《Adventures With a Reincarnated Bush》12 Franklin's Mysterious Dreams
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A young boy with disheveled hair happily plays in Franklin’s old town. He sometimes dreams of happier days; however, they often turn into nightmares. Franklin’s home town doesn’t only remind him of good days. His dad’s death, the screams, the fire slowly creep in from the darkest corners of his mind.
A spooky voice flows from the shifting shadows, "Franklin! Franklin, do you truly wish to be strong?"
The sudden change in the dream scares the young boy causing him to flee home. As Franklin is about to reach the door, a large bush blocks his path. "Is this all your bold words amount to?" A booming voice asks, shaking Franklin's mind. How can this young boy stand up to John? He has a cultivation of seed coalescing and a hundred years of experience.
Fires envelop the town as Franklin breaks down, shaking and crying in the middle of the street. "MOOMMY!" he screams.
"The Fires of the past will consume you. Will you let everything fall through your fingers?" asks a voice that comes from every direction.
"Franklin, hold on," A female voice pierces the scene. A woman coddles the young man as the world becomes hazy and fades away.
John returns to himself with a shake of his leaves. "Well, that could have gone better." Joe, the demonic bull, opens his droopy eyes and snorts at the bush.
"What? This was the first attempt he's just scared he'll come around." John says while trying to look sagely by extending his branches, making him look taller. Joe can't be bothered with this nonsense and returns to his sleep.
John had more growth in the short time of spring then he had all the previous year. He is now flush with branches with lush green foliage. "If there were any female bushes around, they'd be all over me." John speculates. He has begun to give off a slight glow as energy flows through him, making him look extra healthy.
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Today Franklin is a bit frazzled and doesn't leave the hovel he is staying in. Laurel comes over to see what is wrong but is shooed away by Anna. The day flows by, and soon the sun has set again.
Even though he is scared and doesn't want to sleep, his eyes soon droop. He is a young boy with no cultivation, after all, how long can he manage to stay up? Again he is in his old hometown. He shivers as he prepares for another nightmare.
As the dream solidifies, Franklin jumps back, "Ahh!" almost casting him out of his dream. There is an older man in the center of the town staring right at him. He has deep eyes that look as if they have seen ages gone by.
"Well, here we are again." The old man snorts. "Are you going to run and cry for your mother again?"
Franklin trips as he backs away from the old man falling on his bottom. "Who are you?" he asks with a trembling voice.
"Ha, I overheard you bragging to that little lady about how you are going to be strong." John smiles slyly while shaking his head. "Never did I think that the big strong boy would instantly cry for his mommy when I just came for a visit."
Franklin's eyes nearly bulge out of his head "How did you know?"
John can't hold it in anymore and starts laughing with tears coming out of his eyes.
"What's so funny?" Franklin yells dejectedly.
"It's just I'm in your dream." John wheezes between laughs. "Wouldn't most people just think I was part of the dream? If I'm just in your head, why wouldn't I know who you talked to?"
Looking embarrassed, the boy rubs his head. "I guess that makes sense. But you said you came to visit, so I just thought…."
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"That I'm a super-powerful being that came to help you out!?" The old man suddenly stops laughing and flies to the boy in an instance. "That's right. I am such a great personage."
Franklin swallows heavily, "But didn't you just..."
"Just what?" John asks as he becomes a large head eyeing the boy.
"No, nothing." Franklin deflates.
"That's what I thought," John harrumphs with his beard flowing. "I can't help but notice that your swordsmanship is…."
"Is what?" The young lad asks impatiently.
"Complete and utter garbage. Even a bush can beat you up!" With a finger pointing into the air, John looks quite heroic and proud of himself. However, Franklin can’t help but look quizzically at the strange man.
Looking at the boy's unreserved attitude, John feels incensed. "Bah, what does a kid know anyways. Here I was planning on helping this nobody, but he thinks he already knows everything," he says to no one, in particular, walking away with his hands behind his back.
Franklin is dumbstruck at the act of this old man. He is so shameless even as he walks away, trying to look mysterious, John keeps peeking back to see if he will be stopped. "Fine, please teach me your great combat techniques," Franklin gives in. He feels bad for the old man and decides to play along.
"Hmph, learn my techniques? Your body can't even handle any technique! Who are you joking." Franklin stumbles as the whole world shakes with the booming voice of the old man.
"I'm John, and I've lived for many years before meeting you, and I will live many more after you die." John gives a condescending look to Franklin before continuing, "if you can even gain a fraction of the power I have, what mortal soldier can stand against you?"
This statement finally gets Franklin a bit pumped to learn. With shining eyes, he asks, "What do I need to do master?"
A throne appears behind John, which he sits on looking smug. "Ha, I'll help you, but calling me master is a bit much. Here look upon your training menu." With a wave of his hand, the dream becomes that of the cobbled-together village.
Here Franklin can see himself running and running. How long is he expected to run for, he wonders? After a hundred laps around the hill, the figment of him running stops. Then it shows him lifting all kinds of heavy objects pans, pots, hammers, etc. over and over. "What is this?" Franklin asks in confusion.
"It's the basics, you lazy kid!" Flames spew out of John’s mouth, and the world brakes apart. "How can someone scrawny like you learn any fighting techniques. Do your best kid, and show me your determination." The resolute voice comes from the void as Franklin is roused from his dreams by the morning light.
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Silhouette
WARNING: THIS STORY HAS A SLOW START. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. We all grew up hearing stories about heroes and villains, but what would we do if we were to be part of one? One night, a bioweapon escaped from its laboratory in Zalcien, only to die in a dark alley. One night, a young man lent a helping hand, only to die alone in the dark. One night, a deity of death saw two lost souls and offered one a second chance in the other's body. Now a strange creature made of darkness, James has to deal with his new form in a strange new world where superpowers, heroes and villains are commonplace, far away from his home. Watch as he learns how to use his powers, as he meets allies and enemies and how, when facing the paths of heroism and villainy, he chooses a third way somewhere in between. Follow the story of James, a lost Earthling soul, as he becomes Silhouette, the mysterious power in the shadows. Greetings fellow humans. This is my first story on Royal Road and my first long-term project written in English, so I do hope you will have some mercy in your heart when reading. So, as you may have understood, this is a story with super-heroes - which is quite ironic for my first story considering all of the other ones planned are fantasy - and as such will take place in a modern-like setting. Despite dark themes and gory scenes making their way into the story, it is still a super-hero world with the logic that matches, so expect characters to survive nuclear explosions without a scratch and yet to get defeated by a rubber ducky - as well as similar dark humor, thus the comedy part.
8 351Torn World
Nathan Jones is an 18-year-old who has just recently been accepted into his favorite college. To celebrate, he invites his friends to a vacation on an island in the Bahamas that was just recently made tourist-friendly. Little did they know that the island was a magic portal into a different world like in the Light Novels that Nathan read in his spare time. In this world, there are demons roaming about and destroying kingdom after kingdom after escaping the Great Abyss made by the first hero of the land Liathys. Being 4 Legendary classes, it is up to these 4 friends to use their godly powers to restore peace to the world, all of them doing it in their own way. The original title was "In A Torn World Where Cheat Specs Save Our Lives", but I thought it was too long so I changed it to simply "Torn World".
8 119Precipice
Man believes in his dreams, his hopes, his prayers. But what if those very prayers led to his downfall? Humanity’s thirst for knowledge and greed for power has left it at the pinnacle of science. At least that’s what Smith believes. Working tirelessly on the ‘Spread Function’, he hopes to usher in a golden age for mankind and to reconnect with his wife and child, victims of his obsession with the Spread Function. The world is not what it once was. Altered forever by ‘The Reckoning’, the survivors of humanity struggle to live on, drifting as nomads or forming small communities, sustained only by their own blood and sweat. This is the world that Esterian is born into. After learning of his father’s death at the hands of one known only as the 'Shadow of Heaven', he vows vengeance. But there are other forces at work as well. The rulers of the land, beings of unimaginable power known only as the ‘Holy Ones’ would twist Esterian’s rage to serve their own perverted motives. So too would the band of rebels called Advaitha, shrouded in mystery, their seemingly noble motive of reclaiming the world for man hiding a much darker agenda.
8 241The Street Festival: How A Wallflower Became The Hero (updated)
Marty, is a quiet, shy kid, a loner with no close friends. He's always felt like an odd, uncomfortable, awkward person with zero social skills. With no positive male role model in his life, he hasn't gained much insight into what it means to be a man. He doesn't know how to act manly and doesn't show interest in traditionally manly pursuits. As a result, he's picked on and made fun of at school, called a wimp, a weakling and worse. When you add to that his straight "A" status in all his classes and his reputation for preferring the company of sci-fi stories & movies and comics over other humans, you start to understand the other name they call him, "nerd." He doesn't see the perks of being a wallflower and doesn't want to continue going through life as one. When his mom lands a job in another city, he sees an opportunity to reinvent himself, become the cool jock, or someone else the people at his new school will respect, and want to get to know.But will it be easy to do and will it work out like he plans?*This story was written by Sabrynabrooklynne on Wattpad. If you aren't reading it there, it's been stolen. Please report the website. It's probably not the final version either.*
8 121Cut. Stitch. Heal. Repeat.
Poetry about some of my experiences. Started in high school until now. Like and comment if you wish.
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Foxy gets moved to the second location. Foxy hates everyone. But when he meant a girl named mangle who is also a pirate. Everything changed. Drama drama XD
8 191