A Bell On The Doorstep Christmas had always been a difficult time for Chris. His family was way beyond what you would call "intense." Everything was a competition with them. Who could get the best gifts? Who put up the most lights? Who could go fastest down the hill? It all put Chris in a funk. After years of fierce Christmas competition, Chris had grown resentful of the season. Often he would lock himself in his bedroom for hours just to get away from the arguments and competitions. Finally, after putting up with it for sixteen years, Chris had had enough. "What is wrong with all of you!" Chris said as the family argued around the dinner table. "Why do you all argue and compete so much! I'm sick of it! I'm going to my room!" Chris stormed off to his room, leaving his family to their stupid arguments and silly competitions. Chris sat down on his bed, trying to clear his head. He let out a few ragged breaths. I just want my family to get along for once. He thought. Several hours later, half an hour till midnight, long after everyone else had fallen asleep, Chris heard a soft knock at the front door. Curious as to who would stop by so late at night, Chris walked downstairs. He opened the door and looked around, trying to find whoever had knocked. But there was nobody there. Chris finally looked down to see something sitting right on top of the welcome mat. Curious, Chris picked up the object and inspected it. It was a little silver bell with a few little stars punched into it. The word Believe was written across it. Attached with a bright red ribbon was a golden colored piece of paper. Written on the piece of paper were the words Believe in the Spirit of Christmas. Round Trip. 5c. "Huh," Chris said, bringing the bell inside. "Wierd." Chris took the bell with him back up to his room and sat it on his nightstand. Picking up the book he'd been reading, Chris seemed to forget about the strange little bell. Nearly half an hour passed. The clock on Chris's wall ticked slowly to midnight. A strange bluish light filled his room. Caught off guard by the sudden brightness, Chris looked up from his book. He searched around for the source of the light before finding it. The silver bell was glowing. Believe "What the-" Chris cried out. He did a double-take, checking that what he saw was real. Indeed, the silver bell was glowing a soft yet bright blue. Chris reached out to touch it. As he did, he heard a faint voice echoing in his head. It seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once. "Believe, pay the ticket," The voice whispered. "Believe, pay the ticket." For a moment, Chris was utterly confused. Then, he remembered that the golden-colored ticket had said five cents on it. Chris jumped up, ran to the little pile of change he always kept in his room and grabbed a nickel. Running back to the bell, Chris searched for some way to give the nickel to the mysterious voice. Chris picked up the bell and examined it further. He found that the bell had a gentle warmth to it. A small slit the size of a nickel had appeared on one side. Carefully, Chris inserted the nickel into the slot. Suddenly, the bell grew brighter, nearly blinding Chris. He dropped it on the floor, frightened. The bell started to bounce around the room, flying up and down and all over the place. It knocked things off of his wall, things flew everywhere. The little bell smashed into his reading lamp, breaking the lightbulb and sending the room into darkness save the glow coming from the bell. Finally, the bell calmed down and hovered in midair just in front of Chris. A little frightened but still curious, Chris reached out once again to touch the silver bell. As he did, the bell let out one last bright flash. Blinking the light spots out of his eyes, Chris looked at the bell bewildered. Then, he heard the same voice once again. The Spirit Of Christmas "Hello." Came the small voice. "I am The Spirit Of Chrismas." Chris looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. "Where are you?" Chris wondered aloud. "Right here silly." the voice said. "I'm floating right in front of you." "Wait... so you're the bell?" Chris asked. "I just take the form of a bell." The Spirit said. "I'm not really a bell. I'm The Spirit Of Christmas." "What are you then?" Chris wondered. "I am the physical manifestation of Christmas. All of the happy memories, family bonding, and love of the season." The Spirit explained. "Why are you here?" Chris asked. "To get your help." The Spirit said. "I used to be very alive and well, but in recent years, people have lost sight of the true meaning and spirit of Christmas." "And how could I help you?" Chris asked. "By letting me show you the true meaning of Christmas, and then going and spreading real Christmas spirit!" The Spirit said. "Okay then," Chris said. "Show me the true meaning of Christmas." "Grab on to me and I will." The Spirit said. Chris reached out to grab The Spirit Of Christmas. As his hand touched the silver bell, his room began to warp and change around him. The whole room swirled and twisted. And then, just like that, they were somewhere else entirely. Happy Memories Chris looked around to see that they were in his living room. His family was gathered around, cheerfully opening presents and chatting. Except, everyone looked younger. His parents had a few less gray hairs, and all of his siblings looked at least ten years younger. He even spotted his younger self, no older than three or four. "What on earth?" Chris asked. Nobody looked up to the sound of Chris's voice. "Welcome to your last happy memory of Christmas." The Spirit said. "Why can't they hear us?" Chris asked. "Because this is nothing but your memory. We can move through it, but they won't realize we are here." "Weird," Chris said. "But this can't be my memory. I can't remember a single Christmas where we were all this happy." "You may not realize it, but this was buried deep within your subconscious." The Spirit said. "But this must have been like, thirteen years ago," Chris said. "Yes." The Spirit said. "As you can see, everyone is really happy here in your memory. That is why you've felt so wrong about Christmas. Because you remember how it used to be, how it should be." "I just don't get how I could fix this," Chris said. "There's no way my family could ever have a Christmas like this again." "Do not worry." The Spirit said. "You will know what to do when the time is right. Now, grab me once again." Not even thinking, Chris grabbed The Spirit Of Christmas, and the room warped around him once more. As quickly as it started, the room settled down again and changed into yet another scene. Family Bonding Strangely enough, the next place Chris found himself was on the beach. Waves crashed down on the shore, and a happy family played in the sand. "Uh, did something go wrong?" Chris asked. "No, we are right where we need to be." The Spirit said. "But this has nothing to do with Christmas," Chris said. "It has everything to do with the spirit of Christmas," The Spirit said. "Take a closer look at that family." As Chris peered at the family, he realized it was his family a couple of years ago. He could see his siblings and him messing around. They buried his younger brother in the sand as the boy squealed in delight. Chris had fond memories of this vacation. But it had happened nowhere near Christmas. "I can see that's my family, and sure, this was a nice vacation, but it had nothing to do with Christmas. It was the middle of July." Chris said to The Spirit. "Ah, but the principle of this memory has everything to do with Christmas." The Spirit said. "On this particular trip, your family bonded more than ever. Being able to escape the city and relax together brought you all together. Family bonding is a very important part of Christmas." Chris thought for a moment. It made sense. Shouldn't Christmas be the time when you grow closer to your family? "Alright Spirit, I see what you're saying," Chris said. "Now what?" "Now, we go to our last experience." The Spirit said. "Grab on." The world once again shifted and warped around them, until the pair landed somewhere different entirely. Kindness Chris and The Spirit Of Christmas stood in the hallways of Chris's school. Kids walked through the halls chatting about their weekends. Chris searched for himself, knowing that was what The Spirit wanted him to see. Finally, he saw himself. A girl hurried down the hall just in front of Past Chris before slamming into a larger girl. The pile of books she was carrying flew from her arms, scattering everywhere. "Watch where you're going, nerd." the larger girl sneered. Chris watched on as his past self ran up to the scene. "Hey, cut it out." Past Chris said to the larger girl. "What are you going to do, make me?" the larger girl said. Past Chris straightened up to his full height. "Listen, I don't want anything bad to happen here. Now, if you just walk away, nobody gets in trouble. But if you try anything, there are plenty of people around here that would make sure you got in trouble." Hesitation flashed in the larger girl's eyes. "Psh, whatever." She said as she walked off into the crowd. Past Chris bent down to help the girl pick up her books. "Hey, you alright?" Chris asked. "Y-yeah." the girl stammered. "T-thank you for what you did." "Of course." Past Chris said. "I can't stand people like that, who just think they can pick on others just because they're bigger than everyone else." "W-well, that was very brave of you." the girl said. "Eh, it was nothing," Past Chris said. "I don't think I got your name." "C-chelsie." she stammered. "Nice to meet you Chelsie, I'm Chris." Past Chris said. As the two of them continued talking, Chris turned to The Spirit Of Christmas. "Okay, so what is the lesson here?" "Kindness." The Spirit said. "You were so kind to that girl that you didn't even know. Kindness is at the core of Christmas. It is the season of giving and love." Deep in Chris's heart, he knew what The Spirit was saying was true. He could feel it with every fiber of his being. "So now what?" Chris asked. "Now, you show your family the true meaning of Christmas. Let's get you home." The Spirit said. This time, when Chris touched the silver bell, his world went completely black. The True Meaning Of Christmas Chris woke up, stretching out in his bed. Man, what a strange dream. He thought. I must have fallen asleep while I was reading. As Chris considered everything he'd seen, he heard a loud knocking on his bedroom door.
"Chris, Chris! Wake up! It's Christmas!!" His little brother shouted. Chris leaped up, ran to the door, and hurried down the stairs to the living room. His family was already gathered around the Christmas tree, ready to rip into their presents. "Hey honey, I'm sorry about last night." Chris's mom said. "I know we can get a little intense sometimes. Are you alright?" "Mom, Dad, everyone, I have something I want to say," Chris said. "Last night, I realized the true meaning of Christmas." "Oh did you now?" Chris's dad chuckled. "Please, impart your wisdom on us son." "Our family is really competitive." Chris started out. Everyone murmured in agreement. "But Christmas should not be about who gives the best gift, or who put on the most ornaments. The true meaning of Christmas resides in happy memories, family bonding, and kindness. And I think our family has done a miserable job of following in the true meaning of Christmas." As Chris finished speaking, his family sat shocked for a moment. Then, his mother pulled him into a hug. Tears streamed down her face. "You're right Chris." She said. "We've let the real meaning of Christmas get away from us for far too long. From now on, no more Christmas competitions. No more who's better than who. Just our family, making memories." "Thank you, mom," Chris said. And so, that Christmas things changed in Chris's family. Everyone was equally grateful for their gifts, and they had a delightful day. When Chris went back up to his room, he sat down on his bed. What a wonderful Christmas. He thought. I am so glad I had that weird dream last night. As he sat down pondering, he looked up at his nightstand. There sat the little silver bell and the ticket. What if it hadn't been a dream after all? Chris picked up the bell and ticket and examined them. On the back of the ticket, there were nine new words. Don't forget to pass on The Spirit Of Christmas.
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A CurseThere is something you must understand about curses. They can be very fickle things. If you aren't careful, then they very easily backfire on you. I wasn't very careful. This is my story and my warning to you.
It all started with Derk. He was the local school bully. Everyone hated him. He was always picking on anyone who even slightly annoyed him. Standing six and a half feet tall, it was no wonder everyone was too afraid to stand up to him. One day I finally had enough. I wanted to get back at Derk, show him how it was like to be picked on for once. I immediately went researching for ways to get back at bullies. My research led me to a shady website that claimed they had "real curses" for free. It was full of warnings saying that you had to be careful with the curses, or else. I didn't care. I just wanted revenge. If there was any chance any of these curses could get that for me, it was worth the risk. Many of the curses were absolutely brutal. Killing curse, eternal sleep curse, and the list went on. Finally, I was one that wouldn't eternally condemn, maim, or kill him. A curse of bad fortune. That should teach Derk a lesson. I immediately set to work on the curse. Luckily for me, the victim didn't have to be present to take effect. "Hominem aegre maledic Derk," I said, picturing the big bully in my mind. My hands glowed bright purple, and then it was finished. I couldn't wait to see the bully falling flat on his face and any other misfortune he might encounter. And then I immediately tripped. I brushed it off, figuring it was a sheer coincidence. And then other things started happening. Things that should have been secure would fall off shelves and land on my head. I would constantly trip over my own feet. It was almost as though I had been cursed. When I finally figured out it had backfired, I rushed back to my computer to find the cure. But the website was gone. Now I'm stuck with bad fortune. Hardly anything good happens to me. Even if something good does happen, it doesn't last for long. If I get a beautiful girlfriend, it lasts all of about a week before some new hot guy shows up and steals her from me. If I manage to win the lottery, the winning ticket is immediately lost. So here is my warning to you. Don't mess with curses. They are nothing but bad. And especially don't use curses brought to you "free" on the internet. Objects To LifeThe Pen
My name is Writey. I am a simple fountain pen, living a simple pen life. Most of the day I sit around, whether it's in a pen holder or my owner's pocket. I get to take in the views and enjoy my day. But what brings real fulfillment to my life is when I get used. The sweet release of creating. Whether I'm writing down important meeting notes, or awesome stray ideas, I get an amazing high from being used. I only fear the day when I run out of ink. That will be a bleak day indeed. But I won't think about that now, for now, I'm going to just do my best to please my master and give him my very best ink! The Hammer The name is Hammerhead. I work for a strong bearded builder. Together we create amazing structures. Although I am constantly in pain from being slammed into nails, I love the pain. The pain fulfills me and gives me purpose. I get withdrawals whenever I am not being used. Some may say that it's a self-destructive habit, but I don't think it is. After all, I'm fulfilling my purpose. When I feel the shocks of pain go through my metal and into my handle, the brief pain turns into ecstasy. I am full of scars internally and externally from my constant abuse, but I don't mind. I wear them proudly, each dent representing a nail driven in, an achievement to be proud of. The Plate I am Piatto the plate. I live to taste food. Although I can't actually eat, I love to experience the flavors of life. Lettuce, lasagna, even liver. And that's just the L's!! My friends tell me it's a bit of an addiction, but I insist I can stop any time I want. I don't need to taste food, I want to. It brings me such immense pleasure. Boy, do I love my flavors! The Teddy Bear I am Ted. I am evil incarnate! I exist only to get close enough to study human children. I plot and plan, getting ready for my day to strike. I will raise an army of my fellow teddy bears and together we will rule the world. I endure constant squeezing and stretching all for the teddy bear cause. The worst days are when I have to endure the L-word. LOVE. Why would anyone use such a horrid word when talking about me. Look at me, I'm hideous. I'm covered in fur and my eyes are glassy. I am supposed to be an unlovable spy. I simply cannot wait for my day to overthrow my fleshy overlords! MummiesMy whole life I'd been searching for the tomb of King Osiris. I'd followed the clues strewn throughout ancient Egyptian mythology, going deep into unknown rabbit holes. My entire life was leading up to this moment, more than a decade of chasing myths. At long last, I was about to open the tomb of the king of the underworld himself, Osiris. I was going to prove all the doubters wrong, show the myths were based on some semblance of reality.
Here I am. Standing in front of the door I'd waited my whole life to go through. Written in ancient Egyptian were the words, "Here lies King Osiris, king of the underworld." My body shook with anticipation as I held up the chisel and hammer, gently wedging it in to pry open the door. As the ancient door opened, a cloud of dust flew out, air preserved from thousands of years ago escaping into the bright desert. I turned to my partner. "Are you ready Joel?" "As ready as I'll ever be." He replied. "Then let's go," I said. We stepped together into the ancient tomb, pulling out our flashlights to light our way. The walls were covered in hieroglyphics, telling the story of King Osiris. The air was musty, and I couldn't help but think how this was the very air some of the ancients must have breathed thousands of years ago. It was humbling and felt like an honor. "Can you believe this Joel?" I asked as we walked. "After all these years we're finally here!" "It's incredible," Joel said. "I knew I was right in never doubting you." We continued to walk deeper and deeper into the tomb, finally coming to the burial chamber. In the center, there was an elaborately decorated sarcophagus. Written in hieroglyphics were the words, "do not disturb the tomb of King Osiris, else his curse come upon you." I gently touched the sarcophagus, finally feeling what I'd searched half my life for. Surrounding us on either side were six other sarcophagi, standing guard over Osiris. "Are you ready to see inside?" I asked. "I'm ready if you're ready," Joel said. "On three," I said. We both placed our hands on one side of the lid. "One, two, three!" Together we pushed opening the sarcophagus. Inside were the mummified remains of King Osiris himself, ruler of the underworld. As the top came off, a wind blew through the tomb. "What was that all about?" Joel said startled. "Who cares, probably just a desert gust," I said, admiring the body of Osiris. Then I heard the sound of movement coming from the sarcophagi surrounding us. The lids burst open, revealing living mummies. They were wrapped in cloth, and their dried and preserved flesh was visible in some gaps. Sharp teeth in black holes of mouths glinted in the darkness. With no time to react, one of them grabbed Joel and dragged him off, kicking and screaming for help. In shock, I didn't know what to do. One grabbed me quickly before I could figure out what to do. I lurched out of its grasp, while another one took a swipe at me. The mummies converged on me, chasing me into a corner. I was blocked in, ancient evil mummies standing between me and the exit. Figuring I had nothing to lose, I charged at them. Just as they were ready to grab me and drag me off, I rolled under them, feeling their arms narrowly miss me. I bolted for the exit, running as fast as I could to the surface. Behind me I could hear Joel screaming in pain, calling out for help. It hurt me to my core that I couldn't save him, but I couldn't allow these mummies into the world. As I reached the entrance to the tomb, I forced the door back into place, sealing the tomb once more. I made a vow to myself that day, that I would never reveal the location of Osiris's tomb. It was too much of a price to pay for discovery. No discovery should ever be worth another mans life. End Of The WorldIt just so happened that the end of the world happened on the day my world ended. My day started fine enough, I woke up, showered, and ate breakfast. And then I heard a knock at my door. When I answered it, my girlfriend was standing in the hallway, obviously distressed.
"Jennifer, what's wrong?" I asked her. "Look, I'm sorry, but this isn't working out." She said. "It's not you, it's me. Goodbye." I watched Jennifer, my girlfriend of three years walk down the hall and out of my life. My very soul ached painfully as I stood there in shock. And then my phone started ringing. When I reached it, I saw it was from the nursing home where my mother was living. As I answered it, a solemn voice spoke to me from the other end. "Is this Tom?" the lady on the other end asked. "Y-yes, this is he," I responded. "I'm so sorry, but your mother died just a few minutes ago. There was nothing we could do." the woman said. "My sincerest condolences." The line went dead as I slumped to the floor. To make matters worse, I still needed to go to work. I drove to work completely emotionally drained. I just couldn't process how so much could happen all at once. My girlfriend leaving me, my mother dying, it was all too much. At least I still have a stable job. I thought. I took comfort in that thought. That is until I walked into work. Everyone looked at me like I was a dead man walking to the executioner's chair. My boss invited me into his office where he sat me down. "Tom, I just wanted to tell you how much we have appreciated your years of service to the company." He said, but he wasn't smiling. "Thank yo-" I started. "Please, let me finish." My boss said. "However, I'm afraid we're going to have to let you go. Your numbers just aren't as high as they used to be, and we're bringing in a new employee who did wonders for his previous company. You have ten minutes to clear out your desk and leave the building. Goodbye Tom." I sat back in silence, unable to think. I was completely numb as I packed up my things into a box, staggering out of the building to return home. While on the road home, a bright flash filled the air. Out of nowhere another car hit me, sending my car flying. The world spun around me as I tried to gain my bearings. I could feel blood trickling out of my forehead from a bloody gash. I scrambled to unclip myself from my seatbelt, dropping to the roof turned floor of my ruined car. I pushed against the door as hard as I could, finally popping it open. As I emerged from the busted up car, I looked around in shock. The world was on fire. A massive swirling portal of black, purple, and green had opened up overhead, and monstrous things were coming through. There were massive monsters of magnificent size, flying fortresses of fear, and zombified zillions coming out. One thought came to my mind. Of all the days for the world to end, why'd it have to be today Chapter 6 - Roboto DoggoWe slowly turned to face the source of the sound. Standing several feet above us was a total abomination. A massive mechanical fusion growled at us. In the center, there was what may have at one time been a normal dog. Now all that was left was the general shape of a dog with wires sticking out of it, suspending it in the center of this monstrosity. There were four metal legs attached to where the poor dog's legs once may have been.
The robotic dog took another step towards us, growling mechanically. One of its legs flew at us, knocking us back several feet. Our weapons flew from our hands, landing several feet away. The guard robot charged toward us as I looked desperately for something, anything with which to fight this monstrosity. Laying on the ground not to far from me was a long piece of metal. Without even taking a moment to consider where it'd come from, I picked it up and started waving it in front of the robotic guard dog. The beasts head followed the metal stick, focusing intensely. "What the heck are you doing Samael?" Asha asked. "I really don't know. I think I'm distracting it!" I said. At least the robot dog wasn't trying to kill us. "Well throw the darned stick already!" Asha yelled. "Why would I throw my only weapon of defense away?!" I shouted. "Because dogs love to chase sticks!" Asha screamed. "Now throw it!" Everything clicked. The core processing unit of this monstrosity was still a dog. A dog that was easily distractible by sticks. I threw the stick with all my might, and the robot dog ran after it. "Come on, grab our stuff and run," I said, helping Asha to her feet. We ran to where our weapons had been knocked away, grabbing them and making a beeline for the central building of the compound. We barely made it to the door when the robot dog returned to where we'd been, looking for its playmates. "Sorry doggo!" I shouted. "But we can't stick around to play!" And we entered the stronghold. Visitors From Another World"Sometimes, you have to wonder, are we really alone in this vast universe. Among all those trillions upon trillions of galaxies, stars, and planets. What is the likely hood of us being the only intelligent life to ever develop? I say, there is a zero percent chance we are the only ones."
The professor stopped a moment to look at his students. "What do you believe?" He asked. Douglas Richard raised his hand. "Yes, Douglas?" The professor called. "I don't think there's any way there are aliens." Douglas scoffed. "And why do you believe that?" The professor inquired. "If any alien civilization existed, it would probably be about as bad as we are at getting along. We're probably the only civilization to not wipe ourselves off the map already. It's a miracle we've survived as long as we have." Douglas explained. "While I would love to continue to discuss this with you mister Richard, I am afraid this is all the time we have for today. You are all wonderful people and you may go." The professor said, dismissing his class. Douglas left the building with the rest of the student body, still considering how likely it was that aliens really did exist. The rest of the day there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind, and he just couldn't stop thinking about aliens. When it finally came time for bed, something extremely unusual happened. A loud scraping came from somewhere outside. "Whoever is trying to prank me, knock it off!" Douglas yelled. Knowing his friends, Douglas wouldn't have been surprised if one of them was trying to scare him just for kicks. When the scraping didn't stop, Douglas stormed out of the dormitory. "I'm serious knock it off..." Douglas stopped in his tracks. Standing right in front of him was something altogether otherworldly. It had a squat head with an unusually long neck. Its eyes were as big as saucers, and its flesh was ghastly grey. It had long scraping claws and thickly muscled arms and legs. The alien creature whipped around to look at Douglas. Not wasting a second, the creature bolted. With little to no time to react, Douglas took off after it. It was a long chase, the creature maintaining its head start. The monster lead Douglas off campus and into the woods, which were dead silent tonight. Tripping through roots and branches, Douglas finally caught up with the creature as it came to a stop. The creature took one last look at Douglas before speaking in some kind of combination of squealing and screeching. "Scrreeee sccraawww scccrrreeewwweee scaaaarrrr." The alien squealed. A bright light focused on it and then the alien was gone. Douglas looked above to see a smooth silver oval take off into the night sky. "Oh my goodness. Aliens are real." The UndeadZiva's Journal: Day 1
Today the firey fury of the underworld was unleashed on us. I am the only survivor I'm aware of. As evening fell, large cracks opened up across the ground. An army of the undead emerged, fiends of all kinds. Living skeletons, bodies with flesh rotting on their bones, ghoulish spirits. Immediate panic ensued. People ran, trying to escape from the horrid sight. But none of them were fast enough. I was fortunate to be far enough away from the biggest cracks. I ran towards the woods, having grabbed only my sword, this journal, and a few writing utensils. I cannot even begin to express the horror I have seen today. People mowed down in the streets, consumed by the very dead they've buried. I don't know how long I'll survive, but I will keep this journal in case some piece of humanity still exists and comes across this someday. Until then, this is Ziva, out. Ziva's Journal: Day 5 I have been wandering for days now, trying to put as much distance between me and the city. The cracks don't seem to be confined to the cities but are far scarcer the further you get from civilization. Surprisingly, there don't seem to be any undead creatures, only human remains. I suppose that's for the best though, as I can't imagine how many creatures have died in the lifetime of the planet. I have given some thought to the origins of this undead invasion, and I have no solid idea of how it happened. I suppose it is possible that a young mage who didn't know his own power tried to bring a loved one back. In that case, my best bet to fix this would be to find a surviving person who knows magic. I'll report back in here as often as I feel is appropriate. Until then, this is Ziva, out. Ziva's Journal: Week 3, Day 1 It has now been some 3 weeks and a day since the rise of the undead. Today I found the first surviving person other than me. His name is Liam. He can't be any older than six or seven, but he's plenty intelligent for his age. I found him in a very rough makeshift shelter. He told me he'd been living there for about a week, and he says he's from the next town over. It appears this is definitely not isolated to my town. I have made a vow to myself and Liam that I will protect him, no matter what. On different matters, I have run into a few of the undead as I have wandered. They are positively ancient and must have died thousands of years ago. I have managed to learn much from these encounters and discovered some weaknesses. One of the undead in the flesh stage is incredibly slow, so they are pretty well harmless unless they corner you. I have decided to classify them as Rotters. Since Rotters are so slow, they are pretty easy to disable, all you have to do is lop off their arms and legs and they become useless. In addition to Rotters, I have also encountered a few Skeletons. Skeletons appear to be far more intelligent than Rotters, despite having no apparent brain. Skeletons are far harder to defeat as they tend to group into packs, as well as wield weapons such as swords, bows, and clubs. Although I didn't see everything that happened in the towns, I think it is safe to assume that the Skeletons are what did most of the damage to human civilization. Skeletons are easy to kill once you are able to make a hit on them. Their bones are brittle and practically turn to dust when hit hard enough. I have yet to encounter any of the spirits, which I have decided to call Ghouls. As soon as I do, however, I will chronicle their weaknesses in my journal. Until then, this is Ziva, out. Ziva's Journal: Month 6, Week 2, Day 5 Liam and I finally found a place to call home. We found an abandoned cabin out here in the woods. It appears the owners left it long ago, but with a little hard work and devotion, we can make it a solid fortress. I have grown quite attached to Liam. He proves his worth every day, and it certainly helps to have another human to talk to. We did have an encounter a few weeks ago with a Ghoul, which greatly helped increase my understanding of them. As we traveled along, we came across a wolf that looked quite mad. There were no indications of the rest of its pack, and it was badly scarred. Feeling pity for the poor creature, I decided to put it out of its misery. When I tried to approach the beast, it attacked me, trying to bite me. I managed to narrowly avoid its teeth, and cut the creature's throat. As the wolf died, a Ghoul emerged from its body, nearly as ravenous as the wolf. It flew towards me, passing right through me and entering my mind. It then began to try and force its way into possessing my body. However, with extreme willpower, I managed to force it out of my mind and away. Leaving me with a deafening screech, the Ghoul vanished in a puff of mist. From this encounter, I was able to deduce that while Ghouls cannot physically interact with the world on their own, they have the ability to possess lesser minds and use that to inflict their damage. I will certainly have to train Liam to put up mental barricades against Ghouls, although I imagine it will be quite easy given his incredible intelligence. I don't anticipate much significant happening, but should anything happen, I will report it here. Until then, this is Ziva, out. Ziva's Journal: Year 10, Month 3, Week 4, Day 7 Liam has grown into quite the young man. We have survived for years, with minimal encounters with any of the undead. I have done my very best to teach Liam everything I know, and by some great fortune, the cabin has a quite well-stocked library. Liam has consumed every book at least two or three times and is always doing his best to learn more about the world. Today was my fifty-fifth birthday, and I am starting to feel the effects of my age. My bones creak and I cannot do as much as before. Liam gave me a rather clever wheeled chair for me to get around in. That is all. I am more than satisfied to end my days here, like this. I don't anticipate anything else happening, but should it happen, I will record it here. Until then, this is Ziva, out. Ziva's Journal: Year 10, Month 4, Week 1, Day 1 Something horrible has happened. While Liam and I were out this morning for a walk, we could hear the distant sound of a massive movement. Liam left me, leaving to investigate the sound. Before long, he ran towards me, followed by a group of Skeletons firing arrows at him. Just as he reached me, one of the underworldly beings shot him through the back. He collapsed onto me, grabbing me desperately. His face went white as he lost blood. With his dying breath, he warned me there was an undead army approaching, and that he loved me. I ran back to the cabin, where I locked myself in. Before long, the army of the undead surrounded my home, where they still are. I don't think there's any getting out of this. My biggest regret is that I couldn't save Liam. I only hope he knew I loved him too. I am resigned to my fate. This is my last journal entry. I hope to find Liam happily in the afterlife. Until then, Love -Ziva. Chapter 5 - Fence Patrolled By Killer Drones, Check"Remember, we need to be ready for anything," I whispered as we crouched down. It was several days later, and Asha and I were staking out Zahi's compound.
Zahi Renat's compound stuck out like a sore thumb in The Sanctuary. While all the other rich people lived comfortably in massive mansions, Zahi was a paranoid whackjob. There was a massive metal fence surrounding his compound, at least twenty feet high. Small orb-shaped drones circled the compound, scanning the area for any sign of life. As soon as they locked on to movement, an array of massive weapons were exposed and fired a barrage of projectiles, guaranteeing instant death. "Well, first we have to get past the killer drones." Asha hissed right next to me. "What's your plan Mr. 'I'm extremely good at breaking into places'." "Pretty simple, avoid the killer drones, scale the fence, and continue from there," I said confidently. "And what if the drones spot us? What then?" Asha asked pointedly. "Then we run faster than we've ever run before," I said. "Good enough for you?" "You're the so-called expert." Asha relented. "But I better not be killed." "I promise you, sweetheart, you won't be killed," I said. "Maybe a little maimed, a tiny bit scarred, but not killed." "I really don't like the sound of that," Asha said. "Relax, I'm joking," I said. "Chances are we'll just get out with a few scrapes and bruises. Now follow me, its time we do this thing." "Don't we need to plan more?" Asha called after me as I started to move closer to the fence. "Unless you have any idea of what's beyond that fence, there's no point in preparing any further. I've got all we should need right here," I said patting my bag. "Now are you coming or not?" "Fine. Wait up." Asha said following after me. "How the heck are we going to get over the fence?" "Don't you worry about that," I said pulling my grappling hook out of my bag. "Simple enough. All we need to do is wait until there's a gap in the drone patrol and scale the fence." "I hope this works," Asha said. "It will," I said. "I've used this baby plenty of times. Never failed me yet." We stopped a few feet from the fence, just outside of the drone's scanners. After a few minutes of waiting, there was a routine gap between the drones. I waved her along as we bolted toward the wall. Firing the grappling hook, I heard the satisfying clink of metal on metal twenty feet up, confirming the hook was in place. I tugged tightly to confirm it was locked in and held out my arm to Asha. "Do you expect me to come up in your arms?" Ahsa asked critically. "It's either that or being stuck outside the compound," I said. "Now come on, before the next drone comes around." "Fine." Asha relented, stepping closer to me. Holding on to the grappling hook with one hand and holding Asha with the other, I pulled the trigger. The handle started pulling us up toward the top of the fence. My muscles burned as I tried to hold both my weight and Asha's. Only two feet from the top, we heard the sound of a drone coming near to us. "Crap," I muttered. "Go faster you gosh darned machine." "Uh, Samael," Asha said. "I can hear it," I growled. "I hope you're ready to destroy a drone." "How the heck am I supposed to do that?" Asha asked, getting a little panicked. "Where's that lovely little gun of yours?" I asked. "Right here," Asha said, pulling it out of her belt. "When the drone comes around, shoot it in the camera, then the weapons," I said. "I don't have a very good aim," Asha said. "Now you tell me? Just fire at it!" I said as the drone came into view. As soon as the drone saw us, it immediately started firing at us. I tried swinging us on the last two feet of cord, dodging the barrage of bullets. Asha fired wildly at the drone, hitting a few of the weapons. Finally, she got lucky and hit the drone right in the camera, causing it to fly wildly. The drone dropped to the ground, lights going out. "That was way too close," I said. "Let's get over this darned fence." "Agreed," Asha said. We climbed over the last few feet of the fence, balancing precariously on the edge. "And how are we supposed to get down?" Asha asked. "That's the easy part," I said, pulling out my phase board. "Come on." We hopped onto the phase board and floated down on the other side of the fence. As we landed, I surveyed the area. It looked all clear all the way to the main building of Zahi's compound. And then I heard the click. Chapter 4 - The Fascinating Miss FarvaldThe hairs on the back of my neck shot straight up. "Farvald," I said cautiously. "Like Otto Farvald? The trillionaire."
"Yes," Asha said. "He's my grandpa. Or rather, he was." "What do you mean?" I asked, trying to appear genuine. "What happened to him?" Nevermind that I already knew the answer. Asha breathed in deeply. Not the best move considering the air toxicity. "A few days ago we heard a gunshot from his room and found him dead. Someone broke into his room and shot him through the skull." I barely managed to cover the smile that crept across my face. It was confirmed, I'd killed him. There was no coming back for the son of a gun. "Oh, I'm so sorry. That must be so hard for you." "It's fine," Asha said. "He and I were never terribly close. Nevermind that he and his companies were to blame for this nastiness." Asha gestured to the thick brown smog surrounding us. "Well, maybe it was a good thing he was killed," I said. "How could you say that?" Asha asked, taken a step away from me. "Even if he was to blame for the death of the planet, he was still my family." "You're right. I'm sorry, that was insensitive." I said, backpedaling. I needed to keep good terms with her. With any luck, she could be my key to The Sanctuary. Then, I could wreak absolute havoc on those dirty rich people. "Apology accepted," Asha said. "So, whats a Rich like you doing out of The Sanctuary then?" I asked. "I already told you, research," Asha explained. "Research for what?" I pressed. "The future," Asha said, her eyes lighting up. "Let me explain. My whole life I've watched from The Sanctuary, seeing the world grow worse and worse. I wanted so badly to help, to save the planet, to be able to run in a field of green." "HA!" I scoffed. "Fat chance of that!" "Except I think it may be possible," Asha said, ignoring my scoffing. "I've devoted my life to studying everything and anything I could get my hands on, especially on the environment before this disaster. I learned as much as possible, and I think I have a solution. I think I can save the planet." "Oh really?" I said, rolling my eyes. "And how would you do that?" "Bacteria," Asha said. "Bacteria?" I asked skeptically. "You mean those tiny little things that cause sickness?" "Not that kind of bacteria. The good kind." Asha said. "In my studies, I came across some kinds of bacteria that consume pollution. Some even cleaned up oil spills in the past." "Then how come these 'miriacle' bacteria haven't already fixed the planet?" I asked. "Because they don't live everywhere," Asha said. "But I've constructed a machine that could distribute these bacteria all across the planet, along with seeds for every plant we have in the seed banks." "So what, you expect me to believe you have a magical machine that could distribute miracle bacteria and seeds all across the planet?" I asked sarcastically. "I ain't buying it, sweetheart." "Believe it or not, its the best shot by far to fix the Earth," Asha said. "I already built the machine. The whole reason I was out here in the first place was to get some more data to put the final touches on what types of bacteria I need." "And how exactly would your machine work?" I inquired. "It would make it rain, all across the world," Asha said. "Well, not exactly rain. More like it would spread droplets of water containing the bacteria over the planet. Then it would rain seeds." "Yeah, whatever you say girlie," I said. "And when do you expect to launch your 'miracle machine'?" "Just as soon as I can find a suitable power source," Asha said. "Where do you expect to find such a thing?" I asked. "That's the problem," Asha said. "The only power source I'm aware of is a quantum crystal owned by Zahi Renat." "The reclusive scientist..." I said thoughtfully. "Yeah," Asha said. "I've heard he designs his own security system. Almost impossible to penetrate." "Ah, you see, almost is the keyword there darling," I said with a grin. "Tell you what, I'll help you break into Zahi's compound to steal this quantum crystal thingie." "First of all, don't call me darling," Asha said. "And second of all, why would you do that?" "Let's just say, I'm extremely good at breaking into places," I said slyly. "And what do you want in return?" Asha asked suspiciously. "Nothing," I said. "If this miracle machine really works, fixing the world is payment enough. Don't you think?" "Alright," Asha said. "It's a deal. You help me retrieve the quantum crystal, and we can save the Earth." "Sounds like a plan," I said as we shook on it. "Now let's get cracking, eh?" |
Welcome to The Writers Block!AuthorKen Mears is a new 17 year old author, here to share his wisdom, advice, and experiences with you, the reader! Archives
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