Arrival Demosthenes 2008-11-10T23:54:44Z ID: 45844 Prequels: 45843 Sequels: 45845 "You look exhausted,"? she spoke again. "Do you want to come lie down or something? I've got a hotel room up at the Montier."? At his inquisitive look she added, “I've got connections with the guy who owns it, so he lets me live there."? After a moment he agreed. "Yeah that'd be great. It would probably be safer if we traveled in stealth though. There might be more of those guys,"? he suggested, looking around warily. "Yeah you're probably right, lets go, it's not far."? Melody said, and the two returned to the mirror realm again, setting off for her apartment. They reached the Hotel building, but instead stepped into the side alley to reappear. They didn't want to cause a scene by just popping up out of thin air in the middle of the city. They appeared behind a dumpster and stepped out into the street, and then inside Montier Hotel, greeting the warmth happily. The Third Floor Demosthenes 2008-11-11T00:01:51Z ID: 45845 Prequels: 45844 Sequels: none "Ahhh Melody, you're back, with a friend?"? He asked "Uhh yeah this is Owen"? She replied. Mr. Greyhem was one of the very few people who knew who she really was. He was the father of her best friend Leah. Melody had known Leah her whole life. They met at about the age of five after she was taken in by Elinor Kirke, a wealthy old woman who was very kind but very strict. Leah knew about Melody's powers, as did Mr. Greyhem. Melody walked up to the counter and spoke quietly to Mr. Greyhem. "He was being chased by two thugs.” She lowered her voice. ”...He can be invisible and stuff too."? Mr. Greyhem eyed Owen. ”...Oh really?” And then turning toward Owen he held out a hand. “I'm not sure we've met, Owen, I'm Adam Greyhem."? "Well you already know my name"? Owen replied cheerily, shaking Mr. Greyhem's hand. "I'm gonna go show him my room,"? Melody said quickly, as she and Owen walked to the elevator. Her room was on the third floor. Newmatter Vonster 2008-11-11T06:18:57Z ID: 45846 Prequels: none Sequels: 46176 Rob is a professor of theoretical physics at Imperial College, London. His thesis on “Time Folding” had figuratively and literally opened up new portals of opportunity for him professionally. That said he enjoyed his tenured position teaching. Practical application was important to him, mere calculation of theories alone was futile. Being a fan of the American TV show “MythBusters,” he let his students participate in physical experiments that supported the core concepts of the theoretical treatise he taught. At his home lab in Sussex, he worked on a new experiment based on his thesis. It functioned like a Spinning Wheel, twisting fibers of time space and folding them on a molecular level to create what he called “Newmatter.” Tonight would determine once and for all if this myth was plausible or busted. A nervous smile kidnapped his face as he turned to his laptop and positioned the cursor over the “Run” button and said. "I reject your reality and substitute it for my own."? He then clicked the button. Inspiration from Failure (or, A Research Trailer) [WITRSF2BYTC... and yes, I'm entering my own challenge] g2 (la pianista irlandesa) 2008-11-11T06:47:42Z ID: 45847 Prequels: 43780 Sequels: none In a world, where research abounds...“I gotta cite this source right...”Where many go in, but few come out quite the same...“Stupid biography, so long...”One girl will develop a workable thesis and write her way out of lost time...before November 17th.“You gotta be kidding, right?” This Thanksgiving, she will finally be free from her research paper...“Woohoo! All ten pages!That is, if her computer will cooperate. ZAP Aw, frick. With g2 (la pianista irlandesa), Mark Twain, and countless reference sources comes an epic journey abound with textual and parenthetical citations...Inspiration From FailureLimited Engagement begins Nov. 17 in select classrooms Live! Love! Laugh! Thyme Passing 2008-11-11T09:58:40Z ID: 45848 Prequels: 45838 Sequels: 45850 Flannel blankets. Pillowcases with kittens on them. A funny-looking gift from your little sister that you keep anyway. Lavender soap. Counting down with the microwave and making the funny beeping noise at the end, and then laughing hysterically. The wind in the brown grasses of November. Milkweed seeds blowing on the wind. Wishing on the first star of the evening. Learning an obscure word and wanting to use it every opportunity you get. Annoying the heck out of your friends. Commendable effort! FIBROMYALGIA ! Ticking off the robot on AIM . Red leaves decorating the hillsides. Decorating a Christmas tree and rediscovering all the ornaments from last year that you’ve forgotten about. CHOCOLATE CAKE . Someone else’s birthday party. Throwing a stone into a still pond and watching the ripples spread. Colorful glass lamps that make designs on the ceiling. KALEIDOSCOPES . Looking at all the pretty ornaments in a gift shop and hoping feverently that you don’t knock something over. Eating cherries off of a tree. May. HA Adelle's Mistake lovinglife307 2008-11-11T10:00:42Z ID: 45849 Prequels: 45836 Sequels: 45860 Crash! Oops. “It’s me! I’m just, uh, going upstairs now!” I shouted through to her as I rested my bike more carefully against the metal bars. “Wait a minute. Come here, please.” Dammit. I strode through the metal door and into the house. The jail-like features suddenly changed to be more comfortable and homey. There was a sudden lightness to the air, I felt myself relax. Heaven above, she was good. Crap. Adelle, with her usual soft glances and gentle demeaner, now looked angry. What had I done this time? She tugged at her robe and played with a string of her curly hair. I sighed. And, of course, there was the one, the only, Gianna. I bowed hesitantly. Well, actually, it might be a clone. God only knows how many Gianna’s we have running around here. Gianna simply stared at me. “Fame, you are getting out of control.” Hm. Not the real Gianna, but not a clone. Maybe a robot? Her voice sounded strange. “Fame! Listen!” Adelle’s hazel eyes bored into me. I retaliated. What was going on? Giving Thanks lovinglife307 2008-11-11T10:14:53Z ID: 45850 Prequels: 45848 Sequels: 45876 Wet dog kisses. Passing notes when the teacher isn’t paying attention. Chorus concerts. Band concerts! Giving thanks and really meaning it. Praying to God like he was an old friend. Getting an answer back. Catching snowflakes on your tongue and watching them melt. Staring out the window at nothing in particular. BEAUTY . Really loving life. LOVING YOURSELF . Feeling the rain at your back and the sun up ahead. Knowing that the weather man predicted rain, but going outside anyways, and finding it’s impeccably sunny the whole day. SMILES . Getting to a new level of a video game. Watching your pets play around, and joining in. Hearing a cat purr. EATING delicious food whenever you want to, without worrying about how many carbs it has. Wrapping a present and using as much tape as you want, even it that may be the whole roll. Reading a really good book, and then writing your own. SLEEPING . Dreaming good and bad dreams. Auditioning and getting in. Dreams that reach outside of reality, but you still achieve. LAVENDER . What a Strange Kid lovinglife307 2008-11-11T10:24:38Z ID: 45851 Prequels: 45789 Sequels: none A young man, around twelve I would say, opened the door. He was wearing much what I had been wearing just a moment ago. Dirty green t-shirt, ripped, grass stained jeans, and mussed up hair. I lifted my hand in a pathetic little wave. “Um, hi there. What’s your name?” “I think that’s the question I should be asking you.” I retaliated. Geez. The kid was sharp. I laughed it off. “I am Maisie Beatrice Hampton, and I’ve come to see my grandmother. Do you know of her?” The little boy looked at me curiously, as if he were trying to read my face. “Wait.” As soon as he disappeared my back slumped. God. How was I supposed to get past this body guard? The little boy returned with a clipboard, and on it was a long piece of paper. “Hm...” He tapped his pencil on it. “Hampton, Marie... Harrisford, Virginia... Sorry, kiddo, you’re not on the list.” List? Kiddo? “I’m sorry, my real name isn’t Maisie.” I took a deep breath. “It’s Marie.” I looked up at him. “Well, then come right in!” What a strange kid. Fallen Angel Thyme Passing 2008-11-11T10:26:25Z ID: 45852 Prequels: none Sequels: 45853 It was as bleak as a day could get, the day the angel fell from the heavens. It was a cold day in November, and the only sign of life was the wind, hissing between the brown grasses and the lifeless tree branches. The ground was littered with shriveled leaves that occasionally were lifted by the wind to travel several feet before dropping back to the dull grass. At first I thought that the winged shape in the sky was a sparrow, and I was glad that a bird had come out, for it was lonely with just the hissing wind for company. But as it descended, it grew larger. It was a goose. No, all the geese had left for the winter, and it was too large now. What was it? An eagle? Could it be? No, it was too large, and it’s wings weren’t open. It wasn’t descending with control, but falling. The creature was the flapping wildly, trying to regain flight, but it still fell, falling, falling, down to earth. Eagle's Beak Thyme Passing 2008-11-11T10:53:56Z ID: 45853 Prequels: 45852 Sequels: 45854 It crashed loudly into the branches of the leafless apple tree, splintering wood and screaming aloud. It sounded like a hawk’s cry, it did. I ran towards it. It was an angel! An angel, cast down from the heavens and fallen to the earth. It’s big brown wings were twisted, and it was horribly cut from where it crashed into the tree, and yet it’s crashing into the tree very well might have saved its life, for the tree slowed its fall enough so that when it fell out of the tree, it was not hurt as badly as it would have been if it had landed on the cold, hard ground first. I ran up to it, filled first with excitement and then with concern. It was moaning, and occasionally it uttered a lamenting phrase in some incomprehensible language, and tears ran down its face. I saw that instead of a normal nose and mouth, it had a curved bird’s beak, of the sort that eagles have. I knelt beside it, not sure if I should move it inside, or if moving it might just injure it more. The Bonesetter Thyme Passing 2008-11-11T11:18:34Z ID: 45854 Prequels: 45853 Sequels: 45855 “I’ll be right back,” I said softly to the injured angel. The Bonesetter would know what to do. I stood and ran briskly across the field to the road. The Bonesetter lived not far away from my house, in a once-colorful gypsy caravan where he did his work. As a child, I had been terrified of the caravan, partly because the Bonesetter growled and snapped at the village children, but also because of the blood-curdling screams that came from inside when people were having their broken bones set, so they would heal properly. Breathless, I arrived at the caravan door, and knocked sharply upon it. I knew that the Bonesetter would not answer unless it was an emergency, so I kept knocking until he opened the door and snarled, “What is it you want that you must make such a racket on my door?” “You must come,” I said, gasping. “It’s hurt.” “I don’t treat animals,” he said, starting to close the door. I put my foot in the way.“It’s not an animal,” I said. “It’s an angel.” Awakening Thyme Passing 2008-11-11T12:30:04Z ID: 45855 Prequels: 45854 Sequels: 46178 It had been two days since the angel fell. The Bonesetter had splinted both its broken arm and wing, and bandaged its various cuts with all the skill he possessed, but the angel had fallen asleep, and hadn’t awoken until the second day, when my ginger cat, Andante, climbed onto the angel’s chest and fell asleep. The angel’s eyes fluttered opened, a startling green. Weren’t angels supposed to have blue eyes? The angel murmured and clacked something to itself in its soft, precise language, and stroked the cat with its unbroken hand, smiling. Andante purred happily at the attention. “Good morning,” I said, with not a little amount of awe. “How are you feeling?” The angel cocked its head, and looked at me with a sad comprehension. It said something in its language that I could not understand.“I don’t understand,” I said. The angel frowned. It murmured a few more things to itself, in various languages, and then chanced upon English.“I am so sorry,” it said, and I saw tears in its green eyes. Kamila Duche, heir to the Rouvelin Throne lovinglife307 2008-11-11T12:51:34Z ID: 45856 Prequels: none Sequels: 45875 The necklace hung to just below her collarbone, and the pendant rested on her chest. The rose quartz stone heart was just the size of her thumb print, and the gold ring circled it beautifully. Overall, the jewelry was perfectly crafted to fit her and only her. Kamila Duche, heir to the Rouvelin throne, strode down the streets gracefully, her russet dress bustling out behind her magnificently. She clutched her heart pendant, rubbing her thumb over the smooth quartz surface. She always held it when she was nervous. It reminded her of her mother. Her amber colored hair was pulled up into a high, upswept bun, and she pushed back one of her escaping curls. Her sea blue eyes pierced through onlookers. Zen, a large, muscular man in a loose robe stood in the crowd. “I can’t believe we’re doing this. It’s madness! How will we pull it off?” A dark, mysterious voice answered him. “Oh, we’ll pull it off, alright, Zen. Don’t you worry about that.” “Yes, master.” Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet User 1194 2008-11-11T13:52:24Z ID: 45857 Prequels: none Sequels: 46123 Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Morbi commodo, ipsum sed pharetra gravida, orci magna rhoncus neque, id pulvinar odio lorem non turpis. Nullam sit amet enim. Suspendisse id velit vitae ligula volutpat condimentum. Aliquam erat volutpat. Sed quis velit. Nulla facilisi. Nulla libero. Vivamus pharetra posuere sapien. Nam consectetuer. Sed aliquam, nunc eget euismod ullamcorper, lectus nunc ullamcorper orci, fermentum bibendum enim nibh eget ipsum. Donec porttitor ligula eu dolor. Maecenas vitae nulla consequat libero cursus venenatis. Nam magna enim, accumsan eu, blandit sed, blandit a, eros. Quisque facilisis erat a dui. Nam malesuada ornare dolor. Cras gravida, diam sit amet rhoncus ornare, erat elit consectetuer erat, id egestas pede nibh eget odio. Proin tincidunt, velit vel porta elementum, magna diam molestie sapien, non aliquet massa pede eu diam. Aliquam iaculis. Fusce et ipsum et nulla tristique facilisis. Donec eget sem sit amet ligula viverra gravida. Etiam vehicula urna vg. One Man Search Party THX 0477 2008-11-11T14:21:02Z ID: 45858 Prequels: 45610 Sequels: 46517 With a start and gasp of realization, Mariano awoke. Impatiently he thrust away the covers and sat up, his legs dangling over the side of the bed. Nocturnal epiphany sped through his agile young mind, taking curves like a jack rabbit on Ritalin. Sariah was missing. It was the only explanation for the cars, and the men. She hadn’t been at her bedroom window all evening. She was always at her bedroom window. Always. Still why was there no announcement, no search party? They must suspect foul play. But had they searched? Had anyone looked? Brimming with boyhood zeal and naive conviction, Mariano jumped to his feet. He knew what he would do, how he would help. Swiftly but silently he dressed, layer after layer, accessory after accessory, until finally he was ready to go, ready for anything. Without a second thought he was out the back door and to the woods, a one man search party. He knew the woods. He knew the paths. Most importantly, he knew the quirky, secretive nature of the girl next door. Spilling penguincaptain18 2008-11-11T14:26:47Z ID: 45859 Prequels: 45810 Sequels: 45862 He took a deep breath. “Ok.. Janice...” Another deep breath. Janice could almost see the courage building up inside him. She wonder if he could hear her heart racing. “I think you have to be the most incredible person I’ve ever met. No one’s ever been as ridiculously perfect as you. Not only are you outrageously beautiful and brilliant but you also have the kindest soul ever in the history of kind souls. I don’t know how all the other girls stand to be around such an exquisite being. They all have to hate you. They have to. I know if I were a girl I would. I’d completely give up hope of ever having a boyfriend with you around. There’d be no way for me to measure up to you. So I’m REALLY glad I’m not a girl.” Kyle paused for a breath, Janice couldn’t catch hers. “I sit around and watch you, sorry if that sounds a bit creepy but I can’t help it. I don’t think I’ll ever get over how utterly, insanely awesome you are,” his voice was picking up speed, Janice’s astonished ears were having trouble following. On the Contrary Mackizme 2008-11-11T14:29:07Z ID: 45860 Prequels: 45849 Sequels: 45863 How did she do it? Adelle always seemed to find him, and she never failed to share her information with Gianna, or....a version of Gianna. But what is she this time? he wondered. He looked around him uncertainly. This was not the first time his home was simulated around him. They both thought he was stupid just because he was part-robot. On the contrary... Even this little spark of hope could not make him smile. “What’s going on here, Adelle?” he said and gave her his most disappointed, disapproving gaze. She shifted under his stare. “Gianna said she couldn’t find you.” “Did you stop to think that I didn’t want to be found?” He ignored Gianna, deciding she was a pre-recorded hologram and posed no threat. Adelle looked shocked. “Fame! How can you say that? Gianna is so good to you!” She seemed not to realize that the Gianna standing with them was just a hologram. He filled her in. She looked confused at first, then embarrassed, and finally ashamed. “I’m sorry, Fame, but I can’t lose you.” Wyrmtongue Thyme Passing 2008-11-11T14:37:49Z ID: 45861 Prequels: 44835 Sequels: none Many long years our people have been enslaved, many long years indeed. They took our families and separated them, our possessions and plundered them, and our hearts and broke them. Do not expect me to lament the fate of their civilization, for it was at my hands did it fall. The plan was of my weaving. Being their servant, I knew all their secrets, but they never suspected me, for I was meek, and small. What could a human do against a giant? they asked themselves. They never guessed my treachery! I laugh at their folly. I was subtle and sly. Through my cunning did the giants turn against each other. The man doubted his wife, and the woman questioned her son. None of them knew, and so they directed their anger at all, and so undid themselves. Soldiers plundered the homes of their own people, and the people rebelled. At the last, when the multitudes besieged the City, only then did I reveal my plot, and by then it was too late, for the City was burning. It burned, and as it burned, we made our escape,and fled. Mr. Mile-a-minute, Giant Run-on Talker penguincaptain18 2008-11-11T14:39:15Z ID: 45862 Prequels: 45859 Sequels: 46056 “I don’t know how it is that you don’t have a boyfriend. I don’t know how there isn’t an army of gus following you around, doing what ever your lovely heart desires,” Kyle continued, Janice’s face was about as red as can be imagined, yet getting redder. “But then I think, it does make sense because she’d never like that,” he was really picking up the pace now, “She’s not the type that goes around fluanting what she’s got and taking advantage, which makes you even perfecter. I don’t think that’s a word but it doesn’t really matter right now. All that really matters is that you’re perfect and there’s no one as awesome as you and you trump all those who think they are awesome and nothing is as wonderful as spending time with you and I can’t imagine anything better than talking to you, or seeing you, or being with you and there would be nothing worse than some other guy scooping you up and not appreciating you because he doesn’t know what he has and that would just really suck.” Another giant breath. Protector lovinglife307 2008-11-11T14:42:35Z ID: 45863 Prequels: 45860 Sequels: none “Lose me? I don’t think you need to worry about that, Adelle. You’ve tightened my leash over the past few days, you do realize.” I stared right back at her annoyed look. She shouldn’t rule my life. “I’m sorry, Fame. I know you think I’m being horrible, but I’m not.” She was acting defiant. What had gotten into her? “I think that’s for me to decide.” She recoiled, stung. “Fame, please. I just want to protect you.” She was wheedling now. She would’ve gotten down on her knees if she didn’t think Gianna was watching. Which she probably was. I didn’t care. “Listen, Adelle. You have been my protector,” I sneered the word, “since I was created. I know all I need to know. It’s time to maybe reverse the roles a little bit. You’re the one that should be protected, not me.” “Now, that, Fame, is for me to decide. You think you know everything, but you don’t.” I sneered. “Oh, sure, Adelle. Whatever you say.” “That’s right, Fame. Whatever I say.” Determination Mackizme 2008-11-11T14:42:36Z ID: 45864 Prequels: 45716 Sequels: 45865 Todd stands there for a few minutes after she leaves, breathing hard, wondering what the hell he is going to do next. He has bravely decided to get to the bottom of this whole mess but hasn’t decided how. Dammit, what is Tom up to? At this thought Todd is suddenly inspired. “Jim,” he says quickly. “Yeah,” Jim answers gruffly. He has been observing the whole scene and disapproves of how Todd has been acting. “What exactly was Tom writing about her?” “Her looks, her mannerisms...” Jim begins slowly, then he stops. “To put it bluntly... I think that boy wants to kill her.” Jim is surprised when Todd doesn’t react very violently to this news. Todd nods to himself, thinking. “Yes, yes, of course he does. Tom always was a jealous prick,” he splutters, his face displaying cold rage. “The boy doesn’t have a brain cell in his head that isn’t fueled by greed.” Jim frowned. “That’s a little harsh, boy, don’tcha think?” “I’m not a boy!” Todd snaps. He stands up straighter and says sternly, “I’m a man.” The Cold Shoulder Mackizme 2008-11-11T14:51:48Z ID: 45865 Prequels: 45864 Sequels: 45868 “Yes, yes, o’ course ye are...” Jim mutters as he shuffles around the tree looking for any other evidence. Todd is also looking around but he can’t see anything but a ball-point pen that’s been crushed. Probably from when Tom fell out of the tree, he thinks, sour-faced. God, I hope that kid is hurting. Serves him right! Jim eyes Todd carefully, then asks. “Do you need my help with anything, son?” Without even looking at him, Todd answers, “No. I’m fine. You can go now.” Jim doesn’t leave. He’s waiting for a thank you or some kind of acknowledgment of his help. He receives none. Angry, Jim says, “Fine. Goodbye.” He turns and stalks off toward his little house. Five Girls, Two Enemies lovinglife307 2008-11-11T15:03:25Z ID: 45866 Prequels: none Sequels: none “One, two, three... three! Oh my god.” Harper stared down at her bent over stomach, where three miniscule rolls of fat had appeared. “Oh, Harper, shut up already. You’re a size two.” I stretched out over my bed, twirling a dark lock of hair on my finger. Harper shut up. It was only expected. Gia came in with a bag of popcorn and another bag of Swedish Fish, followed closely behind by Emilie, who was carrying five soda’s. “Here we go, luvs.” Emilie plopped the soda’s down on the bedside table. “Where’s Demi?” Gia looked around the room, her eyes focusing on me. “Not quite sure.” I tugged at my tank top. “She should be here soon.” “Hello girls!” “There’s our Demetria! Where have you been?” Emilie plopped down on the couch, pulling a down pillow onto her lap. “Oh, sorry guys. I got here as soon as I could.” Demi’s hair was wind blown, and her nose was pink. “Come on in!” Harper smiled invitingly. I frowned. “Hey.” She looked over at me, surprised. “Oh, um, hi Bella.” I smirked. Are you ready? Too Late Lizzio19 2008-11-11T15:08:18Z ID: 45867 Prequels: none Sequels: none In the shadows I hideCautious and anxious, I fritter away my timeThen a glimmer of valor finally rises within meI prepare myselfLike the coiled viper, I strikeMy fangs baredThey long to seep in the skin of my preyBefore my attack hits I ceaseAlas, my prey is already deadA braver snake than I has beaten me Hurting Mackizme 2008-11-11T15:09:29Z ID: 45868 Prequels: 45865 Sequels: 45871 Tom can’t run any longer. He falls exhausted to the ground and the sound of the snow crunching beneath his body fills his frozen ears. He gasps as the cold seeps through his clothes. He can’t stop his teeth from chattering hopelessly and his shoulders begin to shake as well. “Oooooo,” he groans, shifting on the cold ground. “Noooo...” His attempted moan escapes as only a whisper. He can hear the sound of nearby cars driving by and he lifts an arm uselessly. ”...Help!” he croaks quietly. His leg aches terribly. It feels as though a knife is piercing through his skin and his muscles and—oh! The pain is unbearable! His ears are ringing. Tom pulls off his gloves and stares at his red hands in shock. Weakly he begins to rub them together to stimulate some heat but he is unsuccessful. As a last desperate hope he shoves his hands under his armpits. He is finally greeted by a sliver of warmth, and he shivers in relief. But it won’t be enough if he is left alone too much longer. Eclectic and Bucholic [SAC...again] g2 (la pianista irlandesa) 2008-11-11T15:23:44Z ID: 45869 Prequels: 42136 Sequels: none “Who the heck is that? Never seen her before...” “Who, the redhead? Sweater, jeans, blue fuzzy bucket hat?” “Yeah. Did she wander down here by accident? I better call the Memory Department..” “Oh, didn’t you hear? She’s the new recruit.” “Her?! Hasn’t she noticed that she sticks out?” “Probably.” “I’ll bet a week’s pay she doesn’t last the week.” “I wouldn’t count her out yet. No, you listen. Eclectic & bucholic as she may seem, she’s sharp. She catches on quickly, see? She’s as seamless & with it as she is conspicuous.” “You seem to have high hopes for her.” “And rightly so.” “Your reasoning being-?” “Remember Alpha Phi?” “How could I forget? No one could crack it for months.” “She wasn’t here a day before she figured it out. It was all a musical problem, see?” “How long ago was that?” “You still on with the bet?” “Sure, why?” “She’s been here eight days.stunned silence“Now pay up.” incoherent mumbling“By the way she’s your partner next mission, so you’d better get to know her.” Obsession: Begins Mr. Gabriel 2008-11-11T15:56:41Z ID: 45870 Prequels: 45837 Sequels: 45954 My heart skipped a beat in horror. What was he doing here? Pure coincidence could be an explanation, and it sounded like a good one, so I went with that and waved at him. He smiled. I looked away and saw from the corner of my eyes, he was angry. A few weeks had passed since I came to Marzark. Jared and I hung out almost everyday, and he was making me popular. One Friday Jared had to visit his family in a different part of town, and for once I had nothing to do. I picked up my phone and looked at my recent call list to see if anyone would hang out today. All incoming calls from Jared. A few outgoing.. to Jared. I looked through my contact list and called Jueli. She wasnt busy either, and she invited me to the mall. I gladly accepted. I swiftly put on my clothes and was out the door in less than a few minutes. I waited until Jueli came to leave. I stopped abruptly noticing a vibration coming from my leg. It was a text from Jared. “im comin home now so we can hang out” Not Your Typical Rescue Mackizme 2008-11-11T16:11:31Z ID: 45871 Prequels: 45868 Sequels: 45872 Warm hands turn him over. His eyes are frozen closed, and he moans softly at the touch. He is barely conscious as the hands pick him up and carry him...somewhere. He can occasionally make out some voices, but only snippets of conversation. He is drifting in and out of consciousness. ”....in the truck....hurt.......needs heat....” ”....him home...” “I know!” This last comment is louder than the rest and his eyes flutter open and catch a glimpse of a girl....a beautiful girl. And then he is asleep again. He awakens in water. Warm water. Someone is rubbing his arms with soapy hands. “Wha...?” he murmurs. The light is bright. Suddenly the lights dim and he is able to fully open his eyes. Tom is astonished to find himself sitting in a white porcelain bathtub. He suddenly realizes something is touching his leg. No. Not just his leg, but his back as well. All at once the realization comes, and then he hears a voice speak into his ear from behind. “Hello, Tom. Not to worry, I’ll keep you safe and warm.” A Long Lost Memory is Found Mackizme 2008-11-11T16:22:57Z ID: 45872 Prequels: 45871 Sequels: 45874 His instinct makes him stiffen at the touch of a girl, but immediately he relaxes as she reaches around him and begins to massage his adolescent, hairless chest. She moves up his arms and onto his shoulders, murmuring softly the whole time. He can’t help but give up control. He lets his head loll back onto her shoulder, closing his eyes and moaning in pleasure. He is very aware that her breasts are pressed against his back. Suddenly her hands are moving downward. She grips him by the waist and hoists him back toward her. Instinctively he moves with her and grabs her hand. She squeezes it, and with the other hand begins to explore his thighs and the space between. He gasps, his eyes wide open now. Something in her touch has reawakened a long lost memory and he is turned on. The water is soothing and he moves with her, tuning into the rhythm of her moving hand, his mind elsewhere... in the past. He is imagining that day long ago when that very special person did the same thing... and he fell in love. Experiment No. 1 Stovohobo 2008-11-11T16:30:05Z ID: 45873 Prequels: 45759 Sequels: 45884 A few more hours crept by, one by one, with nothing happening. I occupied myself by pacing the tile and gazing out at the Chicago skyline, then finally sitting down and listen to my stomach purr with hunger. Finally, a noise came through and broke the silence. But it wasn’t a voice, it was...just a mechanical noise. Suddenly the entire floor underneath me groaned and creaked, tipping to a nearly forty degree angle. I yelled out and skidded down the slick marble floor, eyes widening as I realized the whole thing was hurtling me straight for one of the glass windows. The soles of my feet nearly burned off from the friction I made trying to stop myself. I closed my eyes, and the explosion of glass reached my ears. Shards ripped at my clothing, hundred mile-per-hour winds immediately shooting me out into the opening, spinning me around and around until - Dark. Light. My fingers felt cold stone underneath them. I opened my eyes. Tiled marble floor lay underneath me.