep at all; only when i need to and for short intervals. i know it’s unhealthy, but i value my sanity to an equal point.
(i’m so preoccupied that i don’t notice my consistently empty mailbox.)
eventually, the novelty fades away, and i know what to expect when i close my eyes. my hatred for existence continues to grow. why was it always me? first with the fourth wall stuff, and now this, and i’m as done as it gets. there’s billions of other people to throw burdens onto.
i get my first envelope in a month, to a raised eyebrow. i thought we were over adoption claims, but it turns out to be a newspaper clipping from an anonymous sender.
breaking news: a wildfire has started in the outer woods. this would be old news, if not for the fact that we’re in the midst of a rainy season. the fires, burning bright and golden, have survived through rainstorms, and many of our efforts are useless. it seems to be tearing a path straight towards civilization–

thriller - play a puzzle (i did a usa today crossword!)

script - listen to a song, audiobook, or podcast (i’ve been doing this so i kept going ehe)

folklore - give an animal human characteristics
i set the paper down after scanning it no less than three times. based on how the fires were described, i suspected that they were almost identical to the ones that keep showing up in my dreams. and based on what i know, parallels between two different worlds are never a good omen. with a shudder, i start to walk around my kitchen to shake off my nerves.
in my semi-panic attack, i notice a small, moving shadow by my windowsill. i think i’m hallucinating, so i brush it off at first. the second time around, i can see the outline of a black bird, and i freeze.
“hi barley,” i said shakily, “what’re you doing here? you promised to only show up in times of deep need or whatever, and –”
“yes!,” he responds, a bit too eagerly, and i try my best not to flinch. talking bird part two, amazing. but there was a bigger issue at hand, and it’s so obvious that i almost punch myself for not realizing.
“oh,” i realize, and barley flies over to land on my shoulder. ‘times of need’, or in other words, now. i was being forced to save the world, again, from whatever fiery threat with a side quest of adoption letters. at least i had my buddy again, even if his talking weirded me out.

solarpunk - incorporate the environment into your story
i’m not quite sure what to do next. how does one start to save her city from a mysterious, malicious golden wildfire? eventually i figured the next best logical step was to go up front and face my problem in-person. it sounds stupid in theory, but i have no other backing thoughts. what else was i supposed to do, make a phone call?
grudgingly, i throw on a fancy cloak and head out the door, everything i might need shoved into my deep pockets. barley the bird still sits on my shoulder, flying around occasionally but always coming back. i begin to walk in the direction of the forest.
i can feel and smell it before i see it - an unnatural warmness to the air, the lingering scent of smoke, and i know it’s bad. the forest i used to play in as a child is likely gone, a maze of ash in its place.
i stop just outside the treeline. there’s only a couple feet of fresh nature left, but even that is starting to wilt in the heat. the furthest branches reach out to me, as if begging for help. a plea.
what scares me most, though, is how familiar this scene feels. like i’ve lived it over dozens of times already.
“hello,” i whisper into the dying foliage, not really knowing why. the fire, as if hearing me, surges forward, so i turn on my heel and run.

horror - hallucinatory vision
i’m not fast enough. i feel like one of those horror movie characters where they just keep going, but never progressing. with each second, it's like the air thickens and i’m swimming instead of running. i can feel the heat of a thousand suns chasing after me, getting closer and closer. soon, i’d be out of breath - i’d made a couple of turns so far, but none of them did me any good. i was doomed - coming here was not, in fact, a good idea. maybe i should’ve ignored the calling, or however that went.
“maya!” barley calls desperately, until he fades into nothing.
at last, i collapse onto the dirt, every inch of my body screaming. i can’t move, so i let the smoky haze cloud over my vision until my thoughts are near incomprehensible.
somewhere in there, i see the tall figure from my very first nightmare of the ongoing series. i can’t tell if they’re actually real in all this chaos or if i’m dreaming again, but i just know that they’re there. watching.
“what do i do?” i demand, this time my voice ringing into the world.
“you live,” they say simply, “no child of mine is to die in such a pathetic way.”
wow, i think, gritting my teeth. solid advice. “how–”
there’s a sharp peck on my hand, and suddenly i’m gasping awake to the idiot blackbird on my face. on the edge of a cliff. i can see the fire below me, churning like an ocean.

dystopian - motives self aware-ization
i stare at the ‘waves’, transfixed. they’re extremely deadly, i know that, but there’s also something mesmerizing about the way they swirl, dance, almost. they look to be fast in an agile way, knowing nothing but destruction, and some part of my brain deep down thinks of it to be poetic. and maybe they are - chaos turned to art.
i’m still gasping, mind you. i breathe in the fresh air desperately, as if it might be the last i get. and it feels good up here on the… cliff. i don’t know how i ended up here, but i’m grateful. i’m currently alive, heart beating, and that’s the only thing that matters. i’m going to calm down, and then i’m going to camp here until it’s safe.
except the longer i stare into the forbidden soup, the more wrong my plan feels. of course, i want to stay alive, but… it slaps me in the face that the fire is still heading towards a huge population of people, and very quickly. my frown deepens - as much as i didn’t want to play hero, who else was going to?
i immediately realize how shallow my thoughts are. of course i’m going to try and save lives, if i could. what kind of a person would i be otherwise? with no plan and a body that’s still aching, i run towards once again instead of away.

fantasy - magical realism
i reach the town center in record time, which still isn’t very impressive but fast enough to still see it intact. i know i must look crazy covered in ash and red from adrenaline, but in the crowded space, no one notices me. i take it as a bad thing.
“guys,” i start, before breaking into a coughing fit. an old lady, who i assumed must’ve been a witch, summons a bottle of water and hands it to me. i take it gratefully, chugging it in less than five seconds. “guys, we need to leave–” i try again, but my voice is still too scratchy to be noticed.
barley tilts his head. “i could do it for you?” he offers, and i nod. he flies over the crowd, highly visible against a white sky.
“we need to evacuate! head as far north as you can!” he shouts, immediately grabbing everyone’s attention. they stare at him, before chaos breaks out and the townspeople do as he says.
“thank you,” i say as he comes back, “you did a good job.” soon, it’s just the two of us left in an empty plaza, not in the path of safety i so desperately craved. now what?
i let myself think for a moment, actually. the tall figure had shown up to me twice now, something that i could count as a consistency among all the other randomness. i can only conclude that they must be important, somehow. i close my eyes and pray that they show up, since i can only assume that they’re a deity of some sort.

poetry - mysterious playlist

bi fi - nutritious snack (my bananas are still rAW so i just had some slices of nectarine :yum:)

mystery - do the nyt connections (i failed!! only got yellow and green!!!!)

gothic - change the setting
instead of the mystery figure appearing before me as i had wanted, i find myself shrouded in darkness with the familiar feeling of falling. as soon as i realized barley (who had become my emotional support) had been left behind, i started angrily cursing into the void. immediately, i land on what seems to be a large, flat, hovering rock, miraculously not breaking any bones or falling off.
with a jolt, i realize said figure is standing right before me at somewhat eye-level, the rest of their body fading into the dark somewhere below. i shut up at last, with a mumbled sorry.
“language, maya,” they say tiredly.
“how do you know my name–” i begin, before cutting off. that was a stupid question, they were probably all-seeing or something.
they laugh, and it’s equally soft and eerie. “you’re right in that i just know, but also, i named you.”
i just stare back, an idea forming in the back of my mind. that couldn’t be–
“yes, i’m your parent. but we’re getting side-tracked, aren’t we?”
“but what about all those letters?” i splutter.
the shadows move, like they’re shrugging. “don’t worry about it. just keep burning them, like you do, though i do notice they’re slowing down. you want me to help with the wildfire, yes? stop gaping like a fish.”
with that personal attack, i pull myself together, but it’s probably only temporary. “okay,” i manage.

ending - 100 words to wrap up
the two of us head back to the normal realm together, my tall mysterious parental figure taking the form of a somewhat average lady. she smiles at me warmly, but a chill still trails down my back. with her and the support from barley, the flames died down within minutes.
“thank you,” i say first, and then, “how’d you do that?”
“i can teach you sometime, if you’d like,” she offers. “i’ve got to go.”
“wait, but i still don’t know anything about you, or my parentage, or why the fire existed, and why they’ve haunted me for a month straight–”
“don’t worry about it,” she insists again, and i start to get frustrated.
“i need answers,” i beg. “there’s so much going on, and i know we’ve resolved the physical problem, but there’s so much left to uncover–”
the figure only ruffles my hair before melting into shadows, before those fade, too. i’m not even left with a name, and it leaves me angry and confused.
“well,” i say to barley, audibly disappointed. “time to tell the townspeople everything’s fine.”
“okay,” he chirps, and we start the trek back home.
i so desperately want my story to be over, but i know it’s not. the answers i seek would come with some time, and likely another adventure that i don’t want to go on.
i’d like the end.

Critique for ap0l0

I like the way this is paced and I really like both narration styles and the ways we see how different their perspectives are on rain for example. The beginning has me curious if a “maroon witch” is a thing in the lore of this world. While the meaning in witch Hex is used is easy to infer and honestly comes super naturally I can't help but still think it feels wrong the first time it's used, but it works when it says she'd be hexed or whatever it was. But honestly that might be really personal based on how much I swear. (Hey my family is full of sailors). I like Recker stealing the wand and I think you executed it well. Reckers smile being the same as Lilas at the end is pretty interesting. I can't quite think of the right word but like each time they smile they seem to feel more in power than the other. However, I would say that while I can't really say who you wrote better in this scene, Recker actually seemed to have a purpose for this scene. Lila definitely had a personality but I guess it was harder to feel as motivated with her story line and at times it felt like her perspective was more of a device for Reckers story so the reader cant know whats going on in his head at that point. What voice whispered at the end? Was it the wand? Was it Lila and if it was, is she going to do any more than just whisper that? Did she let him steal it? Yeah I mean overall I really enjoyed it and would be curious to see what you'll do with it.

submit code: Flowerelf371's submit code: | order of cabins visited: 10, 6, 2, 8, 11, 13, 4, 12, 9, 3, 1, 5, 7 | prompts chosen: 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2, 2, 1, 1 | we love the POLAR BEARS <3

Weekly 4 (2271 words)

Write 100 words to start (106 words)

Recording beginning 14:43:210 04/03/22

No one knew who lived in Apartment 3E. For years children had gathered on the blacktop and tried to match the windows to the apartment, hoping to catch a glimpse of the inside, but the after seeing inside all of them the children found no window that could lead to 3E, it was as if the apartment didn’t exist. On very rare occasions, late at night, noises could be heard from the room. Whirring at midnight, buzzing in the dawn, and an unfamiliar humming noise at all times of the day. No one I know ever made it into the apartment. Except for me.

Prompt 1 - Sci-Fi - 1/5 non-writing 0/8 writing

Made Oobleck

Prompt 2 - Horror - 2/5 non-writing 0/8 writing

Played Stardew Valley

Prompt 3 - Dystopian - 2/5 non-writing 1/8 writing

Your narrator suddenly realizes their motives aren’t as pure as they thought. (245 words)

Recording beginning 02:58:39 04/4/22

My name is Lila Sterward, I hope with this recording to be able to sort out this confusing mystery once and for all. I’ll start from the beginning.

I’ve been fascinated by the apartment since I was seven when my brother first told me the history behind it. Ever since then, I’ve been trying to learn more about it, it began as a game. All the other kids in the neighborhood decided to compete, whoever got into it first would win. At that time we didn’t know anyone was living it and wanted to explore something abandoned. As time went on however it got more and more competitive. Since there was no window to get through someone tried to break the door down, we decided afterwards to play fair. My motivation began simple, I wanted to impress everyone else. Perhaps if I did this I would get friends, people I can lean on. However I was too infatuated by it, the mystery. I wanted to know what was inside and I needed to be the one who found out first. It took over my life, I needed to finish it. The way I saw it is if there was no one living in it and the door was closed there must have been a key somewhere outside of the apartment. So that’s where I looked. Under the mat, on the blackboard outside, I scoured the staircases. Nothing.

Prompt 4 - Non-Fi - 2/5 non-writing 2/8 writing

Incorporate Multimedia - A letter, diary entry, newspaper article etc. (218 words)

Recording beginning 12:17:55 04/10/22

Following the theory I searched for at least a year before I found my first clue. Hidden behind a park bench was an envelope with a return address of Apartment 3E. In it was what seemed to be a letter.

Alice,

It pains me to write this not knowing if you’ll ever receive it. I wish you had told me. I wish I could have helped. I’ve just finished packing everything up and should leave by dawn, searching for you. I’m not exactly sure where I’ll go first but I will find you. I hope you are okay. I’ve found some new information that might help us fi-

The rest of the paper was to soaked to read any of the rest of the words. No address. No information that could help me get any closer to getting inside the apartment. I’m still not sure why I was so obsessed with it. For pride or for glory I don’t know. At this point I wanted to know what the letter meant, what it all meant. By this point everyone had already forgotten about it, it was just a meaningless door they passed every so often. There was only other person I met who was as interested in it as me.

Prompt 5 - Script - 3/5 non-writing 2/8 writing

Listened to some Chappell Roan <3

Prompt 6 - Thriller - 3/5 non-writing 3/8 writing (221 words)

Increase the pace of your story!

Recorded 05:44:01 04/10/22

A week after finding the letter my town ended up in the news. A few homes near us were broken into although nothing was found stolen. After this my mother prohibited me from spending time outside so I was chained to the window staring out into space. That was the first time I saw him. A boy close to my age who I’d never seen before. He was standing on the blacktop staring at something in his hands. That was when I heard it, a wail of the fire department as they rounded the corner into the parking lot of the complex. And only then, after the trucks already pulled did the fire alarm begin to sound. It was mayhem as the bustle of all of my neighbors filled the hallway, all of them fighting to reach the doors first.

I stood there frozen. How did the fire department get here before the alarm even sounded? Which apartment did it come from? I was yanked out of my thoughts as my neighbor from the room above dragged me down the stairs, scolding me for not running. As we all lined up on the blacktop I turned around trying to find the boy again. But he was nowhere in sight. I didn’t see him again until a whole month later.

Prompt 7 - Folklore - 4/5 non-writing 3/8 writing

Play the dinosaur google game

Prompt 8 - Solarpunk - 4/5 non-writing 4/8 writing

Incorporate the environment in some way. (244 words)

Recorded 10:28:34 04/12/22

It was raining that day, I had another fight with Father and went out, I needed to get away from him. I walked to a playground near me and planned to spend a couple hours there when it started raining, then I saw him, he was sitting on one of the swings his feet dragging in the dirt. I didn’t recognize him at first but then I noticed his perfect posture and the same messy hair he had when I saw him from outside the window. The rain revved up, hard raindrops hitting my skin. But I couldn’t lose him again, what if he had something to do with the mysterious fire alarm? The fire department still had no idea what caused it and no residents claimed a fire.

Before I could make a decision the world made it for me, a strong gust of wind brought me to my knees with a sharp cry as stone dug into my skin. He looked up at me from the sound, cautiously standing up and beginning to approach me. The rain stormed down making it almost impossible to see as it penetrated my clothes, soaking me. My knee stinging, my head thudding I slowly tried to rise up as the boy got closer and closer to me. He mouthed something to me but I couldn’t make the words out as the winds circled around me, then overwhelmed by everything, I fell, my head hitting the mud.

Prompt 9 - Poetry - 4/5 non-writing 5/8 writing

Introduce a symbol into your story (222 words)

Recorded 02:11:05 0/4/13/22

I woke up in the basement of my apartment complex with the boy on my side. He said he remembered seeing me in the window but didn’t know exactly where I lived to he took me to a small bunker that most people didn’t even know existed, how he knew I still don’t know. I had earned a bump on my head and a scar on my knee but otherwise, I was fine.

The boy never told me his name. As I was lying on the back he just stared at me as if puzzled by me. That was when he noticed a bump in my jacket pocket. Asking about it, I pulled out the letter I found previously. I mentioned Apartment 3E quickly and was ready to move on, thinking he, like everyone else wouldn’t care. That was when he pulled out a paper from his pocket. The second half of the letter.

No matter how much I pleaded he never showed my what it mentioned, he said it was “too personal.” The one thing he did agree to show was the signature. Beside the cursive name which he would let me read was a stamped design. A lotus flower inside of a circle. The same flower that was carved into the door of Apartment 3E. The answer to getting inside.

Prompt 10 - Fantasy - 5/5 non-writing 5/8 writing

Baked banana bread for my family!

Prompt 11 - Bi-Fi - 5/5 non-writing 6/8 writing (203 words)

Recorded 08:52:39 04/13/22

After, I decided to get a coffee with a bit of turnip (the boy insisted on it after passing a sign advertising it) and we ended up back in the park, balancing our cups on our knees, and letters in our hands. To this day I know little about the boy, his name, where he came from, even his age. The only thing I knew was who his uncle was, the owner of Apartment 3E. His uncle disappeared after a skirmish in the family, leaving an unsolved mystery behind.

“He was a bit of a hermit, so we didn’t notice at first, not until the bills for his apartment got redirected to me. Why me, I don’t know. He has closer family who still don’t even he’s missing.” The boy answered after I asked him about his uncle. “The symbol,” He said, pointing to the flower engraved on the paper, “I remember it, I’m not sure from when, but, I remember him showing it to me once, he said I “will have big responsibilities in the future.””

We didn’t find out until months later just how big those responsibilities were. And only now do I know of the even bigger responsibilities I have.

Prompt 12 - Gothic - 5/5 non-writing 7/8 writing

Change the setting of your story (210 words)

Recorded 12:02:37 05/06/22

Now here I am, exactly a year after I met the boy standing in Apartment 3E. Finally knowing the answer behind it all. The boy is now long gone, off exploring the world with his uncle, and I have no one to tell about everything I’ve discovered. It’s a bittersweet feeling as the years of work I’ve done have to come to an end and to have no closure, no feeling of completion, no validation of my ten years of work. So much time has passed since my brother first told me all about the apartment, so many things have changed, and yet I feel the same. The same curious child who wants all the answers to the world, with none being handed to me.

The Lotus Flower stood for strength, for an organization traveling throughout the world spreading goodness. Like the flower it was resilient, coming back year after year no matter the struggles it faced. Being too young I had to wait until I turned of age to join them and I knew the year it would take to grow up would last forever. So many things I feared could happen in this one year and I would have no one to battle it with.

Prompt 13 - Mystery - 5/5 non-writing 8/8 writing
Your character finds an object that changes the course of the story. (226 words)

The apartment is empty, dust settling on the shelves, and it still feels like a second home. I’ve spent most of my latest afternoons in here, exploring all of the owner's belongings, hoping to find new mysteries to solve to fill my boredom. The boy’s uncle’s name was George, not a name I would have assumed belonged to a mysterious hermit with many secrets. He and Alice began The Lotus when they were young but Alice, on a mission for the organization, disappeared with no message. Now George and the boy sailed out together in hopes of finding her and growing The Lotus to the size it once was.

Meanwhile, I dreamed of escaping my life. Attending a college, joining The Lotus, getting a job, anything that would get me away from my parents and this small town that held so many memories for me. Every option seemed unachievable. I had poor grades and George refused to take me with him, saying it was too dangerous. I’d take danger over this.

I sat on the floor, sorting through all of George’s clutter when I came upon a jewelery box. Beautiful engravies marking the sides. As I opened it, expecting silver and gold my eyes found a torn piece of paper.

He changed his mind.

No signature and little context but I knew exactly what it meant.


Write 100 words to wrap up. (110 words)

A boy, a girl, and a mysterious man perched on a small wooden boat paddles in hand, ready to take on the world. The beating of the clock was like a rhythmic heartbeat that followed them across the globe, guiding them when they needed it. The waves were calm tonight. The tranquility from the three influencing it.

Somewhere on the land they were floating to was a woman waiting for them to save her, ready to reunite with her lover and make history. In her hand was a paper with a Lotus Flower stamped on it, motivating her day by day. Eventually, that message would be all through the world.

The scars that make me
swc writing comp main entry
for critique

“Why are you so desperate to seclude yourself, I want to help you, why do you have to make it so hard for me.” Tears welled up in his sparkling, diamond eyes, hurt striking through them.
But I don’t want to hurt him. I hate this. I hate this so much.
You say you hate this, but you don’t do you?
Of course I do.
If you really did, you would accept him. You would open up to him.
But you know that I can’t.
You say your protecting him and yourself, you say if you don’t get close to him, it will be better for you and him, but you’ve already gone down that lane haven’t you, you’ve already fallen for him.
And how I sob at this bitter truth.
How do I stop this, how do I stop myself from it happening again?
That question is a question you will learn in time.
Just tell me! Stop my suffering and tell me!
And of course, silence, that’s all I’m ever greeted with. A silence that splits through the air and leaves yet another scar on my heavily bruised body.
“Why. Natalia, why.” I glance up at him wearily tears streaking down my eyes, running down my chin and onto my hands, seeping through the gaps between my fingers. The water doesn’t dilute the bright blood stain on my hands. Of course, to be expected. All of the water in all seas and oceans, lakes and rivers, canals and aquifers, none of it could wash of the blood that stains my hands.
I look up at Viktor’s eyes, pain rippling through my bones, guilt stabbing at my heart.
“sit down, we have a lot to talk about.”
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
All I can see is car debris, shards of glass, crumpled metal, busted tires and the small red and blue lights of police cars flickering on and off.
All I can hear is the screeching of tires, the sobbing of people around me and the loud sound of police sirens.
All I can taste is the dry taste of blood filling my mouth, and the guilt tugging my throat.
All I can feel is numbness, uselessness, nothingness. The feeling of feeling like there is nothing /to/ feel.
Then all fades out, the world spins around, and the black engulfs me.
_____

*beep*
*beep*
*beep*
The sound of a heart monitor fills my ears. My eyelids feel like led and my body like an unwanted burden: dead weight I can’t carry. After a few long minutes, I reluctantly open my eyes, blinking a few times so the blurry blobs become defined shapes. Peering around, I appear to be in a hospital room, doctors, nurses and hospital equipment surrounding me.
“D-Dov’é mia mamma?” My voice comes out croaky, like it’s not been used in years.“Where is mia mamma?”
“Please Natalia you should rest.” A man with heavily tanned skin, and rich, dark, wavy hair steps forwards. The nametag on his white lab coat reading ‘Mohammed’.
“I ask a simple question,” my temper rising, “where is mia mamma?”
They cast each other worried looks, as if sending each other air messages, having an invisible conversation.
“She is. Gone.”
4
Little
Letters.
And my world comes crumbling down.
“N-no. No, it cannot be.”
“I’m sorry, you’ve just been in a terrible car crash and unfortunately you where the only survivor.”
I inhale a sharp breath, before letting out a series of uncontrollable coughs.
“Please, you should really be resting it’s going to be ok.”
“Ok.” I breath. “Ok? You’re really gonna stand there and tell me everything is gonna be ok? No. No. THINGS ARE NOT GOING TO BE OK!” I thunder, swinging my legs onto the side of the bead, tears welling in my eyes, a headache brewing in my head.
“It’s not going to be ok.” I echo.
With new adrenalin I stand up, and for a scary moment if feels as though I’m going to fall, but after a few steps I gain stability and pick-up pace. Sprinting out of the door and out into the corridor. No one tries to stop me, I suppose they know it’s no use. I don’t know where I’m running to, I just know I need to get out of this place, because
Its.
Never
Gonna
Be
O K.
————————————————————————————————————————–
btw this was only one part

critique for xXFierroOrFalafelXx

To start off with, I really liked the plot of this piece and, as a lover of tragedy, definitely appreciated that ending. I've kept my critique to only the things you've asked for: story/plot, characters, pacing, etc. If you'd like me to give feedback on any other areas, let me know and I'd be happy to. ^^

I liked the character of Ariadne and the way she seemed to be of two minds - the inner turmoil of her wanting to save her brother, while simultaneously believing that they were too late made her character all the more interesting and likeable. The only point I'd make is that I would've enjoyed seeing more of the dynamic between her and her brother - bearing in mind that this is a short piece, you wouldn't need to add much, but maybe a few lines demonstrating how much they cared about each other in the past would do the trick.

Here, where it says:

'Ariadne placed some of his favorite flowers on the ground. “Remember us, Asterion?”
He blinked and Phaethon squeezed my hand excitedly. “He remembers you.”'

I was confused as to how Phaethon came to the conclusion that Asterion remembered Ariadne. Clarification here would definitely help; if there was recognition in his eyes, or he made some sort of gesture that indicated he remembered her, that would make more sense. Also, I felt the pacing was slightly off here - because we were just introduced to Asterion, and then a few moments later, he starts charging at them. I think more time on this scene, where they still believe they can save Asterion, would enhance the story and improve the flow a bit more.

I found the relationship between Ikaros and Asterion to be really interesting - I wanted to know more about their backstory and possible friendship(?). I really enjoyed the scene where Ikaros charged with the knife but couldn't hurt him, and then Phaethon lunged at Asterion. I thought the pacing was executed well in this scene, and the long sentences broken, almost abruptly, by commas definitely added to the rapid progression of the scene.

I also really liked this line:

'I felt nothing after that, not the escape from the labyrinth, not the pain as a physician set my broken bones, not the sting of my father slapping me, yelling at me for going into the labyrinth.'

I love the concept of the last scene, but I found that the execution was a little confusing. Was Phaethon's body actually there on the bed? Or was it just a figment of Ikaros' imagination? If so, where it says:

'“Look he's fine see!”'

You could follow this with Ikaros looking back at the bed, and seeing it empty.

'I screamed, reaching for his hand but finding nothing. I looked around frantically grabbing for him, for that warmth and that love.'

Again, what is Ikaros looking around at? Is he still stuck in his subconscious/memories?

I did really enjoy the last line:

'…and when I could no longer hold the memory, I fell crying into Theophanes arms.'

Overall, I found the plot to be engaging and really enjoyed that ending. Perhaps some clarification at points, and possible description of some of the relationships between characters could definitely strengthen the story. Great job! ^^

Link to Masterpost: https://scratch-mit-edu.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/discuss/post/8034365
Link to this post: https://scratch-mit-edu.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/discuss/post/8069623/
Word Count: 464/350
Date completed (UTC): 7/30/24
Time Completed (UTC): 9:40 PM
Prompt Summary: Write notes to your friends!
Points(?): 350
Listeners(?): 50

Dear Chris,
That lab rp honestly blessed my life in so many ways. Because of it, I got to meet you, DJ, and probably some other cool people that I’ve forgotten at this point. You’ve stayed pretty consistently present during my time on scratch, and it has definitely created some lasting memories. (Gosh, I really need to compile a bunch of unhinged quotes from our roleplays into a project at some point-) I’ve loved getting to chat with you over the years, and looking back on those conversations is honestly so funny. Thanks for being so accessible! I know that sounds weird to say, but it’s nice having a friend who’s there consistently, especially on bad days. Thanks for being there! It means a lot. You’re awesome, and I’m glad that I met you!

Dear Bea,
Wow, looking back on it, we have been friends for a WHILE! Gosh, I could gush about our friendship for a long time- First though, I just have to get this out of the way. You are AMAZING!! And oh my goodness, you are just genuinely so sweet and kind and I just love pretty much everything about you! You brighten up every room you enter, and I am so proud to be called one of your best friends. You are a joy to be around! You are such a wonderful friend, and you are such a blessing as well. I enjoy getting to gush with you about books, to talk late into the night at sleepovers, to share art and stories with each other. You are just so cool, and I can’t say it enough. Love ya bunches!

Dear Miner,
I honestly have no idea how we met (I thinkkk it was Chris? I don’t remember-), but when we did, my life totally changed. You are so incredibly wonderful, and I am so blessed to have you as a friend of mine. You have brought so much joy to my life and I’m so glad to have you present so often. You are genuine, sweet, kind, and so much more! I am so glad that you’re willing to talk and rant to me, it’s so appreciated. I’ve loved roleplaying with you, as well as just interacting. You are so encouraging and funny, and I love your characters to death! (specifically Celior- The bean holds a special place in my heart-) Love you bunches! (platonicallyyy-)

Dear Cinna,
Hey!! I haven’t known you for very long, but in the short time I have, it’s been awesome! You are really fun to roleplay with, and your characters are so vibrant and lively. I’m sorry that I don’t have more to say *sob* You’re really cool, and I hope that I can get to know you better as time goes on!!