Challenging Readers discussion

Someone starts a story and the next person continues it.

BEGIN!

One day a young baby was found in a laundry basket outside an orphanage.....

In the morning someone came outside and picked the child up and brought them in.............

It was looked on with pity like all the others left there...

And put with all the other babies, but as it grew it seemed..... different.

All the caretakers felt uneasy when looking at it's piercing blue eyes like it could peer into their souls....

So, as the baby aged and became a young lady, she was alone with everyone watching her with a wary look...........

But she smiled as she looked them, as if she could hear their thoughts. She was never adopted, and eventually she had to leave when she grew too old for the orphanage.

Out on the streets, she walked and walked with nothing to claim her own. Soon, she came upon a boy who had trouble tying his luggage together and stopped to help him.

He introduced himself as Jack, and he was the only one who did not seemed disturbed by her piercing eyes. She helped him, and asked where he was going. He responded, "As far away rom here as possible." She decided to go with him.

"May I come with you?" she asks in a quiet voice, afraid his answer will be no.
"Of course," he says and looks deep into her eyes.
"Climb aboard."

Climb aboard meant climb on to the waiting train, that she hadn't even realized was there. In fact, it didn't even seem to be on a track. But she didn't waste time wondering, she just climbed on.

He got on behind her and they both sat in a car.
"What is your name?" Jack asks
"I haven't got a name." she says hiding her face with shame.

"It's okay," he said. "I change my name whenever someone asks me. If you don't like Jack I could change it."
"No. I like Jack. It suits you," she responeded. The train began to move forward and the rumbling of the car made her sleepy. Time passed, and she eventually found herself resting her head on his shoulder.

He didn't move her, so she thought it was okay to do so as she drifted off to sleep.

She awoke suddenly to loud popping noises and someone yanking her down to the floor.
"Whats going on?" she whispered to Jack.
"Someone has a gun," he said murmuring so low she could barely hear.

She looked at him in fright, but he put a finger to his lips. "Dont move. It'll be over soon." and after a moment, the noise was gone. He pulled her back up. She saw no one. She figured danger was past but she couldn't of been more wrong.

Jack ran up and body tackled the gunman, making him stumble, but not lose his grasp on her.
He grabbed a knife out of his back pocket holding it up to her throat.
"One more move and you'll be holding her pretty little head in your hands!"

Jack was suddenly behind her attacker, and Jack hit him in the head. The kidnapper let go and dissapeared. Like he was there one minute and gone the next. "But Jack, how did you get there so quick?"
"I'll explain as soon as we get off. Trust me."
She could do nothing else.

Her eyes stayed open wide while Jack pulled her to safety. She was is shock from her near death, and the impossibility of Jack moving that fast to hit the gunman.
"Now," she said once they were in a safe place.
"Explain."

He looked around cautiously and stared her right in the eye. No one could ever look at her in the eye. "I, as you guessed, am not normal. And you aren't either, on the account of you being able to see me."
"Not normal?" I questioned.

"Yes, it may be hard to understand and believe, but no other person can see me. That's why the man who almost killed you couldn't see me get to him. And, why I can look you in the eyes."
She started to feel dizzy, with all this new information swarming in her head.

"But-" I started, but he cut me off.
"Looks like your kidnapper isn't ready to give up. We gotta run." He took off, but I stood there, shocked. He grabbed my hand and pulled me away. We raced down foggy alleyways with no sense of direction until...

We reached a dead end, and the assailant was still trailing us. Our backs against the wall, he came closer and closer until I felt the knife against my throat once again.
"This time, you're coming with me,"he grabbed my arm and dragged me away from........Jack? He wasn't there. He left? He left.....me?
Soon my kidnapper reached his car and shoved me in the truck, slamming the lid shut. I began to cry silent tears as the kidnapper drove away, and from Jack not saving me. Suddenly, the car screeched to a stop and I heard a yell from the gunman........

There was a huge bump and the car seemed to spin. The tires screeched, and I got banged up against the wall. "Help!" I called. At first there was no response, but then light flooded in. I saw Jack standing there. He pulled me out. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"a little banged up, but I'll live." In fact, he looked worse.

Stunned from everything that happened in the past hour, as soon as I got into Jack's car I went straight into dream mode, not waking for hours. I was barely conscious, but could feel myself being lifted from the car and carried into a house. I felt the warm heat spread throughout my body. Gently, I was laid on a bed, and blankets were pulled up around me as I fell deeper, and deeper into unconsciousness......

I woke up with a start. There were noises coming from another room. Jack mysteriously appeared. "I'm sorry, but we need to leave."
"I want to know what is going on here."
"I guess you deserve an explanation." he took a deep breath and began.

((I just realized we just switched from third person to first person oh well.))

((oh, well. it gives the story character ((lol)) lets just see where it goes. as long as it makes sense, we can switch whenever we want))

Jack sat down on the bed beside me, and looked deep into my eyes.
"Your name is Loriola((lorrie-o-la)) and you are the lost daughter of the ruler from Frantasia((fran-tase-ya))."
I stared at him, mouth wide open in a perfect circle.
"B-b-but I never had a home. I was found at the orphanage when I was a baby!"
"Yes, someone kidnapped you and left you there, but you need to be reunited with your people. I have been on the search for you for years, and now I finally found you. We will both go back, together."

"Go where?" I asked.
"No where you've ever been before. only people like you can go there. But we need to leave now." he helped me up, and I followed him out the door. The outside did not look like the worlds was used to. We were definatley not in my hometown anymore. We were running again. We ran a far way. I was worried about being followed.

I kept imagining shadows trailing us, but I didn't want to bother Jack with my silly worries. Soon we were in a place I could only dream of.

Jack explained more on our journey to the place I was mysteriously stolen from. I listened intently, wondering in amazement how a place could sound so spectacular and still be real.
Then, Jack told me more about him.

"I am your protector. given this duty at birth and it has and always will be what i do. I live to serve and protect only you, unless you send me away. I would lay down my life to keep you alive. And now that i found you i can finally tell you that..."
All of a sudden something inturupted him.

The buzzing of a mechanical object came suddenly. I gasped, but he said, "It's only a mechanical messenger bird. I think it has a message for you. Its not surprising, considering you just cam back from the past."
"The past?"
"Yes, Loriola, this is the future. You were kidnapped from here and deposited into the past."
The messenger bird dropped a message down into my waiting hands. It read:

You may have escaped this time, but I will find and catch you.

X

The note dropped from my trembling fingers, and Jack caught it before it hit the floor.
"No," he said with authority.
"We must go, now. They will be trailing us. Come Loriola."

I followed, mesmerized at this amazing furutre. Everything to have been solved, no more problems. Huge machines aided the humans through the streets. "It's so...perfect!" I whispered. Somehow Jack heard me.
"Not as perfect as you might think. We must hurry."

On and on, through the night they went from place to place, switching cars and leaving no trace of evidence.
On a rest stop, Loriola went to the restroom, but on her way someone came up behind and covered her mouth with their hand. Once again the feeling of metal touching her throat.
"One sound and you're toast, now let's go," then the kidnapper starts dragging her off to his vehicle.
"Loriola!" Jack called in the distance.
"Loriola!"

It was all I could do not to bite the kidnapper. But i knew his knife would be in my throat faster than I could say 'Jack'. He dragged me away and I could only be helpless. I looked for Jack but he seemed to have dissapeared. I hope he was going to save me. Again. Man I owed this boy for saving my life about three times.

"Loriola!" repeatedly, over and over. Until, suddenly the sound cut off. He didn't give up, he can't. He hasn't yet, and he told me that he was my protector. After I was half dragged to the car, Jack still hasn't come for me.
Then, someone spoke.
"Give her to me."
JACK!
"Stay away, or I kill her!" my kidnapper yelled, clearly afraid.
The knife was pressed closer to my neck and the knife man grabbed my arm yanking it backwards. I cried out in pain, as Jack came running, charging right into the knife man.

The kidnapper was bowled over, still holding me. I crawled away, feeling blood on my throat where the knife was. Jack seemed to be on top of the kidnapper, and they were fighting. "Jack!!!" I screamed desperately. I needed him. Suddenly the kidnapper dissapeared from thin air. Jack ran over to me. I gave him a hug without second thought.

"Are you okay? I'm sorry, I didn't know they were that close." He hugged my tighter and we started walking to his car.
"I'll get you something for your throat, are you hurt?"
"My arm, he twisted it backward."
He looked at my arm and inspected it to make sure it wasn't broken.
"It looks fine, not dislocated or anything. Lets go."
He pulled me to his side and we finished our path to the car.

"Who keeps trying to kidnap me? And why do they keep disappearing?" I asked once we were in the car. I rubbed feeling back into my arm. "He is competing to be the heir to the throne. You were, until he thought he got rid of you. But now that you're back, he's prepared to hold you as ransom to force your father to give him the throne. Killing you is also a viable option for him." I felt a shiver run down my spine. Killing me.
"Thank you, Jack."
"For what?"
"Saving me."
"One day you'll be saving me, princess Loriola."
I wasn't sure if I wanted to know what he meant by that.

"There's something I need to tell you Loriola." his tone taking a more serious notch.
"What?"
"Ummm, this is kind of awkward, but I am your future husband of Frantasia."
I froze, partly because it was awkward like he said it would be, and also because some part of me didn't mind being with hiim.
"Oh," was all I could say.
"Yea, so um...."he trailed off leading us into silence.
"Ok, then,"I said with nothing else to say.
"Are you, okay with that?"

I smiled on the inside, because I was okay with it. But I said: "I think so. As long as you keep me safe." He looked at me, frowning. "We should go to your-our mansion."
"What is the future like, Jack?"
"Well its like, I don't know, now. But the past seems very odd to me. And my name isn't actually Jack, it's Pearson. But you can call me either."
"I'm gonna stick with Jack." I answered.
"Jack it is." we drove in silence.

I couldn't believe that I was going back to my hometown.I had never known where I was from or who my parents were.But that never stopped me from hoping that my parents were still out there and somday I would find them
The journey was long and silent.The silence was starting to get a bit awkward.
"So where is this mansion?"I asked Jack to break the silence.
"You'll see" was his only reply.He abruptly slammed on the breaks,his eyes going wide,staring at something I couldn't quite make out...

"Jack! What is that?! It's coming closer!"
I was literally falling to pieces, freaking out because of what I had already been through.
"Jack, is it him?" I asked, us both knowing that him meant my kidnapper.
"Jack, please tell me what's going on!!!"
"Loriola, it's him, but this time he brought more men to help. He is going to get you, but you must cooperate so I can get us both out."
"Why don't you run now so that they don't get you, then you can come back for me." I suggested even though I didn't want him to leave me.
"Well, are you sure?"

"Sure as I'll ever be." He turned off the car, and before I knew it, he was gone. I couldn't help but think that he left me, but I know he would be back. How do these people just dissapear? The men approached my car. I got out, and they grabbed me. Again. "Where's your stupid friend?" He asked.
"I don't know." He slapped me. I could feel tears in my eyes.
"I said- Where is your friend? I want an answer."
"Let me go you monster!" he held me against the car. Jack better save me soon.

Another slap to the face, it stung really bad.
"Answer me you little bitch!"
Such language! I thought in my head.
"He left me on my own, honest."
"Uh, no. Not honest. We all know who he is," as he spoke his gang members formed a circle around us.
"Your future hubby, and protector, he would never abandon you!"
This time the blow can to the back of my head and I fell face forward to the ground.
"Let's go sweetheart," and with that I was once again shoved into the trunk.

I'm pretty sure the attackers made sure to take all the bumpy roads. I nearly puked on the way there. The ride lasted about an hour. The car slowed to a halt, and they came back to grab me out. I could barely stand, but they shoved me along a path up to a huge house. He led me inside, and down to the basement. He shoved me to the floor, my breath knocked out of me.

"Stay here and keep quiet," they instructed. To make sure I was silent they gave me a beating, saying that more would come if I made a sound. I hurt all over.
"Jack," I moaned. "Please hurry."
I lay on the ground, hardly daring to make a move, crying silent tears from being alone.
Soon, I heard a commotion coming from upstairs. Then the shouting began.

I thought of Jack. But I didn't say anything, for fear of being hurt again. I hoped he would hurry, the shouting got louder. Then there was the shots, and more shouting. "Jack," I whispered. "Not Jack. Please." There was a sudden, scary silence. Then I heard someone come down the basement stairs, but I couldn't move to look. I was crying, and I prayed it was Jack.

"Come now, Loriola. We must be quick."
"Jack! You came!"
"Of course! Now lets.....GOD! What did they do to you!?" he exclaimed once getting a good look at my face.
"Beat me," I answered. "But I'll be fine, lets go!"
Running up the stairs to the door we were ready to run, but the door was locked.

He cursed.
"You know how I can just dissapear?" He asked.
"I've noticed."
"Well were gonna have to do that now. But your attacker will be monitoring it, and he'll know where we've gone."
"That's not good."
"Tell me about it. Now hold on to me." I didn't need to be told twice. Suddenly the room vanished and my stomach felt inside out as we twisted in an endless gray mist.
"Hold on Loriola, we're almost there. I'm sorry I wasn't quicker. We'll get revenge for what they did to you."
"It's okay, Jack, you saved me. Thank you."

As soon as we got to where Jack took us, I crumpled to the ground and threw up.
"Sorry about that, it can be a little rough for your first time." he said and moved my hair away from my face.
"It's okay," I said and stood up, slightly wobbley.
"Here, let me help," and he scooped me up into his arms and carried me to his transportation vehicle. Soon I drifted off to sleep in his arms.