The Endgame

No one has ever survived when they play. It envelops you, it crushes you. 
It banishes every hope in your mind. As it ends you, you feel nothing but fear and sorrow. I wonder what they thought in their final moments? Sorrow that they failed the test? Rage that they were tricked? Or again was it sorrow, that their families would weep in sorrow through fault of their own? I would find out, because today I am the one who faces He who butchers the soul.
My sister is the one who believes I can pass, because I'm unlike everyone else. If I survive, it's over. No one will have to be butchered again.
"I'm worried," I tell Celia, my sister. "What if I don't pass? If I escape and don't kill that thing.... what if you have to-" I couldn't finish that sentence. I lost mother. I cannot lose Celia. 
"You'll be fine," she said with a smile. Her beautiful black hair shone in the rain mixed with the sun. "Now get over there!" She had to push me into the tunnel.
The tunnel was lit by candles and soft music. The music was supposed to be an apology for sending us off to Oblivion. But no apology is ever enough for forcing us to die. I am close to the gate with the butcher. I can see inside the room. The room. The butcher is silent. The souls of the dead inside. One soul above all other floats gracefully. It speaks to me in a faint voice.
It's you. After all these years, I finally found you. 
"What? Who are you?" I ask.
I am Lena. I was killed by the beast years ago. I saw a prophecy that 10 years from my death, a hero would come. You are the first reaped of the tenth year.
"You're making a mistake. I'm not a hero. I have some abilities like my arm, but..."
I'm not lying. Enter the room of the Butcher and the chain of destiny will begin to bind you.
Lena was right of course. Once I entered the room, I felt an unusual sensation in my soul. Lena's soul also pulsated. The Butcher must have noticed, because he began to wake up. He roared and I drew my sword. I jumped up and slashed him in the face.
RRRRRRAGHHHHHH!!!! His scream echoed all around the room. If I had not jumped away from him, I would've gone deaf. I shot a blast of demonic energy at him, and he swatted it back at me. It exploded right in front of me and I was blown back at the wall. I looked at Lena's soul. The Butcher was coming toward her. She was terrified.
"Get away from her!" I yelled, throwing my sword at the beast. The sword's handle hit Lena's soul, absorbing it. I felt horrified. I had become a murderer. When I gripped the handle. I felt an unusual sensation. My left arm began to pulsate. It glowed. Was Lena inside me now?
I told you so, sucker! she laughed.
"Heh. Guess from now on I'll trust my elders. Let's kill this thing!"
My arm began to pulsate violently. A dark aura began to envelop me. My arm began to change shape. 
I feel as if my arm is becoming enveloped with Lena's memories and her own darkness. I don't have time to think about this, because I am busy registering what Lena did to me.
She has changed my arm. Scar-like marking appear on the arm, followed with an insignia on the hand. It depicts two black stars.
"Whoa. What did you do to me?" I ask.
You'll find out, she replies from within me. Suddenly my nails grow and come towards him. My nails actually represent blades. My arm is like an animal's claw. The nails glow purple as the Butcher is stabbed in the heart.
I don't move. I wait for the first sign that this isn't over. It never comes. The demon dissipates into Oblivion. The room suddenly fades into light. The souls of the butchered fade upward as I walk out.
      "The rain hasn't stopped." I say. It still rains, as if the bad day isn't over.
"I told you so."
I turn around to see Lena. Wait, I just saw her. I'm not sure how, but...
"How did you get a body?" I ask her.
"You," Lena says unemotionally. You helped me escape, so I'm restored. I should thank you." Lena turns around and leaves. "But I shouldn't be in this picture right now. We'll meet again, Tenka."
She faded away. But not upward or downward. It was like she was teleporting away. I simply shrug and walk off.
"Who was that, Tenka?" Celia asks as I pass her. I am silent for a while before I answer.
"A friend." She doesn't talk about it as we head home.
"Soooo.... you survived and I said you would. I have my demand list ready...."
"Is that the only reason you cheered me on? Some helpful sister you are!" We laugh at this and walk home.
The rain doesn't stop as I walk from the Endgame



Epilogue
  Lena hasn't come back for a year. And the rain has continued for a year. I wonder if the two occurrences are connected, but the very idea seems ridiculous. 
I practice with my abilities every day, and use my abilities. I learn to summon, but I'm not comforted by that knowledge. I just simply hang out with the crew. Celia and the other two.
Celia's calm as we hang out inside, but I hear the doorbell.
"I'm coming," I say, and open the door.
Lena is standing outside silently. She then says "Hi. Can I come in?"
And that's when the rain stops. 

     Love was something the society didn't want, something they had taken away a long time ago. I remember the flames bursting inside of me as they dragged me from my family to the insane asylum. I didn't understand why, why they could do such a thing to me when I only had feelings for people, and cared about others.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

     Rick looks up and shrugs. "If you're asking about feelings," he says, "I wouldn't know."
Rick is probably the most annoying bunk mate in the world. "Besides," Rick says, "Feelings are complicated and you're only 13."
     I swing my feet over the side of the bunk bed and sigh. There has to be someone who knows. The huge, grey, metal gate in the front of the room swings open, and in walks Garret. "What's the matter?" Rick says. Garret has purplish-blue bags under his eyes, and he looks like he hadn't slept in weeks. Rick stands up and pulls on the tray of food that Garret was pushing. "Bad pay check this week?" I ask, knowing it probably was, as usual. Rick continues to pull on the cart. It was a game they play, battling for the food by pulling it away from one another, although Garret works at the asylum and can get all the food he wants.
     Garret looks at me and shakes his head. "The master killed another one," he says, and we all go into a silent shock. It's so dead silent that the nothingness seems to bounce off the walls and hit us in the face. "Who was it?" I ask, breaking the silence. "It was that shy man, the one who made everyone those odd bracelets," Garret says. "Ty," Rick and I both say at once. He was greatly known for making weird things, like bracelets as Garret suggested. It was weird for a man I guess, and although he had a broad figure, many at the asylum thought of him as feminine, gay.                        
     A sharp voice calls out from the hallways, past the metal gate. Garret shrugs. He hands Rick and I each a steel bowl full of soup. They claim the steel bowls are just to save money, because they're unbreakable. We all know the real reason is because if they were glass, we could kill each other with the cold, sharp, shards. Some people at the asylum are actually crazy and will kill to escape. I look down into my soup. Great, chicken noodle soup leftovers. Again. I flop back down on the stiff mattress and try to remember the last time I saw real glass.

     I wake up to the ear-piercing sound of a whistle blasted in my face. Turning my head to the side, I wince at the sight of a perfectly shaved tan man in a track suit. "Good morning," he says automatically. I sit up in my bunk bed, almost hitting my head on the ceiling. "Please be careful while sitting upwards," the tan man says. I nod as I hear groans coming from below me. Rick is awake. "Hey Prince," He shouts up at me. "You awake?"
Still expressionless, the guy in the track suit bends down to talk to Rick, who's now sitting up on his uncomfortable mattress scratching his head in a morning wonder. "Please," the tan man says, "Call Princeton here by his full name." Now, his eyes wide open from the unexpected visitor, Rick nods. He knows, we all know, if he we talk back or make any smart remark, there will be consequences. The guy hands me a daily schedule. I pretend to actually look over the creamy colored paper, but the truth is, they waste their time printing out a new copy for everyone in the asylum every day. Everyone has the same stupid schedule memorized.
     I carefully climb out of bed, knowing that the perfect man's eyes are still on me. "So," I say politely, "what brings you here to cell 355?"
The man gives his answer in a short, clear response. Any imperfections or emotions are against the law, and that's why I'm here. All because I broke the stupid law. Everyone is supposed to be perfect here, and if not you are put into a selected insane asylum to be what they call, "mentally repaired."
"I am not sure if you remember, Princeton, but I complete small checkups with each cell every year. If you do recall, there are 365 cells at this insane asylum, and every day I visit a single one of those cells. If I am correct," he continues, "you have been here for about a year, starting on the first day of January. That means that you have been here 355 days." I nod, my head still dizzy from processing all of that. I nearly jump out of my skin when Garret enters with the morning meal, slowing his pace as he realizes the presence of the man in the track suit. "Good morning sir," Garret says awkwardly between side-glances with Rick and I. Carefully, he picks up a heavy steel plate with two red pills balancing in the center. "Your morning meal has arrived," Garret says, trying not to make any clumsy actions.We get served pills for breakfast, and actual food for luch and dinner. "I should get going," the perfect man says. "I will see you next year," he adds, with a final nod. He pulls open the gate, and then he's gone. I see Rick and Garret's shoulders relax, but my mind is wandered off to another thought, the thought of still being here next year. The man had basically just said "we keep people locked in these cells forever," right to my face. It might as well be forever for me, because I don't think I can wait another year to see my family.

     On Monday morning, the guards at the front of the building line up all 730 prisoners. "There has been a weapon found in the building," a guard says, trying to keep a straight, calm, tone. A wave of excitement and confusion builds over the crowd. Rick nudges me and points to the perfect man, standing in the corner of the yard. There is silence once again as one of the guards, dressed in a navy suit, puts his hand up as to signal for everyone to be quiet. Rick nudges me again. I look at him, and through clenched teeth I say, "do you really think this is a good time?"
He shakes his head violently, and points again, quickly. This time I see it. Simply an imperfection.

     I almost laugh. Between the perfect man and the trimmed, green grass, I spy the gate. No one else seems to notice, but the gate is wide open. I squint my eyes and strain my neck in that direction. All I see is green, tall green grass and wild forests with overgrown vines and untrimmed trees. Thats not the home I remember. Rick and I look at each other in confusion. As I remember, the leaves on all the trees were always trimmed into neat circles or triangles, an illusion of perfection that almost seems to dance in the back of my eyes. Now, they were overgrown and bushy.
     "Do you think we can escape?" Rick asks. I look at him like he's gone mad.
"Seriously?" I ask, feeling like the track suit guy is watching me. "Come on prince!" Rick whispers. He points to his bare feet, which he is now straining. Rick flexes his foot so hard, so that it practically grows a size smaller. I grin, looking at how big the shackles are compared to his feet. Rick easily slips one out, and we try not to make it obvious that we're excited. Quickly, I glance at the guard, who is still talking to all of the lined up men. The shackles are on every ones feet, so that if one person escapes, well, they can't. I look down at Ricks feet. He has both out, and now stands on top of the shackles.
     As soon as I get out of my shackles, I can't move because my feet hurt so much from straining.
My heart beats; and Rick looks eager to go. We check to see who is standing by the gate, and I practically go into shock when I see that the perfect man has moved. I look around for him, and see that he is now at the other end of the yard, watching the people on that side. Rick and I giggle, although I'm to old to giggle.  This day is just too perfect to be true.
"On three we make a go," Rick whispers. No one has noticed the gate yet.
"One..." Rick says, impatiently.
"Two..." I say.
"Three," we both nearly shout.
   
     Heads shoot our way, and before I know it I'm running, with this blast of energy bursting inside me like a weed planted deeply into the ground that refuses to leave. I hear shouts behind me, but that also seems to be behind the noise of my heart beating rapidly. The gate is a few yards ahead, and Rick is sprinting into the forest, touching everything with his hands spread out like a soaring eagle. As I speed past the cold gate, I feel a sharp pain in the back of my foot. It makes and earsplitting sound, and immediately I know it's one of the guards swinging at me with a wooden bat. I ignore the pain, and keep running, speeding up as I think of my family. I did it. I reached the gate.
     I slam it behind me, knowing that it automatically locks. It would take several minutes for the guards to get that open. Behind me I hear cheers coming from the prisoners, and In front of me I see freedom.

   
   
   

   
   
   
   



   

Abyss Chapter 4

I charged at the keeper and threw the flames at him. I'm not sure whether he manipulated time or space, but the flame seemed to slow down as it reached him. He pulled out a scythe and directed the flames back at me. They were much faster than when I shot them.
"Nice try, boy," he snarled cruelly with a smile. As he moved his scythe around, he stomped on the floor. A moment later I wasn't moving as fast. He was moving normally, if not faster.
 "If you think that cheap magic is enough to harm me, you have learned nothing on your journey!" he cackled evilly. He rushed forward and slashed at me with his scythe. I barely had less than a second to block. I forced him back by igniting my body with the flames. Regardless of his godlike power, he could not manipulate the flame based on the short distance. The flames burned his body.
He was silent for a moment. Then he took a deep breath and calmly turned his scythe around in a circle motion.
"What are you doing?" Z asked sternly.
The man was simply looking down. A moment later he began to speak.
"Is that any way to speak to a god?" He stated. "I am not to be trifled with in that matter. I govern the worlds inside the Abyss. Such as the dome young Toby dwelled in."
"How do you know this?" I asked.
"I know of everything that in this dimension. But I paid special attention to your dome, once you were born."
"What?"
"Your soul is strong. The essence inside you is leaking out. That is why YOU are an immortal. This is why you are a GOD!!!"
"A god? Im-im-impossible! You're LYING!!!" I screamed. "YOU cursed me! You were the reason I was always brought back!! You only think of me as a pawn!!!"
"Think what you want, but as a god, I am forbidden to lie. It is my oath. Think of that oath, and ask me what reason I would lie to YOU."
I couldn't speak. I was overwhelmed with emotions. Rage. Hatred. Sorrow. Hopelessness.
Despair.
"It's unfortunate. I thought I could guide you along. But all you are is a slave to delusions and memories. Your existence is worthless. Nothing but a mistake." That was my breaking point.
I roared at the god in rage and rushed at him. Red fire fueled every single strike. He could not block every single attack. I gave him a deep slash to the chest that burned with red fire.
"AAAAAARGHHHHH!!!!" he roared in pain. I walked in surprise as the flames turned violet again.
"It's-it's over," Z said in shock. "You just-"
I couldn't speak. I was as shocked as him. I was calm and surprised as my lips formulated the words I was thinking.
"We can go through now."
"Not quite," the god said.
I whipped around. "It's over. I won. You have to let us through now."
"I'm fine with that. I failed. That means your existence is meaningful. One last word." He coughed up blood and moaned in pain. Z rushed forward to help him.
"Aurus, don't speak. You'll- you'll be fine. Just hold on." He was close to tears.
"The last word. I have....I have to tell Toby. It is the last thing I must do in this life." He beckoned me forward.
"You may go. You are no longer shackled by your past existence. Once you enter that door, your destiny will be separated from Z's. Your memories will be erased until you can start anew. But you two will meet again. That is the promise I will make to you. You.....will.......rejo......."
And with that, Aurus faded into essence. All he left were feathers. I took one of them. There was writing on it.
                                                       

 This is all I can give to you. This is my final blessing.
Thank you for everything. It was my hope to be defeated. And I wish you luck, as the chains that bind your soul are loosened and replaced.                       -Aurus


The gate suddenly opened slowly. I was staring at the gate.
"Wait."
I turned around.
"This note.... and his last words..... do they mean we'll forget each other?" Z sounded afraid. He only had one friend right now. Me. He couldn't afford to forget.
 And neither could I. I don't know anyone anymore but him. And Aurus. One of them was dead. I couldn't forget the one remaining.

Then I thought about what the Abyss does. t slowly drains aay your memories of a past world, but the Abyss isn't a world. It's nothing. And you can't forget Nothing.
"No. We won't forget each other."
Z looked up hopefully. "What?"
"As long as two people have a strong friendship, it will carry on even in the afterlife. We won't see each other for a while, but we'll meet again. That's a fact."
We shook hands, and walked through the Gate together.
A light shone in the distance. Memories flooded through me. I didn't know if the memories were fabricated or real, or ones I wanted. But Z's memory stayed. I held my feather. The last tether to Z and Aurus. The light started to fade. My eyes were closing. My last sight before entering the new world was a purple flower, an orchid. It began to burn softly. Ashes flew into the distant stars. The orchid burned and burned until.....

Abyss: Chapter 3

The fire died out as I entered the abyss. The orchid flew back into the pendant. I hit the ground pretty hard, and I was laying down. 
I quickly got up and began to walk. I walked for a while until I heard someone say "FREEZE!"
I whipped around and took out my art book. I waited as they took out a device, but I stabbed the pendant ever so slightly. The flames took all my energy to keep in check. The device began to whir as it scanned me so I could be identified. The device chirped.
"He can't be identified. He must be a...! SHOOT HIM! BLAST HIM! I WANT HIM DEAD!!!" 
That was all I needed to hear. I let the flames loose and shot them as a cannon towards two of the seven soldiers. They fell down instantly. I saw the rest of them shooting at me, but the fire was burning the bullets. I opened my sketchbook and breathed fire on the page. The drawing of the dragon came to life. The dragon constantly roared and breathed intense violet flames. The flames killed the all but one who was behind me. 
The flames weren't covering me! If he shot me, it would be the end. I quickly turned around to guard myself when I saw him lying dead. He was slashed on the back and stabbed. I looked around for the culprit, and then noticed a shadow right behind me, and it wasn't mine. I yelled, "Get back!", and flames erupted all around me. The figure jumped back, and I could notice he was a boy. 
"Who are you?' I asked. No answer. Suddenly I was thrown over to another area into the Abyss.
"This place is for the disgraced," the boy whispered. "If you're thrown out of the dome, or out of Heaven, you're supposed to get a second chance. But you're turned away. Because everyone's afraid of you." I felt sorry knowing that he was one of them. "But what did you do to make them throw you out?" he asked.
"Nothing." I said
"What?" 
"I said I came here by myself." I stated plainly. "I'm not telling you why."
"I wasn't going to ask. Where are you headed?"
"Tom's."
"No surprise." he sighed. Did he know?
"Wait! What's your name?
My name is Z. It isn't my real name, but it's the one I chose so I could forget......"
"I'm Toby."
"Never mind the pleasantries. Just break out that fire magic of yours and let's go."
"Yeah, got it." I was about to break the pendant when I noticed something.
"I can't."
"What?! Why not?"
"I used up the orchid too much. We can get there another way."
"How?"
"My sketches!" I took out the book, but it was empty. "Damn." Then I thought about what I did with Kendall.
"Z, is there anyone here everyone else wants gone?"


A few minutes later I am traveling through the rivers as electricity, only coming up when I want to fly.
"You are terribly weird," Z notes. 
"It isn't my fault I was born this way." As we are flying, something comes to me." 
"Z, did you ever have friends?" With this he is silent.
"I used to. Until I left."
"What?"
Z sighed, near tears. "It was three years ago. I was living inside the dome. I was curious about what was outside the walls. So I left and I didn't come back. I was twelve when I left. When I came back, everything was different. I learned a secret about he dome. Time runs faster inside than outside. Nine hundred years passed. I couldn't go back because I had nowhere to go. I've been looking ever since for somewhere that I belong. Everyone I knew passed away. I was basically a fallen angel. No one thought of me. I was easy prey for demons and the police. I had to survive. That's when I awakened my sword."
"Three years ago.....my father passed away that year. That's when I found the pendant in my father's room. Do you think they're connected?"
"Two separate times increments? I don't think so. We need to keep moving." We were silent after that.

After, four days, something happened. "LOOK OUT!" I draw my sword and a sphere of  flame covered Z and I. As the flame died I dropped to the ground.
"Demons!" Z cried. He took out his katana and rushed to the ground, splitting one of them in half. These demons were easy to take out. I prepared a whole plan to take them all to Hell. I would create a decoy of myself, then disappear behind the demons, then create lightning bolts to electrocute them. Just as I was about to execute my plan, I noticed that Z had beat me to it.
His katana shone with a brilliant light as a circle of light was on the rocky floor. I dashed away. His katana struck the ground, and a pillar of light rose from it, incinerating the demons.
"Too slow," he said with a snicker.
"Showoff," I retorted. I turned the orchid off. "Let's go. I need answers."
"To what?"
"My abilities."

A month later, we come across what appears to be a gate. "I know what this is," Z says. If you are deemed worthy enough by the Keeper, he lets you pass into a new realm, but everyone forgets you even existed on the other side."
"Let's head through!" I state clearly.
"We have to wait for the keeper to judge us!" Z says.
"Oh, indeed, indeed!" We see a black door, and a young man comes out. "I am the keeper of this gate. I judge based on your past and your power. if you-" he looks at me in shock.

Then, with a grim expression on his face, he says," New test. If you want to go through you must defeat me."
"Why?" Z asks. "This isn't the test!"
"For you and Toby, it is!"
"What? How do you know me?"
"I know everyone who dreams. You in particular."
"Then- YOU were the one in my dream! You're the Masked Man! Tell me right now! What is happening to me!"
"First, you must fight." The man would not change his mind. I grew more angry by the minute. "That's it! Fine! You want a fight?! You got one!!"
"He smiled evilly. "This is it, then. Turn away now, turn away forever."
"I'm not giving up! Me and Z came this far! Neither of us are in the position to flee!"
"That's the answer I was hoping for." Z draws his sword, I break the pendant, and the violet flames engulf my body, and my sword appears in my hand.
This answers both our hopes, and we charge toward the Keeper with determined looks.

Abyss: Chaper 2

I woke up suddenly. I didn't know what happened. The hooded man was gone. He had spoke to me as he removed his words, but his sentence was incomprehensible. I wasn't sure what he said exactly, or if he was even real. I was unsure of everything as I dashed home.
 As I headed upstairs to my room, I took a small backpack and a small pendant. The pendant contained a burning orchid. It took me only one minute to get in and out. I ran over to the edge of the world and jumped. The orchid glowed brighter the farther down I went. The glass containing the orchid shattered and the fire rushed out and surrounded me. My body was enveloped by the calm violet flames. I held the orchid in my palm and closed my eyes. The world slowed down around me. I was floating on fire. I flew upward and didn't stop. There was a light at the end of the sky. As I approached it, the flames around me shifted. They began to look like a blade. The more flames that erupted from the orchid, the larger the sword became. I slashed the sky, and it shattered. The sky was false and was burning. It wasn't my problem. I needed answers and I had to find that man . I would not stop until I found him. I continued to tell myself that as I flew outside, away from the violet flames.
I was in the Abyss now. The Abyss is not Hell. Once you enter the Abyss, your powers are amplified beyond comprehension. I know I have risked everything coming here as the fires die. The Abyss is eternal, like our dome. With my amplified power, and the pendant, I should be able to navigate the Abyss. But I needed help while I was here. Who could I turn to? The disgraced? I still didn't know. But I had to decide, because I was in danger for the following reasons

1. I was practically immortal.
2. I killed Kendall and absorbed him
3. I'm in The Abyss.

So I had to find someone. And fast.

Sewing together the rip in my family

Sewing Together the Rip in my Family

By Parker Koltchak

I miss Piper. I remember the night I told her the first bed time story I ever wrote. How she thought it wasn't possible that I, so young, could possibly write a story. She was only five.

"And then, the girl played with the other kids and they were all happy. The end." Piper's big, blue eyes shine with curiosity. "And they never called her names again?" she wondered. "Never." I confirm. "Huh..." she seems lost in thought. "Who wrote that one?" she asks me. I smile plays on my lips. "I did." I answer. "What??" she sits up suddenly. "Really?" Her small mouth forms the shape of an oval. "Wow, Claude." I laugh. "Come on, Piper, lay back down. Momma won't like it if you're awake." I kiss her soft forehead. "Goodnight, Claude." Her eyes close and her breathing becomes slower and is rhythmic. I turn on her "Olaf the snowman" nightlight and gently shut her pink door. My socks don't make a sound as I slip past unpacked boxes and pause at the top of the stairs. "I'll show her this middle school- Paul, how does this sound, Oakwood MS?" I can almost vision my brother turn around to see my future middle school.

I remember how excited I was to move, and how I  didn't want to go when I found out we were moving to the city that never sleeps. How I loved France, and all my friends, and how hard it was for me to learn English. How me, Callie, and Annabella (My best friends) cried for days. And how I was just adjusting to New York, how I was getting so good at English, and I was making friends- until it happened. I refused to speak in English, I refused to go to school, I wouldn't talk to my friends, and I suddenly hated New York. I remember the horrible day...

Momma looked at the kitchen clock as she cooked her rice. "They should be here by now." she said. And, as if on cue, the phone rang. Momma wiped her hands and picked it up. "Hello?" she said. "Yes. Yes. What?" her eyes grew wide and she dropped the phone. "Come on, Claude, we're going to the hospital."

I remember getting to the waiting room. Saying our names and then dashing to the room.

"I'm Danielle DePaulle- Äævoir. This is my daughter. We are here to see Piper." The lady gave us a sympathetic look. "Oh, Piper Äævoir? right upstairs, miss. Your son would not stop speaking French, we sent you a translator." But me and momma didn't listen. We dashed to room 2b and immediately Paul ran over. "Piper! Car crash! Hurt!" he spoke rapidly in french, we could only make out those words. Momma rushes over to Piper. "My baby, my poor baby..." The door opens and a doctor comes in with my father. His eyes widen as he see's Piper, plugged into all sorts of machines filled with liquid, probably the ones keeping her alive. Her breathing is short and labored, and nothing moves. No twitch is the finger, no furrowed eyebrows, everything is very still except for her rising and falling chest. "Please go outside while I run some tests." The doctor tells us. We wait outside for about an hour. The doctor comes out and even before he shakes his head, we know. His eyes are sympathetic, and his hands shake as he grips his clipboard. He looks as if he failed in life, even though it's just another lost child, just another limp body from a fire, or disease, or car crash, or anything. Momma breaks into sobs, daddy puts his head into his hands. Paul grabs his coat and runs out, probably going somewhere private to cry. Me, I just sit there. Not really accepting it. Not accepting that our little Piper is gone. Dead. Just like that.

After that day I believed that it's hardest for the mom and sister, when you lose a little girl. Momma birthed Piper, fed and cleaned and changed piper, bought things and gave things to Piper. Momma dealt with her meltdowns, with her bullies... Momma raised Piper. People say "It's hard to lose a child." I think that's an understatement. It's also very hard to lose a sister. I'll never giggle over boys with Piper. I'll never see her grow up. We'll never have "Sister time." I'll never know what she would be like when she's older. I don't know what happens after you die, but hopefully I'll see her again one day.

"It's all my fault." "Its because of me!" "I'm such an idiot." That's all Momma and I hear from Paul over the course of the week. Then, he goes silent. He sits in front of the T.V., not speaking to anyone. I need to find something that will show him it wasn't him. I tried everything. Begging, bribing, crying- I even looked up the car crash and explained it wasn't his fault. I told him: "It was a drunk driver! Look, you were driving normally, and this guy went through a red light, and hit the part of your car right where Piper was sitting!" He stares at me. "Five words." He says. "I should have been more careful." I sigh and grit my teeth. "That's six words." say, frustrated. Then I storm off.  "What do I do?" I sob to momma. "Sometimes, you just have to tell them the truth." She says gently. "But I tried that! He still thinks it's his fault!" She smiles. "The OTHER truth." "What's that supposed to mean?" I say angrily and stomp into my room. After days of thinking about what momma said, I finally get it. I practice a couple times before going up to Paul. "Paul." I say to get his attention. He looks at me. "I know you might never accept the fact that it wasn't your fault. But you have to know that losing Piper has placed a huge bucket of sadness on our family. These past few days have been extremely painful. But, Paul, you could help that. You sitting on the couch and staring blankly at a screen you aren't even paying attention to isn't helping anyone. All you are doing is feeling bad for yourself. Please, make this easier for everyone and get off the couch and TALK to us!" I open my eyes, expecting a glare, but Paul is crying. "I- I'm so sorry... I didn't realize..." he whimpers, at loss for words. I hug him. "So you'll stop?" He smiled. "Of course." My eyes widen. "I did it." I bounce a little. "MOMMA I DID IT I REALLY DID IT!" I healed my brother. I fixed the glue on my falling apart family. Tonight my dad will come home from work to see my brother at the dinner table, smiling and laughing with the rest of us. And I'll feel proud, knowing it was me who sewed together the hole Piper ripped in our family.

untitled

I don't want this. I stare at my plate of delicious food that makes me want to throw up. sure, some kids don't like broccoli. I love broccoli! so... why don't I want to eat it? This dinner is perfect, my favorite, made by my aunt Iris. I have eaten two bites of my chicken. I ate four pieces of broccoli. I ate five spoonfuls of mashed potatoes. So why can't I eat any more? Nobody will know the answer except for me and my screaming parents. Not even Jadana and Cecil. I won't tell a soul. The only reason my parents know is because they are the reason behind it. This dinner started out fine. That's why I ate some food. My record of how much I eat in one meal was thanksgiving three years ago, when I was about six... but I guess that doesn't count, cause my parents weren't there. Anyway, I had just eaten two pieces of broccoli, zero bites of my chicken, and three spoonfuls of mashed potatoes. My mom smiled as she slowly ate her dinner. My dad looked tense. "So!" my mom broke the silence and my dad straightened up. "How was school, sweetheart?" I shrugged. "Not good." My mother's smile faltered. "What happened?" "Well, My friends kept on bugging me because I was skinny. Jadana wanted to know why, and Cecil told her not to bother me." My father banged his fist on the table. "You said they were good for her, Elisa!" My mom jerked her head up. "They are! One of them is concerned and one of them thinks she shouldn't be bothered! Both good friends!" My father's face turns red. "She just said they were bothering her!" "No, dad, I-" I start. "Stay out of this, Andie!" But it's about me! I silently protest. We both turn to my mother and she isn't there. I know she is in the basement, probably sobbing, wolfing down chocolates and watching television. "Andie-" I look at him. "Fine, whatever, Andrea, please go to your room." I stand up and open the basement door. "Ahem. Your ROOM." My dad repeats. I close the door and slide through the panel on the wall and down a tunnel. I have no choice but to go through some secret passageway to get to my room-- a small, practically empty supposed- to- be storage area. All I have is a shelf with all the books I have ever owned and a very blank white bed. I own books like "A is for Apple, B is for Banana" and "one hundred pretty dresses" and little kid books because I get fifty cents a day. I read those books over and over again because I have nothing better to do. Or sometimes I jump on my not- so- bouncy bed. Or cry, because my family has no money, and my parents fight all the time, and I don't eat. My dad lives on the ratty couch and my mom lives on a blowup mattress in the basement. Our old T.V. was lent to us by friends. My aunt makes most of our meals (she lives next door) and if she doesn't we go to Burger King or McDonalds. A kitchen table? Please. More like a cardboard box. No rugs, just concrete and dusty floorboards. My mother works at a Diner called "Dusty's" which isn't popular enough to give mom more than a hundred dollars a day. My dad can't find a job, he dropped out of high school. My family is almost homeless, but I think a homeless shelter would be nicer than living here. I enter my "room" and flop down on my bed. "Ow!" I sit right back up. My bed isn't really floppable. I grab "Learning your ABC's" off the shelf and put it back up. I have a jar that I store change in, which now has five dollars. I get fifty cents a day but usually half of it is given to my parents to try and pay for groceries. Most days I don't even get allowance. I am saving up for as many books as I can, my parents are saving up to pay the electric bill. I can't use the phone. We have no rent because this place is such a dump the landlord wanted to leave and we got the whole place for free. 

Abyss: Chapter 1

I woke up. Blood was staining my shirt. I was fazed.
Not again, I moaned. I lived through my latest suicide attempt. Why? Am I needed for something by him?
"Toby!"
A voice brought me back to my senses. It was my least favorite person in the world. Kendall.
"Another attempt? Jeez, just quit it already. Your life is hopeless..."
It went on and on and on. I stood it for about as long as I could. I was hopelessly aggravated.
I punched him in the face. He simply stood there. At first I didn't even notice the cracks in his face. I did when he turned around in terror.
He vanished right before my eyes.
At first I just stood there in shock. Then I ran as fast as I could. My mind continuously told me to keep running. My body was burning as I ran even faster. Then my chest started to hurt, and I stopped running. The pain grew and grew and grew until it was unbearable. I screamed in pain but no sound escaped my lips. The flames enveloping my bodies did the talking for me. The last thing I remembered before passing out was that everything around me- and including me, was burning beyond repair.
Later I woke up in a room. My body was charred and burned.
"You won't die."
I turned around to face the man who assured my prolonged existence had a hood surrounding every part of his face. He was entirely dressed in black and no physical features were left uncovered.
I only had one thing to ask him. I would have panicked, but I knew this attire looked familiar to me. As soon as it all hit me, my arm was burning. But it was a soft flame. And I held it in the palm of my hand. I was determined to find answers. Any way I could. I forced him to the wall and asked in a soft and dangerous voice, "Who are you?'
The man smiled and made a move as if he was about to remove his hood.

Abyss: Prologue

I have a gift. Everyone has a gift in my town. Everyone views my gift as a curse, but everyone thinks that way about everyone's power except me. Thus I was turned away, persecuted for refusing to persecute until it all ended.
  The new age began and was soon corrupted like the old. People storm throughout using their curses to wreak havoc on the town. The only thing standing in their way is me.
   My gift is the most unusual. I breathe life into anything, whether it is dead people or art. My creations controlled justice and comforted me. They still do, but not the way I remember. I remember being in the middle of everything. Like I didn't belong. Everything around me was a violent abyss. One that sucks you up in nightmares forcing you to sleep because you don't want to wake up and find it wasn't a dream. 
   And the day I died, I thought it was all too easy, escaping my abyss.

    But nothing ever went the way I wanted. Even in death I could not escape. I tried many times until that day i fell forever. And I came back to life. 

But that day.... 









Something....Changed.