Storytellers discussion


Sebastian held his breath as he darted to the cargo on his left. He stuck his head out and peered, looking if anyone saw him breaking in to the world’s most well-guarded places. He was just a cargo away from the animal holding building when a well-armed guard turns the corner and stares at the disheveal boy in front of him. Sebastian did what he could do, run.
Even when chased by a fully armed soldier, Sebastian still ran towards the building instead of the exit. He did not get in and abandon hopes of saving his friend. Echo, a mutant , landed on the backyard of Sebastian a few minutes ago, and they have been friends ever since. Until a few weeks ago, when the government came and took him away. After a lot of research and planning, he finally found out where they took him to. The world’s most well-guarded facility, Area 51.
The legends surrounding the mysterious military compound was spooky. Sebastian had to climb over many obstacles, both physically and mentally, to get to this place. He would risk everything he has to save his friend. This thought was safely secured in his mind as his boot slapped onto the concrete of the creature's holding building. He only sped up as he rounded corners, in search of the room where his galactic friend is held in. He barely glanced at each room as he raced pass them.
Skidding to a stop, his eyes widen at the sight of Echo, his bluish alien friend. After a very long conversation in sign languages, he found out that Echo is an alien about his age. He was to move to a colony in space when his spaceship crashed and he was separated from his parents. He was going to free his friend and reunite him with his family.
He changed course and charged directly at the glass container where his 6 foot friend is locked in. He worked furiously with a small Swiss army knife as he tried to pick the lock. No sooner did he feel the lock loosen when a pair of strong arms from behind grabbed him and hoisted him into the air.
“You are coming with us, little boy.”
The Rocket Ship
A spaceship raced across the dark space. Inside the large spacecraft, a group of five was playing cards in the main compartment. The sixth member of the Ghostwing’s crew sat in the tiny cockpit, driving through a small field of space rocks. Harriet, the ship’s pilot and captain had her feet propped up high on the control panel. Flicking a few switches, Harriet turned on auto-pilot and went outside to join her friends. Just as she almost reached the door, a violent shake shook the shuttle. Surprised gasps could be heard from the room outside. The shaking continued and the shakes became more and more violent. The rad-head pilot gripped on her chair and held on. A loud thud accompanied by smaller thuds and clatters rang out. Things began to slide off the control panel, Harriet’s captain’s log, the drink she had been saving for later and some keys, as the Ghostwing started to slide from side to side. Harriet managed to open the door and leave the compartment as the shakes became smaller. The originally tidy living room in the ship was messy, the chandeliers were swinging, the things were sliding around and her trusty crew were holding on tables and bookcases.
The shaking didn’t stop after a few minutes and it only got worse. Holding on to things, Harriet managed to get to one of the windows and peeked through it. A dark vessel, slightly larger than the Ghostwing was continuously bumping into them. Harriet turned to her co-captain, Chance, who was holding on for his dear life, and muttered, ‘Pirates!’ Without Harriet saying anything else, Chance pressed a big, red button labelled ‘Emergency’ on the dining table, just barely doing so before having to release his hold on a nearby shelf. Immediately, red lights shone and a blaring noise came from the speakers overhead. Metallic shutters closed around the outer shell of the spacecraft. The shaking slowed and the Ghostwing’s crew could slowly stand up. ‘It’s pirates, a dark ship with white and and blue stripes, any idea?’ Harriet said, calming down from the sudden appearance of a pirate ship. A huge crack appeared on their shield from the enemy. The atmosphere turned urgent. They needed to come up with a plan before the pirates broke through. The crew of six is definitely no match for the whole crew of a pirate ship. ‘If we can’t outnumber them or outgunpower them, we outsmart them.’ Carlotta, the smartest person and tech girl of the crew said.
More cracks appeared as the crew came up with a plan, a daring bluff. The only thing that scares those pirates are the presence of the intergalactic police. There aren’t any police patrolling the area, at least not any ship visible on the radar, they will need to fake it.
The intergalactic police have a united colour theme, blue and white. The crew’s mechanic is also a great painter, a fast one as well. On the top of Ghostwing, there is a smaller spacecraft that is used as an emergency shuttle. The mechanic, Justin, painted the small emergency shuttle blue and white, in a matter of minutes. The metallic shutters were almost fully cracked, they needed to act fast. With the last few equipment set, the plan was completed. They were much calmer as they had a plan. The metallic shutters began to peel away, revealing an empty aircraft. The entire crew had hidden, except for Harriet, who detached the small shuttle on top of Ghostwing, and piloted it away when the pirates were momentarily confused at the empty ship. Harriet carefully drove it behind the pirate ship and shone bright lights on it. A loud noise blared from the speaker in the ‘police ship’. Suddenly, more and more police ship’s appeared next to the disguised emergency shuttle, and the pirate ship fled.
The crew cheered but Harriet’s worried voice came over the coms, ‘Guys! These aren’t the light illusion copies I made, it’s, it’s real!’ Their original plan was to make illusion copies of the ‘police ship’ to make it look as if a whole fleet of police had arrived. Instead, their distress call must have been heard and the police patrolling nearby came and helped just in time. The crew of Ghostwing cheered again, louder than before, and sped off to their next great adventure.
Sebastian held his breath as he darted to the cargo on his left. He stuck his head out and peered, looking if anyone saw him breaking into the world’s most well-guarded places. He was just a cargo away from the creature holding building when a well-armed guard turns the corner and stares at the dishevel boy in front of him. Sebastian did what he could do, run.
Even when chased by a fully armed soldier, Sebastian still ran towards the building instead of the exit. He did not get in and abandon hopes of saving his friend. Echo, a mutant , landed in the backyard of Sebastian a few months ago, and they have been friends ever since. Until a few weeks ago, when the government came and took him away. After a lot of research and planning, he finally found out where they took him to. The world’s most well-guarded facility, Area 51.
The legends surrounding the mysterious military compound was spooky. Sebastian had to climb over many obstacles, both physically and mentally, to get to this place. He would risk everything he has to save his friend. This thought was safely secured in his mind as his boot slapped onto the concrete of the creature's holding building. He only sped up as he rounded corners, in search of the room where his galactic friend is held in. He barely glanced at each room as he raced past them.
Skidding to a stop, his eyes widen at the sight of Echo, his bluish alien friend. After a very long conversation in sign languages, he found out that Echo is an alien about his age. He was to move to a colony in space when his spaceship crashed and he was separated from his parents. He was going to free his friend and reunite him with his family.
He changed course and charged directly at the glass container where his 6 foot friend is locked in. He worked furiously with a small Swiss army knife as he tried to pick the lock. No sooner did he feel the lock loosen when a pair of strong arms from behind grabbed him and hoisted him into the air.
“You are coming with us, little boy.” Sebastian kicked and tried to escape from the iron-like hold of the security guard, but with no success.
The rest of the guards surrounded them and the burly one, who was holding him, dragged him away. “Let me go! Please don’t kill Echo. Please!” He screamed, he was not going to let these people take away his best friend. Before he was fully pulled out of the room, he stole one last glance at the floating alien in the container. A last desperate thought emerged in his mind, maybe Echo has some super alien power that he can use to save himself.
A blinding light erupted from the container that held Echo, Sebastian shielded away from the light.
“Stay away from my friend. NOW!” A deep voice murmured, with a slight accent. The security guards, too frightened to think, ran away as fast as they could. The deep voice continued as the glass container cracked, “You were the first to treat me kindly when I landed. I ended up in this planet 50 years ago, and I was soon captured by the Russian government. I managed to escape, only to be captured by different other secret agencies. I thought I was going back to my planet when I escaped from Area 51. I somehow wound up in your backyard. For the first tine in 50 years, I was treated as a friend by humans.”
Sebastian was shocked, this was more than he had expected. Befriending an alien was more difficult than he imagined. “I was sent here on a diplomatic mission, but humans did nothing but experiment with me. I planned to annihilate this planet when I escaped but the fact that you risked everything to save me, I will not burn your planet.”
Sebastian couldn’t accept the fact that his best friend was not who he thought he is. He was in a state of shock as Echo slung him over his shoulder and they sped out into the night.
The Mysteries of Bloody Mary
A dark stormy night, wind blowing furiously, raining splattering on the roof. The thick raindrops slid down inside the window, a thin, gangly boy was standing in the middle of a bathroom. His pajamas hung loosely over him as he stood near the mirror.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
I looked at the mirror in front of me, slightly chipped where it fell onto the ground. I still remember Curtis’s annoying voice and his smug smile as he dared me to try to summon Bloody Mary. Legend has it that if you say Bloody Mary three times in a mirror, she would actually come. Bloody Mary was rumoured to be a female ghost, with blood dripping down from her white dress.
I was reluctant to try but if I didn’t, I would be made fun of even more than I already am. As a chilly breeze came through the open window, I tightened the thin bare pajamas over my torso and took a deep breath.
“Bloody Mary.” I couldn’t stop the chills from reaching his bones. I forced myself to whisper the next phrase.
“Bloody Mary.” I took a huge breath, trying to stop the fear from over taking my emotions. I stared into the cracks of the mirror, already imagining the ghost appearing from it when I whispered it for the third time.
“Bloody Mary.” I barely forced it out. I stared intensely at the mirror in absolute fear. Before I realised, a small wisp of smoke tendrils began to appear from the middle of the mirror. I watched in horror as a pale figure in a white dress appeared in front of my eyes. Just like the descriptions, her would-be beautiful face was ruined by scars, her white dress tattered and blood dripping down her arms. She was truly a frightening sight.
I couldn’t help but take a step back. I still haven’t got over the fact that Bloody Mary really exists and she is currently in my bathroom.
“What is the cause of your summon?” A whispery voice said. It must be Bloody Mary. I was paralysed in fear.
I slowly backed out until my foot hit the leg of a table. “I- I don’t-” I can barely get a sentence out. The crisp air filled my lungs as I took in a deep breath. My fingers wandered over the surface of the table, looking for the wooden cross Mom bought for me.
I learned how to summon her but never wondered how to banish her.
In desperate need of advice.
A dark stormy night, wind blowing furiously, raining splattering on the roof. The thick raindrops slid down inside the window, a thin, gangly boy was standing in the middle of a bathroom. His pajamas hung loosely over him as he stood near the mirror.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
I looked at the mirror in front of me, slightly chipped where it fell onto the ground. I still remember Curtis’s annoying voice and his smug smile as he dared me to try to summon Bloody Mary. Legend has it that if you say Bloody Mary three times in a mirror, she would actually come. Bloody Mary was rumoured to be a female ghost, with blood dripping down from her white dress.
I was reluctant to try but if I didn’t, I would be made fun of even more than I already am. As a chilly breeze came through the open window, I tightened the thin bare pajamas over my torso and took a deep breath.
“Bloody Mary.” I couldn’t stop the chills from reaching his bones. I forced myself to whisper the next phrase.
“Bloody Mary.” I took a huge breath, trying to stop the fear from over taking my emotions. I stared into the cracks of the mirror, already imagining the ghost appearing from it when I whispered it for the third time.
“Bloody Mary.” I barely forced it out. I stared intensely at the mirror in absolute fear. Before I realised, a small wisp of smoke tendrils began to appear from the middle of the mirror. I watched in horror as a pale figure in a white dress appeared in front of my eyes. Just like the descriptions, her would-be beautiful face was ruined by scars, her white dress tattered and blood dripping down her arms. She was truly a frightening sight.
I couldn’t help but take a step back. I still haven’t got over the fact that Bloody Mary really exists and she is currently in my bathroom.
“What is the cause of your summon?” A whispery voice said. It must be Bloody Mary. I was paralysed in fear.
I slowly backed out until my foot hit the leg of a table. “I- I don’t-” I can barely get a sentence out. The crisp air filled my lungs as I took in a deep breath. My fingers wandered over the surface of the table, looking for the wooden cross Mom bought for me.
I learned how to summon her but never wondered how to banish her. My only hope would be a feeble attempt to ward her off with a godly cross.
Somehow, the cross seems to work a little, as Bloody Mary didn’t come any closer. But she doesn’t seem to be disappearing. With the dim moonlight shining from the window, her face looks even more horrifying.
I couldn’t help but let out a high-pitch, girly scream that sounds more like a shriek. All I wanted to do is to get away from this woman. Bloody Mary doesn’t seem to hear me as she made no sign of hearing that. Before I realised what she was doing, a sudden flash of silver in front of me and a burning pain in my abdomen woke me up.
I glanced down with wide eyes, only to see a gash with blood pouring out. She must have cut me when I wasn’t looking. Several thoughts passed my mind, am I going to die? Is this the end? At least I won’t be harassed by Curtis anymore. That thought conjured a weak smile.
I only managed to catch sight of a long, thin, silver sword before I passed out in pain.

Sebastian held his breath as he darted to the cargo on his left. He stuck his head out and p..."
Hi SilverSparkle, a few comments on these paragraphs:
Sebastian held his breath as he darted to the cargo on his left.
Comment: pesky as. Don't use 'as' to convey simultaneity, which is anyway impossible in writing. Also, nobody holds his breath while running. Maybe this: Sebastian darted to the cargo on his left and held his breath. In such a case, it's better to use a simple verb, like run.
He stuck his head out [out of what?] and peered, looking [redundant, use looked only] if anyone saw him breaking in to [into] the world’s most well-guarded places [he would never think that, backstory error]. He was just a cargo away from the animal holding building. {Stope here}.
New paragraph: A well-armed guard turns the corner and stares at the disheveal boy in front of him. [POV shift]. Sebastian did what he could do, run. [Telling. You also need an emotional reaction to being discovered].
Even when chased by a fully armed soldier, Sebastian still ran towards the building instead of the exit. [Again simultaneity]. He did not get in and abandon hopes of saving his friend. [Telling, show the locked door]. Echo, a mutant , landed on the backyard of Sebastian [does not make sense] a few minutes ago, and they have been friends ever since. Until a few weeks ago, when the government came and took him away. After a lot of research and planning, he finally found out where they took him to. The world’s most well-guarded facility, Area 51. [You interrupt the action with a paragraph of backstory].
Sebastian held his breath as he darted to the cargo on his left. He st..."
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“There she is!” She heard a shout from somewhere to her right. She groaned and sped up, reaching her destination in three long strides. The women’s washroom was a beautifully decorated chamber with soft light. She marched into one of the stalls, hesitating before sitting on the toilet seat. She would have to sacrifice her dress for the mission.
“Diamond, come in.” A voice in her com said, the voice static but clear. Diamond flinched at the sudden noise of someone else, clearly not used to it.
Pulling the object from the hidden pocket, she replied, “Ruby, I’m here. Item secured.” She said. From the purse, she fished out a lipstick—what looked like lipstick. The hidden trap at the end was made to remove any censor on the object she took. After the one minute long procedure, she put it back into the hidden pocket.
“Ruby, I’m ready for pick up.” She stood up and pushed open the stall door. She exited the washroom and turned left, further away from the party happening in the ballroom. At the end of the corridor was a large steel door, Isabelle sprinted, a pin in her hand. Before she could stick the pin into the lock, strong arms from behind tackled her to the ground.
Twisting to look, she caught sight of a big burly man with a pistol in his hand. For a split of a second, she panicked at the sight of the gun. The years of training rushed back to her, she flipped her body so she was on top of the man, she held him tight at the throat with her arms.
“Are you from the Brotherhood?” She asked, her voice low. The enemy chasing her were the Brotherhood of Shadows, an evil underground organization of men.
She had to get away from him long enough to get out. With no other plans, she shoved him away as far as she could and rushed to the door. She was trying to open the door with the lock picking pin when the door opened, revealing three figures.
Sapphire, the leader for the operation, barged in. The lithe blonde girl knocked down the charging henchmen with a flying kick in the face.
“Go!” Sapphire shouted, gesturing towards the exit. Nodding with a treble, Diamond hurried to the door. A petite figure blended with the shadows, Agent Oynx, held the door for her, holding up a gun. The last one, Amethyst, held a large gun, ready to shoot at a moment's notice.
Diamond ran out of the door, her hand cradling the object in her pocket. A loud whirring noise above her made her lift her head. A huge grin appeared on her face when she caught sight of the black and white striped helicopter hovering above the landing patch. A ladder was draped down and Diamond scurried up.
The interior of the copter was a circular table where missions were planned. The front of the plane was a mess, with paper spawned all over. “Ruby, I’m back.” Diamond said to the pilot in the front. She placed the object she stole into the box on the table. Amethyst appeared, climbing up with Oynx and Sapphire in tow. “Mission accomplished.” Declared Sapphire, as she sat down on the co-pilot seat.
Diamond joined Oynx and Amethyst in the table. “I have it ready.” She said, opening the box. The two took turns examining them, before Diamon closed it. “Boss would be glad.” Amethyst said, grinning. The girls high-fived each other, the Echo Sisterhood just stole the new bio-weapon.
Chapter 1
An incoming text message confirmed Caroline’s first babysitting job. The young teen was determined to make money. Unfortunately, her first job was to babysit the Fullers. It wasn’t that they were naughty, it was just that the Fullers lived in a little cabin in the middle of Silfren Forest, and she wasn’t sure she liked the rumours about it.
Slinging a backpack filled with unfinished homework, she headed out. “I’m going out, bye!” Caroline shouted to her mom as she closed the door behind her. After a few windy roads, she finally got to the entrance of the forest.
Most parents don’t allow their kids to go walking into the forest so it was Caroline’s first time seeing it in person. Just like the descriptions, the Silfren forest was a gloomy place, thick mist draping in the air. Century-old trees were sprawling limbs along the wet, mossy forest floor. The musty scent reached her, making Caroline take a step back.
Her eyes flitted on the small path in between trees as she searched for a way to get to the cabin. She decided to run along the path until she got to the cabin. Taking a deep breath, she wrinkled her nose when she smelt the scent of animal dung. She shook her head to clear her head and took off.
Caroline sprinted down the trail, running as fast as she could. The gloomy forest draped dark branches over her head, making her shudder. After what seemed like forever, her muscles were hurting and she couldn’t run anymore. Then, she spotted a log cabin in the middle of a clearing.
‘This must be it.’ She thought. She shifted the backpack on her shoulders. She walked to the door and knocked on the wood with her knuckles. Knock, knock.
The door creaked open a few moments later, revealing a small face covered in dirt. “Are you Caroline?” A soft voice asked. Caroline nodded with a friendly smile. “I am.” She replied. After that, everything was a blur.. She was invited to the house, briefly introduced to the three Fuller children and Mrs. Fullers hastily left the house on an ‘errand’.
“So, you’re James, Anna, and Little Matthew?” She asked, addressing the three children in order of their age. They nodded. James was a 11 years old boy who has a thing for inventing. Anna, the middle child aged 8, really liked reading. The youngest Fuller was Matthew, the 6 years old enjoyed learning how to ‘fight’. Caroline sat awkwardly in the middle of the ‘living room’. The Fullers couldn’t afford a proper house in the neighbourhood, so they moved out, according to the rumours around the town. There were only a few rickety chairs and a table in the middle of the room.
Pulling an iPad from her backpack, she played a movie to keep them occupied. Caroline took her chemistry homework out and started to work on it. A rustle from somewhere near the window startled her, making her look up. The rustling stopped and she returned to her homework, shrugging it off.
The same rustle returned a few minutes later, only louder. This time, Caroline stood up and went to investigate. What she saw surprised her, a dark shadow was lurking around the outside. The shadow broke the window with a shatter and he climbed in. The loud noise as the glass shattered and hit the ground with a sickening thun. It seemed to have alerted the children as they came rushing into the room.
Caroline was still standing by the window, a shocked expression on her face and blood trickling down her arm where a glass shard cut her. “Go! Get away!” She croaked, warning the children. She was still standing still, shock immobilizing her.
A tall man with long limbs wore black clothing, a strand of blonde hair peeking out from his hood. “Move. I am not here for you.” A distorted voice said, from his masked face. The high pitched voice suggests that there is a voice changer in his clothes. Every instinct told Caroline to move and run for her life. But something else told her to muster up her courage and stand up to the stranger in black.
“No. If you want them, you will have to go through me first.” She said, standing as tall as she could. She was shaking but she showed a brave face. The man seemed to be taken away by her reaction but he recovered quickly. “Then die! ” He declared, holding up a pencil-shaped item and pointed it straight at Caroline. It didn’t look like a weapon but it sure scared her.
One thought remained as she faced her death. ‘If I am doing this, why not help them ot my fullest?’ A not-so brilliant idea popped into her mind. It wasn’t the best but it was all she got at the moment. She hastily held her hand up, “Wait, wait. Before you kill me or something, can I call my parents and let them know?”
Seeing that the stranger looked at her expectantly, she took it as a yes. She walked slowly to her backpack and fumbled for her phone. She took her time to turn on her phone and pretended she forgot her parents’ number. She laughed awkwardly. He narrowed his eyes at her, he was not as stupid as she thought.
“Why am I even wasting time with you?” He sighed, shoving Caroline away. Her back hit the wall, hard, knocking the air out of her lungs. “No!” She said, her hard work was wasted. Before he could proceed to hunting down the Fuller children, they appeared on their own. The tattered, dirt-covered pajamas they were wearing was replaced by new, shiny armour made with steel.
A frown appeared on Caroline’s face, confused by the medieval clothing they were wearing. What James said was even more confusing. They held themselves up in a confident way.
“Give it up. We have you. You’ll not be able to escape from the Seekers.” He said, unsheathing a sword from a hidden pocket. The blade caught the beam of sunlight, gleaming. His voice was strong with authority, which made the man take a step back. James swept the sword magnificently at the man. That was the final hit, he picked up his weapon and scrambled out of the house.
As the door slammed shut and the footsteps receded, the three siblings turned to Caroline and gave her a weak smile. “Explanation?” She demanded.
“I know this is confusing, but I need—” James began, interrupted by Caroline’s sharp voice. “It is confusing, that’s why I am not letting you go before you tell me everything.” She insisted, firmly.
With a sigh, the three siblings snapped their fingers and their armour vanished/ ‘The man that broke in was from the Government. They only want us, so don’t worry.” Matthew said, his voice far less babyish.
“Our identities are to remain unrevealed.” Anna whispered, in her angelic voice. But before Caroline could ask anymore questions, a blinding flash of light erupted from where they were standing. When the light died down, the Fullers were gone.
For the next few days, she returned to her normal life, trying to forget what happened, with no luck. The events that happened was stuck in her mind. She have been asking herself questions that she can’t answer. Who were the Seekers? What is the Government? Why did the man attack? And what actually was the Fullers?
These questions have been circling her mind for days, and Caroline was determined to get to the bottom of this. It was a Wednesday morning, a holiday so Caroline had time to work on the questions. She sat at her desk, a cup of hot chocolate on her table. She had her notebook in front of her, going over the clues and information she had.
A knock on the door surprised her and she got up to open it. When she turned the doorknob and pushed the door open, there were no one at the door. Caroline frowned, confused. Suspicious, she returned to her seat. Something caught her eyes, a white envelope was placed in the middle of the flat surface. She never seen it before. Definitely suspicious. This was not a normal day.
Picking it up, she examined it. To Caroline Kim: So, it’s addressed to her. Now curious, she tore open the envelope impatiently. Caroline turned it upside down, shaking a note out.
45 ticks after the 8th hour, wooden structure in the group of trees
Although worded confusingly, she understand the time and place. Fuller’s cabin, at 8:45 PM, but why, who and how? Even though she had a bad feeling about this, she wanted the find out the truth and she felt like this would be a perfect opportunity to find out more about the attack on the cabin that day.
With a decision in mind, she put the note back in to the envelope. She was going no matter what.
As the sun set behind the mountains, Caroline finished her dinner. “I- I’ll go work on my homework.” She said, excusing herself from the table and ignoring the looks her parents were giving her. She rushed upstairs to her room. She already packed her backpack with food, water, first aid kits and a flashlight. Changing into more suitable clothing, a large hoodie, leggings and boots, Caroline got ready for her first adventure.
Her final confirmation was the noisy chatter she heard from downstairs. She slung the backpack over her shoulder and opened the window. Almost immediately, a strong gush of wind blew straight at her face. The sharp coldness of the wind woke her, just the start of her journey would be dangerous.
That thought vanished the moment she decided to stick to her decision. That was also the moment Caroline launched herself out of the window. She freefall for a few moments before her toes hit the ground. Knowing that the moment was critical, she twisted forward and landed in a somersault.
Caroline only let herself tale a brief moment to rest after almost breaking her legs before taking off again. Her foot slapped the concrete, eating up the ground. She could hear the wind in her ears, smelling the salty scent of the sea.
It took less time to get to the cabin this time, since she already know the way there. Her run slowed into a walk when she caught sight of the Fullers cabin. The excitement was gone, replaced by mixed feelings of nervousness, uncertainty and anger.
Her jaw practically dropped when she caught sight of the Fuller children. What are they doing here and when did they return? She would finally get some answers. They were wearing the same armour they wore that they but the looks of confidence and authority was replaced by a look of purpose and confusion.
“Caroline, I am glad you answered our call.” Matthew said, walking forward. Their call? Was the note their doing? She wondered. “After the attack that day, we thought they were after us again. But further investigation showed that you were not who we thought you were.” James continued.
Not who they think she was? Who did they think she was? Seems like this meeting did little in answering her questions. “Jignes sent us for you, we were to bring you back. I think there are more to this, incident.” Anna stepped up. “Jignes would explain more, but we don’t know much either.” She said, pulling out a pendant out of her pocket. It was crystal white, catching the sunlight, gleaming.
Caroline expected something like a bright flash of light and they disappear. Instead, Anna leaned down and touched the tip of the pendant to the ground. It made a clear marking on the ground as Anna drew a circle with it. “Step in.” She said, inviting her.
Caroline did, uncertainly. Once her whole body fitted into the circle, light erupted from the circle, and they disappeared from view. Little did they know, a figure was hiding in the shadows, witnessing the whole thing.
Excruciating pain in her head lasted for a few moments, and it wasn’t even the worse part. The cells in her body felt like they were ripped apart and assembled together. Her muscles felt weak.
When the lights faded away, the view of trees and the cabin were gone. Instead, it was replaced by what looked like an underground bunker. Caroline turned her head and looked around curiously. “What is this place?” She asked.
It was the size of a basement, but the many doors around the room meant there are more rooms. A dim ceiling light, the couches were exactly placed at the same way she imaged a basement gaming lair would be like. The computer screens and the machines on the other side of the room were not really what she was expecting.
The screens showed hallways, rooms and more hallways, it must be the security cameras. Putting one foot in front of the other, peering at the different items around the room. There was a weird lamp like item, only with no light. She picked up a pen that looked like the one the stranger pointed at her that day. Buttons covered the pen, and Caroline was tempted to just press one of them.
“No!”
“Stop!”
“Drop the bender!” The three siblings said at the same time. Realising that the situation must be dire, Caroline dropped the pen and watched as it drop on the ground, barley missing her toes.
“Sir, are your sure she is the one we are looking for?” A high-pitched voice shrilled. Caroline twisted her head to stare at the person who said that and immediately regretted it. The girl looked around her age, but a lot taller than Caroline. She had beautiful brunette hair that cascaded to her waist and shocking bright blue eyes. She was uncourtly beautiful and made Caroline want to take a second look.
An older man that looked around 50 years old stood next to her. He wore no robes nor carried a large staff, but the moment she saw him, she immediately know that he is someone with power.
“Caroline Kim.” He said in a voice with authority. Caroline turned to look at him, trying to be strong. “I am Jignes, Officer of the Society.” He said, in a proud voice. She didn’t like the way he said it but she didn’t dare defy. “We have reasons that to believe that you may be the only person who cannot save us.”
Wow, that sure was depressing. She thought as she rolled her eyes. Out of all her possibilities, she had to be the only one that cannot save the world. “But we sense something special about you.” He continued. Maybe I don’t suck that much. At least I am ‘special’. She thought bitterly, being ‘special’ sucks. She was beginning to understand what it must have felt like for special needs classmates.
“This is why we would want to train you and educate you, if you accept our offer.” He offered with a friendly smile. While Caroline doubt she would learn much from him, she was curious. Curious enough to accept the offer.
“Fine, but what do you mean by special? I ain’t special.” She said with a wiggle of her finger. Jignus sighed. “I had hoped that you won’t be the curious type but I guess I will tell you.” She leaned forward in anticipation. “I am sure you have heard about the theories and legends of super powers.” It was more of a statement since most people seen or heard about the super hero movies.
“Well, we believe that the entire human population has powers, except for you.”
The words hit her like a wall, so super powers are real? Laser eyes, flight, teleportation, super speed, enhanced senses are real? It took her a few moments to process the information and then many more to accept it. She took a deep breath and approached the second fact.
Caroline always knew that she won’t be the ‘save the world’ person but being the only one that can’t, sucks. She would be the only useless person.
“So, all the movie stuff are real? And I really am the only that has no power? But how come it is only revealed now?” Her face was an annoyed face for the first two questions but it turned into a curious look at the last.
“Not entirely. The movies are always exaggerating the powers. But they are based on the truth.” Jignus explained, to her disappointment. How she wished all those stuff was real. “About you, we have reasons to believe you have no powers.” That again. “But we are unsure.” That provided a little hope that she decided to keep in her heart for a while.
“We are still unsure of a lot of stuff. But for now, we wish to run tests, you will be learning and training from our best.” Suspicion occupied Caroline’s thoughts, the whole thing sounded like a scam. One that she has no wishes of being part in.
A brave and courageous thought entered her mind, maybe she can run for it and hope that they don’t find her? But a sweep around the exits dismissed the thought. Men and women surrounded the walls, glaring at her.
Caroline gulped, they were not armed, but their glares and the way they held themselves were enough to let her know that it was a stupid idea.
“Kimberly, you can show her around.” Jignus commanded, waving a hand to the tall girl standing behind him.
My life as a shoe. As a size 7 grey and purple boot, part of a pair, I am bound to my owner, to my sibling, Left Shoe, to humans. My owner wears me three times a week, usually when it's raining or snowing. Never when it’s sunny. I dread the mornings, recess and lunch outside, and the way home. I hate it when rain splatter on me, when the tight shoelaces constrict me, when pieces of snow get inside. Every morning, I wake up to human chattering, thumping footsteps, and I get dragged outside, away from the smooth concrete floor of the house. The ten minute walk to school is more like ten years. Stomping away on wet ground, dirt, mud and rain, is no fun. When we finally get to school, I like to take a nap in the classroom, where it's warm and toasty.
Every Tuesday, the most dreaded class arrives. Gym. It involves a little too much running, almost stomping on other shoes, getting used to kicking, and high speed balls aimed at me. Too often, balls will end up hitting me. It is quite unfair, when did I do anything wrong? It’s intense pain, when the tip of me is slammed into walls, or the sides get bombarded with balls. I hate Gym, unlike my owner.
Occasionally, my owner will need to go outside for recess and lunch. Even though it's muddy, she tends to evade the worst parts. That's the only thing I have to thank her for. I spend the rest of the afternoon chatting and socialising with the other shoes. We like to talk and complain about humans. Because that is the only thing we could do, since there is no way to escape from them.
When it's time to take the torturing walk back home, I have to think about the cool, smooth ground back home and force myself not to throw up. It seems like forever until I get home, back to the shoe rack. As I retire to the bottom of the shoe rack, I rest with my thoughts and go to sleep as the sun slowly sets. This is my life as a right shoe, this is just one day. A day that will keep repeating itself until I get thrown away.