J’s Original work

Product of my own creativity. MASTERLIST

[jlpat82]

@kitkatkl I’ll pause here, most of the first ten chapter are about 1700 words or less. And after reading there are some jumbled spots. Any feed back would great.

The Heathen and The witch

Chapter 3

I woke on the ground with my hands tied loosely together, the smooth leather dangled loosely between my hands. It was dim in the tent however I could see a pile of black and tan furs in the laid out in one corner. There were trinkets in the other, copper cups, silver plates a chest of some sort with the lid open bits of silver buttons and copper coins scatter across the bare soil. A plate of eaten food had been left near the furs, a few flies buzzed around but what caught my attention were the bones that were picked clean.

Quickly I scrambled to my knees and scooted over, ignoring the fact with each movement it tried to pull the dress I was wearing down in the front. There was a rib, a leg and what look to be part of a vertebra, the animal was small, maybe bird of some kind. I pulled a long thing strand of remaining meat from the leg bone, tossing it back to the plate. Quickly I scooped them up, and went back to my corner but not before a a silver button on the ground caught my eye.

It too came with me to my corner.

Rapidly I drew a circle in the dirt and pulled the three stones from my pocket. The jasper was red and speckled with hints of green, the smoothness felt nice again my finger tips. It was much prettier in the day, even with this dim light that spilled in through the tent slit. The third stone I couldn't make out before was a smallish piece of smokey quartz, it was hazey but still semi transparent.

I closed my eyes and held all the pieces in my hands. Each piece already had a meaning, and they talked to me in away that others would never understand.

I breathed onto them, keeping my eyes closed as I did.

"It's time to wake up my beauties." I whispered over them, bringing them to my bowed forehead with my mind cleared. I breathed in and out calmly, allowing myself to relax, all the voices of the camp outside faded away. So it was just me and my bones, me and the pieces.

"Ancestors, guides," I spoke quietly, looking up at the roof of the tent as I shifted the pieces from one hand to the next gently. "Deities and Gods, I asked for your help. Give me guidance on how to survive my currant situation."

I shifted them from hand to hand until I felt their pull, slowly I spread my hands as much as I could and allowed the pieces to drop. I watched as they hit the dirt, and bounced to their final resting places. Even though the set was small the answer was clear as day, play into my strengths. Stand as what I am, but quietly. Not what I hoped to see but I was some bit of guidance.

Suddenly a man burst into the tent, startling me the process. His shoulder length black hair tied loosely with a bit of leather at the base of his skull. His dark eyes landed on me, and one scar riddled eyebrow raised in my direction. Another scar ran down the side of his face disrupting the full beard he had, which by the way it came down to the center of his chest. Silver and wooden beads adorned his hair and beard, this must of been the man Avrid that the men had talked about last night.

"Are you are seer?" He asked curtly, crossing his leather bound arms before his chest. "Or is this some form of Saxon treachery?"

I shook my head in response, he snorted and went to the pile of furs before sitting down his eyes on me the whole time. It was then I noticed his leather boots were coated in blood, glistening in the bit of sunlight that filter in through the tent opening. It made my stomach turn, thinking this man had possibly destroyed another town like the one from last night.

"Hmm?" He motioned at the pieces on the floor. "Are you a seer?"

I just stared at him for a minute. I understood what he asked of me, but I was in too much shock to comprehend completely. Not only were his boots covered in blood but so was his cheek, it looked like he or someone coated their fingertips in blood and swiped them down his face, strands of loose hair caught in the blood. Black ringed around his eyes much like women did with eye liner but it was smudged making his eyes more pronounced, making them seem more fierce. He stood sharply, startling me out of my daze. One step was all it took for him to get me and before I could really know what was happening pain seared across my face as he back handed me.

"I asked. Are. You. A. Seer?" He stated once again pausing after each word. Slowly I turned my face to look at him and I glared back at him. "I need to know my fate."

    Quickly I scooped up the pieces, I looked him dead in his eyes while I did. I shuffled the pieces from one hand to the next, the dread began to settle into my stomach. What ever the set would say, it wouldn't be good. The question was whether he would kill me or not for the reading. Surely he would kill me if I did not comply, and odds are he would kill me if the reading was bad. Looks like my death would happen in a foreign land and time. How's that for being a seer?

    I felt it, the pull to drop the pieces, and so I parted my hands never breaking eye contact with him. The items bounced on the soil like they did previously. Avrid's eyes watched the pieces, his brows raising in interest. Slowly I looked down as did he, to my surprise not a single item was left in the circle. There was no fate, he was fate-less, there was nothing about his present situation that anybody could comment on. I swallowed the lump in throat. Never before had all items managed to remove themselves from the circle. That meant one of two things, either they were in refusal to talk or, as my gut was telling me, he was fated to die and very soon.

   "What does that mean, girl?" He demanded, his face burning as spoke, when I glanced up I was met by cold eyes. His hand was already to his hip and on the hilt of a weapon that I couldn't fully see.

    I opened my mouth but before I could think of how to approach the reading one of the pieces began to tremble. I could feel it, the soil was vibrating. In a heart beat I snatched up the pieces as a horse cried out in the distance. The Avrid rushed out of the tent yelling at his men, readying them for battle, leaving me to myself. I could already feel the outcome, the real reason Avrid the Viking had no fate. Just like with the village I quickly pulled the teeth from my hair and attached them to my necklace, dropping it down the front of the dress. I knew the next set of captors wouldn't be Danes and so I needed to hide my true self.

    The yelling became cries of battle as I sat in the tent, hoping that I would be spared... again. I looked to corner where the various trinkets lay something shiny catching my eye. A chipped small coin shone lightly in the light and I snagged it slipping it too into my pocket.

The sound of metal on metal surrounded me with occasional clash of wood. I curled myself to the back of the tent, not that the skin walls would save me if a sword or axe slashed though but it gave me a hopeful illusion. The screams of pain and death filled my ears as I closed my eyes, trying to block it out. I knew this was the end of this camp, and I would be onto another. This time though it would not be with the 'heathens', instead one that could be just dangerous for me.

[jlpat82]

@kitkatkl if you start to snooze let me know. Lol.

The Heathen and The Witch

Chapter 2

The was dark mainly from the lack off windows, lit mostly by the fireplace off to the side. I sat at a wooden bench like table, small nicks in the heavy grain told me that not only was this used for eating it also preparing food. A bowl, of god knows what, sat in front of me, it didn't taste the greatest and smelled even worse but it was filling and I need to eat something. On the plus side I now had some suitable clothes on, albeit a dress two or three sizes to big but it was better then me walking around half naked. I refused whatever drink she had offered to me because it smelled like strongly of alcohol and something… something that made my eyes water.

"She has to be one of them." A man, who I presumed to be her husband, whispered in the corner of the living area. His dirt blonde hair was cropped about ear level and his skin was even more damaged by years out in the sun then hers.

They had been whispering for a bit, trying to make out who I was, and where I came from. At this point though I had decide it was in my best interest to stay mute. Which for the long haul would be a harder task I knew that but till I understood everything I needed to buy myself sometime.

"I tell you she isn't." The woman whispered back. I set the wooden spoon I was using down, my eyes snapping up to the mud colored wall before me. I needed to leave and I wasn't sure why I had the strong pull to leave, but I knew if I didn't something bad was going happen to me.

"You saw the tattoos, they're heathen." He whispered angrily, his weight shifted under the balls of his leather covered feet.

"I'm tellin you she's not, she's too sweet to be one of them."

"She bettered not be, the king hears we befriended one." He spat out, turning to face her suddenly.

"Nonsense." She stated as she came over, ignoring the man's obvious anger. "Would you like some more?"

I shook my head, looking down at the half eaten bowl. My eyes drifted over to the door and gave her a half hearted smile before mouthing the words thank you to her. My heart skipped, and I felt the pull again, my knee started to bounce wear I sat and I bit my bottom lip. My eyes darted from her, back to the door and back to her again.

"I understand that you must be leaving but are you sure you would not want to rest the night?" She asked as she grasped the bowl from in front of me, taking over to a pile of other dirty dishes near the door. "The roads are not safe for a lady such as yourself to travel alone and they are even more perilous at night."

I shook my head as I stood, feeling the rough wood against the soles of my bare feet. Again I was remind that I came here with very little of my own. The woman followed me to the door and once again I mouthed the words thank you to her as I stepped out the door into the cool nights air. The moon was on its ascent above me against the inky back drop, stars beginning to peak out.

I knew my next task was to blend in at least until I could get a bearing on the land and era evidently I was in. So far, I knew that these people didn't have any thing modern. Whether it was cars, electricity, running water. That could be any century before the eighteen hundreds. Somehow in my sleep I was Dr. Who-ed into the past by at least 200 years. Woohoo.

The cool dirt beneath my feet kept me grounded as I walked along the dirt road heading up the backside of village back towards the other forest. It was still warm out from the sun beating down on it as the chilly night air took hold of everything around me. The animals of the night already rousing from their slumber and the insects all ready out buzzing around. I stopped for a brief moment as I walked my eyes catch a glint that was being reflected from the ground. I spotted a couple of stones off to the side of the road, seemly out of place, twinkling in the light provided by the moon. Even in the moonlight I could pick up the hints of color they had.

Jasper, and possibly amethyst, vague hues of color tinted them lightly. The third was harder to see as I held it up, trying catch it in the little light the night provided. While I held the small stone up my eyes caught sight of fire in the town below the hill. I blinked a couple of times while I stared down not fully comprehending what I was seeing.

Slowly I pocketed the stones not even dawning on me that the dress hand pockets. I watched as the entire town caught the blaze, my blood ran cold when it had fully dawned on me why I had the feeling to leave like I did. Each building had flames licking up toward the heavens, embers flew up when a roof collapsed. Suddenly it was like someone turned up the volume, I could the screams and yells echo up toward me.

My old life I could feel things before they happened, I could read random items I would scatter to the ground (most of which were bone). I knew the purposes of plants both wild and store bought, some for medicinal and some for not so medicinal. I wasn't anything special, I was just someone who had a strong intuition and a strong belief in the old ways.

Just like before with feeling I needed to leave I knew I needed to put the coyote teeth back in my hair and pull my necklace back out. I made an attempt to roll up the sleeves on the dress to expose the Norse compass that was on my left inner forearm but the heavy fabric would not stay. Whether I was actually heathen or not, I needed these people to recognize me as one. The sound of the horses coming up the hill almost sent me in a panic.

It wasn't long before I was surround by men on horse back. The light of the moon reflecting on the metal of their weapons and silver beads in their hair. I could smell the smoke on them or maybe it was the blaze below, I wasn't sure. My heart hammered in my chest as I held my hands up showing them my empty palms, I turned in a complete circle, realizing that they had fully surrounded me.

"Look, a Saxon straying so far from home." One of the men stated, his voice deep and even more heavily accented then the two in the village.

"We should kill her." Another man stated, malice echoed in each word.

"Paint the soil red with her blood."

"She should die like every other Saxon."

Fear welled up in me, and I could feel my hands tremble. I tried to steady my breathing as a chorus agreed to my death, my eyes darting to darkened faces wondering who could cast the first blow. They drowned out every other sound that the night provided, Saxon, heathen, I had been thrown farther back in time then I had originally thought, back to the Viking age.

That ran from seven hundreds all the way to the turn of the tenth century. Was England a country? Or was it still a kings dreams? Who were the kings in reign right now? America hadn't been found by English, and who knew if the Vikings had yet. My heart leapt to my throat as I tried to make out faces from the crowd that surrounded me and felt like they were closing in.

     I didn't know a lot of this era, all I knew was during this time the area of England or what would be a England was at constant war with the Danes. They fought for land, fought over religion, the only name I knew was Alfred the Great who's rein ended in 899. Me being a "witch" would of been the least of my concerns at the moment. I needed to be more worried about whether these people currently thought I was a Saxon, someone who worshiped God through the church. Or whether I was Dane, a pagan, heathen, Viking, someone who worshipped the old Norse Gods.

     As someone who practiced in osteomancy, the art of bone throwing divination, I collected herbs and wild plants for their medicinal uses as well as magical properties, this could prove tricky for me. I was neither, I was neither Saxon nor Dane I wasn't born in this the time, how could I be either? Or was I both?

"No, I think we should take her back with us. Let Arvid decide, he did want a prisoner." The first man stated, I took an uneasy step back only to bump into a horse. I heard a rustle, and started to turn around but in a instant the world around me went black.

[jlpat82]

@kitkatkl this is one the works I’ve hit a wall with, ignore any character names in it as they will be change long before I’m ready to do anything with. I’m not sold on the title either, so odds are that will change.

The Heathen and The Witch

Chapter 1

   The bright morning sun filter down through the canopy of branches high above me as I held my hand above my face, shielding my eyes. Blinking as confusion surrounded my fogged brain to the deep greens and mahogany colors that greeted my vision. I slowly sat up noticing the fallen leaves and tuffs of grass surrounding the spot where I had been laying. The sound caw from a raven over head greeted me through as a multitude of song birds. Somewhere to my right was a stream, the sound of consistent water babbling over rocks echoed up the embankment where I was.

I grasped a hold of the iron antique key that hung from my neck, the cool metal brought a small comfort to me as I desperately tried to wheel my mind around everything I was seeing. My fingers trailed over the two smooth glass vials that dangled from it on bits of chains. Bottles that held small stones, dried herbs, and bits of resin. Everything was wrong, I should not be here. A shiver tore through my body at that thought.

The cool wind blew across my bare legs, reminding me when I had fallen asleep I was in only my tank top and underwear. My eyes scanned the forest, also when I had fallen asleep I was in my bed, under my blankets in my bedroom, located inside my house at night. How I got here, was a complete other story. Though I had a feeling it would a be long time before I learned the reason how I got here or the why for that matter.

Slowly I rose to my feet as the raven cackled high above me again, somewhere in the distance another chortled it's reply. There was a stream was somewhere to my left, I could barely catch hints of light reflecting from it's surface through the branches and brush on it's bank. It was down from where I was on the embankment, only a couple feet away.

    Cautiously I walked up the embankment, grasping a hold of bush branches to help me up as it was steeper then I had realized. When I breached the top to my dismay I found a wide dirt path, well wore and very used. The hoof prints marred the compacted dirt, deep thin ruts cut into the bare soil, and light human foot prints. Not a path but a dirt road. I cocked my head to the side as I stare down at the wheel ruts and horse prints, my mind going a million miles an hour.

I could feel my face pinch up, this had to be an odd dream of some sort. There was no reason I should of fallen a sleep in my room to wake up in forest next to a dirt road. Hell, I don't even remember any place having a dirt road minus the ones on farms or way out in the country. Maybe even up near the mountains you would find old dirt roads, ones that were close to being washed out by heavy rains, but this, this looked to be used quite regularly. And not anywhere near where I lived, in the middle of a suburban neighborhood.

Turning my head to one direction and then to the other I couldn't make a discernible reason in which direction to go. All I knew is I need pants and then away to either call home, since my cell phone was last seen on my bedside table…. or a way to get home. And hopefully not run into anybody willing to do harm to a pants less woman wandering around by herself or lock me up for indecent exposure. Though if I had my pick it would be the second of those two options.

Picking a direction I started to walk feeling the uneven soil beneath my feet, and a pair of shoes would be nice too. The ground itself wasn't too rough for the bottoms of my feet but in time with my luck I would step on a piece of glass or metal, some how cut them. At least it wasn't cold.

   It was a warm morning as far as I could tell from the sunlight that filtered through the sea of greenery above me, and there was a nice breeze. Every gentle blow would catch stands of my hair that had fallen loose through the night. Quickly I reached up and pulled the elastic hair tie from my hair, running my hand gently through the curls to pull the random stands out. My fingers trailed across the twin dutch braids on the left side of my head, feeling the coyotes teeth that dangled against them.

I grasped ahold of the bulk of my hair in an attempt to pull it all back again when I heard the unmistakable sound of hooves hitting dry earth. The sound coming from behind me at a rapid pace.

My heart skipped as I stopped in my tracks looking over my shoulder in the direction of the sound. I couldn't quiet see them, but now I had a decision to make. Stay on the road, pant-less, or jump into the brush. Neither sounded like a decent option but I hurried off to the side just as the first rider crested the hill that I hadn't realized I had started to walk down.

The first of the horses was white, mud smeared up it’s legs and under it's belly. The rider a top the beast was clad in dark leather with small metal looking spikes jutting out of it. He had a heavy black fur strung across his shoulders, the hilt of a sword sticking out from the top. His dark hair was shoulder length and moved effortlessly unbound as he rode, eyes cast to the road ahead of him. I noticed the lack of saddle, that between him and his beast was a creamy curly fur coat from some type of animal. On the side of the animal was a circular shield, images of blackened wolves heads, four in total with a deep blue plus sign in the center.

   The four men that followed behind him were dressed in a similar fashion, though each uniquely different. Each held weapons of some sort, each with shields that looked like the first. And as each rider past my confusion spiraled further and further. Who, and what or where were these men were headed.

I sat there hidden in the brush, my mouth slightly open as I watched all five of men ride by. I waited till I knew they were long ahead of me before I continued on the road in direction that I had been going. My mind spinning in circles on what I had just seen. They looked like people from a medieval movie or a documentary, which had I been wandering around in a random forest to be begin with then that would be okay, I guess. Though I wasn’t in the right country for such a thing, one would think. So dreams it had to be, however even for my dreams this was weird and odd, and completely not normal.

Hours seemed to passed as I walked, the sun rose higher in the sky as my feet moved me further. My mind refusing to make a conclusion to what I had seen. Slowly though, my feet were beginning to ache and my mouth was becoming dry. It wasn't till the sun past the highest point the sky did I come to the forest edge. The road however, continued on, and town lay ahead or what looked like a town at least.

The houses, buildings, dewellings didn't look like any I had seen. The roofs were thatched with either branches or thick straw and the walls weren't made of brick in the sense I had seen. They looked more like they been constructed of mud and smoothed out the best as possible with small thing windows. It village was surrounded by fields and there were people out racking or tilling the soil. They dressed in clothes from another time period, women in heavy dresses in tans and browns. The men in long sleeve looking tunics and high waisted leather looking pants.

    It all looked like something made for a reenactment film of some sort, a documentary, but deep in my gut it told me that was the wrong conclusion. I blinked hard a couple of times as I watched these people at the valley of the two hills, as the road sloped through the village before climbing back up the hill on the other side where the forest picked back up.

I felt naked, mainly because I was, no pants, a tank top, covered in dirt and sweat. I quickly tucked the key and vials into my top and took the elastic hair out of my hair allowing my curls to fall and partially cover my braids. Something told me that broadcasting these tiny bits would spell trouble for me. Quickly unhooking the coyote teeth clips from my dutch braids and attached them to the necklace allowing them to fall into hiding with the key.

Slowly I walked toward the town feeling woefully under dressed and very exposed. An older woman out in field closest to me looked up as I neared, she blinked hard and her mouth slowly open, her wide eyes locked onto me. Her thick fingers held up her skirt to her muddy dress and leather shoes toed through the dirt quickly as she could as she raced straight over to me leaving behind the the wooden rake she had been using.

Her dark hair was  pulled back, highlighted with wisps of grey, she had tanned leathered skin from working out in the fields and her thin lips were pressed firmly together as she approached me.

"Lady, what has happened to you?" She asked with an accented tone. I looked around, how do I respond? I wouldn't sound like her if I spoke, I didn't know what their speech patterns were, and the language was. Even though she spoke English, would any verbiage I used doom me? I knew I wasn’t in my time as I looked around, my brain working slower then it usually did.

Slowly my eyes landed onto her as she look up at me with concern, I shook my head and looked back down at lack of my clothing.

"Was it the heathens?" She asked as she grasped a hold of my biceps her hands rough and warm against my skin, slowly I shook my head. "Poor girl, come with me, we'll get you some clothes."

[jlpat82]

Apathy

When depression takes hold at midnight and the darkness takes it’s despairing hold upon life. Hopeless and distraught, the nothingness that seizes you, it’s a curse that the never ending blackness covers you fully. Sunlight never penetrating, warm never comforting, the millions of thoughts that crowd the darkened recesses of a clouded and twisted mind.

Thoughts that you had locked away, slowly seep through the key hole, each one encroaching, each one terrifying, a liquid streaming of hate and nothing. Feelings go numb to the onslaught of disparity, falling further and further down the bottomless pit of a mine shaft that has tunneled its way deep in your life. The ebbing pain of not feeling, the realization that all joy has been sucked away from you, vacuumed out into space any hope of a easy distraction.

Laying awake with apathetic thoughts, trying your best to muster up the care. To go through the motions of life, to throw on the mask that resides upon the wall of the emptiness in your hallowed shell. Fronting the illusion that life and it’s many un-wonderous temptations have some meaningful token. Tears that never form lay unshed as you stare up at the ceiling just trying to give a fuck about the next day.

The consistent screaming in your head, the never ending companion that you didn’t want, one that refuses to budge. It’s noise drowning out logic, all reason, whispers of self hatred. The confusion, the static, the emptiness, brings you to a crashing halt. It’s gives you immobility, the petrified state, frozen in an endless loop. Tomorrow is another day, tomorrow will be better, the mantra, the lie you tell yourself, just trying to bide yourself some more time. Just to give you one ounce of courage, one singular fucking hope. When all you want to say is fuck it all, just have it to all go to hell, to leave you be.

Life and it’s fucked up everything can just leave you be, let you alone, allow you to surrender. You close your eyes, the feelings will pass, the cloud of nothingness will slip back to whatever forsaken hell it came from. Whether it leaves before it ruins you, before it wrecks and destroys everything you’ve work so hard to build. It’s when depression takes hold at midnight, whether in the darkened world around you or the midnight of your soul, lost, tired and alone, you give into apathy.

[jlpat82]

Something

I love creating worlds, new, fresh, invigorating. But sometimes I just want to get threw the whole damn thing so I can’t write this idea in my head down and have it make sense!!

Like dammit just work already, I don’t want to write this, I want to write that, oh hey let’s gets distract by_______.

UGH!!

[jlpat82]

So You Want To Start A War

They said the earth used to be bright, they said the earth used to be warm. That life was easier, that walking as safe. The planet was stifled by fighting between human and human, the wars that the earth faced were only caused by man.

But that was along ago, that was before the darkening. That was when money had meaning, when people went to jobs and the biggest worry was being late. That was before they woke and took back over a planet that we thought was ours. It never really was ours, and they made sure to remind us of that, as violently as they could.

Ancient beings, things that had been described in folklore. Once they woke, the world was never the same.

@kitkatkl @devilbat

[jlpat82]

The Dream

Excerpts of an unfinished work.

———-

     The cold was overwhelming, it seeped into my bones where it refused to relinquish its hold. The shiver that tore through my body came from deep within, it was a full body shiver. I pulled my bare arms tight across my body, trying in futile desperation to fight off the frigid wind. I bowed my head as I walked into the storm that pelted me with sharp snow, the winds howling through the naked trees. The air stung my eyes as I attempted to see where I was going in the inky night.

       I lost my footing and came to my knees, snow surrounding me to my waist. Tears threatening to spill, I could feel the frustration building. I had no clue where I was, where I was going, or how I even came to this point. I would die here in the dark of night, surrounded by nothing but snow and dead trees. No one would find me, no one would notice I was gone, no one would ever realize that I was missing. I tried to pushed my self to my feet but tired legs gave out.

     I screamed, I screamed out the fear, the frustration, the anger. I screamed cause I wasn't ready to give up. I pushed my hands into the snow, the cold enveloped them in the instant. Pain stinging the tips as I pushed my weight forward, bracing my body as I found my footing again. Slowly I restraighten myself, looking up the hill.

     I saw it, the shadow. It darted just out of sight on the other side of the hill again. Fear found its purchase and took hold. Someone or something was watching me.

@kitkatkl

[jlpat82]

Life

   Life, it ebbs and flows along the coast line like an ocean, calm and serene. Bringing with it joys, and miracles. Time is limitless in its endeavors, hope and love, tranquil sun rises and stunning sunsets.

    The curse about the ocean is the never ending doubt that one day the storm will come shattering the falsehood and the beautiful illusion. Life, just like endless bounty that the ocean provides comes turbulent. Once steady and soft waves that licked the warm soft sands comes crashing across, ripping the tiny granulates of shell and earth forever changing them. It rages.

     Water becomes a boiling, bubbling, frothy mess, destroying, tearing, ripping and wrecking savagely across a once smooth glassy, glossy surface. Waters turn dark reflecting the endless, moon deprived sky as as the the pitch black void above turns darker and darker.

     Lighting bolt across the heavens, rippling outward, cascading the ocean further into despair as it breaks across everything it touches. It rips trees from its rooting, tosses ships about like a discarded toy, havoc and destruction. It takes no prisoners. Leaving everything battered and broken in its wake.

    Everyone along the coastline knows the storm will pass, that the torrent will calm and the serenity will return. For now, like in life, it's time that has to pass for the calm water to return.

@kitkatkl @devilbat

[jlpat82]

Forever Mortality

She stood in the darkened room, the quiet stillness of night had settle upon every surface of muted house. Moments, sounds, haunting ghosts of the past seemed to play on the empty walls as the soft glow of head lights passed by opened curtainless windows. The warmth of a silent tear fell from her face as the realization alone is all she had, and alone she shall forever be.

He stepped out into inky night, the soft glow of street lamps long out, the sudden chorus of pops in the distance. He turned his head, hair brushing the collar of his coat, eyes scanning the void street. Heart rate never raising, the stillness of the night at one with the man who's wings were blacker then empty night sky. In the thousands years of multiple lifetimes he has always found her, always loved her, and always left her.

The city bustled by them both, unaware of the thread that cut through concrete, rippled past people and cars. A thread as old as the stars, one that connect the hearts of two, one that could never die, and the other of someone who would always die. He was invisible to all till their time came, except her. She had always seen him, and always loved him no matter how he came to her last.

Hushed steps, slow confidant strides, black shoe on wet black top. He stops, his eyes trained on the boy bleeding out, people surrounding him hooking tubes and devises to the child. Slowly he kneels down, cool drops fall from the heaven as crystal blue eyes meet those fear stricken of the damned. A word is never exchanged as he holds a hand reassuring hand out.

She looks at the walls, shadows dance before her, her eyes never moving as they play out before her. Eyes that never saw the light of the morning sun touch the brilliance of the sunflowers surrounding her home. Eyes that stopped working long ago, but still allowed her to see him. The man with wings, dressed of a time that no longer existed, with eyes so blue she could loose herself for an eternity.

Forever bound by a single thread, separated by mortality.

@kitkatkl

[jlpat82]

Not Our Home

A hundred years after the last of the bombs dropped humanity lives in confined buildings mostly under ground. In a society where the elite rule over those they deem lesser then themselves.

Julieanne longs for the days of the past, one where she could step foot in the world outside the compound she lives in. Everyone knows that world is tainted and nothing survives. That is till she sees handprints on the outside of the glass.

Suddenly her world is flipped and the revolution will start.

Prologue/Chapter 1  Chapter 2  Chapter 3  Chapter 4 Chapter 5  Chapter 6  Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9  Chapter 10 Chapter 11  Chapter 12  Chapter 13  Chapter 14 Chapter 15  Chapter 16  Chapter 17  Epilogue

[jlpat82]

Finally in it’s entirety, since tumblr has lifted my adult content. (idiots)

[jlpat82]

Testing

Seeing if this account is still blurred.

[jlpat82]

Not Our Home

Epilogue

The next couple of weeks were spent clearing the debris and the dead. We threw the food bricks in the furnace, never again will we cannibalize each other. Our numbers in total had been drastically reduced, our fight totaled our numbers in half. The last few members of swat turned themselves in, most relieved it was over. They had only been falling orders, and wished to start new lives and that they were given.

We toured the old elite side of the complex. They had large rooms dedicated to growing small crops, plants I have never seen. Green round leafy plants that you could eat, I was told it was lettuce but to me it just tasted like water. It was sight to behold, wonders I had never seen.

I had always thought growing up there were more of them, the elite, than us of the working class but in reality there wasn't. Their side of the complex was large and expansive but only contained half as many as ours. A lot of the their space was put aside for growing food, wether it be crops or some weird little creature called a chicken.

There had been no tubes or tunnels connecting to other places like ours. We had been a lone society in the middle of no where far removed from other people. It was an odd thought to think that we might be  what was the last of descendants of humanity.

Then came the day I had wanted all my life. I walked with Reaper up to one of the doors that led to the outside world. The place I had been dreaming of since I was child.

"Are you sure you want to, kid?" He asked, looking down at me with those beautiful honey eyes.

"More then anything." My voice raised in excitement.

"Then open the doors." He chuckled.

Tentatively I place my hands on the large bar and pushed down. I heard a click as it unlatched, I closed my eyes and braced myself. So many things raced through my head, wonder to fear of eminent death.

"Seriously Julianne, just push the door open!" My sister urged from behind us.

I gave the door a shove, warm wind kissed my bare skin as the sun was starting to set. I opened my eyes, looking out as the sand swirled against the ground. Slowly I started to step out, taking a deep breath in. I could smell the earth, the ground was warm and it felt weird, gritty and soft, beneath my bare feet. The wind made a whispering sound, it never occurred to me that the wind could make a noise.

I took a couple steps out, turning slowly in circle taking everything. In the distance was the old city, grey and distorted, hills of sand between us and it. My eyes landed on my sister, a huge smile was across her face she looked around in wonder. This is what the outside felt like. Openness in every direction, it felt free and I felt small.

"This is my world." Reaper finally spoke, wrapping his arms around from behind me. "There is reason being in those buildings is foreign to me. I have lived the last hundred years in this open vastness the walls close in and it makes it difficult to breathe for me."

"Julianne," My sister spoke up, I turned to look at her. "Do your lungs hurt?"

I could feel it, the slight burning sensation deep in my chest. The air seemed to become thick suddenly, my heart started to speed up. I looked up at Reaper as I started to take deeper heavier breaths trying pull in more oxygen, I saw a pained look sweep across his face.

"Let's get you back inside." He put his hand on my back guiding me back to the building. I was starting to get light head as we made the short trek back into the building. I was gasping as we shut the door, my chest heaved painfully with each intake.

"How can be toxic?" My eyes connected with Reaper's.

"It's not." Preacher replied, rubbing my sisters back as she doubled over breathing as hard as I was.

"Then why?" I stammered.

"You're not used to it." Reaper replied for him. "I've lived out there so long, my body is used to it and I differ from you."

"You didn't have any problems?" Sasha questioned Preacher.

"Mod.." He started before being cut off.

"If you even say modified so help me, Lucas." She barked back him. I glanced the door, my dreams had just come crashing down around me. I couldn't enjoy the one thing I had hoped for, and now I was unsure of what I was going to do.

We walked back to the apartment in silence, we passed by the common room. People were laughing and dancing on the hardwood floor. Kids ran around trying catch one for fluffy precarious birds. I wished I could be joyous with them, but there was a gnawing sensation growing in the pit of my stomach.

After walking through the door of our home I flopped onto one of the couches. Preacher came in and took a seat on the other, watching his friend as he walked to the window gazing out over the moonlit landscape. Sasha waltzed over and curled up onto the seat next to Preacher, the two had become inseparable.

"You really should just get this over with." Preacher stated, breaking the silence, his eyes never wavering from the man at the window.

"Get what over with it?" Sasha stared at him in bewilderment. There went that twisting turning feeling in my gut again.

"Being here with the three of you has reminded me what it was like being around close friends and family. Something I never thought I would ever feel again." Reaper finally spoke, his back to us. "However, I feel like a caged animal, yearning for freedom."

He finally turned, his eyes landed on me. I dared myself not to cry, as he calmly walked to me. He knelt before me, taking my hands into his. This it what I had been dreading, upon the realization I could not stay in the outside world.

"Julianne, I cannot stay here. This is not my home, my home is out there." I could hear the pain in his voice, I could feel a tear slowly travel across my cheek.

"I know, I've seeing with way you stare out of the tubes when you think you're alone. But.." I trailed off, my head down casted, hair spilling in front of my face. He reached up, tilting my chin till we made eye contact.

"Your place is here, you have a society to rebuild they will need someone to lead them, and guide them." His words were soft, another tear collided with the first and fell from my chin it pooled on the back of my hand.

"I can't." My words caught in my throat.

"Yes, you can. You'll have Preacher and your sister to help you." He glance over the two sitting on the couch.

"You won't go at this alone." Preacher spoke up. "Besides, I fear if I leave this one alone she'll winding up pinned by some slithering beast."

"I loath you." She smacked him on the shoulder as he chuckled. Catching her hand as she went to smack him again.

"I loath you too, love."

"So this is it?" I asked meekly meeting his eyes again. "Your leaving."

"I'll always come back to you, kid." He wrapped his arms around me, embracing me.

~~~

Reaper and I stood at the door again, alone this time. He held me for a long time as I pulled myself together. I felt like I had known him my whole life and that he only just entered at the same time. I hated myself for crying, I worried that he would never come back, that something would kill him and I'd never know.

"You promise to come back?" I asked pulling my head back off his chest.

"For you, always." He replied before kissing me, I leaned in grasping his shirt hoping this moment would last forever.

He finally pulled away, I watched as he open the outside door. We both stepped out together. Droplets graced my skin, cool and wet. The moonlight twinkled in the puddles that had formed, rippling with each new drop of rain that joined. The rain made a light pitter patter as it danced across the land. I stopped just outside the threshold, my arms crossed as I watched my watcher walk confidently out into the night.

He left just as he came into my life, on a rainy night. Quietly just like the first time, a hurricane had in between that short time and life for me would never be the same. A mixture of feelings rolled through and a cold shiver racked through my body.

I stayed longer then I should of, past the point of my lung burning. I could no longer see him when I turned and walked back through the door. I gave it hard shove, closing it. I walked to the tube I first saw him and sat on the floor drench to the bone as a green streak arced in the distance.

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@kitkatkl

Not our home tag-

@devilbat @tarithenurse @radicalesbians @lilmissravingwriter r @no-fuhking-idea @shynara51 @error-page

Let me know if you want tagged.

[jlpat82]

Not Our Home

Chapter 17

My wrists were locked and chained to the floor in the empty metal room, I sat on my knees, covered in slime and blood. I had been stripped of my vest, and my boots. I looked around wildly, I had no clue where Riptide had taken me, my left shoulder throbbed from an attempt to break free of him and I was pretty sure it was dislocated as the pain was too unbearable to move it. I had little doubt my friends would ever be able to find me, life could not get any worse.

The metallic sound of the door unlocking startled me. My heart jumped and proceed to race, it was discomforting to see Riptide come in. The tray table he pushed squeaked in protest, and his sinister grin didn't help the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Whatever he had planned was going to excruciatingly painful.

"Evening." He chuckled. "I bet you're wondering what's in the table."

"Nope, don't think I want to know."

"Well, fortunately for you, I forgot I had these little trinkets." He pulled a long two prong rod out from drawer.

~~~

"Have you figured it out?" Sasha huffed as they paused so Preacher could get his bearings. They had ran in a circle returning to the room Julianne was last seen but there had been nothing left but ruble. Since then they had descended four floors, ascending two and then dropping another three in attempt to shake the beast chasing them. Sasha was throughly exhausted and she wasn't sure how much more running she take before she dropped.

"Maybe, I don't know." He replied, they had come to dead end. He took the wrong turn at the last intersection, it had been a while since he had roamed the dormitories. This was a section he had never been in, and now staring at the wall ahead of him he realized his error, one that could prove to be deadly.

"Maybe? You don't know?" She shrieked , a scream came from the turn at the end of the hall. "Please tell me there is away out of this hall."

"Wish I could, love." He responded, finally making eye contact. He saw the fear in her eyes when he told her that, she trusted him to get them to safety and he failed again. Just like he had failed Elise and Julianne. He pushed her behind him but he wasn't going to just let her get torn to shreds without him trying something. "Stay behind us."

Reaper dropped to a knee in front of Preacher facing the direction the beast was coming. Preacher stood behind him, both locked and ready to fight. Slowly it slinked around the corner, both men started firing. Shells lodged into the side the deformities head and shoulder, it snapped around facing the two, licking its face with its massive tongue. It released a low growling hiss, as it stalked toward the trio. A shell tore a chuck from it's shoulder, blood sprayed the wall momentarily before Sasha witness the skin stitch itself back together. It was in that moment she realized how hopelessly screwed they were. It didn't matter where the shell ripped through the wound would close up within seconds. The wendigo surged forward, knocking both men into opposite walls, rifles scattered across the floor as it pinned her to the wall by her waist. She pushed back with all her strength to keep it’s snarling mouth away from her. Saliva and blood slid down it's chin, creating a slickness that made it hard to gain a purchase from.

The wendigo pulled back on it's hunches, and lunged forward trying to get past her hands. A long onyx talon pierced her shoulder, pain exploded instantly. She screamed in pain, sending the beast into a snapping fury, foam frothing from it's mouth, spit spraying on her face. Her hand slipped, resulting in her holding it back with only her elbow. It's teeth just inches from her face, she crinkled her face in disgust as the thing's tongue slipped out and whipped across her cheek wildly.

Suddenly it went rigid, tilting its head, listening. It's hissed it's hot breath across Sasha's face, the smell of putrid decaying flesh filled her senses. Slowly animal reached back digging its talons into ceiling, puncturing the cement, and flipped it's body the opposite way. The beast landed deftly on its feet racing back the way it came. Reaper and Preacher slid down the wall, taking in a gasping breath. They looked at one another, then over to Sasha who was slumped against the wall. Hair cast in front her face, looking down toward the ground. Her shoulder bleeding profusely, her chest was heaving with every heavy breath she took. She looked up at both of them, while taking in a deep breath.

"Thanks for the help." She remarked as she pushed herself back up off the wall, bracing as she started to lose her balance.

"Love, if we hadn't been pinned, I assure you, we would of tried to help." Preacher stood and walked up to her. His vest was ripped and hanging to the side, he let it slide from his shoulder.

"Why did it stop?" She asked as he pulled her sleeve up inspecting the damage done to her shoulder. He could see though muscle, the hole was large and ripped piece of flesh dangled down.

"It heard its own kind, or something that sounds like it's own kind. Defending it's food supply is their top priority, including over feeding." Reaper responded retrieving the rifles, he inspected them for damage. He sighed as he dropped one back to the floor.

"So there is another one in the building again." She questioned, Preacher placed his hand on the hole in her shoulder. "Hang on, what are you doing?"

"Not necessarily, when you sister screamed earlier it attracted one." Reaper stood guard, looking away from the two.

"Me? I'm not doing anything. Just go back to talking with Reaper." Preacher smirked.

"Why?" No sooner then she had asked him a burning sensation coursed through her shoulder, causing her knees to go weak. Preacher caught her with his free arm as he pressed tighter against the wound.

~~~

Riptide walked back toward the metal table, he put the electrode away, rummaging through it. I lay on my side against the cold floor, tears slowly traveling down my cheeks. The pain was intense, I felt like every nerve was on fire and my muscles spasmed erratically. I couldn't move, all I could was watch and pray for death to find me.

"I thought you would put up more of fight." His voice was calm,  I think that's the part that bothered me the most. He was calm, I don't know what I'd expect a crazed madman to sound like but being calm was definitely not it.

"Go to hell." I murmured, barely even being able to hear myself through my clenched teeth.

"Hmm, what was that?" He asked, pulling a long braided rope out of the table. "You'd like the whip, now that I can do."

He swung his arm up, and snapped it back down. I was helpless but to watch as the cord arced up, flicking in midair making a loud wicked snapping sound. He threw it loosely over his shoulder, and turned to face me. He stepped slightly to the side, as grin slowly played across his scar covered face. I averted my gaze, I knew what was coming but I didn't have to give him the satisfaction of him watching my face contort in pain. It was sudden, the searing pain across my shoulders and chest, stealing the breath from my body. I drew a deep breath in just as the second lash whipped it's way across my hip and abdomen. I screamed instinctively, which roused laughter from the evil being in the room. I bit my tongue as the third racked across my thighs.

~~~

"Yep, let's just follow the blood sucking, skin piercing thing from hell in hopes it's not running into another blood sucking, skin piercing thing from hell. It's a wonderful plan, maybe on the way we can stop and sing rousing number with swat." Sasha whispered to herself, as they tracked the gouges in the cement.

"You have a better plan? Then by all means please disclose them." Preacher quipped from behind her. She rolled her eyes, this has got to be the dumbest plan she had ever heard she thought to herself. Reaper's plan was to follow it hoping to lead them to Julianne. As much as Sasha prayed that was the case she wasn't holding her breath. Nothing had gone in their favor since they woke up.

"I thought the two of you were the genetically modified ones, I'm following your lead." She snipped, the crack of a gun going off shut her up.

"You two drop your weapons!" Someone from behind them announced.

"Well, isn't this charming." She looked over her shoulder. Preacher rolled his eyes as he turned around and placed the handgun on the floor. Evidently he couldn't see past the two of them to Reaper.

"Charming is not what I'd call this. This is a mild annoyance." Preacher responded as Sasha turned to face the man.

"A mild annoyance, I'm afraid to see what massive annoyance would be." She retorted.

"Are you two married?" The man asked, he was dressed in plain black with a handgun, not vest. It was obvious he wasn't swat.

"Thankfully not." She smirked, Preacher glanced over his shoulder.

"There could be worse things then being married to me, love."

"I need you two to come with me, there is no unauthorized travel." He was curt, and his sentence clipped.

"Really? I must not of got that memo, just thought I'd take stroll down hall." Preacher responded excessively loud, Sasha could feel Reaper slowly backing away. She sighed as she realized they there resigned to the roll of decoy again.

"Sir, I really must ask you to come with me." The officer barked, keeping his gun pointed at the man.

"Sir? How formal of you. I must ask do you have credentials?"

"Alright, that's enough." The officer strode up, holstering the gun. He reached out to grab Preacher by the shoulder. Preacher snatched his hand and spun the unsuspecting man with a quick twist, slamming his face into the wall.

"Wrong move, mate." He picked up his gun, and turned to face Sasha. "Really do feel dreadful about that."

A gun went off, and Preacher lurched into Sasha. He pressed the gun in her hand before falling to the side. She didn't hesitate as she shot the non-swat officer. She dropped to ground watching as the crimson rose spread through his chest.

"Preacher." She cried softly, pulling him into her lap, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Love.." He sputtered out, blood pooling at the corner of his mouth. "Don't do that."

"Please don't." She choked out, a sad smile crossed his face. She watched as the muscle in his face relaxed, and his body went limp. She pulled him up closer, and started to cry.

~~~

Riptide had stopped, and I could hear him rummaging again. I turned my face to look at him, there was a gleeful glint his eye. He was throughly enjoying this. I rolled to my knees, my muscles screaming at me to stop. I wasn't going to lay there any more, I couldn't let him have that. A scraping sound outside there door caught both of our attention. He looked over his shoulder at me, a maniacal gleam crossed those beady eyes. With long powerful strides he came to me, grabbing me by my face, pulling me up into a knelling position.

"Now I can do what I should of done long ago." He sneered. "That pesky friend of yours should of died long ago." He shoved my face away, and confidently walked up to the door.

I slowly made way to my unsteady feet, pulling at the chains that bound me. The door wobbled a bit as he reached for the handle. Quickly he pulled the door open, the beast sprang into the room, catching the man off guard. The two slid across the floor colliding with me, I heard the snap of metal and was shoved into the wall behind Riptide. I heard the man shriek in pain as the beast ripped into his chest. I wiggled as hard as I could out from behind the two, a large blasting sound ring through my ears just as I freed myself. The beast whipped about toward the door. To my relief I saw Reaper standing there, rifle in hand trained on the thing.

It growled at him lowering its head, opening it's mouth as it's screams reverberated through the room, deafening me. It lunged onto Reaper, teeth snapping. Quickly a ran to the overturned table, I found long curved knife. I snatch it and sprinted to the beast. I hurled myself onto its smooth back, it's skin hot to the touch. Briefly it paused, I took the chance to whip the chain dangling from my hands around it neck. Suddenly the beast lurched, and spun. It bucked wildly trying to throw me from it's back.

I had no clue what I doing or what possessed me to get on it's back. In hindsight not my smartest idea. The chain had hooked onto the bolt that held my shackles together, even if I changed my mind dismounting the bucking catastrophe was not going to be an option.

I pushed myself up while it spun trying to get enough leverage to drive the knife in. That was until the thing reared back slamming the back of its skull into the front of mine. Just a quickly as the thing had reared up it slammed it's body forward kicking up it's butt. And that folks is how you get slung and twisted over the neck of the pale distorted mount, my face to it's eyeless face.

I heard a low growl, I could feel it's lips pulled back against my abdomen. Yeah, this was not a good idea. The thing snapped forward, failing to grab hold my body with its teeth. It leaned it's body forward, in turn lowering my body. My feet touched the ground as in continued to push forward with its body weight. I took the chance, leaning to side, gaining enough room. I slammed the knife into the side of its neck, driving it in as hard as I could. Blood coursed over my hands as the creature went to the side, sliding chain over part of its head in the process. It whipped to the other side, completely dislodging the chain, and slamming it's body into the wall. I watched as the knife went hilt deep, and beast stopped moving.

I pushed myself back up to my feet, leaning against the wall I staggered over to Reaper. Blood coursed from his neck, he looked up at me. He smiled as he stroked the side of my cheek.

"But you can't.." He shook his head, stopping me mid-sentence.

"I'll be fine, I just have to let the wound close." He whispered through a hoarse voice.

"Uh." I heard a moan come from the direction Riptide lay. Slowly I stood up, grabbing Reaper's rifle from the ground. I wobbled over to him. His leg were mangled, and his ribs were exposed. The part of his cheek that been ripped off was all ready closing. I brought the rifle up, took aim square at his head and pulled the trigger.

I was knocked back as brain splattered the wall. If my shoulder wasn't dislocated before, I'm sure it is now. I rolled onto my stomach, propping myself up and glanced over at Reaper, he had already pushed himself up into a sitting position.

"You did it, kid."

~~

"You can't be dead. I don't want you to be dead." Sasha choked through.

She held Preacher's limp form, tears falling from her cheeks to his face. Sure he was a jerk she thought but he had grown on her. He was the first man she met that not only could handle her sarcasm but could dish it right back her. Now he was gone, just like Elise and her parents and possibly her sister as well. She suddenly felt truly alone for the first time in her life.

"Such wonderful gifts." Preacher nuzzled into her chest. Her eyes went wide with shock. "What no mouth to mouth resuscitation?"

"You.." she seethed and stood suddenly dropping his torso abruptly to the ground. "You're an asshole."

"Hey, I was just shot, love. Easy on the dropping me." He chuckled, propping himself onto an elbow rubbing the back of his head.

"I thought you were dead!" She yelled at him.

"Dead? No, afraid only a head shot can do that." He grinned, snatching the handgun from the ground next to him. "Before you get any ideas."

"I hate you." She quipped turning her back him, crossing her arms.

"Love, we both know that's not true." He stood holstering the gun. "You all but declared you un-dieing love for me."

"I did not!" She exclaimed, spinning to face him.

"Please, don't be dead. You can't die." He mocked her, grasping at his chest, pressing the back of hand to his forehead.

"Seriously? You got I love you from that?"  She scoffed, smacking him in arm as he took a step to her.

"Then why were you crying?" He asked, his voice soft and deep.

"I got something in my eye." She retorted.

"Well then, let me just wipe those not crying tears from your cheek." He murmured, brushing the streaks from under her eyes.

~~~

I hobbled down the hall using Reaper as my crutch. We had found ourselves in the main room that swat used, computers hummed waiting for their next command. I sat down in a chair, looking around wondering what to do next.

"I wonder which switch controls the overhead system." I pondered to myself out loud.

"This one." He pointed, walking over and flipped it.

"Attention citizens, as you have noticed by now, there has been an up rising." Stated, leaning forward in the chair to alleviating the pain that spread through my lower back. "Those of you who were members of swat, as I imagine there isn't to many of you left, stand down. Please return your weapons, and you will be unharmed, the refusal to do so will consider you an enemy and we will react according.'

'To the rest of you who survived,' I paused trying to find the right words, I looked up at Reaper. The muscles in face were soft as he watched me, the kindness in his eyes had returned. "Today is a new start, a fresh start. For the last hundred years have we have lived separated. We should have never been to be broken down by class, that was never the plan. From this day forward we mingle, live one aside each other, work together, we can become the society that our ancestors wanted for us, and died for us. There will be no doors keep us from one another, this will become the home we were promised."

I flipped the switch off, my hands trembled. I hoped we could restore balance, that the words I spoke would come to be. We could achieve greatness if we worked together, I knew this, I could feel it. I stood up, feeling drained. I walked over to Reaper, and laid my head against his chest. I thought about Elise, I thought about my sister wondering if she was alive or dead. I knew this was far from over, we had an up hill battle to try and change people's mindsets. I felt Reaper wrap his arms around, and lay his head on top of mine.

"So are you two having another moment?" Preacher's annoying voice announced his presence.

"Shut it, Lucas." Reaper responded, his chest vibrating.

"Another moment?" My sister chuckled with confusion. I lightly pushed Reaper aside and threw my arms around my sister, tears threaten spill.

Permanent tag-

@kitkatkl

Not our home tag-

@devilbat t @tarithenurse e @radicalesbians @lilmissravingwriter @no-fuhking-idea @shynara51 @error-page

Let me know if you want tagged.

[jlpat82]

Not Our Home

Chapter 16

We stepped into the hall after we finished eating we had geared ourselves back up. People ran past us, shoving. Faces full of fear, I looked up at Reaper who stood beside me. We stayed close to the wall pushing our way against the torrent of people rushing past us, terror had settled in their faces. Screams in agony came around the bend ahead of us.

That's when we realized why the were running. Ear ring, high decibel scream coming from the direction the people were running. It sprang out into the hall, sinking its talons into the wall perching itself there. It's tongue whipped about, blood dripped from its marred white face.  It's muscle bunched and contorted, as it faced our direction.

In horror I watched as it lunged off the wall knocking multiple people down. The beast snatched my old boss up, and in a instant I witnessed as the creature ripped his throat out. Blood splattered the wall, soaking people as they scrambled to their feet. Robert twitched, as the color drained from his body, as much as I hated the man, I pitied the way his life was taken.

"What do we do?" I asked, my body trembled.

"We don't get eaten." Preacher curtly replied, slowly pulling his rifle forward.

"No crap, Sherlock." My sister spat back, pulling the hand gun out. "I thought the deal was to use you as bait this this time."

"I was bait the last time, remember." He leveled his weapon as the abomination snapped its head in our direction.

"I like it better when you're bait." She chuckled, raising the handgun.

"That thing is planning on lunch, and here you two are arguing who makes the  better bait?" I snapped, trying to free my gun. Preacher and Sasha took a quick look at each other.

"It's our thing, some people steal kisses when nobodies around, and we insult each other." He snipped, the creature lunged as he took his shot. The thing dipped out of the way of the bullet, springing into another wall. I watched in pure horror as it dug it nails in, climbing side ways across the wall, cement dislodging in the process.

Sasha pulled her trigger, the beast switched to other wall, just barely being missed. I finally removed the gun from it's holster, I whipped it up with unsteady hands. The sound of Reaper's rifle going off behind me was deafening. It hit the creature in center of it heads as it had started to jump walls again. It was flung back, it screamed again, but this time a reply came from somewhere behind us.

"You've got to be kidding me." I whispered, slowly turning to look behind us. I watched as the metal door nosed open. Another slipped in, its grey skin was wet and slick. It shrieked back at the other one, the first shook and pushed its self back up

"Wonderful." Preacher breathed out with irritation. The first beast whipped it’s body back around, it slowly brought its talons up, sliding one into the hole its head. I gasped as it pulled the smashed shell out, with a sickening suctioning sound. I heard a hiss come from it, as it flung the piece of metal. "Reaper, that door beside you, open it very slowly."

"Uh, news flash, genius, those doors don't hold up in case you forgot." Sasha whispered, panic lacing each word. Reaper slowly opened the door as asked, the grey creature hissed back in response. Reaper pulled on the back of my vest as he walked slowly backed into the storage closet.

Sasha and Preacher slowly made their retreat into the room with us. I stood, transfixed as I saw the creatures collide from the door way as Reaper quietly shut it. Preacher quickly pulled the shelving unit away from the wall, just like the other closet there was door in the floor. Screams pierced the air, over the commotion outside the door.

"Come on!" Preacher shouted to me, I turned and he was the only left, his body half out of the hole. I scuffled over just as the noise stopped, I paused as I heard the door begin to shake. Slowly I looked over my shoulder, the door flew off it hinges slamming me into a wall.

~~~~

"Shit!" Preacher exclaimed, as he saw the girl get slammed from the door. The beast lurched in, it's white body marred further from its fight. It stumbled in, blood covered it's face and one of it's arms were missing. It took a surgeing lunge at Preacher, he instinctively ducked pulling the door shut.

"What's going on?" Reaper bellowed from the floor below him. Preacher dropped down to next to him, scraping sounds wildly going on above them.

"Where is Jules?" Sasha asked, worry in her voice. Preacher bit his lip, he looked from Sasha to Reaper. "You didn't?"

"I'm sorry."

"We have to go back for her!" She screamed at him, he shook his head. The scrapping sound intensified, the sound of metal ripping stopped the fight short.

Reaper acted quickly throwing the door to the hall open, her grabbed the two bickering comrades and threw them into the hall. He slammed the door, and shoved them both.

"We need to move now!" He commanded as a large thud came from behind the door.

~~~~

I came to all was quiet in the supply closet, debris covering me. I pushed myself to my hands and knees, knocking parts of the metal door off my back. I tasted copper in my mouth and my lip stung. My arm was bleeding but I was alive. I stood up, my head started pounding.

"Look what we have here." Riptide's voice startled me, I reached for my holster but my gun was missing. "Looking for this?"

I looked over my shoulder, he had my gun, panic renew as my mind whirled trying think of an escape. He grinned as he walked toward me, I tried to back up but my foot was caught on the twisted door frame.

"And where do you think are going?" He grabbed me by the vest, I tried push him away. He snatched both my hands, sneering as he leaned in. "This is going to work wonderfully."

~~~~

"Please tell me we are going back for her?" Sasha asked, as they made their way to the stairwell.

"Once we figure out what to do with that thing following us, then we will." Preacher yelled, taking two steps down at a time.

"Can't we just shoot it like before?"

"No, we can't!" He yelled back.

"How did survive my shot, Preacher?" Reaper yelled, bringing up the rear.

"Uh, it's been tweaked a bit." He shrugged pausing at the next landing. He threw the metal door open, a swat member turn in front of him.

"What?!" She shrieked as he shot the man, he briskly walked inside the corridor. Reaper hit the landing as the door at the top of the stairs burst off its hinges.

"Yeah, you know, steal plate on the cranium, chest plate implant. Just the essentials to make it a crazy hard bastard to kill." He pushed a side door open, to another supply closet. They followed him in, he pulled the racking loose and shoved it against the door, revealing a metal ladder.

"Oh, well isn't that just dandy." She huffed, as she followed him up to the stairs.

"Sure, just work that out." She retorted as they sprinted out into the hall.

"Right? What better way to ensure your enemies never kill your prized pet?" He shoved the trap door open, climbing to the next level up. He extended his arm, pulling Sasha up to the floor next to him.

"So then how are we supposed to kill it?" Sasha asked in Bewilderment as she saw Reaper jump up from out of the hole.

"Show off." Preacher remarked slamming the trap door closed. "And I'm working that out."

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@kitkatkl

Not our home tag-

@devilbat @tarithenurse @radicalesbians @lilmissravingwriter @no-fuhking-idea @shynara51 @error-page

Let me know if you want tagged.

[jlpat82]

Hey Tumblr

Why is this account marked as adult content?? There isn’t anything remotely sexual about any of the stories I have posted on this one!! I don’t have this marked as explicit, why are your censoring my content!! And the worse part is you didn’t even notify me that you were! Is it cause I tagged Not Our Home with violence? That way if someone doesn’t want to read violence they don’t have to, I use it as a trigger warning!

Not Our Home is teen safe!

Magick is written for a teen audience in mind!

@staff can you explain why I’m set as adult content? I have followers that I can tag but can’t read my work here because you decided to take upon yourselves to mark me something I am not!!!

[jlpat82]

@staff I’m still waiting!! I’ll send another email if I have too!!!

[jlpat82]

Not Our Home

Chapter 15

I watched through the cameras as the people made their assault. Goosebumps raised on my arms as I saw them gain the upper hand. They were fighting back and they were winning. Preacher sat at one of the computers furiously clicking away, Reaper stood silently in the corner watching. I was the only one watching them, there was far more of us then them.

I turned to look at my sister, she watched Preacher intently. It was just back to the four of us but at least we were not alone. I turned back to the monitors, in that moment my blood ran cold as I saw the body of the sleek beast tear through. It's body covered in sores, ripping through the throng of people. Talons tearing open throats of people trying to run from its path, bodies colliding in an attempt to flee. Thankful that there was no audio to go with the sight.

I watched the massacre unfold in front of me, powerless to stop the carnage. I started to hyperventilate, the world started to spin, I sprang out of my chair. My legs felt heavy, and body started to be dragged down. I felt gentle arms wrap around my waist, supporting me, a gentle shushing in my ear.

"Breath in." His voice soft, barely audible. "Breathe slowly out. Calm down, kid."

"You okay?" Sasha asked, turning to look at me. I pointed to the screen, continuing to listen to Reaper's breathing instructions. "That thing."

"You've seen it?" I stuttered.

"Yeah, killed one couple of levels down." She responded, looking back at me. She raised an eyebrow in my direction once she that Reaper was supporting my body weight.

"There were more then one?" My voice was breathless. I felt faint, how could they have had more then one? Didn't they realize the danger that only one of those posed.

"Unfortunately, somehow another was able to creep in. Reaper.." Preacher spun on his chair looking back at us, a coy smile played across his face for a moment. "How did you get in the building?"

"I came in through the meter that's atop one of the buildings. There is a faulty door up there, jammed by a busted gear." He replied, I could feel his words vibrate through my back.

"That means the Geiger meter is no longer working." I spat out, I felt a hot tear run down face when I remember Elise's and I's argument, which felt like a life time ago.

"Kid, that door is rusted open. Looks to have been that way for a couple of decades." He looked around my shoulder to see my face, I turned slightly. His face was inches from mine, I felt the heat flush up in my face.

"Hate to ruin the moment you two but we really need to get moving. Before we get company." Preacher interjected, amusement filled his words. "You know, people trying to kill us and all."

"Jules, are you blushing?" My sister snickered, quickly I pulled away. Reaper's smile was a sad one, I felt guilty for reasons unknown.

"What's the next plan?" I cleared my throat taking a couple awkward steps away from him, crossing my arms.

"Not much now, except killed the beast, destroy Riptide, which by the way is going to be a joy. And escape the rest of his goonies, then we can gallantly strut away into the moonlight." Preacher rattled off, slinging his rifle back up over his shoulder.

"That doesn't sound difficult or anything at all." Sasha retorted, Preacher rolled his eyes.

"Really?" He replied, looking at her as we exited that door.

"Oh, what? Don't like it being thrown back at you?" She quipped, as he opened the door.

"Evidently I have a sarcasm problem, who knew." He replied, looking back at Reaper and I.

~~~

Riptide stepped over the cold dismembered corpses of what remained from the surge in the halls. The wendigo did a thorough job mopping up those individuals he was planning to eliminate. He followed the winding corridors till he came across the dead body of one of the beasts.

He paused, looking it over. His face went blank, he looked up from the creature. Realization, there had been two. This was not his beast, it's body unmarked body lay cold. He pulled his weapon from it's holster, and preceded with caution.

~~~~

We followed each other in a straight line, I could feel myself slowing down. I was running on fumes, I didn't know what time it was but I had been on the run since the jail cell. In all my wildest dreams I had never thought escaping would take this much out of me.

We stopped briefly so Preacher could do his peer around a corner and spot the bad guys bit. I leaned up against the wall and closed my eyes. I felt a warm hand being placed on my arm bring me back to the present.

"Hmm?" I mumbled, opening my eyes.

"You okay, kid?" Reaper's concern made me smile.

"Just tired." My stomach rumbled reminding me I hadn't eaten or had anything to drink a long while.

"We need to find some place to bunker down for a bit."He brushed past me, I watched him as he conversed with the other man quietly. My sister came over and leaned against the wall with me, she looked over in the direction at the two men.

"What's he saying?" She whispered, as Preacher shook his head, and whispered his reply back to Reaper.

"Probably something about a place to rest." I yawned, I looked up at the ceiling, my eyes felt like sandpaper had been poured into them.

"That would be amazing, to tell you the truth. I haven't had a break since I got off of work." She replied, it never occurred to me that she had been going as long as I had, maybe longer in reality. No doubt, more exhausted then I was and yet she kept pushing herself forward.

"Come on girls." Preacher announced quietly, snapping us both back to attention. We followed him through another hall, and through another door. Seems like that was all my life consisted of lately. Corridors and metal doors, one after another, never ending.

Behind this door differed, it wasn't another hall but a room. It had a beautiful floor, golden in hue, streaked and swirled with dark brown accents. Our foot steps clicked and echoed as we walked across it. Paintings hung from the walls, beautiful vibrant colors shown in the lights pointing to them.

"Where are we?" I whispered softly, listening to my whisper echo off the walls.

"It's a small ballroom." Preacher replied, strutting to the opposite side of the room. My eyes landed on Reaper who had his hand covering his face in the bright lighting. I could only imagine the assault that the lighting did on him.

"This floor is amazing." Sasha's voice was one of amazement.

"They're hardwood floors, what's left of them anyway." Preacher remarked, flipping some switches on the wall, the lights pointing to the paintings flick off. The room dimmed, we were momentarily blinded in darkness.

"Thank you, my friend." Reaper from somewhere to my left announced for the first time since we entered.

"So why are we here?" Sasha remarked, my eyes adjusted to the low lighting. Preacher approached her, he unbuckled her vest, and removed her holster. "There you are getting handsy again."

"You're right, love, I just can't keep my hands off of you." He jested, suddenly ensnaring her in his arms. A small sound escaped her lips, as he twirled her around before letting her go. She slapped his shoulder, feigning an annoyed look but I could see the smile play out in her eyes. "We are taking a rest, the vest makes a better pillow then the floor."

"You sir, are a jerk." She tried to suppress her chuckle.

"Julianne.." Reaper startled me, he had moved silently next to me. "You should follow suit, we won't be stopping for long."

I nodded, as I started to take the vest off. I left it fall to the floor, the air was cold as it rush onto my sweat soaked shirt. A shiver tore through my body, I watched as Sasha laid down about five feet from me. I lowered myself to the floor, watching the two men talk.

I laid my head of the vest, feeling exhausted enough to sleep a week but my body fought it. My brain wouldn't shut off again, running through the events since my capture. I saw Elise's horrorified expression and my eyes popped open. I looked around the room, Reaper was standing in the corner my eyes locked onto his. I looked over my shoulder to my sister, I could hear her breathing heavy. Sleep had not evaded her.

Quietly I stood, grabbing my vest, I walked to the corner of the room where Reaper stood as lone sentinel. His brow knotted together looking down at me.

"You should be sleeping." His voiced a hushed whisper, I looked around, realizing his comrade was missing.

"Where's Preacher?" I whispered, ignoring his comment.

"He went in search food, you need to rest." He repeat, my eyes made contact again.

"I can't sleep, I keep seeing Elise's face." I replied, casting my eyes down. I felt a hot tear streak down my cheek, seeing the blood soak through her shirt in my minds eye. I didn't know why I came to him, I wasn't sure what I expected but he engulfed me in his arms and held me. I wish I could say I pulled myself together. That wasn't the case though, the tears flowed freely as I cried against him.

I finally pulled away, taking a deep breath. A warm hand guided my chin up till I made eye contact with him briefly, I saw his sadness, here I was sad over losing my dear friend and he had lost everyone he knew. He leaned in and I felt his lips brush mine.

"About time old man, but that doesn't look like resting." Preacher cleared his throat, I jumped back. I grabbed my vest and made a retreat back to my sister. Who knows what might have been in another life time, but in this life time the odds of us getting out alive for anything to be was slim.

~~~~

Reaper watched as she scurried away back to her sleeping sister. Preacher approached him, and then leaned against the wall, smirk upon his face.

"So.. what'd I miss?" Amusement in his voice.

"Shut it, Lucas." Reaper stated cooly, walking across the room.

"Come on, I can see the way you look her." He responded, following his friend.

"One last time, shut it." Reaper hissed.

"Is all seriousness Alex, you do realize the odds of her being able to go outside are slim." Preacher's voice was straight laced, watching his comrade walk away from her.

"You don't know that." Reaper chipped back in a hushed tone.

"They've never breathed un-recycled air before. The proprieties and components are completely different." He replied walking to his friend, worry on his face.

"She'll be fine."

"Is that logic thinking or you willing it because you have feelings for her." Preacher pulled his shoulder so the man faced him.

"Lucas." He warned, his lip tight.

"No, I'm not going to let this go this time." He whispered harshly. "I see the way you look at her, it's the same way you looked at Prophet. I let it slide then, even though I knew it was trouble."

"You're way out of line." Reaper hissed.

"I'm not! I warned you then, that you weren't focused on the outcome of our mission. You too busy trying to win her affections, you helped her guard her scientist that she was to be watching and the ones you were supposed to watch were killed." His voice stern, his intense gaze bore into the man. "Riptide was able to get to them because you weren't standing on point. You and I both know that we had strict time table, in and out. But we didn't have time to go back and get the two nukes that they were supposed to disarm."

"I know, Lucas, and I've had live the last hundred years with that guilt. But that is nothing like this!"

"It isn't? You protect her at all cost? Don't you? And when it comes time for you to leave? Cause I know you cant stay, you aren't getting enough oxygen in here, your lungs aren't adapting fast enough and because of that you aren't healing the way you should and you're becoming sluggish." He spat out, knowing it hurt his friend to hear this, but he needed him to hear it out loud. "You have to go back for the same reasons she won't be able to stay outside. The sooner you come to grips with that, and tell that poor girl the better."

Reaper twisted out the man's grasp, and strode away. Whether or not Preacher was correct to was to be seen. He glanced over at the sleeping woman, Preacher was correct on one level. He would protect her at any cost, even if it killed him. He owed it to the girl for turning her life upside down, he owed it Prophet for not being there for her children.

He also owed to himself, for not doing his job correctly the first time and allowing this reality to come into existence.

Had he done his job, the odds of people seeking shelter underground would of been slim. They most likely would never have had to take refuge for as long as they did. The Geiger meter would have shown them that there was no radiation outside and they could of returned to life as normal. Billions of people would have never died in the blast or the fallout. He taken that mission for atonement and yet he failed, and the carnage was on his hands.

~~~~

A gentle shaking woke me from my nightmares, nightmares of being chased and people trying to kill me. I was greeted by Preacher's smiling face, the reminder that in the waking world I was being chased and people were in fact out to kill me.

"Morning, darling. Time to eat and get a move on." He handed me something cold wrapped in deli paper. I sat up, stiffly, all of my muscles refusing to cooperate. I opened the paper, looking down at bread.

"He found us actual food." My sister elatedly spoke the obvious. "It's a sandwich. And it's amazing."

"It is, is it?" I chuckled, my stomach rumbled loudly as I took a bite. Dear god in heaven, the flavors, so many. "You're right, this is amazing."

"So ladies." Preacher knelt down in front of us as we inhaled the delicious food. "Our only goal now is to find Riptide. Reaper and I agree once he taken out of the equation everything else will crumble. He's the one pulling the strings with out him, the classes will sort themselves out."

"Okay, so how do we do that? I mean he's like the two of you right?" Sasha responded, her mouth full of sandwich.

"Didn't your parents ever tell you it isn't polite to open you mouth when it's full?" He shook his head at her, she responded by opening her mouth up showing parts of the chewed up sandwich.

"Yes, it will be difficult. He heals as fast we do, that's why you need to aim for the head." Reaper spoke up, walking up to us his eyes locked onto me. I felt my face flush back up, quickly I look down.

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Not our home tag-

@devilbat @tarithenurse e @radicalesbians @lilmissravingwriter @no-fuhking-idea @shynara51 @error-page

Let me know if you want tagged.

[jlpat82]

I’m working on it guys!