Instantly regretting the action after a brief recognition of the pain in Xavier's features, I turn around to face out and immediately begin to run. My stomach roars with need, but I don't want to turn around and retrieve the fruit. If I turn around, I could lose it all in his eyes. I could feel that same indescribable desire that drives me crazy.Somehow, I just know that something about him is different. Different from the rest of my stalkers in this desperate world, different from my past memories and present emotions. It's a hard thing for me to describe, quite honestly, because I can't even begin to understand it myself. In this case, the word "different" must take on a myriad of implications and interpretations to reflect the chaos that is erupting in my own heart. I feel hatred, yet I feel an undeniable attraction. I want to slap him and stroke his cheek. But for the other people I've met here... nothing bothers me.I think maybe what I'm so afraid of is the intensity of my feel
"Yeah, these are the only living bushes we've found here," Yi said thoughtfully, "they only seem to grow around water sources.""Yeah, Ray said something about that. I wonder if these are plants that are simply attracted to water, or if there's some other reason for their location." I walk over to the plant, examining the roots and stems."Even though this is a forest, it's really the only part we've seen so far that looks truly alive," Ray comments, his feet gripping the gray grass as he approaches. "Isn't it weird that everything looks so gray here, like we just walked into a picture book? Even these stems and leaves on the plant have a grayish tint.I have to admit that Ray is right. The veins of the leaves are a deep gray, as if the very essence of this world is contained within them. Touching the leaves with my hand, I wince as a sharp edge slices through my skin. "What the fuck?" I mutter as the bright red pulses from my brand new wound on my thumb. It's throbbing, leading me to
"What next?" asks Ray, looking around at all our faces. We look back, as unaware as he is. There is silence between us, and not even the sounds of insects or birds can be heard. I fidget nervously in my seat on the dark gray rock."We need to find Wes and Jake," Xavier finally says with an authoritative tone, "I'm sure they're around here somewhere.""So far, everyone has been found within the same ten mile radius. Maybe scouting the rest of this area will prove fruitful," Danae said calculatingly, staring at a notebook in her hand. "We still have a lot we haven't covered.""I say we look for water," I said sharply. "There is only so much food near this tiny little pond, no matter how full the fruit is. And if on this trip we find Wes and Jake, so much the better. If we don't, we can always go back and look for them with a significantly higher chance of survival on both sides." I can see Yi and Griffin nodding after my suggestion. Xavier just looks at me with displeasure."I think Mon
We trekked for endless days and short nights. It seems at first that every step leads to deliverance, but when I lose that hope towards the evenings, it seems that we are only getting further away from our goals. We try to rest, but I am too anxious. So far we have seen nothing and no one except the Shifters.Even them I see only once or twice, and only at a glance, as if they were trying to hide us. It's strangely disconcerting to see the Shifters running from us, as if we were the bad guys in all of this. I guess from their perspective, we can be.To try to pass the time by walking and running, I've been practicing making weapons. After many experiments, I realized that weapons will not hurt tangible people, but will affect the world around us. I was afraid to try it before, but now I realize that it is necessary both for our survival and for an even higher purpose that none of us realize yet. Already I have a feeling in my heart that we are meant to travel to the water, because the
I have no thoughts. I feel a feeling - probably - but it's too hard for me to describe, extending beyond words and expressions.Xavier is kissing me, and I never thought it would be such a pleasant day.... good.Good is a pretty overused term, used to explain tons of different emotions and placed in many contexts, but in this case the word should be considered as a simple placeholder for a reality so indefinable that I wish it would last forever. Something so strange and beautiful loses its impact through communication, which is true for many things, and can only be delivered through experience.It's almost like the time I was a little girl and my parents took me to the beach for the first and last time in my life. I remember standing there, my feet sinking into the pure white sand, marveling at the magnificence that surrounded me. I could feel the hint of salt on my tongue, the wind caressing my little body. The sun cast its glow over me, making me feel like an angel bathed in holy l
I swing the spear with incredible force, hitting the large oak tree and jamming my weapon in the middle of it. My face drips with sweat, traveling down my face and body, but I don't care. I feel powerful when I wield a sword... like I can do anything.I'm alone in the forest, surrounded by dark gray foliage and towering trees that I desperately want to knock over. This would ensure that I had taken a step forward in my training, and I could finally take a break. My frustrations, which had initially led me here, had long since subsided, and now I could feel a dull ache in my bones."Nice, Mona." A voice bursts out, and I turn my head to see Ray, nonchalantly leaning against the side of the tree. "You're getting better."I don't really know how to take compliments, so I stare at him. "You're welcome.""Uh, bad words. I think you've been away from society too long. The correct answer is thank you." He laughs, and I can't help but laugh too."Actually, I'm right. You're welcome to come al
I crouch down, scanning the creature's body. There is no definite shape, but it lacks the usual intensity of a normal Shifter. Instead of the glare of a monster, its eyes contain the darkness of an inner turmoil. We continue to stare into each other's eyes, I can't seem to pull away.I try to call upon my past knowledge. Back at headquarters, when we met with the Shifters, I had a somewhat similar feeling. There was no hatred or resentment, as I would expect in other situations. What should I do? I wish there was some kind of manual that explained everything to me, because then everything would be so much easier.A small body of light leaves my body, surprising me with its sudden appearance. Without knowing what I am doing, my hand closes around it, trapping it in my grip. As I hold it, I can feel the compassion I had just felt.This light looks a lot like the other light Griffin and I saw at the well. I can only guess, but it seems that these...things are essences of our emotions, so
When I see a vast expanse appear on the horizon, I almost had a heart attack. This may seem odd, but after a few hours of travel, seeing anything other than moving Shifters and dead foliage is a big surprise. At this sight, my stomach starts to rumble furiously, probably more ready to reach the ocean than I am.We continue to travel, our steps pounding in unison. But now that we can see the end, we seem to be running at an increasingly slow speed. I find myself getting impatient, and I speed up, the rest of the group following easily. The ocean grows larger and larger with my excitement.It finally crawls over us, and we can finally slow down to a steady walk. The others clap next to me. Ray seems especially excited, jumping up and down with his backpack in his hands.Xavier looks at me, and we make eye contact. His face is twisted into a hesitant smile, and it's easy to notice that he may be a little apprehensive about the whole thing. "What is it?" I ask softly, not noticing that my