《Branded For Ruin》Part 3
Advertisement
Keen blue eyes searched the hall, darting toward every doorway. Once satisfied, Bucky exited his apartment, his basket full of clothing held close to him, Alpine walking beside him. He snuck off to the laundry room, hoping Dot wouldn't pop out and start up a conversation with him. Worst case scenario, he could toss Alpine onto her face act like it was an accident. Or maybe that was best case scenario. He shook his head and kept walking. His red and blue clothes were drowned by his black and gray clothing, helping him blend into the shadows easier. Finally making it to the laundry room, he let out a soft breath of relief. The only other person in there was Mrs. Kalright, and she was one of the few people Bucky didn't mind talking with.
He greeted her and walked over to the washing machine. Alpine curled on top of the dryer that has Mrs. Kalright's clothes in it, his soft body reveling in the warmth it brought. Bucky messed with the buttons on the washer for a while, wondering why Westside Apartments could buy the fanciest washers and dryers on the face of the earth, but couldn't fix the railing on the stairs. Why did the darned washer need so many buttons anyway? He wanted clean clothes without trying to program it. He saw Mrs. Kalright struggling to carry all her items.
"Do you need any help?" Bucky asked softly.
"You're such a dear. I would deeply appreciate it." She said as Bucky took the laundry soap from her hands.
Bucky walked with her back to her apartment. He listened to her sweet old voice as she talked about how her husband hid her favorite mug again, and she hates it, but he thinks it's funny. Bucky smiles as she talks about her relationship with her husband. Maybe if he hadn't been drafted, he would have had a life full of love and happiness.
Advertisement
"That Dot woman get you to go out with her yet?" Mrs. Kalright asked with a smile.
Bucky sucked in a breath and shook his head. "No ma'am. I, uh, don't think she's my type."
She laughed. "I don't think so either."
They eventually got to her apartment and Bucky helped put her stuff away.
"Thank you for your help, James. Therapy today?"
Bucky sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. "Unfortunately, but I guess it's part of life."
"Well, do take care, James."
"Thank you. I will." Bucky replied before he left.
~~~~~
"We're going down! Everyone in the cockpit disappeared! Does anyone know how to fly a plane?!" A flight attendant nearly screamed.
People were screaming in terror as they watched loved ones and friends dust away in front of their eyes. You were breathing fast, what in the world was happening?! The plane was descending fast, and you quickly unbuckled yourself before going up to the frightened attendant.
"I have experience." You said before siting in the pilot's seat.
You struggled to get the plane back on course, a layer of sweat was starting to cover your skin. You pulled up with fearful force. You tried to connect to a nearby station but got only static. You cursed as another plane was headed toward you guys. Maneuvering the best you could, you prayed for the best. The opposite plane harshly crashed into the left wing of the plane, and a horrid groan was heard throughout the sky. A forest was coming closer and closer into view as the plane toppled toward the earth. You tried to steady it the best you could, but it looked like the end.
"Brace yourselves!!!" You screamed into the earpiece as the plane crashed into the thick brush of the forest.
Advertisement
You woke up in a cold sweat, your breaths uneven. You threw the covers off of you and set your feet on the cold floor. That was five years ago, when the world was thrown into chaos by Thanos. Only five people other than you survived on the plane that day. You took a deep breath as you remembered. Deciding a warm shower would help ease some of the tension in your body, you ambled toward the bathroom. Therapy was going to be horrible today.
~~~~~
Bucky looked at the stairs like he was looking at Mt. Everest. Therapy was on the sixth floor, and here he was on the first. Taking a deep breath, he started his long journey up the carpeted stairs. He thought about using the railing but saw a few pieces of gum stuck to it and thought better of it. Weren't people supposed to clean those things? Humming an old 40s tune, he picked up his pace a little. He was looking at some of the pictures that decorated the wall before he stepped wrong and fell. Cursing, he stood up.
"I hate stairs. I hate life. And I especially hate that worker at Starbucks that gets my order wrong on purpose." Bucky grumbled as he kept trekking his way up.
About halfway there he noticed someone sitting on one of the steps. As he got closer, he recognized the person.
"It's you." He spoke gruffly.
Your head jerked up quickly, then you relaxed when you noticed who it was. "Yeah. I'm, uh, Y/n, by the way."
"Bucky." He said stretching out his hand.
You shook it with a weak smile.
Bucky stood there awkwardly for a few moments before speaking. "So...therapy, huh?"
He winced as he registered the words he had just said. Had it really been this long since he has had a normal conversation with a stranger?
"Not that therapy is bad." Bucky said quickly. "But, uh, what's wrong with you? No, sorry. I haven't had a decent conversation with people in a while. Um..."
You smiled as he rambled, and you found it cute. He was trying so hard not to seem rude and though you usually didn't talk to people, you found an odd comfort with him.
"It's okay." You replied. "I have court mandated therapy, because of some, um, issues. What about you."
Bucky rubbed the back of his neck and breathed out. "Pretty much the same as you. Do you, uh, want to walk the rest of the way with me? You don't have to of course, I just thought—"
You laughed. "Sure."
He let out a sigh of relief. You stood up and walked beside Bucky up the stairs. You walked in silence, but it was a silence you could be calm with. It was a peace you hadn't felt in a long time. And you may have found yourself a therapy buddy.
Advertisement
Hive Minds Give Good Hugs
A modern-day young woman somehow gets trapped on an alien planet, transformed into an amalgam of human and something more. With no way home and all the survival skills of an average upper-middle-class shut-in, how will she possibly survive let alone find a way home? Turns out, she needs to learn how to help herself... figuratively and very, very literally. Evelyn, meet Evelyn. You're going to do great things together. Updates Sat/Mon
8 138Spell Bound
“It wouldn’t be a lie to say that many of us want to change our lives for one reason or another. Power, money, lust, love, acceptance… loneliness. Empty endless screaming loneliness; that was my reason. Loneliness that just didn’t go away no matter what I did or how hard I tried. Maybe some of you can imagine how I felt, perhaps even felt it yourself or still do. It is a terrible feeling isn’t it? It can be maddening beyond belief. I remember sitting on the floor in the corner of my room staring at the endless white walls hating myself. The loneliness had gotten so bad I would just sit there and cry. I felt so alone, so isolated, so inadequate. Would you run away from it all if this was your life? Would you try to change things? What my dear reader would you do? This is the story of how I ran, how I lived, how I tried to change things and how I finally died. Dear reader this book is the story of my life and those around me. The knowledge I’ve gained, the wisdom I have acquired, my triumphs, my failures, those I loved and those I hated. This book is all that I am and hoped to be. It is yours now, may it serve you well and guide you to a happier future than mine.” Excerpt taken from the journal of Kaden Vos also known as, “The Butcher of Rakan” -- I have been a long time reader and have always wanted to create something myself. I hope you all find this world I am creating fun and enjoyable. As I am new to this, any advice or feedback you have will be greatly appreciated and I will do my best to improve. My goal is a chapter a week, but sometimes it can be a bit tough with work and taking care of the family. Thank you all for reading. -- PS: I take no credit for the new cover, you are an amazing artist whoever you are. I am only using it for a temp cover till I can make something myself.
8 188Magic System: Becoming a Deity
There's a saying that difficult times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men and weak men create difficult times. This is the story of a man that by chance of perhaps destiny thrives to become a magician capable of protecting the human race from the threat of the demon race. I do this for fun and to improve my writing, so feedback and constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. This story is also being posted on webnovel.com under the username Avner. I will leave this discord link where we can discuss plot and characters. https://discord.gg/EjZ8hc6 I don't own the cover but according to google the picture is Boom Shiva by Android Jones if you want me to take down this picture please contact me and I would do so as briefly as possible
8 129The Seeker's Quest
This is my first full creation I hope you enjoy. Shae was raised mostly by her parents, though she spent the summers at her Great grand uncles house since she was 5. He was a bit odd, though attentive, and taught her to have fun with skills long out dated. She solved puzzles, riddles, and learned to track. They enjoyed time in the woods living off the land. His house was beyond fun and games during the summer for a young girl who was taught to love adventures. Now years later she is about to find her own way to adventures she never dreamed of. And maybe, never wanted.
8 93The Bronze Players of Recreation
The world of Creation has seen a recent explosion of what can only be called an adventurer’s culture over the past few decades. People who were once looked at as nothing more than lower class mercenaries rose to the ranks of heroes and legends as adventuring became recognized as an idealized lifestyle of overcoming hardship and finding triumph. With the establishment of a guild-based government system on the continent of Terramania, adventurers were soon legitimized and adventuring became a phenomenon universally accepted around the world. Redlette had retreated from this world to live on Earth for the remainder of her years, having been born and outcast by the gods of Creation. However, upon meeting a friend that she treasured dearly, she found herself longing for a return to her world—she wanted to experience it properly and go on adventures with someone whom she holds dear. Putting a plan into action, she meets with her friend, an awkward, nerdy boy by the username of Herring who she’d only known through years of playing online games with him, and invites him to go on this fantastic adventure with her. An adventure in another world had always been an impossible dream for Herring, but when he suddenly found himself with the opportunity to embark on one, he knew it wouldn’t be as simple as books and shows made it out to be. Redlette was notorious for rushing into things without thinking them through, and he was flighty and weak. In the games they played together, they rarely grasped victory. They were losers through and through, both in hobby and life. Despite this, though, he takes the leap and sets off with Redlette into the world of Creation. Together they only had one goal: to have fun and go on the adventure of their lives. This time, they’d establish a guild of their own and be free to take on whatever exploits their hearts desired. This is the story of the founding of their guild. Author’s Notes: -My writing style is largely based off of the absurd amount of light novels I’ve read and anime I’ve watched, so it may come off as cartoonish or exaggerative at times. If that isn’t your thing, I’d steer clear of this story.-Not an MMO story.-No numerical stats.-Relatively slow pacing.-Posts are between 2000-5000 words weekly after Chapter 1. Art Credits: Cover Art, Inserted Art, and Character Designs by @TransFlames on Twitter. World Map and Cover Logo by @figburn on Twitter.
8 138[✓] Mate || Park Jihoon
"Park jihoon, jodoh aku?! Gak, ini pasti mimpi buruk." "Biasa aja kali, gak pernah ya dapat jodoh ganteng kaya park jihoon." Kisah seorang gadis bernama Park Jihan yang berkuliah di Fakultas Seoul National University harus bertemu dengan bad boy di kampus yang memiliki ribuan penggemar wanita siapa lagi kalo bukan park Jihoon, perjodohan antara keluarga Park membuat mereka harus seringkali bertemu bahkan harus menikah diam-diam karena belum ingin anak kampus mengetahui pernikahan mereka kecuali teman-teman dari Jihan dan jihoon.# 1 - Kuliah - 13/04/22# 1 - Kuliah - 25/05/22# 1 - Parkjihoon -28/04/22# 1 - Treasure - 03/05/22# 1 - SungchanNct - 26/05/22#1 - Jihoontreasure - 02/06/22#1 - kuliah - 01/07/22#1 - Fiksi penggemar 18/07/22
8 110