Challenging Readers discussion

This is exactly like Make It Up, except with a different title so no one gets confused.

The first person to post, will be the person who starts the story!!

BEGIN!!

I knew this day was coming since I was little, but I still wasn't prepared for when it happened.

My heart was beating so fast, and hard that I could hear it in my ears. A shadow was seen in my window and the lock of the window clicked open.

The shadow came in the window, but it had no body. I was frightened, but I knew that it had to happen. The shadow came and joined itself onto my body, and i could see it clearly in the candlelight, on the floor, mimicking my motions.

From that day forth my soul went dark. I didn't turn evil, but everything I did was dull. My eyes grew gray and I had bags under my eyes. Clothes were all boring colors like gray and black. Skin turned a pale, ghostly color.

All I knew was that one person could save me from this shadow that took over my life, but who?

I knew I was not likely to find them here- in the shadow lands, but rather I would find them in the daylight marshes. Everyone in the shadow lands turned dark at age 16. It was our job to keep the world balanced- yin-and-yang, but I'd always wanted to be a lighted one.

Then one day, that who came. He was cloaked in the deepest of blue's, and his eyes glittered with hope and merrieness. He peered at me with those incredible eyes, but spoke not a word.

I could tell he was not a shadow man, but a lighted one in dark robes.
"You should not be here," I said. "This is dangerous territory"
"You know why I'm here," he said. "I believe you need to escape."

He was the one in charge of who became light, and those who became dark. He spoke to me in private, telling me a prophecy that had to come true in order for me to turn light.

"A girl," he started.
"From the light, will meet you and change your soul," and in a puff of smoke he disappeared before my eyes.

That day, my life was changed, and I would never be the same again.

I sighed. Not much to go on, but I knew how to start. I packed up all my valuables, and snuck out my bedroom window into a night as black as my soul.

I woke up at the same time as everyday, every week, every year. Woke up to a gray dawn, and dark shadows.

With a heavy heart, I trudged through the crystal snow.

Leaving footprints of darkness to melt in my path.

I only knew what direction to go in. Not how long it would take, or what land I shall pass.

To the land of the light, to meet my destiny. I wondered what the girl would be like, and how to send away my darkness.

I sat down on a fallen log, and ate breakfast. Though it was boring, the sky remained a dull gray. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw...

A glowing light floating my way, something was it the middle of the ball of light, but I couldn't quite make it out. Squinting to the blinding glow, I saw a girl step out of the light and into my shadow....

And her bright power burned my darkness. My insides felt like they were on fire. I fell to the frigid ground, gasping for air. I looked at the sky, and it was blue!
"Whoa" I said.
"Hello" said the strange voice. Inside of me.

"I am now part of you. You can't change that."
"What the hell is going on?!" I screamed, holding my head in my hands. It felt as if a bullet shot through my head.

You know that if you don't want to continue the story, just start a new one. :)

I want to continue!

She smirked, and peered down at me. "I can't change anything. So you'd better get over the pain. It will subside in 1 hour."

(I didn't get the email! I'm sorry!)

"But you must've changed something. I mean... Everything looks so much... More colorful." I said to the girl. "At least tell me your name"
"If you insist."

"Anna Maria," she said. "And you have now become a person of no color. Not of light, not of dark. You must become the one you choose by fulfilling tasks given to you by the Princess of Light."

She paused.

"You're the only one who can decide your fate, and the only one to EVER have this option to change who they are. Choose wisely."

This was big. Change who I am? Princess of light? "Wha-?" I start but Anna Maria is gone. The snow seems colder again. I heard a voice in my head- light and feminine- no voice I'd heard before. It was telling me to travel north. I should've been more scared, but I was a long way from my home. And it wasn't even my home anymore. I walked north.

I shivered in the bitter cold, my cheeks turning red and the icy air chilling me to the bones, despite the heavy coat I wore.

With many questions swirling through my mind, I heaved through the snow, doing the only thing that seemed right to me. Wander. I had long lost my bearings.

Ann Marie? What is happening to me? I pondered.

As if answering my call, the voice in my head reappeared. Turn to the big tree on your left it said, there is a large knot in the trunk, reach in, and there you will find your first mission I turned. There was a big tree with a knot in the trunk. Cautiously, I turned and stuck my hand in the hole. To my surprise, i felt dusty parchment inside.

Mission One: To fulfill this task, go no farther, just solve this riddle.

What is the tallest building in the world??

I sat back and thought about it. What? I have not been around the world, how am I supposed to know this???

((to continue the story i will post the answer to the riddle: the library/bookstore (most stories) ))

((haha good one))

I didn't know of any tall buildings. It said it was a riddle so perhaps it was a trick question. Maybe i wasn't built for this kind of thinking. Maybe it was just too hard on my brain. I sighed and sat down in the snow. For a moment I wished I was home, even if my soul was dark. I could curl up in my bed with a dark book... A book?

Books! Otherwise known as STORIES, and stories the the levels of buildings!! I've got it.
"The library," I said allowed, just to make sure the voice heard me.
Correct.
I heard in my head.
Continue on your path.

And I did just that.

I wasn't sure how long I continued on that path, but it was a while because I was quickly getting hungry. "I'm hungry," I said aloud.
You know you don't have to say that out loud if you want to speak to me. it said.
"I know.' I said, aloud again because it was weird to talk to someone in my head. "So, what about food?" I didn't like the answer it gave.
Ignore your hunger. Your body no longer needs human food.
What had that girl done to me? I'm suddenly not human?

You were never human, the voice tells me.
You are the special chosen one. Now, ahead you will meet a man who will ask questions. Answer all correct, and you move ahead. Answer one wrong, you're out. Forever.
Good Luck, and the voice faded away with the wind.

I somehow knew that the voice wasn't going to come back. I felt even more on my own. I walked some more, trying to ignore my rumbling stomach and think about what the voice said. You were never human. You are the special chosen one What could that mean? I wasn't a superhero of any type. Just unluckily born into the dark city. I nearly walked into the man who the voice in my head had described. He was very tall, with a fancy pressed suit jacket and tie. When he spoke, his voice was low and menacing.
"You are the girl?" He said staring past my eyes into the very depth of my soul. I didn't think i had enough energy to reply with those eyes staring at me.

"Ummmm...uhhh...." I couldn't speak, his eyes were like, piercing my soul or something.
"You have, uh, some questions for, uh, me?"
"Yes," he bellowed, voice gruff and low.
"What is the unicorn of the sea?"

This was going to be a long day.

((BTW, the answer is narwhale))

I avoided his eyes to ponder his question. It wasn't long before I pictured the odd animal. What wa it called? Oh, narwhal! I looked at the man to tell him my answer, but when I saw his eyes again, I couldn't speak. "It's...it's....errr...ummmm..." His eyes made me sick. I took a big breath and closed my eyes. "Narwhal."
"Very good."His voice made me clutch my head. Who was he?

"Next question," he said in his grungy voice.

"What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening of its life?"
"Why I should answer your stupid questions?" I asked angrily. Unfortunately this made him angry, and his angry voice was even worse then his normal voice.
"Do want to return to your dark town?" I closed my ears, but I could hear him. "Answer my question."
"ugh," I said. "fine"

((it's a person- crawling on hands and knees when they're a baby, walking when they're an adult, and using two legs and a cane tip when they're old.))

"Ummm....can I think about it a little longer?" I asked when I sensed the man was getting impatient.
"Fine, but hurry," he barked at me.
Of it's life? What was that supposed to mean. Okay, rewind. Think. Life. Baby, kid, teen, adult, old person. WAIT! The three main ones are baby, which crawls on four limbs. adult, who walks on two legs, and old person, who uses a cane.
"Okay, okay," I said, recollecting my thoughts. "Baby crawling, adult walking, and old person using a cane?"
He simply turned around, started walking, and vanished into thin air.

At first I was just angry. How dare he just leave like that? Now what? I had a sudden feeling that this was another test. Call me crazy, but I could just feel it. But what could I be tested on. I waited there for a long time, a. Very long time. I fell asleep near a tree. It was morning when I woke up.

A bright blue bird was on my foot, and as I reached down to touch it, it turned into a rattlesnake, it's rattle, well rattling. I yanked my hand back, hardly daring to breath, when the snake bit me on the ankle.
"If you can defeat the next test, your life will be spared, and the poison gone," said a voice in my head.
"What's my test?" I gasped, already affected by the pain.
A slow chuckle, rumbled in my mind as my surroundings faded away, replaced with a scientist's lab.

My ankle was killing me, it was hard to concentrate, on anything.
"A father's child, a mother's child, yet no one's son." Ugh. Not another riddle. I knew I could figure it out but the snake bite on my ankle was making me dizzy. I couldn't think straight. Why was I doing this? Where was I? I was getting sleepy.

((it's a daughter))

((clever))
"It has to have parents," I wonder aloud. "No one's son...son?"
A child, but not a son!
"A daughter, it's a daughter," I said as loudly as I could, the venom was spreading and I could barely breath let alone speak.
The pain subsided and I could really breath again. Gasping air, the voice spoke again.
Carry on.
I took that as a signal to get up and continue down the path, winding around the trees.

It was another too long walk, I was hungry again, but I was getting us to ignoring it. When would these tests be over? I didnt know how much more I could take. Suddenly, the path in front of me dissapear, replaced by a huge black canyon. Whoa! Where did that come from? I nearly fell in, but managed to stop myself before the cliff.

To make it across, you must solve this riddle. Spoke the voice in my head.
Again, with the riddles, I thought.

I cam break, I can mend. I can't be cut, but can be severely ripped in two. I beat, I bleed. What am I?

These get harder and harder, don't they?

((heart))

I sunk down onto a rock, to ponder this. Breaking mending ripping cutting bleeding beating. What could it all mean. I put my hand to my head. I could hear my pulse in my ears. It was steady, bum bum bum. Beating. Beating! It can break, it can mend, it can't be cut... It's a heart. I didn't even have to say it out loud, before the voice in my head congratulated me.

One or five more tasks and you just might make it to your final destination. The voice said. Look straight out in front of you and say, "Bridge lay out before my eyes" and a bridge should appear. Cross it.
I repeated the words and, in the blink of an eye, a bridge did appear. Cautiously, I stepped out in front of me to see if the bridge was steady and strong. The step broke and I barley got back to the ledge in time.
You think you can cross without something in return? The voice laughs.
Give me an answer to this riddle and you may pass.

Now I was thoroughly confused. Now I can't think of a single answer. I was stuck. How was this even a riddle?

((what's the answer?))

((i didn't even make a riddle, sorry to confuse you!))

Now, I thought. Wait, did she even give me a riddle? I didn't hear one. "Can you give me the riddle please?" I said as pleasantly as I could.

((wow how stupid am I?))

"It's about time you asked. The riddle is: to what question can you never answer yes?"
Hmm, what question would that be? I think you say yes to any question...

((it's Are You sleeping?))

How can't you answer a question? I mean, even 'I don't know' is an answer! When can't you answer? Underwater? Dead? Unconscious? AHHH!
"When your sleeping!!"
There's no need to shout! I'm in your head!
The voice commanded.
"Sorry," I said aloud.
You may cross.
I walked across the bridge, this time without any steps falling out from under me. Once across, I came upon a homeless boy.
"Answer my question," he said.
"Okay," I say, thinking how small and lonely he is.
Transforming before my eyes, the boy becomes a fierce, scary beast.
"What is greater than God? More evil than the devil? The poor have it, the rich need it, and if you eat it you'll die?"

What.

((the answer is NOTHING))