Writing Challenge 2017 Stories!!

[grayce!]

http://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=3633517\
Post your entries here, please!!


Before December 10, 2017... Please have posted your stories here! Don't post here unless you are part of the competition!

[Pyra Ilver]

User- Pyra Ilver
Prompt- #1
Words- 795

MARK IT WITH A B

Patty cake, noun, a child’s game in which the two participants strike each other’s palms gently together in rhythmic beat, often accompanied by a nursery rhyme.

Punch, verb, to strike with the fist.

Understanding is important, and as I sit, paper in front and pen in hand (chewed, the head is suffering from internalised anxiety) I want you to understand what happened, but most importantly I want you to understand me. But for the sake of pleasantries, we will begin with the what.

Though, what is a rather clumsy question. What colour shoes will you wear? What is the square root of six thousand five hundred and sixty-one? (It is eighty-one, but that is beside the point) No, why is much more interesting, why tells you so much more about a person than what. What is boring, why is not.

Why I am sitting with a bruise over my right eye is because my capillaries have burst, and the internal bleeding is causing my tissues to discolour. And from that why, you know I am not like other eight-year olds. My name is Jonathan Patrick O’Neil and I attend Willow primary in Dublin, Ireland, I have skipped two years of schooling and I am on the spectrum. For those of you who suffer from the dreadful affliction of ignorance, that means I have autism, that means I think differently, it also means I am smarter than you. The screaming child you see on the news when they talk about autism is not me, I am better than that. When I lose my temper, I am more affluent in my effect and in my affluence lies my genius. Telling me to be modest is no good, for being modest is lying about one’s own ability, and I never lie.

But back to the why. Why I am sitting with a bruise over my eye is jealousy, and for those of you lower on the IQ scale, I am not bruising because I am jealous- jealousy is a sign of a weak mind, I am not weak-minded- I am bruised because a thug was jealous of me. Intellect can often measure the strength of a man. Was Neanderthal man clever? No. Because Neanderthal man was strong, Homo Sapiens are smaller, but smarter, and it appears Neanderthal disappeared in their wake, though occasionally genes revert to the primal instinct of strong means good, and weak means bad. Simplistic, dull minds, simplistic dull humanity.
Now I am going to be exact, because being exact is important. If Newton had a margin of error, the basis of modern physics would be lost. Numbers, exact, perfect. His name is Rohan Loch O’Callaghan, he is eleven years old, his father smokes (ash on his shoulder, yellowing of the teeth), his mother drinks (unsteady footing, unfocused eyes), he excels in physical activities. Today Rohan Loch O’Callaghan approached me and questioned my exceeding his test score. He then proceeded to extend a hand, I assumed in the ‘fad’– temporary, useless- of patty cake passing through the playground. I was wrong, and I need you to understand that I am rarely wrong.

There are different sorts of intelligence, there is logical intelligence, numbers and observations. Yes or no, black and white. I am this kind of intelligent, I can draw conclusions from the facts, and the answer from the formula. There is interpretive intelligence, English and arts. Maybe, greyscale. I am not this kind of intelligent, I cannot tell you how a word conveys a meaning, or why an artist chose red over blue or green or orange. There is also emotional intelligence, body language and tone. Perceivable, the whole spectrum. Ironic, because no one on the spectrum is this kind of intelligent.

I was wrong in that the hand was not extended in companionship over wasteful socialisation, but rather to harm. Pain is an odd process, it is something we all feel, but it is not emotion, you can claim pain over loss but that is grief, you can claim pain over heartbreak, but that is lost future. The only true occurrence of pain is force on receptors, or exactly in my case, fist on face.

And then they told me to write a statement, to make sure I could write everything I remembered. But what they have failed to remember is, I do not forget. And I most certainly do not forgive. Forgiving is the sign of a wavering will, and my will does not waver. As you sit with my statement in your hands, think about Neanderthal man, and the Homo Sapiens that destroyed him. Yes, maybe it took years, but when I feel that Nobel Prize, I will tell myself that Rohan Loch O’Callaghan never reached this.

[Dashie26]

User: MagicPencil-Chan
Prompt: #1
Word count: 1,951

Red Eyes, White Hair.

"We need to work on the fact that when someone throws a fist at you, they don't want to play patty-cake!" My sister, Anna, hissed at me. " Of all your traits, don't you think this one can be banished if you'd just listen to what I tell you?!"

I should probably explain- My name is Aurora Vesper, and the crazy brunette that's screaming at me would be my sister, Anna Faye. To put things short, I was adopted by her parents at the age of two. Ever since then I was lovingly raised by Mr. and Mrs. Faye who had home schooled me my entire life. Well, up to this point. I'm now a tenth-grade girl whose never been to school, forget having much social contact with the outside world. They would simply tell me it was because they were worried for me and thought that life would be better for me if I wasn't to go to school. But that wouldn't do, if I knew one thing it would be I didn't want to stay cooped up in that house my entire life. The real reason they probably never let me go up till now? Well-

"Are you even listening to me Aurora? I will drag you from this living room by the ears if you don-"

"Okay."

" What?"

I sighed, entwining our right hands. " I said okay. I'll try." The girl smiled brightly after recovering from the shock. " Finally! Now let's get you fixed up." She led me to our shared bedroom with an excited giggle. " Hey, hold on! What are you doing?" Not answering me, she simply pushed me onto the chair that rested in front of our aged vanity and began digging in the drawers.

I knew what was happening.

" I did not sign up for this!" I spat and tried to stand, only to receive an evil look from Anna that made me gulp nervously. " You will let me do something to your face and will not complain." Pulling out some mascara and blush, I shrunk away from it. " Ew no, it'll feel weird. Plus i'll look like a potato!" She rolled her eyes. " Fine by me."

------------------------------------------------

How did it end up like this?

Standing in front of the doors to my first school, I gave an exasperated sigh. In the short amount of time we had to get ready, Anna forced the make-up on ( though, luckily, it was just a small amount), put me in a dress, and injured my poor bum.

Good job, Anna.

" Phew, at least she let me settle for this." I stated, staring down at my partially ripped black leggings accompanied by a mid thigh red plaid skirt. I had also paired it with red plaid hoodie plastered with grey, also ripped near the end of the sleeves. I promise I'm not that much of an angsty teen. Yet.

Pushing past the doors I calmly walked towards my first class, my black and grey converse tapping the ground for an echo to bounce through the empty hallways.

I was excited, but nervous. It was my first time after all.

" And so- Ah! You would be the new student, correct?" A middle aged man by the name of Mr.Hawkins greeted me as I stepped past the door way, lazily holding my backpack strap on one shoulder as the other was deserted.

Eyes turned to me, breaking away from their chats. I began to feel a bit prickly at their gazes.

" M-My name is Aurora Vesper. I'm 16 and have been home schooled till now. Nice to meet you." Oh, I stuttered. And that doesn't sound like me at all, I am a fierce child.

Looking up, my breathe caught at the glares and whispers. Oh no. Not again.

" Why are her eyes so weird?"

" Right! She looks like a demon."

" Haha, not a pretty one either!"

I scrunched my eyes and furrowed my brows. I hadn't expected this kind of reaction- except I did. In some way, I knew my eyes were different from everyone's. I knew I wasn't beautiful. Mom would take me to the playground and other parents would take their children and leave. Leave me standing alone, with nobody to talk or to play with. Nobody but my mother telling me it was okay, that I wasn't a monster. But somehow, it still hurt.

" Settle down, class! Aurora, you may sit by Luca." My eyes drifted across the class to where I estimated Mr. Hawkins' own went.

Oh my.

What my eyes landed on was a boy with snow white hair and fairly tanned skin. His eyes were obscured by the fact his gaze was set towards the window beside of him, which only made me more curious. He didn't even turn at the calling of his name.

Without a word, I swiftly trotted towards his direction and pulled the chair of an empty seat beside him, sitting in silence. I wasn't going to expect him to light up and sing Hakuna Matata, but it was just odd. He didn't move an inch even as I sat.

The teacher's lecture began but I quickly drifted into boredom. Mom would always make jokes and try to make everything fun, but this wasn't Mom. This was school.

Glancing at the boy beside me, I cautiously poked him with a pencil to which he turned to glare at me. And let me just say, I was frozen in marvel as I finally saw his full face.

They say eyes are the window to a person's soul. But his eyes were cold- not the kind to which you were scared, but rather I wanted to reach out and hug the stranger as soon as I saw them.

" What?" He growled, to which I cleared my throat. " Uh, Hi! I'm Aurora, guess we'll be seat buddies now, huh?" I suggested. " Don't talk to me."

...

Eh?

I lifted an eyebrow. " What do you-", I was cut off by the harsh look he cast me and simply turned my head to look down at my desk. What's his problem?

-----------------------------------------------------------------

A loud ring of the bells indicated that lunch was now ready to be served.

" Finally!" I exhaled, stepping into pace with my sister. " Someone's hungry, huh?" I whooped, nodding. " Haha, oh gosh you are such a nut."

" As always, my lady."

A bit later we had to part ways as she was a grade higher than me and the 11th grade sat at a different section of the cafeteria, so that's nice.

" Watch where you're going!" A shrill voice spat in my direction, bringing me back from my thoughts. " Huh?" A tall red haired girl stood, lips pursed. " You almost made me chip a nail! Unruly wrench!" I scrunched my eyebrows together when it happened, she commented on them. " Ew, look at her eyes! They're red! What are you, some kind of monster?" My fists clenched but I held my tongue, not wanting to give them what they wanted. " Isn't Anna her sister or something? That idiot probably even claims this demon as a sibling! I wouldn't."

My eyes widened. It was one thing to talk bad about me, but my sister? She was going to pay.

Before I could speak, a deep voice interrupted.

" Shut up."

Our heads turned to the source, only to see Luca standing there with his eyes narrowed.

" What?" The girl tensed.

" Stop talking bad about her eyes." He hissed.

The girl simply smirked, opening her mouth once more. " Fine. But isn't this funny? The white haired freak defends the red eyed freak. What a match, It's disgusting to even see you both at once." I scoffed, glaring at her. " You talk about his hair? You should be worrying about your split ends and terrible layering." She let out an offended hiss and strutted off, leaving me in awe of Luca. And of myself. I had finally done what my sister told me, but for another. And that meant something to me as he did the same.

He stood up for me, even after not wanting to talk to me?

" Thank you." I smiled at Luca, pushing back any tears that may have formed with the stress.

" Thank.. Thank you.. Too." He processed slowly.

" Your hair color is beautiful." I spoke, meaning every word.

" Your eye color is beautiful." He spoke, meaning every word.

---------------------------------------------------------------

As we turned 17, we noticed our feelings for each other and stated dating.

Our wedding date was when we turned 20.

Decided to help others who were like us, we both became Therapists to pursue this dream.

We stayed like this, in a state of undying love. That would never change, and I knew that. But sometimes life takes a turn for better or for worse. And it certainly took a turn.

At the age of 67, I was diagnosed with cancer. I won't specify what type because it was simple. The doctor said I had two years to live at most, as it was in its early stage but nothing could be done.

I was put into a hospital for a large amount of time. Luca would visit me everyday without fail, no matter his condition, or his schedule. He was there. And I always knew he would be. So after I had gained a stable condition, the doctor let me leave the hospital to go home. I was overjoyed, as expected. And so was Anna who had been waiting on the couch as Luca brought me in. Showered with hugs and conversation, laughs and jokes, I was relieved. Relieved they didn't look at me with pity and sorrow like everyone in the hospital would.

Me and Luca spent our days going places I had always wanted to see, but we would never stay too long as I would begin to miss my home. Our home. The home Luca and I built from our hard work. I slept best in that home, yes I did. And this wouldn't change.

One night we danced away listening to our old favorite songs, smiling and holding each other. Afterwards we ate a delicious dinner, which I thanked Luca kindly. Once again we would sit and tell each other stories of what had happened while I was locked up in the hospital I so dreaded. I loved to hear his voice as he excitedly explained events I weren't really listening to. I would just focus on his voice. On him. On how happy he sounded, and how lucky I was to have him.

That night, we lay in bed gazing at each other with warm expressions. Every inch of him was perfect. From his laugh, to the way his eyes would wrinkle when he shut them to smile. I loved everything about him, and he knew that. But I needed to say it out loud. To tell the world that he was all I needed. Entwining our hands, I felt at ease. " I love you." I whispered. His gaze softened. " I love you too."

As we said those words, those words that echoed throughout the world, we closed our eyes. We closed them for our eternal slumber. We wouldn't see the sunlight once more, but that was okay. We didn't need the sunlight, for we were each other's light, and that was okay too. Because as we lay there those last few seconds, we thought of how we were brought together. How our supposed curse was actually a blessing.

Red eyes, white hair.

[Boredom Queen]

Standing Next To Him:Book 1

Chapter 1:What is this feeling?

It was the start of school for me, Roxanne.I had just arrived at school, carrying my backpack full of heavy stuff, I struggled as I walked to my classroom and our teacher gave us our locks and combinations so I could finally put all this stuff in my locker!But no I still had to open it all and get most of my things organized so we wasted a couple of hours doing that and then I was finally free from all the weight and also a really cute boy was beside my locker, one locker down, soon we headed into the classroom to get to know each other better and I made a friend!Her name was Violet , she was a Chinese girl that unlike me really disliked boys, after the first the day of school I kept feeling the same strange feeling around the boy that's name was Jackson, "What was this strange feeling?"I kept asking myself, soon I started thinking that I just was really nice.But then I started blushing and biting my lips around him for no apparent reason until I started searching it up on google and every single website said I was in love with him but I still didn't believe it so I told my mom and she told me it was love, at this point I was convinced, I was In love with Jackson but I started worrying more and more every day, what if he doesn't like me?What if he hates me?, I didn't know how I should feel, I would still always blush whenever we were close but I tried to hide it in class so no one would acusé me of liking him, I soon just became his friend but started following him around and trying to make him happy, no matter what I had to do and all I could do in my head was worry, and I really wanted to tell someone but was to afraid of what they would think of me so I kept quiet.

Chapter 2:Worried

I still could not stop obsessing over what Jackson thought of me, Jackson was not a stranger like everyone else in my class but was one of my old classmates!I never thought I would have a crush on the cry baby of grade 1-2, he was always crying whenever he didn't get his way, I didn't really like him back then!but now I have a crush on him, ever since I found out I liked him I had been doing whatever he liked doing but all he did was sit there and rarely smile!He was always hanging out with his friends that I personally thought were very rude!I soon started walking with him to our classes with his friends and I tried to not stand out but how is a girl supposed to fit into group of boys?!Every time I walked with him I always felt like I was the odd one out, but I kept doing it, sometimes I walked with my friend Violet just so she wouldn't feel Lonely and so I could spend some time with her, friend time, me and Violet were completely opposite, she would always defend herself with hitting or yelling while I used words and tried to fix things peacefully but when they got aggressive then I showed them that they will not boss me around by yelling, but I am usually a very calm girl but when you cross the line then you will make me explode like a bomb in your ears.I loved Jackson and that's all that I really know, so I do what my instincts teller me, I never thought I would like anyone till high school but oh well, It happens when It happens, So far the year has been wild very wild and I have no idea what's going to happen!

Chapter 3:Confessing

I had been hiding that I liked Jackson for a long time and I was urging to tell someone but I still didn't fully trust Violet, so the next day I went over to one of my friend/Neighbour house to hang out until Victoria asked me who I liked?And I started freaking out in my head because I didn't know if I could trust her either, but I decided to tell her and spoke "Uh......................Jackson, I like Jackson" she looked at me, as if she were making sure I was being for real and then asked "For real?" And I nodded, blushing with embarrassment,  she started giggling and finally spoke "You like JACKSON?!" And I nodded again and she giggling and told me their crushes, one of my neighbours Victoria said that their crush  "Damien" soon after that I left to go back to my house to eat and take a bath and then sleep.The next day when I woke up I told my other friend Patricia and she reacted very differently than Victoria and Alice.As usual I went to school and had a normal day and came back to eat, all day I was building up my confidence to tell my dad and finally told him I had a crush on a guy named Jackson and he accepted it but told me if He or my mother caught me and him kissing or being boyfriend or girlfriend that he would take Jackson and leave him in the mountains and punish me as well, so from that day forward I never tried to get Jackson to kiss me, I didn't really want my first kiss yet either so I started not being so obsessed with him but of course I was still a bit obsessed with him since my dad could not stop me from having a crush on him.

Chapter 4:Don't say a thing!
Two days after telling Victoria, Alice and Patricia that I liked Jackson I went up to them at school and make them promise they wouldn't say a thing!And they promised they wouldn't tell a soul but I was still very cautious, After telling them I went to my locker and saw Jackson getting his stuff out of his locker to get ready for 4th period and he I went over to get out my stuff and walked with him to our 4th class.

After 4th class we headed back to our lockers to get our gym strips and headed to gym together, we had to have gym with the frenchies that were big cheaters!Every time we played a game that was for everyone, the frenchies tags each one of us while we were alone, seriously!They were too competitive!After gym class we headed to our last couple of classes and then headed home, I took the bus so I had to wait a while until it arrived.When I got home it was around 4:30 and all I could think about was Jackson and the boy that I sometimes walked home with called Jason.From then everything went normal, like any other day.When I went to bed I stayed up reading for a while but since I was kinda a book worm, I then went to my brothers bed and kissed him good night before going to my bed and going to sleep until the next morning/day.

Chapter 5:School Dance(Part 1)


My friends Victoria and Patricia were trying to convince them me to go the final school dance of the year, they wouldn't stop bothering me so I finally agreed and I invited Patricia and Victoria over to help me pick out a dress and shoes and they finally liked one of my dresses a purple dress and a pair of shoes that weren't shoes but were sandals, They finally left and I changed into the clothes and went outside around 6:50 and got into Victoria's Car and we drove to the dance.

Chapter 6:The Dance(Part 2)

We finally arrived at the dance, we headed in and paid for access to the dance, once we got in we went to the gathering area to wait for some more friends and then headed to the gymnasium and there I saw Jackson!He was just walking around and looked lonely but I didn't know what I should say so I just hanged out with my friends Patricia and Victoria for a while until I went outside to get something to drink and eat since I was super hungry!Then I went back in to the Gymnasium but I couldn't find them but I saw Jackson talking with my teacher Mr.Tam and built up the confidence to go stand near themselves be slowly walked closer, looking at the ground, soon Jackson walked over to me and asked me "Do you want to dance?" And I quietly responded "Yes" and then we started walking the waltz to a very romantic song but since I had never danced with a boy before and we both kept stepping on each other for two dances until a girl came over to me and then backed away and made a heat with her hand and then giggled "I ship this!" But we bot ignored her and soon we stoped dancing and I headed over to my friends to tell them that I had danced with Jackson!But I still couldn't find them.

Chapter 7:The Dance(Part 3)

After dancing with Jackson I went outside to spend the last of my money that was $5.25,I found Patricia and Victoria and I bought some candy and some coke for them, they were begging me to buy them something!I then told them that I had danced with Jackson!They started freaking out and kept asking "Really!" and then Victoria told me that he could tell one of her guy friends to ask Jackson if he liked me but I kept begging "No no no plz no no no" but she ended up telling her guy friend to tell him and when Jackson walked by us he wouldn't even talk to me!!!!Much less look at me!I stared at Victoria and thought in my head "Why are you doing this to me?!I should have never told her or Patricia!" I was really sad since they had made my crush not even talk to me!I hid the sadness so they wouldn't feel bad.A couple of weeks passed and summer vacation started, I was so happy to be free from all the questions from my classmates about Jackson, I was so sick of them.

Chapter 8:The Truth

A couple of weeks had passed since school ended and Victoria had just told me if she could come over to tell me something so obviously since I was super bored I agreed and we went to my room to chat.She asked me "Do you really want me to tell you?" And because I was anxious to know I replied with a firm "Yes", "Well....I texted Jackson on Instagram", "What!Why did you do this to me!What...ugh" I yelled at her, freaking out, "I have to go..." Victoria told me and I nodded, still majorly freaking out.

Two days later
Victoria knocked on the door and asked "Can I come In?", I yawned "Sure", we then went to my room and started to chat, "So do you remember me texting Jackson on Instagram?" She asked and I rolled my eyes "Of course how could I forget?", "Well we texted some more and you wouldn't believe what he said!", "What did he say????"I asked, anxious, "Well I just said hi I'm Reginas friend and he said I know what your trying to do and it's not going to work, it was obvious that she liked me so Mr.H told me to ask her out, Stop bothering me you beach , bye you shipy poop and then he blocked me!", I was in shock, I calmed down and then said "Well I don't think I ever really liked him, so whatever, I think I was just sad o he said such bad things about himself and yeah, I'm never talking to him again", we then chatted for a while more and then she said I have to leave since it was 9 already so I said bye and went to bed trying to go to sleep.

Chapter 9:School

Summer was over and school had started, I didn't want to go to school since I don't think I can really see or talk to Jackson without bursting out in tears, It was the first day and I wanted to make a good impression, I soon arrived at the school and saw everyone going to class, I waited outside for my friend Violet, I waited and waited but she didn't arrive so I waited some more and then went to my class, Soon after the second bell rang, she walked into the class, we played some games and did some work and then got to go home, that day I bumped into Jackson once but I didn't even look at him or speak to him and he did the same.

The next day
It was 2d period, when all of the sudden the fire alarm went of and we all scurried outside, we already knew it was a drill, my class was beside Jacksons class, we were basically beside each other, for some odd reason my head kept turning to see him but I quickly turned away, My mind was telling me to talk to him but my heart kept saying don't talk to him so I agreed with my heart, we soon went inside and the day went on.

My promise to myself
In the summer I had promised myself that I would never talk to Jackson again, I planned to keep that promise for as long as I lived.

NEVER TALK TO JACKSON AGAIN

~Standing Next To Him~

•Hey so that's my story!hope you like it, all this actually happened to me so it may not be exact, sorry.

[grayce!]

bump !

[BigWolf643]

notes: so this is 5531 words. yeah. it also went through six different plots and two sets of characters until i finally found something i liked. hope you enjoy!

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For the last ten minutes, Saoirse had been staring at the boat. The boat, of course, being the boat floating beside the dock that was more rot than wood, forest slowly eating it away. There were no other boats. Shouldn’t be any boats, honestly, but the forest liked to take expectations and not only flip them, but hurl them into the river and drown them.

“We think she’s okay, yes?” Halcyon asked, her tail twitching behind her.

“Saoirse’s done stuff like this since I’ve met her, so she’s fine,” I said, “She likes to think deep thoughts about the universe and then tell me about it later. It’s usually pretty interesting. Also makes me question my entire existence, which is less fun, but y’know. In a ‘I now fear not only death but the very real possibility that the forest is alive,’ way.”

Halcyon frowned, staring down at her paws. “I sometimes forget you are outsiders,” she said. Her ears were flat, and the ruff of clouds around her neck crackled with thunder.

“…okay,” I said, turning away from the fox, “Hey, Saoirse, you done yet?”

Saoirse jolted and spun around to glare at me. “I always tell you not to startle me!” she said, but her voice was light and her lips twitched upwards in a grin. “And…yes, I guess I’m done. We just have to wait for Maeve to come back. Do you know where she went?”

“Probably trying to find that griffin again,” I said, “It had fire. I think she wanted to ask it for help? Or something? Since the three of us are, in her words, ‘the worst creatures in this entire forest, I can’t believe none of you know how to use fire!’ Or something to that effect.”

“That was not a griffin,” Halcyon said, and a shudder went though her body, “That was something ancient, and all-knowing. That was something pretending to be the opposite of itself.”

“And Maeve went after it?” Saoirse asked, frantic, “You have to tell us when she wanders off like that!”

“What?” Halcyon recoiled, “No! She went to hunt. Said she was hungry and wanted to find a deer.”

“I really don’t think deer are stupid enough to come out this far,” I said. The air was too cold to be natural, and the entire area was silent, as though we had stepped through a veil into a universe without birds and bugs as background noise.

“You might be right,” Halcyon said, her pelt shifting from stormy gray to the color of clouds before a drizzle, “We might be the only creatures out here for…” the fox trailed off and shook her head, sighing. “This ‘boat’ is nothing good. Nothing human in this forest is good,” she finished.

“Except me and Saoirse!” I chirped, ruffling the fox’s neck-fur. She jumped away from me, eyes narrowed. “Oh, c’mon, I was being gentle! You can’t tell me I scared you again. I said I was sorry the first time.”

“The ‘first time’ was also the first time I had ever spoken with a human,” Halcyon said, baring her teeth, but her voice didn’t sound angry, “Of course I would be surprised you could communicate with me."

“I’d say I have an answer, but I literally only speak one language and my entire experience with animals is me petting the dog Saoirse used to have, so,” I shrugged, “My guess is as good as yours.”

“My guess would be better,” Halcyon said, “You are outsiders. I was born here. And besides, I'm pretty sure you two just learned forest-language."

“Outsiders,” Saoirse said, “You call us that a lot, and I’m not mad or anything, but…what difference does it make? We’re all trapped here just the same, right?”

“Yes, and no,” Halcyon said, sitting down and wrapping her feathery tail around her paws, “You are trapped like all forest-creatures are, but you weren’t raised in our traditions and culture. You were raised human. You were raised on human tradition, and human culture.”

“You and Maeve were raised in different cultures,” I pointed out.

“Species aside, all creatures share some folklore, most about the forest. You two never learned that folklore, and thus are outsiders.”

“Huh,” I said, and a second after, Saoirse asked, “Could you tell us?”

“When we get away from this river, and this boat, and this area, sure,” Halcyon said, “Should we call Maeve back from her failed hunt?”

“I’m on it,” I told Halcyon, before turning to the forest beyond us, all ash-gray trees and falling leaves, “Maeve!” I called, “Maeve, we’re leaving! Hurry up before we leave you behind!”

“Coming!” Maeve’s voice was distant, but loud, and after a minute, she trotted into the clearing, purple-pride blooming across her scales. It was always weird, seeing Maeve. You’d expect a dragonet to be larger than a Labrador, but no, Maeve was barely taller than one.

“Did you catch anything?” Saoirse asked. Maeve snorted, tossing her head.

“Yes! I did! It just…” she trailed off, pink and red mixing together with the purple, “It kinda got away. I would’ve killed it! But…” she sighed and trudged over to Saoirse, sitting down and leaning against her leg, “I don’t have fire and I didn’t bite fast enough.”

“Hey, that’s okay,” I said, “Not like I can hunt, so you’re doing better than me already!”

“You caught a rabbit the other day,” Maeve said, “And all you had to do was dig a hole. With a rock.”

“It was at least six rocks, don’t give me that much credit,” I said. Maeve huffed and turned to look at the boat. I followed her gaze.

“Have you guys been on the boat?” Maeve asked, scales flashing yellow-excitement, “If not, we should go explore! A human boat in the middle of the forest? That’s gotta have something good!”

“I’m not sure…” Saoirse said, leaning down to rub Maeve’s side. The dragonet trilled happily. “I’ve been watching that boat since you left, and there’s no sign of life on it. How would a boat get this deep into the forest without anyone steering it? What if there’s just bones and dead things inside?”

“We eat bones and dead things,” Maeve said, “They’re not that scary.”

“Still,” Saoirse said, but she smiled.

“Alright! Boat adventure!” I cheered, eyeing the dock and hoping the leaf-rot could understand the words I was thinking as I glared at it: you try anything and I’ll…burn you! With fire I absolutely have!

“Uh…Alice?” Halcyon asked as she stopped beside me, “What are you doing? Maeve and Saoirse are already getting on.”

“Glaring at the leaf-rot and telling it to back off,” I explained, “I think it got the message.”

“Smart,” Halcyon said, and as she followed Maeve and Saoirse onto the rotting dock, she growled something at the leaf-rot under her breath. I grinned.

The dock creaked when I stepped on it, but I wasn’t scared. Well, mostly not scared. I wasn’t scared, but if the dock broke, I’d get wet, and it was kinda impossible to wash your clothes when you were in the middle of the woods and sleeping in a tree trunk.

“Halcyon, Alice, hurry up!” Maeve called, “I don’t know what anything is but it’s all shiny and weird! Saoirse says there’s like, advanced human stuff here! Something about phones? I don’t know what that it, but it’s weird and cool and dead-smelling, so it can’t hurt us.”

“Phones?” I called back, taking careful steps so I didn’t trip over jagged wood and fall face-first into the river, “I used to have a phone. I lost it because I threw it at a tree when I was mad the internet didn’t work.”

“Internet?” Maeve asked as Halcyon stepped into the boat and I followed her.

“Yeah, it’s like—”

The boat’s interior was almost blinding. It was a sleek metal with windows covering every exposed surface, letting in the last trickles of sunlight to reflect glare into my eyes.

“Jesus!” I spat, rubbing my eyes, “What the hell! This was wooden from the outside.”

“Yeah,” Saoirse said, and when I could finally see again, she was frowning down at the phone in her hands, “There’s a bunch of texts on here. All to one person.”

“Really?” I asked, walking over to her. Saoirse tilted the phone so I could see it. It looked like a normal phone, other than the huge crack in the center that spiderwebbed out.

“What’s a text?” Maeve asked, landing on my shoulder to glimpse at the phone. Her talons dug into my skin, but I ignored them. I was pretty used to Maeve treating me like her own personal tree to perch on.

“It’s like…a form of communication over distance,” Saoirse said, sitting down in one of the three cheap plastic chairs that made up the entirety of the boat’s furniture, “You can send a message to someone, no matter where they are, and they can respond.”

“Cool!” Maeve said, hopping off my shoulder and landing in Saoirse’s lap, “So, can we read them? Maybe it’ll tell us what this person on the boat was like!”

“I guess,” Saoirse said. I grabbed one of the chairs and pulled it over to sit beside her, while Halcyon just sat down on the floor, tail thumping behind her. Maeve’s scales looked how I felt: a dark shade of yellow with fireworks of blue and lavender.

“So…” Saoirse started, “There’s not that many, but they’re all very long, and all except six were sent by the person who owns the phone. They were texting someone named, ‘May,’ and it has a heart after it, so I’d guess they were close.” Saoirse paused to take a breath, before continuing, “Alright. The first text: Hey, May! I’m in the boat, and yeah, you were right, absolute garbage. I’m pretty sure I broke the wheel trying to steer it, so now I’m just letting the waves carry me wherever. I can still see land, so don’t worry. It’s far, and distant, but it’s there.

“Have you ever thought about forest? Like, really thought about it? Because now I am. I saw, like, three deer just a minute ago, so that’s cool. Why do deer live in the forest? They seem like smart animals. I wouldn’t live in a forest if I had a choice. Creepy and dark and endless isn’t exactly my ideal vacation spot, you know? Okay, love you, should be back home in like…two weeks? Eh. Maybe more, if I can’t figure out how to un-screwup my boat.”

“So, they just jumped on a boat and went off into the forest?” Maeve asked, tilting her head, “That’s stupid. They even say they wouldn’t live in a forest, so why would they come in?”

“Humans are strange creatures,” Halcyon said, “They do things that don’t make sense to us forest-creatures.”

“Humans don’t even make sense to other humans,” I said, “I used to know this girl that ate glue. That was weird. I mean, I once almost ate poison ivy on a dare, so I guess eating dumb things is a human thing. Huh.”

Saoirse coughed, and I returned my attention to her.

“Are you okay?” Halcyon asked, standing to her paws, “You aren’t getting sick, no?”

“No, just—” Saoirse was interrupted by another bout of coughing, “Just…the air. It tastes wrong. Like metal and sun.”

“The air?” Halcyon asked, and Saoirse nodded.

“Yeah. It’s fine, now. I’ll continue.” Saoirse glanced down at the phone screen. “Okay. Text two: Did you know that I saw six foxes today? That’s unusual, right? Do they travel in packs? I’d look it up, but internet on this boat is mostly awful and I’m honestly not sure where the Wi-Fi box gets the signal from. I probably should’ve asked Ellie before I left. She’s smart.

“Anyway. I’m still not close to fixing the wheel. I think I broke it more? My current steering method is ‘long stick I found two nights ago.’ It works well enough. I’m pretty sure the foxes are judging me, though. I guess it would look pretty stupid to see me in all my glory abovedeck on a tiny boat, attempting to use a tree branch as an oar. I’d send you pictures if I was able to. Sadly, I am not, but I’m sure you can imagine something similar. Think of me, but looking more stupid and reckless than usual. See you soon, I hope!”

“I really want to know their name,” I said as Saoirse finished, “Would help with the immersion.”

“I’m pretty immersed!” Maeve said, grinning, her scales flashing bright yellow, “I wonder why the foxes were watching them? Foxes always know things. That’s what I’ve heard.” She turned to Halcyon. “Is it true?” she asked.

“Foxes are observant,” Halcyon said, “More so than others. That might be where the myth came from, but we aren’t born with knowledge. We gain it.”

“Oh,” Maeve said, “I guess that makes sense. It would be weird if I was born knowing everything about everything.”

“While I’m glad you’re enjoying this, can we keep commenting down to a minimum?” Saoirse asked, “There’s still five texts left, plus the six from May at the end, and if you three have to stop and chat after every text, this’ll take forever. Let me read them all, and then we talk about it, okay?”

“Sure,” I said, leaning back in my chair. The plastic was cold against my back, and I winced.

“Sorry!” Maeve said, ruffling her wings, “I’ll be quiet!”

Halcyon only nodded. Saoirse grinned.

“Great, thanks!” she said, “Okay. Text three: May, I really wish you were on this boat with me, because I’m pretty sure I just saw a griffin? Like, I’m not joking, I’m positive I saw one. It was off in the forest to the distance, and it looked at me, and then it flapped its wings and disappeared into the trees. I guess I could’ve been hallucinating or something, but it was too big to be a bird, yet it had a beak, and was four-legged, so I’m not sure what else it could be.

Remember the stories we used to hear? About ancient beings that wandered the earth? I wonder if that was one of them. I wonder if that’s why this forest seems to go on forever: it’s the territory of something older than any of us. Do you think things like that could manipulate the forest? I know you don’t really believe in old folklore about forest-gods and fire-creatures, but those were some of my favorite stories, and now…I dunno.

I’m sorry. I was probably just tired. That must be it. Bye. Love you.”

Saoirse paused to breathe, before continuing on with the next text. “Four: Is this forest ever going to end? Guess not. The date on my phone has been frozen on the 19th for…a week? A month? I have no idea. I can’t see the moon most nights, and the sun’s light is never strong enough to reach me, so I tend to tell the time by what animals I see outside. Right now, there’s some sort of owl just beside me. This might sound crazy, but I think it’s reading over my shoulder? I don’t know. These animals are…different. I’m different. This forest is different.

“I love you, May. I hope these texts are getting to you, and you don’t think I abandoned you, because believe me, that’s the last thing I wanted to do. The last thing I want to do.”

“Do you think they’re trapped?” Maeve asked, quietly, “Is that what happened to them? The forest absorbed them?”

“We’ll know soon, I hope,” Saoirse said, “Text five: Me and Barr are best friends now. Or, the other day, I was talking to the owl, which has been chilling on my boat for a few days now, and it just…talked back. Just like that. Said, ‘Have you ever considered going to the heart?’ and then froze, like it was just as confused as I was. I asked it, ‘Did you just talk to me?’ and the owl said, ‘I guess you’re a forest-creature now. I’m Owl. Who are you?’

“Owl. An owl named Owl. I asked about that, you know? Because I was confused, and Barr said it’s a bird thing: their language of clicks and chirps doesn’t translate into forest-language, so they just go by species names. It’s weird. I asked what type of owl he was: snowy, great gray, all the other types I don’t know because I don’t study owls, and he said he was a Barred Owl, so I’ve been calling him Barr.

“I know, I know, I sound…I don’t know. Like I’m making up a story for you. But I’m not. I’m stuck on a boat in the middle of an endless forest, with only Barr for company. And we can talk to each other. That makes it less lonely out here. Before, I was talking to the air, to myself, to anything that would listen. Now someone’s talking back. It’s…it’s different. I’ve been on this boat for more than two weeks now, and Barr’s the first company I’ve had.

“Owl voices sound…light. Like, it’s something fragile and delicate. I asked Barr about that, about how we were speaking when I spoke English and he whatever his bird language is called, and Barr told me about forest-language. If you’re stuck in the forest, like I am now, then you kinda…automatically learn it? It’s like, you slip into forest-language without noticing, and it’s hard to slip back out, but to you, it just sounds like your normal language, as though every creature you talk with has learned your native language, when in reality, it’s a bunch of different languages that make sense due to the forest.

“It’s getting late. Barr tells me the moon is up, and it’s a half-moon tonight. I left on a kinda full-moon, so that’s been…I dunno. Time. Lots of it. Time passes both here and where you are. I hope they’re passing at the same speed. It would suck if I get out of here only to find the non-forest world, like, post- apocalyptic and you dead.

“Don’t worry, though, I’m getting out. Hopefully with Barr. I’ll tell you more tomorrow. I love you, May. I hope you aren’t too worried for me.”

“Forest-language…” I said as Saoirse finished, “Halcyon, is that how we’re talking to you guys? Like, do our voices sound like your fox-language?”

“That’s not exactly how it works,” Halcyon said, “I don’t want to be rude to Saoirse, so I’ll make it brief: forest-language is a common language. You two speak forest and human. I speak forest and fox. Maeve speaks forest and dragon. Like all languages, most creatures pick up on forest from birth, along with their species’ language. With outsiders, you pick it up as you’re in the forest, and typically, once you understand it enough to communicate, it’s too late to leave. I never knew humans could learn it until I met you two, but then again, most humans don't stay long enough for the forest to take an interest in them.”

“Oh,” I said, frowning. That was…an explanation, alright. I sighed and turned back to Saoirse. Thinking about the forest did nothing but make my head hurt, as I knew from experience.

“Thanks for explaining,” Saoirse said to Halcyon, and then, to all of us, “Text six: Yesterday, I said I’d tell you my plan for getting out of this forest, so here we go.

“Barr told me about the heart of the forest: a place deep inside, protected by leaf-rot and leaf-creatures and every defense a forest could possibly have, which is more than I thought. The heart is difficult to get to, and every harder to defeat, because, after all, how do you destroy a being that isn’t just one forest, but all forests, and controls an entire realm?

“Fire. You destroy it with fire. Pretty simple, right? The hard part is getting to it, and getting fire, since most animals can’t exactly make fire, but know who has a lighter in their back pocket? Me! The plan is that me and Barr follow the river to the heart of the forest, set it on fire, and escape before the heart has a chance to regrow. Because of course it would. It’s impossible to kill a forest forever, but it is possible to incapacitate one, at least for a little while.

“So…yeah. Sounds simple when I type it out like this, and that makes me feel better about everything. I have a chance! Of getting out and seeing you again! God, May, this is really happening. Barr has no idea how close we are, but all rivers lead to the heart, just like how all veins lead to our hearts. It’s the same concept. All I have to do is wait.

“I’ll see you real soon, May. I love you!”

“You’ve talked about the heart, Halcyon,” I said, “Is that true?”

“Hypothetically, yes, and I’m sure creatures have killed the heart before,” Halcyon said, “It’s very difficult. The only way to find the heart is to find the light-deer, who guard the border, but the heart is constantly moving. It doesn’t stay in place for too long.”

“We only have one text left, guys,” Saoirse said, “Alice, please keep your questions until the end. I’m also curious! But we have one text and then the texts from May, which aren’t as long, luckily, so no talking until I finish. Got it?”

I nodded and offered a thumbs-up. Saoirse smiled. “Text seven: Well. Here we are. The end of the river. I’m…I’m scared, May. I’m not really…myself? Anymore? The forest, it’s…it hurts to be around metal. It burns my skin and even typing this is painful. Barr tells me that this is normal. That creatures from outside the forest are often changed once they become a forest-creature, but with me…

“I have antlers now, May. Antlers, like on a deer. They’re made of…like, wood and bone? Crossed together? And they’re wrapped with dark brown vines that sprout flowers in a rainbow of color. I guess they’re pretty cool, but if I get out of here…no, when I get out of here, I don’t know what’ll happen to them. I don’t think they’re going anywhere. I think this is the forest’s way of visibly claiming me: a sign that says, ‘this person is mine, and I’m not letting them ever forget that.’

“May…I hope you still love me when I get back. I’m sorry I took this stupid boat trip down a river. It was dumb. I’m sorry I stole your favorite shirt. I’ve been wearing it for the past three days and even though he tries not to, Barr’s talons have ripped it up a little bit. I’m sorry I burnt dinner all those times. Thanks for encouraging me to keep trying. It didn’t work, but it really made me feel better.

“This is goodbye, for now. I’m not bringing my phone with me, and I’m not bringing the boat with me. I’m bringing what I’m wearing, my purse with every single bit of food I can find stuffed into it, and Barr. I don’t know what state I’ll be in where I leave, or if I’ll be anywhere in North America, but I swear: as soon as I can, I’ll call you, and I’ll let you know I’m okay, and I’ll find my way home. No matter what. I love you.”

Saoirse sniffed and rubbed at her eyes as she finished. I was actually crying, so I didn’t blame her. Though my tear-blurry vision, I could see Halcyon, head bowed and ears lowered, and Maeve, her scales a mess of blue and green and black.

“I’m just…” Saoirse said, “I’m going to read May’s texts. They’re much shorter. Okay.” She rubbed her eyes, blinked, and stared back down at the phone held in her hands. “One: Cassie, if this is another one of your interactive story things, please let me know, because I’m scared? And hoping this is a joke? And…I don’t know. I woke up to my phone buzzing like crazy, and all of your long texts, and if this isn’t fake, and you’re really out there with a talking owl, going to burn down a forest with antlers of rainbow flowers, metal burning you and your phone left behind…you better be okay. Because if you die, I will personally find my way to the afterlife and drag you back with me. I love you too, and stay safe.

“Two: Okay. Okay. It’s been two days and you always respond to me the second you get my texts and now…this can’t be real. This just…it’s not something that happens! People don’t just go missing in forest—wait, no that does happen. Oh my God. That’s a thing that happens. Jesus, Cassie, you really are stuck in the forest. You’d better burn it down. Burn it until it’s nothing but ash beneath your feet, until it’s so broken it can’t rise again. And then call me, and I’ll come pick you up, and we can cry on the way home. I…I just really love you, okay?

“Three: Two weeks. You still haven’t called. I’m not sure what’s worse: you being gone and me not knowing what happened to you, or you being gone, and me having a vague idea of what might be happening to you. I mean, are you dead? How long does it take to find the heart? Is Barr okay? Have you assembled a group of various forest-creatures, and now the lot of you are taking over the forest? Whatever the answer is, I just don’t know, but now my mind can think of possibilities, and that’s worse than not knowing, I think.

“Four: I know you can’t see these texts. I guess…I couldn’t see your texts until they all showed up at once. You were just talking to nothing, and now it’s my turn to talk to you, but not really. To talk to the concept of you. That’s what we do now, I guess. Type our thoughts into texts, and send them, even though the other person isn’t listening. Even though the other person might be dead. You know, Cassie, if you’re free but trying to get home yourself, trying to surprise me, you’re in for a surprise of your own. Please call me. Please let me know you’re okay. Please. I love you.

“Five: Your stuff is still here. I haven’t touched it. It’s a reminder that you’re gone. You weren’t always gone, but I’m…it feels like you’ve been gone forever, and all those happy memories were just a blip in time, something I can experience once and never again. I miss you, Cassie. I miss the way you’d steal the sheets even in the summer, when it was too hot for them to begin with, and the way you drank coffee only after pouring half the sugar in. I miss cuddling together and watching bad horror movies at ungodly hours of the night, and sleepy kisses as we tried to stay awake. I miss you, Cassie: the whole of your being. I hope you’re safe. I hope that forest is burning. I love you.

“Six: It’s been months, Cassie. Three months. And then you call, out of the blue, and I just froze. It was your voice, coming out of the phone, and you said, breathless and triumphant, “Hey, May. I’m in Ohio. Everything burns and everyone is staring at me: the woman that stumbled out of the forest, covered in sap and thick leaves, with an owl perched on her shoulder. Pick us up, please?’

“And then you said some more things, sweet things, sappy things, and I’m still processing everything. Booked a ticket on the first plane I could find, and that’s where I’m typing this: thousands of feet above the ground. There’s still another hour left until we land, and then I’ll have to find a rental car to pick you up. I wish I could call you. I wish you were able to touch phones without feeling sick. Now that I’m thinking about it, I’m not sure how well you’ll do in a car and then a plane, but we’ll deal with that later. Right now, I’m texting not-you, and then I’ll see real-you, and we can go home and live in our apartment. Just the two of us. You changed by the forest, me changed by your absence, but it’ll be us again. And of course, Barr can come with us. I won’t be able to understand him like you do, if I understood correctly, but that’s okay.

“Soon, Cassie. Soon we’ll be together, and we won’t need to talk to empty air. I’m looking forward to that moment. I’ll see you soon. I love you.”

Saoirse set the phone down as she read the last few words, not bothering to rub her wet eyes. I held out my hand for her, and she took it, giving me a soft smile.

“That’s was…” I said, rubbing my eyes with my free hand, “I’m…”

“She did it,” Halcyon said, voice quiet, “She killed the heart and escaped the forest.”

“I’m glad they’re happy,” Saoirse said, “I’m glad they’re together.”

“Yeah,” Maeve said, scales a mix of blue and faded yellow, “I hope…I hope they’re still happy. Living in whatever Montana is.” The dragonet stared at her talons, and added, “I’m glad we came on this boat. I’m glad we learned about May and Cassie.”

“Antlers of bone and flower…” Halcyon said, tilting her head, “I’ve heard of something like that before. Some old lullaby my mother used to sing.”

“Sounds like a cool lullaby,” I said, standing up. Saoirse stood with me, and let go of my hand to stretch her arms in front of her.

“Hmm,” Maeve said. She had hopped up with Saoirse, and was flapping her wings, hovering between the two of us, “I remember something like that. It went, ‘Antlers of bone and flowers of heart, leaving a creature of wood. Her eyes burning fire and talons ablaze, she toppled the forest and ran.’”

Halcyon nodded, pushing herself to her paws and shaking her fur out. “Owl beside her and hope thrumming strong, the forest reborn as she left to go far. Waiting for her back home in the grass, someone steady and true, noble and strong,” the fox finished, smiling. “Yes, it was that one. I wonder if it’s about Cassie?”

“I doubt it,” I said, “Phones like that are only, like, ten years old at most, and lullabies are usually older than that. Anyway. Who’s up for getting off this creepy boat? I for one am not in the mood to walk back home in the pitch-black dark, and the metal here makes me all itchy. I think I’m allergic.”

“Many forest-creatures are,” Halcyon said, “Metal like this is unnatural, and the forest hates unnatural.”

I shivered. Would me or Saoirse be like Cassie, eventually? Marked by the forest?

“Well, forest aside, I agree with Alice. Let’s get out of here.” Saoirse looked back to the phone, adding, “Should we take it with us, or leave it?”

“Leave it,” Maeve said, “For the next people who find this boat.”

“Yeah,” I agreed, starting to make my way to the boat’s exit, “Anyone who comes in the future needs that, y’know? I doubt they’re having a good time if they made it here.”

“Hmm,” Saoirse said, giving the phone one last glance, before following me onto the rickety dock, “I agree.”

“Time to go home?” Maeve said with a chirp, flying beside me as I carefully maneuvered my way off the dock and onto the earth. Once my feet touched dirt, Maeve landed, and her scales shifted back to their usual gold.

“Time to go home,” I said, pausing to let Saoirse and Halcyon catch up. I grabbed Saoirse’s hand as she hopped off the dock and landed beside me, and she grinned, eyes bright and alight with fire.

“Let’s go, then,” Halcyon said, pace a steady trot as she led the way away from the forest and back into the forest.

“You think we’ll ever be like them?” I asked Saoirse as we followed Halcyon, “Separated and alone, not knowing if the other is okay?"

“No,” Saoirse said, “The forest might try to keep us alone, but it’s already failed. We have Halcyon and Maeve, and you have me, and that’s not something the forest can break.”

I smiled at Saoirse. “I’m glad I have you,” I said.

“Glad to have you, too,” she said, and we continued on our way home.