《The Peripheral Girl》Chapter 7
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The infirmary really looked no different than most buildings in the Community, which was a good thing for me; it would make it much easier to sneak in and find my way around. I walked to a back window and checked the lock on it. Unlocked... Figures. The Community was so empty and quiet at night, but I was still surprised that there weren't more guards or something outside, given what had just happened.
I had never been inside of the infirmary, but I trusted my gut and crept down a dark hallway and started checking rooms. Of the three rooms downstairs, I had found no one in them, so I headed for the stairs. I snuck past the kitchen, which still had a dim light on above the sink. I didn't stop to poke my head in and see if anyone was actually in there. I had gotten this far without getting caught, I didn't want to press my luck.
After tiptoeing up the stairs, I made my way to the first room on the right. I put light pressure on the door, and it opened slowly. The window on the other side of the room let the moonlight leak in; the boy was lying in the bed, his back facing me. Next to him, Hirsh sat sleeping in a rocking chair. Careful not to wake Hirsh, I went over to the bed. The boy looked so gaunt and sickly in the moonlight. Bags sat under his eyes, and his thick, dark hair fell on his thin face. He was clean and his hair was no longer matted, but he still looked too skinny. Is this what the sickness looks like? I wondered. Come to think of it, I'd never really seen a sick person before. What if he didn't have the sickness and was just starving or sick with something else? I reached out and touched his arm, afraid that he'd wake up, but hoping that he would at the same time. He merely stirred in his sleep. I held my breath and touched his arm again. This time the boy sprang up and pushed me away, a look of horror filled his large eyes.
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"I'm sorry!" I whispered. Thankfully, Hirsh hadn't woken. I held out my hands, trying to calm the boy down. "I didn't mean to scare you, I just-"
"You're the girl that found me," he said with a weird voice, his eyes still holding a look of terror. I nodded.
"I'm Zuza."
He looked at me wearily.
"What's your name?" I asked him, making sure to keep my voice down.
"... Enzo," he said quietly.
"Why do you talk differently than I do?" I asked him. "You say things differently. It's not bad, just... different."
"That's just how we talk where I'm from. Your voice sounds different to me."
"Yeah, but your voice sounds fancy."
He shrugged. "I guess."
"Hmm. Where are you from?"
He shifted his eyes and looked at the ground. "I-uh, another community."
"The one that was dissolved? Did bad things happen there? Is that why you looked the way you did?"
"You're awfully forward."
"I know."
"Well..." Enzo looked anywhere but at me. "Well, I don't want to talk about it."
"That's okay," I said. "We only just met, you don't have to tell me yet."
"Yet?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at me.
"Yeah, friends don't tell each other everything all at once. You have to get to know each other little by little."
"We're friends?"
I nodded. "If you want to be. There aren't a lot of kids here my age. How old are you?"
"Fifteen."
"You're kind of small to be fifteen, but I guess I can see it."
Enzo pulled the covers up around him tighter. "Umm... alright."
"I'm fourteen, so that was a pretty good guess."
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"Are you always this talkative?"
"Yes, why?"
"Oh, uh-"
"You get used to it. My sister Madi says the same thing all the time. Though, she's usually more mean about it. The thing is, I just have a lot to say, and sometimes it's hard to find people who care to listen."
Enzo let slip a small smile. "How frustrating that must be."
"You seem like a good listener though. That's why I think we'll make good friends. Anyway, I'll let you go back to sleep. I'm sorry that I woke you up."
"It's alright."
"Well... goodnight!" I said quietly. He nodded and laid back down on the bed. I slipped out of the room, proud of myself for sneaking into the infirmary and not waking up Hirsh, but even more proud that I had made a friend.
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Classless Ascension
[ Climb the Dimensional Tower and have any wish fulfilled by the gods themselves! ]
8 236Eater
A world much like our own, where women are gifted with power beyond any man. A land stained by war, where the servants of the great darkness pillage without restraint, stopped only by strong walls and sharp steel. A prison, meant to hold the horrors of the universe in place, watched over by the men from the great beyond. The Eaters. Eat well. Be well.
8 246Saga of Fallen Kings, Book I: The Revenant Prince
The Philosopher King once conquered the known world, his power seemingly unlimited and his armies inexhaustible. Since that time his might has slowly unravelled, and his once steadfast empire has begun to crack, splinter and devour itself. In the isolated Southern Realms, where even magic has abandoned them, none of that matters. For years it has been filled with warring kingdoms, where as many kings die to the blade as to old age, and constant battles tear apart the land. When one such kingdom invades its old enemy, the King and his heir, Prince Caden, are killed. Unable to accept the loss of his family Prince Arian is broken, and when the Philosopher King stretches out his hand in aid, Arian takes it without a second thought. When Caden wakes from death, he's different. His eyes and soul have changed, and he finds a world filled with friends who no longer trust he's even human. Suddenly thrust onto the throne and indebted to the Philosopher King, Caden has no choice but to keep going - he must finish what his father started, and try to survive the machinations of the figure who now owns his fealty. Meanwhile something beyond death stirs for him, desiring nothing more than to drag him back into its embrace. Author's Note: This story used to be known as "A King of his Own", but after some consideration I have decided to rebrand it. The first reason is that I was growing increasingly dissatisfied with the title. The second is that I have come increasingly to view this story as a 'saga' containing multiple 'books' rather than one long, continuous publication, and as I did so I realized that as I was quickly getting to a point in the story where I wanted the first 'book' to end. This doesn't mean I'm going back on the things I said below - they're just going to continue in the next book of the Saga of Fallen Kings. :) Also, be aware that I do plan to edit this at some point. Though I take care to squash out any obvious errors when I proof-read, and do simple edits in that process, at some point I'm almost certainly going to do large edits that might significantly change parts of the story. Old author's notes: This started as a completely random writing session. There was no purpose or direction, but as I kept typing an entire world began to form in my mind that I knew I had to write about. My plan is to turn this story into a veritable medieval fantasy epic that spans an entire world, follows multiple character and storylines, and takes place over many years. The story has quite a grounded, almost 'realistic' start, but many more fantastical elements will be introduced, expanded upon and become central to the narrative. I have ideas for this story that make me genuinely excited and I hope you enjoy my work as much as I enjoy writing it, and join me on what will hopefully become a truly massive fantasy epic. If you do enjoy this story please consider following, rating and leaving a review. I'm also happy to answer any questions or comments you have. (Cover image is an edited version of free stock art found: here.)
8 205The Practitioner of Deceit
Victor Santos the Daemon Practitioner will become evil. Hellspawn. A true supervillain. At least, that's his goal. After forming a contract with a demon named Taro (which he doesn't remember doing), he gains the use of true demonic ability. Due to circumstances beyond his control, however, all his nefarious plots end with his city hailing him as their local hero. When his talents as a Practitioner are required by not only his former mentor, but also his arch-nemeses (read: best friend) Rohan the Roseaic Practitioner, Victor must put aside his personal goals and repay the debt he owes. As luck would have it, however, Victor may have the opportunity to become what he so desperately desired after all. *All illustrations drawn by the author*
8 173Blarg the Meh Ai
Welcome to my story. I've decided to restart from the beginning. So start from the New beginning. ____________Blarg the Destroyer, Come and see the adventure the excitement, the drama, and maybe more.
8 103Whodunnit 2
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