Search      Members      Groups      Profile      Favorites      RSS      Register      Log in
The Color of Sound ((CHAPTER 10))
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4
 
(currently a favorite of 0 users)
   Storygames Home -> Stasis Hall - Completed or archived Storygames -> The Vault
View previous topic :: View next topic  

Author Chapter
Andolyn
Mayor's Ambassador



Joined: 18 Apr 2011
Topics: 20
Posts: 852
Location: sitting barefoot in a tree in the beautiful land of Ardara, writing my tales...

Items
Legends
Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 10:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ok...so here's a rundown of my summer so far...went to greece...caught some crazy unknown virus on the way home from Greece that came close to killing me ((destroyed my immune system and caused dehydration that required 13 bags of IV fluids)) and landed me in the hospital for a week...was stuck on bedrest feeling like total crap for a week after that...returned to work, still feeling like crap, then came down with Mono, and am STILL trying to recover from that...let's just say that Julian's health isnt completely fictional...

BUT, i'm back!! and ready to get this thing rolling again! hang on! cuz here we go!!

Aria

I tried to pull myself together. This girl was new—unfamiliar. Never before had a crisis paralyzed me like this. Why was this time different? Why was it that all I seemed to be able to do was stare blankly at the floor? Even as I wondered though, here I was, sitting against the wall…staring at the floor. I’d put Mike back together already…or had I? I couldn’t remember, but either way, he was all in one piece next to me.

All that filled my mind was a vision of Julian’s pale, lifeless face.

He died.

Right there in front of me. The nurses had called the time and everything. But then he was alive. It truly made no sense. And now he was gone—whisked away down the hall somewhere.

I had just gone through the motions of getting Mike back together, and I knew I should be comforting him, but something in the way he was staring at the ceiling told me it wouldn't do any good at the moment. I knew the nurses wouldn't have any idea at this point, but I was dying to know where they'd taken Julian and how he was doing.

My thoughts were interrupted by an arm sliding around my shoulders. I looked up, and found that Mike's crimson irises were eying me carefully as if he was waiting to see what I was about to do.

"Are you alright?" we said together, and both of us laughed grimly. There was a silence, and I nodded, "Yeah...I'm alright." Mike was silent for a while longer before nodding. I let my head fall to where it was resting against his, and together, we sat in the floor of the hospital room for the better part of an hour. There was a comfort in being with Mike that I had come to adore. There, with his arm around me, and his thick head of hair against the side of my face, I felt safe.

After that time passed though, my mind began cranking again, and my curiosity about Julian's whereabouts got the better of me. I could tell I wasn't alone in this feeling as Mike had begun to fidget where he sat a short while before.

"He'll be fine," Mike had said, "He likes to give us a good scare every now and again, but he always bounces back." I could tell though, that the words were solely for my benefit. The fact that he was still having a slight bit of trouble remaining in one piece told me he was worried too.

"I want to go find him...or find his chart," I nodded. "Since it seems no one plans to come and tell us what's going on."

Mike released me, and I stood. I peered out into the hallway before sliding the rest of my hospital gown-clad self into it. Thankfully they had allowed me to put on my pjs underneath just before Mike had come.

I headed off in the direction they had taken Julian. I knew they would have taken him into critical care, and I also knew it would take some working to get in, seeing as how I didn't have my badge and pass key with me.

As I reached the doors to critical care, rosy pink sound waves stopped me in my tracks.

"What are you doing out of your room? You've not been discharged yet," the voice belonged to Agnes, a nurse on the floor I'd just left. I rolled my eyes before turning on my heel.

"Heeeey, Agnes...I need to know what happened to Julian..." it occurred to me then that I'd never learned Julian's last name. Note to self...ask Mike.

"Sorry, Sweetheart," her fake sweetness had always gotten on my nerves...but it really did today for some reason, "only the young man's family may get information on him at this time." I really wanted to punch that smiling facade right off her face.

"Agnes, I was in the room when he...he..." I couldn't finish, but Agnes didn't mind doing it for me.

"He died," her voice was flat and emotionless. She didn't care. Like so many nurses I'd worked with, Julian was just another room number. I winced at her words before answering through clenched teeth.

"Yeah," I couldn't believe her nerve at that moment. My face grew hot as my anger built to a breaking point. "Anyways, he's my best friend, and I just watched him die. You're going to tell me how he's doing...NOW." I was leaning over the short woman, forcing her to look up in order to lock eyes with me.

The nurse's face turned red in anger as she fought to keep her temper locked back, but before she could unleash it on me, crimson and black soundwaves came over my shoulders, followed by Mike's arm as he lead me away down the hallway. He had my belongings and discharge papers in his other hand.

"Let's go, Ari, the nice lady can't break protocol just for us kids," I was too confused to answer at the time. It wasn't like the Mike I knew to walk away from a fight...or to leave his best friend like that.

Aside from being shocked, I was furious. When we were outside, I stopped short, ripping the gown off myself and throwing it to the ground.

"What was that??" I demanded. "He DIED Mike!! Don't you want to know if he's still alive now??" Mike only smiled at me, allowing me my vent before he shuffled around in his pocket for a moment. While he did, I grabbed my hoodie out of his hands and threw it on over my black cami shirt.

"Had to get you out of there before that woman shouted at you...otherwise, I might have had to go off on her," He tossed me something when he was finished. I caught the small, metal device and stared at it for a moment. A flashdrive? What does that have to do with anything??

"So, I happened to be walking by an open computer on my way up to find you...and I couldn't resist hacking it," the mischievous grin on Mike's face made me worry a little. "You don't need to ask anyone how he's doing...you can see the chart for yourself with that. I got enough information to be able to hack the hospital mainframe from the cave. We will see things as soon as they're posted." I stared at him in awe. "What? We had to figure something out when he kept getting put in there. Otherwise we'd never know how he's doing." He winked at me, and I couldn't help but smile back.

"Alright, little Miss," he offered me his arm, "lets get back home and check on our patient." I took it, and together we walked back to the place I was growing to see as "home".

*****

Alright, Kids, i know this one is really short compared to my usual chapters, but cut me some slack...i'm trying to get back into the groove of this one since my Muse ran out on me awhile back.

DP. here we go. what do Aria and Mike find? will he live? is he in a coma? maimed for life? are they unsure what's going to happen? or is he just peachy and they'll let him go in a few days? it's all in your hands...yes, you have a lot of power on this one. Wink
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
misterbiz
Horror Mod



Joined: 10 Jan 2010
Topics: 50
Posts: 461
Location: a chair in a cold dark living room

Items
Legends
Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 10:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I say that he's in a coma but are unsure as if he'll wake or not
_________________


Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Yahoo Messenger
Author Message
Vikas Muralidharan
Respected Citizen



Joined: 29 Aug 2010
Topics: 30
Posts: 600


Items
Legends
Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 10:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Andolyn wrote:
ok...so here's a rundown of my summer so far...went to greece...caught some crazy unknown virus on the way home from Greece that came close to killing me ((destroyed my immune system and caused dehydration that required 13 bags of IV fluids)) and landed me in the hospital for a week...was stuck on bedrest feeling like total crap for a week after that...returned to work, still feeling like crap, then came down with Mono, and am STILL trying to recover from that...let's just say that Julian's health isnt completely fictional...



HOLY ****!

Get well soon...

Anyway, I liked the chapter.. Though the beginning confused me with the POV, the rest of it was pretty good. I am seeing a Mike-Aria relationship here. Julian needs to come back quick to make this interesting and THAT is my answer to the DP Smile
_________________
Vikas Muralidharan

Be sure to read HATE in Romance section Wink



Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Author Message
Vishal Muralidharan
Respected Citizen



Joined: 24 Aug 2010
Topics: 24
Posts: 867
Location: City Of IF!

Items
Legends
Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Tue Sep 20, 2011 2:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't see how he'll recover any time soon after almost dying. So I say he's in coma too.
_________________




The eyes are useless if the mind is blind.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website Yahoo Messenger
Author Message
Tikanni Corazon
Honored Citizen



Joined: 25 Oct 2009
Topics: 75
Posts: 1286
Location: Running through the plains of my mind, my wolf spirit at my side (but doing so in the UK!).

Items
Legends
Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Tue Sep 20, 2011 11:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Woohoo! A new CoS chapter! Wink


I have to say, I'm almost feeling Aria's frustration myself, at that woman. Was willing Aria to give her a good smack in the mouth. *giggles* But all turned out well, thanks to Mike. Smile


I have to say, my first thoughts were coma too...though I hate to just give the same option as everyone else. He certainly wouldn't be okay, that's for sure. Considering how weak his powers make him anyway, this is going to take some time to recover, me thinks...Although...considering that Aria somehow managed to bring him back to life (though I'm not sure if it was by chance, or through some power she didn't know that she had), I'm wondering if that could have an effect on his recovery too? Or maybe, upon finding that Julian still has very little chance of survival, Aria, after consideration of what happened, might decide to go back, to see if she could help him further?

That's a little bit more than the dp is asking, but I couldn't help it. *giggles*

No worries about the length, Andi. It was fabulous anyway! One would never guess you were having trouble with your muse. Wink

Looking forward to chapter 9! Keep up the good work!

_________________
.... there is no religion without love, and people may talk as much as they like about their religion, but if it does not teach them to be good and kind to man and beast, it is all a sham....
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, 1887


Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
Andolyn
Mayor's Ambassador



Joined: 18 Apr 2011
Topics: 20
Posts: 852
Location: sitting barefoot in a tree in the beautiful land of Ardara, writing my tales...

Items
Legends
Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Tue Sep 20, 2011 11:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

thanks, guys!! good to be back on this one. and, Tika, that dp suggestion was AWESOME. lol!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
Thunderbird
Elder



Joined: 13 Sep 2009
Topics: 104
Posts: 2139
Location: Rising from the ashes

Items
Legends
Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 12:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I enjoyed this, but I say, lets do the 'shocking' thing, and have him die. Then we somehow find out that he has only died 'physically' and that his soul/mind has been sucked back into his own vortex dimmension. He returns in the body of one he sent to the vortex quite some time ago, with the same vortex powers he always had... but now, sadly, his actual body is truly dead.
_________________

CHAPTER 25: Near-Light Speed (NEW CHAPTER! (12/4/2011))
Zephyrrr! And...
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
Cyberworm
Respected Citizen



Joined: 19 Aug 2007
Topics: 5
Posts: 652
Location: Spatially found, temporal lockdown.

Items
Legends
Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 1:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Why not do the opposite, TB? Have him become a robot-like vegetable, only responding to orders and a single notion of having to protect Aria with no regard for the consequences? Could be fun that way too. Wink
_________________
Slit and Slide
One man's journey through the possibilities of solving what he says is a murder. What was it? Try not to forget.




Beyond Good and Evil
Could it be that being good is not good at all?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
Andolyn
Mayor's Ambassador



Joined: 18 Apr 2011
Topics: 20
Posts: 852
Location: sitting barefoot in a tree in the beautiful land of Ardara, writing my tales...

Items
Legends
Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Sat Sep 24, 2011 8:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

i have to say, Cy, i dont quite understand your option. haha!

and T, that would work, except due to the nature of his vortexes, anything taken inside WILL come back out eventually. he can't hold anything in for very long, especially not something as large as a human being...but perhaps he's in the vortex and therefore only seen as a shadowy, translucent being without a real body?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
Andolyn
Mayor's Ambassador



Joined: 18 Apr 2011
Topics: 20
Posts: 852
Location: sitting barefoot in a tree in the beautiful land of Ardara, writing my tales...

Items
Legends
Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 9:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

and we're POLLING!!!!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
Vishal Muralidharan
Respected Citizen



Joined: 24 Aug 2010
Topics: 24
Posts: 867
Location: City Of IF!

Items
Legends
Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 11:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Why not combine the options?! Its possible..
_________________




The eyes are useless if the mind is blind.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website Yahoo Messenger
Author Message
Vikas Muralidharan
Respected Citizen



Joined: 29 Aug 2010
Topics: 30
Posts: 600


Items
Legends
Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 6:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Broke a tie.
_________________
Vikas Muralidharan

Be sure to read HATE in Romance section Wink



Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Author Chapter
Andolyn
Mayor's Ambassador



Joined: 18 Apr 2011
Topics: 20
Posts: 852
Location: sitting barefoot in a tree in the beautiful land of Ardara, writing my tales...

Items
Legends
Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 8:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I KNOOOOOW it's been a ridiculous amount of time since the last chapter of this one, but I FINALLY have a good, solid direction for it to go. That, and Line of Kavanagh is complete! *Cheers and dances around excitedly* Anywho, here's the next chapter of the story you love, and a step in a new direction! enjoy!!

*****

Mike

I couldn’t believe it. I REALLY couldn’t believe it. I sat there with Aria in the dim lighting of the Lair, staring at the computer screen that now showed me everything from the hospital mainframe, and I couldn’t believe it. I had hacked this system’s surface many times before trying to get information when Julian was having a crisis, but this time, it must have been one of the higher-ups that left the computer open, because I’d snagged enough on my little flash drive to give me access to the entire system, top to bottom. I knew the top. I’d visited it many times, but the bottom. Now that’s where things got interesting.

Through my unique skillset as a hacker, I learned today that the hospital was actually a cover for a much deeper, much more sinister operation—one that focused on harnessing and exploiting the powers of Gifteds. Their latest targets?

Aria and Julian.

They already had Julian. From the file, he was still in a coma-type state, but his vitals were inexplicably normal. He was a prime target, really. Not only was he the most powerful Gifted I’d ever met, he’d gone from dead as a doornail to the image of health in seconds, and the only explanation was Aria.

Now, Aria, they’d been watching for some time apparently. They had no need to detain her at this stage in their investigation, as she already worked there. They could observe her without raising suspicion…and observe her, they had. There was security camera footage from her first day of work up until the day before yesterday when she’d clocked out before heading home. They were fully aware of the fact that she was deaf and could see sound waves, and they’d made a note of her tricks with bringing life to whatever she drew, but the true reason for their observation was something even Aria herself hadn’t picked up on.

She had a third power.

I watched the blonde girl sitting next to me very carefully. She continued to stare at the computer screen with a look of utter shock on her porcelain face. This must be so much for her to take in.

“Aria…” I started, reaching my hand out to place it on her shoulder.

“We have to get him out.” She startled me with her sudden speech. Did she miss the part where they’d been taping her life for the last several months? Okay…how about the part where she had a power she didn’t freaking know about?? My thoughts were silenced before I could speak them however. The way she looked at me told me that she hadn’t, in fact, been paying attention to the parts about herself at all.

“They’re using him as a test subject,” the anger in Aria’s eyes was something new. I hadn’t know her for long, but I already knew just how kind and caring the girl was…apparently she was pretty damned defensive too.

“See?” She pointed to a place on the screen, frowning at it, “They’re planning to tell us he died. They want to keep him there and dissect him for the science fair.” Had the circumstances been different, I would have laughed at that statement, but Aria’s words held no humor, and I knew it.

This organization, the Society for Generalization of Gifteds (SGG for short), aimed to take the powers of Gifteds and find ways to distribute their abilities to the general populous, selling to the highest bidder, of course. There was no way of telling how many Gifteds they’d already taken and tested until they died, but Julian and Aria were next on their list.

We stared at the screen. Footage of the vortex and Julian’s death was playing. The camera zoomed in on Aria when she ran at Julian’s body and went back to him when he woke. Then, to my surprise, it flashed to what looked like a live feed. Julian was lying on what looked like a surgical table. He was hooked to monitors I’d never even seen before, and had fluids of every color in the rainbow being pushed through his veins.

I could literally feel Aria’s tension as she sat next to me, trembling in her anger. Without warning, she slammed her hands onto the table and stood.

“We have to go get him back,” she spat through her teeth.

“You can’t seriously be thinking of going back there,” I stood as well, hands in the air in an attempt to pacify her somewhat. Julian was my best friend, but letting Aria get anywhere near that clinic wasn’t something I was willing to risk…and I knew Julian wouldn’t either.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Aria was clearly not thinking this through. She turned her back on me as I answered her, obviously using her disability as a means of ignoring me. Finally, I took her by the shoulders and wheeled her around.

“Aria, look at me!!” I yelled. I immediately regretted it when I saw the tears in her eyes. So that’s really why she turned around…

“It’s my fault, Mike,” her voice trembled with the words. “They took him because I used my freak powers on him.”

“You saved his life, Aria,” I knew my words weren’t getting through to her, but I tried non-the-less.

“Did I?” her reply took me by surprise. “Did I save his life? Or did I draw out his death? If we don’t get him out, they’ll kill him, Mike. They will poke and prod and run their tests until there’s nothing left to even throw in the garbage!!”

“Alright! Alright!” I threw my hands in the air. I knew she was right, but there had to be something we could do besides barging in with guns blazing…we didn’t even have any guns to blaze. “But Aria, you’re just as high on their list as he is. They want to strap you to a table right next to him. You can’t go back there.”

Aria looked at me defiantly.

“If they wanted me that badly, they would have had me already, Mike. I’ve worked there almost every day for the last several months. According to that report, they’ve known for some time now that I have the ability to…heal people…”

I could see from the look in those cucumber eyes that I wasn’t going to win this fight, but I still had to try. I was also too stubborn to let her know she’d won just yet.

“That’s true, but now you’ve not only been making kids feel better,” I argued desperately. “Aria, you brought someone back from the dead. That’s a whole new level of crazy!”

“But what am I supposed to do?” Aria stood now with her arms crossed over her chest. “Right now, they still think I’m clueless. If I alert them to the fact that I know everything, I’ll be hunted.”

“Call in sick!” I protested. “They KNOW you just got injured! It would make sense that you need a few days off!”

“And then how are we going to get even CLOSE to Julian?” Her voice got higher in pitch the longer we went on. Again, under different circumstances, I probably would have laughed. At this moment, though, the stress of everything was starting to get to me. I could feel my limbs growing looser, so I mimicked her stance with by crossing my own arms and prayed my shoulders didn’t give. “You can’t just go wandering around the hospital alone! That would tip them off that something was up just as quickly as me disappearing. And we certainly can’t just wait here while they kill him again!”

She was right. I knew it, but I—I…

“I CAN’T LOSE YOU TOO!!” AAAND there went the shoulders, both arms crashing to the floor with them. I didn’t mean to yell at her; it just sort of came out. It broke through to her though. The look on her face said I now had her full attention. Gone was the calculating, angered expression of the one looking for a way to beat an impossible enemy. Her face was now adorned with shocked realization as it finally occurred to her that she mattered to me just as much as Julian did.

She stared at me, blinking for several endless moments before looking down at my arms as though she’d just noticed they were in the floor. I, too, stared at her, waiting for her to respond. Silently, she bent and slowly picked up my arms. She laid one on the table before pulling out her roll of duct tape and gently putting the other back where it belonged. This time, when she spoke, her voice was a quavering whisper, already drowning in the tears that had yet to fall from her eyes.

“What are we going to do, Mike?”

*****

Alright, folks! The DP is just that...what ARE they going to do? How can they get Julian out without endangering Aria? CAN they get him out without her? You decide!! Hope you enjoyed it!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
Tikanni Corazon
Honored Citizen



Joined: 25 Oct 2009
Topics: 75
Posts: 1286
Location: Running through the plains of my mind, my wolf spirit at my side (but doing so in the UK!).

Items
Legends
Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Sat Aug 25, 2012 4:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey Andi!


I've been looking forward to a new CoS chappie for a while now, and I'm not disappointed. That was fab! The plot thickens and the intentions of the real enemy are revealed! And aren't they total bastards! Lol!


Your lead characters continue to be likable and endearing, to the point that you had me on the edge of my seat wondering how they're going to get Julian out of that place, and what they plan to do once they've done so, along with the worries that his body/mind may have been irreparably damaged by the tests that are being performed upon him. Nail-biting stuff! Wink


For the DP, I'm thinking that Mike and Aria are going to have a hell of a job pulling this off alone. I think they should see if they can gather a few more Gifted together, and see what kind of plan they can come up with together. The abilities of other Gifted my assist them in their quest, depending on what their powers are.


Much enjoyed, Andi, and I can't wait to see more from this tale soon! Keep up the good work! Smile

_________________
.... there is no religion without love, and people may talk as much as they like about their religion, but if it does not teach them to be good and kind to man and beast, it is all a sham....
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, 1887


Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
misterbiz
Horror Mod



Joined: 10 Jan 2010
Topics: 50
Posts: 461
Location: a chair in a cold dark living room

Items
Legends
Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Sat Aug 25, 2012 7:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hallelujah...its back...and still amazing

I'm going to side with Tika on this. Safety in numbers...especially since Mike doesn't have the most useful of abilities.
_________________


Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Yahoo Messenger
Author Message
sagittaeri
Scifi/Experimental Mod



Joined: 05 May 2012
Topics: 16
Posts: 367


Items
Legends
Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Sat Aug 25, 2012 9:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Awesome chapter, Andi! I really like where this story is going.

I agree with Tika. Gather a bunch of trusted gifted together. It's time for a rescue mission. Super abilities aren't the most important thing in a heist. The planning phase is the most important part. Oh by the way, Mike's hacking abilities will certainly come in handy. Very Happy
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
Andolyn
Mayor's Ambassador



Joined: 18 Apr 2011
Topics: 20
Posts: 852
Location: sitting barefoot in a tree in the beautiful land of Ardara, writing my tales...

Items
Legends
Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Sun Sep 02, 2012 2:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

polling!! Very Happy
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
sagittaeri
Scifi/Experimental Mod



Joined: 05 May 2012
Topics: 16
Posts: 367


Items
Legends
Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Sun Sep 02, 2012 10:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

...and voted! Very Happy
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
Vishal Muralidharan
Respected Citizen



Joined: 24 Aug 2010
Topics: 24
Posts: 867
Location: City Of IF!

Items
Legends
Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Wed Sep 05, 2012 1:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Caught up, and voted Wink
_________________




The eyes are useless if the mind is blind.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website Yahoo Messenger
Author Chapter
Andolyn
Mayor's Ambassador



Joined: 18 Apr 2011
Topics: 20
Posts: 852
Location: sitting barefoot in a tree in the beautiful land of Ardara, writing my tales...

Items
Legends
Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 1:28 pm    Post subject: Chapter 10 Reply with quote

Mike

She’d been a trooper through this, but Aria finally started to break down while we waited for reinforcements. It was decided that we would indeed go in for Julian…but we couldn’t do it alone. John was already on his way home from the hospital, and we had called in anyone we thought would believe us to help with the mission. Basically, just our group of misfits…this wasn’t going to be easy.

The rough plan was that Aria was to play bait. She would march into the hospital and ask to see Dr. Wilhelm…the one who’d left his computer open. Knowing their interest in her, we were banking on him agreeing to see her immediately. Once she had him alone, Aria would signal the rest of us, and John would come in and…use his gift…on the man. Once we had his access key, anything in the hospital would open up to us, and our team of misfits would infiltrate the hospital, causing a ruckus, and allowing us time to get to the lower levels and find Julian.

Aria sat before me with her head in her hands. Her long, blonde hair formed a curtain around her face that kept me from seeing her expression, but the shudder of her body and the glint of water as it dripped to the floor told me she was crying. She’d been this way for about five minutes now, and I really wasn’t sure what to do. Her words were mumbled and drowned in tears, but I could still make out what she was saying.

“This is all my fault, Mike,” she sobbed. “They didn’t know anything about him until he used his power for me. It should be me in there all that table, not him. They shouldn’t even know he exists as anything besides Abby’s brother.”

“Don’t talk like that,” I answered her. “Julian wouldn’t want you to.”

“But it’s true,” she looked at me, the whites of her eyes blood red and contrasting with her green irises. “You two have done so much for me, and you didn’t even know me. You’ve both loved and accepted me from the first moment we met. You’ve helped me open up like I haven’t since I was a little girl, and Julian…he gave his life for me. Mike, I know it’s crazy. We just met, but…I think I’m in love with him.”

It was easy to see the pained confusion in her eyes. It was obvious she’d never felt this way before, and it frightened her. Surprisingly enough, this revelation didn’t hurt me. It was true, I could have let myself fall in love with Aria, but in the short time I’d known her, the girl had taught me something very important. She’d taught me that romanticism wasn’t the only love that existed. Just watching her interact with me, and with the children…and with Julian, she’d displayed so many different loves, and to her, each of them was just as important as the others. The fact that she found herself falling in love with Julian in no way discounted the love she had for me…and that was alright.

Again, my mind went to Kaiya, and with this turn in thought, my heart fell to the pit of my stomach, and I remembered the pain that Aria now felt. For Kaiya, the blame was mine. It was my weakness that ended her life.

Our apartment was small, but it was ours, and it marked the beginning of our life together. It was on the fifth floor of a corner building in the large city in which we lived. Our neighborhood wasn’t the friendliest, but we had each other, and that’s really all we needed. She was in school to be a doctor, and I was entertaining my dreams of being the director of a hit movie.

We had been happy there, and with Kaiya, I knew that I was something worth loving. My oddities made her laugh, and she loved every awkward moment I created. All at once, though, that dream life crashed and burned.

By the time we woke up, the flames had already filled our little home. The door was blocked by fire and debris, so our only choice was to head for the fire escape. The thing was made of old, rusty metal that hadn’t been through an inspection in years. Out of necessity, Kaiya and I made our way out onto the rickety structure and started to climb down.

We made it down two landings when the unthinkable happened. The stairs below Kaiya’s feet gave way and the escape below us crumbled to the ground. The only thing keeping my love from falling to her death was the grip that I had on her slender wrist.

That is when I learned to hate my “gift”.

The heat was all around us, and Kaiya was crying in fear. I held her with all my might, but the stress of it all was getting to me, and I could feel my limbs detaching. Cursing under my breath, I held the arm that held my love with my other arm. I can still hear her cries. I can still hear her screams as she begged me not to let her go dangling there above the fire and the hard ground.

But I did.

Under the stress, both of my arms gave way, and I was left to watch as the love of my life faded away into the flaming abyss below, screaming all the way. I remember lying on the remainder of the fire escape weeping until the firemen finally got to me. My arms had been severely burned, but they were returned to me, and eventually, they healed…but my heart never did.

Now, I watched Aria sit here, crying and blaming herself, knowing her pain all too well. I was currently feeling a pain similar to hers as Julian was my best friend. Carefully, I reached out and placed a hand on her trembling shoulder.

“We’re going to get him back, Aria,” I whispered. I knew she couldn’t hear me, but I said it all the same. “We’re going to get him back.”

*****

Alright. This is going to be a strange, experimental type DP...instead of deciding what to do...I want you readers to each design me a character. I want to know, if you were a "Gifted" what would be your powers...and how would you use them to help in this situation? You know the general plan...I want you to fill in the details. Remember, you're one of the misfits, so have fun with it, and be unique!!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
Tikanni Corazon
Honored Citizen



Joined: 25 Oct 2009
Topics: 75
Posts: 1286
Location: Running through the plains of my mind, my wolf spirit at my side (but doing so in the UK!).

Items
Legends
Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 5:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hey Andi!

Wow, this is an awesome chapter, Andi and with an equally awesome DP to go with it! Literally my mind is just flitting with idea for that right now. But we'll come to that later. Chapter first. Wink

As I was reading, my heart just went out to both Mike and Aria. Mike's back-story was completely and utterly tragic, and the fact that he's having to relive it because someone else that he cares about could potentially go through the same thing makes one feel for him all the more.

And Aria, being in love for the first time, only to have the risk of losing said love before a romance has even started. I mean, I'm hoping that Julian will definitely get through the whole thing, but just knowing that she's feeling so broken about it and thinking that somehow she's to blame is heartbreaking.

And, as always, beautifully written and much enjoyed! Smile


For the DP, you're going to have to wait a little bit. Give me a chance to mull things over and I'll post it up asap! Wink


Great chapter, Andi! Keep up the good work!

_________________
.... there is no religion without love, and people may talk as much as they like about their religion, but if it does not teach them to be good and kind to man and beast, it is all a sham....
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, 1887


Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
Vikas Muralidharan
Respected Citizen



Joined: 29 Aug 2010
Topics: 30
Posts: 600


Items
Legends
Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Wed Sep 26, 2012 3:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Caught up! Very Happy

Yeah that was really nice. Frankly, I wasn't expecting the storyline to go "evil-organisation-steals-our-powers". I was initially disappointed but the fact that you got me reading the entire 2 chapters is amazing. And its not like I don't like the chapters. You're writing style still impresses and I still want to continue reading this which is good Wink

Still confused as to what to do with the powers. Would have suggested the one my character had in The CoS role-play, but sadly, we're dealing with a guy here :/ Razz

Will post DP suggestion soon
_________________
Vikas Muralidharan

Be sure to read HATE in Romance section Wink



Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Author Message
misterbiz
Horror Mod



Joined: 10 Jan 2010
Topics: 50
Posts: 461
Location: a chair in a cold dark living room

Items
Legends
Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Thu Oct 04, 2012 1:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Love it! Love the Mike perspective in the last couple chapters. His backstory is truly tragic and i feel for him. I know that pain. Anwho, onto the DP.

I had a hard time designing only one character. So Here are all three I cam up with

Victor Viking: Large intimidating figure with a long mane of red hair. Often dresses in fur/leather which makes him resemble his namesake. Like to drink. Favorite drink is Mead. Doesn't speak. His gift is the ability to freeze things just by touching them.

Harrison "The Spartan" Reid: MMA fighter. About 5'10 around 200 lbs. Undefeated record. Short brown hair. His gift is the ability to turn his flesh into bronze.

Liam Fahey: Irishman. Short red hair. Always seen wearing a pair of mirrored sunglasses and his woolen trenchcoat. Also a fan of leather pants. His gift is the ability to generate flames from his fingertips. Able to create a full fledged inferno fairly easily.

There ya go...three characters. You're welcome...can't wait for more.
_________________


Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Yahoo Messenger
Author Message
sagittaeri
Scifi/Experimental Mod



Joined: 05 May 2012
Topics: 16
Posts: 367


Items
Legends
Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Fri Oct 05, 2012 12:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice one, Andi! I love the emotions and the flashback in the chapter, and I also love the experimental DP you've put forward. Very Happy

Here's my character:

Kristina Vesely, or just Krissy. A little girl of Eastern European descent, around the age of 6. She appears to be blind, at least in terms of her eyes. Her power is that she's able to "sense" most living things, even through walls up to a few hundred feet away. This includes small animals, and even insects, as long as there is complex neurological activity.

When she's in close proximity to another human being, she will also feel their emotions, be it fear, grief, fury or elation. Being a child, she doesn't understand that her own emotions are different from those of others. This could be the reason why she's very easily distracted, frustrating those who tries to communicate with her. She generally prefers the company of her loyal 5-year old German Shepherd. It is unclear if she's also able to sense an animal's emotions.

As for how she can be useful: she'll be providing intel on how many people there are in each room, obviously. Good luck on getting an easily distracted 6-year old do what you want, though.

Why and how this young girl found her way to the group of misfits, I'll let Andi decide. Smile

p.s. yes, I realise I've taken some liberty in designing this character. Andi has full rights to completely change anything, should she chooses to use her (or parts of her).
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
Tikanni Corazon
Honored Citizen



Joined: 25 Oct 2009
Topics: 75
Posts: 1286
Location: Running through the plains of my mind, my wolf spirit at my side (but doing so in the UK!).

Items
Legends
Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 4:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I really hate to say this, but I TOTALLY forgot to write out the character for this DP!!! I feel so ashamed!

Anyway...As there's already two main guys in the form of Julian and Mike, I figured another girl would be welcome to the mix.

Ava Regan - Ava is fourteen, nearly fifteen, and her power is to be able to move walls. Say she's running down a corridor trying to get away from someone, and hits a DEAD END!!! OH CRAP, right? Wrong! Using her power, Ava can move the existing wall around to block off the path on which she's being persued (brick, mortar and all!!!), and then move the wall that's in her way of escape as well, so that she can scarper while the jackasses chasing her can stand there scratching their heads, wondering where the hell she went to.

Appearance/personality wise, she's a tall girl and gangly, awkward looking, but has facial features that are visually pleasant and show that she'll be attractive once she's grown in to them. Long, dark-blonde hair that's usually neatly tied back, and pale skin with a spattering of freckles. She's shy and uncomfortable around crowds and takes a little while to feel comfortable enough around people to relax and enjoy their company.

Hope this is enough, and sorry for the delay. Sad *damns my forgetful head*

_________________
.... there is no religion without love, and people may talk as much as they like about their religion, but if it does not teach them to be good and kind to man and beast, it is all a sham....
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, 1887


Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
Seraphi
General Fiction Mod



Joined: 25 Oct 2012
Topics: 2
Posts: 503
Location: Penna, having a hot cup of tea

Items
Legends
Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 8:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oh. My. Gosh. I am loving this, Andolyn!

You've got a lot of great characters here (though I will say my favorite is Mike), and I love how you switch the POV between them. It gives us information on their history, while at the same time letting us know how they think and moving the story forward. You do very well with capturing their emotions, too. For example, all of their pasts are so vibrantly expressive that I can't help but feel their pain with them, but then when they laugh, I want to laugh too. Fantastic job!

I really like the idea of the story, as well. When I first started reading, I wasn't expecting the secret government plot to harness/steal the powers of the Gifted, but it gives the story a nice depth.

I hope its not too late to create a character for you're DP.... I'll make one just in case, but you certainly don't have to use it if theirs no room/time (it will still be fun just to make one up Razz )

Janelle Kline - 20 years of age, about 5'8". Has the gift of camouflage (sort of like a chameleon).

She discovered/came into her powers when she was 8 while playing hide-and-seek with her friends. After a few hours of not being able to be found, even when she had come out and was standing right in front of their eyes, her parents panicked and filed a missing child report on her. It took her two weeks to be able to revert back so that people could see her. Since then she has been honing her ability, but still has trouble completely masking herself against complicated patterns (like the obnoxious paisley wallpaper in her grandmother's living room) and sometimes just can't get the right shade of color (particularly yellows).

Keeps her mousy-brown hair cropped very short (its harder to change hair when its really long), and is fond of tight-fighting clothes (again, harder to change something loose/baggy/faraway from the surface of her body). Very sarcastic, but very loyal once you make your way through her tough/apathetic emotional exterior and become her friend.

((Sorry if she's lame, haha))

Can't wait for more. Keep it up! Very Happy
_________________
"The aim of literary ambition is to demonstrate one's greatness of soul."
-Mason Cooley
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
Andolyn
Mayor's Ambassador



Joined: 18 Apr 2011
Topics: 20
Posts: 852
Location: sitting barefoot in a tree in the beautiful land of Ardara, writing my tales...

Items
Legends
Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 9:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

She doesn't sound lame at all!! And it's never too late until the chapter is posted. Wink I'll probably start on this chapter once the next chapter of LoK2 is finished...which will hopefully be tonight, by the way. Wink
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Author Message
Tazgirl18992
Visitor



Joined: 15 Jun 2013
Topics: 0
Posts: 2


Items
Legends
Fables
Strata-gems

PostPosted: Fri Jun 21, 2013 2:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I love the story. It's very well written. I really hope you continue it soon!
Not sure if you still want anymore characters, but if you do I'd like to add one.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message

Test poll (no point in voting)
Option 1
100%
 100%  [ 1 ]
Option 2
0%
 0%  [ 0 ]
Total Votes : 1
Who Voted: Tazgirl18992

Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic   printer-friendly view    Storygames Home -> The Vault All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Goto page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4
Page 4 of 4
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group. Forum design by mtechnik, customized by City of IF
All site content © City of IF or the respective storygame authors.   Terms of use
Home   Book   Storygames   FAQ   Greek myth   About   Policies