Avolition's 100 One-Shot Challenge

[Avolition]

P U Z Z L I N G W O R D S

A thick glass cup met the worn, splintered wood of the table with a heavy thud. Froth still clung to the edges, quickly bubbling away, and a barely visible pool of black rested in the bottom of the cup. This was accompanied by a slurred shout of, "Another!" and a large fist bringing itself down on to the end of the table, nearly tipping it.

This fist belonged to a large mountain of a man whose quickly graying hair and beard starkly contrasted his cherry red face. He wore a chest plate of shining silver, and a dusty orange cape hung loosely from his shoulders and dripped down the chair. He was surrounded by men and women dressed in similar garb, which the barmaid struggled to move through to place another rich brown liquid on the table. None were seated except for one, a girl of only eighteen who wore an amused expression at the man's antics. There was silent judgement in her eyes as she rested her boots on the table and tipped her chair back, arms sternly crossed.

"Really, Veltope," She shifted slightly and a long wave of rich black hair tumbled across her breast. "You were the last person I expected to agree to the knights going tavern hopping."

Veltope laughed. A loud, boisterous laugh that filled the room.

"Shmtimes," He placed two hands firmly on the table, swaying as he stood, "We gots 'ta have fun too!" His words slurred together, becoming less and less like a language and more like gibberish.

"Not too much. I don't want to be the only sober one when you all, inevitably, get kicked out." She snickered, but the edge in her voice was accompanied by a withering gaze.

"Ish fine!" Veltope shoved the cup forward, "Drink! Relaxsh!" Almost on cue, the cup tipped over. Marietta pulled her feet off of the table.

"It's fine." She retorted, the sarcasm in her voice biting. Veltope did nothing more then stare dumbly at the pool spreading quickly across the table.

"Honestly, Avrick," Marietta pinched the bridge of her nose, letting out a long sigh. "Do me a favor and don't get the knights kicked out. I'm going for a walk."

If the man heard her, he didn't show it. His blank stare remained on the table. So, Marietta shrugged, quietly requested another knight keep their eye on him, and made her way out.

The cold night air was a welcome change from the musty warmth of the tavern. Marietta had no where in particular to go. She just wanted to walk, so she did. It was a while before anything was able to stop her. However, she couldn't help but slow her pace and gaze with furrowed eyebrows at a woman leaning against one of the cobbled walls. A dull brown, thread-bare blanket was draped over the woman.

Her head was tipped back and a low hum filled the air. Most of her features were hidden by a shock of gray and white hair that looked dry and fragile. Her skin wore a green hue and Marietta found herself wondering if this woman had been left to die.
"Miss?" She kneeled in front of her, low to the trodden dirt, and tentatively reached out a hand. She hesitated, though. What could she do? There was always the fact that she was a knight, and thus in any town in Valoria she had an authority higher then the mayor. She'd need the other knights to prove it, though, and there were all currently drunk in a dingy tavern.

"Are you...ah, okay?" Her hand landed on the scratchy blanket, and a shiver ran up her spine. This woman was cold, unnaturally so. But dead? Something told Marietta that this wasn't so. She opened her mouth to speak again, then closed it, looking remarkably similar to a fish.

"Miss? Can you-" Marietta was cut off by a shriek that wasn't her own. The woman lurched forward violently, a spindly hand erupting from the brown cloth to sieze Marietta's wrist in a death grip. Broken, yellow nails dug into her skin, and she swore they broke through. Fear, a legitimate fear, gripped Marietta like a claw.

"A mistake." Spittle flew out of the woman's mouth, accompanied by bursts of frosty air. The woman's clouded gray eyes glared at her.

"You were a mistake!" She shrieked in a voice that sounded hauntingly like Veltope.

"We don't want to know you exist." The voice was feminine now, and with a sinking feeling in her stomach Marietta realized the voice was her mother's.

"I don't...you're not the person I loved." This was the final straw for Marietta. That was Daniel's voice! Every breath she took tasted like poison, and she ripped her wrist out of the woman's steeled grip. Streams of crimson leaked from deep grooves in her skin. When the met the end of her wrist and dripped off, the droplets turned the dirt below her a deep, wet brown.

"What are you?" Marietta demanded, holding the bleeding wrist close.

"What are you?" Mocked the woman in return, shrieking with laughter and clapping her hands together ecstatically. This wasn't a woman, Marietta decided. This was a creature. Another chill crept it's way through her. This thing's voice was scratchy, and high, and it was hard to ignore the menacing growl that rattled in the back of the woman's throat.

"I'm just a daft old woman!" The clapping continued, accompanied by more maddening laughter. Veins were clearly defined and lines of purple and blue ran across the woman's papery skin.

"Why did you mimic my commander?" Marietta leaned forward, curiosity gnawing at her like the hungry beast it was. "My mother? My..my.." Marietta's throat closed, struggling to let her speak. The woman leaned forward to meet her gaze. Then, she cackled out another insane laugh into Marietta's face.

"Your love?" The woman flopped back dramatically. "I'm just letting you know what will happen, little mouse!" Her head lolled idly as she shook with fits of giggles. High, screeching giggles.

"That..that would never happen!" A sudden anger filled Marietta's stomach and brought fire to her voice as her vision turned red. She siezed the woman's shoulders. "How do you know about my life?!"

"I know lots of things! I also know that you're going to do something very awful!" Snickered the woman, swaying forward and back like a baby in a cradle.

"But how?" Marietta shook her violently. "Tell me!"

"Why should I? You're not being very nice!" She whined, staring pitifully at Marietta. She felt no remorse, however, only dread.

"Tell me, or I'll-"

"Rhett!" A voice broke the night and Marietta recoiled from the woman, recognizing the voice of Annabel. She directed her gaze towards the source of the voice and rose.

"Anna! Thank the gods, I...I need your help." As the other woman came into view, confusion glittered in her violet eyes.
"Okay, but..with what?" Annabel gazed confusedly at her.

"This woman, she-" Marietta turned to gesture to the woman, but her hand fell limp and her body froze to see that she was gone.

"What woman, Rhett?" Annabel sounded immensely confused, and who could blame her? To find a woman who was normally sound of mind, spouting nonsense about some mysterious woman who apparently was long since gone...

Marietta traded her gaze to Annabel, and then to where the woman had once been numerous times.

"Listen, Rhett, Veltope is about to arrest the tavern owner and you're the only one who can talk him down. Can we hurry?" Annabel pleaded, gazing hopefully at Marietta, who was fixated on the spot where her blood had soaked the ground.

"I...but - she.." Marietta took a deep breath, and let out an even longer exhale, before meeting Annabel's eyes.

"Never mind. Let's go." Marietta would have thought it was a dream, if not for the blood that stained her wrist.

Word Count: 1327
Comments: This one was fun to write! See, this is the curious thing about Marietta, she had plenty of warnings that she was going to do something stupid, but by the time the chance came around for her to commit her crime, this had happened almost two years ago and was long forgotten. I actually really did like this one, and I'm kind of proud of it!

[Avolition]

I L L

Marietta felt sick. Not sick in a way where her face was drained of color and she found herself unwillingly emptying the contents of her stomach. This was the kind of sick that made her heart beat a little faster, and her hands slick with sweat. Her head felt light and she all-together she had a feeling of being somewhere else. Yet what was this for? The silence of the night seemed to mock her. For the first time since she had set out, Marietta missed Skylar's barrage of words. Anything was preferable to this. She'd rather get yet another scarring wound then this.

..Or maybe not, she thought with a wince as she laid her fingers on the raised skin of a scar on her neck. In her fair opinion, she thought she had seen more battle then she'd ever need to. Physical battles, at least. This was a battle, too. Just not one Marietta was accustomed to. This was mental warfare, and it could not be fixed with a skillful plunge of the sword or a well-placed arrow.

She had left Skylar behind because she had wanted to do this alone. She regretted that decision, now. This glowing manor was the last place she ever expected to find herself. Smooth, arching walls encircled it and all she could see of her childhood home was a burgandy roof that swept to the skies. She wasn't even sure they'd let her in. Marietta couldn't help but notice as she approached that the once shining brass gate was rusted, and the guarded walls had fallen into a state of disrepair.

"Speaking of guards," She muttered to herself, raising her eyes to the top of the walls, "I see none." That was unusual. The home had always been guarded by the best in Valoria...or, the best you could get who weren't the Knights. Regardless, someone was there to greet her as she approached.

"Miss? Who are you?" It wasn't a guard, that was for certain. Rather, it was a short, plump maid who watched her through the rusty bars with guarded pastel eyes.

"I uh..have business with James Damarith." It wasn't exactly a lie; she had business just..not of a regular kind.

"Lord Damarith isn't expecting anyone." Replied the maid tersely. Her creamy orange eyes flickered side-to-side nervously, and Marietta could see her knuckles were drained of color from clutching at her ruffled skirt.

"He'll know me if he sees me." She pressed gently. There was a tremble in her voice, though, and she hoped this woman wasn't smart enough to notice it. The maid seemed to struggle with herself for a few minutes, mouth opening and closing in a decidedly fish-like manner.

"Oh, but I'm not-" The maid hesitated, gaping, then lowered her gaze to the ground and sighed heavily. "Please don't make me regret this." She disappeared off to the side, and suddenly the gate began screeching as it was lifted. The woman reappeared and greeted Marietta to a home far different from the one she had known.

She had expected to see life. Animals wandering the grounds, or the fountains spraying mists of colorful water like they had done when she was young. Instead it was just dull. Clear water gurgled from the mouths of the fountains, and the grounds looked impeccably clean. The bushes that had once been cut into fun images of animals were now simply rounded. The grass, with its bright green color, made Marietta question if it was even real.

"You seem surprised." Observed the woman who guided her. Marietta shook out of her trance and allowed her brown eyes to meet the maid's orange ones.

"Ah, I mean.." Marietta hooked her fingers behind her neck, looking ahead. "Last time I was here, there were animals everywhere, and everything was so..so.." She struggled for a minute, but didn't have to for long.

"Alive?" Completed the maid, who smiled sweetly. "We haven't seen the manor in that state since Lord and Lady Damarith's daughter was arrested for treason."

"A shame, about that.." Echoed Marietta quietly. Her gaze was hard and focused on the paved path below her, so she didn't notice the maid perk up considerably beside her.

"I never met her," She began, clapping excitedly, "But I was told she was absolutely on her way to being one of the most prominent figures in Valoria!" She lowered her head slightly and clasped her hands together. "Oh, don't tell his lordship I told you that. He...he doesn't like to talk about her."

"Does he hate her?" Marietta looked at the maid. Her stomach was quickly sinking and that feeling of sickness enveloped her again.

"No, no..I think he's just.." The maid gestured at thin air, "Sad." She met Marietta's eyes, and Marietta was shocked at the pity she found in those orange pools.

"Oh. What about Avery." Her sister..

Could she really hate her?

"Madam Avery, she uh..does not remember her sister fondly. It is hard for a noble family to recover from a traitor." The maid cleared her throat awkwardly.

"Surely she'd be married off by now?" Avery had always been a proper lady. Prim, quiet, generous and beautiful. She would make a perfect wife for a lord.

"Like I said..a traitor is a very difficult thing to forget. No one wants to marry a family with bad blood." This left a bitter taste in Marietta's mouth. She had ruined her own life, and Avery's?

"But Avery is still here?" She wasn't sure to be scared or happy. Perhaps both?

"Of course. She hasn't anywhere else to be."

They were quickly approaching the manor doors, which loomed over her like a beast ready to swallow her whole. Marietta was fairly tall, but the door still had quite a few feet on her. Even more so on the maid, who struggled to open the heavy wooden door.

"I usually go through the servant doors." She confessed, the strain evident in her voice. Marietta replied with a shrug, then pushed the door open with considerably less effort. She had built up some of her muscle once more.

"Thank you, Miss...? Ah, I haven't caught your name." Marietta ignored her, entering her home once upon a time in almost a trance. It looked exactly like she remembered but..emptier. Sadder.

"Lord Damarith?" The woman's sweet voice rang out across the empty hall, meeting stone walls and not much else. They waited for a long minute, before the maid sighed and began to move.

"He must not be able to hear me. Excuse me a minute." She hurried off, deviating into a hallway where her footsteps on the marble quickly faded into the distance. Marietta took this time to notice something that crushed her inside. The family portrait, which hung above a climbing staircase at the far north end of the hall, was missing something. Her.

"Flora, I've told you before, don't let anyone onto the grounds if they don't give you a name." She didn't have time to be upset as a fear gripped her and froze her in place. That voice was one she knew well. It sounded older, tired, and far less happy, but it was undeniably her father.

"I know, sir, but I'm confident she means no harm. She says she knows you!" The voice of Flora paused, then picked up again, "...though she does look young. Quite young."

"Anyone can say they know me, Flora." Sighed her father. "And does that matter?" His voice was laced with an anger she'd never known from him. She stared at the hallway, and briefly considered running away when a pale blue dress rounded the corner. Then suddenly, Marietta was face to face with her father.

"Hi...dad." She whispered it, struggling to breath and struggling to speak all at once. Her lungs felt like they didn't have enough air, and her brain couldn't work fast enough to formulate words. This was her father. His hair, once salted with gray, was now completed overtaken. He looked like he had lived a thousand life times, with grooves deep in his skin from years of stress. She had done this to him, no one else.

"Marietta." There was disbelief in his voice, and she couldn't tell what he was feeling. He didn't look happy, but he didn't look angry. This was good. Or perhaps it wasn't. She couldn't really tell.

"You're Marietta?" It squeaked out of Flora's mouth, and the shock was evident in her eyes. Her father ignored this outburst, instead slowly walking forward and placing his hands on Marietta's shoulders, staring at her. Like he believed she'd disappear any moment.

"Marietta." He said again, slowly. "You're alive?" He whispered this, and Marietta's stomach twisted into a knot.

"Of course I am. Who...who told you I wasn't?" Marietta's hands shook and she felt like she was about to faint. Someone had told her family she was dead?

"No one. But after five years, you..you assume things.." Then, he did something she didn't expect. He hugged her. Soon after, his body began to shake, and Marietta could feel wet splashes hitting her back.

"You assume things, Rhett." He sobbed out the words, and kept Marietta in a hug she would never be able to escape from even with all her training. None the less, she managed to dislodge herself from him and gently grip the arms of the crying man. She couldn't recall ever seeing her father cry.

"I'm on a escort mission for Kila. If..If I do this, Adaile will pardon me, dad." It felt important to tell him this. His head jerked up, and he stared at her, almost stumbling towards her.

"Truly?" It was his turn to grab her arms. "Things..things have been so difficult, Marietta. No one.." He sucked in a gasping breath, and then let out a shaky breath, "No one deals with a family with a traitor in it. No one wants to marry Avery, and I..we, we thought you were dead." Flora had produced a chair from seemingly no where, and her father flopped down in it, letting go of Marietta as he went.

"We thought we were doomed to this life. And you? Rhett, we thought you had died with the last things we said to you being that we hated you." Marietta knelt in front of him, taking his hands and watching his face with ever changing emotions. He met her eyes, and let silence hang in the air for a minute, before quietly saying, "A father should not hate his child."

Marietta let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

"So you don't hate me?"

"I am disappointed in you..but I will not hate you." Marietta stared at their interlocked hands, and opened her mouth to speak when she heard a voice, soft but full of great surprise, come from behind her.

"Marietta?" She looked over her shoulder, and found Avery staring at her, standing in the door to another hall. Again, with unreadable emotions, until she could see tears burst into her sisters eyes. She could see Avery shaking, and anger contorted her face. Then she turned and ran, shouting, "Mother!" As she went.

"Avery, wait! Please!" Marietta jumped to her feet, about to run after her, but her father grabbed her hand and held her in place.

"Avery will come around." He said softly. Marietta didn't look back to him for a long moment, then let out a long, shaky breath, returning to her kneeling position.

"Father," She grasped his hands, "I'm going to fix everything." Someway, somehow, Marietta knew she had to.

Word Count: 1952
Comments: Wow! This is the most I've ever written for this! And after almost a three month break, too! I'm actually pretty happy with this. Marietta's father loves her too much to not forgive her, and I promise, Avery comes around c:

[Avolition]

S K E L E T O N

A glowing torch made it's way down the shadowed corridor. It's wielder was the head of a small group of armored soldiers. Only those at the forefront were lucky enough to have the illumination of the torch's light. The rest were cloaked in shadows, ignorant of what lied ahead, not to say those at the front knew either.

"This place is creepy." The first voice to break the silence was a young one. The youngest in the group, at least by age, who had been picked for her potential by the general who headed the party.

"You don't say, Marietta." The sarcasm of the reply was biting. The young soldier looked at her feet attempting to hide her pink face. She kicked a rock which had dislodged itself from the cracked wall and sent it flying into the armored calf of the soldier in front of her. He was, after all, the source of the comment.

"Shut up." She grumbled under the resounding ting which echoed through the corridor.

"Remind me why we bring a kid on these missions?" Demanded the same soldier. Marietta looked up with a furrowed brow.

"Excuse me, why do we bring a self-absorbed, arrogant jer-" That's as far as Marietta got before she was cut off.

"Both of you, and everyone else for that matter, be quiet. I think it's opening up." The general cut off her indignant rant promptly and smoothly, holding up his hand for silence. Sure enough, the corridor began to become cooler, and Marietta felt a quiet breeze steal some of her starless black hair and lift it into the air.

"Wind?" Stating the obvious, she knew, but it was almost an impulse.

"Wind." Confirmed the general. He gestured forward, and the group began to move silently...as silently as they could in armor, at least.

They exited the damp corridor one by one, now finding themselves in a large chamber. Dimly lit by sunlight breaching in from a jagged hole overhead, the soldiers could only just barely make out the area.

"Fan out, and investigate. Meet back together at my call."

Marietta didn't need to be told twice, quickly seperating herself from the group and going her own way. She soon found herself at the walls of the chamber, where depressions in the stone boasted intricate carvings of a time and place long forgotten. The more Marietta stared, the more suspicious she became of them.

They were wide, certainly at least the width of an average door. The depressions also seemed to be the size of an average human, though perhaps a bit taller. An elf, maybe? Yet there also seemed to be an outline around each side...

Marietta decided to go out on a limb. She positioned herself to the left of the depression, hooking her fingers into the carving. Planting her feet firmly, she began to pull. She was almost surprised when it started to give.

"Hey!" She yelled. "I think these open!" The rumbling of the door opening had attracted the attention of everyone else in the chamber, and many were starting to stare.

"Can anyone give me a hand? This is kind of-" Her sentence was cut off by a scream she'd never admit was her own. The door had picked up momentum easily and slid open. However, this is not why she was screaming. Marietta was screaming due to the armored skeleton which fell out and on top of her.

As soon as it was there, it was gone, being hoisted up and away by two others. Freya, an older soldier, had offered her hand to Marietta, which she gratefully took.

"Scared of a little skeleton, Damarith?" Teased the older woman, a twinkle of mischief in her blue eyes. Despite the fact the woman was teasing, Marietta still felt miffed.

"She's just a kid, Freya. Lay off her." Scolded the general. He had a much kinder look in his eyes, which didn't make her feel better. She tried so hard to not be seen as just a kid. The general sympathetically clapped her shoulder.

"We all get scared, Marietta." Then, the kindness disappeared and he returned to the hardened man of war he had previously been.
"So," His voice was loud and booming, "Damarith has confirmed this is just a crypt. Let's keep moving." And keep moving they did.

They exited the crypt room into another hallway, which the met the end of surprisingly quick. It was not a dead end, however. A large circular door blocked their path, which was worn, old, and stained with bloody handprints.
"Oh, that's a good sign." Muttered someone beside her.

"We're going in. This place is abandoned." Replied the general firmly. He, along with another soldier, began rolling the door out of the way. What they saw, or rather didn't see, was total darkness. It was unnaturally silent, and as the group shuffled in, the feeling of anxiety began to grow.

"It's too dark." Announced someone.

"Light a torch!" Commanded another. As the fire blazed to life, Marietta severely wished it hadn't. Hanging from the ceiling, illuminated only by the torch's light, were hundreds of skeletons. The floor below was a disgusting black.

Marietta was going to be sick.

Word Count: 870
Comments: A nice shorter change from my normal over 1000 words! This one was kind of fun to write, though a little dark. I tried not to go into too much detail but I wanted to get across the horrifying nature of what was there. I'm not sure if I did it though, heh.

[Avolition]

N O T H I N G

The city's gates loomed over Marietta and Skylar. Maris was tremendously old, and the most secluded town in Valoria. The walls were decrepit. Ruins of guard towers glared down from the mountains that surrounded the town.

It was the oddest port town Marietta had ever seen. T-he town had been built into a break between mountains, where the glittering ocean could be accessed.

"It looks abandoned!" Skylar exclaimed from behind Marietta, perched on her horse, Bree. Marietta laughed, running her hand through her hair.

"Been there, thought that." She sympathized, smiling at Skylar, who laughed in reply. "Funnily enough, this is Valoria's most prominent port besides Amrei." Marietta hesitated, quirking an eyebrow at Skylar. "I'd think you'd know that."

"Eh." Replied Skylar with a neutral shrug. Marietta snickered slightly, then kept walking. As they approached the gate, Marietta brought Summit to a stop and slid off the horse.

"Oy!" She cupped her hands around her mouth, shouting up. "Anyone up there?" She waited, but was annoyed to hear no reply.

"There's not a chance this is unguarded." Marietta rubbed her jaw, frowning. "That being said, this town is sort of cowardly. They raised hell about letting even The Knights in." She admitted, scraping her foot through the dirt.

"Maybe they were afraid of you taking control? Can't you do that?" Skylar joined her at her side, staring at the large gate.

"Could do that," Marietta corrected, and added quietly, "Fair enough" She looked up again, tapping her foot impatiently, then tried once more. "Oy! We're here on business from Princess Kila!"

This time, a head appeared.

"State your purpose!" A man's voice ordered. Skylar stepped forward.

"I am Skylar Farris. You were told I was coming?" Though it was posed as a question, Marietta knew it wasn't one. Almost immediately, the gates rolled open with a screech and a guard in chain mail came hurrying down.

"Miss Farris! We're ever so sorry!" He bowed clumsily. "We hadn't an idea what you looked like! Had I known you were so beautiful.." He stuck out a hand, standing straight. "Captain Morgan Tallu at your service!" He introduced. Skylar took his hand and shook it, wincing at the man's grip.

Tallu was an unusual character, an older man with a balding head and a shock of white hair ringed around it. His build was spiry, and his movements were violent and erratic.

"Skylar Farris." She repeated lightly. The man turned and bounded into the town, then spun once more.

"Come! Come! -We're not used to someone of your prestige being here!" He exclaimed, walking backwards. Skylar turned, intending to get her horse. Meanwhile, Marietta grabbed Summit's reigns, beginning to lead her.

"No need to do that, Miss Farris!" Tallu exclaimed, rushing over to her and seizing Bree's reigns. He shoved them into Marietta's free hand. "Your servant-" Marietta cut him off immediately.

"Escort. Names Marietta Damarith." She replied bitingly. The man looked at her with distaste, his face contorted.

"That's nice. She," He jerked his head at Marietta, "Can do that for you." He wrapped his arm around Skylar's shoulder, beginning to lead her. "Please, come with me! We're so excited to have you!"

They began to make their way through the city, and Marietta uncomfortably realized just how ignored she was. People on the streets stared and whispered excitedly, pointing at Skylar. Marietta found herself steadily distanced from her friend. She felt a pang in her heart, and for the first time in a while, Marietta remembered how little she mattered.

"Sky!" She shouted, attempting to call the other woman back. However, she was unable to hear her, and Marietta was forced to try to dodge through the crowd surrounding her. No one paid her any heed.

"And why should they?" Marietta muttered bitterly. Skylar was the brilliant mage, the princess' personal student, the future embodied! Marietta was the traitor who everyone would sooner forget.

She gradually dropped back, her mood suddenly very melancholy. She'd meet up with them at the town hall. The procession swept her exactly there, and without realizing it, she had dropped to the back.

"Rhett?" Skylar's voice snapped her out of her trance. Marietta looked up and smiled.

"Hey. Lost you back there." She replied smoothly. Skylar frowned, obviously sensing something wrong, and gave Marietta a look that made it clear she'd be drilled for answers later.

"We're going inside, come on."

"You're going inside, actually." Tallu appeared again, speaking strictly to Skylar. "Your escort isn't welcome."

Skylar looked surprised, and opened her mouth to object.

"Sky," Marietta settled a hand on her shoulder. "It's fine. Compared to you, I'm nothing." Marietta reassured her. Her voice broke slightly, and it was tinged with hurt.

"Rhett..." She sighed, and grabbed her arm. Lowly, she said, "We'll talk later." Then, she went with Tallu inside the town hall. Marietta sighed, and watched her friend recede into the building before leading Summit and Bree to a stable nearby. She tied them up, and resigned herself to sitting against the wall.

Marietta tipped her back and stared at the sky.

Word count: 850
Comments: Woah, I'm back! I hit a very bad writer's block once school started. Very, very bad. Sort of killed my imagination, to be honest, but I'm back now with nothing! This one was short and sweet, and I quite like it! We delve into one of Marietta's insecurities that developed only after she was imprisoned. She has a great fear of being nothing, and feels as though she is. This stems from the fact that once upon a time she was considered the best Valoria had to offer.