《A Wizard's Birth: Awakening》Chapter 16: Those Left Behind
Advertisement
Hearing the last words her boyfriend said, Bianca Jean was still frantically looking around her room for the source of his voice. It felt as though he were just next to her on the bed. It was way too real for it to just be her imagination.
It had been practically five months since she heard Will's voice, but she couldn't have mistaken that voice. It was the same one she had heard whispered in her ear countless times before he moved.
Her phone was still in her hands, she called the only person she could think of to call. Dialing Leo's number, she prayed with every ring that he would answer.
“Ello?” answered a not at all tired voice.
“I heard Will,” Bianca blurted out before she could think of what to say. Though it sounded like she was going crazy, she hoped that maybe Leo would take her seriously. She knew he had been trying to keep tabs on Will since he left for Colorado.
“Hearing voices, Bee? After so long of not hearing him I should have known this would happen,” a cocky response answered from the line. Bianca could have expected a response like that. Leo had a personality where he couldn't necessarily turn off his sarcasm, but in some cases, that was why she and Will hung out with him. After all, normal was overrated.
“Haha, Lee, get dressed and meet me at Java Joint,” Bianca said as she hung up the phone; throwing on a pair of jeans and a pink tank with a jean jacket, she ran down the stairs of her house and left. Luckily a few months ago, she finally saved up enough money for a car. Her mom was fine with putting down half for a decent Chevy Malibu.
Bianca got in her car and got the keys out of her pocket. It could have been a sign from him, she thought as she cranked on the ignition. At least a way for him to tell us he's okay. She knew how she sounded and it wasn't like her usual self, but when Will stopped contacting her, she tried everything. She called Jonathan's phone which went straight to voicemail. She had Leo try tracking him down via GPS and nothing came up. It was like Will just completely vanished off the face of the earth.
The car ride to downtown Saint Cloud took no more than ten minutes taking the road past Tech High School and the bowling alley. Bianca soon saw Leo's old banged up white Buick parked in front of Java Joint. Oddly enough, Leo got his car long before she did. Will still didn't have one seeing as though his dad would have made sure he had at least a thousand in his account for insurance, and the first payment upfront before he could get one. Bianca looked at the old beat up car for a minute; she remembered the trails they took, the branches of the trees on either side scraping each side of the car. Leo didn't care about the look of the car; he only cared that he could take it on their numerous adventures. Taking herself out of her thoughts, she headed toward Java Joint.
Advertisement
Entering the coffee shop, Bianca was hit by a hint of nostalgia. This was the place the three of them hung out in most of the time. The quiet atmosphere in the daytime and the bands at night, it was the perfect place for three teenagers to spend their time.
Bianca remembered the time Leo was acting his normal goofy self playing the tambourine to a guitarist’s song, making a fool out of himself while Will recorded it. Bianca would just be on the side laughing at the two kids while they made a mockery of themselves. That night, she laughed herself to death on the drive home.
The place hadn't changed in years though it was quieter than it used to be. It was ten o'clock at night and there was no band, just music playing in the background. Usually having to fight through a crowd of dancers to get to the seating, Bianca walked through the empty dance floor and found Leo seated at the usual table wearing his usual black, white, and red mass effect hoodie and baggy blue jeans, his unruly hair going just barely past his glasses. Even if it had been a while since she had seen him last, he didn't really look all that different. He had the usual laptop on the table, no doubt searching the Internet using the shops Wi-Fi.
Seeing the table only made Bianca miss Will more. It was nice to see Leo again, they had become fast friends. Despite his appearance, Leo had always been friends with the cheerleaders and football team in high school. He was always outgoing and spontaneous and was also the one to introduce her to Will. He had always said that being a part of everything was worthwhile. No matter where he went, he was always well-informed. Regardless of his social standing, everyone seemed to like and trust him.
“I heard Will. I swear I'm not making this up,” Bianca said as she slid into the opposite booth of Leo. “I don't know how, and I don't know where from, but it was like he was right next to me.” She had hoped that driving to meet him would give her a little time to think about what to say that didn't sound crazy, unfortunately, ten minutes wasn't enough.
“I thought we both agreed that he was abducted by aliens months ago,” Leo said without cracking a smile. “We haven't heard from him in half a year, he must really be living it up in Colorado.” Looking up from his laptop, Leo gave Bianca just a hint of a smile.
Bianca rolled her eyes. Leo always had a sense of humor he wore on his sleeve, but she could tell he missed Will just as badly as she did. “You know he didn't have a choice but to leave, his dad found another place,” she stated in a matter-of-fact. “He wouldn't ditch us and you know it, there's something going on that we don't know about.” Bianca had a feeling he wouldn't have broken contact so easily unless something was going on. Will always had a knack for getting in trouble.
Advertisement
Leo waved his hand at the waitress who seemed to be busy on the phone. “Could we get a few cokes over here?” He yelled at the busy woman who raised a finger for patience. Nodding his head, Leo turned his attention back to his hopeless friend. After so long of not hearing from her boyfriend, she must finally be having a breakdown, he thought having nothing to say, he looked back down at his Facebook page. Of course he was worried about Will, but as long as he'd known him, he knew that he could take care of himself.
Leo thought back to the kid he took off the soccer hill to hang out with. His eyes were completely spaced out as if he weren't even present in his own body. Leo had instantly taken it upon himself to bring the kid back to reality. What started as spaceship quickly became kick ball. Bianca had joined the two of them later on in middle school which slowly brought Will out of his mind and into the actual world. After elementary school, Leo had always gone over to Will's place to play his Xbox. When he finally got a car, the three of them had no limits. They would go to the state capital, seeing as though there was a burger joint they loved right next to the big house itself. They had gone to Mall of America countless times. Leo even picked Bianca and Will up right after Will got off work and drove to Minneapolis to watch the fireworks on the fourth of July.
Leo sighed, of course he missed Will. He was the glue that held the three of them together, without him, it seemed like he was alone most of the time. What he wouldn't give to be able to get in the car with the two of them and go off on another crazy adventure. It seems like forever ago, he thought as he looked at Bianca.
“If he wanted to get in contact with us, he could just pick up the phone,” he said with minor annoyance in his voice. “Face it, Bee, we've been dumped, he's probably got a new girl and a more interesting best friend to keep him company.” The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her, but he knew it wasn't healthy for her to become so hung up on one person.
“I don't and will never believe that,” Bianca said. She could never believe that Will would throw two lifelong relationships away, it wasn't in his character. He had always been very supportive of the two of them. If they ever got in trouble with anyone, he would be there to fight for them. She and Leo were more family than his own family; she knew that if he could get in contact with them, he would.
Looking back when they were in school, Will was always hard to approach. He always had the same blue jeans, white T-shirt, and black leather jacket on. With his long hair, he looked intimidating; no one really took the time to get to know him. Either he was sleeping in class or reading a book. Will always did love his magic.
Bianca remembered all the times they went to the field behind his house; he would always have his phone with him. The one thing she had always noticed was the fact that it never rang. He rarely would text anyone, and he wasn't a huge gamer. More often than not, Will would have his Kindle app in his phone so he could read just about anywhere. Whenever anyone came up to him and asked what he was reading, he would always reply ‘a book.’ It wasn't as if he was trying to be rude, but Bianca knew that the books of magic were precious to him. Not many people would understand his obsession, but Bianca knew that it was an escape from reality. It was the only thing that kept him from lashing out at people. It took Bianca and Leo years to finally break through his shell and actually get him to open up. On the outside, he looked like a troubled youth, on the inside, he was just a softie.
“Just promise me you will keep your eyes open, Lee,” Bianca said with a worried look settling in her eyes, “I know there's something going on with Will, I can feel it.”
“I think you are worried about nothing and seriously need some unwinding time,” Leo said with a smirk on his face.
Bianca reached across the table and punched Leo's arm. She was used to his witty comebacks, but she'd always make sure he paid for them later.
“Oww, hey, what was that for?” Leo cried out in indignation, “I said you need unwinding time, that doesn't mean I won't keep a lookout!” He said while rubbing his arm. Clearly, he was just as upset about Will as she was. She looked at Leo with a smile.
“Thanks, Lee, it means a lot that you came out to talk to me,” she said honestly, “we need to try to stick together more often just in case Will does pop up somewhere,” giggling to herself, she got up and ran to the door.
“Hey! What about your coke?” Leo yelled after her, but the door to Java had already been shut behind her.
Leo stared at the now served two cokes and sighed. “Dammit, Will, how long are you going to keep her waiting?” He whispered to himself as he picked up his drink.
“Not long, Lee, just a little more time.” Will's voice replied out of nowhere. “Keep her safe for me.”
Leo jumped out of his seat looking around; seeing nothing, he sat down and took a long drink of his coke. “You better be alright, man,” he said as quietly as he could. “If not, I'll raise you from the dead to kill you myself from all the grief you've put her through.” With that, he packed up his laptop and left for his car.
Advertisement
139 Years to the End of the World
"My name is Milton Jones. I am one hundred and sixty-nine years old. Welcome to the end of the world." Due to a terminal illness, Milton Jones has just 15 days left to live. When the government offered to cryogenically preserve him to save the world, he will become the judge of humanity. Journey with him through an ever-growing dystopian universe, where he will struggle with the meaning of family and the value of life. Discover whether there is still life left in the years to the end of the world, and if it is truly worth saving.
8 250Welcome to the Aurora Wasteland
Read at your own risk, The Aurora Wasteland is watching you.I’m going to tell you a storyIt's going to involve some short storiesAnd the ways they affect the people that read themOh and maybe a hint of the strange and the weirdWelcome to the Aurora WastelandA collection of short stories by Sci-Fi Horror author Vaughn Ashby spread across the literary universe unknown as The Aurora Wasteland.A hiker stumbles across some accidental time travelA town froze in place at the blink of an eyeA corn maze with a whale of a secret in itAn old woman forced to witness the tower of the deadA yoga class taking their lessons to a deadly endA subway hidden in the middle of nowhereA police officer who wants to taste your brainsCaution… any connection to the Aurora Wasteland is not recommended.
8 207Children of Day Zero
Children of day Zero updates every Monday and Friday. Her world changed when Day Zero put an end to her ordinary life. A life she later realized how much she loved and wanted back. But the atrocity cannot be reversed. Some people died, others woke up with powers and she hated and loved her power, in the same way in which she hated and loved herself. Enemies are everywhere, friends are hard to find and what you want most is always out of reach. …and life is even harder when you’re a firebrand. Note: This story has been published before, up until chapter 19. I have taken the decision of re-writing it, which is why it will be posted from the start.
8 114Cutting to Life: an NPC LitRPG (Battle Royale)
Nikola is an NPC in The World of Wills, a video game where players can feel sensations as if they were truly there. She leads a life of bloodshed and murder - that is, until one day she wakes up sapient. Just as she begins thinking real, non-scripted thoughts and making connections, she and the players in the game are told that if they die in the game, they die in real life - and it's time to get killing. But what of Nikola, the emerging AI consciousness? How does she win in a game that can only end in her being wiped from existence at the end of it all? - Updates Mondays and Fridays. Cutting to Life is a slow-burn LitRPG with a villainous (later anti-hero, or maybe still villainous, haha) female lead.It's told from the perspective of Nikola, an NPC within the World of Wills who's become sapient and is now mysteriously able to play the game as a PC. It's quite light for a LitRPG, but the system and stats become more of a focus later when Nikola herself can access them.The story gradually builds into a Battle Royale where the players' lives are on the line (if you die in the game, you die in real life), and only one party of savvy adventurers can win. They'll have to spend their time and stats wisely as dungeons promising rare gear float down from the sky - but is a legendary sword worth killing someone for, knowing they'll stay dead forever? - This story is told in third person, past tense.- This is a slow-burn LitRPG that spends a lot of time establishing its setting and characters, because I believe this will make for a better payoff in the end. As such, the Battle Royale doesn't start until chapter 30 or so.- Chapters are anywhere between 800 words and 3000 words long.- Book cover by Vixeona.Cutting to Life is also being posted on SPB and Scribble Hub.Thank you sincerely for reading.
8 186CIX Members Profile
this is not a story.This is a Korean Boy Group that I adore so much.
8 52Bloody Heart 3
Третья часть моей серии книг "Bloody Heart")))По вашим просьбам :3
8 125