The Adventure Begins

Have you ever been reading a story and wished that you could decide the outcome? Instead of just reading about a character, what if you had the opportunity to enter the story and decide the hero's fate? Well, now is your chance to become a part of the adventure!

This website contains a collection of original stories collaboratively written by our creative writing class. There are seven different tales, all of which contain about eight unique endings. At the end of each chapter, you will have the opportunity to decide the character's next step by choosing between two choices listed at the bottom of the screen. The link that you click will lead you to the next chapter in the story. Click on the home tab at any time to exit the story and go back to the main page. From here, you can begin the adventure again or start a brand new adventure!

The tabs at the top of this page contain the story titles. Choose your favorite title, click on the tab, and start reading!

Expected? 5D

It's useless, you let go of everything and float through the water, releasing yourself to the power of the currents. You close your eyes and slowly lose consciousness.
It is peaceful, the flowing water caressing your body and the currents pulling you wherever they decide. Sleep enfolds you in its soft embrace and you welcome the peace that results in your submission to its power.

Fin

-A. Oswald

Expected? 5C

You decide to go right. Furiously, you kick your legs and strike the water with your arms. Your chest is compressing and the air is practically gone. As your motions slow, a thought passes through your soggy mind. You still have air in your body and it will drag you to the surface. You stop thrashing and relax. Almost instantly your body surges up. A moment later you break the surface of the waves. Gasping for air you grab randomly for anything to hold on to. As you search, your hands catch the edge of something and you tighten your grip and pull yourself to it. It's a buoy. Too weak to call for help, you hang on to the buoy, wrapping your arms around it and securing your body to prevent falling back into the water. You close your eyes and focus on breathing, restoring oxygen to your organs.
Shouts from the pier cause you to open your eyes. The light has changed, the sun is rising. You fell asleep still clinging to the buoy, but some early morning fishermen have noticed you. The sound of an engine grows louder in your ears. A rescue boat is coming for you, and now you are safe. Completely safe.

Fin

-A. Oswald

To Arms! 5B

No going back now. 

Why go back? If you go back there is only death and shame waiting for you. You look back to see if Jonathan and his "army" have gone. You see them leaving, some excited to fight, some frightened yet ashamed to say so. You see the silhouette of a man in between the young boyish soldiers. He is tall and filled with pride. You have never seen anyone so full of dignity.

Who is it?

You walk carefully towards the man. You are surrounded by the blue darkness of early morning and it is impossible for you to see from so far away. As you draw closer, you realize how familiar his face looks.

Father.

It is your father, standing straight, willing to fight for his name and family.

He has so many wrinkles now.

A piercing shame passes through your heart.

Coward. Idiot. 

You flinch, as if someone had said these words straight to your face. At that moment, your father turns his face towards you. He looks at you with his deep, gentle eyes.

Why is he looking at me like that?

But it didn't last long. Next second, you see your father walking away from you, like a warrior who just won the battle. You look away, turn your body, and take a step away from him.
This is the end.
You will not see your father anymore.

Maybe it was just an illusion. 

You father was supposed to lead the women and the little ones out of danger. But you know you couldn't confuse anyone with your father. It was your father. He must have known that you would run.

Well, then. Let it be.

You take many more steps until you hear the roar of men. It wasn't the roar of children, but of men.

In that moment, you turn, and rush towards them. You clench the sword and roar.
Like a man.

The End

-Kris

To Arms! 5A

Your conscience tickles your heart.

Is it really fine to leave him die? The one who trusts me?

Jonathan will definitely expect you to come and help him. However, you are determined to run away. You will not help your people and Jonathan will most likely die in this useless battle. Your family will be sad. If they knew that you betrayed your friend and your people, they will be very ashamed.

Did Jonathan really believe that I would help him?

Maybe. But it's useless now. No need to think about this. You weren't born as the leader's son because you wanted to be.

Why do I have to fight this war?

Even though you are a fighter, you don't like fighting for something that you know you will lose. You lift the sword of your father. It shines gorgeously in the moonlight. You remember the name of it.
It's name is... Honor.

It was. 

There isn't any honor for a sword, when the master doesn't have it in his own heart. You look around and see a tree that is familiar to you. It is the tree where your father used to take you to teach you how to fight. Under that tree, you used to practice, rest, get upset, or yell with joy depending on how your practice went. You walk slowly to it, and stab your sword into the ground.

Your honor will stay here. 

You know that you will never be able to come back here, nor take Honor. Yet your steps are light. You slowly walk away to your new life.

The End

-Kris

Detective Uganariasaurus 5B

"Please! Please! Don't hurt me I never did anything to you!" You scream, panic flooding your mind.
The Detective laughs derisively.
"You never did anything to me!" he mocks your pleading cries. "You maybe, but your kind has done more than enough to me for the begs of one insignificant human to matter anymore."
"What do you mean?" you ask, confused by his choice of vocabulary. But it doesn't matter because suddenly you feel the cold press of a gun barrel against your forehead. The blindfold still blocks your vision and the last thing you heard is the safety being flicked off.

Fin

-A. Oswald

Detective Uganariasaurus 5A

Fear is gripping your insides, clawing at your soul.
Why? Why are they doing this, why are you here? How did you even get here?
You begin to thrash about and strain against the ropes that are tying you to the chair. The chair rocks back and forth as you move. Someone behind you grabs the seat and holds it firmly, hindering your escape technique.
"Ain't no way you gonna get away, Sweetheart," the Detective says. He puts a cigar between his teeth and as he does the door opens. Carter walks in.
"Has it been restrained?" he asks eagerly.
"Aye, easier than stealing candy from a baby," Uganariasaurus confirms.
The fear is freezing your body and your vision begins to blot. Sounds start to fade, the world is spinning. You slump forward, the temptations of unconsciousness too strong to resist. As it embraces you, you hear a noise that sounds distant. A door banging open, the sound of many feet hitting the wood panel floor and then a noise like the roof being lifted from the house. Shapes pass through your vision in your state of semi-consciousness. Later when you recall the memories, you remember several gunshots, Uganariasaurus screaming, Carter cursing, the hit men running, your chair being knocked over and then you are suddenly being cut free from the ropes and strong arms lift your body. A voice sounds in your ear, no words do you ever remember but just the soft, caring tone that carried your mind into complete, utter unconsciousness.
When you awake, wind is rushing through your ears and the evening sky passes by. You are in a small transport that is flying to a secure location. You start to remember something...something important.
Oh yeah. You realize.
T.L.O. Time Lapse Obliteration. When you time travel often immediate side effects are temporary memory loss. That's why you were wondering where you were when you arrived in New York. Evidently you had forgotten to time in at the designated check time and they sent a team after you. They'd sent the whole Time Ship to get you. Why though?
You lay back on the bunk in the Time Ship and watch the evening clouds pass by. The T.L.O. was bad this time. It isn't usually.
Memories of your life begin to trickle their way back into your mind as you slowly fall back asleep, secure again in your soul.

Fin

A. Oswald

The Mysterious Bug 5D

There is a door at the end of the hall that looks like a possible escape route. You approach the door with caution. It has letters on it. You squint, trying to get used to the light or rather the lack there of. It reads, "TIXE" and you think, "What? Oh duh. The Doctor probably was dyslexic and tried to write EXIT!" You feel good about yourself, like you are getting closer to making an escape. You hear footsteps behind you. You quickly turn around to see the Doctor. How did he come back to consciousness so quickly? The Doctor is looking straight at you. His voice echoes eerily down the hall, "How did you get here?"
Obviously, he is playing a trick on you. You stare him right in the eye. You can feel the metal syringe bending ever so slightly within your clenched fingers. The Doctor comes galloping towards you. Excitedly, he begins to yell, "You must be something other than a -- " He doesn't get to finish. He got too close, and you didn't have time to think twice. You sink the needle deep into one of his pressure points. The man should have been gone the moment he was almost impaled, yet he lets out his intended last word, "clone." Somehow he sounds peaceful and manages a relaxed smile. You turn around to the door that has "TIXE" written on it and slowly exit.

The End

Lewis T. Castle

The Mysterious Bug 5C

You try to just pass by the rooms, but you keep looking back. You can't help but wander what might be behind the doors. What if there are other people that the Doctor is trying experiments on? The thought gives you the shivers, yet you know justice is what you live for. You step carefully towards one of the doors, looking for possible traps. You know the Doctor is delusional, but that doesn't mean he's dumb. In fact, it could mean quite the opposite. When it comes down to it, he is a doctor.
    You kneel on one knee, slowly wrapping your hands around the cold door knob and listening intently as you begin to turn it. When you let go, there is not a sound as the door opens smoothly on its own. The room is black. You look for a switch. There is nothing immediately next to the door. You slowly walk in. You pat along the wall until you feel a switch of some kind. You carefully touch it, examining the type of switch just in case it's the trap you were worried about earlier.
    Taking a moment to build up your courage, you punch the switch down with confidence. The lights immediately turn on. You feel better about yourself. You turn around to face the room. An uncontrollably violent gasp wrenches your whole body. In front of you is the same type of chair that you were locked to, and in it, fast asleep, is you.
    You hear footsteps coming down the hall. You turn around with the syringe still in your hand. You're crazy, confused, and ready. The door slowly opens, and you hope for anything but the psycho, medical man. You give a silent prayer. The footsteps stop. Then the door quietly opens. Alas, it's the Doctor. You bend your legs preparing to spring forward at a moment's warning. You watch as the Doctor takes a step closer.  Something about him is different. He looks the same physically, yet his stance, his way of breathing, and the certain angle of his expression seem to have changed somehow.
He says, "Did you meet the other me also?" You are reluctant to let your guard down. You give him the scariest glare you can conjure. The man leans on the wall and continues, "I guess you have."
You snap at him, "You're not talking any sense." He looks at you and ignoring your statement says, "I owe you an apology. I don't know anything about your case, but I am a clone. I had a hard time accepting it while I was running through this maze, but I definitely am. Everything here is proof." He slumps to the ground. "I am a fake."
You look at him and wonder if he is the same man with a multi personality disorder. You slowly walk up to the crouching figure. To test him you act as if your guard is down and say, "I'm genuine." He looks up vigorously and blurts out, "You sure? Positive? Is it true there is an outside world? Is such a thing as nature true? Do you have proof?" Then his expression changes back to one of anguish and he adds, "It's not like we can get out anyway."
   Still on your toes you ask him, "How do you know about those things if you've never been outside?" A smile of grimace spreads along his face. "The Doctor," he says, "he has cameras of the outside world. I thought for a big portion of my life that he had made fake scenery for one of his deranged tests." You feel bad about it all. You put your hand on his shoulder, and he starts sobbing. Determination rises in you. You don't know what is going on, but you know you're getting out of there. You ask him, "What's in the other rooms?" The Doctor-clone quietly speaks, "It changes every now and then. I've stopped looking into them."
You are reluctant to ask any more questions. It is time for action—you head towards the door. The clone is looking at you. You call, "Well, aren't you coming?" The man jumps to his feet and wipes his tears on his sleeve. He follows slowly behind you. You open the doors to each room. There is a brick wall covering each entrance. All the rooms lead to a dead end.
You look at your follower. He shrugs. You have many questions, but you ask him the one concerning the bug. He asks, "A bug? I never had a bug problem. Oh, you might be hallucinating. Wait, let me observe your eyes." He brings his face in front of yours. He says, "Yep, you're in your hallucination process. Did you let the Doctor inject you with anything?" You try to talk, but you feel too drowsy. You fall down and things begin to get dark.
   You wake up. It's bright. Looking around you see that you're in a hospital bed. Everything is clean and neat. You see your dad gently touching your forehead. He's looking at you. He carefully asks, "Did I wake you?" You frown and try to remember what had happened. You ask in a haze, "How did I get here?" Your dad smiles and gives you a kiss on the forehead and explains, "You were reading your book while walking down the hill until you tripped and hit your head hard against the tree." Your doctor said you might have nightmares and hallucinations. Don't worry about it though, I'm going to be right here." You feel greatly reassured, but something is uncomfortable. Your arm itches. You pull it out and seek the cause. There is a little hole stitched up. As unexpected dots connect in many different directions, you feel frozen. A familiar voice comes from right above you, "Don't worry, the little thing shouldn't be causing anymore mayhem."

                                                           The End
Lewis T. Castle

Worlds Away 5B

"Yes, there is a name." You're mute, unsure of your own mind now.
"So, it is yours?" She pulls on your hand, guiding you through the  trees.
"Alex, my name must be Alex…" You doubt yourself, but don't know what else to say.
"Aal-ex? Hm, this is familiar." She stops and looks at the sky, thinking. "Are you certain this is your name?"
"Well, yes, of course," you scoff, "I think I know my own name when I hear it."
She rolls her eyes at you and continues walking. The name rolling off her tongue every once in a while, like a rock falling out of someones hand. One weight after another, being let go.
"No. It is not yours."
"Yes…" you know it will obviously look bad if you let it slip that it was a lie. The whole situation makes you very uneasy though. Why would it matter anyways what your name was. She was a stranger and it was safe to conceal your real identity.
"Names have power you know. Don't misuse this name human." Her grip on your hand got tighter, almost to the point of pain.
"I beg your pardon, but I realize this and I can tell you I am certain, absolutely certain that this name is mine.
"Liar."
"Excuse me?"
"Pants on fire, hanging from a telephone wire? Isn't that what you say?"
"Um, yes, but not now because I am not a liar." Sweat is beading at your hairline. She's starting to get scary and you know that this can't last much longer.
She stopped all of a sudden and looked at you. The sky grew darker and a telephone line formed right before you in the place of two trees.
"Wh-what's that?" You ask slowly.
"Isn't that a telephone wire?" She sounds so innocent.
"Well, yes, but what- what is it - for?" You can't breathe. You're choking on your own lungs.
"You, of course, silly." Her eyes turn dark and all you can do is stare into them, fear encasing your mind. Your stomach is knotting as if a thousand sailors are getting ready for a hurricane.
"And, what am I to do with it?" You swallow, moving backwards.
"Liar, liar, pants on fire," she starts walking around you, her head bent to the side. "Should I go on?"
"No, no-no, I think-"
"Yes, I will. I quite enjoy how it sounds." She laughs, "Hanging. Hanging, hanging from a telephone wire. Oh dear, that poor liar." She starts walking closer to you, a rope seemingly coming out of nowhere and wrapping through her fingers.
"No, what are you- NO NO NO, get away from me!" You cry out and trip on a root that inconveniently had decided to grow up behind you ages ago, unknowing that it would cause you this much trouble.
She was leaning over you now, tying the rope in an awfully familiar way. A way you'd seen in history class. Witch trials much?
"Please. I meant nothing. NO. It could be my name. It really could."
"No, because that's MY name. Fool." She had you cornered now.
"Please," tears were rushing over cheeks.
"Too late." She squealed and giggled.

The End

-R.L.H.

Worlds Away 5A

"I don't know, I can't really think of anything familiar." You sigh, frustrated.
"You can't think of anything? Really? Try harder." Her eyes pierce you and you feel small.
"Really, I'm trying. But there isn't anything."
"Yes, there has to be. What's the first name that comes to your mind. Say it… ready, NOW!"
"Ugh, I don't know… Alex? I don't know who's name it is, but it's a name."
"Aal-ex?" She said it slowly as if it was the first time she had ever spoken it. "I recognize this name."
"You do? Do- you remember -where from?" She's still guiding you through the strange trees and you keep stubbing your toes on roots that are curling out of the ground.
"Hm…. watch your step human—I don't remember where the name is from, but it is very old to me." Her nose is scrunched in thought.
"I guess it doesn't matter very much now then," you mutter under your breath.
"You are wrong, which I'm not surprised about. Names have power, and for you to only remember that single name in coming here is coincidence? I think not."
"What kind of power?"
"Well, a name, when given to something, opens up a whole new part of the mind. It allows there to be personality and depth in a substance. A tree that isn't able to be identified would be nothing. After all, what would you call it? Nothing. So, Alex, as a name, is the name of something. Therefore, we should be able to find something new here, because of the name. Do you understand?" She stopped and looked at you, her eyes shinning. She didn't look very much like she belonged in this world. She looked human to you, and that Nox creature was definitely not like a human.
Alex, you think. You keep thinking and as you start thinking you retrace your steps in this world. You came and met a creature that led you to this girl, on accident or not. You don't believe in coincidence. The whole time the only thing you remember is the name Alex.
"You're Alex."

The End

-R.L.H.

The Coast of Home 5B

The light isn't touching you. You shut your eyes tightly. You can't help but fear. Doubt trickles into your mind, and you begin to wonder why.
"Why am I in this darkness?" you ask The Great Fish. You know you sound foolish. You know, but you can't fight the doubt. Not alone.
His voice is equally like a light rain and a clap of thunder. "Child. Child, soon you will know. Open your eyes to see. Fear not, open your eyes and you will know the answer."
It takes everything in you to open your eyes. When you do, the light extends to you, holds you.
And you know. He is the answer.  

The End

-s.s.

The Coast of Home 5A

You float somewhere in the endless expanse of ocean, yet you don't feel small. Not with The Great Fish beside you. You feel that there is nothing bigger, or more important in the universe than the light the jellyfish is radiating. You feel you're standing on a ledge, but a very different one from before. To fall off of this cliff, there is no other happiness. To fall, not knowing what is at the bottom, but to trust the one who asked you to fall; this is what you were constructed for. You decide you are ready to fall, to trust The Great Fish.
The light reaches out and envelopes you.
You understand.

The End

-s.s.

Detective Uganariasaurus 4B

When you were growing up you took self defense classes as a result of living in the busy city of L.A. Your parents always thought it would be better if you could handle yourself on your own. So you took those lessons and applied them to your actual life, disproving your theory of them being completely unnecessary, which now, come to think of it, was really a ridiculous theory to begin with… considering the fact that you seem to teleport to dangerous places all the time. Oh well.

You launch your foot at the man holding the Detective's arms and you get him right in the side. He topples over and lets go of the Detective's hands which fly through the air in the direction of the man holding your arms. You duck, trying to avoid the conflict and soon feel your arms released as well. 

By this point everyone at the table is watching and their mouths are hanging open. 

In what seems like slow motion you kick off into a run, trusting that Detective Uganariasaurus is following behind you. You burst through the door into the long hallway and run for the front of the house. The hallways are completely empty. You would sigh with relief, but you're a little preoccupied with running and all. 

You hear the clacking of Detective's shoes on the tiles behind you and you pick up your pace, confidence spewing out of your lungs with each step you take. You know they can't be that far behind you. They probably have a lot of guns too and will most likely try to shoot you. 

You make it out of the front door and bolt for the car, letting Uganariasaurus take first place and the driver's seat. Both of you slam the doors closed, locking yourselves inside and swerve out of the parked position. There's no time to put your seat belts on. You hear a car swerve into the street and know it must be the crooks. They're coming.
You feel the car speed up as the detective pushes the pedal farther down. You're speeding through intersections too fast. You don't slow down. You see buildings blur into liquids beside you and you see cars swerving off the road to avoid impact.
You're scared.
"I think we should slow down!" you yell to him, over the loud engine.
"We can't. They'll catch up to us and run us off the road. I know a place to lead them where we'll be able to arrest them," he yells to you.
"You do realize that you could just as easily run us off the road at this pace don't you?! And those guys are probably just the sidekicks. They probably don't even know anything about the crimes those men in there do!" The car picks up speed. "Detective, STOP!"
Before you know it you hear a loud blaring car horn and you feel yourself being jerked through the air, pressed against the car's door. You hear metal crunching and screeching and scraping and you don't see much because it's all happening so fast.
You're body automatically teleports itself back home as a survival instinct, but not before you hit your head on the steering wheel.



You wake up in your bed alone. It's nighttime but there's a light coming from under the crack in the floor.
You slowly put your feet onto the cold ground, a pulsing pain bursts through your head as you sit up. Slowly you walk to your door and push it open.
"I thought I told you to get some rest," your mom shakes her head at you as she walks through the hallway to the staircase. "Oh my goodness, what happened to your forehead?" Her mouth drops open and she rushes to you and moves your head into the light. "When did this happen?"

"Ow, mom, don't touch it." You push her hands away. "I have no idea. I don't remember. I probably just ran into something."

The End.

R. L. H

Detective Uganariasaurus 4A

Cold hands close upon your wrists as a blindfold slips over your eyes.
You begin thrashing your body and screaming wildly. The thugs carrying you out of the room don't seem to like this response, so they decide to gag you.  You assume that the detective was also gagged as his sarcastic comments of "Ohhh, Carter's got his pets to do the dirty work for him, I see?" suddenly cease.
You realize with regret that the men transporting you to God-knows-where are at least three times your size, meaning that the year of karate you took in school won't do an ounce of good. You will have to rely on your wits to escape this one.
You take a minute to consider your situation, how did you get here in the first place?
I guess I just kind of just wished myself here, you think.
You attempt to wish yourself back, far, far away from here.
It doesn't work.
The detective must know what to do about this. You wrestle one of your hands free and claw at the gag in your mouth.
"Detective, you got us into this mess, and you dang well better get us out of it!" You manage to get these words out before one of the men carrying you shoves the gag back into your mouth.
You stop abruptly and hear the men around you snickering maliciously. Fear seems to have been injected directly into your bloodstream.
You're placed in a chair and tied up.
The gag is taken out of your mouth.
"Detective, are you okay? Please, you've got to get us out of here!" You shout, panic evident in your voice.
The blindfold is removed from your eyes.
Detective Uganariasaurus stands before you, grinning.
"Oh, Sweetheart, believe me, I'll get us out of here. Me with my pockets heavy and you.... well, Baby, you'll be in a body bag."

If you want to try to break out, click here.

If you want to plead for mercy, click here. 

- s.s.

Alleyway Adventure 5D

You turn on your heels and face the empty street. You need answers. There will be answers in the lab. You carefully consider the consequences of going back. They could decide that you're too dangerous, you escaped to the streets once, you could do it again. They fear you, that is evident from the caution the man showed you after he fixed your battery. You fear them, too. You fear what they could do to you....What you could do to them...
After a few short moments of deliberation, you realize your need for answers outweighs your fear. You sprint down the street towards the laboratory.

You enter the lab. Faces turn towards the doorway you occupy. Familiar faces, but clouded, like you've seen them in a dream...or a nightmare. You straighten your back. Somehow you know if you show any weakness, they will pounce.
You stand, staring at the people shrouded in stark white lab coats, silent electricity sweeping through the space holding them from you.
"So," a man says, standing slowly from the back of the crowd, his is the only face that doesn't look familiar, "You've come home."
His hair is sprinkled with salt. He's older than the others. Maybe that's why he spoke first, why he's the only one standing. He looks tired. His eyes hold yours. You search for a memory of his face. Nothing comes. You know nothing of the home he speaks about.
You know nothing of home.
You simply stare at him in silent apprehension, waiting for him to speak. Or attack. You remind yourself to be on guard.
Takes a small step forward, careful to keep eye contact. He looks more than tired now. Almost sad.
"You don't remember me." It's not a question, but more of an answer. He seems to know now why you stand at a distance, at attention.
The answer doesn't seem to console him, though. Quite the opposite. He looks at you more desperately now, as if silently begging you to remember him. You don't.
You find your voice for the first time since seeing them, the mass of serious faces plastered against white lab coats.
"I am here to find answers." Your voice shakes more than you expect.
"And, my son, I'm here to give them to you."
You remember.

The End.

- s.s.

Alleyway Adveture 5C

You think of the mass of people you were supposed to kill. Is this what you were engineered for? For murder? Guilt fills you. That must be the human part of you. Disapproval at the injustice of the situation couples with guilt. You didn't choose to be a genetically engineered soldier. You don't want to kill people, even if they do have guns. You decide to go back. Maybe you can help.
You turn on your heels and run back.

You stand stunned in the street. Bodies cover the pavement, their blood painting the cement. You should have known, it was too quiet. Waves of sadness and pools of anger fill you.
Who did this? Anger distends in your chest.
And a pang of guilt hits you.
Maybe it was someone like me. Who else could've caused such destruction? Of course I'm not the only one. Of course there are more like me. I'm not such a narcissist to think I'm the only one. 

He walks towards you. He looks like a normal person. But then again, so do you. He looks unscathed by the destruction around him, numb almost. He smiles.
"Are you ready to die?" he questions, pulling a gun out.
He picks a bullet from one of his pockets and loads the gun slowly. Running isn't an option, he'll shoot you before you get very far. You could kill him, kill or be killed. You could do it. But you don't. You don't want to kill anyone, not even when they hold a gun against you.  He presses his now loaded gun to your temple. You're forced to your knees.
"So why didn't you shoot me when you had the chance?" he asks, a smirk resting on his lips.
"Even if I was genetically engineered for murder, that doesn't mean it's all I'm good for. When given the choice between murdered or murderer, I choose to die. And if these are my last moments, so be it. I won't do what they want me to do. I'm not their pawn. Do you even know what you're doing? Do you have any remorse? You killed people. Innocent or not, you killed them. You're just following orders. Think for God's sake, think!"
His looks down at you, disgusted. "You're so human!" he sneers.
You turn and your eyes meet his. The gun moves to the center of your forehead. He looks tired for a brief moment, but then replaces the look with a snarl.
"I want you to know that I forgive you for what you're about to do." Your words are fresh in the air when everything goes black.
Well, almost everything.

The End

 - s.s.

The Mysterious Bug 4D

"Whatever you say, Sweetheart." His taunting voice disgusts you.
"Don't. Call. Me. That." You shout, furiously kicking in the air. Your feet make contact with his head—hard.  He falls to the ground unconscious. You continue cutting the zip ties around your wrists until you finally break free from them. You look around the room and find a window, just the right size for you to pass through. You look around the room for something, anything, that could possibly be used as a weapon should the opportunity arise. You find a syringe filled with some sort of liquid. Tying the doctor's hands to the bed, you prepare yourself for the task ahead. You try to open the window, but it is harder than you thought. You search for some sort of large object to pry it open. You open a closet, and to your horror find at least a hundred jars filled with the very same bug the entered your skin. You close the blue metal doors, shuddering.
 You quickly check the doctor to see if he is awake. He isn't. You breathe slowly, each second becoming an hour. It is then that you realize that you are slowly dying. If you don't get out of there as soon as possible, you know you will die. You turn around and see a large door. You open it, wishing you had found it sooner. You run through endless hallways, finally reaching another door. Just as you are about to go through it,  you hear a terrifying sound—a low screech. You turn around, and your head spins, blurring your vision. He's there. The doctor. He's coming for you, and the door is locked. You scream as loud as possible, holding onto the slight chance that someone might hear you. You fall to the floor, still screaming. He is so close that you can hear him breathing, laughing. As your vision begins to tunnel, his image becomes more and more vivid—an awful, laughing face that will never go away.
You die of blood poisoning, underneath the space of wall that you thought was a window. The doctor, standing over you, shakes his head in mock pity. He marks you off as 'deceased' on a long list of other victims. There are more.

THE END

-mkb

The Mysterious Bug 4C

"Break free, huh? I'm sorry, but do you not understand which one of us is handcuffed to the bed?" he laughs evilly.
You want to vomit because of the sickness of this man. You know you have to escape, but you don't know how.
You look carefully at your captor. He's not a large man. You could definitely take him if the opportunity arose. You realize that your legs are not tied to the bed like your hands. As he is renewing the zip ties, you knee him on the back of his head. He immediately falls over, unable to finish securing your hands to the bed. You sit up violently and kick him in the head again—just to make sure that he remains unconscious while you search for a way to escape his lair.
It seems to work, the doctor remains in a crumpled pile on the ground. You search frantically for your keys, and find them underneath the bed. You quickly cut yourself free from the bed, and look around for another weapon to use if he should wake up and surprise you. You pick up a syringe and head towards the door. You walk out of the large metal opening and into a poorly lit hallway. You see that there are other rooms in this place.

Do you look inside of them? [click here]
or...
Do you try to find another way of escape? [click here]

-mkb

Expected? 5B

Spinning around, you try to pull your moves. Does it work out? No, of course it doesn't. You learned karate in 7th grade. He grasps your wrist powerfully and drags you in towards him. For some reason he didn't pull the trigger when you tried to attack.
He asks, quietly smiling, "Do you think I'm here to harm you?" His smile disappears as he adds, "Because I'm going to harm you if I have to, and what I need to do is going to harm you one way or another." He looks like he has more to say, but a big van pulls up skidding on its side. The man pushes you roughly towards it and says, "Get on. That's our ride."
Hesitating, you ask, "An ambulance. You have an ambulance?"
He cuts you off in a hurry, "It's not mine. It's the Alliance's. Get in now before I have to force you." He opens the back door without letting go of your wrist. The inside is no ambulance. The walls are metallic and reflective with empty seats that go along the side. You go in obediently and sit down. The seat is cold. The man slams the door shut from the outside. You run to it and bang on it, shouting through, "Hey! Aren't you coming with me?"

A voice comes in from the other side, "I'm staying here.  I have a couple more of your kind to recruit." The ambulance jolts to a start. In the process you bang your head on the inside of the door. It throbs. The ambulance must be moving incredibly fast. You feel pressed against the door, but the inertia begins to shift from the middle of the door to the floor.
Someone calls from the front, "Are there no seat belts back there? Sorry, I must have forgotten to install them. . . You're alive right?" You crawl around the floor trying to get into a comfortable position. Slowly you manage to get up. The driver speaks again, "Oh yeah, kid, don't get up okay? I'm going to step on the break right now."
The vehicle jolts to a stop right as he finishes speaking. You're flung again, but this time to the front of the vehicle. You fall slamming your face on the wall. You feel dizzy and your head aches. Shortly after, a sound that resembles a large vacuum cleaner takes place as the doors open behind you. You see a gigantic man in an astronaut suit holding the door for you. He motions for you to come out, so you do. You're half floating as you walk out. The ground looks like flour, and as you slowly step on it, a cloud of dust rises slowly like the sand in the ocean floor. The sky is black except for the horizon, where there is a faint glow of purple that lashes through the sky. You stand there marveling when in a panic you realize you don't have an oxygen tank.
You look at the astronaut and yell, "How am I breathing?" However no sound is heard. You keep on trying to communicate, but it is useless. The astronaut just stands there watching you.
Then you hear a voice from behind you, "Hey, welcome." How could it be? How is sound traveling? You turn around to see another guy looking quite cheerful. Perhaps a bit too cheerful. He's about your height and has different colored hair. What strikes you is that he is dressed casually like you without any oxygen tank. He is for sure genuinely pleased to see you.
 He continues, "This is the best! What's your name?" You look at him unable to hide your astonishment. He looks at you questioningly, and his cheerful countenance disappears for a moment. Then he lets out a laugh clearly hinting at his good-nature. "Ah, I understand now. You are probably shocked. Don't worry, you'll get used to it, and your voice box will adjust to speaking too." He comes up and puts his hand on your shoulder, and as he does so, he says, "I mean it."

The End

-Lewis T. Castle

Expected? 5A

Your thoughts begin to go on a rampage, "Alliance, Alliance, Alliance! That's all he talks about. Why would he gobble about his secret alliance to me if he is an agent? What kind of agent does that? He must really be desperate, and I mean desperate. Ugh, the entire front of my body is getting scraped up by this coarse wall. My face is covered in red, brick dust. I must of hit the wall with my head. I'm not thinking straight either. Why would I try to pull a defense move on a guy with a gun if the last time I learned it was in Grade 7? Do I want to get shot? That must be what it is. Why else would I even consider this?" Your head does in fact ache pretty badly. Then you smile and ask, "You done yet? This was good until you actually rammed me into the wall."
He chuckles, "Sorry buddy. Kinda got into the mood I guess. You think the cameras at the bus stop fell for it?"
           You sneer at him, "I almost pulled the move on you."
 He bursts out laughing. "The one you always talk about learning in 7th grade?" he squeezes through his growing, whole-hearted laughter, "You must have, hit, your head really, hard." He's bending over holding his fat belly, still letting out bursts of laughter.
You ask feeling offended, "Did you bring the cash."
          He turns serious, "Do you really feel the need to ask?"
You smile and say, "There is a reason I keep you as my accomplice." You pause for a moment and then add after a peaceful sigh, "It's lovely how no one here is innocent."

The End

-Lewis T. Castle

The Mysterious Bug 5B

No more family, no more friends, and no more life.
You think that you might as well just give up your body, since you don't have your life anymore.

Why should I continue struggling to live?

Instead, just giving up your life sounds better. At least you will be able to help people.

But would this help people? 

You suddenly wonder if you can trust these people with masks and lab coats. You can't see their faces nor their facial expressions...if they even have faces.
You try to speak to them, but with great difficulty. It seems you can't even move your facial muscles. You can't open your mouth, you can't even open your eyes properly. The woman with the soothing voice comes close to you and injects something on your arm. Your thoughts and sight become clearer and now you can see this woman's eyes. They are big and yellow.

Can I trust these eyes?

As soon as this thought crosses your mind, you have another realization.

Well, why do I need to trust them? I'm going to become a lab rat anyways...

You look at the eyes again. When she looks back, you immediately look away, shutting your eyes tightly.  Even though the injection was done to wake you up, somehow you seem to feel even more fatigue. You feel someone taking your arms and legs and covering them with cold metal. Probably already using you as their lab rat.
They must be very pleased, since they are very quick to experiment on you.

Well, after all, I am a very perfect lab rat.

You open your eyes again, and see those cold, yet somehow soothing yellow eyes.

It's done now. 

You breath deeply in, and out. And finally close your heavy eyes.

I can't bear this anymore. 

Your last thought crosses your mind.

The End

-Kris

The Mysterious Bug 5A

You are useful. You are not horrible! You are just a bit different than most people.

The soothing and encouraging voice numbs your brain and you can think of nothing else besides this exciting new future. What can be better than this? This is your bright future waving for you to come.

You slowly nod your head in agreement to join them. The woman with a lab coat takes off her mask and smiles gently. She turns to the other men around her and gives an order. They quickly nod and begin heading in different directions to complete their duty. They wash you, feed you, and give you new clothes. Everything is new. Even you.

Since you still feel a bit dizzy, men in lab coats help you to get up. You walk slowly around the inside of the hovercraft. Just when you look out of the window, you realize how fast it is moving. It is amazing how you still do not even feel it moving. They bring you to your new room. It looks exactly like your room in your parent's house.

Old room, that is.

Everything that was in that room is now here. Even your favorite pen that was by your bedside. You do not know how they figured out the exact spot of your pen, but you instantly feel very comfortable. You pick up your pen and find your journal on the shelf. Excitement runs through your spine and to your head, and soon spreads out to your arms. You open your journal and what you find is blank.

What?

You quickly dig into your shelves, drawers, desk and wardrobe. Everything is new. Your shoes, books, your football... Everything. You quickly open your photo album and you see nothing.

They couldn't imitate memories, could they?

You feel disappointment slowly eating up the excitement that you had. They deleted you from your family's memory. You are now nothing to them. They do not know you. There is only this new start and this new life left to welcome you.

You stand up and the men who were still standing beside you get closer to help you. But you shake your head slightly. You know that you no longer need their help.

"I want a new room. I don't want these." After quietly, but clearly saying your wants, you turn towards the door and turn the handle. You know somehow that they will change your room to a new one which does not have anything that will remind you of "home." You know that it was their intention.

It is still hard to walk straight, but you know that this is one of the things that you should learn to do alone.

A stream of sunlight was shining on you, lighting your way.

The End.

-Kris

Worlds Away 5D

You shake your head at the screaming that you can hear coming from what seems like all directions. You look at the girl and notice something evil in her eyes.
You look deeper, captivated by the red diamonds that seem to sparkle out of her eyes.
You are sucked in, and you see what you have been dreading for the past few hours—the beast. He is inside of her, he has possessed her. You suddenly realize that he is trying to pull you in so that he can control your mind as well.
You shake your whole body, determined to be rid of this evil spirit that possesses animals and humans. You turn around and run away form the girl, who appears right in front of you as the loop starts over again. You stop, because you know that there is no way to escape the loop. You look into her eyes again, because your fate might as well be accepted as soon as possible.
You feel yourself moving in strange ways as the spirit enters your body. You look up and see a strange light that keeps getting closer and closer. You hear your favorite song playing in the background.
You trip on a large vine and fall backward.
You sit up with a large gasp in your bedroom as the sun comes up through your curtains and your alarm goes off. You turn your alarm off and vow never to take a nap again.

The End

-mkb

Worlds Away 5C

You run towards the screaming noise, the girl you just met following closely at your side. The scream sounds eerily familiar. At last, you find the source. It is another young girl and she also has a puzzle piece and a strange story as to how she ended up in the jungle.
You hear more screams. The girls follow you, pushing you to go and find the others. They say that they got into a bus accident and they have been trying to find the others for days. You run, find a girl with a puzzle piece, fit it into your puzzle, and then continue searching. Soon you have 20 puzzle pieces. The puzzle seems to say something, but you can't read the calligraphy unless you get the two final pieces. You hear another scream, this one is more piercing than the others—or maybe it just seems that way after all this running around. You find the last girl. She is far more tattered than the others, and she has two puzzle pieces. Your shaky hand assemble the puzzle. You read, "Welcome to your nightmare." You turn around, hoping that the girls will be as afraid as you are, but they are gone. In their place stands an even worse, more terrifying image than the vision you saw before. You brace yourself for your inevitable fate.

The End

-mkb

The Coast of Home 5D

You don't believe for a minute that Avery would do anything to hurt you, so you start stepping forward, careful not to fall. All of a sudden, you here the voices again, nagging at your mind. You feel cool bursts of wind on your face as if people are blowing on you.
"What's happening?" you call to Avery. You look at the fish-human standing there. "And what on earth are you talking to?"
There's no response, at least none that you can hear over the sound of the voices.
You try to ignore everything and make it to the other ledge. You must be hallucinating. There is no way that this is actually happening.
You can't see anything, the fog has come back and is engulfing your entire body. "Avery!" you call out, "Avery, where are you?"
You hear your roommate's voice very far away. "I'm over here. I'm right in front of you!"
You reach out, but there isn't anything there. You fall to your knees and crawl across the hard rock, groping around on the ground as if you were blind. "Avery, I can't find you!"
"I'm literally right here. Just, look at me." Though the voice seems distant, a hand touches your shoulder. You flinch, not expecting the contact. "What is wrong with you, honestly?" You look up and Avery is standing there, looking down at you, completely alone.
"What, happened? What was that thing next to you?"
"What thing? I just came out here to be alone and you had to chase me down calling 'Avery, Avery!' Way to ruin the peace, you know? I was so startled I almost fell off the edge you idiot."
"Wait. No, there was that fish-human. There. Right there. And the fog came. And I couldn't see you!" You start panicking, it had to be true. It had to be.
"No, there wasn't. There was no fog. You were just standing there the whole time. I don't know why you think you have to come sneak up on me like that but it's just rude you know. Following me? Are you okay?"


Are you okay? You start to wonder yourself…

The End

-R.H.

The Coast of Home 5C

You are overcome by fear and start scrambling back up the cliff side. You can feel Avery's eyes on your back and you shiver. You were betrayed by your own roommate! To think that your friend was "luring" you somewhere. You have no idea as to what you were being lured into, but that's never a nice word.
You're hurrying so fast that you aren't paying attention to your footing. Before you know it, your foot slips out from underneath you and you fall straight down towards the ocean.
You see Avery and that… thing's faces following you as you fall, and you see their eyes light up.
Oh no, this is what they want. They want you in the ocean.

You hit the water.

Splash

It sounds like someone just flushed the toilet over your head. You can't breathe; the air has been knocked out of you. You resist gasping for more; you're underwater.
Suddenly, you feel something grabbing at you, hands are pulling at your arms and legs.
Slowly you're pulled down into the ocean. The light is fading. Fading.

The End

-R. H. 

Alleyway Adventure 5B

"So, what exactly are the requirements for this job?" you ask, somewhat tentatively.
"No questions. We only ask for your full participation."
"Who are you?" you ask the man from the alleyway.
"My name is Jonathan. We are the CIA. We need someone like you, with your skills."
CIA? You wonder. Aren't they dangerous?
"Gentleman, I'm really very sorry, but I can't accept this position," you say, unsure of what will happen next.
"Unfortunately, you don't have that option," Suit says as he walks behind you. He is blindfolding you.
"What are yo-" you try to speak but Suit has put a cloth over your mouth.
You are held hostage for three days while the CIA brainwashes you into doing their bidding. You have no recollection whatsoever of your life before. They sell your house and your car, erase your name in every way possible—you are unidentified except by the CIA.
You are nobody.

The End

- mkb

Alleyway Adventure 5A

Without a second thought, you agree to take the job. After all, you had just moved into the city and had been looking for work.
"Thank you, we will commence work immediately."
"Um... okay." You had hoped that they would at least let you gather some clothes from your house or something.
"You will be given suits, which you will wear to work."
You look down at your T-shirt and jeans, realizing with alarm that Suit basically just read your mind.
"Your current outfit will have to do for today, although it is highly unprofessional."
"Well, I didn't exactly expect to be kidnapped by...." you try to think. Are they government officials? Is this job even legal? How did I get into this mess? You suddenly begin to become very afraid of Suit. Who is he, anyway?
"My name is not Suit. It will become known to you after the procedure is finished."
"What procedure?" you ask, afraid.
"I might as well tell you, because you won't remember it after a few minutes. You will be programmed to follow our every order, and you will do exactly as we say. As soon as the programming wears off, you will be killed, and another employee will be hired."
Fear fills your brain as you suddenly realize that there is a cloth over your face. As you lose consciousness, you think of what it will be like to have no control over your actions. Two years later you are shot and all evidence of your existence is wiped off the face of the earth. Nobody remembers you, nobody tries to find you, because you don't exist.

The End

- mkb

To Arms! 4B

Jonathan follows you, almost like a dog following his master. He respects you, and not just because your father is the village leader or because you've always been a head higher than him, even in your youth; he respects you because you've seemingly always done what is right. Until now. He respects you enough to follow your orders.
You lead him down to a trail head, one that leads deep into the forest. You remain in the shallows of the trail, close to the edge, but deep enough in shadow to stay unseen and out of earshot. There are too many zealous young lads running about, brandishing their father's weaponry, eager for war.
"Jonathan, I have a plan. If you lead the army, I can run up on the foothills and ambush the enemy from behind." Your offer lingers in the air for a moment. Jonathan knows the risk of leading an army into battle. The two of you have grown up hearing stories of war with the Scorps. You fix him with a look of disbelief at his momentary cowardice.
"Yes, yes, of course I'll lead the army. It's an honor, really." He says, waving away his indecisiveness. You grin, but not at his bravery.
"Meet me here at daybreak, when we've defeated the enemy." He smiles hopefully.
You smile, too.
Plagued with sudden seriousness, he hugs you. "You've been like a brother to me. I'm honored that you chose me to lead our people into war."
With those words, he turns and gathers the children who think because they hold their father's weapons, they are men.
You turn around, a lightness about you. You run deeper into the forest, away from your people, who are sure to be slaughtered. You run away with no intention of ambushing the Scorps. No one but Jonathan knows where you've gone, and he's leading a losing army into battle. You wonder if the few who survive will tell your family that you died in battle. You can't suppress a laugh. Fools.

If you want to continue to safety while your people die, click here.

If you want to go back, tell Jonathan of your momentary cowardice, and beg for forgiveness, knowing the penalty of treason is death, click here.  

-s.s.

To Arms! 4A

"You and I both know that we don't have enough men or arms. But what we do have is a duty. We can hold the Scorps off for long enough so that the women and children can make it to safety. Lead with me, Jonathan. Go, take fighters to that side."
Before leading the men off, he runs up and embraces you like a brother. "We can hold them until daylight. Our people will be safe by then."
"Until daylight," you agree, a tear spilling out of your eye.

You stand in front. Behind you is a mass of fear. Trembling boys, some not yet sixteen, look out upon a pulsating, breathing enemy. It is not at all like your parents or the town elders described them. This enemy is not a memory. The army in front of  you is all flesh and bone and fire.
"Think not of glory, nor fame. There will be none of that here. Think first of your family, the people for whom you fight. Only then will your sacrifice be not in vain." You can barely stand to look upon the army you lead. You will not lead them to victory.
You lead children to slaughter an enemy they don't know, for their mother's sake, for their sister's sake, for the sake of their people. Your people. You think of your siblings.

You fight until daylight, until you know your people are safe. You take a knee on the battlefield. You will slaughter no more. You will no longer watch boys fight their father's enemy. War is organized murder and nothing else.  

The End.

-s.s.

Alleyway Adventure 4D

There is no way this crazy man is going to stick wires all over you, so you shove him aside and start running again, to the opposite side of the alleyway. All of a sudden people start rushing in, they have guns. They yell at you to get down and then some of them surround you. You have no idea what is going on so you get on your knees and put your hands in the air. For some reason you don't feel scared or panicked or anything though. It's strange, you just do exactly as you're told.
You remember the gun in your hand and try to drop it immediately, but it's stuck in your hand as if someone had duct taped it there.
Of course you're not going to kill anyone, but you could easily fake them out. You could shoot right at the tips of their toes and then run past them. It could work.
"Hey, hey, the battery on this one's almost out!" One of the men surrounding you points at you and motions to his companion down the road.
"Brant got away with the charger again. If we don't bring something back we're dead meat," the other voice calls back.
"So what do we do, just wait till it runs out?"
"There's really nothing else to do."
You stand up and everyone backs up a little from around you.
"Put the gun down." The man that was on the other side is walking towards you, speaking to you, but your hearing is fading.
"What do you mean 'battery is running out?'" you stutter, a little bit nervous.
"You'll find out out in about twenty five seconds." He checks his watch.
"Tell me now." You point the gun at him.
"Whoa, alright. I thought they put memory chips into all of you anyways? Maybe that's the first thing you lose." He shakes his head and speaks louder. "You're an experiment, do you remember that? I don't suppose you do...but it doesn't matter because you're gone now. What a shame—" His voice starts to fade out and you feel your body tilt to the ground. The ringing in your ears takes over all other sounds and your whole body feels like it's on fire. You fall face first into the pavement.

The End

-RH

Alleyway Adventure 4C

You freeze in shock. What on earth is he—
Your head starts spinning and you see more flashing images. Bright lights shine in your eyes and you hear people in lab coats murmuring all sorts of things. The confusion stops as quickly as it began. You realize that you're back in the street, the man holding the wires out towards you.
"What are you doing?" you choke out. You have a strange feeling of trust for him all of a sudden. His face was one of the lab coated people, making him somehow familiar.
"You really don't remember then, do you? Well then, it's far too late to explain. If I don't help you now, you'll die. Just hold still alright? But promise me one thing, when you're powered, you have to stay and help me."
You look at him blankly, not knowing what he means.
"PROMISE ME," he yells at you this time, urgency building in his voice, betraying the calmness he once displayed. He is a very confusing person, you decide.
"Al- alright," you stutter. You lift up your arms as if to surrender, and nod, "I promise."
He approaches you quickly, scampering over behind you. He pulls out the wires and you realize there is a massive battery attached to them. You have to close your eyes.
You feel him lift up your sleeve and insert the wires into your upper arm, like someone is pinching you.
All of a sudden you feel a surge of energy and you flick your head up and around and everything is brighter and clearer and you can feel the wind and the dust and see the cracks on the building two blocks away. You feel your heart beat faster and your arms grow stronger. Your legs are building with energy that is just waiting to burst.
"Alright alright, calm down. Remember your promise?" The man all of a sudden looked a lot weaker to you. He looked as if you could snap him like a twig.
"Yes, what do you want?" You look at him, waiting, expecting something great and amazing.
"I need you to kill them." All of a sudden a group of people come running around the corner, guns drawn and faces hard as steel.
You, kill them? Easy. But why? And no. And how? And WHAT?
"What are you talking about! I have no reason to kill them! I refuse to kill them!" you yell at the man.
"YES, you remember how quickly I revived you, I can take that away right now, I can kill you!"
"I could kill you too!" you say to him, you feel like a child, talking about something much greater than a child's understanding.
You see him putting his hand towards the wires still attached to your arm. Quickly you push him away and grab the battery right out of his weak hands.
You don't know what to do but only think of running again. It wasn't any of your business anyway, right? You take off running in the opposite direction.
You hear gun shots in the distance, beating across the walls of the buildings. People in the streets don't even notice, they barely even look at you. How can they not notice what is going on right in front of them?
All of a sudden you feel a spitting feeling in your head and you can't think any more... or well, you can, but it's overpowering, you're thinking TOO much. You feel like exploding. A massive headache is ripping through you, like you stuck your head under a shower head that is spitting icy water.
Finally it all stops and you recoil from the mass of information that just appeared inside your head. It feels like a ship full of library books was just emptied into your brain and finally you understand.
You're a lab rat—er—human. Or, you're not really anything now.
You are supposed to be a soldier, but for some reason you got out into the city.
Though things are beginning to become more clear, one question still plagues your mind—who were those people? You remember the location of the lab, if you run, you could go back and find more information. Or perhaps all the answers that you need are waiting back at the scene of the gun fight? Where do you go for answers?


Go back to the people with guns and find out what is happening: Click Here
Or
Go back to the lab and ask them what is happening: Click Here

-RH

To Arms! 3B

You quickly rush to your little sister's room. She is already awake, huddling in the corner of her room, her doll held tight in her arms. 

"Muneah, it's all right, come with me. Help me wake up Salemon."

She quickly runs to you and grabs hold of your arm. You both head to your little brother's room.

He's still asleep on his bed, and you feel terrible waking him up, especially in these circumstances, but you don't have time to spare.

Though they are young, both of your siblings seem to know exactly what is going on. They know the country is under attack. What else would the blaring bells outside be for? They certainly aren't church bells, calling you to pray. They are desperate bells, begging you to grab all of your dearest possessions and flee, or grab your sharpest swords and fight.

You know that you will be fleeing with the children this time. You aren't quite old enough to fight and not even close to tall enough. You are a mere 6 feet tall, while all of the warriors have to be at least 7 feet. Yet, you still have a lot of growing to do.

Somehow your father has managed to wake your mother. They are both standing outside, preparing to depart. When you reach them they have all the valuables packed into four little backpacks. 

Four.

You look to your father. He is placing thick leather wraps over his forearms. He already has armor covering his chest. 

"What are you doing?" you ask, but he just looks at you and motions towards the escape tunnel. His earlier joking behavior has vanished so quickly.  

You grab your bags and go with your siblings and mother into the dark passageway under the stairs, looking back at your father's silhouette one last time. He was placing a helmet on his head.

You swallow but continue deeper into the tunnel, unable to disobey his one silent command: "Go." 

It breaks your heart but there is no other choice. 

It all happens so fast. You never thought war to be such a solid form, imposing on your household as if it swept away all your voices under the rug, like you used to do with the dust when you were too lazy to sweep it out the door. 

You spend days walking through dark tunnels alongside your family. When the tunnels connect from other houses, more families join your group. All the families wear the same sullen expression, each missing loved ones.

When you finally emerge into daylight, you are blinded by the stark sun, it's glare streaming in through a thin layer of clouds. 

You come out on a hill, and you turn back to see the direction from which you have come.

In the distance you can make out your city. 

It is smoking and flaming. All the buildings lay in ashy heaps on the ground. 

There is nothing left. All you can see, advancing even faster than the clouds, is the Scorps. 

They are coming. 

The End

-R.H.