Don't forget - your entries for the 25-word pitch contest are due TODAY by 1:00pm CDT.
Collaborative writing is when two or more authors come together to work on a project. Stephanie and I did that with the Go Teen Writers book. But I'm not going to talk about how to collaborate on a project today. Stephanie wrote an article about it, which will be available soon.
Instead, I wanted us to try collaborating on a story in this blog post as an experiment to see how it would work and where the story would go.
This will likely get a little messy. (And I have no idea if it will work!)
Rules: Keep each comment to a few sentences—one to five, perhaps. I want you to look at what was written in the comments that came before yours and think about how you can add to the story or make it stronger. Also, try to leave your contribution in an interesting place for the next commenter to pick things up. You might have to be a little fast, though, as someone might post his comment before you get a chance to post yours.
It's all in good fun. So let's do the best we can. And you're welcome to come back and add more to the story, if you'd like. Just make sure to let others write sentences in between.
I'll start. The first person to comment gets to go next and so on.
Ready?
Collaborate
a story by Go Teen Writers
Hand in hand, we walked along the trail that led into the dark forest ...
I could feel from the firm hold of his hand that Daryn was trying not to say he was afraid. I knew that...
ReplyDelete...that this might be the last time we saw each other. After today, everything would change, for better or for worse. I only hoped I was ready. Because at the end of this trail was...
ReplyDeletethe academy. It was the place that would seperated Daryn and I forever. Only noble we're allowed in the hallowed halls Of the academy, not girls with no learning. I turned and...
ReplyDeletelooked deep into his green eyes. I had to offer him some comfort. Licking my lips, I...
ReplyDelete(side note: LOVE THIS IDEA!!!) ...said, "Daryn, I know you'll do fine." I swallowed. "Go on. Learn all you can. That's the only way you'll ever be able to have a better life than this." He...
ReplyDeleteHEY!!! What I wrote to come after Bethany actually worked after Julie-Anne. How about that!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHeld onto my hand tighter,
ReplyDelete"I can't leave you, what if something happened whilest I was away. I would never forgive myself" I smiled slight and said...
...leaned against a tree, buried my face in my fans, and let a sob escape.
ReplyDelete"come on," Daryn said. "we have to keep going."
"I can't"
"we have no choice. You know what will happen if we don't."
Whoops, sorry, comments got posted while I was writing - ignore that
Delete"I can't lose you."
ReplyDeleteA shrill screams rips though the woods and I see worry-a strange emotion for Daryn- flicker over his face.
ReplyDeleteHis head whips round, eyes wide and shining like twin marbles.
ReplyDelete"run!"
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI just stare at him--not moving an inch. Getting to close to the academy can end in disaster for me...
ReplyDeleteHaha. I made a grammar mistake. Writing this early doesn't work :)
Delete...as girls who are found near the academy are disgraced and sent off to work in the quarries. Mama would never survive without me, especially as Papa...
ReplyDelete...but I can't stay still. I mustn't. So I run... towards the sound of the scream.
ReplyDeleteI turn back to see my brother one last time. But Daryn is nowhere to be seen. My fear turns to panic. Think, Malia. Think! I know if he is gone he must be. . .
DeleteCuriosity overtook my fear. I had to know what was screaming because...
ReplyDeleteFollow up to Ashlin's:
ReplyDeleteHe must be hiding. Without me. All I know is that he's left me alone. Those things don't fly with me because...
... he knows I've been left before when it mattered most. I won't let that happen again. I turn in my heel, bent on finding him, when another scream shatters the oppressive dark of the forest. But this time I see them. The blinding red of an Enforcer's uniform.
ReplyDeleteNo. No. I stumble backward, trying to turn and run, but my feet tangle and I found myself flat on the ground, staring up at the tip of the Enforcer's sword.
ReplyDeleteBefore I can react, his expression goes from cruel to shocked in an instant.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI blink and there's a stone embedded in his forehead. A fog rolls over his eyes as his slowly sinks to his knees. I shove myself back but can't miss his sword as it slides down with him. My shoulder cries out, pain blossoming. I clutch it, whipping aroundbto see where the stone came from.
ReplyDeleteMy jaw goes slack.
"Kahlan...!"
The name of my long lost twin escapes my lips as the rest of my throat seems to constrict itself in fear.
ReplyDeleteHis hand reached out to me. I trembled as I grasped his course palm. "Please, don't tell pa...
ReplyDelete"Get away from me!" I scream at him. His lips twist into what some people would call a smile, and he ventures closer.
ReplyDeleteBut it's not like he'd be there. He's been missing for years...
ReplyDeleteOh, come on.
ReplyDeleteI back up...into the Enforcer's dead body.
ReplyDelete*please work*
I open my mouth as though to scream, but no sound escapes. I stand up and slide halfway behind the wide tree between me and this dreadful "twin" of mine. Kahlan has always managed to come around at the worst times. Sure he did, sort of, just save me, but his prescience isn't welcome. Because his dark eyes and hair, towering height, and quiet speed are nearly identical to mine, he has always called himself my "long lost twin" -at one time I called him that too. . .
ReplyDelete"what are you doing here?"
ReplyDelete"exactly what I was about to ask you," he retorts.
I stare into his fierce eyes, eyes that are like my own. Faking the confidence that I wish would manifest in me.
ReplyDelete"What I do, is no longer any of your concern." I force out between gritted teeth.
He spits out a mocking laugh and says...
I swallow hard, feeling my pulse race at the cruelty in his eyes. I can't tell him that Daryn was nearby. If I do, Kahlan could kill him . . . or worse. "I . . . got lost . . ." I stammer weakly, knowing that Kahlan will not believe a word of it.
ReplyDeleteKahlan grabs my throat in his rough grip. "Tell me the truth!"
I shudder at the pulsing red glow at Kalan's wrist - the thing that turned him into a monster.
"C'mon! You don't think I could leave you now, with your shoulder like that!"
ReplyDeleteHe reaches out toward my arm, it is much more bloody than I though it was, and I see that my arm is trembling. . .
I yank away, wincing in pain. "don't touch me! Stay away!"
ReplyDelete"I just want to help you," he insists. I'm not fooled. An insincere, sadistic smile lies on his face.
"I told you last time we met. I never want to see you again!"
I run. I have to get away from Kahlan, away from his dark gaze.
ReplyDelete"You can't just run away like you did last time, Malia!" Kahlan shouts.
"I will find you, and together we will finish what we started." Kahlan just watches me go, a smirk on his face.
ReplyDeleteMy heart is pounding furiously in my chest as I run. Almost everything seemed foggy, but there was one thing that was completely clear. I was NOT going to finish what we had started.
ReplyDeleteI'm...confused. :P
ReplyDeleteThe cold air bites at my bare arms, but I've got my fury to keep me warm. Who does Kahlan think he is? Let's admit it: he abandoned me. Right when I needed him most. Does he really think he can just waltz over and pretend The Thing never happened? Pah! If I see him again, I'm going to...
ReplyDelete*heehee* This story just gets more and more interesting. Thanks so much for starting this, Mrs Williamson! These things are always lots of fun. You never know where the story will go. :)
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
Deleterip his face off. I've suffered too much already, and him reappearing in my life only adds to the suffering. Who does he think he is? If he persists, I'll tell him exactly what he is. He's a . . .
ReplyDeleteBefore I know it I'm on my face, tripped.
ReplyDelete"Augh! What-?!" I look up. Two curious faces meet mine.
"Are you alright?"
"Look, she's bleedin'! Really badly!"
I begin to answer as I at once remember my blood drenched arm.
"I..." Black out.
I wake up in a strange room, a lone candle flickering on a shallow shelf near the door. It's too dark to see much, but I prop myself up, and peer into the darkness anyway. "Hello?"
ReplyDeleteWhen I wake up, I'm in a small, thatched hut, surrounded by the strangest sorts of people-- if you could even call them that. There are...
ReplyDeleteI hear nothing except for a loud bang. Curiosity overcoming me, I inch toward the dark corridor and see...
ReplyDeleteA short, bald man and a small woman beside him. The couple is middle aged and both wearing fine clothing, the type of clothing I've only seen in painting. They are leaning in toward each other and speaking in hushed voices. I quietly pull my head back to examine the nearly empty room. The room. . .
ReplyDelete... was encased in stone, with tiny drips echoing around it like tinkling music. I push myself back up again. I was almost able to see the man and woman again when my bed gave an alarming creak...
ReplyDeleteI quickly shifted my weight, but the wood planks beneath me gave way with a crash. Startled, the man and woman dashed into the doorway, right as I fell through. Expecting to land on the hard ground, I was startled when I fell through the bottom of the bed and continued to fall into darkness. Then I heard...
ReplyDeleteThe wind rushing past my ears, and the sound of my own screams pressed in on my. I land in something soft and sticky. I raise my hand and squint through the darkness to see what is on me. Then I shreik and shake my hand to rid it of the substane. My hand is covered in...
ReplyDelete.. fast foot steps, in combination with yelling. Still falling, I reach out for something, anything to grab on to, I need to have something, to have some control. I hit the water, and feel....
ReplyDeleteThis was supposed to be posted after heathers. I was to slow.
Delete...gum. Or at least, I thought it was. I tried to get up from the mess, but the gum wouldn't release me. Then, I realized what was happening, I was sinking. I screamed, "Help me! Please help me!" Thankfully, a rope was thrown down, and I was able to heave my one free arm to grab it. I was pulled up, and when I finnaly reached back to the surface the short, bald man welcomed, "Hello, missy. Sorry about that; I'm afraid you fell in a...
ReplyDelete"Carlyle, dear, look what I just found. That letter you've been missing." I wondered if she was side-stepping the pit's description. The woman peered at the man - Carlyle - from her rocking chair by the welcoming hearth, where it appeared she'd been...reading.
ReplyDeleteHow could it be?
"Oh, excuse me, darling," she looked at me as she talked, "we haven't introduced ourselves. I'm..."
"Geralda," she set down her book and heaved a sigh. She keeps the book open for long enough that I can catch a glimpse of what it says. *The Enforcers are* she slams it shut and shoves it into a fire next to her.
ReplyDelete"What's your name, dear?" Geralda asked.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know what to say.
"I...I'm Malia," I finally managed to stutter. "Please, where am I? What's going on?"
ReplyDeleteThe couple exchanged a glance. "You're in our home, in the town of Lightwood," Geralda said kindly. "We brought you here when we found you in the forest."
My blood runs cold. They saw me near the academy. Did they see Kahlan? Do they know that I know him?
ReplyDelete"Don't worry," Carlyle's eyes sooth me. "We won't tell the Enforcers. We're Reens."
Reens. Malia wasn't sure if that was comforting, or alarming, but anything was better than the Enforcers. Dark thoughts of my twin plagued my head. "I'm running from Kahlan."
ReplyDelete"We know," Carlyle stated, like I should know that already. "Isn't the world running from him?" The second part was a joke, I guess, but I didn't find it humorous.
"If you don't mind me asking, who are the Reens?" Carlyle studies me with dark mysterious eyes. "They are very secretive people and strive to ...
ReplyDelete...do their part to thwart the Enforcers' plans. You are safe, child." Funny... I don't feel safe. Something about this place, these people... it seems familiar, like the stage of some bad dream I've done my best to forget. Them knowing Kahlan just makes it worse. I want to run away, back to....
ReplyDeletemy life before Kahlan had turned it dark and before humanity had seperated. Now more than ever I wanted to be safe and protected in the arms of Daryn. I stand up. Geralda seems to go about her buisness but Carlyle has his gaze directed toward me. "I want to leave." I say. Carlyle stands up.
ReplyDelete"You can't," he says simply.
ReplyDelete"Why not?" I demand, eyes narrowed dangerously.
He opened his mouth to explain, but a harsh banging echoes from the door into the room. Geralda freezes in fear and whispers...
"It's the Enforcers. They found you."
ReplyDelete"What do I do?" The urge to leave pulses inside of me, harder than a drum. I feel like if it pushes further, it could break me.
"Let them take you," Carlyle pulls a small amethyst from his pocket. He grabs my hands and wraps my fingers around it. "Show this to Kahlan. He'll be caught as well. We have arranged that he is placed in the same cell as you."
*They are spies* I think.
"Open up or we'll break down this door!" A gruff, but seemingly familiar voice shouts from the other side. I grip the amethyst tightly and try to dart away from Carlyle. He grabs my uninjured arm and pushes me toward the door. I resist with my every muscle. "You'll be fine, Malia, trust me." Trust him? I'll be better off trusting a werewolf.
ReplyDelete(MJ)
"I don't want to be in the same cell as..." Before I can finish my sentence, the door bursts open. Panic rises up within me just as a quick hand grabs my injured arm, forcing searing pain to spread into my shoulder and neck. I look up, and see Daryn's eyes behind the red mask. Can it be....?
ReplyDeleteThis was supposed to be a continuation of Alyson's section, but it fits okay after MJ's, I think.
Delete"d-d-d-Daryn?"
ReplyDeleteNothing.
"is that you?"
More nothing. His gaze, so loving before, so protective, is now cruel, hard and cold as ice.
I'm too late. The proceedure...
Has ruined him. "Please Daryn answer me!" I start to sob. Daryn pulls out a blade from his jacket and...
ReplyDelete...but I don't care. He is gone. The tears begin to cascade down my cheeks and my knees buckle beneath me, yet I cannot fall. His grasp on my arm is tight and unrelenting. He drags me up again and I clutch the amethyst tightly, hoping it will give me even a fragment of courage. If only...
ReplyDelete... I could've stayed in that gummy hole. I would have rather died in that sticky mess than by the hands of the only person I truly cared about. "Daryn, what are you doing?" I asked him behind my sobs. Daryn didn't answer; primarily because it was at that moment when he was hit in the head with a rolling pin.
ReplyDeletehe could give me a sign... a smile to reverse the past, show me that my world isn't collapsing around me.
ReplyDeleteHis grip is burning my arm. His eyes are searing mine. Until he slips his other hand into mine to ensure that I won't run away... and we lock pinkies.
It's our secret signal. Daryn is safe. The Procedure has not yet occurred.
Aah! I was too slow, again. :(
Delete"You're safe for now." A shiver runs up my back as Carlyle speaks.
ReplyDelete"What are you doing?"
He frowns at me. "It's not for you to know."
"At least you're not evasive or anything," I mutter.
"Just go along," Geralda urged. "The Reen spies there will protect you."
ReplyDelete"Act like your struggling," Daryn grabs my arms.
"But-but," I struggle to spit out the words. "Why did you choose me? How did you put it together?"
Carlyle chuckles, then slaps Daryn on the back, "Good riddance. She's one to keep an eye on."
He winks at me, but I was too busy fuming to myself about the situation.
Daryn marches me out of the cottage and the bleaching sunlight blinds me. My vision clears enough to make out three other enforcers. With a click, Daryn seals my wrists in a pair of hand irons. The metal is cold and I feel a weight settle on my heart, a dread colder than the iron, but I'm distracted by something else at the moment. One enforcer's uniform is different from the rest, cut at sharper angles in a darker shade of red with a distinctive yellow patch on the collar.
ReplyDelete"Are we going to the compound?"
The whisper squeezes out of me and though Daryn's face is a cold mask again he gives the tiniest of nods.
The compound, a place a could not afford to go. "Darryn, please." it came out as a whisper. I hated to beg, but fear overwhelmed me. "Please, Darryn, save me."
ReplyDeleteBeing put in the hands of an Enforcer was worse than death itself.
"Just get your job done," his voice was cold, but his eyes softened showing me a sign of who he was only a few hours ago.
There is a wagon to my right, a trail of people are shackled to the front of it. There are no horses or cows that I can see. It is clear: prisoners pull the wagon. The different Enforcer that had caught my eye walks to me with a pair of shackles in his hands. With a scowl, he grabs me with iron fists and escorts me to the line of prisoners. There is a large part of me that longs to fight. I can't, though. Rumors go around about what they'll do to resisters.
ReplyDeleteHaving secured me beside the other prisoners, he moves to the front of the line and the other enforcers- including Daryn- climb into the wagon. An order is called out and the prisoners ahead of me begin to walk.
ReplyDelete"M-Malia?"
Bound beside me is an older girl with dull, unfocused eyes and messy hair. My jaw drops for the second time today as I recognize her voice, her face, the vacant expression.
"What happened to you? Are you okay?" I asked, quickly scanning the figure for injuries.
ReplyDelete"Oh darling, it was just terrible," She began nodding her head a back and forth, dragging on with what energy she had left, "Everything's gone. They took it all - everything, sweetie."
"What about Mom... and Dad?" Panic seered through me.
"Well, I don't know." The lady shoved on, "But you wanna know what, I have been your maid for 50 billion years but I have NEVER seen your parents stand so strong. I was taken before I saw anything done to them." She really hadn't been their maid for near as long as she said, she has the tendency to overexaggerate everything. "But don't worry, good ol' Malia. Your Ms. Reeda" - referring to herself - "has a plan."
Malia knew she did. Reeda always has plan.
CREAKKKK!! Malia turned to see what made the sound, but Reeda interupted laughing, "And now we run!"
Gosh, that was kinda long... sorry :P
DeleteI was torn. Did I run? Or did I stay and do the job I had been given? Who was I supposed to trust? I held the stone in my hand tighter, trying, trying to decide what to do.
ReplyDeleteRun. To face the compound, Kahlan on the word of some strangers in the woods was too much for me to handle. But then I saw Daryn. How could I leave him? I could see no saving him now, but I couldn't abandon him ever. Then suddenly my decision was made up for me.
ReplyDeleteThe strange Enforcer yanks me away from Reeda. My arm feels as if it will fall out of its socket. Reeda looks at me with sad eyes, glancing away from me slightly as if she feels guilty. She leaps away, probably not giving a second thought about it.
ReplyDelete"Reeda!" I shout. "Reeda!"
By now the area around the wagon is in pure chaos. The Enforcers are simply staring on, letting their prisoners run away. All except for me.
An enforcer jumped from the wagon. Behind me I heard the scream as Ms. Reeda was stabbed through the heart.
ReplyDeleteYou killed... my Reeda Dx hahahahaha. This story is the best :P
DeleteRun, it's all I could do. I tried to make my legs work, but they wouldn't. I felt a hand grip my neck, but I felt no pain. They wouldn't let go.
ReplyDelete"Get off of me!" I attempt to elbow the Enforcer in the stomach, but Daryn pulls me away from my captor. "You too!"
ReplyDelete"If you don't stop it, they're going to give me the Procedure," he twists my arms, excruciating pain flies to my injured shoulder. There's a crack *he broke my arm* I think, whincing in pain.
Daryn has proved his point. Though I still don't agree with it, I give into him. I don't care that he left me in the forest anymore. All I want is for him to be safe.
Every other prisoner is now gone, leaving me to pull the load of the wagon by myself...
I had to get away, that was my only instinct. I didn't want to leave the people to chaos but some were already gone and others were either being captured or killed. And now it looked like I would be killed by the hands of some lost soul blinded by his duties to the Enforcers. But, I won't let that happen.
ReplyDelete(MJ)
Man, I was too late. :(
ReplyDelete...with one broken arm. I don't really register the pain, or the mocking laughter of the Enforcers. Now that the panic is gone, numbness sets in. Ms. Reeda . . . . How long had I known her? She used to tell me stories when I was a child -- wonderful stories that always seemed to have happy endings. But now I'm older, and Ms. Reeda is lying in the mud, dark blood staining her clothes. I try to turn my thoughts to the amethyst in my pocket . . . .
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete"Go!" An Enforcer'a brutal shout and a whip to the shoulder interrupts my thoughts.
ReplyDelete"Don't touch her!" Daryn yells. I am filled wih gratitude. He is putting himself in danger for me. "I have ways to make her move!"
No. I am wrong, he is only making sure that I am not harmed by anybody except for him.
I feel his arm on my shoulder, the one that is not giving me death-like pain. "This will make the pain better."
He holds a...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletesmall bottle, filled with thick, dark red liquid. 'It looks like blood,' I think briefly. Before I can do anything, he pops the cork off and pours the gooey substance onto my injured shoulder. The pain lessons into a dull throb, and the smell of something sweet fills my nostrils. 'What is it?' I ask.
ReplyDelete"Dragonplant seed oil. It numbs pain. But don't ingest it, and try not to inhale it too much. It will..."
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDaryn didn't answer. Instead, he just returned to the wagon and climbed on. Not two seconds later, I felt the lash of the whip urging me forward. I strained at the wagon, but it didn't move. Too much weight, I guess. Putting all my strength into it, I pulled again. Nothing happened and the Enforcers...
ReplyDeletestood laughing at me, placing bets on whether or not I would be able to pull it all the way to the compound. Although the pain in my shoulder is healing, there is still a slim chance I will be able to pull the wagon even a foot or two. The muscles in my legs and back burn, there is no way I can do it.
ReplyDelete"Go find some more prisoners," the same Enforcer that had whipped me yells. "Convict everybody you see of a crime, make up new laws if you have to. But this girl isn't going to get us anywhere!"
"I can take the girl to the..."
(PS...what time period is this? Future or past...I can't tell and it would be easier to write if we knew when this was happening)
It sounds like the future kind of, but I think it'd add interest if it was in the past. That's my opinion in answer to your question. ;)
Delete(MJ)
Okay, thanks. :) this is really cool. Wouldn't it be awesome if we finished it? Random daydreaming...
DeleteIt would be totally awesome!! I wonder how long this could really go on.
Delete(MJ)
Forever if we want to. It's not that hard. Since everybody has a different strength, we're not lacking very much.
DeleteGO TEEN WRITERS!
(Nerdy writing party)
Yaay!! Go Teen Writers!!!
Delete(MJ)
Prison ground." Darryn gripped my arm in a way that would bruise later, but his thumb caressed me, as if telling me it would be okay.
ReplyDeleteThe head enforcer nodded his agreement, and I didn't have to pretend this time to struggle against Darryn. Going to the prison grounds meant....
...it would all be over soon. Unless- Hope sparkled before my eyes again and this time I knew I could succeed. I reached up, my hand fumbling over my arm to find Daryn's hand. I could feel his gaze penetrating me. I knew the risk I was taking. But I had to know. "Daryn," I whispered, "I forgive you." The grip on my arm...
ReplyDeleteSlowly released.
ReplyDelete"You have to do something for me," I continue. "You have to convince them to take me to be executed and the prison ground."
His eyes bore into mine, "No. You can do that yourself I'd you are so stupid."
"Well, I am," I slap him, the Enforcers...
Sorry. I meant "at the prison ground"
DeleteAnd
"If you are so stupid."
...start towards me, but Daryn holds up a hand to stop them.
ReplyDelete"No. I can handle her. Then quietly to me, "I have a plan, Malia. I can get us both out of this mess. Just trust me, and go along with it. Sorry about your arm, by the way. When we get to the compound I want you to...
Whirl around, glaring at me. "You can make this one move huh?" a burly guard snickered as he shoved my Daryn away and grabbed my arm. "Go help the others." he looked at Daryn. The guard stumbled and his face landed on my shoulder, "What is that smell!?" he demanded. he had smelled the dragon seed oil. "Arrest him!" he commanded the other guards. the next thing i knew Daryn was in chains beside me. Because of me, no wait, because of Kahlan. Thw whip stung my back. The guards yelled "...
ReplyDeleteBoy, this is fun!:)
DeleteWhooops. i was too slow! this was supposed to be after Alyson!
Delete"Execute the girl and have the boy go through the Procedure!"
ReplyDeleteI shudder, though I brought this upon myself purposefully, the idea of death is still something to be afraid of. I can't imagine what will happen if my plan doesn't work.
"You will pay for this," Daryn shoves me. "When I'm done with the Procedure, you *will* be sorry."
"Daryn!" I cried. "I'm sorry! I forgive you, can't you do the same? This isn't my fault!"
ReplyDelete"It is *all* your fault." He didn't even look at me.
"I said I was sorry," I mumbled.
"Well sorry doesn't fix it," he snapped. "I tried to help you! And you turned up your nose."
"No, it's not like that," I protested, but he silenced me with a glare. Nothing I could say would fix this.
That was supposed to be, "I forgave you..."
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDaryn turned to obey the head Enforcer before he got in trouble himself, and followed the other Enforcers into the woods. I could still see the red pulsing light beneath his skin on his wrist. He glanced back at me, and for a second, he looked worried. Then he turned around and I couldn't see him anymore. The head Enforcer towered above me. "When we get to the compound, you will regret your foolishness."
ReplyDelete"Yeah, we'll, I've already been told that," I snap. I'm not in the mood.
ReplyDelete"You stop," he says.
"No," I say, he shoves me into the wagon. Dozens of people are smashed inside--it smells of body odor more than anything. This is why it was so hard to pull.
"You're executed at noon tomorrow."
The wagon starts to move.
...turn to the left when I release you, and run for the gate." Daryl whispers. "I will hold them off while you run."
ReplyDelete"But Daryl.." I say. "They'll kill you."
He looks ahead grimly, and says nothing. I can see the compound approaching in the distance...
Sorry, ignore this, it doesn't make as much sense as I thought it would.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteWas too slow so i deleted my lines:)
DeleteI don't know how long i was in the wagon, because the heat and my exauhstion lulled me into a fitful sleep. When i woke up i was being yanked out of the wagon...
ReplyDeleteI glanced back at the wagon as I was being dragged away, curious as to how it had moved with me in it, since there were no people left (besides me) who had been pulling it before.
ReplyDeleteThen i noticed that i had dropped the stone that Carlyl had given to me. "Wait.." i mumbled barly able to talk. "Sorry miss. i Can't do that." the voice was kinder than the Enforcers; yet somehow sounded faked, and sinister. i opened my eyes. it was Kalan...
ReplyDelete"Kahlan, take me back!" I could feel the emotion bubbling up from the afternoon.. But it was fury this time. "you've done all of this. The least you could do-."
ReplyDelete"I don't owe you anything," he snapped. His eyes grew hard, then it looked like he was going back and forth from his new and old person. "Malia...."
"Malia, I can't help that you made the choices you did. You can't hold a grudge against me for what you did. Got it?"
ReplyDeleteI shift, "When are you being executed?"
"I'm not being executed. I did nothing wrong. I just told the Enforcers I was a spy for them, then told them where my men are hiding."
He is horrible. Kahlan has killed his men to save himself.
"Your a coward Kalan."
ReplyDeleteHe grinned, but it wasn't him smiling, it was was the little red device strapped to his wrist.
"Put me down." i said.
"I can't. i'm under orders. you are to be taken to the compound to be executed tomorow."
"You wouldn't do that. Remeber when we close enought o pretend we were twins?"
i saw a glimmer of Kalan's old self peep through his mask, but then it was gone...
I knew I couldn't get through to Kalan. Daryn seemed to be under a similar enchantment, I noted. It had something to do with that strange red device on their wrists. Suddenly, I was seized by an idea. But I wouldn't dare try it on Kalan. If only I could get close enough to Daryn again. If only...
ReplyDeleteAs gone as the chance of my survival. Kahlan was persistent, if he was angry at someone, he wouldn't give up. Not until they laid six feet below the dirt he walked on.
ReplyDelete"Don't do this, Kahl," I attempt to use his nickname. He shoots me a look and slides a (blank...next person chooses) under the door.
This is after Raquel's.
DeleteHe slides a knife under the door.
ReplyDelete"This is the object of your death," he says. "Study it, and maybe you can avoid your fate."
"Thank you, Kahl," I pick up the blade and study it. His footsteps echo as he leaves the prison.
It's long, a small, golden hilt. But the thing I find most alarming is that...
my last name, Folds, is engraved on the blade. I shiver. This knife looks familiar somehow, as if from a hazy dream I've had.
ReplyDeleteI prick my finger with it, a small drop of blood flows down onto my palm. It is almost like I have been stabbed in the heart. My vision slowly blurs into a mesh.
ReplyDeleteThe vision starts...
The knife draws warm blood from my palm. "You ready?" Chantelle, my best friend asks. I nod and she holds up her hand. We place our hands palm to palm. "From now on we are blood sisters and nothing can come between us." My heart ached at the memory. Since then ...
ReplyDelete(MJ)
we have been separated by so much. Changing governments, the move to escape the Enforcers, and even Chantelle's betrayal. It was foolish of me to think that nothing would separate me from another person. A foolish thing to draw blood and think it would form an unbreakable bond. First Chantelle, then Kahlan have betrayed me. And the most painful thing about it is that it was by their own choices. At least Daryn wouldn't betray me of his own will. It's because of the Enforcers and the Procedure. Those two things together change even the most loyal of people.
ReplyDeleteI look up. Someone is coming. I hide the knife under my clothes.
I know there are errors in this. :/ And it's kinda long.
DeleteThere's not very many of us doing this right now, so we're all good. :) it's so fun...
DeleteIt really is, I've never done anything like this before.
Delete(MJ)
I want to keep the knife...not let anybody have it. Especially not to kill me. But what did Khala mean? How is it possible for my plan to be complete just by looking at my own dagger?
ReplyDeleteThe cold metal is pressing to my skin when the prison guard gets here. He is wearing the yellow uniform of a Siral. They are the followers of Khala--the ones who have been condemned by him.
He is thrown into the cell with me...
He stumbles in the cell and bashes his head against the stone wall. I feel bad for him because of what Khalan is doing to him.
ReplyDelete"Execution tomorrow!" The gaurd barks. "For the both of you."
I ignore him. I don't know if I should trust this Siral. He has stuck on Khala's side when I realized it was wrong.
"Sorry," I start off this way as to...
- hopefully - make a friend I can trust. I need one now more than ever. "I'm Malia."
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe Siral pushes himself up off the floor. "I'm..." he coughs "I'm Sebastian." He puts his hand to his head and...
ReplyDeleteThe man studies me suspicously. "Ryker." He sits down on the floor with me and pulls his knees up to loosely clasp his arms around them. "Kahlan betrayed you too, huh?" I said, avoiding his vigilant stare.
ReplyDelete(MJ)
Was too late again. :(
Delete(MJ)
"They're going to take my kids," he rubs his forehead. "They're going to kill me. Kahlan shouldn't live through this."
ReplyDeleteThe way he says it is so cold. He means what he says. Now that I know somebody hates him like this, I almost want him to live.
"Don't kill him," the words come out of my mouth. I can't believe what I just said.
Ryker....
... releases a dry laugh. "I only wish I can, I'll be dead before he would have the decency to face me again."
ReplyDelete(MJ)
"look, he betrayed me too, but I don't want to kill him."
ReplyDelete"why not?"
"well... He was my friend... I - we were almost twins!"
"all the worse that he could bring you here then."
I settle down, knowing that he is right. The close we are, the worse the betrayal is.
ReplyDelete"Just...leave me alone," I sigh. "Cell mates aren't supposed to be best friends. We're both condemned I die tomorrow, so it's better if I can just think about how to save us."
Ryker snorts, "You're insane."
I flinch, that is what Daryn said to me before this happened. Now I...
...wonder if perhaps I am insane. I fear Kahlan like death and yet I can't stand the thought of him hurt; he still holds me under his spell. He always had an irresistible charisma, even before, an allure that made others trust him blindly and when I think of what we almost accomplished together...
ReplyDeleteI glance down to where I've concealed the knife, hoping Riker won't notice. Kahlan still needs me to get what he desires, he doesn't want me dead yet. So what is it he's trying to manipulate me into doing?
Time passed by slowly as Ryker and I sat in the cold cell, keeping to ourselves. My mind was plagued with thoughts of Daryn and Kahlan and even Reeda. "I know one way you can get out." Ryker said, throwing me off gaurd.
ReplyDelete(MJ)
Happy St. Patricks day!!! ;)
Delete(MJ)
You too!! :) I forgot to wear green! Haha
DeleteThat's alright, hopefully nobody pinched you! Lol
Delete(MJ)
I have little siblings so no luck with that lol
DeleteInstantly, I raised my guard. "You do?" I asked suspiciously.
ReplyDelete"Yes," he answers slowly. "But only the bravest succeed."
I didn't believe him. Come to think of it, I didn't believe anyone now. Not after so many betrayals.
There's no harm in listening to him rant, though. If anything, it makes the time go faster.
ReplyDelete"I'm not brave," I shrug. "But go on ahead."
"Well, there's a little bat up there," he points. "If you call it's name then it will pick you up and carry you through the walls."
I try hard not to laugh and cry. The solitude must have broken him already. When I turn back around...
I notice there is a bat hanging from the ceiling. I wonder how I didn't notice it before. "If this so-called bat could really do this, why aren't YOU testing it out?" I ask.
ReplyDelete(MJ)
"Forget it," he shakes his head.
ReplyDeleteI pull out my knife and wave it in his face.
"Does a girl stuck in prison with a knife forget about things?" I carefully stick the edge on his throat.
I won't do anything, but I want to see how gone this man is. Sirals may come off as strong, but I've never met one that wasn't a coward.
"Malia!" I hear Kahlan's voice and freeze. "Your execution has been rescheduled."
I keep the blade pressed on Rykal, "For when?"
"Now."
I back away, clutching my knife as if my execution weapon would save me. And maybe it will, if they don't get a hold of it.
ReplyDelete(MJ)
I'm obsessing over this, but it's so fun!!
Delete(MJ)
It is fun!! Especially when I still have 11 hours to be in the car.
DeleteWow, it's a plus for passing time, that's for sure.
Delete(MJ)
Kahlan slides open the door and pulls me out. Rykal is staring daggers at him, but I can tell he has truly given up the fight. The door clicks shut behind me and I'm being dragged through the cold jail.
ReplyDelete"Save me, save me," hoarse voices beg, sending shivers down my spine.
"Your execution is to occur in the spare cell. Unless the accept you for the Procedure."
This is what he wants from me. He knows my skill when it comes to battling, he knows they'll accept me.
A took a deep shaky breath. My hands fingered the blade. The thought that Kahlan shouldn't get out alive crossed
ReplyDeleteMy mind but I couldn't do it. A little girl part of me was still his best friend. The blade stayed in place.
An Enforcer came in and looked at me. He said....
"She doesn't look like much."
ReplyDelete"Oh, she's tough all right." Kahlan stood, his feet spread apart, and his arms folded across his chest.
The Enforcer looked me up and down one more time. "All right, bring her through."
We went into an empty cell, and through a hidden door at the back of it. We entered a room that was full of...
cold iron shelves, each one of them piled with bracelets. They weren't the kind that Chantelle and I had woven with grass to proclaim our everlasting friendship years ago, though. These were the black bracelets with pulsing red lights I had seen biting the arms of so many captives in the past. They had to be a sign of the Procedure. I was sure of that now.
ReplyDeleteThere's a target on the back wall, a red bull's eye shining in the middle of it.
ReplyDelete"If she can hit that and beat you in a battle, she's in," the Enforcer nods.
Kahlan's eyes widen, he surely did not expect this. He is deadly afraid of what I can do to him.
"Yeah," I smile. Just because I don't want him dead doesn't mean that I don't want him injured, even if that means I go through the Procedure. "I can do that."
When the buzzer rings...
My heart begins to pound at the sight of these vicious brain washing devices. The thought of it taking control over my body made my stomach churn. Kahlan examines each bracelet, as if looking for a special one. He slowly paces in front of the shelves with his hands clasped behind his back, while the Enforcer blocks my only escape. Kahlan pauses. "Malia, come here," It's a direct order as if he is talking to a dog. Yet I obey, for my bond with him is still strong.
ReplyDelete(MJ)
Oh well, ignore mine.
Delete(MJ)
My heart begins to pound (I'm going to give MJ credit for that sentence), sweat beading across my forehead and wetting my hair. The grip I have on my knife is weak, I don't know if I'll be able to throw it. Shaking, I make sure that my uninjured arm is holding it.
ReplyDeleteSlowly, I ease back my arm, close one eye for accuracy, and shoot the blade cleanly into the bull's eye. I hear Kahlan shout in my ear as if he had been hit.
I retrieve the blade and turn towards Kahlan. The Enforcer's brows are raised. He must be thinking about...
Thanks!!! :)
Delete(MJ)
:) I feel like somebody always beats you to it, so I figured you deserved it
DeleteThey do, don't they? I just get stuck with a certain word or where I want to go with it that it takes me forver. So when I finally post it somebody's is already there. :(
Delete(MJ)
He must be thinking about what Kahlan said. Something about being small but being mighty.
ReplyDelete"How much do I hurt him?" I ask the Enforcer. I'm working on scaring Kahlan.
"That all depends on how much you hate him for bringing you into this," he replies lazily. "Drop the knife and go."
I obey and scoot the dagger away with my foot. Kahlan stands in the ready position, fists up.
I...
I take my stance, ready to move the instant he swings.
ReplyDelete"Ladies first," he taunts.
I snort and ignore him, waiting for his first action. He knows that the first several blows will come to nothing. He strikes out half-heartily. I dodge. He knows I am lighter on my feet than him. But this time he does not strike in the same way.
He swings a lightning fast blow to my face and I saw stars from the impact. I catch a glimpse of a smile form over his lips and my fists clench tighter.
ReplyDelete(MJ)
I kick him where it hurts - petty, I know, but I need him to know I mean business. He crumples over him pain, swearing a blue streak, and my fist connects with his nose. It breaks as easily as an eggshell.
ReplyDeleteI swing at him again with my right hand. He catches my wrist in mid-swing, twists my arm, and turns me around-- his arm pinning my waist to him. I cry out at the sudden pain. His other arm is wrapped around my neck lightly, showing who's the one in charge. With my arms pinned at my side and my legs useless, I know I've lost. Unless... I breathe as much air as I can and throw my head back as hard as I can. Crack! My head connects with his chin. He removes his arm from around my neck and loosens his hold on my waist. I turn around in his loosened hold to face him. I punch his already tender nose and rear back against his grasp. I finally break free. I glance at Khalan-- there's murder in his eyes.
ReplyDeleteI've seen this look before, a long time ago. He does not mean well, he will kill me right here.
ReplyDeleteKnowing that sends my heart rate sky rocketing. Sweat gathers on my palms as I close them shut. Kahlan is ready, I am ready. It all depends on who makes the smarter move.
Bouncing on my toes, I swing at his face, but I purposely avoid hitting him. Instead, heart pounding in my chest? I kick at his legs.
He falls to the ground, "Malia!"
I know what I have to do. I have a plan. I snatch at his wrist, tugging at the pulsing red band. I know I don't have much time. He's too stunned for a moment, before he grabs my hands, trying to prevent me from succeeding.
ReplyDelete"Hold up!" The Enforcer shouts. I don't dare stop, though.
ReplyDeleteOne of Kahlan's arms reaches to pull my hair. Not thinking twice, I bite his hand.
"Argh!" He yells in pain. I taste blood. There's a snap and another yell.
"That's enough!" I feel my hair ripping out of my skull. "You won, you're going to live."
I stagger off of Kahlan and spit his blood onto his stomach.
"The Procedure will take a few weeks. During that time, we brainwash you," I shudder and wander why he's telling this to me. My question is answered. "If you don't know what's happening it won't work."
It doesn't budge. Its thick rubber must be broken by something other than-- the knife! Frantically, I search the room. A gleam of metal reveals its location: behind Khalan, who's standing and preparing to, from the look on his face, gouge my eyes out. He reaches for me. I dart under his outstretched arm, away from his reach.
ReplyDeleteHe's not in a rush. His confidence is tangible.
I slowly circle him, acting as if I'll strike at any moment. I pause near the metal shelf that hides my knife underneath. In one swift move, I swing my leg out in a circular motion and strike Khalan behind his knees. He buckles and falls to the floor. In the same motion, I swing my arm around and grab my knife from under the shelf, facing Khalan.
Khalan is getting on his feet-- his body's sideways. I pounce and crash the hilt of the knife on his skull. He crumbles again in pain. His vision must surely be blurred, so I grab his wrist...
Sorry It's so long (sheepish smile). Fewer words wouldn't quite describe the scene properly;-)
DeleteShucks! Too late... this was supposed to go after Heather's.
Delete...and slide the knife under. The rubber begins to give way under the pressure. But the Enforcer grabs me from behind, pinning my arms back.
ReplyDelete"Enough!" he yells. "I said enough!" He continues quietly. "You've proven yourself, girl."
Kahlan staggers to his feet, but is not glaring with hatred like he was before. I think I managed to loosen the bracelet, if I didn't succeed in cutting it all the way off.. It gives me hope. Maybe this can start to undo all that has happened.
I continued after Aizess's post, bringing in a little of what Alyson Dow said earlier.
Delete"No!" Khalan shouts. "We can't do the procedure on her. Like you said, It'd brainwash her and--" a sound close to a sob escapes his throat-- "I won't allow that to happen to Mal." He used his old nickname for me.
ReplyDeleteI stare at him in disbelief, my mouth forming a silent "oh". I sneak a peek at the Enforcer. He has a similar expression. It worked! Damaging that cursed pulsing red device had cracked Khalan's demeanor. His old self was slowly coming back-- the boy I had fondly called my twin.
I glance at the Enforcer once more. His expression had hardened.
I built upon some of Alyson Dow's, as well.
DeleteHis lips purse into a white line, "You come with me too. If you resist, I have no choice but to execute you."
ReplyDeleteI shift nervously, which is better; death or not remembering who you are?
We walk through the halls until we reach a staircase, where we follow the Enforcer up. The room we reach at the top is...
...like, everything else, made of stone. A cot sat on one side of a window while a table with a wash basin was positioned opposite it. Then I realized - this room, unlike any other, had a window! The silence in this area wasn't stale, like the other rooms.
ReplyDeleteI felt the tiniest sliver of hope lodge somewhere inside me.
"You'll stay here," the Enforcer spoke before leaving abruptly.
Kahlan and I were left alone. I prepared to defend myself.
"Malia, I - " he spoke my name differently. I met his eyes and saw something I hadn't seen on his face in a long time. My fists unclenched. "You'll be fine. Just don't forget what once was. And remember this: not all things are as they seem."
The Enforcer walks to the window grimly and turns the lock. Only now do I see the slim bars crisscrossing it. I sigh and wait for the Enforcer to leave.
ReplyDeleteWhen he's gone, I slip to the window to gauge where I am so that if I escape, I can get away forever. Sand blows across a barren landscape: a desert. They're smarter than I gave them credit. There's no possible way to leave.
A monotone voice floods the room. I clasp my hands over my ears and...
but I can still hear the voice - coming in through a loudspeaker into the room. "Hello, prisoner. We have set up this room especially for you. Your maid will be in shortly to take your order for dinner."
ReplyDeleteI look up, and the door opens. I take my hands down from my ears. Before me, standing in the doorway, is a tall, slender person, covered completely in metal, like knights used to be. A name tag on their suit says, 'Maid'. This must be the beginning of the brainwashing process.
The person stepped forward and said, "
"Would you like your apple sauce with seasoning?" The voice is feminine, yet there is something off about it that makes my head buzz.
ReplyDelete"Mm...no," I moan.
"Would you like your Procedure liquid with a pain injection?"
*Oh, how nice,* I think. *They'll make sure I'm comfortable whole they brainwash me.*
"Yes," I croak. The buzzing in my head feels like it will crack my ears open.
The maid leaves...
.... And the buzzing leaves with her. I shake my head to clear it, and as I do, something shiny glints over by...
ReplyDelete