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Ring Around the Rosie

Ancient Times

We can not allow the wraiths to escape again. said one of the monks
Yes, we must do things differently this time. Agreed the head monk. If the wraiths escape fully, they could destroy everything. Slowly a different monk made his way to the table a plan beginning to formulate.
What if there was a guardian. Someone who could take the portal and hide it with them. They would just have to stay one step in front of the wraiths left in our world. The other Monks glanced at each other before slowly nodding their heads in agreement.
Then it is decided. A guardian will carry the portal in the form of a necklace. When the time comes, they will pass their task onto the next guardian. The head Monk intoned.


Current Time

Quietly I slip through the crowd. There is nothing special about me, just dirty blond hair, with a dirty shirt and ragged cloak. A worthless necklace and beads strung together to make a hair band. Nothing that would draw any attention. I have worked hard to keep it this way, it is easier to hide if no one can remember you.

I have been on the run since I was seven. Appearing and disappearing in an instant. Never staying long in one place. This is how its always been, its how I stay alive.

Death has always followed me. A trail of unusual fires, plagues, earthquakes, and other disasters. The longer I stay, the worst the disaster. I try to stay away from highly populated areas when I can. But sometimes I have to pass through a town or city. And those cities burn in return for their kindness.

Sometimes I wish I could just stop. Give in, and let the darkness steal me away. To simply misplace the precious necklace that holds so much power. But I know that cant be an option, so I continue on my solitary path.

Another town decimated by plague. Children run in the streets, not knowing where to go. Death lingers in the air as I reluctantly turn and walk away. I cant help them, if I stay, I will only make it.

I didnt use to think I was cursed, I assumed it was bad luck that this destruction follow in my wake. I know better now. The shadow wraiths that follow create a wave of pain and suffering in their wake. I wish I could stop them, but for now, I am powerless against them.

I have searched for an answer my entire life. For a way to make the shadows disappear. When I was seven an old man handed me a necklace and told me to protect it with my life. I didnt quite understand it back then. Not like now, the necklace is the worlds last hope. So I continue on, I cant give up, I cant stop yet.

I slowly make my way through a burned village. I had stayed for an entire week before a forest fire burned the small town to the ground. Now ashes fall from the sky, like falling rain. Buildings still smoldering as I pass them. Toys left in the yard, forgotten in the rush to leave. Peoples entire lives, left behind.

There is a girl in the town Im staying at. Somehow I know, she is the one I must give this burden to. I wonder if the old man had the same feeling about me, all those years ago. Now with a purpose, I turn toward the girl.

As the girl leaves with the necklace around her neck an earthquake shakes the earth, throwing me to the ground. As I lay on the ground, the wraiths began to swarm around. A smile twisted at my lips, they were too late, the necklace was already gone. Only seconds later, my eyes flicker shut for the last time.

The Labyrinth
I woke in a labyrinth, it was dark at first but my eyes slowly adjusted to the light, it was still dark but now there was a red tint to the room around me.

"Oww!" I cried as I began to stand and felt a sharp pain stab through my spine.

As I rose higher I breathed in the stench of mold and what seemed to be damp cardboard. I could hear drops of water echoing from somewhere no too far from where I was as they hit the cold stone floor. I felt the freezing floor underfoot and realized I had been stripped of my shoes. As I shifted to look down at my bare feet I saw clothes that I had never worn or owned before.

"Where did these come from?" I shivered from the freezing air.

I wore a short sleeve shirt made of thin blood red fabric that the air went right through. Over the shirt was a thick long sleeved camouflage jacket. My pants were black with various pockets, one right under my left knee, one under my right, 1 on each of my thighs, and two in the normal places that you'd find pockets.

As I tried to stand I felt dizzy and fell back down. Slowly, very slowly, I bent to one knee and checked the pockets on my pant legs for any objects or clues as to why I was here. I found nothing so I checked the dirty bag that lie on the floor just inches away from me and pulled out a long carefully braided rope, a canteen of water (empty), and a key.

" A key...? I wonder what it's for?" I asked myself outloud.

Then I turned so suddenly that it was as if my feet had a mind of their own. A dark form slipped out from the shadows of the wall. I hadn't even noticed before. It was as if whoever it was had been a part of the wall just moments before. As the dark form moved to the light I realized it was a boy probably about my age with light brown hair and dark brown eyes. I looked closer into his eyes and saw they were a dark pool of sadness. He regarded the red haired girl standing before him with a nod then stuffed his hands into the pockets of his gray hoodie. He wore his gray hoodie with the color of an even lighter gray shirt sticking out, black pants, and black converse with a single white stripe sliding down the center of them.

"Hi..." I said as he turned to leave, 'He looks worried.' I thought.

"...Hey." he replied in a cold way. His solid expression was slowly beginning to dissolve under my gaze but he didn't look away. I've got to admit he was stubborn maybe even more stubborn than me.

"I'm Erika I said without taking my gaze off him.

"Alex." he said finally dropping his gaze.

"Nice name."

"Nice face." he said sarcastically. Then, he gazed up at me again and saw the concerned look on my face and his expression softened just enough to make me believe that he was a good person, so I stepped forward.

"What are you doing?" he asked obviously surprised. Before I gave myself a chance to answer I hugged him. I felt him tense under me. Then, he gently loosened up and started shoving me off.

"What was that for?" he asked, he looked like a startled squirrel, and his reaction would have been cute of we weren't in such a strange circumstance.

"I could tell you've been through a lot. Also, you're not doing a very good job hiding it, I already got that sort of vibe from you and we only just met."

He looked away but only second later looked back up as if expecting me to have left in that little bit of time. "So..." he said as he turned and walked away. I quietly followed because he held the only clue to why I was here, I was simply following my instincts. He glanced back shook his head and kept walking as if I wasn't even their. Alex turned a corner and I did too just a few seconds too late. He had disappeared as if the walls swallowed him in.

"What the...? Where am I now?" I said to myself. I hadn't played much attention to which corners we had turned at or which paths we ha taken since I hadn't really planned on him just vanishing like that.

Then, I heard it, tik tik, when I heard the strange noise the first thing I thought of was the Philippine legend of a creature called the tik tik, a shape shifter that can kill with ease, when it's approaching you can hear the echoing noise, tik tik tik... tik tik... tik tik tik tik, just like the sound echoing through the cavernous halls of the labyrinth.

Whatever it was, it was getting closer and I was starting to detect the scent of something decaying... tik tik... then, I saw a gray figure with white eyes but no pupils silently gliding around the corner from the pathway I had been following Alex on. Whatever the strange creature was, it had been following us, but I wasn't sure how, ... tik ik tik.

I was torn between getting a closer look in hopes of finding out what it was and running. Obviously I chose to run though, I would have been an idiot to stick around no matter how curious I am.

The only way out was passed the creature since I had stupidly walked into a dead end before while trying to figure out where Alex could have ran off to. So I tore my way past it, running at full speed.

One minute I was running then suddenly a shadow rippled over my head then soar past me. It glided to a stop in front of me.

"Leave me alone! I don't know what you are and honestly I don't think I want to find out so just leave me alone!" I cried, I knew it wouldn't work but it was still worth a try.

It backed into the shadows and disappeared as suddenly as it had come. Then, I felt a cold hand snatch my shoulder. One of it's hands was on my shoulder dragging me back while the other was pulling a long lock of crimson red hair.

"Stop!" I cried out as it's long shiny black nails dug into my shoulder and I heard it's cold rattling voice.

"I will get yourrr powerrrs wetherrr you give them to me orrr I take them frrrom you. But I will have them in the end wetherrr yourrrr dead orrr not thats yourrr choice." then it's form began to ripple like water and it disappeared.

"Wait! What are you?!" I called after it.

A low whisper then the word"Kinatakutan..." came the low rattling voice.

"Kinatakutan?" I mumbled to myself. I'm gonna want to remember that when I tell the authorities once I get out of this creepy place.

"Erika! Where'd you go?" I heard Alex call. Suddenly he burst through the wall and even though I screamed so loud that I probably scared him I still felt the sweet sense of relief to know that I wasn't stuck alone with the Kinatakutan.

"Thank God! Alex, where did you go! When I turned the corner you had disappeared!" I cried in shame as a tear slid down my cheek that I swiftly wiped off hoping he didn't notice it. I had been shaken down to my core by that encounter but I wasn't planning on admitting that anytime soon.

"Aww you missed me so much you started crying!" he cried out with a fake sympathetic look on his face.

" You Jerk. You're so condescending."

"Bug eyes."

"I do NOT have bug eyes! There may be a lot of things wrong with my physical form but I do not have bug eyes. " Slowly I took a deep breath and said calmly " we're acting like children anyway so knock off the name calling."

"You started it!" he said a wide grin playing across his face. It was almost strange considering how he was giving me the cold shoulder only a few minutes before but I took that as a sign of him warming up to me.

" Knock it off you're so immature."

"Ok." he said then under his breath mumbled "... dope."

"I heard that." I said matter of factly.

"Simmer down hot head." he replied

"That tears it!" as soon as the words flew out of my mouth a red hot flame flew from my hand and hit Alex, a clean shot to his stomach. I looked to my hands and they were steaming. I was almost to shocked to even react.

"That's it. Just a little more anger and that powerrr will be all mine." I heard in my head. So do as he said and simmer down hot head." I heard the voice of kinatakutan as my anger and irritation quickly faded into panic and concern.

" I am not a hothead and how are you doing that!" A strange unnatural wind picked up around me and began swirling until it became a tornado, as I looked to my hands again I realized where it was coming from.

"Jackpot!" Kinatakutan cried and raced towards me suddenly a bright white door flashed in front of me. I quickly snatched Alex up and dragged him through, I felt Kinatakutan snatch my shoulder once more. He gripped onto me and was dragged through the door with us. It was like a tunnel inside and as we reached the end of the white door I suddenly jerked my body away and Kinatakutan's hand slipped off of my shoulder.

"Noooo!" he cried as bars closed around the door and kept him from following, "Alex?" I called and dropped to my knees still holding up his weight. "I'm so sorry, this is all my fault!" I cried gripping his hoodie in my fists as I clung to him. Suddenly arms wrapped around me jolting me back into reality.

"It's okay you stopped Kinatakutan from escaping. You saved us and you may have just saved the world too." he said as a smile sprang to his lips. I sat there clinging to him in silence.

After that day weird things kept happening, I could see people for who they really were. I could read their expressions no matter how good of an actor or liar they were and I could tell when someone wasn't quite... Well, I could tell when they weren't really human. After that day I discovered that Kinatakutan wasn't the only if his kind, but the difference between him and them was that they had escaped and could reap havoc on the world while he was still trapped in the labyrinth. Of course, that wasn't the only thing I had discovered! Over time I found out that Alex had detachment issues and I now understand why he reacted the way he did that day when I thought he had vanished. We're great friends now, not a day goes by where I don't hang out with Alex.




(I'll add the design once it finished. I realize that the wardrobe section doesn't have any outfits like the one described in my story but I'll try to match it as best as possible although it probably won't be exact. I might just change the description.)

Just a friendly reminder that your story still needs an avatar design to go with it..

Iced Path
Frostine


Frostine trudged through the snow as fast as her feet could carry her. She paused outside of a alleyway and looked around. Frostine knew she wasn't suppose to but it was the fastest way to the main street. She chewed her lip nervously, sighed and plunged into the alley way. She ran down the alley as quick as possible being careful not to trip on the limbs of the homeless people strewn about. Frostine kept her head down and did her best not to make eye contact, you never know what desperate people may do to girls like her. She finally burst out of the alley way and blew out the breath she'd didn't know she'd been holding relived. Frostine hated going through the alleys, she couldn't stand looking at the poor people and children, it wrenched at her heart that she couldn't do anything for them when her mother and her were barley meeting ends meet themselves.
She hurriedly resumed running towards her destination again. As she ran she quietly recited the instructions she had memorized over the countless years.
" Turn right by Mrs.Gettsways appartment , go straight tell you see the brewery then take a left by the park , Cross the street , Be cautious of sleds they wont slow down for you , Turn right and then another right the building your looking for the is little one by the Blizzard Inn.
Her feet guided her knowing the familiar path she took everyday after school. Frostine stopped in front of a shop called Schultz's Panacea. It was a little shop pretty well known and had just enough business to keep it open. As she pushed open the door her nose was assaulted by herbal and bitter smells. She crinkled her nose in distaste no matter how many time she came here it never got any better.
" Hello there Frostine you almost didn't make it before closing " a gruff but friendly voice said. She looked over to the shelves lined with herbal remedies and saw Schultz the shops owner. He was a young man just with reddish hair and green eyes. He was bigger but not as in fat, Schultz looked like he could take on the whole Esemiain army with his pinkie finger. Most if not all the town's folk were surprised when he choose to open a healers shop and instead of enlist in the army. But she was grateful he was here because if he wasn't her mom would be six feet under by now.
Schultz

" Yeah sorry Schultz school went a little long " she replied
" That's ok I would have stayed open awhile longer for you anyway " he shrugged looking at her " Hows your mother by the way any better? " he asked concerned
" Same as before " she said replied to Schultz disheartened
" Ahh, Don't give up hope Frostine! I've just made a new herbal treatment especially for your mum."
Frostine perked up " Really do you think it'll work this time? " she asked smiling hopefully at Schultz . He laughed " Only one way to find out " he said "Let me just go get it" He said walking towards the counter by the front of the shop. She watched him rummage through some boxes on the counter curiously. " Where did I...no..nope..Ah Ha!" He exclamied turning around. He held a glass bottle that had some orange and gold liquid in it. " Now remember its not guaranteed to work but it should help " he said quietly handing her the bottle.
" I know " Frostine sighed looking at the orangish-gold liquid " But If it dosen't work we'll have to just keep trying " she said determinedly
" Thats the spirit! " Schultz smiled and glanced at the clock " Better run home now before Young Curfew starts. "
Frostine looked at the clock on the wall it read 4:55pm. She looked back at Schultz " But curfew doesn't start tell 8:00 "
" Yeah but there's no telling what trouble you and that mischievous boy you hang out with could get into " He said winking. Frostine could feel her cheeks turning red why did everyone think her and Faron where together? They were just friends who happened to be boy and girl, besides Faron didn't even like her in that way. Frostine dropped the medicine in her pocket and quickly changed the subject " Well anyway I need to get going " She said walking to the door.
" Alright you take care and don't go running through alleyways! " He called after her. " Alright, thank you Schultz! " Frostine hollered back. She shivered as she stepped outside into the cold air, sometimes Frostine wished she didn't live on Rhine Mountain. Where it was cold and snowy for 8 out of 12 months and people had to use sleds pulled by Snow Wolves or Polar Lions. Or where you sometimes had to dig your front door free of 4 feet of snow just to get out . But at the same time it had a charm about it that Frostine loved. The snow glinting of fresh fallen snow and the mountain breezes that blew your hair into a tizzy. Frostine couldn't imagine anywhere as perfect as Rhine town the village that lived on the mountain.
( Hope you like it I wanted to do more be it was getting kinda long )

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