《The Maple Leaf》One: Through the Hole
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'Lose not faith in your hour of despair.
Since the beginning of man, the
darkness has always been followed
by the light.'
-Joe Fazio
(Brief renderings)
Morning crept up with a crushing wind and what seemed to be the very last leaf of Autumn had fallen from a maple tree. The yellow-brown thing fluttered wildly through the gust as if it were a hummingbird that had just discovered a sea of hollyhocks. Three steel bars, separated by one foot of open space and four walls around, stood against the gusty wind in line of the drifting leaf. For many long years, not much had ever entered or exited that guarded space which resided in the middle of a tall, thick, decrepit wall. It appeared as if it were enveloped in crusted blood from the dark orange rust. Though, it was not blood. It was more so a glaring portrait. A masterful painting of a carelessness and blatant disregard for common upkeep that could dishearten the ghastliest of men. The building rested in the middle of nowhere, nestled within many acres of trees and hills. The only cleanliness to be found were the forests and rivers, cleansed sparingly over time by mother nature.
The maple leaf, riding on a trail of wind northward, glided softly between the steel beams in the large wall, and into William's room. The room, which was barely one at all, resembled a small dungeon or prison cell without the barred door which may give any contact to people on the other side. William woke from his sleep just as it landed. It was almost as if he knew something had appeared in his room that should not have been there. When he looked down from his pillow and onto his long, slender, frail body, he noticed it. Upon his right leg, perched slightly upwards and out of the dirty white bed sheet he used for covers, was the leaf.
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He felt an odd sensation of curiosity and then, quickly after, a feeling of guilt.
"This isn't right," William uttered, "how do I hide you from Him?"
William hadn't seen anything of the outside world in so long that even the simplest of things would astound him. A few times over the years he had seen insects enter his room which would die within hours or days. He'd touch them and toss them a little. One nearly became his next snack after a particularly long stint without food. Usually, though, they were like tiny visitors from the world beyond the window; stopping by to say hello before their stomachs, too, became too empty.
He would see sunlight or moonlight gleam through the barred window if you could call it such a name. One time he witnessed a small, red bird land on the edge for only a few seconds before taking flight to who knows where.
"A Flying Red!" He named it, years before.
The truth was, even the birds would have nothing to do with that hole in the wall. The small opening was so high up that William could never hope to see outside of it, see the world which lay just beyond the walls. William's world was in that room.
The window was his only way of knowing day from night. The window was his only form of air conditioning. The only contact from anything besides himself, insects, and Father. It was his calendar, his air, his contact, his dreaded nightmare, and his grandest dream. Of all the things he had the pleasure of seeing enter through that hole, it was never such a beautiful sight as that fragile leaf.
In late-Autumn, it was still clinging onto its colors like a starving man with a bread loaf. William shot up and snatched it from his leg. He held it up to his nose and sucked in through his thin nostrils, which hadn't smelled anything that fine in so long as he could remember. Holding the maple leaf, William knew that he must dispose of it. Having in his possession any item remotely interesting was strictly forbidden, even if it had entered without permission. This was easier said than done, however, as he had no way of getting it back through the hole.
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The Terran Traveller
A dark, science fantasy tale of a man, Subject 513, sent to another world as an experimental test subject. WARNING: This is not your typical isekai, wish-fulfillment story. You have been warned. In the year 2022, a mass-transit of test subjects occurred inside the confines of a vast, underground research facility. The 500 or-so individuals taking part in this secret experiment -- labelled: The 1st Beta Phase -- were force-transferred to another world under the direction of Project Prometheus. These test subjects had one, singular role: to act as "baseline tests" for future, planned experiments. Among the individuals taking part in the experiment, was Subject 513… ...sirens blared throughout the 4th Research Facility as an anomalous event transpired within one of the many transfer pods... “Subject 513: missing. Force-transfer procedure has been cancelled. Foreign matter detected.” Those were the last words uttered by the life-support system monitoring Subject 513’s vitals, as it shut down indefinitely. As 513’s consciousness faded into the void, his physical presence left on Earth crumbled to dust, blanketing the floor of the transfer pod he was stored within, in grey ash... ...when he awoke, the last few years of his life had seemingly been plucked-away from his memories. And to make matters worse, he found himself trapped under the gaze of a ravenous beast, ready to tear him apart... Join Subject 513 on his grueling journey of struggle, misery, and search for purpose, as he navigates through an unfamiliar world alone. What to expect: -Gore-Horror-Humor-Multiple character focus-Psychological elements-Survival-Tragedy-Under-powered MC-Atypical Isekai / Transmigration story My goals are to: -Become a better writer-Release on a set schedule: 2-week cycle (currently)-Create exciting scenarios-Deliver an immersive experience-Provide a rich, expansive fictional world How the chapters are divided: -Normal chapters provide the Micro aspects of the story-Interlude chapters provide the Macro aspects of the story-Supplementary chapters provide side stories and miscellaneous information such as maps and journal entries Author's Notes: Feel free to join my Discord server where I update my content status and schedule releases: https://discord.gg/KKmk4Bc
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